#yes I'm hopping on this trend

[glass-needles-and-futurisms]

So Muse's second album Origin of Symmetry was originally released in 2001 worldwide, except in the United States where it came out four years later. The band had a creative conflict with their American label who wanted them to rerecord some songs, tone down Matt Bellamy's signature falsetto and make it sound more like nu metal which was

[freezeher-moved]

diary of a preacher's daughter on netflix. ©

[tastesousweet]

⭒ blurb : roommate!hamzah goes bald .. & "we listen and we don't judge"

roommate!hamzah x poc!reader

summary : blurb and smau in which hamzah is bald now and roommate!reader begs him to do the tiktok trend "we listen and we don't judge"

mickey speaks : hiii love u slushies & more of my hamzah works can be found here <3

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youruser

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yourusername this lyfe toooooo sweet 💭❤️

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enyaumanzor hi ur so fucking cute • ♥︎ by author

yourusername MUUAHHHHH

mandys_iphone my heart skipped a beat • ♥︎ by author

yourusername can i get a little kiss kiss?

thatmartinkid Uh well no cus she's actually my Girlfriend 🤓!

yourusername omg go somewhere else lil boy !!!!!

ynfan ooooweeeeee i needed this yes lawdd • ♥︎ by author

hamzahandyntruther RIP HAMZAH CURLS and HELLO HAMY/N CONTENT!!!!!! #loserscanalsobewinners 🤔? • ♥︎ by author

hamzahthefantastic mmmbruh • ♥︎ by author

yourusername mmmmokay

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--- we listen and we don't judge

you start the video and lean back to get you both in frame, causing hamzah to yelp in panic as he tries to push his beanie down over his head quicker, "wait!" his voice strains and you giggle before cutting the clip.

it cuts to both of you silently staring at the camera before hamzah smirks and makes you both laugh.

"okay this one's serious," you say as you lean back after starting the video once more, entirely overlapping hamzah's space (not that he minds). you grab your notebook from beside you on the couch, "ready?"

hamzah who has been following your movements the entire time, is already looking at you when you look over to him, "girl, i've been ready. you're the one with the giggles"

"the attitude is crazy"

"aht!" he raises a finger while stretching his arm behind you to rest on top of the soft couch, "what do we do?"

you catch on and nod your head with him as you reply together, "we listen and we don't judge"

"right!" he exclaims harshly, catching you off guard, especially when he shakes you by your shoulders slightly. his face drops when you don't laugh and he turns to the camera with his jaw dropped. he shakes his head with a dismissive kiss of his teeth, "wicked reference. you wouldn't get it."

"uh huh, you go first hamzah." he rubs your shoulder before putting his hand back onto the couch to rest.

he clears his throat, "'kay, sometimes when i'm really bored and you're like showering, or something, i move around something in your room. it's like something small you don't notice like switching where a stuffed animal is on your bed or somethin'"

your smile falls the more he speaks, "oh. starting off strong!"

the camera cuts and you're both overly-smiling, "we listen and we don't judge!!"

"when i'm like really hungry..." you look into his eyes, "this is like middle of the night, right, and i'll go into the kitchen and just sneak a bite or two of your leftovers-"

"oh nahhhh, what the hell??? y/n!"

"no! listen! like, if there's nothing else to eat!"

hamzah pouts slightly, "that's just evil, bro"

"you want me to starve? okay, i'll just starve next time and you'll be sorry!"

"no i won't" he squints his eyes, "and don't start that gaslightin-"

the clip cuts to you both excitedly repeating, "we listen and we don't judge!"

"well sometimes when you get home late from hanging out with people i'll hop in bed and fake being asleep because i like it when you sit there and harass me to wake up," he smiles menacingly.

"ew, you're a freak! you like when i beg for your attention???" you question while laughing.

"well yes!"

"we listen and we don't judge!"

"i hid your contacts for like three days once because i thought you looked cute with your glasses on" you say it with a smile as if it wasn't such a devious act.

"what?" hamzah turns to laugh at you, "pardon???"

"we listen and we don't judge."

"well, i got really drunk once and peed in your bathtub."

your face is still before you blink and look at him with a smile threatening to split, "when was this??"

"uhhhh, i dunno. i think like a month or two ago, but martin was using your toilet and i literally couldn't hold it-"

"so you pissed in my tub with martin stood inches away?"

hamzah begins to laugh so hard he can barely get out his breathy, "yes, exactly"

"i actually hate the image you just put in my head oh my god!!!!" you squeal and melt yourself into your cascading giggle-fit and sink further into hamzah's side.

you both laugh together- the kind of laughter that overpowers your entire being, when your eyes are squinted and there is no air in your lungs to produce an abundant sound any longer.

hamzah breaks his hold on you to wipe his eyes and reach for your phone yelling, "turn this shit off"

it cuts to a final clip of you smiling with your head resting on top of hamzah's as you pet his beanie-clad head, "bald!"

"enough!!!" the video gets blurry before cutting off as hamzah manhandles you off of him.

[vintagegeekculture]

I remember a friend of mine had some LPs that were Star Wars themed disco albums, and it brought back a very weird memory from back in the 70s (yes, I'm old!) of listening to a Star Wars disco mashup on the radio. What was all that about? I also remember something like that for Close Encounters, too.

You remember correctly, and this went on for a long while. In 1983, disk jockeys around the country played a record that involved an Ewok rapping the plot of Return of the Jedi in Ewokese. This made it to #60 in the Billboard Top 100.

This is hard to explain to people who weren’t there….but in the wake of Star Wars in the late 70s and early 80s, scifi was so beloved and mainstream that the orchestral music for nerdy scifi and fantasy movies about outer space were remixed and sampled into Giorgio Moroder-esque Italo-Disco dance numbers. And the most astonishing thing is, instead of being consigned to convention acts the way “horse famous” Brony dubstep acts are, this received national airplay on the radio, reached the pop music charts, and were played in discotheques. And incredibly, this continued for years and expanded from Star Wars into Star Trek, Wizard of Oz, Black Hole, Close Encounters….

All of this was the work of one specific person: Meco (or Dominico Monardo). The term “ahead of their time” is thrown around a lot, but Meco really was: a combination producer-songwriter and Italo-Disco pioneer in the style of Giorgio Moroder, he did several things that are now absolutely standard: he used remixes and sampling before hiphop made that standard for musicians, he wrote “fandom music” on a Moog synthesizer decades before Bronies turned their conventions into cringey dubstep concerts with songs like “Everypony Dance Now.”

It's stunning to me that Meco has not been rediscovered, considering every single trend in the culture essentially went his way.

The most startling thing about Meco’s Star Wars disco album, the one that got the ball rolling on this trend, is this: I always assumed it was some kind of cash in created by a record label mandate, a label executive’s completely cynical choice to hop on a hot new trend. That isn’t a crazy thing to think at all, since Star Wars is and always has been the most merchandized and sold out scifi property ever. But it wasn’t! You see, it was all the product of a single man’s specific vision: Meco had to convince his record label to make the record because they were skeptical.

When Meco went to see Star Wars in 1977 on Opening Day (what an experience that must have been) with his friend and fellow Italian chest hair/gold medallion enthusiast Tony Bongiovi, he was already an experienced producer-songwriter who had worked with Gloria Gaynor, Diana Ross, and formed DCA, the Disco Corporation of America. If you've ever listened to Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out," Meco actually played the trombone solo in that song. Seeing the Star Wars movie for the first time, though Meco thought the movie was nothing short of a religious experience. Originally, he wanted to do Star Wars music as a b-side on a Gloria Gaynor album, but expanded the idea into an entire album.

