#i started using asap rocky as a reference for his face

[feeshies]

Some Zevran doodles

Also him and his tall girlfriend

[gyujeongfmd]

aesthetic, headcanon & playlist — a gyujeong character study

summary — a general layout for the “vibe” that gyujeong has in his little mannerisms. they’re like little crumbs you can see his personality in through each picture, the good the bad the ugly. not necessarily shown towards other, it’s the small little “quirks” (i hate this word) that makes gyu, gyu. playlist summary — most times people want to refer to gyujeong as grumpy. however, in most of his interactions, he’s rarely ever blatantly harmful to the other person. instead, most times there’s an underlying softness? if you can call it that, where he basically tucks his tail away and says something kind-ish that gets swept under the rug of superficial conversations. as a result, most times people would relate his essence to a travis scott / asap rocky vibe, but in reality — he’s more of a drake rapper where there’s a tinge more of sentimentality with what he carries. these aren’t the songs that best describe him, per se, but more so the songs that “feel” most like him. if you take a listen, there’s bits of gyu to all the songs. wc — 418

1. 박소은 — 일기 / park soeun — diary 2. keshi — 2 soon 3. loote — tomorrow tonight 4. anne-marie — to be young (ft. doja cat) 5. 박재범 — 가나다라 ft. 아이유 / jay park — GANADARA ft. iu 6. 비투비 — 그리워하다 / BTOB — missing you 7. 레드벨벳 — 퀸덤 / red velvet — queendom  8. 오마이걸 — 살짝 설렜어 / oh my girl — nonstop 9. drake — come thru (nothing was the same) 10. mac miller — love lost

—

these things aren’t necessarily things that require an explanation, just the general gist / feel for what “aesthetic” gyujeong is. it’s meant to read it, and then have an understanding of “ah ha that is gyu” type of vibe

scraping off the burnt part of toast to salvage eating it

lopsided cuts off the crust leftovers from pizza

sweet potato pizza with corn 

a full ass pizza with one leaf of spinach

a dirty mop with a chanel logo pasted on it, causing the price to hike up to 3k for a used mop

grape juice poised as wine on a set of a tv show

north dakota / south dakota being considered one state

ignoring chungcheong-do as a province

jeju-do during jangma season

double stamps on your passport visas to make a 3D effect

puffy stickers

wearing a brown bag over your face, only to realize it starts a new trend

the unused 1kg weights at the gym

taking april fools jokes seriously

cry-laughing at “is ur refrigerator running? better go catch it” joke

background noise of my 600 lbs life on background

trot music at an old hof

fingers touching the first snowflakes of winter

sniffling during sad movies and calling it “allergies”

otter memes

stepping into a confessional to have conversations

ignoring international fans

underdressing for winter 

christmas lights in may

the singe of apple cider vinegar’s smell

😹🤙👍🌹

🌝 this emoji used non-ironically

~_~ 

half-dried out roses

drinking half the drink with one gulp of a straw and calling it a “sip”

throwing away clothes after seeing some insta influencer wearing it

getting idioms wrong by 1 word

building an interior on the sims before putting it in real life

“pummeled by cupid” moodlet

scooping out all the cookie dough in the chocolate chip cookie ice cream pint

forgetting to eat

bob pancakes on the sims

that melody that plays before your subway comes thru

the maze that is jongno / myeongdong underground pathway

pretending to be on the phone in front of people only for your phone to ring

baby lotion

the speedwalking event in the olympics

wearing hokas for fashion

tik tok trends that already passed 4 months ago

bottles of expensive wine as decor

soft yellows

silk sheets (for health benefits not aesthetic)

specialized soaps / array of laundry accessories

bb cream guised as sunscreen

death note

kyo soma’s duality

the baby chickens you’d get from school 

faking a “headache” during gym class

crong from pororo

reusable tumblers

[clumsyclifford]

hello!! i am back and on desktop this time. the blog is just as pretty. alex + yellow = v v attractive jfc. this is a long one so buckle in.

to begin: i hope you have the most fun on your day road trip and sing your heart out to atl and taylor swift. i love driving long distances and idk just driving in general is fun. have the absolute best time MWAH

my birthday is in november!! november 23 to be specific. i share it with miley cyrus which is something i always found to be very cool when i was growing up and watching hannah montana. it also means i am a sagittarius and funny little fact i realized is that my best friend is a gemini. alex and jack are also a sagittarius and a gemini. from being 13 i know that tyler and josh from twenty one pilots are also a sagittarius and a gemini. something about sagittarius and gemini besties idk.

also yeah!! ao3 year in review!! it's a bit complicated to figure out at first and if you read a lot the finding pages thing can be pretty tedious, but it's def worth it once you figure it out. it gives you a lot of different stats about everything you read and it's pretty cool. now i am going to go look at your fics to remember my favs. you deserve the praise so i am willing to offer it. jeez you write a lot i respect the motivation sm. you write quite a bit of angst and i won't lie i try to stay away from angst so i haven't read your fics that seem super angst-y based on the tags. BUT there are still so many i recall reading and loving nonetheless. on a quick scroll-through: i usually don't read high school AUs but "paint me in trust (i'll be your best friend)" was super adorable and lovely. "thank god i'm yours" is one of my favs iirc. also i love love love "it's not always easy (but i'm here forever)" like yes please romanticize alex gaskarth i love it sm. "i won't be silent (and i won't let go)" and "i fell asleep in a city that doesn't" are both super fluffy and romantic and are favs of mine. in case you haven't picked up on it i adore very fluffy and romantic fics lmao. alright i am continuing to scroll and there are so many more i could list that i love but this section is getting quite long. just know if it's about a kitchen or hotel rooms being for lovers i probably read it and adored it and that pov is so valid.

waterparks!! will not lie i only really started listening to them about 6 months ago having been distantly aware of their existence for several years by being a fan of bands in the same genre. listen as long as you let yourself be vaguely annoyed by awsten is prevents you from being in love with him. follow him on any social media platform for like a day and you'll be sick of him typing in nothing but all caps within hours. simply do not romanticize him and you can keep yourself from falling!! so this is coming from a slightly fake parx fan, but some of my favs by them have been peach (lobotomy), crave, numb, fuzzy, violet!, you'd be paranoid too, and lowkey as hell. that is a very songs-from-their-most-recent-album-heavy rec, but whatever. i did give the disclaimer about being a fake parx fan.

