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Clayray Closeout 2023

2023 was a terrible year tbh. But still, plenty to look back on, warts and all.

Music - Artists

The Downtown Fiction

BTS

Kelly Clarkson

McFly

Britney Spears

Agust D

Taylor Swift

Beyoncé

Stray Kids

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Lol okay so The Downtown Fiction ended up at #1 because I became friends with the lead singer/frontman this year. I hope he does not find this hahahaha. Being back in LA and also back to having friends and a social life meant that I actually went to concerts this year. I went to the Agust D concert with friends, so that explains BTS/Agust D. Also went to Kelly Clarkson's show singing through her new album before it was out, because it was better than being home alone with the impending layoffs. The BTS friends are also very much into Stray Kids, so that's how they landed on my list. And then I went to the screening/singalong of Crossroads, which explains the Britney (not that I don't listen to Britney anyway), and then went to the Renaissance film with my cousin, which explains the Beyoncé (although again, I listen to Bey anyway).

Music - Albums

Kelly Clarkson - chemistry

Agust D - D-DAY

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Tilt at the Wind No More

Beyoncé - RENAISSANCE

The Downtown Fiction - Losers & Kings

McFly - Power to Play

The Downtown Fiction - Let's Be Animals

Ayreon - The Final Experiment (Special Edition)

The Aces - I've Loved You For So Long

NOTD - NOTED...EP

Not many surprises here. There are some albums from longterm favorites here, like Andrew McMahon and McFly. Also generally enjoy The Aces. Ayreon being up there is pretty funny - I think some guy I briefly dated told me about them haha, and I think I just let the album play a few times and so it got up there.

Movies

Past Lives

A Thousand and One

Problemista

Joy Ride

Barbie

Honorable Mentions: Rye Lane, Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, 12.12: The Day, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Shortcomings

#Clayray Closeout

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Clayray Closeout 2022 | Top Tracks #4. Michael Schulte - With You

I only know Michael Schulte for his heartbreaking song You Said You’d Grow Old with Me, but then I heard this song and it is thankfully a much happier song but still has that stirring quality.

#Michael Schulte #With You #Music #Clayray Closeout

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Clayray Closeout 2022 | Top Tracks #6. Hunter Hayes - Missing You

Hunter Hayes is a perennial favorite of mine, and look, he just consistently puts out some great songs. There’s always a sort of refreshing energy to his songs.

#Music #Hunter Hayes #Missing You #Clayray Closeout

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Clayray Closeout 2022 | Top Tracks #8. Matt Simons - In Case You Missed It

There’s a tie for #8, and one of them goes to In Case You Missed It by Matt Simons. I enjoy how it’s such a patient, clear statement of “I’m here.”

#Matt Simons #In Case You Missed It #Identity Crisis #Music #Clayray Closeout

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Clayray Closeout 2022 | Top Tracks #9. Rosie McClelland - Safe in Your Love

Tied for #9 is Rosie McClelland’s Safe in Your Love! This song has such great energy and also feels very Gen Z haha.

#Rosie McClelland #Safe In Your Love #Music #Clayray Closeout

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Clayray Closeout 2022

Farewell to 2022 and hello from my new place as I have returned to LA! 2022 started off with me staying up all night to bail out water from the basement, and it certainly continued to be tough in many ways, but to focus on some of the good stuff!

Music - Artists

BTS

Taylor Swift

Beyoncé

Younha

Highlight

Britney Spears

Mitski

Fickle Friends

Glass Animals

McFly

This year I switched from Spotify to Deezer, and so it’s been an adjustment to build my music library over on Deezer.

BTS was farrrrr and awayyyy #1 this year - Literally 265 more scrobbles than T.Swift at #2. That’s because I went and saw them in Vegas this year with my Mom and two friends, and tbh, I was the least big fan of the group, so I basically studied their discography ahead of the concert so that I could be in-the-know lololol.

Secret dropped out of my Top 10 this year! Wow, they were only #12! That makes me sad. :(

But tbh most of the Top 10 isn’t much of a surprise, except for new addition of Mitski. Her new album Laurel Hell is I’m sure going to show up in my Top Albums.

