#it is just so good. the slow start the buildup to the chorus the bridge being a callback | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

decembermoonskz · 2 years ago

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+ ateez : the world ep.1 : movement | my comeback review/thoughts °˖✧

figured i’d start doing this bc it’s a lot of fun writing these haha enjoy me screaming, making incoherent sentences and losing it over them. (tldr i love ateez so much) i used a star for my favorite songs!

album ;

now then, time to get into the album! >:)

:: PROPAGANDA

first off hongjoong’s “wake up world” intro is so cool. it gives me chills.

the sirens(?) and the very cybernetic vibes of the synth are so cool (that synth key change freaked me out highkey it’s ominous)

when the guitar hits tho it’s so interesting, like it reminded me of “daisy” by pentagon (it’s the same key as that song actually iirc) but also it’s like a calmer “guerrilla” as well with jongho’s vocals.

this is a great intro imo

:: Sector 1 ★

THE INTRO!!! IT’S FROM THEIR PREV MVs!!!! NEAR THE END WHEN YOU SEE THE MAN WITH THE MASK!! this literally got me so riled omfg!!

but omg the song is so so good! it’s one of my new favorite b-sides from them for sure

the chill intro and then jongho comes in and it completely becomes the hype ateez dance anthem vibe again

hongjoong + mingi rap coming in again and slaying fucking fr *cries* (mingi’s rap is so so good! it’s both lowkey but has his usual aggression it’s perfect)

the pre-chorus is so good tho omg yunho *head in hands*

the make it rain / make a wave part is so fucking catchy omg i just groove to it

san’s part in the bridge with his lower register has me feeling some type of way *looks away*

def an instant fave

:: Cyberpunk

oh my god the intro slapped me in the face

SAN STARTS THE SONG *CRIES*

the funky synth tho is so good omg the loop isn’t too droning or annoying i like it

MINGI’S RAP IS SO EARLY HHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAA (the fix on got me riled)

ooh the chorus tho... :000 the keys they’re hitting and the progression, it’s almost like a circus type of feeling i love it so much.

hongjoong’s rap is so good so fluid MINGI CAME BACK

jfc jongho went up three octaves (go off man goodness)

i like this one a lot, has a eerie vibe but very techno and dystopian i love it (the circus-y chorus made me think of the circus area in nier automata)

MINGI AGAINNNN

:: Guerrilla ★

THIS SONG MOTHERFUCKING SLAPS!! it’s definitely one of my favorite title tracks from them already.

on first listen i knew immediately

hongjoong and mingi’s raps are one of my new favorites for them for sure *nod nod* (the relaxed vibe in hongjoongs and the flow of mingi’s >>>>)

the song perfectly captures the vibe of their stroyline and the imagery they were creating in the mv and even on its own it explains the story perfectly! if you’re just getting into them this is still a great intro into their overall aura for sure!!

jongho’s vocals are really amazing in this one, the ones in the ending of the chorus are almost haunting it’s amazing

the clearness of the guitar at the end of the chorus is pure ear candy i won’t take any other opinions. thank you.

yunho and san’s part in the second verse!!!!!!!! i lost my mind omg the way san went up in his falsetto set me off it was soooo pretty (such a contrast to the rough and dark color of the song i loved it)

THE BRIDGE >>>>>>>>

the metal elements were not overused or oversaturated which was so nice imo i’m glad they didn’t overuse the heavy metal screaming sample i think it would be too grating on my ears otherwise. they placed it in the song at the perfect times which is amazing

overall the song is great. the composition is amazing 10/10 for sure!

:: The Ring ★

oooh this one sounds so interesting.

i wasn’t expecting how slow the beat was.

OMG the pre-chorus + chorus is AMAZING!!!!! omg i loved the buildup and the drop was delayed too! i was anticipating it but omg it caught me off guard. it’s so good!! the bass hits so perfectly

MINGI’S CALM FIX ON!!!

omg hongjoong you better mfing slay

THAT DROP IS SO GOOD *head in hands*

the ascension of the vocals i love ittttt

help- i didn’t even realize this song is freakin four minutes LOL i was like “omg it’s still going” HAHA

omg the lotr. ty salena for pointing it out i wasn’t a lotr kid don’t judge me

:: WDIG (Where Do I Go) ★

oh snap the intro!

OH SHIT NO THE START YES THIS IS MY SHIT RIGHT HERE

mingi tell ‘em omg!!

my head is bopping

the autotune is actually used nicely i’m a fan

OOOOOH THE CHORUS YES! it’s slower than i expected the hits are so good!!

OMG THAT SOUND BEFORE HONGJOONG’S RAP EAR CANDYYY

omg i love this one so much!!!

:: New World

THE CHOIR-LIKE VOCALS TO START WHAT IS THIS FINAL FANTASY?!?!

OMG THE AURA OF THIS SONG

i feel like i’m in a video game and we’re heading for the final battle

it’s such a good vibe for their storyline!! like we’re heading into the battle or starting a revolution! it’s so epic feeling

SAN’S VOCALS *SOBS*

MINGI’S FINAL RAP MY HEART IT’S SO GOOOOOOOD

THIS SONG IS SO EPIC UGH I LOVE IT

what a great conclusion to the album!!

mv/performance ;

okay now to just talk about the mv and the dance and stuff. omg this was an amazing comeback and it really speaks to their lore and storyline! they went all in with this one for their universe they’ve made and i’m absolutely in love with it!! when i saw the teaser where hongjoong took the mask off and the heavy metal screams came in i knew this was gonna be an amazing comeback and i was right!

the mv was absolutely amazing!! i loved the sets and the overall vibe. the way they’re starting the rebellion/revolution and rising up it feels like they’re phoenixes that the world they’re in tried to silence and they’ve risen again.

this was my favorite image from the mv by far. the symbolism and the revolution themes here are so beautiful. the colors too i love it so much. this has to be one of the prettiest scenes i’ve seen in an mv period. i love it so much. if i’m not mistaken they’re referencing an existing painting (if you guys know it please let me know bc i can’t think of it right now).

the visual effects are so wild but at the same time they could be overwhelming when hongjoong and mingi were rapping. i for one loved them, i say this more for people who may be new to atz or not aware of their storyline/lore, however it felt like it was fitting that it was overwhelming, bc at least for my interpretation they’re overwhelming this so-called perfect system the world they’re in claims to live in.

the styling was so nice too. the all black outfits were so nice but the ones they had in the area where the blimp flew over them were nice too! i loved the styling overall and it felt so good!

i want to say props to their staff and their team for making such a great vibe that felt so unique and distinctive for ateez and the world they’ve made.

final thoughts ;

if you made it this far then thanks for listening to my rambling but i just had so many thoughts about this comeback (i’ll probs do this for other cbs as well when i feel up to it) this comeback is probably one of the best in 2022 and also just in general for me. i’m gonna enjoy and savor this era so much. it’s truly a masterpiece! ateez are such amazing performers and storytellers. period.

#izzy talks comebacks #eight makes one team #anyways here are a good chunk of my thoughts that i could actually communicate properly #if you have any thoughts yourself pls let's scream together #ateez #ateez guerilla #ateez guerrilla #ateez comeback

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yourlocalfictionalenthusiast · 4 years ago

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IN LIFE, IN DEATH...

PART FIVE

:Masterlist:

Warnings: Swearing and angst, baby!

A/N: I just realized that the tags on Part Four got messed up so i'm sorry for everyone that didn't get tagged! <3

---

June 1994

“I can do this.”

You mumbled to yourself as you paced in the sand, rubbing your sweaty palms against the leg of your jeans.

From your spot ‘backstage’ area, you could see the crowd as they waited for the next band, and it was huge. Huge enough to where any other day, you would’ve been buzzing with excitement, unable to sit still until you got behind your microphone. You would’ve been nauseous for a whole different reason.

But today was different.

Today you were singing a new song that you had spent weeks writing. The boys helped with the melody here and there, but it was the first whole song you had written in years, and at the end of it was the highest note you’ve ever hit.

And you had gotten through it perfectly every time you practiced it and you knew there was no way for you to be prepared, but there was still a nagging voice in the back of your head that you couldn’t shake.

“Hey.” Alex appeared at your side with a sympathetic smile on his face, instantly recognizing your pacing as a cry for help; considering it was a habit he picked up from you. “You need anything? Water? Aspirin?”

“A puppy?” Reggie chimed in.

“To punch Luke?” Bobby asked.

“Dude!” Luke protested, shoving Bobby’s arm before stepping in front of you and resting his hands on your shoulders, his thumbs tracing slow circles on your collarbones in a way that was supposed to be soothing but only added to the mosh pit in your stomach. “(Y/n), you know this song inside and out. I’ve seen you kill it dozens of times with my own eyes.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but Luke cut you off with an insistent look and a shake of his head. “No. No more doubting yourself, okay?”

“You kids are up next.” A gruff voice announced from backstage, and you took a deep breath as you nodded, looking up at Luke with a weak smile.

“You’ll be there to take over if I hurl everywhere, right?” You joked.

“You’re not gonna hurl.” Luke laughed, dropping his hands from your shoulders and wrapping one around your wrist. “But, of course I will. Now, ‘c’mon!”

He started walking towards the stage, dragging you with him. When you passed Alex’s drum set, his eyes drifted down to Luke’s grip on your wrist and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. You barely had time to flip him off before you arrived at Luke’s microphone.

He smiled as he dropped his hand to tug his guitar strap over his head. “I’m serious. You got this.”

“Thanks, Luke.” You mouthed to him as you walked to the center of the stage, positioning yourself behind your mic.

“How are we doing tonight?” The announcer asked over the speakers and the crowd cheered. “Hey everybody! Welcome to our annual ‘Sunshine Showcase’ where we hit you with the hottest new music in L.A. Everybody give it up for our next band: ‘Sunset Curve’!”

The bright lights at the edge of the stage switched from a dim white to bright red and yellow, casting a faint orange glow across the stage, mixing with the color of the disappearing sun. Alex started a steady rhythm, catching the crowd’s attention. Luke and Bobby joined in, then Reggie.

Then it was time for you to sing.

Your voice started out a little shaky as you sang the first few lines, but it slowly got steadier as you approached the chorus and by the second verse, you got completely lost in the music, bouncing and bobbing your head.

As the second chorus came around, you felt yourself getting nervous again. So you whipped around and met Alex’s eyes. He smiled reassuringly and twirled his drumsticks around his fingers. Then faster than you could blink, Reggie was at your side, giving you his signature goofy smile as he played along.

You threw your arm over his shoulder and bump him with your hip, sending him back to his spot and making a few people in the front row laugh.

Then Alex’s drumming quieted as the bridge came up. You willed yourself not to throw up as you pull your microphone off its stand and crouched down to sing to the crowd.

1...

You kept your voice as steady as you could, giving them your best confident smile as you slowly picked yourself back up.

2...

The music got louder as it neared the end of the bridge and you took a deep breath to prepare for the high note, but it disappeared from your lungs when you realized that Luke had started walking towards you.

3...

Just as he stopped in front of you, the buildup stopped and you could feel everyone’s eyes on you as you closed yours and poured all your energy into the music.

You hit the note perfectly, even surprising yourself a little when you held it longer than you ever had in practice. The crowd erupted in cheers after the note ended, but you kept your eyes closed as you soaked up the moment.

When you finally opened them again, Luke was right next to you, an amazed look on his face. Suddenly, you were grateful for the bright lights covering your face because you were definitely blushing.

The backup for the chorus started up again, but everyone else stopped singing, leaving it up to you and Luke. You held your microphone out so you could both be heard over the cheering. Usually, you all tried to interact with the crowd as much as possible, especially Luke. But his eyes never left yours, not even to look down as he played.

They were so bright and filled with so much intensity that it was hard not to get caught up in moments like this. It wasn’t unusual for you and Luke to sing together and pretend to flirt. The crowd always ate it up and it was pretty fun in the moment. But it always crushed you when the music stopped and you were reminded that it was all for show.

The last note rang out and you let out something between a shaky breath and a relieved laugh. While the boys grabbed their instruments, you walked through the backstage curtain and jumped onto the ground, the adrenaline still racing through you.

“That was awesome!” Reggie said enthusiastically as he tackled you in a hug.

“Yeah, you killed it, (Y/n)!” Alex raised his hand to give you a high five, but his eyes were focused on something behind you. You turned to see what he was looking at, but all you saw was a blur of shaggy brown hair and a grin before a pair of hands lifted you into the air.

“You did it, Squeaks!” Luke cheered as he spun you around, making your head spin. “I told you that you weren’t gonna hurl.”

“I still might if you don’t put me down!” You managed to say through a fit of laughter, holding on to his shoulders to secure yourself as he gently set you down.

You had expected him to pull away once you were back on the ground, but his hands stayed firmly on your waist and he tilted his head forward slightly so his forehead rested against yours.

The world around you slowed down, and you had to put effort into catching your breath again.

“Get a room, guys.” Bobby called as he put his guitar back in it’s case, making Alex and Reggie laugh. You chuckled awkwardly as you pulled away, glaring at Bobby. Luke just smirked and leaned over to stick his finger in Bobby’s ear. “Gross! Dude, stop doing that.”

“Well, I’m starving.” Alex said suddenly, sending you a quick look over his shoulder and you knew he was trying to give you some time to freak out in peace. “Anyone want some pizza?”

The boys all nodded in agreement and started walking towards the parking lot towards Bobby’s car with their instruments in hand, but your feet stayed frozen in place. Your heart was racing as you stared down at the sand between your feet, one question filling up every corner of your mind.

Was it possible that Luke liked you back?

2020

If there was one thing you’ve learned from being a ghost: it’s that everything is unpredictable.

You had just started to accept that this was your ‘life’. That you would never tour the world, and perform in front of a crowd ever again. But then you sang with Julie in that gym, and everything in your world changed.

Again.

Your mind was overloaded with questions. Why can people see us now? And why do we only show up while playing with Julie? Why is the afterlife so confusing?

And one more question, that was less serious but equally as important.

Does Luke like Julie?

It had been plaguing you since last night, when Luke had disappeared into the Molina house and didn’t come out for an hour. He had taken his songbook with him, which you didn’t think anything of at the time. But now you know that he gave her ‘Bright’, one of the first songs you and Luke had ever written together.

And then again today, when she sang, Luke looked just as excited as he was when the two of you wrote it. You scolded yourself for thinking about this now when there were bigger things happening. But you couldn’t help but feel like the universe was hanging a giant sign in your face telling you to give up on Luke.

Across the room, Alex started pacing and you shook those thoughts from your head. You knew that if you were freaking out, then Alex was probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

“I think he’s practicing his model strut.” Reggie whispered.

“He’s so nervous that it's making me nervous.” Luke agreed.

“Al?” You asked softly. “Are you okay?”

Alex sighed. “Okay. You guys know I don’t handle change well. Death? That was a change. Okay, then we became ghosts. Another change. And now we can be seen whenever we play with Julie. Big freaking change!”

“Yeah, but it was a good change.” Luke said. “With Julie, we can play on stage again and be the band we never got to be.”

Luke’s words felt like a punch to the stomach. Sure, maybe you guys never got famous when you were alive, but you were still a band. You still poured all your time, energy and ability into every song you made together. You knew that Luke was just excited and not thinking about his words. But it felt like another sign hitting you in the face.

“I just-” Alex let out a defeated sigh. “I just want to know why.”