yeah hayley does have 2 solo albums now!! petals for armor and flowers for vases / descansos. pfa is the one i didn't really like upon first listen but has grown on me. i haven't even listened to the second one in its entirety oops but we won't mention it. dead horse is good but simmer (pretty sure that was the other single??) just ain't it for me. the album has some lovely songs but it's just a hit or miss album all the way through. some favs of mine on it include pure love, taken, crystal clear, watch me while i bloom, and why we ever. it's sorta a storyline album about healing if that adds anything to it?? but anyways. i started listening to paramore around the time after laughter dropped and it grew to be one of my fav albums in existence. idle worship is probably one of my fav songs like ever. i def understand being slightly put off by bands with songs that make religious references (me with twenty one pilots' earlier music that makes a lot more religious references considering i'm not religious whatsoever) but i think i am blinded by being in love with hayley williams and just ignore it. idk that she's like super religious?? she's addressed believing in god and stuff a few times but she's def not the "rub it in your face" type and if she's making refs in music more recently then they're subtle enough i'm not noticing them. ik albums like brand new eyes had a lot more because it was shortly after that the band split and the songwriting process was essentially her and ex-bandmate co-songwriter arguing about their religious beliefs (turns out he ended up being super homophobic and transphobic all based on his religion so do with that what u will and thank the clown for leaving). i feel u on the "i meant to start listening to them" because that's essentially how i started listening to them. i told myself i was going to and then finally forced myself to do it. fuck falling for awsten knight what's more risky is falling in love with hayley </3

also yeah!! you've articulated my feelings towards tde. every song is so vastly different that it's hard to like it all. #1 fan is pretty decent though, and that's not just my bias about finding both ross and his gf hot and a cute couple and getting to see them together and ross half naked in a mirror in the video nope not at all. he's my fav himbo!! he has no personality!! no thoughts head empty!! i still love him and his strawberry-growing saga on twitter tho <3 the hazard of being in love with ross lynch since i was 12. girlfriend better be a fucking banger and there's quite a few already released singles in the tracklist so i have hope. i believe my show is in chicago on november 19 which is a thursday. kinda sucks since i intentionally bought the chicago tix nearly two years ago (the show was originally supposed to be april 25 2020. lol.) because the show was on a saturday and i have to drive 3 hours to get there. obviously i can't speak for them as tde but r5 shows always fucking slapped and i can vouch for them (realized i haven't seem them live since 2016?? 5 YEARS?? wtf) so if u genuinely like them. would recommend going to see them.

anyways. i have not listened to luke's solo album yet. i plan on it. this has gotten so long but i tried to respond in all areas and even organized it in different paragraphs this time (thanks being on desktop!!). hope you are well. hope you have a lovely day. hmm what's a little "going on in my life" fact. i got new glasses a few days ago and my eyes essentially said fuck off because adjusting to the new prescription has left me with eyes that hurt and occasionally slightly nauseous. here is to hoping my eyes get their shit together. mwah LOVE YOU TOO - the other bella/cubs anon/idk

okay hi hello. i have put this off because holy hell it's long but let's do it. i am putting a cut because this whole thing is long even without my answer

first: the road trip was super fun thank you!!! i am intrigued by this information regarding sags and geminis, we should do some scientific inquiry. enquiry. i don't know if there's a difference between those words.

aha! well i tried the ao3 year in review thing and i would say it had about 55% accuracy but still i agree it's fun to look back at that kind of stuff. and i feel you on the angst thing i go through phases of writing angst-heavy stuff and then writing very fluffy stuff and it is entirely based on my mental state buuuut i have lots of fluff and i'm glad you found it all and that you liked it yay <333 KITCHENS ARE FOR LOVERS i will die on that fuckin hill. hotel rooms as well but primarily kitchens.

dfgjhgdlfkhgdfmj honestly i dont use twitter enough that i would see his tweets enough that that would bother me also the fact that he tweets in all caps means that i just picture him yelling everything he tweets which i find absolutely hysterical so i don't think that would help. i have added these parx songs to my listen asap playlist and will get to them when i get a chance thank you i am excited also i already know lowkey as hell and it slaps super hard so im very much lookin forward to the rest of these. merci merci

YEAH simmer was the one i didnt vibe with. and honestly i feel zero compulsion to get into hayley williams as a solo artist. i just don't vibe enough to want to do that so i doubt i'll be listening to her anytime soon but maybe if i hear the songs in passing or get super bored one night, idk who can really say. but yeah christianity typically puts me off of music (speaking as a very jewish bitch) although there are notable exceptions in the cases of thomas rhett and the driver era. i'm just not attached to hayley enough to be like ehhh this doesnt matter. does that make sense

FAVORITE HIMBO PLEASE HGSDFGDFGKLFGJ i dont follow him on twitter but i have seen some interviews of ross and rocky and tbh they're great i love the way ross speaks like i like his speech mannerisms and i like his FACE and HAIR and. yeah. i think hes pretty. and i think he and 5sos SHOULD collab i think that would be sexy as hell. can you imagine that. oh my god can you imagine a ross lynch/luke hemmings collab. i'm not even really talking to you anymore bella because i know you haven't listened to luke yet and don't have a stake in it but if anyone else is reading this long ass answer. ross & luke collab. okay im going to move on and not think about that now. but i probably won't see tde unless i get a job this semester because i'm trying to stop spending so much money on big indulgent things like concerts likeee i was in a really good habit of not spending that much and then suddenly i got paid for one summer and i was just goin Crazy and i need to dial it back. plus i wanna see ajr and noah kahan equally bad so like. i have to make some calls about priorities here. it's Much to think about

good luck to your eyes i'm sure your new glasses are hella cute tho!!! LOVE YOUUUUUUU

[hornyfishprince]

Tell me some of your favorite stories with your friends. I need good vibes my way!

Hey! Sorry this took a couple days to get to, but let’s see here… This is a very long story, and I apologize in advance.

A couple years ago, I went to my first anime convention with CactusoftheNight and yurukiturah (Cas and Cat respectively; try not get them mixed up). The three of us often refer to that event as “The No Chill Weekend” because shit just… kept happening.

