#link leads to the song that caption is from

[ms-all-sunday]

a participation trophy wife

[the-case-book-of-fanfiction]

Love Bites {Masterlist}

With your memory spotty, you gravitate toward the first person you see—an old friend from a very old past. But Astarion is keeping plenty of secrets...and he's never been the best liar. How long will it take before his deceptions unravel? And what will you do when you realize just how much damage he's done?

Ship: Astarion Ancunin x fem!vampire spawn!elf!Tav/reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, vampire spawn!Tav, fem!Tav, manipulative but guilty/regretful Astarion, Astarion's sexual trauma, Cazador, vampire bite, reader is turned into a spawn, reader is technically one of Astarion's victims

18+ Warnings: vaginal sex, consensual sex, mirror sex, riding, fingering, oral, blood kink, bite kink, loving sex, non-descriptive noncon/dubcon (Astarion’s trauma), Astarion experimenting with his boundaries

Total Word Count: 47,397 words (87 pages)

Notes: The title of this fic (and some of its chapter titles) is heavily inspired by Def Leppard's song Love Bites.

Posting Schedule can be found on my {Updates Page}

CONTENT NOTE: Where Astarion's perspective comes into this fic, I tried writing his experience with his hurt that he has been treated this way along with his "this is what I do" mentality; he's very back and forth about the abuse he's endured and some of my writing reflects that. If that upsets you or makes you uncomfortable in anyway, I completely understand and I encourage you to leave the fic at any point. However, I do believe writing this perspective is necessary, as his blasé take on his sexual trauma is one that I myself have struggled with, as I am sure other survivors have as well.

☟ story parts linked below ☟

Best Unremembered {Chapter 1} Waking up with a spotty memory and the only person you do remember is jarring enough—but it only gets worse when the people who remember you are monsters and strangers.

Walking Corpses {Chapter 2} Astarion's night spent searching for prey is interrupted by an unwelcome feeling of familiarity. Your life is derailed by recognizing a long-dead friend.

Little Love {Chapter 3} Appearances can be deceiving, but they can also tell you everything you need to know. A second look at the elf you once called a friend is all you need to fill in the two-hundred year gap.

The Golden Elf {Chapter 4} Sometimes, vampires choose their spawn specifically. Sometimes, they're in the wrong place at the wrong time and are lost to their loved ones for centuries. These days, that's all you can think about.

Little Star, Little Sun {Chapter 5} A long-awaited reunion that doesn't go quite as planned can lead to many things, especially when two manipulators both lay their traps for one another. Though is it really a trap when all you want to do is spare your lover from yet another night of torment?

Love Bites {Chapter 6} Astarion remembers you, but it's already too late. He's bedded you and remembered the love and life you had together, two hundred years ago, and now he has to make a choice. Does he sacrifice himself, or does he sacrifice you?

Love Bleeds {Chapter 7} Fangs gleam in the shadows and a coffin lies open nearby. Vampire lords are nasty creatures; even a changed heart can do very little when there are claws around it.

On My Knees {Chapter 8} A betrayal so severe even centuries of love threaten to break beneath its weight. Yet you offer forgiveness, even if Astarion has not felt its kindness in two hundred years.

Second Chances {Epilogue} Home is a place and home is people. You have quite the large family now, and it's time to provide for them, however you may.

Love Bites Soundtrack — 3h50min

Chapter 1: tracks 1 - 6 Chapter 2: tracks 7 - 13 Chapter 3: tracks 14 - 19 Chapter 4: tracks 20 - 26 Chapter 5: tracks 27 - 32 Chapter 6: tracks 33 - 40 Chapter 7: tracks 41 - 46 Chapter 8: tracks 47 - 53 Epilogue: tracks 54 - 60

[Image Caption: I do not give permission to repost, translate, or publish my work on any other site or app by anyone except myself. I do not give permission for my work to be fed into AI (for audio, art, or writing).]

Baldur's Gate 3 // Astarion Ancunin

Taglist: {comment and let me know if you'd like to be added to the Astarion taglist!} @wayward-hel @cheeslyy @ofmyth-andmagicart @neetheslayer @whispering-depths @freesidexjunkie @lightsinmycity @the0ldmann @gobbodoggo @oooof-ifellforyou @beeblisss @fangboner @aquaarietes @fiercest-eigengrau-skies @niqhtfell @call-me-nyxx @lueji-m @ceres-xiv @tricksy-trinity @graynstairs @rosa-rubus @ynisthatyou @thegoodwitchs-blog @catching-fire-in-the-wind @kiyastrf94 @vincemachina @silverfangmarks @ravenswritingroom @hinata7346 @hellethil @caramel-hufflepuff @beemiilk @mypainischronicbutmyassisiconic @starwatch77 @julianmarie @sadexistentialism @supernaturallover15 @writinghound @frankie-mercury @kindadolly @infernalrusalka

[crepesuzette2023]

Your top 5 favorite Mclennon quotes?

Hi Anon, thank you for asking! The following aren't quotes I'd construct into any kind of 'proof' (whether I'm into this or not is another set of footnotes, which I'll spare you), but quotes that illustrate that John and Paul's relationship was fascinating and intense, and puzzling to themselves and others (incl. yours truly). 1.) “Meeting Paul was just like two people meeting. Not falling in love or anything. Just us. It went on. It worked.” — John Lennon - The Beatles by Hunter Davies

2.) “Lennon had attitude, and, taking his lead from Lennon, McCartney could be similar. At times, they reminded me of those well-to-do Chicago lads Leopold and Loeb, who killed someone because they felt superior to him. Lennon and McCartney were ‘superior human beings’.” — Bob Wooler in Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In

3.) “John and Paul paired off - only to find themselves stuck together for life. For John, Paul was the boy who came to stay; for Paul, John was the song he couldn’t make better” — Rob Sheffield, Dreaming The Beatles

4.) TELL ME WHO HE IS. Early song by Paul McCartney, included in The Lyrics (2021). Written in the late 50’s/early 60’s, according to the caption. (photo of journal page)

Tell me who he is Tell me that you’re mine not his He says he loves you more than I do Tell me who he is

Tell him where to go Tell him that I love you so He couldn’t love you more than I do Tell me who he is

5.) John Lennon's word association list from 1976 New York: great Elvis: fat Ringo: friend Yoko: love Howard Cosell: hum George: lost Bootlegs: good Elton: nice Paul: extraordinary Bowie: thin MBE: shit John: great

BONUS TRACK: “I had signs that the group was gonna break up, because… I mean, I think really what it was, really all that happened was that John fell in love. With Yoko. And so, with such a powerful alliance like that, it was difficult for him to still be seeing me. It was as if I was another girlfriend, almost. Our relationship was a strong relationship. And if he was to start a new relationship, he had to put this other one away."— Paul McCartney (1985), link to interview here

PLAY IT BACKWARDS: "LONDON (AP) — John Lennon wrote vitriolic comments about fellow-Beatle Paul McCartney in a picture biography of the famed pop group, providing new evidence of the tensions between them, the Observer newspaper said Sunday. [...]

