#slim over 55 reviews

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 08/06/2024 (Eminem's "Houdini", Fred again../Anderson .Paak/CHIKA, Chappell Roan)

It’s been over two decades for Eminem and his new lead single is still debuting at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his 11th overall. It’s stupid as all Hell, but it might be worth to have some lightening up in the rap world after, well, you know. As for whatever else is charting… well, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, death, gay sex, uncomfortable age gaps, The Real Slim Shady, transphobia, cancel culture, 70s Italian cinema, RuPaul

Rundown

As always, we start with our notable dropouts - songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to some rap as “Malicious Intentions” by Poser drops out - a shame it couldn’t last or reach the top 40 since I do really like that as a follow-up - as well as Future and Metro Boomin’s work naturally dampening off with “Type Shit” featuring Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, and “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar. Our three other notable dropouts, unless I’m missing anything, are older pop hits: “Teenage Dreams” by Katy Perry, “Tears Dry on Their Own” by the late Amy Winehouse and finally, “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. Again.

As for our notable gains and returns, we see the resurgence of “Without Me” by Eminem, as his newest single actually landed his biggest first-week sales since that track hit #1 back in 2002, according to the Official Charts Company’s article about “Houdini”… and looking at the top 10 it spent one week on top of, yeah, I’m happy Em took that one. That is a rough week, imagine if I was doing this show in 2002. The new song of course makes reference to and interpolates “Without Me”, yet another one of his goofy lead singles that tend to be really fun highlights of any of his albums, but the original is back at #38. Notably, it spent some time at the very bottom of the chart in 2004 and 2022. Oh, and Becky Hill’s #3 album gave “Outside of Love” the chance to re-enter at #73 though none of the deep cuts ended up debuting, which is a bit of a shame.

Then of course, there are some more predictable boosts for songs already on the chart like “on one tonight” and “one of wun” by Gunna at #57 and #30 respectively, “Thank You (Not So Bad)” by people who should know better at #55, “Addicted” by Zerb, The Chainsmokers and Ink at #54, “360” by Charli XCX at #41 - wonder if the Yung Lean and Robyn remix has anything to do with it - “The Door” by Teddy Swims at #28 and finally, “Pink Skies” by Zach Bryan at #25. Most of these are ones I cannot really complain about, good stuff.

As for our top five, we start with pretty much seeing Billie Eilish’s single choice switch in realtime as “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” remains at #5 whilst “LUNCH” falls right below, then we have “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey at #4 - shame the album didn’t seem to have much of an impact - followed by “BAND4BAND” by Central Cee and Lil Baby at a new peak of #3, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter dropping off to #2 and of course, with over 100,000 sales, which is a pretty big deal for the UK, Slim Shady at #1 with “Houdini” which we’ll get back to after these messages.

New Entries

#69 - “Carry You Home” - Alex Warren

Produced by Adam Yaron

Okay, I’ll bite: who’s Alex Warren? Well, he’s a young singer-songwriter from California who struggled in childhood due to his parents’ troubles and having to leave home as a teenager, dealing with homelessness for a while, but has channelled that into both a music career and as an Internet personality and YouTube vlogger, which has given him some viral circulation but nothing enough to chart until this year, where after two other tracks bubbling under, he has his breakout new song, “Carry Me Home”, which sticks with me for an interesting reason.

Whilst given that it’s mentioned on his Genius, his Wikipedia and Spotify biographies, and articles by Distractify and Forbes, that his come-up, probably regarded by the more cynical as a “sob story”, is in some way integral to the public image he wishes to portray, it’s clear that it’s embedded in these lyrics as well. One could take them as generic loving platitudes, but the emphasis on a long, going-the-distance relationship that is as passionate in the future as it is in the present, feels very immersed in a guy trying to improve on the example of relationship his parents left him, or really lack thereof given his mother’s addiction and father’s untimely death due to cancer. He mentions not having a place to sleep in the second verse and the song is mostly about marriage, mentioning his mind being on his mother when he says “I do”, bringing that joy of a “traditional” relationship and wedding to a family he never really got the “perfect” version of. Lyrically, I really like these notions, yet I don’t find much to be inspired by in musical execution. The reverb-drenched vocals in the pre-chorus are distracting and he doesn’t have the most unique voice in the world, and the sequencing overall is a bit wonky: there’s very little effective build-up into the stomp-clap frolick of the sing-a-long chorus. Additionally, it just feels a bit rote in its choice of vocal melodies and musical elements, like a factorial way of constructing this kind of song, which sucks considering how personal the lyrics are to him. I’m sure this means more to long-time fans of him, but on a sonic level, I’m not really feeling it at all. Sorry.

#68 - “Red Wine Supernova” - Chappell Roan

Produced by Dan Nigro, Noah Conrad and Lixa

Whilst “Good Luck, Babe!” was the breakout hit for Chappell Roan, it was a new release that took advantage of existing hype solidied from existing releases, particularly on her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess which is an album revolving around an overexaggerated pop persona whilst also heavily including narratives surrounding her own identity as a queer woman. More LGBT-related concept albums about famous people are coming on this chart week and it’s just funny that I can say that over-specific thing happens not once but twice in these debuts... and I’m not sure she’d like the comparison. Regardless, her two songs that have been bubbling under for a long time are now in the top 75, acting as some of the strongest singles from that album - commercially, at least, I have yet to listen to it in full - that helped prep the fanbase and now general audience for the sleeper smash that was to come.

I was excited when I heard the jangly guitars mixed with Roan’s almost cabaret voice on the intro to “Red Wine Supernova”, before the synth bloops came in almost immediately and whilst the buzzing clash of the two elements later in the track is compelling, it does really disappoint me when a song crashes into synthpop pastiche like that. This is a song about particularly passionate and envigorating lesbian sex, so the dissonance of the somewhat static, distorted electro-rock groove with the point of blissful, organic euphoria in the chorus shouldn’t be that difficult of a metaphor to figure out. The cute back-and-forths in the verses are pretty funny, the pre-chorus is maddeningly catchy… but I still don’t vibe with the main momentum of the song, it feels predictable past its main trick and once you’ve heard that first chorus, her pre-empting the drums coming in during that moment with a goofy ad-lib just feels extraneous the second time, and I really don’t like how the drums mesh with it anyway, it feels too… obvious, I guess. And much like “Good Luck, Babe!”, there’s a disruptive bridge but this one isn’t narratively disrupting, going for a bit of a disco-rap pivot that is equally reminiscent of the “Shake it Off” cringe as it is the natural fall into faster and sassier vocal deliveries you can hear in a surprising amount of queercore and riot grrl punk. One of my favourite examples is the back-and-forth between the vocalists on Team Dresch’s “Yes I Am Too, But Who Am I Really?”, where the two topics of expressing yourself amidst discrimination and being submissive in the bedroom intertwine chaotically and playfully but really make you think about sex’s place in queer identity, whilst also just having a fascinating relationship between the song’s groove and where the words are placed. Chappell Roan’s bridge goes for a similar idea and is just as effective, it’s just that the surrounding sonics aren’t as dynamic or really just to my taste. I can tell the passion is there, as well as crucially, the honesty, but it might not be reflected within the flashy pop production, which is a shame because unlike “Good Luck, Babe!”, the pieces are here for me to love this.

#61 - “She’s Gone, Dance On” - Disclosure

Produced by Guy Lawrence and Howard Lawrence

There are quite a few dance tracks to get through this week, and from many familiar faces, some less familiar than others, some less frequent chart fixtures, some more respected figures, but still a good deal of EDM debuted this week, probably due to it being slower in general and we start with wonky house duo Disclosure, who I generally like. This track has a somewhat peculiar choice of sample: “Dance On” by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, from the 1978 film Così come sei, or Stay as You Are in English. A European erotic romance drama with “ravishing” performances and songs like “Dance On” as the soundtrack, which is a killer slice of slightly dissonant-feeling disco, having a falsetto chant sharing space with synth freakouts but in a call-and-response format that is both fascinating and renders the track tense and almost instrumental, this seems like the kind of film I would consider a guilty pleasure. The lead actress, Natassja Kinski, who was… 17 at the time? Doing nude scenes with a guy in his mid-50s? And she now regrets this film entirely, disapproving of her scenes and saying she wouldn’t let her daughter do it? Okay, well, firstly, I shouldn’t have expected anything less from 70s continental Europe art films, but also, abort, abort, mission abort, let’s not think about the sample’s origins any longer.

Regardless of what sketchy film it tracks its way from, it’s a song that seems built for a French house flip, especially due to its extended instrumental breaks, and Disclosure do just that, with some glading tropical guitars, a steady if predictable house groove and an emphasis on bringing some bliss and transcendency out of a vintage, maybe dated-sounding sample, which is something Disclosure have always done when working with similar samples - “Love Can be So Hard” is a brilliant example of this. The added shuffling percussiion makes the moments of synth magic even more relieving, and the level of detail in sound design is expectedly immaculate and crafted to ridiculous degrees: the little moment in the pre-drop where the synth briefly wanks out in a zig-zag style before the beat comes back in fully is such a nice, goofy touch - there’s a lot of goofiness this week - and that bridge / outro with the glitched, screechier synth that gets shut off into a murmur is great. It’s almost weird to talk about a song like this on here - it feels like one of the many future funk songs I’d find randomly on Spotify and jam to them in my own time, never really thinking about how to review them. But I’m not upset it’s here - whilst I understand that my enjoyment of this pries on very specific genre preferences, it’s outstanding in its field, this is excellent stuff.

#59 - “Set My Heart on Fire” (“I’m Alive” x “And the Beat Goes On”) - Majestic, The Jammin Kid and Céline Dion

Produced by Majestic and Lee Tyler

Wow, been a while since we had a mouthful like this on the chart because dear God, what on earth is this? Let’s start with the artists, as that should be easier. Majestic is an English DJ known mostly for his hit remix of Boney M.’s “Rasputin” that I reviewed back in 2021 and thought was just okay, whilst The Jammin Kid is new to the chart, and seemingly new to streaming services entirely as he has no other work on even SoundCloud than just this track and its remix. What he does have, however, is a TikTok following so I think his social media presence may have led to a credit on this track, especially since I tracked down the mashup idea to a TikTok of his with a couple hundred thousand likes wherein he does the typical “pretend to do anything on a mixing board” as he dances around to an obviously pre-programmed mashup of the two tracks in this medley, which is probably not enough for a track on its own so took a cosign from Majestic to get on Spotify, who also probably helped with his connections to get the sample cleared.

The original mashup, available on The Jammin Kid’s SoundCloud, is a pretty straightforward mashup with a few additional production touches but no outright reworking, pairing Canadian legend Céline Dion’s 2002 hit “I’m Alive” with the soul group The Whispers’ 1979 classic “And the Beat Goes On”, their only #1 on the US dance and R&B charts, and one of their biggest hits in general, as it peaked at #2 in the UK in 1980, behind Kenny Rogers’ “Coward of the Country”, and is an iconic, undeniable funk track. If you think you don’t recognise it, listen to those first few measures and have all the memories coming back. Once again, it makes perfect sense for a French house remix. That’s not what The Jammin Kid did though, he placed the vocals of a Céline Dion song from beyond her biggest era and one that didn’t even chart on the US Hot 100. A big worldwide hit, of course, because it’s still Céline Dion, but at least from my experience, not one nearly as remembered as the instrumental he’s being paired with. I also don’t really like the song, frankly, it’s some adult contemporary schmaltz that wastes Dion’s iconic voice. It did peak at #17 in the UK however, whilst Blazin’ Squad’s cover of the Bone Thugs classic “Crossroads” was #1. Similarly to the Whispers, it is built for sampling and actually has a history of being made more upbeat and disco-influenced. A popular remix of the time places the vocal against a soundalike of Blondie's "Heart of Glass".

The mashup itself is fine if kind of lacking in much more of an idea than just “this song works on this song”, which is sometimes all you need, but I definitely prefer the more intricate house remix from Majestic, which phases out its isolated instrumental elements from “And the Beat Goes On” is a very wispy way that absorbs the smoother elements of the original mashup rather than fully reimagining it in sped-up house form, which does help it go down a bit easier considering all the glitz and saccharine nature of mixing two very famous and shimmery songs together. Interestingly, The Jammin Kid is replaced as a producer by industry co-producer and writer, Lee Tyler, which goes to show just how little idea or involvement he had in developing the track any further - it’s not unrecognisable in this form, far from it, but it has such a clearer sole identity from Majestic and Tyler’s reworking. There’s a lot of swell to the gospel choir, disco strings and trickling synth cascade as well as typical French house guitar riffs but it does feel a bit like, well, exactly what it is. TikTok backing music for a guy dancing around in his living room pretending to produce. I do like that a song with this interesting of a story and rabbit hole is charting, as well as it being notable that TikTok mashups if given the right push and clearance, can be successful risks for all companies involved, from the original labels to opportunist scene-familiar DJs, and make hits in themselves. I just don’t think this thesis of a flip is particularly inspiring.

#53 - “HOT TO GO!” - Chappell Roan

Produced by Dan Nigro

I was worried when I started looking into the lyrics of this track and their meaning, because it seems to be all about high school - the chorus is a cheerleader chant, and “HOT TO GO!”’s main conceit is about her school experience, wherein her appearance was dismissed as “pretty”, but not “hot”, with the Chappell persona absorbing the overt sexuality she was never granted during those times. Now, I was worried because of the perhaps bratty nature of the song which definitely is there and I can’t personally relate to much of the teenage melodrama anymore, but this might actually be my favourite of hers so far, mostly because I love this. The blooping new rave synth bop is still less interestingly textured than it should be but its taunting sing-songy loop reflects the almost condescending nature of her treatment as an adolescent, and the twinkling shakers in the chorus bring it to an incessant, mechanical level that I find a fascinating choice. The post-chorus, which should be the moment that feels like a release given its blast of guitars, is still stiff and constricted by its limitations, with the most catharsis coming from Chappell’s vocal outbursts within the verses, which are often just comically honest. She actually got a laugh out of me when she expressed her clear ulterior motives in the second pre-chorus that she made this song so that this girl would sleep with her, connecting the otherwise perhaps disparate themes of this song, which is mostly a dance track, albeit one that ropes in the potential tedium of those genres as a plot device, with that outro being a great way to end off the track; its awkwardness and lack of mutual response from the second party is the kind of skit you see in a 90s or 2000s teen comedy. Perhaps surprisingly, this one ended up being my favourite from the three, but still, I’m not fully convinced on whether that album would be to my taste, I suppose we’ll see if we get more debuting from it or her later works in the future.

