#she was actually in my top 5 music artists this year because of when i relistened to the fame monster album

[skunkes]

being shown silco edits set to lady gaga music OKAYYYY I GET ITTT

[ultimate-shipper-blog]

‘Wrapped’ Around My Finger

“Good evening everyone! I’m your host Ann Romano joined tonight by two of the biggest names in music….please give it up for Corroded Coffin frontman Eddie Munson and Grammy winner Steve Harrington!”

The crowd goes wild.

This is a big deal, two of the biggest names in history with a giant rivalry.

Everyone knew the story. They grew up in a small town together and were on different levels of popularity ultimately ruining what could’ve been a fantastic friendship. Even now ten years since high school they can’t get over it. They hate each other always trying to one up each other.

Eddie trying to make a point that even the freaks can become famous. Stating, “I didn’t need money like Steve Harrington to win a Grammy I have my talent to thank for that.”

The two walk out onto the stage and sit on the couch making sure to leave some distance between them.

“Thank you both for coming out tonight! I know it’s a big trip from LA to New York. It probably helps that you live here huh Steve?”

“Actually I moved to LA.”

Eddie turns to look at him shocked.

“You moved? When did you move? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would it have mattered? It’s not like we see each other anyway. You can barely look at me and you’re sitting two inches from me.”

Eddie huffs in his seat and turns towards Ann, trying to remember what little of his media training he had.

“I only care because I’m a good neighborly fellow of course.”

Ann laughs flicks her hand at him.

“Oh you guys are just too funny. I knew you secretly cared for each other which brings me to my next segment, a game I like to call, “Wrapped Up!” You see gentleman, both of your agents gave me access to your Spotify wrapped and now we’re gonna let the audience in as well!”

The two turn white.

“Is that necessary?” Eddie asks through gritted teeth.

“Why not?” Steve adds in. “I have nothing to hide.” He narrows his eyes at Eddie.

Eddie rolls his eyes at him.

Ann laughs nervously. “Fantastic! Let’s jump to it!”

She gestures behind her where a giant screen shows Steve’s wrapped.

“Alight fellas, Eddie gets three points for every artist he guesses on the first try. He gets three tries, one point if he gets the artist by the third try.”

“Easy.” Eddie smirks.

Steve raises an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. You always were easy.”

“Alright guys let’s focus on the game here!” Ann jumps in.

“Alright number 5….Wham.”

*a bell rings*

“Fantastic start Eddie!”

“What’d I say, easy,” he smirks.

“4. Tears for Fears.”

“3. ABBA.”

“2. Queen.”

“1. Toto.”

*incorrect buzzer sound*

“Ok…Madonna.”

*incorrect*

“Alright Eddie this is your last chance. You’ve done fantastic so far so I think you’re going to win no matter what. Sorry Steve.” Ann says.

“Hey none taken. I definitely didn’t even think he’d do this well.” Steve smirks at him.

“Alright big boy hold onto your pants. I got this.”

Eddie takes a deep inhale.

“Brittney Spears!”

*louder more incorrect buzzer*

“Ugh!”

“Sorry Eddie! But I don’t think even you could’ve guessed this one. Are you ready folks let’s see what it is-”

The crowd goes wild.

Steve’s smirks goes crazy.

Eddie is pale.

Up on the screen in big obnoxious letters is “CORRODED COFFIN”

“That’s right folks! Since Eddie did so well let’s let him play a similar game for Steve’s top songs. Are you ready Eddie!”

Eddie is not breathing.

“Um-”

“Great let’s start!”

“5….Girls just wanna have fun?”

*DING*

“4.Dancing Queen”

*incorrect buzzer*

“Material Girl”

*incorrect buzzer*

Eddie sighs.

“Crown of Thorns.”

*DING*

“That’s right Eddie! Your very own song Crown of Thorns was his number 4? Wanna take a guess at the rest?”

Eddie grits his teeth. “I’m not sure I have a choice.”

“Haha of course you don’t! Now! Number three!”

“3. Heavy is the Head.”

“2. Reign.”

“1….”

He looks nervous.

“Kneel Before the King.”

*DING*

“You got them! Fantastic work Eddie! Were you surprised that four of his five were songs written by you? How could you possibly guess them?”

“At first I was surprised…you know we have this rivalry thing going on but…I’ve been watching Steve since I was fourteen. I know him well. As soon as I saw his top artist I knew his top songs would be the ones I wrote about him.”

The crowd gasps.

“Don’t get me wrong I wrote a lot more about him but these in particular…”

“They’re about forbidden love.” Steve chimes in. His eyes are watering.

“Yeah.”

“That’s why they were my favorite.”

Eddie gives him a sad smile.

���You wrote them about me?”

Eddies smile turns into a frown. “About you, for you, it was always for you, all of them.”

“All of them?”

“Everything. My entire discography. Every performance. Every press tour. Every photo shoot. You just had to worm your way into my life Harrington…my heart.” He whispers that last part but they’re so close together Steve can hear it.

Well barely hear it…his heartbeat is so loud in his ears.

“Anyways Ann what’s next.”

Ann is staring at him in open mouthed shock.

“Wow. This so perfect.” She turns to Steve. “Ready for your turn?”

“Nah.” Eddie says. “Skip to my number one artist.”

Behind them a video starts playing on the screen.

“Hey it’s Steve! Thanks so much for being my number one fan! I mean top .01 percent is a tough spot to get! It means so much to me that I’m your number one artist-”

Steve can’t take his eyes off of Eddie, when could he ever?

“I’m your number one artist?” he asks so softly Eddie can barely hear it.

“Of course…I like the sound of your voice.” He shrugs his shoulder like it’s no big deal.

“Can we talk? I mean after the show?”

Eddie smiles at him.

“Of course Stevie, I’d like that.”

“I would also like to know!” Ann cuts in.

They forgot this was being streamed to millions of people and filmed in front of a live studio audience.

—————

Later Backstage:

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE MY NEW NEIGHBOR HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS!!!????”

“Honestly Eddie I don’t know. For someone who claims to be obsessed with me-”

“I didn’t-“”

“Obsessed.” Steve puts a finger to Eddie’s lips to shut him up. “You didn’t notice I’d moved in next door.”

“Hell just move in with me.”

“…alright.”

[hatelangdon]

Modern day! Post death! Tate headcanons

(For my own joy we're gonna pretend he didn't do any of the bad stuff he just has deep seeded mommy issues)

Drabble bc I was bored ~ Warnings (talks of stabbing briefly )

- He is a music elitist through and through. He's definitely the "name 5 songs 🤓☝🏻" guy if he sees you wearing a band shirt.

- secret swiftie, we all know he would cry to mirrorball & right where you left me, especially if you have the songs on vinyl. He'd listen over and over in your room while you're not with him.

- he literally doesn't need water, yet he's always drinking from your water bottle/Stanley cup. He loves it

"It's our emotional support water bottle"

- he also doesn't need to eat but guess who's always asking for "a little sweet treat" when you go out? 🤨

- back to music, he loves tvgirl, Alex g, & the 1975. He thinks that makes him so special 🙄

- he always claims that his stomach hurts because he wants to be held and coddled by you.

-if he actually does get sick, he'll start whining for his mother if he gets delirious enough. She was always sweet to him when he didn't feel good. You know not to get her though, it never ends well.

- he's very very touchy and very very sensitive and petty. If you push him away he will put a knife through his own heart just to scare you (he's fine the next day)

- the world's biggest crybaby, needs constant reassurance that you love him, he's comforted by your presence.

- Tate would love those Lego flower kits, he'd want to help you put them together.

- even though he is dead he appreciates the sentiment when you celebrate his birthday, he doesn't like counting the years but if you just bring him a cupcake or make him birthday pancakes with a few candles, it will make him feel loved.

