#it just gained a lot of fans who aren't really musical fans who were really weird about it. also a lot of fans who hate rent? which is odd

[walterdecourceys]

top 2 musicals i irrationally hate. number one wicked number two tick tick boom

[formulaorange]

2023 Fall Anime

This is honestly a loaded season full of new shows based on relatively new manga. Lots to look forward to

Spy x Family - Season 2 One of the most fun SJ series that have come out in a while. Season 1 was killer, high hopes for season 2.

Goblin Slayer 2 I didn't realize they were even making a second season. This was such a killer series. I'm really hoping they don't fall into the many mid-tier fantasy tropes out there in anime right now. I thought the appeal of the show was really Goblin Slayer himself and less about the lackeys along the way. So we'll see how it goes.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End This is definitely one of my highly anticipated series. It's about an elf who was part of the Hero's party and her life after he dies. (Since elves live longer) Definitely a darker take on fantasy but has some really solid fantasy and adventure vibes.

Rising of the Shield Hero - Season 3 Season 2 was pretty disappointing and slow. While this looks like it'll be more fast paced, it does look like a tournament arc of sorts. I know some aren't a fan of that kind of arc, but honestly I think it's exactly what this series needs to pick things up again. We'll see.

The Faraway Paladin - Season 2 This was legitimately one of my favourite fantasy series. I thought it was really well written and didn't rush things like other series. I'm looking forward to this season.

Sequels/Continuations: Eminence in Shadow - Season 2 killer series with an anti-hero main character. Definitely worth checking out. After-School Hanako-Kun Hanako-kun spin off Dr. Stone Season 3 - Part 2 One of the best novel concept series with nothing else in it's genre to compare to. Definitely didn't drop the ball on the recent seasons and still worth watching. Dead Mount Death Play - Part 2 One that I didn't particularly enjoy, but has a decent sized manga following. Tokyo Revengers - Tenjiku Arc The continuation of the series. Might be just me but it feels like the series fell off after the first season. The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent - Season 2 A more mature take on fantasy isekai that just started to get into romance at the end of last season. A solid combo of shoujo genres. The Ancient Magus' Bride - Season 2 Part 2 One that I haven't had a change to check out yet but have only heard good things about. Hypnosismic - Season 2 a weirdly addictive musical/rap series. Unique characters and honestly solid rap battles. One I'll be enjoying. -- Related - Paradox Live - Music battle with what looks to be the same style of animation and solid character design. Definitely worth looking at if you're a fan of Hypmic. The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse A sequel of SDS. Looks like it could be a fun watch for the fans of the series. New:

Shangri La Frontier A new manga fantasy series. This may be a horrible way to describe but it is what it is - a new age SAO- full dive fantasy game. A gamer who only plays shit games, gets into a new massively popular MMORPG and is op. One that I'm excited for because it ticks all the fantasy game boxes I like.

Undead Unluck A relatively new manga series that gained a lot of traction in the last year or two. A gory action comedy that's super chaotic and a lot of fun.

Shy Brand new hero manga series about a shy girl and her anxieties and struggles going into the hero world who grows and gains confidence as she becomes a better hero.

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions This is a manga series that I have kept forgetting the name of so never got a chance to read but all the covers for the manga look phenomenal. Likely the anime doesn't do him justice but it is what it is. Essentially sherlock in anime form. A PI with issues and the wholesome police detective work together to solve crime. Other New Series: Green - Fantasy Pink - Romance Red - Action Purple - Drama The Kingdoms of Ruins A world where witches were hunted down by humans as science surpassed magic. A kid who was raised by a witch swears revenge on mankind. This honestly looks solid. The animations are very cool looking and the mc seems to be an anti-hero. Will be looking at this one. Under Ninja A well known manga series about modern ninjas. Definitely a unique series for this season. The Apothecary Diaries A historical medical mystery show. I've heard the name before and I've also only heard good things. Will be worth a watch. A Girl & Her Guard Dog The granddaughter of a crime syndicate goes to highschool out of town and the current young boss lies his way into the same school. Would be cute romance if it weren't for the fact she's 15 and he's 26.. Butareba - The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig What the title says. A girl finds him and the story goes from there. I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness The usual light novel title. Honestly, doesn't seem as yikes as I initially thought, might just be harmless breaking the rules kinda thing. Could be fun, also a Capybara that strikes fear into people's hearts. My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer Looks like a wholesome series where an adventurer finds a baby, raises it and she becomes so strong she's busy working all the time. Just a cute father daughter relationship in a fantasy setting about her wanting to come take time to see him but being caught up in OP fantasy battles. Ragna Crimson Dragons vs Humanity - a human and a dragon team up to destroy all the dragons. Action fantasy series. Berserk of Gluttony I honestly added this because I thought it was hilarious. Looks like a combo of knock offs - the Gluttony skill from Tensura (reincarnated as a slime) and the mc being called Fate with the main girl who looks exactly like Sabre. I'll be skipping but its' here so you know.

[starsomens]

i've never requested something like this before so bare w me, but can you do 4. Forehead kisses with 9. "You're absolutely perfect in my eyes". i feel like this would be so cute if the reader was feeling a little insecure or just self conscious about herself and noah was trying to make her feel beautiful. maybe even starting with forehead kisses but going to kiss different parts of her like her neck, chest, arms, hands, stomach, etc. THIS WOULD BE SO CUTE PLS

Note: we love the fluff!!!!! also because we deal with topics of self esteem every reading this is beautiful as hell! <3

4. Forehead kisses 9:"you're absolutely perfect in my eyes"

Warnings: Language

"Babe you okay?" Noah asked snapping you out of your thoughts. You had ordered pizza "You aren't really enjoying your food" he pointed out

"Hm? Oh I'm fine I just ate earlier is all" you smile at him

You lied.

It was after a small meet and greet with fans, and you knew what you were getting into. They were an amazing band, with great music and die hard fans. Of course with Noah being lead vocals, he gets a lot of attention. He was talented, handsome and so sweet, how could he not capture the hearts of his female fans? You knew he loved you, everything about you and yet...you still felt insecure at times.

You see so many girls with beautiful features, amazing bodies, they could easily pull Noah if they tried. You were with them today there was a gorgeous girl who came to the VIP and met the boys. She had given them each a hug with some small talk, and it was just the way she looked at Noah that turned your stomach. She was trying to get his attention, trying to make that eye contact. You tasted a bitter taste in your mouth as you snapped the picture for them.

Of course Noah never thought about it for a second. He already had eyes for someone, and that someone was you. But your mind lingered on the interaction until you got home. You tried to keep things on the low but it was hard. You both loved having pizza after shows and just talking and enjoying each others company. You didn't even have an appetite, still feeling a bit bothered. After a single slice you got up, cleaned your dish and kissed Noah as a thank you for ordering pizza. You only gave him a peck on the cheek and he grabbed your hand

"Sunshine, are you mad at me?" he asked feeling hurt by just the peck he was given.

"No baby, just a little drained from the show is all, I promise" you smile at him and kiss him fully on the lips "I'm gonna go and shower okay?"

"Okay, I'll clean up here" he smiled watching you head upstairs. He still felt something was off, it was one of the many things you loved and hated about him. You could never hide your true feelings from that man. He in fact did clean up and put everything away and made his way up stairs. The bathroom door was cracked and he stood near the door and saw you in the reflection of the mirror. You were just staring at yourself, with a disappointed look on your face?

You were in your underwear looking at yourself in a vulnerable state. You didn't have that body everyone else was able to gain, you looked average, none of your features really stood out. You wipe your eyes and sniffle feeling your heart sink the longer you stared at yourself. Your eyes wondered the mirror and saw Noah watching you from the hall. Your heart jumped out of your chest and you quickly close the door and lock it.

"Y/N! I knew you were okay, open the door!" he called you out as he tried twisting the knob, finding it locked

"Noah! Why were you watching me?!" you asked half embarrassed and half angry

"I always watch you! This is any different! Damn it Y/N, why did you say you were fine? What's going on?" he said resting his forehead on the door

"It's...nothing, you wouldn't understand!"

