#we should care about shaping such a hugely influential piece of the future into something beautiful and ethical

[sapphorror]

Anyway I don't engage with AI discourse often because, despite the very real problems and ethical concerns, I find a lot of the pushback to be reactionary, fear-mongering and elitist, among other unflattering adjectives—but while I don't particularly vibe with the whole 'evil technological scourge' narrative, it is genuinely disturbing to me how insulated and almost cultish the core AI crowd has become. It's depressing to see to see such an important and sincerely innovative wave of technological advancement wholesale co-opted by the greediest, most creatively bankrupt group of people imaginable

[itsclydebitches]

(WLW anon) I really don’t like the “bad rep is better then none at all”. I hate that. We should want good rep, because bad rep has been used time and time again by homophobes as to say we shouldn’t get representation. To me it’s not “gay can have the same flaws as het”, it’s “fix the flaws in the het”. Also I know Renora being independent was a good, I was just saying in comparison BB. Also, yes, they were separated, but also didn’t stop thinking about each other. Especially bad with Yang.

Indulge me for a moment because I want to take a trip down memory lane and list some—just some—of the queer rep that has been important to me over the years:

Ellen comes out both as herself and as her character… years later, she’s a hated millionaire who is criticized for how she treats her staff

The wildly influential Buffy gives us two women entering a loving relationship… except then Tara is killed off, Willow goes evil for a time, and Buffy comes under fire for Joss Whedon’s everything

The beloved and respectable headmaster of one of the most popular book series ever published is revealed to be gay… except it doesn’t count because it wasn’t in the text and now all of Harry Potter is cancelled because JKR is transphobic

Kurt is an unambiguously gay teen in a hugely popular TV series, acting as one of the first overt representations a generation has seen… except he’s way too stereotypical and Glee is a joke now

Orange is the New Black gives us a number of queer women, including one of our first trans characters… but isn’t it problematic that they’re all criminals?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine hosts an out gay captain and gives us a bisexual coming out story that resonated with many, myself included… except now we’re supposed to hate all the characters on principle because they’re cops

Korra and Asami walk off into the spiritual sunset together… but they never kiss or anything, so that doesn’t count either

Steven Universe gives us a queer relationship and a wedding… but it’s an issue that this is just a kid’s show and, really, does it count when the rep is embodied by space rocks whose entire species only creates a single gender? Feels like a cop-out

Same with Good Omens. Yeah, Crowley and Aziraphale clearly love each other… but you never see them kiss or declare their intentions. It’s great ace rep though! Unless you want to level the criticism that asexual characters are always nonhuman

A character intended to be a minor guest becomes a show staple and eventually declares his love for one of the two main characters… except then Castiel immediately dies, Dean doesn’t respond, and they never meet on screen again

I finished Queen’s Gambit the other day and the main character had a one-night stand with a woman! … but everyone is talking about how bisexuality is used to represent her lowest point, so that’s bad too

I could go on for literal pages. Some of these arguments I agree with (Dumbledore), others I’ve pushed back against quite strongly (Crowley and Aziraphale), but all of them are valid criticisms depending on what part of the queer community you’re in and what your expectations are. My point here is that it’s all “bad rep.” I mean that seriously. If anyone reading this is scrambling for the comment section to say why [insert media title here] is actually fantastic rep, I guarantee that someone disagrees. Or if they don’t, give it some time. Just wait until the characterization becomes offensively outdated, or another part of the story ruins the relationship, or it comes out that the author did something truly horrific, or the terminology changes and it’s labeled as “problematic” now… just wait. At some point, any rep we feel is good rep now will be criticized, cancelled, and dragged through the mud. The rep that I personally haven’t seen much push-back against—like the beloved Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who, or Schitts Creek that just won a ton of awards—is wrapped up in the criticism, “So it’s all just about able-bodied, cis, (mostly) white dudes, huh? :/”  Even the argument that queer characters need to be written by queer authors doesn’t hold up. I absolutely adored Sense8. “Wow, a gay main character in a loving relationship with another gay man, both of whom enter a loving poly relationship with a woman, another lesbian trans main character who marries the love of her life on screen, an entire cast arguably queer due to them sharing orgy scenes centered around the emotional intimacy they share, everyone survives, and this was written by two trans women! Great, right?” Well, not according to the wealth of opinions explaining how Sense8 is horrible rep, actually. Every piece of rep we’ve got is either currently flawed or will become flawed in the future.

So what do we do with that?

That’s where my “I’d rather have bad rep than no rep at all” comes in. For me, that’s not waving the white flag. That’s not an oath that I won’t expect better rep in the future (I do) or that I won’t criticize the rep we get (BOY DO I), but rather just an acknowledgement of reality. The vast majority—if not the entirety—of rep is “bad rep” in one way or another, but I’d still rather have it than nothing at all. Because I’ve lived just long enough and studied media just enough to know what nothing looked like. It was watching all queer characters meet untimely deaths. Before that it was watching queer characters be derided and treated as jokes. Before that it was nothing but coding, where queer characters didn’t exist except in our own headcanons and interpretations. Obviously “bad rep” covers a very large range of issues and “They haven’t even confirmed this relationship yet” is a bigger issue than “This queer character embodies one or two, mild stereotypes,” but ultimately I’d take any of it over nothing at all. And enjoying what we’ve currently got doesn’t mean I’m willing to settle for it indefinitely.

To use an iffy analogy, imagine there’s a factory. This factory makes plates. So. Many. Plates. Big plates, small plates, plain plates, decorative plates, plates for every possible occasion in your life—and everyone with a steak for dinner is pleased as punch. You though? You’ve got soup. You need a bowl. Your entire life you’ve been struggling to eat your soup off a plate (it doesn’t work) and listening to friends and family claim that the plate with a slightly raised edge could be a bowl if you squint (it’s not). To say it’s frustrating is an understatement.

But then, one day, the factory starts producing bowls too. Hurray! Except as soon as you get your hands on one, you’re told you really shouldn’t be using it, let alone praising it. Look at the state of that bowl! It’s cracked right down the middle, ugly as hell, shoddily made all around… you’re not really going to settle for that, are you? And no, you obviously still want the factory to produce better bowls, but at the same time, this is a bowl. You’ve never gotten one before and you can finally enjoy your meal, even if the soup leaks at times. Sometimes a lot. But you’re still feeling better about your meal than you ever have before. And what you then begin to realize is that lots of the plates are a mess too. They also have cracks, they’re also ugly, many are also shoddily made. The difference is that the factory is producing so many plates at such a rapid pace that every steak eater is able to get by. One plate breaks completely? You’ve got a thousand fallbacks. Don’t like the look of this one? A thousand other options. You disagree about what “shoddily made” means? Luckily there are enough plates that everyone can find what they prefer! But the bowls… there’s only a few. Some are really expensive. Others are only available for a limited time before they suddenly disappear. Your bowl breaks and you have to wait months, years sometimes, to get another one. You’re constantly told to go buy this one obscure bowl no one else has heard about and yeah, you like it... but you’d also like to buy one of the bowls everyone is already enjoying. You find yourself looking at the plates and thinking, “I’d like that. I’d like to have so many options that the flaws, while still a problem, are much more bearable.” You’re still going to demand that the factory get its shit together, you’re still going to (rightly) complain about the awful quality of your bowl… but it’s still nice to have a bowl, period. There are still things you like about it, even if it’s a mess: the color, the size, the beauty of the shape of it. Its potential. You’re still pleased you have something to enjoy and that helps serve the need you’re looking to fill, even if that something is imperfect.

That’s “bad rep is better than no rep.” To bring this very long response back to Blake/Yang, I don’t think their problems negate their benefits. Is their relationship currently non-canonical and filled with a number of writing issues everyone has a right to be angry about? Yup. I express that anger a great deal. Are they still half of a team on a very popular show that is (presumably) set to be canonized as queer? Yup. I’d much rather live in a world where big shows like RWBY try to include queer rep and fail in a multitude of ways—with the expectation and hope that they’ll continue to improve—rather than in a world where authors a) don’t care or b) are too scared to try. Because that’s where a “good rep or no rep” stance leads. The danger isn’t homophobes because they’re, well, homophobes. It doesn’t matter if the rep is good or not, they hate it on principle. But if queer authors writing for other queer identities, or allies writing queer identities, or even queer authors writing their own experiences (like in Sense8) continually come under non-stop fire for their attempts… there’s a good chance that many people won’t ever try. We’re already seeing that here on tumblr with young authors admitting that they wouldn’t touch [insert topic here] with a ten-foot pole because just look at what happens when you get it wrong. And authors will get things wrong because authors are fallible people forever unlearning their own ignorance. So though it might sound strange coming from a blog that has turned into such a RWBY critical space, I am glad that RWBY’s queer rep exists, despite all the frustrations that I share about it. I think a RWBY with various types of “bad” queer rep is better than a RWBY with no queer rep at all, particularly when “bad” or “good” is so intensely subjective. There’s a middle ground between passively accepting whatever we’re given, and tearing into rep with such ferocity that we end up rejecting it all. There’s a space where we can be critical of rep and embrace the parts that work for us, simultaneously.

I hope and expect the het rep will get better too, but… that’s never going to happen instantly. To quote RWBY, there’s no magic wand we can wave to fix all our problems. Rather, it will take slow, plodding, meandering, lifetimes’ worth of work to see that change occur and I personally don’t want to spend the one life I have waiting for that perfect rep to show up. Because it’s unlikely that it will. While we work, I’d rather find the good in what rep we’ve already got.  

[anangelicday-mrwolf]

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 14 – From This Point and On

D-day: it is a term coined from the landings performed by the Allied at Normandy, which lay in hands of Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

There are several historical debates concerning the accurate representation of “D.” The most commonly supported argument nowadays is that “D-day” is an acronym for “Day-Day,” and the former “day” is believed to be a temporary connotation of the date of the landings, which was unsettled at the time.

Simply put, “D-day” was named for “the day unknown,” in a way. Which is ironic, considering the fact that by the 21st century this term has come to denote a specific date of an event or operation.

On the other hand, had Rael known the origin of “D-day,” he would have thought that it could not be any more perfect for his situation. Because even though it was the D-day for him, he had no idea whether he could depart for Lukedonia.

At the same time, however, now kind of familiar with the human called Yuhyung Jang, he really did not care.

He did not care that the researcher did not show up on time for an hour, as long as he could leave by the end of the day.

And Rael could swear he took care in making himself sound not too irritated with the delay, but the KSA agent leading him to the lab was sweating his glands off trying to appease him.

“P-please don’t worry, sir! I’ll teach him a lesson as soon as we find him!”

