#the callbacks in the mv too

[project-sekai-facts]

Do you think mizu5 will have a 3dmv ?

it's basically impossible to tell since we only have one rota5 n25 event so far, they haven't been following a consistent MV pattern since june, and we don't know what Akito5's MV type will be. Artistically speaking I think 3DMV would be cool since it'll give you room for callbacks to IDSMILE with the lighting and maybe some other symbolism too, but I don't actually know if they'll do that.

[projectjasper]

ARCHER'S WE ARE FANCON EXPERIENCE

i promised i would share my feelings, so here they are!

first of all, while i do still maintain that the venue was too small for how beloved the series is, even with the split into two days, and i have some gripes with merch sales, the organisation was otherwise good. it was always very clear where and when you needed to go and what you needed to do, which is always great for an anxious person like me. all the explanations were in three languages too (thai, english, and chinese), so navigating the space and the benefits was easy. the little setup of things to do before the concert starts was also great - there were merch booths for all of the boys who had merch to sell (which is everyone aside from aouboom), there were photobooths with different 'we are' themed templates, there was also, of course, gasha (or, as i like to call them, gambling machines) but hey! i got some merch off of that as well, so i'm honestly not even complaining.

now, onto the actual show! it was incredible, i can hardly imagine anything that would need to be added or changed. it honoured both the series and the artists on their own in many ways.

there were multiple performances with the entire cast, including a surprise appearance of jj, tee, and pepper (or, our mattmickbeer trio) during one song, who then also stuck around to talk about their characters and favourite scenes. friendship is a huge part of the series and they did not forget that. a lot of stage backgrounds and props were an homage to the series too (the one that felt particularly thought-out to me was the background for 'truth in the eyes', which was a lush garden - a callback to the mv's concept metaphor). the couples performed both their main songs and also one cover each, which were picked out by every cp for different reasons, but all of which were great. before every main song, there was a little video with the couple's moments that encapsulated their relationship, and they were really lovely and well-done (a great way of giving the artists a second to breathe too).

i think there was also pretty much everything each of the main eight could want to do on stage. pond and aou got to dance (together as well!), winny got to rap, phuwin and satang got to sing together. at least from what they said, they were given a lot of creative liberty in terms of choosing what they want to sing and do on stage as well, so that is also lovely. all of the performances were, of course, absolutely fantastic and even exceeded my expectations in some ways.

all the little chats between performances were also wonderful and everyone (or, almost everyone) got really emotional closer to the end. we had marc crying first, talking about how much this experience means to him and thanking poon for being his first real partner, and then the floodgates just opened. poon also teared up, winny started crying because marc started crying, then he cried some more when he actually started speaking himself, then satang started crying too, they talked about how much all of this means to them and how much they mean to each other, they held hands. then dear sweet boom almost sobbed on stage and aou cried too - they were also very thankful for everything and especially each other. pond tried very hard not to cry (and succeeded by breathing out every ten seconds and twirling around the stage), talking about how happy he is that everyone loved the series and them so much, saying that the cast became like a little family, and thanking phuwin for being a great partner, and phuwin also talked about how he was afraid of having high expectations and how grateful he is to the cast and the fans. this was definitely one of those moments, which made the whole experience so much more meaningful and emotional. i also wanted to hug all of them and tell them how amazing they are 😭

the appreciation for the audience was huge throughout. pond kept putting his hand at his forehead to try to see all the fans sitting farther away, at one point aou asked for the lights to be turned on, so they could see everyone, during the last performance (which was 'we are forever'), they all came down from the stage and walked around us, waving at everyone.

after the huge three hour concert, there were still the benefits to work through, which ended up going on for five hours (until almost 2 am). the boys were all really lovely and nice throughout and i'm genuinely impressed by their ability not to let the understandable tiredness that they were all feeling interfere with their interactions with fans and each other.

so, to conclude! this was an absolutely incredible experience and i am so happy i decided to come here for the fancon (and actually managed to get the ticket). there are multiple countries they are going to next, as you know, and there will likely be more added in the future. so if you live in any of those countries, i am definitely saying you should go. and if you don't but it is within your means to go and you just weren't sure whether the fancon is worth an entire trip abroad - i am confirming that it very much is. i am confident you would not regret going.

[lovelyjasmari]

Twisted Wonderland Reaction Part 17 ~ Special Edition

Hello everyone! 

So…it’s been a while since I’ve made one of these. Almost 2 years to be exact. But after book 5 forever changed how I engage with twst (for better and worse), I haven���t really been up to doing reaction posts anymore. Also after book 5 I actually began focusing more on the jp server since there were many things in the official translation that I found…lacking to say the least. 

But when twst jp released this mv on April fools day, I just knew I HAD to talk about it! I’m actually surprised more people aren’t. Probably the biggest thing about this mv is that in a lot of ways the narrative of book 5’s ending has changed now we have context to how NRC Tribe performed. I’ve seen a lot of posts on the bird app saying things like it makes sense now why they lost the VDC. 

I will say, this is definitely NOT a perfect performance. But as a former dancer with WAY too much time on their hands, I decided to analyze this.

So for context, Ive done a mix of ballet and jazz for eleven years, from age 4 to 15. Even though I gave up going to classes, I still did para para and anime dances with my friends. And in 2017, I decided to return to dance and have been dancing consistently ever since. I’m mostly versed in ballet but I still do some jazz, hip hop and took up kpop last year. To judge this fairly, I watched the MV several times, four times per member, (do the math and feel free to judge me). And with that, here are the things that stuck out to me the most. 

He is beauty, he is grace, HOW HE HELL DID HE NOT KICK EPEL IN THE FACE?!