"What have you told that I haven't understood?" he asks still trying the knob as if it would unlock itself.

You stay quiet knowing he was right…he was good at listening and understanding there was never a time where he didn’t understand because he always tried to…..

"Goddamn it Y/N….babe open the door….please." He asked more gently “I just want to help you…please tell me what’s wrong”

“I don’t……I don’t want you to see….” You admit feeling the ache in your chest again

“See what, sunshine?” He asked

“…me…”

“Baby….open the door please.” He asked again “I want to see you, I need to see you”

You finally cave and with a huff you unlock the door and open the door slowly. He hated seeing your eyes red and puffy from crying. You had put a towel on, and look at anything but Noah. His arms come around you and bring you close

"Y/N I hate seeing you like this, what's going on?" he asked you again

"Noah do you....am I..." he pulls back and looks at you as you try and find the words "...that girl...did you think she was pretty?"

"What girl...the ones from the meet and greet?" he said trying to pinpoint who you were talking about "Did she say something to you?"

You shook your head "no she was just....really pretty..."

He finally got it. He knew what you meant "Oh princess no, no, no...." his hands came up to cup your face in his hands and wipe your eyes "I saw what she was doing, she wasn't even a fraction of your beauty."

"But...she was so-"

"Don't finish that sentence cause it's bullshit. Now get in the shower" he said starting up the warm water, he then strips from his hoodie

"Wait but-"

"Ah, not another word, now strip and get your sexy ass in here!" he said stepping into the shower. You take in a breath and drop your towel and let your underwear fall and joined the towel. You step in and join Noah bashfully, as if hasn't already seen you naked. The water was nice and warm and you let your hair soak. Noah reached for the soap and your scrub. He lathered the soap and started on your back. His hands were gentle and he was quiet, Despite his silence his actions were louder than your tears. His hands were gliding along your body caressing, and washing softly, his lips kissing anything and everything he loves on you.

"My pretty, beautiful, gorgeous girl" he whispered, just loud enough to hear above the water hitting the tile. He grabbed the shampoo and poured out some for your hair. He combed his long fingers through your strands and massaged it thoroughly

"With the prettiest hair," he added in "I love finding your hair in my clothes and on my desk." after he rinses off your hair he takes a hold of your hands and brought them to his lips "these hands that I love seeing in mine, feeling them touch me, or brush my hair"

"the prettiest eyes, I love waking up and seeing them staring at me" he said kissing your eye lids "and of course, your lips. My favorite things to kiss"

He stops at your forehead and says against it "You're absolutely perfect in my eyes." another kiss to your skin. Noah really did love you inside and out but he needed to remind you every now and then that you were the girl of his dreams

"Oh my princess, you know I love you right?" he asks hugging you underneath the steady stream of water

"Mhm, I love you too"

"Good," he kissed the crown of your head "Now let's go and have some of the ice cream I bought. Yeah?"

「✨Taglist✨」 @lilhobgobbler @cncohshit @vir-tual @tdopomymind @concretenoah @misspygmypie @noah-seb-omens

[reflectionlike]

Seeing Taehyung stans desperately try to make him looks as successful as Jimin is just so funny to me. They spent years trying to convive everyone that Taehyung was the most popular BTS member and that Jimin was at best the third, but not even a close third. So seeing them have reality brutally slapped in their faces is so vindicating.

It was already great last year with Like Crazy, specially when Jimin debuted first so we all got to see their hubris in so confidently claiming Taehyung was gonna release a song that was even bigger (and definitely self-written), only to have that not be even close to what actually ended up happening. But it's even better this year, because Fri(end)s is doing worse than Love Me Again while Who is doing even better than Like Crazy, so the gap between just keeps getting bigger.

We're now at a point where no one aside from his delusional fans and Jimin haters would seriously try to say he is more successful than Jimin. Is now common knowledge that BTS is Jimin, Jungkook and the rest. We're finally back to how things should be and how they 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 to be. Because this 'Taehyung is first, Jimin is third' narrative only started to take hold in the pandemic, before that Jimin was THEE guy and everybody knew it. So I'm glad Taehyung's stans gaslighting has finally stopped working and people are seeing the light again.

Even his stans are lowkey agreeing he's now third with the way they've joined in the hyungline victimization. You can't say armys only really care about Jimin and Jungkook and care about Taehyung as much as they care about hyungline (which as we know is not a whole lot), and then say he's the most popular. Because popular with who exactly? If they say he's not popular with armys than with who is he popluar with? With k-pop stans who are known to only token stan idols online but never show up when it's actually important (like with actually streaming and buying that idol's music)? With his solos, when we know they're not as big as us and I've even seen kths complain to each other about how much better pjms are at getting shit done? So where and with which audience exactly is he popular?

Well, we all know the answer. Is on SEA shipping-obsessed countries (specially Thailand, they carry him hard). And the audience is visual stans and shippers, which is why people got tricked into thinking he was the most popular, because that audience could give the most views on famcans and followers on Instagram, which before solo era was the way to measure popularity. But now the way to measure popularity it is with solo music, which if anyone were to look at how things have 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 been (even before the group's hiatus) they would see Jimin and Jungkook have always done better with solo music.

Jimin would actually almost always have the most popular song whenever all the members would released a song at the same time. That only started changing when those songs stopped being released in equal situations and Jungkook started his painfully-generic-pop-english-western-collab obssession he won't stop torturing us all with.

So Taehyung fans should really have seen this coming and accepted his place as the actual third most popular BTS member. But, as we all know, his stans (the number one shippers of k-pop) live off delusion, so they were never going to have acted any different. They're doomed to always keep convincing themselves of easily disprovable lies and then be secretly disappointed but publicly forced to pretend they're aren't when those lies inevitably become to obviously false to be ignored.

You know what? Go OFF

I agree with almost everything you said, except for the fact that how “things used to be” were very different for Jungkook back then. JK began to gain momentum in approximately 2018ish, 2019, at least from my POV. You know who was very popular? (obvs not Jimin levels, but) YG, I swear everyone was biasing YG back in 2016, 2017. What happened?

But Th case needs to be studied because he really plummet, and there are certain theories about him losing fans because of Taennie and also people not liking his music but I am pretty sure there’s more than that.

[9w1ft]

I have always struggled to contain my anger toward the people who clowned her so hard for the beginning of that era and the "spelling is fun" stuff. I know she gained a lot of new fans during Rep, and Lover was a drastic 180 tone and vibes wise, but Lover was the first album she released under Universal. We now know that under Universal, she has almost complete control creatively, so Lover was almost a re-introduction, the first thing she wanted to say to her fans with her newfound freedom, and as far as she knew at that moment, everybody hated it.

People clowned her so hard she changed her lyrics, the one part of her music she cares about the most. It just breaks my heart to think about everything she was probably going through at that point. Her fans can't even handle a fun campy joyful song how are they going to handle anything more than that?

