#stand 19 01 2025

[poseidons-lovechild]

[thinking-emoji]

DnP Interview Masterlist

This is a work in progress! If you have any other links, send them to me!

Jan 2025

Shut Up I'm Talking Podcast (video) 26/1/2025 | mirror | add-on

Dec 2024

RNZ (audio) 10/12/2024 | mirror

Radio Adelaide (audio) 10/12/2024 | mirror | mirror

Junkee (article) 6/12/2024

Junkee (video) 6/12/2024

Today Show (video) 5/12/2024 | mirror | mirror

Nov 2024

Buzzfeed (article) 22/11/2024 | mirror | mirror

People (article) 1/11/2024 | mirror

Oct 2024

People (article) 6/10/2024

YourEx (article) 5/10/2024 | mirror | mirror

Master up to 2023 (courtesy of @stillarchivingdnp)

YWGTTN promo master (courtesy of @dailydnp)

May 2024

Dan: Times Radio (video) 11/5/2024

2023

Dan: Anthony Padilla (video) 17/1/2023

Dan: DNA Magazine (article) 9/1/2023

2022

Dan: Santa Barbara Independent (article) 30/11/2022

Dan: Gay Times (article) 11/11/2022

Dan: heatworld (video) 1/11/2022

Dan: Hits Radio (video) 21/10/2022

Dan: The Star (article) 5/10/2022

Dan: Buzz (article) 12/9/2022

Dan: Manc Union (article) 18/8/2022

Dan: Square Mile (article) 29/7/2022

Dan: metro.co.uk (article) 9/6/2022

2021

Dan: How To Academy (video) 1/7/2021

Dan: 1883 (article) 30/6/2021

Dan: RNZ Nine to Noon (audio) 30/6/2021

Dan: GQ (article) 30/5/2021

Dan: Waterstones (video) 24/5/2021

Dan: Amazon (article) 12/5/2021

2020

Dan: Guardian (article) 26/12/2020 | mirror

Dan: Pink News (article) 4/12/2020

Dan: Attitude (article) 7/10/2020 | mirror | mirror | preview

Dan: ITV Britain Get Talking (audio) 7/10/2020 | mirror

Phil: Evening Standard (article) 3/2/2020

2019

Dan: BBC (video) 5/9/2019 | mirror

2018

HMV (article) 10/12/2018

Toy News (article) 5/3/2018

2017

Edinburgh TV Festival (video) 24/8/2017

2016

Penguin Platform (video) 10/11/2016

Stand Up to Cancer (video) 15/10/2016

Variety (article) 4/10/2016

The Big Wakeup Call (audio) 21/4/2016

2015

Star Sessions (video) 20/11/2025

Huffington Post (video) 19/11/2025

WOCA Radio (audio) 17/11/2015

Sunday Times (article) 8/11/2015

SugarScape, Pt. 2 (video) 11/10/2015

SugarScape (video) 9/10/2015

2014

Rock Forever Magazine (video) 19/4/2014

2013

The Independent (article) 1/6/2013

The 4:01 Show (video) 17/3/2013

Dan: Elision (article) 13/1/2013

2012

Dan: Huffington Post (article) 26/11/2012

[irisbleufic]

New IWTV Fic: "Everyone Here Sucks" (Daniel/Armand & others; Explicit; 5,120 words so far; 2 out of 4 chapters)

This stand-alone will only have 4 chapters; 2 are up. It’s partly in answer to a prompt from yesterday, partly pulling in some of the groundwork from the longer story I just finished (which can be treated as a stand-alone and as background on any other version of their reality I happen to write where the Dubai stretch happens, for the most part, as we see it in the show). I’m playing with Daniel making a sequence of altered decisions based on evidence at his disposal, which in turn leads to a version of the dinner and surprise we never get to see. I haven’t ever played with that before; I figured a stand-alone before more series work might be fun.

CHAPTERS:

Something Tangible (2025-01-19)

Cuttingly Profound (NEW, 2025-01-20)

TEASER:

“You know that we’ve been listening to what goes on in every room of this penthouse,” Rashid says quietly, finally speaking to Daniel again. “It’s not the…sensitive content of a little while ago that I’m here to discuss. It’s something you said to Armand beforehand.”

“That’s reasonable of you,” Daniel says, swallowing hard. He’s not sure how to feel about the Talamasca having listened in real time as he literally fucked one of these vampires. Not only does everyone here suck, but they’re all depraved, too. “What did I say to him?”

Rashid puts on that attitude of weary disdain that’s more amusing than it should be. “You told him that in an ideal world you’d need to speak to the other surviving eyewitness of the events leading up to the fire. If you were offered the chance to do so, would you take it?”

Daniel feels that uncanny slippage again, but he thinks he gets it this time. His heart stutters in his chest with awed, terrible understanding. Wait a second, how does the full line go? Ticking, ticking, ticking—with the precision of a clock in a room as vast as the universe.

“No way,” Daniel says in disbelief. “No fucking way.”

[evangelistsampsonbello]

DIVINE IDENTITY SHOWN

Living the life of Christ as ambassadors of God's Heavenly Kingdom on Earth and Heirs of the Father, our Divine identity will not be hidden for long, for it will be known in due time, no matter the efforts of the kingdom of darkness, because we remain channels of God's Light to the World (2 Cor. 4:6-7). Sometimes, the accusations against us - who stay determined to live to the fulfillment of Christ's calling - reveal our Divine identity, making the accusers restless as they see us moving from glory to glory, even under persecution (Matt. 27:37).

So, let's not relent but stay faithful til the end and we will surely triumph, subduing every challenge that comes our way and seeing the Truth prevail, for He who is in us is Greater than those who stand against us (2 Kings 6:16-17, 1 John 4:4).

