#the song’s too darn catchy <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[oddishblossom]

me on my way to pepper some steaks and purify the world with my baseball bat or whatever

[jules-has-notes]

2013 Napa Valley A Cappella Extravaganza — VoicePlay live performances

In January 2013, VoicePlay were the professional headliners to a roster of collegiate and high school a cappella groups at the 8th annual Napa Valley A Cappella Extravaganza. The event is a yearly fundraiser for Napa High School's choral program, hosted by their Vocal Music Workshop a cappella ensemble. These audience-view videos give a taste of the live concert experience.

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As indicated by the "Hello!" screen, this song is often their opening number for live shows. It's a great, energetic introduction to their playful sound, but doesn't get too far into the shenanigans that might startle the uninitiated.

Details:

title: Don't Stop Me Now

original performers: Queen

written by: Freddie Mercury

arranged by: VoicePlay

My favorite bits:

the slow build that gently eases you into things

Their choreography's not elaborate, but they do it well, and it allows for a bit of individuality to shine through.

the breakdown section culminating with ♫ "Any tiiii-IIIIME" ♫

the driving triplets in the ♫ "No one can stop me" ♫ section

Earl's soaring riffs

That big finish!

Trivia:

This song was the closing section of VoicePlay's Queen in 5 Minutes medley almost six years later.

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As much as mainstream pop culture might turn up its collective noses at boy bands when they're at their height of popularity among tween girls, there's no denying that a lot of beloved oldies have their origins there. And no wonder. Pop music is darn catchy and fun by design. VoicePlay makes these selections even moreso with their antics.

Details:

title: boy band medley

original songs / performers: "ABC" by The Jackson 5; [0:50] "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles; [1:30] "My Girl" by The Temptations; [2:18] "Sherry" by The Four Seasons; [3:16] "YMCA" by The Village People; [3:50] "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids on the Block; [4:12] "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys; [4:52] "Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC; [5:23] "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction

written by: "ABC" by Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, & Deke Richards; "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by John Lennon & Paul McCartney; "My Girl" by Smokey Robinson & Ronald White; "Sherry" by Bob Gaudio; "YMCA" by Jacques Morali & Victor Willis; "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by Maurice Starr; "I Want It That Way" by Andreas Carlsson & Max Martin; "Bye Bye Bye" by Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, & Andreas Carlsson; "What Makes You Beautiful" by Savan Kotecha, Rami Yacoub, & Carl Falk

arranged by: VoicePlay

My favorite bits:

thirty-something Earl being able to recreate the sound of preteen Michael Jackson, holy heck

the way the choreography gets more complex as they move through the eras of music

making hand gestures to signify members of the Village People during YMCA

"I hate you guys." :(

the ♫ "wah-wah-wah-wah" ♫ harmonies transitioning from NKOTB to BSB

hamming up their roles in the "Boy Band 101" section

🎉 Party poppers!!! 🎉 (Which they got in trouble for a year later.)

Trivia:

Having this medley in their repertoire may have given them an advantage when "Bye Bye Bye" was chosen as the battle song for their first episode of The Sing-Off.

Tony was, in fact, the first one from this configuration of VoicePlay to leave. Not to go solo, though. He wanted to be home with his family and focus on growing PattyCake.

The guys updated this medley and filmed a full music video for it as the result of a Patreon poll in 2019.

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What happens when you take a country music classic, kick up the tempo a bit, and infuse your performance with an air of competition between bandmates? You get this, a favorite among VoicePlay fans.

Details:

title: Elvira

original performers: The Oak Ridge Boys

written by: Dallas Frazier

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

My favorite bits:

the opening harmonies from the trio

Eli nudging Earl to take the lead, resulting in Geoff going to pout next to Layne

Layne pointedly staying out of whatever's happening, but still keeping an eye on things

everyone's feigned surprise for the "Earl can sing low, too" gag, especially Geoff giving his best dramatic chipmunk

Earl's breath control on that long note and the ensuing huff to refill his lungs

Geoff's wide stance and shoulder wiggle to prepare for his high notes

those lush ending chords

Trivia:

Home Free liked this version of the song so much that they asked Geoff to help create an arrangement for them to record with The Oak Ridge Boys.

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You'd think a cappella fans might be sick of this song, given how frequently it was used on Glee. But, as usual, VoicePlay bring their own talented twists to this classic rock song and make it something fresh. This recording is missing the first verse, but it still has most of the best parts.

Details:

title: Don't Stop Believing

original songs / performers: "Don't Stop Believin'"; [0:54] "Open Arms"; and [1:02] "Any Way You Want It" by Journey; [0:46] "Oh Sherrie" by Steve Perry

written by: all songs written by Steve Perry in collaboration – "Don't Stop Believin'" with Jonathan Cain & Neal Schon; "Oh Sherrie" with Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, & Bill Cuomo; "Open Arms" with Jonathan Cain; "Any Way You Want It" with Neal Schon

arranged by: Layne Stein & Geoff Castellucci

My favorite bits:

the gradual layering in the polyphony section, using other Journey / Steve Perry songs to fit inside the rhythmic gaps…

…culminating in that huge chord (Are we sure there are only five of them?)

their use of silence during the unison section

the camera panning around to take in the well-deserved standing ovation

Trivia:

VoicePlay filmed a full video for "Don't Stop Believin'" a few years later when they were the featured guests at Camp A Cappella 2016.

They later did a full version of "Any Way You Want It" as part of the second round of their Partwork series.

For a couple years, Eli also sang with a Journey cover band called Raised On Radio in between VoicePlay gigs.

[tomsmusictaste]

Tom's Top Singles 2021

Couldn't relegate it to just an album post for this year, all these singles were songs I had on repeat a-plenty.

11. Molotov (OK) - Stand Atlantic | Ok I can only put 10 images in the post, and it's a 'top 10 list,' but I felt I had to acknowledge this as at least an honourable mention. Molotov instantly launched itself into the upper echelons of my favourite StandAt songs, I love the raw energy and the more aggressive punk-rock sound it has. Certified banger.

10. P.M.A. - All Time Low feat. Pale Waves | This just really captures the feel of the past few years. The primary guitar riff is very reminiscent of The Kids Aren't Alright by The Offspring, that is to say it slaps, the chorus is very catchy and the song is chock full of some gosh-darn relatable lyrics.

9. Control Freak - Doll Skin | After two of their members leaving to pursue other projects, I wasn't sure what the new Doll Skin was gonna sound like, but I needn't have worried. Syd's vocals are on-point, the instrumentation is just as good as ever and Doll Skin are still killing it. I'm very much looking forward to their next album.

8. IDGAF - As It Is | As It Is' lead single off their upcoming album. A slightly different sound than their previous work, which I wasn't sure about at first, but once the chorus and the guitars really kick in it's infectious. When I think about what I was listening to this year, this is one of the very first songs that comes to mind.

7. Outta My Head - State Champs | Aptly named, I got to see the lads premiere this song at Slam Dunk Festival, which was great, and since they released it I have not been able to get it out of my head. State Champ's have such a solid consistency in their sound and again, I am looking forward to the eventual album.

6. Dynamite - As Sirens Fall | Took some time to grow on me, but once it did I was belting out the chorus all over the place. These guys have put out nothing but banger after banger and they deserve so much more attention than they have right now.

5. Just Sound - State Champs | Another one from the Champs, their lead single accompanied by a Bob Ross parody music video, was a surefire way to get this song stuck in my head. As I said before, State Champs have been so solid at maintaining that classic NFG style pop-punk sound, catchy upbeat riffs and melodies, and Derek's voice has never sounded better.

4. Once In A Lifetime - All Time Low | 'Til I hit an ALL TIME LOW! Namedropping yourselves is one way to make a line instantly iconic. Wake Up Sunshine was my favourite ATL release in a while, and hearing them continue that sound with this single was fantastic, not to mention the song itself is catchy as all hell.

3. Walk Over My Grave - Yours Truly | Another band who deserve more attention! Their album Self Care was one of my absolute favourites from last year and I loved this how single took their sound in a slightly heavier, but not too heavy direction, not to mention Mikaila's vocals, which are just phenomenal.

2. I Miss 2003 - As It Is | They're right! I do miss 2003! I honestly hadn't been too hot on the singles released after IDGAF, but this one absolutely blew me away. The nostalgia! The riffs! The references! It absolutely made me want to sing New Found Glory at the top of my lungs at 4am, and honestly what more can you ask for?

1. Bite Me - Avril Lavigne feat. Travis Barker | By the far the most unexpected addition to this list, and yet Avril takes the no. 1 spot. Bite Me was a blast from the past in all the right ways, and this really felt like a huge song for the resurgence of that Early 2000's pop-punk sound everyone seems to be trying to recapture these days. Soon as I heard it I knew it was one I was gonna be re-listening and re-listening to - and I was right. Bite Me absolutely and unrelentingly SLAPS.

[thatcrazycrowgirl]

TOP 5 “EZIO’S FAMILY” VERSIONS + TOP 5 TRACKS

I was tagged by @nemo-my-name-forevermore to list my favorites of the two categories, so here they are! Thanks for tagging me, Nemo! This was fun! (I’m doing this in a separate post, as reblogging the original post would make it too long. LOL)

Ezio’s Family - Favorite Versions:

1. Le Roi is Mort (AC Unity)

IT WAS SUCH A TOUGH DECISION BETWEEN THIS AND MY #2 FAVORITE. I eventually chose this one, though, as I just love the underlining drive in the music. Not to mention the timing of when it plays in the game is brilliant. It happens as you’re escaping through the sewers, right after performing your second official assassination, and in a way, signifying that Arno is truly part of the Assassin “family” now.

2. Main Theme (AC Rogue)

The tin whistle is really what makes this so memorable for me! Seriously, even if I hear just a tiny snippet of this version, it remains stuck in my head for a good while! It does a fantastic job of conveying the sense of that wanderlust that I’m certain Shay feels when he’s sailing over the Northern Seas. An underrated version, in my opinion!

3. The Flight (AC Odyssey)

If there was one thing this game did right, it was the music. I actually enjoy browsing through the menus, because I love hearing this in the background. It’s so soothing and relaxing, and but also so passionate and driving.

4. Family (AC Syndicate)

When I’m not playing the game, I don’t listen to this one too much, due to it’s oddly somber tone - but it’s a beautiful version, nonetheless. It fits the atmosphere so well, too, having both this lonely and wistful, yet hopeful vibe to it. (Also, bonus points for Evie’s VA, Victoria Atkin, providing the vocals. It really ties it so much more to the twins.)

5. Main Theme (AC Identity)

I had no idea this one even existed until I was looking up versions to listen to for this, but man this one is so good. I love the hint of rock underlining it; it keeps the similar vibe the soundtrack for AC2 had, but still manages to stand on its own. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend taking a listen!

Honorable Mention: the original “Ezio’s Family” from AC2, (because OF COURSE).

---------

Additional Favorite Tracks (in no particular order):

1. Jokes, Jokes, Jokes - Jacob’s Version (AC Syndicate)

I love the inclusion of murder ballads in this game! All of them are really cheeky and fun, but this is the one I come back to the most. It’s just so darn catchy! What makes it even better, is that Jacob’s VA, Paul Amos, recorded a version, as well - so it’s fun to imagine Jacob half-drunk and singing this in a pub. haha (I headcanon it’s his way of dealing with and getting over everything that happened with Roth, but that’s a different story for a different time.)

2. On Father’s Watch (AC Unity)

The soundtrack for this game is a freaking masterpiece. I adore the music, and in particular, this track - especially when the tempo shifts to 3/4 time around the 55 second mark. With the piano and strings, there’s just this dreamy air that remains throughout, despite the underlining percussion, signifying that tragedy is lurking just around the corner for poor Arno.

3. Danza alla Daggers (AC Syndicate)

GIVE ME ALL THE STRINGS. It really gets your adrenaline running! I mean, if this song doesn’t want to make you run around the streets of Victorian London and wreak havoc, I don’t know what will.

4. Main Theme (Assassin’s Creed 3)

OH, THE NOSTALGIA. Given that this was the very first Assassin’s Creed game I ever played, this theme has a special place in my heart. Is it possible to describe a piece of music as “subtly epic”? Because that’s literally what this theme is. I can’t help but get hyped up when I hear the increasingly driving tempo of this piece!

5. Odyssey (AC Odyssey)

The opening moments when you first see Kephallonia and the protagonist still stick out in my mind, and this song is one of the biggest reasons why. I especially love the moment where you first see Alexios/Kassandra and they’re humming along with the tune as they give a glance towards the camera.

Honorable Mentions: “Venice Rooftops”, because hell yes to that rocking undertone, and the various sea shanties from Black Flag/Rogue and Odyssey, because sailing just isn’t as much fun without them.

[hapuriainen]

Hapuriainen's Animation & Comics & Games of 2020

It is again time for the annual compilation!

Manga:

Attack on Titan

I'm so sad this is so close to end... It's been my main thing for a few years now. Eren definitely didn't take the route I expected but I still find this consistent with his character and a bold and interesting move from the author.

(My notes say I also finished the jr high spin-off manga but it's not worth talking about)

Awards given: Best Side Girl (I still like Gabi, haters gonna hate), Best Boy (ditto Eren)

One Piece, My Hero Academia My interest in OP is still at an all-time low and I'm just waiting for the arc to end. There are so many characters and I have little idea what their deal is, Carrot hasn't been interesting in ages and currently Yamato is the only character I care for. Same for HeroAca; at least the excruciatingly long action scene is finally over.

Undead Unluck New Jump series! I think the main duo have a really good dynamic, but they're pretty much the only thing I care about and I'm very lost with what the plot is actually supposed to be about.

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

I like detective stories so here's one from the Assassination Classroom creator! The detective stuff itself could get rather nonsensical and as the story progressed more and more fantasy elements were added, but the titular character was entertaining enough to keep me interested. The viewpoint character was refreshingly (for a Jump series) a girl and her dynamic with Neuro (an ordinary schoolgirl and an arrogant amoral troll demon) was great.

