#i was listening to the song being referenced a lot earlier

[rainyarcades]

Hug all your (boy)friends

[genderkoolaid]

I'd like more music recs, please. I'm checking out the few you listed and 👌🏾

Mandatory mention of the classic "Daughterson" by Joe Stevens

"Am I Here" by Jay Page was one of the core songs of a really weird summer experience (ironically in which I dissociated a lot lol) I had so I remember it fondly. He also made Invincible which is written in honor of his younger self.

"Aventura" by Mavi Phoenix FUCKS. His music videos are also really well made. I also like "World's End" from his most recent album.

saint hills has made quite a bit of rap! "Home", "Lavender", "Michelangelo," and "Quit My Job" are some hits for me

"Chartreuse" by Boy Jr. is funky as hell, and you may have seen some of their joke songs on TikTok or Instagram

John-Allison Weiss!! he made I Was an Island which I was obsessed with when I was younger & then I found out he's a trans guy!! His song "Different Now" is fucking amazing. Strong transgender energy without any lyrics explicitly referencing it.

TOBRE is really good for anyone interested sexually explicit trannyfag hyperpop.

"Hindsight Cinema" by Zann Foth is very chill & he has a unique voice that makes it just very nice to listen to. Kind of elevator music energy? Also "I Hate Reaching Out" and "Surprise"

"Sweet Cis Teen" by Dazey and the Scouts. Just a banger. To be trans is to be your own pallbearer!

"Brothers" by Skylar Kergil always makes me feel warm, its very "tboys supporting tboys" <3

"Good Man" and "Brother" by Grayson are two I found very recently! His music is very crisp.

Artists I mentioned in that other post but I'm gonna mention here too:

Anjimile is just such a wonderful artist!!! The King is a beautiful album with great visuals & "Animal" is an extremely powerful song. "Sonja Smokes Me Out" & "Baby No More" are also great. I need everyone to give this man his flowers yesterday

"Shook (Transformed)" by Cuee is a really catchy & really sweet love song, and "Proud Boi" is an explicit trans(masc) pride song!

Everything Beverly Glenn-Copeland makes is wonderful. Its great seeing an older trans man, one who transitioned after building a name for himself, and also hearing his voice in his newest album in comparison to his earlier ones. His songs just make you feel like your soul is being wrapped in a blanket. "The Colour of Anyhow", "La Vita", "People of the Loon"

Dreamer Isioma has their fucking aesthetic (dreamy afrofuturism) DOWN. His music videos (esp. for the Princess Forever album) are all super well done and feel very unique to them.

Malaika Mfalme's album "Yasmin" is dedicated to their late partner and you can feel that love and grief throughout the songs. I recommend checking out this article where they go through the meanings behind each song. "Good Man" is specifically about learning to love masculinity as a positive force.

[kukekakuningaskris]

SSOL, Bojan, and wishful thinking

aka thoughts on Sunny Side of London and a different view than what the band paints it as - a long ramble that resembles an analysis.

So SSOL has been described by the band as a song that captures and describes their concerts, and that the Sunny Side of London is not a real, physical space and rather something that represents their fandom as well as their concerts. Thus it is seen as a fun upbeat song, meant to raise your mood and feel included in something - to feel as if you are part of something fun. I, however, have a different interpretation of the lyrics.

Since London is known for its bad weather and rain, the title Sunny Side of London feels like it is referencing something that doesn't exist. Something you dream of and wish for, but don't actually have. In this regard, the lyrics are wishful. The lyrics wish for a place in which everyone can be as free as a dove, in which your money, sexuality, gender, skin colour or religion don't matter. Wishing for equality and for a place in which all that matters is your happiness and love for others. Looking at this from the perspective of a wishful dream, the lyrics turn sombre, as if painfully aware that this is not real and the place they yearn for does not exist. The lyrics wish for a sunny London and a beautiful day. But only wish, because it is not real, and is impossible to achieve. Or, like a sunny day in London, could be achieved for just small moments before it's all gone again, and what's left is a depressing and unaccepting place,in which you are not free. A representation of reality.

Additionally, the lyrics are often read and understood as being about the audience the band has - the fans that come to their shows. However, I think that the lyrics are about Bojan himself, much like Barve Oceana is written about himself. In 2021, Bojan said that during their concerts he is free as a bird because he is surrounded by friends who know him well, so he doesn't have to be ashamed of anything. This correlates to the lyrics of SSOL that are about hugging your best friend, being as free as a dove, and nothing except happiness and love mattering. In the same interview he said that when he is on stage he never feels like he doesn't belong or that he doesn't know what he is doing there. That is to say, the stage was a safe place for him - his own sunny side of London.

When looking at the recently shared image of the early version of SSOL lyrics, it seems like Bojan himself is even more present in the song than in the final lyrics. Overall, these lyrics are more personal to the band. The earlier version uses a lot of 'we' and 'us', while the published lyrics only use 'you'. This shows that while the finished song is aimed toward the listener, the first versions also included the band itself in the people who were at the sunny side of London. With lines like "It's a place for people like me and you / So if you feel like joining us too" it is clear that this is Bojan himself speaking, and he is also looking for the sunny side of London.

This takes a more depressing turn when considering when the lyrics were written. The song was written in August of 2023, less than a month after the concert during which Bojan suffered a panic attack. He has later said that since the incident the stage hasn't felt as comfortable to him, and that he has lost his safe space. Paired with the idea of the sunny side of London being something unreachable and wishful thinking, it seems as if the lyrics are mourning the loss of the safe space Bojan had. The lyrics are hopeful, aggressively so, as if trying to find a place of freedom while knowing that it is just a dream, and that the reality is much harsher. It seems like Bojan was trying to dream up a place in which he would feel safe and accepted, since in reality he had lost that.

In conclusion, reading the lyrics of the song as if the sunny side of London was something that didn't exist, the lyrics seem depressing, as if knowing such a good and accepting place could never exist. It also reveals Bojan's struggle with trying to feel comfortable on a stage again, since the lyrics seem to be for (if not about) himself.

[worldismyne]

Iceberg Bing for layer 3 and 4.

My memory is really bad, so some of these might have already appeared in earlier layers.

AMVs - Either specific songs that were popular to use in the fandom, or any fanmade content from during the manga's run that was popular

Soul and Maka Split up - Apparently this interpretation of Maka and Soul's final discussion in the manga is a hot take. There was a lot going on in the final chapter, but here are the phrases from the manga that gave me that impression.

Will cross this box off for any analysis from that final chapter tho.

Thompson Twins - Can't remember if this specific reference was pointed out, but stands in for any pop culture references brought to light.

The Dress - This is a newer development, but at some point this dress got listed on Devil Inspired and advertised heavily on instagram.

A bunch of Chrona cosplayers independently saw it and adopted it. (There were at least 3 or 4 at the first con I went to after it was listed). It's so prolific I've seen it in fanart of Chrona now.

Mary Shelly Theory - Saw someone in the tag a while back theorize Marie might be an allusion to Mary Shelly. It would add a layer to the electricity power outside of the Mjolnir reference.

New Art - Any mention of the 20th anniversary drops. (It didn't fit well in the square)

Purple/Pink Gate - Another one I can't remember if it's already been covered. Despite most fan artists color picking a dusty rose for Crona's hair, lavender wigs are still more common for cosplayers. I am a pink wig truther.

Shinobi - Okay, this is a PS2 game that predates the manga by two years. The main mechanic is a katana that sucks the lifeforce/soul of the user unless it's constantly fed other souls. I am fairly sure this is the inspiration of the uncanny sword. Even the cover art gives post time skip vibes.

If not, both pieces of media have to be referencing the same thing.

