#does that give me indie artist appeal

[neptune-scythe]

Petition for y'all to go read this I think I did a good job

I did a do

[hsr-texts]

I have faith that Hanabi's insult has a deeper meaning in the plot, they have been building it up too well to remain in nothing!

There have certainly been racist things and off-topic comments in Hoyoverse games, but never like this, there has to be something!

The thing is, I really feel that it is too early to say whether the insult was unnecessary or not, because racism is a real issue and there is no problem in representing it, there is no problem in representing minorities... The thing is, I really want to believe, that it is missing, because there is still a lack of story, and they haven't finished with Aventurine to say that it was a bad representation, more people may even appear!

I really have a lot of faith in Hoyoverse, because for me they are MiHoyo, that company that makes beautiful games and gives the opportunity to dozens of people to be artists, writers, musicians and also bring joy. MiHoyo gave me and gives me beautiful moments, but it can also be crude when dealing with its topics

k The story of Aventurine is missing, the story of all the people like Aventurine is missing, so much is missing, as marketing is doubtful, but I am not going to rush to criticize something that is NOTHING finished

If in the end everything was for nothing and they wasted that opportunity to address a serious issue, then I have to cry, no way, you don't defend the indefensible, but I don't want to unfairly cross out something

There is still about 3 weeks left to find out about Aventurine and if everything was really "unnecessary", and until then it seems fool to me to criticize something unresolved and so obvious, which is for the plot

¿Do you want to make your villain racist because your story lends itself to that? You can do it, but it will take time to develop, and we don't give it the time, there are still 1 or 2 updates left

I won't deny that Hoyoverse has provided tons of comfort and joy to billions of people all over the world. I won't deny that there's a beauty in their games. There's absolutely no shame in taking comfort in these games and consuming it. I can't blame anyone for being attached to genshin or hsr or hi3 or tears of themis, you get the idea.

But I can't lie to you guys and say that there's still a possibility that this would turn out well. I've witnessed how Hoyoverse handled the entirety of Sumeru. Are there some aspects of Sumeru that were good? Undoubtedly. It's one of the regions I had the most fun exploring.

However it's extremely telling to me that they haven't learned at all from that situation considering they keep insisting on adding racism plotlines to their story.

My faith in them to handle this properly and with care is in the absolute negatives since the Sumeru situation. I fear for what will happen when Natlan finally drops and to no one's surprise, the archon is gonna be white again and this whole song and dance will repeat just like a samsara.

At the end of the day, Hoyoverse is just another money hungry gacha company who wants to drain your wallets.

It's evident from the dogshit anniversary rewards in genshin,

it's evident from how they always design their characters to be these appealing anime waifu or husbando without ever straying from the standard formula of "thin white/slightly tan character with clothes that make fans bark like a dog",

it's evident in how they seem to drop more money on advertising than they drop on actually improving the game,

and it's evident with how little they actually listen to players' feedback.

Selling these characters and turning up a profit comes first, the story comes second. I'd rather trust a racism plotline in the hands of an indie creator who actually cares about the storytelling medium and does research than a corporation who HAS the resources to do the research but chooses not to.

Hoyoverse is special to many people, but it's time to wake up. Clinging onto a multi-billion company like this isn't healthy.

[rivetgoth]

Tumblr Hits of the early 2010s are funny to me. Like the songs that took this website and its culture by storm. I was talking to Angel about this but I think the majority specifically followed a formula that 1. Appealed to both the “hipster” and the “fandom” sides of the site 2. Which required them to have a sound/vibe that was somewhat Weird, but still accessible, so usually some kind of indie, alt, etc, and 3. Lyrics that were broadly relatable and could be applied to ships but also could just feel artful and #deep regardless of if you related it to yourself and wanted it for a bio or to put as a caption for art of your fictional guys. Basically so much of the “culture” of Tumblr users was (and tbf still is, but it’s evolved in a post-Dashcon landscape) being Jughead “I’m weird I'm a weirdo I don't fit in and I don't WANT to fit in have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? that’s weird” but they weren’t, like… FREAKS. They weren’t out here listening to Merzbow Boredoms Gerogerigegege Coil Throbbing Gristle Whitehouse Nurse with Wound Einstürzende Neubauten etc. They were basically looking for music they could go “Wait, why is nobody [my classmates / coworkers] talking about this? It’s actually sooo good!”

So you end up with like. Florence and the Machine. GREAT example of this. She’s weird. Her lyrics are weird. She’s not remotely inaccessible but she’s not like. Mainstream pop. She has her folksy inspired sound and aesthetic that makes her seem more esoteric. A song like “Howl”—That can be for your gothic aesthetic as much as it can be for your werewolf AU. Sweater Weather. Take Me to Church. Arctic Monkeys. Lana Del Rey. Keaton Henson. Keane. Artists with a little bit of edge giving these sort of artful descriptions of their heartbreaks, crafting scenarios that could apply to your own life and fantasies or that you can project onto characters. IAMX’s “Animal Impulses,” “I Come With Knives,” and “Bernadette” made a bit of headway during this time for the same reason. IAMX is alt/dark electronic that takes inspiration from a lot of experimental industrial artists but (and especially in the era that those songs came out) has a sort of fun circus-y dark cabaret theatricality that sounds Weird but not inaccessible. Lorde. The Killers. Marina. Regina Spector. Again, it’s not that these bands aren’t massive names. But it’s that little bit of edge or quirkiness and the ways in which they describe the circumstances and situations they’re writing about.

Anyway, I don’t say this with the intent to be mean. I was not a fan of all of these bands (though I did like some of them and still do!) and some of them I could happily spend the rest of my life never hearing from again lol. I DO think there’s obvious criticism to be had in the way nobody could handle a single black artist on here like. At fucking all. But this post is more noting a fascination I have based on the fact that a local event promoter here who does themed nights occasionally does “2010s Tumblr” themed events that honestly do go off and bring in some really fun good vibes crowds but also it is absolutely surreal seeing an element of your childhood/adolescence aestheticized as a Throwback Dance Night lmao. And retrospectively it’s funny to think about what made certain songs and bands successful on here with the specific audience that populated this place.

[fioras-resolve]

Playing Style Savvy for the first time has been pretty cool, delving into a kind of game we don't usually play and getting to experience the fashion world as trans women. (Incidentally, I say "we," we're a plural system. Please don't get mad, at least not in the replies. I'm Maya, I love fashion, and that's about all you need to know.) But playing it has also called attention to something that I just cannot ignore as a fat trans woman, which is the lack of body diversity. So, let's get into it.

So, I wanna start with a concept I'll call "the world of pretty." This is a fictional setting where just about every character is some kind of attractive. Style Savvy is obviously a world of pretty, but so is Final Fantasy, Hades, a lot of anime, and the portfolios of plenty of artists on this site. And this is a good, fun thing, you know? It gives the work a kind of appeal that's incredibly straightforward to understand, so I don't need to dwell on it for too long.

Here's the thing, though. I am, as I said, a fat trans woman. Not many worlds of pretty include someone with a body like mine, because trans bodies are so often forgotten, and fat bodies are simply excluded from a lot of people's idea of what an attractive person looks like. So when Style Savvy doesn't even let me be an XL, the implication is that my actual body is not worth having in your world. And that's not even to mention the limited or non-presence of people of color in many of these works. When I realize that my own body is excluded from a world of pretty, the illusion shatters.

Now, the fact I mentioned tumblr artists as an example of this might raise some eyebrows. After all, this kind of thinking can easily drive someone to hassle an indie artist about changing their style or preferences. I don't want to encourage that here, and if you've received grief about not drawing fat, trans or PoC characters, I'm sorry that happened, and it shouldn't have. I've been in the position of wanting to have this kind of conversation, but knowing it could easily get drowned out by people who do not fucking speak for me. I just want you to be mindful that, when you make attractive character art for a long time, you inevitably create a world of pretty, for good and ill. I can't tell you how to use that power, but I want you to know that it's there.

And, additionally, there are excuses, some better than others. Final Fantasy and Style Savvy are both inspired by high fashion and normal people fashion respectively, so it makes sense their characters all look like models. Worlds of pretty are very marketable, and it can be a hard sell to break from that mold. And it is genuinely hard to have diversity in your work, in a way I will explain right now.

Okay, look. To give Style Savvy its due... gamedev is hard. I would know, this body does it all the time. So like, if you're making a game with any kind of visual element, you need either sprites (2D drawings basically) or models (Basically 3D puppets with potentially hundreds of moving parts). And these models will almost always require a rig, like, a skeleton with bones and joints, that determines how the model can move.

From a production standpoint, you can crank out new characters from the same base model, much easier and faster than if you spent the time building another model with a unique rig. I can't speak for this exactly, because we've never done 3D dev before, but it's just way less of a headache and a hurdle if you're trying to get the most "content" out of your limited budget of staff and time. It just makes sense not spending the time to make different body types, especially in a game like Style Savvy where they'd also have to do a metric shitton of work modeling all the clothing for each distinct body type. I understand this. We sympathize. But what it means is that fat bodies are not in the games' world of pretty.

(hey, Angie here now) so like, i am not immune to the world of pretty. it's part of why i like the things i do, and it's part of why i picked up style savvy to begin with. even as the illusion shatters, i still like a lot of media and artists that don't really do body diversity. but at the same time, as i was playing style savvy i started imagining a version of it that actually did have what i wanted, and used that to create an even more positive experience. like, imagine playing one of these games, playing a clerk at a boutique, and then a trans woman comes through the door, bashful about her looks but desperately wanting to find something that suits her. i'm imagining a world of pretty that includes all body types, that finds beauty in every body. and i know i can't create this because i'm a lowly game designer... but i imagine it and i start to feel happy.