Awards given: Best non-romantic relationship (Neuro & Yako)

Spy x Family

Super fun and the characters are cute!  The main couple has such great chemistry and in general I enjoy following characters who are really competent at their job. Not surprised that this has become hugely popular.

Awards given: Best romance (it is rare to get me to ship anything but the main couple here is just so cute)

Delicious in Dungeon

This manga has amazing character design and the author clearly loves to play around with it, like by drawing each character as each other's races, or making clones of everyone but each clone is a little different so you can guess which is the real one with the characters, and there's so much thought put to the outfits too. And then there's of course all the worldbuilding around how an RPG dungeon and the creatures in it could work, but it's presented simply enough that the story is still easy to follow. I also like the upbeat atmosphere; maybe I could get a bit more emotionally involved if there was more drama, but I still really like this as it is.

Awards given: Best character designs

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Reread one of my favourite manga ever and it's still just as good. I love how the manga still has a positive vibe to it, under it there is the quiet melancholy of a world that is close to ending. And it's wonderful how uninterested the story is answering any of the worldbuilding questions it sets up.

Beastars

This was incredibly interesting in how it presented an animal society where the carnivore-herbivore differences couldn't be just explained away with "the differences don't really exist", and the story looks at this from so many different angles. Pairs really well with Zootopia for a completely different approach. Louis was a really interesting character with how he publicly managed to appear as if he was a good candidate to be the next ambassador for the peace between the animals but was actually very cold and broken inside, and I really liked his breakdown moment. The ending was pretty meh though.

Awards given: Best Side Boy (Louis)

Kannagi

This one has really cute character designs but apart from that it's a pretty generic harem story. Except for the twist that the main girl already had been involved with a boy which caused otaku to shred their manga or whatever. I believe I would have enjoyed this more if it finished back when it went to hiatus since at this point it didn't do much for me.

Witch Hat Atelier

The main girl is the kind of heroic, friendly, plucky goody-two-shoes protagonist I really don't like but apart from that this is a great manga. I love the art, and the way the magic works is really well set up but also easy to understand. Great outfits too!

Anime:

This year I learned that in order to clear stuff from your anime watch list you need to actually watch anime. So unexpectedly I think I watched a lot more different series than usual.

Attack on Titan

It was my plan to watch seasons 1-3 before jumping on board with the last one, and of course I dragged my feet for the entire year and had to marathon the whole thing in autumn. I still prefer the manga, but the anime does have great colours, soundtrack and voice acting and some of the action scenes were amazing. But I really hate what they did to Historia in season 3... The final season has been excellent so far and I can't wait for the big scene in the next episode.

Awards given: Best OP (all the Linked Horizon ones)

Ouran High School Host Club

Haruhi continues to be one of the best girls in the anime and manga industry ever with her confident and no-nonsense attitude, and Tamaki's oblivious and overflowing friendliness makes for a great counterpart to her. And the opening theme is so darn catchy.

Awards given: Best Girl (Haruhi)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Finally managed to watch this. I love the iconic character designs and all the chaotic energy. Kamina for best bro. I've never cared for mecha, the girls were nice but the writing around them sucked and the second half wasn't as strong as the first one, but still a good package overall.

Awards given: Best ED (don't care for the song that much but Simon looks somehow really cool in the second ending)

Haibane Renmei

Another one that had been on the watch list for years. A lovely quiet and contemplative show. Visuals were rather dull though but maybe it's better for a show like this that the characters didn't have bubblegum pink hair.

Digimon Adventure 2020

This started promising but has since lost steam. I really like how different the story is from the original Digimon Adventure, and compared to Precure it's super nice how not every episode has the exact same structure, and the cast has different roles and regularly gets split up instead of shoehorning everyone into every conflict. But on the other hand the characters feel way more samey and flat, and the original "kids want to return to their home from the Digital World" plot was a lot more personal than the current one about global crises and prophecy jargon. And some of the action scenes last way too long.

Awards given: Worst side boy (Agumon and his evolutions, it is of course expected that he'd get a lot of screen time but I'm so over how much he's constantly pushed in your face in the franchise)

Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii Desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desu ka?

This wasn't afwul but still left me kind of cold. I think the character designs were a problem here, in general I'm used to brightly coloured anime characters but this was trying to be a very serious story about child soldiers who know they're going to die young. But when they were colour-coded and always wore the same clothes (and mostly had pretty generic animu girl personalities) they felt so artificial which made it harder to get into the drama. Nice OP song.

Yashahime

Inuyasha was my first show after really getting into anime so I was super hyped for any kind of new content. So far this has unfortunately been rather dull since I'm not particularly interested in either of Sesshoumaru's daughters, and the way the show treats the absence of the old cast is annoying. Just either show them or make it clear we're not supposed to care about them, now it's just annoying how their disappearance is treated as a mystery but the three heroines know barely anything about their heritage and don't even seem interested in learning either. But I'll watch this to the end for Moroha.

Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angels, Twin Angel Break, Pretear, Happy Seven, Healin' Good Precure

Watched a lot of magical girl stuff this year too, these being shows that play the tropes straight. The Twin Angel seasons had different flaws but were otherwise watchable aside from the awful Twin Angel Break heroine. Pretear had surprisingly nice character writing and I feel I would really have liked this if I saw it at an earlier part of my anime hobby experience but now it doesn't feel so special any more. Healin' Good Precure has been rather dull.

I also watched a bunch of Precure movies, out of which only the Star Twinkle Precure one was actually good, and the Spring Carnival crossover movie was also good in an absurd way, while the rest ranged from awful to somewhat decent.

Awards given: Worst girl (Meguru - Twin Angel Break), Biggest WTF (Happy Seven suddenly going from monster of the week shenaningans to alien mass destruction weapons)

Concrete Revolutio, Myriad Colors Phantom World, Re:Creators

Also some anime where the magical girl was a side character. Concrete Revolutio was an unpleasant mess with nice visuals, Myriad Colors was a pretty boring otaku high school harem thing and the magical girl episode was also rather bland, and Re:Creators had a lot of potential with the "anime characters come to our world" setting but the result was somewhat uneven. Re:Creators had the best magical girl out of these three.

Awards given: Worst non-romantic relationship, Worst side girl (Setsuna from Re:creators, with the main boy) not really an awful character on her own, but the writing around her was pretty bad, let's also give Worst Boy for the said main boy

Nausicaa

I watched the first half of the movie over a decade ago and didn't manage to finish until now. After seeing so many other Ghibli movies this didn't do much for me, but the animation and nature were still beautiful.

Western:

Most Popular Girls in School

The newer seasons didn't reach the heights of the earlier ones but there's still something entertaining about a very raunchy Barbie doll stop motion show. Also pairs well with the Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse for a fun but more child friendly Barbie experience.

Frozen 2

I'm wondering if these really are the only Western piece of media I consumed this year? I certainly didn't go to movies after March. Anyway, like the previous film I had major problems with the plot and characters (I don't think Elsa's story was set up properly, Kristoff's sub-plot feels like an afterthought when he doesn't factor to Anna's sub-plot at all, Olaf is annoying, too much Lore) but ultimately I still had a good time. I like the costume design, the idea for Elsa's arc is fine, the songs are great and there were plenty of good scenes too, and the lullaby was beautiful. I'd say that like the original Frozen this was patched together from perfectly serviceable pieces that didn't quite work combined.

Awards given: Worst romance (not the pairing itself but the way Kristoff x Anna was written)

Games:

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp

Early this year I just decided not to open this app for the daily money-grubbing grind and haven't touched it since. I'm free!

Animal Crossing New Horizons

However the daily grind continues here! It's been way more enjoyable, primarily due to lacking the microtransactions/limited time item angle and also for being so much more customisable. And the nature is so pretty... But I've reached a point where even this has started to feel kind of stale.

Super Mario Odyssey

My first Mario game since Super Mario World so of course I'm blown away by everything. I like how colourful and welcoming the worlds were, Cappy was a surprisingly enjoyable sidekick/mascot and also the game was easy enough and had a simple linear plot so it was far easier to approach than Zelda BotW which is still on hold.

Plans for 2021

Actually play Zelda BotW

Maybe finally Evangelion?

Finally finish the mostly disappointing Digimon Adventure tri

Various magical girl sequels and remakes

[kathyprior4200]

Alastor Playlist and Soundtrack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVGNjWPGVbA&list=PLWFYZb-mcJq3iLDvWh9xpnBNBVkDhXh-w

So many people have wondered what Alastor’s human life could’ve been like. There have been fan art, stories and several animations of Alastor when he was a radio host and serial killer. But surely there could be more clues as to what also occurred.

In fact there are, and they could very well be right in front of your eyes…or should I say, your ears.

 Behold an official Alastor playlist.

 Yes, Vivziepop herself made a playlist for Alastor a while back.

 AlBirdVampPrince on YouTube thankfully provided it before it was lost to the web. When I listened to the cheery old time jazz intermingled with the catchy beats, I was instantly teleported into another time. For several moments, I was immersed in Alastor’s world, watching him dance with flapper ladies, exploring the woods, playing a variety of instruments, and yes, his radio show and murders as well. I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear listening to the songs.

 These songs shed a brand new light on a beloved popular character in Hazbin Hotel. Music is a central theme for the show and the personalities of the characters. Just look at Charlie and Alastor. Sometimes, all it takes is music and a song to delve into a character’s head.

 Here is a list of sixteen songs that were shown on the list.

  1     “Annie: You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

 Ah yes, the all-too familiar song from the classic Annie musical in 1982. The song is by Peter Marshall. The song was played during the Iodent toothpaste commercial scene. Mr. Warbucks goes on the radio and offers 50,000 dollars to anyone who claimed to be Annie’s parents. The orphan girls later sing it as they listen to the radio. The meaning of the song: no matter how you dress or what social class you come from, happiness is what makes people stand out. The song has been used in many remakes of Annie such as the 1999 and 2014 versions.

 This song would be Alastor’s favorite. He even quoted it in the show, saying to Vaggie, “Smile my dear! You know you’re never fully dressed without one!” It is evident that Vivziepop enjoys Annie and many other musicals, hence all the references in the show and her art.

 Ever since then, lyrics and music have been used in dozens of fan art and projects. Gabriel C. Brown, the singing voice of Alastor, even did a cover of the song on YouTube. Often times, the lyrics are displayed whenever Alastor’s mother is drawn. A popular theory suggests that Alastor’s mother told him that he was never fully dressed without a smile, as a way of cheering him up during tough times.

  In Kathy Prior 42’s Human Alastor backstory, this song would be played as the intro song as fans immediately associate this song with Alastor. Alastor plays this song after every broadcast, the song that keeps him going every day. It would also appear in the ending credits. Alastor’s Creole mother Antoinette Moreau encourages a young Alastor to smile and stand tall when she sings this to him. For Alastor, it’s not just a fun song…it’s something that helps remind him of his mother and what his purpose is.

 Lyrics:

(spoken) This is Bert Healy saying…

(singing)

 Hey, Hobo Man

Hey Dapper Dan

You’ve both got your style

But brother

You’re never fully dressed

Without a smile

 Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly

They stand out a mile

But brother

You’re never fully dressed

Without a smile

 Who cares what they’re wearing

On Main Street

Or Saville Row

It’s what you wear from ear to ear

And not from head to toe

That matters

 So, Senator

So, Janitor

So long for a while

Remember,

You’re never fully dressed

Without a smile

 (Boylan sister)

Ready or not, here he goes

Listen to Bert

Tap his smilin’ toes

 (Healy)

(spoken) Ah the lovely Boylan Sisters

 (Boylan Sisters)

Doo doodle-oo doo

Doo doodle-oo doo

Doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo

Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly

They stand out a mile

But brother

You’re never fully dressed without an

 (Connie): S

(Bonnie): M

(Ronnie): I

(Connie): L

(All three): E. Smile darn ya smile.

  2 “Smile”

 Here we have another song about smiling, but this one has a different tone than the previous one. This song was originally sung by Nat King Cole, charted in 1954, composed by Charlie Chaplin. “Smile’ was used as a soundtrack in the 1936 movie “Modern Times.”

 Lyrics of this song are shown on old Alastor Zoophobia art by Vivziepop. The art shows an old version of Alastor wearing a black suit doing a magic trick and singing the first few lines of the song.

 In Kathy Prior 42’s Human Alastor backstory, Alastor’s mother sings this song to him after he deals with both bullying from his classmates and the constant abuse from his father. It is a song to remind him that smiling is a sign of strength to get through the hard times. Alastor is stunned to find that his mother smiles through the hits and bruises that his father gives her. Even daily discrimination at work doesn’t stop her from doing it. Alastor takes this lesson to heart and makes it into a life-long habit...even after death. Though he smiles all the time, the burden of hiding his feelings inside is only evident to him. In addition, Alastor sings a lament of this song after his mother’s death via the Spanish Flu and Mimzy’s accidental death by poisoning. The song gives out mixed messages: for while it helped Alastor remain confident throughout his life and afterlife, it also conforms to the masculinity message of “boys and men don’t cry.” Sadness is a natural human emotion and there are times when it cannot be repressed.

   Lyrics:

Smile, through your heart is aching

Smile, even though it’s breaking

When there are clouds in the sky

You’ll get by…

 If you smile

Through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining through for you

 Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may ever be so near

 That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what’s the use of crying

You’ll find that life is worthwhile

If you just smile

 That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what’s the use of crying

You’ll find that life is worthwhile

If you just smile

      3 “Let’s Misbehave”

 Anyone else notice the title on one of the Hazbin Hotel thumbnails of Alastor in static? Yes, it is an actual song. The song was written by Cole Porter in 1927. It was a 1928 hit for Irving Aaronson and his Commanders and has been used in several films.

 In “Smiling Man” by MuseValentine, a human Alastor says “Let’s misbehave” to a human Charlie before they make love behind Lucifer’s back.

