#like I understand why you would assume if you like one song by an artist you prob like other songs by that artist | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

the-s1lly-corner · 1 year ago

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How about digital circus x princess! Reader with their very own castle. Elegantly leaning out of their tower singing lullabies for anyone to hear. Ps Keep up the great work 👍

TADC cast x princess!reader

I know I usually stress that I answer stuff chronologically but I misread this as just jax (I'm sleepy!!) So I went to search for a princess reader post i did weeks ago, snagged the link then reread the request and saw it was the whole cast... but I've already committed to the bit by searching for the link sooooooooo

CAINE:

You and I both know hes goinv to use the fact ypure a princess for IHA... captured princess trope stuff, basically! So have fun with that! Absolutely loves your singing, so so much. Probably joins in with you, complimenting your part..or perhaps he hums.. other princesses have cute fairytale animals accompanying them, and you have..... bubble..... huh....

Really ups the whole... act when talking to you.. bows deeply, waves his arm around in a grand fashion when showing you to a room, ect ect ect

POMNI:

Has probably subconsciously/accidentally said you were pretty outloud. Gets absolutely lost in the sauce when you sing. Like just stands there, hands awkwardly clasped together in front of her as she listens. Probably sways side to side too. Gets very pink when talking to you, her face does the O^O thing... absolutely smitten

RAGATHA:

Ah my favorite, royal princess x common lady... well, at least aesthetically... whether or not you're royalty in the real world is debatable... anyways, that aside, I think this is probably one of my favorite ship dynamics... I love.. similar to pomni she is very bad at hiding her feelings around you. Tends to stare with a blushing face. Loves making you dresses; assuming you can swap out dresses considering the whole "their clothes are attatched to their bodies" thing

While I doubt your clothing can rip or tear thanks to the properties of the digital world, I think if she could, she would patch up any holes

KINGER:

Honestly I think out of this entire post, kinger is the only one who gets a platonic/found family take on this... just an old king and his princess kid. Again I'm not sure if he truly believes he royalty or if he was trying to appeal to the gloink queen by saying "as a royal myself.." but.. honestly I like the idea that he just likes playing the part. Like he knows hes not royalty but. You know? Let this man embellish himself

Pillow fort? No, pillow TOWER! No... pillow CASTLE! Pillow kingdom!!!

Nothing too hyped specific here he's just your dad here

ZOOBLE:

Oh? Cool. I mean your singing isnt really their cup of tea, they look like they're into alt/indie stuff tbh...maybe rock. Confession I'm terrible at identifying genres so I'm literally speaking out of my ass rn on what type of music zooble would listen to I'd have to list specific artists and songs

But this isnt about that

Depends on what kind of princess you are

If you're independent, resourceful, and badass I think you guys could build some chemistry

If you're like, damsel in distress, ,kind of stuck up, whiny, prissy, ect then it's a hard no

Not many ideas here tbh <\3

GANGLE:

Also thinks you're very pretty! Also loves your singing! I think she grew up on disney films, and even if she doesnt remember them it's still a core memory that like. is kind of instinctive atp. So she finds comfort around you, you know? LOVE that trope btw, where a character doesnt remember something but still finds comfort in it while not fully understanding why because as far as they know this is the first time with the thing

Absolutely melts if you compliment her. Sure, she would still melt if you weren't a princess.. but having someone so pretty and graceful saying it hits a certain way for her

JAX:

#tadc x reader #the amazing digital circus x reader #digital circus x reader #caine x reader #pomni x reader #ragatha x reader #jax x reader #kinger x reader #zooble x reader #gangle x reader

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andy-wm · 1 year ago

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I have thoughts about the Tiktok JK deleted

<<I realise its a few days ago now and you might be wondering 'what tiktok?' but I've been writing in snatches when I have a few minutes so it took a while. Anyway, here it is...>>

A few posts I've read have suggested JK did the silly>sexy Tiktok challenge backwards. That he did sexy>silly instead. That he was being random and funny.

I disagree.

What he did was unexpected, a little left of centre, and for the people who can read subtext, not random at all but very very clever.

I'll tell you why, (It may not be what you think) but first I need to vent about two things:

1. Give the man some credit. He knows what he's doing.

There are some who love JK but who see him as a naive innocent. He is not. He isn't a child or a himbo.

Saying he did the challenge just because it's trending, and he reversed the order of the content for a bit of a joke, is insulting to him as an artist. It would suggest he has no forethought or understanding of himself or his (global) audience, and his decisions are made on impulse with no idea of the consequences.

He's very intelligent and has plenty of experience with digital media and creating content. Besides being involved in producing complex visual narratives as part of BTS for the last ten years, he has directed and produced seven highly polished and professional GFC videos. And don't forget the MVs for Life Goes On. For the October issue of Vogue Korea he took on the role of Creative Director. That's a pretty big deal. So we can assume he knows what he's doing.

If he produces content in a particular way, it's because it enables him to communicate what he wants to communicate.

2. You may not understand the message. That doesn't mean there's nothing to understand.

A heads up to people who can't work it out... your inability to grasp meaning doesn't equate to 'no meaning exists'. Suggesting that people who recognise what he's doing are reaching or delusional is an insult to both the audience who can read this situation, and to Jungkook, who is sharing his message.

Consider a system of writing you can't decode. Lack of comprehension doesnt mean the writing is meaningless, it means you don't understand the language.

Even if you believe you understand what's being said, please recognise that context may play a role too, that it could reveal a richer and deeper message. Don't just assume the easiest (laziest) interpretation is correct.

(You may have guessed, someone suggested I was 'behaving like the cult' when I pointed out that JK's tiktok was more than being funny ... and now I'm mad 🤣)

Vent over. Now back to he topic at hand...

💜💛

What was he was really doing? And why is it not at all random?

Let's take a step back to recall what army has been saying about this...

Almost every interpretation i read suggests he reversed the order (silly>sexy becomes sexy>silly). The reason given is that his tiktok only makes sense if the order is reversed, and this idea is backed up by the caption saying "I go the other way".

But the 'reversed order' theory is based on a hereronormative perspective of what's sexy (and a stereotypical perspective of silly.)

So consider the content of his tiktok from a queer point of view...

For a man in a relationship with another man, the idea that he's with all those women is silly.

It's silly to believe he's got a girlfriend - or several. It's silly to think the womens' names in the song are relevant to him.

He posted this tiktok at a time when he's releasing music that fits the western pop norm of boy + girl, and when rumours of him dating several women at once are rife. The timing is not a coincidence and nor is the choice of background song for this.

All these assumptions and rumours are pretty silly, JK is telling us.

Now let's talk about the second part, the sexy part. Yes it may look silly on the surface, but we have seen him and Jimin make dorky faces at one another when they're flirting. It seems to be the visual equivalent of calling Jimin 'Jiminssssi'.

It's just another way they create distance and avoid 'getting caught'.

Maybe sexy for Jungkook actually is lying on the couch in your sweatpants making corny faces at your boyfriend.

Remember that he puts out 'stereotypical sexy' on command as part of his job so maybe that doesn't feel very sexy to him. Maybe that's work.

In my view (I know this is subject to interpretation) they've been together for years now. This is not the first flush of love. When you've been with a partner for a while, sex is (hopefully) more fun and less serious. Maybe it's about having the confidence to be wholly unselfconscious.

(My partner makes a Pepé Le Pew face at me when he's goofing. No, i don't know why either... 🤣🤷)

But wait, what about that caption?

What about 난반대로 간다?

My beautiful Korean friend (who sadly has zero interest or care about jikook) confirmed the literal translation:

"I go the other way"

"I take the opposite direction".

It's not "it goes the other way" or "this goes the opposite direction". He's referring specifically to HIMSELF.

Jungkook goes the other way.

But it's more than that according to my friend.

It's a bold statement:

"I don't follow the mainstream."

It reminds me of his tattoo ...

RATHER BE DEAD THAN COOL

He doesn't do things just because everyone else is doing them.

"I don't follow the mainstream."

OK. HOLD UP.

This is where it gets interesting.

Then why would he do something as mainstream as a trending tiktok challenge? Especially something as vapid as this challenge?

And why would he tell us DURING that Tiktok challenge that he DOESN'T follow the mainstream?

And then delete it.

Creating content takes time.

And we know he's a busy man.

He's about to release an album. He's doing live performances. He's prerecording for music shows. He's overseas right now... for the fourth time in a month! Does he have time for this??

And he DELETED it...

Did he just WASTE all that time?

No, he did not.

He deliberately chose to do this.

He did it knowing ARMY studies every action, every video, and every media release.

He did it knowing ARMY would already have copied the video before he took it off his profile.

