#discography review

[reborn-in-my-limbo]

as promised, here are my thoughts on seventeen's discography:

best full album: face the sun: seventeen really just keeps getting better and better, and i will never get tired of their ambitious rock sound mixed seamlessly with softer, bouncy tunes.

top three mini albums: 3. you make my day: oh my! was the first title track of theirs that i remember putting on repeat, also holiday and our dawn is hotter than day are top tier b-sides. 2. FML: f*ck my life is incredible and it also has idubilu and fire. super lived in my mind rent free and was on repeat for a solid month, i wasn't even really a carat anymore by then. 1. heng:garæ: you would have to pry this album out of my cold, dead hands it is my BABY. half the album makes me cry and the other half makes me giggle. there's so much whimsy present in those 21 minutes (aside from fearless, that just goes harder than it has any right to) that i can't help but memorialize this shit.

top three title tracks: 3. fear: two words: YOON JEONGHAN. this was his song and i don't want to hear any complaints. he's a crooner, let. him. cook! joshua was out here making points too, and you KNOW that i can't talk about fear without mentioning vernon's three seconds to save the industry with those hips that most certainly do NOT lie. 2. CLAP: i just love s.coups, this was his song. joshua's gwaenchana gwaenchana ireon ildeul manchana was iconic af as well. i mentioned in my last post that i love a good rock sound and this track never fails to boost my mood, which i've found myself in need of lately. 1. rock with you: ah yes, the first k-pop release that i ever stayed up for. the song is beautiful, the mv is beautiful, the line distribution is fair enough, and it's my favorite title of theirs to sing. personally, i don't think i need to justify it more than that, but in case you're not convinced, dk took that bridge to the moon and landed among the stars.

top japanese release: not alone: i straight up looked up from what i was doing when i first heard this song. immediate favorite. i could probably do a top three and include fallin' flower and call call call! but not alone is just that good that i don't even want to write about anything else. it's such a smooth and easy listen that i think i reached nirvana.

top three full group b-sides: 3. to you: i couldn't care less about it being about carats, like yeah it's sweet, but honestly the vibes are just immaculate in general, and i want whatever woozi has, like damn little counter tenor! i never want to live in a world where this song doesn't exist. 2. our dawn is hotter than day: i move my head along with the refrain every time it's on. it's so peaceful and relaxing and i feel so at home with it. has been a favorite for years. 1. kidult: this song makes me cry. people get tattoos of it. i've been described as a kidult a lot and i chuckle that s.coups wanted it to be as difficult as possible for dk and seungkwan and they served something fierce anyway.

top three hip hop unit tracks: 3. ah yeah: i do it for vernon and vernon alone, otherwise fire or lalali or even monster would have clinched the #3 for sure. you feel so tough when you listen to it and it makes me chuckle every time. these little guys sure were talented right out of the gate. 2. chilli: a recent love, and i didn't get it at first. but it really is relaxing to listen to. i really do pick these tracks for vernon, maybe i should look into that... anyway, drip drip your chilli sauce, boys! i support you. 1. GAM3 BO1: i will not accept criticism. yes, hype is awesome, but i really do enjoy listening to these guys have a good time, especially since wonwoo is such an epic gamer anyway. this was another song that was on my playlist before i fell back into caratland. one of the few respectable earworms out there.

top three performance unit tracks (i hated having to do this one): 3. highlight: this is mostly for jun's part in the beginning, but i'm really upset that i didn't start listening to this sooner. they ate both musically and in terms of the performance video. they were just kids, your honor! 2. back 2 back: minghao's song. no i will not back down from that. you really have to wonder how they do it. i will never in my life understand the crack that they put in this song, because the instrumental by all accounts should make me want to puncture my eardrums, but it doesn't! 1. i don't understand but i luv u: you all saw this coming, don't pretend like you didn't. concert footage aside (hehe MMMMMM), they really did eat. i love electric guitars (hence my love for the rock sound hello) and how they can be fused with pretty much any loop and sound ethereal. the message is also beautiful, dare i say it's what wayv's love talk wishes it could be? (i don't mean that, my fellow nctzens PLEASE don't come after me, it's all in jest i swear!)

top three vocal unit tracks: 3. candy and come to me: come to me is the real #3 but i couldn't just talk about the vocal unit without talking about how candy is jeonghan's song, oh how i miss him! the calypso vibes of come to me are so beautiful, hello? and joshua hong, the man you are, this is your song and you'd better realize that. in short, it's just really pretty, i don't have much else to say other than that. 2. 20: the most fun ever. these little guys had no idea what they were doing but woozi had a vision and goddamnit who am i to argue? i will truly never get tired of it, the chorus has me in a chokehold. 1. habit: oh to go back to the first time i heard this song (which really wasn't that long ago, admittedly). there's so much raw pain and emotion, like seriously, who hurt woozi?! that bridge felt personal. fair warning that it's a really difficult song to learn, damn those rhythms! additionally, the message of wanting to bare your soul to someone who isn't in your life anymore is so relatable.

if you want to remain happy, stop reading here. i'm going to list my least favorites of the aforementioned categories below the cut, so if you don't want to listen to me possibly "trash" your favs (i tried to be as respectful as possible, no real trashing occurred), thank you for reading this far, and have a good day!

least favorite album (mini or full): LOVE&LETTER (the original): honestly, the only reason why this is my least favorite is because the b-sides didn't really stand out to me other than maybe say yes. pretty u is a beautiful title, though!

least favorite title: ready to love: i've seen a lot more people saying this is their favorite lately, and that's great! it was honestly between this and love, money, fame, but ultimately i decided that lmf has a particular notoriety that ready to love just doesn't have (i get it mixed up with u r by monsta x).

least favorite japanese release: power of love: what- what was going on here? i really could not see the vision, it puts me to sleep. dream would've been here but i can actually remember how that song goes.

least favorite full group b-side: circles: sorry, wonwoo, sorry, woozi, but it's a skip for me most times. i love the meaning but the vibe just doesn't do it for me. if i gave it more chances i'm sure it would make me cry, which is a good thing, believe it or not.

least favorite hip hop unit track: i can't run away: i love that they tried something new with this, i just like all of their other releases much more. when compared to the rest of their material, it just doesn't measure up. i love when the rappers sing, though!

least favorite performance unit track: jam jam: weeeeeird vibes for me. they're cute, and minghao's bits with it that went on for a few years are even cuter, but it just ain't it.

least favorite vocal unit track: AH! LOVE: it's a bit annoying, sorry y'all. also s.coups doesn't have enough of a feature, and we all know damn well that that man has a good set of pipes.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING ILY I WANNA DO MORE OF THESE SO GIMME SUGGESTIONS!!!

[ungoliantschilde]

“Whole Lotta Rosie”, live 1979.