Zagreus + Dionysus : Death the Kid's role in SE has similarities with the god of the rebirth. Particularly the part of the legends where he's dismembered and eaten. There is some confusion in greek mythology if these are just different names for the same god or just two gods whose roles overlap, thus why I put both names.

Ragnarok - Particularly how he stops being a character after Salvage. Will also check off for mention of the war of the gods.

Merch - There's a lot of merch out there. Apparently they made a speaker inspired by bonus art. I'm sure there's a bunch of official stuff I haven't seen before.

Official Cosplay - There's a few talking points here that come to mind. Like how Soul is the only weapon with an official cosplay prop. Any Spirit, Ragnarok or Tsubaki props you see were made by the cosplayer. Death the Kid rings get sold one at a time, even if they're advertised as a set.

Translations goofs - There's little things like Afreet and Kishen being used interchangeably in the sub. The Witch hunter evolutions have a few different names. I'm sure there's other translation stuff that I don't know about that might pop up.

Demi-god Black Star - Another umbrella square. Black Star's arc towards the end seems to be referencing something specific. Idk what it is, but Marie goes out of her way to put him and Death the Kid on the same level and snubs Maka at the end of the manga.

The Dread Queen - Comparing Chrona to Persephone is really common in the Kirona crowd. After listening to some deeper dives on the topic there's actually precedence for them to be an allusion ancient underworld goddess that predates Persephone and Hades, but not the abduction myth. They're never referred by name only by titles. Crona's name being literally Dark One in Japanese fits with this theme, as well as usually being referred to as the Demon Sword rather than by their given name. This could be more coincidence than anything else though.

Unlocalized content - The iceberg has already covered the games, but there might be audio dramas or other in-character content that didn't make it's way over when SE was popular in the US.

[yuseirra]

Um so!!// Earlier I jotted my feelings about Fatal, how I feel about that song and interpret hikaai based on how that song is.

I used machine-translate.. can't write the full thing twice-

I really like listening to it. I think it's a very clever song! I wonder if you'll agree with how I interpret and feel about the emotions in that song. There's a lot I think and read from it, it's probably very subjective. But I've been referencing it a lot as I draw fanarts of Hikaru and his thoughts about Ai.

***

Ah… this wretched manga…

Haha. But Fatal was so much my thing.

There are countless impressions you could get from that song. Even my own feelings subtly shift every time I listen to it.

One thought I always have is that this isn’t some one-sided “worship.” The narrator isn’t worshiping the other person—surprisingly enough. They do think the other person is beautiful, vibrant, and crave them deeply, but this isn’t someone blinded or oblivious to the other’s essence.

There may be people who’d disagree with me, for that's what it could appear as in first glance, but I’m certain of this.

Emotions of this depth… I think they can only emerge when there was a truly close and meaningful bond between the speaker and the other party.

That’s why I’ve explored it so thoroughly—there must be something there.

There’s some resentment toward the other person, sure. But… it’s a kind of resentment that feels more like, “If seeing me disgusts you, then please tread lightly over me as you leave.”<this is from a famous poem. In other words, the narrator is the one being stepped on.

They love the other person so much that it’s tearing them apart. The resentment comes from that place: “You’ve hurt me so deeply. You’ve left me flawed because of you. But still… I want to see you.” It’s not an aggressive kind of resentment.

The one singing this song… they’re not someone who dares to do anything against the person they love. At least, that’s how I feel. Even though the other person hurt them, they wouldn’t dare hurt them back. They’re dying inside, maybe even going a little mad, but… they’re so desperate to see that person, so incapable of enduring life without them, that their mindset is, “I’ll give everything I have, sacrifice anything—whatever it takes. I can’t live without you.” It’s spiraled into that kind of desperation.

That’s why I thought: “Oh, this person can’t be the one who hurt Ai, can they?” That’s the impression I got immediately. But the one singing this is Kamiki… it had to be him. No way this is Aqua. So I was like, “Wait, isn’t this that character? What’s going on? What is this guy?”

They’re yearning so deeply, grieving so profoundly… these emotions are so strong.

Truly…

Haha… I’m listening to the song while writing this.

I think this person was originally a good person. I can see it, plain as day.

But they’re no ordinary person. They have some kind of ability—seriously. I think they lost something significant, maybe everything, after Ai’s death.

To feel emotions this intense… how much must they have loved her?

To feel this way, they must have had a really close relationship with Ai. For feelings like this, it had to be mutual. One-sided love doesn’t mean it’s lesser, but… there’s something distinctly different about it. I can’t quite explain it, but it's something I can sense. And it did turn out that Ai loved them dearly so my hunches must be on the right track.

I don’t usually miss details like this. Most of the time, I can see through things clearly, but this character is so incomplete, even at the end. Their fragments are scattered, mixed with fakes, lies, and uncertainties. It’s like a batch of cookies with poison hidden in some of them. You can't trust every info they put out there.

So I’ve been waiting… waiting for answers.

I think Ai and her boyfriend really did have a good relationship. It’s because they were so close that everything fell apart so spectacularly, and the fallout was devastating. Kamiki gave so much of his heart. He must’ve been so happy at one point, which made Ai’s cold words hit him even harder. It made him question everything—“Was it all a lie? Did you hate me this much?”—to the point that he couldn’t trust anything anymore.

But… he loved her too much, and after Ai’s death, he couldn’t let go. That’s probably why he went off the rails, deciding he had to bring her back to life. That’s how I see it.

I know I portray those two in a really… haha, a very beautiful light.

But I don’t think I’m romanticizing them. Well… maybe my portrayals tend to soften characters a little when I do fan art.

But actually, if you look at Chapter 162 and those flashbacks, this guy was genuinely smiling so brightly. He really seemed to love Ai. I’d already been consistently depicting them as happy together even before that chapter came out. That must’ve been the truth because those flashbacks are like life flashing before his eyes. And Ai was smiling warmly too. The truth for these two is that they loved each other deeply and wanted to live together forever.

Honestly, I don’t think Kamiki is the kind of person who could ever harm Ai. Just seeing him made me think, “He couldn’t have hurt her, could he?” And even now, it’s uncertain. If it were definite, the story would’ve confirmed it before ending. That would’ve been the simplest way to justify Aqua’s actions. But it remains ambiguous—I say it's because it’s not true.

Aqua’s reasoning for targeting Kamiki, in the end, wasn’t about avenging Ai; it was tied to Ruby.

Anyway… yes. I’m confident in how I depict and interpret them. :)

Looking back, those two were still one wreck of a couple though. If I’d heard of this manga after it was completed, I might not have read it at all.

But… it feels like fate. Honestly, Chapter 154 and Fatal were so much my style—along with Mephisto. Those two songs are connected. Their narrators speak the same words. They’re both empty people, longing to see someone who’s dead. But Aqua doesn’t feel this way about Ai—it’d be creepy if he did. Ai was his mother in this life. The emotions in that song feel romantic, directed toward a lover.

It’s probably because something resonated so deeply with me that I keep bringing up and drawing these two. That song really is my thing for sure. I don’t think the song’s emotions are just about obsession. It’s deeply sorrowful, though that sorrow is somewhat cloaked in madness. At its core, I think it’s about grief and yearning. Losing someone hurts so much, doesn’t it? And the narrator of that song truly loved that person, and wanted to meet them again no matter what. Such a thing is impossible. Still, they wanted to try. That’s the impression I get.

So, what Kamiki did in the story… I guess that’s what's it. Not that it was right—he was insane. But… it was understandable to some sense. Really. His life was so miserable; the more you think about it, the more horrible it is. Maybe he tried living badly because being good got him nowhere. He’ll probably end up in hell...; Given his position as Aqua’s antagonist, he’s probably being despised by the fans as well. But I don’t think he was originally like this. I believe he was noble once. I agreed with that even before the story explicitly brought the idea up. He’s not just some madman. Someone kind like that became this twisted, and we still don’t know the full story.

