#idk i think its one of her most personal songs and the production makes it very light and breezy when the topic is not

[didhewinkback]

lavendar haze by tswift is one of her most interesting songs lyrically i wish i liked how it sounded more lol

[hezuart]

Btw have you seen Disney’s wish and if so what’s your review on it? And how would you Rewrite the story? To me it had interesting contact about your Wishes being a part of yourselves and without it you feel hollow but too bad it was written poorly. The “Villain” Magnifico kind of had the point of not all of the wishes are supposed to be granted Example “My Wish is to get a Rocket Launcher to aim that Talking Goat and the rest of This Freaking Kingdom!” With that said next is Asha! There is no reason for her to be “Adorkable” or “Quirky” we already have Princesses and Characters like that! let them have their own Personality Already!! One problem with Asha is she should have been Magnifico’s Apprentice for a long time in the start but instead of selecting her to Be His “Apprentice” throughout the Movie 🤦🏻‍♀️ and have you seen the Concept Arts?👀 Spoilers! King and Queen are supposed to be Evil Together! and The “Star” is supposed to be like a person or it? That comes from the stars? it would’ve been cool to named it “Stardust” instead of “star” the concept art looks so Amazing than the one we have now and Also No Comedy in this movie it’s to Boring and so as the Songs 😴 we’ve been ROBBED! (The Animation is Nice but I wouldn’t compare it to Spiderverse or TMNT or Puss in boots or The Bad Guys🤔) Anyways what do you think? I want to know your opinion, see you!🙋🏻‍♀️

I might write a review if I have time, but omygod Disney's Wish is SOOOOooooo bad. SO bad. The characters are flat, its nothing but forced in references to other Disney movies, the plot is boring, the songs have all this bravado and make them not catchy- the setting is supposed to be in the Mediterranean but all the animals are from the USA implying they are all invasive species brought over from the settlers of other countries- the comic relief characters aren't funny- the goat himself should be deleted he is so annoying- The star is like, ultimate magic. He made animals sentient, he can make things fly- he can change the size of things like a giant chicken- but he can't open a fcking roof? He can't grant people's wishes? He sort of implies he left that power to Asha, but she sucks at magic. She's the worst person to be handling it. The entire marketing campaign for this movie was about how the villain is "classic Disney". He's NOT???? He's just a narcissistic traumatized(?) control freak King. But then he touches a dark book of magic and now suddenly he's 100% evil and there's no going back for him. Even his wife implies that the book changed him, that the dark magic corrupted her husband beyond repair. The dark magic influenced his personality to make him darker, but he wasn't a legitimate true villain. Classic Disney villains have always been full of themselves. They always manipulated and abused people. They aren't afraid to hurt and kill people. They relish other people's suffering. This King is not like them. They were trying to make him sympathetic from the beginning with actual real reasons to control the kingdom as he does. They do a 180 on his personality. Dude fled from his previous homeland ravaged by war, and has been serving his kingdom for years, he's basically customer service and people can be demanding and needy. Asha herself takes the opportunity to try and weasel in her grandfather's wish through her apprenticeship application and the King is like "Yep. Here we go again."

But the way they show those reasons make his entire operation look stupid. They're like "Look how evil he is for not granting wishes because his judgment is slightly skewed. Look at how evil he is for not returning the wishes because he's------- idk, a control freak? Due to his trauma?" The concept art is definitely better than the final product. I feel like it would have been a decent movie with the original concept. But what annoys me the most is that Disney thinks this is a celebration of 100 years of Disney. It's not! They're only really celebrating the last decade of quirky flat characters, mostly 3D animation, and poor storytelling. The thing that makes me the most angry out of the whole movie? The wishes. The entire concept is nonsense. The bad guy claims that Asha's grandfather's wish is too dangerous to grant. The wish? He's singing to people. fcking WHAT. "I want to be an exclusive tailor." "I want to be a sailor!" "I want to sing to kids and inspire them-" THE PEOPLE OF ROSAS ARE SO STUPID.??????? THEY CAN ACHIEVE THOSE CAREERS ON THEIR OWN. THE KING OF ROSAS. IS A SORCERER.

We have TWO wishes that are actually physically impossible and magical. "I want to talk to birds!" "I want to fly!" ARE YOU TELLING ME. THAT NO ONE WANTS TO BECOME A FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON AT WILL? HAVE TELEKINESIS? BE A STRONG BODYBUILDER WHO CAN LIFT BUILDINGS? READ MINDS? SEE THE FUTURE? OWN A GIANT CHICKEN THAT GIVES GOLDEN EGGS? WISH TO BE A FAIRY TO CHANGE THEIR SIZE AT WILL?

THOSE. ARE ACTUAL DANGEROUS, UNACHIEVABLE WISHES WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU HAVE A WISH OF WANTING A CAREER AS A FARMER WHEN YOU COULD WISH TO HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER PLANT LIFE AT WILL? THE PEOPLE OF ROSAS ARE SO DUMB I CANT WITH THIS IM SORRY IM SO MAD AT THIS MOVIE And the wishes themselves like- people don't have the same wish forever. Someone in the crowd even asked, "Can we change our wish?" It's implied maybe they can even have more than one. They also straight up forget their wish when they give it up to the King? This whole thing feels like a weird metaphor for real life in a magical setting. It doesn't make sense to me.

One of my friends said they heard a theory that this entire movie is secretly a jab at Corporate Monopoly Disney, how they won't let anyone else be magical (monopoly), how they only choose 12 wishes a year to grant (Internships), and how the wishes they choose to grant are useless to the kingdom because anything else more creative or inspiring is a threat (regurgitated sequels, uninspired stories, boring formula) and how the ending is about defeating the "villain" (Disney) and moving on to try and achieve your dreams yourself (Form a Union, start your own businesses, take back animated media) and viewing the movie through THAT lens is actually incredibly metaphorically genius and made the movie less terrible for me, intentional or not But yeah anyway, Wish is bad. I keep telling people. Disney is so dumb. THIS is what people want for a Disney celebration: CROSSOVER. DISNEY CINEMATIC UNIVERSE. Disney will probably do it badly but I'm telling you, people have been wanting this for YEARS.

They did it with House of Mouse, they can do it again.

[maybeimamuppet]

OKAY MUPPETS IT IS TIIIIME FOR EZZYS OPINION HOUR

i saw the mean girls movie yesterday and i have THOUGHTS. spoilers below the cut but general thoughts up here

1. is it objectively not a super great movie? yes

2. is it my new favorite movie? yes

3. will i defend this movie tooth and nail from people who don’t like it just bc it’s a musical or bc they’re a 2004 purist? YES

4. did this movie make me feel so many conflicting emotions back to back i have now had a tummyache for 24 hours? YESSS

5. will i ever, ever, EVER IN MY LIFE forgive tina fey for the ending? no.

alright babes welcome to below the elementary school gym class parachute

last spoiler warning!!

these aren’t all in order and are most definitely not all the thoughts i had bc i have the memory storage of a flea and once an experience is over it is GONE FROM MY HEAD so this is the list of thoughts i struggled to put together when i got home lmao

overall thoughts:

it felt very gimmicky. the stage production felt gimmicky too but in a fun way, this was gimmicky in a way that kinda gave me a touch of the ick

it did not feel to me very much like a cohesive movie. it felt like browsing ig or tiktok and just seeing a hodgepodge of scenes stuck together. which is a cool idea but idk how well it worked in practice and i also don’t know if it was intentional.

this is not the word i’m looking for but in terms of personality they absolutely whitewashed all of the characters and i really don’t care for that. the visuals and the casting were so immaculate but in terms of personality they just made them all taste like unsweetened corn flakes.

i’m biased and didn’t care for most of the tweaks they made to the songs individually BUT i think they blended with each other more cohesively than they do in the stage production so that was cool. and i am able to understand why they made them more pop-esque than theatre-y it’s just not my personal vibe

it all felt very emma watson’s beauty and the beast. like. not deserving of much hate but also just not as good. it has its time and place but i still just. the changes they made were too much for me. that being said i am gonna be the #1 viewer whenever it’s released to streaming platforms was not kidding when i said this is a new favorite movie

the whole like. tiktok and iphone camera thing was an interesting??? idea. i really liked it for cautionary tale but the rest. i think it was a better idea than the way they executed it.

i miss do this thing!! i wish they had done like a mashup with it and the stupid with love reprise but i wasn’t mad at the reprise so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

fourth wall break was real cringe!!

