#i also feel conflicted cause i am still excited to hear the new album but on the other hand

[pardonmydelays]

if you log out of this hellsite i do not blame you bc it does suck here but i will very much miss your presence 😢♥️

omg thank you so much! 🥺

yes, it really sucks to be here right now... i literally had to unfollow 100+ swifties to clear my dash cause i was sick of seeing people who are defending all her actions & shitting on joe alwyn for no reason. still, i don't even have the energy to scroll tumblr so all i do is check my messages from time to time. i definitely need a break, but seeing things like that in my inbox makes me want to think it through once again. ❤️

[eabhaalynn]

My 11 Songs of the Decade (because 10 would be boring and is overdone.)

Cigarette Daydreams – Cage the Elephant

The song… This is the closing song of Cage the Elephant’s 2013 album, Melophobia, and the third single released from this album. It describes the pain of someone’s search for their own identity through the musings of a parted lover.

For me… To this day, this is the song I cry to. This always has been me and my friend Iona’s song. It will forever be inseparable from the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens in Belfast, from rainy summer’s days and rants about our seemingly massive problems with GCSEs and girls from school. When she went abroad for her gap year, I couldn’t bear to listen to it. It’s another one of these songs that manages to articulate what it feels like to be young and thinking too much.

Key lyric…If we can find a reason, a reason to change Looking for the answer If you can find a reason, a reason to stay Standing in the pouring rain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvVJ0v6Vta8

Ribs – Lorde

The song… This is a deep house influenced electronica song that discusses Lorde’s stress over ageing. It was released on her debut album, Pure Heroine, in 2013. It begins ambiently and builds to become increasingly more frantic as the song progresses.

For me… Despite being released when I was a young teenager, this song was written when Lorde was sixteen or seventeen. It articulates exactly what it feels like to be that age, at that stage of life. I’m quite sure teenagers across the globe can relate to that. This song has been the soundtrack of my teenage years, the imagery is both relatable and accessible. Listening now, it gives me a sense of nostalgia, a yearning to be back where I was a year, or two or three years ago. Even now, it is the sound of being alone in a crowd. It is musically perfect, and a piece of exceptional songwriting.

Key lyric…This dream isn't feeling sweet We're reeling through the midnight streets And I've never felt more alone It feels so scary, getting old

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qaeoz_7cyE

Sign of the Times – Harry Styles

The song…  This is Harry Style’s debut single as a solo artist. It was released in early 2017 and appears on his self-titled debut album. It is a power ballad with eclectic influences from genres such as soft rock, indie rock, glam rock and psychedelic soul. It features Styles’ vocals alongside choral harmonies throughout. It is essentially about avoiding emotion during times of grief and hardship.

For me…This is the song of me leaving school (for the first time). Listening to it now coughs up all the feelings of relief, and yet uncertainty. Excitement, but also nerves. Summer 2017 was a turning point for me. I had had a terrible couple of years over my GCSEs, and overall, my second school was a far better place for me to be than my first one ever was. At the time though, I didn’t know this. Sure, how could I? This song helped me figure out my feelings, and make sense of feeling happy when I really didn’t know what I should have felt at all.

Key lyric…We don't talk enough, we should open up Before it's all too much Will we ever learn? We've been here before It's just what we know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4ooNx77u0

Ride – Lana Del Rey

The song… This song comes from Lana Del Rey’s third EP, Paradise, released in 2012. It served as the first single of this re-release. It is a ballad that includes, among other themes, parental problems, loneliness and alcohol misuse. Del Rey sings over a string drenched, piano driven melody.

For me… This is the song of every summer. It has never been an exceptionally happy song for me, but it is the embodiment of what it is to feel young and alive, if a little bit tired. The glamour of it, alongside the acknowledgement that everything isn’t perfect, but that they will be okay if you just go with the flow, was exactly what I needed at the time it was released. The blissful uncertainty of the summers of being 14 and 15, partnered with the irrelevance of the future, is exactly what this song will always be about for me.

Key lyric… Been trying hard not to get into trouble But I, I've got a war in my mind I just ride, just ride

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py_-3di1yx0

Don’t Delete the Kisses – Wolf Alice

The song… This is the second single from Wolf Alice’s second album, Visions of a Life. It is characterised as dream pop, synth pop, shoegaze and indie rock. Frontwoman Rowsell referred to it as “one of those, you know, ‘head out the window on a long drive’ kind of tunes.’

For me… If ‘ribs’ is the sound of being seventeen, then surely this is the sound of falling in love. This song is the ultimate love song. I am absolutely convinced of it. It is greater than any one person as it is simply the sound of the feeling. I am very lucky that I actually was falling in love for the first time at the time this was released. I will always be indebted to Ellie Rowsell for being there to tell me in plain English how I was feeling. This song has defined every ‘lovey dovey’ mood I have been in for the last two and a half years. I’m sure most people of my age feel the same. It was written for the era we are living in and it is perfectly suited to it.

Key lyric…I see the signs of a lifetime, you 'til I die

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqxE-zppu30

Motion Sickness – Phoebe Bridgers

The song… This is the third single from Phoebe Bridger’s 2017 Debut album ‘Stranger in the Alps.’ It describes “being in love with someone who is super mean to you… like conflicted feelings.” Bridger’s stated to radio station KCRW that the song was written about fellow musician Ryan Adams.

For me… Admittedly, I discovered this song late in the decade. But it’s a song about feelings. Like, really hard feelings. This decade, and especially the latter half of it, threw up a lot of feelings, about a lot of things. I suppose this is fairly standard for most people approaching the end of their teenage years. It’s angsty, without being too bothered about anything. It’s raw and honest; articulating everything I’ve felt about everyone at one stage or another, and I’m equally, I’m sure it articulates enough people’s feelings about me.

Key lyric… You said when you met me you were bored And you, you were in a band when I was born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sfYpolGCu8

A & E – Brand New Friend

The song… This illustrates the rise and fall of a relationship, and in doing so highlights the more melancholic acoustic side of Northern Irish indie pop group Brand New Friend. It was initially released in 2016 as the closing song of their debut EP, American Wives, but was remastered and re-released on their 2017 album Seatbelts for Airplanes.

For me… This is the song of the medicine application. Bearing in mind I know this band, and know that there is a well-developed meaning to the song that has nothing to do with me, this is the song that I have listened to, and seen live, countless times from the day I decided I wanted to be a doctor to the day I got into medical school and beyond. It is a rare and beautiful connection to have to a song like this, and one for which I am forever going to be grateful. Now, I can’t hear the song live without bawling my wee eyes out. I have come so far, and the band have too, and the song has been with us every step of the way. That truly means the world to me.

Key lyric… She wants to be a paramedic / Wants to save a strangers life / Now she wants to hold my hand / Does she know she’s saving mine?

https://open.spotify.com/track/5RmOfF1s5zW2B942H9OGXT?si=hsauA8iXQN6mXQnL8s0fBw

Brazil – Declan McKenna

The song… McKenna initially self-released this song in December 2014. It is critical of FIFA, of their awarding of the 2014 World Cup to Brazil without addressing the deep rooted and extensive poverty affecting the Nations people. It gained widespread media attention throughout the FIFA corruption scandal, before featuring on his debut album, ‘What do you think about the Car?’ in July 2017. It is an indie rock song that is driven by guitars and synths.

For me… This song was the sound of 2016 and 2017. It was released a while before this but I was fairly late jumping on the bandwagon. It’s a political song, speaking of the injustices behind FIFA and their 2014 World Cup in Brazil. As an angry little leftist, I have always appreciated this. I can only appreciate it more knowing that Declan McKenna himself was only fourteen when he wrote it. For me the song has many happy memories attached to it, from the long summer walks from my house to the nearest village to see my friends who were working as sailing instructors, to attending a tiny gig of Declan McKenna’s in the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast and being about 6 feet from his face while he was 6 feet from the cusp of fame.

Key lyric…Because you've had your chances, yeah you've had enough I'm gonna burn your house down to spread peace and love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duHjQ3BE6D8

Robbers – The 1975

The song… This is the sixth single from the 1975’s self-titled debut album. It was released as a single in May 2014. The song’s concept follows an ill-fated robbery, and was inspired in part by the 1993 film ‘True Romance.’ It is essentially about a relationship in which the partners are too focused on each other to notice the destruction they are each causing.

For me… This song is fairly definitive of my teenage years as a whole. The narrative of a toxic relationship that the writer could not, or would not leave, was one that I always managed to connect to, across all aspects of my life as a young teenager, encountering uncomfortable situations within school and with different people and groups of friends. Matty Healy was (and honestly still is) one of the biggest crushes I’ve ever had. I’ve now heard this song live three different times, at three completely different phases of my life. It is a song with so much meaning, and yet one that has grown and evolved with me throughout the decade.

Key lyric… Now everybody's dead And they're driving past my old school And he's got his gun, he's got his suit on She says, 'Babe, you look so cool'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyy3YOpxL2k

Get Well Soon – Ariana Grande

The song… This is the final song on Grande’s 2017 album ‘Sweetener,’ it is a soul ballad with layered vocals, and is inspired by Grande’s personal anxiety and trauma following the May 2017 terrorist attack following her concert in Manchester. In memory of the 22 victims of this attack, there is a 40 second moment of silence at the end of the song.

For me… I am, and have been, a very anxious person for a very long time. This is something I have never really hid away from, but also never felt up to talking openly about. This song manages to describe the feelings associated with anxiety in a way I have never heard any mainstream musician attempt before. Ariana’s concert which was attacked in May 2017, that which inspired this song, immediately followed her concert that my father and sister had attended, and so the whole song and sequence of events is and always has been very close to home for me.

Key lyric…I'm too much in my head, did you notice? (Girl, what’s wrong with you? Come back down)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXU4P6j3TNY

She’s Thunderstorms – Arctic Monkeys

The song… This is the first song from the fourth studio album by arctic monkeys; Suck it and See, released in 2011. It originated when Alex Turner was looking for a new way of complimenting someone. It begins with an Eastern inspired riff and is fairly heavily guitar led, characteristic of this period in the Arctic Monkey’s discography

For me… I’d be lying if I said this isn’t one of my favourite songs of all time. I chose it for this list because it is my favourite song by the arctic monkeys, who are my favourite band. Its subject, Alexa Chung, basically leads the life I wish I had. Even more so at the time this song was written than now. I remember being twelve or thirteen and just wanting someone to write something like this for me. The sheer detail of the lyrics is beautiful and so captivating, they played a huge part in helping me find my love for music in an accessible way. I loved, and still do love, the relationship they had. I feel like it translated so well into his music, and into the popular culture that shaped my teenage years exceptionally well.  