In Meco’s own words:

"When I think about what I did, nobody came to me, nobody said 'Meco, why don't you do this.' Nobody says 'Here's some money go make a record of this movie.' It was just my own... It was magical, it was just out of this world when all that happened."

Not only did this album hit platinum, not only did it actually outsell the Star Wars soundtrack, his remix of the Star Wars theme also went to #1 in the charts. It’s actually the best selling instrumental single of all time. A record, that, incidentally, it holds to this day.

Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, had this to say about Meco:

"In 1977, Meco Monardo accomplished something no one else has ever done to the best of my knowledge. He was the first one in history to out-sell the soundtrack of a motion picture with his own distinctive version of a film's music. The music was totally danceable, and broke new ground. It's no wonder the STAR WARS THEME went to # 1. I loved his treatment of music from THE WIZARD OF OZ. Again, Meco created something innovative. The fun and the excitement gave a whole new feel to that totally familiar and well-loved music."

Like a lot of studio producers, Meco had an insane work ethic and hit when the iron was hot: he did an album about Close Encounters that exact same year, but also did a Star Wars Christmas Album, one of the strangest pieces of Star Wars kitsch around.

One of the most interesting things about the Star Wars Christmas album is that one of the songs, “R2D2’s Wish You a Merry Christmas” is the first professional vocals by John Bon Jovi, who was Meco’s friend Tony Bongiovi’s seventeen year old younger cousin (he was initially known as John Bongiovi). It's incredible to hear a squeaky voiced teen Bon Jovi on a kitsch album about a robot Christmas.

1978-1979 was really his best year. Meco made an Italo-Disco remix album entirely devoted to Superman, and at this point, Meco had the pull to get access to John Williams's sheet music for the score before the music even came out. In my personal opinion it's the best of them because he has to recreate it entirely with his own instruments, leading to a very unique sound.

He also did an album based on the Wizard of Oz:

And a combination album of Star Trek/Black Hole. It's probably the earliest remixing date of Goldsmith pieces of music: the Motion Picture Theme (which is now associated with the Next Generation - hearing it done in Italodisco is uncanny) and the Klingon Theme:

Incidentally, I think the design here of the Meco Enterprise, which had to be modified for legal reasons, would make a wonderful canon starship if anyone wants to be inspired by it. It reminds me of the same concept that would be used in the very next film for the Reliant-class of ships.

Meco eventually retired from music in 1985, but unfortunately he is no longer with us, as he passed into the next dimension in 2023. I think he showed us that creativity is often about transformation, and was inspired to make his art by a legitimate awe of space, the cosmos, and human imagination that the scifi movies of the 1970s and 80s provoke.

[theofficalnarrator]

ohhh I have a request. Dani x y/n established relationship. Maybe them with the other girls or just something cute.

Secret Slips

Summary: The Katseye girls aren't stupid. Daniela's been acting weird. Little do they know that their favorite dancer is dating the guitarist of the rock band Heartbreakers.

Warnings: Y/N is a bad influence, the girls hate reader, a bit angsty, fluffy at the end, attempts at humor

---

The first to notice the shift was Manon. I mean, her and Daniela have been attached at the hip since Dream Academy. The Swiss girl had picked up on her favorite Latina's habits. She knew that Daniela went to sleep around 9, and spent an hour reading before bed. So it was weird when Dani would go an hour early and stay on her phone all night, silently giggling to herself. Once inquired about it, Dani responded with quickly with some excuse about switching to ebooks and reading more comedy books.

The next to notice was Sophia. As the leader and one of the oldest, she was always told of the whereabouts from all the girls. She knew of Dani's old friends and how every other week, Dani and her old friend group from Atlanta would hangout. Once a month, a party may be planned. So it came as a shock of how often Dani seemed to "forget" to tell her when she went out more often.

After that, it was Yoonchae. The youngest had learned to be more observant since her trainee days due to the language barrier. She picked up on body language, tone of voice, but oddly, the most telling was what the girls were listening to on Spotify. Yoonchae followed Dani on Spotify and could see the main dancer's listening activity. On a random Tuesday as Yoonchae opened up her music app and saw Dani's activity she was expecting the usual RNB or Hip Hop. Instead it was a rock.

Lastly, Megan and Lara. The ginger was already one of the most oblivious people ever, however, she was also the most suspicious. Teamed up with the equally suspicious and judgmental Lara, the two were a duo to not be tested with. Being chronically online had its perks. The duo was able to keep up with the latest trends, have fun with Eyekons, and be the first to comment on her fellow member's posts. Thus, it wasn't surprising when they were able to decipher little messages through their friends' posts. However, when Dani posted a pic of her out, at some pier, the cameraperson's identity a secret with the song "Kiss if Off Me" by Cigarettes after Sex, they couldn't help but face an enigma of what the meaning was.

It was all completely and utterly suspicious.

---

"The girls are suspicious", Daniela admitted as her and Y/N sat opposite of one another in a booth. The two had found some small cozy restaurant for a date night, away from prying eyes. The guitarist looked up from their shared milkshake, staring into her favorite girl's hazel eyes.

"Mhphm?"

The Latina rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips as she watching Y/N swallow her drink. "The girls. When we were in the car yesterday, Lara put on Cigarettes after Sex. She doesn't even like rock. Yoonchae posted a pic with the same song. And last night, Manon slept in the bed with me and told me to read her my book. They're catching on to our lie."

"You slept with Manon?"

"Oh, shut up", the Latina threw her napkin at Y/N who softly chuckles. She grounds her expression after seeing Dani's serious and worried face. "I'm tired of lying to them."

Her girlfriend sighs, leaning over and intertwining their Hans together. " We have to, Dani. You know how the ru-"

"The rules. Yes, I'm well aware, Y/N" Dani responds, her tone curt. She sighs, realizing how she sounded as she brings her hands to her temple. "I'm sorry... I'm just- I really like you. I'm want to see you more often."

Y/N nods. "Trust, I feel the same. I mean, Lara and Manon have done stuff with others, so what's the difference between us?" The guitarist know how stupid it is. The look her girlfriend gives solidifies it.

The guitarist was someone that the girls probably would never approve of. With a cocky attitude, Y/N donned a wardrobe dominated by sleek black leather and vintage band tees, effortlessly merging edgy style with a hint of allure by showing off her body, tats and piercings. Her bold flirtatiousness left a trail of captivated admirers, but the Heartbreakers, the band she fronted, had a questionable reputation. Despite being less than a year old, they had already made waves with catchy rock songs. Bangchan was notorious in the press for his late-night escapades with random women, while Taesan faced backlash for lyrics that seemed to promote reckless lifestyles. Yuta had even clashed with an interviewer over a rude question, further adding to their controversial image.

Sophia was at the forefront of chastising their fellow Geffen group. The other girls didn’t seem to care as much, but if they ever discovered the truth, they would undoubtedly side with Sophia without hesitation.

Y/N gave Dani's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Forget about them, hon. Come on, let's make the moment special," the rockstar grazes her calloused thumb over Dani's delicate knuckles. Dani softens, returing the squeeze. The topic of the girls is a gnawing presence for both of them, but they continue with their date.

---

"Okay, yeah, drop me off here," Daniela says, pointing to a curb. Dani wanted to make sure that the Kats didn't see Y/N, so after every date, she would have her girlfriend drop her off a block away. The neighborhood the girls lived in was safe enough to walk in at night, but Y/N was still a bit scared for her girlfriend. She would loiter around in her car until she saw her girlfriend safely enter her house.