 In Kathy Prior 42’s Alastor Human backstory, Alastor was born in 1896, thus in 1928, he is in his early thirties. Alastor and Mimzy get into trouble, they cuddle in a hotel room and almost have sex. Alastor holds back because he doesn’t want to get intimate with anyone, much to her disbelief and sadness. This was before her death. Alastor berates himself for being so careless and begins to question his own sexuality, (which is perceived as abnormal by society and everyone else).

  Lyrics:

We’re all alone

No chaperone

Can get our number

The world’s in slumber

Let’s misbehave

 There’s something wild

About you, child

That’s so contagious

Let’s be outrageous

Let’s misbehave

 When Adam won Eve’s hand

He wouldn’t stand

For teasin’

He didn’t care about

Those apples out of season

 They say the spring

Means just one thing

To little lovebirds

We’re not above birds

Let’s misbehave

 Let’s misbehave

Let’s misbehave

 If you’d be just so sweet

And only meet

Your fate, dear

‘Twould be the great

Event of nineteen twenty eight

Dear!

Let’s misbehave

Let’s misbehave!

   4 “You Rascal You”

 This song was sung by Cab Calloway in 1931, published in 1929. The lyrics take the form of threats leveled against a man who runs off with the singer’s wife, after the singer was kind to him.

 Alastor’s Human backstory has a couple scenes for this song. The first scene is when Alastor finds out that his father had been sleeping with other women behind his mother’s back. Alastor had tried to reason with his father, but he eventually snapped. Alastor has angry thoughts about killing his father, which he eventually does.

 The second scene is less prominent. Although Alastor was not in love with Mimzy, he got possessive when other men tried to flirt with her. One racist horny man goes off with Mimzy leaving Alastor by himself. His good friend had been taken from him, after Alastor had been kind to both of them. So what does he do? Hunts down the man and kills him, of course.

 Lyrics:

You sure is a rascal

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

When you dead in your grave

No more women will you crave

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 I trust you in my home, you rascal you

I trust you in my home, you rascal you

I trust you in my home

You wouldn’t leave my wife alone

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 I fed you since last fall, you rascal you

I fed you since last fall, you rascal you

I fed you since last fall

Then you got your ashes hauled

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal you

You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal you

You asked my wife to wash your clothes

And something else I suppose

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 You know you done me wrong, you rascal you

 You know you done me wrong, you rascal you

You know you done me wrong

You done stole my wife and gone

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal you

You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal you

You asked my wife for a meal

And something else you tried to steal

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 Please don’t let me find you, rascal you

Please don’t let me find you, rascal you

Please don’t let me find you

‘Cause you’ll leave this world behind you

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 Ain’t no use to run, you rascal you

 Ain’t no use to run, you rascal you

Aint no use to run

I done bought a Gatling gun

And you’re still having your fun, you rascal you!

 I’m gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal you!

I’m gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal you!

I’m gonna kill you just for fun

The buzzards gonna have you when I’m done

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 You done messed with my wife, you rascal you

You done messed with my wife, you rascal you

You done messed with my wife

And I’m gonna take your life

I’ll be glad when you dead, you rascal you!

 5 “I ain’t gonna tell nobody”

 This song was made in 1923 by Richard M. Jones. King Oliver and his Creole Jazz band recorded it in 1923…it was likely one of the many songs that Alastor heard and enjoyed. One of the songs that inspired him to be a jazz band leader.

  6 “The Charleston”

 Ah the Charleston, the popular dance style from the 1920s. The dance used in so many fanfictions and art with Alastor and Charlie in it. And the inspiration for the “Charlastor” shipping name for Alastor and Charlie in the fandom. “The Charleston” was by James P. Johnson and it was in the 1923 Broadway show Runnin’ Wild. A melody of it was made by Arthur Gibbs.

 In Alastor’s human backstory, Alastor dances the Charleston with Mimzy in 1923 during the Roaring 20s at the peak of his life and career. He later dances with Charlie at the Hazbin Hotel in Hell.

 Lyrics:

 Carolina, Carolina, at last they’ve got you on the map,

With a new tune, funny blue tune, with a peculiar snap!

You may not be able to buck or wing

Foxtrot, two-step, or even sing

If you’ve not got religion in your feet

You can do this prance and do it neat

 Charleston! Charleston! Made in Carolina!

Some dance, some prance,

I’ll say there’s nothing finer than the

 Charleston, Charleston, gee how you can shuffle

Every step you do leads to something new

Man, I’m telling you, it’s a lapazoo!

 Buck dance, wing dance will be a back number,

But the Charleston, the new Charleston,

That dance is surely a corner

 Sometime, you’ll dance it one time,

That dance called Charleston,

Made in South Caroline!

 7 “Runnin’ Wild”

The song is by Duke Ellington, and was made in 1922.

 In Alastor’s human backstory, this song that Alastor sings describes the fun care-free moments that Alastor had in his youth. The events included feeding alligators in the bayou, exploring the woods, seeing animals and being outside.

 The second scene with this song is in 1922 when Alastor gets tired of Mimzy being clingy. Alastor doesn’t love anyone in a romantic way…he had lost the one person he loved many years ago. Due to past trauma, he puts on a persona but doesn’t trust people enough to let them in fully into his life. Not wanting to meet her expectations of being a perfect man, Alastor longs to be himself and be free again. Alastor and Mimzy try to reconcile at a bar, only for her to die later on. Alastor kills people to vent his frustrations. The song is a reflection of Alastor becoming a villain.

 Lyrics:

My gal and I, we had a fight

And I’m all by myself

I guess she thinks now that she’s gone

I’ll lay right on the shelf

I’m gonna show her she’s all wrong

No lonesome stuff for me

I won’t sit home, all alone

She’ll soon find that I’m

 Runnin’ wild, lost control

Runnin’ wild, mighty bold

Feelin’ gay, reckless too

Care free mind all the time, never blue

Always goin’ don’t know where

Always showin’ I don’t care

Don’t love nobody, it’s not worth while

All alone, runnin’ wild. Runnin’ wild.

 When I first met that gal of mine

It seemed just like a dream

But when she thought she had me right

She started acting mean

Like Mary led her little lamb

She led me all the time

Until the worm had to turn

That’s the reason I’m

 Runnin’ wild, lost control

Runnin’ wild, mighty bold

Feelin’ gay, reckless too

Care free mind all the time, never blue

Always goin’ don’t know where

Always showin’ I don’t care

Don’t love nobody, it’s not worth while

All alone, runnin’ wild. Runnin’ wild.

 No gal will ever make a fool of me

No gal! I mean just what I say

I ain’t the simpleton I used to be

Wonder how I got that way

 Once I was full of sentiment, it’s true

But now I got a cruel heart

With all that other foolishness, I’m through

Gonna play the villain part

  Runnin’ wild, lost control

Runnin’ wild, mighty bold

Feelin’ gay, reckless too

Care free mind all the time, never blue

Always goin’ don’t know where

Always showin’ I don’t care

Don’t love nobody, it’s not worth while

All alone, runnin’ wild. Runnin’ wild.

  8 “I’m Sitting on Top of the World”

A song by Al Jonson in 1928. Alastor would sing this song as he talks about his new rich life as a radio host. He likes the money but he also likes Mimzy and other women.

 Lyrics:

I'm sitting on top of the world, I'm rolling along, I'm rolling along. I'm quitting the blues of the world, Just singing a song, Just singing a song. Glory hallelujah, i just phoned the parson, Hey, par, get ready to call.' Just like humpty dumpty, I'm going to fall. I'm sitting on top of the world, Just rolling along, Just rolling along.' Some people have diamonds And beautiful pearls, While others have children, Just kiddies with curls. Keep all of your fortunes, Keep all of your fame, I just found a sweetie Who's changing her name. : I'm sitting on top of the world, Just rolling along, Just rolling along. I'm quitting the blues of the world, Just singing a song, Just singing a song. Glory hallelujah, i just phoned the parson, Hey, par, get ready to call.' Just like humpty dumpty, I'm going to fall. I'm sitting on top of the world, Just rolling along, Just rolling along.' Don't want any millions, I'm getting my share. I've only got one suit, That's all i can wear. A bundle of money won't make you feel gay. A sweet little honey is making me say: I'm sitting on top of the world, Just rolling along, Just rolling along. I'm quitting the blues of the world, Just singing a song, Just singing a song. Glory hallelujah, i just phoned the parson, Hey, par, get ready to call.' Just like humpty dumpty, I'm going to fall. I'm sitting on top of the world, Just rolling along, Just rolling along.

   9 “Criminal” (American Horror Story)

This song might reference Alastor’s general life as a criminal...or perhaps Mimzy’s dark thoughts regarding her feelings for Alastor.

   Lyrics:

I've been a bad, bad girl I've been careless with a delicate man And its a sad, sad world When a girl will break a boy Just because she can Oh, help me But don't tell me to deny it I've got to cleanse myself of all these lies 'Till I'm good enough for him I got a lot to lose, and I'm bettin' high So I'm beggin' you: Before it ends, just tell me where to begin Ooh, What I need is a good defense 'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal And I need to redeemed To the one I've sinned against Because he's all I ever knew of love Yeah, What I need is a good defense 'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal And I need to redeemed To the one I've sinned against Because he's all I ever knew of love

10 “Blood” (My Chemical Romance)

 Yes. Vivziepop adores My Chemical Romance. It is obvious from the many MCR songs that she provides to her characters. (“Sing” for Charlie, “Na Na Na” for Cherri Bomb, “Mama” for Angel Dust, etc.) This one called “Blood” undeniably relates to Alastor’s murder and cannibalism activities. (Let’s face it, Vivzie loves musicals so much, Hazbin Hotel is one giant musical, with nearly every character knowing how to sing and play a variety of instruments! Hazbin Logic.)

 Lyrics:

Well they encourage your complete cooperation Send you roses when they think you need to smile I can't control myself because I don't know how, And they love me for it honestly, I'll be here for a while

So give them blood, blood, gallons of the stuff Give them all that they can drink and it will never be enough So give them blood, blood, blood Grab a glass because there's going to be a flood

A celebrated man amongst the gurneys They can fix me proper with a bit of luck The doctors and the nurses they adore me so, But it's really quite alarming cause I'm such an awful fuck (oh thank you)

I gave you blood, blood, gallons of the stuff, I gave you all that you can drink and it has never been enough I gave you blood, blood, blood, I'm the kind of human wreckage that you love

  11 “Doctor Jazz”

 “Doctor Jazz” was made written by Joe King Oliver in 1926 and recorded by Jelly Roll Morton.

 This is one of many songs that Alastor sings in his backstory. This song plays when Alastor loses himself in the blissful moments playing trumpets, saxophones and singing onstage. Music and jazz helped Alastor out during hard times of discrimination and him witnessing police brutality against African Americans and disadvantaged individuals. In music, Alastor felt safe, confident, invincible.

 Lyrics:

Everybody gets the blues now and then, and don’t know what to do

I’ve had it happen many times to me before and so have you

But those days have gone and past, I found out what to do at last

When I feel down and out, you will hear me shout:

  Hello central, give me Doctor Jazz

He’s got what I need, I’ll say he has

When the world goes wrong and I’ve got the blues

He’s the guy who makes me put on both my dancin’ shoes

The more I get, the more I want it soon

I see Doctor Jazz in all my dreams

When I’m in trouble, bounds are mixed

He’s the guy who gets me fixed

Hello central, give me Doctor Jazz

  12 “Main Title and Anatomy of a Murder”

 The song comes from a 1959 courtroom drama film by Duke Ellington. This song gives off a “sneaky, spy” like vibe, a tension of “who done it,” in the music. This track would play during the mention of the mysterious “Louisiana Lunatic” in the newspapers, plus Alastor’s broadcasts of all the deaths he caused.

 13 “God Moves On The Water”

 This song is by Billie Willie Johnson in 1929. This song describes the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 (the year of Baxter’s death). It was an event that Alastor wasn’t involved in, but presumably found entertaining like the 1929 Stock Market Crash.

 This song could relate to the many hurricane disasters that went on in Alastor’s life in Louisiana but was lucky enough to survive in. The song could also reference the distress and helplessness that people of color, women and other minority groups felt in the clutches of a dominant white society.

 Lyrics:

 Ah, Lord, ah, Lord Year of nineteen hundred and twelve, April the fourteenth day Great Titanic struck an iceberg, people had to run and pray God moves, moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray The guards who had been a-watching, asleep 'cause they were tired When they heard the great excitement, then a gunshot was fired God moves, moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray

 Captain Smith gave orders, women and children first Many of the lifeboats piled right up, many were liable to crush God moves on, God moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray

 So many had to leave their happy home, all that they possess Lord Jesus, will you hear us now, help us in our distress God moves, God moves, God moves, ah, people had to run and pray Women had to leave their loving ones, see 'bout their safety When they heard the liner was doomed, hearts did almost break God moves, God moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray A.G. Smith, mighty man, built a boat that he couldn't understand Named it a name of God in a tin, without a "c", Lord, he pulled it in God moves, ah, God moves, God moves, ah, and the people had to run and pray Well Ah, ah, Lord

  14 “Minnie the Moocher”

“Minnie the Moocher” by Cao Calloway is a vocalizing catchy song about a beautiful woman named Minnie. This song could possibly relate to rumors about Mimzy and her famous wealthy life.

 Lyrics:

 Folks, here's a story 'bout Minnie the Moocher She was a red-hot hoochie-coocher She was the roughest, toughest frail But Minnie had a heart as big as a whale

Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi) Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah) Hee-dee-hee-dee-hee-dee-hee (hee-dee-hee-dee-hee-dee-hee) He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y)

She messed around with a bloke named Smokey She loved him though was cokey He took her down to Chinatown And he showed her how to kick the gong around

Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi) Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah) He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y) Oh-oh-oh-oh (oh-oh-oh-oh)

She had a dream about the King of Sweden He gave her things that she was needin' He gave her a home built of gold and steel A diamond car with a p-la-ti-num wheel

Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi) Ho-dee-ho-dee-ho-dee ho (ho-dee-ho-dee-ho-dee ho) Skip-de-diddly-skip-de-diddly-diddly-oh (skip-de-diddly-skip-de-diddly-diddly-oh) Bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-oh (bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-oh)

He gave her his townhouse and his racing horses Each meal she ate was a dozen courses She had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes She sat around and counted them all a million times

Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi) Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah) He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y) Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah)

Poor Min, poor Min, poor Min

   15 “Crazy Rhythm”

This song was made by Whispering Jack Smith in 1928.