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for saying what you mean and giving me a Divine identity that reveals Your Love and presence in my life, making persecutors and false accusers affirm Your Lordship over all people and my faithfulness, even without realizing it. Please, keep me worthy of my Christ's calling as I remain honored and determined to persist to the end,

Amen.

From John 19:19-22

https://thefountainoflifegospelministry.blogspot.com/2025/01/divine-identity-shown.html

[fetznerdeathrecords]

The Great Old Ones - Kadath

Atmospheric Black Metal from Bordeaux, France

THE GREAT OLD ONES stand as harbingers of cosmic nightmares and arcane melodies. Forged in the ancient mists of Bordeaux, France, their evocative soundscapes transcend mere music, invoking the eldritch horrors of H.P. Lovecraft’s mythos. Each track is a nexus of intricate melodies and fearsome intensity, cementing THE GREAT OLD ONES as the preeminent purveyors of Lovecraftian black metal soundscapes. Dare to dream and let Kadath guide you to the brink of madness and beyond!

1. Me, the Dreamer 10:55 2. Those from Ulthar 09:10 3. In the Mouth of Madness 07:11 4. Under the Sign of Koth 08:46 5. The Gathering 01:19 instrumental 6. Leng 15:00 7. Astral Void (End of the Dream) 08:54

Release date: January 24th, 2025 via @seasonofmistofficial

@thegreatoldonesofficial

[fishrpg]

2025-01-19: Wetland Encounter Map Hazards

This table is for items that are generally stationary and will primarily cause adverse effects/damage to antagonize players. Unless otherwise specified, the hazard is located where the d12 falls on the map.

Wetland Hazards (d12)

Expanding slime (use the Gray Ooze stat block with 5HP) resides here. At the end of each round, the slime grows in size to occupy 1 additional square and gains 5HP. The expansion continues until the slime is defeated.

There is something large and malevolent in 25-foot square pool here. The creature in the pool will grab creatures and immediately start to drown them (DC 10 grapple escape DC). Anyone passing by the edge of the pool has a 1 in 6 chance of being grabbed, while someone who enters the pool has a 3 in 6 chance.

Swarms of mosquitos hover over a 15 foot square patch of stagnant water. While within the swarm take 1 Piercing damage each turn. Concentration is impossible while within the swarm, and there is a chance to contract a disease at the end of combat .

Moss and thick algae covers a jiggling patch of waterlogged mud. If a creature dashes across the cover, it breaks and knocks the creature prone.

Vines that move with malice in a 10 foot square try to grab any creature (DC 10 DEX (Acrobatics) to avoid grapple) and bring it to the middle of the hazard to begin digesting the creature. Vines have a 5 foot reach.

Deadly mushrooms grow in a 10x15 foot patch here. If a creature starts or ends its turn in the patch, mark one failure for Death Save (even if the creature is not actually dying). Accumulated Death Save failures will disappear after a long rest.

Hallucinogenic spores drift in a haze 15-foot square over a patch of mushrooms. Every time a creature enters the area, roll 1d6. On a 1, the creature's vision blurs and every creature behaves as though they are under the Mirror Image spell until the end of the hallucinating creature's next turn.

An old idol to a mythological figure of decay emanates threatening magic. Those who willingly pass into its square or adjacent squares must leave an offering risk taking 1d4 Necrotic damage (DC 8 CON save to avoid).

Thick mud erupts intermittently from a geyser here. Anyone who traverses this square or within 5 feet of it rolls 1d6. On a 1 or 2, the geyser covers any creatures in its square and any adjacent square in mud. The mud inflicts the Blind and Deafened condition until it is removed.

Intense heat emanates from this 10 foot diameter thermal spring. Anyone who starts or ends their turn inside the spring takes 1d8 Fire damage.

A foul stench emanates from a single square. Anyone standing in it or within 5 feet of it risks getting sick if they open their mouth. Consuming an item, speaking, or using a verbal spell component in the affected area will result in taking 1d4 Poison damage.

Half-buried wreckage of a wagon or watercraft occupies this 15-foot square. Anyone traversing this area must make a DC 10 DEX (Acrobatics) check or take 1d4 Slashing damage from the sharp bits of wood and metal hidden beneath the muck.

[titles-for-tangents]

This is just a thought and an observation about my dash in particular today, but for all the lovely posts about warm welcomes and camaraderie Tik Tok refugees are finding over on Rednote, I’ve not really seen a single post yet on archiving Tik Tok videos for posterity, lest we lose almost everything a la Vine.

Plenty of other social media sites now accommodate Tik Tok-length videos of course, like YouTube’s Shorts for example, but not everyone has or wants a YouTube account. The closest I’ve seen so far to the concept of backing up Tik Tok videos onto another site is that Mark Zuckerberg is about to have a rather rude awakening when he discovers that no, not everyone wants to keep uploading their content to the shitty social media company that is so bad at managing data and misinformation they are literally responsible for political coups in India. What a concept, Mark; maybe not everyone wants to flock to or right back to Instagram’s Reels.

Yes, the fact that mass exoduses can and will happen is having CEOs pants-shittingly scared out of their wits, because at the heart of it the idea of social media and the internet in general being a thing to profit off of instead of the internet being a public utility has always been a flawed goose chase from the start, but that’s kind of a red herring here.

What will likely happen is that plenty of TikTokkers (is that a word?) will make copies of their videos and upload them to Red Book in much the same way plenty of artists re-uploaded their art to BlueSky once they migrated from Twitter. Plenty may find it economical to move to a third site as well, like YouTube, if only to expand their audience. Not everything is going to be saved from deletion and/or becoming inaccessible, so I do expect many of my reblogged posts of Tik Toks to become defunct as many of my reblogged posts from Vine have unless they’re sourced from a different site like YouTube. Tumblr is likely to eventually accommodate Red Book posts though, so hopefully we’ll see some excellent Tik Toks archived over there soon.