[legion1227]

Ranking All 111 Albums Listened to in 2023!

111. Yeat- AftërLyfe. 0.5/5

Yeat's third studio Trap album was an utter slog to get through. I hate how it sounds, many of the tracks blend together, and it's way too long. Yeat's appeal as an artist is mindboggling to me.

110. Lewis Capaldi- Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent. 1/5.

Capaldi's second album harbors nothing of note and fails to engage me vocally, lyrically, or instrumentally.

109. Mia Carucci- Deities of Stone. 1/5

I appreciate it's brevity, but Mia's voice is grating to my ears and the production fails to evoke strong emotions from me.

108. Slowthai- Ugly. 1.5/5.

British rapper Slowthai's third studio album has one song, "Never Again" that is perhaps the best song on the album, but the rest of the competition is unimpressive with subpar instrumentals and lyrics.

107. Post Malone- Austin. 1.5/5.

Post Malone's 5th studio cements the notion that I am not a fan of his voice or music. His voice wavers and teeters onto annoying at times and with filler/bad bars, "I'm calling her Shrek cause she got a donkey" This is not an album I rock with.

106. Conor Maynard- +11 Hours. 2/5.

Back in 2013, Conor Maynard dropped the song "R U Crazy" which I liked then but does not hold up for me today. The songs on this album are slightly better than "R U Crazy" but are not lyrically interesting.

105. Crystal Fighters- Light+. 2/5.

The electronic indie band Crystal Fighters dropped their latest album in November and delivered an, in my opinion, underwhelming experience. With mediocre beats and forgettable lyrics, I feel there was potential for something better that they just didn't reach here.

104. American Authors- Best Night of My Life. 2/5

Best known for their 2014 hit "Best Day of My Life" the album to sequel from their hit song is too sweet and poppy. It has a positive vibe which I respect, and appreciate its brevity, but each song meshes together to create a generic, disappointing experience.

103. Youngboy Never Broke Again- Decided 2. 2/5

Decided 2 starts off terribly but gets a little better as the project goes on. Its production and lyrics are both okay towards the middle and end portions. Youngboy could've definitely stood to trim some tracks from the album.

102. Jason Mraz- Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride. 2/5.

Instrumentally, every song on the album sounds and feels different which gives it a somewhat unique listen. On that level, they surpass his 2008 hit "I'm Yours." Unfortunately, he lacks compelling vocals or lyrics. An instrumental version of this album might be better.

101. Escape The Fate- Out of The Shadows. 2/5.

The lyrics of this rock band are forgettable or incredibly cringe. "irreversible" is possibly the worst song on the album. Instrumentals carry the project slightly higher than the others.

100. Front Bottoms- You Are Who You Hang Out With.

The reverse of Front Bottoms appears as the lyrics are fine, but the instrumentals are uninspired. Lead singer Brian Sella's voice is something I can't stand with his nasally vocals.

99. Bebe Rexha- Seasons. 2/5.

Bebe's album has a decent pace and I really do like her voice, but she provides nothing engaging from a lyrical or instrumental perspective, unfortunately. "Born Again" is the only song of the 12 tracks I feel is worth a listen.

98. Scouting For Girls- The Place We Used To Meet. 2/5.

The Pop band's 7th studio album is a trying endeavor that's a bit too corny or sweet for my liking. Which might be surprising since I genuinely like their 2007 hit, "She's So Lovely" which is sweetness incarnate as a love song. The messages in some of the songs in the album are clearly made for his kids or his significant other, but it's not for me so it's ranked low.

97. Depeche Mode- Momento Mori. 2/5.

The English electronic music band's latest album was simply not for me. Lead singer Dave Gahan's low croons in his songs do nothing for me, and the instrumentals are not too fascinating. "Ghosts Again" and "People Are Good " were two of my favorite songs from the album, but nothing else really resonated with me,

96. Chief Keef- Finally Rich (Complete Edition). 2/5.

The Complete Edition of Chief Keef's Finally Rich adds seven previously unreleased songs to celebrate the anniversary of the album's release from over ten years ago. Besides the classic track "I don't like" there are no other songs that I really enjoy. There are still sparks of fun in his rap songs and the instrumentals are bombastic and go hard, so there's some credit to give.

95. Kelly Clarkson- Chemistry. 2/5

There are moments on Kelly's newest album where goodness bleeds through. "My Mistake" is her best song, but it's still a chore to go through it. The album could benefit from better production and lyrics, but at least Kelly still has some super vocals.

94. Sam Smith- Gloria. 2/5.

Chocked with features, yet none are particulalry gripping, especially Jessie Reyez on "Gimmie." It started decent with its opening track "Love Me More" but sadly wavered from there with forgettable tracks to follow.

93. John Mayer- Sob Rock. 2.5/5

Released in 2021 and resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,John Mayer's Sob Rock carries solely on vibes. The title track is the best one, but goes down from there as the rest meander from vocals or lyrics.

92. Ten Tonnes- Dancing, Alone. 2.5/5.

Indie Rock artist Ethan James Barnett, or Ten Tonnes has decent production in his sophomore album, with hints of special moments sprinkled across the songs. It's a fine project, but nothing comes close to the acoustic version of one of his older songs, "Born To Lose."

91. Niall Horan- The Show. 2.5/5.

Another fine project from one of the former members of One Direction. There are some instances where the songwriting and vocals are strong, like in "Science" or "You Could Start a Cult," but other songs do not have the privilege to be as remarkable, unfortunately.

90. Gucci Mane- Breath of Fresh Air. 2.5/5.

Gucci Mane's newest album was too long with underwhelming features. Luckily for Gucci Mane, he outshines his colleagues and impresses at points. If the production were done by someone else, he could make something even better, I feel.

89. Robin Schulz- Pink. 2.5/5.

EDM artist Robin Schulz's best song on Pink is "No Drama" which reminds me a little of an Avicii song. Every other song is mostly serviceable, but doesn't stick out too much.

88. Rae Sremmurd- Sremm 4 Life. 2.5/5

Hip Hop duo Swae Lee and Slim Jimini do well on a few fine songs like "Royal Flush" and "Flaunt It/Cheap." Other songs don't live up to the quality, but Lee and Jimini are pretty competent in this run.

87. Taylor Swift- 1989 (Taylor's Version) 2.5/5

Taylor Swift's rereleased album 1989, which dropped back in 2014, is the weaker of Taylor's rereleases that I listened to this year. Her 'From the Vault' songs surpass the original tracklist, but they only carry so far. The big hits, "Blank Space," "Bad Blood," and "Shake it Off" have never worked for me, while the majority of the rest fall short lyrically. But still, from the vault tracks like "Suburban Legends" are really good.

86. Drake- For All the Dogs. 2.5/5

Drake's latest album is too long and at times monotonous. One of the best songs, "First Person Shooter" is brought down by Drake after an excellent J Cole verse and a beat switch that brings down the vibe of the song. There are some solid lines sprinkled throughout by Drake, but it's still overwhelmingly mediocre. Although, 8am in Charlotte is another bop admittedly.

85. Maneskin- RUSH! 2.5/5

The band starts strong with its first three tracks and then loses steam so fast. Sonically, every track varies from sounding really well to completely ear-piercing. Instrumentally sound throughout, but the fall-off is such a shame. The first 3 songs are good enough to carry it as high as it is.

84. EST Gee- MAD. 2.5/5

EST Gee is lyrically coherent throughout with a decent flow, but the production fails Gee too often. 25 Min Freestyle is the weakest song of the bunch as it lacks energy, but every other song is mostly okay. "Undefeated" and "Kadas Song" work on lyrical, instrumental, and vocal levels.

83. Idina Menzel- Drama Queen. 3/5.

The voice actress of Elsa from Frozen is unsurprisingly a great singer. "Madison Hotel" is the best song the Disney princess VA has to offer on the album. Besides that, the rest of the songs fail to meet her on the same level. If the production or lyrics were as good as her voice, Drama Queen would rank even higher.

82. Michael Bolton- Spark of Light. 3/5

The musical veteran behind classics like "How am I supposed to live without you" released a decent album that sounds better when he doesn't dip into guttural vocals. "Running out of ways" is my favorite song from the album, but the other songs could stand to be better.

81. Rick Astley- Are We There Yet?- 3/5

The legend of the Rick Roll has nothing here on the same level of his original classic, but there are plenty of fine songs in this decently paced 12-track album. Maria Love is the most intriguing song from a concept level and production-wise. While every other song is okay, I recommend seeking out Maria Love if you had to listen to one song from here.

80. Portugal, The Man- Chris Black Changed My Life. 3/5

Dedicated to their longtime friend Chris Black who died in 2019, the rock band produced a decent time with okay vocals and instrumentals, but spotty features. Grim Generation and Champ are standout songs, while the rest aren't bad but could stand to be more impressive.

79. Plain White T's- Plain White T's. 3/5

The same band behind Hey There Delilah produced a few songs here with the same cheesy earnestness. It works for tracks like Would You Even and Fired Up, but not so much for the rest.

78. Logic- College Park. 3/5.

A step down from his previous album. Not bad at all, but Logic might not be my cup of tea like he used to be when I was a teenager. His production this time around is iffy, the skits are intriguing but are too heavy in abundance, and the features fail to impress. But Logic can still impress with his lyrical ability when he puts himself to it.