Key lyric…Here is your host, sounds as if she's pretty close When the heat starts growing horns She's thunderstorms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQSQnHh4rPE

[hobimysun-shine]

bts as billie eilish songs

I love both artist so much because they are so diverse, so driven and in love with their art, so here’s what my mind created at 2am when i actually gotta study for an exam, but anyhow, enjoy

Jeon Jungkook - Ocean eyes 

“Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind Careful creature Made friends with time”

- color scheme: Venice lavender; purple rain; valor blue 

- grey clouds, quiet ocean, salty air, cold sand, bare feet, long sweater, careful wind, watery eyes, 

- angelic, naive, trusting, incapable of stopping emotions

- a feel of uncertainty for the future, because you still have so much to experience in life, it’s hard to know who to trust, where to go and what your tears mean, who you should give them to 

- young love, pain

- it basically speaks of someone who is impressed by another human - love based on instinct and intuition, when you’re young you just feel things, even if you don’t know where these emotions come from (jungkook-namjoon relationship) ; 

- trusting someone by the feeling you get around them, without being able to trust your common sense,

- have you seen jungkook’s beautiful, ocean, doe eyes ?? (if not, then wth you doin’ with your life))

Park Jimin - idontwannabeyouanymore

“I just wish you could feel what you say Show, never tell But I know you too well Got a mood that you wish you could sell

Tell the mirror what you know she's heard before I don't wanna be you anymore”

- color scheme: pale smoke; scotch mist; apple blossom 

- cold air, morning dew, raindrops at the bottom of your window, the fabric softener your mom uses to wash your sheets, soft breathing on the side of your neck, white mirrors 

-  self-persuasion, self-critique, inner conflict, serenity, content, libra’s aesthetic approach

- if you have listened to lie and looked at the lyrics, you know why i chose this song for jimin 

- you basically get the feeling that the person is speaking to himself in this song, trying to find an answer, as to why he puts himself through all these hardships, when he could break free from this vacuum of perfectionism he created for himself

- let’s be real, we all know what jimin had to go through and maybe is still going through with being too harsh on himself, with his body image and his appearance on stage, i hope he is doing well now and is content with himself, cause he is a 100/10 and we all love him so much 

Kim Taehyung - hostage; my boy 

“I wanna be alone Alone with you - does that make sense? I wanna steal your soul”

“ My boy's an ugly crier but he's such a pretty liar”

- color scheme: concord purple; red wine; aurum gold

- big windows, night sky, city view, studio apartment, dark walls, smell of acrylic paint, ripped jeans with that paint splattered on them, acoustic guitars on the walls, quiet jazz music, film paper smoke, deep laughter, strong arms around your waist

- artistic freedom, no fear of judgement, mutual understanding, chest butterflies, assurance, hope, soulmates, in tune with your emotions, who cares if the world doesn’t get us, we get us

- hostage just reminds me of two people, who connect on a soul level so much, that what happens is their love turns into mutual engagement, similar to keeping each other as hostages in their hearts, however i wanted to turn the meaning of that song less toxic for taehyung,, 

- i believe that if there’s a member that would want to connect with people in such level as the song suggests, it would be taehyung

- as for my boy, idk it just gives me a similar base line as in singularity, and i don’t know it’s just probably my fave song of billie and i feel like it is just taehyung’s vibe when i listen to it 

Jung Hoseok - bellyache

“ Everything I do the way I wear my noose Like a necklace I wanna make 'em scared like I could be anywhere Like I'm wreck-less

I lost my mind I don't mind “

- color scheme: marigold yellow; apricot orange; candy red

- summer heat, tan skin, blushed cheeks, endless roads, loose shirts, scratched knees, rich kids away from home, one backpack and a shiny red ford convertible from your bf’s dad’s garage, loud music, lips, swollen from kissing, night fireworks

- fed up with everything, escape from reality, that one summer you will never forget, vibrant love, point of no return, rhythm, gut intuition, boldness 

- i don’t know exactly either, it’s just these are the connections i make when i hear this song, and all of that screams hobi to me (aries moon) 

- also am i the only one who imagines he would make a killer dance routine to that song (but again he could probably dance to a water drops going down a pipe, so,,)

Namjoon - bury a friend; copycat 

“What do you want from me? Why don't you run from me? What are you wondering? What do you know? Why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me? When we all fall asleep, where do we go? “

“ Perfect murder, take your aim I don't belong to anyone, but everybody knows my name”

- color scheme: pearl river; silver fox, steel wood

- empty stage, burning projectors slowly being turned off, microphone heavy in your hand, as the words that went though it start to make sense, sweaty hair, footsteps echoing in the vast space, feeling of falling down, unexpected, but comforting hug, security, the calming scent of someone you know in this new environment, tears of fear and excitement at the same time, new life, new beginning

-  words said out loud, revenge, mixed feeling of content and fast approaching emptiness, always racing thoughts, insomnia, trying to fill a void, searching for an overall meaning, 

- so bury a friend is just has all these questions man. they remind me of rm’s mind. i feel like all of them are things he had already asked himself, or themes he implies in his songs too 

- copycat is for namjoon swiftly leading a group that got a ton of criticism in the beginning and is still getting hate, but regardless he manages to stay on top, write what he feels, be a real artist and throw everything people said about bts failing back at their faces 

Min Yoongi - lovely ; you should see me in a crown 

“Oh, I hope some day I'll make it out of here Even if it takes all night or a hundred years Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear”

“ You should see me in a crown I'm gonna run this nothing town Watch me make 'em bow One by one by, one”

- color scheme: marble white; smoke ember; royal silver;  

- dark room, cold hands, shaky breath, unable to look at each other’s eyes, fear of the outside and the inside, pocket money, long fingers pressing the out-of-tune piano keys, weary smiles, small steps

                                          (....)

 steady hands, marble walls, scent of freshly printed documents, looking through a box of old photo albums your mom sent, turning the pages a larger hand stops you from flipping the next page, two teenagers than look awfully like you two are staring back fearfully, low chuckles, eyes full of love  

- strong minds, growth, stability, strength, control, prosperity, hard work, passion, ambition

- lovely is in here because i feel like it portrays struggles with mental health and depression very well. you feel trapped and you feel like there is no one else who understands your personal hell and you are the only one who has to find a way for yourself to get out of that place. yoongi has been in such places before as we’ve heard from him and his lyrics, so i though lovely represents his struggles when he was younger

- you should see me in a crown. literally that’s all i can say, he worked for his success and he got it and he deserves it and he is killing it right now

- yall don’t know the amount of respect i got for this man and everything he has been through and i feel like these two songs portray his lowest and his highest in life and take account every struggle along the way and how he truly deserves everything he has right now 

Kim Seokjin - when the party’s over

“ Don't you know I'm no good for you I've learned to lose you, can't afford to

Don't you know too much already I'll only hurt you if you let me

Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that”

- color scheme: night snow, onyx black, muddy grey

- smell of liquor, messy steps, blurred vision, flood of thoughts, the darkest time of the night, dried streams of tears on your cheeks, your boyfriend’s hand quietly holding yours, but them you have to split ways, walking alone on the dead street, cold wind air hitting your face, but you find comfort in it, you reach home, but you can’t seem to go in; so you sit on the sidewalk, looking down; you hear distant steps; he sits down in the snow next to you; the sky slowly, but surely becomes lighter 

- quiet sadness, deeper understanding of the world, human relationships seem harder, yet simpler, timeless feeling, a sense of maturity

- this song is just a masterpiece. hear me out, i don’t think i would understand this song as well as i do now, if i have listened to it a few years back. I would have been like “oh yeah it’s sad”

-But like. no. It’s not just sad. It’s a song that shows so much maturity and experience with life that first of all, idk how billie is so young and is able to create music like that. Second of all i don’t think anyone else of bts would fit better to it, than jin 

- people tend to overlook his deeper emotions because he tends to distract from them, he always acts “silly” and tells jokes, but i feel like in songs like epiphany and awake we can see that jin really sees the world and his abilities from a much more mature point of view than other members. And i get the same vibe from billie’s song, so i feel like it would fit best for jin. 

So actually this was way longer than i planned, but yeah, this is just strictly my opinion and it was just an idea i had at 3am now, as i said, hope it’s fun to read :))

im off to bed, because i’m so sleep deprived i will start hearing colors soon 

[cy-fi-theansweris42]

The Good, the Bad, and the IDK How To Feel About That of: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) (Part 2)

(Continuing from where we left off)

Good: THE ENTIRE BIT WITH CASEY V. SPLINTER! How you see Raph and Mikey look at each other with mischief in their eyes before trying to look serious, how Leo laughs for just a moment before trying to be the serious leader again and trying to get them to stop, and then how they all just look on in amusement when Casey charges Splinter, it’s all wonderful! Plus with Splinter’s “giant rat one, new guy zero” YOU KNOW he heard them and played along. I love it all.

Bad: Casey only ever saw the truck from the front, so how would he recognize the Tartaruga Brothers logo?

Good: Just give me an entire movie of Donnie doing science stuff, it’s all I need in life.

Good: Leo’s head shake and smile when Donnie’s rambling about science stuff (I’m ignoring the initial eye roll)

Good: AUGH, HOW DONNIE INSTANTLY STOPS BEING EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING HUMAN, COMING UP WITH REASONS WHY WHAT LEO’S SAYING MAKES SENSE, IT HURTS MY HEART SO GOOD JOB MESSING WITH MY EMOTIONS

Good: Leo’s sword training is AWESOME (I’m jealous, high-key jealous)

IDK: You guys haven’t finished that Christmas album yet? It’s been a year, lol

Good: I really like how instead of just charging in, yelling about how Leo didn’t tell them about the ooze, Raph leads up to it, talking about honor which he knows is important to all of them.

Good: THE LOOK ON RAPH’S FACE, LOOKING AT LEO LIKE “Did you really think we wouldn’t find out”

Good: YOU CAN SEE THE EXACT MOMENT LEO REALIZED WHAT RAPH IS TALKING ABOUT AND IT JUST SCREAMS “oh shit” THIS BOY KNOWS HE DONE MESSED UP

Bad: You tell people about this stuff Leo

Bad: You did not consult with Donnie, you told him what to do

Bad: “There’s only one vote that counts in this family, mine.” LEO NO

Good: Donnie nerding out about the museum, same

Good: Donnie rambling on about science, his mind whirling at a mile a minute while he figures out what’s going on, freaking heck they did so well with Donnie in this movie

Good: Knowing that portals work both ways (it’s like Hawkeye from Avengers all over again)

Good: April knowing something is up with Raph and Mikey doing stuff without Leo and Donnie, but rolling with it

** “Who you calling chicken, turtle?” Oooooh, sick comeback Jones (not)

Good: I feel like all the comments about Casey not being buff or anything is them joking about Amell’s role in Arrow, because at this point the shows been going on for like…4 years, and he’s freaking jacked in that show, plus I’ve seen this guy run through an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course like it’s nothing. If this is them making jabs at that, then that’s hilarious.

Good: I love Raph and Mikey trying to get through police headquarters by themselves, like A for effort you guys, you’re doing so well.

Good: ‘Heroes in a half-shell’ jingle again and Donnie sounding happy that Mikey’s calling him and then instantly going into big brother mode and telling Mikey that they’re on their way.

IDK: THEY’RE NOT MONSTERS AND I KNOW THIS IS JUST HAMMERING HOME THE WHOLE ‘they wouldn’t be accepted’ THING WHICH IS WHY I’M NOT MARKING THIS AS BAD BUT HOLY FREAKING HECK AM I PISSED AT THAT COP!!!

Good: Mikey’s soft “we’re not monsters” SOMEONE GIVE THIS RAY OF SUNSHINE A HUG, HE DOESN’T DESERVE THIS

IDK: I really don’t know how to feel about Leo’s reaction to Mikey feeling hurt by what the cop said. I really don’t.

Good: Mikey sounding genuinely happy for Bebop and Rocksteady “achieving the power of flight”, lol, pure bean.

IDK: Is Raph only afraid of jumping because of the lack of things to grab on to or something, he jumps around New York and off of buildings no problem.

Good: DONNIE JUST CASUALLY WALKING OUT OF THE PLANE

Good: All of their reactions to Donnie just jumping, lol

Good: “Prepare for the ouch!” AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY SAY OUCH WHEN THEY HIT THE PLANE, LOL XD

Good: Mikey’s reaction to seeing a giant warthog and rhinoceros that he knows they’re going to have to fight is just the single “HEH” awkward laugh, I love it

Good: Donnie just holding onto the part of the Arc Capacitor and telling everyone who’s fighting around him to watch it, lol

Good: IF YOU LOOK IN THE BACKGROUND AFTER ROCKSTEADY FIRES THE TANK, YOU CAN SEE LEO JUST GIVING HIM THIS LOOK AND THEN HE JUST RAISES HIS ARMS LIKE “are you serious right now”

Good: Donnie’s “I’m doing awesome”, yeets the control stick away, lol

**Bebop, don’t tell me you’re thinking you can outswim a turtle, please

Bad: I hate how much wire was used to run the camera feed to the box, it’s so inefficient and an absolute waste of wire.

