#my top songs from last year and 2021 respectively

[21shotglasses]

next up top 10 (8)

[lifeascaty]

I've been away from tumblr for a few months. In October 2021, my Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. I felt like my whole world was falling apart. He already followed me on tumblr, so I filled my feed with things he would like so he had something new and interesting (or a cute cat) to see every day. (I was already posting a lot for him, but now my queue was entirely for him.) It was a small thing, but I wanted to do anything to help make him smile or distract him. As it was a neuroendocrine cancer, there were treatment options, and soon he was back to living life as if nothing was wrong. But I still kept my queue running for him. In November 2023, a scan was misread. They told my Dad his cancer was responding well to treatment, and he wouldn't need any more nuclear medicine for two years. Unfortunately, this mistake meant my Dad passed away on January 26th 2024. There's no question that this is the worst thing to ever happen to me. My Dad is the person I am/was closest to in the whole world. I've never felt pain like this. I don't know what to do with my tumblr now. I've had it for over a decade, but I've been posting for my Dad for so long that it feels wrong to post without him. I know that's silly. I just miss him so much.

I'm going to post the eulogy I wrote for him below the cut. I don't expect anyone to read it, but I want it to exist somewhere online. I'm really proud of it. It has mistakes - repetitions of words etc. - but I also think it's the best thing I've ever written, because it's about my Dad.

As a professional writer, I’ve felt a lot of pressure to write a eulogy that does my Dad justice. The problem is, I don’t think that’s possible. Especially without him here to give me notes. My Dad has always given me his opinion on my writing at whatever stage it was at, bouncing ideas back and forth with me and arguing over intricate punctuation but, on this occasion, he can’t. I hope he’d like this anyway.

I could talk forever about my Dad. There are so many things I want to tell people about him, about his love and excitement for the world and his joy in getting to live each day. To quote Marcus Aurelius, as my Dad often did, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” This sentiment defined him, really.

My Dad and I have so much in common. We traded books back and forth. He introduced me to his favourite shows and I showed him mine. He showed me his favourite movies from when he was growing up, and we were always first in line to see new releases at the Odeon in Wrexham. I would spend hours hanging out on the couch in his study as he worked and played music, talking me through his love and admiration of various songs and bands, like Led Zeppelin, Genesis, The Jam, The Smiths. We talked a mile a minute over dinner, always excited to share whatever new thing we’d learned that day. We experimented with various recipes and he gave me my love of cooking. We debated politics constantly, always talked about what was in the news, forwarded interesting posts and memes to each other across multiple social media platforms. Even when I lived on another continent we were in contact with each other every day, keeping track of our respective timezones so we could always find time to talk.

My heart aches every time I read a news article about some interesting new archaeological finding or a new discovery in space, because I want to share it with him. There are so many movies we planned to see, upcoming TV shows we wanted to watch, books we were waiting to be released.

I want to talk to him about the new Taylor Swift album and the Grammys she just won. As some of you may know, my Dad was a Swiftie – he was in the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift Spotify listeners last year. He was a fan of her before I was, often falling asleep to her 1989 album on international flights. He bought us tickets to see her Eras Tour together this summer and we were so excited. I can’t describe the pain I felt when last month he told me that I’d have to go and enjoy it without him. Because he should be here to see it with me. He loved stained glass – even taking classes and making his own artwork. He promised to teach me this summer, and now I’ll have to do it without him. But I’ll still do it. Like I’ll still go to the Eras concert – because it’s what he would have wanted, and because it keeps his memory alive.

I recognise how lucky I am that he is my Dad. So many things had to happen to make it so. Various ancestors had to meet and have children. My parents needed to be born, needed to both decide to go to the same university, needed some anonymous admin person to assign them both to the same university halls where they would ultimately meet. All so that one day I would come in to being and he would be my Dad. The chances of that happening, for everything to have gone right, are so infinitesimally small. And yet they happened. How miraculous is that?

I am who I am because of him. As a young man, he reviewed books for The Oxford Times and Interzone, a Sci-Fi and Fantasy magazine. (He was particularly proud to interview Terry Pratchett, his favourite author, and have his quote used on Pratchett’s books for years to come). He fell in love with stories and storytelling, a love that he passed down to me. Without him, I don’t know if I would have become a screenwriter and author. Storytelling is such a huge part of me, and I don’t know who I’d be without it, and without him. 

There are so many big, impressive things that my Dad did and achieved through his lifetime, but the things that make up a life are the smaller moments. My parents dancing around his study to God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. His love of all our cats across the years and his special relationship with each of them. The time we went out into the garden, on a freezing cold night in November, to watch the Leonids – shooting stars – falling brightly through the atmosphere. Picking me up from Gobowen station every time I came back from London or undergrad, no matter how late my train was. His specific way of stacking the dishwasher that only I could emulate. Summer holidays swimming in the pool, eating ice cream together, and marvelling over his tan.

The problem with loving my Dad so much is that it’s incredibly painful now he’s gone. One of his favourite Marvel TV shows, Wandavision, had the line “what is grief, if not love persevering?” There is so much grief because there has always been so much love between us. And I am thankful for that. Thankful for him, and everything he has done to build a beautiful life for our family.

My Dad’s last words were beautiful. Something we often said to each other, from childhood to adulthood, was “I love you more than the moon, and the stars, and the wide, wide world”. I started saying it to him, none of us knowing the end was hurtling so quickly towards us. He smiled as I began to say the familiar words, and as my Mum and brother joined in, so did he, still smiling as he said “and the wide, wide world”. And that was it.

'To reference Marcus Aurelius once more, he talks in Meditations about how just a day–just a minute–of happiness, of perfection, of peace, is enough. The same goes for the people we love. That we ever had my Dad in the first place is a wonderful thing, something to be so grateful for. Whatever comes after, whatever fortune has in store for us in the future? It can’t change that. What happens next matters less because of the wonderfulness of having had my Dad at all.'

He is my best friend. He will always be my best friend. Whatever happened, I knew he would look after me. That he loved me and cared for me and that with him I was safe. He would look after our family, always. And he did. Even now we’re discovering things he did and put in place to make sure we were okay.

I know I need to stop talking, although, as I said at the beginning, I could talk forever about my Dad. I will finish with a quote from Terry Pratchett: “No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.” Hopefully my Dad will live forever.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24/02/2024 (Dua Lipa, Djo, Calvin Harris/Rag'n'Bone Man)

Guess we know who’s winning the Civil War - Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” usurps Vermont on the throne of the UK Singles Chart. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It’s kind of calming to have a week where outside of some new entries, of which there are only a handful to begin with. So, as always, we start with the notable dropouts, which are songs exiting the UK Top 75 (what I cover) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to a small selection of songs but some of which are pretty important. Sure, I guess we can say good riddance to “MY EYES” by Travis Scott (featuring uncredited vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Sampha) and “Body Moving”  by Eliza Rose and Calvin Harris without much fret, but we also see dropouts from the Barbie soundtrack with both “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa leaving, as well as Sam Fender’s “Seventeen Going Under” making yet another exit though I’m sure it’ll be back soon enough.

There isn’t much to speak of in our gains, either. The biggest story is probably our list of returns, since the new documentary, Bob Marley: One Love has people rediscovering the reggae legend’s catalogue. His greatest hits album is at #6 on the albums chart and two of his songs with the Wailers return to the top 75. Both songs peaked in 1980, with “Could You be Loved”, now at #51, peaking at #5 whilst Odyssey’s “Use it Up and Wear it Out” was #1 and “Three Little Birds”, now at #56, only peaking at #17, whilst “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police was #1. Marley would pass just one year after, of course, and it is pretty poetic to have his grandson in the top 10 right now, but just so this episode has some cool chart history trivia, how about we go through the several times these songs have charted? Different recordings of the two songs released in 1984 and 1985 peaked at #71 and #76 respectively. Joe Cocker’s cover of “Could You be Loved” peaked at #86 in 1997, and as far as I can find, no other covers of either song have charted, which kind of surprises me. After all, the latter was recently covered by Maroon 5, I figured they’d hitch a chart spot on name recognition but nope, not even a child singer Connie Talbot could do it in the talent show boom in the 2000s, so I guess Marley’s original really can’t be replaced.

As for the rest of our gains and returns, “Thank You (Not So Bad)” by way too many people who should know better is back at #73 and “Coal” by Dylan Gossett returns to #61. The gains include last week’s debuts, “Made for Me” by Muni Long and “Birds in the Sky” by NewEra at #48 and #44 respectively, “Lil Boo Thang” by the GOAT Paul Russell at #35 and, despite what the Official Charts Company would want you to believe, “Grey” by Yung Filly is at #33. There was an Aitch remix.

This week’s top 5 is actually pretty notable in terms of some shifting tides. We begin with ACR - search it up - striking Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” down to #5, and then one of a few big debuts with Dua Lipa at #4 with “Training Season”, followed by gains for some white dudes making big moves: “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims at #3 and “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone at #2, and finally, of course Queen Bey at the top. Now, we don’t have that wide of an array of new entries, or really, many at all, of which I’m pretty grateful for, so let’s zip through them.

New Entries

#66 - “Soaked” - Shy Smith

Produced by BeatBusta

Alright, I’ll bite… who the Hell is Shy Smith and why did they go with that… uncomfortable cover art? Well, this song is actually from 2021, and I assume through TikTok has gone viral, but this isn’t some indie artist as we typically see, this is a Canadian social media star, which makes this song seem a bit more like a joke. That’s a relief since despite being three years old, it sounds like Ciara made this in 2006 with the glassy synths, blocky Timbaland-esque production and squarrelling synth buzz, that is much more “in” now than it ever has been. Part of me understands completely therefore why this is charting now… but then another part of me doesn’t understand why this is charting at all. There’s really nothing to the stifled groove of the beat and it sounds like it actively strains Shy Smith to try having a personality. It’s so clearly going for semi-goofy seduction, but clawing actual intimacy out of this is as hard a job for me as it would have been for the vocal engineers, so I’m really not understanding this one.

#53 - “Whatever She Wants” - Bryson Tiller

Produced by TylianMTB

I always forget Bryson Tiller exists until he shows back up again, and I mean no offence by that as nothing has given me the impression that he’s not talented or a good person, but not a single song has clicked with me, despite having a lot of respect for his mostly singular lane and pioneering of the trap-soul sound. I can think of people who perhaps want to be Bryson Tiller, but I can’t figure out who Bryson Tiller wants to be other than, well, Bryson Tiller, and even if the music doesn’t resonate, I’m happy with that. Problem here is that he’s obviously trying to be Drake. He’s always been the easiest comparison to make with Tiller, but other than the more Detroit-influenced percussion, which really sounds like a typical trap rhythm with a Detroit choice of sounds more than anything, other than an elegant Orion Sum sample… this is just a Drake song. He goes for Drake flows, Drake melodies, even Drake’s uncomfortable whispery ad-libs. You could argue that the influence is mutual, but it is really difficult for me not to see a Drake fan taking the acapella, running it through a Drake voice AI and making something completely believable. Even the content is a slightly less embarrassing Drake riff, which just shows to me that he may be a unique singer, but not so much a rapper. Tylian’s beat is pretty good on this, I will admit, but I’m compelled by Mr. Tiller enough as a unique presence to care much about this. The train-like way the song keeps to an uptempo chug is actually pretty interesting though, it doesn’t feel like it ever wants to stop and take a breath, and Tiller does contribute to that, he’s not a total dud on his own song. He’s not really improving it either, though.

