#unofficial lyric highlight series | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

presidenthades · 11 months ago

Text

Once again, I am doing a series of my behind-the-scenes thoughts for The Golds while I do light edits for formatting, typos, and continuity. Here’s Chapter 1!

DO NOT read these commentaries until you have finishes reading the entirety of The Golds! These commentaries have many spoilers for future chapters.

First I’m gonna talk about why I decided to write this fic in the first place, because it wasn’t part of my original roadmap for the series. After I finished writing Daemon’s Handbook, my plan was to write an epic longfic with POVs from all the Targkids that encompassed a multi-year timespan a la the ASOIAF books…and then I realized if I did that, I had high odds of burning out halfway through 💀.

I’ve discovered that I do better at writing fic if I have an ending an mind when I start writing it, and the story needs to be something I can finish writing in several months so I don’t lose steam or get distracted/go on hiatus too long. That meant I needed to focus on a specific story with 1-2 protagonists/narrators that had its own complete story arc within the series’ larger arc.

When I finished writing the Handbook, I read a lot of books during my break. Several of those books were about fashion history, and one was the official GOT costumes book. I got really obsessed with fashion in the HOTD world, and I temporarily thought about writing a Rhaena POV fic because in my verse, she’s really into fashion and I wanted to put my newfound amateur knowledge to use 😅. But as I brainstormed what her story would look like, I realized it was super adjacent to Jace’s story because Rhaena is her lady-in-waiting, and eventually I shifted over to a Jace-centric story.

While I was brainstorming the Rhaena fic, I thought of a pregnancy subplot where Rhaena has to create Jace’s pregnancy wardrobe, and that pregnancy plot ultimately became the central story in The Golds. I was originally going to make Jace the sole narrator as she deals with the pregnancy, but I realized Aegon would have some really entertaining thoughts so I made it dual POV. This is when I started thinking about the Bridgerton approach, where each Targkid gets to be the star/costar of their own story in roughly chronological order.

The title “The Golds” is a reference to the canonical Greens and Blacks. There’s a theme throughout the story of Jace and Aegon accumulating popularity and soft power at court and among the smallfolk. This growing faction will unofficially be called the Golds because Jace and Aegon are strongly affiliated with that color, due to Sunfyre’s scales, Jace’s preference for gold, and all the symbolism that gold entails.

Most chapter titles are lyrics from the in-universe lullaby “The Song of the Seven.” Since the fic is about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood, I thought a reference to this lullaby was appropriate. My original outline had 7 chapters for the fic so I was going to title each chapter after the first line of each stanza in the lullaby. As I wrote the fic and realized it was going to be more chapters, I had to get creative. For Chapter 1, I picked the Maiden lyrics because the Maiden is associated with innocence and young women. Aside from this chapter including the wedding night (and thus Jace’s last night as a maiden), this is also the beginning of Jace’s character and emotional journey, during which she becomes less innocent/naive and, as you know, encounters a lot of darkness in the real world.

Ok now for the actual chapter commentary lol

I started showing during the Handbook that Jace is a responsible, dutiful “eldest sibling syndrome” kind of person, and I wanted to really highlight that in this fic. In the beginning of this story, Jace is the neurotic workaholic while Aegon is hedonistic and urges her to relax. Throughout the story, Jace does learn to relax and delegate better, but Aegon also starts picking up responsibilities along the way. By the end, my goal was for them to meet in the middle, where Jace learns that she has to take care of herself if she wants to take care of others, and Aegon learns that he needs to put in some work in order to secure the things he really wants in life.

There’s also a theme of private vs. public. Jace starts as having a very public life (she’s the heir to the throne, her life is on display at court) while being very private about things like her body and personal wants. In contrast, Aegon is very public about his body (the casual nudity is canon, don’t blame me) and personal wants (“I love my wife and everyone must know it”), but he wishes he could have a private life (be his own person and do what he wants, rather than be the prince and politician his family wants). Again, they kind of grow to meet in the middle by the end. Jace learns to be more selfish about her desires and fight for them (she also becomes more comfortable with her body around Aegon, although the self-consciousness never entirely goes away). Aegon learns to put aside his hangups about “I don’t want to be a player in the game” and steps into the arena so he can ultimately achieve what he wants, which is to protect Jace and their child.

We see the beginnings of Aegon’s powers of observation this chapter. He notices the Bracken/Blackwood exchange (these are the same lovers that Daemon spies in the tunnels in Chapter 9 of the Handbook) and deduces a likely explanation. This trait was inspired by a TGC quote about how Aegon is very observant and knows people’s weaknesses. I loved this idea that Aegon observes a lot of what’s happening around him, but canonically he’s too drunk and apathetic to do much about it. Here, Aegon is not an alcoholic and he’s a lot more grounded, so he actively registers a lot more details.

I mention in Chapter 2 that Daemon is part of the reason Aegon doesn’t drink so much, but that’s definitely not the whole story. Aegon seems very driven by the pursuit of dopamine, things that give him pleasure. In canon, he achieves this through whoring and alcoholism. Here, he has Jace, who has always fulfilled many of his emotional needs and now his physical needs. His life is a lot happier, so there’s no need for him to drink himself into a stupor. He did still have a youthful period of debauchery, but it’s not an outrageous amount of debauchery for a spoiled prince—although still in an upper percentile.

Aegon remains impressively chaste during the Stepstones because he realizes his youthful debauchery was a big reason Rhaenyra disapproved of him. And by the time he leaves for the Stepstones, he’s realized (thanks in part to their forced separation, thanks in part to Jace being the prettiest girl he can ever imagine existing) that no other woman is ever going to compare to Jace, so why bother? (He definitely had a locket or something with Jace’s mini portrait and lock of hair lol)

Aegon’s attitude toward dancing (he’s good at it but he hates the formality) is similar to his overall attitude toward court life and politics. He can do it if he wants, but he just doesn’t want to—unless it makes Jace happy.

Confession: the Tyroshi subplot wasn’t supposed to happen the way it did. I’ll explain more in future chapters, but for now, I’ll just say Floris and Sara weren’t always intended to die. But they did die in the final draft, and in hindsight I’m glad I included the Baratheon scene this chapter. Originally the scene was supposed to showcase Jace’s politicking and diplomacy, as well as lead up to her eventually picking Floris as a lady-in-waiting. Now it has extra meaning because it shows how sweet Floris was, how she fit in with her sisters, and how her mother doted on her 🥺.

I actually kind of like Maris, she’s funny in a mean girl way 😂. But she canonically has a tendency to run her mouth and say nasty things. Here, I think she feels jealous that Cassandra is getting so much attention from potential suitors, and that contributes to her rudeness. Jace could have publicly shamed Maris for being so rude to a Targaryen bride at her own wedding, but she decided to be sneakier about it and not cause a scene. Jace wants to maintain a good relationship with the Baratheons while making it clear what Maris said is unacceptable, so she extends the private tea invite to the other Baratheon women while deliberately omitting Maris from the offer. Now Lady Elenda feels honored by the invite and relieved to not have disfavor, and she’ll probably give Maris a terrible scolding in private.

The bedding tradition seems awful and potentially traumatic, especially for the bride (but that’s ASOIAF for you!). I can’t remember what’s canon or fanon, but I went with the interpretation that the bride and groom are supposed to be stripped naked or close to it. I feel like the royal family ought to be exempt from it (in a privileged “nobody else is allowed to behold our naked bodies” kind of way), but I know Alysanne made a point of having the bedding ceremony so nobody could question her marriage was consummated. The ceremony also seems horribly wasteful because all that expensive material and labor that went into the wedding clothes is just trashed, but I guess it’s a status flex. Only the super-rich can afford to deliberately destroy all those resources after one use.

I wish I wrote more scenes where Jace and Aemond hang out 😭. They have a lot of similarities: dutiful, studious, responsible for their siblings. I imagine their relationship being super chill. Then again, they’re very proper so they probably have hangups about spending alone time with someone of the opposite gender for extended periods of time 🙃. Anyway, their relationship is much less antagonistic than in canon. Fem!Jace thinks bullying is wrong and tones down Aegon’s mean streak, while Aemond has a chivalrous and gentlemanly attitude toward women (contrast with book!Aemond, who seems pretty misogynistic). Since a lot of the friction from canon is removed, they get along much better, and this Aemond is more comfortable with the idea of fem!Jace being queen one day because they start from a better place, and he’s her good-brother.

You can see my newfound fashion history geekery showing itself during the scene where Jace gets ready for bed. (Also, take note of how meticulous Jace is. It highlights her general cautiousness, and it serves as a contrast for Chapter 3). I try not to get too flowery with description, but I decided it was relevant to highlight key fashion choices like her wedding dress because it is an aspect of Jace’s influence at court, and she is concerned about appearances. I incorporated a lot of design aspects from GOT, which are much less medieval than the HOTD gowns. I had this idea that the older generation (Alicent and Rhaenyra) stick more to traditional cuts and designs, while Jace and the other girls are starting a new fashion trend akin to what we see in GOT, where styles are more flattering and multicultural.

Jace’s wedding dress is strongly influenced by Margaery’s Purple Wedding dress. The backless part makes it rather daring, and it’s part of Jace and Rhaena’s goal to depict Jace as a leader among the younger ladies at court since matrons are far less likely to wear something so revealing. Also, in GOT, Daenerys’s dresses tend to be much more revealing than anyone else’s, so I deduced that the fashion culture in Essos is overall more daring than in Westeros. Rhaena grew up in Pentos, so I decided she brings that influence into Jace’s wardrobe, which then spreads through court. Jace’s jewelry (heirlooms owned by Valaena Velaryon, mother of the Conqueror and his sisters) is also a statement to highlight that she was born a Velaryon but now she’s a true Targaryen in name.

Jace’s lingerie is definitely Rhaena’s (and Baela’s) influence. Otherwise she would have zero clue what’s fashionable in Lys. 😳

Jace deciding to work on her wedding night is very in character for her. And Aegon making her stop to enjoy herself is also very in character for him. Definitely a recurring pattern for these two.

Like any scene I write, I try to make sure the smut has a purpose in the story. I don’t usually write PWP but I think smut scenes are an excellent way to demonstrate dynamics and emotional connections between characters, so that’s how I typically use them. Here, we see Aegon is devoted to Jace: makes her feel comfortable, ample foreplay, even cracks a few jokes because their relationship is familiar enough for that sort of thing. He literally “lets her hair down” so she can shed her usual inhibitions.

True to character, Jace overthinks the process. She knows the theory of how it works (Rhaenyra would ensure her daughters are informed of the mechanics, and Jace has been living with Baela for three years). She also knows Aegon enjoyed his time on the Street of Silk and she desperately wants to meet his expectations. She doesn’t realize that she could do literally anything (or nothing) and Aegon would still think she’s perfect.

Since Aegon hasn’t had sex in three years, he’s trying very hard not to finish too early 😅. It’s OK though, Jace has no idea how long a guy is supposed to last and they have the whole night to make up for it 😂.

In the Handbook, I hint at Aegon’s artistic tendencies when he doodles in his letters. Here, I expand upon that so he’s sort of a Renaissance man: he sings, he plays lute, he dances, he draws, etc etc. All the skills he enjoys are skills not conducive for a politician/king. In this verse, Jace encourages him to sing and draw, so he pursues it further than he would’ve in canon.

I like to think of the morning-after smut scene as when Cheeseball is conceived 😂. It’s when Aegon dirty talks about making heirs for the throne, and Jace thinks about how much she would like to have children with Aegon. It just makes sense lol.

GRRM makes his female characters give birth way too young. Some people argue it’s historically accurate, but it’s really not. Other than Margaret Beaufort (who gave birth at 13 and never had any other children, probably due to complications), royal and noble women generally married in their late teens and early twenties. But this is the world and culture GRRM created, so I’m trying to work with it. I still headcanon that in normal peacetime, highborns try to wait until bride and groom are at least 16 to marry because they are aware that giving birth too young is dangerous. It’s during wartime or when politics require an earlier consummation that we see things like Sansa marrying at 13 💀. So I made Jace realize, after she’s had time to stew, that being forced to wait three years was best. (Especially since she IMMEDIATELY gets pregnant.)

I had to research whether people with a broken nose (or recovering from rhinoplasty surgery, which apparently has similar side effects—the more you know!) could have sex. Apparently one of the concerns is causing blood vessels around the nose to expand/contract/whatnot, and arousal impacts blood flow so that’s why Orwyle bans any nookie 😔. No wonder Aegon bribes Alyssa to wake Daemon early lol.

A side effect of broken noses is bruising around the face and black eyes, so Jace looks like she got hit very badly. The ensuing gossip about how she got injured ties into the recurring themes of a) Jace’s concern with appearances and b) that courtiers can and will gossip about anything, and the more salacious the better.

Jace is pretty peeved that Luce was so reckless re: the tunnel incident, and probably upset that it inadvertently led to her broken nose. But as soon as Luce needs help, Jace stops caring about her injuries 😭. Another recurring part of Jace’s personality: she’ll do almost anything to help her loved ones but she’s much harder on herself. (Note Luce’s little question, “What do I do now?” which is a question she always asked Jace when she was in trouble as a kid.)

Aegon is closer to Aemond than in canon, since a) they went to the Stepstones together and b) Aegon had far fewer options for male companionship in this genderbent world so he had to lean on Aemond a lot more. The brothers aren’t the kind to have heart-to-hearts, but Aegon knows Aemond well enough to know that Aemond is really into Luce and is probably going to try to marry her.

With Larys dead, there isn’t a very good option for master of whisperers. The council keeps trying to fill it but the candidates never last for long. I like to joke that they’re holding the seat open for when Joff is old enough, but finding a good spymaster seems pretty difficult. Daemon would probably be good at it but he’s already flamed out of several council positions, and he would hate working with Otto.

