#the storytelling and the builds were some of my favourite ever tbh. and i still miss the Coliny

[light-glue-blazed-terracotta]

cannot describe the depth of my joy when i saw this skin again. new life chillager martyn your flame burned bright and every day without you is like a night without stars i miss you and think of you often

[decepti-thots]

Thoughts on Optimus?

Ooooh.

Franchise wide, I can find Optimus kind of... frustrating? Because over time, the role they've allowed him to play has felt like it's been constantly fighting against Iconic Pop Culture status slash a kind of official flanderization. It's not a new observation to observe that since his original movie death, there's been a tendency to cast him in the role of infallible but shallow Hero TM in a way that can be very limiting and dull.

On the other hand, I think more incarnations have at least attempted to push back against that than people (me 100% included) always give credit for. TBH, I think the fact the TFP version of the character went so hard on that and was for so long the 'default' modern fandom for TF kind of gave a skewed interpretation of it. With more distance and TFP no longer being 'the' TF continuity we all default to, I think it seems less egregious than it once did.

Anyway. Here are some completely and absolutely subjective and deeply biased opinions on various Optimi across the board:

G1 cartoon s1 and s2: extremely fun. Absolutely Dad energy in the actual sense of Dads Are Fun To Be Around. We all know this, the man has sick dunks, etc etc.

G1 Marvel: I know very little Marvel. Furman's take always seemed kinda bland tho. Like the State Games backstory in that one prose story that wound up inspiring all the later Gladiator stuff however, that's interesting, I would love to see that come back for OP some time as well as the influence it's had on Megs tbh.

Unicron Trilogy, by which I mean Armada bc I don't care about the other two as much: kind of my favourite 'post movie Hero TM' OP take. He's nice. I would hug that guy.

TFA: my favourite Optimus, easy. Genuinely think TFA's pushback on the above is the most inspired take the franchise ever had. He's great because as just his own character in this show in isolation, he's a really appealing archetype that fits the tone TFA goes for fantastically and who is played off in a really fun way, with David Kaye giving a great performance. But even better in the context of being a big ol' TF nerd because the underlying concept if you know to look for it being 'what if Orion Pax never became Optimus Prime, conceptually speaking, but he was still the main character' is just a GREAT idea for a reimagining.

Bayverse: would be way more interesting if the movies acknowledged what a terrifying bastard he winds up.

TFP: fun to take an alternative reading on in a fandom context, but IMO the worst offender re: the above in the actual canon. I like playing around with him being 100% Serious All The Time Bc Prime in terms of like, why he's like that as a person, but in the actual show, it's played basically completely straight and I find it really ehhh. Feels like they were building to an arc in s2 I suspect was cut off by behind the scenes meddling for s3, which is a shame. Wish they'd done more with the Orion Pax arc in particular.

IDW: starts off an absolute infamous mess for ages in the sense that it's the worst possible take on Big Damn Hero TM Optimus imo: a take that looks at it through a really immature and narrow idea of what a Big Damn Hero should be. Kind of like Bayverse in that it makes a lot of underlying assumptions about what makes a big action hero character appealing that turn out to actually mostly make him come across as just an asshole. However, phase 2 made the ballsy decision to not try and soft retcon that out and just write him 'better' but instead take all that at-face-value stuff and actually make it into something you could examine and do something with, and I am forever impressed that they somehow actually just about succeeded at that. That was a much riskier decision than just 'fixing' the dumb bits of phase 1, and while it's not always 100%, it paid off IMO, in ways that resulted in storytelling opportunities that I don't think will ever crop up in the franchise again.

Cyberverse: I like him a lot. A very good compromise of the now-iconic stoic hero characterisation with the idea he should still be appealing by making him not necessarily the original G1 style OP, but instead layering on him being earnest and a little awkward underneath the speeches, so it's less pure noble stoicism and more being kind of a nerd when he's not in leader mode. Deserved that happy ending.

[insomniac-arrest]

What are some of your favourite Ghibli movies?

Almost all of them!! I love Ghibli movies so, so much, they were my first big awakening into film and media that really connected with me. The themes, artistry, and storytelling is enchanting. Plus, the gender dynamics of every single film is refreshing and endearing. I want to live there.

My personal favorite three are:

3. Spirited Away

A classic story, absolutely breathtaking, all Ghibli movies have a next-level aesthetic but as far as the world’s look this one has to be my favorite. The setting is endlessly engaging and something you can get absolutely lost in (as you do). The story is so unique as well and a truly lovely journey of the self. We love 12 year-olds girls going on coming-of-age magical adventures!

2. Kiki’s Delivery Service

I rewatched this one recently so that might be part of why it’s here, but I am a sucker for any storyline with a witch. Probably some of my favorite urban fantasy depictions out there! The combinations of both magic, flying machines, and the mundane is just something you don’t see as often.

The story is much slower than some of the other works and with much lower stakes, but there’s something very soothing about it. It speaks to me as an artist and just in general tbh.

1. Princess Mononoke 

Do you ever have a movie that’s “your movie”? I saw this film when I was around 12 and it terrified my friends but I genuinely had never felt more connected with something in my life. San in particular was an inspiration because I had never seen a heroine like her before-- unapologetically existing as something angry and dangerous and different. It also has some of my favorite themes.

Miyazaki has done plenty of themes of environmentalism and the value of the nature. I agree with every single one of them, but I think Princess Mononoke makes the point in the most elegant and articulate way. There’s a little more nuance to it then say Nausicaa, and so many competing sides that you connect with that it as a reasonable picture of the world. Of course, it then presents the call to action that says even if the world is complex we can still do it better, and must.

