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katierosefun · 3 years ago

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well, here we are! june basically flew by and it was a little rough, but we’re back with some long recs on cool things i’ve read/listened to/watched, and i’m about to force everyone to sit down and listen to my sleepover-esque ted talk in which i give unwarranted and unasked for rec lists. so here we go!

kdrama:

while you were sleeping

okay, so i tried to watch this kdrama when it came out in like...2017, i think? but for some reason, i wasn’t able to get past the first episode. i don’t really know why? because it’s so beautifully shot, and i super love the premise, which is basically this girl and this guy are somehow able to see things that are going to happen in the future...but only in their dreams. this whole kdrama really handled the plot super well--each episode honestly felt like a movie in itself, and the filming was just stunning, and i think this has to be one of the most visual kdramas i’ve ever seen. each character is also super interesting and complex on their own, and i really loved seeing such a strong cast of characters interact with each other in this world.

i think the only slight downside of this kdrama was that i couldn’t really get invested in the romance? i’m not quite sure why--i found both lead actors’ performances wonderful, and don’t get me wrong, i did think they were cute together as the drama went on, but i still couldn’t find myself buying into the romance until maybe relatively late in the drama (like...ep 11 or so? ep 16 was honestly when i realized that awww, wait, they’re actually super cute). but then again, i feel like the writers weren’t really prioritizing the romance either--i think they really wanted us to think about the beauty of dreams and redemption and how everyone can touch another person’s life in some significant way, so i can’t really be mad about it!

but anyways, overall i really enjoyed this kdrama and watched it all a lot faster than i thought i would! SOLID music, beautiful cinematography, good acting, mostly good writing, and some really memorable characters! def. a must-watch if you love suspense, aesthetics, and some wonderful characters.

the ghost detective

i’m someone who doesn’t like horror or scary things at all, but i was so intrigued by the plot and whatever material i saw on tumblr, and...of course, choi daniel, lee joo young, lee ji ah, and park eun bin. honestly, this is just a really wonderful and really underrated cast, and they really all brought out their a-game for this 32-episode supernatural / thriller / horror drama. basically, this kdrama follows the story of a young woman who’s trying to figure out who murdered her younger sister...and of course, there’s something supernatural going on.

honestly, this kdrama was such a ride. i loved the crime-solving aspect of it, and i was really in love with the interactions between all the characters, esp. that of eun bin and daniel’s characters. (guys...they’re so ride and die for each other. there’s also so much yearning. so much yearning in this kdrama, it just about killed me--)

the villain was absolutely, appropriately, elegantly creepy, and like...scary beyond belief. basically, the villain (lee ji ah’s character) feeds her victims these harmful thoughts and ultimately get them to kill themselves. it’s sad and haunting, especially when you see that the victims tell their victims “don’t listen to the bad things. try only to listen to the good things”. and...yeah. themes of how to handle all of these bad feelings inside of you really came through in this kdrama, and there were a lot of themes of suicide and the kind of rage and sadness that comes with that. (also! if you’re a fan of lots of angsty/whumpy situations....this kdrama definitely does not hold back with all of your fave whump/angst tropes! literally! every! episode! i! had! to! lie! down! because! too! powerful!)

school 2013

(aww, look at this precious cast…as though they didn’t all make me ugly cry at least five times—)

yeah, yeah, yeah, i’ve talked about this kdrama ad nauseum, and i know i watched it last month, but as i was studying for the lsat, i really, really, really needed some comfort. most notably comfort re: studying life, academics, how difficult it is to study but also be uncertain of your dreams…and if you are certain of your dreams, how that sometimes requires studying but that just makes life all the more overwhelming…can you tell i’ve been thinking about this a lot

i’m not going to ramble more about this kdrama considering i already have done so multiple times, but i enjoyed this rewatch and honestly,,,my love for this show has just grown even more. there’s a good reason why people consider this a comfort kdrama, because. i consider myself deeply comforted. also, i’ve been listening to the ost for the whole month. it’s become a problem. but sometimes. sometimes you need to listen to songs that feel like someone’s patting you on the head and telling you don’t give up, set down your burdens, don’t think you’re alone and dream whatever you want to dream, go wherever you want to go. i’ll stop talking now, but god. when i say that i think everyone who has ever felt incredibly tired by work or school and just wished for someone to give them a big hug either then or now...god. this is just one of those kdramas that i think honestly touched so many people’s lives, and i’m very grateful for the cast and crew and writers for ever bringing this story to life. :’) (god, okay, now i’ll stop talking before i make myself cry i’m fine this is fine)

your honor

so, i watched this kdrama thinking that it would be light and funny given that yoon shi yoon is the main male lead, but boy was i wrong--don’t be fooled by these happy little faces, this kdrama is heavy. this kdrama is about a young man (with a criminal record) who winds up impersonating his twin brother, who happens to be a judge. we also have a trainee who, after seeing the legal system fail her older sister, is on the rise to dispense justice through the courts the best she can.

honestly, the first few episodes were rough, mostly because of the content. big trigger warning for rape, violence, and sexual harassment at work. this kdrama really didn’t hold back when it came to addressing how the very people who use the law can also be the very same people who manipulate and abuse it. because of that, i found this kdrama incredibly powerful. that said, it certainly had its lighthearted moments too.

overall though, i liked this kdrama. the main characters were incredibly complex and genuinely the type to make me believe that for all the injustices in the world, there are still and always will be people fighting for the right thing. as someone who wants to enter the legal field, this kdrama was just uplifting. i was so blown away by the absolute rawness of the main two leads, esp. yoon shi yoon, who i’ve only ever seen in super lighthearted kdramas. so this was a really interesting change of pace, and i genuinely enjoyed watching this!

waiting for love

so this kdrama is just two episodes, and what’s better is that it’s available on youtube! it’s about two college students--a young woman who’s been hurt by falling in love with jerks now just wants to date, not really fall in love...and a young man who’s excellent at giving dating advice except he’s afraid that he’s never going to actually fall in love, so he just dates a girl for the sake of dating.

now, i kinda thought that this show was going to be kinda lighthearted, a little shallow--but it was weirdly...comforting? idk, i found myself liking it a lot more than i thought it would be. this is far from the perfect kdrama, and i kinda wished that we got more than 2 episodes because i think some of the plot points could have been better expanded, but...there were genuinely a lot of scenes that made me think a bit more about what it actually means to be in a loving relationship--like how it’s not enough to just put on a happy smile and eat meals together, but like...you know. there has to be trust and actual liking and also, yeah, maybe a bit of frustration in order to actually know whether a relationship is real or not. and given that the characters were all discussing the pressure on getting married and romance esp. when you’re in your twenties...idk. makes you think about are you dating someone for the sake of appearances? or do you genuinely...like them?

there was also quite a few tropes that i personally adore in this kdrama, which helped balance out the stuff i found more tiring. there was a lot of the “right person, wrong time” stuff going on (you really want the two main leads to get together after a certain point, and you just keep holding your breath whenever they walk past each other and beg please please please let it be this time...), and also that good old “two strangers fall in love with each other purely over writing to each other” (god. first the half of it, then me & au, then greenhouse podcast...something about this trope huh). that said, there were def. some parts that made me “:////” because some of the characters were kind of frustrating, but i’m gonna chalk that up to good writing since i think i was mostly mad about how i knew people like some of the characters lol. overall, i think this might be at least semi-enjoyable--it’s probably not something i’ll watch again, but it def. made me mull over what it means to actually be in a loving relationship, esp. if you’re in your twenties and everyone around you seems to be in happy romantic relationships/getting engaged and whatnot.

movie:

columbus

i’m a firm believer that there are some movies that are meant to cheer you up, some movies meant to make you cry, and then there’s some movies that are just meant to...sit with you. and this movie is definitely one of them. this story follows casey, a high school graduate, and jin, the son of a famous architect. the two of them are both so incredibly exhausted with their lives (casey with her constant worry about her mother, who’s a recovering drug addict; jin with his surface-level lack of concern for his comatose father). in their small town of columbus, indiana, the two of them bond over architecture and just. being quietly there for each other.

this movie’s been compared a few times to lost in translation in the sense that there’s this not quite romance between the two leads, who have a bit of an age gap (john cho and haley lu richardson have about 20 between them!). to be honest, i didn’t really get the sense that there was supposed to be a romance. if anything, it just felt like...two really lonely people finding each other. definitely not a simple friendship--definitely not a familial kind of relationship, definitely intimate.

idk. i think this movie might not be for everyone--i definitely agree with a lot of past reviewers that this movie is on the slower side. there’s some stuff here about complicated relationships with parents, a lot of cool architecture, really beautiful shots...and overall, it’s just...quiet. it’s lovely, and i can’t really stop thinking about it. it’s subtle, bittersweet, and oddly compelling. might not be the kind of thing you’d want to watch in the middle of the day, but if you’re a little sad and in the mood for something not to necessarily lift your spirits but...at least acknowledge them and sit with you, then...this is the movie to watch. idk. i felt kind of crummy the day i watched this movie, and i felt as though someone just sat next to me on a park bench until the sun went down. (mayhaps specific but hush, i’m writing this right after finishing this movie, so i’m...feeling a certain way.)

wish dragon

i watched this movie right after watching columbus because a) decided i was in the mood for something lighter, and b) i learned that john cho?? voiced?? the dragon?? (caroline your crush on john cho’s jumping out this month...)

but anyways! i loved this movie a lot. it was so satisfying? like, just narratively speaking? and the animation was wonderful and also weirdly smooth and satisfying, and there were a lot of funny and touching moments. this movie’s about this young man named din who stumbles upon a magical teapot that holds the wish dragon long--long has to grant din three wishes, and yes, i know, very aladdin, but that said, this movie has so many original twists that it feels weird to call it an aladdin retelling. it really did feel like a movie completely on its own, which i applaud the writer and director for!

i don’t want to spoil too much of this movie, but something i really enjoyed was that din’s main wish is just to see his old childhood friend again. idk, i think we all have that one friend from when we were really little that we miss--and this movie really dug into that, as well as themes about parents wanting to do the best they can to provide for their kids, and!!! and long the dragon gets his own storyline and amazing character development too!!! i was honestly just amazed at how this movie fleshed out the characters so well and had so many wonderful themes that just made me tear up. guys. this movie’s great. highly recommend for its wonderful characters and the power of friendship. just a grand old time in general. :’))

searching

yeah...yeah, i wasn’t kidding about my crush on john cho this month. yes, i watched three of his movies within 24 hours. this movie is about david kim who’s looking for his missing 16 year old daughter, margot. this film is honestly noteworthy for many reasons, one of them being that the entire movie is told through like...a laptop screen, as in we kind of follow david’s frantic search through facetime, facebook, tumblr...which i honestly didn’t think i’d be into, but whoo boy, i was wrong. it just added to the whole addictive quality of this movie, as it usually does when it comes to anything from the thriller genre.

but besides this just being a straight up addictive thriller with absolutely mouth-dropping twists (but like...good twists, and smart twists, good god--), this movie was just...touching? there’s so many themes related to what grief does to a family (because we learn within the first 10 minutes that the mom died due to cancer), and there’s just...something really fragile about relationships between surviving family members. i was absolutely blown away by john cho’s performance as a tentative and grieving widower whose world just absolutely falls apart in his search for his daughter. this movie was just so...real because of that. like, yes, this movie has all of the suspense that you would expect this kind of movie to have, but there was also just...so many beautiful themes about grief and how far parents would go for their kids and godddd yeah no i started sobbing when the movie ended. god.

also, my bias towards john cho aside, i...really loved his character. david kim is absolutely believable, and like? he’s not just the guy putting the pieces together--he’s also the guy who misses his wife and also the guy who wishes that he was there for his daughter. he’s also the guy who pauses and re-writes all his text messages because he’s trying to be a good dad. i feel like with a lot of these suspense / missing person movies, it’s really easy to have characters who are just the stoic alpha male types--and david kim definitely had his badass moments in this movie, but like...something i just loved was seeing the vulnerability that comes with...having a missing child. being a parent. god. this movie messed me up but in a good way. i can honestly say that this movie is now probably going to be one of my fave movies of all time. highly recommend, am literally obsessed with it.

book:

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

ohohoho………where to begin with this book. this was one of those books where i was like “huh i kinda don’t understand why people are so obsessed with this book”, but then i hit like...page 20 or 30 and was like “oh god i Literally Cannot Put This Book Down Oh No” and wound up finishing it in like three days (mind you, i only read at like...midnight these days. i don’t understand why either).

i finished this book at like 2 am and promptly burst into tears because this was just one of those books. it follows the story of evelyn hugo, a famous hollywood actress from the 60s or so and onwards. known for her intense beauty and her seven husbands, she’s now giving an exclusive interview to the young reporter monique grant, where she’s about to tell all about her life. this book had me dropping my mouth multiple times, and i think tjr can spin one hell of a story, with so many good twists and turns and intensely memorable characters. by the end of the book, i was actually mad that evelyn hugo wasn’t a real person, because i, too, fell a little in love with her and thought, i want to actually watch her movies. i want to learn even more about this remarkable woman.

but alas! she’s not real, so i don’t get to see her accept an oscar or look up all the tabloids about her and her seven husbands or her speculated (and very, very, very real) relationship with celia st. john. basically...i just loved this book. the last line made me smile and laugh and cry a little bit (actually...cry a lot), and y’know...i’ll admit it’s not totally perfect, but i’m glad this book exists, and i’m glad that even though tjr isn’t bi herself, was very adamant in this book about bisexuality being real. just. like. god. once again. mad that evelyn hugo isn’t real. it’s fine, she’s real in my heart.

#caroline talks #caroline recs

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fmdsooaharchive · 4 years ago

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CHO SOOAH — HEADCANON #4 (30 DAYS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT - IDOL EDITION)

SUMMARY: We ask ourselves why would you write more than 5.000 words in a single day for something that was supposed to go on for 30 days and we reach the conclusion that we needed the points and why not, am I right? While writing this I realized that Sooah doesn’t have many friends her age but also, she isn’t friends anyone in Gold Star besides her members so please befriend my kid. WC: 5.042 MENTIONS: way too many people to be honest. TW: Really bad writing because I did it when I was clearly sleepy.

+ Day One: Introduce your muse. Are they solo or in a group? What is their position in the group? Consider this day the day for writing the basics.

Cho Sooah is part of Gold Star Media’s five-member group, Fuse. She was added to the team in 2015, a few months after their official debut in 2014 as their rapper and vocal as well as becoming the new maknae of the team.

+ Day Two: Talk about your muse’s childhood. Where did they grow up? Did they have any dream jobs besides being an idol? When did they realize they wanted to be an idol?

Sooah was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She had a pretty ideal childhood, she thinks. She was very lucky to have loving and supportive parents and very great older brothers who always looked out for her in their different ways. She was always connected to her family and that’s her grounding circle to this day. She’s very thankful to them for everything they did for her. While growing up, Sooah was always praised for her beauty and sweetness but she was usually taken advantage of and made fun of because of that. She had very little friends growing up but she didn’t mind that much because she had a pretty solid group that always supported her. Growing up, she wanted to become a stewardess and those were the plans until she was scouted by Gold Star. She never really realized she wanted to become an idol and even after she was signed under the company, she was still not sure about it. She became surer of it after she debuted and had a taste of how performing felt like.

+ Day Three: Take us back to when your muse was either recruited or auditioned to become an idol. How did that go? How did they feel getting up on stage for recruiters? If your muse could give their younger selves advice before the audition, what would they say?

Sooah is one of those people who go with their friends to an audition and end up being cast as well. She was accompanying Mia in her audition. She wanted to give her moral support and make sure everything would go as planned when one of the recruiters asked her to do something for them. Sooah was never really skillful. She couldn't sing or dance or act. But she’s pretty and that’s the main reason why they decided to sign with her. She was very nervous when she performed in front of them. She didn’t have anything prepared but a school song that they were supposed to perform in a festival soon and a guitar that she could barely play.

Sooah would tell herself not to be so harsh because maybe they did hire her because of her looks but that doesn’t mean she was a complete talentless failure. She was always so gentle to others; she should learn to be gentler to herself too.

+ Day Four: Remember the trainee days? What are some of your muse’s memories of being a trainee? How long were they a trainee? Were they worried about potentially not making a debut? Talk about any challenges they might have encountered.

Sooah’s memories of trainee days are almost blurred together in a mess of constant practice and doubting herself. Those weren’t very happy times, she felt insecure and out of place because these more talented people were training with her and she was not sure of her abilities or if she even deserved to be there with these people.

Sooah was a trainee for one year and four months, from November of 2013 to March of 2015 when was added to Fuse. Sooah always felt like she would never make it to a group and would eventually be kicked out by the company or be reassigned to a different department like modeling or acting. So, she had a constant fear of not making it to debut.

+ Day Five: Recall your muse’s debut. What was the song they debuted with? How did it feel performing for the first time on stage as an idol? Feel free to bring up their thoughts about the concept, choreography, lyrics, music video, or other components.

Sooah debuted with Fuse’s first EP and it was called ‘Ice Cream Cake’ from the album of the same name. She remembers quite vividly feeling very excited but also extremely terrified. She never performed in front of an audience before and the Fuse fans had made it pretty clear even before she made her first appearance that they weren’t fond of Gold Star’s strategy of adding a useless member to a group that was already perfect as four. But she was finally making it to debut and there was no hater in her life that would stop her from feeling ecstatic at this opportunity.

Sooah liked ‘Ice Cream Cake’. Both the single and the album were nice. She thinks the MV was particularly aesthetically pleasing, her unnies looked stunning as always. She wasn’t certain about the ‘everyone will go blonde’ but the different tones made each of them stand out in different ways. At the time, she had never practiced choreography as much as she did for ‘Ice Cream Cake’. She went over and over this routine thousand times just to make sure she wouldn’t mess up. She was only sixteen at the time, so everything kind of overwhelmed her.

+ Day Six: What concept does your muse think they can pull off best? Cutesy? Manly? Sexy? What concept do they have a hard time pulling off? What kind of concept would they want to do at some point?

Sooah can put off cutesy, happier concepts better than the more badass, girl crush ones and that has a lot to do with her looks more than with what she’s comfortable doing. She doesn’t mind their more happy and upbeat concepts just as she doesn’t mind when she has to do more serious stuff. ‘Peek-a-Boo’ remains as one of her favorite MV’s and songs to this day just as much as ‘Red Flavor’ and she thinks that’s nice because that’s the whole concept they were going for with Fuse. With how many weird concepts they’ve done in the past, Sooah thinks they can pull off pretty much anything at this point but she knows it’s very unlikely that Gold Star would invest in a concept similar to Lucid’s Nightmare trilogy. She would love to do something like that though.

+ Day Seven: Which era is your muse’s favorite in their career? Why is it their favorite (think concept, promotions, choreography, etc.)? If your muse has recently debuted, talk about what they would want to do for their next comeback.