A little more fashion history! A surcote is that quintessential medieval gown for women, which I decided is very traditional in Westeros. This is Jace’s first day at her new job, so she wants to dress extra conservatively. Color is a big deal in this world of Black versus Green, so she deliberately picks very neutral and inoffensive colors. She also styles her hair and wears gold jewelry from Aegon to emphasize her new marriage, which shows she’s a mature woman and is forging harmonious bonds with her husband across the Black/Green divide.

In canon, Corlys resigns his position as master of ships around Episode 2. Tyland is canonically master of ships during this time, but I made an error in the Handbook and turned him into the master of coin. So I decided to just force Lyman Beesbury into retirement, and this can serve as an in-universe explanation for the change in roles: Viserys (or somebody else) wanted Corlys to have his position back, so they reshuffled the council a bit.

Aaaaand Jace officially has a “first day at work” horror history. Vomited, fainted, and cried in quick succession. And for someone who values privacy regarding her body, this was an awfully public way for her to find out about her pregnancy (and have it announced) 🥲.

Chapter 2 commentary here

#my writing #meta #fanfic meta #hotd meta #house of the dragon meta #Aegon II Targaryen #female jacaerys velaryon #the golds

37 notes · View notes

pocima · 9 months ago

Text

My seasonal music highlights: winter 2024 🧣

Welcome to a new series of my silly music-blogging. Starting it because I want to regularly properly write about and describe the songs I enjoy, and to present my own candidates for the unofficial “song of the season” awards. I already started an annual fav list for albums/EPs and wanted something less major and more presentable as a little playlist, not really in particular order. Enjoy! Note that I kept the list one song per artist, most have incredible new releases outside of the ones focused on, these are just my picks for the season or my most played. And let me tell you, countless artists are dropping new music and projects left and right and I’m getting FED. This list alone is extremely abundant and we’re barely 2 full months into the year. The competition for this year’s personal favorite album spots and the highlights for the next seasons is about to be real tough. Can’t wait. (GIF source: MV for Cyberia by Meth Math.)

❅ winter again - 4s4ki

What better way to start a songs of the winter list than with THE anthem of this winter season? With her ability to not only pull off but absolutely excel at the different genres she incorporates into her music, 4s4ki simply never disappoints. She went into the studio with a mission to give the famous Last Christmas by Wham! a true successor and the mission was wonderfully accomplished. In this mellow 80s pop influenced track, she channels her inner Cocteau Twins (word to that one YouTube comment in the lyric video) while longing for a loved one that didn’t seem to stay by her side not even to have some canned coffee and bento this holiday season. Now I’m gonna channel my inner platonic delulu and say that it was released just on time, when I was discovering and especially feeling Boy Harsher’s alternative 80s inspired music (collab when?). Ironic how a self-described reverse Christmas song ended up doubling my winter spirits. She never fails to give me exactly what I need. I love this woman. (Big ups to Magic sword but as I mentioned I’m keeping the list one song per artist.)

youtube

❅ 4eva - Shygirl feat. Empress Of

You know from my username that I’ve been loving what Shygirl has had to offer for quite a while now, and 4eva was my personal post-Nymph jam ever since I heard a snippet of it back in last September and neither the full studio version nor my intuition let me down. Shygirl’s rapping and Empress Of’s verse over the Kingdom-produced delicious wobbly synths indeed stay playing on my mind. Empress Of’s feature came as a tracklist surprise and I’m more grateful for it than I had expected. The jungle drums in the chorus, and honestly the structure of the song in general were unexpected to me as well, but nevertheless they took part in forming possibly my favorite dance track of 2024. Both the Club Shy EP and 4eva have secured firm spots in my favorites of the year.

❅ Deer Teeth - Sega Bodega

Father of music, first ever man in the music industry, smash hit sorcerer, my favorite producer of all time… However you may refer to Sega Bodega, you can always rely on him to create an entire universe in one record and take you there and back. With Deer Teeth, he tells a story of a sighting of a late mother laid to rest with her child in a swan’s wings along with 200 deer teeth (hence the song title), which brings with itself a tale of hope, sacrifice and eternity. With reversed and distorted vocals, the addition of Mayah Alkhateri’s siren-like voice and obviously Sega’s otherworldly production style, the tale transforms into a cinematic masterpiece in sound form. Extra note: perfect to fall asleep to in a road trip, tried and tested. Both Deer Teeth and his newer single Set Me Free, I’m an Animal are stunning masterpieces, and I know this will make my year-end album list real predictable but SB3 is the most solid candidate for the top spot as of right now. Save me Sega Bodega, save me…

youtube

❅ Ex-Girlfriend - Erika de Casier feat. Shygirl

New slow R&B earworms drawing on different nostalgic genres couldn’t be more perfect for the chilly season, especially when they’re delivered by the one and only Erika de Casier. She has this ability to mix the best musical aspects of the near past (namely the 90s/00s) with her very own sensuality, freshness and uniqueness. Her soft vocals over a down-tempo R&B beat to match come after an orchestral, arguably dramatic intro and the melancholic, yearning yet cocky-ish tone is set. Shygirl’s deep, almost raspy voice always shines with slow, gloomy instrumentals (also seen in Lapdance from Asia by Cosha) and this track was no exception, matter of fact it’s now certainly one of my favorite features of hers. I will be returning to this song not only on the colder days of March, but the whole year, or rather until it’s wiped off existence completely.

youtube

❅ Cyberia - Meth Math

Before the quirky experimental trio’s slightly overdue, highly anticipated debut album Chupetones (go give the best b-side Pócima a listen too), they released 4 singles and I was not at all aware beforehand of the release of the third one. Pressed play, was impressed, pressed the loop button and the rest (at least 80 plays within the first week) was history. The intro immediately catches your attention, and the descriptions of a sad-looking happily-dancing angel over toot sounds, ripping synths and bonking bass transition into happy hardcore perfection. The 3-second bit before the second chorus gets me the most, it’s like a minuscule break to slow down and reflect on the all the absurdity before resuming the alien dancefloor madness. This banger completes my Meth Math song holy trinity, which is now Tambaleo-Fantasía Final-Cyberia. Add Pócima into the mix if you wanna form the four horsemen. Whatever your personal favorite may be, we can all agree that Meth Math always come at us with excellence.

❅ dOpamine - OnlyOneOf

Hallelujah. We have finally reached an era where all lyOns can live in harmony and sleep in peace instead of fighting over title tracks and new lows for the group’s flaming hot garbage record label. Even their biggest haters (so-called “fans” with a strange superiority complex) were finally praising an OnlyOneOf title track, and with how good it really is I’d be admiring their dedication to hating their own faves if they didn’t. Anyway, dOpamine is one of their best, it really is. I’ve been hoping for them to get on the drum & bass train for quite a while now, and they did it with a bright, twinkling, breakbeat-incorporating twist. They don’t lazily dip their toes into dnb and breakcore and leave it at that though, the buildups and structure of the track stay fascinating and the bridge drifts (should I intend the pun?) into their gritty industrial side before the outro closing out the song on a vocally strong, passionate but never over-the-top note. While the whole mini is exquisite, the lead single ended up being my favorite. Simply put, OnlyOneOf never fail to deliver quality K-pop against all odds.

youtube

❅ Sorbet - Kelela (LSDXOXO Remix)

The pre-release singles off of the RAVE:N remix album were all incredible just like its album tracks, however this gem is particularly lingering on me and my February mood. This spin on Sorbet encapsulates the AM club aspect of the project in one re-envisioned tune. Kelela and LSDXOXO, who produced and remixed numerous of her songs, reunite as a power duo to turn the dulcet, sedate Sorbet into a Eurodance-coded amped-up slapper that will get anyone moving. You can tell the song is DJ set opener material from when the first beat kick. The chorus melody sticks to your mind and the late night-like sonic experience becomes unforgettable. The special encounter requiring dim lighting is now set in a flashy rave scene. Completely flipped scenario yet everything makes perfect sense. All in all, Kelela’s vision for her dance records is 20/20 and LSDXOXO’s execution never leaves you hanging either.

❅ Fuetazo - Isabella Lovestory feat. Villano Antillano

Born to embody camp, forced… no, also born to be a hit maker. Isabella is undebatably one of the freshest, most outstanding figures of neoperreo and neoreggaeton, and her eccentric flare still comes through in a single as a (hopefully) pre-album snack. Fuetazo was released early into the season and closed out Isabella’s activities for the year. While the playful chorus introduces a whip that comes and goes, Villano Antillano mentions vacations and 42-inch weaves with her tone that meshes with the cheekiness of the track, and their chopped up vocal bits go back-and-forth in the outro. With the Chicken, Kamixlo and Dinamarca producer trio, the instrumentals can’t go wrong. The hard-hitting dembow drums and the lighter synths and other aspects of the song create a contrast that feels like a breeze, maybe more of a summer one even but a confidence booster gots to stay on rotation regardless of weather or temperature.

youtube

❅ Messy Room - The Deep (+ mini EP review)

Had I postponed the release of my 2023 fave project list just a little, the Messy Room EP would have at least scored an honorable mention. For those who need a quick debrief: The Deep is an independent K-alternative artist whose discography radiates coziness and sweetness. Mayhaps I should say sugar, spice and everything nice. Taking part in the production of her music, creative direction and visual curation, she ticks all the boxes for the bedroom pop star that should’ve reached her target audience ages ago. While she’s taken inspiration from R&B and indie and still does, “resurfaced” genres such as UK garage, dnb and Jersey club are fairly newer additions to her range. I love all of these genres as you could tell and I adore the songs in which she uses them (got into her through the UKG bop Muah!), but surprisingly the track that glanced at her “roots” hooked me in the most. Maybe it’s because it contains the core “messy room” atmosphere of the EP, maybe it’s her soft vocals shining brightly, maybe it’s because she has the recipe to making a tune to unwind to. I hope this praise doesn’t sound like a jab at the rest of the EP because not a single skip is detected over there. In Brand New House and BAPPI, The Deep talks about deserving the luxuries and getting to the bag over garage and house beats. bow wow is about confidence despite troubles and annoyances, while 20’s is a self-reflection on the constant search for perfection and attempts to heal. The project is most definitely worth checking out if you want a bit of calm, refreshing new music, or if you’re looking for a multi-skilled artist to support.

youtube

One line section (music I loved but honestly don’t have as much to say about, so I fit my thoughts into one line/sentence)

❆ Gold On Me: Mother ABRA is back and I’m definitely checking out Groupthink after this, now it’s time for the album innit 🍽️ (should’ve definitely written about this in more detail but maybe another time soz)

youtube

❆ 4 noviosS: While everyone came to Club Shy to play, she entered with pen and paper and a goal.

youtube

❆ Perdió Este Culo: I have to give flowers where they’re due, I wish the La Joia album had more quality of this level though. (However shoutout to Sexy, La Que No Se Mueva and Sin Carné.)

youtube

❆ TYOSTAR: Can’t tell if their music is aimed at dudebros (disgustingly irritating audience) or hyperpop girlies (slightly less irritating audience) but they scored a night ride hit either way, definitely one of Starkids’ finest to date.

Thankies for getting here, and shoutout to @chuuuvi for pretty much directly fueling my writing process and inspo and @a-moth-to-the-light for inspo as well 😁

#keyboard.com #finally writing again yippee #bro spring’s highlight list already has 3 definite entries. it’s the first day of March. the food is too good #4s4ki #shygirl #empress of #sega bodega #erika de casier #meth math #onlyoneof #kelela #lsdxoxo #isabella lovestory #villano antillano #the deep #me when 2024

9 notes · View notes

styrmwb · 1 year ago

Text

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXVI)

Here we are, at the final numbered entry. Soken is back as the main composer, alongside the XIV squad. I think XVI's soundtrack is very similar to the gameplay; some kinda eh, but when it hits? IT HITS. From the moment I played the demo, hell, even the moment I watched the first trailer, there were songs that I was like "I cannot get enough of this I need to hear it forever". XVI is a game of huge moments that are the absolute strongest parts of the game, and as such, most of my favorites are the strongest parts of the game (there are exceptions.). Let's finish up this series (until I start to do non numbered entries and sequels ehehhhhhhhhhh) with a bang! A fire? I'm trying to make a flame joke. Ifrit. (also goddammit I gotta go with unofficial uploads again so pray nothing gets taken down)

5. Catacecaumene First of all, WHAT is this title second of all: yesssssssss this is the Soken I know and love!!!! A lot of the game up to this point is strictly orchestral, which is NOT a bad thing at all, but then you destroy your first crystal, the big bad plot starts to Really happen, you're in this big fuckin nothing void, you're fighting this Creature (that doesn't even snort!) and this goddamn techno beat comes out of nowhere!! I love the constant ascent (dndn duh Duh DUH DUH DUHDUH!) that repeats throughout the track, and that really cool tv static electro tube I'm playing Operation and accidentally hit the metal bit that plays the main melody (used again later on in the final boss fights!). It's such a cool song and really brings you that vibe to the soundtrack that I think a lot of us were expecting when we see the XIV crowd on the development. I also just looked it up after writing this katakekaumene was a place in modern Turkey that means "burnt land" so it fits with the nothingness void!

4. Titan Lost The entire Titan sequence. Again, the entire Titan sequence, is AMAZING. Like, special shoutouts to Do or Die and Heart of Stone before and after this song, but this is obviously the highlight of the entire fight. Again, this is absolutely that type of soul we grew to love in XIV, placed in XVI. That heavy techno beat, the vocals sounding low and grumbly and gravelly, and that BIG choir. Like Under the Weight, the song FEELS like the earth oppressing you. And I mean, if you're gonna be fighting an Actual Mountain, you GOTTA have a fucking banger as you're doing it. (HEART OF STOOOOOOOOOOOONE!)

3. Away This game just... throws you right into it. This game has one of the, if not The strongest intro out of any game in the entire series. That spiraling, building, winding intro, that heavy, slower beat (the first version of this song you hear draws it out a little with a bit of the prelude into it it fucks), into that chaotic, stressful string orchestra creates the tension for this massive kaiju battle, and every time they play it creates an excellent transition for the actual fight itself. The choir is grand and epic, alongside the mainly male vocals, I love those slight female ones that back the track, they're absolutely beautiful, as well as the piano that plays, despite being a single instrument it FILLS the room.