Now, before this, I had never met either of them in real life, but Cas and I had met online a few years prior, and he’s known Cat since gradeschool. Cas and I were (and still are) way too into homestuck for our own good at the time, and while he’d been to this particular convention in Dallas, Texas numerous times neither of us had ever cosplayed. As you can imagine, our stars were aligned. Months of planning and prep, measuring, cutting, sewing, fabric paint, body paint, makeup, arm socks, paper clay, broken horns, a broken wand, experimenting with everything! Mistakes were made. Money was wasted. This is all before the actual convention weekend. We had no idea what we were in for. 

Summer arrived, and it was finally time. I took a bus 800 miles from my sleepy little hometown in Illinois all the way to Dallas. It was my first time taking a bus, and my first time traveling alone. My bags had been packed meticulously carefully with all of my cosplay supplies, and I was a paranoid wreck whenever my luggage wasn’t gripped in my hands. Luckily the trip down was relatively uneventful. I rode overnight and arrived early in the morning, dazed from lack of sleep, but excited beyond belief.

Cas and his mom picked me up from the bus station and treated me to a nice breakfast at IHOP. I stayed at Cas’s place for the next two days while we did our final prep work for the con. We should’ve known then that it was going to be an interesting weekend. Neither of us had finished our armsocks (a crucial piece of costuming for any looking to transform into one of those candycorn motherfuckers), so it was now a race to get them done. We listened to Nightvale while we sewed, and that was about all we did for those days. It was hard work, but we didn’t care. We were going to be stepping into the skins of our favorite homestuck trolls (I was going as Eridan, and Cas was going as Gamzee), and we were high on the excitement of it all.

Then it was time to meet up with Cat. For the rest of the con weekend, we were staying in her dad’s condo, because it was the closest place we could stay to the convention without renting a hotel room (which we had no money for). The day before the con officially started people could come in and do their registration and then stay for a masquerade ball, which is exactly what we did. Cas and I had originally planned on cosplaying that night as well, just fancied up, but we didn’t have enough time to fuck around with all that facepaint. Also we still hadn’t finished the armsocks. I still wore my cape.

The cape was a mistake.

The chain holding it closed about my neck was flimsier than I had realized, and it snapped while we were trying to dance (badly, I might add, because we missed the dancing lessons they were supposed to hold earlier that day). The combination of a broken costume piece, a crowded ballroom, nothing to do, and my crippling anxiety issues led to us leaving early. We managed to fix my cape well enough that it would mostly hold together, but it still gave me grief for the rest of the weekend. We spent the rest of the night relaxing and playing CAH, and we still didn’t get our armsocks finished.

The next morning, we started the rush to get in costume. It took hours and a metric fuckton of baby powder, but our paint looked perfect and was sealed. Cas and I had only half of our armsocks done and since his arms were going to be more uncovered, we had to cut each of the finished arms into long gloves for him to wear, and then I got to paint my hands.

We had to take a few buses and then a train down to the hotel where the convention was being held, and then there was still a bit of walking to do on the way. I should mention at this point that Cat was in a long, black, leather trench coat - the garb of Org XIII from the Kingdom Hearts series. Cat is also very tall. Like a foot taller than Cas and I. We were a sight to behold. And behold us they did. You’d honestly be surprised how many people who don’t live immediately next to the hotel don’t know about the convention. Incredulous looks and questions abound.

On our way between the bus and the train, we stopped for a snowcone. An older gentleman questioned all three of us about our costumes, but he seemed the most enamored by mine, kept asking what I was supposed to be.

“A fish,” I replied simply, not knowing how else to explain (homestuck cannot be explained).

“Oh!” he responded, excitedly. “Well, swim all over me!”

The three of us laughed awkwardly and then our next bus arrived. I don’t think we’ll ever forget the “swim all over me” guy.

That first day was amazing. A-kon is the oldest anime convention in the united states, and it shows. Until recently, it was held at the Hilton-Anatole in Dallas, which is where we were that weekend, and it is a beautiful event. So many people in so many fandoms coming together in one spot. The dealer’s room and artist alley had so much to display you could hardly get through it all. We didn’t go to any panels, but everything we did do was worth the time we spent.

The first two days were busy and tiring, but fun, and not a disaster. But on the night of the second day, things took a turn. It started when Cas and I decided to stay for a panel that was being held a bit late. Unfortunately this meant we missed the Rocky Horror showing, but they do that every year and we planned on being back, so we figured we weren’t missing too much. In the interest of not dragging out this story anymore than it already is, I’ll spare the details on the panel we went to, but know that Cat couldn’t go with us because she wasn’t old enough at the time. This left her alone, and it was getting late before the panel ended, so eventually Cas and I had to rejoin her so we could head home before the trains stopped running.

Nerves were already a bit frayed at this point, as we were all sore and tired, and the walk to the train station was not a short one. When we made it to the ticket kiosk, the train was already pulling in and stopping. In our rush to get our tickets and get on the train, Cas’s backpack was left open and several things fell out. We realized this after another passenger handed him his phone charger. I had Cas check for my wallet (I had no pockets that could hold it) and sure enough it was gone.

Panic set in.

At the train’s next stop, a few blocks down the road, we got off and before we could so much as think, Cas was handing me his backpack and sprinting off back to the other station. I was still freaking out, and took off after him without thinking. Poor Cat stayed behind, alone again (I am still so sorry about that, oh my god). I wasn’t fast enough to keep up and soon lost sight of him, but continued on at a walking pace, knowing I would catch up eventually.

Meanwhile, Cas was running on. If you’ve never seen a chubby alien juggalo running straight at you with a look of sheer determination on their face, you can’t really know exactly how the people downtown felt when they saw Cas approaching that night. He searched all over the platform. He asked everyone who happened to be there waiting for the train if they had seen my wallet. They all stammered and shook their heads, perplexed by the urgent request from the strange grey man. “Was that Satan?!” Cas heard one of them exclaim as he was leaving them to ask the next bystander.

I was still on my way, alone, in a city I’d never known. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, but too scared to turn back at this point. A stranger spoke up from the darkness behind me, and I nearly jumped out of my shitty painted shoes. Luckily he was nice, and apologized for scaring me. He walked with me to the train stop, asking me about my costume and why I was out dressed like that so late. I gave him a brief rundown.