Dani makes her way to the driver's side, Y/N already smiling. The two lean in to exchange a sweet kiss.

"Love you," Dani murmurs against the guitarist's lips.

"Love you too," Y/N replies, her heart fluttering. She watches as Dani steps out of the car, her silhouette illuminated by the streetlights.

"Text me when you get inside, okay?" Y/N calls out, her voice laced with concern.

"Promise," Dani replies, giving a reassuring wave before heading toward her house. Y/N waits, her eyes fixed on Dani until she reaches the front door. She watches as Dani fumbles with her keys, a small smile creeping onto her face.

Finally, Dani opens the door and turns back to wave one last time. Y/N waves back, feeling a mix of relief and affection. Once Dani disappears inside, Y/N takes a deep breath, her heart still racing from the evening's excitement.

Once she gets a text, Y/N takes a u-turn on the street and starts driving towards her own group's house. Dialing Yuta's number, Y/N multitasks her hands. One on the wheel the other holding her phone.

"Hello?" Yuta's groggy voice comes through the speaker of Y/N's phone.

"Hey, bro, I'm heading home."

"How was the date?" Y/N can't help but smile. Dani was a soft spot for the normally nonchalant and cocky girl. The night was fun (minus the Katseye part). As Y/N turns a corner, she moves her phone onto the passenger side seat, occasionally looking over and then back to the road.

"Fine. We talked, we ate. Thanks for the restaurant rec... God, she's so fucking beautiful—" Y/N's simping gets interrupted when she notices the soft material under her phone. Dani's jacket. The dancer had left it in her car, and Y/N knew it was her girlfriend's favorite one. It was a Playboi Carti jacket that Manon had gotten her. "... Uh, hey, Yu? Dani forgot her jacket in my car. I'm gonna drive back and give it to her, 'kay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Just text me when you're gonna leave, 'kay? Drive safely. Love you... say it back, bitch."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too."

Y/N shivers as she steps out of the car, locking it with a click. She clutches her girlfriend's jacket tightly in her hand, the cold California night air seeping into her leather jacket and prompting her to pull it closer around her body. She makes her way down the street, eventually slipping through the large fence surrounding the Katseye house. Dani had once given her a map detailing the locations of all the motion cameras and windows when she needed to sneak inside.

Y/N has always felt conflicted about doing this. Part of her felt like a secret agent in a spy movie, skillfully deceiving and evading surveillance. The other part felt like a stalker, creeping around in the shadows. As she reaches the backyard, she peeks through the bushes at one of the windows. Inside, the girls are gathered in the living room, engrossed in a TV show, their backs turned to her. Daniela is nowhere to be seen, which likely means she's upstairs.

Y/N ties the jacket around her shoulders like some posh kid playing golf, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves as she begins her ascent up the side of the house. The intricate outlines of the windows provide her with footholds, and she carefully navigates her way upward.

As she reaches the second floor, she pauses to catch her breath, glancing down to ensure she hasn’t attracted any unwanted attention. The living room below remains blissfully unaware of her presence, the girls still absorbed in their show.

Finally, she spots the window to Dani’s room, slightly ajar. With a final push, she hoists herself up and slips through the opening, half her body inside the room, the other standing on the house bricks underneath. The familiar scent of Dani’s room envelops her, a comforting mix of lavender and something uniquely her girlfriend.

“Dani?” Y/N whispers, her voice barely above a hush.

Just then, she hears a soft rustling from the bathroom. Her girlfriend wounds around the corner, her hair damp and a towel wrapped around her.

“Y/N!” Dani exclaims, her eyes lighting up in surprise.

“I brought your jacket,” Y/N replies, holding it up with a grin. “Thought you might want it back.”

Dani’s expression shifts from surprise to delight as she crosses the room in a few quick strides, wrapping her arms around Y/N. “You’re the best,” she murmurs, burying her face in Y/N’s shoulder.

Y/N chuckles, feeling the warmth of Dani’s embrace. “I couldn’t just leave it behind. Plus, I missed yo-"

A ding comes from Dani's phone. The notification sound is a special sound. The sound of the house camera app. Both of them pull away, their eyes wide. Downstairs there's a ruckus.

Dani's eyes dart to her phone, her face pale. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," she whispers, her voice trembling. Y/N's heart sinks as she realizes what's happening. The camera app notification means someone has triggered the motion sensors downstairs.

The sound of footsteps and muffled voices drifts up from the living room, growing louder by the second. Dani's eyes lock onto Y/N's, a mix of fear and panic written across her face.

"We have to get you out of here, now," Dani whispers urgently, grabbing Y/N's arm and pulling her toward the window.

Y/N's mind racing, she quickly assesses the situation. They can't go back down the way she came, not with the girls likely to be heading straight for Dani's room. She spots the door to the hallway, but that's a risk too. The only option is to get out the window and find a new way down.

Without hesitation, Y/N turns and begins to make her way back out the window, her heart pounding in her chest. However, Y/N seems to miscalculate a step and falls with a gasp.

Y/N lands with a soft thud on the grass, the impact jarring her for a moment. Just as she regains herself, she hears the unmistakable creak of the back door swinging open. Before Y/N can even move herself off her back, she feels bright lights unmistakable to those of phone cameras and a foot pressed against her chest, pushing her down. "Stop! Don't fucking move!", The voice is of Sophia's and Y/N guesses the foot probably is too.

The rockstar raises her hands while her heart races as she stares up at Sophia, who looms over her with a fierce expression. The other girls, are gathered behind Sophia. As Yoonchae moves her camera light, Y/N's face come into view. The girls stop their actions, their faces a mix of confusion, anger, and shock

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sophia demands, her voice low and dangerous, making Y/N flinch. So, when her girlfriend said her members didn't like her, she wasn't lying. The other girls exchange glances, their eyes darting between Y/N and Dani, who stands frozen by the window, her face pale.

"I—uh—" Y/N stammers, trying to gather her thoughts. The weight of Sophia's foot on her chest feels like a physical manifestation of the pressure building in her chest. "I just came to drop off Dani's jacket," admitting the truth. Sophia narrows her eyes, clearly knowing its not the full truth.

Dani steps forward, her voice shaky but determined. "Sophia, wait! It's not what you think. Y/N was just—"

"Just what? Why were you with someone like her?" Sophia interrupts, her tone sharp. Ouch. Y/N didn't think the Filipino hated her thaaaaat much, but clearly she was proven wrong.

The Latina, still at the windowsill like Rapunzel, breaks her composure at Sophia's words. Dani's eyes flash with anger, and she leans out the window, her voice rising. "Because I like her, Sophia! Y/N makes me happy, and I thought you would understand that."

Sophia's expression hardens, her foot still pressing down on Y/N's chest. "You think I don't want you to be happy? This isn't about that. It's about the fact that you’re hiding things from us. You know how we feel about the Heartbreakers. They have a reputation, and you’re dating one of them!"

Y/N feels a mix of frustration and hurt at the accusation. "I’m not just some fling, Sophia. I care about Dani, and I would never do anything to hurt her or the group." Sophia presses harder into her chest as a warning to stop talking, making the guitarist groan.

"Just-! Take your foot off of her, Sophia! Let's talk in the living room like civilized people!" The dancer's words cause the leader to sigh, finally taking her foot off of Y/N. However, as she gets up as is led into the house, she can't help but think it'd be better if Sophia had just squashed her to death.

---

"Alright, let’s hear it," Sophia says, her tone clipped. "What’s going on between you two?" The Kats were arranged on the larger sofa and across the floor, while the couple was seated across from them on a smaller loveseat.