It also has some of the best cinematic pacing of not just a Ghibli films, but all films. If you study the act structure it’s basically perfect in terms of storytelling building-blocks and just *chef’s kiss*. Don’t even get me started on the character foils or the musical score, we’ll be here all night.

Honorable mentions: I also enjoy Howl’s Moving Castle (of course), Castle in the Sky, and Whisper of the Heart. But I might as well list all of them at that point!

Haha, anyway, Ghibli is something I am deeply in love with as person, and will probably remain in love with for the rest of my life.

[paynnincorporated]

Ask meme: 5, 6, 7 :)

Hehe. Some of these answers won't surprise you in the least lmao. Long long answers ahead if anyone cares to read X3

5. Least favourite moment and why

I have several, but I think they can all be summarised as "lost character potential moments". I think my least favourite moment is Kitt's treatment in Slithercorp (and overall). She's quite literally set up to fail against Artha, and is made to accept it in this very episode :') Kitt deserved better, and after scrapping the love interest route the writers were definitely fumbling to do anything with her. Runner ups to this are: Pyrrah's track record lol. Supposedly the leader of the crew with the cleanest record yet she hastily scraps her integrity for power/greed. Other one is Word mag clawing Moordryd, his verbal abuse and general uncaring of throwing Moord into dangerous scenarios (Really? Sending him without protection into the shadow track after talking about your beloved dead wife???). It irks me that the direction the series was going was that Moord and his dad might reconcile with Armeggadon's arrival, but the way his character is made to be so plainly vile to Moord is so frustrating. (Lol I was a Word Paynn Hater until fairly recently, if you would believe it X3) 6. Do you ship any pairings?

Psft. My whole blog is largely dedicated to Word/Zulay, because it's ripe with storytelling possibility! Partners in crime, till death do they part, leaving the one left behind with survivor's guilt that he channels into unhealthy obsession to succeed in her memory???? Ooft. Plus, I get to have fun with fleshing out life in all levels of Dragon City. It kills me when I think of Word meeting Zulay in his lowest moments (poor and struggling after his exile) and her helping him out. Then they build a whole tower from bottom up together only for her to die before their family even starts. It's almost tragically poetic.

I very rarely ship anything seriously, but I was moved and inspired enough by these two evil lovebirds to make an entire 2 minute long animatic of them to Clair De Lune. So yeah. Beautiful but terrible tragedy is how I love describing them. Other pairings I ship... I'm not too big on any tbh! Possibly Cain/Moordryd, Artha/Moordryd, Parm/Artha? Connor/Word is another fascinating one, I'd love to see someone write an au where they're still besties and are BAMFs in stopping Meggy. Otherwise, toxic exes is fun too! It's fun because there's a lot of potential writing about how the Priesthood really affected them both (A cult like community training and indoctrinating children about war?? Oof.)

7. How'd you get into DB?

I watched it on Astro Ceria as a 6 or 7 year old, and it got me to draw my first ever fanart comic in a notebook. This led to me picking up drawing! I don't have anything from that time, but the character/shape designs (All largely Peter Detina's hard work!) were extremely influential to my style.

[yeoldontknow]

🖊writerly conversation tag

tagged by @j-pping to do this amazing interview/reflections tag. of course she put together one of the most amazing tags ever because she is brilliant. thank you for tagging me angel! 

questions below the cut!

2020

what was the most challenging part of writing this year?

gosh...i think for me the hardest bit was staying both motivated and inspired. a lot of my inspiration comes from being out in the world. im an introvert but i enjoy being out in the city around the noise and the people and the buildings on my own. the majority of my writing used to be done while riding the subway or on a weekend after id gone out somewhere. a lot of my fics are inspired by locations, and experiences within those locations. being inside for the majority of the year made it hard for me to remember how...people interact with or relate to the spaces around them. so i felt like a lot of the time staying inspired was coming from places within just me that felt inauthentic. i think my writing benefits from my ability to see multiple perspectives, so i felt like a lot of dialogue or writing itself was suffering just coming from me alone. it took a lot of work to ensure that it wasnt like that. 

and then, motivation was also so hard. the internet and the news and everything about america, the planet, the everything was unrelenting and draining. we as people were privy to so much trauma this year, to the collapse and fracture of communities, lives, governments. there were several weeks at the end of may and into june where i just...couldnt. i had no energy for anything. it happened again in november after the election and the windfall of it. energetic tensions were so high it just felt so hard to push out words when things were breaking everywhere. like there were more important things i needed to focus on, and healing was one of them.

what was the most enjoyable/rewarding part of writing this year?

i enjoyed the new community of writers/friends i found by writing for bts again. they challenged me and pushed me to better myself. @jamaisjoons is so inspirational in the way she generates community and encourages relationships between storytellers. doing the summer bucket list pushed me out of my hermit hole for camp nano, and i cranked out molotov cocktail and felt so proud of it. it mattered so much to me because it was the first long thing id written after a period of feeling deceased, and it was so enjoyable because there was a sense of community around it. its easy to forget how essential having a support system in your creative community is.

what piece has left the most impact on you and why?

probably ciperion. words cannot express how proud i am of that story and the direction its going in. i read it back sometimes and i realize that my writing was elevated because of that piece. tbh molotov was responsible for that lift, but ciperion was just a whole other tier. ive also never written anything like that story before and it felt so good exploring the themes of seafaring and pirates. 

what have you learned about yourself through the process of writing in the past year?