Honestly, maybe the author didn’t know what to do with him either.

He only needed Ai. The question is whether Ai wanted him and whether she’d take him back. She isn't obliged to save him. But it was mutual—so she’d take him back, right? If he’s alive, I see it being one out of the two: he’d either become entirely purified, losing all his malice, or he’d keep searching for Ai. But if we take Aqua into account… if Kamiki lives while Aqua dies, what about Aqua? So I guess he can't come back either huh.

Come to think of it, didn’t Ame-no-Uzume persuade her husband in the myths? Maybe Kamiki saw the video and was persuaded. Aqua could’ve just let him go, right? He said he’d turn himself in! Even if that was a lie, how would it lead to Ruby getting hurt? How could Kamiki predict that? He’s a broken god, for crying out loud! After Ruby’s performance, he may have turned himself in? I don’t know! We don't know what he's been thinking, right? It’s all so strange.

This is how I see it. He was a god that was supposed to guide others, so he was always asking as a child, “Is this right? Is this the answer?” like how he was in chapter 140. But with no proper adults around him, he was exploited. He broke, causing others around him to warp as well. After Ai died, he completely lost it. Now he’s an irreparable disaster. That’s more believable to me than him having gone and hurting Ai.

Even when he was with Ai, he had the black star, which never healed. That warped his future—Ai’s pregnancy, their breakup, meeting Ryosuke and Nino, everything spiraling into chaos, and then Ai’s death. Why? Why would he hurt Ai? Why kill Goro? I don’t think Kamiki saw any of it coming—not back then. The lyrics match up perfectly too! This guy is a god that's been terribly flawed!

Yes. Thinking about this manga makes me ramble. The manga doesn’t explain enough!

But seeing how theories like this emerge, it feels like there were some crumbs put out there.

Still, they need to tie up the loose ends!! Are they kidding me?

Anyway, I love Fatal! I’ve been listening to it nonstop since July. It’s hugely influenced my creative work for this manga. Good music has such power. Its ability to convey emotions directly… that’s what music is. I truly believe emotions are powerful. I don’t agree with the idea that logic is superior. Without emotions, people can’t make sound decisions. It’s crucial to manage and use your emotions wisely!

I wonder how many fan art I’ll be able to draw for this piece in the future… but if I can keep drawing, I’d like to do so.

[ghostlyblaze807]

Connecting pop songs to horror podcasts (pt. 1)

Thought I would do this because I listen to quite a bit of pop music mixed in with my Will Wood, MCR, and Hozier, so I can bring you guys some new horror podcast character coded songs. Enjoy!

First one I have is ‘this is me trying’ by Taylor Swift. Hear me out with this, don’t leave immediately just because you see her name.

A lot of these lyrics can be connected to Arthur back in the alcoholism era, with some flash forward to visiting Daniel in Season 4. (Lyric analysis below, I will be talking about it as if it was purposefully written to fit this podcast)

(First verse and chorus) This first verse jumps back and forth between the years after Faroe’s death and visiting Daniel. The first two lines could be about Arthur practically throwing his life and potential career away after Faroe drowned. Looking at the fifth and sixth lines, we all know Arthur was suicidal at some points during the podcast, and was probably much worse in earlier years. Lines 3, 4, 7, and 8 can all be related to visiting Daniel in season 4. The chorus (starts with ‘I just wanted you to know…) speaks for itself.

(Second verse, chorus) The first two lines and the last two lines of this chorus stand out the most to me for this. We all know about the alcoholism era and how he eventually opened up to Parker, a stranger to him at the time.

(Bridge and chorus) The bridge is likely supposed to be referencing missing a romantic partner, but for this purpose I interpret it as Arthur not being able to think about anything but missing Faroe and his guilt over her death.

There you go, sorry for the rant. If you agree with me on this I highly recommending giving this a listen. Buh bye for now :)

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 18/12/2023

Ripping Video Game Music​.​.​.​.​.​.​At Night (2020 Edition)

Season 4 Episode 2 Featured on: Neon Lights & Holiday Nights ~ The SiIvaGunner All​-​Star Winter Festival Collection

Ripped by cookiefonster (@cookiefonster)

Can you believe it guys? Christmas! Just a week away! Christmas is in a week! Oh wow!

I was really close to making this post a simple double-feature to yesterday's on Ripping Video Game Music​.​.​.​.​.​.​At Night, because, well...they're very similar to one another! I've previously only done three double features on here, one of which was on another Pokémon Gen 4 rip with The 2:28 Collab and The 2:28 Collab -The Sequel- - excellent rips absolutely, yet also specifically a situation where the latter was building quite directly off of the former. As the title here says, Ripping Video Game Music​.​.​.​.​.​.​At Night (2020 Edition) isn't as much a sequel as it is a new take on the same idea - and I find that really fascinating.

Because yeah, let's cut that part out of the equation immediately - the joke in this rip is the same as the one its directly based on, a jazzy medley of various SiIvaGunner memes within the confines and instrumentation of the original Route 216 (Night) theme. Yet its those chosen memes, and the differing context the two rips were released in, that really gets my brain spinning in listening to them. From December 16th 2016 to December 16th 2020, four entire years had passed: so much had happened to the channel in that time, yet simultaneously so much still remained. In 2016, the original rip was like a joyous celebration of SiIva's original Season 1 run, a cheerful look back before moving to new horizons with the Christmas Comeback Crisis. With Ripping Video Game Music​.​.​.​.​.​.​At Night (2020 Edition), it was released as part of the All-Star Winter Festival, an event all about celebration and joy, in a SEASON all about celebration and joy. With just that one small change, paired with the memes chosen specifically being ones that debuted or thrived during SiIva's run in 2020, the rip is given an interestingly different energy from what its originally based on. I have an emotional connection to both, yet the two feel...different, in my mind.

By the time Season 4 Episode 2 was coming to an end, the worry and confusion of 2016's end was a long-distant memory. Because of that, I feel like Ripping Video Game Music​.​.​.​.​.​.​At Night (2020 Edition) more feels like a nice little trip down memory lane, rather than reminiscing on an era long gone. For instance, The Phineas and Ferb theme song, Crank That Super Mario, Natsuiro Egao de 1, 2, Jump!, are all specifically referencing the SiIvaSummer festival from earlier in the year - another event that still carried the same festivity and fun that the channel was still under during WinterFes. Season 4 Episode 2 felt a lot more...steady, so to speak - the community and creatives at SiIva were at more of an understanding with one another than back in 2016, and rips like this feel like a sort of affirmation of the channel's new ground.

I dunno, I may just be waffling about, but...both rips do really mean a lot to me. I think it says a lot about how well SiIvaGunner works as a cohesive entity, that two very similar rips feel so different due purely to the context they were released in, the vibe and feel of following the channel back ín Season 1 compared to in Season 4 Episode 2. I really can't pick a favorite between the two - to me, they're both perfect the way they are, as sort of bus-stop checkpoints to sit idly by and reflect on the year as a Season comes to a close.

Here's hoping for another one - either this year or the next!

...oh god Season 8 is soon upon us...

[upst--rs]

"I love money too, but not like my mama / I love p*ssy too, but not like my honor" is an all-time lyric. Outlawz secretly had some bangers, but most listeners pretty much left them to the dust bin of hip-hop history not long after 2Pac's death. That verse is by Kastro, who probably had the best delivery out of any of the members; his pacing is slower, but he had a complementary knack for getting a lot of mileage out of less verbiage.

