#but when spotify's getting. like. taylor swift lyrics wrong it's like what are we even doing here

[torchickentacos]

I hate when spotify gets lyrics wrong. Like if I can hear the right words with my processing disorder, then spotify has NO EXCUSES tbh

[alittlebitofsainz]

- why am I still writing pages? -

prompt: “but if the story’s over, why am I still writing pages?”

pairing: charles leclerc x reader

summary: you and your teammate are cursed by a case of right person, wrong time. but a crash makes you both reconsider everything.

warnings: implications of sex and mentions of a crash, but nothing explicit.

a/n: lyrics of course from track #16 death by a thousand cuts by taylor swift

masterlist | the spotify wrapped collection

you knew it had been a bad idea.

right from the start, the voice in the back of your head was screaming at you not to do this. this was the only way it ever could’ve ended, and yet at the same time… you knew it would never end. not properly.

you could tell you and charles would get along from the moment you met; faces cracking into grins when you caught his eye across the debrief room, turning into whispers in ears about gossip from the rest of the grid, turning into subtle touches on the shoulder, on the knee, on the curve of your back as he passed by. you could feel yourself falling, even though you were trying so hard not to. and how could you not? he was charming, funny, handsome, and something about his unwavering determination, his dedication and commitment and loyalty to his team, to his dream, captured you in ways you never imagined anything could.

the first kiss was inevitable, a moment in his drivers room full of so much tension that you left to head to the first free practice session suspiciously breathless. the two of you danced around labelling whatever it was going on between you, until eventually there was no point pretending anymore; neither of you were interested in pursuing anybody else but each other.

but you were drivers. and drivers were competitive, and ambitious, and separating your off-track relationship from your on-track relationship…? let’s just say that difficult was an understatement.

“they told me what you said on the radio.”

charles had looked up, the irritation that had been on his face giving way to surprise as you appeared in the entrance of his drivers room. usually when you came to visit his drivers room the door was locked behind you, and when it reopened half an hour later you had to check the corridor to make sure no one saw you emerge with your hair a mess, cheeks flushed and your shirt still half unbuttoned. but this wasn’t one of those times. the tension in the air was not the welcome kind.

“what?” charles had the audacity to pretend to not to know what you were talking about.

“‘y/n’ is such a fucking idiot. what is she doing?’ don’t pretend you didn’t say it.” you replied. even having to repeat the words felt like a knife in your chest. you’d been fighting for a podium, and your defending had been a little… aggressive, more so than it probably should’ve been considering charles was your teammate. and your partner. charles sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

“I’m sorry. you know what it’s like out there. we all say things in the moment that we don’t really mean.” he apologised gently, weary eyes searching yours for any sign you forgiveness. you hummed in response, the anger that had built in you as you’d marched down the corridor from the garage to his drivers room dissipating the longer you had to process it. charles held his arms out to you, and you let out a sigh as you knew that you would forgive him, crawling into his lap as he murmured apologies into your ear.

it hadn’t been that incident that had caused your relationship to break down. it had been an accumulation of all the times that followed, all the little comments and digs over the radio about each other when you were fighting on track. it was the way the media continually pitted you against each other, the two of you constantly leap-frogging each other in the drivers standings, rumours of renewing of contracts and in-team fighting that eventually became all consuming and impossible to ignore. when charles had looked at you with a face like thunder that masked the true pain he felt, telling you he didn’t think he could do this anymore, you couldn’t find any reason to argue. to fight what was happening. maybe this was just right person, wrong time, you’d agreed. maybe in another life.

it had hurt, but at least you’d remained friends, even if it was only due to the forced proximity that came from driving for the same team every weekend. and without the added pressure of a relationship, things between you and charles actually improved, after a while. first the smiles across the room came back. and then the two of you started gossiping again, giggling at secrets that only the two of you knew, footage of you, charles and pierre laughing together during the drivers parade appearing all over social media. and then the touches, the brushing of skin, the blush creeping up into your cheeks as his fingers caught on yours as you walked side by side through the paddock. the way his knee pressed against yours during a press conference when a question came up about your crash the weekend before, the one that had had charles racing to the medical centre as soon as the race was over, almost in tears just at the sight of you.

“I came as soon as I- merde, y/n, are you okay?”

charles’ voice was shaky, his heavy breathing revealing just how quickly he’d rushed over from the garage. the race wouldn’t be restarted for at least another half an hour, the barriers requiring extensive repair work after the damage you’d caused, giving charles just enough time to come and see you.

“I’m fine, charles.” you waved him off as you pushed yourself up with a groan, “it wasn’t even that bad, I-“

“wasn’t that bad?” he cut you off, eyebrows creasing into a frown as he perched himself on the bed beside you hesitantly, cautiously, as if scared to move for fear of hurting you. “y/n, it looked… awful. for a moment I wondered-“

“I got lucky.” it was your turn to do the interrupting, not wanting charles to go down that train of thought any further. “I’m fine, I promise. a bad concussion and… everything hurts, but nothing serious.”

you’d never seen charles cry before - even when things had ended between the two of you, he’d made sure to do that in private. it broke your heart, to know he thought, if only for a moment, that he’d come so close to losing you, and you leaned forward to pull him into your arms, ignoring the ache in your limbs.

since that weekend, you and charles had fallen back into an old routine. it was dangerous, but just like that very first kiss, it had been inevitable. neither of you wanted to cross that invisible line again, both too scared of repeating past mistakes. you couldn’t afford that type of heartbreak again. but you knew your story wasn’t over. not yet.

a/n: this was becoming longer than I intended, so I might do a second part to wrap it up properly :)

[thegoogoomuckkk]

NOW PLAYING

MELODIC

Starring: Choso Kamo, Kento Nanami, Kiyotaka Ijichi, Satoru Gojo, Shiu Kong, Suguru Geto, Sukuna Ryomen, Takuma Ino, Toji Fushiguro

What music do they play when you two get to it?

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Choso Kamo: Clueless <3

“Music? You’d like me to play music while we have sex?” His bluntness never ceases to embarrass you.

“Well not if you don’t want to, it was just a suggestion. It might make things less awkward for you, you know?”

Flash forward to that night, he’s got you sitting on his lap, he leans over to push play on his phone, & you burst out laughing.

“Is something wrong? Do you not like this song?”

“…Cho, it’s Shake It Off by Taylor Swift.” He nods, so eager.

“I know, isn’t it such a good song?” & you just can’t say anything, not when he looks so excited, hopeful that you’re pleased with him for his song choice. So you spend the night orgasming to Choso’s Spotify Pump You Up playlist.

Needless to say, you picked the music from then on.

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Kento Nanami: Unbothered <3

If music is something you wanted, or that made you more comfortable, of course he’d play it, but Nanami isn’t a big music listener. & ultimately, anything that takes away even an ounce of his attention from fucking you senseless isn’t ideal for him.

But if you requested, or he thought to try it, he’d probably find some lofi playlist on YouTube, turn it on, & completely forget about it. Something relaxing, so that after he’s content with how ruined you are, he can tickle your back & play with your hair until you fall asleep.

But sometimes an ad comes on because no way is Nanami paying for YouTube premium, even if he is loaded as hell, which frustrates him so thoroughly that he just shuts the laptop altogether & tosses it on the floor.

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Kiyotaka Ijichi: Too Concerned <3

He’s so genuinely concerned about it the entire time. He’s done far too much research about this; he looked on multiple different music streaming services for the best playlists to listen to when having sex. After mulling through the hundreds of lists that include songs by Megan Thee Stallion & XXX by Kim Petras, he finds something he thinks is…suitable. At least, it’s not too on the nose.

But he’s barely gotten your shirt off before a Ke$ha song comes on, & Kiyotaka turns beet red.

“I-I’m sorry, if you don’t like this song, I can ch-change it,” & he’s so flustered, so embarrassed.

“Kiyo, we don’t have to play music, sweetie,” you coo, & he knows you’re teasing him, just a little bit, but he’s so grateful anyway.

“Oh, thank God.”

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Satoru Gojo: Shithead <3

Gojo thinks he’s just soooo funny.

He’s three fingers deep, his spit dripping down your chin as he kisses you, humping your leg, when you push back against his shoulder & roll your eyes. “Satoru, really? Sexyback? Justin Timberlake?”

His grin is shit-eating. “What, Princess? This song doesn’t get you going? Your pretty girl’s telling me otherwise with how she’s clenching around my fingers.”

“Fuck off.”

“No, no, if this isn’t doin’ for you, I’ll change it.” You bite back a moan & smack a pillow across his face when All Through the Night by Boyz II Men turns on.

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Shiu Kong: Normal, For Once <3

Actually probably has pretty good music taste. He hates the term “indie,” but he’s also not into super mainstream stuff. & sure, maybe he wants to show off his music to you. . .just don’t say that.

He likes things with a heavy bass & not many lyrics, he doesn’t want anything distracting him from how good you feel. He controls the playlist, though, he never lets you pick the music.

“Because last time you chose the music, I fucked you to the beat of the Tarzan soundtrack by Phil Collins.” He’s scrolling through Apple Music, queuing up some of his favorites.

“But—“

“Don’t even start with me, doll. I don’t care how much you like those songs, it was fucking gross, listening to a Disney movie soundtrack with my dick in you.”

“Well, you didn’t have to make it weird, Shiu.” You folded your arms, pouting.

“It was weird to begin with!”

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Suguru Geto: Back in Black <3

“You’re really aging yourself here, Sugu,” you tease. You didn’t even recognize half the songs he played with how old they were. Because, quote, “music was just better back then.” Yeah, back before he was even alive. But try tellin’ that to Van Halen over here. 

“This is a great song, babe. Sorry that you don’t have good taste.”

“Coming from the man with the taste of a 50 year old divorced man.” It was cute, how he could have you moaning around his dick & then arguing about music within the same couple of minutes. Had he even finished? You couldn’t remember, & you were busy now. 

“Hey! Divorced dad rock is a great genre of music.”

“Not when I’m sucking you off, loser.” 

“Well, when I’m giving you head, you can pick the song, how about that? But when you’re sucking my dick, I control the speaker.” At this point, it's simply an immaturity contest.

“No, Sugu, I cannot deepthroat your cock to AC/DC ever again. Or any song with an electric guitar solo.”

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Sukuna Ryomen: Disturbing <3

“‘Kuna, what the fuck is this?” you mutter, leaning to squint at the screen of your laptop. “Sounds of war & explosion, 10 hour asmr version?”

“You asked me to play something, woman, & now you’re complaining?” He drags you by your chin back to his lips.

“I meant something like music. . .but sure, make me seem like the weird one in this situation.” You shrug, & he hates this sarcasm you’re so fond of.

“Weird? What is weird about this?” & you almost feel bad because he looks a little upset that you don’t like his creepy asmr.

“I genuinely cannot tell if you’re being serious. I’m not a kink shamer, ‘Kuna, but this is fuckin’ weird.”

“Shut up, woman, you will cease to care once I put my cock in you.”

You shrug. “Fair enough.”

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Takuma Ino: Tearjerker <3

He’s eating you out from behind, a personal favorite of his, when you’re turning your head at an uncomfortable angle as the first notes of a new song play.

“If you, if you could return. . .”

“T-Takuma,” you attempt to speak. “Why are playing Linger?”

It takes him a moment to come out of it, too entranced by your cunt. “Wh-what? I thought you loved this song,” & he looks so sincerely confused why you’d be bothered. Frankly, he’d tuned the music out completely. How could he think about anything else but this?

“Yeah, when we’re in the car or something, not when you’re eating me out. This song is so sad! It’s a breakup song.” He simply does not get it.

“Well, I like it.”

“You’re not even listening to it!”

“Are you? Fuck, that means I’m doing a bad job then.” Soon, you’re tuning out the music too.

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Toji Fushiguro: Fuckboy <3

Puts on some shit by Chase Atlantic because he thinks that's what girls like & promptly forgets it’s even playing. He does not care, just wants to bone, no other thoughts, head empty. A couple minutes in, you turn off his godawful tik tok playlist & he doesn’t even notice. Once he’s pulling out & shucking the condom somewhere, he looks blankly around for a second, then back at you.

“Hey, did you turn the music off?”

“Yeah, Toji, Nasty Dog by Sir-Mix-A-Lot wasn’t exactly getting me off,” you scoff, sneering at the name.

“Hey, I got that from you, brat. It’s from that stupid Hugh Jackman edit you keep watching. . .I’m hotter than him by the way.”

“You’re both old enough to be my dad, but sure, Toj’, you’re hotter.”

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LOOKING FOR SOME MORE? MASTERLIST <3

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC? ASK <3

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 27/04/2024 (Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, Drake's "Push Ups", Headie One/Stormzy/Tay Keith)

Let’s talk about Taylor Swift.

#4 - “Down Bad” - Taylor Swift

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift

Yeah, I’m cactus, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS, blah, blah, blah - I don’t like bending the format of this series, which actually fares quite well for a massive artist who will inevitably debut on top as it ensures a build-up to the big smash hit, but I also like reflecting the culture I write about. Taylor is such a cultural monolith in much of the English-speaking world and outside of it that despite the episode now having to end with her biggest competitor, Drake, he still doesn’t even stain this week’s biggest story, and really, only news story in an industry less and less important, and further removed from the concept of monoculture outside of freak accident white women like Taylor or Barbie than ever. Regardless of my opinions on her output, I may have to respect and reflect her sheer capability to produce discourse, reaction and most importantly, for people to actually give a shit about analysing music.