Then you hit the chorus. This is the part right here. The melody itself is beautiful, the voices are awe-inspiring, the lyrics once you actually read them fitting Phoenix perfectly?????? FUCK DUDE!!!!! IT HITS SO HARD THAT WHEN IT PLAYS A SECOND TIME WITH A LOT OF THE INSTRUMENTS HOLDING BACK TO LET THE CHOIR TAKE EVEN MORE OF A HIGHLIGHT IT TAKES THOSE REMAINING CHILLS YOU GOT AND STOKES THEIR FIRES FURTHER STILL (IT'S A PHOENIX SONG IT'S A FIRE JOKE) I FUCKIN LOVE THIS SONG AND THE INTRO TO THIS GAME AND I LOVE JOSHUA THAT'S RIGHT THIS IS A ROSFIELD BROTHERS POST NOW WOOOOO-

2. Into the Mire - Stillwind This is Probably the strangest pick of this entire list, ESPECIALLY after I was literally just glazing the fuck out of Away. But Into the Mire? I cannot get enough of this song. This made the first dungeon, this gray, depressing, goblin filled swamp, something really special to me. That main piano lives rent free in my mind, cycling, hitting heavy, sounding decrepit, yet still beautiful. I love the main melody, the chorus of the song, the "oo Oo OO Oo oo ooOOOo ooOOOo" that repeats a couple times, the entire song really has this sort of circular feel that constantly goes in and out and in and out and repeats back and forth over and over that I love so much, I love the ghostly vocals, I love the strings that take over the main melody, and then you also add in that mid battle version (the one that plays on the first "loop" of the song) with the heavier drums and the introduction of more strings coming in; the chorus almost becoming heroic, the bells twinkling in the back, that sort of industrial, construction like percussion; it sounds like an open, starry sky, which is really funny considering the context it plays in! I had this song set as my Hideaway music, because I could and have listened to this for hours.

1. Find the Flame FFXVI came out close to the Height of my Guilty Gear enjoying (still really like it btw just not actively playing (this is besides the point)). When I played this game and got to this fight? This is fucking Clive's Dragon Install. (I made this joke already in a much earlier post (this is still besides the point)). Find the Flame is pretty much the Main Theme of this game, and GOD. MOTHERFUCKING. DAMN. THIS IS A GIFT FROM GOD HIMSELF. THIS SONG FUCKS, IT BANGS, IT SLAPS, EVERY CRINGE ASS SLANG WORD FOR A GOOD SONG THAT I CAN POSSIBLY THINK OF, THIS SONG IS IT. YOU WANNA KNOW WHY THE MAIN TWO BROTHERS ARE PHOENIX AND IFRIT? BECAUSE THEIR THEMES ARE FIRE! That intro, the heavy hitting horn/string/vocal/percussion combo, that chanting! I fucking love every single verse/melody/whatever it's called in this entire song, I feel pumped up and like I'm catching myself humming or singing along to it every time I hear it. I love the horns playing off right after that first vocal section, I literally could just have THAT part looping forever and I'd be happy. The "Find, the flame" section just keeps up that same heavy hitting percussion/chanting sound the entire song has, and for a fight that has Clive accepting this great trauma he's been facing his whole life, it gets you fucking hyped, I love it so much.

It's the final numbered list, so I'm making this post Extra long and cheating once again (but not really) and making this #1 spot a 2-parter, because the final boss theme, All as One, is a remix of Find the Flame, with a little bit of that main Final Fantasy theme thrown in there, an EXTREMELY healthy dose of the power of friendship in the lyrics, and the coolest, most anime fight we've had in the entire series. Find the Flame is such a hype song, and getting to hear it again in that last bit takes the silly, childlike feeling of "this is the coolest thing ever", that literal pogchamp, soyjak pointing emotion that I feel like I'm gonna be made fun of for saying that this gives me (but you know I'm fucking right!). This is the song you remember your friends and enemies to, the song you tell the final boss "This is your Final Fantasy Sixteen", and the song you fucking punch a god in the face to. Both of these together put the stupidest smile on my face, and I can't get enough of either of them. They're a pair in my mind, and the epitome of what I love about this game.

Honorable mentions honorably go to: Sixteen Bells, On the Shoulders of Giants; No Risk, No Reward; Press On, Reflections - Drake's Head, To Sail Forbidden Seas, Do or Die, Heart of Stone, Ascension, Furor, The Riddle, Fighting Fate, Death Shall Me Devour, 'Neath the Pall, Logos, and Hymn of the Penitent.

#final fantasy #final fantasy xvi #textpost #jared's final fantasy music opinions

4 notes · View notes

its-suanneschafer-author · 2 months ago

Text

The amazing Amazon has removed ALL of my book reviews for "sexual content" and "hate speech." I have been reviewing at least 8 books a month on Amazon and other sites since 2018. I have written them to protest. Will keep you posted. And my apologies to all you who are now missing a review.

Amazon started by flagging this one for "sexual content" on Babylonia by Costanza Casati:

Babylonia is set in ancient Assyria with its brutal, warlike society. The heroine, Semiramis, is orphaned when her mother commits suicide. In the village of Mari in western Assyria, she’s adopted by the chief shepherd. He is brutal and sadistic, frequently beating her. Rather than the abuse bringing about her submission, she becomes self-righteous and angry and when given the chance to escape with Onnes, a soldier, to Kalhu, the capital city, she does so. There he marries her and introduces her to his brother and, friend, and perhaps lover, the king, Ninus.

The book revolves around the relationship between the three, an amazing love triangle. All three are complex, at least in part broken, the men (especially Onnes) possibly suffering from PTSD. From being jealous of Semiramis, Ninus moves to falling in love with her, complicating his relationship with Onnes, with Ninus’s own mother, Nisat, and other members of the court. Semiramis, a village girl, must make her way through court intrigues and politics, but her native intelligence helps her out-maneuver more-experienced courtiers as she attempts to fulfill a prophecy a diviner spoke to her in her childhood. Eventually she becomes the only female queen of Assyria.

The book is quite bloody, especially when Onnes, Ninus, and Semiramis go to Bactria to conquer the city of Balkh, but Casati doesn’t glorify the bloodshed, merely recognizes it as a fact of society at the time.

Then Amazon removed the three reviews on the Attica Locke Highway 59 series about a Black Texas ranger for "hate speech" and from there removed ALL of my reviews.

Bluebird, Bluebird, the first in the Highway 59 trilogy, is an amazing Southern noir that it is so much more than the usual mystery. It’s also about home, whether the place of one’s birth or a found home; family; race; and justice.

The protagonist, Darren Matthews, leaves Texas for law school in Chicago but finds himself drawn back to his East Texas home and a job as a Texas Ranger. When he’s sent to the hamlet of Lark, Texas, to unofficially investigate two murders, one of a local White woman, the other a Black man from Chicago, he must solve the crimes while being a stranger in town. Though Black, he is an outsider, thus not trusted by local Blacks. As a Black man, he is not trusted by Whites. As a ranger, he is not trusted by the local police. He must save himself, the wife of the murdered Black man, and solve two crimes. Matthews thinks the crimes are racially motivated even as the local police try to sweep the racial aspects under the rug in an attempt to maintain a semblance of goodwill between the races, a goodwill that is utterly missing. He uncovers local secrets, both old and new, as he solves the murders.

As the White mother of a child who identifies as Black, I am always interested in books that highlight racial issues and how pervasive they are in American life. The prose here is taut yet lyrical and reeking with the atmosphere of East Texas as well as a sense of malice and that nothing has changed between the races since antebellum days. This antipathy culminates in the presence of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a White supremacist group, in Lark. As he investigates, Matthews carries his own haunted past with him: his new propensity toward excessive alcohol consumption, a drunk mother, and a wife who’s unhappy with his desire to be a ranger. Matthews’s personal journey is as intriguing as it colors the rest of the book. The title, Bluebird, Bluebird, references a John Lee Hooker rich bluesy tune of the same name, and a strong thread of music runs throughout. I will certainly finish the trilogy and probably the rest of Attica Locke's backlist.

#Censorship

#AmazonCensorship

#AmReading

#Bookstagram

#Amazon

#BookReviews

0 notes

twwpress · 2 years ago

Text

Briefing #6 - July 31 - August 6

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from July 31 - August 6, 2022. Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

The following is a roundup of open challenges/prompts. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

The fic drive for reproductive rights is looking for authors to participate in their auction event. Learn more here.

Trope Soup: A Josh/Donna Tropes Fest is open for prompt submissions and claims. Learn more here.

Big Block of Cheese Day announced its August prompts. Submit to the AO3 collection here.

The August 20 prompts in 20 days are up on Tumblr.

Photos/Videos:

This week in TWW photos and videos! (And what a week it was – Happy Birthday, Martin Sheen!) Here’s what was posted from July 31 - August 6.

Melissa Fitzgerald posted a photo of Martin Sheen and a dog along with a birthday wish.

Richard Schiff posted a photo with Martin Sheen along with a birthday wish.

Bradley Whitford posted a photo with Martin Sheen along with a birthday wish.

@BradleyBrainrot: August 2 | August 3 | August 6

@sinistercherubs: August 1 | August 1

@JessBakesCakes: August 4

Edits/Artwork:

Here’s where we’ll share all the photo edits, videos, and other artwork in the fandom this week!

& i'm split in half but that'll have to do by EditsByLu [VIDEO]

baby, i’m forever yours by sinistercherubs [VIDEO]

#THEWESTWING: an upbeat, optimistic political show by morealeslyman [VIDEO]

country Josh/Donna (inspired by the country AU by mikaylawrites) by sam_writes_fics [ARTWORK]

Jed’s Birthday Instagram AU by kennysroys [PHOTO EDIT]

West Wing Group Texts by kennysroys [PHOTO EDIT]

tww tweets: August 3 [1] | August 3 [2] | August 3 [3] | August 3 [4] |

Miscellaneous:

@TheFinestMuffin posted a thread about Janel Moloney’s appearance in the movie To Save a Child

The Bradley Whitford episode of Who Do You Think You Are? will premiere on NBC on Sunday, August 7 at 7 pm Eastern time and will be available to stream on Peacock starting Monday July, 8. Watch the promo clip here.

Shout-Outs:

This is where we shout-out members of our fandom! Got a birthday coming up? Did a friend start their first watch-through of the show? Let us know! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

Happy birthday to twitter users @mossxlyman and @dmosslyman! You can find Mikayla (@dmosslyman)’s fics here.

Editor’s Choice:

It’s a new month, and on the very first day Taylor Swift’s “August” skyrocketed back into #11 on the global charts. TWW fandom 🤝 Taylor Swift songs, just generally, so we thought we’d celebrate the advent of unofficial-international-listen-to-folklore month with some of our favorite tswift songfics and fics with lyric titles from Taylor’s songs. There was simply no way for us to catch them all, so please hit us up/reblog with favorites we missed!

death by folklore by slightlyraspberry (Series) | Rated G - T | Multiple Pairings | Complete |

a collection of 5 (mostly unconnected) West Wing fics, each inspired by a song (or songs) on Taylor Swift's folklore.

what a shame you weren't mine by park_all_covered_with_cheese | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn | Complete | Sam Seaborn loves Josh Lyman. And Josh Lyman loves Sam Seaborn. Just not quite as much.josh's problem is that he runs away from everything that's good for him (those of us who have watched noel or really any episode of the show are aware of this). that in mind they are very much perfect for each other except that josh refuses to believe he deserves love and that breaks Sam's heart more than the "no". inspired (obviously) by taylor swift, because who else would it be, honestly.

nothing safe is worth the drive by JessBakesCakes for sam_writes_fics | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | She’d always thought the moment would be more magical than this. Something more poetic, a story to tell her grandchildren someday. But instead, her feet are aching and she’s wearing a charcoal pantsuit and a pink blouse, and it’s just before midnight in a noisy, overcrowded hotel room in New Hampshire that Donna Moss realizes she’s in love with Josh Lyman.

there we are again (when i loved you so) by hanyolo | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “Did you have a last assistant?” She asks, one eyebrow arched and lips quirked up at the side.

“Nope.” He shrugs nonchalantly as he takes a sip of coffee, his eyes scanning the traffic as they wait. “Guess I was waiting for you.”

Donna can feel her cheeks burning despite the cold morning, a warmth swelling in her chest at his words. She knows he’s only teasing, that this is what they do, apparently. But one of the first things she’s learnt about him in the days since they met is that Josh doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean.

Like You’d Get Your Knuckles Bloody for Me by Iamsherlocked07 | Rated G | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete | Toby makes a rash decision to protect CJ.

he built a fire just to keep me warm by scullymuldrs for mikaylawrites | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “You know,” he tells her, “it’s okay if you need to take a break.”

“I don’t, I promise. Today was just one of those days.” She tries to ignore the warmth blooming in her chest when she feels him rub circles against her skin.

“You can tell me about your bad days,” he says, “I want to take care of you too.”

(Donna’s spent years taking care of Josh, but he’s spent just as long taking care of her.)

sit with you in the trenches by swancharmings for defendingtheearth | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | ”So you’ve got health and strength.”

“And we’ll steal the rest?”

“Bet your ass.”

Four ways they did exactly that.

how sharp the pieces were you'd crumbled into by hufflepuffhermione | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | It’s clear to her now, as she kicks off the covers of the bed, suddenly feeling restrained by them, that Josh needs company more than he needs intimacy. Josh doesn’t need her body—perhaps he does want it, but it’s more than that—he needs her. She practically jumps out of bed, unable to to stay there any longer. Not when Josh is alone on what has to be one of the hardest nights of his life (which is saying something).

Josh is falling apart, and Donna tries not to notice. Until she does.

//prompt: taylor swift songfic

you drew stars around my scars by sam_writes_fics | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Josh, Donna, and the scars that saved their lives

not because he owns me (but 'cause he really knows me) by mikaylawrites | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “How about these?” she asks, her finger hovering above the glass case.