thoughts abt cady:

angourie is so cute!!!!!!! she has the perfect look for cady. her costumes were kinda yikes but physically she’s mwah chefs kiss perfection

cady is so viscerally autistic in this version and it is DELIGHTFUL

but again i feel like they took so much from her. in the show she’s this overexcited little bubbly (autistic again but still) thing and she’s naive and then it’s revealed she’s conniving and manipulative and has this serious dark streak in her. in the movie it felt like she was just. awkward and then straight to conniving and manipulative. it was interesting but i miss my little jumping bean i wish they had given her some more spice

this movie has turned me into a cadina shipper of THE HIGHEST ORDER i’m already writing a fic for them and i call diiiiibs nobody else do it i write slow /j

i honestly really liked what ifs. i didn’t enjoy it as much as it roars but i think for the screen and for angourie’s voice it was a better fit. and i think it blended better with the new versions of the songs than it roars would have. not mad at it and the staging of it was really cool

cady being the one with a single parent is so interesting to me!! idk why they did that but i think it’s interesting. makes me wonder what happened to her dad but also go mom!!! women in stem!!!

her relationship with the art freaks was so???? weird??? it seemed like damian was the only one who really wanted all of them to be friends. i love this version of janis and damian together but when they were with cady it was all just so BLAND. it didn’t really feel like she and janis were friends at all which is what’s supposed to make the betrayal sting so much

whatever they were aiming for with someone gets hurt they missed hard bc holy cadina batman that shits gay dude BUT THE STAGING WAS SO COOL with everyone like frozen and then they all kick back in all crazy with the music it was great

janis thoughts:

THEY FUCKING RUINED HEEEEEEEER

AULI’I WAS SO PERFECT SHE WAS SO CUTE AND HER OUTFITS ARE SO COOL BUT THEY JUST TOOK AWAY ALL OF HER PERSONALITY

janis is supposed to be spunky and angry and hurt and vengeful and quirky and out there and firey and she’s meant to HAVE GRIT GOTDANGIT but again she just felt so whitewashed. like here’s a vaguely leftist lesbian in ripped jeans and cool eyeshadow that’s janis right?? LIKE NO IT IS NOT

i’d rather be me, while it had a little less vocal oomph behind it than the stage show, was as transcendent as i hoped for and i got chills multiple times. also the comedic timing of the bus was immaculate and the sound it made made me cackle

i can’t tell how i feel about the new middle school incident. i think it takes so much of the pain out of it for janis which is meant to be her main motivator. she was not supposed to be KICKED OUT she was PULLED OUT but i do kind of like that they clearly made it where regina kissed a girl and liked it and freaked out and that was the catalyst for everything

i do not ship this version of cadnis and that to me is unforgivable. they have sooo little chemistry as friends let alone lovers i just can’t stand it. janis doesn’t ever even seem like she wants cady around. it seems so much like they took away what makes janis janis just to turn her into another catalyst for regina and cady’s stories

apex predator was fun!! i honestly like it being janis and damian singing it better than janis and cady i think it works better as a warning and stuff! and also the band in the tree made me laugh so hard. i’m glad cady had them as her tour guides but again that’s all it felt like they were to each other and i miss them being a little posse

REVENGE PARTYYYYYYUH. i thought the staging was really fucking weird?? like all the pastels and shit didn’t really fit i would’ve much preferred it to start like that and then have blood dripping down the walls or something when they’re talking ABOUT PEOPLES HEADS ON SPIKES. but musically it was my favorite of everything!! i’m so happy they put the original verse back i almost screamed out loud in the theater when i heard it!!!!!

i never thought i would say this but i wish they had not canonically made her a lesbian. i will never forgive tina fey for having her end up with that random girl. no shade to the girl, she’s gorgeous and i’m glad we got some on screen, good, healthy queer rep. but in my eyes that is absolutely just a cop out because they know people wanted her to end up with cady or regina. they’re spitting on us and saying “here have your fucking lesbian and enjoy it this is what you get” and expect us to be happy with it. i get so angry every time i think about it and it honestly kind of ruined the whole thing for me. i would rather she have ended up with kevin g again. or like. honestly damian romantically would’ve made more sense in a twisted fucked up way. i just absolutely hate how they handled that.

damian thoughts:

HE! WAS! PERFECT! i am a grey henson stan first and a human being second but by golly he might be my new favorite. comedic timing on point and the fact we barely get to hear him sing is a FELONY. he was delightful and i love him also we love black queer rep!!! fuck yeah!!!! his bit with the fan before id rather be me. sent me into the dang stratosphere i love him so much

ALSO HIS DATE AT RHE END WE LOVE THESTRE BOYYYYY!!! ugh so cute i love

regina thoughts:

HOW DID THEY MAKE HER SUCH A COWARD???? HOW DO YOU TAKE A CHARACTER WITH SO MUCH POWER AND FUCK HER UP THIS BAD???

again everything that’s a core tenet of her personality was removed. i wasn’t afraid of her which is a CRIME bc renee on broadway’s regina was TERRIFYING. she just felt like one of those girls that every hs has like 7 of. they’re a dime a dozen, they’re rich and hot shit and they know it but you don’t care what they do because you know they’ll be divorced and broke and probably fat at your 10 year reunion. it’s giving peaked in high school and not queen bee which is really sad honestly

it made cady seem so much more evil tho?? like regina seemed. hurt. and cady was still so gung ho about taking her down. and it made janis seem much more manipulative too. i don’t care for either of those things

her costumes were so weird??? half that shit regina would not touch with a ten foot pole but it’s renee and she would and she’s hot so i do not care. also this isn’t a criticism but her halloween costume was giving gargoyle more than angel lol

plastics thoughts:

gretchen again felt really reductive. she was all anxiety. not that gretchen isn’t that onstage but it just felt like that was her entire personality. but bebe was adorable and i loved what’s wrong with me she did a great job

avantika was DELIGHTFUL. i loved her so much more than i was expecting to she was the only one where i never had a moment like “i am watching people acting in a movie they are repeating written lines” it felt much more like fluid with her. 10/10 beautifully done to her

aaron thoughts:

HOW DID THEY MAKE HIM MORE BORING????? MY GOD

he was already the most redundant character in the whole goddamn thing and they somehow made him even more useless. he could’ve been removed from the movie entirely and it would’ve changed NOTHING. he is white bread if he was a spice he’d be flour. didn’t think it was possible to make him more that but by golly they did it

HOW DID HE AND CADY END UP TOGETHER HE HAS THE CHEMISTRY OF A BRICK WALL. she has so much more romantic fire and chemistry with regina this is some of the most comphet shit i’ve ever seen. it’s giving wicked levels of comphet like gooooddamn.

misc. thoughts:

THAT LINDSAY LOHAN CAMEO HAD ME OUTBOF MY SEAT I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING BUT IT WAS AMAZING also that “i don’t know your life” was mwah

MS NORBURY SND MR DUVALLLL WERE SO CUUUUUTE i squealed ngl i love them

overall like 7/10 good movie i’m angry about a whole bunch but this is also amazing i’m so glad we got this new content and i am definitely hyperfixating on it now. so not that different from my stage show opinions lol

[prestonmonterey]

intro

!! plz dont send me chain asks !!

(pronouns page is linked on there but also here if you dont wanna look for it:)

ok so uhh basically the gist of it

hi

im preston

uhh for names call me preston or pres or squid or orion or jaxon or actually just whatever you want i dont mind (more on my prounouns page) (if we're friends/moots feel free to gimme a nickname if ya want)

pronouns are it/he/they (the order of preference changes from time to time also neos are alright just anything other than she/her)

fandoms im most active in: varian and the seven kingdoms/tangled the series, camp here and there (will wood too!!), adamandi, the art of pleasing princes, starkid, spies are forever and percy jackson (mostly the musical bc im in a production of it :)

you can always interact with me! apparently im intimidating but i swear im really nice (i think) and id be really happy if you sent an ask at any time :3 i promise i wont get annoyed even if you think youre being annoying i just really like interacting with cool people :3

you can tag me in anything and everything! i promise ill look at it :3 and i try my best to do tag games and stuff (lmk if you dont want me to tag ya) but if i dont uhh, just assume i was like, really tired that day, or ive been tagged by another moot in that game before and im too lazy to dig it up :P sry

uhh im a minor too so like nsfw/18+ blogs dni

i try my best to use tone tags but if i forget and you need them please let me know!! (i also find tone tags helpful for myself) :3

theres more info on my card about like other stuff too

tag key:

#marble musings = original posts

#marble monologues = long posts/reblogs usually about chnt or just like existentialism idk

#marble draws = art/fanart/crafts/cosplay type thing

#marble games = i make games on google forms! hoping to learn to code or get an actual game engine to make full games past like choose your own adventures

#marble music = song covers :3 (yes i have all the filtered instrumentals i used for adamandi, lmk if you want them i can send em over discord or something)

#marble asks = answering stuff in my ask box

i think thats all of them :3 might add more eventually, and sometimes i forget to tag properly so sorry about that :(

i have some sideblogs if you wanna check em out (not super active on them but ill still try to respond if you shoot me an ask)

hatchetfield rp sideblogs: @thelilcloverpatch @fading-angelic-starlight @marble-man @honey-sparrow @ivy-wreathed-arches and @hatchetfield-bone-thief (not sure why that one isnt properly linking but i swear its there you can search if you want)

[likeadevils]

Rank Taylor songs which are titled starting with The?

a lot of these probably change day by day but for right now:

The Archer (song of all time cried for four hours listening to this on repeat the day it was released and almost cancelled plans with friends because i didn’t think my mood could recover)

The Black Dog (i’ve said it before but platonic ideal of a taylor swift song. woman has a talent for revealing heartbreak in small everyday moments that seem simultaneously intensely specific to one person but are in fact universal)

the 1 (don’t have words for how good this song is because like. it’s just self evident. it’s a good song)

The Story Of Us (you ever see me listening to this and the plagues from the prince of egypt on repeat assume i am plotting murder)

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived (the BRIDGE?)