Good: Once again ‘heroes in a half-shell’ jingle being used because the job was successful, I love how much Donnie uses this little ring tone for things.

Good: I hate conflict but it’s very well done right here and I just want them to stop fighting, so bravo making me feel emotions again.

Good: Donnie instantly jumping to Mikey’s defense with a “how could you!”

Good: The Chief just says “well-played” in response to Casey having picked her pocket to steal her phone, big mood

IDK: I want to know how Donnie hacked the Technodrome, like is it just one giant Wi-Fi hotspot, how did he even connect to it?

IDK: How does he know the atmosphere is toxic, just give me a little explanation, please

**I want to know how that ooze works, full injection causes full permanent mutation, drops of slightly re-engineered version causes very temporary changes lasting only a few seconds, and apparently one sip changes external appearance but not internal systems. Does it have to physically enter the body via injection or ingestion in order to make permanent changes? (assuming it would permanently change their appearance, that could also be temporary, but if it was then wouldn’t Donnie say that?) Why would it start externally and work inwards when it would first make contact with internal systems? (so many questions, I just want to know how it works, I love science stuff)

IDK: And Raph just made the decision for everyone without asking…just like Leo did

Bad: PUT DOWN THOSE GUNS I SWEAR

Bad: EVEN AFTER SHE SAYS TO HOLD THEIR FIRE THERE’S STILL COPS POINTING THEIR GUNS, STOP IT

Good: I LOVE THEIR LITTLE TEAM UP THING ACKNOWLEDING EACH OF THEIR DIFFERENCES!

**A footnote in the history of the Foot clan, ba-dum tss

Good: “When something bad happens, you want to be with the turtles!” Lol, Vern’s got it figured out

Bad: Why is Shredder surprised about being betrayed by Krang when he just betrayed Stockman?

Good: I’m pretty sure in the area where Krang puts Shredder, you can see a Triceraton and I love the reference.

Good: I love Casey’s “well do you wanna switch?”, he sounds so done

Good: “chewed up piece of gum with a face” is the best description of Krang that I’ve ever heard

Bad: The way Vern jumps down on that Foot ninja, like come on, the dude saw him and still didn’t do anything!

Good: “He is literally re-arming” Lol, very true

Good: Excellent use of momentum when Leo nearly gets thrown off the Technodrome and just swings back around, I love it

Good: When Donnie finds the beacon, just slowly realizing that it’s way out of reach, lol

**I’m so sorry, more science rambling: Would removing the beacon from its spot instantly start messing with the construction of the Technodrome, like are each of the pieces set to assemble in a certain order at certain distances from the beacon, meaning that once assembly has begun and the beacon gets moved, the pieces would suddenly try to readjust? Or is it a more general signal and the pieces know where they’re supposed to connect with room for error, which is why the signal needs to be outside the Technodrome in order for assembly to stop? (I just want to know how it works 😭)

Good: I LOVE how instantly they’re all each going after Krang the moment he has Mikey, saying how nobody messes with Mikey, and I swear, there’s a little bit of extra sass with how they move their weapons after taking Krang down, like a “that’s what you freaking get”. Like, at the end of the day, they’re protective of their baby brother and heaven help anyone that tries to hurt him.

Good: THEY GET KEYS TO THE CITY

Bad: “I think you should give people more credit, they’ll accept you now.” SAYS THE PERSON THAT WAS INITIALLY CALLING THEM MONSTERS WHILE HER OFFICERS POINTED GUNS AT THEM. “You could live a normal life, like the rest of us.” YOU KNOW HOW PEOPLE ARE, STOP GIVING THEM FALSE HOPE!  

Alright, that’s the entire movie. Honestly, I love it a lot more than the first, there’s so much good stuff in this movie, you can see how they’re teenagers, so much more Donnie (after a severe lack in the first one…I’m also very biased since he’s my favorite, lol), and the sibling relationships between the turtles is great. Time for a tally.

Good: 69.90% (72 goods) Bad: 20.39% (21 bads) IDK: 9.71% (10 IDKs)

(I hear there’s plans for another one…I can’t wait to see how that turns out, lol)

[blauregen]

fav ♀-releases in 2018 (in no particular order)

so, since i started this list like this last year too, here we go: i know little to nothing about music, i have weird (may i say b a d) taste and my reasonings are - as expected from a subjective list - Super personal ,, also i dont follow every female k-artists so there are definitely blind spots for me too! that said ... LETS GET GAY! LETS GO LESBIANS!

Wind (바람 ) - Heize

suprise surprise, its Heize again. i was rarely this excited about a comeback this year as i was about Wind ... i adore this mini. i really love Heize’s voice, especially now that she is playing around with rapping And singing more than ever, its just ,, i hear her voice and i just, immediately calm down and feel a warm glow in me rising and --- this is getting really cheesy, isn’t it.

my fav tracks have to be Sorry and wish you well (feat. DAVII), however i can listen to this whole album without a problem - of course Jenga as the title was amazing as well, Dahye’s voice works really well with Gaeko’s as well. additionally i loved the ~design for this album, the photoshoot is stunning and the whole aesthetic is very much up my alley.

AND SINCE WE R ALREADY TALKING ABOUT DAHYE:

+ First Sight (첫눈에) - Heize

as expected, i love her winter single release as well. again, a Lovely mixture of her singing and a solid very groovy amazing rapping part. i did like her mini a lot more lyricwise (lots of it is really sad but Sorry has such smart lyrics!!!), however as a “”simple”” winter release that is meant to fit this season, this is amazing.

...... also have i mentioned how Beautiful she is, jfc.

Deine - Ha:tfelt

Oh Boy. Here we go.

this is hands-down my Favorite Release of this whole year. i don’t know if its clear, but i adore yeeun. i adore her as the person park yeeun, who is an activist and very outspoken about her position of a woman in the industry, her experiences in one of the most successful girlgroups Ever, her views on feminism and sexism, the fact that she collabed with a drag organizer for her exhibition, etc etc etc. however, i also love yeeun as Ha:tfelt and adore her music. Pluhmm is such a sensual, fun and soft and yet strong song about her Own Desires and a woman that Wants to flirt and be in love and have fun and Be sensual and its so so so lovely and warm and playful and confident? i died a little at the MV because Ha:tfelt is a Woman and is portrayed as such, she is sensual and sexy and its portrayed by yeeun dancing around a flat in the sexiest dress and feeling herself and. its just Wonderful. so wonderful. i love her. Cigar is super touching too, very smooth and slick and polished and yet it has a vulnerable touch to it and is just ,, such a good song ....... thank u yenny.

Warning - Sunmi

ANOTHER AMAZING WOMAN. if i had to choose a soloist that is more active and actively promotes and performs on music and award shows etc, i’d definitely go for Sunmi. first of all: sunmi is outstandingly hardworking, talented, tough, brave, but also so so so kind and sweet and self-aware (seriously her twitter account is my social media highlight of this year, she is beyond ADORABLE and wonderful and funny) and of course she is fucking beautiful. this album is AMAZING - i can listen to the whole tracklist without skipping a single song. i adore Siren (aesthetically its my favorite title track of hers, though i do think Gashina is a little more catchy, esp together with that choreo - but i Love Siren’s horror-esque MV with the, well, siren-mermaid-imagery, so good!) but personally my favorite SONGS are ADDICT and Black Pearl - both sound very different actually, one being completely in English, but it just shows how well Sunmi can pull of different styles. god ... have u seen her on stage? shes a m a z i n g.

KHAN - I’m Your Girl ?

I started following Euna and Minju already before they debuted ... but what really made me fall in love with both their voices, be it singing or rapping (cause both are quite good at both ,,) was their DNA cover! generally the fact that they keep posting really cool covers on their youtube channel is beyond lovely and these two really managed to make me like a version of DNA ... (probably my least favorite BTS title track, lmao ,,)

their actual debut was just lovely. the song is great, soothing and super smooth and groovy and easy to listen to, their voices are stunning in it, the MV is VERY GAY, the choreo is fun and their outfits for promotion stages were such a lovely fresh wind and i really enjoyed seeing them perform a LOT. i just really like that KHAN already is quite unique and m so so so looking forward to future comebacks!

BBIBBI - IU

no highlight list without Jieun. the lyrics to this track were solely written by her and it shows - IU is an outstanding songwriter, i adore her hard work and experience and talent. the sound of the track itself is fun and bubbly and groovy and Very catchy, but my highlight is how this conflicts so beautifully with the lyrics that are quite ... critical and rough and basically show a very very sweet lovely middle finger to the rumour-netizen-culture around her ,, i am super excited for future full releases from jieun, though i still listen to Palette a lot and think she should take all the time she needs!

Bad Boy - Red Velvet

sadly, i didnt not really enjoy Red Velvets later release this year and neither did i really dig their summer release, but what i do adore to the moon and back is their The Perfect Red Velvet - The 2nd Album Repackage, though thats a lil bit of cheating since i already mentioned their Perfect Velvet album last year ,,

Bad Boy is my favorite title track of theirs this year, the styling is OUTSTANDINGLY GOOD MY GOD and the sound is just, smooth and cool and sexy and just ... damn.

also, Red Velvet definitely has some of my favorite jacket photoshoots of this year, the quality and beauty of their photos is amazing, i could spend hours just looking at those ......... and maybe i did.

What Is Love? - TWICE

the nations girl group powered through this year and released so many catchy awesome songs that i had a hard time choosing one ,, but What Is Love is definitely my MV highlight of the year and also the song itself is so so fun and lovely and cheerful and just makes me feel happy ... thank u for making me happy, TWICE!

You And I - Dreamcatcher

i have to admit: Dreamcatcher is not really my sound. their tracks remind me a little too much of Very Loud Stressful Anime Openings, so i accept that its just not my music taste ,, HOWEVER i actually really really like You and I. the song is very catchy and has this one part right before the chorus that i really love, its a very cool mysterious “dark” awesome track. moreover though i love the Whole Package that is Dreamcatcher (again, this horror-esque style of theirs is Really Up My Alley) - their styling and choreos are so clever and SEXY and goth-y and different, its just so fucking fun to watch them perform, especially the Choreo to You and I is so so so so so cool!

(also they r somewhat of a lesbian cult and m Very Appreciative of that, my god.)

LOOΠΔ - just, the whole thing.

SO - it took me until this year to really get into Loona. i knew them beforehand and was intrigued by the unique pre-debut “schedule” that their company was doing and checked out some songs but never got into them deeper. however, this year i truly listened to the Broad Amazing Variety that Loona offers and i just Have to include them here. all the girls and the subunits are super interesting and diverse and i love how especially the solo songs all sound different and lots of things were tried out and the AESTHETICS ARE OFF THE CHARTS. their full group debut was a little too ... they played it too ~safe for my taste, however i still adore lots of LOONA songs and can only recommend them!

(my favs are So Boring, i love Egoist and Heart Attack and Singing in the Rain and New and ... i’ll get back to this once i develop an actual Interesting opinion lmao)

i Can’t possibly end this list without some honorable mentions, because girls are amazing:

- (G)I-DLE are amazing rookies and performers and just such an awesome new girlgroup. Soyeon’s stage presence is just ,, wow, she is such a good rapper and performer, but the other girls are also so amazing and m so glad they are so successful and loved so far. favorite track of this year is def HANN (Alone), though all their songs are mighty good.