#50 - “6 in the Morning” - Flex (UK) featuring Nate Dogg

Produced by Flex (UK) and Doc Funk

Yes, (UK) is in their official Spotify name, and I say “they” because this doesn’t feel like a chart placement for this specific song but more of a phenomenon because oh, boy, there’s a rabbit hole to go on with this one. I don’t actually know where our story starts, but an obscure loosie from the late rapper Nate Dogg was circulating at least as early as 2009, where a popular, unauthorised upload still remains on YouTube. There is artwork on Discogs of this being a physical, non-label, perhaps unauthorised release, but it’s not explicitly dated as far as I can find, so this being described as “new music” in June 2009 is as far as I’m getting. It’s a catchy, twinkly R&B-rap fusion with some uncredited female vocals and a lot of richly-voiced hooks from Nate, who was just the master of those, though the song doesn’t sound fully finished considering the sheer amount of chorus, a bit of an unmoving beat and vocal mixing not as layered as it could be until its meandering outro, but also sounding slightly unfinished was kind of the norm for cheap 2000s pop rap. In 2009, Nate Dogg was suffering from having experienced two strokes the years prior and was largely retired from music as a result, with this record not seeing an official release until long after his death.

After passing in 2011, Nate Dogg naturally fell victim of the pop music indutsry’s exploitation of its deceased, but not nearly as heavily as one would expect from a death that could be placed firmly in the dying moments of rap’s bling era, as hip hop tends to treat posthumous features even less gracefully than other genres. Hell, the only reason “Gangsta Walk” probably didn’t get an immediate posthumous re-release is that it had been on the Internet for a few many years and sadly, Nate Dogg had fallen into irrelevance… until 2016, wherein a remix of his song with 50 Cent, “21 Questions”, went viral on SoundCloud. As Mixmag reports, California producer SNBRN was granted access to an unreleased acapella from Nate Dogg’s estate for him to place a warm, vaguely tropical house beat under, speeding up the track to fit the tempo and placing some nice, yet very typical and now quite dated pianos and horns that fit how this genre really sounded for quite a while there. Whilst not charting, it was a viral enough success that this became retrospectively recognised as the original song, particularly due to reporting that, in my opinion, was misleading and did not do its due diligence in explaining the leak circuit around the track that had existing for nearly a decade at this point. Nonetheless, Genius does not have a page for Nate Dogg’s original and attributes samples of that vocal to the SNBRN track “featuring” Nate Dogg.

There aren’t countless examples but are now plenty of dance tracks using that Nate Dogg vocal, and now that 2010s nostalgia is in the midst, it makes all too much sense that yet another viral hit would be made out of flipping the sample on a house beat, so here comes Flex to do just that with a pretty boring house beat that does sound like a throwback to older garage tracks due to its bass and use of an acapella that’s kind of crusty at this point, ends up having to be drowned in reverb, but that and the wonky synth paired with the vocal make this feel less like a throwback and more just a cheap, dull and frankly lazy attempt at taking what was already a successful flip and throwing it into this producer’s style. Well, as far as I know that it’s his style because he has no other Spotify presence, but I understand that streaming doesn’t reflect club mixes, and this definitely feels like the kind of remix that gets thrown into one of those and promptly forgotten the morning after. The story behind this track’s success is so much more interesting than the song itself that it’s honestly humorous.

#35 - “places to be” - Fred again.., Anderson. Paak and CHIKA

Produced by Fred again.., Skrillex and Boo

A collaboration between Fred again.., Skrillex and Anderson .Paak is like a dream to me. I’m not surprised that it exists given how collaborative all these guys here, but I’m absolutely glad it does and yes, it lives up to all expectations, this is excellent in all the ways you’d expect and then some. Bringing the breezy blue skies of “ten” to the frenetic drum and bass of “leavemealone”, this is such an organic meshing of the styles that feels second nature to Fred again.. at this point, and the overall vibe is a transcendent rush of feelings, borrowing tiny snippets from Alabama rapper CHIKA’s commandeering, kind of sexy poetry and fusing them melodically to create hooks that feel way too obvious to have been reconstructed through samples of spoken word and not just be inherently there in the sample. I don’t know which one of the three it was to form a hook out of a 2017 poetry recording from an underground rapper, probably Fred’s given he’s done it before, but it’s just as cute and catchy as it is thematically fitting to the lifting of worries that this song embodies. The clipped percussion amidst a myriad of pitched-down vocal glitches and a loveable wave of vintage synths, delightfully slightly distorted to push this into a similar vapor feeling as a lot of the other EDM tracks debuting this week, allows this song to feel homegrown despite the big names involved and the disparate sample selections. It’s impressive to have a drum and bass song with this much immediate punch and drive still feel like such an airlift, and the first time I heard it, knowing that it would be special, I was still pretty awestruck by just how beautiful I found this track.

I could swear I’ve heard the pitch-shifted “down” / “I” hook from somewhere, maybe even sampled in another EDM track, but given WhoSampled haven’t found it yet, my immediate thought is just that it’s co-writer BEAM delivering ad-libs that were then implemented as one of the song’s many hooks, alongside the main conceit of the track that CHIKA’s got places to be, and they’re next to her partner for some intimate time. It’s adorable and loving, so when .Paak comes in with his familiar pre-verse child-like shouts of “yeah!”, I knew a special verse was coming. I understand that most chart fans will be familiar with his smooth jams alongside Bruno Mars as part of Silk Sonic, or even his funk and soul solo albums, but he has a pretty storied history of rapping over wonky electronic tracks by acts like KAYTRANADA so he’s not a surprise here and he’s also just a perfect fit. Going for a faster flow than usual, embedding inklings of promising melodies within otherwise rapid bars about just having fun with this girl, .Paak oozes an effortless and carefree charisma, and is fully at home with this subject matter - if you know, you know, the guy just loves women. Same. Anyway, even the lyrical details amidst the quicker, less noticeable parts of his rhyme scheme here, add to the otherworldly atmosphere created, referencing NASA and the fact that, hey, if they put a man on the Moon, the least he can do is make that ass shake, right?

In further choruses, CHIKA’s sampled vocals are warped and flubbered in a way that .Paak’s fuller vocal mix that fill in for, both in harmony and separately, making a song that could narratively feel quite distant due to an original verse being in combination with several samples, fall brilliantly into place. The level of care put into not just the sound design but the thematic, narrative elements of the songwriting that can be involved in what may sound like rote sequencing decisions, may not be unique to Fred again.. and Skrillex but they are masters at this, and .Paak is down to let those visions into reality as he hypes up the CHIKA sample with his ad-libs as if they were recording in a studio together. They literally complete each other’s sentences, it’s gorgeous. So where does it go from that perfect second chorus? It goes through the motions, but hardly in a negative way as it continues to soar further into the skies on the cover art, with a vocal chop from someone who is definitely BEAM panning from left to right and whilst being explicitly stuttered nonsense, somehow makes complete sense when .Paak or CHIKA pre-empt it with “You got that…”. Like, yes, sometimes that loving feeling is completely indescribable, and human relationships can only be expressed in a garbled emotive response, that eventually has to slow down into a rest as the night is over and you both need some sleep. CHIKA’s lines about adjusting her speed slow down and warp into a glitch but it doesn’t feel inhuman, it just feels like the inevitable winding down, and you can tell from the lyric chosen that there’s still a great deal of mutual comfort in that.

I have gone into way too much detail about this, probably, and the next review will be just as frustratingly long, but the care put into tiny little details like a stray chipmunk soul vocal used to transition between parts, a funny YouTube clip from 2020 they picked out and placed in the bridge, it’s all just so endearing and immersive. It’s everything I love about what can be done in this genre when taken to a pop format, and even without, and effortlessly intertwines the story and character of the artists involved to its sonic design. I know it’s only been a week since release but I can confidently say that if it isn’t my favourite song of the year so far, it’s close, and I understand that this is in large part because, well, of course a song like this would be to my taste, but I hope I’ve given more than enough valid reasons for that love not to be misplaced.

#1 - “Houdini” - Eminem

Produced by Luis Resto and Eminem

I am far from the biggest Eminem fan in the world, as is probably well-documented on this blog, but I’m well-informed enough and definitely nostalgic for some of his older material when he took himself less seriously. I knew that eventually he was going to come around fully to the goofy Slim Shady persona - his last album, Music to be Murdered By, was just teeming with dad jokes and “horrorcore” lyrics - but the sheer amount of self-referential humour and surprisingly smooth integration of the character into the modern day seems like both an ambitious project to take on and a cheap take on the nostalgia circuit. Nonetheless, there seems to be a higher concept to this all being the final nail in the coffin for that persona, with this lead single featuring Slim Shady returning by travelling to interact with the modern Eminem and make his typical irreverent comments about pop culture that he would back in the day. Lyrically, whilst it’s not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, he’s really bumped up the surrealism to some of the commentary as to ensure we know that this character should probably die: just full of pointless hatred and cheap dad jokes, but still comes back to pester the game.

The magician conceit doesn’t go very far outside of the cover art or that incessant chorus borrowed from the very prominently sampled “Abracadabra” by San Francisco group the Steve Miller Band, which fits in both the pop climate and Em’s discography as he’s sometimes been one to sample, at his leisure, cheesy choruses in incredibly obvious and corny ways. “Abracadabra” itself peaked at #2 for two weeks here behind Captain Sensible’s equally ridiculous “Happy Talk” and Irene Cara’s “Fame”, with their bigger hit, and only UK #1 being “The Joker”, an actually good song. Whilst I’ve never liked “Abracadabra”, its inclusion here is playful and almost mocking, I feel like Em doesn’t even like the song either, so there’s a snarky nodding of the head to the audience with how gratuitous its use is. As for Em’s flow and lyrics themselves, he has not sounded this smooth in a while and whilst still occasionally choppy, I think that comes from an intention to always be exactly on-beat outside of the funny, sing-songy melodic flow switches, as if you care to look back at Em’s plethora of goofy tracks, whilst a lot of them are just as choppy, he tends to take a more conversational and devil-may-care attitude towards its cadences, and that is somewhat present here but less so than when he was making tracks about shitting, pissing and cumming. I guess you could say that over time, he’s gotten less fluid.

The track even starts with a classic Paul Rosenberg skit where he finally gives up on trying to reel Em in, before he ends up taking shots at Megan Thee Stallion (no pun intended), modern technology, RuPaul, “wokeness” and even Rosenberg himself, and whilst I’m sure some people will take this at face value, not only are these kinds of anti-PC lyrics wherein you’re supposed to know he’s in the wrong Shady’s bread and butter, but they’re 1.) more clever than half of the edgelord memes you see on X nowadays and 2.) very obviously just as dedicated to dissing himself as those he mentions, and some of those people like R. Kelly might deserve the mockery. The Megan Thee Stallion joke is cheap, but part of the joke is that Eminem doesn’t have a chance of a collaboration - a “shot at a/her feat/feet” - in the first place, and when he calls Paul a male cross-dresser, he knows full well that you can look up the “My Band” video and a myriad of others and see Em doing the same. He even dedicates a lot of this song to criticising his previous drug addictions and whilst you may find that even harmless jokes about trans people would still be rough coming from a guy on Em’s level, that argument relies on the idea that anyone is taking the line “My transgender cat’s Siamese, identifies as Black but acts Chinese” as anything more than a throwaway non-sequitur poking fun at the idea that anyone can “act” like a certain race. If this is taken by any commentator from any end of the political spectrum as an attack on wokeness, they’re missing both that Eminem himself is very woke and that the song takes elements of wacky right-wing commentators, bringing them into the Slim Shady persona which would be very in-character for a character who slings around the F-slur, and by connecting them with such degeneracy as Slim, he’s absolutely parodying them. Is this line that far from how Alex Jones thinks the government is turning frogs gay using chemicals in the ocean? And plus, if we can hump dead animals and antelopes, then is there a reason that a man and another man can’t elope?

This is a certifiable entry into the now prolific standard of goofy, nonsensical Slim Shady tracks, and to nerd out a bit, this is exactly the kind of style I want from Eminem. My favourite album from his is the inexplicable and fascinating Encore and some of my favourite tracks from him like “Rain Man” or “Campaign Speech” are absolutely off the rails. A concept album about this character is really exciting to me and whilst some of the references to his catalogue are more surface-level, even in that first verse, he references deep cuts like “Evil Deeds”, implements one of the catchiest flows from “My 1st Single” - as soon as I heard that concentrated verse, I knew that he was finally back in that bizarro space I love and calculating it in a much clearer and funnier way. I’m weary to say it, but this is a hilarious, promising single and I’m genuinely really curious to where this album goes. Also, he shouted me out on the third verse. Always love a cactus bar.

Conclusion

It should be pretty evident, right? A good week, with a lot of insane rabbit holes, detailed, intricate productions and a whole lot of sampling upon sampling, just a lot to talk about overall, but if you read any of this, you’ll be able to tell that the Best of the Week goes to Fred again.., Anderson .Paak and CHIKA for “places to be”, whilst the Worst of the Week handedly falls in Flex (UK)’s hands for just a boring remix of a promising track from the late Nate Dogg in “6 in the Morning”. There’s nothing worthy of a Dishonourable Mention here so I’ll tie the Honourable Mention between Eminem’s “Houdini” and Disclosure’s “She’s Gone, Dance On” - sorry, Chappell Roan, “HOT TO GO!” was close, but it’s a lot of competition. As for what to expect from the next episode, RAYE’s on the horizon, as are Halsey, Sabrina Carpenter aiming to avenge the #1, Jung Kook of BTS and most importantly, Charli XCX has a new album. But for now, thank you for reading, long live Cola Boyy and I’ll see you next week!