- he's very sleepy, despite being a ghost. He recently discovered weighted blankets and he is constantly going in and out of consciousness

- this is not new info but he is always the little spoon. You could be napping on the couch by yourself and somehow he has ended up in your arms or on top of you.

- he still harbors a lot of trauma, please just listen to him and comfort him and don't open the door for Constance.

- for someone stuck in a house all day you think he'd straighten up, but no. He is messsssy there's sweaters, books, and other things thrown around the room by the end of the day

- he spends all day writing, drawing, and listening to music. He likes to leave his writing in places around the house for you to randomly find.

- scratching him behind the ears and rubbing his face with your thumb is the key to helping him when he's having a bad time.

***I forgot to add this but Tate would also love lil peep with 0 shame despite him thinking the "90's was the best era of music 🤓☝🏻", some of his songs are so Tate coded.

he'd be the biggest stan, he's probably his favorite modern artist.

[mostlymilkwood]

The old year is dead. Long live the new year. Tell us about some stuff you liked in 2024 (music, TV, movies, cool things you did, whatever!) and some stuff you're looking forward to in 2025

Happy new year! I continue to love yuri!! (and also... sonic the hedgehog... which has yuri in it now so really lucked out there)

2024 saw the end of one of my fav new(er) manga to come out recently, Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord! It really crept up on me for how much I've ended up liking it but dang, what a good ride! Sad to see it go but I'll defo keep up with the author's future works!

I've been doing a lot of catch up this year as there are plenty of longer running series' I just hadn't dug into, such as How Do We Relationship? Delicious in Dungeon and This Monster Wants to Eat Me.

Delicious in Dungeon is now so easily in my top 5 favorite manga of all time. Love the group dynamic, love the funniest morally grey elf Marcille Donato, love that its doesn't feel like it drags or goes too quick within its 14 volumes, just love it!! Also wild to see so much Farcille merch in the artist alley this year, it felt like every other table had something and I can't really think of another f/f pairing that's hit that level within the con circuit merch scene. It was a lovely to see!

On the more textual yuri side of thing: How Do We Relationship? Oh geez, of man, and what god damn read! It took me a few volumes to really get into it but the reveal that it's not “story about what happens after you start dating someone” but is actually “a story about what happens after you breakup with someone” is devastatingly good!

Rip to all the college yuri I'll read going forward because every one of them is going to be compared to HDWR, its set the new standard for me haha. It was so good I had to go and buy the whole thing in print as soon as I finished.

Speaking of which, this year I went back to buying manga in print and I'm really glad I committed to that! At first it was more a reaction to the waves of delisting we've seen but It was a lot of fun hunting down deals to populate the Yuri Tower. This corner of my room now legit makes me smile when I look at it, even if I'm going to have to work out how to fit more books on there soon.

(if you're a UK book/comic/manga buyer than I rec scifier.com and worldofbooks.com, they have good prices and if you google for discount codes you can always grab one that's at least 5-10% off)

On the video game side of things I played an old SNES RPG called Eternal Filiana and was sooo charmed by it. The game is based on a 80s light novel that is very much influenced by Lady Oscar's popularity at the time, having its own protag also be a blonde haired women who was raised as a man for plot reasons.

The part that was most interesting to me though was that the André to Filena's Oscar ended up being a woman she marries within the first 30 mins of the game. Filena and Lila can be a bit goofy in the games (b-b-but we're both women??) but they still have some legit sweet moments and having watched the OVA first, which is tries to take itself more seriously, I now have a real fondness for the pair. Here's to the first married yuri couple!

And finally... Sonic. It's been another good year for Sonic! The comics continue to be a fun read and I really liked Sonic X Shadow Generations despite being apathetic toward Shadow lol. He was good in it though and all his levels ripped! Great game! Third film also fun! Very excited by the characters who show up in the stinger :) I also got into making custom figure with my brother this year so that's been a fun hobby for us to do together.

and that's it!! I mean there were other things I played and read, places I went to but whatever!! the post is long enough!!

For 2025 I'm looking forward to the anime of This Monster Want To Eat Me and suuuuper looking forward to The Moon on a Rainy Night! I need them to break the yuri anime of curse of having trash budgets though..... we cannot have another Whisper Me a Love Song situation..... AND WE WONT!! IM MANIFESTING GOOD THINGS!!

[indignantnonsense]

Chappell Roan is right

Jeff Rabhan is wrong. The Hollywood Reporters sucks and here's why i think so. Paragraph by paragraph. Just for my own sanity I guess.

I do largely agree with his first paragraph. I think collectively, music artists could make a great change. But as a collective union force, not as individual artists. I'm not certain if Rabhan would agree with me there, but I don't think it's likely.

In the second paragraph, he basically says that the way the music industry functions currently makes artists lots of money through royalties and credits, so it would make no sense for them to function as employers. This obviously ignores the countless artists that don't benefit from that system, like songwriters who are largely in the background and able to be hyper-exploited because of it. But it also ignores the very basic fact that most industries are not equitable when constructed purely by those profiting at the top. We have labor unions to thank for the changes that make industries better for their workers.

He's so condescending in the third paragraph with his obnoxious personal responsibility argument, concluding that labels basically don't owe artists shit because they pay advances and royalties. As if artists aren't the very reason they are able to make so much money in the first place. Just classic devaluing of workers as always.

He then tells Chappell to do something about it, in a continually condescending and patronizing manner. But why should she? Labels are the ones responsible for this. If she should do anything, it should be organizing with fellow musicians and artists to figure out how to withhold their labor to force labels to do the actions necessary to make their industry more equitable for all artists, large AND small.

His characterization in the next paragraph is honestly so out of touch and batshit. She is not a part of the establishment. She's been famous for 5 fucking minutes. Anything could happen, she could flop into obscurity within the next year and she would still need health insurance. She would still need a living wage. She would still have next to no work experience outside of the music industry to help her land a job where she could actually comfortably support herself. This happens all the time!

Even if she was a part of the establishment, she's right. She's speaking for the young girl inside of her that wasn't a famous artist. The girl who was dropped and learned the harsh lesson that if you aren't generating profit, than you're worthless. That none of these companies give a single fuck about any of us. They will run us dry, replace us and leave us out to rot in the cold.

Then it's just another throwaway paragraph with more condescension and telling her she can do something about it. Putting the responsibility back onto artists, instead of the labels with all the power, making most of the money off of these artists.

He follows this up in the next two paragraphs by explaining that labels are businesses that want to make money, and that's why they invest in their artists. He also points out that paying artists like salaried employees ignores the fundamental economic structure of the music business that he lays out for us. And, like, duh??

That economic structure is the problem. I'm not going to sit here and act like I intimately know the structures that allow the music industry function as it does currently. But as someone who dreamed and tried to be apart of that world growing up, I know it ain't great. I know Chappell knows much more about it than I do, and she knows it ain't great either.

Other industries have been able to make positive change with collective organizing and by withholding their labor. He should look into how the film industry operated before SAG became a recognized union. A union that was only recognized because of the resounding 98% of actors who voted to go on strike and scared the ever loving shit out of the production companies.

Holy fuck, not the ayahuasca shaman and toilet that speaks four languages. What the actual ever loving fuck. You know you're on the wrong side of history when you equate a call for something as basic as healthcare with this outlandish garbage. What a petulant child of a man making an argument. Yes, businesses operate like businesses. But also, people deserve healthcare and to be able to criticize those businesses.

He then spends the next paragraph championing Roan to call on the Beyonces, Taylors and Biebers of the industry to fund a top down approach to these issues. This part is soooo funny to me. Don't get me wrong, those three are titans of the industry. They cannot flop themselves into obscurity at this point in their careers the way Chappell can. But to act like they are the ones at the top, and not labels, is so laughable that I just can't.

He then plays the "others have it worse" card in order to tell her to stop complaining for basically the whole paragraph. And immediately follows up by pointing out that an advance is an investment not a salary and that investing in an artist is a risk. He's not wrong, that how things work. But how dehumanizing? Why do they HAVE to work that way? Because that's how it's always been done? Because if that's the reason, its a terrible one.