 Perhaps this song is a reference to Alastor having to put aside his free music playing time at the cost of being a famous radio host. Although, Alastor had risen to fame, his former innocence had been lost.

 Lyrics:

 I feel like the Emperor Nero when Rome was a very hot town

Father Knickerbocker, forgive me, I play while your city burns down

Through all its night I fiddle away

It’s not the right life but think of the pay

Someday I will bid it goodbye, I’ll put my fiddle away and I’ll say

 Crazy rhythm here’s the doorway

I’ll go my way, you’ll go your way

Crazy rhythm from now on we’re through

Here is where we have a showdown

I’m too high-hat, you’re too low-down

Crazy rhythm here’s goodbye to you

 They say that when a high-brow meets a low-brow walking along Broadway

Soon the high-brow has no brow

Ain’t it a shame, and you’re to blame

What’s the use of Prohibition (banning alcohol)

You produce the same condition

Crazy rhythm I’ve gone crazy too

 Every Greek and each Latin, the Russians and Prussians as well

When they seek the lure of

Manhattan, are sure to come under your spell

Their native folksongs they soon throw away

Those harlem smoke songs they soon learn to play

Can’t you fall for Carnegie Hall

Oh Danny, call it a day and we’ll say

 Crazy rhythm here’s the doorway

I’ll go my way, you’ll go your way

Crazy rhythm from now on we’re through

Here is where we have a showdown

I’m too high-hat, you’re too low-down

Crazy rhythm here’s goodbye to you

 They say that when a high-brow meets a low-brow walking along Broadway

Soon the high-brow has no brow

Ain’t it a shame, and you’re to blame

What’s the use of Prohibition (banning alcohol)

You produce the same condition

Crazy rhythm I’ve gone crazy too

  16 “My Shiny Teeth and Me”

 Another smile song, by Nate Wants To Battle, this one about how a guy admires his shiny teeth. A reference to Alastor’s self-centered ego. In sheer irony, Alastor has yellow teeth in Hell. Deer man needs to brush his teeth!

 Lyrics:

When I'm feelin' lonely - sad as I can be.. All by my self in an uncharted island in an endless sea.. What makes me happy, fills me up with glee: Those bones in my jaw that don't have a flaw. My shiny teeth and me. My shiny teeth that twinkle just like the stars in space, My shiny teeth that sparkle addin' beauty to my face, My shiny teeth that glisten just like a Christmas tree. You know they'll walk a mile just to see me smile... Woo! My shiny teeth and me! Yes they're all so perfect; so white and pearly. Brush, gargle, rinse - A couple breath mints... My shiny teeth and me! My shiny teeth so awesome, just like your favorite song. My shiny teeth I floss em' so they grow to be real strong. My shiny teeth I love them and they all love me, Why should I talk to you when I got 32! Woo! My shiny teeth and me, My shiny teeth and me! My shiny teeth that twinkle just like the stars in space, My shiny teeth that sparkle addin' beauty to my face, My shiny teeth that glisten just like a Christmas tree. You know they'll walk a mile just to see me smile... Woo! My shiny teeth and me. My shiny teeth and me. My shiny teeth and me!

  17 “The Radio Demon”

 An official soundtrack in the pilot episode. The circus music that turns dark with organs playing. It plays when Vaggie tells of how Alastor got into power. This song plays after Alastor’s death and during the ending credits in the backstory. It serves as a transition to Alastor arriving in Hell, the next act in the character arc.

[moth-sounds]

The Monkees | The Monkees

ok FULL DISCLOSURE: 

- I’ve never purposely listened to the Monkees until like a month ago and I don’t know much about them except that they’re fun funky lads who started out as a fictional TV band that then became a real band and that’s very valid of them

- I spent this whole album calling Davy ‘Peter’ bc I thought Peter was the British one and then I couldn’t figure out who the fourth Monkee was. my brain cells are dedicated to appreciating tunes not remembering names

- I didn’t know this album was considered Controversial(tm) and I am going to keep pretending that I don’t know because I enjoyed it anyway

- Spotify gave me the Super Deluxe version which has like 30 songs on it so idk what was on the actual album vs. what was added later. this actually goes for every Monkees album I have listened to thus far so all my notes are a mess. for this reason I will not be reviewing every single track because holy tork, batman, that’s a lot

- right now I have a Vulfpeck song stuck in my head (this one, to be exact) so apologies if this comes out a bit scattered

- - -

ONTO THE REVIEW:

ok so listen. about that controversy i’m totally pretending i don’t know anything about. why is having a backing band so bad? or having your songs written by other people? tons of artists do that now. a good tune is a good tune, whether it’s coordinated by engineers or not. I get that these boys could play their own instruments and write their own music and just weren’t allowed to, and I imagine that must’ve been frustrating. but they got their redemption arc later so it all works out.

something I observed is they really seemed to like starting songs with a guitar riff and a tambourine shake. there were at least four songs that did this. I can’t remember which ones. I just noticed it enough to put it in my notes.

anyway, SOME RANKINGS (all links lead to Spotify I’m sorry):

(Theme From) the Monkees: “people say we monkey around, but we’re too busy singing to put anybody down.” what an admirable philosophy. that’s the kind of life I want to lead. also this song directly inspired TMBG’s song The Mesopotamians. 4/5

Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day: oh this is one of the tambourine ones. catchy and uplifting, but a bit repetitive. Micky’s voice is as smooth as butter and I understand why people stan. 3/5

Last Train to Clarksville: aww YEAAAHHHH. 5/5

Sweet Young Thing: squeaky fiddles in the left ear, bong bong bong in the right ear. bad sensory experience. 1/5, would be 0 if not for Nesmith’s voice. I’m sorry you got stuck on such a bad track, Michael.

The Kind of Girl I Could Love (Alternate Mix): THIS IS MORE LIKE IT, MICHAEL. YOU SOUND SO GOOD, MICHAEL. 4/5

(I Prithee) Do Not Ask for Love (Alternate Mix): this one gets stuck in my head SO MUCH. it’s nice to hear Davy singing a song in a minor key. and also a love song that doesn’t objectify the woman in question. 5/5 IT’S REALLY WELL-COMPOSED OK and the way the voices join in on the refrain is mmm YES

I Won’t Be the Same Without Her: I’m just a sucker for four-part harmony. 4/5

Monkees Radio Spot: GOSHAROONI, MIKE, WHAT IS MORE FUN THAN A BARREL FULL OF MONKEYS?? 100/10

- - -

CONCLUSION: for a band that wasn’t even at their Full Creative Potential yet, this was pretty darned fun. admittedly some of it was rather forgettable, but the tracks that stand out really stand out. I also just realized I couldn’t figure out who the fourth Monkee was because you NEVER HEAR HIM. poor Peter. your time will come.

[ladymelissaduthe]

challenge 5 (part 1)

aka maybe the night (jackson #5: the sound check)

Jackson sings this song in the fic,,, PLEASE LISTEN TO IT YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT NADKJNDK: https://open.spotify.com/track/1yDiru08Q6omDOGkZMPnei?si=SR_Ce75XTqqO7Po7nu0_Vw

a/n: Not actually Challenge 5, but it’s the day of the ball so YEET for all intents and purposes it’ll be titled as part of challenge 5 anyway. There are going to be 3 fics cause it’s easier to digest AND BOY DO I LOVE THE ENDING OF THIS. Laidease and gents, this girl is confused. Take a shot every time Missy simps over Jackson. @jackson-graham thank you so much Bri for the gift that is both Jackson Graham and Jordan Fisher. I recommend that you listen to Maybe the Night by Ben and Ben because.... this is a song fic. AHAHHJKSDNKJDNK I PROMISE YOU’LL LIKE THE SONG. IT’S ONE OF MY WEDDING SONGS AHAHAHAHJKWNK aight bye, this is just an appetizer before the ball NJKNKKD Gdoc linked in the title as usual (2509 words)

My eyes go back and forth between the two dresses hanging in my closet.

I love my maids, I really do—but gosh darn it, did they have to be so darn talented that I couldn’t even pick a dress for the ball tonight?

Green. The color of fresh grass. Flowers and Ribbons hanging around. Long flowy sleeves. A work of art, something straight out of a fairytale.

Or…

Blue. Almost Lilac. Off the shoulder. Beaded. Short Sleeves. A true ball gown, fit for a princess.

I narrowed my choices to two very different gowns for the event—yet I couldn’t pick which one I was going to wear. Don’t even get me started with the hair and make up needed for each dress. I sigh looking over to the clock.

5 o’clock.

One of my maids, Kylar, stands by my vanity, setting things up as she patiently waits for me to make a decision, swatching shades of eyeshadow on the back of her hand. Skylar and Campbell were off getting more things for tonight too. It takes a village to get a girl ready.

I needed to take a walk. Dress picking could wait another hour, I suppose.

Maybe I can sneak a peek of the Great Hall while it’s being set up. Hmmm… not a Bad idea.

--------------

Grammy did tell me that I should sneak a peek of the way the place was decorated, I tell myself as I slip through a door that leads into the Great Hall.

By tomorrow, people were going to start using pictures of this event for whatever party, wedding, or debut they had in mind.

Iridescent, was the theme of the ball.

I’m not disappointed, not one bit—my eyes first drawn to the crystals that hung from the ceiling. The daylight seeped into the room just right that little rainbows were already shining around the room. I wondered how they were going to look like in the night. There were fabrics being draped by the sides of the room, more silvery in color at first glance.

I try to stay at the sides of the room as staff were setting up the rest of the room and tables. 

A bunch of what I assumed to be musicians were chatting and setting up by the stage with people in full black attire were taping down wires. Must be the soundcheck. 

Musicians and bands needed to practice a little earlier than the event itself to make sure everything was working right.

Is it weird that I missed this? The little chaos hours before every event. The sound of tables and chairs being set accompanied by the rustling of people mobilizing other decorations. All that was missing for me was my clipboard and it could have felt like home.

I tilt my head up in awe of how everything looked already. Whoever was the events planner for this deserved a raise. I hear a quick strum from a guitar playing from the speakers.

Oh wow, even their sound system here was great, but my eyes stay looking up as I try to take each of the little detail of the Great Hall. I wonder if I could ask the planner for their supplier, maybe even get the card of their tech provider because—

“Check, one two.”

Something inside of me jumps. That voice was familiar. 

My eyes look directly for the source. 

The stage.

Jackson. It was Jackson standing onstage, a guitar strapped over his shoulder.

Suddenly the room was filled with music. Initially, the music too loud before whoever probably was on the sound board started to adjust things.

The band behind was playing a sort of folk-pop tune and Jackson was leading them as he sang.

He was singing.

I want to lay down by the fire with you Where souls are glowing, ever warmer too Your love surrounds me like a lullaby Singing softly, you are mine oh mine

His voice was smooth and steady, the kind of voice that gave you goosebumps when you heard it. 

What a surprise! That was my friend singing, and I find myself smiling as I take a couple of steps towards the stage.

Moon has never glowed this color Hearts have never been this close I've never been more certain I will love you 'til we're old

Being a little closer to the stage, I realize he’s wearing something different than I usually see him in. 

A navy button down with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, dark pants. Handsome as ever, maybe a little more with the singing and the guitar. 

I could listen to him singing like this every day.

Stop it. I try to push that thought away, that sounds weird. Still, I can’t keep my eyes off of him, watching as he reaches the chorus of the song.

Maybe the night holds a little hope for us dear.

This was a very sweet song he was singing. The kind you’d hear at a wedding reception. He smiles and closes his eyes occasionally as he sings through the chorus.

Maybe we might want to settle down, just be near. Stay together here.

A part of me hopes that he looks out so I can wave and let him know that I’m here. 

Let him know that I was here cheering him on, but he doesn’t, instead seemingly more focused on performing. Silly me, that sounds too sappy. 

I look around for half a second wondering if other people were catching what I was hearing, some stopping to listen. 

Glad to see people enjoying this too. 

My attention goes back to the stage, seeing Jackson glance down on his guitar, smiling as he does.

Jackson had a very special smile, the kind that reminded me of the Sun. Not because of how bright it is, but because of how it made me feel warm, like how it felt stepping into a patch of sunlight.

We follow the pull of fate, into this moment.

As he sings, I realize that I’ve never seen him this happy. I suppose he really just loved to play music. 

With a voice like his, I wouldn’t blame him. He sounded flawless as the song swell and dipped with another round or two of the chorus of maybe the night holds a little hope for us dear. 

It was very catchy, actually—I expect myself to have it stuck in my head later. I’d have to find it on Dotify too if it wasn’t an original song by him. 

The song soon ends with a nice little strumming pattern that Jackson does that prolongs the last note from his guitar, and I wonder if he’s done this before. He laughs a bit before he steps back to talk with the other instrumentalists.

Earlier I wasn’t sure if it was the drumbeat I could hear in my ears or my heartbeat, but with the song over I didn’t realize my heart was beating so fast. I still feel myself smiling nonetheless as I immediately start clapping from my part of the room.

I probably looked silly being the only one clapping, but that performance was definitely worthy of it.

I feel a little bubble in my chest that makes me cup my hands and yell, “Encore!”

That catches Jackson’s attention, looking away from the other instrumentalist as he looks over to me and from here- even I could catch his surprise and the flickering smile on his face before he puts his guitar on the stand and hops off the stage, headed to my direction.

I immediately smile as I move halfway, still clapping excitedly.

“I thought you’d be in full ball preparation right now.” he says.

“You underestimate my ability to change into full Princess-mode, Mister Graham.” I laugh lightly. I’d be preparing right now if I could figure which dress to wear. That’s  a problem for future Missy.

