#for my taste song must have good blend of melody and singing or melody only

[tamersa]

You see I’m fairly old person and Ex-Aid have to little melody in it if that does make sense? It isn’t bad just those 11 i pointed out are better. As for Den-o opening i dont like original ver becauseit is boys bandish/idol and i mostly don’t fancy such genre of music. Even in  the 90′ when i was target group it wasn’t my cake. BUT I like Taros version of this much. Because boysbandish feel disapear ^^’

[reikeip]

Crossroad ♱ Curse 5

Location: Outside the Hasumi Temple

Keito: ♪~♪~♪

Koga: (...!? Woah, what the hell’s this?)

(Comin’ from that little bitty Shamisen is this huge force!)

(If the roar of my guitar was an explosive… I’d call it a bomb, and that right there’s a machine gun! It’s like I’m being shredded by his sound…?!)

(This guy ain’t all talk! He’s top-notch!)

(As expected of Sakuma-senpai, who’s famous for hangin’ out with no one. He’s workin’ with this guy at every given opportunity, and it ain’t for no reason!)

(This guy… He really is Sakuma-san’s partner, or is it more like his right-hand man?)

(His docile looks tricked me, he’s a rock n’ roller too~!)

(I’m surprised, he’s actually pretty cool…☆)

Keito: …What is it, Oogami? Your hands have come to a stop. Perhaps you’ve become charmed listening to me?

Koga: Wh!? No, no, you just startled me ‘cause you started playing outta nowhere!

Oh, yeah, is that all ya got, senpai?! You just caught me off guard with a sneak attack!

Keito: Of course not, I’ve yet to warm up. I haven’t touched the Shamisen in quite some time, so I must re-introduce myself to it.

… I’ll only be raising the tempo from here on out. Try to keep up with me, if you can.

Koga: B-bring it! We’ll use that shamisen and my guitar to make a blend of Japanese and Western styled music!

I’m gettin’ revved up just thinking about what kinda never before seen tunes will be born! Kyahahaha ☆

♪~♪~♪

Keito: ♪~♪~♪

Rei: Ahaha. Things got pretty exciting ‘round here, even while the starrin’ actor was skippin’ out, eh~? Mind if I join in on this session?

Adonis-kun, there should be a Japanese flute ‘round here somewhere, so why don’t ya nab that. Let’s play wind instruments~ and if ya aren’t confident playin’ that, your ocarina should be fine too.

But since ya came all this way to Japan, don’t ya think it’d be nice to get your hands on a local instrument and give it a spin?

Adonis: ……

Koga: …? Woah, Sakuma-senpai… and? Eh, who’s that guy!?

Keito: Oogami, don’t let that stop your hands from moving. Stay focused, please. Your musical performance is all over the place, you novice.

Koga: I’ve been scolded!? Yeah yeah yeah, I’ll play until there’s a good place to stop for the time being

Aah damn it, I wanna give Sakuma-senpai a proper greeting!

Rei: Nah, ain’t no need to greet me. Let’s skip out on the formalities~♪

Adonis: ♪~♪~♪

Rei: Haha. With the ocarina mixin’ in there, it’s starting to sound like somethin’ where I got no clue what direction it’s tryna take.

But it ain’t too shabby, y’know. No matter what country ya were born in, we’re all just fellow dudes livin’ on the same planet.

Hmmm~ If I was in charge of playin’ this flute, the performance would lean too much towards the Japanese style and become unbalanced. So I’ll take a risk an’ sing a Swedish song to further the exotic atmosphere we’re workin’ with.

Everything arises from chaos. Let’s weave a melody of our very own, before some boorish god tries to stop us!

♪~♪~♪

Location: Hasumi Temple, Main Hall

Rei: Whew, Japanese tea is delicious ☆ Did it always taste this good?

I sure do forget easily. Well, my memory resettin’ itself makes things feel all fresh and new, so I think it’s fine! Ahaha ♪

Here, drink Adnois-kun, drink. A parishioner of this temple has gotta great tea field, ya see~ I think the tea from there’s the best in all of Japan.

Adonis: Thank you for this tea.

Keito: Hey. Sakuma-san… I don’t mind if you kick back and make yourself at home here, but the least you could do is explain yourself.

For starters, who is this boy I don’t recognize, and where’d you pick him up from?

Rei: Hmm~ somewhere ‘round Arabia. I got an old teach of mine who lived there, so I stopped by on my way to some work overseas, an’ he was left in my care.

So get this. His country’s always got some sorta quarrel goin’ on, so apparently Adonis-kun goes back and’ forth between Japan and his homeland every time there is a political upheaval or somethin’.

So as far as it goes, he’s a student of Yumenosaki.

Ain't that right, Adonis-kun?

Adonis: Yes… I, too, am a Yumenosaki Academy student. However, I haven’t been able to attend class that much.

Even in the case that I must return to my home country I take classes, they’re given to me as a form of distance learning… I am a special case, so my attendance is counted for like that.

Keito: Hm. I’ve heard of something like that. I see, you’re Otogari…uh, Adonis, I presume? Is that the right name?

Adonis: Yes. I am Otogari Adonis, that is correct.

My Japanese, can it be understood?

Keito: Yes, your pronunciation is clear and easy to comprehend. I take it that you’ve studied Japanese quite a bit.

Adonis: Well… It’s more that I naturally picked it up, since I had to travel between here and my home country from a young age. Though, it seems I speak rather awkwardly.

Being more, informal? Is what Sakuma-senpai taught me is the more desired form of speech.

So, that is what I am practicing. Because I, want to get along with everyone.

← previous | all | next →

[the-nightmare-before-bucky]

everything i love about hunchback of notre dame

*the g-slur will be replaced with roma, romani, or something else and will have brackets ([ ]) surrounding it to indicate a word change*

Olim -  i love the build up at the end into bells of notre dame 

bells of notre dame -  ”and some say the soul of the city’s the toll of the bells, the bells of notre dame” the fact that it’s esmeralda singing it. we’re already off to a great start.  jehan’s voice is so nice it’s beautiful the foreboding saints after jehan dies and right into the “ahhhhs’ “and the saints regarded frollo from their stone facade and he felt their gaze as if it were the eyes of God” - the difference between the stone saints for frollo and quasi is so interesting. One sees them as terrifying, boring into his soul because of his darkness within, while the other sees them as his friends and aid on his journey.  the way frollo says quasimodo “now here is a riddle to guess if you can, sing the bells of notre dame” “what makes a monster and what makes a man?” - song by Quasi. It just makes me tingle, I love it.  the way this song sets up so many motifs is just so good

Out There -  the beginning is manipulation 101 (it is I alone, your only friend, how can i protect you, etc)  michael arden is an icon i swear. he is phenomenal. his e m o t i o n “but part of theeeeeem and Ooooooout there” “out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives”  “heedless of the gift it is to be them. if I were in their skin I’d treasure every instant” “i swear i’ll be content with my share. won’t resent won’t despair old and bent I won’t care. I’ll have spent oooone daaay out theeeeeeeeeere” Amazing, showstopping, what a way to open a show and introduce a character, I cry almost every single time

Topsy Turvy pt. 1 -  “somehow i can wander through this helter skelter without fear now. no one sees i’m here now out here in the woooorld!” ugh i love him  “on the sixth of januervy” too catchy

Rest and Recreation -  I used to hate this song but now i’ve matured and learned that it is amazing I just love the tune, idk, it’s so fun and catchy until you get to the bridge and that’s what i love “rest and recreaaaaaa- four years at the front...” that’s on ptsd “the air filled with a stench of bodies in a trench. whoever pays the most i call my liege.” just the bitterness when he says that line. Amazing.  “and whatever i do i’ll make sure this is true i will never go back again.” i literally adore this part so much. it gives him so much motivation. and then we go right back into him being flirty because he’s covering up his ptsd with fun “But for a few night fun is my mission” oh me oh my that’s very attractive he sounds so awkward talking to frollo im going to cry  “there is no time for rest and recreation,” poor guy

Rhythm of the Tambourine -  “flash of an ankle flip of a skirt...come see me dance, hey what can it hurt?” I just love how she sings this part its so well done the dance break music is amazing. it’s just so nice and a great vibe.  “this girl who is she” the layers!!!! all three of them doing it in rounds!!! I love it!!! “she dances like the devil//she dances like an angel//an angel” AHHHHH beautiful, great way to show the differences in characters “but with such fire// such fire” I am in love with this line oh my gosh. like frollo is thinking about hellfire and pheobus is just like heart eyes i am also in love with esmeralda thank you

Topsy Turvy pt. 2 -  “aren’t you going to join in on the competition?” she’s so cute and pretty and i love her “we asked for the ugliest face in paris and we found him, aye?” love  “eeev...ry..bod...y”  “Hail to the king....oh what a king...girls give a kiss...we’ve never had a king like this!” just so much fun to sing 

Into Notre Dame -  “how could you do this to me?” more manipulation  “like a begger recieving an alm.” i love a good simile “the light of notre dame” I love the way she sings this, it’s just so good 

God Help the Outcasts -  “were you once an outcast too?” i love this because the answer is yes. Jesus was treated as other because of His teachings. He was most definitely an outcast, literally cast out of so many different towns. And He does listen to her prayer and it just makes me so emotional.  i literally...there is nothing wrong with this song. everything about it is beautiful.  “God help the outcasts or nobody will” chills every single time “I ask for love I can possess. I ask for God and hos angels to bless me” right into “I ask for nothing, I can get by” I LOVE IT SO MUCH it’s so beautiful.  the chorus of this show deserves a raise “but I know so many less lucky than I” really helps to show Esmeralda’s character a lot I think. 

Top of the World -  such a beautiful song like I could write the entirety of this song here because I love it so much I love the saints part so much the part when the saints are singing and esmeralda are singing is just beautiful especially the part “here at the top of the world(E)//look at you sitting at the top of the world(S)” “the two of us sitting/the two of us sitting/the two of you sitting” right into “On top of the world!” one of my favorite parts of the entire show oh my goodness. The way Quasi, Esmeralda, and the Saints all blend together so well is just askjhfklafkj

Tavern Song -  I can’t not dance to this song oh my it’s so so so fun.  just like the melody especially during “in the dark of the night, in the dead of the winter...come keep me warm until morning” I LOVE  It gives me very much Jack and Rose vibes from that part in Titanic “with the taste of the wine, hold me close while we’re dancing, but I hear you sighing, winter is dying, you’ll keep me warm until morning” HER VOICE IS SO GOOD the cross between the tavern folk singing and frollo singing in the Hellfire tune is just so good. just so good. i’m going to cry this show is beautiful.  the fading “come keep me warm until morning”s is UGH so good

Heaven’s Light -  When I tell you how much I adore this song.... his voice is just so soothing. the little flute thing in the background is just so sweet the way he sounds so happy the first time he says “Heaven’s light” i love him so much “but” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i cannot  “I swear it must be heaven’s liiiiiiiiiiiiiiight” one of my favorite notes in the entire show i swear it’s so beautiful also the bells of notre dame going right into Hellfire....ICONIC

Hellfire -  One of my favorite villain songs ever. Especially in this version, you can really hear his inner turmoil over Esmeralda. and i just love it.  from the get go, frollo is trying to put him above everyone (”you know i am a righteous man”, “so much purer than...”) and yet he is still struggling with lust like everyone else...he’s still a sinner “i feel her, i see her, the sun caught in her raven hair, is blazing in me out of all control” SO GOOD  “Like fire, hellfire” go look back at what he says in rhythm of the tambourine because it’s the same thing and i just “is turning me to sin” blaming esmeralda for his own sinful thoughts. it is not her that is turning him to sin. he is sinning of his own accord. but also the desperate way he says sin is always so interesting  “it’s not my fault, i’m not to blame, it is the [roma] girl, the witch who set this flame! It’s not my fault, if in God’s plan, he made the devil so much stronger than a man!” I really really love this series of lines so much. I can’t really explain it, but especially that last part. it just breathes a supposed “holy man” who can’t accept that his sins are his own and caused by himself so he’ll blame every single other thing other than himself. i’ve known too many people like this. “protect me maria, don’t let this siren cast her spell, don’t let the fire sear my flesh and bone” just so good. I love the voices in the background.  “destroy esmeralda and let her face the fire of hell, or else let her be mine and mine alone” he would rather condemn an innocent woman than confront his own sin. again, so many people are like this today. it’s just so thrilling to see that mindset condemned in media. also, patrick page is amazing  “hellfire, dark fire” the tone switch from him being scared of the hellfire the first time he said it to now he’s using it as power (how many of us have had hell weaponized against us? raise of hands?) is just so frightening and amazing all at the same time “God have mercy on her, God have mercy on me” I cannot tell you how much I love this line. it is phenomenal, especially the way Page sings it. I think that it is one of the central lines to his character (along with the “wicked shall not go unpunished” which i’ll probably talk about later) just the emotion he has in his voice when he says this line....chef’s kiss. especially with the next line (”but she will be mine or she will burn”), it seems like he knows what he’s doing is wrong (hence why he needs mercy), but he’s going to do it anyway

Esmeralda -  easily one of my favorite songs in this entire show. what an amazing end of act song oh my  the trumpets!! at the beginning!!! I love it!! “being under suspicion of sorcery, witchcraft, and the arts of hell” that is not actually why he’s arresting her which doubly means he knows that what he’s doing is wrong the tune of this song is SO GOOD I LOVE IT “these are the flames of Esmeralda...” this dude is obsessed with fire feels very much like the mob song from beauty and the beast “with the might of Notre Dame” using God in such a vulgar manner is blasphemous and frollo knows it. he’s using God’s might and strength to hunt down an innocent woman because he can’t control his own desires. I’m losing my mind “but the madam, that whore, denied it and swore by the saints, the saints of notre dame” i have no idea why but I adore this line and i love the way that it was song. I used to think that the madam was actually just esmeralda in disguise which made the next part of the song seem all the funnier the little lute strumming after frollo says “very well, we’ll set fire to it” because pheobus is having a change or heart “and he held the torch that crackled like the [woman’s] voice....and he knew this was the moment he must make a choice” this is why i like the play phoebus and not really the movie phoebus very much. i just love it  the chorus singing God help the outcasts in the background...amazing...chills “you’d throw away a promising career” Frollo’s desperate attempt to get him to comply  “God help the outcasts, or nobody will!” I LOVE THIS PART WITH MY WHOLE SOUL IT IS SO GOOD sometimes i’ll listen to this song on repeat just to hear him say this “you’re relieved of your patrol” “consider it my highest honor.” Iconic. just...so good. gives me very much “thank you for your consideration” vibes  the way frollo says kyrie eleison here is just so good frollo’s little speech is very cool with the chorus in the background I love Quasi’s little frantic verse there. you can hear his desperation in “fire, fire, smoke and flame” and then “is that all that I can do?” he wants to help his friend but he can’t and I know how horrible that feels phoebus part!!!!! I love it!!!! his voice is so nice!!! “with my career and body left for dead” nice, good, amazing.  “out there...” AHHHHHHH YES MOTIFS “somewhere she is lost//somewhere she is lost//Esmeralda!” love this bit so much  “the flames grow tall and sharp as fluer de lis” what a good metaphor, so good, so nice, I love the chorus they’re all amazing “all paris burns for esmeralda” now we’ve got burning again. are we talking about how paris is literally on fire because frollo is insane or is it the mob mentaility that is “burning” inside of them? good question.  “and still it all comes down to her and me” says three people. I love the melodies here. chills. so many of them. I love.  “the devil dwells in esmeralda//oh esmeralda//oh esmerlada//oh esmeralda” AHHHH again AHHHHHHH i love this bit (yes I know I say that a lot but its the truth) “wake up the city and sound the alarm!” good yes they’re all singing different bits and it’s growing and your heart is pounding until.... “these are the flames of esmeralda”  and then it all falls apart again oh my gosh it’s beautiful  until “the bells of notre dam!” and the “ah, ah, ah”s that I adore so much I love this song so much 

Entr’acte I can’t imagine how fun this would be to sing. it’s just a vibe Flight Into Egypt - I used to skip this song but I have since learned the error of my ways because i love it “then Quasimodo you can too” love that, just like he says it “and she gave it to you because she knows you’re smart” the fact that these are just part of his imagination so it’s really him telling himself he’s smart and i’m going to cry I love him so much “and this jewel must show where we’re supposed to meet” love his voice so much “it’s a map. it’s a map!” he’s so excited. he deserves the entire world.  “I’ll save esmeralda, her angel will be me,” brb crying  “for her I will be strong” still crying I love the entire end bit how their voices meld and the music swells all up until Quasi sings the last bit. it’s just so amazing

The Court of Miracles -  I’ve always loved this song. it’s so fun, but also sad.  “brother you’re there” YES  “but the dead don’t talk so you won’t be reveal what you found!” dead man tell no tales vibes “Not terribly different from bees in a hive” I love how erik says this line. claupin would be so fun to play oh my.  “where it’s a miracle...if you get out alive”  “any last words....i thought not *laughter*” obsessed with this  “but we must protect at all cost our secret, it’s our lives or yours!” and that’s the sad reality. that’s what makes this song sad to me.  “So you’re going to hang!” a lighter note as an end. very nice. 