Just before making it to the train station, Cas crossed the street and met up with us, defeat and physical exertion coloring his face. We both had tears in our eyes at this point, and now we had to get back to Cat and figure out what to do. The stranger walked with us for a bit longer to make sure we would be okay before parting ways.

We eventually made it back. Cas called my dad for me and I explained through shaking sobs what had happened. My driver’s license, my debit card, and about $60 cash were now gone, and I was a 19-year-old in a city far from home. Anything worse that had ever happened to me before had involved physical injury. My dad agreed to call the bank asap and cancel my debit, and then we’d have to figure out my driver’s license when I got back. Cat called her parents, and they reimbursed me for the lost cash.

The three of us stood and waited for the next train. Some rando with a skateboard walked by and shouted at us something along the lines of “You guys wanna fuck me? I’d fuck me!” Still not sure if he was high as shit or just weird, but you gotta be pretty brave to solicit what appear to be a dark sorceress and the demons she summoned. At the time, we were too stressed to be amused by this, and if he hadn’t shut up and gone away, I honestly think we would’ve thrown down.

So the train arrives and we board. I’m still drying my eyes, and my two friends are doing a good job trying to calm me down. Eventually the train picks up some more passengers and we’re treated to a lovely conversation with some very drunk girls (and one guy, who happened to look like Matt Smith) who had just gotten back from a country music concert. They told us all how nice our costumes were, and we explained about the convention and how I’d lost my wallet. We showed them some cool stuff we’d bought at the con, including an Ouran Highschool Host Club poster I got, which, after seeing, they proceeded to tell Cat she looked like Honey. Drunk girls who go out of their way to be friendly and cheer you up give me life, tbh.

But eventually we get to our stop. And by now the buses have stopped running, as we knew they would, so now we have to walk. Unfortunately, Cat underestimated the distance from the train station to her dad’s condo. It was about 4 miles. I once walked about 3 miles for a school event once, and, as someone who doesn’t walk regularly, it was rough. There was nothing for it, though; we had to walk.

My heels were already starting to blister just from all the walking we’d done at the con. Cas was in mostly the same boat. Our shoes were not good for this at all. On top of it all, we were hungry, thirsty, and our bladders were full. There were no sidewalks for most of the trip, so we had to keep to the side and stay vigilant for cars. And even with light pollution and nearby buildings, I realized that night just how unnervingly dark a street with no street lights can get. People talk about liminal spaces on this site a lot, and I can tell you that entire night felt liminal.

Eventually we decided we needed to stop the first chance we got, and that came in the form of a gas station. Let me set the scene. It was on a corner, as gas stations tend to be. By this time we had made it to a small business district. There were definitely other buildings around, I think we even passed a Jack In The Box or similar establishment shortly before, but as I recall this, the gas station, the lot it was on, the road, and the cemetery (I’m not making this up) on the side of the road we were on all felt alone in an abyss of night.

I feel I should reiterate at this point exactly what we all looked like to set up this next part. Cat is 6 feet tall and mostly just looks like herself, but she is wearing a long, black leather trenchcoat. Cas and I are both roughly one foot shorter. We’re both painted grey and have yellow-orange horns on our heads. And Cas has his face painted white over the grey in a clown-makeup patter. Oh, and he has deep purple claw marks painted on over that. We’ve been walking for a while and we’ve been through some shit tonight, so we look a little disheveled. Did I mention we’re approaching out of the dark from the direction of a cemetery?

We cross the road, relieved that all the lights are on and it looks like we’re going to get to use the bathroom and have a little snack to keep us going for the last leg of the journey. We cross the lot and go and into the store, only to find… No one is there.

“Hello?” We call out. “Is anyone here? Are you open?”

From the back hallway we hear some movement, and out come two young adults, a man and a woman, probably only a year or two older than us. If I remember right, one of them was holding a broom. Fear was plain on their faces.

“Y’all scared us!” They said.

Oh my god… they thought we were demons.

We quickly apologized and asked if they had a bathroom. They were too stunned at first to really register what we were asking for, and just kept prodding us with questions. “What’re y’all doin out here?” “Is your skin really grey????” “Why are you dressed like that?”

We did our best to answer quickly and politely, but Cas and I were nearly bursting at this point, so we reiterated that a bathroom was urgently needed. They showed us the one bathroom in the place. It was small, and cramped, and the “door” was basically a piece of plywood you had to pick up and slide out of the way, which technically had a functioning lock… in theory at least. We did our business quickly, me first and then Cas, and while one relieved themselves, the other two stayed out and talked to the workers, trying our best to calm them down and assure them that no, we aren’t actually demons, they’re just costumes, there’s a convention in town.

We finished up, got our snacks (I think I got a snickers bar and a cherry pepsi), and then went on our way. We got back to Cat’s place without much more fuss and promptly passed out. The next morning we still got up and cosplayed for the last day of the convention. Cas’s horns broke, and we spent the last of our time at the con hanging out with some other homestucks who tried (to no avail) to help us fix them.

Then Cas and I went back to his place, we packed our stuff, and then he went back up to Illinois with me for a little less than a week. We started dating that summer. It’s been almost two and a half years since that weekend and we just got married at the end of October.

And that’s one of the best stories of my friends that I have.

I am so sorry this couldn’t have been shorter. Thank you for the ask!

[biofunmy]

Before Sex, the Straitjacket? – The New York Times

MILAN — The Gucci show that closed Milan Fashion Week on Sunday afternoon came as something of a surprise, though not for the reasons anyone would have guessed.

It was not, for example, surprising because Alessandro Michele, the creative director famed for his embrace of sequins and sports memorabilia and old lady lunch suits and underground rockers — and pretty much all things, all at once — did an about-face to restraint. Though he did, relatively speaking.

It was not because of any celebrity who showed up, though there were a number: Iggy Pop, ASAP Rocky, Sienna Miller, Jared Leto, Jeremy O. Harris, Gucci Mane.

It was because guests entered a room bathed in red light, strafed by four moving walkways, and were guided to seats under a ceiling speckled by stars. On either end were arched doorways shut tight by rolling steel garage doors. Was it an oven, some wondered? A red light district?