Josh steps closer to see a number of dainty silver necklaces with round, flat pendants. Each is engraved with a single letter in a simple, serif font.

"Those are pretty,” he says, though he wouldn’t have guessed she would choose something like that. “Would you want a ‘D’? Or an ‘M’?”

She looks over at him, the corners of her mouth turned up. “How about a ‘J’?”

When Josh lets Donna pick out her own anniversary gift, she makes an unexpected choice.

august slipped away into a moment in time by crossingdelancey | Rated M | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete | in which cj is much too hot, and toby ziegler can vouch for her on that.

it always leads to you and my hometown (series) by singingaboutwishing | Rated T | Will Bailey/Sam Seaborn | Complete | sam and will, to the tune of “dorothea” and “‘tis the damn season” by taylor swift. midwestern, non-political au.

Fics:

Presenting your weekly roundup of fics posted in the tag for The West Wing on Archive of Our Own. If you are so inclined, please be sure to leave the authors some love in the form of kudos or comments. Be mindful of posted warnings/tags for each story.

Josh/Donna

it's 3am i must be lonely by sam_writes_fics | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

gave you so much (but it wasn’t enough) by hanyolo | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

all i’ve ever learned from love by hanyolo for mikaylawrites | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Cones of Dunshire by Shinyrosa | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

late for the love of my life by sam_writes_fics | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

The Smile On Your Face Lets Me Know That You Need Me by mlea7675 | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

ballerina, you've must have seen her by thababes | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

something gave you the nerve by hanyolo | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

you knock me out, I fall apart (and I thought I was so smart) by fiery_one_18 | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

if i had a wish (i'd wish for sunshine all the while) by JessBakesCakes for mikaylawrites | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Still Feel Like Your Man by flowersinapril | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

and i'll love you more than anybody can by JessBakesCakes | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

this is the wonder (that's keeping the stars apart) by joshatella (shuuuliet) | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

And the world spins madly on by Shinyrosa | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

all grown up by fiery_one_18 for debutante_gurl | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

all i gotta do is say your sweet name by hufflepuffhermione for mikaylawrites | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

but i knew you by swancharmings | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

Body Count by Chinesepapercut | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

the god trick by Benevolent_Atlas31 | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car by phos3 | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

i should have asked you questions. by The_wastedworld | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

CJ/Toby

starry eyes sparking up my darkest night by claudiasjeancregg | Rated T | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete

andante, andante by claudiasjeancregg | Rated T | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete

Other Pairings/Gen Fic

When I said I would die a bachelor (I did not think I should live till I were married) by jazzjo | Rated G | C. J. Cregg/Leo McGarry | Complete

you can afford to lose a day or two by jazzjo | Rated G | C. J. Cregg/Kate Harper | Complete

Miracle by imperfectirises | Rated M | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress

Wait For Me by imperfectirises | Rated M | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress

Somethings you just can't speak about by Worldsofdreamers | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn | Complete

The Language of Healing by silasfinch for justdreaming88 | Rated M | Ellie Bartlet/Original Female Character(s) | In Progress

Contentment by SocialOutsider | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss/Sam Seaborn | Complete

Multiple Pairings

Let's Get Together by mlea7675 | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Ainsley Hayes/Sam Seaborn, Zoey Bartlet/Charlie Young, Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress

all i wanna do in the middle of the evening is hold you tight by rearviewmirror | Rated T | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet/Leo McGarry, Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet, Jed Bartlet/Leo McGarry, Abbey Bartlet/Leo McGarry | Complete

There are no second acts in American lives (except when there are) by norahb | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Sam Seaborn/Original Male Character(s), Josh Lyman/Original Female Character(s) | In Progress

now that i'm unfettered and unbound by jazzjo | Not Rated | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg (past), Josh Lyman/Donna Moss (background) | Complete

THE WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING TEAM CAN BE REACHED VIA THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

Twitter: @TWWPress

Email: [email protected]

Feel free to let us know if we missed something, if you have an event you’d like us to promote, or if you have an item that you’d like included in the next briefing!

xx,

What’s next?

#the west wing #tww #tww fandom #tww fic #songfic #taylor swift songfic #josh lyman #cj cregg #toby zeigler #donna moss #sam seaborn #will bailey #leo mcgarry #jed bartlet #abbey bartlet #josh x donna #sam x josh #cj x toby #fandom newsletter

2 notes · View notes

newmusickarl · 4 years ago

Video

youtube

Album & EP Recommendations

My word, the music world has well and truly spoiled us this week!

The past seven days has seen a colossal avalanche of new releases, so much so I’ve barely had chance to keep up with it all. Although this is not the full list of everything from the past seven days, here are the 16 (yes, 16!) new releases I’ve enjoyed the most this week.

As there is so much to get through the rundowns are (mostly) a bit shorter than normal and there is no single Album of the Week, instead I simply recommend checking out whichever album or track sounds most appealing depending on your preferred taste.

So without further ado then, here’s what’s good:

Californian Soil by London Grammar

It’s been four years since the release of London Grammar’s last record Truth Is A Beautiful Thing - an album that I enjoyed, but I’ll admit also left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed coming off the back of their incredible breakout debut, If You Wait. As it turns out, the band themselves were also having a tough time around that period, with front woman Hannah Reid in particular battling relentless industry sexism, as well as the persistent physical pain caused by her fibromyalgia condition. With this being the case, it is amazing that the young indie-pop trio have made it to their third album at all, let alone delivering what is their best work to date.

Opening on a grand, string-drenched Intro, the record soon morphs into the sun-soaked guitars and soaring orchestration of the album’s glorious title track. It marks an early highlight as Reid catches the audience up with the tribulations of the last few years – “I left my soul on Californian soil.” From there the album doesn’t really let up as the band move through a series of career-defining tracks – the gorgeous contemporary groove of Missing, the dance-influenced How Does It Feel, the chilled-out ambience of the dreamy Baby, It’s You and the sublime, stripped-back closer America.

However, the album’s strongest moment comes when Reid confronts music industry sexism head on with defiant anthem Lord It’s A Feeling. Beginning with some twinkly xylophone, before evolving into an atmospheric synth-laced backdrop where Reid pulls no punches:

“I saw the way you made her feel, like she should be somebody else,

I know you think the stars align for you and not for her as well,

I undеrstand, I can admit that I have felt those things mysеlf”

The cutting lyrics against some blinding quiet rave instrumentation leaves quite the impression, as does this sterling record in general. After a slight misstep, London Grammar have well and truly rediscovered themselves and they have honestly never sounded better – a truly incredible album.

If You Could Have It All Again by Low Island

Oxford electo-pop outfit Low Island are another band that have defied expectations to get to this point. This, their debut album, was not recorded in a professional music studio – in fact, the vocals were recorded in a bedroom cupboard of all places. The band themselves don’t even have a manager or a record label. In every sense of the word, they are a truly independent band. For a self-financed, self-produced effort, If You Could Have It All Again is a quite remarkable first outing.

From melodic, uplifting opener Hey Man, the record quickly jumps into spoken word electro punk banger What Do You Stand For, featuring acid-drenched synths and a dancefloor-ready groove. Fans of FIFA 21 will recall Don’t Let the Light In, with the glitchy pulse of recent single Who’s Having the Greatest Time also standing out. That said, it’s the smooth, infectious sway of I Do It For You that still pulls me in the most.

Having followed the band since their early EPs, I’ve been rooting for Low Island for a while now and this is one debut album I was highly anticipating this year. Safe to say, my expectations have been met – this is a fantastic, accomplished record, which leaves me eager to see where they go next.

The Greatest Mistake Of My Life by Holding Absence

There was a time when the difficult second album used to be a thing, but listening to the sophomore effort from Welsh rock band Holding Absence this week, I’m really not sure that exists anymore. After a dramatic and impressive self-titled debut two years ago, the band have wasted little time taking things up a notch, with this new album cinematic and masterfully produced from beginning to end.

From standout singalong anthems like Afterlife and In Circles, to the album’s epic seven-minute penultimate track Mourning Song, The Greatest Mistake of My Life shows a band pushing themselves and driving forward with ambition at every opportunity. In a year packed with outstanding rock and metal albums already, this is most definitely another one you can add onto that list. Soaring, impressive and demanding of repeat listens.

We Forgot We Were Dreaming by Saint Raymond

It’s been six long years since Nottingham-born singer-songwriter Callum Burrows, AKA Saint Raymond, released his debut album. However it seems the time away has been well spent as this long-awaited follow-up finds Burrows in fine form, with this album packed to the brim with catchy, glossily produced indie-pop anthems.

From the brilliant title track that opens the record, to the bouncy riffs of Right Way Round, Talk and Solid Gold, to more subdued and heartfelt moments like Only You, this album will have you smiling, singing your heart out and dancing your troubles away.

Flu Game by AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey may have only been three years old when Michael Jordan was winning NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, but that hasn’t stopped him making a record influenced by the legendary icon and his famous 1997 Flu Game. Like many others including myself, grime superstar AJ Tracey spent lockdown watching the brilliant The Last Dance documentary, and this record weirdly works as a fantastic unofficial companion, but also just a great summer rap record.

McCartney III Imagined by Paul McCartney

Even if like me you completely missed Sir Paul McCartney’s 2020 album McCartney III, it’s well worth checking out this reimagining, where he has called on the help of some of his famous musician pals. This is a real who’s who line up of guest features including Beck, Khurangbin, St. Vincent, Blood Orange, Phoebe Bridgers, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Anderson .Paak and more, making for quite a fascinating mix of sounds and styles.

Moratorium (Broadcasts from The Interruption) by Enter Shikari

And finally on the albums front this week, genre-benders Enter Shikari have released a brilliant compilation of all their lockdown live performances, headlined by an incredible string-tinged acoustic version of The Dreamer’s Hotel and a beautifully stripped-back “At Home” rendition of Live Outside.

Tracks of the Week

Introvert by Little Simz

Wow, wow and wow again. Still fairly fresh off the back of her masterful, Mercury Prize nominated third album Grey Area, this week British rapper Little Simz released the first taste of her next record in the form of this epic and triumphant opening track. At six minutes in length, this majestic and operatic political anthem aims to grab the listener by the collar and shake them awake. Without a doubt, one of the best songs of the year so far, the powerful video for which you can view above.

Smile by Wolf Alice

The second taste of their forthcoming album Blue Weekend, Smile continues Wolf Alice’s pattern for alternating Loud/Soft releases, with this one featuring buzzy guitars, punky vocals and a hypnotic chorus melody.

Beautiful Beaches by James

Although written off the back of the California wildfires that impacted front man Tim Booth’s local community, the lyrics on the band’s latest anthem purposefully offer a dual meaning, giving hope to those dreaming of a post-lockdown getaway and fresh start.

He Said She Said by CHVRCHES

The Scottish trio made their much-anticipated return this week, with Lauren Mayberry also sharing her experiences of sexism on this arena-ready synth-pop banger.

Matty Healy by Georgia Twinn

Georgia Twinn delivers an infectiously catchy break-up anthem, inspired by an ex-boyfriend, who’s most interesting feature was supposedly looking like the 1975 frontman.

Kill It by Vukovi

Underground Scottish rock outfit Vukovi’s new single is so good, they even managed to get KILL IT trending over the weekend of its release. Masterfully produced with big bold riffs and trancey synths, this one just sounds huge.

Can’t Carry On by Gruff Rhys

The latest solo single from the former Super Furry Animals frontman is a stunning, super-melodic tune with an instant chorus you’ll be singing before the track has even finished its first play.

Ceremony by Deftones

One of the highlights off their last album Ohms, the nu-metal rockers have now delivered a cinematic new video directed by horror legend Leigh Whannell. Check it out!

Chasing Birds by Foo Fighters

And finally this week, Dave Grohl and company released a trippy new animated video for this Medicine At Midnight cut to help celebrate 420 in their own unique way. Again, well worth a watch!

24 notes · View notes

felicia-cat-hardy · 3 years ago

Text

20 Asian American Musicians To Add To Your Playlist Now

Over the past several years, the K-pop industry in the U.S. has grown exponentially. The fan enthusiasm behind bands like BTS has drawn parallels to The Beatles, and so many K-pop groups have received the same passionate reception. The attention is well-deserved, but Asian artists represent a multitude of musical genres (even just within the K-pop industry) — a fact that should not be overlooked. Whether you're a fan of indie rock, R&B, hip-hop, or dance music, you won't want to sleep on these Asian American musicians.

Asian artists have recently received some long-deserved recognition in the entertainment industry, primarily in film. In 2020, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite won big at the Oscars. The following year, Youn Yuh-Jung won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Minari, which also scored The Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun a nomination for Best Actor. However, there's still plenty of work to be done within the music landscape to ensure equal representation is achieved.

BTS, most notably, has seen unprecedented success in the U.S. Still, despite being invited to attend the last three Grammys, they've yet to take home an award, highlighting the discrepancy between their immense success and the Recording Academy's willingness to acknowledge it. Additionally, Asian artists have a harder time landing record deals. As American Idol alumni Paul Kim explained to The New York Times, he was blatantly told by industry execs he would have been signed to a label faster had he not been Asian.

By streaming these artists, you're not only supporting them and their art, but you're subsequently showing industry insiders just how valuable they are. Consider this list sonic proof Asian artists are making exceptional, diverse music that can't be boxed into one genre or sound. Each of these artists prides themselves on breaking boundaries and creating their own rules. You may have heard of a few, but many have been flying under the radar for far too long. Your ears will thank you soon enough.

Melissa Polinar

Polinar got her start in the late 2000s when viral YouTube covers paved the way for success. While artists like Justin Bieber and Lennon & Maisy were sharing music covers, Polinar focused on posting her original music — and her soulful vocals were a hit. In 2019, the Filipino-American songwriter actually re-recorded one of the songs that propelled her career forward, "Try," on its 10-year anniversary.

