#crown lands new album

[cconfusedkat]

Chat this song reminds me sm of the new faith of the lands ,,,

[luviestarz]

lee haechan fic recs!

❤︎ I LIKE YOU (I DO) (L.DH) - @domjaehyun (stoner!haechan just wants you to know how much he likes you.)

❤︎ paperclip - @smileysuh (yandere, ex bf! hyuck)

❤︎ My Boy. - @prodbymaui (A series of failed relationships and you were this near of giving up on love. But then here comes little Donghyuck and his persistence. Maybe-- he was the one fated to you, after all.)

❤︎ kiss it better - @yeow6n (haechan gets hurt but you know that with him it’s not going to be as simple as putting a band-aid on it)

❤︎ sugar, butter, & the royal crown - L.DH - @haechwrites (prince donghyuck only has one princess on his mind, but she's not actually a princess. she's just the royal baker's granddaughter.)

❤︎ bus stop - @ooshu (haechan rides the bus. you hop on the same ride. minutes later, you two were a couple. he never questioned why.)

❤︎ strawberries & cigarettes - @hyudior (the art school's play is in two days and you're running out of time to put everything together since your known enemy lee donghyuck decided that the rehearsal day was the perfect day to release a launch party for his new album.)

❤︎ >> take my breath - @hyuckwrlds

❤︎ moles ♡‧₊˚ lee haechan - @sleeping-sirens (you read something on the internet that made you feel jealous of a person you didn’t even know but haechan knows just how to reassure you.)

❤︎ haechan — gold-skinned, eager baby - @hyuckmov (he used to be able to hide it. he used to be fine with glancing at you, habitually flicking his eyes to your chest when you would walk into the room or snuggle up to him. but now he’s totally fucked, because he thinks he’s developed some sort of addiction.)

❤︎ eyes tell - @tonicandjins (donghyuck has been trying to confess his feelings to you. third time's the charm, he thinks.)

❤︎ going below zero | l.dh - @cherryeoniis (Considering how much Haechan makes it his personal mission to antagonize you at work, it seems like a rather cruel twist of fate that the both of you have been side by side since middle school, the only consolation being that his office is a different floor from yours. But if there’s a saying about how distance makes the heart grow fonder, your attitude with him might just be the opposite, and it’ll take a family ski holiday to find out.)

❤︎ take my breath. - @sixzeroes (lee donghyuck did not believe in ‘love at first sight.’ key word: did. he does now, but only because you happened to fall into his arms on the icy road in the narrow streets. you’re going to render him breathless from the countless times your smile takes his breath away.)

❤︎ ice cream thief [ l.dh ] - @tddyhyck (someone has been eating haechan's favorite ice cream so he decides to put a hidden camera in the kitchen and living room thinking it's a shared space it shouldn't invade anyone's privacy... right?)

❤︎ tease | lee haechan - @hyuckiefluff (Playing spin the bottle definitely wasn't what you had envisioned for your first college party. And the last person you expected to see was Lee Haechan. But life has a funny way of throwing surprises at you, and this time it came in the form of the bottle landing on some drunk dude who dared you to kiss Haechan.)

❤︎ 𝟏𝟎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ¹⁸⁺ - @goldyeokki (you and lee donghyuck both get along like oil and water. if it were up to you, you would be going about your days without even breathing in his direction. unfortunately you're in the same friend group and you have to tolerate each other. as handsome or attractive as people claim him to be, you hate his guts. there's so many reasons why you hate him, so why do you get butterflies in your stomach when he's near?)

❤︎ high (with my lover) [m] – l.dh - @yeonghosins (y/n smokes up with donghyuck for the first time)

❤︎ what the puck! - @choerrypuffs (you hit the university’s star hockey player with your car. shenanigans (and maybe even a little romance) ensue.)

❤︎ double take | l.dh - @cherryeoniis (friends to lovers, highschool au, slowburn, fluff, angst)

❤︎ Your Red Lipstick || L.DH - @ihaechans (Kisses, kisses, kisses. That’s all your boyfriend wants. When you refuse to give him the one thing he craves, he won’t leave you alone, begging and begging until you give in.)

[gaykarstaagforever]

I was going to do a whole journalistic deep-dive of this, but upon further reflection, 1) that would require labor I don't want to do, and 2) everyone but me is probably aware of this kind of shit and over it by now.

But I want to talk for a moment about a new "Country Gospel Christian" artist that is "blowing up" on YouTube and Spotify right now (I'm being sarcastic) named Aisha Sparkle.

YouTube Music, forever may it functionally persist, decided to drop one of her songs into my stream. Curious, I DuckDuckGo'd her.

Oddly enough, no image results matched the picture of the lady tied to the track.

Okay, fine. DuckDuckGo isn't perfect. There's still Google. Let's see.

Okay. She's pretty!

...Is that...the same lady?

Wait. Who the hell is that?

And none of these look like the track art, which looks like this:

Who is THIS, then? There is no way two country gospel singers have that same weird name --

......Wait a minute.

......OH YOU BASTARDS.

Yeah so this is AI generated, at least partially. All these tracks and entire albums have been dumped online, everywhere, in the last couple days, all with different lazy AI art.

The songs themselves are at least some kind of guided AI, because they're lyrically a little awkward at times, but sound like actual songs, with structure. Or it's just a really good AI, trained on this kind of music.

Honestly, the bar for white people "praise and worship" music is so low, it's hard to tell. Just endlessly mash up a handful of vaguely-positive Christian-esque platitudes, maybe start with a hooky chorus, and literally anyone or anything can generate one of these, and it sounds...good enough.

Then synth the music and get an AI voice of a white lady, and bam. Time to generate some money!

I just did one on ChatGPT, with the chorus "We Rise in Glory":

"We Rise in Glory" Verse 1: We lift our hearts, we lift our hands, To honor You, our Maker, Lord, With every breath, we praise Your name, Forever we will worship You, forever we will stand. Pre-Chorus: Through every trial, through every storm, You hold us close, You keep us warm. Our hope is sure, our faith is strong, We’ll rise with You, our souls belong. Chorus: We rise in glory, we rise in grace, Lifted by Your love, we seek Your face. With hearts united, we stand as one, In Your glory, our victory's won. We rise in glory, we rise in You, Our hearts surrender, our spirits renewed. Verse 2: The chains are broken, the dark is gone, Your light has come to lead us on. We run the race, we press ahead, In the power of the cross, we are led. Pre-Chorus: Through every trial, through every storm, You hold us close, You keep us warm. Our hope is sure, our faith is strong, We’ll rise with You, our souls belong. Chorus: We rise in glory, we rise in grace, Lifted by Your love, we seek Your face. With hearts united, we stand as one, In Your glory, our victory's won. We rise in glory, we rise in You, Our hearts surrender, our spirits renewed. Bridge: Let the heavens declare, let the earth sing loud, We are rising, we are shining, we wear the victor’s crown. By Your power, by Your might, we stand, In Your glory, we find our land. Chorus (Reprise): We rise in glory, we rise in grace, Lifted by Your love, we seek Your face. With hearts united, we stand as one, In Your glory, our victory's won. We rise in glory, we rise in You, Our hearts surrender, our spirits renewed. Outro: We rise in glory, we rise in You, Forever faithful, forever true.

Tell me that's in any way substantially different than this:

We all know this is doable and relatively easy now. But it's still amazing to run into it in the wild.

Whoever did this isn't even hiding it, obviously. The AI photos are lazy, and they're flooding the platforms with it. Which is the point. People who stream this kind of music probably won't notice that it's AI slop, because it is just good enough to pass as the mid thing they like.

And they don't seem to notice or care, judging from the YouTube comments.

...Assuming any of those are even real. That's probably part of the algorithm pumping, fake engagement.

Again, we all know this is what can be done now. But to stumble into it is still jarring. Especially when YouTube Music just drops it into an auto playlist.

Interesting note: why didn't DuckDuckGo show me any of these pictures? And why, then, did Google?

My guess is, while both are now using AI in search results, DuckDuckGo might still be sensible enough to weed out AI slop from search results. Because no one is looking for AI slop. And of course Google absolutely does not care, because they want to be the world's foremost AI slop company.

I went hard for awhile with AI art, to understand how it's made and all its quirks. And maybe that taught me something. I don't know. I assume everyone can become canny enough to sniff this crap out.

And clearly we have to, because this kind of thing is only going to get worse.

...Also AI-generated fiddles don't sound quite right. And the lyrics are always off in subtle little ways. And all the songs are around 3 minutes and don't have instrumental breaks.

...Also, Aisha Sparkle? That was the first red flag. It's probably some esoteric SEO thing, but it's so transparent. Issa Sparks would be better. Traylor Switch. Take it seriously, you bums.

All of this still requires a careful human hand to pull off atm, and shockingly, people scamming Christians for money are only willing to work so hard at it. Usually because they don't have to.

And that's certainly not something you need AI for. But damn if it doesn't make it faster!

Also NO, I'm not the one doing this. I like making fun of terrible people, not being one. Plus, why put all of this work in to make garbage for maybe a little bit of money, temporarily? Just make a good thing, if you can, and that could maybe generate a little money forever. You have to really just care about money NOW NOW NOW and nothing else to commit yourself to shit like this.

And if I cared about money, I wouldn't pay to use Tumblr. Like, come on.

[nctangelz]

✭TROIS : : TEMPTATION is the third mini album by NCT ANGELZ, released by SM on january 3rd, 2024. the mini album consists of EIGHT tracks, with TWO title tracks - LION and OH MY GOD. this mini album was promoted for 5 weeks, where OH MY GOD, M-MAYBE, LION, and LOVE ME LIKE all got multiple peformances.

After three months, the ANGELZ were finally reunited for their anticipated comeback. This era was the game changer for the ANGELZ - the sabrina hate train had finally diminished, and fans were finally starting to recognize and support the ANGELZ as their own unit within NCT. many fans loved this concept a lot more than the previous two, saying that the songs had suited the girls much more and setting them apart from the other units and other groups within SM.

OH MY GOD was promoted for three weeks, earning SIX wins. M-Maybe was the promoted b-side, and had a total for three performances. LION was promoted for two weeks after, earning EIGHT wins. Love Me Like was the promoted b-side for these two weeks, and had two performances.

The ANGELZ had a total of 10 fansign events, located in SEOUL, BUSAN, BANGKOK, MANILA, HONGKONG, SIGNAPORE, LONDON, PARIS, JAKARTA and MACAU. they also released a total of 5 vlogs for "SPREAD YOUR WINGS", and two episodes of "ANGELZ TRUTH", pairing MONIQUE & NIKA for ep. 3 and LEIA & SABRINA for ep. 4. the ANGELZ also hosted a pop-up store event in LA & NYC, selling exclusive merch for the album, including baby tees, tote bags, stickers, and limited edition vinyls. this album brought a lot of attention to the angelz - and still remains a legendary comeback to this day.

✭LORE —

With Leia possessed, Nika on the run from The Royals, and Monique trapped in The Dream Room (Monique was shown throughout the music video regardless, having visions to her past - some memories were real, and some weren’t. She was shown writing on the walls “WHAT IS REAL?”), Sooyoung and Sabrina were completely trapped in “Seraphim”, Sooyoung and Sabrina have to work together to keep the peace within The Royals, still playing music and singing for the people around them. They have to please the Keeper, in order to protect themselves from having the same fate as Monique, they find secret ways to communicate, passing notes under each other's doors and hiding encoded messages in food for each other (see list of notes).