My point is that while it’s great to face the U.S. government’s ban of Tik Tok with mirth and spite rather than fear, I’m not really seeing any urgency from anyone on tumblr yet reminding folks to back up their Tik Tok videos. Some of that is the nature of tumblr being a different social media site entirely, yes, but if this ban can happen as soon as Sunday, now is the time for TikTokkers to back up as much data as possible. There may be a short window of time after next Sunday (01/19/2025) before the site gets cut off from everyone entirely, but there’s no guarantee how long it will last and I expect there will be more than a few lawsuits fighting the ban in the aftermath.

So yeah - just a friendly reminder to anyone on here with a Tik Tok account to please back up your content before the site goes down and/or becomes inaccessible if you haven’t already. There are now years’ worth of information at risk of being lost, everything from music videos to captured moments of police brutality to educational material. There are also plenty of videos with misinformation and less-than-tasteful content too, but the point still stands. If you have the means and know-how to archive your videos, now’s the time to do it.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 04/01/2025! (SZA's LANA, Sam Barber & Avery Anna, Ella Henderson)

Welcome back to normalcy on the UK Singles Chart. It’s the week after Christmas, and all through the chart, there’s return after return, of both slop and great art. “Last Christmas” still at #42, #62 stands Carey, but otherwise, it’s a boost, debut or a “Re”. Damn near every song that was on last week’s chart is gone, because they were Christmas songs, and I don’t feel the need to list them all, because they’re the same and they’ll be back next year. There is much more variation in what returned and gained, so I will discuss all of that, meaning that yes, all 75 songs in the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – will probably get a name-drop today. That’s just how it is, and might as well drop a third in the pre-amble – Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” returns to #1 for a sixth week, welcome to Season 7 of REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, discussion of sex, depression and - sigh - Drake

Rundown

The rest of the top five consists of songs that were already charting, but got a very solid boost from the snow melting: “APT.” by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars at #2, “Messy” by Lola Young at #3, “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez at #4, and even Chrystal gets her first top 10 with “The Days” at #5, a weird song to peak that high in my view. To add to the post-Christmas confusion, “It Can’t be Christmas” by Tom Grennan held on the highest at #30 for no good reason, but other than that, we have gains, returns and debuts, so I’ll talk about those categories in that order, but bear with me, it will just be listing songs, even if it is interesting to see how high certain songs are, how much traction they gained over the holidays and how much of a semi-artificial boost they get from this week’s rejection of all things wintry.

For our notable gains, we see boosts within the top 20, namely “Nice to Meet You” by Myles Smith at #13, “Bed Chem” by Sabrina Carpenter at #11, “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at #10, “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars at #8, and as for the returns… well, it’s the rest, and plenty of these are new peaks or close to it as well. For ease, I’ll split it between vague genres and if you don’t like my categorisation… fair enough, I don’t either, genre is a myth.

For hip hop and R&B, we have Tyler, the Creator with “Sticky” featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne at #70 and “Like Him” featuring Lola Young at #35, “Oscar-Winning Tears.” by RAYE at #68, “Empty Out Your Pockets” by the late Juice WRLD at #55, Kendrick Lamar with “tv off” featuring Lefty Gunplay at #38 and “luther” with SZA at #28, “Thick of It” by KSI featuring Trippie Redd at #22 and, sigh, “Timeless” by The Weeknd and Playboi Carti at #12, which allegedly has AI vocals – I don’t personally see the clear evidence yet, but if you believe it… hey, maybe my disgust with that song rings even truer.

As for the hodge-podge of everything encompassed by “rock”, folk, country and whatever counts as alternative these days, we see the re-arrivals of “Favourite” by Fontaines D.C. at #72, “All My Love” by Coldplay at #69, “Casual” by Chappell Roan at #60, “Headlock” by Imogen Heap at #57 (not complaining about this resurgence), “The Emptiness Machine” by Linkin Park at #53, “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen at #51, “Burning Down” by Alex Warren at #49, “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers at #48, “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed at #47 (really, we’re still doing this?), “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan at #31, “Stargazing” by Myles Smith at #29, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey at #25, “Too Sweet” by Hozier at #24, “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone at #21, “People Watching” by Sam Fender at #19, and, hey, why not? Let’s slot Billie Eilish in this category too with “WILDFLOWER” at #16 and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” at #14.

Finally, for pop, dance and Afrobeats, we say welcome back to “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #75, “Indestructible” by Andy C and Becky Hill at #73, “BACKBONE” by Chase & Status and Stormzy at #71, “365” by Charli xcx at #67 – “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish is at #65, “Sympathy is a knife” featuring Ariana Grande at #50 – then “Who” by Jimin at #64, “Disease” by Lady Gaga at #61, “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae and Pomme at #56, “Move” by Adam Port, Stryv and Malachii at #54, “Kisses” by BL3SS, CamrinWatsin and bbyclose at #52, “2 hands” by Tate McRae at #45, “This is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna out of seemingly nowhere at #43… it peaked at #2 in 2016, behind Drake’s “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla, which was #1 for like half that year it feels. Moving swiftly on from whyever that’s there, we have “it’s ok i’m ok” by Tate McRae at #41, “NIGHTS LIKE THIS” by The Kid LAROI at #40, “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” by Dasha at #39, “Close to You” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams at #36, “Diet Pepsi” by Addison Rae at #34, “PUSH 2 START” by Tyla at #33, “What is This Feeling?” with Cynthia Erivo and “Popular”, both by Ariana Grande from the Wicked soundtrack, at #27 and #26, “Dirty Cash (Money Talks)” by PAWSA and The Adventures of Stevie V at #20, “Taste” and “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter at #18 and #15, “HOT TO GO!” and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan at #32 and #17, “Somedays” by Sonny Fodera, Jazzy and D.O.D at #9, and finally, whilst he probably counts more as soul, he’s got three songs real high so Teddy Swims, probably a big star of 2025 that I’m placing all my bets on, has “Lose Control” at #23, “Bad Dreams” at #7 and my favourite, “The Door” at #6. Welp, that’s all good and fun, but what did that door let in when it was left open? Let’s take a look.