Eric Nam

Born and raised in Atlanta, Nam moved to Korea to pursue music because he felt he had a better chance of succeeding there. “Even if you look at American Idol, or X-Factor, or The Voice or anything, it was always difficult to see an Asian or an Asian-American make it to a certain point,” Nam told TIME in November 2019. Today, Nam is a highly visible and respected name in the K-pop industry. While he's very proud of his K-pop success, he considers himself a pop singer first. He hopes to grow his success stateside and told TIME, "I want people to hear my music and say, 'I don’t know who this person is,' and I could be Black, white, Latino, Asian — it doesn’t matter, but it’s just a great pop song."

Clinton Kane

Kane's got every making of a great singer-songwriter, and his lyricism will make a fan out of loyal Ed Sheeran or Sam Smith listeners. The Filipino-American singer's impressive vocal range captivates, and his emotion-driven lyrics will melt your heart. One of his more popular tracks, "Chicken Tendies," has upwards of 2 million views and is a must-add to your heartbreak playlist.

Jhené Aiko

As a mixed-race Japanese, Creole, Dominican, and European woman, Aiko has proudly championed her diverse roots throughout her accomplished career. The R&B singer is a six-time Grammy-nominated artist and is well respected within the industry for her philanthropic endeavors. She launched the WAYS foundation in 2017, an organization dedicated to helping cancer patients and their families.

Steve Aoki

Steve Aoki is hardly a newcomer to the EDM scene, but as one of the most prominent DJs in the industry, and one of the biggest Japanese DJs ever, it would be a crime to leave him off this list. Aoki even has his own record label and, in 2016, Netflix released I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, a documentary about his career.

Karen O

As the lead singer for the rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O has solidified her spot as a rock music legend. Not only is the Korean-American singer's discography with the band a must-listen for any rock music fan, but her 2019 album with Danger Mouse, Lux Prima, earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance.

H.E.R.

Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, H.E.R. (aka Gabi Wilson) has become one of the most prominent names in R&B. At just 23 years old, the singer-songwriter already has four Grammy wins and 13 nominations. Along the way, she's never shied away from praising her Filipino mother and Black father, Agnes and Kenny Wilson, for giving her the unique perspectives that propelled her musical success.

Toro Y Moi

Toro Y Moi is actually one person (Chaz Bear) and he's become the unofficial king of chillwave. Born to a Filipino mother, the South Carolina native later relocated to California to further his music career. If you need some chill vibes on your playlist, Bear's got you covered.

Ruby Ibarra

Ibarra is a Filipino-American rapper from San Lorenzo, California who also dabbles in spoken word poetry. Her music is meaningful in more ways than one. A number of her songs touch upon her experience as an Asian American woman. In April 2021, she released a powerful song and video called "Gold" with Ella Jay Basco, which exposed the harmful effects of the skin whitening industry.

Ella Jay Basco

You may recognize Basco from her appearance in Birds of Prey, but her music is not to be slept on because it's making major waves. Her song "Gold" with Ruby Ibarra highlights her Filipino heritage. As she told People, "From top to bottom, we wanted to make sure that our Asian-American community was represented with this project."

Mitski

Meet your new favorite alt-rock queen. Mitski's dreamy melodies appeal to the indie-rock crowd more than anything, and, if you're a sucker for a sad bop, this Japanese-American songstress has plenty of those stacked up.

Yaeji

Yaeji was born in Flushing, Queens in 1993 and grew up between the U.S. and Korea. Since she moved around so much as a kid, she found friendship on the internet, where she first connected with the bossa nova, jazz, and Korean indie music that drove much of the Korean DIY scene. She soon returned to the States to attend college, where she discovered a love for producing and DJing. Now, she meticulously blends hip-hop elements with her house-driven sound for a listening experience that is unlike anything else.

Hayley Kiyoko

Kiyoko has been given the nickname Lesbian Jesus since she’s so outspoken about LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry. The Japanese-American singer is a true trailblazer and her pop music genius has landed her hits with Kehlani, MAX, and AJR.

Jay Park

Park is an industry heavyweight. The Seattle native got his start in the K-pop industry as part of the band 2PM, but he went solo in 2009. Today, not only does the star have dozens of hits under his belt, but he has two record labels of his own that specialize in R&B and hip-hop music: AOMG and H1ghr. Park uses his superstar status to give others the spotlight, and he's put his support behind other artists like GOT7's JAY B and Yugyeom, and Raz Simone. Whether you're a self-proclaimed K-pop stan, or you're just recently getting acquainted with the genre, Park's discography is required listening.

Jin Au-Yeung

Born and raised in North Miami Beach, Florida, the Chinese-American rapper, aka MC Jin, has some seriously impressive accolades under his belt. After becoming popular among his musical peers for his epic freestyles, he was signed to Ruff Ryders in 2002 at just 19 years old, becoming the first Asian American solo rapper to be signed to a major record label in the U.S. He's since parted ways with the label and now travels back and forth between the U.S. and Hong Kong, seeing success in both places. In May 2021, the rapper released a single called "Stop the Hatred" with Wyclef Jean to raise awareness about hate crimes toward Asian Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Olivia Rodrigo

Rodrigo needs no introduction, but I'll do it anyway: This Filipino-American actress-turned-singer-songwriter's mega-hit debut single "drivers license" was unavoidable in January 2021. Its heartbreakingly relatable lyrics about a crush moving on with someone else struck listeners to their core and immediately soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also went viral on TikTok, before making its way into a Saturday Night Live sketch. Rodrigo's songwriting skills have fans likening her to industry heavyweights like Taylor Swift, so it's no surprise her debut album, Sour, is one of the most highly-anticipated albums of summer 2021.

Run River North

Run River North is not just one musician, but three. The band formerly known as Monsters Calling Home is an indie rock band from Los Angeles. The group has an eclectic sound that draws inspiration from each member: Daniel Chae, Alex Hwang, and Sally Kang.

ZHU

When ZHU first entered the electronic music scene, he used an alias and remained anonymous. By 2014, the artist also known as Steven Zhu was ready to share his identity with the world. ZHU got his start in San Francisco, California, but has made his mark on the EDM scene globally.

Darren Criss

Criss rose to fame starring on the television series Glee and he's since proven himself to be a true triple threat. His work can be seen across TV, film, and music. In September of 2018, Criss became the first Filipino-American to win an Emmy in the lead actor category for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He’s also got several full-fledged EPs under his belt.

Amber Liu

Amber Liu (also known mononymously as Amber) is of Taiwanese descent and grew up in Los Angeles. She made a big splash when debuting as a member of the K-pop girl group f(x) in September 2009, but has since gone solo. Her 2019 solo track "Other People" racked up millions of streams, and she’s gearing up to drop her first album of 2021, called y?, very soon. In the meantime, she’s continuing to grow her superstar following on social media, where she has 5 million Instagram followers and over 2.3 million on Twitter.

Get Relationship Advice Here

4 notes · View notes

hoynovoy · 3 years ago

Text

20 Asian American Musicians To Add To Your Playlist Now

Melissa Polinar

Eric Nam

Clinton Kane

Jhené Aiko

Steve Aoki

Karen O

H.E.R.

Toro Y Moi

Ruby Ibarra

Ella Jay Basco

Mitski

Yaeji

Hayley Kiyoko

Jay Park

Jin Au-Yeung

Olivia Rodrigo

Run River North

ZHU

Darren Criss

Amber Liu

Get More Dating Advice Here

0 notes

taehyungsbreadcheeks · 1 month ago

Text

Your light's the only thing that keeps the cold out 🎧❄️

This way Tae sings this line 🫠 the "cold out" gives me chills. I'll admit with the gift of Layover, these early songs were not as heavy in the rotation, but with the cooler weather arriving, I find myself going back to them.

#taehyung #winter is coming #unofficial lyric highlight series #Spotify

6 notes · View notes

matoki-project · 8 years ago

Text

B.A.P Primer [Link Saved Version]

-- Updated last 6/17/17 -- (Updated with Party Baby Links!)

Who is B.A.P?

B.A.P (Best Absolute Perfect) is a six member Korean k-pop group under TS Entertainment that debuted on stage on Jan. 27 2012 with their first mini album Warrior. They are best known for their strong messages and signature powerful style of music. | More info here |

V Live Channel [Follow on V App as well]

The official fanclub name of B.A.P is BABY (plural Babys or Babyz) and the unofficial fan color is spring green.

Hiatus?

To catch new fans up with the previous development of events, in November of 2014, B.A.P announced they were filing a lawsuit against TS Entertainment to nullify their contracts due to unfair conditions and profit distribution [x]. Since then,they went months into inactivity, attempting to hold a trial throughout. On August 1st, 2015, B.A.P and TS reached a settlement [x]. B.A.P returned to TS, prepared for their next activities and promoted with “Young Wild & Free” from their Matrix album and now recently released “Wake Me Up” from their Rose.

Yongguk’s hiatus and return

Due to Yongguk’s recent health (diagnosed with panic disorder in October of 2016 x), the five remaining members promoted for the Skydive/Noir comeback. Himchan took the leadership role and filled in for Yongguk during their Skydive performances. Following that, Yongguk was revealed to return to activity for their Wake Me Up comeback and so far is active in promotion again.

Members:

Yongguk is the stoic, and shy, yet caring leader of B.A.P. He is responsible for many of B.A.P’s album lyrics and more recently their song productions. His deep cave-like voice is well-known and impersonated by many. He’s also known for his vast amount of charity work and fondness of children. His favorite things, besides working on his music include ramen and his favorite character, tigger. He’s easy to embarrass, but he has a childlike side to him as well. Overall, he’s a strong leader and a strong believer of justice.

Himchan is B.A.P’s resident “mother” figure. He brings the group to life especially during variety shows, as his outrageous humor and outgoing charms are a crowdpleaser. He is known for his talent with the janggu, a korean drum and knowledge of traditional Korean music. On top of that, he originally was an emcee for MTV’s “The Show”, so his abilities are diverse. His favorite things include fashion, food and iced americanos. While he can be quite strict and teasing towards the other members, he’s very caring and sensitive. He especially shares his positivity with Babys.

Daehyun is infamous for his high notes heard throughout many of B.A.P’s songs. True to his vocal position, Daehyun is one of the more talkative members, even assuming the role as reporter for the group. Besides his voice, Daehyun is also known for his intense appetite for food (his favorite is cheesecake). He enjoys teasing and rough-housing the other members, especially the younger ones. Like Himchan, he shows a lot of love for the fans but can be sensitive himself.

Youngjae is the group’s energetic spirit and he is the huskier vocal that melodically holds together B.A.P songs. As the group’s “brain” he’s a wisecracker that enjoys trolling the other members and especially the fans. His laughter is extremely contagious and he’s best known among fans for his silly faces and reactions. Some of his favorites include R&B music and photography. Just like Himchan and Daehyun, he’s another talker and fan of the fans. Despite his often sassy to moody nature, he is quite caring over the other members.

B.A.P’s ball of sunshine, Jongup excels in heightening the group’s stage performances with his effortless dancing ability. And since B.A.P’s return from their hiatus, he’s been able to showcase his impressive vocal skills as well. His many loves include pokemon, hamburgers, chocolate milk, Frozen (particularly Olaf) and Chris Brown. One of the quieter members, his clever sense of humor is his best charm, and he never ceases to remind fans or the group of that. When he’s not smiling he’s in a perpetual state of judgement and even babys aren’t safe from his troll-like jokes.

The youngest of the group, Zelo impressed with his famous LTE rap. He is also an immensely talented dancer, and his fluid style compliments their stronger dance styles very well. Despite his age, he’s also the tallest member, at 187 cm, and he’s quite conscious about it. Including rapping and dancing, he skateboards a lot and is often seen carrying one around. He also has a liking for interesting fashions (socks) and strange animals. Another of the shy members, he’s coy when put on the spotlight outside of the stage, but a very playful and curious person at heart.

Matoki

The mascot of B.A.P are a species of alien masked rabbits, from the planet Mato, called “matoki”. The B.A.P members have corresponding matoki and each has a color that helps designate their respective member. Their personalities loosely reflect B.A.P’s alien personas introduced in “Ta-dah It’s B.A.P!” Matoki are heavily used for promotional purposes (like album covers or graphic logos) and are frequently seen in their merchandise and products.

Original release photos | Group Photo

Shishimato (Yongguk) | Red | Intro Vid

Shishi can be described as the most soldier-like of the matoki (he’s fascinated by war tanks, fighting, destruction, and of the such). He looks after Tototmato often. Sometimes he’s seen looking at 19+ material.

Tatsmato (Himchan) | Pink | Intro VId

Tats is a laid-back, high maintenance, tatted matoki. He’s often seen drinking wine or lazing about. Tatsmato is also the only matoki wearing the default matoki mask (in logo form, the matoki symbol looks like Tatsmato).

Kekemato (Daehyun) | White | Intro Vid

Kekemato is the only matoki that is actually in a suit. Keke’s real skin color is pink, and he wears a mask with a heart on it. When in suit, his mask is white/gray (This brought a lot of confusion to fans when first released, but Keke’s/Daehyun’s representing color is white. Since white isn’t visible over light colors, fans will sometimes use gray, pink, purple or other lighter colors as a substitute in their posts/subtitling). Because of the suit, Kekemato has a secretive type of personalty. He has a fascination with Batman and superheroes.

Jokomato (Youngjae) | Yellow | Intro Vid

Joko is the brains and jokster of the group with a clown-like face. He often tries to come up with ideas and schemes but fails at executing them. In their “Goodbye” short, Joko and Keke work together to leave planet Mato. However, they crash in on the remaining matoki in their own spaceship, causing them to veer off course to Earth.

Dadamato (Jongup) | Green | Intro Vid

Dada is a playful, tough, and active matoki with tire markings over his body. He fantasizes of riding a motorbike and is often seen making the noises as he pretends to.

Totomato (Zelo) | Blue | Intro Vid

Toto is a robot matoki (named after Zelo’s love of cherry tomatoes in Ta-Dah It’s B.A.P!). Because he’s a robot, he’s needs to recharge himself every so often. He often follows Shishimato’s lead in their adventures. Since he’s still a baby, he is very curious about everything around him.