‘Russian Roulette’ is an era that she thinks many people end up forgetting and it’s not fair because it was pretty fun to promote. The storyline for the MV is not the lightest, of course, since they are trying to get the others to get badly injured but the scenarios were so colorful and full of life (ironic). The choreography was tricky, but all choreographies were tricky for Sooah. It was fun to learn though, and she had a lot of fun while learning it because it didn’t give her much of a headache and she quickly learned the movements. It was a very cute kind of concept that she remembers fondly.

+ Day Eight: Talk about your muse’s strengths and weaknesses as an idol. Feel free to discuss their thoughts regarding these components. Think of qualities such as vocals, dancing, visuals, acting skills, and variety show skills, for example.

Sooah’s strengths as an idol are very reliant on her visuals and variety show skills, so everything that isn’t performative. Her looks were always something people praised her for even before auditioning to become a trainee. She was always very pretty and always had this soft look on her that works very well because it makes people feel at ease. It’s not the type of beauty that pushes people away but draws them in.

She used to be very shy in variety shows but Sooah got much better at that as years went by. To be fair, she got a lot better over time, but her weaknesses are still singing, dancing, and rapping which is ironic since she’s an idol. The main problem there is her confidence, though. She doesn’t believe she’s good or capable and that uncertainty remains clear in the way she performs.

+ Day Nine: What is your muse’s fashion style? Talk about what kind of clothes they love to wear. To them, what is the essential thing to have in their closet? What is their favorite outfit?

It depends a lot on the season. During spring, Sooah will use very flowy and long skirts, with pastel colors, and be the princess of spring because that season fits her image incredibly well. During autumn, she’ll rely on more earth tones and long coats. Winter is the season she’ll just dress to not freeze, so everything comfy and warm, she’ll be using and summer, though not her favorite season, is the time in the year when she’ll allow herself to use short shorts and sleeveless shirts, maybe use more flannels and overalls. Sooah has a very consistent and good sense of fashion and she likes going shopping with friends. You’ll always find jean jackets in her wardrobe and she’ll try to fit them into some outfit she has to wear. Her favorite outfits are the more romantic ones though, so spring is the best time for that.

+ Day Ten: Talk about your muse’s three closest friends. How did they meet? How long have they known each other? What do they love most about their friends?

Yuanjun is one of her closest friends and someone she cherishes a lot because despite being a little different personality-wise, they get along well to form the infamous 99-line. She likes his company and appreciates that they could remain, friends, because there weren’t any scandals involving the two of them. Boys and girls can be friends in the end and she’s glad people learned that, in this case.

Mia is one of her long-time friends. She’s the reason why Sooah was scouted by Gold Star because Sooah was only accompanying Mia when she decided to audition. Their relationship was a little messy because Mia was always the talented one but she ended up not debuting while Sooah, who was always pretty useless managed to make her way into Fuse. Sooah always felt guilty but Mia is now making sure that she knows none of that was her fault and they are still in good terms.

And last but not least, she would mention Minjung because despite not being the same age and being in the same team for work, Sooah still sees her as one of her closest friends and someone she can confide to. She was added to Fuse in 2015 and she was anxious because Minjung used to be their maknae and she was stealing the spot now but Minjung only proved to be very nice and sisterly to her and for that, she’ll be eternally thankful.

+ Day Eleven: Has your muse had any scandals? How have these scandals affected your muse as an idol or as a person? If your muse has not had any scandals, talk about their views on scandals. Is all publicity good publicity?

The only “scandal” of sorts Sooah was involved was when she was added to Fuse and some fans were not happy with Gold Star’s decision to add a pretty face to the team when they were perfect before. After that, Sooah lived pretty much like a saint, with no scandals and nothing that could tarnish Fuse’s or her image. It depends a lot on the scandal. Silly things as dating shouldn’t even be seen as scandals because idols are still humans but bullying scandals should surely be taken more seriously. And is bad to think that all publicity is good publicity because what kind of image they would want to build for the groups and company if they build their reputation around scandals. She’s not very fond of that idea.

+ Day Twelve: If your muse is in a group, what are the fun things about promoting with other members? What do they love about being in a group? What do they love about their members? If your muse is a solo artist, what are their thoughts on promoting alone? What do they love about being solo?

Sooah loves promoting with her members. She is very fond of them all and thinks she’s very lucky. She didn’t expect to be in a group where the members would be so supportive of her and look out for her the way her members do. It’s nice that the waiting rooms are never silent, there’s always someone talking and it’s noisy and because she grew up in a house full of people that is very comforting. She loves her members as a whole but also individually. She loves that Miyeon is like this force of nature that is amazing in pretty much everything but still has time to be supportive of Sooah. She loves that Suji was like a mother to her and took great care of her and made her feel comfortable in the group. She loves that Minjung is someone who likes to pamper her and is like a pretty sister she has now. They all feel like family to Sooah.

+ Day Thirteen: For the muses in a group, what are the challenges of being one of several people in a group? Have there been any troubles that have come along with being in a group environment and times they wish they were alone? For the solo artist muses, have you ever felt lonely promoting alone? Do you ever wish that you were in a group instead?

Sooah never hoped to be alone because she doesn’t think she can perform if she’s alone on the stage. Being in a group means that the public’s attention can deviate from a member to others and that’s only normal and it’s totally fine. There will be times she’ll feel like she did a good job but other members get more attention but Sooah thinks it’s only fair because she’s not exactly someone people will have their eyes set on for any reason in particular. She’s not the best singer, or dancer, or rapper. She knows people will look at her because she has great visuals though.

+ Day Fourteen: If your muse is in a group, how do you think they would have fared had they had a solo career instead? What kind of concept would they have? If your muse is a solo artist, how do you think they would have fared if they were in an idol group? What position of the group do you think they would have?

Sooah would do very poorly as a solo artist. To be fair, she probably wouldn’t even be sent to be an idol and would be redirected to the modeling or acting department instead. But if they were silly enough to still debut her as a solo artist, they would go with something light and aesthetically pleasing to match with her visuals. The songs wouldn’t go to high places and everything vocal would be minimalistic. Think of Kriesha Chu or even SOLE or Younha and we’ll have Sooah as a solo artist.

+ Day Fifteen: Who does your muse look up to in the industry? Why do they look up to this person?

Sooah looks up to everyone because she’s a sweetheart but if she had to pick three people she looks up to the most, those would be Lipstick’s Minah because she’s amazing in everything she does. She can sing, she can act, she can dance and she cooks amazing meals to Sooah. The perfect person who remained humble even after the success of her group. She wants to be like Minah when she grows up. She also looks up to Lux a lot and it’s not only because Lux helped her to write a song from scratch and promoted the song with her. She thinks Lux is an amazing artist and songwriter/composer and she wants to learn a lot from the older girl. On a similar note, there’s Joosung from Element. They worked together briefly during the BASE project and she saw him in this new light and thinks he’s a very talented and easy-going person. She aims to be a good producer like him in the future.

+ Day Sixteen: If your muse could do a special stage with another artist or idol group, who would it be and why? What song would they perform?

Sooah would love to work with the members of Lucid. Maybe Sooah and Alice, they are the same age and are already close because of the 99-line Sooah has going on. Since they have similar positions in their respective groups and because Alice is a great dancer, they could have a special stage singing to one of the classics of K-pop. Maybe a BoA song. If given a proper heads-up maybe she can even compose and write a song for them.

+ Day Seventeen: How would your muse fare in a variety show? If your muse could appear on any variety show, which variety would it be and why? If you don’t have a lot of knowledge of variety shows, talk about what kind of variety show they would go on.

It depends a lot on the variety show. If it’s something like DoReMi Market or Knowing Bros, she’ll do fairly well because she feels comfortable, it’s just them there having a talk and telling stories, sometimes playing some games. If it’s a show like Running Man or Law of the Jungle where she’ll have to actively show surviving skills or running and jumping, that makes her more anxious because she’s just not good at that kind of stuff.

+ Day Eighteen: What entertainment agency is your muse a part of? What do they think of other groups and artists that are in the same agency as them? Which labelmates do they get along with the most, excluding group members?

Sooah is part of Gold Star Media. She thinks people in her agency are dope even if the company itself makes some questionable decisions sometimes. But every single one of their artists, Sooah likes and listens to their songs. From their soloists to the co-ed group they have. Gold Star releases really good songs, she thinks and she’s very musically oriented and the company offers her the kind of support she would need to thrive in that area. She’s not particularly close to anyone in her company, except her members, though.

+ Day Nineteen: Is there anything besides idol activities that your muse would want to do? Would they want to take their hand at hosting a variety show or act in a television show or drama? Would they want to try out modeling or a musical? If they have done things such as these, talk about their thoughts toward these things.

Sooah thrives in the modeling route and that’s the most obvious path for her because of her unapparelled young visuals. That’s something she would want to do especially because it’s very easy for her and it’s also fun but to be honest, she would like to try her hand in variety shows more now that Fuse already has an established image.

+ Day Twenty: If your muse was able to be a part of a supergroup that comprised of current idols, who would they want to be in the same group, and why? What kind of concept would this group have? How do you think the group would do in terms of popularity?

If Sooah was to pick members for a supergroup, she would struggle a lot because many others are better qualified. But she would pick Lipstick’s Hyeju, Lucid’s Hyoyeon and Jeonghwa and WISH’s Sophie, besides herself. All of them are skilled and have the visuals Sooah would want to see in a group, besides being charismatic so she thinks they would do well together? Because they would look very powerful, they would probably invest in a more powerful, girl crush concept, like the ones in Femme Fatale. And since they have big names in the industry, they would also do fairly okay, popularity-wise.

+ Day Twenty-One: How does your muse feel about their fans? How do they feel about sasaeng fans? How would they handle a situation in which they were faced with obsessive fans that followed them or invaded their privacy? If they’ve had problems with sasaeng fans before, how did they feel about it?

She’s appreciative of her fans and she’s extremely glad that they are kind to her and her members too. She’s grateful that they kind of protect her from OT4 stans and that warms her heart a lot. She doesn’t know what she should do with sasaeng fans though. She’s scared of them, more than anything. She’s scared of which boundaries they might break to get her attention and she fears there’ll be a day they’ll end up hurting someone to get to her. She would try to communicate her thoughts and ask them to leave, even though she knows that probably wouldn’t work out. She would just be scared and ask her manager to help her with it.

+ Day Twenty-Two: Talk about your muse’s goals that they have for their group or themselves if they are a solo artist. Where would they want to promote if given the chance? Do they want to do a solo album at one point? This can be any sort of professional goal.

There isn’t much she can think of because she’s good at following the flow and doing as she’s told. Fuse reached a point where things are comfortable and their name is established. She wants the other members to be able to have separate careers and still be successful with the things they want to do so maybe that means they’ll have to be more recognizable not only internationally but also locally. She never visited Central or South America and she would love to visit the countries in these regions sometime in the future to promote.

+ Day Twenty-Three: What are your muse’s thoughts on being an idol and dating? Are they against dating? Have they ever been in a relationship after debuting? If so, talk about the challenges that have come along with dating. If they aren’t dating, would they want to date?

She understands why some people are against it. She doesn’t agree with their thoughts. She thinks that they are young and they are surrounded by beautiful people all the time and at some point, is only natural to feel attraction towards someone. And as healthy, young people, they should be allowed to have normal experiences such as dating. Sooah was never in a relationship before or after debut. She was way too young when she became a trainee and she was way too focused on not messing up and practicing after she debuted. And of course, she would love to date someone if she feels it’s the right person.

+ Day Twenty-Four: Who is your muse’s ideal type? Why is this person their ideal type?

She has been saying since debut that she finds Lee Dong Wook very attractive and nominated him as her idol type since 2015. She never talked to Lee Dong Wook personally so she can’t talk about anything but his good looks. The sharp jaw and the kind of eyes are what draws her to this kind of aesthetic and she’ll be the first to admit that people like him don’t look like they smile a lot but there’s a certain satisfaction in getting a smile from them and the possibility makes her heart flutter. She has to be able to rely on the person and feel comfortable being around them. They also have to know how to properly cook, otherwise, they’ll rely on take-out for a long while.

+ Day Twenty-Five: What does your muse want to be remembered for in the idol world? Do they want to be remembered for their vocal prowess? Their image? Their dancing skills? Their scandals?

Sooah wants to be remembered as someone who improved over the years and became great in the end. She won’t stand out in any meaningful way. She’ll never be the greatest singer or the best dancer or someone remembered because of her little rap lines in Fuse’s songs. She does expect people to have the image of someone who came from the bottom and still managed to become someone great and who learned and improved a lot. Someone who never really stagnated and worked on herself to become a better artist.

+ Day Twenty-Six: Does your muse ever regret becoming an idol? Do they ever think about what they would be doing instead if they lived a normal life? If they could go back in time, would they do everything all over again? Or would they end up doing something else?

She remembers regretting becoming an idol when she went back home after living with her members in the dorms. She was moving back home so she could spend some more time with her parents and she remembers seeing them after a long while and thinking, “they have aged”. There were wrinkles around her father’s eyes and her mother was slouching a little bit more and she remembers feeling very sad because she barely spent time with them in the last 4 years or so. She never thought she would have a normal life, to begin with. She dreamed of big adventures and in a way or another, this is a big adventure and she tries not to regret things or think how things would have turned out. She doesn’t think she would trade her life now for a “normal” life mainly because she can’t imagine herself not having the people, she has in her life now.

+ Day Twenty-Seven: After working hard on promotions, your muse is given the chance to take a two-week vacation anywhere in the world at any time they want, with nobody bothering them. Where would they go and when? Why would they want to take their vacation there? If they had the opportunity to bring three other people, who would they bring?

She always wanted to visit Machu-Pichu so maybe she would go there and hike her way up the mountains. She remembers seeing a documentary when she was younger and that became her plan with her mom that one day they would go to Peru and see the clouds from up there. She still didn’t have the time to do that with her. She would take her mom and her two older siblings with her. Dad is not very fond of that because he has back problems so he would have two weeks of freedom at home on his own.

+ Day Twenty-Eight: Talk about your muse’s low point in life. Why was this a low point in their life? What kind of challenges did they face and how did they feel about this? Were they able to overcome it? If it is still ongoing, are they working on overcoming these challenges?

During the trainee years, Sooah’s self-esteem hit a really low level. She was self-doubting a lot at the time and thinking she wasn’t enough and that she wouldn’t be able to ever get better regarding her skills. She was surrounded by incredibly talented people but there she was, not being remotely good in what she was supposed to do. Sooah thinks she’ll never get completely rid of this kind of thoughts, mainly because she knows she has a long way to go but things now are much better and because she has so many supportive figures in her life, she can rely on them more and not suffer on her own anymore.

+ Day Twenty-Nine: Talk about your muse’s most meaningful moment as an idol. This is what they feel so far is the highest point in their life and where they’ve never been happier. Recall the memory and describe it; what happened and how did they feel?

Sooah remembers the moment of their first concert with a lot of fondness. They have been practicing for months at the time and Sooah was so nervous because it would be their first time doing a concert only with their fans and she didn’t want to mess things up. The moment they were waiting backstage to be okayed to go up and perform, she had a million thoughts in her head that slowly started dissipating as they sang and danced. She remembers feeling very warm in her heart when they had their first break and as they introduced themselves, she would hear the screams of the fans. When her turn came up and she heard their screams of support, Sooah laughed and her eyes teared a bit even. She was never so happy to perform like she was with the ‘Red Room’.

+ Day Thirty: Think about your muse’s life down the road. Where would they be and what would they be doing? Would they still be in the entertainment industry? Would they settle down and have a family?

When Fuse eventually disbands, Sooah will probably not get involved with music. At least she won’t be releasing songs for herself to sing. She’ll be more than happy to remain active as a lyricist/composer/producer and that’s her priority. Maybe invest more in her career as a model and start putting her visuals to good use, too. But she doesn’t exactly see herself wanting to be the center of attention like it happened in Fuse. She wants to slowly show her process of retirement, pretty much like Hyori wanted to do once in past. She sees herself settling down to have a family. She also sees herself traveling around the world and enjoying life differently too.

#『 .. headcanon. 』#+10pts.

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obtusemedia · 4 years ago

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Ranking The 1975′s songs, from worst to best

The 1975 are unabashedly political, wildly eclectic in musical style, and masters of striking the perfect balance between strange and accessible. They’re also the most important, and arguably the best, band of the last five years or so.

However, despite their ability to pen generation-defining anthems and incredibly sticky pop hits, The 1975 have a fatal flaw: they overstuff their albums. All of their records, even their most consistent one (2018′s A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships) have at least a couple filler songs. Because of that, and because the Manchester band love to dabble in nearly every musical style on the planet (except hip-hop, which is probably for the best), a song-by-song evaluation is the best way to judge The 1975′s catalog. And with the recent release of their hit-and-miss fourth record, Notes On A Conditional Form, there’s not a better time to do just that.

But first, some ground rules:

1) To make the list, songs had to appear on one of The 1975′s four albums, or their four debut EPs (which I normally wouldn’t count, but they contain many of the band’s essential songs).

2) The 1975 love to include instrumental interludes on their records. I’m not ranking those — Matty Healy has to sing on the track for it to count.

3) The 1975 also begin every album with a self-titled song. Because three of them are variations on the same song, and the fourth is a spoken-word track with climate activist Greta Thunberg, these won’t be on the list either. (For the record, the best version of the song is their second attempt, although I respect the hell out of the Thunberg monologue.)

#69: “Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You” (The 1975, 2013)

The bottom of this list will be mostly comprised of the painfully boring, minimalist ballads that The 1975 used to end their albums with (thankfully, their last two album closers were phenomenal...we’ll get to them much later). One of the most appealing aspects of The 1975 is their bold, in-your-face style. A bland, hookless piano ballad like “Somebody” is the opposite of that. I already forgot how the tune goes.

#68: “Don’t Worry” (Notes On A Conditional Form, 2020)

The backstory behind “Don’t Worry” — lead singer/lyricist Matty Healy’s dad wrote it for his family ages ago, and now Healy’s recording his own version of it — is cute. The actual song, unfortunately, is a treacly mess that sounds like something from Barney & Friends. But if Barney aggressively, and unsuccessfully, tried to ripoff Bon Iver’s autotuned ballads.

#67: “She Lays Down” (I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, 2016)

Postnatal depression is a real issue, and one that should be explored more in song. But The 1975 were clearly not the band to do it, judging by how boring and forgettable “She Lays Down” is.

#66: “Woman” (Facedown EP, 2012)

The band’s first boring closing track, way back on their debut EP! Considering how great Facedown’s other three songs are, this aimless ballad is a major disappointment.

#65: “Bagsy Not In Net” (Notes)

This overly reverb-y nothing of song is a prime example of something that should have been cut from the overlong Notes On A Conditional Form tracklist.

#64: “Playing On My Mind” (Notes)

Speaking of boring late-album songs from Notes that should’ve been left on the cutting room floor! At least this one has a halfway decent melody.

#63: “Surrounded By Heads and Bodies” (A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, 2018)

The only interesting things about this shuffling ballad are A) the very metal song title that doesn’t match the actual tune at all, and B) Healy sings this song about a woman named Angela. Is this meant to be from the perspective of Dwight Schrute?