He said on Stationhead that he knows ARMY has it, and is sharing and posting it. He's FINE with that.

So he took the time to create and upload that video. He wants it out there.

He just doesn't want it on HIS page. That's an important part of the story.

So lets go back to the caption.

"I take the opposite direction"

"I go the other way"

"I don't follow the mainstream."

*Said boldly* remember. It's a loud statement, captioning an otherwise pointless very mainstream trending challenge.

So if he's not referring to tiktok itself, or to uploading challenges, what could he be referring to?

...

There's only one thing left: Himself.

I take the opposite direction

I go the other way

I don't follow the mainstream

Essentially... I swing the other way.

There's no way a queer man would make that statement and not fully recognise the message he's sending.

As for deleting the video, I'd say he knew it was too risky to leave on his profile, being a celebrity in Korea. He's managing his brand. Deleting it also gives him plausible deniability. He can say he made an error. As I said, he's very intelligent. He knows ARMY will see it and share it. He knows that those of us with a queer eye will hear the message loud and clear.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 And we do hear it. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

#jeon jungguk #jikook #kookmin #국민 #jungkook

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jeonscatalyst · 3 months ago

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https://www.tumblr.com/jeonscatalyst/766182943535382528/httpswwwtumblrcomjeonscatalyst76183610766937?source=share

And i have always wondered why in the world anyone would undermine jimin's musical success because on sns followers or engagements he might not rank #1 but he's ranking #1 or #2 every single time BTS had released albums and members had their solo songs in it as b-side. Him and jungkook has always been #1 or #2 like they switch those numbers yet people underestimated his success. And how do people see him and think he'd not want to release solo music? I think years ago he was the first member who wanted to do solo songs or like Frist member to mention those things. He's always wanted these things but as you said people by that i mean armys/ jkkrs and other jm biased too misunderstood his intentions and i wonder why. He lives for that stage.

Hi anon,

I agree but I think part of the reason why some people didn’t really see his potential (atleast compared to Tae and Jk) was because this entire fandom had always seen him as the third most popular member and least popular of the maknae line. You need to understand that before the solo era, many unfortunately hadn’t had the opportunity to see how good the members would perform with solo songs and even though we know they had already performed solo songs within the group and Jimin and Jungkook’s always did much better than everyone else’s this whole fandom was still caught up on who gets the most views on fancams, who has the most instagram followers and stuff like that. That was how they measure success and we know that Jimin doesn’t get the most views on fancams and doesn’t have the most followers on instagram and his posts don’t get the most likes so naturally they assumed he only came after Tae and Jk in EVERYTHING including their solo success. They didn’t realize that the boys excel in different aspects.

Another thing is that, Jimin has always spoken so much about how much he loves being in the group and rarely really spoke or looked interested in solo ventures, of course this doesn’t mean he wasn’t interested because we know that even while he was working hard on his solo albums he said nothing about it which led people to believe that he was lazying about and not doing anything like the other members who were doing this or that or flying here and there but we see that he wasn’t lazying about. I think all these things contributed to this entire fandom underestimating him as an artist.

His immerse success in the solo era came as a blow to so many because they could never imagine. When Jimin got a number one on Billboard Hot 100, and then Jk got it too, this entire fandom was 100% positive that Tae would get one too. Why? Because to them, he was always the most popular member because of followers, views and likes and to them, that equaled success in music so that is why they were beyond shocked when he didn’t and that is why some people are still so bitter at Jimin because he was always viewed as the underdog. Everyone knew he would be successful but very few people thought he would be more successful that who they believed was the most popular member and that is why even till this day, they try so hard to discredit his success because they still cannot believe their eyes and ears.

Jimin once said “SILENCE IS GOLD. DON’T WASTE TIME” and he did just that. He let people think what they wanted to think of him. He let people say he was lazy, not ambitious, unmotivated, depressed and all the stuff they said about him when he was working on his albums and only came out when he was ready to show results.

He took “never let people know your next moves” too seriously. lol.

#jimin #park Jimin #Jungkook #fandom discourse #bts #taehyung

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airybcby · 1 month ago

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heyy, can I make a request for the Spotify event?

My top artist was Eve and their song Insomnia. A kinda close 2nd was Glass Animals

ofc!!

if your top artist(s) were Eve & Glass Animals and your top song was insomnia, i’d pair you with…

nagi seishiro

જ⁀♡⊹｡° we've always been connected

♡ a/n — for my spotify wrapped event! - masterlist -

♡ content — nagi seishiro x gn! reader, gn! reader, nagi in a slump, reader helping him, nagi and reader are roomates

♡ synopsis — nagi seishiro's always been a lazy person, but when he feels stuck he needs your help more than anything.

Nagi Seishiro had always been someone who moved through life effortlessly, as if the world was a game and he was the only one who knew the rules. But tonight, that calm exterior cracked, and beneath it, the restless thoughts churned.

He sat on the edge of his bed, phone screen glowing in the dark, the silence of the room almost suffocating. It was the first time in a while that he’d felt unsettled. Usually, it was easy—wake up, play, win, repeat. But something about tonight felt different. Maybe it was the constant pressure of expectations, or the creeping feeling that he was just going through the motions, but something in his chest felt tight, and it was keeping him awake.

He glanced over at the clock. 3:42 AM. No amount of staring at the ceiling would make it stop. The thoughts. The thoughts that plagued him.

His mind wandered back to you, the one person who had always been there, who had never asked him to be anything other than himself. You.

It had always been easy with you. You were simple in a way that made him feel at ease. But maybe that was the problem. Easy never felt like enough. You never demanded his attention, never tried to pull him into something more. And that made him feel something he couldn't shake. Something unsettling.

He leaned back against the wall, running a hand through his hair. He could hear the faint hum of his game console in the corner, still on from earlier in the night. He hadn’t touched it in hours. His mind was somewhere else.

The weight of his thoughts was becoming unbearable, and he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that maybe he wasn’t the person you thought he was. Maybe he wasn’t the person he thought he was either.

The door to his room creaked open, and he didn’t need to look up to know it was you. You had a way of walking into his space, always so quietly, always so understanding of his mood. Tonight was no different.

“Nagi,” you said, voice soft but cutting through the stillness. “What’s going on?”

He sighed, not knowing how to explain. He wasn’t sure if he even knew what was going on. But he did know this: when you looked at him, you didn’t see all the things he saw in himself. You didn’t see the emptiness, the confusion, the uncertainty. You saw him. And maybe that was scarier than anything.

“Can’t sleep,” he muttered, trying to brush it off, but you weren’t having it. You stepped closer, sitting beside him on the bed, your presence grounding him even though he wasn’t sure what he wanted from you.

“Why?” you asked, voice quieter now. “Is it because of the game today?”

He nodded, though that wasn’t exactly it. Blue Lock was just the catalyst, the thing that made everything else come into sharper focus. It was all the expectations, the fame, the constant need to be perfect. And yet, none of it seemed to fill the emptiness inside him.

"I don't know," he finally admitted, the words escaping in a rush. "I feel... off. Like I'm not really here. Like everything's moving too fast, and I can't keep up." He glanced at you, his eyes searching for something. "You ever feel like... stuck? Like nothing feels real anymore?"

Nagi assumed you'd think he was being silly, you'd accused him before of "playing too many video games" before, thinking that could possibly affect his headspace. That wasn't it, though, as much as Nagi hated to admit to...maybe he was in a slump.

You didn’t answer right away, and Nagi almost wished you would say something, anything, that could give him the comfort he was looking for. But instead, you just sat there beside him, not pushing, just existing.

After a long silence, you spoke. "It's okay to feel like that sometimes. You don’t always have to have everything figured out."

Nagi let out a shaky breath, the tension in his chest easing ever so slightly at your words. But just as quickly, it came back. The feeling of restlessness. The thought that maybe he was never meant to be anything more than what he was—a guy who moved through life with ease, but never truly living.

The world outside felt distant, and even your presence, comforting as it was, didn’t quite reach the part of him that needed fixing. But for now, he didn’t feel so alone. Maybe that was enough.

“I’ll figure it out,” he muttered, though he wasn’t sure if he believed it. But for now, he’d try to sleep, and hope that maybe, tomorrow, he’d feel a little less lost.

As you stood to leave, you paused, your hand resting briefly on his shoulder. “I’m here, okay? Even if you don’t have it all together. I’m still here.”

And in that moment, Nagi wasn’t sure if it was enough. But for the first time that night, he wasn’t thinking about the emptiness. Maybe it was a start.

i've been waiting for a submission that screamed nagi and this was it.

i hope you liked it!

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!