Dani takes a deep breath, her hand finding Y/N's and squeezing it tightly. "I didn’t want to keep this from you all. I really like Y/N, and we’ve been seeing each other for a while now."

Megan raises an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "But why the secrecy? You know how we feel about the Heartbreakers. They have a reputation for being trouble."

Y/N feels a surge of frustration. "I’m not trouble. None of the guys are. I care about Dani, and I would never do anything to hurt her or the group. I came here tonight to return her jacket, not to cause drama."

Lara scoffs, crossing her arms tighter. "You expect us to believe that? You’re part of a band known for partying and reckless behavior. How do we know you’re not just using Dani?"

Dani’s grip on Y/N’s hand tightens, and she shoots Lara a glare. "That’s not fair! Y/N is not like that. She respects me and cares about me. She's not once made me feel uncomfortable, okay? I thought you all would understand."

Yoonchae, who has been quietly observing, finally speaks up. "Dani, we just want to protect you. We’ve seen how the media can twist things, and we don’t want you to get hurt."

Sophia nods, her expression serious. "Exactly. Y/N, what do you even know about Dani? How long have you been together? What do you like about her?"

Y/N swallows hard, feeling the pressure of their questions. "I know a lot about Dani. She’s passionate, talented, and has the biggest heart. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now, and I like her for who she is, not just because she’s a dancer."

Megan leans forward, her curiosity piqued. "What do you do when you’re together? Do you go out? Do you keep it low-key?"

Y/N nods, trying to convey sincerity. "We keep it low-key most of the time. We go to small restaurants, watch movies, and just enjoy each other’s company.... We went to a restraunt tonight and the for a drive. I want to make her happy, not put her in the spotlight."

Lara narrows her eyes. "And what about your band? You know they have a reputation, right? How do we know you won’t drag Dani into that lifestyle?"

Y/N feels a mix of frustration and hurt at the accusation. "First of all, I’m not here to hurt Dani. I want to support her and be part of her life. I care about her deeply. Secondly, I'd appreciate if you all didn't think so negatively of my group. We're not a bunch of alcoholic assholes that fuck around and party." Dani squeezes Y/N's hand, half in a way to calm her down, and the other to reassure her.

he room falls silent for a moment, the tension palpable as the girls process Y/N's words. Sophia's expression remains skeptical, but there's a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

Megan leans back, crossing her arms as she studies Y/N. "Okay, but what about the rumors? You know how the media can twist things. There are stories about your band that make it sound like you guys are just a bunch of party animals."

Y/N takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "I get that. But those stories are exaggerated. Sure, we have fun, but we’re also serious about our music. We work hard, and we care about each other. Just like you all do here."

Lara raises an eyebrow, her skepticism still evident. "But what about the late-night escapades? The wild parties? How do we know you’re not just putting on a front?"

Dani interjects, her voice firm. "You all know me. I wouldn’t be with someone who didn’t treat me right. Y/N has never made me feel uncomfortable or pressured. She respects me and my boundaries." The girls soften. It was known that Daniela had had previous relationships, all with douchebags. If Dani was supporting Y/N in this aspect, they could accept it.

Ever the doubtful one, Lara speaks up. "But what if things change? What if the fame gets to her head? We’ve seen it happen before."

Y/N nods, understanding their concerns. "I can’t promise that everything will be perfect, but I can promise that I’ll always communicate with Dani. If things ever feel off, we’ll talk about it. We've done it before and we'll do it again like every couple does. I want to build something real with her."

Sophia studies Y/N for a long moment, before sighing softly. Her face is more accepting and has a tinge of friendliness. "Okay, but you have to understand that we’re protective of Dani. We don’t want to see her hurt."

Megan nods in agreement. "Yeah, we just want to make sure she’s safe and happy. It’s not that we don’t trust you, but we need to see that you’re genuine."

Y/N meets their gazes, nodding her head in affirmation. "I get it. I want to prove to you all that I’m not just some fling. I care about Dani deeply, and I want to be a part of her life, and yours too."

Lara uncrosses her arms, her expression softening. "Alright, but you need to understand that we’ll be watching you. If you mess with Dani, we won’t hesitate to step in."

Dani smiles at Y/N, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, everyone. I’m sorry for keeping this from you. I just wanted to protect what we have."

Yoonchae, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, adds, "And if you ever need help navigating this, we’ve got your back. We’re a team, and we want to support you both." sending a smile at the pair. It seemed the couple already had their first shipper. "Just be honest with us from now on. We want to support you both, but we need to know we can trust you."

Y/N nods, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "I promise, I won’t let you down."

The girls exchange glances and nod at one another. The conversation drifts to more comical topics. As it continues, the girls begin to relax, sharing stories and laughter. Y/N feels a sense of belonging wash over her, grateful for the chance to prove herself.

"Now that we’ve cleared the air," Manon says, breaking the silence, "how about we all watch a movie together?"

Yoonchae nods enthusiastically, her camera still in hand. "And I can document this moment! The first official hangout with Y/N!"

Lara rolls her eyes but can’t help the small smile that creeps onto her face. "Fine, but if she tries anything funny, I’m kicking her out."

Y/N chuckles, feeling a sense of belonging wash over her. "I promise, I’m just here for the popcorn and the company."

As the movie starts, Y/N glances at Dani, who smiles back at her, a warmth spreading through her chest. They cuddle and mid-way through Dani lays her head on Y/N's shoulder and Y/N without another word wraps an arms round Dani's shoulders. The two feel content, finally. Nothing to interrupt them.

"... Take your fucking hands off of her."

"SORRY, SORRY, SORR-

"SOPHIA, STOP CHOKING HER-!"

----

Chat I just finished my finals and I'm preparing for my technical interview. I should be working on this, but Dani's more important help

[goldfades]

★ TARGET AND CHICK-FIL-A ─── PB⁵

❪ requested -> "Hey! Just wanted to request a Paige Bueckers story where it’s a compilation of TikTok pranks, like calling her your wife, asking for help with the tampon being stuck, etc. thank you" ❫

─ pairing | paige bueckers x fem!reader

─ warnings | literally nothing but fluff!

⇨ missing out on updates? check out my wcbb masterlist!

You propped up the camera on your water bottle, ushering Paige toward you. She was confused for a few moments before she glanced down at your phone, a smile curving her lips.

"What are you doing?" Paige asked as she glanced at the camera, checking herself out for a few seconds as you laughed.

"Just a TikTok," you reply, grinning as you pressed record. Paige's hands immediately pulled you closer to her chest as she smiled at the camera.

"Hey guys, uh... I don't know what this is-" Paige started as you began to laugh, shaking your head.

You can't help but chuckle at her adorably awkward introduction. "Hey so we're doing that trend where you guess your wife's favorite food, so uh..."

Paige's smiled widened as she glanced down at you, realizing what you were doing. However, she didn't miss a beat, playing along as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Let's see if my wife can actually figure it out, it's a hard one for sure," Paige pulled you closer into her chest as you laughed, feeling yourself blush under her gaze.

You feigned a moment of deep contemplation, squinting dramatically as if trying to read her mind. "Hmm, let me think... Chipotle?"

"Hey, that's a not a food-" Paige spoke before you scoffed, laughing.

You playfully interrupted, "Oh, come on, it counts!"

Paige couldn't hold back her laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Okay, you win, wifey. Cause you know she's the best, she knows me so well."

"Yeah, I do." You grinned proudly at the camera before you clicked the recording, stopping the TikTok.

Paige watched you with admiration before she pulled you in for a sweet kiss before pulling away. "I'm actually gonna make you my wife one day, okay?"