"Lennon marked almost every one of the 76 pages with corrections and comments, including one that the Observer took as an indication the group already was experimenting with drugs in the 1960s. [...]

"In an entry noting McCartney’s marriage to Linda Eastman, Lennon crossed out “wedding” and wrote ��funeral”, the Observer said. [...]

"But in a final tender moment, the Observer said, Lennon wrote under a photo of himself with McCartney: “The minutes are crumbling away.” (full article.)

[whitehartlane]

AUDERE EST FACERE. ↳ "I want us to be brave, to be aggressive. To play like Tottenham Hotspur. All I care about is this football club. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is the most important thing."

Push and run football AKA 'make it simple, make it quick', the mother of Total Football, as designed by Arthur Rowe / Rowe meets Puskás and passes on his philosophy / Ange Postecoglou talks about the inspirations behind his footballing philosophy / Bryan Gil on Tottenham's style of football / Cormac McCarthy, 'The Road' / Tottenham 2-1 Sheffield United / Tottenham 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion / Tottenham 3-3 Manchester City / Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool / Fall Out Boy & Elton John, 'Save Rock And Roll' / Ange Postecoglou mic'd up at Celtic training / Ange Postecoglou on compromising on his attacking style of football / Tottenham playing a high line against Chelsea despite being only 9 men on the pitch / Bill Nicholson / Ange Postecoglou waves to the crowd and his family after winning against Liverpool at home in his first season of the PL, caption from the fan song 'I'm Loving Big Ange Instead' sung to the tune of Robbie Williams' Angels, created by thevoiceofspurs / Young Sheldon, Season 4, Episode 1: 'Graduation' / Tottenham players celebrate after winning against Liverpool at home / Ange Postecoglou on Tottenham weathering a major injury crisis and suspensions leading to players playing out of position / Son Heungmin on Tottenham's underdog comeback victories / Son Heungmin on the feel of the new stadium before the UCL match against Man City, 2019, 'No Filter UCL' / Stray Kids ft. Tiger JK, 'TOPLINE' / Off the Shelf Ep. 20 ft. Brennan Johnson / Lord of the Rings: Return of the King / James Maddison's 'FEARLESS' tattoo on the side of his neck / Ange Postecoglou on Tottenham's chances of clinching the title in the 23/24 season / EDEN, 'love; not wrong (brave)' / Tottenham players link hands and run toward the South Stand in celebration after winning 2-1 against Sheffield United, both goals scored in injury time / Lao Tzu / Pape Sarr runs into the Tottenham fans' arms after equalising against Brighton, 2024 / Destiny Udogie points to the club's badge over his heart after equalising against Brentford, 2024 / James Maddison on Ange Postecoglou encouraging the players to play his way in the first North London Derby of the 23/24 season / To Dare is to Do, fan tifo, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium / Dejan Kulusevski on playing for Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou

[kurooscoffee]

Article: "These are the Slovenians who put us in a good mood and brought tears out of us"

(Svet24 link)

Bojan Cvjetićanin and Joker Out

Slovenia's representatives at the Eurovision Song Contest have not attracted so much attention for a long time. This was not only due to the musical part of the Joker Out package, but also to their charisma, their openness — the humanity element, which the world at large was happy to consume on social media, where the band was posting the behind the scenes moments. The five of them were casually making friends and talking about Slovenia and Slovenians the whole time. The icing on the cake was when the band's lead singer Bojan Cvjetićanin made the most beautiful friendship in the history of Eurovision with Finland's Käärijä.

Photo caption: Bojan Cvjetićanin and Käärijä - a friendship that has grown onto people to the core.

Social networks were full of glimpses of their genuine relationship, spontaneous moments and mischief towards their competitors and the global audience. In a very unobtrusive way, with a story of friendship, they were the best ambassadors of their homelands and fellow citizens, and reminded us of the formative values that modern society is moving away from - transcending individualism, connecting, being open, listening to your fellow human beings, enjoying and relaxing.

[abuse-ken]

Ito is not an evil murderer for no reason: a meta

I'm going to be breaking down the lyrics and PVs of three songs: Yellow Papa (x), Dear Suns (x), and Flower War. This is a chronological look at Ito's story. Feel free to look them over if you need a review :3 the song is linked in the first word, and the lyrics in the second. I left a second translation for Yellow Papa and Dear Suns because I like the second one better for readability. Flower War has lyrics in the captions of the PV

Before I start: As I understand things, this series of songs by Abuse is centered around a cult that primarily idolizes indulgence to any degree. Especially through Ito and Zoy, we see sex and cannibalism heavily intertwined. For this reason, I interpret cannibalism to be both literal and a metaphor for rape

Ito himself is the oldest of four siblings. He is fully man himself, but serves as a parallel to Ote in that his mind is that of a beast while his body isn't. His mom is a beastman, and his absent father is a man

Yellow Papa

*Please note that Ito is described as "only just learning how to read" during this song, making him around five

The general point of this song (which I assume most people don't know as this is a song that was initially supposed to be Dear Suns, but Abuse cut and put on Abuse Bundle instead) is to illustrate Ito's childhood. Both this and Dear Suns seem to serve similar purposes, both coming out after Flower War to further humanize Ito. This song follows a parentified Ito and his siblings as Ito begs for love from their parents. So fun and chill ty Abuse

We see a lot of talk of meat and being eaten, as is standard with Ito ofc:

Most notably, the line "'Love us, love us!', My mother's fangs gobbled me up, and I became raw meat". Obviously Ito was not literally eaten here, which leads us to the conclusion that Ito's mom is sexually abusive

This leads straight into "That sort of sensation was of falling from the top", tying back to the opening line of "I ate the raw meat that had fallen from the top", meaning one of two things. Either we are meant to take the first verse's lines as autocannibalism, a metaphor for how he is having to take care of his siblings with their father absent; or we are getting our first glimpse at why Ito might be a cannibal: need. If this isn't meant to be taken as an analogy and Ito is eating "raw meat" (presumably people), this paints a picture of him and his family being in a dog-eat-dog kind of world, having to cannibalize other vulnerable people around them in order to eat

We also see his mother ask if he is going to eat her, which he says he is. This is touched on more in Dear Suns, obviously. He cites his reason for eating her as because his father doesn't love her. With the final chorus showing Ito more desperate for his father's love than food, which he and his family are very clearly lacking, it gives us the general themes of Ito as a character:

Love, sex (and sexual abuse), and eating are all one and the same to him

Dear Suns

*Ito is older here, he seems to be at least a teenager based on the illustrations, but there is no lyrical acknowledgement of his age

As I'm sure most people know, this is more insight into Ito as a character rather than any particular event in his life, outside of the detailing of him eating mother and siblings