Sooyoung notices that during tea time, their singing puts them in a trance, due to no one noticing a bird entering the facility and flying around (due to the absence of Leia - the protector of the land). Sooyoung and Sabrina use this knowledge to their advantage, when Sooyoung sings and plays her harp, Sabrina sneaks out and checks the Protecting Room - watching the outside world in hopes to find Nika. (Nika was shown throughout the music video, but she was trapped in a garden, still on the run and presumably lost.)  But, this plan quickly backfires.

Sooyoung and Sabrina didn’t know what caused Leia to become possessed. Sabrina didn’t know that the very thing, or man to be exact, that possessed Leia, was inhabiting the “Protection” room. When she entered, the man seemed to be one of them, donned in white clothes and wearing a white flower crown, he sweetly approached Sabrina. Fooled, Sabrina fell for his charms, and without telling Sooyoung, she visited him every night, using her flute to trick the guards. The man gave her tasks, just like The Royals, yet this time they were becoming slowly more malicious. In exchange, the man gave Sabrina roses, gave her a gold flower crown rather than a white one, and a new white dress.

The tasks started with Sabrina opening the windows, letting in blue-jays, then swapping important items from the Vault with fake ones, and eventually, the man convinced Sabrina to release Leia from her cell. At this point, the man already poured some of his evil energy into Sabrina, so when she was met with Leia, it wasn’t hard for Leia to also possess Sabrina. Together, the two brought The Royals down, but that didn’t mean everyone was free. The man took over, and Sooyoung and Monique were left alone. Monique was in a dazed state, there was barely a soul left inside of her. 

The music video ended with Sabrina and Leia standing by the man in a now black and gold throne, Monique and Sooyoung sitting on the ground before them. In the last few seconds, it shows Nika walking through the doors, holding her bow and arrow she had prior to receiving her wings, her wings frayed and bent. Regardless of her appearance, she was standing tall, passion filled in her face, leading viewers to believe that she was going to bring Seraphim down once and for all. 

Notes between Sooyoung & Sabrina:

Do you remember how we came to Seraphim? I don’t. Is this even our home? 

Meet me at the Golden Bench after bed, there’s no Guards in that corridor. 

Still no sight of Nika. 

My wings are burning. 

✭TRACKLIST —

SEE YOU AGAIN? is the intro track for TROIS :: TEMPTATION and was produced by SUKI - whom was hired by SM to produce only for the ANGELZ right after the release of DEUX :: LOVESICK. Lyrics were by MONIQUE & NIKA. favorited by monique.

UNDERWATER was produced by SUKI and the lyrics by MONIQUE, SOOYOUNG & LEIA. favorited by sabrina.

OH MY GOD was produced by SUKI and the lyrics by MONIQUE, SABRINA & LEIA. favorited by nika.

CHANGE was produced by SUKI and the lyrics by SOOYOUNG & NIKA.

M-MAYBE was produced by WOOZI, who is known to be apart of the group SEVENTEEN - this is first song where the ANGELZ collaborated with an artist outside of SM. the lyrics were by WOOZI & MONIQUE.

LION was produced by SUKI, and the lyrics were by MONIQUE, SABRINA, & LEIA.

LOVE ME LIKE was produced by SUKI, and the lyrics were by SOOYOUNG, SABRINA, & LEIA. favorited by sooyoung.

LUCID DREAM was produced by SUKI, and the lyrics were by MARK & SOOYOUNG - marking LUCID DREAM the first song where ANGELZ have collaborated with other members of NCT for their own music. favorited by leia.

✭ALBUM INCLUSIONS —

TEMPT ME VERS :: 1 disc + photobook (117 pages) + two out of five random member photocards + one out of five random member medium poster + 1 out of two random group large poster + one out of five random member polaroids + one sheet of stickers + one of out five random envelopes with handwritten message from a member + one rose scented red lipstick

TO THE STARS VERS :: disc + photobook (117 pages) + two out of five random member photocards + one out of five random member medium poster + 1 out of two random group large poster + one out of five random member polaroids + one sheet of stickers + one of out five random envelopes with handwritten message from a member + one star ornament with nct angelz logo

LION VERS :: disc + photobook (117 pages) + two out of five random member photocards + one out of five random member medium poster + 1 out of two random group large poster + one out of five random member polaroids + one sheet of stickers + one of out five random envelopes with handwritten message from a member + set of red and orange nail gems

✭ LOOK BOOK —

OH MY GOD

M-MAYBE SPECIAL STAGE

from left to right — monique, nika, sooyoung, sabrina, leia

LION

LOVE ME LIKE SPECIAL STAGE

from left to right — sabrina, monique, leia, sooyoung, nika

[venusvity]

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍒 ⋅ ˚✮  WELCOME TO THE WORLD VENUS !

It's 2018. Angelico hasn't had an active girl group in four years. The boy group checks are getting smaller every month; their newest boy group just flopped. The bank is calling about overdue payments, and they're desperate for a hit. With what was left in their ever-shrinking business bank account, they debuted their saving grace: VENUS.

The five-member piece comprised popular trainees from their Angellies program and former I.O.I member Chloe Lee. Baebi, Bliss, and Jiah consistently ranked in the top four during the Angellies' weekly rankings alongside Chloe. The only outsider was Sena Kim, who ranked reasonably well but consistently ranked in the top ten instead of the top five like the other girls.

VENUS IN 2018 AT THEIR DEBUT SHOWCASE: Bliss (20), Baebi (19), Chloe (18), Sena (16), and Jiah (15).

SHE DEVIL, originally a digital single that later became a physical single, was a commercial success in South Korea. The song entered the Gaon Digital Chart at number five the week of its release. 

It was certified platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for 100 million streams just two months after its release. "She Devil" ranked 11th on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart, making it the best-performing girl group song and second-best-performing group song of 2018 in South Korea.

"She Devil" amassed the top spot on various music programs; it achieved 9 wins, including a "triple crown" (or three wins) on Inkigayo.

Next would come KISSENUS, the group's first mini-album, and come back, "Kisseus," pronounced "KISS-EE-US," which was a move to establish the Venus branding. There were so many "-eus" gimmicks during this time. Some landed, some didn't, but Kissenus landed!

Know what didn't land? Their outfits. Oh my god, it was clear Angelico was broke! Truly, one of the last groups to debut looking like losers, they had these girls looking a mess on music shows! Fans still bring up the wardrobe choices when discussing Kissenus.

Kissenus would receive 7 music show awards across various music programs, including another "triple crown" on Inkigayo.

Their final comeback of the year would be another mini album titled "Tasteus" and a title track of the same name. While the song was a banger and performed well on the charts and at music shows, securing 6 wins and retaining their "triple crowned" winner status at Inkigayo, fans began to worry if the girls were being overworked due to their constant promotion of a new release.

Their run at the 2018 MAMA Awards caused mass discourse amongst K-pop fans. The barely-year-old group won Best Female Group, Best New Artist—Female, and Best Dance Performance—Female Group for She-Devil.

Venus saw undeniable and unheard-of success for Angelico in 2018, skyrocketing their company's stocks, becoming the faces of "Monster Rookies," and being the blueprint for what a good debut year should look like.

[kanmom51]

JK the crowned 👑 spoiler king

cr./to the creators of the media used in this post.

Touched on this a little yesterday here:

He really is.

The king of spoilers.

And he seems to also be the gift that keeps on giving too, lol. The layers upon layers of his spoilers are being revealed to us slowly but surely. Can't wait to see if he has more in store for us.

So, what did he give us so far?

JK playing JVKE's Golden Hour, showing us the JM tattoo (lest us forget closing with "your the love of my life").

Next we have him telling us:

🐰 I want to be a bartender. I think it's going to be fun.

Next he does the butterfly out of nowhere with his hair tie.

Did I mention him coming back for live no. 4 on white day, half an hour before SMF pt. 2 teaser was landing to tell us to look forward to it?

And finally, well, for now that we know of that is, we have his cooking live with a pre-prepared guitar to play Letter for us. JK, not the one that did the guitar playing for the song, made the effort of learning the cords and playing it for us just before the album and the hidden track, a song that he took part in, landed.

He keeps on doing this, JK.

But not with any of the other members.

So, JM spoiler king will be the more accurate description in his case.

Funny how JK keeps doing this with the one member big chunks of this fandom think he's no longer close with. All while he is radio silent about the others.

What was it that JK told us in the past?

Well, obviously there has been a lot of concentration going on with these spoilers...

None of the other members received this treatment from JK, not even Hobi, whom JK is undeniably super close with.

JK will dance and laugh and tease the others after their releases, but no spoilers were given, and especially no lives just sitting and watching said members songs, shows, compilations just for the sake of that alone. Fully entranced. Unwilling to even look at and totally uninterested in the comments during said live.

Only JM.

And I'll raise you another one.

JK knows.

These spoilers come out of knowledge.

JK knows JM's songs, JM's projects, JM's choreos, JM's MVs before we do.

And you'd say, "well, they are part of the band, no?" But you see, first of all JM being super busy preparing for his first solo album release wouldn't be in touch with them all on a daily basis and definitely not in a manner that they all know the comings and goings of his projects/songs/choreos/MVs. For example, Yoongi didn't even know about Letter.

So yeah, JK knew and knows all these details, down to SMF pt. 2 choreo, down to the set of Like crazy MV and JM's bartending duties there. All before it landed. All before we knew.

To sum it up with a nice little bow:

TKKs are right. Ex Jikookers are right. Those two, most definitely drifted apart, have zero to do with each other, don't even like each other anymore. So much so they can't stand to be next to each other, in each other's presence nor talk to each other. JK's supposed vocals on Letter are AI, it's all a big fat lie they came up with to placate the Jikookers that were rioting in the streets. And hugging, eww, totally out of the question. No hugging allowed. If they communicate it's through Tae, JK's new boyfie. Cause Tae, he gone and dumped Jenni's skinny ass the second JK became available.

Hell nah!!!

But because I already went there, talk about changing the subject, lol, I was sent this clip today from my daughter:

This:

People, there you have it.

[pocima]

My seasonal music highlights: fall 2024 ☎️

Welcome to another installment of my songs of the season lists, this marks the fourth entry, which means I’ve been dedicated to this series for a year now and I’m incredibly glad about that 💪🏻 I didn’t save as much music in my library as the rest of the year, I have 105 songs in my spring playlist, 86 in my summer one and only 51 on the fall one. However, the new music I did tune into this season, I was absolutely HOOKED on most of it. You can check out the previous installment here, this playlist is not in order, * = full album/EP to be discussed in the yearly favorite project recap. 💋

❤️‍🩹 Drums of Death - FKA twigs

FKA twigs' Eusexua is rightfully one of the most anticipated (including by me) 2025 albums, with a gradual rollout involving three singles accompanied by visuals and worldbuilding of unprecedented quality, along with a couple of performances that unveil more of the album's offerings. (In fact, here’s one where she performed 7 out of 11 of its songs. 😋���️) The most recent of the three singles, Drums of Death, is a rather blunter approach to the sound she's crafted, compared to the trance infuenced quiet waters of Eusexua or the welcoming alternative pop land of Perfect Stranger. Drums of Death leans on a backbone of diced up vocals, kicks and claps, while the pre-chorus and chorus bring in the harmonies and melodicity. To some fans, it feels rather like an interlude, and is a let down compared to its snippet feature in the MV of Eusexua. Personally, tasteful repetitiveness is something I've been appreciating in music and literature lately. When artists who have a firm grasp on musical and literary techniques do it, instead of being told, "well here's a song that I didn't put all that thought into but I hope it stays on your mind and your Tiktok page", to me it feels like I'm masterfully being serenaded or trapped, invited to experience the worldview of the track either way. That’s part of the reason why I prefer the build-up in the studio version, it leaves more room for the intro to shine and gives an opportunity to a more major drop and conclusion. Besides, you know how big of a fan I am of this specific type of glitchy production; and combined with twigs’ elegance, talent and self-expression, you have no choice but to fall for her offerings and stay seated for her entire project to be unleashed (in January!).