that i absolutely am someone who took for granted how inspiring the world is even if i see it as a stressor. but also that writing isnt necessarily about being inspired. its about pushing on when its hard. some of my best pieces came from that kind of push this year. 2020 felt like...a slog through most of it, but i kept pushing myself to write even when i was low and tired. i realized that some of my best writing comes from that push, when its not easy and when its difficult and i have to think harder. thats where i grow. 

how has your writing changed in the past year? how have you grown?

i think im more syntax and detailed focused than i used to be. lately ive been experimenting with making the act of reading feel like pleasure. my favourite books are the ones where i read a sentence, and im moved because it felt nice to read or it felt powerful. the sentence itself had power, not the image it was trying to convey. somehow separate, if that makes sense. theres a lot i need to learn before i could go off comfortably and try to write a book, and this is what ive been trying to master. my attention to detail has grown, and sometimes i think thats a detriment. i think sometimes im too detailed and i dont leave my reader enough power on their own. im still finding that balance, but i think im pleased right now with what im trying to push myself to master.

2021

ignoring your wips for a second, if you had all the time and energy in the world to write your magnum opus piece, what would it be about? why is that the dream story you’d write, all other things controlled for?

ive had two books in my mind forever. one was originally being written as a fanfic in a different fandom before i stopped and realized its too big and so much more important, and is worth being a book id like to write. if i wrote an opus like this it would actually be a book id submit to publishers but ~

- hundreds of years in the future, society has learned how to cure most diseases. for those we cannot, the sick person can be cryogenically frozen for a period of time until a cure is found. there is, however, a limit to the length of time they are frozen. no one has ever been frozen for over 100 years, and the main character is a scientist embarking on the experiment to do just that. it is, effectively, time travel. the main character is rash, selfish, sarcastic - not a very nice person; invested in their work and science and little else. they freeze themselves and wake up in the future. during their time in rehab they have to confront the horror theyve made of themselves, the horror people have made of the future, learn to be vulnerable. they end up falling in love with another scientist etc etc. theres so much more to this story and the world is enormous. one day ill revisit it

- a fictional play on orpheus in the underworld where a female main character’s brother was sold by their mother to the goddess of the underworld (helena instead of hades) for eternal youth. the gods all live in a hotel (the concept of this main thing is being used in elysian fields but its not remotely the same) after they were removed from the heavens. main character (ophelia) must gather several totems from the gods to prove her worth and survive her trip into the underworld to rescue him. id like to not focus on a woman finding romance, and instead a woman finding herself, her strength, her devotion to family, her power, and connecting with her history.

how do you want to grow in your writing this year?

this year id like to find balance, like i mentioned above, with my need for detail and my trust in my readers. the balance between detail and dialogue. i want to try to condense my writing again so not everything is a goddamn series. the ideas i have are huge and thats great but i need to remember how to parse things again, while still maintaining impact.

what’s one thing you’d wish to see in the fan-writing community this year?

i want more community, in general. as a multi fan, i see pockets in the kpop fandom where it exists and im well and truly aware that its recently become incredibly hard to foster on the exo side. ill just say that. maybe i dont witness it or its happening amongst blogs i havent found or have not found me. i want to see less dialogue about ‘popular blogs,’ whatever that means; less focus on notes; less worries about statistics. i want people to remember that fandom is not about numbers, and the moment you make it about that is the moment you stop having fun. i want less fear from writers regarding sharing work they read and liked, less shame around it. i want to see more vocal communication for the things people like and don’t like, more engagement and more interaction. the concept of popular blogs is so ridiculous to me, because no one has any control over the metrics. no one has control over who follows them or reads their work except the person doing the actual reading. i want people to realize they hold so much power - a person with 10k notes has as much power as a person with 2 notes because sharing is what fosters community. i want this fandom to remember to share again.

name one new thing you want to try doing in your writing this year.

gosh i really love postmodernism in writing. think like mark z danielewski, who plays with the shapes of words or the act of holding a book - the physicality of it. id like to maybe write a choose your own adventure, or do something that encompasses multiple platforms. or even, more importantly, finish as still as sound and time runner. those are more reasonable goals. time runner actually is done, i just need to stop pressuring myself about it and edit it to get it up. asas, too, is largely done i just need to get my ass together. i have so many other ideas no one has ever seen i need to finish what ive started. thats a real goal.

tagging: @yehet-me-up @jamaisjoons @kyungseokie @jenmyeons @luffles424 @yoonia @shadowsremedy @chillingkoo @onherwings @inkedtae @ninibears-erigom @imdifferentshadesofpurple @readyplayerhobi @ditzymax @sugaurora @snackhobi @yeojaa @sahmfanficbts @xjoonchildx @johobi and anyone else who wants to do this. as always please only do so if comfortable or you want to!

