#theres a lot of other different ways to interpret the song but that one's still one of my favorites...... lol

[lacecap]

song about something you'll never be forgiven for. beepbox link here, and a singalong under the read more :''-)

starting point "…so don't look back" i took your hand and led you astray into the light i fear i might have made a fatal mistake walk in a straight line walk in a straight line i couldn't ask i only hope that sinners are saved but in all honesty, my honor keeps me somewhat afraid walk in a straight line don't dare look behind ♫♫♫ i had a dream we tried to reach the finishing line but in the silence still the time we killed had come back to life walk in a straight line walk in a straight line the signs had merged into a single "end of the world" where every undead thing was damned to sing "esrever ni gnos a" walk in a straight line …tell me that you're fine ♫♫♫ walk in a straight line (walk in a straight line) don't dare look behind (don't dare look behind) tell me that you're fine (something that had died) you're still breathing right? (are you satisfied?) walk between the lines (how to save a life) don't dare look behind (change the ending line) reach the end this time (tell a little lie) bring me back to life… ♫♫♫ if i'd look back and held the hands that led me astray into the light i'd proudly cry "this is my final mistake" walk with me this time walk with me this time i should have asked i know the answer's somewhat cliché but was it worth the price and worth the pain? you're fading away— walk with me this time bring me back to life… if i'd look back… if i'd look back… if i'd look back… if i'd look back… if i'd look back… if you'd look--

[fishhjuice]

Ichiya :-/

me when theres so much shit i have to write down for this bitch why are you so multifaceted /lh

All There is to Know About Ichiya

Ichiya handles all the songwriting for the band, while Namida brings his melodies together, since he doesn't know how to read music or anything about music theory. He is said to just make up songs with his flashy riffs. [X]

He is said to have a sort of rock star charm, which his bandmates are drawn to, and the nature of a prodigy. [X]

Ikkan is said to be drawing out Ichiya's potential. [X]

However Ichiya he is said to have a temper and stated to be quite selfish also. [X]

This is also supported by the fact Ichiya and Ikkan seems to have gotten into an argument that turned physical and ended with them shooting at each other. [X]

It is said that the reason for the fight was creative differences. To expand upon this, in Ikkan's words, "Everyone around me was a yes-man, there was no tension in songwriting at all." and considering like i said, Ichiya handles ALL songwriting in SQSQ, it is very evident two came head to head.

It also seems to imply the other two, Mura and Nami indulged Ichiya and didn't seem to ever tell him no.

It can also be speculated he is somewhat stubborn, as the band fell apart with him and Ikkan refusing to show up to practice anymore. [X]

The phrasing of Beika's tweets when they talk about Ichiya seems to imply Ichiya being around 14 when he arrived to Inkopolis, after the end of middle school. (Which isn't impossible with Harmony being 14 during Splatoon 1 as well)

I should know- I went to middle school with him. He decided he was going to go to Inkopolis, and then after a little while, he told me that he had debuted with a band.

He likes taking walks as a hobby.[X]

He has a rival in the form of Mizole, which i talk a whole lot about in here [X]

It is stated by Splatoonbase that after Squid Squad, all members went their separate way and focused on their own projects, though we only saw Ikkan's project per se. [X]

It is speculated by public that during Front Roe, Ichiya (and the others) wanted people to see beyond their past popularity, and see what they are capable of now. [X] This is supported by the fact Front Roe does not perform SQSQ songs. [X]

Ichiya is the only one who doesn't have a new/different expression in Front Roe art, Murasaki seeming displeased and Namida looking somber. This could perhaps hint he himself has not changed that much since SQSQ days, unlike his bandmates. [X]

As for Beika/Ichiya stuff.

(If you somewhat didn't know, Beika alleges Now or Never was stolen.)

Beika and Ichiya are said to have gone to/finished same middle school, as alleged by Beika. (This is new information Beika reveals to public, as indicated by large reaction to that particular tweet being much greater than others. [X])

Not only that, according to Beika's allegations, Ichiya did contact Beika.

He decided he was going to go to Inkopolis, and then after a little while, he told me that he had debuted with a band. I tried listening to them just to find out that their sound was so soft that it made my ink churn.

Things seem to point towards inklings of truth in Beika's words. Front Roe are said to be avoiding Splatsville (which is coincidentally C-side's base of operations) for, reasons "unknown"[X]. However the fact Ichiya has his signature on the Hotlantis wall shows this aversion is a new development and may have coincided with a certain someone's rise to fame. If unrelated, why avoid Splatsville in the first place?

Front Roe is said to have not commented on the predicament, but the article alleges they must be furious [X].

And that is all.

(I have previously speculated Beika's allegations might be true in other posts, and I still am steadfast in my position. New things seem to point towards that direction, like Ichiya carrying the sole responsiblity of songwriting in SQSQ, and with him being selfish, so on and so such but again this is my interpretation)

So ye! Ty for your patience!

[reidsfavoritegirl]

I'm going to overexplain every song I put on Vera's playlist and why I put them on it

Even though nobody asked

This is gonna be a long ass post

I don't think anyone is actually going to read all of this

CW: suicidal ideation (passive suicidal ideation as well), the loss of loved ones/pets and the grieving process, alcoholism, dissociation, mentions of an ED, daddy issues?? Abandonment issues?? Vomiting??? I don't know guys she's just sad as hell

Notes:

I mention memories of her mother a lot; in most of those situations, the memories of military school also may apply

There is SO MUCH MITSKI she is NOT happy

I say self explanatory a lot here

Mitski - Class of 2013:

I think this one is pretty self explanatory, she misses her mom. "Mom, can you wash my back? This once, and then we can forget" her mom used to wash her back for her when she was little and when her childhood pet died, she misses the warmth and care in her touch. So yes pretty self explanatory but still makes me suffocate

Mitski - Door:

Okay so many people interpret this song as like something completely different from me but that's the joy of interpretation everybody is different!!!! This song is on her playlist because she's been chasing a part of herself (the part of her that longs to create connections with people) for so long. Here's a quick breakdown of it

"There is a door to me / I've never seen it / Sometimes I get closer to it / But I've never found it" self explanatory, the door is her need for connection and she never really got to fulfill that need

"At twilight, I almost had it / But then the night fell / I looked out at the dark and wondered / How could I have lost it?" There's like a parallel (probably the wrong word) to this; first, when she was fourteen ("at twilight") she almost got the connection she wanted and then her mom passed away yikes!! And second, there's been multiple times she's nearly formed a real connection (in her definition. To the others, she already has a real connection with them) with someone on the team only for them to get hurt soon after and so she always pushes that away again

I can't explain the second verse it's just it just makes sense to me

Mitski - A Horse Named Cold Air:

This song to me is about not being happy with the way that your life turned out which Vera very much is not

"A lake with no fish" a life without meaning. Something supposed to nurture but there is nothing to nurture, if that makes sense

The next three lines, "Is the heart of a horse named cold air", I don't have an interpretation on except for the idea that cold air = loneliness, depression in a way

"Who when young, would run, like a storm, they would say" when she was young her life was full. Not entirely full, because of course her dad's alcoholism and whatnot, but I think that just adds more to the "like a storm". In her case she barely remembers her childhood because she was put through so much that her mind simply pushed everything away to protect her (dissociation!!) from any more turmoil; which leads into the "they would say" because she only really would remember more about her childhood if somebody from that time was to talk to her about it

"I thought I'd traveled a long way but I had circled the same old sin" shes getting older and theres so much shes changed in her life yet its just not enough. Really thinking about it, she hasn't done really anything since fourteen that she would consider fulfilling. She doesn't feel like she's a better person than when she was fourteen "circled the same old sin"

Can you guys tell I think this is actually HER song

Faye Webster - Say It Now:

A lot of this song is pretty self explanatory lol

"If you're anything like me, you miss the chance to say what you mean" she is almost entirely incapable of speaking her mind nowadays purely because of it being conditioned out of her to have her own thoughts and feelings. So she never really opens up about how she feels about things and what she really means behind her words

"When you're lonesome and everyone forgets that you're there, all we do is sit patiently" she's often dead quiet when the team goes out for outings, like to the bar and whatnot so she's ignored a lot of the time and she just sits there until theyre leaving

"well the worst is when someone talks, in response you say nothing at all / you're expected to solve all of their pain, you just want them to back off" self explanatory

Faye Webster - Alone Again:

Also pretty self explanatory but y'know 😚

"Alone again / I could see somebody comin' a mile in / I've lost so much more than I'll admit / so I'm just sittin' here, alone again" self explanatory...SORRY I KEEP SAYING THAT. Fayes music doesn't leave a lot to interpretation (/pos!!!!!)

"maybe I'll visit my dad this weekend" you kinda can't babes he literally disappeared after you graduated

"My mind's empty as the room I'm sleeping in" she doesn't decorate her penthouse at all. She only decorates it with photos of her mom here and there and that's it. She doesn't keep any of the photos in her room because she can't bear to look at them

"I'm talking to my dog, just crying" except it's her cat

The rest is.. can you guess it

Self explanatory

Mitski - Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart:

Now I know this song is more so about love and whatnot but I added this for a few select lines.

"Now I lay as I study a blank wall, would you spare me your voice if I called?" She wakes up in a panic at night from nightmares of her mother and she'll try to call her before she registers reality again. Sometimes she calls anyways because for some reason even though she knows it's impossible she holds on to hope that she'll hear her mom's voice again

"I'm not the girl I ought to be / and not how I turned out to be" idk man she just hates who she is and who she became

"there's some kind of burning inside me / it's kept me from falling apart / and I'm sure that you've seen what its done to my heart / but its kept me from falling apart" that burning is a desire to make herself useful in some way before she dies, as well as the constant dissociation and compartmentalization that "kept me from falling apart". "And I'm sure that you've seen what its done to my heart" is self explanatory. The dissociation, the desire, the compartmentalization, it's all destroying her and eating away at her slowly. She longs to be useful so bad that she'd pick herself apart if someone so wished

"now I lay here as I wonder about you / would you just tell me what I'm meant to do" about her parents, specifically her mom. She would always go to her mom for any kind of life advice and whatnot. She doesn't know what to do with herself anymore since she was left alone

Labrinth, Zendaya - I'm Tired:

...self explanatory. She's tired of everything and ready to stop fighting. The only thing keeping her going is the need to fulfill other's needs

"You know I'm tired / you know I'm tired of tears / just cut me loose / you know I'm fighting / I'm sure this world is done with me / I don't wanna win" passive suicidal ideation is something she deals with daily, this song is basically that put into music

"how long can I stay, in a place that can't contain me" idk I just like this lyricism 💕

MARINA - The Family Jewels:

This is literally just in here because of her daddy issues and the fact she doesn't want to become an alcoholic like her father or relate to him in any way but she is nonetheless

Mitski - Bug Like an Angel:

Again, her alcoholism

"As I got older, I learned I'm a drinker / sometimes a drink feels like family" in both the way that it's comforting to her and the way that it reminds her of her dad, which causes some serious internal turmoil by the way

"Did you go and make promises that you can't keep? / Well, when ya break em, they break you right back" both in the way that her father promised her he'd get better and then he broke that promise which almost immediately resulted in the wreckage of their thin ice relationship, and in the way that she promised herself she'd be nothing like her father and then she broke that promise to herself

Mitski - I Don't Like My Mind:

Sighhh.....self explanatory again

"I don't like my mind, I don't like being left alone in a room" she can't stand silence because her mind starts to wander to places she isn't ready to unpack yet (which is the reason she loves listening to Spencer sm, he keeps her mind occupied)

"and I work myself to the bone" she is constantly busy doing anything possible to, well, keep herself busy. She doesn't know how to relax anymore

"and on an inconvenient Christmas, I eat a cake / a whole cake, all for me / and then I get sick and throw up / and there's another memory that gets stuck / inside the walls of my skull" she'll often find herself alone doing things that remind her of childhood memories and it makes her sick to think about them and often causes her to spiral

"waiting for it's turn to talk / and it may be a few years / but you can bet it's there, waiting still" shes constantly pushing those memories down, refusing to talk about them to a friend or even therapist. She knows she has to eventually but she just cant

Mitski - When Memories Snow:

This is about her repressing memories and feelings as well

"When memories snow and cover up the driveway / I shovel all those memories / clear the path to drive to the store" her pushing the memories aside to keep going on in life

"and when memories melt / I hear them in the drain pipe / drippin' down the downspout / as I lie awake in the dark" she's an insomniac at its finest, and sometimes she'll end up thinking about memories with her mom while trying to fall asleep. You know how rain just like drips at a steady pace from the downspout? It'll drive you insane if you're trying to sleep, that's how it feels when she can't shift her thoughts away from the memories

"and if I break, could I go on break?" If she ever finally talked about her trauma and spilled everything, she wonders if it would make her feel better. She never will, but she wonders

"be back in my room, writing speeches in my head" those speeches she's thinking about are in fact not speeches they are suicide notes and/or what the last things she'd say to everybody would be.