I have also always really loved Hussein Fatal's bars on "Emancipation" from Young Noble's debut solo album, "Son of God"; since I know virtually no one has heard it (9,810 plays on Spotify), I'll drop it here.

I don't think Fatal was above average at any point in his output, except probably right here ("Knowin' how to get a hustle, ever since knee high / Three sixty five, round my hood like a bee hive / Money motivated, yeah, I'm all about my B.I"). I remember being surprised at how tight this was, and the stuttered beat drop starting at around 1:52 sets it up perfectly.

He starts his verse with an acknowledgement of Yaki Kadafi, a slain member of the group who died sixteen years earlier, and mentions "meet[ing] again" soon, which is eerie as this song was one of Fatal's last Outlawz-related contributions, as he died in a car accident 2 1/2 years later. It is also in keeping with the legacy the group inherited from 2Pac, who is fairly famous for, among many other things, ruminating on and predicting his own early demise; Pac, of course, is also referenced in the same verse, "This the year of the under dog, you nigg*s better man up / I don't even kneel at Pac grave, I stand up" ...

It is, overall, appropriately morbid, and I think doubly so since this was probably Fatal's technical peak. Some of his last recorded material was released posthumously on 2016's Livin Legends, on the track "So Much Pain", a remake of 2Pac's excellent "Pain" from the "Above the Rim" soundtrack. According to XXL Magazine, the track was actually Fatal's idea. Again, eerie!

I'm going to finish off this ramble by dropping what, I think, is probably the group's best output, which is the track "Feel Good to Ya" (4,418 plays on Spotify) off of Killuminati 2K10. While a lot of the Outlawz' work is flavored with the dark inertia of Pac's death (and it bears mentioning that Kastro left the group partly because he felt they were cleaving too closely to their association), this track shows off their range. It's just a good jam, good enough to make usually stoic listeners move their bodies in ways that are weird and foreign to them, which is ... the definition of a good jam?! 😂

The Outlawz got a decent amount of hate. Perhaps because they were left with a torch that was impossible for them to carry, a large number of listeners simply dismissed them, especially when early material was not promising; however, that also means that a lot of good output over the years has been ignored (look at those paltry play counts!) ...

Anyway, I am up for no good reason at 3AM thinking about 2Pac and all this old sh*t. That'll about do it for now. Goodnight! 😴

[petruchio]

the albatross by taylor swift always makes me think of katniss and thg. probably the bird symbolism or something. thoughts?

ok short digression before i get into the thg part of this ask but i honestly get so annoyed at that song bc i think ts is trying to sound literary and interesting and reference the rime of the ancient mariner but the albatross metaphor doesn't work for me bc 1) it doesn't work with what the albatross represents in that poem and 2) i think she could've committed way harder to referencing the poem if that's what she wanted to do (and could have made a really cool song) (but she didn't) (her wordsworth references were better on folklore -- i still do believe she read lyrical ballads and got inspired by a lot of the imagery in those poems but the wordsworth stuff in lyrical ballads is mostly made up of shorter poems and the imagery lent itself well to songs. but rime of the ancient mariner is ... a much more complex (?) poem) (i guess complex isn't exactly the right word, bc of course short pieces can be endlessly complex, but it's just a lot longer and has a lot more going on in it than most of the shorter wordsworth poems in that collection. and i don't think taylor really, like, got it.)

basically it annoys me for the same reason tolerate it annoys me. like it's bad literary analysis. the albatross isn't "here to destroy" in the poem -- it just doesn't work with the metaphor she's trying to write in that song. imo there's no good reason to try to reference coleridge if you're just going to string together a bunch of mixed metaphors that don't make any sense. she tries to make this reference to like, shooting the messenger but that is not why he shoots the albatross... like what is she talking about?? if you're going to reference a metaphor with a long storied history in poetry then i think you should actually make an effort to understand the reference you're making

the most annoying thing is that i actually think there COULD be a really cool song referencing the poem and the albatross and referring to herself as the bird. like "you killed me, but it ruined your life, i'll hang around your neck forever and you'll never be able to go anywhere without telling the story of what you did to me" THAT WOULD BE COOL. UGH. i hate that song so i kind of refuse to listen to it bc i just get annoyed. the shakespeare reference also pisses me off for making no sense. "a rose by any other name is a scandal" what the actual CRAP is she talking about. its so annoying

ANYWAY you did actually ask me about thg so i will say, disregarding all of my english major beefs with that song, i actually think it works really well with tbosas bc it gives me majorrrrr lucy gray vibes.

like: "a rose by any other name is a scandal" is very snow giving the rose to lucy gray to me, and then the "one less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen" line really goes well with the tbosas ending. and then i think the bridge would be kind of, lucy gray's warning to snow about the events of thg: "and when the sky rains fire on you and you're persona non grata, i'll tell you i've been there too, and that none of it matters" -- and then i think the final reference to the albatross would work as a katniss reference, like the outro is lucy gray haunting him and saying here she is (she being the mockingjay (albatross) and she's here, she's finishing what i started.) so for me it is in my tbosas playlist (except it's not bc i hate the song)

ALSOOOOO just to connect it to what i was saying earlier but of course rime of the ancient mariner is the first poem in lyrical ballads. and you know what other poem appears in lyrical ballads? well that would be... LUCY GRAY. i rest my case 😎

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I was going to reblog an old post of mine about Producer Vin from the Elis/John radio show because I have an update to it, but I realized that I actually want to reference several different old posts, but only a little bit from each. So instead of reblogging, I'm going to copy-paste a bit from three posts I've made in the last few months:

I also enjoyed Producer Vin hearing comedian football mentioned and immediately asking about Andy Zaltzman. There wasn’t any context from before or explanation from after that clip to explain why he’d asked, it sounds like Vin just likes Andy was impressed that they play football with him sometimes. Which is pretty cool. I think Vin’s mentioned before that he’s a cricket fan, and I am aware that Andy Zaltzman is weirdly, legitimately big among cricket fans, since he does so much cricket commentary and collation of stats. I’m hoping I’m right in remembering that I’ve heard Vin mention being into cricket, as otherwise that’s just an assumption I’m making based on his race. But I think he’s mentioned it. I quite like Producer Vin at this point. Earlier in the radio show, I was a bit disappointed by how their back-and-forth with the producers seemed a lot less fun than what I’m used to, on The Bugle where Producer Chris (and Tom before him) is a beloved figure on the show. At some point I worked out that it’s a bit of a different relationship, an independent podcast vs a live radio show. The radio producers are actually accountable to the station to make sure the comedians are saying things that will be good for listenership, so there were more interruptions that were genuine rebukes for going too far off on rants that would be inaccessible to a casual listener, whereas on a show that’s a podcast first, you know that everyone has tuned in because they like Andy Zaltzman’s inaccessible rants. I’ve never heard Chris Skinner try to curtail any of Andy’s pun runs, for any reason besides to preserve his own psychological stability. Having said that, after the first 100 episodes or so they settle into a rhythm, interactions with producers got a lot more natural and more fun. I’m at episode 200 now and Producer Vin has recently started speaking up at times during the chat to hold them to account, not for boring radio standards but for contradicting stuff they’ve said before, which can be pretty funny at times. I like him. I think he’s more naturally funny than the previous producer. Knowing he apparently approves of Andy Zaltzman, for whatever reason, makes me like him more. Oh, and I also recently heard an episode in which Harry Potter came up, and John Robins said he’s a Gryffindor, and I have not identified anyone’s Hogwarts House for about fifteen years, but the years I spent doing so instantly came back to me and I looked at my phone and said “absolutely the fuck not, 100% Ravenclaw, few cases are this clear cut.” And then a few weeks later they were on with Producer Vin and John referenced the recent episode in which he’d called himself a Gryffindor, and Vin immediately said that was one of the episodes when he was absent, which he knows because if he’d been there he would never have let him get away with that claim, he’d have interrupted to say no, 100% Ravenclaw. And I looked at my phone and said thank you. I like this guy.