77. Macklemore- Ben. 3/5

Macklemore's lyrical ability to surpass Logic by just a tad is wild to me. When he is rapping and embraces hip-hop, Macklemore is better. Unfortunately, the plethora of pop songs on here are nowhere near as good and bring down the quality. Still, it's a decent listen.

76. Rolling Stones- Hackney Diamonds. 3/5.

For a first-ever album listen from the classic rock band, I sort of expected more from them. On par with some of their classics? Probably not, but the instrumentals are enough to drive the album to become a vibe as other facets of the songs fall a bit short.

75. Offset- Set It Off. 3/5

Offset's solo record is bloated with songs that could be removed to improve the quality. But the rapper himself is lyrically decent. Coupled with features from Travis Scott and Cardi Bi among others that do well and production varying from okay to good, Offset's latest outing is an okay time overall.

74. Rick Ross and Meek Mill- Too Good To Be True. 3/5.

The collab album between both Robert rappers is a bit lop-sided as Rick Ross does a more impressive job than Meek. While Ross impresses lyrically and even has funny lines, Meek doesn't raise to meet Ross at his standard, though he has some good verses throughout. With mixed features and production alike, the album is a missed opportunity to be better than it is.

73. Kevin Abstract- Blanket. 3/5.

One of the members of the former rap group BROCKHAMPTON launched out on his own and surprised me with an alternative rock album to the usual rap he's known for. Kevin's best songs come from the crushy, love songs that remind me of old Blink 182 at points.

72. Blink 182- One More Time. 3/5.

Speaking of Blink 182, the punk rock band still presents decent melodies and instrumentals all these years later. Lyrically and vocally, there are moments where the band will falter, but there are still songs to enjoy and latch onto which is a more than welcome surprise.

71. ZZ Ward- Dirty Shine. 3/5.

A soulful artist at heart, Pennsylvania native ZZ Ward presents strong vocals in an engaging style. She harbors a little hip-hop influence in the album which I love to see. (She makes a Lil Wayne reference in a track that pops me). The features were decent on this project, but also could've provided more. Luckily for ZZ, she performs well across the album.

70. Icona Pop- Club Romantech. 3/5.

Swedish synth-pop duo Icona Pop dropped an okay EDM album that could've been more bombastic. vocally and lyrically the tracks are uninteresting as the beats carry somewhat, but they could be better.

69. Meredith O'Connor- I am. 3/5

Upon request earlier this year, I listened to singer Meredith O'Connor and her 2015 album, "I Am." With production and lyrics being decent as they are, it's O'Connor's vocals that carry the quality of the album, bringing a vibe reminiscent to someone like Cascada, which is a positive in my eyes.

68. The Hives- The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. 3/5.

Garage rock band The Hives should have songs that work so much better than they do. Bogus Operandi and Two kinds of Trouble are two fun and intriguing listens that the other songs fail to reach the same level as.

67. Avenged Sevenfold- Life Is But A Dream. 3/5.

The metal band tried something bold with their latest project. There's electronic songs sprinkled throughout that seem to grab influence from controversial artist Kanye West/Ye. Some of it sounds fine but it's not as good as some of Kanye's older works. The production is better for the rock songs than for the electronic tracks. Above all else, it's an interesting listen.

66. Big Time Rush- Another Life. 3/5.

A nice welcome back from a boy band group that disbanded long ago and whose show I used to watch on Nickelodeon in the 2010s. Vocally, all 4 members of the group are sound, but it's admittedly hard to tell who is singing at some times. It's classic boy band material through and through and it's hard to hate on that.

65. Rita Ora- You & I. 3/5.

Her material needs better work, but vocally she is sublime. "I don't wanna be your friend" works really well as a cute way for the singer to articulate her feelings. Some of the songs feel a big generic, but some are really earworm-like on a sonic level.

64. Daz Dillinger- So So Gangsta. 3/5.

As one-half of the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, Daz Dillinger dropped a "so so" album circa 2006. Daz and the various features have some decent lines and the production is sound and feels right out of the 2000s, but the subject matter to which Dillinger raps about could stand to be more engaging.

63. Temple of Angel- Endless Pursuit. 3/5.

This indie band has some decent songs overall, but I think they need to work on their mixing. In some songs, the lead singers voices feel drowned out against the instrumentals. With a male and female lead singer taking turns across the 11-track run, I also find the female lead singer to be the stronger of the two. I definitely recommend the album as a listen, but especially tracks like Tangled in joy, Waving to the Wind, and Secret Place.

62. Killer Mike- Michael. 3/5.

The other half of Run The Jewels manages to have plenty of impactful bars, but also comes off as preachy at times and uninspired. Shout out to Andre 3000 and 2 Chainz though for having some of the best features on the album.

61. Foo Fighters- But Here We Are. 3/5.

The first two tracks set a nice standard. "Rescued" and "You" are some of the best songs Dave Grohl and the band have to offer. There's a small downward slope in quality after the first two songs, but it's still an okay album overall.

60. Dave Matthews Band- Walk Around the Moon.

The beginning and ending tracks are some of the best songs Dave Matthews and his band have to offer. The middle portion is a bit meandering, but his acoustic, low-key songs work pretty well for Dave Matthews.

59. Metallica- 72 Seasons. 3/5.

The iconic rock band started incredibly strong with its first three tracks, but sort of drifts off into mediocrity afterward. It's roaring instrumentals and guitar riffs are dope, but could and should be better from its lyrics and James Hetfield vocals.

58. Kesha- Gag Order. 3/5.

Kesha strayed from the party days of Die Young and Tik Tok long ago, but the dive into her own psyche on this project is fascinating. Vocally and instrumentally, it holds her back. But lyrically, it's compact with thought-provoking subject matter. Living In My Head has to be my favorite song of the thirteen on here.

57. Poppy- Zig. 3/5.

Known for surreal performance art videos on YouTube, Poppy's music is as intriguing as her artwork, blending dark elements into pop-techno vibes. The first two songs are heavy into EDM as the rest lean more into pop. I would've preferred more EDM fusion but Poppy still crafted something worthwhile.

56. Daniel Caesar- Never Enough. 3/5.

R&B artist Daniel Caesar dropped a decent projects days after his 28th birthday. Vocally he's pretty good. The same applies to his lyrics, but the instrumentals are not so noteworthy. Cool and Toronto 2014 are 2 of my favorite songs from him here.

55. Ellie Goulding- Higher Than Heaven. 3/5.

Goulding's pop sounds comes across as typical sometimes, but other times its incredibly pleasant with stand out moments. Her songs for love, "Cure For Love," "Love Goes On," and "How Love" are some favorites on the album among a few that aren't as memorable unfortunately.

54. Kim Petras- Feed The Beast. 3/5.

You may or may not be aware of Kim Petras from her feature on Sam Smith's big hit Unholy, but on Feed The Beast, Petras strives off on her own in her debut album. The first half of the album is stronger with more bangers in the dance-pop project. "Alone" has to be one of my favorite songs from the album, though to be fair, it's a bit of a cheat since it interpolates the beat and instrumentals from the superior "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay.

53. Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday 2. 3/5.

The long-awaited sequel to one of her best projects, it could stand to be better by cutting some of the songs, but it's still an okay listen. J Cole's guest feature was the best on the album as others were more or less impressive. As for Minaj herself, she sometimes delivers and sometimes hits just right in Pink Friday 2 with some fun pop jams.

52. Miley Cyrus- Endless Summer Vacation. 3/5

Vocally, Miley Cyrus is a champion. Lyrically, she flip-flops between engaging and meh. Her lead single, Flowers, is a certified bop, but other songs like "Jaded" and "You are" are two other dope tracks. Every other song is mostly acceptable, but the album would be better if it ended on "Wonder Woman" instead of another version of Flowers.

51. Lil Tjay- 222. 3/5.

On his third studio album, Lil Tjay dropped a finely paced album with decent lyricism. He even incorporates singing elements that were surprisingly nice to accompany solid production. It's chock-full of features that are hit or miss, but Polo G is definitely a standout amongst the sea of other rappers.

50. Dave East- Fortune Favors The Bold. 3/5.

The same rapper who portrayed Method Man in the Wu-Tang series delivered an adequate album that's way too bloated. At 24 songs, it's too much Dave East to endure, but there are still some verses and bars worth praise. With decent storytelling and solid production, Dave East's album could be better if a plethora of songs were cut.

49. Rupaul- Black Butta. 3.5/5.

As someone who does not follow or keep up on Rupaul much, I was pleasantly surprised to see how good this album was. The energetic dance elements are astonishingly well done here by the drag race icon.

48. TK Blockstar- Malicious Heart. 3.5/5.

I did a review for Cave Dweller Music on this upcoming artist, but to touch on her, TK Blockstar's 2019 release Malicious Heart is a really good debut album for her with some of the best aspects coming from the production and its features. Though one of my favorite tracks has to be Came a long Way.

47. Vic Mensa- Victor. 3.5/5

A bit long in the tooth, but Vic Mensa cultivated a rap album that impresses lyrically and vocally. While the features vary in quality, Mensa delivers quality verses in a run that could stand to have some songs cut.

46. Wiz Khalifa- Decisions. 3.5/5.

A song dedicated to Nipsey Hussle was a strong beginning. From there, he mostly tackles subject matters typical to him: Weed and Women. The tracks about girls are okay, but his weed jams are fun and elevate the album to be a decent, fun jam.

45. Troye Sivan- Something To Give Each Other. 3.5/5.

The theme of love goes strong throughout the album as its main subject, and it's done incredibly well. It's a cool instrumental, EDM album that has some admirable songs across the board.