#19 - “Lovers in a Past Life” - Calvin Harris and Rag’n’Bone Man

Produced by Calvin Harris and watt

The petty part of me wants to say “2018 called” but this collaboration isn’t dated on arrival: Rag’n’Bone Man is another one of those artists I always forget about until they show up and I think this will just be a repeat of what I said about “Giant” all those years ago. He needs a rough layer of grit under him, not this flashy, sugary house track that he sticks out like a sore thumb over. Now it may not be dated on arrival but it is in execution: this is a tropical house song, and whilst Calvin Harris has always been good at mixing and making his stuff sound professional, this actually detracts from the character-void guitar and four-on-the-floor programming that all just feels rote. He even goes for an ATB-like guitar lick in the drop amidst the house pianos that just doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t dislike this - or at least not that much - I’m just confused by how either artist felt the need to make it, because it really does not work.

#11 - “End of Beginning” - Djo

Produced by Adam Thein and Djo

How do I even begin to pronounce that? Is he D-J-O, Duh-Joe, Joe, Sho? Oh, who am I kidding? It doesn’t matter, you know him as Joe Keery from Stranger Things. He was in a psychedelic band for a while but left and has solo work as a musician out now, with this taking from his second album and not actually released as a single, just a breakout solo hit. Is it good? Well, listen… I wish he knew he wanted Steve. The only buzz I had heard about this is that it sounded just like Mr. Lacy’s “Bad Habit” and well, I actively laughed when certain elements of the song came in because they hit nearly exactly the same way as in that song. This is most likely an influence and definitely not worth suing anyone over, but that’s primarily because neither song is any good. The lyrics are largely about his connection to his home city of Chicago as well as the acceleration of his acting career, making a point about how well, he’s still from Chicago! Whatever version you get of him, Chicago’s still in him. Yeah, it’s safe to say it doesn’t have the lyrical intricacies or at least, intriguing moments, that “Bad Habit” does, or even, and it pains me to say this, its sonic depth, so surely I should like this even less? Well, no. Djo Mama’s voice is a lot less pursuant and awkward than Steve Lacy, who also came up with some actual earworms that I respect but never want to hear again, whilst Djo here is just yapping over some synthpop. Which is fine. Have your fun. My opinion doesn’t matter at the end of the day. Just… maybe make acting a priority.

#4 - “Training Season” - Dua Lipa

Produced by Kevin Parker

I wish Dua found an interesting way to be good. This is a great, funky pop song, a worthwhile follow-up to “Houdini” with some excellent atmosphere mostly found in the dynamic mix that I’m sure Mr. Tame Impala had a lot of involvement with. It may not be a psychedelic song by nature, but there are transitory phases that absolutely show he was on the boards for. This feels like a sequel to “Houdini”, if that’s not already the intention, as Dua isn’t being the carefree love-them-and-leave-them anymore, she’s genuinely frustrated that she doesn’t have a more consistent and intimate relationship. She’s sick of being in control in these relationships - if they can be called such - and wants someone to go there, to actually mean something to her and put that effort in. Yet it doesn’t hit as much as I want it to… it may be the replacement of the rubbery bass from “Houdini” with a focus on soaring psychedelic synths and a guitar tone I’m not really big on in the chorus. Maybe it’s just that this funk-pop sound isn’t all that new and in that case, it’s impressive that Dua has made it this far without sounding boring.

Conclusion

With that said, she still obviously gets Best of the Week because good God, this was a mediocre set. Honourable and Dishonourable Mentions would be overly charitable probably, but I am going to give Bryson Tiller some benefit here, specifically because ��Whatever She Wants” does have a decent instrumental, whilst Djo takes the Dishonourable Mention for “End of Beginning”, God, even the title is awkward. As for the worst, Shy Smith I think takes this handedly for “Soaked” but… will it even last a second week? I don’t know, it’s easily the least essential and least likely to last song that debuted. As for what’s on the horizon… I don’t know. Thank you for reading, rest in peace to Steve Wright and I’ll see you next week!

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

i just spent an embarrassing amount of time sorting all my spotify wrapped top songs from the last 5 years (which is how long i've been using it regularly) in order to see which songs and artists come up the most so, uh, i'm gonna go thru the data cos i'm a nerd lol

(this is all very self indulgent and only really exists so me from the future can come back and find it lol... but hey feel free to read if ur interested in my listening habits lol)

so what's interesting is that i've never had the same artist as my top artist of the year!

2018 -> BTS

2019 -> Banks

2020 -> Dreamcatcher

2021 -> EXO

2022 -> Girls' Generation

2023 -> Fall Out Boy

but despite that, both EXO and Banks have been in my top 5 for 5 times out of the 6 wrapped years!

even more interesting is that Banks is my 5th top artist this year despite the fact only one of her songs shows up in my top lists (i think i'm just always listening to her albums lol)

whiccchhh brings me onto the songs themselves

so no song shows up as top of my year every year, and there is also no song that appears in all 6 wrapped playlists BUT there is a song that shows up in 5 of the 6 and that is...

(drum roll lol)

Judas by Banks! not surprising cos it's such an amazing track but i kinda didn't realise just how much i listen to it lol! it's never been in my top 5 but it's always somewhere in the playlists lol

songs that show up 4 times out of 6 are:

Be by Hozier, Peppermint Chocolate by K.Will and Mamamoo, Vibrato by Stellar and Kingdom Come by Red Velvet!

songs that show up 3 times:

Lol by Taeyeon, Apple by Ga In, Snap out of it by the Arctic Monkeys, Bad Boy by Red Velvet & Tempo by EXO!

only other repeated song i'll mention is I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy which showed up in 2018 and then not again until this year lol

this year is a bit of an anomaly, because usually none of my top artists have more than 10 songs in the playlist (exceptions are usually if I had a particular album on repeat) BUT this year both my top artists (fob and hozier) have 18 and 20 songs in my top songs playlist respectively lol

(which is why when i've been rebloging those 'what is your 10th top song' posts it's mainly been fob and hozier tracks pfft.... rule of averages wins again lol)

& because of this most of the songs on my 2023 top songs list are ones that came out this year lol

some fun exceptions are:

How do you sleep by John Lennon, Why don't you do right by Lil Green, She's always a woman by Billy Joel, Can't rely on you by Paloma Faith and Irony by Wonder Girls lol!

honestly kinda shocked that hardly any of the mcr/green day stuff i was listening to earlier in the year has showed up (there are a couple mcr tracks, but i listened to american idiot SO much but not a single track is on my playlist rip.... guess i'm the (non)american idiot after all lol)

also kinda sad that spotify doesn't do a top albums things, though it is kinda obvious w/ my list pfft (top albums were So Much (For) Stardust, Unreal Unearth and The Age of Pleasure!)

& what i've discovered from looking at all this data is that i kinda like that every year is slightly different, with a different top artist and usually different albums that i play constantly throughout the year!

Last year it was Dance Fever, The Gods We Can Touch and 28 Reasons, few years ago it was III and 1719 lol! i just love having an album define so much of how i feel about a year :')

can't wait to see what albums define my next 5 years of life tbh!

anyway i think that's about all the data i can really pull from this lol!

[nickgerlich]

Seeing Rainbows

It is rare when music can withstand the passage of time, sounding just as good today as when it was released decades prior. Pretty much everything by the Beatles comes to mind, as does Hotel California by the Eagles, and the rock opera Tommy by The Who.

But let’s not forget Dark Side Of The Moon, by the British prog-rock band Pink Floyd. Songs from that album are in steady rotation on SXM Channel 26, my favorite station. So popular was this album that it remained on Billboard’s Top 200 for 724 consecutive weeks, from 1973 to 1988. That was back when people bought their music, and artists could make a tidy living from the proceeds.

Skip forward to this week, when Pink Floyd updated its profile pic on its Facebook page, and suddenly heads started exploding with dark forebodings. With the 50th anniversary of the album’s release rapidly approaching—1st March—the band opted for a stylized “50” that included the same prismatic imagery of the original album.

It’s just that some people thought the band had gone “woke” and was making a statement of support for the LGBTQ community. Rainbows, anyone? Tell me you’re not a Pink Floyd fan without telling me you’re not a Pink Floyd fan.

As of this morning, there were 17,000 comments on that image alone. Who would have thought that something so simple as this would cause so many peoples’ undies to get in a bunch? And over a non-event in the first place? Sheesh.

Now please allow me to digress a bit. The word “woke” is perhaps to most over-used and misunderstood word being used these days. I bet that most of the people using it do not know its etymology, nor history of usage. Worse yet, it is used as a baseball bat against anyone with whom they disagree, and, typically, from Right to Left. All this in the last two years.

For the record, the first political usage of the word dates to 1962, and was used by African-Americans. Technically, it meant “alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice.” It was used sparingly from the 1940s forward, though, and only hit the zeitgeist by virtue of a New York Times article. More recently, it was used by BLM activists starting around 2016, but by 2021 had been co-opted by non-blacks as a derisive slur.

In other words, it never had anything to do with gay rights, veganism, women’s rights, or whatever seemingly deplorable cause du jour. But hey, “Go woke, go broke” became the rallying cry of the Alt-Right against any company or individual who dared go against their grain.

I do not allow politically motivated speech in my classes. It’s perfectly OK to disagree among us, even with me, about anything, but we must do so in a respectful manner. Don’t use the word “woke” unless you are trying to tell me you “woke up late and missed a deadline” or something like that.

But back to the music. Dark Side Of The Moon is arguably one of the best albums ever released. It has stayed relevant and current by virtue of being that good, but has also benefited from a little myth and lore too. It was in the mid-1990s that a newspaper columnist suggested pairing the album with the classic 1939 film, The Wizard Of Oz. Supposedly the music and lyrics matched the film’s actions minute for minute, as if it were a masterfully created soundtrack 34 years after the fact.

While the band has vehemently denied such intent, they have not argued with the free publicity. If it gets people playing your old album again, then have at it. Which brings me to my final point. In spite of the negativity and willfully exposed ignorance of many commenters, there might just be a silver lining on the dark cloud of social media.

You see, Pink Floyd is now getting tons of unpaid publicity about the anniversary, which necessarily includes a remastered release of the album on vinyl and CD, and even a planetarium tour pairing the music to a star show. While it is regrettable that so many people failed to see the intent of the new logo, and were quick to make accusations, it is also admirable of Pink Floyd to kind of just let it all happen. The PR machine can take on a life of its own.

And Money is more than just a song on that album. It’s what these guys are going to continue making. Got to keep the loonies on the path.

Dr “Everything Under The Sun Is In Tune“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[dustedmagazine]

Chris Liberato's 2022 favorites

Photo of Courtney Marie Andrews by Chris Liberato

2022 got off to an unusually slow start for me, as far as connecting with new music. Fortunato Durutti Marinetti’s Memory’s Fool, released in March, was both the first record that grabbed me and the one that I returned to most often. To give you an idea of what it sounds like, imagine if Robert Forster grew up listening to Bill Callahan/Smog, and made a record with Robert Wyatt producing, and you’ll be pretty close. Right up there at the top of my most-played pile, next to Fortunato, is Courtney Marie Andrews’ Loose Future, which didn’t come as much of a surprise to me given how hard I fell for her last one, the stunning Old Flowers. Although, getting the chance to see her and her band perform the Loose Future material live last fall (more on that below) definitely helped seal the deal.