Earthventures Comic (original comic strip series featuring the main matoki)

Discography

Warrior [1st Single Album] | 2012 Jan. 26

Power [2nd Single Album] | 2012 April 26

No Mercy [1st Mini Album] | 2012 July 19

Crash [1st Mini Album Repackage] | 2012 Aug. 29

Stop It [3rd Single Album] | 2012 Oct. 23

One Shot [2nd Mini Album] | 2013 Feb. 12

Badman [3rd Mini Album] | 2013 Aug. 12

Warrior [Japan 1st Single Album] | 2013. Oct. 9 | Limited Edition Tracks: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] | Type A Tracks [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] | Type B Tracks [x[ [x] [x] [x]

One Shot [Japan 2nd Single Album] | 2013 Nov. 13

First Sensibility [1st Album] | 2014 Feb. 3

No Mercy [Japan 3rd Single Album] | 2014 April 2

Unplugged 2014 [4th Single Album] | 2014 June 3

Excuse Me [Japan 4th Single Album ] | 2014 Sept. 3

Matrix [4th Mini Album] | 2015 Nov. 16

Carnival [5th Mini Album ] | 2016 Feb. 22

Best.Absolute.Perfect [Japan 1st Album] | 2016 March 30

Feel So Good [Japan 5th Single Album] | 2016 July 13

Put ‘Em Up [5th Single Album] | 2016 Aug. 8

Noir [2nd Full Album] | 2016 Nov. 7

Fly High [Japan 6th Single Album] | 2016 Dec. 7

Rose [6th Single Album] | 2017 March 7

Wake Me Up [Japan 7th Single Album] | 2017 April 26

Daehyun x Jongup Project Album [Party Baby] | 2017 June 8

Music Videos

Going Crazy (Predebut - Yongguk & Jieun)

Shy Boy (Predebut - Appearance by Yongguk, Himchan & Jongup)

Starlight Moonlight (Predebut - Appearance by YG, HC, JU & YJ)

I Remember (Predebut - Yongguk & Yoseob)

Never Give Up (Predebut - Yongguk & Zelo)

Warrior

Secret Love [TS Ver,] | Ta-Dah Version

Power

Goodbye (Animated Short with Matoki)

No Mercy

Crash

Stop It

For a Year (Appearance by Yongguk)

Everything is Pretty (Youngjae & Sunwha)

Rain Sound

One Shot

Coffee Shop

Hurricane

Badman

Warrior [Japanese]

One Shot [Japanese]

1004 (Angel)

No Mercy [Japanese]

Where Are You? What Are You Doing? | NG Version

Excuse Me [Japanese]

AM 4:44 (Yongguk personal work created during the lawsuit)

Young Wild & Free

Feel So Good

Body Lotion (SLEEPY feat. Yongguk)

Breakaway (Braclet feat. Zelo) Band Version | Drama Version

Kingdom [Japanese]

Feel So Good [Japanese]

That’s My Jam

Now (Jongup MV)

Skydive | Director’s Cut | Dance Highlight

Wake Me Up [Stream to increase views!]

Wake Me Up [Japanese]

Shadow [Daehyun Special Video]

Try My Luck [Jongup Special Video]

Past Live Stages

Warrior Era | Secret Love Era

Power Era

No Mercy Era

Crash Era

Stop It Era

One Shot Era [Himchan was absent due to a hand injury]

Badman Era

1004 (Angel) Era

Young Wild & Free Era

Feel So Good Era

Skydive Era [Yongguk was absent due to hiatus]

Wake Me Up Era [Himchan was partly absent due to a rib fracture]

Performances (starting from recent)

Miscellaneous performances to check out

Other Song Works/Features

Mine - Bang Yongguk for The Star

Sexy Clap - Bang Yongguk & Himchan

Q - Bang Yongguk

T - Bang Yongguk

Sacramental Confession - Bang Yongguk

Hallucination - Bang Yongguk

Curxe - Bang Yongguk

Vintage - Song Jieun feat. Zelo

No Title - Zelo

R(x)play - V-hawk feat. Zelo

Young Wild & Free (Mozaix Remix) - Bang Yongguk

X - Bang Yongguk

Feel So Good (Remix) - Bang Yongguk

Drunkeness - Bang Yongguk

Photo - Jongup feat. Bang Yongguk

How About You - Daehyun

Dark Light - Daehyun

Song recommendations list (songs mentioned by members)

B.A.P Must Watch Shows

Ta-dah It’s B.A.P! (Their first show in 2012 and the introduction of their “alien concept”) Ep. 1, 3 - 9 Eng Sub | Ep. 2 Eng Sub

B.A.P Diary Ep. 1 Eng Sub | Ep. 2 Eng Sub

Killing Camp Ep. 1 Eng Sub | Ep. 2 Eng Sub | Ep. 3 Eng Sub (Starts at 7:11)

Go! B.A.P Full Eng Sub

B.A.P Attack! Ep. 1 - 12 Eng Sub

B.A.P’s One Fine Day Ep. 1 (P1 P2 P3) | Ep. 2 (P1 P2 P3) | Ep. 3 | Ep. 4 | Ep. 5 | Ep. 6 | Ep. 7 | Ep. 8

Other Shows to Watch

Weekly Idol 120822 No Sub (beginning is cut out | 130904 Eng Sub | 140305 Eng Sub

After School Club 130817 Ep. | 140219 Ep. | 151124 Ep.

Gurupop Full Eng Sub

B.A.P HeyoTV Private Life

Hello Counselor160321 Eng Sub [Himchan and Daehyun] | 161114 Eng Sub [Himchan and Youngjae]

Some misc vids to check out (these are out of order)

B.A.P The Star Interview and iconic aegyo Eng

B.A.P Workplace Song

B.A.P Day Cut Eng

B.A.P Egg Song

B.A.P Egg Song 2

B.A.P and Miss A visit Nursery

Youngjae & Sunhwa at MTV Waiting Room Eng

DFLA X B.A.P Interview

B.A.P & A Pink for Skoolooks Eng 1 2 3 MV

Miss & Mr. Idol B.A.P Cut

B.A.P Safety Song

B.A.P Elevator Safety

Himchan wrestling

131003 B.A.P Interview Eng

Daehyun plays reporter in this Show Champ Interview

Yinyuetai V-charts Awards Interview Eng

B.A.P struggle with aiming in this game

LOE Special Memory In Japan Eng

B.A.P interviews B.A.P

B.A.P make Valentine’s chocolates

140530 B.A.P Interview

DFLA Live on Earth Interview

Ice Bucket Challenge Himchan Eng

Ice Bucket Challenge Youngjae & Zelo Eng

B.A.P’s first video as 6 after lawsuit is dropped

B.A.P Vring U trailer and debut of giant matoki heads Eng

The Qmentary Eng

Chemitest with B.A.P Eng

5 Second Interview at The Show Eng

B.A.P plays pepero game

B.A.P play dance practice

B.A.P Young Wild & Free dance practice

B.A.P are warm and pretty in this Star1 photoshoot

B.A.P Be Happy dance practice Christmas special

B.A.P reacts to Kiss Scenes Eng

B.A.P Fan Heart Attack Idol Eng

B.A.P Heyo TV

Youngjae and GOT7′s JB in Celebrity Bromance [look in playlist]

Mato TV On-Air Zelo CF Parody

Mato TV On-Air Daehyun and Jongup Drama Parody Eng

Mato TV On-Air Yongguk Lotion Parody

161223 Idol Battle Likes Eng Daehyun MC

B.A.P vs Teen Top in Overwatch 1 2 3

B.A.P are helpless in this VR roller coaster game Eng

B.A.P do the limbo Eng

B.A.P Bingo Talk Eng

More English Subbed Content

Behind the scenes vids

B.A.P photobook and past calendars info

Other stuff to find

B.A.P support for comeback!

Voting Tutorials!

Follow those links for everything you need to help B.A.P in music shows and more! I will do my best to update this section with more tutorials as B.A.P’s promotions continue.

Tumblr Blogs

itsbap (main source for updates) | B.A.P’s schedule

bapdirectory (collection of B.A.P blogs/some may be inactive)

bapsubbers (for B.A.P’s translated video content)

baptrans (for B.A.P’s SNS translated content)

bapnet (Network for B.A.P fans)

bestabsolutestyle (B.A.P Fashion info)

#No need to reblog this version #I just need to save the links so that I don't have to redo the first one :(#Also there are a lot of broken links but I will get back to adjusting everything when I have the time to do so #For now I'll just have this as a backup #Again I'd prefer if you don't reblog this version #Thank you everyone!

170 notes · View notes

stevenuniversallyreviews · 8 years ago

Text

Episode 50*: Full Disclosure

“I want to be a part of your universe.”

Steven Universe is a hero, but is he a superhero? Sure, his powers are magical, and his enemies tend to be more monstrous than villainous, but the same could be said of fellow Steve-with-unusual-surname Stephen Strange. Steven certainly evokes your typical sidekick, and the Crystal Gems have a cool team name that sounds more like the Justice League than the Jedi Order or the Fellowship of the Ring. Most importantly, Steven lives in contemporary times despite his sci-fi/fantasy adventures, and lives a dual life between the weird and the mundane.

He doesn’t fill quite enough tropes for me to firmly put him in that category, but I bring it up because Full Disclosure uses a plot straight out of superhero lore: keeping a secret to keep a loved one safe. This secret tends to be the character’s identity as a hero, which has frankly been done to death; great shows like The Flash (well, its first season is great at least) grind to a halt as our lead continually lies for no actual reason (why would your friend let villains know that they’re prime kidnapping material?), and the plot point has been brilliantly deconstructed by the likes of Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Mark Waid’s Irredeemable. Steven Universe similarly subverts this story, thankfully in the span of a single episode, to show us just how childish this self-distancing really is.

Not that Steven’s reticence isn’t understandable: Greg, who we’ve seen worry about his son plenty of times before, has a massive freakout after hearing what Steven went through in The Return and Jailbreak, and any kid could make the logical leap that their friend might have a similar reaction. Greg’s message of support through his hyperventilation is everything to this scene; Tom Scharpling really can dad with the best of ‘em.

From here, we have a rare stretch of Steven alone and introspective. This isn’t Samurai Jack we’re talking about, so Zach Callison is either talking to a hypothetical Connie or singing about his feelings. Regardless, we have poignant moments of silence as his rambling falters to the physical aftermath of Homeworld’s attack.

Ronaldo makes his way into the plot, and does exactly what Ronaldo should do: act pompous and give lousy advice. Scenes like his are why I can never be too hard on the guy, because he has a role to play that no other character can, and he plays it well. His speech is a nice dose of comedy in what could be a bleak sequence, but nonetheless captures Steven’s internal struggle. Most importantly, he doesn’t overstay his welcome!

It’s unfortunate that the song that follows has to come on the heels of Stronger Than You, because it’s one of the show’s finest but it sorta gets lost in the fray:

youtube

Integrating the ringtone we’ve been hearing since the end of Jailbreak into an actual song is unspeakably clever. While the workmanlike lyrics aren’t too special compared to other Steven Universe numbers, it’s a welcome return to Steven singing; we may have gotten a taste in On the Run and The Message, but he hasn’t gotten a full-length solo song since all the way back in Island Adventure. Steven may just be singing what he’s obviously thinking, but between Zach Callison, the visuals, and the instrumentation, I’m good.

The sequence has two flashback montages of sorts: Steven looking through past pictures of hanging out with Connie to reestablish their history, and actual events we’ve seen in the past two episodes. Even if these episodes are fresh in our minds, Steven’s specific memories highlight just how much he’s witnessed: Garnet’s destruction, Lapis’s imprisonment, the menace of Peridot and Jasper, the crash, and the formation of Malachite. Note that the headbutt that gave him his black eye is omitted, because Steven is most upset about bad things happening to other people, which fits right into his concern about Connie and his dad.

After some fun with the Gems, we immediately see how childish Steven’s behavior is, first using exaggerated vocabulary and then sloppily avoiding Connie rather than confront his feelings. Episodes like this are the reason Connie is so surprised to learn that Steven is older than her in Steven’s Birthday, because her maturity saves their friendship; Grace Rolek even incorporates a little Doctor Maheswaran as she admonishes Steven for making her worry. But not before this perfect little moment:

Full Disclosure’s insistence on letting destruction speak for itself is wonderful, considering we just got a song that spells out Steven’s exact thoughts. After seeing Steven shocked into silence a few times earlier in the episode, Connie’s wordless run through the hall of the ship as she chases Steven hammers in just how big of a deal Jailbreak was. Moreover, the visual storytelling reinforces her character: this alien stuff is confusing and a little scary, but she’s more focused on her friend than sating her curiosity.

The staging of their confrontation builds enough suspense that it made me a little worried in my first watch, which is pretty impressive considering Steven and Connie obviously aren’t going to stop being friends. I love that we don’t see Steven explain what happened, not only because we saw it and got his summary already when he told Greg about it, but because it allows for one of Full Disclosure’s departure from the show’s signature style. Beyond the reverse star wipe opening, we get not one but two fade-out transitions—one after Steven’s song, and the other during this implied conversation—and both enhance the pensive tone of this aftermath episode.

All this worry makes the conclusion that much more satisfying. On the micro level we see that Greg has calmed down, and on the macro we see the whole town coming back together. It’s not Ocean Gem’s three-cheers-for-Steven ending, but what he needs after such a life-changing finale is a little relief.

And yet.

Act I of Steven Universe is over, with Steven having a major victory that marks a turning point in his growth. Considering the shape of things to come, it’s fascinating that his first adventure post-Jailbreak involves him keeping the truth from loved ones in the exact way his mother did. And it’s fascinating that he’s so concerned about others that he's willing to put his own happiness on the line for their sake, because that’s the self-destructive martyr complex that drives his actions after the story of Rose shattering Pink is revealed. And it’s fascinating that Connie debunks both of these notions well before they become major themes in the show’s third and final act (not counting the movie and epilogue series). We’re playing the long game, and the seeds of the angst that consumes Steven after Back to the Moon are planted right here, but Connie has already revealed the solution to Steven’s eventual problems: trust is the antidote to Rose’s legacy of secrecy, and love is the antidote to Steven’s sacrificial mindset.