- Oh My Girl. maybe i dont listen to their songs as much but m in deep love with their visuals and stages and man ... call me, Yooa, please, m free almost every night.

- fromis_9 had such a cute quirky hyper Love Bomb comeback, i loved it!

- Momoland similarly had such catchy fun songs, i gotta mention them too!

- Hyuna - i love Hyuna and i wish her all the best and happiness and love and success and i hope to see her on stage again soon! (i especially loved her in Triple H, since i was actually quite a fan of that trio and the retro funky sound they went for ...... big sigh @ cube)

- Yubin ... again, not really my sound, but man. kill me Yubin, just do it, cmon.

- EXID is back to OT5! m so happy!!! I Love You was really fun, but I definitely enjoyed DDD last year more ,, but i still wanted to mention them, such a fun, diverse, different girlgroup that offers lots of different sounds and visuals and stands out to me a lot, so so good!

- Chungha ... m still in the process of falling in love with Chungha but oh god .... have u seen her? her dancing skills are out of this world, her beauty is stunning, she is so so sweet and kind and tough and her songs m so eager to properly discover and also a rly niche point but: I LOVE HER ALBUM DESIGNS SO SO SO MUCH.

- Minseo is another new amazing soloist ,, i discovered her at first through my fav photographers instagram (@ mu_gung) who took just. outstanding pics of Minseo but i also Adore her voice and she has done Amazing covers as well, her Why So Lonely is my absolute favorite and id dare to say i like it just as much as the original ... check her out, her MV visuals and concepts are Super interesting and beautiful and fun as well!

and many many many many more that i missed or forgot!

just know: girls are the best.

[ollyarchive]

Olly Alexander Is Leaning Into The Gay Thing

BY:  PHILLIP HENRY  10 NOV 2018 

 “I started to hear people referring to me as ‘that gay singer’ and a part of ‘that gay band,’ and I said to myself ‘You know what? I am.’ I decided to lean into the gay.”

English actor, pop star, and frontman of the synth-pop band Years & Years Olly Alexander has found himself growing more and more comfortable with his sexuality as it relates to his artistry. Having just released the band’s sophomore album, Palo Santo, this summer, Alexander says he found himself embracing his identity, and “the multifaceted nature of it.”

“You know, inside I’m still kind of this scared gay boy that got bullied at school,” he tells INTO. “But having the kind of response we got from audiences and success that we had after the first album, I felt more comfortable, confident, and okay being more explicit.”

At the age of  28, has been out publicly as long as Years & Years has existed, ignoring the advice of his media trainer who encouraged him to keep his sexuality out of public persona.

And Palo Santo is a reflection of that; the album takes a more direct route when addressing his sexuality, using more male-specific pronouns in the lyrics in comparison to the band’s first album, Communion. Alexander has also been much more free in discussing his sexuality, advocating for HIV screenings, promoting safer sex practices and even supporting anti-LGBTQ bullying campaigns.

Seated in the corner of a New York cafe wearing a Rihanna T-shirt and lounge pants, Alexander’s confidence and charisma exude a certain type of energy that grows as he speaks about the things he loves with such candor.

In just a few hours, Alexander would be performing a sold-out show at Terminal 5. He’s grateful for where he is, sharing thoughtful sentiments as he talks about his fans and his work. He knows that at this point in time, when so many queer people have the wind in their face, right now, it’s at his back and he can soar brightly into the future.

As the main songwriter and leading visionary for Year & Years, Alexander is pushing himself not only as an artist but also as a public-facing advocate.

“Obviously, the UK is stuff I’m most familiar with, but globally we’re all kind of witnessing this dumpster fire descent to Hell,” he says. “Though, I don’t always think it’s that bad.”

“Personally,” he continues, “I didn’t ever imagine I’d be engaging in advocacy the way that I have, but I just find it so meaningful. It makes me feel like I have a purpose in life. Getting out of bed and feeling like you’re working to create positive change is a good feeling.”

One of the hallmarks of poor advocacy is arrogance, a self-centeredness Alexander seems hellbent on avoiding. Being a white gay man comes with a lot of privileges, and he is aware of that, referencing it often as a limitation of his own worldview. He’s chipping away at the underpinnings of our how oppression operates with a precision and consciousness you might not expect from someone who had been cast in an Academy Award-nominated film before being old enough to to vote, acting alongside Dame Judi Dench (“a naughty grandma who only drinks champagne,” he says of his one-time co-star) in his early twenties before launching his international music career. Still, he notes, “This [advocacy]  has been a journey for me and I’m still learning every day.”

“There are so few queer people taking up space in media or in a public forum and I feel like there is a responsibility to use it properly, because people are listening to what you say and so many people aren’t being listened to,” Alexander says. “Silence is complicity. You have to come with something.”

He seems exasperated by the idea that everyone isn’t working to liberate others from their struggles.

“We can’t really step outside all of society’s rules and things that govern us anyway. Like white patriarchy, just because we’re gay that doesn’t go away. We have all the same structural oppressions that exist outside of that. We’ve chosen to band together because we’ve had to and there are so many benefits to that, but we’re so diverse and it makes us ripe for conflict.”

Right now, Alexander is concerned about the Gender Recognition Act in the UK, a proposed reform of the act that will make it easier for trans folks to self-identify.

“It’s created this insane hysterical discourse in the UK media and public. It has been a full-on assault on trans people in a way that’s so horrifying. It’s front page news in the media every day.” Alexander says. He likens it to the fear-mongering that gay people have gone through in the past. He wants to use his privilege to do everything he can to help.

It’s not all just talk for Alexander, who’s well aware that change doesn’t come through just bloviating on platforms to crowds who already espouse your beliefs, but through action that helps others be heard. He’s working alongside other public figures including Sir Patrick Stewart to pay the travel costs of UK citizens who want to attend the march that will be calling for a referendum on the final Brexit deal. Those in opposition to Brexit, which has been scrutinized heavily by many for it’s classist and xenophobic motivations, have been advocating for a second vote on the plan, confident that the majority of citizens don’t really support it.

“We can hide behind this kind of veneer of sending a tweet or retweeting someone’s post or saying ‘I’m woke,’” he says. “But are we really doing the work?”

Behind that motivated and eager passion for change is a gay man still exploring facets of his sexuality with zero fear and even less shame. He giggles in excitement with a “Yay” as he reads over my list of topics filed under “GAY SEX STUFF.”

“I use Grindr now, but I didn’t use it in my early twenties because I was going out and meeting men at clubs and hooking up that way,” he says. “Then I was in a couple of monogamous relationships, so I thought it was gonna be weird, but also a sort of initiation [into modern gay culture].”

That fear didn’t stop him from pursuing that desire to meet men for hookups and fun. “I’ve managed to hook up a couple of times through [apps], but it’s difficult because it’s hard to establish trust,” Alexander says. “People are like ‘Are you using a fake picture?’ or ‘Are you really Olly Alexander?’ And that becomes less sexy. I’m also not about to send a dick pic.”

Being a celebrity in a digital dating culture surely has its struggles, but he’s found that Grindr’s utility serves as a comfort for him in a different way.

“I like to open it up just to see that there other gay people around me, because I travel quite a lot. Sometimes [just so] that gay people are so visible to each other,” Alexander says. “We’ve created networks to find each other.”

In these kinds of social networks, queer people also find ourselves shaping the way we view each other and ourselves. Alexander finds the apps to be a place where so much time can be wasted just soaking up the attention and he isn’t above the kind of validation that connections made through such apps can provide.

“It’s like a dopamine hit when someone likes you or sends you a nice comment and I really understand how that feels good, but then following that up seems like hard work,” he says. “Then you’re like, ‘Oh, but what about someone else?’ It becomes this sort of endless appetite for sexual desires and I think that’s kind of changed the way we view intimacy. I don’t know if it’s for better or worse, but it’s definitely made some interactions harder.”

He’s not wrong. The apps can soak up so much time for those who love being bombarded with validation, but it’s not true for everyone. While it has made access to the type of intimacy that gays had to “work harder” to get in the past easily accessible, for many people, it provides a space where they can feel more confident than in the crowded and judgmental spaces that are gay bars and clubs. Also, perhaps, it’s just highlighted the way we’ve viewed intimacy all along.

His growth and journey with intimacy have changed over the years. He speaks as someone who wants his relationships to be as progressive as his politics. Unsatisfied with the idea that gay relationships need to fit cultural norms, Alexander discusses his most recent open relationship as a challenge that turns him on more than causes him fear.

“It presents a different set of challenges than you experience in a monogamous relationship,” he says. “In a monogamous relationship, you have like one rule which is: don’t cheat, basically.  In an open one you literally write the rulebook yourself, so you have to communicate with your partner a kind of endless list of potentially hard to talk about topics. Who are you allowed to sleep with? How many times? Are you allowed to see them more than once? Is anal okay? Is it just oral?”

Aroused by the idea of these difficult topics that many people would find a hassle to breach over and over, he thinks the ideas difficult to talk about in an open relationship greatly outweigh the simplicity of establishing monogamous trust. His light fetish seems to be emotional masochism that leads to self-discovery.

“In lots of ways, confronting those issues with someone and being able to get into the nitty-gritty of things, you have to go into some really emotionally intense and raw places,” Alexander says. “Those kinds of feelings are what make them more of fit for me than something monogamous which isn’t quite right for me. I’m glad I did it, because I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with aspects of intimacy.”  

Olly Alexander is an explorer, expanding his boundaries and expectations. He speaks openly about his love of daddy porn, smiling in recognition of the cliche. Alexander is curious and demanding of the content he consumes. “[All I want] is for the people to look like they’re enjoying it and for their dicks to be hard,” he says. “Obviously, whoever is fucking their dick is gonna be hard, but if someone is being fucked, I also want them to have a hard dick. Maybe I’m wrong. I’m sure they might still be enjoying it, but when I’m doing it I’m hard. I just like to see both people turned on.”

For Olly Alexander, sex as a gay man should be free of shame and be easier to talk about. He opens up about a sexual experience gone awry: “I guess a lot of people in the US are circumcised but most people in the UK aren’t.” He uses his hands to demonstrate how the frenulum (colloquially called a “banjo string)” is attached to the penis.

“One night, I was in the hotel with my boyfriend and we were having sex. I fell off the bed and basically tore this string right off,” he recalls. “ It was like a crime scene in the hotel. Obviously, like my dick was erect and had so much blood rushing to it so it was like fountains of blood squirting everywhere.”

Alexander and his partner at the time ended up in an emergency room shortly thereafter where his attending nurse recognized him and began talking about his music. Even in that awkward circumstance, he manages to be so excited that someone knows and loves his music.

They should love his music. It’s incredible in its range but most impressive in storytelling.  The performance later that night is electric — the audience hanging onto every word and Alexander consuming every bit of that energy. It’s as if without it, he’d be incapable of finishing the performance.

In a sheer white leotard, shiny black pants, and large bedazzled necklace that borders on gaudy, Alexander leads the audience through Palo Santo. Alexander’s voice rings throughout the three-story concert hall filled with young queers belting every lyric to the band’s hit single “If You’re Over Me.” He leads the audience and his bandmates through an electrifying set, running around with a rainbow flag he was gifted from a front-row audience member.

“I just want everyone having a good time,” he tells the crowd.

They absolutely are.

Images via Getty

[coffee-for-himchan]

Carnival (Daehyun x reader)

Requested by: anon

Word count: 3.7 k+

Genre/warnings: fluff ❤ (this scenario features quite a lot of other more or less annoying B.A.P members in the background, so be prepared)

Summary: Going to a carnival was your biggest dream ever since you were a kid, and just because you’d grown up to become an adult doesn’t mean you were ready to ditch that dream. Daehyun decided to help you out with it, planning a classic “just like in the movies” cheesy carnival date for the two of you.