The Bolter (avoidant attachment style representation!!!!!!!)

The Outside (i feel like it’s revealing how high this made it on the list)

The Best Day (again just self evidently a good song idk what to say)

The Last Time (fun fact one of my dad’s favorite taylor swift songs. so. i guess this is the parent part of the list)

The Way I Loved You (BOP. BOP OF ALL TIME. FEARLESS DESERVES SO MICH MORE LOVE IN THIS FANDOM)

the lakes (good song!)

the last great american dynasty (if i can be evil for a second. i knew this was about her house the second she said “rhode island set”. so there’s my intensely niche intensely weird spot of pride)

The Manuscript (the perfect way to end the album tbh)

The Prophecy (“a lesser woman would’ve lost hope. a greater woman wouldn’t beg.” is one of her best lyrics it’s understated it’s efficient it packs a hell of a punch good job taylor)

The Great War (DISEL IS DESIRE YOU WERE PLAYING WITH FIRE)

The Very First Night (bop. lyrics make no sense but i forgive her because they make me chuckle)

The Other Side Of The Door (i will never turn down taylor ranting)

The Lucky One (might be my favorite intros of hers. like just production wise? gets me hooked every time)

The Moment I Knew (good song. ajay’s reaction to this means everything to me. personally don’t listen to it a ton)

The Albatross (again i like it i just dont listen to it a ton. but the verses are fantastic)

The Man (a weird case because most of the time i actively dislike it but i’ll listen to the bridge sometimes because like i said, will never shun a taylor rant)

The Tortured Poets Department (i don’t. like this song. i dont dislike it. but its a skip)

The Alchemy (again i don’t like. dislike it? it’s just kinda there.)

[browntrait]

(holds up a microphone) would you please share with us your 5 favorite albums of the year, and as a bonus, the one album you had really super duper high hopes for that flopped like a fish on land?

whewwww this is a great question!!! music is truly my tether to reality...this post is probably gonna be long so imma be nice n put it under the cut, soooo lets get into it

also tysm whoever sent this i love you so much!

K's faves and flops in Music of 2023:

Fountain Baby by Amaarae.

i was literally abt to post abt this album today bc its all i've been listenin to. every single song is so good in it's own ways. im also obsessed w Amaarae's voice like ughh!!! it's been on rotation nonstop, i love everything about it. i love her approach to music, its unique but relatable? absolutely obsessed i cant even say anything more.

2. Jaguar II by Victoria Monet

i mean obviously OMM eats but it's such a good album. easy to listen to, so well made, good ole RnB to the fullest. and so BLACK. she's an incredibly lyricist and vocalist, and i feel like she's a storyteller in her music. you can feel her journey in each song. my recent fave is Alright, bc it was produced by Kaytranda and i love everything he makes. it's gold. i wish Victoria all the success in the world!!

3. Renassiance by Beyonce

im only putting it 3rd bc it came out last year. i saw the tour twice this year and it was absolutely everything. the album means so much to me as a black queer femme person but also i've loved beyonce's music since i was 5 yrs old so, it's just nice to have another amazing album from an artist that has grown w me. it still eats every time. America Has A Problem was my most listened to song last year and it was in the high hundreds lmao.

4. Birds, Bees, The Clouds and The Trees by Harrison

its jazz, melodic and gives me so much nostalgia. there's a lot of soul, but it also feels light, sorta like the name of the album suggests. my fave song so far is Outta This World ft TOBi. it's different than the other music on this list but i fr be listenin to almost every genre! jazz music or anything inspired by it will always speak to me.

5. The Barbie Movie soundtrack

i mean what can i say....i like the variety of music on the album and i think theres a lil something for everyone! i was genuinely addicted to the nicki n ice spice song. i think it's also interesting that the composer for the movie decided to enlist in all the top artist to make music for the movie playing into themes around pop culture and mass production....or its just fun pop music, who knows! it's great either way, i wouldnt say its my fave favee but i've been going back to it recently.

and the flopp...now yall who have been here KNOW that i am a tinashe stan downnn and 333 is still one of my fave albums off all time but im not feelin the most recent one :// idk why i just havent been able to rlly get into it. i might get baked n do a listenin party n see if that helps, but something abt this album doesnt feel as curated as the last? idk. but i still love her n applaud her artistry and doing it by herself in an industry tht didnt support her for years

[bisluthq]

This is obviously a projection but after hearing the album, a part of me thinks that she actually never went to therapy until last year when she had that mental breakdown lol. But even independently of that, the whole album is her deconstructing an entire belief system and seemingly being determined to close a cycle that was jumpstarted by her rs with Jake G, which is her searching for salvation from love, using sex for control and/or communication, looking for a higher meaning in what happens to her romantically, believing that her lovers come to her life by fate. There's such heavy religious imagery throughout the whole album as well, and she always sung about Joe as a form of saviour that found her in her lowest moment, loved her and saved her, and eventually helped her heal. The Manuscript as the conclusion of the album is her making an argument that the higher meaning for her maybe isn't fate, but instead songwriting. Imo she's put lots of work (in therapy and elsewhere) to no longer view love as something that is fated to be for her or something that is supposed to be her salvation, which is why the Travis songs very notably don't paint him as a saviour or as something sent to her by fate, like most of all her previous love songs do (that also might be bc those songs were written when they were only a few months in though lol). She's very purposefully trying to not look for those sort of things from love anymore cos she's learned the hard way that it only leads to toxicity. She even begs for someone to change this fate in The Prophecy, only to realize that she's the only one who can do it; it's up to her and that's both empowering and terrifying, but ultimately very brave that she's determined to try. With Travis, she's very transparently looking for companionship and compromise, not for salvation or identity. It's why imo she really needed to put out this entire album as it is, completely raw, bloated, and unedited, in all of its glorious messines. As an art product, it's not as excellently curated and of the technical (cohesion, continuity, etc) quality as are folklore or Midnights, but that's not the point of this album. As a fellow pathological people pleaser, I find it very admirable that for once she decided to not cater to anyone's demands and expectations when in the past she has very obviously curated her work to be what the Recording Academy looks for (1989), what the public outside of her fans want from her (folkmore), or just to prove herself against critics (og Speak Now). She said "fuck that, I'm doing this for me because I need a fucking exorcism from this" and not only do I really respect that but I also love it as character growth and artistic evolution for her. And yeah, I know she's mad unhinged and there's a lot of ways in which she never grew up or matured and she tends to look for the thrill and excitement and thus often bolts from love, but I genuinely think this was a turning point for her and unpopular take maybe but imo Travis is a part of breaking that cycle. Obviously shit happens and nothing is ever perfect forever but idk I'm highkey a stan lol so I'm really rooting for her to continue being as healthy as she is right now and hopefully get all these personal things that she has always dreamed of.

eh except she did say Travis is something that comes along every couple lifetimes and he’s got her in a way no man has before. I’m not getting “Taylor’s been to therapy” from this album. I’m getting “Taylor did this instead of therapy”. I think she might’ve gone for her ED but she stopped and hasn’t been in ages. I do think Trav might convince her to go lol and is generally a very good influence.

[liu-anhuaming]

《我是歌手》 Season 1——Thoughts and Feelings

I finally finished rewatching 《我是歌手》 season 1. It only took me 4 months...

Anyways. I've put together some thoughts I have on this season (with some spoilers about eliminations and whatnot).