[livingmeatloaf]

Tumblr sweatpants review

8/10 overall rating

Price: $55

Image ID: black Tumblr sweatpants laid flat on a beige carpet.

Measurements

First things first: the measurements on the size chart are confusing and not super helpful. I got the 3XL (the largest size) to be safe and I'm very glad I did. This ended up being my size, though I usually can wear a 2XL in other brands. Here is a full breakdown of the pant measurements, so you can judge them for yourself. All are measured flat then doubled where applicable.

Waistband relaxed = 42 1/2in (108cm)

Waistband stretched = 52in (132 cm)

Hip = 53in (134.5cm)

Upper thigh (at crotch level) = 31 1/2in (80cm)

Calf (10 inches above bottom hem) = 17in (43cm)

Ankle = 14in (35.5cm)

Length along outseam = 46 1/2in (118cm)

Inseam = 31 1/1in (80cm)

Pocket depth = 11 3/4in (30cm) from waistband, roughly 3 1/4in (8cm) from bottom of the opening. Curved, so hard to measure.

The waistband has a bit of stretch thanks to the elastic in it, but not much. There is a functional drawstring to tighten. The material itself has minor stretch, maybe about as much as a cotton t-shirt. The ankle cuff seam has *zero* stretch. The legs are tapered in a fairly slim cut.

The legs ended up being too long for me, so I'll have to roll up the cuffs or recuff them entirely.

The sizing chart at the time of my ordering listed the waist measurement of the 3XL at 21 1/4 and the inseam at 30 3/4. There was no indication if that waist measurement was flat, doubled, anything.

Material, Construction, and Comfort

There are no material content, washing instructions, or manufacturer origin tags inside the pants. The site lists the material as "7.8-ounce, 50/50 cotton/poly fleece, Elastic, self-fabric waistband and self-fabric cuffs." This matches what I see without doing a burn test. The outer material has a smooth, slightly ribbed finish that does look and feel like a heavier t-shirt material. The inside is a fluffy poly fleece.

All seams are fully sealed in surge stitching, with a few trailing tails at joins. The drawstring is a woven flat cord. The elastic is 1 1/2in flat elastic, stitched down on top and bottom. The elastic and drawstring are both anchored at the center back, so the drawstring is not continuous and cannot be pulled out. Both are contained within the channel of the waistband, so no elastic pressing directly to the skin.

The tumblr logo is screenprinted on the left leg. It is warm and flexible, so I believe it will serve my sweatpantsy needs. I have not yet washed them, so I cannot say how they'll hold up over time.

As long as you get the right size, there should be plenty of ease for movement. If you want a more relaxed fit, maybe go a size up so long as the size range allows you to.

Overall, I'm pleased with these and do no regret buying them. The pockets are nice and deep, the pants are comfy, and they'll keep my legs warm. The quality and construction are pretty good; if you told me these were from a mid-tier department store like JcPenney or Kohls, or that they were from an athletics brand, I would believe you. I think this is reflected in the price. I'm not a huge fan of tapered legs and the pants only just fit comfortably where I prefer a much more relaxed fit.

I would love if Tumblr offered other styles and they should definitely talk to their manufacturer about increasing the size range into truly plus sized options, as I consider myself on the lower end of plus size and only fit their largest size.

@staff Please put the option for reviews on your shop page!

[shreddheir]

I posted 12,854 times in 2022

That's 12,577 more posts than 2021!

668 posts created (5%)

12,186 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@fullmusicbard

@finnthewitch

@fakeorchestra

@surpriserose

@outpost-31

I tagged 3,523 of my posts in 2022

#terunosuke miyamoto - 91 posts

#kt lore - 62 posts

#jjba - 55 posts

#fave - 51 posts

#angelica tag - 48 posts

#jjba oc - 42 posts

#kt tag - 41 posts

#you know - 40 posts

#me - 38 posts

#prev - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#(ppl acting fake offended over something innocuous where you know they’re teasing you but it’s ambiguous enough that you can’t explain it to

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

i love robots but i hate how they will be used.

 Robotic “dogs” that will gun you down without the capacity for compassion. Or drones that will kill countless innocent people with the click of some far away mans controller. Or artificial, beautiful, slim women gliding around the homes of lonely rich men with submission only a machine can guarantee. Or online algorithms trawling through conversations to predict what you want to buy and when you want it.

If god created man in his image what does it say about us? that when given a chance to make something of our own we only use it for sex or war or consumerism or the most streamlined, soulless imitations of those 3? Is that our image? 

I love robots that are built to live with us, not for us. 

188 notes - Posted July 21, 2022

#4

Saiki kusuo has autism.

Reasons: not facially expressive, doesn’t communicate verbally, gets overwhelmed in public or around a lot of people, wears gloves everywhere to prevent (psychic) overstimulation, doesn’t really get the people around him despite being able to read their thoughts, goes to great lengths to try and appear normal,

198 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

#3

Did anyone else know that the actual cannibal Shia labeouf song Was made by one of the singers of TALLY FUCKING HALL??????

232 notes - Posted March 5, 2022

#2

It’s Thursday

293 notes - Posted March 31, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Josuke Higashikata has anger issues and we should talk about that in a non-memey way.

We’ve all seen the memes. Josuke gets really pissed if you talk shit about his hair. But it’s a bit deeper than just irrational hairstyle rage. In this essay I will dissect an aspect of Josuke’s character that, despite being often talked about, is never truly discussed.  His anger. 

This image is a good starting point, especially the section on how others see Josuke. It tells us 3 very important things.  1. His mother doesn’t see his anger issues as a problem, despite how destructive they can end up being. This is likely because she has some of her own, as shown when she slams a catcaller’s face into his car door hard enough to dent it.  2: His stand’s ability is affected by whether or not he’s angry. If he’s angry, crazy diamond isn’t the kind power it usually is at all.  3: Josuke is disliked by his peers. Those bullies aren’t an exception, they’re the norm. In fact, the only person who has an overall positive opinion on josuke at this point in the series is his close family, and even his grandfather recognizes that his anger is destructive.  Josuke has a cool exterior, but that’s partially a facade. It’s important to recognize that Josuke has been ostracized his ENTIRE LIFE. For context, illegitimate children and single mothers was/are VERY stigmatized in japan.

See the full post

354 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[mysticscrystalrevelation]

Game 29 Review Fri, August 23 7:30pm EDT Los Angeles @ Washington

Starting: WASH: Atkins, Austin, Dolson, Sykes, Vanloo (Samuelson knee injury) LA: Dangerfield, Hamby, Jackson, Stevens, Talbot

1st Quarter Wow, I haven't seen Azurá play in so long. The Sparks have a ton of injuries. We know the feeling. They have Steph Talbot marking Ariel tonight after her hot streak last game. Julie Vanloo is getting the start over Shatori versus the smaller Dangerfield. Nice D by JVL but it's not enough to stop an excellent two-person game by Dangerfield and Hamby. Julie goes back the other way and throws up a silly off-balance shot that of course goes in. Rickea Jackson is responsible for most of the offense thus far for LA. I'm sad that we won't get to enjoy the JVL to MHA connection anymore. One of many things we'll miss about Myisha's trade. In a bizarre sequence, Aaliyah appears to toss the ball over her own back, lose it and fall down, but she chases down the block! Engstler subs in and drains a 3. Jackson answers right in Ariel's face, wow. Very impressive. "If you haven't seen her play you need to get with it," says Christy. Earl for 3. DC is playing better defense than LA, but missing a couple more shots. Sug Sutton debuts, coming in for Earl. I was wondering what position she might fill. Sug takes the ball down for DC instead of Jado or Shatori who are also on the floor. Things are getting a little chippy as the game stays tight. 22-21.

2nd Quarter Oof, several opportunities but we're not cashing in. Finally, Shatori makes it happen. I am seeing new offensive plays. At least three attempted bounce passes inside have gone straight to LA players. From the vantage point of my couch, there are a lot of other open options. There's so much space if we can plan on making the extra pass. Stef is quietly facilitating. This game is more loosely reffed than most and I am in favor so far. Ask me again the 4th quarter. The Julie Vanlooper goes up again and finds net. Slim is starting to feel herself against her former team with 14 already. The Eurostep has entered the chat. Another great play ending in an Aaliyah layup. JVL is fouled, doesn't get the whistle, yells FOUL and gets a tech. Eric calls timeout. Apparently JVL apologized to the ref? This is an interesting game. Lots of movement, good pace, close contest, not too many stoppages. 38-41.

3rd Quarter Dangerfield is taking advantage of little DC errors to create turnovers. Eric calls time to regroup. For our part, some good disruption hasn't brought results yet. I'm enjoying this number 7 matchup between Steph Talbot and Ariel. Both teams are pushing tempo to their detriment in my opinion. The 3-ball is picking up from the first half for the Stics. Shakira is playing amazing for apparently being sick. She just went to the bench and definitely looks under the weather. It really surprises me how few minutes Kia Nurse is playing for the Sparks. Especially with Layshia injured. Ariel is taking the scoring on her back. Yikes we switched to rugby for a minute there. It's been exciting in that the pace is high and the turnovers are mostly from lost balls/deflections/throw aways but that's not a good exciting. 54-55.

4th Quarter Sweet play for the Mystics' opening offensive stand—Slim to Shakira. Now Shatori gets a block and we run it again. $$$. Slim has been shooting very well tonight. LA, not so much. Hamby steals, Slim gets down and blocks the shot, Shakira saves it, Jado heaves it to Engstler for the layup. Whoo! Now Shakira and Jade joint takeaway and runout. It's a 10-point lead and the house is rocking. Momentum? Late in game? I don't know her. Quick 4 points for LA out of a timeout to cut the energy. Our hands have been everywhere knocking and grabbing the ball, especially (as always) Ariel Atkins. 8-point lead with 2 minutes left. Odyssey Sims is plug and play. It's crazy she didn't have a season contract. Shoutout also to Rae Burrell and Zia Cooke who have made their minutes count. Meanwhile, Sykes has a career high 27 points. Earl hits a 3 off a kickout from Slim. Shakira gets a tech. Now she blocks Yueru! Game over. Mystics win! We definitely had our moments, but both teams shot atrociously from 3. 80-74 final.

[gemtvusa]

Sony X93l vs Samsung S90c Review, Specs, Price

Side-by-Side TV Analysis: Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED vs. Sony X93L/X93CL Available Models: - Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED: - QN43QN90CAFXZA (43") - QN50QN90CAFXZA (50") - QN55QN90CAFXZA (55") - QN65QN90CAFXZA (65") - QN75QN90CAFXZA (75") - QN85QN90CAFXZA (85") - Sony X93L/X93CL: - XR-65X93L (65") - XR-75X93L (75") - XR-85X93L (85") Summary: When pitted against each other, the Sony X93L and the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED TVs have their unique strengths. The Sony X93L edges out in terms of processing capabilities, effectively refining lower-quality content and offering superior upscaling. Additionally, it boasts support for Dolby Vision, a highly regarded and more universally adopted HDR format compared to Samsung's HDR10+. On the other hand, the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED shines brighter, literally. Its luminosity is slightly superior, allowing for more vivid small specular highlights. Deciding between the two depends on the user's specific preferences, whether it's top-notch processing and HDR support or a more radiant display.

Samsung QN90C Overview:

The Samsung QN90C stands out as a top-tier choice for a range of viewing experiences. Whether you're settling in for a movie night in a dim room or playing video games, its high contrast ratio ensures optimal visuals. Daytime viewing, whether it's TV shows or sports, is equally remarkable due to its impressive peak brightness and superior glare reduction. Add in a respectable viewing angle, and you've got a TV that performs reliably across various scenarios. Gamers, in particular, will appreciate its responsive features and extensive gaming options.

Sony X93L Overview:

Sony's X93L boasts comprehensive quality for diverse use-cases. Ideal for daytime show binging or sports events, its high peak brightness and reflection management are noteworthy. Dark room settings are equally catered to, thanks to its Mini LED backlight ensuring deep blacks with minimal light bleed. Gamers will find a lot to love here too, with rapid response times, low input lag, and features like variable refresh rate to minimize visual disruptions. Samsung QN90C Pros: - Maintains a consistent image even at moderate angles. - Exceptional peak brightness ensures reduced glare. - Intuitive smart interface complemented by a vast app selection. Samsung QN90C Cons: - Stuttering is evident in slow-panning scenes. Sony X93L Pros: - Effective local dimming delivers deep blacks. - Sufficient brightness to counteract glare. - Top-notch reflection management. Sony X93L Cons: - Viewing angles could be better, with some decline in image quality from the sides. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUzFoXbC9uA

Samsung S90C Review: Affordable Brilliance in OLED Technology

Amidst the anticipation surrounding how Samsung's S90C QD-OLED would stack up against the pricier S95C QD-OLED, the S90C has confidently emerged from the shadows, standing tall on its own merits. Immediately capturing attention is the S90C's remarkably slim panel design, especially noticeable at its edges. Although it becomes more substantial in the center due to the absence of an external connection box - a feature present in the S95C - its design might actually find favor with some over its upscale counterpart. Its interface offers comprehensive 4K 120Hz and variable refresh rate gaming support across its four HDMI ports and houses all desirable streaming platforms. However, navigating its smart interface can feel a tad intricate, even with some updates since its 2022 iteration. Comparatively, the S90C's brightness doesn't rival the S95C, registering around 20% less luminescence. Yet, once this distinction settles, it becomes evident that this slight reduction is its sole compromise. The S90C's visuals might even resonate more with aficionados who prefer softer, steadier imagery in controlled lighting. Notably, its brightness surpasses most top-tier OLED TVs, including renowned models like LG C3. Our scrutiny was primarily on the 55-inch S95C. However, it's crucial to recognize that while the 65 and 77-inch versions are QD-OLEDs, the 83-inch model employs WOLED technology. Thus, the latter's performance might diverge significantly. In terms of auditory performance, the S90C might not match the S95C but still outperforms its predecessor, the 2022 QD-OLED Samsung S95B, and rivals many in its price range, with Sony A80L being a notable contender.