You looked around, not really knowing how to deal with all of your excitement and happiness that was overflowing you since you had gotten into the car earlier this evening. For your whole life, this was the one place, the one events that you wanted to attend. It started off as a stupid childhood dream, and with every passing year it seemed more and more like something unreal that would never happen. But here you were, about to fulfill your slightly embarrassing dream. A Carnival. And what’s even funnier, with almost the whole of B.A.P, minus grandpa Guk who was too tired to go out and have fun and the toll kid Zelo, who had family plans tonight, which meant you were stuck with the “loud squad”, plus 4D Jongup, but you didn’t mind, as this was the perfect occasion where they could scream their heads off, and you’d maybe even join in for a bit. The car ride was quite hectic, especially when you pulled out their album “Carnival” and quietly ordered Jongup, who was in the passenger’s seat next to Himchan, to put the CD in. Nothing’s ever been better than seeing the guy’s faces when they caught onto the lame pun you were trying to make, and joined in, singing every song at the top of their lungs. You’ve never seen mom Chan so conflicted between wanting to scold you all for making it hard for him to drive and wanting to jam along with everyone, letting his true diva side shine. Daehyun, your lovely dork of a boyfriend, ordered you to rap all of Yongguk’s parts, and when you did so flawlessly, there were quite a lot of “wooahs” and “aaahs”, as it sounded so hilarious when you did it in your relatively high pitched voice (‘cause who doesn’t sound high pitched compared to Yongguk?). Plus, no one really believed you’d know all the lyrics, because even they struggled when it came to knowing each other’s parts and lyrics. Daehyun and Youngjae traded between rapping Zelo’s parts, nailing some of them and failing the rest, especially the very fast ones. Himchan from time to time ordered them to let Jongup rap some parts as well, and you admired this caring side of him, which usually showed whenever Jongup was left out. Jongup didn’t really seem to mind not having any rap parts though - he was just his happy self, quietly jamming in the front seat and doing his infamous dance move that cracked you up every time - “the window cleaner”, as you called it. “How comes you know all the lyrics? You Yongguk biased?” Daehyun teased you, and you rolled your eyes. “What if I am?” you said, leaning in a bit. It was just like in the movies - you were sitting next to each other, faces close and a daring look in your eyes, accompanied with cheeky smiles across your faces. Youngjae had a “omg, drama’s ahead” look on his face as he watched both of you outbattle each other in teasing. 

“I’m supposed to be your bias!” Daehyun said, chuckling a bit. To be honest, you’ve joked around like this in the past, and he always tried to make it seem like it didn’t bother him when you picked someone other than him, but there was always this little tint of hurt in his eyes than nagged at you, making you regret even thinking about joking that way. Thankfully, nowadays that look in his eyes was gone, as you’ve been completely and utterly in love for way too long for him not to know he was your one and only in every single way and aspect of life, which also included him being your B.A.P bias. “Oh, is that so?” you tilted your head slightly. “Can you even have a bias if you’re dating a member?” Jongup said quietly, but no one seemed to hear or pay attention. “Yes! I’m cooler than Yongguk!” “I’m so gonna tell this to him when we meet him tomorrow…” Himchan murmured somewhere in the front seat, causing Youngjae to crack up. “But Yongguk’s like… All poetic. He’s got like a chest tattoo and stuff, that is cool, and his voice is so low-” “Hey my voice can be low too!” Daehyun exclaimed, but, quite unfortunate for him, one of his high notes came on, loudly piercing right through the car stereo, making everyone burst out laughing. A slight blush creeped across his face as as the laughter continued, but he was aware his friends were just teasing, so he didn’t mind being the center of attention in this situation. “Well, okey, do as you wish then. All I’m saying is you’re missing out on a lot,” Daehyun told you as you laughed together with everyone, and gave you a loving look. Up until you finally arrived at your desired destination, you’d listened to the album not once but twice, having a lot of fun and just being yourselves. You made sure to lock your fingers with Daehyun’s right after that bias talk though, playing around with his hand and letting him know you were just joking, and, even though he didn’t quite need that reassurance, he still appreciated it, because your touch was something he could never get enough of. Colorful, blinding lights, tons of different, loud music, a faint smell of cotton candy in the distance and every possible amusement park ride, arcade machine or booth imaginable, or at least every single one you could think of. Everything was there, right in front of you. How could this many different amusement rides fit on this field? How did people build them up and take them down later, in order to move them to a different location? You didn’t quite have the time to think, as a familiar hand clenched onto your wrist and pulled you along. “You still on earth?” Daehyun smiled at you, melting your heart even more. “Is this earth? Seems too good to be true,” you mumbled, making Daehyun chuckle a little. Ever since he met you, he knew that you’ve never been to a place like this, and that you’ve always wanted to visit a carnival, and he knew that simply because that was one of the things you accidentally blurted out the very first time both of you met. Even though you were embarrassed by your childish desire, he thought of it as a cute thing, and made it his priority to actually take you on, preferably, a date to a carnival. When Daehyun actually had the chance, he decided to fully use it, but had an annoying, clingy hyung and two less clingy but just as annoying dongsaengs who wanted to tag along, even after Daehyun had explained this was supposed to be a date type of thing. “Hey, where are the guys…” you trailed off as you saw them walking further away in the distance, with Himchan seemingly leading the way, Jongup casually walking next to him and Youngjae walking a step behind them, being his energetic self and desperately trying to tell those two about something, using a bunch of hand gestures and screaming. “Oh, what a shame, they left. Guess it’s just us now,” Daehyun’s tone made you crack up, because it literally screamed “It’s not like I knew this would happen, I just knew”. You playfully slapped his cheek, turning his face in the opposite direction, and he didn’t seem to mind. “You planned this, didn’t you?” was all you said as he linked his fingers together with yours, tugging you along to his first chosen destination. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” is all he told you, and that was enough to make your heart skip a beat. You knew how much he cared about you and your desires, and every single day you were surprised by how many different ways he found to please you and make you happy. Every day he came up with something new to boost your mood with, and each and single surprise or date just kept getting more and more entertaining and special. You wondered where the ceiling was for his activities, and how much better it could get, but, to be honest, you didn’t quite see an end or limit to his endless efforts. He made his priority to make you happy, just like you when told him you would make your priority to make him smile every day long ago, and since then it’s just been a rollercoaster of nice emotions, because both of you had always at least some tiny idea or thing in mind to make the other person feel happy, good, excited and, most of all, wanted, desired and loved. “So, don’t tell me we have one of those cheesy carnival dates ahead of us,” you smiled up at him, seeing his facial expression shift a little. “I mean, that’s what they do in the dramas, and it seems to be pretty effective, so…” Of course, dramas. After all, he was your drama watching buddy, because he was really fun to watch them with. He always had funny comments to say completely out of the blue, and he was always the one you could talk about the dramas for ages with, because, even though he tried to hide it from everyone else and wouldn’t admit it, he loved watching dramas. You were probably the only person he was so open about it with, and that made you slightly proud. “I mean, if you don’t like the idea…” “Jung Daehyun, stop right there and don’t finish that sentence, you know very well that I was just testing your nerves and sense of humor,” you told him, cutting him off, “whatever plans you have in mind, I want to know them and experience them to the fullest.” “As you say, babe,” the word “babe”, in his cute accent, always made you slightly shiver, as you really loved when he called you like that. When everyone else said it, it sounded so repetitive, unoriginal and boring, but Daehyun gave that word new meaning and life, making it sound all sweet and unique again. Whenever he said it, you felt like the only person on earth who ever got called “babe”, and that made you feel special. What followed was a classic carnival date, except with a little twist here and there in Daehyun fashion. Everything you saw on TV, in the shows and the movies, became reality for you, and you felt more like one of those pretty actresses than yourself, having a cute date like this planned for you by a sweet and amazing boy you were lucky enough to call yours. First stop was some classic carnival games where you could win prizes, because the first thing that had to be crossed out of the “classic cheesy carnival date” list was Daehyun winning in one of these games so he could get a prize and give it to you as a gift. You laughed when you both found out you were actually a better shot at the shooting game than he was, although neither your or his score was big enough to get a proper prize. It all changed when it came to one of those “popping balloons using darts” games, because, although his aim wasn’t that good when it came to shooting with a gun, his aim while throwing a dart was alarmingly good. You, on the other hand, were quite unfortunate, but instead of making fun of you or doing any of those things, Daehyun cheered on you and loudly encouraged you till you had thrown your last dart and actually, to your surprise and probably his as well, popped a balloon. Even the guy behind the counter had to admit to himself that even though half the people he sees on regular daily basis are some more or less cute couples, you and Daehyun stood out. The way Daehyun believed in you and your ability to the last moment, being your never ending support, and the way he screeched right into your ear as he gave you a gigantic bear hug when you didn’t miss was a pleasant sight. Since Daehyun’s score was high enough to actually get a rather large stuffed animal, he allowed you to pick, not being able to resist from sliding his hand to firmly rest on your lower back when your eyes lit up at the sight of all of those toys. He loved to see your eyes scan over the whole shelf until they finally stopped at a light brown bunny, eyeing it up and down for a second and then pointing at it with one finger, excitedly exclaiming you wanted that. To your surprise, and even more to Daehyun’s surprise, the guy behind the counter handed you two bunnies instead of one. “They’ve been sitting on the shelf since I can remember, and since then all the other toys have been won and replaced, but those guys just never seemed to have any luck when it came to getting picked. I’ve decided long ago that they’re a double combo if anyone ever picks them, so I guess it’s your lucky day,” he said, smiling. After saying your thanks, Daehyun’s arm wrapped tightly around your waist as he suggested going and placing your new friends into the car, as you still had tons of activities to do and because of their size they would get in the way. “Why the bunnies though?” Daehyun asked. He had a cute idea in mind, as you always called the matokis “bunnies”, but your response was even cuter than that. “I mean, look at this one,” you told him, handing him the toy, “he reminded me of you 'cause you both have the same haircut.” Daehyun laughed at how weird but true the statement was, as the bunny really had some fur on his head that looked quite similar. “For when you’re away, I guess this new friend will keep me company from now on, since he reminds me of you. Oh, and this one too,” you handed him the other toy, taking the first one back. “So, then this will be the bunny version of you, I guess” he said, chuckling, “same fur color as your natural hair. Is that enough?” Now you were the one to laugh at his statement. “I just need an excuse to proclaim these bunnies boyfriend and girlfriend, so they’d never be lonely and always had someone by their side, just like I have you,” he told you, adding, “by the way, I’ve always told you that the dart should’ve been my item in “Skydive”. Youngjae can’t even aim properly with that thing.“ Two adults. You were supposed to be two adults. But instead, you were talking about hooking up some toy bunnies because if you didn’t they’d be lonely. God, if anyone heard you. Good that no one actually did. The evening continued with some adventures at arcade machines, where you both got extremely competitive and tried to beat each other at every possible game, even keeping track of wins and loses so you could prove who was better to the other person later on. It ended with a draw though, and being the loving couple that you were, you decided to leave it at that. Daehyun officially proclaimed you the winner (not forgetting to mention himself as the winner as well), and stated that you had to be rewarded. The reward, as it turned out, was a trip to the food court. He only smiled a cheeky smile when you told him that you weren’t the main reason he lead both of you here, but his never ending hunger was. Telling you that you were halfways right, he made you try different foods with him. You didn’t want to eat too much, but still did eat a little, as everything, even though it wasn’t the healthiest type of food, seemed quite delicious. Topping it off with classic light pink cotton candy, you two left to take a look at the rest of the carnival, fingers intertwined again and smiles bright on your faces. Amusement rides. Why not? The first thing you climbed on was one of those "Pirate Ship” rides, that was just a gigantic boat swinging back and forth in mid-air. “God, the last time I was on one of these, me and the guys were shooting “Ta-Dah, it’s B.A.P”, I think,” Daehyun seemed to cringe a little at the memory, and it made you burst out laughing because even though you thought they looked cute with their side-fringe blonde matching hair, you couldn’t help but laugh at it a little. A carousel was also one of the things on the to-do list, and, even though he was embarrassed as hell to get on a ride like this, Daehyun still did it, because, quote, “The things I do for you, I swear, I think I’m slowly losing my mind.”. As the evening came to an end and Himchan had already texted you that they planned on leaving soon (because texting Daehyun would be useless, he just wouldn’t respond), Daehyun took you by the hand and started slowly running into a direction only he knew. “Hey, Daehyun, we have to leave soon, where are you going?” you questioned. He stopped, turning around to a whole 180 degrees to face you, and took your other hand in his as well. “There’s one thing left, the cheesiest one yet, and I refuse to go before doing this with you.” Knowing how stubborn Dae could be, and being aware of how much you actually wanted to know what he had in mind, you let him pull you along, following him quietly up until the moment he stopped. A ferris wheel. You should’ve know. As you sat there in the little cabin, you had tons of time to talk about the evening and how it went. The excitement in your voice made Daehyun happy to the point where he just wanted to start jumping around and screaming at the top of his lungs. He had done it once again, he had made you happy. His goal for the day was accomplished, and he sat there, silently admiring how the wind lightly flowed through your hair, and how beautiful your face looked from the profile. By far the most beautiful feature of yours was your lips, or so he thought at that moment, as he wanted to capture them for a little. “Hey, Daehyun?” “Hmm?” his stare trailed from your lips back to your eyes, and he lowkey hoped you didn’t notice how he looked at your mouth. “Thank you for everything, really. You always do your best to make me smile, and you never fail to do so. I hope you know that I really, really love you,” you told him, biting your lip mid-confession as you felt slightly embarrassed by your bold statement. You were almost at the top of the ferris wheel now, and the whole carnival could be seen from there. Tons of people having a good time, a lot of blinding lights, laughs and music. It was beautiful, and you both were caught slightly off-guard and stopped to admired the sight. “Is this when we’re supposed to kiss?” you said, looking back at him. He turned his head to you, and smiled. You were so grateful for everything at that moment, but most of all you were grateful that life had gifted you with him. He was truly the boy of your dreams, the one who cared about you and the one you cared about the most. “Aren’t you Yongguk biased? Would you really give this honor to me, the not-your-bias one?” he said, making you instantly laugh. Such a salty little tease. “You just wrecked the bias list, babe. Now don’t ruin this and just play along..” He gladly did, going for your lower lip the second your lips touched. He tasted as always, sweeter than you’d imagined before you had kissed him, but you loved the taste of his mouth, so you gladly let him take the lead while you simply enjoyed this kiss. Sinking into the kiss, forgetting about everything that wasn’t related to him seemed like the right thing to do, and you didn’t feel guilty for forgetting the whole world for a second as your fingers tangled into his hair and your other hand made it’s way to rest on his chest, tugging on his shirt a little. He was more important than anything, at least now, so you focused only on his body against yours, his lips softly brushing against your lips and his tight grip on your waist that refused to let you go. He pulled away, but you continued planting small pecks on his soft lips in between his laughter and tries to convince you to stop because people were actually able to see you properly since you were going down now and weren’t on the very top of the ferris wheel anymore. “Ooh, look at those two. All cuddly and lovey-dovey up there,” Youngjae was the first thing you noticed when you both got off the ride. Maybe you shouldn’t have told them about your last stop for the evening. “Ahh, Youngjae hyung, just let them live,” Jongup came up from behind, and Himchan followed soon, walking and talking on the phone. “So, so cute, I’m telling ya. You two should try acting, you looked like you were from a movie,” Youngjae kept teasing, and usually you would turn bright red, but today was different. “Okay, squad assembled, let’s go,” Himchan told everyone as he hung up the phone and started walking in the direction of the car. Jongup was kind enough to take care of teasing Youngjae so you and Daehyun wouldn’t be shamed anymore and could just enjoy your walk to the car and your last few minutes at the carnival. “Thank you,” you simply told Daehyun as you held his hand and made sure to fall back from the other three just enough to have some personal space. “You're always welcome, and you know that,” he smiled at you, and, with the taste of you still lingering on his lips and testing his patience, he gave in to his craving and planted a quick peck on your lips, leaving them to tingle at the sudden pleasant touch. “But I swear, I’m going to kill Youngjae,” he said and made you laugh. “Not without me,” you told him while looking around at the carnival, capturing a few last glances before you had to leave this place. Now, your childhood dream was fulfilled, and on top of that, by your loving boyfriend. Life had gifted you, and you couldn’t be happier as you walked back to the car, knowing that a fun car ride was ahead of you.