“Forget why.” Luke shot up from the couch. “I think we should ask Julie to join Sunset Curve.”

“Yeah!” Reggie agreed. “I mean, with a new lead singer, this band would be legendary.”

And there was another punch.

“Dude.” You said, trying not to show how much that comment stung. You loved Reggie like a brother but sometimes you wished he thought things through a little more before he spoke.

“Hey! We’re the lead singers.” Luke crossed his arms petulantly.

Reggie raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. She can make us visible! Without her, we’d just be like elevator music.”

Luke pouted. “Well, you don’t gotta be so mean about it.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Alex starting to pace again.

“Al.” You said, walking up to him and stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Alex pushed his hair out of his face. his breathing was a little heavy. “I just…”

There was a moment of careful silence, like everyone was holding their breath, too scared of saying the wrong thing. You all knew how bad Alex’s anxiety could be, and while this wasn’t the most freaked out you had ever seen him, it was getting close.

“Hey,” You intertwined Alex’s arm in yours. “Let’s go for a walk, yeah? Clear our heads?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

You sent one last look over your shoulder to Reggie and Luke before you closed your eyes and concentrated on one of your favorite spots in the city. It was one of the first places you went to on your first night back.

Back in the 90's, it was one of your go-to spots when you just needed a place to breathe and sort through your thoughts.

The Walk of Fame.

The noise of the street filled your ears and opened your eyes, finding yourself in the middle of the sidewalk. Alex was right beside you, staring down at all the stars.

"Here? Really?"

You rolled your eyes. "Duh. It's where you and I had our first heart to heart, remember?"

Alex smiled as the memory played through your heads. It was a week after he came out to his parents and the tension in his house had slowly been building up until it was too much for him to handle. So you dragged him here.

"And I think it's time we had another one." You nudged him. "So, come on."

As the two of you walked through the streets of Hollywood arm in arm, it was like an invisible dam burst open and all the questions came pouring out.

After an hour, your head felt like it was going to explode if you kept thinking about all the crazy things that had happened since you got back. But there was still one question you needed to ask.

"Hey, Al?" You asked, making Alex hum in response. "Do you think that Luke likes Julie?"

"Yeah, I mean, I thought he was going to propose when he realized she can make us visible.” Alex said, his face dropping when he felt your arm tense in his. “No! Not like that. Shit, sorry. I-”

“It’s okay, Alex.” You said. You could see him cringing out of the corner of your eye and you knew he was probably beating himself up. “Maybe it’s a good thing, you know? Maybe it’ll be the push I need to finally move on.”

“But you can’t move on until you know how he feels.” Alex stopped abruptly, making you stop too.

“I think he’s been pretty clear."

“Has he?” Alex asked. “In case I missed it, you and Luke haven’t been talking much lately.”

You started to argue but then suddenly, a guy on a skateboard came barreling around the corner and ran right into Alex, making his arm fall out of yours as they both went crashing to the ground.

Alex slowly got back on his feet, groaning painfully. The other guy followed, sighing as he inspected his skateboard.

“Aw, man. You dinged my board.”

“I dinged your board? You almost ran me over! You’re lucky I didn’t-” The realization flashed in his eyes. “You ran me over.”

The skater looked just as confused as both of you when you asked, “You’re a ghost?”

“Yeah.” He took off his helmet, showing off his long hair. “Ever since I learned that skating in traffic was bad.”

Alex took in a sharp breath next to you and you smiled, knowing from the way his jaw dropped and he tripped over his words when the other guy tried to apologize that he was having a ‘gay panic’ moment.

“You guys are new to this whole ghost thing, huh?”

Alex was still a blushing mess but he seemed to find his voice. “Is it that obvious?”

“Totally.” The skater extended his hand out to Alex. “I’m Willie.”

“Alex.”

You introduced yourself quickly, then turned to Alex with a grin. Of course, you wanted to keep hanging with Alex, but it was time to be a good wing-woman. “Hey, I think I’m gonna go back to Cece’s for a while, but you should stay and get some information.”

Alex blushed again, clearly picking up on your intentions but he nodded.

“It was nice meeting you, Willie.” You said, waving goodbye but not before you raised your eyebrows at Alex to let him know that you were definitely going to be grilling him about his afternoon later.

Just like every other time you walked into the diner, you were hit with a wave of painful nostalgia.

On a day like this, you would’ve walked right through the kitchen door and straight into Cece’s arms, rambling on while she made you her special hot chocolate and talked it all out with you until it made sense.

But now, you’re stuck trying to figure everything out alone.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite waitress.” Teddy called out from behind the counter, dog-earing his book and setting it aside to give you his full attention.

“Dude, we just met.” You raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t it a little too early for shameless flirting?”

Teddy scoffed playfully. “It’s never too early for shameless flirting.”

You weren’t super inexperienced when it came to flirting, but it felt like you were in this moment. Sure, you and Luke flirted on stage all the time, but it wasn’t real. At least not for him. But you had gotten so used to it that someone being open about their feelings with you short-circuited your brain a little.

“So.” You said, looking down at this book on the counter. “The Great Gatsby?”

Teddy laughed. “Yeah, it’s kinda on my bucket list.”

“But you’re already dead.”

“Touché, Gorgeous.”

You sat there, talking about your lives, and deaths. Reluctantly, you told him that you died from a hotdog, which led to him declaring it to be the funniest death in history. The more you talked to Teddy, the better you felt. And before you knew it, it had been hours.

By the time you finally decided to leave, there was still a gaping, Luke-shaped hole in your heart. But you decided that maybe it was time to listen to the signs the universe- that Luke- was giving you and try to move on with your life.

Even if it meant letting go of your best friend.

In Life, In Death Taglist:

@ifilwtmfc @instabull @wanniiieeee @tenaciousperfectionunknown @nieauou @merceret @itismeasmolpotato @lilostif16 @dangerouslyclose @iainttakingshitfromnobody @givemebooksorgivemedeath @sunsetcurvedotmp3 @askgeoff

JATP Taglist:

@caitsymichelle13

(The strikethough means I can’t tag you)

Let me know if you want to be added!

#luke patterson #luke patterson x reader #luke patterson imagine #julie molina #Reggie Peters #Alex Mercer #willie jatp #jatp fanfic

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breadboylovin · 4 years ago

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NEW POST FOR MY 95060 PLAYLIST!!! complete with explanations of every song choice under the cut because i love explaining my own creative decisions for some reason (PLEASE DO NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO READ ALL OF IT IF YOU DONT WANT TO ITS VERY LONG LOL). i may add a few songs here and there later on, or more likely rearrange what i've already put in slightly, but for now i consider it done.

alright now heres a look into my twisted mind

PART 1: TEMPTATION

Franz Ferdinand - Michael: It's a song about seducing someone named Michael. What more can I ask for (serious explanation is that it’s also very homosexually charged like you just have to listen to it… also feels taunting in a way where it’s like ‘oooooh you want me so bad’ and he’s RIGHT Michael DOES want him so bad). Also credit to this post for letting me know this song existed and inspiring me to make this playlist in the first place :-3

Mystery Skulls - Paralyzed: Just another song about how Michael is awestruck by David and feels compelled to follow him for whatever reason (the reason is that he wants him so bad)

TAEMIN - WANT: This is one of three Taemin songs on here because I think if David survived until present day he would fucking LOVE Taemin. Anyways this is a song about knowing you’re hot shit and everyone wants you and I think after seducing Michael through fucking?? Fatal motorcycle races and evil noodle mind tricks??? David deserves to feel that

Glass Animals - Gooey: OHGHGHGHFH THIS SONG… the vibes are impeccable on this one, Dave Bayley’s alluring voice feels like a slight remix of what David is going for and the way it feels like the singer is trying to convince the listener of something (even though it’s purposely vague) just FEELS like David with Michael. The line “I can’t take this place, I can’t take this place/I just need to go where I can get some space” especially fits when imagining how Michael is new to Santa Carla and may want a place to belong that David and the boys are happy to provide

TAEMIN - Impressionable: I see this as the moment that Michael downs the bottle of “wine”, where this song is David’s internal monologue reveling in how easy it was to charm Michael and get him to join. I always thought this sounded like a taunting villain song so it just fits. Also it’s like ridiculously horny which is a plus

PART 2: THE RELATIONSHIP ITSELF

MGMT - Me and Michael: In my head this is directly after Michael drinks the “wine”, and if it were an actual song in the movie, it’d play instead of Cry Little Sister in that scene. I already made art related to this but I really just love the juxtaposition between something that Michael will later see as horrible (becoming a half-vampire) and David seeing it as a perfect slow-dance moment. Also “Me and Michael, it’s not a question now” because the blood drinking has now linked them together… mmmmm. Credit to this post again for making me find this song!!

ALI - DESPERADO: This one is less about David and Michael specifically and more about how the night in the cave went down for everyone there, starting with a soft slowness as they ate and then descending into chaos as Michael downs the wine and they celebrate a new addition to the pack. The bacchanal energy is off the charts

Dorian Electra - Man to Man: This song is just one that I attribute to all of the boys because I think they do a lot of homoerotic sparring. Also the part of the movie where Michael punches David in the face and David just goes >:-3 back at him

Chase Atlantic - Friends: I don't know what it is about this one but it just Hits… The chorus kinda sounds like David and the boys trying to convince Michael to stay with them instead of coming back to human society after drinking the blood, in the same sort of taunting manner that they had when David (presumably?) made Michael hallucinate the bike lights and sounds outside of his house

Taking Back Sunday - You're So Last Summer: THIS SONG IS JUST REALLY GOOD. I don't know what it is about this one either… I guess the “Maybe I should hate you for this/Never really did ever quite get that far” part could represent the first glimpse of Michael’s more conflicted feelings about David. Also the second half of verse 2 not only fucks so hard but could also be indicative of Michael’s repressed gay feelings, lying to himself about how he wanted to be around David because he’s cool or whatever but he actually just has the hots for him and would let him do anything if he asked to

MGMT - Little Dark Age: Mostly here just for vibes. Have y’all seen that one edit set to this song? Yeah

The Neighborhood - Prey: I feel like this song captures the general unease that Michael feels right before he sees the boys kill for the first time, knowing that he’s probably turning into a vampire and something horrible is happening… especially with “Something is wrong, I feel like prey” just generally describing what it must feel like to be a human among vampires (though he’s not fully human anymore at this point)

PART 3: REALIZATION + FIGHTING BACK

TAEMIN - Criminal: YET ANOTHER TAEMIN SONG!!!! It’s all about realizing you're with someone who’s like, an evil manipulative villain and genuinely bad for you but you can’t escape just yet because you’re kinda into it. I don't think David is THAT bad of a guy, but Michael could be like “I need to get out of this situation because this man is a vampire but I feel attracted to him and it’s hard to really get away”. Also the line “My hands holding yours that stabbed me are not clean either” just HITS cus Michael hates David’s vampirism but HE’S a half-vampire now so it’s not like he’s innocent either. This is just a really good 95060 song AND a good song in general, listen to it even if you don't normally like K-pop cus it slaps

Glass Animals - Wyrd: This would be the moment where Michael snaps out of it and just starts running away, but to no avail, because he’s still a half-vampire (“You can’t run so you must hide” meaning that he can’t outrun his new monstrous nature, the best he can do is hide it until it eats him alive). Meanwhile David laments over how this is a stupid decision from his perspective (“So, my friend, our time is done/You and I could’ve had so much”)

Moonface - Minotaur Forgiving Theseus: This is a very veeeeery bitter song from Michael’s perspective about David being a vampire… with the “You’re just a hitman” repetition referencing how David. Y’know. Eats people. And the “I heard you're coming for me now” references both how David first approached him and the impending confrontation

The Neighborhood - The Beach: This song goes from the bitterness of the previous one to a pseudo-acceptance of the end of their brief friendship and what’s inevitably going to happen next. However, I think the bridge of the song illustrates the little bit of Michael that doesn’t want this to happen, that wants this relationship to somehow work out because he cares about David even if he is a vampire (unfortunately he ends up repressing this because he feels a duty to kill David now)

Gorillaz - Rhinestone Eyes: This is mostly in here because of the music video, the buildup to a battle just echoes in my head whenever I hear this song now. In the context of this playlist it makes me imagine David looking up at the Emerson’s house from the hotel (and Michael doing the opposite) knowing that something’s about to happen and it’s going to be horrible

Glass Animals - JDNT: This entire song feels like the climax of the movie. Verse 1 feels like the Emersons and Frogs getting ready to attack the cave (“I’m all armored up”) with “I feel that final poke” being when Marko gets staked, and the chorus right after is a tinge of regret that Michael feels once the plan starts to take shape. Verse 2 is the other boys waking up to see that Marko is dead + them dying themselves (“Where my funny friends gone?”) and the bridge is Michael and David’s fight before Michael finally gores David on the antlers. The outro of “You can’t breathe without me” VERY much feels like David taunting Michael from beyond the grave, knowing how much Michael loved him and how horrible what he’s just done is

PART 4: GRIEF

The Brazen Youth - Burn Slowly/I Love You: Ooooooghghgh the conflicted feelings about their relationship is STRONG in this one… The “Burn Slowly” part being him trying to convince himself that he did the right thing by killing David while the “I Love You” part is him realizing that he really did love David and it fucking hurts

Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us: MAN. MAN… Everything past “I can’t explain the state that I'm in” is just so… it’s Michael realizing what he had even more and just how much it hurts that he’s lost it. He knows he was in love now and it fucking hurts SO MUCH!!!!!

Sufjan Stevens - The Only Thing: [head in my fucking hands] Michael moping around Santa Carla because it feels empty without David. All the “should I tear my eyes out now?/Should I tear my heart out now?” parts oh my GOOOOOOOOD sufjan stevens i'm going to slap you on the head.

Paramore - Tell Me How: THIS SONG HURTS SO MUCH ITS SO. It’s another one about conflicting feelings so theoretically it should be earlier in the story but I always envision something very morbid when listening to this (and have now written a fic about it so check that out)… Michael going back to the hotel where he put David’s body and musing to no one, asking how he’s supposed to feel now, the “And always coming to your defenses” where Michael keeps defending David and their relationship to his family who all think David was a horrible monster… this song fucking hurts. Also I unintentionally drew a parallel between JDNT’s “You can’t breathe without me” and this song’s “Do I suffocate or let go?” and now that I’ve realized that it hurts even more. Fuck this song

#the lost boys #michael emerson #the lost boys david #95060 #michael x david #david x michael #text #Spotify #i have thought sooooo hard about this playlist fr and theres so many individual lyrics and bits that i want to make art for #if i had all the time in the world i would #but. for now. enjoy :-3

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ask-the-crimson-king · 3 years ago

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Music Shill of the Day: "JUDAS" by Lord of the Lost

PART 2 of 2: "SALVATION"

Welcome back to part 2 of me shilling the fuck out of Judas and telling you, the lucky reader, of why it's so great. If you didn't see part 1, here's a link. Beware, it's long as fuck. LINKS TO ALL SONGS WILL BE PROVIDED. All songs will be rated on a scale of 1-10; 1 - garbage. Horrible. Why did you let this leave the studio. 5 - average. Meh. Not horrible, but not impressive. 10 - fantastic. Thank you for this existing. I love this too much. I will make a final post about my overall thoughts separately as well as give the top 5 songs of the album. BUT FOR NOW, we venture ever onwards. STARTING WITH--

13. "The Gospel of Judas" - 9/10

Starting off EXTREMELY strong with a very excellent piece with a brilliant message.