To begin with though, we get some elaboration on Ito's life before this song and how he came to be at the church. At about 1:43, the PV reads, "one thousand necks have been severed, so many bodies remain, sever the necks of one thousand [millionares?], blood stains remain even in the shower stalls, I'm in the middle of the street, I spend a year in the hospital, I don't know my name, I don't know where I live, 'you are a child, and this is your new family'." This implies that somewhere in between Yellow Papa and this song, while Ito was still young, he was eventually taken in off the street and to a hospital where he lived for a year, the church taking him in as him "new family" afterwards. This is over the line in the song that reads "you must protect your family, carve it into your DNA," which points to the church directing him into the role he takes on in Flower War to at least some extent

At 1:04, we also see a shot of text that reads, "for the first time in my life, I have a purpose" right as soon as the chorus starts detailing Ito killing and eating people, yet another implication that this is something he took on as more of a job than a crime of passion

There's also a shot of him wearing a collar with a chained lead at 1:26, which is obvious enough a sign of being controlled, especially when all the characters are dog-based. There is an inherent dehumanization to all of the characters in this plotline of Abuse's, but it applies to Ito too, not just the beastmen characters. Despite being fully aware of his actions, he is collared, compared to an animal, and dehumanized by the narrative itself

This song especially is full of evidence that Ito was brought up in the church for the sole purpose of protecting the people in their cult. With several lines about "having to protect his family" and especially "protect your family and their connection to you, it's carved into the spiral/(alternate translation above)", it really makes it seem like he's more of a child soldier for them than just the common interpretation of him being a yandere type. There's also the mention of "xochimiquiztli"* which ties in more with Flower War (obviously more explaination later), meaning not only in Flower War but this song too, he is canonically compared to an honored soldier going on what is basically a suicide mission for the sake of pride and protection of their religion

And of course, the song closes with Ito saying "this is wrong". He's aware that he is commiting horrible acts on some level, yet he keeps doing it because he loves his family

*Refers to a death on the battlefield in a flower war. From the Aztec Empire, roughly translates to "flowery death"

Flower War

*Still no age for Ito, and he is pictured as a fox, so it is hard to gauge

To begin with, I'll give a brief summary of what flower wars are. In the 1450s, the Aztecs were going through a famine, and determined that the gods were angry and needed human sacrifices. In order to obtain these, soldiers were sent out into small, pre-arranged battles to take prisoners. Any deaths (or xochimiquiztli as before mentioned) were considered honorable, and the dead would join the god of sun, fire, and war.

This is tied to Ito's character as a whole. He grew up in the church because of growing up on the streets without food, he is heavily tied to sun imagery in Dear Suns and Flower War (while Zoy is notably tied to fire), and Flower War tells the story of his noble flowery death. In my opinion, this is too much connection to brush off as just reading into things. Ito is almost canonically called a child soldier through this analogy alone

This song really only follows Ito's last kill and his own death, which is a mission he goes on in order to kill people who "made fun of father (Zoy)" and "tried to kill Ote". The whole way he goes on about loving his family and his victims (again, love=sex=hunger to Ito), degrading himself, and praising his family members. He also mentions several times (2:06, 3:26, 4:01) that he is not supposed to kill children, which seems to be his undoing. While reminding himself of this rule, which he seems to only follow because someone else set it for him, he is shot and killed

In the final shot of the song, we also see a carnation that is red and yellow, the red meaning love (or specifically love for your mother, bc he has mommy issues ig) and the yellow representing disappointment and contempt. Like Dear Suns, this final moment displays some level of regret for his actions, and a final callback to his mother, who has now been mentioned in all three of his songs

In conclusion: my blorbo did nothing wrong /j please stop pointing out that he is a cannibal every time I mention liking him

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — March 3-9

previous week || all posts || following week

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

03-03 → The whaler MistyRose posted a screenshot of account stats that can only be seen by the account holder for the official Ranyi Music YouTube channel (associated with the Zhang Sanjian songs.) This suggests that at the least she has some insider connection with the scam that allowed her to receive the screenshot personally, and it's possible that she's the one running the account herself.

→ 361° posted two photo ads featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ Za posted another teaser photo ad featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ The Instagram posted six photos of "Zhang Zhehan" and "Zhang Mama" and four of an aquarium.

03-04 → Gong Jun posted a commercial for the makeup brand Za, announcing that he is their new global spokesperson. This was reposted by his studio.

→ Za posted five photo ads featuring Gong Jun. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] (1129 kadian on the first)

→ The Instagram posted a video of the most recent scam concert.

→ Za held a livestream to promote the new endorsement with Gong Jun. During this, a number of people with obviously CPF usernames won several giveaways, and the streamer reportedly said "Oh [you're] also a fan of Zhehan" to one of them. Sources: [1] [2]

→ 361° posted a promotional video featuring Gong Jun. Fan Observation: The video shows him colouring flowers in with red. In the final shot one flower is still left uncoloured, recalling Zhou Zishu's plum blossom mural in Word of Honor.

03-05 → Za posted a promotional video (1129 kadian) and two photo ads [1] [2] featuring Gong Jun.

→ 361° posted three photo ads featuring Gong Jun.

→ Za posted three wallpapers featuring Gong Jun.

03-06 → Gong Jun posted five photos ads of himself for L'Oreal.

→ Za posted a promotional video featuring Gong Jun.

→ Some of the old essays posted by Zhang Sanjian at the very beginning of the scam (early 2022) were reposted, but edited to remove the implications against Gong Jun and CPFs. It's been discussed quite bit by now that trying to appeal to solo fans at the expense of CPFs so early on was the scam's biggest mistake, as it caused CPFs to become sceptical and begin investigations. This is not the first time that the scam has shown signs of wanting to backtrack on that move.

03-07 → The Fox Spirit Matchmaker Weibo posted a promotional image of Gong Jun's character to celebrate the show reaching 4 million viewer reservations. Caption: "Refreshing and clear, with eyebrows like poetry. Dongfang Yuechu @ Gong Jun Simon seems to be the person in the painting."

→ Gong Jun posted a short commercial for Za to his Douyin. Fan Observation: The product is called Magnetic (贴贴, tietie) Powder, the same word fans use for how Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan would often bump against each other when they were working together. I could be wrong, but I couldn't find any evidence of this product existing prior to Gong Jun's endorsement.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a little video celebrating Fox Spirit Matchmaker's milestone. Caption: "Pure fire is invincible🔥Candied haws never leaves the hand✌️ #Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Chapter has more than 4 million reservations#, @ Gong Jun Simon's new mission props are now distributed!" The same was also posted to the studio's Douyin.

→ Za posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

03-08 → Gong Jun posted four photo ads he did for L'Oreal to his Xiao Hong Shu.

→ GXG posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ 361° posted a video voiced by Gong Jun for International Women's Day. (1129 kadian)

→ Za posted a behind the scenes video of their commercial featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ Gong Jun posted four photos of himself. Caption: "Happy holidays! Also share my half-day leisure 😌"

→ Za posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun posted a silly video of himself to his Douyin. Caption: "I heard that this is how millions of people move their mirrors 🤳" BGM is What You Won't Do For Love by Bobby Caldwell.