New Entries

#74 – “30 for 30” – SZA and Kendrick Lamar

Produced by J. White Did It and Michael Uzowuru

I’m somewhat torn on SZA’s new deluxe reissue of her album SOS. Whilst basically a new album in terms of quantity, it’s not nearly as finished as you’d expect from an album teased for years, and LANA is still, according to SZA and her management, going to be updated with improved mixes and bonus tracks. Given how barebones, lacking in powerful or hooky refrains – definitely nothing as sticky as “Saturn” – these new tracks are, and given how SZA sounds damn near underwater on all of them, this is less like an everchanging work of art being improved for the fans and more like, well, VULTURES 2. The quality is about as mixed of a bag too, with two tracks debuting from the album this week, the first being the big viral moment with Kendrick Lamar and it may be his first complete miss this year because I don’t know about the general consensus on this, but this is clearly a demo to me. I’ll be keeping much of this episode short – it’s already late and filled to the brim with the big first-week-of-the-year resurgence of songs – but part of that may just be because of how little these songs, especially SZA’s, give me to discuss. I’m not surprised that J. White Did It, mostly known for lazy piano-led trap, produced this, because the same dead-eyed minimalism is present, just in an even less covert and purposeful way. To put it simply, this is the “Throw Some D’s” beat thrown in a blender and rapped over by Kendrick and someone who’s really not a rapper. Whilst R&B group Switch’s 1979 track “I Call Your Name” has been sampled plentifully, Polow da Don’s flip with Butta on Rich Boy’s 2006 Stateside smash “Throw Some D’s” remains the most iconic and exciting to this day, with Rich Boy’s stuttering, gang vocal-backed take ensuring that once that driven swell rushes in, there’s no breath to be taken, it’s an all-time 2000s hip hop one-hit wonder. In “30 for 30”, the sample is flipped near-identically, with this newer version sounding somehow more feathery – as if some EQ or AI stem separation took all the bass out – and the stabs Butta and Polow created are even jerkier, almost sounding delayed. Most criminally, it’s missing nearly any drums until a basic, terribly-mastered bass rumble and very clicky drum, comes in to remind you this was produced by the aforementioned J. White. It’s not that SZA and Kenny do much to help here either, because this is four minutes of them goofing about aimlessly, dissing Drake in weak subliminals that serve more to detriment Kendrick’s victory than hurt Drake. “Some of y’all just look lost”, he murmurs on a first-take vocal going back and forth with a frankly embarrassing SZA performance and elongated vowels that remind me of… well, Drake. The lazy, well-known sample with lazy trap-adjacent drums, it’s a Drake thing to do, the sing-rapping about vague pettiness directed towards no-one in particular (massive asterisk applied), it’s a Drake thing to do, as is the terrible mixing where you can tell obviously where SZA punched in a vocal and Kendrick’s ugly ramble about “conservative girls” and their sexual activity, followed by some flubbed rhymes in his half-baked outro. There’s so much space left here and “filled in” by aimless bars or dragged-out delivery, and given how much of the track is effortless, unrelatable flexing and posturing towards someone who doesn’t even pose a threat, there’s only so much of SZA asking what “chat” thinks before I can say that this is dreadful and reflects badly on the attempted victory lap Kendrick had me fully on board for in GNX. This seems like a complete misunderstanding of everything that made Kendrick win that battle and I think partly due to the influence of those who wish to play both sides. This is trash, it shouldn’t have been cleared for release – that sample couldn’t have been cheap enough to waste on this.

#66 – “Bug” – Fontaines D.C.

Produced by James Ford

Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. had a great year with their album release in 2024, and residue from that success seeps into the next year as a cut that previously spent some time below the top 75 rushes back in after the Christmas freeze. I’m overall mixed to positive on what I’ve heard from them – still didn’t check out the full Romance album, sorry – so I didn’t really know what I should expect. I was met with a dusty post-punk jangle that drummer Tom Coll said was an easy jam with everyone in the studio, and I believe it because this is a very focused song you could imagine comes from a simple, back-to-basics studio session, though with some very professional guitar and vocal mixing that adds that extra level of detail, particularly that wiry fuzz in the second verse and the backing vocals behind singer Grian Chatten that aren’t that much of a presence, but provide a great favour to the content which could otherwise seem self-absorbed and whiny. After what appears to be a breakup, with Chatten functioning as a miserable, envious lurker who feels wronged by his ex-partner doing very well without him, he’s still somewhat obsessed with her, like a parasite linking on his brain that he can’t help but maintain some probably unwarranted contempt for. There’s a sense of holier-than-thou delusion that feels like the middle point between lying to yourself and genuinely moving on that pokes through the song, especially in the repeated conceit of being “higher than anyone here”, and in a concise three minutes, Fontaines point towards an arc rather than seeing it through. A very misty and temporal track, especially with all the reverb, but a surprisingly straight-forward one at that, this might be my favourite so far, no pun intended. Maybe I do need to listen to these guys, I do become more impressed and intrigued each time, even if the grand scheme of the genre and scene, this isn’t pushing many boundaries. It���s just a damn good story told in a great indie rock song, not often you get that in the charts outside of Sam Fender. Can’t complain about this one at all.

