#they only listen to popular tiktok songs

[d1s4pp34r1ng-b0y]

interaction between me and my bsf today

[bigdickevans]

i don’t know if this is gonna make sense but i feel like Wicked’s casting is bad for like. longevity. bc sure in the Movie Theater having the Movie Theater experience my ape brain goes oh! jeff goldblum! haha cool. then i exit the theater and turn on the soundtrack in the car. then i also listen to it the next day at home with earbuds. and maybe again the day after that in the shower with a speaker. and it’s like hmm. i don’t think seeing jeff goldblum as the wizard of oz is worth having mediocre moments in the soundtrack. that you should want me to listen to multiple times. “i thought he did fine!” fine? it’s. it’s Wicked. genuinely why on earth should i settle for “fine” ITS WICKED i feel like im going bananas.

[its-no-biggie]

[listening to my playlist while i drive people home]

my cousin: yknow, this singer kinda sounds like if imagine dragons was good

me, confused, not sure i heard him correctly: what?

him: i said this sounds like if imagine dragons was good

me:

me: this is imagine dragons

[rosesradio]

.

[artsninspo]

THAT’S MUFASAAA 🦁 | TIKTOK REACTION - RIO X READER

「 ✦ full library & archive ✦ 」

: ̗̀➛ rio's library - good girl nbc

Summary: This short one-shot explores the viral "Aaron Pierre, that's mufasaaaa" TikTok moment happening right now and how Rio would react to hearing the sound on his lady's phone. Marcus makes an appearance in this one he's about 11 years old.

Pairing: Rio (Good Girls) X Reader

Word-Count: ~800

Your timelines have been flooded with the handsome stranger ever since the popularity of Rebel Ridge. You’ve never been into violence or action films, but Rio insisted you watch the movie with him on a cozy movie night. As you snuggled into your man’s side, you couldn’t help but notice the actor’s striking eyes and impressive frame. If only that had been the end of it.

For the past week, Marcus had been singing about wanting a brother, leaving his father grinning and watching you the same way a lion eyes an antelope. Marcus had already seen the movie once with his mom—perks of co-parenting. But watching it again in theaters with you and Rio was a second treat.

Rio sat between the two of you, his arms around both as you and Marcus reached into his popcorn bucket, your eyes glued to the big screen. Rio, however, fell asleep halfway through, leaving you and Marcus to enjoy the film. You exchanged excited glances, whispers, and laughter as the action unfolded.

…

A few days later, Rio was on soccer practice duty when he noticed Marcus laughing at his phone.

“What now?” Rio asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The voice actor for Mufasa is going viral,” Marcus chuckled, jogging his father’s memory. The last time something went viral on TikTok, it had been a prank at Rio’s expense.

“For what?” Rio asked, parking in the soccer field lot.

“Women think he’s handsome. Even my mom thinks so,” Marcus said, handing his dad the phone.

Rio watched the harmless video of the actor walking down a hallway to a chorus of women’s cheers. His eyes darted to the flurry of comments, which left him both amused and unsettled.

“That’s not even the funniest part,” Marcus laughed, showing him a parody video of men complaining about the trend.

Rio shook his head, feeling too old to understand the appeal.

“I need to talk to your mom about you having access to this app,” he muttered.

“What? I’m on your side! Now, if you hear it, you’ll know what Y/N is watching,” Marcus teased.

“Y/N ain’t watching that nonsense. Go on and make some goals,” Rio snapped, shaking his head as Marcus laughed, hopping out of the truck.

Still, Rio couldn’t shake his suspicion. He’d heard you humming around the house more than usual, especially songs from the movie. Jealousy crept in, his possessive nature stirring. The only man you should be watching on a loop was him. If not, maybe he wasn’t doing his job at home.

…

After practice, Marcus ran in, hugging you and eagerly recounting his day. Rio watched as you listened attentively, plating food for both of them.

“Hey, baby,” you greeted, tiptoeing to kiss his lips.

“Hey, mama,” he murmured, holding you close.

“Hey, Y/N, been on TikTok lately?” Marcus asked as he sat at the table, his hands freshly washed.

“Not yet today. Did you send me something?” you asked, reaching for your phone.

“Nah, I was just wondering if you saw anything good,” he replied.

“No, just the usual jokes and stuff,” you said with a shrug before sitting down to dinner.

You listened as Marcus chattered about his day. After homework and bedtime, Rio headed to his basement gym, newly inspired, before joining you in bed.

As you scrolled through your TikTok feed, Rio worked on his phone, arranging his schedule.

“Aaron Pierre… that’s Mufasaaaa,” a video played, the chant catching his attention. He glanced at you, noticing the slight smile on your lips.

The sound repeated, and Rio suppressed a groan. Just as he was about to grab your phone, you scooted closer, showing him the screen.

“Baby, look at these guys trying to kill the fun! You know the actor from Rebel Ridge? He’s having a viral moment, and the men are so bitter,” you laughed, showing him parody videos.

Rio smirked, scrolling through the comments. The thirst on display amused him, though he wasn’t thrilled about your interest.

“Do you think he’s fine like the comments claim?” he asked, casually posing the trap.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really paid attention—I have what I want,” you said with a shrug, making him smile.

“Good answer. Now, I don’t want to hear that sound again,” he muttered. “If I do, you and Marcus are getting banned from that app,” he added, sounding like a congressman.

“Yes, Daddy,” you teased, putting your phone on the charger and turning off the lights.

“That’s right,” he said, his voice sleepy.

authors note: ooooh chile, this is such a fun moment for the internet. the girls have been acting up and hellish and i LIVE 😂 first fic of the year. i hope you enjoy 🥰 is this how you think rio reacts or is he crashing out lol?

: ̗̀➛ Loved the story? ❣ Like, ❝ Comment, ↺ Reblog

tags:

@meadows5 @wnbweasley @becauseimher @ariiaeltheedonn @woahthatshitfat @miniaturehideoutmentality @kokobells @ffenthusiastt @sowhatariyana @1xtral1983 @theegoddessofmelanin @fictionalreads @roxytheimmortal

[ohmy-gojo]

yuuji and reader being grossly in love with each other ෆ

— you both annoy the shit out of everyone surrounding you, megumi and nobara are the #1 victims

— always clinging to each other, you both have to have some sort of contact. the pdas oml

— feeding each other is a must. youd do this thing where you cross your arms together to feed each other food (this makes your 2 friends gag) or drinking from the same glass with different straws

— ridiculous pet names like nilly billy silly willy (for yuuji) or nutter butter (for you)

— always act like you are in some damn romantic music videos or kdrama. quoting movie lines all the time😭

— so many couple photos. have to try all the couple poses in the world. please spare nobara

— wallpaper, passwords and even social usernames are dedicated to each other and you both wonder how yall get hacked when your pw for everything is literally iloveyuuji69 and ynistheloml

— top commentor on each others post

— matching outfits all time. you both go to public wearing those i love my bf/gf or im his/im hers shirts

— share the same brain cells. one sec you both are climbing trees, eating mangoes and the next sec you do makeup on yuuji or film tiktoks

— speaking of tiktok you both are probably the most popular couple there. theres no couple trend yall havent tried yet. the internet is in love with you both

— writing each other love letters and putting them in yo lockers as if yall arent the only ones to do that😭

— most chaotic couple in jjk high, always pranking other students or even teachers but never each other

— the compliments never stop. you could be doing the most mundane thing and he'd go 'my boo's so talented☹️' and vice versa

— even during missions yall dont stop, yuuji cld do a particularly impressive move and youd be like 'woah thats my baby!!!' and hed go 'aww thank you snuggleboo!!' cue flying kisses. even the curses are dumbfounded

— gojo finds you both really adorable and hes often hyping yall up or joining your shenanigans (megumis worst nightmare someone save him)

— he spends his money on you two. want to go to a concert of your favs? done. a date at disneyland? done. he just wants you both to be happy and live your life fully. in return maybe you could prank nanami-

— the rare times you both arent together (most of the time its missions) are the worst for you both and everyone surrounding you. yuuji goes to sleep crying and holding your photo frame in his chest

— stay up late thinking about starting a band or baby names (when you asked megumi and nobara about starting a band with you both they refused:/ so yall decided to make your babies be your band members in the future)

— even though your friends might act annoyed they are secretly happy for you both

— yall are just really happy and in love with each other :(

note: yes i wasnt supposed to post this but inspo hit while listening to bollywood songs (im bangladeshi btw)

[clarii]

Every Breath You Take

Summary: Steve Harrington had it all—popularity, the perfect life, and everything he could want. But when he let slip a hurtful comment about you, his best friend turned into a distant memory. Now, years later, with everything changing, Steve can’t shake the haunting realization that he’s lost you. As he drives Dustin to the dance, he can’t help but replay the past in his mind, every moment of his mistakes. Will he ever get a second chance, or is it too late for redemption?

