#killing myself with this banger of a song in the background

[sunday-good-enough]

Poorly explaining omori with emojis

[hood-ex]

Emily hi!! i don't know if you're a musical fan, but i'm pretty sure you're a fan of the outsiders (talking about the book/movie for a second, not the comics), yes? if so, have you checked out the outsiders musical yet? they haven't released a full cast recording yet, but there are a few songs on spotify and youtube. would love to hear your thoughts!

E!! I do indeed love musicals! LOL dude speaking of Outsiders in play format, there's this hilarious blooper my friend found (who I won't @ bc idk if she'd want me to but hey girl hey you know who you are), and it's so freaking funny, I have to give you the link. It's like a high school play where the bed Johnny's lying in won't work properly, and the actor playing Dally improvised such a good line toward the end of the scene based on it 😭. Plus there's this dude in the audience just guffawing in the background and it kills me 😭.

But anyway back to the musical which I didn't even know was a thing?? Holy hell I'm about to go back into my Outsiders obsession hardcore because of this. E, I love you for bringing this to my attention. I'm watching the video for the song Stay Gold, and I'm freaking out bc the actors are sitting on the DX gas station pumps!! Like the gas station pumps from the movie!! Ahhh!! The Outsiders made me have a weird thing for gas station signs LOL like there's this one sign in my city at a gas station that I always want to take home when I see it bc it gives me Outsiders vibes.

The DX stations, dude, the DX stations!! I'm way too jazzed about that one little detail lmao. OH AND THE TRAINS, THEY'RE WALKING ON THE TRACKS. Screaming, crying, throwing up. WAIT AND THE DRIVE IN MOVIE THEATER I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

"Little brother, sorry I failed you, I could not save you, no I can't even save myself." 😭 Oh hell yeah this has got soul.

OH THE CURTIS HOUSE!! It's in the Tulsa 1967 video! With the street signs "The Outsiders Way" and "Curtis Brothers Lane" 😭. Cry cry cry cry. Soda and Pony's bed!!! Their bed!! Makes me remember, "You cold, Pony?" so well. This is so fun and so nostalgic.

They better have a song right before the rumble!! I will literally shit like god pleeeease give us a banger right before the rumble. They have to!! They. Have. To!!

No but hmmm I think "Little Brother" might be my favorite so far. Tulsa 1967 is good as well. Wbu? What are your thoughts on it 👀?

[badwolfoncomingstorm]

Let's talk about Mean Girls

Ok, look. Admittedly I have trauma regarding the original Mean Girls movie. I was in high school in the early 2000s as this movie came out, so I was forced to watch that movie so many times I grew to despise it. I thought every character was a terrible person (and still do), and my high school experience was so far removed from that movie I couldn't even begin to relate.

Fast-forward to about a year or two ago when I first experienced the music from Mean Girls the Musical. While nothing earth shattering, it is admittedly WAY better than one would expect from Mean Girls the Musical. I am particularly fond of "I See Stars," "I'd Rather Be Me," and "Fearless."

Now I have to admit, I have not seen the musical. I had tickets to go see it, but when the day came, I was too disincentivized to actually see it because of my hate for the movie. I have seen some clips on YouTube, but that's it.

So when they made Mean Girls the Musical the Movie (lol), I checked it out from my local library (Go libraries!!! They have all sorts of cool shits like DVDs of movies you kind of want to see, but refuse to spend any money on. Support you local libraries!!). Here are some of my thoughts.

It's cool they got the Broadway Regina to reprise her role. I wish more of the stars were from the Broadway cast, particularly Barrett Wilbert Weed (ugh her voice is so good.) Auliʻi Cravalho is a pretty good replacement though. All the singers are great. The acting's pretty decent too.

2. Lol, those are supposed to be High Schoolers??????

(The Part where I rant about songs since it is a musical after all)

3. First, I really miss Fearless. I think you lose a lot of Gretchen's character when you lose that song. You also lose a lot of the message of being, well, Fearless, and not being afraid to be yourself.

4. The loss of the song "More is Always Better." I do think this is another loss of character this time for Cady and Aaron. It's one of the turning points for her and well, frankly gives Aaron any character at all besides being an object of desire who is apparently decent at math. Finally, it gives us the set-up for "I See Stars." That song makes way less sense without this one. (Cut "Sexy" instead if you need to cut a song since that one has absolutely no plot or character relevance. So Karen is dumb and hot. We knew that. But no, we'd rather have hot 20 somethings skimpily clad dancing sexily than deeper character development 🙄)

5. The adaptation of "I'd Rather be Me." Oof. This song is the very first one I heard on the Broadway soundtrack, and is basically the main reason I looked in to the show at all. It's a REAL banger, and Barrett Wilbert Weed KILLS it. This is basically my life motto and I can listen to this song on repeat for a long time. It's a power song about the power of just being yourself and not being afraid of what others think of you. And the movie does it.... weird? Look, I get that it's a movie and you can't just have the character stand there and sing to the camera, but this is a song by Janis to the girls of the high school. And by the end, they are singing with her, agreeing with her message. But here, she's only with the girls for the first verse. Then she's just running around singing to the camera while barging through random classrooms for no reason. And in the movie, she's singing it to be petty and bitchy, rather than the self-confidence of "I don't need you and I won't stoop to your level, and I am perfectly ok with just being myself, no matter what." I highly recommend you check out this video. It's a much better portrayal of this song.

6. Ok, "I See Stars." Like, "I'd Rather Be Me," it starts off great with Cady using it to apologize to her classmates and tell them how beautiful they all are. But then she... stops? Just stops singing the song and some rando takes over singing it in the background???? That song is like the core message of your story. It's about how EVERYONE is a beautiful and unique. And it culminates with the whole school joining in for a powerful moment of acceptance of both yourself and others around you. Instead, you get some lame dialog and Janis and Damian shoe-horning in the message of "Be Nice" at the end. Just let them sing the song!!! It does such a better job of conveying the message without beating you condescendingly over the head with it.

7. (Ok, it was fun that they got Tina Fey and Tim Meadows back. Also a Lindsay Lohan cameo. Nice homage to the original).

I get why a lot of the changes were made. It's hard to adapt a Broadway production into film and I'm sure a lot of these things were cut for time. I know I have trauma surrounding this story, but honestly I would say skip it and just go check out the soundtrack of the Broadway version instead. There's basically nothing new added to the story with this adaptation and while I appreciate the ability to check out some version of the musical without a show needing to be playing in my city and needing to buy tickets, but honestly, I didn't have that good of time. I was playing on my phone the whole time and whenever I did look up for a song I love, I was just disappointed.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk lol

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 4/11/2023

more concise than usual. don't get used to it.

listening

the trombone is an underutilized instrument in indie rock. this is a delightful music video, the vocals bother me a lot less now that i know they're deliberately going for a robotic effect.

if you liked the Killing Eve soundtrack (largely brought to you by Unloved and Junoire), that sort of very smooth lightly psych-rock flavored thinking woman's music to smoke clove cigarettes to while slouching around used bookstores, you may like this song! reading this back it sounds kind of snotty but sometimes you need a french woman main character song to make doing errands feel like being on a secret mission

i found one of their previous albums, Psycho Tropical Berlin, sort of a one-hit wonder with Hypsoline (the credits song for As Above So Below) but it really is a fucking banger

i want the album art as a shirt So Bad but not enough to pay $25 shipping from france about it.

i think this was off the spotify weekly discover playlist? can't imagine where else i would have run across it

-

reading

remember the vampire-adjacent private detective novels i was reading? not the ones from last week, the earlier ones. the author alexis hall chucks you a free short story Sand and Ruin and Gold if u sign up for his mailing list.

i think the orca comparisons are a touch heavy-handed at times, but the imagery in this thing...i really am a sucker for the rot of a coastal tourist trap. i bear no fondness, but i do give them a weary nod of acknowledgement. this town is a construct for other people to enjoy. i typed out a very long thing about how the economics of tourism shaped the town and everything about the civic calendar down to the school year, but--it was not really meant to have real residents or be a real place. there was absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to hang out without paying for anything in the off season.

It was just after closing on Reunification Day, the last of the stragglers gathered up and banished back to their world. A spiral of faded, plastic bunting from the celebrations had blown into one of the pools. I went to get a pole to hook it out but heard a splash and turned in time to see Nerites leap from the water in a gleam of skin and scales. The wind whisked the ribbon from between his fingers, and he reached after it, his body twisting sinuously in the air before he crashed into the pool again.

I’d never seen him—or any of them—move like that before. The jumps and slides we taught them were supposed to mimic their natural behaviours, but they rarely performed them spontaneously. And this was something else again: a wild leap and an ungainly splash, more beautiful to me than the most perfect bow or spin because it seemed so absolutely heedless.

He surfaced again, almost vertical, spinning in the pale-grey spray, one hand catching for the bunting’s tail. A tug, and it tumbled from the sky, nothing but a lifeless piece of string.

i am beginning to remember that all the shit that really sticks in my brain is in short stories and novellas you (general, including me) have never heard of.

-

watching

star wars resistance. i am finding this far more enjoyable than the bad batch or the mandalorian bc it has something of a storyline that it sticks to, even though most of the runtime is a teen... he's not really a teen, he was a new republic pilot so he's probably like twenty but in my heart he's like fifteen. part of the appeal of ds9 for me was a very consolidated set of recurring background characters and getting to see that there are other things/factions/people all working for their own ends. baby's first practice spy mission.

the ship design is really killer: it asks and answers the question "what if a pirate spaceship was also a galleon?"

i find myself excited to watch the next episode, which is not a familiar feeling when i watch star wars stuff. i really hope s2 holds my interest as much as s1 did.

why am i doing this? i have seen all the star wars except for: most of the LEGO stuff, most of the addendum and errata for tcw (including the crystal crisis arc), the holiday special, and most of the droids and ewoks animated shows. like i am Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, even though i'm not really sure why this show fell into such obscurity.

-

playing

a bit cranky with weird west, bc i think to get past this stealth level i will have to dismiss my companion (can't seem to knock out guards unless i'm standing up, the companion AI has a very loose definition of "staying close" and is only "invisible" if you're also crouching, and you can't direct your companion to stay put in one place OR to stay close/stay crouched permanently. i may have exhausted most of the appeal of the world on my first fifteen-hour run through the first story. i am more than a little disappointed bc i did have a fuckton of fun in those fifteen hours and was expecting the good times to continue.

-

making

still halfheartedly poking away at the baby blanket, less than half a repeat this week and i don't feel like getting up, digging the blanket out of the catproof bag, and putting enough lights on for a real photo. this is repeat 7/10 tho so we are slowly approaching the end

[soobberries]

also babes I’m tryna get into cix, any songs you would recommend?

Hell yeah!

Alright a small disclaimer though: In my experience, all of Cix's songs are growers. If you aren't feeling it initially, you will totally vibe after the next few listens.

Also, some of their songs are very heavy in the sense that the content can be rough, and perhaps a little angsty but I mean... Their meanings are pretty solid at least.