A couple of records that did surprise me, in terms of how much time I ended up spending with them, were the latest Jeanines, Don’t Wait For A Sign: a pure comfort listen whenever I needed it this year, which was often. And Free Time’s Jangle Jargon, which barely made a blip in the indie world but seems like it would appeal to Destroyer fans — the way it evokes that project’s Thief and Streethawk eras — and definitely fans of Twerps, whom they uncannily resemble on standout track “That’s Rare,” and whose former frontman Marty Frawley guest stars on the album. It’s an addicting one. I also want to give a special nod to the Morteza Mahjubi compilation, Selected Improvisations From Golha, Pt. I, even if it might not fully qualify as a 2022 release (it was released digitally and on cassette in 2021, with the vinyl ultimately landing this year). I discovered it via a Steve Gunn tweet in November and it’s since become my go-to morning record — equal parts ghostly and jaunty, improvised piano pieces from 1950s/60s Iranian national radio broadcasts that are sure to get your bones rattling. 

I also saw more live music in 2022 than I have in years, both for obvious Covid-related reasons and because I decided I needed a break from school, and therefore had more time and energy than usual to make it happen. Of the shows I caught, my favorites were Quivers, who made it over from Australia in support of last year’s glorious Golden Doubt, and Courtney Marie Andrews, who played to an adoring, capacity crowd at Cambridge’s Middle East in early November. Something these two acts had in common was an obvious love of playing music with their respective bandmates, which translated into an infectious onstage energy, in both cases, that left me feeling a lot lighter at the end of the night. Picking a favorite single moment is easy: it was the absolutely devastating centerpiece of Andrews’ set, “Near You,” a song I wasn’t familiar with prior to the show but which left a raw, empty feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can still viscerally recall (you know, in a good way). In a very different way, catching Kraftwerk and their synchronized screen show at The Wang Theater ruled, too. As did seeing Berlin resident Ned Collette, not once but twice, after catching Collette fever last Spring when I picked up the reissue of his debut, Jokes & Trials, and subsequently deep diving into his back catalog. 

But that’s enough out of me. So, without further adieu, here are the records I enjoyed the most this year. If we reviewed the record here at Dusted, or I covered it in a different context elsewhere, I made sure to link to it. 

Courtney Marie Andrews — Loose Future (Fat Possum) 

Michael Beach — 2022 EP (Goner) 

Blue Ocean — s/t (Dandy Boy) 

Jackson Reid Briggs — Out Of Line EP (Self-released) 

Thomas Bush — Preludes (Mamma’s Mysterious Jukebox) 

Laura Cannell — Antiphony Of The Trees (Brawl) 

Sarah Mary Chadwick — Flipped It (Kill Rock Stars) 

Chronophage — s/t (PPM) 

Ned Collette — Jokes & Trials (Feeding Tube/Sophomore Lounge) REISSUE 

Loren Connors — Airs (Recital) REISSUE 

Exek — Advertise Here (Castle Face) 

Field School — When Summer Comes (Bobo Integral) 

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti — Memory’s Fool (Soft Abuse/Bobo Integral) 

Free Time — Jangle Jargon (Bedroom Suck) 

The Glass Picture — s/t (Chapter) 

​​Lande Hekt — Romantic / Octopussy (Emotional Response) 

Jeanines — Don’t Wait for a Sign (Slumberland)

 Jeanines — Latest Light / After All (Market Square) 

Alicia Jeanine — Demos (Self-released) 

Kitchen’s Floor — None Of That (Petty Bunco) 

Morteza Mahjubi — Selected Improvisations from Golha, Pt. I (Death Is Not The End) 

The Orchids — Dreaming Kind (Skep Wax) 

The Reds, Pinks and Purples — Summer at Land’s End (Slumberland) 

The Reds, Pinks and Purples — They Only Wanted Your Soul (Slumberland) 

The Stroppies — Levity (Tough Love) 

Ben Woods — Dispeller (Shrimper/Melted Ice Cream/Meritorio)

Chris Liberato

[thelensofyashunews]

Babyface Ray-Signee Samuel Shabazz Shares Lovestruck “For You,” Announces Upcoming Album

Recently signed to Babyface Ray’s Wavy Gang label, Samuel Shabazz has been steadily building his rap career for over a decade. Now with the support of one of the most respected acts in his home city of Detroit behind him, he announces his upcoming album, PLANE BOY, coming June 21st via Wavy Gang/EMPIRE. With the announcement comes the lovestruck new single and video “FOR YOU”

The upcoming album finds Sam embracing his Detroit roots and tapping into his city's signature sound. The project’s title takes inspiration from the vintage aesthetic of the iconic Playboy “Big Bunny” plane. Sam has also referenced aviation previously in his work, including his clothing line “DOP✈️R Clothing," known for the slogans, “We Up Forev✈️R” and "Fly Beyond The Hype."

Along with the album announcement, Sam shares the project’s first single “FOR YOU.” The song finds the Detroit rapper feeling infatuated, admiring his girl’s beauty and the mesmerizing effect she has on him. Over steady drums and buzzy synths, he croons, “For you, I search high and low / It should be a crime for you to be this fine / I’m runnin’ out of lines to tell you every time / This might be fate, I can’t ignore signs.” In the video, Sam plays a private investigator who is hired by a client who suspects his wife of cheating. In a turn of events, Sam ends up falling for the subject of his investigation, much to his client's demise.

PLANE BOY will be Samuel Shabazz’s latest step in journey to the top of Detroit’s rap game. Growing up in Detroit’s Westside, he was introduced to music by his father, Uncle Sam, an R&B artist signed to Boyz II Men’s label during the 1990s. Starting to rap, write, and produce amidst a restlessly creative childhood, filled with trips to the studio with his dad, he later began recording during stints in Atlanta and California, while earning a Bachelor's degree in Recording Arts. In 2014, while returning to Deroit, Samuel met Babyface Ray through a mutual friend.

The two artists bonded as brothers and began collaborating on music. Their chemistry is evident in Product Of My Environment, their 2019 collab album, which includes the hit track "Hall Of Fame” ft. Veeze (9M YT views). The track pushed Samuel onto new radars and made him a sought-out Detroit collaborator. He began to break beyond the city with 2021's From Me To You and 2022's Not A Fan. Last year, he released the introspective I Changed My Mind, which marks a shift in direction and Samuel's reframed attitude about his career. The project earned Samuel’s most buzz yet in Detroit, and includes Samuel’s most streamed song to date “Dotted Line” ft. Veeze (1.5M YT views).

Now with PLANE BOY on the way, the Detroit hero is ready to soar to new heights.

[slowtravelingcat]

The Best Christmas Ever, a special musical edition

Monday, December 27th, 2021

CAL - I can’t believe it’s that time of year again. It seems like only yesterday that the large, bald one and I were snuggled up in our tiny house in Austin. We were just at the beginning of our journey and had no idea what lay ahead. At the time I could have never imagined that this year we’d spend the holiday season in an extra-large condo overlooking the great town of Oakland, California. 

It was early Christmas morning and I was making my normal rounds before waking Michele. I was surveying the laundry room when I stumbled upon something so completely unexpected that I could hardly believe my eyes. I knew that it was Christmas morning, but this very special gift was beyond what I could have possibly imagined. 

There, laying on top of the washing machine, was my very own, pure cotton pillowcase. Its delicately hemmed edges called out to my soul. My stomach began to growl as I imagined chewing on the light yet deliciously dense cotton fabric. It has been so long since I’ve had access to cotton for chewing, I was beginning to think that Michele had forgotten about my favorite delicacy. 

Out of deep respect for this very meaningful gift, I took my time smelling the beautiful piece of fabric. Next, I rubbed my head all over it. I wanted to saturate the linen with my scent so that we become one. Finally, I allowed myself to take a few nibbles from the side and felt overwhelmed with satisfaction. It’s been so long since I’ve had linens for breakfast!

In a Herculean effort of restraint, I pulled myself away from the Best-Christmas-Gift-Ever to complete my morning rounds. This is when I saw it! Gift number 2. Oh, I must have been a very good cat this year, indeed!

Located next to the bathroom sink, I slowly approached the present. It was a pile of elastic hair bands. I had not seen this many hair bands in one place since last winter when I binged on them until I became sick. I knew this special gift carried great responsibility and I carefully picked out 4 to start with. I swatted them onto the floor, for easier access, and saved the rest for later.

After a magical morning filled with pillowcase nibbles and snacking on fresh hair bands, I was in a state of complete and utter bliss. I had almost forgotten about my present for the large, bald one when I heard her stirring in the bedroom. I quickly bolted in and began to summon the longest, most dramatic cat puke I could muster. It’s important to show Michele how much I appreciate her gifts.

Cal’s Song (in the style of Rub it in, Rub it in by Billy “Crash” Craddock), Written and performed by Cal’s Grandfather, Dennis Wilson

[jjmottt]

TUKLAS

Last September 6th Tuklas was held at Luis Capito Cultural Stage

Congresswoman has been supporting Tuklas for 16 years, and she is delighted. The city of Borongan will always have Maria Fe Romerica Abunda as its patroness. She enjoys seeing how pleased we all are. We undoubtedly make our stomachs laugh with Pooh The Comedian, K Brozas, and Ethel Booba because She brings three of the top comedians in the entire Philippines, making it the most vibrant, lively, and full of laughter night ever. for our mothers, uncles, and aunts as well as our fathers. You can sing "My love will see you through" continually, "I'll face tomorrow," and many other well-known songs with your grandfather and grandmother. Marco Sison is the author of these songs. Elmo Magalona, a leading man, will perform also and of course Ms. Yeng Constantino is also their that night she performed some of her best songs like jeepney.

#tuklas #bestnight

PADUL-ONG FESTIVAL

Last September 8th Borongan Eastern Samar Celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

Padul-ong Festival comes from the word padul-ong, which in the Waray language means deliver or transport. As a fiesta, it recalls the miraculous journey of how Nuestra Señora dela Natividad (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) became the patroness of Borongan during the Spanish rule.

Padul-ong Festival is a religious festival in Borongan City in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines held every September 8th. A weeks-long festival, it is conducted in honor of Nuestra Señora dela Natividad, the patroness of the city. It also coincides with Borongan City Native Pig Lechon Festival.

According to the tale, a woman with a box as luggage was given accommodation in a Portuguese ship heading towards the Philippine archipelago. Sadly, she died in the sea voyage. When the ship arrived in the Philippines, it docked in Punta Maria of the island of Samar. The box that the woman brought was opened and revealed the image of the Blessed Virgin, which was installed in Punta Maria.

Padul-ong Festival schedule of activities generally begin towards the end of August. In the 29th of August, kick-off activities occur as well as it is the start of the nine-day novena prayers. The highlight of the Padul-ong Festival is the reenactment or dramatization of bringing the image from Punta Maria to Borongan Cathedral through a procession. It takes place on September 7. It starts early in the morning where religious rites are performed in the chapel of Punta Maria. In most years with good weather, the image is moved to Borongan Cathedral through a fluvial procession in Rawis Bay. The image is installed in a special ornamented vessel called andas or pagoda and accompanied by boats of the lay faithful and organizations. When the day has inclement weather however such as in 2021, the image is transferred through a street procession in a vehicle motorcade. A reenactment soon follows in the plaza that depicts how the patroness arrived from Portugal to the Philippines. And in September 8, the next day, is the fiesta celebration. It is marked with observance of religious activities such as mass and solemn procession in Borongan Cathedral. Secular activities of Padul-ong Festival are participated by various institutions, individuals, and organizations of the city. They include civic military parade, street-dancing, talent competitions, sporting events, music fest, etc.(https://www.festivalscape.com)

#fiesta #padul-ong

QUINTUPLE MEET

Five campuses of Eastern Samar State University will come together for a 3-day sporting event at the Quintuple Meet 2023 after a long break that delayed the sports unity of the institution's community. There were various athletes competing for championships in their respective sports from various university campuses which is held at Eastern Samar state university's main campus at Borongan city.