...

I was listening to an episode of the John/Elis radio show today, and they were talking about when you accidentally send a text message to the wrong person, and Elis said David O'Doherty has a song like that. Which he does, but what surprised me is that the producer Vin was the one who immediately jumped in and supplied the title and summary of the song. I’d been thinking for some time that Vin can hold his own with comedians surprisingly well for a guy who’s not involved in comedy (to be honest he’ll sometimes get to the joke or punchline in a situation faster than Elis does). A while ago I heard him express interest in Andy Zaltzman, and I assumed this must be because he’s a cricket fan (I have, since making that post, heard him mention cricket several times, so I’ve confirmed that that’s not just an assumption I invented based on his race), because he’s come to this comedy radio show via radio and music, not via comedy. But now he’s out there referencing David O'Doherty songs, and I’d like to apologize to Producer Vin for not expecting him to know about comedy. The song about sending a text to the wrong person isn’t a particularly deep O'Doherty cut, he plays it a lot, but still. Impressive reference, if you happen to be the sort of person who’s impressed by Chocolate Milk Gang references, which I am. Made me like Vin even more, I’m going to miss him when they move to the BBC.

...

Further update in the running thread of “I Like Vinay Joshi, the Radio X producer, even though early on the frequent interference from radio producers annoyed me, and I realized it was because fundamentally they were trying to mould the comedy chat into a radio show and I just want it to be a comedy show, but since Vin took over I’ve found it less annoying, I mean obviously he’s still moulding things into proper radio because that’s his job, but he also tends to be slower to shut down the comedy riffs and lets it unfold a bit more naturally, plus his own interjections tend to be a lot funnier than ones from other producers, and every once in a while he’ll make a comedy reference that makes me think the reason it works so well with him is he is also inclined toward comedy and so can see where they’re going with something comedic more easily” – I have a further update in that running thread: He just made a reference to Simon Amstell’s stand-up that went over even John’s head, even though John Robins has mentioned several times being a fan of the sitcom Grandma’s House, so you’d think he’d know that. As a side note, I wouldn’t have had to actually hear John Robins say he really likes the sitcom Grandma’s House, I could have just assumed that based on everything else about John Robins. But in the episode I’m listening to now, John did not pick up on Vin’s fairly subtle dig at Amstell’s penchant for confusing drugs-based stand-up stories, a reference that I appreciated because despite also being a fan of Grandma’s House and most of Amstell’s stand-up, I also find the drug stories annoying.

And here's the update, from the final link of the final episode of their Radio X show:

Ohhhh, I see. Thank you Vin, that makes a lot of sense and explains all of the confusion. Not sure why you waited until the very last link of the whole show to clear that up, but I'm glad you did.

I know there are literally hundreds more episodes on the BBC, but it still feels like a significant end of an era because by the end, it was noticable to me how the show was funnier in the episodes with Vin there than the ones that had someone else producing, because Vin had started jumping in so often and was so funny in his own right. I've tried looking up the difference between the BBC era and the Radio X era, and everything I've read seems to suggest the BBC is a slightly less good version - sometimes people actually saying it's less good, sometimes just describing it in a way that makes it sound that way (no music and therefore significantly less chat about music; less of the structure with links; "edges smoothed out"; generally more mature versions of the comedians, which is a good thing for life in general since you should be that when you're older but makes for less fun radio; and no Vin). I'm not sure I want to jump straight into a slightly less good version of the radio show I just finished. Which was, if not 100% solid gold for every single one of the 330 hours (I just checked the total time for me, that more than I was expecting), pretty fucking great for many of them and still good the rest of the time. I'm going to go listen to Isy Suttie's audiobook about not wanting to grow up.

Also, as a final reaction to that audio clip, I can't end this post without saying, awwww. Aww. Producer Vin. Now I see why you functioned so well as an audience stand-in on the show. Aw.

[lunarrscribbles]

continued from here because tumblr is a bitch / @fillyoursoulxx

"You've given this a lot of thought," she said, mock-concern on her features. "I mean, I know your sisters are a lot but they're not that bad. I'm keeping one eye open around you from now on." The silly back and forth is another plus, another tick in the good column on his behalf because she couldn't joke like this with a stranger. A stranger didn't know her history like he did, even if it was more of a spectator versus an actual contributor. Though any premeditated murderous fantasies are gone when she hears the music and she can't help but hum along with it. "I didn't know you were capable of playing something at a normal listening level," she teases, letting him know that yes, she remembered.

The funny thing about all of this is that at the time, she didn't give a second though to the things that he did for her. He wasn't bowing at her feet, but there had been song dedications and corny jokes, all things she had attributed to a silly teenaged crush, and it was all things that she had forgotten the second they happened. But now, it felt like memory after memory was being pulled from the depths of her mind, remembering the moments he did this or said that. It was a surreal feeling to say the least. And it was that same feeling when he pulled out the food. "You remembered my favorite sandwich?" she asks, a hint of disbelief to her tone. Eva can't remember the last time a boyfriend had remembered the tiniest of details about her, but she chalked it up to the history and afternoons spent when she'd help Max babysit him and Dallas and they'd make sandwiches after school. Strangely, the sandwich felt better than any meal a restaurant could prepare.

She pulled the sandwich out of the plastic and took a bite, letting out a hum of satisfaction. "You even put honey," she groaned, looking over at him and when did he get so close? The arm behind her head did not go unnoticed but she didn't say anything as she took another bite, simply enjoying this moment. If she thought too long about it, she'd freak out and run away, not believing how well he was actually doing on this not-date. Peeking into the basket, she pulls out a bottle of water and, after a few seconds of rummaging, finds a mini Cinnamon Whiskey. "I wonder if these two go together," she mused, popping the top and drinking half the bottle before taking another bite of sandwich. It was definitely a combination but not an unpleasant one. The bottles reminded her more of his sisters than him, rummaging through their uncle's liquor cabinet, trying to keep things looking as if they were untouched. Failing more than succeeding at times.

So caught up in the food and the music and actually having a nice moment with him, she barely registers when he talks, though she actually listens this time, no quick jab or teasing comment falling from her lips. His words are deep, referencing her earlier thoughts about the fireflies, and she doesn't respond right away. Instead, she eats the remainder of her sandwich, and it's not until the song is over does she say anything at all. "Are you trying to say that I'm magic?" she asks as she tucks her trash back into the basket and she turns her body so she's facing him versus sitting side by side. "Or that there could be magic between us?" Maybe it's just the small whisper of alcohol running through her system because of the mini bottle, or it's the magic they both have spoke about, but she feels lighter, like she might actually believe there's something more out there. "I have something I've been wanting to ask you since you asked me on this not-date. Why have you had a crush on me for so long? Like ... is this some type of self-challenge that you need to conquer? Notch in your bed post type deal? Which I am totally not offended by, by the way." She reaches out, hands on his arms to assure him as much before she pulls back. "I'm just curious."

[followmetoyourdoom]

Fully agree with everything said here except for the Ed Sheeran bashing.

The song being referenced, aka Shape Of You, was originally intended to be sung by Rihanna as a self affirmative song. But labels tend to make decisions for you as to which songs you sing and which you don't. One song called Moments about the death of his close friend as a child was sold to One Direction as a break-up song. Another, called Love Yourself, originally (Go and) Fuck Yourself, about an abusive relationship was censored, changed, and sold to Justin Bieber. That's just what the pop industry is like.