❤️‍🩹 second demise - 4s4ki (co-prod. NUU$HI & The Back Horn’s Eizumi Kannami)*

Miss 4s4ki hasn’t appeared in the long reviews sections of these lists in the past 2 entries, not because the music was bad in any way but because she dropped singles instead of projects and I couldn’t find much to say about them despite them being incredible as always, however know her crown remains untouched. Collective Obsession was her first body of work in a while, since June 2023 album Code Ge4ss to be exact, and second demise specifically was revealed first in a live performance. I basically heard the entire song previously and that didn’t stop me from hyperventilating at night when listening to the studio version. second demise offers the drum & bass mastery offered in multiple past projects of 4s4ki’s, as well as electric guitars being part of the base for the instrumentals and a drill section for the second verse, which is a first time entry for her genre versatility record. What makes this track so so special isn’t even what I listed above, it’s the way all of this is executed in such a siren-like, haunting way. The synth that appears in the intro and the (pre-)choruses, her hypnotic processed vocals and adlibs, the key switches (I’m not even usually a fan of key changes but this is an excellent example of one), the lyricism… yeah, this is exactly the type of 4s4ki songs I’m the most drawn to. I’m still so impressed at the fact that she’s physically unable to miss with her releases AND she keeps taking her game to the next level. If you’re not tuned in for her releases like I am, you’re missing out severely, on unimaginable levels. Oh, and I knew NUU$HI was goated since I heard his production on echo’s no scars, and I will be getting into The Back Horn as well.

❤️‍🩹 Whiplash - aespa

If HYBE truly wanted to outdo aespa, they would’ve leaked information on what they’ve been eating this year, because whatever it is, it’s made them cook up an unseen before smash hit run. I’ve been consistently talking about their music in this series and on my blog overall, and talking about some “omg NOW this might be their best title/song” and whatnot, and this time they decided to put an end to my dilemmas. Whiplash is my favorite aespa song ever, let alone title tracks. It’s exactly the sound that I’ve been begging aespa to incorporate into their discovery for all the three years that I’ve been a fan of them, it’s effortlessly catchy, it’s not dedicated to mainstream audiences but catches their attention because of how well-defined it is, it’s gritty, it’s mature. (If you grabbed my head during its release week and shook it you’d hear “one look give ‘em whiplash” echoing.) It’s futuristic tech house highly reminiscent of Boys Noize or Gesaffelstein (@timetravellingkitty gets me on this one), with techno synths and a classy drum pattern perfect for voguing or catwalking printed all over. Despite the relative monotony of the track; the verses, chorus and vocal performances remain top-tier. No member feels like they didn’t get what they deserved (which has been an issue on multiple previous title tracks), they’re now all at the forefront both in the song and the choreography, their parts are designed for them to shine individually while being harmonious with each other. Whiplash is currently peak aespa, perfectly pop, perfectly experimental, perfect in all aspects from production to creative direction to the aespa girls glowing with confidence, knowing their improvement, skills, artistic achievements and that they all truly outdid themselves in all areas with this release.

❤️‍🩹 Puchica - Isabella Lovestory

Neoperreo pop princess Isabella Lovestory is back with her consistency, her signature synth-heavy reggaeton and unique, campy in the best was possible art direction. Púchica, the title being Central American lingo roughly meaning “damn!”, had been teased for quite some time before its release (including that May 11 livestream where she teased VIP and some currently unreleased gems), and the single cover alone, consisting of a self-made collage, reflects the track’s expected flashiness. (Heavy on the self-made as well as her also directing and editing the MV herself, we love a true audiovisual artist. ❤️‍🔥 Oh, and calling all 5 neoperreo fans on this site: Taichu is featured in the video!) What I probably enjoyed most about this single is that the beloved 8-bit synths from Tacón were brought back because those never fail to scratch an itch in my brain, accompanied by slot machine spinning sounds to match the lottery win theme of the track (an explicit “damn, I hit the jackpot!” 👀). If you listen to Isabella, you already know she has an ear for a permanently infectious chorus, and this is one that lived in my head rent free for one of the longest amounts of time. And those slight switch-ups for the last four bars of the second verse and the last post-chorus? Satisfying 8-bit excellence. Well, that’s an immaculate continuation of a skipless discography, and even though she postponed IL2 (2025 🙏🏻), we were well fed with this year’s singles nevertheless. The independent popstar scene really hit the lotto with her. Ay vos, como púchica, púchica 💃🏻

❤️‍🩹 UFO - f5ve

On the previous entry for my seasonal recaps, I talked somewhat lengthily about f5ve’s come-up in girl group fans’ eyes and them finding their group identity, and since then, my love and appreciation for their music and skills and everything they have going on has only grown. The biggest reason for this is their successful follow-up to their summer release Underground, which has truly proven they’re one of the most intriguing and artistically polished acts in the pop game right now. A major attention grabber for UFO was the A.G. Cook and Nömak co-production, largely thanks to executive producer Bloodpop’s connections (and it’s kind of hilarious to observe people who are less familiar with PCMus get shocked at this). The hype surrounding this paid off immensely as the production of the track is absolutely otherworldly: UFO claw whirring noises start reverberating and builds up into synth-filled electropop heaven. Oh boy THE SYNTHS ON THIS… I have yet to recover from how they rewired my brain. With the unforgettable verses, chorus and the “gacha, gacha, gacha find out”, you too will find yourself replaying and singing along to the whole song nonstop. A sick double entendre at the core of this song that I believe needs to be mentioned more is how the usual usage of the term “UFO” intertwines with its Japanese meaning, which is the claw machine you come across in arcades, and you can probably tell the simile comes from their claws and how they grab objects. The track and MV tell a story of a schoolgirl with supernatural powers (ESPER SHOGAKUSEI, that’s that collective consciousness) who puts them to use in said claw machines, and while it’s lighthearted and incredibly entertaining, it’s also another incredible example of f5ve bringing in Japanese culture to the Western originated hyperpop scene and the whole world. (Two amazing articles where the girls discuss this, highly recommend giving them a read. And please start talking about how talented and well-spoken the members are because that’s not brought up enough either.) f5ve members and the team behind them have made it clear they’re here to press their stamp on contemporary pop, and they’re heading nearer towards cult classic status with every comeback.

❤️‍🩹 BLACK LIGHT - LSDXOXO*

LSDXOXO has been an icon in the underground club scene for over a decade now, and though his debut album DOGMA swerves into a slightly different direction of alternative R&B, cloud rap and breakbeats, what Black Light offers may be his most addictive yet. At least to me personally: I’ve been hyping up a good number of gritty bass and pluck dense songs released this year, including TAN’s Hypertonic (the successor to FEMM’s L.C.S. and yes I will die on this hill) and echo’s GAME. I’m kind of seeing a pattern of Yasutaka Nakata produced 2000s J-pop having a full circle moment, as well as Black musicians pioneering techno and house, with this J-pop subgenre drawing from both making this moment go deeper in history. I am not complaining about it in the slightest because the artists who have taken that path have amended the style to work for them so far, therefore letting the tracks stand strong regardless of said nostalgia factor. In LSDXOXO’s case, the tone of his take on the style is unlike the aforementioned songs. Techno and house have been at the heart of his work for throughout his whole career, so this experience and the melancholic-ish tone of the album amount for a more mellow but really memorable synth pop/alternative R&B track. If you’re simultaneously a 2000s J-pop and contemporary EDM enjoyer and you’re seeking those dance pop highs but maybe with a colder twist, you’re the target audience for this.

❤️‍🩹 Viola - Yves

The beloved LOONA members bouncing back from everything they’ve put through and finding their own callings whether in groups or as soloists is something I find immensely commendable. Out of the girls’ post-BBC (keep pirating the BBC music btw) releases, Viola became an instant favorite with its 2010s-20s Hannah Diamond and A.G. Cook coded OG hyperpop realness, immaculate sound design and refined (especially by K-pop standards) creative direction. My liking for this track is representative of my K-pop and non K-pop tastes blending into each other, as it pushes the boundaries of K-pop and possesses some of my favorite characteristics of my most played music from the alternative pop scene. The vocals are distorted, the synths are pitched, everything is processed and multi-layered, the MV isn’t too show-offish and instead relies on the wonders of cinematography and video editing. (I am strongly against Paix Per Mil’s use of generative AI though, and so is Yves herself.) Just like that, the rules of mainstream K-pop are tastefully bent. Something I truly appreciate about Yves and her team is that they’re successfully building a niche. Rather than trying to find that hit or predict what the GP or different fanbases will support, they’re forming a community that is truly here for her very own music and artistry, as well as giving a handful of long-time Orbits the experimentation they were anticipating for years. I’ve been pleading for K-pop labels to follow this tactic for ages and stop pandering to just about anybody, so seeing such a refreshing release is like a dream come true. No matter your familiarity with K-pop or LOONA, Yves is a full-fledged solo artist worth following.

❤️‍🩹 BACK2BACK - STARKIDS*

First things first, Starkids will pay for that heinous disbandment prank of theirs. That’s a line you simply don’t cross with a veteran K-popper that has been traumatized from some of her favorite groups being mistreated and disbanding, one of the worst incidents happening THIS SUMMER. My heart dropped to the 10th circle of hell when I saw that letter on their page with the “translation” and all. In my gut I sensed that they were trolling, but I was also mentally unprepared to lose this unmatched Japanese hyperpop band that continued to cook up hits. Anyway, that really did turn out to be a gimmick for a surprise FULL album drop so they’re forgiven. The most accurate description I can give about Starkids is that they’re the life of the party in the Japanese music scene, and honestly music overall. They know how to have fun to the fullest and reflect that dopamine rush in every aspect of their work. Their new album is no exception to this, and each one of the songs feels injectable, but currently I’m the most stuck on Back2Back. I’m a sucker for both 2-step and 4/4 club beats, so the combination of both (and especially that first switch-up) spoke to me. “Prod. BENXNI” says everything you need about the production quality (hint: that means it’s top-tier). And once again, they don’t take themselves too seriously with their bars or attitudes, but what distinguishes them from low quality so-called “satire” is that they put their souls into it. Yes, they’re unserious and lean into irony at times, but it’s all authentic, hearty and expertly executed. The members have talked about being purely themselves and how that’s a huge priority for them, and they’re surely achieving that and therefore getting love from me and fellow listeners. They’ve proven that they won’t change their mind on staying true to themselves, so there’s nothing to worry about in relation to the music or the group. I just need them to never scare me with that type of prank ever again.