These lads said "happy last day of Pride, please take this video and this song" and I say thank you because. Watch the video. Careful with some people malding over them becoming "political" by adding a pride flag in the comments (but there are plenty of responses shutting them down since LOTL has regularly been supportive of the LGBT+ community and very vocal about that support).

This song is meant for those who are outcasts in society for being who they are, whether it be from gender-based, sexuality-based, race-based, whatever. Great intention and a great message.

The song itself, I find myself liking the choruses more than the verses. I'm not a huge fan of the "Judas, Judas" parts, but it works well enough for the song. Not quite an absolute banger of a song, but still really fucking good.

14. "Viva Vendetta" - 9/10

This song is fascinating for two reasons. The first; it features a full 386 person choir. The second; its instrumental was given to 32 different artists, with no title attached, to see what they'd do with it. That's really fucking cool.

As for the actual piece, it has a very nice, flowy, bouncy beat all throughout. I like it. It's something to vibe to, most certainly. It has almost a bit of an 80s feel to it.

The instrumentals are very neat, with the guitars making a very nice sounding bassy groove. Though there does seem to be acoustics used throughout as well, and the occasional synth. Overall? Dope as fuck song. It's genuinely awesome. It slaps.

But. As much as it slaps. A challenger approaches. A song I had been anticipating for over 3 weeks since I heard the "Track by Track" 30s preview.

15. "Argent" - 11/10

Okay. Okay. I know. Priest? Slaps. Born with a Broken Heart? Beautiful. Death is Just a Kiss Away? Love the strings. But.

But, dear reader. Allow me to enlighten you as to why this is, in my humble opinion, the best song on the album.

Let us start with the wonderful, Arabian-sounding vocals to open it. And then the introduction of the piano, it begins to build. And build. And then the guitars and the drums kick in, along with that industrial sound in the back.

It keeps growing and growing, then it begins to cool for the verse. Everything is still there, just waiting. Slowly, everything keeps growing in intensity. It builds and builds along with the vocals of the first verse.

Then we transition to a pre-chorus for a small calm...

Are you out there? Are you out there? I suffer... Your thirteenth suffers!

And then...

IT GOES OFF!

ARE YOU OUT THERE? I'M CLINGING TO THE DARK! ARE YOU OUT THERE? MY FALLEN COUNTERPART! BETRAYAL BURNS, LIKE THE SILVER IN MY HEART! ARE YOU OUT THERE? THE ERROR OF THE STARS!

The best chorus of the album. Without a doubt. There is so much raw emotion here barely simmering at the surface. As my friend @hoholupercal-adopts said;

"It captures ethereal rage, suppressing emotions, sorrow, bliss, and a love and need for hope."

And he is so spot on with that. It is beautiful. It is intense. It's amazing.

And then we come right back to a verse. And we start again, and after the second chorus we enter a small break of calm.

As the bridge starts up, the vocals from the beginning return, along with Chris' wonderful and soft yet gravelly voice with the slowly building instrumentals behind him...

The error of the stars... The error of the stars... A searing oath on the circles of the heart, Are you out there?

The error of the stars...

A brief pause, and then it smashes itself right back into that insane chorus.

This entire song is so powerful. Its so... so raw. So full of just a mix of emotions that it almost feels overwhelming. I just. I love this song so much.

If there is any song you listen to off "Judas", please make it be this. I cannot stress enough how fantastic this piece of incredible artistry is. It is, apparently, "Globalization in practice" according to Chris Harms himself. It is so beautiful. Please listen to it. Do yourself a favor.

16. "The Heartbeat of the Devil" - 8/10

This song has a great groove to it. I like the choice for using electronic drums. It has a very 80s feel about it. Very nice opening, with very open sounding verses and then a very nice chorus.

The piano also works as a nice accompaniment, as per usual at this point. The song is a fine song indeed, it really is grand. However its missing a few things that keep it from a 9/10 or a 10/10. Not entirely sure how to pinpoint what they are, but they're there.

Overall, a grand song, as most of these songs have been. Also this is a song for the Emperor of Mankind and it's funny cause it's number 16, which is Horus' number. But you wanna know what else else? It isn't the only ironic incident of this happening.

17. "And it Was Night" - 10/10

This song took me a bit. Off its intro with the synths, I wasn't vibing with it too much. With the introduction of the guitar and drums, I started to get into it. For the verse, I was still uncertain. That kinda odd synth was back. But it still sounded fine, I supposed.

However. The chorus is, ironically enough, where it shines the most.

It sounds beautiful. There, everything reconverges after the break in the verse, along with the backing choir, and it is simply...

It sounds ethereal. It sounds dreamlike. It sounds perfect for a song entitled "And it Was Night".

Everything afterward sounds great. The elements used in the intro and the chorus are used a bit more in the following verse, and the chorus just hard carries this song to a 10/10. It is fucking fantastic. It has some raw emotion within it, similar to Argent, but instead on a more... dreamlike, hopeful level. Kind of like childlike hope and wonder.

Also I've had 2 people tell me it's a Lorgar song and I agree wholeheartedly. Plus its #17. So ha.

18. "My Constellation" - 6/10

The vocals are fine, and they remind me of a song I can't really put my finger on. But this song just doesn't really do it for me. It has plenty of nice emotion and power with it, but the instrumentals feel kind of... weird. They fit, somehow, but they feel like they shouldn't.

It's still a very above-average song for the musicality of it alone, and the very pretty lyrics. Plus the vocals of the chorus are also nice. But it's still just missing things. It's not that great, but it's definitely an above-average song. One of the weaker entries on this album, but that's not saying a lot since this album is still fucking amazing as a whole.

19. "The Ashes of Flowers" - 8/10

The synths in the back of the intro with the piano sounded kind of odd at first. This is a song that doesn't have much buildup, it just goes along for about a minute and then BAM, intense instrumentals.

I do appreciate such songs as much as I do those that build. Those that slap you in the face will usually, indeed, slap. And this song does, for the most part. There are some bits that sound a bit janky to me, but it is a good song. Very strong entry on the list. At times it shares in that "these don't feel like they should fit together" vibes as its predecessor, but it only happens twice at most. Very gospel-sounding song, especially with how it sounds around the 3:30 mark, with the choir and Chris singing.

20. "Iskarioth" - 9/10

Now we got that more classic sounding heavy metal on the album. I grew up listening to stuff with this sort of style. But of course, the song has some newer elements added in. I love the riffs, though. They sound great. Love that classic sounding over-overdrive on the guitars. Love how it carries into the second verse. The beat and rhythm have that classic metal feel to them as well.

The chorus is, as most on the album thus far, very powerful and clean. The heavy riffs from the intro and breaks between chorus and verse are absent, leaving room for Chris and the backing choir to shine alongside the beautiful piano.

The break for the bridge that slowly builds to the final chorus is very nicely done, and I like how the guitars were added back in. An extremely strong song. Very well done. Love it.

21. "A War Within" - 9/10

Strings are back. I'm a bitch for strings. I love them when they're used in metal. I love them when combined with an organ and piano. I love them also when combined with great vocals. The opening verse leading to the pre-chorus, the repetition, the build to that powerful chorus, it's wonderful. The piano, as always, twining beautifully with the vocals.

The fucking cello solo with the leitmotif is fucking amazing. Favorite part of the song. It's so beautiful.

Very, very excellent piece of music. This song is a 9 for sure. Not quite a 10 since, while the chorus is nice, it could've used a bit more intensity. The pre-choruses where the rhythm picks up and everything feels more urgent is where the song shines for sure. Without a doubt.

22. "A World where We Belong" - 8/10

An interesting somber song that blends the heavier and intense pieces with this overall feeling of melancholy, yet hope. This song doesn't have an instrumental intro. Instead, Chris just starts right off singing. This song definitely feels like a sort of cheesy church song. But it does have a nice message to be found within the lyrics, and it's a nice and slow song too.

Good pacing. Good vocals. A good song.

23. "Apokatastasis" - 10/10

So. Um.

This song is an instrumental that's basically entirely strings.

The name means "the restoration of equilibrium after the apocalypse", and it serves as a respite for the album. A breath of fresh air, similar to Be Still and Know.

However, where Be Still and Know had the various members of the band show up, this one has them quieting down. It features the leitmotif once more, and it definitely has that feeling of peace and quiet. The album, until now, has been a bit chaotic. There's been a lot of emotion, power, and just... feeling.

This is a beautiful piece. It truly is.

10/10, easily.

Now let's wrap up the album.

24. "Work of Salvation" - 9/10

Soft, gravelly vocals greet the listener after that beautiful respite, paired with a lovely choir and piano as well.

Slowly, we get that buildup again. The organ comes back. The song feels very much like "The Death of All Colours", only this time with instrumentals backing instead of just vocals. A nice callback after this long journey.

This song works as a great ending to the album, a very nice catharsis. It isn't overbearingly powerful, but it isn't too soft either. It matches the mood of its predecessor and of that of the album wonderfully.

I'll talk about that in the post after this, but wonderful song.

It even ends with a beautiful, and almost sad rendition of that leitmotif on piano. As if lamenting that the journey is over. A beautiful end to a wonderfully amazing album.

#rip me cause tumblr ate the original reviews for the first 4 songs #i had it done and was about to start my constellation when it bugged and it was all gone #pissed me off lmao #ah well #music shill of the day #judas #lord of the lost

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radramblog · 3 years ago

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Radiohead Retrospective Part 9: Hold me, hold me

We’ve arrived at the final Radiohead album to date. The only one to come out since I became a fan, and as such the one I can actually remember listening to for the first time. On a cold winter morning in Perth (so not that cold), releasing on a Monday, I excitedly ran up to buy the album on iTunes and download it before I had to catch the bus to uni. The last time I think I will ever have bought music on that platform, at this point. I remember listening to the opening two tracks, the two that had dropped with gorgeous videos over the weekend, before diving into the album proper.

And then a mate showed up at the station when I was transferring buses so I ended up talking to him instead of listening to the second half, and I didn’t get to do that until the afternoon.

I think it’s fitting that this album be the one with such a story attached, considering how personal an album it is compared to the previous few. A Moon Shaped Pool is a clear reflection of the events surrounding it- Thom’s divorce from his partner of 25 years, Rachel Owen, and her subsequent early passing from cancer, and the death of producer Nigel Godrich’s father during the recording sessions. There’s a deep loneliness and tragedy in the album, and one that seriously resonates with the times.

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With that in mind, Burn The Witch is kind of an odd fit for the album. Themes of mob mentality and moral panic, images of medieval plague houses and witch hunts don’t quite suit the tone A Moon Shaped Pool generally conveys. Which is why it’s probably for the best that the song appears at the very start of the album, somewhat separated from the bulk of the work.

This might imply that I don’t like the song. Far from it, for a while, Burn the Witch was my favourite track on the entire thing. I adore strings on rocky music, and in this case, they almost chug, like the guitars on a System of a Down song, with the electronic elements being such an excellent subtle contrasting part of the music. Thom’s vocals are all-encompassing in the chorus, and the timing of the strings getting that little psychotic edge to them at the same time is so perfect.

As much as the album is separate from this song, it’s still an excellent choice for an opener, both in the tracklist and the promotion. Because like a fair few other songs on this album, Burn the Witch has been a Radiohead song without a home for a very long time, as early as the Kid A era, with early versions of its lyrics showing up in the Hail to the Thief art and website. It was something hardcore fans had been clamoring for for more than a decade, especially after one live show where Thom responded to the cries by playing the first few bars- and then saying “alright for the rest of it you’ll have to wait until we get the orchestra” (paraphrased). And get the orchestra they did, with its majesty in this song being a statement.

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Daydreaming is an extremely different song from Burn the Witch, as one would imagine from what I’ve said previous. Piano driven and muffled with allusions to Plato’s Cave, it’s a song that sounds like giving up, and all the pain (and all the comfort) associated with it. The song is a slow, slow build to an emotional climax who’s lyrics are incomprehensible on account of being backmasked. For the record, it’s commonly believed that they’re ��Half of my life”, a reference again to Thom’s relationship with his late wife.

The song is relaxing for its majority, the soft pianos and vocals a cold comfort to the defeated emotion the song portrays. This is sort of shocked out of the system 5 minutes in, as the strings are louder and clearer, and the backmasked vocals get more distorted, and loud, sounding like snoring, drowning out the gentler electronic sounds. This does eventually settle, with both strings and vocals lowering to more of a rumble, everything else fading out until they are all that remain. The note the song ends on is kind of disturbing, frankly.

It’s somewhat awkward that the two songs with music videos are at the very start of the album, leaving the rest of this to be a wall of text. I’ll find something.

Track 3 presents an interesting parallel with OK Computer, with both Decks Dark and its Subterranean Homesick Alien using UFOs as metaphor for the human condition. Instrumentally, of course, they’re completely different, but the thematic tie is there. Decks Dark has also at some point vied for the place of my favourite track on the album, the very fun, rhythmic delivery of the vocals in the verse something I’m fond of singing along to, and that absolutely killer backing choral giving the song a haunting feel.

Decks Dark effectively has four distinct sections- Chorus(?) 1, Verse, Chorus 2, Outro. The first chorus is this very mysterious thing, light on instrumentation aside from an electronic drum beat and a simple piano line (with heavily panned noises that I’m pretty sure are only in the right ear). The verse, as I mentioned, has the haunting choral and fresh bars, a heavier piano laden into its airy instrumental, a quiet but killer bassline that gets to kind of show up in the second chorus. Chorus 2 feels like a reflection of the first, a bit more grounded, the mystery explored, and the outro is… I mean the bass and piano are great but I always forget about this part of the track, like I could take it or leave it. Fortunately for said outro, the song is very much more than the sum of its parts, and it’s an excellent fit for the album.

Speaking of being able to take or leave things, I’m not particularly huge on Desert Island Disk. A low acoustic guitar-based track, with a distant echo of an electronic piece playing only in your left ear for like, half of the track, with less subtle electronic sections following up, panning between ears, that (and I mean this as a compliment) remind me of the Spore soundtrack. Christ that’s a weird comparison.

There’s an interesting moment where a new acoustic riff comes in right as you’re getting lost in the haze, cutting through the electronic fog (as it becomes the only instrumentation present), which is honestly a very precise bit of musical timing. I do enjoy the lyrics to the song as well, what with its final line probably not deliberately being an LGBT+ affirmation but sure working as one. The song is, basically, pretty okay, but don’t be surprised if I skip it on my next (less thorough) listen-through.

Ful Stop is a track that often convinces me I’ve fucked up my headphones or something, because of how quiet and how slow the buildup for its introduction is. It’s probably the angriest track Radiohead has put out in the last decade, harsh electronics and accusatory vocals kind of a surprise after the chillness of Desert Island Disk. The bass is killer in this song’s first half, and the almost cyclical presentation of its various elements as the bass and drums are still slowly getting louder and clearer is excellent until it breaks into its second half. I…forgot how long the first section of the song was, frankly.

The second section is really interesting, with its twin vocals making like the instrumentation as “Truth will mess you up” slowly gets quieter and quieter to the point of inaudibility and “All the good times” rising into clarity, all while the instrumentation just keeps chugging. I understand this one is one of the songs that predates the album (and unlike Burn the Witch was actually played live), and I’d like to see exactly how that particular one panned out before A Moon Shaped Pool took it’s approach to it. Good track!