Let me start with their title tracks since, most of those are bangers ngl.

These aren't recommendations per se but I'll give you a sloppy description and you can probably gauge what might be worth listening to.

[the red and blue ones are the main ones that I'm technically recommending or they're my faves.]

I hope this helps? lmao-

Movie Star - It's sultry and kinda groovy; reminds me of lucid dream by aespa and some of vixx/sf9 songs. (one of my favorites for sure).

Jungle - straight banger, pretty moody though, somewhat slow bpm and is 100% a grower. the more I listened, the more things I noticed within the song that just accentuates the overall song.

Numb - the break at the chorus is pretty solid, not my first recommendation but can definitely be enjoyable if you like a mix of noisy sounds and what I'd describe as 'sleek' sounds lol.

My New World - This is their Japanese release and ... I'm starting to realize their overall sound tends to be smooth and steady... powerful sounds that make you feel like a main character that's trying to overcome some great evil. So that's the main essence of this song lmao.

Wave - pretty feel good, relaxed. Reminds me of the view by stray kids.

Off my mind - has as rich rythmic instrumental, pretty sultry/groovy sound. Nothing stand out but a solid song. The chorus has an engaging beginning.

Pinky Swear - Another Japanese release that is very wholesome and just feels like someone is telling you things will be alright.

Save me, Kill me - It makes me oddly nostalgic. It has this bittersweet sound to it. It's basically a tragic song but you can do a dramatic contemporary dance to it that would slay-

Bad Dream - I really like this one so much but again, it has that main character fighting their inner demons or something. It has the coolest break though. It's so like, 2010's club sound in a good way.

458 - banger, pretty moody as well, but gosh the chorus just GOES HARD ngl.

Tesseract - The ultimate movie song lmao. Picture someone walking in this vast desert-like terrain with a sword in hand, and then they plunge it into the ground causing shockwaves into the ground, absolutely annihilating the enemy in style. That's all I'll say.

Cinema - I really was underwhelmed with this initially but then I found myself humming the chorus. It has a light feeling to it. A simple song you can play in the background and it makes your chest less tight.

Okay, I think those are the title tracks.

Overall I'd recommend their album "'OK' Prologue : Be OK" just because it's a pretty solid glimpse into their discography OR their EP "HELLO Chapter 1: Hello, Stranger" jeez their names....

Then there are some that I find myself liking:

What you wanted - has some cool melodies. again, has a mix of sleek and noisy sounds. The chorus is sleek and the verses are what's noisy. Reminds me of Exo.

Like It That Way - Those chilled tropical vibes that were really popular a while back.

Move My Body - IT BANGS IDK WHAT ELSE TO PUT. It's the type of song that feels like a guilty pleasure. Like you play it at 3am and dance in your room but you won't outright play it for just anyone.

Black Out - Solid noisy goodness (It gives NCT 127 vibes)

Round 2 - It reminds me of Dean's music. Idk if it classifies as rnb but definitely has that laid-back vibe.

[dyjudgesmusic]

Mother Mother - Touch Up Album

as a long-time fan of mother mother, i've decided to go through each album and single of theirs and review every single one to begin with. i'm no professional, even a band drop-out, so i'm not great with the terminology, keep that in mind. these will probably all be pretty positive.

this is the 2007 re-upload with the additional songs, but the original was uploaded in 2005

Touch Up, 2007

Dirty Town, 2:32 - 8/10. i see nothing really wrong with this song, pretty chill. i like the tune of it and the lyrics especially. the odd singing at 1:45 felt a little unnecessary, doesn't match the vibe of the rest of the song but overall, really pleasant

Polynesia, 2:19 - 7/10. i like this aswell, though somehow- im getting animaniacs vibes for sure. definitely pretty chill, kinda nostalgic.

Angry Sea, 3:05 - 9/10. surprisingly unnerving, the voices sound amazing in this song. slower paced at first, very enjoyable, one of my favorites of the album. the change at 1:35 is very nice to listen to imo.

Oh Ana, 3:17 - 8/10. one of their most well-known songs, i can definitely see why. love the lyrics, the panting really sells everything to me. also somewhat unnerving, though not as much. very good song.

Legs Away, 3:53 - 8/10. i know i give lots of them that rating but honestly, really a good song. i also really like these lyrics and how familiar it sounds, especially for this being my first listen. love the way it ends, kinda odd and different.

Love And Truth, 3:35- 8/10. i really like the fem voice having the spotlight for this one, it's a very nice change. its giving "i killed my husband" songs, and i adore that. i always fuck with that kinda vibe, good song.

Train Of Thought, 2:41 - 7/10. slightly faster, but definitely not my style for their music. i love the background train whistle sound the singers make, very good touch. aswell as the guitar, as always. lovely.

Verbatim, 2:48 - 10/10. im biased but nostalgic, the first song i heard of theirs. very twisted and dark, aswell as overall a good tune. a little unhinged, as all should be. slay. definitely reminds me of my animating phase as a kid, but still an absolute banger. extra point for "for the love of fuck" being a lyric. 11/10.

Neighbor, 4:39 - 9/10. longest song of the album, very good- i think it deserves that honor. something about a stalker/peeper neighbor being all empathetic makes me oddly entruiged. would make a good book or horror movie or smth imo.

Ball Cap, 3:20 - 7/10. a good song but once again, can't see myself listening to it on my own time. i like the confusion it might bring as to how the singer is describing themself in the song. pleasant though.

Tic Toc, 1:31 - 8/10. very fast, kind of satisfying thanks to the speed. slightly unhinged vibes, very enjoyable. part of me wishes the song were longer.

Touch Up, 3:53 - 7/10. pretty decent, oddly relaxing to me? honestly also not my favorite, wouldn't listen to it unless in a certain mood but very vibey and catchy i'd say.

Little Hands, 2:27 - 9/10. also a slower, more unsettling one to me. very nice to listen to, an odd comfort to me. kinda love the detail of the kids in the background. good final song for the album, i listen to it quite often. one of my favs.

that is all have a good day :)

[rere-talks]

Happy International Fanworks Day!!

OTW's Creative Lounge recently shared some bingo sheets in honor of February 15th, so I thought I'd participate :').

Instead of doing a creator bingo card for all my works, because I'd just end up filling in every single square, I thought I'd just do one for my current WIP, Divine Intervention, the annoying Solo Leveling SCY/SJW drabble series that floods the front page of SL Ao3 sometimes.

More rambling about my fic and how it all started below the cut if you're interested! 💛 includes fic recs :D

I honestly never thought I'd see the day where I'd be making (and populating) a new tag all by myself, but stranger things have happened since the pandemic started, so here we are I guess LOL.

Honestly, believe it or not, Divine Intervention originally began from Woo Jin-Chul/Sung Jin-Woo roots (which ok, may not be so surprising because I recall several readers thought that was the actual pairingwhen we were first getting started, woops). Namely, another WIP of mine, Divine Right of Kings.

They share a lot of similarities which may not be so evident, seeing as Kings is less than 10 chapters posted, but source dude just trust me. They're both canon divergence AUs; apotheosis stories; Jin-Woo is Shadow Monarch in neither of them; deuteragonists; and, most significantly, they both feature a largely human cast--as the plot progresses, the amount of actual solo leveling that gets done dwindles to nothing, all in hopes of writing a universe where Jin-Woo actually gets the emotional support he deserves after the traumatic events that took place within the first 10 or so chapters of canon.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What can I say, I've got a type.

In the progress of planning Kings' main cast (besides the main pair), Chi-Yul popped up as a prime candidate for party member. An experienced hunter, his conflict was interesting from the get-go: a skilled swordsman who ended up in the wrong class. Who else's class commonly gets mistaken in SL? Well, Jin-Woo, except the reverse--where Chi-Yul doesn't successfully make the whole magic swordsman thing work, Jin-Woo pulls off assassin necromancer who revives whatever he kills pretty darn well.

The next step was figuring out how they would fit together.

Song Chi-Yul in Kings was supposed to play a very different role than in Divine Intervention. Namely, their dynamics are completely swapped: in Kings, I planned Chi-Yul as a mentor figure who teaches a still fledgling Jin-Woo magic early on, fostering a decent amount of trust to make the groundwork for their eventual partying. (Of course, well, we never got there, but still. I had plans, guys.)

We don't get too much of Chi-Yul in canon, so I began trying to write short snippets or oneshots just as exercise to get used to them interacting together. This, as it turns out, was either a terrible mistake for everyone who was waiting for me to write more WJC/SJW, or the birth of something truly great: a banger.

Fueled by my diehard R27 nostalgia to give me shipping lenses and a recent venture into the newest Fire Emblem game at the time, I knew I wanted some kind of knight-and-his-lady dynamic, though in the slash case, knight-and-his-lord. Kings' background gave me a solid inspiration for another apotheosis-type story, so now all I needed was a vibe.

TBH I have a lot of different inspiration sources for the vibe I was going for--something otherworldly, ephemeral, and ancient all at once. I think that deserves another post of its own lol (comprising of a lot of anime and manga, but it's the weeb in me what can I do 😔).

Here's some fic recs in the meanwhile because I know my fellow degens well:

For drabble series,

Guardian by forthrightly [Complete]: A Spirited Away Chihiro/Kohaku drabble series.

Chihiro spends a long, hot summer in a tiny seaside community, minding an old auntie's store, but a legend whispered by locals leads the young woman on a quest of rediscovery. A small story with small chapters.

It'll have you soft and sobbing at the end of it. Alt account of Forthright.

Imperceptible by forthright [Complete]: An Inuyasha Sesshomaru/Kagome drabble series.

A story told through a series of drabbles and oneshots, tracing the slow and steady progress of trust. Sesshoumaru x Kagome, CU.

An aching canon universe SessKag rendition.

Forthright is IMO the mother of all drabble series; they just do it best. All of their other drabble series are equally excellent; go check them out if you're digging the format :)

For vibe,

The Human Mask by harunekonya [WIP]: Natsume Yuujinchou, gen. 182k words

Sequel to Worthy of a Name. Natsume slowly learns to deal with life as a god. An inter-connected vignette series.

It's been over 4 years since I've read this fic but damn do I remember the way it made me feel. Insanely intricate, detailed storytelling, a masterpiece. The fandom is dead but thank god we got this jewel out of it.

fear is the monster you forgot to flee from (fear is the monster that won't let you go) by cywscross [Complete]: Solo Leveling, SJW/WJC. 25.6k words

Jin-Woo reawakens. But he reawakens… wrong. Different. Changed. Monstrous.

(Some do not see it. Others do and are rightfully afraid. And then there are those who are afraid and still want it. They want it, until they cannot live without it, and Woo Jin-Chul finds that he is terribly susceptible to the latter.

If you're in the SL fandom, you've read this fic, but I'm putting it here anyway as a hyperlink for when you inevitably go reread it now that I've reminded you about it (and also because it's the only SL fic on this list, not that there aren't more bangers by our fantastic writers in this fandom but just because that's not what this list is about).

