#and naturally you have to listen to it on repeat until those 4 good vocal lines get entrenched in your sad lil caffeinated brain

[goboymusic]

Norman Reedus has an interesting face.

Produced in October, 2020, “Basement Song” is GoBoy’s #Halloween song.

Before “Basement Song,” ten or so upbeat #electropop songs were produced, one after the other, each having a similar vibe. To spice up the production process, I wanted to try something drastically different for song 94, and the idea of making something dark and creepy was intriguing. Something that didn’t fit with the other songs on the album.

The original song was almost entirely different from what you hear today. Once the original version was written, recorded and mixed, the only element that sounded good enough to release was the creepy melody that repeated “come with me and I will show you my diamonds and my gold, in the basement of my home, at the bottom of a hole.” Rather than scrapping the entire song, I deleted everything except for the creepy melody, then built a new, minimalistic song around it.

Using EQ automations and door sound effects, the creepy chorus vocals sound like they’re coming from a basement, while the listener is on the main floor next to the door that leads to the basement. The door opens, and the chorus vocals are loud and clear. The door closes, and the vocals are muffled.

The new “come down and taste it…” verse melody was added during the final days of production. As soon as those vocoder vocals were dialed in, I spent another day or so tweaking the EQ, then uploaded the song to the internet.

Waves #OVox, which was originally purchased for “Face Tattoo (Song 92),” was used for the vocoder. The verses are 100% vocoder. The chorus is 50% vocoder and 50% natural vocals.

This was the song that taught me how to use buss tracks. Many producers would scratch their heads at that comment, as bussing should be one of the first things a producer learns. Yeah, I waited until song 94 because I’m dumb. With all of the EQ automations across multiple tracks, bussing was a lifesaver.

Regarding the sound effects, I worked as a sound designer for the film industry for a few years during the seven-year hiatus (more about the hiatus in posts 23 and 36) where I learned the utterly worthless skill of creating / manipulating sound effects. That skill was utilized in this song, along with songs like “Mermaids,” “Coffee Song,” “Seattle” and “Rebecca” (excerpts from post 75).

Shit hit the fan at work during the making of songs 90 - 94, leading to an exodus of many employees whom I had to temporarily fill in for (many of which asked to come back months later), which resulted in this song taking longer to complete than it would have. On average, each GoBoy 3 song took four days to complete, GoBoy 4 songs took six days, GoBoy 5 songs took fourteen days, and GoBoy 6 songs took thirty days (excerpts from post 90).

Beat + bass + melody. That’s the style of GoBoy 5. While I’ve appreciated this minimalistic style for years, “Tell My Mama (Song 42)” was the first time trying it. I went whole-hog with GoBoy 5, in which most songs primarily consist of a beat, bass and melody (excerpt from post 80).

For GoBoy 5, instead of creating for the sake of creating, like I did for GoBoy 4, I wanted to make poppier songs that would appeal to a larger audience. Was that goal accomplished? Well, maybe, I guess. It resulted in the song “In Love (Song 82),” which everyone and their mother seems to like (excerpt from post 79).

GoBoy 5 ragdolled me. I remember wondering if I’d live to see the completion of the album. While the style is minimalistic, the writing and production processes were chaotic, akin to throwing darts with a blindfold on. Most songs turned into a puzzle once they reached the mixing phase, with a portion of the pieces being destined not to fit. It required constant compromising - discarding segments, restructuring, rewriting, etc. The combination of the difficult production process and temporary chaos at work left a blood-soaked trail behind me (excerpt from post 80).

In April, 2021, almost all of GoBoy 3, 4 and 5‘s songs were restructured to be under 3 minutes (preferably under 2m 30s), including this song. I became okay with releasing songs around the 2 min mark after realizing The Beatles and The Beach Boys had some songs around that length. In an attempt to increase replay value in this streaming era, most of GoBoy’s songs are now purposely around 2m 20s (excerpts from post 37).

A bass boost was added to songs 37-99 in Nov, 2021, while I was stuck at home with covid. As a result, this song feels more powerful. The bass boost isn’t a simple plugin nonchalantly added to each song. It’s a process that took about 3.5 hours per song, or one whole month to complete all songs. Admittedly, I pushed the bass boost a little too far for some of them. The bass in some songs sounds like a freaking earthquake (unnecessarily pronounced low frequencies 20 - 50 Hz). Might dial that back someday. The bass boost was also applied to every song on GoBoy 6 and beyond (excerpt from post 37).

#GoBoy #Basement #Song #94

[4mountainmoment4]

the fact that i’ve now listened to discord by eurobeat brony 16 times in the span of 2 days is cringy but you know what? i’m past the point of caring. i can be cringe if i so choose. cringe bows to me. cringe as an entity shudders before my presence. you have never seen the power of cringe so greatly reduced before any mortal being as when it shrinks before me. in case you haven’t noticed, i’m the cringiest. i’m cringy. i don’t fit in. there was more to that meme but you think i care enough to get it right? nO because oh would you look at the time it’s diSCORDDD jesus fuck this last verse is so CRUNCHY

#this sounds like something elon musk would say to try to be ~hip with the kids~ #but like #sometimes you find a good fan song with like 4 crunchy vocal lines #and naturally you have to listen to it on repeat until those 4 good vocal lines get entrenched in your sad lil caffeinated brain #brain go brrrr #sometimes umami says things #shitposting #it’s 3:33am and i intend to keep it that way god damn it #if you know me irl no you dont

[from-the-clouds]

Kiss Me More (Part II) - Zemo/Reader

Masterlist || Part One

Summary: Part two, read part one if you haven’t already! Sam & Bucky put reader in charge of looking after Zemo....again. Series loosely inspired by this song.

Words: 2.5k

Warnings: Kissing, heavy petting, mentions of sex, minor TFATWS spoilers.

A/N: Wow! I was so shocked on the feedback I got on the first part of this story. It has nearly 800 notes. I’m not used to my writing getting that kind of attention so I really appreciate the love. I decided to make this into at least a 3-4 part series and there will be eventual smut, but I feel like there’s something sweet between these two that goes beyond an obvious physical attraction, so I do want to build that a bit before we get there. This weekend I rewatched TFATWS & Civil War because I’m officially obsessed with Zemo lol. Please let me know what you think, and let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist. :) 

-----

“Keep an eye on him.”

Y/N watched Bucky and Sam split off again. That was now at least the third time she’d heard that phrase since she arrived in Riga. Little did they know, she was probably the worst person to be put in charge of Zemo. Truthfully, it was starting to be a little insulting.

It was unclear why she’d been brought along on this mission, when half the time Sam and Bucky were talking in hushed tones just out of her earshot. There was always more to the story than they told her, but this time, it felt like she was more out of the loop than ever.

She adjusted the neckline of the sweater she wore out of an abundance of caution, checking subconsciously to make sure it hadn’t exposed the mark Zemo had left on her from the day before. It was a discovery she’d made that morning, and persisted despite her efforts to cover it up with makeup.

“According to those two, I must be the best at babysitting you,” she muttered under her breath. It was petty, so she wasn’t even sure if she wanted him to hear. But he did.

“Babysitting?” Zemo lifted an eyebrow. 

“You know, a nanny, a governess….whatever a Baron’s equivalent is,” she said, looking him in the eye for the first time that day, which was a mistake. He looked so handsome in that long, fur-lined coat, tall and refined, hair styled perfectly. There had to be warrants out for his arrest since escaping prison, and in his current getup, he was hard to miss. 

It wasn’t easy to ignore the stifling tension between them. The Baron hadn’t left her thoughts since she’d closed the door on him the evening before. Now they were alone again. She couldn’t decide if that was thrilling or terrifying, so she decided on both.

“It’s nice of them to give us some alone time,” Zemo stepped close to her, one gloved hand pressing between her shoulder blades. Despite the cool temperature outside, it was the first thing today that had her shivering. 

“Walk with me,” he commanded sternly. She saw no opportunity to refuse as they started in the direction opposite of where Bucky and Sam had disappeared. 

“Zemo-”

“Helmut,” he corrected her. “But go on…”

“We have to focus on figuring out where Donya’s funeral will be,” she said, feeling his hand slide down to settle on the small of her back, trying to inch away, but he just pulled her closer. “We can’t waste time.”

“I know Riga inside and out, that won’t be as difficult as you and your friends think,” he murmured. His proximity was already suffocating. Or maybe comforting. It was hard to tell. “Tell me, what is your business with them? You aren’t an Avenger. This was my first time hearing your name.”

She snorted, finally finding the strength to pull away, and he dropped his hand. That was one thing that had confounded her. He was confident, took liberties with what others would allow, but knew when to stop pushing. There was something alluring to his nature. 

“I’m not,” she responded, wondering how much she was willing to share. When she stole a glance out of the corner of her eyes, his head was lowered, leaning in, listening intently for her response. She wondered if he really cared, or if he was good at pretending. It was easy to believe that he did.

“Bucky and I aren’t that different,” she continued. “That’s why we’re friends. I’m not a super soldier, but I was taught how to fight, how to kill. I followed orders for too long without questioning whether or not I was doing the right thing. And at least now, I think I am.”

“You think,” he repeated, and corrected her again like he had the day before. As much as she wanted some kind of clever or quick quip back, she wore her heart on her sleeve for the moment and shrugged. There was nothing to defend when she still wasn’t sure what responsibilities she had in this world. 

Zemo halted, and she paused too, turning back to look at him. “So you were an assassin,” he murmured, reaching out. Nodding slightly, she lowered her eyes when his gloved thumb brushed across her face. The buttery, overpowering smell of leather took her over as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I would’ve never guessed. Du bist so süß.”

Her knowledge of German was limited, but she could see a flash of what looked like affection in his eyes. He couldn’t be lying, could he? She wondered. She wanted to trust that he wasn’t, wanted to identify every good part of him she could, so she could justify the overwhelming attraction she felt towards him. Something in her just kept pulling forward against her will, like a magnet.

“You’d be surprised,” she answered, but didn’t pull away. The intensity of his gaze made her feel weak, but there was something strangely reassuring in his eyes. It was just the two of them, standing on a crowded sidewalk.

She rose her hand to clasp around his, frowning when she felt the hard loop of a ring on one of his gloved fingers. It had gone unnoticed by her, until now. He still wore a wedding band. 

It would have been easy to vocalize the observation, gauge his reaction, try to regain some upper hand and remind him who exactly he was dealing with. But, it would’ve been pointlessly cruel, as she knew what that felt like to answer that question. Those days were behind her, now. 

As if the universe was scolding her, a loud car horn broke through the perceived silence. His hand dropped from her face, and they began to walk again. 

“I had lots of time to think in prison,” he said after a heady pause in conversation. “About the things I’d done. Whatever intentions you have, to someone, you’re always the enemy. What I thought was important, trying to serve the greater good, it isn’t always worth the trouble. I was trying to protect what I had already lost, the places and people I’d taken for granted.”

Deciphering his words, she took a moment before responding. “That’s actually...very insightful,” she said, partly surprised by what he’d shared, appreciating that he felt her vulnerability, and matched it in his response.