[the-punforgiven]

Hey, total random question and you can ignore it if you want! But which rpg games you could recommend? I just want play something alone to pass time and have fun, distract myself of some things and for some reason I remembered of you lol

That's totally ok! Passing time alone to distract myself from things is what I do best lmao

I definitely recommend the Souls games, or at least Dark Souls' 1 and 3, I haven't played 2 yet because I'm a fake fan or something, but they're sort of an acquired taste and they're a little unorthodox in their storytelling and not really the best for people who like dialogue-heavy games. That being said, they're very good and building a character is very satisfying! I remember when I had finally built up enough strength and endurance to wield the Black Knight Greatsword in Dark Souls 1 and god it was a magical moment of exceptional power for me, managed to utterly annihilate a boss that was giving me lots of trouble with ease, and from then on I only barely ever has to use a shield either lmao (As opposed to Dark Souls 3, in which I used a shield for all of like 5 minutes before realizing that two-handed Big weapons were 100% better for my playstyle, and then beat the game a truly shameful number of times)

A lot of people say they're hard, tbh I've always found like, Crypt of the Necrodancer to be harder, as long as you pay attention and proceed with caution, you should be fine. Most of the enemies and traps can be spotted and outmaneuvered if you move carefully and peek around corners or just trial-and-error your way in until you've memorized where everything is

Great games, heavily reward strategy, still some of my all-time favourites ever, but not as great if you're a conversationalist I suppose (Also Artorias is hot)

.... Uhhh if you're gonna play them though please know that the game intends you to use death as a way to reflect on what went wrong, and will reward you greatly for doing what you can to avoid that happening again, throwing knives are your friends and are INSANELY good for luring Just One Guy over to pick off without having to fight a bunch of dudes at once!

Also uhhh there is an option to start your game in offline mode, I may recommend that if you want to play fully single-player

The only other RPGs that come to mind are the Dragon Age games, which I've only played a little of one of them, but I liked what I played? Also Fenris is hot

Also The Witcher 3, of which I haven't played but I've watched my beloved play it a bunch and it's a great game if you like dialogue-heavy games, will last a while, and honestly quite a joy to watch! Also Geralt is hot

Shifting time periods a couple hundred years forward I gotta recommend Bloodborne, it's basically the same as Dark Souls but Faster, without shields, and more stylishly horror-inspired, paying homage to a lot of classical and lovecraftian elements, and eschewing the psuedo-medieval fantasy setting for a more Victorian setting, taking place in a rad gothic town called Yharnam which is beset by, wait for it, a mysterious blood borne plague that turns people into beasts

Aside from the setting change pretty much everything I said about Dark Souls still applies to it though also the cainhurst crow is hot

Those are all that really come to mind off the top of my head, I feel like I should also add Mortal Shell, a very good Indie Game, it's very short with VERY little dialogue at all, but apparently I may be one of the only like 2 people on Tumblr who likes it lmao (also Eredrim is hot)

Anyway uhhh, hope this helped! And also like, don't be afraid to talk to me, I'm more than happy to help lmao

[shiredwarf]

aaaand it’s done - some parting thoughts that didn’t fit into the live blogging behind the cut, oh boy i’m mad :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

the writing is so bad. so freaking bad. like i wouldn’t have thought this level of bad writing was possible without consciously trying to be terrible. see what i’m angry about (and i’ve mentioned this earlier) is not where all of this is headed. i’m ok with mad queen dany. i’m ok with cersei and jaime dying together. both of that hurts but i’m ok with it because it could have made sense (and i believe it will in the books) but it makes no sense in the show. not the way it’s done. you can’t show us dany for 8 years with not a hint of madness and then expect us to believe she flips within one episode at the freaking sounds of bells. you have to build this up and they didn’t. they mentioned targaryen madness several times but nothing dany has ever done falls into that category and this is coming from someone who really is not a big dany fan. she fucked up plenty of times, she’s got nasty traits but nothing so far suggests she would spend 40 minutes roasting children. then there’s cersei and jaime. because believe it or not: i love cersei/jaime! it’s fucked up and toxic and horrible but they are my original got pairing. thing is though as the story goes on, especially in the books, they change and at some point they just don’t work together any more and THAT’S A GOOD THING! grrm as confirmed it for the books and the entire jaime arc in the past 8 years of the show has lead us to a point where the next logical conclusion would be being with brienne. that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love cersei anymore, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try and rescue her. and honestly, jaime killing cersei would be fucked in the show, especially if she’s pregnant. BUT THE SHOW DID NOT EXPLAIN A THING HERE! NO MOTIVATION! jaime’s just suddenly back with cersei and she’s just suddenly back with him and you’re just supposed to fill in the gaps like with so much else this season and it DOES NOT WORK. it’s sloppy. they’ve really, really messed this up with the whole SUBVERTING EXPECTATIONS! and i don’t get how that can happen. these people are experienced professionals and yet they forgot the key elements of storytelling! you can’t show one storyline consistently for years and then just go GOTCHA at the last minute. that’s not a plot twist, that’s bad writing! you can have plot twists that still follow a logical narrative (e.g. red wedding) but that requires work, that requires time and well-written dialogue so that you can go back afterwards and go “ohhhhhhhh!”. but apparently, that was too much so they just did a “whoopsy, we just all forgot about our character arcs” and then rocks fall and everyone dies

speaking of dying: i cannot get over how little i care about jaime and cersei dying. i always thought that would completely wreck me. those two together are stellar and heartbreaking and if you took that scene out of context and showed it to a younger, less bitter me, i’d be heartbroken. but all the shit they’ve pulled to get to this point has made me so numb. and that’s what will stick with me. not necessarily the bad plot or the abandoned storylines but the fact that they managed to make me care so little, that i barely felt a thing when my faves died...