#sports #essu

[lifeilin]

Hey all! My name is Anabelle and I made an album titled "Feet on the ground", which I'll release in February.

I don't want to make this post TOO long even though quite frankly, the story behind putting these ten songs together is an extremely long one. I will share more about it when those who want to hear them, get to. For now, I'm excited to say that I worked with very talented Cameroonian and American musicians to bring this little story to life in music form and I'm endlessly thankful for every single one of them. Again, more about them later!

I've been sitting with the mastered files of this record since September 2021, thinking of the millions of ways to release it, not having much of a clue about the "right" time to do it. The truth is, there's no "right time" to make art, and there's certainly no "right time" to share it. There are standards and there's History, precedents that need to be respected, but there's no "right way" to make or share art either. I'm just grateful for art. It saved my life.

Sooo, to make my pulp cover idea for this pulp music (HA! 🤣) a reality, the amazing @kimberleyclaudia (no really, she absolutely is amazing), conceptualized the album's artwork from top to bottom, down to the colors and the textures. She also shot and edited it in November 2021, assisted by @davybell. Hair and makeup by yours truly and @estherrosaline. Last but not least, the super fun @vijith.illustrations took care of the graphic design early last year.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this, and be on the lookout for album content in the upcoming weeks!

Love, always.

Anabelle. Check out my Instagram page @_thebelle_

[munson-blurbs]

I posted 833 times in 2022

That's 833 more posts than 2021!

248 posts created (30%)

585 posts reblogged (70%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@munsonquinns

@manicpixiedreamcurl

@trashmouth-richie

@corroded-hellfire

@munsonology

I tagged 393 of my posts in 2022

#eddie munson - 151 posts

#fic recs - 142 posts

#eddie stranger things - 134 posts

#eddie munson x reader - 122 posts

#stranger things - 121 posts

#fanfic - 121 posts

#stranger things fanfic - 109 posts

#eddie munson x you - 107 posts

#eddie munson stranger things - 92 posts

#eddie munson x female reader - 90 posts

Longest Tag: 33 characters

#i love each and every one of them

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Wayne Munson has always doubted that he’s done right by his nephew. Sure, the situation is better than Eddie living with his deadbeat dad, but the kid sells drugs and spent an extra two years in high school.

It’s not until you come into the picture that Wayne sees the values he instilled in Eddie.

Like when Eddie brings you to meet Wayne for the first time, holding the door open for you and taking your jacket. You hand a package of Oreos to Wayne, telling him, “Eddie said these are your favorite, so I had to get them.” The three of you sit in the living room, sharing the cookies and swapping stories.

On his birthday, when he comes home to you and Eddie in the little kitchen, putting candles in a homemade cake. “Happy birthday!” you call out in unison, and Wayne can’t help but smile. Eddie lights the candles and you tell Wayne to make a wish. “Besides me moving out,” Eddie teases as Wayne blows out the candles. “You made this?” he asks the two of you. “I baked it, and Eddie put the frosting on,” you say. Wayne hasn’t had a homemade cake in years.

Or when Eddie walks through the door, eyes red and puffy, explaining to his uncle, “We had a fight, but I did that breathing thing you told me about and calmed down. I think we’ll work it out.” He’s referring to the time he was 14, frustrated with a riff he just couldn’t get, and punched a wall so hard he broke his hand. On the way back from the hospital, Wayne told him, “When you feel that angry, you gotta breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Slow and steady. Can’t afford another hospital bill, kid.” He didn’t realize Eddie remembered it after all this time.

The time he gets home from work a little earlier than usual, only to overhear you telling Eddie softly, “'M sorry, Eds. I’m not really in the mood.” Without any hesitation, Eddie says, “Don’t apologize. We can cuddle though, right?” There’s no pressure, no whining or begging. Only Eddie respecting the girl he loves.

The day you and Eddie finally get your own place, boxes loaded into a moving van. Before you leave, you give a neatly wrapped gift to Wayne. “Shouldn’t I be getting you a housewarming present?” he jokes, opening it carefully. It’s a photo of the three of you at last year’s Fourth of July carnival, fireworks in the background. The wooden frame reads Family is Forever. “So you don’t miss us too much,” Eddie teases him. He pulls you both in for a quick hug. The photo sits on his bedside table, where he sees it first thing every morning.

On Eddie’s birthday, Wayne gives him a card with a check inside; not a lot, but a little something. “What’re you gonna spend it on?” he asks, thinking his nephew will cash it and buy something for his van or his precious guitar. But Eddie gives him a shy grin and tells him, “Actually, I’m saving up for an engagement ring. Just wanna get her the best, y’know?”

When you pull Wayne onto the dance floor, feeling beautiful in your white dress, the new Mrs. Munson. Wayne isn’t much of a dancer, but he’s two drinks in and just so damn happy, and he can’t help but shuffle about when the band sings “Twist and Shout.” He also dances with you to a slow song, which is where you whisper to him, “thank you for raising such an incredible man.”

Or during a Sunday dinner, when you and Eddie invite Wayne over and ask him if he prefers to be called “Grandpa” or “Pop-Pop.” Later, he privately asks Eddie if he’s nervous about being a dad, to which he truthfully replies, “A little. But I learned from the best.”

And when Wayne sees Eddie hold his newborn son, he swells with pride. My boy has a boy of his own, he muses incredulously, and then it’s his turn to hold the baby. “So, what do you think?” Eddie asks him, beaming. Wayne pauses for a moment before he answers.

“I think we did all right.”

829 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

#4

We’ve Got a Secret (Dad!Eddie x Mom!Reader)

Read Part I here!

Warnings: lil bit of language, pregnancy, anxiety, weight gain, literally so much fluff your teeth will hurt

WC: 1.6k

Taglist: @dylanmunson @tayhar811

April 1992

“Babe, you ready?” Eddie calls from the living room where he’s slipping on his Dio vest. 

“No, I’m not going!” you respond back, nearly in tears.

“So I’m just supposed to tell everyone about you being pregnant...without you?” he teases gently. A frown forms on his face when he doesn’t hear you say anything; just the sound of light sniffling coming from your bedroom.

“What’s going on?” He peers in to find you laying back on the bed, struggling to close the button on your favorite jeans. “Oh, sweetheart...”

“They...don’t...fit!” you cry out, giving up and letting the tears fall. You’re only three months along, but you’ve gained a little weight, and it must be enough that your pants don’t fit anymore. “I don’t get it! They just fit last week.”

Eddie chuckles and presses a kiss to your temple, then to your pregnant belly. “You’re growing a whole human. You have to be kind to yourself.” He pauses for a moment. “Wait here.”

He rummages through the bathroom and you hear a small “a-ha!” as he closes a drawer. He holds up a hair tie in his hand triumphantly. “You can use this to keep your pants up while they’re technically unbuttoned.” You give him a confused look. “Steve told me about it,” he explains sheepishly.

“What is he, the pregnancy guru?” you ask, but you take the hair tie and it works. Your shirt is a little big, so it covers your handiwork. “Huh. Would ya look at that.”

“Now, c’mon, let’s go,” Eddie whines. “We gotta stop off at Wayne’s before dinner and tell him!” You’d already told your parents, who were ecstatic at the idea of a grandchild. Your mom called you this morning to let you know she picked up some baby clothes because she just got so excited.

Eddie holds your hand as he drives to his uncle’s house. His left leg is bouncing and he keeps looking over at you with a grin.

“He’s gonna freak out in the best way,” Eddie can’t contain his excitement. He stops at a red light and grabs your face, punctuating the kiss with an exaggerated mwah!

You giggle. “Eds, I’ve never seen Wayne do more than crack a smile. He didn’t even cry at our wedding.”

“Just you wait and see, Mama Munson,” he says. His new nickname for you fills you with giddiness and warmth. 

~

Eddie raps at the trailer door frantically. 

“Stop it! You’re gonna scare him!” you hiss. In your right hand is a small gift bag. You clutch it tightly, like it’ll float away if you don’t. “Sorry, Wayne!” you call out. “It’s just us.”

Wayne opens the door with a roll of his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” He pokes Eddie in the chest, but your husband just laughs.

“Sorry. Just have something for ya.” He takes the gift bag from your hand and gives it to his uncle.

“’s not my birthday...” Wayne steps back so you and Eddie can come in. Eddie takes your hand and squeezes it inconspicuously.

“Just open it!” he practically shouts. He’s just a ball of nervous energy; he’d probably be bouncing around the trailer if you weren’t holding onto him.

Wayne shoves the tissue paper aside and pulls out a mug. “Oh, good. Don’t got enough of these,” he says sarcastically.

“You have to read what it says,” you offer, watching as his eyes scan the text plastered on the front of the mug.

“World’s Best Grandpa...” he reads. It takes half a second for him to process it, and then a huge grin spreads across his face. Eddie looks at you, his facial expression screaming I told you so.

“I’m gonna...you’re--” Wayne turns to you, and you can only nod to confirm. Tears spring to your eyes and you’re 100% sure it isn’t just the hormones. “This is the happiest day of my life, and I bet it will be until that baby of yours arrives.”

See the full post

860 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

#3

Hi! Just found your blog and saw you were looking for ideas.

A best friends to lovers trope that gets super smutty 🥵? I'm a sucker for it

- @eddiesprincess86

Eeep I love this trope, too!

Warnings: so much smut (18+ only minors DNI!!!!), oral (f receiving), fingering, handjob, piv, protected sex, language, pet names, angst

WC: 3.5k

A/N: getting requests seriously makes my whole day. Please keep them coming (no pun intended) <3

--

It was the silliest action that had you falling for your best friend. Almost ridiculous, really. He was driving you home from work a few months ago, like he did every Thursday when you worked the closing shift. He’d browse the library for the new fantasy releases until you clocked out.

“I’m ready to go!” you announced, exhaustion evident in your voice.

“Your chariot awaits,” Eddie says as he walks you to his van. There’s a group of teenage boys smoking outside, leering at you, but they leave you alone when they spot Eddie by your side.

“Can I hire you to be my bodyguard?” you tease, opening the van door. The smell of stale cigarettes, weed, and Eddie’s cologne hits you as you climb in. He closes the door behind you.

“Depends. What’s my salary?” he jokes right back, turning the key in the ignition.

You pretend to consider this seriously. “Hmm,” you ponder, tapping your finger to your chin. “If you’ll be my bodyguard, I won’t tell anyone that you secretly love Grease and have a massive crush on Olivia Newton-John.”

“First of all,” he starts, keeping his eyes trained on the road as he lectures you, “everyone loves Olivia Newton-John. And second, you’re supposed to be keeping that to yourself, anyway. My salary needs to be something in addition to keeping your big mouth shut.”

You’re about to threaten to spill the beans all over the morning announcements when a sports car zooms around the van, cutting Eddie off and then slamming on the breaks as a sudden curve materializes. 

“Holy shit!” Eddie curses loudly and swerves onto the shoulder.

And that’s when he does it.

