#mgk paragons

[alanahsart-blog]

💥🧡🧿

for @yoggybloggy :]

[buttonsdraws]

redraw from this photoset ft. svanna and calum

[glacial-art]

Monsters and how they're made

audio from 11secondclub

Calum, the tarnished White Knight, by @enderscribbles

[yoggybloggy]

born to girlsloppy forced into years of self-imposed exile in an abandoned cave as a metaphor for my deep and terrible repression

[ghostingbrightly]

hi.... magical girl knights:paragons

[thatsmimi]

me and the bad bitch i pulled from being haunted by the narrative

[enderscribbles]

this is the best years of your life, kid / they'll put you in your place, they'll put you in a casket

(zoom for details!)

[ID: Black and white painting of a young peasant girl holding a shining starlight to her face, grinning in ecstasy. Behind her stands a noblewoman smiling in satisfaction as her gift is accepted. Far in the distance, a fallen knight watches this scene in despair, her wings torn out, barely visible red seeping from their body. /End ID]

[liugeaux]

Greatest Songs Ever - Part 19 (Infinite)

The theme this time around is “Infinite”. It doesn’t mean anything specific. It just seems like if something goes on long enough it eventually will have some ridiculous, unobtainable, adjective like Infinite, Forever, or Invincible attached to it. Usually it signifies it's the beginning of the end for artist or project (See Puff Daddy, Kid Rock, Michael Jackson, The Spice Girls, Mariah Carey, Backstreet Boys, Halo...the list goes on).  It’s a ridiculous notion, and I find leaning into it kinda funny. In short, it’s a joke for one. 

Whatever, let’s get started. I’m not afraid to say this list is as amazing as it is diverse.     

2019 “I Think I’m OKAY” - Machine Gun Kelly (feat. YUNGBLUD & Travis Barker)

That’s not a typo, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) is officially on the list. I have no shame in choosing this song. “I Think I’m OKAY” is a painfully emotional song, that’s introspective, self destructive and it’s MGK’s first honest attempt to a rock music. Most of the emotional heavy lifting is done by the far-more-talented Yungblud, but the fact that MGK clearly doesn’t have the tools necessary to write or perform a track of this caliber and yet he does it anyway, is the most punk thing will he’ll probably ever pull off. The breakdown at the end where the instruments drop out and Yungblud is wailing over MKG “singing” creates an sonic tsunami rarely found outside of a My Chem song.     

2002 “Bright Lights” - Matchbox Twenty

Shocked I was, when I realized I had never included a Matchbox Twenty song on the list. I was then, bogged down by the decision of which one to include. M20 hold a precious place in my heart. They are infallible and have nearly 10 tracks worthy of inclusion. Their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, was a formative force of nature for me, but most of its tracks have a 90s residue on them that dissuaded me from putting them here. “Bright Lights” from their 3rd album, is arguably their most universally beloved song, with the least baggage. It starts quaint, and builds into a stadium-level anthem and perfectly encapsulates what M20 does best. It’s so straightforward it could be considered bland, but too well crafted for anyone to dare and actually call it that. Side note: It’s also one of my favorite Karaoke songs.    

1966 “Paint it Black” - The Rolling Stones

I don’t hate The Rolling Stones, but in a Stones vs. Beatles world, I very much fall on the side of The Beatles. Most of their most popular songs are SO popular they’ve lost all meaning. They make for amazing needle drops in film and in a lot of ways their library is a paragon of human creativity. Sadly, because of this, it’s hard to take them that seriously. The only exception I’ve found is “Paint it Black”. It doesn’t have the universal plug and play nature of a track like “Gimme Shelter” or “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” but it has a groove and haunt to it that routinely tricks me into forgetting it’s a Stones song. From the rolling bass line to the twangy sitar, “Paint it Black” still makes for a perfect needle drop, but unlike its brethren in the Stones’ catalogue, the tone and situation has to be perfect.  

2016 “Dancin’ On My Own” -  Calum Scott

This song hit me across the face this year. I heard the Calum Scott version of “Dancing’ on My Own” and knew I knew it from somewhere. I immediately dove into the internet and found the original Robyn song. It was the version I was initially familiar with. The original was a somewhat obnoxious British dance track that gets annoying rather quickly. Scott, who apparently performed a stripped down version of the song on his YouTube Channel and subsequently on Britain’s Got Talent, breathed a life into Robyn’s words I had never heard before. Instead of being a matter-of-fact “I’m supposed to be sad now” pop song, it morphed into an analog for every lonely encounter ever experienced. There’s a warm humanity to Scott’s delivery and passion. If you’ve ever felt invisible or left out or brokenhearted, Calum Scott’s “Dancing on My Own” is engineered to squeeze tears from your ducts.   