#★ · airybcbyy #airy posts #bllk #blue lock #bllk x reader #airy answers asks :)#blue lock x reader #nagi x reader #nagi seishiro #seishiro nagi #bllk nagi #bllk nagi seishiro #blue lock nagi #blue lock nagi seishiro

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child0feden · 2 months ago

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addressing some silly little comments from the r/blackmetalcringe sub before i move on to something more interesting ( unless they post me again because that would be truly incredibly funny )

and now if you post this there “ girly ” you better include my damn bugsnax song that you cropped out of my first post because that was crossing a damn line! i can take being called cringe but cropping out my favourite bugsnax song from my post? no way, not cool at all and if you do it again i might just have to come over there… i am kidding, obviously, but like… leave the damn bugsnax song in my post <3

okay, first up!

how on earth is my lack of shame “ disturbing ” ?

i write fanfiction on tumblr about dead black metal artists or old enough to be my father black metal artists, literally no one cares here because fanfiction has existed for years and has never hurt anyone, it is literally just typed out words on a screen… boo! wow, that was so disturbing, right? i totally understand finding fanfiction a little cringe and not enjoying to read it yourself, maybe i even understand someone just not getting why people read it at all but just… leave it alone then? maybe just block the person who does something you do not like? hm… i find regularly stalking blogs who post things you do not like just to post them on reddit is more, disturbing per say…

also i have never said i was “ strong ” nor “ brave ” for writing fanfiction, try not to put words in my mouth or thoughts in my head, pretty please? i write words!

and a little correction! i do not write about only dead people and i do not write about gay sex, my fanfiction is not ship work, it is x reader <3

now, next up!

now this one is actually a very decent observation from who i assume is one of the sub mods? or something?

he is correct about… some things! that being the fact that i wanted to be posted there and they should not have blurred my blog name! especially since two of my mutuals have been posted recently with their names not being blurred at all… the only thing this person is wrong about is the fact that he thinks i thought i would get any real traffic from my name being visible! like… no? not really! i think if my name was visible, i would get some anonymous hate mail for about a week at the very most before it just blows over, that is or real traffic at all! i do not care about hate mail because it does not affect me, words on a screen do not affect me…

also love the last comment by him about probably just banning me if i possibly ever show up in the sub lolol! something about that is funny to me, not sure why! i think it is the probably like oh they will probably ban me but maybe not like if i flash my boobs in the same post or something they might let me off the hook and gosh… what would i ever do if i got banned from a sub that i literally never really visited before me and my friends got posted there? what ever will i do if i get banned from a sub? oh gosh, my life will just be in tatters if i get banned :(

and, another one!

this one is so… i do not even know what to call something that is so assuming of other people lolol!

“ let them be forgotten, they will hate it ” like what? i hate to break it to them but we have all been on tumblr for a damn while now, we were doing perfectly fine before we got posted there and we will continue to post perfectly fine! literally nothing is going to affect the way i run my blog, i would actually love nothing more for them to forget about us and move on with their lives! it cannot be healthy scouring the internet for things you find cringe to go post on the sub… and we sure as hell know that the original poster is a stalker, oh yeah… the rabbit hole got real deep with them, maybe i will make a separate post about it because it is damn strange!

“ feed their delusions and keep watching them spiral ” uhhh… what? keep watching us spiral? who the hell is spiralling? lolol! i think… i think they might be writing fanfiction about us in their head because it is quite obvious that no one here is spiralling, we are all fine and continuing to run our blogs as usual <3

really? no one needs to come up with any fancy names to hurt me? but why the sudden change? on the post about my mutual with BPD there was a whole lot of fancy little names being said towards them in the comments and so many of you seemed to love it, what happened to that? why do i not get that same treatment?

also, i am eighteen and not in high school but thank you for believing in me that i could graduate! that is very sweet <3

this one is just for some corrections! but yes, yes, unfortunately you guys will never be as cool as us but if you keep my bugsnax song in then maybe you will be!

once again, i do not write ship work nor do i pretend to be a mayhem member, i think you may be having a brain fart and getting me mixed up with my mutual who you certainly seem especially fond of but they do not pretend to be anything…

listen “ girly ” did you even properly look at my blog at all? or did you see my ask sent to andrew in the midst of stalking their blog, click my username and that was it?

“ making it up ” hmmm, no!

uhhh, did any of them even read the comments on the first post about my mutual? not that fancy little names affect me at all but uhhh… yeah there was a whole lot of little slurs going on in that comment section, looked like a thirteen year old had nabbed a twitter account after browsing 4chan for the first time and gone crazy on his own feed! i have no reason to make anything up, the proof is in the pudding…

uhhh, who are all these people with a “ laundry list ” of mental illnesses? i certainly have no mental illnesses listed anywhere on my blog so why assume that i do? to the op on reddit, you really need to give your people more context on me because they are getting their shit all wrong! i basically never talk about my own mental health on tumblr, i try to keep stuff like that more private… it is not that i am ashamed of having some mental health struggles or anything like that, just that this blog mainly revolves around music and fanfiction so i tend to never have a real reason to bring it up!

this is why i wish my blog name was not blurred so that these people could get their facts straight before commenting and bundling us all into the same basket of assumptions!

honey, i barely do check reddit! i stick to about one social media app, i use reddit mainly for news about my hobbies and interest… i was only made aware of the fact that i had been posted on the sub thanks to a mutual messaging me and an ask telling me! and alas, i went to check and there i was in all my glory with a blurred name and some funny comments to read from people who know nothing about me nor my life <3

and this! this is so damn funny considering how many of them, including the op of our posts there, are being blatantly and obviously transphobic towards andrew… they are so high and mighty until they are so obviously not and uhhh, i am not straight lolol <3

anyways, that is enough! i am kind of just bored now and cannot be bothered lolol, if i get posted again i will gladly laugh about it once more but yeah, bugsnax song!

#vera ✩

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xdjville · 1 year ago

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wayv as not-so-common romance tropes - xiaojun

description: you get to choreograph and teach the routine to wayv's new song, and good god, you look hot in those sweatpants

pairing: idol!xiaojun x gn!choreographer!reader

cw: reader has long hair and a crop top, a few curse words, xiaojun being an extreme case of a loser

word count: 1,677

author's note: the first chapter of this series is out, yay! it was the first one i wrote and to be honest it was the reason this turned into series, originally the stories were supposed to be in a form of bulletpoints but i got a little carried away with dejun here... what can i say i love me a loser man 😔✊

you first met xiaojun after your demo choreography got chosen for wayv's new title track.

as a mentee of one of sm's most recognised choreographers, over the years you naturally picked up his dance style that the agency had favored so much, and after working as a dancer for a few years, you finally got to make your first original choreography - for red velvet's song.

with the instant recognition from the fans that your work got you, tiktok challenges with the choreography going viral and praise for both the group and you flooding the comment section under the dance practice video, the company began to hire you more often. that had eventually lead you to where you were then - having already worked with most of their artists at least once, it was time for your first collaboration with nct. wayv, to be exact.

when meeting the members for the first time, you were more nervous than usual. you couldn't put you finger on what exactly was the reason - was it their visuals that almost made you choke on your words from seeing them up close, or the group's, and you mean it in the nicest way possible, overwhelming personalities? maybe it was the combination of both, who knows.

but as the first practice went on, you quickly found yourself getting more comfortable with them, the uneasiness dissolving with each joke and silly remark from their side. on top of that, they seemed to have a lot of respect for you and your skills, letting you know they loved the choreography every chance they got and in the result giving you a good boost of confidence.

that is, except xiaojun. xiaojun was not feeling any more relaxed - if anything, he was getting more tense.

why? the answer was simple, although it took a good amount of courage for him to even say it in his head. the thought alone was making him very uncomfortable, feeling like he's going through puberty once again and not fully understanding the signals his body was sending.

you were, to put it simply, fucking hot.

and if that alone wasn't humiliating enough, dejun kept making a fool of himself because of how nervous you made him. normally, he was pretty confident with his dancing skills, but with you standing in front of him, your eyes carefully following his every move, arms crossed, hair, slightly disheveled from dancing, falling on your shoulders, your gray sweatpants, god, those gray sweatpants...

obviously, you noticed his uneasy state, it was hard not to. though since you didn't know him outside practices, you just assumed he was the shy type and hopefully would warm up to you with time. his members, on the other side, knowing their friend probably better than he knew himself, caught on to what's going on almost instantly. and no words had to be exchanged to form a silent agreement to make it even worse for him.