[cry-internal]

i've basically all but abandoned this blog since getting back into ryu ga gotoku, but someone mentioned to me earlier today that they were getting into soundgarden and that's like a sleeper agent activation for me.

i wrote out a pretty long (by discord message standards; i strayed fairly deep into nitro character length territory) "review" of my top three songs from each album, plus three of my favourites from b-side collections etc., aimed mostly at someone who isn't as ill about soundgarden as i am.

not included in this post are the wellwater conspiracy and HBS songs i linked to them prior, because i will never not take an excuse to shill WWC to anyone who'll listen.

in any case, it's a fair amount of scrolling, so i'll throw the rest under a cut:

king animal (2012)

eyelid's mouth

taree

by crooked steps

i think my spotify wrapped had all of these, but not necessarily in this order. honourable mention @ blood on the valley floor for sounding like it came right off superunknown despite being composed 20 years later

eyelid's mouth has a delicious psychedelic tone & aforementioned feature. taree is a very stripped back, nostalgic love song to the pacific northwest with cute guitar licks during the bridge and outro that fill me with a sense of childlike whimsy. crooked steps GOES HARD and counting it is fairly difficult. it's just so much fun to listen to

down on the upside (1996)

tighter & tighter

applebite

zero chance

DOTU in general marked a distinct slowing down from previous albums; i don't hate the heavier songs on this album (I LOVE no attention) but the lower-key entries stand out and feel much more thoughtful to me in how they're put together.

tighter & tighter conveys a really strong emotion to me through the distorted open C chord during the refrain. applebite is mostly there as a sort of "break" in the middle of the album but i really enjoy it in its own right, as unintelligible as the lyrics are. zero chance is weird for me because i'm not usually a fan of heavily acoustic songs, but there's something about the way soundgarden present the acoustic guitar alongside everything else that sits really nicely in my brain. it's probably the bass tbh. ben shepherd is grossly underrated as a bassist

superunknown (1994)

limo wreck

4th of july

mailman

physically painful to leave limo wreck out of the linked recs but it's absolutely up there as one of my faves - the build-up and the vocal performance are almost unparalleled (beyond the wheel comes close, but feels a lot more static in comparison). 4th of july lays the dissonance on very thick - it's a song about a bad acid trip, and it feels legitimately apocalyptic. mailman keeps the sinister tone going (which i adore especially on this album) (not all of it is like this [try half]) but is a bit more toned down compared to the former two

badmotorfinger (1991)

holy water

room a thousand years wide

somewhere

solid album front to back, but these ones take the cake for me, very closely followed by mind riot (the song they wrote with all the guitars in oops-all-E ostrich tuning). holy water is fairly slow, almost brooding? with a strong beat that doesn't really feel like 4/4 but actually is. room 1000yrs wide and somewhere both employ 6/4; room keeps everyone mostly on the beat, while somewhere considers the beat a challenge

louder than love (1989)

ugly truth

no wrong no right

gun

ugly truth to me is one of their strongest album openers to date - rusty cage is good too, but this isn't about her. no wrong no right is another one of those spooky sounding ones that i really like, but it's different in its tonality because this is from when they still had their original bassist, hiro yamamoto. gun slaps and i dropped a line from it in the body of my dead souls majiwagi art post on tumblr

ultramega OK (1988)

flower

beyond the wheel

mood for trouble

UMOK is like pretty hate machine to me, in that i do like it and think it has some standout tracks on it, but it's not really my first choice to listen to. that said, not mentioning beyond the wheel when talking about chris cornell's vocal talent is a fucking disservice

extras

birth ritual (singles soundtrack) - i cannot understate how much i love this song and how mad i am that i can't technically include it on the BAMF lineup

into the void (sealth) (satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas)

little joe (screaming life/fopp)

[lokh]

Im gonna need your like, whole musical rec list, bc literally every song you have posted has not flopped once, give me your faves i need to eat them

OUGHHH YOUVE UNLOCKED THE BEAST ARGSHHFHJDF....

in the interest of making this both easily accessible but not stretching the dashboard, im embedding bandcamp links when i can, otherwise linking to youtube when unavailable

in no particular order, inclusion based mostly on what im still actively into LMAO but also just things you should give a go at least once:

list of artist recommendations

zeal and ardor: described as a mix of african-american spirituals and black metal. try devil is fine, you aint coming back, wake of a nation or church burns

bloodywood: indian folk metal, literally nobody is doing it like them. recently featured in monkey man (2024), try chakh le, yaad or dana dan

stromae: if youve never heard any of his songs WHAT ARE YOU DOING..... incredible lyricist, described as a blend of hip hop/electronic. papaoutai made the rounds on tumblr a while back, but you should also try santé and l'enfer

alamat: pinoy pop. a youtube commenter described them as sounding like 2nd gen kpop which probably also explains why i took a shine to them LMAO, notable for the amount of filipino culture on display and the diversity thereof (singing in different languages, themes). first heard them thru kasmala either here or on twitter lmao, try aswang or maharani

andy bull: alt-pop. a lot of poppy and upbeat songs with a melancholic undertone imo. an australian artist, try it's all connected or keep on running

cosmo sheldrake: electronic, wikipedia also lists him as folktronica and baroque pop. you may have heard the song come along on an apple ad - hes known for sampling sounds from nature. pliocene for example features sounds from endangered ecosystems.

if you like cosmo sheldrake, you might like hidden orchestra (electronica, ambient). also making use of field recordings, i really love the archipelago mixtape but its a hard sell at about an hour lmao. if you like the following song then i implore you to give it a go

son lux: experimental, you may have heard from them in the entire soundtrack for everything everywhere all at once (!!!!!). try dangerous, dream state (brighter night) or live another life.

ammar 808: electronic/world fusion, also behind bargou 08 (folk rock you should also listen to). i just cant get ain essouda out of my head, but i also love geeta duniki

miyavi: j-rock, used to be a visual kei artist. these days he might be known more for anime openings like flashback (kokkoku) or other side (id:invaded), or for work like snakes in arcane (or actually inspiring and voicing a character in it), but ive always been partial to his early work like sukkyanen myv or ashita, genki ni naare

songs/albums

'threads' album by now, now (indie rock).

'dream to make believe' or 'what to do when you are dead' by armor for sleep (rock, emo). here's the truth about heaven from the latter album

i already posted about it but denzel curry's 13lood 1n + 13lood out mixx (rap, trap) is extremely good

the guilty gear soundtracks and im so serious im not fucking joking. different kinds of rock and metal and all sorts of influences put in, a genuine labor of love. xrd and earlier games are mainly instrumental with some vocal tracks (try give me a break or big blast sonic), while strive pretty much always includes vocals (of course i need to rec rock parade, but also try requiem. its genuinely hard for me to pick and choose lmao)

not an album and not an artist

coke studio pakistan and coke studio bangla knocking it out of the fucking park, im particularly a fan of harkalay and kotha koiyo na. you could try the other coke studios too (tamil, india, etc)

triple j like a version is when the radio station triple j brings in artists and has them do a cover of a song (artists choice). i liked denzel curry's cover of bulls on parade and flume's shooting stars (video for this one is incredible, man had a vision you just have to stick it out), but you get a lot of interesting interpretations like the wombats' running up that hill, gordi's in the end or, infamously. the wiggles' elephant

ive DEFINITELY missed out some, but thats what my music tag is for LMAO i hope someone discovers something they like here!!!!