#62: “Head.Cars.Bending” (Music For Cars EP, 2013)

Later in their career, The 1975 would excel at off-kilter electronic jams. But “Head.Cars.Bending,” one of the band’s first attempts at that style, proves that it took a lot of practice to perfect that sound, because yikes — this is rough. That lurching beat makes me seasick.

#61: “Nana” (I like it...)

It’s not a track I ever return to, but I’ll admit that “Nana” has a nice melody and is an appropriately reverent and pretty tribute to Healy’s dead grandmother.

#60: “Inside Your Mind” (Brief Inquiry)

The 1975 attempted to blend shoegaze guitars with ‘80s cheeseball power ballads on “Inside Your Mind.” It was a noble attempt! The guitar lick sounds great! But the track sadly stays at one level throughout, so the song never achieves liftoff.

#59: “Talk!” (The 1975)

The 1975′s self-titled debut is an outlier in the band’s discography, as it came before the shameless (and fun!) genre-hopping of their next three records. In contrast, the debut has a very early-’10s, Urban Outfitters-core indie pop-rock sound throughout. On some songs, that sound works really well! But there’s also a glut of mediocre filler tracks that fit that sonic description. The stop-and-start, neck-jerking “Talk!” is one of those filler tracks.

#58: “Yeah I Know” (Notes)

One of the few musical styles that Notes returns to frequently during its runtime is a skittery, repetitive drum-and-bass sound. Although none of these songs are outright bad, they’re mostly not too interesting either. “Yeah I Know” is the worst of the bunch, with annoying chipmunk voice effects and a dreary vibe.

#57: “She Way Out” (The 1975)

"She Way Out,” despite having an opening lyric that calls back to one of The 1975′s very best songs (which we’ll get to much, much later), is just another one of the dime-a-dozen mediocre pop-rock nuggets that flood the tracklist of The 1975′s self-titled debut. The guitar lick is pretty tasty, I guess.

#56: “Pressure” (The 1975)

ƒAnd here’s another one of those pop-rock filler songs! At least this one has a nice shuffling groove. Still, I’ll stick with the charmingly bonkers Billy Joel song of the same name (and its gloriously awful, very early ‘80s music video).

#55: “The Birthday Party” (Notes)

This folksy ballad tries to jack the style of emo-country act Pinegrove, while Healy makes a half-hearted quip about the unclear acts of “sexual coercion” that the band’s lead singer admitted to. But “The Birthday Part” doesn’t have the concise songwriting or heart-wrenching emotions of “Old Friends.” Instead, it sort of just meanders around for a few minutes. The melody is nice — and I did enjoy Healy’s quip about not being able to poop in a shared hotel room, so he has to sneak to the hotel lobby — but most of the song just feels pointless.

#54: “Anobrain” (Music For Cars EP)

“Anobrain” reminds me a lot of a deep cut from one of my other favorite bands: U2′s “Promenade.” They’re both short, oblique slices of atmosphere and haze that are pretty, but don’t build into something greater. Think of “Anobrain” as a warmup for the superior nocturnal synthpop that The 1975 would pen in later records.

#53: “Undo” (Sex EP, 2012)

“Undo,” an otherwise standard early-era midtempo tune with lots of reverb, gets some bonus points for its smooth, swaying beat and a solid hook.

#52: “Mine” (Brief Inquiry)

When I imagined what “The 1975 does a jazz song” would sound like, I was hoping for something more frantic and bebop-y. “Mine” doesn’t sound like that at all — it’s a loungey slow-dance ballad that’s less Miles Davis and more Cole Porter. But regardless, it’s still an interesting detour. Who said quirky genre excursions were only limited to upbeat songs? Or that they had to be quirky?

#51: “The Ballad Of Me And My Brain” (I like it...)

I love the musical elements of “The Ballad” — the cascading drum fills, the thundering splashes of guitar, the twinkling keyboards, Healy’s delirious vocals. But the actual song itself doesn’t do much for me. Having a song about literally “losing your mind” and your brain is wandering in a grocery store, at a bar, etc. is a cute idea on paper, but it just sounds awkward in execution.

#50: “I Think There’s Something You Should Know” (Notes)

Here’s another of Notes’ repetitive drum-and-bass songs. But at least “I Think...” has a catchy tune and a bit more musical evolution throughout.

#49: “Haunt // Bed” (IV EP, 2013)

“Haunt // Bed” has one thing that distinguishes itself from other middling EP-era 1975 tracks: the pulsating loop that undulates beneath much of the song. It’s an interesting choice, and certainly helps the song stand out despite its forgettable melody.

#48: “Settle Down” (The 1975)

Probably the best of the debut album’s jangly pop-rock filler tracks, “Settle Down” still sounds like a weaker version of that record’s big singles. Which is interesting, as it was a single itself. But I’m certainly not going to kick it out of bed — the soaring chorus is legitimately great, and the funky guitar riff is nice.

#47: “Paris” (I like it...)

This mid-tempo, snarky character study about a drug-addicted party girl almost feels like 1975 on auto pilot. But just because Healy and co. could knock out a song like this in their sleep, that doesn’t mean “Paris” isn’t a pleasant, silky smooth comedown from the zanier cuts on I like it.

#46: “Then Because She Goes” (Notes)

The 1975 going full Slowdive and making a fuzzy, shoegaze-y jam? Sounds incredible! Unfortunately, “Then Because She Goes” doesn’t quite live up to that premise, mostly because it’s so brief. At just a notch over two minutes, the song doesn’t give itself anytime to expand or go anywhere interesting. It’s a case of wasted potential, but at least the sliver of a song we got is decent.

#45: “Be My Mistake” (Brief Inquiry)

There are a couple exceptions to the “The 1975 shouldn’t do acoustic guitar ballads” rule. “Be My Mistake” is one of them. It’s nothing spectacular, but the melody is quite pretty, and Healy’s troubadour act is sweet. Also, unlike some of the earlier acoustic ballads, there’s no studio gimmickry or weird vocal filters: it’s just a nice coffeeshop ballad.

#44: “M.O.N.E.Y.” (The 1975)

It’s a bit strange that The 1975 decided to slot this single so high in their debut album’s tracklist, ahead of much catchier, more obvious hits. But there’s something infectious to the winking lyrics and jittery production that sounds like clanging slot machines.

#43: “This Must Be My Dream” (I like it...)

If there’s been one constant to The 1975′s albums, it’s that there’ll be at least a couple big, cheesy ‘80s homages. And I’m a huge sucker for those songs. “This Must Be My Dream” is the worst of the bunch — it’s a bit uninspired — but big crashing synths and drum machines are still a weakness for me. Also, Healy’s vocals sound eerily like Phil Collins here...not sure if that’s a plus or minus.

#42: “Roadkill” (Notes)

The superior version of “The Birthday Party,” for two reasons. One: instead of the band half-heartedly dipping its toes into an alt-country sound, “Roadkill” has BIG honky-tonk energy with its twangy guitars and dusty groove. Two: Healy’s little anecdotes are much more interesting and strange here. It still doesn’t have much of a hook or anything, but “Roadkill” is alright by me.

#41: “Lostmyhead” (I like it...)

Putting “Lostmyhead,” a fan-favorite deep cut, in the bottom half of this ranking is a bit of a hot take. So let me make it clear: this is a good song! The issue is, I feel about “Lostmyhead” the way those who dislike The 1975 describe the band’s other genre excursions: it just doesn’t come close to the original. Here, they’re clearly trying to emulate M83′s cinematic post-rock. And it’s passable! But it’s certainly no “Outro” or “Moonchild.”

#40: “Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied” (Notes)

This quirky number feels like a grab bag of various styles The 1975 have tried on throughout the years: a gospel chorus! Sort-of rapped auto-tune verses! A Mark Knopfler-esque guitar solo that sounds like it was recorded two rooms away, for some reason! It doesn’t quite add up to a classic, but it’s certainly attention grabbing, particularly Healy’s self-critical lyrics.

#39: “I Couldn’t Be More In Love” (Brief Inquiry)

Melodramatic late-‘80s R&B isn’t my favorite musical style, so that dings “I Couldn’t Be More In Love” a few points for me. But Healy is absolutely SELLING this thing vocally, corny key changes and all. And drummer/producer George Daniel expertly captures that specific era with some charmingly chintzy keyboard tones.

#38: “What Should I Say” (Notes)

This detour into robotic dancehall doesn’t work quite as well for me as the other track on Notes with this sound, the Cutty Ranks-led “Shiny Collarbone” (which didn’t qualify for this list, as Healy doesn’t sing on it). But “What Should I Say�� is solid in its own right, with some twisty keyboard licks and lots of gorgeous chopped-up vocal samples.

#37: “Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)” (Notes)

It’s a cute old-school soul song at its core (with a prominent Temptations sample!), but I feel like the lurching synths and occasional chipmunk vocals don’t work well with the more traditionalist tune. It’s an interesting test of mixing new and old, but it’s not entirely successful here.

#36: “So Far (It’s Alright)” (IV EP)

This song describes itself pretty accurately: It’s alright! Okay, fine, it’s actually pretty great. The twinkling pianos and Healy’s ghostly vocals are an atypical backdrop for adolescent stories of debauchery and angst, but it somehow works. It’s a song built to naturally cool down a house party.

#35: “Girls” (The 1975)

We’re about halfway through the list, so it seems like a pretty good time to talk about “Girls” — a big early hit for The 1975, but with a sound the group has clearly evolved from. It’s basically a catchier, sharper improvement on their debut album’s jangly pop-rock filler tracks.

But although that chorus is quite sticky, and the groove is nice, it’s not as interesting or unique as The 1975′s later hits, or even other singles from that same album. Another mid-10s semi-indie band of pretty boys could’ve easily recorded it (but it would’ve been their best song).

#34: “Menswear” (The 1975)

This is the point of the countdown at which where each track left is unequivocally a classic. I feel a bit bad putting “Menswear” — a slinky synthpop deep cut with a killer synth riff — this low on the list. But it just shows how many other incredible songs The 1975 have.

#33: “Loving Someone” (I like it...)

I like it when you sleep... doesn’t have quite as much genre hopping as their next two records. Instead, much of it it crystalized the ideal “1975 sound” — of-kilter but sleek synth-heavy rock with some ‘80s influence and some out-there lyrics. “Loving Someone” is a great song in that vein, with Healy delivering some wonderfully pretentious lyrics (“I’m the Greek economy of cashing intellectual checks”) and George Daniel creating a gorgeous cacophony of whirring synths and vocal samples to back him up.

#32: “Facedown” (Facedown EP)

The world’s proper introduction to The 1975, the band’s first song on their debut EP is a perfect distillation of their EP-era sound. The dream-pop keyboards and the processed, nearly Daft Punk-esque vocals make “Facedown” an intriguing invitation into The 1975′s nocturnal world of drugs, women and depression. It might honestly be a better teasing leadoff than the iconic self-titled track that opens The 1975′s full-length albums.

#31: “Heart Out” (The 1975)

This otherwise just-decent synthpop number is elevated by one aspect: the synth bass is incredible. The constant pulsating throb throughout the track gives the song an early-MTV vibe, lending it a sense of drive.

#30: “How To Draw / Petrichor” (Brief Inquiry)

In multiple interviews, Healy described A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships into his attempt at making Radiohead’s OK Computer for a new generation. But with its glitchy, robotic aesthetic, “How To Draw / Petrichor” is much more Kid A.

But despite my distaste for Radiohead’s more experimental side, I really love The 1975′s pastiche of it! Probably because, like the best 1975 songs, it has a really strong melody. But unlike many of their other great tunes, “How To Draw” is a snaking, constantly evolving track that’s mostly instrumental. Instrumental tracks aren’t usually for me, so the fact that this holds my attention for nearly 6 minutes is a strong sign.

#29: “Me” (Music For Cars EP)

"Me” is The 1975 at arguably their most sad-sack. Healy’s vocals are leaden and filled with guilt. At point, he casually tosses aside, “I was thinking about killing myself, don’t you mind.”

The music is a perfect match — the rhythm is plodding and heavy in the best way, and the mournful sax solo in the bridge stays just on the right side of cheesy. It’s a genuinely affecting ballad.

#28: “Give Yourself A Try” (Brief Inquiry)

This was the first taste of A Brief Inquiry we heard. And I really disliked it at first — the clanging, messy guitars and motorik rhythm didn’t connect with me at first.

But — strangely for a lead single — "Give Yourself A Try” is a grower! Healy’s lyrics are in his sweet spot of being legitimately sincere, gloriously snarky and absolutely ridiculous at the same time. And the pounding groove burrows its way into your skull until you find it endearing. The band’s next attempt at a more RAWK single on their fourth album worked a bit better, but “Give Yourself A Try” is pretty damn great for a Joy Division ripoff.

#27: “Intro / Set3″ (Sex EP)

This was essentially The 1975′s warmup version of the multi-part electronic sweep of “How To Draw.” Yet, I like "Intro / Set3″ a tad more. It’s more direct and has a stronger hook.

#26: “If I Believe You” (I like it...)

“If I Believe You” joins the legacy of pasty British/Irish rock bands making unexpectedly strong gospel songs. Although it’s not quite on the same transcendent level as The Rolling Stones’ and U2′s attempts, it’s at least on Blur’s level.

I love how Healy took the religious genre and used it for a song that’s all about religious confusion. He vents to a god that he doesn’t really believe in, wondering if religion would solve his myriad problems. The song doesn’t arrive at a clean conclusion, but it’s still a fascinating track about doubts and why people turn to a higher power.

#25: “People” (Notes)

In a whole career of random left-turns, scream-y punk rock might be the most unexpected yet for The 1975. “People” — which directly follows an apocalyptic spoken word intro from climate activist Greta Thunberg on its album — is a piercing jolt of energy that’s impossible to ignore.

"People” is definitely a polarizing track, even for fans of the band. It’s extremely aggressive, angry, and might freak out your friend who just wanted to hear more songs like “Chocolate.” But even though I think the lyrics (although admirably ballsy!) are a bit of a mess, I love the no-holds-back rage of “People.” If you’re going to try an out-there genre experiment, dive in headfirst.

#24: “Frail State Of Mind” (Notes)

By far the best of Notes’ drum-and-bass tracks, “Frail State Of Mind” feels like an actual, fleshed-out song rather than just the band dinking around with some new rhythms.

The skittering percussion, mournful vocal samples and melancholy lyrics help to create a gorgeous, downbeat track. It’s the audio equivalent of sitting inside on a drizzly day, listening to the rain hit the roof: sad, but also content.

#23: “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME” (Brief Inquiry)

Okay, so remember that hot minute in the mid-2010s when pop music pivoted hard into a gentrified, bland tropical house sound? Justin Bieber was the biggest offender? Well, The 1975 jumped on that bandwagon a few years later with “TOOTIME” ... yet it wound up sounding much better than any of the actual hit songs it was ripping off.

Why does The 1975′s tropical house banger actually work? First off, it embraces its non-tropical Britishness: with the chilly synths and auto-tuned vocals, it barely emulates the Caribbean outside of its rhythm. Furthermore, that rhythm is a tad faster than many of those mid-10s hits, making the song feel less like a drag and more like a traditional pop banger. But most importantly — it’s catchy as hell. Good luck getting that chorus out of your head.

#22: “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America” feat. Phoebe Bridgers (Notes)

“Jesus Christ” is easily the biggest exception to my “The 1975 shouldn’t do acoustic ballads” rule. And that’s primarily because they brought alone one of the modern masters of that form: Phoebe Bridgers.

Healy’s quietly emotive vocals and knack for lilting melodies fit in perfectly with Bridgers’ whispered folksy musical world. And of course, it’s nice to hear another voice on a 1975 song, especially if it’s as evocative as Bridgers’. Both she and Healy sing short vignettes of tortured, non-reciprocated same-sex crushes, and it’s a prime example of the power of compact storytelling.

#21: “She’s American” (I like it...)

As I warned earlier, the top of this list is going to have a lot of The 1975′s trips into pure ‘80s synth cheese. So let’s dive right into that!

“She’s American” is just pure fun, from Healy’s cheeky lyrics poking fun at his American lover, to the swirling synths and shiny guitars. It’s like a long-lost Duran Duran banger.

#20: “You” (Sex EP)

For a rock band that loves bombast, it’s surprising that The 1975 don’t tap into the U2/Coldplay arena rock sound more often. But the couple times they tried it, they nailed the landing.

“You” is a stark departure from the nocturnal angst of much of The 1975′s other EP-era songs. It’s bright, major-key, and meant to be blasted to the cheap seats of an arena. The guitar riff is pure The Edge, and the song just keeps getting bigger and bigger, louder and louder. “You” sounds like pure euphoria by the time it reaches its climax.

#19: “UGH!” (I like it...)

We’ll file this in the “Healy vents about his drug addiction over a super-sleek pop song” folder. And like most of those songs, “UGH!” is a total winner.

The guitars and synths are so liquid and snappy that it’s hard to tell them apart (in a good way!). And Healy gloriously vamps over the ‘80s Bowie groove, pontificating about his coke habit is ruining his life. The attention to detail here is admirable — from the chic plastic production to Healy making an aside about how the song only lasts three minutes. Guess how long “UGH!” is, to the exact second?

#18: “The City” (Facedown and IV EPs, The 1975)

This song was clearly a favorite in the band’s early days: it was on two of their four EPs, and was the first non-intro track on their debut album. “The City” absolutely deserves all that love, though.

First, to be clear: the re-recorded version on the self-titled debut album is much better. The 1975 are not one of those bands that sounds better with a DIY, low-fi aesthetic — they need that studio sheen! And on the re-recorded version, the absolute best aspect of “The City” gets to shine: THOSE DRUMS. They slam against your eardrums with the force of a Mack truck, and help propel an otherwise-just-solid pop tune into a classic.

#17: “Sincerity Is Scary” (Brief Inquiry)

This is a song that probably shouldn’t work: jazzy horns, an off-kilter beat and a towering gospel choir in service of a song about how the internet has ruined the way we relate to people? It’s all a bit much. But luckily, “a bit much” is The 1975′s sweet spot.

Strangely enough, this shuffling single feels effortless and natural, despite having wordy lyrics and not sounding like any Top 40 song in recently memory. Also, it’s the band’s best music video. It’s creative and absolutely adorable.

#16: “Love Me” (I like it...)

If there’s one older band The 1975 is constantly compared to, it’s ‘80s Aussie legends INXS. It’s a bit of a strange comparison — The 1975 are shameless genre-hoppers. INXS had one (really great!) signature pop-rock sound that they stuck with for most of their big hits.

But I understand where that comparison comes from, because “Love Me” is the most dead-on INXS pastiche I’ve ever heard. It wouldn’t shock me to learn it’s a cover of a forgotten Kick B-side. The wiry guitars, bouncy rhythm, winking lyrics about fame and sex, hits of wiggly synths and horns — it’s all the elements that made a song like “New Sensation” so great. The music video even features Healy, with long curly hair, preening around shirtless like Michael Hutchence!