#63 – “Push the Tempo” – Sub Focus and Katy B

Produced by Sub Focus and Punctual

Katy B, long time – no see. An English singer known for EDM hits in the early 2010s, she was heavily associated with mainstream dubstep from that era and produced plenty of hits with her as a vocalist, though surprisingly hadn’t been picked up for a drum and bass revival track yet in the 2020s, which seemed like a missed opportunity until the pretty excellent producer Sub Focus comes along with Katy B’s first charting track since 2016. Much like a lot of successful production from this new set of drum and bass tracks, the jump-up groove is the eventual result of a slow, atmospheric ascent that Katy B doesn’t fully fit into with her vocals not as manipulated as they probably should be. Sure, it may sound human, but she isn’t the the beyond-Earth diva or anonymous wispy presence that she could be, finding a middle-ground that leaves some inflections a bit awkward but adds a welcome human touch to the build-up. The track fizzes into a simple piano hardcore line that soon encompasses all the tropes you’d expect, before the title drop and the expected sparks from the bass plummeting in. I’m a sucker for this genre, it’ll pretty much always work for me, but Sub Focus isn’t on autopilot here with the slides and really grimy sound design that pushes that fuzzy synth bass right back into Katy B’s territory alongside her echoed fragments of vocal that take up a lot of space in the mix during that second verse, it’s really overwhelming and euphoric. I wish the second drop was a bit less copy-paste, especially given the lyrics about losing control and pushing the tempo – I know you don’t want to ruin a club track by being too on-the-nose, but if it’s well-done, a shift in pace or a flip into some hardstyle patterns here could have made it even more exciting… though maybe that’s just because Sub Focus did do this on the absolutely killer “Ready to Fly” with Dimension, which I still find just as much joy in now as I did on release. Yet again, Sub Focus brings a detailed drum and bass track with a few less surprises this time but an attention to detail that’s never left, and most importantly, it’s incredibly fun to listen to and write about. I know most people who read this are here for the pop and rap songs high in the chart, or the novelty memes that end up here (more on that in a bit), but these middling EDM debuts are absolutely my favourite reviews to write. Sound design is beautiful, the songs are often wonderful, and I never truly know exactly what to expect.

#59 – “Peggy” – Ceechynaa

Produced by Extendo Beats and Rupa Beats

On social media, I tend to stay in whatever echo chamber the algorithm decides for me, especially given how relatively private I am on my personal, non-cactus accounts. Hence, I thought nothing of the woman parading around London in an outfit that’s ought to be cold that I saw reposted constantly on X – my interest in pop music leads me down Stan Twitter rabbitholes I’m too old and normal for at this point, and I figured this was one of their underground faves, so much so I never even turned the volume on when I saw that video pop up time and time again. Turns out it’s charting! Also turns out the beat isn’t very good, kind of a lazy Jersey drill track with a menacing choral loop that does not fit the playfulness of these bars at all. Ceechynaa literally name-drops Phineas from Phineas and Ferb, why is it this aggressive of a beat? To be fair, there’s definitely a violent sexuality to this, treating men with as little respect as possible, especially in the bed, and I do understand the appeal, especially with her distinct vocal delivery. The lyrics are clunky as Hell, though, made for memes, pop culture references and reactions rather than an actually worthwhile song, with that “outro” and the aborted structure of the song overall making it evident where the priorities of it lie. That’s fine, novelties have always been charting, I just think there is some potential and untapped market in this, especially in UK drill, that might leave a track like this looking a bit lacklustre very soon if this is allowed to take off the way it seems primed to be.

#58 – “Filthy Rich” – Ella Henderson

Produced by Nicolas Rebscher and Sean Cook

Sure, Ella Henderson – somehow on my favourite hit song of 2023 and my second least favourite of 2024, Henderson rarely provokes emotion from me herself, it’s usually a combination of writing and production ideas whilst she acts sort of like a blank canvas, which can be promising given how many EDM hits she’s played a part in. What interested me, however, were the producers here. Rebscher has worked with AURORA and Alice Merton, and Cook with cats like Shaboozey and Hozier, so this at least won’t be something we’ve heard before from her. My head was swirling between “interesting attempt at branching her sound” and “cheap, pathetic stomp-clap rip-off”. Then I heard this dance-pop singer from Lincolnshire talk about her “momma” over a country banjo, mentioning “Georgia” – a ride-or-die friend that would double as the state if this was, say, Megan Moroney, but loses all of that extra detail with this kind of singer, who has never shown any interest in this sound or even lyrical content before. Since when was the house diva who sings about love on club tracks by David Guetta and Joel Corry going to release a track about allegedly not needing money to be “filthy rich”? Not only is there nothing filthy about this song’s production, there’s nothing authentic about it and whilst I love when singers play characters, this is so plainly a ploy produced for a petty part of the pie and it’s pure nonsense. It’s not your friends and family back home in the “sticks” that are preventing you from being a “broke-ass bitch” (seriously in the chorus!), Ms. Henderson, it’s the track you made with Rudimental sampling the deceased Coolio’s biggest hit for streaming points and sucking away all the context that makes it powerful for vapidity. How’s that for “filthy rich”, ma’am? Go back to performing for Tories, I’m sure Kemi Badenoch is itching for anything to take away from Reform’s share of the vote right now – Hell, Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson may have a more convincing grift on their hands than whatever this shit is. Get this the fuck out of here before people buy into it.