[everythingyouwilllistento]

MAC MILLER DISCOG RELISTEN FOR JANUARY 2025

yo, so im now dedicating part of this blog to sharing my thoughts and ratings for reviews so i can keep these thoughts on a place that isnt amazon or on a confusing site, might also copy this to something like substack.

ive also set this year for trying to consume tons of music as much as i can and that includes listening to 2 different artists' discographies (my own and a friend's recommendation) during a month. for my own choice this month ive wanted to listen to mac miller's discography again since "Balloonerism" is coming out this month and i want to go back and try to see if anything has changed context since his passing, if anything has held up besides that, and if my thoughts on mac have changed.

Best Day Ever (2011)

technically the first mac album listed on streaming services, since the "K.I.D.S." mixtape was reissued after this and his first album dropped later in the year after this tape and ILL,TY. the 1st and last act are def highlights with bangers and smoother production on "donald trump" & "ill be there" but good lord some of these beat choices on the mid section are so atrocious lmfao. it doesn't stop mac from being infectious and happy thankfully, the intro track and the mom ballad with phonte are insane tear jerkers now. if you're looking to actually start with mac miller, start with "K.I.D.S."

FAVS: Best Day Ever, Donald Trump, I'll Be There, BDE Bonus

WORST: Play Ya Cards (beat is terrible and this is def the weakest of mac's rhymes on the whole thing)

RATING: 67/110 (rating explanation)

K.I.D.S. (2011)

the most vibe-filled mixtape from the best white boy to ever do it. the spins is a 110/110 song. i don't even care if mac is rapping about drinking and taking a girl home to pipe after. beats are pretty tasteful and chill, mac is on his frat best for most of this, and its really apparent why he got signed so early.

FAVS: The Spins, Nikes On My Feet, Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza

WORST: Ride Around (BAD BARS DO NOT READ! and a very plain beat)

RATING: 78/110

I Love Life, Thank You (2011)

we love you mac, thank you. weirdly better than the debut album that came out after this, and personally, Bun B gets the pass from me on "All That". there's only 2 notable tracks on this but the tape as a whole is good.

FAVS: Love Lost, The Scoop on Heaven, I Love Life, Thank You, All That

WORST: Cold Feet (worst clams casino track I've ever heard and bad mac bars that have aged worst considering his death)

RATING: 77/110

Blue Slide Park (2011)

might be as weak as best day ever. only songs that are worth replaying are the ones that'll really stick to you. also not a lot of interesting flows or topics, its MAINLY about fucking and being so fly while stoned or drunk over some of the most intriguing beats, good and bad.

FAVS: Under the Weather, Blue Slide Park, Missed Calls, One Last Thing

WORST: Loitering (dawg what the hell)

RATING: 67/110

Macadelic (2012)

we are given hints before the greatness that is WMwtSO and you can hear it all over this tape with leftovers from the K.I.D.S. era. also any mac song with mikey rocks is so good, they go together like pb&j. the wayne feature is really bad even compared against juicy j's verse, i wont hear you out if you wanna argue about it because i think you're wrong. fight the feeling is incredible even with the moaning outro, and while there's some lame songs in here, it doesn't distract most of the mood and tone of the LP.

FAVS: Fight the Feeling, Thoughts From A Balcony, America

WORST: Ignorant

RATING: 78/110

Watching Movies With the Sound Off (2013)

haven't heard this since middle school and holds up incredibly well for most of its runtime (if you put aside the horribly aged slurs laced in some of these bars [i.e. Avian & Gees] and bad dark humor bars). faces took a bunch of leftover beats from this and more darker mac thoughts during that time but this reads better as an album overall. wacky as hell beats, goofy yet more monotoned and emotional rhymes, and heavenly moments make this an all-timer. "objects in the mirror" is the main stand-out among the whole record and its pain hits so much harder after his passing.

FAVS: Objects In the Mirror, Red Dot Music (alchemist beats are top tier), The Star Room (& the OG version too), I Am Who Am (Killin' Time)

WORST: Goosebumpz (diplo sucks and bad mac verses)

RATING: 89/110

Faces (2014)

turning 11 years old this year, and it still sounds so dreamy and trippy. mac had no clue what he was trying to say on most of this during his most darkest time and it shows: the most drug induced bars, bits of psychedelic harmonies, classic tracks, and he did it all without a drake feature.

FAVS: Diablo, Here We Go, Colors and Shapes

WORST: if i had to pick it probably be wedding or apparition

RATING: 99/110

GO:OD AM (2015)

"perfect circle / god speed" is incredibly tough to listen to now. beats are so lush and bouncy but there's some stink in here from early mac that thankfully doesn't stop the vibe of a rising sun after a shit day.

FAVS: Perfect Circle / God Speed, 100 Grandkids, Brand Name

WORST: When In Rome (just pretty standard for a mac song)

RATING: 88/110

The Divine Feminine (2016)

definitely a weaker entry since most of the lush and sexy production gets stale quick, but to say mac isn't in his best shape is like telling me lava isn't hot. "dang!" & "god is fair, sexy nasty" are crazy highlights

FAVS: Dang!, God Is Fair, Sexy Nasty

WORST: Planet God Damn

RATING: 75/110

Swimming (2018)

i don't think i can even listen to the next two albums without crying dude. it fucks me up severely that I'm now older than mac when he passed, and the hurt this and circles caused still hit all these years later. i hope mac has finally finished swimming to his rest and relief.

FAVS: What's The Use?, Self Care, 2009, Ladders, Come Back to Earth, Jet Fuel, Wings, Small Worlds, Hurt Feelings, So It Goes

WORST: Conversation Pt. 1

RATING: 105/110

Circles (2020)

it hurts. everything about this album hurts. we don't deserve to hear someone so cool, so close, so intimate after they're gone. every soft and smooth percussion, synth, and voice just make me tear up like no other album has. mac has been a huge influence in my life for music and for life. his depression and goofiness felt so close to mine but he feels like he's gotten past it with some trouble still lingering but not bothering. when this came out, it felt like something was completed, for better and worse. before it, i was depressed, lonely, and unsatisfied by way of living with family and no real career. the next year after listening to this album, i moved out and found the love of my life.

when people say this album saved their lives, i believe it. this album makes me sad and cry but in a way where i can see the future and hope there's something good for me waiting on the other side. this year, I'm planning on moving to another state again, but happily married and wanting to start hobbies and careers i enjoy instead of just sitting with a job because it pays well. 2024 was the year i started really writing down my thoughts and reviews on albums i like and enjoyed and this year will be the one i want to take it further and try to make a living out of. whether it be writing reviews for shit no one cares about, trying to make a career out of streaming for the umpteenth time, or find a job worth clocking in everyday for.

FAVS: Hand Me Downs, Circles, Good News, Everybody, Once a Day, Surf

RATING: 102/110

thank you mac miller.

here's to 2025, and to the extent of life as we know it. as a dream, as a physical quantity, and as music. i love you and have a great year.

[stylized-corpse]

This month's edition of Discography Deep Dive centers on Voivod, starting with their 1984 debut War and Pain.