it's safe to say that the next week was nothing short of a living hell. every morning xiaojun had to hype himself up to even show up for the dance practices because of how straight up stupid he felt there. he had trouble memorising the choreography, because every time he tried to follow your moves, instead his eyes would move on their own to follow the hem of your cropped shirt, then the line of your waist all the way down to the waistband of those goddamn sweatpants. on top of that, he became so hyperaware of his own actions he started to question if he'd always been like this, or if your presence just turned him into a completely different person.

and because the only thing he would get out of your lessons was was what you wore on that day, every night he had to stay another few hours after everyone left to actually practice the choreography with the guide video you sent them in the beginning (he was thanking the universe that you weren't in that video, or else it might have gone very badly for him).

after he was done with that, all he could do was pray that his members were asleep by the time he returned to the dorm so he could wash the day away and hide in his room to push his face into the pillow - which, most of the time, was not the case. so the second he stepped through the door he was bombarded with unnecessary questions that they all obviously knew the answers to, but still posed them to him just for the sake of it ("what took you so long, you two made out in there or something?", "fuck off, guanheng."). those were then followed by teasing remarks, kissing noises, and occasionally some actually helpful, although unasked for, advice from kun or sicheng who got a sudden surge of conscience.

that's how xiaojun spent six out of seven days of your work together. six very long, draining days.

after finishing your last practice session together, all seven of you sat down on the floor, talking about everything and anything. drinking the last sips of your watered down iced americanos, getting to know each other, and joking around. you were enjoying your well deserved break, when at some point xiaojun stood up, very abruptly - you assumed he also realised it was a bit too sudden from the way he took a second to recompose himself, looking around sheepishly - and made a beeline towards the door, mumbling something about going to the bathroom.

before the door could even close behind him, ten jumped to his feet even faster than dejun had and bolted out of the room, following his friend right behind. puzzled, you watched the door slowly close behind them, but the remaining four members didn't seem fazed at all - they seemed to understand the situation much better than you, sharing glances and not-so-discreet smiles between each other.

at that point you were starting to feel a little worried - have you done anything to make him so uncomfortable around you? it's been quite a while since your first meeting and all the members had loosened up, but not xiaojun. thinking back, you can't even recall one time he looked you in the eyes, and it made you feel terrible.

using that the reason for your concerns had left, you decided to ask about dejun'a behavior, hoping that his friends would ease your worries and confirm that it was just his way of being and not you unintentioanlly being an asshole. after hearing your question yangyang only smiled wider, eyeing the three of his members with an expression full of something you couldn't really read,

"just wait."

well, that did not ease your worry at all. but before you could dwell and ask for more explanation the door opened again, and the two who left earlier returned. instead of going back to their previous spots though, they remained right by the entrance, their faces showing emotions so different they looked almost comical next to each other.

on one side stood ten, both hands resting on his hips, his smile nearly reaching his ears and eyes beaming with... excitement? maybe pride? meanwhile to his left was xiaojun, with arms crossed on his chest and head tilted down almost at a ninety degree angle, only small parts of his unbelievably reddened cheeks visible from between his dark hair strands. you almost thought he looked adorable like this, but you mentally slapped yourself just before that idea could be finished. not the right time, y/n.

"i guess it's time for us." kun spoke up, turning to you with a bright smile - what the hell were they all so jolly about? with that, the five of them said their goodbye's and thank you's, each giving you a warm hug before leaving out of the same door the two had been standing by moment earlier. before you could even muster up a proper reply, you and dejun were left alone in the empty practice room, the tension between you making the air so thick it was starting to get hard to breathe.

after the loud slam of the exit you turned your attention back to xiaojun, who seemed to had taken that moment of the spotlight not being on him for once to compose himself a bit, and was now standing straight, the color on his now fully visible face slightly closer to his original skin tone. your eyes locked for a brief moment, but he quickly averted his gaze back to the floor.

although still not fully in understanding of the situation you found yourself in, you were honestly starting to get a bit annoyed. you didn't want to leave any unresolved problems behind, knowing it would be hard for both of you if you were to work together again, so you took the initiative,

"dejun, what is all of this about? do you have something to tell me?"

the said man tensed up even more at the sound of his own name, closing his eyes tightly in a desperate attempt to get somewhat of a grip of himself. after taking a deep breath, and then another one, he opened his eyes again, and for a moment he swore the world started spinning at the sight of you. despite that he knew it was his only chance to let out what had been weighing on him, so he mustered up all the confidence he had left for that day to take a few bold steps forward until you were just an arm length away. it took probably all the confidence he had stored for that comeback to then raise his head and meet your eyes and, for the first time, don't look away.

"fuck it," he thought, knowing that it was extremely unlikely he would gather the courage to get to that point again, especially with your involvement in preparations for that comeback being done.

he took another, very shaky, deep breath,

"would you, uh, like to got out, maybe, sometime?"

©xdjville

#nct imagines #nct reactions #wayv imagines #wayv reactions #nct fic #wayv fic #xiaojun reactions #xiaojun imagines #xiaojun scenarios #xiaojun fic #xiaojun fanfic #nct fanfic #wayv fanfic

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scarisd3ad · 1 year ago

Text

Begin again

Pairing(s) - billy Hargrove x fem!reader (past), Steve harrington x fem!reader

Summary- after the end of your 2 year long relationship with billy you finally go on a date again and realize how horrible billy really was to you.

Warnings - mentions of a toxic relationship

Masterlist

I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror, this was my first date I was going on since I broke up with Billy and somehow, I can't shake all the old habits I used to have. he hated when I wore heals absolutely hated them because he said they made me taller than I actually was. I slip them off not knowing if Steve had the same preference. I decide on a pair of Mary janes that still had a heal but wasn't that tall it was barely an inch. this was just a first date down at the coffee shop around the corner, but I still felt this overwhelming pressure to look good.

I put my favorite cassette into my Walkman. Billy hated this song, and he always made it known when I listened to it. "God why do you like this shit" he'd mutter every time. I decided on walking to the coffee shop since it was a nice day, and the coffee shop was just down the road.

when I arrive, I assume Steve would be late because Billy always was. I just assumed all men didn't care about punctuality. but when I open the door Steve's sitting at a table in the far back corner. the bell from the top of the door pulls his thoughts from the menu he was looking at. he looks up and waves me over. when I walk to the table, he gets up pulling the chair across from his out for me. I smile, Billy never did this for me. "Thank you" he shakes his head as I take a seat "it's not problem."

'you dont understand how nice that is, but i do'

he throws his head back laughing when I tell a joke that I didn't think he'd find funny because Billy never did. he always said I wasn't funny, but Steve thought I was. "it's not that funny" I giggled as I push a piece of my hair back behind my ear. he continues to laugh, and I can't help but admire how handsome he looks. I've spent the last I don't know how long believing that love was a horrible thing that I never wanted to do again but right here in this coffee shop everything changed. it was like everything I ever experienced with Billy was erased and I was able to begin again.

James Taylor was my favorite singer and somehow was Steves too. "I've never met a girl who has as many James Taylor records as me" he laughs after I told him about my collection. Billy would've found that as me trying to say I was better than him in some type of way, but Steve doesn't. I laugh "ma-maybe you could come over one day and I Dunno check'em out" I say with a shrug he nods "yeah, yeah that would be fun."

he tells stories about his friends and his family and thinks it's weird I'm coming off a little shy. I was used to listening and not talking with Billy. "Are-are you alright?" he asks his brows furrowed together; I shake my head "ye-yeah I'm fine i-i I'm sorry" I mumble "it's alright you don't gotta be shy around me" he whispers.

as he walks me down the block to my house, I almost bring Billy up trying to forgive Steve for my nervousness, but he brings up the movies that he and his friends watch every Christmas and I want to talk about that. "Yeah, and we watch the grinch every year on the 24th and all the kids come and robin and Eddie too and shit its cool" he laughs. for the first time what's past is past and I don't want to bring Billy up anymore. I don't want to pretend I don't like my favorite artist or pretend I don't love wearing high heels for a man who wouldn't even kiss me. "y'know I really like you and I'd really like to do this again" Steve says as we stop in front of my house "I really like you too" I whisper as I look down at the ground flustered. he places his hand on my chin pushing it up so I'm making eye contact with you. "Can I kiss you?" he asks I nod before leaning in and pressing my lips to him.

'On a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again'

#steve harrington #fanfics #x reader #stranger things #steve harrington x reader #joe keery #fem!reader #female!reader #billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove #Spotify

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bubblesandgutz · 8 months ago

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Every Record I Own - Day 827: Shellac 1000 Hurts

This is a long and tough one, so I'll spare your timeline and force you to make the jump.

On February 21, 2001, one of my husband's closest friends was murdered by a man named Michael Gargiulo. She was stabbed 47 times.