Here's a link to the YouTube playlist of every performance from this season (I'm pretty sure I got them all). It's 111 videos. For some reason, the 芒果TV account had like none of 羽泉's performances posted (maybe a copyright thing?), and they were missing a few other performances, so sorry if the quality on a few of the videos isn't the best. I went with the best versions I could find on YouTube.

Here's where I watched this season. It was actually kinda difficult to find a place to watch this season for free; a lot of the other seasons were on YouTube for free when I first watched them (though some have been removed since then). Thankfully I found this site, and the quality is really good. There's some funky sound editing moments, though it's unclear if the original recording is bad or if it's the video on this site. Either way, it's the best quality version I've found to date.

Also, advanced apologies to any 沙宝亮 fans out there.

The singers in this season all seemed to be more established and well-known. I mean, 齐秦 alone is wildly famous, and then there’s 羽泉 and 黄贯中 (from Beyond). That’s not a bad thing, since all of them were really talented. However, I personally think the show is at its best when there are a few newer or lesser-known singers thrown into the mix. It makes the competition even more unpredictable, and a lot of these singers bring some pretty unique performances to the stage. I think the only reason I have this preference and this stands out to me is because I watched all the other seasons before season 1, so my expectations of the show had already been set based on what they’d done in later seasons. So I’m not judging season one too much for this, and I understand production would want to do what they could to ensure a decent viewership.

One of the things they did this season that never shows up again in other seasons is have one episode where everyone spins a wheel and picks their next song that way. I thought it was an interesting one-off episode idea, and it gave us a lot of great performances. It pushed some of the singers kinda far outside of their comfort zones, and I always like to watch when singers pick challenging songs. A really great episode came out of this idea. As much as I love the singers getting creative freedom, sometimes it’s fun to watch them struggle a bit. Idk, maybe that’s mean of me to say lol

There was also one episode where each singer picked one of 齐秦’s songs to perform, and it was sort of like a tribute episode since he had to leave the season early? And at the end 齐秦 performed his return song, which he never got to do when he left. I liked this episode since I’m not super familiar with 齐秦 (I’m more familiar with his sister, the absolute goddess 齐豫), so I got to hear more of his songs. As much as I liked it, I don’t know if it’d work every single season. 

胡海泉 was also a really good host. I found all of his mistakes really relatable because I, too, cannot fucking speak. 

In terms of the singers, the ones who stood out the most to me were 林志炫, 黄绮珊, 尚雯婕, and 杨宗纬. I already knew about 林志炫 and 黄绮珊 before starting this season, so I knew what to expect from them. Every performance from 林志炫 was perfect (what else would you expect from the One Take King?), but my favorite performance of his (and actually of the whole season) was 《没离开过》. 黄绮珊 was also really great to watch. Even though I personally didn’t like a couple of the songs she chose, she was consistently killing every performance, even when she was sick. 尚雯婕 was pretty unpredictable in terms of genre, but I liked a lot of her performances. My favorite from her was 《Dog Days Are Over》, and I think it’s a shame she didn’t get to perform that before she got eliminated. She was really creative with her picks, and I really respected the risks she took even if I didn’t fully enjoy it sometimes. (Also, she was definitely this season’s fashionista. Those shoes, man) 杨宗纬 was a really unexpected favorite, since he wasn’t around very long before the resurrection round. But he really chose some good songs and put his everything into the resurrection round, and kinda won me over at the last minute. 

The rest of the singers were good, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I really loved or hated them. With one exception, that is.

沙宝亮 is a very talented singer, and I think he put on some very good performances. However. I personally could not stand the man. You know how sometimes you just see a person, and immediately think, “I do not like this person”? No good reason for it, there’s just something that you personally aren’t a fan of? Yeah, that was me with 沙宝亮. Every time he was onstage, I felt uninterested. Each time he spoke on camera, I did not care. This man did nothing particular to earn this from me, yet here we are. I was glad when we didn’t win the resurrection round, only for him to come back and torment me in the final episode. Despicable. Since I just spent this whole paragraph trashing him, let me be kind and say his performance of 《Someone Like You》 was quite good.

Now that I’ve discussed all the singers, let’s give out some “awards”.

My favorite performance: 林志炫《没离开过》

Best Fashion Moments™: 尚雯婕’s ensemble in episode 7 （非常的French）, 沙宝亮 in episode 9 (it was just ugly, sry), 周晓鸥 in episode 10 (that snakeskin vest? thing? was a Choice), 黄贯中 in the resurrection round (zero effort put in to covering that tattoo and it’s pretty funny imo)

Best hosting moments from 胡海泉: episode 1 mixup between 字zi/zhi, episode 3’s ze样一首歌, doing tongue twisters as prep in episode 4, this quote from episode 5 “看完明姐的表演，我宣布辣妈时代正式到来”, and episode 10 when the subtitlers really committed to spelling out every mistake he made

Most noteworthy episode: episode 5 (lots of great performances, the aforementioned 辣妈时代 comment, the lights in the confessional scene needed to be adjusted bc 周晓鸥’s bald head was too shiny, the guitarist Tommy was not wearing glasses/sunglasses which dealt me a deep psychic blow. 我是歌手 superfans will understand)

So overall, I did enjoy this season. I liked a lot of performances, and hated very few. Even though it was pretty good across the board, I don’t think it has a lot of rewatch value for me. There are certain seasons I know I’m excited to see again (like seasons two and three 👀), and I don’t think this would be one of those. Instead I’m probably going to just return to a few standout performances and rewatch those (I’ve already watched 《没离开过》 an embarrassing number of times).

[whiskeyswifty]

I think what Taylor has is that she has the appeal of both a pop star and an indie artist

I’ve seen this notion make the rounds and I think I see the vision but I’m not sure I totally agree. Maybe I do agree but I just word it differently? idk if i'd call her indie, or the appeal being an "indie" appeal. indie is a combination of both the musical style that is provocative, messy, and challenging the structure of songwriting and sometimes even singing. and how the small scale operational side creates the musical style out of necessity, but that's just me being nitpicky i think. still, that feedback loop and ecosystem is kind of essential to something being indie or even indie-esque and the genre of music it produces. i think what she is instead is singer/songwriter, which a lot of people conflate with indie. sometimes they overlap, but most of the time they're just lumped together incorrectly, especially these days. the main difference is i think indie artists make music that is more experimental in sound and thereby prickly at times. they're not as concerned with resonance as they are with creating unique sounding music that challenges what sounds "nice" and "enjoyable", which sounds pretentious as fuck but it's true and also important to art in general imo. it tends to lean more towards the punk rock sensibility of an all encompassing sound that makes you feel instead of any particular lyrics, which are there to prop up the sound for the most part and can often be nonsensical or stream of consciousness. whereas a singer/songwriter leans more towards palatable, dare i say pretty music that draws you in because the main focus is their lyrics. they're telling you something. they seek emotional resonance with an audience as their main priority, leaning more towards a pop sensibility in that way. Taylor is definitely the latter in my eyes (and ears), and so indie feels like not a great fit for her ultimately.

but i do see what you mean so i'm more partial to saying she has a "small business" appeal. she's selling you pop that is pretty broad and familiar but you feel like because she offers you the illusion of having a direct line to a human person, taylor swift herself. that you're getting an intimate and specific brand of that broad and familiar thing in return. executed excellently of course, but still broad and vague. so that killer combo; she makes products that are broad enough that they appeal to everyone and draw large crowds, creating a line out the door, but also people are willing to wait for what is essentially a vague/broad thing because she makes you think that what she offers is hand crafted just for you and only she can give it to you. And i think her songs are yes about her life..... technically. but look at the lyrical content and you'll find they're very very vague for the most part (with a few exceptions). rarely does she name places, people, or even specific event details, and when she does they're very commonplace. wine, perfume, windows, movies, cars, bars, bedrooms, doorsteps, etc. but while the subjects and settings are vague, it's the emotions she is able to verbalize that are hyper-specific. how it feels to wants someone you shouldn't want, the guilt of feeling alone in a crowded room of people who love you, the self hatred of missing someone who betrayed you, the paranoia that leads to the longing to run away with someone where nobody can judge you, etc. because hyper specific details and situations are not relatable, but nearly all human emotions are. its a very masterful illusion of specificity where you line up a bunch of specific motifs or visuals to make the story feel small and intimate, but the things you choose are actually commonplace. and this is on purpose!! the emotions are pinpoint specific because that's what makes you feel seen and draws you in, as everyone feels the same things but we all think we're the only ones who feel them, and then the setting is ultimately vague enough so you can project yourself into and onto it. she could be talking about your street or your bedroom or your high school so you feel like you could be right there next to her. that's secret to the success of broad pop!