I make a gesture to him, wanting to direct the conversation back to what I just witnessed. I could still hear my heartbeat in my ears.

“You sound great! I mean, you all sound great! But you,” I pause, trying to find the right words, “you sound amazing.”

“Thank you, that’s… thanks.” He chuckles softly. “A sound check for this evening.”

“I didn’t know you were performing tonight.” I comment, but still very surprised about this fact. “Do you always perform during big palace events?”

“I—well, I haven’t in a couple of years.” He says before pausing very briefly, before his face lights up again.

I almost impulsively ask him why, but he clears his throat and I decide not to.

“Though I kind of wish you’d heard me for the first time later tonight.”

I can’t even imagine how good he was gonna perform tonight. He was a natural. Imagine him playing in front of a crowd of finely dressed people, him looking handsome in a suit.

“I’m glad that you’ve decided to play this time around. If that’s how you sound during a sound check, I can’t wait to hear you play later. You’ll be playing more songs, right?”

I ask that because a tiny part of me would want to hear him sing a little more than one song.

Jackson shakes his head. “Just the one. They have quite the lineup this evening.”

He sticks a hand in his pocket and gestures with his free hand to the stage where the instruments are set up, my eyes following.

“Even Wylan is playing something.” He says, and I’m surprised again. Is everyone here a secret musician? “You’ll have a wonderful evening.”

Hearing that makes me smile, the way he’s looking at me warmly makes me smile a tiny bit wider.

“A night full of festivities, great music,” I eye him at that part, “and dancing? Oh it’s so nice to finally attend a big party that I don’t have to plan.” I giggle.

He laughs a bit, “I have no doubt your events are just as great as this one will be.”

I hum, he’s not wrong.

“The only difference being that this one has a bigger budget.” I chuckle at that thought, most likely sure that the royal family was sparing no expense for tonight’s event. It was independence day after all. The ball was going to be full of important guests—and if it was anything close to the debutante balls I’ve planned before it was gonna be full of merrymaking, drinks, and dancing.

Dancing. I suddenly feel myself quiet down. I should ask him for a dance. Not very Belt Belle of me to ask first though. Grammy would chastise me for doing this.

Um… sorry Grammy.

“Say... would you save me a dance later, after you perform your set?” I try to sound friendly, like a friend just asking a friend for a dance. Not in the romantic sense of course. But slow dancing with Jackson doesn’t sound bad either.

Maybe if I’m lucky they wouldn’t play a slow song and I could maybe just do Renegade or some other Toktik dance. But yes, a dance with Jackson sounded nice.

Jackson seems to swallow, “Really?”

“Of course!” I nod, “That is if you like dancing… of course…” I wince, my choice of words sounding way too weird with that repetition. I normally don’t do that.

“No, I do. I’ll even save you two dances.” A pleased smile appears on his face, and I catch the smidge of surprise underneath it. Why does he seem so surprised that I’m asking this?

The thought of two dances sounds lovely. I grin and raise my hand to stick my pinky finger up in the air.

“Two dances, that’s a promise, Mister Jackson Graham.” I meet his eyes, actually feeling more excited for the ball more than ever.

“Dances with the loveliest lady in the room, I’m sure.”

With the loveliest lady in the room…

“Ah—” My brows raise as I let out a sound I didn’t even plan on making.

Was he being serious? My face starts to feel warm, well not just my face anymore—my whole body felt warm.

My eyes go to my pinky finger. Should I still hold it up right now? Did he just call me pretty? Why did he just say that. Oh my gosh, Melissa. Oh my gosh, Jackson.

I don’t know what my face looks like right now, but it’s enough to make Jackson chuckle a little nervously.

“Yes, um... there’ll be plenty of chances. I’ll come find you then.” He says before I watch him reach up to loop is pinky finger with mine, squeezing just a bit.

I find myself nodding, trying to reel myself back and bring my good sense back to me. I curl my lips in and try to control my expression as our hands go down.

“I’ll make sure that it would be hard for you to miss me.” I pause. It still felt warm around here. I could hear my heartbeat again. Guess this was my cue to go.

I tilt my head to one of the doors, “I should be getting ready then.”

I just needed a little air.

Maybe they just haven’t turned the air conditioning here yet. Yes, that must be why. We love an eco-conscious palace that saves energy that way.

“Good luck. Not that you need it.” He smiles softly.

Maybe the drummer was actually just practicing somewhere at the back. We love musicians who practice a lot. That must be what I’m hearing right now.

I try to laugh at that remark, shaking my head. “See you later, Jackson.”

I turn on my heel and start walking towards the door. I should be getting ready, yes. If I could only decide which dress to choose.

An idea pops into my head, and call out Jackson’s name, not completely turning to his direction.

“Jackson! Green or blue?!”

If I couldn’t decide what to wear, might as well let fate choose. Or well, Jackson in my case. This was just like tossing a coin to figure this out. Completely harmless.

He says, “Blue.”

I tilt my head at his answer. It’s set then.

Blue, almost lilac, it is.

I lift a shoulder up before turning to Jackson and give him a final wave in his direction, smiling in his direction. “Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome, Missy.” I hear him say and I wait until I’m out of the Great Hall before I let out a breath and place a hand over my chest.

The Great Hall’s air conditioning was on.

The drummer was taking a break, no one was onstage.

Still, I felt light— more excited actually.

Maybe I was just too excited for tonight, seeing the Great Hall decorated must have just made me more excited than I was before.  

That’s what I tell myself as I start walking back to my room. That’s what I’d like to believe.

As I walk back, I can’t help but sing to myself.

Maybe the night holds a little hope for us, dear.

Jackson’s song was indeed stuck in my head, and maybe not just his song. 

[thebolg]

A track-by-track review of Folklore by Taylor Swift 1. the 1: 4.1 - The perfect outro to an under-par redo of Dawson’s Creek. b 2. cardigan: 3.1 - Vanilla pudding with the good parts removed. -b 3. the last great american dynasty: 5.0 - Here’s the road trip song (there’s always one). -b 4. exile (feat. bov iver): 4.2 - A sad Christmas card sponsored by Starbucks. 5. my tears ricochet: 4.6 - The song angsty self-important girls (who aren’t actually this big of a dea)l cry into their pillow to after getting dumped by a 6 who they bitterly accuse of being a 4. - Lola 6. mirrorball: 2.1 - Omg I feel so powerful when I stare you down while I’m being everything I know you want me to be which is all about you but I’m not suffocating you am I??? - Lola 7. seven: 2.7 - Just a simple country girl from Pennsylvania reminiscing about my cute idyllic country childhood, it’s charming, no? - Lola 8. august: 2.3 - I mean, is it December yet because even without being forced to listen to the whole album I just gotta say even with your pretty face, waify body, and eyes in perma-smize, he’s just not that into you. - Lola 9. this is me trying: 2.1 - i think this terribly boring song is the anthem to this album: taylor is lapping around this earth just as fast as the rest of us, catering her art to all ears - even during her quarantine seemingly-wrought with melodramatic teenage reminiscing - and yet, she still has not aged or progressed, at least not into anything that happens to move any part of my being, but gosh darn it, at least she is trying. -lisamaria 10. illicit affairs: beyond the nice finger picking on the guitar here, I had to focus on keeping my teenage girl hat on (i do have one) to appreciate the melodrama - Jt 11. invisible string: i mean now that the teenage girl hat is on, i find this little analogy kind of precious, and as i’m writing this, i kinda want to barf, but the guitar picking is nice here too, i’m not enjoying this experience overall - Jt 12. mad woman: i have to admit, i’m listening to these songs one at a time and not as and album, but when i listened to the whole album, i was getting a little tired of the new tay tay folklore vibe at this point, and now i’m feeling bad for making her mad - Jt 13. epiphany: within the context of the album, this songs weighs a little too heavy, but on it’s own it’s meets the melodrama but lacks the cutesy, it’s catchy without being kitschy, the music feels big, and it’s pretty… i think it might be the best song on the album - Jt 14. betty: back to bread and butter super catchy song of the summer sing along tay tay rural teenage storytelling evolved to include f-bombs to feel less like it’s for 12 year olds -Jt 15. peace: it’s minimal, melodic and lyrically kinda fun… shit, i think it’s good… i think i like it - Jt 16. hoax: yeah… i’m done… no more please, if there’s something to listen to here, i’ve been overwhelmed with melodrama and need less of this -Jt

[chyrstis]

End of Year Fanfic: 1, 3, 8, 13, 15, 19, 25,

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

Ooh, another fave? I may have to go with my first Sharky fic: Nothing like a little friendly fire

That first mission where you meet him will always stand out as one of the best character introduction missions ever to me. The fire, the singing, the endless stream of Disco Inferno? It was perfect, and I just had to write Hana’s reaction to him. Also, imagining what could come out of Sharky’s mouth in response to anything is always an entertaining challenge.

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

I’ll stop snickering about the Singing Bass at the Seed Boat Launch at some point, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop ribbing John about it in fic. From I won’t ask for much (but just this once, I’d like you):

---

He was still laughing when John finally joined him. “What could be so-“ John’s voice trailed off, and the resigned groan that followed only made him laugh harder.

Swiping at his eyes to wipe the tears away, Sharky framed the singing fish with his hands. “Big Mouth Billy is hanging right on your wall. Here. On your wall.”

“And?”

“And? Dude, that’s like the best shit ever! I haven’t seen one of these since I was like, this tall,” Sharky said, holding his hand to his knee. “Like, I thought they’d stopped selling them.”

“They should’ve.”

“But they didn’t, and that’s pretty damn great if I may say so myself. You’ve gotta tell me who gave you this to begin with. Broseph?”

John sighed, his mouth twisting as he remained silent.

“Ol’ Jake-n-bake then? Dude’s pretty serious, but maybe he gave you this to be nice. Or funny. Shit, maybe both.”

“You had it right the first time,” he admitted, eyeing first him, then it with distaste.

Joseph Seed’s doing? The thought of that made a wide grin break out on his face. “Well, shit. Guess I need to thank him then. Otherwise, I think it’d get pretty lonely out here.”

“What?”

“Well, you’re not gonna sitthere and talk my ear off the whole time, so I was thinking I’d need to starttalking to myself just to make shit interesting, but Bill here’ll be a fuckinghoot once you get him started.”

The offended look that crossedJohn’s face shifted straight to horror when Sharky waved his hand in front ofthe fish’s sensor. To his delight, it sprang to life, singing enthusiastically,and when Sharky joined in, John visibly clenched his teeth.

“Still works too! Come on,it’s catchy.”

8. shortest completed fic you wrote this year

Together - Which was yet another case of wanting to be self-indulgent and work on some more Sharky/Hana/John, but this time with just a little moment between the three where they’re at their most relaxed. Just completely content and comfortable with each other, and I think I fell a little more in love with their dynamic here while writing it.

13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

So, there’s a reason Dirtywhirl’s at the top of my Spotify list, and while it’s a great song, it’s also very, very good at generating feelings for a certain ship of mine.

15. something you learned this year

I can honestly write about 16,000 words in less than two weeks if I’m driving myself to do it. But I was typing constantly, completely decimated my sleep schedule (3 AM nights were extremely common), and I’m fairly positive that doing that plus allergies led to me getting hit with my mini sinus infection.

I say it was worth it now, because I love that fic so damn much, but dear lord, I need to better manage my outlines and my expectations when deadlines are involved.

19. any new fics to start next year

More Sharky fic, more OT3 fic. Also, maybe another no cult AU? Or some other AUs? I’m very tempted.

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read 

Have I mentioned how much I love @ma-sulevin‘s rise from the ashes and do it again (and do it again)?

No? Well, I’m about to fix that mistake right now. It’s a time loop centered FC5 fic, where death means a second chance leading up to what caused it. However, experiencing that over and over first-hand’s a toll, and it’s a hell of a lot for Mattie to handle here. I love her a ton, and Sharky here’s a reckless sweetheart (as he always is), and I’m 110% invested in seeing this fic through all the way to the very end. I’m also incredibly invested in those two, and I want them to be happy, darn it.

[0poole]

Some Retrospective Thoughts on Gen 7

Galar’s making me go nuts. You already know. Let’s look back on Alola because why not. I feel like I have stuff to say about it. Also, I just watched the last episode of the Alolan Anime, so there’s that.

Whenever I first think back to Gen 7, I think “Eh, it was alright. Nothing special, I guess.” The Pokemon were decent, apart from being almost universally slow, apart from like 3 speed demons, the starters weren’t much, the story was alright, the location was alright, etc. etc. 

Then, I ACTUALLY think back, and I realize… I have no idea why I was thinking that. This generation was actually amazing.

First of all, they finally put the motif of the Sun and Moon into game types. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air after they tried to use the fucking dimensions in 3D space for titles in Gen 6 (Loved that gen too, but seriously “Life” and “Death” would both be more fitting and not as strange. Maybe they don’t want “Death” as a title tho). Really fits in with how naturally themed everything is too, which is obviously for the best, since this is the most “natural” game to date. Even though we technically already had an America-based region in Unova, Hawai’i is so unique in its own right it definitely fits for a region. I’m usually the type who doesn’t like super overt themes in things, and kind of just wants a very generalized experience, but it’s probably for the good of everyone that they don’t actually follow through with that idea. 

Probably the biggest thing to come out of this generation is the new habit of them posting short little videos on Youtube revealing new Pokemon/features/etc. Obviously they were super trigger happy with them then, but now it seems they’ve taken a step back a little. I do love this idea, though, because it actually hypes me up more than anything else ever could. I remember before, even though I was kinda-sorta trying to follow the updates on Gens 4-6, I never really felt like I could, and even though I was going to get the games no matter what, now I realize I really want to know what I’m getting into. 