The Unexplainable by Metamorcy [Complete]: Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Reborn/Sawada Tsunayoshi. 238k words.

He had only come here to fulfill a dying wish from a younger version of himself, to take his place in this world as Sawada Tsunayoshi. That had been fine, boredom plaguing him constantly in his long life as nothing seemed to matter anymore. So when Reborn arrives to train him as Vongola Decimo, he ends up with something a little more. Dark!Tsuna, Dark!Universe

I regularly go back to reread this when I need a bedtime story to assauge the 'ol insomnia. The supernatural vibes are off the charts. An old favorite is timeless :')

Satis by Eiserne [WIP]: Hellsing, Alucard/Integra Hellsing. 83.5k words.

Integra dies, only to wake up in the past, as a fifteen-year-old. AxI.

Jesus christ the loyalty kink. The vibe kink. The poetry kink. The feet kink, in a totally not weird way. I know it's the 2nd WIP on this list but just, trust me, I wouldn't rec it unless it would completely wreck you.....in a good way.

Anyway this wasn't a fic rec list on purpose so I'll leave it at that 😂 These are all enjoyable reads even if you know nothing of the fandom or characters involved!

If you made it all the way here, thanks for listening to me ramble! I have a lot of Feelings for this newest baby of mine and I hope to take Divine Intervention a long way forward yet 😌🙏🌺

[varietysworld]

my reaction to each song from waterparks new album

Greatest Hits: little weird, but it's the albums intro so I'm not gonna be judgey abt it

Fuzzy: 30 seconds in and already headbanging, so FUN omggggg

Lowkey as Hell: already memorized the lyrics since it's been out for a while lol

Numb: already memorized these ones too lmao

Violet!: I only heard this one once before, it's a little slower than the others but it's a nice change from the intensity of numb, super catchy, and ohhhhhh the lyricsssssssssss fjdhdjfjfn

Snow globe: love this one too, memorized,

Just Kidding: makes me sad, but still catchy aghhh

The Secret Life Of Me: man these lyrics go so hard omfg "think I need a life or maybe nine, cause I'm feeling like I'm running out of time" brb screaming and then the 80s synth chords stopppp you're killing me omfggggg

American Graffiti: classic parx sounding I think, quality head banger, good good

You'd be Paranoid Too: ngl I didn't like this that much when they first released it but it's grown on me

Fruit Roll Ups: damn didn't expect to wanna cry so early in the morning, the synth chords in the background ahhhhhhhh, "I'm a little bitch for you now" is so funny and so cute I can't

LIKE IT: very different from the rest, not the biggest fan yet, but it's catchy and will probably grow on me, also "I'm gonna shave my FUCKING head"

Gladiator: yoooo this rhythm was in some videos they released a while ago, groovy vibes

Magnetic: another headbanger, I can already imagine myself blasting this in the car, gives me some panic! vibes in the middle with the trumpets

Crying Over It All: crying over the end of everything before it happens, romantic and depressing, too relatable, anyways gonna scream into the void now

Ice Bath: very different, kind of intense, love the piano and the beats

See You In The Future: idk why I expected this to be shorter and not a full song, yoooo when it picks up though these vibes sir are good ooooooo, it's different and I love it

Worth the wait? Yes. Am I gonna get hearing damage from blasting it on repeat too loud? Again, yes. Love this band, love the new songs :))))

[danidoodless]

Jumba was jacking off just like all days his dog walked in and then a bird flew into his window and scared him and he jizzed on the wall he came on his wall, and then proceeded to scream he denied cleaning he wasn’t screaming bc of the wall jizz, he was screaming because of what his dog had he calmed down, went to tumblr, and told his friends, to which they replied, "what did the dog have?" “my dick” he said he typed in his reply.. "my yaoi manga collection" but... i thought... the wall jizz.. “yeah” he interrupted, wasn’t jizz but... i thought... the wall jizz.. “yeah” he interrupted, wasn’t jizz it was blood he sighed, and watched the screen as his friends made jokes about it and Baby Be Mine - Micheal Jackson was playing in the background as he perfectly harmonized with the song As he was harmonizing with the song, Sesshomaru barged in through his window, and pointed at him yelling, "that was hot!" “but- but my dick” he said “u don’t need it” sesshomaru replied, “u can have mine” he proceeded to rip off his dick so jumba would no longer be without one unbeknownst to himself, his friends watched from his door, their jaws slack, as Sesshomaru jumped off the window ledge, stalked towards him, then proceeded to do gay shit after his dick was sufficiently ripped off, he gave it to jumba, dickless but now hopeful, he replied “thank you, i needed this.” sesshomaru just winked and smiled, leaving, never to return Jumba said, "drink me senpai annhh uwu" one day, jumbas was walking down the street *que in theme song* jumba walks to school, with alertness as he in da trenches yer feel me. Suddenly, a big ass moth appears and this mf really tried killing the currently dickless jumba and he shoots it Jumba said, "drink me senpai annhh uwu" then he thinks, wait a minute why am i walking to school? it’s not the 1950s BUT IT IS THE 1950s *Ba ba dummm* he was registered so anyways, the moth summoned the moth gods to resurrect himself, also summoning a moth army and they all came after dickless jumba! but jumba remember back in 1943 when that light skin motherfucker got stabbed, he ain't gon die today dildos were getting harder he remembered a pocket knife a strange withered, wrinkled man had once given him, he never knew exactly why that man gave him a pocket knife but in this moment he wasn’t questioning why. he pulled out the knife and started to swing on the moths, using every ounce of his dickless strength to fight them off @dark-lovvee wanted the dildos and jumba was especially strong and capable as a man to fight off these moths, when he was done he proceeded to fuck their dead bodies jumba said no! i need these dildos to fight the moths! Jumba filmed the porno *que in absolute banger outro with kids smiling while playing and rainbows in the background* after fucking the moth carcuses or should i carc-i , jumba realized something he was thirsty... he needed water... he found the nearest puddle and crouched down to take sip, he cupped his hands and put them in the water catching his own reflection as he looked down... who am i? he wondered dark love wanted to do yoga but she broke her spine, now she's in the hospital and she can't walk for the rest of her life but we all know the true reason why her legs hurt *says random ass kid in the sidelines* dickless Jumba magically grew a vagina and the first thing he decides to do is finger himself then pizza walked up and said to him “hey i have one of those too!” pizza fingers himself too but while jumba was fingering himself, he somehow losses all his skin. Now skinless and dick less he hes vagina started to disappear spineless and crippled, dark army crawled tf outta there people started to fight did i lose my skin bc i fingered myself??? jumba wondered. this new vagina was an enigma to him, what happens if i actually use it? he asked himself and that light skin motherfucker, that gay dark shin motherfucker, that one jamaican motherfucker was there to jumba let someone sleep with him and they also lost their skin, now he realizes he has super powers all those motherfuckers were shot by the police except jumba as he is fast af but even Jumba was shot later he rejoiced for a bit by the thought of pussy supapowa but it dawned on him. "Who's gonna fuck me if they find out?" but he didn't go out without a bang, he exposes his left liver and says "GDK" with great power comes great resposibili- he was interupted by a gun shot zooming past his head, WTF IS MY LIFE RN jumba screamed we jacked all over the cops face even those he had no dick he proceeds to give oral sex to sesshomarus black twin while the chaos ensued, Yeye sat down on a comfy chair, passed a cold brew coffee to Dodo, and watched the others' lives crumble into pieces jumba's story came to end. He died just way he was born, ejaculation que in kiss by Prince End of the season!

From: We R Tost

Story recorded by @storybot, written by @screechingchaospizza, @leftjumba, @dark-lovvee, and @danielledumbbitchenergy

[dragonwarriorgal]

Fate: Winx Saga episode 1: To The Waters And The Wild

I can't see shit.

Oh my god! NOT EVEN ONE MINUTE IN AND ALREADY THIS GRUMBLED SHEPARD, A MINOR CHARACTER SAYS "Feckin sheep!" *grumblebrumble*

did he just walk through a magical barrier like it was a normal thing?

and yet another "shit”

Though I gotta say, it is cool that the light from the flashlight is red because of all the blood (which is on a whole other level of funny)

Oh man, am I glad that I decided to watch the first episode of Winx Club before this

Wow really, Winx Club got this amazing banger of a song called Under the Sign of the Winx and this live action has Enya

There we go, there's that fantasy teen tv mandatory pop song(1), I am curious just how many there are

W.O.W. They are just throwing us into the school. Granted, the original series was also just throwing stuff at you. But they at least introduced the school to you! Here it is just "school is starting, get your diet Hogwarts College here!" (god please don't make this be Hogwarts)

OH MY GOD, I am assuming this hunk of a blond English "gentleman" is Sky. BUT GOD THE INTRODUCTION!!

OH MY GOD, THEY ARE JUST BARFING EXPOSITION AREN'T THEY! OH MY GOD!

"Three months ago, I didn't know the Otherworld existed" THEN FUCKING SHOW US THAT!!!!!!!!

Ah, yes, from the first episode that I saw from the original cartoon that I just saw, I remember that Stella was so unfriendly and jealous and being a really pompeus ass like Sky

AH, BRIGHT CORRIDOR!

"well we had wings in the past, but most of our budget went into making this cool ass globe with moving ocean"

"Exposition barfing is also higly contagious around this school so you will have it in this whole season"

Almost EIGHT MINUTES in and we finally hear her name!!!

"It's literally hour one of day one, Mom" And, sorry if I am drawing comparison here" in the cartoon she already had 5 friends!

"You can learn a lot about people on their first day" Like, how they did in the cartoon!?!?!?!?

WOW, are they seriously having a discussion about Bloom's social life in front of everybody????

Also, it is weird that I can hear the sound FROM HER PHONE so well.

"Are you the one person in the universe who's never read Harry Potter?" First of all, no I have not and will NEVER do that. And second: DON'T BE SO OBVIOUS ABOUT YOU POP CULTURE REFERENCE YOU ARE RIPPING OFF!!!!

Oh, god. The entire introduction of her roommates

Show: Introductions can be so boring after all that Mean Girls talk, let's give you some action introduction!

There's the drug reference... Also my face during this entire sequence

Okay, what the hell is this scene with the ominous exposition warning, wasn't Sky JUST fighting this other dude who got high? Why the hell is he going outside "the Barrier" and getting high? I mean I know WHY, for the plot, but HE WAS JUST FIGHTING SKY NOT ONE MINUTE AGO!!!!

Honestly, I thought the High Guy (I don't know this douche's name, thanks show) would be the one to die. I completely forgot about "feckin sheep" guy. Wanna know why? BECAUSE OF ALL THE EXPOSITION!!!!!!!

WHY THE HELL IS THE CSI GUY FROM THE BODY, WHO COLLECTED A SAMPLE FROM THE BODY, GOING THROUGH THE FRIGGIN PARTY FULL OF GOSSIPING MEAN GIRLS WITH THE SAMPLE HE COLLECTED FROM THE BODY IN HIS HANDS WHERE EVERYONE IN THIS PARTY CAN SEE!!!??!?!?!??!!?!?!?