Samsung S90C: Pricing & Availability

Release Date: May 2023 Official Pricing: Starts at $1,899 / £1,999 / AU$3,299 The Samsung S90C's primary allure is its affordability within the QD-OLED spectrum. As of now, the 55-inch variant is priced at £1,799 (UK), $1,599 (US), and $3,299 (Australia), making it substantially lighter on the wallet than the S95C. Other size variants include the 65 and 77-inch models, priced at $2,099 / £2,499 / AU$4,299 and $3,199 / £3,599 / AU$6,799, respectively. There's also a forthcoming 83-inch variant with a traditional OLED display, priced at $4,999 in the US. As of now, the 55, 65, and 77-inch models have been globally available since May 2023. The 83-inch version is set to debut in the US in July 2023, with international availability still under wraps.

Samsung S90C Review: Aesthetics & Build

Streamlined Edges with a Futuristic Feel The S90C diverges in design from its upscale counterpart, the S95C, yet echoes the aesthetics of the preceding S95B model. Remarkably, the standout feature is the S90C's incredibly svelte screen edges. The design is so sleek that it almost feels reminiscent of futuristic TV shows like The Jetsons. However, when comparing the build quality, the S90C doesn’t feel as robust as the S95C. Though the edges of the S95C models might appear thicker than those of the S90C, the S90C has a more pronounced depth in its central rear, making it bulkier than it first appears. This additional depth in the S90C can be attributed to its built-in connections. Unlike the S95C, which sports an external connections and processing unit, the S90C houses all of its ports – including the four HDMIs, two USBs, Ethernet, RF input, and optical digital audio output – directly on its back panel. While this might be seen as a drawback for those who favor concealed cables, it's also likely one of the key factors in making the S90C more affordable than the S95C series. The design's sole shortfall might be the TV's feet. For a model that leans towards the high-end spectrum, they appear somewhat basic and lack the premium finish expected. However, their placement, more towards the center than the extremities, ensures the TV can snugly fit on narrower furniture. It's noteworthy that the design ethos for the 83-inch S90C varies considerably from the other sizes in the S90C range. This distinction is primarily due to its larger dimensions and the integration of the WOLED technology instead of the QD-OLED. Samsung S90C Review: A Quantum Leap in OLED Specifications: - Screen type: QD-OLED - Refresh rate: 144Hz - HDR support: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG - Audio support: Dolby Atmos - Smart TV system: Tizen - HDMI ports: 4 (all HDMI 2.1 compatible) Standout Features: - High-definition 4K quantum dot OLED display - Object Tracking Sound audio innovation - HDMI 2.1 compatibility for advanced gaming: 4K at 120Hz and VRR across all ports At its core, the Samsung S90C is a quantum dot OLED masterpiece. Samsung’s innovative approach uses blue light filtered through quantum dot layers, producing more vibrant colors. The resultant display is devoid of the pure white often seen in traditional OLEDs, giving way to potentially bolder, more precise colors—especially in vivid scenes. Samsung’s second generation QD-OLED benefits from refined filtering to minimize ambient light impact on black levels, boosting brightness without ramping up energy consumption and enhancing pixel monitoring for increased contrast and longevity. Under its hood, the S90C employs Samsung’s upgraded Neural Quantum 4K processor, synonymous with the S95C 2023 models. Leveraging artificial intelligence, this processor greatly improves content upscaling from HD to 4K. Brightness is where the S90C diverges from the S95C. The former is approximately 20% less luminous, but it still surpasses many competitors in its price bracket. Despite the slight reduction in brightness, home theater enthusiasts might appreciate the S90C’s less aggressive and more consistent imagery in darkened rooms. The 55, 65, and 77-inch S90C models are QD-OLEDs, while the 83-inch variant adopts the conventional WOLED technology. It’s predicted that this larger model would offer diminished brightness. Connectivity is a highlight of the S90C, with all HDMI ports accommodating modern gaming needs, including 4K at 120Hz/144Hz and VRR. Notably, Dolby Vision isn't supported, which may deter some. On the audio front, while the S90C may not surpass the S95C, its sound quality, amplified by the Object Tracking Sound system, is commendable. The technology helps sound effects correlate with onscreen action, enhancing immersion. Image Quality Insights: The S90C’s display clocks just below 1,100 nits of brightness, in contrast to the S95C’s 1,400 nits, making it around 20% dimmer. Yet, it's still brighter than many of its counterparts, such as the LG C3. Despite the perceptible brightness discrepancy with the S95C, the S90C might appeal more to viewers who favor a balanced, less intense viewing experience, especially in darker environments. Colors are vivid and lush, exuding a purity that's captivating. The brightness advantage is evident in colors, especially in well-lit portions of an image, imparting depth beyond mere sharpness. Details, particularly from non-4K sources, are impressively refined by the S90C’s upscaling. Motion handling is a slight hiccup, though it can be fine-tuned via settings. Expected OLED strengths, like deep black tones, remain stellar on the S90C. Enhanced control compared to its predecessor, the S95B, is evident, especially in shadow detail handling. Viewing angles are superb, a boon for off-axis viewing. However, certain presets might not offer the ideal color intensity expected from QD-OLED. Some manual adjustments might be necessary for optimal color vibrancy.

Sony Bravia X93L Mini-LED TV Review: Is the Past Catching Up?

Starting on a Confessional Note I must admit, I approached this review with a set bias. And honestly, given the circumstances, it seemed justifiable. The X93L appears as a mirror image of its predecessor, the X95K, Sony's previous flagship mini-LED TV. Ignoring the perplexities of the model naming for a moment, one might easily surmise that the X93L is merely a repackaged 2022 model, with no novel hardware features to boast. The question naturally arises: Why would one opt for last year's model branded as a new release? Specifications and Model Variations Our assessment is based on the 65-inch XR65X93L model, but it's applicable across the board: - 65-inch XR65X93L: $2,200 - 75-inch XR75X93L: $3,000 - 85-inch XR85X93L: $4,400 A Deeper Dive into Similarities The striking resemblance between X93L and X95K led me to question Sony directly about the distinction. Sony's straightforward response highlighted three innovative software features and the undeniable quality of the X95K. Diving into the evaluation, post a comprehensive quality check with Calman software and a calibrated Spectracal C6 colorimeter, I took the time to indulge in the viewing experience. The X93L didn't disappoint, and I found myself pondering the overshadowed brilliance of the X95K. A comparative price analysis revealed the X93L's ace card: its affordability in contrast to the launch price of the X95K. Surprisingly, price emerges as the Sony TV's game changer. Who would've thought? Considering the performance-to-price ratio, the X93L unmistakably presents a compelling case. For context, the launch price difference between the 65-inch models of the X93L and X95K stands at $600. A look at the competition further solidifies the X93L's stance. Both the 65-inch Samsung QN90C and LG QNED99, priced at $2,500, are more expensive, despite offering more HDMI 2.1 ports. Yet, the Sony X93L's overall value proposition remains unparalleled. A Comparative Glance Though brands like TCL's QM8 and Hisense's U8K offer competitive prices, there are inevitable compromises. For instance, neither matches the motion resolution quality of the Sony X93L. If the criteria is a luminous mini-LED display bolstered by Sony's signature motion quality, color accuracy, and HDR tone mapping, the X93L emerges as a front-runner. Diving into Technical Aspects Before delving into the nitty-gritty, let's clarify that this analysis assumes no prior knowledge of the X95K. Initial testing of the X93L was conducted in iMax Enhanced mode, but later shifted to the Custom preset for better accuracy. The results were commendable. A few minor adjustments perfected the two-point white balance. The SDR peak brightness was slightly elevated, but still within an ideal range for most users. Colors were remarkably accurate, rendering the X93L between 'great' and 'excellent' for its out-of-the-box performance. Sony Bravia X93L Mini-LED TV Review: A Revisit or a Revamp? HDR Metrics: A Deja Vu Upon examination, the X93L's HDR boasts a peak brightness of 1,800 nits from a 10% window, with a near 1,000 nits for full-field white. The color accuracy is stellar, with an average delta E of 1.92, making any discrepancies virtually undetectable, except for a couple of outliers. The X93L managed to cover 93% of the UHDA P3 color spectrum and slightly over 73% of the BT.2020 color space. Intriguingly, these metrics mirror those of the Sony X95K from the previous year. The Backlight Dilemma Central to my review interests is the TV's prowess in backlight management. Predictably, the X93L's performance aligns with the X95K from last year. The genuine evolution would involve a dramatic increase in mini-LED backlights and zoning, a transformation seen in Sony's latest flagship, the X95L. However, this model is limited to the 85-inch variant. Thus, for consumers seeking the zenith of Sony's mini-LED backlighting, the X95L is the go-to. With the X93L, Sony appears to prioritize cost-effectiveness over technical elevation. The brand likely surmises that a majority of its clientele will appreciate the X93L's backlight execution, leaving the niche demands of video enthusiasts to be catered by either OLEDs or the X95L. This calculated decision seems strategically sound for market penetration. Yet, potential buyers should be aware that while the X93L offers brilliant HDR highlights, it doesn't shy away from minor blooming issues. In high-contrast scenarios, a faint halo effect might be visible around bright subjects. While it's undeniably impressive, it isn't an OLED beater. What Sets it Apart? Signature traits like superior motion handling, upscaling prowess, exceptional tone-mapping, and color precision firmly categorize the X93L as a luxury Sony TV. New introductions include an Eco Dashboard for efficient energy management and a gaming interface offering VRR toggle, refresh rate adjustments, and more. An awaited firmware update will introduce adjustable screen resolution, akin to switching between app display scales on an iPad. How Does It Stack Against Others? Comparisons with models like Samsung's QN90C or potentially brighter models like TCL's QM8 and Hisense's U8K will be addressed in upcoming reviews. Yet, it's undeniable that the X93L exudes a premium allure not commonly found in other brands. Concluding Thoughts The X93L, while an exquisite piece of technology, may not cater to all. If you're seeking a plethora of HDMI inputs, it might not be your ideal fit. However, for those in pursuit of a mini-LED experience that offers a vivid, rich, and authentic visual treat, Sony's X93L emerges as a top contender. Read the full article

[ffreviewsblog]

SLIM OVER 55 CHALLENGE REVIEW 2023 - D5es It Really Work? Slim Over 55 C...

[looye29]

Clean water to drink is a primal necessity to life and something we all take for granted! People carrying water bottles to drink from is a common sight everywhere. The kind of water you drink, the amount you drink, and what you drink it from is of utmost importance – sounds unbelievable? Well, the bottle you drink your water from, can help you lose belly fat, claims this website. Can it be true? Let’s find out! If there is a particular type of water bottle that can help you lose that extra fat, won’t it be absolutely dreamy and magical?! Yes, Slimcrystal water bottle s claim to be just that - not only will they satisfy your thirst but also help you in healthy weight loss and will improve metabolism. Slimcrystal is the only water bottle that claims to help you on both counts. What is Slimcrystal water bottle and how it works The Slimcrystal water bottle s come with crystals inside that work towards weight loss. It also helps in improving metabolism and clearing the clutter from your mind. You will be astonished at the natural process of weight reduction. So, what is it exactly? There are nine gemstones inside the water bottle in the form of crystals that have the medicinal properties of regularizing body metabolism to lose weight. These crystals also have several other health benefits. The manufacturers of this bottle claim that consuming about three liters of water every day from this bottle will help you get rid of the extra fat and maintain your body shape. The crystals in the bottle heal the body, and thousands of users have benefited from using this. You will also find your mood elevated and your mind relaxed. If you continue to use it for 3 months at a stretch, you will see the desired results. Since it is very easy to carry anywhere, you can make use of the benefits of this bottle wherever you go. The bottle has a unique combination of gems such as Agate, amethyst, jasper, quartz, sodalite, moonstone, green aventurine, carnelian, and citrine, each of which carries lots of benefits. The benefits of these stones are: Agate: to transfer negative energy to positive ones Amethyst: to improve the immune system and skin texture Jasper: to maintain mental balance & focus, and to remove stress and anxiety Quartz: to regulate the body's energy and boost the immune system Sodalite: to heal gastrointestinal problems and improve body energy Moonstone: to build happiness, self-discipline and improve strength Green Aventurine: to promote the healing process and enhance the natural beauty Carnelian: to help joints and bones heal well and to maintain kidneys Citrine: to boost energy and give inspiration. The nine gems in the bottle release their properties into the water to help in losing weight naturally. The low metabolic rate of your body gradually improves thereby reducing the fat without any ill effects. For several decades, this formula has been used to heal many ailments. Consider it a lost ancient secret, now rediscovered! The crystals make the oxygen level in the water improve which in turn, assists metabolic rate and thus helps you lose the fat. You will start feeling very energetic in drinking water energized by these crystals. You will not need any supplements for your weight loss. Everything is covered by this bottle. You do not have to strain to lose weight. Slimcrystal water bottle s claim to be the latest and most effective means of losing weight and other health issues. The product offers you bonuses too: Healthy Fat Loss Desserts Cookbook and Videos – with recipes of healthy food with videos of expert chefs. Slim Over 55 program – with fifty-five programs of exercises that are age specific to make you fit and flexible. 57 Secrets of Reverse Ageing – contains details on natural and organic products to stay young and talks about the science behind age reversing factors. Free Bracelet – A Slimcrystal bracelet in support of health and especially if you like to have accessories in hand.