Mitski - I'm Your Man:

This song to me is how she feels about anyone willing to get close to her. She doesn't like that idea because she's only going to let them down in the end. I like to think this is more about Circe then anyone else because she tries so hard for Vera

"You're an angel, I'm a dog / or you're a dog, and I'm your man / you believe me like a god / I'll destroy you like I am" in the way that a dog is "mans best friend", circe is loyal and friendly to Vera no matter what she does, how she treats her, etc. third and fourth lines are again about how circe is so devoted to "fixing her" and she believes vera can be better, when in reality vera is only going to end up bringing circe down with her

"so when you leave me I should die / I deserve it, don't I?" There's that suicidal ideation again and the abandonment issues she suffers from

"I can feel it getting near / like flashlights coming down the way / one day you'll figure me out / I'll meet judgement by the hounds" one day Circe is going to stop trying to help her (at least in Vera's head) because she'll realize just how futile it is and how hopeless Vera is

"you believe me like a god / I'll betray you like a man" self explanatory again

Mitski - Working for the Knife:

"I cry at the start of every movie / I guess cause I wish I was making things too / but I'm working for the knife" again with the idea that shes unhappy with how she turned out, she doesn't see herself as someone important in life because she's not doing anything with herself or fulfilling anything

"I always knew the world moves on / I just didn't know it would go without me" she didn't get time to grieve her mother because of military school

Also the repeated "I'm working for the knife" alludes to her working as a sniper for so long, she was a weapon in a way to the FBI before she got a little bit of her autonomy back

"I used to think I'd be done by 20 / now at 29, the road ahead appears the same / though maybe at 30 I'll see a way to change / that I'm living for the knife" again, she's unhappy with how she turned out. The only reason she's still going (on to thirty, even) is because she is useful as a tool ("living for the knife") to do whatever anyone else pleases of her

Also I'd like to bring up the progression of the knife lines. It starts with "But I'm working for the knife" like she's hesitant, apprehensive about working as a weapon (rightfully so). This would've been when she was around 14-15, just starting military school when she had been picking fights and whatnot. The second and third lines, "Cause I'm working for the knife / That I'm living for the knife", are the acceptance in a way. Hesitant acceptance that this is who she's going to be in the second line, and then even more acceptance in the third. The final line, "That I'm dying for the knife", would be about her realizing she has no purpose in the world if she can't be useful.

Mitski - Everyone:

I can't explain this one, it just makes sense to me. Feel free to add your interpretation in the replies

Mitski - There's Nothing Left for You:

I am getting SO tired guys jesus

This song to me is about Vera thinking about who she could've been.

"nothing in this room / try and go outside / nothing waits for you / you had it once before / not anymore" just the fact she has nothing going for her right now (or so she thinks)

"so go on to that sweetheart's door / and find a new you" that sweetheart would be referring to who she could've been if she never went through what she did. I feel like maybe that sweetheart could also be referring to Circe. Vera could've been as sweet as Circe (considering how timid and sweet she was as a kid) and so she sees just a teensy bit of herself in her, a part of her that she lost

Mitski - Nobody:

Self explanatory again. When does the mitski end there's SO MUCH

Mitski - Fireworks:

This is about her repressing things again and just moving on with life no matter what happens to her

"One morning, this sadness will fossilize / and I will forget how to cry / I'll keep going to work and he won't see a change / save perhaps a slight gray in my eye" repression

"i will go jogging routinely / calmly and rhythmically run / and when I find that a knife sticking out of my side / I'll pull it out without questioning why" again, repression

"and then one warm summer night / I'll hear fireworks outside / and I'll listen to memories as they cry, cry, cry" the repression piling up to be too much for her, which is when she would get drunk to cry her emotions out

Billie Eilish - TV:

FINALLY NO MORE MITSKI...I LOVE MITSKI BUT IT IS EXHAUSTING DECIPHERING HER MUSIC

Okay clearly this song is about losing someone you romantically love but just like Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart, I put it in here for a few select lines

"I don't wanna talk right now / I'll stay in the pool and drown" her exhaustion catching up to her and the suicidal ideation again.

"maybe I should get some sleep / what's the point of anything? / You don't have the time, you leave them all behind" ↑↑↑

"don't know where you are right now / did you see me on TV?" About her dad. As much as she hates him she still wants validation so terribly, she begrudgingly hopes that he sees her on TV when reporters and whatnot get nosy about their cases

"I'll try not to starve myself / just because you're mad at me" she didn't get to eat a lot throughout the first few months of military school as punishment for causing fights. She struggled with an ED for a year or so because of this, but she's mostly healed from it nowadays

"and I don't get along with anyone / maybe I'm the problem" self deprecation because hello she is so bad at communication and socializing and all that

Billie Eilish - BLUE:

Once more, only for some very specific lines.

"you were born bluer than a butterfly / beautiful and so deprived of oxygen / colder than your father's eyes / he never learned to sympathize with anyone" self explanatory, she has the same eyes as her father by the way

"you were born reaching for your mother's hands / too afraid to step outside / paranoid and petrified of what you've heard" she was a timid kid, basically clinging to her mother at all times

"I sleep bout three hours each night" insomnia at its finest

"I don't blame you, but I can't change you / I don't hate you, but I can't save you" how she feels about her younger self

Conan Gray - Winner:

Finally the last song bear with me guys

"packed my bags at fourteen / I hadn't planned on leaving" y'know cause her dad kinda sent her off without her willingness

"the only thing you've proven / is that there's no one / who ever has done better / at making me feel worse" about her father, so is "yeah, there's nothing / that ever did quite kill me / more than what you did" because she had just started to trust her father again and then he picked up the bottle again and sent her off when she needed him the most

"how do I somehow feel guilty / when you're the one who let it get this bad? / I was only trying to survive your chaos / well, look at how it's paid off"

I'm finally done guys this took THREE HOURS

If you read all that ilysm 💕💕

Thank u for ur time

[odysseys-blood]

whb hcs that i keep bouncing around bc im in too deep:

-idc that the only valentines card as of now was in avisos gehenna is THE valentines spot of hell and its always full of crowds during that time of year (not sure i can really say february?) so many shops with couples deals, love song performers in parks and venues, restuarants packed so bad you have to get a reservation years in advance, etc etc and they hold a festival for it that lasts throughout the week. even single devils get spruced up and decorate for valentines

-while there is one general language between heaven/hell there are still different languages and dialects between the countries. this is a big reason why paimon draws out words and speaks so slowly its bc in the area of gehenna shes from everyone speaks with a drawl. theres also country wide details to speech like it being common for devils from paradise lost to speak quieter or avisos devils tending to speak fast (though there are always outliers like beel).

-ext. to the last bit this is why mammon speaks the way he does to he gives me "raised by grandparents" vibes.

-belial and zagan sign most of their conversations! they use a standard language and most of the other gehenna nobles have picked up at least a little bit over the years but ppyong or jjyu still interpret often for them. satan's not the best at signing himself and is a little clumsy with it but he can follow a conversation p well.

-its common for families in gehenna and tartaros to be larger. devils in gehenna just tend to want a lot of children and live in multigenerational homes and in tartaros multiple births are common (as in twins, triplets, etc.) and valefor comes from the largest family of the tartaros nobles. families in hades tend to be smaller with single children being the norm and rarely households have two or three offspring.

-meal times in avisos are often shared between households because of how much effort it takes to make enough food to keep everyone satisfied so often avisos devils eat along with another family (or a couple). its also common for celebratory dinners (new job, kid's graduation, etc) to instead become whole block parties. half the time most of the people there dont even know whats being celebrated but the food they brought is good so who cares

-extra to the last bit bael has never been able to bring anything to one of those parties either. ppl make off w/ whatever he brings on their plates to be nice but it usually ends up face down in the trash. aint nobody ever seen mac and cheese so ghoulish before his.

[its-no-biggie]

okay i saw someone who interpreted bo burnham's "all eyes on me" as being about his desire to return to performing, and found that i didnt agree at all. but i also found that i didn't know what the song is about, so i listened to it a few more times and compiled my thoughts.

cause like, first of all, he uses a LOT of religious language. its like he's leading a church service. and that COULD be my christian background talking, but: "get your hands up" "get out of your seats" "heads down, pray for me" "come on in, the water's fine" (that last one is a pretty normal turn of phrase but combined with the other stuff it really evokes baptism. at least in my opinion). and of course, the style of the song: slow, heavy on repetition, gradual build to a strong emotional resolution, HEAVY on reverb and layered vocals..... it legitimately sounds more like a worship song than the songs my mom sings at church.

and i think the core message of it is essentially "dont think about it, just follow me". especially with the bit about "you say the ocean's rising, like i give a shit" ending with "got it, good, now get inside"? and also stuff like "dont overthink this, look in my eye, dont be scared dont be shy" etc etc. its like its saying shhhhh just don't think about it. come with me, we'll stay inside and it'll be okay.

but there's also the rant in the middle about getting back to performing. to me it does NOT come across like "i want to get back to performing but i'm stuck inside", it sounds more like "i was SO CLOSE to being back to normal and now look where we are!" which is kind of the opposite of what the song is saying (everything is fine), but thats intentional! because like. he knows the message he's singing is bullshit. it's NOT okay. the world IS ending. you can tell that theres dissonance between himself and his pretend audience because of the laugh track that plays during that rant. things like panic attacks and the world shutting down are funny if theyre not your reality. but theyre still HIS reality, no matter how much he wants to pretend. theres also the way he gets kinda unhinged at the end, yelling at the listener to "get the FUCK UP!" and his manic little laugh. dont think about it, dont question it, because i know its not true, but if we acknowledge the truth, that makes it real. it's easier to just stay inside.

i could get WAY more into how this mirrors religion, but i feel like i've made my point and this post is already long enough. but its soooooo good, i LOVE the parallels and the way it strengthens the message of the song. idk how much of it was intentional but i'm obsessed with it.

anyway. i could be reading into it too much, but i feel like this interpretation really ties the whole show together. i'd love to hear any different perspectives!

also if youre wondering why i'm bo burnham posting in 2023.....