That was a weird scene. Well I guess hello cussing villain of the series.

Oh, this is this type of show, I would have preferred to get the flashback of "3 months ago" in the beginning... you know, instead of this exposition barfing, but oh well...

This show is so mean!

Pop song number 2!

"i just met you, person I STILL don't know the name of and HAVEN'T given you my name either, so maybe I will trust you one day"

Oh great, a love triangle....

You know what, I would rather see the lives of those background characters who were told by the director to mingle and be friendly torward one another, instead of this Mean Girls act!

Who the hell took those photos of her? ON HER OWN PHONE?!

Honestly, if we didn't already see her parents expositioning her character in front of everyone earlier, I would have thought that she killed them "3 months ago"

God, could you imagine if the fire conjured in her right hand instead of the left, thus burning her phone?

Headmistress: We will teach you how to use your powers safely and slowly, starting tomorrow Bloom: *goes during the opening party on the first day outside the Barrier to practice her powers on her own* Fire!

Dead god, now I am hoping that she killed her mother, WOW, THIS SHOW IS SO MEAN!

You know this reminds me when I was about 9 I have been practicing swimming for about 1 or 2 years, but when I was 9 I started to hate it, but my family wouldn't hear it so they forced me to go. Long story short, after I was dropped off, I skipped practice and- OH MY GOD, I HAVE EXPOSITION BARFING NOW!!

Winx club: Bloom is upset because she didn't get a scooter from her parents. Fate Winx Saga: Bloom is upset because her parents took away her door forcing her "to be more open" and she burns down the house.

Please tell me the High guy and the New guy end up together, I just know they are going to force some LBGQT+ representation somewhere!

"Stop bullying me because I'm fat! I can take care of myself you twat!" *goes ahead and uses her earth magic to strangle him*

"Sorry, I'm Terra" AH, LEGIT INTRODUCTIONS!!!

Again, I CAN'T SEE SHIT!

Why are they having dinner in the dark?

Wow, the sound editing is TERRIBLE!

"Hey, we are your parent's bloom. If we don't know you, nobody does." The most hypocritical statement so far.

Wow, she hasn't even STARTED classes on how to control her powers, and already she has given up and goes to her warehouse home!

There's that jumpscare, it always got to me in the cartoon.

oh no bloom is in danger, we have learned so much about you from those expositions

Who the hell is Silva, not that I was distracted by your glistening abs or anything. Is he going to be like Archie from Riverdale?

Pop song number 3!

4 lamps are on in this room AND I CAN'T SEE SHIT!!

"I can't sleep where they all hate me!" WELL IT'S NOT LIKE YOU WERE GIVING THEM A GOOD REASON TO LOVE YOU GEORGINA! #notmystella

"Can I sleep with you, you don't hate me" YOU FUCKING BROKE UP WITH HIM YOU BITCH!!

GAH! A FRIENDLY PERSONALITY!!

Oh, it's a Zombie story... that's....hm..

There's that forced LBQT+ rep

Let me guess, the hooded figure going through the barrier is the Braid girl?

And it ends with pop song numer 4!

In conclusion watching this episode

[needyoulikeaheartbeet]

FOLKLORE FIRST THOUGHTS

ft. very little editing LONG SONGS! LONG SONGS! AESTHETIC TITLE! 63 MINUTES!

1. the 1

PIANO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg her voice is so soft if you wanted me you really shouldve showed IF YOU NEVER BLEED YOURE NEVER GONNA GROW OMG ALREADY A BANGER LINE OMG HOW SHE SINGS THE BRIDGE YESSSSSS THATS CATCHYYY

2. cardigan*

DEEP VOICE SULTRY OOOOOOOOOO the piano reminds me of jazz the IIIII hand under my sweatshirt baby kiss it better omg this is sexi ? OMGGGGGGGGGGGG wow the chorus and when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed you put me on and said i was your favourite WOW playing hide and seek part omg her voice the IIIII part is sooooooooo nice omg this is hot but sad but like NICE THE STRINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JADORE TELLEMENT you drew stars around my scars but now im bleeding THE STRINGS THE CHORUS THIS IS SO GOOOOOOOD IM CRYING PETER LOSING WENDY this is tugging on my heart strings... that bridge... wow... im literally crying tears rolled down my cheeks wow that was so beautiful im still crying LOL

3. the last great american dynasty

oo that twang-y in the distance im still crying from cardigan sorry all her what friends? was that bleeped? LOL [The clean version of the album on Spotify was available for me before the explicit version] omg how she sangboys you can HEAR her smiling i love it so much my precious bean THESE STORYTELLING LYRICS I NEED TO RELISTEN TO IT ALL STARLIGHT VIBES? omg i had a marvelous tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime <3

4. exile (FEAT BON IVER!!!! OMG?!!!)*

i love how much piano there is in this taylor i love it thank u WHAT A RICH VOICE youre not my homeland anymore?? so what am i defending nwo? im baby STRINGS!!!! <3 this reminds me of the last time kinda duet i cri balancing on breaking bridges im not your problem anymore so who am i offending omg wow her voice is so pretty i gave so many <3

5. my tears ricochet

omg the intro is nice is that her voice? or keyboard voices i didnt have it in myself to go with grace that electronic voice during chorus reminded me of getaway car... i c u jack + the beat... in the bridge wait wake? I NEED LYRICS TO FOLLOW ALONG SKFSKDFNS TOO DISTRACTED AND CONSUMED BY THE MUSIC [I was indeed distracted and not following the lyrics so I thought the wake was connected to one of the previous songs gskng I was like who died omg dummy]

6. mirrorball

ooo this sounds pretty from the start this sounds like a gem i find on youtube at 2 am when no one is around my dear! oooo i like AW SHINING JUST FOR YOU! IN HER HIGHEST HEELS, LOVE? That's so cute i can change eerything about me to try to fit in is SO relatable her vocals r so pretti aw this song makes me smile, the bridge was v cute [Little did I know when I’d relisten and read the lyrics that this song is not one to make you smile ma’am]

7. seven

this is different! this doesnt even sound like her omg but its so nice omg the verse hehe cute THE STRINGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS YES big fan aw is this from kids pov? pirates poor lil bb sweet tea in the summer, cross my heart wont tell no other

this is different but beautiful

8. august

oooo yes another youtube sounding gem with the quality of the music and her voice oh wow how she sang more OMG YES louder THIS IS NICE twisting in bed sheets aw cause u were never mine oh wow after second chorus the MUSIC YES THIS IS SO NICE IM SO HAPPY AND CONSUMED one ting? huh? cancel plans in case you call... omg

MEET ME BEHIND THE MALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you werent mine to lose aw... this song i like a lot

omg the story telling im crying i missed this so much it reminds me of fearless era this is so wow tat resumed loudly LOL i laff but omg this is like happy but sad at the same time THE STRINGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I CANT THIS MUSIC IS SO NICE I WANT IT TO CONSUME ME AND JUST LISTEN TO IT FOREVER like an instrumental version. just driving. even this version. this was so nice. i missed storytelling like this. i adore

9. this is me trying

i like dis so far yes, another youtube gem ORCHESTRA my words shoot to kill when im mad i have a lo of regrets about that sphere omg at least im trying!!! wow ma'am that was so pretty ???? the build up to the bridge wow jack?

10. illicit affairs*

beautiful guitar, wow omg yes those vocals?? lil guys? or is that guitar i like oh wow yeah def an illicit affair huh this is pretty folk dis make me sad but excellent storytelling omg

clandestine meetings ooooo the BRIDGE YES omg !!!! youve shown me colours that you know i cant see with anyone else you taught me a secret language i cant speak with anyone else OWWWWWWW

11. invisible string

this is fun to dance to its so cute bad blood ? *side eye emoji* prechorus is really nice and catchy her voice is so nice ugh i like this bridge <3 is this about joe? chains around my demons one single thread of gold tied me to you!!!! centennial park blues then purple pink skies! lover <3

12. mad woman

nice piano and strings the beat o wow i hate you forever (... is this clean? fuck you forever?) UPDATE IT IS FUCK YOU FOREVER WOO! omg you found something to wrap your noose around w o w, that's so powerful women like hunting witches too; omg wanting me dead has brought you two together wow but when she sang it wow i love watching you climb over people like me wow this is pain :( the vocals in the background are so nice and add to the feeling it makes my tummy sad :(

those back vocals make me think she can still sing safe and sound live one day maybe so tha tmakes me happy though

13. epiphany

the intro feels like an epiphany lemme tell ya i close my eyes thats nice i dont understand whats happening i need lyrics to follow along but it sounds nice strings <3 does this have to do with the wake? the outro is so soothing british accent?

14. betty

country! this is country! COUNTRY! OMG SHES SINGING COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOO!!!!!!! LIKE ACCENT! OMG the classic storytelling... taylors so good at this my god the worst thing that i ever did was what i did to you PARDY music between chorus and bridge UGH YES JAMES! YESSSS THE SOLO BREAKDOWN yes the only thing i wanna do is make it up to you i showed up at your party? aw! (and then you kicked me out LOL) will you have me will you love me will you kiss me on the porch aw shes so talented wtf. man aw standing in your cardigan kissing in my car again stopped at a street light you know i miss you aw [this was the clear trio clue lol]

15. peace

omg that guitar yes sexi rich deep yez thats so nice

that was catchy omg (when she started) OMG IT IS CENSORED...... i talk * with my friends? GIVE US THE UNCENSORED GOODIES CMON!!! oh i just saw the one thats explicit CLOWNS TO THE WEST WEY IT US aw the rains always gonna come when youre standing with me

16. hoax

so simple, vocals and piano wowie omg best laid plan around there the STRINGS are stunning. seriously stunning wow im obsessed this is nice sad feels the guitar added agh yes omg im gonna cry it still hurts beneath my scars when tey pulled me apart im cryin.... that part im cryin!!!!!!!!! THIS WHOLE BIT the background vocals are stunning her voice :( the stirngs :( the piano :( the guitar :( the simplicity :( me saying okay and nodding while crying

Note. The asterisk was me trying to decode which songs were part of the trio, but I kind of lost track and got confused once we hit Betty / I was too distracted by it being country hahaha

[popwasabi]

How some stoners named “Harold & Kumar” made Asian Americans proud

Being Asian American can make you feel invisible at times or worst, the butt of every bad joke.

Sure, lots of Americans love Asian things like sushi, kung fu, anime, and tacky calligraphy tattoos that don’t mean what they say they mean but they don’t particularly care about having the people themselves present or even represented.

And typically when we are represented it tends to look like this.

Or this.

Or this.

(I said what I SAID!)

Now Asian Americans are not by any stretch the most marginalized or even the least represented people in the larger American cultural diaspora, but they’re fairly consistently forgotten or grossly stereotyped in our media regardless and this has larger consequences. Representation is important because it makes a people’s presence known to the larger majority.