Now if we’re talking opinions on her output… you can probably get more out of me from looking at my first impressions account of listening to the new Taylor Swift album on RateYourMusic in my 2024 listening log (the account name is exclusivelytopostown). Oh, yeah, if you somehow don’t know, Taylor Swift released an album called The Tortured Poets Anthology and then two hours later, reissued it with the subtitle The Anthology, and naturally, broke all kinds of Spotify records, got a billion streams in a week, what have you. I have less to say about these individual songs than I do about the album, so I’ll try to weave it in but the crux of my takeaway is that this album’s title naturally leads to polarising results and it’s no surprise that she has compelled and practically controlled pop music and celebrity discourse for the entire week… it’s also her worst album attached directly with my favourite piece of full-length work she’s ever released.

Whilst there are plenty of in-depth reasons to compare and contrast the two releases, from here on referred to as ‘sides’ even though I’m not actually sure how the physical releases for this one worked out, the primary reasons for my stark difference in opinion lie in two fundamental components, both of which are not night-and-day between the sides, but have such a detrimental effect on my enjoyment when the two factors are combined that it ends up just as effective.

For “Down Bad”, I’ll focus on the first, and perhaps most important, reason for my preference of The Anthology: lyrics. Do not get me wrong, the second side has its fair share of strange lines and choices, as with any Taylor album, especially in her current obsessive, wordy over-sharing era, and some of its most befuddling are present on this half, making it stand out even more because of the array of lyrical perspectives that are actually on display. The second side lives up to its name, it allows for further exploration of the narrative perspectives Taylor adopts, the subtler details of decidedly unsubtle songs. I’m not saying that Taylor isn’t writing from her own perspective on all 15 tracks - there are 31 in total, of course, thank the Heavens for arbitrary singles chart rules - because she’s absolutely making parallels to if not directly referencing known moments in her life and career. The approach is adventurous, the charm returns to her clumsiness that was my favourite part of Midnights, and there are moments that can be genuinely biting and, well, poetic.

The standard edition is, for lack of a more accurate term, cringe. Again, there are absolutely moments where that is the case for side B, and I’m not claiming there’s a void of good lines… but there kind of is, isn’t there? We will always gravitate to clunkers, but what I’m more bothered by is the deadpan delivery of these lyrics, that don’t feel very Taylor-esque at times yet don’t establish themselves as a separate perspective. This is exemplified in “Down Bad”, which could be written by anyone outside from some Swiftisms in the verses, which really sound more like derivatives of her prior work rather than a signature style at this point, and really, I don’t need to explain to you why Taylor Swift should not have wriitten a song called “Down Bad”. Musically, this album spends much of its time in dull adult contemporary lightened up by Jack Antonoff synth wank that fails to distinguish the record from what came before it, so when the lyrics don’t feel like Taylor outside of when they’re at their worst, most petulant and bratty, which she fails to consistently sell because of said musical backing, it becomes a slow exhaust of four minutes… this song should really not feel this long. Hopefully now, you’ll understand what I mean in how the two components are mediocre by themselves and fail to constitute a complete package. We’ll talk more about the sonics with…

#3 - “The Tortured Poets Department” - Taylor Swift

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift

Musically, the first side of this album feels uninspired, a retread of steps Taylor’s been tracing alongside Mr. Antonoff for years now, with its most unique textures reminiscent of 90s adult contemporary and soft rock… it could work as utter background music if that weren’t a complete misunderstanding of why Taylor Swift works as a singer, songwriter, musician and cultural presence: an imperfect mess that has achieved unbeatable status not through style or character but through ability to craft a narrative regarding herself and everyone involved, or in some cases, allow others to craft that story for her. Taylor, despite me not enjoying a large amount of her catalogue, admittedly never made it off of bad songs: those came after the good songs, and those bad songs - the “Shake it Off”s, “Bad Blood”s, “ME!”s - were risks, paying off not in acclaim or sometimes even notable chart success, but for developing and evolving the mythos. An unstoppable force - of fans, acclaim, criticism, ex-boyfriends, cultural osmosis and Kanye - has finally made her the immovable object, and it sure sounds like it on this first side of the album, especially compared to the organic, risk-taking and more ambitious, often minimal, instrumentation that Aaron Dessner brings to the second, alongside some work from Antonoff that feels more delicate and refined, unless Taylor really wants to bring the punch in because when she takes a swing, she does it with mesmerising grace. When she misses… the album just kind of sounds like twinkly soft-rock ass.

I’m sorry, this song is fundamentally fine, but it is lost both in its production, a meandering piano jog with no compositional drive, and in its lyrical conceit of megastar Taylor having an affair with some nerd from a band I’ve been a proud hater of for years - check the archives - and mirroring Drake’s inability to explain who the fuck Jason is in “Away from Home”. I know who Lucy and Jack are, do I want to? No, do I dig the farfetched historical comparisons? Kind of, it adds texture lyrically, but it’s also as tacky as saying Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist. He’s big enough. He’s fine. I don’t even think HE wants to be a bigger artist. If it’s sarcasm, then it feels mean and if it’s genuine… maybe you should start listening more closely to the art of your friends - if that’s still accurate here - and fellow musicians that you reference in your music. Maybe there’s something there you haven’t fully grasped in all your security as the biggest artist alive: the ability to truly fail. I’m not sure Lucy Dacus, or Charlie Puth, or even Matty Healy, could survive an album as polarising as this, but once again, that mythos, that fanbase, that tree branch connection to every record and radio executive in the damn Anglosphere and beyond, it’s a comfy king-size bed to sleep on. Is the poet really tortured when they can go through the Hell of showbiz and come back to that? I don’t know, but what I do know is that the song fades out instead of ending properly, you fucking cowards.

#1 - “Fortnight” - Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift

Inevitably, it’s her fourth #1, his second, and it has a well-directed video to wrap it all up. Self-directed, too. There’s a relatively solid foundation of this being about her relationships with Joe Alwyn and you know who. I think there’s a fascinating dichotomy that can be made if you interpret the song in different ways: the breakdown of her relationship with Alwyn, or the closing of the distance between her and bitch-face. I think the wham line of “I love you, it’s ruining my life” develops on one of my favourite songs of Taylor’s, “You’re Losing Me”, even if it doesn’t reach the same heights - or realistically, lows - instead going for a typical Antonoff synth pastiche that frankly disappoints. I think Post Malone’s presence, whilst perhaps underused, is best fit to haunting backing vocals to establish that looming male presence, and he sounds great here. The song largely goes nowhere, planting seeds it refuses to grow, but that’s a problem with the production more than anything. Like “Anti-Hero”, it’s a strong-concept, nuanced lead single that I don’t like primarily because of reasons outside of her control, and I’m just glad to wrap it up in a simpler bow that I can compare to her previous album… because Lord knows that’s what the first side of the album really doesn’t want you to do. Seriously though, this is absolutely lethargic, I can assume this felt like the best way to represent emotional numbness but there are much more unique minimal textures and patterns on the back-half, this feels cheap. Perhaps a good lead single, but terrible opener in my opinion, it really set the tone in a frustrating way. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” is at #5, Hozier’s “Too Sweet” is at #2. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

So other things happened, more than I expected, actually and to be honest, the intention is to be relatively brief. You know what the notable dropouts are but I’ll say that I cover the UK Top 75 anyway and that they are songs exiting out of the region after five weeks or a peak in the top 40, so we bid adieu to “Supersonic” by Oasis, “so american” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Been Like This” by Meghan Trainor and T-Pain, “Never be Alone” by Becky Hill and Sonny Fodera, “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” by YG Marley with uncredited appearances from Ms. Lauryn Hill, “Houdini” by Dua Lipa, “Water” by Tyla, “Asking” by Sonny Fodera, MK and Clementine Douglas, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift and of course, rest in peace, “Lil Boo Thang” by Paul Russell, and welcome back to “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. Camila Cabello’s “I LUV IT” featuring Playboi Carti is our other re-entry at #65 which is just funny if anything given this week.

As for our gains, there aren’t a ton, but a surprisingly fair few considering the amount of new entries, so I’ll note down the boosts for “Cry” by Benson Boone to #55, “FE!N” by Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti at #53 - good week to be whatever species Carti is, I suppose - as well as “Never be Lonely” by Jax Jones and Zoe Wees at #50, “Never Lose Me” by Flo Milli at #49, “We Ain’t Here for Long” by Nathan Dawe at #47, “Back to Black” by the late Amy Winehouse at #43, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan at #21, “Tell Ur Girlfriend” by Lay Bankz at #18 and finally, one I’m very happy to see, the scrunkly Shaboozey at #16 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. I can see top five in this one’s future, but speaking of… oh, wait, we’ve already covered it. Seven new songs! Speed round!

New Entries

#69 - “Joga Bonito” - AJ Tracey

Produced by Remedee and Nyge

The bar for cover art is in Hell. That is a PlayStation 2 model of a flag-wearing Brazilian lady showing leg, and that is now a charting single. It’s no surprise to me that Tracey is hopping on Jersey club-influenced beats, particularly with the mellow, filtered R&B sample and incredibly mundane flexes, as whilst he’s always been fun, and occasionally latches onto excellent hooks, he’s ultimately tied very heavily to trends and guest features, and this just feels a bit… empty, without a real “hook” outside of, well, its hook. He’s chatting the girl up, he says that she would look sexy in his merch, and he has the incredible bar of “I like Japan, so do you”. It must be true love. Look, if I’m going to critique Taylor for lazy writing over empty production, I can’t really give this a free pass either, even if it has some vague energy - none of it feels palpable or driving. ‘tis a shame, I tend to like Tracey’s output more consistently than other UK rappers.

#67 - “Pedro” - Jaxomy, Agatino Romero and Raffaella Carrá

Produced by Jaxomy, Agatino Romero, Steffen Harning and Reinhard Raith

Okay, this one might need some explaining. Raffaela Carrá was, and still is, a beloved icon in Italian pop music, LGBT and women’s culture, and seemingly the entire country. I’m not familiar with her at all, but that’s purely my bad: she’s sold millions upon millions of copies internationally, and released a prolific amount of albums worldwide in multiple languages. A gay icon and self-proclaimed Communist, Carrá’s classic hit “Pedro” never made it to the UK charts from release in 1980 until now, long after her passing in 2021. Latin disco by an Italian Communist sounds like I’d adore it, and for the record, I do. The original song is infectious, silly and brimmed with bombast from its obnoxious horn section to percussion so incredibly layered, especially with the snaps and claps, that it feels almost claustrophobic. Whilst far from a bad singer, Carrá brings a childlike clumsiness to the song’s hooks that define the song’s infectious personality. As someone who’s been introduced to this song literally today, it kind of feels like it’s been here for all of my life and that I’ve heard it at like seven school discos. Sicilian DJ Agatino Romero joined forces with Berlin-based Jaxomy for a pretty faithful remix that may pick up the pace and replace its rhythm section with pounding hardcore kicks, but the horns remain, because how couldn’t they? In fact, they sound even more full of life when placed onto much less organic instrumentation, from being just one element of a cacophony to a disco ball shining in your direction whilst you’re on the worst, most pounding, migraine-inducing high in a rave. It doesn’t change the song structure or even its fundamental instrumental texture a ton, probably out of respect, but that one change to the song’s arguably most important component does a lot to flip it on its head and I can really appreciate how skillfully it’s done here. Rest in peace to Raffaella Carrá, and I really hope this ends up sticking around. It’s just too infectious.

#62 - “Starburster” - Fontaines D.C.

Produced by James Ford

This is Irish indie rock outfit Fontaines D.C. with their new single about accidentally eating the Starburst with the wrapper on. Jokes aside, this is a great song. I’m not particularly invested in Fontaines as I am for some other indie and alt-rock acts that pop up here and there on the charts, in fact, I’m not familiar with their work at all, but it doesn’t mean this can’t stand on its own as one of the leading single for their next record, which I might actually have to listen to if it’s in this vein. I was initially worried given the sprinkle of pianos over lo-fi strings and James Ford production that this would be a late-era Arctic Monkeys rip but as soon as the dejected drums came in alongside that droning lead vocal from frontman Grian Chatten, it became obvious that this would functioning in a hip hop structure through way of indie rock, with Chatten actually rapping, in full Irish accent and all, over the instrumental as if it were a collection of loops instead of a live band with some smoky if typical riffs to back him up. Lyrically, Chatten details several violent analogies that seem to coalesce into sexual desire, or at least some kind of euphoric rush, intended to be purely momentary and necessary, even if it intrudes on others, if there’s a moment of bliss to be found. It’s difficult not to see this as kinky, and I honestly get a lot of mileage out of that interpretation given how its bluntness isn’t relegated to the lyrics, before of course, the strings trickle in for an ethereal bridge about swallowing and following, and Chatten asking for someone to “hit [him] for the day”, before returning to the gnarly mantra of the hook with a sly chuckle. Come on, it’s a sex jam. A weird one, for sure, one wrapped in grotesque metaphor, but I dig this on the smoky, grimed-out level it presents itself as, and maybe I’ll have to listen to whatever comes of this upcoming project.