[red-dyed-sarumane]

ok ok but actually i want to know ur thoughts on the en titles like even with my limited understanding of japanese im????? on half these titles and worse i gotta memorize them bc youtube forces u to read them that way. nooo its not testament its kyuuyaku hankagai nooo its not blade its shuuen touhikou....

okay i actually have my yt set to jpn so all i see of the eng titles is actually second hand but from what i know

last i checked aru sekai shoushitsu was left untranslated. i dont know how i feel about that.

problem for me starts with kyuuyaku hankagai. kyuuyaku IS old testament yes thats where the eng testament comes from. hankagai is actually a bit of word play on magus part bc there IS a word hankagai meaning like a business district or busy downtown area but the hanka magu uses in the title is actually for scientific generalizations with the suffix of town at the end. so u end up with something like town of the old testament's generalizations which. right away u can see how much extra context ur getting from that alone. reducing it to JUST testament leaves out a lot of detail & makes it more open to interpretation. if i didnt know the og title id see testament & go "oh its called testament bc its a testament of her will to work so hard and go thru all this horror time after time after time" but thats not it. look im not a religious person at all but it goes beyond word choice here the opening text is reminiscent (at the very least) of dante's inferno, 2 songs later we get more church imagery & a whole angel, this isnt a one time thing its also a part of the story & to leave it as just testament makes it so easy to ignore or overlook that part. and then there's the fact its one of the songs tied directly to a certain world's disappearance. disappearance has its main lines distributed under specific headers of sorts, each being a single 2 syllable kanji. the first of which is kyuu which is literally "past". translating both to reflect this in eng is. difficult esp when it gets to other songs but even if u leave it as old testament the "old" is Still There & its a lot more possible to catch onto the connection (hard maybe but not impossible)

shuuen touhikou makes me need to talk a walk and im not joking. fucking "blade" sounds like ur trying to appeal to edgy middle schoolers. aside from that when i hear blade im thinking its going to be a fighting song - maybe not a physical fight, but theres going to be conflict- and yes! there IS conflict in this song! its not what i would expect from seeing blade tho! she is fighting & yes the lyrics are like. using her sword to try and forge her own path out when the others let her down, but blade makes it seem like idk some noble fight or something. but u read demise escape & u KNOW shit's serious. it IS a fight but its that kind of "god i dont want to die like this" type of primal fight and not some cool miku swordfighting action. this girl's been told to sit tight and it will work out & she knows thats wrong & the only thing left is for her try whatever she can so that maybe MAYBE she can make it out alive. demise escape as a title hits the type of fear & heaviness thats in the series and gets across and entirely different picture than what blade could ever do. and. again. as one of the main songs blade completely lacks anyway to tie back to the og song. the lines in shoushitsu are shuu which becomes the shuu in shuuen. end & demise are harder to accurately translate in both songs so even with the more accurate eng title its not that easy to tie back into shoushitsu but like. at the very least u can add it as a fun fact or something somewhere.

oumen mokushiroku i just have to sit here & accept that it actually works much to my own dissatisfaction. the direct translation is concave revelation BUT mokushiroku is part of the lyrics in shoushitsu & it has an alternate reading of being pronounced "apocalypse" so a series accurate title here is concave apocalypse & concave is for the most part just tying back to the ou/concave lines in shoushitsu. for as much as i think about this song i actually dont have anything deep to say about the concave part of the title beyond that so like. fine. reduce it to just apocalypse fine whatever i hate it but [throws my hands up] u win this time magu

unplanned apoptosis is accurate the only problem is in jpn u can catch the a-a alliteration in the title but thats not a problem with the translation thats a problem with the english language itself. the alliteration thing is in fact series context btw it keeps in with that repeating fractal theme they emphasized in shoushitsu and kyuuyaku. same with marshall maximizer but there u can actually see it. kanons fine.

kugutsu ashura is. hm. im nitpicking here. literally its puppet ashura. this isnt connected to a shoushitsu heading so ur not losing anything in that regard. however. from what ive been told about ashura (thank u my friend emimin) they arent very.... in control of things. per se. so when u compound that with puppet in the title it just really drives home what she's doing is not her own will. she cannot affect anything beyond how shes supposed to (i guess thats an okay way of putting it) which saying this is also why the motif isnt in this song either but thats off topic. ashura by itself doesnt bother me as much as the others but theres just that little extra context u get from knowing the first part is puppet that adds to it from a series standpoint.

laboratory is fine the only thing is in jpn it has the separation (labo-ratory) so its obvious its on of the songs with the alliteration theme going on. more of a fun fact than actually being wrong. its fine.

as far as i know yamete kudasai and kannagi dont have the official eng titles?? even if they did idk what to say about them bc these titles are already weird from a series standpoint anyway. they dont fit into the 5 kanji title songs category they dont fit into the alliteration category theyre just kind of here. if there IS thematic importance to them we're only going to know when more songs get posted. they dont have any keywords or kanji that tie into any other specific song either. theyre just here.

[angerinthenation]

Is Hip Hop Dead?

A Commentary by Idris Salaam (Boscoe from The Bronx - Bigboscoe Productions)

Is Hip Hop Dead? On Life Support?

If you refer Hip Hop to only as Rapping, then, in some ways, yes it is dead. I mean, just think about it. We are in the period right now where we didn't have a song chart until, out of the blue, one did. (I still they did that because it showed the quality of music finally hit rock-bottom). A lot of entetainers of this era were saying fans were tired of the same stuff, and that's why the record sales were going down. We've had artists having to cancel shows because they can't fill arenas. There's but so much ass the "Bitches" can sell, just like there's but so much money "Niggas" can have and jewelry to flash.

[[More]]

So, if you only looking at it in terms of Rapping, yes, Hip Hop is Dead.

But, are you talking about Hip Hop or are you talking about rapping? And this is where people seem to be confused.

Do they realize Hip Hop comes in many forms?

• Hip Hop is music other than just Rap: Listen to the sounds that crafted the genre. (The samples from Funk, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Soul, etc). Listen to the Instrumentals of past songs. The rhythms. Before 2000, Hip Hop had music for everyone, not just the ones who love the stereotypical "I'm a real nigga/Bad Bitch" scenario.

• Hip Hop is living a particular lifestyle. The fashion, the style. If you look at how Hip Hop is portrayed in Asia, it's almost idenitcal to Hip Hop in its purest form. In fact, pure Hip Hop strips women of the Bad Bitch persona. The men become more Masculine and protective.

• Hip Hop is art (Graffiti). There's a whole Culture of Art revolving around Hip Hop. (Phase II, Dondi, Blade, Fab5Freddy, IN, Comet, etc). There are museums across the country displaying Hip Hop art.

• Hip Hop is the DMC: Turntable battles and performances. (DJ Craze, Roc Raida, Perly, Sonic Jewel, ISP, Jazzy Jeff, etc). These competitons consists of drumming (Using a record to create an entirely different beat), body tricks, etc. Even the parties are amazing as you will hear some of your favorite songs being flipped an entirely different that even the original artists couldn't do. And yes, turntablists have music on the market. The mainstream doesn't play it for obvious reasons.

• Hip Hop is understanding the Culture: What do you know about Hip Hop? Do you know the hostroy? Listen to some of the rhythms that birthed the genre: The Jubilaries (The first rappers) James Brown, The Last Poets, Parliament-Funkadelic (The sound of the West Coast's "G-Funk" was birthed from), Electronic. Research the Culture and how it came about. The Black Spades, the Casanova Crew, The Zulu Nation. When you get to Hip Hop (it was called B-Boying), start learning about Kool Herc and his crew, the Godmother MC Sha-Rock (The Funky Four + 1 More), Grandwizard Theodore (The Fantastic Freaks), The Cold Crush Brothers. Theres plenty more.

In today's society, people refer to Hip Hop as just Rapping, when Rapping it's just one element. We have to blame this on the mainstream as they have dictated the way Hip Hop is being interpreted. And just because you're a rapper doesn't mean you represent Hip Hop. There are many songs across each genre where people are rapping. But does that make them Hip Hop?

We allowed outside forces (the same forces that tried to shut hip hop down in his early days) to dictate what hip hop is. We allowed them to call anything with a rap verse, "Hip Hop." And because we decided to "Get the bag," we also decided to go along with it.

If you're only into listening to Rap hits, then yes, Hip Hop is Dead to you. But if you want to see how Hip Hop is still living it's best life, step outside of the Rap World you live in and explore Hip Hop in a whole. Just like 80% of the ocean hasn't been mapped, the same can be said of Hip Hop.

[foreverandmoretarot]

how to know if you have a soulmate and get signs from them?

hi! thank you sm for asking! i want to start off by saying everyone has a soulmate. you may have one, or multiple, but at least one. it could be romantic or platonic too.

i'd say most people probably won't meet their soulmate in this life. it takes a lot of personal growth to actually reach them, and most wont want to experience the necessary struggles.

i have an oddly strong connection to my soulmate, so it makes communicating and reaching him a lotttt easier, but even then i'd still say this journey is one hell of a ride.

another thing to take in account is if your soulmate wants to/is in the right space to meet you. they may still be working on themselves, feel fulfilled with the people in their life, have different beliefs than you, live far away, etc. but i dont say all this to discourage you!! trying wont hurt, and even connecting with them spiritually rather than their human self on earth can be just as fulfilling!

so onto your second question, how do you get signs from them? my main "sign" is telepathy, which is a weird concept for me to explain skdkd. ive never really explained my personal methods to anyone, so sorry if this comes off odd. for me, i think of it as giving him access to my current thoughts rather than sending a message all the way over to him.

im sure your next question is, how do you send a telepathic message?

the most common way is to visualize your message through images, and think of the person/entity and imagine it traveling towards them. that method has worked 50/50 for me

what i do instead isnt really a method, rather something i realized i could do and brought results. i sort of focus on something and say a word/phrase inside my head. you know that little voice you use to think that isnt actually saying something but you can hear it? some refer to it as your inner monologue. its like that, except theres also this "white noise" type sound/feeling i add. it helps when theres no loud sounds around me, i close my eyes, and repeat the phrase a few times to make sure it sent clearly. sometimes i also visualize the words to help

another method is dreams! meeting up with your soulmate in a lucid dream, using dream meanings to get messages, etc. i like this one because its really relaxed and you may find dreams easier to interpret than other spiritual methods

theres also tarot cards and pendulums. i'd say these ones are a little tricky because unless you do it yourself- you may not fully trust the person to be interpreting it properly or having your best interest at hand. i'd say take whatever resonates!

angel numbers

letters and objects. you can write a letter to your soulmate and at the end, ask for them to put an object, animal, word, etc in your life to show theyve read it. some burn the letter, bury it in soil, or place it in nature. for example, if you had the word stork, you'll see one randomly where you wouldnt expect. or if you had the word dictionary, someone would bring it up in a conversation. the sign while definitely stick out

songs. not as often now, but when i'd listen to music, a specific line of a song just really stuck out to me. it was like when you get a shiver down your spine except with my mind? i think those could have been things he wanted to say to me. but id recommend listening to random playlists and you might find songs with lyrics that resonate a lot

these are just some things ive used that worked for me, you may discover your own methods in your journey! i think theres beauty in letting the universe show you things in a unique way meant specially for you. music is an important part in both his and my life, which is why i think the song lyrics is a way for us to communicate. even though ive never heard of someone having that sign, it works for me. so overall dont stress it, dont force yourself, and have fun loving your other half :)

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

mmm i agree the CE flamechasers sim deserve better but i think their ending is a lot more beautiful and meaningful this way since elysia realm literature uses deep rooted philosophy as underlying tones. the whole theme of elysia beauty in P.E is that she understands humanity more than humanity themself and love them more than humans because she could see their beauty, she had hope for humanity, even if the CE failed she knew humanity would rise again in the PE and this can be the seed to help humanity, which is elysia realm. she had a vision, she knew someone like her will eventually be born in the next era, because she believed in humanity, CE himeko is enough testament for this hope.

as eden said, elysia was so beautiful than her spark could only last for so long, just like a star, thats why eden is so fond of ellie, like the moths to a flame. ellie is beautiful because she stayed her true self and never lies, she knew shes more fitted as the wise adviser who guides and help humanity leader which is kevin, the king, the symbol of hope and power at that time which humanity desperately needed. (take this section as you will it works romantically, familia and platonically, etc. both for elyeden and kevinelly. personally i dont put a label on their love for each other, its love and trust for the sake of love.)