He puts his arm out in front of you, even though you’re wearing a seatbelt. His calloused hand grips your bicep as he multitasks keeping you and the vehicle safe. 

“I am so sorry,” he apologizes, even though what happened clearly wasn’t his fault. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, Eds,” you croak, heart beating out of your chest for multiple reasons. “Just shaken up.”

“You sure? No bumps or bruises?” Concern seeps into his face as the adrenaline dies down. He uses his thumb to move your chin to him so he can get a better look.

“Positive. W-what about you?” you ask, realizing that he wasn’t buckled in. 

He rubs his side and winces. “Got thrown into the gear shift. Gonna leave a nasty bruise, I bet.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell everyone you got it fighting a bear,” you attempt to crack a joke, hoping to get him to smile. He’s too deep in thought to process it.

“I thought--I was scared you got hurt,” he blurts out. “Never would’ve forgiven myself if something happened to you.” He massages the back of his neck, hair sticking to his skin where he’s started to sweat.

“Eddie, I’m okay. And if something did happen, it would’ve been that idiot’s fault,” you gesture to the empty road where the other driver cut you off, “not yours.” And maybe it’s because you’re too rattled to think straight, or maybe because it just seems right, but you grab his hand and squeeze it tight. “Take a breath. Wanna stay over at my place so you don’t have to drive all the way home? You can crash on the couch.” Or in my bed, you think, but you don’t dare say.

He nods and slowly pulls back onto the main road.

~

Eddie’s feelings towards you were much more of a slow burn, but they most certainly were strong.

See the full post

996 notes - Posted October 20, 2022

#2

Oh, Baby (Dad!Eddie x Mom!Reader)

First installment in my Dad!Eddie series. Feedback and suggestions are super appreciated :)

Warnings: language, pregnancy, allusions to sex, allusions to abortion, mentions of Eddie’s deadbeat dad

WC: 1.5k

February 1992

It’s Saturday, a day where you normally slept in, but you’re abuzz with nerves that wake you at 7:00 AM. Your husband, Eddie, sleeps soundly next to you, arms splayed across the pillow and sheets bunched around his waist. His long curly hair is pulled back in a ponytail, though strands have fallen out of the holder in his sleep. He’s oblivious, blissfully unaware of the emotions that pang through your body. For a man who prides himself on being so in tune with you, whose tagline is “I know your body better than you do, babe,” he hasn’t picked up on the fact that you’ve been eating your pasta with butter because you suddenly can’t stand the smell of marinara sauce, or that you come home from work and immediately fall asleep on the couch, or that you didn’t ask him to pick up tampons from the pharmacy next to his record store this month.

You creep out of bed and tiptoe into the bathroom, digging quietly in the back of a drawer where you’ve hidden the EPT box. A few weeks ago, you would’ve been excited at the prospect of being pregnant with Eddie’s baby. Then he’d made an off-handed comment about not wanting to be a dad because he didn’t know how to be one, and that he was happy for it to be just you and him forever.

It’s the longest five minutes of your life, but when your watch finally signals that it’s time to look, you take a deep breath and peer at the counter. 

Two pink lines.

A sob escapes your lips and you clamp a hand over your mouth to keep from waking Eddie. You have no idea what you’re going to do. It feels wrong ending the pregnancy without telling him, but you also don’t want him to feel any pressure to be a dad. His own father had repeatedly told him that he was a mistake, that he was a burden, and you didn’t want to risk repeating the cycle.

You’re still mulling over your options when you hear the sound of footsteps shuffling towards the bathroom door. You cap the test and shove it in the waistband of your underwear, hoping it’s covered by your oversized T-shirt.

Knock knock knock.

“Sweetheart, I gotta come in,” Eddie mumbles sleepily. You can picture him rubbing his eyes and stretching, thinking about injecting caffeine directly into his bloodstream to wake him up. He’d been promoted to manager at the record store, and while the extra income was certainly helpful, it also means he’s a lot busier.

You open the door and smile weakly. He blinks a few times and asks, “Are you crying?”

“Just allergies, I think,” you offer, lying through your teeth.

“In February?”

“Yeah...winter allergies.” It’s pathetic, but luckily he’s still tired enough to leave the matter alone.

“Okay. Go back to sleep and get some rest. You need any medicine or tissues?”

You shake your head and pad on back to bed. The pregnancy test is still pressed up against you, and you shove it under your pillow as soon as you climb under the covers.

~

“Hey, Munson! Got anything new for us to listen to?” Steve Harrington walks into the record store around 11:00 AM, hoisting his son on his hip. “Maybe something with Elmo for Andy to rock out to?” He tickles the toddler, who lets out an excited giggle.

Before Eddie can respond, Andy wriggles out of his father’s grasp and makes a beeline for Eddie, crashing into his legs with a laugh.

“Hey there, bulldozer!” Eddie scoops Andy up as the boy tugs on a lock of his hair. “‘Course I got something for ya! Saved it in the back because I had a feeling Dad would be bringing you by today.” Steve always stopped by on Saturdays. It gave Nancy some time to herself, and Andy loved seeing his Uncle Eddie.

Steve, Eddie, and Andy walk to the back where Eddie’s stashed away a Sesame Street cassette. Andy’s face lights up when he spots the familiar Muppets on the cover. 

“Ed, do you and Y/N wanna swing by later for pizza?” Steve asks. Andy nods his head vigorously, which makes Eddie’s heart melt.

“I’d love to, but Y/N has been real weird about food lately,” he states.

“Weird how?”

“Like she doesn’t really have much of an appetite, and normal foods gross her out. Y’know, all of a sudden I can’t put cream cheese on a bagel because the smell makes her throw up.”

Steve’s eyes widen. “Sounds like she’s pregnant, dude. Nancy had the same thing...I think they’re called aversions?”

Eddie practically falls over. “No, she can’t be...” But then it all clicks into place: the exhaustion, the short tempers, the nausea. “Oh, fu-fudge,” he amends, acutely aware of Andy’s presence. 

See the full post

1,044 notes - Posted October 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Fight for You (Dad!Eddie x Mom!Reader)

Your friends throw you an incredible baby shower, but an unexpected guest threatens to spoil your fun.

Warnings: all the fluff + angst, pregnancy language, emotional abuse (not from Eddie), a bit of violence (nothing gory, but mention of blood)

WC: 2k

Part One | Part Two

Taglist: @dylanmunson @tayhar811 @princess-eddie​

--

August 1992

“Wow,” Eddie breathes as he walks into your bedroom. You’re wearing a flowing sage green dress that shows off your seven-month baby bump. “You look stunning.”

You press a kiss to his lips, smiling against him as your belly brushes against his stomach. It hasn’t always been easy to feel beautiful as your body changes, but your husband hasn’t stopped reminding you that he thinks you’re perfect; that he’s so happy you’re having his baby; that every time he thinks he can’t love you more, he looks at you and falls even harder.

He takes your hand and walks you to the van. You’d moved apartments last month; same building, but now you have a two-bedroom so the baby will have their own room. 

“You ready for your party, little baby?” you talk to your belly, rubbing a hand over it. It was Will’s idea to make it co-ed, and Eddie wasn’t going to turn down an invitation to something DnD themed. He’s wearing his nicest pair of jeans and a blue button-down shirt. His hair is pulled back into a low bun, and you lean over and kiss his cheek. As you do, you feel a fluttering in your stomach.

“Oh my God!” you yelp, and Eddie slams on the brakes.

“What?” he asks nervously. “Is the baby okay?”

“Yeah, s-sorry,” you flush, slightly embarrassed. “They just kicked me.” You take one of his hands, feeling him visibly relax, and place it where you just felt the kick. “Right here.” Sure enough, the baby kicks again, and Eddie grins.

“Holy shit,” he says, “we got a little soccer player in there!”

~

You pull up to the Byers house and waddle you way up the steps. “Careful,” you hear Eddie murmur, placing a hand on the small of your back. You open the door to a room filled with your favorite people. Your parents are on the couch next to Wayne and Jim Hopper. Eleven and Max are drinking some punch, laughing at something Mike said. Or maybe just laughing at Mike; you never know with those two. Will and Lucas are fixing a streamer as Joyce oversees their work. Dustin, Robin, Steve, and Nancy are gathered around a bowl of chips. 

Everything looks amazing. The family room looks like a Dungeons & Dragons game come to life. Even the food is labelled on-theme, with figurines placed strategically along the table. Next to a pile of brightly-wrapped gifts is a Dungeon Master throne, which would usually be reserved for Eddie, but there’s a sign on it that reads “Reserved for Mama Munson.”

The guests rush to hug you, ask how you’re doing, feel your bump. You hate when strangers do that, think they have the right to touch you just because you’re pregnant, but you truly don’t mind when your family and friends--your chosen family, really--do it.

Wayne shoves a paper plate into Eddie’s hands. “Go get your lady something to eat, hm?” he hints. No matter how old Eddie gets, Wayne will always treat him like a son.

Eddie obliges, leaving you with Joyce as she dotes on you. “You are absolutely glowing,” she says. “You were meant to be a mom.”

“Thank you.” Tears spring to your eyes. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

“No, no crying!” she laughs gently. “C’mon, we’ll get started with the games.” She leads you to your seat. “Those pregnancy hormones are a bitch, huh?”

You laugh and nod in agreement.

Eddie, meanwhile, is loading the plate with cupcakes and cookies, knowing you’ve had a mean sweet tooth lately. He brings it to you and you bite into a chocolate chip, savoring the taste. 

“This is exactly what Baby Munson wanted,” you state, taking another bite.

The next few hours pass in a flurry of games and gifts. You’re excited to go home with a collection of new bottles, burp cloths, teeny tiny clothes, and enough diapers that look like they’ll last a lifetime, but Joyce claims will only get you through the first week.

Eddie, Steve, and Hopper have loaded everything into the van, and everyone is helping clean up the Byers’ living room, when there’s a knock on the door.

“Who could that be?” Joyce wonders aloud, and Hopper steps in front of her to answer the door. You know it’s never good when his instincts kick in.

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1,196 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

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[nctsjiho]

Trouble In NCity? NCT’s Taeyong and JiHo Caught Up In Controversy

January 15, 2022 By J. Mitchel (K!Today)

2022 has only just begone and yet there’s another controversy. This time however, the controversy is between two of NCT 127′s members. Taeyong and JiHo were already making headlines on New Year’s day, but it seems like they are back in the spotlight yet again. So let’s quickly get into what has been happening in the last few weeks.

New Year Dating Rumour

If you haven’t heard yet (sorry our coverage hasn’t been the greatest) on the last day of 2021 and the following days Taeyong and JiHo found themselves in the middle of a dating rumour.

The rumour sparked when a photo was posted onto social media of the two NCT members. In the photo Taeyong can be seen giving JiHo a kiss on the top of her head while they hugged each other during the MBC new year concert. Not much later a short 6 second video surfaced showing Taeyong supposedly whispering something into JiHo’s ear while they were still embracing each other. Many netizens deemed the interaction to be very intimate and were quick to speculate that the two were dating.

Luckily SM came out quickly to deny the rumours and Taeyong even commented about it on his Bubble.

“JiHo is like my little sister. [She/We] had a rough year so [I] wanted to comfort her and tell her next year will be better. Please don’t misunderstand. Though I don’t think I should apologise for taking care and comforting my members. We are close.”

Netizens dropped the whole affair soon after the statements, yet some people seemed s bit troubled by the situation still. They wondered who took the pictures and speculated that it could be staff or even idols present during the event. Some people even mentioned the possibility of sasaeng fans taking the pictures. JiHo posted a short message about this on her Weibo account.