Future Vision

Steven gets a taste of his own medicine in the aftermath of Wanted, where Connie ignores his calls and texts. Both incidents are sparked by Steven going to space without her, but her differing reactions speak volumes about her character development: here she’s worried because she’s out of the loop, but by the time he goes to Homeworld she’s furious and hurt that he let her go through it again. Ignoring how far their partnership has come to take on danger by himself betrays how hard Connie’s worked to be a part of his universe, and I’m thrilled that the show addresses this.

See below.

I guess you could read it that way…

If you watch Full Disclosure first, the knowledge of the Temple’s fence is foreshadowing. If you watch Story for Steven first, it’s a callback. I gotta go with the foreshadowing on this one.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

As the unofficial third act of a two-parter, Full Disclosure suffers a bit compared to individual episodes. But tone is still king for me, and I welcome any portrayal of the immediate aftermath of major episodes. Characters in serials tend to be unrealistically resilient when it comes to episode after episode of drama and trauma, and a big part of Steven Universe’s second season is establishing just how much these past events we’ve seen (versus the first season’s focus on past events in a character’s history) affect our leads.

While Full Disclosure itself doesn’t make the cut, now that we’re fifty episodes in I’m expanding the Top Ten to a Top Fifteen. Congratulations to On the Run, Warp Tour, Maximum Capacity, The Test, and Ocean Gem for getting out of the runners-up slot!

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

On the Run

Warp Tour

Maximum Capacity

The Test

Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Future Vision

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

No Thanks!

4. Horror Club 3. Fusion Cuisine 2. House Guest 1. Island Adventure

#full disclosure #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

25 notes · View notes

thecineastes-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Grand Prix RPDR RuView: Reality Stars!: The Rusical (S06E05)

Break out your selfie stick and get ready to break the internet! For Grand Prix RPDR RuView, we’ll be giving you the overview of each episode, top moments of each episode, the shadiest moment of each episode, our favorite queen of the each episode, our least favorite queen of each episode, best looks on the runway, and our predictions for next week.

The queens re-enter the workroom to see Charlie Hides’s lipstick goodbye...which is quickly erased by Trinity. I miss when the queens would actually read aloud the departing words of their newly eliminated sister. But that seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur. Trinity does not seem to be the least bit sentimental and wants to focus on what’s ahead. The queens seem so bummed that Charlie did not put up a fight. Trinity is also quick to clarify that she had wished she had been put into the bottom two for her performance and not for her questionable leadership. (personally, I thought she was in the bottom two for both those reasons but I digress…)

While everyone does seem genuinely happy about Sasha and Shea’s win, Alexis wants to become the cream to everyone else’s milk this season and rise to the top; Nina seems like she’d pull a Nomi Malone on any of her fellow contestants if given the opportunity.

The next day RuPaul drops in on the queens, sans her usual cryptic video mail. However, it does seem like our prayers (as well as those letter writing campaigns and hunger strikes) have paid off, we actually get a mini-challenge! Judt in time to be considered an Easter miracle! And on top of the that the Pit Crew is here! This season they are sponsorless, but have two new members, Yadir and Jared!

The queens had to shoot fun selfie photos with the Pit Crew in their summer ensembles. The photos were really fun to watch and made me realize how much I missed the mini challenges. Alexis is chosen as the winner, and will spearhead the maxi challenge in Kardashian: the Musical! Since Alexis won she got to choose not only her role, but everyone else’s.

The show seems to have gotten so disjunctive this season (and actually since All Stars 2). Drag Race used to follow a very linear pattern, there was the She Mail/RuMail, the mini challege, the preperation/rehearsal on the main challenge, performing the main challenge, the runway, and finally the lip sync. There just needs to be more a more cohesion for the rest of the series, because it’s getting ridiculous.

Alexis chooses the role self-proclaimed momager™ Kris Jenner; the other casting goes as follows, Eureka as North West, Cynthia as Kim, Farrah as Kylie, Valentina as Kendall, Aja as Kourtney, Sasha as Lindsay Lohan, Trinity as Paris Hilton, Peppermint as Britney Spears, Shea as Blac Chyna, and Nina as Khloe. Nina, originally wanting the role of Blac Chyna is already complaining about not receiving and the rehearsals have yet to start!

Eureka, has had her ups and downs these past episodes. ESPECIALLY since she has to use crutches. She is being a real Pollyanna about the situation, which is refreshing. As the queens are listening to their music and trying to get their lyrics down, Nina keeps going on and on about how unfair it felt not getting the role she wanted. Nina is as salty as the Pacific ocean. If this were Dreamgirls, she’d be playing Effie White.

Peppermint said what everyone else was thinking, there are THREE Black actors to the ONE Black role, so two people are gonna end up being shafted! I’m actually surprised they did not have Brandy as a character in the musical, since Kim working for her led to her meeting, dating and making the sex tape with Ray J.

The choreography session, led by Todrick Hall was well...clunky. Apparently, it was an intensive two-day ordeal...and some people took it to more than others. Eureka is making glam happen, she is applying rhinestones on ballet slippers to make it that more glam!

Aja has experienced a true Hannukah miracle with thinking she got a slimmer nose. Eureka also ate some humble pie and asks for Sasha and Valentina’s forgiveness. They both open up about their eating disorders, and even Shea talks about her bulimia battle. RuPaul’s Best Group Therapy Race indeed!

For the musical, I thought they all gave a strong performance but I’m sad they did not perform Kim Kardashian Meets the Easter Bunny: an American Play (and yes that is a real play, available on Amazon).

Ru comes down the runway in a shimmery silver number (is this becoming her signature color?); I’m happy to see hair and makeup and back to normal. So Meghan Trainor is wearing a unicorn onesie. Did she not have a stylist or at least ONE gay friend to talk to her about this? It just looks like she got up out of bed and ran to the studio to film the episode.

For the musical, I thought they all gave a strong performance but I’m sad they did not perform Khloe Kardashian Meets the Easter Bunny: an American Play (and yes that is a real play, available on Amazon).

Runway Over-Ru:

Category is Faux Fur Fabulous! First up is Peppermint, wearing a whole lot of pink (are her signature colors Blush and Bashful?). The skirt was very reminiscent of her ‘Naughty Nightie’ look, although the skirt fit her much better. Her faux fur piece reminded me of cotton balls. All in all, I was not a fan.

Did Kimora leave behind her Princess Banana Lady costume? Because that's what Trinity was serving on the runway (minus the first world sob story about not wearing padding.) the added nose ring and accessories were kind of a cross between Coco Montrese’s ‘Ru-animal’ look and Season one and ‘All-Stars’ alum Shannel. Sasha Velour was serving Russian dressing realness in a Kozachok inspired look.

The faux fur pants and hat were spot on. Well, after a chilly night of clubbing…” was Alexis’ Look for this runway, although the “reveal” was disappointing. Had she gone with a crystal encrusted mini dress or hell even a nude illusion like a Central Park flasher would’ve been more satisfying than that dress from Forever 21.

Cynthia’s Faux fur look was a lot. It was a two in one, it was mesh, it was faux fur, it had long sleeves, she had on gloves, she had on thigh high boots. Too much. Next up is Nina Bo’nina Brown Mountbatten-Windsor in a great look reminiscent of Mary J. Blige. This look (almost) compensated for Nina’s attitude this episode.

Aja’s look could best be described as holographic Hoth stripper.Not my favorite. I did like the lavender hair and earmuffs, but wasn’t living for the rest of the ensemble. Looking like a telenovela villain in a snakeskin patterned gown, faux fur stole and wild kingdom jewels was Valentina. I liked the look, but wish it was more faux fur.

Two words: muppet jacket. That’s what I’d use to describe Farrah’s Faux fur piece. That in combination with the holo printed booty shorts, highlighter green color (Hello, Michelle Visage!), weird windchime foil necklace and Red s-wave wig-it was a confusing look. I prefer Farrah’s retro showgirl vibe from last episode, it definitely suits her better.

Shea’s neon vinyl faux fur monster look was IT. It reminded me of Naomi Small’s neon runway look-which I also love. Were the Misfits’s missing a member? Speaking of 1980s kids Glam Rock, Eureka looked like she was straight out of ‘Jem’ and I wasn’t mad about it. From the neon, faux fur, hair, leotard and face paint- it quite literally looked like something Pizzaz would wear (minus the crutches).

Farrah and Cynthia are placed at the bottom two, and effectively were polar opposites with their performances; Cynthia performance was high energy but it was clear she did not know the words. Farrah’s performance was lackluster and somewhat boring. But I was clutching my set of Easter Sunday pearls when Eureka was sent home!

In hindsight, it made perfect sense, but RuPaul (and her lawyers) would be remiss (and held responsible) if they did not give Eureka time to heal. Untucked was just really weird when Alexis got on her pedestal about feeling that she did not feel the other contestants tried to help her with her runway look? Ugh.

Jonny’s Favorite Moments:

Mamma Mia!: Alexis Michelle as Kris Jenner nothing short of epic! She was present on stage, even when she wasn’t the main feature, was amazing.

Peppermint Twist: There is nothing better than Peppermint’s commentary on what is going on. My favorite parts of any episode.

Jonny’s Favorite Shadiest Moments:

Tony! Toni! Toné!: Will we be seeing Kardashian: the Musical make it to the great white way….don’t hold your breathe.

The Last Unicorn: Unofficial Commandment for RPDR Judges that I think Meghan Trainor did not realize, DRESS TO IMPRESS!

It’s the Great Menorah, Charlie Brown: I was glad we were able to witness a Hanukkah miracle! Aja’s nose becoming smaller! L'Chaim!

Jonny’s Favorite Queen:

Eureka, she will definitely will be missed this season. There were times she was downright grating, and others where she was very sympathetic and endearing. This episode, where we saw her hobbling around on crutches and wheelchairs with an ACL tear and not being the least bit salty or bitter? Take notes everybody, this is the attitude to have!

Jonny’s Least Favorite Queen:

Nina’s sourpuss demeanor this ENTIRE episode was really disconcerting. Come on, she was cast as Khloé Kardashian and was acting like she had to play Brody Jenner! And since Khloé is such a fan of the show (and a former judge to boot) I just wish Nina would have put more effort to outshine her cast members. I can see why people have called her a Debbie Downer

Predictions:

It’s FINALLY Snatch Game; this maxi challenge separates the boys from the men (or something like that). Let the odds be ever in your favor darlings.

Anais’ Favorite Moments:

Crystal Crazy: Valentina’s love of crystals and how stoning “feeds her soul” in ‘Untucked’ was adorable.

Unbreakable: Although she wrecked her knee in the Cheerleading challenge, Eureka didn’t let it bring her or her attitude down. (Side note: FYI Ru-no cheerleading challenges ever again.)

Anais’ Favorite Shadiest Moments:

Basic Instinct: How exactly was it the other Queens’ faults that Alexis wore a basic dress on the runway? It’s a competition! They’re going to be cordial but they’re not going to dress you.

Unicorn Tears: Was Meghan Trainor’s stylist on vacation? Really, a unicorn onesie?

Anais’ Favorite Queen:

Eureka and Valentina. Eureka’s positive attitude about her injury and not letting it hinder her in the competition was great-and to be honest I wish she had spent more time being like that, than coming off as desperate for camera time. (Bring positive Eureka for Season 10!) Valentina giving Farrah a bit of tough love was just what the Doctor ordered.

Anais’ Least Favorite Queen:

Farrah Moan and Nina Bo’nina Brown Day-Lewis. Farrah’s whining and cry baby demeanor is getting a bit irritating. She needs to toughen up when receiving constructive criticism-the 5 G’s girl. (Good God Girl Get a Grip). Nina’s attitude was ultra-salty and she spent a majority of her time complaining about not being Blac China, as opposed to taking the role she was given and making the most of it. I understand Nina’s faced a lot of opposition in the ATL drag scene, but she really should be showing her haters that she’s H-E-R-E bitch and showing them that they can’t bring her down. It shouldn’t be a surprise to her that other contestants are questioning her desire to be in the competition.

Predictions:

Snatch Game! FINALLY. It’s really the time where we’ve hit mid season and it becomes survival of the fittest. Being safe isn’t enough anymore.

2 notes · View notes

tokupedia · 8 years ago

Text

Kamen Rider 45th Anniversary File: Kabuto

2006

Magical Source! Mystic Force! Power Rangers Mystic Force premieres on ABC and Jetix in the west.

After two seasons of the same lead cast, the Pretty Cure franchise introduces fans to a pair of brand new Cures, Cure Bloom and Cure Egret, in Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star. The series airs alongside the new Sentai and Rider series. Super super spark, Splash Star!

After the mild success of creating Garo, Keita Amemiya takes a break from the directors chair to be a character designer on a TV series called Madan Senki Ryukendo. The show was sponsored by Capcom and created by Takara Tomy and We’ve Inc. Ryukendo revolves around a trio of magical heroes who use special keys and talking weapons to defeat an army of demons terrorizing a small city. It also serves as a sort-of-prequel to the Tomica Hero Series as that series is set in the same universe.

Meanwhile, some of the staff of Garo worked on a short adult revival of the 1970s P-Productions TV show Lion Maru, Lion Maru G.

Endless Bouken Spirits! Super Sentai celebrated its 30th anniversary/season with GoGo Sentai Boukenger, a treasure hunting themed Sentai that features special segments at the end of the show highlighting the important milestones and tropes of the franchise as well as teams from each season.

Ultraman celebrates its 40th anniversary year with Ultraman Mebius, a show that pays homage to the entirety of the franchise with some classic monsters reappearing to fight the rookie Ultra and guest appearances by previous Ultramen.

Gamera returns for one last film: Gamera the Brave (Coke products not included.)

2006 was the 35th anniversary of Kamen Rider.