44. Ben Folds- What Matters Most. 3.5/5.

Ben Folds crafts an engaging, emotionally charge experience with superb storytelling. With simplistic instrumentals and a soothing voice, Ben puts a unique spin on songs only he could craft like "Kristine From 7th Grade" and "Paddleboat Breakup."

43. Yellowcard- Childhood Eyes. 3.5/5

A short EP that makes the most of its runtime. The Pierce The Veil feature is a great surprise, Three Minutes More is the best of the bunch, and every other song is nice to listen to sonically.

42. Ab-Soul- HERBERT. 3.5/5.

At the tail-end of 2022, established rapper Ab-Soul dropped his fifth studio album titled after his birth name. One of the better rap albums to listen to this year with good beats and bars, but some iffy features.

41. Ava Max- Diamonds & Dancefloors. 3.5/5.

Ava has a stellar voice that the instrumentals compliment nicely here. Pacing, lyrics, there's plenty to like from this project with good tracks like Ghost or Hold Up (Wait a Minute).

40. Steel Panther- On The Prowl. 3.5/5.

The raunchy comedic rock band has funny shtick that manages to entertain for at least the first half of the project. It starts wearing thin in the second half with childish jokes or remarks, but it's pretty fun to listen to at points throughout. And it definitely helps that the instrumentals are sublime for the most part for the band.

39. Rod Wave- Nostalgia. 3.5/5.

Rod Wave shifts back and forth between rapping and singing, but its the singing that's stronger from him. At 18 songs, the tracks could've been shaved off after the tenth joint. 2018 and Call Your Friends are lowkey faves with sweet or interesting messages attached.

38. Melanie Martinez- Portals. 3.5/5.

Melanie Martinez is a gifted vocalist and lyricist. There's a story told throughout the project with peaks and valleys aplenty. Contortionist and Evil are standout tracks amongst some others.

37. Jorja Smith- Falling or Flying. 3.5/5

Jorja's emphasis on love is a wholesome, fascinating endeavor. Helped with decent production, but also could stand to have some songs be shaved off to help its length.

36. Paul Wall and Termanology- Start Finish Repeat. 3.5/5

A lowkey rap album where two great lyricists trade off bars and go back and forth is a superb listen. It's a chill vibe for people looking for something lowkey to listen to.

35. Danny Brown- Quaranta. 3.5/5.

Danny Brown's solo rap joint is a somber, retrospective listen. His unique voice works for the most part, and warrants listens from fans of him and hip hop alike.

34. Pierce The Veil- The Jaws of Life. 3.5/5.

There's a four-track run from the punk album that's wild and utterly sublime.

33. P!nk- Trustfall, 3.5./5.

P!nk's vocals and lyrics are really good, with her still being outstanding this far into her career.

32. PinkPantheress- Heaven Knows. 3.5/5.

The features sort of fumble the bag, but PinkPantheress is clearly better on her own and relishes in her solo project.

31. Burna Boy- I Told Them. 3.5/5.

An improvement on his last album, Love Damini, that's carried by chill vibes and a sampling of Birthday Sex by Jeremih that I have a soft spot for.

30. Gorillaz- Cracker island. 3.5/5.

The Gorillaz do EDM surprisingly well to me, I wasn't expecting it.

29. IDK- F65. 3.5/5.

The fusion of rap, jazz, and soul, is too damn good. Some of the songs are too short and should benefit from an extra verse, but IDK can sing and rap well, it's astounding.

28. Tiesto- Drive. 3.5/5.

More of the artists featured on this lowkey album do better than others and elevate the project to be really good.

27. Olivia Rodrigo- GUTS. 3.5/5.

I didn't like as much as her first album, which is on this list, but it has a lot to offer with lyrics and her range as a vocalist.

26. Alicia Keys- The Diary of Alicia Keys. 3.5./5.

As the 20th anniversary came and went, the initial release of Alicia keys 2003 classic is iconic.

25. Mitski- The Land is inhospitable and so are we. 3.5/5.

Mitski is an impressive vocalist but her song-writing ability is top notch as she records poetry for the listener to indulge in.

24. Lana Del Rey- ��Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. 3.5/5.

Lana's songwriting and lyrics are even more sublime as she crafts a stunning effort with some easy favorites like Paris, Texas.

23. Rebecca Black- Let Her Burn. 3.5/5.

Rebecca Black recovered really well from the fiasco that was her disastrous song Friday. Tinges of darkness spread throughout to my liking.

22. Jon Batiste- World Music Radio. 3.5/5.

Jon Batiste aligned himself with a talented assortment of features to craft songs that are super solid to listen to.

21. Janelle Monae- The Age Of Pleasure. 3.5/5.

Janelle Monae crafted instant bops like Champagne Shit, Phenomenal, and Lipstick Lover, which fans of her and R&B genre should listen to.

20. Kali Uchis- Red Moon in Venus. 3.5/5.

Her soothing voice and intriguing lyrics help propel her romantic songs as some of the best tracks in 2023.

19. Taylor Swift- Speak Now. (Taylor's Version.) 3.5/5.

The obvious superior album to release from Taylor's vault this year, as opposed to the other one she dropped. The original lineup and from the vault are better here than 1989 by miles.

18. Paramore- This is Why. 3.5/5.

My favorite band dropped an album not quite as good in my opinion as After Laughter, but still a reaaaaally good listen that's gotten better as I listen more and more. Lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally, This is Why is an awesome listen.

17. Weezer- SZNZ: Winter. 4/5.

As Weezer experimented with 4 albums in 2022, one for each season, its the Winter season that may be my favorite of the bunch.

16. Bishop Briggs- When Everything Went Dark. 4/5.

Possibly the best EP I got to listen to throughout the year that makes the most of its short length.

15. Olivia Rodrigo- Sour. 4/5.

Olivia's freshman album surpasses her latest album by just a little bit with better pop-punk elements at play.

14. Dove Cameron- Alchemical: Volume 1.

sonically intriguing, one of the better pop elements to come out with decent pacing.

13. Corey Taylor- CMF2. 4/5.

The lead singer of Slipknot does well on his own swimmingly, as it works well and almost makes me want to check out the other Slipknot songs.

12. Travis Scott- Utopia. 4/5.

The long-awaited Utopia was worth the wait as it has songs that have great production and features that kill across the board from Drake to Westside Gunn to Beyonce.

11. Voyager- Fearless in Love. 4/5.

Instrumentals are godly, its vocals are a triumph, and most of the tracks here are powerful bops.

10. Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA- Scaring The Hoes. 4/5.

its not my favorite rap album I listened to this past year, but it is the most interesting by far. the production is all over the place, its loud, bold, it full of nerd samples and references to games and wrestling that I love, its awesome.

9. 38 Spesh and Conway The machine- Speshal Machinery. 4/5.

Some tracks feel like retreads of other Conway songs and albums, but there are still some great songs, samples, and features across the board.

8. Hozier- Unreal Unearth. 4/5.

Similar to Mitski, the lyrics are akin to poetry. It's a remarkable sensational achievement with highlights like Damage Gets Done.

7. Conway The Machine- Won't He Do It. 4/5.

Conway by himself surpasses the collab with 38 Spesh by just a little. Brooklyn Chop House is a masterpiece of a song where Fabulous and Benny The Butcher are sublime in it.

6. Talib Kweli- Quality. 4/5.

Released in 2002, Talib Kweli dropped a critically acclaimed album that supplies dope bars, off-the-charts production, and sublime features. if it was just a little bit shorter, it would rank a tad higher.

5. AFI- Sing The Sorrow. 4/5.

Another epic album from the 2000s, my favorite decade. The punk album floored me with nostalgia as it hits peak 2000s punk rock. Vocals, lyrics, and instrumentals are exactly what I want from a project like this.

4. Raekwon- Only Bult 4 Cuban Linx. 4/5

It's billed as a Raekwon album, but it's more of a Raekwon and Ghostface Killah collab featuring other Wu tang members. Released in 1995, the production and bars shared by members of the collective are at their best which shows why this album is among some of the best.

3. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne- Welcome 2 Collegrove.

it's one of the most fun albums to come out this year. Chainz and Wayne go dumb for song after song as they go back and forth with memorable moments throughout.

2. Fall Out Boy- So Much (For) Stardust. 4/5.

Heaven, Iowa is the only song from the album that is weak as hell. Every other song is a strong addition. It's instrumentals, lyrics, it all is immaculate.

Czarface- CZARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 4.5/5. Czarface is a hip hop duo involving Inspectah Deck and Inspectah Deck. They managed to make raps about nerd shit like Marvel cool and it makes me grin ear to ear. I love almost all the features, mama's basement and marvel at that are endearing highlights. few low points but no bad songs overall. Clearly, my favorite album listened to in 2023.

[ginevralinton]

@its-a-hare-pom-pom thank you for the tag!!

Favourite colour and why? blue - it reminds me of the sea, it feels calm and sad but happy too. I like the sound of the word. I also love pink, because it's a happy and bright.

Five comfort movies: i don't really watch movies...

Favourite season and why? winter! i like when it's cold and you can wrap up in blankets; i like those really cold mornings and cold nights and the frost and ice; less people are out when you go to parks/outdoor places; there are several things that can't happen in winter and those things give me anxiety; i have work and while it's stressful, it's not intense like other parts of the year

Favourite book(s): Villette by Charlotte Bronte, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are my top three

favourite aesthetic(s)and why? I think 'cottagecore' is pretty cute, or like, space aesthetics or 'arty' ones - oh, and like, horribly gaudy rainbow ones. Idk all the proper names but those ones just appeal to me

Favourite genre and why? It depends on what it is, but I'll talk about books because TV tastes are just - random. With books, I like 'literary' fiction, classics, historical fiction and short stories too? I guess I like the analyse stuff when I read, to look at the layers and structures, and I find those genres lean more easily towards that.