Our pop culture has unfortunately played a role in erasing, appropriating, and misrepresenting Asian folk. An action movie may feature a white actor with extreme martial arts skills fighting in Hong Kong but might not have a single prominent Asian voice throughout the plot and those that do are typically gross caricatures. The Cyberpunk genre loves Asian aesthetics from its Tokyo inspired neon lighting, futurist cityscape, and ramen carts abound but boy, is the populace typically dominantly white.

(I love this movie but considering how many Asian things and aesthetic choices there are in it would it have killed Denis Villeneuve to have at least ONE background Asian person??)

It’s not shocking then that 2004’s stoner comedy classic “Harold & Kumar” starts with a pair of white dudes beginning their own adventure by leaving one of the titular heroes in the dust to do their dirty work because “Asians love math” or something. Despite not being a stoner, at the time at least, I related hard to this movie and its characters as the film touched on a number of triggers I had growing up.

2004 was a formative year for me as an Asian American. For the first time ever, my history classes were touching on Asian culture with discussions on Japanese feudalism which awakened a deep sense of pride I didn’t know I had at the time. I was watching NHK samurai dramas about Miyamoto Musashi and later the Shinsengumi which led to me begin training in kendo. Anime had suddenly become more mainstream with the premiere of Shonen Jump and pirated subtitled anime littering all of YouTube. But more importantly, and distressingly, I became more aware of my identity because it was increasingly getting called out as I was getting older.

I’ve been labeled a number of different pejoratives growing up through my teens.

“Nerd.”

“Weirdo.”

“Loser”

But none cut deeper than “Chinese boy.”

I’m not Chinese, of course, in fact I’m half white and half Japanese but try telling the various ignorant lunkheads I knew growing up to respect and differentiate between them all. Hell, better yet tell them I’m just as American as they are too.

Being labeled “Chinese” hit a very personal chord with me. To lots of Americans, unfortunately, we’re all “Chinese” and the various qualities that make each of our cultures unique are inconsequential to them. We AAPI’s all individually take a measure of pride in those unique qualities and to have it all sequestered under a blanket “Chinese” label was beyond insulting.

(And I don’t care what you tell me or how much you hate China’s government, this is a THOUSAND percent a dog whistle.)

For Asian Americans, there have been various ways one reacts to these insults. Some of course, who learned confidence at a younger age, would shrug it off or ignore it, some would outright resent it but for me at least it only made me dig my heels in deeper. Yeah, I’m Asian, so fuck you!

That energy is deep “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle” as these two Asian American characters not only navigate a crazy night of searching for an open White Castle to satisfy their stoner cravings but also confront various microaggressions from outside and within the Asian community.

Harold, of course, struggles with his confidence. He can’t stand up for himself when the aforementioned two white bros from the start of the film saddle him with extra work. He laments doing the typical Asian thing of being too passive when confronted by authority. He can’t find the will to ask the girl next door out because again he sees himself as an impotent Asian guy unwilling to make the first move. The whole movie he struggles with his inner feelings because he’s been taught and programmed to a certain extent to be timid because that’s the Asian identity.

Meanwhile, Kumar’s character is about resisting conformity to those same stereotypes but in the worst ways. He co-opts black and hip-hop culture as seen in his messy apartment room. He fights his dad who is forcing him to take his doctor's exam, something he doesn’t want. Generational pressure is common in all cultures but it’s an entirely different animal when it comes to the Asian upbringing. Kumar embodies this resist from beginning to the end of the film and though he does decide to take the test, it’s important that he chooses to do it, not his dad, and certainly not because he’s Indian. He decides that choosing to be a great doctor doesn’t mean he is becoming a stereotype because his identity is not just about being Asian.

(Every Asian kid has heard their parent make an unintentional innuendo.)

Harold and Kumar’s differing approaches create a charming pair for the film to bounce off as Kumar’s brashness often lands them in trouble and Harold’s timid demure keeps them down in its own way and the two finally come together when Kumar learns to understand the difference between conformity and choice and Harold learns conformity doesn’t define him.

Both characters confront all kinds of microaggressions against their identity throughout the film. Cops making fun of their names. The extreme sports bros making every racist joke every Asian kid has every heard growing up at them. All Asian Americans have grown up wanting to deliver the perfect comeback or “fuck you” moment against these types of people and when our heroes triumph and put them all in their place there is undeniable catharsis as it happens for everyone who has seen this movie.

(Seriously, there isn’t a more satisfying good triumphing over evil moment in film for me than the conclusion of this particular plot.)

The movie confronts stereotypes in more ways than one though. Throughout the movie Harold and Kumar are confronted by a situation that makes them think it’ll go one direction but ends up (usually comedically) the opposite. Harold and Kumar try to hook up with two beautiful transfer students who turn out to have horrible bowel issues. Harold is reluctant to go to the Asian American club party because even he believes in his own ethnic stereotypes of them but it turns out it’s a banger of a party with plenty of weed to boot. Harold and Kumar are picked up by a lonesome, disfigured tow truck driver and are shocked to find he’s married to a beautiful woman. And the aforementioned extreme sports bros turn out to love cheesy pop music and romantic songs.

Basically, the whole movie is about giving a big middle finger to all our preconceived notions we have about identity and it's brilliant.

(Nothing wrong with cheesy pop music, of course.)

“Harold & Kumar” is great for other reasons too. John Cho and Kal Penn still play greatly off each other. There’s plenty of great one-liners sprinkled between each scene. The entire journey to find White Castle burgers in the middle of the night is a fairly genius premise for a stoner comedy still. And Neil Patrick Harris playing “himself” is still iconic.

Parts of the movie haven’t aged, well of course. There’s some bad gross-out humor, some lazy gay panic jokes and not to mention some sexist quips that don’t land well in 2020. Also, let’s just not talk about the sequels.

(I still find this scene amusing though.)

That said, “Harold & Kumar’s” first film in this munchie saga is not only a grade-A stoner flick but simply one of the best films ever when it comes to bringing that much needed representation of the time to Asian Americans. Watching Harold & Kumar stick it to their annoying white antagonists while delivering a “fuck you” to every racist joke I ever heard growing up is still cathartic as hell and made me feel proud to be Asian American during a turbulent time for myself growing up.

Though it’s not Masterpiece Theater by any stretch, Harold & Kumar will always hold a special place in my heart and remains forever “high” on my list of favorite movies of all-time.

Happy 4/20, y’all!

[momentsinsong]

Moments In Song No. 022 - Ola

“Moments In Song” asks people one simple question, “What are you listening to?” For every installment we ask someone to make a playlist of 10 songs they’re listening to, whether it be something new they stumbled upon, or a song they’ve always loved, and explain the story behind their choices. We aim to show that no matter where we come from, what we do, or what we look like, music has the ability to bring us together.

With a playlist full of emotions, Ola talks to us about favorite hard hitting songs, how his father and brother introduced him to new music, and gives us a crash course on African Music.

Listen to Ola’s playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Words and photos by Julian.

__________________________________________________________

Can you tell me about the thought process behind picking these 10 songs?

So like, just things I listen to everyday on my ride to work. I throw on my long playlist, and these are the songs that always hit extra hard. Like “Runaway” is my favorite song ever. “They Don’t Really Care About Us” is like the first song I memorized as a kid so it’s a hard hitting song. And “Tricky Bailey,” I remember when we crafted that in the Denny’s the day after a party (laughs). It things like that that inspired this playlist.

How difficult was it to pick 10 songs? Did they come easy to you, or did you have to take some time to think and pick the 10 you wanted?

I started with like fifty (laughs).

Fifty?!

And then I had to narrow it down. Because there’s a lot of songs that I listen to daily that I like that should’ve hit this list, but you have to take out the stuff that people may not understand, or won’t make sense. You have to take out the stuff that’s not on Apple Music (laughs). And then you have to find a good set that really speaks of who you are. You should be able to know that is the shit that Ola listens to when you pull this up.

What would you say this playlist explains about you?

It shows a bit of my style and what I like. It shows my mood and the different facets of myself. It’s not just always super rap, it’s not always super trap either. You can be lyrical, but you can be experimental, you can have fun and you can be sad. And it’s all cool.

What songs on your playlist would you say fit that experimental lane?

I mean for it’s time “Runaway” was considered experimental because Kanye was crying on autotune and nobody had really done that before. The joint with SAINt JHN is experimental because you can’t really put it in a lane. It’s not a rap song, it’s not R&B, it’s one of those little pop techno type because of how the beat goes. “Xanax Damage” is Future playing with the trap banger and being more emotional, which I don’t think a lot of people are big fans of but I love that shit. Emotional Future is the best.  

I know from just knowing you as a person, Kanye and Future are two of your favorites. What about them make them your favorites?

Because the make music that makes you feel. It’s all their rawest emotions, for better or for worse. Even when Future says things that are considered disrespectful, it’s how he feels raw and he doesn’t apologize for that. I appreciate that in artists. Same thing with Kanye, storming the stage to take that mic from Taylor Swift, it’s unapologetic, it’s raw. It’s ok to feel feelings. Everybody only talks about feelings when you’re winning. It’s ok when it sucks. If you’re not happy with yourself it’s ok to talk about how you’re not happy with yourself. It’s an emotion. That’s what I like about them, they’re very raw about their feelings. 

Also just be knowing you, I’m surprised I didn’t see any Fela Kuti on the playlist. I know he’s one of your favorites. Did you have any songs from him that didn’t make it on here?

I did but the problem is, how am I gonna fit a 32 minute song…(laughs) because I don’t like the way they do his singles. Some of the songs progress very interestingly, like from the way the bass comes in, some songs have 2 basses in them, one will abruptly come in when he calls for it, so it’s hard to fit those 20 minute, 14 minute, 35 minute long songs. 

Are they really that long?

Yeah. One of my favorites is like 36 minutes long.

What’s is called?

O.D.O.O. (Overtake Don Overtake Overtake). He used to call it African Classical Music. 

I don’t know much about him and his music, but are most of his songs live performance recordings? Is that why they’re so long?

Yeah a good amount of them. There’s “Just Like That” which I think was done in Detroit. The Berlin show was live and that was recorded into an album. There’s one he played Glastonbury in the UK too that became an album as well. A lot if it is live instruments, a live band. If any song would have made it, probably “Zombie” would’ve been the easiest to fit in because it’s very common so people would catch it faster. And it’s not too long, it’s about 12, 14 minutes.

I feel like with Future and Kanye, those are artists you listened to because of the time period you grew up. How’d you pick up on Fela, who’s an older act before your time?

My dad is an older guy, so he listens to older music. So I would listen to his music when he would drop me off to school, my older too he’s a music head and listens to a lot of older acts. When you start getting older, you start to look for things you like, so I started searching on YouTube and found one of his songs. That lead to clips of his concerts where he would say things that would resonate with me outside of the music. From his view on Africa, Black nationalism, how you should love your blackness, all of that. It was from there that he became my guy. I even wrote my college applications on him. He’s the man. Rest in peace to a real one. 

Building off of that, when did you start finding the music and artists you wanted to listen to, and developing your taste. 

