#only discovered them recently but... they have so many bangers omg...

[milkbreadtoast]

Remade my braid tutorial (in video format) :) Hope it helps!!! life's too short to stress abt drawing braids when it's this ridiculously easy💆🏻

[hyuck-xix]

EXO!!!

(for the kpop asks in case that wasn't clear)

Hello! Thanks for asking about EXO! I feel like I don't talk much about them on my blog but I love them ^_^ Actually, in terms of music, EXO is my favorite k-pop group by far.

✦ my first bias: Baekhyun. It was actually kind of funny, I discovered Chen first but through his solo music so I didn't even know he was part of EXO, but I loved his music. And then Baekhyun's Bambi came out (if this gives you a timeline for when I got into k-pop lol) and I was like 'woah who's this guy??' and then I remember watching the music video for SuperM's 'One' for the first time and it got to Baekhyun's first line and I had some kind of visceral response, like 'oh my god okay now I know what a bias is and this is it'. Like love at first sight haha. Idk, I was instantly obsessed with him. But I didn't know he was the same guy from Bambi! But once I figured out who he was, I instantly became an EXO fan.

✦ my current bias(es): Still Baekhyun :) But recently... Kyungsoo's really been wrecking me!!!There's something about him... I'm a little in love with Kyungsoo these days lol <3

✦ my album and/or era ranking (or favorite of each): I'm just going to do their full-length albums for the sake of simplicity!

Don't Mess Up My Tempo: This album is perfect in my eyes. I loveeeee the styling in the tempo mv (Jongin's striped crop top! Baekhyun's highlights! Minseok's spiky hair!), and the music video and song in general. it's one of those songs that just puts a smile on my face whenever i listen to it. But the best part of DMUMT is the rest of the tracklist. Gravity, 24/7, Bad Dream, literally every song on this album is top-tier.

Exodus: There's something about Exodus that has me completely charmed. The Pathcode teasers were maybe the biggest slay in all of k-pop teasers ever. Nothing has ever topped that in my eyes. And the songs Exodus and Playboy are some of my favorites ever. They both have this kind of playful jazzy thing going on? I'm really bad at describing music genres but they feel like special songs to me. And not to mention Call! Me! Baby!! omg!! She's such an icon and a feel-good song!! And the choreography is so fun! Also: Baekhyun's ad-lib at the end ( where he goes 'woo! baby!')-- it's at 3:13 in the mv and he makes the CHEESIEST face it makes me smile SO BIG and i think about it at least once a week lolll. I mean actually just watch Baekhyun at any point in that mv, because he was FEELING IT, he was giving it his ALL!!!

Obsession: The title track Obsession was actually my obsession for a longggg time. I can still listen to it on repeat for hours at a time. There was also a period of time where I'd watch the music video multiple times a day every day... yeah. But also the album as a whole has the same feeling for me as DMUMT. All the songs hold their own. A problem I have with a lot of NCT's discography is that a solid fraction of their b-sides in every album feel like filler songs. But this album was clearly written and produced with love and care. Every song. Every song is great. Where most k-pop groups' 'cutesy' songs are cringey at worst and bland at best, EXO somehow is able to access the heart of a fun or cute song and give it something fresh and sincere and...important somehow. Non Stop, Day after Day, and Butterfly Effect on this album are like that for me. Not to mention the absolute masterpiece bangers that are Groove and Ya Ya Ya and Baby You Are and woah if I mention any other songs I will have literally mentioned the whole tracklist!! Bruh EXO really is that good.

Ex'act: Monster is arguably *the* classic EXO title track. The chorus still gives me chills. But even though I love many of the songs in this album/repackage (Monster, She's Dreaming, Cloud 9, One and Only, White Noise) it just doesn't feel quite as special to me. EXO sets the bar really, really high.

XOXO: A little unpolished, sure, but XOXO is such an iconic album. Wolf... i know no one else likes it but the live remix!! The live remix!!!! Literally makes me want to cry every time I listen to it, it's so beautiful. That's all I'm going to say about that. Baby Don't Cry is also a gem. Heart Attack was way ahead of its time in my opinion. My Lady makes me feel nostalgic somehow, even though I never listened to it when I was young. It just makes me feel that bittersweet emotional feeling. And I unironically love Let Out The Beast lolll. I think I put this album relatively low on the list just because some of the songs sound pretty dated now--they remind me of something One Direction would put out (looking at you, 365. like actually i'd be surprised if that song wasn't originally written for 1D, it's uncanny).