Look, if you’re going to shamelessly rip someone off, you might as well rip off a great band at its best moment. And The 1975 channelled peak-INXS better than anyone since 1988 (even the band itself!) with “Love Me.”

#15: “Antichrist” (Facedown EP)

“Antichrist” is probably The 1975′s most goth song. It opens with a stately organ, and Healy sings the first verse in the very lowest part of his vocal register. It’s a stark departure from any other song of theirs, which of course grabs your attention.

But the funeral dirge vibes, as cool as they are, aren’t the only factor that makes “Antichrist” a great song. The minimalist guitar solo semi-chorus is stunning, like something Interpol would’ve done. And when Healy cranks up his vocal stylings for the song’s second half, it injects a bit of energy. The punishing, near-shoegaze finale to the song is masterful as well.

Despite it being a fan favorite from their very-first EP, “Antichrist” has infamously never been played live. And honestly, I’m okay with that — this seems like a bolt of gloom-and-doom lightning that would be nearly impossible to re-create in some mid-sized arena in Des Moines.

#14: “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” (Notes)

It’s a bit of a bummer that easily the three best songs off of Notes On A Conditional Form all easily slide into The 1975′s pop-rock comfort zone. But even if that album’s experiments fell a bit flat, it’s nice to know the band can still hit its sweet spot over and over again without getting tiring.

“If You’re Too Shy” is a perfect ‘80s synthpop banger, complete with some very-1975 lyrics about a couple meeting online and immediately objectifying each other. But the lyrics are really not the selling point of the song — it’s the taut new-wave rhythm, the twinkling synths, the ROARING sax solo, and that insanely sticky chorus (maybe the catchiest the band’s had). It’s the kind of song that could’ve played during that absurd library dance scene from Breakfast Club. It’s a timeless jam of the highest order, and impossible to resist.

#13: “I Like America & America Likes Me” (A Brief Inquiry)

As much of a big deal I make about The 1975′s experimental, don’t-give-a-fuck nature, most of my favorite songs of theirs are their more conventional pop songs. Sorry, I’m lame!

But regardless, I adore “I Like America,” a truly strange electronic freakout that encapsulates all the anxieties and fears of the world’s young people. It’s electrifying and horrifying in equal measure.

Of course, a much more famous 1975 song coming on this list does this concept a little better lyrically, and has more of an actual hook to back it up. Still, there’s something poignant about “I Like America,” particularly Healy’s unhinged performance. He spends most of the song hysterically yelling out into the void lines like “I’M SCARED OF DYING, IT’S FINE” and “WOULD YOU PLEASE LISTEN.” And the chaotic, undulating wave of vocal samples, drum machines and synths seems to get stronger with every second.

#12: “Chocolate” (Music For Cars EP, The 1975)

Easily The 1975′s biggest hit in the U.S., “Chocolate” could’ve easily pinned the band into the bin of other just-decent Tumblr-friendly indie bands in the early ‘10s. They could’ve been the British version of The Neighbourhood (remember “Sweater Weather?”).

But just because The 1975 quickly moved away from the super-sugary pop rock of “Chocolate,” that doesn’t mean the tune is a simple trifle. I mean, okay, it is — but it’s a perfect trifle! The hook is basically the entire song, and for good reason: it’s freakishly catchy. “Chocolate” is one of those songs you’ll have stuck in your head for weeks afterward. And that bouncy groove is *chef’s kiss*.

“Chocolate” was bound to be noticed by the world: it was too pristine to be ignored.

#11: “The Sound” (I like it...)

Am I underrating this? Maybe.

When I first heard “The Sound,” it was the first 1975 song I truly loved. The bouncy house piano, thumping four-on-the-floor beat and simple sing-along chorus drew me in like a siren call. And it still sounds fantastic four years later!

Really, the only bad thing you could say about “The Sound” is that the band made a couple even better synthpop jams later. This was sort of a warm up, their first truly great ‘80s costume party. But even though it’s been surpassed, “The Sound” is still a delight today. At the very least, it has the band’s best-ever guitar solo.

#10: “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” (A Brief Inquiry)

Y’all know the classic Oasis power ballad “Champagne Supernova,” right? It’s incredibly epic, but the lyrics are infamously meaningless. What if a band wrote a similar Britpop power ballad, with an equally anthemic chorus, but actually injected a legitimate, moving theme?

That happened! The 1975 did it with “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes),” maybe the most uplifting song about suicide ever written. Healy penned some of his most empathetic lyrics here, all about how, well, sometimes we all want to die. Always. His chorus is a moment of glorious angsty catharsis — the emo lyrics of My Chemical Romance set to the sweeping strings and towering guitars of a Coldplay single.

This song is 100% my sweet spot, as a person with depression who loves a corny U2 ballad. It’s a shame The 1975 don’t operate in this vein more often — they’re quite good at it.

#9: “Sex” (Sex EP, The 1975)

The 1975 are barely a “rock” band in the truest sense. Yeah, they have a guitar player and a drummer and whatnot, but most of their music leans more on the pop side of things.

But “Sex,” one of the band’s earliest hits, legitimately rocks. It’s a raging, almost pop-punk jam that proves The 1975 can make a fantastic headbanger anytime they like. The frenzied tune is pure adrenaline, which makes sense given it’s about the forbidden thrill of cheating.

During the band’s last major tour, when “Sex” was played during the encore, the massive screen simply read “ROCK AND ROLL IS DEAD” while Matty Healy violently smashed a guitar at the song’s conclusion. Ironically, he proved the opposite.

#8: “Guys” (Notes)

This one’s just too cute.

“Guys” has an incredibly clever — and admittedly quite cheesy — conceit: Healy wrote a love song, but instead of being about romance, it’s about his platonic adoration for his fellow band members. It’s funny how most of The 1975′s songs about dating tend to be bitter or depressed, while arguably their most head-over-heels tune is about how much the four titular guys love spending time and writing songs together.

Even though it was written before the COVID-19 pandemic, “Guys” still fits the moment eerily well. Healy’s vocals and the lilting melody have a bittersweet tone, and the opening refrain of “I was missing the guys” could easily be about quarantining.

“Guys” won’t be for everyone. Some might roll their eyes at its aggressive sincerity. But if it catches me in a certain mood, it really has an effect on me. It’s perhaps the greatest bromance song ever written.

#7: “Fallingforyou” (IV EP)

The best song from The 1975′s EP era, “Fallingforyou” is a gorgeous, minimalist ballad that could’ve only come from the band’s less pretentious early years.

Healy switches between a conversational mumble and an angelic falsetto on the nocturnal track, giving it an intimate feel. It’s almost like he’s right next to you in the backseat of some car at 2 a.m. The dreamy, rumbling background gives “Fallingforyou” almost a Beach House or Chromatics vibe, and it suits the band well.

The 1975 is far too extra nowadays to try another song as quiet, serene and gimmick-free as “Fallingforyou.” But at least we have the one.

#6: “Me & You Together Song” (Notes)

The 1975 already have so many songs that try to recreate the magic of mid ‘80s pop-rock. And although they could probably keep mining that sound forever, it would be nice to see them try homages to other golden eras of pop music. And “Me & You Together Song” does just that.

With this bouncy, propulsive power pop jam, The 1975 were clearly aiming for a Y2K-era adult alternative vibe. It wouldn’t be hard to see The Goo Goo Dolls or Third Eye Blind performing a song like this, with the chugging guitars, snarky-yet-romantic lyrics and endless energy.

Daniel and Healy wrote a groove and effortless melody for “Me & You” that could probably go on forever — and it almost does! The last 75 seconds or so of the single just repeat the refrain over and over, and although normally that kind of repetition drives me nuts, it feels natural for this tune.

#5: “A Change of Heart” (I like it...)

One of two all-time classic breakup songs off of The 1975′s second album, “A Change of Heart” is crushing in the most pedestrian way. It’s not anything melodramatic or exaggerated — it’s simply the story of a couple naturally drifting apart.

Healy’s lyrics are rich with details here, from pithy asides about not smoking cigarettes correctly and Instagramming salads to a rather blunt description of falling out of love: “You used to have a face straight out of a magazine/Now you just look like anyone.”

Interestingly, Daniel decided to accompany the unromantic lyrics with some of the band’s most dreamy production. It sounds like a prom scene from a John Hughes high school movie. But that dissonance works — it sets up a fantasy and then shatters it.

#4: “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)” (A Brief Inquiry)

You want to know why I left “The Sound” out of the top 10? Here’s why: “It’s Not Living” takes that same hyper-sleek ‘80s synthpop sound but improves upon it with a stickier hook, dark lyrics and a killer guitar riff.

Strangely for such a perky and bouncy song, “It’s Not Living” is about Healy’s struggles to get over a heroin addiction. It’s a smart lyrical trick, framing his difficulty with quitting smack as being similar to not getting over a rough breakup. And it’s downright genius to pair such a dark topic with such a fun instrumental, Passion Pit-style. “It’s Not Living” is the band’s finest pure pop song, and a success they’ll no doubt try to repeat for the rest of their career.

#3: “Robbers” (The 1975)

This is the pinnacle of The 1975′s early career young-and-dumb anthems. It turns literally robbing a bank into a sweeping, heartfelt power ballad.

Alright, alright, fine ... it’s not literally about robbing a bank; it’s a metaphor for a toxic, co-dependent relationship, according to the band. But that deeper meaning is pretty hard to pick up on when Healy’s singing about guns and screaming “NOW EVERYBODY’S DEAAAAAAD” on the bridge. Honestly, “Robbers” being a tragic Romeo and Juliet-style story sounds much more plausible.

But lyrics aside, the chugging guitars and soaring chorus hit you right in the gut. “Robbers” could be about shopping at Pottery Barn and it would still be an incredible tour-de-force of a song. But its brutal ending elevates it even further. That cruelly ironic final line, “Babe, you look so cool” — which Healy sounds like he’s singing through tears — lands like a sledgehammer every time.

#2: “Love It If We Made It” (A Brief Inquiry)

The words “generational anthem” tend to get thrown around a lot online about various tracks. But “Love It If We Made It” deserves that moniker.

I have yet to hear a song that better describes the acute stress and psychological horror of being a Millennial or Gen Zer while the world collapses around you. The ice caps are melting, police brutality is rampant, the refugee crisis is accelerating, and the world’s leaders are too corrupt and/or incompetent to do anything to fix these problems.

Unlike many political anthems, Healy doesn’t sound angry on “Love It If We Made It.” He sounds terrified. The title itself makes the song’s theme clear: we just want to survive this mess. And we’re pretty sure that we won’t.

With 2020 being an absolutely awful year so far (oh hi, COVID!), “Love It If We Made It” unfortunately sounds just as powerful today as it did a couple years ago. Hopefully, there comes a day when this song sounds less visceral and chilling and more like a relic of the past. But that day hasn’t come yet.

#1: “Somebody Else” (I like it...)

If there is a “The 1975 sound” — which is kind of ridiculous, seeing as the band changes up their sound so much, but still — “Somebody Else” is the perfect example of it. It’s both deeply indebted to ‘80s new wave, yet wholly modern-sounding. Healy’s lyrics are laughably pretentious yet cuttingly relatable. And it packages complicated emotions into an undeniable, melancholy pop nugget.

Healy’s exploration of tangled, better emotions on “Somebody Else” about his ex — who he mistakenly thought he was over —finding a new partner is sadly a place we’ve all been. “I don’t want your body/but I hate to think about you with somebody else” — who can’t relate?

Daniels’ nocturnal production is sleek, slippery and heartwrenching in its own right. The scattered, distorted vocal samples almost mock Healy’s emotions, and the shuffling beat adds a nice pulse to the proceedings. If you’re in the proper mood and setting, there are few better breakup songs to blast and mope around to.

"Somebody Else” one of the all-time great breakup anthems, as well as a top-tier song to drive around to at night when you’re sad. And it’s The 1975′s best-ever song.

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dailytomlinson · 6 years ago

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[Translation] Louis Tomlinson prepares first solo album: 'I need to make sure it's brilliant' Ex-One Direction spoke to GLOBO hours before the death of her sister Felicite, just 18 years old RIO - Before the interview with singer and composer Louis Tomlinson, on 13/3, the team of the English musician warned: no subject was forbidden, but if possible, it would be better "not to speak very deeply" about the death of the mother of it, an episode that inspired "Two of Us," the single Tomlinson released in early March. After all, it was a sensitive subject. Johannah Poulston died in 2016 at the age of 42 after a rapid and fatal fight against leukemia. From mourning, came verses like "this morning I woke up still dreaming / with memories playing in my head / You'll never know how much I miss you / The day they took you, I wish it had been me", they open the ballad composed by the son.

The 27-year-old, revealed by one of the most successful groups of this decade, One Direction (today on hiatus), did not imagine, however, that hours after the GLOBO chat he would have to deal with another tragic loss: his sister, Félicité, just 18 years old, suffered cardiac arrest and did not resist. So far, Tomlinson has canceled public appearances and has yet to make public pronouncements on her sister's death - her latest social media releases were on the 13th. In the interview, Louis Tomlinson was lively and communicative. Among the members of One Direction (including Zayn Malik, who left the band in 2015), he is the only one who has yet to release an album or solo EP. Perfectionist, the artist postponed or debuted several times, but promised that the wait does not pass this year of 2019: - My fans have waited patiently for so long that I need to make sure this album is brilliant. I do not want to listen later and have the feeling that I could have done better. "Two of us" is a ballad with a very organic instrumentation, with the piano as a base. It's a different song from other singles you've released, like "Just hold on" and "Back to you." Did you feel it was the only way to tell this story? We had some conversations at the origin of the idea to make this song in a more ... let's say, friendly way to the radios. But I wanted to keep it simple. To be honest, this production may be more tied to my album than "Just hold on" and "Back to you." The beauty of fazfeats is being able to live some of the world of other artists, as I did with Steve Aoki and Digital Farm Animals in these singles. But it was not exactly my sound. For the album, which will come out later this year, I will not say that we will only have ballads, but the production will be essentially organic, real, nothing super programmed. What else can you talk about the album? I have worked hard on him. In terms of lyrics, I can say that I am being very honest and telling stories of my life in songs that help me to know a little more about myself. You are often singled out as a perfectionist artist. Did this feature make you stay that long without releasing a solo album? Yes. And you get more pressure when you're doing an individual job, especially an album. I want to make sure every song comes out as good as it can be. I do not want to listen later and have the feeling that I could have done better. Time has passed and I think there is more pressure now for me to release an album soon, so I have to have even more security. How do you deal with this pressure? I definitely feel it, as well as the responsibility I have after having left so many people patiently waiting for this record. But again, I'm also aware that if people expected so much, I need to make sure it's brilliant. Speaking of waiting, since embarking on solo career, you've only made appearances on television shows to promote singles, but no show or tour. Do you miss the stages? Are you ready to go back? Yeah, I'm definitely ready to hit the road and I miss it. I spent a lot of time touring with One Direction ... But of course, you can not do that without an album, so I knew that if you wanted to spend more time molding this record, you would have to wait to go on tour. But it was a conscious choice. And it will not last until the end of the year. You wrote many of the lyrics to One Direction, but I imagine it's different to write for the group and for your solo career. What kind of approaches do you have today that you did not have before? The lyrics in One Direction were a bit more generic, let's put it this way, because they had to match the feelings of four or five of us, so now I have the opportunity to talk more with my heart. In terms of production, I'm probably looking for the simplest possible. In the group, we had a lot of this pressure to make radio songs, but now I want to embrace my roots and keep myself organic, true. One of the challenges of stardom is not being able to control the image that people create of you from news, gossip, and everything else, even when it comes to a reserved person. In a scenario where this public image could be effectively built, how did you want to be seen by everyone? This is difficult. I think the natural stereotype of a musician or a celebrity is not always incredible. Sometimes, for various reasons, people expect me to be rude or bad, for example, when in fact I just wanted them to understand that I'm a really nice guy. One Direction is one of the most popular bands in the world and you have always had to deal with harassment at airports, hotels, get away from paparazzi etc. Is it calmer now? It's less intense, definitely, in every way. The calendar is calmer, my routine too, I have appeared less. So nowadays I get more time and space when I want to play or watch a football match, for example. Although new, you've sold millions of albums, traveled through dozens of countries and lived quite a bit. What are your personal and artistic ambitions? As an artist, I definitely think that in a solo career, I'm starting over. I'm very proud of my experience with One Direction, but now it's my name, so I want to conquer my things too as an individual. That makes me have ambitions to be achieved. As a person, I expect to get old, look back and feel satisfied. I think at some point in my life, when I'm a lot older, I want to go back to a more formal education, maybe a college or something that interests me academically. In 20 years ... I hope I'm still making music, I think it's everything (laughs). Brazil is one of the main markets of One Direction. One of their solo singles, "Back to you," had 17 million streaming footage coming from here, and I imagine you get a lot of messages from Brazilians on social networks ... (INTERRUPTS) MANY messages. Tons of them. How is your relationship with the country and with your fans from here? For starters, I'm completely in love with football. And historically Brazil has formed legends of this sport, so I have a great admiration. About the fans when we play there ... There are a few places that stick to your head when you rank the best, craziest, funniest fans in the world, and Brazil is definitely one of those places. I really feel the support of the Brazilian fan base and I can not wait to go back on tour to see them again.

#música #louis tomlinson #esse momento é meu #270319 #o globo #two of us #two of us promo #press

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readablenoise · 5 years ago

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Florida’s Best Live Acts of 2019

With a new year, and new decade ahead of us, we recap the best Live Acts Statewide of this past year

Florida- 2019 has been a prosperous music for local music in the state.

With a plethora of albums, EP’s and concerts released before the new decade, in addition to new acts emerging from the already electrified soil, we decided to take our focus on the medium that we believe best proves the true mettle of a band: our selections of the Top 10 Live Acts in Florida.

This proved to be a much harder list than expected, with a great many acts having captured our heart in 2019. However, we stand by this list, and feel that these acts should be the ones you keep your mind, ears and excited soul on in 2020…

The Guttertones (Rock)

(photo: Jenelle DeGuzman)

Having formed in just 2019, the duo, composed of Brennan Curtin (drums) and Adam Sheetz (guitar/vocals) perform with the intensity of an act that have been honing their craft for 10 years. Debuting at Bumblefest, their live performances are something inexplicably powerful; with just a guitar, drums and a vox microphone, they can draw in a crowd like flies to sugar, and it helps that the sound coming from the amps is a honey suckle drawl of perfect Southern inspired rock meets the grit of Detroit distortion, all wrapped up in West Palm Beach flair.

They are an act that increasingly better themselves after every viewing, and for that reason and many more, we believe the duo to be one of the best on this list.

https://www.facebook.com/theGutterTones/

Spirit & The Cosmic Heart (Dreampop/Shoegaze)

(photo: Roberto Badillo)

The Lakeland based act has been one we’ve kept on both your radar, and ours, since early this year. Churning and evolving like the Atlantic itself, the group made continued evolving and with each new emergence, seem to just keep getting better.