Favourite clothes style: honestly shifts between girly dresses and fluffy coats to dungarees, oversized shirts and DMs

Favourite music genres: most of my favourite artists fit under the 'indie' category somewhere

Favourite artists: Florence and the Machine, The Killers, The Wombats, King Princess

Favourite song(s): King by Florence and the Machine and Battle Born by The Killers

Favourite fandoms: BBC Ghosts ❤

Hobbies: writing, drawing, reading, walking

Care language you give: acts of service, I guess? or being a willing listener? idk

Care language you like to receive: willing listeners?

Are you an introvert/extrovert/ambivert: introvert

Morning or night person? i'm less anxious in the morning but i'm also awake most of the night so...

City, country or suburbs and why? suburbs. basically, i like where i live, the balance between having green space but also having easy access to towns/shops/cities

Favourite time of day and why? between 8:30 and 9:30pm, because day anxiety is over and night anxiety hasn't fully begun

Do you have any religious beliefs(don’t have to answer if not comfortable)? not really

What does your ideal family look like to you? me, a gf and many many guinea pigs? maybe a daschund (if i get over the fear of dogs)? and friends too? (and ofc some of my actual family now)

Dream future: no idea, can't see a thing

Dream place to visit: I'd love to go to Geneva, Brussels or Iceland, but realistically, I'd just like to go back to Haworth or Lulworth (or, lbr, the Isle of Wight)

Favourite type of nature: I like flowers, the sea and cliff tops

Favourite habitat (eg jungle, desert, tundra etc): the ocean and forests

How would you describe yourself in 4 words: awkward, anxious, serious, creative?

If you could be another thing on earth what would it be: something inanimate, like a rock

Favourite type of weather: sunny but cool (or snow, but i feel bad for saying that 😁)

If you could travel anywhere right now where would it be: Haworth

Do you have any fears (serious or otherwise): everything? dogs, house fires, burglary, the future, people in those mascot costumes, social interactions etc.

Dream job: who knows

Would you be a pirate/vampire/cowboy/astronaut/werewolf/wizard/witch/knight/cryptid and why? cowboy, i guess. i like the hats

I'll tag @sonnet-of-anarchy @thelastplantagenet @thatgordongirl @breitzbachbea @athelstan-anglecyning if you want to do it

[musicjam10]

Igor, Tyler, the Creator, 17. May 2019.

Tyler, the creator, is definitely an interesting artist. I quit enjoy his style, his character, and the imagies that he builds up for every new era of an album. But, saying that, I'm not the biggest fan of his music or the genre as a whole. Having listened to many of his songs, I realised that I find them quite unappealing and a bit annoying.

With that in mind, there is no better album to review than the well-acclaimed IGOR, the famous album that is considered a genius piece of music that is loved by the majority of music audiences. Hearing it at the time of the release, and now I don't feel the connection that I thought I would have. At the end, it turned out to be nothing more than repeating patterns with some memorable beats and one-liners.

My opinion on the majority of these songs is that they are long, but the length is not the problem, but the fact that nothing interesting happens in them for the most of the time, and then all of a sudden, when something does happen, it's short and bittersweet.

The sound itself feels uneven, like the syncing of the songs is all over the place. Mashing Tyler's deep, crunchy voice with more industrial and softer beats sounds kind of unlistenable like in the PUPPET or I THINK. Some songs even sound like purposefully made industry indie rap songs with catchy hooks that are only used for trends on social media.

The only two songs I would recommend are IGOR'S THEME and EARTHQUAKE. They are great opening tracks and some of the most memorable, but do expect that the rest of the album is nothing like them and is more of a mash of different sounds, techniques, and all in between. EARTHQUAKE is the first song I listened to by him, and even though I found it a bit stale, it is definitely my favourite from the album.

I would not like to discredit this album; there is a lot of work and love put into it, but I just don't understand it. When should I even listen to it? It's neither calm nor energetic; it's a pure mess. Maybe that is the point, but even so, I don't find it appealing. Again, I don't want to discredit it, but I feel that now, in this moment, I'm in a limbo considering it.

I would give it a: Well, if it were up to me, then I would say no, but considering it's cult status, then I would say, I guess.

If you found my review worth discussing in any way, I'm happy to do so.

Yours trully,

MJ.10.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

so you've posted a lot about måneskin and other bands of the like but im just wondering - do you have any playlists you'd like to share? like, ones with songs you like or maybe a playlist you listen to while you write. i think it would be interesting seeing what you like to listen to with somewhat of a face to connect your music taste to?? (you're really pretty, by the way) 🫶

I think you'll like this ask

I fucking love love love music so I do post quite a bit about it, lol. Plus, I have thought about doing something like what @ixalit did with sharing all his playlists (that are *chef's kiss,* by the way. I have discovered many songs through those playlists 👀) but my Spotify, that I've had for years, is connected to my actual name that I'm not willing to share on Tumblr with this type of fandom account, lol.

I know I could make another account and transfer my playlists to a fandom specific account, but... that's a lot of work. I don't know if I'll do that, lol. If enough people were interested... maybe?

Besides, I don't really have a single playlist I write to. I just throw on whatever and write. Sometimes, I seek out specifically explicit music when I'm writing smut but usually not. Usually, it's whatever that I was playing the last time I had the app open or whatever I'm feeling that day.

And my music taste is a mess haha, I'm all over the fucking place with music. I think if I had to pin it down, my musical soft spot has always been for heavier sounds. Aggressive, heavy shit like all types of metal, rock, and punk have always appealed to me; they're the sounds I always fall back on. That said, though, I also love all types of other sounds, too. Hip hop, indie, jazz, industrial pop, electronic, etc.

Bands, though, yeah. Goddamn, I love bands! I also follow a ton of individual artists, but there's something about bands.

For my own enjoyment, and hopefully yours as well, some good bands (in no particular order):

Måneskin ("TIMEZONE" gives me major evanstan vibes btw 👀 / "SUPERMODEL" is kind of always stuck in my stuck in my head / "MAMMAMIA" is just 🤌🏻Damiano's moans🤌🏻 so you know it's good)

Fall Out Boy (I'm not even being funny when I say I can't narrow it down to a few songs to recommend. I know their entire discography by heart and have been obsessed since I discovered them. They hold a VERY special place in my heart. If I don't know what I want to listen to, I throw them on. If I need comfort, if I need to wallow in feelings, if I need to celebrate--anything.)

Sleep Token (This band FUCKS and turns on my writers brain in the best way (re: "Take Me Back To Eden") / be careful listening to "Blood Sport" because it's devastating / the music video for "Alkaline" will change you 😮‍💨 / and "Sugar" is way too good)

Royal Blood (I think "Lights Out" was the first song I heard from them, and it still holds up / "Blood Hands" is super good too / also "Honey Brains")

The Damned Things ("Keep Crawling" shouldn't be spicy, but it kinda is to me 😮‍💨 / "Something Good")

Halestorm (oh my god, all of their stuff! Lzzy's voice is unreal! "The Steeple" / "Black Vultuers")

Mother Mother (Again, a band that I know their entire discography by heart. A friend bought me one of their CDs before I knew them, and I've been obsessed since listening through the CD the first time. "Life" is comfort food for your ears, as is "It's Alright." Those songs make me cry or scream, depending on my mood, going into the listen)

Nine Inch Nails (NIN f u c k s . "Head Like A Hole" / "The Hand That Feeds")

Waterparks (I've been listening since Double Dare, their first album, and its been wild to watch them grow. I've gotten too many friends hooked on them too, lmao. "Turbulent" / "Dizzy" / "SELF-SABOTAGE")

YONAKA ("Guilty" makes me want to weep / "Punch Bag" is so good)

Muse ("We Are Fucking Fucked" has been my anthem since it dropped lol / "Won't Stand Down" puts me in my Bucky feelings as does "Psycho," "(Drill Sargeant)," and "Dead Inside")

(Thank you <3)

[danituiran]

Week Two - Music

Inventory Research: Based on my feedback from last week, I decided to focus on the post it notes I got, focusing more on the idea of parasocial relationships, music as community and feeling understood. I didn't go too much into because I started to focus on my other topics more, but still collected some interesting stuff.

For parasocial relationships, I mentioned how certain artists, particularly in kpop, tend to feed into the idea of a "relationship" with the fans in order to appeal to them, and this can sometimes create those obsessive "fans"......

I do remember at some point there was this video of a woman named Tori Young who explained how she was engaged to Taehyung from BTS. Another similar case is that of Oli London, who became famous because of his plastic surgery intended to make him look like Jimin of BTS.

For music as a community, I watched the VMAS and when Chappell Roan won her award for Best New Artist, she made sure to dedicate her award to the midwestern queer kids, as she was in the same situation and wanted to make sure that they are seen. A few years ago, in 2017, Twenty One Pilots hosted in Ohio an art show called Artopia, which highlighted fan artists from around the world. It was a free event and they also offered a meet and greet.

Q&A: Last week I presented some questions and answers from this google form. I also collected a few more responses but they were similar in response to the others, so I won't bring them up here.