Synchronization/symmetry 

The lack of synchronization was the first thing I noticed, ESPECIALLY in the first 30 seconds. The footwork is sloppy and Deuce and Ace in particular aren't as sharp with their moves as the other five. Rook seems to be the only one doing the choreography correctly because one point at 0:25 (and again at 3:31) where he bends his knee higher than the others and thanks to those fuckass uggs standing out so much, I couldn’t unsee it. At 1:03, 1:07, 2:07, and 3:00 Ace’s form is noticeably off as well.

And this may just be a personal hangup of mine but I found lack of symmetry between the boys at 1:14 very odd. Like, I don’t know how I can describe it but the way Epel tried to take center stage during his and Vil’s duet gave me the impression that wasn’t originally in the routine. At 1:13 there’s a split second where you can actually see Vil looking down at Epel like “...wut?” I immediately thought about that moment right before they go on stage where Epel offers to take on Vil’s solo’s because he looks so weak but Vil refuses. I wonder if Epel trying to take center like that is a callback to that exchange. Unfortunately, since the boys were perfectly symmetrical for the rest of the song, it stands out as awkward all the more. 

Kalim and Jamil

Lowkey, Kalim and Jamil both carried this performance after Vil. The little magic with the mic was a super nice touch and Kalim shines the most during the dance break. He seems to be having fun with it despite being in agony. What’s interesting is that after Ace and Deuce, Kalim is the most out of sync but he pulls it off well since I can tell he’s been on the stage before. Both he and Jamil are natural performers. 

Vil’s movements

So, this has been something of a headcanon of mine but it seems to have been proven correct with this mv. Vil has always struck me as someone who probably has a lot of classical dance training but little training in other styles like hip-hop or jazz. His movements are very graceful and elegant but almost…too elegant? I don’t know if that makes sense but they seem very smooth for this style of choreography. And because he’s in the center the most, it stands out the most.

AND THAT FUCKING GRAND JETE!!! Absolutely flawless but it feels SO out of place here! I will give him credit though, that is one of the most difficult jumps to pull off in ballet, and the fact he did that in fucking 5-inch heels right after the most mentally and physically traumatic episode of his life, it’s beyond impressive. And the fact he landed perfectly and so seamlessly moved into his final solo is even more remarkable. Still, that was the most jarring element of this choreography and I think it would still be out of place even if this was a “perfect” performance. 

Now here’s where I potentially piss people off

All in all this is a perfectly imperfect performance. Being completely objective and not taking my love for these characters into account, I honestly still don’t see how they lost. Well, I understand why but it still is fucked to me. I can understand Vil feeling like NRC Tribe didn’t perform their best since they were exhausted and hurting from dealing with his overblot. I can also understand that they were probably a lot more polished in rehearsal. But here’s the thing,  for a group of amateurs, I would probably expect this quality of performance even if they hadn’t had to deal with Vil’s overblot.

First off, while the choreography is rather simple from a dancers perspective, it can be pretty complex for beginners. For one, it requires a lot of synchronization to look correct. But as a beginner, perfecting synchronization alone can take months and, in larger groups, sometimes even longer. If NRC Tribe can look like this after only ONE MONTH of training, taking into account only three out of seven of them have dance experience, that’s extremely impressive.

To give an example, last year at my dance school for our end of the year showcase, the K-pop class did a cover of TWICE's Can't Stop Me. Because our class is made up of students with varying levels of experience (some none at all), it took us the better part of eight months to learn. We had to learn everything in groups of three before we could learn and practice together. And even then, we still fucked up a lot because none of us are professionals and some of us were dancing for the first time. Look at this video and tell me if you could learn this in only ONE month. Vil, can you train me please?? XD

And that brings me to the next point, the experience of all the members. Now, in Rook’s most recent birthday vignette, he mentions learning ballet and in book 5 we see Epel and Deuce taking ballet lessons. But in ballet, as a beginner, your earliest lessons are going to be almost exclusively barre work and depending on age, you might not do center work/combinations for weeks. I’m going to assume Vil is really the only one with solid dance training with Jamil and Kalim also having the most experience just dancing in general. As for the others, they were going to need a lot more training if this was going to look more polished. ESPECIALLY Ace and Deuce.

As for having to perform right after beating OB Vil’s ass, again I was expecting to see A LOT more noticeable errors. And knowing what they all just went through honestly makes me admire this all the more. The thing is, it’s easy to be beautiful when everything is right and perfect in your world. But being able to smile even when you’re struggling and your heart is breaking is even more beautiful still. Personally, I don’t think I could perform even half as well if it were me. 

It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a MV of Neige’s performance so I could do a fully fair analysis. But if we look at all the evidence, it seems to me that NRC Tribe still gave a better performance. And I think the true tragedy here isn’t even that NRC Tribe lost since I think that was always a given considering the dynamic NRC and RSA has.

The true tragedy, I think, is that Vil could be convinced that this perfectly imperfect performance was still inferior to Neige’s. But I’ll leave that for another time. 

[mysadblacksoul]

The Craving - 4/13 of the Clancy album

Hi so the I don't see this song as very lore oriented

The MV is mainly about creating right?

We can see both Tyler and Josh creating a bullet and a box

And we can tell that they had spent a lot of time making those things

In the end, after all that hard work, their creation is put to the test and ultimately it is decided that they failed

They don't even have time to process their failure, because the next person is already called in their place

I believe that this could be a one big parallel to the music industry as a whole

What is more, the thing that they are creating could be a song, you know, Tyler doing the lyrics and Josh the rhythm

They do it in their own style, with decorative elements that are not seen in others (last man's box was much simpler)

The bullet itself is colorfull, one might say over the top

And the man shooting it could be someone from the record label, radio or overall from the industry

So they are the one to decide if the song will be a hit or miss

And I really like the play of the words of "hit or miss". Like in shooting you can hit the target and in the music a song could be a hit, right?