[bthenoise]

Track By Track: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Wolves At The Gate’s Powerful LP ‘Eclipse’

For nearly ten years now, Ohio post-hardcore outfit Wolves At The Gate have been providing some of the most consistent and thought-provoking heavy music around. From 2012′s scorching debut Captors to today’s fierce eye-opener Eclipse, Wolves At The Gate continue to churn out melodic yet hard-hitting records that make you want to both sing and scream along to.

Take the band’s latest LP, for example. For 13 straight songs, the Solid State signees are able to give listeners a wide range of emotions embodying the perfect balance of heavy and soft. Talking about the motivation behind blending these two contrasting styles together, vocalist/guitarist Stephen Cobucci says it all ties into the album’s name. 

“We named the record Eclipse because of how well it encapsulated the relationship the light and the dark can have,” he says. “An eclipse tells you that it's dark, but it takes truth and faith to know that the sun is still shining. All of this revolves around my walk of faith in believing the truths of the gospel message, seeking to help others find hope and peace in the love of God, as well as how to come to grips with various social/political/personal issues.”   

Giving fans an even further look into the brilliant work of art that is Eclipse, Cobucci sat down with The Noise to explain the meanings behind each and every song on the album. To check out the singer’s honest and open track by track rundown, be sure to look below. Afterward, make sure to pick up a copy of Eclipse here.   

The Cure

We're excited that this is the first track people hear on the new record because it truly captures the wide dynamics sonically and lyrically that we wanted to deliver. Both musically and lyrically it's a roller coaster of darkness, tension, and release. The whole album revolves around the idea of the light being obscured by the darkness and creating a “different reality.” This song is about how when that darkness comes, it creates a different reality that seems so real but is just a lie. This song cries out for help and grace in times of doubt and fear.

Face To Face

“Face To Face” probably went through the most changes to its structure. It was rewritten more times than I can remember. Our guitarist Joey believed in it from the first day he heard it and worked hard to help it get to its final stages. Regardless of all of those changes, the lyrical content remained the same. We so often fear having our weaknesses and flaws revealed, going to great lengths to ensure they are hidden from everyone to see. ... This song is about how I was forced to come to grips with many of my sins and weaknesses in order for me to see that there is forgiveness in the love of God. Even though accepting my own guilt seemed like death to me, it was the very thing that led me to trusting and resting in God's grace.

A Voice In The Violence

This song carries a lot of weight and emotion in it for us as a band. It's so easy to identify with feeling the burden of darkness in our hearts and minds as we wrestle with the sins and addictions that plague us. The lyrics carry a dialogue that goes back and forth between thoughts of falling into despair and then hearing the voice of truth calling me away from running headlong into the things that are killing and destroying me. We so often entertain this love affair with the sins, addictions, and vices that ruin us whether it be mentally, physically, or spiritually. These pursuits are always irrational and cause us to drown out the voice of God. The voice of truth. A voice that carries messages of hope, grace, and mercy. Yet the beauty in all of this comes in the fact that there is no hell too deep for God to pull us out of. It is in these darkest of times that God shows even more grace and love.

Drifter

Songs like this one are so important to us as a band because they've come from real heart-to-heart conversations. We're brothers. We bear each other's burdens. A lot of the time when you just bury away the pain, the hurt, the lies, the emotion, it tears you apart on the inside until it eventually begins to manifest on the outside. As an outsider looking in, I could see how Nick was being torn apart and was stuck spirally down the same road. Numerous songs throughout our career have come from these sorts of situations where Nick just spilled his heart and we were able to build him up in the truth reminding him of the greater love he has in Christ and how all his failure and sin was erased at the cross.

Enemy

We tend to think that the great enemies in our lives are “out there” while ignoring a certain truth that we ourselves tend to be our greatest enemies. The song begins with an arrogant and misguided fight against the "enemy" that is soon realized to be myself. This has been a humbling experience that I have been through many times in my life. I figured it was about time that I cataloged how this progression tends to go for myself and ultimately how my hope of escape from this is in the power of God.

Evil Are The Kings

This was the first song that came out when I started writing for this record and helped set the tone for quality and level I wanted all the other songs to be on. Our guitarist Joey played a big role in helping this song come together in the way that it did. He helped me restructure it in a way that really took advantage of the strengths of the song. In writing this song, I immediately knew what I wanted it to be about. As a society, we have amassed a world of knowledge, but it hasn't moved mankind one step further to making peace, stopping wars, curing racism, etc. If “knowledge is the power” then we are to be considered evil kings. Politics haven't moved the needle of solving any of these issues and all that has been revealed is that while there may be shifts in power and policy the greatest need we all have is for our hearts to be changed.

Eclipse

The music of this song was something I had written a long time ago but was never able to put all the pieces together. While on tour last year I was finally able to get all the pieces to fall together. Our drummer Abishai was critical in helping me structure the format of the song in its early stages. When I sat down to title all of these songs, I realized that an eclipse was the imagery that best encompassed the heart of this song. As I continued to think about this imagery and concept, I realized how it touched all of these songs in one way or another. Songs like this are very personal for me as I use them as outlets to be vulnerable with myself and with our fans for them to be encouraged by the fact that I often have the same doubts and fears that they may have. Yet while also having these same doubts and fears, there are still certain truths that we all can rest upon for peace and comfort.

Response

This song is a response to the Ghandi quote, "I like your Christ, not your Christians." The truth of this statement is not lost on me and to be honest, it grieves me. I can understand why people's view of “American Christianity” puts a bad taste in their mouth and am sadden by the fact that the name of Christ gets dragged through the mud and applied to people and organizations that do not represent what true faith is. When people hear that we are a Christian band, it immediately conjures up all sorts of thoughts, generally negative ones, yet I can understand why. I can see how it is really difficult for some people to separate emotional pain and damage caused by some wearing the name “Christian” from the one they claim to follow, namely Jesus. I say that in the lyrics of the song, “You find a lot of fault in me - I find it hard to disagree with you - I’ll own my crimes - My guilt has shut my mouth.” I'm not here to talk about myself, there isn't much good to say. But I believe in a good Savior. This strikes at the very heart of what we want people to see in our lyrics. Christianity is not about a person's ability to be perfect, but imperfect people trusting in a perfect Savior. Our guitarist Joey summarized the song well by saying, “The presence of hypocrisy does not equal the absence of God.” This song is a call to take your eyes off of messed up people and to take a look for yourself at who Jesus is.

History

I wrote “History” in light of all of the racial tension I see within our culture. I have dear friends that have been on the receiving end of this prejudice [and] it's sad that even after all this time and all we know this still is very present in the heart of our society. It is because we have tended to turn a blind eye to our past that we are ignorant [of] the present issues. Our culture does not have a healthy relationship with this issue and therefore it causes serious strife and conflict. Everyone is fighting for their side of the argument and in that fight there will only be victims. It's a wake-up call that identifying with political parties, the color of your skin, etc. puts you further into bondage and perpetuates this cycle of hatred and violence.