With how small her operation is, given that it's all in house and mainly her family and a few key players compared to the village it takes to manage other popstars, she technically and comparably is indie in that way! the thing is most of the time, a genuinely small/indie artist operates like this out of the inability to pay anyone to help, but she does it by choice. she has a MOUNTAIN of cash she sits on because she may operate with a small team but also outputs broad pop that, due to her small team, then has MASSIVE margins that go right into her pocket. thats the only real genuine indie thing about her, but either way, that's not what you're tapping into when you feel that small artist appeal. it feels like she's a small business because she makes it feel like she's on the other side of the counter, offering her songs to you out of the palm of her hand. that illusion of intimacy and human connection that she's able to facilitate despite being the most untouchable person in the world. indie music isn't about direct human connection like that, not on the whole. again, that's conflating indie with singer/songwriter which is about that human connection. and she is both yes! a pop star that injects singer/songwriter human outreach and connection into that pop. a gourmet creme patissiere whipped up by an extraordinarily deft and patient hand, piped into a simple and common glazed donut. and i'll take two dozen please. that's the unique magic of her.

in the end i think we agree conceptually, i'm just very prickly when it comes to the word indie because i don't feel like that's quite right.

[roobylavender]

What do you think about the live disney princess movies? Like the beauty and the beast could’ve used separate actors for visual acting and the singing, Emma Watson was a bit dodgy idk. The music is toned down in the live action versions either by removing the songs or just being poorly done. Listening to some clips of the little mermaid 😘 hopefully I get around to seeing whole thing.

so when i was watching the live action beauty and the beast and lamenting the horrible music choices i had a mutual who actually linked me this video essay talking about live action disney's music choices in general and it was quite revealing, i highly recommend it. as for how i felt about the movie on a personal level.. i despised it lol. i think in my thread for rewatching all of these princess movies it took up the most space bc i had so many complaints 😭 here are a few summarized lol:

why i think the drop-off in disney live actions occurs after maleficent and cinderella is bc of the fact that these two were not originally musical movies. there were far less constraints present by which disney had to orient the original character arcs, and it gave the writers room to take the stories where they wanted to. the disney live actions after don't have this luxury bc almost all of them are based on films that were movie musicals in the first place. so you're essentially recreating a film almost letter for letter, while nonetheless trying to push it beyond those constraints, and it overall makes for a product that feels very.. awkward. not to mention the live action's music simply does not compare to the original's in any way, like adapting one of disney's best soundtracks ever was already going to be a hassle but they somehow managed to plummet even further below expectations with the end product

in that vein, i think what the live action beauty and the beast really suffers from is being both underwritten and overwritten. it's not willing to expand on the movie's original canon and instead creates new canon where it's not even necessary. for example: the live action cinderella expands on lady tremaine's cruelty and gives it a basis rather than making her into a randomly evil figure. comparatively, the live action beauty and the beast introduces lore as to how belle and the beast's mothers died and it's just.. not needed at all? they don't bond with each other over tragedy. they bond with each other over being outcasts who are misunderstood.

the live action also strips the original movie of all of its fun. there's no scene with belle's father chancing upon a moment of explosive genius, no maneuvering gaston out of the house into a pig puddle while the wedding band unceremoniously breaks into song. it's so lifeless as a movie bc there's only so much it can translate to a live action medium. this also applies to so much of the line delivery, which hardly feels theatrical anymore

the beast.. i'm so upset over how they revamped his character. there's so much deliberation and built up suspense in his original introduction to both maurice and belle that is simply lost in the adaptation. the beast's not an aggressor from the start, he prowls, he approaches slowly, bc he recognizes that he is viewed by others as a monster, bc he anticipates the rejection and fear. he's not actually an animal at heart in the original. he's the one who offers her a room, he's skeptical but quietly hopeful she might join him for dinner. the frustration only comes after bc it's paired with the despair and desperation of knowing that he may live like this forever. the live action carries none of that nuance. it paints him as an aggressor, as someone who doesn't even Want to treat her as anything more than a prisoner, and is forced into placating her by his servants. it completely fails to understand the beast wanted to break the spell, but he felt hopeless as to how

i respect that emma watson is a feminist but that really did not call for altering the entire script of a movie that was already fine and feminist in its own right lol.. like if i wanted to watch a movie about a man learning that it's not girly and cringe to read romeo and juliet i would peruse romance book twt like it was an entertainment channel. the beast's problem originally was that he had spent so long living as a beast he forgot how to live as a human. he forgot how to read bc in his mind no beast needs to learn how to read. to turn that portrayal of insecurity and shame into something about him not respecting shakespeare was just.. utterly stupid? and condescending?

all of this to say i wasn't really a fan of any of the live actions after maleficent and cinderella lol like obv each movie has its unique issues but they are in the same vein as this one's. except, lo and behold, the hype for the little mermaid was so highly anticipated ig that they decided to learn sense and actually put substantial effort into it. i really think it's the best live action disney adaptation thus far, there are so many things about it i love, not least of all the actually sensible feminist changes to the original script as compared to how beauty and the beast tried to recreate something as "feminist" that was already feminist in the first place. like there's no doubt about it, the original the little mermaid is very largely framed around ariel's desire to be with eric. but without giving away too many spoilers, the live action does such a marvelous job at reframing ariel's desire as one for the world, and in a way that really emphasizes on her conflict with triton. i do have a few minor complaints of the film but as a whole it's a really well done revamp that takes an originally very daring female protagonist and fleshes her out even more in the best way possible. eric is also given way more agency and personality so it really feels like you're watching the development of a romance between equals. i am absolutely sure you'll enjoy it when you watch it!

[rumpunch]

HIIII so… i finally got to see hadestown this weekend (the national tour production) w two of my best friends 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 i knew we were gonna see it for months but i didnt want to post abt it beforehand / acknowledge it in any way after making plans bc i was scared i would jinx it like what happened when i posted / talked abt seeing shows on the west end and then covid hit and sent me home lol. but i can’t believe i finally saw it!! it doesn’t feel real and honestly didn’t until right now as im writing this….. being in the theater was truly an out of body (and mind lol) experience for better or for worse. this was my first time seeing a show since covid and im soooo glad it was this one given how much it’s meant to me for all these years 🥹💗

i have a lot of thoughts on the production and also the plot / story so here they are lol:

production thoughts

for context ive never seen a hadestown 👢 before, i told myself that i wanted my first experience of seeing it to be actually seeing it in person. but ive listened to the obcr 5798673594 times over the last 3 years and the songs have become thoroughly woven into my life... so that made for a really weird experience where i knew every word but was watching it unfold for the first time and yet i knew what was coming for the most part. that also could be chalked up to the fact that ive seen so many gifsets and have read so many posts about other ppl seeing the show so i did know about some visual things.. but yeah it was just weird what i knew / expected and what i didnt lol

my friends and i sat in the back right corner of the mezzanine (like the LITERAL corner. no chairs behind us or next to us and the exit right next to us) and sadly the balcony in the set was cut off for us so we had to keep leaning across each other or scrunching our heads down to see the action up there :~/ but it was ok

i think bc of the above two bullet points + the fact that i really did not let myself believe that i was going to see the show bc i was scared of jinxing it + me having depression / possible derealization issues that i did not have when i first got into this show... i was kinda numb the entire time which sucks a little. i cried a couple times (happy / disbelieving tears in road to hell (persephone's entrance specifically for some reason, idk why it wasnt the "aight"s LOL) and any way the wind blows, sad tears in doubt comes in) but i didnt really... process anything in the moment or really experience the epic highs and lows of it while watching it. i just generally wasnt very moved! and im processing the show right now for the first time. and that kinda sucks and is unlike me and unlike what i thought seeing it was gonna be like. in a similar vein i found myself really focused on whoever was in the spotlight and im kinda mad at myself for that bc this is a show where SO many little details / context clues are communicated when ppl are in the background. but its fine i guess, i may be in a weird place mentally but i got to see it and maybe i'll see it again someday and be more moved

the cast was PHENOMENALLLLLL. j antonio rodriguez was our orpheus and he was the standout for me, his singing and acting as were breathtaking! i was frustrated about hannah whitley (eurydice) though bc like (and i feel bad for saying all of this)... nobody can be eva noblezada but hannah was missing a lot of notes / singing off key and kept like.. idk what the technical term for it is but she was kinda singing on her own beat and adding in a lot of pauses or rushing into things instead of staying on pace with the music and also she kept kinda revving up into the high notes and all of it grated on me. but i grew warmer to her singing in act 2 and i really appreciated her acting throughout! i didnt rly have many thoughts about hades (matthew patrick quinn), persephone (maria christina oliveras), or hermes (nathan lee graham) aside from ADORING all of their performances and what they brought to the roles compared to the obc! and the fates (dominique kempf, belén moyano, courtney lauster) / ensemble (kc dela cruz, colin lemoine, sean watkinson, shavey brown, raquel williams) / musicians were INCREDIBLE and had such amazing chemistry with and between each other :~D