Pros Slimcrystal water bottle s are the only ones to help in weight loss. The combination of the nine gems supports digestion and increases energy levels. The rate of metabolism of your body improves when you continue to use the bottle for 3 months. Overall body ailments are cured, and skin and appearance improve. To get the desired result, you need to consume three liters of water from this bottle, which in turn also ensures you drink ample water each day No diet restrictions or weight reduction supplements are needed. All your negative thoughts, anxiety, and thoughts get reduced, and you become more positive. There is a 60-day money-back guarantee too if you are not satisfied. When you order two or more bottles, you get a cool discount and a free bonus. Cons Since the whole process is natural, you may start to see the results only after 60 days. The results may vary vastly from person to person. Final Verdict As compared to others in the market, the water bottle is one of its kind to have gemstones inside that work for your body. Whenever you drink water from it, your body gets more energy and you experience an accelerated rate of metabolism. What I liked best about this is the fact that your digestion improves, and you also witness gradual and natural weight loss. The reviews of the customers who use this bottle are really encouraging, and since the price is quite affordable, you can buy and try this. The best aspect is that you get a good discount on the price and free bonuses too. Many labs have also tested these water bottles and found that the combination of crystals increases the oxygen level; thus, their reasoning has been accepted as valid and logical. I find that the product continues to receive positive reviews and no negative feedback as yet. People start loving the product after witnessing the change it brings to their minds and health. What else is needed when a product is assured of no side effects, especially in weight reduction? There is also a money-back guarantee which makes the product all the more impressive. The product is in great demand as it has been helping people like you lose weight, stay healthy, and stress-free. The Slimcrystal bottle seems to have earned the praise of many who say that it is definitely worth the buy. The product seems to be getting overwhelming support from those who used it. With a money-back guarantee and no side effects, do you have to really hesitate to buy this and give it a try? My rating of this product based on the sheer creativity, ease of use, reviews, and features is 5 Stars!

[gadgetspark]

Top 10 Latest QLED TVs in India | Gadgets Park

Top 10 Latest QLED TVs in India, 2022

Top 10 Latest QLED TVs in India, Today, we’ll go over some of the Best QLED TVs on the market in India. These are also some of the best QLED TVs available in terms of price and screen size. In this list, we will discuss the best QLED TVs available in India. QLED TVs have begun to proliferate in the world of Smart TVs in recent years. This is because QLED TVs have good picture quality but are not overly expensive to produce. QLED TVs use Quantum Dot technology to provide high luminance levels. This helps QLED TVs provide a good contrast ratio, which improves dynamic range and content representation in both dark and well-lit environments. QLED TVs also have good HDR performance, which improves the overall picture. Gadgets Park Reviewed below all the products, Amazon and Flipkart provides the best offers on all Home Appliances, Smart TVs, Washing Machines, Laptops and Smart Mobiles and more.

1. Mi Q1 189.34 cm (75 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Android TV

Highlights:

The Xiaomi Mi TV Q1 is the most affordable 75-inch TV available in India right now. The QLED panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz and claims 95% DCI-P3 coverage. Xiaomi claims that the TV has 384 LEDs in 192 localised zones and can achieve a contrast ratio of 10000:1 and peak brightness of…More

2. SAMSUNG The Frame 2021 Series 138 cm (55 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Tizen TV

Highlights:

Samsung is aiming for a very specific audience with The Frame. However, for that demographic, this may be the only television worth purchasing. It’s an impressive marriage of aesthetics and technology that would appeal to those who value aesthetics over raw specifications. In terms of picture quality…More

3. Nokia 127 cm (50 inch) Ultra HD 4K QLED Smart Android TV with Sound by JBL and Powered by Harman AudioEFX

Highlights:

For improved picture quality, this flagship Nokia TV features Quantum Dot technology with an active quantum dot filter. Premium features such as Dolby Vision and HDR10 are also supported by this panel. While we haven’t tested it, the TV is said to have a 100% NTSC colour gamut and…More

4. SAMSUNG Q Series 138 cm (55 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Tizen TV

Highlights:

This is a Samsung Series 6 QLED TV with a slim design and some interesting features that will enhance your viewing experience. This 4K TV features a dual LED backlight, a Quantum Processor Lite 4K, and support for HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. The 20W audio system includes intriguing features such as object-tracking audio…More

5. TOSHIBA M550LP Series 139 cm (55 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Google TV With Bass Woofer and REGZA Engine

Highlights:

At a reasonable price, the Toshiba M550LP series TV features a 10-bit QLED panel with full array local dimming. It has a REGZA Engine 4K Pro processor, 2GB RAM, and 16GB storage. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG are among the popular HDR formats supported by the TV…More

6. TCL C715 Series 139 cm (55 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Android TV with Handsfree Voice Control & Dolby Vision & Atmos

Highlights:

The TCL C715 features a QLED display, 4K support, HDR 10, and Dolby Vision. It can reproduce Dolby Vision and SDR content very well, as we discovered during our testing. It runs on Android TV and gives you access to the Play Store as well as a large app library. For hands-free control, the TV has four far-field microphones…More

7. MOTOROLA Revou-Q 127 cm (50 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Android TV with Wireless Gamepad

Highlights:

The Motorola Revou-Q (55-inch) QLED TV features powerful 60W quad-speakers and Dolby Atmos support. The TV’s 60Hz VA panel promises 178-degree viewing angles and 400 nits of brightness. Motorola claims 102% NTSC colour gamut coverage, but no DCI-P3 or sRGB coverage statistics are provided. The television supports…More

8. SAMSUNG The Frame 2021 Series 125 cm (50 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Tizen TV

Highlights:

This Samsung QLED TV has some intriguing features that will not only improve your viewing experience but will also add some class to your living room. Customers can customise the bezels and choose between white and teak colours. The Quantum Processor 4K powers this QLED TV, which runs Samsung’s Tizen OS…More

9. Nokia 126 cm (50 inch) Ultra HD (4K) LED Smart Android TV with Sound by Onkyo

Highlights:

For improved picture quality, the Nokia QLED TV features Quantum Dot technology with an active quantum dot filter. Dolby Vision and HDR10 are among the premium features available on the panel. While we haven’t tested it, the TV is said to have a 102% NTSC colour gamut and a Gamma engine 2.2. For improved sound…More

10. MOTOROLA Revou-Q 139 cm (55 inch) QLED Ultra HD (4K) Smart Android TV with Wireless Gamepad

Highlights:

The Motorola Revou-Q (55-inch) QLED TV features powerful 60W quad-speakers and Dolby Atmos support. The TV’s 60Hz VA panel promises 178-degree viewing angles and 400 nits of brightness. Motorola claims 102% NTSC colour gamut coverage, but no DCI-P3 or sRGB coverage statistics are provided. The television supports…More

Are you looking for Smart 43-inch 4K TVs under 25,000? Click Here

[nguyenthidathao1960]

Slim Over 55 Review

Is Slim Over 55, with its light workout program and unique diet approach, really effective in reducing weight for women over 55? Is Aline Pilani, its author, trustable? Find out about them in our Slim Over 55 Review!

https://linkingo.com/slim-over-55-review/

[reviewsinfo-blog]

Slim over 55 review

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[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24/06/2023 (Leigh-Anne, Peggy Gou, Doja Cat... Gunna)

Content warning: Swearing, parasocial relationships, Gunna

For a third week, Dave and Central Cee hang onto the #1 spot with “Sprinter” on the UK Singles Chart. Welcome back, once again, to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start with the notable dropouts, which are songs exiting the UK Top 75 - what I cover on this show - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 75. Given it’s a middling week in terms of activity, we don’t have an insane amount of dropouts here, but we do say farewell to five songs that all have something in common: they’re pretty old at this point, all leaving the chart years after their release, and in most cases, years after they initially charted, those being “The Best” by the late Tina Turner, “Dog Days are Over” by Florence + the Machine, “Die for You” by The Weeknd - assisted by a remix with Ariana Grande that OCC does not credit - “See You Again” by Tyler, the Creator featuring Kali Uchis and finally, “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM.

As for what’s filling in the gaps... I mean, there’s not much of a gap to fill but two songs that are having viral moments right now return to the chart - “UNAVAILABLE” by Davido featuring Musa Keys at #75, which peaked at #60 earlier this year, and “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift all the way up to #28. It originally peaked at #27 close to release of the Lover album in 2019 and actually didn’t last a second week, but it’s been practically crowned an honorary single by the fans and has just now got that official push, so it’s off ACR and back to the top 40, right near where it debuted and peaked nearly four years ago. Oh, and for the record, I really don’t care for this song, I’m not bothered about it coming back or wherever it peaks from here on.

As for our notable gains, we do see boosts for “So Much in Love” by D.O.D at #55, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift at #45, “Relax My Eyes” by ANOTR and Abel Balder at #43, “Area Codes” by Kali at #38, “How Does it Feel” by Tom Grennan surging off of the album release (which did go #1 on the albums chart) to #31, “UNHEALTHY” by Anne-Marie featuring Shania Twain at #24, “Late Night Talking” by Harry Styles at #22, “Little Things” by Jorja Smith at #15 and finally, Hannah Laing and RoRo both get their first top 10 with “Good Love” at #9. Yeah, I’m not really complaining about any of that - you have a few bonafide great songs and the worst here is… “Late Night Talking”, I guess, and even that I just find kind of irrationally annoying rather than actually all that bad, so maybe this summer on the hit parade has some promise.

This week’s top five on the UK Singles Chart consists of pretty much what you’d expect - “As it Was” by Harry Styles at #5, “Giving Me” by Jazzy at #4, “Miracle” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding at #3, “Who Told You” by J Hus featuring Drake steady at #2, and of course, “Sprinter” at #1. Now I said that the summer’s hits started to show promise, but our batch of new arrivals has two Gunna songs. So for everything I say, take it with a grain of salt. Let’s get to the new entries.

NEW ARRIVALS

#72 - “back to the moon” - Gunna

Produced by Kenny Stuntin and Ayo Slim

Well, I haven’t listened to this Gunna album, a Gift & a Curse, which hit #9 on this week’s album chart, because… why would I? Young Thug just dropped an album, and really, especially since the producers have become considerably more unimpressive and the features are non-existent, I am just listening to a low-rate Young Thug. This song may be the best way to effectively sell that idea too, since the production is alright, if a bit unfocused with its lone melodies led by slick acoustics, soaring guitars, choirs and cute pianos functioning as a “loop” somehow when there’s just no real melodic composition to this. It does work, however, at least it could with this monotonous trap beat if anyone else was on it that had any genuine personality. He’s not saying of interest and even if the flow is fast and the delivery is relatively compelled for Mr. Kitchens… just imagine Young Thug on it instead and suddenly it’s a great song. Gunna has this meek-sounding voice that never fully sounds like it gives any substantial weight to what he’s saying, so whilst this works on smoother beats like “bread & butter”, on hard-hitting ones he finds himself lacking and desperately catching up to the beat, which is a shame because there is potential here. Speaking of sloppy flows on trap beats, let us welcome back an old favourite…

#53 - “Side Effects” - D-Block Europe

Produced by ProdByNInez

I wish the producer’s name was just Ninez so I didn’t technically repeat myself with that producer credit. Regardless, I guess we need a second song called “Side Effects” on the chart, and since it’s from DBE, it at least ends up being a bit more interesting, but mostly just like the Gunna songs… just British. This is a rare DBE song led by Dirtbike LB, who I generally prefer but not because of how he leads songs, moreso because he can deliver a weirdly depressing verse in the middle of a song with pretty good flows, so he feels almost out of his element acting as the lead with the first verse and chorus on this screeching loop that’s slapped over a drill-adjacent trap beat. His charmingly sloppy delivery is still here, combined with a pretty terrible vocal mix that sounds worse than in the hook than in the verses - priorities - as he flexes whilst praying the album doesn’t leak. Young Adz picks up a woman in his verse that kind of just proves that despite Adz having more of a presence generally, these guys are interchangeable since Adz ends up serving the purpose of desperate, longing second verse with cool, unstable flows drenched in Auto-Tune, except Adz has that fun “Ski” ad-lib, I suppose. Can we start a movement to make DBE comically bad again? This is just dull.

#47 - “fukumean” - Gunna

Produced by Dunk Rock and Florian “Flo” Ongonga

Come on, Sergio, this is a family show. This sure is a Gunna song, mostly ruined by Gunna but not entirely. I like the flute and its cheap-sounding piano counter-melody, with the stock refrain from P Litty, both in the fun gang vocals and the incessant “ee-yup”, giving something vaguely unique but also incredibly annoying, which is especially effective at turning me off the song when the only real dynamic within the song is the percussion, and even that just feels rote. Gunna sticks to one flow, calls himself a “perv” and all of you “little turds”, and then just ends up sounding like Travis Scott if he were even more bored. At least it transitions well into the next track on the album, which is both better than this thanks to cloudier production and actually compelling content in the second verse as well as something I accidentally listened to when meaning to just listen and review to this song. Great.

#37 - “Attention” - Doja Cat

Produced by Rogét Chahayed and Y2K

Doja Cat is a good rapper, and I definitely prefer her rapping to her singing, so when I heard she was going to release an album consisting mostly of more rap-focused songs, I had some hopes, and I still do even after this single didn’t wow me. The problem here is that this is not a particularly interesting instrumental - it’s far from bad, with its guitar frolick, but it’s not a guitar that sounds great with all its flourishes that if anything are kind of distracting. The boom-bap drums are a welcome breath of fresh air but the rhythm section ends up being kind of clouded in the muddled falsetto chorus and layers of vocal harmony, and when it isn’t, you can’t appreciate the musicality as much since it’s only Doja rapping and a few inflections added from Y2K that don’t add to the song all that much. That hook as well is not great, though it definitely adds to the eerie control Doja seems to want over the song, commenting on parasocial relationships through the infantilisation and dehumanisation of those who are very invested in their relationship with artists, as well as allowing for parallel between how she treats those fans - or haters - and how they view her as craving attention. The verses act as almost a defence of Doja’s actions in terms of her cosmetic surgeries, hair and social media antics, and whilst she definitely has a confident delivery and some pretty great lines - especially that now that she’s seeing a therapist, she can see the haters are depressed - I just don’t care. It’s a shallow reason, I know, but I can’t find myself invested in celebrity gossip that deflects from the celebrity itself. I prefer to hear more introspection when fame is a topic, though she actually gets to something really interesting in the second verse: she’s observant of the press and its toxicity that affects the way we respond to pop culture, whilst also making sure she stays away from going too far as to not look too invested in all the BS. The references in the inflections and rhyme schemes to Nicki Minaj when she’s brought up as a comparison is a pretty genius touch, honestly, and I love hearing when that direct influence feeds into an artist’s work without fully sounding like emulation, and for the last couple measures, we get to hear the instrumental breathe fully and it sounds great! Those moments are few and far between though, which is disappointing because I really, really want to like this song, yet that chorus gets on my nerves and a lot of the first verse I just don’t care for regarding all the clap-backs, it’s just not all that interesting to me, which will hurt the song years after some of this dies down, as well as hurt the song because it’s so lyrically focused. Hopefully the album lyrically touches on a variety of topics because this content could get old quick, and potentially spoil some more great production.