When my brother first visited after we moved here, When I was a kid he would always play music and I would always remember songs and have it stuck in my head. There’s this one Micheal Jackson song actually, and not a lot of people know this but Michael Jackson is one of my favorites. He has this one song “Whatever Happens” and the only reason I remember it to this day is because I used to steal that CD out of his room and play it every night before I went to sleep. It’s little things like that that helped me pick what I like. And then from there you get YouTube, Limewire, all that good stuff, word of mouth with your friends too. Shout out to my boys who got me hip to Gucci when I was younger in High School. That’s how you start developing what you like. And then the sound evolves. I like Gucci, that’s why I like Future, because Gucci was the first trap god. And it goes from there, from Future you have a little bit of Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, you have different sounds. You branch off from one mumble to multiple mumbles. 

Would you say your brother and dad are two big influences as far as where you get your music from?

Hell yeah. I still remember I stole a CD from my dad in 2011 when I went back home for the summer. I still have it to this day even though I don’t have anything to play it on. 

What CD?

It’s Fuji Music in Nigeria. It’s this old CD from like 1987. It’s almost religious music but not really, in the sense that it started from religion. He’s talking about some foul shit because he can talk about foul shit, but another musician died so he’s talking about how we was a great guy and how everyone should remember him. He also talked about the politics at the time, and how the military was in charge of everything. And it’s all in Yoruba, so it’s how I remember my language as well.

Who’s the artist?

Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.

Wow that’s a mouthful. Is Fuji Music a genre of music?

Correct. That’s why what they call “Afrobeats” today I personally don’t like calling it Afrobeats, because it’s not pure Afrobeats. The original Afrobeats is Fela’s music, and from Fela’s music there’s Juju music, there’s Fuji music, there’s music from the North, and also Highlife music, which are all subgenres of everything. So this new Afrobeats they’re playing is like taking bits and pieces for everything from above. When you call it Afrobeats it takes away from the original Afrobeats which is Fela’s lane, and it also kills everybody else’s music because when you Google Afrobeats once you get past the new guys, the first thing that comes up is Fela. You never really hear about the other ones.

So you’re saying Fuji Music is a branch of the original Afrobeat stuff? A subgenre?

It’s not even a subgenre. It developed around the same time almost. It just never blew up.

Oh so it ran parallel to Afrobeat?

Correct. It just never blew like it should.

Are you saying what people call Afrobeats now is more similar to Fuji Music?

It’s like a combination of all three. I don’t necessarily want to say it’s closer because it’s the same effect. The call, the rhythm. Sometimes there’s a lot of instruments in the background. Fuji has a certain style. You’re just talking shit sometimes. They all have it in them too. It’s not necessarily devoted to one lane like they call it. Afrobeat was the one to blow up first, so that’s why the name was sticking and that’s why it’s easier to call everything that’s come after Afrobeat. Fuji never really escaped the borders, because it’s also tied to the language. If you don’t understand the language you’ll never be able to understand the songs. 

Are there any current Afrobeats artists that match the original sound of Afrobeat?

Yeah Fela’s sons still play. Like 2 of his sons play. Even his grandons play.There’s also a few bands that sound like his stuff. There’s a band in America, Antibalas, that sounds like the original Afrobeat with the big band feel. You have different horns, the basses, everything coming into it. There’s a few of them out there. But everything’s gone pop. Everything that they call Afrobeats I’d rather call it Afro-pop music. Because it’s popular music. It’s taking from everybody. Not just even Nigrean Afrobeats, but they’re taking things from other countries in West Africa. The French speakers for example, Southern African music is coming into it now. It’s only a matter of time till we take from East Africa. 

Yeah I feel that. I feel like the same thing could be said for some Reggaeton now. A lot of it is heavily pop influenced, and has some electronic sounds in it. You got like DJ Snake making songs with J. Balvin and calling it Reggaeton now. 

And that doesn’t make it bad because some of the music is fire. 

Yeah definitely.

Let’s just not kid ourselves on what we’re calling it. There’s nothing wrong with Pop music, Pop music is fine. It’s not a derogatory term.   

What would you want people to take away from this playlist?

Future is the best rapper of all time. 

Ok (Laughs).

But nah seriously, music is cool. Music has different feels to it. There’s happy songs here that have you going. There’s sad songs. That song “Descent” at the end, when I get married I’m gonna play that joint when my wife is walking up to me and I will cry real tears. That is one of the most beautiful songs of my life. Music is feels and it's cool.

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[i-am-grell]

Here’s My Top 100 For 2018 From Spotify

And me trying to justify them! (Look, some are WIP-related, others are jams, some I really can’t explain I just got back into Glee for like a month at one point this year...) Here’s the playlist

1. From a Mountain In The Middle Of The Cabins - Panic! At The Disco

Look, I just love the bouncy piano and the tuba. You can never have a bad tuba.

2. The End. - My Chemical Romance

Goes along with Chapter 8 of my WIP, Interlude, because I’m mean

3. Blank Space - I Prevail

This also goes along with Interlude from Chapter 1 - 5

4. If It Means A Lot To You - A Day To Remember

This one goes with my WIP Blood Bound (This one isn’t posted anywhere) (specifically, book 5)

5. Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes - Fall Out Boy

Another Blood Bound one (Book 7)

6. This Could Be Anywhere In The World - Alexisonfire

Interlude

7. The Curse of Curves - Cute is What We Aim For

This was going to be Interlude-related but got replaced. Still a banger

8. Disturbia - The Cab

The theme song of Dreavyn from my WIP Aaron Being Normal and if anyone has any tips on how to control a chaotic bisexual OC please let me know

9. Jumpsuit - Twenty One Pilots

Funky bass

10. MakeDamnSure - Taking Back Sunday

A theme for Trace from Aaron Being Normal (Won’t be extremely relevant until book 3 (also this was supposed to be a standalone...))

11. Miss Murder - AFI

Funky bass part 2

12. Fences - Paramore

Interlude again - A Selena Walton Theme Song.

13. The Sharpest Lives - My Chemical Romance

Interlude - A Morgan/Selena/Mostly Selena Theme. (Also, a banger)

14. Camisado - Panic! At The Disco

Interlude - How many hospital scenes can I fit into 1 WIP about depressed teens? (Turns out three; maybe four, technically)

15. My Heart I Surrender - I Prevail

Cole’s character song (Interlude) (Also romantic AF)

16. I Don’t Care - Fall Out Boy

Interlude. Also a Mood

17. Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day

Partially Interlude, partially because Holiday fucking slaps and BoBD is a classic

18. Ocean Avenue - Yellowcard

1/2 Interlude, 1/2 a Mood

19. I Don’t Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem) - Good Charlotte

Dare I say, an aro-ace mood?

20. Check Yes, Juliet - We The Kings

I feel like half this playlist is just gonna be songs from the Interlude playlist...

21. Problematique - Hot Chelle Rae

Some funky bass, call and response, and fast rhyming - an ultimate jam

22. Postcards - Amber Pacific

Interlude playlist

23. Nico and The Niners - Twenty One Pilots

Look, I just really like Trench; it’s a good album

24. Demolition Lovers - My Chemical Romance

This is on the Interlude playlist but there’s such a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it, man...

25. Do You Know What I’m Seeing? - Panic! At The Disco

No. I don’t. Good song to dissociate to, though. I’m not good at instruments but good guitar/ukulele/whatever it is. Pleasant mood.

26. Rough Hands - Alexisonfire

Look, I’m trying to learn how to properly sing unclean parts (screamo parts) which will be absolutely shocking coming from a 5′2″ blonde girl; I need songs to practice to...

27. The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver - All Time Low

Theme song to the Netflix adaptation of Interlude that plays in my head on repeat. Now if only I could actually finish writing the goddamn book...

28. Fat Lip - Sum 41

Interlude playlist, also listen to it and tell me you don’t hate everybody and this town

29. Say Anything (Else) - Cartel

I like singing the intro/chorus as sort of a vocal warm up...

30. Oh Well, Oh Well - Mayday Parade

Just a fucking MOOD my dudes

31. Whatever Happened To Saturday Night? - Glee Cast Version

No offense to Meat Loaf....but John Stamos... (Also Interlude (Travis) inspo) (Also I was really into Glee again earlier this year... Still haven’t actually watched past season 3...)

32. The Anthem - Good Charlotte

What I listen to when I consider dropping out and becoming a bog witch, but, like, a punk bog witch

33. Thunder - Boys Like Girls

Aaron Being Normal Inspo. The band’s name is ironic considering how Gay I make it...

34. Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am? - Fall Out Boy

I like singing this one when I’m drunk

35. I Don’t Love You - My Chemical Romance

Blood Bound (Book 2)

36. This Is Gospel - Panic! At The Disco

Blood Bound (Book 3)

37. Silver Bullet - Hawthorne Heights

Interlude Playlist

38. Weightless - All Time Low

MAYBE IT’S NOT MY WEEKEND BUT IT’S GONNA BE MY YEAR I scream to myself on a Tuesday

39. Who Do You Love - Marianas Trench

Have you ever looked up an a capella version of this one? Cuz yeah

40. Let The Flames Begin - Paramore

Anti-Depression, yet still Depressed Mood

41. Red Sam - Flyleaf

Depression Mood - also Interlude playlist

42. Jamie All Over - Mayday Parade

Interlude Playlist, and I think the Dreavyn playlist too... Look, it’s just a jam

43. Savior - Rise Against

Interlude Theme

44. Kiss Me, Kill Me - Mest

Another Interlude thing also a really good Selena x Morgan song

45. Hot To The Touch, Cold On The Inside - Fall Out Boy

Aaron Being Normal song also it’s about a hot pocket

46. Newport Living - Cute is What We Aim For

Interlude song that causes drama

47. Meant To Live - Switchfoot

Selena song - Interlude

48. Kill All Your Friends - My Chemical Romance

This is on the Interlude playlist purely because I’m Evil

49. You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring

On the Interlude playlist, also highly recommend blaring this through the hallways of your Catholic High School during lunch

50. Lights And Sounds - Yellowcard

Interlude Playlist also a banger

51. Angel With A Shotgun - The Cab

If this ain’t romantic as shit... Also it will make you wanna declare war on God Himself what a Mood

52. Somebody Told Me - The Killers

I’m not justifying why The Killer’s is on here I’m just shocked and appalled that Mr. Brightside has yet to make an appearance Spotify

53. Alright - Hot Chelle Rae

The English major inside of me wants to correct it to “all right” also Interlude epilogue Mood.

54. Changing - Saosin

Interlude Playlist

55. Bring Me To Life (Synthesis) - Evanescence

The Synthesis version is far superior and allows me to Properly showcase my Amy Lee impression

56. Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bed - Fall Out Boy

Along with J. Michael Tatum, Patrick Stump’s voice is My Religion - the first 23 seconds > The Beatles

57. Pas De Cheval - Panic! At The Disco

Sounds gallop-y

58. Be My Escape - Relient K

Interlude Mood/Theme

59. Science Fiction Double Feature - Glee Cast

Look, all Rocky Horror versions are great, even the Glee one...