I remember exactly where I was for some of the major announcements. For the starters, I was in my high school geometry class, where I watched and re-watched that video dozens of times just so I could keep looking at them. I started off on Rowlet’s side of course, but once I realized he was getting all the attention and ol Popplio was getting basically none, I changed my allegiance and stayed there to this day. Ignoring the fact that I don’t really like any of the final evolutions enough to actually use them in game, I LOVE Popplio himself. It’s seriously a shame that he didn’t become some clown seal like everyone was speculating. Unlike how it seems, I really, really like “normal” clown characters (as in, not “horror” clowns), so he could’ve easily become one of my favorites in that case. Decidueye is definitely my favorite of the final forms, and Incineroar I think is still underrated. Sure, whatever, he’s bipedal, and it’s weirder than it otherwise would be, but for some reason I love how his mouth was an actual modeled mouth and not just an image slapped on there like most Pokemon. It really made him more expressive than the average Pokemon. Plus, the animation for Darkest Lariat is really cool, with his hands flashing against a flat back background for a second before actually doing the move. Even better, it’s great meme potential when hacked onto other Pokemon, like Wailord.

I don’t remember if Solgaleo and Lunala were introduced in that first trailer too, but either way I love both of them. I was a bit more drawn to Solgaleo at first, but Lunala has since grown to be one of my favorite legendaries of all. The starry wings, golden rims, and white skeleton-y body are such a great combo. And yeah, sure, Solgaleo would’ve been more fitting as a fire type or whatever, but since stars form the heavy metals that make it onto planets it’s fine. I won’t accept that Lunala should’ve been a dark type, though. The Moon is a major embodiment of light in the night sky, so if anything it shouldn’t be related to darkness. As for Necrozma, I love his base form a lot. It’s such a strange look, especially how the back of his head is transparent. It’s the perfect “evil prism” pokemon. I really just wish Ultra Necrozma had more detail to him, though. He looks so flat for such a major figure in the games… At least he had a good battle and an even BETTER theme song, hot damn

Guess that’s a good transition to talk about the music, and I guess tangentially about Team Skull, since they were probably the best possible departure from the usual “Evil Team” formula. Them just being random hooligans causing trouble instead of a formal organization trying for world domination is a good change of pace, as pretty much everyone agrees… It wouldn’t have been so great if they didn’t at least try to incorporate rap/trap music into their themes. They’re probably the most music-oriented Team canonically speaking, so they’d have to have a great theme. Also, the idea that they feel left behind by the traditions of the Trials really makes sense, since something so important in their culture would definitely make someone feel left out if they couldn’t get through it. 

Other themes for the more calm situations, like Hau’oli City’s night theme, are also extremely good. I didn’t even realize how much I loved that track until I heard Insaneintherain’s cover of it. It almost sounds like something out of Steven Universe, for how pleasant it is (apart from the piano). Lillie’s theme still gives me the warm fuzzies every time I hear it, too. I don’t think a single game before this has ever done the credits so well, too. Apart from the fun artwork, the last shot of Lillie and the game’s legendary actually just kills me every time. She’s such an adorable, pure soul, it’s crazy to think that when she was first revealed, we thought she was the secret supervillain of the game, just because she looked kinda peeved in her official art. We weren’t far off, though, with the Aether Foundation and all. I love both the calm theme of the Paradise itself AND their evil battle theme. Even though one is obviously an evil theme, it does feel like it came from the same source. Same goes for Lusamine’s theme. I really love the Aether Foundation as a whole too, where we can now have “Good” Foundation archetypes to counter the Evil Team archetype. Plus, their designs all involve white with gold accents, which is basically my brand. I tried to design my own Aether outfit the instant I saw them, since I love their look so much. 

As for battle themes, I love how jazzy Galdion’s battle theme ended up. It made him so much more interesting than just a generic edgelord. The Elite Four’s battle theme might actually be the scariest theme to date for some reason, and yet all I can picture when listening to it is Acerola bobbing joyfully back and forth… Basically the same way, the Tapu battle theme is also pretty crazy, with tribal chants in the back of it. The Tapus are probably the coolest group of legendaries in the game, considering how unique they are, with their oddly wooden shells that represent animals. It really makes them feel like spirits brought about by the people of Alola themselves, instead of just some being that came out of nowhere. Probably the one theme that is the most nostalgic (yes, I know it was only 3 years ago, you can still feel nostalgia damnit) for me is the Kahuna battle theme. It was probably just some random comment on Youtube, but somewhere someone said that it was the perfect theme because it starts off intimidating, but quickly switches into a super fun melody, because ultimately, the Island Challenge is for fun. I just love that. I’m always looking for “Fun” stuff in pretty much everything, so I like a theme that represents that. Also, it’s just super catchy, and even expanded upon in Pokemon Masters. Let it be known that Hapu is the best Kahuna by the way. She cute. Also, watching her become the Kahuna is the best world building you could possibly muster up for this kind of setting. 

Of course, I’m intentionally leaving out a certain group…

You know what I think of when I think of Hawai’i? Pearly white sand beaches… Palm trees… Fruity drinks… oh, and let’s not forget fucking interdimensional aliens. 

The Ultra Beasts are the exact type of thing I’d want to insert into the Pokemon world, and that’s why I love them. They’re so weird in the best ways possible. When they were introduced in a trailer, I had the same reaction as I did with Type: Null. They put him up on the screen for a bit and was like “Haha here’s ‘Type: Null,’ okay next” like EXCUSE ME? YOU CAN’T JUST SHOW ME A POKEMON CALLED “Type: Null” AND NOT EXPLAIN WHAT’S GOING ON. Of course, that’s kind of what the games were for, but it was seriously a shock to the system to see Pokemon with code names instead of actual names. You also can’t convince me that Pheromosa wasn’t designed after Lusamine, and to a lesser extent that Xurkitree wasn’t designed after Guzma. I think it’s canon that Lusamine styled Lillie after Nihilego in her crazed state, but the uncanny likeness between those other two is pretty darn notable. I think from the first batch, Celesteela was my favorite of them all, being like a rusted copper rocket ship or something, who can even smack you with her two giant rockets. Also, Pokemon directly based on folktales are always welcome, no matter what. Meanwhile, with the Ultra games being the first sequels to introduce brand-new Pokemon, Blacephalon easily took top spot. I did say I liked clowns, didn’t I? Plus, the biggest evidence that he’s best boi is that in the anime when he appeared, he didn’t even try to attack anything. He just wanted to show off (specifically, believe it or not, by moonwalking… Whoever’s idea that was needs a raise). I also love detachable heads, which is a great idea to mix with clowns, and I guess also fireworks in this case… I just love him. I really hope that there will be future instances of Ultra Beasts, since it’s apparently super easy to just make them however the hell you want them, and since you’re not limited to a region’s natural environment. Lord knows whoever designed Buzzwole didn’t have any limitations. Exploring his, and really all of their worlds in USUM was extremely fun. It’s a damn shame Blacephalon and Stakataka (again, what a name) didn’t get the same privilege. 

As for the Pokemon as a whole, like I mentioned, off the top of my head I don’t feel super crazy about many of them, even though that’s a total lie. Shiinotic appealed to my inner mushroom-character-lover so much that I basically designed a character that looked identical to him. He’s easily the best mushroom Pokemon to date, where he looks pretty cute while also being just slightly creepy enough, with those souless eyes. The concept for Araquanid is amazing, where he’s a reverse Diving Bell spider. I might’ve designed him a bit differently, but he still looks super cool. The ideas behind Oranguru and Passimian are also cool, since we haven’t delved much into intelligent ape Pokemon enough. Wishiwashi is another great concept, and probably the best fish Pokemon in my opinion because of it. Lurantis and Minior are total cuties, the latter being one of those Pokemon that isn’t always in the forefront of my mind, but the instant it is it reclaims its place as one of my all-time favorites. Golisopod and Kommo-o are two of the coolest Pokemon designs to me, the latter being my all-time favorite Pseudo-Legendary. Vikavolt looks awesome, despite being deceptively slow. Dhelmise looks weird until you realize it’s actually insanely large (like, Wailord large). Mudsdale is just an all-around good-looking horse. Oricorio also looks really cool, especially in her fiery form. Tsareena is, well… Tsareena… That’s not even including the adorable Magearna and Marshadow, who are in generational limbo… Also, I think Mimikyu might be the overall best addition to the franchise ever. No Pika-clone could ever compare. 

I mean, specifically as far as a single Pokemon goes, Mimikyu is definitely the best addition to the franchise. Meanwhile, as far as concepts go, the absolutely HUGE idea of Regional Variants is the best addition. Again, I remember where I was when I heard the announcement: it was some sort of weird fantasy house, with a ton of cool details in it to make it look like a setting in some movie or something. It was awesome there, even if we were staying for only a night or so I think. Either way, the concept of different Pokemon adapting to different conditions in the region is the most perfect way to bring attention back to older Pokemon, and I’m so glad they seem to want to keep the idea for all future generations too. It’s especially fitting for Alola, since it’s a super remote island. I love how goofy Alolan Exeggutor is, especially because everyone else seems to love his goofiness too. Same sort of goes for Dugtrio, since his hair is actually based on a real thing… Marowak becoming a spiritual fire dancer is definitely the best possible iteration for him. My favorite might be the colorful Alolan Muk, though, even if Alolan Vulpix is infinitely cuter and better than fiery Vulpix in every way. I cannot be convinced otherwise.

Also, she’s a perfect fit for Lillie, so I guess I’ll use that as my transition into talking about the characters/anime. I’m just gonna be real with you. I’m not going to hold back. Alola has some of the cutest girls in the entire franchise. But first of all, let’s divert that train and instead lust after a man who is easily the hottest professor in the games yet, Kukui. What self-respecting researcher wouldn’t wear his professor-mandated lab coat without any undershirt? He needs his bulging abs as target practice for his Pokemon’s moves, people. He needs to let them breathe. Also, I was kind of enamoured with Sycamore before him, but you can’t deny the tinted skin gets to you a little. Burnet’s a lucky gal, let’s just say.

Okay, now that we’ve established that my pants don’t discriminate, we have to talk about Wicke. So now that that’s covered, can I just say I love Mina? I’d say she deserves more attention, but she was the only Alolan to make it into Lets Go for some reason, so I guess she’s well off? First of all, I love hippie-esque girls (idealized hippies, at least), so that’s a major plus… I mean, I should probably stop using the word “cute” altogether because it applies to every girl in the game, but yeah. Lana’s highly deserved spotlight in the anime made me love her too, where she was a perfect combination of extroverted while still more soft-spoken. I don’t know if that kind of characters’ an anime trope, but lord knows it’s not in western media, so I love how unique her personality is. Her interacting with Mallow and Lillie in cute, girly ways felt so wholesome. If the anime’s anything, it’s wholesome. 

One sec, though. I have to mention that I really like Hau. He’s obviously the one pinned as “Boo, he’s not a giga-asshole! That means he’s bad!” because I guess the fandom’s hive mind has collectively agreed that the only good rivals are assholes now. Like I said before, this stuff’s more about fun now. Hau’s a fun friend to fight, to the point where you beat him as the Champion you kinda feel bad for knocking him down so much. You feel bad because you like him, you know. Also, I forgot to mention this earlier but even though he isn’t entirely difficult himself, the trials in these games are actually both a difficult and interesting challenge. A 2v1 where you’re at the disadvantage is a great boss battle idea, especially with the strategies set out by a Pokemon’s different abilities and moves. Probably the best was Totem Lurantis, who of course summoned a Sunny Day-based Castform to activate her Chlorophyll and buff her Solar Blade, while adding a diverse fire type into play. It was really difficult, to be honest. Those who say it wasn’t either got lucky or have insane standards that cannot be met because they’re Pokemon Veterans who know every little thing about everything. I’m pretty much in that camp, and I still had to actually plan during the fight. Same goes for Totem Araquanid in USUM. I literally had to poison (not toxic, base poison) stall that guy because I couldn’t do anything to him otherwise. He was pretty much one-shotting everything I sent out, anyway, so I had to stall however I could. You can’t argue that that means it was “easy” because I knew how to beat him. It’s only “easy” if you can just send out pretty much whatever and do whatever and still win. Then there’s the Rainbow Rocket episode in USUM, which is just crazy… There’s not much to say that isn’t obvious there. It was fun seeing the villains that were victorious in a different dimension.

Anyways, for the anime, I also have a similar stance. It really seemed like the only people who started off hating it were anime nerds who had no concept of an in-between frame. I will say that it was a step down from XY/XYZ though, but those seasons’ quality was unusually high. Compared to the animation quality of every other season, it was so much better. First of all, I really don’t even like “anime style” that much, so a slightly more western style was very welcome. Like pretty much every show ever, the animation quality is seriously high where it counts, so there’s not much to be said about that, but I’d say the overall animation quality is a step up in general. The more simplified style only really looked weird in Ash because we’re so used to his more pointy style. Every other character looked totally fine, in my opinion. 

As for the story, I will say I would’ve wanted the scope of the plot to be much larger, like how with the other seasons Ash was going on an adventure, whereas here it was very contained, and centered around the Pokemon School. But, still, like I mentioned, I did enjoy the casual wholesomeness of it all. Not only do I just like mindless fun, but it made the crazy shit feel even crazier. The episode where Faba was trying to catch Nebby is a perfect example. It begins with a nice fun game of all the Pokemon and people jumping rope and having a good time, with some slapstick humor with Faba failing to capture Nebby. Then he does, and shit goes down. First of all, he’s torturing the little thing. Then, ASH (not his Pokemon, Ash himself) tackles Faba. Tell me, what other season had humans fighting other humans? I honestly can’t think of a single time when fighting was done with fists and not Pokemon (although surely I’m forgetting something, there’s gotta be at least one other example, right?) Then, Lillie re-experiences her past trauma of almost being abducted by Nihilego, except now her mom gets abducted in her place… Like, what happened? It was so cute a second ago. That’s always the selling point for any cartoon, for me. Stay casual for a decent amount, then break it with some uncharacteristically high tension. The same goes for the segment where Ash goes into Guzzlord’s post apocalyptic dimension. As for mega-feels, It’s great that they made Litten/Torracat an actual character instead of just some random Pokemon, with Stoutland and whatnot. The episode where they go into Tapu Fini’s mist and Mallow meets her mother, and Torracat meets Stoutland just destroyed me. It was strategically remedied by Lillie and Gladion not seeing their father, suggesting he’s still alive. There were some really great episodes in the season, for sure.