The War: Okay this is the hottest take EVER because almost every EXO fan I know holds The War as their favorite album. But... oh god, I just don't like it one bit. There's only one song I genuinely love on that album and it's Boomerang, which isn't even from The War itself but from the repackage -_- I also sometimes enjoy Touch It? But I think the amount of annoyance The Eve, Ko Ko Bop, Forever, Diamond, and Chill give me... I mean they're still not terrible songs. But there's something about the production of them that bothers me? Often the instrumentation feels like it's competing with the heart of the song, like trying to be interesting at the expense of the song sounding cohesive and it just comes across as grating to me... yeah. And the vibe of the album is such a departure from EXO's established aesthetic and musical identity that it makes me question why they did it at all.

✦ how i got into them: I kind of told this story up above for the bias question, but I guess I'll talk about some of the first EXO songs I fell in love with. Obsession was one of them. Also Gravity, specifically this live performance of it--I remember actually screaming when Baekhyun opened the chorus lmao. It's interesting, because EXO's always mostly been about the music for me. Even though I've considered myself an EXO-L for almost two years now, I've never really watched a lot of reality/behind the scenes content for them. But I know their entire discography like the back of my hand, including every member's solo albums...

✦ which member would be my best friend: As I mentioned above, I don't really know the members as people as well as I'd like to. So answering this question is tricky. Probably Kyungsoo firstly. I get the impression he feels a little uncomfortable with the fame side of being an idol, and something about that really resonates with me. All through college instead of participating in school events or clubs I just find neighborhoods or woods as far away from campus as possible so i can escape from it all for a bit, and just simply exist and observe the natural world. It's hard to find other people who feel that way. I think I'd also love to be friends with Minseok and Jongin (i'm just choosing the shy line of EXO aren't I lol... but I get along best with fellow shy people, and they seem really genuine and sweet).

✦ something i associate with them (or with a bias/any member): coffee--even just the smell, flying in an airplane at night when they turn off the lights in the cabin, wool peacoats, frost on windows, the feeling of homesickness, planetariums, black Moleskine journals with grid pages.

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Well, I didn't think it would be possible to write more than I did on my NCT 127 one, but here we are! lol. Sorry!

📥 send me a kpop group & i'll answer

[babybemyweekend]

you're naming old groups i used to casually listen to back in like 2013ish. BAP, BIGBANG (t.o.p supremacy. him in fantastic baby is *chefs kiss*) amber was the goat of f(x) Block B had some bangers. shout out nillili mambo 🙏🏽🙏🏽 boyfriend, b1a4 and 2ne1 also on the list of old but gold.

as for like bias line.

nct (127) taeil (ult bias), jungwoo, jaehyun and haechan (the og)

dream - haechan, renjun, chenle

wayv - kun, hendery, xiaojun

skz - aussie line, seungmin. and maybe changbin and han

red velvet - seulgi (tbh shes the only one i know by name and face. my queen)

exo - baekhyun (god tier bias no one compares), kai, xiumin

shinee - taemin (also ult bias) onew is hot tho

superm - obviously baekhyun, kai and taemin.

im still venturing out into the world of kpop tho. so im sure there's more to come lmao

I forgot about boyfriend, 2ne1, and b1a4!!!

Yeeessssssss!!! You are so right for all of these

Your NCT list omg im glad im not alone in not having just one bias lol

I think if I actually listed NCT it would be Taeil, Jaehyun, Mark, Taeyong, Yuta, Haechan, Kun, Ten, Xiaojun, Renjun and Yangyang!

I love love aussie line so much!! They're hilarious! Honestly everyone in skz makes me smile tho

The way i didn't even think about superm... 😅 although I don't think I could pick one in that group at all. They're all sooo good. Truly just a group of the hottest and most talented tbh but

Baekhyun was like thiiiiiiiis close to being my bias in Exo back in the day. (It was really just down to chanyeol having that silver hair when i discovered them 😂😂 Suho started as my sister and cousin making a joke and then he just recently grew on me for real lmao) I love him so much! And I was really excited when I came back to kpop and found out his solo music is so so good!