In a Place of Miracles -  a few notes in and i’m already crying this song is so beautiful and i adore it. it makes me sad in a million ways but it also makes me so happy. the play did such a great job of making me love pheobus and esmeralda but also feel so, so bad for Quasi “but somehow you have made me someone new” yup i’m definitely crying “now i’m asking if you’ll let me come with you” you can’t see me but the tears are real “though our lives are tattered and torn, all i’m feeling now is reborn. i must be...” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Pheobus and esmeralda’s voices just meld together so well im gonna cry it’s so nice and as soon as the first chorus is over, the tears of happiness turn into tears of anguish because Quasi pulls up with his heaven’s light reprise and it tears my heart to shreds my heart breaks for him esmeralda and quasi singing at the same time gives me very much eponine and marius vibes from a heart full of love (we love victor hugo so much /sar) like the parallels in what the both of them are saying is just phenomenal “no more need for a heart of stone//better to have a heart of stone!” AHHHH STOP I LOVE IT AND IT HATE IT AT THE SAME TIME “that holds no hope in heaven’s light” stop i’m so sad and then the chorus come in and it’s just so beautiful “will we reach a friendlier shore, will we find a haven once more, where we’ll be in a place of miracles...” it’s so gorgeous “where’s my place of miracles//in a place of miracles” that sound? yeah that’s me sobbing in the corner and it builds again and i love it so much it’s just so beautiful 

Justice in Paris -  this is the least played song on spotify (by like hundreds of thousands) and I think that’s so funny but i think the chorus does such a great job here, as usual, because they just have that menacing sound to them

Someday -  another of my favorite songs. this one is hauntingly beautiful and I have so many opinions. get ready.  esmeralda is just so sad and you can hear it in every single word she says. god my heart is already breaking.  “that i’d live to see a day of justice dawn” i haven’t actually seen the stage version so i’m not sure if they have the part where she cries out “justice!” when quasi is getting attacked, but this part just hurts me to the soul because of that specifically. she cried out for justice and now she gets none. “and though I will die long before that morning comes, i’ll die while believing still it will come when I am gone” this line just hits so, so hard. i can’t even talk about it. just imagining her singing this and pheobus listening to her with tears in his eyes...nope i cannot...i will cease to exist and then he joins in and i can just imagine her feeling no longer alone because she’s hoping that it comes “someday” and he’s echoing it, assuring her that it will. I can just picture her trying to stay strong as she says “Godspeed this bright millennium on its way” but she can’t and so her words fall out as she’s saying “let it come” and she can’t finish but pheobus finishes it for her. “someday” and I can just see her breaking down. she’s going to die and she never gets to see it, but he assures her that it’s coming. and he starts it up again. he starts singing again, and I think that it gives her the strength she then needs to finish.  “someday, these dreams will all be real. Til then we’ll wish upon the moon!” of all the lines in the entire play, this is my absolute favorite. the way the sing it, the power they hold, their voices blending together so smoothly and perfectly. i cannot handle how amazing it is.  “one day...some day...soon” and just like that, i am sobbing. beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful. 

While the City Slumbered - i love this little song. it’s so pretty and fast and it just gives us exactly what we need to know. love. 

Made of Stone -  Now to the last of my favorite songs. (Finale doesn’t count because although I love it, it hate it). You wanna know which song has the top score of making me cry the most? That’s right. This one right here. Let’s get into it. the talking at the beginning is a yes from me. “I only make things worse!” felt that also, the sound of him sobbing ruins me. “how do you know what I believe, what do you know of me? what do you know of all the things I feel? you’re only made of stone” finally him acknowledging that they’re not actually real and all apart of his imagination. “who is it that you see, instead of seeing what I am for real?” imposter syndrome? I understand that. “this twisted flesh and bone” the EMOTION  “you’re a liar” bro i cannot physically handle this. i can’t. I will cry. I am cry “would that I were made of stone like you,” back to that place of miracles song. i just he’s just so desperate. the only thing he could ever trust has fallen. He has nothing left. he can’t even trust himself (because that’s really all the stone saints by) “shut my brain down, if I were senseless, I’d prefer it” i totally understand the feeling of this. so often when thing go wrong in my life, i would like to shut down completely and stop existing and I think that’s what makes this song hit so damn hard “another gargoyle on this turret, spitting rain down to the stones below!” there is so much passion in his voice I love it so much. michael arden deserves the entire world for this performance “i’ve waste my faith believing in saints of plaster,” OUCH “the only one worth believing in was my master,” OUCH AGAIN “he’s the one who never lied. he told me it was cruel outside. he told me that i had to hide. his words were cold as stone, but they were true.” i can’t describe how emotional these lines make me. because he’s right but also it is such a painful, hard truth. ugh, i  “not like you”  “take all the dreams you’ve stone, take all your lies and leave me alone”  “alright Quasimodo, we’ll leave you alone,” that one hurt because as someone who pushes people away when they’re self destructing, the most painful part is seeing them actually leave you. even though you asked them too. “you’re right Quasimodo, we’re only made of stone, we just thought that you were made of something stronger.” now that’s a mic drop That would cut so, so deep.  “never again to wonder what’s out there” m o t i f s  “let it remain unknown. and my one human eye forever more be dry until the day i die, as if I were made of stone”  such a beautiful, heartbreaking, real song that I think so many people can relate to. I know I can. I have cried to this song so many times. I love it.  also, he holds that note for so long i’m impressed.

Finale - this song is long so get ready for it.  the crimes that Esmeralda is guilty for are not the ones that she was originally hunted for. he switched up his story. “the sentence is death!” immediate kyrie eleison (which i think is for frollo and not esmeralda) she spits in his face like a freaking queen “esmeralda!” Quasi’s cry is just so heart shattering and emotional I am so sad “he could remain stone no longer” I love that “sanctuary! sanctuary!” with the victorious sounds in the background are just so amazing “hear me, people of Paris, how much oppression will you allow?” with the chorus singing Someday in latin in the background?? I am not crying again “someday, your patience will finally break. why not make someday come right now?”  that part is just chef’s kiss. I love it so much. also, that’s the last we hear of pheobus. I’ve always wondered if he died so someone whose been in/seen the play, could you tell me? quasi’s prayer to the saints is just so good. i just love it so much. so beautiful. and it being similar in tune to Heart of Stone and having the part “raining fire on the stone below!” is just so good and then the moment between quasi and esmeralda is just... “you are home.” “home.”  and then we go to the top of the world reprise. haha. haha. ha.  “in my eyes you are beautiful too,” comparing him to the beautiful morning “i don’t think...forever...” “you’re such a good friend quasimodo” “yes your friend” and then she freaking dies and i’m so sad and then the music changes so quickly and it makes my heart drop every time “because of you” cut deep “at last we’re free of esmeralda. now that she’s gone, a poison dies with her.” to the tune of esmeralda. bitch i would have thrown frollo off that roof too “here in our sanctuary...sanctuary” “sanctuary? no sanctuary without her”  “even...loved her.” “love? what do you know of love?” I adore this part because Quasimodo finally realizes that Frollo’s treatment of him wasn’t love. It never was.  “no. you are the weak one. you the wicked one. And the wicked shall not go unpunished!” I cannot explain the fire that this lights in my bones. it’s amazing. just so good. and then all the voices, like the saints, come in “the wicked shall not go unpunished. the heart of the wicked is of little worth. the wicked shall not go unpunished” and they’re no longer on frollo’s side (they never were) the rising voices as quasi picks up frollo and is going to kill him *chef’s kiss* “You don’t want to hurt me” “yes you do” so, so, so, so, so good. i can’t even explain. it’s just good.  in to the abyss below! damnation! “the world is cruel, the world is ugly” yes  “but there are times and there are people when the world is not” i’m not 100% positive, but i’m pretty sure that’s jehan again and that’s just so beautiful. “and at it’s cruelest it’s still the only world we’ve got” the bitter truth “out there” yup yup yup crying you can’t stop me The bit with the chorus singnig someday in latin and english...i literally cant handle it. it is so freaking beautiful. and the violin? the woman singing is an icon. the voices blend together so beautifully. I am overcome with emotion. i- Quasi singing the last “someday” and then the blending into the beginning song and ugh “but here is a riddle to guess if you can, what makes a monster and what makes a man?” with the entire ensemble? yeah, that one feels good.  and being left off with the “ah”s

yeah, brb, i’m going to go listen to it again.

[kosmosguk]

upcoming works | sneak peeks

to make up for the lack of posting for the past 2 weeks, here are snippets (in no particular order) of the beginnings of the ROUGH and very UNEDITED/incomplete drafts of upcoming fics that I’ve been working on while I’ve been gone to get you guys excited for the future schedule <3 ty for nearly 1.9k followers. All works, unless specified, are MATURE. 

if you guys are interested in a particular work, tell me about it and the ones that are more popular--as I will have more motivation to write them--will get finished faster!

a millennium of red strings | fox demon jungkook x reader 

Summary: a thousand years ago, jungkook and you were lovers in a world nearly destroyed by national strife. a millennium ago, jungkook held your dead body in his arms, powerless and unable to stop you from taking your last breath, and a millennium ago, jungkook sacrificed one of his tails for another chance for your reincarnation. A thousand years later, jungkook’s wish for your life is finally fulfilled by the god of destiny, but this time, jungkook, with hands stained by human hearts and a hunger for power, is no longer the wide-eyed adolescent boy with too many hopes to be fulfilled and too many weaknesses that you fell in love with. And this time, a millennium and a thousand human hearts later, he’ll go to drastic lengths to ensure that harm will never come your way.

You reached out a finger outside of your window to stroke the petals of the peonies your brother had planted you before he had left for war. He said that when he came back, he would buy you new clothes embroidered with blooming red peonies. Your fingers touched wet coarse fabric instead of the delicate soft petals you were expecting. Your mouth opened in a scream as you launched your body back in alarm, but a cold hand firmly clamped itself over your mouth as the figure in front of your window launched into your room and pushed you to the ground. The window shut behind the figure with a firm clack.

“Don’t say anything. If you do, I’ll claw your heart out and eat it, human.’’

The voice that spoke was the voice of a young man. You tried to push him off of you when your hands brushed against something soft and furry—was it an animal’s ears? You swallowed the gasp that threatened to bubble up in your throat and paused in your struggling when you heard sounds coming from outside.

You heard footsteps slap against the mud outside of your room, and you clamped your eyes shut. Something in your gut told you that whoever was outside would do much more damage to you than the demon currently in your room.

Several minutes after the sound of footsteps stopped, the demon pushed you away. You frantically got up to your feet, trying to remember your mother’s words when it came to demons. They were scared of light; you had to get to your candle. You grabbed onto it, splashing hot wax onto your hands in your hurry, to brandish at the strange fox demon.

Your mouth fell open at the sight. The gumiho was…beautiful? In the faint light of the candle, you could clearly see his features, especially since his hood had fallen off in the middle of your earlier struggle. He had wide doe-eyes, like an innocent animal, and pretty features that were on the brink of developing into a surely extremely handsome face. His figure was lanky from what you could see of him underneath the thick red cloak he was wearing. He reminded you of the men depicted in ink paintings of mythology where demons would come down and take the form of beautiful human beings to suck the energy from humans and eat their flesh.

You realized he was looking at you weirdly, and your cheeks burned as you realized that you had called him beautiful out loud without thinking.

“You’re not…scary?’’ the fox demon in front of you spoke.

You pointed at yourself.

“Aren’t you a gumiho?’’ you knew you were speaking crudely, but he was trespassing into your room. “What do you mean I’m scary? If anything, I should be the one terrified of you! I’m the human here!’’

The gumiho blinked his pretty eyes at you in surprise, his mouth opening to say something before you interrupted him, speaking rapidly in hopes that he wouldn’t find his next meal in you.

“I saved you by letting you into my room, so you can’t kill me, gumiho! Killing your savior would be a crime punishable by heaven. I don’t taste good anyways, I bet; I probably taste like mud and bitter herbs, so don’t even think about it!’’

The fox demon laughed, the sound clear and youthful. You were an amusing human being, weren’t you?

“I agree with you. I don’t feel like you’d make a good meal anyways. I suppose the heavens will punish me if I eat my savior, so I promise to not eat you. In exchange for saving me, I’ll give you my name. I’m Jungkook. If you have a wish, tell me it, and I’ll see if I can grant it’’

“Jungkook,’’ you beamed in relief at having your life for another night, and, without thinking clearly, you put out your hand for him to shake.

“I’ll tell you my name since you promised not to eat me. I’m (y/n). You better not forget it! I’d want you to save my brother, but you look young for a demon and not powerful, so while I’m waiting for my brother to come home, you should come visit me often.”

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, his ears flicking in confusion. Your wish…You really were an interesting human being. He almost made a fuss at you calling him not powerful; he was stronger than humans, for sure, but something kept him from saying that aloud. Some strange part of him didn’t want to scare you. He reached out anyways, clasping his hand around your softer and smaller one. Your hand was really warm; he almost didn’t want to let go. And you seemed nice, too, unlike the humans his master often told him of who were greedy and didn’t deserve the hearts they were bestowed with. Perhaps some part of him wanted to spend time with you.

He had to leave though; with a nod of goodbye and a twitch of an ear, Jungkook disappeared into the rain in which he had emerged from.

You couldn’t help but think to yourself: you really were a fool to ask a demon to come spend time with you. Why did your mouth never comply with what you really thought? You jutted out your lip in frustration, though the slight hint of joy touched your heart at the thought of company.

lineage 2 | duke yoongi x princess reader 

Summary:  When an engagement locks you, the 8th and forgotten princess, to the duke infamous for his cruelty, you find yourself counting the days until your inevitable death. It’s terrifying to think of your end, but when you arrive at his territory, you realize there’s a more morbid reason behind your marriage, and that the duke is much worse than the rumors have painted him out to be.

You were dreaming, at least that’s what it felt like to you. Some part of your mind knew that this was simply too vivid to be merely a dream, too real to simply be a figment of imagination spurred by an anxious mind. But you had never experienced this moment. You had no memories of this kind.

Flashes of someone’s life blinked in front of you, but the strange thing was, you were that someone. You were in their body; the skin and bones and flesh that made up them were also the same that made up you. The flashes stopped, blending colors stilling to spill a stark image onto a blank canvas as a particular memory unfolded before your eyes. You could feel the breeze of a summer’s day drift through strands of your hair, hear the soft whispering of the trees and the giggling of little fairies dancing in the wind and on your bare shoulders and arms. Their feet tapped against your skin in the giddiness of a rapid dance, the ticklish feeling causing you to let out a careless giggle as you swayed with them.

“The earth is singing. It coos and breathes and exhales its own melody,’’ the you in the dream spoke airily,’’ I can feel the song of nature in me, my child’s first breath, though that may sound quite trite to many.’’

It seemed like you were talking to yourself, or maybe even the fairies still dancing around and on you. That is, until dream you lifted your head towards another direction that you had been previously facing. The fairies all screeched before falling quiet, a silence so ominous and different compared to their previous activeness, and you could no longer feel their small feet lightly itching your skin. The air seemed to cool, the shifting from a summer’s day to a winter’s night.

“Well, I suppose you’re the only one who doesn’t find me so strange. I’m surprised you haven’t gone running from the first sight of the me behind the façade I put on before the Council. You either want what runs in my veins or…you must truly love me. Isn’t that right, Yoongi?’’

Arms wrapped around your body, and you could feel the weight of someone’s head on your shoulder. That someone pressed a soft kiss against your delicate neck before laughing hoarsely against your skin, sending shivers of pleasure down your spine. The voice was familiar. Yoongi? But why was he here? You had no control over your actions, however, trapped in the body of this someone who only giggled elatedly and maneuvered her body closer to the man.

“I can never go against you, can I? You know it’s the latter choice. My goddess…you are truly my—.”

His voice cut off, but you could feel his mouth still moving against your neck to form the last word. The dream was crumbling before you. You could feel the last sensations of the mirage you were experiencing dissipating into thin air, cracking into small bits and pieces.

As you woke up, the word he had mouthed lingered in your mind before fading like your dream had.

Obsession.

bloody artistry | celebrity taehyung x journalist reader 

Summary: when the scrutiny of fame becomes too much, perfect kim taehyung finds his peace within a lavish bathroom located two blocks away from the nearest club, a corpse in the bed with him. the fans have never questioned his behavior, not when his company is much too good at cleaning up his mess to not have done it before, but when a reporter with too many questions threatens to break the peace he’s established, he finds himself in a tango with the devil that he can’t bring himself to want to break.

Your mind was in a haze, and you didn’t notice the man next to you until he was nearly pressed to your side, barely leaving a gap of space between the both of you.

You glanced at him, your tipsy mind sobering up as you realized who the man next to you was. Kim Taehyung? What the fuck was he doing here?