Pairing: King!Steve Harrington x Reader

Warnings: Angst, hurt/comfort, flashbacks, regret

Author’s Note: This story is heavily inspired by the song Every Breath You Take by The Police. I know the song is trending on TikTok at this moment but couldn’t help but think of the scene where Steve is looking at Nancy.

The car was quiet, the only sound was the hum of the engine as Steve’s hand gripped the wheel, his mind elsewhere. Dustin was chattering away beside him, excited about the dance tonight, but Steve wasn’t listening. His thoughts were occupied by something—or rather, someone—he couldn’t shake from his mind.

Every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you…

The lyrics of the song echoed through his mind, reminding him of how many times he had let you slip away. It had been months since he last saw you, but the memory of what he’d done, what he’d said, haunted him daily. Every time he thought he had moved past it, it crept back into his thoughts like a shadow he couldn’t outrun.

Dustin, oblivious to Steve’s inner turmoil, continued talking about his plan to impress the girls at the dance, but Steve barely heard him. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, where he caught a glimpse of someone walking into the school. His heart stopped for a moment when he saw you, standing just outside the doors with your head down, adjusting your bag.

It hit him like a punch to the stomach. He hadn’t seen you in so long. And despite the pain of the memories, there was a part of him that couldn’t look away.

Every game you play, every night you stay, I’ll be watching you…

You hadn’t been part of his life for so long now. What he had once considered “just a phase” of their friendship had slipped away without him realizing it. But now, the weight of it all—the unspoken words, the shattered friendship—felt heavier than anything else in his life.

“Hey, uh, Steve, are you listening?” Dustin’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Steve blinked, tearing his gaze away from the reflection of you in the rearview mirror. “What? Yeah. Sorry. Just… distracted.”

Dustin raised an eyebrow, noticing Steve’s distracted look. “By what? You’ve been kinda out of it today, man.”

Steve swallowed hard, pushing down the lump in his throat. “Nothing… just thinking about stuff,” he muttered, his voice quiet.

But Dustin wasn’t fooled. “Yeah, I can tell. You’ve been all weird since we left the house. What’s up?”

Steve glanced at Dustin, his mind flashing back to that one day—months ago—when everything changed.

Flashback – Hawkins, 1984

You had been Steve’s constant companion for so long. You weren’t like his other friends; you didn’t want to party, didn’t care about the attention. Instead, you just spent time together. You studied together, helped each other with homework, and spent afternoons hanging out at each other’s houses. It was comfortable. Real. You didn’t need anything else.

Steve had started to realize that maybe, just maybe, he cared more about you than he thought. The way you laughed at his dumb jokes, the way you were always there when he needed someone to talk to. But he never said it out loud. He couldn’t. He was King Steve after all.

But then one day, everything changed.

You had been sitting at Steve’s house, flipping through your textbook while he lounged on the couch. You had been trying to explain something to him—something that you knew he wasn’t really listening to—but you didn’t mind. It was just Steve being Steve.

Then his friends came over. Billy, Tommy, and Carl. They had always teased you, but you didn’t mind. You were used to it.

“Hey, Steve,” Tommy said, leaning against the doorway with a smug grin, “Why are you hanging out with the freak? You’ve got a hot girlfriend and all this popularity. Why waste your time with her?”

Steve had laughed, a little too loudly, before answering. “I don’t know, man. I guess I feel bad for her. It’s like charity work or something. She’s not really my type.”

His friends had laughed. You had laughed along with them, though it was the kind of laugh that didn’t reach your eyes. You hadn’t really expected him to care. He was Steve Harrington, after all, always the center of attention, always with the cool crowd. But that comment, that careless dismissal, had cut deeper than you expected.

You didn’t stay long after that. You left, avoiding Steve’s attempts to stop you. You didn’t know why you were so hurt. Maybe because you had always thought he saw you as more than just some girl to pass the time with. But now, the reality hit you: he didn’t.

And that was the last time you spoke to him.

Present Day

Steve’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. His knuckles turned white as he remembered that day, the day he had let his friends influence him in a way he’d never thought would happen. Now, looking back, he regretted it with everything inside him. He had never meant for things to turn out this way.

Oh, can’t you see, you belong to me…

He could feel his breath catch in his throat, the weight of his mistake pressing down harder than before. Dustin’s words from earlier kept repeating in his mind.

“You know, Steve, you can’t just expect things to be the same after what you did.”

Steve nodded without speaking. He didn’t need to. Dustin was right. He had messed everything up. He didn’t have an excuse for what he did, but he had been a kid, driven by stupid pride. He had let his friends talk him into making you feel less than, and now you were gone.

And here he was, sitting in a car, watching you disappear into the school like a memory he couldn’t keep.

Flashback – Hawkins, 1984

The night you left, Steve had come to your house. He stood outside your window, hands in his pockets, staring at the lights inside. He didn’t know how to fix things, didn’t know how to make it right. His friends had already left, and the house felt too quiet. He wanted to call you. Wanted to apologize. But what would he even say?

He stood there for what felt like hours, but you never came to the window. You didn’t even acknowledge his presence.

Present Day

“Do you think she’s still mad at me?” Steve’s voice was barely above a whisper as he glanced at Dustin. He didn’t know why he asked, but he couldn’t help it. The weight of the years without you was suffocating.

Dustin paused for a moment, thinking. “I think you messed up, Steve. I mean, yeah. But you can’t expect her to just forget. You can’t just expect everything to be okay just because you say sorry.”

“I know that, Dustin,” Steve replied, frustration lacing his voice. “But I… I never meant to hurt her. And now… now I’m just… I’m just stuck.”

Flashback – Hawkins, 1984

Steve had driven past your house so many times in the weeks that followed, hoping to see you. Hoping for a chance to fix things. But every time he looked, you were never there. The lights in your room remained off. It was like you were gone from his life for good.

Present Day

As Dustin rambled on about his plans for the dance, Steve let his mind wander back to that time. The quiet moments in the library when you would study together. The way you laughed at his terrible jokes. How he could always count on you to be there, to understand him. Now all of that was gone.

What if it’s too late?

Every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you…

But it was too late, wasn’t it?

[marisatomay]

Sometimes. I’m struck by how. Incurious. The Kids are these days. A 2022 Pew survey showed that 2/3 people under 25 preferred tiktok to any other form of media. If something is not on their tiktok fyp they simply don’t care to know it exists. And even when something *is* on the fyp, they stick to just that one thing and don’t use it as a stepping stone for discovery. Like. Streams of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams and Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill shot up exponentially after they were featured on that tiktok and Stranger Things, respectively. But *just* those songs. It never occurred to them to. Listen to the rest of their discographies. Even just the rest of the album each was from. They’ll watch a movie if a clip goes viral but not seek out any other works in the lead actor/director’s filmography. Especially if it’s something from before 2001 that isn’t a constant on the letterboxd “popular this week” list. A buddy of mine who is a middle school teacher said that, of the 120 kids she teaches, just 3 of her students read for pleasure. None of them watch movies or shows that aren’t fed to them through tiktok. They don’t spend time in the library just taking in as much as they can. They don’t flip channels and land on a movie made before they were born. They don’t seek. Whatever is going on. It’s only getting worse. I don’t know what to do about it.

[fackeraccount]

The Way Of Love

《Prev》《Mlist》《Next》

♡2♡

After the soulmate situation, Y/N got busy preparing for the Milan Fashion Week in Italy as an ambassador for Dior. It took almost 3 months to prepare and she hadn't had the time to talk to Hyunjin about the soulmate mark.

On the flight to Italy, she texted the girls to see if they would show up.

After talking with the girls, they agreed to wait at the airport together. As soon as her flight landed, she went to one of the restaurants, deciding to grab her bags later and not drag it around.

She went to and Italian restaurant, obviously since she was in Italy. She order some fried mozzarella sticks while she waited for the girls. She ordered something for them but told the waiter to bring it in and an hour and a half before taking a picture of her food and posted it in her Instagram.

After posting the picture, she noticed Stray kids like her post.