With their 2nd EP, “Memories” released mid-2019, they are one of the few acts, both locally and internationally, that can sound just as good on record and yet somehow, different. Our best example of this being our personal favorite, “Endlessly”. While the track is an intense Cure meets Mama’s and Papa’s build-up of dreamy romance live, the 5 piece have created an almost alternate reality version of the track on record that explodes just the same, in a different way. And it’s truly the best way to describe the act; something haunting that sparks something individually different, upon every song and every viewing.

https://spiritandthecosmicheart.bandcamp.com/

Donzii (Post-Punk)

(Photo: Jen.cray)

Another of our unabashedly favorite local acts, experiencing the 5 piece in any of the five senses, is akin to visiting one of the great art museums of the world- each time.

With visuals being orchestrated by frontwoman Jenna Balfe, a whirlwind mixture of Siouxsie Sioux and Poly Styrene, every performance Donzii puts on is a different painting, in a different time, all along the already powerful hypnotic music that follows from the chemistry of the act themselves. “Sand”, to our ears, is one of the best tracks of this decade by any artist in recent memory internationally. It’s a large claim to make, but an act like Donzii truly come every once in a lifetime, and we are grateful to be living in the same era of music as this incredible band.

https://donzii.bandcamp.com/

Jaialai (Psychedelica/Alternative)

(Photo: go.cuna)

While the sound have been a local flavor favorite, we got our first powerful dose of the sound live, at 1306 Miami earlier this year and it was something unlike anything else we’ve seen. Carrying the force of a hurricane inside of a tornadic explosion of guitars, drums and build-up, the performance we viewed consisted of moshing, dreamy visuals and near Renaissance punk vibes, something that is hard to duplicate not due to the sound, but the sheer amount of power it takes to carry such a beautiful weight.

If you have the chance, we highly recommend catching this act in any venue, and watch as you leave out of breath and captivated.

https://jaialaiofficial.bandcamp.com/

The Spoondogs (Rock/Punk)

The Orlando based sound helped to close out Bumblefest 2019, and demonstrated a performance so great, it never left our mind.

Take The Rolling Stones, Warsaw and just a touch of surf-esque orchestration and you have a truly potent mixture that could fit in any decade and still bring the crowd to a absolute frenzy, something they did to a full house of the Patio Stage in Respectable Street, having those in attendance so enthralled, some stood on tables just to get a glimpse of the hailstorm of guitars that the act wield so well, both live and in recording. If you’re a fan of the above examples, Robert Plant in his prime or classic punk in general, we recommend listening in all methods, ways and feelings possible.

https://spoondogs.bandcamp.com/releases

Tape Studies (Post/Instrumental Rock)

Let us tell you a story of romance, ambition, love, the feeling of falling and a thousand sunsets; or better yet, let Tape Studies do it for you. We have expressed our endless respect for the post-rock genre due the basis of composition being that of a storybooks. The unspoken words of feeling itself, and all those moments you didn’t quite know what to say, wishing instead that music would flow out of your lungs. The Northern Florida trio are this exactly, and after watching them perform at Will’s Pub, they also embody the belief that while an orchestra can fill a room, a group with passion can act as a hundred orchestras; something they do effortlessly. With a new album in the works, we greatly look forward to the opportunity of seeing the act again, and we await for you to do the same.

https://tapestudies.bandcamp.com/releases

In Motion (Post-Hardcore/Emo)

While the trio have been on our list since mid-2019, they are also our pick for the Best Album of 2019. The post-hardcore genre is one that, while often seen, is very scarcely done right justice and we are proud to say that it’s one they not only excel in, but have brought back incredible light back into. Having seen the act perform as both an unplanned trio and in it’s complete package, we have been thoroughly astounded each and every performance by the wall of enormous sound the Hobe Sound based produce. It’s not hard to see the trio truly love what they do, and we love watching them.

https://inmotionfl.bandcamp.com/

Glass Body (Punk)

This Miami sound is one you read about in the history books. The kind you see in black and white pictures of bands you wish you were able to see, giving performances that seem to bleed sound from image alone and you wish on the stars above you could have viewed. And we’re happy to say, you can and you must. Performing in the small, intimate space of Kismet Vintage in West Palm Beach, the trio are pure, and pardon our language, fucking amazing punk. With incredible Pixies-esque drones meets Sex Pistols explosion, frontwoman/bassist Bridget helps orchestrate performances that are a legendary joy to watch, and one we hope you’ll carve into your concert tablets in 2020…

https://glassbody.bandcamp.com/

Kalistik (Metal/Doom)

(Photo: Keith McCullough)

With the debut EP freshly released, and wonderfully, darkly seductive, the Winter Haven group while fresh on our list, are not one to be taken lightly. Having made their powerful debut performance at Jessie’s Lounge (the videos of which can be seen on their Facebook page), they became one of our Florida Project acts simply due to the intensity of the performance. Bringing 70’s post-punk, doom and just the slightest touch of psychedelic elements in an impressive whirl, they are an act we cannot wait to get more in the coming year and are grateful we can jam to on our earbuds in the meantime…

https://kalistik.bandcamp.com/releases

Death of a Deity (Thrash/Metal)

(Photo: Jenelle DeGuzman)

The metal scene is one that thrived in 2019, due in part of the incredible acts that have emerged in genre in the past year alone. And while our next picks have been favorites of the South Florida scene, after having the pleasure of seeing the Loxahatchee based act perform at Propaganda Lake Worth late this past year, they make our list for the sheer of power they hold in their ferocious chemistry.

With a swirling, impressive storm of guitars and Abe Cunningham meets John Bonham-esque drums, they succeed in the difficult task of checking of not just one, but all marks of a great rock show: Heavy, orchestrated chaos, headbanging worthy composition and most importantly, enjoying every moment of it, while having all those in their grasp feel the same. With a new album on the horizon, and the preview of those tracks shared during their live performances solidifying our belief in DOAD being one of the great live acts in Florida, we cannot wait to headbang again.

https://deathofadeity.bandcamp.com/

Rose Dickeson (Pop/Jazz)

One of the last, great and most promising examples of the power of, to quote Prince’s album, a piano and a microphone, the effortless composition that radiates from the Port Saint Lucie duo is an unforgettable of Fiona Apple earnesty, Regina Spektor vocals and the soul of Nina Simone, they are an act that are vastly underrated and incredibly potent. If you have a chance to see the act perform, it’s one we highly advise not passing, as they offer experience in the shape of sonic roses you’ll never forget the scent of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op53J4l1TV4

Makoto (Instrumental/Math Rock)

Our final selection for this list, will not be met with the usual “last but not least” blush response but calculated reasoning. The Southern Florida based act are the final cut on our list for the same reasoning that fireworks cap off another rotation around the Sun; for the power lightning storm that roars into the night, and what better way to describe the act than this? As we spoke of in our review of Bumblefest, we thoroughly believe that they should have been given a headline set and we believe 2020 will see them perform that slot at festivals both near and far, for the incredible, anthemic performances they emanate both in record and live. Makoto deliver the types of performances that have your feet sore from jumping, hair in a tizzy from rocking out and most importantly, leave you breathless. It’s a talent they are as skilled at as they are in composing near perfect rock orchestrations. And one we know, will leave you in awe.

https://makoto.bandcamp.com/

We hope you fill your heart with great, new and wonderful music in the new decade. And now, to quote a certain wizard, “ Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”

-Jenelle DeGuzman

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louisrecords · 6 years ago

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[Translated by Google from Portuguese]

RIO - Before the interview with singer and composer Louis Tomlinson, on 13/3, the team of the English musician warned: no subject was forbidden, but if possible, it would be better "not to speak very deeply" about the death of the mother of it, an episode that inspired "Two of Us," the single Tomlinson released in early March. After all, it was a sensitive subject.

Johannah Poulston died in 2016 at the age of 42 after a rapid and fatal fight against leukemia. From mourning, came verses like "this morning I woke up still dreaming / with memories playing in my head / You'll never know how much I miss you / The day they took you, I wish it had been me", they open the ballad composed by the son.

In the interview, Louis Tomlinson was lively and communicative. Among the members of One Direction (including Zayn Malik, who left the band in 2015), he is the only one who has yet to release an album or solo EP. Perfectionist, the artist postponed or debuted several times, but promised that the wait does not pass this year of 2019:

- My fans have waited patiently for so long that I need to make sure this album is brilliant. I do not want to listen later and have the feeling that I could have done better.

See below for other interview topics with Freddie Reign's three-year-old Tomlinson, the fruit of a relationship with stylist Briana Jungwirth.

"Two of us" is a ballad with a very organic instrumentation, with the piano as a base. It's a different song from other singles you've released, like "Just hold on" and "Back to you." Did you feel it was the only way to tell this story?

We had some conversations at the origin of the idea to make this song in a more ... let's say, friendly way to the radios. But I wanted to keep it simple. To be honest, this production may be more tied to my album than "Just hold on" and "Back to you." The beauty of doing feats is being able to live some of the world of other artists, as I did with Steve Aoki and Digital Farm Animals on these singles. But it was not exactly my sound. For the album, which will come out later this year, I will not say that we will only have ballads, but the production will be essentially organic, real, nothing super programmed.

What else can you talk about the album?

I have worked hard on him. In terms of lyrics, I can say that I am being very honest and telling stories of my life in songs that help me to know a little more about myself.

You are often singled out as a perfectionist artist. Did this feature make you stay that long without releasing a solo album?

Yes. And you get more pressure when you're doing an individual job, especially an album. I want to make sure every song comes out as good as it can be. I do not want to listen later and have the feeling that I could have done better. Time has passed and I think there is more pressure now for me to release an album soon, so I have to have even more security.

How do you deal with this pressure?

I definitely feel it, as well as the responsibility I have after having left so many people patiently waiting for this record. But again, I'm also aware that if people expected so much, I need to make sure it's brilliant.

Speaking of waiting, since embarking on solo career, you've only made appearances on television shows to promote singles, but no show or tour. Do you miss the stages? Are you ready to go back?

Yeah, I'm definitely ready to hit the road and I miss her. I spent a lot of time touring with One Direction ... But of course, you can not do that without an album, so I knew that if you wanted to spend more time molding this record, you would have to wait to go on tour. But it was a conscious choice. And it will not last until the end of the year.

And your son will be close to turning four by the end of the year so I figure this is a good time to go on tour again.

Yeah. It is always difficult to leave him, but now he is already grown. Of course, when I go on tour, it's not going to be with those crazy schedules either, being a long time away from home.

How did the experience of parenting inspire you?

Musically, I would not say it was a big influence, maybe just in one of the songs I'm recording. And personally, I always treated the idea as natural. It was a great event, of course, but I am the oldest of seven brothers, so I always had to be very responsible.

You wrote many of the lyrics to One Direction, but I imagine it's different to write for the group and for your solo career. What kind of approaches do you have today that you did not have before?

The lyrics in One Direction were a bit more generic, let's put it this way, because they had to match the feelings of four or five of us, so now I have the opportunity to talk more with my heart. In terms of production, I'm probably looking for the simplest possible. In the group, we had a lot of this pressure to make radio songs, but now I want to embrace my roots and keep myself organic, true.

One of the challenges of stardom is not being able to control the image that people create of you from news, gossip, and everything else, even when it comes to a reserved person. In a scenario where this public image could be effectively built, how did you want to be seen by everyone?

This is difficult. I think the natural stereotype of a musician or a celebrity is not always incredible. Sometimes, for various reasons, people expect me to be rude or bad, for example, when in fact I just wanted them to understand that I'm a really nice guy.

One Direction is one of the most popular bands in the world and you have always had to deal with harassment at airports, hotels, get away from paparazzi etc. Is it calmer now?

It's less intense, definitely, in every way. The calendar is calmer, my routine too, I have appeared less. So nowadays I get more time and space when I want to play or watch a football match, for example.

Although new, you've sold millions of albums, traveled through dozens of countries and lived quite a bit. What are your personal and artistic ambitions?

As an artist, I definitely think that in a solo career, I'm starting over. I'm very proud of my experience with One Direction, but now it's my name, so I want to conquer my things too as an individual. That makes me have ambitions to be achieved. As a person, I expect to get old, look back and feel satisfied. I think at some point in my life, when I'm a lot older, I want to go back to a more formal education, maybe a college or something that interests me academically.

In 20 years ...

I hope I'm still making music, I think it's everything (laughs) .

Brazil is one of the main markets of One Direction. One of their solo singles, "Back to you," had 17 million streaming footage coming from here, and I imagine you get a lot of messages from Brazilians on social networks ...

(STOP) MANY messages. Tons of them.

How is your relationship with the country and with your fans from here?

For starters, I'm completely in love with football. And historically Brazil has formed legends of this sport, so I have a great admiration. About the fans when we play there ... There are a few places that stick to your head when you rank the best, craziest, funniest fans in the world, and Brazil is definitely one of those places. I really feel the support of the Brazilian fan base and I can not wait to go back on tour to see them again.

#press #mar 27 2019 #the version posted redacted some question #s #i prefer having the whole thing documented

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breadknight-likes-things · 5 years ago

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TWRP’s “Return To Wherever” Song Rankings And Reviews

TWRP is far and away my favorite band, and Return To Wherever is an absurdly good album. Before I get into these post I just want to say there’s quite literally not a bad song on this album, don’t let the lower rankings fool you. 9. Solar Winds

Among the interstitials that serve as buffers between blocks of music on this album, Solar Winds only comes in last due to the fact there’s just not all that much of it! It’s got the same great L.A.D.Y Radio announcer, reading the same great lines in his same great radio voice, but that’s about it. The other interstitials serve as excellent instrumental tracks all on their own, Solar winds however, is just a little place to chill for 53 seconds. It’s a wonderful 53 seconds for sure, but one that leaves me wishing there was more! 8. L.A.D.Y Radio

I don’t quite know what a basket of dunkers is, but I want that $50 gift card to Stobbes so I can find out. I was caller 8 in case anyone cares. Beyond the announcer giving his last hurrah on the album this is a great instrumental track that sounds so heavily in Lord Phobo’s wheelhouse I’m surprised it wasn’t on his recent solo EP. 7. Back In Town

What. An. Opening. I knew from the teaser they released well before the album that the music backing this opening interstitial was incredible, but it blends so well with the announcer’s enthusiasm for the album you’re about to listen to and the extension that wasn’t present in the teaser is downright incredible. It’s got heavy “start of a journey” vibes, like it’s welcoming you into the album not just through the announcer blatantly welcoming you with his lines, but through the songs wonderful pacing and instrumental work. Among the songs featuring the L.A.DY. Radio announcer, this one is easily the best. 6. Cosmic Tides

Cosmic Tides is the first instrumental track on the album not to have the L.A.D.Y Radio announcer present, and holy hell did TWRP give it there all here. This is probably one of the most eminently danceable songs I’ve heard in my life, all fun transitions, electronic samples and beautiful keyboard and synth work all the way through. It’s only beat out by the albums other instrumental track, but it’s certainly in the upper echelon of TWRP instrumental tracks. 5. Generous Dimensions

It’s a lot of fun to see that TWRP has stuck with the concept of body positivity so closely in their music. Like Body Image before it, Generous Dimensions is an excellent song all on it’s own, but adds in an extra layer of fun through it’s poppy and fun message hiding underneath.

4. Hidden Potential

Never before has a song gone from 0 to “Will listen to at the start of literally anytime I work out” in about 5 minutes like Hidden Potential has. This song is classic TWRP, and not just because Egoraptor provides the motivational yelling permeating the song! Classic synth sounds, incredibly fun message and Doctor Sung singing his damn heart out at the very concept of pushing the limit and meeting personal goals. As someone who went through a nasty injury this year that left me more or less unable to walk until about a month ago, this song means a lot to me and probably always will! 3. Typhoon Turnpike

Your guess is as good as mine as to how this unreleased Mario Kart track made it onto this TWRP album, but I’m not about to complain about it. It’s genuinely hard to describe this song as anything other than “It sounds like the beach level in a Mario Kart game” but the other angle I can come at it from is the pinnacle of this albums beach side radio theme and vibe. It’s a lot like “Feels Pretty Good” from Together Through Time, only much higher energy. If I were to recommend any one instrumental track from this band, this one would be the easy pick every time. That part where it slows to a stop only to pick right back up and bring us to the end? Goosebumps every time. 2. All Night Forever In the same way Back In Town was an incredible way to open the album, All Night Forever is one hell of a way to close it out. When TWRP wants to do a love song they know damn well how to make it work. The songs last minute or so is something I could listen to over and over again until the end of the time. Which, frankly, doesn’t seem all that long to me anymore. Weird how that works out huh? 1. Under The Sun This song right here? This is exactly what I come to TWRP for. This is the kind of song that rocketed them into the “favorite band” spot in my life. All chill vibes, all the time. I said before Return To Wherever is extremely a beach radio album from this band, and Under The Sun is literally a song about the beach. It’s slightly ironic given that despite living in a seaside town I don’t have a very big affinity for the beach, but when songs like this invoke it’s imagery and power I’m utterly helpless to resist. I’ve not yet quite worked out how my top five TWRP songs shakes out in general, but rest assured, Under The Sun is comfortably in there. Tanning on the eternal beach that can only come from this bands wonderful imagination.

#twrp #twrpband #ninja sex party #music #new music #synth #synth music #music reviews #music rankings #dr. sung #lord phobos #havve hogan #commander meouch

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asouthernprincessupnorth · 5 years ago

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Sweetener Tour, 19 September 2019, Sheffield

Hi guys! You can guess from the title what this post is about: Ariana Grande’s Sweetener Tour! I went to her concert with a very dear friend, Nabil, and let me tell you that it was amazing.

So, we bought the tickets way back in December 2018, if I’m not mistaken. When I found out that Ariana was coming to the UK, I thought I just had to see her at least once. Me and Nabil looked at her schedule and when I found out she was coming to f-ing Sheffield, I just knew that there is no way I could possibly miss out on it. I mean, Sheffield, of all places!

I got up as early as I could on the day of the ticket sales and within a minute that the tickets were being sold, I couldn’t get any. I kept on refreshing the page until it showed I could get two tickets on the f-ing Gold Circle, which is basically the most expensive ticket category (but not as expensive as VIP-Meet & Greet). After hastily agreeing with Nabil, I clicked on the purchase. Yep, I bought a very, very expensive concert ticket.

Me and Nabil went to the venue as soon as queuing was allowed by the Arena and we spent at least three-and-a-half to four hours in the queue. Was it worth it? It was. We got into the Standing area but I just knew that our Gold Circle tickets should’ve gotten us closer to the stage so I basically ran to the edge of the Standing area, showed our Gold wristbands to the security guards, and got ourselves into the f-ing Gold Circle. I ran and managed to stand on the second-to-front row. Let me tell you this: it felt awesome. Me and Nabil got slightly separated because he went to buy us some water (which each cost f-ing £2.50) and when he returned, two girls and a mother already stood behind me. But it’s okay. He was still very close to me and we managed to chat a bit during the concert. Also, so many young girls (preteens and even a child barely five years old) going there with their mummies and daddies. Wow.