Not surprisingly, my husband does not share my appreciation for slasher movies. I still feel like an asshole for dragging him to a midnight screening of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre on my birthday years ago. I was an idiot for not realizing that someone who lost a loved one in a brutal act of violence wouldn't find a film recreating that kind of violence entertaining.

"I don't enjoy the sound of people begging for their lives," he told me after the movie. I can't blame him. Even music with "tortured" vocals tends to get an immediate "can we listen to something else?" from him.

Transgressive art is a weird thing. People will always be drawn towards art that's shocking, forbidden, or taboo, but I also assume most people have a line they don't want crossed. I love Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but I hate Cannibal Holocaust. As far as music goes, I have a much easier time ignoring the cartoonish violence of death metal than I have sitting though music laden with brazen sexism or homophobia in the lyrical department.

Content aside, art gets even trickier when the artist's life comes under scrutiny. Again, I assume most people have a line they won't cross. You might not have an issue listening to Michael Jackson, but you would probably have a major issue listening to an artist who assaulted a member of your family. Or maybe you do have an issue listening to Michael Jackson. Maybe you also have an issue listening to an artist because of their political alignments. And maybe you have an issue with an artist simply because of something they've said in the past. There's no shortage of music out there, so why give your attention and money to assholes? On the other hand, artists are human beings, which means they've inevitably hurt someone in the course of their lifetime, so if we blacklist every artist who's ever done something hurtful, we're eliminating art from our lives. Everyone has a line, but I think any rational individual understands that the line will vary from person to person.

I've been thinking about transgressive art a lot since the passing of Steve Albini. The public overwhelming seems to mourn his loss, but I've seen a few people weigh in online with some valid criticisms: he was in a band called Rapeman; he said some sketchy things about child pornography in a zine back in the '80s; some of his lyrics reflected racist elements of society without taking a clear stance against them. Albini addressed these incidents later in life, acknowledging that though he was not advocating for the kind of behavior he was portraying in his art, the ambiguity that made his songs feel dangerous could also be construed as promoting or celebrating the subject matter.

By the time Albini got around to forming Shellac, he seemed to have shed the dodgiest parts of his confrontational persona. That said, I know a few people who take issue with Shellac's most popular song: 1000 Hurts album opener "Prayer to God." True to the title, the song is a literal prayer to God asking for the Almighty to kill the singer's cheating lover and her partner. It's essentially a murder ballad without the actual murder. Or maybe it's more in line with The Beatles and Elvis singing "I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man," except in Albini's case the majority of his ire is aimed at the male lover. It's a visceral song, and while it might feel cathartic for someone who's been betrayed by their romantic partner, it might feel too harrowing for someone who's actually dealt with a potentially dangerous jilted ex.

I played "Prayer to God" for my husband once. He wasn't a fan. To be fair, I don't think Albini's brand of minimalist tone-scrutinizing math rock was ever gonna be his cup of tea, but the lyrics certainly weren't going to help. Consequently, I reserve 1000 Hurts for times when I have the house to myself.

And ultimately, I would hope that his reaction to Shellac would be the kind of response we'd see in people who take issue with Albini. Simply put, it wasn't my husband's cup of tea, but he didn't try to convince me that I shouldn't enjoy it. Yes, Albini dealt with some ugly and uncomfortable themes, and by his own admission he took some of it too far. But his music was both a reflection and a reaction to the things he saw around him. Just as the slasher films of the '80s were a reaction to the era's conservative bent and puritanical attempts at censorship, so were Albini's songs (particularly with Big Black) a rebuttal of that decade's benign soft-rock FM radio staples, PMRC campaigns, and right-wing fundamentalist attempts to whitewash the media.

Much like those slasher films, Big Black has aged with an unexpected patina. Yes, there is something still "dangerous" about it, but that danger seems less rooted in pushing back at "the establishment" and more like it's picking at the wounds of the most vulnerable and injured parts of our society. Given even a minimal amount of context, I'd think the average person could appreciate its attempts to say "no, this world isn't perfect and we're not going to pretend that it is," even if those attempts are admittedly a little ambiguous and sloppy at times. But that kind of context doesn't arrive as a disclaimer on the album packaging, so its reasonable to understand how someone could find Big Black's unflinching first-person villain profiles to be a little problematic.

Consequently, I completely understand why someone would take issue with Big Black's "Jordan Minnesota" or Shellac's "Prayer to God." On the other hand, I want art to be uncomfortable sometimes, even if that unease is unintentional. There's no shortage of art out there that aimed to be progressive but aged to show the inherent biases of its time. Just consider the contingent of people wanting to change the racist language in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I'd argue that sometimes the shortcomings, biases, and outdated perspectives in an artist's work are as much a statement on the times as the actual subject matter.

Everyone has a line. And for a lot of folks, Albini probably crossed it a few times in the course of his career. For me, listening to Big Black or Rapeman or Shellac is like watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre---I don't need Steve Albini to explain his lyrics anymore than I need Tobe Hopper to explain that we shouldn't cut people up with chainsaws and turn them into human barbecue. But Albini also dealt with minor horrors that impacted a far greater percentage of the population, and that's something he had to reconcile and acknowledge later in life. For me, his charity work, fierce advocacy for marginalized people, and willingness to stand up to bullies in public forums offset any of his early artistic missteps, but I also understand that making art about human suffering is always going to elicit pain from people who have endured those particular trials.

Everyone has a line.

#everyrecordiown #shellac

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smolwritingchick · 9 months ago

Text

73 Questions

Summary: A smol brainstorm of some questions Jen would get when interviewed by Vogue.

---------

Walking around Big Hit's building with a camera following her along with an interviewer from Vogue, Jennie smiled as she heard the next question asked.

'Most interesting nickname you've been named?'

She chuckled at the question. "A Bratz doll,"

'Favorite curse word?'

"I love saying this word. FUCK!"

'What angers you the most?'

"Lately...xenophobia especially regarding K-Pop groups. It irks my soul. I hate it so much,"

'Most expensive thing you've splurged on?'

"I recently got a penthouse in New York," she proudly answered.

'Funniest sibling and why?'

"Vienna. Because she has the best one-liners," Jennie giggled at the memories.

'Favorite thing you have worn?'

"Nike. Everything Nike,"

'Who's another artist you'd work with?'

Opening up the door to her studio, she held it for the interviewer as they walked in.

"Travis Scott. I need that energy. It's lit!"

'Secret hobby?'

"I still learn about wrestling,"

'Favorite fashion icon?'

"So many! On the top of my head, Rihanna, Zendaya, Lady Gaga, G-Dragon, and CL!" she excitedly said as she grabbed a few packs of smarties from her dish bowl and began to eat a few pieces.

'Favorite candy?'

"Smarties! Duh! They really need to sponsor me. If I can be blessed with Nike, I will work hard to get Smarties to have me endorse them,"

'What's the funniest thing you read about yourself in the press?'

"Recently? That I'm pregnant. I don't understand why everyone keeps saying that. You clearly see me downing alcohol with my friends,"

'Favorite thing to bake?'

"Ooohh....this is a tough one...okay, honestly? I like baking cupcakes the most. Cookies are a close second,"

'Least favorite BTS song to perform?'

"Oh God...I'm going to get roasted for this...Recently I have been sick of Butter,"

'Favorite BTS song to perform?'

"Recently? Idol,"

'What is your biggest success?'

"Right now, I would say my biggest success is my mental and physical health. I'm happy to be in a good place," she smiled as they left her studio and continued to walk around the building.

'What are you often told when people work with you?'

"You know what? People always assume I'm mean or disrespectful because of my resting bitch face. But once we work together and begin to talk those thoughts go out the window,"

'Who is one of your role models in the K-Pop industry?'

"G-Dragon. I owe so much to that man. He is truly the best and has mentored me for many years. I'm very grateful to him. He's an icon,"

'Current obsession?'

"I've been getting into skydiving, more,"

'Favorite place to visit in the world?'

"Japan. Gosh, I love going over there,"

'Most overworn item in your wardrobe?'

"I wear a specific pair of Nikes that I call my lucky pair if I need that extra push. Right here," she presented the sneakers she was currently wearing.

'Beauty product you don't go a day about wearing?'

"Chapstick! Keep your lips moisturized, please! No crusty lips up in here!"

'Favorite piece of jewelry to wear?'

Jennie smiled proudly and presented her ring to the camera. "My wedding ring,"

'Alright, I have a few Jungkook questions here.'

Her eyes lit up when they mentioned his name and she smiled brightly. "I'm ready!"

'Which of Jungkook's tattoos are your favorite?'

"His tattoos are so nice. I love them all but to pick one? Um...I'd say our couple's tattoo. We have our heartbeats tattooed on each other. On our ring fingers,"

'Favorite thing to wear of Jungkook's?'