"seeds bear new life when flowers dare to fade." last line in animatic version with a piano coming next

in full version theres another part

"Petals linger about. Awaiting one last dance. Shaking off all the dust, from the past. New stories have yet to start"

"Su said the day i will finish this is at at the end of the era, the only thing is the memory does not belong to me, but i know myself well to know it will be too bright to last."

this last part can be interpreted in SO many different ways. it can be eden last score to elysia requiem and in turn the whole song of true can be the complete song eden PE wrote for ellie. it can be what CE eden written and the last score is her own interpretation

but in my opinion heres what i think it is:

up until "Ah, how I long to embrace, The future breaking out of shades, from the past still ablaze" is what P.E eden wrote and got stuck with and what CE eden remembers

"seeds bear new life when flowers dare to fade." is the last line PE eden wrote as her life ends, because at that point she no longer feared death just like ellie, the girl as beautiful as flowers who shined so bright she had to go so soon, the flawless human PE era didnt deserve but need.

CE eden knew this too of course but at that point she still had a duty as a sim to pass on to the successors, when the elysia realm was coming to an end she was the last to die, a direct reference as she is the first to die from the PE survivor after the final herrscher. even though shes a sim she is still the true eden as elysia realm writer LOVES to use the philosophy behind "the ship of theseus paradox" (the main theme of chapter 2, klein philosophy, and mobius believes with underlying inferiority complex to the real her). which is why at the end both die by their own will, evident from eden accepting elysia realm end no longer fearing death since she knows every one of them has shine the brightest at their death, a development from the PE, a 2nd chance to them to make a difference that matters and end the HoC for the current era of humanity. a new chance for them and new hope for the future generation. which is why she sacrificed her memory to revive ellie. "seeds (flamechasers and elysia) bear new life (hope) when flowers dare to fade (elysia death and CE flamechasers)"

it can also be reflected in its musical writing, the bar of notes kept ascending before it ends and fades, reflecting how elysia and CE flamechasers shine so bright at the end of their life and ended in a supernova. a star so massive that as it approaches it ends it explodes so brilliantly it last a long time and can be seen from our universe, a ray of hope that can be seen even in the far future.

now THIS is where it gets different

"The visitor change elysia realm, and in turn the elysia realm changed them."

from this we know that CE eden has changed from the things she know of the current era which is why the version are different.

the continuation of the full version version is what i believe PE eden wrote.

"Petals linger about. Awaiting one last dance. Shaking off all the dust, from the past. New stories have yet to start"

eden is ultimately a visionary with romantic philosophy and ideals, shes an artist in the truest sense and at heart. she believes the sim her to also be another her, a true her. this line is her message to CE eden and to elysia realm, as she believes they have the potential to change and burn brightly like elysia, and in turn, change the successor and impart their seeds of hope and rebellion on the future. the last line signifies how humanity will rise again and CE will eventually come, it also implies new stories of the elysia realm as this era comes.

now then what is the last piano part in the cinematic version? its CE eden additional closing to the score, her own interpretation after the changes she went through, it is a requiem for the elysia realm as it has fulfilled its purpose and a requiem for ellie as both PE CE. it has a sad melancholic undertone yet romantic and beautiful in the end just like elysia vision ideals and believes. in her eyes, as long as the successors of elysia realm changes and bring about changes to the current era, and as long as mei their last and best successor remembers them in her heart, they will live in forever, they will live through the changes they made, and how mei will use those changes and wisdom they imparted for the CE.

this is why i truly believe elysia realm have a fitting and beautiful end. they did them justice. CE flamechasers may just be a sim but they had the cognition and sentience to be called real, the proper memories to shape themself, and thus by law of casualty make the same decision as what the true them would make, they are another path and version the true them will make, they arent just phantom of the past, which is why the change they went through, the second chance they have to have a difference, and in turn the change they make with their decision at the end of their life in the current era matters so so much.

as elysia said "look, they live proudly and sparked so brilliantly at the end of their life, this is the story of the previous era, this is the story of elysia realm"

its just so beautiful it has to end. all good things have to eventually end. its a poetic beauty from its thematic and in no way a tragedy.

i have more thoughts about the change it brings to mei and why. an additionally how it will relate to future main story lore, but ill keep it to myself since this is getting too long. ill only say it if youre interested 💞💞

sometimes i forget they got rid of the ask size limit. i remember now

response got really long though so it's gonna be under the cut

I'm happy you liked the song and the animation! sincerely happy for you, you seem to have had a blast analyzing it too. love the energy!

unfortunately, i didn't enjoy it. i think it's indeed very beautiful, but it's not what I need from stories, and I do believe i made it clear when it came out, but since I didn't talk more about it I understand if you missed it or it wasn't clear.

to be completely frank with you this is triggering for me and your ask brought me to tears so I can't give you an intelligent response on the song lyrics. you knocked on the wrong door if you wanted an analysis back, sorry.

i would not like to hear more about this. other stuff probably fine, I am VERY interested in analysis but I'd rather not bawl like a baby trying to read it. but you can send it to someone else (not cloudya if it pertains to ely) or even just post it from your blog on the tag! I'll probably reblog it anyway if you do. I love analysis, love what you're doing here, just... i can't handle it if it's about this. Sorry.

I do want to honor your efforts though so I can share some thoughts that are a bit easier on me than looking at those song lyrics... Keep in mind this is all personal taste.

I wish the ending of this arc was an actual tragedy. Or at least I wish they'd actually said "I don't want to go", or "I don't want you to go". I do love some good catharsis, I am perfectly capable of thriving off characters being sad. Loved Pardo's death scene (but then she wasn't actually dead, so... didn't feel like it counted). I liked the leading up arc where everyone was torn as they sacrificed themselves much more. Like, what the hell, they had to do it AGAIN, but with a smile this time?!

I just... wish it would've at least reflected my feelings more, because I can't bear parting with a smile like that. It makes me want to scream "please fight for your life, I need you to fight and stay alive until they take it from you". it makes me want to find a solution, a middle path, anything to just... rub off this acceptance from their faces. Maybe if you've dealt with suicidal people a lot you'll understand where my distress comes from.

Uh I wonder if that's part of why I like Mei?

Is it fair to the characters? I don't know. I am aware this was always how they wanted to end the story— I am aware the story was always meant to end. I don't fundamentally have an issue with that, but I found no solace in this ending that refused to acknowledge my grief properly. The lead up chapters were great. After watching the animation I just felt sad and frustrated and I don't think that's how I was meant to feel.

It was very beautiful! But it wasn't for me.

I also wish it could have a true happy ending. Shattered Samsara had one. Kiana said "no, you don't need to die, I'll be there for you" and it touched me deeply. To date it's still my favorite animation. Honestly I would've still loved it if it DID end in a tearful parting and Hua's death (though I would've been very sad) but like, the rescue was beautiful, the message was beautiful. I wish the flame-chasers could've had an ending like that. Mei was there, Mei loved (most of) them, it's not like it would've been a huge stretch to save them in some capacity, let them see the sunlight. Mobius wanted to leave. Little Griseo never got to grow up. You know?

That's kind of what HoC wanted to do and what they fought against but like, the problem with that was not the intention to let the sims be happy lol

I think it could've been nice. There's ways it could've worked well. Hell maybe they could've sacrificed themselves so at least one of them can live on, as a compromise. The fact that it was a deliberate choice to create a situation where they all have to go annoys me a little. It doesn't feel organic, like the bullshit reason Cardbot dies. Really. The simulation doesn't have the right fuel for you. Really. That's what you went with. Really.

So yeah. Sure, it was how the story was meant to end from the start, but that doesn't mean it fits everyone's tastes. It didn't fit mine, and that's alright, because I can't change the canon but I can cope on my own time with my own writing and/or wishful thinking. I'm happy other people like it.

As a side note, I'm also a little worried about Mei becoming boring if she's just gonna yeet herself to AE/Schicksal like nothing happened except an awkward rebellious teenager phase (Mei you murdered people in cold blood?? one-time vigilantism is not a license to kill) but there's no way to tell yet so I just pray they handle it with the appropriate, satisfying amount of Consequences and Changes.

There, rant over. Sorry I couldn't really interact on the actual thing you wanted ^^;;;

[probably-haven]

Hello!! After seeing what you wrote about xiaoven fics I went to see what things you usually write and omg, your archon Venti headcanons????? I am absolutely in love. So if it isn't annoying, could you talk about xiaoven or Venti or Xiao or whatever ship or character you like? I don't care what you are going to say, I just want to know more about your thoughts ^^

I- is this... bestie, this is essentially a free ramble pass- kerujsgheskdfug. Trust me when I say that in no way is this, and in no way will it ever be annoying in the slightest- i literally- lets just say rambling off thoughts is kind of my specialty, especially when provided a topic to branch off of because otherwise I'm just- really indecisive about it so- iujskdh yeah- 100% definitely down to talk about Venti, Xiao, and/or Xiaoven XD. Also, yes- it may have been awhile since i last posted one(cuz again, indecisive about which direction to take part 5), but the Archon War Era Venti headcanons are still without a doubt my favorite posts I've made. It's just such an interesting topic with such endless potential that so few people actually think about or consider or even realize is there, so i always just get really psyched whenever i see someone interact with them lol.

.... this ended up being a bit of a mess: warning in advance

Anyway! onto the actual content!

- You see the thing about Xiaoven is that there's a lot of different ways that it could end up working out, and just personally my favorite way of portraying Xiaoven in my mind is as an unlabeled relationship because if anyone in genshin would give off that vibe its these two. And a number of other reasons.

- Firstly, I heavily headcanon Venti as being an aroace polyplatonic or perhaps heavily demiromantic. However, regardless of this I just don't think that Venti is really the kind of person to worry about how he should label his feelings, thinking it's silly to try to put them in one box or the other, especially with feelings and emotions being as fluid as they are in general. Plus it fits his whole God of Freedom vibe. I just- dont think he's the biggest fan of labels or social categorization in general.

- And secondly on the hand of Xiao... his defense mechanisms are very much ingrained in his personality. It's probably hard enough for him to not go into fight or flight(the answer is fight) at the slightest affection at first, at the slightest feeling of vulnerability. Even further down the line, with his fierce dedication to Liyue, I cant help but get the vibe that the moment he recognized that he was falling for Venti he would begin avoiding him, not only to avoid distraction from his duty, but to avoid corrupting him or losing him in general like he has with like basically every other person he gets close with(even believing that the cycle had repeated once more when he first heard of Morax's death)... now imagine Venti tryna slap a label on their relationship and tell me Xiao would have a positive reaction.

- The thing with Xiaoven.... honestly, i feel like theres more ways that it can go wrong than it can go right, but if they do manage to make their relationship work out, it's just simply beautiful in all terms of the word.

- Lets talk about killing. - During the Archon War, both were forced to kill a large number of people and gods alike- Venti out of a need to remain alive to protect Mondstadt, it's freedom, and the nameless bard's legacy by extent- and Xiao out of servitude to the god that was once his master

..... actually- break here- ive talked a lot about Venti on this blog but I havent actually spoken about Xiao all that much- so i should probably do that a bit first... do note though that my characterization of Xiao is pretty flexible actually- this is just- the possible characterization of him that i tend to favor as being the most- uh- "realistically complex"

-

Theres a line I saw this one time in a certain story: "He is a trained weapon. That's what he is, was, and always will be. You cannot change that so stop trying." And i just- think its a really interesting concept- that applies pretty well to Xiao now that i actually think about it. - the concept behind it is this: After spending more than a vast majority of his life killing or otherwise in battle, it's become a part of who he is, a normalcy that after centuries and centuries would be near impossible to get rid of or reverse, and even if it was possible, with his karmic debt constantly eating away at him its unlikely he has enough time left for that to happen. - it sounds like a cruel thing to say about him- but in context it's actually pretty layered and i think about it a lot. It's not as much a "he's a killer lol, that his whole personality" its more of a "The centuries of trauma he experienced have conditioned him into a constantly alert and battle ready mindset while also shaping his dehumanizing inferior-in-worth-but-superior-in-capability view of himself that would have likely been necessary to get through those time, and at this point he's been under that conditioning for long enough that it's essentially ingrained itself in his personality."