#14 - “(It Goes Like) Nanana” - Peggy Gou

Produced by Peggy Gou

Peggy Gou is a South Korean house DJ who has been active since at least 2016, and whilst her more recent EPs have made waves in the underground, I don’t think many people expected this new single from hers to blow up out of seemingly nowhere on Spotify, and end up debuting in the top 20, seemingly to stay for a good while and I am far from complaining because this is fantastic. If you know me at all, you’ll know I like my dance music more atmospheric, and this sounds straight out of a chill-out CD with his hypnotising 90s rave rhythm, consisting of a bass synth that is perfectly mixed alongside spiralling keys and a classic piano house pattern, as well as an unexpected guitar flick that reminds me of ATB. I’m pretty sure it’s Peggy Gou on vocals too, and she delivers an insanely infectious hook with a beautiful nonsense chorus perfect for this kind of atmosphere, which syncs up with a watery backing synth, it’s just a wonderful chorus. Gou’s vocals slide between a nasal extent and a more upbeat percussive cadence effortlessly within, and the vintage filter applied to all of the song definitely contributes to my pretty nostalgic enjoyment of this. Sure, it’s basically a non-stop chorus machine of a song, but when the hook is this good, it doesn’t matter, and really, any of the chilled deep house you hear from the 90s or 2000s is usually just as ridiculously repetitive with little splatters of synths or percussive changes that make it feel more interesting, so the fact that Gou decided to go for a breath-taking build-up in the final chorus here, that adds a little subtle vocaloid drop-sounding loop below the mix, as well as filtering out some of the drums so they make a less-than-full impact, both leads the song right back to its nostalgic roots whilst also playing a lot with the foundation. This is how you do a dance throwback - I’m very glad this charted, and I hope it sticks around, maybe even hits the top 10, because it would be a perfect summer soundtrack.

#11 - “Don’t Say Love” - Leigh-Anne

Produced by Jon Bellion, Pete Nappi and Jimmie Gutch

Damn, just as I started to forget each of their names, Little Mix are in full solo career mode, with Leigh-Anne being the second to release a charting single, but it’s best we forget about “Boyz” entirely so she’s actually leading the pack for our last new entry this week. With Jon Bellion on production and co-writing duties, it really can’t be bad, but is it any good? Yes, yes, to no surprise to anyone, once they went solo, the girls actually have room for being themselves, as she sounds more at home on this UK garage instrumental than she ever did on those group records. Leigh-Anne’s particularly silky over the syncopated 2-step beat and flashes of melody, and it’s an inescapable chorus definitely, especially over that vintage-sounding string section, and ESPECIALLY with that adorable interruption at the end of the chorus with all the percussive stabs. With that said, that’s kind of it - it has its tricks, it does them well, but doesn’t do much else, which is sadly also a problem with a lot of Bellion’s stuff, but at least we get a substantial bridge with a great belt as well as a new vocal melody that honestly sounds better than those in the chorus, and a spacey interlude that really fleshes out the song’s palette. It’s a good pop song, definitely one that feels like 2023, which should not as much of a breath of fresh air as it is, though I don’t know if it’ll last. I sure hope so, but our only frame of reference for a Little Mix solo career is… yeah, you know what I’m getting at.

Conclusion

This wasn’t a particularly great week, but there’s nothing terrible here, so I’ll give Gunna the Worst of the Week as expected for “fukumean”, with D-Block Europe grabbing the Dishonourable Mention as usual with “Side Effects”. Best of the Week is astoundingly easy as “(It Goes Like) Nanana” by Peggy Gou takes that, and whilst I really do want to give the Honourable Mention to Doja, I think there’s more potential than actual quality there so it’s going to “Don’t Say Love” by Leigh-Anne. I’m sure we can expect Young Thug on the horizon, as well as a new Nicki Minaj-Ice Spice collaboration, Hell, maybe something from Bakar, Hozier or God help us, Kim Petras and Coi Leray. For now, though, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[mysticscrystalrevelation]

Game 21 Grinning and Bearing It to Spare You Thurs, July 4 10:00pm EDT Washington @ Las Vegas

Starting: WASH: Atkins, Edwards, Hines-Allen, Richards, Vanloo (Austin hip recovery, Dolson illness, Sykes foot injury, Samuelson hand injury) LV: Gray, Plum, Stokes, Wilson, Young

1st Quarter We've made it to the second half of the season, now praying for a sea change in W-L record. Unfortunately, the Mystics face the reigning champs tonight down 4 players. Our first play is executed perfectly, finding Ariel rolling open under the hoop. Defense is looking great, but that doesn't stop A'ja. Nice pass from JVL to Aaliyah who lays it in. The Aces' midrange shooting looking like a problem here early. Both teams missing now as it's clear Earl is expected to take on the majority of the scoring tonight. At last JVL takes one herself from 3 and hits it. Everybody needs to be shooting or they will just drown Ariel. Engstler and Shatori sub in. Shatori sees daylight and drops the 3. The Aces lose the ball and we find Tori again for 3. Look out. Karlie is getting some recognition for the tough assignments she gets as Carolyn Peck gets into what the Mystics lose on defense with her, Shakira, and Slim sitting so many games. Well, the broadcast cut out for 6 minutes of game time. Looks like the 1st quarter stayed a bit slow, KP and Jado hitting 3s and a handful of turnovers for DC. 20-23

2nd Quarter The broadcast picks back up with 7 minutes in the 2nd, in time to catch that KP has just hit another 3. In the video feed gap the Mystics seemed to be rebounding well according to stats. It's 26-28. KP goes again :( Aaliyah takes it on in and gets the foul. Melbourne finds space in the lane but can't send it home. Gray sends a perfect full court pass. Gustafson gets a corner 3. Myisha isn't taking enough shots. Go for it! KP is nothing like the player we saw last matchup who had two points all game—she gets 3 again. Earl pulls up. It's nice team defense from the Mystics, especially as short as we are, height and numbers. Chelsea Gray now drains it from 3 as the deficit stretches to an uncomfortable 17 points. Although we did come back from 14 points down in the 4th last game, that was against a short-handed Sparks. Carolyn Peck calls for the introduction of fourth officials aka a studio review crew. Careful now… Earl takes a charge for the team. KP with the most obvious screening foul I've ever seen, yet she acts surprised at the whistle. Engstler goes 3 but we can't get a good shot on the last possession of the half 35-48.

3rd Quarter As ordered: an Ariel Atkins 3 in the opening seconds of the second half. Yish playing excellent D on A'ja tonight. Gray hits another 3. There have been too many misses today from the Mystics. We string together two successful possessions and it feels rare, Earl with 3 again. Aaliyah goes against three Aces under the rack and gets the bucket. Jackie Young's confidence over the past couple years has gone way up, love to see it. Oof consecutive turns and the game is 47-65. The Aces are getting whatever they want now. DiDi gets the jumper and we have subbed in our newest Mystic Jakia Brown-Turner, 6ft guard and DMV hometown hero. J-Yo hits from distance to give the Aces a cringe-worthy lead. Shakira Austin gets a coveted bench tech, dunno what she said. Now KP gets back-to-back 3s—she has 28 points. It's time to grin and bear it. The Mystics get two nice buckets, to prove to me they can, but it's 55-83, people.

4th Quarter The Aces are shooting an eye-widening 65% so far tonight. Washington have 2 steals and back-to-back blocks early in the 4th but are still struggling to get the bottom of the net, Shatori being the exception. Her work drops the deficit to the low, low total of 21. Tip Hayes drives thru 3 Mystics to get the reverse layup. Now Brown-Turner gets her first WNBA pts via 2 perfect free throws—well done, Rook. Kierstan Bell and Jado each cash in 3s to close it out. 77-98 final. 39% to 59% shooting

[j-mysticalien]

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#luke skywalker - 62 posts

#backflip!! - 50 posts

#show to brother - 42 posts

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#ahsoka tano - 37 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#it was fine bc i had to take my white shirt off i was just wearing a sports bra and leggings so my friends hyped me up for being “slim thic

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

girl help I’m getting emotional over the men’s rhythmic gymnastics anime

163 notes • Posted 2021-06-24 20:35:37 GMT

#4

The implication that Omega and the og Bad Batch were all made in Nala Se’s lab makes their interactions in episode one make so much sense. like the way she was so eager and comfortable around them, expectant but understanding? And now the way they didn’t know her and were genuinely confused about her behavior initially h u r t s now

271 notes • Posted 2021-08-07 19:06:22 GMT

#3

That’s how the scene went right?

356 notes • Posted 2021-03-03 15:41:29 GMT

#2

When Reki returns to S for his beef with Adam:

Ep 11 prediction

410 notes • Posted 2021-03-26 18:50:11 GMT

#1

filoni we know you have a pattern but hold up

1068 notes • Posted 2021-08-07 18:55:55 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[looye29]

Clean water to drink is a primal necessity to life and something we all take for granted! People carrying water bottles to drink from is a common sight everywhere. The kind of water you drink, the amount you drink, and what you drink it from is of utmost importance – sounds unbelievable? Well, the bottle you drink your water from, can help you lose belly fat, claims this website. Can it be true? Let’s find out! If there is a particular type of water bottle that can help you lose that extra fat, won’t it be absolutely dreamy and magical?! Yes, Slimcrystal water bottle s claim to be just that - not only will they satisfy your thirst but also help you in healthy weight loss and will improve metabolism. Slimcrystal is the only water bottle that claims to help you on both counts. What is Slimcrystal water bottle and how it works The Slimcrystal water bottle s come with crystals inside that work towards weight loss. It also helps in improving metabolism and clearing the clutter from your mind. You will be astonished at the natural process of weight reduction. So, what is it exactly? There are nine gemstones inside the water bottle in the form of crystals that have the medicinal properties of regularizing body metabolism to lose weight. These crystals also have several other health benefits. The manufacturers of this bottle claim that consuming about three liters of water every day from this bottle will help you get rid of the extra fat and maintain your body shape. The crystals in the bottle heal the body, and thousands of users have benefited from using this. You will also find your mood elevated and your mind relaxed. If you continue to use it for 3 months at a stretch, you will see the desired results. Since it is very easy to carry anywhere, you can make use of the benefits of this bottle wherever you go. The bottle has a unique combination of gems such as Agate, amethyst, jasper, quartz, sodalite, moonstone, green aventurine, carnelian, and citrine, each of which carries lots of benefits. The benefits of these stones are: Agate: to transfer negative energy to positive ones Amethyst: to improve the immune system and skin texture Jasper: to maintain mental balance & focus, and to remove stress and anxiety Quartz: to regulate the body's energy and boost the immune system Sodalite: to heal gastrointestinal problems and improve body energy Moonstone: to build happiness, self-discipline and improve strength Green Aventurine: to promote the healing process and enhance the natural beauty Carnelian: to help joints and bones heal well and to maintain kidneys Citrine: to boost energy and give inspiration. The nine gems in the bottle release their properties into the water to help in losing weight naturally. The low metabolic rate of your body gradually improves thereby reducing the fat without any ill effects. For several decades, this formula has been used to heal many ailments. Consider it a lost ancient secret, now rediscovered! The crystals make the oxygen level in the water improve which in turn, assists metabolic rate and thus helps you lose the fat. You will start feeling very energetic in drinking water energized by these crystals. You will not need any supplements for your weight loss. Everything is covered by this bottle. You do not have to strain to lose weight. Slimcrystal water bottle s claim to be the latest and most effective means of losing weight and other health issues. The product offers you bonuses too: Healthy Fat Loss Desserts Cookbook and Videos – with recipes of healthy food with videos of expert chefs. Slim Over 55 program – with fifty-five programs of exercises that are age specific to make you fit and flexible. 57 Secrets of Reverse Ageing – contains details on natural and organic products to stay young and talks about the science behind age reversing factors. Free Bracelet – A Slimcrystal bracelet in support of health and especially if you like to have accessories in hand.

Pros Slimcrystal water bottle s are the only ones to help in weight loss. The combination of the nine gems supports digestion and increases energy levels. The rate of metabolism of your body improves when you continue to use the bottle for 3 months. Overall body ailments are cured, and skin and appearance improve. To get the desired result, you need to consume three liters of water from this bottle, which in turn also ensures you drink ample water each day No diet restrictions or weight reduction supplements are needed. All your negative thoughts, anxiety, and thoughts get reduced, and you become more positive. There is a 60-day money-back guarantee too if you are not satisfied. When you order two or more bottles, you get a cool discount and a free bonus. Cons Since the whole process is natural, you may start to see the results only after 60 days. The results may vary vastly from person to person. Final Verdict As compared to others in the market, the water bottle is one of its kind to have gemstones inside that work for your body. Whenever you drink water from it, your body gets more energy and you experience an accelerated rate of metabolism. What I liked best about this is the fact that your digestion improves, and you also witness gradual and natural weight loss. The reviews of the customers who use this bottle are really encouraging, and since the price is quite affordable, you can buy and try this. The best aspect is that you get a good discount on the price and free bonuses too. Many labs have also tested these water bottles and found that the combination of crystals increases the oxygen level; thus, their reasoning has been accepted as valid and logical. I find that the product continues to receive positive reviews and no negative feedback as yet. People start loving the product after witnessing the change it brings to their minds and health. What else is needed when a product is assured of no side effects, especially in weight reduction? There is also a money-back guarantee which makes the product all the more impressive. The product is in great demand as it has been helping people like you lose weight, stay healthy, and stress-free. The Slimcrystal bottle seems to have earned the praise of many who say that it is definitely worth the buy. The product seems to be getting overwhelming support from those who used it. With a money-back guarantee and no side effects, do you have to really hesitate to buy this and give it a try? My rating of this product based on the sheer creativity, ease of use, reviews, and features is 5 Stars!