#58 - “Gata Only” - FloyyMenor and Cris Mj

Produced by Big Cyyu

It’s rare to see Chileans chart anywhere outside of Latin America, let alone the UK, so I do want to give this some more of a chance, especially since the synth-led production at the start is a nice, promising ambiance… that gets immediately washed out by some of the shrillest synths and cheapest reggaeton percussion I’be heard in the genre. I’m not intimately familiar with the scene but I’ve heard plenty with more character, and even reggaeton that’s relaxing and ethereal. That could have been the play for these two auto-crooners, if it wasn’t for… THAT sound they keep repeating. Translating the lyrics, though of course this can lead to miscommunication, we get little of substance to chew on either. The most mush-mouthed appearance here is from Cris Mj, who was criticised by his own fans for his overly-reverbed, robotic performance before other fans convinced him that it was cool, actually, preventing him from deleting the song or at least removing himself from it as promised. I guess it turned out well as this is both acts’ biggest worldwide hit - it’s a massive deal to get a reggaeton song of all genres to cross over to little ol’ England - but if it weren’t for its inexplicable viral success, maybe he had the right idea initially in staying humble and listening to feedback. This is rote and droll in the worst kind of way because it’s in a genre that can be so exciting and weird… yet that stuff wouldn’t dare chart over here so we have these guys. I’m sure they’re nice, talented guys, but this is not compelling in any way. I can weirdly see it growing on me through some kind of subliminal hypnosis… but I don’t see myself revisiting it enough for the brainwashing to have its effect quite yet.

#41 - “Malicious Intentions” - Pozer

Produced by RA Beats

…really? Pozer? Of all possible guys in UK rap to give a second hit, it’s Pozer? The “Kitchen Stove” guy had that much potential? Whilst I have nothing against the guy, and “Kitchen Stove” is completely fine, it’s a viral breakout hit which finds its main appeal in a novel ambient sample flip taking advantage of the Jersey club wave. He does not feel built for another #41 peak, let alone however long this ends up lasting afterwards. Ironically enough, Pozer himself was the most out of place element of that song, and he seems to have understood that. Does that mean he’s changed his flow and delivery to fit a more chill and atmospheric tone? No, not at all. He’s ditched the ambient sample, replacing it with a wave of synth strings that sound pretty triumphant and play off pretty well against incredibly bass-heavy and driven Jersey rhythms less bothered with fancy percussion additions, and more with the sheer intensity of the 808s, slowly and gradually developing into a more traditional drill beat through the eventual addition of enough additional drums, it’s a really cool idea for an instrumental, especially when it reverts to pure numbing intensity for the chorus, and serves well for what Pozer is going for: an incredibly consistent flow delivered much livelier and with a significantly bouncier, funnier grit than before, and bars that really aren’t bad. Pozer also adapts very seamlessly to the changing rhythm of the beat, and his more introspective moments stick out as perhaps surface-level but particularly potent when delivered with the same restlessness as any other bar. Unrelenting feels like a good way to describe the song, always punching and punching a bit beyond its weight and getting reversed back - and that’s the rhythm. Whilst it’s not reinventing the wheel, this is genuinely pretty infectious and difficult to not get excited to, in spite of - or because of - Pozer’s acquired delivery that takes a while to get used to but shares its realm more fairly than you’d think with such great production and a rapper I didn’t think much of until today. Well done, man, this is an unsettling piece of production that is transformed by the confidence of the rapper on it, and for that, I really dig it.

#33 - “Cry No More” - Headie One featuring Stormzy and Tay Keith

Produced by Tay Keith, Pooh Beatz and Tommy Parker

Speaking of promising UK rap, here we have Headie One with yet another single from an upcoming project titled The Last One. Whether this is a full retirement, we can never tell with rappers. But would this be a strong farewell verse? Well, yeah, it’s impeccable for Headie, it feels like a perfect example of what he does well: a cold staccato verse that runs like a train, punctuated by dejected ad-libs and delivery and paranoid, detached bars revolving around gang violence over tight drill percussion and some of the best mixes I’ve heard for a drill beat: it all sounds crisp to me, especially that warping bass. The sample may not be the most interesting melody to go for over this beat, but its sing-songy tone reassures its ability to be both eerie and anthemic, alongside the incredibly clever implementation of Asake’s “Lonely at the Top” - which peaked at #90, though weirdly I did review this one - in Stormzy’s verse. How it doesn’t feel tacky is beyond me, it feels like a genuine shout-out that matches the tone of the song perfectly and leads into the flex in a subtler way than he probably would have done without it. Notably, Stormzy goes for a similar flow to Headie but kind of shelves him in the wordplay and rhyme scheme departments, even if neither are too lyrical here, mostly showcasing a clash between the images they have to maintain and the real people behind them, though some of that may be unintentional given all the flexing that surrounds it, especially in Stormzy’s verse where they’re so well-intertwined. I was expecting to like this, but came back with even more to chew on than I thought I would, so I’m glad that, even if only for that big debut week and a few more, it can land on the chart, this is great stuff. Hyped for whatever forms out of this and “Marvin’s Sofa”, honestly two of Headie’s best singles leading up to this forthcoming record so expectations are high.

#14 - “Push Ups” - Drake

Produced by Boi-1da, Tay Keith, Preme, Fierce, Dramakid and Noel Cadastre

I’m not Kendrick Lamar so who cares what I think about a Drake diss? Genuinely, what purpose would it be for me to sit down and analyse bars that have been thoroughly annotated on Genius already, discussed and taken apart by hip hop podcasters and influencers, if not other rappers, and in some cases, went completely viral? There’s a mix of corny and clever bars here, mostly in the latter which is impressive for late-era Drake, and I hate to say he has some points regarding what seems to be a convenient, preplanned attack on Drake that just confirms his suspicion and contributes to his own narrative. The beat is hard, the mix is rough but it’s a diss track so that is the least of anyone’s concerns. I assume the abrupt beat switch, after a DJ Akademiks meme inserts itself into the song like the leech he is, is a demonstration of Drake having more bars to come, but given there’s only one real punchline in that section, it feels like a long build-up to nothing and a strange decision to include overall as an epilogue. Otherwise, it’s a fun, venomous track with some of Drake’s most well-thought-out and honestly, well-delivered bars in years. It’s crunchy, it’s to the point, and I’m excited for what Kung-Fu Kenny has to say in response.

Conclusion

He’s not getting Best of the Week though. A cool diss doesn’t always equate to a memorable or replayable song, and for me, I think Pozer of all people has the most infectious here, colour me surprised, with the evil-sounding “Malicious Intentions”, but I’ll tie him with the more joyful “Pedro” by Jaxony, Agatino Romero and the late Raffaella Carrá for a more balanced Best of the Week. Hell, there’s enough good stuff here to tie the Honourable Mention up two between Headie One, Stormzy and Tay Keith for “Cry No More” and “Starburster” by Fontaines D.C. As for the worst, it should unsurprisingly fall out quite easily: Taylor Swift has Worst of the Week for “Down Bad”, with the Dishonourable Mention going to “Gata Only” by FloyyMenor and Cris Mj. For what’s on the horizon, I mean, hopefully more good to look forward to but knowing my luck… I don’t know, Bladee? For now, thank you for reading, rest in peace to Mike Pinder, and I’ll see you next week!

[vitaminwaterreviews]

IU - The Winning

Wow. Like, just Wow. The song average is 9.2, which is the highest I’ve ever given by a mile. There are of course some stipulations. The music by itself would be closer to a high 8, but the MV’s were so well done that it would feel wrong to not include them in the scores of the songs. Holssi in particular really wowed me when I first saw it, Love WIns All had the nice disability representation – actually wait, isn’t that a theme here?

Yeah let’s think about that. Shopper didn’t have any marginalized representation that I caught on a first listen. Holssi featured all sorts of ethnicities, black adults and a diverse set of children. Love Wins All was about a disabled couple, and the title itself is an obvious (questionably intentional) lgbt reference. It does make me wonder if the intent was for the original title to be a reference lgbt catchphrase, but they included the word “all” in the lyrics just to be safe, in case of backlash. Clever if true.

That’s all super meta though. In terms of the songs themselves, Shh.. was definitely the standout. I like jazz and I also like songs that Go places and Do things, and Shh.. was all of the above. I stan U was a nice surprise, it was good to have a rock song, we don’t see IU doing rock much. Shopper and Holssi had me worried that every song would be NewJeansy, but thankfully IU doesn’t disappoint. And that’s not to say that those songs were bad, either; they were excellent. But a mini of exclusively that vibe gets particularly boring after a bit (see: Easy).

IU is just so good at the kpop thing. The songs are great, the MV’s are great, the promotion was excellent. Featuring a NewJeans in one of the songs was clever, and it’s like the least NewJeansy song on the album which is funny. Watching the interview definitely helped me appreciate the album more, and I hope she does more promotion in the coming weeks. I also hope we get a Shh.. MV but I won’t get my hopes up, 3 MV’s for a mini is already a lot. This is now my highest-rated album in terms of song average, and I think that’s fair enough. It is a mini, which means it does have an advantage, since minis tend to rate higher for me. And in terms of the songs themselves, this is definitely the best album I’ve ever heard. But this is also not my favorite album, and I’m not sure it’s my favorite mini either. It is, however, very good.

- I’ve been waiting for this! I couldn’t do it yesterday, which means I’m a day late, but oh well. I know Love Wins All and Holssi, and I’m blind to the other three.

Shopper

Narration? That’s something

OMG it’s our girl

She looks totally Taylor Swift with the blonde hair

Echoes

Oh okay this is an interesting vibe

‘Palette’

‘Greed is free’

I did watch the interview, so I do kinda know what this is about

Lol a the old man do be shopping

I have NO idea what this MV is about ngl, but I appreciate the vibe

And now we get credits

9/10

No MV’s for the rest of them, partly since I’ve already seen them, partly to focus on the music

Holssi

I’ve been waiting for this one to come on Spotify

I love IU’s voice in this style, like, kind of lazy, almost talk-singing, but with Range

And now we get breathy IU, mmm

The bass here is So strong

Mild rap section

And that little giggle at the end of the verse

Notice the harmonies in the pre-chorus, they’re not Obvious but they’re pretty

The instrumental bridge is So nice

I just love her so much

I think this would be an 8 if it was just the music, but the MV was really cool, so

9/10

Shh..

Curious to see how she manages to cram 3 other artists into one song

Cute electric piano vibes

Oh okay, some guitar here, really nice

Bass

Well then

God the vibes of this song are So good

The chorus actually feels kind of Kiss of Life

Guitar moment

This is super jazz-coded, the way the solo section is structured

Even that piano riff in the background

Haha and now we get the acoustic guitar with the narration in the foreground

And the Ambience

Is there an MV for this? There must be at some point

10/10, there’s just no way that sound could’ve been any better

Love Wins All

The MV for this is really an allegory for how Cube ruins its artists

It is, of course, a ballad

But it’s not a slow jam. Gotta differentiate the two, because I don’t usually like slow jams, but I do usually like ballads

Love, love, love

She’s just such a good singer

Admittedly, I feel like this experience isn’t as Whole without the MV

Same as Holssi

9/10

I stan U

Kinda interesting when artists use fandom terms, so let’s see how this goes

Pop rock feels in the intro here

Yep here we go

Is she saying “stanning” or “stunning”?

I heard “you’re stunning / i’m stunning, just like you”

But then she says “I’m stanning you” hmmm

Yes omg the second verse

This is Such a vibe though

9/10

[thegoldenavenger]

okay, since my friend said he was cheering me on, here’s part one of the taylor swiftening.

context: i have a couple friends who are swifties. i heard a lot of her earlier music on country radio, but i never listened to her albums, etc, before. I know very little about her personal or professional life since i dont follow celebrity gossip

anyways, the swifties i know are wildly into, like interpreting her lyrics and red stringing things together and i think it’d be fun if someone who was vaguely outside the loop got in on the fun? IDK i’m bored and was sick for like 7 days.

there’s definitely some songs I already know: teardrops on my guitar, my song, that cheerleader song, shake it off, etc. mostly her singles? but i havent heard a lot of her recent stuff at all. 

Today we are listening to Taylor Swift’s first album Taylor Swift from 2006. I couldn’t really find a great place to listen to her music, but I found a track list and compared it to spotify’s album and decided to go with spotify’s version. first off, the tracklist I found showed 12 songs (with Tim McGraw opening and closing the album???) The spotify album has 15 songs one of which is Tears On My Guitar - Pop Version? So that’s what I’m listening to. 

Looking at the tracklist, which I didn’t really want to get too into, I noticed a handful of songs I recognized: Teardrops on my Guitar, Our Song, Tim McGraw. I wasn’t sure about the rest, but I decided to dive on in.

The first song is Tim McGraw which I don’t really remember hearing when I was younger but I’ve heard my swiftie friends talk about it.  And listening to the opening cords I realized I did remember it from bus rides to school. fun.  Anyways, Tim McGraw is a country artist, already knew that, but the song isn’t about him it’s about his song being like, a backdrop to a breakup??? I think it’s a very bold move for the first song of your first album to be like “when you think of this established musician please think of me instead”. very bold, love it.

it does have the unfortunate effect of immediately making me recall like, every Tim McGraw song I’ve ever heard trying to place what song she’s talking about is instead of, like, listening to her music. 