“I know you’re stunned I’m not a brute,” he answered, increasing his pace to a determined strut rather than a lazy stroll. She was forced to keep up with him. “You’ve been told what to think about me by Sam and Bucky.”

She scoffed. “Not just them. The entire world. All the people you’ve hur-”

He halted and turned to face her so quickly, she collided with his chest and her breath caught in her throat. 

“I’m not that man anymore,” his voice was nearly a growl, disgust laced in his features as he looked down at her. 

But as soon as she recognized it, he became expressionless again, backing away. Falling back into step beside him, they continued to walk, a bit faster than they had been before. She followed him, at this point convinced that she might get lost without his guidance, but a little startled by his sudden change in behavior.

“What do you think of Riga?” he asked her as they cut through an alleyway. His voice held none of the venom that it had a few moments ago, so she wondered if she’d just hit a sore nerve.

“It’s beautiful,” she answered, admiring the old brick buildings and fine architecture. “But I think I haven’t had much of a chance to appreciate it.”

“Have you been thinking about me?”

They ducked under an alcove, and she realized he’d carefully led her off the crowded streets. It was much quieter here. She suddenly didn’t feel as protected as she had been with him in the open. The temperature in the shaded space was much lower than expected. And he was standing over her, waiting for some response she didn’t know if she could give. 

“I haven’t forgotten about last night, liebling,” he continued. 

Of course she had been thinking of him. Nearly nonstop. What they’d shared, what it meant. She hadn’t been able to sleep until she relieved herself, fingers rubbing her clit and delving into her warmth, whimpering his name when she finally came. Still, it had done little to quell the ache inside her. 

It was a horrible thing, she’d decided. Objectively horrible, and unprofessional. There was the consideration of accessibility. What did he see in her beyond a means to an end? Was she really going to throw everything she’d worked for away to a man who was going to use her to scratch an itch?

Too much was at stake, Sam and Bucky’s trust, her reputation, her job, and she couldn’t allow it to go on. 

But oh, how much she wanted it to. 

“Yesterday was nice,” she straightened up, holding her own. “I won’t lie to you.”

The corner of his mouth tugged up slightly in a self-satisfied smirk. 

“But I’m not foolish,” she continued. “Coming on to the first woman you see after you get out of jail? Seems pretty convenient.”

At first, the Baron tilted his head to the side, his brows pulled together at her words. But after a moment, the smile returned, and he chuckled. “Is that what you think this is about?”

“Don’t insult me, Helmut,” she said sternly, trying her best not to feel embarrassed. She was only being honest.

“Are you always so severe to yourself?” he asked, tutting lightly. 

It would have been better to say nothing. Why give him anything at all? 

She didn’t answer his question, just backed away from him and began walking in no particular direction, wanting only to increase the space between them and regain her common sense. That was impossible however, as she was jolted backwards before she even knew what was happening, a firm hand on her upper arm, and she was chest to chest with Zemo once more. 

“We were in Madripoor together. I could’ve had my way with many women there if I wanted. But I didn’t.”

“Please-” she rolled her eyes.

“If all I wanted to do was fuck someone, I could have done it by now,” he stalked forward, the air pressure around them dropping, weighed by the tension hanging thick between them. “But that’s not what I want. I want you.”

His words, spoken in a soft, low purr rattled away every bit of resolve she had left in her. Some last ditch effort found her stepping backwards, but her body met the brick wall behind them and she realized he had her cornered. 

In more ways than one, she thought.

Taking in a shaky breath, she looked up at his eyes, clouded with lust. “I know you want me,” he said, not a shred of doubt in his voice. But why should there have been? He was right. 

Her eyes darted around, like someone or something around them was going to jump out and save her from herself. It didn’t go unnoticed. “There’s no need to be scared, liebling. I feel it, too.”

With that, he closed the gap between their lips. He tasted sweet, like the candies he’d been eating back at his flat. Turkish delight. She was drowning in him again, his scent, his touch, everything about him enveloped and beguiled her. Her shirt had bunched up slightly somewhere along their walk and his gloved hands explored the exposed skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. 

She surrendered, letting him tease open her mouth and claim her wholly. It was still bad, she knew. But there wasn’t any last bit of self-control left in her. 

The layers of clothing between them didn’t allow for the same proximity she’d had to him the evening before. Groaning in delight and frustration, she reached up to tangle and rake her fingers through his hair, as his fingers curled around the top of her sweater, revealing the sensitive skin of her neck. 

“Don’t hide this,” his lips left hers as his eyes focused on the stamp of affection he’d left behind the day before. “Let them see.”

“You know I can’t,” she responded, sheepishly pulling it back into place. Studying her with amiable consideration, his hand rose to brush tenderly across her cheekbone. 

“I thought you’d come to me last night,” she confessed, drawing away slightly, shocked by her own admission. But right now, she didn’t feel the need to put up as much of a facade. He looked positively virile; panting, his cheeks flushed and hair mussed, pupils blown out as he focused on her. To know she was the cause of his current state of disarray gave her an immense amount of satisfaction. A buried, salacious part of her wondered what else she could do to make him look even more unkempt.

“I considered it,” he said, sounding almost timid. “But I want to do this right.” He leaned in, pressed a kiss beneath her ear. “In private, so no one can disturb us,” he continued, lips moving down her neck. “We can take our time, you can be as loud as you’d like.”

The mental image he was currently painting for her was doing very little to strengthen her convictions, whatever those had been. The thought of her legs wrapped around his torso, naked bodies pressed together sent a bolt of electricity through the pit of her stomach, radiating outwards. She wanted his lips on every inch of her skin. Aching at the possibility, the present tease of his teeth nibbling on her collarbone wasn’t helping.

“You know we can’t,” she didn’t try to stop the thought as it came out of her mouth.

“What is there to lose?”

Everything, she thought, but didn’t answer. She couldn’t really, as his gloved hand was trailing slowly under her jacket and sweater, against her bare skin, and cupping her breast through her bra. Whimpering, she couldn’t control the way her body arched against his.

Hooking her knee on his hip, she let him press forward, feeling the warmth of his excitement through his trousers and her jeans. He ground against her once, teasingly, and she moaned softly into his mouth. 

He was the one to pull away, and she was thankful he did. “Think about it, liebling,” he said softly, pressing a tender kiss to her temple. “Du hast die Kontrolle.”

“We can’t,” she answered again, but even she didn’t believe herself. Raking her hands through her hair and adjusting her rumpled sweater, she straightened up. “We have a job to do.”

Brushing past him out of the alcove, each step she took away from him gave her the self control she desperately needed. She glanced over her shoulder to see him reluctantly trudging behind. At this point, she wasn’t foolish. There were only two ways this could end.

----

Part III

Series Taglist: @juice-1981  @sapphiredreamer26  @tatooineisdry  @marvelsvision @spookycereal-s @trelaney @fireghost-x @booksarekindaneat  @thunderingbats  @felicityofbakerstreet @takacsgram @mischiefmanaged71 @fanfictionedagain @merelyhooper @gyllord @mundaytuesday @friday18eo  @lovegood7553  @adara-wolfhart @a-djarin @farawaywasteland @sky-writes-stuff @fuckinglittlekitten @katyasrussianaccent @agent-jbarnes  @neoarchipelago @pattispunk @kpopnena @purebloodwitch @spookyconsultingcriminal @msmarvelwrites @professorrw @lazyradeecal @captainrexstan @notyourfuckingbusinesss

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged, or if I forgot to tag you for some reason! :)

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[d-criss-news]

20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram  you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was  when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10.  How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11.  What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12.  If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19.  What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

#darren criss #billboard #masquerade ep #press #sept 2021

[howdoyousleep3]

“put you on something new”-- part 5/5

The frat!Steve x jock!Bucky College AU by @the1918​ and @howdoyousleep3​

Read Part 4

warning: internalized homophobia (Steve honey, bisexuality is a thing)

we found it fitting that we write the last part together and we hope you enjoy these 6900 words (can’t make that shit up) of smutty bro smut. 😘

Experiment.

That’s what Bucky had called this. An experiment.

People experiment all the time in college, right? The first time Steve’s frat had made Trash Can Punch, it had been an experiment (one that they didn’t repeat). The first time that he’d made out with a girl with a tongue piercing, it had been— shit, shit-fuck, now he’s imagining Lucky Bucky Barnes with a tongue piercing and—

If Steve does this, it will just be an experiment. It won’t mean that he’s gay. Bucky isn’t gay, after all; he’d just said so, just told Steve very convincingly that he likes to fuck girls and eat them out. And Steve likes girls, is actually quite talented at eating pussy he thinks, so if Bucky isn’t gay and Steve isn’t gay, then…

Then how would Steve putting Bucky’s dick in his mouth be gay?

“Rogers,” Bucky says, breaking Steve’s thoughts, “look at me.”

Steve tries to shake the low-key existential crisis from his brain and looks up at Bucky’s face— which is how he realizes that he hadn’t been looking at Bucky’s face before but had instead been looking at Bucky’s crotch, his open belt, his newly-undone button and zipper and what looks like tight black briefs.

“‘Sup?” Steve says, extremely way too casually, looking at Bucky’s stubbled face and his dark eyes like the other dude isn’t two seconds from whipping his dick out on Steve’s bed.

Bucky looks right at him and asks, “This okay?” and Steve can hear the unspoken implication that if Steve says “no”, Bucky will zip up and buckle up and head out, no harsh feelings.

Steve doesn’t want to say “no”, so he says what he wants to say instead which is—

“Yeah. Yeah, bro. ‘S’all good.”

Bucky’s lips quirk into an amused smile and his pause lasts only a few beats more before he’s hooking his thumbs into his own waistband, holding his hips off the mattress a bit so he can start to work his jeans and briefs down his thighs.

“All good, huh?” he says. “Well, I sure hope so… bro.” And Steve knows that Bucky is teasing him with the last word and why is that so hot? But he doesn’t have any time to think about it because. Because.

Because Bucky’s dick is— shit, it’s nice. It’s thick and veiny and uncut, which Steve thinks is pretty rad. It’s a little bit bigger than Steve’s own cock. In the back of his mind Steve is trying to think if he’s always had opinions about what constitutes a nice dick or if this is new, considering if there might have been some sort of subtle clue hidden in all those times he was watching totally-regular-straight porn and wondering if anyone ever made videos from the chick’s point-of-view.

Bucky Barnes has his really very nice dick out in Steve’s bedroom. He’s on Steve’s bed. It’s exhilarating and new and foreigh but Steve’s mind immediately tries to visit something more familiar, tries to think about what it is he usually does any other time a human being whips their genitals out while sitting on his mattress. He tries to think of what he would do if this were a girl, and if it were a girl Steve would be trying to get her all worked up and feeling a certain kind of way, he’d be putting on smooth music he’d— shit, should he put on some music? Does Bucky like Jack Johnson? Maybe he’s more of a Dave Matthews dude.

“Stop thinkin’, Stevie. C’mere.”