[eekgrl]

Grimes Albums ☆彡

1: Geidi Primes (2010)

2: Halfaxa (2010)

3: Visions (2012)

4: Art Angels (2015)

5: Miss Anthropocene (Deluxe Edition) (2020)

6: Miss Anthropocene (Rave Edition) (2020)

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: BTS (Part ONE)

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

So, my credentials: I’ve got nothing this time, folks. I’m not an Army; I’m too casual to even be a casual fan. I like most of what I’ve heard, based on friend recommendations, but I have no idea how representative of their work the songs I’ve heard are. I know the group members’ names, but barely anything about them, although I’m always open to learning more. The reason I wanted to do this deep dive is because I’ve been a k-pop fan for almost five years now and I’ve heard every opinion between “BTS is the second coming of Christ” and “BTS is responsible for the collapse of society,” and I want to make up my own mind, free of influence.

Since BTS has over 200 songs, I’m also doing short supplementals each week, both to give myself and you guys a break and to look at groups / soloists with discographies too short to need a full week (because this is gonna be a dissertation and I’ll have to separate it into two parts). So, grab your lightstick, get some ice cream, steal a fluffy dog, and settle in folks. Let’s do this.

BTS, as you probably know, is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and debuted in 2013 (they just had their tenth debut anniversary) and they have seven members: Jimin, Namjoon (RM), Taehyung (V), Jin, Yoongi (SUGA), Jungkook, and Hoseok (J-hope).

First things first, I love a good intro, and the loudspeaker is funny; 2 cool 4 skool is not what I was expecting. I’m not the biggest fan of “I’m too cool for you” hip-hop personally, but I can respect We Are Bulletproof (p.2) for the fact that the message doesn’t feel empty. I believe what they’re selling, even if I don’t want to buy it. To be honest, I’m a singer, and I listen to artists to hear their singing voices, because I know that they can sing beautifully.

On the album I’m much more a fan of Like, although I prefer the slow mix from their later work. The rest of the first album gave me a bit of whiplash to be honest, but I can appreciate how unique it is, both in k-pop and music as a whole. The skits are very odd, but they did make me feel like I know more about the members than I would about an average k-pop group from their album; I can see why so many people became fans early on.

On O! R U L8 2?, N.O. immediately caught my attention with the interesting instrumental and the sing-talk and singing combo. I did enjoy it more than We Are Bulletproof, because of the melody, but I liked it, didn’t love it. (I could’ve done without the growling). Most of the b-sides aren’t for me, but I do want to talk about Coffee and Paldongangsan.

I did like Coffee (especially the harmonizing on the Baby~~ part of the chorus) but I really didn’t like the rap verses. I don’t have anything against them being there in theory; raps can be done in a quiet, calm way (like in “Child” by Mark from NCT), but it’s not happening here and they feel very out of place. It’s all well and good to rap excellently, but you need to have some variety or else everything threatens to feel the same.

But, my hidden gem from this album is definitely Paldongangsan. Look, one of my majors is linguistics, so it’s no surprise I went wild at this song. It’s about the different dialects of Korean (which originate from different places there) and the stereotypes associated with each one, and it ends with Namjoon yelling at the rest of them to stop ragging on each other for their dialects and be accepting because it’s all the same language anyway. It was actually the first BTS song I heard, about two years ago (barring Dynamite, of course), because an Army friend of mine recommended it to me. I’ve never heard a song like it before (or since for that matter) and it’s remained on my Top 25 K-pop songs playlist ever since.

Anyway, digression over, and onto the next album, Skool Luv Affair. Boy In Luv is definitely a turning point in their discography, with its drive and rock elements. I wish it was more melodic, as I always do, but it grew on me after a couple more listens and it's my favorite of the title tracks so far. Hidden gems for this album are Just One Day and especially Outro: Propose (which I wish wasn’t so short, because I thought it was pretty good.)

With Dark & Wild we turn another corner. Danger intrigued me from the first part’s guitar riff and interesting instrumental. Although I was a bit wary, the set-up of the pre-chorus, pay-off of the chorus, and earworm of the post-chorus reassured me. It’s the first single from this deep dive that I’ve liked on 1st listen. (The “don’t get me confused” is stuck in my head now.)

War Of Hormone arrives with a record scratch and a bombast of horns. And arrives is the right word: it makes its presence known. I really enjoyed this one, and I even replayed it a few times. At its best moments, it mixes very different parts together without feeling like whiplash and becomes anthemic. I especially love the contrast between Namjoon’s scratchier, lower voice and Jungkook’s higher notes, and of course, harmonizing, my one true love. It’s a bit of a dumb song but they don’t take it too seriously and I appreciate that they aren’t afraid to laugh.

This album was also a turning point for me when it came to my enjoyment of their work; I didn’t really dislike any song on it and the better balance of rapping, sing-talk, and singing made me less reactionary towards the raps that were there. There’s more variety in the raps themselves too: sometimes they’re upbeat, sometimes they’re pensive, sometimes they’re angry, but they don’t all sound like they’re trying to kill me through my earbuds. Improvement! Also, showing some vulnerability helps balance the more boastful songs that are there, so I disliked those less too.

Yes, I’m fully aware that their rapping is technically very good, I just don’t always enjoy it. I appreciate songs like Hip Hop Phile and their meanings, but appreciation still can’t make you like something that you don’t like. As for what I did like, my hidden gems for this album were Let Me Know (which finally lets them sing and be open with their feelings), Could You Turn Off Your Cellphone (harmonizing again), and Look Here (very odd but I enjoy the horns).

I Need U is surprisingly calm in its intro and is very much poppier than the last few title tracks have been, with more of an anguished edge than a youthful “I’m cooler than you” edge, which I appreciated. I liked this one. It’s much better at balancing the harmonizing with rap and the instrumental (which is very interesting, by the way) than the previous songs, and I can see how it sets them on the path after that leads to their more melancholy and contemplative title tracks further down the line.

Run works as a good foil; it’s pretty upbeat, which does make sense given that it’s (somewhat) a love song. I love the way the chorus surges forward and even though it’s poppier than the others, it doesn’t feel like they’ve lost their identity. It still feels like a BTS song, basically. It’ll probably be making an appearance on my gym playlist, which is never a bad thing.

As a side note, I love that so many of their songs embrace the idea of full pre-choruses, choruses, and post-choruses, because it makes each track feel more intentional and lived in, not like they’re trying to fill space on an album or have empty space. In the k-pop songs that are on my top 25 (of which two are BTS), this holds true for the vast majority of them.

Dope is a song that, like War Of Hormone, feels like it arrives, not begins, with its “Ladies and gentlemen”, and I love the build-up that it has leading to the chorus. But…it just doesn’t have enough payoff to that build-up for me, with an empty, shouty chorus and more lyrics about how great they are. I know a lot of people love it, but it has too many of my pet peeves to get past. Sorry, guys.

In the same vein, I should like Fire. I love an explosion of a chorus and I adore a song about burning down the system as much as the next witch. I love the lyrics, and I think that pre-choruses are good and the bridge especially is great. But I don’t like this song. At all. It comes dangerously close to grating one too many times for me, and embraces all of the worst aspects of their early material with none of the charm that had me chuckling with, not at, the first few albums. I’ve mentioned many times how much I hate an anti-drop and this song does absolutely nothing to change my mind. I expect the cursing to the heavens to come in in about 3…2…1…

Save Me is the last single from the album, and the most similar to the BTS songs I’ve heard before: ethereal, wispy, ruminating, and with a soft electronic background. I do like this one, although I wish the last chorus had more of an end (like I was a bit confused when the next song started) and I wish the main rap was a bit calmer to fit with the rest of the song. It’s at its best when it allows their voices to just be and meld with each other.