antonio made for a bolder more charming orpheus and hannah made for a darker moodier more tortured eurydice which was interesting. but (and maybe this was just me dealing with the whole numbness / already knowing what to expect thing) i wasnt really convinced about their love story (specifically the early parts of it in act i as they were falling in love) or that orpheus in particular was insecure and vulnerable to the fates. but they did have some good chemistry in act ii especially and i was rooting for them so hard despite knowing wht was to come :~(

i knew that on broadway they have that little elevator in the center of the stage so i was curious about how it would work in the tour and... they had this giant oven box thing with moving doors! i actually really liked that, it made the whole idea of traveling to / from hadestown seem more sinister. that said i was kinda bothered by it during doubt comes in because orpheus and eurydice had to walk around the entire stage to make sure eurydice was positioned in front / inside of the oven and it kinda spoiled the ending in a way (even though we all know how that ends)... im guessing that on broadway its less exaggerated and you dont see it coming bc all eurydice has to do is just move over to the side a little. but idk i'll finally let myself watch a 👢 and see what the difference is

i couldnt take my eyes off of hades and persephone during promises. they started the song with hades kneeling with his head against persephone's stomach and then he stood up and they just hugged.... for a LONG time. like at least 3-5 minutes. and i was like god i wish that were me and i was thinking about what that mustve been like for the actors playing them.. like if thats a moment that they share and look forward to or whatever bc i know i would. it made me think about jenna's dear baby monologue in you matter to me LOLLLL

i saw from another post i read on here (as i was pregaming for the show by scrolling thru my hadestown tag LMAO) that orpheus runs through the audience at one point? and he didnt do that for us that i saw which i was bummed about. maybe thats just a broadway thing

i had no idea the set splits open during wait for me!!! it was so cool

i also didnt know / fully realize that hades produces a flower for persephone during epic iii 😭 the tears in my eyes... also speaking of epic iii hades singing the lalalalalalalaaaa got a LAUGH and i was so MAD!!!!! i get that its kinda funny because it just sounds so weird in his voice and its a startling moment... but that pissed me off bc the moment is supposed to be so tender and heartbreaking and the audience didnt appreciate that.. augh.

since its pride month the set was initially lit up with rainbow lights and in act ii hermes had little rainbow tassles on the ends of his sleeves!! :~D

plot / story thoughts

another context bullet point to kick us off: i discovered hadestown in the spring / summer of 2019 which was an INCREDIBLY formative time for me and so many aspects of the show (creative expression as a tool / forum for bringing about the world as it could be (and illuminating the possibilities in the world as it is), discovering that you have agency, love / loyalty / betrayal / sustenance, finding your purpose, etc.) were profoundly relevant to things that i was awakening to at that exact place and time in my own life. so i went into this experience hoping to have more insights like the kind i had when i first listened to the obcr... and i didnt really. i mean i had some but they didnt feel as profound i guess? and again that may just be me having mental health issues now that i didnt have then.. but that was a thing that i was aware of and kinda sad about. so yeah

that said... the main thing along those lines that i did take away (which really only hit me while watching epic iii / promises) is like... love is agency is love is agency is love.... or something like that. at least that they coexist and happen together. the oppressive conditions in hadestown and the poverty in the overworld strip the gods and humans alike of... their humanity (which is weird to apply to the gods but still)! their sense of self, and their love for each other and the world. the moment that became clear for me was in epic iii when the workers took off their goggles one by one and it was like.. they could See again! they could see themselves and each other, they were holding hands with each other and singing together. and they saw a future that they could create together. and hades was letting persephone dance and she kept spinning away from him with her arms outstretched like a bird but then coming back... idk. im not articulating this well and i need to think about it more and let it simmer for a bit and maybe watch a 👢 to get all the details. but it was like yeah... the opposite of capitalism imperialism etc etc is love and agency and they go together and they are the same thing.

another thing i need to think about more: orpheus went to hadestown all by himself to get eurydice! how come he was so confident then? he was LITERALLY alone. he didnt know where she went or if she would come back with him. and he didnt have the workers following him (though they were there in wait for me swinging the lamps, but i interpreted them as being like... part of the scenery i guess). he was completely alone and operating off of hope AND THE FATES TAUNTED HIM TOO and he was like... fine! so then in doubt comes in.. when he has all these people including eurydice following him... like idk. maybe its just because he'd confronted hades who couldnt fully be trusted and he knew that eurydice had turned her back on him and stuff... like maybe its just because on the journey back he'd experienced things that caused him to doubt / mistrust the people he was journeying with / from and that's what made him vulnerable, not so much the physical loneliness but the emotional loneliness that comes with a betrayal. which is something i just realized typing it out lol. but that kinda agitated me bc its like... he was FINE the way up so why did he crumble on the way back :~(

doubt comes in is such a fucking GUT PUNCH btw. i wanted to cry harder but didnt let myself bc i didnt want to be too loud or soil my mask. but i was so so scared to see it and it devastated me. its just so... SAD. and its so... like i relate to / identify with orpheus SO much yes in part because of the creative expression / seeing the two worlds thing but also because of doubt comes in specifically. its just so so so sad. he had all of these people including the person he loved most cheering him on and echoing to him. and he couldnt hear them. and he couldnt internalize how much they loved and believed and trusted in him. and he turned. that is so wrenchingly real. and it hurt so bad to see it playing out on the stage knowing what was about to happen and then WATCHING it in all the brilliant horror. like thats another insane thing the way the lights get so wildly bright. actually now that i mention that i think the lights are brighter in hadestown when bad things are happening. like hades saying I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY etc etc. that could be a whole post. someone should make that

im thinking a lot about The Song and whose song it is and actually WHICH song it is. bc if you think about it... so we're introduced to the lalalalalalalaaaa and whatever song that is which builds in the epics. and that song incites a lot of action like orpheus (quite literally!) tuning out eurydice which causes her to choose to go to hadestown, and hades realizing what love is and whatever. but another song that is equally if not more catalytic is.... IF IT'S TRUE!!!! bc thats the song that sparks the revolution among the workers and gives orpheus hope that he almost lost after learning about eurydice's betrayal and inspires eurydice to fight for something instead of succumbing to her fate. and in wait for me reprise when eurydice is singing "echoing OUR song" "the falling of OUR feet" ... like they're not alone as just the two of them, the workers are coming too!! so which song is she referring to! what if it's actually "if it's true" and the hopes that orpheus has stirred up about what the world could be?

btw speaking of orpheus tuning out eurydice... im sure this point has been made 5476463979 times but its rly interesting to think about how love languages (for lack of a better way to put it, ik that can be kinda reductive) work in this show. eurydice and orpheus both attempt to address the storm but the ways they choose to do it are different / dont align: eurydice tries to manage the short term by searching for food and firewood, while orpheus works on the song that will bring spring back and stop this kind of disaster from happening again. but iirc they dont talk about how they're going to take these two different but equally important strategies — eurydice at least interprets the song as being unimportant and orpheus just... straight up seems unaware of the food / firewood thing also being important. so theres a communication failure and eurydice interprets the silence as abandonment (for good reason, also relatable) and turns her back (ha!) on orpheus. and then with hades and persephone... hades does all these big flashy power gestures to show his love for persephone but it's the exact opposite of what she wants and they dont see eye to eye about how to express their love for each other either. yeah

speaking of eurydice making that choice... like yeah. sigh. betrayal is such a huge thing in this show. trust and betrayal. eurydice was (kind of) leading orpheus through the immediate short term danger of the storm and she turned on him. and the fact that she did was part of the reason orpheus turned on her. they made their vows in promises that they would walk side by side but he couldnt get over it (partially bc they literally weren’t allowed to physically walk as they planned but still). and eurydice said "im right behind you and i have been all along" and its like no you havent been thats the entire plot of the show lol (again for understandable reasons but still!)

another thing im sure has been analyzed 456456984 times but its interesting to think about hermes watching everything playing out while knowing how it will end and not choosing to intervene. idk what that means and my laptop is running out of battery so im not going to dig into it but im just thinking on it. BUT ALSO THAT GOES FOR US AS THE AUDIENCE like so many ppl probably know how it ends and maybe some ppl are seeing it multiple times and its like... anyone could intervene and change the story (within reason ofc). also goes for the other ppl on stage too like the musicians etc. its just interesting to think about the implications of that and what would happen if someone tried it both "in character" and "out of character" i guess

its interesting to think about the role walls play in the show too. like the wall hades is making the workers build to keep out the "enemy" and keep them (him) powerful and prosperous in their (his) isolation vs the walls repeating the falling of feet, echoing songs... letting people know theyre not alone. and the fact that that doesnt happen in doubt comes in even though orpheus is being followed by a whole crowd basically. idk. fascinating

ok those are all of my thoughts i think! i also saw some interesting posts / takes that im going to rb again bc theyre on my mind as i interpret the show but i dont want to put them in this post bc theyre not my original thoughts. ty for reading if you did :~D this is a glorious new era in rumpunch nation im so glad and grateful that i can finally say ive seen this beautiful show!