Music - Albums

BTS - Proof

Younha - End Theory: Final Edition

Mitski - Laurel Hell

Beyoncé - Renaissance

Highlight - Daydream

Glass Animals - Dreamland (Real Life Edition)

Sneakerella OST

Loscil - Clara

Fickle Friends - Are We Gonna Be Alright?

Taylor Swift - Midnights

As expected, here’s Mitski’s Laurel Hell sitting pretty at #3. An interesting thing to note is that though T.Swift I listened to more than Beyoncé, Renaissance I listened to significantly more than Midnights - and to be honest there wasn’t much of a difference in artist listens, so that just indicates that I listened to a lot of T.Swift’s back catalog.

This year in musical DCOMs was SNEAKERELLA and ZOMBIES 3, and you see Sneak there at #7! That’s a soundtrack that contains two Emmy-nominated songs, y’all! Z3 OST was juuuust outside the Top 10 at #11.

Tbh I have no idea where Loscil’s Clara came from but I think I would have it playing and literally not notice that it was on. And I enjoy that it’s my name!

Movies

In alphabetical order, five selected movies that came out in 2022.

Everything Everywhere All At Once What an astounding, magnificent film. I was warned going into it to bring tissues, but I forgot, and I was a mess at the theater. The culmination of incredible incredible work from everybody involved to come together and create this masterpiece.

Fire Island Honestly, this might be the best adaptation of Pride & Prejudice ever? Such a smart, smart take of the beloved story and it shapes the original story into something so contemporary and fresh, but still so clearly legible as what is resonant and beloved of P&P. Also, Conrad Ricamora is a perfect Darcy.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Technically, this premiered in 2021 at Telluride, but it went into theatres for its limited release in 2022 so I’m counting it. What a stunning emotional beautiful delight of a film. I watched it on a plane and cried so much.

Girl Picture Saw this at Sundance and I thought it was such a genuine lovely portrait of girlhood going into womanhood. I really felt so much for each of the girls, and this film rings so true about what it’s like to be a teenage girl.

Prey As I texted my friend I was virtually watching with the moment it finished: THAT WAS SICK. Exhilarating and thrilling and so badass, and Amber Midthunder is a star.

Honorable Mentions: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Do Revenge, Emergency, Fresh, Glass Onion, Nanny, Turning Red, Wedding Season

DCOMs: Sneakerella, Zombies 3, Under Wraps 2, Le Pupille OK so technically only Under Wraps 2 is a Disney Channel premiering feature film, but these were the releases from our team this year! So so proud particularly of the Emmy noms and wins for Sneak (and the noms for Spin!). And I know it’s a little bit different fare from what is expected from our group, but the short film Le Pupille produced by Alfonso Cuarón is an exciting new venture!

Films I Want to See but Haven't Yet: Bruiser (The short was excellent, and so I’m excited to see the feature coming out of Onyx Collective!), Decision to Leave, The Menu, Nope, Pinocchio, Tár, Triangle of Sadness, Violent Night, The Woman King

I watched about as many movies as I did last year - Last year 550 and this year 552! Continued Rw/aB moo watching - right at the tail end of the year, we have gotten really into the Dead End Kids Cinematic Universe. We were also earlier this year really into Yokai Monsters (my fave monsters were the Umbrella Friend and the Long Neck Lady). Also with my friend Adrienne, I’ve been watching through the Fear Street, Resident Evil, and Predator franchises, which has been super fun!

Television

Abbott Elementary OK so technically the pilot came out in 2021 but that was the only episode and the rest of the season came out in 2022 so I am counting it as a 2022 show! And what a dynamo of a show - so full of heart while also being so real, and just so...good. Like it’s good in terms of being well-crafted, clearly, but also it is nice to have a show that is dedicated to contributing goodness to the world.