The Sea In Between

This song is an imagery of my salvation. I knew God existed and I knew I was separated from Him. I was on a shore and an endless sea separated us. The sea was a metaphor for my sin and my attempts to live self-righteously. I tried to live a perfect life and make up for all my failure and sin. Every time I navigated those seas, I failed, was destroyed, and was washed back to shore left with nothing. Yet in the goodness of God, Christ came and saved me, trudging through the sea that separated me from Him by dying the death I deserved.

Alone

I remember writing this song really late one night in my studio and how it all came together so quickly. Sometimes a song just seems to fall into place all in one sitting and that was the case for this song. Every piece of it came together that night including the vocals, but to no surprise, I struggled to figure out what to write about. It wasn't until many months after that I was thinking about the idea of how differently we all view this journey of life. For some, it is a terror. For some, joy. And I thought about the fact that however you view the destination of the journey affects how you experience it. If all you have to look forward to [is the] temporal aspects of life, then that can be incredibly bleak for many. And to others it may not seem like that big a deal but nothing we have here can be kept forever. If I can quote one of our older songs called “Morning Star”: I know this is a voyage, it's not my destination. My hope is not in what I can gain out of this life regarding physical things, but that in the fact that all good things I enjoy here are just a shadow of the joy it will be to know God and see Him face to face.

Counterfeit

There are a lot of voices out there vying for our attention. Voices that don't have our best interests in mind. Voices in the media, politics, and sometimes even our own minds that push an agenda based upon lies. This track was written as a sort of fight song against those things to give a voice back to those that desire to push back against those lies. I love how the pace and rhythm of this song perfectly fits the content. Hopefully this song can help give the listener a voice and words to say [and] combat these lies.

Blessings & Curses

It was actually our drummer Abishai who created the core of this song. He wrote a drum groove that he was really into and so he put a simple chord progression down to go with it. He showed it to me while we were on tour and it just clicked with me. As soon as I heard it I knew it needed to be one of our songs and we started working on it right then and there on tour. It has a crazy time signature and then at the end the time signature bounces back and forth, but you'd never know it, which is really cool. This is a song about betrayal, namely my betrayal. It puts me in awe of the fact that all I ever offered God was my betrayal and my curse and yet in return He gives me the blessing of His forgiveness and love.

[social-studies-swiftie]

Lover Thoughts

INSTANT ALBUM THOUGHTS

I Forgot that you existed

I really liked this song to start out the album! I know who it’s generally about, but I feel this can really apply to past friends, old loves or heartbreaks, and shows the strength and almost slight bitterness of what can happen to people over time. The production is great, super catchy and her speak-sing is so fantastic!

Cruel Summer

CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT BRIDGE THOUGHHHHH. WOWWW I had a feeling since the Easter egg was so obvious this would be a bop and iT WAS. The vocals were GORGEOUS and THAT BRIDGE IS STILL STICKING WITH ME. Talking about how love was the worst thing they had heard also was a line that stuck with me. I can't wait to listen to these on repeat…..

(Not my first listen, but I”ll be re-listening to all singles to see the flow of album) LOVER

What an interesting placement. Cruel Summer felt like the sadder part (or cruel part) of falling in love right before the ultimate love song. She really is getting multi-dimensional with the concept of love and I LOVE IT; I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE MAN NEXT WHAT A CONTRAST THAT WILL BE.

The Man

This gave me very “All you had to do was stay” vibes. It was very upbeat but THOSE LYRICS CUT ME. Being the only woman in my hallway at school, I’m judged different on clothes and such. The touch backs to her trial actually made me tear up a little bit because the world is SO DIFFERENT for biological men compared to anyone else...

The Archer

LISTENING TO THE ARCHER AFTER THE MAN BREAKS MY FREAKIN LITTLE HEART. SHE puts up a front in “The Man” and calls people out and being this extremely tough woman who knew she’d be getting farther as a man but then SHE’S QUESTIONING IF PEOPLE SEE THROUGH THE PERSONA AND SEE THE ACTUAL PAIN NOT BEING A MAN CAUSES AND MY LITTLE HEART IS NOT READY FOR MORE

I Think He Knows

WHAT A BOP OH MY GOODNESS; I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS ON TOUR WITH EVERYONE DANCING. I feel like this is “so it goes” but now subtle. The mention of the hand on the thigh, being alone, and “I think he knows” is kind of funny because the song makes it very obvious that Joe knows something and I could not stop moving around for this one even with my exhaustion.

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

IF YOU PLAYED THIS FOR ME AND NOT TOLD ME WHICH ALBUM IT WAS, I WOULD HAVE GUESSED REP. This definitely feels like reputation production and I have a feeling this was an early written song? The bright tones you can hear in the background definitely add the lover vibes, but I’m sure with a darker tone this could have EASILY been on reputation and I just love to see the growth from the darker era to now sunshine. I WANT TO KNOW WHO WOULD BE IN THIS HIGH SCHOOL AND WHICH BAD GUYS WE NEED TO GET AFTER.

Paper Rings

STAY STAY STAY GREW UPPPP. Serious red vibes. Paper rings is such a GREAT TERM. This also gave me “how to get the girl” with the picture frame reference, but that song was about being intentional with he girl, and Paper Rings seems to be the happy accident that can be love :)

Cornelia Street (the track I claimed a few weeks ago before knowing anything about it….)

Woah…what a story. I don’t think I can give a fair analysis after just an initial listen. This starts to touch on the fear of love and if you do end a relationship, certain things you just cannot do. The Kitchen line calls me back to “all too well” and how this is almost like a teetering song. If he leaves, it takes you to all too well, but if he stays, then I feel like Lover would play. I feel these is definitely a crossroads song not he album and such a good middle song because I’m not sure where the rest of the album will go (except for tears at “soon you’ll get better” and the bops that are YNTCD and ME!)

Death by a Thousand Cuts

ALRIGHT so similar to the man but more focused on love I think. This also gave me “all you have to do was stay” vibes with an upbeat attitude but the LYRICS DID CUT ME A LITTLE. I was in a 4 year relationship that ended badly and I felt like he had touched every part of my life and each time I dig up something, it’s like another cut, but yet this is also a bop…? Like I feel VERY CONFLICTED WITH MY EMOTIONS but that’s love. Or at least losing it.

London Boy

I FANCY THIS SONG. I love the references to London, now I want to go just to understand the song better. This I feel like was definitely like a fun version of Lover. Not so serious yet in a relationship, but almost like describing the honeymoon phase. So happy and willing to travel anywhere just to be with the one you love.

Soon You’ll Get Better

WELL THAT’S DEFINITELY A SONG THAT MAKES EVERYONE CRY. There is someone in all of our lives who we always go to and if they were sick, we’d feel lost. It doesn’t need to be a parent, but I definitely thought of my mom and dad and I NEED A MINUTE. Imagine tour without Andrea or Scott just hurts…I think we can all feel this one, because some we know has been sick or has passed and we’ve had to handle it. Or we know someone in this situation. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SONG BUT I MAY CRY EVERYTIME I LISTEN TO IT.

False God

I think the placement is interesting. Between the SADDEST SONG on the album and the most outspoken song of the album I sadly feel this will be a track similar to “so it goes”. I think this is a very smart song, subtle, and a completely different vibe from the rest of the album. I enjoy “so it goes” so once I listen to this oe a few times I’l get a better feel and read on it But I sadly think this song will fall to the wayside out of all the songs so far :(

YNTCD

The bop-est of the bops IMO. So political, so expressive, so strong, I think it’s a great jam. It definitely stands out in the album to me as well as it is not about love necessarily but trying to calm down the haters. One of my favorites so far, but still 3 more new song to go.

Afterglow

Similar to False God in a sense that it is definitely an older vibe song. If you’ve ever been in a serious relationship had a fight and then made up in a certain way, you’ve certainly met someone in the afterglow…so it shows again more complexity of love but again, different vibe, need a little more context to understand. A SMART and DEFNITELY RELATABLE SONG. My boyfriend and I are currently in a little rough patch right now and I see this being a resolution quite soon…

ME!

I COMPLETELY AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY GET WHY THIS WAS THE SINGLE LEAD OF THE ALBUM. IT IS UPBEAT, FUN LIKE MOST OF THE ALBUM IS, BUT THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME WE HEAR TAYLOR LIKE THIS IN MY OPINION. THIS IS HER BEARING HER SOUL FOR US TO SEE ALL THE COMPLEX SIDES OF LOVE. She has never opened up like this with us, and it really believe this is going to be a one of a kind album, a one of a kind experience and all the promo. I just can’t believe there are 2 more songs because I think this could have also been a great way to wrap up the album.

It’s Nice To Have A Friend

I THINK THIS WOULD’VE BEEN A GREAT FIRST TRACK TOO. This is the beginning of a relationship vibes, very simple and short background with a cute message of going from friends to more, but at the core every love has to also have a friendship in order to work.

Daylight

THIS MADE ME FEEL PHYSICALLY WARM WHILE LISTENING TO IT. I LOVE THIS SONG. I CANNOT WAITTO SEE WHAT ELSE SHE DOES. SHE REALLY DID THAT. STEPPED INTO THE DAYLIGHT AND LET IT ALL GO. THE SOUND IS LIKE COMBINING ALL HER ERAS AND SHE’S SO VULNERABLE WITH US AND THIS SONG SO GOOD

Initial rankings after 1 listen

I Think He Knows

You Need to Calm Down

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak prince

The Archer

London Boy

Daylight

Paper Rings

Lover

I forgot you existed

The Man

Cornelia Street

Soon You’ll Get Better

It’s Nice to Have A Friend

Cruel Summer

Death by a Thousand Cuts

ME!

Afterglow

False God

Overall: AMAZING. I CANNOT WAIT TO LISTEN TO THIS EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Paul Janeway of St. Paul & The Broken Bones

St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ new album, Young Sick Camellia, is a thoughtful contemplation on the bonds between family - specifically the family of lead singer, Paul Janeway. We asked him some questions about the writing process for the new album as well as what’s next for this soulful band, as we excitedly await their performance at The Anthem on September 30th. 

Ethan Koss-Smith [9:30 Club]: I was recently introduced to your band for the first time, and I love your sound. I listened to Young Sick Camellia first, then to your prior works, Sea of Noise and Half the City. Can you speak to where you are now as a band versus where you were two years ago?

Paul Janeway [St. Paul]: We are just further down our musical exploration. We really get to see what the band can do and just stretch those boundaries. I feel like we can do whatever feels right musically and that is a great place to be. 

While mysterious, I sense that there is a thoughtful statement in Young Sick Camellia. I felt from the beginning that it has a lot to do with connection to family -- “blood is what I can’t escape,” as you say in the final track, “Bruised Fruit.” There are also lines that cause me to think about environmental and political degradation in terms of imagery (for example: “We lost our refuge to creatures made of plastic and of smoke”), which draw parallels between the tumultuous relationships that often go on in the family home. This home seems to be more distinctly American, and more directly southern. Where did the idea behind Young Sick Camellia arise? How does it expand upon your prior sounds and albums? Do you leave room for interpretation?

I think I had the idea for this record immediately when Sea of Noise was released. The idea of my family relationship between my grandfather, my father, and me. Exploring that connection and complication with those characters in my life which is distinctly southern. 

The sound has changed because we worked with a producer that was outside our comfort zone a bit. We knew the music was headed somewhere different. More funk and experimental. We worked with Jack Splash and I think he extracted all the right elements to make something that felt special. 

I do like to leave lyrics up for interpretation. I have what the lyrics mean to me but once it is released for public consumption it is no longer just my meaning for the songs.