03-09 → The scam announced a short film entitled "August" directed by "Zhang Zhehan", using footage that the scam gang took during the bike trip in August 2022. The intention of this is very obviously to have search results for the film come up with information about 813.

Additional Reading: → N/A

previous week || all posts || following week

[edge-oftheworld]

no but i can't get over how actually well done the last few days were. announce a surprise and not 48 hours later we find out that 1) tour movie, the same thing taylor swift did a few months ago and now everyone wants plus we know it's a show they worked super hard on, 2) it's free, excellent for anyone who couldn't afford to go etc (we've all been there) and out literally right now on a (mostly) free platform (the very same one that they got started on but anyway) and perhaps most notably, 3) it's free with the hopes that you might instead of paying for it donate to gaza, and the links are right there.

like they could've charged us $20 each for the show and sent all their profits there themselves (with the hope that we believe they're being honest that it's 100%, for them of course we would but i know others have lied about similar). but instead they gave us autonomy over our donation just like. encouraged it. like cmon who wouldn't listen when ashton tells us to donate to something if we can? (also did anyone else say so, i'm not the best at keeping up with social media so lmk if there's more of them to give credit to here). anyway we gotta talk about it more. how perfectly this was done: we get a gift!! be it for christmas if you celebrate or just in general, that we expected we'd have to pay for. now we get asked, hey, if you have any money could you send it to these people who Really Need It So Badly if you can? I know not all of you do so we won't stop you from watching the movie if you don't but

also this is a really clever way to show their support for gaza. like they are (deliberately i think) trying not to be leaders in an area that they aren't experts in, and there has been a lot of misinformation around, a lot of misunderstanding, like yes they did stand up for ukraine last year but the media was a lot more black and white for that one (or should i say blue and yellow) but when it comes down to it they're not stupid and they're not fooled by whatever the country they currently live in is pushing and they've actually taken their time to not say shit to save face prematurely but actually do something that's, even if not big or dramatic, gonna be impactful? they've not put themselves out there campaigning for a ceasefire, yes, but they've posted links that are. they've not guilted us into donating but please tell me you're not at least feeling some obligation to. it's simple, it's actionable, it's right there in the caption and takes like 20 seconds. and if any of us in the fandom (global family or whatever they're building) are leading in the ceasefire decolonisation space we have our little encouragement to see that yes, these musicians we love aren't gonna sit there and do nothing. it's not monumental, but it's something.

and tbh i wouldn't be surprised if this was all planned like a week ago in a zoom call between australia and the usa when ryan texted to say that the film was done. like it was in their random spontanous lightheated style. i also think we can learn something from the fact that it's okay to not jump on everything the minute it comes out but actually every lasting impact is a long-haul effort that you've gotta sustain yourself for by doing what you love as well. and also sometimes the right opportunity to do something about what we care about comes and you just take it, don't think too hard, don't wait either if you don't need to, if there is a cause that needs your effort whenever you get an opportunity to give it will always be the right time. hopefully they've set a precedent for something--i have no idea if any artist has done similar but i'm really proud of them.

and that's why i don't get the fact that we've been talking about how horrific this genocide is and then going right to which songs they cut or kept. like i would like a live version of you don't go to parties! but i would like an entire fandom to donate to aid for gaza even more and be thinking about why we need a ceasefire and maybe doing something about it even more. i've been unwell yes and under financial and other stress yes but i'm not starving or freezing to death and so i'll take that L and i won't go home. i won't stop talking about what's important. i'm starting to find my voice again and this has been a big inspiration for it between all the discouragement.

have we not figured it out? they're not just dumbasses sometimes they do something towards a cause we really care about so let's give them credit for that. heck they even filmed bad omens in ukraine in 2022 have we forgotten about that? they don't put themselves out there as influential figures in any way but that's sometimes the best way to humanise the people we care about (and i think honestly they just do this naturally because when you're not chasing clout and you're trained to recognise talent and potential talent in even the worst situations, you'll automatically think like that). it's small in the face of everything going on, yes. so am i! and if i learned anything over the last 24 hours it's that small things can be meaningful. this has been to me and i don't doubt to the recipients of the donations of (i hope) an entire fandom.

(also if you don't mind the tag @littledrummerangie i know you were talking along a similar vein a few weeks back and i'm keen to hear if you want to, if you found this as satisfying as me)

[thinkofsun]

countryhazel7Mason Ramsey x OC

part 1 , part 2 , part 3 ( you are here )

I did it, I downloaded TikTok, sue me.

Stella ended up pinning my comment, "hey that's me!" on her viral post, which was currently at 528k likes, and my instagram cover was at 13,379 likes.

After spending the rest of my afternoon recording and posting covers in my room, I discovered why people love tiktok so much.

The endless scroll.

Three hours pass me by before I realize I've been mindlessly swiping this whole time. I sigh vow to be in the moment, before I continue and scroll to the next video.

However, this next video was nothing like any other video on my For You.

It was of a teenage boy, who looked around a similar age to me, playing a beautiful country song to what seemed to be a very full stadium of people.

And boy was he cute.

Checking the caption, I discovered his name was Mason Ramsey, and he was a 17 year old country singer, just like me! But he was famous, like 2.8 MILLION followers on TikTok kind of famous, which explains the full concert.

Everyone in the comments seems to agree that he is an attractive man, and even more of an attractive guitar player.

I search him up and find his account, follow him, and click the link which leads me to his Spotify.

The first song that came up was called "Blue Over You", and it was amazing

With Masons music playing on shuffle out of the speakers on my phone, I swipe off Spotify and search him up on instagram as well, sorry i'm a stalker.

I follow him there as well, not with the expectation of a follow back, but just so I could show support.

My TikTok account had slowly grown since Stella pinned my comment, as I now have 1.3k followers!!!

Because of my new found celebrity crush, I decided to film a cover of "How Do I Know If I'm In Love", one of his newest songs.

Exhausted from doing nothing all day, I post the cover at 8:37pm and go to sleep. It was still light out but that didn't stop me. I was really tired ok!

I woke up bright and early (aka 9:58am) and luckily Jamie's body wasn't there to block my morning stretch.

Checking my phone, I saw my cover exploded over night, being almost at 650k likes just from while I was sleeping.

I will always believe this next moment that i'm about to describe to you, happened only cause the Universe wanted to see my pure, undelayed reaction that wouldn't happened if I had received  this notification while I was asleep.

Instagram: [HazelJones777] Mason Ramsey started following you.

TikTok: [countryhazel7] Mason Ramsey started folllwing you.