I'll always adore Lover because I feel like more than most of the rest of her work, it is exactly what she wanted us to hear and see of her at that moment when she could finally say and do what she wanted. Regardless of who the songs are or aren't about, it was her we were supposed to see, totally and completely, and I will always love it for that.

i’m not so well versed in the chart community but at the time it felt to me like a lot of the hate stemmed from it being a sort of comeback single but not charting well, and blaming that on what other chart tracking fandoms were teasing them for, the so-called childlike aesthetics and lyrics. there’s also this thing where a lot of her fans think she picks bad songs to be singles (that there were better choices). i think, had she followed through by coming out, the song would have gotten a proper reconsideration by critics, and in doing so, the chart obsessed side of the fandom would have relaxed. of course this is all superficial and doesnt get at the key issue which is a lack of appreciation for and reception of taylor’s art by a big portion of her own fanbase, people interacting with the idea of her rather than considering her as a person, etc, though i also remember reading thoughts from fans on tumblr who were not chart obsessed but rather saw ME! or the “hey kids!” line as insulting to their tastes or intelligence, and i guess people are entitled to feel how they feel, but i think that some amount of that is connected to a lot of longtime swifties having been in the trenches fighting for her and her reputation and working to prove the quality or seriousness or craft of her work to other people for years, despite being made fun of for listening to her or being a fan of her.. to some of these people, ME! probably felt like it was unrecommendable or tough to defend criticism of their own personal tastes, and they felt like taylor did them dirty. i’m not saying i agree with any of this or that it is a good thing. it’s just my attempt at understanding of some of the critiques of it.

i think in general, and this goes for so many things, there is a cross-party division in the community that nobody really talks about, whether you are small g gaylor or swiftie, which is a level of cringe tolerance. on both sides of the community, there are people who have a very low tolerance for cringe, and people who have a very high tolerance. by cringe i mean, sensitivity to perception of the self by others. i would go so far to say that most gaylors and swifties could get along with some segment of one another, so along as their cringe levels are in alignment. both sides of the fandom have people who theorize heavily and people who hate the people who theorize because they find it cringe to do so. and it’s a spectrum. but anyway, i think that in some ways ME! is another example of the tensions fans sometime have with their own public perception.

i love Lover so much both as a collection of work and as a greater project for reasons similar to what you said. i felt like she was really tapping in to a mode that was about enjoying herself, embracing insecurities but in a fun way. forms of art like collage, mix and match fashion, gaudy things, camp-adjacent things, unbridled by a desire for sonic cohesion, etc etc, makes lover a real standout for me in the same way rep felt. and in some ways i like that ME! went over so many peoples’ heads because there’s less of a dissonance i feel when listening to it as opposed to some of her more critically acclaimed music that is popular but equally meaningful. i think ill forever lament how popular midnights got simply because people wanted to hop on the bandwagon, if that makes sense. anyway. there are plenty of issues with being drawn specifically to perceived underrated material, too. all of her work deserves love.

time goes on and lover continues to be a very stable (well streamed and often bought) album with longevity (cruel summer turning into a mega hit), an maybe one day ME! will get its place again in the sun

[loonarii]

Ari's K-Pop Roundup: March 2024 (ILLIT, ARTMS, CHUNGHA, VCHA + MORE)

Check out last months installment here :) sidenote: sorry about this episode being a bit heavy on the smaller reviews - have been experiencing a cruel and unusual combination of illness and exam season lol - next month will hopefully be slightly better

Magnetic - ILLIT (SUPER REAL ME)

Whether you watched HYBE's 2023 idol survival show 'R U Next?' or you had the self preservation to skip it, if you were into k-pop at that time, you definitely heard about it. The show gained attention from the community originally because it was from HYBE, the newest, and arguably currently the most influential k-pop company goliath, and because HYBE's girl groups (notably Le Sserafim and NewJeans) are famous for influencing the kpop scene instantly upon debut, and maintaining their spots in the top 10s of the charts for many months. This was HYBE giving us a look behind the curtain at the making of the next big girl group, and letting us call a lot of the shots along the way. Or at least that's what it was supposed to be. Rigging in these type of idol shows is practically expected, but HYBE was a new offender, and their crimes weren't only frequent, but pretty obvious. The fans protested, but nothing changed. ILLIT, the group that emerged on the other side, was a group that was hardly a showcase of the talent on display on the show, nor a reflection of the fans and their biases. It was a reflection of who the producers felt fit their pre-established concept for the group, an influencing factor that wasn't made clear to the fans watching, nor potentially, to the idols participating. Ironically, since the whole point of a survival show is to drum up support and build a fanbase for a group's upcoming debut, ILLIT has arguably started off on a worse foot than if they had just dropped 'Magnetic' on YouTube out of nowhere, NewJeans 'Attention' style.

However, regardless of their rocky start, ILLIT is here, with their debut mini album 'SUPER REAL ME', featuring the title track 'Magnetic' - let's talk about it. 'Magnetic' capitalizes on that glitchy, 8-bit, distorted, bedroom pop sound that's been blowing up recently, both in the k-pop industry by NewJeans, LOONA, and tripleS, and in the western space by Pinkpantheress. It's easily catchy, and highly danceable, and the members sound amazing on it - I felt especially drawn to Minju's delivery, her vocal tone is beautifully unique, and Wonhee did a stellar job as the centric member of the choruses. Magnetic's allusions to NewJeans are undeniable, if only lacking that certain NewJeans je ne sais quoi. I don't really have a problem with this, if I get more fun songs out of groups allegedly 'copying' NewJeans then it's a win for me, my only fear is that if ILLIT doesn't find their own niche they will be called knock-off NewJeans for the rest of their careers, which isn't fair to the girls. TripleS got accused of something similar back with AAA's 'Generation', but since then they have carved out a space for themselves in the industry, making music and exploring aesthetics others aren't.

As for the b-sides, I was kind of obsessed with 'My World', even though it is functionally an intro; it's such an unexpected earworm. 'Midnight Fiction' is cute, even if I think it needed another hook or layer of production to elevate it more. 'Lucky Girl Syndrome' is slightly better than 'Midnight Fiction', but a bit worse than 'Magnetic'. It's very obvious that the title came before the track, and it bizarrely sounds kind of like 'Sensitive' by Loossemble? The chorus is slightly weak, but I am obsessed with the instrumentation and the production choices - this song sounds nothing like NewJeans, I really hope they draw from this vibe in their future releases.

Overall, a pretty decent debut. You will definitely catch me streaming 'Magnetic' over the next few weeks, whether it will have the longevity to stick around in my playlist for longer remains to be seen. Good luck ILLIT, you've had a rough start in the industry, but it's clear that they have a big career ahead of them, and I for one, am seated.

Pre1: Birth - ARTMS [LOONA] (Dall)

After an iconic run of Haseul and Heejin's solo projects, as well as ODD EYE CIRCLE's first release out of BBC, 5/12 of the LOONA girls are here as ARTMS. 'Birth' is a song that operates outside of the conventions of kpop formulae; its experimental, confrontational, melancholy and bears an undercurrent of rage. Tonally and structurally it is unique from anything being released right now, and lyrically its compelling and mysterious. If this is a taste of what the upcoming album is going to sound like, I am extremely excited.

The music video is one of the best kpop has to offer - its so unlike anything else I have seen. I heavily encourage you all to go check out the theories the orbits/ouriis have been cooking up because LOONA LORE IS BACK!! I am very curious if the loossemble lore will link to this in any way, but that remains to be seen.

EENIE MEENIE - CHUNG HA, feat. HONGJOONG

Chungha is back, with a new company and an old concept. I'm not sure how to feel about this track, its clear she feels very confident in this style and it does suit her more than 'Sparkling', but I think 'Sparkling' was overall a better song. The production of 'Eenie Meenie' is very high quality and I especially loved that guitar layer in the chorus, and bringing Hongjoong in for a verse was a great call, he fits the song and matches Chungha's vibe perfectly. Unfortunately however, I don't find the chorus to be very catchy, which is clearly what the song is banking on in order to chart. The whole 'eenie meenie minie mo' thing is odd, but honestly could have been worse if this song had been given to anyone other than Chungha, the real death sentence for this song was the lack of interesting melody. I'm happy that Chungha is now making the kind of music she wants to, I just hope that the quality of releases go up in the future.

Only One - VCHA

Who knew that when Fifty Fifty crumbled due to their (allegedly) god awful company, it would be VCHA of all groups to successfully pick up the retro girlpop gauntlet?? 'Only One' is genuinely so fun, that post chorus is a killer, and even the mildly awkward writing clears up after the first verse. The girls have such great chemistry, and they are all genuinely improving their skills every comeback, and although I may have questioned JYP's decision to debut girls who had barely been in training, seeing the girls improve in real time is lowkey actually a selling point - like now I want to pay attention to them to see how good they are going to get?? JYP making an intelligent marketing decision?? In this economy?? Congratulations VCHA, you have officially established yourself as a force to be reckoned with, KATSEYE had better bring the heat when they debut to compete with this.

MINI REVIEWS:

Get Goin' - aespa: did you know this song existed? no! Is it surprisingly really fun? well yes! not sure what aespa has to do with fraggle rock, but if it takes Apple TV spamming SM Entertianment's dms to get aespa to release more music, then that's what must be done.