I have one main hidden gem for this album, which is Butterfly. It’s no surprise that I love this one with how insane I am about harmonizing and vulnerability, but I really do love it. I feel like this should’ve been a single instead of Save Me, to be honest. All of the main gripes I have with it are remedied here: the chorus is fuller, the ending feels earned, and the raps are just calmer enough that they don’t stick out like a sore thumb. I also appreciated Taehyung’s voice more than I have in the past, and I’m glad for him in the chorus.

Also, speaking of vulnerability, I also, somewhat surprisingly, like the intro of the Most Beautiful Moment In Life, although I didn’t plan to on first listen. I appreciate that this song doesn’t try to paint them as above the world or better than anyone, but embraces the genuine emotion that they’re so good at conveying. It’s such a raw expression of exhaustion that I felt sympathy even before I looked up the words, which is pretty damn powerful.

And….breathe. Would it surprise you to learn that we’re only in mid 2016? Yeah, yeah, me too, kid. This is where Part 1 ends, I do my Supplemental for the week tomorrow (a boy group who I highly doubt you’ve heard of), and we all go touch some grass and eat some Doritos. K? K.

I’ll see you next week, for both Part 2 of this odyssey and a girl group supplemental!

[reckonslepoisson]

Kick Out the Jams (1969), Back in the USA (1970), High Time (1971), MC5 

It’s tough to think of Detroit being a centre of global industry and culture, given that today the city seems as far fallen from grace as Baghdad, Persepolis, Carthage. And yet it’s in that context that the Motor City 5 helped ignite a movement in western pop that, a half-century later, is still thriving. MC5 are known as the propulsive and wide-eyed front runners of (proto) punk, but I personally love how their records audibly show the ‘roll’ being eked out of ‘rock ‘n’ roll’. Like much very early punk, the band’s music lays a path showing the formation of some of my favourite styles of music; unlike much early punk, I actually enjoy quite a bit of MC5. Political urgency with a touch of youthful, goofy naivety and without punk’s faddy narcissism/nihilism, it’s easy to get swept up in MC5’s authentic belief in action – as well as, of course, these releases’ uncontainable energy.

Pick(s): ‘Motor City Is Burning’, ‘The American Ruse’, ‘Miss X’

[turbulenthandholding]

R.E.M. in The Bear Season 3 Speculation: Find the River

I started to have another R.E.M. in The Bear Season 3 speculation itch in my brain, this time something Sydney-specific. If she leaves, or gets close to it, I think this is a song that could come into play.

I've long thought that there is kind of a through-line (sonically, at least, if not lyrically (half a world away, and go...)) between this song, Find the River, from Automatic for the People, and Half a World Away, which plays during the Season 2 finale (from Out of Time).

Hey now, little speedyhead The read on the speedmeter says You have to go to task in the city Where people drown and people serve Don't be shy, you're just dessert Is only just light years to go

Me, my thoughts are flower strewn With ocean storm, bayberry moon I have got to leave to find my way Watch the road and memorize This life that pass before my eyes And nothing is going my way

The ocean is the river's goal A need to leave the water knows We're closer now than light years to go

I have got to find the river Bergamot and vetiver Run through my head and fall away Leave the road and memorize This life that pass before my eyes And nothing is going my way

There's no one left to take the lead But I tell you and you can see We're closer now than light years to go Pick up here and chase the ride The river empties to the tide Fall into the ocean

The river to the ocean goes A fortune for the undertow None of this is going my way There is nothing left to throw Of ginger, lemon, indigo Coriander stem and rose of hay

Strength and courage overrides The privileged and weary eyes Of river poet search naïveté Pick up here and chase the ride The river empties to the tide All of this is coming your way

I highlighted two sections of lines...the first ones feel kind of on the nose, but service is such an important theme in the show. The phrase "just desserts" feels weighty to me as well, as is the journey they are on to get The Bear where it's going.

The second set of three lines I highlighted make me think of Sydcarmy...and the selective, careful editing that they do with the music on the show...

[elektroblues]

btw classes r gonna start tmrw so ofc i won't be online much again. not that i haven't alr been disappearing spontaneously lol but yeknow just to let u know it's not bc of something bad <3

[ungoliantschilde]

Ride the Lightning, 1984.

Every aspect of this album was an improvement over Kill ‘Em All. The writing, the composition, and the variety of sound.

Fantastic album.

There was an error edition of the vinyl albums. A small number of the first printings were produced with a green hue. They’ve been bootlegged and copied. Original error editions are VERY valuable in the vinyl collector’s world.

The only single was “Creeping Death”, and it’s about the Israelites fleeing Egypt. Stoned Sour did a great cover of it. Great, great track.

My picks for the best are basically Metallica’s signature song, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Fade to Black”.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is the song you’re going to expect when you see them live, and be fucking pissed if they don’t play it. Cliff Burton’s bass chromatic intro is based on what got him hired by the band. It’s… iconic.

“Fade to Black” is the perfect example of them broadening their musical tastes. The acoustic intro was initially derided by the hardcore fans. This climactic ode to suicide is one of their best.

[isitthemoon]

✧ Musical Thoughts & Opinions ✧

Discography Review - Red Velvet

This post involves me stating my personal opinions and thoughts while listening to the artist's discography, separated by era/release and pointing out my favorite song from each release. At the end of each section I'll give a score based on my enjoyment of the release as a whole, as well as a final score for the entire discography.

This is not an introduction to the artist, these are just my opinions posted on the internet for fun and should not be taken seriously.

Disclaimers and Rating System

Red Velvet Edition: official korean and japanese discographies are included.

Sub-Unit Contents, Solo Releases, OSTs and Special Singles are not included.

SM Stations are also not included.

Word Count: 3779,

Originally posted on 17/11/23 in a sideblog.

A Bit About Me:

Something I do regarding kpop songs, mini albums and full albums is that I mostly listen to title tracks only. I follow about 200 kpop artists (including groups, sub units and soloists) give or take, so I limit myself to the title tracks so it's easier to check out their releases.

Still, I want to listen to all of their discographies, hence why I made this series.

My History With Red Velvet:

Red Velvet was actually one of the first kpop groups I ever listened to back in 2016, when my friend first recommended "kpop" to me (she gave me a list with boy groups and one with girl groups, I chose Red Velvet and Seventeen, so she sent me some of their songs). Their first song I listened to was Dumb Dumb but at the time they had already released Russian Roulette.

I only went out of my way to learn more about them a few months later and I found out Wendy and I actually have the same birthday ^^ I already loved her voice so that was the cherry on top for me, so she's been my bias ever since.

This is not at all my first listen of their discography, I listened to all their songs back in 2017 with the release of Red Flavor and then kept up to date with their new comebacks. I just wanted to revisit it because there were still a lot of songs I wasn't familiar with and because they just released their 3rd Full Album - Chill Kill - after 6 years, so I wanted to do this in honor of the successor of Perfect Velvet 🤭.