Glass Eyes somewhat reminds me of Faust Arp, in that it’s a much quieter, shorter, and vocally driven track than what surrounds it. And just like Faust Arp, I really enjoy it. This track is distilled, purified anxiety, brutal yet familiar lyrics and a soft, hesitant piano line to accompany it. The strings are absolutely beautiful on this song, rising and falling with the lyrics, and especially with the second verse.

This song feels intimate, particularly with its last two lines. “I feel this love to the core” is a great illustration of how, when surrounded by harsh reality and anxiety, positive feelings like love can be amplified in context and touch deeper than they otherwise would. Of course, it’s followed up by “I feel this love turn cold”, as this album is, in fact, about tragedy- what do you do when that source of comfort goes as icy as everything else?

Track number 7 is Identikit, and no I don’t know what that means. Actually I don’t really know what any of this song means, to be honest, but it is kind of a jam. It’s also the track where the album’s title, and this post’s one, come in, in a nigh-incomprehensible background refrain in the first section that I’m pretty sure we only know the words for thanks to the lyrics booklet. The first half of the track is fairly simple, vocals (+ that refrain) along with a simple drum loop and guitar line.

And then the bridge comes in. Larger-than-life, especially as the electronics and backing vocals come in for its second section, but it’s always briefer than I recall. Most of the song stays in the relatively relaxed mood of the first verse, with the second being basically the same as the first instrumentally, though the guitar is doing some really fun noodling and there’s some electronic stuff going on in the other ear. I kinda forgot how much panning there was in the album in general- not the type of album for those with only one working headphone. Identikit is a track for which my feelings are a lot more muted than they used to be- not a bad one by any means, but I used to like it more and I’m not sure what changed.

The Numbers opens with n o i s e s and this luscious piano section, experimental and jazzy but ethereal and vague, before its main guitar and drums kick in. It’s a very folksy track by and large, still having the feel of the rest of the album but with a twangier guitar and more consistent percussion, grounding the more airy elements of the track with this very real instrumentation.

Speaking of Very Real, this might be surprising for people who only follow Radiohead’s music and not their politics or people, but The Numbers is actually a climate change protest song. It gets a bit more obvious in the second verse, as the strings come in with this very determined mood, and the lyrics get a bit less subtle about the whole thing. I can’t say I know if anyone’s played this track at a climate rally I’ve been to yet (but they should), but it’s kind of interesting that it took this long for such a song to get made, considering how long Thom in particular has been a staunch supporter of, well, not having oil companies burn the world down.

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Our next song is Present Tense, one which I think currently sits as my favourite from the album, but boy does it shift. It’s a very groovy piece, almost liquid in its presentation, one I can’t help but jam to a little bit when listening to. There’s some really surprising elements in the track, a…shaker, or whatever you call those things that aren’t quite maracas, as well the echoing vocals feeling like backing singers, whispering almost as they’re layered on top of each other over and over.

The lyricism in the song kind of speaks its own mood- “As my world comes crashing down, I’ll be dancing, freaking out”. It’s a dance of rejection, of denying reality and shutting down to avoid the world and its pain, but you know, while groovin’. There’s a duality to them, with the verses presenting this anxious spiral and its avoidance, as the chorus’s one line- “in you I’m lost”- suggests a lifeline for the person experiencing this scenario. All in all, it’s an excellent track.

Our penultimate track is one with a total so long that Spotify really doesn’t want to show it all, Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief, which I’m not going to repeat because this post is already super ridiculously long. Fortunately, I have surprisingly little to say about this song. The majority of the track is pretty much fine, good vocals, a relatively basic instrumentation that gets more luxurious for the second verse/chorus, with a second clearer piano line and drums overlaid on their electronic substitutes from the first.

And then the final minute and a half happens, and it’s incredible. There’s no way they could have kept this up for the whole song, but the orchestral section in this part of the song is utterly mindblowing, a beautiful crescendo that serves as the album’s climax, more and more things and strings adding on as the progression of the song just goes and goes until it just…ends. I do wish it was longer, frankly, because there is a whole like half minute of outro that I just wish was more of that instrumental.

The final track on A Moon Shaped Pool is True Love Waits. But to talk about True Love Waits, we need to talk about True Love Waits.

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That is to say the live version of the song from a 2001 Oslo concert, present on both I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings and Radiohead: The Best Of (the closer for both and the concert itself), since along with other tracks from the album this was one that had existed for a while before it finally got put to vinyl. It’s a lovely but surprisingly simple acoustic love song, depressing lyrics and wavering vocals aside. The chorus of the song is “just don’t leave, don’t leave”, a desperate plea for companionship that, in this case, seems to have succeeded. The track genuinely feels happy despite itself, a hopeful end to what was surely a melancholic concert. The video above isn’t that version, it’s from a different performance, but it’s close enough.

But of course, in reality, she eventually did leave. And then she died not long afterwards. This tragedy is reflected in the A Moon Shaped Pool version of True Love Waits, an utterly crushing piece of music. Those same lyrics over a simple piano version of the instrumentation, one that feels almost empty, or hollow, echoing into the void with only itself to answer. Those same lyrics that now feel so much more pained, an awful reminder of what was. The line “I’m not living, I’m just killing time” is so much harsher when the song doesn’t have that bright undercurrent to keep it going. While there’s a lot of emotion packed into the rest of the album, True Love Waits is the sonic equivalent of weeping.

It’s…hard to listen to. I believe it was literally scientifically determined, as far as something like that can be done, to be the most depressing Radiohead song. It’s basically not a song I ever listen to as a result- I really don’t need that energy in my life, honestly. Grieving is hard, obviously, but it’s not really a zone I want to deliberately put myself into.

And that is, ultimately, how A Moon Shaped Pool, and Radiohead’s current album legacy, ends. Not on a whimper, but something kind of like it. It’s a very good album, clearly, but there are moments from it I’d rather pass on most of the time- hence I don’t think it’ll ever be, like, top 3 for me.

At this point, Radiohead’s future is kind of uncertain. The members of the band took a break after this to work on solo projects and the like, but at this point, all of those have pretty much wrapped, and so the rumblings of LP10 are likely on the horizon. There’s no way of knowing what another album would look or sound like at this point, so we’ll just have to see. The band did release a 20 year anniversary edition of OK Computer, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one for Kid A/Amnesiac within the rest of the year. It would, uh, have to be within the rest of the year.

The future of this series is of course similarly unclear. While I could and probably should end it, move on to talk about other albums and bands, some part of me does want to go back and take a look at some other Radiohead stuff. There’s B-Sides, there’s solo projects (which I really haven’t delved into personally), theres TKOL RMX 1234567, the list goes on. I guess you, and I, will both have to see next Tuesday. I hope to see you then, whatever it ends up being.

#ramble #music #radiohead #a moon shaped pool

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hyeyuler · 4 years ago

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getting to know 브레이브걸스’s discography ★

— songs i’ve listened to so far and my thoughts on them:

“비가 내리면” (2011)

so good! it has elements which make you want to dance, but at the same time the song sounds very sad, very bittersweet i’d say.

“옛생각” (2017)

not going to lie, the beginning sounds like a spotify ad 😭

“i don’t think i’m ready for this shit” so true, i’m not ready either.

personally not my taste, but i really like the pre-chorus, the buildup.

“for you” (2013)

it has this signature sound from the 2010s, it brings me nostalgia i’ve never experienced, tbh.

the second the first note played it had sounded so sad :(

i really like brave girls’ raps, they embed it into their songs so well, no matter how slow and sad the song may be.

this is definitely going to my cry playlist, imagine it being a rainy day, feeling sad and listening to this. pain

“하이힐” (2016)

FUCK? this is so good. judging by the lyrics, it sounds like a confidence boosting song, i love it!

the RAP i’m fucking obsessed.

i absolutely adore the instrumental, you can hear drums, some rock guitar here and there and the kind of JAZZ after the chorus? perfection.

i’m not a fan of the chorus but it’s very easy to get stuck in your head, i’m already singing along to “high heel, high heel”

“요즘 너” (2012)

the beat i’m once again obsessed.

i love this genre of kpop that went around in the early 2010s, the lyrics being quite melancholic, wanting someone to come back but also having this easily obsessive beat, which makes you jiggle your ass to someone missing their lover, haha

the BRIDGE is once again perfect, what kpop song would be a 2010s song without the severe autotune with crappy english lyrics, safe to say i’m obsessed.

“hands up high” yes queen! *raises my hands*

“rollin” (2017)

i got so excited, i can’t skip this 😭

honestly i’m so happy for brave girls, rising to fame, being able to perform again, gain a following again! after everything they’ve been through, they deserve it and so much more.

the chorus dance is so easy to follow, i make it my job to always dance to it whenever i hear it.

the RAP after the first chorus, ahh i love it so much

and don’t even get me started on the high note? sing it bestie!!!

the buildup to the final chorus after the bridge, it just makes me so happy because of how well sung it is 😭 ahh i love brave girls :(

“whatever” (2016)

not my style, but it’s cunty so i’ll let it slide 🙄

honestly it sounds like a nct song redone for a girl group, but it’s better than anything that group will ever release so.

i imagine myself getting ready to this and feeling good though.

always remember to girlboss, ladies!

“유후 (우린 아직 여름)” (2016)

i! love! upbeat! songs! like! this!

it’s an instant mood boost, i’m already smiling and feeling so much happier!

it gives me island by izone vibes, it just makes me feel good, yk. makes me want to dance and jump around, spread positive energy around. ☀️

i’m so obsessed with brave girls’ bridges, they build up so well, it leaves you anticipating for that final banger chorus <3

this song makes me happy!!! definitely one of my favs out of the ones i’ve listened to so far

“help me” (2016)

another upbeat yet melancholic song! i love this genre so much 😭

bg songs are always so easy to dance to, it makes you want to dance along with no worries or care in the world.

i can’t wait to play this song in the summer late at night while walking around in the park with your friends, it would suit that vibe so much <3

also! this song would fit izone’s jo yuri’s voice so much, i’ll now never shut up about a cover from her 😭

#autumn-morning #audrey-listens

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colbybrocksmolder · 5 years ago

Text

Emo Justin Bieber – Colby Brock x Reader (singer/anxiety)

*The two songs I’m using as written by the reader are “idontwannabeyouanymore” by Billie Eilish and “90 Days” by P!nk. You don’t have to listen to them if you don’t want to, but they’re beautiful songs.*

-----------------------------

“Mike!” you yelled into the phone. You couldn’t hear him over the noise of the crowd gathered outside the venue.

“Y/n! I’m gonna text you!” Mike said, but you didn’t hear any of it. You didn’t realize Mike had even hung up until you felt your phone vibrate in your hand with a text notification.

Drop Dead Fred – Sorry, I don’t think you could hear anything I was saying. I’m going to send Colby out to get you.

Y/n – What does he look like?

Drop Dead Fred – Emo Justin Bieber

Drop Dead Fred – He’ll meet you around back. There are less people out there.

Y/n – I’m running around now

Seeing the back entrance to the venue, you pushed through as many people as you could to get closer to the door. You saw a young blond dude peek his head out. *He looks too wholesome for Mike to call him emo* you thought, trying to get closer to the door. *That’s more like it* you thought, seeing a cute blue haired boy in a Nirvana shirt peek out from above the blond boy. “Colby!” you yelled.

“Y/n?” he yelled, seeing you nod. “Hey guys, let her through!” Colby instructed the wild group of fans.

“Thank God” you sighed, finally making your way through the door. “What the fuck happened? The show doesn’t start for like 4 hours.” Colby took in your appearance, appreciating your style. *She seems feisty* he thought. *It’s cute*.

The blond boy laughed, walking down the hallway. You and Colby followed behind him. “SOMEONE”, the blond boy started, “made the dumb decision to snapchat that they were on their way to the venue.”

Colby’s face turned pink, his eyes on the ground in front of him. “Emo Justin Bieber?” you asked blondie, pointing your thumb at Colby. The blond boy let out a loud laugh.

“Hey!” Colby replied, faking that he was offended. “I resent that.”

“Well, resent Mike. That’s who he said I was looking for when he sent you to get me.” You laughed.

“He told us to look for the female version of him” The blond cut in.

You made a face like you were considering it. “Makes sense. We both look like emo boys.” Colby was trying to sneak glances at you. He noticed your lip ring, accentuating the curve of your lips. Your dyed hair making your eyes pop. *You definitely don’t look like a boy* he thought to himself, his cheeks turning rosy once more when you almost caught him looking at you.

“I’m Sam, by the way.” He turned to walk backwards so he could face you.

“Y/n.” you answered, even though Mike told them your name. “So how are you guys famous? I mean, one snapchat and the 7th ring of hell is outside.” You laughed.

“YouTube.” Colby answered, clearing his throat. *God, her laugh is adorable* he thought. He was kind of happy she didn’t know who they were. It’s refreshing to meet someone and start with a clean slate. No ulterior motives. “How do you know Mike?” he asked.

“We met through a music buddy. He wanted a girl to sing on this song he was working on last year and we just hit it off.” You explained. “So, if you’re his YouTube friends, you must know Jake.”

“You know Jake?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, met him right after I met Mike.” You answered.

“Dude, we’ve known Jake for years. We used to make Vines back in the day before any of us moved to California.” Colby said.

“Jake’s rad.” You replied. “We hit it off right away. Though, I don’t know who wouldn’t get along with him.”

The three of you finally made it to the stage’s side entrance and you ran towards Mike. He was facing the other way and you half tackled him when you reached him. “BOO!” you yelled. After realizing it was you, he laughed, trying to get you in a headlock. You two always acted like siblings when you were together.

“You a little jealous over there, emo Biebs?” Sam smirked at Colby, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” Colby replied, walking up to sit on the edge of the stage. Sam laughed. It wasn’t often that Colby got flustered around a girl.

“OKAY! We need people to be quiet. We’re going to run through the songs with mics just to make sure we know where feedback is going to hit and whether or not we need to change any volume levels.” Mike called out, asking the room to quiet down.

Colby laid down on the edge of the stage watching Aryia, Mike, and a few other small artists run through their songs. All of the friends that had already showed up were sprawled throughout the venue space watching the warm-ups. Last but not least, you were running through a song by yourself and then running through a song with Mike.

You sat behind the keyboard, Aryia picking up an acoustic guitar to play along with you. Aryia counted you out, both of you starting to play at the same time. Mike yelled for the engineer to turn up the keyboard, waiting a few seconds before confirming it fixed an issue.

Your eyes were closed, your nerves always messing with you until you actually got into the song. “Don’t be that way. Fall apart twice a day. I just wish you could feel…what you say.” You began to sing.

Colby immediately sat up, watching you sing. The easiest way to describe what he was thinking is simply…*Whoa*

“Show, never tell. But I know you too well. Got a mood that you wish you could sell.” The keyboard started to slightly build before you started on the chorus. “If teardrops could be bottled, there’d be swimming pools filled by models…” You continued singing.

The whole time you were singing Colby sat cross-legged, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. His mouth hung open in awe of what he was hearing. Towards the end of the song Jake came to stand next to the edge of the stage Colby was sitting on. “I’d close your mouth, brother. You’re starting to drool.” Jake teased him.

Colby slightly jumped, not realizing Jake had even stood next to him. “Am not” he defended, lightly backhanding Jake’s shoulder.

“You should totally ask her out.” Jake encouraged. “She’s seriously one of the most chill people I’ve met since I moved here.”