He then says it sounds like a union thing. Which I agree with. But he takes all the blame completely off labels and blames it on problems with the industry. As if labels aren't the industry. And yes, he is right again that artists can negotiate their deals however they want, but that doesn't change the other fact that those contracts are often extremely exploitative if not negotiated properly. And the power imbalance going into those negotiations is very much in the labels favor.

He then goes on to say isn't an advance a living wage? After arguing that an advance is an investment/loan, not a salary two paragraphs earlier. I find it interesting that he doesn't find those two arguments contradictory.

I also really don't understand the one sentence paragraph "'Let's be revolutionaries -- right after my direct deposit hits.' is a sham." I really, really don't understand what this means. Like at all. Maybe that revolutionary sentiments are disingenuous if they're aimed at individuals making more money? Or that she's being paid to be revolutionary? I dunno, maybe it's me, but I just don't get it.

Bill Maher does not have a point. Activists do not have to understand the complexities of the issues they're addressing to call for the change of those exact issues. Nothing would ever be accomplished if that were the case. You see a problem, call for change and then organize and learn in the process. I have learned a lot of the intricacies of how Sbux operates from our union/bargaining. But I knew our floors were understaffed before then. And learning those intricacies have just altered the approach to these issues, not the need to fix them. I don't want to hear BS like this from people who have never organized a day in their life.

I also love how he deems how uniformed she is from a single Grammy speech that only lasted a couple minutes. This man has done nothing that indicates to me that he has ever spoken with Roan to know how informed or uninformed she is. I will also never take an opinion seriously if it is being used to justify Zionism. Fuck Bill Maher and fuck this patronizing reasoning.

Blah blah blah...don't bite the hand that feeds you blah blah...profiting from a system you are forced to participate in, in order to have a career, means her criticism of the labels/the music industry means nothing and should be dismissed. That's some "You cannot criticize capitalism because you have a smartphone" ass shit.

Now he's wrapping up by basically telling her to be the change she wants to see. I totally agree there but not with the example he gives for her to help. I'm always going to favor union/labor organizing over starting any sort of NGO. I think it's always going to be more effective, give individuals more power and shift the onus for change back on the businesses that profit off of artist's labor, instead of the artists being exploited.

The second to last paragraph starts just as condescending as the rest. He then explains why the industry sucks and says that "good intentions can't overshadow reality" and "it's not cynicism, it's acceptance. " As if artists should just accepts that this is the way it is and can't change it. Which is really funny to me because It goes back to my point on the NGOs he suggested she start. How can he simultaneously call for her to start these in order to enact change, only to follow it up by saying to just accept it. Because this is problem with the labels that needs to be changed and NGOs can't do that. He wants her to put a band aid over a bullet hole and not question why she's bleeding.

His last paragraph is just total BS. Yes, we need to bring people together and champion change but his article hasn't done anymore for that cause than her Grammy speech has. At least her speech inspired a conversation that he is now mucking up with his condescending, bootlicking bullshit.

I do want artists to come to the table. The bargaining table. That's where workers make the biggest impact in their industries. By coming together as a collective, putting their heads together and coming up with creative solutions that they can then bring to the bargaining table to create a legally binding contract to hold companies' accountable for the wellbeing of the people the profit off the labor of. And withhold their labor to demand those changes.

Music artists may not be employees, but they are workers. They sell their labor to the ownership class, the labels. It's a tale as old as capitalism and unions have always been the solution. It's not easy but it's effective. I have no idea how artists would withhold their labor to leverage labels to do better. But I think if you could get music artists to organize together, as actors, writers, and many in the film industry have in the past, that they could effectively come up with those actions themselves.

I trust them to do so much better than some ex-label executive who can't exercise the restraint required to criticize someone without outright insulting and talking down to them for the world to see only to crash out on Twitter when he got a fraction of the pushback from the artist he criticized.

[snapdragxnn]

uhmm uhmm what are ur top ten music artists,, OR, top 10 shows

okay so top 10 music artists, I'm going to try to not go based solely on stats rn

1.) Bastille!! they are a consistently no-skip artist for me, and have yet to release anything I don't want to listen to!! idk if "doom pop" is a real genre but it should be!! I love love love bastille sm!! their new album is definitely different from its predecessor, BUT it remains a no-skip album. I love it so much!!!

2.) Hozier!! again, consistently no skips. I love his lyrics and I love the way that he writes things with such ???? passion???? idk how else to phrase it but it's that like yearning that's a pull in ur chest like the desire to peel open the music and live inside of it god I love him so much I can't wait to see him again

3.) Taylor Swift!! we all knew this was coming, it was not an if, but a when. she was the first (and only) secular artist i was allowed to listen to, but I rlly did find a lot of solace in the songs she wrote!! all breakup songs can be about your parents if ur damaged enough!! /j /j no but fr she's my most withstanding artist because I've grown up with her ig?? she definitely has some skips for me but she also has a fair amount of songs that have their claws in me always

4.) The Amazing Devil!! only found them in the last couple years but they're so good i fucking love the intensity and the same just ???? pull to live in the music as I mentioned with hozier i love them so much

5.) Ghost Quartet!! ik they're technically not a music artist and technically a Broadway show but the ocr of ghost quartet slaps like nothing else I will always return to the oddities and twisting timelimes of the ghost quartet

6.) Junie & theHutFriends!!! strange and fantastic, I love them so much

7.) Missio!!!

8.) Florence + the machine hello????? I forgot her thusfar BUT I love Florence + the Machine sm another almost no skip artist I love the otherworldly sort of ethereal feel to her music but in like that ??? intense way?? ugh I rlly don't know how to describe it accurately like when u feel the music in the deepest core of u and ur bones idk man

9.) Ashnikko!! ngl I found her more.recently but I just rlly like her songs and the grotesque way she portrays feminity idk idk

10.) Flyleaf!! they had me in such a chokehold when I was younger ((but then, most alt Christian groups did because it was.the closest to exploring music i could get)) and ngl they still do like i u put anything from the first album or memento mori on, im there

---

top 10 shows will be simultaneously easier and harder bc i don't rlly watch a lot of shows but let's GO !

1.) Arcane!! I love the nuances, I love the themes of love as a motivating and destructive force, I love that no character is a wholly good character, that every character has depth to them, and the animation is literally some of the most beautiful stuff I've ever seen

2.) Very Important People!! an improv comedy interview show of sorts, I fuckin love it it's so funny

3.) Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts!! I love the music and the animation in this show it's such a fun world and again I love tje characters sm

4.) What We Do in the Shadows !!! its so funny I love it so so much

5.) Um, Actually!!! there's nothing i love more than trivia, and it's so much fun when it's like stuff that i enjoy and know about like

6.) Kotoro Lives Alone!! I love this anime so much I'm crying

7.) The Dragon Prince!!! I love the worldbuilding amd the characters so mucj I haven't watched the final season yet ((I hate ending things)) but it's so good so far

8.) Our Flag Means Death!!! anyone who mentions pirates near me knows that I LOVE LOVE LOVE pirates, and this show is so fucking good i will never forgive its cancelation

9.) OH MY GOD HOW DID I FORGET GALAVANT WHAT THE FUCK these aren't ordered in any way anyways but GOD i love.galavant so much I've watched it so many times I've got so much of the show in my brain at all time I cannot believe I've forgotten it so far down anyways galavant I love u I love u Madelena I'm so mad we didn't get a third season but. expected tbh

10.) She-Ra and the Princesses of Power!!! I fuckin love this show too i love the primcesses i love the designs and the animation and the art style and the colors I love watching catra spiral into losing her shit at being left behind surely that's a one-off surely that's not defi.itely a pattern surely that's not -

[mikeysbride]

Welcome Back to Trench

When our kids introduced us to the world of the twenty one pilots fandom a couple of years ago, we were initially full of corny parent jokes:

Why are they called twenty one pilots when there are only two of them?