Rael already told him a number of times he needed not to fret, to no avail. Then again, the director and the doctor, the most authoritative personnel in KSA, and Yeonsu and Sangin, the most influential agents of KSA, looked more than ready to bark like a dog or jump off the building, if only Rael had said the word.

So Rael was not surprised to see lesser employees, including his guide, acting like a bunch of scaredy-cats.

Hence Rael gave up on relieving his guide of his anxiety by the time they reached Yuhyung’s lab, which was sealed by a wooden door fit into the frame as a provisional boundary, perhaps because Yeonsu made the original door useless with a kick.

“Hey! Yuhyung! You in there?!”

The agent pounded the door, and they were met with a crashing sound within, something to be heard from a demolition site.

“What on earth is keeping you there for an hour?!”

“S-sorry! Sorry! It’s just that...”

“Well, hurry up! You’re late...!!”

“N-no! Don’t open the door! Please, don’t!!”

Yuhyung freaked and yelled, while Rael spied something through the opening of the wooden board.

‘A smoke? Is there fire again?’

He was about to warn the agent, when the latter jerked open the door and screamed at Yuhyung demanding to tell them what kind of trouble he brewed this time. He thereby allowed the misty body flickering inside the lab to spill out to the corridor.

Rael was unfazed by the déjà vu of his previous visit to Yuhyung’s lab. He was only interested in what had happened to the owner of the lab.

‘It doesn’t smell like something burned... But I wouldn’t dub it as an ordinary smoke. What is this smell...?’

The blonde noble was about to step into the room to inspect better, when the agent next to him blocked his mouth with his hand. At the same time his knees gave out, and the man promptly collapsed.

“Agent Jung!”

Just then Yuhyung, with his nasal area protected with a thick piece of cloth, bolted out of the lab and examined the fallen agent. As soon as he recognized Rael, who was also wearing alarmed eyes, he literally groveled before him.

“P-please! I need your help!!! W-we must not let this gas spread through the building!”

Rael’s composure kicked in upon the man’s plea, and he lunged towards the chamber. He shut the door and surveyed his surroundings to find out where the smoke was coming from – under Yuhyung’s desk.

Or rather, from the center of a mass of shattered glasses scattered about the leg of his desk.

When he had to take advantage of Frankenstein’s lab in the past, Rael collected enough scientific knowledge and experimental tips to realize exactly what he would need in this situation. The noble fervently rolled his eyes, which soon landed on a round-bottom flask labeled “neutralizer.” Sparing no second, he snatched the utensil and catapulted it.

He swiftly maneuvered his body so he would be safely away from the smoke even before the chemical would hit the glasses, and instantly even thicker smoke blasted through air, with a sound of an acid scorching the surface of a metal.

However, the phenomenon was short-lived, as the first smoke blended with the new smoke and grew faint in color and stench. Rael waited for the original smell to dissipate completely until he unfastened the door.

“T-thank you so much! That’s right... The neutralizer. How could I forget? I was so stupid. I was...”

“So startled you missed it. Which is natural. Totally understandable. By the way, what was that gas?”

Yuhyung’s face turned melancholy, distressed, while Rael took the agent to a nearby cot, still unconscious.

“This gas was one of the secret weapons we were developing against the Union. Or rather, it was one of the weapons we were developing against modified humans. What we had in mind was a weapon that can subjugate modified humans.”

“You mean only modified humans?”

“That’s right. When humans go through body modification, their genes naturally go through man-made genetic mutations, which create unnatural biochemical molecules to last permanently in their genetic make-up. So we figured if we come up with a weapon that reacts exclusively to such molecules, we will be able to arm ourselves with a weapon that works solely on our enemies AND prove devastating against the Union. I was in the lead of the project concerning this gas.”

A weapon that makes a lethal chemical reaction with physical traits unique to the modified humans – it sounded more than efficient to Rael. Which in turn made him question how come KSA has been keeping it secret even now. And how come the researcher seemed so disappointed when he should be practically stabbing the air with his nose in pride for such a breakthrough of weaponry.

Yuhyung opened his mouth in reply, which punctually rid Rael of his questions.

“But we were met with a problem. With our current technology and resources, it was impossible for us to adjust the effectiveness of the gas while keeping the Union’s radar quiet. In the end, this gas became a blackout tranquilizer that takes effect on modified humans and ordinary humans – a huge waste of our time and money and effort.”

Yuhyung turned his head towards the spot where the gas used to rise, his pupils dense with dejection and mixture of affection and hatred.

“So I decided to destroy it, after saving a sample of it in case we would need it in the future as a reference. And I was trying to make the bottle more airtight just before you arrived, so... Yeah. Uh, but I’m not blaming you! Not at all! This is all because I was clumsy.”

“...Does our upcoming trip have anything to do with your nervousness...?”

“Uhm... It’s true that I got less sleep than usual last night, but... Uh, but that doesn’t mean I blame you for this! I will never do that!!!”

Rael waved his head ever-so-slightly before he clogged his voice box. After all, his priority was not shaping his conversation with Yuhyung into an actual conversation. They were supposed to drop by the director’s office one last time before they moved on their way.

Still, Rael could not help peeking at the man as they walked towards their destination.

‘Frantic but certainly gifted in research. In other words, a puzzle of a human being.’

Now that he learned about this so-called supposed special weapon against the Union, he had even come to admire Yuhyung.

He was aware that “keeping the Union’s radar quiet” did not simply mean keeping the Union in the dark regarding this gas.

‘In addition to keeping this gas secret, these people would have had to downgrade their technology on the surface, to make KSA technology appear like a firefly in the face of a sun in comparison to Union technology. So that even if Union gets to take a look at their technology, those monsters wouldn’t notice that KSA has been trying their hands on studies and experiments on body modification behind their backs.’

Even with limited resources and technology aside, the fact that this man managed to develop such a pioneering weapon to near completion under the invisible eyes proves how talented he is as a developer.

‘Not to mention KSA’s technology on body modification would be at least a century behind that of the Union. Not that KSA must have been slacking off with their lab progress, but its technology in the essence would be no more than imitation of Union technology, thus obviously lacking in precision and quality. But this guy designed what could have been a masterpiece with inadequate resources, mimicry of technology, and progress that would not draw Union’s attention.’

What could have happened if this human received his salary not from KSA but from Union? What if this researcher decided to antagonize nobles or werewolves?

‘I’d hate to even imagine what could have happened.’

Joyful for the very first time that he was not an opponent to an ordinary human, instead of a supernatural fighter or a modified human, Rael glanced at Yuhyung with veneration.

In other words, noblekind and wolfkind have earned a superbly deft ally.

Which is why Rael’s footsteps had grown much more steadfast on his way out of the director’s office.

‘Now it’s all up to me. As long as I do my job correctly, this project will be a success. And Lukedonia and werewolves would get to boast tighter alliance and security and accelerate their recoveries. And the Kertia advisory patriarchs would hopefully acknowledge me. So I will do a good job. I must.’

Feeling his anxiety stirring, Rael calmed himself.

‘A lot of things will change from this point and on.’

*****

Meanwhile, Frankenstein’s Lab

“...Beg your pardon?”

Frankenstein retorted at his visitor, apparently unhappy that she must repeat herself, as suggested by her pursed lips.

“Where is the 3rd Elder?”

Frankenstein could tell that this was not a social or friendly visit, for Lunark was donning a face of a child whose mother verbally offered some broccolis.

“Mind if I ask you why you need to see him?”

As soon as he asked, Lunark’s grimace thickened. Now she looked like a child whose mother shoved broccolis into her face.

“Mind if I ask you why you need to know?”

Lunark replied, somehow making herself sound like she had her teeth clenched tight despite her wide-open mouth.

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you before you.”

“You sound like there’s a reason you can’t tell me.”

“You sound like there’s a reason you can’t show him to me.”

“Can’t you just let me know why?”

“Can’t you just let me see him?”

The banter between two gorgeous man and woman was interrupted by a third person who was not altogether unrelated to their conversation.

“No need to tire yourselves with a potential argument. I’m right here.”

The 3rd Elder joined the lab, separating a towel from his half-dry hair.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Lady Lunark?”

Lunark turned her hesitant eyes to Frankenstein. He met her straight in the eyes, questioning if she were staring at the right person.

“There’s nothing that Frankenstein cannot listen among the things that are meant for me. There shouldn’t be anything that he can’t listen.”

The 3rd Elder so very kindly explained, and Lunark signaled her acquiescence with a sigh.

“Recently, I have been in lead of my kind’s search squad, made up of warriors in order to track down Union facilities. And we picked up a couple locations. But there is a problem – or problems.”

“And what would they be...?”

“First, the facilities we found were already shut down. Second, those facilities belonged to Crombell.”

“Crombell? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. And don’t ask me how we figured that out; that’s the least of your concerns. Those facilities were wiped out so clean we couldn’t fathom anything about the ones that preceded us – whether they are male or female, or single or multiple. But curiously, they left the security camera footages intact, albeit tampered and therefore unhelpful.”

“Perhaps the ones who did the shutdown felt no need to delete them, with the footages already tampered beyond repair.”

“Probably. Frankenstein, has your gang ever taken a field trip overseas for their shutdown operation...?”

“No. For now they’re working in joint with KSA only in Korea, within its shoreline. They haven’t even been to Jeju Island.”

Lunark nodded, having expected such an answer. She focused her eyes at 3rd Elder, devoid of contempt for once.

“Well? Does this ring a bell for you?”

“...It’s hard for me to say exactly who this could be. But I think I can come up with a list of candidates behind this, if you want me to.”

“You think you can finish it in two days?”

“I’ll do that. Which is why I’d like to be excused. There’s not even a second to waste.”

The 3rd Elder turned his feet, his loose hair generating a faint whistle of a wind. Frankenstein started talking only after his sounds vanished impeccably, Lunark not even looking at him.

“Did Ignes’s data include locations of Crombell’s facilities?”

“...Yeah. Guess she undertook espionage on Crombell while devising defense against him.”

Soon afterwards Lunark sighed, still not looking at him.

“Sorry for being so biting back there. I wanted to speak to him in private if possible.”

“And why is that?”

“I figured you’d sprint outside as soon as I tell you about this. You know, so you can look into it yourself. I didn’t want to add more to your shoulders when you’re already carrying a weight worth a continent.”

“...I can’t deny that it’s most convenient for me to handle everything myself. But for now, I’m anchored to this place. So I have no intention to do that. Or rather, I’ve no time to spare for that. I’m starting to wonder how much of a busybody you take me for.”