#46 – “Indigo” – Sam Barber featuring Avery Anna

Produced by Joe Becker

Over the winter, this previously mildly successful country singer Sam Barber broke out with a viral duet featuring an even less well-known country singer, Avery Anna, and whilst it seems out of nowhere, this kind of relatively independent country or folk song going viral the way a rap or dance song would seems very normal in 2025. It’s a double-edged sword: we get inauthentic wagon hopping like the song above us, but also, we often get a much more sincere track that charts above them. Sure, you have your commercial tracks from Myles Smith, but Noah Kahan and Shaboozey are some of the biggest names in British pop music alongside guys like Sam Fender who are on the outskirts and helped blossom this new trend, which I mostly welcome with open arms because it seems to reflect pop music listeners desiring something more human. That’s exactly what “Indigo” is, a pretty depressing cut about the colours of Barber’s life fading away from him over solemn pianos and an acoustic guitar rollick that distracts from the slower elements of the track in a unique way, so it never finds a confident footing on a groove. The song’s lost, questioning God’s plan, and even when the typical organic country drums come in for the chorus, it remains a drunken bar-stool swing to it, with a chemistry between Avery Anna’s more expressive vocal and Barber’s drooping old dog voice that reminds me of Zach Bryan’s duets. There are hints towards a breakup between the two narrators having kickstarted this period of depression, but I more so interpreted the song as about losing yourself, with Anna seeking a higher power based on her own optimism that someone still cares up there, and Barber dragging that hope through the mud like a foregone conclusion. The piano solo and its staggered build-up genuinely gave me goosebumps, and the mix is dynamic enough to accommodate that crash into the final chorus – Anna sounds like a Goddamn star on this, by the way, if I’m hedging my bets on 2025, it’s her as she’s got a traditional rasp and grit to her that goes beyond smoky indie girl voice into something really raw and beautiful. I feel like with age, I’m becoming even more in tune with my dad’s affection for sappy ballads, this hit me kind of like a truck. In a perfect world, this sees an “I Remember Everything” run – it may sacrifice that song’s lyrical and anecdotal detail but for a melodramatic arrangement that resonates with me just as much. I couldn’t recommend this more.

#44 – “BMF” – SZA

Produced by Carter Lang, Blake Slatkin and Omer Fedi

And we end with our second cut from LANA, and sadly still not one of my favourites – “Kitchen” and “Love Me 4 Me” are my picks from the new crop of songs. This doesn’t mean “BMF”, originally titled “The Boy from South Detroit” and intended to feature Lizzo (glad that didn’t pan out), is bad though – far from it. It’s definitely safe, with a guitar pluck fully in the realm of its producers Slatkin and Fedi, not doing anything to separate this from a prior work from them outside of the “Girl from Ipanema” interpolation. That’s already an oft-implemented song, whether it be samples, covers or reinterpretations – the original peaked at #29 in 1964 – so there’s little to find that’s all too new about this song, which is completely what you’d expect! It’s practically a compilation of glossed-up demos or ideas stretched out into deluxe tracks, so the fact that SZA is clear on most of this (there are definitely some watery or mumbling moments) and the lyrics are generally charming, describing this bad boy type and how she can be a ride-or-die partner, but it’s still just a fluttery indie pop-adjacent bedroom shuffle with stock drums, pleasant but empty sound design and a performance that has its peaks and troughs. The song even fades out by the end and that feels like a signifier that the song just wasn’t there, wasn’t developed beyond a cute idea. With a unique arrangement or even just better production, it could work, but there’s not enough to compel me here, and I find the dents in the construction of the track a lot more distracting when vibes and a perky hook are pretty much all it has.

Conclusion

Well, that was a long one, apologies for the wait, but also an important episode because this sets the stage for the next year of popular music. We also get some really obvious standouts for the best and worst. Best of the Week – feels like ages since I’ve given this out – goes to Sam Barber and Avery Anna for “Indigo”, with a very respectful tied Honourable Mention to “Push the Tempo” by Sub Focus and Katy B, and “Bug” by Fontaines D.C., both songs that stop at great and don’t reach the outstanding levels they could – in Sub Focus’ case, it doesn’t, and for Fontaines, it probably shouldn’t. Worst of the Week was torn between two very ugly tracks, but I think Ella Henderson takes this because wow, that sure is one way to provoke emotion from me for the first time in your decade-long career, “Filthy Rich” is just remarkably terrible. SZA and Kendrick Lamar do get the Dishonourable Mention, mostly out of the lazy instrumental but their insufferable yapping on “30 for 30” doesn’t do them any favours. Next week, the Stateside charts’ll be shook up by Bad Bunny and Morgan Wallen, but for us, it may be a quieter time. I’ll regret saying that on Friday, I’m sure. For now, thank you for reading, here’s to a good 2025, long live Cola Boyy, and remember…. I’ll see you next week.

[alexilulu]

Books* I Read In 2024 #25: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run (Hirohiko Araki, Shueisha, serialized 01/19/2004-04/19/2011 in Weekly Shonen Jump for the first 24 chapters followed by Ultra Jump monthly thereafter)

Paraplegic former horse racing star Jonathan "Johnny" Joestar is drawn into the Steel Ball Run race across the length of the United States when a chance encounter with the mysterious Gyro Zeppeli causes him to briefly regain the ability to move his legs, leading him on a bizarre race to capture first and the mysterious corpse parts that have been scattered across America in the distant past.

Oh, how far we've come.

I think I first read any of Araki's work in 07-08, the days when the license was mostly dead in the water, with the biggest non-manga adaptations of Araki's work being a very strange 6 episode OVA adapting Part 3, Stardust Crusaders, and the best translations available (because there wasn't an official english translation, of course) was roughly two steps above unreadable.