‘‘Another drink for a pretty lady?” Taehyung’s teeth showed as he charmingly flashed a coquettish smile at you, his already extremely handsome features increasing in beauty from the grin.

You remembered Jungkook’s words and a chill ran up your spine, causing goosebumps to rise up on your skin and freezing you to the bar table. God, were you his next victim?

You swallowed dryly, trying to calm your racing heartbeat. The reckless journalist in you wanted to take a leap of faith at the headliner just out of reach, but the rational side of you knew that that leap of faith had a much bigger chance of you ending up disappearing off for a new job opportunity overseas, as Taehyung’s company would have it. You couldn’t write a good story if you were dead, after all.

‘‘Thank you, but I can pay for my own drinks,” your lips twitched as you forced them into a convincingly gentle smile, refusing his offer softly and moving your body casually a few inches away from him,” Drinking drinks bought by strangers isn’t really my thing.”

Your smile must’ve looked less nervous than you really felt and a hell of a lot convincing because Taehyung’s stiff shoulders seemed to relax at your words.

There was a dark gleam to his eyes when he pushed his body near yours and whispered softly into your ears.

‘‘If you’re scared of strangers, why don’t we get to know each other a little bit?”

Your fake smile grew stiff on your face. You felt like you were going to hurl the convenience meal ramen you had scarfed before coming to the bar all over the bar and Taehyung’s expensive looking clothes. You could feel the sense of dread in your bones, the kind a prey animal would feel as a predator focused their sharp eyes on their weaker body.

You forced a fake laugh, trying to drive the message that you were just not interested to Taehyung. “No thanks, I have enough people I’m close to. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ve left my friend alone for far too long on the dance floor.”

You pushed yourself off the bar table, flashing a polite smile before you headed over to the dance floor, trying to keep your pace slow and steady instead of the run you wanted to do.

Taehyung inhaled the lingering scent of your perfume, a smell that sweetly layered itself over the damp musky air of the club. His eyes, even as you tried to focus on the pounding music and forget the fear embedded deeply in your gut, never seemed to leave your form, even when you burrowed yourself deeply into the crowd away from his view.

divinity | god taehyung x demon reader 

Summary: it’s a classic tale: two lovers from two different worlds united by the red string of fate only to be tragically severed by their worlds. but for taehyung, who’s lived thousands of years as the high god of beauty and the arts, a classic tale will forever remain a classic tale. well, that is until he finds one of the injured from the enemy forces in his realm, and he can’t help but desire the perfect happy ending to a classic tale with you, even if it means forcing apart the barricade of tragedy that separates you from him.

Taehyung traced the swirls of ivory and scatters of porcelain in the white marble table mindlessly, his eyes barely focused on the scenery in front of his eyes. The warmth of Heaven’s sun soaked into the soft white cloth of his tunic and into his skin, and a cool breeze ruffled his soft pale locks, sending wisps of thin strands to frame his beautiful face. The sight of him looking so ethereal would’ve inspired mortal artwork had he not been alone.

All was peaceful in his realm, with not even a servant to flit nearby the pensive god; it was much too peaceful. Peace, after centuries of war with the demon clan, was not a fortune that was often bestowed upon Taehyung. Although he was the god of beauty and art, his rank as a high god forced him to take a large role in the war. It wasn’t until today that he was given a break to go rest at his home after Jungkook, the god of war, returned back to base after winning a bloody victory against one of the demon clan’s more powerful forces. 

But peace never lasted long when one was in the middle of a war, not in the mortal world and certainly not up in the heavens.

Taehyung knew something was off in his realm. He could feel it, the warning of a trespasser humming underneath his skull and throbbing in the tips of his fingers. 

Was it a rouge fairy? Maybe even one of his own? Or was it an enemy?

There was no one else in his realm with him besides lower-level fairies to act as his servants, everyone else having been forced away to the king’s realm in order to give Taehyung a much-needed break from the worries and chaos of war. The servants would be unable to fight off an intruder if they were high-level enough, but Taehyung knew that the barriers he had erected around his realm when he was at the height of power would hold steadfast against most high-level demons, or any beings that had desire to harm him, or at least stave them off long enough for reinforcements to come.

Taehyung quickly pushed himself up from his seat when he heard a crackle of gravel and stone underfoot. How did the enemy manage to get past his barriers so quickly? That was impossible. 

He slowly walked over, his footsteps silent against the ground, to the bush where he had heard the soft sounds of rustling come from, and the heavy odor of spilled blood invaded his sense of smell. 

There was a figure on the ground, blood dripping from a torn hole in their dark attire and staining the gravel the body was limply laying on. Taehyung stood their silently, his eyes unblinking, before the figure rolled over to face him, their body sagging as they finally lifted up their head, the hood of their clothes covering their features from Taehyung’s gaze.

‘‘Help me,” they croaked out desperately.

yandere bts world | seokjin x reader 

Summary:  [ENTERING KIM SEOKJIN’S ROUTE: CHECK IN...TO MY HEART!] Kim Seokjin, a hotel intern with dreams of being a top-class hotelier, finds a golden opportunity to fulfill his dream when he is forced to watch over a VIP customer’s difficult child. You, now as a pastry chef for the hotel’s kitchen, showing up should’ve just boosted his journey to fulfilling his dream, but each choice you make seems to lead you further away from the dreamy perfect ending and closer to a particularly bad ending. 

You could tell who it was right away. With his breathtakingly handsome features and heart-shaped lips parted slightly, Kim Seokjin lived up to the looks he frequently boasted about on the videos you spent hours watching. But he wasn’t on the other end of a screen anymore, glass and plastic against your thumb, he was here, real and in the flesh. But you could tell, with his dye-free hair and butler-like suit, that the Seokjin before you was not the Jin that you knew before the game started.

‘‘Kim Seokjin?’‘

The words came out of your mouth before you could stop them properly. You grew flustered, trying to think of an excuse that could make up explaining to the man before you exactly how you, a complete stranger, knew his name, before realizing just how still your surroundings were.

[You are about to enter Seokjin’s route for YBW. Click YES or NO before starting for confirmation. After clicking YES, there is no restarting.]

You could barely stop your hands from trembling as you reached up and pressed the sparkling YES.

The word did a little spin, twinkling in an eye-catching way before disappearing.

A set of instructions popped up.

[INSTRUCTIONS: You are now in a world where BTS is not BTS. To win hearts and boost your romance gauge for Seokjin’s GOOD ENDING, be careful about the choices you make throughout the game. Choices will pop up frequently during your interaction with Seokjin. There will be no going back once you have started playing, and once you have pressed a choice, you can not choose another. Be warned: BAD CHOICES END WITH A BAD ENDING, in which DEATH occurs. Press CONTINUE.]

You stiffened when you read the second to last line. You knew that this world wasn’t your world, and you had somehow managed to maintain a mild state of calmness, but the warning jostled your sense of fear and caused panic to rise up in your throat. You wanted it to be a lie, but when you squeezed your eyes shut and pinched yourself hard enough to leave a bruise, hoping to wake up in your bed, your hopes were dashed as you opened your eyes up to the same opaque white screen.

You suddenly didn’t want to play the game anymore.

You thought of making a run for it, but the game, as if sensing your thoughts, popped up with another screen.

[Please press CONTINUE. Failure to do so will be quitting the game, which will immediately result in the BAD ENDING.]

[kkysolo]

Rhythm and Melody / The Cultist

Summary: Teaching Cultist!Kylo how to dance (and how to sing) for the first time. Oh, God, I hope you guys like this. It’s driven me half demented thinking I haven’t gotten this quite right. 

Inspired by and for the lovely @meg-solo​ 

Pairing: Kylo Ren|Ben Solo/Reader (female) Setting: Modern AU, cult setting. Warnings: None for this piece, but please see AO3 for the full list of tags and warnings.  Word count: 2K A/N: Here we are, once again, with a music inspired piece (and another Turnover song, at that). The song in this fic is Bonnie (Rhythm and Melody) by Turnover. which is just really pretty and ambient and I just think it fits. (Also, now that I think about it, the whole song just sounds like their experience falling in love? I’m soft). As well as that, I always dance to this song, and I hum it all the time, too. The humming idea for this fic comes from the lovely sparrowtail over on AO3. As always, if any of you have any ideas for more of these little tidbits that we can add to this story (where there might not be room for them in the main fic) feel free to let me know.

Available under the cut, and here on AO3

 “And even though you aren't always sweet,”

You’re singing again. 

Kylo lifts his head from where it rests in his hand, turning slowly in his chair to look in the direction of the bathroom. Your voice, along with clouds of steam, billows from underneath the door. 

“You are all that's sweet at all to me,”

Sweet, he thinks. He prods you, poking at your bond until you begrudgingly respond to him. He senses your irritation - you’re annoyed that he’s interrupted you, though the feeling fades as quickly as it comes. 

In this context it means nice, delightful. He hears the water trickle to a stop.  It can also reference how something tastes. Like, if it’s sugary. 

Kylo repeats the word ‘sugar’ questionably under his breath, though he knows you can’t hear him. He’s unsure if he’s ever tasted sugar. 

“I’ll show you one day,” you call out to him. “But I’ll warn you, it’s addictive.” 

“Does that mean it’s good?” 

“Very,” the door cracks open and he can see you now, covered only by your towel. He hates it when you do this, though he’s never been able to discern why. He thinks, perhaps, it’s because the sight makes him feel things deep in the core of his body that he quite doesn’t understand - things he wishes he  could . “Can you pass me my nightdress?” 

He swiftly gets to his feet, picking it up carefully from where it’s draped across the bed. The black silk glides through his fingertips, and he thinks about how soft it must feel against your skin. He steps toward you, placing the garment tentatively in your hands. 

“Thank you,” you move to close the door, but he quickly pulls it back open. The force of it, the way his palm almost slams against the wood, startles you. 

“Kylo,” you warn. “I’ll be out in a minute.”  “Can’t you leave it open?”

You cock an eyebrow at him. 

“Why do you want it open?” “So that I can hear you properly.”  “Hear me do what?”  “Sing,” he murmurs, retreating back to his seat. “And I don’t like it being closed, anyway.”  “Well it has to be closed sometimes, Kylo,” you say incredulously. “I need  some privacy.” 

Kylo ignores your statement, picking his pen up as he sits back at his desk. He doesn’t care for privacy. He cares only for being close to you. 

“Can you keep singing?”  “If I have to keep it open, then you can’t turn around.” 

Kylo chooses not to respond. He doesn’t quite understand the meaning of privacy, or why it’s a necessity. He’s never really had it - any moment of quiet he’s  ever  had has been quickly and brutally interrupted. Every intimate function of his body has been watched, every wash, every toilet break has been assisted and observed. At least, it was. Now that privacy is something he’s forced to face, he’s unsure he understands its purpose. Even showering by himself is still a task - he’s not quite sure how to do much of anything on his own. And though you know this, and though you know he won’t turn around now that you’ve asked him not to, you still duck behind the door, completely out of sight. 

You slip your nightdress on in seconds, tossing your towel to the corner of the bathroom floor. You don’t have the luxury of a laundry basket. But whenever you leave the room for dinner or for training, the dirty towels have disappeared, fresh ones in their place. You often wonder who takes them, who tends to your quarters while you’re out. You wonder if they have more freedom than you do. Than Kylo does. 

You step back into the room, barefoot and clean, your skin still slightly damp. You hum softly as you make your way to the bed. The notes hang in the air, magical and empyreal and oh, so pretty. Kylo sits up straight in his seat. 

“Now what are you doing?” Kylo turns to you, watching as you sit.  “What do you mean?” “You’re singing but...not.” 

You laugh softly. His naivety - his innocence, really - though tragic, is still beautiful to you. His willingness to learn, even moreso. 

“It’s called humming. It’s like, singing with your mouth closed.” 

He turns back to his paper, unconvinced. 

“That seems strange.” “Does it sound strange?” “No, it sounds nice,” he mumbles, dipping into his ink. “But why wouldn’t you just sing when it sounds so pretty?”  “I don’t always want to sing.” “Why not?” His brows furrow.  “Would you always want to sing?”  “I wouldn’t know, I don’t know how.” 

You pause for a moment, observing the curve of his back, the curls of hair that crest around his crown. You contemplate if anyone has ever told him how stunning, how wonderfully and painfully handsome he truly is. 

“Would you like me to teach you?”

He turns back to you, silently observing you with devoted attention. There’s a lot of things Kylo wishes he could do. He wonders, as he looks at you, if he’ll ever be able to teach you as much as you’ve taught him.

He nods softly, turning fully in his seat. 

“It’s easy,” you walk to him with a spring in your step, a bounce almost. His eyes remain fixated on you as you come to stand before him. “It’s like talking, but you just drag it out. Try going like ‘ahhhh’.” 

Your speech is fast, emotive, and Kylo realises as he feels it sizzle across your bond - you’re excited. You’re absolutely animated, like he’s never quite seen before. He almost smiles - almost. But once again, he settles into a half smile, instead. 

“Ahhh,” he mimics. “Like that?”

“Yes, like that!” You grin. “Now, try changing the pitch,” you make the same sound again, only lower, deeper. Kylo mimics you to perfection, the baritone nature of his voice aiding his efforts. You marvel at how quickly he learns. He’s capable of anything, you believe that wholly. He could have the world, if he so wished. 

“Okay, now try higher,” you vocalise again, and Kylo’s brow furrows, clearing his throat.  “I’m not sure I can do that, not like you can,” he says, rubbing at his throat.  “You don’t have to go as high as I do,” you smile, and your reassurance reignites his faltering confidence. “Just go as high as you’re comfortable with.” 

He coughs, and tries his best. The pitch is still low, and he chastises himself internally. 

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t-” He shakes his head in frustration, and you can feel the anger rise in his chest. “Hey, hey,” you lean closer to him, and your proximity calms him - the tenderness, the warmth it stirs in him triggers a wave of peace that dutifully extinguishes his self doubt. “That’s okay, you’re doing just fine. Do you think you can sing the words, now?”

He nods slowly.

“If you teach me.” 

“I got a little bit tired of spending all morning, really wishing that I was still sleeping,” you sing along to the melody, swaying slightly as you do.  “I got a little bit tired of spending all morning, really wishing that I was still sleeping,” He repeats the words exactly as you sang them, perfectly following your tune and pitch.  “You’re good at this!”  “You're- ” he stops. “I wasn’t supposed to repeat that.” 

The laugh you let out sets his pulse racing. He’ll search for that sound until his dying day, he’s sure of it. 

“It’s okay, let’s keep going,” you sway again, and he watches curiously as you move. “But you and me being each other feels like it’s all I’ve ever needed.” 

He copies your tune, moving in his chair as he follows your movements. You’re twirling around the room, spinning and swaying as you continue singing.

“Now all I can hear is rhythm and melody in my ears, it sounds like it feels all the time,”

He repeats your words, though his tone falters as he becomes distracted by how you whirl around. He tapers off, tilting his head to the side in question. 

“What is this?”  “What’s what?” You don’t look at him, too lost in the feeling of how the air feels as it glides between your fingertips.  “What are you doing?” “Dancing.”  “What’s the purpose of this?” he stands, observing you cautiously. “Is it ceremonial?”  “No,” you laugh, coming to a halt before him. You stumble, dizzy from your performance. He steady’s you, gripping your elbow as you tumble forward. “Well, it can be, but that’s not what I’m doing. It’s just fun.” “It doesn’t look fun, you could have fallen.”  “But I didn’t,” you smile. “Would you like to dance with me?” 

Kylo’s brow furrows, and he almost hates that you ask. He’s so completely and utterly devoted to you, to your voice, to your eyes, to your soul that’s so perfectly blended with his. He’d do anything you ask of him without a second thought. 

He nods slowly, cautiously approaching you. You hold out your hands to him, a voiceless question reverberating through the air between you.

Can I touch you?

Kylo reaches for your outstretched hands, intertwining your fingers with his in a silent answer. His body steps close to yours, and he looks at you quizzically. 

“Now what?”  “Now, we move,” you step back, taking Kylo with you. He follows stiffly as you move across the room, your hands still intertwined with his. He looks down at your feet, how quickly and daintily they move across the floor. His movements feel wrong.  “Loosen your shoulders a little,” you say, “Don’t be afraid to let yourself be more fluid.” 

He rolls his shoulders before relaxing, and even his hands become pliant in your grip. You start singing again, stirring your momentum and giving you both a tune to move to. 

“I’m balancing perfectly in between awake and a dream.”

Kylo hums quietly along with you, not quite realising that he’s doing it. He’s too absorbed, too focused on how your body moves, on how it brushes lightly against his as you guide him across the room. You let go of one of his hands, lifting the other up and twirling yourself beneath it. Kylo half-smiles again, not understanding exactly what it is that you’re doing, but revelling in the sight nonetheless. 

“You’re getting good at this,” you muse. “I think you’re a natural.” 

He moves his hand to your waist. 

“Is this okay?”

“Of course,” you smile.