“Busybody? I’ve never considered you a...”

Lunark rapidly rotated her head, as if complaining to him that is the most preposterous accusation she has ever heard. However, she realized how sharp her voice had become and took a deep breath.

“Anyways, sorry for barging in. I’ll be back in two days.”

Lunark turned towards the door without haste, only to glance back after a few steps.

“You do realize you’re the one who’s making me a busybody these days, don’t you? You’d better not keep me concerned about you.”

Frankenstein could not budge even after she was gone.

‘She’s concerned about me?’

In response, Frankenstein’s heart started to twist and turn, like a pair of socks in a dryer set to high.

When she did not tell him the purpose of her visit at first, he was oddly disappointed. Because with their entire history with Union taken into account, and simply with their relations taken into account, he anticipated her to glare at 3rd Elder, not him.

And when she later apologized on the matter, he was reassured. Reassured to find out that she was being considerate in her own way. Seemingly she is still being considerate for him.

Frankenstein then noted he was much more reassured than he is supposed to be and bit his lips.

‘Snap out of it, Frankenstein. This is no time for you to let that woman sway your feelings.’

Frankenstein scattered his hair, reprimanding his heart for not being itself whenever it is concerned with Lunark.

‘I need to get a grip on myself. Though I’m not sure why she keeps getting on my nerves after all this time... I really need to get a grip.’

The QuadraNet project will come to life, starting with Lukedonia, with help from nobles, werewolves, KSA, and his family in Korea. On the other hand, more than a handful of people are working their heads off to cleanse the world of the Union, especially Crombell. Therefore, it is best for him to focus on nothing but finding a solution to his new secret that not even Raizel is knowledgeable of.

‘A hoard of things will change from this point and on. I need to focus.’

*****

As for 3rd Elder, he was composing in his bedroom a rough draft of the list he promised to Lunark. Nevertheless, he knew this list would be meaningless. He was certain he knew the one Lunark was looking for, by 80% accuracy.

The fact that footages from security cameras, albeit tampered, were lingering at the scenes was more than enough to teach him who did it.

‘This is definitely her style with the job. But why? Why would she do that? I thought she was also one of Crombell’s assassins.’

Soon his brain yielded two most likely options.

‘Either she chose the extremity of eradicating everything about her commander so that no one would acquire a thing about him... Or she chose anti-Crombell propaganda now that he is gone. Though that leaves a question of whether there is someone she is serving if the latter is the case.’

He had input Helga’s name on the list, as he was typing the names in the alphabetical order. After deliberation, he began to move his hand.

‘Maybe... Just maybe...’

The cursor began to delete letters with a series of clicks, starting with “a” and ending with “h.”

Saving the list excluding Helga’s name before closing it, 3rd Elder let the air rustle through his windpipe in low vibration.

‘Maybe things will change from this point and on.’

(next chapter)

You have reached the 25% of this fanfic series! I’m not talking about the number of chapters (which keeps changing as I am typing up this message). I’m saying this was the last chapter of the introduction part of this fanfic, which is why the preceding chapters did not contain what could be considered a crisis or a battle (minus the skirmish Takio had gone through during his past, which was what chapter 13 featured). And of course, things will change beginning from next chapter. Hope you’d stay tuned for those!

[thesymphonyoflife]

Favorite albums of the 2010s

This was an arduous and lengthy task to complete. Not because I don’t love talking about music, but because upon each subsequent album in this list, it became harder and harder to talk about. I mean, how do you truly do justice in words to describe how impactful an album was to you? Also, how do you compare things that are so different? How do you compare something released in 2019 to 2010? You can’t really do any of those things, so here I try to best present my thoughts as to why these 25 albums stood out the most to me in this past decade, and why they had such a personal connection to me.

Remember, these are just snapshots in time. The thoughts of this day, reflecting back on the past decade, and how I feel in this moment: My favorite albums of the 2010s...

25. Pusha T - Daytona

Short and sweet. Quality over quantity. This album comes out swinging, knows it’s pace, direction, and theme, and does it well over a quick 22 minutes. The beats are always fun to listen to when Pusha T raps, and these 7 are no different from before. There’s no beat quite like “Numbers On The Board,” but I can’t fault the album for that. I always like Pusha T’s flow, and appreciate how his flow and harshness inherently make him enunciate very well, making it just a little more immersive (and makes it easier to stank-face rap along to it in the car).

24. Kelela - Take Me Apart

This album is crafted so meticulously. The care taken to surround the messages in the songs with appropriate beats, and fusing genres together so seamlessly all in the process. Kelela’s vocals are so poetic and beautiful as the struggles and vulnerability come out immediately and never relent. It’s a personal but applicable and accessible album, because the concepts about love, loss, relationships, empowerment, are all relatable in some way to us. It’s hard to ever predict in the moment if an album is “ahead of its time,” but I submit this one as a candidate.

23. The Weeknd - House Of Balloons

I think we could see this type of R&B coming. The spacey, moody, sexual R&B that was like a bunch of styles mixed together, combined with the effects and mixing possible in this decade. And that might sound like a slight on Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, but it’s not. I could spit out a bunch of ingredients, in right proportions to you, to describe a perfect entree, but I still need to cook it. And that’s what the Weeknd provided. Even if a lot of the magic behind the sound was in the production, there still needed to be a suitable voice to go with it. And turns out, he has a pretty good voice (and one that would naturally transition to pop). I like this record, obviously, for it’s underground mentality and foundation it led to this type of R&B sound. And even though it’s duplicated like no other now, I always appreciate the ones that not only lay the groundwork but do it well too. And this is what it was: simply the foundational “2010′s alternative R&B album” (which happened to be a mixtape).

22. Oddisee - The Beauty In All

I have been making music (primarily hip hop beats) since I was in high school. I got inspired by my affinity towards hip hop, and the cool beats from Dr. Dre, Lil Jon, DJ Premier and DJ Shadow. When I got to college, I had less time, so I didn’t get to make music very often. When I was getting out of college though, and getting back in to the real world, I didn’t seem to have that spark. Then this album came to my attention. Coupled this with some new maschinery (pun intended if you get it), and I was on to my second phase of music making. I wouldn’t call the music in this album simple, but the thought of creating catchy, melodic, groovy beats seemed like a possibility when listening to this. Lots of bobbing head moments in car rides and airplanes were had.

21.  The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream

I’ve been trying, for the past several years, to craft a criteria list to what is needed to make a good “driving album.” I think I’m close, but for simplicities sake, I’ll just say it should have some elements that are in this one. The aesthetic, “the dream” is evident throughout this album, and one fitting of its title. The guitar tones and understated drums and basslines create an accessible foundation for all the tracks on the album, which make it easy to lose track of time and suddenly find yourself at your destination sooner than you anticipated. It can be easy to not truly pay attention to the lyrics upon first/second/third listens to this album as a result, but I urge you to try to decipher the messages that are outlined here. There’s a lot of poetic metaphors and interesting concepts presented here, fueling even more thought while listening. 

20. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

I have been listening avidly to Radiohead for a much shorter time frame than most of the die hard fans, but I still have been a huge fan for about 10 years. Even so, it’s hard to really know what to expect off a band which has such a deep and replay-able discography in a new album. It almost needs to be a formula: Amount of plays you’ve had for all previous albums = number of plays needed for new album to completely digest it. The first 20 or so listens are really just to give your brain some time to place the sounds of the new album next to all the familiarity of the previous albums. And at the end of the day, it’s still Radiohead: beautiful instrumentation, poetic, frustratingly difficult to decipher lyrics, all wrapped up in exquisite mixing. It deserves it’s place along with their other albums, even if it’s difficult for me to go back to as much as their previous albums.

19. James Blake - James Blake

I previously wrote about influential albums from my childhood. This would definitely make the list for the past decade. It changed my perception about specific genres, made me change my listening habits, and made me yearn for things more like it. I think that pretty much fits the description of an influential album right? I remember first hearing Wilhelm Scream, and I was more puzzled than entranced. But for some reason, I wanted to listen to it again. And then I found more elements I could grasp on to, like James airy falsetto, the pronouncement of the vocals in the mix that I had not heard quite like before, and this minimal electronic instrumental that I couldn’t predict where it was really going. The new can be exciting, but it can be off-putting if not all the elements are there. And for some reason, i could tell that there was music here, even if it didn’t sound like it very much upon my first listens. Then I started getting attached to Lindesfarne I, this primarily vocal only song that had this beautiful melodic and glitchy quality to it that kept me entranced. “Beacon Don’t Fly Too High,” repeated over and over again, in this autotune but beautifully nuanced quality to it that I just got lost in so easily. This album was a gold mine for my college, introspective, night-owl nature. I will always remember my college experiences and personal growth with this album, because they happened hand in hand (or ear and mind).

18. Beach House - 7

Reverb is a powerful tool. In music you can use it in so many ways. Mostly, it’s used to create a sense of space and enveloping atmosphere that tries to not only transport you mentally but also physically into a different place (no, reverb is not marijuana. But I will be exploring the similarities in my thesis. Stay tuned). It’s basically the music equivalent of escapism in films. And dream pop/shoegaze are genres that do it hella well. I mean, the key word is in the genre: “dream.” It’s hard to just conjure feelings of a dream with a simple formula though, it takes intricate instrumentation, meticulous craft of the mixing and vocals, and appropriate frequencies occupying the final space. And those are all elements which Beach House have perfected over the past decade with their music. I could have picked any one of their 5 albums from this decade, really, but I will settle on the last one, mainly for my affinity towards the lushness and grand sonic texture they were able to craft throughout the track list. It may not encompass my favorite vocal performances, but I just love the layers and melodies and downright cool sounds mixed together for the instrumentals. It’s refreshing and it allows me to pick different things I didn’t catch before upon each subsequent listen. brb, gonna go drift off into space for a bit now...

17. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

I discover a lot of music during the end of the year, when journalists write their “best of” lists. This album was on a lot of them, so I was seeing a lot of praise for it before actually listening to it. And sometimes, ingraining those expectations in your head can lead you in the wrong state of mind when trying to digest it (especially something as adventurous as this album). This is a concept album which is carefully crafted and expertly mixed/mastered to resemble music coming from the future. So it did take me a few listens to shake off my judgmental, hipster young college mind when I immediately heard an orchestral piece as the opening track of the album. “Hrumph, this is just pretentious,” my mind kept telling myself. But it only takes a few songs that you come back to before you just start playing from the beginning again. It was “Cold War” and “Tightrope” I kept coming back to first, maybe because it resembled previous R&B/hip-hop I had heard before. Then it turned to “Neon Valley Street,” which incorporated beautiful strings weaving through Janelle’s beautiful vocals. Then as I listened to “BaBopBye Ya” unbeknownst to me for the 8th time in one day, envisioning a play, where the main actress was singing her heart out in her shining soliloquy, that I finally appreciated the work she had crafted. Then I played the album again. “Once more, from the top!”