- the main idea is- it's a part of who he is, that needs to be accepted as who he is because its not something that he can just up and change. It's not all he is of course but his constant battle mode, as though always waiting to be ambushed or to be granted a new target to eradicate.

a couple character story quotes:

-"His past of service under the evil god had rid Xiao of his innocence and gentleness. All that remained within him was the means to kill and the weight of his sins. The only way he could be of service to mortals was in combat." -"Xiao does not feel any hatred. Having lived for over two thousand years, no single karmic debt constitutes anything more than a fleeting memory. No grudge can last a thousand years; nor is any debt so great that it cannot be paid off in this time. Xiao has spent many long years alone. But his battles have never been in vain." -"where did Xiao have to return to? He was merely leaving the battlefield." -"since Xiao wages a constant war against dark forces powerful enough to devour Liyue in its entirety, any bystanders who witness him in the heat of battle are likely to end up as collateral damage." -"The war he fights can never be won, and will never come to an end." -"Because ultimately, the one with whom Xiao wrestles is himself."

i feel like at some point this very nearly did consume his whole personality, almost turning him into nothing more than a being of slaughter under Morax's control, devoid of any "humanity" at all, consumed and corrupted by his karmic debt like his fellow yakshas before him. - until he experienced a moment of clarity- a song in the wind, the peaceful melody of a dihua flute. - and pulled back from the border of something he wouldnt have been able to return from, there a was a shift in his mind- a concept grown unfamiliar enough with time that it took him a great time to identify what it was; a curiosity. Something that there was no place for on the battlefield, something that by all means should have been completely useless to Xiao, and yet he held onto that curiosity, slowly regaining over time, a sense of who he was and who he could choose to be with each song that the wind chose to carry towards him every once in a blue moon.

and eventually that curiousity turned to longing. Longing "for a day to come when he will wear the mask and dance — not to conquer demons, but to the tune of that flute amid a sea of flowers"

...... uh- heh- if you couldn’t tell already i have a tendency to make my characterizations/analyses of characters more serious that i probably should. 

to summarize: Xiao is constantly toeing the line between his ingrained nature and his humanity- almost as though still trying to decide how much of that humanity he deserves to have, how much he is allowed to have, and how much is safe to have.

^looking back after writing this, i think the best way to explain it is that this is the view that i keep in mind/the lense that i tend to most enjoy looking through and refering back to while examining and/or analyzing his character, actions, story, lines, and overall personality.

idk- i kinda got off track but i just think its a really interesting interpretation to think about because it has some really interesting implications ig- it’s not the full extent of how i view him of course, but i kinda got ahead of myself and its long enough as is so ill just elaborate as i go- Lol i actually have in progress playlists for both him and venti and just- vibes- i could ramble about the playlists alone for hours explaining everything... It’s probably a problem- uh- ill keep going now lol.

anyways! stepping off the angst path for a brief break! Brought to you by their lines in the snow: both waiting for it to get thick enough, Venti for the purpose of a snowball fight and Xiao for the purpose of a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

but its actually something of note that Xiao doesnt actually need to eat so anything he does eat is usually out of obligation or enjoyment- so like.... snow.... like i dont blame him, but of all things- an adeptus who refuses to eat basically anything but almond tofu looks at the freezing-cold-floor-water that yeeted itself from above and decided at some point- damn- that seems more edible than basically ever single actually edible thing ever.... im gonna eat it- like- im glad if eating snow makes him happy but- at the same time...

He probably convinces Venti to eat snow too though and Venti wouldnt even resist I mean he’s wind and has probably consumed worse things in his time so- 2 anemo cryptids with glowing tattoos sitting in Dragonspine monching snow in the dead of night is an amusing thought to me.

- kay, now back to more serious-toned thoughts

One of the things about the ship that i really like is the different contradicting parallels between them:

A lot of how i view Xiao’s character is someone formed largely by the things he cant control and who was forced to accept that accepted that and learned to thrive in it as much as he can.  Venti on the other hand is surrounded by things he cant control and is ever adapting to control as much as he can while embracing whatever he cant as being part of the unpredictability of the world, seeing beauty in it. 

both of them have lost people and do what they do to honor their memory: Xiao continues to do what the Yakshas once did And Venti chooses to do what his friend couldn’t

Xiao’s power coming from himself  and Venti’s from others And both seem to appear to use their power for their own gain while truly helping others behind the scenes

both have killed a lot of people during the archon war Xiao views it as another necessary event out of his control and Venti would likely view it as a tragedy he chose to enact himself

and this is where we meet out balance

Xiao- contrary to how i think a lot of people view him as thinking of himself as a monster- seems canonically to have accepted this as part of his duty, as long as those he killed are not mortals. I dont think he enjoys it no- but someone has to do it and he’s just accepted that its a part of his duty Venti on the other hand-

See the beauty of the ship- as someone with an angst-centric mind- is this- these are two of the most traumatized mfers in the game 

Xiao is by far the one who needs the most help and who can serve to benefit most from the ship- but he is nowhere near self aware enough to recognize that there’s anything wrong or unhealthy about his mindset in the slightest-

whereas you have the contrast with Venti who sorted through most of his trauma with the nameless bard alone during the archon war and while the result appears more healthy- is still really not- but he’s not self aware of that either because i mean- who’s going to tell him? nobody even knows. 

however- venti is aware enough to notice flaws in Xiao’s mindset and “Venti” enough to want to help them through it-

Xiao- while not aware enough to recognize the flaws in Venti’s mindset, can recognize where it contrasts with his own, and is blunt enough to point it out- and then it’s out there to be mulled over- 

they’re so similar and yet so different and a feel just conversing between the two of them, being in each others precense, just being exposed to two mindsets that are so very different could do both of them a whole lot of good.

GEEE THAT BIT OF RAMBLING HAD LITTLE TO NO DIRECTION AT ALL- LET ME-- LET ME MAKE THIS START MAKING SENSE- WITH... DYNAMICS OR SOMETHING

I don’t think Xiao needs to sleep really- and i dont think that sleeping would do anything except make him uneasy at first- he’d probably just get nightmares after all he’s been through- but with Venti he would soon learn that it doesn’t have to be that way, lulled into the first peaceful sleep he’s had in... as long as he can remember.

anywho back to not making sense cuz im fickle and i think most questions about ships are best displayed through character interactions so like- a possible exchange thats cliche but cliches exist for a reason

Xiao: Why do you try so hard to help me, it isn’t easy. I know that much Venti, with the most adoring expression: Because you’re worth it, obviously Xiao: But surely there are others more deserving of- Venti: No Xiao, everyone is just as deserving as the next person, you included Xiao: Then why me above others? Venti: ehe, cuz ur my warrior of course [O//////O oh shit, hes right] Xiao: My contract is with Morax alone [gay panic but in broody yaksha]

it’s kinda difficult cuz neither of them really address their feelings.  I mean Venti does but he does it very indirectly and its rare that he ever does it with like- genuine directness- even spilling his backstory was in the form of a song- and told in the third person- so a lot of their interactions would often have some deeper meaning, especially with Venti being the bard he is. 

I come up with a lot of- errant thoughts about Xiaoven- but this is making me realize that a true analysis of their ship is rather difficult because it just encompasses so many dynamics so its hard to settle on just one and not go rambling about who knows what bouncing from one end of the ship to the other-  Because you truly can and thats the beauty of it

within one moment you can be having a heartfelt conversation about the archon war the impact of lost friends and times past, and the next moment Venti is trying to forcefeed Xiao an apple while Xiao screams about disrespecting the adepti and its just- so lovely

so while they have picnics with nothing but apples, dandelion wine, and almond tofu they can sit down and talk about the dreams Xiao once devoured, and the dandelion wine and apple cider that the first Ragnvindir invented from the plants that never could have grown in Old Mond. The foods that tasted of familiarity, or of the grilled ticker fish Pervases always used to eat, foods that tasted of friends and frankly family that had since passed, glaze lilies and cecilias and qingxin flowers scattered in the surroundings and woven into Xiao’s neat braids and Venti’s now messy ones, rebraided by the steady and inexperienced hands of one unused to gentle action. 

and then of course Venti steals Xiao’s tofu once the mood becomes too grim and replaces it with a bottle of wine that Xiao refers to as “vile poison,” a remark that fatally wounds Venti as he collapses on the floor, proclaiming how he can only be healed by a Yaksha’s kiss. Xiao ignores this of course and simply takes back his tofu with a slight smile on his face, but as Venti persists he soundlessly places a kiss on his own palm before intertwining their fingers and pulling him back up from where he was dramatically sprawled on the floor, grumbling about how such action was “unbecoming of an archon.” A sign of affection only Xiao would ever know about. But Venti is literally wind and I hc his senses work differently anyways so he definitely knows- plus Xiao’s face is red as the blood of his enemies and the way he is pointedly not looking at Venti at all really speaks volumes anyways. 

 -Venti playing epic battle music whenever Xiao goes into fights in what looks like a ridiculously extra performance to anyone else but is actually doing wonders to keep Xiao’s karma at bay

-Venti preaches the practice of “kissing wounds better” and Xiao is unfamiliar with this medical treatment but views it as unnecessary regardless because adepti have accelerated healing, doesn’t mean he’s going to stop him though. 

-Messages whispered on the wind

-Venti’s 1000 year sleep- an accident, not a fun time for the yaksha, and not a fun time for Venti once he woke up. Venti is actually more afraid of restful sleep than Xiao is, hence the sleeping in trees thing, but when Xiao is there, he can sleep restfully with faith that Xiao wont let another millennia slip through his fingertips. 

- Xiao tends to make excuses when doing things that aren’t necessary to his duty, like in his birthday voice line “Have this, it’s a butterfly i made from leaves... Okay. Take it. It’s an adepti amulet -- it staves off evil” because at the current point in his progress it helps him to feel like he’s allowed to do these things. Not wanting to put him off from progress, Venti never comments on his excuse but never fails to whisper a quick reminder of how proud he is of how far Xiao had come.

- Xiao’s karma saddens Venti greatly- not only because of how it effects Xiao but also because its a reminder that as much as Venti tries to honor the memory of those he’s killed, there will always be those who resent him for it, and when he took the option of living away from them, he truly can’t blame them. - And when he gets too wrapped up in thoughts, whether around this topic or similar ones or otherwise, eventually, he’ll hear the sound of a flute on the wind. It’s not divine by any means, but as his own wind connects him to the source, he gets the sentiment all the same. “What impact does one individual’s remaining wrath have on the present. You have done much to help the living in the present” the unspoken idea that Xiao has included himself in that statement, because now, with Venti’s help he’s beginning to learn just how to experience living for himself. 

- Venti’s form and Xiao’s mask are off limit topics though because if either mentions it the other will counter with the opposite and the mood will turn immediately bitter at the idea that both know that what they’re doing is destructive but neither are willing to change

- Venti who has different tells for negative feelings than most people because as much as he likes to pretend it is- this form isnt his, and Xiao who is able to identify those

- many fanfics and headcanons have Venti recognizing when Xiao is uncomfortable and getting him out of those situations. I see that and I love it but i raise you: - Venti taking Xiao to Mondstadt, careful that he doesn’t get to the point that he’s uncomfortable. And nothing goes wrong exactly, but Xiao notices the the way Venti’s cape is blowing in the wind, the way he’s holding his weight, barely on his feet so much as floating on the wind, connected with the ground only for the sake of appearance, all the while he looks just as happy go lucky as ever. And without a word, he grabs his hand and teleports them both out of Mondstadt.  - turns out it was just a slight thing that reminded him of the archon war (cuz i will die on the hill of him having more tragic backstory than just Decarabian), and he of course gives a sincere if not flustered thanks to Xiao, because he’s really not used to people noticing. 