I really like the classic country style this song is in.  Not just the way the song is constructed and like, the music and instruments but the imagery. Very classic, “country boy, country girl, country romance” vibes.

These lyrics remind me of Dierks Bentleys “What was I thinking” from 2003, just like the very classic “we’re driving in the back woods in a truck maybe getting up to trouble” vibes haha. 

The story telling is kind of hard to follow for me here, and I’m not sure why.  I assumed this was like her breakup, but then she says it was three summers back that she never send a letter... so is this september tears unrelated? she directly relates the summer from three years ago to be a bittersweet. i’m not sure if i’m just hearing or interpreting it wrong or if the way this is structure is actually confusing but yeah, i guess i at least got that she is establishing a break up happened.

it’s nice that after this verse you get the second chorus where she puts a little bite into the “think of me” part.  like, it’s not all emphasis sweet nostalgia there’s a touch of that bitter in her voice. it’s fun.

i didn’t realize that the song (or at least chorus) was the letter, so that’s nice. although, it’s a weird letter out of context, haha.  i’d hate that.  i know that it’s a a pretty common phenomenon for people to relate specific events and even people to specific songs so that if something bad happens or a breakup happens they can’t enjoy that song or music anymore and i think that’s terrible. sucks for them but i’m built different and manage to ignore any shitty connotations to my favorite songs haha

so if i got a letter that was basically trying to pavlov associate my ex with like, a big music star i’m definitely going to hear all the time i would die. 

anyways, that’s probably the point right? it’s at this point that i realised it was like an actual break up song and not a sad like “we used to be together” song?? IDK i definitely did not get that when i was listening to it on the radio as a kid. i mostly just heard “Tim McGraw” and was like “why is she singing about Tim McGraw”

I do like that the song opens and closes on bookends! I love cycles! It’s one of my favorite tropes, so it was cute here.

The second track is Picture to Burn, which I didn’t recognize at first, but upon listening to it I definitely recognize. Now this is a break up song.

ajflkda okay hold on i

ajfdklaf NOW I remember hearing this on the bus and being like gay? did she say gay?

why is the syllable scheme different? oh it’s the shifted and...

i’m not sure i’m for that rewrite, haha. it’s like disney editing out their racist cartoons but still showing them without the context??? HRMM.

anyways. I’m not sure I should interpret the songs as a narrative together but i’m going to because it’s funny to hear her go from like, nostalgia

to

it’s very funny. i love it.

The chorus here is very fun to sing a long to, I think, if you’re the kind of person who likes singing along to things.  I really like the “watch me strike a match [...] you’re just another picture to burn” it’s really nice set up and pay off.  i guess songs don’t have to do this but it’s nice to have the actions set up cleverly. “you’re just another picture to burn” is a good phrase, drawing on solid imagery already ingrained in society, but supporting it with other lines is a nice touch. 

I don’t think there were any lines that stood out to me like that in Tim McGraw.

This is exceedingly country ;v; it made me laugh.

I really like the backing instrumentals for this song a lot. The twang is just Good.

Unfortunately this is one of those songs that is just the chorus like 12 times.  Which is fine because the chorus is really good and breakups songs usually do that because that’s the point of catharsis or whatever but there’s not much else for me to say. 

The next song is Teardrops on My Guitar. looking at the “radio single remix” i am apprehensive that the lyrics arent going to match again....

I remember this song from school bus rides as well. i really like the melody and the concept of this song (teardrops on a guitar is just nice imagery) but it’s kind of ruined because there was a boy in school named drew and i could NOT divorce the song from him every time i heard it.

funnily enough, i lowkey wanted to be friends with drew but he was so nice it kind of scared me off.  anyways back to the song.

I really like the way these lines are written and sung, it’s one of those parts of the songs you want to sing a long with. 

This chorus is also really good, i love the imagery it conjures.  like, yes he’s why i cry in my room alone practicing my guitar, but he’s also why i look up at night and hope tomorrow will be a better day and he’s also like an annoying song stuck in my head (affectionately).

actually out of all of this “He’s the song in the car I keep singing” was something I didn’t remember from hearing it as a kid and it’s also the line i was really drawn to here. what does it mean! i know what it means, but what a wild metaphor to pull out in the middle of a fairly straight-forward song. 

At first I wondered why these songs were ordered this way but there’s enough cohesive imagery that I picked it up around here. Tim McGraw and Picture to burn are both break up songs, but the connections from Picture to Burn “watch me strike a match / on all my wasted time” to this “he’s the time taken up, but there’s never enough” is really interesting!!!

love the theme that time is wasted / time doesnt last long enough.

time is such a wonky construct like, you just perceive time differently depending on not only your own emotions and mood but also like... how fast you’re going. wild. 

This song also ends on book ends!

It’s kind of sad, I kind of wish she just maybe talked to him instead of pretending everything was fine. Yoooo that’s why he doesn’t know you like him.... you didn’t tell him. you’re over here going “yeah it’s fine” but! he’s not a mind reader hahah.

The next song is A Place in this World, which I do not.... recall... so I’ll cut this post here and start there later.

[edit: part two is here] [chronological here]

[projecthipster]

The XX

And we, we live half in the daytime / And we, we live half at night / And watch things on VCRs

Our next list is much more broad than the lists of albums, as it’s a list of the artists themselves. It’s harder to review the entire discography or existence of a band, but I won’t shirk from it. Do I have to have heard an entire discography to review properly? It feels wrong to base an opinion on just a few songs, but, good lord, if I have to review Every Single Mountain Goats Song or something, that would need a whole book. 

Fortunately my first band on this list isn’t too daunting. First up is the XX. Or is that the Xx? What’s the capitalization here? And what does that mean? Is this band supposed to feel like medium-quality liquor? Or softcore porn? Or are they somehow a placeholder, twice? Never mind. The idea, I guess, is that the name isn’t important. So then why did the least likable-seeming member make it his last name? Now, when I get into music I like lots of context - funky album covers, album titles that drop unexpectedly at lyrical climaxes, loooong song titles. Music is a package that’s more than just sound. Like charcoal ice cream, though, The Xx go fully the other way into minimalism. Each of their album covers is just an X in different colours, which reminds me, in a bad way, of those Ed Sheeran albums that were just named for mathematical operators. Is he still doing those? I know he got through the basic operators, is he doing albums called √ and ∑ now?

Anyway, the XX. I’m sticking with two capitals. Somehow I missed these guys completely at the turn of the ‘10s when I was getting into indie pop as a wee tween proto-hipster. Maybe it’s because they seem to have hit it big in England, and I was tucked in the little otherworld of Canada listening to Hollerado and Tokyo Police Club? And yet even now, over a decade from the album that featured their biggest hits, this band still has 6 million Spotify followers –half as many again as Arcade Fire! So where’s the Arcade Fire-sized cultural impact?– and apparently they were on the soundtrack for Baz Luhrman’s Great Gatsby? I LIKE that movie! I like that soundtrack! So, in diligence to the blog, while making an overwrought breakfast on this rainy day off (homemade chai masala, waffles, and bacon, if you’re wondering,)  I opened up my TV’s Spotify app and began to listen through the discography of the XX.

Like so many bands that technically still exist but without much indication of that fact, what staying power the XX hold seems mostly confined to a self-titled debut, in this case released in 2009. This is a pretty good pop album! But it’s immediately accessible, and not particularly memorable. It’s entirely possible that I have heard these songs before, echoing through half-empty malls, and I just wasn’t impacted enough to remember. Maybe I heard Romy Croft’s pleasantly breathy vocals and thought I was hearing a Taylor Swift b-side from one of those more downkey of her albums. One of the tracks on this album is called “Basic Space,” and that’s too cheap of a joke to even properly formulate. There are good hooks here, but not much of the structure needed for barbs to hold. Songs repeat catchy choruses without much build, so that it’s hard to say where you are in the structure of the track. There’s not much of an album structure either. Sure, there’s the quite nice instrumental “Intro,” which for some reason is the most listened-to track by a solid 200,000 streams. Spotify is weird like that. But then there’s no real climax or ending, it just sort of stops after a while. Lyrics are about… honestly, hard to say. I do like the nostalgia-baiting groove and vintage implications of “VCR.” I think it’s funny that “VCR” also features the furthest possible sound from Radiohead’s “Videotape” despite being sort of the same title. It’s not just that XX lyrics end up buried in layers of synthesizers (nothing wrong with that! We like shoegaze, right?) but that they’re generic enough love and breakup songs that there’s little distinct imagery in the words once we get past “VCR”. That’s fine. What this album excels at is a neon-drenched ambient soundscape of melancholy urban adolescence. You can just close your eyes and see rain rippling black puddles on halogen-lit London streets, violet lines of bar signs dancing in the tiny waves, stumbling home to dingy studio apartments. Sorry, dingy flats. It’s a British band, so they’re flats. “Fantasy” is a standout track for this, undercut as it is with a spacey hum of wind, as if through an abandoned industrial district, that transitions after a few soft verses into an atmospheric lo-fi beat leading into “Shelter.” Ah! Structure! Transitions! This is the good stuff. Am I becoming a poptimist?

This album sounds like what Euphoria probably is. I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. This isn’t a record to listen to over and over again and dig deep into, though it’s worth a listen or two to catch the hooks. It’s a record for laying down the chill auditory background of your low-lit craft brewery or modern cocktail bar, and that’s just as important for The Hipster Life as the all-time individual classic albums.

Based on that first album, I’d happily leave the XX with a solid four stars. Unfortunately, I was listening to everything on their page in order, and that meant that next up was a truly godawful EDM remix of Florence + the Machine’s “You’ve Got the Love,” courtesy of douchiest-seeming and clearly least musically talented band member Jamie Smith, or, sorry, Jamie XX. Come on, man. Lennon didn’t go around calling himself “John Beatles” for the extra name recognition. So, that desecration of a great song was enough to drop a star right away. Things got better with sophomore album Coexist, but I still thought it was a half-step down from the self-titled. Coexist ramps up the neon ambience and slows down further into melancholy space-pop. I bet this one was big on Tumblr moodboards at the time. Or maybe not, since there aren’t many pithy standout lyrics. I haven’t listened beyond that yet, and I don’t know if I need to. But just like I said about Radiohead, this seems like music for a train ride through the city on a rainy night. If only I didn’t live in a prairie city. I have access to the trains, but rarely the rain.

Oh, and I do recognize the Gatsby song. It's called "Together" and I think it plays over the climax, since it's giving images of Gatsby bleeding into his pool and Myrtle lying dead in the Valley of Ashes. I did always like that riff, and felt it fit the movie well. But it's from a silly little EP of mostly remixes, not a proper XX album, which doesn't seem fair to me. I think I'm going to rewatch that movie now.

I give this hipster band three and a half tiny rays of convenience store lights, refracted in a cloud of cigarette smoke, out of five.

Project Hipster is a futile and disorganized attempt to dive into the world of things that the internet has at some point claimed "are hipster," mostly through ListChallenges search results.

This review comes from the eighth list, Is Your Taste in Music 'Hipster' Enough?

Next up, another book!

Stay deck.

[lovecatsys]

130-140?☺️

130. What’s the craziest thing you’ve learned about the music business?

crazy in a "wow I had no idea way" but my mom told me about this episode of a show she was watching or smth where there was an interview with some sort of music production guy who said that almost all singers throughout the history of recording music needed minor adjustments from autotune to get the voice to the right pitch. Apparently this guy also said that David Bowie was one of the few musicians who NEVER needed that! Because he took so many voice lessons when he was younger, he had the training to hit the notes perfectly. I wouldn't quote me on this exactly but I can ask my mom what show and episode it was if anyone is curious.

131. What’s an artist band you couldn’t even be paid to see live?

Taylor Swift. Or Imagine Dragons tbh

132. What’s an artist you’d kill to see live?

Placebo, I wanna see them so bad dammit! But idk if they'll ever come to America and I don't have a passport :(

Also David Bowie if this hypothetical killing someone else could bring him back from the dead.

133. What’s some the most obscure band/artist you know?

Omg okay my favorite answer to give to this is Otis Zee and the Zambuka band who I found on this random obscure playlist album called "Gems of the 60s and 70s" that has like a stock photo cover of gems with SUPER obscure artists that I doubt anyone has heard of before. Anyways they only have two songs on spotify and both are about Christmas. They're like a funk band. I think I found this playlist through another artist on it who I found a spotify link to on this website that had like.... thousands of links to musical artists on Spotify categorized by genre. No clue what it was called this was a while ago and I'm no longer friends with the person who showed it to me 😭.

134. Which non English sung music(and excluding your mother language) do you listen to the most?

Oh man, I barely listen to anything non English at all, but I'm gonna say Japanese because I used to listen to YMO a lot and I have a headmate who listened exclusively to J-Pop when she was around.