16. Kacey Musgraves - The Golden Hour

Remember what I said earlier about “driving” albums? Ho boy, this one is a doozy in that regard. And no, I’m not just stereotyping it because it is a country album (even though, to be fair, it is the genre that birthed the masterpiece known as “Dirt Road Anthem”), I am saying that because again, all the elements are here: melancholic instrumentals, easy to understand vocals, and a general tone that is just downright pleasant. It’s hard to describe what “easy on the ears” really is, but this is what I would showcase as an example. And that’s not to take away what Kacey accomplishes in this album. The songwriting is very poetic in my opinion, and while the concepts about love, relationships, purpose, and just life in general are not extremely groundbreaking, each track in the tracklisting is neatly wrapped up in a bow with a cherry on top. It’s the equivalent of a dog looking at you and smiling. You can’t help but feel a little good about yourself, no matter what circumstances you might be in at the time. And yes, I promise you, that’s the only time I will be comparing music to animals during this list. But this is a truly beautiful record that I keep coming back to, and each time, I get transported to the same feelings of peace, tranquility, and nostalgia (and a smiling dog).

15. Holy Other - Held

This was a huge decade for my affinity towards electronic music. There was a whole avalanche of factors which contributed, like the general rising output in general, the vast number of stylistic shifts and sub-genres crafted, and just my growing pallet for interesting and cool sounds. And this album checked all the boxes for what I was infatuated with in the genre. The immediate, overbearing, dark, almost too-in-your-face spacey atmosphere. The weird synths and percussion elements. The right vocal samples that complement the beats well and sit atop the mix perfectly. And the tempos which keep you guessing and keep you engaged. I hadn’t heard anything like it before. And when you hear something like that, it makes you want to find out, immediately after listening to it for the 85th time, “what else sounds like this???” It’s always disappointing when you keep searching and don’t find something exactly in the same vein, but then you start to realize the uniqueness of this music and appreciate it even more. (BUT STILL, WHERE IS THE NEW MUSIC BRO?? IT’S BEEN 8 YEARS!!!!) It’s albums like these that keep me excited for the genre in the future, the “new-ness” of it all, and the possibility that you might stumble upon another Holy Other.

14. The Roots - Undun

Hip Hop has been my favorite genre of music for quite some time now. You never really know what’s going on inside the mind of a pre-teen, even if it was my own, so it’s hard to recall what it exactly was about it that immediately made it stick out to me. I think the energy, and the aggressiveness fit my moods at the time, and maybe because I was into basketball a lot, that also swayed me to it instinctively? Either way, I mostly liked the uptempo beats from the stuff that was popular in the early 2000s (crunk, dirty south mostly). So in that regard, my exposure to hip-hop was not of a natural exposure, or one you would recommend to someone who wants to get into a specific genre. Once I had my fill of the hype stuff, I came back around to the earlier hip-hop staples, from Illmatic to Reasonable Doubt to Me Against The World to Ready To Die. But even then, all the while, I resorted back to my listening habits from when I first started listening to hip-hop. Paying more attention to the beats than the lyrics. Maybe it was my attention span. But whatever it was, I never made a concious effort to dive deeper into the messages behind the lyrics. Until I got to this album. Maybe it was the relaxed nature of the beginning of the album that eased me into it. Maybe it was the outstanding verse from Big K.R.I.T. on “Make My” that pulled me closer in. Or maybe it was just Black Thought’s outstanding flow and heartfelt emotion displayed. For whatever reason, this album, from the very first listen, played out like a book. Which is kind of what they were going for here. And since then, I’ve been able to pay attention to lyrics a lot more. Challenge myself to understand the subject matter, even if it might be completely foreign to me. I have The Roots to thank for that.

13. Tim Hecker - Virgins

What is music? Yes, the halfway point in the list is the perfect time to get all philosophical. No but really, what is music? Is it just tones and notes and melodies? Or can it be other things, like noise? Prior to this album, my brain would’ve just processed things differently and filed noise away in a separate box. Now it’s a little more complicated. Thanks to this album. Again a result of recommendations on a year end list, I took my first foray into drone music with this album. And I surprisingly loved it from the get-go. The ethereal textures, lush synths, and other-worldly noises were just the tip of the iceberg with this album. It made me redefine what I considered music altogether. I learned that it is possible to encompass as much of the frequency spectrum as possible and still have it contain clearly recognizable, distinguishable melodies and harmonies to keep coming back to. The dense-ness of it just kept you hurling through this atmosphere deeper and deeper until you found yourself lost in it and not wanting to escape. The crescendos, the moments of quiet are all spaced apart beautifully and organically. Yes, it is music. And some of the best damn music I have ever heard.

12. Frank Ocean - Blonde

I’ll have more to say about this artist later (nudge nudge wink wink), so I’ll stick to talking about the album specifically. And I can’t help but go back to the wait for it. Because who, in this day and age of instant gratification, could ever imagine an artist living their life, taking their time, and waiting until the right moment for them to release another album?? Ridiculous, right? I admit I was on that boat, like most others too. It was just hard not to be anxious. This genre doesn’t have the best track record for quick releases (cough cough D’Angelo cough cough) and after his previous music output, I was getting antsy. But I’m glad on how the album turned out, and I’m even more appreciative of how it captured the essence of that wait and what it said to us, in an understated, melancholic tone: patience. Sit back, soak it all in. Enjoy everything, experience as much as you can, and just watch, it won’t feel like another 4 years again next time. This album showcases the power of patience. Just relax, try not to be so stressed out, and you will get more out of the music. You will hear vocal harmonies you haven’t heard before. You will hear new basslines you didn’t know were in the song. And you will come to appreciate the quiet and empty spaces in the music, too. And, would you look at that, it’s already 2020! 

11. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism

Like Blonde, to have production so minimal, you have to back it up with some serious vocal chops. And Moses Sumney does exactly that on his debut album. Not just the range, but the subtlety mixed with doses of harshness and scratchy-ness give the ambient backdrops so much more texture and life to them. The layering and the way he sometimes replaces conventional instruments with his voice is a unique thing to hear. But let me tell you, it is an even more unique and jaw-dropping sight to see. His live performance was a lesson in crafting a sound in the show, rather just putting the show on. And there are conventional ways to switch up live versions of songs, like lengthier or different solos, different tempos, etc. But what Moses does in his shows are unlike anything I’ve ever seen anyone else do. The looped vocals. The even more sparse instrumentation. The crescendos. The way he utilizes the acoustics of the space to properly fill every crevice with vital frequency content. The sheer GARGANTUAN natures he takes some of the songs. It makes you appreciate the artistry even more coming out of the show. And making you wish you could experience that side of the music with your own speakers or headphones, but you can never really do it justice, even playing back the live recordings. I’m excited for what’s next for Moses Sumney, but I’m even more excited for his next tour.

10. Kiasmos - Kiasmos

Humblebrag time: I’m really good at finding music I like, then adding it my library/collection very quickly. I started at a young age, like most people proficient in this kind of thing. It started in elementary and middle school, on cassette tape, where I would listen to radio at all hours of the night, and have a writeable tape inside a boom-box ready to record the audio of whatever was being played. Fantastic device. And I quickly got really good at starting and stopping with minimal time between songs, and crafting my own pseudo mixtapes, then playing them back on the bus rides back home from school. Then in high school and college it transitioned to iTunes, where I would find songs from artists I would like, then go down the rabbit hole, playing those 30 second clips (yes iTunes only had 30 second samples back in the day) of similar artists and similar artists of those artists and so on until I found music I like. I would then write them down on a huge list and download them all on limewire (I mean buy them. I totally didn’t do any illegal downloading). Now it’s a little too easy, in my opinion. I honestly could spend whole days and nights trying to find a new artist I liked. And I had a blast doing it. I still appreciate nowadays when I do discover a new artist through similar processes, but now the feeling of satisfaction has definitely waned. Nevertheless, when I find music like this album from Kiasmos, I can’t really complain.

This particular sound was exactly what I was looking for when searching similar artists to Jon Hopkins (again, spoiler for below). The atmospheric, textured micro house/minimal techno (don’t electronic sub-genres have the best names?) that was very easy on the ears but also beautifully crafted and addictively catchy. A true sonic collection put together in album form. Almost like one naturally flowing song, containing some small detours but for the most part maintaining the specific course it set out for. And for all those reasons, I keep coming back to it, wanting to take that journey back into the soundscape Kiasmos created. And also wanting to find more artists similar to them.

9. Tame Impala - Lonerism

Tame Impala’s rise has been pretty incredible this past decade. Not because Kevin Parker doesn’t deserve the praise (in fact I still believe he is underrated), but because I never would’ve thought the “masses” would be so quick to warm to this very nuanced and unique sound. I mean he played at Coachella in 2011 and was on the 5th line (see below).

Then in 2013 he rises to 3rd line, then 2015 he rises to 2nd line, then in 2019 he is headlining. Pretty linear trajectory. Just a couple of guesses as to the rise in popularity:

1. I don’t think you get more popular without performing some kick-ass shows

2. I think to become popular, you have to make some kick-ass albums

I know, those two points may be shockers. Write it down. I think I cracked the formula for music success.

This is my favorite album of his because, well, it just contains so many memories of mine. Our memories are much stronger when our emotions are at their capacity, and this music just fuels emotions with all the exploratory sounds and melodic detours and passages that are so different from one another, but fit so cohesively well together in an album. This album is different in that, when I go back to it, I don’t necessarily listen to it from start to finish. I pick songs that I want to go back to. Like “Endors Toi,” which takes me back to a time when I could hear the expansive synths echo into the atmosphere at a concert I was running late to (it’s a long story). Or “Why Won’t They Talk To Me,” which takes me back to biking back to my apartment from an informative, exciting, and sunny day at graduate school. Or “Elephant,” which brings back memories of hanging in the basement of a friends house, listening to music and trying to be productive and record something. Or “Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control,” which transports me back to sitting in a friends SUV at a cabin, on a rainy night, listening to the song and discussing the themes in the song. It’s music that is so powerful that I forget what sounds are going in my head and instead my mind just fills it with the memories it used to accompany.

Yeah, I think that would constitute as a pretty kick-ass album to me.

8. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra

A lot of people, when making their lists for best albums/songs of the decade, stuck to one artist, to talk more about other artists and share a bigger variety of what they enjoyed. I get that. But another part of me also says, “fuck that.” Frank Ocean made 4 great projects this decade, so I’m gonna talk about why I loved each one so much! This one was a complete and utter replay bonanza from the first listen. It just contained so much substance and uniqueness to it that I couldn’t get enough of it. And one of the first instances where I immediately kept replaying it, without giving myself time to digest and listen to other things. And the first instance where it did not sway my opinion of it one bit. And a case, shamefully, that I immediately started singing and thinking of the Frank Ocean versions of all the covers on the album. The way he reinvigorated already existing instrumentals with his beautifully nuanced, light, but powerful voice, was an addictive thing for my brain to come across. And there was something about his voice that just made you want to blast your vocal chords trying to belt the vocals along with him. I don’t know if my singing got any better, but it certainly had not experienced the work out quite like it before I discovered this mixtape. And now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a concert I have to perform inside my car.

7. Darkside - Psychic

How do we typically describe music in writing? Usually words cannot truly replicate sounds, so we resort to comparisons of material that is well known, like the influences and recognizable sounds. But how about for albums that are truly one of a kind and explore new realms not previously charted? That’s the conundrum when describing the music on Darkside’s first (and sadly, probably, only) album, Psychic. But I think I’ve come up with one word that tries to do it justice: Movement. The play with movement, and all that word encompasses, is ever present in this 45 minute sonic adventure. From the opening track, where it starts with a slow jaunt through an unknown, desolate atmosphere, trying to gather your thoughts about where you are. It’s very dark, and you have to adjust your eyes. Then as more starts to come in focus, you start to walk a little faster, with a little more urgency, trying to discover more you can. You get a little tired, so you take a break. Then, when the sun comes back up, more and more starts to come into focus, and your heart starts to race faster and faster trying to uncover more about this strange new place. You start to run now. Everything is new, and exciting, but also strange and somewhat lonesome, as there are no recognizable faces anywhere. You slow down and start to recognize the time scale, and realize that you have time to discover more, and rest after an eventful first day. And that was just the first track!!

Darkside plays with movement more throughout the album, with the sharp panning present in “Sitra” to the marching style beat of “Heart,” to the circuitous and chaotic, wandering nature of “Freak, Go Home.” This movement is so visceral, so real when it happens with all the organic, fresh new sounds, along with some distinctive, comforting guitars and sparse but thunderous vocals. Music that makes you want to move your legs and feet, but also makes you want to move your environment around and experience it under new conditions to discover even more than you previously thought was present. And I implore you to do that last thing. Listen to this alone, in the dark, at night. Listen to it first thing in the morning. Listen to it in a new country. Listen to it on a train. Listen to it in a crowded room, full of people. And then, maybe, you will start to understand why I describe the music with that one word. Or maybe, you’ll find another way to describe it.

6. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

This is an introspective album. I don’t think there would be much argument about that. So as a result, when I think about it or I replay it, I always go back to the time that I discovered it and really started listening to it for the first time. That coincides nicely with a huge period of my own personal growth and introspection, right smack dab in the middle of college. I remember the apartment, the exact shade of brown in the desk I first listened to it. I remember the long philosophical discussions late into the night I had with my 3 outstanding, unique, and role-model worthy roommates. And this music was the the one accompanying these discussions in the back of my mind. 

The album cover appropriately describes the landscape the music invokes. Not only because Justin Vernon famously crafted his previous album at a cabin deep in the woods. But because the music in this album so expertly capture the essence of the outdoors, of exploration, and of different weather patterns (mostly of spring and autumn in my mind). And as a result of all that introspection, I kept on yearning to learn more about not only myself but the world around me. To discover new distant, uncharted territory. And thanks to this album, the new didn’t seem all that frightening, because I had this to accompany me and remind me of all the enormous mental growth that I already had, along with all the important people who helped me discover more about life.

5. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

Stories work extremely well in the album format. Personal anecdotes, conversations, thoughts, and showcasing events are a brilliant way to understand someone and follow along on their journey they describe. But after that, what gives an album replay value? There has to be a human element to it too, to draw the audience back in again and again. And this album is a masterclass in that art, not only taking us through a vivid journey of Kendrick’s upbringing, but also attaching a humanistic and empathetic element to it, all while talking about subject matter that not many people experience. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst” is just one (albeit grand) example of this. The track takes us through this incredibly vivid story and introspective moments, pulling back on the instrumentals and giving Kendrick the reigns to speak from experience, poetically, metaphorically, and directly all at the same time. And the album is littered with moments like this in each track. It’s digestible in different segments of each verse, in each song, each telling a different story but one that’s all the same in the same essence. And all the while, allowing us to get enveloped in the stories and make us feel genuine emotion about this stranger, and possibly, to an entire population that experiences similar things to this. I’m not sure if that’s ever what is the intention of the artist, but that’s the power of music. Release it and see what happens, and if it speaks to even one person then I’m sure it’s just as impactful to them as releasing all their emotions into making the music itself. Just one of the lasting impacts this album will always have. The power to connect. The power to escape. But, more importantly, the power to empathize.

4. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

R&B went through an incredible journey this past decade (just look at this list for a small glimpse into some of the stylistic shifts). But at the end of the day, love, emotions, heartbreak, and relationships encompass the life-blood of this genre. Each artist has their own way of conveying these themes, under different instrumental backdrops, under different vocal rhythms, and under different metaphors and stories. As far as the 2010s are concerned, no one did it better than Frank Ocean. I said earlier that the most powerful music sticks with us because it elucidates such strong emotions out of us. And as far as love and relationships are concerned, Frank Ocean has been the soundtrack to that part of my life this past decade. The lows, the highs, and everything in between, has been thought about and experienced with a song or twelve from Frank Ocean. These emotions we have are extremely personal and hugely vital to our growth and shape who we are and who we want to become. Because relationships are inevitably experiences with someone else, and there’s no better way to learn and grow than to do it with someone, or learn from someone else’s experiences. So the subject matter must be dealt with care and contain some type of believable sense of vulnerability, otherwise we will discard it like other fleeting music. Frank makes a lasting impression for all of us because of this vulnerability and genuine emotion in every song, every verse, and every note he sings. 

Just as Frank’s music allows us to hear another persons story, experiences, and emotions, it truly feels like it does more than that, and even lets us show our emotions back to it. It’s just as much the listener as it is the talker. And that’s what truly makes this relationship with his music much more powerful. Sometimes when I sing back the lyrics, I’m singing the same words as him but conveying an entirely different, personal emotion. And it’s a nice, cathartic feeling, to let loose and sing someone else’s song, all the while pulling back the curtain and displaying some of your own pent up emotions. And that’s what companionship is. So thanks for the companionship, Frank, for this decade and the decades to come.

3. The National - High Violet

A lot of this list I have described what has made me gravitate to an artist/album. A lot of the time, there’s a bunch or reasons: emotion, personal connection, and relatability are the majority of them. But for some, like this album, it comes down to something pretty simple: I just really like the music. It’s not that there’s none of the above elements here (the themes of hardships, sorrow, and frustration are readily apparent and relatable), but I’m merely stating how the dominant factor in why I keep playing it over and over again is because my brain just says “yes” to each and every one of these songs in this album. This is a band in a true sense of the word. And each of the 4/5 elements brings character and flavor to the songs. The drums of Bryan Devendorf give each track essential pacing and rhythm, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the instruments to weave in and out of. The basslines from Scott Devendorf are somewhat hidden but ever present in the mix, and round out the frequency spectrum nicely. The guitars and piano from Bryce and Aaron Dessner give the music catchy and notable melodies. And Matt Berninger’s vocals sit atop (or below, i guess) all of this and punches through the songs, providing much of the emotional weight of the tracks. 

Sometimes, you just gotta sit back and let your brain figure out whether the music is good or not. Many times, it will enjoy things a lot for a short amount of time. But sometimes, there will be music that it enjoys every time it’s played. That’s High Violet for me.

2. Jon Hopkins - Immunity

When I first wrote about this album on my favorite albums of 2013 post (yes, I linked to my own writing, all pretentious journalists do it), it only landed in my honorable mentions, not even in the top 15. So what changed? I guess it grew on me. That led me to question what that really even means. Does every subsequent listen form one piece of a puzzle in your brain until enough listens makes you “get it”? Does each listen unlock something that you previously didn’t hear before, and make you appreciate it more? Does each listen have different circumstances and environments surrounding it, giving you a better frame of reference? I think it’s some combination of all three of those things, but it doesn’t happen in the first place unless you really like the music and find it unique to begin with. It can be tough to go back to something your brain seriously dislikes upon the first few listens. Sometimes, admittedly, I move on to other artists and albums quickly because I have this obsession with finding new music and new artists. It gives me joy because I truly believe variety is the spice of life (as cliche as it sounds). Expanding my pallet and tastes has always been a complete joy. So I guess I’m glad, in this case, that there wasn’t (and isn’t) anything quite like Jon Hopkins’ Immunity. Because once I realized there was nothing like it, I kept coming back. Again. And again. And like I said, it grew on me.

I’ve always laughed at the name for a particular sub-genre of electronic music: IDM. Because apparently it stands for Intelligent Dance Music. Now there’s nothing more pretentious than labeling a whole style of music as “intelligent,” but the artists don’t create the labels, the listeners do. And once you understand the meaning behind the label, then it somehow makes complete sense. Because the true meaning of IDM is that it is inherently “cerebral” and better suited for home listening than at a club. And that’s exactly the emotions that circle my head when I play this album. The chaotic rhythms and punchy highs of it are certainly fit for a nightclub. But the tranquil and introspective lows are fit for a dark, anechoic chamber devoid of any human interaction within 3000 miles. So combine the two, and I guess, you have some fine and dandy Intelligent music. 

Like most emotions, you have to experience one extreme to truly understand the other. And it has to happen organically. You can’t force true sadness to experience true joy. The brain is smarter than that. And that’s exactly what happens in this album. The balance between the glitchy noise and chaotic synths and driving kick drums with the subdued pianos, distant atmosphere, and sheer voids are necessary to bring this all together and truly show the dichotomy between the two sides. But even so, all the while, when you leave the album remembering the extremes, you forget about all that happened in the middle. And so you go back and listen again, and this time, you try to remember the stuff in the middle too, because that’s part of life too and sometimes it’s just as impactful. And in essence, that’s what this album does. It is truly an out of body experience, by going through all those highs and lows, making it feel like you endured a life’s worth of emotions in 1 hour and 4 seconds. And then you want to go back and experience it again. Just to feel that euphoric state again. That state that could only be described as

Immunity.