❤️‍🩹 Shoulda Woulda Coulda - FLO*

Beautiful vocals, no-skip catalogue, charisma and chemistry: the ingredients for the UK’s it group FLO. I’ve been a huge FLOlifer since their debut EP The Lead, and they finally have their anticipated debut album Access All Areas out; seeing them grow so much and do their thing on this project makes me proud as an almost day 1 fan. 🥹 The album plays around with different sides of R&B and showcases the girls’ improved skills, and naturally I didn’t have an easy time picking a definite favorite track, but my dice ended up rolling on Shoulda Woulda Coulda. It’s one of the most 2000s callback type songs on the LP, marking a return to The Lead and 3 of Us’ sound which is my favorite musical style from them and a large part of the appeal of this song particularly. However, just like true musical it girls and innovative artists, they don’t entirely rely on nostalgia. I’ve talked about this in both in this post and probably many previous posts, but as tempting it is to market directly through the past, it immediately turns cheap if you don’t have your own spin to it, you just end up with ripoffs in the name of “bringing the good old music back”. Thankfully that’s a trap FLO avoid, curating their work surrounding their own identity and what suits them. The harmonizing right off the bat tells you about the vocal strength of the track (and what they have in store in general), the structure is full but never overwhelming (length is 3:47 too so we’re eating 🙏🏻), the violins at the back add depth to the instrumentals. The bridge is one of their best, and that says a lot because catching up to their bridge building is on the bucket list of future architects. Congratulations to FLO for coming through with girl group excellence like they always do, and I’m sure their future endeavors will take them places even further.

Mini-reviews

🍁 Midnight Cowboy - JADE: Mesmerizing voice, gritty-leaning production. Currently 3 singles in, with this being the second one, and Jade is already a cutting-edge popstar.

🍁 UNHHH - Lolo Zouaï: Yet another dancey R&B smash from Lolo, impressed but not surprised. Yeah you know I’m tryna unhhh, unhhhh

🍁 f5ve - Underground (DJ Chari, French Cries, STARKIDS Remix): It would be criminal of me to write so much about two of my favorite hyperpop bands and not mention their very real COLLABORATION. It’s everything I could ask from a f5ve x Starkids collab and more. The breakbeats are too scrumptious, French Cries/Spaceboy you’re so loved.

🍁 2BADGYALZ - Bree Runway: Another one of my favorite UK it girls on some of the nastiest bass I’ve heard in my entire life. So worth having my brains blown off.

🍁 6plus9 - HYRA: When am I not up for more textured ‘00s inspired electropop, another top-notch example at that?

🍁 take it offff - horsegiirL: So thankful to @lilamala for putting me onto her because I’ve received nothing but bangers, whether they remain in the usual happy hardcore zone or slide onto some Eurodance.

🍁 NATSUMELO - Shaka Bose: Last but never least. Kind of resembles his earlier work such as In My Space but shows his advancement in producing and rapping. I don’t know how many times this man has talked about finishing the album, but he needs to know I cannot wait for it.

Thank you for reading another one of my yap sessions, and if you’ve been sticking around since the beginning of the series, thank you once again and I hope it’s a fun experience for you 🫶🏻 Let’s hope I’m somewhat on time like this entry and that the series remains active!

[theforbiddeneden]

Metal Hammer Magazine December 2023 Enter The World Of Sleep Token - Revista Metal Hammer Dezembro 2023 Entre no mundo do Sleep Token

"We'll never see the band at this level again" Sleep Token fan Benji Purdy

A deep, distorted voice is coming through the PA of Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre.

“Do you think they want you to cry?” it’s saying. “Do you think they like it?”

A second voice, lighter in tone but still distorted and oddly inhuman, replies.

“Not as such,” this one says.

“I think they just want to know that I am feeling something, feeling what they are feeling, perhaps.”

The audience in this ornate, 800-capacity venue stands silent, entranced by the voices. The band onstage are masked metal sensations Sleep Token, tonight playing their first headlining show in the City of Angels as part of their month-long North American Rituals tour.

The dialogue that is playing out around us is hugely significant to everyone in this sold-out crowd. It marks the first time crowned frontman Vessel – the lighter voice – has broken his silence in public. The deeper voice he’s communing with belongs to Sleep, the god-like entity at the heart of the band’s lore. As the conversation continues, you could hear a pin drop.

“Do you think that this amount of crying is healthy for you?” Sleep asks.

“I don’t know,” comes Vessel’s response. “But at least I feel something. If I don’t feel anything then why would I even do this?”

At this, the crowd lose their minds and a wave of mania ripples across the floor. That the voices are pre-recorded doesn’t matter. Nor does the fact that this isn’t, strictly, the first time it’s happened – Sleep Token have been doing throughout this tour. But modern metal’s most enigmatic band have done something they’ve never done before: they’ve cracked open the door and given us a tantalising glimpse into their inner world.

This show isn’t the biggest Sleep Token will play this year. In December, they will headline London’s Wembley Arena. But Los Angeles, together with New York, is one of the epicentres of the US music business, and the buzz that’s surrounding the anonymous band suggests that America is paying attention to them.

More than that, La La Land has always had a thing for cults, from the Manson Family to Scientology, as well as the countless smaller ‘spiritualist’ groups that operate in the city today. An anonymous, masked British band with their own mysterious, quasi-religious mythology? LA never stood a chance.

“There is a new atmosphere at these live shows, an electricity,” says Benji Purdy, an American fan who also acts as moderator on the band’s official Discord server. He first saw Sleep Token when they supported metalcore act Issues on a 2019 US tour. After witnessing their headlined show in Portland, Oregon a few days ago, he says they’re an entirely different beast this time around.

“We’ll never see this band at this level ever again,” says Benji. “They are catapulting themselves.”

2023 has been the year Sleep Token’s cult success went fully overground. On January 5, the band released Chokehold, the first single from then-upcoming third album Take Me Back To Eden. Twenty-four hours later, they chucked in another new song, The Summoning. By the time the track hit TikTok, videos of listeners reacting to the genre-defying sound were reaching users around the world, with some even hitting a million-plus views.

Their social media profile was helped by celebrity boosts from Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, Architects singer Sam Carter and Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos. And in May, they announced that Wembley date. All 12,500 tickets sold out in just 10 minutes. Sleep Token had officially become a arena band.

Chris Lody, a Sleep Token fan based in Coventry, set up a subreddit for the band back in 2018 after discovering they won their nomination for Best New Band at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods. The same year, he saw their first headline performance at St Pancras Old Church in front of 150 people. He’s had a front row seat to their dizzying rise.

“To go from that to Wembley in December, it’s incredible,” says Chris. “Creating the subreddit was a bit opportunistic really. Nothing like it really existed and I wanted to see what other people were saying about the band.”

It took a while, but fans eventually began to head to Chris’s Reddit page to share their own interpretations of Sleep Token’s music, art and lore. After the release of Chokehold and The Summoning, the page exploded with new users.

“The volume of people posting day-to-day is massive now,” says Chris, adding that it has grown from around 6,000 users to 34,500 at the time of writing. “We’ve had to take on more moderators just to maintain a bit of order.”

Much as the fandom has expanded, so too have the opportunities afforded Sleep Token. This summer, they stepped up to festival headliner status in the UK, with appearances at Portsmouth’s Takedown in April and Manchester’s Radar in July. Radar organiser Joe James admits they lucked out with the timing of the band’s booking.

“We got them at that sweet spot that every promoter dreams of,” he tells Hammer. “We’re a festival that wants to book progressive, contemporary music. Sleep Token tick all those boxes: they’re doing something fresh and are at the top of their game at the moment.”

Headlining the first day of the festival gave the band a full “limitless” rehearsal time, which in turn resulted in a truly headline-worthy performance.

“It looked and sounded amazing,” Joe enthuses. “They are so massive now, but they don’t behave like they’re blowing up just yet. I truly think they’re the next Download headliners of the new breed.”

It’s 4pm in Los Angeles when Hammer arrives at the El Rey Theatre, and queues are already stretching around the block in both directions. Some fans have brought chairs and blankets to sit on, while others are propping themselves up against the walls of the venue, clinging to the scant shade to avoid the glare of the Californian sun.

Amy McLaurin and her friend Sarah Hibbert are standing at the venue barrier. They’re from Virginia, and arrived at the El Rey at 9am, despite having fast-track passes that guarantee them priority entry.

“I found them on TikTok,” she says of how she discovered Sleep Token, with a nervous smile that suggests she’s worried any gatekeepers will leap out and chase her away at any second.

The pair saw Sleep Token for the first time a couple of weeks earlier in Baltimore, but couldn’t risk booking flights to come more than 2,000 miles to repeat the experience. It’s doubly impressive because Baltimore was Amy’s first ever gig, full-stop.

“I’d never really found an artist I loved enough,” she says. “Right now they’re everything I want in music. I listened to rock before Sleep Token, but not much metal – I’ve actually discovered more metal through them. I also met Sarah at the Baltimore show and we both decided to fly here.”

“They make you think about things you otherwise wouldn’t want to talk or be open about,” adds Sarah. “These songs can mean something different to everyone, a universal pain we all feel but some might be less able to express that.”

Vessel famously doesn’t do interviews – the only one he has given was to Hammer in the band’s early days – but their fans have been more than happy to pick up the slack. Sleep Token’s official and unofficial social media channels are full of running narratives, memes and jokes.

It hasn’t all been deadly serious, either. In April, a fan-filmed clip of an audience member at a gig in Sydney letting loose a “sinister” fart during the quiet part of the song Atlantic went viral. Similarly, after the release of The Summoning, a section of their fanbase dubbed Sleep Token “metal’s sexiest band,” largely thanks to lyrics such as

"THEIR MUSIC TRANSCENDS THEIR PERSONALITIES" SLEEP TOKEN FAN CASSIE KNOX

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“THERE ARE SECRETS LEFT TO BE UNCOVERED”

Daniel Owen is the man behind the artwork of Sleep Token’s first two albums, 2019’s Sundowning and 2021’s This Place Will Become Your Tomb.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST COME INTO CONTACT WITH SLEEP TOKEN?

“Around early 2018. I ended up becoming one of their lead visual creatives from [that year’s single] Jaws through to This Place Will Become Your Tomb, and some initial development on Take Me Back To Eden.”

HOW MUCH OF A BRIEF WERE YOU GIVEN IN EACH CASE?

“The briefs behind each project have varied greatly in scope, but usually only restricted to a few lines – in the case of Sundowning per song - or a paragraph to explore the central idea of This Place Will Become Your Tomb. Symbolism throughout history has always been a communication method that encapsulates a sense of power and reverence; my work for the project has always aimed to champion atmosphere while masking a considerable amount of intention below the surface. “One example would be the Sundowning sigils as a whole: being informed by the passing of time and mirroring the positions of a clock face, referencing the namesake of the album. Individually, each sigil was a cipher I'd developed that represented a hidden selection of elements relating to the singles that later served as artwork – eventually all would be removed from streaming services and become an intentionally forgotten to reflect one of the central themes of Sundowning and its primary cover. A beautiful part of working with a band is that there's an unparalleled level of bravery involved with taking the kinds of creative choices that many are too hesitant to pursue.”

SLEEP TOKEN PUT HIDDEN ‘CODES’ IN THEIR SONGS AND IMAGES. ARE THERE ANY SECRETS IN YOUR ARTWORK THAT FANS STILL HAVEN’T DISCOVERED?

“There’s certainly some things I’ve left seeded within my work that’s ready to be pulled from the future if I’m called upon. There are still some secrets left to be uncovered.”