2020 “Physical” - Dua Lipa

Lipa is the highest quality pop princess we have right now an I don’t know if it’s even close. Don’t @ me Swifties, Taylor is her own category. I feel like Future Nostalgia will age like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, Carol King’s Tapestry or Madonna’s Like a Prayer. It was VERY hard to select a track off the album (other songs might actually make a later list), but for now, “Physical” is at bat. It’s aggressively sexy, oozes sleek production, and rides its bassline all the way to the bank. Being unapologetically “about sex” isn’t a new thing, but “Physical” carries itself like the a celebration of sex as an artform, or dance between partners. Lipa likely doesn’t know this, but with “Physical” she might have written sex’s national anthem.  

1971 “Danny’s Song” - Loggins & Messina

“Danny’s Song” sounds like a song written and performed by a dude who lives in a house on the side of a hill that he built with his own hands. And while that itself is a feat, it means nothing without a family to put in it. Not quite country, not quite rock, and pretty folky, “Danny’s Song” fits in that nebulous category of “Singer-songwriter” that shouldn’t count as a genre. To think this song was written by the same dude that wrote “Footloose” is 1000% bonkers. It makes my insides smile and I don’t know why, but it reminds me of childhood. I don’t, however,  remember either of my parents being into this type of music. Maybe an extended family member can explain it. *shrugs* 

1998 “Still Not a Player” -  Big Pun feat. Joe

An odd Mash-up years before they really hit the mainstream “Still Not a Player”, as silly as it is, was ahead of its time in a few ways. As a combination of Joe’s “Don’t Wanna Be A Player” and Big Pun’s “I’m Not a Player”, this track took two already established hits and made an arguably better song, that went on to become a 3rd and possibly bigger hit. Other artists found success with Mash-ups in the early 00′s, but in 1998 it was quite a novel idea. Also, Big Pun didn’t invent the idea of the feat., but this track helped establish the R&B Singer/Rapper collab that has dominated the last 20 years of pop-music. Rapper’s handing off the hook to an already popular singer is a short-cut to a hit song. We’ve seen Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye, and even Nicki Minaj use it with great success. “Still Not a Player” by itself fits together nicely and paints a vivid picture of what late 90′s hip-hop was good at, getting you moving.  

1957 "Walkin’ After Midnight” - Patsy Cline

I don’t know too much about “Walkin’ After Midnight” but I know it feels like a song that was never meant to be recorded. In my mind, I hear “...and now, the lovely Patsy Cline” from the speakers of a honky-tonk, everytime I listen to the track. Cline then gracefully walks to the mic, performs the song to a crowd watching her sing like she was on Ed Sullivan. No frills, no crescendo, just a velvety voice, a walking bassline, a steel guitar and a timeless chorus. The song moves as fast as its listeners, and no one is in a hurry. 

1982 “Somebody’s Baby” - Jackson Browne

I would seriously like to know if Jackson Browne was ever considered “cool”. He’s wearing that leather jacket like he’s 1982′s The Fonz, but I’m just not buying it. “Somebody’s Baby” has old-man “Jessie’s Girl” vibes, but a quick Google search reveals that “Jessie’s Girl” is the old-man “Jessie’s Girl” of “Jessie’s Girl”-like tracks. I mean Rick Springfeild was 31 when it was released, THIRTY ONE! Note to self - add “Jessie’s Girl” to a future list. “Somebody’s Baby” also has “song playing between innings at a baseball game” energy. It has no business being this good, and no business being this fun. Why does the bass player go completely off script and throw in a couple funky slap-bass notes out of nowhere? I don’t understand this song at all, but ever since I chose it for this list, I can’t stop re-playing it. What have I done?   

2003 “Everytime” - Britney Spears

Likely not a popular choice in the Spears catalog, “Everytime” has an origin mired in tabloid relationship non-sense. I’m not trying to diminish someone’s heartbreak, but to have two artists openly writing about a failed relationship, and then both of the songs become huge hits is peak tabloid theater. Removing the context and looking at the song alone, Spears and Annet Artani crafted an understated introspective anthem of sorrow. The music box instrumentation is something unseen in pop music at the time, and best of all Spears’ vocal ... um ... deficiencies are hidden behind her breathy delivery. It’s an emotional song that can sneak up on you if you’re already in a vulnerable state. Spears’ musical legacy will likely go down as checkered, but “Everytime” stands as evidence that she belongs in the annals of music history.  