"I'll hold you to that, P." You smile warmly at Paige, feeling a rush of affection for her before she pulled you in for a deeper kiss.

──

You were laying on your bed next to Paige as you scrolled through Instagram, your boredom growing with each passing moment. The day outside seemed to beckon with its warm sunlight, yet you found yourself stuck indoors, yearning for something to break the boredom.

"Hey, what's up?" Paige's voice rang throughout the bedroom but you kept your eyes glued on the screen. "Oh, shit yeah, I'm down for Chick-fil-a, who else is going?"

Your interest was suddenly peaked as you glanced toward your girlfriend, your excitement palpable as you mouthed 'yes' to her. She put her pointer finger up as she continued talking. "Yeah, then we can hit up Target too, I've been cracing a Redbull."

"Paige," you whispered as she glanced toward you, a smirk playing on her face. "I wanna come too, please. Let me come, I want a Redbull too,"

Paige laughed softly before she continued talking on the phone, ignoring your pleas. "I'm down," she quickly glanced at you. "Nah, she's tired, she had a long day."

You immediately gasped in hurt as you shook your head, earning a laugh from Paige. "I'm not tired!" You shouted as Paige's laughter fills the room, and you can't help but playfully pout at her teasing.

"Can I come?" You spoke softly as Paige's expression softened, before sighing heavily. "Please?"

"Yeah, come on, let's go," Paige stopped recording as you rolled your eyes, a smile on your face as you realized Paige had been teasing you all along.

With a smile, you hop up from the bed, feeling a surge of excitement. "I knew it was that stupid trend,"

"Oh did you now?" She wrapped your arms around your waist as you nodded.

You chuckle, nodding as Paige wraps her arms around your waist. "Yeah, you had me going for a moment there. I was going to be really mad,"

Paige leans in, planting a soft kiss on your cheek. "I couldn't resist you though, it's actually embarrassing how quickly I caved."

You grin at Paige's admission, feeling a warmth spreading through you at her affectionate gesture.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[cher-rei]

Girlfriend!Reader does the Tiktok Trend where she calls her boyfriend Jamal musiala husband and he reacts all cute and excited like “damn yeah, I’m her husband”

husband material— jamal musiala [ J.M ]

and even after all the butterflies, I'm into you [still into you– paramore]

pairings: jamal musiala x fem!reader

summary: crumble cookie and a cute boyfriend.

genre(s): flufffffff

[w.c: 615] masterlist

notes: I've arrived!!!

if there was one thing that you loved more than your boyfriend then it was how flustered he got whenever you complimented him. (or when you did anything really)

and today just happened to be one of those days where you couldn't just scroll past a tiktok, not when you had jamal in all his oblivious perfection. so when you guys got back from the mall you rushed to the kitchen to set up your little scheme.

you called him over with the intent to film a cute but simple tiktok while you guys tried crumble cookie since the store just opened in munich. everyone was going crazy over it so the cover up was good enough for jamal to believe, and if you wanted to do something then sure as hell he was going to be there.

trying best to suppress the smile on your face you hit the record button and ushered him into the frame. the box of cookies was in front of you on the kitchen island, jamal's eyes glued to it in curiosity which made you giggle.

“hey guys, so crumble cookie dropped in munich a few days ago so obviously I have to try it.” you tapped the pink box lightly, your lips tugging into smile as he was still so focused on it.

“so my husband and I got–”

jamal’s head snapped to look at you instantly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “what?”

bingo.

you licked your lips and gave him a hum, trying to play it off as cool as possible.

he blinked down at you a few times, a smile etched onto his face but he wasn't sure if he heard you properly or not. he was sure that his brain was messing with him, blaming it on the exhaustion and hunger. “what?”

you let out an awkward laugh at his repeated question, the look on his face making your heart swell. “baby, you can't just say “what”. I'm confused.”

it was jamal's turn to laugh and he turned to look at you fully. “yeah me too.” he watched as you pulled a face at him. “did you not hear what you called me?”

in need of reassurance his hand found yours, the urge to pull you closer itching at him but he held himself back and prompted to question you properly. because maybe he was hearing things.

“my husband?”

your repetition of the title made his heart pound, the clarification sending a rush of warmth to his cheeks. he stared at you for a bit without anything to say as your smile only grew. you laughed playfully and lessened the space between the two of you, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

you looked up at him with a glint in your eyes. “are you not my husband? do you not like it?”

almost immediately jamal had his hands wrapped around your waist. “no shut up, why wouldn't I?”

your hands found their way around his neck. “exactly, so you're my husband.”

“hell yeah I am!” he looked at the camera, the cookies completely out of the question because since when was that ever important. “she's here with her husband. I'm her husband.” he pointed to himself proudly and let go of you and somehow found himself pacing around the kitchen.

you couldn't contain your laughter, not when he was chanting “I'm your husband” over and over to the point where he was giddily hopping around until he was back in frame and cupped your cheeks.

“that makes you my wife, oh my god, I love it here!”

“I'm your wife!” you screamed back in realisation and his smile grew.

“yes, baby I'm your husband!”

[angels-fantasy]

TikTok Filter Prank on Bf!Gojo

Satoru Gojo x Reader

Description: After seeing a girl prank her boyfriend on Tiktok, you decide it'd be fun to prank your boyfriend too.

Details: established relationship between reader and gojo. some tears from dramatic gojo but it's all good

Word Count: 571

also, this was inspired by this tiktok lol

While you were laying in bed, you came across a TikTok of a girl pranking her boyfriend with the eye distance filter. The way she set it up was by asking him to talk about who said "I love you" first while recording with the filter on.

You thought it was funny so you decided to try it on Satoru, who was in the kitchen making lunch.

Hopping out of bed and walking into the kitchen you called out to him.

"'Toru! I wanna do a TikTok with you." You said while leaning over the counter.

He looked at you over his shoulder while cooking, "Yeah? Alright, go sit on the couch baby. I'm almost done."

You smiled and nodded, listening to what he said and sat down on the couch, getting ready to record.

A few minutes later he came into the living room with two plates and placed them on the coffee table in front of you. Before sitting next to you, he kissed you on the top of your head.

"Okay I'm ready, and the food's ready too." He said, throwing an arm around you.

"'Kay." You said and hit record, "So I want you to talk about who said 'I love you' first. It's a little trend going around right now."

You then turned the camera to face Satoru, who was staring off into the distance thinking of what to say.

"It was definitely me. I don't think I was able to hold it in anymore, so that's why I-"

"Wait babe can you look at the camera while you're talking?" You asked, trying to discretely get him to notice the filter.

"Oh yeah - What the hell?!" He gasped, putting his hand up to his eyes and rubbing them.

"Why do I look like that?" He asked while looking at himself.

"Like what babe?" You asked, trying to hold your laugh in.

"Baby please don't do this to me. I know I don't look like that. Why are my eyes so far apart?!"

"'Toru you look normal! There's nothing wrong with how you look."

He put his hands on his face and groaned, "Oh my goodness. Am I not as handsome as I thought I was?"

You were about to answer, but then you heard him sniffling underneath his hands.

Making sure you were still recording you asked, "Are you crying?"

"Yes! I'm crying because I can't believe I look like that. There's no way it's real babe..." He cried.

You began to feel bad. "Wait I'm just messing with you 'Toru! It's just a prank I saw on TikTok!"

He made sure to keep his hands over his face and shook his head. "I don't care!"

Now you really felt bad.

You stopped recording and put your phone down, gently grabbing his wrists to try and pull his hands away.