Camellia’s lyrics seem rife with maturity (you even have a track named “Mature Pt. 2”), intention, and conflict. There is also unpredictability and depth within your lyrics. Could you explain your approach to the lyrics on this album? Has the writing process been extraordinarily different than in the past? If so, how?

I am not a narrative driven lyricist, so to me it is approached with the sound of the words and the poetry of the words. I like to read poetry before writing lyrics because it helps put me in the right head space. I am by no means a scholar of poetry, but I do get enchanted with the way words interact now. I regretted the lack of detail I gave the lyrics on our first record and swore to myself I would never let that happen again. Having time to let the lyrics sink in is something I can afford to do now because we have time.

On a similar note, what is your vision for Young Sick Camellia looking into the future? Is there a relationship between where you are personally, where the world is currently, and the release of this album?

In my mind, Young Sick Camellia is part one of a trilogy. So for now it feels unfinished. I think personally I felt like digging deeper into these complicated relationships. I am sure it is a product of the current climate in the world right now, but I am not clear exactly what that is.

The album cover shows a withering camellia, the state flower of Alabama, your band’s base. It is ostensibly dying if not already dead. What is the significance of the flower as an embodiment for the themes of the album?

The camellia symbolizes home, me, and the relationship of the two. I have always felt broken in a way. There is a realness to it as though I am trying to stare in a mirror to try and work things out. There is beauty there, but also death.

What I especially like about your music is that the lyrics have a different feel than the joyous, funk-driven music. There is present solemness in the music of several of the tracks, specifically the interludes. Historically, funk has been an important way to shine a flashlight on serious issues and topic (Parliament-Funkadelic reference intended). How and why do you think funk today holds an important place, especially as a genre that withers in mainstream popularity? What do you see as the future of funk in America, and where do you hope to see yourself amidst that future?

I think funk is still being used everywhere. It’s all over modern music. Hip Hop to R&B. Though the delivery is less traditional, it is all over the place. Everybody enjoys a good funk song. We are certainly no different. Just glad to have another tool in arsenal to make people enjoy music and let themselves go a bit.

What purpose do the interludes serve to further the overall vision of the album? Whose voices did you use? Were they rehearsed, or raw?

The voice on the interludes is my grandfather. It just a phone conversation I recorded between him and I. Interludes to me can be the glue in an album. That is what makes it an album. It is the overarching idea through the entire record.

“Hurricanes” features, in my opinion, particularly poignant lyrics. In the second verse, you sing “Camellias rusting on the vine / Strangled by hands that are hardened in the hot furnace glow / Buttonwood trees took us all / Church full of strangers who choke on words made of thorns and gold.” Can you elaborate on this song and the appearance of the camellia?

The idea of steel and furnace reference my home of Birmingham. My dad at one point worked in the furnace of US Steel, which was had huge presence in the city. There are a few meanings there, but that is a reference point. Buttonwood Tree is a reference to the legend about the beginning of the stock exchange. The idea of greed and the church full of strangers is a reference to a church of southerners who had a church in New York after the Civil War. The idea of family, greed, and the complication of home all show their face in this song.

What are you guys doing this tour that is different than past tours (without giving any spoilers away)? What should fans and newcomers to your music be excited about, besides hearing your new music?

Well, first we have production. We have never had this level of production so that is new. I think the show is at the best it’s ever been. There are a few changes that will surprise people, but it still has the energy that we have always had.

How does it feel to be coming back to Washington, DC? What has been your experience here in the past? Any good stories?

My wife and I began our relationship in DC. She was in school there and I would fly up when I could afford to. So DC is the city I fell in love with my wife. I remember going to shows at the 9:30 Club. It will always be a special place to me.

-Ethan Koss-Smith

St. Paul & The Broken Bones play The Anthem on September 30. Tickets available here.

[luxus4me]

The Verge http://j.mp/2kbG4ho

Here’s a question to ponder: when buying noise-cancelling (NC) headphones, should you choose the pair that sounds best or the one that’s best at neutralizing noise? The answer used to be obvious in the pre-2016 era of Bose domination: you just bought the latest QuietComfort pair, knowing that its noise cancelling was unmatched, and accepted whatever mediocre sound it gave you. But then Sony changed everything with its 1000X last year, giving you both the quiet and the comfort of Bose plus a kicking bassline.

The past year has turned noise-cancelling headphones from purely functional tools to help you survive a long flight or a tiring shift at the office into truly enjoyable music stations. Among my favorites have been the on-ear AKG N60 NC and the over-ear Bowers & Wilkins PX, both of which have elevated sound quality expectations from the wireless NC category. So now Sony’s second iteration of the 1000X, the $299.99 1000XM2, have to outdo not only Bose and Sony’s awesome first try but also a number of sweet-sounding alternatives from a suddenly highly competitive field.

When presented with a pair of the 1000XM2s, you’d struggle to identify the physical differences from the original 1000Xs. Sony really nailed the essential design with its first generation of these wireless cans, and so the reprise is almost total. The exceedingly comfortable pads and headband are back, and the whole thing still folds down into a compact shape and into a semi-rigid case. As far as long-wearing comfort and portability were concerned, there was nothing for Sony to fix here, and so it’s no surprise that the company is keeping what works.

One structural complaint that has arisen since my review of the 1000X — and has given rise to an 8-page thread on Sony’s support forums — is the headband of these headphones cracking easily. Since the design appears unchanged, it’s reasonable to extend that worry about durability to the present 1000XM2s as well, however it appears that Sony has narrowed down the problematic headbands to a particular batch of 1000X units. In all my testing with both models of 1000X cans, I’ve never come close to even hearing a creak from them, let alone finding a crack. I’m willing to trust in Sony’s engineers and warranty process here, and I don’t consider this potential issue a big risk to take.

The 1000XM2s are simply sumptuous to wear

Maybe if I hadn’t spent as much time as I have with the 1000X and their successors, I’d be less certain in my trust, but both pairs of these headphones have proven indispensable in my daily life. Got a meeting to commute to? I grab the Sonys on my way out. Need to keep warm while waiting for the bus in winter? I don’t have earmuffs, so Sonys it is. Unlike the Bowers & Wilkins PX, whose sound I am in deep and passionate love with, these Sony headphones never cause me any discomfort. Set aside the convenience of them being wireless or the utterly excellent noise cancelling, the 1000XM2s are simply sumptuous to wear.

On a recent trip to Madrid, I went a full five hours before I even had to adjust the M2s on my head. That’s all the way from my front door, through the London underground, past the security check at Heathrow (where I had to remove them briefly), up in the air and down again, and out into the Spanish sunlight. Any pair of headphones that effortless and unnoticeable to wear for that long is worth its weight in gold.

A big part of what’s supposed to distinguish the 1000XM2s from their predecessor is the audio self-adjustment that Sony has built into the new cans. This now includes “atmospheric pressure optimizing” that apparently adjusts to your altitude. Did I feel anything particularly special or noteworthy with this setting turned on during my flight? Nope. If you use Sony’s companion app, you can also activate Adaptive Sound Control, which is supposed to detect whether you’re walking, sitting, or traveling and tweak the NC accordingly. I found it a fiddly and inconsistent system, and since it reduces NC while you walk, which I don’t actually want, I left it off. It’s worth reiterating here that Sony’s noise cancelling tech is only rivaled by that of Bose: it really is a category leader, and many people consider both Sony and Bose’s NC to sometimes be too much. I’d just prefer to be able to toggle that manually rather than relying on an imperfect system.

My feeling about the automated tweaks that Sony is introducing with the M2s is similar to how I feel about the B&W PX and the way they automatically stop playing music when I take the headphones off. Both are good ideas in abstract, and would be desirable if they worked with reliable consistency, but both annoy me more than they help because of the false positives when they do something I don’t want them to.

The touch controls on the right ear cup are still unnecessarily fiddly

Sony’s touch controls on the right ear cup of the 1000XM2s are unchanged from the 1000X — which means my dissatisfaction with them remains as it was. I can make them work, but it requires more labor and precision than it should. A swipe up or down adjusts the volume, a swipe forward or back switches between tracks, and a double tap in the middle toggles playback.

More than once, my double taps weren’t registered and the M2s kept playing when I wanted them to stop. What’s wrong with having a real, physical button that lets me control that? Sony already has buttons on the left cup for power and noise cancelling, and a hard “play” button wouldn’t have broken any part of the design. It’s equally annoying when I find myself getting into a song and trying to turn it up, only to have the headphones register my swipe as forward rather than up and thus skipping ahead.

Last year, I celebrated the 1000X for being that rare pair of Bluetooth NC headphones that sounded great. This year, I think the 1000XM2s might sound just a tiny bit better, but I can’t be as forgiving in my judgment of their sound. Not after the Bowers & Wilkins PX swept through my life. So how do I feel about Sony’s M2 sound? In a word: conflicted. I don’t mean confused, I mean conflicted.

The M2s are heavily genre-dependent. Put on something rich on low notes and distortion, such as deadmau5’s W:/2016ALBUM/ and you’ll be rocking out to the deep, murderous, satisfying bass. But here’s the thing about deadmau5: his music doesn’t sound bad on any audio equipment, it welcomes and positively embraces distortion and imprecision. Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots is another album that pops and throbs in a satisfying fashion through the 1000XM2s, and I admit I enjoy the extra quantity of bass that these headphones deliver. But once I tread to more refined musical genres like classical or jazz, the muddy nature of the M2s’ low end is revealed and it’s not pretty.

Female vocals are an especially disappointing aspect of the M2s’ sound. I’ve recently gotten into listening to more from the likes of Kelela, Banks, Halsey, Willow, and Lorde, and the subtle emotive power of their voices is all but wiped out by the 1000XM2s. Where the Bowers & Wilkins PX would make me want to dance in the streets with its perfectly balanced highs and lows, Sony leans too heavily toward the low end, deadening the exact frequencies that make the PX feel alive and exciting.

Battery life is once again great, though the MicroUSB charging port should have been upgraded by now

Where Sony trumps Bowers & Wilkins, other than the more comfy design, is in having NFC-based pairing, which is simpler and easier than the usual Bluetooth malarkey. Both companies tout battery life numbers beyond 20 hours when the headphones are used wirelessly and with NC on. In my experience, the Sonys seemed to last a little bit longer, but it’s not enough for me to identify it as a meaningful advantage. Both the M2 and the PX last through a week of regular listening for me, which is plenty. I’d have liked to see Sony match B&W in having a USB-C charging port, but the M2s have to make do with the old MicroUSB connection — fine for most, but terrible for my “USB-C all the things” personal philosophy.

By now, you should be able to understand why I feel so torn. The 1000XM2s are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve tested (and I’ve tested hundreds); they last a long time; they deliver solid wireless performance; and they outperform almost everything else out on the market. But I’ve heard the B&W PX, and I no longer love Sony’s sound the way I did when I reviewed the original 1000X. Hell, I don’t even find there’s much difference between the M2 and the first-gen headphones.

The key difference maker for me is the $299.99 price of the 1000XM2s. That’s at least $30 south of the Bose QuietComfort 35s — and I’m confident both 1000X models from Sony offer superior sound and performance than Bose — and a full $100 cheaper than the Bowers & Wilkins PX. If you’re budget-constrained or just can’t find a good fit with the PX, I’d immediately point you to Sony’s 1000X range. But which one of the two? The original 1000X is now $229.99 direct from Sony, and on the evidence of my review of the 1000XM2, I can’t say you’ll be missing out on much going for the older one. In any case, it’s safe to say that, for most people, either one of Sony’s 1000X variants is still the best set of wireless NC headphones available.

8.5 Verge Score

Good Stuff

Exceedingly comfortable

Noise cancelling doesn't get any better

Long battery life

Bad Stuff

Fiddly touch controls

Sound quality has been surpassed by better rivals

MicroUSB charging is so very 2016

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