It just shows how quickly the industry is moving, and how fast the people are to declare that somehing flopped

Then in the lyrics the craving itself could mean a hope for creating something both true to themselves as well as well received by the public

intentions don't mean much - so no matter why you write a song, even if it's for a good cause it might still fail

my body in chains - being tied down by the contract

'Cause it's the fear of the unknown / That cripples every step we take - People prefer to follow trends. Create something that is sure to catch on instead of taking a risk and doing something completely new. This losing oneself for fame may have a lot to do with the previous line

I lied

There is shit tone of lore

Buckle up

So the Bishops hate art and music right?

The guys are still creating the song, but in the Dema universe

We know that the only music the Bishops like is that used for propaganda

And we also know that Mr. Clancy has already tried to use it to show people the truth, as in the Overcompensate MV

So I don't think it's a stretch to say that the same symbolism was used here too

Here, the final failure may show, as in Backslide, the number of attempts the guys made to convey the truth to others and to free themselves from the Dema

They missed, their scheme was unsuccessful

And why do I think such a simple music video is part of the lore? Because of two things: it would be too simple not to be part of the lore and Jenna

We know that Jenna is part of the lore - she is a Bandito and appeared in the Saturday MV (I mean her voice, but you get the point)

So could The Craving be simply love? Or desire for both of them to be safe together?

Yesn't

But I am sure that the part in chorous If I found my body in chains / I'd lay down and wait / And hope she looks for me is a direct callback to the Jumpsuit MV

What happened? Clancy tried to escape, he got found and bounded and as he was about to be taken away the Banditos appeared. With Jenna! So she was looking for him after all

Now I see intentions don't mean much and Now I see the gesture don't mean much we are back to the mentality that no matter what Clancy does he cannot change the situation that he is in

'Cause it's the fear of the unknown / That cripples every step we take - callback to the letter from Dema website that reads "He seemed unaffected by the fear of the unknown – the fear that tends to cripple me"

He is afraid of his own feelings, of failure, of letting her and other Banditos down. He has a lot on his shoulders

And now let's go back to the creation. Tyler is making some kind of container, right? And what you can put to this container? A heart

You might ask yourself "What is this fool talking about???" but hear me out

But for now you told me to hold this jar / And when I looked inside I saw it held your heart, from A Car, A Torch, A Death

Now you see my vision?

Plus one bunny is giving another a gift which can be a reference to I will give more than I take away

And what is Josh doing? Carving a box

She's a carver / She's a butcher with a smile from Tear in My Heart

Genius right? Thanks, I'll be here the whole night

In conclusion:

as far as lore goes, these guys are using art and music to oppose the tyranny of the Bishops

Jenna is a very important part of the lore

And I think it will be a while before we can edit Clancy's wikipedia and add "Jenna - his in-lore-wife"

For some reason, I feel that the ukulele has a more important part of the lore than we think

Don't be afraid to take on challenges and try to change your life situation even if you have failed before

Create what you love and not what others love. Stay true to yourself pookies

[gotta-yaps]

into the notes app - crossing your orbit

> a/n: crossing your orbit was my first! ever! written written fic, iykwim. minghao's new release was just too tempting to pass up - it made me realize that 1. i loved writing abstract love stories 2. imagery!!! 3. taking inspiration from mvs made life soo much easier.

spoilers under the cut!

the fic can be found on my main blog: @gotta-winwin

(⭐) i knew i wanted to connect minghao's most notable works together - hai cheng and orbit, into a love story all about longing, space and vivid dreams. it was a weird process: the ending was never planned out. not once did i imagine that the reader would have passed away, it just kind of... wrote itself?

(⭐) the title crossing your orbit, came to me in a dream - believe it or not. although i only vaguely remember the contents, i'm glad i woke up before the sun to pen down the title. it plays on the idea of crossing through worlds - the real world and the afterlife, as minghao seeks out reader through the stars.

(⭐) as i mentioned in author's notes, aesthetics and scenes from both mvs of hai cheng and orbit played a huge part in making crossing your orbit. i had imagined minghao wrote and directed these mvs/songs based on this otherworldly experience - so many scenes from the fic are direct callbacks to the mvs.

minghao orbiting through the galaxy alongside reader

the beach minghao finds himself in once the reader "shows" him their past together

the hug they find themselves in after dancing

dancing at the beach

not part of the fic, but it's canon that this scene was placed into the mv by minghao as a way to connect the past (the beach) with the present (missing her and seeing her in the afterlife/outer space)

(⭐) the english translated lyrics for orbit played a big part in constructing the story.

"I run towards you Once more, once more I ran to you This distance between us I'm feeling a galaxy"

^ this was the lyric that inspired the original idea - two lovers, torn apart by some strange distance in the middle of a galaxy - minghao desperately trying to reach her but failing each time.

"I'll listen like I did before I traveled through space in my dream All sadness was soothed away by your eyes that night"

^ this brought forth the meat of the story: minghao traveling through space in his dreams, the only place he can see her again.

(⭐) answering some frequent questions:

why were they stuck in a galaxy? does it symbolize something? : yes! the galaxy minghao finds himself in is both a symbol for the afterlife and his own mind - depending on how you decide to digest it.

why can't he remember her? : although the fic didn't start out this way, minghao can't remember the reader initially due to the trauma and pain of losing her in the first place. it's a frequent coping mechanism for many people - their mind practicing avoidance on its own to shield them from the pain they can't process at the moment.

why hai cheng? : deciding to pair both the8 releases together was a decision i made in the middle of writing. hai cheng is a song that'll always have a special place in my heart as it carried me through March 2022, when it first released. (it was actually my most repeated song on my spotify wrapped, with 83 consecutive plays. don't ask.)