[bobbystompy]

My Top 88 Songs Of 2020

Previously: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Though we couldn’t get as trim as last year’s 75, still very happy to keep this under 100 for the second year in a row. This was a very difficult year in many ways, but music helped make it more bearable.

As always, criteria and info:

This is a list of what I personally like, not ones I’m saying are the “best” from the year; more subjective than objective

No artist is featured more than once

If it comes down to choosing between two songs, I try to give more weight to a single or featured track

Each song on the list is linked in the title if you wanna check them out for yourself; there is also a Spotify playlist at the bottom that includes the majority of the songs

Usually a pump up video goes here, but 2020 had a different energy, so Michael, take us in.

88) Katy Perry - “Smile”

Even Katy Perry’s good songs are a swirling spiral of maxed out auto-tune. This one is just fine. It’s... fine.

87) All Time Low - “Trouble Is...”

Is All Time Low the Katy Perry of pop punk?

86) Tee Grizzley f/ Payroll Giovanni - “Payroll”

I have never heard of Payroll Giovanni, but I have two questions:

1) Is this his song, and he got Tee to jump on it?

2) Or, did Tee write a song called “Payroll” and think to himself “You know who would be great on this? Payroll Giovanni!”

Favorite stretch:

Listen, we is not the same, you say "door", I say "dough" You say "floor", I say "flow", you say "for sure", I say "fa'sho"

85) Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - “Rain On Me”

Coming out in 2020 probably hurt this song, because I have no, like, out of the house memories with it. You can only have so much fun with Big Singers Singing over a pulsing beat when it’s coming from the phone in your kitchen as you’re indifferently scrambling eggs.

84) Benjamin Gibbard - “Life In Quarantine”

Now this is a song you can do nothing to; almost feels like it’s reluctant to even exist. It got released in March of 2020, so the outro (“No one is going anywhere soon”) served as a too sad reminder/mantra for what the year was about to be. Second shout out to Gibbard for the many YouTube sets he put together during the early stages of the pandemic (when so many of his peers were trying to figure out the next move).

83) Cardi B f/ Megan Thee Stallion - “WAP”

This felt less like a song and more of a “whoa, did you see the music video?!” and/or a means to relitigate the eternal question “What is the sexual line in music?” And while it was fun to watch people freak the fuck out... the quality itself really needed to be better.

(Note: YouTube video is the edited chorus; explicit version here)

82) McKayla Maroney - “Wake Up Call”

Former Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney -- of medals and memes fame -- dips her toe into the music waters. It’s inside-the-box modern pop music. One thing that’s hard to escape: it doesn’t really sound like her.

81) Chelsea Cutler - “Sad Tonight”

He vocals really remind me of Alessia Cara.

80) blink-182 - “Quarantine”

Blink doing a Bad Religion impression. Docked a few points for the very weak chorus lyrics (“Quarantine, fuck this disease”). That said, as serious as the song comes off, there are some clever punchlines to be found.

79) Dave Hause & Brian Fallon - “Long Ride Home”

This is kind of a nothing song, but it’s easy listening. Also, if your guitar leads can’t clear the “Could Bobby have written or performed this?” bar, then said leads are probably pretty weak.

78) Travis Scott & Kid Cudi - “THE SCOTTS”

Two artists who pair so well together, it’s hard to tell who exudes more influence on the track (eh, that’s not true, it’s Travis Scott, but Kid Cudi is more of a roommate than guest). They want you to be high by the time the instrumental outro hits.

77) The Strokes - “Bad Decisions”

The beginning sound feels somewhat evolved, but by the time Julian Casablancas croons “Making bad decisions”, the song feels like it could be on their debut album “Is This It?”. And it goes in and out like that from there.

76) Thundercat - “Dragonball Durag”

Thundercat is one of those artists I wish I liked more, but when the occasional track does hit, it’s a momentary glimpse into what real fans seem to always see.

75) TI f/ Lil Baby - “Pardon”

Standard fare. Lil Baby’s cameo is very meh.

74) Porches - “Do U Wanna”

For a song that repeatedly asks “Do you want to dance?”, it sure makes you feel like you’re moving in slow motion.

73) NOFX - “Thatcher Fucked The Kids” 

On the best-named album of the year (“West Coast vs. Wessex”), Frank Turner and NOFX cover each other’s material. To start us off, the legends take a song from 12 years ago about British politics from 40 years ago and, well, very easily apply it to right god damn now in America.

72) The Bombpops - “Dearly Departed”

Ahh, my year’s first cancelled concert. The listed names in V1 always make me want to skip this song -- but patience, grasshopper. Chorus is aight.

71) Ratboys - “Alien With A Sleep Mask On”

This band name will never match what the music sounds like.

70) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - “She’s There”

The vocals in this song channel, like, four completely different singers for me, ranging from Bob Dylan to Cloud Nothings.

69) NOBRO - “Don’t Die”

An anthemic chorus meant to be belted in a room with sweaty strangers.

68) Oliver Tree f/ blink-182 - “Let Me Down”

The original solo version of this song is 1:52, and though the blink cameo pushes it over the dreaded two minute mark, it adds enough diversity to justify the choice (keep an eye out for the quick Green Day lyrical nod in the back half).

67) AJJ - “Normalization Blues”

This dropped in January, and if you thought the year was bad then. Punk News:

I'll admit I do want the album to age badly because I really don't want to have to listen to it years later and still say this is the world we're living in.

Said album being titled “Good Luck Everybody” is straight cryptic.

66) Selena Gomez - “Rare”

Very chill for big pop; triplet rhythm singing in the chorus gets me erry time.

65) Kid Cudi & Eminem - “The Adventures Of Moon Man & Slim Shady”

Cudi’s second split collab yields bigger results than his Travis Scott joint (admittedly with a worse beat here). It rarely ever hurts to let Eminem do the heavy lifting.

64) Alkaline Trio - “Smokestack”

A little cheerier than the average Alk3 song, but Dan Andriano seems like he’s been in a great place for a long time now; confident and in control. For me, the whole song builds up to the “You changed my life” chorus.

63) Frank Turner - “Scavenger Type”

Here, Frank takes on the acoustic closer to NOFX’s legendary 1994 album “Punk In Drublic”. Though the energy boost is most noticeable, my favorite part is how you can hear how much Turner loves this song as his melody bursts on the verses.

62) Mike Posner - “Alone In A Mansion”

Mike Posner, an artist I have a very soft spot for, released a storytelling concept album in 2020. From the intro track:

This album was written, recorded, and produced over a period of two weeks in Detroit, Michigan in my parents' basement. It's meant to be listened to all the way through. At least on the first listen. And it's about 36 minutes long. If you can't devote 36 minutes of undivided attention to this album, I again politely ask that you turn it off and return at a later time. I love you and I thank you for taking the time to listen in the first place. Also, it's important to note that the characters and the stories in this album are completely fictional. In addition, anyone struggling with a mental illness - depression, schizophrenia - should not listen to this album. Turn it off.

So those are the stakes. Pulling this song -- the record’s closer -- feels unfair void of context, but them’s the breaks.

61) Nada Surf - “Just Wait”

Heavy hitting chorus without having to be heavy; this could really work in a movie.

60) Matt Pond PA - “Wild Heart”

This having only 805 views on YouTube is criminal.

59) Liquid Death - “Unnecessary And Unimpressive”

Liquid Death -- in this iteration -- is a punk rock supergroup with members of Rise Against, Anti-Flag, The Lawrence Arms, and The Bombpops. If that didn’t interest you enough, all lyrics in the project (which, I believe, is for charity) come from hateful comments or negative reviews. Of the four artists involved, this sounds most like a Bombpops song, with Jen on lead vocals as others chime in.

58) PUP - “Rot”

Off my silver medalist for album name of the year (“This Place Sucks Ass”), PUP doesn’t do anything new here, but it was relieving to see them still going in 2020 when so many others got roadblocked, both physically and creatively.

57) Paul Harrold and the Nuclear Bandits - “Massanutten”

This reminds me of local Chicago artist Al Scorch. So much earnestness in the vocals, but a little more prairie for Harrold compared to speakeasy for Scorch. This would be a good road trip song. And I’m not talking about singalong... more for the stretch where you want to sit in silence and look out at the sun-kissed land blazing by. The song’s greatest victory is getting me to like something that cracks 6:00.

Note to future me: Massanutten is in Virginia (saved you a Google).

56) Kesha f/ Sturgill Simpson, Brian Wilson & Wrabel - “Resentment”

Kesha has been vulnerable in the past but never this stripped down sonically; the chorus would feel right at home on a country radio station. Love a good bridge, too.

55) Megan Thee Stallion f/ Beyoncé - “Savage (Remix)”

An up-and-comer pairing with a legend rarely lets down when both sides are this locked in. Bey wins. Fav line: “If you don't jump to put jeans on, baby, you don't feel my pain”.

She matches flows with Megan but also brings melody. Her blessing takes this song from pretty damn good to undeniably great.

That beat, too.

54) Red City Radio - “Baby Of The Year”

If all you want to do right now is grab a drink in a bar, here is a video built to troll.

(Also: a Liquid Death cameo?!)

53) Nathaniel Rateliff - “And It’s Still Alright”

The last time Mr. Rateliff had our attention, he just wanted a drink. That hit had a chorus with the very-sad-when-removed-from-the-song “If I can't get clean, I'm gonna drink my life away” lyric. Well, our man got sober since. And when the party is over, the introspection comes.

52) Direct Hit! - “HAVE YOU SEEN IT?”

Listening to slowed down Direct Hit! is like watching Usain Bolt lightly jog. It kinda makes sense because the core action is there, but it also feels sort of incorrect.

51) Hayley Williams - “Dead Horse”

Solo Hayley songs have this feel like they could do anything at any time... but then don’t. This one does the same until a very fun chorus breaks it up.

50) Kid Cudi f/ Phoebe Bridgers - “Lovin’ Me”

Probably the most improbable collab on this list (if 2020 hadn’t repeatedly taught us to not be surprised by anything).

49) The Homeless Gospel Choir - “Don’t Compare”

Listening to The Homeless Gospel Choir is kind of like getting a dedicated pep talk from a good friend... while fire rains down from the sky.

48) Carly Rae Jepsen - “Let’s Sort The Whole Thing Out”

Queen vocals with one prince of a tempo; this chorus is Sour Patch Kids riding Twix logs down a soda pop waterfall -- and it’s a b-side.

47) Green Day - “Meet Me On The Roof”

I like this song because it reminds me of summer and because it doesn’t really sound like Green Day (but still totally does).

46) Broadway Calls - “Meet Me On The Moon”

Promise -- swear -- I was gonna compare this Broadway Calls song to Green Day before realizing they both had titles about meeting in an escalated location. That said, I did put them next together on purpose to more coherently make this point.

45) David Rokos - “Building Bridges”

My buddy Dave wrote this song, and I think I’ve asked him three times what “burning sugar” meant (he says it’s a reference to absinthe). This song will make you want to travel to enjoy not only the places but the people around you.

44) Charli XCX - “claws”

Charli XCX keeps it futuristic in a video that could be described as sexy, cheesy, goofy, and playful-yet-serious.

43) Brian Fallon - “Lonely For You Only”

This is too easy and should not work (and maybe doesn’t). But that chorus... that circular phrasing... it still takes me all the way out. But I’m the same cat who proposed while a Gaslight Anthem cover was playing.

42) Waxahatchee - “Fire”

This song could be in a different language and hit just as hard.

41) Harry Styles - “Adore You”

Purifying pop.

40) Local H - “Hold That Thought”

Hardest rock song thus far. Local H was one of the first artists to play “live” once the lockdown hit (on a simultaneous YouTube/Facebook stream), and watching them attack music in their Chicago practice bunker felt a little bit like taking in the end of the world. New songs, old songs, covers -- it didn’t matter; their cool, unmatched apathy fits a pandemic or peacetime.

Ironically, was able to see them live in 2020, as they played a socially distanced, outdoor drive up concert in a minor league baseball parking lot. It wasn’t the same, but it was still something.

39) Crazy & The Brains - “I Don’t Deliver Pizza Anymore”

This song is just cool*. The verses feel tense and crucial, it starts to unspool in the pre-chorus, and the chorus itself feels like a light comedown more than anything else.

(* -  though the lyric video is docked some points for spelling y’all as “ya’ll”)

38) Drake f/ Fivio Foreign & Sosa Geek - “Demons”

Menacing Drizzy can be very fun from time to time. Also more than happy to keep “Toosie Slide” very far away from this list.

37) Hey Dad!!! - “Life’s Alright”

Small band, big song; though summer feels light-years away.

36) insignificant other - “i’m so glad i feel this way about you”

This song lands a big haymaker in the first few seconds, so it was probably a good call to pull back some for the chorus and, eventually, outro.

35) BTS - “Dynamite”

Heard they made the lyrics bad on purpose for their English hit, which makes sense, because they’re bad. That said, if you listen knowing they’re supposed to be bad, it kinda makes them... good? Listen, 771 million views would have me singing nursery rhymes in Pig Latin.

34) DaBaby f/ RODDY RICCH - “ROCKSTAR”

Someone said this could be the song of the summer, but, because there wasn’t really a summer, I feel like I only heard it once all year. Also, are we really pretending Post Malone* didn’t just do a “like a rockstar” song three years ago?