Huh, weird, she thought to herself before she started eating.

The mozzarella sticks were actually pretty good for airport food and the spicy dip made it all the more better.

She continued munching on her food while aimlessly scrolling on TikTok, coming across the new Stray Kids comeback. Preparing for the MFW was so busy, she didn't have enough time to watch the MV but she heard clips of it on her fyp. The most popular songs were called Venom and Maniac though she was gonna listen to the full album later.

The dance seem quite challenging but she always found time to randomly learn them. Learning their dances were quite hard but she did them for fun, not to perform anywhere.

Filing that thought away, she looked at the dance to see how hard it actually was. The Venom dance was harder, but seeing her soulmate do it made her wanna try.

As soon as the girls landed, their food arrived at the table. She texted the girls which restaurant before snapping another picture of their food this time.

They left the airport after getting their bags and went to the cars waiting for then. Since the JYP staff knew she was friends with Itzy, she rode with them while talking about anything and everything with them.

"Unnie, are you gonna come to our concerts for our comeback?", Yuna asked Y/n.

"Of course I will," She replied before adding "Even if I'm busy, I'll erase my schedule for you girls,"

"Yah, unnie, you here that? Y/nnie is coming to the concert!!," Lia enthusiastically shouted.

Y/n chuckled before saying, "Okay okay, we get it. I'm coming don't worry,"

The rest of the ride towards the hotel was filled with loud chatter. Y/n was having so much fun that she didn't even notice the red string on her finger become shorter and shorter.

As soon as they reached the hotel, they were bombarded by reporters who knew that most people stay at this specific hotel since it's closer to the MLW.

Slowly waving, Y/n plastered a smile on her face for the pictures they were taking. She walked into the hotel with the girls, getting her keycard before heading up to her room with her baggage after saying goodbye to the girls.

The minute she stepped into her room, she dropped her suitcase on the ground, closed the door and headed straight into the bathroom to take a shower and remove her makeup.

As she wiped of her makeup, she finally got a good look at her hand and surely enough, the string was so short, it pointed upwards. She gasped before forcing herself to calm down. There was a high chance that her soulmate was coming to the MFW because the hotel was very high end, meaning it was so expensive and reservations were so tight that only the best could actually stay here.

She took a quick shower, patting herself down before she sat on the edge of the bed, drying her hair, and grabbed her phone. She saw the latest headlines about her and Itzy being together, chuckling at their assumptions of a collab with more idols.

'K-pop girl group Itzy, seen with the famous model Yuri also know as Y/n, entering a hotel together. Could this be the beginning of another collab with another JYP group just like the one with Stray kids Hyunjin?'

It was a interesting theory that she could do but she was too tired to think about it anymore. She tossed the towel into the laundry bin before plugging her phone in charger and cuddling under her blanket. Dreaming about someone she didn't think she'd ever meet.

As she looked around the room she was in, it looked exactly like her hotel room except it was definitely bigger and made for 2 people instead of 1.

She sat up on the bed she was on, looking around before seeing someone on the other bed next to her.

She knew what these dreams were. She's had these since she was a child but none looked as if they were in the exact same area as they did right now.

"So, Sky, how are you?" She greeted the boy in English. "And are you at xxx hotel right now?" She added.

"Hello Yuri, I'm fine, and yes I am, why?" He answered, adding his own question as well.

They had learned so much about each other since they've been talking for years.

"Well, I'm also here, just on the 4th floor. This looks like the 5th floor because of the double rooms though. Are you here with a friend?"

Sky's face has always been slightly blurry to you as you assumed it was the same to him, so you really didn't know how he looked like in order to look for him.

"Yea I am. I should've told you last week but I was too busy preparing. I'm here with the rest of my group for the fashion week." He replied.

She knew that Sky was part of a boy band, having started talking to him during his trainee days. He never told her the group's name and she understood why. For privacy reasons, and she respected his decision.

"Fashion week? Oh, I should've told you too!! I'm also here for the fashion week. I was too busy preparing to tell you either!" She exclaimed.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm before he answered, "Its fine. You were busy and so was I. I know you would've told me at some point."

"Yea, maybe we can meet though. I'll give you my real name so you don't have to give me your's. Is that okay?" She asked.

"Of course, I've been wanting to meet you for awhile now so I'll look for you. But my name will be a surprise," he winked at her "in case your a fan." He added.

She laughed before replying, "Well, I'm a model but you already knew that. Y/n, representing Dior,"

He smiled, "Dior, huh? A girl group that I'm friends with has a friend there. Maybe you know," he said.

"Maybe," She replied.

*If your name is in purple then I can't tag you*

Taglist:open! (2?)

@galaxy4489 @theydy-madamonsieur

[bloatedandalone04]

Screaming Whispers

➪the one where anakin is a musician and you’re his muse.

Warnings: rockstar anakin, modern au, smut, fluff, swearing to the max, pda, unprotected sex, hair pulling, praise kink, small corruption kink, size sink, his bands name is 'screaming whispers' which translates to 'sw' for short...like sw for star wars??? and i didn’t even plan that, it just happened, jealousy (brief), possessive anakin, fingering, oral (f receiving), soft dom anakin, choking kink

Word Count: 6.3k

Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡

The lights were blinding and his ears were ringing, but Anakin wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. 

He couldn’t see much past the flashlights on the phones and the stage lights that flickered in time with the drums his bandmate, Vinny, was currently pounding on. Live shows were always so much better than being stuck in a recording studio all day, because at least out on stage Anakin could let out all his pent up frustration and no one would bat an eye.

Actually, the way he got so into his performance and really gave it his all had his fans absolutely losing their minds as they, too, fell under the control of the music and the lights and the lyrics. 

Anakin had only been in his band, Screaming Whispers, for just over a year now, but that was apparently enough time to get his and his friends’ names out there. One low budget album later and everyone knew about them, and really, Anakin had you to thank. 

You are his high school sweetheart, and have been his biggest supporter since the day he told you he wanted to do something with music and maybe try to make it his career. 

After writing countless drafts of songs that were all about you and his relationship with you, Anakin asked a couple of his friends who played instruments to rent out a recording studio to record one of the drafts he had actually finished. 

Anakin was the lead singer and guitarist, while his friend, Vinny, played the drums, and his other friend, Theo, played bass.  

It came out sounding decent and Anakin ended up editing it himself before uploading it to his burner account on Youtube, choosing some random photo he had taken of your hand holding his as the thumbnail. 

Within a few days, the video only had about thirty views, and he knew most of them were from you.

When he had first let you listen to the song with a nervous expression gracing his features, he was worried when you didn’t say anything during the whole two minutes and forty six seconds it played for. 

It ended and you turned to him, an unreadable look on your face before you were throwing yourself at him. He had never seen you so needy and desperate for him (unless he counted the very first time you and he slept together), and you spent the rest of the night loving on him because he had written you a song. 

Your boyfriend of over three years at that point had actually made a whole song about you. How could you not tear his clothes off right then and there?

A few more weeks had passed when Anakin randomly decided to see how the video was doing. He was bored and you were at class, and he had grown tired of walking around your shared apartment on campus by himself. 

When he clicked on the video, he was sure he had accidentally clicked the wrong one when he saw that it had gone from thirty views to ninety eight thousand views. It had over forty thousand likes and just under a thousand comments, all of which were praising him and the guys for how good the song is. 

You once again jumped his bones a few hours later when he showed you it, muttering something about how you knew people would like the song once it got more exposure. 

A month later, it had nearly a million views and Anakin was left to assume that the song had gone viral on a different platform that resulted in people searching the song up on Youtube. He didn’t go on TikTok or Instagram as he had no desire to, but was informed by Theo that the song actually did become super popular on TikTok and that was how so many people had found the video on his Youtube. 

Since it had gotten way more attention than he had ever expected it to, Anakin quickly changed the channel name from ‘Manakin 246’ to ‘Screaming Whispers’. It was the first thing he thought of and both Vinny and Theo agreed to call themselves that if they were to ever record another song together. 

Well, just a few days after that, the trio was contacted by a record label and a week later, they were signed onto Dynamic Studios as an official band. 

It all happened so fast. Anakin was encouraged to finish and edit his previous drafts, and that was how he found himself recording a whole album with most of the songs being about you. Vinny and Theo helped out a lot with the songs, but insisted Anakin be credited as the lead songwriter, since the whole thing was his idea. 