So, yeah… Alola was a good time. Don’t deny it. Galar’s gonna be great too. No game’s ever going to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.

[honeymoonjinmain]

BTS Reaction: you become their favorite artist

JIN

⎝ Tbh i wrote this one last because I really don’t know how jin would react at all

⎝ He’s such a crackhead and never seems to get too fanatic about other celebrities

⎝ I reckon he’d discover you first when you were performing at a variety show, and even though he had never heard the song before, he’d be bopping out like an absolute idiot and making namjoon so terribly embarrassed to be seen with him

⎝ Because you were becoming kind of a big deal, especially in asia, he saw you at a lot of award shows and similar events, and every time you played, no matter what song, he found himself grooving along, whipping out the most random dance moves

⎝ I think jin would just appreciate good honest entertainment and not really care about learning too much about you yourself

⎝ Jin doesn’t really have a favorite artist, just different songs that get him jamming

⎝ Sorry ladies and gents, he’s going to have five of your songs on his party playlist but that’s about it

YOONGI

⎝ You came up on his Spotify while he was playing a radio channel for another one of his favorite artists and he stopped what he was doing so he could listen to it again and then check out your other songs

⎝ He’s really shocked when he likes quite a few of your songs, not just the one, and he finds himself playing his favorite track of yours when he gets stuck in a creative rut in the studio

⎝ Yoongi knows what he’s about and you know the second he gets obsessed with your style, he’s going to start writing a possible collab song

⎝ I feel like he would want to have a song demo before he approached you so that he could convince you faster

⎝ Mayhaps he neglects his BTS and Agust D music while he’s working with you but that’s just because he’s so gosh darn  e x c I t e d about it

⎝ He would be more likely to write a seesaw style piece rather than a rap-focused one so that the two of you could have a more energetic stage when you performed it

⎝ From that point on, even if you don’t make music together, he’ll be messaging you at strange hours to ask for advice on beats and hooks

HOSEOK

⎝ Hobi seems like the person to always be actively searching for more music to listen to, so he probably comes across your music when he’s 3 hours deep into youtube’s recommended music videos

⎝ He likes your attitude and the vibe of your music, and while he moves on without listening to more of your stuff at first, the chorus gets stuck in his head, and he has to go digging through his history to find it again

⎝ For a long time, he just loves that one song, and plays it on repeat until he’s sick of it, but slowly he branches out into your other singles

⎝ Hoseok is a giver so he’s definitely nagging the other boys to listen to some of your stuff, shoving an earphone in Tae’s ear on the plane or singing out loud backstage before a concert

⎝ Mentions on a v-live that he’s been listening to a lot of your songs recently, and keeps humming the same parts over and over when he’s reading comments

⎝ Army tracks you down and tells you on twitter that he’s a fan, but you don’t really do anything about it until you run into bangtan during an award show and he completely fanboys out

⎝ He talks about how cool you are to his bandmates for the rest of the night

NAMJOON

⎝ My intellectual son loves watching lyric videos almost more than music videos because he loves being able to actually understand the lyrics and the meaning behind them

⎝ He comes across a mash-up of one of your songs with a track from mono and is curious as to why that particular song was chosen

⎝ He googles a lyric video and reads it over and over so that he’s sure he understands the English, then downloads it on his phone

⎝ One particularly powerful lyric gets stuck in his head and he tweets it out one day, and later on, translates it into Korean for Korean army on v-live so that he can gush about why he loves the lyric so much

⎝ He is pretty dedicated to exploring all your other songs to see if any others make him feel like that, and soon enough his Spotify feed and YouTube homepage are filled with your music

⎝ He doesn’t really share your music with the members at all, because he sort of likes keeping you as his secret, and will always plug in his headphones to play your albums from start to finish (so that he could appreciate them in their proper order) on long flights

⎝ It does frustrate him sometimes when he does choose to share a song or a lyric with another member and doesn’t feel like he’s doing the translation justice

⎝ He would love to collab with you but wants to keep his priority as BTS so he remains content with listening to the mash-up that one army made

JIMIN

⎝ Jimin hears your song play during an intermission at an award show, and it gets stuck in his head, but since the lyrics are in English, he can’t remember what they were to google the lyrics and find out the song

⎝ The general melody is all he has for a few years, then one day he’s in a café and that same song plays

⎝ He feels nostalgic and he’s in awe that the song has come back to him after all this time, so he asks namjoon if he can understand the lyrics

⎝ Namjoon types out some of the lyrics as he hears them and finds the most popular result on google is your first big hit

⎝ Jimin is excited when he’s finally back at home and can pull out his headphones and fully immerse himself in the song

⎝ He spends the next few hours going down a rabbit hole of all the music you’ve put out since then, and just about dies from joy when he sees you are releasing a new single in a few days

⎝ Turns out the single is one that you’re featuring on with a k-pop girl group, and so some of your lyrics are in Korean

⎝ As he’s been struggling to learn the words to your other songs, when the new single comes out, he tries to learn your part straight away, and it becomes his new favorite

⎝ He starts to watch all of your interviews that had Korean subtitles, and falls in love with your personality as well as your music

⎝ When he hears you’ll be performing live at a show he’s also doing, he is so excited he gets all hyper and jumpy, and whoops and cheers the loudest during your performance

⎝ He never really gets close with you because of the language barrier, but namjoon does help translate a short interaction between you two, so jimin can rest happy that at least you knew how much of a fan he was

TAEHYUNG

⎝ This soulful angel loves ballads, and he is always willing to memorize the English lyrics so he can sing along

⎝ You aren’t a massive star like he is, but you’ve gained enough of a following that many army stan you, and regularly comment on tae-s v-lives and tweets that he should cover your most recent single

⎝ He gets curious and listens to it, and immediately falls in love with how powerful it is

⎝ He spends a few nights going over and over the lyrics, then lowers it a few octaves to fit his register, and goes around singing to himself at every chance he gets

⎝ Tae almost always sings backstage before a concert, and while it’s usually BTS songs, the other members notice he’s been singing unfamiliar songs recently

⎝ They ask, and he’s only too happy to sing your song for them from finish to end, and once Hobi tells him he thinks it sounds beautiful, tae won’t shut up

⎝ He sings it for army on his next v-live, and as you’re an army, you are watching the v-live as he’s livestreaming it

⎝ You send him a comment, and the fans catch it, commenting wildly at tae until he takes notice, and then you and him exchange a little back and forth

⎝ He’s a little bashful that he was just singing your song in front of you, but you insist that it was beautiful

⎝ You start messaging him on kakao talk after that, and he decides to pull a leaf out of jungkook’s book and duet your song with you at a concert sometime

⎝ You, of course, return the favor by performing a slightly higher pitched version of singularity, and he just about melts in front of you as you’re singing

⎝ He is probably one of the only members that would keep close enough contact that a relationship would be possible (yoongi would keep in touch but value you more as a peer than a romantic partner) and having already seen your on-stage chemistry, most army are shipping you from the get-go

JUNGKOOK

⎝ Recently you featured on a Charlie puth track, and jungkook, being the fanboy he is, has already streamed the song just about a thousand times

⎝ At first, he doesn’t pay attention to your part at all, he’s all about the puth, but he finds himself singing your verse more than charlie’s part

⎝ After a while he checks out some of your other songs, not expecting much, but is pleasantly surprised at how catchy and well performed your songs are

⎝ It’s not long before he’s sending his bandmates your music videos so that he can gush about your dance moves, or screenshotting your selfies on twitter and making them his phone background. This bitch is a TOTAL fanboy I’ve said it once I’ll say it again

⎝ He’s not above messaging Charlie puth and asking about you and how you were to work with

⎝ He desperately wants your attention, even if just for a moment, because it feels so good having someone you’re a fan of acknowledge you exist, so he records himself rocking out to one of your songs and posts it on the official twitter account

⎝ A couple days later fans are tweeting him like crazy, and he’s tagged thousands of times in a video

⎝ It’s you at their most recent concert, rocking out to euphoria, even copying some of the moves he used in his video, so clearly, you’ve seen it

⎝ You see him along with the rest of bangtan in your audience during a concert, and you get a security guard to invite them backstage

⎝ You get to talking and hang out long enough for Jungkook to start treating you like an equal human being rather than some amazing celebrity, and from then on the two of you are always publicly supporting each other’s work and going to each other’s concerts

[princekunge]

Tagged by: @hunscatattoo thank you!!

nickname: Ash, some friends call me baobei (宝贝)

star sign: aquarius

height: 5ft, im so short

hogwarts house: slytherin 

last thing i googled: I googled a park near where I live, I don’t feel comfortable saying more than that for obvious reasons lol

song stuck in my head: Love Talk - WayV (gosh darn touch me tease me feel me up is too catchy)

following: 124

followers: its a number

amount of sleep i get: somewhere between 6 to 9 hours depending on the day

lucky number: 3

dream job:  teaching in China

wearing: grey yoga pants and a salmon pink t shirt from when I was a camp counselor 

favourite song: uhhhh right now its Boom - NCT Dream (let me take this moment to say that it is a crime that we never got a chinese vr of Boom)

instruments: I played clarinet in band one year. The only other instrument I play is my voice lol

random fact: I’m currently listening to ASMR and putting off doing homework

aesthetics: a light pink sunrise, a chilly autumn day, sticker covered phone case, the pages of a well worn journal covered in writing 

I tag: @xlazyunicornx @kuniversal @ncttrinities @jesusagrees @svnflowery 

[dani62001]

I was actually tagged in something

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, don’t cheat. Tag 10 (or however many) people.

Ok. I was tagged by the lovely @ralseiralsei for some odd reason but I'm honored nevertheless.

My 5 shows are:

1. Camp Camp

2. Animaniacs

3. Detective Conan

4. Boku No Hero Academia

5. (This one will shock some people) Johnny Test

Before I start I just wanted to state, don't judge my 5th choice. I liked the show and if you don't that's fine.

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

I love all the Warner sibs but I must pick my fellow middle child, Wakko.

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Is none an answer? I guess not. I'm going go with Jen since she has had the the least amount of screen time.

3. What is your favourite episode of 4?

The Stain episode. I love that moment when Izuku gets grabbed and Stain saves him and then that speech... OOF!

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

It's between Season 1 and 5 since I like the animation of Season 1 but Season 5 hosts my favorite episode. I'm going to go with Season 1 though since the humor in one was better.

5. Who is your favourite couple in 3?

Shinichi x Ran

6. Who is your favourite couple in 2?

Dot x Cuteness (There's really no couples in this show)

7. What is your favourite episode of 1?

"Parent's Day" is a very close second but my favorite episode is "Torso Takers".

8. What is your favourite episode of 5?

"The Return of Johnny Super Smarty Pants" is my favorite episode. Idk why honestly it's just one of the episodes I remember the best and can always go back to watch.

9. What is your favourite season of 2?

Is all seasons an answer? No? Well darn, then season 1. It's where we meet most of the main characters and the the best episodes and songs are placed. (*cough* Nations of the World *cough* Rob Paulsen is a god *cough*)

10. How long have you watched 1?

After Season 1 was aired and Season 2 was on its way. So I guess 3 years now? Idk, I'm bad with time management.

11. How did you become interested in 3?

It was a pure stroke of luck. I just finished reading Hyouka (Really good mystery/detective manga, go check it out) and I wanted another detective manga to read and Detective Conan happened to be the first one I found. Now I'm it's loyal slave waiting for the newest chapter.

12. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

My favorite voice actor is Daiki Yamashita. He just knows how to bring the character and he's just a beautiful bouncing boy. And his talk show is great.

13. Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

Don't make me choose between my new lover Camp Camp and my long life lover Animaniacs T^T.

I'm going have to go with Camp Camp since it still has more to give. (I'm sorry Animaniacs)

14. Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3?

3 because Detective Conan has like 1000+ episodes and chapters and like 25 movies so.....

15. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Bakugou because even though he was the worse in the first episode, he's still my favorite character for his complexity. Plus I'm pretty explosive myself.

16. Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

Definitely. I can totally see Shinichi being a junior detective along side Tsukauchi Naomasa and him being so into the All for One case because it has something to do with The Black Organization and he teams up with Deku to help him. Plus both are placed in Japan and have ass kicking love interests so they would work great together.

17. Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple.

Ok. Canon wise this ship is never going to happen, BUT THE MAXPRES ART IS SO CUTE AND THERE THIS ONE WHERE PRESTON GETS MAX ONTO MORE MODERN MUSICALS AND MAX IS JUST SPAMMING "MICHAEL IN THE BATHROOM" AND MAX WOULD SO RELATE TO JD AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

18. Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

I wouldn't say Johnny Test has a storyline so it got to go to Detective Conan. Though I always lose people when I try to explain it to them.

19. Which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

Animanicas hands down. The theme song is too catchy not to sing or remember and it's reminds me of the good old days of cartoons.

That's my take and since I don't really want to bother alot of people and I don't knkw alot of people on Tumblr. Here's my short list:

@askstarliner @spatziline @chococustard @ialison17 @fenkko @thatonegirrl16

[yopalonso]

Arle Nadja for Smash Bros. 3: Now it’s about content!

General reminder that I did two parts of this already.

Hey! It’s been a minute or two! That last Direct and Smash showcase was wild, wasn’t it! Banjo releasing that same day? Terry Bogard joining the roster? Nintendo confirming that there are more DLC characters on their way? A Sans Mii costume from Undertale AND Megalovania in Smash Bros.? WELL. I know I’m one month late to the celebration, but, hear me out: just before that Direct, I was legitimately giving up hope on the Arle dream. In my mind, I was “well, we only have two more slots, this ride was fun while it lasted, but this is as far as I go with this”, only to have Sakurai himself stretch out his hand of hope to me while I was deep into my desperation hole. It was insane.