135. What’s a music pet peeve of youre?

when I find an obscure artist who's music I love but they turn out to be a terrible person. Like with famous artists who are bad people its not really the same and u can just pirate them, but when you find someone who has like 2 fans and their music and vibes are immaculate but they turn out to be a TERF (actual thing that happened to me 😭) it sucks so bad

136. What are some of the most creative musicians you can think of?

Bowie is definitely up there for me. Also Nova Twins, their music is super creative and interesting. Maybe Placebo goes on this list to. I feel like Nova Twins though, you have a hard time really putting them in with a specific genre, they're just so unique!

137. What is your first favorite song based on memory?

My parents listened to a lot of folk, americana, bluegrass, and country when I was little, so that was pretty much most of what I had exposure to at the time lol. I remember my favorite song being Caroline by Old Crow Medicine Show at one point, probably the earliest I can think of.

138. What is your first favorite band/artist based on memory?

I really loved Dido at one point, idk how early that was but I think it might be her. I still listen to some of her stuff occasionally, I love her voice and her style, plus it gives me nostalgia now.

139. What is your first favorite album based on memory?

Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette was the first "album" I was really conscious of, and it definitely was my favorite when I was like 12, because my mom would play the CD in the car as we drove places. Funny, because she would always tell me it was her favorite album when she was 12-13, because thats how old she was when it came out, and shed play it in the CD player in her room.

140. What’s a lyric you’ve horribly misheard?

Oml I just figured out I was wrong abt this one like a couple weeks ago but for a long time I thought Bowie was saying "inspiration have I none just to touch the flaming gnome" instead of "flaming dove" 😭

[glass-needles-and-futurisms]

Some rambly thinking-out-loud Muse fan angst...

I realize that everyone has their own tastes and subjective opinions, but there's just something heartbreaking about fans on social media and the music establishment at large collectively giving up on Muse. Even posters on this very website have all but consigned Muse to the "cringier than Nickelback" dustbin.

And you know what? It's fucked up, and I'm probably going to regret this post but I want to get angry.

Like... I get the criticisms, I really do. I get all the charges that the music hasn't been as rich and nuanced as it had been when the band was in their twenties. I get the decline in the poetic lyrics, the overbearing synth fetish, the warmed-over socio-political hyperfixation, the perceived lack of substance. I'm not a blind fangirl; in fact, I'm probably more hyper-aware and sensitive to the breadth of the criticisms than anyone.

And you know what? All this does is make me even more fond of the band, warts and all.

A bit of a meandering personal anecdote, but I used to be pretty active in professional wrestling fandom. I also did a lot of reading on hyperreality and the culture industry for school. And what I came away with is wrestling is an entire industry that dehumanizes its performers, treats them as little more than perfect, muscled action figures to parade on social media and reduce to snappy youtube highlights, reducing decades of physical training and industry experience to a "THAT'S A SLOBBERKNOCKER!" meme.

And you know what? Even after I drifted from wrestling fandom, I could never unsee that systematic dehumanization again. I see it in movies, in cartoons, in books, and yes, in music.

Call me a cantankerous old millennial, but the way music gets marketed nowadays just doesn't sit right with me. Even with something claiming to be DIY and organic like tiktok rappers or indie artists, there's this aggressive eye towards marketing and hustle, towards gaming the algorithm and Spotify playlists. Even the attempts to be "real" and "relatable" feel artificial and manufactured.

And that's one of the reasons Muse means so much to me: for all their stadium rock cringe and synthetic polish, somehow it still feels more flawed, more earnest, more real than whatever's on tiktok right now. They're not even trying to be aesthetic or relatable, because Matt Bellamy is a Tom Morello-fanboying space alien just trying to make sense of an increasingly fractured political landscape the only way he knows how.

If you've been a fan of any kind of long-running rock band, you know there's ALWAYS that phase where things just felt wrong, where nothing is hitting like it used to and the albums aren't as tight anymore. But bands learned to soldier on through bad albums, because rock as a genre left room for fucking up and fucking around in a way that the throwaway competitive nature of more mainstream pop doesn't. Unless a pop star had a massive obsessive Taylor Swift-sized following, one bad album was a death sentence.

Sure, this created something of a systemic rot in the genre where rock in general felt static compared to the freshness and dynamism of younger musical acts. But the entire discourse around dinosaurs and "legacy acts" just felt to me like wrestlers being treated as action figures all over again. It's younger audiences signaling to bands "you're not allowed to make music anymore, because you're old and irrelevant and embarrassing."

Fuck. That. Shit.

Let artists be artists. Let pop stars be pop stars and let dad bands be dad bands. If this mentality had persisted then, we never would've gotten David Bowie or Leonard Cohen or Johnny Cash. And even they made their fair amount of shit music before they finally got their flowers.

And sure, even by dad band standards Muse is still pretty fucking weird and embarrassing. But this is what letting artists age gracefully really means: allowing weirdos to keep flying their freak flag even if that freak flag isn't "cool" like Radiohead or Rammstein or My Chemical Romance or Måneskin or any of these other bands "better" than Muse.

Yeah, I know I'm not making much sense right now. Rant over.

[clavis-baby]

Songs that You would listen to After a Breakup with The Brothers

(Lucifer,Mammon,Satan,Asmo)

I’m so sorry I was listening to reckless and it made me feel something (also I’ve never dated anyone sooo shhh)

Also I tried to add at least 3/4 to every brother but I realized they all had a Olivia Rodrigo song so sorry about that also I tried not cross over the same songs 😅

Also Spotify Playlist!!!

————-

Lucifer

enough for you - Olivia Rodrigo

Okay so first Olivia track honestly I know we all cried to her whole album don’t deny it but essentially I felt that with the lyrics I wore makeup when we dated“'Cause I thought you'd like me more If I looked like the other prom queens” and “Tried so hard to be everything that you liked” I feel like Lucifer would expect that his lover to be perfect honestly this song really would work well with both of Satan and Lucifer so deciding between them was pretty hard but the pushing point for me to put this with Lucifer was the lyric “But I don't think anything could ever be enough”

Without me - Halsey

(Ugh I love Halsey so much and her baby soon!!!) Anyway!! For Lucifer I really think that his pride would’ve gotten in the way of all of his relationships he’s ever had but “Feeling so high but too far away to hold me You know I'm the one who put you up there Name in the sky Does it ever get lonely?” Just screams Lucifer and how the chorus keeps on saying “I said I'd catch you if you fall” ahh perfect (could also work for Asmo)

I knew you were trouble - Taylor Swift

Won’t lie but embarrassed that I choose this song but it works for Lucifer sooo whatever but the chorus really is a fairly good start I feel like anyone who has a brain (even tho MC really doesn’t) dating Lucifer wouldn’t be particularly 100% safe but whatever he’s most people’s favorites again I used to love this song but don’t anymore so when I looked up songs about break ups (yes I did that) and Trouble came up I relistened and with these lyrics I had to include it No apologies “He'll never see you cry Pretends he doesn't know That he's the reason why”

Let Me down Slowly - Alec Benjamin

Now if this was a cheating thing and he did cheat this would be like the absolute BEST SONG!! But tbh this is a pretty good song for any breakup I feel like…OH WELL! :) the first lyric FIRST LYRIC “This night is cold in the kingdom” I felt represented his pride idk how to explain but idk T-T I can explain the rest tho >~< “I once was a man with dignity and grace Now I'm slippin' through the cracks of your cold embrace” once again pride but with “Could you find a way to let me down slowly? A little sympathy, I hope you can show me” I really hc that almost with all the boys but especially with Lucifer they just would not care about cheating after they maybe got a rush would leave you instantly once that “rush” is/was gone

Mammon

(I’m a sucker for him im sorry I put all the most emotional songs with him)

Reckless - Madison Beer

This was the song that inspired this whole post!! (Sadly, it made me feel things) But this song really could be used for Belphie and maybe a hint of Asmo but Mammon was the first person I thought about when listening to this song so it’s mammon. Mammon I just feel like behind all the tunsdere act he really promises us so much like obviously the protection but Reckless just show us within the lyrics “I still have the letter you wrote When you told me that I was the only girl You'd ever want in your life” and even this lyric with his whole first man thing and even him asking us to come to him for protection “You might love her now, but you loved me first Said you'd never hurt me, but here we are” it just is so good 😭

Love me or leave me - little mix

So if you even skim through these Mammon songs and know about my posts I love him so much so even though what I said in Lucifers part about them not caring about cheating and stuff I feel like Mammon might care just because of how much he promises things also I read a lot of fanfics with what I just said “And you're turning away like you hate me Do you hate me? Do you hate me? Oh” tbh because of this lyric I did think for a moment to use this song for Satan but Uhhh this is really emotional song and I love my bby “Do you remember when you loved me once What happened? What happened? And you'd hold me here just because” LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME HERE!!!

Be Alright - Dean Lewis

This song I feel like was a bit more for me sooo yeah also remember what I said about how I hc that almost with all the boys that they just would not care about cheating after they maybe got a rush with you they would leave you instantly once that “rush” is/was gone wel I sort of want to believe mammon wouldn’t and his greed gets in the way (who am I kidding I’m just making excuses for my baby) but I’m going to continue on what I just said because Umm well I can do uh “You start to tremble and your voice begins to break You say the cigarettes on the counter weren't your friend's They were my mate's”

(I couldn’t find anymore songs that I felt that would fit him 😭)

Asmo

Ex best friend - Machine gun Kelly

When I was writing this originally there was going to be like 4 parts of all the characters but then once I realized how many songs and I couldn’t think of any for others and how I wanted to add an explanation I gave up on that but originally it was going to also be cheating songs, fall outs, then just aftermaths of breakup songs which to be honest this song really could fit with the after math and cheating songs I feel like Asmo and his SO are more likely a not able to quit each other sort of thing “We're both drunk on the elevator When I kissed you for the first time in New York City, uh” and even near the end of the first season the only little part we sort of get from character development from Asmo when we was drunk explains what he was sort of saying “I swear to God, I never fall in love Then you showed up, and I can't get enough of it I swear to God, I never fall in love I never fall in love, but I can't get enough of it First off, I'm not sorry I won't apologize to nobody You play like I'm invisible Girl, don't act like you ain't saw me” personally I do think that inside Asmo might be insecure and a bit sensitive on the inside but I could be wrong

When the party’s over - Billie Eilish

Wow I have the lyrics up and I just realized this 3 minute song has barley lyrics but the song still fits Asmo so.

traitor - Olivia Rodrio

Even tho that all these songs were on cheating I tend to hc that Asmo isn’t a huge fan of solo partnership because of the title avatar of lust so I feel like in maybe the beginning of a relationship he would promise to you that he would be there for you but would maybe end up not staying true to his words I forgot who but someone else explained why they don’t believe that Asmo wouldn’t be able to go with out having a Polly relationship

——-

I’ve had this in my drafts for so long and wanted to post this but at this point I’ve just can’t add anymore so this is my lazy part

Boys like you - Anna Clendening

Satan

Again I’m lazy rn but I wanted Satans part to show just pure madness and anger but also as time progress just sadness for Satans pure side also anything that had to do with books or a story I added for u know Satan loving books

I’m not mad - Halsey

Moral of the story - Ashe

Blue - Madison Beer

[uncontainedhybrid]

tagged in the url / song title game by @incalculablepower ft the lyric that speaks to me most from each song. i made a spotify playlist of all these songs, if we’re a discord or tumblr mutual hmu and i’ll send you the link. 

u: untouched - the veronicas. no lyrics needed, it’s the feeling of screaming the lyrics when you’re just the right level of drunk. iykyk. 

n: new slang by the shins. i’m looking in on the good / i might be doomed to never find

c: come over (again) by crawlers. get her name out of your mouth / you don’t deserve to mourn

o: old lovers in dressing room - keaton henson. did you love me like the way you wrote? 

n: no children - the mountain goats. our friends say it’s darkest before the sun rises / we’re pretty sure they’re all wrong 

t: the deepest sighs, the frankest shadows. but gretta ray’s cover for like a version - god’s gift to mankind. i am grieving the loss of myself with frightening malaise 

a: always gold - radical face. you can blame me when there’s no one left to blame. 

i: invisible - stacey ann. can we just press rewind / go back to a time / when we could say we were alright 

n: northsiders - christian lee hutson. sometimes i imagine us way down the line / getting fat somewhere in the countryside 

e: eulogy for you and me - tanya davis. god this song is such a balm for my anticipatory grief. i wanted to call your bones home but i didn’t get to. 

d: death by a thousand cuts - taylor swift. gave you so much but it wasn’t enough. 

h: hallelujah. the original leonard cohen version. what a genius. how to pick a favourite line? you say i took the name in vain / i don’t even know the name 

y: ya hey - vampire weekend. how fitting ezra koening & leonard cohen sit next to each other. You won’t even say Your name / You say “I am that I am” / but who could every live that way? god i wish i could talk about faith + diaspora the way they do. 

b: brother - matt corby. because as an aussie zillenial what’s a playlist without a song from dance academy? you couldn’t help out your own neighbour / you couldn’t tell it to his face / you were fucked up by the blame 

r: retrograde - maggie rogers. how does maggie make music that is exactly what it feels like to live in this current moment, trying to find joy amongst all the darkness? listening when Stevie says mmm / “come out of the darkness” 

i: i don’t live here anymore - the war on drugs. my memories like waves / is life just dying in slow motion? 

d: daffodil - florence & the machine. a generation soaked in grief / we’re drying out and hanging on by the skin of our teeth 

[unsaid-stardust]

“Julie and The Phantoms” No Longer Phantoms as They Debut at #1

Only a year ago today, internet band “Julie and The Phantoms” took the world by storm when they posted a cover of Taylor Swift’s “You Need To Calm Down”. From there, the band, which consists of lead singer Julie Molina (16), guitarist Luke Patterson (17), bassist Reggie Peters (17), and drummer Alex Mercer (17), continued to post weekly covers which garnered an average of 3 million hits per video. Sure enough, the band got picked up by Hollywood Ghost Club Records  and signed on to record a total of 3 albums.