- Venti trying to vent sneakily through fictional stories and Xiao is just like “Didn’t that basically happen to you” and Venti is just like “<_< shit”

- Venti once said affectionally that he wished he had met Xiao sooner and Xiao immediately and seriously shot it down by saying “If you had, I would have been forced to kill you” and both of them now stay up at night wondering who would have won that fight, not sure which result would have hurt more. (because honestly I have no idea who would win in that fight and that terrifies me- I like to think it would have been one of those legends that end with “and the fight persists to this day” or something along those lines)

- “How long have you been together?” “Adepti have no need for-” “1000+ years T^T how dare you deny our love” “O///O our...? ...useless”

- its disney- let me explain- i have this- i have this headcanon inspired by watching too many animatics- - so venti has a human form that isnt his- which he would have had to get used to moving in- and he’s a bard- - uh- anyway- as a third degree black belt in mixed martial arts, i can speak as an authority on this(not really an authority since i havent gone since quarantine but lets pretend). We have a thing referred to as the big three(most things do), and those things are martial arts, gymnastics, and dance. The idea is that they reflect really well off of each other and the best in any one category are good in all three. Timing, balance, form, discipline, technique, hand-eye coordination, grace, ease of motion, they all play a part- anyway-

- Venti taking Xiao’s prowess in martial arts and acrobatics and teaching him how to dance, and as someone who’s extremely skilled in the first two, the third comes easy to him, almost naturally. And it’s delicate and beautiful and lovely and it isn’t hurting anyone. And Venti points all these things out and more and despite how much Xiao insists that he feels ridiculous he truly does enjoy it and it goes a long way towards helping him form more healthy views of himself and his worth.  - Verr Goldett walked in on him once and made a joke about performing at the inn. unfortunately Venti was there and agreed on Xiao’s behalf before he could protest and- and it wasn’t as bad as Xiao thought it would be... he still wouldn’t do it again though without reason, but with good enough reasoning he could probably be convinced. 

- anyways point is he likes dancing to Venti’s songs and i just think that’s really cute - just picture the idea that all the animatics you see actually have the potential to be canon- ugh

- venti tries holding something out of Xiao’s reach since he’s taller and Xiao just fucking teleports 

- both need their space but when they dont, all they have to do is speak the other’s name and they’ll be there.

- and because i just had to.... love languages

- lets start with Xiao- i don’t think he’d view acts of service or quailty time as a love language tbh, and he blunt but really bad with words so affirmation is out, leaving gift giving and physical touch. However, he seems to view most material things as meaningless so- - Xiao who’s love language is in his fleeting touches, something he’s only recently grown comfortable with because of Venti, and now is giving back, which he knows he doesn’t have to do, but that he want’s to, though he’ll still continue to make excuses for each one. “you were shivering” “The inn is high up, you could have fallen..... I said what I said, you’d question an adeptus?”

- and as easy as it is to say words of affirmation for Venti- he does that for everyone- i want to say his is actually acts of service - its the acts of service that let him see just how much Xiao has progressed afterall, from teaching him to dance, to playing another song on the flute, to supplying him with the almond tofu he seems to enjoy so much. Every little thing he does helps Xiao to grow and he couldn’t be happier about that. 

-

- of course most of my headcanons for the ship do take place latter into the relationship because- y’know the less serious unhealthy vibes allow for greater range of thought, but i do still love to think about the serious implications so i kinda hopped back and forth. So sorry about how messy it is btw, i kinda- got carried away- it kinda got some kind of structure near the end tho so- maybe it’s okay. anyway- back to... lol something, we’ll see where thought forests lead. 

[stlaika]

I saw you doing some MCR loveposting and got so excited! I love music so much and it makes me unreasonably happy to see people talking about how much they love it too. You are NOT pretentious and never will be, you deserve to talk about the things you like with passion and respect!!!

How do you feel about The Black Parade, as a concept album? I've always been into albums that tell stories and I love hearing what other people think about TBP, since it's so open to personal interpretation!! :0

Firstly that is SO sweet of you to say oh my god,,,,, i really appreciate it man bc ive been feeling VERY weird abt this particular interest of mine ayejdhisj,,,, thank you so much <3 !!

Secondly you have awakened a BEAST so i apologize in advance

ROIGHT. THE BLACK PARADE....

I LOVE the fuckin black parade man, altho its not my favorite concept album by mcr [that title belongs to danger days] its p high up there still.

The thing about TBP is that gerard way's penchant for storytelling really shines thru in this album, bc you can really feel the sort of..anger and anguish and eventual acceptance that the dying man of this story is feeling. It's absolutely mcr's most,,, whats the word. Musically diverse? Argh idk what the word is but they definitely experimented w different styles for this album [see: cancer, bits and pieces of mama, blood, and the first half of welcome to the black parade in particular].

Cancer in particular is a really good example of this bc it swaps out their usual guitars for a softer piano, and it really adds to like. The emotional rawness of that song yknow? Particularly w the way gerard's voice is so. Augh i wouldn't say growly but its like..rough and emotional and it just. Makes the song so fuckin moving to hear [Frank iero my friend frank iero cant listen to it without crying which says a lot when you know hes been w mcr for 20 years]

NOW. ONTO THE CROWNING FUCKIN JEWEL OF THIS ALBUM. WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE!!

My god am I truly an mcr fan if i dont wax poetic abt this song at least once? Anyway GSKSJ

The thing abt wttbp is that its structured like bohemian rhapsody, which is smth i noticed after my week long binge session of their albums. The marching band opening of wttbp is like the classicl choral/opera style of the opening of borhap, the swap to rock halfway thru is used in both, and theres that section around the middle point [the im just a boy section in wttbp] that once again shifts the musical style of the song [and focuses on ray toro's absolutely BRILLIANT fuckin shredding, god bless that man]. Theres also the fade out w music similar to the intro, and combine all of that w the fact that queen was one of mcr's inspirations and you can see my point. Theres also the fact its the band's most well known song, and even ppl who've never heard of the band know the song [again, much like borhap]

Like ALL of mcr's albums theres this like. Powerful mix of emotions that makes itself known throughout the album. Whether it's the resigned, bittersweet goodbye of cancer, the almost hysterical anger and self deprecation of dead!, or the apologies and declaration of death being inevitable in mama, each track carries parts of the emotional progress of the dying man TBP is written from the perspective of, and portrays it in such a way that even at its most abstract its just. SO clear what this man is feeling and what the band is trying to convey,,,, AUGH

AUGH!! i love mcr man its such an incredible fuckin band and the just. The fact that the members are just such ordinary people who really poured their hearts and souls into every song they wrote [to quote ray toro: "it all started to make sense. Now i know why we're here"],,,,,,,,,,, they really are the band that changed the world dude like i cant talk about them without getting worked up. Mx way if you can hear me you did it man

[heartriki]

Okay so, this ask may require a long answer, and I'm sorry for that!! Sorry to bother!! But I'm a new TXT fan and so I'm new to the whole storyline in the music videos, and I saw that you were taking about it - about the new song being about Yeonjun missing his friends after they grew apart, and all that. Could you explain it to me, please? Or tell me what songs are about this?

I'm sorry, I'm just so confused about the whole thing :')

OKAY first of all hello :D and i'll telling this in the way i understand the story. and also i have a LOT of thoughts so this is gonna be LONG but like, the entire story resonates with me a lot so like forgive me but some of it might be a bit biased? but thats kind of the beauty of the story, you can really interpret it in any way you like

(the general story at least, theres a whole other thing about them having superpowers and fighting a big evil thing and magic in general, but its a story saved usually for the cinematic mvs that they do)

so txt's entire story is generally about growing up/the pain of growing up (and escapism as a coping mechanism). the members all have their own pain, which are represented physically in the mvs and songs, which you can see in nap of a star mainly

the story starts in crown, and is from the perspective of someone who woke up one day with horns growing from their head and met someone with wings who 'saved' them by making them realize they arent so alone in their pain.

the one with horns is yeonjun, whos pain is shown as antlers (horns), and while it is kai who has wings, the important part is that the "main character" is yeonjun, and that he meets the other four, who show him that he's not alone in his pain. they become friends, and they do everything together, they grow up together

in run away, their pain gets worse and they want to run away together. this is where the whole escapism as a coping mechanism thing comes from, and i have a lot to say bc this songs hits me where it hurts. you grow up with friends hoping you'll be together forever, and when your pain starts getting heavy, you want to run away with them, to a world where its just you guys. thats basically what run away is about

the thing about growing up is that no matter how close you are to your friends, you'll grow up in different ways, in different speeds, in different "directions". while some of the members moved on from their pain, others don't. then a rift begins to form, and things get tense between the group, which is the point of can't you see me. and then eventually, some misunderstanding breaks them apart, leaving all of them alone by themselves again.

blue hour is them reminiscing about the time they spent together, in a world of their own imagination where they could ignore their pain, because they had each other.

lovesong, which from the mv i've decided is from the perspective of yeonjun, whose pain is only getting worse now bc theyre not together anymore. he feels alone again. this song is a love song to his friends rather than a romantic love song. he still loves them and he wants for them to get back together again, be as close as they were before. he wants to know whether they still love him too.

and i think thats the entire (general) story so far !

[endcant]

aimless musings on subgenre, citypop, and internet subcultures

theres something very interesting about watching citypop become very mainstream in korea and watching that feed back into both western listeners’ opinions and also into the sometimes-cynical efforts of a variety of kpop producers

a lot of people in the youtube/kpop sphere talk about the growth of citypop as if it were a spontaneous wave that appeared out of nowhere with mariya takeuchi’s plastic love getting picked up by the youtube algorithm in like 2018 or whatever, but thats a very like online-ignorant view of the interaction between vintage japanese music and worldwide online EDM production. citypop has been used in future funk and vaporwave for almost a decade by now, and, as a result, a number of citypop songs took off on social media here and there before plastic love’s acceleration— dress down by kaworu akimoto is one of the big examples off the top of my head, but there’s likely many many more.

“Plastic Love” by Mariya Takeuchi (1984). if you haven’t heard this yet, you’d better listen to it now. The video that first went viral was uploaded in 2017

“Selfish High Heels” by Yung Bae, Macross 82-99, and Harrison (2014) is a popular Future Funk remixes of Dress Down by Kaoru Akimoto (1986)

people who haven’t been very aesthetically literate online over the years— musically or visually, since those things are tied in subcultures— treat things like they come from nowhere. there are ongoing subcultural conversations that lead to certain aesthetic choices, and when someone tries to cash in on a trend without understanding what the trend is, that leads people to call bullshit. calling bullshit is not meanspirited, in my opinion, because it very much is like somebody who can’t speak a language getting up in front of everybody and saying “hey, i’m fluent!” and then speaking some vaguely that-language-sounding nonsense. of course people who genuinely speak that language will be outraged instinctively. it feels like being mocked.

that’s why the difference between music producers picking up on a trend cynically and music producers picking up on a trend with earnest interest in that trend’s origins feels different, even if the producers are similarly distant from the original subculture that produced that trend.

“Lady” by Yubin (2018) committed hard to the 80s JP citypop aesthetic, musically and visually, down to the sets, all fairly early in the major resurgence.

i’m sure that anyone with a passing familiarity with citypop and kpop can ascertain that not all kpop producers know what citypop is and what makes it citypop. all they know is that it is on-trend and they have to make it. not all kpop listeners know what citypop is and what makes it citypop. all they know is their idol said citypop as a buzzword in their little prepared statement. all this results in some interesting moments for me as a Music Fan, Online.

here is where i get to the thing that spurred this post: loona “did a citypop” for their japanese comeback. it doesnt sound like citypop.

“Hula Hoop (Citypop Version)” by Loona (2021). It has very odd percussion rhythms and mixing for citypop, no real attempt at a citypop verse, and strangely sparse gestures towards citypop in the form of a few seconds of bass and some synthesized orchestral embellishments that were taken from the original mix …all in spite of a very disco-inspired melody that should have worked perfectly for citypop

this is not a very big deal, and im not mad about it or anything. when a kpop act i like gets saddled with an unfortunate B-Side track i dont tend to take it very hard. however, it did raise a little bit of musical discourse in the loona fandom— in the form of remixes.