What was the fucking point of Cersei’s baby???? Like it didn’t stop Jaime from leaving? It did nothing for Euron (he would have just kept trying anyway?). And it didn’t even matter to Jaime when he came back. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS DUMB SUBPLOT AND WHY DIDN’T THE BABY EVEN SHOW A TINY BIT AFTER WHAT? 4 MONTHS??? 

i am utterly terrified because lena’s body double did some work for season 8 and we haven’t seen it yet. i hope it was for a cut sex scene with euron but if they start episode 6 with dany dragging dead and naked cersei and jaime through the street i will riot

What was the fucking point of Brienne/Jaime. Like I’m so angry about this. So fucking angry. I’ve mentioned that both show and book were always pointing towards brienne/jaime being endgame even if one or both end up dying but you know what’s even worse than not getting that in the show? What they did to Brienne. She’s basically just his little sexual adventure now and I swear to god if they show her pregnant next week I will lose it!!!!! (and let’s also remember that brienne never once said his name without the titles. not once. i’m so mad) But even if they don’t, they’ve damaged her beyond repair! Not only did she start her journey crying over a man she loved now she also ends it that way? And this time it’s worse because Jaime actually loved her back and she got to experience what mutual affection can be like? Not to mention she’s now “tarnished” in the eyes of her peers because she’s no longer a virgin (expected of a high born lady like her) and the guy she slept with is the freaking Kingslayer! How will she ever live that down? That will follow her for the rest of her life and she won’t even have the secret knowledge that he loved her?! Like the show won’t address this because I guess by next week she will have simply forgotten that Jaime ever existed but realistically she’s now LITERALLY the Kingslayer’s whore from the early books. I cannot believe this.

Where’s Yara? I guess she was busy and she probably forgot about her brother. Reek who?

It honestly boggles my mind how this could happen.  The show has been shitty for years now and everyone with book knowledge or some investment in the asoiaf world knows that BUT casual viewers still enjoyed it! I would have still been able to enjoy it if it went on like season 7. Sure it had massive flaws but it was watchable. All they had to do was not destroy the world they’d built for 8 years. i didn’t expect an in-depth answer to the mythical aspects (though tbh they could have just freaking asked GRRM! maybe it wouldn’t have made it into the show but at least they would have known the context and it would have made more sense then. it’s so obvious that they literally don’t have a clue about what to do with the supernatural elements) so all they had to do is bring it to the finish line. Instead, they all but bulldozed every single character arc into the ground to (pre-) season 1 state?????????? and while i do get a certain satisfaction from seeing it all crash and burn and seeing reviews and casual viewers finally realize what a shitshow got is, it still breaks my heart because i care about these characters and that’s probably the only adaptation i’ll ever see. so i wanted them to succeed despite everything, i wanted something that was watchable. instead i got this. something that has ruined years of character growth within two episodes. how can you fuck up this badly?!

WHAT. IS. THE. FUCKING. POINT. OF. BRAN? What did he do? Why is he still here? Why should I care? What did he tell us that Sam couldn’t have found in a freaking book? What was all that “you need to help us in the war Jaime you’re important” bs about?! Jaime did fuck all?!

For all their “this is not a fairytale” and “SUBVERT EXPECTATION!” bullcrap you know what? This ending is utterly predictable. With the exception of Dany now (who will die next week) who’s still alive, that isn’t either a Stark or hasn’t been morally righteous and good from their very first appearance onwards?! No one. Every bad or morally grey character is dead? Even SANDOR HAD TO FREAKING DIE FOR HIS FREAKING REDEMPTION ARC. For a show that’s been trying to tell us for years that the world is full of complex people it sure looks like they only ones getting out of this fight are the original sympathetic heroes. 

House Lannister deserved better. SO MUCH BETTER. I know, I know I’m biased here but come ON! Cersei is a fantastic character and what did they do to her? Not only did they hand her back to some creepy dude who forced his way into her bed no she didn’t even get proper screen time this season. Lena is absolutely stunning and this is what they give her???? jaime’s arc had to potential to be absolutely groundbreaking. he went from the most hated guy in episode one to a fan favourite. his arc is tragic and beautiful and represents the conflicts at the very heart of got and YET HERE WE ARE.  i honestly dread to think what they will do to tyrion next week. but great job turning him into the character with the best lines into a clueless idiot and killing the one person he loved :))))))))))

[rachelratesmusic]

folklore

folklore: Taylor Swift’s first album to be labelled Alternative, her second genre change since country to pop, this time from pop to alternative, or folk, but we definitely still have that country story-telling flare that Taylor has always capitalised from over her approximately 14 year career.

And her second album to not be capitalised, after reputation. 

Track 1: the 1

First line of the album? “I’m doing good, I'm on some new shit.” Couldn’t think of a better lyric to start. New genre. New producer (Aaron Dessner of The National). New album. New Taylor. She’s doing good! Let’s go! 

Track 2: cardigan

The ~delicate~ piano and Dessner production continues from track 1 to track 2, but this time, sonically, there’s an eerie-ness that emphasizes this sadness in the song, which is set from the perspective of someone who has been heartbroken, which Taylor herself has described a teenage love triangle, who’s story is told this track, track 8 august, and track 14 betty. The metaphors in the lyrics tell the story so maturely and beautifully, kind of like this teenage girl is far beyond her years... Maybe someone fairly recently turned 30 and had a lot of life experience…? Maybe Taylor’s most beautifully written lead single ever… Actually not maybe - definitely.

Track 3: the last great american dynasty

Another piano intro… ok… this is definitely sonically cohesive so far.

Oh! An 808 beat now. I’m head nodding! Oh… and she’s still storytelling… nice, that’s why it is called folklore. We take a slight turn here in terms of the mood instrumentally, but not really in terms of the lyrics, or this album's case, the stories being told. The mostly staccato piano chords contrasting the legato guitar slide fills along with the 808 electronic drum beat create a sort of light, bouncy, exhilaration, but what cleverly stops this exhilaration is the word painting where a minor chord is used on top of the second last word of the chorus, which is the word “ruining”, as well as a string section rising in volume to introduce us to the bridge, which is the climax of the story and the highlight of the song. Because in the bridge Taylor does what Taylor does best, which is the contribution of her own story through the lyrics, and that’s a part of the reason why we’re all devoted listeners.

