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[rodolfokaizen]

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[mariacallous]

Years after being accused of swinging a baseball bat at police officers during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, Edward “Jake” Lang is now using encrypted messaging channels to create a nationwide network of armed militias in all 50 states.

Though he has been in prison for over 1,200 days, Lang is working with a network of election deniers and conspiracists to promote the North American Patriot and Liberty Militia, or Napalm for short. The group officially launched last week with 50 state-specific militia groups on Telegram.

Lang claims that the Telegram groups already have 20,000 members, including pastors, farmers, former military personnel, and currently serving sheriffs. However, multiple experts who reviewed the channels tell WIRED said that figure was wildly overestimated and that the real figure was closer to 2,500 members. But a group this size, they warn, is still large enough to cause a serious threat. And while unarmed members are welcome, the group is, at its core, a pro-gun organization. “We are pro open carry, pro always have it on you, rather than waiting for somebody else to be able to defend your life,” says Lang.

As the 2024 US election approaches, Lang says that Napalm will be focusing on potential “civil unrest” around the vote. “We have to make sure that we're prepared for any real-time scenarios, any eventualities,“ says Lang. “Civil unrest at any given moment, especially around an election time, is something that could come along, and so we have to plan for that contingency as well.”

Tensions around the November vote are already at an all-time high, and many Republicans refuse to say if they will peacefully accept the outcome of the November election. Over one-third of Americans now baselessly claim that President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 was illegitimate. These conspiracies have led to a resurgence in far-right activity, of which Napalm is just the latest facet: Lang, along with all other members of the group’s leadership council, ardently believes that the 2020 election was stolen from former president Donald Trump.

“We've noted considerable energy being put into resurrecting far-right paramilitary activism right now,” Devin Burghart, the executive director at the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR), tells WIRED. “The growing talk of ‘Second Amendment remedies’ to unfavorable electoral outcomes is a serious cause for concern. Militia groups like Napalm promote political violence and sow the seeds for another potential insurrection.”

In addition to the election, Lang says that Napalm will respond to everything from natural disasters to Federal overreach, political protests, and potential Chinese invasions.

“I thought it was necessary to get organized in case these encroachments, these violations of our civil liberties, our natural rights were to escalate to a point where it'd absolutely be untenable and that we would need to defend ourselves.” Lang tells WIRED from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he is awaiting a trial set for September. “There is a tyrannical wave that has hit America that we've never seen before. And so it's time that people get organized in case they escalate to something that basically puts our very lives in danger.”

Lang, 29, is from upstate New York. He claims to have been an ecommerce entrepreneur and nightclub promoter before getting sober and finding God in late 2020. At the same time, Lang was getting deeper into “truther content” online that claimed Marxists and Communists were ruining the country. This content overlapped with election-denial conspiracies that led to the Capitol riot and inspired Lang to travel to DC.

Days after January 6, Lang was recruiting people into an armed militia on Telegram that would ostensibly fight against the incoming regime of President Biden.

“It was the first battle of the Second American Revolution—make no mistakes,” Lang wrote about the Capitol riot, according to a tranche of thousands of messages obtained by ProPublica. “This is WAR.”

That effort ended days later when Lang was arrested and charged with multiple counts of assaulting law enforcement officers, as well as felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding—some of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

After he was arrested, Lang became a figurehead for January 6 prisoners who have been falsely portrayed as “hostages” or “warriors” by Trump and his supporters. While in prison, Lang has published a book, helped produce several films, hosted his own podcast, and raised millions of dollars for inmates and their families—all related to the January 6 attack.

“It's important to recognize that Lang is, first and foremost, a grifter who knows that his ‘political prisoner’ schtick is his only shot at relevance,” says Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. “This is someone who has intentionally delayed his own trial date in an effort to remain in the spotlight and who continues to promote violent conspiracies.”

And though Lang’s original attempt at starting a militia on Telegram ended with just a few hundred followers and his arrest, he says that he has spent the past year creating Napalm from his cell with the help of far-right figures from around the country.

Among those who Lang has convinced to join his initiative is QAnon promoter Ann Vandersteel, who is the groups’ national vice chairman. Former New Mexico county commissioner Couy Griffin, who is known as the leader of Cowboys for Trump, is also on the council. In 2022, Griffin refused to certify the results of a primary election vote.

Stew Peters, who will act as the militia’s national communications director, is a Florida-based antisemitic podcaster who shot to prominence in recent years by pushing Covid conspiracies, including a wild claim that Covid vaccines were derived from snake venom. The claim was so outlandish that even other conspiracy theorists dismissed his claims as “trash.” Peters has also pushed QAnon conspiracies and white supremacist content and even called for the death sentence for the “traitors” that he claimed have stolen the elections.

When the site launched last week, one of those listed as a member of the council was Richard Mack, the founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. When contacted by WIRED, however, Mack said he was not affiliated with the group: “Many groups contact me weekly to work together, but in order for that to happen they must join our mission and philosophy of nonviolence.”

Lang told WIRED that a member of his team had been speaking to Mack about his role with the group, and it was likely just a miscommunication. Hours later, however, Mack’s picture was removed from the website.

Guns appear to be a central aspect of all actions taken by the Napalm militias, even when responding to incidents like hurricanes, wildfires, or earthquakes. “Even in a natural disaster, people that are in desperate scenarios may do desperate things,” Lang said. “And I believe that open carry and carrying a firearm on your body is a natural right of all men, and it's not something to be shied away from.”

While Lang said non-gun-owners would be welcome to join the group: “They would still be trained, and they would definitely be supported in their eventual path to gun ownership.”

Though Lang says all militia activity to date has occurred online, Napalm plans to get into the real world soon. “We will have casual outings at local firing ranges for downrange training, different exercises on what to do if the power goes out, if the internet is shut down, if the water lines are contaminated, [and] wilderness survival training,” says Lang.

All new members have to go through a vetting process, which consists of a five-minute video call designed to weed out potential infiltration from law enforcement.

Once vetting has been completed, members are then placed in a private county-level chat group where they can communicate with other members of the militia. Neither WIRED nor the researchers we spoke to were able to gain access to the private chats.

In the past, a county-level militia cell structure has made it harder for law enforcement to infiltrate extremist groups.

Lang says the vetting process has been established in part as a response to what happened to militia groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys in the wake of January 6. “They had these public group chats, and people said inflammatory things on there, and so we don't have those,” Lang said.

Though Lang claims that the group has signed up over 20,000 members, some experts don’t believe him.

“The best we can tell is that the numbers that the group is claiming are grossly misleading,” Jared Holt, senior researcher of US hate and extremist movements at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, tells WIRED. “This is an aspirational project. It doesn't reflect any sort of organizing infrastructure that's actively been built. It is being promoted by a group of political hucksters and shock jocks. And I wouldn't be surprised if would-be joiners of these groups come to learn that there is some kind of membership fee, some sort of financial component involved here.”

Burghart and his colleagues at IREHR also reviewed the 50 state-level Telegram channels and found a total of just over 14,000 members. However, Burghart also says that he believes that this figure is “significantly artificially inflated, with real membership closer to 2,500.”

Lang did not respond to questions about whether the Telegram channels membership numbers were artificially inflated.

But even with inflated membership numbers and lack of real-world coordination so far, experts still believe attention needs to be paid to groups like Napalm.

“The promotion of this kind of rhetoric and just mobilizing people around this idea could have reverberating effects,” says Holt. “It certainly heightens the tension of the political environment. It could certainly drive individuals who are maybe suffering some sort of crisis into thinking about more violent action or taking more extreme measures in their anti-government worldviews. And even if one of these states materializes into something with a dozen people in it, that could still cause a real problem.”

[thelensofyashunews]

ROC MARCIANO SHARES “LEFLAIR” VIDEO

New York Hip-Hop multi-hyphenate, Roc Marciano has just shared a new music video for “LeFlair” from his recently-released album Marciology. The album was met with instant acclaim from both Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, the latter of which hailed it as a “dose of assonant rhymes over lush beats” in its 4-star review. While mainly self-produced, Roc’s latest outing also boasts production credits from The Alchemist and Animoss and includes features from Larry June, Flee Lord, CRIMEAPPLE, T.F., Knowledge the Pirate, and GREA8GAWD. The Marciology rollout marks the start of a new era for the MC and producer, arriving alongside the recent announcement of a forthcoming multi-date North American and European tour. Roc Marciano is a storied emcee on the heels of a career-minting run of critically-acclaimed solo LPs, from his respective 2018 and 2019 albums Marcielago and Mt. Marci, to his 2020 instrumental project Pimpstrumentals, and The Elephant Man’s Bones in collaboration with The Alchemist. Roc Marciano has also spent the past few years sitting behind the boards, creating the soundscape for notable underground Hip-Hop projects like Stove God Cooks’ debut album Reasonable Drought and Flee Lord’s 2021 LP Delgado.

Marciology serves as Roc Marci’s eleventh studio album, as he steps back into the booth and showcases why COMPLEX says he “continues to run New York’s underground scene” even at this point in his illustrious, decades-long career. With dark instrumentals to complement his cold-blooded bar work, Marciology is proof that the legendary emcee continues to adapt to the times while only improving his imaginative storytelling. Highlighted by Roc Marciano’s signature urgent flow and contemplative raps splashed across a canvas of nostalgic, old-school production, the long-awaited Marciology marks his first solo album in nearly four years – a staunch reminder that the producer and emcee is as hungry as he’s ever been. Widely hailed as a godfather of underground Hip-Hop, Roc Marciano is continuing to shape the sound of the next generation, playing a key role in the resurgence of contemporary Hip-Hop.

[jetstarred]

what i listened to in march 2024!

total: 8 albums top 3 albums: preacher's daughter (ethel cain), call me if you get lost (tyler, the creator), the michigan left (queef jerky) click read more to see full reviews ^-^

preacher's daughter - ethel cain (2022) - fav song: gibson girl - this is a very beautiful and haunting concept album. i really love the story that's explored here of a girl with religious trauma running away from her family and falling in love with a man she meets, only to be murdered and cannibalized by him. the songs shift through the same group of emotions; longing, fear, regret, hope, and pensiveness. there's some moments that really pull deep at my bones and make me cry. this is more of a country/folk album than i'm typically used to but the rock elements that are included and the grand production are familiar enough for me to enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone. i'm very excited to see the next part in the supposed trilogy of this story. - rating: 9/10

deathmetal - panchiko (2000) - fav song: cut - this is a pretty good shoegaze-y album full of a lot of typical teenage angst. it benefits from the poor mixing and diy garage sound, which makes it feel like a group of friends just got together to make music about their problems. what really elevates this album is the story behind it. this album being so underground and essentially "lost media" that was eventually found and led to the band having a huge resurgence in the past few years is so cool. the rot versions of some of the songs also add a very unique found footage-esque vibe to the whole album that almost makes it feel as if it was part of an arg. overall i think while the content of the album is alright, the fact its so widespread now is a testament to the dedication of music lovers. - rating: 7/10

laisser vivre les squelettes - daïtro (2005) - fav song: laisser vivre les squelettes - i was surprised by this being french (for some reason) but honestly i really liked the sound of it. while i don't love music where the vocals are mainly screaming, this was still pleasant to listen to for me. the music was enjoyable, especially the guitar and the drums. the only complaint i really have was the long spans of just music, which became a little grating at times. the ending of the last song was nice though i liked how it faded out. while i probably won't reach for this album again, it was still very nice to listen to more skrams music and get a feel for what it is. - rating: 5/10