So Steve decides against music. Putting on a suitable playlist would require getting up and finding his phone instead of doing what Bucky is gesturing for him to do, what Steve wants to do, which is to crawl in closer so that’s what is doing and— does Bucky want him to sit in his lap? He’s on his knees and kneeling between Bucky’s thighs right now and trying to figure where his body is supposed to go when Bucky grabs the back of his neck and pulls Steve down for what is easily the most mind-blowing kiss Steve has ever received in his life.

Steve had not considered that giving another dude a suckjob might also include making out with said dude but now that he’s doing it, it really does make a lot of sense. Bucky sucks Steve’s bottom lip into his mouth in a filthy wet way that makes Steve’s groan and Bucky wastes no time using the opportunity to lick into Steve’s mouth. Steve thinks Bucky is almost showing him exactly how he likes to have his dick blown. Steve tries hard to take mental notes. It’s nothing like the shotgun-kiss from earlier because now there’s no much more intent behind it, feels like there is a goal at hand, like Bucky is trying to loosen Steve’s nerves with his tongue and his lips while he gets Steve’s mouth ready to suck his cock.

“Nurgh,” Steve vocalizes, upon Bucky pulling away and leaving Steve’s lungs bereft of oxygen.

Now that Bucky isn’t kissing him anymore Steve realizes that he’s still kneeling awkwardly on the mattress between Bucky’s legs, which means that when he’s looking at Bucky he’s looking down and from this angle Steve can see the dark brown length of his eyelashes, the spit-slick shine of his red lower lip, and below all of that— the proud jut of Bucky’s hard cock where it’s pointed towards his navel, the heavy look of his balls where the waistband of his briefs is tucked under them.

It’s only because Steve is staring downward that he notices Bucky reach a hand out, and before he can consider where that hand is headed it’s cupping the outline of Steve’s very hard cock, grabbing him through his shorts and boxers and drawing a noise from Steve that is so feminine and small it’s embarrassing.

“You ever had another guy’s dick in your hand, Stevie?”

But Steve can’t focus on any embarrassing noises he’s making, not when Bucky is taking Steve’s wrist in a circle of his own fingers and guiding his hand to Bucky’s cock. Steve’s arm goes without protest as he’s shakes his head in response to the question— nope, never jerked another bro off before— and he’s surprised to find how natural it feels to close his hand around the shaft and find the both new and familiar sensation of holding a dick in his hand.

“Oh,” is all Steve says.

Bucky’s cock is warm in his hand and very, very hard. Something inside Steve is immediately flattered by the idea that Bucky is that hard for him and he’s surprising himself with the way he’s preening inwardly at the thought, feeling some bizarre kind of confidence all of a sudden.

Bucky’s hand covers Steve’s own, still immobile where it’s gripping the other dude’s dick. When Bucky closes his fist around it Steve can’t help but admire the way Bucky’s big athlete palms look when overlapping Steve’s. His brain is thinking about how Bucky’s hands must look when they’re covering the broad and textured expanse of a football, but Steve’s not thinking about it for too long because Bucky is sliding their joined hands downward in a way that tugs back Bucky’s foreskin and reveal the wet, purpling tip and—

Huh, Steve thinks, as his belly makes contact with the mattress between Bucky’s thighs. When had Steve’s body decided that his face should be three inches from Bucky’s dick?

“Huh,” Bucky—now above him—echoes. “Look at that. Ain’t nearly as shy as I took you for. Damn, Rogers…”

And then Bucky is using their combined hands to guide his cock outward while he uses his other hand to push down on the back of Steve’s head, and Steve’s mouth opens wide on instinct.

“...I think you are gonna love this.”

Dicks taste salty. It’s the taste of pre-come and Steve knows that part already, because like any other regular dude he’s licked his own slickness from his fingers before. So the taste may not come as a surprise to him but the way his lips want so badly to wrap around the head of Bucky’s cock is, takes Steve a little off-guard, but the hand on the back of his skull feels good and grounding so none of that really bothers him right now.

“Open up— yeah, there ya go. Shit, Steve, feel damn good already.”

Steve…Steve isn’t sure that he’s ever been, like— praised before, at least not for sex stuff. It’s a new experience, and one that makes his own hard dick twitch in his pants and his hips press down into the mattress in search of relief, but he tries to keep his focus on his mouth as he lets it sink down over the velvet-hot shaft between his lips. He does it for what feels like a mile but is probably less than two inches before, oh, the hand on the back of his head is in his hair now and it’s telling him what to do, pulling him back and then pushing him back down until he’s sinking just a little bit further.

“Gotta tuck those teeth away, Rogers. More lip, more—ohh there ya go, yeah, more’a that, shit.”

Steve likes to think he does well with constructive criticism and he suddenly feels a little bit perfect when he listens to Bucky and then adjusts, covers his teeth with his lips the way he’s seen girls do when they blow him. He’s starting to really get why Bucky said he’s got dick-sucking-lips when the pressure on the back of his head increases and he rises to the challenge, trying to take in more but finding too much friction to sink down comfortably any further.

“Here, pull— off, yeah, hold up,” and then Steve hears the absolutely obscene sound of Bucky spitting into his own hand, sees Bucky bring it back down to slather an impressive amount of saliva around the base and give himself a few firm pumps. “There we go, c’mon, back on it. Know you like it.”

Steve’s hips fuck against the mattress a little bit when he hears Bucky talk to him like that, and he listens when the other man urges his to hold the base, to “jerk off what your mouth can’t suck”. He’s thinks he’s almost found a groove when Bucky starts to lay on the praise again, and he realizes that he’s moaning around the dick in his mouth, registers that the vibration of it might actually feel really good for Bucky and Steve’s skin breaks out in goosebumps and the noises of approval his football idol is making.

“There ya go, yeah—gettin’ better with the teeth stuff already, huh?”

And that— shit, Steve is here and he finds that he is fucking living for that shit, doesn’t even care what that means about him because he’s too focused on doubling down his efforts, hand suddenly flying over the base of Bucky’s cock while his mouth tries to impale his skull on it, slurping noises filling the room and—

“Woah, hey! Careful Rogers. Don’t gotta choke yourself on my dick just yet, here. Hang out. Take a breather.”

Steve is furiously disappointed in himself and his gag reflex, embarrassed by the way Bucky had to pull his head back to keep him from aspirating on his own spit when he had just been doing so good. He takes a few steadying breaths, as instructed, looking down at the cock in his hand and glaring at it like it’s an ally that’s suddenly betrayed him. But, no—he reminds himself—this disaster was his own damn fault, and then Steve feels bad. He gives the head of the dick an apologetic lick. It might be a suckle.

The hand in Steve’s hair has softened its grip but it still has his head suspended just a few inches above Bucky’s slobbery erection. The other man pries Steve’s fingers off and replaces the hand with his own, nudges Steve’s head down, says, “gonna jerk myself while you suck on my balls, Rogers, c’mon.”

Steve has apparently reached the point in the night where he no longer has to hear Bucky say everything twice. He can’t remember the last time a girl really played with his nuts but he feels like it’s probably intuitive, knows what he likes himself, feels good about his decision to lave his tongue over Bucky’s balls to get them wet with spit before trying to suck one into his mouth, carefully, because “teeth— uh huh, you know the drill.”

He finds that he takes to liking a little bit of ball worship just as much as he likes having Bucky’s dick on his tongue, likes the way Bucky’s hand urges him to press his face in to fully enjoy the experience. Steve is really feeling himself when Bucky starts to pile on the praise again in that way that gets his dick rutting against mattress again, humping his own bed like a dog with a nice-looking leg

“There ya go, shit. Not gonna say you’re a natural but—fuck yeah— you sure got spirit, dontcha? God damn.”

Steve kind of really likes the lewd sound of Bucky’s hand squelching with the spit covering his own cock. He lets the wet ball fall out of his mouth, plucks a stray hair from his tongue, leans back to admire the sight. Bucky apparently takes his keen interest for what it is because then he’s nudging his dick back towards Steve’s lips with a little bit of cooing, with a, “Mhmm, there it is, c’mon and take it back, fuck.”

Time has definitely started to melt a little, so Steve doesn’t know how long he spends with his mouth once again wrapped around Bucky’s cock— sliding in and out, slipping up and down in a way that he’s actually starting to get pretty great at— when suddenly there are fingertips pressing against the stretched outside of Steve’s lips. Steve has no idea why they’re there but he feels like he should open his mouth a little wider so he does, lets Bucky push those two fingers into Steve’s mouth alongside his cock. Bucky is a good dude about it, tells Steve how good he is for it, how he’s “takin’ it so nice,” waits until they’re drenched with Steve’s spit before sliding them back out.

“C’mere, get—pop your ass up. Like that. Gonna help you out now, okay?”

And Steve is just real fucking good at taking direction by this point, practically a damn solider, so he does as he’s told and gets his knees under himself a little to help lift his ass in the air. Bucky growls, uses the hand that’s still on the back of Steve’s head to press him down some, fucks up into his mouth once like he just can’t help it, and Steve—

—Steve is so good he doesn’t even fucking gag.

“Fuck,” Bucky swears, and Steve can hear the surprised laughter in his voice. “Look at you, you goddamn champ. Shit, fucking proud ‘a you Rogers, here, ass— yeah, c’mon, try’na show you somethin’.”

Bucky has yet to lead Steve astray tonight, has yet to introduce him to anything that Steve did not end up finding really quite agreeable, so he’s not even nervous when Bucky stuffs his hand down the back of Steve’s shorts, over his boxers. He honestly doesn't think twice about any of it until two of Bucky’s fingers are pressing down against Steve’s asshole. The cotton that separates it is apparently thin enough that Steve can immediately feel the tell-tale wet, that tiny bit of slickness that says these two fingers are the ones that were only just in Steve’s mouth.

“God, eager thing like you would just love havin’ couple’a fingers inside’a you. Gettin’ something in your ass always makes suckin’ cock better,” and Steve must have a really done a bang-up job when he was getting those fingers wet because the fabric of his boxers is practically soaked, lets him feel the pads of Bucky’s fingertips against that tense pucker— definitely feels it when Bucky lifts them just a inch and then smacks the tips back down against his hole. “Next time, Rogers.”

Steve— Steve has never even considered that someone playing with his asshole could actually be pleasurable. It makes sense, given that some chicks and gay dudes like to get it up the ass, and Steve probably understood all of that in theory, but in no universe or alternate dimension did Steve ever think that Bucky Barnes rubbing his wet boxers into his asshole while Steve sucked his cock would make him moan like a whore and rut his dick down into the sheets so hard and so fast that it gets the whole bed frame moving.

“Fuckin’ knew it, knew this would get’chu,” Bucky teases, works his fingers in circles twice as fast while he holds Steve’s head down onto his cock and tells him to, “fuck the bed, yeah, wish you were kneelin’ and I could reach down, pump a little pussy toy on your dick.”

It’s that last bit that makes Steve feel like he’s coming already, makes him howl out, but then Bucky pulls his fingers tight in Steve’s hair on just the wrong side of painful and it makes Steve groan and sputter, makes his orgasm back right the fuck up.