Taemin!!!! Onew has always been my fave in Shinee but Taemin's solo stuff has me so hooked. The music is everything. The visuals are everything. Hes truly iconic. And Kai's dancing and solo music are sooo good too. He was my sister's fave! :)

There are so many good groups out there and so little time I feel like 😂😂😂 it's hard not to get into more and more!

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

KPOP SONGS! Part 2/?

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

PT.1

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

Also write me if you wanna chat about it :D 

ZUTTER - GD & T.O.P:

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

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

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

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

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

…..ZUTTER!

THE BADDEST FEMALE - CL:

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

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

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

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

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

Perfect to practice bitch drops and feel yourself to

Burning Up (Fire) - BTS:

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

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

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

The MV is also really cool

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

Growl - EXO: 

Okay, so I sometimes forget about this song haha

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

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

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

Quite an early song too

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

Instantly recognisable and also a kpop classic I would say

GOOD BOY - GD & Taeyang: 

 Is this a kink? This is a kink right?

An awesome song i have bopped to a million times

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

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

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

God I just love them and miss them so much

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh my god! 

BOOMBAYAH - BLACKPINK:

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

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

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

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

OPPA!

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

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

Fantastic Baby - BIGBANG:

Nananananananana wow, fantastic baby!

Well well well if it isn’t history right there

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

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

Boomshakalaka! 

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

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

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

Ice cream cake - Red Velvet:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sherlock (Clue + Note) - SHINee:

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

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

„SHINees back….“

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breaking News - SHINee:

 And my struggle with japanese songs continues haha

„Come on break down the walls!“

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

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

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

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

Ring Ding Dong - SHINee:

 Yeah, i doubt you don’t know this one

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

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

This song and dance is Legendary!

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

The MV is kinda dramatic for this song lol

Good to listen to, has a nice beat and melody

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

„Ringdingdongringdindongringdigidingdigiding“

SHAKE THAT BRASS - AMBER (feat. Taeyon):

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

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

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

Amber is rapping and being the goofball she is ;)

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

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

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

 Lucifer - SHINee:

 I LOVE this song! OMG!

The MV is kinda uneventful but the DANCE PRACTICE!

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

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

Edgy™️

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

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

It all just fits so perfectly

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

Hero - MONSTA X:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[thotyssey]

On Point With: Robyn Banks

A drag performer, recording artist and truly independent spirit, New York-born Robyn Banks is a queen who plays by her own rules. A lover of performing, she’s someone we’re going to be seeing--and hearing--for some time to come!

Thotyssey: Robyn, hello! Thanks for talking to us! So, DragCon has come and gone... did you partake?

Robyn Banks: Yasss! I went for Day Two as well as Day Three. Day Two was AMAZING! I also was there with Drag Queen Story Hour, so that made it even more special.

You’re a Story Hour queen?

Yes. I just actually had my one year anniversary with them.

Congratulations! They've done great work with exposing kids to both gender fluidity and literacy. Isn't it great to do important things as a queen besides just entertaining folks in bars all the time?

I really enjoy it. It’s one of those things where you really get to see how smart children are. Every time I do a reading, I am just either amazed or super emotional. I actually enjoy when I have a reading, and then a bar gig in the same day.

We have some bar gigs to talk about! But first, let's get the background on you! Where are you from, and what were you like as a kid?

I was born and raised in Harlem, New York. As a child, I was always very outgoing. I wanted to be on TV so bad, so I would do and say things from shows such a Buffy, Saved by the Bell, Charmed, etc. 

I had a really good childhood. I hated being active, though... the thought of hurting myself was the scariest thing ever. So I never rough-played with the boys--always played Double Dutch or hopscotch with the girls. 

My teenage years, I went to Harvey Milk High School, which at the time was an all-gay high school (now it’s an alternative school). I discovered drag there, and was always in the halls filming things with my flip cam. I graduated school president. Then I went to college for early childhood education. So, working with children is something I’ve always wanted to do!