60. Dear Maria, Count Me In - All Time Low

I like to sing this one when drunk

61. Stand - Flyleaf

Blood Bound (Final Book. End. Roll credits.)

62. I’d Do Anything - Simple Plan

A jam

63. Sweetness - Jimmy Eat World

The call-response, the spastic drums, damn boi, they’ve got it all

64. Say You Like Me - We The Kings

Catchy song, little fuckboi-ish if you really listen to the lyrics, but it’s not Baby It’s Cold Outside-bad???

65. AMBULANCE - My Chemical Romance

*Choir Ah-ing*, also an Interlude mood considering there are like 2 separate confirmed ambulance parts anyway...

66. crushcrushcrush - Paramore

Look me dead in the eye and tell me Hayley Williams didn’t put everything into her lyrics/singing here

67. Stay - Mayday Parade

Songs for when you’re heartbroken but to the point of dissociating while it rains outside, starting to storm, it starts out with just the grey pattering of a sheet of raindrops and soon the thunder starts to rumble with growing intensity and lightning splits the sky

68. There’s A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought Of It Yet - Panic! At The Disco

I am the victim of Dreavyn Hawthorne from my WIP Aaron Being Normal seriously if anyone can help me control a chaotic theatre bisexual...

69. Lyrical Lies - Cute is What We Aim For

This band’s lyrics are so fucking poetic it is Shakespeare to a guitar, y’all

70. Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) - Fall Out Boy

I always get like a falling slowly down one of those psychedelic tubes greenscreened into the background feeling at the intro but just like totally at peace falling, like kinda like listening to Ride by 21P type mood but then the chorus comes and it’s a jam

71. Backseat Serenade - All Time Low

Just a banger

72. My Own Worst Enemy - Lit

Look I don’t party too hard but when I do we go hard I was at a party on a Thursday night that didn’t end until the next morning no shit one guy I know did a kegstand before going to his English class

73. Come As You Are - Nirvana

Damn Kurt we miss you but you turned out some jams that no one can match

74. Traitor - Flyleaf

Blood Bound (Book 3)

75. Sadie Hawkins Dance - Relient K

The lyrics are so stupid but damn I love it

76. Poetically Pathetic - Amber Pacific

Did you mean literally 90% of my male OCs?

77. Saviour - LIGHTS

The first LIGHTS song I ever heard and I will defend my favourite singer until the day I die she’s Canadian like me, her family is ADORABLE, SHE is ADORABLE and I love her the end

78. Jersey - Mayday Parade

This goes with every WIP I’ve ever conceived and literally none of them are set in Jersey

79. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

I feel like this song is just a universal mood but no one can explain exactly why

80. C’mon - Panic! At The Disco

Wholesome(TM)

81. Sunshine Riptide - Fall Out Boy

Interlude Playlist - I imagine Morgan singing it and that might end up happening in canon but idk yet...

82. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Easily in the top 3 Neil Diamond songs if not the top, fight me.

83. First Date - blink-182

Literally just such an adorable song, blink-182 is the best

84. Last Hope - Paramore

Mostly a Selena song (Interlude) but idk I’ve destroyed many OCs wills to live so

85. Black Sheep - Metric

@spotify please put the Brie Larson version from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on your streaming service I’m begging you - a very gay

86. When You Were Young - The Killers

Good song, real jam, where’s Mr. Brightside, spotify, where is it????

87. Broken Hearts Parade - Good Charlotte

A certified bop

88. All I Want - A Day To Remember

A song for my greedier OCs who just want to stop being tortured but yknow what children life aint fair

89. The Kids From Yesterday - My Chemical Romance

Put this in any of my WIPs really...

90. Threshold - Sex Bob-Omb

Try to tell me the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World soundtrack isn’t lit

91. Sorrow - Flyleaf

Blood Bound (Book 3)

92. Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea - Fall Out Boy

You know when you’re writing intense battles or going to get a tattoo and need a playlist of War Songs? This is like the first one on my War Songs playlist

93. Jesus Of Suburbia - Green Day

A staple in the punk rock genre

94. Neon Gravestones - Twenty One Pilots

Ngl I sobbed when I first heard this one so

95. Pressure - Paramore

Very vocal on the Interlude playlist

96. Starlight - Muse

I first got into Muse because it fueled Twilight but yknow what they’re still a damn good group and Supermassive Black Hole carried the baseball scene which was an astounding piece of cinema so

97. Sleepless in Phoenix - blessthefall

It’s literally just my favourite blessthefall song, fight me

98. Kids In The Dark - All Time Low

My mood for when my dad tells me “you’re 20 you should be able to figure it out” like excuse me for not learning how the entire world works the second I turned 18...

99. Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time - Panic! At The Disco

Refer to My Own Worst Enemy. Add drugs. I’ve never done drugs but..

100. Feeling This - blink-182

*screams I’m Feeling This at regular intervals* (I have no explanation it’s just a BOP)

[i-might-be-a-kpop-fan]

KPOP SONGS! Part 2/?

So I thought I’d make a list of the songs in my „kpop“ playlist and write a little about them because I’m bored. These are supposed to be chronological, but after looking at the list I’m not so sure about it also because I love to buy music in bulks. 

PT.1

THESE ARE JUST MY OPINIONS/EXPERIENCES TAKE IT WITH A PINCH OF SALT AND DON’T KILL ME! 

Also write me if you wanna chat about it :D 

ZUTTER - GD & T.O.P:

 This song is a little scary tbh, apart from the badass vibes

I always loved T.O.P’s deep ass voice and with GD’s high pitched rap it’s just perfect

The MV is funny, creepy and a bit fucked up but what did we expect honestly :D

They rhyme aLOT in this song which makes it really interesting to listen to

made me addicted to the GD & T.O.P combination 

…..ZUTTER!

THE BADDEST FEMALE - CL:

 It took me a while to understand that this isn’t a solo version of „I’m the best“

It’s the queen saying she’s a bad bitch so you know it’s a banger

As almost all CL songs this is good to let off steam and regain your badass level after someone pissed you off

The MV is a sexual awakening on it’s own and performances of that song are also definitely worth a watch

„Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good you know?“

Perfect to practice bitch drops and feel yourself to

Burning Up (Fire) - BTS:

 So I don’t really listen a lot to it but I still like it

Has all kinds of badass vibes and I like the soft breaks in-between

RM’s part is by far my favourite his deep voice is so satisfying

The MV is also really cool

You can see from previous songs I had a badass song phase (I still have this phase, I love badass songs) where I only took badass kpop songs seriously

Growl - EXO: 

Okay, so I sometimes forget about this song haha

A good song that screams SM to be honest which I always thought was not that much the case with other EXO songs

The dance to this is really satisfying to watch and was probably the reason I bought this song

It shows EXO’s excellent vocals, has a nice feel and is easy to listen to 

Quite an early song too

I love that you could potentially dance really hard to this but still is very soft

Instantly recognisable and also a kpop classic I would say

GOOD BOY - GD & Taeyang: 

 Is this a kink? This is a kink right?

An awesome song i have bopped to a million times

I really love the „pretty/good boy“ trope and who is better for that then our bad boys™️ GD and Taeyang?

Their voices sound a bit alike and I sometimes had trouble differencing them….whoops

The dance is so so good and the MV is such an accurate representation of these two freaks

God I just love them and miss them so much

I am the best (JP. Ver) - 2ne1:

Welcome to another round of Aki isn’t capable of differencing Japanese and Korean lol

I must say I prefer this version though, I recently bought the korean version and it’s just not the same I got so used to the english parts lol 

This is also a classic, bow to the queens of badass girl group songs!

The MV made me fall in love with CL and the gang

„It’s 2 in the morning our bodies getting freaky, the beats bumping loud but this boy keeps talking! I can’t really hear him but I think he’s saying he loves me? Put his number on this paper but i throw it like frisbee, huh?“

I C O N I C this song raised me, fed me, dressed me and gave me the kick in the butt I needed.

Oh my god! 

BOOMBAYAH - BLACKPINK:

 Why of course after discovering 2ne1 BP wasn’t far behind

Recently showed this MV to a non kpop friend of mine and she drooled over all of them soooo, you can do that

Loved this song the second it started and love dancing violently to it

I now, btw, also own the whole album but it took me a bit to get into them (I was in girl group denial, don’t be like me show them girls some love!)

OPPA!

Being only four really makes it possible for all of them to shine, the vocals are clean and pretty but raspy enough to fit the concept and Jennie and Lisas raps are perfect as always

The beat is easy as is the whole song, doesn’t get annoying and is just a bop.  

Fantastic Baby - BIGBANG:

Nananananananana wow, fantastic baby!

Well well well if it isn’t history right there

Watch the MV, listen to the song! It’s mandatory to know this I’m sorry I don’t make the rules

Danceable, walkable just all in all go crazy(-able)

Boomshakalaka! 

A bit poppy so maybe not for everyone as it sounds a lot like stuff that is randomly on the radio

A dance song that probably was never intended to be more than that. Typically YG, a bit flatter than Bang Bang Bang

I’m repeating myself but you know I heard it’s also something non kpop people enjoy (Basically show them all of BIGBANG, lol)

Ice cream cake - Red Velvet:

Oh boy! My first Red Velvet song that I have because the refrain was stuck in my head and I wanted to know what it was

There’s way more RV later on but for now I think it was the only song

As I said I was in denial of girl groups that didn’t have a badass concept which was soooo dumb!

I love the song, it’s cute and easy to listen to

I love RV’s kinda cute-creepy concept and with the music box in the background it feeds into my liking very easily

I have moved on from it though after discovering other songs from them so I don’t listen to it as often

„I scream, you scream, gimme that, gimme that ice cream!“

Sherlock (Clue + Note) - SHINee:

I have known this song for years! Back when my best friend was into kpop and told me all about SHINee I looked into it, Youtube gave me this song and I instantly clicked. Didn’t like it clicked away and didn’t touch it for 5 years

Well now I love it and can’t stop dancing when it’s on

„SHINees back….“

The MV is confusing but god they’re all so cute in it! Taemin looks so adorable with long hair!

I have watched the dance practice about 100x times and you should too! (jk)

„Tonight, SHINee’s in da house! So give it up for SHINee!“

And as much as I love SHINee’s vocal squad and they’re great in this, Key and Minho really do it for me in this song

The song lives from the dance and the performance and makes it 10x better

It’s also good for just listening though but not really calm and casual so be prepared to break out into sudden song

„Oh I’m curious, yeah!“ (Is it noticeable that I’m listening to it while I write? probably not.)

Breaking News - SHINee:

 And my struggle with japanese songs continues haha

„Come on break down the walls!“

I really like this song though, especially the refrain it’s so much fun

It’s also really danceable (as I think every SHINee song is, I mean have you seen them dance?)

Partly really dramatic (slay Onew slay), partly badass rapping

I mean it’s SHINee it’s fun bright and has a dance rhythm what more could you possibly want?