He’s irritated about not getting to come but not as much as he’s concerned when Bucky is pulling him off of his cock completely. Steve’s immediate thought is that he’s fucked up. He goes as he’s made to but gives Bucky a panicked look, body trembling a little as he feels the fingers withdraw from his shorts. He makes eye contact with Bucky for the first time since he started blowing him in this dark room and drools out, worried, “‘S not good?”

Before he has even the chance to wipe the back of his hand over his slick mouth Bucky is tugging on said hand, pulling him forward, but forward means—

“C’mere, big guy up and—there ya go, sit right up here, get nice and close.”

That means he has no choice but to slip and bump knees and somehow land in Bucky’s lap, his own thighs looking lithe and slim sitting atop Bucky’s powerhouse ones. The way Bucky just…just moved him where he wanted, just pulled Steve and manhandled him like a chick makes his next exhale come out a little whiny. It clicks in his brain a bit, why ladies want him to be a little rough sometimes with a little slapping or choking, because his gut is molten hot with just one pull and squeeze.

Would he let Bucky choke him, slap him in the face?

He lets out another whine at the thought, akin to a whimper, and Bucky’s hands squeeze tight at his waist, hands slipping under his shirt, before they’re sliding up to cup his jaw.

“Oh baby, s’good so good,” Bucky purrs into his mouth, hips pumping up in slow pulses, physically teasing Steve into joining him. He feels relief, expresses this relief, his hands coming up to grapple at the collar of Bucky’s shirt as the athlete dips his tongue into Steve’s mouth. Steve loves kissing, has always enjoyed handsy makeout sessions as foreplay, enjoys the way he and another person can work together and give and take. He loves how intimate it can be and how wet it can be, the way someone else’s tongue feels against his own, in his mouth, on his lips.

Steve thinks Bucky might have the nicest mouth he’s ever gotten his own on. He’s been with pushy girls, girls who command some of their give and take, but Bucky has a fat bottom lip and knows how to suck on Steve’s tongue and Steve just wants to follow. 

“Y’so good, Stevie, gotta sweet mouth. Can’t wait to keep havin’ you use it on me, gonna get real good at suckin’ cock aren’t ya?” 

He’s—oh he’s—they’re gonna do this again? Steve’s head spins at that thought for so many reasons, all surrounding what this means if he goes to suck dick again or if Bucky is going to do that thing with his fingers on his asshole or—

“Can hear you thinkin’. Don’t like it right now, shouldn’t be thinkin’. Should be squirmin’ and moanin’ and touching,” Bucky mumbles into his mouth, Steve digs Bucky’s mouth, and then Bucky’s hands are leaving his face and running down to his waist, his ass. They feel, oh they feel good, pleasurable. It leaves Steve gasping, rolling his hips but being cognizant of Bucky’s dick out and against his shirt, the sin of some exposed stomach. Bucky’s hands are big, so capable, good for grabbing ass and for catching game-winning interceptions.

Steve is equally impressed with both.

“Shit, Rogers you got yourself quite the peach here, don’t ya? You’ve probably never let anyone put their dick in it n’that’s a worse shame than this mouth not gettin’ one...” 

Maybe Steve should be freaking out about the sudden thought of a dick being inside his ass but he’s distracted because Steve has never had anyone compliment his ass in such a way and he can’t help but feel a little…sweet? Is that what this is? Like he feels when he blushes when he gets a round of high fives from the boys for a sick touchdown pass in flag football or that one time he went an entire round of Team Death Match on Call of Duty without dying and he and his buddies creamed the competition. He’s proud of his ass in the same way in this scenario but this kind of compliment has him a little more breathless, makes him move forward to press their mouths sloppily together. 

“And this waist? Shit, Rogers,” Bucky groans, his hands moving up to knead and squeeze tight at Steve’s sides, “Like a little lady, ain’t ya?” 

Steve shouts. It’s a little noise, aggravatingly a feminine one to tie right into Bucky’s accusation, but the way Bucky’s hands feel almost encircling his entire waist and hearing those words in that gruff voice? Steve feels like he has no choice but to make such a noise. It makes him want Bucky’s dick back in his mouth, makes him want to mouth and slurp at his balls some, makes him want to hear more sweet words even though he literally just got some.  

What the fuck is going on?

Steve doesn’t want to think, doesn’t want to get wrapped up in his head like he so easily can sometimes, especially in Calc class. But he isn’t sitting in Calc right now. He’s sitting in the lap of Lucky Bucky, wiggling, whimpering like a bitch in heat as he practically begs for kisses on the other man’s lips.

“Take your dick out, Stevie, come on.” 

The command is pressed into his lips, against his chin, Bucky giving him kisses and bites—oh god, nibbles—on his jawline as his hands still dig into his sides, his waist. Steve finds himself tilting his head to the left, gives Bucky more room to work with because shit that’s nice, that’s nice. How has he never done this? Has he done this to a girl? Why hasn’t a girl done this to him? 

“Dick, Rogers let’s go. Wanna show you somethin’ else.”

Ignoring the way the back of his neck burns at the command coupled with another tight nip at his ear, his hands leave Bucky’s neck and go for the button and fly of his own shorts. He only has the few seconds he fumbles with his clothing, his waistbands, to focus on the fact that Bucky is about to see his dick, is probably going to touch his dick. He doesn’t know how to feel about his urge to impress the other man, the burn of hoping Bucky likes what he sees.

He’s never cared about whether or not a girl liked his dick; he has always known it’s a crowd pleaser. He’s never felt more pressure to show up than with this crowd of one though. 

The cool air hits his dick for maybe three seconds before it’s engulfed in heat once more and—

Fuck, Bucky is touching his dick. Bucky has his hand on his dick.

“Look at that, Rogers. This dick is as pretty as you are shit, baby.” There’s that word again—baby. He likes that word. He likes the way it sounds in his ears, the way it bounces around his brain like a Beer Pong ball, the way Bucky’s lips look when they purr it out. He likes Bucky calling him something he is so used to referring to women as. 

Bucky’s fingers are different from anything he’s ever felt. They aren’t a girl’s, tentative and slim, and they aren’t quite his own, familiar and albeit a little rough. They are somewhere in between the two, thick and capable yet gentle and firm and it knocks the fucking wind out of Steve’s lungs when Bucky makes a fist and tugs.

“Oh, oh f-fuck,” Steve stutters out, all hot air as he inadvertently presses his forehead to Bucky’s in a jerky movement as he looks down. He is in no way prepared for the way his dick looks like in a dude’s hand, in Bucky’s hand, is also not prepared for the way his everything reacts. 

This shit is dope and Steve thinks that’s an understatement.

Steve doesn’t know if he’s seen anything hotter than this. Bucky’s hands are big but Steve doesn’t quite realize how big they are until he’s got Steve’s dick in his fist. Bucky takes a few strokes, some time, to get acquainted with his cock, much to Steve’s unfamiliar delight, and makes his deepest noise yet when they both watch a drop or seven of his own precome leak from the tip. 

He thinks it’s mortifying, feels a bit like an easy slut, but Bucky marvels, “Ain’t that a sight, goddamn,” and tugs a bit more on his cock. Steve doesn’t say anything in response, almost entirely useless at this point, but he watches as Bucky touches his dick, strokes him off, and it makes his hips twitch, makes him sound like he can’t keep his head above water.

His knees dig hard into the mattress, tries his hardest to not sound like he needs to be resuscitated, but he watches as Bucky opens his palm and gruffs out, “Spit.”  

Spit? Like…spit? Into what? Bucky’s hand? Why would—

“Stick with me, Stevie come on now—Spit. Doesn’t need to be anything aggressive like you see in awful porn; just give me something to work with here.”

Bucky is still as calm as he has been throughout this entire ordeal, this night that feels simultaneously forever but not long enough, but there is an edge to his voice now, a bite to his actions. He’s being patient with Steve but it seems his own dick is at the forefront of his mind now that he’s seen Steve’s, now that he’s sucked Bucky’s cock, now that he’s here in his lap.

Steve’s brain short-circuits the connection that in situations such as this, people tend to get off, tend to make each other come, and that’s what’s happening here, that’s what’s going to happen. Bucky and Steve are going to—

He manages to push a glob of spit from his mouth and into Bucky’s hand, watches it fall and barely hit the football player's palm. Both he and Bucky make a noise, his a whimper as he tries to pump his hips, his dick, and Bucky’s is another one of those damned groans. Steve’s mind runs, spins, tilts and all he can manage to say as Bucky grabs both of their dicks in one hand is—

“You’re gonna make me come.”

Bucky stills.

“You’re gonna—? I’m not—”

“No! No, no you’re—you’re gonna make us come, you’re gonna—” 

Bucky’s hand moves a few seconds later, a bark of laughter bitten into his chin in realization of what Steve had meant and not what he had said. 

“Yeah, Rogers—I’m gonna make us come.” 

Fuck. Fuck, okay yeah. His dick is touching Bucky’s, is encased in a meaty palm and is just fucking pressed up right there against Bucky’s. It’s hot and slick and wet and fuck it’s so good, it’s so fucking good, Steve can’t keep his wits about him. Bucky’s grip is tight, his own spit coating their dicks as if they even needed it, as if Steve wasn’t leaking like a faucet already. 

“Gotta breathe, kid. Breathe,” Bucky whispers in Steve’s ear, his head basically having fallen onto a broad shoulder, eyes still downcast. He hadn’t realized he wasn’t breathing, didn’t want a single thing to take away from everything he is feeling, would rather die than not experience this in the fullest. He heaves in a few hefty breaths, cups his hands unintentionally around the column of Bucky’s throat. 

“Holy shit,” Steve hisses, words going desperate and turning into an almost hysterical groan, one that shakes his chest. Bucky’s fist is slow to move at first, slow sensual pumps, trying to get the hang of jacking off two dicks in one hand, as if Bucky needs practice. His fingers around Bucky’s neck dig into the hair there and fuck, he was right—Bucky’s hair is so fucking soft. It makes Steve wonder what other places on Bucky’s body are soft.

He barely notices Bucky’s other hand, the one not wrapped around both of their dicks, digging into his hip, kneading at his ass. It’s yanking, pulling at Steve’s hip as if Bucky wants him to move some, so he does what feels right and rolls his hips a little. Just like kissing, he feels the two of them work together, give and take to make them both feel so fucking good. This moment is what will pop into Steve’s mind any time he hears the word teamwork. 

“Bring that mouth back over here, c’mon,” Bucky breathes into his jaw but Steve wants to keep watching the other dude’s fist fuck over their dicks, fuck Bucky’s cock is touching his own, shit. Steve’s hips are twitching still, little pumps in time with Bucky’s hand, and he tears his head away and turns blindly with a sad little noise. 

Jesus Christ, Bucky has such a nice mouth. It makes his balls ache (oh god, are their balls touching too?), makes his gut turn, having Bucky’s hand on his dick and his tongue in his mouth. Steve can barely keep up, Bucky’s experience with this whole dude thing glaringly obvious compared to Steve’s own. He keeps his mouth open, keeps it moving, presses his tongue forward to slide against Bucky’s own in a movement that sends sparks down his spine. 

He isn’t sure he’s doing anything right, if Bucky likes kissing him until the brunette is pulling back with something short of a growl. 