Track 4: exile (featuring Bon Iver)

tbh... I’d never heard any Bon Iver music before this... I know, I know, I’m sorry. So on first listen I was ~low key~ startled at his hella low voice. But this song has grown on me. It can easily be compared to The Last Time on Taylor’s Red from 2012 where she duets with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol but I prefer exile. What makes this song imo is when Bon Iver sings the word “CRyin’” around the 2 minute and 20 second mark, which again like the last track, the bridge of this song is what you’re waiting for as a listener to take you to new heights, where both vocalists deliver here, with Bon Iver ~nearly~ belting and Taylor being the opposite responder at more of a soft, tender volume, they both deliver the two different sides of the story in two different captivating ways.

Track 5: my tears ricochet

Look… I’ll be honest again… This is... MY FAVOURITE TRACK.

The standout part of this song is it’s whole buildup and the lyrics. ---(come on, we’re talking about a Taylor Swift track 5 here, historically we know it’s going to be a standout in the lyric department and Taylor herself has described every track 5 of each of her albums to be her saddest songs) Also historically, Taylor fans know that this section of her albums are where the best lyrics are kept. 

First track on this album to be produced by long time collaborator of Swift, Jack Antonoff, the track begins with vocal ‘ohs’ reminiscent for me, of Imogen Heap, where now I feel I have to mention when Taylor collaborated with her on Taylor’s standout track “Clean” on 1989 from 2014. While Heap’s work may be littered with vocoders and electronics, my tears ricochet is natural, and surrounds the listeners ears with panning and reverb like they’re in a room surrounded by echoing Taylors. Then she makes you feel like you have betrayed her with how far she lets in, both with her detailed lyrics and how she is singing with the pacing of the melody, stopping and starting.

The build up is really noticeable as the bridge starts and the thundering drums hammer home the idea that Taylor can’t go home and after all this building, she lets go on the words “stolen lullabies”, where you feel this sense of freedom when the backing vocals of the intro return before the last chorus and again, the outro of those surrounding vocals we know so well.

With lyrics like “and if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake?” and “you wear the same jewels that I gave you, as you bury me.” my tears ricochet easily triggers chills. (literal chills)

Track 6: mirrorball

And now… we have stepped into the past. The tone and picking of the electric guitar in the intro and first verse take me right back to the 70s… when I wasn’t alive…

Anyway, it’s another song about her personal struggles around fame and trying to “fit in” and stand out, which she encompasses so elegantly in the metaphor of being a shiny, shimmery disco mirrorball. 

And sorry, as much as I do love it… it is the one song I would skip if I had to… and sometimes it’s skipped by choice, which tells you it’s the weakest track on the album in my opinion, but not easy to live up to the previous track that is so intense, so it is nice to have a more chill take in music and lyrics, although the lyrics can be really thought provoking if you want them to be.

Side note: where are the drums in this song? To hear the kick drum I have to focus really hard, which can be a good thing if you’re looking for a chill song, like I said I was after my tears ricochet, but it’s not a good thing either...

Track 7: seven

Every single little detail of this song is so elegant. Aaron Dessner’s light touches on the piano and guitar as well as the accompanying string section are just guides for the vocals telling the story of the love shared between friends throughout childhood and how that love lasts, so long which Taylor describes so eloquently in my favourite lyric of the entire album, “passed down like folk songs, our love lasts so long.”

The slightly higher pitch and slightly hushed tone Taylor sings in as the song begins, is unlike anything she has sung before. It reminds me of her previous tracks “Sad Beautiful Tragic” from her fourth album Red from 2012 or “Safe and Sound'' from the The Hunger Games soundtrack, but those songs were hushed and low pitched. 

Where she sings like this is labelled as the first verse by Genius, where everyone gets the lyrics to songs nowadays, but how the two contrasting melodies are sung, to me the first section or melody seemed like the chorus the first few times I listened, but the second section or melody is also the closing melody and it would make the most sense the end on a chorus. While this may be confusing, at least it is a bit to me, I’m glad that Taylor has strayed away from the traditional pop structure in this track which is another reason why seven really stands out to me. 

Track 8: august

The third song to be produced by Antonoff, August is what I’m going to describe as a getaway song - and by that I mean there’s a certain urgency to the pacing because something wild is happening! Whether it’s robbing someone or something in “Getaway Car” from reputation (2017) or crying in the back of the car in Lover’s “Cruel Summer”, also both co-written and produced by Antonoff, August joins this exclusive club.

The chorus melody is pretty and bright - while it feels mature, at the same time it feels like I am hearing this story from a love struck teenager, which you’re supposed to as it’s a part of the teenager love triangle story Taylor has going through the album, with this being the point of view of the third person in the relationship.

August’s bridge is it’s invitation to my made up Getaway Song party, which is a very exclusive and elitist party. The urgency in the pacing to pump up the climax of the story she’s telling, is very much becoming a TS trademark, I’ll be very happy in the future to give out more invitations to the Getaway Song party.

Track 9: this is me trying

Not gonna lie… this is simply one of my favorites because I feel it! This is me trying dammit! At least I’m trying! But this is what Taylor Swift does best, when you have the same feelings or emotions as her, and she decides to express those emotions in song, you can feel like you’re not alone for a moment which can be freeing.