Then the lights went up, the walkways started moving, and out came the models — barefoot, staring catatonically ahead, in white clothing that resembled nothing so much as straitjackets of many styles.

There were straitjackets that looked like giant coveralls, straitjacket smocks, straitjacket anoraks. Straitjackets that buttoned up, laced up and buckled up. There were 20 in all, including one worn by a nonbinary model named Ayesha Tan Jones who, instead of keeping hands down like all the other models, held them up to display the words “mental health is not fashion.”

Later the model, who uses the pronoun “they,” posted a photo of their protest on Instagram, along with a longer statement: “As an artist and model who has experienced my own struggles with mental health, along with family members and loved ones who have been affected by depression, anxiety, bipolar and schizophrenia, it is hurtful and insensitive for a major fashion house such as Gucci to use this imagery as a concept for a fleeting fashion moment.”

And it was, indeed, hard not to wonder: What was Mr. Michele thinking?

Especially because right after the last white-clothed figure rolled by, the lights flickered off and on, and an entirely different show began, one full of long black pleated gowns (black! from the man who has always rejected the dominance of the little black dress) left mostly transparent to display the body beneath; deep, scoop-neck leotard tops over skirts slit to the thigh; men’s colored lounge looks flashing patches that read “Gucci Orgasmique,” “Kitten,” and “Eterotopia” (more later on this word, which seems like “eroticopia” but is not); and lingerie-inspired slip dresses that mixed lace and chiffon and oily black vinyl.

There were shift-like hostess dresses with a four-petal flower cut out around the center of the breast bone and a bit of dominatrix business suiting. There was not much pattern, but there was a lot of color blocking. Accessories were mostly big sunglasses held on by a chunky chain and a few riding crops.

What was Mr. Michele thinking?

In the welcome note emailed to attendees, the designer had name-checked Michel Foucault (source of Erterotopia or, in English, Herterotopia, and refers to Foucault’s worlds within worlds) and his theory of “biophysics” and the way the power of the dominant social group that “imposes conducts and paths, that prescribes thresholds of normality.” In an interview before the show, Mr. Michele had talked about a desire to challenge himself; to confront, for the first time, the idea of “sexiness” he had grown up with in the 1990s; to play with “elegance;” to “work with less.” To stop simply breaking all the rules, but to try understanding them. He had giggled that “fashion is like an orgasm: very quick and very deep.” Ummmm. If he says so.

Then, standing before a board tacked with photos of the run of show, he had gestured at the white series that began the collection and talked about it as a sort of wiping the slate clean; a way to have a fresh start; to break free.

So what was Mr. Michele thinking?

A lot, as always; he has a magpie mind that leaps from reference to inference to imagination with nary time for a breath; that alights on one idea only to fly off to another; that has found expression in a glorious jumble of enthusiastic self-expression.

It has given Gucci a new identity, one that has been adopted with alacrity by a growing tribe of acolytes, and has helped make the brand the envy of the market. But it has also gotten it in trouble before: First in 2018, when Mr. Michele set his show in an operating room and then sent models in what looked like Sikh turbans down his runway, provoking charges of cultural appropriation, and then, earlier this year, with a sweater that resembled blackface.

The latter mistake provoked apologies and systemic company change, including establishing a diversity and inclusion council. Some of their advisers, including Dapper Dan, were on the front row of the show.

What was Mr. Michele thinking?

“I wanted to show how society today can have the ability to confine individuality and that Gucci can be the antidote,” he said later. “For me, the show was the journey from conformity to freedom and creativity. Uniforms, utilitarian clothes, such straitjackets, were included in the fashion show as the most extreme version of restriction imposed by society and those who control it. These clothes were a statement for the fashion show and part of a performance.” Given the show was partly about freedom, Gucci felt the model should be free to protest.

Hari Nef, an actress, who was also at the show, wrote on Instagram that she saw it as “more a provocative reminder of submission than a glamorization of insanity.”

And perhaps the mere fact the conversation exists is a good thing. It is part of fashion’s job to provoke; to challenge conventional wisdom and forms of identity; to give physical expression to emotional ideas.

The fact that Mr. Michele refused to rest on his come-one-come-all laurels and instead tried something newish, though it may disappoint some of his fans, gave his actual clothes, not the performance clothes, a more streamlined, less frenetic presence. They didn’t jabber all at once. They chose their moment — and that idea of choice (to protest, to reveal, to conceal) is powerful.

Mr. Michele thinks about that. Not enough designers seem to. It’s just that he doesn’t always seem to think it through.

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Soundtrack of the Week 24/08/2017

It is time for the Soundtrack of the Week, the SYRHHT blog segment where I discuss latest music releases and other projects that I listen to over the space of 7 days. So, here is the Soundtrack!

ALBUM (EP)

Dave East- Paranoia: A True Story Released: August 18, 2017 Label: Def Jam Recordings and Mass Appeal Records

As I have made very clear on this blog, Dave East has become one of my favourite rappers in the new age of hip hop (he has just overtaken Vince Staples as the artist who has been given the most mentions on a Soundtrack with 3 individual entries). Following the release of his acclaimed mixtape Kairi Chanel last year, Dave East gives us Paranoia: A True Story, an EP that acts as a prelude to his debut studio album for Def Jam. As prelude EPs go, I was worried that this would be a similar situation to Vic Mensa’s Manuscript which only had four songs to act as a prelude to his debut album The Autobiography (two projects I do want to hear but have yet to). Interestingly, even with three skits and one interlude, Paranoia is still quite stacked with nine songs to warm us up for the pending album.

Once you overlook the four aforementioned filler tracks, Dave East shows off once again what has gotten him this far; raw lyricism and vivid storytelling. Setting the scene with the opening track Paranoia, Dave illustrates the mindset he has become accustomed to; paranoia over the people around him as they might be trying to steal from him or see to it that he ends up in prison. In the life he leads on the streets or even as an up-and-coming artist, it is hard to see who to trust and it is easy to become paranoid. The feeling of paranoia is further explored on standout songs The Hated  (which illustrates the story of 2 drug dealers) and Phone Jumpin’ (which features Wiz Khalifa and samples Busta Rhymes- Gimme Some More which was amazing btw). In general, he sticks to what he does great, strong and lyrical showings about urban life in Harlem hoods. 