He moves you closer to him, taking the lead and guiding you across the wooden floorboards. They creak unhappily beneath your feet, adding to the symphony you’ve created as you both harmonize your melodies. 

“I can't explain this new sensation,” you twirl around again, and this time, Kylo guides you. “It kind of feels like falling but what's underneath me's soft as velvet.” 

Kylo sighs happily, contentment washing over him. He watches you smile as you sing, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever lay eyes on anything so sublime. 

“Do you like this?” You ask him as you follow his lead, and he nods emphatically. 

“Can we keep going?” His tone is hopeful, and you desperately hope that he knows that you’d never deny him this, or much of anything else. Least of all something so pure, so simple. 

“Of course,” you allow him to twirl you again. He likes this, watching you spin. “But on one condition," You wink at him as you speak, and though he doesn't understand the definition of such a gesture, his heart races in his chest. "What would that be?" "You let me change with the door closed," he makes a disgruntled face at your demand, and you smile at him knowingly. "I know you want to feel close to me, but I really do need a little privacy."

Kylo relaxes his features, nodding in concession. He tries in vain to repeat your gesture, attempting a wink but blinking harshly instead. You laugh softly and his mouth turns upward only slightly. 

"I can do that," he says quietly.  "Then we can do this whenever you want." 

And when he falls asleep tonight, his limbs inches from yours, he’ll think of this. Of how your skin glows in the candlelight, of how your skin feels against his, of how you glide so effortlessly, barefoot and beautiful. And he hopes you’ll think of him, too.

[nutty1005]

Moving Moments: Xiao Zhan’s Journey of Feeling “High”

Original Article:https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404484534132408449#_0 Original Author: 花非花2218

A friend of mine told me something that touched me deeply. “The glorious moments he shared with us cannot be repaid simply with just silence.”

Listening to music and watching dramas – these are highly personal activities. These are like being in love – no matter how good the other party is, what is important is that there is chemistry between the two of you. There are countless good music and great musicians, but among them, only that voice stirred something within your heart. That special star in the whole universe.

That friend of mine told me that the songs chosen in “Our Song” are mostly mainstream pop songs, and those are not really her cup of tea, but she ended up watching it and loving it because of Xiao Zhan. This is exactly the same as me. Our tastes are actually more suited on other genres. Hence, this is why I must confess that I did not watch this show for the musicality, but more to support him. However, his performances touched me again and again.

I was already pleasantly surprised in his first appearance on the show for “Follow Your Feelings”, but I already said so in the previous article, hence I won’t repeat myself.

Night at the Naval Harbor《军港之夜》

This is my favorite. I felt this way when I first watched this episode, and I still feel the same way after watching the entire series.

I love how serene he was in this song. The way he sang it, not only required technicality, it also tested his ability as a singer to inject emotions into his singing, because the song needed to be sung simple and clean. I immediately remembered how a chef friend once told me that the best ingredients should be prepared as plainly as possible, such as poaching or steaming.

On his first note, the sound was young and pure, and it easily erased 40 years of age off the song (TN: The song was released in 1980). Later on when I reviewed the song again, I realized the first few verses sounded like it came with its own music box – the voice quiet yet rich. The harmony between him and Na Ying was almost perfect. From 3:20 until the soft humming at the end of the song, I was so immersed – I really felt like it was a lullaby and I was lost in it.

XZ Studio once used a good description in one of their posts – 洵美且好 handsome and gentle. (TN: This part is hard to translate, it came from an ancient Chinese poem《国风·郑风·叔于田》in praise of a young hunter.) I felt that this was especially apt in describing this performance.

After the song ended, I already felt that Team Na Zhan would win before the scores came out – clean and touching, and yet creative with the addition of Bossa nova into the music arrangement.  To me, a song that touches you is always more attractive than a song that only showcases technical prowess.

Faded《FADED》 

I had adrenaline high listening to “Faded”. Firstly, I enjoyed Xiao Zhan’s pronunciation. I am almost obsessively critical about this, almost like how critical I am when non-Chinese works are translated to Chinese. Of course, this is probably irrational, so in conclusion, this suited my palette. Secondly, as I watched the performance, I thought that this child has the potential to become a superstar.

Xiao Zhan has something special about him which is hard to find the right word in Chinese. Charm 魅力 is close enough, but it is insufficient. The word that I felt would be most apt would be charisma. Oxford dictionary as it defined as “the powerful personal quality that some people have, to attract and impress other people”. I felt that this quality is like an aura, or a type of aura, that you will know if the person has it the moment he stands on stage.

I once read an article about a supermodel manager describing how he scouted for models – he said that the difference between models and supermodels comes from the X factor. Some girls may not be especially pretty, or especially proportionate, but if you can feel that X factor from her, you know that she has the potential to become a supermodel. This sounded quite supernatural, but I understood the meaning of his words. A superstar definitely would have this quality – half of this is probably inborn, the other half achieved via hard work. I felt this instantly the first time I listened to “Faded”.

Perfect Life《完美生活》

On my first view, I could see that he was visibly nervous, since it was his first attempt on rock. In addition, the original version by Xu Wei was already embedded in my heart, so I kept feeling like there was something wrong. However, after listening to it a few times, this song actually became one of my favorites. Sure enough, my ear worms were more honest then my brain.

The unique charm about this song was the raw beast-like power that Xiao Zhan released in his singing. During rehearsals, Na Ying said “This song isn’t nice if you don’t sing out loud.”, and he decisively gave up on his forte, the high notes transitions between head voice and falsetto, and went for it with his head voice. I was surprised when I heard it.

Xu Wei sang his original version like it was a poetic short story, a road movie – the delivery was gentle and the emotions were smooth flowing. This is why the host, Lin Hai, said it was a subversion of the song when Xiao Zhan and Na Ying ended their performance. The emotions kept rising and falling – In the first verse, Xiao Zhan sang the high notes, and after Na Ying sang hers, he lowered his key down to his low range. This reminded me of something he had used to describe himself “up high there is radiance, down low there is submerged reefs”. In addition, I loved how Na Ying sang this song, and when they were in harmony, their contrast – one gentle the other rugged; one high the other low, was simply too enchanting.

Both of them said that they selected this song because they loved the lyrics. As expected, they “released themselves again, that brilliant emotions in their hearts”!

Annoying Autumn Breeze (Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!)《恼人的秋风》

Ahhhhhh! As the series progressed to this episode, Xiao Zhan is already comfortable in his performance onstage. I have watched this countless times, and every time I do, I am always filled with endless joy. For as quiet as “Night at the Naval Harbor” is, this song is just as lively. The melody, the stage and the delivery were 100% of the 1980s, and instantly brought me back to my schooling days.

What was surprising was that his performance was totally different from how he was like during rehearsals. His sexiness seemed to be only reserved for the stage – in the behind the scenes specials, you could see he was just a cute boy-next-door. This was the same case as “Magical”《神奇》, his rehearsals and the actual performance were like two different performances.

This performance is basically “sweep me up, easily, accept me as your fan”. Na Ying once said before “he was more lively and crazy during rehearsals, just that feeling, dancing, and his body language, blended perfectly with his music”; “you would be really great if you held your own concert”. I totally believed these points.

Feel free to tell me your moving moments.

[f-ngrl]

x

ph-1′s mixtape, i like pretty much most of it, especially the h1ghr song (even tho not sure how to feel abt the spanish) and the one with blase and coogie

the lyrics of pack it up are also interesting, not sure if he really means them or sarcastically? because he’s the one with all the good features stuffed on his ep? xD and who is he dissing like hmm well it’s interesting and so on

but (sorry for the overreaction)

anymore hit my heart so hard shiiiiit how can i be so hyped up over a few minutes of sound in this day at my age woah lol. i love it so so so much. HARRY AND JINYOUNG’S VOICES TOGETHER oh em gee. i have to admit sometimes i don’t know who’s singing. they blend in soo well, especially in the hook. i hardly recognized ph-1 in his part. i first thought it must be ash but then ash sings the 2nd verse? when ash says ‘ 내 심장에 색깔 봐라 all i see is fuckin mono’ haha i can’t think of the song now but i feel like skinny brown’s voice definitely said it first?* anyway the both did soooo well with the singing imagine them playing it live woah. their deep and raspy voices. the melody of the hook. so yeah it’s an emo rap song and i think gray and ph-1 coming over to this dark side is such. an. awesome. thing. to. happen. because they take it to the next levels like way up. lovelovelove for these people ♥

*i found it because ash also says ‘if u go’ so it’s the song ‘if u go’ by skinny brown :))) ash has such awesome taste ahaha. it’s a beautiful song. probably inspired by the anime movie ‘your name’ bc he put the picture on. watch that movie too it’s very good :D the song’s not officially released so search engines don’t find the lyrics, but it’s been played 110k times on soundcloud so i’m not the only one who loves it:D

[creation-is-chaos]

‘The Enemy of My Enemy Sings Songs Of Poison Melodies’ | Mad Alt Plot

Clandestine is the night of secret rendezvous in the cover of darkness. Most lucrative times for unsavory activity but this is mere business. Always in the eyes of the man who walks with midnight on his shoulders, coat tail swinging in his fluid steps, he lifted a gloved hand to stop the approaching figure. At the time time it seemed to be rather innocent. Despite leaving his Camaro parked outside of the gate it loomed undercover. The black sheen does make for a perfect getaway in times of these. Nighttime is his time. 

“H-hello,” the figure stuttered out into the crisp air. 

“Chilly this evening.” Corvus had commented on the weather as if he were not in the middle of a private affair. An affair never of passion’s lust but passion’s just violence. “Does it affect your speech pattern? Teeth chattering? Or are you simply here to insult me?” The questions rang with impatience, voice dark in the scrutiny of the other man. No, not a man. 

As Corvus soon stepped forward under the single light cast from an iron lamppost he saw them clearly. His brow furrowed slightly. A boy? 

“What are you doing here?” Demanding it quickly, he curled fingers onto the silver wolf head of his cane. Eyes darted over the expanse of the enclosure, brick scuffing beneath his soles as he moved closer. “You boy.” Gripping him by the shoulder, he glared, lip curling up over his teeth. “Who did you see come here? Who?!” 

“Careful Dear DeVille.” A voice cut the air smoothly, feminine alluding to another who watched from shadows. He enjoys to blend as a dark hubris among the clouds. She steps out in stark white tiptoeing the contrast of all. “We wouldn’t want to scare the child would we?” 

Corvus yanked the boy to him. Pulling the thin sword from the cane holder flashed the blade up and center of this decoy’s throat. He twisted his leather hand in a threat. “Perhaps I will spill his blood instead. If you do not tell me your reasons for being here....Frost.” 

She took a step. Heels clicking in tandem to short cautious steps, the woman donned a coat over her shoulders, tailored to match her suit. Stylish even among the decree of vile back alley deals. At least they shared the same taste. No filthy alley but a lovely gated property owned by the very man he expected to find. 

“This is all rather simple, DeVille. I am here to greet you for our mutual friend. Mr. Farmer wishes he could see you but he is a bit - uncertain of your intentions.” She waved a hand at the current hostage he had. “It seems his caution was warranted. Considering you have his nephew.” 

Nephew? Corvus’ eyes flit down at the boy breathing hard in his grip. His right eyebrow arched at the woman. Not just any unknown woman but one he knows well from past dealings. Holland Frost. She does perform with appropriate frigidity. “A man who sends a child, his kin no less, leaves something to be desired.” Corvus nudged the boy aside. He sprinted away but the man hardly paid attention. Instead his dark gaze remained with Holland’s ice. 

Holland laughed briefly. “Oh my,” she teased him, clapping hands together. “You let him go? My you are growing soft. Though I imagine it all has to do with your lost baby.” Holland lets it hang in the air as his expression transitions from emotionless to a glimmer. Oh but a glimmer of emotion is worth a thousand words.

Corvus drew the sword outward. Pointing to the woman who stood far enough on the other side of the circular alcove, he snarled. “Cunning bitch.” 

“Am I? Do not act so surprised. You and your boyfriend Kamski are not the only two who have a set of eyes on this city. We’re not the only players in this twisted game we weave Dear DeVille. You should know that better.” 

“I know plenty,” he corrects. “I know you are one of the better snakes in Detroit. It is quite enjoyable to see you again, Holland. A shame I cannot say so often. Though you do have me at a disadvantage.... for once.” 

“If you mean that little detective you and your almost lover fuck then I consider it an accomplishment.” Holland did not mince words. Her lips purse looking over his stance. “I enjoy a man who likes their swords. And has a sword to use properly.” She paused, reaching into the bag in her hand.” 

Corvus jabbed the sword in a motion to stop her. “I suggest not moving. Or I will slice directly through your throat.”

She smiled. “Do you think I would be so careless to carry a gun openly? My my. You forget I am better at surprises. She on your mind? Or he?” 

The glare on his face is answer enough. Both Elijah and Jesse have no idea what he is doing this evening. He does not speak of his business unless absolutely necessary not even to his Raven. They are both this way. When one needs the other they rise to the call. However there is nothing to persuade him to involve Elijah in this. Holland Frost is his problem. At least she was in the past but it seems the past has a way of emerging into the future. 

Her knowledge of Jesse is one he must broach with him. “What do you want?” 

“Cutting to the chase,” the woman tutted, removing a compact mirror. Flipping it over to show him he no reason for his threatrics, Holland popped it up. Her eyes remained on him. “My surprises are much better.” 

Corvus’ head turned at footsteps on his left. Several men appeared as they did on his right. Curious set of circumstances it would appear. “You chose a bad night, Frost.” 

“Did I?” She twisted a casing of lipstick open in a casual appliance. “Never bring a knife to a gun fight.” 

He took a stance, shifting his left foot behind him, leather fingers curled tightly over the sword handle. “Oh but my odds are very good,” he mocked, twirling the weapon when they came at him. 

Kicking one of the men in the chest propelled him with a hard splat to the brick he danced over. The blade of his sword jabbed through flesh, sinking into the frontal apex of another’s throat. Sneering over perfect white teeth offered a grotesque irony. Vicious in the severing of their arteries, he held the blade steady as they dropped to their knees. Ripping a handgun out from inside a holster hidden underneath their jacket, Corvus aimed behind him, firing into the head of the third man.

Blood splattered with the violent crack. Sending matter blowing out the back of his head, Corvus paid no mind to the loud thud of body dropping behind his polished heels. Instead he drew a foot up to press into the chest of the man gargling on his knees. Pushing him slowly back off his blade, Corvus straightened, twisting around to meet the final one. The man took one look at the others lying in a mess of blood before taking off. 

He sniffed at the cowardice. “Lovely people you have working for you.” Corvus’ lips curved briefly. Satisfied with what he has done, he moved closer to the woman, blade twisting in his hand but pointing down. 

Holland stood still. She did not even attempt to flee. Her thumb pressed at the side of her compact. Expelling powder from a tiny opening blew directly into his face. Forcing him to stall immediately, covering his burning eyes with his hand, the sword dropped.

“Argh!” Corvus stumbled backwards. The sting blinded him.

She used the tip of her white heel to kick the sheathed weapon away. “Grab him.” Her command is met with an influx. Grabbing him by the arms, dragging him in his struggle, Corvus’ will to fight is beastly. A pure animal who must be taken down. Oh but she enjoys his moves. Such a sight to watch him murder men with guns with a blade. Holland always appreciated his prowess. A shame she cannot have a taste. 

Down on his knees they force him and that is just fine for her. He cannot see through the pain. But she grips onto his dark locks to pull his head back. 

Corvus growls. “Bitch!” 

“I love it when you talk dirty, Corvus.” She teased before the pierce of needle in her hand. 

He winced, grinding teeth at the obvious burn. Immediately he felt the sear begin to spread, arms becoming lax in her guard’s grip. Corvus huffed. Swallowing hard, his head bobbed, eyes squeezed shut to prevent further damage to them. 

“No worries now. I will clean your eyes up. Make you presentable enough. After all with this little concoction,” she trailed, placing the needle back in her bag. Her hand cupped along his jaw, fingers smoothing along his raven goatee. “...you will not remember a thing....except waking up warm and strapping in your bed. Save me a kiss next time, Dear DeVille.” 

Blurred, slurring, drooling. 

Corvus groaned. 