While not outstanding production wise, I feel I can let it pass, because I love Taylor’s storytelling and ability to depict the craving for wanting better of yourself and trying...

Track 10: illicit affairs

Where were these pre-pop Taylor acoustic guitars before on an album called folklore?! Taylor is a guitar girl and I need my pre-pop Taylor acoustic guitar instrumentals!

While the title clearly indicates the story’s substance, this track feels like it’s over in the blink of an eye, while yet again, the highlight of the track is the bridge. Personally, it’s my favourite of the album beating “my tears ricochet” and “august”. There’s just something about it’s steady beating progression and particularly the way she emphasises the words “kid” and “baby”. It draws you in to feel the pain of the story’s protagonist, as well as it makes you want to shout the lyrics to help the protagonist get some sort of justice.

Track 11: invisible string

The acoustic guitar continues, and I am overjoyed, but this time it’s different, where a muting technique is employed, with an accent on the highest pitch string, which isn’t muted to create a sort of release. While writing this description of the guitar, despite having already listened to the song a million times, I thought, the song is called Invisible String, a guitar has strings, and the muted are muted, or made to sound invisible? Nice word painting Taylor. It took me a second. (If it was even done on purpose.)

More on the actual “invisible string”, I love the metaphor of it which seems to be based on Chinese mythology’s “Red Thread of Fate”. Which you get a loose description of through the songs lyrics. Along with the previous track, “the 1”, “invisible string” sounds the most pop-like to me out of the entire album so far. This is because there is a clear difference between verse, chorus and bridge, where the chord pattern actually changes between each of the three. All of these things combined makes for one of my favourite tracks on the album. And lastly, how can I not mention the mentioning of her own song “Bad Blood” in the second verse? 

Track 12: mad woman

I can’t help but think this is the grown up version of The Man. In saying that however, I don’t mean at all that The Man is not good - it brings up serious issues in a very dignified way. 

But “mad woman” is a song all on her own with beautiful, but at the same time, dark instrumentation and lyrics that really make you think about what she's talking about, which is something slightly different to “The Man”. Whether it’s her core shaking lower register or her first use of an F bomb ever, it’s sure to catch your attention before she opens to the lyric “you made her like that”, and then the bridge, where I have probably mentioned before in this review, Taylor really opens up the story, while plainly stating, “you took everything from me.”

The sonic cohesion continues with the guitar in the back of chorus, very similar to TLGAD, which is peaking out as being a signature of Aaron production.

Track 13: epiphany

“Epiphany” stands out. In the best way, and if you’re a Taylor fan you’d expect it to, as track 13s have traditionally throughout her discography, being her lucky number. 

I’m not going to lie, this is the hardest song to describe and rate. Because it is so different, and honestly, that is why I really love it. Strung out vocals in the verse, contrasted with more staccato vocals in the chorus, the wide, elongated instrumentation, behind those vocals, it’s easy to depict some sort of battlefield scene in your head. Which actually links to it’s one thing in common with the other tracks in this album.

And what is the one thing in common with the other tracks in this album? It’s storytelling. And this story’s substance really makes you think, continuing the tradition from “mad woman”, but with a completely different storyline focusing on and drawing together the harsh events of 2020 and a past war where Swift has stated that the track was also inspired by her serving grandfather. 

Track 14: betty

“Betty” concludes the teenage love triangle trilogy of songs and stands out as one of the more pop-ier songs on the album. Like Bon Iver’s voice was a surprise on “exile”, the harmonica was a welcomed surprise on “betty”. 

There are two components to this song that make it a great one, those being it’s clear instrumentation, and it's clear story. Let’s start with story, where I already said that this is the final chapter to the teenage love triangle story, I believe this song doesn’t need an explanation, because, and this is the last time I speak about storytelling, this one song is like a good book and tells the story (one side of it, that’s where the other songs come in) from beginning to end. 

And then the instrumentation, which is just vocals and harmonica on top of a marvelous sea of all sorts of guitars, with the strumming acoustic keeping the beat, and electric swells. With this track being the only one that joins both Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff as producers, it’s not hard to imagine they’ve both just picked up guitars and added to Taylor’s charming story. 

In the ending where we see a key change and slight change from the chorus lyrics to tie up the happy ending to the story, “betty” cannot not be compared to Taylor’s 2008 hit “Love Story” where in the ending the lyrics are changed to sum up and fit the joy of a happy ending.

Track 15: peace

This track begins with a pulse, which Dessner has described as Bon Iver inspired. This pulse then flutters away and leads into more guitar, and by this stage you should know it’s what I’m waiting for - but it’s a bass guitar taking the lead ostinato or riff this time. Even better, because it’s unexpected, a punch in the guts, they say, like a harmonica on a post country Taylor Swift album? I need to stop going on about the harmonica, this album is called folklore.

While this track illustrates the love shared with that one person, it is no “Lover” (the song) or “Love Story”. It’s like this is the real life side, or the grown up side to real love, with statements like, “sit with you in the trenches” and that one question, “would it be enough if I could never give you peace?” I think it really demonstrates how far she’s come, along with that pulse soundscape , bass guitar and piano towards the end makes for an uncomplicated lead to Taylor’s most thought provoking lyrics in a romantic based song ever as well as being probably her most sophisticated song ever.

The devil really is in the details with Taylor’s music, which is both super comforting and complicated at the same time, with references to past songs, and I’m not even going to start to explain how Taylor is obsessed with leaving her fans easter eggs, but it’s kind of funny how this album had pretty much zero easter eggs in the lead up to it. Now I’m feeling comforted again. 