Getting into his work back then was not for the faint of heart. Araki is a singularly unique talent in the manga sphere, for better or for worse. At the best of times, I find his action paneling almost incoherent, often spending 30 seconds or more puzzling out the series of moves they're contorting through to arrive at the next legible panel. Add onto that some truly stilted, fanwank translation that feels like your uncle trying to tell you how to work on a carburetor on his Firebird at the best of times and is at worst hitting the 'yare yare' button as hard as it can, and you get some baffling sequences.

Some of them were better than others on this; Part 3 and 4 were much beloved because they had a consistent, relatively readable translation. Part 5 was not because multiple groups tried and failed to make anything of it, typically because they really wanted to make the big bad's Stand, King Crimson, more complicated than it ever needed to be. Part 6 had a girl and as such was cooties, but could be understood by a human because the translation was better than average.

These days, it's much easier to be a JoJos fan than it ever was in the bad old days. Official anime adaptations of the first 6 parts are now complete, all of them have received dubs as well as official subtitles, the manga is translated through Part 6 officially, and Part 7 will start releasing in English for the first time in Summer 2025, and an animation adaptation is already confirmed from Lucky Land Communications (the team at David Productions producing the anime, which has been on Crunchyroll and was captured by Netflix for Part 6).

Part 7 is my favorite Jojos part.

There's a quality to Steel Ball Run that isn't present in his work previous to here. It's most easily attributable to the change from Weekly Jump to Ultra Jump (a monthly release schedule vs WSJ's weekly releases) that has given him much more freedom and page space to work within. Part 7 is lush in a way his previous work simply isn't, because of the nature of manga production, and it completely changes the feeling the manga has. This is true of the few other monthly releases i read regularly (Bugle Call is another Ultra Jump production that is getting an English release later in 2025 and I'm dying to get an official translation of), so it tracks, but it feels momentous somehow. Individual panels are shockingly rendered, even in the middle of what are for Araki standard action sequences that would ordinarily drive me nuts to follow.

Part 7 also has a much more focused cast that helps produce a tighter narrative, which I feel may be a reaction to the at times jam-packed crew of primary stand users in Part 6 and 5 that led to a lot of confusion around who was where when. Johnny and Gyro have a few people they end up running into repeatedly like Hot Pants and Mountain Tim, but the primary cast of main and antagonist characters is less than a dozen characters! It means you get to spend a lot more time with Johnny and Gyro being dudes out on the wilderness, which is to its benefit.

I won't get into the story here, for the protection of my friends and loved ones who haven't gotten to experience peak yet, but Part 7 is the most cohesive, narratively pointed stories he's ever done, and even if the very last chapter feels halfhearted, it still feels powerful and momentous to the end. So, I hope you take the napkin with me when it comes out in english.

[heswrongshesright]

How to start a successful Podcast in 2025: the basics - HWSR Ep 130

In this episode of the He's Wrong She's Right podcast, ‘How to start a successful Podcast in 2025: the basics’, Andrew Lemacks takes the reins solo to guide you through the essentials of starting your very own podcast in 2025. With Nona busy doing taxes, Andrew covers everything from choosing the right hosting platform to picking a memorable podcast name. He delves into key topics such as equipment recommendations, genre selection, and audience engagement, all while sharing personal anecdotes and expert tips. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to up your podcasting game, this episode offers valuable insights in an unscripted, relatable format.

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00:00 Introduction: Starting a Podcast

01:03 Welcome to the Show

03:36 Choosing Your Podcast Genre and Name

06:54 Engaging with Your Audience

13:11 Essential Equipment for Podcasting

19:25 Recording and Editing Tips

28:54 Final Thoughts and Future Content

#VeteranPodcast #AmericasPodcast #CouplesPodcast #MarriagePodcast #RelationshipPodcast #AndrewLemacks #NonaPhelps #HesWrongShesRight #HWSR #ImRightHesWrong #StartingAPodcast #HowToStartAPodcast #PodcastingForBeginners #StartAPodcast2025 #PodcastStartingGuide #PodcastBasics #Podcasting

[img0051]

I like our country that redeemed the current president. image text translation The first incum... https://en.imgtag.co.kr/issue/810539/?feed_id=2136137&_unique_id=679816d042bda

[soccer-tips1x2]

Torino vs Cagliari

Torino vs Cagliari Prediction for Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Kickoff Date: January 24, 2025

Torino and Cagliari have a long-standing rivalry, with many of their encounters producing goals on both sides. This fixture promises another exciting clash with a high probability of both teams finding the net. ⚽🔥

Full Match History:

✅ 2024-10-20: Cagliari 3-2 Torino ✅ 2024-01-26: Cagliari 1-2 Torino ❌ 2023-08-21: Torino 0-0 Cagliari ✅ 2022-02-27: Torino 1-2 Cagliari ✅ 2021-12-06: Cagliari 1-1 Torino ❌ 2021-02-19: Cagliari 0-1 Torino ✅ 2020-10-18: Torino 2-3 Cagliari ✅ 2020-06-27: Cagliari 4-2 Torino ✅ 2019-10-27: Torino 1-1 Cagliari ✅ 2019-04-14: Torino 1-1 Cagliari ❌ 2018-11-26: Cagliari 0-0 Torino ❌ 2018-03-31: Cagliari 0-4 Torino ✅ 2017-10-29: Torino 2-1 Cagliari

🔥 Out of their last 13 matches, 8 delivered BTTS outcomes, highlighting a strong trend of goal-filled contests. This makes their upcoming clash a compelling pick for BTTS predictions.