[1moremilgram-enjoyer]

Deep Cover and YONAH spoilers!

First impressions time! (Looking at this translation for Deep Cover, this one for YONAH). Btw I actually haven't listened to Deep Cover yet because it's not out in my time-zone rip.

Add plagiarism to the list of crimes committed by Milgram prisoners lol. I actually love the Undercover callback it's fantastic! And the diss track? Eminem got nothing on wolf girl over here.

But this does raise the question of how much she actually knows about the murders. Like, she talks about very specific things such as Shidou being a "priceless stealer", so she has to know something. I saw someone bring up she may have been spying on all the interrogations, and I have to assume that's the case because how else would that happen.

I'm really interested in the fact Kotoko seems to want everyone to be Unforgiven, though.

Which one do you pick? I want unforgiven

And the fact at the end she lists all the T1 innos and insults them, as if she wants them to be Unforgiven too. Like, I get it, she enjoys feeling like she's dealing out justice, but what. I hope the MV clarifies a bit more because right now she just sounds unhinged. Which is fun! I like characters who are just unrepentantly evil. But I get the feeling there's something more going on. We already know some of her motivations from HARROW, but you have to wonder if they've evolved in some way during her time in Milgram.

Speaking of the MV, my prediction is not only that the other prisoners are gonna be there, which I have to assume will happen-

(Please show Amane as a monster please show Amane as a monster please show Amane as a monster)

-Ehem. Apologies. I don't know what possessed me there for a moment.

You wanna know the wildest prediction I have for the MV? (Which is most likely going to be wrong don't get too excited) It think every prisoner's crime will be related to one of the crimes we saw in HARROW, and perhaps others we'll get introduced to in Deep Cover.

Shidou: “UNDER” Unsalvagable Priceless stealer.

Probably the guy that stole a bunch of luxury bikes, since it fits the idea of stealing from a lot of people.

Kazui: “UNDER” I stay hidden, fake prosperity and greed.

Either Mikio Oshii (the guy from the alleway), who pretended to be a bank employee to steal money, or the "It's me" scammers, who called people, pretended to be a family member and asked for money.

Fuuta: You’re being a jerk. You’re being a jerk.

Either the "It's me" scams, or the guy who took upskirt photos, because they're connected to phones.

Haruka: “UNDER” It’s a stupid dependency. Muu: “UNDER” Unchanging. A spinning queen’s game. Mahiru: I still like you though, still like you, it’s difficult.

One of these would be the paper bag robbery done by two people. I don't know about this one, but I think it kinda works.

Mikoto: I really don’t remember, I really don’t, it’s so bad.

It could be the guy who took upskirt photos since he said he did it because of stress from work, but knowing Kotoko, I wouldn't be surprised if she connects him and John to the serial killer in the white hoodie. She does not like them.

I'm not sure about the rest of them. Again, that's just a silly prediction, I'm not expecting it to happen, I'm just putting it out there because if it does happen I will feel like a God lol.

About YONAH, I'm slightly disappointed we didn't get much about Kotoko herself, but it's still really good! I think it's fun that she sorta encouraged Es to Forgive at the end of TASK and now she's like "yo your weak-ass needs to stop forgiving people."

But I do want to say, I'm surprised at the amount of people who are shocked Kotoko wanted to attack Amane. Like, we even had that one timeline conversation when she said she wouldn't treat Amane differently just because she's a child. I thought we had an universal understanding that the only reason Amane wasn't attacked is because of the Kazui ceasefire and John's time-wasting fight (and out of universe, because we can't have a character dying in T1). I guess I was wrong though. Anyways, Worst Girl enjoyers are rejoicing right now. Not gonna lie, this is making me like Kotoko more and more by the second. I don't know what that says about me.

Anyways, what do you think Kotoko's percentage will look like on the day the voting opens? Not her verdict since... well. Like, I was always expecting her to Guilty sweep, but what we have so far doesn't really help her. I would not be surprised if she ends up easily beating Muu as the widest Guilty margin. Hell, do you think it can beat Shidou as the most decisive verdict in general? I think it's unlikely, since Shidou got nearly 82% inno this trial which is insane. But honestly, unless Deep Cover MV does some insane leg-work, Kotoko might get more than 82% Guilty. I think it'd be funny.

Not like I'm gonna stop it. Sorry inno truthers, I highly respect your commitment to wolf girl and fully respect the decision, but I feel like Not Forgiving her this trial would be for the best. Still, I'm open to having my mind change when the MV drops. Take care!

[petruchio]

guts ranking part 2 (bonus tracks)

me when i hit the character limit and tumblr says. SHUT UP! but here are my bonus track rankings:

13. obsessed - A GREAT SONG!! oh it's so clever and fun and haven't we all felt this way about our ex's ex?? i loooove the way she delivers "i can't help it i've got ISSUES" and i think the internal rhyme of obsessed and ex is a really catchy hook and i love the chorus. i think this was a great bonus track, i know people said it should've been on the standard edition but i actually think it works better as a bonus track. my one beef with this song actually is that i don't like the music video. i don't understand why it doesn't have more of a story, i feel like this song could've had such a great video with a great narrative (maybe olivia is, like, stalking the ex and trying to imitate everything she does but she plays both roles or something? i guess that might be too similar to deja vu but i feel like the obsessed mv just doesn't feel interesting enough because it's just random clips cut together with performance shots. i wanted more from this video. it was good but i wanted it to be great.)