Were you always musical?

Yes. So my mom plays a ton of instruments, and my dad is still a DJ. My mom taught me the beauty of hearing music, and taking a song apart and just hearing everything about a song individually. I was obsessed with Mad TV, and I loved when they did music video parodies. And I wanted to do just that. I was always funny. And I was always able to make up a random song on the spot!

How exactly did drag come into your life?

When I was in high school, I was asked by a dance teacher to fill in for a Tina Turner number... and I was handed a wig and a black dress! After the show, I was told how I had really nice legs (something i had been told my whole life). I was then told that I should do drag, but I had no idea what it really was yet. 

The school was having its first “Miss Stars Pageant,” and my friends all said I should do it. I figured, hey, I love to dance and act a fool, but over all just entertain, so why not? I did a number. My friends backup danced for me. We had to incorporate a safer sex message into it, so I made a evening gown out of condoms and I won!

I saw you also recently wore a gown adorned with MetroCards... do you often use found or used objects to make your looks?

Actually, no. I just try to go big for big events. The MetroCard gown was something I wanted for the first DragCon, but I knew the cards wouldn’t fly well since DragCon was in LA. I saved all those MetroCards for three years. I try to think outside the box and use interesting things to make a big statements. I have no idea what I’m doing next year!

I’m sure it’ll be extraordinary! So, there are a few other Robyn Bankses out there...  have you had to duke it out with any of them yet?

No, they don’t want it! Just kidding. No, I’ve never met one. But I was recently at a bar and met a queen, and she’s like “Damn, you came all the way out here from Colorado?” And I’m like, “No, I live in Harlem.” I then looked up that Robyn Banks, and it was an older white woman! And I was asked by a person if I used to be a stripper. Googled her, and it was a big booty African American woman named Robyn Banks that was a stripper! God I wish I had her body!

It only takes a few pillows! Were you / are you a regular of the weekly competitions like Star Search, Drag Wars and Look Queen?

I was introduced by Vitani to Drag Wars about two years ago, and that year I was there faithfully. And then I was there about two weeks ago, and it has changed a lot. And I love that there’s just so many new faces! I’ve never done Star Search, and I did Look Queen back in June and won. So that was fun.

I love those compilations, but I don’t know... I realize I just enjoy performing, acting a fool, just being me. There’s so much pressure when it comes competitions. But there are a few thoughts in my head about possibly doing a few next year!

So you are actually part of NYC drag history... you were the last queen hired to host a weekly show at Boots & Saddle Drag Lounge! 

OMG, yes! I was.

You had a weekend happy hour show for the last few months of that bar’s existence. What was that whole experience like for you?

It was amazing. Honestly, it was also a lot of work. I give it to the girls who have more then one weekly show. That was my very first one. The first month, I was so confident... like,”I got this, I can do it.” But to entertain for two hours... it was a lot. I was used to just doing a 3-5 minute song. I learned a lot from doing that, and I’m forever grateful to Robert for giving me that chance, and to DJ T-Boy  for really guiding me through the first month.

You’ve said that doing that show helped you fund the making of your album Jawbreaker. When did you start writing those songs?

I started writing for the album mid-2016. I went to film a show which was then canceled, and then I went through a breakup after being in my first adult relationship. So then I took a break, and in 2017 started writing. But it was super depressing, and my producer was like, “Nah you can have one song on there like that, but you gotta use that fuel to write bangers.” So we scrapped all 7 songs and started over. Doing the show and starting to be In the drag world helped me see what people were dancing to and enjoying. Originally, I wanted to call Jawbreaker “La Discotek,” but there wasn’t enough dancie songs on it.

What was this canceled show you were involved in?

It was a reality show for MTV called Last Square Standing we made back in March of 2016. And then when we got back a week later they canceled it, only to revise it. It had one season, and then it was canceled officially. That was, like, the third show I had that was canceled!

Wait, third!?

Yeah, I did a MTV show in high school called Dissed. They showed the first three episodes, and then it was canceled! But they sent it to me on DVD.

Wow, MTV sucks!

Yeah, lol! I really want Big Brother. I auditioned for it three times--once in drag, before Courtney did for Big Brother UK. So, we’ll see!