Dizzy with a strange taste in his mouth, his face pressed to the pillow that morning. Body splayed face down among his scarlet sheets, satin sticking to his sweaty skin. His head slowly lifted up. Only the pain in his neck was a sign of something off but he could not place it... he could not think... straight.... 

mentions: @creatorofclay @rxseguided

other muse: @syntheticfrost

[kpop-musicreviews]

A Review of Lee Hi’s “24°C” EP

No One (누구 없오) (ft. B.I)

I just want to start off by saying that this song is a masterpiece; it’s been stuck in my head since it was released. The song fits Lee Hi’s voice style so well, and B.I’s rap style really fits in as well. I think it’s interesting that the people that wrote the song went for a tropical/reggae vibe when the concept doesn’t seem to have much to do with the tropics, however it still works really well. I thought it was cool how in the very beginning, the pitched sounds have a little jangle-y sound that comes after each hit. It makes me think that someone’s hitting mallet percussion while wearing jewelry and we’re hearing the sounds of their jewelry clanging after they hit a key. Aside from the timbre of Hayi’s voice (which is very unique), I also like the way that she articulated her words. My favorite example of this is in the prechorus when she’s saying the word “sipeo.” She says it in a way that emphasizes the “p” sound and makes her sound more aggressive with her attack on the word that adds a great new style to the song. In the chorus, the call and response between Lee Hi’s and B.I’s voices is really cool, because while they are in fact speaking to each other, it’s as thought they can’t hear each other, which makes the whole thing so much more powerful. I was really glad about the placement of B.I’s part in the song, because I think if he had come in near the end it wouldn’t have felt as impactful.. I think the fact that he comes in for the second verse makes him a more crucial part of the song, as he should be. Now of course, after the bridge there is a long pause and then she sings “ttokttok nugu eobso” and we go into the last chorus. I think the one thing I would change about this is the amount of volume that she uses going into the “ttokttok” part; I think there was room for a lot more of a powerful upward swing and crescendo in her voice. I think the cool thing about the last chorus is that there are only a few small changes to the instrumental, so the thing that gives the last chorus so much of a go-out-with-a-bang flare is mainly their voices. We get to hear Lee Hi go at it and finally say “I don’t care about sh*t” with the fire that it deserves, and she gets to put more style and even sass into her singing. Meanwhile, B.I gets to accompany with his interjections that also add to the intensity of the end of the song. Overall, I think this song was well thought-out and well constructed. They really took into account the ability that Lee Hi and B.I have as musicians and put them to good use. I love it!

No Way (ft. G.Soul)

I really wasn’t prepared for this. This song is so widely different from No One. I myself have hardly listened to Lee Hi’s other music, so I had no idea that we were going to get anything like this whatsoever. Those jazzy piano runs and the addition of strings was just fantastic, and Hayi’s lower register is so, so rich. While No One was somewhat quick, this song was eased back and slow-paced. I like how when G.Soul first came in and was just humming with Lee Hi, they weren’t singing in unison rhythm with each other. It added a more complex feeling to the song and their voices. I think that G.Soul’s voice worked well with the Lee Hi’s voice and the song itself, however, for my own personal taste I just felt that his vocal style was just a tad breathy. Aside from that, of course his vocals were amazing and he and Hayi really sang well together. It felt like they had a true understand of each other’s styles because they blended very well.

Love is Over

Okay, is there anything this girl can’t do? She totally rocked this old-style-ballad-meets-bluesy-jazz song SO well. I feel like this song was less about the instrumental and more about showing off her beautiful voice. She can really belt out notes! Y’know, I thought that No One was a good fit for her voice, but these jazz-infused songs really feel like a good style for her, since her voice is so rich and raspy. I’m just completely in awe of her! Can’t wait to hear the next songs.

1, 2 (한두 번) (ft. Choi Hyunsuk)

Yet another style of music! I’m loving the diversity on this album. This song has such a feel-good vibe, although the lyrics might say otherwise. It’s quite catchy, and it just makes you want to dance. That can probably be attributed to the syncopated guitar and maraca-like sounds. Once again, however, I believe that it’s the vocals that really drive the whole song. From the ad libs at the beginning to the chorus melody, Lee Hi’s voice and Hyunsuk’s rapping really drive the song. Speaking of which, I had no idea that Hyunsuk was going to be on this album, and I’m definitely excited about it! (Although I am not a big fan of YG himself, the trainees and idols signed under the company are very talented, (as made obvious by this album alone) and I am super excited for Treasure13’s debut!!). I think that his voice sounds a little less mature than Lee Hi’s but his rapping fits the style of the song very well. I think this was a great opportunity for him to start entering the music industry, as YG has done with many of the other idols before debuting. The cool thing about the bridge of this song is that Hayi begins to fall a little bit behind the beat to exaggerate the more relaxed feeling that the bridge brings with it. The interesting thing about this is that I have also noticed B.I doing this, particularly in I’m OK by iKon; his rap portions begin to fall behind the beat just a little bit to exaggerate the helplessness of the song. It seems that their styles may go together even more than I thought!

20Min (20분 전)

This song was truly the icing on the cake, and a great conclusion to the album. This song is so powerful. From the guitar to the vibe, this song was jazzy, classy, and sassy all at once. I thought that the choice to use a water drop sample was pretty cool because it brought a new, round sound to the song. I thought that the vocal repetition in the prechorus provided a cool effect as well. I think that once again Lee Hi’s voice is what really makes this song special. The style of her singing, the timbre of her voice, and the way she pronounces her words are all very engaging to listen to. I especially liked the way she pronounces “imi kkeutnasseo” in the chorus because she attacks it aggressively but leaves the words to hang in the air. Basically, everything she does makes the song so interesting and fun to listen to, and it really shows in this song.

Overall Thoughts

Lee Hi has proven that she is a very dynamic musician with this album alone. As someone who had never listened to her music before, I am very surprised at the amount of diversity and musicianship that was put into this fantastic EP. I really am just in awe of Hayi and her work, and I am so, so glad that I checked it out.

Now, I think it is necessary to say something about the things that happened involving Hanbin this week, as he is featured on this album. This review was pre-written, before the drama broke out, but I know that I need to mention it. Hanbin’s release from YG affected me greatly, and I want all ikonics out there to know that you are not alone in this; we all want what’s best for Hanbin and iKon. My heart goes out to all of the fans out there, as well as iKon and Hanbin himself. He didn’t deserve what happened to him, and I hope that if he wants to continue in music he will find a good place to do so. It’s never easy when a group loses a member, especially their leader, but for now we must stay strong, show them all our love and support, and hope that the future brings better things.

——————————————————————————

Thank you for reading my review of Lee Hi’s “24°C” EP! What did you think of her comeback? Are there any other artists or idols you’d like me to review? Feel free to DM me, comment, and leave things in my inbox!

Upcoming reviews: Ateez, Somi, fromis_9, and more!

kpop-musicreviews 🎶💚

[emmaruthrundlesh]

Emma Ruth Rundle Interview // Rock’n’Roll Journalist

(via Rock’n’Roll Journalist) “Dark” singer-songwriter is a term which deserves an official registration based on the modern wave of talented female artists. Next to Chelsea Wolfe, there is also Emma Ruth Rundle rapidly building her space on the market. Her captivating voice and an amazing taste for cold melodies are more than addictive. If you look at her list of favorite albums, the magic of her sound suddenly makes more sense. In addition we also spoke about her gear, challenges on a tour and beauties of Prague, which is also on her current European tour schedule on 18th of October.

Would like to give some introduction to your list?

This is not so much a list of my favorite albums of all time. Much of these are rather pieces I return to over and over as they are especially significant for me.

40 Watt Sun – The Inside Room (2011)

One of my all time favorite albums, English 3 piece, 40 Watt Sun, combine a slower, heavy guitar driven washes over which Patrick Walker literally pours his heart out. HIs lyrics and voice are incredibly eloquent and beautiful. The songs are, at times, in the 8 plus minute category so there is plenty of time to be reeled into their world and taken through Walker’s emotional landscapes. One of my biggest influences in the last few years.

Kate Bush – The Sensual World (1989)

A longstanding favorite and go to listen for me. Kate Bush has a few phases and different sounding albums but there is always her at the core. I think The Sensual World has become the diamond album in her discography, for me, because of the song Love and the Anger. It’s one of the catchiest and uplifting songs I’ve ever heard. Just watch the video and see Kate dancing at the end…How can you not fall in love? Also some really tasteful world influence and killer guitar by David Gilmour on Rocket’s Tale. Love it all the way through.

Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)

It’s very frustrating to wake up and look at the internet these days only to be greeted by any number of people and music blogs STILL making fun of Billy Corgan – not going to lie, it bums me out and makes me feel sad for a world of critics who can’t take it the simple fact that Billy has recorded THE BEST guitar tone of all time and he did so on Siamese Dream. The songwriting is brilliant and this is really an album that takes you to a place, especially by the time you reach Silverfuck. Sure, I jump over the hits – I don’t need to hear Today every time I want to enjoy this masterpiece but if you’re somehow not familiar take the whole trip and revel in what I think is some of the most important guitar playing of the 90’s.

James Blake – Self Titled (2011)

A groundbreaking beauty of an album. James Blake managed to write and produce this minimal pop R and B (with strong classical influences) that won him the Mercury Prize. There is nothing but pure perfection and genius on this record. Even the cover art is elegant and humble in a way. I guess there is some sense of humility in Blake’s writing that takes me in even further and I become invested in all his repetitive and disintegrated lines, waiting for them to break or modulate in any number of ways as they do on this album.

Cloakroom – Time Well (2018)

I came to know Cloakroom just by association. They had done a lot of touring with label mates Russian Circles as well as some other folks I know. I sort of disregarded this band for a time – not sure why – but when Time Well came out on Relapse earlier this year, I was completely head over heals in love with these Midwestern boys. The guitar playing and textures as well as the cleverly timed riffs (for lack of a better word, this band isn’t metal at all but heavy in a deferent way) and the bonus of Doyle’s of introspective vocal has won them a very special place in my heart and headphones.

Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon (1985)

In his 11th studio album, Eno has fully mastered the very new world he himself pioneered and invented: Ambient music. Thursday Afternoon is just one long daydream of a song with nothing but the babbling of the synthesized (or whatever he’s employed on this) brook. Nothing “happens” on this album. There is no break or moment of great change or rhythm even… it’s just the most relaxing music on Earth which is why I find my way back to it so often. Pure peace streamed right from the source of new sound.

I’m not an ethnomusicologist

Tori Amos – Boys for Pele (1996)

Tori Amos peaked, for me, on this 18 track album. It was her first time self producing as well and there is something so fierce and desperate in her lyrics and voice. While generally regarded as a singer songwriter, which I think conjures up a picture of a subdued character sitting in a coffee shop somewhere, Tori is really more of a badass and this album rocks it ways though piano and harpsichord driven tunes. I love everything about how the record was recorded and sounds as well. Even the music videos that came from this album are great. If you don’t know, you should.

Earth – Hex; Or Printing the Infernal Method (2005)

I am not sure when I first became aware of the legendary instrumental band Earth but I am sure it was later on in life than for some other more tuned in people. Hex is an album that I listened to a lot while on tour and desperately in need of refuge from the chaos of being trapped with so many other people traveling across the globe. Hex is like a soundtrack and works incredibly well for someone who’s trapped staring out a window, avoiding conversations for most of the day. If there was ever a time to describe something as dusty sounding, this is it. Having really loved the Neil Young soundtrack to Dead Man – Hex felt like a sister album to me or in that world. It has a special ability to take you into a barren landscape and push out all your youngness which is so needed!

The Body – No One Deserves Happiness (2016)

This record came into my life at a time of physiologically shattering life change and a very hot summer in LA. Most would describe The Body and an “experimental” or harsh noise (at times) project. No One Deserves Happiness introduces female forward singing over the backdrop of the bands soul reaping sounds. Chip’s hollow screams have manifested a truly horrific creature in my mind. There is a blend of classical reverence and choral singing within The Body’s noise land and it turns on a part of my brain while listening. I feel comforted by this album somehow.

Stars Of The Lid – And Their Refinement Of The Decline (2007)

Another instrumental masterpiece – SOTL also have classical inclinations or leanings or is this contemporary classical music? I’m not an ethnomusicologist. Washes of treated instruments grip your xanaxed out sandbag body and drag you slowly and mournfully in waves under a pink ocean of wonder and obliteration of the self. I have fallen asleep in my most anxiety ridden times to this album as it swallows you like no other can.

In the heart of Europe

In late October you will be coming to Prague to very intimate club called 007. Did you ever have a chance to properly walk around Prague?

I never played a solo show in Prague, but I performed here with my previous bands already. Every time I made sure, me and my band mates have enough time to check the city. It was amazing every time and I just can’t wait to come again. I visited Prague the last time in 2010 and our tour manager was Tomáš Zakopal, who was local, so he prepared a beautiful commented tour for us.

Could you please present to us your collection of guitars? From the most recent live footages I see you are a big fan of Fender guitars and especially a model called Coronado II.

This piece actually belongs to Evan Patterson, who plays guitar in my band as well in my support band Jaye Jayle. Guitar #1 in my collection is a classic mahogany piece from Cordoba. There is also one from Chinese brand Blueridge, inspired by OM model OM from Martin…(I’m sorry, I am little bit sick)… Within electric guitars my most favorite is standard Gibson SG. It was quite cheap second hand acquisition in one music store. Another piece is Fender Baritone Jaguar special HH. Then there is Fender Stratocaster. I can’t remember the exact model, but it’s quite unique as it has two humbuckers. Next to that I also have one white model from Guild. Longer I play I realize it is very important for me to have two humbuckers within electric guitars. And finally there is one really crappy SG, which I would really like to get rid of, as it is badly made. (Laugh)

Some preferences within microphones?

I use BLUE enCORE 200 the most. Probably as it was a gift. I like its sound, as it can work very well with mids and highs. Another reason is very practical. I realized I get sick more often if I use in-house microphones. If I use my own microphone, I have bigger chances to stay well.

Life on a tour

I am sorry, you don’t feel well. Do you think it’s also because of air conditioners during this years’ crazy summer season?

Not sure to be honest. I was just getting back from a European tour and I must have caught something on a plain.

Longer I play I realize it is very important for me to have two humbuckers within electric guitars

How are you trying to stay in a good shape on a tour? There is a European tour coming up during fall and that’s quite challenging season for immunity.

One can just do maximum and hope. If I can, I try to stay warm and eat plenty of hot meals. I try to rest, as much as I can and get plenty of sleep. But it’s not always that easy, where there is so much drinking and everything else which belongs to a tour life. It is practically a miracle if you survive a tour without any harm.

Is there some European location, which you really look forward to visit during upcoming European tour? It doesn’t necessarily have to be Prague…

It’s funny, as everybody in the team looks forward for the Prague the most. Evan is practically obsessed with Prague and I just can’t wait to meet friends, which I haven’t seen for years. I am also looking forward to see Porto, Lisbon and also Madrid, as I’ve never been to Spain. In general I love to visit well known places as well as completely new locations.

[ravenempress101]

Mocha Blend ☕ Chadwick Boseman X Reader Fluff 💙 Imagine

Hey wakanda kings and queens alright this is the fluff imagine for chadwick boseman I wrote I hope you guys love it and guys feedback is greatly appreciate it comment,like my imagine, tell me how I'm doing so love you guys and enjoy your imagine!!! ❤💋😁😄

Requests are always open!😙

Y/n sigh and grabbed the café door and came straight in to her happy place on earth to get away from all the stress and work she had to do after her hour break. Y/n wasn’t worried about the long hours of work the work she dreaded doing for her not so easy minded boss but only focus is her hour break in the happiest place on this earth which is her flavorful coffee. Coffee is her stress reliever and she can’t wait to get the taste of the bitter but sweet addiction to her mouth to go straight down and reach her beautiful but tethered soul.

Once y/n stepped in the café, all the flavors of the aroma of citrus bitterness hit and filled her nostrils. She couldn’t wait to have her evening time coffee and to relax at one of her favorite table. Y/n at a speed of light went over to the tiny line to wait and also will give her order to the barista. Y/n was surprised to see hardly no one in the coffeehouse,  it’s usually busy by the time she comes in for her breaks. she doesn’t really worry about the other people all she is worrying about his her coffee and relaxation.

Coming out of her thoughts, it was finally y/n ‘s time to give her order to the barista. “What can I help you with today? “ barista saying cheerfully Y/n looked at the menu, searching up on the board of different coffees she would love to try.

When y/n spotted what she loved she opened her mouth to speak to the barista.

Can I have the iced caramel macchiato with almond milk and a shot of expresso and the size is grande ?

The barista typed y/n’s order into the system and then y/n’s price for her drink showed up. 

The barista spoke.

“That will be 5.13, can I get your name?”

Y/n gave her name, pulled her wallet out her black leather gucci purse handing a 20 dollar bill. The barista captures the money, types in the amount, puts the money in the register and then gave the change to y/n. 

Then the barista captured a cup in hand and then a sharpie then wrote a name on her cup but it definitely wasn’t hers. Y/n stepped out the way and let the next person order. She walks over to the table that was by the window and pulled the chair out sat there and waited patiently for her drink to be created.

A few moments later

“Caramel macchiato” the barista roared.

Y/n stood up from her chair and strutted towards the counter to pick up her enormous size brew. Y/n captured the goodness in her hands and walked back over to her table and sat down. She glanced over at the window, looking out into main street watching all the people walk by the brewery, cars rushing from one point of the street to another, the birds singing a song with there little precious chirps and playing with each other

Then she saw the sky filling with grey clouds and then a few drops of rain spilled out the clouds and smashed against the coffeehouse window. Y/n ripped open her straw and placed the straw into the whip cream and then took the straw and placed the white substance in her mouth. Y/n closed her eyes and then smiled at the delicious taste of the sweet rich cream she loves and becomes to love even more run down her throat. 