Colby looked over at Jake. “Yeah. She told us all about how awesome you were and how well you guys hit it off.” He tried to keep the snark out of his voice, but he sounded pathetically jealous and it made Jake chuckle.

“Brother. Do you remember me telling you to come out with Mike, Elias, and some friends? When Aryia was on his long ass trip?” Jake asked.

“That party last year?” Colby asked, making a face.

“Do you remember what I told you?” Jake continued.

Colby had turned back to watch you finish the song. “Not really.” He said, getting annoyed that Jake was still talking when all he wanted to do was listen to you sing.

“See if this sounds familiar. ‘Hey Colby. Dude. You NEED to come to this party tonight with us. I just met this girl and I think you’re really going to like her.’ Is any of that ringing a bell?” Jake shoved Colby, laughing.

“What the fuck, dude?” Colby whisper yelled, looking over at Jake. He was walking backwards away from the stage while pointing up at you with both hands, giving Colby the smuggest look. “Her?” Colby’s mouth dropped.

You and Aryia had just played the last few notes of the song and Jake started clapping and cheering, the rest of the people in the room joining in. Your cheeks turned rose colored and you stepped out from behind the keyboard to run through the last song.

Mike’s voice came over the sound system. “After that, I’m nervous to sing the next one. I don’t know if I can keep up” he joked.

“Oh, shut up.” You laughed. “You’re the true performer here.”

“Sure. Yeah. You definitely didn’t just blow everyone in this room away. Not at all.” He sarcastically said, joining you on stage.

“Miiiike” you whined. He knew you had stage fright. He knew being up here with him made you light-headed and nervous. He always doted on you anyways.

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop.” He laughed. “Last song for warm ups and then everyone is good to chill until the show.”

The music started, you tried to calm your breathing since you are the one that sang first. By the time you got to the buildup before the chorus, your butterflies were gone. You had helped Mike write this song about his ex and it was easy to just fall into the music. The two of you singing in unison, “I’m here, but I’m in pieces and I don’t know how to fix this…I don’t know how to fix this….no”

You sang melody for the chorus, Mike taking harmony. You were center stage, facing each other. Eyes locked on each other’s. “If I’m just somebody that you’re gonna leave, and you don’t feel something when you look at me…You’re holding my heart, mmmm, what you say? Just let me down slowly, I’ll be okay. If you’re just some habit that I gotta break, I can clear my system in 90 days. You’re holding my heart, mmm, what you say? Just let me down slowwwwwly.”

Mike started his solo verse, turning to walk the stage as he sang. You were proud of your friend. It had taken him months to be able to share this song with anyone but the two of you. He had grown so much since the breakup.

The bridge built up to the last chorus. This part of the song truly showed off your range. Most of the songs you write and perform are slow and sweet. Or slow and sad, but it felt good to pour everything into the song. You had to belt some higher notes and the strength in your voice filled the room. Colby was still sat on the edge of the stage, his eyes closed and his skin covered in goosebumps as he listened to you sing. As the chorus wound down, you met Mike back center stage, close enough you could share one mic. “You’re holding my heart, mmm, what you say? Just let me down slooooowwww………ly.”

The room stayed silent, Mike’s breaths heavy from the emotion he still felt reliving the words. You pulled him into hug. “I’m so fucking proud of you, dude.”

“Ho. Ly. Shit.” Jake said, jumping up on stage, pulling Mike into a typical bro hug. “Seriously, you guys. That was…I don’t even know what to say.” He turned to you and hugged you.

“Thanks.” You laughed, hugging him back. You saw Colby slowly make his way towards Mike, the two of them talking. They both laughed and you couldn’t help but smile. Mike’s laugh is contagious, but Colby’s laugh made you…feel something? *Calm down y/n. Boys are dumb. There’s a reason you don’t date.* you reminded yourself.

“Y/n” Jake called your attention back to him. His arm was thrown over your shoulder. “You see something you like over there?” he asked, lifting his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

You went to mumble some denial when you happened to see Tara walking towards you. “Yeah. She’s about 5 foot tall, killer body, lips to die for…” you kept going, laughing at the look on Jake’s face.

Jake turned to look back and Mike and Colby when he saw that Tara had joined them. “Oh, haha. Very funny.” He laughed, playfully shoving you away from him before running and throwing Tara over his shoulder. “Y/n thinks you’re hot, babe.”

“I mean, with a voice like hers I may consider switching teams.” She reached down to slap Jake’s ass.

Jake ran across the stage with Tara still over his shoulder. “You’ll never take her from me!” He yelled, Tara laughing her ass off.

You made your way through the stage exit, looking for a quiet place to sit and chill before the nerves for tonight’s show would inevitably catch up to you again. Seeing the ladder in the brick hallway, you decided that the catwalk was the perfect place. You hoisted yourself over the locked panel that was meant to keep people off of the ladder and started climbing. You laid down on the narrow metal walkway that ran above the venue, the faint bustle of people setting up the show below you filled the echoey space.

“Do you want some company?” you heard someone quietly ask.

Lifting your head, you saw Colby standing at your feet, a shy look on his face. Closing your eyes, you laid your head back down and smiled. “I’m impressed.”

“By?” Colby inquired, moving to lay down next to you on the cool metal walkway.

“We’re up pretty high. Mike won’t even sit up here with me. AND I never expected blue haired blushing Bieber to break the rules. There was an employee only sign on that ladder, young man.” You teased.

Colby full on snorted. “First, you definitely haven’t seen any of my videos. Sam and I have literally been arrested for breaking into abandoned buildings for YouTube videos. Second, the higher up the better. I think our highest ladder climb was almost 300 feet.

“I stand by my earlier statement then. I’m impressed.” You looked over at him before once again closing your eyes. “I just want to lay here for a bit. I like the background noise. Calms my nerves.”

“You literally have nothing to be nervous about. You’re incredible.” Colby quietly said, moving to stand up.

You grabbed his hand to stop him. “I didn’t mean you had to leave.” *Damnit damnit damnit* you started internally panicking. “Sorry” you said, quickly pulling your hand back and laying it across your stomach. “Thank you. What you said was sweet.”

Colby laid back down. *Jesus, she’s adorable* he thought, looking over at your now pink cheeks. “I meant it.” He softly spoke. After a moment, Colby reached back out to pull your hand back into his, setting your joined hands on the metal between you two.

When the show was finally over, the artists all went back to take a breather in the room everyone had gotten ready in. Laying on couches, taking off stage make-up, taking shots…eventually their friends found their way to them. “Where’s Y/n?” Colby asked.

“Why do you wanna know?” Jake smiled at him from one of the couches.

“Oooooo does Colby have a crush?” Mike teased, downing his 4th shot of whiskey.

“Don’t tease him” Tara scolded them, texting Colby. ‘She usually finds a place to be alone when she’s anxious and I guarantee you she’s going to be after performing tonight’ she sent the text, the boys still heckling Colby.

“You’re going to sleep alone tonight if you don’t leave that boy alone.” Tara teasingly threatened.

Jake pretended to zip his mouth, pulling Tara into his lap.

“The same goes for you!” Aryia said in a sexy voice, slapping Mike’s ass when he went to say something else to Colby. Everyone in the room started laughing, Colby slipping back out into the brick hallway.

“Hey!” Sam called after him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I think I know where y/n is. Text me if you guys head out.” Colby yelled back down the hall, headed to the ladder.

“I thought I’d find you here.” Colby said, laying back down next to you on the metal path.

“I didn’t realize I was being looked for” you smiled over at blue eyed boy. “I like the make-up” you said, seeing the remnants of eyeliner smudged under his eyes.

“Oh shit, I forgot about it” Colby laughed. “One of Mike’s friends started going ham with the eyeliner right before the show.”

“I think I’ve sweat all of mine off at this point” you said, running your fingers under your eyes. “I just want to go home and shower.”

“Are you not coming to the after party?” He asked, sitting up.

“Parties make me anxious even when I’m not a mess. I don’t think I want to sit through one after how muggy it got in here tonight.” You sat up.

“Well, just go home and shower before you head over.” Colby suggested, bummed he wasn’t going to get to spend any more time with you tonight.

You stood up, reaching down to pull Colby up with you. “Dude, if I go home and take my bra off, I’m not leaving again.” You laughed.

“Believe me, I get it. I can’t wait to take mine off.” Colby teased. “I have an offer, then. I live like 5 minutes from the party and I have to stop by my apartment anyways. Come shower at my place and then we can head over to the party.”

“Tempting as that is, I guarantee you Mike and Aryia are already shitfaced, Jake won’t go because Tara is underage, and YOU will undoubtedly find a beautiful girl to end your night with.” You lightly poked his chest, turning to walk back to the ladder. You may or may not have watched a few of his videos before he found you after the show. One thing for sure is that he was a massive flirt. It’s not a bad thing, but it definitely reminded you that it felt safer to just stay in your own lane. *Boys are dumb. This is why we don’t date* “Why would I want to go drink alone at a party when I can do that at my house with less clothes and my cat to keep me company?”

“First, I want to meet your cat. I like animals more than most people. Second, you’ve got one thing wrong there.” Colby followed you. “Well, not entirely.”

“I’m with you on the animals thing, but what do I have wrong?” you asked, jumping off of the ladder with the last few rungs left below you.

Colby dropped down beside you, the two of you walking to the room where everyone else was. “I promise I won’t ditch you. I won’t leave your side even for a second if you don’t want me to. You have to come out and celebrate how killer you were tonight.”

“Y/n!” Mike cheered when you two walked into the room. “Girl, you killed it.”

“Nah, that was all you.” You said, pulling Mike into a hug. You made the rounds talking to the rest of the artists that had performed. Colby leaned back against one of the walls and watched you with a smile on his face.

Tara text Colby – ‘I knew you’d find her.’

Colby – ‘I’m trying to get her to come to the party.’

Tara – ‘She’s not really a party person. She usually comes over and hangs out with me when the guys party since I can’t risk getting in trouble.’

Colby – ‘Ya, she said she gets anxious. She said I’d just ditch her when we got there but I promised her I wouldn’t.’

Tara – ‘Colby Brock, I’m going to tell you something and if you tell anyone or tell her I told you I’ll cut your balls off in your sleep. Do you agree to these terms?’

Colby – ‘You know I’d never do something like that.’

Tara – ‘I know. You’re one of the good ones. I just want you to understand how important it is not to tell. I don’t want to break her trust, but I think you two could be good together.’

Colby – ‘Cross my heart, hope to lose my balls. I won’t tell a soul.’

Tara stood from the couch, pulling Colby into the hall. “First, delete those texts.”

Colby did what she said. “Done.”

“Okay” Tara sighed. “Y/n and I are pretty close. We’ve dealt with some of the same shit. She’s only had one boyfriend and it was a long time ago.”

“Really?” Colby sounded shocked. “She’s gorgeous. And her voice….dude.”

“She doesn’t really date because her ex was just trash.” Tara explained. “You’re going to get friend-zoned the second you get close to her, just… don’t let it discourage you. She’s seriously amazing.”

“I can see the amazing part. Aaaaand the nervous part.” He smiled. “She grabbed my hand earlier and then kinda freaked out. It was adorable. She did let me hold her hand a few minutes later so maybe I’ve actually got a chance here.”

“Colby, if anyone has a chance with that girl it’s you.” Tara smiled up at the blushing boy. “Maybe neither of you go to the party. Let her know you want her to come because you want to spend time with her. Doesn’t matter where.”

“TARA” Colby half whined. “That would require me telling her how I feel. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but girls tell me they like me and if I think they’re worth my time then I make a move. I can’t just hang my shit out there like that.”

“Colby” Tara flicked him in the forehead. “The difference? You’re normally way out of those girls’ league. Don’t punish Y/n because you have trash standards with one-night stands.”

“So, she IS out of my league.” Colby pointed at Tara with a look. “And HEY!......that was mean.” He stuck his bottom lip out, trying to give her puppy dog eyes.

Tara couldn’t help but laugh at him. “I don’t actually think you’re a fuckboy. I just want you to grow a pair of balls and go after someone actually worth your time.”

Jake walked out of the door, looking for Tara. “Everyone is leaving, babe.” He wrapped his arms around Tara from behind.

“I’m ready. I was just trying to give this one a pep talk.” She answered, turning to face Jake and pulling him into a quick kiss.

“By the way” Jake said, staring at Colby. “I don’t know what your plans were tonight, but y/n is going to order an Uber and go home, lover boy.”

“Whatcha gonna do?” Tara asked him, dragging Jake down the hallway.

*Just do it. Don’t be a pussy. You’re a likeable person, right?....right?* Colby tried to pep talk himself before going back in the room.

“COLBY!” Mike cheered, handing him a shot.

“No thanks, brother. I’m driving.” He said, passing the shot off to Aryia. “Y/n!” he called, seeing you talking to Kevin across the room.

“I wondered where you went.” You smiled.

“Did you decide if you’re going to the party?” He asked, hoping you’d say yes.

“I think I’ve had enough near panic attacks for the night.” You gave him a sad smile. “I was just saying bye to this one here and I was going to order an Uber.” You pulled Kevin into a hug.

“Can I at least drive you?” He asked, saying bye to Kevin with a weird handshake.

You half smiled and sighed. “Go to the party, Colby. Go have a good time.” You patted his chest, turning to walk towards Mike.

Colby caught the hand you had just touched him with. “I’m only going to the party if you do.” He blurted out.

“And why is that?” you asked, trying to keep your nerves steady.

“What, am I not allowed to want to hang out with you?” He tried and failed to make that sound casual and smooth.

You felt your phone go off in your back pocket and pulled it out. Tara was calling you. “What’s up, beautiful?” you asked, laughing at the funny look on Colby’s face.

“Are you with Colby?” Tara asked, quickly adding “DON’T TELL HIM I’M ASKING JUST ANSWER!”

“Yes, I am.” You answered, cocking your head and looking up at the blue eyed boy.

“Do you trust me?” Tara asked.

“Of course.” You answered, wondering where the hell this was going.

“Then trust Colby.” She said, continuing when you didn’t answer back. “He thinks you’re fucking awesome and talented and beautiful and while you already know you’re all of those things, I know that he’s a good guy. Literally one of the best guys I know. This is the dude Jake tried to hook you up with like 6 months ago. I know he’s a flirt and he acts like he’s the smoothest bitch in the room, but he’s been nervous as balls all night trying to find a way to hang out with you.”

You could hear Jake cracking up in the background. “Y/n, he’s one of my best friends. Listen to Tara.”

Colby watched the strangest emotion cross your face, your phone pressed to your ear.

“I love you both.” You said, hanging up before either of them could reply. “Is that offer still on the table, Colby?” You asked, taking a step closer to him.

“There have been a few offers made tonight” he laughed. “But as long as you keep calling me Colby and never call me emo Justin Bieber again, I’m pretty much down for anything.”

You chuckled, grabbing his hand. “A little bird told me this party may just be worth my time, so if you don’t mind, I’d love to steal a shower and a clean shirt.”

*and my love and attention and affection and…* Colby thought. He heard your little laugh and couldn’t help but smile. “I think we can work something out” he said, letting you pull him towards the door.

“Y/n’s holding a boy’s hand?” Mike teased you, pulling you into a hug. He leaned down to drunk whisper in your ear. “You picked a good one.” Mike kissed your forehead and gave Colby a bro hug.

“We’ll be a little late to the party. I need to stop at my place for a bit.” Colby told Mike.