Do you have a favorite track from Jawbreaker?

Oh, God! Well, I honestly love “Karma,” cuz it was something I wrote about my ex. I had told my producer the story [behind the song]. and he said it needed to be a trap song. I had never done trap music, so “Karma” is also the song that I struggled with the most out of my whole discography. But I love it even more that Lola Michele-Kiki is on the remix!

That’s going to be available soon... the remix track with Lola and its video.

Yes, we shot the video along with a ton of other NYC drags back in August and September. I’m just waiting for iTunes and a few other [downloading platforms] to approve the single (or maxi-single) to finally give it a release day! Meanwhile, I’m hoping for a GLAM this year for my single “Back It Up,” and then go for another with the "Karma” video!

What was the most surprising thing for you about the recording process?

How good I sound. Let tell you something: producers are the way of the world. When I recorded this album, I didn’t want it to seem like I was another drag doing music. I did music as a boy under “Manny Montag,” so I was excited when I record my first album Robyn cuz I got to do music, parodies and drag. If I played you the demo I got for “Karma,”you would be like, whoah! That why I’m also a fan of a capella, cuz it’s just amazing what a producer can do with your vocals. Just ask Lola, lol!

Werk! Any ideas for future recordings?

I originally wanted to extend Jawbreaker into a deluxe, but I’m just now really getting into dance music. Plus, I enjoyed working with all the NYC girls during the video shoot, that it’s given me an idea. I stared working on new stuff. I felt like Jawbreaker was an intro into who Robyn Banks is. But the next album...  she did not come to play! I will tell you that the name of the next project is Drag Mafia.

So, onto a serious topic for a moment... we’re in the middle of a shitstorm right now with The Manhattan Monster Bar dealing with outraged pushback from the nightlife community after some racist policies of management have been exposed (specifically, the general manager made a comment in a text about how the black dancers featured in an event poster should be replaced with “beautiful” ones in order to minimize black patrons). What are your thoughts about all of this? How should the Monster make this right, if that is even possible at this point?

Well, I pride myself in belong a black drag queen. And I am always excited to see my black sisters of color doing the damn thing. So first, shout out to Honey for exposing them. But also, shout out to Zarria for getting that spot at the new Boxers. I feel like this: there aren’t enough black drags out here that are really booming, and really making that stand. 

Don’t get me wrong... I’m in love with all different types of people--age, skin color, types of drag. However, there needs to be more of us having a shit ton of shows per week. I’ve been begging a certain bar owner for two years for my own one night, and all I get is “we’re booked...” But there’s a ton of new girls who ask, and BOOM they get it. And I have yet to see a black girl have there with her own show at this venue. It just sucks, cuz at the end of the day we all just wanna entertain people, but also have our craft be taken seriously. 

So for the issue at the Monster, I feel that the black community wasn’t taken seriously. Now, the owner said sorry and the general manager has been removed. But where’s the apology to Honey? To the black dancers? To the BLACK community? I’m sure The Monster isn’t going anywhere. But my mom used to go, and she said at one point about 70 percent of it was filled with ethnic people. Like, even RuPaul pops in there randomly!

Yes! They definitely don’t seem to understand who their patrons actually are. Disgraceful!  We can only wait and see if they will be able to recover from this.

In the meantime... you have some gigs coming up at Stonewall, starting with... Sucia’s birthday show this coming Sunday! 

Yes, I’m super excited about it! She is a good Judy. We often get ready together, and kiki... it’s fun. She helped with the "Karma” video. She shot and directed my music video for “Back It Up,” and she has a movie, Neon Boys, coming out next month. 

Then I’m [back at Stonewall on Saturday, October 13th] with Ari Kiki for Riot...

[... and back to Stonewall on Sunday] with Catrina Lovelace for her first Invasion...

I also have a few Drag Queen Story Hour readings this month, as well as our second annual fundraiser event. So, October is busy! And here I thought I’d be able to grow my beard out!  Also,the "Karma” song will drop this month, the remix will follow it next month, and the dance remix video will drop on New Years!

Congratulations and have fun with it all! What are you gonna be for Halloween?