“Are we not going to talk about respecting one’s privacy?”

After the message and fans’ concern, SM stated that they would be investigating the situation and condemn any further sharing of the picture and videos.

With that the situation quickly calmed down, and everything was going fine until a few days ago.

JiHo’s Jealousy Or Taeyong’s Favouritism

This time it seems that things took a complete 180. From potential lovers to sworn rivals. Taeyong and JiHo cannot seem to catch a break.

In the past week Taeyong has been trending a lot for his choreography of his collaboration song ‘Zoo’ with other SM artists. Tons of fans and others have been covering the dance on various social media platforms and have been praising Taeyong for it.

A few days later though, a video of JiHo dancing to NCT 127′s ‘Earthquake’ got leaked. The choreography seems different from the final result, yet some parts made completely made the cut - some dance moves even get featured in other NCT songs like: NCT 127′s ‘Favorite’ and NCT U’s ‘Universe(Let’s Play Ball)’.

The video seemed to originate from early 2021, with a blurry date in the corner as well as the background being the old SM building.

It’s not the first time JiHo has choreographed for NCT (Save - NCT 127) so the majority does believe that JiHo made the choreography and inspiration was heavily taken from her piece to make the final choreography for ‘Earthquake’ as well as for other songs.

The reason why this sparked controversy between the two members was the message attached to the video by OP:

“Taeyong makes one choreography for NCT and everyone praises him for it, meanwhile JiHo has choreographed for a group she was no longer a part of at that point (TWO TIMES might I add) and everyone just shoves it under the rug. I think JiHo is a way better choreographer (and dancer) than Taeyong, but she never gets credit. Taeyong does one thing and SM goes kissing his feet because clearly he’s their favourite. I’m sure JiHo has choreographed and written a lot more than we are aware of for SM and NCT but she never gets credit. I hope Taeyong enjoys his minute of fame while JiHo has to silently sit back and have people watch her choreography without them knowing she made it.”

This comment caused quite the stir when many fans of Taeyong came to defend him saying that it wasn’t his fault that his choreography went viral. Some even went as far as badmouthing JiHo. Some speculate that the idol herself leaked her choreography to steal the attention Taeyong has been getting.

In response to the allegations JiHo posted a heated comment on Bubble.

“If I were to post my choreography now people would call me a copy cat. I don’t need anyone’s validation to know my choreography is good. Either way my choreography was only a first draft, I honestly didn’t even know they would use it. Like with ‘Save’, I had no clue it would actually be used...  [Taeyong] choreographed ‘Zoo’ with Bada Lee, of course it will be used. She’s one of our choreographers after all.”

JiHo’s message didn’t get received positively by the public. Many people pointed out how it seemed like in her message JiHo was saying “Taeyong need validation for his choreography” or that the only reason Taeyong’s choreography was used was because he choreographed with Bada Lee.

When Taeyong posted “Ahh~~ Let’s just enjoy dancing, hmm?” on his Instagram story, fans continued to believe there was actually something going on between the two members with many blaming JiHo for it.

A few hours later JiHo posted one more message, an apology, in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese on both Bubble and Weibo.

“I want to apologise for what I said earlier today. My tone and wording didn’t match what I actually wanted to convey. I was a bit upset that people accused me of leaking a video to steal attention away from Taeyong. I did not post that video. I was never jealous of his succes, in fact I was really proud of him and thankful that I could be apart of the team that performed ‘Zoo’.

When Taeyong’s fans were being put against my fans on the internet, me and Taeyong were actually on good terms and unaware of how serious the situation had gotten. My words were never pointed to Taeyong as I never felt any negative feelings towards him. When Taeyong read my message he wasn’t upset, but he did tell me that other people could misunderstand what I was trying to say.

In the end I made a mistake and wronged many NCTzens. Therefor I apologise. I also apologised to Taeyong in case I might’ve hurt his feelings, even though he told me he wasn’t hurt by my words. I also apologised to Bada Lee, she’s a choreographer I very much respect and my words might’ve portraited my feelings otherwise. I will be more careful to word my feelings better in the future so that such a misunderstanding won’t take place anymore.

- Lim Jiho”

In the end everything is all good between Taeyong and JiHo. It’s unfortunate that so much negative attention has been casted on these two and hopefully it doesn’t set the tone for how the rest of the year is going to go. But it does look like JiHo and the group’s sasaengs have been working hard already.

Here are some of the fans’ reactions:

What are your feelings on the whole situation? Let us now in the comments bellow or on our Twitter @KNewsToday

---

Side note: this was just a little “bonus post”, a writing will be up on Wednesday like usual ^^ 

[whiskeyswriting]

I posted 2,024 times in 2022

That's 2,015 more posts than 2021!

173 posts created (9%)

1,851 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@callsign-dragonbaron

@cycbaby

@youlightmeupfinn

@therebeccaw

@stargazing15

I tagged 435 of my posts in 2022

#top gun maverick - 102 posts

#mrsjaderogerswrites - 92 posts

#top gun - 84 posts

#whiskey talks crap - 54 posts

#tgm things - 45 posts

#oh it’s some mail 💌 - 43 posts

#mrsjaderogersanswers - 43 posts

#tgm - 41 posts

#callsign dragonbaron - 39 posts

#jake hangman seresin - 33 posts

Longest Tag: 86 characters

#this is the prime example of taking characters and throwing them into alternate worlds

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Maverick: I know you snuck out last night, Slider.

Whiskey: Play dumb!

Slider: Who's Slider?

Whiskey: NOT THAT DUMB!!!

~*~*~*~*

Slider: Come on, I wasn’t that drunk last night.

Iceman: You were flirting with Whiskey.

Slider: So what? They're my partner.

Iceman: You asked them if they were single.

Slider:

Iceman: And then you cried when they said they weren't.

~*~*~*~*

Whiskey: Bye Slider! Bye Iceman! Bye Maverick! Bye Goose! Bye Slider! Iceman: You said ‘bye Slider’ twice. Whiskey: I like Slider.

~*~*~*~*

Whiskey: Slider and I don’t use pet names. Wolfman: I see. Hey, what do bees make? Whiskey: Honey? Slider: Yes, dear? Whiskey: Wolfman: Don't ever lie to my face again.

~*~*~*~*

Goose: Here’s a fun Christmas idea. We hang mistletoe, but instead of kissing, you have to FIGHT whoever else is under it. Whiskey: Goose no. Slider: Mistlefoe. Whiskey: Please stop encouraging them.

~*~*~*~*

Goose: Whiskey isn’t answering their phone Slider: I’ll call Goose: Iceman and I have both tried six times each, what makes you thi- Whiskey: Hello?

~*~*~*~*

108 notes - Posted November 2, 2022

#4

Love Me Like You - Chapter 1: Breathe

Read Chapter 2: A Mess (Happy 4 U)

😍pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x F!Reader

💭summary: High school and college sweethearts. That’s what the two of you were. And that’s the keyword: were. What are you to do when you come face to face with the man that broke your heart three years ago?

⚠️warning: mentions of alcohol consumption

🎶 Song Inspiration 1: Breathe by Little Mix

🎶 Song Inspiration 2: A Mess (Happy 4 U) by Little Mix

🎶 Song Inspiration 3: Love Me Like You by Little Mix

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117 notes - Posted October 12, 2022

#3

How To Be A Heartbreaker: Rule 1

😍Pairing: Ron “Slider” Kerner x Reader

🎶Song Inspiration: How to Be a Heartbreaker by Marina

💭Summary: During your time in the Navy, you learned how to heal the hearts of the aviators, as well as yours. You also broke your fair share of them. Now you teach your favorite instructor’s granddaughter on how to be a heartbreaker.

⚠️warning: mentions of alcohol; Naval inaccuracies;

📝A/N: Goose is alive here! Reader’s call sign is Whiskey. Dividers by @firefly-graphics. Cover image and Slider banner created by yours truly (@mrsjaderogers) using Canva.

📝A/N2: This is a work of fiction. Please do not copy or post anywhere else. Feel free to like and reblog but do give credit. Any constructive criticism is appreciated. I do not own any of the photos included in this post. Photos used have been from Pinterest or Tumblr or Instagram. I also don’t own any of the characters mentioned.

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123 notes - Posted October 31, 2022

#2

What If I Missed You?

😍pairing: Beau “Cyclone” Simpson x F!Reader

💭summary: Can two people be lucky in life and have a second chance at love after their respective spouse passed?

⚠️warning: mentions of death and grief; age gap

🎶 Song Inspiration: What If I Missed You by Jesse McCartney

📝A/N #1: This is a work of fiction. Please do not copy or post anywhere else. Feel free to like and reblog but do give credit. Any constructive criticism is appreciated. I do not own any of the photos included in this post. Photos used have been from Pinterest or Tumblr or Instagram. I also don’t own any of the characters mentioned.

📝A/N #2: While no physical description is assigned to reader, she is in a band that does covers of musicals and other songs. Reader is between 29-34.

Read Part 2

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153 notes - Posted October 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Chaos Activated

📝 A/N: No prompt just word dump of hilarious chaos the Dagger Squad causes… Mainly the Chaotic Trio: Maverick, Rooster, and Whiskey (Reader’s Call Sign) Oh and Reader is Slider’s daughter…! Fic based on the comments of this post.

It was a miracle that Maverick and Rooster survived the mission despite the near death experiences. The both of them had to thank Hangman and you for saving them and getting them back to the ship.

What was more of a miracle was that Vice Admiral Cyclone did minimal shouting at Rooster for breaking orders and going after Maverick.

Now they were being taken to the infirmary to check and treat for any injuries. You don’t know why the doctors and nurses even bothered trying to separate the two.

Despite their rocky past, the two deeply cared about the other. You knew Uncle Mav did what he thought would be best for Rooster by pulling his papers. It was something you and your father never agreed with and expressed it to him.

Rooster was like a cousin to you and you knew he was just as stubborn as Mav. You couldn’t help but love the two to death. (Sometimes quite literally).

The weeks passed and you all found yourselves back at The Hard Deck. It didn’t matter how much you tried to behave, you knew, one way or another, Mav and Rooster would end up dragging you into their schemes.

“No! No! No way am I going to use my daddy’s name to get Cyclone to give us another three free days to play dogfight football,” you say.

“C’mon kid. You’re a Kerner. You’re Slider’s sunshine. He’ll move earth and planets to make the Navy listen to you,” Mav says.

“When did you turn into a poet?” You ask sarcastically.

Bradley throws an arm around your shoulder. “Princess. Whiskey… We all know Cyclone is sweet on you. Live up to your name Whiskey. Use those smooth words and seduce him.”

You can’t help but start laughing. “You do know I don’t have to seduce my own boyfriend?”

Penny comes over and refills your drinks. “I can already sense the chaos activating with you three.”

“I’m heading out to the beach to get away from these two troublemakers,” you say taking your drink with you.

Penny winks at them and at that moment the rest of the squad came out from hiding. “So is the plan set?”

Phoenix nods. “I’ll go keep her distracted for a moment but then Mav and Rooster come back into the mix while Yale and Fritz get Cyclone here.”

Fanboy starts setting up the camera to record the planned proposal.

But Penny knew. She already knew that whenever the three of you got together, nothing would ever go according to plan. She started closing out tabs and closing the bar early.

All of a sudden the aviators hear shouting and see Mav and Rooster running along the beach and you running after them yelling.