[wjsns]

and u know what im ready to make my full statement on MENG MEI QI too. the situation is so crazy to me, basically now in 2023 some ujung wont even type out her name because 1. cheating scandal (WHERE SHE WAS THE 3RD PARTY, WASNT EVEN THE PERSON TO CHEAT ON SOMEONE) and 2. doesnt mention wjsn ever and to me that is literally HILARIOUS like, god its just soooo funny to watch everyone pile in with the loudest most popular opinion and not do personal critical thinking, or hey, maybe they did and what mmq did really WAS too much for them to still support her but in that case i raise an eyebrow because idk… a lottt of yall are the same people who will get online and write about loving evil women and letting girls be shitty etc etc and she literally gives you what you asked for on a silver PLATTER, like doing nothing cancellable just giving us a good wholesome woman being evil and selfish and obsessed w herself and everyone turns on her!!!! sorry shes not fucking chuu lmao!? (ilu chuu no hate but there is space for good AND evil girls in my heart😇) im sorry im SO unbothered by her being the other woman in a cheating scandal like i cant imagine something mattering less to me and it actually made me super happy to confirm she fucks even tho the guy was ugly😇 but i said kinda most of this already so SECOND OF ALL about her not mentioning wjsn and shit… another thing i literally have NO problem with?? again, like…… no one was more distraught than me at what happened to ot13 but these are REAL PEOOLEEEEEEEEEE?!????!??? i’ve said this before too but i think its worth mentioning, i think my perspective on WJSN has always been a certain way because i grew up playing soccer on a team of the same ~18 girls for over 8 years and im very familiar with, idk, “team dynamics” in groups of girls growing up together? so i understand what its like to be in a larger group dedicated towards this ultimate, performance based goal together and while not everyone out of those 18 girls is one-to-one best friends and lots of people have pretty significant differences, none of that matters “on the field” or when you’re “working”, and its actually lowkey beautiful hiw such different people can unite together to make their dream happen AND develop really long lasting strong relationships w each other when they would otherwise might not have. so ive never had illusions that wjsn as a group has this monolithic motivator or reason for being in wjsn or being an idol, they are all super different personalities and have different interest areas like acting, musicals, song production, MCing etc! so its really impossible for me to feel upset or bothered in any way when i hear complaints about mmq’s behavior in this area because im like ? she obviously has/had this solo career (that i have to believe she had way more control and stylistic direction over than with wjsn) in her home country where she gets to embrace her personal style and concepts instead of matching wjsns, shes clearly separating from that past image and going in a different direction w her career! it does make me bummed that shes not getting 13 stars tattooed like xiao did but again what am i gonna do, be mad that this artist who i really care abt as a person is going off on their own path and direction? cujung is a ROCK of this fanbase its not like a mmq wjsn mention is going to create millions more ujung and album sales? just never added up to me, IM not gonna feel some type of way about it because stan twit fucking tells me to, like how it feels a lot of ujungs react to everything! that one thing going around that was like “wjsn are coworkers not friends” was sooooo funny for me to watch ujung actually get mad about because like,,, they ARE coworkers? AND FRIENDS?! there are 13 of them? each person has a unique individual and complex relationship with each other person? ah idk why i even bother with these essays the avg kpop stans iq is literally 65 yall love being spoonfed parasocial relationships simulated for ur consumption so much u completely block out ​the fact they are real people

[purecommemasolitude]

top 5 retj songs

NOO bestie how could YOU make ME pick

okay this is a tad bit late but

5. Le duel - this is the one that barely made the list f in the chat. It can work, but it can also fall flat, which balances out the great versions to fall here

4. Coupables - As much as I think RetJ generally excels more at big ensemble numbers than solos, this one simply does not make the cut to go any higher. It's great and sad, just not AS great as the higher songs

3. Demain - actually this one could be changed with coupables tbh. But this is the one that gave me goosebumps the first 200 times i listened to it, plus there's just so many opportunities for cool staging (don't get me wrong staging for Coupables is funky but it's a simplicity-is-the-best-policy then whereas for Demain you can do So Much) not to mention this is one of the few songs that actually treats Juliette as an equal main character (essentially I'm miffed Romeo gets songs that aren't about Juliette, but Juliette gets way less songs and when she does get her own song, it usually just revolves around Romeo)

2. C'est pas ma faute - ahh angsty tybalt my beloved. But actually, even aside from character enjoyments and tunes, I find cpmf really interesting because of how it explores the effects Verona's hatred has in a much more interesting (IMO) way from most La haines, with the exception of Hungarian & Ozuki Tooma La haines (okay ozuki tooma is a person not a production i know this But i feel like her tybalt acting choices justify the lyrics) and also from the perspective of a character who has felt its effects in a less "acceptable" way?? idk if that makes sense but I just think it's neat :) also a very interesting exploration of tybalt's character as well as verona

La vengeance - yknow after typing the last one I'm reconsidering having this be first and that be second akjhg. but like i said even during its worst, i feel like retj excels at big group numbers, and this was the first song for which when i watched it in my first watch-though (excluding songs i already knew) i went "oh i LIKE this" because it's just so oogh yknow? it's so atmospheric and really augments (is that a word in English.) the emotion and feeling of the stakes and it's like. well. it's just oogh. plus it's also a really neat example/case study of how verona's endless cycle of violence continues! and the little dialogue bit before for lady c is a really funky wunky look into the capulet family world + dynamics

[nayeonline]

IVE - 'After LIKE' Review

I reviewed 'Love Dive' on release, so i decided to do the same for IVE's third single album, 'After LIKE'. Idk why Starship is cosplaying as YG with the sheer lack of full albums but go off i guess

After LIKE:

This song is very catchy, and is extremely IVE, but I don't think it holds the impact that Love Dive and Eleven had. The prechorus (although I did enjoy it) feels kind of 2010s esque, like it totally reminded me of 'Wake Me Up' by Avicii. The strings in the chorus were fun, though. As for the lyrics, after Love Dive, they were a disappointment. I mean 'L and an O and I'm yeah'???? what does that even mean??? I'm praying this is a mistranslation, and it makes more sense in korean but idk. It is a little obvious in the chorus that they aren't the most developed vocalists, but their performances weren't necessarily bad in any aspects. I will say that while the song is very cohesive, it doesn't have that (in my opinion) necessary split from the expected flow of the song to make it standout - Eleven had the prechorus, and Love Dive had the chorus and dance break. I don't hate this song by any means, it's a fun comeback and the song is good, but IVE can do and have done better. (spoiler alert: their best song is literally on the same album.)

My Satisfaction:

I didn't expect this from IVE. This song is the spiritual successor to Love Dive, it's the couple everyone is jealous of running around the city at midnight, it's malicious, fearless, and intoxicated. It's such a velvety mature song that it makes After LIKE appear juvenile in it's themes, and even the production outshines the title track as being more experimental and interesting. The vocals don't have that editorial perfection that IVE are famous for, they are exhilarated and rough, and it's amazing. The last line, simply 'my satisfaction' with each syllable taking on a different note than the last is genius. It perfectly summarises the song, and brings it to an almost delicate close - it's like making eye contact with your lover the next morning in class. If After LIKE is your first relationship when you were 12, My Satisfaction is your toxic relationship when you're 18 and should know better. In other words, I love it. It's an explosive slay.

Comeback Thoughts:

I didn't really get the music video. Visually it was beautiful, as usual, but I didn't understand the purpose of having the cameras in shot as a consistent element throughout all the sets. I assume its to give the music video a 'behind the scenes', personal kind of vibe, but that is totally destroyed by the members totally ignoring the cameras on screen, and it being really obvious due to the angles and movements that the camera we are viewing them through is not the eyes of their partner/crush, or some elusive crew member, totally defeating the purpose. If u understood this please explain.