Social House and Ella Mai opened the concert. I honestly loved Social House! I’d never heard their music apart from their collaboration with Ariana on Boyfriend but they had such positive, great energy and were very engaging with the audience. I might’ve not known any of their songs but when they left the stage, I knew that they made me want to listen to their EP. Ella Mai had a very beautiful voice but, sadly, I felt she wasn’t very engaging. The stage was rather circular/oval-shaped, with the central void being filled with VIP audience and the outer parts of the circle surrounded by Gold Circle (yes, I’m terrible at describing visual stuff in English). However, Ella stayed only on the main stage with the musicians and did not go around on the circular part, which made things less engaging (at least in my opinion).

Warning: The part about Ariana is very much all over the place.

Now. Now. Ariana. The songstress herself. Good God. She opened with the intro raindrops (an angel cried), and the crowds just went mad, including yours truly. We basically screamed and sang along and I saw that the stage was still empty but the visuals were starting. Oh. The visuals were very much all about the sun and stars and moon. When she started raindrops, it looked as though there was an eclipse or something.

And then, she rose up from the ground with her dancers in a very, very familiar setting: God is a woman as seen on the MTV VMAs 2018. Spread across a dining table, as though it was a reinterpretation of The Last Supper. And she sang. She had a very beautiful, very clear voice. I noticed, however, that the mic might not have been super clear because whenever she said anything that wasn’t her song lyrics (like when she greeted the audience or said something about the song no tears left to cry several songs after God is a woman), I couldn’t really hear what she said. Either that or she wasn’t very good in her pronunciation (this is actually one of the quite valid critiques of her vocal/singing. Yes, I love and adore Ariana but I also agree that sometimes she doesn’t enunciate well).

Anyway. I had a very, very magical 90 minutes listening and watching Ariana’s performance. She was generally energetic, fun, and engaging. She was appreciative of her band and her backup dancers, whom I think she genuinely sees as her friends. Ariana’s vocals, though, are the star of the show. Of course, what else do you expect from her? Every time she hit a high note it made me feel like I was being choked because how did she do it???? And she killed it. I’m pretty sure at some point I heard a whistle note from her, though it wasn’t as flexible as Mariah Carey’s had been in her prime. This isn’t a bad thing, though. It’s great that Ariana can do whistle notes, doesn’t mean she has to do it in the most vocally-acrobatic style because God knows stretching it too far can affect your other vocal abilities.

I loved every part of it, of course, but I really loved her performance of NASA. I guess that’s because it’s my favourite song off thank u, next. To be honest, lots of the songs were kind of a blur to me but in a good way: I couldn’t remember exactly how she did it because I was just so happy with singing and screaming at the top of my lungs. I hope that’s a good sign, though. Anyway. NASA was such a great performance and I honestly remember not being able to properly record a video of it because my phone’s camera is absolute crap and Ariana’s position onstage wasn’t strategic to mine. Still, I was like, f it I’ll sing my lungs out because that is what I want to do. I screamed so loud when she sang: “I’mma need space, I’mma need space”.

And also needy. I loved, loved, loved that song. needy is such a mood and I know it was a song of vulnerability but damn, I sang and screamed. It felt like pouring my heart out. I guess that’s exactly why thank u, next is my favourite Ariana album: it speaks to me. And when she sang, I know that she was singing what my heart felt, too. And it’s an amazing feeling.

Of course, no Ariana show would be complete without some sexy choreography, like in Side to Side and Into You. I sang and screamed but... mostly it was a blur. Again. I feel like because those songs are, so sorry to say this, generic provocative songs, it did not make me feel super connected or anything. It was fun to sing them and dance to them but wasn’t the most wow this is amazing OMG feeling. I did, however, enjoy break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored. Her vocals in that are amazing, oddly enough for that kind of song.

I also fell so much in love with R.E.M. I later found out it was at first a Beyonce song but Ariana made it a very, very lovely song. It’s actually very much like a lullaby and it’s such a sweet, sweet love song that sways your heart.

This has gone way, way too long (just like the intro of in my head, which wasn’t sung at the concert but used during an interval). Now. The grande finale: thank u, next. I recorded the whole performance and it actually made me feel rather emotional. I can’t possibly imagine singing the names of my exes every night for a year of touring, one of whom died of drug overdose and the other you thought you were going to marry. But Ariana sang it well. And again, I felt very connected to how she sang it. It’s not about whether you have as many exes as she does or anything: it’s about connecting on the understanding that you could take a lesson from the people in your past. And she closed the show with dances of love and pride.

So. I loved every second of it. It was worth every penny that I spent on it (though I would’ve loved if she’d sung for an extra 30 minutes lolz). It’s definitely something that I’ll remember for as long as I live, and I’m just ever so grateful that of all the places, I chose Sheffield and so did she, both in 2018. She delivered a beautiful, fun, entertaining performance and it was such an amazing way to close my postgraduate studies (sort of). It’s incredibly strong of her to embrace her vulnerability and create something that connects with others.

#personal #sweetener tour #ariana grande #sheffield #swttour #2019

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winnipegpatty · 6 years ago

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We’re Fatally Flawed | one | s.m. series

a/n: thanks to @fourtristattoos for helping me with some conceptual things. ily boo you are so good!

warnings: language

if you’re interested in the music

“Hey man, my name’s Travis Clark. I sing for We the Kings? I hear you have a band in Toronto?”

“That, uh, yeah that’s right,” Shawn stuttered.

“We want you to play with us on tour.”

Shawn stuttered on his side of the phone. He hadn’t heard that right, clearly. “You what?” He said like a fucking idiot.

Is this what a big break felt like?

At the young age of twenty-three, Shawn Mendes hadn’t don’t much with his life. After graduating high school, Shawn had done what a good kid does, and went to college. He came out two years later, with an associates degree in business. Since, he’s done very little that would make his parents proud. He only went to college to oblige them in the first place, but now, three years out of college, he had nothing to show for it. Shawn wasn’t lazy or anything. He wasn’t one of those kids that came home from college and then moved into their parents basement and did nothing with their life. Shawn just didn’t love business. He didn’t love school. He loved music. And music was the only thing he could imagine doing, no matter how unrealistic or unlikely it seemed.

Shawn wasn’t completely ungrateful for college though. If it hadn’t been for those two years he would have never met Mandy Stein. A beautifully tender hearted person that he now could call his own. They’d been dating for almost four years now. Mandy was starting her first year as a kindergarten teacher this year. She was so excited, and Shawn knew she was made for teaching. Her kind heart and her caring demeanor was perfect for molding young minds.

So while Mandy was preparing her first lesson plans and decorating her classroom, Shawn was in the garage of his and Mandy’s small home practicing with his band, Terminal. The band was Shawn’s entire life. He’d somehow managed to find some of the most incredible people who were willing to go on the journey alongside him. Mike, Zubin, Eddy, and Dave all made up the band along with Shawn, and aside from Mandy they were the most important people in his life right now. Terminal had been doing good lately, after two years of playing to nothing but empty rooms or friends, they’d finally seemed to hit some momentum.

They’d most recently been asked to been asked to open for a handful of bands that were big in Toronto. It was good exposure, for a band so unknown. Punk music wasn’t exactly the most popular in Canada either, but Shawn couldn’t find it in himself to make the music people would want to hear. He had to make what he wanted to hear. What he was inspired to make. Even if it meant that he wasn’t going to have the fame and success that he truly craved. Even if it meant he never got to play in front of a full stadium.

Tonight they had a show at the Scotiabank arena. It was the first of a three night run in front of the band We the Kings. When Travis Clark had personally contacted Shawn a couple months ago, Shawn hadn’t believed him. Thought the phone call was some cruel prank, but Travis was in fact very serious. He’d heard Terminal’s debut EP through a friend, and he wanted their band to open for them. It was insane, and the craziest thing the band had ever had the opportunity to do by a long shot. Tonight they’d be playing in front of over 15,000 people. The band was collectively losing their shit.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Over the next five days, Terminal would have exposure to over 40,000 new people who had most likely never heard their music before. People who had no idea that they were still practicing in a soundproof garage. In the past few weeks, Shawn had been doing everything he could to up their social media game with the hopes of attracting new fans after the upcoming shows. His sister Aaliyah had helped him with some special instagram layout or something that she said would catch people’s eyes. He didn’t know much about that, but he trusted her.

“You’re coming tonight, right?” Shawn asked Mandy through the phone, voice filled with excitement.

The band was at the arena now, getting ready for soundcheck. Shawn couldn’t even think, it was so surreal.

“Babe, you know I’ve got to get my classroom ready tonight.”

Shawn bit his lip, minding the thin black ring on his lip. “Oh yeah, but you’ll make it to one of the other shows right?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Mandy’s voice came through.

Shawn tried not to feel the little pings of disappointment that were coming for his heart.

“I’m just so busy, Shawn,” Mandy added. “School starts in a week and a half. And I’m nowhere near ready.”

Shawn nodded, “Yeah that’s okay. Get lots of work done tonight. I’ll see you at home?”

Mandy smiled into the phone, “We can celebrate.”

Shawn flicked his tongue over his lips, “Yeah okay. I gotta go now, we’re gonna sound check.” Shawn sucked in a breath, “Fuck...we’re gonna soundcheck. I think I’m going to cry, Mandy. I’m a fucking pansy.”

“No, you’re just living your dream. It’s okay to be emotional about it.” She smiled, “I love you, Shawn. You’re gonna kill it.”

“Love you too.”

___

“FUCKKKK!” Zubin yelled from backstage. “This is really fucking happening isn’t it?” He looked too Shawn hopefully.

Shawn nodded, “It is. Fuck, I don’t think I can breathe. I’ve never been this nervous before.”

Zubin clapped Shawn on the back, laughing maniacally. “We’re gonna tear the stage up. Toronto isn’t gonna know what hit ‘em.”

“Exactly!” Eddy piped in.

“Okay, I just...let’s go over it again okay?” Shawn nervously twirled the thin band on his right ring finger. “Opening with Mess of Me, then Voices. I’ll introduce the band. Then we’ll sing Native Tongue. Terminal, Take My Fire, and then we’ll close with Bullet Soul.”

“We got it man,” Mike hollered. “We’ve been practicing for weeks. Stop worrying. Let’s just enjoy it, yeah?”

Shawn wasn’t sure if he could actually stop worrying, but he did his best to just breathe.

A man with a headset came up to them, “You guys are on. The lights will come up as soon as the video fades out.”

They all hustled onto stage and Shawn could feel his entire body vibrating as he placed his hands on his guitar, ready to strike his first chord. Thirty seconds later, the lights rise and the arena erupts in a chorus of screams. Shawn starts the riffs of Mess of Me and on the second go around Zubin joins in. “I am my own affliction,” Shawn’s voice comes through the speakers like smooth honey, and the crowd screams for them. “I am my own disease.”

The chorus crashes in and the boys come behind him singing a chorus of oh’s before Shawn voice goes raspy, and he starts singing the chorus at the top of his lungs. He’s never felt more alive than he does in this moment. He thinks back to his happiest memories, and there is nothing that compares to this moment in time. He thinks he finally knows what it means to be alive. Nerves a thing of the past, Shawn jumps on the stage, guitar in hand, and owns the performance like he was born to do exactly this.

Mess of Me segways easily into Voices, and it all just feels so right. The rush of adrenaline Shawn gets as he walks down the catwalk with his microphone was unreal. People, who minutes ago had no idea who he was, are reaching for him like he holds the fucking world in his hands. It’s addictive. Shawn bends down reaching out to touch a girls hand who screams at him as he sings, “And I’ve got a army of voices in my head.”

He looks towards the other side of the catwalk and catches eyes with a person who’s actually singing the words like they know who they are. And if Shawn thought performing to a hyped up crowd was cool before, he knew now had just a sliver of what it could feel like with a stadium full of people singing back to you. He needed to know what that felt like.

Voices came to a head when Zubin shouted the last few words and the music cut out. Shawn ran back up the catwalk back to his mic stand.

“Hello Toronto!” Shawn screamed into the microphone. The crowd explodes with screams and shouts and clapping. “You’re looking extra beautiful tonight. It is amazing to finally meet all of you lovely people. My name is Shawn. Zubin is here on guitar,” Zubin played a sick guitar riff that had Shawn’s ears humming. “Give it up for Eddy on the keys,” Eddy followed Zubin in a similar fashion. “And Mike is smashing it on the drums tonight, eh?” Mike killed a drum beat before Shawn screamed into the microphone, “And we are Terminal, this next song is Native Tongue.”

___

“Celebratory drinks?” Zubin asked as the boys packed up their guitars and packing them into the van they’d come in.

“Hell yes!” Shawn roared.

Piling into the van, they headed to a nearby bar. It was already past midnight, but fuck it. When the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, you fucking celebrate.

We the Kings had killed it on stage, and the concert was just amazing. Coming off stage had been disorienting to say the least. Shawn was covered in sweat, his heart pounding, his ears ringing, and his entire body vibrating from adrenaline. The first step into back stage was like being hit by a wall of silence. The ringing in his ears intensified and his body suddenly felt like it was in an overwhelming overdrive with no real output. After sometime, the feeling eventually subsided and Shawn was able to return to life. But he’d definitely never experienced an adrenaline rush quite like that before. He was willing to bet it was addictive.

At the bar they each got a round of shots before picking their drinks of choice. They sat at a high top table, discussing the feelings the night had induced in all of the. Each member going over things they’d never forget. Moments that were worth reliving over and over again. Somewhere in the early hours of the morning, a girl walked over to the group, drink in hand.

“Hey, you’re the guys from Terminal right?” She slurred slightly. “Just saw you tonight.”

Shawn smiled, “Yeah that’s us.”

Fuck they were already being recognized? This is what dreams feel like, right?

“You guys, were so amazing tonight.”

The blonde girl leaned heavily against the table, coming closer to Shawn. She smelled like coconut.

“Well, thanks.” Shawn smiled. “Glad you liked it.”

She pressed into Shawn’s side and whispered, “I loved it.”

Shawn felt a rush heat run up his neck and onto his cheeks as he looked at the other boys who were just staring at the spectacle.

“Well it was nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, it was,” she looked at each of the band members before turning back to Shawn, looking like she wanted to completely devour him.

She stumbled away, and Zubin whistled at Shawn. “Dude Mandy’s got some competition.”

Shawn rolled his eyes, “You know there isn’t anyone but Mandy. Not for me anyway.”

Zubin looked at Eddy making a special kind of eye contact before Eddy laughed. Shawn ignored them in favor of grabbing another bear from the bar.

It wasn’t until after three that Shawn stumbled into their home. He slammed the door a little too loud, cringing at the loud echo in his skull. Tomorrow morning wasn’t going to be fun. He walked into the kitchen, cursing when he stubbed his toe against the island. He shuffled around looking for the light, before finally finding it, illuminating the room in a warm glow. He quickly grabbed a glass, filling it with water, and swallowing down some pain killers. Turning off the light, he stumbled down the hallway, into the bedroom.

Shawn pulled off his shirt and jeans before falling into his bed with a huff.

“Shawn?” Mandy whispered, rolling over. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost 4 babe, go back to sleep.”

“How was the concert?” She mumbled instead.

“It was good, babe. Now go back to sleep.”

She turned away from him in the bed, and Shawn pushed himself up against her back, arms wrapping around her torso.

“We were supposed to celebrate,” was the last thing Shawn heard before he slipped into a deep sleep.

tagging: @fourtristattoos @peacedolantwins2 @rosecth @unhealthyobsessionwithmarvel

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#shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes #shawn mendes x reader #imagine #fic #fanfic #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes writing #my writing #mine #writing

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doomedandstoned · 5 years ago

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Iron Crown Bears Tales of Time ‘Before The Void’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

From the land of Acid King and High on Fire comes IRON CROWN, a trio of fellows who traffic in the mysteries of ancient days and forgotten realms, not to mention the realities of this present age. The doom metal outfit first grabbed my attention last year with the stunning album art of their extended-play, 'Iron Crown' (2018). Now they reveal more yet still in their first long-player, 'Before The Void' (2019).

His blackened axe will set the land on fire No longer human he will never tire Defend the realm, the eternal fight Against the tyrants he will wield his might

The album opens with "Watcher Of The Realm," which would make a great companion to the Clouds Taste Satanic instrumental epic, 'Your Doom Has Come' (2015). Iron Crown, of course, is a traditional band with chill vocals inheriting a certain "Dragonaut" coolness of fellow Californian, Al Cisneros. David Brunicardi's clean singing alternates with guttural death growls in the second-half of the song, creating a contrast that carries the narrative quite effectively.

The next three numbers are shorter, each with their own memorable moments. There are the fantastic scales at the two-minute mark in "Of Blood," the riffage in "Great Highway" that sounds like the continuing adventures of Black Sabbath's "Hole In The Sky" (with much darker consequences), and the joyous rhythmic romp of bassist DV Braun and drummer Don Hahn in "Dune Rider" -- perhaps the doom metal answer to Truckfighters' "Desert Cruiser." This being the shortest song of the album, it serves as a fitting introduction to the wicked little urban legend that follows, "The Clearing."

I know, what I know Live my own way On my own Never fit, in any mold This town will eat itself And pull you down below So watch it burn, watch it burn

The remaining trio of tracks delve deeper into the dankness, with some devilishly downtuned late-night rippers. "The Outsider" has a certain shoulder-shrugging nihilism about it, as society's reject expresses his rejection of the world in turn, wanting nothing more than to live on his own and "watch you burn." I can see this one being a cult favorite among doomers in the years to come, joining Electric Wizard's "We Hate You." This leads us into the album's namesake track, presented sans voix, which continues the forlorn tone of its predecessor and brings us, appropriately, into a coda: "Straight On Till Morning." It's a song about a showdown that lasts from dusk to dawn.

With that, I present the record to you to take a trip of your own. Look for its full release on Thursday, June 20th (pre-order here) and don't miss my interview with the band below!

Give ear...

Before The Void by Iron Crown

An Interview with Iron Crown

You guys dropped your eponymous debut smack dab in the middle of the summer of '18. I feel like it was such a ridiculously busy year for me, I didn't get a chance to know you properly. So let's start with some background on the band.

Iron Crown was formed in 2016 by two reunited high school friends who decided to "get the band back together." What started as occasional heavy riffing in guitarist David Brunicardi’s basement, quickly evolved into the formation of a hard-hitting stoner doom band. With drummer Don Hahn and former bassist Cardi Barsotti, the band recorded a five song, self-titled EP Iron Crown in 2017.

In 2018 Cardi moved on and the band brought on expatriated brit, DV Braun, as our bassist. With a new and heavier energy, we crafted eight new songs and booked time with the evil wizard Greg Wilkinson at revered Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California. Over a weekend in April 2019, the band recorded eight songs in a quasi-live setting for our first full-length album, Before The Void.

Sound wise, Mr. Wilkinson did a great job, as he always does in capturing this kind of sound.