1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

I made a claim to a friend the other day, stating that this was not a great decade for hip-hop. And under several different metrics, like truly revolutionary artists, number of adventurous, stylistic shifts, and impactful albums, it may truly have been a weak one compared to other decades. But one big thing I was overlooking was my frame of reference, comparing all others in the genre, to Kendrick Lamar. And that might be unfair to do. Not only because comparisons are tedious and often an exercise in futility, but because one artist should not define a genre. Even in this braggadocious genre, I think Kendrick would agree that it is not his goal to distance himself from his contemporaries, but merely try to raise the bar higher. To really show the importance of not only this genre, but music as a whole. And for that reason, because of this album, I’d say it was a pretty good decade for hip-hop.

A lot of the music here in this album is not unlike that presented in good kid, m.A.A.d city, being very personal, very reflective of his own experiences and the experiences of the people he is close to. But he takes the messages and themes surrounding these tracks one step further here, developing them under the guise of heady topics such as racism, sexism, gentrification, politics, and ethics, among others. This allows more people in to relate to the themes, and also allows more fodder for discussion and self-reflection. Kendrick also presents these topics as a form of discussion, often presenting both sides of the argument, in order to spark conversation rather than dissonance. And as a result, it was easier to keep coming back and revisiting this album, because it didn’t feel preachy, but rather inviting, both thematically and musically (Not to mention just the sheer awesomeness of the music too).

The best type of empathy is one that actually enacts change. Empathy that is so strongly invoked that it makes you truly think about others and makes you actually change as a person. The kind that makes you a better talker and an even better listener. And that’s the feeling I get whenever I get through this album.

Music, for most people, at most times, is for entertainment, and for escapism, like any other art form. And that’s perfectly fine. But every now and then, there comes a time when I need someone to yell in my face and get me motivated. To have that friend to tell me to change. To shake me a little and implore me to try and make a difference in the world. To help get me inspired. And sometimes, the best way to do that is through the medium of art. Because only art can illuminate the emotions I have been describing throughout this list. Only art can present themes and messages in ways not possible otherwise. And only Kendrick could wrap up all of this into one cohesive, sonic masterpiece, full of intense passion, intricate, nuanced instrumentals, and witty, poetic lyricism. 

Long Live King Kendrick.

[itsleafourie]

My little Endgame.

There is a type of paradoxical creature inside of me.

One second I want to devote my entire life to studying the academics and subjects such as law. Then the next second, my mind wanders off to a destination such as art, literature, philosophy, history and all the shit in our reality that makes us basically question our entire existence. When people ask, “What is your ultimate dream in life?” It always comes down to me wanting to leave the same feeling of questioning and examination of our interpretations of reality, in the minds of our society behind. Basically, I would love to mind-fuck people. For me, the ultimate indication of a wealthy individual is education, intelligence, emotional growth and how great our ability is of interpreting others’ situations and circumstances are, and then implementing this new found wisdom into our everyday lives.

So basically, what I’m trying to say is, I deal with a shit ton of thinking each and every day. For example, asking someone of my age a simple question such as, “How are you feeling?” And then replying with the most simple and common answer of, well, pretty great. For me, it becomes a full on class discussion inside my mind. Every Lea Fourie that every existed starts to debate about different responses. They take things further like, “Why did they ask that? Is it because of my body language? Is body language a natural occurrence or did humans trick themselves into thinking that there is something to look in how a person is sitting? Does this suggest self-centeredness that we naturally assume people are continuously lying to our faces, thus we feel the need to search for a lie? Is the way I’m reacting to this body-language debate initiating anxiety? Is this reaction an indication of my childhood trauma of feeling isolated from my fellow peers? There must be some phycological explanation…” And the discussion never seems to stop.

Listen, I’m not a self-breed mess of anxiety and stress. In fact, I respond the same exact way that this average individual would respond. I just have an extra little hidden equation at the end of my answer. Something only I can see. There’s this constant conversation that I’m having with my consciousness. Some breaking-the-third-wall-of-my-personality shit. It doesn’t make me more fucked up than the rest of the world, it just makes me a little more entuned with my nature, emotions, and thought process.

Or maybe I’ll be one of those adults at the reunions who speaks frantically about the world ending in 13 hours because of some government based disease being bred on the Antarctica plate or some shit. You know, one of those individuals who spits some freaky truth about the capitalistic system messing up our society, environment and phycological selves, even though the original conversation was only about the prices being lifted at our school’s tuckshop. I take a mundane complaint like an expensive muffin to the next level. Hell, to the 87th level. Within a minute of that convo being born, I’ve got you questioning your entire contribution within this system and shaping you into a conspiracist against the world economy. Just like that, an average muffin goes from being, well, average to some universal weed infused mind-fuck potion that got you hating yourself and every person you’ve ever encountered. Within an instant, opinions and this magical train of thought that I experience, gets shared with another individual.

Shit, now that I think of it, maybe a life as a conspiracy-theory ambassador seems quite fitting for me.

Just a PSA, I’m kidding. Or am I? I could be making this entire interpretation of my brain up as we’re going along. Hell, I could be manipulating you into thinking I’m some profound individual who’s constantly philosophising about the meaning of life. You know, someone who just casually discovers what the meaning of the universe is while collecting my Ice Gelado at our local Vida E Caffe as a study break, with almond milk of course, being lactose intolerant. (Now that’s some next level capitalistic first world problem.) Got your train of thought speeding now, don’t I? Relax, I can confirm that I am, in fact, a truthful and over-analysing bitch (with a huge diary allergy problem.)

And discovering the meaning of the universe is more of a bedtime self-care activity.

I’d rather be some mentally-confused goose who’s constantly on a wild chase for some new profound intelligence than some fucktard that refuses to accept any possibility of an opinion or statistic or story or reality that might challenge his precious values and viewpoints of life. I say it’s against our nature to live such shallow and empty lives. Let us live lives with constant pain, disappointment, change, arguments and discoveries. Let us live lives full of experiences.

To come back to the original message of this discussion: I am a living paradox. It is because of these constant conversations inside of me that I am like this. It feels like the parliament of South Africa throwing around chairs and yelling out insignificant remarks up there. But somehow, it all works. Somehow, I’m sitting in the chair enjoy this wonderful scene of word violence going on. It amuses, frightens and excites me, all at the same time. Maybe the comparison to the parliament isn’t quite accurate, considering that my version is more a continuous friendly (but violent) banter about newer and more improved versions of opinions and ideas. It’s liberating, it’s empowering and it’s wonderful. Less than a negative parliament attacking each other and more like the legendary fight scene in Endgame. My friend, I am not a person who gets emotional about Marvel films, but that scene got me feeling some type of way. It’s this fight inside of my brain about better and newer ideologies that excites me, because that means growth and change is coming. This debate got me sitting on the edge of the seat, throwing my popcorn everywhere and admiring how these empowering women are fighting together for a common goal of a better future. Did Lea Fourie just compare the biggest blockbuster movie of 2019 to her own imaginative reality of self-growth? You sure right I did.

You see, if I wasn’t challenging myself by writing this piece, I would have never made this ground-breaking discovering of my own little Endgame. And, to be honest, I developed a little insecurity about my writing over the years. It started in grade 7, when I realized that a noticeably amount of 13-year-olds were getting a lot better marks for their essays about the Colourful Caterpillar than I was. It was because of this, that the fear of putting myself out there and improving my writing became something I avoided. Even though I loved reading and telling stories, it scared the living poop out of me to phantom my thought constellations  into physical words. I’d rather prefer them hanging up in the night sky, than ever physically exanimating and studying them. I acknowledged that they were there, but I just kept looking at the ground whenever they would come say hi. So here’s this one side of little Lea, anxious about writing stories trying to drown out to other Lea, who is in love with the idea of writing stories. What a bittersweet tragedy.

Because of this fear and weird paradox inside of me, I just decided to ignore all confrontation. I ignored everything that could possibly produce some type of outcome or conclusion surrounding my writing skills, because I was scared that it would threaten what I already know. I was so sure of my poor writing skills, that the idea of improving or discovering a further love for writing, scared me. The idea of challenging what I thought and how I thought others viewed my writing, really made me curl into a small anxious ball. It’s like believing that strawberry milkshakes are the best flavour, like, ever. But then you taste the chocolate flavour and you got yourself questioning your trust in your taste buds. Then shit gets even more wacko and you get introduced to the love of your life, coffee. You lived your entire childhood almost religiously knowing chocolate and strawberry milkshakes are the dominant drink, and now with this new founded caffeine addiction, your entire meaning of existence is falling apart. On top of that, you realize you’re fucking lactose intolerant. Thanks universe, now I’ve got a Romeo and Juliet vibe happening between me and my childhood crush, and I’ve got an addiction. (Sometimes, even a working stomach)

This paradox stretches to whenever I should focus on my school work or on my artistic elements. Should I care what others think or should I focus on what I think of myself? Do I like genuinely like the trend of Netflix and YouTube or am I forcing myself to enjoy this act of staring at a screen for some temporary distraction, just so that I can fit in with my peers? Do I actually enjoy Instagram or am I just using it because people deem it as a necessity? Is Nickelback actually a good band or does the only reason why I avoid listening to their music is because of that godforsaken vine. I mean, according to countless graphs (tehe), our generation is the most entuned with other’s opinions or stories. But does this mean that we should implement these elements onto our own personalities? Must we accept this as constructive feedback? Or should we see it as a negative factor, something that is destroying our self-assurances and negatively influential our daily choices? Got the train of thought working at full-speed again.

This paradox-mess is the fuel behind the fire that sparks these weird ass debates inside my head. And I love it. This paradox enfuses different interests and opinions to form inside of me. This paradox is confirmation that no matter how hard I try, I am always going to be on the search for change or for something new. I think, the reason why I’m so hesitant to embrace this paradoxical mess is because our modern society despise indifferences and the feeling of the unknown. We are all programmed to think that we are equally special, equally constructed, equally wired and just equal in every single way possible. But, it’s honestly just a façade to ensure economic and capitalistic success, if you ask me. Equality does not mean that everyone in our society has the exact same contributes and attributes, it just means that even though we have such a vast diversity of qualities in our genetic codes, we still need to treat everyone with the same equal amount of respect.

I say embrace  your paradox. Embrace your uncertainty and your questioning. Never stop asking questions and never stop admiring the wonderful parliament fighting inside of you. It’s what makes us human, after all.