[utaicon]

★・ABOUT・★

★・call me adrien

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★・BLACKLIST・★

・requests for any of the following will be deleted or declined.・

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★・WHITELIST ・★

・requests for any of the following will be prioritized.・

★・(sources) project sekai, vocal synths, demon slayer, stellar paradigm

★・(characters) Matsudappoiyo | Nightcord at 25:00, Wonderlands x Showtime, Toya, Akito, Airi, Saki, Honami | Rui Ayaki, Enmu, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Mitsuri, Tengen, Kanao, Aoi | Kenma, Hinata | Toko, Kyoko, Sakura, Aoi, Mondo, Chihiro, Sayaka, Celeste, Akane, Hajime, Nagito, H-y-ko (i know some people dont like her so her name is censored 👍) Mahiru, Kazuichi, Ibuki, all the udg kids | August, Hirano

★・(ships) Mizuena, Anhane, Kanamafu, Ruikasa, Shizuai, Shizurui, Shizukasa, Shizuruikasa, Mizurui, Mafurui, Kanarui, anything niigosho tbh, Honasaki, Emunene, Mafunene, Honasaki | Kagehina | Tokomaru, Ishimondo, Akanidai | Obamitsu, Aoino, Shinomitsu | Calaug

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★・DNI ・★

racist, queerphobic, ableist, anti-neopronouns/xenogenders, transandrophobic, discourse-focused blogs nsfw blog, anti-recovery, (pro)transx, pro map/nomap/pedo

★・BYI ・★

i am in no way against agere, but i cannot and will not guarantee everything on this blog will be child-safe. There's nothing explicitly nsfw but there are curse words, some sources i edit may involve violence or curse words, and things of that nature

as stated above I barely know about kinning and irls and things of that nature, i have surface level knowledge just from interacting w people who are kins/irls/ids etc but like that's it. I try to be friendly and welcome to everyone, though.

I'm human, I make mistakes. If i offend on accident, please, i am begging you to tell me. it's never intentional, I'm always trying to better myself.

・divider credit・

・layout credit・

・replycons by me・

[rocknrollsalad-moved]

From the Top, Make it Drop

Steve and Eddie learn to use tik tok.

Of course, it takes months for them to use it to play pranks on each other. Steve's cute, wholesome videos of him signing song will never be the same.

All prompted by a convo with ainsalaco that inspired me just a little too much.

rockstar!eddie    deaf!steve    modern era

                                                  __________

word count: 3207 trigger warnings: the lyrics of wap but honestly they’re mostly implied. let’s just say language though?? it’s wholesome as shit ao3 link: here

                                                 __________

It started the same way this did for anyone not in high school; morbid curiosity and boredom. 

     I don’t want to watch a bunch of kids dance. 

     We’re too old for that, there’s nothing on it for us. 

     Who wants to be cringy and trendy? 

Steve and Eddie had gone through all the stages of grief with TikTok, happier with their Instagrams and Facebooks (though Corroded Coffin also had a Twitter to reach the maximum amount of people) but TikTok wasn’t going away. 

Dustin text links relentlessly, if Eddie didn’t watch it then the link was sent to Steve. Or the other way around. Will and Lucas started talking only in references to videos and stopped making sense to those too old, too unhip to get it. Max went viral several times over for roasting her friends and that was enough to have both Steve and Eddie making an account but not using the app to its full potential. 

What it took was one weekend. Arguably the worst Christmas one could have but Eddie and Steve got snowed into the airport and entertainment was minimal. Will sent a video to express his sadness and seventy-five hours later, when they were finally heading home, Eddie and Steve had not only perfectly honed their for you pages but filmed their first Tik Tok. 

That’s all it took. The monster was created. Everyone rejoiced, of course, and filled the visit with tips and tricks and accounts to follow. Max and Nancy taught Steve how to get captions of videos that came without and how to clear everything off his screen when people were kind enough to turn captions on but not make them accessible. 

Will and Mike taught Eddie how to link multiple accounts so he could have one as Eddie: lead singer of Corroded Coffin and one that could be private, for friends and family. Understanding that blending the two worlds wasn’t always a good idea but also knowing they did not want to accidentally go viral for saying something stupid in the background of a famous, blue-checked video. 

Erica immediately blocked them both and tried to get them to delete the app. Saying it was like having her dad watching her and that was not going to happen, thank you. 

Eddie did get the blue check, verified fairly quickly, and with it came a massive following. The voyeurism of learning what celebrities got up to when they weren’t “on” was the backbone of social media. Comments came in on every video from metalheads playfully cursing Eddie for making them join this god-forsaken app. 

He didn’t post all that much. A few goofy videos from backstage, a handful of “what we’re up to”, and the occasional stitch to make someone’s day as they performed a Corroded Coffin song on kazoo. It was as active as the rest of his social media. 

However, the private one was nonstop videos. The top comment on every single one was Robin tagging Steve and begging him to take Eddie’s phone. No one needed this much information. Which only encouraged Eddie. He sent Robin flowers the day Tik Tok allowed him to make three-minute videos. 

Steve, on the other hand, used his to uplift everyone around him. Look at my amazing husband packing for tour and boldly thinking he needs no socks and five neckties, I love him so much. Watch my best friend argue with a literal light post for ninety seconds. Check out these cute ducks that crossed the street today and made me late for work. 

No one followed him other than his friends. He never went viral. Half the time his thumb was creeping into the shot and the videos were shaky. Until El and Max stepped in and started teaching Steve the trendy dances. It wasn’t a side of Tik Tok he was on and they kept it that way for him. Watching him go in blind and attempt the latest trend was the funniest thing they could think of. 

He got the tiniest bit of traction because he wasn’t great but he would start yelling at Max in sign language and the internet ran with that. Instead of being laughable (which it was) he became inspiration porn (which he hated). 

The nature of Tik Tok, though, was that traction lasted a couple of weeks and soon they were left to do whatever they wanted for the joy of their friends and a handful of people who stuck around. Likely because the videos stopped popping up on their fyp and they didn’t think to go unfollow. And Tik Tok was fun again. 

When videos started to go viral of sign language interpreters killing it at various concerts, giving it their all, and in some cases upstaging the performers themselves, everyone flooded Steve with links. It didn’t take long for the geniuses Steve surrounded himself with to suggest that Steve start doing this with trendy songs. 

Loads of people got millions of views lip-syncing, Steve should sign the songs. Millions of views weren’t his goal but Steve was a sap and they might have preyed on that a little. He wanted to do this with his friends but a small part of him did enjoy being able to participate in the trends in a way that felt “normal”. 

It wasn’t someone stopping something to make special accommodations for Steve, or him missing the joke because no one could translate it properly. This would be his own thing, doing something the rest of the world was doing, and he got to do it with his friends. 

Tripods, ring lights, and redecoration of the “best spot” in the house came as Steve learned a bit of the B-52s Love Shack. It came with a silly little dance that was easy enough to learn. A few dozen videos later, proving to Steve that most people did the bare minimum by way of dancing, they'd found their way to participate. Even if it took a little bit of tweaking and a lot of pleading. 

Eddie was home and procrastinating songwriting so he was in their way as much as possible. As annoying as it was, he put the work in. He learned the signs, he learned the dance and was willing to be “embarrassed” for fifteen seconds. More than that, every single member of the group wanted video evidence of Eddie dancing to a B-52s/Brittney Spears mash-up in his grungy old Megadeth tee and ripped jeans. 