The song that launched Ed Sheeran into fame was in fact The A Team, a song raising awareness about a homeless prostitute he met whilst he was sofa surfing/homeless in his early career. The song references an unhealthy reliance on drugs that he himself related to. Aka a song with genuinely smart and meaningful lyrics from an artist who wasn't ashamed to be open and honest about the very real problems that they've gone through.

During the middle of his career, when he got signed, Atlantic Records (owned by Warner, aka a big label, aka one with power) demanded 4 more albums worth of pop-ier easy listening songs. Even within those, there are still some political/emotionally strong lyrics such as 'the revolution's coming it's a minute away // I saw people marching in the streets today' and 'it's alright to die cause death's the only thing you haven't tried // but just for tonight hold on'. But fundamentally the record company had a lot of control over what did and didn't get released. There are a lot of unreleased songs from him out there that are just as poignant as his older stuff.

His initial concept for his final album with that record label got scrapped and he instead released an album (Subtract) that talked about the loss of his best friend, his struggle with that grief, the reliance on him to keep going and keep producing what his label wanted, the love for his daughter bringing him back to reality, the sudden news of his wife having cancer whilst pregnant and the decision they had to make to in order to try to save both lives (which thankfully they did).

As soon as he released that final album, he then released Autumn Variations on his own label that reflects those earlier values and earlier style of music. In that album he talks about attempts on his own life, depression, the loss of a close friend at a young age that still hurts, and drug and alcohol abuse to name a few. There are some more upbeat songs, but fundamentally it is a very emotional album.

Please do not confuse an artist with their label. In the pop industry, you often do not get full control of your music, I'm shocked they allowed his final album to be what it was. If you want to know what Ed Sheeran's music is about, listen to the stuff prior to Plus, Plus, his unreleased stuff, or Autumn Variations.

You can lift an artist up without putting another down.

[vitaminwaterreviews]

Agust D - Agust D

I haven’t done a proper hip hop album yet, so this was a cool experience. It’s obviously intended to be more lyrical than melodic overall, and learning about the background of the album feels kind of essential to understand what’s going on. So, if you’re gonna listen to this album, definitely check out the Wikipedia page first.

I think I liked the experience. I certainly enjoyed a lot of the songs, and I like the picture that the album as a whole painted. I’m not convinced by the musicality of it; I don’t think I’ll end up listening to most of these songs ever, I really had to pay attention to the lyrics to appreciate them. But a couple of them were enough that I’ll be able to enjoy them without the lyrics. Plus the last song was actually SO good. Overall rating of 7.9 but… I would kind of take that with a grain of salt. I’ve never listened to another album quite like this, so I have nothing to compare that score to, really. I think a rating of 7.5 would be more appropriate.

- So, funny story here. I never intended to listen to anything Agust D, ever. But then earlier this year, for like two weeks straight, D-Day was everywhere I looked. It was all over kpop reddit and it was all over kpop youtube and so when it finally came out, the Haegeum MV was recommended to me literally everywhere. And so I caved and watched it, and I liked it enough to listen to the album. So I saved some songs from D-Day, and that was all. Then yesterday I was like “I should check out his other titles,” so I watched Agust D and Daechwita, and I loved them. So now I’m gonna go through their respective albums and see what I can see!

Also holy shit I just opened up Reddit and the first post on my reddit is “What is being said in the beginning of Agust D?” from 8 minutes ago. If that isn’t a sign then idk what is lmao

Intro : DT sugA

Haha yep, here we go

E N E R G Y

The repetition of “STD” is funny. Like, is he aware of what STD means in english? Surely. But also it’s a pun, he’s Suga from TD. So he is STD, and also Agust D. Wordplay!

Also maybe I should watch lyric videos for these songs, considering it’s mostly rap…

8/10, I do tend to rate intros and interludes highly

Agust D

The MV is so cool. Like, it’s not just trying to be cool: it IS cool

He’s actually such a good rapper. Like I just love the way that words sound when they come out of his mouth

Lyrically, it’s kind of what you’d expect. “I’m great and you’re dumb, fuck all the haters, I’m a real rapper and way better than you too”

8/10. Very good, fun, but I want a bit more from it

give it to me

Woahhh the bell

Also this bass

Also this beat

I love the laugh

(I’ll probably be typing a Lot less because I’m spending more time looking at the lyrics)

7/10

Skit

Oh lol is this literally a skit?

Omg it is that’s so funny

Bro two orders of ribs? Oh I guess if it’s for both of you

Omg he’s totally breaking the 4th wall

“Yankie hyunh” lmao

Okay wait, do I even rate this? I guess I should

9/10, really really cool inclusion, fits the theme of the album well.

724148

Bassy, alright

He keeps referencing bang si hyuk, that’s neat

So far this album seems to be more lyrical than anything, but I’m not totally convinced by the musicality of it. Maybe I’d rate it higher if it was in English, but also, I know what he can do. He’s got more levels to go from this.

7/10

140503 at dawn

Lol he’s moaning like

Oh he’s typing

Lol

7/10

The Last

Do you hear that bass drum?

We do appreciate rapping about mental health issues

9/10

Tony Montana (feat. Yankie)

Ohh it’s Jimin? That’s neat

It’s snowing outside! Pretty

Interesting soundscape

Who tf is Tony Montana then?

“A fictional character and the villain-protagonist of the 1983 film Scarface”

“Embodying the possibility of a person rising from the bottom of society to the top, Tony Montana has become a cultural icon, as well as one of the most iconic film characters of all time.”

6/10 tbh. It’s FIne but definitely my least favorite so far

Interlude : Dream, Reality

Ok, a bit more mellow now are we?

8/10, solid interlude, fit the album, and a nice break from all the intensity

so far away (feat. SURAN)

Oh, we’re ending mellow too

Nvm, we’re ending powerful

Love the guitar solo too

I really don’t know whether to rate this a 9 or a 10. It was so so good. And I genuinely can’t think of anything it could’ve done better, so…

10/10

[periwinklepromise]

im sorry if this is too personal a question, and you can feel free to not answer it if you don't want to. i saw the leaving the mormon church post, and how you said you were willing to answer questions.

did you ever have any family members who you still really love, but they left to go on a mission? how did you deal with that?

The post being referenced

You're all good! I don't mind at all. I've got two experiences with this sort of thing, one of which is currently happening.

Sister

My oldest sister went on a mission, but I was still very young, so it didn't impact me very much. Yes, I missed her, but her leaving for a mission was basically the same as her leaving for college, which she had already done (she went to BYU, of course, and we didn't live near Utah). I remember having to memorize and recite a scripture verse for her farewell, and I remember putting off my baptism for a month until she got back - at least, that was the official reason I gave for the delay; really, i just didn't want to get baptized. But her being gone was the easy part.

Her coming back was the hard part. She was so much older than me that we weren't very close, but I could still tell that she had changed. Visits used to mean fun trips and dance parties, and suddenly she was only talking about church and censoring all of our books - she went through every copy of Harry Potter with a Sharpie to cover every instance of Voldemort being called the Dark Lord, because "there's only one Lord." Any time a song said God or Lord, she made us sing alternate lyrics, because "you should only say those names with reverence." It was just annoying and weird.

And I'm sorry if you're asking for a hopeful story, because she never really went back to normal. Twenty years later, she's still all mormon, all the time. I mean, she could be worse - she still speaks to me, and I'm pretty sure she knows that I did officially resign my membership, and I know lots of people who were cut off from all contact with their mormon loved ones after resigning. But she teaches institute classes. She wants to get an advanced degree in mormon theology. This mormon stuff is her whole life, so it can be very hard to find things to talk about. And to be frank, she puts more effort than I do into maintaining the relationship. Despite leaving officially, I still have a hard time being around mormons, because the suspicion of "maybe they're just being nice to get their claws into me" still creeps into the back of my mind.