If you've followed me for a while you will know that I've been jumping and screaming and fangirling (gender neutral) about this album and how Red Velvet is one of my favorite groups of all time. So, yeah. This post comes with a ✨️ favoritism warning ✨️.

This also turned into an excuse for me to fangirl (gender neutral) about Red Velvet. Enjoy ^^

Happiness

Now, Red Velvet doesn't have many singles in their official discography (counting their korean releases they only have Happiness and Be Natural), which I think is for the best. Of course releasing multiple singles is more of a recent thing with 4th gen and the streaming era, but I personally think Red Velvet benefits way more with longer releases.

Happiness as a debut single is a solid choice and became a staple (at least in my opinion) when talking about debuts. I think it's a great display of their 'Red' side and introduction to the group. Which other group could pull off the "Shine On Me" bridge just as good? I really like the song because of the "fullness" of the sound, you can hear and feel the amount of layers and it doesn't feel like there's an empty space (which is my preference over all, though of course there are great songs out there with the minimalist and 'empty' sound).

The melody is nice, the chorus is catchy, the rap is good AND this is a socialist anthem.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Be Natural

An interesting SM tradition is giving their girl groups (at least starting with f(x)) a remake song for their first comeback. I'll say that most times it's not really a successfull strategy, but for Red Velvet it really worked out. As the predecessor of Automatic, Be Natural is a great introduction to their 'Velvet' side. This song choice was basically perfect, plus it gave us "Boomin' system, uh uh, TY track, TY track".

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Ice Cream Cake

It's not common to add a new member to your group, and it definitely wasn't common back in 2015. Still, I truly believe Yeri was the best thing that happened to the group as a team and as a family. Besides the min heejin (*exhasperated sigh*) thing, I also think it was a good introduction.

Now, this mini album isn't my personal favorite, but I think it was what stablished the 'Red Velvet Sound' and gave us their blueprint and *really* introduced Red Velvet to the industry. I love the arrangement choices and sounds used here and my favorite song is Something Kinda Crazy. Over all, great 1st mini album.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

The Red

Now, here's something I wish more groups did: it's not for everyone to release their first FULL album within one year of debut, and thank god they did. It really is the pinacle of 'The Red' side, and all the songs are SO fun. It has a very light (as in laidback) sound but very heavy and hard-hitting sounds (especially with the use of bass and backing vocals, as in Time Slip). I LOVE the production choices and the sounds they used - early Itzy definitely took some inspiration from here. My favorite song is Red Dress, and it's definitely one of my favorites from their entire discography.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

The Velvet

Honestly... when I first listened to this EP a few years ago I didn't give it much thought... but holy shit I do not know what happened now. This mini album (which SHOULD'VE BEEN A FULL ALBUM) is SO cohesive. With 4 original songs, 1 remake (I think) and 3 remixes, SM really encaptured the 'Velvet' sound and made a masterpiece. This really blew me away. These songs are so good, but above all, SO well put together. I'll definitely come back to these songs more frequently now that I revisited them.

I just can't explain what happened, I just now that this mini album has that magic sauce, the flavor, the spice to do what it has to do, and what it did was slay in a ballad way. My favorite song from here is probably Light Me Up, but First Time is a close second (no pun intended). This was such a suprise to me that I never would've expected to put our first 5-star-rating here.

Also, fun fact: this is their first title track where they sing separately and don't share a chorus.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars)

Russian Roulette

Okay... I think for me, in every discography there's always a mini album that I think it's cool but I just don't vibe with it, and Russian Roulette is that for me. I like most of the songs (and it's REALLY hard for me to actually dislike a song) but I really didn't vibe with it. It didn't catch my attention and I almost gave it two stars.

My problem with this release is that it didn't expand on anything, it didn't explore anything from Red Velvet's discography, and dare I say, it's a bit generic in a few (2? I guess) songs. Still, I can't deny it's well put together and I still like most of the songs. My favorites are Some Love and Bad Dracula, and I have a lot of fun when listening to them. Still, it's not enough to give it 4 stars, but it did raise them to 3.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Rookie

When I first listened to Rookie (the song), I didn't like the chorus that much because of the repeating rookierookiemysuperrookierookierookie. But, god, that chorus instrumental is so fun. As a mini album, I think four out of six songs are GREAT together. Of course this release gave us Body Talk, known as the first b-side crowned by fans as The Best Red Velvet B-Side, but it doesn't really fit this concept, even if it's my favorite song from here. Same goes for Last Love: I don't think giving Wendy a solo plus a ballad one was the best idea.

Still, I enjoy the first four songs way too much to give it a lower score, they fit too well. Also Talk To Me is the introduction of my LYRE girls to the kpop industry ^^.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

The Red Summer

I don't really think I have bad things to say about this mini album. I enjoy all songs individually AND as a collective. This was also their first release that I listened to fully, and in a way it solidified Red Velvet as one of my favorite artists. I don't have much to say about it besides that it slays (in a fresh and summery way). My favorite song is Mojito.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Perfect Velvet

.............. do I even have to say anything?? Yes I do because most people don't know how in love I am with this album.

I love everything about this album (except the packaging, maybe): the songs, the concept, the mv, the photos, the story, the sound, the genres, the outfits, absolutely everything. It really is PERFECT Velvet. This album is forever my favorite, it's literally a core memory for me. I don't know what else to say.

ALSO MY USERNAME LITERALLY CAME FROM THIS ALBUM!!!! MOONLIGHT MELODY IS MY BELOVED.

I only have compliments. I personally can't choose my favorite song from here, but I do have a personal history with I Just. I've experienced the song's lyrics more than once in my life and this song always finds a way to remain relevant in my life, so yeah.

As a final thought: Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, Amazing, Showstopping, Spectacular, Never The Same, Totally Unique, Completely Not Ever Been Done Before, Unafraid To Reference Or Not Reference, Put It In A Blender, Shit On It, Vomit On It, Eat It, Give Birth To It.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

The Perfect Red Velvet

So far the first and only repackage by Red Velvet, I don't think it really lived up to its name. Of course, this is biased because it's my own post, and I personally think this wasn't necessary. We only have 3 new songs, and I get the concept of repackages, but I think I'd have them release All Right and Time To Love with the standard album and then release Bad Boy either as a pre-release single. This repackage doesn't add anything to me since I love Perfect Velvet as it is, even if I think the songs fit with the concept and I love Time To Love.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

#CookieJar

#CookieJar was first released as a single, with the EP adding 2 more original songs, which are the ones I listened to.

If it was just the title track, I'd rate it 5 stars because I just love the song. It rules, it's interesting and it's so fun and catchy. However, as a mini album, it didn't really captivate me that much. Again, with only 3 original songs (including the title track which was previously released) it doesn't add that much to their discography. I think it's nice, sure, but I don't see myself coming back to the other songs.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Summer Magic

I feel like I like this mini album a bit more than I even realise... even if I don't come back to these songs that often. These are the kind of songs that even if I take forever to listen to them again, I always enjoy my time with them. All the songs work great together, it really feels like a summer magic party. My favorite song is probably With You, since I'm a sucker for anything that resembles a steel drum.