14. girl i've always been - C i'm sorry i find this song extremely juvenile. it sounds like the kind of song you write when you're like 13 and you want to be the next taylor swift but you don't actually have anything to say. i don't like the vocals, i think the lyrics are all pretty cliche and boring, i really just don't think this needed to be released. if it was one of her instagram videos i think it would be super cute but i just don't think it is album worthy even as a bonus track. plus it's so short it just feels half baked anyway. i think it should've stayed in the drafts.

15. scared of my guitar - C+ i also don't like this song. i don't know it just doesn't do it for me at all. it's not catchy, the metaphor/concept doesn't interest me and similarly to giab it just doesn't feel like it's done. i'll say it, i think teardrops on my guitar does a much better job of integrating the concept of songwriting into the lyrics in a way that feels natural whereas this one just feels cheesy and underdone to me. (and even olivia herself has done better at fourth wall breaks, for example in "can't think of a third line" or "i hate every song i write" -- like those are so much better and well integrated than this song, so i just find this song to be... not that good.) i added a + to the grade for the line "stringing you along" though because i think it's clever.

16. stranger - A I LIKE THIS SONG!! i saw someone saying it felt musically similar to her stick season cover and that the sort of folk/rock influence works really well with her voice and i was like YES! i love her rock delivery but i think her vocal timbre really shines on the more stripped back folksy sounds (see also: my love for can't catch me now) and i think this is an example where the concept of the song is good and she does it really nicely. it's also catchy and can't overstate how much i love "you're just SOME. GUY." this is a really good song in my opinion.

17. so american - B+ this song feels almost exactly like all american bitch to me in that i'm like, it's GOOD! i don't buy it as authentic to her though. like it just sounds like "olivia rodrigo does 90s gwen stefani" which she does WELL but it just feels a little too self-conscious. and the studio chatter at the end actually really bothers me in this song, when i heard the ending i was like ok no dan nigro, STOP. it was cute a couple times but like cut it out. just play the song. but i do like the way that the album opens with all AMERICAN bitch and then the bonus edition closes with so AMERICAN like what can i say, i'm a sucker for a callback and an album that tells a complete story. i like that it's the first true love song we've gotten officially released from olivia and it feels like a bright light that illuminates the way forward after all the pain and insecurity on GUTS and so i APPRECIATE it, and i do think it's cute and catchy, it's just not a 100% slam dunk for me. but it's good.

[prisoner-000]

let's talk about amane's door art!

most notably, her door is a white building with heavy white doors. the specific kind of building seems to use ionic pillars, which were mostly common in temples and, occasionally, mausoleums and gardens. the temple would align with amane's cult background, as they, for the population of ancient greece, were a place of peace and faith. there's a faint light shining from above with a rainbow and cartoony clouds (a callback to her first trial MV).

the whole temple thing is subverted by heavily bolted doors, such as the ones commonly used in high-security prisons. this aligns very well, too - amane is trapped in the temple/cult she was forced into and can't escape.

what do they have in store for my girl this time... :-(

[notoriousbeb]

TTPD Thoughts - The Manuscript (Pt. 1)

TTPD Notes Glossary

"Fortnight"  

Definitely written in the spring of 2023. I think the video was shot in the fall.  

The concept of treason/being a traitor comes up in reference to Harry in 1989 as well (“you dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor”)  

In the music video, the typewriter Taylor is using is missing the 1 key (like the song “The 1”?) and she leaves several blank spaces in her writing of “I love you, it’s ruining my life” (perhaps a nod to the “Blank Space” song?)  

When Taylor and Post Malone are laying in the Taylor head silhouette it's a callback to the "Style" music video from the original 1989 era, where the Harry stand in guy is standing on a beach in a silhouette of Taylor's head.  

You know who is tattooed and kinda hot and thus a good Harry stand in a MV? Posty.  

I think she's envisioning a kind of nightmare future of being trapped in the metaphorical neighborhood that is their small industry and having to watch him move on while she continues to love him (ugh. thanks, it's beautiful and sounds awesome and i hate it).  

The last new album, "Midnights,” ends with "Hits Different,” on the line, "Is that your key in the door, down the hallway? Is that your key in the door, is it okay? Is it you? Or have they come to take me away? To take me away?" First line of Fortnight, the first song on TTPD? "I was supposed to be sent away but they forgot to come and get me.”  

A slight diversion into "Hits Different" and why I've always believed it's about Harry:  She's clubbing, so that narrows down the choices right away to either Harry or Calvin, but based on how she went right from Calvin to Tom to Joe and was definitely not heartbroken enough to be puking, but rather immediately enamored with someone else....We learn that, technically, she broke up with him ("curse the space that I needed") but she's devastated. Like "I broke my own heart, cuz you were too polite to do it?" This really seals it as 1989 Harry to me.  

“The Tortured Poets Department”  

Definitely written in the spring of 2023  

“Who else decodes you?” reminds me of how Harry called their back-and-forth song writing to/about each other (cue the “Fortnight” typewriter smoke battle) “the most amazing unspoken dialogue ever.”  

A “tattooed golden retriever?” I mean… come the fuck on. That’s a Harry descriptor if I’ve ever seen one.  

“You’re in self-sabotage mode, throwing spikes down on the road, but I’ve seen this episode and I still love the show.” “You awaken with dread pounding nails in your head. But I’ve read this one where you come undone." These aren’t the words of someone who merely wondered about what it would be like to be with a friend or acquaintance. These are two people who deeply know each other and have been together before.  

Also, Harry has documented anxiety that she’s also sung about it previously (“did you get anxious though, on the drive home?” - Now That We Don’t Talk)  

I hate and love the fact that they both told people they would kill themselves if it didn’t work out. I hate it, because that’s a terrible, dumb plan. But I love the passion. Also, who is Lucy? Was he taking to Lucy from Boygenius? That Lucy openly dislikes Matty on main, so I think it’s weird people are using her as a proof point that this song is about him. Did Taylor change that particular name here because it would have been a dead giveaway for this song being about Harry?  (Someone like, Ed, perhaps?)