“Fuck, Rogers bet you eat pussy like a champ with this mouth.You make ‘em scream with that tongue? Huh?” 

The last thing Steve needed Bucky to bring up in this moment was pussy. His brain doesn’t know what to think about now, split in two entirely opposite directions. All he wants to focus on and think about is the way Bucky’s fist pumps hard over the two of them together, the way he’s a little uncomfortable with how much he digs the sound of his spit on their cocks. But now this? Pussy? Even Bucky saying the word “pussy” has Steve moaning, has his fingers digging into chestnut hair and tugging. 

“Yeah, how could you not love eatin’ pussy? You love it, right?” Steve does. 

“Uh-huh,” Steve whines, nods his head against Bucky’s forehead before smearing his lips messily against his stubbly chin, pulling his eyes up to look at Bucky’s own. The fist around them tightens some more, makes Steve whimper through his teeth. 

“Fuck, you’d look so sweet with your face between a broad’s legs. I’d love to see that, d’love to watch this mouth work a pussy over,” and then Bucky’s licking into his mouth, tongue slipping across his bottom lip, straight up across both lips and Steve can’t help that he thinks about two things: Bucky showing him how he himself eats a pussy but against his own lips and Bucky fucking watching Steve eating a chick out. 

“Ohh,” is all Steve can spout out in response, his hands slipping back down to Bucky’s neck, his chest. Bucky’s fist is moving and he can’t help but look down, he wants to look down (??), wants to see their cocks hot together but wants to keep thinking about Bucky laying in bed with him and a girl. 

“Ah Jesus, Stevie I could take her mouth and she could have yours. Yeah? Wanna see me fuck a girl’s mouth while you make her come like the fuckin’ stud you are? Huh?” Steve doesn’t even need to think. 

“Fuck, fuck, yeah shit...yeah, dude yeah I’d—” 

Steve doesn’t even know what he’s about to say, his knees digging into the mattress with vigor, the headboard smacking against the wall for the second time that night. He’s losing his rhythm and feels like he’s sprinting to a finish line, can’t take his eyes off of Bucky’s steel-blue ones. It must feel like he’s trying to get away, it even feels that hysterical to Steve, because Bucky lurches forward a bit, wraps his spare arm tight around Steve’s waist. 

“Keep her lil’ pussy busy while I fuck her mouth, god, you’d be so sweet like that, wouldn’t you? So sweet for me?” 

“Fuck, uh-huh yeah so fuckin’ sweet, so sweet.” He’d be anything Bucky wanted him to be if he asked. Bucky wants sweet he’s got it; Steve will do it for him. 

“Fuck yeah you would, so sweet for me, baby,” and Bucky’s voice changes, alters, gets a little breathless, hand stutters over their cocks and gets a little messy. Steve wants to toss his head back and shout to the ceiling at hearing Bucky call him “baby” again. He loves it so much, loves being someone else’s baby, loves how it makes him want to blush and kiss Bucky on the cheek. 

Steve Rogers doesn’t even know who he is anymore. 

Bucky’s mouth mashes into his own, his breathing punched out with every roll of Steve’s hips, every downstroke of his hand. He’s panting into Steve’s mouth, heavy and wet, and Steve knows what this is, feels it himself. 

They’re going to come. 

Bucky is going to come and Steve is going to come and they’ll come together and Steve will get to see Bucky’s come and that is not something he ever knew he wanted to see. He thinks Bucky notices it too, makes his own whiny noise that sounds nothing like Steve’s, presses a line of slippery kisses up Steve’s cheek to his ear. 

“Y’think she’d like to sit back and watch me get my mouth on your pussy?”

Steve is going to come. 

“M’gonna—! Oh shit!” 

“Shit yeah, me too come on, come on, Steve lemme see you blow that pretty load all fuckin’ over me.” 

“I’m—oh fuck— ’m gonna nut, Buck I’m—” 

Steve enjoys orgasms. Who doesn’t? He likes the waves of pleasure, tends to be a little loud, enjoys seeing someone else come too, but this orgasm isn’t like anything he’s ever experienced in his life. He almost panics when he feels his balls draw tight (fuck, their balls are still touching), gasps when he gets caught up in that last second before he crashes over that cliff. 

He feels his fingers dig into Bucky’s hair, can tell that Bucky’s mouth is moving against the side of his face, whether it be from something that resembles kisses or from speaking is lost on Steve. He is far too focused on letting himself feel and letting someone be in almost total control of his own orgasm. He can’t stop making noises, ones that sound like he’s choking, is sure he’s saying Bucky’s name, can feel his own fucking come slick up Bucky’s hand even more. 

He thinks Bucky says something about him coming, but like everything else it’s lost on Steve. His hips are still pulsing, as his his cock, hands unable to choose one spot on Bucky’s body to lock onto, manages to look down between their bodies just in time to—

“Fuck yeah—” 

See Bucky come. The noise Steve makes sounds like one that indicates he’s in pain but the only pain he feels is never having let a guy give him a handjob before. He’s almost worried he’s going to come again when he hears the noise Bucky makes, a deep one but one that sounds a little like a sob, one that Steve wants to soothe with a kiss or some shit. Steve’s orgasm is one that is long, so long, one that he gets to enjoy right alongside Bucky. 

“Bucky, god I’m still—fuck.”

The other man chuckles into the hinge of Steve’s jaw in response, a noise a mixture of disbelief and his own pleasure. The arm around his waist gets uncomfortably yet perfectly tight, Bucky taking the opportunity to press his own hips up, to practically lift Steve in pulses as he lets his orgasm take him away a bit. His hand is still moving, still pumping wetly over the two of them, but they are long tugs, ones that milk the two of them together, together. The noises are filthy and wet, just like the ones that push him over the edge when he watches porn.

Bucky’s groans in his ear make his spine tingle, make him tip his head down and look between their bodies. 

Steve has come on his dick. It’s Bucky’s come. Mostly.

This is fine.

The room around them— the spaces beyond Bucky’s mouth and Bucky’s skin— slowly comes back into Steve’s awareness. It is a room. It’s Steve’s room, and he’s in Bucky’s lap. This is his room and it’s the same room where Steve just sucked a dude’s cock and kinda ate his balls too and this— this is the room where Lucky Bucky Barnes called him “sweet” and called him “baby” and those things made Steve feel really, really good and then his personal hero jerked them both off until they came and now Steve is looking down at their come and their softening dicks and realizing that he doesn’t know where his come starts and Bucky’s come ends.

This is. This is fine.

Steve can feel Bucky’s gravelly chuckle before he hears it. The larger man’s arm is still around his waist, still pulling them close, but it starts to loosen up as Bucky’s head tilts back and hits the wall with a thud.

“Chill out, Rogers,” Bucky laughs. “I just made you come like a fire hose. Enjoy the fuckin’ afterglow.”

Steve faintly registers that he must still be a little bit high because he’s reeling but he’s not totally freaking out, all things considered. And Bucky is, just… cool. As ever. Steve should be cool, too. Steve should enjoy the afterglow like Bucky says he should.

“But, uh, hey— not that I’m not really likin’ having you in my lap an’ all, but…”

Steve looks up at Bucky’s face, confused, sees Bucky’s funny little grin and his gesturing glance downwards, follows said glance with his own eyes like he’s going to look down and find literally anything other than two soft cocks and Bucky’s come-coated hand and—

“Oh, shit. Yeah dude, lemme…”

Steve feels like a newborn colt— stumbling, and also holding his open shorts up— when he finally extracts himself from Bucky’s lap and goes to find a towel for them. He wipes off his own dripping dick with one end before handing the towel over to Bucky. Bucky takes it with a roll of his eyes, uses the exact same end of the towel to wipe his hand and his own dick because oh, yeah, that’s both of their come mixed together so who gives a shit.

He’s watching Bucky clean up when it hits him: this was a one-night stand. It’s— it’s Bucky Barnes, for god’s sake. Of course he’s gonna fuck whoever he wants and never see them again. Steve fully intends to sort through all that is implied by the fact that he doesn’t want to be Barnes’s hit-it-and-quit-it but he is one hundred percent positive that he does not want that, wants to hang out with this dude again, preferably in a sexual capacity but he’s open to whatever. 

Steve mentally sorts through how to solve this problem as he sits down on the edge of the mattress. Bucky hasn’t said anything since Steve got up. He doesn’t look uncomfortable; the opposite, actually. Bucky is looking at Steve with an amused quirk to his lips like he knows everything that Steve is thinking and is highly interested in whatever Steve is going to do next.

Right. So. Steve just got handsy with someone he met at a party. He wants to see that someone again. Steve makes up his mind, decides to do what he would do any other time he’s found himself in this situation.

“Hey, uh,” he mumbles, “can—can I get your number.”

find the full fic on Ao3

#put you on something new #stevebucky #steve/bucky #stucky #steve x bucky #stucky ff #stucky au #steve rogers #bucky barnes #captain america

[radramblog]

Radiohead Retrospective Part 8: Slowly we unfurl

Last week I compared The King of Limbs to Kid A, a reference I find completely natural. Both albums use significant electronic and ambient instrumentation, especially compared to the albums preceding them, and both feature stark, surreal imagery and lyricism. Kid A is a response to the band’s discomfort at getting huge, while The King of Limbs is a response to them deliberately getting much smaller after cutting ties with EMI/Parlophone.

I’m also pretty sure that comparison really pisses off a bunch of people who really like Kid A and really don’t care for The King of Limbs. And they’re entitled to their opinion, but they’re wrong. Album’s great.

Aside from potentially the spookiest cover of any Radiohead album, TKOL as it’s so abbreviated happens to be the shortest Radiohead album, clocking in at 8 songs and under 38 minutes (for reference, the longest one is Hail to the Thief at 14 songs/~57 minutes). It does not, however, seek to be wasting any of those minutes, despite the often looping nature of its songs, each drizzled in enough Stuff Going On that it feels much deeper than that short timeframe makes it seem.

That, or I just get lost in the groove.

While the comparison to Kid A is probably getting a bit old at this point, I think I’d like to reiterate it by comparing the opening seconds of Everything in its Right Place to that of TKOL’s opener, Bloom. EIIRP opens with this ultimately simple electronic line that feels cold and robotic, and while Bloom’s opening moments are still obviously electronic, they’re clearly made of something more lifelike. And by that, I mean it sounds a lot like a heavily edited, chopped, and looped piano line, one that folds itself into the very genuine percussion loops that follow. It’s a difference of tone, this life against the coldness of silica, even though the two are obviously both computer-made.

I don’t think Bloom truly comes into its own until that bassline comes in. Fortunately, it only takes like a minute for that to happen, with the incredibly ethereal and reverb-y vocals soon to follow. The bass is ultimately incredibly simple, but it adds such a grounding to the other instrumentation, those rapid, looping, high-pitched tracks that go on and on et cetera. And then you get about a two-thirds of the way in and the brass and strings come in that I had entirely forgotten about, but are so pretty, during the bridge (?), it’s genuinely quite lovely.