Aye, I don’t know yet. I feel like with drag, it’s always Halloween. But I just got my own apartment last month, so I think I’ll take this year to just stay home with my dog, watch some movies, and just have some Me Time. I know I do have a DQSH reading that morning, so maybe I’ll be a cute bumblebee or something kid friendly. 

When I was a kid, we weren’t allowed to celebrate Halloween. I didn’t really celebrate 'til 2016 after my breakup, when my friends dragged (haha, drag) me out to have fun. I don’t know, maybe my mind will change.

Werk! Anything else? 

My favorite Halloween song is "The Monster Mash,” and my favorite Christmas song is "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” so I’m trying to get the rights to re-record those, lol!

A busy musical bumblebee indeed! Thank you, Ms. Banks!

Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Robyn Banks’ upcoming appearances, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Also, purchase her music on iTunes. On Point Archives

[kingdomtual]

Well then I'm relieved. Just know that I will talk a lot more about my faves now 💕

Thank you for the oneus songs recs. Once I finish listening to them, I'll let you know about what I think. ^^ Also, I just now realize where your url comes up. Smart and funny url. I like your brain Hopey. 💖

Once again, thank you for the kingdom song recs. The advantage of them being a rookie group is that there won't be too much content to catch up to *cough cough* unlike nct *cough cough*

With SHINee, even if you have a bias, you bias the whole group. They're so funny. I like how they don't take themselves seriously. They seem like such fun people to be around lol And yeah, key and minho, your taste! I agree :D

YES! NCT DREAM ARE MY FAVES TOO!!! Oh yeah, renjun, chenle and jisung are so precious. I understand why they're your biases. Such great taste!

I'm so happy we have so much in common. I'm sure we'll discover so many things in common while talking to each other. ^^

I went to your bias tag and I see you like ryujin. Immaculate taste as well. My itzy bias is chaeryeong, but ryujin is catching up.

How about this? I've seen these top 10 songs of the first half of 2021, what are yours? Doesn't have to be strictly kpop, you can talk about any artist you like. I love listening (more like reading in that case) to other people talk about their faves and music in general. 💕

I hope you're having a beautiful day and I can't wait to know more about you.

Omg yessss!! And thank you, I like your brain too <3 Good brains!!!!

Ahhhh, omg Chaeryeong is literally my bias wrecker. She is the cutest, most precious!!! Absolutely love her. Ryujin is my queen tho, it just can't be helped!

Ahhh! That's a great suggestion! Well, I'll open my spotify list because that will tell me what I'm listening to more than my memory will LOL

I mean 90% of my playlists are kpop, I only have a couple that I use for instrumentals and other musicians so it will likely all be kpop LOL I can't help it, it's just the music that speaks to me most right now

So according to spotify these are my top ten:

1. Karma by Kingdom (no surprises there LOL) Their entire album is full of great songs that show all their different sides, but this song is definitely my top, right next to Magical.

2. Anyone by Seventeen. This song is just The One on their most recent album. It's so good

3. In the morning by Itzy. My queens, you know?? I can't get over it LOL

4. Drunk-Dazed by Enhypen. This comeback being their first comeback and it being so strong really had me sold on them. (I mean I was already sold, I watched them on iland and voted for them and stuff LOL) but I wasn't sure I'd be into their music much, but this comeback was so solid. Much like Kingdom's first comeback being more solid than their debut, and I think that shows so much growth for both artists.

5. Hot Sauce by NCT Dream. I'm sorry but this whole album was insane and I'm obsessed with it. End of story. LOL

6. Intro: Echoes of Nirvana. Yeah, this is just the intro for the Kingdom album, but I listen to it almost as often as I listen to Karma, as long as it's not on shuffle. So, yeah. I'm obsessed and it's just an instrumental.

7. Excalibur by Kingdom LOL I mean, we have a running theme here. They're my boys.

8. Black Mirror by Oneus. Literally this song has been my JAM lately. I am all about it. These funky boys doing their funky dance is my fave

9. Any by Stray Kids. This song is another song that is just The One for no particular reason but it speaks to me LOL and honestly Stray Kids are all about the bangers and the quick chorus literally has me obsessed.