isn't it wonderful - sugar cherry (2023) - fav song: october sky - this a really nice shoegaze-y indie bedroom pop album. its very short and sweet, with the album carrying a lot of feelings of nostalgia and not quite angst. its more so like yearning. as the side project of rozey (someone who hasn't release a lot of music but i like a lot) it was really nice discovering this and the album going in the more lo-fi noisy direction that rozey's been going in with his newer songs. admittedly a lot of the songs sound very similar because of the lo-fi atmosphere but there's enough distinctive elements in each song that can make them stand out after repeated listens. overall i really enjoyed this album! - rating: 7/10

call me if you get lost - tyler, the creator (2021) - fav song: lemonhead - i really like the loose concept with this album. the visuals are very strong so i wish the concept was tighter, but i get that this is tyler's "i made it" album. which i can give him a pass for bragging so much in this album. i think he deserves it. the music in this album is very similar to what's in flower boy and igor, with it very clear this is the style tyler's adapted and evolved as his own. there's much more rapping in this album than in igor, which causes this to be a nice mix of the two previous albums and even cherry bomb. overall i think this album is a very solid follow up to the massive hit that was igor and i am excited to see what tyler does next and if he tries to pivot to doing something new and different. - rating: 8/10

the michigan left - queef jerky (2023) - fav song: farward - as every queef jerky project, this is full of bangers. nick and dev have perfected making good comedy rap that has experimental elements. some of the bars included were really clever while others just made me laugh really hard. the production choices are reminiscent of jpegmafia but in a direction that makes the music have a sort of "contained chaos" atmosphere to it. and some sections really reminded me of breakcore which is a genre i've been listening to more recently. i dig it a lot and i'm soooo excited to hear what they release next. (i'm also legally obligated to disclose i fuck with this album more than any of their other stuff bc of the inclusion of riley from hivemind on every song. sorry america) - rating: 8/10

scaring the hoes - jpegmafia & danny brown (2023) - fav song: shut yo bitchass up / muddy waters - i don't know that much about rap so take what i say with a grain of salt. this album sounds very much like a throwback to older rap but updated with new styles especially that of breakcore and the general experimental hip hop peggy and danny brown are known for. i really enjoyed the production on this and honestly i think the two rappers work really well together. i was already familiar with peggy's music prior to listening to this but i haven't listened to much danny brown. this album def convinced me to go give some of his stuff a listen. the production on this album is really good and i fuck with it a ton! - rating: 8/10

once, but never again - supercollider (2023) - fav song: anyday - this album is very much inspired by shoegaze, taking elements from that and other genres like garage rock, post-hardcore, and post-grunge. its very much a diy album, with not great mixing and vocals that are very poorly recorded. all of this adds to the noisy atmosphere that gives way to the angtsy vibe of the songs. while i didn't love every song on this album, i liked the overall vibe and what they were going for. i see real potential in this band and i'm very interested in listening to their newest album. (after looking at the playlist for the album inspo, i'm not surprised at the presence of mbv, slowdive, deftones, and have a nice life) - rating: 6/10

[fitnessthought]

Is Sourdough Bread Good for Weight Loss? - A Healthier Choice

Sourdough bread, a staple in many cultures for centuries, has recently seen a resurgence in popularity. But beyond its unique taste and texture, there’s growing interest in its potential health benefits, particularly regarding weight loss. This report delves into the making of sourdough, its health and fermentation benefits, nutritional profile, and expert opinions to answer the question: Is sourdough bread good for weight loss?

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Making of Sourdough

Sourdough’s simplicity is one of its key attractions. Traditionally, it’s made from just three ingredients: flour, water, and salt. This simplicity is a stark contrast to many commercially produced breads that contain a plethora of additives. The slow fermentation process of sourdough, where natural yeasts and bacteria interact with the dough, is what sets it apart. This process not only imparts a distinct tangy flavor but also influences the bread’s health properties.

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Sourdough Health Benefits

Sourdough’s health benefits are closely tied to its fermentation process. Priya Tew, an award-winning dietitian, explains, “Genuine sourdough bread can be more easily digested and can be lower in glycemic index than some shop-bought bread.” This lower glycemic index means sourdough doesn’t spike blood sugar levels as sharply as other breads, which is a crucial factor in weight management.

Gut Health: The fermentation process increases prebiotic and probiotic-like properties, which can improve gut health. Sourdough made with whole grains offers additional fiber, enhancing these gut-friendly benefits.

Digestion: Sourdough might improve the digestion of gluten due to changes in wheat enzymes during fermentation. While not suitable for people with celiac disease, those sensitive to gluten might find sourdough easier to digest.

Healthy Aging: Sourdough, a staple in the Mediterranean diet, is linked to healthy aging. It has antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and FODMAP-reducing qualities.

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Sourdough Fermentation Benefits:

The fermentation process in sourdough bread leads to an increase in prebiotic and probiotic-like properties, which are beneficial for gut health. A 2021 review in the journal Microorganisms highlights this, noting that these properties help improve gut health. Additionally, the fermentation process enhances the bioavailability of nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and iron, making them more accessible to the body.

Nutritional Profile:

A slice of sourdough bread typically contains about 84 calories, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 1 gram of total fat. Laura Tilt, a registered dietitian, points out, “White sourdough is a source of carbohydrates, calcium, iron, vitamin B1, and B3, forming part of a healthy diet.” However, she advises opting for wholewheat varieties for higher fiber content.

Facts about Sourdough Bread

Historical Popularity Surge: Sourdough’s recent popularity isn’t just a modern trend. Its global market value skyrocketed from $298.7 million to a staggering $2.4 billion in 2018. This surge reflects a growing awareness and appreciation of sourdough’s unique qualities and health benefits.

Enhanced Taste with Health Benefits: The fermentation process in sourdough not only contributes to its health benefits but also enhances its taste. Priya Tew notes that fermentation produces amino acids that add extra flavor, despite a decreased salt content in the bread. This means you get a tasty bread that’s also good for you.

B12 Enrichment: The fermentation of plant-based foods like sourdough can lead to the enrichment of vitamin B12. This is particularly noteworthy since B12 is typically associated with animal-based foods, making sourdough a valuable addition to vegetarian diets.

Impact on Blood Sugar Levels: Sourdough bread’s fermentation process results in a lower glycemic index compared to regular bread. This means it has a less dramatic impact on blood sugar levels, making it a smarter choice for those managing diabetes or looking to maintain stable energy levels throughout the day.

Variety in Sourdough Types: The diversity of sourdough bread is vast. From traditional white sourdough to wholewheat and rye varieties, each type offers different nutritional benefits. For instance, rye sourdough is known for its higher fiber content, while traditional white sourdough is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.

Expert Opinion of Sourdough Bread on Weight Loss:

Experts agree that sourdough can be part of a weight loss diet. Tilt reminds us, “All foods can be part of a weight loss diet; it’s about balance and portion size.” She suggests pairing sourdough with nutrient-dense foods like eggs or nut butter for a balanced meal. The high fiber content in sourdough, especially in wholegrain varieties, is linked to feeling full for longer, which is beneficial for weight management.

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FAQs around Is Sourdough Bread Good for Weight Loss?

Can sourdough bread help in weight loss?

Yes, sourdough bread can be part of a weight-loss diet. Its high fiber content, especially in wholegrain varieties, helps you feel full longer, which can aid in managing calorie intake.

Is sourdough bread lower in calories than regular bread?

Sourdough bread’s calorie content is comparable to many other types of bread. However, its nutritional composition, particularly its lower glycemic index, makes it a healthier choice that can fit into a weight loss diet.

Does sourdough bread cause blood sugar spikes?

Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index compared to many other breads, meaning it causes a slower and less dramatic rise in blood sugar levels. This makes it a suitable option for those managing blood sugar levels.

Can I eat sourdough bread every day if I’m trying to lose weight?

Yes, you can include sourdough bread in your daily diet while trying to lose weight. Remember, balance and portion control are key. Pairing it with nutrient-dense foods can make your meals more satisfying and nutritionally balanced.

Is sourdough bread better than whole wheat bread for weight loss?

Sourdough and whole wheat breads each have their benefits. Sourdough’s fermentation process can make it easier to digest and lower in glycemic index, while whole wheat bread is typically higher in fiber. Your choice may depend on personal dietary needs and preferences.

Does the type of flour used in sourdough affect weight loss?

Yes, the type of flour affects the nutritional content of sourdough bread. Wholegrain flours are higher in fiber and nutrients compared to refined flours, making them a better choice for weight loss.

Is sourdough bread gluten-free?

No, traditional sourdough bread is not gluten-free as it is made from wheat flour. However, the fermentation process can break down some of the gluten, making it easier to digest for those with mild gluten sensitivities, but it is not suitable for individuals with celiac disease.

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Sourdough bread, with its unique fermentation process and nutritional profile, offers several health benefits that can support weight loss goals. Its lower glycemic index, coupled with a higher fiber content, especially in wholegrain varieties, makes it a healthier choice compared to many other breads. While sourdough alone isn’t a magic bullet for weight loss, it can be a valuable part of a balanced and nutrient-rich diet. Variety and moderation are key to a healthy diet and effective weight management.

[deadcactuswalking]

Top 20 Best Hit Songs of 2023

If I were doing this how I did it in the past, I would be looking at the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 and giving you my 10 favourite songs, as always, but I’m not doing that for several reasons: the Hot 100 is less representative of anything ever than it’s ever been, and my #1 hit song of the year in the US  is “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma. There are songs that charted in the top 40 I like more but in terms of prolonged hits expected to solidly make the year-end list, it’s not even close. There is so much unbridled joy in that one song it is almost unimaginable that I’d consider any other hit song from this year above it. It would be silly to find another nine songs that even try to compare. Genuinely. So let’s do it this way: I’ve started writing  in mid-October because here in the UK we basically will just have a month of nothing and then Christmas for the rest of the year. My criteria for this is the song has to have peaked in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart sometime this year before I write this list, specifically around the episode dated 14th October I’ll stop counting entries for this list. I’ll consider songs that end up peaking later this year for next year’s list, I think, and that may be arbitrary but I'm literally playing to Billboard's rules for their year-end this year, because why not be as ridiculous as they allow themselves to be? Why did I choose the UK? Well, it’s what I cover every week on this blog and don’t tell the Americans but their charts are so much less interesting when it comes the diversity and sheer quality of songs on display, a disparity I noticed especially this year. Otherwise, it’s as simple as that - did it make the top 40? Did I like it a lot? It’s on the list. Did I miss some stuff? Probably. Who cares? It’s my list. I’m deadcactuswalking, and these are the best hit songs of the year.

LIFE GOES ON: The Top 20 Best Hit Songs of 2023

Npw, how will this work? Well, I have 20 songs I want to talk about in some decent-length capacity, but I don’t want this to be overlong and I have a crap ton of honourable mentions and just things to get out of the way. I have reviewed every single one of these songs at length during my weekly REVIEWING THE CHARTS series and I want this to act as a more concise representation of the popular music I loved this year. This will not be nearly as in-depth as my 2006 list from this Summer or my previous hit songs lists, mostly because well, this is more of a round-up or compilation compared to those lists, which tended to have opinions I hadn’t shared so boldly prior to the list’s publication.