I wouldn’t call Bloom a banger, because it’s not that type of song. But at the same time, Bloom is a banger, basically.

By comparison, Morning Mr Magpie feels much more organic, in that more of the instrumentation being looped is acoustic/”real”. There’s a very delicate and deliberate guitar strum that the song is built around, with a similar but looser bassline meandering around in the background as it goes. MMM is much more built around the vocals than Bloom was (apparently the bass and vocals were the last things to be added to that track), more concrete images developed, and an actual verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure which feels a little strange on an album like this.

The instrumentation on this track feels anxious, the guitar and percussion reminding me of drumming my fingers on the table in impatience or nerves, but it’s so uncomfortable that it can’t get it perfectly rhythmic.

And frankly, this song does make me uncomfortable. You see, magpies in the UK have an association with thievery, collecting, and having an eye for shiny things. In Australia, magpies are associated with pecking people’s eyeballs out. So there’s a bit of a disconnect between countries and species is what I’m saying.

At some point I had decided that Little by Little was my favourite song on TKOL, and while I can’t really justify that, but I will (for now) stand by it. It’s got some excellent instrumentation- jingly background loops sounding like a machine, or even a bicycle, giving the track a sense of motion. Meanwhile, the bass is just absolutely killer, somehow both intricate and simple-sounding, notes that sound almost the same but aren’t quite. The lyrics are nursery-esque, with rhyming pairs and idioms aplenty. “Little by little by hook or by crook/I’m such a tease and you’re such a flirt” is a really fun couple of lines, even if they really don’t have the same meaning outside of context as they do inside.

Every time I think I’ve heard everything there is to hear in this song, there’s more to surprise me. The different guitar lines, the background noises, rising instrumental and sinking vocals. Underrated, methinks.

Track 4 is the shortest song of the shortest album, Feral. Not so much lyrics in this, as snippets of heavily edited vocalisations- they might say something, but you’re sure as hell not going to figure that out listening to it. The song is heavily percussion-driven, to the point where there are long spans of it where the looping drums are the only instrumentation actually present. More electronic white noise comes in later, getting louder and harsher, as the vocal snippets increase in frequency and variability, but there’s always those drums, keeping on keeping on.

Feral is kind of in an odd spot, frankly, because it is one of hose tracks that’s fine, it’s good¸ but I genuinely cannot imagine being in the mood to listen to it. It’s tightly wound, almost stressful, but what little is added on doesn’t especially cater to that mood. I think there’s some comparison to be made to The Gloaming, of all things, though I think I like that track better than this one.

The one single from the album is Lotus Flower, and if you haven’t watched that music video…fucking, do it? Thom is just iconic in this one, channeling memetic levels of weirdo-dance. Lotus Flower makes the best choice for single on this record, being both the most past-Radiohead-y, and the most traditional song-y track on the record, somehow. Thom’s falsetto is at its peak here, utterly gorgeous in performance and presentation, with loops on some of the held notes that in some cases only just reveal themselves as artificial.

This is not to discredit the instrumental, with the best Radiohead use of handclaps since 15 Step (to my knowledge, the previous iteration of this), an electronic instrumental that would probably make a much sadder song were it not for the vocals and the groovy bassline. Seriously, the bass makes this piece genuinely danceable, it’s incredible.

…man, look at him go.

Every time I hear Codex I think it’s the last song on the album, and I always have to remind myself, no, it’s not that short, come on. This slow, sad, piano ballad (?) echoes previous album closers while still feeling incredibly TKOL, its piano being reminiscent of Videotape, brass coming in like Life in a Glasshouse, and utterly down vocals akin to any number of Radiohead’s finest. Some of the lyrics are actually very reminiscent of Pyramid Song, imagery of, well, jumping into bodies of water, but as that track’s river was full of tragedy and memory, Codex’s clear lake is, apparently, clear and innocent.

I was thinking about that album-closer comment before I heard the section of the track that comes in at 3:35, with wavering strings that feel incredibly like Kid A, like Motion Picture Soundtrack and How to Disappear Completely.

I should probably stop comparing Codex to other Radiohead songs, though. It does stand on its own without those, a beautiful, melancholic song. It is incredibly chill, muted even, the kind of song to float in the water to, staring up at the stars. It’s down, but it’s not in pain, if that makes sense? Like, the vibe I get from it is of acceptance, and of moving past what’s holding one down- something you repeat in your head while you’re deep in the shit.

Wait that’s just How to Disappear Completely again, fuck.

Moving on, Give up the Ghost opens with, of all things, birdsongs. It’s actually an acoustic guitar ballad to pair with Codex’s piano ballad, multiple iterations of the instrument layered over each other in a natural but artificial soundscape. The vocals do the same, with the lead harmonising with a backing refrain of “don’t haunt me” to give this relatively gentle track a sense of desperation, almost (I’ve seen it written as “don’t hurt me” in some places but…come on, listen to it, also it is Give up the Ghost after all).

Give up the Ghost is another very chill track that you can just lean into and relax by. Even as it gets more complex and layered as it goes, with another background vocal layer edited in the background steadily getting fuzzed and less comprehendible, the song doesn’t stop being what it is. That acoustic line doesn’t stop vibing, the tempo doesn’t pick up, it is more than content to stay right where it is. And it’s a comfortable stop.

The album’s final track is Separator, and it is frankly one that I always forget. Despite being the actual track closer (sorry again, Codex), it doesn’t have that impact that tracks like Street Spirit (Fade Out) or A Wolf at the Door do. Ironically, this might make it the most fitting closer for The King of Limbs, considering the largely relaxed, ambient nature of the album.

There isn’t honestly that much to divulge about Separator that you wouldn’t have guessed from the album that precedes it. It’s got looping tracks, layered vocals, and this one really satisfying electronic note that hits every couple seconds that I quite like. About halfway through, a patently lovely guitar line comes in, one of the few I can definitively think of that are relatively downtempo but that I could still describe as “bright”. With all the stuff going on at once, the song does end up a bit of a mess at times, as these different elements that have been present in different pieces of the song blend together for a bit of an echoey jumble, but it does resolve itself before long. After that, the song and album’s final minute or so is surprisingly simple, with the track effectively picking the handful of lines it wants to hang on to, one of the vocal tracks and one of the ambient effects and one of the percussion lines, and lets them run their course, the album ending on an echo of the track that once was.

That completes The King of Limbs, an album named after a tree in England, by the way. It always bugs me when I see this one near the bottom of people’s tier lists, because it really just doesn’t miss. It’s the product of a band that’s been working and experimenting for two decades, and it really shows the fruits of that labour. It’s quite the band that can put out something like Bloom immediately after an album with tracks like Bodysnatchers and Jigsaw Falling Into Place, and have both work.

The King of Limbs was the last album that came out before I got into Radiohead, so naturally, I basically didn’t listen to it for several years. I kinda went piece by piece into their discography, and I hadn’t had it as heavily recommended to me as others. But it easily stands just as tall as those other albums, even if it’s technically a little shorter.

For the record, I haven’t decided if I’m going to cover TKOL RMX 1234567 yet. It is listed next to all the rest of them on any collection of their albums, and it’s a perfectly respectable piece of Radiohead canon, and I did want to cover all the non-main-album stuff at some point. On the other hand, it is just a remix album, I’ve kinda been going through the main stuff chronologically, and also I’ve never listened to it.

So basically, we’ll see! And you’ll see, next week, whether we go straight to A Moon Shaped Pool or deviate a bit for some capitalised numerical action.

#ramble #music #radiohead #the king of limbs

[felixnation]

THE TOP 10 WORST KPOP SONGS OF 2020

(WARNING: I DON’T LIKE THESE SONGS AND WILL BE MEAN AT THEM. I DO NOT HAVE ANY PERSONAL BEEF WITH ANY OF THESE GROUPS OR ARTISTS SO DON’T COME FOR ME IF YOUR FAVE MADE A STINKER TRACK THIS YEAR.)

Ah, 2020. The year where disco came back, the 80s came back, and everyone was titling their songs after nonsense words. It was a good year for k-pop overall, with a lot of new trends entering the game towards the end of summer. However, there were some real clunkers that refused to get out of my head this quarantine and pissed me off to varying degrees each time I heard them. This list is an attempt to chronicle all of those.

So without further ado, let’s get this shit done.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

NCT 127 - PUNCH This isn't actually a bad song, hence it only making it to the honorable mentions section. In fact, I think this could've easily made the best list had it not been for one thing, and that's the presence of NCT 127, namely their rap line. The instrumental on this thing is absolutely killer and one of the best productions to come out of SM in a long time. The entire thing is bizarrely structured and incredibly gutsy, and therefore I think it's a travesty that an instrumental this incredible was drowned in ASMR-esque whispers and EYYYY WE BALLINs. There are a few salvageable sections, namely the first post-chorus, and we see glimmers of NCT 127's true potential, should they choose to explore this sound further.

CIGNATURE - NUN NU NAN NA Similar to Punch, I admire the production choices here - there are a few sections that blast you with 100gecs-esque womps, and that's always something I enjoy. The vast majority of the song rarely dips below decent territory, but since the entire thing hinges on the titular hook, it ends up falling apart right when it needs to bring the hype the most. I mean, building a hook around those notes was...an interesting choice, I guess. It reminds me a lot of fromis_9's FUN!, which also constructed the entire song around a terrible set of notes. Listen to them yell that hook at you and tell me it doesn't sound off. Most frustrating song of 2020.

ONG SEONG WU - GRAVITY Have you ever heard a drop this weak? I sure haven't. I hate the way he says DIVING INTO YOUR LOVE, the over-enunciation kills me and there's one syllable too many. Also, thanks Ong Seong Wu for giving CRAVITY the promo they deserve.

BTS - FLY TO MY ROOM I can't relax while listening to this, the beat is so sparse and has this nauseous sway to it that really makes me feel like I'm reliving these past 9 months of quarantine all over again. And just like quarantine, it really feels like this goddamn thing never ends. That final set of choruses is really a chore to get through, and I'm not the only one who thinks so - shout out to Taehyung for serving taste and I'm sorry Jimin convinced you to sing out of your natural range yet again.

TREASURE - MMM Ew.

I*ZONE - FIESTA It's a pretty standard girl group song up until that chorus hits and oh my god, who on earth produced this? Are they actively trying to trigger my psychosis? There are so many sounds happening that it feels like three or four demo tracks laid on top of each other, it makes me confused even trying to figure out what's going on here. And that post-chorus drop is horrendous, it's like the instrumental is literally screaming into my ear STREAM BLOOM*IZ!!! STREAM BLOOM*IZ YOU DUMB CUCK!!! YOU LOVE IT!!!

NOW FOR THE REAL LIST.

#10: TAEYEON - HAPPY

I do not like this. Taeyeon has one of the most powerful voices in the industry and instead of putting it to good use, she decided to put out the musical equivalent of eating a stick of butter. Bland, horrible texture, seems to go on forever and ever, you know you shouldn't be consuming it and you don't know why you're doing this to yourself, etc.