10. Rain To Be by Onewe. You know I had to have my favorite kband in this mix. So moody, so nice. We love to see it.

Okay...whew LOL tell me your top ten, friend!!! Also yes, I am so excited to get to know you more! I think we're gonna be fast friends :)

[girls-scenarios]

Admins Top 18 Songs of 2018

Admin Kiwi: These are in no particular order, but they are the songs I’ve been listening to the most this year!

NCT U Taeyong & Ten - Baby Don’t Stop: This song had been on repeat since it came out. I don’t actually listen to much NCT but holy crap this SONG. It’s not even my usual type of music. It’s just so addicting.

Loona - Stylish: Okay, Hi High was a great song, but THIS song. I might have listened to it like, 300 times now? It’s so good that I’ve yet to get tired of it even though I listen to it at least once a day. A true banger. Stan Loona indeed.

April - Oh! My Mistake: When this song first came out, I wasn’t sure what to think because it’s super unique, but now it’s consistently stuck in my head and I listen to it on repeat. I was so happy to see April get more attention with this comeback too!

iKON - Killing Me: I’ll be real with you, I’m not an iKON stan. Their music is super hit or miss for me. But when I first heard this song my jaw dropped because omg it’s SO GOOD. Whenever I need to feel energized I just have to listen to the drop and boom. Energy.

EXID - I Love You: By now you probably all know that EXID owns me. Lady was such a banger too, but I’ve got to say that I Love You was my favorite (because Solji is back and I cried).

Seventeen - Oh My!: Perhaps I love Seventeen. Real talk, Seventeen never disappoints. And Oh My! is another song that is consistently playing. The mini album with this song was A+ as well. They’re the only boy group that I own an album by. They’re that good.

Twice - Shot Thru The Heart: Twice had so many comebacks this year that I can’t even keep up honestly. But this song? I’m in love with it. Also Jeongyeon gets so many lines. And I love listening to her voice so uh. It’s my favorite song.

Weki Meki - Iron Boy: Honestly Metronome was another by them that I absolutely love, but I like Iron Boy a little bit better. Such a banger and makes me super happy to listen to.

Tiffany Young - Over My Skin: Wow? I love everything about this song? Tiffany is out here putting out great music with an early 2000s feel and I’m 100% here for it. Also the lyrics to this song? I’m shaking.

EXO - Tempo: I didn’t like this song at first, but now I listen to it so much I’m pretty sure even my dog knows the words. I prefer girls, but Chanyeol in this comeback had me questioning everything. That Great Gatsby reference in his lyrics made my literary self VERY happy.

KHAN - I’m Your Girl?: I listen to this song all the time. I loved The Ark, and I was so happy to see these girls come back. I love their voices together. I just. Loved everything about this song.

fromis_9 - DKDK: This is the comeback that made me truly fall in love with them. I was OBSESSED with this song when it first came out, and I still listen to it all the time. This song defines my 2018 honestly.

Dreamcatcher - Wonderland: I’ve said before how much I love this song but like. I love to just put this song on and chill. I love pretty much everything that Dreamcatcher puts out but this song? It’s The One.

Jay Park - V: I’ll admit it, I listen to a lot of Jay Park. This song is another one that’s always stuck in my head. It’s just such a fun song to listen to, I love it. A lot.

Day6 - Shoot Me: Day6 puts out so much good music, but this song has me hooked. It’s like an angry rock ballad. And I like that.

Hyukoh - Citizen Kane: Hyukoh is another band that just puts out such great music. I love everything they do and really wish that I’d gotten the chance to see them live this year.

UNI.T - I Mean: I really wish that UNI.T would have gotten more time together. Both songs they released were amazing but this song just makes me so happy to listen to and energizes me when I need it. It’s just such a fun song!

The Rose - Baby: This song introduced me to The Rose and I’m so glad I found it because it’s so good and I listen to it both when I’m feeling angsty and when I write.

(Honorable mentions: Sohee ft BOL4 - Hurry Up, Taeyeon - Something New, HYO - Sober, Hyolyn - Dally, NU’EST W - Dejavu, Pristin V - Get It, Apink - I’m So Sick, CLC - Black Dress)

Admin Lee: Not in any certain order, but these are my top picks of 2018! 