It would be easy to see that such rise to greatness could cause some trouble in paradise, but the band told a different story when I sat down with them at a local diner.

I was quick to notice that Julie had looked to her bandmates, careful not to overstep anyone wanting to answer, but the 3 boys had all eyes on her. Luke had nodded and teased “all you boss”, seemingly some sort of inside joke, which prompted Julie to take the lead just as she does on stage.

I was quick to notice that Julie had looked to her bandmates, careful not to overstep anyone wanting to answer, but the 3 boys had all eyes on her. Luke had nodded and teased “all you boss”, seemingly some sort of inside joke, which prompted Julie to take the lead just as she does on stage.

J: Ah well, we’re not really allowed to give any details quite yet, but we can say that there’s definitely some discussion happening behind the scenes! 

I: of course! That all must be very exciting considering only a year ago today you guys were posting covers on YouTube!

L: Yeah, yeah it’s all super exciting. The boys and I had talked about it long before we even knew Julie, so it’s just crazy to see it all happening and now with a wicked beauty of a singer to light up the stage every night? What more could we have asked for?

Luke winked and clicked his tongue towards Julie who’s smile got brighter than before. The shooed her hand at the compliment though, a teasing “oh, stop it” sounding from her.

I: You mentioned that you knew Alex and Reggie before meeting Julie. Can either of you tell us how you guys all met?

A: Well Reggie, Luke, and I actually all knew each other since the 2nd grade. We met in the music room and the rest was history. With Julie though, Luke actually had seen one of her original songs--which was “Wake Up” I know that for a fact because you can’t forget the first time you heard a voice like that--floating around on YouTube at the time. Reggie and I had just been chilling in our studio and Luke came running in with his laptop and said-

R: Wait-wait! I Wanna take this one I do a great Luke impersonation

A chuckle escaped from Julie’s lips and the two boys in question had shook their heads. 

A: Do you...? Okay.

Reggie then began to pretend that he was preparing for an acting gig, his thumb pressed to his two fingers as he brought them in front of his face, releasing a breath of focused air. 

R: guys guys you have to check out this insanely talented wicked beauty. Her pipes are just insane

L: I did not say that 

R and A: Yeah you did. 

Julie took the reins then just as natural as she were taking the reins on stage.

J: Well, even if you did or didn’t say that, that is how you guys found me. They emailed me after that and they invited me over to their studio where we had a impromptu jam-sesh. We didn’t even have a song planned to practice which is how “Bright” was actually born. So, after copious amounts of begging and begging and begging-

Luke playfully punched the lead singer in the arm and as Alex and Reggie threw out objections.

J: ok ok, I said yes to joining the band right away and as Alex said earlier, the rest is history

I: Oh, you guys for sure were meant to make this history together. You just have this natural chemistry with one another. I mean just from hearing how you guys met and then from seeing you guys today--you guys have been so in sync this whole time. I mean Reggie, you and Alex answer the same. And Luke and Julie, you two have moved the same the entire time. It’s just amazing watching you all here and on stage. But speaking of Luke and Julie, I have to ask...are you two dating?

The two shifted in their seats, but they never took their eyes off of the other, which is not the only time that Patterson had been the culprit of doing so. Both took the time to answer giving Reggie the leeway.

R: They’re not, but they should be

It’s hard to tell if the sun had just hit Julie and Luke at the wrong time or if the L.A temperature had suddenly gotten to them, but Julie was quick to respond to the bassist.

J: A-ha you’re so funny Reggie. No, no we um....we aren’t dating. I love all the guys right here next to me and I feel like I’ve bonded with them so much over the past year; they're pretty much my family. Alex and I have dance parties in my room and paint each others nails and Reggie and I gush over Taylor Swift’s newest albums and Luke and I...we just have a different bond from songwriting, you know? So I really just take that speculation as having great chemistry with my band which is definitely needed when you spend hours locked in a studio trying to get an album done.

I: Speaking of the album, can we talk about the album cover for a minute? It’s just so unique and eye-catching! Can you tell us what inspired you to choose this for your debut album cover?

Alex: Our really good friend and PR assistant Flynn actually designed it. She said that she took into consideration all of our personalities and what made us “Julie and The Phantoms” and went into photoshop and designed this masterpiece. The colors behind us our each of our favorite colors and the space background kinda comes from the idea that all of us feel like something fated us together. The universe maybe, but whatever it was we were meant to play together. And the font is a homage to Star Wars for Reggie!

I: that’s amazing! So what you’re saying is, I need to contact Flynn for all my graphic designing needs?

The band immediately nod their heads in agreement. 

J: yeah she’s amazing. She’s actually my best friend too and she was the one who really got us going. We wouldn’t be here without her!

I: Sounds like a true friend! Alright, well, thank you guys for letting me sit down with you guys. It was a pleasure, one more thing to ask though--if you could have written any existing song, what would it be?

R: ooooo definitely ‘home is where my horse is’ that one is a masterpiece 

The band, excluding Julie, groaned at the title.

L: Reggie stop trying to go country it’s not gonna happen

A: and that isn’t answering the question since it doesn’t exist!

J: hey, hey, it exists in Reggie and Me’s heart ok.

The bassist reached over to high five the lead singer. 

A: I wish I would’ve written “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by the icon that is Whitney Houston. 

J: ooo that’s a good one. Anything by Alicia Keys for me. Or Aretha Franklin. Those two were definitely my idols growing up

L: oh “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day for sure. The lyrics in that one hit hard man I'd love to just write a song that does that to people one day. 

I: Well, looking at the charts, it appears like you might have already! Thank you so much again for sitting down with me today. Hopefully we’ll get to talk sometime soon and I look forward to seeing what you guys get up to in the future!

You can now stream “Bright Forever” on Apple Music and Spotify!  

[artofdying1970]

music tag time :)

thank you for the tag fiona @odearjohn mwah

Who was your first favourite artist? katy perry 100%!! i remember me and my cousin would watch her music videos on her ipad when we were around seven :)

Who are your current favourite artists? phoebe bridgers, mitski, taylor swift and simon & garfunkel ! and the beatles .. i guess 🙄

Are you into musicals? Which ones?/Why not? not really. back in 2016-2017 i was your stereotypical Theatre Kid that liked hamilton, heathers, dear evan hansen etc etc all of those with notoriously bad fandoms lol. i guess it was really cathartic for me because i haven't bothered getting into musicals again, but i'm open for suggestions !! :)

Are there songs you consider so special you only listen to them very rarely? i think 'a burning hill' by mitski is such an intimate and fragile song for me that makes it hard for me to listen to it whenever. i have to be in a certain headspace if that makes any sense LOL

What's your preferred way of listening to music? (time of day, medium, situation) while i do homework ! but the music i like just makes me want to get up and sing at the top of my lungs so sometimes i have to stop lol

What would you say is the most niche music you listen to? this band/duo/thing called girlpool ! they haven't dropped anything since last year but i'm holding out for a new album soon :) i don't think their stuff is for everyone, especially their earlier projects (the delivery on their vocals and harmonies can be kind of annoying) but i think you should check them out if you like the sort of music they play in indie coming-of-age films where nothing happens lol

What's your favourite music related movie/TV show that's not a musical? almost famous !

Albums or playlists? both ! but tbh i tend to lean towards the first. most of the playlists i have up on my profile i don't actually like use? they're mostly just for show i don't trust myself to know what songs go well together lol. but sometimes listening to an album on loop can be quite boring if it has a Very Cohesive Sound so i'll put something on shuffle

Favourite albums? revolver (1966), bookends (1968), the idler wheel... (2012), bury me at makeout creek (2014), be the cowboy (2018), punisher (2020)

Is there an artist you're trying to get into? frank ocean ! would appreciate some song recs/albums to start :)

Whose music do you find overhyped? hngnghh ed sheeran ik it's trendy to hate on him nowadays so it's not really an unpopular opinion but i just. Don't See The Appeal

What's an underrated song? remember my name by mitski .. stream <3

What's a thing a bunch of songs do that you love every time? i don't know any like. music terms but i love love love it when a song starts out relatively calmly and it slowly builds up until it reaches a MASSIVE climax it makes go !!!! (ex. i know the end, bridge over the trouble water etc etc)

What song is better acoustic? does while my guitar gently weeps count?? the album version is obviously iconic but the demo version hits a little harder idk

What's the worst song of all time? achy breaky heart

Do you put individual songs on repeat? If so, for how long and how often? i do it pretty often! mostly for about an hour or so, more if i really like it. i really should stop because i'm going to make myself hate a song i really like (semi-related story: my friend and i were obsessed with 'hard times' by paramore back in eight grade and i played it so much it's STILL my most streamed song of all time accordijg to my spotify stats even though i haven't listened to it in like a year. yeah)

Do you make your own playlists? If so, what's your most entertaining playlist title? i do, but they don't really have fun titles or anything. they're mostly from poems or song lyrics that fit the theme :/ pretentious much ?

Headphones or earbuds? not opposed to either ! but you can't go wrong with the classic wired girlies :^)

Do you always sing the lead vocal or do you harmonize sometimes? If you harmonize, do you ever invent your own harmony? i do a mixture of both . it's a bit of a mess ☹

A music confession jack antonoff isn't that bad of a producer imo. he has a really inconsistent output but that doesn't necessarily mean he ruins everything his production touches :* (this year has been rough for him though lol like chemicals over the country club + solar power were both So underwhelming) i will admit that yeah. he tends to recycle stuff quite a bit lol

tagging the besties (no pressure obviously !!) @mithranqueer @belldog @aerialballet1968 @runofthemilldemo :)

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 27/01/2024 (Noah Kahan/Sam Fender, Benson Boone, Becky Hill/Sonny Fodera)

I think it’s this week that I’ve realised Noah Kahan might be a bonafide star. We’ll get more to it later, but “Stick Season” spends a fourth week at #1 - welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start with our notable dropouts, which I define as songs exiting the UK Top 75 (read the FAQ) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40, and this week wasn’t too busy but it did come with some fair losses. Therefore, we bid adieu to “When We Were Young (The Logical Song)” by David Guetta and Kim Petras, “Stop Giving Me Advice” by Lyrical Lemonade, Jack Harlow and Dave (might be back next week given the album), “Won’t Forget You” by Jax Jones, D.O.D and Ina Wroldsen, assisted by a (bizarrely, credited) “donk” edit featuring The Blackout Crew, “One of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan, “Me & U” by Tems and FINALLY, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift. It feels like it’s been there forever.

When it comes to our returns, we see the oddity of Sam Fender returning to #35 assumingly because of a boost to “Seventeen Going Under” that resulted from… well, you’ll see, but otherwise, we only have a handful of notable gains that, during a pretty dreadful-looking week, show some promise, and no, I don’t mean “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi somehow still here at #59, more so “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” by YG Marley at #51, “Scared to Start” by Michael Marcagi at #47, kind of grew on me, and “Nothing Matters” by The Last Dinner Party at #41… and less so “Toxic” by Songer at #32, please, let’s not do this, and on that same pleading note, “Alibi” by Ella Henderson featuring Rudimental at #26… why?! I suppose on a good note, Flo Milli is up to #17 with “Never Lose Me” and I can’t really complain about Natasha Bedingfield’s second wind at #13 with “Unwritten”, but it is majorly a mixed bag over here.

Our biggest story, however, rests in our top five, as “Homesick” by Noah Kahan debuts at #5, thanks to a version with Sam Fender who, surprisingly enough, is actually credited by the Official Charts Company, probably because, well, it would have no reason to as high as this without him. More on that later, but for now, it’s pretty standard elsewhere - Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ on Me” at #4, “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande at #3, “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor at #2 and of course, Mr. Kahan still sitting at the very top. Now we have a… considerably unpromising set of new songs to discuss, so I guess we’ve just got to trek through that, and our starting point is…

New Entries

#75 - “Coal” - Dylan Gossett

Produced by Dylan Gossett

There aren’t that many new arrivals this week but the songs apart from one all fall into being either by singer-songwriter types or working as faceless EDM, and if you’ve been following this blog at all, you’d know those two styles really aren’t my thing, but hey, an independent folk singer racking up a streaming giant with a song from last year, notching him licensing with Republic, it could be promising in the same way I like Zach Bryan or even Oliver Anthony, who I assume we will never see again but appears as a recommended song in Mr. Gossett’s Spotify search terms. One has to wonder why and how but first of all, the elephant in the room: Diamonds aren’t made from coal.