This era, for once, felt more open to showing off members other than Wonyoung. Don't get me wrong, I love Wonyoung, and don't think she deserves the hate she gets, but it is very obvious that the company favors her (this is no fault of her own btw.) Liz and Yujin in particular caught my eye this era.

Conclusion:

My Satisfaction is their best song to date, and one of my favourite kpop songs of the year. It outsold After LIKE, Eleven, Take It, Love Dive, and, as much as it pains me to say it, it outsold Royal. Their discography, although painfully small, is pretty damn good, and it reflects their teen royalty concept perfectly.

After LIKE is a 7/10, but My Satisfaction is a 9/10, its amazing. I don't stan IVE, and I don't think I ever will, but I will be reviewing their comebacks, especially if they keep releasing b-sides as iconic as this.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

OK my initial thoughts on midnights

reputation's older sister we all deserve

i can't decide if it's more production-driven or lyric-driven. obviously the production is Very In Your Face (not in a bad way) but i think it's a lowkey powerhouse lyrical album. it's packed with so many clever lines that she just glosses over that will take me probably a hundred listens to fully appreciate.

i know the entire album will grow on me over time because it's produced very well, but right now i find the album as a whole "good" with some fantastic standouts. anti-hero is far and away my favourite. sweet nothing is everything to me. you're on your own kid fucks me up. i know vigilante shit is super billie eilish but i LOVE it. midnight rain disappointed me at first but now i love it. chasing the PAIN. HE STAYED THE SAME. question...? also was one that's grown on me. sounds kinda 1989-ish? i need to give the rest a better listen. esp the 3am tracks. meaning i will be back with more brain dumps

the way that taylor has a song called vigilante shit and then 4 tracks later claims she's too soft for it all is Very John Of Her

mastermind is EXTREMELY paul coded as a whole, but the opening lines??? JPJPJP: Once upon a time, the planets and the fates/ And all the stars aligned / You and I ended up in the same room / At the same time ??!?!!? okay taylor your mclennon is showing

back to anti-hero. i think it's both paul/john coded and here's why:

One day I'll watch as you're leaving / 'Cause you got tired of my scheming / For the last time - this is paul!!!

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero - this is john!!!

I wake up screaming from dreaming / One day I'll watch as you're leaving / And life will lose all of its meaning / For the last time - this is both john and paul!!!

ok i'll be back over the coming days with more thoughts :)

let's go through this systematically:

yes. agree 100%

I think in a way both because, based on the description of how it was made, I think it was probably mostly written on the spot in the studio or with minimal preparation in advance from Taylor? So I think the production was chosen whilst the song itself unfolded which I think contributes to some of the really cool, unique moments.

Agree, the album didn't throw me around the bender on my first listen like folklore did, but so many moments just had me grinning. Anti-Hero is like the FIRST TIME that my fave is everyone else's fave + the song getting the single treatment. The music video is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Sweet Nothing is so astonishingly nothing and You're On Your Own, Kid gives me CHILLS towards the end I don't know how she does it. I really love the structure/narrative framing of Question…? it's really unique and adds so much depth. Labyrinth is sooooooo

She's a bad bitch with anxiety <3 let her be <3

ACTUALLY. hottake among swiftles perhaps (?) but I don't think Mastermind is Paul-coded in that I've never perceived Paul to be Like That about a relationship (vs about like his art). I mean... maybe? But that's not the vibe I've ever gotten from him. John? IDK maybe, they both come off differently to me, more stumbling into their relationships jkddfjk. It's actually hard for me to associate the song with either because when I heard it, I was just like. Yup. That's YOU. Like it's one of the most quintessential HER songs I've ever heard, not like, it's a staple of her writing technique but it's her personality. It literally makes me in love with her lol

Yeah I see the song as both now, but I think it's much more close to a song John would actually release I guess? It's also the fact that this is Taylor at her messiest, which doesn't bring up Paul-associations, if that makes sense?

ALSO DID YOU SEE THE MUSIC VIDEO???? IT'S SO GOOD!!!

[ohdudedhesflirting]

The problem is this society is that it a capitalist one. Productivity is more important then well being and that is something which I deplore immensely

Agree. Though I hate it more when companies say they have a good work life balance and care about their employees when they don’t really. Some are better for sure. But I guess no one would want to somewhere that’s like “we don’t really care about you…” idk idk maybe I just like complaining

Omg wow so you are aged then ? That’s so impressive ! Congratulations for going to the next door I am very proud of you darling. And yes do take some time off to focus on work 💛

I'm assuming you meant "round" instead of "door" 😬

I’ll still be on Tumblr to talk to my moots when I’m taking a break from being an adult (but I’ll try to make my convos short because sometimes when I intend to talk to people for like 10 to 20 minutes, it becomes like an hour instead whoops lol) so I can get motivated to go to work. 

Oooh so you are writerrrr I hope I read some of your work !

I’m an illiterate writer but that is a writer lmao.

A job in the public industry might be good because I think you will a job that is safe and well paid ! I believe in you for those interviews you are going to be amazing !

THANK YOU 🫶 Regardless of the result, it’ll be good practice at least.  In my field and country, the pay is a lot lower but at least it's secure and has a good pension apparently?? Less stressful for sure.

I love that IU song I think it’s one of her best one ! I don’t know most of those lol but I’m gonna take a listen to them and see if I like them as well <3 I recognize some the title but I’m not sure I actually know them and I don’t like that le serafim song it somehow gets in my nerves ? Like I’m a mess mess mess part makes my blood BOIL

Which IU song? I think I listed like three? 😝

OOOO..can you tell me why you don’t like that leserrafim song? I want to know (and I’ll try to recommend songs away from that for you). I personally didn’t like it at first but it’s grown to me. 

I’ve actually listened to all songs before except the first one (L’enfer by Stromae) so I'll listen to it today. I really like STAYC for their vocals. I’m okay with Enhyphen lol. xikers has potential. And speaking of xikers, I’m thinking of going to KCON LA this year (most likely for the Saturday concert and if I can get meet and greet tickets. Some sources say its random while some say you can pic. Its kind of a mess but it’ll likely be the only chance I get ZB1 because I’m too scared to go to concerts in South Korea and Japan).

🤙 anon

For me when a company, a school, or a university say they are a family it’s when it’s the worst... Will from my experience that’s when it was worse ! They are no good companies that actually care ? They pretend to but they actually don’t. But at least when they are pretending it’s a little bit better ? Idk how to explain

I did meant round I am sorry. Time managing is hard and I am proud of you for tying ! I’m sure it will work towards the way you want it to ! i’m cheering for you 💛

You are not an illiterate writer. For me there is no such thing as that and get ready for a sappy moment but writing is hard, very hard and having people read it is hard as well. Taking the courage of writing is something and many people get stuck. So don’t you are illiterate. I am sure you are brilliant.

If you allow let me tell you a bit about my story with writing. (You don’t have to read it if you don’t want to). I always write stuff, when I was a kid and I didn’t like the ending of a good I would take a pen and scribble over it. I was writing little stories as well. I started to write seriously when I was 13 yo. And I started writing 2 books at that moment (never finished them). I had some MAJOR health problems when I was 13-14-15 and I was doing very bad. Writing and reading helped me a lot. When I was around 17 I had ideas for a new book, I planned it and I wrote it. A whole book of more than 300 pages. My bay. I was 19 at that point and friends and my mom read it and loved it. I send it off to house of editions, and I was rejected. I think I must be at 7-10 rejections now ? Since then I feel sick whenever I try to write, what was once my comfort became something that me sick. Now I’m trying to get back to writing with those fanfic but the nauseous feeling is still there. (Lord I made myself sad lol)

Which is why I admire writers, writers that don’t give up, that kept on trying. So don’t say you are illiterate, i believe in you and I support you.

Job security is the real deal lemme tell you. And you are still young you can still have promotions !

It was the first IU song that was in the list. I have a terrible memory I am sorry.

For the lesserafim song it’s just aphas something in the melody that itches my brain the wrong way ? It’s the same for aespa songs actually every time I try to listen to one it make my brain itch in a bad way ? I guess it must be something in the melodies or the way the voices are arranged ?

Stromae is a Belgium singer/composer and he is amazing and the lyrics are always very deep ! Stayc vocals truly are amazing and I also think xikers have a lot of potential ! And I love enha I have two of their albums lol

First of all you are American ?? I feel like going to kcon would be an amazing experience and from what I remember the lineup is crazy ! If you feel like it’s your only chance to see them try and go for it ! That would be awesome memories ! (I totally get that going to Korea/ Japan is scary and could be very overwhelming!

Hydrate yourself a lot, eat a lot, take care I love you 💛