"Definitely his hoodies," she couldn't stop smiling as her heart skipped a beat.

#smol brainstorm #smol drabble

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roo-bastmoon · 2 years ago

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The Great Radio Debate: Roo's (limited) Understanding of this Issue UPDATED

Disclaimer: Sensitive topics are discussed below the cut; please do not incite drama, speak hate, or engage in bullying. This is a collection of my thoughts about what is currently happening with regard to Jungkook's single SEVEN and the implications it could mean for Jikook and ARMY. If you click below this cut, you are assuming responsibility for your own behavior and agreeing to engage with my blog and others respectfully, or you will be blocked.

We now by know that Jimin's music was not promoted to radio. We know this because when we went to request it from various major radio stations, it was not an option in the drop-downs; we had to manually type it in. Being "sent / promoted / serviced to radio" means a compressed file is sent from the company to radio stations so DJs can play high-def spins that are universally compatible with their station's set up.

None of Jimin's songs for Face were serviced:

The airplay audience was the lowest for any song this decade:

The controversy around Jungkook's SEVEN began last week when one DJ tweeted the following:

As we now know, "serviced to radio" means they sent a compressed file (which they SHOULD have done for Like Crazy English Version, but didn't). They did service to radio for Butter and Dynamite and it was a huge help. Even Yet to Come was serviced, so it cracked Top 50 on the charts, but none of Face's songs were sent, which makes zero business sense any achievement on that chart amazing.

Because even when serviced, it doesn't guarantee spins... "Add" means they hope radio stations will add the song to rotation:

But then the DJ had to go and say this:

So they have already sent SEVEN to the radios, hoping for spins. And now one person is publicly saying the song absolutely will get spins immediately. This heavily implies payola, because why else would a song without demand or requests immediately spin multiple times on everyone's shows the second it was released?

I feel (I, Roo Bastmoon, personally think and feel) Seven is being pushed this way for two reasons:

Billboard's recent changes around what kind of sales (physical, digital, bundled) will counts on the charts puts songs without radio play at an extreme, nigh-insurmountable disadvantage; even with excellent streams (which are heavily culled and filtered), it will be hard to break into the top 50.

Additionally, Taylor Swift's Speak Now re-release has dropped this week and will be gunning for the charts next week when Jungkook debuts, and that is a personal problem for Scooter Braun.

For those not familiar (as I surely wasn't; I live under a rock), Taylor Swift felt compelled to leave her old management company back in 2018. To do so, she had to abandon the rights to any original music she made with them. They kept her masters and sold them off to Scooter Braun.

Each time someone wanted to play one of her original songs, they had to ask his permission and pony up money for a license fee. Scooter Braun also managed Kanye, and I'm sure everyone knows the Beyoncé is the Greatest of All Time award show fiasco that led to some bad blood between those two artists, so it added insult to injury for Taylor.

Taylor has now re-recorded everything and released Speak Now: Taylor's Version. Of COURSE her fans are motivated to support her and get every single song they can into the highest position on the Hot 100 for as long as possible... and frankly, I am not a Swiftie but I can't blame them because if someone did that to BTS, I'd make it my life's mission to chart them as a big Fuck You, too.

But it does put a lot of pressure on Jungkook's single, because now it's very likely been weaponized in a personal dick-measuring contest where Scooter is concerned. Not sure if I mentioned it but I truly hate that man so I'm not sure I can be impartial when talking about him but I will try.

So Jungkook's single has been set up so far with pre-orders on iTunes and compressed files to radio, which is a first for any member's solo work. He also has a debut stage on Good Morning America, which has a huge range beyond k-pop.

So far, none of this is foul play. It is a company doing its best to represent and set up the best conditions for its artist under changed circumstances. You can make a case for favoritism, clearly, but at the end of the day, companies are about making profits and sometimes they grossly underestimate what has potential and what the market wants.

The issues fans are facing now around Seven lie in:

1) the neglect around Jimin's Like Crazy English Version, which is still so stable that it could be smashing charts if only it would get radio play so this just seems to make zero business sense and be more of a slight than anything else, so Jikookers are left wondering what that means for the relationship and,

2) the fear that Hybe America under Scooter Braun has abandoned BTS' founding values and taken the easy way out by paying to play on radio, which would severely damage credibility that BTS worked so hard to build as an organic, fan-driven success.

I think we'll have to wait to see how many sales, streams, and spins Jungkook gets to figure out if payola was likely. Maybe that one DJ was tweeting his own assumptions like they were facts. Or maybe Hybe has now decided to do payola. If that is so... not gonna lie, I will be extremely disappointed. I will need to take a break and figure out what this means for me as a fan.

The next question is how much did Jungkook know about all this? There seems to be two camps of thought here: one says the boys are involved in every step of the way and choose everything that happened around their releases.

(I know Jimin is very humble but I HIGHLY doubt he ever said to his company "Please rush my release in between other releases so I get physically sick trying to keep up with it; please never restock my physicals in WeVerse and don't send a file for the English song I studied for to US radios; and please also never post about my world record nor celebrate my albums' success in any way; yes, I worked 10+ months on this very personal opus but I absolutely don't want any of that." I very, very much doubt the ways Face was handled after Hot 100 #1 was Jimin's choice. This also makes me doubt if all the ways Seven will be handled will be Jungkook's choice.)

The second camp of thought is that the artists have absolutely no say in the marketing and promotion styles of their work, and that they are kept out of sales matters altogether. And here's the limit of my understanding, because I've not seen or read much on Hybe / BigHit's strategic plans around distribution for either BTS' group or solo works.

(Side Note: I have seen them set up TXT for a Billboard Top Ten, only for their collab to come in at #135, which shows a gross misunderstanding of their market right now--as well as disregard for their artists' feelings and reputations. My heart goes out to those boys; they worked hard.)

But drawing on my own experience decades ago when I used to work in entertainment out in LA, I can tell you, even as Chief Editor, plenty of my media content was changed without anyone informing me--back-cover blurbs, cover designs, release dates, shelf talkers, pop ups, print runs, print houses, store placements, advertising, interview articles--at some point in my former career, all of those things got changed around and I found out after the fact, on my own projects. Which pissed me off but I'd signed NDAs and couldn't do a single thing about it. And the authors / creators didn't know until *I* had the hard job of informing them. And they couldn't do anything about it because they were under contract.

So I think the level of members' involvement in solo works is somewhere in between. I think as artists and performers, BTS members can have a great deal of say in their look, styles, lyrics, choreo, merch, and venues. But not total say. Definitely not deciding-factor say.

I think the company can make them water down their lyrics, change up the choreo, and flat-out tell them no when it comes to music videos, performance venues, pretty much anything budget-related. They don't even have to explain why; it's their budget and their bottom-line. (In the old days, it seems like the members could freely express opinions around the works and even challenge management when it came to creative content. Maybe that is still true.)

As far as Jungkook's involvement in Seven's style, we have a stylist going on record about how some of the options were their ideas and that Jungkook had a lot of input on the look and feel, so it was a mixture:

For this reason alone, the fact that things like mud were added to clean pants or spikes to a jacket after Jungkook had input makes me truly feel this was his way of honoring Jimin and Face. It just seems like something our Jungkook would do--he may not always say it, but he's always watching Jimin-ssi.

As for sales and marketing strategies? The boys may never get looped in. Or they may be told the plans, but not invited to give input. Or they may sit down and plan it all out to the last detail with each department. I genuinely don't know. And because I don't know, I will not be assuming the worst of Jungkook or any member until I have all the facts. That is anti behavior, in my mind, and I just cannot stomach it. I can never bring myself to believe the worst of anyone until they fully and consistently show me that's who they are.

We've spent ten years with these guys. They are flawed human beings, yes, but not cheats, not assholes. I think they omit plenty of details but I don't think they straight-up lie to us. I don't think Jungkook would ever look his staff and executives in the eye and say "Yes, I want you to illegally pay money under the table so this single will top the charts." Jungkook is competitive, but also a stickler for fair play. You spend any amount of time watching Run, and the only time he "cheats" is when he wants to be with Jimin (lol) and he's pretty endearingly obvious about it; guy has almost no game face.

Okay but joking aside, I'm honestly very worried for JK. It sort of feels like he's being set up. Many questions have arisen over the stylistic choices for Seven. There's the fan frenzy around having a hot female protagonist in his video. And now the question about how much radio play Seven will get, and why. That's a lot of controversy to hang on a young man's shoulders. Especially in light of the recent book that's come out, in which it's clear now that the company and the artists are aware of hate-trending hashtags in English. GOD THAT MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH.