[michael-radi-the-glamorous-life]

"Get Your Education, Don't Forget From Whence You Came"

Lin-Manuel Miranda has often spoken about origins: His own, his family’s, his musicals’, Alexander Hamilton’s, etc. He has written about them in lyrics, including the one above from “Alexander Hamilton” and his well-noted “we were that kid” rap in the 2013 Tony Awards opening number: “Bigger.” It’s a common theme of his interviews, whether he is the interviewee or the interviewer. Clearly Mr. Miranda seems to think our origins are important.

And I agree.

Particularly when it comes to the arts and educating young people. I firmly believe that our experiences and exposures as children have an incredible and lasting impact on how we interact with art for the remainder of our lives. And this includes formal and informal educations, extracurricular activities, time experiencing art with family and friends, exposure to all forms of entertainment, financial abilities, general access, community practices, and much much more. Every experience in life involves art in some way, and every exposure is another puzzle piece in a child’s education.

So how do we best serve young people? What kind of education do they need or should they have? What if some want to pursue the arts and others just want to enjoy them? What about those who have fewer resources available or greatly reduced ability to access art? Where does it all begin?

Once Upon A Time…

Most artists that I know or that I have heard interviewed (and I listen to many a podcast!) have a certain experience in their lives they can point to as the moment where they realized they could be or wanted to be an artist. An “Aha!” moment, if you will. And for many this is true.

However, I find that when I am asked this question, I cannot put my finger on one moment. For me it was more a collection of experiences.

I grew up in Central NY in a time and an area where arts education was not just not a focus, it was relatively lacking. And I only know now how lacking it was because of living in other places and seeing what kind of access children had, and have, in other areas of the state and country. Yet here I am.

How did that happen?

I had a decent music program in school and was given the ability to study music outside of school through a Yamaha early childhood program, but that was the majority of my music education. We did not have a robust theatre program, though one did exist and I did take part. Our area placed little emphasis on visual art, though I was privileged to grow up with a professional artist and art teacher as a grandfather. Boys in my area were not encouraged to do much more than play an instrument, and I was often made fun of for singing well and enjoying anything else artistic. And boys certainly did not dance (unless you count avoiding a tackle on the football field, that is).

So if I didn’t grow up with the opportunities that many grew up with, how did I end up an artist? How do people with far fewer opportunities than I had end up as artists? Where did these educations come from?

From what I have gathered as an artist and an educator, it comes down to 2 main things:

It’s All Relative

It is no secret that family plays an incredibly important role in the development of children, and where the arts are concerned it is no different. The opinions and attitudes of our families toward the arts are very powerful and influential - not just in a general sense, but also in terms of what we are ultimately exposed to and how our tastes develop.

If you have parents who love movies and take you to them often, chances are that you will have a particular affinity toward movies. If you have siblings who tease you or anyone else who does theatre, you may stray away from stage performance. These are, of course, very general statements and patterns, but they should sound relatively familiar (familial?).

But now I’d like to broaden the definition of family past blood relation to also include anyone a child trusts, feels comfortable with, respects, spends large amounts of time with, and feels love for.

How does this broader definition begin to redefine our education and exposure? Does this increase a child’s chance of experiencing more? I believe so.

The people we spend the most time around have the greatest influence on us. And those people may come in and out of our lives as we grow and develop, but they are a huge piece of our educations as people. And if those people have opinions about art, they will influence our opinions about art.

As children we may not have much control over the types of people we spend the most time with - generally the adults in charge of a child’s care have that control - but as we grow older we can begin to make those decisions for ourselves. And by seeking out people, opinions, and experiences that are different than our own, we can increase our exposures and give ourselves a better education.

People say that you can choose your family, and in the arts this tend to be true. We often call our artistic families our “people” or our “tribe.” We all enjoy spending time with people who share our beliefs and our passions, and these people remain a tremendous influence on us long after they are gone from our lives.

Formative Experience

As an arts educator, I continually marvel at how young people talk about their most formative experiences. And the reason I marvel? Most of them began as casual, everyday experiences which suddenly sparked something new within them. A movie. A play. A song in chorus. A Youtube video. A random TV show they scrolled onto. A painting. A building. A particularly excellent day. It could really be anything at any time.

And this is what makes this category tough, especially from a parental point of view.

You never know what is going to be a life-changing experience for a child, and you cannot possibly give every child every experience. Variety is the key.

The more that we are able to give to children, especially experiences that will be brand new to them, the more they learn and grow. How can they possibly know the depths of what they will and will not enjoy if they haven’t seen or heard or felt them yet?

And of course this is where our education and economic systems in this country fail our children. Where you grew up and where you live have an astounding impact on what you are able to experience. If we could fix this (no small feat), a variety of exposure would be available to everyone and our entire society could be more educated and well-rounded. As it stands now, we can only do what we are able for the young people in our lives.

Wait, But What About You?

I began by saying that I did not have one ultimate experience that brought me to this path, but many. So how have Family and Experience shaped me into who I am? In too many ways to write down, but here is a little taste:

Family

My grandfather was a Visual Artist and an Art Teacher

Multiple family members Sang and Played Piano, and often

My family was heavily involved in the artistic-based sport of competitive Baton Twirling - my sisters were champions and my mother taught and judged competitions (and still does!)

We all loved to watch Musical Movies - they are some of our most played VHS tapes

My father often sang Musical Theatre references - something I wouldn’t understand until I was much older - which came down to him from family members singing often in his childhood

Musical ability was genetically passed down from both sides of the family

My mother was always with me at my Yamaha classes and for my at home practices

I found my first Theatre Family in middle school and it was life-changing

Etc.

And there is so much more! My biggest takeaways here are that, yes, I was surrounded by artistic influences in my family, but I was also incredibly well-supported. I am quite lucky.

Experiences

In first grade, seeing the High School put on a production of one of my favorite musical movies: Annie

My third grade field trip to the 1 nearby professional theater, the Cider Mill Playhouse, to see Little Shop of Horrors

Watching every musical Disney movie in theaters (from Beauty and the Beast onward)

Playing piano in general, but particularly Christmas carols with my mother and then later realizing I could play musical theatre songs on piano as well

My fourth grade chorus teacher encouraging me to audition for the American Boy Choir (I got in but did not attend) and to write my own piece of music (my very first!)

Getting my first solo in a choir concert in fourth grade

My first time onstage as the Wizard in The Wizard Of Oz

My first lead role as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 7th grade musical

My first ever Broadway show at 6 years old: Beauty and the Beast

And SO many more

“We Were That Kid”

It’s true. Everyone who is professionally in the arts was once a kid who lived for as many artistic experiences as we could possibly get our hands on. We found something that sparked life and joy and energy and desire into us, and we asked for me. And luckily, we got it.

Every child should be so lucky.

As an arts educator I try to do 3 things:

Encourage young people to find what excites them.

Encourage parents to encourage their children and their children’s passions.

Provide as much variety in their education as I am able.

Even if only a handful of my students go on to do this professionally, they have all received experiences that told them “yes I like this” or “no, I’d like to pursue something else,” and that’s worth every moment they spend learning with us.

Let’s find more ways to provide all young people with as much experience as we possibly can. After all, they are our future.

[musicallyy-inclined]

2017 Year End Ranked 100-91 (or the Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2017)

So, I’m ready to start my first huge endeavor as a music blogger. I’m going to rank the Billboard Year End Hot 100 for 2017, leading up to New Years. The plan is to have 10-20 songs out each day for the next week or so. And I’m writing about all of them. 

This post is kind of special, as it also doubles as a worst list for the year. I debated whether to list these from 100-91 or 10 - 1 as worst songs, but I decided to keep with their overall rating to make the list process more cohesive. So the first song on the list is the worst song, the second is the second worst, and so on. So without further ado, my Top 10 worst hit songs of 2017 are under the page break. I might edit in pictures later, or I might not because these garbage songs don’t really deserve it. 

100. Look At Me! - XXXTentacion

Honestly, **bleep** this song. I hated this from the moment I heard it and I don't think I've ever wavered from this opinion. The beat is the most obnoxious thing I heard this year and XXXTentacion sounds just as pathetic. Also, the lyrical content is hot garbage. From what I can understand, he's begging this girl, who, by the way, is not single, to pay attention to him. And there's a Corbin Bleu reference? Corbin deserves so so much better than this trash. Stupid references to being mormon because he has so many girls and taking a white girl to Starbucks also make my skin crawl. Not to mention, half the song is just “yeah” or “look at me”. It's a pathetic cry for attention and why the public responded I have no idea. Oh, and XXXTentaction as a person is disgusting as well. Beating a pregnant woman is horrendous and the fact that this monster gained traction on the Hot 100 sickens me. So yeah, XXXTentacion is human garbage hiding behind this musical garbage and I won't let this slide. Worst song of the year, no question.

99. Tunnel Vision - Kodak Black

And here we see our second example of a horrible person using an awful song to hide behind. Kodak Black is trash and the way that he tries to play his crimes in this song just confirms that. Have you ever stopped to wonder why “they” don't want to see you winning? Maybe, it's because you are currently accused of rape, did you ever think of that? So yeah, this is an awful attempt at trying to play off his crimes as systemic racism. And honestly, that's what makes me the most mad about this song. The issues of unfair sentences for black vs. white people is a real problem and one that can and probably should be addressed by the media. But the fact that the main song we got on this topic was by an accused rapist who 100% deserves the jail time he will hopefully receive only invalidates this topic and makes a joke of it to those who haven't really considered it an issue. Also, the song is not much better that Look At Me. It is better though, the chorus is kind of catchy and the beat is ok. Of course, Kodak Black ruins this by being completely incompetent on the verses and just sounding like an autotuned mess in general. So yeah, this sucks and is doing negative things to relieve and resolve the racial tension in today's society.

98. Body Like A Back Road - Sam Hunt

I have a lot of feelings about this song, and none of them are good. I don't even hate Sam Hunt, I've found most of his other music enjoyable and some of it might even have a shot at my best lists in 2014 and 2015 (a low shot, but still). But the fact that THIS is his biggest song and the biggest country song since Cruise (which again, I don't hate), makes me so angry. Where do I even start with this piece of trash? I guess the lyrics are an ok place. And honestly, I see no point to this song other than objectifying whatever woman he is talking about. Like, I don't think we get any content about anything other than how hot this girl is and what Sam Hunt is going to do to and with her. I remember that my sister got mad at Shape of You for objectifying women, but at least Ed Sheeran gives her a character. The woman of reference in this song could be literally anybody and the song wouldn't have to change at all. And the music itself combines the very worst of country and hip-hop. I don't particularly care for either genre, and I hate all of the elements that are used in the song. Especially the gang vocals, which seem particularly out of place in a sex song. But yeah, somehow pop radio decided that this was the pop country hit of the summer. It's by far the most relevant and overplayed song on my worst list too, so there's something.