This EP also has the softer songs for the ladies that are marketed as the lead singles. The first of them is Perfect featuring Chris Brown, which was talked about earlier this month on a Soundtrack but another song that is looking to gain some traction in the mainstream is My Dirty Little Secret. This song illustrates yet another story about a girl that East is getting with. 

She really my type because she think love is boring I don’t know if it’s the jewelry or the cash That made her respond to me so fast She ain’t never asked me nothin’ ‘bout my past

Taken from My Dirty Little Secret Even within this love story, those feelings of paranoia are still prevalent.

Like this the shorty, you been talking bout and showing us I’m growing up, no more Keisha’s nigga I’m blowing up I don’t trust her enough to pass the weed I be rolling up

Taken from My Dirty Little Secret What is immediately interesting is that he makes direct reference to a previous song his, Keisha where he was just sleeping around but now he is looking to settle down and yet that last line brings everything back to the paranoia.

This song shows the story of East meeting a girl but what is interesting here is the constant cognitive dissonance that is present throughout the song. On one hand, he really likes her, wanting to spend all his time with her, wanting to make love to her and tell the world about her and yet on the other hand, he is viewing her as just a another girl he should not really care for, constantly thinking she just be using him for his riches.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Paranoia: A True Story. It is a strong showing of his storytelling abilities and gives us hope towards his debut album that will be coming next year. I openly recommend everyone to listen to this project.

RATINGS

Concept: 3/5 Production: 4/5 Lyrical Content: 4.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Paranoia, The Hated, Phone Jumpin, Dirty Little Secret and Found A Way

Final Rating: 3.9/5

Dave East- My Dirty Little Secret

Dave East- The Hated The third track of the album, Dave East tells the story of two friends, Anthony and Cory as they grew up and found themselves in the dangerous and frivolous lifestyle brought about from drug dealing. A story filled with expensive spending, imprisonment, gang beef, betrayal and so much more.

MIXTAPE

A$AP Ferg- Still Striving Released: August 18, 2017 Label: ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records

If I wrote on here that Ferg was the best artist to come out of the A$AP Mob, would you believe me? It is something that you can genuinely argue and question. While A$AP Rocky has had the most success of the New York rap group and is the reason a lot of people know of the Mob in the first place, A$AP Ferg has definitely risen right behind his friend. With the release of the well-received Trap Lord in 2013, Ferg has been on a rise in the rap industry. His follow-up album Always Strive and Prosper illustrated the changes he has explored stylistically, utilising a wider range of instrumentation and more polished production. In my mind, Ferg has a strong grasp of modern trends in hip-hop and is easily able to adapt himself to fit the trends without giving up his artistic integrity, staying true to the unique style that brought him fame in the first place.

This mixtape, Still Striving is a strong showing of Ferg utilising the current wave of hip-hop. On this mixtape, Ferg has MANY FEATURES. With Meek Mill, Cam'ron, Dave East, Lil Yachty, Nav, Famous Dex, Playboi Carti, Kid, Migos, A$AP Rocky, MadeinTYO, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg, Ferg uses the variety of sounds to his fullest advantage. 

Now here’s where the issue with this mixtape lies; your enjoyment of this mixtape weighs heavily upon your feelings of some of the younger rappers he has featured. Ferg holds down every song he is on, giving us his strong lyricism over his exuberant, trap-influenced flow but you might switch off immediately once you hear someone else start spitting overly simplistic lyrics, with reliance on auto-tune or ad-libs. While I can say that East Coast Remix is the best song in terms of featured artists (read the Soundtrack from last week for my in-depth “analysis” of the song), Trap and a Dream featuring Meek Mill and Olympian featuring Dave East are strong standout tracks; these two rappers are very similar to Ferg stylistically so their respective chemistries are very clear. Funny enough though, while only three of the fourteen tracks have no features at all, they are also some of Ferg’s stronger verses on the project.

While Still Striving brings up some decent songs to listen to for the moment, it is probably worth waiting for A$AP Ferg’s next studio album to hear him rap to the fullest. 

RATINGS

Concept: 2/5 Production: 3.5/5 Lyrical Content: 3.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 3/5 Did I enjoy this project? I did but it was hard at times Songs to Recommend? Trap and A Dream, East Coast Remix, Nandos, Rubberband Man and Olympian

Final Rating: 3.1/5

A$AP Ferg- Nandos One of the songs on the mixtape without any features. It is named after a chain restaurant here in the UK that specialises in chicken (random, I know). The song is an upbeat recollection of Ferg thinking about a time he and his friends were struggling to eat now that those days are far behind him. It is a standout track in my mind and is a good showing of Ferg’s use of the trap style.

SONG

Princess Nokia- G.O.A.T Released: June 28, 2017 Label: Rough Trade Records

The great thing about the internet is that millions of people are sharing around music every day and you can find something you have never heard of and immediately love it. This song is an example of that for me.The New York M.C. known as Princess Nokia has been making music since 2010, previously under the name of Wavy Spice (the lost member of the Spice Girls?). Gaining fans through her Soundcloud and YouTube early on in the decade and being apart of the group Ratking, she recently made waves with her EP 1992 and loose singles such as Brujas and G.O.A.T

From the very little I’ve read up on her so far, I see her as a representation of a millennial raised in the internet era; openly embracing intersectionality as she is a kaleidoscope of personalities and identities within a single being. Makes this song, G.O.A.T  stand out is the lyrics. 

Hate to burst your bubble, bitch I’m that weird girl that’s runnin’ shit I’m a boss bitch runnin’ big shit Got a company, need a couple mil’ Ain’t no rap talk, this my real life And that’s on God, I almost died twice

Opening lines of G.O.A.T

Off the bat, she challenges rap norms by calling herself a weird girl that is still a bad bitch who has been in two different near-death experiences (getting shot at close range when she was 17 and having a lighter explode in her face); we often have two different images of a “bad bitch” and a “weird girl” especially in this hip-hop culture, thinking they are two different entities and cannot be the same but of course, Nokia contradicts that belief. Throughout the song, she will go on to contradict the view of what a female rapper should be. In this song, Princess Nokia tells us that she is a bi-racial, mosh-pitting, intersectional feminist skater chick without curves who likes to watch anime, play with toys, go on MySpace, the film Clueless and OG Southern female rappers like Gangsta Boo, La Chat and Princess Loco….who just so happens to be a rapper. If you compare her to rappers in the mainstream right now (not just female rappers at this point), you probably won’t find a lot of rappers remotely similar.