That's way too many pilots.

They're gonna need a bigger cockpit.

Why, for the love of God, don't they capitalize their name!?

That's not to say we don't still say those things sometimes (thank goodness our teens generally find us amusing), but it's also wild to see how big a part of our family dynamic this duo has become over these couple of years...so much so that I've even suggested that when we finally get a dog, he should be named Clancy. [T.O.P. fans will understand.] They are in regular rotation in our home and in our cars. Last year, they were one of my top 5 most listened to artists on Spotify! And last night, at last, we all went to see them perform live on the aptly-named Clancy Tour. It was the first time seeing them for all 5 of us - our family of 4, along with my 16yo's...um, favorite boy, we'll call him. I don't think she's been quite this happy since maybe when we first surprised her with AJR tickets. But as much as she loves AJR (we all do now!), twenty one pilots is HER band as Living Colour is mine, and Genesis is her dad's. Now we are all along for the ride.

And last night, much of Orlando was also along for that ride, having sold out the Kia Center pretty much immediately when the tickets went on sale months ago. I had a feeling their show would be high energy and that the crowd would be super hyped, and I was not wrong about that. But after being as impressed as I was by AJR (twice!) this year, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. Tyler and Josh did not disappoint, though, and I have to say I am also quite impressed with THEM...not that I didn't think I would be. We've watched enough of their music videos and live performance clips (full concerts, even) on YouTube for me to know this, too, wasn't going to be just an ordinary concert.

To the point, Tyler and Josh have a way of immersing themselves into the crowd (literally) that makes them feel like they are right there with you - because they are - spending quite a bit of time out amongst their fans instead of on the stage. They are seemingly everywhere at once, making it feel like an intimate performance even with thousands of people in the audience. And the fire. There was a lot of fire, which I rather appreciated because, being prone to being cold, I was chilly in the arena, and it was nice to sometimes be able to feel a bit of warmth from the flames, all the way up our cushy club level seats!

We heard so many favorite songs of theirs last night, including my newest favorite from them, the super catchy "Lavish," but I have not stopped playfully pouting yet that they didn't do my O.G. favorite of theirs - the one that really stuck out to me when I first heard them, and that is "Lane Boy." I love that one so much that I have a bit of a reputation for it at this point. With a catalog as extensive as theirs is, they can't be expected to play everything, but man, hearing that one live would've made the night absolutely, undeniably perfect for me. Here's hoping they'll add it back in on a future tour.

Also on the subject of their music, I couldn't help but giggle thinking that Tyler doesn't really even need to know his own lyrics because that arena full of fans was more than happy to sing every line for him. From the first notes of every song, they were READY. If anyone knows the assignment, it's T.O.P. fans. Apparently, my kids aren't the only ones who can recite their songs like the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a thing I know now.

And finally, a huge thank you to Tyler for actually telling those of us in reserved seats to sit and rest for a few songs. Not to be the old lady in the room, but I'm long past the age of wanting to stand for an entire show, in most cases preferring to sit and truly hear the music and watch what is happening on the stage - or in this case (also) in the middle of the crowd somewhere. It was a bit of a reprieve when he said that.

Eh, so maybe I'll let that "Lane Boy" thing slide after all.

[howdaretrashships]

AO3 Wrapped 2024 (writer's edition)

Tagged by @bbcphile and @la-muerta. Thanks for the tag! This is a little late, but I was waiting for the last minute anyway.

1. How many words have you written this year?

Of the published works: ~19.2k. Of the current WIPs: no idea, but probably somewhere around the same number.

2. How many works did you publish this year?

5, technically, although one of the works could be counted as four separate fics.

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

My Past has Tasted Bitter for Years Now

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

The 5+1 Yingzhu Armor fic has 840.

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

The Unhinged Tournament Propaganda. It was literally only written for the tournament, but it got feedback on both AO3 and here on tumblr.

6. Favorite title you used

pack up the moon - pour away the oceans

It's a reference to W.H. Auden's Funeral Blues and perfectly fits the fic and Feihua's vibes in general. I've loved the poem since high school and was very proud of myself for remembering it when it came time to name the fic.

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

I'm using I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young for most of the Prince/Bodyguard AU.

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Feihua/Dihua was the only pairing I wrote for.

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

Feihua/Dihua

10. What work was the quickest to write?

The Unhinged Tournament Propaganda was literally written over an hour or two.

11. What work took you the longest to write?

5+1 Yingzhu Armor fic. I worked on the newlywed room scene for weeks.

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

So many. So so many.

13. What’s your longest work of the year?

The 5+1 Yingzhu Armor fic at 11663 words.

14. What’s your shortest work of the year?

Technically it's the Unhinged Tournament Propaganda. Total it's 1087 words (making it actually the second shortest) but each "chapter" is only a couple hundred words each.

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

Mainly the Prince/Bodyguard AU. There's still a lot of work to be done, since only 2 of (initially planned) 16 parts have actually been finished.

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

Post-Canon, Not Beta Read, POV Di Feisheng are the top three.

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

Di Feisheng. I just love him so much.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Fang Duobing. Mostly when it's his POV, because there's how I'd like him to act/react, and there's how the character would actually act/react. And often those two things are in direct opposition.

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

Zhan Yunfei/Li Lianhua. I was going to write their part earlier this year but got distracted by other WIPs first.

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

Which Moment, which was actually written and posted last year, but most of the works this year have been short and angsty, and it was the fic that helped me regain confidence to keep writing. Because if I could write a 21k word fic out of nowhere, then maybe I could write those other ideas I had.

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

295

22. Which work has the most comments?

The 5+1 Yingzhu Armor fic has 16.

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year?

I started one, but it's still in the very beginning stages.

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

No

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

No

26. What’s your most common category?

M/M

27. What do you listen to while writing?

Just my everyday playlist. If I want something different then I'll turn on YT Music.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

My Past has Tasted Bitter for Years Now

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

There's a few but I'll go with this one from the 5+1 Yingzhu Armor fic.

Hulijing snuffles at the silk looking for her promised snacks, and whines when she doesn’t find them. He reaches out to pat her head as a reassurance, then narrows his eyes at her. “Did you know about this?” he asks, pointing at the pup with an accusatory finger. “Did you know he had this?” Hulijing tilts her head first to one side then the other and licks at the end of his finger. Di Feisheng huffs a laugh and then sighs, “No, I suppose not."

I just like the little bit of playfulness from Di Feisheng, since it's not something we get to see much from him (if at all) in canon,

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

That I was actually able to stay engaged and excited for most of the year. Usually I'll write a couple things, get distracted by other things, and then disappear for a couple years. But I didn't just give up and I'm hoping I can continue that in the new year.

It was also a great help to have @bbcphile as an amazing cheerleader!!

If you'd like to do it, consider yourself tagged!

[kbirbpods]

better late than never: my 2024 podfic stats round up!

things have been hectic with VTMB 2024, going back to work, and Poly*PodWeek starting up but I finally garnered the energy/attention to create my graphics! 2022 roundup | 2023 roundup

each mic = 5 podfics

One change I've already made on my 2025 spreadsheet is tracking better when I record lines for a multivoice! In 2024, if my lines weren't significant, I didn't track it. Which meant I had to search through my spreadsheet and compare it to my multivoice pseud to determine numbers & they may be a little off. This year, I am including it all!

Looking at the numbers... I podded the MOST in January [12 hours, 35 minutes, & 47 seconds]. I podded the LEAST in February [44 minutes, 35 seconds].

These trend a little bit more expected than last year's did! I definitely burnt out in February and then March/April are very busy months for me. But May is, as well, it's just that Voiceteam has me going nuts despite that. June we moved, so I didn't do much, and then July/August I'm off for break! When December rolls back around, I'm making a lot more for ITPE & VTMB.