The MV contributed to my dislike, with Taeyeon whitewashed all the way into uncanny valley as she lounges around her beautiful apartment. Well of course you'd be happy if you lived in a place like that, I know I would. The sad thing is that there's some really nice vocal work here and there, but for the majority of the song, Taeyeon decides to serenade us in the most nasal tone that she can muster. I know she can sing better than this, and I'm disappointed in her for creating this and unleashing it on the world.

#9: WEKI MEKI - OOPSY

Whereas Picky Picky was annoying in the best way possible, Oopsy is annoying in the worst way possible. The instrumental legitimately sounds cheap, the drums sound so tinny and artificial that it's hard on the ears. Not to mention the hook, wherein the girls force their voices as high as they can go as they proclaim OOPSY! 

I'm a huge fan of cute concepts, but when it comes to putting out a high-energy sugary track like this, you're walking a fine line between adorable and irritating. Weki Meki didn't even try to walk the line, they just dove headfirst into irritating territory without a care in the world. It literally feels like the audio equivalent of having to hold a whiny toddler and then it pisses itself and the mom is just cooing about how her little darling made an oopsy.

#8: VICTON - MAYDAY

It feels like for most of the year, the vast majority of boy groups were stuck in a rut, knee-deep in sludgy EDM and leather harnesses. You know the songs I'm talking about, and I could've put any one of them here, but I chose this one purely because that chorus makes me feel like I have a concussion. I don't like this song nor the trend it's representative of - I spent most of quarantine having the same dark BG concepts thrown at me over and over and I'm glad things are starting to take a bit of a turn.

The bridge on this is actually pretty great, and the guys in VICTON do know how to sing, as can be seen in the final post-chorus. But man, there's just nothing fresh being brought to the table here, just the same stale trends in their worst form yet. The hook is so slow and drowsy, the same few notes just repeated over and over. I have not seen the MV because I feel like I can picture it well enough in my head just by listening. Are there harnesses? Don't forget those, boys.

#7: MCND - SPRING

Only Pentagon are allowed to do these concepts.

#6: HYO, LOOPY, SOYEON - DESSERT

This is genuinely unlistenable as soon as the drop hits, with a vocal stitching job that might be a horn synth, I'm not sure. That's how annoying it is. The producer is clearly incompetent and the performers are oozing with personality, though not the pleasant sort. The hook is  bratty and the raps here are beyond generic. After the halfway point, there are a couple interesting sounds thrown into the mix, but it's not enough to save things.   

Soyeon in particular sounds awful here, with her iconic nasally tone morphing into something genuinely irritating and borderline spiteful. Age up the toddler from the Oopsy comparison to around 7 or 8 and that's basically what you've got here. All I can hope is that this song is not influential in any way, shape or form, because I just had a vision of Blackpink imitating this production style and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

#5: SECRET NUMBER - WHO DIS?

I'm not sure how many Secret Number fans are out there, but I'm about to make all of em real mad at me right about now. However, it must be said.

This is basically Your Turn by Kaachi again.

I don't think I need to explain that hot take, just listen to the song. It's surprisingly amateurish, to the point where I feel like the vocals aren't in sync and they just used the first take they got from each girl. The raps in particular are awful, and I swear they even sound like they go off-key a couple of times. How this blew up in any aspect is bizarre to me. Anyways, stream Photo Magic and stan Kaachi.

#4: BAEKHYUN - CANDY

Did you want a k-pop version of Yummy by Justin Bieber? No? Well, Baekhyun decided to make it anyways! At least Yummy was sort of funny in how bad it is, this is just...a somber affair. Inexplicably, he manages to oversing the final third of the song, which I don't get the point of, but okay. Lazy, underproduced and overproduced at the same time, bland, boring, annoying...

Wait, did he just say...

Okay, I changed my mind, this is hysterical. Like Pop rocks, strawberry, bubble gum...

#3: (G)-IDLE - DUMDI DUMDI

I'm so sick of this group's 'ethnic' schtick, it's like they never learn. They just don't give a fuck - after a string of genuinely great tracks like Hann, Lion, and Oh My God, they just decide to put out this shit and expect me to listen to it? They're a group with a lot of potential, with some brilliant vocalists and the talent that is Soyeon (who really loves being on this list, apparently) but if they continue down the path of using different cultures as concepts I can't support them any further.

The song itself has salvageable parts, a recurring theme on this list, but the over-the-top tribal influences are so obvious and tropey that even listening to it feels gross. (G)-Idle have more creative control than most groups, and the fact that they're capable of creating works of art like Lion is what makes me harsh on them. Instead of moving forward, they continue to regress into their comfort zone of cultural appropriation.

#2 YOOA - BON VOYAGE

Speaking of cultural appropriation...are we gonna address this? Nah? Okay.

Oh My Girl, YooA's parent group, has a history of blatant cultural appropriation (and arguably some legit racist moments depending on how you look at it) and they seem like they're not changing anytime soon. That's why this particular song stings even more than it probably should. If you thought Dumdi Dumdi's tribal influences were a little too on the nose, take a listen to this chorus.

YooA has a bad voice, is wearing tribal face paint, and is running around the wilderness whitewashed into oblivion while a choir of nameless voices chant vaguely tribal things behind her. Even in an industry like k-pop, this sticks out as something in bafflingly poor taste, and I can't see how she got away with this in 2020.

#1 BLACKPINK & SELENA GOMEZ - ICE CREAM

Well, this is a predictable pick. 

I don't know why or how Blackpink thought they could get away with drip-feeding blinks content for 4 goddamn years in the lead-up to their first album, only to drop this big fat clunker on them. I honestly felt insulted by the song, from its cheap, tinny production to the god-awful lyrics. I don't know how anyone could find any value in a piece of music this soulless and hollow.

Lisa's raps are by far the worst part of it, with FIRE BARS such as "you're the one been chosen, play the part like moses" and "mona lisa kinda lisa". Unfortunately, these raps take up a good portion of the song, and there's nothing going on in the instrumental to distract you from them, save for that little ice cream truck jingle. (or at least I think that's what the producer was going for)

Selena is a non-presence and essentially blends in with the girls, who WAIL that awful hook like their lives depend on it. Also, there's some really cheesy innuendos here that're sung with all the sex appeal of the actual ice cream truck driver from literally your neighborhood. 

I loathe what this song represents - the only good thing about it is that the girls look stunning in the MV. And that's exactly the thing - this song represents the exact moment in time wherein Blackpink admitted to their audience that music is no longer their main focus. This is the peak of their influencer-ization, and only time will tell if they'll redeem themselves. (Spoiler: They sort of did, goddammit.)

#kpop #worst kpop #kpop review #review #yooa bon voyage #blackpink ice cream #mcnd spring #dumdi dumdi #baekhyun candy #victon mayday #secret number #taeyeon happy #weki meki

[theluckyshadow]

OC Headcannons

Fei Zhao

Will make separate post for the rest of NCT cuz this is getting long + if wanted I guess I could do a smut one like I did for Ateez and Skz- not Got7 except maybe Yugyeom for Jiah... moving on

Fei Zhao, 17/03/2000, ♉️, 🇦🇺

3/4 OC’s born and raised in Australia

Both parents are Chinese but live (and raised Fei) in Aus

Fei is an only child but grew up being the eldest cousin, her parents had her very young (17) and currently have no plans for more kids

Her grandmothers are always (joking) about her giving them great grandkids

Her dad’s mum is the worst and has even asked her about taking a “pick from her band”

Fei’s has a middle name- Rayne

Another who had read the fan fiction written for her and her band

Except she actively reads them out just to laugh and she makes comments on them

Scared Winwin doing that once

Another OC who is pretty inappropriate, to the displeasure of Kun

Super close with her parents

Doesn’t like to be babied, the boys learnt that the tough way

SM/Label V put her down as an SM rookie by mistake but the fans thought she fit the NCT look

She was super excited to debut with WayV

While she was highly requested to end up joining NCT-WayV specifically she still receives hate

She stands her ground and doesn’t let it get to her unless they’ve build up

Is friends with Mark and Johnny- honourary Foreign Swagger

Steals the boys clothes

Likes video games- Fallen Order is currently her favourite

Cares far less for her looks and presence than she should

Messy hair, no pants, no bra etc usually not caught on film without a bra though

Suffers panic attacks and lows that she’s successfully hidden

Successfully hidden her fear of people, doesn’t want anyone to take advantage of that

She constantly gets shipped with all of WayV, and Dream members since those are who she’s seen with the most

She knows the ship names: Feidery, Feijun, YangFei, Fun/Kei, Tei/Fen, Feiwin/Feicheng, Lufei, Renfei, Feno (tho people did accidentally start calling her and Jeno Fennel because of how similar the ship name sounded and she just accepted it), Feichan, Feimin, Fenle etc she’s sure there is more

She’s a main vocal but a killer rapper

Everyone thought she’d be an absolute cutie, BUT with the boys she’s a fellow crackhead and on her solo stages a beast of a dancer (aka damn she hot)

Has no filter, at all, her Yang and Ten are the worst left alone. Since all three are English speakers they torment the others with teasing

She has deep regrets in teaching the boys Aussie slang because now they find it interesting and keep finding ones that are inappropriate and make her laugh way to hard.

Don’t tell anyone but she swears she misheard Yang asking her for a gobby in which she cried out laughing and asked him to repeat it “he just asked what it was-“

If she had to pick a member to date you’d need to give her a week to think of an answer because she loves them all and wouldn’t have a clue who to pick

Also can’t forget that these boys (par Xiaojun and Kun) don’t knock at all so they’ve seen more of her than she’d like but thankfully she’s usually got all the important parts covered

Relationship with WayV

Kun

“Hi mum.” “FOOD!” “Cooking battle time.” “Magic!”

She’s like the child Kun doesn’t want and with her and Yang combined in teasing him it’s endless

Dear Kun’s future s/o- many apologies if he doesn’t want kids now because of them

She confides in him as a leader about things bothering her that could affect the band but only if he’s noticed first- she doesn’t really do deep and meaningfuls

Overall they get along really well and she trusts him

Ten

Endlessly teasing each other

One minute both of them are fine, maybe cuddling really depends next they are making fun of each other’s pre-debut photos

Her, Ten and Winwin are the most flexible but he’s a show off and her personality is a bit competitive so she usually out flexes him

They both like cuddles and she’s the one everyone goes too but she usually goes to Ten for a hug

Feels really awkward when she has her lows and night terrors but Ten is usually there for her so some people think that they are the closest in the group

Winwin

She buys him icecream whenever he wants

Puppy eyes do not work on her unless you are Dong Sicheng aka Winwin

She’s quite strong and can usually be found lifting him up just to annoy him

He goes to her for advice sometimes, not for any particular reason but she’s pretty good at advice and is super reliable

Very much a sister brother relationship

Lucas

He teases her for being short, the teasing doesn’t last long because she has no qualms about punching him for it

Surprisingly they don’t actually interact too much just kind of say hi how are you and what not

It’s not that they don’t they just haven’t clicked yet but maybe they will

Though when they do get along they are loud and proud

Xiaojun

Protective of him

She knows he isn’t delicate but in her nature she sees him and thinks must protect lmao

The two of them are quite touchy, same with Hendery and Ten and when they are sat beside each other in interviews they’ll secretly hold hands (or pinkies) or during lives someone has a hand on the others thigh

She’s very comfortable around him and likes getting cuddles from him when she can

If she can’t get to Ten after a night terror she tries to get Xiaojun without waking up Yangyang and they’ll sneak into her room and just talk until she or both of them fall asleep

Hendery

Crackhead central

She has this urge to out idiot him every time he does something dumb

Like stated before with Xiaojun they are touchy, these two are the clingiest though

These two are always touching, but not in a bad sense, like if these two are sat together, his head will be in her lap- vice versa or her legs over his legs etc

These two are also gym buddies, really because both are a little lazy but are also competitive but only around each other

Probably shipped together the most too because they always seem to be together and neither actually tease the other

YangYang

Oop it’s idiots time

These two don’t have a filter when left alone or with Ten - well to an extent

Remember that live where Yang said if he had a son he’d name the son Eleven

Yeah she was there and she was sitting in just utter confusion the entire time because she’d stopped listening until that point

Also that bit when he goes “anything can happen” imagine having Fei there sitting just behind them looking super confused as they turn and look at her- thanks you two you fueled rumours of her and Yang dating

Cue her saying “Jesus Christ I feel sorry for you future partner. I wouldn’t let you name the kid.”