The Dropout On the other hand, here’s a show in the other direction, examining some truly dastardly behavior. Amanda Seyfried is fantastic, and also this show is particularly fascinating for me as I reflect on like that specific concoction of elite education and girlbossing, since that’s something I’m often surrounded by.

Ms. Marvel I love Kamala Khan so much. What a great show that is a fantastic coming-of-age show but also takes on some very real (historical) drama and of course superhero action. Also, I was asked to do a reading from Ms. Marvel at a wedding, which it was my honor to do, so this show is special to me in that way too.

The Rehearsal What a wild ride. And what a show that seriously grips you and lodges into your brain. I still am not sure what to make of Nathan Fielder, but what I do know is that I could not stop thinking about this show.

Severance So tightly crafted, it takes my breath away. (Although I have to say, perhaps I have a super high tolerance, but I was bracing myself for weirder at certain points and was unfazed. But I think that’s more a reflection of me watching some weird stuff) This is the some of the best thought-provoking suspenseful creeping uneasiness on television.

Not New: Bridgerton, Never Have I Ever, Reservation Dogs, We Are Lady Parts

Honorable Mentions: The Afterparty, Reboot, She-Hulk, The Summer I Turned Pretty

Shows I Haven't Finished Yet but Will: The Bear, Bel-Air, High School, Loot, White Lotus

I feel like I did a lot of television grazing this year, watching pilots when I had like a month of a streaming service here and there. My to-watch list is never-ending, but there’s just so much good stuff out there!

Okay, now off to the songs~

#Clayray Closeout

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Clayray Closeout 2020 | Top Tracks

#2. 옹성우 - We Belong

I haven't been following K-Pop as closely as I used to, so tbh I don't even know that much about Ong Seong-Wu, but I apparently like his songs a lot! Even though he is a bebeh, and it makes me feel old.

#옹성우 #Ong Seong Wu #Music #We Belong #Clayray Closeout #Spotify

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#10. DALES - Chateau

This song is just so catchy. Does it make sense? I’m not sure. Is it kinda pretentious to be using the word chateau? Probs. But is it the kind of invigorating energetic song I’m into? Yeah!

#Clayray Closeout #Dales #Music

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#1. Maren Morris - A Song for Everything

There really is a song for everything.

This song has such an emotive simplicity to it, and it really does take you back.

#Clayray Closeout #Music #Maren Morris

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#3. Robinson - Karma

Karma’s a bitch, and baby, she’s ruthless

#Clayray Closeout #Music #Robinson

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Clayray Closeout 2019

#3. tiLLie - Save Yourself

I listened to this song a bunch leading up to my breakup so womp womp.

#Clayray Closeout #Music #tiLLie

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#4. Mathea - 2x

Mathea is apparently Austrian? Maybe I found out about this song when I went to Austria earlier this year?

#Clayray Closeout #Music #Mathea

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#6. Busted - Radio

I was solidly in the McFly camp, but actually, none of McFly’s new songs made it into my top tracks this year but Busted’s did. In Busted’s heyday, their songs hinged on catering to the like silly and kinda stupid boy, so it’s interesting to see what direction their music has gone in now that they’ve matured. If it continues in this thread, I think it’s bound to be good!

#Clayray Closeout #Busted #Music

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#7. Hearts & Colors - Lion

I know nothing about Hearts & Colors, but the chorus of this song is so catchy. Also I enjoy that it’s a lion in the wardrobe, which makes me think of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

#Clayray Closeout #Music #Hearts & Colors

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Clayray Closeout 2019 | Top 15 Tracks

#8. Luis Fonsi - Sola

Before Despacito, I knew of Luis Fonsi as the original singer of BoA’s song “Spark” (great song, btw). His songs never quite make it into sounding like something new territory, but there’s something to be said for songs that sound comfortingly like something you’ve heard before.

#Clayray Closeout #Music #Luis Fonsi

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Clayray Closeout 2021 | Top Tracks

#2. Velveteen feat. Emmi - Something Good

This song is just full of hope - hope for something good, and honestly, we all could use some of that right now.

#Music #Velveteen #Emmi #Something Good #Clayray Closeout