Also, some ground rules: the song has to have been released in late 2021 at the minimum, or at least be defined more by its status as a hit in 2023 than by its status as an older song in one’s catalogue that happened to resurge in the year of old songs re-emerging. This means that songs too indebted to previous years are not counted for this list, even if they hit the UK Top 40 this year. This means that despite them being great songs that had a solid chance at the list, I will not be including “What’s Love Got to Do with It” by Tina Turner, “STAY” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber (which I talked about at length in my 2021 year-end list), Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” - if this were a Hot 100 list, I’d be more lenient with this one - Taylor Swift’s re-recording of “Enchanted” or, most crucially, “See You Again” by Tyler, the Creator featuring Kali Uchis which would have probably topped the list if it weren’t from 2017. You could argue it was only a hit this year but let’s be completely honest with ourselves, it’s not representative of any other 2023 trend than “old songs becoming big”. It’s not sincere to consider it a “hit song of 2023”, at least in my opinion, but I understand why people would vary on that. Now that’s out of the way, I mean, we may as well get started - there are a ton of honourable mentions so I’ll try and spread them out vaguely evenly but I may just disperse them at random. You’re not my mother, you can’t tell me what to do. Again, it’s my list - and I am very aware how… concerning some of these choices may be. This first one, though, should be pretty uncontroversial.

#20

I mean, obviously, right?

#20 - “Escapism.” - RAYE featuring 070 Shake (Peak: #1)

I almost considered not including this just to be a contrarian, because I imagine this will pop up on damn near every year-end hit songs list you see, but that would be denying this excellent song its rightful spot here. Everything has been said about it but deservedly so. It was an incredible moment for a newly independent RAYE, and a narrative triumph as well as being a really maximalist hit in a time where you wouldn’t really expect this outside of critical-darling circles. From the siren motif to the dark, embedded trip-hop drums, the song finds that perfect reach between organic release and immaculate composition, to the point where it’s almost too perfect. There are so many tiny hooks and they all originate in a deeply-ridden trauma that envelops the song but never halts its momentum. Hell, that may be its appeal - it keeps on chugging, with that infectious piano line, incredibly wordy pre-choruses and borderline rap verses, a sprinkling of synth detail. Even that main break of the chorus feels like it’s building up to a goal never found, muddied in 070 Shake’s pained yelps surrounding an otherwise completely numbed-out, almost demo vocal delivery. That isn’t a moment of relief or realisation, and neither is the storm that succeeds it. She doesn’t want to feel like she did that night, but she will, and she knows it, whether it’s because of her lack of agency or the cruel decadent catharsis that leads to it. It’s a cyclical party of sorrow, and one intricately composed and presented. Why isn’t it higher if it’s so perfect? I don’t know, I think I just take solace in the scuffed. This next one is also a song I think may just be too perfect as a narrative experience to be higher.

#19

Afrobeats hits are generally very good, but few go far and beyond like this one did for me, and it got all the success it deserved.

#19 - “People” - Libianca (Peak: #2)

Cameroonian singer Libianca broke out with something so subdued you’d be pretty surprised to think of it as what it was: a global smash breakout sleeper hit. There’s a cozy intimacy to found in the distance of this song, a track that seems to want to push you off as much as it wants to vent to you, out of a desperacy where the mental health issues are disguised for the sake of just fitting into the world of people: nameless and endless faces, where even the closest to you are too pre-occupied to notice those small details like how much alcohol their friend’s been drinking for the past five days. In a year where we increasingly feel completely separated from our fellow human, I think this hit pretty hard for a lot of people. It’s also an oddly celebratory song in some ways - you could see the backing vocals as a ghostly choir haunting Libianca, who tampers with the idea of her own grave through these looming thoughts, or you could see them as those “people”, who don’t really know you, still being there and existing in a way where their presence may just be enough to keep you going. On a more purely sonic level, it’s a smooth as Hell track with a compelling emotive performance and one of the catchiest yet most depressive hooks of the year, one that ends without much satisfying resolve, probably much like the narrative on display. I don’t know if we’ll hear much more from Libianca on the singles chart, at least in Britain, but this was for sure a fantastic first impression. Now to talk about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

#18

Can I legally do this? Like am I really allowed to put this over “Escapism.” or does this count as disturbing the peace?

#18 - “Oh Baby” - Nathan Dawe and Bru-C featuring bshp and Issey Cross (Peak: #35)

How this wasn’t like the biggest song ever is completely unknown to me. This has so many dumb hooks it’s ridiculous, it’s almost overwhelming. Maybe we were a tad too self-serious this year for this to get to the top 10? Regardless, it was still a hit, and one that just seems to take as many chances to be catchy as possible, which is what a… “star”-studded 2-step track needs to be. I knew I liked this from the moment I heard that stupid intro ad-lib “and it’s Bru-C” just because I knew I was in for a chaotic level of fun, but as I kept replaying this, finding more hooks in Bru-C’s simplistic bars that would absolutely rock a club even if they don’t sound impressive in recorded format, and finding more intricacies in the usually lazy Nathan Dawe’s production, with that futuristic bass, robotic “oh, baby” sample that gets manipulated in so many different ways, him having too much fun with his sound effects board and some of the tightest and honestly best drum programming I’ve heard in any song this year, hit or not. Issey Cross and bshp have a childish charm in their incessant chorus and especially that bizarrely transcendent bridge, and Bru-C just never shuts his mouth, which is absolutely what this song needed: the most annoying person at the function.

Honourable Mentions

What I’m going to do with these Honourable Mentions is I’ll split them four ways between genren - hip-hop, pop and R&B, EDM and everything else - and we’ll start with hip-hop. This was not a great year for rap in the mainstream, but the UK felt this much less than the US and there were still some highlights, such as:

“Sprinter” and “Trojan Horse” - Dave and Central Cee

These guys had more fun in that four-song EP than most dance hits had this year.

“PARK CHINOIS” - K-Trap and Headie One

One thing that got lost sometime before this year about UK drill was that it could be genuinely menacing, and I was glad to see a subtle version of that return here.

“It’s Crazy” - J Hus

This is the less subtle version. J Hus plays maniac serial killer surprisingly well.

“Martin’s Sofa” - Headie One

Headie One is generally a step above the rest but this was one of drill’s shining moments this year. There is actually only one British rap song in this top 20 proper, which kind of surprised me, but that’s not to downplay the annual achievements of the genre.

“On the Radar Freestyle” - Drake and Central Cee

Like its first Hot 100 hit! Okay, it’s because of Drake but hey, Drake wasn’t bad this year.

“First Person Shooter” - Drake featuring J. Cole

Cole was better but I promise, Drake still wasn’t bad this year. And that’s actually all of the hip-hop Honourable Mentions we have. Yeah, it really wasn’t this genre’s year. Oh, crap, I forgot about this one:

“Barbie World” - Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua

I am pretty sure this is the worst song of all time. I love it. Back to the list.

#17

Listen, Minecraft YouTubers: let’s let bygones be bygones.

#17 - “Call Me What You Like” - Lovejoy (Peak: #32)

Wilbur Soot and co tend to work best when nothing is left unturned, all awkward and insecure details being revealed with little care for how the song actually functions outside of a killer chorus. Much of their EP consisted of these wonky but ultimately heavy anthems tapping into a modern British anxiety, wherein every misplaced drum fill, bizarre lyrical idea, it was all kind of a front for some of the catchiest riffs and most cathartic hooks in emo since the 2000s. There are several elements of this song I think I just hate, mostly from Wilbur himself, but he delivers it with as much uncertainty and loathing as I have towards him - it’s a pitiful song wherein neither a gruff yell or falsetto can outshadow a rolicking chorus’ raw energy. His dumbass newscaster voice as he details how much he hates this joyless relationship just furthers the frustration I have with this guy for being as pathetic as he is. Oh, and it does the classic pop punk final-chorus-drops-into-half-time trick which works absolutely every time. “I’m not paranoid, I’m a realist” is a line that made me hate to relate as much as I do to a Goddamn Minecraft YouTuber indie rock song but hey, we all need our angst outlet from somewhere. And for a good amount of the year, I took some solace in this one. The next entry is D-Block Europe.

#16

Man, I… I don’t know anymore.

#16 - “Pakistan” - D-Block Europe and Clavish (Peak: #8)

This is sheer gut instinct placement. If I didn’t have some form of restraint and respect for pop music as an artform, this would be even higher. This is probably the most straight-man pick I have here, I know, but I don’t really care, this is just too fun. It starts with a sample of “CrazyRussianHacker” testing a Desert Eagle on a TV, and the rest of the song indulges in just as much careless male chauvinism with a casual lack of respect, that isn’t even to the point of disrespect because they just don’t care enough. Both members of DBE actually bring their best here: Adz is the hook singer, punctuating his infectious, basic melodies with his typical ad-libs - the “ski!” one always gets me - whilst Dirtbike LB is… surprisingly coherent, switching flows in a typical off-beat fashion that actually ends up pretty compelling over an effortless trap skitter from Da Beatfreakz. And Clavish is here. I don’t know, man, I’ll gladly post a notes app apology for this decision if requested.

#15

Whilst we’re in pop-trap, here’s an example of the genre working in the complete opposite way.

#15 - “Mourning” - Post Malone (Peak: #35)

I think I did this song a lot of justice in my initial review. Now that’s not a cop-out, I’m still going to talk about it here, but it should speak wonders that this song immediately hit me considering that most of Post Malone’s output in his past two albums just hasn’t at all. Even the songs I do like were growers and not in a sense where I respected them a lot initially, moreso that they wore me down - Hell, a lot of his worst ever material has also been put out in this time and they didn’t immediately hit me as terrible until they also wore me down. Wearing down seems to the default mode of Post Malone nowadays and it’s reflected in both his best and worst songs, with this being a refreshing example of his exhaustion, starting with a refusal to acknowledge his flaws over this gorgeous liquidy blend of acoustics and twinkling pads that eventually sink behind the plundering bass and kick drums. Post doesn’t sound devastated, just lifeless, but still selling the content with his devoted warble he can never really get out of, pushing himself back into this isolating rut. Naturally, it’s Post, so the melancholy is found in the midst of meaningless flexing, but it just hits home how little any of this ultimately matters. I remember the first time I heard that drop in the second verse I was genuinely taken quite aback, and those little details in the final chorus with Post’s strained backing vocals and the rushing acoustics playing off the kick accentuate the utter frustration at play so brilliantly

#14

This one is a very recent addition to the list, as it just became a hit in the past few weeks! It’s already up there with some of the best dance hits of the year, AND it’s buy a guy with a funny name. What’s not to like?

#14 - “DNA (Loving You)” - Billy Gillies featuring Hannah Boleyn (Peak: #12 so far)

This one should be achingly simple to understand its appeal, but there are more layers than even I expected, really. That cheap synth pattern is surrounded by haunting ambiance that really recontextualise the cutesy lyrics regarding never questioning that loving this person is in Hannah Boleyn’s DNA. She’s not fully selling the lyrics either, it’s a filtered, not-many-risks-taken performance pushed to the front of the mix over a hammering four-on-the-floor bounce. Yet it’s not really a bounce, more of just a standing and jumping in place in a weird level of weary acceptance. It all builds up with the layered clttering percussion to a jerky synth line and the acoustic guitar that seems to clash a tad, bringing it back to the ATB chill-out nostalgia wave in a similar way to Peggy Gou’s hit this year, but with less certainty, bringing a new edge to that sound that you perhaps wouldn’t expect to hear 20 years past it fading out into the background. What really convinced me is that outro, where Boleyn is stripped of any surrounding rhythm, with both the refrain and a new, slightly off-beat verse laid bare onto the cascading synths. That verse in particular is just a brilliant touch to add more depth to the song without extending it unnecessarily, it feels like a moment of difference you want to capture and pick upon but the fact it’s never expanded on just leaves me wanting to replay the track more and find more of that hiding within it. There really isn’t a grander scope or message with this one, it’s just a greatly-orchestrated EDM track put together in a way that allows for a unique sound and doesn’t really want you to do much more with it than that, which is a kind of simplicity I can respect, especially if the product is so catchy and replayable. Now for what I probably played a bit less…

Honourable Mentions

Whilst we’re on dance, we may as well run through the EDM songs that missed the list proper, because there was actually a lot of good EDM - maybe not a lot of GREAT EDM, but it was a more unique and interesting scene in the UK particularly this year and last.