The album was called ‘Taking Back October’, and it had been streamed over three million times over various music sites. That, of course, resulted in a tour being booked, and that was where he is now. 

A full year after uploading that song and three months of being on tour, Anakin could safely say he was meant to do this. 

But the best part of it all? He had you watching him from your spot backstage, the biggest smile on your lips whenever he looked over at you from his place on the center of the stage. 

From where you stood, he looked to be having the time of his life. He looked so in his element, so confident and comfortable, and not to mention unbelievably attractive. 

You found yourself biting your lip as you hid away from the crowd. Part of you wondered how he did it, how he was so at home in front of thousands of strangers, but you supposed some people were just meant for the spotlight, and Anakin is definitely one of those people. 

You definitely were not, as just the mere thought of stepping out onto the stage would send you into a full blown panic attack. And Anakin knew that, so despite him wanting to show you off to the world and to his fans - he couldn’t believe he actually has fans - he knew better than to shove you into the limelight like that. 

For now, you were comfortable backstage, two lanyards around your neck that told everyone you were a guest on the tour, and that you were allowed backstage. 

As you watched your boyfriend play and sing his heart out to his song Homecoming Queen, one of the stage crew members came waltzing up to you, a kind yet flirtatious smile on his lips. “Hi,” he said over the loud live music. 

“Hi,” you called back, never taking your eyes off Anakin. 

The guy looked down at your tour and backstage passes, a smirk growing on his lips. “You a friend of the bands?”

That made you glance over at him, and you were immediately uncomfortable at the way he was looking at you. “Something like that,” you answer, and it was true - Vinny and Theo had also gone to high school with you, but they were closer to Anakin, obviously - but the crew member didn’t seem too convinced. “I’m dating the lead singer, this song is actually about me.” You try again and watch as his eyes grow wide before he’s looking on stage and at your boyfriend.

He meets Anakin’s blue orbs, and right away you could see a hint of possessiveness in them, similar to the look he’d give other guys when they looked at you for a little too long back in high school. 

The crew guy just backs away and leaves you alone, making you grin over at your boyfriend. Anakin just smirks before he is back to singing the chorus, all while never falling out of tune with the rest of the band. 

Even though you were buzzing with excitement for what’s in store for you once he’s off the stage and you’d have him all to yourself, you couldn’t deny how attractive he looks on stage. 

The show had been going on for just over an hour, and they would be wrapping up soon. Anakin’s skin was coated in a light layer of sweat, and the leather jacket he had been wearing when he had first walked out on stage had long since been discarded. His muscles flexed under the flashing lights as he effortlessly played his electric guitar and sang his heart out. 

You were sure his throat was raw, but he didn’t stop, and the fans were loving it. You also couldn’t take your eyes off the way the muscles in his neck strained as he reached the higher notes of the song, and you had to press your thighs together to feel some sort of relief for the pressure that had been steadily building up. 

After another ten minutes or so, the band wrapped up the performance and left the stage, leaving the fans still screaming in the stands. After Anakina picked up his jacket he tossed near the drum kit, he handed his guitar to the same stage crew member who had been talking to you, before he wrapped his free arm around your waist. 

Your hands were barely touching either side of his face before he was kissing you deeply, the hand that held his jacket moving to grip your waist. Anakin pulled you closer to him, his adrenaline making his body ache for yours in hopes to find some sort of relief for the energy that surged through him. 

“You were amazing out there,” you praised against his mouth, wanting nothing more than to poke your tongue out and run it up the side of his damp neck. “Like always.”

“Thank you, pretty girl,” he murmured, brushing his lips against yours before dipping his head down to kiss your neck. His hands bunched up the thin fabric of your loose sundress, the flowery print making his want for you skyrocket. “You look hot.”

You laugh, glancing down at the simple dress that seemed to turn him on as if it was the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. “You look hot,” you say back and brush his slightly wet hair away from his forehead. You had to crane your neck a bit to be able to gaze up into his blue eyes, due to the sheer size difference between the two of you. The physical evidence of just how different you two are, even down to your height, had you pressing your thighs together again. 

He wore dark clothes, most of which are adorned with chains, and his left arm was showing off a steadily growing sleeve of tattoos of random things - a lightsaber, a  couple quotes, more than a few vulgar images, and most importantly, an outline of a heart with the initial of your first name inside it on his bicep. His wardrobe consisted of jeans, muscle tees, leather and jean jackets, and vintage - though sometimes graphic - shirts. He wore black boots or converse to tie off every outfit, completed with a couple of wristbands, rings and his signature necklace chain with your initials on the small charm. 

You wore light colors, dresses and skirts that allowed you to show off the soft skin of your legs. Your body was bare of tattoos, with the exception of an ‘A’ on the side of your left wrist. Gold and silver jewelry were always on your wrist or around your neck, and you often wore flats or sneakers that went well with the rest of your look.

It was a big difference between the two of you, one that had been there since you were both seventeen, and it was what drew you into one another to begin with. 

He looked intimidating, scary, even, but you found out that he had the sweetest heart, and he had given it to you.

“I am hot,” he grinned down at you, and the double meaning had you shaking your head as he stepped away from you and placed his jacket over your shoulders. He looked you up and down, biting down harshly on his bottom lip as his hands found their home on your waist again. The black leather contrasted against your light dress in such a sinful way, Anakin almost let out a groan at the sight. “Fuck, I can’t wait to take you back to the hotel after this.”

The band was playing two shows in D.C., so their manager went out of her way to book them a hotel for the night. It saved them from sleeping on the tour bus, which was surprisingly difficult to do, and Anakin could usually fall asleep anywhere. 

He once fell asleep sitting down with his back pressed up against a washing machine in the laundry room at your apartment while he was waiting for the load to dry. He probably would’ve been sleeping for at least another half hour, had another resident not woken him up because he was sleeping against the only available washing machine. 

But, for some reason, Anakin found that sleeping on a tour bus was next to impossible, even though he was given the only double bed because he had you with him.

So, in an attempt to get himself tired, he would spend a good hour with you in bed once he and the band got back on the bus after a show. 

He could only imagine how happy Theo and Vinny are at the fact that they won’t have to listen to the two of you going at it for at least one of the two hundred and fifty nights they spent on tour. 

“Yeah? You excited to spend a night with me in an actual room instead of a bus?” You teased, wrapping your arms around his shoulders when his wrapped around your waist and pulled your body right up against his. 

“I’m so fucking excited,” he answered, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips as the stage crew walked around the two of you to begin packing up the equipment. He leaned down so his lips were brushing against your ear as he whispered, “We can be as loud as we want. I can’t wait to make you scream.”

You refrain from moaning in a public place, ignoring how dumb that sounded when you thought about how loud you got on a tour bus that had only a single, thin door that separated yours and Anakin’s room from the other guys. 

This man made you crazy in all the best possible ways. “Well,” you say back, tugging him impossibly closer by the hem of his white tee shirt. “What are you waiting for? An encore?”

Anakin groaned quietly, cursing under his breath when he felt your hand slide up the heated skin of his torso. “Fuck no,” he muttered, taking your hand in his and guiding you towards the exit door that would lead the two of you out to the parking lot. “I think if everyone in that audience could see just how good you look right now, they wouldn’t blame me for not going back out there and taking you to bed.”

You smirked a bit as he pulled you onto the bus with him and towards your room to indulge in a makeout session before he would give you the real thing once you got to the hotel. 

A short ten minute drive later, and Anakin was painfully aware of just how hard he’s gotten since your quick encounter backstage, followed by your intense making out that took place on the bus. 

Once his manager had given him the key to his room, Anakin pulled you along with him as he made his way to the elevator, pushing the button for the twelfth floor when he was in it. 

He leaned back against the wall as the numbers above the doors increased with every passing second. His lips were on yours in messy and noisy kisses, his hands sliding down to lift the bottom of your dress up as if you weren’t still in a public place, and were probably being recorded because every elevator seemed to have cameras nowadays. 

Once it stopped at the twelfth floor, Anakin easily picked you up and threw you over his shoulder, his hand placed firmly on your back to prevent your dress from slipping up and exposing you to anyone who might enter the hall while he carried you to the room.

He inserted the keycard for room 1209 with his free hand, before tossing it onto the table in the entryway. Anakin’s hands grip your waist after he sets you down and he turns your body away from him, his fingers sliding up your back and pushing your hair to the side. He unclasps the gold necklace he had bought you a few nights ago from a cute store you and he stumbled upon while you were out sightseeing. 