The drive to Colby’s apartment was relaxed. You found him super easy to talk to and the time flew by. “Welcome to my humble abode.” He said, tossing his keys on the counter and ditching his shoes. “follow me.”

“I like your color scheme” you said, noticing most things were some shade of grey or black and the abundance of glass furniture/décor.

“Hey, I haven’t decorated much yet. Don’t make fun.” He turned to fake a hurt look.

“No, I’m serious.” You said, stopping to take in the space. “I like it. It feels…Peaceful. Bright colorful places make me feel anxious.” You tried to explain, feeling like you were rambling. “Sorry” you mumbled, catching up with him in his bedroom.

Colby turned to face you, just looking at you for a few seconds. “First, don’t apologize. I completely relate. Second,…” Colby pinched your arm.

“OW!” you yelled, immediately pinching him back. “What the fuck was that for?”

Colby laughed, rubbing the skin you had just pinched. “I just…you know. Making sure you’re real.” He saw your face soften a bit, but before you could reply he turned to keep walking. “Here’s the bathroom. Use whatever you need in the shower, there’s a clean towel hanging right there.”

The butterflies in your stomach felt different. You still had nerves, but they felt innocent, not stressed. This felt like anticipation, not dread. “Thank you” you smiled at him, walking past him into the bathroom. Colby went back out to the living room to wait for you to finish. You washed your hair and then your body. Feeling the griminess of the show venue wash off of you made you feel 100 times better already. Hopping out of the shower you dried off with the towel before wrapping it around yourself. “Collllbyyyy” you called, walking out in the towel. “I’m going to raid your clothes” you called, turning towards his closet. The longer you were out of your sweat soaked clothes, the less you wanted to put them back on.

Seeing you in his bedroom, in his towel, going through his clothes made him smile. “Wear whatever you want.” Colby said from the door, checking you out while you weren’t looking. “I’m gonna hop in the shower while you’re getting dressed. I didn’t realize how gross I felt until I sat on my clean couch” he laughed. “I’ll leave the door open just incase you want to use the blow-dryer or something.”

“Thank you!” you called out from inside his closet. You grabbed a pair of tight black boxer briefs, a belt, and a pair of his black skinny jeans. You threw on one of his grey tank tops and finally a black Take Chances hoodie. Hoodies are the best for inconspicuously going braless. Making sure he was in the shower and not still getting undressed, you walked into the bathroom to quickly dry your hair.

With your hair dry and no make-up with you to actually put on, you were as ready as you could be. You laid down on Colby’s couch and waited for him to finish getting ready. Colby took a few minutes to dry his hair. He got dressed and joined you back out in the living room. He saw you curled up asleep, cuddling with one of his fuzzy grey pillows. He couldn’t help but just stand there and look at you. He saw that you were wearing a full outfit of his clothes and laughed, thinking about how fucking cute it was.

You heard Colby laugh and startled awake. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I think I dozed off.” You said, moving to sit up. “You ready to go?”

“Uh…yeah.” He answered, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “Y/n, we don’t actually have to go to the party. We can watch a movie, order food…I can even drive you home if you aren’t comfortable crashing here.”

You stood, trying to fully wake yourself up. “We told Mike we’d see him there, though.” You replied.

Colby walked up to you, taking in just how much he liked you wearing his clothes, and put his hands on your shoulders. “Mike is too drunk to remember who the fuck shows up to this party.” He laughed. “I know when I’m in situations that make me anxious, it’s worse when I’m tired. And I don’t want to put you through that.”

You felt bad. Plain and simple. You made a pouty face up at the beautiful, thoughtful boy. “But you wanted to go to the party. If I had just Ubered home, you’d be hanging out with your friends right now.”

Colby laughed, pulling you into a hug. *This feels nice* you thought to yourself 2 seconds after realizing you didn’t need to panic. You slowly lifted your arms up to wrap around his middle.

“Y/n, I couldn’t give two shits about going to a party. I wanted to spend time with you. I don’t really care where that happens.” He spilled a bit of his guts.

“I’m not good at this.” You blurted out, face tucked into Colby’s chest.

“You’re good at everything I’ve seen you do, Y/n. What don’t you think you’re good at?” Colby asked, kind of already knowing that you just felt nervous and awkward.

“A lot, actually.” You nervously laughed, “but I mean this.” You tightened your arms around him. “I’ve let exactly one jerkwad into my life and honestly? I never planned on letting that happen again. I had dreams, buddy. Dreams of becoming the crazy cat lady, but with Taking Back Sunday t shirts and a lot more eyeliner. I’m upset you’re making me reconsider my plans.”

Colby burst out laughing. “Hey, THIS” He said, pulling your face to look at him. “This can be whatever you need it to be. No one is going to rush you into anything. I’m not exactly the best at this either. I push people away and block people out. I didn’t have plans of becoming the neighborhood emo cat hoarder or anything, but honestly it sounds kind of nice.” He chuckled. His hand hadn’t left your face.

“Hey, my plans were great.” You couldn’t help but smile. You felt less and less anxious and it almost felt unreal. This boy seemed to be able to put you at ease.

“I do know that this feels right.” Colby continued. “I feel drawn to you. Everything about you. And I absolutely hate that I can’t seem to shut the fuck up right now and that I keep voluntarily putting myself out there, but I can see you get a little more comfortable every time I do it.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to your forehead, pulling back to then leave a kiss against your cheek. “That makes it worth it.”

You closed your eyes, for once just letting yourself be in the moment. You felt him kiss your other cheek. “You feel safe.” You whispered, keeping your eyes closed. *He’s going to realize you’re crazy* you thought to yourself.

“If I feel safe, then why won’t you look at me?” He calmly asked, you could feel his breath close to your face.

“I can.” You said, running through your usual internal monologue that keeps your anxiety manageable, your eyes still shut tight.

Colby softly laughed. He leaned forward and gently connected your lips. He saw your eyes pop open and heard you quietly gasp as you pulled back a bit from him. “I’m sorry” he went to say, worried that he had pushed you too far, but he was interrupted by your fingers covering his mouth.

“Shh.” you said, taking a deep breath. “My ex was an asshole. I know that now. I know it had nothing to do with me. But Colby…” your breath caught in your chest for a second. “He’s the only guy who ever kissed me. And he was horrible. And rough. And I hated it. So, I never kissed anyone else thinking it would be horrible…But you’re so gentle and sweet and I don’t know even know what to do. I’ve never…”

Colby’s mind was going a million miles an hour. He honestly had expected you to reject him and instead he had this beautiful, scared girl putting so much trust in him. He was mad at your ex, but he was proud of you. He interrupted your rambling by pulling your lips back to his. He was slow and soft. He let you set the pace. After a long moment, he pulled away. “Thank you for telling me about that. I know it’s not easy.” He kissed your forehead. “But, Y/n. That was perfect.” He pulled back, letting his hand catch yours, and started pulling you towards his room.

“What are you doing?” you asked, following behind him.

“We’re going to cuddle.” He said, turning back to you and giving you a sleepy smile. He pulled off his shirt and jeans and slipped a pair of sweatpants on. He turned to you, gently pressing his lips back to yours. His hands pulling up the bottom of the hoodie you had borrowed from him. “I’m always warm. If you sleep in this, you’re going to wake up sweating.” He laughed, pulling the hoodie over your head.

“I just showered.” You laughed. “I definitely don’t want to wake up sweaty all over again.”

You smiled up at Colby and slid your hands up his chest to rest loosely around his neck, pulling him into another kiss. His hands went to your hips and followed the belt to the belt buckle. “Aren’t you getting brave?” He teased, fully beaming on the inside that you had just initiated a kiss. He undid the buckle on the belt, and the pants button, letting the loose jeans fall around your ankles.

“I may or may not be wearing your boxers.” You laughed, leaning your forehead against Colby’s chest.

“I told you to wear whatever you wanted.” He pulled you into a quick tight embrace before dragging you over to the bed. He climbed into the bed and got under the covers, lifting them up for you to join him. He pulled you into his arms and pulled the blanket up over the both of you. He let you get comfortable, snuggling into his chest. “Do you feel anxious?” he asked.

“No” you answered, honestly.

“Good” he said, running his hand up and down one of your arms. “Y/n?”

“Yeah?” you replied.

“Sing something?” he requested. “I just want to hear you sing one more time before I fall asleep.”

You couldn’t help but smile. *This boy is fucking adorable* you thought to yourself before starting to quietly sing.

#colby brock #colby brock imagine #colby brock x reader #colby brock oneshot #colby brock fluff

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intomark · 4 years ago

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superm ‘super one’ album digest tl;dr: an all around solid album

one (monster & infinity): this definitely took the best parts of each song. the transition from monster’s pre-chorus to infinity’s chorus was seamless. there is less rap and more vocals. in the verses, they feel more nimble and smooth, and boom in the chorus with the smooth harmonies and chord changes.

infinity: love how they start with the brass orchestra which gives the song a grand feel before progressing into a dirtier drill/trap beat. the juxtaposition of the two styles really depicts a sort of ‘rise’ to glory, and the lyrics themselves also seem to follow this trend (the drill/trap being more realistic, gritty, violent and the brass showing that they’ve ‘made it’). there’s many different lyrical styles used, keeping the song multi-dimensional and hard-hitting

monster: personally more lacking compared to infinity. the distorted bass gives the song a good buildup, however the chorus doesn’t follow through and falls a bit flat. interesting use of chimes in the chorus too. the bridge is beautiful and definitely the highlight, but overall, its pretty decent.

wish you were here: super mellowed out compared to the previous three tracks (and sounds different then most of their discography up to this one). a more reminiscent feel of the past, and the reggae influence (+ kai/bh) reminds me of ko ko bop. the stripped-down instrumental and emphasis on the riddim with the addition of reverb/echo makes the track an easy listen. the dubbing of the chorus results in the song being addictive/an earworm.

big chance: love the taemin at the start!! the tropical house results in a super uplifting and relaxing sound. there is also a playful element to the song, which is highlighted through the lyrics. the song also seems like it could be played in a coming of age movie.

100: definitely one of the weaker songs on the album. the thumping triple beat at the beginning gets you pumped up, but the song doesn’t seem to deliver the same energy. i enjoy the syncopated parts (+ mark on those beats). vocally, there were some nice notes and harmonies and superm’s bridges never disappoint.

tiger inside: such a great song. love the use of ad-libs throughout the song and the fact they they aren’t your generic ones either (growling, yelling, etc.) which make the song feel very full. once again, the bridge is wonderful, and markyong’s rap goes HARD.

better days: an extremely vocal heavy song with a comforting feel. the gospel influence is great in the song (from the piano, clapping, bass, drums, and the utilization of the choir). the song is also quite melodious and easy to listen to, and also includes some basic harmonies. varied metric schemes are used and bring attention to lyrics/words that depart from the regular meter.

together at home: extremely catchy! the syncopated bassline is groovy and creates a great rhythm. the chorus is very infectious and its interesting to see the parts of the song where piano replaces the bassline. the synths use also enhance the disco feeling of the song. the song is also enriched by the various solo and harmonies played by various instruments. the reverbed vocals, doubling, and instrumental fills make the song very full.

drip: TRAP HEAVY. utilizes very few instruments, and focuses on the synthesized drums, snares, and hi-hats. these make the song feel quite hypnotizing when accompanied by the chorus. the rap verses go hard once again, and the bridge has a great mix of vocals and rap.

line ‘em up: this song just makes you want to dance. the reggaetón influence results in the song being super rhythmic, and the hook is super infectious. the flute is a great addition to the track. the instrumental is the standout to this track.

dangerous women: finally having a studio version is great. the ad-lib acapella to start the song really shows off the vocals, and is nice to hear before the song departs into another trap-based song. this song feels quite playful, especially with the piano. the chorus is another catchy one, and love the ad-libs throughout.

step up: a super interesting song. the verses seem to take r&b route while the chorus goes to a garage route. the standout is definitely the chorus. there are ‘chopped-up’ and pitch-shifted vocals, which compliment the underlying rhythmic structure. the chorus also has a ‘shuffled’ rhythm that features syncopated hi-hats that contribute to the listening experience. the breakdown is weaved into the song and builds a sense of anticipation between different parts of the song.

so long: a slow jam. the use of the phone beeping signals that the person is and the person that they’re calling is metaphorically someone that is not hard to reach and can also be the ending of the call (and the relationship). the rap and vocals blend very well and this is a super solid track all around.

with you: another one that’s good to finally have an official studio version of. there’s a super infectious melody and it’s definitely a fun song. really feels like a concert song.

#my brain is just filled w words lmao #if you read all of that i love you #enjoy my thoughts ig??#kat comments #album digest

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classicliteraturehoe · 6 years ago

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cool instrument things that happen in beetlejuice the musical (act 1)

aka danielle geeking out over Kris kukul’s orchestrations for a long time

Prologue/Invisible:

-is that a THEREMIN?! anyways. the synth slays

-the chromatic buildup ft. the trumpet right before the slow part.

-violin solo!!!!!!!!!?!!!!!!!! ugh 🙌🙌🙌🙌

-the cello on the low note before Sophia comes in

-when yoooou’re “sad” PIANO CHORD + Choir

-the violin when she says “say my name”

-the violins right before she says “folks carry on”

The Whole “Being Dead” Thing (ohhhh boy lets go)

-the brass intro!!!!

-The drum groove at the very beginning!

-BELLS

-every time the guitar does its descending call and response thing with Alex.

-the guitar riff right before the first “being dead thing”

-the trombone’s notes right after the first “being dead thing”

-when the trumpet harmonizes a third up from the guitar on the descending motif

-the TROMBONE’s line when Alex says “I’ll kill you myself”

-the descending bass line when Alex says “never gonna see em”

-the piccolo trill during the buildup when he says “just relax you’ll be fine.”

-the trumpet’s line right before the first “welcome to a show about death”

- BELL TOLL after “death”

-OBVIOUSLY the entire ukelele into death metal back into ukelele

-wah wah trumpet followed by synth theremin in the second verse

-the theremin synth playing the Beetlejuice motif at “you’re just gonna love the folks)

-the trumpet line during “nobody is bulletproof”

-the bass line at “we’re all on a hitlist”

-the giant snake here interlude!!!!!!

-trumpets in the Sinatra style “you’re gonna be fine”

-JAZZ KEYS

-WALKING BASS LINE!!!!! BIG SEXY

-violin line under “death is taboo”

-the trumpets and trombone when Alex says “if you die while listening to this album”

-VIOLIN TREMOLOS during “gosh it’s awful”

-the brass playing with Alex on “I have mastered the art”

-the guitar during that entire sequence

-DIES IRAE!!!

-the guitar just WAILING on that HIGH ASS E FLAT WHILE ALEX SINGS AN A FLAT ON THE “WHOLE”

- THE DRUMS! THE DRUMS! THE DRUMS JUST GOING BUCK WILD ON “BEEEEEEIIIIIIINNNNGG”

-THE CHOIR AND THE BAND ON THE BEETLEJUICE THEME AT THE END

-ALSO THE CHANGING DRUM GROOVES DURING THE WHOLE SONG.

Ready Set, Not Yet

-the brass right after Rob sings “come on”

-the harmonic rhythm underneath rob’s panicked suburban rapping

-when the strings come in on “make room for a kid, ADAM!”

-the bass line. just the whole bass line”

-the strings tremolo on Kerry’s “are you willing to..”