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‘Or are you really here to cut me off? Or maybe just to turn me on’ and ‘I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t think that I could be your man / Or maybe make a good girl bad,’ combined with a raunchy bass drop in the song’s second half. This sexiness is something the band have leaned into on this US tour. During The Offering, members have been seemingly kissing through the masks, reportedly prompting a suitably ecstatic reaction from the crowd each time.

There are other, more wholesome displays of fandom, from fluffy crochet plushies to homemade necklaces. A video of guitarist IV putting on a cowboy hat given to him by an audience member at a gig in Dallas has yielded close to two million views on TikTok. Back at the barrier at the El Rey stands Cassie Knox, who has come to LA from Houston, Texas. Cassie has now seen the band eight times, including at Radar in the UK.

“Sleep Token have a big thing about community,” she says matter-of-factly, when we ask whether it gets lonely following the band on tour. “I met two girls last night in San Diego, they’re here with me and we’re also going to Anaheim [the next gig on the tour].”

While every fan has a personal answer for what Sleep Token mean to them, Cassie’s response seems to be shared by many. “They taught me self-love,” she says, holding a sign stating as much.

In May, shortly before the release of Take Me Back To Eden, several select fans were invited to an exclusive listening session for the album in London. Chris Lloyd, who runs the Sleep Token subreddit, was one of them. He won’t divulge too many details of the event, but offers an anecdote that highlights the band’s dedication to keeping their enigma intact.

“We got there and there was just this stage with curtains,” he says. “They opened at the start of the album and we thought there was a Vessel mannequin just in a chair. It was really dark and there were loads of smoke, but it was really exciting. Then right at the very end of the session, the ‘mannequin’ stood up and it was actually Vessel – he’d just sat perfectly still the whole time! It was insane.”

The band show no sign of changing their minds when it comes to preserving their mystique. Hammer’s request for an interview with Vessel is, predictably, turned down. But this anonymity is something that their devotees embrace. The golden rule of Sleep Token fandom is to never, under any circumstances, divulge or speculate on the members’ real-life identities. Still, that hasn’t stopped some people trying.

“The mystery surrounding the band will always be a key element that draws people in,” says Discord mod Benji Purdy. “It’s a rabbit hole and people love diving into them. But I have found that since [2021 album] This Place Will Become Your Tomb, there has been a culture shift within the fanbase between those who want to respect the band’s wishes to stay anonymous, and those who have a general lack of respect and think the band don’t care.”

This ring of secrecy is intact today. Before the show, Hammer is sitting at a table in the taco restaurant adjacent to the El Rey. We can hear and see the security manager briefing in front of the venue.

“Tonight’s show is Sleep Token,” the security manager says, marching along his ranks like a general on the eve of battle. “Their whole deal is that they are anonymous. If anybody – anybody – tries to go where they shouldn’t, you MUST. STOP. THEM.”

In reality, transgression seems to be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. The people queuing outside the El Rey are here to Worship, after all.

“Their music transcends their personalities as individuals,” Cassie Knox tells us. “Everybody has a part in this music, and from the messages that the band have put out, it seems like that’s exactly what he [Vessel] wanted.”

By the time the doors open, the excitement is palpable. Airport-style security gates mean everyone is thoroughly searched before entry and it seems half the audience has brought along trinkets, gifts and signs in their own expression of Worship. One fan has turned up with a bouquet of roses so big it is seen engulfed her head. They all make it through security without issue.

While some fans have been dressing up in full Vessel cosplay elsewhere on the tour, there’s no such regalia tonight, although many have covered their faces with painted Sleep Token sigils. Equally, it’s striking just how youthful the crowd is as a whole.

“It’s been like this the whole tour,” reveals Matt de Burgh Daly, guitarist/keyboardsist with support A.A. Williams, as he sits down next to Hammer to grab a bite pre-show. Williams and her band previously supported Sleep Token on their 2021 UK tour, and now they’re on these US dates, suggesting they’re within the headliners’ circle of trust.

“It’s funny actually,” Matt says between taco bites. “This is actually one of the smaller shows on the tour, I think. But we’re pretty nervous.”

Oh?

“Yeah, our drummer’s broken his arm – he’s having to play Def Leppard style!”

With its art deco exterior, crystal light fixtures, chandeliers and blood red decor, the El Rey Theatre feels more like it should be hosting a seance than a metal show. It’s not your typical dive venue. But where Sleep Token aren’t your typical metal band, sonically or visually.

From Hammer’s vantage point, a dark balcony overlooking the main floor, it looks like nearly everyone is adorned in some kind of Sleep Token memorabilia, be it t-shirts, hoodies, or even smaller items like necklaces or homemade earrings. A queue stretches from the merch stand to the barrier throughout the entirety of A.A. Williams’ set and right up until Sleep Token themselves appear.

Sure enough, the headliners’ arrival elicits a frenzy of activity. An extended shriek of pure ecstasy greets the band as they march onto the stage, and it’s not long before the audience is singing along ardently, tears literally streaming from some fans’ eyes.

Detractors may point to the prevalence of piano ballads in Sleep Token’s sound, but there’s no shortage of heft in tonight’s set. Chokehold is explosive, its pendulum riffs cutting through the air like a buzzsaw. Hypnosis has the booming, almost floating menace of a great Deftones track, fans waving their arms wildly throughout.

Even in terms of physical presence, there’s a marked difference from the band that toured in support of 2021’s This Place Will Become Your Tomb. Back then, Vessel seemed like a solid, rooted entity, his movements stiff and minimal, clinging to the mic-stand like he was tethered to it. This time out, he’s a ball of kinetic energy, bouncing, dancing and stalking his way backwards and forwards across the stage, even dropping to do push-ups during The Summoning. Bassist III and guitarist IV are similarly lively, headbanging furiously and commanding circle pits and walls of death with finger gestures and head nods.

The Take Me Back To Eden songs are especially visceral live. Vessel skitters across the stage during Vore like someone having an ancient entity, switching between howls and soulful melodies before intoning the song’s key lyric: ‘I want to give you all, but nobody else will ever go?’

For all the excitement, background chatter falls away completely when segments of conversation between Vessel and Sleep play out. The distorted voices discuss everything from the fandom to the role the masks play in their mythology.

“In order for all of this to work there has to be a certain boundary in place,” Vessel says, his unearthly, pre-recorded voice spilling from the speakers. “They need to be able to project themselves onto this, without anyone else’s identity getting in the way. In turn, I need to be able to show my true self to them in a way that does not compromise their ability to connect.”

There’s certainly no shortage of connection as fans roar along to the likes of The Summoning, The Love You Want and Alkaline, some moved to tears as the music takes on new dimensions, the closing rave-metal thrust of The Offering ending the night on an exultant and triumphant note, before Vessel clasps his hands in thanks as Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) plays incongruously over the PA.

So where next for Sleep Token? In a year where they have notched up a Top 10 album in the UK – Take Me Back To Eden peaked at No 3 – and sold out venues around the world, it’s hard to say exactly where the ceiling could be for them.

“I could easily see them playing arenas here in the States within two years,” Benji states. “The demand here is insane – as seen by the number of people who’ve lined up at every almost every show of this tour.”

For a British metal band to break into the US market is no mean feat, and the buzz and excitement Sleep Token are generating here is starting to catch up with the noise that surrounds them back home.

Equally, their pop sensibilities enable them to serve as a gateway, their success on TikTok showing they don’t just appeal within the metal sphere, but to wider audiences whom then tumble further down the metal rabbit-hole after discovering them.

Uniting newcomers and dyed-in-the-wool metalheads alike, Sleep Token are a new breed of band, transcending genre boundaries by simply refusing to stay in one, and backed up by a mystery and spectacle all their own. They are as at home supporting Slipknot and Architects as they are appearing at festivals like Reading and Leeds – testament to just how influential and breakout they’ve become.

Crazy as it may seem, 2024 will likely be an even bigger year for Sleep Token, and they’ve already booked some of the world’s most iconic venues in that period. With Wembley Arena and Alexandra Palace shows in the diary for next April, Sleep Token will be looking to cement their place at the top of the mountain. How long before the Worship of Sleep Token becomes a religion?

SLEEP TOKEN PLAY WEMBLEY ARENA ON DECEMBER 16. TAKE ME BACK TO EDEN IS OUT NOW VIA SPINEFARM

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MASKS REVEAL THE ARTIST’S VISION

Mario Garvera and Beatrice Rebondi are MysteryStar, an art studio specialising in masks, costumes and accessories. They also created the Vessel mask

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN MASK-MAKING?

“We’ve always been drawn to the dramatic and theatrical aspects of expression, along with our shared love of music. We have produced thousands of pieces together over the decades. We never make replicas of our masks; they are, and always will be, one-off characters, created especially and never to be repeated.”

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH SLEEP TOKEN?

“In early 2019 they were looking for a workable mask, as they hadn’t found anything wearable that could work onstage yet. We provided [Vessel and Sleep Token’s management] with several sketches and worked out together how to keep Vessel’s character essence and vision, while creating something that could work on a human head and be practical onstage.”

WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES?

“It took several modifications, especially around the shape of the head. We had to accommodate certain parts of Vessel was adamant were integral parts of the full-face mask for the photoshoots and a mouth - less one for tge stage perfomances. These were the first two masks that we made for Vessel.”

WHY DO YOU THINK WE FIND MASKED BANDS SO FASCINATING?

“Masks have always been important to humans since perhaps the beginnings of civilisation. Ancient tribes created masks, for recounting their history and transmitting knowledge of their young; for healings and for warding off their enemies. In addition, it could be because masks are a created expression of the artist – the one - who created it, as well as the one who wears it – and as such reveal something of the artist’s mind and their vision.”

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Transcription English Version from theforbiddeneden

[black-arcana]

"Gothic metal’s crown isn’t going anywhere anytime soon." Lacuna Coil go heavier than ever on Sleepless Empire with help from guests Ash Costello and Randy Blythe

After rediscovering their spark on 2019's Black Anima, Lacuna Coil are going harder and heavier than ever

(Image: © CUNENE)

Lacuna Coil's latter-day career has been an exercise in resilience and reinvention. After a mid-career wobble, where albums like Shallow Life missed their earlier spark, the Italian gothic metal icons came storming back with Black Anima. Their heaviest album to date, it was dark, uncompromising and full of bite, reminding the world why Lacuna Coil have always been more than just scene staples.

Now, with Sleepless Empire, they’ve gone even heavier, delivering an album packed with bone-crushing riffs, haunting melodies, and the kind of unrelenting energy that feels fresh yet unmistakably theirs.

The Siege crashes in with dense riffs and primal energy. Andrea Ferro’s guttural growls anchor the chaos, while Cristina Scabbia’s soaring lines slice through the mix with surgical precision. Oxygen and Scarecrow follow, their djent-inspired grooves and subtle synth layers adding depth without dulling the aggression. Scarecrow in particular is hypnotic, balancing weight and atmosphere to draw you further into the album’s microcosm.

Lacuna Coil excel in making the heavy sound hooky. Gravity is brooding and dark, but its anthemic chorus feels tailor-made for festival pits. On the crushing, groove-laden In The Mean Time, featuring New Years Day’s Ash Costello, Cristina’s fiery chorus provides the perfect counterpoint to Ash’s fierce delivery.

Marco Coti Zelati leaves an indelible mark on Sleepless Empire. Not only do his crushing riffs and bass form the backbone of its sound, his layered synths and sharp production tie everything together. The sonic palette balances raw intensity with rich textures – a hallmark of Lacuna Coil’s modern era.