(* - and N.E.R.D. before that and Cypress Hill before that... though N.E.R.D. only waiting a year after Cypress, so maybe DaBaby actually was patient)

33) The Front Bottoms - “the hard way”

Don’t take it easy on the animal / I am the animal

Not quite sure what this line means, but I fixate on the phrasing every single time. This song sounds resigned in a very self-aware way.

32) The 1975 - “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”

For a band called The 1975, they sure sound like they’re on their ‘80s shit here. Also, a real thing that happened:

Me: Is he coercing her to get naked?! I thought this band was woke.

/scans lyrics

/notices “She said” before the “Maybe I would like you better if you took off your clothes” line

Me: Ahh.

Sax solo, take us out.

31) Charly Bliss & PUP - “It’s Christmas And I Fucking Miss You”

A song that is already a forever staple on all my future Xmas playlists.

30) 2 Chainz f/ Ty Dolla $ign & Lil Duval - “Can’t Go For That”

Shorty said she love me / I said “I love me back”

This is a real genre blur; rap at its core, but also soulful, funky, and very danceable. Damn creative.

29) Billie Eilish - “Therefore I Am”

Billie's 2020 gave a few singles -- but no new album -- and a body shaming scandal where the backlash to the backlash probably caused more headlines than the tweet that started it all. Still, she stays on cruise control above the clouds; can all eyes be on you if they can’t even make you out?

Video for this is fun, too. Not sure if her running amok in an empty mall is more of a COVID necessity or commentary on the dying retail industry. As always with her, fill in your own blanks for now.

28) Future f/ Drake - “Life Is Good”

This was my most listened to rap song in the first half of the year, and bumping again now, almost forgot how good it is. Drake just chasing one-liner Instagram captions in the first half:

- “Haven’t done my taxes, I’m too turnt up”

- “N****s caught me slipping once, OK, so what?”

- “B****, this is fame not clout, I don’t even know what that’s about”

And, of course, “Workin’ on the weekend like usual”. The man could make anything glamorous. Let’s hit that H&R Block, bro!

Future’s back half is a totally different song and feels mostly like noise, but the vibe is cool, so I don’t even totally mean that in a bad way. You can even make out a “Got Promethazine in my blood and Percocet” lyric to mark your Future bingo card and immediately move on.

27) I’m Glad It’s You - “The Silver Cord”

This song feels like cold air blowing on the back of your neck.

(Sidebar: thought this band was called The Silver Cord until literally right now)

26) The Spill Canvas - “Mercy”

A dreamy, distorted, at-home version of whatever you remember The Spill Canvas sounding like. This song is confessional and at peace, with the Grade A self-loathing we’ve come to love from this band.

25) 100 gecs f/ Charli XCX, Rico Nasty & Kero Kero Bonito - “ringtone (remix)”

100 gecs first hit my radar with the explosively obnoxious “money machine”, but that’s a 2019er, so this remix to “ringtone” will have to do. It’s catchy like a younger sibling persistently singing a song you’re sick of hearing*.

(* - /only child trying to work in sibling analogies)

24) iann dior f/ Machine Gun Kelly & Travis Barker - “Sick And Tired”

Iann Dior -- ...yeah -- channels Juice WRLD on the hook, and MGK/Travis Barker buoy a track that, honestly, doesn’t really even need the help.

23) Nick Lutsko - “Unleash Your Spirit”

Lutsko hit my radar on Twitter with some legendary political anthems (word to the RNC and Dan Bongino + his Dashboard Trump parody). “Unleash Your Spirit” is the song I most fear hearing (or even thinking of) within a few minutes of going to bed. Not because it’s Halloween theme is scary -- because it’s that god damn catchy. It permeates your brain. True story: a week ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with “Bobbing for apples with the boys” so ingrained in my head, it felt like someone was standing there yelling it through a megaphone.

22) Dogleg - “Kawasaki Backflip”

Bad 2020 robbed many concerts from us, and not getting to see this band live might take the cake. I end the year liking them but could have been *all in* with the right performance and the right venue. Also, Song Title of the Year until further notice.

21) Eminem f/ Juice WRLD - “Godzilla”

Eminem has all of the words and all of the lyrical dexterity, but sometimes it feels like there isn’t anything to ground him. Enter: one of the best beats he’s ever spit on and a Juice WRLD hook to give it pop angle. But let’s not put Slim in the corner -- when he starts accelerating at the end, it’s is a true “holy fuck” moment. It sounds faster than if you actually fast forwarded.

The video ends with a touching audio message from Juice WRLD.

20) Soccer Mommy - “circle the drain”

This song is so gloriously ‘90s; it leans in and does not care.

19) Sam Russo - “Always Lost”

The first time I met you, we were on the last bus You passed me a bottle, and I knew you were one of us

Took 25 words to hook me; I was txting friends before the first chorus even hit.

18) Sincere Engineer - “Trust Me”

Deanna Belos pushes her vocals in this one. I asked about the performance, and she said it was one of the first ones they recorded in the studio, but when they were done and listening back to everything, she re-did this track because her throat was much more used to what the song required.

“That’s why it sounds like I’m on roids lol,” she added.

17) Jay Electronica f/ JAY-Z - “Flux Capacitor”

Jay Electronica signed to Roc Nation in November of 2010. At of the start of 2020, he had still -- STILL HOW FUCKING STILL -- not released a debut album. When he announced it was finally dropping in February, it was met with skeptic eyes. He’d “announced” before. Shit, he’d even posted track lists of albums that never saw the light of day. He was a tease’s tease. It ended up getting a release date of March 12. As the pandemic got really bad in the March 11 zone, he finally had an actual reason to delay the proceedings (the plan: a studio live stream listening party*).

But no -- this is Jay Electronica. Why wouldn’t he drop as the world was ending? The same reason why his costar wouldn’t not have a watch like a Saudi prince. It had to end for it to happen. I wish I saved the memes, because they were fantastic. All I have is my own Twitter memory to prove it happened:

I love this song entirely: the “get the gat” hook (soooo New Orleans), Hov calling out the NFL/acquaintances clout chasing his potential death/rapping forever bars, Jay Elect’s ham-fisted and awkward ass Farrakhan line. Everything is exactly where it should be.

Final verdict on the full album: I don’t know, a B or B+? It had a lot more Jay-Z than expected (wooo), but -- and I rarely say this -- it could have actually been longer.

16) New Found Glory - “Greatest Of All Time”

NFG with a song referencing the Jordan-Rodman-Pippen Bulls only a few months before “The Last Dance” aired. Dare we call it marketing genius? The punk beat does not care; the punk beat is too busy taking souls.

15) Dave Hause f/ Amythyst Kiah & Kam Franklin - “Your Ghost”

“I can’t breathe”

On the heels of the George Floyd/BLM protests came Dave Hause’s somber attempt to capture the moment, desperation, and hurt. On a podcast, he said he was aware he might not ever lead the movement but still wanted to contribute something in an effort to use his platform as a white artist to change someone, anyone’s mind going forward.

14) Taylor Swift - “this me trying”

The chorus makes me feel like the crowd is parting like the Red Sea on a high school -- shit, no, middle school -- dance floor; smoke machine and all. Your crush is waiting for you on the other side. What are you going to say?

13) Phoebe Bridgers - “Kyoto”

Phoebe is one of the best lyricists out because of her specificity, but even though this song is about her dad, you can really fit it to your own narrative.

12) The Lawrence Arms - “Last, Last Words”

The Lawrence Arms wrote their new record (which singer Chris McCaughan described as “this end of the world outpost”) prior to the pandemic, but once you start to process album themes -- and research its namesake -- you do wonder. All of this, combined with some “Catcher In The Rye” references, and we’ve got ourselves a winning formula.

Dressed to kill for oblivion 

11) New Lenox - “Fairytale Of Gary, Indiana”

Your boy plays drums and is on the cover art for this one. Dave Rokos wrote the tune, which references The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York”. Good news: no slurs in the Gary version. We’ll have you in and out in 90 seconds. Also: say hello to the recording debut of Alisa Caruso (some backup vox at the end). 

10) Beach Slang - “Tommy In The 80s”

My most played song of 2020, but it really was more of a byproduct of how early in the year the album dropped. I’m still such a sucker for it, though. Other than forced nostalgia, not totally sure what the track is about. Did learn Beach Slang recruited former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson to play on their LP, which was named -- /deepest of breaths -- “The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City” (so maybe it has something to do with that).

9) Juice WRLD f/ Mashmello - “Come & Go”

The :55 mark. Wait until the :55 mark. When the guitar kicks in and tempo doubles, we have a real “oh, shit!” moment. I knew who Juice was when he passed but only “Liquid Dreams”. His 2020 album (“Legends Never Die”) showed us of what could have been; 55 minutes, loaded with cameos and creativity and experimentation. This song had me in its gravitational pull immediately. By the end of the year, they were using it on sports broadcasts, and it felt like a ubiquitous part of the culture.

One of my favorite days of 2020 was visiting the Juice mural in Chicago with my wife. We went impulsively during the day after someone posted a picture on Twitter.

I snapped one of my own and posted to IG with the Signals Midwest lyric “There is such quiet grace in private moments in public spaces”. The band responded with “RIP JUICE”; the perfect online exchange.

Shortly after, I was out with a different group of friends, and we went back at night. This time, it was protected by a fence you had to squeeze past. When we got through, there were kids in there smoking, taking pictures, just hanging out; empty liquor bottles lined the bottom of the mural. Even though it didn’t take all that long to make it there, it still felt like a journey and total ‘movie moment in real life’; a complete rarity in a year like 2020.

8) Mac Miller - “Good News”

Maybe I’ll lay down for a little...

Sadly continuing the theme of artists gone too soon, we have this reflective Mac Miller single, which feels more like self-eulogy than traditional rap. You feel it the entire time. The song crests with “There’s a whole lot more for me waitin’ on the other side”, and it conveys a readiness for whatever happens next.

7) The Dirty Nil - “Done With Drugs”

I don’t pray to Jesus or even own a suit

We lost the creators of our last two songs to substances, and, if we are to take this song at face value, The Dirty Nil don’t want to go down the same path. Drying out never sounded so cool and defiant... until the IKEA suggestion.

6) The Weeknd - “Blinding Lights”

Uptempo Abel is undefeated. My favorite pop song of 2020 has you feeling like you’re speeding through the empty streets of nighttime Las Vegas in a stolen car; indifferent to your environment, only tuned in to your personal desire.

And, on the lamer side of the spectrum, it spawned a catchy TikTok dance.

5) Spanish Love Songs - “Self-Destruction (As A Sensible Career Choice)”

It won’t be this bleak forever... yeah, right.

SLS has always been over-the-top with their lyrics spotlighting the hopelessness of the human condition -- so it was the *perfect* combo to being locked inside with nothing looking to forward to. Bonus: fun cake video.

Though the song’s core is uncut despair, a random moment I remember from 2020 was my wife telling me “I can hear you smiling as you’re singing” from another room as I belted the despondent chorus.

4) Worst Party Ever - “False Teeth”

This song sounds like The Front Bottoms; insecure yet so full.

3) Run The Jewels - “the ground below”

There were a lot of songs *about* 2020, but I’m not sure any artist soundtracked what being alive now is like more than RTJ. My favorite rap song and rap record of 2020.

Fav Killer Mike line: “Not a holy man, but I'm moral in my perversiveness / So I support the sex workers unionizing their services”

Fav El-P line: “I'll slap a dying child he don't pronounce my name correct”

2) The Menzingers - “America Pt. 2″

The Menzingers unexpectedly released an acoustic, re-done version of 2019′s “America (You’re Freaking Me Out)” single. It dropped on my birthday -- June 5th, 2020 -- as the rage in this country boiled over and protesters took to the streets. Though some of the lyrics remained the same, the new ones were changed with true purpose:

Well George Floyd was murdered by a cop The whole world saw the video and watched Now justice is long overdue Grab your pitchforks, we’re heading to Pennsylvania Avenue

I had nothing left when the first pre-chorus hit: “I hope the Devil and Donald and Mitch McConnell rot in hell for all tomorrows”. Tattoo this on my fucking soul.

All funds from the song were donated to Community Bail Funds (via Act Blue) & Campaign Zero. I purchased the track before hearing a note.

1) Machine Gun Kelly - “My Bloody Valentine”

Going into the year, I couldn’t tell you the difference between Machine Gun Kelly and Mac Miller -- now they’re both fixtures in this Top 10. All I really knew about MGK involved tattoos and a rap battle lost to Eminem (not that anyone ever beats Eminem).

In 2020, he took a punk/emo turn, with the services of GOAT drummer Travis Barker and new squeeze Megan Fox at his side. This song’s lyrics could potentially be cheesy but aren’t -- they all land. From the simulation going bad to not wanting “fake love” to all the damn second guessing and the earnestness that just won’t let you off the mat.

Every piece to the puzzle adds something: the messy hair, the Ken doll build, the forced iconic pink guitar that now feels actually iconic. It was almost like no one had any fun this year so he could have all of it on our behalf. There’s a half second shot of him sticking his tongue our during the pre-chorus, a joy 99.99% of us never got to feel.

The album itself was just as fantastic*; a 2000′s pop punk throwback with a Halsey duet, horrible skits (hi, Pete Davidson FaceTime), OpIvy lyrical nod (complete with a royalty check), a warp speed punk track that doesn’t even crack the minute mark, your token 6/8 ballad, acoustic closer (about his daughter), and some experimentation that leaves the new genre but still stays nearby; shades of Lil Peep, if he had Blink-182 as his backing band. Speaking of, please do not miss Travis’ fill at the 2:30 mark.

(* - named “Tickets To My Downfall”... woof)

MGK could get cancelled tomorrow, but we’ll always have this year in a bottle. The acoustic version of the song (sung in a lower resister), the 10 minute making of video (that I watched, uh, twice)... shit, he even turned it into a medley at the start of 2021.

It might be cliche to say “stay winning”, but when someone stacks this many W’s with no end in sight, what the fuck else do you call it? Real love.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading. Here is the Spotify playlist (includes 87 of the 88 songs).