“Rush” - Troye Sivan

I’m counting this as EDM because 1.) it’s fascinating how his producers so effortlessly pulled off that “making an original hook sound like it was always a sample” trick and 2.) screw you, it’s my list, and this is a funky house song. I also am the singular authority on genres, by the way, so whilst we’re here, Kenny G is a rapper.

“AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” - Beyoncé

It really is a shame that most of the weirder house cuts from RENAISSANCE didn’t get pushed but this is absolutely a good example of what could have been.

“Miracle” - Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding

This song has such a perfect formula that I’m convinced “Desire” is the second in a trilogy where he records the same exact song with a female, non-binary and male vocalist. I’m expecting “Heaven” with Miguel anytime soon.

“(It Goes Like) Nanana” - Peggy Gou

One of the out-of-nowhere hits that actually had a lot of longevity this year, I’m delighted this slice of refreshing 90s chill-out worship is as adored as it is.

“Rumble” - Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan

This is basically two different very distinct song ideas confined to two and a half minutes of shuttering grime: I do not know how Skrillex pulls it off so well.

“Disconnect” - Becky Hill and Chase & Status

This was incredibly close to making the list. Chase & Status may not have a winner with everything they put out but this year they single (double?) handedly made me have any faith in Becky Hill as an artist.

“Rave Out” - Turno, Skepsis and Charlotte Plank

The only reason this is not on the list proper is because there is a song about to enter the top 40 soon that does a similar thing in a way that I much prefer, and would probably be a lock for next year’s list. Sorry, you three, this is otherwise stellar. And now, once again, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

#13

…And when the day bleeds into nightfall…

#13 - “How I’m Feeling Now” - Lewis Capaldi (Peak: #24)

Who’da thunk it? Good ol’ frog-throat strained-cat Lewis Capaldi nearing the top 10 best hits of the year. Why? Well, he finally went and made an acoustic ballad with emo-pop melodies. I’m kind of simple in that regard. Okay, it’s deeper than that: the song is a pretty open and revealing look into Capaldi’s constant self-doubt, not just of his own success but how he overthinks his words and actions, feeling like he needs to tell a manipulated version of his own truth for the sake of keeping up appearances. It’s not exactly more subtle than the rest of Capaldi’s singles, in fact, I’d argue it ends at a length of unsubtlety he hadn’t reached before, but it starts off pretty simple, with Capaldi’s wordy, lower-register verses over a flickering acoustic guitar. His vocal delivery almost skews pop-punk in the pre-chorus and bridge, to the point where I think a rock cover of this would absolutely kill, especially with that somewhat populist cry for a toast in the chorus, wherein the harmonies are just way too satisfying. It would also however take out some of the oomph of the song - it’s more convincing to hear a man sound unsatisfied when he’s yelling over a comfortable bed of delicate strings and guitars. The song really gets to that idea of not living but just existing, and I think a heavier presentation that fits Capaldi’s vocals would actually be kind of detrimental to what’s uniquely effective about the song. The way the chorus just swings into the bridge of false promises is brilliant before that brilliant, almost Britpop swell in the final refrain is one of my favourite set-ups to a climax in pop music this year. This was a year with a lot of competition for wonderfully-composed and put-together tracks so the fact that Lewis Capaldi ended up pretty high on that list… the bar must be set higher, my friends.

#12

What can I say? She still has it.

#12 - “Tension” - Kylie Minogue (Peak: #19)

Kylie Minogue’s never really - at least in her hits - pre-empted discourse in the way that, say, a Madonna does - although, I know that’s a bit of a sour comparison for both fanbases. Instead, in her hit singles, Kylie tends to hit on two separate bases - pure pop fluff and primal human instinct - usually at the same time, and her voice is iconic as a result of being somewhat of a vehicle of the pop machine in a way that has never felt overly commercial, at least not obsessively so. She plays the “pop queen” character with little off-stage drama, it’s played straight - despite her audience - and surprisingly enough, she’s still playing in those two arenas. “Tension” in particular goes for pure pop fluff in how fixated it is on just hooking the listener with refrain upon refrain, very much like a machine. You have the expected 90s vintage house pianos, Kylie and her choir of multi-tracked Kylies stuttering and repeating words that are so processed you barely even consider they’re words. Instead, they act as vehicles for some of the most noxiously infectious melodies of the year. Since I heard it, I have not been able to go two days without the “touch me right there!” appearing in my head somewhere, which in itself is just a recurring cloud in a sky full of drilled-in choruses, right before that plodding slap house bass drop and a static robot Kylie promising you she doesn’t bite. Every single detail is paid utmost attention, from the panned multi-tracking, the frenetic bass in the post-chorus, the rhythmic echoes in the pre-chorus, the way her “oh-oh”s seamlessly predict the “all night” and “oh my God” refrains that come later. I love when pop music is human but more often than not, I love when pop music is pop music and God, this is so brilliantly constructed from head to toe as a pop song. Oh, and just saying, none of Madonna’s singles this year have even gotten to the tip of this one’s troughs.

#11

You know, one trend in global pop music that was actually coherent and widespread in 2023 was the new fanaticism around “Jersey club” music, a form of EDM which has existed for a long time but gained much of its virality this year and the previous. Even within that genre of blue-balls structureless tracks, this one strikes a bit odd.

#11 - “Just Wanna Rock” - Lil Uzi Vert (Peak: #30)

When I’m in just the right mood for it, I will not experience more joy than when listening to “Just Wanna Rock”, which is bizarre because it’s not exactly a song made for that jumpy pop song bliss. It’s a one-dimensional song, yet its one dimension is already sort of confusing and not easy to latch onto. The song seems to constantly restart itself with the alien synth layers just splattered onto the track with little acknowledgement of how at some point there will be need to be a rhythm to accommodate it, so by the time the lo-fi Jersey club kicks come in, it seems like they’re just placed on there, yet it also creates an entirely new song because of how naturally driving those Jersey club rhythms here. Lil Uzi Vert… I mean, they’re just on a completely different wavelength to any human here, stretching their limited range to Auto-Tuned cries, yelps and whispers all within the span of seconds amidst annoying, echoing producer tags and a beat that just refuses to give up. It’s barely even a song, it’s an assortment of sound effects, yet that’s what so pure about it. The percussion is layered in a way that doesn’t feel entirely sequenced, it seems like a crowd is all snapping alongside Uzi, and the cacophony of sound effects and ad-libs emulates that inhuman and probably intoxicated state. The “song” devolves into Uzi just shouting “BUH!” endlessly over a minimal beat, until even that’s too much and we just get the beat punctuated with a stock vocal loop, and then even THAT’S too much to have so the song restarts again with that synth motif but because that would be too conventional and solid of a resolution, it quickly fades out. It’s an on-edge anticipation fest that lets its bare essentials satisfy instead of really caring for how it’s constructed as a song. I know both of the last three entries I all said were great examples of pop song construction. This is deconstruction. It’s a mess, I admire it. On a related note: DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN WHOA!

#10

This is also a recent addition, and one I’m very happy just clinched its spot.

#10 - “Back on 74” - Jungle (Peak: #25)

I feel like this one also semi-explains itself, not because it’s some world-gravitating smash hit that everyone and their favourite critic praised to high heavens, but more so because… I mean, have you heard it? It just works. It’s the tightest groove available played on the most clicky ram-shackle percussion section available, with a great vocal from Lydia Kitto that isn’t exactly a high-effort lyrical detail, especially considering the lack of enunciation and complex vocal layering probably wanting to distract you from them, but still reflects that stability of a nostalgic place - a place that becomes a time, and encapsulates everyone who was once there. Those clipping falsetto yelps keep the reminiscent chorus in check by making us realise it’s not a place and time you can experience anymore, but those memories do follow her - in fact, the great use of vocal group harmonies here probably reflect those people and those good times that have made the person who they are. Would they be there if those nostalgic memories weren’t an essential part of her? The twinkling synths, those horns that seem way too glazed to feel real, it’s in many ways a fantasy-sounding song, constructing some kind of ideal reality where she’s never gonna cry anymore. It never answers that pushing question of “where did it all go?” but doesn’t leave it to hang either, just kind of hypothetically accepting the past as what it is, especially with that abrupt switch into the vintage, almost eerie falsetto riffing of the outro. Something can be gone, something can not be there where you want it, and that’s fine… and that’s something I definitely needed to remind myself this year.

#9

Ask me in 15 years what the best hit song of 2023 is and my first response will be “why are you in my home?”, my second will be “only AI has been making songs for the past 10 years” and my third will be “Heaven” by Niall Horan.

#9 - “Heaven” - Niall Horan (Peak: #16)

Out of all the songs on this list, this one feels the most like a timeless British pop song. Much like with “Back on 74”, my leading argument here is - have you heard it? Yet unlike “Back on 74”, it doesn’t take many sonic or structural risks, it stays within the comforting mold it’s already set for itself, but it sets the standard immediately: 10 seconds of a choir so masked in vocal effects that harmonies become as much of a full-fledged phaser as the synths that warp around it, then crashing straight into a semi-acoustic pop rock jingle with an unforgettable bassline and kind of bizarre mastering, honestly, but that’s beside the point. This song is happy and lovestruck and it’s so happy and so lovestruck that it won’t shut up about it, and it’s going to reassure itself of how happy and lovestruck it is until one would understandably get sick of it. The only real risk this song takes structire-wise is that intro and the fact that the pre-chorus doesn’t come in until after the second verse, leaving for that bit of reassurance to only slide in when you could show any glimpse of doubt. The song has a certain ego about it too: “Heaven won’t be the same” - Niall Horan and his lover are so in love that even if the relationship breaks down they will permanently change the fabric of Heaven. And I believe it. He has the desperate belt, wistful multi-tracking, and sheer strength of belief that would convince anyone, especially when singing possibly the best chorus of the year, not just in hit songs. Surely a best chorus of the year would be #1 when it comes to pop songs but realistically the song isn’t some constructional masterpiece, but it has one absolutely lovely emotion that it will drill into you, and I’m personally completely fine with because THIS is true escapism.

#8

I teased earlier that there was a lot to like in this year’s EDM hits, here in the top 10 is when that point starts to be proven.