Since this momentous occasion was so special, the staff of Toei decided to go back to basics with the next series (especially given the staff/writing debacle with Hibiki the previous year). No extreme excess amounts of gimmicks, no strange mashups of motifs, just good old fashioned fightin’ bugmen.

Early Kabuto concept art

A later concept sketch showcasing the overall final look of the main hero. Note that one of these designs would be used for a future Rider in the show. Copyright to PLEX and Ishimori Pro.

One interesting thing about Kabuto is the allusion to the franchise’s roots. The Masked Rider Project began on April 3, 1971 after the Natives landed on Earth. This leads to fan theory that the Kamen Riders, at least the tech-based ones, have their belts, cybernetics (in the case of Showa Riders) and equipment made from reverse engineered alien technology. A bit of expanded universe lore leaned a bit factual weight to that theory outside normal canon, as Kamen Rider Stronger’s Final Form Ride by Decade was a Zecter.

But this was just a date, a fanservice nod in terms of the show.

The insect motif designs for most of the Riders in the series were essentially modernized variants of the Showa Riders: A Japanese Rhino Beetle (Stronger/Kabuto), A member of the Vespa family of insects (Super-1/TheBee), a Dragonfly (V3/Drake) and two Grasshopper themed Riders (1 and 2/Kickhopper and Punchhopper). It also payed homage to the more recent motif of a Stag Beetle (Kuuga/Gatack) for the main supporting Rider.

There were also new additions, including a Scorpion Rider and a trio of new Beetle motif Riders as the annual movie exclusive Riders. (Hercules, Caucasus and Centaurus).

The reboot Takeshi Hongo makes a cameo in one episode (made even stranger since there was no other reboot film in theaters at the time, as The Next was still being filmed.) Given the real Kamen Rider 1 exists as does Kabuto in later continuity, this is best hand waved as just a promotion plug for Kamen Rider: The First’s DVD.

There were also 35th anniversary files building up to the summer movie God Speed Love, which essentially functioned similar to the ones Boukenger showed for Super Sentai’s 30th. (These 45th anniversary files are the unofficial, fanmade sort of successor to this bit.)

During a few of the Super Hero Time closing segments, Souji would interact with Satoru aka BoukenRed. This was no surprise since the two sibling shows were celebrating an anniversary year together, but it was historic as nobody had seen the actors of a main Rider and a Red Ranger interact with one another before in conversations.

Most Super Hero Time segments kept the heroes separate and interacted only with their show’s cast onscreen aside from transformations and dialogue, so this was unheard of at the time. This event would sow the seeds of future crossovers in the Heisei era such as Den-O and Kiva, the Decade crossover with Shinkenger and eventually lead up to the Taisen films and spring crossover specials.

A media trend happening during the mid aughts was The Matrix film franchise, whose “bullet time” visual effect was often duplicated and/or parodied. Kamen Rider was no exception, as the staff and SFX team at Toei decided to experiment with variants of the visual mechanic by giving the heroes of the show a unique form of super speed to counter equally fast enemies.

Another achievement this installment made was Kamen Rider Kabuto has the distinction of being the first main Kamen Rider to go into space!

(Space, the final path of heaven... these are the Hyper Clock Ups of the superhero Kabuto. His continuing mission, to destroy strange new monsters, to seek out new recipes and quote his Grandmother. To boldly kick where no (Rider)man has kicked before! *TNG theme plays*)

Let’s not waste any time, we must talk of the path of Heaven who rules over all!

Mr. Tendou circa 2007 in Paris, France, traveling as the greatest chef humanity has ever been graced with.

Real Name: Souji Tendou (formerly Souji Kusakabe)

In 1971, Earth was visited by aliens called the Natives, who offered to protect humans in secret from the more hostile members of their race: The Worm. They did so by developing and creating the Masked Rider System and ZECT, a tech company/defense force designed to hunt down the Worms. They assume human forms in an attempt to blend in and live peaceful lives among the humans.

In 1998, a shower of meteorites hit the Japanese district of Shibuya, killing countless people and causing massive property damage. Among those killed were the Kusakabes, save for the youngest son, Souji and his cousin Jyuka. While this disaster was tragic, something even worse came with the meteorites: The Worm.

Young Souji received a belt from someone to one day help humanity. Jump ahead to 2006 and he gets his chance after seeing a Worm attacking and a Zecter appears, which comes to him and he transforms into Kabuto to destroy it. Having lived with his grandmother after the death of his parents, Souji upon first impression comes off as egotistical and eccentric. But he is a caring soul and has a Buddhist monk-like sense of peace. He also really loves his grandmother and both he and Jyuka quote her philosophies often.

Kabuto does not align himself with ZECT and does hero work on his own whims, as he rightfully does not trust them. He investigates the mystery of ZECT and the Worms and sometimes makes hard decisions that make the hero come off as cruel or questionable in motive.

After defeating the rouge members of ZECT and the Worms, Souji becomes a famous world-traveling chef. But should the need arise, he will call upon his Zecter once more to fight evil wherever it may be.

Powers:

As his insert song lyrically describes him, Kabuto is the Lord of Speed. Able to travel faster than the speed of light itself in Hyper Form, Kabuto is one of the fastest Kamen Riders around.

His Clock Up power gives him the ability to move at super speed to the point where everything around him is at a standstill or slowed down considerably. In addition, Kabuto’s armor grants him enhanced defense and the tachyon energy it or combined Zecters absorb can be channeled to execute a finisher or weapon attack. The belt and its systems, being alien tech. have a self repair function that allows Kabuto to restore the Armor or Belt even after heavy damage, the extent of time to repair depends on the damage. (Ex. The ability to use Clock Up again in mere seconds after his Clock Up system was electrocuted by Stronger. )

Kabuto’s Hyper Form can also allow the Rider to break the time barrier and alter history however he sees fit to save someone or immobilize his target for a quick finisher. The exact limit of the length he can go back in time is unknown, but it has been shown he can go back at least 7 years into the past. This also results in some timey-wimey scenarios where Kabutos from alternate timelines can appear and disappear. It also means that the Hyper Zecter cannot be destroyed on a permanent basis, as another can be called upon from a different point in time or an alternate timeline. In Hyper form, Kabuto can fly or jump higher using a tachyon energy powered jetpack which can also be used for space travel. Kabuto also has immense super strength in Hyper form, able to do Superman-like feats with the help of his jetpack such as push a giant meteorite.

Souji is a very skilled combatant, as part of his fighting style utilizes evading his opponent to read their movement before finding tells and countering with rapid punches or slashes. He also utilizes his super speed and surroundings to his advantage. Souji is also very skilled at many things with examples including cooking, martial arts, and remaining cool under pressure even in the most tense of situations.

Weaknesses:

Kabuto is a difficult opponent to defeat, as he can simply time jump to take his foes out before they can even plan an attack or just mow them down with Clock Up/Hyper Clock Up. But there are ways to defeat him, some superheroes such as Kamen Rider Faiz Axel form or Red Buster from Go-Busters can match regular Kabuto’s speed. So it stands to reason a foe with powerful super speed and attack power could defeat him.

Another way is to create a “Clock Down” wave, creating a subspace field of energy that disrupts Kabuto’s tachyon absorption and thus forces him out of Clock Up. Without his signature ability, a more skilled combatant could overpower him.

Decade is shown to be more than a match for Kabuto by copying his Clock Up and utilizing other Rider powers in tandem with that ability to crush him. If another ZECT Rider gains a Hyper Zecter, such as Kamen Rider Caucasus in God Speed Love, Kabuto would have trouble defeating them unless he used his own or formed a strategy to take them down.

Gear:

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Kabuto_Zecter

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Rider_Belt

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Kabuto_Kunai_Gun

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Kabuto_Extender

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/ZECT_Mizer

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Hyper_Zecter

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Perfect_Zecter

Signature Finishers

youtube

Rider Kick: By pressing the three buttons on his Zecter and flipping the horn lever back and forth, Kabuto charges tachyon energy into his feet to execute a powerful kick. Kabuto’s kick comes in three variations: A normal 180 degree roundhouse kick, a counter kick (360 degree roundhouse kick, which is used to surprise opponents who attempt to attack him from behind), and a flying side kick. The Hyper Version is way more powerful and utilizes the tachyon jetpack to rocket jump higher to land the kick with even greater force.

Avalanche attacks (Kunai Gun): The Kunai Gun multipurpose weapon can execute a Rider Shooting attack, a Rider Thrust stab or a Rider Slash.

Maximum Hyper Cyclone: Kabuto’s most powerful attack. By summoning the Drake, TheBee, Sasword and Perfect Zecter in Gun Mode and combining them, Kabuto channels the maximum output of tachyons into a powerful energy burst that annihilates anything in its path. The recoil from this powerful gun blast is so rough that Kabuto either needs to use his jetpack to keep himself steady or use Hyper Clock Up to stop time to slow his inertia from the recoil or do both.

Maximum Hyper Typhoon: A powerful Rider Slash that channels the maximum output of tachyons into either an enhanced sword cut to kill one foe or a powerful swordbeam that destroys multiple targets.

Enemies:

ZECT

A tech/defense organization founded by the Natives and humanity, ZECT itself is kind of dubious at times. This is not helped by the fact that Worms who are not Natives and harbor schemes of their own are lurking in ZECT. ZECT often has problems among its ranks, so it is hard to trust some of the personnel as some of them could backstab, be a Worm or go under orders to kill or detain a Rider. Things get worse in an alternate timeline where infighting causes ZECT to split into two warring factions with the main version of ZECT’s leader plotting to end Humanity by bringing more of....

The Worm

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Worm

Worms are a mimetic humanoid insect alien species from an unknown region of space who arrived on Earth on a Meteorite that crashed in Shibuya back in 1998. They commonly possesses the ability to move at unbelievable speed after shedding their pupa stage, fire energy blasts and can mimic a human right down to their memories ala Invasion of the Body Snatchers, usually killing the original or mimicking a recently dead person. Worms have a variety of insectoid or arthropod forms they can take on and powers, ranging from the ability to stop time completely to attack unseen to shooting webs covered in acid.

There are good Worms called the Natives who wish to help humans and some who are even close to the main characters and get a happy ending. But I’ll leave that as a surprise....

Kabuto was a good series as it remembered the franchise’s roots and tried to honor them one last time before heading out into a new era of change and progress in motifs and innovations for the Kamen Rider series. And that path is the one we still walk now...

#kamen rider #45th anniversary #kamen rider kabuto #souji tendou #clock up #rider kick #superhero #henshin #zecter #change beetle #cast off

43 notes · View notes

hollywoodjuliorivas · 6 years ago

Text

Opinions

We’ve been singing a feminist anthem for decades and didn’t even know it

George F. Will: Say goodbye to football. Baseball is the true American pastime.

Baseball is older than the Republic, but that's not the only reason columnist George F. Will says it has an edge over football. (Kate Woodsome, Patrick Martin, James Pace-Cornsilk/The Washington Post)

By Henry Olsen

Columnist

March 27 at 3:26 PM

Nearly a million Americans will belt out our nation’s unofficial second anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” during Thursday’s Opening Day games. Few will know that the famous tune is actually a feminist anthem.

The lyric that nearly every American knows by heart is actually the song’s chorus. The song begins with a verse that introduces its subject, Katie Casey, a “baseball mad” single woman.

Katie loves “the hometown crew.” Just to see them, “every sou, Katie blew," all her money, in other words. The songwriter, Jack Norworth, is already a bit subversive here. Virtually every person who attended games in 1908, when the song was penned, was male. And why not, since the games were all played in the daytime and women were most likely slaving away at home with children or toiling at work in low-wage jobs? But it gets better.

Keep Reading

The next lines establish Katie as a woman with her own mind and will. “Her young beau” calls to “see if she’d like to go to see a show.” But “Miss Kate said no”! Instead, she says, “I’ll tell you what you can do: / Take me out to the ballgame.”

Yes, the chorus that baseball fans belt out every game during the seventh-inning stretch is what a single woman tells her prospective boyfriend what he can do to get her attention.

Simone de Beauvoir or Gloria Steinem couldn’t have said it better themselves. Katie is the Cosmo Girl writ large, a woman who doesn’t need a man or wait for someone else to guide her life. She does what she wants, when she wants to, on her own terms.

The following verse, even more forgotten than the first, continues in this vein. Katie’s at the game, but the beau is dropped entirely. Instead, she’s yelling at the umpire and leading the crowd in cheers. When the hometown team is tied, she leads the crowd in song, teaching them the famous chorus to lift the spirits of her squad. A strong woman who’s also a leader of men!

Major League Baseball has been sitting on a gold mine for decades, clueless of the cultural treasure that it alone possesses among the major sports. Football and basketball have a long history of objectifying woman as cheerleading sex symbols, as any glance at the sidelines of a modern game will tell you. Baseball, however, has never adopted the sexist approach even as its popularity wanes and television ratings drop.

MLB should use the true background of its most popular element to revive interest in the game. Starting next season, Commissioner Rob Manfred should designate the first Saturday after Opening Day as “Katie Casey Day.” Fans should be taught the song’s first verse, of course, but the day can do so much more. It should highlight the women’s professional league immortalized in the 1992 film “A League of the Their Own.” More importantly, it should honor the ongoing vibrant female softball teams that flourish on college campuses and produce fantastic athletes — and millions of fans.

The NCAA women’s softball World Series attracts nearly 1.5 million viewers per game each summer, often higher than the nationally broadcast regular season baseball games it competes with. Softball great Jessica Mendoza has already broken the gender barrier as a baseball sportscaster by spending three seasons as a color analyst for ESPN’s "Sunday Night Baseball" and recently joining the New York Mets in an advisory capacity. Imagine how much more talent and fans MLB could recruit if it embraced its heritage as a vehicle for female empowerment.

The United States is a much different nation than it was when “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” first appeared. It is a country with a lot more Katie Caseys, and that’s something to celebrate. An annual Katie Casey Day celebration can help MLB grow and help our country advance. How about it, Commissioner Manfred?

0 notes