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys  

Probably written in spring 2023  

She refers to the muse as the “sickest (I believe this is a double meaning as in cool and also having mental illness issues) army doll purchased at the mall.”  

You ever seen a G.I. Joe under the fatigues? They don’t look like a pasty ex heroin addict. They do look like a certain former boy-bander from Manchester, though. Just saying.  

“Oh, here we go again,” “put me back on my shelf,” “we could’ve played for keeps this time,” “I knew too much/there was danger in the heat of my touch,” “he saw forever so he smashed it up.” Again, these are things you say about someone you’ve been with before, on and off, not someone you saw in concert twice and worked with once. You, especially, don’t see forever with someone after only 20 days.  

“But you should’ve seen him when he first got me.” We did see Matty. Was there someone else in the background who, perhaps, we did not see? Perhaps a certain curly haired former Boy Bander?

“‘Cause it fit too right/Puzzles pieces in the dead of night.” Hmm. Doesn’t sound like the mediocre sex described in “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” to me

Want to know what lines had me crying in the club on my sad girl walk? “Just say when—I’d play again. He was my best friend down at the sand lot.” Again, these are two people who know each other very well, and have for a long time.  

[remtan]

Emotion

listening to VWP's new song "emotion" and reading a machine translation of the lyrics...its a very emotional song 😭

i know the machine translation should be taken with a grain of salt but it really highlights how VWP, as human as anyone else, have inner frustrations but yet they're standing here as witches singing their inner feelings with all they have

i really love how the lyrics constantly callback to how them being a witch is a choice, how them singing their feelings out is a choice, its a retrospective on their careers

it really makes me think back to how they became vsingers in the first place, they're all rather awkward and quiet girls (or at least they started out that way) and i'm sure many of them have gone through a lot of unspoken conflicts in their personal lives, some of which they have spoken to their fans about (haru's feelings of giving up, koko's struggles with interpersonal relationships)

they've festered a lot of hurt and pain in their lives and yet they've come this far in their careers, singing their deepest feelings

if i remember correctly VWP talked in an interview about how the Sinka live series required them to come to terms with the inner feelings in their music and face their music head on, and it's showing with how each girl has feel like they have evolved as a person alongside their music/worldviews evolving as well

VWP are so brave and strong as people, and they make me want to create art/music with my own feelings and worldview too, i never have enough praises for them 😭😭

another thing i really liked about the lyrics, theres a lyric about putting hands together and praying, also the ending english phrase being "praise song"

i love how VWP constantly relate music to religious practices (well, they are witches, but haru's lives are named shamanism and i'm sure they make a lot of religious allegories in their own original songs) music is so much more to VWP than just music, they see music in a bigger picture, they realize the power of music as people who's lives were changed by music themselves

as for the song itself, all of VWP rapping is so refreshing! the bridge where koko and joucho rap. soooo good. i love how each of their raps contain characteristics unique to their voices, i soooo loved how joucho hit those high pitch notes, she never fails to amaze me with her voice

the mv was great too! the visuals looked so colorful and amazing, reminiscent of haru's past mvs, which fits because well, it is a haru center song

[kovopedia]

Magical Vacation trivia - Mana multiverse

The Mana series' fifth title, Sword of Mana, is known for having many callbacks to previous entries, and establishing what may be a Mana multiverse. However, it is possible that the Magical Vacation series is a part of this multiverse too. Aside from being largely developed by Brownie Brown, there are some notable references to MV that may go unnoticed on a casual playthrough.

In the village of Topple, there's a boy who asks the heroine to retrieve a book titled "Magical Vacation", a story about kids who learn magic at school.

By accessing a hidden room within the Subland River, the player can talk to a character named Mr. Brown, who gives the brownie ring accessory. Not only is he a joke reference to Brownie Brown, but he is actually the brownie party member, Brown, from Magical Vacation.

Hell, even Egglia has a brownie clan with a character named Brown. Just how big is the Mana multiverse? Are brownies the key...?

Check out Brown's Kovopedia page to learn more about his multiversal misadventures!

[placegrenette]

Every Ninety One Song Reviewed: “Biz,” 2023

“Bız,” released ahead of the album Gap, 2023 Music credits: Dulat Mukhametkaliev (ZaQ), Daniyar Kulumshin (Bala) Lyrics credits: Dulat Mukhametkaliev (ZaQ) Music video director: Askhat Bayanov

(Brief pedantic editor’s note: the song’s title is not “Biz,” as I originally wrote it, but “Bız," since the new Kazakh Latin alphabet uses the dotless I. If you speak American English, it sounds like the middle I in “bit,” so you were probably pronouncing it correctly even though I technically wasn’t spelling it correctly. If there’s a way to update the Unicode in the post title I don’t know it.)

At last we have the slightly-delayed pre-release single to the long-delayed album. It will make no difference in the long run, but for posterity’s sake, Ninety One originally said the music video would come out the 25th (the song was already available on streaming platforms by the time of the announcement), then changed that to the 26th, then had to make a sheepish Telegram post saying well actually the 27th, and finally released the darn thing after 11 pm Almaty time on the 27th. They’re not doing fantastic with meeting deadlines they set themselves, of late. But it’s a minor series of flaws, really; growing pains. I hope someday we get a little bit more of a glimpse into what it takes to take an enterprise like this running.