The knight who can't die and the silk cradle - LUCY: (req. by @a-moth-to-the-light) I've always been mildly aware of LUCY, but until my moot requested I review their latest release, I had never heard any of their songs. Needless to say, I was severely impressed. This song is so cinematic and heartfelt - to my knowledge it isn't part of an OST to a particularly cinematic kdrama, but it might as well be. I heavily encourage you all to go watch the mv with subtitles on, or read the translation, because lyrically this is a masterpiece. LUCY, you have officially caught my attention, I will be checking out future releases.

Paths to home - 문채원, HOWUS: The music video for this song, at time of writing, currently has 147 views, I have no clue how I stumbled across it, but I am so glad I did. 'Paths to home' is a beautifully constructed and performed citypop inspired track that to me evokes LOONA's early discography, especially those from Hyunjin's solo project. It is so perfectly constructed to my tastes, I love it to death. I have no idea how 'HOWUS' as a project works, I don't know if it's a group, a company, a subunit, or apparently even when it was released because according to some websites it came out in 2022 (the struggles of extremely nugu kpop cannot be understated), but what I do know is that this song deserves more attention, and I adore it. This is one for the NewJeans, LOONA yyxy, tripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes girlies.

Wish You Hell - WENDY (Red Velvet): SM finally gave Wendy a song that isn't a ballad!!! This song is pretty fun, but I wish it bit more oomph. The lyrics leave much to be desired, but Wendy's vocal performance is naturally very high quality, although I wish she went a bit harder in some sections - she's singing about wishing someone hell, but tonally it sounds like she's serenading them lol. A fun song, could have been better with another few drafts. Seulgi's 'best Red Velvet solo project' crown is yet to slip.

BBB - Purple Kiss: I will never shut the fuck up about how good 'Zombie' is, so seeing them explore similar sounds is so exciting for me!! 'BBB' is a very easy going listen, never awkward, never unpleasant, and although I think it needed a little something more to elevate it, it's a fun song I could easily see myself loving this summer. Swan absolutely ate up this comeback btw.

XXL - YOUNG POSSE: Bizarre sfx aside, I am very glad young posse is attempting to bring back 2000s hip hop into kpop, even if the execution is mildly clunky.

[rivetgoth]

Tbh I think one aspect of goth club environments that I find a bit frustrating, though generally keep to myself/my close circles who know I'm not coming at this from some massively judgmental angle but more passive observation and ultimately minor grievance, is that I think there's two pretty distinct camps in most of them where Camp 1 is "people who love goth [or otherwise dark alternative] music who want to hear it played loudly and dance while socializing with other individuals who love this music as much as them," and Camp 2 is "people who are weirdos and freaks [affectionate] who wanted to find a place where they could express themselves comfortably and safely and meet other weirdos and freaks." And these aren't completely separate spheres, but the two circles of this Venn diagram are not nearly as overlapping as you would think.

I consider myself first and foremost Camp 1 as the one and only reason I became goth and began participating in this community was the love of the music, the music has kept me alive and shaped me into the person I am today, the reason I go out to these events is for the music, and every close friend I've made in this scene has been through the love of the music, but I don't have any negative feelings towards Camp 2 and I relate to them in many ways as well. I think goth clubs are fantastic accepting spaces for queer people, kinky and sex posi people, autistic and other neurodivergent people, and people who otherwise just do not fit into the norm, whether it be due to something outside of their control or just having Weird Person Interests that have gotten them kinda stigmatized by wider society. I totally found solace in the goth scene due to being a lot of those things myself. But I still connect first and foremost with the people who love the music. That is THE THING that has kept me going. While when it comes to the exclusively Camp 2 people, a loooot of them kind of come out to these spaces specifically to be amongst other likeminded individuals and feel accepted for their weirdness, and the music is practically, just, like, incidental lol. Ironically they don't necessarily realize how much of the reason that these spaces ARE historically safe for them is due to what the music itself, the musicians making it, and the fans of the music have stood for.

The thing is I don't really think anything needs to be "done about this" or whatever, I hesitate to call it a problem at all, firstly I think that the dark alternative scene SHOULD be a safe space for individuals who exist outside of the norm and I don't think they should need to pass some sort of knowledge test in order to gain entry to these spaces, second of all I think many of them over time do come to love the music, even just by being around it enough to develop positive association, and third I think that supporting these spaces with physical bodies, generating financial revenue, etc is the best way of keeping them alive so ultimately it doesn't really matter how much or how little they know if they're showing up and materially supporting the scene. But I do think it's like... person to person, a little sad, I guess, that the dark alternative scene is so muddled with just the general broad category of humans that is "people who are weird and don't fit the norm" that it's kinda difficult to find people who are there because they love the music and a lot of the people who I get excited to connect with because they're openly trans or something reveal quite quickly they don't really listen to any of the bands I'm there to hear, they just heard from a friend who heard from a friend that you can meet other cool queer people and be GNC safely there. And that's great! It really is. But I do wish that the people who were going to these spaces without knowing much about the music would spend some time exploring it. I think they'd probably find a lot to love about it honestly.

[fromtenthousandfeet]

https://www.tumblr.com/fromtenthousandfeet/762649366059204608/httpsxcom97901suestatus1837382052729311473?source=share

Yes seven and golden were definitely successful. The music that was chosen all have easy hooks and JK's by no means a bad performer. Also JK was extremely popular prior to his solo songs. And anon isn't wrong per se - I'd say JK is definitely the most known member of BTS right now. He should be shouldn't he? Comparing his activities to the only other two members who could've possibly competed - Jimin and Tae had a pretty limited rollout. They didn't go on extended radio legs in the west or otherwise, didn't perform at any big locations like times square or gcf or iheart, didn't have huge collabs with huge western artists, didn't get the Hybe / sb marketing team hounding every music critic, radio host or netting awards for them (imo VMAs are usually negotiated, I've said this before JK entered the picture so i wont be changing my opinion just because he won one - they wouldn't give it to some unknown but the fan voting is a formality). What I question is if goldens only purpose was to be successful for its own sake.

How well did JK really do? With Jimin we can see that his newer songs from muse did better than his older ones from face. Even though sgmb wasn't as popular with his fanbase or in English, it still did better than smf pt 2 and who obviously performed much better than like crazy. Jimin's success with face translated into more fans, more organized fbs and hence a better performance with muse even though he's enlisted and couldn't properly promote his album. I won't consider nlg a worthy comparison since it's just a fansong but let's compare SNTY to 3d or seven. That's fair enough right? JK only had a few weeks to promote it before he enlisted but I would still say better than being totally radio silent like Jimin for muse. Anyhow SNTY's success was very JK from BTS-esque coded. As in without all the marketing and hype, that songs success is what I would've initially expected from JK in the first place from chapter two before the insanity of seven. It did very well of course. But how is it that we went through such a huge hype cycle of the biggest global popstar who sang seven to rival western artists and BTS themselves, all that marketing and activities and then end up right back to the same situation with his music performance that he would've achieved with his popularity post-hiatus anyway. If Jimin is dependent on his fans for his chart performance then SNTY shows that JK is still dependent on armys but how are they both now in the same situation when one has industry plant level money behind him? (industry plant is just a factual moniker for me not an insult for example I love industry plants Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter). But where are all his new fans that he gained from seven and 3d?

If I invested so much money at JK only for his performance at the charts to revert back to the same level as it was before I did that, then I'd be questioning a lot. Of course scooter and his buddies probably still made a sick amount of money from seven and golden but as Hybe trying to make a new BTS, I'd be annoyed that my marketing budget for JK would have to stay huge to get the returns I want. He's no BTS - invest minimal budget and get huge returns. JK might still get the golden treatment once he's back - sunk cost theory is a thing after all. And while JK didn't quite become the next Justin Bieber like he was supposed to, he's still more successful than 95% of Hybe's other projects. Anyway I doubt people who aren't as deep into this as us can even tell his popularity isn't at the level it's supposed to be at. They'll just say JK is the most successful member from BTS because like you said marketing works. However JK in chapter two has shown me that unless he makes a serious breakthrough with his next projects - his merits as a solo artist are still inextricably tied into his groups fanbase. Which is fine since Armys are still huge and maybe that will be enough even though I feel he failed to net enough dedicated fans with his solo music. But I do wonder about the sustainability of this arrangement when the group returns or if the group decides to go on a more permanent hiatus. Will armys all convert to jjks? I guess we shall see.