For more stats and insights, visit www.h2hfacts.com

[irisbleufic]

Now complete; 4 out of 4 chapters posted. It’s partly in answer to a prompt from the other day, partly pulling in some of the groundwork from the longer story I just finished (which can be treated as a stand-alone and as background on any other version of their reality I happen to write where a version of the Dubai stretch happens). I’m playing with Daniel making a sequence of altered decisions based on evidence at his disposal, which in turn leads to a version of the dinner and surprise we never get to see. I haven’t played with that before; I figured a stand-alone before more series work might be fun.

CHAPTERS:

Something Tangible (2025-01-19)

Cuttingly Profound (2025-01-20)

Additional Amnesia (2025-01-23)

Cautionary Tale (NEW, 2025-01-24)

TEASER:

“You know that we’ve been listening to what goes on in every room of this penthouse,” Rashid says quietly, finally speaking to Daniel again. “It’s not the…sensitive content of a little while ago that I’m here to discuss. It’s something you said to Armand beforehand.”

“That’s reasonable of you,” Daniel says, swallowing hard. He’s not sure how to feel about the Talamasca having listened in real time as he literally fucked one of these vampires. Not only does everyone here suck, but they’re all depraved, too. “What did I say to him?”

Rashid puts on that attitude of weary disdain that’s more amusing than it should be. “You told him that in an ideal world you’d need to speak to the other surviving eyewitness of the events leading up to the fire. If you were offered the chance to do so, would you take it?”

Daniel feels that uncanny slippage again, but he thinks he gets it this time. His heart stutters in his chest with awed, terrible understanding. Wait a second, how does the full line go? Ticking, ticking, ticking—with the precision of a clock in a room as vast as the universe.

“No way,” Daniel says in disbelief. “No fucking way.”

[evangelistsampsonbello]

ACCUSED FOR SAYING THE TRUTH

The Truth made known to all by channels of God's Word, causes chaos in the kingdom of darkness, making the forces of wickedness restlessly seek the fall of the Righteous in Christ Jesus by possessing those who are spiritually dead to serve as agents of the Accuser of the Brethren. Those standing against the Truth which we constantly affirm as ambassadors of Christ, see us as a threat to their position, possession, or self-made moral standards, making them deceitful as they try using what we represent and publish to accuse us, merely to try defaming our dignity before all whom we are bringing into the Light of God (Lev. 24:16, Matt. 26:63-66).

Also, while we make known our identity with the Holy Father in Christ Jesus who is One with His Father, the ignorant assume we are not being honest with them, claiming no one can take the place of God, while hypocrites continuously deceive the spiritually blind with twisted Scriptures to maintain their pride and position - based on no more than self-justified actions and wrong interpretation - misused to fulfill their  evil intentions which are solely to satisfy their lustful desires; the scheme stuck with by the Father of Lies is to hatefully spur on false accusations towards the faithful and innocent of heart (John 5:18, 8:44 & 10:30-33, Ps. 82:6-7).

PRAYER: In Jesus' Name, thank You, Heavenly Father, for making me an Heir of Your Kingdom in Christ Jesus, Your Son, whose teachings I trumpet in Spirit and not mere letter, as an ambassador of Your Living Word on Earth. Please, keep me protected from every accusation of the wicked and strengthened with Grace to overcome all challenges rising against my Divine identity as a citizen of Your Heavenly Kingdom,

Amen.

From John 19:7

https://thefountainoflifegospelministry.blogspot.com/2025/01/accused-for-saying-truth.html

[videoboosters]

💡 𝟏𝟗 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭

Starting a YouTube channel can feel overwhelming, but the right strategies will lay the foundation for success. These 9 tips are tailored to help beginners hit the ground running.

Define Your Niche

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Optimize Your Video Titles

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Write Compelling Video Descriptions

Engage With Your Audience

Leverage Social Media

Be Consistent

Analyze Your Analytics

Optimize for SEO

Experiment With Formats

Collaborate With Other Creators

Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Use Community Tab and Stories

Invest in Advanced Editing Tools

Run Contests or Giveaways

Focus on Storytelling

Stay Updated With Trends

Whether you’re a beginner learning the ropes or an experienced creator refining your craft, these YouTube video tips provide actionable steps to elevate your channel.

𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 👉 https://www.videoboosters.club/2025/01/20/youtube-video-tips/

[prevailinghatred]

@silenceofthewave 01/19/2025 - 01/23/2025 ⋆ Honesty M!A Jan 2025

He's summoned Soundwave to his habsuite, and remotely opened the door for it when he was aware it was standing outside, but... Megatron wouldn't be readily seen until it stepped deeper into the room. He sat in his large, comfortable desk chair, both servos stasis-cuffed to the armrests. He shifted somewhat self-consciously, his lips twisting a little to the side as he considered how to begin explaining just what the hell was happening here.

"I — I know how this looks, but don't let me up," he said quickly, knowing Soundwave's first impulse would likely be to rush and set him free. As if Megatron couldn't just wrench his arms up and physically break the armrests even if he couldn't break the cuffs themselves. It's honestly laughably easy for him to get up right now, if he really wanted to.

"I seem to have been infected with a virus which makes me compelled to touch mecha's faces, and tell them my innermost thoughts with little regard for the consequences of doing so. Needless to say, I have no desire to do either of those things. Thus, I've decided I'll sit in my room for three days until such time my antivirus protocol can dispel the code on its own."

He jutted his chin, indicating the key to the stasis cuffs, which sat at the corner of his desk — well away from him. "So unless you have some means to curing me of this faulty coding, or otherwise doing so remotely, I'd suggest you take the key and field inquiries as to my whereabouts for the next few days. Just tell them I'm indisposed, and do not under any circumstances allow other mecha in this room other than yourself."

"Do you have any questions?"