“hula hoop if it was actually a citypop song” by loonahatetwinks and Olivia Soul on youtube. this one has an original instrumental that is spot-on for contemporary k-citypop

My most favorite one of these remixes is a futurefunk remix by ZSunder, one of the very best LOONA fan producers. The fact that ZSunder thought to make a future funk remix at all speaks more to an understanding of the mutually supportive relationship between citypop and EDM genres than most kpop citypop producers or fanmixers seem to care to know about.

“Hula Hoop (Future Funk Mix)” by ZSunder is futurefunk made and mixed with such love that it has the infectious summery energy of a polished, big-name future funk hit

in the comments of this video, some people seemed to get the citypop-future funk connection and some didnt. many did get it, don’t get me wrong! but also, its not all that surprising for some kpop-focused listeners to not know much about EDM subcultures and the reasons behind various trends among producers, since kpop as an institution tends to take influences from any genre and culture it likes and then decontextualize those influences by just having their names used as buzzwords in the blurbs the idols have to recite when variety show hosts ask them about their latest single. this isn’t a criticism of the genre or the fans really, it’s just a part of the kpop industry that is used to add shine to an endless firehose-like stream of polished pop tracks. there are some issues with using whole genres and subcultures with complex histories as buzzwords, but god help us if we ever want a pop industry to give its influences their dues.

anyway, the intention behind ZSunder’s future funk Hula Hoop remix happened to remind me me of why i love Yukika’s discography so much, especially the Soul Lady album. I’ve seen some reviews online baffled by parts of Soul Lady, because the album in general is an exploration of that relationship between citypop and modern/internet EDM. i’ve seen plenty of Soul Lady reviews especially baffled by pit-a-pet, saying something along the lines of “what’s with the modern-sounding dance track in the middle of a retro album?”, but i think that pit-a-pet is a futurefunk-inspired track, at least in the chorus. considering both that and the Chill Lo-Fi Interludes, it seems like estimate’s team put together Soul Lady for Yukika in a way that shows that they love citypop and understand the online-specific electronic music subcultures that led to citypop’s resurgence.

“pit-a-pet” by Yukika (2020). the stacatto, bass heavy chorus is futurefunk enough, but the soaring orchestral part in the final chorus seals the deal for my interpretation.

“All Flights Are Delayed (1 hour version)” by Yukika (2020). Estimate literally released an hour-long youtube mix of one of the Lo-Fi interludes on Soul Lady as part of their promotion, clearly inspired by “Lo-Fi anime beats to chill out to,” which is another example of online producers from around the world using Japanese samples as a focal point of their music

Estimate, in the end, is still a Kpop production company, just the same as BBC, so they have no inherent claim over citypop, but the way that their exploration of subgenres clearly comes from passion and interest on the part of their production staff makes it so that their work with Yukika rings true. on the other hand, i really appreciate Ryan S. Jhun’s work on LOONA’s JP comeback, as well as on Not Friends, but the citypop mix thing was so clearly an afterthought to the point where fans of Loona who like citypop seem mostly just irritated by the cynical-seeming attempt.

heres one last good modern kpop citypop MV that has nods to the internet culture that led to its revival in the form of the videography— vaporwave, future funk, lofi, and other internet genres along those lines tend to have videos consisting of looping anime and vhs clips. future funk in particular is known for this, especially since a lot of future funk music, esp early future funk, is just loops of very short, catchy segments of citypop and disco songs. it’s all about the loops

“My Type” by Yoon JongShin ft. Miyu Takeuchi (2019). This song is so dedicated to the retro JP citypop sound that it’s almost beyond my personal taste. The singer, Miyu, was a headlining act at a seoul citypop festival and sang this song as part of her act (:

this video of “Only One” by Conscious Thoughts (2015) has a looped clip as an example for comparison with My Type. it also has a pulsing sidechain compressor working in time with its drum beat in a way that is common for future funk and that i think is a good example for my pit-a-pet yukika comparison to future funk

i guess the takeaway here is that media is more and more online, and the creation and propagation of digital audio and video content has been in the hands of literally almost anybody who wants to do it for the past two decades thanks to garage band and fruityloops and audacity and tiktok and youtube and bandcamp and soundcloud and myspace and newgrounds and p2p file sharing and so on and so forth. and therefore like… as with all things, the consumer class more and more is also the creator class, and therefore every member of an audio-visual subculture will have the ability to discern what is and isnt made with knowledge of the audio-visual language of that subculture

[planet4546b]

hiiii bestie i would love to hear some explanations on some fave parts of that playlist that youre particularly proud of.. spoiler free or not your choice..

OMG hi sam thank you for enabling to talk about music.......theres a lot of parts of this playlist that i think are SUPER fun which means it got long so ill put it under a cut

hands down my favorite part of the WHOLE is actually the very first song being rounds by the oh hellos, which looks completely out of place but is INCREDIBLY plot relevant for a reason that i will keep secret for now. but i promise its so fucking cool

blessed are the peacemakers of red dead fame represents the first leg of the journey when it's just samira on her own as she heads from her spire to a small coastal town to the west, but by leaving her spire she's essentially doomed this town already. so very good sorta ominous traveling vibes. storm king by big tree directly after it is also part of the same vibes (my first autumn away from home/since i went away for good + no driving to storm king this year/ i give instead my stern appeal)

joan of arc by arcade fire is at the center of a whole segment thats sort of the earliest part of all 4 of them traveling together when things are still pretty decent, and represents the other threes completely misplaced faith in samira at the beginning. it's the start of a WHOLE cycle of conflict between the whole group that centers around sam's leadership and her pretending she knows what she's doing at all (which she doesn't) so joan of arc is half what's happening then and half foreshadowing in a fun way

the chunk below is the first big reveal of the story, when they essentially get to the place they've been traveling to the whole time and start to realize a few things about the nature of the coming apocalypse and the world they're in. it's a lot of instrumental, but infiltration and exfiltration bookend their journey into a now-defunct spire (represented by catchpole station, at the start of the playlist sam's tower was represented by the song catbird station also off the oxenfree soundtrack) and realize both why spires are becoming defunct and what exactly the coming apocalypse is (vignette visions, which is delightfully eerie and a good mix of ambient and these really intense synth hits and alignment which has. startlingly relevant lyrics). ghosts in the static, night zombies, and the universe is going to catch you are the (very literal to the song name ghost in the static) aftermath of this sequence

two scenes san fermin into proximity night in the woods is where the story truly starts to collapse - two scenes (which im interpreting by vibes and not exact lyrics) is where two stories that have essentially been being shown at the same time throughout the story despite the fact one of them happened nearly 200 years ago begin to sort of collapse into each other (the eponymous 2 scenes lol), and it also represents a real tension between the goals of the various members of the group (these goals are the other two scenes, essentially), which reaches a breaking point at proximity when the group splits up. followed up by coda: a burn scar by los campesinos, with the relevant lyric 'i can't believe you choose the mountains every time i chose the sea'.

from the sea to the land by sea power is in the middle of the next journey they go on when they get back together (sam makes some BIG fucking mistakes and essentially says ok like for real this time if we dont do something were fucked i know youre all mad at me but) and the vibes of this journey are waaaaay different and i think the trumpets in this song are a pretty good marker of that vibe. this song is just so gorgeous

the goose and the wren by hop along has always been a HUGELY important song for this project, and it gets put riiiiiight before the climax kicks off. sort of a reflection of where we've been so far and one final bit of desperation before the finale section

the finale section starts with approching the shimmer from the annihilation soundtrack and goes through the end of the playlist!!! (my fave part of the annihilation soundtrack is the alternating use of synths and guitar, and the only other song from the soundtrack on here is the watchtower, a more guitar heavy one thats at the start which i think is fun). both for spoiler reasons and because i dont totally know what will happen i cant talk about this bit tooooo specifically but i really love this little instrumental sequence thats the true climax and is all bangers. despite the 3 songs named for mountains this part does take place in a cave. the little piano bit at the end of castaways is one of my fave parts of the outer wilds soundtrack and here it represents a very similar thing to what it does in that game so <3

theres only 3 garages songs on this playlist and one of them does get to be in the finale segment (after the part above by a few songs) i wonder who for a long long time could be about 🤔🤔🤔

the very last three songs on the playlist are road to hell 2 from hadestown, the beach (7am) from oxenfree, and what happens now from interstellar. road to hell 2 is SPECIFICALLY for that 'to know how it ends/and still begin to sing it again/as if it might turn out this time' because thats the line of all time and also because. well things get a little weird towards at the end of s/n. on the same note, the beach (7am) represents a similar thing to what it reflects at the end of oxenfree (like i said we're getting weird) and what happens now is sort of literal to the title!!! also because its a gorgeous fucking song to end on.

thanks again for the question bestie i love MUSIC and my ocs and i had a lot of fun with this playlist <33

[petewentzisblack1312]

hey about Young and Menace:

i used to mis-hear the lines "i only wrote this down to make you press rewind/and send a message i was young and a menace" as "i only wrote this down to make you press rewind/it's not a message i was young and a menace"

and like. not to wax on about misheard lines but to me those were the key lines of the song that conveyed the central idea that y&m was almost spiteful. performative in a "sharp smile and a bow" way. like "i only wrote this down, wrote this song for the sake of having created a song. there is no deeper message, nothing to infer. i was fucked up." which is a v different interpretation of the mania in the song but also a lot of what mania is like for me, the temper and anger of it the way i (an already loud and outgoing person who likes and receives a lot of attention) experience a borderline self-destructive urge to put it all out there for the sake of putting it all out there. i'm not saying that's what fame is like but through the misheard lyrics lens that's the mania + fame relationship it felt like y&m was about.

like at the end of the day it doesn't really matter because i was mishearing the lyrics but i thought it was interesting how a few changed words gave me this whole other view of the song and specifically the flavor of mania in the song. sorry to ramble in your inbox but your analysis inspired me :)

no no!! dont apologize, this is a great analysis even if its from misheard lyrics. its always really interesting how an entire song or poem can hinge on one line. i think theres still some spite in there, but its between the persona and their mania and not from a meta place like your interpretation. that wouldve been really cool tho! fob occasionally does that sort of meta thing where they speak past the persona straight to the audience so itd make complete sense if they did that, although they dont usually have that amount of spite towards listeners. i think that would add a really interesting dimension to the song if the message from your manic self ended only for the lead in to the breakdown to be a message from the author saying 'theres nothing here for you. i was just sick'

also this has made me realise a parallel between y&m and dfs ("i only wrote this down to make you press rewind/and send a message i was young and a menace" vs "dear future self/i hope its going well/im drunk on cheap whisky in an airport hotel" like dfs is the message their mania wrote down. hmmmm might do an analysis of that soon!)

[ts-unpopular-opinions]

Side Tracks opinions part 1: Janus

(Yes I’m staring with Janus and going backwards, I just need to talk about this snake man right now!)

Alright, I’ve seen lots of people give their takes on each of the sides playlists, and honestly... I feel like they’re not all that similar to my interpretations. I mean yes anyone can interpret the songs how they’d like, but some people just flat out ignore canon to see the songs as their ship instead of what I believe they are actually meant to be seen as. Anyways... Janus! Yes let’s go through each song one by one 💛

1) Black Hole Sun: I’ll admit this one was hard for me. The song is obviously so Janus, with plenty of references to snakes and lying, but I can’t seem to put a finger on the exact meaning. If I had to guess, it’s showing Janus’ fist instance of fearing society. He’s realized that the world is not a safe place for Thomas and no one can be trusted (“Times are gone for honest men” “no one sings like you anymore”). He longs for the ignorance of childhood when society didn’t seem to pose a threat and Thomas wasn’t aware of the dangers and lies it held, but he knows that someone has to protect him from it, and that is Janus (“my youth I pray to keep” “hang my head, drown my fear”).

2) Seemed the Better Way: To me, this is a song about Janus knowing his place as a dark side and knowing that the others will not listen to him (“I better hold my tongue” “better take my place”). He initially trusts the core sides to do what needs to be done and take care of Thomas adequately, but when he realizes that it isnt enough, he finds it hard to keep in hiding (“Seemed the better way” “now it’s much too late to turn the other cheek”).