"I'm so sorry. I was just trying to have fun. I didn't mean to make you cry. I love you." You said, now almost crying with him.

He sniffed, "Really?"

"Yes, always."

He removed his hands from his face, revealing a bright smile and tearless eyes.

"I love you too!"

You made a confused expression, "What the hell? Were you messing with me too?"

Satoru laughed and wrapped his arms around you. "Sorry baby, I already knew about that prank. I just wanted to get you back."

"You're so mean..." You grumbled and hugged him back.

hope you liked it! i love gojo lol i will try to write for him more

[ourpickwickclub]

What has been your favorite season of ‘The Voice’?

Favorite season of "The Voice"? The season I got to kiss Blake.

Were there any collabs that were especially magical on ‘Bouquet’?

Yes, yes! This album was magical and special and a miracle. It's a pure miracle I received these songs. I was like, "What? Again? I get more?"

There was one really unexpected collaboration and that was that Blake Shelton hopped on a song called "Purple Irises." That was pretty special because, you know, everybody wants him.

The other huge collab was this producer called Scott Hendricks who is more of a country producer. But it's not a country record. It's a Gwen record.

How have your dreams grown throughout your musical journey?

The longer I get to be part of the world and try to fulfill the purpose — my purpose — of making songs, you want it more and more and more. Because it's got to be over soon. It's got to be. Once you get that love, once you got to share your life with people, it's hard to stop. The dream just keeps getting bigger in a way, and the gratitude keeps getting more as well.

What was it like seeing yourself as a Lego in Pharrell's movie?

Seeing myself as a Lego is something I never dreamed of or thought would happen in my life. There's a lot of stuff that happened that I didn't think would happen, but that was definitely a shock. Thank you, Pharrell. I couldn't dream that big.

Is there anyone you've collaborated with that you'd like to work with again?

There's never been a time where I haven't like absolutely enjoyed collaborating. Collaboration is when I feel like I shine the most. That's when like I feel like I'm the best. I would definitely go back in the studio with any collaborator that I've ever worked with and write a song. I love writing music. It is the one thing that makes me feel like I'm worthy of something to be on this planet for. I need to keep pressing that button and try to write songs. You want to collaborate, I'm right here, guys.

What are some of your most cherished memories from your No Doubt days?

My most cherished memory of the early days of No Doubt? Have you seen that movie "Finding Nemo"? That character, Dory? That's me. I don't remember anything.

I think one of my cherished memories — if I really, really thought about it — popped in my head right when I was saying that.

I was sitting on the tour bus, and we had been on tour for a while. I was actually making a baby blanket for my sister. I was like sewing this blanket by hand, everyone else was like doing other stuff — I won't say what — and I looked out the window and I see all these girls coming to the concert. I was like, "Oh my gosh, that girl, she's dressed like me." It was just this amazing ... how is that happening right now? It just made me feel like impossibly good.

Who is inspiring you in the music industry currently?

I think there's a lot of good music out there. I kind of went backwards in the last couple of years. As I've been writing this record, I rediscovered a lot of the music I was listening to when I was a kid. Back in the station wagon, going to church, listening to soft rock.

One of my favorite new artists that my son turned me on to is Zach Top. I love that record so much; such good lyrics and voice and melody. I'm going to come and see the concert.

Rapid-fire round:

Favorite type of flower bouquet?

Wedding bouquet.

A fashion trend you'd bring back from the '90s?

Cutoff tank tops.

Oklahoma home-cooked meal or dining out in California?

Oklahoma home-cooked meal. Duh!

Country music or soul music?

That's really hard! I would probably have to go with ... now I'm a grown-up, I'd probably have to say country. Oh my God, they're going to hate me. I'm in love! What can I say?

Red lip or pink lip?

Red.

VIDEO:

https://www.today.com/popculture/citi-concert-series/gwen-stefani-8-before-8-interview-rcna187857

.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

How did we go to "fucking your friends is fine" to incest I'm dying

as someone who both writes and reblogs a lot of posts about sex I have noticed A LOT of people have a mildly annoying trend of hopping on to any post about completely normal and harmless sexual activity and tacking on a "as long as it's consensual!!!," which is well-intentioned but does seem a bit like seeing someone say they're fine eating anything for dinner and chiming in "as long as there's no poison in it!!!!" like, yes, thank you, I understand where you're coming from but the absence of harm was very much implied in the original statement and didn't really need to be specified out loud.

seeing someone jump in to clarify that sex is fine as long as it's consensual and not incestuous is definitely a new one, but given the general state of the shitcourse I can't say I'm strictly *surprised*

[jarondont]

not to hop on the trend, but i'm hopping on the trend

20 notes and i'll make a masterlist (yes, it's super low, because it's time i actually made one)

rules: no more than 5 notes per person, and my own notes don't count

[ask--eggman]

Doctor, are you planning to stop all of these companies putting AI in all their programs? I mean, let’s be honest, your daughter is the ONLY AI worth anything, period. Because you made it, of course. Do they really think they can make something to outdo you?

Funny you mention it, I have actually been thinking about that. As you already know, I'm an absolutely masterful developer of A.I. With my greatest example being my very impressive loyal and efficient daughter. I put a lot of time and effort into her initial creation and thanks to the sheer power of my genius, she even surpassed all of my already extremely high expectations of my skills!

Of course, I create all of the greatest tech, robots and A.I. in the world, nobody else's comes close! I've always looked down on unimpressive, amateuer, inferior things created by anyone else. Even in the very rare cases that they're err, adequate, mine are superior and more impressive especially for all being created by just one extremely intelligent man. No big team needed here!

This trend of everything trying to incorporate A.I. now is just embarrassing. Seeing so many companies trying to hop on and boast that they're sooo revolutionary and groundbreaking, as if I didn't do all of that by myself and way better years ago! Ridiculous failure wannabe rivals of my own companies. If they knew the world's greatest scientific genius behind them, they wouldn't dare try!

And let's not overlook the way it's all so lazily and sloppily regenerative. I'll bet it's leeching on my own work too and turning it into an unrecognizable mess. Absolutely pathetic! Not only do they have nothing to be proud of in the first place, they can't even take all the credit for the results either. Not that they should even want to because have you seen the amalgamated garbage it's spitting out?

Meanwhile, my A.I. is made purely by code and electrons and the source of all its initial knowledge comes right from my own ingenious brain! Then I have said creations gather data based on direct observation and analysis to grow stronger just like me, instead of pulling from a bunch of already existing unreliable sources and mashing it all into incoherent, unintelligible slop.

So yes, I will put a stop to them. When I take over the world, they'll all be wiped all out as mere collateral damage in the process because it will require minimal effort. If any of them try to be so bold and confrontational with their own A.I., I'll have my own obliterate them in no time flat. They'll all realize they never stood a chance against the power of my genius and superior A.I., hoho!

[alarrytale]

With all the respect for your philosophy of not supporting solo H, I am wondering what things are you excited about with upcoming HS4 era that much that you are following those hype accounts (or at least your X algorythm knows you’re intrested)? Please don’t take my ask negatively, I am genuinely curious what makes you excited about H’s new era if it’s not his music and tour? While I totally understand your reasons why you’re not a solo stan, I can’t help myself because H’s music brings me joy the same as his shows whenever I attended them in person or at least during the livestream. But besides that I am a very aesthetic person (that’s the libra in me haha) and I know whatever aesthetics HS4 will bring, it will be strong and memorable and same goes with his promo and photoshoots outfits and it will be a matter of few months until the fast-fashion brands will hop on the trend train and copy pieces H wore.