#8 - “So Much in Love” - D.O.D (Peak: #15)

You know, this actually has a lot in common with “Heaven”, bizarrely. The two songs sound nothing alike, sure, and they’re practically in different tenses - but both are very aware of the fragility of relationships yet yearn for a time of lawless bliss, whilst not taking many risks within their genre to the fullest effect due to how pure the emotion feels and how the songs perfectly slide into place. In D.O.D’s song, the relationship is in past-tense, desperately wanting to “take it back” to the time where their love was all that mattered, with a vocal sample chugging alongside church organs and chopped-up pitch-shifted vocals, as well as increasingly factorial percussion that runs off of its own beeping intensity until the song simply implodes in the drop. Yet the vocal sample continues to ask for peace and love even when there’s practically no melody to be found other than an oddly frenetic bassline jumping on and off a conveyor belt of house percussion, to the point where I think the song would make a great alarm to wake you up in the morning. Yet of course that desperacy comes to a temporary end - that beeping synth stretched on and off of the rhythm, flankering amidst a mix drenched in cloudy reverb and those Goddamn church organs that just really drive the song. Hell, it might be more similar to “Back on 74” in that regard: it just keeps on chugging on, asking but never receiving, allowing for the uglier elements of its percussion to ground the nostalgia. Yet this song never really stays grounded. The looping vocal is constant, honestly kind of annoying, the bass propels the song outside of this world, not back onto ground - the rocket has taken off by the time it really hits, and the vocal loop barely finishes its sentences with how the time of love felt so distant. We get a brief respite in what you could vaguely call an “outro” but it’s still far from grounded. And I just massively overthought a song which uses a stock sample that the Bad Boy Chiller Crew have also cribbed from. Genuinely, why else would you read my blog if not for stuff like that?

#7

Another very recent addition and one I’m incredibly happy to have the opportunity to talk about. Of all people to be in the top 40 as of writing…

#6 - “My Love Mine All Mine” - Mitski (Peak: #8 so far)

I’m not the biggest Mitski fan, to be honest, even if I love a lot of the output I’ve heard from her, and I’ve still yet to check out the full album that this originates from. I’m sure it hits even harder in context, but as a singular track, it’s incredibly touching as well. The main conceit is that Mitski wishes to bank her heart with the Moon, sending her love into the atmosphere so when she’s no longer around, which she accepts as an inevitability, the love that she felt and expressed for not only herself and other people but seemingly love for the world in general, will still be able to shine down on Earth. The second verse brings that second person in and whilst it frames itself as being about another woman, I could easily read it as being about those in her family and close relations in general who outlive her and have shown her how valuable she is a person. Mitski sounds almost disaffected as she sings these limbering verses over a vintage set of pianos and relaxed drums, a beautiful, very Brill Building-sounding composition to me that seems to relish in just acceptance. It’s also important to note how much that love means to her, as Mitski’s struggles to belong are in part dissipated by the value and worth she sees in her own ability to love and care, which she sees as her one true possession, the one thing that won’t cost her. As I get a bit older and have been doing this pop music review for a while, I’m finding a lot more solace in the sense of wisened realism that Mitski portrays here, finding value in her own death as something that may bring the joy and love she took ownership of in life to everyone else on Earth who deserves it, but it never slips out of her hands. It’s still absolutely hers.

Honourable Mentions

Alright, now for our biggest range of Honourable Mentions yet - pop and R&B, and everything that vaguely functions as both or in between. Listen, genres are strange and meaningless in the streaming era, this is just how we’ve got to do it.

“CUFF IT” - Beyoncé

Even when the song isn’t great on its own, Beyoncé is just so much of a presence that this ends up rivalling the best of other pop singers’ discographies.

“Lavender Haze” - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift was the biggest pop star of 2023, by far. She was the person the media cared most about, the public cared most about, and other celebrities seemed to care most about, creating record-breaking industry moments in music and film, yet most of her output this year were above average remakes of her older songs, so she’s practically a non-presence here, which feels kind of wrong, but hey ho. This is still a great album opener though.

“Creepin’” - Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage

I maintain that getting Travis Scott to replicate the Enya sample may be the most genius production idea anyone had in the past year. The rest of the song is just a pretty good cover of one of the best hit songs ever, that just barely didn’t pass as “not 2023 enough” for inclusion here.

“Calm Down” - Rema

This song is so adorable. I honestly wish I liked it more so there could be more Afrobeats representation in the list.

“My Love” - Leigh-Anne featuring Ayra Starr

Same goes for this one, and it was really close! The standard was just particularly high this year. Yes, I know that D-Block Europe were at #16.

“Jaded” - Miley Cyrus

I have mostly been completely uncaring towards Miley’s output this year, but this is a pretty brilliant pop song.

“UNHEALTHY” - Anne-Marie featuring Shania Twain

I nearly put this song in the final category and considered it a “country” song but even with how much I like the track and its Shania Twain stamp of approval, I think that would be taking the piss.

“You & Me” - JENNIE

If you’re wondering, the hit song this year titled the other way around - “Me & You” by Central Cee - would squarely be in the top 10 worst hit songs of this year. In fact, while we’re here…

The 10 worst hit songs of 2023

Same rules, but keeping it to one song per artist:

#10 - “Chemical” - Post Malone

#9 - “Used to be Young” - Miley Cyrus

#8 - “The Color Violet” - Tory Lanez

#7 - “Search & Rescue” - Drake

#6 - “ONE MORE TIME” - blink-182

#5 - “All My Life” - Lil Durk featuring J. Cole

#4 - “K-POP” - Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd

#3 - “Me & You” - Central Cee

#2 - “Like Crazy” - Jimin

#1 - “Alone” - Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj

None of these should be a surprise to those who followed the weekly series and I refuse to spend more time than I have on songs I really don’t want to give the light of day. Now to continue with those that I do…

#6

I quite rarely have a pure and emotive response to songs I review on the weekly Friday show. I mean, I do to the extent that every response to a piece of art is an emotive response but rarely does a song, even one I really love or hate, take me by the proverbial balls as much as this one did. The only other song to do that this year didn’t reach the top 40. But this one did, and you have no idea how happy it made me.

#6 - “Ready to Fly” - Sub Focus and Dimension (Peak: #29)

This song is just absolutely everything I want a song to be, and I think that’s why it made me so happy on first listen because if you asked me to write down what I think a charting EDM song should sound like, I’m pretty sure this would be the audio version of what I end up noting down. I also gave a pretty in-depth review of this on that week, which feels like ages ago now, but months later, I still get the same rush. The vocals are uncredited, though I think they may be from Jo Hill since she’s credited as a songwriter, and you may not see them as important but I think they emulate the music pretty brilliantly, being stuck in the middle during the pre-drop, simultaneously drowning and rising and just needing someone - or more accurately, something - to lift her up into the sky and the song does just that because this is one of the most immaculately produced hardcore EDM tracks I’ve heard. You actually start in the middle of the action with a weedy synth, a brief flute that seldom comes back amidst the incomprehensible vocal loops overlapping each other like waves crashing into fellow waves on the way to go erode some cliffs. The constant hit of the light drum hit just resting there, testing your patience, until a roll of 90s pianos come in, after the mix have basically already clipped, alongside a perfect drum fill that again, takes its time of a few measures before it gets back into the mix alongside that nasty bass that refuses to bring much attention to itself before it really needs to, crashing into a drum and bass drop that just goes immensely hard, stupidly so, and almost feels alien to the chorus that developed it, so it’s only fitting that same weedy synth eventually erodes that drop in a lathering mysterious soundscape that seems prepared to just copy-paste its drop as the rattling breakbeats, vintage piano… don’t seem all too interested in doing the same thing twice. Instead, they come in more subtly amidst that flute from earlier, until that vocal sample plays - “let’s do it now” - and we get an abrupt bait-and-switch until a four-on-the-floor hardcore kick pushing the rubbery vocal into sounding even more like it’s underwater, with the rest of the song pre-occupied in pushing itself even further into the depths whilst keeping one eye out, extended into the air. This is a journey of a song, and one I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first listen. Now speaking of journeys…

#5

This one also feels a bit obvious, especially if you have talked to me about pop music this year, but unlike the other obvious picks… this one did go a bit further under the radar than “Escapism.”, it isn’t as recent and unexpected as “My Love Mine All Mine” and isn’t exactly my genre as much as “Ready to Fly” or “Heaven”. Despite all of that, it’s higher on the list and was a massive comfort for me this year.

#5 - “ceilings” - Lizzy McAlpine (Peak: #6)

I guess it’s a bit weird that I find this song comforting. After all, it’s got a tense chorus build-up, it’s a pretty heart-aching ballad about nothing described in this idealistic relationship actually being real. Hell, that twist at the end that it was all in past tense and it was practically a fantasy retelling I could even see as being used against the song because it may damage the emotional connection you develop with the song’s narrative… but I call BS on that, because there are various hints dropped towards this relationship being finished; “I have to go”, “it’s so short” - every start of a movie has to have its ending, the twist is built up pretty effectively. Even if it weren’t, I think that outro is just shattering, especially because of the blissful images you get, some detail being left out or kept vague to keep that cinematic scene intact as well as ensuring some of this is far gone in McAlpine’s memory. You can imagine the pictures, framed on the wall, being torn down with that strings swell, the accounts being deleted, everything happening in reverse like it was a real romance film. But it all starts humbly, with that scratchy acoustic guitar, gorgeous vocals from McAlpine, with the microphone picking up a lot of subtle details in her vocal takes that display a lot more character than you’d perhaps expect from someone who’s only having their first hits now. Yet I still wonder why it gives me comfort. I think it’s because now I know the song, its staggered drums, its widening of the almost call-and-response melody in the verses, I know what’s coming and that climax comes as a perfect climax. It’s like a comfort movie, one that’s light watching because you know all the plot beats but it just works for you every time… so really this song does feel like a movie I’ve seen before, and will rewatch again and again. Now, we’ve had a lot of slower or more lyrically heavy songs, and we will finish the list off with them, so let’s have some bitter, pissy fun.

#4

Ahem…  slay, Queen of Tax Evasion! Did I use “slay” right?

#4 - “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” - Bizarrap and Shakira (Peak: #31)

If you weren’t paying attention, Bizarrap is an Argentine producer who makes freestyle-esque music videos with Latin stars and has a whole YouTube series doing so. Recently, he’s been gathering much bigger stars and this seems to be his peak, as he orchestrated what was practically the comeback for living legend Shakira, and she came back bitingly, with a song fully in Spanish about how she is so awesome. Because she is! And even though the song is an in-depth diss track towards her ex-husband and his affair with a younger woman, it still feels much more about Shakira being back and more passionate than ever. In fact, she basically pulls down her ex’s image in the first verse, revealing that despite the media and press, the version she got of him was the absolute worst version, not worthy of the “champion” label he brands himself given he was one of the most decorated football players of all time. She only shows signs of vulnerability when she can fleetingly twist it into a strength, and everyone - his mother, his new girlfriend - are caught in the crossfire, but once again, it’s all in relation to her, and you can tell even through all the bitterness remaining, that she’s having a lot of cathartic fun with this. It’s not like she’s pulling Bizarrap’s weight here either, as this is not a typical reggaeton beat or anything, this is an intricate synthpop beat full of switch-ups that all feel effortless and like they were done in-studio during the recording, as is the general tone of his video series. The drums hit surprisingly hard amidst the almost condescending 80s pastiche, and that’s where Bizarrap really shines, with those kicks feeling like they accentuate not only Shakira’s insanely catchy melodies but like they punch in at every spare breath she leaves in the take. The popping tropical drums that come in during that wonderfully angry second verse, as well as all the sound effects, make moments that seem out of the blue basically new hooks, and it shows how adaptable the writing of this song truly is, Shakira struck gold with some of the genuinely clever wordplay here, and definitely each pocket she finds here. The interception of her just being an effortless, swaggering presence and the “anything goes” approach Bizarrap brings to percussion creates upwards of 20 massive “moments” that undoubtedly sported this song as a brief yet essential viral comeback hit, and definitely helped the all-Spanish song land in the top 40 in the UK which just never happens. Seriously though, Bizarrap is insane with the drums on this, especially in its final breaths from the trap drop to the final chorus fill to how everything just washes out by the end. God, it’s perfect. Also Shakira please marry me-

#3

One of the cultural touchstones of this year was the… mostly pretty good Barbie movie, with its emotional ending heavily integrating this very song, because no, of course that weird, still-feels-a-bit-forced cultural moment isn’t getting just a fleeting reference in this list.