Andrea’s vocal performance deserves its own spotlight. His career-spanning adaptability as a vocalist shines here, as his growls reach new depths of intensity. Relentless, raw and commanding, he’s the perfect counterpart to the album’s crushing weight, his brutal, gutteral vocals meeting the sonic swell head-on. It’s a standout showing that cements his role in the band’s harder-hitting direction.

Not everything lands perfectly. Hosting The Shadow, featuring Randy Blythe, feels more like a showcase for the Lamb Of God frontman than a cohesive Lacuna Coil track. But even here, the explosive chorus reminds you why the band still dominate. Ironically, the title track channels LOG’s energy even better, evoking the pummelling intensity of 512.

Elsewhere, I Wish You Were Dead leans into sleazy 80s glam rock swagger, while In Nomine Patris delivers all-out stadium grandeur. Cristina’s triumphant cry of ‘I’ll build my empire’ is pure gothic metal theatre, and the shredding guitar solo that follows is a chef’s kiss moment. Sleep Paralysis, with its eerie atmospherics and Andrea’s unrelenting force, leaves another lasting impression.

With Sleepless Empire, Lacuna Coil dive headfirst into their heavier side – and it works. This is a band that’s unafraid to evolve, to experiment and to hit hard. Gothic metal’s crown isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Sleepless Empire is out February 14 via Century Media. The band play Bloodstock Festival in August and tour the UK in November. For the full list of tour dates visit the band's official website.

[tomorrowxtogether]

In the name of youth! TXT dreams of tomorrow

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s teasers that were released prior to dropping their new album entitled minisode 3: TOMORROW traces along the team’s past.

The first one, “TXT minisode 3: TOMORROW Concept Trailer Teaser” in which the members appear donning crowns is a nod to their debut song “CROWN”, while the photos and concept clips of the other three versions “Light”, “Ethereal”, and “Romantic” overlap with the many moments since their debut up till the present. “Light” in which the members look like young princes amid nature that they have all to themselves reminds us of the group’s early years, when they landed on the music scene as fresh, mysterious young boys up to their “Blue Hour” period. The members look like fallen angel-turn-rockers in “Ethereal” which reminds us of the rock number “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori” where the members emulated young boys who got lost along the way. In “Romantic” the rose from the music video of “Good Boy Gone Bad,” which is a song about a boy’s overwhelming emotions over breaking up with his lover, makes another appearance except it has now withered and dried up. It’s indeed a “Deja Vu” much like the lead single off minisode 3: TOMORROW. The same events are repeated, but they’re not quite the same. TOMORROW X TOGETHER dance in the “minisode 3: TOMORROW Concept Trailer” just like they did in the “Blue Hour” music video. But instead of in a beautiful plain in “Blue Hour” they dance in a wasted forest with overpasses running through, trees strewn about. Things in the present have gone miserably wrong, unlike in the past. They are in the real world; the members jumped in willingly in the last album The Name Chapter: FREEFALL. Here, nobody believes that they were once young princes. 

“I’ve fun away countless times” in “Deja Vu” recalls the lyrics that asks us to run away with them in “Run Away,” that they want to run away in “CROWN,” and that they are running away in a gray car in “LO$ER=LO♡ER.” “Before our dusty crown” is reminiscent of “CROWN” and “A big crown on my, they aren’t hideous horns anymore,” and of the relationship between horns and a crown. “Deja Vu” is a culmination of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s past. All of their pasts made TOMORROW X TOGETHER who they are here, in the real world. Just like in the opening of “CROWN,” there’s a Morse Code in the second track of the album that comes before “Deja Vu”: ‘- --- -- --- .-. .-. --- .—’. This signal that marked the team's appearance is still being sent out today. However, the signals in “Deja Vu” are “Morse Codes from the ruins” The boys have come to the present from the past, from fantasy to reality, but their present, right here is in ruins. The brutal reality of the present demolishes all the good times, just like the waves erode the sand. The beat and melody of “Deja Vu” continue, like Morse Codes sent from the past reaching us in the present. However, just like TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s past that is reflected in “Deja Vu”, the past that remains in their memories stops them from accepting reality just as it is. They want to keep believing that they were young princes, even if nobody would believe them. And reality is here to aggressively eliminate this wish. This is how they become overcome with an emotion that is neither just sadness nor rage. While “Deja Vu” is a mix of lazy trap and emo-rock, it is more of a combination of complex feelings than a simple mash up of genres. The slow buildup of pent-up emotions along with the beat erupts in the latter half of the second verse in an emo-rock sound with guitars and drums at the fore. It seems like we are severed from our past, but the past can also be the driver that awakens our emotions that have been suppressed by reality. It can create the miracle of tomorrow like in “Miracle,” the track that follows “Deja Vu.” The emotions that are repressed in “Deja Vu” climaxes in the second half of the second verse, then transforms into a bright explosive rock sound in ���Miracle” - “tomorrow is visible when your eyes are closed.” We’re not sure if this miracle of tomorrow will ever come true. But like in the last track “Quarter Life,” save for the acoustic rendition of “Deja Vu,” “Deja Vu (Anemoia Remix),” they are in fact stumbling through a dark time, just “a quarter way into a long, long tunnel,” which is quite a far way from nine and three quarters. The adults say, “you only get these beautiful days of youth now,” failing to understand the younger generation, but the boys want to shout out “which way do we go”?! TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s past journey that has been compiled into minisode 3: TOMORROW flips the young people’s relationship with the past and the present, their dreams and reality. Adults in the real world say that young princes don’t exist, that we need to live in the real world. But minisode 3: TOMORROW tells us that all our dreams and love of the past is the way to a “tomorrow” that transcends reality. Young boys who are born in the age of hip hop meets rock to leap into tomorrow. 

Once you’ve listened to the whole album, go back to the first track “I'll See You There Tomorrow” and give it another listen. While you may not know which way to go and things may feel bleak, “Quarter Life” tells you to tells you to wander a little, work your way through it, then “I'll See You There Tomorrow” tells the young child who told me “see you again tomorrow” when “I wanted to run away,” and says “I believe that we are meant to be, it’s okay if you’re late, I will always wait for you tomorrow.”  In this moment, “I'll See You There Tomorrow” becomes the last moment when TOMORROW X TOGETHER passes through the dark reality and reaches “tomorrow” together, while showing us a glimpse into TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s future as the first track of the album. Reality is depressing, miserable. But future TOMORROW X TOGETHER invites themselves in the present, and the child that says “see you again tomorrow” to the beyond. The explosive voice from "Deja Vu” expresses the overwhelming emotion of tomorrow’s arrival without too much strain, accompanied by electronic sounds. 

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s journey has been moving through the dreamy past and the present reality, and towards the future. minisode 3: TOMORROW encompasses the past, present and future all in one album to show us that the young boys are about to embark on a new journey. It seems like they have made it through a quarter of their lives in reality, but in the far future, they may be completely different luminous people. Like the message of the fourth concept trailer “Promise,” reaching what is “beyond” together is all a part of the youthful days shared by TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s generation. 

[thenightling]

Music of The Dark Universe

As many of you know, Universal studios is opening a new theme park in Florida called Epic Universe. It's essentially Universal's answer to The Magic Kingdom, but with state-of-the-art animatronics. It will have five parks within itself much like how Disney World's Magic Kingdom has Fantasy Land, Tomorrow Land, and Frontierland. Universal's Epic Universe's five "Universes" include Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter themed Universe), Isle of Berk (How to Train your Dragon Universe), Celestial Park Universe, Super Nintendo, and finally, it's crown jewel, Dark Universe. Though Celestial Park seems to be the center point, Dark Universe is the one that is getting the most attention. It is themed after Universal's classic monster movies and will feature taverns and restaurants with a Germain-Dutch vampire hunter theme, including one modeled after the burning windmill from the end of the 1931 Frankenstein (With actual flaming propeller effects.) The setting is a fictional, timeless, village called Darkmoor Village. There will be A face painting and costuming location where you can be dressed up like your favorite classic monster. A traveling mystics camp (instead of Romani AKA Gypsy, which is now potentially seen as offensive), a werewolf themed spinning roller coaster, meet-and-greet characters walking around, and finally, Universal's answer to The Haunted Mansion but more action, Frankenstein Experiment: Monsters Unchained. Frankenstein Experiment has the premise of you being invited to the lair of Victoria Frankenstein (Great granddaughter of Dr. Frankenstein from the 1931 film) who wants to continue where her predecessor left off. But something goes wrong when Dracula leads the monsters in a rebellion and escape. The ride boasts to having the most advanced animatronics ever made of all the classic Universal monsters, including a walking Frankenstein Monster. The Dark Universe has a musical score by Oscar and multi-Grammy winning composer, Danny Elfman.

The album for Dark Universe was already available in vinyl in the park for forty-five dollars and apparently is so good that it already sold out a few days ago despite the park not officially opening until the end of May. Here are photos of the now heavily sought after (and already sold-out) vinyl album posted by Mattferatu on the social media network formerly known as Twitter.

[gguk-n]

Meeting you was golden (Royal Prince!Jungkook X Maid!Y/N)

Greetings!! I'm an avid fan fiction reader but not a writer. I vividly dream about Jungkook. So, I thought I'd write down this daydream I had inspired by his debut album, GOLDEN. I'm gonna try to be consistent with my uploads, please support my work and thank you for reading.

CHAPTER #1- 3 Dimensional Figure

Walking through the maze of large bamboo stalks, lead him no where. The weather was chilly and some how, he was only wearing a white tunic and black pants. His feet hit the cold, wet floor; a shiver shuddered out of his lips. As if on cue, a girl appeared, she held a lamp, that shone so brightly, the maze seemed like a garden. He followed the girl for what seemed eternity and was led to a small cabin. The cabin was in shambles with the roof collapsing in on it self. The girl didn't turn, she never did. She was the only help he got when he was stuck in the maze. "I'm the Royal Prince of this land, I command you to turn." Jungkook announced. As she was turning, as if on cue, Jungkook woke up in a cold sweat. The weather was warm and the fire place was smoldering.

Jungkook sat up and reached for the glass of water on the table. He gulped it down in one go. It was always like this, Jungkook thought. Did this girl really exist, or was she a figment of Jungkook's imagination. Countless expeditions and wars, had traumatised him. All the death and blood shed weighed heavily on his heart. But there wasn't much he could do, as the crown prince. One day, his father was to step off the throne and hand it over to him. Those were the days when Jungkook dreamt of running away to a far away land, where no one knew him. If only his brother hadn't married the only child of a neighbouring kingdom and ascended the throne as was required to as the oldest son. Now, Jungkook stood trying to understand the politics in his father's court.

That girl, who Jungkook had quiet fondly named Sunflower, was the only escape and also the only thought that occupied his empty head. How did he start seeing these dreams, he wondered. It started on a random day after he had returned from his annexure of a smaller kingdom. Initially, he had thought that maybe it was the spirit of the deceased and paid his respects. But when she kept coming back to him, he knew that this was different. He couldn't tell anyone, they would deem him mentally insane and have him institutionalised. Slowly, but surely she had taken a place in Jungkook's heart. He wouldn't like to admit it, but he saw her around the castle sometimes; or so he thought.