1. Pristin V - Get It: I love pristin. I kept track until this comeback was released and watched the MV again and again afterwards! The teasers and highlight medley absolutely killed me and I was completely in love with the villain concept! I hope in the future, Pristin is able to do more comebacks with this sort of concept because I think it’s really cool and refreshing!

2. Remind of You - Chungha: This is another one that I listen to when I’m falling asleep, writing, or working! It’s one of my favorites of hers!

3. Egoist - Olivia Hye (Ft. Jinsoul): Though love4eva is the song that made me discover Loona, this is definitely one of my favorite solo (?) songs before their official debut!

4. IAM - 1AM: This was one of the two concept songs that were my absolute favorite on Produce48 and all of the members on that team were some of my favorite contestants too! I love Heo Yunjin and Ahn Yujin to pieces, and I’m glad Yujin made it into IZONE!

5. Rumor - H.I.N.P: This song. I swear I listened to this and IAM on repeat for three days straight. Eunbi (and everyone else on the team ofc) killed and I find myself going back to watch their performance video from time to time because it’s THAT good.

6. Thanks - Seventeen: This is the first Seventeen song I’ve ever heard! I found out about it after Loona did a dance cover on Idol Room and really enjoyed the song, so I listened to the whole thing and liked it even more. I should probably get more into Seventeen’s music because they seem like a really cool group!

7. Forever Young - Blackpink: This is probably my favorite b-side from the mini-album, and I liked how the song kind of changed towards the end! Blackpink has been a group I’ve loved for a while and I’m really glad they’re going on a world tour this year!

8. April Fools - Jimin Park: I remember being super excited when I heard Jimin was finally getting a comeback, and I couldn’t stop listening to this song when it came out! I loved her when she was in 15&, but now that she’s out there doing solo music and having a good time I’m happy for her!

9. Good Evening - SHINee: SHINee is also another boy group that I’ve recently gotten into! I really enjoy a lot of their music, and this song just stands out to me a lot. The MV is also really cool, with nice aesthetics and cool colors!

10. Dally - Hyolyn: This is the first song I’ve heard by Hyolyn, and it suits my music taste a lot! I enjoy the bass-heavy, chill vibe the song provides. She has super nice vocals that I appreciate and I’m glad I discovered her music!

11. Oh! My Mistake - April: I recently listened to this song and I couldn’t stop lol. It’s so catchy once you hear it and at the end, you immediately want to listen to it again. April is an underrated group for sure, because if this comeback say anything about them, it’s that they’ve got major talent and potential as a successful group!

12. Jenga - Heize: Heize is an artist I also recently discovered, and I think Don’t Know You was the first song of hers I listened to. However, this one is a bop fr and I listen to it at least once a day.

13. La Vie en Rose - IZONE: Dude this debut song was probably the best I’ve heard ever (besides Wee Woo). I know I’ve said I’ve listened to a lot of these songs on repeat but this one I would play multiple times a day every day for a little more than a week. I still listen to this song all the time and its one of the most memorable debut songs I’ve heard.

14. Stylish - LOONA: This is definitely my favorite B-side from the album. The memes from it are also really good! But fr, this song is one that I listen to a lot as well, and I always seem to play it more than once whenever it comes on.

15. Bad Boy - Red Velvet: Okay, let me say that this MV is so good and I LIVE for it. Like, this comeback was insanely good and I can’t wait to see them perform this live!! Along with RBB and Peek-a-Boo, this is my favorite title song from RV!

16. RBB - Red Velvet: I literally counted down the days until this comeback. When I heard/watched the teaser for this I couldn’t wait for the song’s release. The scream kills me every time lmao I hope Irene didn’t throw out her voice too much for that

17. Heroine - Sunmi: Sunmi is literally that bitch. I loved this song so much the first time I heard it, and what’s not to love about it? It’s such a bop! She’s literally a goddess and no song she makes could ever flop.

18. What is Love? - TWICE: Twice has been a long-time favorite group of mine, and was actually the first Kpop group I’ve ever heard (got into them during TT era)! This comeback was a godsend and I loved it so much. The MV was so well put together, and all of the movie references were very well done! I couldn’t stop repeating this song for weeks after it came out.