Y/n gets lose in her thoughts.

Maybe I should’ve did this. 

I wonder what will happen if I did that.

 I have all these choices to choose from but can’t choose one choice. 

Sweetheart you’ll be fine. 

Maybe not at all.

Y/n looks down at her coffee just picturing different scenarios in her head.

Important this, important that.

 I should’ve filed that. 

I would’ve love to do that if that didn’t happen

A bell interrupted y/n thoughts of someone coming in the door of the brewery. Y/n glanced over to a tall dark man, unwrapping his scarf from his long neck and placing it in his arms. 

Y/n kept looking at him noticing something about the man but couldn’t put her mind around him. 

Y/n went back to her private affairs and placed her straw back in her macchiato and sipped the rich liquid. Y/n tasted the robust expensive savor of her brew. Y/n brew gave her the oh so familiar rush she loaves so much. 

Then y/n ears made her come out of her thoughts, listening to the deep voice of the man she starred at earlier giving his order. 

His deep voice sounded like heaven blooming  from every angle. So poised and elegant like a song to her ears a song where you can close your eyes and get lose in the melody and forget everything that’s around you. Y/n glimpse over to the man and stare him up and down. 

Then the man glanced at y/n and smiled. When he smiled y/n heart swooned. His pearly white teeth shinning like pearls. She couldn’t believe a genuine man that looked like an angel smiled so delightful. 

The barista called his name and then he grabbed his cold brew.

“Chad”

Y/n studied how he moved. He moved with so much grace like a white dove in the sky.

She mouthed to herself “Chad” but in her mind that probably is not his name since the barista gotten her name wrong. Y/n curses the barista in silence for there mistake. She is trying her hardest to find out this mysterious stud. A man that changed the whole atmosphere in one motion.

The dark sophisticated man walking but stopping at y/n table and automatically grabbed her empty table seat and sat down without asking permission or without a slight of hesitation.

Y/n starred in shock at this man that did this enormous move but she didn’t complain she was in awe at the beautiful strong man. He must’ve not cared what he did, he is just so powerful and y/n couldn’t handle all of his power.

Y/n snapped out her mind of the siren the man gave off.

“Humm I think you have the wrong table” she announced to the man while twiddling her fingers in her lap.

The man sat there in silence for a little while and giggled at her. The man thought she must be crazy but she isn’t the man sat at her table a stranger at her table someone she hardly doesn’t even know but wouldn’t mind getting to know.

The mysterious man spoke

“no I think I have the right table and hello my name is Chadwick nice to meet you” 

Y/n sat there in amazement she cursed under her breath once more the brista forgot half of the handsome man’s name but you thanked god for introducing himself and she couldn’t get out his trance that he put on her. She listened to his voice again and she heard a little bit of African in his voice which sent her over her edge.

“I’m sorry to burst in on you but your really beautiful and I didn’t want to sit by myself”

Chadwick spoke deeply and nervously

Y/n nodded and grin at the tall dark exotic man named Chadwick. She was excited cause the man chose her out of the woman that looked like a Instagram model and a victoria secret angel model or she gave off that look.

She looks at him and questions to herself.

“he really thinks I’m beautiful he must be on drugs”

He began to speak again

“yes you are beautiful I don’t think babygirl, I know”

Chadwick places his hand on your cheek caressing it and looking into your eyes. Y/n couldn’t help it she looked down feeling her insecurity come on but quickly stopped from Chadwick catching your motion and motioning your head up at him so you couldn’t look down.

“I want to see your beautiful face”

“Your a precious gift”

You looked at him getting lose in his chocolate brown eyes. His eyes made you feel special like a mirror looking into it and seeing your reflection capturing your perfections and admiring your imperfections. 

Chadwick’s persona made you feel like he cares and which he does his whole euphoria shows he does. 

You can imagine him treating his babygirl right. Taking you everywhere with him he can’t stand not being with you. He needs you during his brightest days and darkest nights. His loneliest days and nights he’s desperate for you to be there with him.

Y/n began to speak

“wow your really caring I never met a guy like you before.” 

Chadwick laughed 

Y/n sipped some more of her coffee, humming, and looked up at chadwick like a little princess. 

Chadwick spoke

“I can’t believe we met at this coffee place, when I walked in and saw you I swear it felt like…”

Y/n laughed and they both finished chadwick sentence with the word “heaven”

Both of you guys grinned enjoying this amazing moment of coffee and perfection.

Your bittersweet brew mixing with this perfect moment your having. A coffeehouse blend that you guys are making between each other. You wish you had this blend everyday in your empty cup of desires.

Chadwick spoke 

Do you want to taste something better than coffee?

Y/n laughed and spoke

“there’s nothing better than the taste of coffee”

Chadwick laughed 

I think I can change that.

Chadwick brought your head close to his took in your features seductively looking at your heart shaped plump lips and then brought his full dark chocolate plump lips close to yours and places them on yours and captures his lips with yours. You couldn’t believe it this beautiful creature is kissing you.

Y/n closes her eyes enjoying Chadwicks taste. You can taste the bitterness but sweet of mocha from his sips of his brew. Y/n knew chadwick can taste the arebic from her caramel macchiato. The hint of all the coffeehouse blends in the kiss sent us on a high.

He slipped his touge in your mouth. Getting a better taste of the sexy blends we were both making among ourselves. 

Our tounges danced around. 

Dancing in sync. 

This feeling you love so much it felt like he brings home to you. Chadwick deepens the kiss and then pulls back into a peck but taking your bottom lip in between his teeth biting slightly and tugging until he cant tug no more and let your bottom lip go bouncing back in place and then looks at you again and give you a little peck on your lips and then pecks your cheek.

Tasting his lips was everything you wanted. Tasting the mocha and chocolate of him made you melt.you wish he didn’t pull away. You wished you could stay like that forever. Y/n opened her eyes and looked at chadwick

You guys both said in synchronize 

“wow”

You guys breathing hard and smiling

Y/n said

“I guess it does taste better than coffee” 

Both of you guys laugh.

Chadwick stood up from his seat and walked over to you and grabbed your hand motioning you to stand and then you stand up and Chadwick lead you out the café to the parking lot to where his car was.

When Chadwick spotted his black BMW he clicked the button on his key ring and the door beeped signaling the car was unlocked.

 You smiled, you notice chadwick is very poised, elegant and definitely luxurious but he doesn’t give off the vibes of snooty rich. He’s the blessed rich, read his bible everyday says “ thank you god for everything you have blessed me rich” and you loved that about the perfect stranger, chadwick is down to earth always helping his people that struggle everyday. 

Y/n felt so blessed being in his presence.

Chadwick opened the car door for you. Y/n stepped in the luxurious car and smiled and started rubbing the Italian leather. She never felt so alive and well taken care of from this stranger. Chadwick closed the door and then walked over to the drivers side and open his door hoping in. He closed the door and then he began to say

“your gonna have the time of your life”

Y/n nodded at chadwick and giggled she was so overjoyed and then she leaned over on chadwick shoulder and placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes and smile feeling this moment. Chadwick let his sunroof down and leaned over and kissed you on the forehead and lingered the kiss and then started the engine and put the car in drive and sped off the parking lot of the brew.

“you make me see from a brighter and faithful angle”

[newmusickarl]

Album & EP Recommendations

Album of the Week: Draw Down the Moon by Foxing

I must admit I was quite late to the Foxing party, having only been introduced to them a couple of years ago. However, after an extensive deep dive into their back catalogue I was immediately sucked in by their blend of alternative, post-punk and emo, as well as frontman Conor Murphy’s gut-punching lyrics and raw, gravelly vocals. With their last album Nearer My God, I’d noticed the band had started experimenting slightly with their sound, introducing synths and generally more expansive instrumental passages. That said, the experimentation on that record pales in comparison with what the band shoot for on Draw Down the Moon.

With this new record, Foxing have cut off the chains, sounding notably more upbeat as they bounce between genres, almost unrecognisable from the melancholic outfit that produced their first two records. This new direction certainly isn’t a bad thing though, as Draw Down the Moon offers a rich and ambitious project that ultimately makes for an enchanting listen. Across the album’s concise 39-minute runtime, Foxing frequently swing for the fence sonically - and most of the time they hit a home run.

Opener 737 begins as a gentle and melodic acoustic number, as Conor Murphy vulnerably sings of not being able “to do this alone.” It meanders along sweetly, before eventually erupting in the final third, transforming into a jarring screech of guitars and scream vocals. It’s quite the sit-up-and-listen start, which soon segues into their fantastic recent single Go Down Together. This track couldn’t be more different to the first, with Foxing discovering their lighter side on this incredibly funky and catchy pure pop moment. This opening pair of tracks sets up the rest of the album wonderfully, letting the listener know early on that the trio are here to have some fun and play around with lots of new ideas – and they’re going to sound great doing it.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of career best moments to be found, such as the infectious galloping beat of Where The Lightning Strikes Twice, the intoxicating pulse of Bialystok, as well as the genre-bending madness and distorted vocoder vocals of If I Believed In Love. There’s also a haunting stripped-back moment with At Least We Found The Floor, a track that had me googling to check whether or not Matt Berninger from The National was helping out on backing vocals – he’s not, but he may as well have been, such is the likeness.

However, it is easily the closing track - Speak With The Dead - that offers the album’s undisputed highlight. It is a sublime yet heartbreaking 7-minute epilogue about longing to communicate with friends, family members and loved ones who have passed away. It also sees Murphy throw his final lyrical gut-punch as he achingly belts out at the 2:30 mark:

“And in my dreams I’m on a porch with you, I promise you I've been doing well in your name and I won’t try to speak with you again - until I watch my last breath dissipate.”

Shortly after that, the song breaks out into a soaring guitar solo, before fading to black on a wave of ambient synths and distorted vocals.

It’s safe to say it’s an utterly stunning and just a beautifully crafted closer to what is a very creative and accomplished fourth album from Foxing. Taken plenty of sonic risks that nearly always pay off, it is a fascinating front-to-back listen, culminating in the mesmerising final track that leaves a strong lasting impression.

Listen to Draw Down The Moon here

King’s Disease II by Nas

Having set the standard so high with his now classic debut Illmatic, Nas throughout his career has struggled to hit a consistent run of good form. The hip-hop legend has often showed signs of returning to his best, only to then follow it up with yet another mixed bag. However, with last year’s King’s Disease, Nas delivered some of his best work for years and amazingly landed the New-York rapper his first ever Grammy for Best Rap Album. Seemingly buoyed by this success, Nas has returned almost exactly a year later with the album’s sequel – and its undoubtedly one of his best.

At a time where US rap music is flooded with repetitive, bloated trap records, Nas has delivered a vintage hip-hop record of the like they just don’t make anymore. Showing that he can still be a master storyteller when he chooses to be, Nas delivers powerful, well-written bars over Hit-Boy’s soulful beats and polished production. Although joined by fellow legends the stature of Eminem, Charlie Wilson and Ms. Lauryn Hill, the features are decidedly sparse by comparison to other recent rap records, as a fully focussed Nas seems content to reign as the star of his own show.

Overall, this is not just a step up from the first King’s Disease record, but more importantly a sizeable upgrade on most of Nas’ recent output. In a year where UK rap music is pushing boundaries and delivering astonishing records, it is great to hear one of the genre’s Stateside stalwarts fire back strong as well. Perhaps Return of the King might’ve been a more fitting name!

Listen to King’s Disease II here

Pop Culture Radio by Bloxx

And finally on the EPs front, Uxbridge outfit Bloxx released a new 4-track project this week, their first new music since last year’s impressive full-length debut, Lie Out Loud. Packed with killer hooks, glistening guitar riffs and a shimmering pop sheen, these are some of Bloxx’s best tracks-to-date, headlined by the mightily infectious title track and the anthemic Emily.

Listen to Pop Culture Radio here

Tracks of the Week

Take My Breath (Extended Version) by The Weeknd

I must admit when I first heard The Weeknd’s latest single on Friday, marking the start of the new post-After Hours era, I was left underwhelmed. The 2-minute teaser that had proceeded the single had a notably more electronic vibe to it, whereas the single that eventually arrived just felt like more of the same. However now released as an extended cut with the runtime increased from 3.5 minutes to nearly 6, the full glorious picture has been revealed with Abel jumping effortlessly between the pulsating electronica that had been teased, as well as disco and radio-friendly pop.

Listen to Take My Breath here

Parallel Kingdom by Hayden Thorpe

A track that I inexplicably missed out from last week’s roundup, Ex-Wild Beasts frontman Hayden Thorpe has delivered another a new single and the latest taste of his forthcoming second solo album, Moondust for My Diamond. Synth-driven and carried by Hayden’s signature charming falsetto, it makes for a wonderfully mystical listen.

Listen to Parallel Kingdom here

Nothing Else Matters by Phoebe Bridgers

And finally, as part of Metallica’s ongoing Blacklist project it is the turn of Miss Phoebe Bridgers at tackling the classic Nothing Else Matters. Completely different to Miley’s extravagant take, Phoebe describes her version as “baroque”, as her unique cover version elegantly waltzes along off the back of the piano-driven melody, the string-tinged instrumentation, and her own soft, silky vocals.

Listen to Phoebe’s Nothing Else Matters here

[flakandforay]

Whalien 52 Analysis

this is the analysis for the 4th track of bangtan’s 4th mini album, 화양연화 pt. 2

i will be analysing several components - music and lyrics

disclaimer: this is just my personal opinion, feel free to disagree. do let me know your thoughts in my ask box

overall: a pretty chill song that has an underlying social message. to be honest, i thought it sounded much like an interlude for this album despite it being the 4th track, but the main focus of being lonely is what this song wants to bring across.

music: it starts off with this distant screeching much like some echo noises - something like some scratches before the beat comes in with 2 sharp beats but somehow sounding a bit more muffled. a strange intro if you ask me. but then at 0:05, one could hear there’s this synth saying ‘no more, no more’ in a higher register together with namjoon saying ‘yeah’ and at 0:07, one could hear the piano being used as well - a short melody and at 0:11 onwards, one could hear the use of an electric guitar strumming some chords. then at 0:13, jungkook sings ‘imma whale’ together with the shimmering synth being used before namjoon starts off with some words at 0:16 with jungkook doing some adlibs in the background together with the synth of ‘no more’. the percussion being more evident from 0:19 onwards. then there’s short drum solo in which it leads onto the first part of the song which is yoongi’s rap at 0:24.

interestingly when yoongi starts off his verse, the song sounds more fuller with the blast of the beat. yoongi starts off with his typical style of rap but is in sync with all the synths. i really love his rap part at 0:35-0:36 because it shows his style of rap as well. not to mention, yoongi knows when to emphasise which parts of his raps which he wants to make it iconic such as at 0:47-0:48, in which he timed it so well with the beat. but afterwards, his rap sounds more aggressive as well together with the presence of the percussion. it is so typical of yoongi to even squeeze in an adlib such as ‘come on’ after the end of his verse as well.

but then the song transits to taehyung’s low sweet melodic voice at 0:57 for the prechorus with this shimmering synth yet again. but at 1:01, the percussion comes back in as it builds itself up before the chorus drops. just in time at 1:05, there is a synth that is building up in crescendo before the chorus actually drops at 1:06 with jungkook.

so with the chorus, jungkook continues with his singing but somehow the chorus sounds much more fuller with all the layers of synths that could be heard underlying it asides from the usual synths that are heard from the verses etc. then taehyung takes over at 1:17. i really like how taehyung showcases his voice especially at 1:22 - such a tasteful note and riff with the percussion at the background that soon picked up speed as it moves on the second part of the chorus at 1:28 with jimin.

interestingly at this second part of the chorus, jungkook is doubling jimin’s part as one could clearly hear jungkook’s voice inside. what makes this song even more attractive is that namjoon is also found in the chorus - acting as a mere response - so in a way it could sound similar to a canon. not to mention that namjoon’s lines in this part of the chorus sounds muffled; enhancing the sound as well. but clearly at namjoon’s part, the beat of the song is more dominant as one could hear the piano and guitar chords clearly. also this chorus seems to be quite long as the extended chorus continues at 1:40 yet again with jungkook and jimin ( if i am not wrong, because the blending of the voices here is too good that it is a bit hard to decipher who exactly is singing ); but for sure jungkook’s voice is the more dominant one here while jimin is the supporting one. then we have namjoon coming back in again much like a canon at 1:45 before the next part of the song starts.

at 1:48, hoseok’s rap part starts as he dives in quickly after the end of namjoon’s ‘canon’ - not giving a rest and utilizing the full beat; hence using namjoon’s ‘canon’ as a lead-in to his part. i must say that hoseok’s rap is very tasteful because he plays it with the beat; ensuring that his lines end before the key point of the beat comes in; a pretty smart move so as to pay homage to this interesting beat. his rap is very laidback actually only increasing the number of words per second towards the end of his lines. however at 2:12 onwards, there’s a slight change in his rap as it becomes even more slower. not to mention that short gasp at 2:17 that is well incorporated inside. actually his second part of the rap can somehow be mistaken to be slow singing - not that any could be blamed of course - but regardless he even managed to squeeze an adlib in at 2:24 right before the prechorus starts with jungkook.

jungkook’s prechorus is actually very laidback much like the earlier one, not much change though. the percussion coming in at 2:27 slowly until it builds up before the chorus drops at 2:32 with jungkook again.

but this chorus for some reason has jimin doubling jungkook especially towards the end. interesting the percussion is laidback here but as it transits to namjoon’s part at 2:54, the percussion becomes absent. i like how jungkook’s riff becomes a lead-on for namjoon’s rap that sounds a bit muffled here.

namjoon’s rap is largely driven by synths and the piano rather than the percussion surprisingly. possibly because of namjoon’s relatively low timbre of his voice, it can probably act slightly like a percussion. then at 3:03, one could hear jungkook doubling namjoon for a bit as well together with those shimmering synths.

then at 3:14 there is this short harmony of jungkook and possibly jimin before namjoon ends off his rap with ‘im a whale, yeah’ together with the percussion before the final chorus drops at 3:16 with jungkook and jimin doing adlibs in the background. specifically at 3:23, one could hear some nice falsettos being used and jungkook doing some adlibs.

then the second part of the chorus at 3:28, seokjin could be heard singing with jungkook doing the doubling. jimin then takes over at the extended chorus at 3:37 with a more breathy voice as the percussion dies down.

then at 3:42, namjoon is back at it with those sort of narration lines in his signature muffled voice for this track with the dominant piano being heard especially at 3:44. jungkook, jimin and possibly seokjin singing towards the end with the adlibs before namjoon takes over again at 3:53 and then the song ends at 3:58 with this ringing sound that could be heard as a falsetto just being altered to a higher register.

last thoughts: i do believe the song is really laidback, i just think it breathes the vibe of youth especially with it’s underlying theme of loneliness - a phase that everyone would experience regardless. one can find comfort in this song, truly bangtan is a group that many can relate to.

lyrics: i really love how the lyrics talk about being lonely - an inevitable feeling of the youth phase and relating it with the whole analogy of the whale; this could be seen clearly in the whole song especially in the rap parts. 