Here are some of my "top 5" stats:

The first image shows Star Wars, DC, & Danny Phantom for my top podded fandoms but this is the further breakdown. As you can see, of my 96 Star Wars podfics, 60 were Clone Wars. Of my 93 DC podfics, 38 were DPxDC and 30 were Batman/Batfam.

@wanderingjedihistorian is once again my most podded author! Last year she tied with @blackkatmagic but blackkat fell to 4th this year. (I have already podded 8 blackkat fics in 2025, though, so I expect that to change!) @flowerparrish was 2nd this year and I was actually 3rd. I wrote a lot more this year and Perry & I collaborated to pod a lot of those. My 5th place was @theredshirtsarecoming, who is my favorite crossover author so I was surprised she wasn't higher than that!

I podded the most Teen & Up fics with General Audiences in close second. This makes sense because I by far podded the most genfic this year, as opposed to shipping fics. My M/M stat made me laugh, as I am immature. I podded 2 "other" fics, also!

I made the most fics without music but managed to use Taylor in a whopping 37 fics. My most podded for event was Voiceteam (hence the SPIKE) in May but Summer Swap (July/August) was in close second. Some of the Voiceteam fics were birthday gifts (and vice versa).

Some miscellaneous stats:

I podded 118 unique authors, with 81 of them being only podded once! I podded 55 unique fandoms, with 36 of them being only podded once. Now, in there, this does include the misc. crossovers that are tracked in the previous graphic. I used 73 different musical artists/bands - this includes "no music" and "soundtrack" - with 52 of them only being used once.

& the final graphic, which was the hardest to make. Originally I went with 20 but then I just was struggling too much so... My 25 favorite cover arts that I made for my own podfics only:

Now, this is already long, but I've always provided a little insight into my tracking. So, below the cut are screenshots from my spreadsheet!

Before that though, last but not least, my 2025 fandom resolutions: ★ Podfic more multichapter fics (I let my fear of updating stop me) ★ Podfic more of @wanderingjedihistorian's Here There Be Dragons ★ Podfic more Soft Wars ★ Keep writing! I wrote so much in 2024 and I don't want to lose that ★ Get back to the WWT games in the Haunting Heroes discord ★ Worry less about kudos/comments for series I love (create anyway)

SHEET 1: The years broken down (including what I've already done in 2025)

SHEET 2: Where I actually track the podfics!

The totals by month are tabulated on this sheet for ease of layout.

This is the order the columns go in. I don't track word count on this sheet (though I typically do for event planning and such). I also color code using conditional formatting for various events / podfic length but it would be hard to show that lol

SHEET 3: Where the data for the statistics is pulled!

Basically, any time one of those is mentioned, it adds up here. Fics under multiple categories will add a number to each listed category, which is why it doesn't align perfectly with number of fics made!

Every time I track a new event, it also tabulates here. That's why I don't double track events -- I can't say for certain at the beginning of the year what I'll do, so I prefer for it to add them as I go. But, I am considering changing it up and manually adding them so I can instead track for things like "I made this for Voiceteam but also for a birthday present." Unsure yet.

Authors, fandoms, and music tabulate the same way. I add them to my tracker, the table adds a new row and begins to count how many times I use them.

An additional set of tables on this sheet break down the internal fandoms for Star Wars & DC:

Some big changes from 2023 to 2024:

Started tracking music

Started tracking events

Stopped making graphs (I track too much information now and they take up too much room)

Started tables for the above SW & DC breakdowns

Started uploading to the Audiofic Archive (and became an archiver there, as well!)

NOW, some changes I've made in 2025 already, since I'm posting this so late.

I'm now tracking the exact work I put into a fic, which will help with multivoice tracking at the end of the year! It also will help with more accurate fandom & author tracking, as before if my part in a multivoice was too small, I just didn't track it. I also broke Star Wars & DC down more, since I typically pod very specific DC crossovers and wanted to track how many times I crossover my Big Two Fandoms.

And there you have it! A little late but that's okay. Not tracked includes at least one podfic I recorded but never edited (in 2024 or 2025). I don't track individual chapters for fandom/author/music stats. I don't track based on when I post, I tracked based on when it was recorded!

Have a great year! Here's to creating more and more.

[madbadash]

🎵🎵🎵 Album tag game 🎵🎵🎵

rules: share the albums that you can listen to nonstop. those lightning in a bottle-albums that scratch ur brain just right. every single track, an absolute banger. u could not skip one if u tried. no notes. stunning, show-stopping, immaculate. ur no-skip albums.

🔎 bonus & optional (but imo, v fun) rules: 1) add a track rec for us to listen to! AND 2) share ur favorite line(s) from that track! 👀

Now lowkey I'm cheating here because I don't really listen to albums in full and I would probably would skip at max like one song on each of these albums but I wanna participate in the game so I make the rules.

ANYWAYS thank you @bluecoolr for the tag

I will Tag @probably-a-plant-thing @bobeatspie300 @thelemoncoffee @boxtyphoon @toborusk and a cover all if you wanna do it do it!! Also these are all very low no pressure tags.

Billie Ellish- When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We All Do?

Penelope Scott-Public Void

Mother Mother-Inside

Chonny Jash-The Will Wood Power Hour

Eliza Anastasic-The Grand Relics

Billie was my number one artist on Spotify for like 2 or 3 years in a row and she hasn't left my top 5 since I started listening to her. I fucking LOVE ilomilo

Lyrics: So, where did you go? I should know, but it's cold And I don't wanna be lonely So tell me you'll come home Even if it's just a lie

The fact I get all my music from Tiktok is showing ANYWAYS Penelope Scott has some bangin ass music. I actually associate this song with Steven, and if Bob is down and people are interested I can totally go into why.

Lyrics:You fuckers know it's all built on lies But the beast refuses to die And so I guess well neither can I

Mother Mother is the most basic gay people music but DO I CARE??? NOOOOO!!!!! I can and will add both Haylofts into Oc Playlists! Anyways this bitch got a funky rhythm and I like the way they sing. Also this is probably the album with the most skips but I make the rules I don't care I'mma put it anyways

Lyrics: I'm thinking, "Oh, my God, what a chatty creature" It just kept talking and talking and talking all around in a circle I said, "Hey, little guy, I think it's time to go now"

CHONNY I AM GONNA KISS YOU SO HARD OH MY GOD. YOU, ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS, COVERING WILL WOOD??? MY OTHER TOP ARTIST. I AM CRAZY AND DERANGED

Now I do think you should listen to both versions of Thermodynamic Lawyer but I really like the lyric changes Chonny does so do whatever you want.

Lyrics:He'll rationalize rhymes 'til the T's and the I's Are re-crossed and re-dotted to a blur Blacks out his eyes, hides the lines, flays his thighs 'Til the-, they think that "he" is their "her"

Ok ok now hear me out. Hear me out here I know it's fucking weird but listen to me. Hear me the fuck out.

This is a fan-Album based on the Podcast The Adventure Zone Balance. Everyone should listen to Balance. It's a funny DND podcast. It is earnest, and stupid and funny and it has made me cry and if you don't have 69 hours to throw to this podcast (with the first 6 episodes being a bit rough as it's their first time playing) I HIGHLY recommend listening to their Current Arc: Vs Dracula. They all know what they're doing and they're doing it hilariously

Rant over. These songs are based on 7 magical objects that are collected by our main characters. These songs also include some clips from the podcast. I'm gonna rec the first one because its the least spoiler-y.

Lyrics: I'm a weapon of mass destruction That can literally fit on your hand So what are you waiting for? I'm thralling as hard as I can Go ahead and put me on- Gloves do not have long attention spans!