Hi, anon!

I take no offence to your ask, it's a valid question! I follow the hype accounts because i'm nosy and i like knowing things before everyone else. Like knowing Zayn was going on tour two months before he annouced it. So i don't just follow the hype accounts for H.

Also, i love Harry! I just don't love HS tm or how he got to be HS tm. So what i am looking forward to is basically lots of new content, new discussions, new information, new songs, new fic inspiration and hopefully new gay stuff and gay lyrics!

I miss seeing his pretty face all done up, and i'm interested in what vision he's got for this era, if there’s a theme, what he wears, is he setting trends, and yes, the aesthetic. I'm also interested in hearing him talking about his inspiration, his worldview and i really hope he'll do some fun promo! Or tell new funny stories. I also wonder if he'll talk about Liam.

I also can't wait for tour, because he's just as much an entertainer as he is an artist. I want fan service and fan interactions. He's a stand up comedian. I want to see him be gay, celebrate queerness and to help fans come out. I'm also interested in if they've come up with better ways to promote him than doing PR relationships, and i hope we've seen the end of the worst closeting. I also want to see if he fired his photographer or if he's got new members of the band. Will he wear new jewelry? Will he outgay himself? Will we see him interact more with Louis or talk about him?

I'm basically interested in everything HARRY, his personality, charisma, humour and kindness. We are similar and i relate to him a lot. I'm not interested in any narrative they'll use to promote him, his straightsona, his fake relationships or his music (or acting for that matter).

[catbountry]

Does anybody else remember Pandora? Not the box, or the fictional planet where James Cameron's blue alien cat people live where there's a literal mineral called "unobtanium" that can only be harvested from that particular planet. My man literally called that shit "unobtanium," fucking portmanteau of "unobtainable" and the "-ium" suffix for newer elements. No. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything else I'm writing beyond this point. This is a post about music.

This is a post about the customizable internet radio station Pandora. And also it's going to briefly cover ClickRadio, it's going to talk about my experiences with YouTube Music, Spotify, my own iPod and how I find and listen to music, and how it's a core part of my creative process and I put a bunch of music references in pretty much all of my creative work. None of it being musical, by the way. I can barely carry a tune and I can't play any instruments more complicated than a kazoo.

It also got really long and rambly, look, I'm high, I'm sorry. You've been warned.

It's 2001. I'm in high school. My life looks like this drawing I made a few weeks ago.

Music is a big part of my life. The internet was a lot slower. It would take several minutes to download an .mp3 file of a song that was only about three and a half minutes long, so I would listen to the radio a lot. But the thing about listening tuning into radio is that it's not the internet. You can't pick which song to listen to whenever you want. If you want that, your best bet is to own the songs you want on their physical CD releases, or risk exposing your mom's computer to a million viruses. But in order to skip a song, you have to press a physical button to skip a song. And of course, if you're listening to the radio where you can discover new songs, you can't skip the latest Limp Bizkit or Disturbed track with the vain hope that maybe they'll play "One-Armed Scissor" by At The Drive-In or "Go With the Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age, or any single off of Kid A. Everything you hated the most, hated more than Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys, was all lumped together under the formless "alternative rock" label, which weirdly included hip-hop artists like Eminem, House of Pain, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Gorillaz and Outkast; all stuff that I guess radio stations looked at and thought "yeah, this can appeal to white people."

You know I heard Dynamite Hack's version of "Boyz N The Hood" before I ever heard Eazy-E's? That should be a crime. That should be considered a human right's violation. Fuck you, Dynamite Hack for introducing the entire world to the concept of ironic hipster covers hip-hop songs which led to the fucking white people with ukeleles versions of Tupac songs. I am so glad that we, as a society, have all come together against these dynamite hacks and decided this was cringe and something that belongs in the past.

But this isn't an essay on awful YouTube music trends of the early 2010's, this is listening to music in the internet age in the early 2000's.

In 2001, ClickRadio launched. It was a desktop application that allowed you to listen to radio stations via the internet, but it had something real radio stations did not; if a song like, say, Dynamite Hack's cover of "Boys N The Hood" came on, you could click a thumbs down button and it would let out this cartoonishly loud "thud" and then that station would never play that song for you again. And if they played a song you really liked? You could click a thumb's up button and it would play that song more often.

I cannot understate how fucking mindblowing an idea this was in the early 2000's. Yes, ClickRadio would slow down your computer as the Neopets Flash games you would play gringing for Neopoints to get a Halloween brush for your Lupe that you named after a member of your favorite band. Anybody else do that?

No? Just me? Okay then.

ClickRadio would quickly get enshittificated, within only about a year or two being filled with more and more unskippable ads. I went back to just loading up MP3s in Winamp and playing music that way by the time I was in college, but it was a pain having to listen to whatever song I had physically on my hard drive, or a few years later, going to YouTube to see if somebody uploaded a crusty version of a NoMeansNo song with a Spanish-speaking DJ speaking in the opening bits of the video. Not ideal.

But then Pandora showed up.

I don't remember where I first heard about Pandora, but after Napster, there were a bunch of music start-ups hoping to be legitimate in the eyes of artists and record labels. Clickradio was just a radio station. But Pandora... was an experiment of The Algorithm.

You see, Pandora started what is known as the Music Genome Project, a way of organizing music into hundreds of different subgenres across five large umbrella genres; Pop/Rock, Hip Hop/Electronica, Jazz, World Music and Classical. What Pandora did was use this as a way to allow users to craft their own custom radio stations. And not only would it play the stuff you liked, but it would be tailored to a seed artist or song; you put in Nirvana, you get a lot of 90's alt rock radio faire, but then maybe it plays Mudhoney. Maybe it plays Sonic Youth. Maybe it plays Melvins, and you like it. And when you give a thumbs up, you hear more and more artists in similar subgenres. And let's say you've been looking into obscure or underground music for years before you start using Pandora, and suddenly you're introduced to artists you never would have come across more organically. And buddy, you'd bet my Pandora station was a fucking hodgepodge of hundreds of seeds, which allowed me to discover highly influential /mu/ core bands like Swans, Animal Collective and Neutral Milk Hotel, but also bands that are so obscure that their Spotify listens are in the lower four digits at maximum and maybe a couple tens of thousands of views on YouTube. So many songs I found through Pandora are from bands that I very rarely hear a lot of people talk about, but they've made songs that have just lived in my brain for decades.

And for a couple years, I'd be listening to Pandora radio while writing up new TF2 fanfiction to terrorize TF2chan with. Certain songs would come up so often because I specifically bookmarked them. I didn't really know a lot about shoegaze before Pandora, but now I own a physical copy of all three of Slowdive's albums, and you fucking bet "When the Sun Hits" was in heavy rotation while I was writing Respawn of the Dead.

Yes, this was playing while I was writing out Respawn of the Dead, chapter by chapter. And so was "Beautiful Plateau" by Sonic Youth, "The Sound" by Swans, "Dead Flag Blues" by Godspeed You! Black Emperor and "End of the Line" by Murder By Death. And also this song by a band called The Clock Work Army, which split up and reformed into another band called Calico Horses, and I know this because I found this out while trying to track down a song that would play constantly on my Pandora station and it has, as of writing this sentence, 2,588 listens. And it might have more by the time you read this because I might just put it on loop because oh my god, I love this song so much, it hits so perfect for me, why don't more people know about this song?

It's not on YouTube, where I usually tend to listen to music, since I'll go through a rotation of songs that I call "work songs." I put on music while I write, and some songs are just so perfect that I can listen to them on loop with a very select number of songs that just never, ever get old for me. My neurons in my brain light up as though I was hearing it again for the first time.