Plus it gave us the english version of Bad Boy (even if I don't like english versions a lot) and the line "I'm making you fall to your knees".

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

RBB

This release is so.... I don't even know if Camp is the right word, but it's just so glittery and sassy and confident and the perfect aesthetic of "girly horror" and fun. I love this so much, this is giving cunt, it's giving cohesion, it's serving so much. All the songs are great on their own and when together it's just an explosion of girly pop in an elegant and dark way. Some of my favorite Red Velvet b-sides are here and my #1 spot from this release goes to So Good. It really is SO good. Plus, I really like the overall fashion aesthetic of the era.

This mini album deserves all the best, not any less.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars)

Sappy

Now, being a japanese release AND a single, I don't really have much to say about the song. It's nice, but I don't think it lives up to the title of 'successor of #CookieJar'. It didn't catch my attention, and for that reason it won't get rated higher. Plus this section only gets a paragraph. That's how uninteresting this is to me, even if I won't skip the song when it comes on shuffle.

》 ☆☆ (Two Stars)

The ReVe Festival - Day 1

As a general spoiler, I think most of the ReVe Festival editions will get similar scores, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Each release shows a new side of this never ending festival and is consistent with its contents. Being the opening act, I think they went ALL OUT.

It's a summer release but it doesn't feel like a "fresh" summer, instead it brings out the heat and the sweat when you're having too much fun. My favorite song used to be Sunny Side Up, but after revisiting this EP as a whole, I'm starting to like Parade more.

However... none of the songs could quite catch my eye like she did...

Zimzalabim is everything I could've asked for. I loved this song from the first time I listened to the MV teaser. I waited for it jumping up and down since day 0. I love how crazy everything is, I love the contrast the chorus brings and the chanting of "zimzalabim" is the perfect thing to show a spell being cast. I knew it would be a banger. I love this song so much that it earned this mini album a Moon Badge.

Now, I know some people don't like this song for the same reasons I love it, and for being too much or too weird. But see, I have this thing. I'd very much rather talk about a song that is "horrible" and "so bad" for being experimental and INTERESTING than just listen to a plain generic song because it's "good" and "not bad". I don't think I truly hate any song, and even if I truly dislike a song (example: Kick It by NCT 127) I could never hate it, I still respect it. So yeah.

If it was just Zimzalabim, this release would receive 5 stars, but as whole, I'm afraid it didn't reach the potential I was looking for. Still, I really enjoy all the songs.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

The ReVe Festival - Day 2

If Day 1 is the hot and sweaty kind of summer, this is the fresh and chill one. This mini album makes me think of relaxing by the pool in the morning, breeze on your face. It's giving High School Musical 2 realness and for me, this means they nailed the summer vibe. Maybe I do have a weakness/soft spot for summer concepts.

All in all, a great release, even if it's the ReVe Festival rendition that receives the least amount of attention. Which is a shame, since it has Love Is The Way.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

The ReVe Festival Finale

I think this release has two downsides for me. First one is, unfortunately, the Wendy accident. It really impacted this era as a whole for me, which is... well, sad. I can't remember this release without thinking back on how Wendy fell from a height of basically 3 whole ass meters just because SBS Staff were fucking around. It makes my blood boil (FUCK SBS).

The second downside is that it has 2 songs less than its Festival counterparts, which is a shame. Still, there's a saying in portuguese that goes "not all are flowers" in the sense that every situation has its downsides. In this case, I'll say "not all are thorns", because there are great thinks to take from here.

With its 4 original songs, it gives the ReVe Festival a perfect ending. It really lives up to the 'Finale' title (not considering the 2022 batch), and all songs are bops. Like, come on. Psycho?? In&Out?? Remember Forever?? La Rouge?? They all serve, your honor. They go so well with the concept, and for me Remember Forever really captures the spirit of this era, especially in the lyrics. Like, seriously.

This release didn't quite reach my requirements for 5 stars, but it did receive a Moon Badge, which you can argue that is better, considering my rating system.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

Queendom

Unfortunately, this era falls into a kind of a tough spot: it is the middle point between Psycho and Feel My Rhythm. I do like all the songs, my favorites being Pushin' N Pullin' and Knock On Wood, but for the era that marked the Wendy comeback, I think it falls a bit behind as a whole. It's not interesting enough for me to rate it any higher, even if I think it's a cohesive (I really like this word) release. Also, again, like Day 2, it doesn't receive the same attention as its predecessor AND successor. It doesn't reach the same standard, and for that reason I can't like it any more than I already do.

As a final thought: this marks their second title track where they don't share the chorus.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm

Now, I'll bet that no one was expecting a ReVe Festival in 2022. Was it necessary? Hm... I don't think so. This mini album can hold its own really well - it has the classiness, the weirdness, the magical and the arcadeism vibes all at once - and we didn't need it to be part of A Whole. Still, if you're gonna bring your own concept back, this is how you do it well. The use of Air on G String was the best decision they could've made and, for me, it really payed off.

I think the only song from here that I truly don't like is Bad, Good And Ugly. Which is interesting, because I also didn't like Rainbow Halo when it first came out. My favorite songs are In My Dreams with an honorable mention for Bamboleo.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Bloom

As a japanese release, I don't really give that much attention to it, since I'm not captivaded by them in general. Not every song can be #CookieJar or Falling Flower (by Seventeen). With seven original songs, my favorites are Marionette and Swimming Pool, but I don't have anything else to say about it. It's nice, but that's about it.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

The ReVe Festival 2022 - Birthday

No one was expecting the ReVe Festival in 2022, so what did SM do? They gave us TWO parts of this neverending festival last year. Why? I have no idea. Did it HAVE to be part of the ReVe Festival? Well... for this release, I think it did. Now, what's funny is that Birthday is definitely NOT my favorite title track from Red Velvet, but this mini album captivated me SO much... I don't know what they put in it, but all the songs are so fun to listen to - I love the direction they chose for this. I wouldn't call the songs "fun" as a concept, Bye Bye and Zoom (my favorite song from this era) are more hard hitting, but they work really well.

Did we need yet another ReVe Festival? No, we didn't. Am I gonna give it five stars anyway? Yes, I will.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars)

Chill Kill

................. I'm gonna try and keep this short and simple: Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, Amazing, Showstopping, Spectacular, Never The Same, Totally Unique, Completely Not Ever Been Done Before, Unafraid To Reference Or Not Reference, Put It In A Blender, Shit On It, Vomit On It, Eat It, Give Birth To It.

No, like, really. I could cry just thinking about this album. The successor of Perfect Velvet is FINALLY here. After 6 whole years, this is really all I could ask for. After so many 'Red' releases, we finally have more of their 'Velvet' side. I don't know what else to say. This sounds like nothing they did before. It's creepy, it's fun to listen to, It's classy, it's velvety, it's full, it's perfectly Red Velvet. I love this so much. My favorite song is Nightmare and I swear I could cry while listening to this song. It hits in all the right melancholic spots.