[halfway-down]

1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 25, and 28 for the music asks <3

LOVE YOU

1. An album you can’t stop listening to lately

There is only one honest answer and it is embarrassing. But it’s the Seussical Original Broadway Cast Recording. I’m choreographing the show it’s unavoidable. I want to give another answer but anything is would simply be a lie so just don’t talk to me about it. 😔

3. A song you really like by an artist you otherwise don’t listen to very much

That’s So True by Gracie Abrams. I tried to give her a chance and everything she makes is just simply not for me, HOWEVER- the second I hear “made it out alive but I think I lost it-“ it unlocks something in me. Now that is a BRIDGE baby. But like even the rest of that song doesn’t compare to the bridge. I can’t get into Gracie but I will never skip that song just so I can scream along to “I put up a fight taking out my earrings don’t you know the vibe don’t you know the feeling” because yes Gracie I DO know!

5. Name an album you think is perfect

SO many. Decide by Djo is absolutely skipless. A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out and Vices and Virtues by P!ATD have never been topped. You’ll hate this one but Red by Taylor Swift, it’s literally her magnum opus nothing has touched it since and it’s also just so nostalgic for me personally for so many reasons. Lemonade by Beyoncé is also HER magnum opus, it’s everything. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell is ART front to back. Vs. by Pearl Jam oh my GOD. I could literally list 3-4 Iron Maiden albums but if I have to settle on the most perfect I guess I’ll say Number of The Beast. I could keep going and never shut up about this actually.

7. Do you have any concert tickets right now? If so, who’s concert is it?

Ok so right now I have tickets for Djo (fucking FINALYYY) in Michigan in April and of course My Chem in August in Philly. I also may or may not be going to a music festival in Barcelona in June where Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX are headlining? Logistics of that are still in the works. Next up is I’m going to TRY to get tickets to Beyoncé’s Chicago show when they go on sale but I’m sure that would be a bloodbath. And if Gaga announces a tour after her album comes out best BELIEVE I will be there.

I wanted to go to Coachella SO bad this year but had no one to go with and also it was just really bad timing w my show schedule and work shit. Truly devastated, the lineup was SO perfectly tailored to my taste I thought it would finally be my year 🥲

11. What’s a song your favorite band doesn’t perform live, but you really wish they would?

See this hinges on me being able to pick one favorite band which is in fact impossible to me. I’ll settle for Iron Maiden not performing 2 Minutes to Midnight. They have in the past and I’m sure will again at some point, but in recent tours including the one I went to they did not play it, and it’s my all time favorite. As someone who refuses to look up set lists before a concert I was SHOCKED and DEVASTATED!

25. Name a song that makes you think about someone you love

Okay HERE WE GO.

Coffee Talk by Broadside and You In January by The Wonder Years make me think of Joel (I think the acoustic version of the latter is gonna be our first dance at our wedding ❤️)

Boy Division by My Chem, Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet by FOB, and Backflip by The Front Bottoms all make me think of you (first bc it’s just your vibe, second because you like to sing it at karaoke, and third because of the tattoo I gave you and just the fact that I’ve given you so many stick n pokes in general. Also the ENTIRE Mania album by FOB bc I remember you picking me up in the van the day it came out so we could drive around w the windows down blasting it in its entirety)

Mirrorball and Hits Different by Taylor Swift makes me think of Audrey and Tied Together With a Smile and Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift makes me think of Macy. Dancing Queen makes me think of both of them bc we literally ARE Donna Tonya and Rosie from Mamma Mia actually like I’ve seen our future and that is it

Any old Disney Channel star songs make me think of Lydia bc that was our childhood (like old Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, etc from while they were still w the Disney/Rock Mafia labels). ALSO Dry Town by Miranda Lambert, we were obsessed w that song, god knows why. And Somebody’s Watching me by Rockwell bc we once got a CD in a kids meal with that on it on a trip to Chicago and made our moms blast THAT ONE SONG over and over again for 4 hours. Drove them NUTS.

Downtown by Macklemore makes me think of Ray and Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan makes me think of Lin. The Time Warp and The Floor Show from Rocky Horror makes me think of both of them.

28. Name a song (or a few songs) that would need to be included in a movie about your life

The Archer by Taylor Swift is the first and immediate answer that always comes to mind. I AM The Archer sorry. Other than that, in mostly chronological order-

seven by Taylor Swift, ballad of a homeschooled girl by Olivia Rodrigo (no I was not homeschooled obvi but the vibe is right trust me), A Place in This World by Taylor Swift, Paul Revere by Noah Kahan, I Can Do It With a Broken Heart by Taylor Swift, Nothing New by Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, I should call my friends by Hey Violet, (Coffee’s for Closers) by Fall Out Boy, Disenchanted by My Chemical Romance, Mean Girls by Charli XCX, Lady Strange by Def Leppard

Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk/reading my essay xoxo

[autisticempathydaemon]

for your matchup game! thank you for doing these they look super fun though i’m sure you’re super busy with them lol!!

* my fave song in the last few weeks has been otherside which is a minecraft song. it’s got a sick beat drop and i like listening to it for focus music

* 2w1

* I don’t know about gargantuan BUT i do love a good video essay/deep dive. mike’s mics pretty little liars vids have been my go to the last few months

* i don’t actually remember having an imaginary friend :/ my parents said i had one, and most i can remember is we used to have tea parties

* i have to have asmr or some kind of ambient noise in order to fall asleep, and i also have to have my body pillow to hug or else i cannot sleep

* emily irene. it’s the name my parents were going to give me bc it honored their grandparents but my mom hated irene (my dads grandmothers name) so she refused. i’ve always wanted to change it to that.

* probably camping with your tsundere alpha werewolf boyfriend because it’s the first real time we’ve seen davey share memories about his dad in a peaceful way, which was really nice. also the scratch offs reminded me of my own dad bc it was something he used to do for me and my sisters and it made me cry after listening and i had to call him and tell him i missed him LOL

* james probably? i just haven’t rlly gotten around to listening to all of the audios with james anton and marcus yet (still p new to the fandom)

* howl’s moving castle

* damien. i think we could commiserate over a really nice chocolate cheesecake abt our mommy issues.

* internet drama i come across. i have a bad habit of digging myself down a rabbit hole of the most inane internet drama and then telling my best friend abt it when we’re both sleepy but not ready to SleepTM yet

* reese’s sticks and a dr pepper, or if i’m feeling savory it’s pringles and a dr pepper and if they have slushies/icees then it’s a cherry slushie/icee and whichever above snack i’m feeling

* i have a playlist called georgia peach which is a country music playlist i made of all the old music i grew up on. i like listening to it on warmer days when i’m on a drive

* a tie between the twilight movies and bbc sherlock but i feel like twilight is more um. socially accepted, at least on social media. bbc sherlock is only the first 2 seasons

* ummm i’m a libra. myer briggs type is infp. i’m autistic/have adhd. i have a black cat named pika whomst i love dearly, i used to love reading as a kid but i kind of fell off and i’ve been trying to get back into it recently, i’m a middle child, i like farming sim games and rpg games and narrative games (like telltale games) and romcoms and some light horror movies. my top 5 movies of all time are howl’s moving castle, pride and prejudice (2005), scream, pacific rim, and the princess bride. my top artist the last 7 years in a row on spotify was hozier. my current favorite author is emily henry. my love language for giving is quality time/gift giving, receiving is acts of service/quality time.

Anon, I am gently patting your cheeks, I adore you so. You’ve given me so much information to work with, and every bit that I got just further cemented my hypothesis that you’ve gotta be paired with Huxley.

Speed run, let’s go- Type Two’s are characterized by a desire to be loved and confident in that love; Huxley leaves no room for doubt. Your sisters would probably be protective and want the best boyfriend for you; does it get better than Huxley? You’ve got mommy issues; he’s got two amazing moms who’ll love you and heal them. You’re autistic; we’ve got proof Huxley’s awesome with autistic people (i.e Damien and Lasko).