3) Anywhere: A BIG middle finger to society (“It’s a beautiful world, if youve been lied to” “No no no, nothing in this world is beautiful”). Janus basically trusts no one in society, not even the people closest to Thomas because he believes that everyone will do whatever it takes to get what they want (“Every man standing on another man’s back”). He also believes that society has been a huge detriment to Thomas and, AGAIN, is very dangerous (“It’s the world’s excuse for being disfigured and lying to you”).

4) Talking at the same time: This song is about Virgil. The song begins with explaining that a hard time for one person can be a triumph for another in multiple different metaphors (“Umbrellas cost more in the rain” “hard times for some, for others its sweet” “someone makes money when theres blood in the street”). The next part of the song practically shoves it in your face that it’s about virgil leaving (“Well she told me she would leave me, I ignored all the signs” “I know you're leaving and there's no more next time”). Janus was clearly hurt by Virgil leaving and it seems like he was almost in denial about it happening. A line near the end of the song that I found particularly interesting was “Well we bailed out all the millionaires, They've got the fruit, We've got the rind”. This line to me shows that Janus and the other dark sides let Virgil go, possibly in an attempt to get all of the dark sides accepted. Virgil capitalized on this opportunity and of course, got accepted, however, he left the others behind. Despite wanting Virgil to get accepted by the light sides, Janus remains bitter that Virgil was the only one. Virgil got the fruit, and the rest of the dark sides got the rind.

5) All the Good Girls go to Hell: Janus believes that Thomas needs to listen to him if he is going to stay safe and healthy. He thinks that his assistance, above all other sides, expecially Patton, is crucial for survival in this messed up world. (“And once the water starts to rise, And heaven's out of sight, She'll want the devil on her team” “Look at you needing me”). You’ll find it a common theme in this playlist that Janus refers to himself as the devil or an evil entity of some sort... Just thought I’d point that out.

6) Denial: Well, its in the title folks! Thomas is (or was) in denial. Janus is aware of the moments when Thomas thinks about consulting him or using one of his functions, but almost as soon as he gets the idea, he drops it and acts like the thought never happened (“Don't just shut your eyes closed” “You know that I can hear you thinking, I've heard you all the way from here, But if I look you in the eye though, It's like your thoughts all disappear”). Thomas is struggling for answers to questions that only Janus can answer, but he refuses to listen to consult him and Janus desperately wants this to stop (“I know you're looking for direction, I know where you wanna go” “Please don't turn the light out, I don't think the conversation's over”).

7) Trust in Me: Obviously, the original song has much more sinister undertones, but when listening to the song from Janus’ perspective, I get a different vibe. Basically, Janus just wants Thomas to trust him and give him more reign over decision making. Not much for this one.

8) Razzle Dazzle: JANUS IS EXTRA! Is anyone shocked? Also a HUGE showman. But again, no one’s surprised. Janus believes that the only way to get the light sides to listen to him is to practically put on a show to cover up whatever his true intentions are (“How can they see with sequins in their eyes?” “Razzle dazzle 'em And theyll never catch wise!” “How can they hear the truth above the roar?”) I could keep listing lines but theyre literally all just different versions of the same sentiment.

9) When the Chips are Down: The title right off the bat shows that, again, Janus believes that Thomas needs to look to him when important decisions are on the line. There are also a lump sum of jabs at patton in this song, lines like “Aim for the heart, shoot to kill” and “Cast your eyes to heaven, You get a knife in the back”. Theres also a lot of lines, yet again, of Janus practically begging Thomas to trust him and no one else (“Ain't nobody but yourself to trust” “Help yourself, To hell with the rest, Even the one who loves you best”).

10) Mandy goes to Med School: Soooo this one... Honestly, I don’t really have a lot. The original meaning of the song is not very applicable to Janus, so its a bit hard to pinpoint its meaning. The only thing I can think of is that Janus is again hating on society and the crazy things that people have to go through in it. If you weren’t aware, this song is about coat-hanger abortions.

11) I put a Spell on You: This one seems pretty striaghtforward to me. Janus knows that Thomas doesn’t want him, and it drives him up the wall, but he does what a snake boi does and slithers his way in anyways (“And I don't care if you don't want me, I'm yours right now” “I can't stand it 'cause you put me down”). I suppose you could argue that you could replace Thomas with Patton (mostly because daddy is used like 10 times in the song 😂) but a later song covers their realtionship extremely well.

12) Evil Night Together: Another toughie. My gut feeling is that this is a song about Remus and Janus just going out and having a wild night together. As I read into the lyrics more, though, it seems almost like Janus is doing this for Remus. Like he wants Remus to feel accepted and loved by him (something that can’t be said by Thomas). I just can’t read some of these lines without getting big Momceit vibes... i mean... theyre so supportive! “I'll hold your hand while they drag the river” “I'll cuddle you in the undertow” “I'll hold you close while they dust for prints”. Then theres of course this line... “Who's gonna make you a hero?” And to me, that is Janus saying that, if Thomas only sees Roman as his hero and not Remus, then it is Janus’ job to make Remus feel like a hero. Janus also saying “No need for cake or flowers” also feels like him reassuring Remus that he doesn’t need to be like his brother to be perfect and loved.

13) Don’t tell Mama: I think I’ve seen some people interpreting “mama” as Thomas in this song, but to me Patton seems like a better fit, especially after their interactions in the most recent episode. Basically this song is all about how Janus doesn’t mind people knowing about the bad things he does, but he can absolutely not have one person know. Janus seems to have grown a soft spot for Patton in the new episode and if you ask me, he would definately not want patton finding out about some of immoral things he’s wanted Thomas to do. I mean he literally waits for Patton to sink out and then the second he’s gone he starts scheming about pushing people down stairs and sabotage.

14) You’re a Cad: Another Virgil one, but this time it’s after Virgil’s acceptance. I think Janus has little faith in the beginning that Virgil would get far in his journey to the light side. Whether that is because of envy or just plain pessimism, I’m not sure, but he definately doubted Virgil would ever be able to escape his past (“So now you want the whole world to notice that you've come around, Now you expect, We'll see how you're really so much better now, But I know the truth” “What's the point pretending that you could be a better man, Just give in, since you always end up right back where you began”). Despite his reluctance to support Virgil’s endevors, Janus shows a softer side for Virgil that has gone completely untalked about in canon (“You're a rascal and a rogue, a villain and a crook, Still I tug at your line, I'm a fish on your hook” “Still I know the truth, but I have a sweet tooth for a Cad and a bounder, a dog and a cheap”). Janus really misses Virgil and I would go as far as to say that he regrets the things that he’s done to make Virgil want to leave (“I should be better, but I'm worse” “You're reckless with my heart, still I wait by the phone”).

15) As far as I can See: A sadie but a goodie. Janus doesn’t really understand love, but he’s sure that no one loves him (“As far as I can see Nobody loves me”). No one listens to him, no matter how much he shouts and cries. He doesn’t believe that anyone could love him if they are unwilling to hear him out and communicate with him (“As far as I can see, Nobody's listening” “And when I'm crying out, Nobody cries back for me”).

16) Criminal: AH MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE PLAYLIST! I LEGIT CRIED MY GUYS! Anyway. Janus LOVES Thomas. I would go as far to say that Janus loves Thomas more than any other side. Despite his lacking knowledge of love and what it feels like, he knows for a fact that what he feels for Thomas is the closest thing he will feel to love (“Because he's all I ever knew of love”). Now that thats out of the way, lets get to the juicy stuff... Janus feels like a criminal as he’s been taught over and over again that his opinions and thoughts are bad and harmful (“Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal” “I've done wrong and I wanna suffer for my sins”) This song is ultimately about Janus wanting to improve for Thomas, the one he loves the most. He knows that Thomas needs him, and the only way to get Thomas to listen is to get some help. Whose that help you might ask? Patton. Janus wants to be more helpful, but he doesnt know how. He’s envious of Patton’s ability to be accepted so easily, so he goes to him for advice (“I've come to you cause I need guidance to be true, And I just don't know where I can begin”). Janus wants to be redeemed in Thomas’ eyes, he wan’ts to escape the criminal appearance he’s been doomed to (“And I need to be redeemed, To the one I've sinned against”). He HATES some of the things he does to Thomas and some of the things he makes him think, but he doesn’t want to be forgiven, he believes that he deserves to be punished, but he still wants to get better for Thomas. He just doesn’t know how to do that (“Oh help me, but don't tell me to deny it, I've got to cleanse myself Of all these lies til I'm good enough for him”). Also, Janus sees Patton in a very very high place. He goes as far in this song to liken him to an angel while comparing himself, again, to the devil (“So what would an angel say, The devil wants to know”).

17) Change: The song is about, you guessed it, change! This to me is a continuation of the last song. Janus finally feels like things are changing in his favor (likely after the most recent episode). He was beginning to feel like there was no point in caring or trying, but now that he’s begining to see the light, he’s grown a bit hopeful (“Lately I've been thinking it's just someone else's job to care, Who am I to sympathize when no one gave a damn?” “Trying to find the power in me to be faithful” “Change is a powerful thing, I feel it coming in me”). With Patton’s help and acceptance, Janus is begining to feel worthy of Thomas again and begining to see the he has a voice (“Maybe by the time this song is done I’ll be able to be honest, capable, Of holding you in my arms without letting you fall when I don't feel beautiful Or stable”).

18) Devil in the Details: Janus worries again about his ability to help Thomas. He doesn’t believe that he can tell the difference between good and bad and he looks to Patton for that differentiation (“There was love I meant, there were accidents, So tell me which is which. 'Cause I just can't work it out” “I have, no way, of knowing,…”). There’s also an odd underlying message about doing something that he doesn’t want to do, but continues to do despite this and I’m not quite sure what that could be referring to (“And I know the cost, and I want to stop. But I can't do it, I just can't do it.”). It could simply be referring to him lying or deceiving others, but that seems too simple. I wish I had a better answer.

19) Come Little Children: ALSO MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE PLAYLIST! This is really big guys. This song practically confirms the fact that Janus was in charge of taking in and hiding the dark sides from Thomas (“Come little children, I'll take thee away Into a land of enchantment”). The song literally uses the phrase “My garden of shadows”, a clear metaphor for the hidden parts of Thomas’ mind where Janus keeps the dark sides. But it gets better... Janus pities these poor sides. He hates the way that society has forced them away from the light and into the shadows (“Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way Through all the pain And the sorrows”). Not only does Janus feel bad for these sides and longs to protect them from the cruelness of the real world, but he LOVES them. He values every aspect of them and thinks they are beautiful and perfect. He cannot fathom why society wouldn’t also love see them this way and it frustrates him to hide such amazing traits from the world (“Weep not poor children For life is this way, Murdering beauty and passions”). Despite this sadness and dissapointment, Janus does his job and keeps the dark sides hidden away, knowing that society would never accept them for what they are (“Hush now dear children, It must be this way”).

20) Into the Unknown (no not the Frozen song): This song is VERY IMPORTANT. I have seen so many misinterpretations of this song, and granted mine could also be wrong, but please hear me out. This song comes right after the last song for a reason. The sides that Janus had once hidden away are now being shown to Thomas. He is literally going into the unknown (“Led through the mist, By the milk-light of moon, All that was lost, is revealed.” “Somewhere lost in the clouded annals of history, Lies a place that few have seen. A mysterious place, called The Unknown. Where long-forgotten stories are revealed to those who travel through the wood.”) Thomas is figuratively traveling through the wood by learning more about himself and traveling deeper into Janus’ previously mentioned Garden of Shadows. The song ends, beautifully framing Janus’ love for the sides he’s raised and hidden away, calling them “ The loveliest lies of all”....

(Ahhh! I’m sorry that was so long guys 😅 Thank you if you read the whole thing or evern part! I’d like to hear your opinions, so let me know 💛💛💛)