Also sidenote I know Tae's music has never done as well as Jimin's and his popularity is more superficial than Jimin's but I still think he's more popular than the other members by far and he could've potentially gotten to Jimins level if he'd done a better debut solo album. Just clarifying since I bunched Tae and Jimin together here even though it's not 2022 anymore and Jimin has strided past Tae as a solo artist. Also they may have definitely not opted into whatever deal JK had - I doubt they were offered one but it's possible it was their choice too. I don't want to strip them of their agency. Tae and Jimin have seemed more wary of Hybe than JK I think

Thanks for sharing. Lots of good info here.

[yunogf]

lmao i asked bc, as you said in your tags, there was a certain way that it comes across as with how you’re talking about it, so i genuinely wondered bc i was gonna listen to it as well. i’ve been reading plenty of comments about it as well that mostly just lean on “aoty” “soty” “best album ever” and i get that these are (hopefully) exaggerated claims by stans, but i was seriously yet to see a decent comment about its musicality. it’s either about his face in the mv or his voice or the aesthetic of the mv. nothing on the lyricism or the instrumentations or its creativity or depth, so i was hesitant. i get liking it, but i doubt its being “the best”, so when i saw that your comments were the same, i began to wonder if this is another case of exaggerated praises and it’s just... meh at best. nothing new and all that. i am still gonna listen to it on my own ofc but, i guess, since i’m not really his fan, i’m not all excited. amazing debuts usually create tractions of their own, and i don’t hear much for this, but i ain’t judging based on that ofc. anyway, no need to feel attacked. as i said, i was genuinely curious so i asked. i’m well aware that i have ears. i was just genuinely curious about what you actually thought about it, what with your unhinged tags and whatnot. that’s all.

hard to gain traction when ur company announces ur album 2 weeks before it drops!

i was thrown by your wording and i still kind of am but i don't listen to music i don't enjoy and that's across the board for any artist bc....why would i do that lol and maybe ur not in the right circle being a casual fan/non-fan bc I've seen most ppl talk abt the musicality along with everything else 🤔

ik u said u were genuinely asking and i appreciate the explanation but im picking up on an overall unimpressed tone ("hopefully exaggerated" "doubt it being the best" ?) and it feels like u've made up ur mind about jaehyun and his music and ur asking me to give u a reason to change ur mind/care/be impressed but that's not my job ur free to make ur own opinion to me it seems ur going in with a half formed one already but it's music so like it or leave it either way is okay! ur under no obligation!

I'm sorry if being a kpop stan (im assuming...?) has made u feel disillusioned by solo releases tho i understand bc ppl are often overhyped by fans but jaehyun is a music enjoyer who did his homework and worked with artists he himself is a fan of and the payoff is really good music

overall ur ask is very uninformed which if ur not a fan is understandable but as a native english speaker myself listening to an album that is almost entirely in english from a nonnative speaker i have to say the lyrics are very well done they make sense create good metaphor and aren't superficially about balling or making a lot of money (i loathe to hear this often in eng versions of kpop songs lol) and jaehyun is credited as a lyricist on almost every song afaik

the production value is solid "can't get you" has an entire band accompaniment (the trumpet >>>>>) he wrote/worked on "flamin hot lemon" with emotional oranges (one of my fave artists actually <3) so that one is Excellent in every regard esp for a song inspired by cheetos lmao I've said numerous times that none of the songs sound like they were created with the intent of 30 secs going viral on tiktok (a very important differentiation for me) and one of my favorites parts about the title track "smoke" is the outro it's soooo good there's an unexpected bit of piano that he adlibs along with >>>> and the ballad "completely" has a Gorgeous piano backing to it (the lyrics on this one are also so beautiful)

my excitement about the release may have overwhelmed me so i might not have broken down each song beat by beat but rest assured i'm not wasting time on music i don't enjoy

in summation the album is good and on a separate unrelated note he just happens to be really hot ❤️

[alarrytale]

how long people are going to tolerate and buy the fake stunting for

________

The majority of his fans don't think his girlfriends are fake. The wider public outside the fandom who listen to his music think they're real, so do most of his fans outside Larries. His fandom actually grew during his worst stunt, Holivia, and his most popular album was released at the height of that stunt.

This proves that the vast majority of his fandom is unaffected by stunting and don't see queerbaiting either, just a flamboyant style of dressing on stage which is endearing, not irritating.

Inevitably he'll lose fans as he ages into his late 30s but not until then. The current popularity of 1d is linked to Harry's popularity and if they did reunite, a lot of the audience would be there to see him. But given that all tour profits would be divided by four I can't see a day when a 1d tour would be more lucrative than another Harry tour, regardless of his age. Really popular artists like Harry can still tour in their 70s.

Hi, anon!

You are describing the current situation. What you miss is the fact that his fandom is growing up with him and he's aging too. H's relationships will also be less and less convincing, because he will make less and less of an effort to sell it. These two last relationships are being bought as real by fewer and fewer people. This last relationship isn't giving him much else than a beard. They don't create a lot of buzz together. People aren't as interested. Also, in the future, who will he stunt with, who are that desperate for attention that they're willing to closet someone who won't make much of an effort to sell it? Who will say yes but are controlable enough to not do something that will tanish his image?

H gained a lot of attention during Holivia, but it did tarnish his image. It was too much drama and people ended up taking Florence's side in the feud. The TR stunt we're seeing now is to repair some of that damage. If H keeps stunting he'll end up like a laughing stock like Leo is. Even if he did get attention during his album launch, i think his music gained him fans, not the drama. I don't think Harry's rambling performance in Venice gained him new fans, quite the opposite.

If 1d were to reunite a lot of people would be there to see H, that's true. Nothing wrong with that. They'd learn to see how wonderful 1D are together. Also, it's not about the money for H. Nobody is saying that a 1D reunion means the end of their solo careers. I think it would give them all a boost, H included, if he's loosing his popularity or need an image boost. Also, H's money is L's money and vice versa. So you'll have to factor in Louis' earnings in your calculations too.

[leffee]

each of the main 7 on clubbing/partying?

I was going to say that it depends on what kind of party, but now that I look at this slash I suppose you mean the "in the club - loud music, alcohol, lots of people" kinda partying. I will talk about that, as if they went to a club.

Minka - so I think she would like that, at least some of it. There's a lot of stimuli - it's loud, colorful, many tastes to try, people to interact with, cool! This is nice and this is what she would enjoy. Buuut what she would not enjoy are the weird people who are agressive (due to alcohol or just in general) and just all around the club-mindset of at least some people, so like hooking up and doing some questionable dances. Like yikes, maybe not, she will avoid that, thank you very much.

Zoe - oh heck yeah, that's her world fooor the most part as well. She can and will absolutely accept drinks from strangers and talk with them etc, that is if they're not being creeps towards her which did happen. So she will keep a close eye on hands and her drinks if she has any, but aside from that, she would enjoy it. A lot of occasions to talk about herself and basically just show off as well as gain some new fans.

Vinnie - eeeeh, it's not that he doesn't enjoy some of it, the loud music, dancing - all that is cool, not to mention that as I said, he really likes his alcohol and will happily indulge, but at the same time, the people, damn. He saw some weird shit including illegal stuff. At the same time though, there are also other people who don't act like that and that's cool. But if he goes he'd rather go with someone, not because he can't go alone or is intimidated, simply because he'd want to be there with someone he knows and also knows they aren't one of those weird people. But still, if anything, he'd rather be at a bar, not a club, or just at home drinking with someone.