-the string line under “here we stand” for that enter part

-key change on “not yet”

-creaky floor boards instrumental interlude

-the drum’s part under the Spanish

-TRUMPETS starting at “so let’s go slow” all the way until the end. Just. SO GOOD!

-scatting

The Whole Being Dead Thing Pt. 2

-the bass line under BJ’s “Hi I’ll be your guide” chant.

-the trumpets during “the good news is you and your spouse died in your own house”

-the strings when BJ says “this guys happened to be passing by”

Dead Mom:

-bells plus piano after “are you here Dead Mom”

-the guitar line under “I’m tired of trying to iron out all my creases...”

-bass line under “hurry up get happy”

-strings + guitar after “daddy doesn’t wanna feel”!!!!!!!!!!

-the drum phrase under “like a performing seal”

-the keys under “and I’m your clone..”

-the strings under “you held my hand”

-KEY CHANGE on all I’ve done

-the instruments in unison under “I’ll be in my bedroom”

-the chorus in call and response on “ahs” during “mama will you send a sign” and so on

-trumpets under “go insane”

Fright of their Lives:

-the use of the rhodes synth!!!!!!!!

-the strings under “instinct and skill”

-the drum part during the chorus

-the strings under “farmers markets behind you”

-bass line under “living person to say my name” in the bridge

-synth under the 2nd “Beetlejuice x3”

-the strings descending arpeggiating under “surviiiiiiive

No Reason:

-FLUTES!!!!!

-the bass line “be like I knowww!!!”

-the violin going into “time to take command”

-SITAR?????

-the wind chimes! Sparkle sparkle!

-flutes harmonizing on “listen to the melody”

-ALL THE INSTRUMENTS during “the universe sings!!”

-SUS CHORD RIGHT BEFORE SOPHIA COMES IN!!!!

-THE WINDS FLUTTERING AFTER “cause you’re bored”

-CELLO SOLO UNDER DELIA SINGING IN THE BRIDGE and the violins joining and then the flutes!!!

-THE BRASS AND VIOLIN BUILD UP AND THEN PLAYING IN UNISON ON “AGING ASS WILL HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT”

-DRUM FILL BEFORE “EVERYTHING EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!”

-trombone at the very end

Say My Name:

-the drum + bass line at the beginning

-sitar!!!!!

-vibes under “i don’t know your name”

-sitar under the charades

-the trombone in the “Beetlejuice.....Beetlejuice....beeeee”

-trumpets at “beeeee cause!”

-bass under “being young and female”

-the high violin notes!

-the brass during the entire Lydia / Beetlejuice back and forth from “spare the lecture” to “lost my mind”

-the bass line under that back and forth

-clarinet solo under “just wanna make sure i know who I’m working with”

-the drums for the whole song

-the trumpet punches during BJ’s solo after Lydia goes “what do i need you for”

-the strings going into “we don’t need that demon”

-the brass after Lydia says “freak when we possess him”

-drums under “I’m gonna make him say my name

-when they bring the sitar motif back at the end

Day-O ( The Banana Boat Song)

-the percussion the entire song!!!

-the violins on “come mr. tally man tally me banana”

-the trumpet line on the last “daylight come and me wanna go home” before Charles freaks out

-the trumpets punches at the key change!

-the trumpets going into the second “6 foot, 7 foot, 8 foot BUNCH”

-piano run! at “me wan go”

-CALYPSO BRASS

-Beetlejuice takeover sequence!!!!! Looooooove

#yes its on main because #music #beetlejuice #beetlejuice musical #broadway music #musical #broadway #orchestra #musician #violin #alex brightman #theater #musicals #be more chill #bmc #the prom #song #songs

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hana-bean · 4 years ago

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Ayumi Hamasaki Picks: A Song for ×× era (1998-1999)

I’ll admit, I avoided A Song for ×× like COVID for way, way too long. Her vocals were hard to adapt to if you had only heard her I am... material and beyond. I personally found her voice high and squeaky; seemingly years and miles away from the Ayu I was introduced to at 14 years of age in 2002. There were a few tracks in their remix form I was able to stomach but otherwise, this album was an Ayumi I didn’t care to know. In fact, you’ll notice on most of these tracks I note that I prefer remixes over originals.

Within the last couple of years, I listened to this album in its entirety and ultimately fell in love. I realized now how important this debut is in considering and appreciating where Ayu started. Yes her sound is relatively high-pitched and un-Western, but it’s endearing AF. This album is able to span both sides of various spectrums: fun and sad, innocent and experienced, light-hearted and heartfelt. It exudes such a compelling, youthful perspective of love and heartbreak that I can’t help but empathize with it. Honestly, I don’t think I would feel the same emotions if this album was recorded with a more mature, older voice.

---

Rating system:

☆☆☆☆ Love - play this at my funeral ☆☆☆ Like - skippable, but still good ☆☆ Meh - this does nothing for me ☆ Hate - I’ve only listened to this once just to confirm I hated it (⭒ you might see these little guys pop up from time to time, which represent a half star because I can’t make up my damned mind)

For a couple of tracks I give two different ratings because sometimes a remixed version is better than the original.

---

A Song for ×× album tracks

Track 1: “Prologue” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like It’s a prelude. Not the best or worst, but a good one.

Track 2: “A Song for ××” Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Love Are you really even an Ayu fan if you don’t like this song? Kidding! But seriously, I think it’s safe to say that this is a very, very important song to Ayumi; if the number of its live performances aren’t an indicator, the drama from even watching one is enough to move you. One of my favorite live performances ever is from her A Museum tour—the a cappella beginning of the first verse and bridge lures you in and forces you to listen, for her only to then blow you away with the booming orchestral intensity of the chorus. GAH! Fuck me up, Ayu!

Her “030213 Session #2 Take” re-recording of it on the A BALLADS compilation album provides a more organic, and arguably more powerful listening experience. Though she is older, you still can hear the strength of her despair. Her loneliness and strong façade hasn’t left, but has only changed and grew up with her.

The “Ferry Corsten Chilled Mix” from her first ayu trance album is also a total vibe. Great remix.

Track 3: “Hana” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like I’d file this one under: “the remixes are better than the original.” I mean the original is still a good listen, but the “dub’s trance remix” and acoustic orchestra version give it more oomph and dimension respectively (both are found on the first ayu-mi-x compilation). The lyrics reflect a fear of the relative unknown, or rather, a fear of growing, only to wilt or get stepped on. And I love how her considerably sad and pensive lyrics are backed with lively arrangements; it’s one of the many things I love about her music.

Track 4: “FRIEND” Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Love This 👏🏼 song 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 underrated 👏🏼 OMG do I love this song, it’s so fucking wholesome. This track was the one which truly solidified my love for ASf××. Like if this had a music video, I can totally see it popping up on the Disney channel back in the late ‘90s with Ayu dancing at a beach carnival in a pair of Keds or something. Though this song is not devoid of sadness, there is a bit of hope to it, and it’s just simply, super pure. It’s definitely a personal fave.

Track 5: “FRIEND II” Rating: ☆☆ Meh It’s forgettable... I’m having a hard time trying to remember how it goes. I’m sure if I heard it, I’d be like “Ohhhh yeah!” but my mind is only broken picture links rn.

Okay I’ve listened to it and for some reason I get “Song 4 u” vibes like the very beginning guitar riff sounds like the “S4u” chorus, and even the build to the “FII” chorus is similar, I almost expect “S4u” sung over this. At least she copied herself LOL I mean it’s not a terrible song, but the first FRIEND is the better FRIEND.

Track 6: “poker face” Rating: ☆☆ Meh Yes it’s her first single ev4r so like, it’s all important and shit. But I feel there are better tracks on this album which easily eclipse the song. Though it fits in well with the album as a whole. Perhaps as a single compared to only “FRIEND” it holds its own but honestly, just it being Ayu’s debut song is really the only reason why I even remember it.

Track 7: “Wishing” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like I believe this is the first (and only) slow ballad that pops up on the album, and also believe this was a good foundation laid for the rest of the slow ballads of her career. This song showcases the youth and yearn of her voice very well. Does anyone know if she has even performed this song live?

Track 8: “YOU” Rating: ☆☆ Meh (original); ☆☆☆☆ Love (”Aggressive Mix”) I’ll be real: this original track is boring. Though the “Aggressive Mix” on the first ayu-ro mix album slaps for years and I don’t even really care for Eurobeat. The “FINE MIX” on the ayu-mi-x album is also pretty groovy with that—albeit slow—reggae vibe. I’d argue any remix of this song gives it way more personality and likability.

Confession time: back when cosplay shows at cons were just like a mishmash of skits planned the day of and walk-ons, I thought about actually doing some kind of one-woman interpretive dance to the “Aggressive Mix.” It never happened so you’re welcome.

Track 9: “As if...” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like This is just a good bop. I love the fake-out beginning of the slow piano and then: !!!TATOEBA!!!

Also I really appreciate the bass during the verses, like it goes ~BUM BUM~ every four counts and it’s just something nice and subtle which contributes positively to the song.

Track 10: “POWDER SNOW” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like (original); ☆☆☆☆ Love (acoustic orchestra) Three words: acoustic orchestra version. Are y’all seeing the pattern here? But seriously, this song supported by the simplicity of a haunting piano completely changes the mood of this song for the better. I will agree that the original arrangement has a great buildup, but it doesn’t compare to the emotion of the acoustic version.

Also, do any of you fellow old people remember Kazaa? When I was Ayu-curious, I was looking for random songs to download and the acoustic orchestra version of “POWDER SNOW” was one of the first songs I ever downloaded (maybe that plays into my bias).

Honestly, now that I think about it, it might have been Morpheus at the time...

Track 11: “Trust” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like Also one of the first songs I ever heard from Ayu, so I like it for nostalgic reasons. Otherwise I would have relegated this to the ‘meh’ pile.

This is one of the first Japanese songs I ever learned to sing, so I gotta give credit to my 14-year-old self.

Track 12: “Depend on you” Rating: ☆⭒ M— (I don’t hate it, but don’t not hate it enough to warrant the full ‘Meh’) This song is overrated :D The only good thing to come from this single is “Two of us.” Next!

Track 13: SIGNAL Rating: ☆☆⭒ Meh-eh? Well...? It’s a good track, I respect it. Not as memorable as the other songs but it fits well in the album. A good filler song.

Track 14: “from your letter” Rating: ☆☆☆ Like The very beginning with the snaps and twinkly sounds are pretty cool. The song is enjoyable and calls for some shoulder moving at least. There was a remix on AHS a long time ago by sleeperspaceborn which was pretty damned good, and in fact made me like this song.

Track 15: “For My Dear...” Rating: ☆☆☆⭒ Like Like Here for the drama and the high notes, shoot it straight into my bloodstream and do not resuscitate. The Acoustic Version is also a great remix, I love how she sounds like she’s screaming over the piano and guitar.

Track 16: “Present” Rating: ☆☆ Meh Like “FRIEND II” I can’t remember this song...

Ah there it is! *proceeds to forget again*

Non-album tracks:

“Two of us” Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Love I absolutely l-o-v-e this song right down to the cheesy, slow dance prom-y feel to it. Hell, even the “touch of mahogany mix” is one of the best remixes; I dare you not to at least bob your head when you hear it. This song can only be found on the Depend on You single and it’s a damn shame it didn’t make it to the ASf×× album. However maybe this can be considered her first slow ballad... but again, solid foundation. The lyrics are once again so pain-ridden and sorrowful, but then when you hear it against that funky rhythm on the “touch of mahogany mix,” you can’t help but submit to the dissonance of snapping along while in tears.

Also Xelakad provided an ah-mazing remix of this song on AHS a while back too. It seriously turns this song into a spiritual experience.

---

Average era rating: ☆☆☆ Like

If I could describe this album in two words, they would be: cohesive and precious. Yes her lyrics reflect hurt, rejection, and cynicism, but against the pop rock beats and her high voice, the album maintains an element of innocence. I believe it was a strong and consistent debut relative to her discography, as we are introduced to a young and weary Ayu who’s uncertain about the future, of love, of herself... *le sigh*

But let’s tie everything up in a nice pretty bow. For the list of Ayu’s creative bests, the common denominator is how much I really loved the drama and uniqueness of the tracks. Given that Ayu’s music style quickly evolved after this album, we conceivably don’t and won’t hear any songs like these ever again, and that’s why they’re just special.

The ‘Loves’ (only in order of track listing): A Song for ×× FRIEND POWDER SNOW (Acoustic Orchestra) YOU “Aggressive Mix” Two of us

Ayu’s creative bests: A Song for ×× POWDER SNOW (Acoustic Orchestra) For My Dear... Two of us

***

Credits: -Album art from Wikipedia -Concert screenshots from eneabba.net/ayu

Disclaimer: this post is solely my personal view and opinion. I am a Westerner with no fluency in Japanese, and so my viewpoint is shaped from English translations provided by ahsforum.com and all the feels from years of daily listening.

#浜崎あゆみ #Ayumi Hamasaki #a song for ××

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glitter-trip · 5 years ago

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I reviewed and ranked every song on My Chemical Romance’s sophomore album‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge’

I got really bored, so I decided to rank every song on my favorite album of all time and it was really hard because I love all these songs so much. Some should be higher or lower in the ranking, but it was just kinda hard to rank these, so here’s what we’re left with.

Helena:

Good, but certainly overrated

Beautiful vocals, but no parts that make me feel really intense or stand out. Too fast almost.

The “Goodnight” at the end is the best part

Rank: 1/13

Give ‘Em Hell, Kid:

Intro riff slaps!

“Oh baby here comes the SOUND” i love that

Murder scene dynamic comes through

‘You're BEAUTIFULLLLLL’ you get to scream this part to your friends in the car

Establishes non cis themes

“No way i'm kissing that guy” more non-het themes

Good beginning, amazing ending. Middle is a little bit repetitive tbh, but overall a good song

Rank: 5/13

To the End:

Chills in the whisper

STRONG AF BEGINNING

The buildup is *chef’s kiss*

Fucking iconic

Passionate, loud, this song is solid and it fucking slaps

Parade line foreshadows next album

This shit is beautiful

Rank: 10/13

You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison:

Beautiful intro

Timing and pace is perfect

Gay as fuck and im living for it

Gerard raised the fucking stakes its wonderful

You can feel the insanity, vibes are immaculate

Flows so fucking well its amazing

You can feel the desperation and all the other intense feelings and its fucking beautiful

“DO YOU HAVE THE KEYS TO THE HOTEL CAUSE IM GONNA STRING THIS MOTHER FUCKER ON FIRE FIRE”

The end laugh

Rank: 13/13

I’m Not Okay (I Promise):

Immediately recognizable intro, basic, but classic

Strays from original storyline, but its a bop, so i'll let it slide

Comforting and shows that its chill to not be popular and shit

Riffs are immaculate. Real wonderful usage of multiple guitarists

Bridge hits so hard

“Trust me.” *chefs kiss*

Rank: 9/13

The Ghost of You:

It feels like a break. Very tired.

Sad. just really fuckin emotional

You can cry to this song

Prechorus and chorus hit so good

Bridge feels absolutely fucking ethereal

Voclaization before the end chorus/outro is fucking immaculate

Rank: 2/13

The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You:

Wonderful emo church vibes are established with the organ

About addiction

It all hits so fucking good

“Hotel bella muerrte” that fucking rolled r could kill me

Drums after bridge thooooo

“Oh sugUR” ends wonderful

Rank: 8/13

Interlude:

Slow wonderful gerard voice

Soft guitar, love it. Just like in “Romance”

Should be longer or at least change somewhere. Too consistent.