이 넓은 바다 그 한가운데 한 마리 고래가 나즈막히 외롭게 말을 해 아무리 소리쳐도 닿지 않는 게 사무치게 외로워 조용히 입 다무네 아무렴 어때 뭐가 됐던 이젠 뭐 I don’t care 외로움이란 녀석만 내 곁에서 머물 때 온전히 혼자가 돼 외로이 채우는 자물쇠 누군 말해 새끼 연예인 다 됐네 Oh fuck that, 그래 뭐 어때 누군가 곁에 머물 수 없다 한대도 그걸로 족해 날 향해 쉽게 얘기하는 이 말은 곧 벽이 돼 외로움조차 니들 눈엔 척이 돼

=

In the middle of the vast ocean One whale speaks softly and lonelily The fact that no matter how much they shout, it won’t reach Makes them so gravely lonely that they quietly shut their mouths Now, well, I don’t care When only the thing called Loneliness remained by my side I’ve become completely alone Some say, “bastard, you’ve become a celebrity” Oh fuck that, yeah, well, so what, nobody remains by my side, I’m ok like this These words that are easily said towards me quickly becomes a wall Even loneliness turns into something you can see

so now here, yoongi brings out the analogy of the whale here within the first 2 lines; bringing out specific characteristics of the whale especially how they tend to send signals despite not knowing whether other whales could hear them. he then compares it to his life saying how many say that they have made it but one could feel that he stills feels loneliness regardless

그 벽에 갇혀서 내 숨이 막혀도 저 수면 위를 향해

=

Even if my breaths are blocked Because I’m confined in that wall I head towards the surface of water above

i like how yoongi’s rap leads into the pre chorus, clearly talking about the same wall mentioned earlier yet keeping the analogy of the whale

Lonely lonely lonely whale 이렇게 혼자 노래불러 외딴 섬 같은 나도 밝게 빛날 수 있을까

Lonely lonely lonely whale 이렇게 또 한 번 불러봐 대답 없는 이 노래가 내��에 닿을 때까지

No more, no more baby No more, no more 끝없는 무전 하나 언젠가 닿을 거야 저기 지구 반대편까지 다

No more, no more baby No more, no more 눈먼 고래들조차 날 볼 수 있을 거야 오늘도 다시 노래하지 나

=

Lonely lonely lonely whale Singing alone like this Even me, who’s like a lonely island Can I shine on the outside

Lonely lonely lonely whale Like this, try calling once again Until this song that doesn’t have a response Reaches tomorrow

No more no more baby No more no more An endless signal, will reach someday Everywhere, even to the other side of the earth

No more no more baby No more no more Even the blind whales will be able to see me Today, again, I sing

then the chorus and extended chorus plays an important role as it mentions the whole analogy of the lonely whale yet again; a whale who tries to call despite not knowing whether there is a response. one could clearly tell that bangtan did their research as they incorporated the topic of whales inside very well. 

세상은 절대로 몰라 내가 얼마나 슬픈지를 내 아픔은 섞일 수 없는 물과 기름 그저 난 수면 위에서만 숨을 쉴 때 관심 끝 외로운 바닷속 꼬마 나도 알리고 싶네 내 가치를 Everyday 걱정의 멀미를 해 늘 스티커는 귀 밑에 Never end, 왜 끝은 없고 매번 hell 시간이 가도 차가운 심연 속의 Neverland But 늘 생각해 지금 새우잠 자더라도 꿈은 고래답게 다가올 큰 칭찬이 매일 춤을 추게 할거야 나답게 Ye i’m swimmin’

=

The world will never know how sad I am My pain is water and oil that can’t mix So only above the surface of the water do I Breathe, and the interest towards me ends A child in the lonely ocean. I want to make it known too My value, everyday I become sick with worry, the sticker always beneath my ear Never end, why isn’t there an end; every time it’s hell Even if time goes by, in the cold abyss. Neverland But, I always think, now Even if I sleep a shrimp’s sleep, my dreams are like that of a whale’s The upcoming big praise will make me dance everyday Like me, Ye i’m swimmin’

then hoseok’s rap talks again about his inner loneliness that he never tells anyone; clearly wanting to tell others how he feel but he cant. i like his reference of Neverland - the land where the children never grow up; the whole  childlike innocence intact. 

he even includes how if he gets little sleep, his dreams are still big, a nice contrasting analogy. 

내 미래를 향해 가 저 푸른 바다와 내 헤르츠를 믿어

=

I go towards my future That blue beach and Believe in my hertz

now, the lyrics of the pre chorus change a bit, clearly integrating the whole whale analogy yet again by saying to believe in his signal. 

어머니는 바다가 푸르다 하셨어 멀리 힘껏 니 목소릴 내라 하셨어 그런데 어떡하죠 여긴 너무 깜깜하고 온통 다른 말을 하는 다른 고래들 뿐인데 I juss can’t hold it ma 사랑한다 말하고 싶어 혼자 하는 돌림 노래, 같은 악보 위를 되짚어 이 바다는 너무 깊어 그래도 난 다행인 걸 (눈물 나도 아무도 모를테니) I’m a whalien

=

My mother said the sea is blue She said to let out your voice as far as you can But what to do, it’s so dark and there are only different whales speaking entirely different words I juss can’t hold it ma I want to say I love you I want to trace back to this music sheet that’s like a rotating song that I sing myself This sea is too deep Still, I’m lucky Because even if I cry, no one would know I’m a whalien

namjoon’s rap lyrics are what seal the deal. his lyrics encompass the whole concept of loneliness, with how there are different people, one might not be able to relate, hence still being lonely. the fact of being lonely when he raps ‘because even if i cry, no one would know’ and that is truly loneliness at its core. 

Reference: Colour Coded ©

last thoughts: a song that makes me reflect on my whole phase of youth, a song to comfort those who are lonely and to relate to them. honestly, loneliness is a feeling i never want to be familiar with but through this song, bangtan comforts me saying that im not alone, and thats what all i need to hear. 

[Photo Source] Bighit Entertainment  Credits: maxine ☕️ DO NOT REPOST ©

[kristallioness]

I was tagged by @cassidy-alice. Yay! Thank you so much for tagging me, it's been a while since I last got to answer something like this. This will be fun. ^_^

🎀 - Are you named after someone? No, I'm actually named after something - the name of a brand of a specific type of product, but my mother changed the last letter.

🎀 - When was the last time you cried? Last night after watching one of my favourite Kataang AMVs, this one right here. The song, the lyrics and the scenes used in that video all blend together so well and it makes me really emotional.

🎀 - Do you like your handwriting? Yes, very much! I've always liked cursive because I think it's pretty. My handwriting has pretty much stayed the same since basic school. When taking quick notes on some random piece of paper or solving crosswords, I usually use block/capital letters and not cursive. I have many nice examples of my handwriting posted along with some sketches in the 'my sketch' tag (such as: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

🎀 - What is your favourite lunch meat? Umm, I don't think I have a favourite. When it comes to making sandwiches or cold dishes, then perhaps turkey or just regular ham/sausage?

🎀 - Do you have kids? No, but I've given it some thought already and I believe that I'd love to have at least one child in the future.

🎀 - If you were a different person, would you be friends with you? Probably not, since right now I consider myself to be very kind, humble, intelligent and rather confident with who I am (which has taken me a long time to accept). If I were different (mean, cocky and not worked hard to study as much as I could during school and university to become a well-educated person), I might not like me as much.

🎀 - Do you use sarcasm? Quite often every day, ever since I learned what it is and how to use it properly.

🎀 - Do you still have your tonsils? Nope! I had those removed when I was a very little girl, about 7+ years old. Whenever I became sick, I used to take a long time to recover from even the simplest colds and that happened pretty often during my childhood. The doctors thought it'd be better for me to have them removed. My voice changed a bit after the surgery and everybody (my parents and, later when I returned to school, my classmates) kept saying that I sounded different, but I never really noticed it (or was too young to understand the difference), so it was really funny to me.

🎀 - Would you bungee jump? I haven't so far and I don't think I will in the near future. I'd have to be reassured several times that everything is secure and there'd have to be some soft thing to land on down below in case anything happens.

🎀 - What's your favorite cereal? I've eaten so many throughout the years and they're all so good! I've been eating lots of Froot Loops and Lotte cereal lately (Lotte is an Estonian dog cartoon character), which tastes exactly the same as Chocapic, but I also love Nesquik, Coco Pops, Frosties, Cookie Crisp, Cini Minis and Cheerios. Did I miss any of my childhood favourites which are still sold in our shops?

🎀 - Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Every time.

🎀 - Do you think you're a strong person? Physically, strong enough to defend myself but not like I visit a gym daily. Mentally, stronger than I might seem because I've endured bullying throughout basic school and learned how to defend myself against such people.

🎀 - What's your favorite ice cream? Right now I'd have to say it's vanilla Jättis by Ingman, which is a Finnish ice cream company. *sends greetings to awesome neighbours*

🎀 - What's the first thing you notice about someone? Probably their face and, shortly after, their general appearance.

🎀 - What's your least favorite physical thing about yourself? I strive to be thinner (for a good reason, since I'm overweight). During the last 5 years I've managed to lose 55 pounds and I've never been as thin as I am right now in a long time (my mother said I was this thin back in 6th grade). I'm proud of that. I feel lighter and am confident that I'm healthier, too.

🎀 - What color trousers and shoes are you wearing right now? I'm not wearing any shoes since I'm indoors, but I'm wearing black jogging pants that have white stripes going down the sides.

🎀 - What are you listening to right now? Nothing, but I remember one of the last songs I listened to on YouTube was "Good Grief" by Bastille.

🎀 - If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Maybe pink? Because I'm optimistic, friendly, feel great love for all my friends and family. Or perhaps blue? Because I'm also realistic, intelligent, introverted.

🎀 - Favorite smell? Fresh air, freshly cut grass, the Mayday trees and common lilacs near my home.. some smells I like when it comes to nature. Our apartment (every apartment has a unique smell, believe me), nice soaps, washed laundry/clothes, when my mother is cooking something tasty. The smell of new books (my Estonian/literature teacher from secondary school told our class how she likes smelling new books and her habit sort of grew on me when I started ordering the Avatar comic trilogies, those Dark Horse books have a unique smell that I like).

🎀 - Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mother.

🎀 - Favorite sport to watch? Formula 1, followed by football, athletics, skiing and everything else (especially those fields where Estonians are participating).

🎀 - Hair color? Blonde.

🎀 - Eye color? Greyish blue.

🎀 - Do you wear contacts? Luckily no, no glasses either.

🎀 - Favorite food? I try to vary my menu, so I can't choose anything specific. Have you heard of kama, Estonia's national food? It's so yummy, I love making it sweeter by adding more sugar to the kefir (which gives it a sour taste). You should definitely try a spoonful when you have the opportunity.

🎀 - Scary movies or comedy? I prefer comedies over scary movies, but I wouldn't mind watching a good scary movie sometimes.

🎀 - Last movie you watched? "Planes" on channel 3 last Saturday (which I enjoyed, but "Cars" is definitely closer to my heart).

🎀 - What color shirt are you wearing? A dark emerald green tank top.

🎀 - Summer or Winter? Why must you make me choose between two of my favourite seasons!? Nah, I love all of the seasons to be honest. Summer, because it's warm, you can wear lighter clothing, I enjoy eating strawberries, my birthday is near the end of July, Estonians celebrate Victory Day and St. John's Day in June as well as the day we restored our independence in August.

🎀 - Hugs or kisses? Hugs.

🎀 - Book you're currently reading? None, because I prefer reading (and writing) fanfiction nowadays. The last one I read though was "North and South: Part Three", the third part of the last Avatar trilogy. I'm waiting for my preordered copy of "Turf Wars: Part One" to arrive next month, so that'll be next.

🎀 - Who do you miss right now? My old classmates from secondary school and my coursemates from university. Our school is organizing a reunion in October, so I'll get to see my fellow alumni of our class then.

🎀 - What's on your mouse pad? The background is red, but there's a mouse holding a piece of cheese. The mouse has a wide smile with human teeth and it looks really funny. Like someone photoshopped a human's smile on the mouse's mouth.

🎀 - What's the last tv program you watched? "Bones".

🎀 - What is the best sound? This soundtrack, the entire Avatar series' (both ATLA and TLOK) soundtrack, the thrush nightingales singing at the beginning of spring, Estonia's national anthem (which has the same melody as Finland's), the soothing sound of a (slow) heartbeat.. it's impossible to bring out just one because there are so many and some of these totally depend on my mood.

🎀 - What's the furthest you've ever travelled? I've never left Estonian soil, at least not yet.

🎀 - Do you have a special talent? I solve sudokus pretty fast. My friends were surprised to discover that I draw using only my touchpad and/or my mouse.

🎀 - Where were you born? In a local hospital of the town that serves as the hub of the county.

Tagging: @chel-burr @eskalations @hailkuvira @jinoras-light @kataracy @mindatworkk @snotpup @thecaroliner (I hope I don't miss your posts and that you haven't already been tagged!)

[thefanandthecritic]

Top 10 Songs I Wish Were Talked About More - Part 2

And we’re back. Ready for round 2? If you missed part 1, it’s right below this on the blog, which is here. Otherwise, I hope that these picks take you on a bit of a journey, because they are much more serious than the previous ones. Which means that if you wanted light and fluffy stuff, then you will be disappointment itself once you’re through here.

With that said, the following songs need more exposure than they get, so I want to fix that. As much as an unknown on the internet can, anyway. If that makes you curious, then dive on in. You’re welcome, here.

5. Anathema - Lightning Song

This entry may as well be "Why don't more people talk about Anathema?" because this band is just great. I mean, I understand the lack of popularity in their early days, because they played doom metal, and that was about as fun as it sounded - no offence to doom metal fans. But you do know what I mean. Fun = popular, and doom metal is many things, but fun isn't one of them. These days, though, they make some damn good proggy, alternative rock and their last two albums - Weather Systems and Distant Satellites - are some of my favourite pieces of music in the last few years. 

A pity that they swim outside of our SONAR, then, because Weather Systems boasts a really great song that could have made it to the radio. Well, I think so. "Lightning song" is not the most complex of Anathema's songs by far, but it is as listenable as the babble of a brook. It is driven by twinkling acoustic guitars and the angelic vocals of Lee Douglas, (who, for the record, could sing the constitution of the EU and still sound like the bride of Christ) which is a combination so harmonious and soothing that I think I just drooled a little. It then builds itself up gradually until the entire band enters the fray in an extended climax that has drummer - and brother to Lee - John Douglas pelting his crash cymbal in a such a way that it actually mimics the frantic flashing of lightning, adding an extra layer of synchronicity with its title and theme that few bands ever reach for. The lyrics also do their job, describing the brief moment of awe as one stands in a thunderstorm and absorbs its primal beauty. Rather rare and fresh subject matter for a song, really.