If Eddie had known what he was in for, he might not have agreed to it. Much like Steve, though, he was an absolute sucker for those he loved. That fifteen-second video took four hours to shoot. In part, because it was a little harder to do while staying in sync with someone than either Eddie or Steve anticipated. But mostly because people couldn’t stop laughing. Especially Eddie 

Like all of Steve’s videos, it did…nothing. Unlike the rest of the videos, the gang had found something they all wanted to do. Everyone wanted in on it, even Erica. Who wouldn’t spill how she’d seen the video in the first place but signed up to help organize this because that first video was “a mess”. 

So they stopped waiting for the trends. It meant less dancing but they made a few of their own moves. Steve and Eddie would hide away for a couple afternoons and listen to the song over and over. They argued about the meaning of the lyrics endlessly and how to best translate it. Which seemed to be as enjoyable as every other part. 

A sharp juxtaposition to them going into the studio, Eddie would mess with the levels of the song and let Steve feel it. Every part of the tender moment laughed in the face of pointless arguments as Steve sat on the floor, focused and occasionally reading the lyrics on his phone and Eddie focused on Steve. 

Once that was finished Robin would get the final say on things. She sided with Eddie more than Steve and, inevitably, there was more arguing. Behind every Tik Tok was a solid day of pointless arguments. No one tried to stop them, they factored this into prep time. 

As if the constant, meaningless argument wasn’t joy enough, they’d block out an afternoon to shoot this. With more than enough food around, people would pour into the Munson-Harrington house to “help shoot” the video. So what if the rest of the world wasn’t watching? The house was filled with people and laughter, getting in the way of “production” and more than once, tossing Steve into the pool. 

What none of them knew was that was what made their videos truly great. Somewhere between the imperfections and the pure joy radiating off everyone, they’d tripped into more than just a neat sign language video. It was watching Steve in the foreground, concentrating and hoping to not lose the beat, while Eddie was replaced with Robin and then Max. 

These weren’t the people trying to become influencers but those who fall out of frame halfway through talking about the occupants of a midnight train or can’t remember the lyrics to a song that’s been popular longer than they’ve been alive. This was a group of friends having the time of their lives. 

They posted more bloopers than they did successes. Corroded Coffin even used their nearly empty account to repost the time Eddie messed up and signed something that would certainly have got them banned if Tik Tok knew what he'd said. And the nearly full minute of laughter as bit by bit everyone either figured it out or was clued in. Steve took the camera off its little stand and filmed his friends rolling in laughter, ending it with a cinematic shot of Eddie looking incredibly embarrassed. It got no views because they didn't translate it but it was Steve's favorite video of all. 

Slowly things picked up traction. Which most found slightly exhilarating. Their fully costumed, six-person rendition of Monster Mash for Halloween spread the furthest. And if they’d made another video, they might have taken off, but everyone had holidays to celebrate. Sometimes together but no one wanted to perform and translate anything. 

Those that had followed Steve for these song and dance numbers were none too happy to see the videos shift back to Will showing off something he’d made or Nancy ranting as Jonathan and Steve snicker off-screen. They following they amassed was here for one reason and one reason only. Something they didn't mind demanding in the comment section of every cute video Steve put up of his friends. Steve stopped posting for far too long as a result. 

When they picked it back up in the new year, it was back to a couple of thousand views. Steve didn’t care about the views but he missed the stitches of people signing along. It’d have been easy to let it fall off here, Steve could go back to his proud “dad” videos and embarrassing his friends who were full-grown adults now but would always be kids to him. Only no one was willing to give this up. If this didn't mean anything to the audience, that was fine, it meant a lot to Steve and his crew of nerds.  

To spice things up and keep it interesting, Eddie hatched a plan he barely had to explain to earn support. A prank, of sorts, that worked so beautifully because Steve looked so squeaky clean and, well, couldn’t hear well enough to know what was really happening. 

In secret, Eddie would learn to sign WAP. A trendy enough song but one Steve wouldn’t know and went so wildly against that cultivated squeaky clean image Steve liked to keep. They all knew differently but the audience didn't. However, WAP would be a song he would have turned down otherwise. It was the perfect choice to mess with Steve. Though they'd have to lure him into a false sense of security first. 

That’s where the meat and potatoes of the prank came in, Eddie and Steve would work together to learn Dustin’s long-time request, Like a Surgeon. He was convinced Weird Al would see, somehow be so excited he needed to meet Steve and Eddie and, of course, Dustin would be able to tag along claiming to be the cameraman or the brains of the operation. 

An easy sell because Steve already knew the beat of the song since they’d done the original version before (and he had vague, incorrect memories of hearing the song long ago). Though Dustin, who they didn’t let in on the joke, was dead sure Steve couldn’t sell the comedy needed to go with the song. He’d sign it too seriously and mess everything up. 

The way Steve took that as a challenge both to prove Dustin wrong like all good friends would do but to want to get it all correct for Dustin made it almost impossible for Eddie to continue. Twice Robin, Jonathan, and Argyle had to talk him back into this joke. They could make the Weird Al video after this one, it wouldn’t be forgotten. 

So everyone descended on the house one Saturday to watch Steve try and make Dustin’s little dreams come true and Eddie dash them in the same breath. The buzz was bigger than anything this house had seen and Corroded Coffin got nominated for an award while they lived here. 

Everything hinged on the mirror in the room they’d put up months ago to help everyone stay together and the fact that Steve would watch Eddie the whole time. Everyone knew and they all took turns pretending to gag and barf before this moment. 

The music started, Steve was counted in and as he always did, he watched Robin for the first thirty seconds as she kept the beat. All the while, Eddie’s just a step behind Steve, right in his blind spot, signing along to the actual music playing. 

There’s some whores in this house. 

Robin had to keep the beat this time, occasionally it was Max, but Robin was musical enough to keep the wrong beat as WAP filled the room. Those who didn’t know what was going on quickly caught on. Glances were exchanged and in seconds the room agreed to support this, marking the first time in their short Tik Tok career, the whole room managed to not get caught up in the giggles. 

Certified freak…

The patients fading fast

Nothing is matching up as Steve’s focus leaves Robin for the first time, eyes naturally drifting to Eddie’s reflection as his thumbs and fingers connect and it’s moved from his eyes to his chin, tongue out and looking far too delighted. 

Steve’s brain short circuits and he can’t remember his next sign. He’s stuttering without making a sound as one hand sort of shakes, trying to jump-start the next line in his brain. Eddie is not only not signing the same things but he’s talking about…no. He couldn’t be. Why would he be? 

The entire printed-out page of lyrics rolls past Steve’s eyes as he tries to figure out where it says anything like Eddie is saying. Or where those liberties could be taken. Not once does Eddie stop, he barely falters and is now talking about parking in a garage. Steve's eyes go wide, that can't be what he just seen.