Its still lovely tho :)

Rank: 3/13

Thank You for the Venom

Intro is a shock back to life after interlude

I feel like i could commit arson AND get away with it

Gerards voice gives me chills AGAIN

Verses hit and the words resonate theres so much passion

Fast and alive and i feel my heart beating

Chorus is just so MCR

Love the imagery

“Preach all you want, but who’s gonna save me?” love that

Calling the church and society out in the most wonderful way

Ending is rlly good

Rank: 6/13

Hang ‘Em High:

Western vibes

SCREAMING I LOVE IT

I would willingly break the fuckin law for this man

THE FEELING

SO ALIVE

Wonderful distortion

Rank: 7/13

It’s NOt a Fashion Statement, It’s a Fucking Deathwish:

Solo guitar intro and joining of the other guitar when the words start works so well

The riffs are immaculate

More stellar imagery

Chorus before bridge is wonderful when it kinda stops and its just cymbals

Love how fast the end is

Rank: 4/13

Cemetery Drive:

Tells another part of the story

Vocals and instrumental blend so well

Wonderful use of buildup and break down

“I wont stop dying wont stop lying” the passion.

The yearning. You can feel it.

This whole song feels so real and genuine

“IS THIS WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANT ME FOR” *Chef’s kiss*

Slaps.

“Way DOwn’ isnt even repetitive. It works

Everything about this song is amazing

Using way down to fade out is genius

Its so different. This is a breath of fresh air

Rank: 12/13

I Never Told You What I Do for a Living:

Intro isnt as good as others

Lyrics are genius and descriptive and they add so much depth to the story

“IM SO DIRTY BABE!” uuuuuuuuuuh this is sin

I like how some parts are calmer and some are more erratic.

Its so chaotic. This is art

The break down changes the song so well. Wonderful transition

The story is so beautifully laid out

The emotions are so high its just so raw

So many things going on its just a whirlwind of raw feeling

Best album end ever

Wraps everything up so beautifully

Rank: 11/13

#mcr #my chemical romance #my chem #gerard way #Frank Iero #ray toro #mikey way #three cheers for sweet revenge #should i do this again with other albums??

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juunshua · 5 years ago

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well, opinions are opinions and we can't make people like what we like. i also want to pick your brain about hit! i personally felt that the song was just a bit too generic sounding and disorganized for my taste, but others have been absolutely raving about it because of its style. any thoughts? (good or bad, maybe both!)

i’ll answer both asks here! and i agree opinions are opinions to each their own^^ my opinions about hit under the cut! apologies for how late this is and for how long it got to be;;

honestly the song that i was expecting is not the song that we got ahhhahaa i too felt a sense of disorganization i think my first impression of the song was that it felt kind of unfocused…the main melodic topline part of the song like the actual vocal parts of the song (not the instrumentals) i just felt like wasnt able to mesh properly with the compositional part underneath…which i felt was the main contributor to this disjointed feeling that was felt perhaps? i dont know i just feel like if u ignore the vocals and focus on the instrumental, it flows a lot better. that falsetto in the prechorus both times…i am not a big fan of the choice of register for that part….prechorus in general is probably my least favorite part of the songalso not sure how necessary the ‘woahs’ were in the chorus. i loved the other miscellaneous vocal noises like whoever was doing that “ooh ooh ooh” and then woozis little thing that he does here but the woahs…those woahs…im kind of curious how the chorus sounds without it and what the reasoning behind putting in those woahs in were because it just felt like too much at times for me the chorus is already so many layered sounds and then we get the woahs on top of that…like is it supposed to serve as a counter melody to one of the main melodic figures thats in the bridge with the chants + in the chorus in the synths (which i love that they did!!! taking the melodic line in the synth and convert it into a melodic vocal line thats a lot of fun^^) to me the woahs sound more interesting if i treat it as a countermelody but it also just might have been a way to make the chorus sound less repetitive since we get the chorus twice, but the second time is just a dance break (but then again there are other compositional differences too like that alskdj idk what the name of the synth is but its like what id classify as almost a laser gun sound? laksdj pewpewpewww sound start up high once the dance break starts again indicating change) and also getting out of the bridge the ‘let me drop the music’ line that woozi says is followed by wonderful musical silence which i adore but alksdjlk those woahs start earlier and the break that you think youre gonna get you dont and the musical silence becomes more an instrumental pause which might have been the point but still laskjd im curious as to how this chorus thing would have worked without woahsthis is probably just a very very very very!!! personal opinion and experience but the bridge kind of scares me a bit alskj like the parts before the chanting that says ‘breathe’ over and over again maybe its the nasality combined with whatever vocal effect theyre using + how slow the buildup is rising but laksdj thats just me i guess haha i do agree we need a bit of a chill section for the bridge to i guess rebuild tension and things like that but again execution of the vocal line akdjlakjd but! loved the chants that followed for the reason i stated above^^its such a fun way to build hype and also that parallelism in the synth and what theyre saying vocally. though part of me does wonder how this chant would have sounded as a buildup in the verses but im not mad about it not being there because the buildup in the verse is shorter and you get to the point more quickly instead of dragging it out which is probably more needed for verses like i can see the reasoningi love the dance break section of the chorus so much though! definitely my favorite bit of the song ! esp in the first chorus when they do the brrrrr i wonder why they didnt keep that in for the last chorus haha. the dance break really fits the intensity of the composition at that part and im honestly really looking forward to seeing the full choreo to see how much it’ll take and expand on from the musical composition (no svt song is complete without choreo ever ahaha)im still on the fence i guess about how i feel about this song because there are things that are definitely my taste! like the dance break part of the chorus, and then there are things that im kinda super iffy about like the prechorus hahah and for me personally it really does sound unfocused at times and honestly i also got an overwhelming sensation of overstimulation?? which could be the point it is like dance/club music but alkdj idk at times i feel like i was listening to /too/ much but maybe its just because its the type of music im not used to listening to^^thank you guys for asking though and im super sorry this got long! would love to hear your thoughts on it though for sure^^

#replies #long post #(like REALLY long post lskj rip)#anon

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loathsome-transexual · 6 years ago

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top 10 kpop songs? u get extra points if u say why

Okay. Here we go....

Only doing title tracks btw.

1) Twice - TT

+There’s just something that activates in my brain when I hear this song. Just this primal part that makes me want to listen to it like seven times in a row. Put simply, this song is addicting to a scary degree. It certainly has that signature Twice poppy production, but here it’s handled perfectly. Not overblown or too off putting. Just right. It’s amazing.

2) Gfriend - Navillera

+Maybe the best use of strings in a kpop song ever. The intro to this song promises an epic song and wastes no time in hitting you with not only incredible vocals, but a truly spectacular set of synth stabs. And don’t even get me started on the bridge. Yuju’s high note makes me shiver every single time I hear it. It’s fucking great. It’s just about perfect.

3) Shinee - Sherlock

+It’s the opening refrain. Shinee’s back over and over rings in your head. Pretty much the textbook example of how to create tension in a song. You sit on the edge of your seat wondering what is about to happen and then it hits you. Everything is resolved at once and you almost faint. Shinee really is back.

4) EXID - Up&Down

+One of the truly few perfect Kpop songs. Literally there is nothing wrong with this song. The rap verses aren’t out of place or odd. The instrumentation is engaging without being grating. The vocals. My god the vocals. Solji is one of the best vocals in all of the Korean entertainment industry. My goodness. A truly special song that deserves more respect.

5) Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra

+The reason I like this song so much is that it certainly sounds dated, but oh my goodness if it doesn’t still sound good. Like absolutely incredible sounding. Especially the chorus. That chorus is a monster and cannot be beaten. Mixing disco influences with 2010 style edm, this song is a straight classic.

6) F(x) - 4 Walls

+I feel like this is a weird choice out of the rest of them above it because it is so understated. Yet, this song deserves to be up here. Now it may not be the best F(x) title track, Red Light deserves that title, yet this is the F(x) song that I listen to the most. Why? It’s a perfectly crafted deep house track with an amazing chorus. It’s just so goddamn good.

7) Apink - Mr. Chu

+People tend to hold up this song and NoNoNo as Apink’s best songs and generally give them a lot of respect. And yet, no one ever really talks about why they are so good. In Mr. Chu’s case it has to be the subtlety and restraint that the song uses as a form of musical storytelling. The slow buildup with the meoldy, the heartbeat you can hear in the background sometimes, and the gentle vocals of Apink perfectly explain the song without even reading the lyrics. Just a very sweet song.

8) Red Velvet - Russian Roulette

+The first Red Velvet song I heard and a pretty perfect representation of their concept and sound. A pop song on first glance that seems pretty simple, but when you take a closer look it shows how complex it is. It’s like a hybrid between disco and chiptune and it really is an iconic song.

9) Loona/ OEC - Sweet Crazy Love

+Loona truly is underrated. Much has been said about their predubt project, with twelve members being introduced and three sub units debuting as well, yet I feel like not enough attention is put on the amount of work that OEC put into grabbing people into the Loona world. And no song does that better than Sweet Crazy Love. Arguably the crown jewel of all the sub unit’s songs, SCL manages to blend all of the sub units solos into one positively divine masterwork. Incredible stuff

10) Girls’ Generation - Gee

+What I would consider THE perfect Kpop song. All elements of this song are in their proper place. Not a stitch is showing. So amazing. This is the mark I hold up for what is considered a fun pop song. Just amazing.

Jeez that took a long time. Thank you again for the question, darling.

#taeminfatass

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kpop-musicreviews · 6 years ago

Text

A Review of Leo’s “Muse” EP

로맨티시즘 (Romanticism)

This song is so sexy and I love it. Y’know, Leo has consistently been able to win my heart and it really shows here. The timbre of his voice and style of singing is so unique, it just feels like it could put you in a trance or something. The use of falsetto in the prechorus was a nice juxtaposition to the stronger vocals in the chorus; the use of guitar and slow, seemingly calm trap-like beats set us up for the chorus very well. The bass in the chorus is just totally funky, I really love that they included it in the song. I think the use of vocal samples in the chorus also added the perfect touch to make this song really great. I love that the second verse is more present than the first verse. Oftentimes, songwriters will basically make the second verse into a repetition of the material first verse, and sometimes it works well, but in this particular song the stronger sound in the second verse works so well to help to keep the song interesting and moving along. And it’s not just the vocals that stay strong, the instrumental also remains powerful with the revolving synths and small bits of guitar here and there. This whole song just has a really great vibe and I love it a lot!

다가오는 (ft. 최자)

This song is so slow and beautiful in an almost haunting way. It feels like the world just falls away when listening to it, which is certainly due to the choice of synth and the percussion with tons of reverb. These types of sounds give the song that large, expansive feeling. Leo is able to sing so delicately for this song, and I love that after the long pause toward the beginning we are able to hear him take a breathe before he starts to sing-it’s just a really beautiful moment. Choiza’s part in the song is really interesting because the synth used in the beginning is still there but toned down a lot, and he is instead accompanied by a more playful, high pitched synth and snaps. I think that Choiza’s part in the song was well-placed and worked fine with the flow of the song. I guess I sort of feel bad that his part was so short, but other than that I wasn’t bothered by the duration at all, in fact I thought that his portion was a really nice addition to the song. This whole track was very calming and both Leo and Choiza did a great job with it.

향수병

Speaking of delicate vocals!! This song is such a work of art. Leo’s voice blends so beautifully with the piano and strings in this song. I think a really nice thing about this track is that the piano plays a key role. In many ballads, the focus is on the singer’s voice and that’s it, but here I feel that the piano part is more complex than just a typical ballad and truly adds a lot to the song. The buildups in this song are also really fantastic; the piece starts in such a soft place and works its way into this beautiful, engulfing line. I can’t help but imagine how beautiful this song would sound in a recital hall... I suppose that’s just the musician in me coming out. But truly, this song is so wonderfully done and I love that Leo went for a sound like this because it sounds great with his voice.

타이트해 (Tight)

That bass line is so funky! I love it, it just just makes you wanna get up and groove. And then, when Leo’s voice comes in the vocal scoops make the song that much funkier. I liked the little piano entrances in the prechorus because it filled in the spaces in the instrumental and made the song feel just a tad classier. I think the chorus really gives us a feel for Leo’s voice—it’s sort of raspy but also full and has good tone to it. I really like this song; I think the only thing it was missing was more of that bass! The bass line was such a cool start to the song, and then we never really got to hear that riff again. I think it would have been really cool to get one last dose of it at the end of the song.

Muse

This song feels very uplifting. We start with our lone piano and then vocals enter, followed by guitar. Then, the very airy chorus. The second verse is similar to the first verse, however, all instruments come in at once and one small but new addition makes a huge difference in the sound: the snare. The addition of the snare drum gives the song a strong uplifting sound, and makes it almost feel that the song is on a mission, working toward a high point in the song. We can feel this again in the bridge, where the vocals, snare, piano, and guitar all work toward the build tension in the song, which isn’t truly released until halfway through the last chorus. The end of the song is very pretty—I almost expected it to end right after the chorus, but it kept going until we ended with vocals, and then lone piano—just how we started. I liked the choice to have a short outro because it made the song feel more cinematic. The way that this song goes through phases of buildups and releases is classic and very nice to listen to. It feels so natural and once again, Leo’s voice works so well to navigate us through the song.

the flower (ft. Maximilian Hecker)

This track was a great way to end the album. The synth used partway into the song has this haunting feeling that also feels reflective; it’s like a sound that makes you want to look back on your life and also at your true self. It makes the song feel otherworldly and comforting as well. About 3 minutes into the song, a mallet percussion sound is introduced. It starts very soft and then crescendos quite a bit. I personally feel that whatever was used to make that sound was a little off putting—it was fine when the sound was in the background, but as it got louder it seemed to me like a muted vibraphone or something and I personally felt like it sounded kind of dull tone-wise. Maximilian Becker’s part of the song was very nice—I think his voice was a nice, breathy contrast to Leo’s stronger vocals. I feel like it would have been nice to hear them sing together during the high point of the song to make it feel more moving and powerful, because each of their voices were good fits for this song. Much like the last song, I thought that the outro was a nice touch. It makes the end feel more resolved, which is sespecially nice since this is the last song on the album. This piece really was a masterpiece—I loved the piano and vocals a lot.

Overall Thoughts

This album is truly a work of art. I hadn’t expected Leo to have so many “pretty” songs, but it was a great surprise. One thing that I noticed in some of the quieter songs was that you could sort of hear movement before he began to sing, and I think it added a very personal and real meaning to those songs. I also liked the fact that oftentimes you could hear him take a soft breath before he started singing. That, too, makes the song feel more personal in its own way. I really think that a lot of these songs would be just beautiful to hear live, on a real piano will real strings. There’s just something about hearing the real acoustics of a song that makes you feel it instead of just hear it, and it would be a wonderful experience to hear this songs being performed. Overall, I am just really amazed by the amount of musicianship put into this EP. These songs are more than just songs, and it shows in the way that Leo recorded them. He obviously has a ton of passion for what he does, and the result is phenomenal.

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Thank you for reading my review of Leo’s “Muse” EP! What did you think of his comeback? Feel free to DM, comment, and leave things in my inbox!

Upcoming reviews: SF9

kpop-musicreviews 🎶💚

#leo #vixx leo #leo romanticism #jung taekwoon #starlight #kpop

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