On to “Bız,” which has arguably the same relation to Gap as “Su Asty” did to Qarangy Zharyq and “Men Emes” did to its namesake EP, and those are big shoes to fill. “Bız” has less going on, both musically and lyrically, than either of those two. It’s a fun little hype track, especially when ZaQ decides to experiment with a goofier flow: “How you forgot about ME? Мығда NineTY? O-N-E?” But it’s not as lyrically ambitious; it’s basically a platform for the guys to talk about how awesome they are in the face of, once again, Vaguely Defined Adversity. The closest we get to anything substantial is ZaQ’s “My style is not accepted by your generation,” which is weak sauce when you consider what he brought to the table in “Men Emes.”

The other slightly worrying issue with “Bız” is how much it feels like Zaqira and the Three Singers. That may partly be due to circumstance: I’ll go ahead and speculate that Alem’s TV commitments meant he wasn’t available for much of the MV filming (which is why there are about three solo shots of him total) and Ace has been trying to slay the logistical hydra of the album release and tour setup (which may help explain why he looks so tense and preoccupied during his verse, especially in contrast to Bala’s looser performance). And ZaQ’s brain as Ninety One’s principal philosophical engine is not new. But they have been riding hard on We Are a Bonded Foursome for a year now; if they let ZaQ get out too far ahead without some obvious attempts at balance they risk doing some harm to that brand they’re so carefully cultivating.

Fortunately this is a pre-release, not a title track. I think they played the MV just right, for what it’s worth. Although Askhat Bayanov is still at the helm (and Nurs Bazarbay is director of photography, and Nurila Shakirova is producer and first assistant director, and Adil Kazkenov has a backstage credit -- anon, I still owe you that staff overview, as practically everyone I would mention worked on this video), we don’t have any callbacks to the symbolism-filled promo videos. It’s Ninety One in space, dancing and looking hot. They’ve actually never done a dance-performance-focused video before; it makes sense to do it now, as a calling card, before we get to the meatier (hopefully) content of the album.

How’s the Hair/Styling? Good! Bala’s undercut suits him, and in truth Zhadra has been doing especially well by her husband of late. Shame we couldn’t get a lingering shot of Ace in the tiara, though. Should You Start Here? I think I’m going to prefer “Gap” as an introduction -- we’ll see -- but as Boastful OT4 goes, this may outrank “Bata.”

[yuuana]

Music Monday #227: EXO - Cream Soda release: July 2023 genre: Kpop

I had something else entirely planned for today, especially since I usually like to let new videos sit for a day or three (and several viewings by me) before I even think of doing a feature. Plus I am already so far behind (this is the third of the three MVs EXO has released in relation to EXIST and my new music playlist on YT is still well north of 200 entries), but ... it's EXO. So buckle in and let's go.

One of the things you notice pretty fast is the way Cream Soda continues the tradition of EXO title tracks being Hard Mode for karaoke with all that falsetto. Those high notes are mad high - there's not too many outside of EXO who could hit all those notes that cleanly while dancing any choreo, let alone that active a choreo - so I suspect this isn't going to be going onto very many boy group's list of covers they want to do. Maybe on aspirational lists, but yeah. Dance covers will no doubt abound because they always do (not for nothing EXO is called Korea's national boy group), but vocal covers not so much.

As for the lyrics themselves ... oh boy. It's funny, I was listening to a podcast ep from the start of the year where it came up that a lot of pop music is love songs, whether that's happy in love or melancholy for lost over or something else, in part because of this perception that we all know what love is. Whatever our specific thoughts about it, we have thoughts about love and can relate to some extent, making those songs more broadly accessible than, say, a song about working on a fishing boat. Many (most? nearly all?) of EXO's biggest hits fall into this very broad category, so no surprise this one does, too. The lyrics are written in a way to provide plausible deniability for how sexual, but you can only sell that so far when you're talking about cream like this song does.

Given the two pre-release MVs included Kai, I'm curious what happened that this one doesn't, outside of his name on a place card. I suppose even with knowing when he was going to be enlisting, there was only so much they could cram into his schedule, between EXO and his solo music and then his fashion label commitments. And so we start the long two years of Kai's service and not seeing him while he works in the civil service.

But that aside, the video is quite the collection of call backs to earlier MVs - Lotto is probably the most obvious, but I'm also seeing callbacks to Monster, Ko Ko Bop, and Obsession. There might be more, but doing a rewatch of all of EXO's previous MVs to check would take too long, so for now we'll leave it at that and note that this could have interesting implications for EXO's lore ... if weren't stuck at a crossroads of wondering what is even going on with the SMCU lore-verse. For various reasons, I'd already paused trying to speculate on SCMU lore because it wasn't clear it was even still a thing and to be honest, this far along, I was almost half hoping we might be getting a reboot on EXO's lore, which has been a steaming mess since 2015 (I love the guys and the lore they've had has its compelling parts, but as a writer, I'm fully aware that it's a mess that could take a couple novels worth of storytelling to fill out and put straight again). Coupled with the two pre-release MVs, best guess is that EXO is still working with the same lore and like with Don't Fight the Feeling, there's some sense that Cream Soda is also pre-Obsession, but other than that? I've got some thoughts, some theories, but nothing really that settled. Compared to some other groups with ongoing lore, EXO leaves a lot more open to interpretation, for better and for worse. I'm going to need a few more viewings before I feel any degree of confidence in trying to kitbash things together into a coherent whole.

All in all, Cream Soda manages to both surprise and be completely what one might expect from EXO, a balance not every group can manage. This one's definitely going into the playlists going forward. And maybe even one of its very own?