Next time around GSE turns 20, kinda. I’ve got something special planned, and it might take awhile to flesh it all out, or it might come together super quickly, who knows? It’ll have backstory, the promised playlist, 10 more tracks, and even some stats. I hope you come back to check out all the ridiculousness.

Cheers!

[bitchyfog]

[alanahsart-blog]

NEW REF for girl who sucks <3 needed to illuminated manuscript-ify her more

[buttonsdraws]

the bishop and the local scoundrel are old friends

[glacial-art]

Style study for school ft. Adelisa

Styles: Tangled animation series, Sarina Nihei, Jaen Michel Masquait

[yoggybloggy]

you guys dont even know about calum and svanna from mgk paragons

[ghostingbrightly]

(click for better quality)

here's the companion piece to @enderscribbles art of the same scene!

[thatsmimi]

I keep seeing the knights... Indulge me please because

I am interested

SO if you follow me or follow any my ebro buddies (@yoggybloggy @ghostingbrightly @timesnewfishcat @bitchyfog @alanahsart-blog i think are the ones who have been posted related stuff on tumblr??) you might have noticed #magical girl knights or #mgk or #mgk paragons or just an abundance of #knights and that's totally on us for not agreeing on a tag for it!! personally i use #mgk paragons bc it's the one that seems to be most tumblr tag search friendly.

Basically the premise is magical girls... medieval times and also magical knights!! Girls (gnt) are cosmically chosen or had found their way into becoming Paragons... Supernaturally magically powered knights! It's so fun because knights and mahou shoujo are two concepts that share so much similarities, like having an alter ego, soul crushing sense of duty, wearing cool outfits to fight evil protect the good etc...

The playing ground is pretty big, cuz it's a sliding scale from knightly responsibilities (loyalty to lords! catholicism! squires and horses!) to mahou shoujo tropes (character specific colors and associated powers! magical transformation! power of friendship!), we're still working through lore specifics, but we've already are so attached to these characters XD

It'd be sooo hard to list all the existing characters so I'll just briefly explain a couple that's floating about, and if any ebro member would like to elaborate go ahead!!! :,]

(by Alanah)

Klara (Button's) and Etheldred (Alanah's), copper and emerald knights... little rascal of a maid and the high strung rich kid! They're girl worstie rivals :]

(Left by Cat | Right by Alanah)

The Silver Hart (Cat's), wild, roaming and reflective knight, never really knowing how to be a "real" knight.

(by Alanah)

Paean, the Black Knight (Mim's @yourhalf), myth status paragon whose notoriety manifested as a boogeyman figure, one (mgk) gen older than the others! Currently the bodyguard of the rich kid above.

(by Leigh)

Angel, the White Knight (Leigh's)!! Golden standard of a proper proper knight :3 Consumed by Professionalism. Mentors the rascal kid. The pic at the right depicts him receiving her powers!! Which was stolen but... you know what don't think about it. <3 homoerotic tension with the black knight. again consumed by professionalism and is insane

(by me!)

Calum (Mine!), ex-white knight, current brown tarnished (== mgk corruption) Oldest mgk of the cast but really only in her 30s! (neither magic girls nor knights live very long :,) ) The person in the background for my black and white piece. I'll probably write a separate post about her :,)

(Left by me | Right by cat)

Maddy! Purple nun girl knight that's a little insane. Aspiration is to get martyred and become a saint☆ Heyyy rich and powerful people please take me to the Holy land!!

(by Annette)

Eila... girl living with high society girl responsibilities and is expected to become a heiress and a nice wife... and is cool and good with it!! Doesn't feel too pressured and is allowed to have fun with her own hobbies!! Like keeping hawks... and archery :3

I didn't post everyone's knights :,3!!! Only the ones who had posted art on tumblr and I know are ok with it. I'll probably make a even longer post for the rest of them, since the relationship diagram right now is like... 5d chess level LMAO.

(diagram by Leigh, transcription in ID)

But if you're interested, just tune into this post bc everyone's probably dying to explain their mgk blorbos aha. We'll keep posting! You'll see! If you follow any of us you will be spammed.

That is a promise.