Swans, Sigur Ros and The Dillinger Escape Plan are all artists who I found through Pandora that I've had the privilege to see live. By the time I was just discovering bands because I had a bunch of friends and mutuals with similar taste in music to mine, Pandora was slowly getting more and more ads. It was getting to the point where the free service would, if you were lucky, play only three or four songs before playing an ad. And when the length of those songs can span anywhere from less than three minutes for much of my beloved 80's and early 90's punk, to up to a half an hour for post-rock, noise, or ambient music. And the number of ads that played between songs had increased. What was just one every half an hour or so was now two to three for what could potentially be only after seven minutes of music. Pandora really doesn't like it if the music you like includes a lot of songs that are longer than an episode of The Simpsons.

I never hear anybody talk about Pandora anymore. Spotify is THE name in internet music streaming, and it favors listens of entire albums and other people's playlists. I don't like Spotify; sometimes I just want a specific song from a specific album. I could make a playlist of these "work songs," but I like when YouTube notices that I'm listening to music, and in the recommendeds, there's another song that I've listened to on repeat. Why yes, I would like you to play "Classical Homicide" by Dälek for me again. What's that? An hour loop of Deadmau5's "Professional Griefers" featuring Gerard Way? Yes please. I apologize for nothing. That dude's way better than Skrillex.

God, do you guys remember the Deadmau5/Skrillex shipping that was all over Tumblr in the early 2010's. I remember it. I remember it so hard. Everybody shipping them and the members of Daft Punk, posting Steam Powered Giraffe (blech) and Die Antwoord (lol) on my dashboard. In Die Antwoord's defense, they had some pretty funny music videos.

I got AdBlocker for YouTube, so the ads aren't a problem there. I mean, I could make a playlist for Spotify of my go-to songs, but I'd have to deal with ads. And there's something nice about YouTube's robots that sell my precious data to faceless corporations at least having the courtesy to be like "You look like you could use another stream of 'Anything (Viva!)' by Foetus. Or Scraping Foetus off the Wheel. Or... whatever, fuck it, it's J.G. Thirwell's band, okay? It's the guy that does the music for Venture Brothers."

Foetus was introduced to me through a friend but it was Pandora serving me up more of their music that made their albums "nail" and "Flow" ones that got the honor of Being Downloaded onto my iPod so I can Listen to This in my Car. I still use my iPod and even if there's albums that I haven't gone back to in years on there, I like having them there. I haven't listened to the soundtrack for Panty and Stocking in ages but having access to it so that I can FLY AWAY NOW, FLY AWAY NOW, FLY AWAAAYYYY on a long drive? I like having that option.

I still buy CDs so I can burn albums onto my iPod. My iPod doesn't have ads and switching between artists doesn't mean I have to flip through a CD binder. I also try to buy albums off of Bandcamp. Especially for smaller artists, or artists whose work I love enough to want to give them my money. I don't want to listen to ads. It throws off my workflow, shakes me out of the trance-like state that is pure, focused creativity. Whether it's working on comics or thinking about things I want to do in those comics, I'm usually listening to music. Sometimes the same album, hundreds of times over. I admit I haven't listened to that much King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, but I've listened to Nonagon Infinity front to back more times than I can count.

Nowadays it feels like I don't have a lot of friends who share my taste in music. I've so fully entrenched myself in fandom circles that I've been exposed to the average person's taste in music and I'm like "oh yeah, most people aren't as big of a fucking nerd about this as you are." You know how hard it is to get people who aren't music nerds to get into The Residents? Everybody I know that likes them already knew about them before we met, and people who had never heard of them before they met me usually find them deeply weird and never get fucking obsessed with them like I have. I own a physical copy of, not their original version of their album The King and Eye, which is an entire album of them covering Elvis that sounds like this, but the fucking remix of that album that does shit like this to their covers of Elvis songs. And you know what? I love both versions, but that remix of their cover of "Surrender" is a work song.

Listening to music is the only way I can guarantee that I'm actually working on something and not playing with my phone. I guess what I'm saying is... it sure would be nice if Pandora existed like it did back then right now.

Especially because I stopped cleaning up a page of my horrible Deltarune fan comic (MASSIVE Dead Dove warning, not even kidding, the entire story hinges on some very upsetting topics) just to write all this down and make sure there were links to every song in this essay. And like... I've even used the comic as a not-so-clandestine way into tricking them into listening to my music before. Whether it be directly namedropping bands and songs, writing about a specific character's taste in music and using that in the story somehow, or literally just making the title of one of my comic installments... this.

It is really good. 686 listens on YouTube. Absolutely criminal. And the example above? That's me not putting in hundreds of references into the comic and wondering if anybody else has noticed them.

I guess what I'm saying is that I am a huge music nerd, even though I always feel like I'm getting into artists super late (unless they're like Death Grips, but that was only after The Money Store had come out), but I fucking hate Spotify. I want more physical releases that can be preserved digitally, and I don't have the money to get into collecting vinyls as a hobby. All the vinyl I own is toys, and uh... I own a lot of those.

Thank you for reading through pure, uncut music autism mixed in with nostalgia and griping about capitalism because that's apparently where my head is at all the time when I'm not daydreaming my little stories or making up video essays in my head that will never be made. That's why I do stream of consciousness Tumblr essays full of minute details that absolutely are not necessary, but this is how my goddamn ADHD brain works. Now you know what it's like to be in my Discord server.

That post is, of course, pinned in the music channel.

As it should be.

... Fuck Pandora, I don't even fuck with it no more, I miss Grooveshark, weh, my playlist on that site was eight hours long before they shut it down in 2014. Devastated. I was in the middle of using it when it went offline.

Okay now I'm done for real, sorry.

[peppertaemint]

i am a bit confused regarding the internal reports, i'm reading up the reports and trying to understand them. i came across this one:

https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/10/hybes-music-industry-weekly-trend-report-contains-the-companys-reaction-to-nct-haechans-indoor-smoking-issue-riize-seunghans-hotel-selcas-issue-more

it details the controversies of other artists. the commentary at times sounds so much like what an angry stan would write on twitter. like stuff like "why was [our artists] treated this way by x internet community, when [that artists from other company] was defended", but there is one sentence which ticks me off and it is:

"While it is difficult to say that this incident can affect NMIXX in a major way, it is material that can be used to troll people, claiming that Haewon tried to hop on the 'feminist train' since her group wasn't doing well but then it backfired."

is the bolded statement what HYBE wants to do? or are they quoting someone here, i really can't tell. (i also know this is a translation and i don't want to like put too much weight on it), but i am really taken aback rn.

Yes, the bolded statement is the strategy Hybe wants to use - it's what they want to do to damage other artists. They want to do this to wreck their success and make their (selected) artists look better by comparison.

In the article I posted earlier, they are discussing making posts that compare female idols to dogs for this same type of strategy.

These trend reports were shared with the executive board, so it seems the whole company was behind the strategy of tearing apart artists so that their own stock prices are better. That's the end game to everything; it's not to create great art - it's to manipulate fans in order to maximise profits.

Keep in mind the other revelations from the audit:

Hybe misreported their amount of plastic waste to decrease their tax payment

Hybe admitted to reporting mass-buying of albums in first week sales numbers; these mass buys were later returned for a refund (fraud) - this means the numbers fans keep celebrating are not true/real

Based on the redacted documents, it is highly likely Hybe were the ones who spread posts and photos about Seunghan's predebut activities, with the intention of causing harm to him and Riize