Which got my idea noggin working back again! I wasn’t ready to talk about what I thought in terms of content for Arle’s bundle, but here we are! This will be all about what content she brings into Smash Bros.!

This last post is a two-part, since talking about the Spirits alone would require even more work, so that’ll be in part 4.

Número 1: Stage!

Over at the Arle for Smash Discord server, we’ve discussed which stage should fit Arle’s inclusion the best, and I’ve railed it down to three options: Primp Town, Pwurp Island, and the Dark Prince Castle.

And it was a no-brainer for me: it had to be this one.

The Dark Prince Castle! Out of all the locations in the Puyo world, I cannot say there’s a place that’s just as iconic as this one. Appearing ever since Puyo Puyo 2, and making appearances in different forms throughout the series, the Dark Prince Castle makes for a perfect stage!

Its main shape would be that of a centered tower, much like Kalos Pokémon League’s center platform. The main gimmick of this stage would be “rising floors”: the center of the stage would take you higher into the tower’s different floors for plenty of possible cameos! Lower floors could contain minor characters, middle levels could make some more recognizable faces pop up, and finally, the last floor, could be a reference to Puyo SUN’s last stage, with the Dark Prince himself waiting for you at the highest floor. Sometimes, even, with tropical clothing! The possibilities are endless!

Each floor would also have different platform layouts, to make them differentiate from the lower levels. The central platform itself could also gradually become smaller the higher the stage rises. But the risk of this stage itself is the characters in the background! Y’see, there’s this thing called Puyo Battles, that end up releasing Garbage Puyo that falls on the opponent’s field. Or in this case, the stage itself! From the top, Garbage Puyo could drop at any minute, so you’d have to be on your toes!

While playing this stage in Hazardless, you’d only fight on the lowest floor, and no Garbage Puyo would drop during a match. Character cameos could still pop up here and there, though. As for which would those be, well, you’ll have to wait for that.

Número 2: The music!

Can you quote yourself? ‘Cause I’m about to quote myself. Back in June, the #ArleForSmash Twitter account asked about which music tracks we would include in the game, had we the chance to do so. My answer shall now be complemented to coincide with the amount of music tracks the other Fighters Pass characters have received with their inclusions.

Originally, I only went with five (since that’s what the challenge was about), but now, I’ll go as far as listing 10 tracks, and that’s me doing some good ol’ wishful thinking! All listed tracks can be heard through the provided YouTube links over each of its names.

NORMAL MODE (Puyo Puyo Sun) [see description]

I like to think this is Arle’s character theme, and not so, well, that other song with the giant name. Puyo Hell, even Chronicle included a pretty darn good remix of this song that also used Pocket SUN’s higher pitch in one section. It’s that good. For this version, though? We could maybe ask for some sick instrumentalization by the mad lad Jun Senoue, maybe the rock masters of ACE+, or have someone new deliver a fresh tune into this song, like Tee Lopes, Toby Fox, or maybe even Grant Kirkhope! The sky is green, there are no rules anymore!

This is also the song I thought of first when I wondered which theme would play in her reveal trailer. And I’ll stick to that until the end.

Theme of Puyo Puyo (Puyo Puyo series) [see description]

What, you really thought I’d forget about Arle’s titular theme from her first game on purpose? Why, the nerve! ”A Long-awaited Spacetime Journey!”, aka.: “Theme of Puyo Puyo”! Of course it should be included in the game! Now, as for which version, well, I referenced the one that’s been in the game since Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary since it sounds fantastic, but here I was thinking that it could maybe be remixed into something more! Who knows?

Request from Puyo Puyo (Puyo Puyo) [ver. Fever☆Two]

Keeping on with themes from the original Puyo Puyo, we have this one, also known as Sticker of Puyo Puyo. This version, specifically, hails from Puyo Puyo Fever☆Two, and it’s so good of a remix, it’s pretty darn iconic! Included ever since, even! So, why not, let’s just include it as well!

Final of Puyo Puyo (Puyo Puyo) [ver. 15th Anniversary]

Whoever tells me there’s a better, more epic version of this song can head into my Twitter DMs for a healthy discussion, because I think otherwise: “Advent of Primp! Dark Prince”, or more commonly known as “Final of Puyo Puyo”. For me, this version is the ultimate one, one that deserves to be completely untouched in Smash Bros. for sure.

Area A (Puyo Puyo 2) [Original]

BUT IF WE WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT ICONIC, THEN AREA A, OF COURSE! This song would go terribly with Smash Bros., and that’s in itself what makes it so hecking great! Imagine connecting one sick KO to this track, this is how true fighting games should sound like.

Puyo Puyo FUNderworld! (Puyo Puyo Fever) [Original]

Hoo-wee, I love Puyo Puyo Fever’s aesthetic and music. But its first battle theme is quite mellow, and the Area A remix is so loud. But, this one? This one is fantastic, it’s frantic, it’s perfect for Smash Bros.! Puyo Chronicle also had fun with this song and remixed it to make it the standard boss battle theme, too!

Ready for Fever Mode! (Puyo Puyo Fever series) [see description]

I’m that kind of person who prefers the Fever Mode songs from all games. Since I can’t pick a favorite, why not compile them all into one track for one seizure-inducing mashup!

Dark Arle’s Insanity (Puyo Puyo 7) [Original]

I don’t think I could’ve included another theme that had “Arle” in the title that wasn’t this one, honestly. It’s one of the best, most iconic tracks in Puyo Puyo 7, and it uses cues from Last Decisive Battle from Puyo Puyo~n, too, so it’s a double win for me!

The Puyo Puyo Song - In-Game Version (Puyo Puyo!!) [Original]

Of course, I couldn’t just forget about Ringo! The Puyo Puyo Song is such a catchy tune from Puyo Puyo 7, and her theme in 20th Anniversary, a rendition to this track, is honestly fantastic. Hectic, frantic, but also epic and memorable! Uki uki, waku waku! Doki doki, hara hara~!

Double Trouble Finale! (Puyo Puyo!!) [Original]

I had to narrow down the epic final boss-like themes of Puyo Puyo as a series down to this one because I think something like this, playing in Smash Bros., fits the setting completely. Even more than Puyo 7′s final boss theme.

Songs that I would consider but are maybe too obscure only include Zako Battle from Madou Monogatari Saturn, because it’s just that good, but unfortunately way too short.

Lastly, since I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t explain the following: why I didn’t go for songs like Last from Puyo Puyo 2, Ultimate Legend of the Untrained Demon King, Crimson Wave!, Dimension Stage ~ Decisive Battle, or Domination, to name a few. While I do know that most Puyo Puyo fans know these songs by heart, that’s exactly the deal. I wanted to go for the most iconic tracks of the series, while also choosing the most recognizable, ones that people could quickly associate with Puyo Puyo, even if they only played a couple minutes of it. Filling the list up with only final boss themes would be sick, but alas, I decided against it.

Número 3: Spirit Battles... for next part!

... Yeah, this is where our little oddysey ends for today. I’ll come back to it with the finale when I have the chance.

Major thanks once again to the #ArleForSmash Twitter account, and to the people of the #ArleForSmash Discord server.

And, completely unexpected thanks to Apple, of all things, for having the names of the songs translated into proper phrases. Seriously, “It’s been a long time since we passed through space time!”, who approved this. “A Long-awaited Spacetime Journey!”, now that’s one hecking title.

Did you know? Of course I know his original name is Satan. But Dark Prince is so iconic, I just can’t call him any other way. It’s as simple as that. Did you also know that the Dark Prince was voiced in English by Smash Ultimate’s announcer, Xander Mobus, who also voices Joker from Persona 5? You can no longer unhear Dark Prince saying “Ravage them!” now. You’re welcome.

©SEGA. 2019.

[miraculousmidnightreviews]

1989: A Classic

Album: 1989

Artist: Taylor Swift

Rating: 4/5 stars

1989 has been the most successful album of Swift’s career, both commercially and otherwise. It was her entrance into the pop genre, her breakthrough hit that made her even more renowned. (Hopefully, Lover will provide similar successes.) And it was also the album that transformed me into a major Taylor Swift fan. 

I remember watching the “Shake It Off” music video for the first time, and then playing it again. And again. After 1989 came out, I decided on a whim to just buy the entire album before having really heard any of the other songs. This was a considerable moment for me, given that I had never bought an entire album before then. But I did buy it, and I listened to all of its songs, falling in love with many of them. Like 1989 brought Swift into pop, it was also my ticket into the discography of Taylor Swift. 

The remarkable thing about 1989 (and probably just Taylor Swift) is that not just one or two but 8 out of the 16 songs on the album (including the deluxe singles) gained significant fanfare. Now, if I played a person on the street a song from this album, it’s more likely than not they have heard it before. 

1989 also marks a significant point in Swift’s songwriting: instead of focusing on just her relationships with others, this album showcases a more analytical and mature side to Swift’s songwriting abilities as she focuses on the media’s perception of her and how it affects her relationships. This theme is further explored in her later album, reputation. Additionally, 1989 is deceivingly upbeat. It’s purposefully made to garner attention and popularity, to gain hits with its catchy lyrics and synth-pop vibes. However, a closer listen to the lyrics on most songs from the album strips away the facade of carefree rhythms to reveal poignant songwriting and heartbreaking insight into Swift’s life under the media microscope. 

In anticipation of Lover coming out on Aug. 23, I will be reviewing each of Swift’s albums up until the forthcoming album’s release. I can’t wait to listen to new TS music, and I hope these reviews will provide a wistful and refreshing glance at past eras as we look forward to a brand new one.

Continue reading below for my review of each individual song.

1) Welcome to New York

Rating: 4/5 stars

Get pumped! (Is this a thing? Did I just make this up?)

A fully inspired love letter to New York City. Clearly heartfelt and filled with awestruck wonderment.

“You can want who you want. Girls and girls and boys and boys.” A subtle nod to the LGBTQ+ community and proof of Swift’s overlooked support.

2) Blank Space

5/5 stars

THE SATIRE

A classic example of Swift’s impeccable lyricism.

I love how she’s taking everything a step further on this album: criticizes the media for believing she enters relationships for materialistic gains. (bro, she’s fucking rich.) And mocks the public perceptions that she begins relationships knowing they will end poorly, making for a new hit single.

LOVE the music video

“Cause darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

3) Style

Rating: 5/5 stars

James Dean reference! AHHHHHHH

In love with the nuance—”I’ve been there too a few times.”

The beginnings of Sexy!Taylor—”tight little skirt,” “he’s taking off this coat”

4) Out of the Woods

Rating: 4/5 stars

Not the biggest fan of this chorus, but I do love how Swift uses repetition to express her anxiety in songs (See “Delicate”).

The polaroid mention not only matches the vibe of this album and its cover but also gives this song a dated yet new feel.

“We moved the furniture so we could dance.”—Swift portrays dancing in a positive light, offsetting apprehensive tone.

“The monsters turned out to be just trees.”—Best. Line. In. The. Entire. Song.

5) All You Had To Do Was Stay

Rating: 3/5 stars

Another perfect example of this album’s timeless, lighthearted facade. Upbeat melody about the depressing reality of one who can’t commit to a relationship.

Not a huge fan of this song, but I enjoy the back story about how the haunting echo of “stay” in the background came to Swift in a dream.

6) Shake It Off

Rating: 5/5 stars

YESSSS THE BOP THAT MAKES EVERYONE (EVEN THOSE WHO AREN’T SWIFT FANS) GO WILD WHEN IT PLAYS!!!!!! 

The verses are simple but perfect to sing along to!!! Also, I love how this is her response to: “she doesn’t write her own songs;” “She’s a serial dater;” “She draws too much attention to herself at award shows.”

HEY HEY HEY

“Just think while you been getting down with the LIARS and the DIRTY, DIRTY CHEATS of the world.”

OH MY GOD

Hella good hair

7) I Wish You Would

Rating: 4/5 stars

This is one of those rare gems that you can only find if you listen to an album in its entirety.

Once again, this song continues the theme of on-and-off-again relationships on 1989.

The chorus is so darn cute. Just cute and makes me smile every time I listen.

8) Bad Blood

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Ah the times I played this on repeat before “...Ready For It?,” LWYMMD, and IDSB existed. This song is definitely LWYMMD’s little sister.

The beginnings of Hardcore!Taylor.

LOVE LOVE the music video. Did she start the phenomenon of celebrity cameos in music videos? I think she did.

“Still got scars on my back from your knife.”

HEY—a war cry!

“Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.”—completely adore her voice during this bridge!

9) Wildest Dreams

Rating: 5/5 stars

Her heartbeat as the background music!

I adore the breathy quality of her voice in this song!

“No one has to know what we do. His hands are in my hair. His clothes are in my room.”—Sexy!Taylor back at again.

Lana Del Rey vibes all over

In a way, this song, along with the majority of the album, unknowingly foreshadows the media circus that became Swift’s life during this era of her music.

TANGLED UP WITH YOU ALL NIGHT, BURNING IT DOWN!!!!

10) How You Get the Girl

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Catchy and cute!

I don’t really have much to say about this song.

I can imagine this playing in some rom-com right as the couple gets back together.

The switch from third person to first person at the bridge conveys a new level of vulnerability.

11) This Love

Rating: 2/5 stars

This is probably my least favorite song on the album. A definite skip for me. Of course, I still can’t help but sing along with the chorus whenever it plays.

I admire the concept of it, though: how love has its ups and downs but it’s still love.

12) I Know Places

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

THE RECORDER CLICK!!!

Just like “I Wish You Would,” this song is another gem that I found after playing the album on repeat.

Media! Circus!

LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS ALL THE DAMN TIME—a tongue twister

13) Clean

Rating: 5/5 stars

A great way to end the album!!!

I love how this can be a metaphor for many things, not just a relationship. (mental illness, addiction, etc.)

Just as the title describes, I feel so cleansed and calmed after listening to this song.

“The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing.”—Wow, that hit real hard.

This bridge!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this review! Check out other reviews here!