I change rap forever, man It’s me who had the biggest plan Ain’t no average bitch, I’ve been the man I’ve been the G.O.A.T, eatin’ off the land

Princess Nokia is one of the more unique and intriguing people who happen to be a rapper I have seen in a while and honestly, I am hooked. Her EP 1992 is going to be reissued as an album with G.O.A.T and five other songs added to the tracklist; needless to say, I will be listening. 

Honestly, G.O.A.T will go down as one of my favourite songs of 2017 and it is looking like I am going to become a Princess Nokia fan.

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Flowerboy by Tyler, the Creator -my review

I said to myself, “Wait, these chords are so fucking astounding.” As I listened throughout the album. Damn, Tyler is really going to fucking do it to them again was the first thing I thought when I heard Foreward. Foreward  introduces the topics of the album from materialism, not wanting to have that materialism, how he’s different and successful, lacks friends and a partner and the topic most talked about throughout this album is his sexuality. 

Starting with Garden Shed just to get the “oh my god, he’s gay” out of the way. That seems to be what everyone is focusing on, but they don’t just listen to the way the music expresses the static feeling of having to hide emotions because that’s what Tyler lays down with the lyrics and music. It starts with the slow chords from Austin (kind of like when you find someone cute) , then the drums (want their attention), the synths (wanting to risk it all and go for a kiss), a second guitar (the what ifs) and then Estelle. All this comes so beautifully together, focusing on how to find the words to tell that person who can “smell” what you got to say. Followed by some really distorted strums from the guitar symbolizing the tough feeling of how to tell that person how you feel. Then Tyler comes with the lyrics speaking about the feelings he was hiding, and coming out the garden shed and all this put together just makes my eye shed a tear. Making more of a reference to his alleged “homosexuality” he mentions “kissing white boys since 2004″ in Who Dat Boy.

Who Dat Boy was the first single to pretty much announce that Tyler has been working on music and that we shouldn’t fret. When I listened to this and watched the visuals I felt like he was going to start rapping in a way he “disliked”. I was shaking my head, but I was really left feeling something like “Find Your Wings” from Cherry Bomb but it was cool to see him still tapping into his Wolf alter ego with the deep bass and crazy snares reminding me of his past self with a new friend ASAP Rocky. As much of a decent song it is, it’s one of my least favorite of the album just because I don’t feel as if it fits the entire feeling of the album but it does touch on him being successful and different. But the fact that he says “that cherry be the bomb” makes me think this song was cut off of Cherry Bomb but it’s cool that it was because he got ASAP Rocky on this song who provided that “jiggy” verse. Something that did get me feeling jiggy at the end of the Who Dat Boy visual was 911/ Mr. Lonely.

911/ Mr. Lonely is what I wanted. “This is what I want!!!!”- I yelled to my mom as she heard the music blasting all the way to the living room and me yelling at the top of my lungs when I got a hold of the single. Steve Lacy, Frank Ocean and Anna of the North make this song 200%. I yell this song at the top of my lungs whenever it comes on when listening to this album because it was so catchy, but it brings me down to reality after listening to the angelic  first 9 songs of the album. Making me feel alone, ringing all the bells that reminded me of why I did things as he defined them as loneliness and that essentially marked the turning point of the album as the interlude Droppin Seeds featuring Lil Wayne is a good bridge to November.

November slaps us in the face with the fact that we all face insecurities. The overthinking, the anxiety, the pressure and stress of having to complete what we got to do is what Tyler highlighted in this song and compiled it in such a beautiful manner. Making me feel even more human and making me think of my own November, and once he made me think about it he hit me with that beat switch. Making me want to go back, but I couldn’t. We got to keep moving and we realize that after singing along “I ain’t doin fine, I lost my motherfucking mind, time travel back and help me find” to a gentleman saying “My November is now” as a kind of response to that lost feeling to help us catch ourselves and come back and enjoy today. Ending it with a phone call to explain to someone that they make Tyler feel like “Glitter”.

Glitter is what we all feel when we are infatuated with a wonderful being. Until we have to hope if that’s how they feel, then being hit with a beat change to only realize that it’s not how they feel and you are hit with the image of being fat boys and how y’all ain’t going to work out. Then I remember that maybe that’s why he hopes to See You Again in a last attempt to get you to feel what he has to lay down. 

See You Again is perhaps the number one song in my opinion. We get to hear Tyler sing again, and it’s not as rough as it used to be and this song is just magical, makes me feel love through music, the chords and the entire composition with Kali Uchis just gives me the chills every fucking time. Cupid hits us and that person we love comes to our mind because they are not with us but they’re just a vision, and we’re chasing and waiting in angst as we are waiting for them to come around. But we know they have rose tinted cheeks and dirt colored eyes and they’re so sweet they have bumblebees following them around. But they’re just a vision, so he hope’s he’ll see them again as we probably hope the same.

The last five songs that I didn’t mention are titled “Where the Flower Blooms”, “Pothole”, “Boredom”, “I Ain’t Got Time”, and “Enjoy Right Now, Today” and they all kind of tie in together in one section pretty much summing up the whole theme of the album. Growing up being different can be a blessing, as it was cause he rocks, rolls, as he preaches in Pothole about how it wasn’t easy to be as successful. And he blooms and grows spoken about in I Ain’t Got Time and Enjoy Right Now, Today as he doesn’t have time for these Ni**as and Bitches because he’s too successful to worry about them and how he’s grown to not worry about what others say as he used to, which is why he kind of blew up when he dissed Hopsin.. And well Boredom touches on how time flies when we’re having fun so that’s why we should find the time to do something which is essentially why we should “Enjoy Right Now, Today”. The last song of the album is an instrumental with vocals from Pharrell and it’s just such a good instrumental, just as Treehome95 from Wolf was, it kind of makes you want to get up and do something, and it inspired me to get up and type out this review of the whole album. 