A group of college aged guys were following the three of you. It was then they realized that Mav and Rooster used you as bait to steal the guys’ football to start their own game.

Bob looks around a bit panicked. “Shouldn’t we stop them?”

You can feel uncle Goose and Ice just shaking their heads in disbelief. “I know… I know,” you mutter as you keep running after Mav and Rooster.

Penny finally rushes outside. “Did I miss anything? I closed off the bar. I didn't miss it right?”

Hangman hands her some popcorn (that mysteriously appeared) and a drink. “No you are just on time.”

Suddenly you feel yourself getting thrown over someone’s shoulders. You are about to start screaming, thinking it was one of the college guys. You then recognize the backside you’re looking down at. “Oh hey!” You give it a squeeze.

Maverick and Rooster stopped running and ended up explaining dogfight football to the college guys when they spotted you being carried by Cyclone. They shake their heads.

“As I live and breathe… I never thought I’d see Cyclone running at the beach?“

“Was that supposed to happen?” Bob asks looking around. “Did we all see the same thing?”

Phoenix wraps an arm around Bob’s shoulders. “Cyclones loves Whiskey too much to actually be mad at them. Mav and Roos on the other hand,” she says grimacing.

See the full post

155 notes - Posted October 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[beauty-and-passion]

What Eurovision 2021 taught us

1. That a nice, enjoyable show was possible (even if 4 presenters are still too much)

Of course nothing can beat Love Love Peace Peace (even if Ja Ja Ding Dong does its best), but this year's intermissions were very enjoyable.

We expected something flashy and over the top because hey, The Netherlands. Sex, drugs, gays and all that jazz.

But instead Covid surprised us. And then The Netherlands surprised us even more, by making a very enjoyable show, despite the restrictions. My personal favourites were:

The water intermission of the first semi-final. I loved the mixed feelings, how water is both scary and respected, for being such a powerful, unstoppable force.

The rooftop concerts during the final. Social distancing? Sure, no problem, let's make the past winners sing on top of some roofs all over Rotterdam. That was pure genius, I loved it so much.

On the other hand, the presenters were basically all useless. We could've had just two of them instead of four. But hey, at least they weren't as cringy as the three scary ukranians from 2017 or the useless four ladies from Portugal. The true highlights of the show were the intermissions, the guests and especially the songs themselves and this is perfectly good for me.

________________________

2. That we can live in a world without boring ass ballads

I’ve never been so proud of the Eurovision public, especially during the second semifinal: that evening was PACKED with ballads. Boring ballad after boring ballad, with just a couple more funny songs in between.

The ballads were all left behind. Even the two Amen. And I love the irony we chose El Diablo and the finnish band for the final, but no Amen. No saints allowed, only the norwegian angel. As it always should be.

And so we had the best final I've seen since I started following Eurovision in 2014. Catchy songs, dance songs, upbeat songs. And power ballads. Yes, ballads can still have a place, but only if they're good.

Because yes, Switzerland and France were good. Very good. Just not as good as the ones the public wanted.

________________________

3. That we want Eurovision, not Englishvision

Every year, the same message blasts from all Europeans: send a song in your native language. This show is supposed to make other people from Europe (and the rest of the world) to know more about your own country, to enjoy its rhythm and to listen to something we don't usually hear. So why waste this huge opportunity, to bring a generic song in English?

Because the English song wins. Because we all understand English, so English has more chances.

Flash news: GUESS WHO WON THIS YEAR. No, it’s not the generic English song.

The public has been crystal clear, the final poll is even clearer: the top five includes an italian song, an ukraine song, two french songs and only one english song. We want different styles and rhythms, we want to listen to Europe.

So I want to give my full thank you to:

Albania: amazing song, great voice, wonderful language. Do it again.

Serbia: these ladies are fantastic, their song is great and they sang it in their language so I love them

Switzerland: thank you for leaving English to the side to give us some good french

Spain: the song wasn't as good as Universo, but it was in sexy spanish, so thank you for using it almost every year

Danemark: the song was terrible, but it was in your language and this alone deserves everything

France: I know we all make fun of you for being France, but your language is perfect for songs, so thank you for always using it

Ukraine: take note, Ukraine, because Europe is madly in love with your language and your rhythm

Italy: our language is beautiful, so thank you for delivering every year

While my biggest biases go to:

Greece: a generic pop song with no balkan rhythm and no greek either? An absolute shame, greek should always be used for songs.

Russia: russian language is very��melodious and yes, we got something this year, but what about bringing a full russian song? We want it!

Germany: I may sound crazy, but I honestly think german language is good for songs. It's not like the mediterranean languages, but it still works. So please, do not be scared and show what you can do with it!

Scandinavian countries: why do you never want to bring your own language? Do it, don't be scared! Yes, Sweden, I'm talking with you: you still never tried to bring something in swedish, so do it.

________________________

4. That we don't want Americans to play with us

For reasons we still have to understand, Flo Rida was competing this year. And he was competing for San Marino, the smallest European country.

I'm pretty sure they took some time to explain to him what was going on, where he was, where San Marino is, wtf was happening, why there were sexy italians and ukranian witches and a norwegian angel and loads of beautiful women everywhere.

And I loved how we all send memes about this, about ahahah why is Flo Rida here, what if San Marino wins where would they host Eurovision, all while enjoying an actual catchy song.

And then, in the end, Flo Rida basically disappeared. Who remembers Flo Rida, when we got Ukraine, Italy, Finland, Iceland, and the UK? And Germany being wholesome? And the love story between Norway and Azerbaijan? We collectively forgot about him and I think it's very sexy from Europe to just say "nope" and push America away, even if for just one week.

And this isn't the first time: we basically showed Madonna in a corner in 2019, thanks to Mans, Eleni, Verka and Conchita. Once again, Europeans knows what they want: we don't want Americans. Australia can because they're like that little brother we took under our wing for no reason and now it's part of us. But not Americans.

The rest of the year is all yours, but one week is ours.

________________________

5. That we can lose like bosses

This year, the voting results have been absolutely insane and FOUR COUNTRIES got zero points from the public, while the UK got both zero points from the public AND the jury.

Don't get me wrong, the song was bad. And yes, Brexit played a role in this. And yes, hating England is Europe’s favourite sport.

But can we please all take a moment and appreciate how James Newman reacted? The public gave him a round of applause and he celebrated this achievement like a boss.

And he had all the reasons! He achieved something incredible, he unlocked something that this new voting system was supposed to never lead to. But he did it. So hats off to you, my boy: My Last Breath was better.

Germany is also used to the bottom of the chart, but this year I really thought Jendrik could have a chance to achieve a higher position. The song was funny, carefree, lively, the hand costume was the kind of trash we need and the message was nice as well. But he still got 3 points.

Despite that, Jendrik celebrated like a maniac and seeing his this happy made me happy as well. I really wish him the best.

________________________

6. That FUCK YOU JURY

Again, same message every year: the jury vote should be eliminated. It's a fucking farce and their votes have nothing to do with what the public want.

The jury focuses on the voices, except when they don't, and clearly giving points to your neighbours is because you like the song, not because they're your neighbours.

I usually make fun of Greece and Cyprus showing eternal love to each other, by giving 12 points to each other every year, but this time, it sounded even more stupid than usual. It really looked like a farce. Why should we see this farce? Why can't we just choose what the public wants? So at least we would blame ourselves for our shitty musical tastes.

Even if I'm pretty sure we all have great musical tastes. Let's not forget that in 2019 the public's winner was Norway, with a song that mixed english, a catchy rhythm and an amazing part in yoik language. Arcade is good as well, but we cannot deny the norwegian entry was a lot more interesting.

And this year, the public's taste was flawless:

Look at this beauty: italian glam rock, ukranian techno folk, french powerful ballad, finnish hard rock and whatever that thing was with Iceland.

There's variety, there's everything for everyone. And there are native languages. Italian, Ukranian, and French on top three, followed by English.

Moral of the story: the public is great and the jury should be abolished forever.

________________________

7. That Ukranian technofolk is all we needed in our lives

I didn’t see enough love for Go_A, so as italian, I think it's my sworn duty to give my appreciation to them and their amazing entry, because this band is awesome and Shum is currently on top of the Spotify top 50 - as it should be, because everyone should listen to it and join this slavic rave party.

I already liked their entry for 2020, Solovey. But I also liked My Last Breath from the UK and Universo from Spain. And this year they brought two of the worst songs. So I was very wary of Go_A.

But Shum is an absolute blast. Katerina Pavlenko's voice is unique and the song is even more, because based on ukranian folklore and traditional dances to summon the spirit of spring. They managed to teach something to all Europe in a three minute song and I think that’s incredibly sexy of them.

And so, I searched for other songs and OMG, I don’t know how it’s possible, but they are all great. Rano-Ranenko, Zhalmenina, Tanula, they all are perfect and I’m in love with this band.

And if all of this is not enough, THEY DID A COVER OF DANCING LASHA TUMBAI. The most iconic Eurovision song, sang by our god Verka. And this is the coolest, most badass cover ever in the whole universe. Please listen to it HERE everyone needs to hear this.

So thank you, Ukraine, for giving us Go_A. We all had a small empty place in our hearts and this place has ben perfectly filled by them.

And yif you think you don’t need ukranian technofolk, is only because you still haven’t listened to it. Please listen and enjoy Shum. You’re welcome.

________________________

8. That rock and roll never dies (and Italy’s well deserved victory)

The last time Italy won was in 19-fucking-90. 31 years ago. I was just born.

And now, they finally won again. And what a song! Despite being italian, I've never listened to Maneskin before, but oh damn, this song is good. Not all their songs are, but this one is. And also Morirò da re.

Their show was perfect as well. This post is really eye-opening about how well they put on their show. The use of the stage, the movements, everything has been part of a great performance, even their clothes. Damiano's voice never faltered, despite having an entire continent watching him. They handled the stage like bosses, despite being only in their twenties. And they gave us some good fucking rock.

And so the public said a loud "FUCK YOU" to the jury and chose its winners. The sassy, sexy italians.

And yes, I know that there has been a lot of petty polemics because those youngsters are having drugs!1!! as if they were a bunch of idiots who used drugs on international TV, with their manager sitting next to them.

Of course it was a pointless accusation and honestly I don't care if some people are sore losers. The drug results were negative anyway, what a shocker.

What we should truly think about is how strong the Maneskin's bladders are, because they spent the whole evening of the final drinking the entire alcohol supply of the Eurovision and, at the end, they were still happy and cool. Hats off to you, you sexy people.

This man is just iconic, why did I miss him before.

Also, have some more Maneskin. You know, as a treat.

________________________

9. That solidarity and wholesomeness are the biggest winners

It's just beautiful to see these nice people, from all over Europe, bonding, having fun, taking photos together and being friends.

The true winner of this, is probably Norway: Tix wanted to have a good time and he had a good time. The video of him vibing with Ukraine and Germany while listening Hard Rock Hallelujah is the best (HERE). His love story with Efendi from Azerbaijan is even better (please, check the video on his youtube channel, it's hilarious). I don't like his song, but he's a great guy and deserves everything.

The italian and finnish rock relationship is also great. Maneskin and Dark Sides found each other, considering they were the only two rock bands in the competition, so mutual appreciation was inevitable.

But Damiano is also a man of culture and he appreciates Ukraine's entry. And Ukraine appreciates both Finland and Italy. Is this what world peace looks like? Because I love it.