In the studio, we knew we would be pressed for time because of work schedules, etcetera, so we laid down the foundation tracks live and then tried to nail any subsequent tracking in one take. We had worked with Greg before and things flowed pretty quickly. He’s really a master at what he does in the studio, as well as being an accomplished musician from his time in Brainoil and DeathGrave. He knew our sound and what we wanted to get across. Personally, we enjoyed the more live, immediate sound we went for on this album, one-take leads and all. (laughs)

Take us deeper into the music, if you will. What are the songs about?

The music for Before The Void extrapolates rock and metal riffs from an eclectic vault in Brunicardi’s head and reduces them over the fire into a united burnt offering. Lyrically, the songs cover a broad range of subject matter from mysticism, occult rituals, isolation and persecution.

The lead track, "Watcher Of The Realm," is about a young man who is chosen to undergo a metamorphosis to serve as the defender of a kingdom against various attacks. Really, it’s a metaphor for rock 'n' roll prevailing against the never ending fads in pop music.

"Of The Blood" is about a medieval female assailant dispatching tyrants and corrupt leaders. Beautiful, and black-winged, she brings death by night.

"Great Highway" is about the drag races that would occur every weekend near Ocean Beach in San Francisco, where Brunicardi and Hahn grew up. The area was pretty bleak and isolated from the rest of the city. We got away with a lot of reckless shit out there.

"Dune Rider" is an instrumental tribute to getting high in the no-man’s-land dunes behind their old school in the Outside Lands neighborhood.

"The Clearing" is about a couple who decide to go camping one weekend and stumble across a clearing in the woods where robed figures are conjuring up a demon girl and the pair consequently have to run for their lives.

"The Outsider" is about the isolation and seclusion one can feel even in familiar surroundings.

"Before The Void" is a hash and weed-filled instrumental track that should be twenty minutes long.

"Straight On Till Morning" is about a crew of men being pursued over the open ocean by an unnamed foe in a do-or-die situation.

Iron Crown by Iron Crown

Sounds like quite the adventure. Now I understand the same artist who did last year's 'Iron Crown' returned for 'Before The Void'?

Yes, the artwork for Before The Void, as well as their earlier EP, was created by the extremely talented Tuomas Valtanen at Dark Side Of Zen. We followed each other on Instagram and ultimately he and David became friends. We hit it off from the start. Tuomas is from Finland and his art spoke to the dark Nordic mythical themes we're inspired by in our music. For the album covers, we'd give him a very loose idea of concept and he would pull it all together and create this incredible package. His work is amazing.

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#D&S Debuts #Iron Crown #San Francisco #California #Doom #Fantasy #Metal #D&S Interviews #D&S Reviews #Doomed & Stoned

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newmusickarl · 4 years ago

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Album & EP Recommendations

Album of the Week: For Those I Love by For Those I Love

“I have a love,

And it never fades,

I have a love full of flames that rage,

I have a love that never turns,

I have a love that burns.”

- You Stayed/To Live, For Those I Love

Every once in a while, an album will come along that is just undeniably special. The debut album from Dublin-based producer and songwriter David Balfe is very much that album.

This is a record that is both heart-breaking and uplifting in equal measure. Pensive and euphoric. A record to be enjoyed at a deep, introspective level but also one in which you can just switch off and get lost in the glorious sounds that are on display. An album about life, love, loss, and everything in-between.

To really get to the heart of this album though, it is important to first know the tragic context of its inception. In 2018, David Balfe’s best friend since childhood and musical collaborator Paul Curran took his own life. Overwhelmed by the loss, Balfe would escape to his parents’ shed where himself and Paul used to create their music as teenagers. Hiding himself away in that shed, Balfe started crafting new music, outpouring all his thoughts and emotions into it; his upbringing in Ireland, his family, his friendship with Paul, his grief - ultimately all the memories of these he now carries with him.

Out of this intensive period of song writing came over 70 songs that were eventually whittled down to the nine that make up this masterpiece of an album. Named For Those I Love, the project was made for his family and friends and was first shared with them a little while ago. Now, Balfe has shared this project with the world and the world will be grateful that he did. This is because despite being an intensely personal record, one where Balfe’s own life and emotions are deeply intertwined into the fabric of every lyric and verse here, the message and music are universal. This album is for everyone who has ever suffered a loss, and those that have yet to experience such grief.

Now you’re probably expecting from that build up that this album is quite an overwhelming or harrowing listen, but it really is not. The heavy weight of the thematic and lyrical content, which is beautifully poetic in its delivery, is balanced out perfectly by the house beats and celebratory dance music that accompanies it. Sonically, you can compare this to The Streets and Fontaines D.C. joining forces with Burial and Four Tet to craft something entirely profound and totally unique. This is an emotional record yes, but Balfe’s love letter to his friends and family also makes for an uplifting and life-affirming experience.

Because of how this album plays out, its hard to pick one or two tracks to highlight as I would normally do – the odyssey and joy this album will give you is the highlight. However, the three tracks (I Have A Love, You Stayed/To Live and Leave Me Not Love) forged around the beautiful central refrain of “I have a love and it never fades” that begins and bookends the album, those are the ones that ultimately end up resonating the most.

It’s hard to say where Balfe will go from here – for him, much like one of his inspirations Burial after making Untrue, he may decide to not make another record and focus his creativity elsewhere. With the identity of this musical persona so engrained in this particular record and the time in which it was made, it would be hard to make a direct follow up. That said, if this is a one and done project for Balfe, he has more than left his mark on the musical landscape in 2021 with an album that I believe will still be inspiring people over a decade later.

A magnificent tour de force from beginning to end, a masterpiece in every sense - I fully expect this one to be in the Album of the Year and Mercury Music Prize conversations later on this year. If you only have time to listen to one album this week, definitely make it this one.

The Close / Le Réveil by Josef Salvat

In any other week, Josef Salvat would have been my Album of the Week with The Close. Not too dissimilar to Balfe’s debut, on Salvat’s third album (his second in the last 12 months) the Australian singer-songwriter takes on feelings of loss, this time brought on by the breakdown of a relationship, carefully balancing out the sorrow and remorse with a sonic backdrop of pop and dance melodies.

I have loved everything he has ever released, but The Close already feels like Salvat’s most complete and accomplished work to date, propelled by standout tracks like First Time and I Miss You. That said, my favourite track is still One More Night, an ambient yet ravey number that features a danceable club groove made up of synths and panpipes. An incredible album, that I will keep revisiting in the coming weeks.

Collections From The Whiteout by Ben Howard

And finally on the albums front this week, acclaimed singer-songwriter Ben Howard has released his fourth studio album Collections From The Whiteout this week. This album sees Howard collaborate with The National’s Aaron Dessner on production duties for the first time, offering up a record that feels even more experimental than his last effort, Noonday Dream.

Although the album eventually overstays its welcome somewhat with it being almost an hour in length, it is still a fascinating showcase of Howard’s unique blend of folk and alt-rock. Standouts include opener Follies Fixture, Crowhurst’s Meme and Far Out.

Tracks of the Week

James by Oscar & The Wolf

Now, we may have just had the album and song of the year drop in the same week.

His first new release in three years, Belgian popstar Max Colombie (who goes by the Oscar & The Wolf moniker) has said that the arrangement for new single James appeared to him in a dream, which is quite amazing considering how richly textured it feels. In fact, it has only been out a few days and it already feels like his most accomplished song to date.

Dazzling harmonies, pounding drums and a shimmering central guitar riff eventually transcend into a dreamy, psychedelic guitar solo in the song’s climax. The track is over five minutes long but honestly you’ll wish it was longer – this is perfection.

Smalltown Boy by Kele

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke served up his second taste of forthcoming solo album The Waves Pt.1 this week, featuring his inimitable vocals crying out a gorgeous refrain of “run away, turn away” over a haunting Interpol-esque central riff. Stunning!

Fall In Love Again by Rag & Bone Man

Also offering a second taste of their forthcoming album this week was Rory Graham, aka Rag & Bone Man, who dropped this heartfelt acoustic guitar and piano driven ballad, anchored as always by his powerful voice.

X by Working Men’s Club

And finally Working Men’s Club have wasted little time readying the follow-up to their impressive 2020 debut, with first single X arriving this week. More reminiscent of The Horrors this one, X sees the band surround Syndey Minsky-Sargeant’s punky vocals with some heavy guitars and ominous synths.

#david balfe #for those i love #i have a love #album of the year #josef salvat #the close #oscar and the wolf #max colombie #james #song of the stars #kele #bloc party #kele okereke #rag and bone man #working mens club #ben howard #aaron dessner

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onestowatch · 6 years ago

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Kristina Bazan Is More Than a Pretty Picture. She’s an Artist [Q&A]

Kristina Bazan is a woman of many talents. From starting her world-renowned fashion blog, Kayture, as a teenager, to being chosen by Forbes in 2016 as one of the 30 under 30 most influential personalities, it is difficult to imagine something Bazan is incapable of doing. So, when the fashion socialite and best-selling author announced she would be focusing solely on music, it first came as a shock. However, upon further inspection, music does not exist as some experimental detour in the life of Bazan; it serves as her starting point and a place she always seemed destined to return.

Before the fashion and fame, Bazan was an introverted teenager who took up songwriting at the tender age of 13. She even went so far as to join a rock band at the age of 15, in which she would play rock covers in her friend’s garage. However, it was around this time that her fashion blog, Kayture, began to take the world by storm, and overnight she would become fashion’s “it girl.” Now, some odd ten years since first picking up songwriting, Bazan returns to the art form that originally captured her heart with the release of her debut EP, EPVH1. The striking six-song collection is an introspective examination of our relationship with technology scored by transcendent moments of pop and electronic influence.

We had the chance to sit down with fashion “it girl” turned rising artist Bazan to speak on what has always arguably been her calling-music-and making that at-times terrifying leap into a new medium.

OTW: What was it like seeing yourself listed as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30?

Kristina: That was the first time my dad was like, “Okay. Now I respect you.” Before that, he was not really approving of what I was doing. That was the first time he was really like, “You were right for doing this, for working so hard.”

OTW: Besides being a part of Forbes’ 30 Under 30, most people know you from your fashion blog, Kayture, or the fact that you are a best-selling author. However, songwriting has always existed as a passion of yours.

Kristina: I knew I always wanted to be a singer, but it seemed like such an unrealistic fantasy to have. Especially because I was born In Belarus, and I kept moving around a lot, and in Switzerland, we don’t really have a music industry there. So, it was just absurd to even think about it. But throughout my childhood, and when I was a teenager, I was always writing songs, dressing up, and willing to put on a show for my family. I gravitated so naturally towards it.

OTW: Let’s talk about your teenage rock band for a second.

Kristina: Wow! You’ve done your research. It was really funny. It was only with dudes, and we played “Seven Nation Army.” I thought I was so cool cause I was the only girl with way older guys in a garage playing rock. The band was called The Few. I ended up quitting because of the blog, but they actually started performing in Switzerland. They’re really cool. I’m friends with them on Facebook, so when I share stuff about my EP, they’re commenting, “Yes! We knew you from back then!” I wish people knew me from that period, because it makes so much sense. Exactly the way I was at that period, is the way I am right now. I had this period in the middle where you’re playing the game. You’ve got to make yourself a career, to make people know that you exist.

OTW: Your passion for songwriting really does span quite some time. It’s something I noticed even comes up in a few of your past interviews, even when the focus was mainly on your fashion.

Kristina: It is actually what I love the most. Vocally, I’m not Whitney Houston. I think I have a nice voice, but there are vocal singers who just blow your mind. My forte has always been telling stories. I’m such a dreamer. My imagination is running wild all the time. I feel the absolute urge to put it into something. And music is such a beautiful format to tell stories.

You give music to people and they can make anything out of it and put their own memories onto it. It’s so beautiful.

OTW: Would you say your music taste evolved a great deal from teenage you to present you?

Kristina: I always loved electronic stuff. I’m actually super geeky. Growing up, I always played a lot of video games. I would prefer staying in and playing The Sims over going out with my friends. I got really into Myspace and blogs, and that’s actually how I got into blogging in the first place, because I’ve always been an Internet nerd. Musically, I had a huge obsession and still do with Crystal Castles and Daft Punk. Daft Punk is like my fucking religion. I just love discovering indie, underground electronic bands.

OTW: Your debut EP, EPVH1, gives off this moody ‘80s, almost Blade Runner-esque vibe. Did you attend for there to be an overarching theme to your debut?

Kristina: Well, actually, I was wondering, from my point-of-view, what can I bring to the table that’s new and fresh and that hasn’t been done. It’s such a hard question because there are so many incredible artists that are releasing music, and we’re just flooded with content. We barely have time to digest it. I was really wondering what I can do that actually makes sense. How can I turn all of these years of experience, of being a blogger, working in the digital world, and having this public image into use?

I wanted my whole EP to have this underlying subject manner of technology and the relationship we have with technology. And how it affects the way we live but also our relationships.

youtube

OTW: The examination of our relationships to Instagram must be particularly prevalent to you, as someone whose youth was formed alongside social media a popular blog. Did you find writing from that viewpoint allowed you to tell a very unique story?

Kristina: Well, yeah, because from the age of 17, I was literally sharing my diary with the whole world. I think that a lot of people grew up with me. I had really incredible experiences where followers approached me and gave me letters where they said seeing how I succeeded with the blog gave them the inspiration to pursue something they always feared doing. If you have great ideas, you put them into use, you believe in yourself, and you work hard, nothing should stop you.

I’m really proud that was the position and perspective I was defending. But at the same time, I don’t know why the word blogger has such a negative connotation nowadays. I was really ashamed to say that I’m a blogger, that I’m an influencer because it meant that I’m narcissistic, my life revolves around sponsorships and brands, and that it’s kind of an illusion. Honestly, it kind of is an illusion in a way. Your whole life revolves around portraying a certain lifestyle, portraying a certain image. At the end of the day, you make money off selling and this entire system behind it.

For me, there was a point where I completely lost the point of it. I don’t feel like it’s authentic anymore, even though I kept writing a lot. I always took a lot of time to write profound articles and really share things that meant a lot of me. But I knew that maybe 10% of my audience was really reading them. At the end of the day, what people wanted was just really pretty pictures of me in the streets, which is nice, but I don’t think it’s long-lasting. I don’t think that’s what people are going to remember in five years. While with music, if it’s good enough, it can have a really long life.

“At the end of the day, what people wanted was just really pretty pictures of me in the streets, which is nice, but I don’t think it’s long-lasting. I don’t think that’s what people are going to remember in five years. While with music, if it’s good enough, it can have a really long life.”

OTW: And by the time people have read this, you will have just finished performing your first three shows–in Paris, Los Angeles, and New York–how does it all feel?

Kristina: Amazing. I love being on stage so much. It’s incredible. It’s like you’re meditating with people. It’s an exchange of energy. There’s really such a beautiful and strong connection. People are chill, they’re here to listen to music, they’re open. For me, it’s the most beautiful thing ever. Since I’ve spent all of these years behind a computer screen, I cannot even tell you how nice it is to have real people in front of me and to see people connect to the music. I saw that some people know the words. Like damn, I wrote those words on my bathroom floor! It’s so crazy to be able to bring that and let people make it their own. It’s wonderful.

“Since I’ve spent all of these years behind a computer screen, I cannot even tell you how nice it is to have real people in front of me and to see people connect to the music.”

OTW: Now that you’ve fully embraced becoming an artist, what can we expect from your forthcoming debut album? Will it be similar to EPVH1?

Kristina: I think that the EP set the bricks of the aesthetics and the sound, but it was so interesting for me to get the first feedback. I was cultivating this whole visual and world for so long, and I kind of lost some objectivity at a certain point, because you’re so in it constantly. I just needed the point-of-view of the audience. I just wanted to have the opinion of random people I’ve never met. What does it make them feel like? What does it remind them of? And that really influenced the way I kept working on my album.

To me, the EP isn’t dark. For me, it’s really introspective and deep in some way. I wanted to touch a cord inside of you. It’s filled with light and it’s really positive. It just questions things. I had a lot of people tell me, “Why is it so dark? Are you gothic now? Are you punk?” Look at me! Do I look gothic to you? [laughs] People said that I was a Satanist cause I had a song called “The Devil.” Guys, we’re in 2018, can’t you play with this word and make a beautiful story out of it. In reality, it’s a love song. So, as much as I don’t find it dark, I want to show something lighter and sunnier on the album.

OTW: Do you find there’s a very different process when it comes to sitting down to write a blog post as opposed to writing a song?

Kristina: Very different. When I write blog posts, it’s like I’m in a trance and just write everything that goes through my mind. I literally cannot see the time pass. It’s really like you’re opening up and saying everything that’s on your mind. Music is different because you have a format. You have a certain timeframe, rhythm, syllables, and pattern that you have to respect. So, you have to synthesize your message and be really clear about what you’re trying to say so people can have a story to follow. You have to have a really clear idea about what your song is about. Often times for me, it stars with a word or a concept and then I have one hook. It builds almost like a movie. You’re imagining the colors around you, what people are doing, how does it make you feel. It makes you go into a lot of places in your head. It’s so much fun.

OTW: Who are your Ones To Watch?

Kristina: I love Timber Timbre. It’s really one of my favorite bands right now. I keep playing their stuff on repeat. Very chill but very sexy. It’s perfect for any occasion.

OTW: Any last words?

Kristina: Stay tuned for the album because it’s going to be filled with really beautiful surprises. And I can’t wait to see everyone during my performances. I hope as many people as possible can come.

#interview #kristina bazan #EPVH1 #pop #electropop #electronic

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marksseagulleyebrows-blog · 6 years ago

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a (really late) list of my favorite albums in 2018

In the year of 2018, I listened to many new songs and albums, and also discovered new artists and groups as well. However, there were some albums that really stood out to me in 2018, that I listened to many months after its release. This blog post will be a (long overdue) list of my favorite albums of 2018.

NOIR : “Airplane Mode”

“Airplane Mode” was NOIR’s first official comeback, and it surely did not disappoint. The album was amazing, showing the group’s growth in rap, vocals, and dance since their debut. I find all of the songs to be very catchy and fun to listen to. Also, in this album, Yunsung really got to shine a lot more, which is great, because him, Seunghoon, and Yeonkuk are currently my bias wreckers!

The Rose : “Dawn”

Wow, I was in quite the pickle choosing between The Rose’s “Dawn” and “Void,” seeing that The Rose has never put out a single bad album or song. However, I ended up sticking with “Dawn,” since many people have theorized that this album is all connected, and that if you listen to the album in order, it tells a story of a boy and girl falling in and out of love. “Dawn” is perfect album to listen to if you’re in the mood for slow songs and ballads.

VIXX : “Eau De Vixx”

I’m not really a VIXX stan, or Starlight (fandom name), however I sure can appreciate their music. This album had me sh00k. I remember simply watching the music video for “Scentist,” simply because I thought it looked pretty, and thank goodness I did. Listening to VIXX’s music sends you into a whole other dimension; their music and sound I find very unique and addicting.

Monsta X : “THE CONNECT : DEJAVU”

This album was, to simply put it, perfect. Every song was so unique, and showed Monsta X’s amazing rap and vocals. More importantly, who can forget about Yoo Kihyun’s high note in “Lost in the Dream”? All of the songs in this album are incredible, it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite (although “Crazy in Love” will always have a special place in my heart).