Observing in Action: Perhaps my own personal experience, I noticed looping a certain song during the entirety of my working time helped me stay focus and productive. I am not sure why? I wonder if it has to do with its 141 bpm. I did mention before how I don't really use slow music to wind down because it does not work for me. It reminded me of that time people would use mario kart music to do their work, maybe because it seems like it is rushing you due to its fast bpm?

Reflection: My overall reflection this topic of that music is truly something special to me. Even though I am not even sure I can consider myself much of a musician anymore, music is so important to me because I can use it in many aspects for my life and art. For example, the reason I am so drawn to KPOP is because of their concepts and storytelling that goes on with their artists, it makes the music more interesting and gives them a more visual aspect. Also because kpop is such a broad genre I feel like there’s something for everyone (pop, rap, indie, edm, rock, etc.). That’s why sometimes when my friends are curious I just ask them to give me an overall idea of what they already listen to and try to match it with certain kpop artists.

Music has also helped me connect back to my roots. Recently I've found myself listening to more latin music, specifically early latin pop/rock. And I reaaaaaally like it. Here are some of my favs:

Oye mi Amor

Devuelveme a mi Chica

Hola

[gaykarstaagforever]

New Animation Review

an ill-advised series where I talk about newish animated shows, and will inevitably get swarmed by angry stans for not 100% liking a thing the way they like it.

I'll watch the premiere episode of a thing, then a more recent one, at time of publishing. That should give me a fair view of a thing.

Inb4 "YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE WHOLE SERIES BEFORE -- !"

No I don't. You're just trying to get me to inflate the watch numbers so you get a second season of your blorbos doing kissing. That's not my problem, and is very much yours.

(Also I'm not getting into any associated problematic shit or drama surrounding the creators of these things. Studio animation immediately implies grossly exploited labor anyway, and...apparently we don't care about any of that, because we shrug and demand product-as-escapism either way. And I yell into the void enough about that on here. I'm just going to evaluate the artistic results of the projects with this.)

(...I actively boycotted Amazon for FIFTEEN YEARS after I stopped working for them, and that led to Jeff Bezos becoming a trillionaire while I eat 75 cent cans of beans. In the dark. And most of you just got another pile of Smiley Boxes delivered as you were reading this. So don't whine at me for not virtue-signaling properly about how cartoons are made. That monkey rides YOUR backs, not mine.)

Let's get started, shall we?

Hazbin Hotel

I watched the 4-year-old "indie" premiere, and the 7th episode of the Amazon series.

The design work is consistent and good, and the shot composition is effective and smart. I don't prefer the hyper-distorted style, with its over-the-top character facial reactions to everything, that is going on here. But that's a personal preference, and the show does what it's doing well. Even with my bias, I still liked a lot of the scenes and character designs.

If only the writing were as solid. It is okay, but not great. Charlie as the protagonist is self-righteous and whiney, and I cannot be bothered to care about her. Some of that is because I don't find the whole "Disney princess as Queen of Hell thing" interesting after exactly 7 minutes of that gag, but most of it is because she is a shallow character with no clear emotional motivation for anything she does besides "I am doing this because I think I'm important."

She ends up being the least interesting part of whatever is going on, and that's not what you want from your main character. Also - and I hate bringing this up because it is such a troll comment at this point, but - she is UTTERLY a Mary Sue. Like, hardcore. Any motivation or appeal she is supposed to have is a fanficky mess that demands you know who created this and who they see themselves as, as a person. And I thought that BEFORE I read a thing where the creator got all personal about how that is 100% true.

Her weird abrasive-for-no-reason girlfriend / bodyguard fits the same bill, because she was also created to be just that. VivziePop has admitted as much. Charlie and Vaggie are the two "sides" of her, that are here, and dating. Which is...well. It is what it is. And what it is is obvious and flat.

There IS good stuff here. The other characters, messy demon bitches with messy personal motivations, are sharp and funny and compelling. And that carries the show. And I don't HATE Charlie and Vaggie, I just think their motivations aren't as complex or intriguing as they need to be. They come across as less well-defined than Sir Pentious, a comedy snake-demon character with political pretentions and an army of sycophantic egg creatures. And that shouldn't be happening.

[X]

The voice cast is great in both "versions," and the songs are fantastic. The whole plot scheme may be a little too complicated for the situations and gags, a common problem with "new" Weatern animated stuff that is clearly aping anime-style conceits but doesn't understand why any of that worked (Steven Universe being the most egregious example). Like, I get that you have a story to tell that is important to you. But it still needs to work hand-in-hand with the character beats, and in the end should primarily serve as setup for intereating scenes, be they comedy or tragedy. Think Berserk. Instead, the fun here has to keep stopping to deal with plot crap that is, necessarily, emotionally secondary.

This is a hard thing to nail down, so I'll be kind. But it's still a problem.

As are the random bursts of weirdly regressive politics...?

This is set in Hell, and that always leads to the problem of, How dark do you get to effectively show what Hell is like, but stop before it stops being fun and starts being inappropriate? That's a tough problem (I know, because 20 years ago I did a comedy webcomic about a guy whose brother was the Antichrist; no, you can't see it). This show handles it by nonchalantly dropping in queer relationships and lots of cuss words.

And, fine. That's a solution. But then there are weird sexist and racist things, and sexuality-shaming things that clearly come from inverting standard American Christian ethics. And again, I understand why, in concept. Christian hell would indeed be filled with gay sluts!

But is this Christian hell? It doesn't seem to be. And why, at any rate, would the people who live there care that someone was a gay slut? This is what we do here! And yet they seem to.

The race stuff makes even less sense. Again, sure, racists would be in Hell. But would Hell itself be racist? What race even are any of these demon monsters? It would seem a moot point down here.

These really are minor quibbles with what is, overall, a pretty good show. I really like the musical numbers and quirky cast of sneaky weirdos, and there is some great, classic 2D animation work here. I might watch more of it.

Solid B.

(The title is awkward and doesn't really fit the central plot. "The Happy Hotel" would have worked better, and has story justification. Hazbin Hotel seems like shoehorning SEO / branding contrivance into it.)

[yorkshireword]

The station has thrived with a defiantly low-stakes approach and penetrating reach into the underground dimensions of the city’s art, literature, nightlife and music scenes.

It’s an appealing alternative for artists frustrated with social media’s race-to-the-bottom incentives and the dwindling number of traditional publishers.

“The media landscape has fractured,” said Whitney Mallett, who runs the small indie magazine The Whitney Review. What Montez does, she said, “is offer a container for a lot of the splinters.”

“Tom was interested in community access TV, and I was interested in community spaces that would bring together various disciplines,” Ms. Skolnik, 34, said.

They reached out to friends to see who might be interested in hosting. Nobody involved had any radio experience, but plenty of people wanted to give it a shot.

In January 2019, Montez Press Radio became a permanent venture. Initially backed by the press, the station became a separate nonprofit entity, subsisting on grants and fund-raising. (There’s no more pirate antenna — now the station is online only.)

Though podcasts had become something of a trademark product for New York’s downtown, many of the station’s contributors immediately saw the appeal of live radio.

“There’s a lot of joy in it that feels really communal,” said Dena Yago, a writer and visual artist who co-founded the high-concept trend forecasting agency K-Hole. She hosted “New York Conversation,” what she called a “Brian Lehrer-style call-in show.” She invited experts on to discuss garbage, rats and traffic-control systems.

Ms. Skolnik and Mr. Laprade who handle Montez’s day-to-day booking, are not too precious about polish, and they embrace spontaneity. Over the years, Montez has aired Tanzanian dance music; a round table of artists and writers reading offbeat erotica; songs off a broken iPod that skips forward at random; and “astrology through the lens of Yu-Gi-Oh!”

“They make me believe people in New York are interesting and have wild interests,” said Kaitlin Phillips, the publicist and onetime host of the Montez show “Insider Baseball.” (She does not do publicity for the radio station.) “The internet era can make you forget that people know things you don’t. I’m always like, Where do they find these people?”

One night, during an ambient music show at the station, Mr. Laprade, 33, heard a racket from the sidewalk outside. It was a young guy wearing “K-Swiss sneakers, JNCOs, doing this ’NSync thing with an amp on the corner,” he remembered. “I was about to tell him to shut up. But I was like, Whoa, wait, what are you doing? This sounds really cool.”

So while Montez may be something of an anachronism, for the city’s young artists and writers, it arrived at exactly the right time. Community radio, once a vibrant ecosystem in Manhattan, had been struggling to stay afloat for years. Know Wave, a station with ties to the art world, stopped regularly broadcasting in 2018; East Village Radio closed in 2014 (though it is expected to return next month). These stations, which streamed online, carried the torch from the halcyon days of the late 1970s and early ’80s, when community radio was how New Yorkers learned about what was going on in the city’s underground cultural scenes.

“What Montez is doing reminds me of what I read about the Mudd Club or Danceteria,” said Adrian Rew, an East Village record store owner with a Montez show, “where punks and avant-garde artists and curators were all rubbing shoulders.”