As for the title track, I did think the chorus brought a weird texture compared to the verse, but when the second verse hit, it just hit me so much harder because of the ""brightness"" of the chorus. This is the first time I'm saying this on this post, but it stays true to all the songs that apply: MY GIRL KENZIE NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!!!!

Five stars. Moon Badge. Song of the Year. Album of the Year. All the Awards. All the Compliments.

As a closing thought: this is their THIRD title track where they don't share the chorus (aka have individual parts), which is something I truly wasn't expecting.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

Final Scoring

Now... I think this discography deserves nothing less than the highest rating. It was one of the first groups I ever listened to, one of the first discographies I listened to as a whole and the first group that became my favorite. Red Velvet's songs have a place in my heart that won't leave, and too much relevance in my real life that I just can't ignore. I already love most of the songs, so when you consider the ones I have as 'my favorite' songs, there's no way I'd rate this any less.

For being one of my favorite discographies and for getting me through the toughest parts of my life, the Moon Badge was well earned.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

Final Thoughts

If you choose to visit (or revisit) Red Velvet's songs, I promise that you won't be disappointed. They have a diverse discography and are known for their awesome b-sides FOR A REASON!!! Even if their style is not your style, I think it's worth it at least to expose yourself to different concepts.

Also, I'm happy to say that, with the help of my friends' suggestions, I already chose the next 3 artists that will receive a Discography Review. In order: Enhypen, Seventeen and Stray Kids. I also won't discard the option to talk about separate releases as separate posts, so do keep an eye out for that.

Until the next post and happy listening 💜✨️

~ Gio🌙

[stylized-corpse]

The fourth album from The Ocean is a monumental masterwork of progressive metal.

[lookninjas]

Happened upon another “Top 10 Terry Hall” songs list today, and got all excited like I always do, just to find that it was mostly songs from the Specials’ first two albums that he didn’t write and one that he didn’t even sing (on the album; he sang it live, but still), so fuck it.  Here’s my personal favorite top 10 non-Specials Terry Hall songs:

10,  Goodbye Sun Valley, the Colourfield

I’ve got the devil in me, not the devil I’d be in Sun Valley

You know, it’s a weird thing.  On an album vs. album basis, I’d argue that The Colour Field beats out the wildly inconsistent Deception, hands down.  But on a song by song basis, Deception just has those few songs that are so damn good.  This, for me, is one of the standouts, a playful music hall number replete with tinkling piano, jazzy clarinet and horns, accordion, and that ba-da-da chorus.  One of his better vocals, too.

9.  Suburban Cemetery, Terry Hall

They didn’t see the billboard that says ‘Stay away from my suburban heaven’

I’m not going to lie; there are moments on later Specials’ albums where I kind of miss Jerry Dammers’ poison pen.  Terry Hall wrote self-laceration like none other, but he sometimes pulled his punches a bit too much.  This particular nineties alt-pop confection, however, takes aim at mild-mannered middle-class bigotry and connects perfectly.  Sugary and scathing.

8.  Sugar Man, Silent Poets feat. Terry Hall

Some thought he would shine, others thought he would fade.

The thing is, there’s a reason so many dub/electronic/trip-hop artists wanted a Terry Hall feature back in the day.  It’s because it fucking works.  This gently melancholy track from Silent Poets, with its murmured spoken word verses and hypnotic chorus, is a perfect example of why.  The video somehow manages to capture the exact feelings of waiting at a bus stop, taking part in a performance art piece, and trying not to attract attention in a psychiatrist’s waiting room, which suits the song down to the ground.

7.  Life in General (Lewe in Algemeen), the Fun Boy Three

Run to where the money flows.  That’s life in general, I suppose

The Fun Boy Three is such a cohesive album that it’s difficult sometimes to pull out highlights.  This one marries a narrative of privilege, deprivation, and indifference to simple, chantlike vocals and dizzyingly complicated percussion, and the whole thing comes off perfectly. 

6.  Walk Into the Wind, Vegas

Before you taste another tear, my love, I know a place where rainbows end

Razzies, turn your location on.  I just want to talk.

Seriously, though, if it weren’t for the Showgirls connection, would anyone have anything bad to say about this song?  It’s a slice of saccharine nineties pop perfection that stands up there with the best of Savage Garden, and it’s got Siobhan Fahey.  There is nothing not to love about this song.  Unless you think it’s cool to hate.

(Sidenote:  U2 didn’t deserve the hate for “Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me” either, and I stand by that.  Their nineties glam phase is probably the most interesting thing they ever did.  Like Tom Cruise playing Lestat.)

5.  Our Lips Are Sealed, the Fun Boy Three

Pay no mind to what they say.  No one listens anyway.

A breakout hit for the Go-Gos and a UK top ten for the Fun Boy Three, this one makes all the lists for a reason.  Nicky Holland’s rearrangement on this keeps the tempo up but gentles the mood way down, taming the staccato guitar line with swirls of cello.  June Miles-Kingston’s vocals float above Terry’s in a lovely duet.  An 80s classic.

4.  The Hour of Two Lights, Terry Hall and Mushtaq

All that stands between us is the hour of two lights.

Everyone take a moment to thank Damon Albarn for introducing Terry Hall to Mushtaq.  The resulting album was absolutely nothing that anyone had planned on, with guest artists pulled in from all over the world to put their piece in, but it’s a fascinating, complicated thing.  This song is a distinct highlight -- a tangoish line for the cello and bass, floating violas and violins, intricate percussion and Terry’s vocal line, hushed almost to ghostliness.  Thanks again, Damon.

3.  A Room Full of Nothing, Terry Hall

And whoever said it was meant to be easy? Someone who knew how to cope.

Fun Boy Three’s “Well Fancy That,” saw Terry wedding lyrical devastation to a disorienting circus-like 6/8 time.  “A Room Full of Nothing” starts with a similar premise, but ratchets up the aggression with heavier organ lines and just the right amount of distorted guitar.  The vocals are smooth, confident, and mature; the lyrics are bitter and bleak.  It shouldn’t go down as easily as it does, but Terry always did wear his misery well.

2.  I Drew a Lemon, Terry Hall

I drew a lemon; I punched that gift horse in the mouth.

Terry’s wit at its absolute wickedest.  Ridiculously quotable from beginning to end, this self-deprecating ode to a divorce in progress shuffles along like its hangdog narrator, finding the funny side of all the misery.  At least he’s still got that Christmas bonus from the CIA to look forward to.

1.  Monkey in Winter, the Colourfield

We never touched.  We never kissed.  We never loved, but we thought we did.

It’s the lyrics for me on this one, honestly.  Don’t get me wrong -- this is one of the songs on Deception where the heavily 80s production really works for me.  I like how the synths sound like they were stolen from David Bowie’s spaceship.  I don’t even mind the vocal distortion.  But it’s the lyrics.  I close my eyes and I start to count the lonesome people leaving town.  It came and went the way things come and go.  What the eyes don’t see, you know the heart won’t miss.  It’s a perfect sepia-toned memory of something that might’ve been beautiful, if it’d ever been at all.  Gorgeous, gorgeous song.

Bonus:  The Man at C&A, the Specials

I’m just saying, if we have to put a classic Specials cut on every list, “The Man at C&A” is right there.