To me, it feels (it feels--as in, my gut is telling me this; I have no receipts) like the company is using JK to experiment with a different way of doing business--a way that may stray from their founding values.

And there's so much potential for this to blow up in JK's face. There are solos who will insist he's stealing Jimin's style. Antis who will insist he's cheated on the charts. Insecure shippers who will lose their minds if anything flirty goes down with Han So-hee on screen. K-poppies, Swifties, and local racists all insisting on undermining his creativity, talent, and character because they fear the competition.

This release on Friday has the potential to be a blood bath. And I just don't trust the company to have his back and take ownership of their part in this, if so. From everything I've seen about Jungkook, he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

My biggest question mark is how Jimin will respond to all of this. If he comes on live one day and says in a flat tone something like: "I was really surprised to see how similar Jungkookie's concept was to my own." or "How interesting that Seven got sent to radio--good for him, good for him. I wonder how that happens?" Then I'll take that to mean Jimin wasn't looped in on JK's plans and he doesn't feel great about it; that won't sit well with me.

Then again, if Jimin raves about Seven and plays it on live or joins JK in New York and mentions how flattered he was that they share the same style, how they click, how proud he is of JK's hard work and asks please ARMY give it a lot of love? Then I'll infer he was definitely looped in, this is a homage, and JK's actions were always above board. I will assume that because I will never doubt Jimin's integrity. If Jimin approves, I will approve. Jimin has earned my complete trust.

So this week is a very tense one (for me at least). But it does provide quite the distraction from the stress tests and specialist consults I have lined up, I'll give you that. Never a dull moment. (I am so ready for this fandom to have some dull moments.)

In the end, I'm going to chose to believe in the very best of our members until there's solid evidence to think otherwise. As of now? I think the only dirty cheater in the mix is the music industry at large. I know the entertainment world is corrupt, but Jesus, they are so blatant about it all.

Anyway, we may not get radio data for several days or weeks after the initial drop date, so I'm prepared to hang in there for a good bit. And if there is evidence of payola and JK knew about it... I'm gonna need time to process that and figure out where I go from there, as a Jikooker, as an ARMY. I will honestly be shocked.

One thing you'll never see me do is spout hatred for human beings. I will likely rant about the company. And there are plenty of people Scooter Braun that I viscerally dislike. But I'm making a commitment now not to spread dehumanizing hate speech on the timeline.

That's not what BTS or Jimin would ever want. That's not what I want for myself, especially if my days in this life are limited. I don't need that kind of toxicity or karma.

Am I furious about all the crap that's gone down for Jimin (and other members too, to a lesser degree)? You bet your buttons, as my Nana used to say. I could rage and froth all day about it.

But I also remember who came online over and over to say Jimin's name, play Jimin's songs, mimic Jimin's interviews, giggle at Jimin's video clips, and invite Jimin into his life.

And based on moved lamps and dog scratches and Jimin bulking up, it's likely Jimin has accepted those invitations.

Whenever we do get to glimpse Jimin with Jungkook, he seems as endeared and besotted as he always has.

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I trust Jimin to know if someone did him dirty, and to act accordingly. I do not believe any aspect of the Jikook relationship is performance.

For those reasons, I'm gonna be withholding judgement until all info around Seven comes in.

I hope you will too, but I understand if you feel differently and I'm not on this Earth to judge other people's viewpoints or experiences. I just ask that if you want to be friends with me here, you try to be civil in your words and actions, even in the sway of big feelings. Every person behind the screen is a work in progress; we are all fighting invisible battles; there are many sides to each story.

All any of us can do is our best with what we are given. Let's wait and see what Jungkook (and Jimin, and the company) give us.

If you made it this far through my ramblings, kudos! I welcome ideas, so feel free to comment--but just remember, rudeness will be removed. There's no space for meanness on my blog.

Love and deep respect to you all,

Roo

UPDATED:

So, it would seem the DJ who is hyping JK's Seven is also open to playing Like Crazy. This would imply it's been sent to some radio because before I remember he tweeted that he needed the compressed file in order to play it on his station (I am sorry I didn't save that link but he was talking about Hobi and Jimin if I recall, back at the time!).

UPDATE 2:

The radio stations that took requests (including the one mentioned above) back at that time were playing the music video version available to the public, not a compressed file sent by the company:

And when I check on this linktree of top radio stations in the US, Like Crazy does not come up as any option in rotation. I have to manually request still, after four months of being stable on the charts.

So if Jungkook gets immediate spins and requests immediately come up in rotation... is that because radio stations really love Jungkook? Or is this a company "networking" deal? (And in any case, would JK be involved in that aspect?) Everything still remains to be seen. Let's be patient and try our best not to assume the worst.

Many thanks for JMDBJK for mentioning in the comments the likelihood that a title track would be sent out, which prompted me to go look soon as I could get to my computer. I really do value anyone willing to take the time to help me learn more info about this industry!

#jungkook #jimin #jikook #seven by jungkook #Youtube

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leftclown · 3 months ago

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My favourite hozier songs are in a week and I, carrion. I'd love to know what that says about me

I'm gonna do them all bc I know it's tough to pick a favourite with him. Also I think it's funny because I went on about how most of his songs are not genuine love songs and then you picked three that actually are genuine love songs

1. Obscurity rating (again, the higher the more obscure)

I, Carrion - 2.5/5; One of the more popular songs on Unreal Unearth, I think most people who keep their finger on the pulse would know about this song but it's not one of his hits. A casual listener might know about this song just because it's new and he's gone viral this year. I think if you ask me again in a year or two I may rank it like a 3/5.

In a Week - 2.5/5; This one equals out because anything from his first album (except take me to church) is automatically gonna be a little higher on that scale, but also, this song is like a queer cult classic. All the gays want to lay down in the woods and decompose together.

I Could be Yours - 5/5; I mean admittedly I didnt even know this one existed. It's an unreleased song so I dont think you can get more obscure than that :^)

2. My assumptions about you

I don't want want to get invasive but dude you're like pinemaster 5000. Prince of Pining. You might pine more than Hozier himself.

All of these are incredibly romantic songs and they all convey like...honestly a submissive position compared to the subject of his love. So I do kind of assume that in a relationship you take on the role of service, your primary love language may even be acts of service. I think that you maybe pine for the kind of relationship where you serve and the other protects, built on mutual respect and not a power imbalance, because there are plenty of love songs of his that explicitly talk about toxic or abusive or imbalanced situations but these are not it. The fact that you are drawn to these shows an appreciation for gentleness in love. And Devotion.

It did not escape my notice either that 2/3 of these songs have to do with death/dying/being a corpse. I don't know what to make of that besides that you have an affinity for death and morbidity (affectionate-- I do too).

3. My Opinion

I, Carrion - It's a really beautiful song, it is one of those that I expect to hit me a lot harder than it does now. This happened with de selby pt 1 where when I first heard it I didnt care for it and then one day, I started crying while listening to it.

In a Week - CW for pettiness; I don't like this song very much, but for admittedly dumb reasons. Its undeniably a beautifully macabre song with strong vocals and good lyrics, so I can appreciate it from an artistic standpoint.

However, there was a period of time before Wasteland, Baby came out that Hoziers queer listeners were like "Hozier is a sapphic icon let's go rot in the woods together". Its 100% peoples rights to feel that way and I understand why they do but I, a gay man, have never felt sapphic once in my life. This song was the exemplary standard of what people expected from Hozier at that time, and it was so strongly associated with sapphic feelings by its reception that I just never cared for it.

I Could Be Yours - You are actually the person who introduced me to this song, and I fuckin love it. Granted, when I was younger I serenaded my husband during our courtship with the song "I Wanna be Yours" by Arctic Monkeys....very much the same sentiment I think. That may also be why he has never released a studio version of it. I love that its folksy, but I would also love to see what he'd do with it in a studio. I just love love love songs that he hollars in.

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chefboyar-zeee · 9 months ago

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Idlewild - Roundtable Jukebox

Idlewild is a musical drama film released in 2006, directed by Bryan Barber and starring the hip-hop duo OutKast, which consists of André 3000 (André Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton). The film is set in the Prohibition-era South and blends elements of music, drama, and crime with a jazz and hip-hop-infused soundtrack.

This was a beautiful film and very aesthetic. I have not seen another musical quite like this one and it’s for a reason. Here's why...

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What are the social aspects within the film’s narrative that align with the film’s songs?

The characters in "Idlewild" demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity, a theme echoed in the film's music. Many songs highlight the characters' determination to overcome obstacles and fight for their dreams, reflecting the broader struggle for justice and equality.

The film's love songs align with these themes, expressing the joy, passion, and challenges of love.