You and Huxley would make each other so endlessly happy. I think both of you are big “Quality Time” people, so nothing makes you feel more loved than a simple, domestic weekend at home. Huxley loves those cozy, lazy days of cuddling your cat (which loves him duh) and reading together. The only kind of day he might like better is y’all going for a hike or leisurely drive together, singing along to country music on the radio. (He definitely has a soft spot for the same genre, having heard his moms listen to it when he was a kid.)

Song:

First time that I saw you, mmm/ You took my breath away/ I might not get to Heaven/ But I walked with the angels that day/ She takes me by the hand/ I am the luckiest man alive/ Did I tell you, baby/ You are the joy of my life?

Speaking of country, I love to imagine Huxley as a Chris Stapleton fan specifically. He’s just so quintessentially, classically country and writes the dreamiest love songs; I can totally see young!Huxley singing Tennessee Whiskey long before he ever drank alcohol. Now, he sings it and other Stapleton songs like this to you. (Badly, I might add. I like to headcanon that Huxley can’t hold a tune to save his life, but he pulls it off well.)

Runner-ups:

Asher would be a fun runner-up for you because I think y’all would have fun playing games, like next to each other and with each other, you know? Like, imagine running a Stardew farm with Asher; it’d be chaotic and amazing. I also like Lasko for you as a runner-up, because who better gets mommy issues than another person with mommy issues, you dig? /lh

note: Irene is such a cute name boooo anon’s mom /lh

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[actuallydrinkingtea]

My Top 5 Song Picks of 2024

In no particular order:

Duvet by BOA

Rise by Raveena

Make Friends by Hiatus Kaiyote

Weird by KAYTRANADA & Durand Bernarr

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over by Lenny Kravitz

Honorary Mentions:

Survival (album) by Hope Tala

Badlands by Earth Surface People

Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain (album) by Raveena

Dirt Roads by Tia Wood

26 by Caamp (Hellooooo, I got married at 26 this year, literally.)

Judge Judy by Tyler, the Creator

Duvet is like a warm vanilla-sugar Bath & Body Works™ hug from my childhood. It's nostalgic, hopeful, and gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. I remember when this song blew up again (it dropped back in ‘98, but made its TikTok return in ‘21, and again in ‘23), and we all started manifesting that 2024 would feel like this song. The whole trend of romanticizing your life and embracing being just a little bit delusional? Honestly, it's a great reframing practice. It helps us appreciate the life we have and the small, beautiful moments.

Rise is straight-up about activism—“rising up” against everything wrong in the world. Raveena has been outspoken about Free Palestine, queer, and abortion rights at her shows and on social media. She’s an actual earth angel. I was lucky enough to meet her at a guided meditation she hosted before her performance at Showbox Sodo. The experience was so calming and grounding, and it gave me a deeper appreciation for her as both an artist and a person. After the show, she went straight to the merch table to meet and greet her fans. I can't stress enough how genuine she is in her fan service—she truly loves and appreciates the people who support her. That’s rare in this industry. I’m telling you, unless she decides to go live in an eco-conscious community somewhere (which would also suit her vibe, tbh), Raveena is on track to become the next Stevie Nicks. I know, I know, we shouldn't pit women against each other, but hear me out—every generation needs that iconic, barefoot goddess twirling on stage, backed by insane talent. And Raveena? She’s the one. The way she blends spirituality, activism, femininity, queerness, Indian roots, neo-soul, and early-2000s R&B is pure genius. I can't wait to see what projects she shares with us in 2025.

Make Friends by Hiatus Kaiyote. So, here’s the thing: I’ve been slowly diving into more Hiatus Kaiyote over the past year and a half. It started with Slip Into Something Soft and Nakamarra, then evolved into Everything Is Beautiful (and for the Adventure Time fans, don’t miss their track BMO is Beautiful featuring THE Niki Yang iykyk). But when I first listened, I had no idea what the band looked like. So you can imagine my surprise when I Googled them and saw a group of white Aussie musicians making the kind of soulful, funky, jazzy music I associate with Black artists in the R&B, soul, and jazz traditions. It’s fascinating because their sound is so rooted in those genres, but they’re coming from a completely different cultural background. It got me thinking about how genres like R&B and jazz have always transcended boundaries, and how it’s cool to see artists from around the world drawing from these rich, Black musical traditions. Reddit confirmed I wasn’t the only one taken aback by the band's Aussie roots, but honestly, I can’t deny that they make it work. Make Friends is a straight-up bop, and it’s all about that real connection—when you find your people, you just vibe. Anyway, moving on!

Weird by KAYTRANADA & Durand Bernarr. This one hit me hard in 2024. Sometimes I’m the one judging the "weird" person in the room, but other times I am that weird person. As a socially awkward 20-something with a bit of Capricorn energy, I don’t always mesh with certain social settings—and sometimes, I’m just being a little bit of a bitch. This whole album is a banger, but this song? It clicked with me in a way I didn’t expect. The ‘Timeless’ album was a frequent pick for my hot girl walks in 2024.

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over—and this post ain’t over yet! 2024 was the year Lenny Kravitz blessed us with his tour, new music, and—perhaps most memorably—that video of him bench-pressing in leather pants and a mesh shirt at the gym. Honestly, I’m pretty sure that viral moment almost topped the blanket scarf meme. Thank you for your service, LK. I promise I’ll finally listen to Blue Electric Light in the new year.

2024 was a year of embracing the awkward, the beautiful, and everything in between. Music was my guide through it all—helping me find moments of peace while also pushing me to confront the parts of myself I’d once kept hidden. From standing up for what truly matters to connecting with those who see and feel the same way, this year was about evolving, unlearning, and stepping into my truth without hesitation. Here’s to carrying that forward—more growth, more love, and more of those beautifully imperfect moments in the year ahead.

Song links <3 tagged below

[hoziersrealhusband]

my top five albums of the year

im writing an article for my radio station for my top 10s of the year (songs, albums, tv and movies) but i want to post this first. so get excited for that article! here are those albums though, im only going to give you five for now and some hints for 6-10 so you go read my article soon!!!!

also idgaf about my grammar in this im not back in class yet!

eternal sunshine by ariana grande

to anyone who knows me, this is probably a huge surprise considering an album that'll be at #3. ariana grande though has released some music that i will forever hold near and deep to my heart. this album is insanely massive growth for her lyrically and vocally. when she released sweetener in 2018, i saw that as her peak album; it had changed my entire life, and came when i needed it most. i really do see sweetener, thank u, next and eternal sunshine as sisters. eternal sunshine immediately topped her discography for me and made me love arianas music more than i already do.

2. cosmic by red velvet

this was my most anticipated album of the entire year. you could literally go to my twitter and look up "red velvet summer comeback" and i had been tweeting about it since summer 2023. cosmic is the perfect k-pop track to me and red velvet's best title track. the music video is beautiful and the b-sides on the album are just absolutely magical. the album celebrates the group's ten year anniversary and the groups love for their fans, and they couldn't have done it any better.

3. brat by charli xcx

going back to what i said under ariana's section. its probably going to be a surprise to MANY that this isn't #1 for me. im honestly surprised that it's not going at #1. BUT, to actually talk about the album. brat was a cultural phenomenon. the brat wall, the brat shade of green that was everywhere, the ROLLOUT. this album was perfect and launched charli into her much deserved mainstream fame. this is an album that i hope sweeps awards because the work and love charli put into this album is incredible and very much shows.

4. lana by sza

yes, we only got this deluxe version of the album not even a month ago. but thats how good it is! even though it is a deluxe for SOS, im gonna look at it as its own album. it is such a perfect reflection to her previous album. my favorite songs from this bmf, scorsese baby dady, crybaby and saturn are absolutely gonna be songs i play on REPEAT when thinking of and talking to/about [REDACTED]. i also love the sample in the interlude. GREAT ALBUM!