During his archery lesson, Jungkook saw a silhouette of a girl passing through the castle window. She seemed to be prancing along, until he could see no more. He had thought about following the figure but she wasn't real and it would be fruitless. Min Yoongi, his older friend, a part of the country's military forces, and also the best archer in the country, snapped him out of his thoughts. "Jungkook, you're gonna have to focus on the target, we can't damage the royal property no matter how attractive it sounds." Jungkook turned towards him with a smile, contemplated telling him about the girl in his dreams. Well, it's Yoongi, he would probably understand, Jungkook thought and suddenly blurted out. "I've been seeing this girl in my dream for the past few months. I have no clue why it started, but whenever I'm about to see her face I wake up. A while back I started seeing her around the castle. Just like the 'figure' I just followed along with my eyes now." Yoongi's face scrunched and seemed to be in thought, it was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. "Jungkook, you do know the figure you followed is a real person." Jungkook was extremely confused, Yoongi also saw the figure? As if Yoongi could read minds, nodded and continued to explain that she was one of the new maids, she mostly helped around the garden, hence Yoongi remember's seeing her. He added that she was kind of shy and bit of an outcast among her peers so she spent most of her time helping the gardeners. The look on Jungkook's face was priceless. The way it changed from confused to shocked to understanding. This would explain the dream, since they started a few months back.

As Jungkook wiped the sweat off his forehead after a long and grueling practise, he heard a distant bark, he walked towards the source. A litter of puppies, 4 to be exact, play fighting among themselves. They didn't look more than 3 months old. All of them were golden with a speck of white here and there except one which had a shiny jet black coat. Jungkook bent down to pet them when he heard a cheerful voice call out, "I'm hear" Jungkook looked up and the owner of the voice almost dropped the food she was carrying.

Y/N quickly bowed her head towards the prince and started profusely apologising for bringing puppies on the premise. She had found them 2 months back with their dead mother providing them warmth. Jungkook stood up, took the food from her, "They're very hungry, I haven't been able to come as often. Please don't tell any one, I'll take them away." Y/N cried. Jungkook looked at her, smiled and said, "There will be no need for that. I would like to take the dogs in as royal puppies and train them for hunts, since they seem to be golden retrievers." Y/N contemplated letting him take the puppies, before she could decide and without any prior thought blurted, "Will I still be able to see them?" "I wouldn't separate them from their mother, now would I." Jungkook chuckled. He placed the food on the ground and the puppies pounced on the bowl of meat, "It seems to be that they are eating better than I do." Jungkook smirked and asked Y/N. Y/N shook her head aggressively and told him that it was all scraps that the kitchen was throwing out. Jungkook didn't seem satisfied with the answer and left, only to come back a while later with the head of his infantry, Jung Hoseok. Hoseok couldn't help but coo at the puppies and enveloped them in a big hug. He carried the puppies in his arms, who seemed to be happy to be there.

Y/N spent the next few days in and out of the royal dog house, where the puppies seemed to have won the heart of everyone, even the grumpy old doberman. Y/N had seen Prince Jungkook once after that when she had run in on him and the puppies rough housing; though she had left promptly. Jungkook has thought that maybe this would let him talk to the girl from his dreams, but it seemed futile since she would always turn the other way if she spotted him. Now as the crown prince, Jungkook decided that he would now be using his powers in his favour. Before long, Y/N was summoned by the head maid, as per the Queen's order, fearing the worst. She was sure the Prince had tattled on her, he was such a mama's boy after all. So, it came as a shock when The Queen asked her to take over Prince Jungkook's chamber duties and follow him around to assist him. Y/N's jaw almost dropped, she knew the pay would drastically increase and so would the hours. But who cared, if she was able to pay it off soon, she thought.

It was early morning, the day she was supposed to start learning the ins and outs of serving Jungkook, his previous maid was also his nanny and hence old, she appreciated the help and was quite sad that she would be retiring soon. Y/N walked behind the pervious chamber maid and helped open the curtains. The sun shone brightly in to the room and made Prince Jungkook's skin glow and bring to her attention that he slept naked and had the perfect body, covered in the occasional scar. Her predecessor called out Jungkook and he began to stir, when she left to start the water for him to get ready. She asked Y/N to go make sure he was awake since he was a struggle in the morning. Jungkook 'woke up' to the faintest cough and a figure staring at him from the corner of his bed. He smiled when his eyes recognised the owner of the voice as Y/N.

[figomagazine]

Let's talk about the 2025 Grammy Nominations:

You've seen the headlines, and by now I'm sure you're across the nominations list (if you aren't, spoiler – it's a HUGE year for female-led pop), so now it's time to deep dive into the key awards. What do we think? Who was snubbed? And who will be taking home a gold-plated gramophone in February?

Before we get into the finer details of it all, there are some key highlights from the 2025 nominations announcement.

Could 2025 be the year women take over the Grammys?

In short, it certainly looks like it. Of the ten artists nominated across album and record of the year, six of them are women – but last year there were seven, so this trend isn't exactly a new one. But it is only women who are nominated for both.

Looking at the 2025 nominations list, what stands out most is the dominance all of these artists have had across the last 12 months – you can't even begin to have a conversation about music in 2024 and not talk about the astronomical rise of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter making pop music fun again, Charli XCX's Brat movement, Taylor Swift's surprise double album drop, Beyoncé's take on country music, or Billie Eilish's ambitiously tender third record. In fact, all I needed to do was mention their names, and I'm sure you're already in a highlights reel.

While Beyoncé will have some tough competition come Grammys night, she is leading the way in the nominations list – and rightly so. As far as nomination numbers go, she is wearing this year's crown, racking up 11 nominations for her eighth studio album Cowboy Carter and its singles. That is also a personal best for her, one-upping the 10 nods she received back in 2009.

But she isn't the only powerhouse female artist leading the 2025 Grammys charge, she is just one of five fan favourites nominated across ALL THREE top general categories – that is record, song, and album of the year. Joining Beyoncé in the battle for 2025's biggest awards are Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift. Not far behind is Charli XCX who features in two of the three majors, and has scooped a STACK of very well deserved nods across the list.

It is the year of big female voices, and we are HERE for it.

Adding to nominations in all three top general categories, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan are also big contenders for Best New Artist – and if either of them were to make a clean sweep and nab all four awards they'd be the first to accomplish the feat since Billie Eilish did it in 2020 for her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (however, it hadn't been done before that since Christopher Cross all the way back in 1981).

We also LOVE to see Raye and Doechii up for Best New Artist.

What is the 2025 Grammy tea?

The sheer chart dominance of Sabrina, Chappell, Taylor, Charli, Billie, and Beyonce made predicting their nominations sweeps pretty easy – however it is some of the remaining nominations in these key categories that have left us scratching our heads.

I am yet to find a music fan or critic who would have even had Andre 3000’s instrumental flute album New Blue Sun as a dark horse pick for a general Grammys category, so seeing it nominated for Album of the Year has definitely raised some eyebrows, and while the Grammys love including a veteran in their nominations list, in a year so chock-full of incredible releases, seeing The Beatles' AI-enhanced "Now And Then" land a Record of the Year nod was still a surprise.

This might be a hot take, but we are quite surprised to see Taylor Swift's "Fortnite" feature so prominently – of course, Tortured Poets Department deserves its nod (and I don't think we'll see many Taylor release years that don't find her name amongst Grammy nominees) but "Fortnite" is arguably one of the weaker singles from the album.

We've discussed front runners and surprise nods, but what about those that missed out? Who are the biggest 2025 Grammy snubs. Much like Shaboozey's “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” seemed to be an inescapable force this year, earning a stack of nominations including Song of the Year, it is hard to believe that Hozier's "Too Sweet" missed the list entirely.

Benson Boone was surely in many Grammy predictions lists, across a number of categories, so it is interesting that his only nomination is in the Best New Artist category. It has been a huge year for pop releases, so it can be argued why his smash hit “Beautiful Things” missed Record and Song of the Year, but we had it ear-marked for Best Pop Solo Performance. Though, looking at the category as it stands, it's hard to argue who you might swap out.

An interesting snub a little deeper into the nominations list – it is interesting to note that while Taylor's "Fortnite" could pick up Record and Song of the Year, it did miss out on a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – instead Taylor finds herself nominated as the featured artist on Gracie Abrams' "Us".

In such a fierce year of pop releases, there were bound to be some releases that in a lesser year would have been shoe-ins for nominations but in 2025 didn't make the cut. This year, that spot goes to Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism who –following Future Nostalgia's Best Pop Vocal Album win back in 2021 – didn't receive a single nom. The same can be said for Ariana Grande, who did score three nominations this year, but doesn't find herself in any of the major categories.

Add to the list artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Tinashe, and Tyla – while we wouldn't be arguing for a major category, it is surprising to see in a year where we are celebrating pop music's female force, all of these female artists were overlooked in their respective genre round ups.

We also continue to see Latin music grow on a global scale – but especially in the US, where it is the fastest growing streaming genre – so why then do we see no representation in any of the major categories? The same can be said for K-Pop, which has made it's way to the forefront of music conversations but still cannot manage to crack mainstream acknowledgement. Interestingly Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr acknowledged to AP News this very point, saying, "I definitely see room for improvement across many genres...Without the right representation we don’t get the right results. When I say right, I mean reflective and representative of what’s happening in music today. So, the work continues.”

How do the Grammy nominations even work?

Have you ever wondered how the Grammy awards end up with their nominations list? How they whittle down 12 months of huge hits into a neatly package selection of those deemed "the best"?

The Grammys are somewhat open about their process, boasting that they are the only music award that is determined by creators themselves – as they describe it "the peers of those being judged".

It's the performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists, and other creatives working in industry are also the ones voting. In that sense, they refer to themselves as a selection of music awards for the artists and creatives, by the artists and creatives.

It all sounds very democratic.

To be eligible for the 2025 Grammy awards, a recording had to be released between September 16 2023 and August 30 2024 – that is why Chappell Roan's somewhat sleeper The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – released September 22 2023 – was just able to sneak in and take advantage of it's somewhat delayed success story and be nominated alongside record's released nine or 10 months later.

Artist teams then have to get strategic and submit the albums and singles they want to be considered for each category – for example, Sabrina Carpenter's team put “Espresso” forward for Record of the Year and “Please, Please, Please” for Song of the Year, while Taylor Swift's team stuck with "Fortnite" for both, forgoing the likes of "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart".

They suggest that typically they receive around 20,000 different entries every single year – that's a lot of music to squeeze into 94 categories across 12 fields, with just five or eight picks each.

What are our 2025 Grammy predictions?

Is 2025 finally the year Beyoncé takes home either album or record of the year? Although she has won a record number of Grammys, and been AOTY-nominated for her last four solo releases, the top two awards have continuously eluded her. 2025 might be one of the most closely competitive years for both categories – with each of the artists we've already mentioned making up such a solid part of this year's musical and cultural zeitgeist.

It truly is hard to predict, based on merit alone, who might take out the top categories. So purely on hope and vibes, these are our predictions:

Record of the Year

This is a spicy spicy category. I would LOVE to see it go to Chappell or Charli to acknowledge the sheer impact they have had across the last 12 months, it would also be HUGE if Kendrick's "Not Like Us" got the gong, but it's more likely that Grammy darlings Taylor or The Beatles will scoop this one.

Album of the Year

I wouldn't be made if any of the aforementioned powerhouses took this one – Charli, Chappell, Billie, Taylor, Beyoncé, and Sabrina would all be wholly deserving winners. Our bias is peeking out here again, because we want a Brat or Midwest Princess AOTY score. In all likelihood though, it's hard to see the Academy not giving this one to Taylor – and as a fan of her catalogue (yes, we were there at the Eras Tour singing and dancing along) we really don't think TTPD as a whole collection of music is anywhere near her strongest output.