No one lets their face change, those who aren’t actors saved their skills for this exact moment. Steve tries to read them but turns back to Eddie fairly quickly. And Eddie loses it, his hands drop to his knees and he’s laughing loud enough that everyone is sure Steve can hear him. And when Steve tries to shove Eddie over they believe, for a minute, he could. 

Once it starts, everyone joins in. The Tik Tok jumps to a much calmer room and Steve and Eddie sign furiously. There are tears of laughter in Eddie’s eyes, he can barely keep it together to explain anything. The camera turns around to show most of the gang and Robin saying “I think we’re in trouble.” 

Of course, no one was. Steve yelled and stomped his feet for a minute but he proved everyone's predictions right. He was mad because they'd strung Dustin along for days only the pull the rug out from under him at the last moment. After everyone explained they’d already made plans to do the song for real, Steve calmed a little.

The first duet came from Max’s account as she showed Steve watching the video. Making jokes about seeing the exact moment Steve’s soul left his body (complete with a freeze frame of the video to prove it) and that he’d already called the divorce lawyer. 

A few others came in the following days, most people laughing and doing little else to add to the content. But a week and a half later, Lucas came over with Gareth and gave Steve the revenge he didn’t ask or plan for. 

It was a stitch, started close up on someone who let the silence hang in the air for a while before asking, “What’d you say to me about that last video?” 

“I said, ‘Is that Eddie Munson?’” 

“Who’s that?” the person on camera asked.

“Who’s that?” the off-screen voice said with too much disgust. 

The video cuts, now on the back camera. On the tv across the room is a video on YouTube of Corroded Coffin playing live. It pans over the person who was the off-screen voice headbanging along for a few seconds before saying “That’s Eddie Munson” and then playing some air guitar. 

The camera pans back to the tv and down to a tablet playing the Tik Tok and the camera zoomed in on Eddie signing WAP. Another cut and it’s Eddie headbanging on screen. After another camera switch from back to front, it shows the first person looking incredibly confused and that’s where it ends. 

While that would be enough for Lucas and Gareth to show off, they have video after video of people stitching or dueting that person’s video with a similar look of confusion. In a chain of events that only the internet is good at, the last video they play shows a tweet from Megan Thee Stallion on the top of the screen. She's cracking jokes and mentioning Weird Al Yankovic, asking when his version of WAP is coming, she has an idea for the video. 

Days later, a blushing Steve stood next to Eddie in the same room they did all their Tik Toks in. A dramatic silence was soon followed by the chant "There's some whores in this house". This time, Steve signed along with Eddie. The laughter wasn't off-screen this time as they worked to put their all into it. The top comment was Dustin, furious this came before the video they owed him. 

The next comment was Erica refusing to help them ever again. 

Steve made it through nearly the entire song before he had to walk out of the room, laughing too hard to stand up. It ends with Eddie standing in front of the phone, rock fingers, tongue out. 

[pattithebard]

✨Fanfic Masterpost✨

Links and summaries to my current finished and WIP fanfics. All of the below are for Critical Role! Five Points Make a Difference Pairing: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Chapters: 4/? (WIP) Word Count: 12,238 Characters: Beauregard Lionett, Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss, Jester Lavorre, Fjord (Critical Role), Yasha (Critical Role), Astrid Beck, Eadwulf Grieve, Yussa Errenis, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Caduceus Clay Tags: University Rivals AU, Alternative Universe - Non-magical Summary:  Caleb has the second-highest exam score in his physics class. It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to him. Excerpt:

“My life is over.” Caleb’s head slammed against the library desk repeatedly. Beau rolled her eyes as she adjusted her phone, tilting it to the perfect angle so that his forlorn pose was visible in the frame behind her. “God, you’re so dramatic. Smile for the camera, nerd.” “How? I can never smile again.” Caleb’s voice was muffled against the wood, which only made the situation more comical in Beau’s mind. She grinned with satisfaction as she added a caption and sent the image through Snapchat. Hopefully the rest of the gang enjoyed Caleb's pain as much as she did. 

Wizard Brunch

Pairing: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Chapters: 7/8 (Planned Ending WIP) Word Count: 25,485 Characters: Caleb Widogast, Jester Lavorre, Shaun Gilmore, Allura Vysoren, Essek Thelyss, Yussa Errenis, Marion Lavorre | Ruby of the Sea, Reanminere "Reani", Caduceus Clay Tags: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Essek's Big Vacation Summary:  Essek gets a mysterious message from a stranger asking if he wants to join him for brunch. Excerpt:

It was insane. A waste of a spell that could lead to getting killed by a stranger, although he had no idea why someone from Tal’Dorei would have it out for him. On the other hand, wasn’t this why he began traveling to begin with? To be far away from all the forces trying to kill him or draw him back into politics, to gain some perspective by looking outside himself and his narrow-minded goals? Essek pressed a thumb against his mouth as he contemplated this, scanning the paper to a scrap of fabric pinned to the bottom of the map. It was striped purple and gold, a colorful addition to the parchment, and it took Essek a moment to understand why it was there. He could use it to teleport.

Our Little Dark Age

Pairing: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast Chapters: 1/1 (Complete) Word Count: 1,291 Characters: Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss Tags: Neutral Evil Essek, Alternate Universe, Toxic Relationship Summary:  Caleb and Essek bask in the afterglow of an assassination. Excerpt:

Essek sat on Caleb’s lap and curled around him like a cat in a sunbeam. One arm looped around his back while the other ended in long fingers that gently, with praise and encouragement, stroked the maze of tattoos adorning his skin. You would never think from their relaxed embrace that a body lay three feet away, reaching for the golden throne that the couple sat on. The fine cushions were stained with blood.  “You did so good, Caleb. You’re so good.” Essek murmured into his ear, sweet as bird song. Caleb nuzzled his cheek in reply, looking just as pleased. 

[sunrisetune]

[ID: The original post is a tiktok of a cat, and there are screenshots in the next two reblogs.

Video description (OP) - Someone filming an upset-looking cat sitting really still, his claws pressed hard into the rug. The caption at the top of the video says, "when it's thundering outside but it's almost dinner time". Audio from another video is layered over it. Two people are singing cheerfully, and the captions pop up at the same time. "he's so brave [checkmark]", "he's well-behaved [checkmark]", "he is not afraid [grimace]". /End video description.

1st image - Screenshot of someone's comment, saying, "his grippers are sending me". 2nd image - Right underneath the comment screenshot, a zoomed-in photo of the cat's paws clutching at the rug.

3rd image - Tags that say, "everyone wondering the original song comes from a couple singing in an elevator to their pittie for being a good girl in the elevator".

The link leads to the original video of the elevator pitbull.

/End ID].

[music-industry-updates]

Case Studies: Successful Spotify Countdown Pages

Spotify countdown pages have been used by many artists to great effect. These pages are a powerful tool for building anticipation, engaging with fans, and ensuring a successful release. This article will explore several successful case studies to highlight best practices and inspire your next release.

1. Case Study 1: Artist A – Building Anticipation Through Teasers

Overview of the Artist and Their Release:

Artist A, an indie pop musician, planned to release their debut album. They aimed to create significant buzz and engage their growing fanbase effectively.