5. i did by yves

it would absolutely not be my top five if someone from loona wasnt here. out of all of the solo/group work from the loona members, im the most shocked by yves. even though i knew that the style of music she does is something she really likes from the artists she listens to, i am so happy with the direction her artistry is going! her music is so catchy and the production is amazing. although, the way loona abruptly had to take a break from promoting as a group was very heartbreaking, it has been so amazing seeing the work all the members have been able to do in the past two years. every single member of loona has shown sides of themselves artistically that we may have never been able to see under [REDACTED BAD TERRIBLE AWFUL COMPANY. cough. bbc. cough.] im very excited to see whats next from yves.

thanks for reading! now take a look at whos going to be in 6-10, its out of order so try and guess whos gonna be where

[goddesspharo]

#okay but hear me out: BAND AU#what if it's that saved by the bell episode where zack attack breaks up merged with that thing you do?#what if there are TOUR BUS SHENANIGANS?#what if there's an entire timeline where they're recording their future hit album while trying to balance artistic integrity with make outs#there goes rooster off to his room to write that hit song 'alone in my principles'#i do need someone to stop me from doing this#hmm how many WIPs is too many WIPs?#glen powell

I refuse to stop you. You're going to have to find someone else to stop you. The upper WIP limit does not exist!

(Funny enough, my nanowrimo this year was supposed to be an original also involving band shenanigans (not this band thing) that I've had two pages written of for the last...ten years before I immediately stopped working on nano the moment I decided I was going to do it.)

We're at the point of "Sallah, I said NO camels! That's FIVE camels!" with regards to how many WIPs are threatening to be soft launched because of these Glen Powell photo shoots. But if you're going to plant that dude in a rented house on Laurel Canyon in front of a decorative guitar and jukebox and expect me NOT to want the Top Gun: Maverick dummies in a band that breaks up after their meteoric rise up the Billboard Hot 100 charts, then you're OUT OF YOUR MIND and have clearly not watched Almost Famous and That Thing You Do enough times.

Let's be honest: the entire spirit of a TGM band AU would be Hangman being this earnest when finally pressed to drop the hot mess rock and roll front man facade for a second. He has hidden depth (probably!) that no one can access because he's jumping off rooftops like a golden god! Long suffering tour manager Bob is just trying to get these boneheads from city to city without racking up too much on the hotel incidentals bill. Is Natasha the journalist on tour with the band? Is she the band manager booking Rolling Stone cover shoots that they - Jake, mostly - show up to wasted because noon time just means 5 am somewhere else and that's too early to smile on cue? Unclear, but I'm sure there's bail money involved in either scenario. Meanwhile, Rooster just wants to write music that is meaningful ("We've become too commercial," he insists before proposing an experimental jazz interlude), but the label keeps trying to relegate those to B-sides because actually no one wants to listen to a ten minute song about his daddy issues. Everyone makes out.

(Or just watch Almost Famous again because there is no band AU that will go as hard as Cameron Crowe went with that.)

[pbandjesse]

It's not as bad right now but my poor feet are all swollen. It's terrible. Like I am sort of used to my hands swelling from walking around, and that's very uncomfortable. But this sucks. I tried laying with my feet propped up on the headboard for a while. And it helped a little but it is still difficult to move my toes. Not pleasant at all.

I find it extra annoying because I didn't even do much today. I had a pretty easy and restful day. And that was nice after sort of a bad night's sleep. I woke up at least 5 times. I don't remember James leaving. But when I did wake up for real I had a text from them that they made it to work without getting to rained on. So that's good.

I went and turned the shower on and left that to run for a bit while I made the bed and brushed my teeth. I hate to waste the water but I just can't take a cold shower every time. And it would actually get warm after ten minutes.

I washed my hair. And tried to feel like a person. I am using Nivea cream lotion which does not spread well, it's almost a wax, but it's the thickest lotion I can find and my belly stretchmarks are starting to tear at the top! Which is plain unacceptable to me. Like I already have some belly stretchmarks, I've had them for years. But they are very light and I would like to keep them that way. So I am going hard on the lotions and oils.

I would just put soft clothes on today. I started in a sweater, then this fleece but would switch to a sweatshirt by the end of the day. I just was feeling uncomfortable today. I couldn't find the right temperature or fabric. I was trying to be comfy but it was just not in the cards.

I had cereal and waited for my meeting with Kathleen. We must have had a slight miscommunication because I thought we were having a video call but she would call me at like 1015. I had been waiting at my desk for the video call (I very much did not want to do the video call), but she got my number and called me and honestly it was really nice to talk to her.

We caught up, talked about pregnancy and having an IUD, and gossiped a little about the event world. But the call was mostly about a workshop idea for the old time music festival in the spring. They have decided to not have the makers market this year but still wanted to engage with the artists and makers. I'm sorry of bummed to lose that market because I did really well at it. But I appreciate that she wants to organize a workshop with me.

They would have to get a grant but I agreed to write up a document with a proposal and the project and scope. I also hope to make some examples I can photograph.

The project of would be felt pins based on some of the logos of the festival, specifically an oyster and a crab. I think I can precut a bunch of those and have a pretty solid little sewing workshop.

Once I got off the phone I decided to just start working on the document. And would spend about two hours writing. That up and drawing some instructions. I honestly was having a great time. I had my laptop and tablet opened and it was just really fun having a solid project to work on. I really hope I can get more commission work and digital stuff because I truly do enjoy it. I also really want to push myself to make more digital drawings.

I am actually planning a larger project making an alphabet coloring sheet set for our baby shower in January. I started it a while ago but I haven't touched it in weeks. I will have to revisit that ASAP.

I would have a late lunch. I had a hotdog and we didn't have buns so I had it on bread which wasn't as texturally horrible as I feared. It was honestly fine. I sat in the studio and had my lunch and tried to feel productive.

But mostly I just felt tired. I would go upstairs and laid down for a little while.

I would get a little burst of energy and decided to try and go through my closet again. I put some more stuff away. Still haven't folded the storage clothes. But it was fine. I still did not find my shawl. I am starting to get nervous that I somehow got rid of it. Like it was in something and I gave it away. I really hope not.

I spent a good amount of time laying on the couch. Then moving back to the bedroom. And waiting for my husband to come home.

When James got home they accidentally leaned on my leg and it hurt so bad??? And then I was really happy and it made me mad. I tried not to get mad at James because it wasn't on purpose but I was a bit upset with them.

Then would make me noodles for dinner. My favorite pasta side was knorrs, formally Lipton. And they are just so boring now. They used to be so good but they just taste like creamy noodles and it is so disappointing. So much food is so boring or cheap tasting now. And I know it's because companies are cheaping off on ingredients. Everything is expensive but worse now.

James would go to the living room to do their podcast. And I would sit in the studio to work on a little quilting project. I want to make some quilt based things for Christmas gifts. And this quilt piece didn't 100% work how I was planning but I like the colors I chose and I think it will look good as something later.

While I was working at my desk though my feet started getting wildly swollen. They felt full of liquid and the skin felt so tight. I could barely bend my toes. Like I couldn't flex my foot. I would try to push through the discomfort. I moved the to floor, thinking maybe sitting in the kneeling chair had caused something to be pinched? But it didn't help.

I tore one of my quilt strips and cursed and when James came running thinking something was wrong I yelled at them to leave me alone and that wasn't fair. I felt very bad doing that. They said I can be mad at them but they didn't do anything. I was just feeling very very overstimulated and upset.

I moved upstairs and laid in bed with my feet in the air. But I just moved back to laying regular. My feet are still swollen but I can bend my toes again. Still not comfortable but at least I can move.

I am ready to just not think about anything for the rest of the night. James is going to shower and I might take one after. Maybe that will make me feel a little better.

We have thanksgiving prep tomorrow. I would love to avoid the stores because I know they will be packed. But I will assess everything in the morning.

I hope you all have a nice sleep. I love you all. Goodnight.