[beanthree]

SE BUENO - TURQUOISEDEATH

Nice cross of indie, alt rock and jungle and I live for it. Good album, not a lot of misses besides the like 2 8-minute long ambient songs. Personally not a fan of dive, though i can see the appeal. I just don’t think the vocals really have a place on this album considering the rest of it doesn’t have any, unless they’re samples of dialogue. Escape Your Dream has a perfect soundscape and all around might be my favourite track off this release, giving an Alice in Wonderland dreamscape vibe and putting the listener into a hypnotic trance with its ethereal sounding pads and melodics carrying a sense of euphoria and rebirth. It’s nice to see guessabelle on this release as well, as it has personally been my favourite TURQUOISEDEATH release of all time. I do feel like that track has a place on this album, though the added sample took me by surprise and felt somewhat out of place on first listen. Despite the amount of good tracks on this album, it does feel like it’s missing something for me, like some detail, or just some more staple sounds. Crawl Space, a close 2nd for my favourite, provides the sound I’m looking for, but it is only one track of the release with three others being completely ambient. Even this track, featuring 2 0 2 1, kinda falls flat when it comes to standing out. The track is around 5 minutes long and hasn’t got a lot that makes me want to keep listening, though my interest is piqued towards the chops and breakdowns on this track. Overall pretty solid release from a small artist, not to mention the collabs from Astrophysics, 2 0 2 1, Asian Glow, Parannoul and Broken Teeth. 8.5/10

W’s:

- Guessabelle

- Sinking into You

- Crawl Space

- The Sky Fell

- Escape Your Dream

- Eureka

eh:

- Starfields

- Vertigo

- Dive

[septmilleneurones]

OK, I’m a heathen who doesn’t give a shit about looking perfectly virtuous when it comes to media consumption, so I’m gonna run through these points.

1) “I would rather pay a person than a corporation, so I’ll pirate the corporate stuff.” OR you could just pay for the indie stuff. 

They’re saying “I steal from the greedy, not from the struggling”. I'm cool with poor people taking that approach.

2) “You’re making up a dude for me to be mad at!”

You gave the “why pirating the antisemitic wizard game is still supporting the antisemitic wizard billionaire” spiel to someone who wasn’t talking about that. They have a point.

Look, you just said you don’t want to pay for corporate work. So engage with indie work rather than pirating. Simple. You’ll be giving indie artists more exposure and depriving corporations of buzz. 

If an indie work appeals to me, I will consume it legally if I have the money to do so. If not, I will not steal it for the reasons covered in 1), but I won’t prioritise it over the things I need my money for.

3) “But, but, but, I can’t because uhhhh I have no money!” Libraries.

Yes, I go to mine. I still don’t give a shit about people illegally watching Disney.

There are also a multitude of independent creators online who earn money for ad clicks/views, and you can view their stuff for free. My favorite dude on YouTube does this. His name is Simon Whistler and he does all kinds of cool science videos, for which I’ve never paid a dime.

I watch a number of things like that. I also watch Disney legally and don’t give a shit if people watch it illegally because Bob Iger is a greedy piece of shit who has more wealth than he will ever need.

4) “Libraries aren’t free!” Literally the definition of a library is that it’s free. That’s why they exist. 

https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Pages/fees-and-charges.aspx

Click “Borrowing fees”, scroll down. I think those are very cheap fees relative to the content, but some media at some libraries is indeed not free.

5) “They don’t have what I want!” Interlibrary loan will solve a lot of your problems, but for the rest, well, unfortunately you can’t always get what you want. I want front-row tickets to see Billy Joel. They’re over six hundred bucks. It sucks, but that’s how it is. I can go see a local band for like ten bucks, give them some eyeballs and maybe find a new fave. 

I still don’t give a shit about poor people stealing from corporations that, by your own admission, still get buzz from it.

6) “you just don’t get what I’m saying!” Apparently not, because what I’m hearing is that “I want to support indie artists” is a morality smokescreen for “I want to see the latest episodes of The Mandalorian but pretend I’m not supporting Disney.” Every time I say there is other media, you have an excuse. And you’ll have one this time, too. 

I don’t see that as something that needs a morality smokescreen.

One fallacy, I think, of anti piracy arguments is that a lot of them seem to assume that if I'm unable to pirate something I'm going to pay for it instead rather than going "oh! that's a terrible shame" and then quickly forgetting about it

[cuppajj]

Cybertronian music?

Hi!! I feel like sharing a headcanon of mine that I've had for a long time, that gives a lil worldbuilding to Cybertron. We've seen examples of Cybertronians enjoying earth music, but what does Cybertronian music sound like?

Personally, I like to think that as a technological race, Cybertronian music primarily consists of electronic music. Techno, EDM, Disco, House, Bass, anything that heavily uses electric instruments or sounds. Cybertronian music doesn't sound exactly like human music, either, with its different language and patterns! However there are still some similarities with composition and all of that stuff.

This is just a silly thought of mine, but I like to think that Cybertronian music, at least the popular ones, sound like Splatoon music!

If you haven't heard of the game/listened to its OST, and/or you don't know the lore behind it, I'll give a brief explanation to why I think it's like that. Splatoon's music isn't made by humans in-universe, but creatures that might as well be considered alien to them. While they share a lot of similarities with human music, they have their own style too, including a bigger emphasis on electronic music. They have vocals, but humans can't understand them because it's in another language. The Splatoon OST is also very diverse, with different artists and bands having different styles! Not all music sounds the same, which is also what I think fits for Cybertronians!

Here are some examples of what I think fits Cybertronian music:

Blitz It - How I would imagine a lot of popular band music would sound like. It would be big among younger Cybertronians especially! Picture big venues swarmed with fans.

Chopscrewey and Undertow - Another, more alternative variant of popular music, with less pure electronics and more emphasis on remixing and string instruments.

Shark Bytes and Fly Octo Fly - I'd equate this to what Earth Pop music would sound like on Cybertron. The musicians/idols who sing these are celebrities, due to their influence and extremely good songs! You'll always hear songs like these along with the above three songs, topping the charts and being played on big radio stations all the time.

Shooting Starfish - Not all Cybertronian music would be as fast paced as the ones above, and I think this would be a great example of a slower track that's still big among the crowd.

#8 Regret - The definitive Lo-Fi song. I think Lo-Fi would be pretty big on Cybertron compared to how niche it is here.

Frantic Aspic, Salmon Run Tutorial, and Fins and Fiddles - These songs would be expected to be heard among Cybertron's indie/underground scene. While some of them have electronics in them, they're way less dependent on them. These kinds of songs won't appeal to most Cybertronians; you have to have a specific taste in order to enjoy them.

Other honorable mentions:

Kinetosis

#14 Crush

Everything by Wet Floor and Chirpy Chips

Almost everything by Turquoise October (especially Girl from Inkopolis, Cephaloparade, and Tentacular Circus), and Dedf1sh

---

Frankly, there are a lot more I could add, but I've already plugged so many songs in! This isn't me trying to get people to listen to the Splatoon 2 ost, I just think a lot of the songs are really cool and really fitting for Cybertronians.

However!

I don't think all Cybertronian music sounds like this, I just think that this would be among the more popular types, especially with the younger side of Cybertron. Not all Cybertronians will find these kinds of things appealing, and everyone has their own tastes! Not all electronic music would sound like this either; I can also see a lot of the genres I initially listed being popular too.

I encourage you (if you want) to add to this with your own personal headcanons! :D

There isn't a lot of worldbuilding related to Cybertronian culture / pop culture, so that's why we gotta do it ourselves. Anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk

[path-of-my-childhood]

Taylor Swift: Pop Star of the Year

By: Jonathan Dean for The Sunday Times Date: December 27th 2020

Rather than hunker down, the singer put out two albums in 2020 and won over new audiences. She’s the pop star of the year.

Taylor Swift met Paul McCartney in the autumn for a big interview in Rolling Stone. The two would have headlined Glastonbury this summer. Who knows if they will do that next year. Anyway, both recorded albums in lockdown, working from home like the rest of us. When they spoke, though, Swift had a secret. As well as Folklore, released in July, she had a follow-up record in the pipeline — Evermore, which was released this month.

Swift noted that the former Beatle was still so full of joy. “Well, we’re just so lucky, aren’t we?” he said. “We’re really lucky,” Swift replied. “I can’t believe it’s my job.” And she is right. Being a pop star is an extraordinary way to earn the living she does. But rather than accepting luxury and letting this tough year tumble on, Swift is also keenly aware what music means. Sad songs soothe, happy songs make us dance, but as fans of most artists waited for something — anything — this year, this 31-year-old released two albums that broke chart records, were critically adored and introduced her to people who once thought that she wasn’t for them.

“I’m so exhausted!” she said to the American chat show host Jimmy Kimmel, laughing, a few weeks ago, when asked if she had a third new album planned. “I have nothing left.” In addition to Folklore and Evermore, she filmed a TV special and even started rerecording her back catalogue, after a volatile dispute over who owns her work. By October I’d just about cobbled together my first sourdough loaf.

A decade ago Swift moved firmly into the limelight thanks to a squabble with Kanye West entirely of the rapper’s own making. In 2009, when Swift — then a nascent country music star — won the best female video award at the VMAs, West stormed on stage, grabbed her microphone and said that Beyoncé should have won. Swift was 19 — West was 32 — and she looked scared. This wasn’t just about her biggest moment yet being stolen, but also about her position in the pop hierarchy being questioned, very publicly, from the off. She stood there as that man bullied her. Apparently she left the stage in tears.

Years later West released Famous, with its infamous lyric “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/ Why? I made that bitch famous.” The alt-folk singer Father John Misty also wrote about sleeping with her. Every time that sort of thing happened, a powerful man in Swift’s industry was reducing a successful, talented, younger female to the level of a sex object. It was back-in-your-box belittling — as it was when a TV host groped her. (She successfully sued him.) While Swift herself would retort to West, as her music became less country, more slick pop, such retorts felt forced and gave the rapper too much of her oxygen. A nod to him on Folklore comes with the “Clowns to the West” line, but it is a sideshow now, not a headline.