#3 - “What Was I Made For?” - Billie Eilish (Peak: #1)

Okay, maybe it is. I liked the film but didn’t love it and find a lot more value in this song as a milestone piece in Billie Eilish’s discography and narrative, even if it perfectly fits into Barbie’s as well, than I do as a soundtrack piece. It’s a remarkably simple and mostly very straightforward track in terms of its writing and a lot of its production, but it gives me goosebumps honestly every time. It was a lot lower in this list initially but after listening to it once again, it really deserves to be this high. FINNEAS’ production is at a signature minimalism, with the lowly, distanced pianos, at some point slightly chopped in the mix in the intro, which never stood out to me until now and resonates a lot with me, mostly because of the overall theme of the song which is being identity-less. Eilish, after two very successful albums, has a bit of a “break time” but one mostly littered with touring, press coverage and one-offs like this or that EP from earlier in 2022. The cohesive themes of those last two projects can’t be realised in these loosies, sure, but this one particularly is about a level of uncertainty that’s taken a toll on Eilish’s mental state, especially her self-esteem, as she tries to fit into moulds of femininity that she struggles to see much value in, seeing herself as just a toy, a product, under the microscope of society and pop culture as a whole. This is all handled incredibly delicately and with very straightforward, nearly exclusively monosyllabic lyrics, which I find a really inspired choice amidst the whispery synth mist and gorgeous strings that undercut the song, yet are unable to overshadow Billie, whose voice is - as it often is - straight at the front of the mix, making the song feel incredibly intimate and that you can hear the damage this lack of identity has done to her, especially when her voice trails off from the multi-tracked harmonies to a mumbling croak in the chorus. That speck of hope in how she’s never silenced, never fallen victim to the surrounding instrumentation, makes her feel like much less of a burden: it’s an optimistic song, ultimately, knowing that whilst she may not be able to fit into the characters pre-designed and chosen for her, she can be happy, and she’s made to be happy, and will wait until she is, regardless of how long it takes. I adore this song, I didn’t think it’d end up this high initially but the more I think about it, the more it really registers with me at the moment and it’s brilliantly pulled off. FINNEAS is an excellent producer and the tiny little details he places here are just perfectly sequenced for what he needs to convey. In fact, he’s so good he may or may not be on the list twice.

#2

This list really did not mean to be one song per artist. I kept it that way for the worst list so I don’t look like a hater but for the best list, it really just was a diverse enough group of high-quality songs. This next one, however, is the one technical exception.

#2 - “Never Felt So Alone” - Labrinth (Peak: #33)

For those of you who haven’t heard it, this song features uncredited vocals from Billie Eilish. Would the song be good without her? I mean, it could have gotten into the Honourable Mentions, but the real reason this is an exception to the one-song-per-artist rule is because of how integral the duet dynamic is in this track.

There are almost too many layers to this despite it only being two and a half minutes, I don’t know where to start. So firstly, this is a break-up song where we get two different perspectives, one from Labrinth and the other from Billie, though how much more Labrinth gets to say is also really interesting, but we’ll get to that. They both have jarringly separate perspectives that come to the same conclusion of loneliness, like one half of their very being has been cut off quite suddenly, though with Labrinth, that seems to come with troughs of aspirations, a lot of which make him seem more important. A drunken, broken man sitting in his car not able to finish his sentences without Billie’s voice chiming in for the harmony, slowly going insane after a break-up not because of a mutual love and appreciation but rather because of how Billie had formed such an integral part of Labrinth’s identity. He calls himself “this” and “this man”, dehumanising and depersonalising himself into a figurine rather than a coherent human being, thinking about how little of a purpose he serves without his ex-partner. The pre-chorus, interestingly only sang once, evokes marriage with the “all-white leather”, and sees Billie as the interior to Labrinth’s exterior ego, building this relationship up as something that formed his character rather than forming a real bond, especially with Eilish’s fleeting backing vocals that reference her “dying somewhere in the dark” - it’s not her that was important to him, it’s how she made him appear and feel externally, with her acting as the fuel for both his esteem and his downward spiral. The imagery of the “whip” and its “interior” just furthers this idea that Billie was little more than a vehicle for Labrinth’s own motivation. Eilish, who gets a short excerpt of a verse, sings of the betrayal she feels, wishing that she could have seen the red flags from the beginning, and now being able to stand back and see the relationship for what it is, it seems like Labrinth was just on the chase for something to fulfil him and saw that in the relationship, rather than the “new best friend” Billie thought she found. Instead of the entire world falling apart like in Labrinth’s verse, Billie takes ownership of that world that fell apart, because it was her worldview and perspective that Labrinth took advantage of.

Oh, yeah, this is a music list, not a poetry sound. How does it sound? Well, when you have Labrinth on co-production with FINNEAS and Fred again.., you can almost confirm those little perfect narrative details and this is a pretty wonky song in all its melancholy, even coming off as slightly goofy at times due to just how disarticulated it is structure-wise, often paralleling its lyrics. You start with distorted yelps that seem to have no relation to the song’s composition before a solid, stagnant alternative R&B beat comes in, with each snare feeling so unnecessarily spare. Labrinth’s backing vocals are rendered by the production chopping them up as incoherent drunken babbling, processed to feel even less natural and human, excommunicating him from Billie’s idealistic view of him even further. It’s an immaculate, genius production and hits so hard, especially with the bass in the second chorus and how the song continues to empty itself, build up more layers only for the vocal leads to become even more sparing and fragmented; I don’t think I’ve ever heard Billie as loose as she is on than on this verse. An overall excellent song, not one I’d even expect to chart, and whilst it may not tell the more personal, resonant story out of the two Eilish songs on this list, it has a much grander and compelling narrative to tell that I think perfectly aligns, yet not seamlessly, with the sonics of the track. Yet… it’s not my #1.

Honourable Mentions

Now, before the #1, for our final sweep of Honourable Mentions: rock, indie, alternative, folk, country, whatever the Hell that wasn’t already covered.

“How Does it Feel” - Tom Grennan

I’m so happy Tom Grennan finally won me over. It feels like he’s been cock-teasing me with music that should be better than it is for like two years.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” - Oliver Anthony Music

My lawyer advised me not to comment on this one.

“Life Goes On” - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran had a low-key year despite his several releases, and I feel like this pretty heart-breaking ballad exemplifies his best moment in recent years quite  well.

“Say Yes to Heaven” - Lana Del Rey

“A&W” peaking at #41 is why I lose sleep at night. For the record, “Paris, Texas” peaked at #48 and was the only other song to make me have a noticeably emotive response on first listen during the chart show. If they peaked in the top 40, I can’t confirm where either song would be but chances are at least one would be in my top five.

“Cha Cha Cha” - Kaarija

I’m pretty sure this song qualifies for every honourable mention sub-category.

“I Remember Everything” - Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves

If this were “Spotless” instead, or “Jake’s Piano - Long Island”, or “East Side of Sorrow”, or “Holy Roller”, or “Smaller Acts”… okay, really most tracks would do from that Zach Bryan self-titled album, chances are I’d have a country song actually make the list proper.

“Black Friday” - Tom Odell

I still haven’t fully come to terms with this one exactly. I think I’ll regret not giving it a place in a few months but for now, I don’t think I can coherently write about what makes it so special. Ironically, that’s also a problem I face somewhat with my #1 pick.

#1

So, this is a weird one. It’s definitely not following the trend of my #1 hit songs, if I really have a trend in that department. It feels much simpler, much more transcendent and also much less reflective of the year as a whole. It’s also not one I gave an initially positive review. In fact, I was quite negative in my first review so I think I grew to love the song in the way one grows to love a younger sibling. There was a weird journey with this song that I didn’t have with any of the other 19 - every single one of those got beaming reviews from the outset. In fact, I’m sure you could argue every single one of those 19 songs is better than this one, or at least more unique, more reflective of my mood this year, the events and trends in pop music of this year, if you can really create a coherent list of that. If there’s one thing I wanted to do this year though, in a year of exhausting change in my life and seemingly everything surrounding it, it was to be in a state of not thinking. Some kind of bizarre hypno state where I don’t need to go through any physical or mind hurdles to enjoy myself. More than anything, I wanted to be whelmed. There is one song that never overwhelmed or underwhelmed me this year, one that I could go to for comfort, even when I didn’t really consider myself as liking the song. Hell, that’s how I started liking it: I would just listen to it because I wanted something I knew wouldn’t in some way challenge me. Maybe I’m just shallow and nervous or I’m getting older and realising what I want pop music to do is not to surprise me or innovate before our eyes. I just want something to know, to make me feel, but maybe not to make me react.

#1 - “REACT” - Switch Disco featuring Ella Henderson and Robert Miles (Peak: #4)

I really don’t even know where to begin with this one, or where to end. A lot of the songs within the top 20 and the Honourable Mentions exist in some way to surprise, energise, compel - I’m not sure if this song exists to make me feel anything. I’m sure it has a pretty good effect in nightclubs, but it seems too watery and transparent to be played there often. It would sound terrible when on a compressed car radio, and it’s too programmed to be effectively performed live without major adjustments. It does little to surprise - it uses the classic “Children” sample from the late Robert Miles to great effect but it’s not like that’s new. In fact, I called it a “cut-and-paste job” in my initial review, which really was quite uncharitable of me looking back at it: the sample’s most prevalent in the chorus but its piano motifs maintain a cute presence within the verses and pre-chorus, and the original song’s thematic purpose seems pretty well implemented. The original song has a certain eerieness to it but only if you over-think its dated acoustic guitars and new-age sensibilities, which only intend to allow for each echoed rain droplet to find its way back to the pond after adventuring to your bedroom or car window. Fittingly for a trance song, it’s practically trance-inducing, not because it’s mind-numbingly repetitive but because it is utter submersion into a world you don’t even want to think about, and instead just experience. I’m sure Robert Miles would see no purpose in what I’m doing analysing his gorgeous instrumental piece. It’s to be experienced, enjoyed - it’s to be felt, not explained. And to be clear, it is really difficult to explain what makes “Children” so special, and that’s equally true for “REACT”, which packages the catchiest elements of Miles’ composition into a modern pop song. That should feel wrong, right? It should feel like a misfire. But instead, it’s beautiful: the world becomes routine, wonderland becomes the expected. Within a year where I felt like everyone was happening at once in both my personal life and the world as a whole, I want to be able to turn my brain off, and only “REACT”, ironically, could stop those chemicals in my brain from moving to conclusions. That first line, “24/7, on my mind, day and night, all the time, you ain’t even by my side” has always resonated with me: “REACT” is a love song but that line has always felt like it reflected how constant and comforting the music is, even if it’s far from tangible. Every part of this song, from the cheap finger-snaps to the alluring backdrop of its Robert Miles sample, to the factorial percussion somehow forming a human patter on the liquid house production, and especially those moments that just hit like routine for me each time: the acoustic guitars in the pre-chorus, that final drop just being the embrace of all that is simple and human.