Penny - wooould rather not go, but can if she's going with someone she knows, preferably more than one. Some things are okay but in short, all this crazy atmosphere is not for her. If she goes however she will most likely spend the entire time sitting on a couch in some corner with that person and maybe drinking something, but not too much if it's alcoholic, she doesn't feel safe in such environment being drunk, even if just a little. Someone might try to steal from her or take her somewhere and she would not be fully aware, so no thank you.

Sunil - nope, nope, nope, it's not a case of "would rather not" but an "absolutely not". If it's a party club-style (so not just like friend's birthday party at their house) then he's just straight up not going, too many weird people who are sometimes way too forward because of being way too drunk (or more). He would be afraid to be drunk around those people - because he'd be less aware of everything going on, but at the same time he wouldn't want to be sober either because he'd be too stressed like that.

Pepper - she can go, she thinks everything going on is hilarious most of the time. The people at such parties are usually, as I already said multiple times, drunk and/or acting absolutely wild and she has fun observing that, maybe even participating if an occasion arises. She will go and interact with others, take pictures, she can enjoy a drink, overall it's okay for her, but not something she's super into, plus, even she feels some of that pressure of having a "club-appropriate" outfit that she's not willing to wear.

Russell - no thank you, it's not a total nope like Sunil but still, he sees no good reason to go there, I mean, it's too loud even to talk in peace! If he ever were to go it would be only if everyone else went as well, not just two of his friends or whatever. If he did, he would, just like Penny, spend majority of the time sitting and sipping on someting, probably trying to zone out which is hard for him in such environment. But hey, at the very least he can have some amusement provided by his drunk friends. Still, would rather not.

In short: some of them are somewhat okay with it, others are just straight up not fond, but all have one opinion in common - they'd rather go to a party of the style "someone they know is throwing a birthday party at their home that mostly familiar faces will attend" than to a club/other party.

[nomoreusername]

Who Are You? (pt 2)

Paring Aris x female reader

Summary: You finally escaped the Glade. Everything seems to be going your way. However, that is quickly disrupted when a random boy takes Teresa's place.

"Let's just pretend these aren't here. We can figure them out later,"I suggested, but I also didn't want to think about the fact that my subject name matched with this complete strangers. As we walked in the room and everyone started asking a million questions I just let everyone else talk, feeling more and more unnerved each second I was here. I don't know a lot, but one thing is crystal clear. Things can only get stranger from here.

----

We had figured out that there was basically no way out. For now we were all stuck here.

"Fan-shucking-tastic. We finally got some peace, and now we get to start our panic all over again,"Minho stated. "Ah yes. I could be in the Glade terrorizing you shanks with... someone,"I trailed off, not wanting to say Chuck's name. It didn't really matter though. We all knew who I was talking about. Even Thomas had an idea because Gally was Chuck and his victim when he was still a Greenie.

That feels like ages ago, and I miss it.

"Well, we may as well play some music,"I sighed. Before anyone could ask what I meant I pulled out a harmonica and kicked my feet against the wall. Now I was in what probably looked like the worst position but was actually pretty comfy. Just me, my feet up, staring at the ugly ceiling, and playing a great, rusty, harmonica.

"Where did you get a harmonica? Why do you even have a harmonica?"Newt asked. "Oh mother of the Glade. Don't fret. Just sit back and enjoy my song,"I responded, before playing some random melody. It was probably something a cowboy would appreciate.

"Can you please stop playing the harmonica?"Newt begged. I pretended not to hear. "I can play a different song. How about one called we're all going to die, we're trapped in this hell, life is terrible, and Newt is ruining the already terrible mood by not letting me play my song? I made it myself."

"Just play your stupid song,"He sighed. "No,"I argued. "No? Y/N, what do you mean no?"He asked. "You told me what to do. There's no fun in playing it if you want me to,"I responded, tossing it in the air. "Why do you act like this?"

"I'm sorry. I'm creating a huge mess right now,"I deadpanned. "Why can't you be serious about this?" "Humor is how I deal with things like this. If I'm going to be traumatized I can at least gain being funny from it."

From a few feet away we heard Aris laugh. There had been an invisible line drawn between us and him.

"See? This shank gets it."

"That's not a good thing Y/N."

"You know what else isn't a good thing? Being trapped here, while our friend is missing, in a place where several dead bodies disappeared, with no food, and no way out,"I pointed out. The room got quiet, and I felt kind of bad for bringing up the hopelessness of our situation.

"You know what else isn't a good thing? Sugar crashes. I discovered I really hate sugar crashes,"I said, bringing a more lighthearted topic to the room.

"Or Frypan's stew,"Minho added.

"Hey. I work hard on that for you ungrateful shanks,"He protested.

"You know what we should do? Let's all go around the room and share one, not so dark thing, that we hate?"I suggested.

"I'll go. I hate the way you always complain about my cooking,"Frypan spoke up. "There you go. Your turn Greenie."

"I hate the way you randomly call me Greenie."

"Great, and you Newt?"I asked. "I hate the fact that you pulled a random harmonica out of the air and played it for two minutes."

"Ouch. Your turn Winston. Preferably something without me,"I suggested. "I hate the way the Greenie's always let the pigs loose."

"Perfect. Your turn Aris,"I added. He looked up in surprise. It was clear he wasn't expecting us to let him so much as be an inch around us anytime soon. "Well? Sit in the circle and tell us what really irks you,"I pushed. By now Newt had hesitantly scooted over. Aris seemed just as cautious as he leaned against the wall between Newt and I.

"I hate the way tapwater tastes."

"Good that,"I nodded.

That's how a lot of the night went. We just sat in a circle doing random things to keep ourselves occupied. From telling random stories, to sharing random facts about ourselves, I quickly discovered that I wish we have had nights like this before. Even Aris seemed to be fitting in just a little bit more.

If only I didn't have to discover all of that in such a terrible way.

[noramoya]

LENA ZIEGLER :”These last few days/weeks I've had a lot on my heart when it comes to Michael. It started with the “Think Twice” podcast and was high-lighted by the Wembley issue. I really can't put into words how it all makes me feel, but I wanted to try to have a discussion about it, if that's ok. Scroll further down for my actual "question" lol.

When it was announced that the Think Twice podcast was happening, I tried so hard to be positive about it and give the benefit of the doubt. Of course, I was wrong. Then, when the Wembley thing happened this weekend I thought, well, it's awful but maybe it was an accident because a lot of other people were left off who shouldn't have been. But again, I was wrong. Despite wanting to see the best and be positive, the attacks are constant and deliberate. My question is... WHY ?

I've heard so many writers share that they can't get their MJ work published unless it is negative… I heard Elise Capron, who is a co-host on the MJCast, as well as a literary agent, say it's very difficult to publish work about Michael ! Yet, we see how negative news about Michael doesn't exactly do numbers … LN got a ton of media attention, but from what I understood, it was not all that successful with viewership. As far as I know, the multiple other documentaries that have come out attacking all aspects of Michael's character aren't doing much either. I have searched Twitter for conversations about “Think Twice” and there isn't much to be found. Yet, news of the biopic was blowing up everywhere! “MJ the Musical”is killing it ! MJ One is mega successful ! Clips of Michael go viral on every platform every day ! Michael's numbers are the best they've been in years, in terms of streaming, sales, etc.

And so this brings me to the main reason for this post. Why does the mainstream media only want to publish/promote negative content about Michael when it does not seem to have a great market? It's clear there is still significant public interest in him. But what's more clear is that there is still significant public support. So... why would they do this? It doesn't seem to me to make economical sense. Is there something I am missing here? Wembley's anniversary was completely overshadowed by Michael's absence. I get how Rolling Stone might see disrespecting Michael as a smart move because it led to them trending on Twitter for like a week and probably more people clicking the article than ever would otherwise. But is all of that really worth this much?

The more I learn, the more I really think there IS a larger power at play behind the scenes, but what I don't understand is what the motivation is. Michael is gone. His legacy is all that is left. What could possibly be gained by smearing him and blacklisting him still? Like I said, it doesn't seems to me that these campaigns against him are working at all and they certainly can't be making that much money. The way I see it, there is more money to be made by supporting him. Can you even imagine the numbers a Hulu or Netflix documentary promoting his INNOCENCE would get?? people would be so shocked and stunned by the opposing narrative, that they would watch in mass. My point is, it doesn't even seem economical to do this. So why is it happening?