Parents

My only other experience with a mormon family member going on a mission is actually happening right now. Earlier this month, my parents got their mission call. They threw a big party to announce the details, which I Zoomed in for, because no way am I hanging out with mormons I am not related to. Being in the same space, listening to everyone cheer and congratulate, was bad enough.

They'll be gone for two years (this is uncommon or possibly rare for senior missionaries), and they were called specifically to reactivate inactive and less active members. For never mormons reading, that means they won't be trying to find new converts; they'll explicitly be approaching people who haven't gone to a mormon church in months or years, and trying to get those people to come back. I saw this post yesterday, warning inactive mormons that the so-called church was gonna be stepping up these efforts, and my parents' situation can certainly provide anecdotal evidence for that.

And I don't really know how I'm going to deal with this, to be honest with you. I don't think I'll write letters or send anything to my parents while they're gone. I just don't feel comfortable supporting them in this. And if my sister's experience is any indication, it will be impossible to be around them once they get back.

I've got a lot of doomy feelings about this mission, because I know my mother's faith will not be shaken, and I know my father is the most charming, charismatic person most people will ever meet. He's going to convince a lot of people to go back to church. I know he will. And as a someone who firmly believes the mormon church is a cult (or high control group, if you prefer), that breaks my heart. I know my parents are a total lost cause, but I don't want them hurting other people, and there's nothing I can really do to prevent that hurt.

But I can least talk about my experiences, and hope that helps someone!

[lemonlurkrr]

@aureateart​ ok. My favourite parts of twilight princess  (and some other random thoughts about TP sprinkled in there) taken from my monster TP word vomit google doc :

Link lmao

Ok but for real, I like this incarnation of Link :)

I love Ordon (it just seems like such a chill and cozy village)

ALSO love how easy it is to interpret Link as being a sort of older brother figure to the Ordon kiddos. It’s just,, super cute? AND GHHH nice nice good thanks nintendo for giving me characters to care about/characters that I can imagine Link caring about

He didn’t sign up for any of this (tbh, none of the Links really signed up for this jshdjsd). But I mean like, dude was just going to take a trip to castle town, drop a gift off for the royal family, and come back. But haHA oopsies he did get to castle town eventually but definitely not the way he expected hsjdhsd

He’s just a little dude?

AND FUCK. HE REALLY HAD NEVER BEEN OUTSIDE OF ORDON UNTIL ALL OF THAT

everything is new for the player AND Link

Midna

She’s cool :)

she really just

*teleports into your jail cell* hello whore.

I am no master at writing but AYYYY she do got a character arc!!!

She was actually pretty helpful sometimes, I ALWAYS checked in with her before turning to a game guide

Other NPCs

NICE

Love all of the TP character designs (ASHEI’S ARMOUR??? AOWOAOAOOAO)

Saving Zelda and all of Hyrule was important yea but thinking back maybe it was more like, the Ordonians and the kids were what was pushing Link to keep on going

I like the Resistance members :) Very video gamey of them to have one NPC assigned to each dungeon but hey!!! Kinda cool getting to see a little glimpse of each of em

Idk, it’s just fun to imagine Link popping into Telma’s bar after each dungeon and taking a little rest :) (or to celebrate? maybe just chat, idk, give this man some downtime!!)

Honestly it was just kind of nice that Link wasn’t entirely alone. I mean, I know Midna was there the whole time, but I am always for giving Link a big group of friends (see my love for hyrule warriors, age of calamity, and LU LMAO)

Hero’s shade, very very cool, kinda sad he died with regrets but HEY. He got to pass on his knowledge eventually

AND the connection to OoT?? AND assumed to be related by blood too????? GOOD SHIT

Ilia, I REALLY really wanted to like her (er, it’s not like I dislike her, she’s just,,, kinda there for me).

It definitely seems like Nintendo was pushing to make her the romantic interest, but GHHHHH they really threw that out of the window for me by having her lose her memories

I saw a text post a while ago that said it would have been interesting if Ilia was Link’s sister instead and YES!! That would have been cool too :0

Wish we got to know Zelda a little more

I feel like we barely know anything about her

Idk man, like I said earlier, I never really had any sort of drive to save Zelda during my playthroughs

She obviously knows Midna, so maybe if they gave us just a little bit more of that relationship I’d be more interested in her?

TP WORLD BUILDINGGGG

Botw has good world building too, but each race felt kinda,,, isolated? I absolutely love the different architecture and vibe each town has (and all the the weapons too) but ghhh yea everyone felt so separated. As far as I can remember, we don’t see tooo much of the races interacting with each other? Now that I’m typing that out maybe that’s to be expected because of the calamity but KLSJDKJFD ANYWAYS THIS IS ABOUT TP

The world feels nice and alive, love how populated everything is

Castle town I like castle town a lot, it feels dense and busy and I really like how you can’t talk to every NPC you see

Very cool very fun that we got to see the Gorons hanging out in multiple spots

kinda wish we got to see the Zoras a little more (I guess they are a bit limited since they need water but GHHHH the tp zoras are so prebby,,)

BUT HEY, I do remember seeing a zora or two hanging out in the hot springs around death mountain after beating the lakebed temple (I think, might have been a different dungeon) 

but aaaa would have been nice to see them in at least a couple of other places. I think it would have really added to the “congrats Link!! You’re restoring peace to Hyrule” feeling you get from seeing the Gorons hanging out in Kakariko and Castle Town

ORDON

Love how chill it is and how it’s kind of separate from Hyrule proper

They really do seem to be doing their own thing apart from the rest of Hyrule

Just kinda adds onto the “he’s just a regular dude minding his own business” kind of vibes I get from TP Link

Also I like Ordona :)

THE LIGHT SPIRITS,,

Love their design

And love how they’re not exactly like a pure white?

Different spirit representing each aspect of the triforce my beloved

But yes hi I think Ordona is very cool

Who are you, how did you get here, which goddess do you represent? Do you even represent one of the three golden goddesses? Do the Ordonians know about you? Have any of them ever SEEN you??? Do they worship you? Does anybody even know about the existence of the light spirits?? FUCK so many questions but ghhh I like how they broke the status quo a bit by throwing in a fourth spirit :)

I feel like this one is kinda weird but I like that voice sample they used in the light spirit music. It’s spooky and pretty at the same time :)  

cutscenes mmmmm

Ok ok, the spooky lanayru cutscene is very good

BUT THE “Link, Chosen Hero! Lend us the last of your power!” CUTSCENE MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM LOVE IT SO MUCH

IT just

Idk man

It just hit different

I like the music

And seeing the light spirits swimming around in the light juice water whatever it is

Summoning the light arrows?

AND HHHHH “Lend us the last of your power!” THIS IS IT. This is the final battle.

Seeing Zelda bow down, and then Link putting his hand out 👌👌👌

Link: ok bud, let’s do this together :)

Connection to OoT (did I already mention this? Maybe., Whatever)

Very cool nintendo :)

I love seeing connections between all the diff zelda games.

Because like, on one hand, they’re all separate from each other because of yknow, individual hero stuff. BUT ALSO, they’re all connected because of the reincarnation stuff

Grrrr walking through the sacred grove and going “The Hero of Time walked around here a long time ago” FUCK THATS SO COOL

Is the Hero’s Shade watching me? What does he think of me? DIsappointed? Proud? The Hero of Time went through HELL so this timeline didn’t have to deal with any of the shit Ganon was gonna pull with the triforce, better not fuck this UP Link!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Midlink is cute

Kinda hurts that she smashed the mirror but that was probably so Nintendo didn’t have to worry about people going “but what about the twili??????” for any of the other games LMAO

BUT ALSO LIKE SKJDKLJFJ There are some pretty massive plot holes in TP anyway so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ whatever it’s fine we’ll just use this for angst because GOD do y’all like angst

So is Shadlink

Honestly don’t know where this ship came from but it’s cute so whatever

THE MUSIC??