Rooster's involvement in the criminal underworld is depicted through intense and energetic musical numbers that convey the danger and excitement of his lifestyle.

The film's songs reflect their desires for a better life and their struggles to achieve their dreams. Percival's introspective ballads, for instance, convey his longing to break free from his small-town life and pursue his passion for music.

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How do the historiographies of previously recorded songs inform audience relationships with the musical’s narrative and performers?

Most of the songs in Idlewild had already been featured on the OutKast albums Big Boi and Dre Present...OutKast and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, essentially making it a jukebox musical. Seven of the songs from the film, along with several unreleased songs, were released by LaFace Records as an OutKast album entitled Idlewild at the time of the film's release.

This is such an interesting question for my film considering all the film’s score was performed and produced by the lead actors, Andre 300 and Big Boi, with a few credited features in the film. Obviously it isn’t just circumstance that the leads were a famous Hip-Hop duo, so it isn’t hard to assume that the actors/artists were chosen specifically to star in this film for their transformative and notable music style and sound. Without their unique sound and talent for performing, the film could not, and would not be what it is.

The historiography of this film is unique in the way that the character actors are also the creators of the featured soundtrack. On one hand, the audiences may feel more compelled to the characters and their narrative because they are in support of their music exclusive to the film, as well as some of their originals. In general though, I think historiographies definitely inform the audience’s relationship to a narrative. It can make you more engaged with the characters and their conflicts if you personally feel the music is fitting, or on the other hand, it can make you understand and better comprehend the narrative you're following because you may be familiar with the meaning and significance of the music. I also think about people’s ability to see artists they like and songs they love being performed in a different medium. In a way, your brain might see the visuals from the first time they heard it; or maybe the song originally had a music video. It’s up to directors to build the narrative strongly around the music.

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What musical genre/style drives the film’s score, and how does the genre/style (re)define the film as a musical?

The hip-hop, funk, and soul stylings of the song score are intentionally anachronistic, a choice made to complement the film being set in 1935. Elements of 1930s-era blues and jazz music are, however, featured prominently in many of the musical numbers. The film's dance numbers, choreographed by Hinton Battle, also feature many period dances, primarily the jitterbug and showgirl moves, like featured in the above video.

The film does a lot of blending hip-hop with jazz, blues, and gospel influences.

Idlewild is known for its visually stylized and innovative approach to storytelling, incorporating musical numbers, fantasy sequences, and animation.

The film defines itself by taking place in the 1930s, in addition to casting vetted performers and songwriters as your leads. The musical simply wouldn't have the same storytelling element had anyone else written the soundtrack, whether prior to the film or not.

#oxyfilmmusical #disguisedmusical @theuncannyprofessoro

#Youtube

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dorthes · 1 year ago

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Chiara: Gen-Z lesbian icon we were waiting for

(This is a translation of Chiara: el referente lésbico Gen Z que estábamos esperando and some comments of mine)

Chiara Oliver Williams is one of the 16 contestants from the reality-talent show more successful of Spain: Operación Triunfo. She's 19 years old, she likes Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Alanis Morissette, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Fleetwood Mac and Rosalía. She speaks four languages fluently, she plays the piano, the bass and the guitar, she's a composer, she's half English, half Spanish, and, without doubt, one of the most promising artists on the Spanish music industry. But we're going to focus on yet another aspect of her personality, last but no least: she's an out and proud lesbian.

"I'm Chiara, I like Christmas, girls, I'm a bit crazy and that's it." That's how she defined herself at the beginning of December (when the contest had barely started) when Ruslana, one of her housemates (bisexual wink) asked her to talk about her. And boy, was she right, because during the following weeks she has shown us that, if there's something crucial about her life and personality is, besides music and her talent, her lesbianism.

Let's start from the beginning. Chiara was one of the candidates that caught the most attention during the casting stage (in which 13 thousand contestants tried their luck) for her special voice, her artistic personality and her technical skills.

As early as the first week of the contest we know she's a raging homosexual when another one of her housemates, Violeta (also bisexual wink) asked her why several of her compositions are dedicated to boys (even though she would later explain they're not romantic songs) when she's "the most lesbian from all lesbians of Spain." However, her "official" coming out came later thanks to the LGBT talk scheduled in the show.

"Straight-passing", invisibility and lesbian pride

During that talk, Chiara spoke to talk about one of the problems femme lesbians often face: being pretty and femenine, and so, nobody expects they're lesbians.

And that's just what Chiara explained. It took her a while to understand not just to understand her lesbianism, but assume it, because how are you going to be a lesbian if you're not masculine and have grown up in a society which denies you like girls if you're pretty and femenine? Like, if boys like you and you check every box they look for, how could you not like them?

Basically, she talked abour her experience. "I've always been very feminine Society tells you lesbians are masculine, gays and affeminate, so I didn't realise until later because I told myself "I'm not masculine, so it's phisically impossible." But that's not the truth."

Chiara has what is known as straight-passing, that is, nobody thinks she's a lesbian at first glance, and nobody is going to think so if she doesn't say it. And that's a "privilege" and more so in a TV contest. But she decided not to "use" that "privilege" and she says every single day she's a lesbian. And, of course, she has "paid" the price, but we will talk about that later. All that matters is that Chiara's not only openly a lesbian, she has said it whenever possible, has coined "Go lesbians" as a personal brand alongside Bea, another housemate and a lesbian too and she says the word "lesbian" without any kind of taboo.

Lesbian is a word so charged with prejudice that a lot of lesbians refuse to use it and prefer some "euphemisms" like gay. So it is to be welcomed that a 19-year old Menorcan says it in one of the most successful TV shows in Spain (and with some repercussion in Latin America). With all its letters, with pride.

Chiara is a lesbian. And she also has all lesbian culture in her mind. She's a fan of Glee (particularly of Santana and Brittany), her favourite character from Grey's Anatomy is Arizona Robbins and she didn't like Bridgerton for being too straight. She loves Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson and Paula Usero. I Kissed a girl is a hymn in her life (and she sang it in the contest and finished it with a kiss with Violeta) and has covered Mujer contra mujer thousands of times.

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She, self proclaimed "Spanish lesbian Olivia Rodrigo", also has various romantic songs aimed to girls and many of them composed during the contest (rumours say some of them are dedicated to one of her girl friends in the contest).

Ships

Of course people is going to ship her with her housemates. In fact, a bisexual boy, Paul, confessed his feelings for her knowing it was impossible, which he told her, and people suspect possible relationships with her mentioned before housemates Violeta and Ruslana. It's true they're all very good friends, but Violeta has a girlfriend already and Ruslana is dating another housemate. I (the translator) personally think this is not relevant but, to whoever may care, you can search Wartanera on YouTube.

Misogyny, lesbophobia and ableism

Well, obviously not everything could be rosy. This is the 21st century and Spain can be one of the most advanced countries on LGBTQ+ and women's rights, but lesbophobia still exists. Chiara started the contest as one of the favourite contestant to win, but for the lat month she has received a hate wave from a good chunk of the audience because, well, she's an easy target.

Reality shows audience look for people to hate, and nothing is easier than a lesbian girl with ADHD. Chiara faces double discrimination for her sexual orientation and for being neurodivergent. And the consequence is that she could leave the show this week.

How to save Chiara

If you have read all of this, if you like how she sings, what she means to us, please help us save her and stay in the contest, not only for Chiara, but all Chiara represents.

You can watch all of her performances on the official Operación Triunfo Channel (and clips of Chiara in general)

You can see what she has done in the Academy through Twitter and Tiktok searching for Chiara OT or the words "Kivi" and "Ruski" (her ships).

You can listen to the songs she has covered in the contest and follow her on Spotify where she will publish her own songs outside the contest

But the most important thing is to vote for free in the official Operación Triunfo App once a day until Monday 5th February. It's fast and easy. If you are from Latin America or Spain you can download the app for free. If not, you can download it from here. Follow the instructions below to vote. It's very easy. Save the lesbians, go lesbians

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yunogf · 5 months ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#i think ppl having commentary on everything else is valid considering he had a part in all of it #theres a lot of discussion about the aesthetic and mv etc etc bc he was in creative control #and it was well done #i dont think theres anything wrong with having that conversation bc it's art it should be all encompassing there should be a stunning visua #u can listen to music for so many reasons so i encourage conversations like that! ppl are excited!#and that doesn't deminish or take away from the quality of the songs #listen to the music u want to listen to u don't have to like or even listen to jaehyuns album but i did and i liked it for the music itself #replies #u caught me before i'd gone to sleep and now right when i woke up with this so i apologize if it's incoherent #i hope u do listen to it and enjoy it but if not thats okay ❤️

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