I apologize for the long post, i just have a lot of feelings about this. Also, since this is a general discussion and not book related I understand if it can't be posted. But I like this Facebook page as a place to have these conversations, because I feel it is the only online space I've had where fans seem to have a similar level of respect for Michael as I do. Thanks in advance!”

MICHAEL JACKSON’S FANS ARE BORN EVERY DAY ! ALL OVER THE WORLD, FROM ALL RACES, ALL RELIGIONS, FROM 8 TO 80 YEARS OLD. READ HERE ABOUT THIS FAN WHO STARTED TO LIKE MJ ON 2022 !! AND SHE’S ALREADY VERY INVOLVED WITH THE INJUST WAY HE’S TREATED, ACKNOWLEDGING EVERY DAY ALL THE FACTS THAT MAKES HIM THE MOST (AMONG ALIVE AND DEADS) FAMOUS AND THE MOST RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, ALL OVER THE WORLD !

[therecordconnection]

Ranting and Raving: "the BLACK seminole." by Lil Yachty

"It's like he downloaded the entire Pink Floyd discography into his mind and synthesized all of it into seven minutes. This is absolutely incredible."

That was my thought the first time I heard "the BLACK seminole.," the opener to Lil Yachty's newest album, Let's Start Here. "Lil Yachty makes psychedelic rock" is yet another surprise I can add to my growing list of "Unexpected 2023 Events."

It was the kind of song that once you hear it, you're blown away and you immediately start texting all your friends about it. I certainly did. The best way I can describe this song to people is that it's a perfect synthesis of everything Pink Floyd did in their career. It's all here. Guitars and soloing that sound like David Gilmour himself wandered into the studio. Grooves that are reminiscent of "Echoes," "Breathe," and the instrumental section of "Pigs (Three Different Ones)." Keyboard work that sounds ripped straight out of "Us and Them." An ambient section in the middle that brings to mind stuff like "A Saucerful of Secrets" and the intro to "Time." Diana Gordon's vocal runs during the second half of the song are pure "The Great Gig in the Sky." If any second of this song reminds you of something Floyd did, you aren't crazy. Yachty is very clearly a Floyd fan and he did his homework when it comes to making a track like this. It's absolutely stunning.

And yet... the more time I spent with it, the more I found the shine and the sheen had started to dull. Around my seventh or eighth listen, the flaws began to show more and more. I struggle with whether I still love this, and by extension, the rest of Let's Start Here.. I'm gonna do my best to try my struggles with this.

So, let's start here. (HA!) Musically, this song scratched just about every itch for me. With Pink Floyd being one of my favorite bands, it was easy for me to fall in love with this right from the drop. All the little moments that reminded me of Floyd songs kept me engaged and left me wondering how the hell Yachty pulled this off. But there's one problem with this song: it didn't leave me hungry for more Yachty, it just made me want to go back and re-listen to some Floyd that I hadn't gone back to in a while. "the BLACK seminole." is a great song, and it certainly did its job in terms of getting me to pay attention and listen to the rest of what Let's Start Here. offers, but I find it suffers from too much imitation. Yachty doesn't experiment or push the boundaries of psych rock, he just recreates one of the genre's most important bands. Even beyond this song, other songs on the album suffer from this too. "the ride-" sounds like a discarded Tame Impala track at points and "drive ME crazy!" has a cool disco and soul vibe to it, but in the same breath I would tell you anything by Silk Sonic or anything Kali Uchis has done herself or with Tyler, the Creator shines brighter.

When I say this song didn't leave me hungry for more Yachty, it's because I would argue he's the weakest element of this entire song. It's clear that he enjoys this music and it's clearly the music he now wants to make, but that doesn't exactly mean he's up to par when it comes to performing it. It's been a hot minute since I've encountered a song where the music absolutely outshines its performer. Yachty's stiff and heavily processed vocals end up being a detriment to him as he never really stands out. You could replace him with anybody and the song would remain the same, which is a shame because I think lyrically this song stands out and it's pretty strong and introspective, especially if you're someone who hasn't kept up with Yachty since he gained a lot of popularity back in the late 2010s.

Now, you may be wondering, "What is a Seminole? What the heck is a black Seminole for that matter?" For our purposes, all you need to know is that the Black Seminoles were a group of free blacks and runaway slaves that joined forces with the Seminole Indians in Florida from around 1700 through the 1850s. Specifically, the Black Seminoles were able to help their Native American brethren through their knowledge of the language and culture of Euro-Americans as well as their military prowess (that's what the lines "African Rambo with more ammo" and "The Black Seminole, a head general" are referencing.) If you're interested in knowing more, you can find more info here and here.

Lyrically, Yachty likens himself to the Black Seminoles and uses them as a metaphor for his own creative endeavors. The Black Seminoles escaped slavery to create their own culture, which is similar to Yachty escaping "Soundcloud Rapper" label try and create his own unique sound with psychedelic rock. Your mileage may vary on how well this works.

It's a good metaphor and it's definitely something that's out of left field for Yachty. If you're someone like him and you've been longing to be taken more seriously as an artist, writing a psychedelic rock song about an Afro-Indigenous group is a good way to go. And being taken seriously is the entire reason Yachty has taken the direction he has with this.

At a surprise listening party for the album, Alphonse Pierre's review on Pitchfork quoted a statement Yachty had made: “I really wanted to be taken seriously as an artist, not just some SoundCloud rapper or some mumble rapper.” Pierre then writes, "This is the speech rappers are obligated to give when it comes time for the drum loop to take a backseat to guitars, for the rapping to be muted in favor of singing, for the ad-libs to give it up to the background singers, and for a brigade of white producers with plaque-lined walls to be invited into the fold."

What's clear to me, is that Yachty wants what Tyler, the Creator got when he made Flower Boy, Igor, and Call Me If You Get Lost. All of them successful albums made by a guy who got big making weird, offputting, almost silly rap (early 2010s/Odd Future era) only to later transition into a more genuine and more experimental artist. Playboi Carti also ended up getting that same acclaim with Whole Lotta Red. The difference between these men and Yachty, however, is that neither Tyler nor Carti completely abandoned the sounds they had already made. Rather, Tyler and Carti were simply pushing the envelope of their previous sound into new and more experimental avenues. Neither sacrificed their identity, Yachty does and it's very obvious. Then again, Tyler and Carti have also enjoyed more respect than Yachty ever got, as Yachty was often pointed at and blamed for everything wrong with modern rap (Pierre cites guys like Pete Rock, Joe Budden, Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole as guys who criticized and singled him out).

Pierre nails exactly what makes me feel conflicted about what Yachty has done on this song and the rest of the album when it comes to what kind of "respect" Yachty is after:

The respect Yachty is chasing on Let’s Start Here. feels institutional. It’s for the voting committees, for the suits; for Questlove to shout him out as the future, for Ebro to invite him back on his radio show and say My bad, you’re dope. Never mind if you thought Lil Yachty was dope to start with: The goal of this album is to go beyond all expectations and rules for rappers.

Everything about "the BLACK seminole." starts to change when you begin looking at this song and the album as Yachty attempting to chase acclaim and respect he's never gotten. I can't be angry about it, because it worked. Here I am, writing a post about Lil Yachty, somebody who doesn't really interest me as an artist but found a way to make something that feels like it was tailor made for me and get my attention. It worked, but I don't think it'll work for much longer. Like I said before, the shine and the sheen had started to dull after more listens and Yachty's flaws and weaknesses began to creep in more and more.

I already spoke about how lyrically, the song's topic and focus on the Black Seminoles makes for an interesting song, but it doesn't feel like it was really a Yachty idea beyond the initial metaphor. This is to say that I think the words sound a bit disingenuous, because I don't believe Yachty penned them. The guy who is infamous for stupid bars like "All my bitches come in pairs like balls in my nutsack" or, even more infamously, "My new bitch yellow / She blow that dick like a cello." I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Yachty was confused about that because, "I fucked up. I thought Squidward played the cello. He don’t. That’s a flute. I fucked up. But it do sound good." It would... if Squidward didn't play the c l a r i n e t !