I found several articles, both from sustainable energy advocacy outlets like TreeHugger and the people selling diamonds like With Clarity, clarifying that diamonds cannot really be made from coal. Coal is an impure carbon whilst diamonds are purer and whilst pressure is involved in the process, it is not a simple “one equals the other” sum, since coal has too much organic matter to be made into crystalline diamonds, especially since you can see vividly in the colour of rarer diamonds to what other chemicals may be found in them. Now I’m tempted to believe these articles as they’re backed by science, but if I’m wrong and these articles are just using words I don’t understand to spread a mythical debunking of an already existing myth that diamonds originate from coal, which is actually true all this time, then I’ll stand corrected. For now, the main conceit of this song, asking why under all this pressure, how the Hell he’s still “coal”, doesn’t really make much sense, and the rest of the song reads like listing off proverbs and sayings that fit the part but he doesn’t fully understand them or tie them together. Singer-songwriters are supposed to weave stories, when this feels like playing word association with common and universal wisdoms. For all of Oliver Anthony’s imperfect wording, at least you can tie them together to refer to a specific viewpoint, seeing where those views align, without becoming vague “woe is me” platitudes that don’t hold much reason for said pity, or really any narrative detail. You might see this as nitpicking but when it’s just a guy with a guitar, he opens himself up for interpretation and autopsy, possibilities he seems to willingly flail away by displaying disappointingly little to even work with, and as the song fills itself up with non-verses, as tightly as this kind of song can be produced without a particularly impressive vocal performance, one starts to wonder what the appeal in this even is. It’s a non-song, let’s move on.

#71 - “Incredible Sauce” - Giggs featuring Dave

Produced by Payday and David Morse

The #1 album this week was Green Day’s best album in decades. I have a full first-impressions review of Saviors on my RateYourMusic listening log (exclusivelytopostown) and whilst I understand that sales factor in here, I’d have loved for the only song here that bucks the categorical trends I laid out earlier to be a cut from that record. Instead, we have a Giggs song from last year that I’m honestly surprised has yet to chart already, given the Dave feature and that it was released in August of last year. Apart from the… choice of a name, I still don’t really know what level of quality to expect from Giggs, outside of a comical menace that emerges largely from his attempt to be “laidback” that can more accurately be described as an active  coveting of his natural voice to sound much more relaxed than he really is, considering he’s never sounded comfortable with a flow he picks out, which becomes especially clear with Dave on the hook as he actually pulls off sounding effortless. Giggs’ delivery honestly reminds me of Dean Blunt’s satirical British rap project Babyfather more than anything, especially with the half-asleep cadences leaving so much dead air in this eerie, stagnant trap beat. The song doesn’t end with a piece of classic Dave wordplay, though he’s not on his A-game here comparing himself to Sonic the Hedgehog, it just ends with “Lingerie on a special occasion”… okay. That’s barely even a flex, why does it punctuate the track’s final moments? This is just another ugly showing of substanceless pretence from Dave over a pretty minimal beat with an absolutely worthless performance from Giggs, whose verses feel double the length and really halt any possible fun that could be had from Dave’s bite-size verse. Somehow, this ends up much like “Coal” - there’s just nothing here.

#39 - “Whatever” - Kygo and Ava Max

Produced by, well, Kygo

Speaking of nothingness, welcome back, Kygo and Ava Max… Jesus Christ. Okay, well, if anything is the saving grace this week outside of #5, it will be this.

I have just checked the sample credits, I have bad news. To delay the suffering, I will say that I kind of like the production here, the acoustics remind me of Avicii’s pretty seamless blend of folk pop with the anthemic festival house that defined much of his catalogue. Kygo has always been a detailed producer who pays much attention to ensuring his songs are as easy as possible on the ears, and he succeeds in the sense of this being a very pretty little tune with depths of cute synth pads, guitar rolicks and plucky percussion. Ava Max herself actually impresses me a tad here vocally, mostly because since this is a Kygo song, she can belt without clipping unnecessarily in the mix for once. However, and this is a big however, the main hook of the song, its crux, if you will, is a direct interpolation and rewording of the iconic melody to Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever”, a 2001 single that debuted and peaked at #2 for two weeks in 2002 here in the UK, being kept off the top spot by Will Young’s double A-side of “Anything is Possible” and “Evergreen”. I can’t believe such a classic was blocked by not even Westlife, but a Westlife COVER, yet I digress, this is just a lazy and frankly obnoxious way of using the song’s chorus. Kygo is clearly dipping into the David Guetta pool of reskinning prior hits, and I will give it to him that he’s not just redoing a classic EDM track, this is largely a unique house single, but that may make the last-resort hook that much more disappointing. I’m disappointed in you, Kygo. Not you, Ava Max, you can just do whatever. Albania forever.

#36 - “Skin and Bones” - David Kushner

Produced by Rob Kirwin

Oh, we’re actually making David Kushner a thing, fantastic, that other song just had so much to offer, didn’t it? I feel like I can very quickly summarise this melodramatic, uber-serious noir piano ballad, deepened by some of the ugliest froggy-sounding snaps I’ve heard in pop music and only plunged further into sludge by Kushner’s insufferable lyrics, by just a stray observation. When I clicked on the Genius annotation for the first verse of this song, it was completely empty. At least to the first verse, there’s literally nothing there: an empty annotation box. It may just be a glitch on my part, or it was deleted for whatever reason, but regardless, I think this exemplifies how little this song has to offer: someone attempted to just touch upon the pretty self-explanatory first verse, attempted to offer some wisdom or deeper analysis that seems granted with the cinematic grandeur of it all, and couldn’t cough anything up. Once again, there’s just nothing here.

#34 - “Never be Alone” - Becky Hill and Sonny Fodera

Produced by Sonny Fodera

I mean… it has a pulse at least. In fact, this is much more interesting than I expected for Becky, and not necessarily in a lyrical front, simply because she does not need to do much more than recite boardroom word association over four-on-the-floor, but moreso with her vicious delivery, going into an attack that sounds like it was overpowering the mix before being blended a bit more clearly into the nostalgic breakbeat hardcore rhythm that punctuates a surprisingly long build-up into a… surprisingly unique drop. This is really just a flex show for Sonny Fodera here, but Becky stepped up to the plate to match his passion and energy, bringing more of a rough instinct to the trickling alien synth critter that grounds the 90s pads and rock-solid breakbeats into a killer pre-drop that genuinely took me aback, as did this drop, which completely ditches the breakbeats for a tense hardcore kick and more atmospheric, glitching pads that run through the mix like a spiralling staircase, as Becky’s vocalising becomes little more than an inhuman drone until it’s removed altogether. The intensity of the track, filling up the mix with padded quirks even when the breakbeats are relegated to simple fills, is genuinely unprecedented for Becky Hill, and I’m actually really glad that she is not only on hopping on much more effective and unique production, but stepping out of her comfort zone to riff and meander in a way that she never really lets herself do, even in her looser songs. I am honestly quite shocked, but this is fantastic. If this doesn’t smash like much of Becky’s tighter, more restrictive cuts have in the past few years, I will be immensely disappointed.

#18 - “Beautiful Things” - Benson Boone

Produced by Evan Blair

Sigh… one of my first thoughts when Kushner had success with “Daylight” was how much he seemed cut from the same cloth as Mr. Boone over here, and to be completely honest, the concept of the two charting the same week chased me in my worst of nightmares. Hey, at least my dreams have become reality! To be fair to Booner Boy here, he has what Khrushchev and Gossamer lacked: genuine lyrical detail in the verses. There is a certain dichotomy between the universalities of the choruses and pre-chorus compared to the pretty niche and incredibly lucky situation he’s found himself in during the verses, it almost reminds me of Tom Odell’s “Black Friday” given its wordy mundanity, but that’s only lyrically, as I don’t hear much here connecting the two sonically, especially given the faint bass and reliance on soaring guitars on “Beautiful Things” that makes it almost more of a pop rock tune, one that is surprisingly willing to ditch much of its initial build-up for a desperate screech over stop-and-start staccato guitar rhythms that go way harder than I expected. This is what I’ve been saying Lewis Capaldi should be doing for years, if these moan and drone singer-songwriter sadboys are going to have their voice fit over anything, it’s not basic adult contemporary swells, it’s melodramatic, no-holds-barred pop rock, and this honestly becomes pretty killer by that first chorus. The guy can let out a desperate cry, and I’ll be damned if he’s not convincing as he airs out his paranoia about this perfect relationship breaking down. The second chorus could use some deviation, but I’m a sucker for radio rock that takes itself way too seriously and considering his dire earlier material, this may as well be Mr. Boone: The Animated Series. I really want to hear more of this from this guy, and it seems that these last few songs may be the light at the end of the tunnel for an unpromising week.

#5 - “Homesick” - Noah Kahan and Sam Fender

Produced by Noah Kahan and Gabe Simon

Okay, it’s Noah Kahan: there is a base level of quality here and I am actually always excited to hear a new song from him because at least there’s always a lot to uncover and appreciate even if the song isn’t great or has some grating element throwing a spanner in the cogs. This is especially true with Sam Fender in play, as this raises the standard of quality to at least bearable and at its worst, it’s going to be an interesting and perhaps powerful narrative… and if we’re talking about lyrical detail, I mean, Kahan’s your man, almost too much so given some of the awkward wording in that original version from his Stick Season album. On hearing those church organs sliding just slightly off the careening heartland rock groove, I knew exactly why Mr. Fender ended up on this specific song, and this actually lets Kahan let out a little, have a little more fun as he vocalises playfully about his frustrations, delivered largely in the form of punchlines, about his slow small town, with the chorus being him breaking down and basically begging for a reason to grab him out of that place, even if it’s where he grew up, using an on-the-nose but still fun play on words with the term “homesick”. I do wish there was a bit more to its mid-section, it feels like it stagnates a bit once we reach the chorus for the first time, mostly structurally. I want to hear more of Kahan’s stray, funny observations, but we don’t really get more of that even with the ramped-up intensity and a guitar solo way too Weezer-coded for me to not get a stupid grin on my face.

As for the Fender version, well, this is the best-implemented anyone has been in these Kahan duets yet, given Fender brings a new verse giving a unique and personal story about the background of riots in northern England that informed his town, injecting further reason to why one may be Kahan’s form of “homesick”, but also, despite being more strikingly intimate and less darkly comic in his observations, finding a valid and heartfelt reason to live his life outside of that home town: the dreams his father set out for him lay far away from where they were instilled. It adds a lot of depth to the song, and whilst Kahan and Fender don’t play off each other incredibly well, they have a decent chemistry that from interviews with Dork and People seem to have arisen from very similar hapless upbringings and recurring topics in both catalogues. Additionally, I like Fender’s voice more than Kahan’s, and the harmonies fill out the  mix so it’s a tad more impactful, so I think this new version actually beats out the original. I’m also pretty happy that this week, starting off with a lot of mediocrity and not exactly a promising set of artists for me, personally, ended up surprising me with that three-track run by the end, and trailing off with two killer rock songs is the best way to make me feel a lot happier about a week as a whole.

Conclusion

I’m relatively predictable, especially when we get alt-rock on the charts, so I feel like despite how much I liked the Becky Hill song, it’s no surprise that Benson Boone ends up snabbing an insanely close Best of the Week for “Beautiful Things”. It was pretty much neck-and-neck with “Homesick” by Noah Kahan and Sam Fender, which is of course the Honourable Mention, and whilst I think that it is lyrically more insightful, there’s an instinctual raucousness to the emotion in The Booney One’s track that just hits that bit harder. As for the worst, I mean David Kushner obviously gets Worst of the Week pretty much effortlessly with “Skin and Bones”, but I do think I was just frustrated enough with Dylan Gossett to grant his song “Coal” with the Dishonourable Mention. At least Giggs wasn’t trying to say anything profound, and if he was, then I sincerely worry for him.

What’s on the horizon next? God knows, it’s January, but Justin Timberlake has a comeback single, Tom Odell has an album, it may be the week of even more whiny white dudes. Story of my life. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you perhaps a bit earlier than next week.

[itspufflehuff]

Pranksters - Bucky Imagine

Summary: When plans get cancelled you and Bucky are left alone in the Avengers tower on Valentines Day. In an attempt to make the most of your night you and Bucky place some pranks on the other Avengers.

MATERLIST // TAGLIST

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I hope you all have an amazing and safe day with your friends, family, and/or partners! This is one of three imagines I will be posting today.

As requested by @sebstanfan123​ thank you for the idea I had fun writing this! Warning there will be talks of drinking and getting drunk. Thank you for reading my story, enjoy!