Love Midna’s theme and how they referenced the dark world theme from ALttP (I remember trying to learn the dark world theme on the piano and doing the Leonardo DiCaprio point meme at the little jingle I recognized from Midna’s theme)

Hyrule field theme SLAPS.

Apparently references a couple of the other over-world themes from the previous zelda games (I got this from 8-bit Music theory’s video on the over-world zelda themes, he talks about TP at around 11:40 but def recommend watching the whole video if you’re into music analysis stuff)

So there’s this bit of the Hyrule Field theme, I don’t know the official name for it but I remember seeing somewhere it being called the “at an advantage theme” since yeah, you hear it during the boss music whenever you expose their weak points. FUCKINGGG LOVE THAT. Didn’t notice it during my first playthrough, but hearing it during my second was like a little easter egg for my ears every time :)

Midna’s lament is very pretty (and fun to play on the piano)

COURAGE THEME.

I didn’t care for it too much when I started playing the game but hearing it in ZREO’s arrangement of the Hyrule Field theme literally makes me turn into a puddle of emotions. Also hearing it around and of the Ordon kids (I think it plays after Link saves Colin) AAAAAAAAAAAAA

Orchestra piece #1 and #2 HOLY SHIT???????????????? 

Literally, the first time I listened to those I just,,,, plugged in my headphones, volume 100, layed on the floor/against my desk and silently vibed. I don’t know what the hell it is, but those two just fit so well with TP?? I still avoid listening to them nowadays cause if I DO I definitely will get overwhelmed with the “god I love this game so FUCKING MUCH” kind of feels.

Wolf link sucks at singing

the first time I heard him howling Zelda’s Lullaby I lost my shit because LKSJLDKSGLKJFSKG god that was.,, Bad. Anyways, hearing him howl some of the songs from OoT was cute :)

TP STAFF ROLL??? 

VERY GOOD. IT’s like 10 minutes long and GOD do I love every single second of it. It doesn’t have the same energy as the skyward sword staff roll or the orchestra pieces but GOD does it hit good??

Nice and calm after that big exciting adventure. Maybe it would have been more fun or emotional to have a higher energy piece but it was really nice getting to sit back and watch the camera fly around Hyrule. Seeing like, the Gorons and the Zoras having a good time, the kids returning to Ordon? GOOD SHIT.

and AAAAA that end, when you hear the main Zelda theme and see Link riding off out of Faron woods on Epona… good shit. It gets you thinking, where the hell is he going? What is he doing? Off ot do more adventuring? Going to help out the resistance or something? Going to help Zelda? Or maybe he’s trying to figure out a way to restore the mirror of twilight? Whoooo knows.

hhHHHHhhh it’s just that final reminder that YES!!! YOU JUST PLAYED A ZELDA GAME. JUST ANOTHER STORY APART OF THE WHOLE EPIC OF THE ZELDA SERIES AS A WHOLE

I also want to acknowledge the instrument/samples they used for all the twili stuff.

They’re all just so unique and contrast SO well with the rest of the TP OST. LIKE FUCK!! Anytime I hear the screech from the Twilit Kargarok? Sends a shiver down my spine. I associate those sounds SO strongly with the twili realm. (Like, the same way you associate the BSHEWW VVWWMMM sounds with light sabers)

I love it so god damn much

literally any time there’s a certain sound or motif associated with something I lose my shit

Sacred grove sacred grove sacred gro-

lovely lovely lovely so much fun playing that on the piano. AND again, I did the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme when I heard the theme from the lost woods come in GHHHHHHHH

shoutout to TP Faron Woods for helping me study and get through all of my schoolwork

BLEGUUHHH can you tell that I really love music?

and also yea I guess TP is kinda cool too :\

IF YOU READ ALL OF THAT THANKS I GUESS

[trueshredguitar]

Wild Guess

the distortion... it's so Ivory Tower

they mention "the pit." "some of us tried to get out of the pit" is a lyric from another song, which one? repetition means it's important. we know what the pit is now but hey

i like how this one seems to be from the salesman's point of view?

The End of the Contender

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINSSSSS

i love how this one with its sleeker synths fits in comparison to Wild Guess

Coid Reactor

oh duh this one has the pit lyric. some of us stayed IN the pit.

i heard this one live before it was released and it STILL SLAPS AS HARD THE SAME EVERY TIME BAYBEEEEEEE

Buddy, Come Over

i fucking love the synths in this one

i love how the guitar sounds like it's being played with in a cave

and then we'll get in ;) i'm obsessed with how it sounds seductive

i love it when jon just throws his voice all over the place

sick Two For Nero reference bro (synth that sounds like harpsichord)

lots of dead things in weird places (fox dead in the alley, someone's dead on the toilet in this one)

R U Happy?

sick "Providence" by Foals reference bro

CREDDAHORNIS <3 <3 <3

what do u mean the mountain is a lie? :( bro don't say things like that... we're all gonna go the peak bro :(

The Mad Stone

ARE YOU COMIN OUTSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE

have you been saving up - this one also seems like it's from the salesman's perspective

the idiots on Genius did not understand the concept of wordplay using the plane/plain homophone and were like "the usage of the word plain in the given lyrics is obviously a mistake" my friend they're referencing a mortal plane and winds blowing over a plain are you dumb

i love this one a lot

TV Dog

i like the usage of strings in this one a lot

jon wailing "i'm doing my best" makes me imagine him as the big eyed hamster meme

this one feels like an interlude

i like how some of these songs seem to end on what sounds like atmospheric noise (end of the contender, this one)

Canary

do they often use grand piano as instrumentation?

more pits... more themes of belief and disbelief

KEY CHANGE FUCKING HITS

SYNTH BASSLINE IS GOOOD

OH THIS ONE IS GROOVY AS FUCK HELLOOOOO

on my bones they feast, but that's fine. unbothered king

i really like it when they pull out objects and themes they introduced in earlier albums and so the fact that the letter from QF and this song mention birds/birdsong... In Birdsong, you know. i like it

Don't Ask Me To Beg

lots of people being eaten in this album??

i'm sorry this album feels gay to me i can't explain why

i knew this one would be a fucking banger from the title and so did everyone else and we were all right

Enter the Mirror

bro i knew the mountain was real bro we're here <3

i knew this album was gay

thje second i typed that he sang TWO MEN and i literally bust out laughing

i really like this one already

they were serious about this album being synth heavy and i loooove itttt

Your Money, My Summer

i don't like the chorus on this one :(

it's not immediately obvious to me how this one fits into the greater concept of the album but i have an inkling it's maybe the salesman? ("I spent your money")

Dagger's Edge

oooh very funky riff right off the bat

"you'll never be a famous dude" 😫

another one ripped right off of Get To Heaven tbh

me building this rich mythos in my head about this salesman character

MORE DISCUSSION OF EATING PEOPLE

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT ☺☺☺☺☺🤸‍♂️

City Song

i predicted this one would be the slow sad one

american cheese :)

it ties back into R U Happy?... love it

i think i was spot on about it being The Slow Song

a minute of jon howling into an echoing cave

The Witness

the way this starts out sounding like a 16-bit video game ost

THE GIGGLING??

ee has this nasty habit of ending their albums on an incredibly forgettable song (with the exception of Raw Data Feel and Re-Animator) and sorry kings i didn't like this one so much

NOW TO LISTEN TO IT WITH GENIUS LYRICS PULLED UP LOL

MOUNTAINHEAD TIME