Song of the Year

Before we dive into our predictions, now is a good time to explain the difference between Record of the year and Song of the year. Song of the Year recognises the craft of writing the song and lyrics (so it goes to the songwriters) whereas Record of the Year celebrates the overall production and performance of the song and is about the final recording you hear (so it goes to the artist, producer, and engineers) – basically Song of the Year = Best written song, Record of the Year = Best recorded song.

"Please Please Please", "Good Luck Babe", and "Not Like Us" would all be huge winners, but given the sheer commercial success of Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" it's hard to look past it.

Best New Artist

This has shaped up to be one of our favourite categories, the sheer talent across the board is a really great summary of the artists who managed to breakthrough in the last 12 months. Best New Artist is surely Chappell Roan's to lose, it is hard to look past the stellar year she has had, but we'd also love to see the likes of Raye or Doechii take this one out.

What are FIGO's Grammy 2025 picks?

We are guitar music fans at heart, so we're scrolling straight to the Rock, Metal & Alternative Music field to share our opinions.

Best Rock Performance

Looking across 2025, it is really hard to believe that some of these releases are the best rock music had to offer up. "Broken Man" is a great cut from St Vincent's album and we'd love to see IDLES nab themselves this Grammy, but we're almost certain it'll be a The Beatles win. Our pick though is "Gift Horse" — IDLES OR "Broken Man" — St. Vincent.

Best Metal Performance

We love Spiritbox and "Cellar Door" got a lot of rotation in the FIGO office speakers, so we wouldn't be made about them getting the win. But truly, this has to be a Knocked Loose and Poppy Grammy score – we could talk for months about the impact Knocked Loose have had in terms of bringing hardcore music to the fore, and a Grammy win is absolutely deserved to acknowledge that. A win for KL here would be absolutely incredible for the scene.

Best Rock Song

Same as Best Rock Performance, our pick is "Gift Horse" — IDLES OR "Broken Man" — St. Vincent. Maybe they can knab one each and make us equally happy.

Best Rock Album

It's got to be Fontaines D.C. We won't argue that Romance is our favourite pick of their catalogue, but in terms of boundary pushing, artistic evolution, how unsettlingly spunky it is – and how it stacks up against the rest of the category – this is the album we are gunning for.

Best Alternative Music Performance

While we might have just said that Fontaines D.C.'s Romance isn't our favourite FDC album, "Starburster" is one of our track's of the year so it would be very very cool to see it nab the gramophone here. But we'd also love to see a woman take out these usually very male-dominated categories so if Kim Gordon or St Vincent scored a win, we wouldn't be mad either.

Best Alternative Music Album

Clairo's Charm is a truly beautiful collection of music – sure, it leans solidly more pop-sounding than any of the other record's in this category but this is where it has landed. Though, as mentioned before, Kim Gordon and St Vincent are also solid options.

When are the 2025 Grammy Awards?

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2025, in the Los Angeles Arena.

[everythingkashmir]

Led’s Lense

The Other Kashmir

A Valley’s Physical Graffiti

By Faisul Yaseen

In the Himalayas, where the murmurs of the Jhelum weave through the lush valley, Kashmir has been a muse of poets and painters. Its name invokes both enchantment and anguish, a duality reflected in Led Zeppelin’s iconic song, Kashmir. Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant with contributions from John Bonham over a period of 3 years with lyrics dating to 1973, the song featured on their sixth studio album Physical Graffiti in 1975. This timeless ode transcends physical geography, yet its mystical allure inadvertently mirrors the very soul of Kashmir.

It would seem rather bold, and even a little farcical, to compare Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ with Kashmir valley. Yet tracing how the song born in the deserts of Morocco finds an uncanny kinship with a paradise mired in its own metaphoric deserts spurns curiosity.

Verse 1: Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face

If the sun could speak, it might recount the shadows it has witnessed in Kashmir. Led Zeppelin’s yearning for the sun’s warmth feels alien to a valley where winters are not just meteorological but political, where warmth is siphoned by fear that has reduced its famed sunlight to a pale glow that barely pierces the haze, casting a chilling pall over a land that once basked in idyllic harmony.

Chorus: I am a traveller of time and space

The stories in Kashmir are great works of fiction, sold with the finesse of the best of salesmen. Tourism hoardings show lakes as pristine and houseboats as inviting travellers to rediscover paradise. But the real travellers of time and space in Kashmir are not Instagram influencers but locals wandering in search of existence.

Governance in Kashmir functions on paradoxes - the claustrophobic presence contrary to the wide open landscapes. For every tourist sipping Kehwa on a Shikara, there is a youth piecing together the fragments of his shattered life. The spaces may be the same but the experiences are universes apart.

Bridge: My Shangri-La under the summer moon

Kashmir is Led Zeppelin’s Shangri-La, the mythical utopia nestled in towering peaks. Utopias are subjective, though. One man’s heaven is another man’s hell or purgatory. The beautiful valley becomes cruel irony for its denizens, who usually cannot savour its magnificence because it’s always reminding them of its perils.

All the rhetoric about Kashmir sounds almost hollow. Promises ring as empty as the deserted streets. In this dystopian Shangri-La, progress is measured not by prosperity but by publicity. New malls are inaugurated. Old memories erased.

Verse 2: Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails

In Kashmir, the winds carry stories instead of sails. The winds carry the whispered prayers of a generation that has known nothing more than nothingness. The winds also carry the spirit of the people. Art adorns the walls. Poetry and music flourish. And, youth navigate censored spaces to tell their stories. Under relentless hopelessness, the spirit does not break.

Coda: When I am on my way, when I see

How many moons away is Kashmir from its road? This is a haunting refrain that never ceases ringing around the region.

When one beholds, Led Zeppelin puts forth a dreamy vision. What do we see when we behold Kashmir? A crown jewel? A problematic periphery? A land to own? People to love? All such answers decide the region’s dismal destinies.

The Unfinished Symphony

Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir ends with a sweeping, open conclusion, just like the region itself: untamed and mysterious. The music reflects the Valley’s breathtaking panorama. However, the underlying tensions and the lived reality of its people is another story. Rober Plant’s vocals and Jimmy Page’s guitar lines echo the paradox of its beauty and hopelessness. Kashmiris are left to wring out their purgatory alone, their voices buried in the cacophony.

Encore

Perhaps Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir should be the anthem adopted for the Valley. It is after all an attention-grabbing song. The majestic orchestration could go with the snowy passes and evocative lyrics could narrate the daily grind of Kashmiri life. If nothing else, it would be a fitting irony for a region where beauty is wrecked.

Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir is a call to rise above the mundane. It is a hymn to transcendence. However, the valley it shares a name with is still waiting for its transcendence. Until that day, Kashmir will remain an unfinished melody, its notes heavy with longing and defiance, resonating against the mountains that keep its secrets and sorrows.

Greater Kashmir

[severalpossiblemusiks]

2, 10 and 30?

2. A band I always come back to.

I think this is gonna sound cringe, but one of the first bands to get me into metal was a Christian glam metal group called Stryper. While their lyrics are overtly Christian and prosletizing, their musicianship is incredible and I have yet to find a dual-guitarist lineup I like better. Their early stuff in the 80s is like a mixture of glam and power/speed, and their more recent stuff after getting back together in the 2010s gives me a lot of Judas Priest vibes, lots of classic heavy metal with touches of power metal.

10. Most underrated musician.

I could list many musicians here. Some of them are actually quite popular within their own circles, but in terms of the general population they may not have a large following. First is Django Reinhardt, a Belgian/French Romani guitarist who effectively created the jazz manouche style (sometimes called g*psy jazz), and accomplished this with only two functioning fingers on his left hand due to severe burns. He also influenced the likes of Tony Iommi, Jerry Garcia, and Eddie Van Halen. Second is Paco de Lucia, a Spanish/Portuguese flamenco guitarist who branched into jazz and made "new flamenco" a world fusion style of flamenco and jazz. His works with jazz fusion guitar legends like Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin are some of my favourite pieces of music ever. Third is Buckethead. The man just hangs out and releases like 20 albums a year, almost all of them instrumentals. There are some other artists and groups like Leah McHenry (who goes by LEAH), Eye of Melian, dArtagnan, Steeleye Span, Imperial Age, Lords of the Trident, Sunburst, Blazon Stone, Númenor, Fire Whale, Grimgotts, Daniel Amos, Fief, Ziggurath, Crazy Lixx, Bloodywood, Crown Lands, Haralabos Stafylakis, T. Patrick Carrabre, Harmonium, Auri, Wilderun, Vials of Wrath, Karen Sunabacka, Oceans of Slumber, Signum Regis, and Paul O'Dette. (Sorry about the lengthy list. Also this covers metal, rock, classical, jazz, folk, and more)

30. A song from your favourite band.

[metalcultbrigade]

Today it’s the 20:th anniversary of the Lemuria and Sirius B albums!

After the Deggial album we started to write on a follow up, which would eventually result in Lemuria/Sirius B. But after writing a few songs I got a completely different idea and wanted to do a Nordic concept album, so I shelved the album I was working on and instead wrote most of Secret Of The Runes in a month time and we recorded that album instead. Later we would return to work on Lemuria/Sirius B. But what was originally intended to be one album had now grown to enough material for three albums. So pretty much the same story as with the Leviathan trilogy.

We though recording three albums in one go would be too heavy and if we did them one by one, it would have been too time demanding and I thought we would always have material for future albums in the loop ahead of us. So we did a compromise where we would record Lemuria and Sirius B together and push the third album into the future. The way we divided the songs was that we put the more straight forward and heavy/power metal songs on Sirius B, the more progressive/adventurous songs on the coming third album and whatever left would be Lemuria. But after the recordings, we would swap a few songs between Lemuria and Sirius B, so they didn’t become as style wise diverse as originally intended. For instance the Kali Yugas were intended for Lemuria. And the song Lemuria was intended for Sirus B, but I thought Lemuria was a great album title, so I swapped that song. There was one more song swapped, if my memory serves me right it was Abraxas.

Instead of recording the planned third album after all the touring was done, I changed plans again and we did Gothic Kabbalah instead. The remaining songs intended for a third album in a trilogy with Lemuria and Sirius B would instead become scattered in different directions:

Kings of Edom, Land of Kanaan, Kali Yuga III, The Shells are Open, Din and Children of the Stone ended up on Sitra Ahra.

One song would end up on Beloved Antichrist and be slightly rewritten to become the scene ”Signs are here”.

Two songs would be incorporated into Gothic Kabbalah. One song was Der Mitternachtslöwe, which had a different vocal line in the chorus, but was replaced with a new melody suggestion by Mats Levén. The second song was essentially the beginning of Adulruna Rediviva (the first 4:50 min) and the ending (final 2:18 min), which I decided to merge with another song we wrote specifically for Gothic Kabbalah.

So if you compile those songs to one disc (or play list), you get a good idea of how the third album of the trilogy was originally intended to sound.

BUT... there where were actually two other songs, ”Serpent Messiah” and ”Thunder Perfect Mind” which were recorded for Sitra Ahra, but were left out in the end. I plan to do some kind of leftover compilation some day (like there were leftovers from Theli and Vovin released on A’arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming” and Crowning of Atlantis.)