Word Count: 2,392

~~~~

Bucky thought he and Steve could spend this lonely Valentine's day together drinking some of Thors Asgardian liquor and reminiscing over the good old days.

You were hoping to spend the day with Natasha making fun of people at the bar.

But of course, nothing went as planned. Steve just had to decide to move on and go out with Sharon and Natasha agreed to babysit for Clint while he and his wife spent a nice night together.

It was just you and Bucky left alone in the Avengers tower with nothing to do but be miserable.

When you walked into the common room you were surprised to see Bucky sitting on the couch with the remote in his hand aimlessly surfing the channels. You stopped at the entrance of the room, "What are you doing here?"

He stopped pressing buttons on the remote turning his head over to you with an amused look, "Well hello to you too."

Realizing how rude you sounded you quickly explained, "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that I was just expecting you to be with Steve somewhere else." You made your way over to the couch and plopped down next to him.

"Yeah, until he bailed on me for Sharon. I never did that to him when I was the hot one." He said half-joking but half-serious.

"Nat bailed on me too. Although her reason is not as scandalous as yours."

"Now look at us. Dying of boredom when we could have been having fun."

"You know... we could still have fun." You suggested mischievously.  

"What did you have in mind?" He was a bit scared of what your response would be. He always liked you and thought you were very beautiful but he was still getting used to being in this new world free of Hydra. On top of that, he hadn't been with a woman since 1942.

"I don't know, anything! I don't want to waste the rest of our night moping around feeling sorry for ourselves."

You sat in silence for a second until an idea popped into your head and you basically jumped, "We could pull pranks! We'll leave harmless surprises for everyone in the morning."

He thought for a second then nodded, "I like it. So what will we do?"

"I don't know I came up with the idea I thought you could pitch some pranks."

He chuckled shaking his head, "Um ok. How about taking the pillows out and filling the cases with tissue paper instead?"

You laughed, "That's a good one. Oh! We can put bubble wrap under the toilet seats so when they sit it starts popping."

"But guys pee standing?" He laughed.

"Yeah, but they eventually have to sit down? We can tape a line of bubble wrap to the bottom so they won't really see it and when they're ready to put the seat down it stays in place."

"Ok let's do it." He stood up excitedly then turning the tv off.

The both of you made your way over to the supply closet where you assumed the items you needed would be, but to your disappointment, there were only cleaning supplies. "Maybe they will be in the workshop?" Bucky suggested. Once again, nothing.

You checked three more places before giving up, "You mean to tell me we live in probably the most expensive building in New York with one of the richest men alive but we don't have bubble wrap or tissue paper?" Bucky let out exasperated.

"There is a convenience store down the street well just check there." You laughed at his annoyance. The both of you quickly got ready, excited to get started on your pranks. Bucky pulled on his signature boots, sweater, and baseball cap as you grabbed your coat and wallet then slipping on your shoes.

At the store, you and Bucky grabbed a basket and walked the isles like people on a mission. On your way to the aisle with all the wrapping supplies, you passed the baking section and an idea came to mind, "We should make raisin cookies and make them look like chocolate chip cookies!"

"What's wrong with raisins?" He asked faking offense.

"Nothing old man, it's just people nowadays prefer chocolate." You joked. He rolled his eyes laughing but put the cookie mix in your basket. That's when the cellophane caught his eye and he had an idea of his own, "What if we right this around the tops of their body wash, shampoo, and toothpaste then put the lids back on. That way when they try using it nothing comes out." You laughed nodding your head, "That's a good one Buck."

You two then grabbed what you really went to the store for and at the checkout Bucky refused to let you pay. Using his metal arm he held you back and with the other, he gave the cashier some cash, "Keep the change and receipt. Thank you." He took the bag and began walking out without you. Catching up to him you said, "That's not fair to use your strong arm against me!" You knew he hated his metal arm whenever he was doing non Avenger related tasks out in public so you made sure not to say 'metal arm' and instead settled for 'strong arm'.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." He winked at you.

You laughed, "What?"

"I have no idea but I'm excited to get back and get started on this." He smiled lifting the bag up.

When you entered the common room once again you both ran over to the island and dropped all the contents of the bag out on it giggling like children, "Ok you get started on the bubble wrap and I'll put the cellophane on all their bottles. When you're done we'll meet back here." You both ran around the building into everybody's bathroom, except for each other's of course.

Seemingly at the same time, you meet up at the island with red cheeks unable to stop the giggles. You picked up the packs of tissue paper, "Should we tag team their pillows?"

"Let's do it." He smiled playfully. You both ran into Tony's room getting started on taking the pillows out of their cases. Time seemed to fly as you two ran into everyone's room switching out their comfy pillows for tissue paper. When you finished you both laid horizontally on Steve's bed for a break.

"I feel like we're missing something," Bucky said looking up at the ceiling.

"Cookies."

"Right," he chuckled lightly, "My disgusting raisin cookies."

"I never said disgusting, " you defended, "I only said people prefer chocolate."

You both made your way over to the kitchen. Bucky helped you bring out all of the materials needed to bake the cookies as you grabbed the ingredients. "You know what we need?" You said suddenly?"

Bucky's eyebrows furrowed but he kept his smile, "What's that?"

"Drinks. And music."

"You are most definitely right." He laughed looking away, "I'll grab the drinks while you get started?" He suggested.

"What just because I'm a woman I have to stay in the kitchen?" You turned serious. Bucky's face dropped as he began stumbling over his words. You started laughing, "I'm messing with you I don't care."

"That was mean." He said still scared but you could see the smile trying to fight its way onto his face.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." You winked at him.

Bucky went into the room Tony keeps all their alcohol and grabbed a bottle of wine, some brandy, and one of Thor's Asgardian liquor. When he went back to where you were he heard music playing, "Is this Tony's playlist?" He asked

You spun around to face him, "Yeah, I figured we'd start with music you're more familiar with, and since Tony is always blasting his stuff during training I thought this was the safe option."

As you mixed the ingredients together Bucky grabbed some glasses, "Brandy or wine?"

"White or red?" You asked keeping your back to him.

"Uhh- White."

"I'll have some wine."

He served both of you some wine but adding a drop of Thor's liquor to his glass.

For the next two hours, you both danced and sang along to the music as you made the cookies. You would've finished baking them quicker but after you had the cookies in the oven for thirty minutes you realized no one turned it on. Laughing at each other you took the cookies out to heat the oven.

The both of you were had gotten tipsy quicker than either of you expected. Maybe it had something to do with you switching out sips of wine for the whole bottle of brandy and Bucky swapping his glass for the bottle of Asgardian liquor. As the cookies baked in the oven you gasped and looked over to Bucky, "Wouldn't it be so funny if we switched out the sugar for salt!"

"That would be perfect! They'll all be so grossed out when they have their morning coffee." He laughed. You were lucky that both the salt and sugar were in jars that were labeled on the lid so all you needed to do was swap lids. You both laughed thinking you were so sneaky.

When the cookies finished you neatly placed them on a plate then wrapped them in cellophane to keep them fresh. Bucky made his way over to the couch holding onto Thor's liquor like it was the love of his life. You took your phone out connecting it to the speaker and started playing one of your old playlists from Spotify. The truth was you didn't even know which playlist you pressed on, you just needed a change in music.

Taylor Swift's 'You Belong to Me' started playing over the speakers, "I love this song!" You shouted to Bucky. You sang along word for word. It might not have been good singing but you didn't mess up. Next was Justin Bieber's 'Baby' then, Best Song Ever by One Direction not missing a single lyric.

Bucky looked at you from the couch amused, "I don't know any of these songs but you're doing great!"

As the songs went on Bucky got up to dance along with you. He took your hand twirling you around as you sang along. It was the most fun either of you had in a while.

Eventually, you both got tired and fell back onto the couch. Bucky had his arm around you so you laid your head on his shoulder shutting your eyes. "This was amazing, why don't we hang out more?" He asked looking down at you.

"I have no idea but we should do this more often."

"Yeah, we should." He smiled softly at you even though your eyes were closed so you couldn't see. Slowly his eyes shut as you both drifted off to sleep on the couch.

Neither of you woke up when everyone came home late at night. Steve was the first to arrive. When he saw you and Bucky sleeping on the couch together a chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head smiling. He grabbed one of the blankets that happened to be nearby and placed it over the both of you. However, when he went into his room and laid on his bed to sleep he almost got back up and yanked the blanket off both of you. As soon as his head hit the pillow it sank and he heard crinkling. He tried another pillow and the same thing happened.

Great, first my toothpaste isn't working now this.

He searched for his pillows but couldn't find them anywhere so instead he used a shirt and fell asleep like that.

In the morning Bucky, for the first time in forever, was hungover and so were you. Everyone was having their breakfast and coffee when you both woke up.

"Morning. Had a busy night?" Tony asked.

The light was too bright for you both. As if he read your mind Bucky threw the blanket over your heads.

"Come on. Some coffee will help with that pesky hangover." Tony said.

You and Bucky groaned but dragged yourselves to the table where two fresh cups of coffee were waiting for you two. You were about to take a sip when Tony stopped you, "Sugar?"

"Huh?" You asked, "Oh sugar. Yes please, Bucky want some?" He just nodded his head too tired to speak.

You got up to grab the jar of sugar from the cabinet then walked it over to the table. You poured a scoop into your coffee then Bucky poured some in his as well.

The second you both took a sip you spit it right back out, "What the hell is this?" You asked.

"Oh, you don't remember?" Tony asked with fake shock, "I guess you two pranksters thought it would be hilarious to switch the labels on the sugar and salt. Of course, I'm a genius and always make sure everything is labeled right so I figured it out right away. You're the only people who had to suffer with salt in their coffee."

You and Bucky looked at each other forgetting all about the sugar and salt. It was a last-minute drunken decision you both made. You both looked down ashamed then Bucky perked his head up, "How'd you all sleep?" He smirked. Beside him, you giggled.

~~~~

The both of you went on with your days as usual. You each went to your rooms to take a refreshing shower before heading to the training room. When you walked in Bucky was working on the punching bag. As soon as he saw you he stopped. "Hey Y/N."

You smiled at him, "Bucky, lovely seeing you again. "

"I could say the same thing." He whispered to himself. Then he shyly made his way over to you, "So, Y/N, last night was fun and I was wondering, well hoping, if you would like to go out tonight?" He rubbed the back of his neck mentally kicking himself. He was never this shy or nervous with women before. He was always confident and could get any woman he wanted. Now he was unsure and nervous.

You could tell how nervous he was so you took his arm, "I'd love to."

[carelessmemories]

@loiteringdiligently tagged me!! thank u tiff ive been eager to do this one <3 (also im so sorry it took me this long ik this went around months ago it just took me a while to get to >.<)

who was your first favorite artist? 

I'm super vast in my love for many artists and I never considered that i had a favourite until i got into depeche mode, there was a love there like no other artist i had ever heard before

who are your current favorites?

depeche mode, bowie, duran duran and the pet shop boys are constants but ive really fallen more for stromae and måneskin lately as far as musical obsessions

are you into musicals?

I seldom get into whole musicals but when I had friends who were I'd like the odd song here and there, i knew two hamilton songs by heart for a while lmao

are there songs you consider so special you only listen to them very rarely?

I take breaks from special songs sometimes, i get this irrational panic that i can't play on loop a song i love or ill stop liking it. but regardless of what i get into I'll Always come back to those special ones and feel just as fondly of them as the first time i heard them.

what’s your preferred way of listening to music?

I primarily listen to music when im out and about on the train with spotify. I have a long commute to work and i take that time to enjoy my music! however i absolutely Adore vinyl and am trying to find ways to set up my record player so i can listen to them frequently again.

what would you say is the most niche music you listen to?

the music my dad's band makes lmao theyre famous but indie by all standards

what’s your favourite music related movie/tv show that’s not a musical?

ok idk if this counts, but the first season of the umbrella academy had such an incredible soundtrack that even if it wasn't a music related show the the music is the biggest thing i took away from that show, more than story or acting.

albums or playlists?

playlists! i find its easier to organize my taste since I'll end up skipping half the album songs if im in the wrong mood

favourite albums?

Music for the Masses and Some Great Reward by depeche mode, The Hurting and Raoul and the Kings of Spain by tears for fears, Behaviour and Introspective by the pet shop boys, Aladdin sane and the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust by bowie, Seven and the Ragged Tiger by duran duran, Discovery by daft punk... i could go on and on

is there an artist you’re trying to get into?

i’m really loving måneskin rn but i havent been able to sit down and run through their discography properly

whose music do you find overhyped?

taylor swift's recent release.. i just dont think i understand whats so special about it

what’s an underrated song?

Flexible by depeche mode, its a b side we dont talk about enough. also Love is a Bourgeois Construct by pet shop boys :)

what’s a thing a bunch of songs do that you love every time?

any sort of yell or whoop or gleeful howl that i can yell along to, i always know when they're coming and i can match them just as well as singing along to the lyrics :P

what song is better acoustic?

I am Big on songs with a groove or beat i can dance to so i tend to really dislike acoustic covers. I will burn at the stake the man who took Mad World and made it a slow sorrowful ballad that eclipsed the orginial >:(

what’s the worst song of all time?

I cant name one but any modern song with one verse repeated over and over with an electro riff in between. i Hate those songs and i listen to daft punk :/

do you put individual songs on repeat?

As i mentioned earlier i have an irrational fear of repeating a song i love so much i hate it, so I'll let myself listen to it a few times over and the move on so that excitement stays alive.

do you make your own playlists? if so, what’s your most entertaining playlist title?

I dont have very interesting naming conventions usually, "get your ass out of bed" is a particular fave for when i was badly depressed and played upbeat music to motivate me out of bed.

headphones or earbuds?

Earbuds, i wear mine most hours of the day especially when im out n about

do you always sing the lead vocal or do you harmonize sometimes?

oh i sing lead all the way, I'll match the lead's voice however i can regardless of whether its good or not

a musical confession?

i love and post a lot about kate bush, but ive listened to Barely any of her music..........