Anakin gently sets the chain down onto the table as well and places a few kisses to the back of your neck before he guides you forward and towards the king sized bed. “Look at that, baby,” he murmurs in your ear, wrapping his arms around you from behind. Since you had discarded his jacket back on the bus, his lips had free rein over the skin of your shoulders and neck as he sucked a few light marks onto it. “It’s bigger than our bed we have at home.”

Home. It seemed like so long ago, when in reality, Screaming Whispers had only been on tour for three months now. Anakin planned on using the money he would get from the tour and the shows to officially move in with you, in your own house, not a student apartment that was on the campus of his old college. 

You were still a student there, but had opted to get all your assignments done before the tour so you could save yourself from having to give up the school year. 

Humming, you lean back against his body. “We still need to get our bags from the bus,” 

Anakin sucked on the skin of your jaw as his hands pulled at the thin fabric of your dress. “I’ll get our stuff later,” he promised, sliding his hands up the front of your body, making chills take over you as he gripped your chest. “You look so fucking pretty, baby.” 

You hum again, closing your eyes when you feel one of his hands inch lower and lower until it disappears underneath your dress. “Just for you, Ani,” you whispered as he softly rubbed your clit through the thin lace of your panties. 

He kissed your shoulder in appreciation as his hand slipped past the lace, his ring-clad middle finger dipping into your heat. “Fuck, you’re so wet,” he nearly moaned, his free arm wrapping around your middle when he felt your body slump back against his. “So wet for me.”

“Ani,” you gasped quietly, moaning when he began to pump his finger in and out of you. The lace restricted him from going super hard, but he much rather preferred to work you up to that, anyway. “Fuck, it’s all for you. You looked so hot tonight.”

“You look hot, too, pretty girl,” he mumbled and removed his hand from your panties as he spun your body around so your chest was pressed to his. “I saw the way that crew guy was looking at you.”

You moaned quietly when his knee separated your legs, his thigh rubbing against your core through his jeans. “I said I was with you,” you weakly say, gripping his biceps tightly when his hands found your waist and began sliding your body up and down his thigh. “Said I’m yours.”

“You are mine,” he rasped, pressing a searing kiss to your lips before he gently shoved you away. The backs of your knees hit the end of the bed and you fall back onto it, your dress slipping up past your thighs and revealing the pastel pink lace that covered your core. “You’ve been mine since we were seventeen.”

You bite down harshly on your lip when he pulls the lace down your legs and drops it to the floor. “Oh, fuck,” you mumbled when he ran his tongue up your folds, eagerly collecting your wetness. 

Anakin glanced up at you, his eyes narrowing at the way you were refraining from being too loud. “No, Y/n,” he says sternly, bringing a hand up to slide his index and middle fingers into you. “We have this whole room to ourselves. I want you to be as loud as you can fucking get.”

Almost instantly a loud moan escapes you when he sucks on your clit, your back arching slightly when he began to fuck his fingers into you. Those skilled fingers, the same ones that had so effortlessly played the guitar in front of thousands of people just a half hour before. “Fuck, Ani. Fuck,” you whined.

Anakin smirked against you, curling his fingers once they are knuckle deep within you. The calloused tips brush against your walls and make you squeeze your eyes shut, finding it hard to believe that a year before all this, the skin of his fingers was smooth and gentle as he only played guitar in his free time before he made a career out of it.

Over a year of playing it non-stop had hardened his fingers and was a blessing in disguise, as they had never felt better when they were buried deep within you. 

“God, it feels so good,” you whimpered as he traced the letters of his name with his tongue onto your clit. “So fucking good, Ani.”

He hummed, sending vibrations up your core and making your mind go into a frenzy. “Louder, baby,” he softly demanded, moving back up your body and hovering over you while his hand picks up the pace a bit. “I want this whole floor to complain about us tomorrow.”

You were so turned on, you couldn’t even bring yourself to be embarrassed about the sounds your core was making as his fingers plunged into it repeatedly. Not that Anakin ever let you feel embarrassed about it, seeing as he prided himself on how wet he makes you every time he goes out on stage. 

“I know you want it, too,” he continues as he stared down at your fucked out expression. “Admit it.”

“I want it,” you managed to say as his thumb began rubbing circles on your clit in time with his fingers. The coolness from his ring contrasted against your searing heat, making the knot in your abdomen steadily form. 

Anakin smirked down at you, leaning in to run his tongue along the skin under your ear. “Want what?” 

“God,” you groaned as he pumped his fingers in and out of you at a brutal pace. “I want everyone on this floor to know who makes me feel so good, Anakin. I want them all to complain about how loud we are.”

Anakin was satisfied with your answer, “That’s my girl,” and he leaned down to begin sucking various marks onto the skin of your neck, the sounds you were emitting going straight to his dick that throbbed against his jeans. He didn’t think he could ever get tired of hearing all the sweet sounds you made just for him, and had been making for him since you were in high school. 

“Anakin,” you moaned, lifting your hips in time with the movement of his hand. “Please, please, don’t stop.” Your lips brushed against his as you begged him to keep fucking you with his skilled fingers. 

He hummed, kissing you deeply. “You gonna come for me?” He asked, already knowing the answer as he felt the way you clenched around his fingers every time your walls sucked him back in. 

“Yes,” you nearly whispered, a crease forming in your brow as the coil in your stomach was a mere few seconds away from snapping. “Please.”

“Come for me, pretty girl,” he requested, his voice deep and sultry next to your ear. “I want it all over my hand.”

You were unable to deny him his wish as you came hard, your thighs shaking slightly and your mouth opening to let out a long and loud moan. Your head dipped back into the middle of the bed, your fingers twisting tightly in the soft comforter as he slowed down the thrusts of his hand until you were whimpering quietly. 

“Just like that, baby,” he praised, kissing you once before removing his fingers from inside you. He brings his hand up to his mouth and sucks the digits clean as he moves back down your body. Anakin licked a single strip up your slick core before standing up, smirking at the way your whole body shook at the action. 

You weakly propped yourself up on your elbows, watching him pull his belt from his jean loops. He drops it to the floor, the sound of the buckle hitting the hardwood making your head swim with thoughts of what’s in store for you next.  

“Take that pretty dress off, baby,” he said under his breath, reaching behind him to pull off the white tee and leaving it to join the growing pile of clothes on the floor. You quickly lifted yourself up so you were kneeling on the bed, your hands fumbling to tug off your dress. Anakin gives you a soft smirk at how obedient you always are for him as you tossed the dress off the side of the bed, kicking his jeans down his legs and leaving him in his tight boxer briefs. 

You gave him a look that nearly had him falling to the floor as he moved forward and kneeled on the bed in front of you, making you crane your neck to be able to stare up at him. Your hands reach up and tug on the hair on the back of his neck, pulling his head down so his mouth could meet yours. 

Moaning quietly against his lips, you arch your back when you feel his hands slide up to unclasp your matching pink bra. He pulled it from your body, leaving you completely bare to his lust filled eyes. He let out a low growl as his hands slid back down to your hips. “Lay back, pretty girl,”

You oblige quickly, laying further up on the bed and resting against the soft pillows. “Please, Anakin,” you whined as he rubbed his still covered dick against your heat. “Fuck me.”

Anakin groaned as he shoved his boxers down, gripping your thighs and tugging them up until they were draped over his. “I’ll fuck you, baby,” he promised, running his tip over your wetness and coating himself in it. “I’ll fuck you so good, make sure everyone knows who made you come.”

“Fuck, yes,” you gasped just as he thrusted himself into you without warning, making you reach out to grip his forearms. Still on his knees, Anakin began fucking into you at a brutal pace, pouring all his leftover energy from the show into the way his hips hit yours. “God, yes.”

Anakin gripped your waist tightly, his eyes drifting from the way your breasts bounced with each thrust to your face as it twisted up in pleasure. “Say my name,” he demanded, burying himself to the brim and pausing there.

Your body tensed up, your stomach muscles flexing as he kept your hips pressed to his. “Anakin,”

“Louder,” he ordered, repeating the action. 

“Anakin!” You shouted, and it was followed by a string of moans as he resumed rocking his body against your own. “God, Anakin, you’re so deep. So deep in me.”

He grunted at your filthy words, the faint sound of the headboard hitting the wall making the whole scene look like it was straight out of a porno. “Fuck, you’re taking me so well,” he praised, reaching one hand up to pinch at your sensitive nipples. He felt you clench around him as he worked on hardening your peaks, his pace faltering just slightly at the tightness of your walls. “Always take me so well.”