97. Do Re Mi - Blackbear

I'm so confused why anyone cares about this song. Sam Hunt is a big star in country music, so I see why Body Like A Back Road was a hit, and there was enough controversy around the human garbage that I see why it was relevant, but who even is Blackbear? I googled him and he looks like you'd expect a person who would make this whiny mess of a song. Also, apparently he co-wrote Justin Bieber's Boyfriend, so that's a fun fact of the day. But yeah, this song sucks mostly because it's whiny and pathetic. I never saw the appeal to it at all. It's not a direct rip off of the Sound of Music, but it's the only other song I've heard that uses the note names like this, and so we have this comparison, which of course does it no favors whatsoever. Not to mention I saw Do Re Mi written out this other day and this is what I thought of, not Julie Andrews. So yeah, Blackbear is not only making a stupid, whiny song, but he's also ruining one of my favorite childhood songs. So he deserves to be here.

96. Swang - Rae Sremmurd

I wasn't going to put this on my worst list and then I realized how bad it sounded. This is the first song that is here for actually sounding like trash and nothing else. Swae Lee can't sing in falsetto, and that part alone makes this song bottom 10. And it has no redeeming qualities, so here it lands. Other than that though, I really don't care about it, so that's why it's not much lower.

95. Chained To The Rhythm - Katy Perry

If I'm being honest with myself, I've never really liked Katy Perry as much as some of her early 2010s fellow party anthem pop stars (Ke$ha comes to mind), she's kind of been just there. And this, initially, is another one of those just there songs. I think I put on a playlist at one point, and then quickly got tired of it and promptly forgot about it. The production isn't awful, but definitely doesn't catch my eye either. So why is it on the worst list? The lyrics. Listen, just like with Tunnel Vision, there is a place for a song about how influential pop music can be and how most people use it as escapism, but Katy Perry is not the right person to be delivering this, as she has long been a contributor to the mindless pop herself, and even bought into trends like cheap empowerment songs several times. So this is the least believable thing in the world. And she sounds so smug too. It happens every time she tries to have a message other than party on. Roar and Firework have a similar tone and they sour on me with every listen. Katy just sounds so untouchable here and it does not work for the message she is trying to convey. Also, every other single from this album has been a mess as well. So there's that.

94. Cold - Maroon 5

I can't believe that this song is getting the least hate of any of Maroon 5's singles this year. I guess people truly have stopped caring about this band. I know I have. We'll get to their other songs this year in due time, but this by far the one with the least redeeming qualities. This songs is the most ineffective use of minimalism that I've seen this year. I'm re-listening it now and the production is so bad. It's all drums and bass and none of it sounds the least bit interesting. I shouldn't be surprised that Adam Levine sounds completely checked out as well. The lyrical content of this song is not the worst thing in the world, but it needs some genuine emotion behind it for it to work, and Maroon 5 are the furthest thing from genuine I've heard this year. Oh, and Future is here and also phoning it in. I've never really gotten Future, so his verse just feels completely pointless. I guess my point here was that while Don't Wanna Know was a complete rip-off of the tropical house vibes, and we'll get to that, this song showed that Maroon 5 could do far far worse.

93. Issues - Julia Michaels

I think I just recently realized how flawed this song is. We'll get the obvious things out of the way first: Julia Michaels is not a good singer at all, and a minimalistic song was not a good route for her first single. And it's a shame, because she has real songwriting talent, as seen by some of her work with Selena Gomez. But yeah, she is not doing well on this song. And the beat, while better that Cold, also kind of just plods along. I think a song in this vein can definitely be pulled off, but the artist needs to have vocal talent and charisma, which Michaels doesn't.. The lyrical content is also very immature. I remember listening to this song when it first came out because the lyrics were interesting, but I've since realized that they are just stupid. If you judge me then I'll judge you is such a childish sentiment and the fact that this person seems borderline abusive definitely doesn't help this song. This is just a flawed song about a toxic relationship and nothing about it works.

92. Passionfruit - Drake

Ummm, this one is kind of hard to explain. I think it's probably the most controversial choice for my worst list and I guess I understand why some people can tolerate it. I think it just sounds awful. It's mostly the beat, which sounds like music you hear when you are on hold, and that drives me up the wall. And it's not like Drake is interesting enough to make up for the awful waiting room music instrumentation. Apparently this song is about struggling to keep up a long distance relationship. Honestly, the lyrics are cryptic enough that I might not have figured that out, which is kind of an issue because I want to be focused on them over the beat. So yeah, I just personally can't stand this one.

91.   I Don't Want To Live Forever - ZAYN and Taylor Swift

This wasn't originally supposed to be this low, but I moved it down when I realized the potential that it squandered. While I hate everything about 50 Shades Of Grey, I really liked some of the songs on the soundtrack, and so I was excited for the soundtrack to the sequel. But instead of Love Me Like You Do, this was the big hit from the album. And so much of what I said about some of the other songs applies to this. I don't like Zayn to begin with, and after the disaster that was Pillowtalk, I don't know why anyone ever chose him to make this songs. Niall Horan writes better sex songs that Zayn, and that's saying something consider the persona of both former 1D members. But yeah, this is kind of Pillowtalk part 2. The atmosphere is okay, and the lyrical content is fine I guess, but I just can't buy Zayn at all, especially in that falsetto. Taylor sounds okay, but again, if you were going for sexy, this is not the song to put Taylor Swift on. Sure, she can be sexy, but she needs lighter production to pull it off (see Wildest Dreams). Also, there is no chemistry here at all. So yeah, if this was a generic single from a Zayn album, I might not hate it this much, but the fact that it squandered Taylor Swift's potential pulls it down about 25 spots on this list for me. Also, it holds up terribly to overplay, and I (and radio) overplayed it. So yeah, I might regret this in a month or so, but this is bottom 10 for me currently.

[webdesignsemester2]

Layout is KEY

Layouts that let content shine

The arrangement of design elements within a given structure should allow the reader to easily focus on the message, without slowing down the speed of his reading

– Hermann Zapf

With design - it is the most subtle of changes that make the world of a difference, whether it be a buttons interactivity or a tables placement or even a header. Layout is understanding how to make the Users Experience as easy as possible, making sure to not use any of the Users (Mental) energy to work out how to navigate a airline website.  Example?  Lets take Ryanair - me and my father used to use Stenaline to go visit Grandma, eventually we moved Grandma Cleo to Manchester so we could look after her here. So no more Stenaline instead Ryanair came into action. 

2007 the good olds day of chucking whatever the bloody hell you need onto one page, their website was loud and cluttered, with a garish yellow background and overwhelming navigation.  2007 is 10 years ago and we have come a long way since then... 

Landing Page (Book a flight or sign up to myRyanair) 

Different membership packages for each individual type of flyer

The simple layout shows blogs and review as well as 3 important buttons - you can see UX Design has gone into this design. It is simple and easy to navigate!

The footer well - they are always getting better so that is good - it is always good to have a crazy amount of words all doing different things.... but is that fair on the user to have to read all options just to find one simple piece of information... Search bar... maybe? 

The future is here, the art of UX Design came about when people were getting overwhelmed by to much content. 

ALI RUSHDAN TARIQ 03.04.15 7:30 A

Think about the last time you ate at a restaurant. 

What cuisine did it serve?

What made you to choose that particular restaurant? 

What was your first impression as you walked in? 

Were you asked to wait until you were ushered to an available seat? 

How was the menu arranged? 

Did food come quickly enough?

How did it taste? 

How was the customer service? 

Would you go back again?

Your answers to these questions, including all the emotional highs and lows, encompass the restaurant’s user experience (UX).

However, when people use the term UX, they’re usually referring to one’s experience with a digital or technological product or service. The implication is that the user’s experience has been designed and is, at least potentially, further designable.

Today, UX has grown into an important design discipline that continues to grow and evolve. And while it’s fairly new, its multidisciplinary history can be traced all the way back to the Renaissance—if not earlier.

To think about where the much debated-practice of user experience design will take us next, it’ll help to take a look back at some of the key events in its meandering evolution.

Early 1900s: Taylorism and the Industrial Revolution

Frederick Winslow Taylor, a mechanical engineer and one of the first management consultants, authored

"The Principles of Scientific Management,"

a widely influential study of engineering efficiency. Along with Henry Ford’s pioneering mass-production techniques, Taylor and his supporters shaped the early vision of what interactions between labourers and their tools should be like.

1948: Toyota and the humanising of the production system

While Toyota, like Ford, valued efficiency in engineering and production, it also sought its employees input. The assembly workers’ contributions were valued greatly—almost as much as the technologies used. The roaring success that Toyota experienced as a result brought new attention to the role of human interaction with technology.

1955: Dreyfuss's Designing for People

Henry Dreyfuss, an American industrial designer, wrote the classic text

Designing for People

.

In it, he writes:

When the point of contact between the product and the people becomes a point of friction, then the industrial designer has failed.

On the other hand, if people are made safer, more comfortable, more eager to purchase, more efficient—or just plain happier—by contact with the product, then the designer has succeeded.

1966: Disney and the role of joy

In a very early-stage announcement of what would later become Disney World, Walt Disney described the project as "always in the state of becoming, a place where the latest technology can be used to improve the lives of people." His imaginative use of technology to bring people joy continues to inspire user experience designers today.

1970s: PARC and the design of personal computers

Xerox’s famous research arm, PARC, gave form and function to the design of computers for human use. Bob Taylor, a trained psychologist and engineer, led his team in building some of the most important and enduring tools of human-computer interaction, including the graphical user interface (GUI) and the mouse.

1995: Don Norman, the first user experience professional

An electrical engineer and cognitive scientist by trade, Don Norman joined Apple to help with the research and design of its upcoming line of entered products. He asked to be called "User Experience Architect," marking the first use of the term in a job title.

By this time Don Norman had also written his classic book, The Design of Everyday Things, which championed design for usability and functionality rather than aesthetics. It remains hugely influential for designers today. 

A brief jump into history lets me gain some insight into just how new all these concepts are... 1995 well I was born that year - I couldn’t really tell you what my user experience was like back there but my question is... 

Why only now are we caring about this user and its experience?  Is this something that is engraved deep within us to want to have experiences and go through particular emotions. 

At the end of the day design and user experience is about giving off a message with that message comes emotions and feelings to want to go and do a particular thing or action. 

Here is a good example: 

http://www.thefourthphase.com/

However the sound does get annoying if left on.  The movement of the mouse is really quite sleek.