Key Strategies Used:

Teaser Videos: Artist A created a series of teaser videos, each revealing a little more about the upcoming album. These teasers included snippets of songs, behind-the-scenes footage, and personal messages from the artist.

Social Media Integration: Each teaser was shared across social media platforms with engaging captions and calls to action, driving traffic to the Spotify countdown page.

Exclusive Previews: Subscribers to the artist’s mailing list received exclusive previews and early access to certain tracks.

Results and Fan Reactions:

Increased Pre-saves: The strategic use of teaser videos led to a significant increase in pre-saves.

High Engagement: Fans actively participated in discussions, sharing their excitement on social media.

Successful Launch: The album debuted in the top charts of several streaming platforms, highlighting the effectiveness of the countdown page.

2. Case Study 2: Artist B – Interactive Fan Engagement

Detailed Look at the Countdown Page Setup:

Artist B, a well-known EDM producer, used their Spotify countdown page to create an interactive experience for fans.

Creative Content and Promotional Tactics:

Interactive Polls: Artist B incorporated interactive polls on the countdown page, asking fans to vote on their favorite song snippets, cover art designs, and merchandise ideas.

Live Q&A Sessions: Regular live Q&A sessions were hosted on social media, with direct links to the countdown page.

Collaborations with Influencers: Popular influencers in the EDM community were enlisted to promote the countdown page and participate in interactive content.

Engagement Metrics and Overall Success:

High Interaction Rates: The interactive elements resulted in high engagement rates, with fans feeling personally involved in the release process.

Wider Reach: Collaborations with influencers expanded the reach, attracting new listeners.

Successful Release: The single released through this campaign topped EDM charts and received extensive media coverage.

3. Case Study 3: Artist C – Creating a Visual Narrative

Unique Features and Innovative Ideas:

Artist C, an alternative rock band, used their Spotify countdown page to tell a visual story.

Integration with Other Marketing Channels:

Storytelling Through Visuals: Each day leading up to the release, Artist C shared a part of a short film related to their album’s theme. This film was exclusively available on the countdown page.

Consistent Branding: The visuals and themes from the film were consistently used across all marketing channels, including social media, email newsletters, and the band’s website.

Exclusive Content: Fans who pre-saved the album received access to an extended version of the short film and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

Impact on Release Day and Subsequent Sales:

Engaged Fanbase: The visual narrative kept fans engaged and eagerly anticipating each new installment.

Increased Album Sales: The exclusive content incentivized pre-saves, which translated into higher album sales on release day.

Media Attention: The innovative approach attracted media attention, leading to additional coverage and interviews.

4. Lessons Learned:

Common Themes and Successful Strategies:

Consistency: All successful countdown pages maintained consistent branding and messaging across all platforms.

Exclusive Content: Offering exclusive content, such as previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and personal messages, was a common factor in engaging fans.

Interactive Elements: Polls, Q&A sessions, and other interactive features kept fans actively involved and excited.

Early Planning: Starting the countdown early allowed for gradual buildup of anticipation and avoided last-minute rushes.

Tips for Implementing These Ideas in Your Own Campaign:

Plan Ahead: Begin planning your countdown page several months in advance.

Create Engaging Content: Use a mix of teasers, behind-the-scenes footage, and interactive elements to keep fans engaged.

Leverage Social Media: Promote your countdown page across all social media platforms, using consistent branding and messaging.

Collaborate: Work with influencers, other artists, and brands to expand your reach.

Conclusion: Examining these case studies shows the power of Spotify countdown pages. These examples demonstrate how creative and strategic use of countdown pages can lead to successful music releases, increased fan engagement, and broader reach. Learn from these examples to enhance your own music release strategy.

[deanwalter06]

How to pair Spotify with my favorite social media platforms?

In today's interconnected world, sharing our favorite music with friends and followers has become a cornerstone of social interaction. Spotify, the leading music streaming platform, offers seamless integration with various social media platforms, allowing users to share their favorite tunes effortlessly. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore how to pair Spotify with your favorite social media platforms, enhancing your music-sharing experience. Additionally, we'll address the importance of maintaining security with spotify.com/pair and reset spotify password.

Understanding Spotify's Social Integration

Spotify's integration with social media platforms empowers users to share their musical preferences, discover new tracks, and connect with friends through the universal language of music. Whether it's showcasing your latest playlist on Instagram or sharing your favorite tracks on Facebook, Spotify's social features amplify the joy of music discovery and sharing.

Step-by-Step Guide to Pair Spotify with Your Favorite Social Media Platforms:

Linking Spotify with Facebook

Open Spotify App: Launch the Spotify app on your device.

Access Settings: Navigate to the settings menu by tapping on your profile icon.

Select Social Settings: Look for the "Social" or "Social Settings" option within the settings menu.

Connect with Facebook: Tap on "Connect to Facebook" and follow the prompts to link your Spotify account with Facebook.

Authorize Access: Allow Spotify to access your Facebook account to enable seamless sharing of music activities.

Share Music on Facebook: Once connected, you can share your favorite songs, albums, and playlists directly to your Facebook timeline or Stories.

Sharing on Instagram Stories

Choose Your Music: Open the Spotify app and select the song or playlist you want to share.

Tap on Share: Look for the share icon and tap on it.

Select Instagram Stories: Choose the option to share on Instagram Stories.

Customize Your Story: Customize your Instagram Story with stickers, GIFs, or captions to enhance the visual appeal.

Share Your Story: Post your Story, allowing your followers to swipe up and listen to the shared music directly on Spotify.

Tweeting Your Favorite Tracks

Find Your Music: Navigate to the song or playlist you want to share within the Spotify app.

Tap on Share: Tap on the share icon and select Twitter from the options.

Compose Your Tweet: Craft a catchy tweet to accompany the shared music, adding hashtags or mentions to increase visibility.

Share on Twitter: Post your tweet, and watch as your followers engage with your musical recommendations.

Maintaining Security with spotify.com pair and Resetting Spotify Passwords:

While enjoying the benefits of social integration, it's crucial to prioritize security. Here's how to safeguard your Spotify account:

spotify.com pair

Secure Device Pairing: When pairing devices with spotify.com pair, ensure that both devices are connected to a secure Wi-Fi network.

Regularly Check Connected Devices: Periodically review the list of connected devices on your Spotify account to identify any unauthorized access.

Resetting Spotify Passwords

Proactive Password Management: Regularly update your Spotify password to prevent unauthorized access.

Utilize Two-Factor Authentication: Enable two-factor authentication for an additional layer of security when logging into your Spotify account.

Conclusion

By following the step-by-step guide outlined above, you can seamlessly pair Spotify with your favorite social media platforms, amplifying the reach of your musical discoveries and enhancing your social interactions. Remember to prioritize security by spotify.com pair and spotify password reset to safeguard your account. With Spotify's social integration, sharing your musical journey has never been easier, fostering connections and sparking conversations through the power of music.