“I love you, Anakin,” you whimpered, arching your back and pushing your chest up against his hand. 

He groaned at your sweet words, placing his hands flat against the comforter on either side of your head from where he knelt above you. “I love you so much,” he said back, speeding up his pace. “I’ve loved you for four years now, baby.”

“Nearly five,” you reminded him with a cry of pleasure. “We’ve been together for almost five years, Ani.”

“I know, princess,” he murmurs, leaning further down to press his lips to yours in a gentle kiss, a big contrast to the way his lower body was currently destroying yours. “How could I ever forget about the day you became mine?” 

“Best day of my life,” you mumbled when he leaned back again, digging his knees into the bed as he all but railed into you. “Fuck, you feel so good, Anakin.”

“You’re so tight,” he responded, making your stomach twist with a need to please him forever. You were vaguely aware of the loud smacking of the headboard now, and the way the picture that hung above the bed was tapping with each thrust of his hips. It only fueled your desire for him as your hands gripped the comforter once again. 

Your previous orgasm rendered you a bit more sensitive than normal, so you weren’t all that surprised to feel that knot begin to tighten once more. “Fuck, you’re going to make me come again,”

“Yeah? You’re going to come all over me again?” He mocked slightly, only making your head swim with dizziness at how dirty the whole event is. “I want it. Come all over me, pretty girl, nice and messy.”

Your eyes rolled back just a bit when he reached one hand up to press his fingers against the base of your neck. A strangled moan escaped you as you clenched helplessly around him.

You didn’t think you would ever get used to how he was in bed, versus how he  was out of it. He was sweet, kind and caring with you outside the bedroom, but inside it he was rough, loud and determined to get you off in any way he possibly could. The difference was almost too much to handle. 

A few more deep thrusts later and your core was flooding around him, noisily sucking him in deeper and alerting him of your second orgasm. “That’s it, baby,” he praised, watching as his dick became even more coated in your wetness. It spurred him to speed up the pace so he could reach his own release. “Good fucking girl.”

“Anakin,” you struggled to say as your body shook with overstimulation. “Ani, come, baby, please.”

It wasn’t the first time he had you begging him to come in you, but it still had his head going fuzzy for a second or two, as well as made him twitch inside you. “You want it?” He asked through a clenched jaw, his neck muscles straining as he tried to hold off for a little bit longer. 

“Yes,” you answered, powerless against his sharp thrusts as you took each one. “I want it so bad.”

“Fuck, princess,” he muttered, his pace slowing down as his own release flooded through him. With a couple slow thrusts into your greedy core, he fucked his seed deep within you. 

He falls onto the bed next to you a few seconds later, his chest heaving and a light layer of sweat adorning his skin, mirroring the way he looked on stage an hour or so prior to this. 

Anakin was a lot more drained now than he was before, and he knew that if he were to stay in bed for much longer he would probably pass out with you wrapped in his arms. 

He lifted himself up and pressed a soft kiss to your mouth, murmuring an “I’ll be right back,” against it before he dressed himself in his shirt and jeans, grabbing the keycard on his way out to retrieve both yours and his bags from the bus. 

-

The next day, after spending most of the morning wrapped up in the sheets together, you and Anakin finally decided to get up. 

Kind of.

He was currently propped against the headboard, eating a piece of toast with you on his lap. His acoustic guitar he brought with him was placed in your lap as you softly ran your fingers against the strings, leaning back against his bare chest. You were nowhere near as talented as he is with the instrument, and you knew it would sound awful if you were to try and play it without his guidance. 

“Mm,” he hummed when you plucked one of the strings at his request, tossing the crust of the toast onto the plate that was next to him on the bed. He would usually be more careful so there wouldn’t be any crumbs in the sheets, but he was checking out of the hotel before tonight’s show, so he decided to leave it to the cleaning staff as he knew they would be washing the sheets anyway. “That’s the B string, baby, not the D string.”

“And I’m supposed to know that…how?” You asked as he wrapped his arms around your middle. 

“Well, I’ve only been playing guitar for the entire length of our relationship,” he teased as he placed his right hand over yours. He guided your thumb to one of the middle strings and gently brushed it against it. Of course, it sounded a lot better because he was the one who controlled how much pressure and the pace of your thumb against the string. “That’s the D string.”

You refrained from rolling your eyes at the cockiness in his voice as you strummed along the string again, this time sounding a bit better than before. 

“There you go,” he praised, pressing a kiss to the side of your head as a reward. “That was good.”

You turn your head to give him a small glare. “You’ve never been a good liar,” you mutter. “Especially when it comes to lying to me, it’s why you could never get away with cheating.”

Anakin scoffed, “I would never,”

You shake your head with a dumb grin on your lips as he guides your fingers to strum the tune he had been going over in his head for the past few days. You let him take full control over the way he moved your fingers, noting the soft humming of an unfamiliar song leaving the back of his throat. “New song, Ani?” 

He shrugged from his spot behind you, leaning down to press a kiss to your bare shoulder, your tank top doing very little to cover your skin from him. “Maybe,” he answers as he begins to kiss up your neck, not even needing to look down at the strings to be able to play them perfectly. 

It made you a bit lightheaded, how hot and talented he truly is. “What’s it going to be about?” You ask, eyes glued to the way he effortlessly helped you play the guitar while also holding a conversation with you. His talent always surprised you, despite knowing early on how skilled he is with the instrument. 

“You, obviously,” he replied and you rolled your eyes. “What else would I write a song about?”

“You’re too much,” you say and he laughs quietly, agreeing with you as he goes back to mumbling potential lyrics in your ear. 

A few hours go by and it’s nearing the time for Anakin and the band to head onto stage. He smoothes out his graphic tee and smirks at the way you cowered behind the large speaker, eyeing him with your lip caught between your teeth. 

“God, Ani, you look good,”

“Me?” He asked and reached his hand out to you, pulling you into his arms once you took it. He played with the end of your pink and white skirt, eye fucking you a mere few minutes before he had to go perform in front of thousands of people. “I bet Vin and Theo are so jealous that it was me who got to take you to bed last night, in an actual room.”

You loosely wrap your arms around his shoulders, gazing up at him. “I bet all your fans are jealous that it’s going to be me who gets you all to herself after the show,”

Anakin hummed lowly, pressing a kiss to the skin under your ear. “I’d be jealous, too, if the hottest girl took me home,” he rasped. “Or in our case, took me back to that stupid bus.”

You laughed, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. Since you had applied a cute pink lip to go with your skirt, a stain was left on his skin when you pulled away. “Oh, sorry,” you say and lift your hand up, but pause when his fingers wrap around your wrist. 

“Don’t you dare try to wipe that off,” he ordered with a smirk. “I think it completes my look.”

And it really did. A black snapback was placed backwards on his head, a vintage shirt covered his chest and exposed his sleeve of tattoos, dark jeans with a few chains connected to the belt loops hugged his legs, and black boots gave him the daunting appearance of someone who was born to be on stage. 

The pink lipstick mark only added to the whole thing.

“Okay,” you swallow harshly, stepping away once Vinny handed him his guitar. “Have a good show.”

“I love you,” he called out as he placed the strap over his shoulder. “I’ll see you soon.”

When he made his grand entrance, the crowd seemed even louder than normal, and you could only hope at least some of them were able to see your mark on his cheek as you hid behind the speaker and watched your boyfriend get lost in his element.

-

Series based off this fic

[mariacallous]

If there’s one term that’s been used more than others when describing this year’s Spotify Wrapped, it’s this: flat. The New York Times said it. So did TikTokkers. Between its “Pink Pilates Princess Roller Skating Pop” phases and AI-generated mini-podcasts, lots of listeners took time away from the time-honored tradition of posting their cringiest Wrapped stats to say that this year’s offerings were milquetoast at best.

“Spotify Wrapped is a bit … underwhelming this year,” wrote one X user. “NOT worth the hype,” offered another. The annual tradition “lost what made it so dynamic in the first place,” wrote a third, citing things like location- and music-based Sound Towns that rolled out with Wrapped in previous years. “Which is to say that PEOPLE make things better. Those layoffs are showing.”

Quite a few frustrated Spotify users referenced layoffs at the company and questioned whether its shedding of key talent was to blame for Wrapped’s fizzle. The company let go of some 1,500 people, 17 percent of its workforce, this time last year, something CEO Daniel Ek later acknowledged “did disrupt our day-to-day operations more than we anticipated.”