NCT 2018 : “EMPATHY”

Although “EMPATHY” was much less of a new album rather than a huge repackage, it still remained as one the albums that I couldn’t get enough of in 2018. With songs from each unit, along with new members and new units, each song on the album was very different from the song before it. I guess that’s what made the album so loveable, the many different sounds in it.

DAY6 : “Shoot Me: Youth Part 1”

Not to be dramatic, but this mini-album, along with “The Story of Light” (which I will be talking about next) saved my summer. This era was when I really started to stan DAY6, which is a part of the reason why it is so special to me. In addition to this, this album was the album that I listened to on the five hour drive to go camping. The songs on this album are all very beautiful and also bring back many happy memories, which is why it was one of my favorite albums in 2018.

SHINee : “The Story of Light”

I was really happy that SHINee was going to release one more album before all of the members began to enlist. This album also holds a very special place in my heart; it brings back many happy memories of the summer and early school year. “The Story of Light” contains a variety of songs, from slow ballads, to more upbeat love songs.

NCT 127 : “Chain”

I’m not usually one for Japanese albums from K-Pop artists; most of them just being Japanese versions of their Korean hits, however that wasn’t the case with “Chain.” This Japanese EP contained only the Japanese version of “Limitless,” while all of the other songs on the EP were new, not simply Japanese versions. Each song off of this EP was so addicting and, honestly, I think I’ve listened to each off the album at least one hundred times each. More importantly, this EP has the Japanese version of “Chain,” which will forever remain superior to the Korean version.

These are just some of my favorite albums that were released in 2018, that I was able to remember. In 2019, I hope to listen to for more groups and soloists.

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flappy-spookster · 6 years ago

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Beautiful Crime by @icantwritegood (ao3) - (52,242 words) “Five years after the life-changing road trip. Things have simultaneously changed yet remained the same.”

Part two in the Road Trip series, this story is absolutely amazing. Things have gotten darker and more intense, and it’s amazing. This series has quickly risen to be one of my all time favorites and I cannot recommend it enough. The characters are incredibly vivid, the mood clearly comes through, the writing is interesting and detailed, and the plot is downright fantastic. Something about the story makes me want to create something in response to it, so as with the first part of this series, I made a playlist which I will be explaining here.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5i87J26S4j0tr0bUw3BhoB

All that being said, if you haven’t read it (go do it now) DON’T READ ANY FURTHER AS EVERYTHING BELOW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

All I can say is wow. This is such an amazing follow up packed with so much amazing content and character development and I love it so much. I have agonized over how this playlist works, and I’m still not sure if it’s perfect, but I’m content with it, and I hope it feels right to everyone else. Just a heads up, the pacing is everywhere so there’s some places with some blank space and some with five songs for a smaller portion. I leave out a lot of important events and include a lot that maybe didn’t need included.

I love listening to the songs/watching the clips you link to for inspiration for your writing, and I can’t help but take note that a lot of what you listen to is of a different genre than what I typically go for. So, as a challenge for myself, I tried to include mostly softer stuff like Jaymes Young and leave out artists like Bring Me The Horizon. I really enjoyed it, but you can be the judge of how well I did. I think I am a very bad judge of what qualifies as softer stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

1. “City In A Garden” by Fall Out Boy

This whole ep is about Chicago and how much the band loves the city, and I chose this song because a couple of the lyrics stuck out to me in relation to the story. Honestly though, my main reason for choosing this song was for the setting of the story. I live in the midwest, but I’ve never really seen the appeal of Chicago honestly. Regardless, both Shane and Fall Out Boy seem to really love the city so here we go.

“Feel the sorrow, hit the bottle Feel the rush of having no tomorrow, yeah She said, ‘You gotta find yourself something worth holding onto’”

These lyrics capture Shane’s leftover feelings from the previous installment and how even though they haven’t seen each other in a few years, he’s still holding onto Ryan.

“You charged me up, charged, charged me up I was something they forgot to label ‘fragile’ Now I'm stuck And you know too much, know, know too much You're the one true thing You're the one”

This pre-chorus bit changes a couple times throughout the song, and the next one is also applicable, but I chose this one because it holds a little foreshadowing. The whole “i’m stuck” and “you know too much” are all little things that could be used to hint at some conflict later in the story. The bit about being something they forgot to label “fragile” is in reference to the ending of the last fic and how it’s shaped him into who he is now.

2. “Sugar Burn” by Jaymes Young

This song is for when they first meet up again and how they both have pretty strong feelings and also what comes next. It captures a lot of their (chaotic) relationship and how they’re both sort of unsure of what to do now that they actively have access to each other. The word “still” is used a lot in the song which I think can be used to refer to how they have this history and can’t help but reflect.

“I tried so hard to escape you But I found out there's nowhere to run It's too easy to love and to hate you Oh my healing has only begun”

While they didn’t actively try to escape each other, Shane did leave Ryan there in an attempt to save both of them only to end up in a similar situation again. The lyric “it’s too easy to love and to hate you” is a pretty good summary for their entire relationship honestly. They both have very strong feelings for each other, but there are some definite swings in there.

“Every night you trick me into your arms But you never stay, when I awake, no Every time I feel your false alarm And it's such a shame you were gone so long”

The bridge sums up a lot of their situation from the point they meet, but also their thoughts throughout the rest of the fic. The lyric “but you never stay” is in reference to how Shane keeps leaving in the night. “And it’s such a shame you were gone so long” sums up how they feel once they meet up again.

3. “Oceans” by Seafret

Seafret is another one of my all time favorite artists and I’m really happy that I was able to fit one of their songs in here. This song captures a lot of the unspoken doubts that creep in as they work on rebuilding thier relationship. The whole “we don’t talk about work or anything that really matters” comes through in this song.

“It feels like there's oceans Between me and you once again We hide our emotions Under the surface and try to pretend But it feels like there's oceans Between you and me”

Did I take the entire chorus? Yes. But does it apply? Also yes. A recurring theme throughout the entire story is how they tend to be downplaying how deep their feelings for each other are which is reflected in the lyrics “We hide our emotions / under the surface and try to pretend.” Another thing that’s affecting their relationship is the distance created by both of them being unwilling to tell the other one what they’re doing for “work” and why they’re in Chicago.

“I want you And I always will I wish I was worth But I know you deserve You know I'd rather drown Than to go on without you But you're pulling me down”

This one is more for Shane than Ryan. Shane feels that he shouldn’t, can’t, be dragging Ryan down to where he is. He doesn’t want Ryan to end up like him, and he doesn’t want Ryan to ruin his life for him. He thinks that Ryan deserves better than him, but he can’t let him go. To be fair, that part, at least, goes both ways.

4. “Parachute” by Jaymes Young

They’re both really frustrated with the lack of information they’re getting from each other. This same tension and doubt is carried for a while and could fit a lot of places. A big part of the reason it took me so long to finish this is because I couldn’t decide where this song, the Paramore song, and the As It Is song should go in relation to each other. I’m still not sure if they are in the best place, but I think it’s alright.

“I see your skin turn red When you lie If you don't want to tell me nothing Then you can go straight to hell Now I'm gonna tell you something: You fucked this up yourself”

Personally, I think this best fits with the moment Ryan decides that the next time Shane leaves, he’s following. He is so fed up with all of the communication issues between them, and just really wants to know what’s going on. The last line is in there because he’s adament that Shane just needs to stop and (somewhat fairly) blames his manipulation and hiding things for everything going down. I could pull out more lyrics, but they all support the same point.

5. “Playing God” by Paramore

This is one I threw in relatively late and struggled a lot to decide where it belongs. This song brings in a lot of the doubts and how they definitely need to be voiced, and how perhaps voicing them in such a straightforward way is necessary but not great. I mainly chose this song to fit with the scene where Ryan sneaks out after Shane to see what he’s doing.

“Well, maybe you should tie me up So I don't go where you don't want me”

In reference to how Ryan literally goes where Shane doesn’t want him. I’m pretty sure he at some point mentions that if Shane really doesn’t want him to check things out for himself, he’ll have to tie him up. However, I may be wrong about that and I’ve just thought about it a lot, I can’t quite remember.

“This is the last second chance I'm half as good as it gets I'm on both sides of the fence Without a hint of regret I'll hold you to it”

How they’re both so. angry. at each other, but despite it all really don’t want to break everything. These are mostly from Ryan in my opinion. The whole “this is the last second chance” is in reference to how Ryan is so frustrated with the choices that Shane is making. The rest could go for both and how they both don’t want to be each other's weakness, but also don’t want to leave the other.

6. “Silence (Pretending’s So Comfortable)” by As It Is

It’s confrontation time. This song gives a much more calm feel than any confrontation that every occurs between the two of them, but it fits with the way they’ve been dealing with stuff.

“I breathe nervous and slow Well you're desperate for air My eyes sink to the floor Yours go bounce down the stair In my tears you know I meant all I said As every elegant word I said sinks in again [Chorus] The silence tells us all we need to know (need to know) Pretending's so comfortable But I have to go for the last time”

This is a hefty chunk of the song, but it all goes to prove the same point. In this song, Shane is “I” and Ryan is the person he’s talking to. Shane can’t stop killing, Ryan can’t let him get away with it. Ryan wants him to stop if only for the sake of what they have, in order to keep what they have Shane has to keep doing it. Quite the stalemate. The whole mood of the song fits pretty well as well. They both want to address it, but it’s not exactly easy to confront the issue so there’s a lot of silence and building and making everything worse.

“We won't just talk at all, we'll just wonder would we still swallow glass for each other“

Have they majorly fucked things up? Yes. But are the feelings still there? Well they really wish they weren’t, but guess what buddy. It’s not that easy. Things are really rough right now and things would be much easier if they could figure out how to just talk it out.

“As I stand to the moment Your four walls full of fear”

(bonus lyric! how fun!) They’re going to fuck shit up for each other. Shane will do anything to literally murder Ryan. Ryan will do anything to put Shane behind bars for the rest of his life/get him sentenced to the death penalty. Things are not great. They need to go to couples counselling.

7. “Far Too Young to Die” by Panic! At The Disco

This song is for the scene(s) with the press release and what happens after. They are both so fixated on each other that they can barely think of anything else which is reflected well in this song. I mostly chose it for the mood and sound of it, but lyrically it’s pretty nice too. Now that I’m actually looking at the analysis, it doesn't fit quite as well as I had originally thought, but the theme is there.

“I've never so adored you I'm twisting allegories now I want to complicate you Don't let me do this to myself I'm chasing roller coasters I've got to have you closer now Endless romantic stories You never could control me”

This relates to how they are both really struggling to hold onto this enmity because they’re both. so. enamoured. with. each. other. It also comes into play in the conversation between the two of them at the courthouse where Ryan is pretty much falling apart because it’s too much. However, if you look at it like the song is from Shane’s point of view (which was my original intent, but it works for both), “you never could control me” is in reference to how everyone, especially the media and Horsley, like to point out to Ryan every time he has failed at controlling Shane.

“Well, I never really thought that you'd come tonight While the crown hangs heavy on either side Give me one last kiss while we're far too young to die”

This bit refers how neither of them were really sure if they could go through with everything, and then here they are. The middle line is a reference to a Shakespeare play (Henry VI) but twisted a little and is meant to represent how the two people must choose the direction to take with their relationship which I think is pretty applicable here.

Sidenote: I literally never bring up how Shane blows up the courthouse???? Not sure how that happens, but like I said, pacing is nonexistent here. I feel like that’s a big enough event it should have been included though lmao. Also, the scene you linked to in the fic for inspiration on that was amazing and I 100% see why you chose that.

8. “Blockades” by Muse

This song is meant to represent the scene where Shane comes in to kill Horsley and everything that follows with the two of them. Things are pretty high tension.

“The truth is that when I am killing in order to survive I have never felt so alive I am always seeking to live and die on the edge Life is a broken simulation, I'm unable to feel I'm searching for something that's real I am always seeking to see what's behind the veil”

This is the first part of the song, but also the part that I think fits best out of the whole song. The first two lines especially capture Shane’s outlook on life for the past couple years. He feels he must keep killing because at this point there is no other option for him.

“I never sleep or rest But I'm still running out of time I have sacrificed all of my life The time has come to To prove to you what I'm worth”

Shane’s feelings on why he has to kill Horsley. He desperately hopes that this enough to show Ryan that he loves him and he has quite literally sacrificed any chance he had at a new life for him. However, he also needs to prove to Horsley that he will always have the last laugh.

9. “Infinity” by Jaymes Young

This song is for when Ryan actually kills Horsley, when he calls Shane, and when Shane comes to help ft. maybe a lot of the feelings attached. However, also a little for the lines “He could've pulled that trigger, and his list would be wiped. But he hadn't. Because he was still in love with Ryan, and deep down, Ryan knew full well that he was in love with him too.” In

“Baby this love, I'll never let it die Can't be touched by no one, I'd like to see him try I'm a mad man for your touch Girl, I've lost control I'm gonna make this last forever Don't tell me it's impossible”

I take this for the moments before Ryan pulls the trigger, even though we don’t actually see much of it in the fic itself. Horsley tries so hard to “discreetly” manipulate him into getting on her side and going against Shane, but Ryan can easily see through it now and he’s not going to let anyone take Shane from him now. I can Ryan (or Shane, for that matter, but at a different time) actually saying those last two lines in the moments before he pulls the trigger. He’s in so deep and I don’t think Horsley even understood until the very end.

“Meet me at the bottom of the ocean Where the time is frozen Where all the universe is open Love isn't random, we are chosen And we could wear the same crown Keep slowing your heart down We are the gods now”

This is a portion that you have to listen to in order to get. I chose it not so much for the lyric portion, and mostly for the overall feel of the bridge. It has the same sort of shocked, intimate, mildly comforting, and almost liminal space kind of vibe that I get from when Shane arives through the ride back to his place.

11. “Overtime” by Seafret

“‘Marriage, kids, all of it.’ He turned his head to look at the other man, feeling choked up already. ‘I think I would've done that with you.’” Aka, where I started crying.

“Time moved on, but nothing changed Different roads when we stayed the same Found a light that never fades You gave me hope on the darkest days How you came out of nowhere”

They were apart, they still had feelings. Things are really emotional right now and I want to give them a big hug and maybe need one myself after reading this scene. This song itself is actually pretty self explanatory in how the lyrics apply to this scene. Fun fact, I actually had the song “Overtime” (also by Seafret) and only changed it as I was typing this up, but it also applies. I felt like this one was a little softer.

“And I just can't turn away, feelings don't hesitate I'll be crushed under the waves, if that's the price I'll pay I'd offer all the more, love holds an open door Inside the world's on pause, what are we waiting for?”

They’re in love and I’m crying.

12. “Blackout” by Muse

This is the sort of calm before the storm song. Emotions are high and things are sad, and I am sad, and I cried through the entire rest of the story, and it’s just. Things are really rough for everyone in this moment. I chose this song almost totally for the overall vibe and there are only 12 lines total, but some of them apply. Especially for these lines:

"No, no, you don't-" Ryan ducked under the barrier, ignoring the yells of the closest cop as he skidded to a halt against Shane, arms around him, face pressed into his chest. He felt the taller man's cuffed hands go over him, felt the chin resting on top of his head. "Don't leave me again."

Shane bit his lip hard, closing his watery eyes. "I have to."

“Don't kid yourself And don't fool yourself This love's too good to last And I'm too old to dream”

There’s no other option at this point. Things have gone to far. They always knew that things could never truly work between them given their situation, and up until now they could still hope but by now it’s too late. Everyone’s crying at this point, including a couple reporters because it turns out heartbreak is painful for everyone involved, including those experiencing it second hand.

13. “All I Wanted” by Paramore

I’d originally had this at the beginning, but after getting to this part I immediately moved it. Paramore once again has created a song that fits perfectly and I am once again crying. This song is from Ryan’s point of view after Shane is taken. The entire month he’s at his parents house. Everything from the time Shane gets taken up until the call. This one’s a lot. Every lyric fits.

“And when the world treats you way too fairly”

This is just one little line, but boy oh boy does it fit. Things really came full circle and Shane is getting exactly what he deserves but man does it hurt.

“I could follow you to the beginning And just to relive the start And maybe then we'll remember to slow down At all of our favorite parts”

I really wish they were living in literally any other timeline where they could actually work. I wish they could be happy.

“All I wanted was you All I wanted was you All I wanted was you All I wanted was you”

Hayley really captures all of the emotion in these lyrics and it’s amazing. There’s one time where it’s just her voice with no backing music and. it’s a lot but it fits. Everyone’s sad, especially me.

14. “Something Human” by Muse

This is another one I chose largely for the mood, but upon reading through the lyrics, there’s actually some pretty good ones. I almost used the song “Pressure” (also by Muse) but decided this one was better. For the phone call and everything after. For Shane.

“My life just blew up, I'd give it all up I'll depressurize”

He’s once again restarting his life, but it’s worth it.

“The big picture's gone Replaced with visions of you Now life can begin, I've cleansed all my sins I'm about to break through”

He’s done killing for Ryan and he’s ready to live a different life. Preferably with more Ryan. Also better and safer. The third lyric I associate with how it’s mentioned that Sara is back with him because she felt that him confessing to the crimes was honorable and the right thing.

Bonus song! “Oh Glory” by Panic! At The Disco

I really wanted to include this, but turns out it’s not on spotify because it’s a demo that was included on some extended edition of Vices and Virtues. Anyway, I think it kind of sums up Shane’s character and a little of his motivations. I mostly associate the first few lines (which apparently is a trend through a lot of my picks).

“I can only hope it's true enough That every little thing I do for love Redeems me from the moments I deem worthy Of the worst things that I've done”

The clarity of the first line of the song really strikes me and immediately made me think “Shane” when I was listening to this song. This is one of my all time favorite songs, and I’m glad I could include it, no matter how loosley.

“If I wake in the morning I only need two more miracles to be a saint Everything I promised everyone I'd be Well, I just ain't”

Shane tries to be better for Ryan, but he can’t.

I really hope you like it! Once again, sorry it’s so long. (I saved my progress in a google doc as i went and according to the word count it’s almost 4k...... i have a 500 word essay i don’t have the motivation for and yet i wrote this with no problem) I spend a lot of time listening to this playlist just to get a good feel for what I was working with and I’m still not sure if it’s perfect, but I think I like where it’s at now. I absolutely adore this series, and I hope this shows at least some of my gratitude.

#icantwritegood #beautiful crime #road trip #recommended reads #mine #music #playlist #anyway #i worked a lot on this so i hope you like my analysis of stuff #i'm fried from all of the essays i've been writing in school so this flows really weird writing wise for which i apologize #my finals start wednesday #and i have so many things due that i don't have the motivation to work on #also sorry this is so late!#i was gone both weekends of break #and had family over during the week #and just took some time to read the stephen king book i've been like 1/3 of the way through forever the last few days #i just haven't had any motivation #i know this is like the 5th time but #i'm so sorry this ended up being so long

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