________________________

10. That Italians will be Europe's clowns again (and you're all allowed to make fun of us)

Beware, Europe: we Italians are messy and chaotic, our presenters don’t know a single word in English, we are homoerotic AND homophobic at the same time, our musical competitions are so fucking sloooow... let’s say next year’s Eurovision is going to be interesting.

And yes, you’re allowed to make fun of us. We don’t care, we won, so we deserve to be Europe’s clowns once again.

And I don’t know who the presenters will be (my bets are on everyone’s favourites: Fiorello, Amadeus and Malgioglio), I don’t know how we will ridicule ourselves once again, I don’t know where will we find the money to put on the show, I don’t know how ungodly long it will be... but I know that Mans Zelmerlow will be part of it. This man loves Eurovision just like all of us, so I can already see him packing his suitcase and planning his flight to Italy. Come to us, Mans, we will wait for you. We actually need an English presenter, so if you have nothing else to do...

[johannesviii]

A friend wanted my Bad Opinions(tm) so here they are in full detail (my faves are bolded but you already know who I’m rooting for because I’m an old emo idiot who saw The Rasmus and immediately stopped thinking)

Albania has some interesting sounds on that bridge

Armenia is super cute & I like the vibe it's a very good vibe

interesting choice of costume for Australia I gotta say but the song is fairly boring

Austria really wants to be Physical by Dua Lipa and I just said that as if it was a bad thing didn't I

Azerbaijan sent some eurovisioncore which is how I decided to name everything that sounds like that ever since Duncan Lawrence won

Belgium sorry I don't really like those elongated vowels the whole song sounds weirdly unsteady

Bulgaria sent dad rock & I'm not into it

I keep forgetting Croatia's song exists

Cyprus keeps sending bangers for some reason and I'm ok with that

Czech Republic has an excellent beat but the voice isn't quite there yet

god I hate Denmark's song

the fact Estonia sent a western-inspired song is funny to me for some reason

Finland is- JEZEBEEEEEEEEEL IF YOU'RE THE HUNTER THEN I'M THE PREYYYYYYYY YOU LICK YOUR LIPS AS YOU WALK AWAYYYYYYYYYY

France why have you sent something good and interesting. how am I supposed to trashtalk my own country now. look what you did

godddd I can't stand that song from Georgia

Germany isn't nearly as bad as the one from last year but it's also more forgettable

Greece sent eurovisioncore but with a *bit* of a pulse that's something

Iceland sent something fairly boring but it's okay I mean I've been rooting for them in my top 5 for like 3 years in a row I can use a break

Ireland sent something very catchy but also a bit forgettable idk how that works really

Israel you really should stop sending bangers please can you rest for 1 year

I'd say Italy is eurovisioncore but 1) they are hosting so who the hell cares they can do what they want after last year 2) it's Mahmood and Mahmood always gets a thumbs up from me

Latvia is shaping up to be this year's "I don't feel hate" from Germany 2021

idk if anything bores me more than Lithuania this year

yet another inspirational song from Malta

I have no idea what Moldova is doing but I fully respect it nonetheless

I keep forgetting Montenegro's song too

Netherlands shouldn't be that boring

basically same for North Macedonia

Listen. Norway. I have exactly NO IDEA what's going on here too but I'm just gonna roll with it

Poland is more eurovisioncore. yawn

after all these years and 1 victory Portugal is still doing its thing and utterly refusing to sound catchy and I fully respect that. Very dreamy

Romania's song sure is a song that exists isn't it

I'm sorry but look at San Marino. Listen to these lyrics. Look at this man. Look at the confidence. The fucking hip tilt. Gender envy through the fucking roof I have no choice but to stan

Serbia is honestly objectively amazing and I really WISH I had better taste to appreciate it more

Slovenia exists

Spain irritates me for some reason I can't pinpoint

Sweden gotta Sweden

fuck you Switzerland for doing a reverse card on the title of a Cure song that's all I have to say

Ukraine's song has NOTHING on last year's banger which was my favorite by a small margin but I gotta say their drip is impeccable

apparently UK has learned exactly nothing from the past 3 years

[oilivia]

dating the Haikyuu boys as.. zodiac sign stereotypes

a/n: it seems this year i’m all for trying new things and making weird banners. i’m honestly not sure if anyone else did it before, i tried looking it up but i haven’t seen any posts.

this is pure fluff and a bit of crack, headcanons of some of the Haikyuu boys as their respective zodiac sign based solely on my experience with said signs and their personalities. 

don’t take this too seriously please! but if you want to come for my head, my asks are open.

Characters: Yuuji Terushima, Satori Tendou, Koushi Sugawara, Tooru Oikawa,  Wakatoshi Ushijima, Koutarou Bokuto, Atsumu Miya, Tetsurou Kuroo, Keiji Akaashi, Tobio Kageyama, Rintarou Suna, Kiyoomi Sakusa

CW: fluff, some crack, mentions of kissing and sex (but nothing explicit), PDA, sun sign stereotypes, my own interpretation

Wording: 1.3k

♡ Aries - Yuuji Terushima

spontaneous dates. 3 am “u up?” calls. play fighting. running naked on the beach at midnight. 

“Be ready in 10, we’re going on a picnic.” You take a look at the clock, Saturday, 2:14am. He’s there in 7 minutes, not 10, grinning as he watches you sneak out of the house. “I brought pancakes” he announces as he takes your hand and pulls you into a kiss. An hour and a short climb later, you’re lying in the grass at the top of a hill, watching the way the stars dance above your heads.

♡ Taurus - Satori Tendou

leaving you the last bite. netflix & chill. massages. sleeping in on the weekend. fine chocolate and good wine.

The delicious smell of your favorite food fills your nostrils. The room is dark aside from the candlelight, an open bottle of wine resting on the table. “I thought I’d do something special for you, I know you had a long week.” You giggle - any excuse for Tendou to treat you like a princess. Was that a chocolate cake on the counter? You hummed with appreciation when you felt his lips place a sweet kiss on your cheek.

♡ Gemini - Koushi Sugawara

driving around town. making out for hours. late night chats. singing at the top of your lungs. sexting 

“Can I open the window?” you ask with an innocent smile. He chuckles “Can I stop you?” You roll it down, your head poking out. The cold air of the night hits your face as you sing at the top of your lungs. Your eyes are fixed on Suga’s, ear to ear grin on your faces. You mess up the lyrics, throwing you both into a fit of laughter. “You’re so pretty” he says as he ruffles your hair when you get back in your seat. 

♡ Cancer - Tooru Oikawa

stargazing. breakfast in bed. saying “i love you” too soon. taking care of you when you’re sick. cupping your cheeks as he kisses your nose.

“What’s so amusing?” you question, raising an eyebrow. “You just look so cute when you’re angry.” You scoff, turning your head to hide your smile. It was just like him to say something stupid and then tease you when you got angry. He knew you couldn’t stay mad at him, not when he made that pouty face “Buy me another ice-cream if you want me to forgive you for dropping this one, Tooru.” “Anything for you, sweetness!” 

♡ Leo - Wakatoshi Ushijima

fancy restaurant dates. surprise gifts. compliments. weekend trips. taking pictures to remember your smile.

“What are you hiding?” you smirk, your hands reaching for the small box Ushijima holds behind his back. Your eyes widen when you open it “How did you know?” “I noticed you looking at it when we went out. Let me see how it looks on you.” He takes the necklace, fingers gently brushing against your soft skin as he clasps the necklace around your neck. “You look perfect,” he states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

♡ Virgo - Koutarou Bokuto

laughing until you cry. good morning kisses. cooking together. picking you up and throwing you on his shoulder. 

You let out a startled cry when you felt a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist and lift you up “Gotcha!” he laughs in your ear as he holds you tight, even as you struggle to escape “Kou, put me down” you demand, your tone amused - you were used to his antics. “Only if you give me a kiss first, I haven’t seen you in forever” he pleads as he turns you around “If by forever you mean this morning.” He bends down, eyes to your level, as he waits for you to close the gap and kiss him.

♡ Libra - Atsumu Miya 

flirting and teasing. making out in the club. playful pranks. dancing in the living room.

Not even the nights when you wouldn’t go out were boring, not with Atsumu. You sit on the couch as he watches a volleyball game, your eyes glued to a book. He changes the channel and hears your favorite song play. He grabs your hand “Dance with me,” he’s smiling, a wicked glint in his eyes. Could you refuse? You get up, your feet carrying you across the living room floor as you dance. Soft kisses find your lips whenever you giggle.

♡ Scorpio - Tetsurou Kuroo

passionate kisses. falling in love with your eyes. finishing each other’s sentences. fight and makeup. watching the sunset.

“Move faster, old man, we only have 15 minutes left till the sun sets” you tease with a grin. He sighs audibly, feigning an exasperated look “Carry this old man to the top if you’re so enthusiastic!” “I’ll leave you here then, Tetsu-” you squint your eyes before you start trekking again. He’ll catch up eventually, he couldn’t be that tired. “Hmm, if that’s how you want to play” you hear him snicker “Last one to the top carries the backpacks!” he exclaims as he starts running, almost passing you before you join in.

♡ Sagittarius - Keiji Akaashi

playing devil’s advocate. forehead kisses. talking about the universe. dancing in the rain. exploring each other’s hobbies.

Your fingers brush as you reach for the same book. “Please, go ahead” Akaashi says, soft smile dancing on his lips. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly” you reply in an excessively polite tone. You gasp, feigning outrage when you see him take the book from the shelf. “It’s for you, miss” he hands you the volume as he plants a kiss on your forehead, only to pull it away from your grasp with a chuckle. “But I think you can wait a bit more, let me buy it for you, love” he takes your hand, heading for the front of the bookstore. Leave it to Akaashi to make you fall for him all over again.

♡ Capricorn - Tobio Kageyama

power couple. expensive gifts. dark humor. overseas trips. playing with your hair. inner wrist kisses

“You look breathtaking!” Kageyama compliments you when he sees you dressed for the party. “I will need to keep an eye on you, don’t want anyone to steal you away.” “As if anyone could,” you smile when you see him drink in your image, his eyes scanning you head to toe. “But we should get going, unless you want us to be late” “Let them wait, I want to admire my princess”. You feel your skin getting hotter at his words. Maybe you could be late this one time.

♡ Aquarius - Rintarou Suna

blasting music. buying snacks in the middle of the night. foreign movies. aesthetic pictures. witty comebacks. 

You stopped running, hand on your stomach as you laughed, struggling to catch your breath. “Rin, wait” you shout, prompting Suna to turn back and look at you. “What? Can you still run? The store will close in like 4 minutes. Want me to go ahead?” You start laughing harder at his confused expression, watching his brows furrow deeper. “I forgot the store’s open 24/7 now, they changed it last week.” “Are you trying to tell me we sprinted for no reason?” “Bonding experience?” He starts chuckling as well, pulling you into a kiss “Bonding experience.”

♡ Pisces - Kiyoomi Sakusa

roasting each other. falling in love at first sight. neck kisses. midnight strolls. showering together. doing your skincare together.

You feel your body shift and you open your eyes, only to realize Sakusa is carrying you. “You fell asleep on the couch, I’m taking you to bed,” he whispers as if afraid he’d shake the sleepiness from your eyes. “But I haven’t taken off my make-up, Omi” you mutter as you wrap your arms around his neck lovingly. “I’ll take it off for you after I tuck you in, I know how you do it,” he presses a kiss on your forehead as you nuzzle your head against his neck. “I love you so much, Omi” “I love you too”

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