Not that Swift’s life is entirely her own. She’s been one of the world’s bestselling female artists for a decade, coupled with curiosities such as a well-orchestrated relationship with Tom Hiddleston that kept her in the spotlight. Like many twentysomethings, Swift spent her youth apolitically, only to receive flak for staying silent during the 2016 US election. This year she endorsed Joe Biden, but what if she had wanted to stay quiet? Would the media have let her? She is under so much scrutiny that, after she made an innocuous hand gesture in a recent TV interview, similar to one women make to draw attention to domestic abuse, this headline ran: “Some people think Taylor Swift is secretly asking for help in her latest interview.”

Like many at the start of the pandemic she felt listless. The world we were used to was a wasteland, and we could only find the energy to watch Normal People. Swift’s ennui, though, was, well, swift. Stuck in LA, she emailed Aaron Dessner of the beloved beardy indie band the National to see if he fancied writing with her. No fool, Dessner said yes and, mere weeks later, the duo — with help from Swift’s regular collaborator Jack Antonoff as well as Justin Vernon, from the beloved beardy indie band Bon Iver — released Folklore. The gang just carried on working and, five months later, gave us Evermore.

Creativity is not on tap. Indeed, this year is not one for judging what others may or not have achieved. However, the silence of many big pop stars is striking because they know that even a single would make someone’s day; distract for a while.

Everyone needed to adjust to working from home, but Swift was one of the only musicians who did and, by eschewing the arena pop of recent albums for something more subdued, organic and folky, she gave the sense that she was letting fans in more than ever. She was at home, like us. This is who she is, and the first single from these sessions was so cosy, it was even called Cardigan.

“I just thought, ‘There are no rules any more,’” she told McCartney. “Because I used to put all these parameters on myself, like, ‘How will this song sound in a stadium?’ If you take away the parameters, what do you make? I guess Folklore.”

Maybe it is tedious, for a deft writer with a career of varied, brilliant songs — Love Story, I Knew You Were Trouble, Blank Space — to find respect from some people only when artists who appeal to middle-aged men start to work with her. On the other hand, pop has never been particularly welcoming to many until it sounds like something you are used to and, with delicate acoustics and gossamer-like piano, Swift’s two new albums recall, sonically, Nick Drake or Kate Bush. Thematically, lyrics seem to come from anywhere. Daphne du Maurier, for one. Even the Lake District and its poets.

Some songs are personal. She is dating British actor Joe Alwyn, and on one track she sings, “I want to give you a child.” Make of that what you will. But these records’ highlights are not about herself, but others. “There was a point,” she told Zane Lowe on Apple Music, “that I had got to as a writer, [where I was only writing] diaristic songs. That felt unsustainable.” Instead, she does what the best writers do and mixes subjective with objective. The Last American Dynasty is a terrific piece of writing about the socialite Rebekah Harkness, who lived in a Rhode Island house that Swift bought and was, by all accounts, a bit scandalous. Swift tells her story almost with envy. Imagine, she seems to say, that freedom.

“In my anxieties,” she said in Rolling Stone, “I can often control how I am as a person and how normal I act. But I cannot control if there are 20 photographers outside in the bushes and if they follow our car and interrupt our lives.”

Then there is Epiphany. The first verse is about her grandfather, who fought in the Second World War; the second about frontline workers in hospitals now. Sung in a high register, it is suitably choral. Marjorie, on Evermore, is even better. It is about her grandmother, an opera singer who died in 2003. “What died didn’t stay dead” is the repeated line, and it is eerie, gorgeous. Swift sings how she thinks Marjorie is singing to her, at which point some vocals from the latter’s recordings waft in. Touching, but the real power is in Swift writing about vague memories of a relative who died when she was young. “I complained the whole way there,” she sings. “I should’ve asked you questions.”

In person she is warm like this, and funny. When Kimmel told her there were far more swearwords on Folklore and Evermore than previous records, she replied: “It’s just been that kind of year.” She is also odder than people realise. In the way pop stars should be. Obsessed by numerology, she wrote, on the eve of her birthday when announcing Evermore: “Ever since I was 13, I’ve been excited about turning 31 because it’s my lucky number backwards.” When I turned 31 I just wished to be 13 again, with all that youth, but then, maybe, she is just joking. “Yes, so until I turn 113 or 131, this will be the highlight of my life,” she said. “The numerology thing? I sort of force it to happen.”

Swift, of course, is far from the first pop star to become public property, or have a close bond with fans. This year, however, she was one of the few to show that such adoration is not one-way. She is, simply, a fan of her fans — from planting secrets in her artwork and lyrics, to recording two albums of new music as a balm for them when real life became too deafening.

“One good thing about music,” sang Bob Marley. “When it hits you, you feel no pain.” The 80.6 million who streamed Folklore on its first day will attest to that idea. So will the four million who bought it. Swift is pop star of the year, no doubt — leaving her peers in her wake, on their sofas, rewatching The Sopranos.

[thevims2]

All the Single(s) ladies, ❤️/💔/🥘/🎵/📱/🔮???

sorry i made you wait! i got this while I was asleep... anyway my hcs under the cut!

Lola:

❤️ i talked a bit about the singles here and i feel like what i wrote for Lola is pretty much the idea i have for her love life... shes a Mystery to me.. she ahs an offscreen gf who no one sees ever. she never brings her over cause she hates most of her roommates, sometimes all of them. if i had to pick someone in strangetown for her to date maybe id choose crystal? just cause they share their aspiration, and maybe vidcund or lazlo introduced the two. but also what kind of sister would go with her brother's crush? a shitty one forreal

💔 i cant see her with ANY man of strangetown. NOT A SINGLE ONE. LESBIAN HOUSEHOLD. i especially dont like her with ajay, that guy is kinda boring like, she deserves better. also, i think both erin and kristen had kind of the hots for her at one point or another, but she never reciprocated

🥘 i think she has kind of a sweet tooth, but she prefers stuff like pies or like, carrot cakes over cupcakes or the like. she doesnt really like cooking, but enjoys jennys baking a lot

🎵i dont think she listens to that much music, except for when shes working. she usually picks instrumental music, like movie scores playlists, to help her focus. i think both her and chloe picked up some instrument to play as children/tennagers, but lola didnt like it very much

📱i think she uses social networks a lot, and she uses mostly stuff like twitter, i can see her getting argumentative with some rando on some specific issue on the internet. i bet shes active in political subreddits too

🔮 her and chloes used to swap identities for a day really often when they were kids, but for some reason people always seemed to catch on it. it took lola way too long to realize they still had different hair colors...

Chloe:

❤️ talking about otps with chloe is like, a SIN to me. shes THE romance sim, she dated half of strangetown, like i cant even think of her settling down with one person. but i really like the idea of her and erin dating at some point, both cause a) that sweet, sweet enemies to lovers dynamic and b) the way both pascal and loki would GO CRAZY knowing their sisters are dating.

💔 mmmmh i cant say i have a notp with chloe, i ahd to ask my gf who shes usually shipped with and she mentioned general grunt which,,, i honestly cant envision it, like first of all he hates aliens but also hes way too uptight for her.

🥘 i think she loves greasy, junk food. she snacks a lot, and she loves going to diners and ordering huge milkshakes and massive cheeseburgers. i think she likes cooking, and is pretty good at it

🎵she loves, of course, pop music. she doesnt have a favourite artist, but listens to the top 100 playlist everyday. she loves singing and plays some guitar and some bass too

📱instagram of course - she posts a ton of selfies and stories everyday, and likes to flirt on there with strangers. i almost said tik tok too, but i think she wouldnt see the point of it/wouldnt undertsand how it worked.

🔮 her fave thing to do with dates/people shes going out with is taking naps together

Erin:

❤️ im a huge erin/kristen fan tbh, but i also think erin/lazlo would be cute, theyre both kinda silly ppl in my head, i think theyd have fun together. sadly, she was a lesbian in my canon so :/

💔 erin/nervous. i dont see the appeal

🥘 idk why she gives off the vibe of someone who likes fish tacos to me. the soft shell ones, and the fish is seasoned with some lime dressing. she does cook sometimes, but she doesnt like making elaborate stuff for herself, sticking for simple dishes.

🎵she listens to indie&/folk music all the time, and tells everyone how it helps keep her aura fresh and vibrant. she brags for weeks about the latest, obscure artist she found out, how good their music is, how authentic it is compared to all the other musicians nowadays... but she probably likes pop too, and considers a couple of singers her "guilty pleasure". no musical talent whatsoever

📱LISTEN. SHE DOES LIVE TAROT READINGS ON TIK TOK. WITH DONATIONS AND ALL. she also posts a lot on #witchtok and the likes

🔮 when i first played the singles household i accidentally made her die and had to mobilize almost all of strangetown to resurrect her with game mechanics

Kristen:

❤️ again personally, Kristen/Erin is just perfect to me. i bet they pined after each other for sooo long before they finally got together, and now theyre just a really cute couple. no im not projecting

💔 i cant see her with any dude honestly. again, lesbian household

🥘 i think she likes pasta dishes a lot, both cause theyre very filling and because she needs carbohydrates with all the sport she does. thats the only thing she can cook

🎵i think she unironically listens to dubstep, or the nowadays equivalent of it. she blasts it in her ears every morning during her jogging session, and she feels her ears bleeding by the end of her laps. cant sing really well, but has a good sense of ryhthm

📱she only uses facebook, the rest is a mystery to her.

🔮 she doesnt have a good sense of humor, she mostly likes puns but any more than that is lost on her