Personally, this album to me was a 9.5/10 and it’s just so good. I hope Tyler goes #1 and I wish him nothing but success because he’s gotten many of us through depression, heartbreak, confusion of our love life, anger, etc. For those of you that hated Tyler for his lyrics back from 2010 to now, please don’t act like you’re his number one fan. To those that say he’s lost it since 2010 shut the fuck up and grow up. To those that are looking for a new album to listen to that will keep your ear interested, look no further. To those that have listened to him since Bastard and have stuck through with his progression, I love you, hit me up let’s geek together.

Thank y’all for reading, if y’all read all the way thought please follow me on twitter: @suslikejesus or on ig: @daueschrist and even here on tumblr, Leave comments, constructive or appreciative and I will definitely be motivated to review music more often and even post more often.

Thank you once again and don’t forget that music is subjective and don’t forget to check his music out. 

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[biofunmy]

Before Sex, the Straitjacket? – The New York Times

MILAN — The Gucci show that closed Milan Fashion Week on Sunday afternoon came as something of a surprise, though not for the reasons anyone would have guessed.

It was not, for example, surprising because Alessandro Michele, the creative director famed for his embrace of sequins and sports memorabilia and old lady lunch suits and underground rockers — and pretty much all things, all at once — did an about-face to restraint. Though he did, relatively speaking.

It was not because of any celebrity who showed up, though there were a number: Iggy Pop, ASAP Rocky, Sienna Miller, Jared Leto, Jeremy O. Harris, Gucci Mane.

It was because guests entered a room bathed in red light, strafed by four moving walkways, and were guided to seats under a ceiling speckled by stars. On either end were arched doorways shut tight by rolling steel garage doors. Was it an oven, some wondered? A red light district?

Then the lights went up, the walkways started moving, and out came the models — barefoot, staring catatonically ahead, in white clothing that resembled nothing so much as straitjackets of many styles.

There were straitjackets that looked like giant coveralls, straitjacket smocks, straitjacket anoraks. Straitjackets that buttoned up, laced up and buckled up. There were 20 in all, including one worn by a nonbinary model named Ayesha Tan Jones who, instead of keeping hands down like all the other models, held them up to display the words “mental health is not fashion.”

Later the model, who uses the pronoun “they,” posted a photo of their protest on Instagram, along with a longer statement: “As an artist and model who has experienced my own struggles with mental health, along with family members and loved ones who have been affected by depression, anxiety, bipolar and schizophrenia, it is hurtful and insensitive for a major fashion house such as Gucci to use this imagery as a concept for a fleeting fashion moment.”

And it was, indeed, hard not to wonder: What was Mr. Michele thinking?

Especially because right after the last white-clothed figure rolled by, the lights flickered off and on, and an entirely different show began, one full of long black pleated gowns (black! from the man who has always rejected the dominance of the little black dress) left mostly transparent to display the body beneath; deep, scoop-neck leotard tops over skirts slit to the thigh; men’s colored lounge looks flashing patches that read “Gucci Orgasmique,” “Kitten,” and “Eterotopia” (more later on this word, which seems like “eroticopia” but is not); and lingerie-inspired slip dresses that mixed lace and chiffon and oily black vinyl.

There were shift-like hostess dresses with a four-petal flower cut out around the center of the breast bone and a bit of dominatrix business suiting. There was not much pattern, but there was a lot of color blocking. Accessories were mostly big sunglasses held on by a chunky chain and a few riding crops.

What was Mr. Michele thinking?

In the welcome note emailed to attendees, the designer had name-checked Michel Foucault (source of Erterotopia or, in English, Herterotopia, and refers to Foucault’s worlds within worlds) and his theory of “biophysics” and the way the power of the dominant social group that “imposes conducts and paths, that prescribes thresholds of normality.” In an interview before the show, Mr. Michele had talked about a desire to challenge himself; to confront, for the first time, the idea of “sexiness” he had grown up with in the 1990s; to play with “elegance;” to “work with less.” To stop simply breaking all the rules, but to try understanding them. He had giggled that “fashion is like an orgasm: very quick and very deep.” Ummmm. If he says so.

Then, standing before a board tacked with photos of the run of show, he had gestured at the white series that began the collection and talked about it as a sort of wiping the slate clean; a way to have a fresh start; to break free.

So what was Mr. Michele thinking?

A lot, as always; he has a magpie mind that leaps from reference to inference to imagination with nary time for a breath; that alights on one idea only to fly off to another; that has found expression in a glorious jumble of enthusiastic self-expression.

It has given Gucci a new identity, one that has been adopted with alacrity by a growing tribe of acolytes, and has helped make the brand the envy of the market. But it has also gotten it in trouble before: First in 2018, when Mr. Michele set his show in an operating room and then sent models in what looked like Sikh turbans down his runway, provoking charges of cultural appropriation, and then, earlier this year, with a sweater that resembled blackface.

The latter mistake provoked apologies and systemic company change, including establishing a diversity and inclusion council. Some of their advisers, including Dapper Dan, were on the front row of the show.

What was Mr. Michele thinking?

“I wanted to show how society today can have the ability to confine individuality and that Gucci can be the antidote,” he said later. “For me, the show was the journey from conformity to freedom and creativity. Uniforms, utilitarian clothes, such straitjackets, were included in the fashion show as the most extreme version of restriction imposed by society and those who control it. These clothes were a statement for the fashion show and part of a performance.” Given the show was partly about freedom, Gucci felt the model should be free to protest.

Hari Nef, an actress, who was also at the show, wrote on Instagram that she saw it as “more a provocative reminder of submission than a glamorization of insanity.”

And perhaps the mere fact the conversation exists is a good thing. It is part of fashion’s job to provoke; to challenge conventional wisdom and forms of identity; to give physical expression to emotional ideas.

The fact that Mr. Michele refused to rest on his come-one-come-all laurels and instead tried something newish, though it may disappoint some of his fans, gave his actual clothes, not the performance clothes, a more streamlined, less frenetic presence. They didn’t jabber all at once. They chose their moment — and that idea of choice (to protest, to reveal, to conceal) is powerful.

Mr. Michele thinks about that. Not enough designers seem to. It’s just that he doesn’t always seem to think it through.

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