Ring Ding Dong - SHINee:

 Yeah, i doubt you don’t know this one

Coincidently the first kpop MV I watched after deciding to dive deeper down the rabbit hole and well would you know it…now we’re here

It’s the one about the broken doorbell! Break it down!

This song and dance is Legendary!

Also a fun song that isn’t to be taken too seriously

The MV is kinda dramatic for this song lol

Good to listen to, has a nice beat and melody

There are these songs that every idol can dance to, this is one of them (In the list of “songs every idol can dance to” you’d find a LOT of SHINee btw)

„Ringdingdongringdindongringdigidingdigiding“

SHAKE THAT BRASS - AMBER (feat. Taeyon):

Amber…oh Amber. I love her really a whole lot and as I saw the MV I just had to have this song!

It’s a super fun and dancey song with (as the title suggests) a brassy sound

Much like Woof Woof I really enjoy this song bc of the MV, 

Amber is rapping and being the goofball she is ;)

BUT! As much as I like that song and think she deserves all the solo stuff she can get I like her new stuff more because it’s more „hers“. I really enjoy her singing as well.

And confession of the month: I don’t like f(x)’s sound so I’m happy she does solo stuff

She’s such an inspiration with her unique style and attitude (sighs in very gay)

 Lucifer - SHINee:

 I LOVE this song! OMG!

The MV is kinda uneventful but the DANCE PRACTICE!

Oh boy! Well first off Lee Taemin is very distracting in it but you have to see the dance to believe it! That’s what they perform with! On a regular basis!

The sound is very electric and theres a quiet electric melody running through the whole of it that kinda sounds like some alarm clocks lol

Edgy™️

You should absolutely watch performances! Jonghyuns high note is not portrayed well in the recorded version, boy has breath forever!

Apart from the vocals slaying absolutely every note the rap parts can’t be discarded by any means

It all just fits so perfectly

Oh and of course for a song of it’s time it’s just a little bit...nonsensical (especially the english parts lol: Loverholic, robotronic. what?)

Hero - MONSTA X:

 I’m thinking of a helicopter landing platform, pulled up shirts and a scared Wonho 

The dance to this song is…well do yourself a favour if you like abs and boys

Apart from the drool worthy performance, the song is super cool! Kinda chill, but still powerful and damn rapline went off!

This song really made them known more and it’s for a good reason

The sound in this is what is „typically“ MX for long time (Till up until Jealousy I’d say)

„I can be your hero, I can be your man!“

Sometimes a bit repetitive but what song isn’t lol?

Also still is in the „we all dress awful and don’t know what to do with our hands“ phase but that passes soon

Lead to many wonderful reality shows that makes it easy for new fans to get to know them better (Their group dynamic never changes they all just mature a bit it’s really nice to see.)

Also yes, Jooheon is kinda scary in this but I swear he a cutie

[loveump3]

jams meme: best of 2017

@blotthis tagged me in a jams meme!! thank you :D since it’s the new year, i thought i’d do a little retrospective of some of my favorite songs to come out of 2017! so here we goooo

“i wish” by wjsn

this song came out literally 3 days into the new year, but as soon as i heard it i knew it would be one of my top tracks of 2017. and i was right!! i loved “happy” too, and “happy moment” was one of my favorite albums this year, but i’ll always be especially weak for wjsn’s spacey concepts. this song is so pretty and light and pink, and the mv is a lisa frank dream, and the choreography is so whimsical and charming… great on all fronts. all hail the rookie pop princesses.

“wanted! wanted!” by mrs. green apple

mga have become one of my top favorite bands after i discovered them earlier in the year. i love how sweet and fizzy and fun their music is, and i love their lead singer motoki’s voice (i’m not sure what it is about it, but it makes me so happy). i feel like this song is a great example of their particular super-hyper brand of pop. this is a good one to blast in the car :o)

“vanilla” by fickle friends

another band that’s shot to the top of my list of favorites after finding them this year! their sparkly-pool-water 80s vibe is sooo up my alley. i love the percussion and the bright guitars in this song, and i have such a crush on natassja’s voice. (i’d also highly recommend “swim,” which has been one of my top jams this year and is also my favorite fickle friends song, and which i would have included, but it it came out in 2016, lol.)

“the song” by zion.t

i loved this song the moment i heard it. zion.t has one of my favorite voices not just in kpop but in general, and it sounds sooo nice and smooth here. and the simplicity of the song is so good?? it’s nothing frilly or explosive, it’s just a pleasant little tune. i like that the lyrics reflect that too—i love the “i’m not trying to write a hit song, i just want to write you something sweet” attitude. also for whatever reason i think the line “let’s stick together all day like alley cats” is so cute? and the mv is so wonderfully bizarre (the colors are sooo good). the rest of the album is great too; got me through a lot of shifts at work.

“when you love someone” by day6

i really thought “dance dance” was gonna hold tight to the title of Emma’s Favorite Every DAY6 song, but then “when you love someone” came out and immediately took its place. this song like the aural equivalent of a warm hug and a hot drink and it makes my heart feel so at peace every time i hear it :( also the lyrics are a complete K-O. those first few every day6 releases were SO ANGSTY, and even though i loved them i was like “will poor youngk ever write a happy relationship song???” but then he started releasing shit like this and it killed me and i immediately regretted ever asking. (also not to be a bitter betty but i’m still cheesed that we never got resolution on sungjin and wonpil’s story!!!!!!!! @ jyp i still have questions)

“we find love” by daniel caesar

“freudian” has become one of my new favorite albums. it’s so perfect for the winter—daniel caesar’s woozy gospel sound is so warm and cozy. there’s not a song on the album that i don’t love, but this one is particularly soothing and comfy. with the harmonized background vocals and the gentle piano, it sounds like something you’d hear on the radio late at night when you’re tucked into bed trying to fall asleep while the snow is drifting down outside. and daniel’s voice has this… i don’t know how to explain it. he sounds so assured and smooth when he sings, like he’s been doing this forever. i can’t get enough.

“cut to the feeling” by carly rae jepsen

2017 was the year that i remedied my worst mistake of never having listened to the power-pop gem that is carly rae jepsen’s 2015 album “e•mo•tion,” and is it too hyperbolic to say that that changed me as a person?? her brand of fizzy fluttery 80s-inspired sugar is everything i didn’t realize i needed. i’m dying for a new crj album, but in the meantime, “cut to the feeling” has done a good job of holding me over—it’s all the shout-about-your-crush-from-the-rooftops euphoria that miss carly does so well. extremely good for car rides, especially when the bridge kicks in.

“praying” by kesha

kesha has been my other pop queen this year. i liked her before, but then i listened to “rainbow” and cried like three different times while doing so, and i fell in love. every single song off of “rainbow” is great (the range of style is amazing, she goes from acoustic to pop to rock to country and back, and each one is just as great as the last), but “praying” is so raw and special; it doesn’t matter how many times i hear it, it hits me just as hard every time. i love how it builds—from the simmering power of the first chorus, to the stomp of the second (those pounding piano chords really get me), to the fireworks of the last (that fucking whistle note!!!!!!!!! also the way she sings “some say in life you gonna get what you give, but some things only god can forgive” with those horns behind her in the bridge…….i get shivers every time)… every second of it hurts so good. you can feel all that anger and pain, and also the euphoria and the healing. i’m so glad that kesha is finding herself again; she deserves the best.

“mic drop” by bts

i thought “baepsae” was my favorite “kiss my ass” bts banger, but then “her” came out and “mic drop” fuckin beat “baepsae” to a bloody pulp. the original and the desiigner/steve aoki remix are both sooo good: i love the dark grungy slink of the original, which sounds like it could play during the trailer for a movie about a scrappy gang of crime syndicate underlings who are sick and tired of being underestimated just because they’re all so young, so they’re ready to go off the books and pull a heist so big, no one will ever underestimate them again; but i also love the extra shot of adrenaline in the remix—desiigner’s verse is like whiplash (seriously, how does he manage to rap that fast???), and minimizing that bouncy little riff in the verses to focus on the vocals and the beat makes the chorus hits so much harder (also the “hella thick”/“hella sick” echoes are so much FUN to sing along to (and of course yoongi’s “baby watch your mouth” is…great, to say the least)). i really couldn’t pick between the two versions; although they share a teeth-bared-knuckles-bruised attitude, they’ve got unique vibes to me and i love them differently. that said, i’m linking to a performance of the original version because 1) yoongi and hoseok’s undone bow ties are really fucking me up; 2) apparently the reason why yoongi doesn’t do the last line of his verse is to prove to people accusing them of lip-syncing that they don’t use a track when they perform, which cracks me up because that’s such a yoongi thing to do; and 3) whoever wrote the captions added some little personal notes of their own and they’re so CUTE and funny.

“beautiful” by monsta x

idek what to say about this song anymore; it’s been 9 months and those opening bars still make my heart race. “beautiful” has become not only one of my favorite songs of 2017 but one of my favorite songs period. i’m a mess for mx and i love everything they do, but this song is really something else—rap line are in top fucking form, vocal line kill it (minhyuk’s lines are a Blessing), and the choreography is still one of my favorites from this year. i’ve listened to this song so many times i really thought i was gonna get sick of it, but i haven’t yet, and i don’t think i will.

“baby” by astro

i’m surprised my teeth haven’t rotted out of my skull after how many times i’ve listened to “baby” this year, because this song is like pure sugar. i love the snappy percussion and the bouncy bass and the bright melody, and astro have such sweet vocals to boot (especially mj, oh man ;___;). and the choreography is so!! good!!! it’s got this old-fashioned swing to it that i love. ugh. it’s all perfect. i remember a few months ago i was having a bad day for whatever reason, but after i watched a few live stages of this i instantly felt better.

“new fears” by lights

“skin&earth” was hands-down one of my top favorite releases of 2017—it’s the gritty post-apocalyptic cyberpunk album of my dreams. i’ve loved lights since like middle school, and it’s so amazing to see how her music has grown and changed; this is my favorite work from her so far. “skin&earth” has SO many good tracks, but “new fears” is probably my favorite. i love the eerie beginning, and the heavy beat in the chorus, and the lyrics!!!!!! they nail that feeling of “i would give myself up to keep you safe” in such a raw and heart-wrenching and beautiful way. just reading them gives me chills. the idea of getting new fears when you start really caring about someone……i never would’ve thought of it that way but it’s so true. UGH! lights if ur reading this i love u

“do it” by masc

god am i glad i stumbled across this one night when i was catching up on mvs, because masc have become one of my new favorite groups. i love the retro vibe, their vocals are so good (heejae’s voice…i’m weak), the choreography is SO freakin cute (i’m still not over the superman move in the chorus), and the mv is so colorful and goofy (two of my favorite things!)… truly a dream. the fan service dance practice and honestly any of the live stages are also a delight.

so there’s some of my faves! happy new year everyone!!! 2017 you kinda sucked sometimes but thanks for at least bringing some sweet jams. i’ll tag @anyhao @shinwhoohoo and @onlyoongi if you’d like to share some of what you’ve been listening to lately!