I don't want to come across too mean, especially because people grow and change and are always capable of getting better at writing, but forgive me if I find it a bit hard to believe that the lyrics to this song came from the mind of Yachty. I want to be optimistic and believe that he penned the lines, especially because if he wrote the line, "Love is not a lie, it just feels like a Tarantino movie scene," he should be damn proud of that one.

Do I still like this song? Yes. Very much. I can recommend it and I can say that the rest of Let's Start Here. might end up surprising you in some fun ways. Yachty is clearly trying to go for something different with this song and the album. I always appreciate an artist stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new, but sadly, I think Yachty ends up missing the mark by a hair and ends up coming off as more of an imitator than an innovator. But if this is where we're starting, I can at least happily say I'm interested in where we're going. This song and this album ended up surprising me and while I'm not 100% head over heels for it, it certainly was unexpected and that's something that makes following modern music fun for me.

At the close of the spoken word piece ":(failure(:," Yachty offers this gem of wisdom that I think is worth keeping:

Oh, man, failure, that took time to understand, you know? Like, failure doesn't mean defeat, more so, like, "Try again, shit, try even harder" Revise your steps and rewrite your future Failure to me isn’t, like, always a negative thing, more so, more so, like, just a way to relook at things You know, you never know how close you are to success

"Revise your steps and rewrite your future." That's good advice for any artist. If you find something isn't working, revise your steps and rewrite your future. If Lil Yachty can do it, there's hope for all of us.

Ride on against the tide, lil boat. Let's start here and let's keep going.

[sweet-little-dude]

Let's talk fan interactions. Draken's to be specific today.

The boy is just so damned modest. Sure he's not playing actively with the band but you know he has fans. You don't come out mid show with your favorite bass and riff with the guys looking that hot in a black tank top and not have wild fans.

For a non musician, he sure ends up with a line at the meet n greet table. He remembers the fans in awe of his music and musical contributions the fondest. The one who know all the trivia about that one Brahman riff that draken made or the lyric shift he suggested off handed that became the go to chant for fans. Those little things that make him feel useful and valued. It really hits for him.

He remembers the silly ones too, the ones who burst out in tears when he playfully reluctantly flexes for them. Oh speaking of, he's got a copy of the set of Polaroids of the girl hysterically sobbing with just one finger poking his bicep. The second features him laughing heartily and placing a hand on her head.

He's known for his advice aftsr a clip of the band reading fanmail went viral. The girl in his letter was cheated on and the usually composed ken ryuguji went off on how fucked up that was and used one rather colorf vocabulary that many fans had seen him consciously move away from (impressionable young fans and role model stuff and all, you know?) It's actually so common that young fans come up to him tearily to say after that they realized their s/os weren't great that he has a reputation for advising fans to leave their abusive or emotionally distant partners. It's so common in fact that fans actually made him a shirt with his new tagline: "leave him" and on the back? "You deserve better"

UGHHHH YOU DID HIM SO GOOOODDDDD

he's just helping out inupi backstage after a gig one day when shin comes running up to him and being like "they want you" and draken's just like what. the only image his fans were given of him at first was this slightly buff tall blondie that can play some good bass and had this strange tension between waka and benkei and they are so fucking digging it. he also keeps those polaroids in his wallet btw :)

and omg draken giving relationship advice is so fitting considering hez got two boyfriends and of course has plenty of experience on both teams. after he came out to the brahman fanbase as polyamorous and pansexual a lot of the queer fans ended up ALSO going up to draken for coming out advice and such. he's just so happy his fans can rely on him for solid information too <3

the only people that are really bothered by his spike in popularity is his boyfriends lol. like mitsuya and hakkai aren't dead annoyed hate it but with all the fans draken suddenly gained he ends up spending more time at work then having quality time with them which annoys the shit out of them. so whenever the three are on a date on one of this off days and a fan walks up to draken, expect mitsuya and hakkai to be staring daggers into the poor fan's head until they take the hint.

[wickedlybadass]

JoJo Siwa needs to cool it

Look, I've always loved JoJo Siwa since DWTS. Always was sweet, fun, funny, hard-working and introspective as she grew up since Dance Moms. I've always enjoyed watching her grow up and become a beautiful young lady who has learned so much about herself. That's the important part of growing up! Always loved her on DWTS and I was very proud of her on "Special Forces" and as a judge on SYTYCD. She has a bright future, can go places and go big. She knows what hard work is and has so much talent and people love her. But that's just the thing.

Yes, people should've known that once she was an adult and really began to grow up, she was going to dump the bow. Do you really expect her to keep wearing it in her 50s??? Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. It was bound to happen that as she matured and got older that her fanbase and music and everything she's been working on would change. One day, her 9 year old fans were not going to follow her anymore unless they grew up with her and continued to love her, no matter what she chose to do with her life. One day, she was going to dump that bow and all the cute things like colorful clothing, stuff with candy all over or whatever. One day, she was going to change her music and no longer sing songs like "Boomerang." That's inevitable and expected as she got older! So I don't know why some people thought she'd keep wearing the bow and record songs similar to "Boomerang." People need to wake up and stop hating on her just because she's growing up. She's 21, not 12.

Now onto why I'm really posting this. I'm glad JoJo is still finding herself and evolving to fit her age. I think it's healthier than still wearing bows, bouncing off the walls and eating candy all day long! So perhaps JoJo's still young and trying to figure out herself but.... I think she may be taking this adult thing a bit too far. She was always sweet, caring and all that but now that she's 21, she's now drinking onstage, swearing (dropping the f bomb all over the place) every chance she gets and alienating a lot of people. Now she's losing fans and even instagram followers. I know part of it is because she has a new fanbase so those "Dance Moms" fans aren't interested in her anymore unless they stayed faithful to her while growing up with her and that's fine. However, she's so popular so how come she's losing fans and not keeping them with the fans who have grown up with her and not gaining older fans as much. Lots of instagram and tiktok fans are about her age!

If she wants to keep acting like this and lose followers, that's her business but I would think after all the hard work she has put in her whole life and the love she has shown to the world, she wouldn't want to do that. Hey, even without so many fans, I just don't see the point of her current behavior which is totally not like when she was younger with all the drinking and acting like doing so during a show is cool, swearing all the time and losing fans, all the people who have helped her get to where she is now. I think her fans have helped her get to where she was years ago and now and now she's treating them like.... different. One person at the pride concert late last month booed her and I get it. Whoever that was, maybe they didn't like her because of her being LGBT or because she's no longer a child. Whatever the reason, I get JoJo may be frustrated at that person but really, is that a reason to tell this person to go fuck themselves or something? Since when did she tell haters to do that? She should've known that she's older, it doesn't mean she's not going to get haters. Haters will always hate! But her response was very "un-JoJo-like". She always did love her fans and showed how much she appreciated them. Just because you're now older and an adult doesn't mean you respect people less or it means it's time to start acting like a bitchy diva. Ok, so she doesn't like being booed. Get over it! No one likes getting booed. Being an adult in show biz doesn't mean it's time to start drinking, alienating people and acting like a diva. She may be maturing but even at 16, she wasn't that much different than when she was 9 because she was always fun and hard working but now she thinks she can get by just by acting like someone she's not. Just be yourself! I don't think we're seeing the real JoJo Siwa unless she's now getting stoned or something. Being an adult is about being responsible and being respectful, not taking on a new attitude like, "Oh, i'm 21 now, I'm gonna go get drunk (or just drink) onstage now, swear at every person who boo me, do drugs and have sex with every girl I know!" I'm sorry but I think her behavior is really disappointing right now and I have no idea who this girl is anymore. If this is who JoJo Siwa is, I have no idea what just happened to her. But all I can say is who she always was is why she's where she is now in her life. Just be yourself! No need for the diva act or act like Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears. You don't get respect out of people like this unless you don't respect yourself.

I'm not saying go back to the bow or eat skittles all day. I'm just saying.... just cool it.