Track 16: hoax

Speaking of feeling comfortable - shh. I’m listening to “hoax”, sitting next to the fire burning in my fireplace, wrapped in a blanket, with snow falling ever so softly out my window. Nope, that’s just the image in my head I get from listening to “hoax”, I live in Australia where it doesn’t snow much. 

“hoax” is slightly lackluster dynamically for an album closer in Taylor’s discography, compared to Daylight from Lover or Clean from 1989 with New Years Day from reputation being the exception, which I also feel is slightly lackluster. Based on it’s soft sound, I’d prefer it wasn’t the album closer, even though it is lovely to feel so cozy as the album does close out. 

But besides that, it is a cozy sounding song with some not so cozy lyrics. Closing out softly, it’s another case of Taylor leaving possibly her best and most beautiful words for last, with lyrics such as, “Stood on the cliffside screaming give me a reason, your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in.”

3 Facts:

1. This is the first time ever that Taylor has had an explicit rated album and songs. So exciting.

2. Her first collaboration with Jack Antonoff was in 2013 when they created the song “Sweeter Than Fiction” for the film One Chance, and Taylor has since used Antonoff as a producer on every one of her albums.

3. Nobody knows for sure who William Bowery is. Who is William Bowery you ask? William Bowery is a co-writer of “exile” and “betty”. There is speculation… But no one knows...

To tie things up, Taylor delivered, this album is what a lot of people wanted, including myself. And what we wanted was a warm, acoustic, story focused album, which we got. But for me there is one thing missing, and I’m not exactly sure whether it is possible that it would fit on a flok-y warm album, but I miss Taylor’s pop catchy melody songwriting that we’ve all grown used to, where a hook would get stuck in your head for days. Not exactly folk-y, I know, but I miss it from Taylor. Not to take away from the fact at all that this is a very strong, solid album in her discography and a completely different weapon up her sleeve compared to her pop and country past.

My favourite tracks: my tears ricochet, seven, peace, this is me trying, illicit affairs, invisible string, epiphany

4.7/5 - it’s not perfect, but is it Taylor’s closest album to perfection? Possibly…

[puzzlingpeace]

about me

Thanks @rosewater7 & @holysweetcherryorchardtree for the tags!

1: Are you named after someone? First name is after Ayla from the Earth Children book series by Jean Auel. Middle name after my great grandmother..

2: When is the last time you cried? I don’t cry very often at all, but I admit I bawled like a little baby when my puppy was sick.

3: Do you like your handwriting? Some days. My penmanship seems to change depending on my mood.

4: What is your favorite lunch meat? Not a big fan of lunch meat, but I do like pulled pork.

5: Do you have kids? I do not.

6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? I think so. 

7: Do you use sarcasm? Almost as much as I use profanity.

8: Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.

9: Would you bungee jump? Shit. Idk. I’m terrified of heights, but I think if I had the chance, I’d do it. I’ve rappelled off a three story building, climbed a thirty foot wall, inched across a commando rope that was suspended thirty feet off the ground, & I ride roller coasters. I kind of hated all of it, but I have difficulty saying no to a new experience when it’s in front of me.

10: What is your favourite kind of cereal? Shredded wheat or King Vitamin.

11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Yes. 

12: Do you think you’re a strong person? Physically? Not right now. Mentally/emotionally? Yes.

13: What is your favorite ice cream flavour? Mint chocolate chip.

14: What is the first thing you notice about people? Eyes, unless they have some other distinctive feature.

15: Red or pink? Both, but probably a bit more red.

16: What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? I try not to dwell on this anymore. I’ll just say the various physical symptoms of my PCOS, because they’re frustrating as hell.

17: What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? Grey sweats, no shoes.

18: What was the last thing you ate? Girl Scout cookies. :D

19: What are you listening to right now? My puppy snoring.

20: If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Purple or black. Depends on the day. 

21: Favorite smell? Coffee or rain.

22: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? @cosmic-files-87 <3 

23: Favourite sport to watch? I don’t watch sports. 

24: Hair colour? Blonde.

25: Eye colour? Hazel.

26: Do you wear contacts? No. I’m supposed to wear glasses, but nah.

28: Scary movies or comedy? I love comedy, but I still choose scary. Horror is my jam.

29: Last movie you watched? I re-watched The Heat with Melissa McCarthy & Sandra Bullock. Once again, almost pissed myself laughing.

30: What color of shirt are you wearing? Purple,

31: Summer or winter? SUMMER. I fucking despise cold weather.

32: Hugs or kisses? Both, please. In abundance.

33: What book are you currently reading? The Storyteller. ( @rosewater7 -- are you also reading the one by Jodi Picoult?! WE MUST DISCUSS.)

34: Who do you miss right now? My best friend & my ex-wife.

35: What is on your mouse pad? I don’t own a mouse pad.

36: What is the last TV program you watched? Bob’s Burgers. :P

37: What is the best sound? Thunderstorms, my cat purring, voices of people I love.

38: Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Beatles. But no disrespect to the Stones -- they’re the shit.

39: What is the furthest you have ever traveled? Cali or Jersey. Not sure which is further tbh, & I’m too lazy to look.

40: Do you have a special talent? Hmmm. Idk. I think I can rap when I’m drunk, but I promise that’s a lie.

41: Where were you born? Winston Salem, North Carolina.

I tag: @kateyes224 @xeleveneleven @crossedbeams @chileananderson

You’ve probably all been tagged so feel free to ignore. Also anyone who wants to do this should go ahead & consider themselves tagged. :)