Seemingly, Wrapped relied on AI more than ever this year, with AI podcasts to analyze your listening habits, an algorithmic playlist hosted by Spotify’s AI DJ, and bizarre, probably AI-generated genre descriptions.

Yet it seems unlikely the layoffs were the only thing that impacted the quality of Wrapped this year. It could be that the algorithms are just losing touch.

That’s not to say they’re not tracking stream numbers the way they used to—although there are conspiracy theories to that effect—but rather that everyone now knows they’re being tracked, and algorithms just aren’t able to pick up on organic trends the way they used to.

After years of embarrassingly finding out that they spent more time listening to My Chemical Romance breakup songs than they did listening to their friends’ advice, people are now self-conscious about what they play and in what volume. Just as much as everyone went into this year’s Wrapped season prepared to brag about their Brat Summer, they were just as worried about telling on their Sad Bastard autumn. Parents, once again, found that their Wrapped wasn’t about their own tastes, but their children’s.

Wrapped has ceased being about one person’s surprising listening habits and more about nebulous shifts in vibe. Yes, lots of people listened to Chappell Roan and Kendrick Lamar this year. Is anyone the least bit stunned?

But this isn’t even just a Spotify issue. Lots of platforms now offer year-in-review wrap-ups, and nearly all of them feel like a collective shrug. Over on TikTok, the company touted that its users were very interested in being demure, very into Moo Deng. Yeah, no kidding. These revelations are about as shocking as the fact that there were 1.2 million BookTok posts in the first 10 months of the year, something anyone who has ever opened the app could probably tell you is a big part of the platform.

Reading its annual report, I was reminded that, perhaps, TikTok’s algorithm has gotten too good at pointing people in the direction of sure-fire hits and less good at loading FYPs with videos people will find incredibly inventive or fascinating.

In other unsurprising news, horniness was big on Grindr this year. The hookup app’s Unwrapped report also named Charli XCX as Mother of the Year and found that the Sex Position of the Year was missionary. Actually, maybe that is surprising. For Grindr, at least.

My final thought, though, comes from a year-end mainstay that (I don’t think) is algorithmically based: Oxford University Press’ Word of the Year. Determined by popular vote, input from experts, and, as Oxford Languages president Casper Grathwohl told The New York Times, a little bit of “dark art,” this year’s word is … drumroll … “brain rot.” Er, you know, the degeneration that comes from too much time looking at dumb stuff online.

First, yes, that’s two words. Second, other people also noticed this discrepancy, proving that maybe all of the internet’s beloved year-end traditions are feeling the heat of social media scrutiny this year. “Brain rot” also beat out “demure” and “romantasy,” the frequent BookTok topic. So, ultimately, maybe algorithms did impact this one, too, just not in the way you might expect. Maybe the real brain rot was all the decisions we made along the way.

[omegaversereloaded]

What happened to internet music is that now the internet has gone hella mainstream and people are more worried about making marketable music that can be use in tiktoks than to make genuine, earnest and unapologetic music that is truly special to them

I guess i wasnt aware of this because i dont listen to a ton of new music these days :0 im also not on tiktok so idk what's popular on there though i have seen songs i love blow up on youtube recently only to find out it's because theyre a tiktok sound? but god i fucking miss unwashed high as fuck grimes and weird fucking music that lonely little girls like me enjoyed. I miss when popular music had instruments like old r&b piano and i miss cheesy ass black dudes who would sing about buying their girl flowers man i kinda hate trap these days.

Im extremely tired as i ate cake for dinner and passed out watching fallout speedruns on youtube and i have a LOT of misic feelings i dont have the energy to elaborate on rn but i miss old internet music more than anything. Like it's still out there, i know i have soundcloud but man it's not the same.... shit feels kinda barren rn especially since it's harder for creatives to put their shit out there because of the internet becoming a corpo wasteland

ALSO not to sound like a lib but when a real FREAK is out here making music these days i feel like a bunch of 20 year olds dig thru their twt trying to cancel them for old ass shit...... they wont let em cook anymore it's over. Imagine if DMX got popular nowadays instead of decades ago 😭

[radioactivegummyworm]

EMO vs MALL EMO vs SCENE vs SCENECORE

i see a lot of confusion and arguments around what is emo/scene or not so i wanted to make this blog as a fan of most of these genres to hopefully help clarify a little!

EMO this genre is the ORIGINAL emo, although it sounds completely different from the emo music most people know today. it originated in the DC hardcore scene in the mid-80s, spawning from post-hardcore and hardcore and gained more popularity in the 90s. bands include: rites of spring, sunny day real estate, moss icon, cap'n jazz, the get up kids,

if you want to listen to some emo music, here's a spotify playlist i recommend!

MALL EMO mall emo is what most people think of when they hear the word emo. i call it mall emo (not sure if others do or not but i think it's most fitting) because it's the bands whose merch you would find somewhere like hot topic or spencer's(not a dig at mall emo i love this genre so much). it's the music genre(s) associated with the emo style and gained a ton of popularity in the 2000s. bands include my chemical romance, falling in reverse, all time low, panic! at the disco, fall out boy, paramore, pierce the veil, sleeping with sirens, evanescence, escape the fate, flyleaf, taking back sunday etc.

here's a playlist (i know it says actual emo music, i think they mean actual mall emo music as opposed to like yungblud + tx2 type shit)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: EMO AND MALL EMO ARE NOT THE SAME THING!!!!! however, getting mad at someone for thinking mall emo is real emo is kind of pointless. because of the popularity of the emo style, the word has evolved to more assosciated with mall emo in pop culture than real emo. most people don't know the difference and that's not like a personal failing on their part that you need to be rude about! if/when you explain it to someone, be respectful! i'm looking at you, garrett!

SCENE scene is a subculture within emo, with its own more colorful version of the same fashion elements, that gained popularity in the late 2000s/early 2010s. there are a lot of different music genres within the scene subculture but the ones people most think of is crunkcore, which is a mix between electronic, hiphop, rap, and metal. bands include: dot dot curve, ismfof, attack attack!, millionaires, brokencyde, metro station, the medic droid, kill paradise, chunk! no captain chunk!, jj demon, breathe carolina, 3OH!3 etc

SCENECORE scenecore is a subgenre of hyperpop that originated on tiktok. it uses the aesthetic of the scene subculture a lot, and scene related things are often mentioned in the songs. however, the difference between scene lyrics and scenecore lyrics is that while scene music mostly has lyrics about sex, drugs, love, partying, clubbing etc scenecore lyrics are oftentimes about self harm or other harmful behavior or weirdly fetishize scene people. this is a problem because it's essentially just harmful stereotypes about scene trying to perpetuate itself as actual scene music. bands include: 6arelyhuman, kets4eki, odetari, rebzyyx, d3r, asteria, luvwillow, etc.

here's a playlist

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: SCENECORE IS NOT IN ANY WAY SCENE. scenecore isn't even related to the scene style like mall emo is, it's just hyperpop! if you want to get into scene, do your research!! listen to recommendations from actual scene kids!! 6arelyhuman is not scene!!!!!

[marimayscarlett]

This is like, probably an insane comparison to make but I figured you'd understand? lol

Richard's questionable "Karen" hair or the "emo" swooped over style reminds me of Alan Cummings Emcee from "Cabaret". I'm sure it was meant more as the emo style since that's his aesthetic, especially in those years where it was insanely popular. But I couldn't help but see the similarities between the two?

It's a weird, bat shit comparison to make but I had to scream to somebody since songs from that musical/movie have been trending on American TikTok, I'm absolutely obsessed with Cabaret at the moment lol

Thanks for listening to my rant, hopefully others see it as well! ❤️❤️

Hey 👋🏻

Not going to lie, since I'm only familiar with the movie "Cabaret" from 1972 (and even that I watched years ago) starring Liza Minnelli, I was unsure if I'd find the character you talked about, but well:

I guess that's him? 😄😃

Let's compare to the unfortunate Karen-hair of Richard:

My estimation of this hair situation: equally horrible 🤍

[head---ache]

yknow what since its chiles national holidays (fiestas patrias tikitikití) lemme share with you some chilean music tehee

Francisca Valenzuela.

One of my faves!! I grew up listening to her and still love her so much. I got to see her live somewhere around 2018-2019 and it was such a great experience!! She's a fabulous songwriter with really nice vocals<3 Also she's currently pregnant so thats a fun fact!!

this was my fav song as a kid^

Los Prisioneros.