Maybe I'm over-selling this one. Maybe it isn't what I think it is. I can't help but feel, though, that this song is beautiful and something special. I hope you will agree.

4. Collapse Under the Empire - A Riot of Emotion

Collapse Under the Empire is a German post rock band predominantly known for their complex composition and detailed layering of synths, so naturally, my favourite song of theirs is a straightforward rock track with the band's usual strengths downscaled.

It makes sense in my head, I swear.

This song, however, is a true beauty. "A Riot of Emotion" is exactly what it says on the tin. It's a song that stirs together joy, melancholy, exhilaration and serenity in a pot made of looped drums and soothing synths which, out of nowhere, explodes to life about halfway through, with the electric guitars roaring into the mix triumphantly and ending their run with a riff that - I kid you not - is what it would sound like if Blink 182 went pure post rock. Try it if you don’t believe me This song does not get enough attention. It needs more ears to appreciate it. End of story.

Why yes, I do like slow-build songs. How could you tell?

3. God Is An Astronaut - Post Mortem

Now for the song that started this list. For those who don't know, God Is An Astronaut - yes, you are reading that name for real and no, you are not high - are a post rock band with an ear for generating intricacy from simplicity and crafting immaculate melodies, and it earns them a fiercely loyal fanbase.

GIAA's self-titled album upped the tempo from their usual schtick, however, and the first real moment that we really tasted this was the opening of "Post Mortem", a rolling, thunderous cacophony of toms and crash cymbals that kicks down into a tight and bright rhythm that has a groove that's so effortless that it's a challenge not to be swaying to its beat.

That's not the best part, however. The best part is that the song is almost written backwards in a way. As the song progresses, it slows itself down bit by bit, rather than building itself up like most songs do. This culminates in an eerie, but beautiful denoument in which the song fades out with nothing but a resonant, haunting bit of synth. Picture the musical equivalent of drifting off into space, and you'll have some idea of it. To get the most out of it, though, you'll want to listen to it with the perspective one of my good friends has of it: The song is about a life cycle, beginning with kicking, thrashing and screaming, and mellowing out over the course of its existence until, eventually, you go gentle into that good night, and rest forever. If that isn't beautiful, I don't know what is.

2. Maybeshewill - Red Paper Lanterns

These top two entries are now officially my best foot forward in terms of my musical taste. Between this and number one, I could not possibly tell you which is my favourite song of all time, but I don’t have to. I just want you to hear these songs.

Red Paper Lanterns is a thing of immaculate beauty. Maybeshewill is one of the few rock bands which can use a piano correctly, and the way they do it in this song is nothing short of magnificent. This is pure concentrated melody and harmony, and it switches ably between huge, sweeping movements and the tiniest, most intimate of strains, delicate as cherry blossoms. If you would like to hear what being in love sounds like, then this probably gets close. Nothing else I know of captures the euphoria and warmth of being close to someone else. Nowhere else have I ever heard such gorgeously dainty sounds come out of a guitar. When the song gets huge, it gets MASSIVE. Not in a heavy way, but in the sense that the guitars start swirling and whirling around the piano, and the crash cymbal starts smashing itself in a visceral but expertly-controlled fashion. When this song climaxes, you stop. You listen.

Red Paper Lanterns is the best instrumental rock song you’ve never heard. It needs to reach all the ears ever, even if it's just so they can say that they personally aren't into it. If you listen to nothing else on this list, make it this one.

Or the next entry. Bugger me, I dunno.

1. Jimmy Eat World - 23

1. Here I am, breaking the most cardinal of top 10 music list rules: One entry per artist. Do I feel bad? Nope. Not at all. That's it. That's all I wanted to say.

I said there were two entries from the same band on this list and I meant it. Jimmy Eat World deserve it, as far as I'm concerned. Futures is flat-out my favourite record ever, and the final song of the record is the song which competes constantly with Red Paper Lanterns for top of the pops in my library: "23".

It's an anthem about making mistakes and wasting opportunities that has come to define everything that makes this band so special to me. It is the band's un-toppable zenith. The ultimate closing track. Every second of its sweeping, melancholic 7 minutes is pretty much perfection to me. The lyrics about regret and coming to terms with your choices are sharp and bittersweet. Jim Adkins' ambling lead guitar is measured, but deceptively intricate. Tom Linton's rhythm guitar and backup vocals blend with the background strings and fill all the sonic spaces on the outer edges of the mix. Bassist Rick Burch does what he always does, picking the most appropriate way to complement what everyone else is doing, adding a resonance that you don't always pay attention to, but is noticeable by its absence every time. Then of course, there's Zach Lind, one of my top five favourite drummers, holding the rhythm of the song together in a way that's perfect for what the song needs. He's no slouch behind his kit, but he knows what many drummers don't - sometimes it's essential to step back and keep everyone else on pace.

When it all comes together, tied in a neat little bow by Adkins' affecting, whispy, exceptionally emotive vocals and the killer, slow-tempo guitar solo at the end, this song becomes a masterpiece. This is Jimmy Eat World's "Stairway to Heaven", their "Bohemian Rhapsody", their "Dark Side of the Moon". Sure, it may not even be in the same parking lot as those songs on a technical level, but it represents for this band what those songs represent for theirs: What they can do when they shrug off the creative restraints and unleash their hidden potential. Jimmy Eat World did that here, and it won't get any better than this for them.

Maybe this will be an underwhelming pick for you. Maybe I'm too attached, and this is only middle of the road. I'll concede that if I must, but I don't think I'm wrong in believing that this song is something special, and I believe it deserves top billing on this list because all anyone says when you bring up this band is how “great” “Bleed American” is, and approximately zero people ever acknowledge anything else in this band’s discography unless they are devoted fans. I want that to change, and that’s why I put this song on this list.

That’s why I put all of these songs here. Because even if the only person talking about them in the world is a pokey little music critic with a dozen followers, it’d still be one more than there was before.

I leave you with this song where it belongs: at the end. Have a great day.

[ismael37olson]

Jon ALi Presents: The Top 50 Albums Of 2018!

My beautiful music lovers: We have (almost) reached the end of 2018!

This year proved once again to be a true test to the human psychique with the mess that is our current Presidential reality – but, luckily, in the midst of life’s many expected ups and downs this year, there was (thankfully) a ton of great music to help distract, heal and lift us up.

First up, I’m counting down my Top 50 Albums of the 2018! As per usual, this list was the quickest to make because I find it easier to rank my love for an album based on if I can get through the whole thing from start to finish without banging my head against a wall (repeatedly). WITH THAT SAID: That doesn’t necessarily mean I find album #19 any more or less tolerable than the ones before or after it so please save your trolling for someone who actually cares. The list reflects my personal taste, you know the person the blog is named after. I love music. You love music. We love music!

K, without further ado, here’s the list:

50. Fischerspooner – Sir 49. Hayley Kiyoko – Expectations 48. Teyana Taylor – K.T.S.E. 47. Ella Mai – Ella Mai 46. Rita Ora – Phoenix 45. Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes 44. Little Mix – LM5 43. Rae Morris – Someone Out There 42. Paloma Faith – The Architect 41. Travis Scott – Astroworld 40. Sofi Tukker – Treehouse 39. J Balvin – Vibras 38. Empress Of – Us 37. Blood Orange – Negro Swan 36. CHVRCHES – Love is Dead 35. Nicki Minaj – Queen 34. Jess Glynne – Always In Between 33. The Aces – When My Heart Felt Volcanic 32. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships 31. Twin Shadow – Caer 30. Toni Braxton – Sex & Cigarettes 29. Florence and the Machine – High as Hope 28. Lily Allen – No Shame 27. The Carters – Everything Is Love 26. Tinashe – Joyride 25. MNEK – Language 24. Khalid – Suncity 23. Christina Aguilera – Liberation 22. Camila Cabello – Camila 21. Black Panther: The Album 20. Goldilox – Very Best 19. Kali Uchis – Isolation 18. Ariana Grande – Sweetener 17. Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy 16. SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides 15. Kylie Minogue – Golden 14. NAO – Saturn 13. MØ – Forever Neverland 12. Rosalía – El Mal Querer 11. Jorja Smith – Lost & Found

10. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

2013’s The Electric Lady – Janelle‘s sophomore effort – saw this multi-talented diva hone in on the sound she displayed on her debut The ArchAndroid, showcasing a playful-yet-wise mix of pop, funk and soul that rocked our world. Dirty Computer is a more versatile and ambitious move: an addictive master class in futurist freedom and pride, packed with a whole lot of substance, enlightenment and soul. Here Janelle continues to paint and play with all the different colors in her wonderful artistry. The triumphs outweigh her constraints of not wanting to miss out on another chance to enlighten. She’s not afraid of being herself, and the fact that she only continues to refine within that is what makes Janelle such a necessary presence in today’s musical landscape. Highlights: “Take A Byte,” “Screwed (feat. Zoë Kravitz),” “Django Jane,” “Pynk (feat. Grimes),” “Make Me Feel” and “I Like That.”

9. Years & Years – Palo Santo

On the follow-up to their fantastic 2015 debut, Years & Years – comprised of lead singer Olly Alexander, bassist Mikey Goldsworthy and synth player Emre Turkmen – returns badder, more unfiltered and more confident than ever before. Olly and crew are bleeding into each and every one of these songs, at times menacing, confessional and aggressive like on “Sanctify” and “All For You,” where they break free from a broken relationship with edge and a liberated attitude. Palo Santo pushes Years & Years to new and mature heights while refining their brand of pop excellence and increasing its production value. Highlights: “Sanctify,” “All For You,” “Karma,” “Hypnotised,” “If You’re Over Me” and “Palo Santo.”

8. Mariah Carey – Caution

From start to finish, Mariah‘s fifteenth studio album, Caution, creates a great “Portrait” of where the legacy of Mimi‘s career has been and where it is now. There’s a certain maturity in her tight vision that we haven’t seen in recent efforts like Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel and The Elusive Chanteuse; thematically, Caution feels like a return to form. What really keeps the record feeling cohesive and modern is the lyrical content and sleek production – and all it took was 10 tracks. It’s the perfect example of quality over quantity. Caution is undeniably one of Mariah’s finest moments – her tightest, strongest and most cohesive effort since The Emancipation of Mimi. Highlights: “GTFO,” “Caution,” “A No No,” “The Distance,” “Giving Me Life,” “8th Grade” and “Portrait.”

7. Tove Styrke – Sway

I first noticed Swedish songstress Tove Styrke nearly four years ago when she released her dynamic, well-received sophomore album Kiddo. It’s no surprise to see how she has developed into a major international force since those early days. Her third studio LP Sway is a sure sign of her development as an artist: a restrained, sophisticated and fresh body of work showcasing her gorgeous angelic voice across an array of simple electronic arrangements, acoustic layers, heavenly harmonies and huge pop choruses. She may not have made the biggest noise this year, but she certainly has proven herself to be a more than worthy addition to the Swedish elite we have all come to revere. Highlights: “Say My Name,” “Mistakes,” “On the Low,” “Changed My Mind” and “On A Level.”

6. Christine and the Queens – Chris

The sophomore slump can sometimes be nearly impossible to avoid, but with Chris, Héloïse Letissier managed to deliver a more than worthy follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut, Chaleur Humaine – which introduced her as a heartfelt, articulate queer artist and earned her a thriving following of listeners who felt she was singing directly to — and for — them. This time around, the French diva took on a bigger and dare I say “more accessible” approach, all while building upon her many strengths. The LP is a record brimming with ’80’s-esque grooves, intimate electronica, and a whole lot of soul baring. Christine is more confident than ever here, challenging both herself and her audience. An effortlessly eloquent, cool and intelligent listen from start to finish. She is the chameleon-like artist we deserve today! Highlights: “Girlfriend (feat. Dâm-Funk),” “Doesn’t matter,” “5 dollars,” “Damn (what must do a woman do)” and “Feel so good.”

5. Robyn – Honey

While it may not have been what everyone hoped it would be, Robyn‘s first solo album in eight years proved to be yet another masterpiece from the Swedish Queen – a subtle, more restrained serve from a woman who has always thrived by rejecting pop music standards throughout her career. Honey is a cohesive collection of sophisticated and deeply emotional dance songs that come packed with slick melodies and intelligently written lyricism, bridging her previous work and with the rest of Honey‘s flowing numbers, which draw on the things that gave her the strength to recover during grief: her longtime friend and collaborator, producer Christian Falk, died from pancreatic cancer in 2014, and she separated from her partner, photographer Max Vitali (they have reunited since). Robyn continues to make the trends instead of following them, and with Honey, she enters the next phase in her legacy with some of her most emotionally satisfying and musically innovative music yet. Highlights: “Missing U,” “Human Being (feat. Zhala),” “Because It’s in the Music,” “Honey” and “Between the Lines.”

4. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born: The Soundtrack

If you’d told me I’d be completely obsessing over a soundtrack a year ago, I’d probably laugh in your face. But lo and behold, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper‘s spectacular A Star Is Born, a film filled with full-fledged SONGS, all of which serve the story. Strip out the unnecessary dialogue interludes and the plot of A Star Is Born is still evident, as the music moves from the grungy Americana of Bradley‘s character, through his classic-feeling duets with Gaga, toward her cookie-cutter “Ally” pop, and then culminating with “I’ll Never Love Again,” the beautifully heartbreaking song where the two estranged lovers reunite. Each of these phases is expertly executed, particularly on the now staple-ballad “Shallow” where their sensibilities and chemistry are fused powerfully – I’m still not over it. All the songs just make sense to the narrative and on their own, and as a result, hold together well and amount to the soundtrack of the year. It’s a true gift to us all. Highlights: “Shallow,” “Music to My Eyes,” “Always Remember Us This Way,” “Heal Me,” “I Don’t Know What Love Is,” and “I’ll Never Love Again.”

3. Lykke Li – so sad so sexy

In today’s current state of high-gloss pop-stars, who are all about taking things to the next level, there is something about hearing someone like Swedish talent Lykke Li going slightly left with her sound that is very refreshing. This time around, she took on a more ambitious sound, enlisting husband Jeff Bhasker, T-Minus, DJ Dahi, Illangelo, Emile Haynie, Jonny Coffer, Kid Harpoon and Rostam Batmanglij, among others to complement her strengths. The LP is a record brimming with dark trap grooves, intimate electronica, and an unusual blend of pop and R&B. But, don’t get it twisted: No matter how new the sound may be for her, the Lykke Li heard on so sad so sexy is still a fearless and powerful one. In fact, she’s reached a whole new level of self-awareness and the lyrical craftsmanship, yeah, it’s better than it’s ever been. Are you really surprised though? Highlights: “hard rain,” “deep end,” “last piece,” “sex money feelings die” and “bad woman.”

2. Troye Sivan – Bloom

On the follow-up to his fantastic 2015 debut, Troye Sivan returns liberated, more unfiltered and more self-assured than ever before. As displayed on the cover art and promotional images for the LP – where Troye is seen flaunting his queerness front and center – his guards are completely down and his insecurities are completely visible for anyone willing to look and listen beyond the sexuality. Bloom is a gorgeous, intimate, soft, tender, sensual and supremely crafted listen from start to finish. An album for steamy, unfiltered romping. The shift is evident, Troye is here to stay. Bloom is it. The End. Highlights: “Seventeen,” “My My My!,” “The Good Side,” “Bloom,” “Dance to This (feat. Ariana Grande)” and “Lucky Strike.”

1. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve totally been sleeping on Kacey Musgraves all these years. Thankfully, I’ve woken the fuck up and realized what I was missing all this time. Like most of Kacey‘s back catalog, her fourth major label LP Golden Hour revolves around some expected lyrical themes: boys, love, family, independence and varying levels of self-assurance, sadness, isolation and lust. But Golden Hour strives as a much bigger deal than anything she’s ever done before, it’s her “official” transition into a genuine mainstream pop player. It’s a honest, slow-burning and an extremely therapeutic body of work, in which Kacey‘s delivery is quietly confident throughout, blooming at its own leisurely strut, swaying between casual confessionals and songs about love. The very sound of Golden Hour is warm and enveloping, kind of like a setting sun – but the album sticks with you because the songs are so smart, clever and sweetly blissful. There are no mistakes on this album. Everything works and everything is perfection. Kacey Musgraves has knocked it out of the park with this effort and has perhaps cured my anxiety forever (or at very least, provided the perfect antidote). Highlights: “Slow Burn,” “Butterflies,” “Oh, What a World,” “Love Is a Wild Thing,” “Happy & Sad,” “High Horse” and “Rainbow.”

Honorable Mentions: Zayn – Icarus Falls, Rhye – Blood, Emily Warren – Quiet Your Mind, leuan – Over the Graden Wall, Lauv – I met you when I was 18, Ralph – A Good Girl, Bebe Rexha – Expectations, Clean Bandit – What Is Love?, Sabrina Carpenter – Singular Act I

from Jon ALi's Blog http://jonalisblog.com/2018/12/27/jon-ali-presents-the-top-50-albums-of-2018/