“REACT” doesn’t really say anything pop music or 2023 as a year in the grand socio-political sense, I think it just says something about me and how I wanted to live and feel this year, which is a refreshing thing to say when the default mode of communication is toxic discourse. I’m definitely pontificating about this song more than intended or maybe deserved, but I’m not going to say music is of any less inherent value based on its structure and form, how it sounds, what it samples, what chart placement it reached. Art’s value is found in how you REACT.

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Just kidding, “fukumean” by Gunna is actually #1. Eeyup! Thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[arithmeticanimaniac]

tag someone you want to know better

tagged by @romanceyourdemons

favorite color: bright pink (also any happy color)

last song: the last song i deliberately played was either “Almost Like Being in Love” by Nat King Cole or “September in the Rain” by Dinah Washington, but the last song that came up on shuffle was “Juliet” by LMNT

last movie: either around the world in 80 days (2004) or inception (2010)

currently watching: the last season of archer (2009)

other stuff i watched this year: lmao i actually have a lot of half baked reviews in my drafts but i never posted them because i’m almost always at my queue limit so here’s my chance to do a rapid fire round of reviews (based entirely on whether i enjoyed them)

how to marry a millionaire (1953) 👍 too many people forget what a comedic genius marilyn monroe was

Love Sarah (2020) 👍 🥲 a bakery, romance, grief and healing, intergenerational bonding, what more could you want

My man Godfrey (1936) 👎 boring

bringing up baby (1938) 👎 it has its moments, blueprint for disney channel show shenanigans

memories of the sword (2015) 👍 sooooo melodramatic

The Dig (2018) 👍 haunting

the misfits (2021) 👍 it is Not Good, but inexplicably charming

Free guy (2021) 👍 responsible for the resurgence of mariah carey in my playlist

Papillon (2017) 🤷🏻‍♀️ hard to get through but not bad

Chungking Express (1994) 👍 i’m not usually an atmospheric film type, but wow

The Lost City (2022) 👍 i had fun

The French dispatch (2021) 🤷🏻‍♀️ tried watching this multiple times, fell asleep each time but the fact that i tried multiple times means it goes on this list

most of the movies in the DCAMU (2013-2020) 👍 i saw a gif from Teen Titans: the Judas contract (2017) which led me to watch 11 of these 16 movies lmao curse you tumblr

Blue crush (2002) 👎

the Batman (2022) 👎

Lost in the stars (2022) 👍 the whole thing could’ve been avoided if (spoilers) were lesbian, but anyways it made me want to visit hainan and shanghai

Dumplings (2004) 👍 i mean i can’t eat dumplings anymore without gagging but

the burning sea (2021) 🤷🏻‍♀️ i remember laughing at the cheesiness (idk how accurately they translated from norwegian), but solid disaster movie

alive (2020) 👍 korean filmmakers really know zombies, but mix in quarantine era

Palm Springs (2020) 👍 went into this blind expecting white lotus lol (very much not white lotus)

The babysitter: killer queen (2020) 👍 i can only do horror if it’s campy horror

the menu (2022) 👎 well made movie, not for me

blockers (2018) 👍

joy ride (2023) 👍

Spider-Man: across the spider-verse (2023) 👍

king arthur: legend of the sword (2017) 👍 i don’t care i enjoyed its ridiculousness

Austenland (2013) 👍 it’s so bad!! i laughed, i cringed, i awww’ed

the tuxedo (2002) 🤷🏻‍♀️ better enjoyed in highlight clips

Matilda the musical (2022) 👎 if i hadn’t seen the danny devito version i might have enjoyed this

heathers the musical (2022) 👎 the off bway actors were better

Mayhem (2017) 👍 samara weaving and steven yeun! another movie apollo threw a covid dodgeball at

Charlie Chan at the wax museum (1940) 🤷🏻‍♀️ could’ve been good, hard to watch with the yellowface and racism

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) 👍

shows i dropped this year/didn’t finish: justified (2010), killing eve (2018) , gannibal (2022), beef (2023), doom patrol (2019)

currently reading: bel canto, but mainly just a lot of medical articles

currently working on: finding a new job because hellooooo 2 year itch

current obsession: ok so if you look at english language sources, most say that pregnant onions are toxic and therefore not edible. however, the medicinal value of pregnant onions is apparently not uncommon knowledge in other cultures (fuck yeah china and south africa). so a family friend gave us a few mature plants that make into soup and i picked off the little seedlings and have been tending to them. that led to spending more time tending to my other plants (i have a lot more loquat trees than i remember) and now i’m trying to air layer some stuff. TLDR; gardening

tagging anyone who wants to do this :)

[tinamrazik]

TINA: THE TINA TURNER  MUSICAL TRIUMPHANT DEBUT AT THE BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS JAN 17-29

Love has everything to do with this Broadway Show

 First, let me preface with review by stating I am a HUGE Tina Turner fan.  My first introduction when I was a kid was my mother giving me the 8-track (google it kids) for Ike & Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits.” It was at that moment my musical landscape would be forever changed. I have seen Turner live in concert many times, had the honor of meeting her in 1984 just as her musical resurgence was taking hold.  She was then, and still is the epitome of elegance, grace, and the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes. A two-time inductee in the Rock-And-Roll Hall of Fame (one with husband Ike in 1991, second as a solo artist in 2021) Tina’s life is one of legend. Pain, loss, abuse, love, discrimination, resurrection, it is all there and more.  It is written in books, I, Tina, by Turner herself in 1986, the incredible motion picture, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” in 1993 (starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne), and now the smash musical I came to see tonight, “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.” Born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee in 1939, I’m sure she never dreamed where her life would take her.  “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical”, honors her life and cements her iconic status as the undisputed Queen of Rock’N’Roll.

Having said all this, I was not sure what to expect with tonight’s performance. The production in association with Tina Turner herself, I wondered how far it would delve into her life story. What I experienced was an amazing show worthy of a Queen. Actress Ayvah Johnson as young Anna Mae, steals the spotlight with her amazing voice, charm, and stage presence. Not to mention she’s got some serious dance moves.  Naomi Rodgers as the adult Turner, is stunning in her portrayal of Turner. She may not possess Tina’s famous growl vocally, but her voice is a powerhouse filled with emotion and finesse. She embodies the spirit of Turner every moment she takes the stage. Ann Nesby as Gran Georgeanna (Tina’s grandmother) is as sweet as she is wise. Phyllida Lloyd of ‘Mamma Mia!’ fame, as Director has created a seamless production that hits with every song performance. Interweaving Turner’s hits throughout the musical as not just ‘concert moments’ but storytelling gives the songs new meaning and a fresh outlook.

Anna Mae’s tumultuous relationship with her mother Zelma, (played by Roz White) is a slap of cold hard reality both with the young and older Turner. Garrett Turner as Ike mad me grimace every time he was in view. Garrett’s portrayal of the devil incarnate is mild in comparison to the real thing but it was close enough. His maniacal, ego-driven, narcissist drug fueled character, isn’t likeable in the least. Yet, Garrett pulled off a great performance. Performances with the Ikettes brings back great memories and showcases the intricacies of their early stage shows.

The musical numbers are downright amazing. I Want to Take You Higher, the iconic River Deep-Mountain High (complete with Geoffrey Kidwell as Phil Spector), Open Arms, I Can’t Stand the Rain, What’s Love Got to do With It, We Don’t Need Another Hero, and the incomparable Proud Mary (complete with Turner’s legendary intro for the song), the list goes on. The final number The Best, was high energy good old fashioned rock’n’roll. Just the way Tina likes it. “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”, is an event. It is a culmination of a life worth lived; A glimpse into the life of one of the greatest performers of all time.  Best of all, like in life, “Tina - The Tina Turner Musical” has a happy ending.

[killjoy121710]

I posted 9,950 times in 2022

That's 1,246 more posts than 2021!

11 posts created (0%)

9,939 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ferpykins

@queenofcrabs

@beauandarrow

@reaperlight

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I tagged 469 of my posts in 2022

#mcr - 23 posts

#bnha - 20 posts

#lmao - 19 posts

#my chemical romance - 17 posts

#💀 - 16 posts

#gerard way - 13 posts

#lol - 11 posts

#dn - 11 posts

#💀💀💀 - 9 posts

#amazing - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#but tonight i was kinda watching american ninja warrior over the half wall cause my dad was watching it but i was working on a cover letter

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Aight hope y’all are ready

1 note - Posted November 30, 2022

#4

This whole situation screams tulpa

1 note - Posted November 21, 2022

#3

Aight I need someone to draw up Edward Elric and bakugou katsuki interacting/meeting/fighting whatever. I just want to see it so bad

1 note - Posted October 5, 2022

#2

Badly drawn anime if you’re out there I love and miss you.

1 note - Posted September 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The mcr resurgence I’ve been experience on my dash is LOVELY. I wish to become once again, the follower that gets on once a day and slams every reblog and fills your dash with nothing but mcr pics. The average fan Hates Them! It’s me

3 notes - Posted May 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[merulanoir]

I posted 7,760 times in 2022

That's 1,916 more posts than 2021!

317 posts created (4%)

7,443 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@flowers-all-around-me

@sorrelchestnut

@vaspider

@geardrops

@cat-boy-tits

I tagged 2,862 of my posts in 2022

#dishonored - 297 posts

#blackbirb babbles - 201 posts

#our flag means death - 139 posts

#dnd - 117 posts

#judaism - 82 posts

#dragon age - 70 posts

#horizon forbidden west - 57 posts

#disco elysium - 56 posts

#death stranding - 47 posts

#the witcher - 46 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#id feel so much more welcome at a pride thats a riot and welcomes kinky people than at whatever sanitized toothless crap some folks promote

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Fucking hate the feeling when you're bored and your brain hurts because it craves engagement but at the same time nothing feels appealing, no hobby or videogame or activity feels like worth the effort, so you just sit on the couch like

>:(

219 notes - Posted May 7, 2022

#4

Some days the executive really dysfunctions huh.

351 notes - Posted March 24, 2022

#3

I continue being amazed just how much of an effect starting hrt had on my sexuality. I used to think I was attracted to guys and masc-presenting people, but sike! My crushes on guys were 90% my debilitating dysphoria going gotta be one of my favorite genders, that.

I've been on T for 1.5 years, and in that time I've done something of a 180; I get weak in the knees for femmes and feminine people. I have zero wish to be feminine myself, but....girls pretty......

This has been (and keeps being) an interesting journey. I very much identify as "just some guy" but I can't deny feeling a massive kinship with butches and he/him lesbians. I present fairly binary in my irl life just for safety reasons, but everything about how I experience attraction, gender, and sexuality is profoundly queer.

This also goes to show how sometimes you won't know everything about yourself before the blaring alarm of dysphoria is finally addressed and silenced. I just want to give a shout-out to everyone who thought they were flavor A, only to later change their mind. Having the headspace to figure this stuff out is priceless. Obviously most people probably know their sexuality before transition, but I just want to reiterate that it's okay if you don't. Seems like I didn't.

Before life settled down, these kinds of odd and even contradictory vibes would have made me anxious. I would have felt like I have to pick one and own it a 100%. Now I'm just...kind of content to sit with these ideas. Maybe one will grow bigger than the others. Maybe not. All this comes before I even touch the fact that I'm some flavor of aroace. :D

I've become more private in recent years but maybe sharing this insight will help someone. I'm 31, which isn't that old, but I know I would have needed examples of older (not old, lmao) folks transitioning. Especially with the recent resurgence of TERF bullshit and hate against trans guys and transmasc people, I feel it's important to show that the people behind online handles are both more complicated than you'd think AND that they're still. Just some guy.