One of the most influential bands in Chile! Especially from the 80's. Today they're the chilean equivalent of dad rock, which is cool. Back in their day, they openly spoke against the active dictatorship in Chile, and other issues, such as mysoginy and capitalism.

the intro of this song recently became a mini-trend on tiktok^

Mon Laferte.

One of the biggest chilean artists at the moment! She has amazing vocals and songs that reach the hearts of many. Wonderful songwriting with an equally powerful voice! Totally worth it giving her a chance!

Chico Trujillo.

The soundtrack of every fiestas patrias! I grew up with his music and honestly? Still just as fun. Really, if you're not listening to him during your parties, what are you even doing?

Anita Tijoux.

Another wonderful songwriter. She's an amazing rapper with a very respectable flow and lyrics. If you want to give latinamerican rap a chance, I totally recommend giving her a listen.

31 Minutos.

Listen, 31 Minutos is a kid's show, but don't let that deter you from giving the music a listen! These fun songs are enjoyed by multiple generations in Chile. I just happened to be born in the generation that grew up watching 31 Minutos, and still look back at it with a lot of fondness. But really, what makes the show as good as it is, is the music.

Cancamusa.

Recently discovered by the extended public thanks to her cooperation with another popular chilean band, Los Bunkers (who even if they arent on this list, you should still listen to), as their (temporary) live drummer. Everyone seems to think she only plays drums, but no! She has her own music! And it's really nice!!

And that's it! Really, I'm only making this post because I love talking about artists I like tehee. I hope you enjoy them!!

[jmdbjk]

Why I don't expect promotion for Muse to be similar to RPWP or Golden...

...or any other release before that.

Smeraldo Garden Marching Band is doing well for not having it's artist available. In fact it is outstanding. There were many other prominent artists who released music on the same day and are currently hitting up the interview circuit and other promotional activities. Our boy debuts at #4 on Global Spotify and he's somewhere on a military base.

See the post here.

That is pretty outstanding for not having the artist available to promote. Name another artist in which this has happened.

Perhaps a dead one... let's just not go there.

"But the Youtube views are low..."

I think since the popularity of Tiktok, the use of YouTube and therefore its influence has diminished somewhat. That doesn't mean there shouldn't be more views. We all know the challenges we have with YouTube. We just have to do the best we can with using YouTube.

Help boost views. Watch the MV here.

"But Right Place Wrong Person was heavily promoted..."

Namjoon was all over his own IG often, almost every day for a while, along with the staff he appointed to post on the @rpwprpwprpwp Instagram account. Perhaps this created a perception that RPWP had some heavy promotion when he was doing all that himself and it was keeping it in front of us so consistently.

The BigHit instagram chat channel is being used for Muse and has been very engaging. It is convenient for Jimin in case he is able and does repost or create a story with any of that content.

I've seen a lot of buzz in the media on both sides of the Pacific regarding SGMB and Muse. That means BigHit sent out press kits. I saw at least one radio group posting they had the song and it was ready to include in their rotations. We'll see if they actually follow through. But that means BigHit sent it to radio.

"Jimin and the members need to post about it..."

It is more of a challenge for Jimin and Jungkook to be online because of the location of their base. If it is in the mountains as was mentioned earlier this year, their internet connection may not be as reliable or strong enough to allow much use. Soldiers may also be restricted as to if they can even use it if the base itself needs it for military operations or if its encrypted for security or whatever myriad of reasons why they can't access it.

If they had reliable internet service where they are, we'd be seeing JK on TikTok more often. But... perhaps TikTok is one of those apps that they are discouraged from using as it is China-based and why JK created the Instagram account for Bam.

Perhaps they are free to do what they want only when OFF base and out of the area during their days off. We don't know what their restrictions are.

People just have to come down to earth and think. Jimin is in the military. I'm most certain that Jimin is being Jimin and focused on his duties. He is wearing fatigues and a helmet and going out everyday doing drills and training including firing ammunition out of a big ass piece of warfare equipment. He is listening to reports from his commanders about what is going on regarding North Korea and what his base will be expected to do if anything should escalate. He should be focused on his duties not focused on what is happening out here.

It is Saturday. Not sure what their alert status might be on a weekend. But we have to be cognizant that JM and JK are the closest to the DMZ of any of the members and will be activated first should anything occur.

I am constantly thinking about how every time we hear of nonsense from NK that JM and JK have to hear it every day too and any contingency they will be ready for in case anythng happens.

NK fired missiles the other day. Yesterday maybe? Some sort of rocket that can launch multiple missiles in one shot. It's chilling. Now imagine you are mere miles from the border and must react with your own weapons of mass destruction should anything become more aggressive.

Jimin worked and created, then he left it for us while he is doing his duty. I'm never going to expect him to do anything else until he is discharged. Unless he is able and wants to. Otherwise I want him doing what he feels he needs to do in order to get through this for himself and Jungkook.

I am very, very happy Namjoon was able to and wanted to participate in his own album's release as much as he was able. But some people have the same expectation that Jimin should too.

I'm never going to expect it from Jimin.

"The company is not doing enough..."

Surely everyone knows this is not a big long vacation for them. It may be a break from their careers and their real personal lives but its not a vacation by any means.

They keep saying its not easy. Perhaps they mean its not easy sitting in a military base carrying out a routine day in day out.

Or perhaps they say its not easy because they are on constant alert. They cannot give any details because their locations and their activities are classified information. Surely, surely, people can realize that right?

See? My brain is always thinking I just don't say a lot of what it comes up with. Because it serves no purpose to talk about it except to create worry. Just like people screaming at the company, it creates stress and negativity.

There is only so much public facing promoting the company can achieve especially when its been planned with the artist's involvement. Since I don't know (and neither does anyone else) what the entire promotion plan is, how can anyone speak on the promotion plan? Just because another member's release was handled a certain way does that mean it should be done the same for all? Not necessarily.

Stationhead listening party schedule:

This is an ad I just saw from BigHit.

Yes, this is an ad and not a repost, I've seen it twice already and it is not on the @BTS_bighit accounts feed:

These are posts promoting SGMB on streaming platforms:

Of course, if you use any playlists on streaming platforms, check the songs on the list and turn off/delete the ones you don't want to stream. Or create your own playlists.

The people printing their own posters, putting them up in public and asking for them to be displayed is WONDERFUL! THAT is the energy Army are known for!

Also the UK issue with the random inclusion making it disqualified. A fix may or may not be in the works. Constant screaming to the company won't make it happen faster or at all if it can't be done logistically. All screaming does is make everyone feel bad, including Jimin if he sees it.

@OfficialCharts is UK based and posted about Jimin and SGMB:

But since people began screaming since day one, every time another step in the promotion process occurs, screamers will take credit for it and vehemently scream it only happened because they were screaming when the reality is, no one knows whats on the promotion schedule.

Those of you telling people not to buy the album now but to wait and buy it when it releases? THAT IS USEFUL AND PRODUCTIVE INFORMATION!

We, as Army, know how, what and when to buy in order to impact the charts. I know you didn't forget any of that. So stop screaming and do something productive like tell people how to work around this apparent obstacle until it is fixed or in case it never gets fixed.

The screaming at BigHit to do their job is not productive or useful at all in helping Jimin at this point. It only displays negativity and lowers morale for those who don't know what to do.

We are a month away from the album's release for god's sakes, the pre-promotions are paced to keep interest.

They can't all be thrown out all at one time.

Whatever comes out as pre-promotions will be things that were planned in advance and not knee jerk reactions to the screamers.

"If we don't say anything, things will never change for Jimin."

That is your perception. Jimin is very much in control of his own life and career. He can change anything he wants to. Feel free to scream about it, I know its different strokes for different folks. But constantly screaming and trending it surrounds Jimin's activities with stress and negativity. I know you know how to communicate your concerns to the company discreetly. And we know they see our communications because they ask us for help to identify those who are carrying out slanderous and illegal activities against our guys.

If you want to help, communicate to the rest of the fandom the steps they can take to actually help increase streams, views and sales.

Even if the company plasters posters everywhere, WE, THE FANS, are still the ones who do the streaming, buying, viewing and supporting. Its in our hands now. We know what to do!

After all is said and done, I trust Jimin. He's in control of his life.

And he has Jungkook with him. That's the smartest fucking thing ever.

Please go stream it now on your preferred streaming platform.

Please go share some of the various positive news media stories out there on your socials.