EXIST is out now for sale at all the usual suspects, both digital and physical, and for streaming on all major services. I look forward to EXO adding music show performances (and wins) and can't wait to see who all they net for dance challenge exchanges. SHINee seems the low-hanging fruit, but other than that there are many, many, many possibilities and the dancer in me wants to see them all. XD

Want to see Music Monday deep dives more often? Sponsor a song selection! For the low, low price of one (1) KoFi, I'll write up the song of your choice. ANY song of your choice. Yes, even that one that's been played to death. Yes, your obscure faves too. With sponsors, I can stop skipping weeks and falling further and further behind in the releases! Sponsor a current CB for the next open Music Monday slot or sponsor a throwback for a Thursday feature! But seriously, if you've been enjoying my selections and analyses, we (me and the foster kittens) would love a KoFi in thanks. DW | Twitter | Mastodon | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch

[minjv]

cosmic - red velvet 💫

initial: high expectations ofc bc it’s red velvet. from the previews it seems likes the album leans more synth/dreamy which i’m a huuge fan of. cosmic itself has an almost 60/70s europop influence (reminiscent of abba even though they also sound nothing alike) which is sooo fun. my favorite rv tts are feel my rhythm + peekaboo + my favorite album is birthday so i’m excited to see where this release ranks among them 🤍

cosmic: the mv was phenomenal. i love story focused mvs. the building tension and fear contrasted with the bright imagery + the lyrics talking about being fated together but only for a moment.. brilliant. as for the song itself. the chorus hits so well each time. there's this overwhelming wistfulness and desire and longing to just make things last a little longer. the lyrics, melody, + bass all push towards this idea of an ill-fated meeting that they're just desperate to cling to for the little spot of goodness it has. the brief bridge and wendy's build into the final chorus + joy's ad libs. it's so phenomenal.

sunflower: super heavy bass. pretty pre-chorus. it’s a lot heavier and darker than i expected from the title. lyrically i feel like it could be a part of the cosmic storyline, too, just from a specific perspective, or at a specific moment. lately ive only been into lighter music, so i find it kind of overwhelming, but when im able to listen to music again normally i think ill really love it. it sounds perfect for late summer 🌻

last drop: the overall sound suits wendy so well. it has a nice dreamy r&b-ish chorus. i really love the ending, from the spoken lines forward. it’s nice that they’re so committed to the cosmic concept bc it sets them up for beautiful lyrics + they’ve really delivered

love arcade: cute music box opening. she’s so cute and peppy. reminds me of some of their previous summer tracks bc of the playfulness + background sounds. the mini bridge part is super fun. lyrically deviates from the cosmic concept, but it still connects bc the idea of playing a game that they’ve already won is 1. v rv-core + 2. definitely in line with a major theme of the cosmic mv <3

bubble: dreamy synthpop ilyyyy always. what a dreamy step down into the chorus? this song feels a lot less structured than the others + much more flowing. evening car drive music for sure. i like how they use wendy’s voice as a transition to brighter parts of the song. a joy + yeri city pop track would be sooo pretty with their voices and vibes

night drive: the prettiest song omg. their vocals + the production are so beautiful. a really pretty closer. reading the lyrics it’s a song for the members? about everything they’ve been through + still being together ;;🤍 i hope they’ll be a special performance video for this one

overall

a lot of songs feel like a modern iteration of songs they’ve done in the past. not in a remake way, just like a callback to their previous projects, which is soo fun for a tenth anniversary album. it doesn’t feels recycled, but like a matured sister.

joy’s vocals stood out to me most on this album. ive always loved all the members’ voices, but ive steadily been liking her more + more and she really shines here

i love that all the songs are really beautiful lyrically too. it’s something i forget to check a lot with kpop songs, but these stand out so nicely + enhances the songs even more

cosmic + bubble + night drive are my favs rn. i think cosmic will get the most replays. i’m excited to see their stages + listen to the album a few more times when i’m more interested in music and see how my feelings grow on the other tracks too ^^

[imfrom-neptune]

FOUND HEAVEN REVEIW !! ✪

So we already had Lonely Dancers, Alley Rose, Winner, Never Ending Song, and Killing Me so I won’t go over those-

Found Heaven (title track):

Definitely different vibes than I expected BUT I do like it, and I love the message !!

Personally I’m not religious, but part of that is because I hate the idea that a god would hate someone for how they love. This song is soooo healing for the part of me that wondered if I was worthy of care because I was queer

Fainted Love:

YES YES I LOVE THIS ONE !!

It's giving TCTAB but in a more upbeat way

There's also like 3 callbacks to other songs in this one and that makes my heart happy <3

Probably my favorite on the album (aside from Alley Rose) I love this one SO MUCH

The Final Fight:

JIGSAW + WINNER EQUIVALENTS UGH

This one's so good too

Top 5 probably I like it a lot

Miss You:

The vibes are again very different than I expected, not my favorite in the world but it's nice

Bourgeoiseses:

Lmao this one’s so silly if you can’t tell from the title

The “La da de die” is like my favorite part

Affluenza equivalent as expected, definitely catchy and cute but it had to grow on me

Forever With Me:

Ofc track #9 would make me sad

I am IN LOVE with this one..

Was expecting to be a love song, but in a way it kinda is like Alley Rose :(

Eye of the Night:

Reminds me the most of other actual 80s songs-

Specifically the intro bit sounds like You Give Love A Bad Name and the lines “I always feel like I am not alone”/“youre here, you’re watching me” remind me of “I always feel like somebody’s watching me” from Somebody’s Watching Me yk

Also kinda had to grow on me but it’s alright

Boys & Girls:

SOOOO GOOD OMG

QUEER ANTHEM RIGHT HERE

CANNOT BELIEVE HE TEASED THIS IN THE LONELY DANCERS MV..

I SHOULDVE KNOWN UGH

Overall -

The 80s vibe is a huge shift from his older stuff but I don’t mind it

I seem to like the songs we can dance to a lot (overdrive, wish you were sober, disaster, etc) so a whole album of them is pretty cool

Yay new Conan stuff :)

[hcbgoblin]

!