Peace, and happy pride month. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

523 notes - Posted June 14, 2022

#2

I fucking love it here, I'm never leaving Tumblr.

525 notes - Posted November 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

My partner was mailing me a care package and she asked if I'd like "a Kim Kitsuragi print."

Obviously I said yes, thinking she meant, like, a printed picture.

WRONG

See the full post

6,889 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[abvfluxing]

I posted 6,557 times in 2022

That's 2,150 more posts than 2021!

95 posts created (1%)

6,462 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@gravityjunior

@dragonbearmonk

@punchy-mchurtyfist

@biglawbear

@skiingcows

I tagged 117 of my posts in 2022

#reblogging until someone tells me im cute - 4 posts

#still at this - 3 posts

#about me - 2 posts

#lmaoooo - 2 posts

#tumblr - 2 posts

#im a carrie - 1 post

#deity of pooping and shidding - 1 post

#one of my greatest failures - 1 post

#tumblr help - 1 post

#tumblr support - 1 post

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#legit thot there was a resurgence of that song with memes or something for like the first couple years of tiktoks existence... i was like

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

am I cute ?

5 notes - Posted August 25, 2022

#4

I literally can't deal with these white boxes please make it stop please please please

5 notes - Posted November 15, 2022

#3

Really disappointed in yall rn, haven't seen a single dedicated Cetitan post. Guess I just ain't following the right ppl smh.

8 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

#2

Why does tumblr reset every single time I leave the app? Even if it's just a minute I'm back at the top of my dash and it's completely ruined my experience. Wtffff. Legit the last few weeks the app has gotten so awful??? Crashing all the time, and resetting my dash way more than it used too. I've been using tumblr way less recently simply bcus it doesn't freaking function lmao

13 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Desperately seeking mans with bellies; to rub, to hold, and to follow.

16 notes - Posted January 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[darkmasterofcupcakes]

I posted 3,339 times in 2022

That's 502 more posts than 2021!

1,166 posts created (35%)

2,173 posts reblogged (65%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mandareeboo

@tippenfunkaport

@theofficialkai517

@wordshakerofgallifrey

@woodworkzz

I tagged 2,686 of my posts in 2022

Only 20% of my posts had no tags

#dhmis - 405 posts

#don't hug me i'm scared - 385 posts

#disney - 325 posts

#she ra - 271 posts

#ducktales 2017 - 266 posts

#atla - 183 posts

#encanto - 182 posts

#movie liveblog - 177 posts

#bow - 176 posts

#glimmer - 174 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#but it's a messed up relationship between two people who are both kind of messed up and both clearly have some affection for each other

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Catra: Awww, look at the little baby.

Glimbow Baby: *Coos*

Catra: And now look at the big baby.

Bow: *Crying tears of joy as he holds his baby*

120 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

#4

I don’t know what I’m most excited for: 

The resurgence of fanworks with the Teachers from the Web Series (because we all know that there’s no way the OG fans are going to forget them)

The fandom coming up with stuff for the new Teachers and Lesley from the TV series

Stuff with the two...versions (timelines/universe?) combining in some way.

All I know is I’m already getting sucked back into this fandom.

132 notes - Posted September 26, 2022

#3

Do you think the people of Encanto waited until Bruno was an adult, or at least in his teens, to start blaming him for bad things happening because he saw them in his visions? Or do you think little five year old Bruno had to deal with people giving him dirty looks or saying cruel things when he was within earshot but his mother and sister’s weren’t close enough to hear, just because he saw something they didn’t like, and it came true?

139 notes - Posted January 29, 2022

#2

Can I just say how much I love that the creators of DHMIS clearly love their fans? Like, in this one interview, it kind of comes across like they expect Joe and Becky to be disturbed by the fact that so many fans make humanized versions of the characters and ship them together. And Becky and Joe are both just like “Yeah, we know - it’s amazing and we love that our fans decided to explore ideas like that”. 

155 notes - Posted November 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The DHMIS Fandom

659 notes - Posted September 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[baconmoop]

I posted 154 times in 2022

That's 85 more posts than 2021!

23 posts

I tagged 139 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#tspud rambles - 17 posts

#bbc ghosts - 7 posts

#tspud - 6 posts

#bbc ghosts spoilers - 6 posts

#the stanley parable ultra deluxe - 5 posts

#tspud spoilers - 5 posts

#the stanley parable - 5 posts

#ben willbond - 3 posts

#mat baynton - 2 posts

#the captain - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 127 characters

#one day davenport gets really mad at the crew and makes them all share the top bed while he gets the bottom bunk all to himself

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Do you get it? The sticker is also a laptop!

99 notes - Posted May 12, 2022

#4

I hope the hulk movie ends with Bruce also retiring to raise his son and he moves in with Thor to raise these two feral kids. I wanna see the superhero dads sitcom.

100 notes - Posted October 13, 2022

#3

Me watching episode 2

110 notes - Posted September 24, 2022

#2

I’ve been thinking about this all day

121 notes - Posted May 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I wasn’t gonna post this here, but the Stanley fandom resurgence here is wild and I need to talk about this game with people so badly

330 notes - Posted May 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[traveller358]

Healing and Trauma Recovery: Nurturing Resilience in Indigenous Communities

Introduction:

Echoing through the generations, the wounds of the past leave a deep and long-lasting imprint on the well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is within the very depths of this historical trauma that the resiliency of the Indigenous peoples and their communities is tried and shown. Recognizing the intergenerational trauma that the community has suffered will be the first step in healing and building resilience (Usher et al., 2021). At the same time, this recognition is a testament to the incredible strength and resilience that exists within all Indigenous cultures. We must address the outcomes of colonization, forced assimilation, and other systemic injustices to peel back the layers of trauma and begin paving the way to healing and resurgence for Indigenous communities (Grajek et al., 2022).

Trauma-Informed Approaches:

The traditional healing modalities have not cared about the cultural and historical context in which Indigenous trauma has taken place (Middelton-Moz et al., 2023). More culturally sensitive approaches care about understanding and building resilience. The inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing and healing through the use of storytelling, art therapy, and reconnection to cultural practices creates safe spaces in which the individual can explore their experiences and reclaim their sense of agency (Gheonea et al., 2023).

Connection to Country:

However, for Indigenous peoples, the land's value is much deeper than merely a spatial coordinate; it is an archive of cultural identity, heritage, and healing. The deep spiritual relationship with the land transcends physical borders and is pivotal in the construction of an Indigenous identity (Gheonea et al., 2023). When an individual comes back to their traditional lands and embraces cultural heritage, deeply therapeutic feelings of belonging and rootedness usually emerge. Whether through ceremonial rituals steeped in tradition or simply through being out in the beauty of the land itself, reconnection to the country offers deep solace and renewal for those seeking to heal from the damage of intergenerational trauma (Weller, 2021).

Strength-Based Narratives:

All too often, Indigenous peoples are portrayed in deficit-based lenses that zero in on the struggles and hardships which plague the individual as well as the community. Yet within those very communities are gold mines of resilience, resistance, and recovery. One can fight against negative stereotyping and, in this way, give a profile to the resilience of Indigenous people (Usher et al., 2021). These are the stories of triumph over adversity, shining bright to light the way for others in their healing journeys.

Conclusion:

Important in healing and recovery from trauma, the journey involves the adoption of trauma-informed care practices and community-led initiatives that empower indigenous persons. This recognition of resilience in indigenous communities, and the offering of culturally relevant support, may facilitate healing, fostering a sense of agency and empowerment. Let us walk with indigenous peoples on this journey to healing in support, understanding as well as solidarity, as they reclaim and stand tall in their power and resiliency.

References:

Gheonea, T. C., Oancea, C. N., Mititelu, M., Lupu, E. C., Ioniță-Mîndrican, C. B., & Rogoveanu, I. (2023). Nutrition and Mental Well-Being: Exploring Connections and Holistic Approaches. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(22), 7180. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.943998/full

Grajek, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., Białek-Dratwa, A., Sobczyk, K., Grot, M., Kowalski, O., & Staśkiewicz, W. (2022). Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 943998. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.943998/full

Middelton-Moz, J., Mishna, F., Martell, R., Williams, C., & Zuberi, S. (2023). Indigenous trauma and resilience: pathways to ‘bridging the river’in social work education. Social Work Education, 42(7), 968-985. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02615479.2021.1998427

Usher, K., Jackson, D., Walker, R., Durkin, J., Smallwood, R., Robinson, M., Sampson, U. N., Adams, I., Porter, C., & Marriott, R. (2021). Indigenous Resilience in Australia: A Scoping Review Using a Reflective Decolonizing Collective Dialogue. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.630601

Weller, F. (2021, January 25). Initiation, Trauma and Ritual. Science and Nonduality (SAND). https://scienceandnonduality.com/article/initiation-trauma-and-ritual/

[thelensofyashunews]

ROC MARCIANO SHARES “BEBE'S KIDS” VIDEO

New York Hip-Hop multi-hyphenate Roc Marciano has just shared a new music video for "Bebe's Kids" from his recently-released album Marciology. The album was met with instant acclaim from both Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, the latter of which hailed it as a “dose of assonant rhymes over lush beats” in its 4-star review. While mainly self-produced, Roc’s latest outing also boasts production credits from The Alchemist and Animoss and includes features from Larry June, Flee Lord, CRIMEAPPLE, T.F., Knowledge the Pirate, and GREA8GAWD. The Marciology rollout marks the start of a new era for the MC and producer, arriving alongside the recent announcement of a forthcoming multi-date North American and European tour. Roc Marciano is a storied emcee on the heels of a career-minting run of critically-acclaimed solo LPs, from his respective 2018 and 2019 albums Marcielago and Mt. Marci, to his 2020 instrumental project Pimpstrumentals, and The Elephant Man’s Bones in collaboration with The Alchemist. Roc Marciano has also spent the past few years sitting behind the boards, creating the soundscape for notable underground Hip-Hop projects like Stove God Cooks’ debut album Reasonable Drought and Flee Lord’s 2021 LP Delgado.

Defined by lush animation and Roc Marciano's distinct narrative abilities, "BeBe's Kids" arrives on the heels of the producer and emcee’s latest video for “LeFlair”, which was released last week.  Marciology serves as Roc Marci’s eleventh studio album, as he steps back into the booth and showcases why COMPLEX says he “continues to run New York’s underground scene” even at this point in his illustrious, decades-long career. With dark instrumentals to complement his cold-blooded bar work, Marciology is proof that the legendary emcee continues to adapt to the times while only improving his imaginative storytelling. Highlighted by Roc Marciano’s signature urgent flow and contemplative raps splashed across a canvas of nostalgic, old-school production, the long-awaited Marciology marks his first solo album in nearly four years – a staunch reminder that the producer and emcee is as hungry as he’s ever been. Widely hailed as a godfather of underground Hip-Hop, Roc Marciano is continuing to shape the sound of the next generation, playing a key role in the resurgence of contemporary Hip-Hop.

[whatdoiknowjr]

What Do I Know About Reviews? Shadowrun Anarchy 2050

Normally I don't reach this far back for reviews, but this poor thing kept getting put on the backburner. From way back in 2021, we look at Shadowrun Anarchy 2020 from Catalyst Games. #TTRPGs #Shadowrun

Agreements with Indigenous people being undercut in a rush for resources. A nation declaring genocide because they feel threatened after terrorist attacks. Worldwide pandemics that devastate the world, fade out of the public consciousness, and then resurge. US Supreme Court decisions that erode the legal assumptions of modern life. Russia gets into a war in Europe for trying to annex the domains…