Cannot be bothered calling him Yangyang it’s pretty much always just Yang

#wayv #wayv x oc #kun #ten #winwin #yukhei #xiaojun #hendery #yangyang #fei zhao oc

[mercatorantique]

aesthetic tag! 

tagged by @seungchris

tagging:  yall dont have to do it but ! @banghans @kimatas @djxiao @chrrysoda @utunes @itzmidzy n if anybody else wants to feel free to say i tagged u!

rules: bold the aesthetics you relate to and add twenty of your own aesthetic qualities for others to bold

soft

baby pink | iridescent | glitter is always a good option | no bra | minimalistic tattoos | cherry patterns | sweet scented perfumes | wearing generous amounts of blush | doodling hearts | getting excited to pet an animal | fun nails | rewatching old barbie movies | hair sticking to glossed lips | heart shaped sunglasses | taking pictures of the sunset or sunrise | stuffed animals | protecting nature | stickers everywhere | teen movies | the light rain that falls from a clear sky at the beginning of the night

dark academia

neutral tones | masculine outfits | studying languages | worn down copy of books | grey skies | turtleneck sweaters | loose fitting pants | hair tied with a silk ribbon | trying to remember a cool difficult word you read somewhere to use in a convo | thick belts | minimal makeup | windows fogged by rain | vintage jewelry | blouses with cuffed sleeves | reading a murder mystery and trying to solve it | oxford style shoes | sweater vests | subtitled old movies in a language you don’t speak | leaves crackling as you walk | annotating books to express your emotions about the story

edgy

closet full of dark clothes | fishnet tights | makeup sweating off | neon signs | searching for unknown songs | chokers | band tees | doodling on old converses | finding smoking aesthetically pleasing but not doing it | weird humor | accidentally very dramatic | dim lights | layered outfits | chain belts | chipped nail polish | messy hair | low quality pics | piercings | combat boots | scribbling on desks

seventies

colorful wardrobe | doodling flowers | wearing short shorts | using a bikini top or bra as a normal top | listening to ABBA | flowers in your hair | diy-ing everything | jamming to songs alone in your room | drunkenly telling your friends you love them | patterned bandanas | mid heeled shoes | messy braids | flared sleeves | walking barefoot on grass or sand | bold sunglasses | the good kind of tired you get after doing something you enjoy for hours | feeding stray animals | fun patterned socks | room decorated with succulents and other plants | likes to go roller skating or skateboarding

preppy casual

collared clothes | drinking juice out of a champagne glass | getting excited to see the met gala looks | thick headbands | small pastel cardigans | making your friends take your ootd pics | plaid mini skirts | tweed two pieces | watching reality tv to pass time | frilly tops | watching old hollywood movies | academically driven | long manicured nails | new year’s eve fireworks | colorful tights | layered golden jewelry | yearns for luxury brand items | decorating your room with fairy-lights | cursive and neat handwriting | lace details

cinanamon - steph

gold jewelry, slowdancing in the kitchen with a lover, sun on skin, red-tinted lip balm, lazy mornings, getting lost in foreign cities, scent of bakeries, high-waisted jeans, kissing someone’s neck, writing reminders on your wrist, sleeping in braids to have waves in the morning, growing an herb garden, gentle touches, sketches tucked between pages, flushed cheeks, tandem bikes, floating in a pool, vintage gold hand-mirror, deer grazing, softly singing while doing chores

jaesmintea - dia

oversized everything | painted nails | fairy lights | dozing off in the middle of class | tying hair up into a ponytail | round glasses | laughing so hard you can’t breathe | late night study sessions | tender hand holding | impromptu photoshoots | drowning in moondust | bathing in the light of the sunset | strawberry flavored lollipops | polaroid pictures | eagerly tugging someone down the street | handwritten love letters | smell of coffee | living with reckless abandon | crinkled pages of a journal | replaying the same part in a song over and over

naptimetea - helena

everything black | rewearing your favorite outfit | drawing late into the night | rewatching favorite shows | the bread isle | minty lip balm | falling asleep anywhere and everywhere | making green tea | useless questions when it’s 2 am | forehead kisses | sleeping in till the afternoon | love of pink | staying up to watch the sunrise | dancing in the bathroom | messy handwriting | pile of sketchbooks | talking for hours about interest | old sentimental stuff animals | hanging out on the bed and doing nothing | thick fluffy blankets

jeonginks

the thrill of leaning your body way over a balcony’s edge | the suffocating feeling when the strong wind blows down your lungs | tip-toeing barefoot | hair ruffling and cheek pinching | hugging a body pillow at night | facing the sky with closed eyes | the whimsical silence when it’s past midnight and you’re the only person awake | when you can physically feel your eyes soften when you look at someone | dancing alone with only an oversized shirt | when your sweater falls over your thighs as you stand up | humming scary but memorable lullabies | vivid imagination | w-sitting with a mini skirt and thigh high socks | heated laptop on your lap | cereal at 3 am | gliding your fingers across your thighs | bittersweet melancholy | withdrawn and distant eyes | very tight belts | wanting love but not believing in it | not cruel but not kind

scxrlettwxtches

listening to a song and remembering the times you used to listen to it on repeat | imagining yourself living in any other life than the one you have now | crop tops and high waisted jeans | forgetting to smile but not actually being upset | nuzzling your face in the crook of their neck | back hugs when you’re stressed | turning in assignments 1 minute before they’re due | wanting a relationship but getting scared the moment you’re in one | pretending that you don’t care when inside you’re burning with doubts and fears | the sound of the evening waves as you lie on the sand | lying in your bed listening to your sad playlist | exhaustion but you can’t sleep | singing loudly when you’re the only one home | feeling safe and comfortable with that person in your life | knee high suede black boots with your black winter coat | comfort over appearance | writing essays at 2 am | creative peak from 1 am to 4 am | the one that always ends up walking in the back of a friend group

hyunsracha - sav!

split-dye hair | female rappers | staying up until 6am and sleeping until 1pm | taking notes on an ipad | middle school emo music | mini skirts | late night drives | rain on the ocean | flirting with people when you’re bored | doc martens | eating ramen in the pot | afraid of being looked at | fishnets | getting joy out of making people laugh | small tattoos | crying yourself to sleep | peppermint everything | desperate for freedom | chipped black nail polish

lveletters

well-worn converse | ginger ice cream | farmers’ markets | amaretto in coffee | the sound of pen on paper | empty mountain trails | black and white photographs | vintage bicycles | roads trips with no destination | overfilled bookcases | a shoebox full of ticket stubs | granny smith apples | orange gerbera daisies | cardigan sweaters | games that tell a story | red wine in a mason jar | succulent gardens | tattoos of birds | fresh-baked muffins | a favorite pair of jeans

dnceracha - sydni

black chelsea boots | chapped lips | browline glasses | losing yourself in video games | impressionist art | pink peonies | writing down anything you need to remember | the smell of gasoline | business goth style | dangly earrings | florals | ballet flats | cuffed jeans | liking the villain | a stack of journals | generous amounts of highlighter | knives | rain on a tin roof | heavy footsteps | small-town diners

seungchris - tessa

1am coffee |  small of fresh baked cookies |  lazy morning cuddles |  craft beer | corner booth in a local diner |  video games till 4am | strained vocals in songs | soft yellow lighting |  fresh mint |  loud synth bass with sweet vocals |  fuzzy photos |  squished cheeks |  long hugs | childhood stuffed animals | cat laying on your chest |  blasting music going to country roads | chocolate espresso beans |  white beat-up converse |  6-year-old worn sweaters |  hand-made gifts

gutenyang - luca

a game over screen playing its melancholy music in the darkness | being so full of love you start choking on it even though it has nowhere to go | being so drained of love that everything runs together | hazy memories as if they’re no longer your own | wet ink staining the palms of your hands | teeth glinting in the dim light, are those really so sharp? | getting lost in a campfire, the voices of your friends laughter and singing fading out as you stare | home-grown roses and lavender and lilies | the burn in your lungs after a good long scream | the ringing in your ears after seeing your favorite artist in concert, live, feeling the vibrations in your very soul | a smile shared between two...not lovers, but impossibly intertwined regardless | the fascination with catholic imagery and disgust with everything else | a ballroom in the modern era | lips against skin, a kiss and a secret whispered | a leather jacket so loaded with pins and patches that it says more about the owner than any words can describe | a bassline so melodic it catches you off guard, sweeps you off your feet | laughter for laughter’s sake | reading between the lines and only praying someone reads between yours as well | that one knife that says ‘jopping’

#i think i did more than 20 but like im a writer it's what i DO #about tag #bullshit.txt #thank u so muc !!!!

[hmel78]

In conversation with Doogie White ...

Circa 1994, when it was announced that guitarist Ritchie Blackmore was reforming Rainbow, rumours flooded the music community regarding who might feature in the line-up, but ultimately it was a collective of relative unknowns who made it onto the new record, and the tour bus ...

The album, “Stranger In Us All”, was issued under the name “Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow” in August 1995, and features Paul Morris on keyboards, Greg Smith on bass, John O’Reilly on drums, Blackmore’s Night’s Candice Night on background vocals, and fronted by Doogie White, the singer was an inspired choice; a huge fan of Ritchie’s career in both Purple and Rainbow, the singer formed a strong writing partnership with the guitarist. The album includes a reworking of The Yardbirds’ ‘Still I’m Sad’, which had been recorded for Rainbow’s debut, 20 years earlier ; Ritchie’s classical flights of fancy are truly achieved on his arrangement of Edvard Grieg’s ‘Hall Of The Mountain King’, and tracks such as ‘Wolf To the Moon’, ‘Hunting Humans (Insatiable)’ and ‘Ariel’ proved themselves to be worthy additions to the Rainbow catalogue. When it came to playing live, songs from both Rainbow and Purple were revisited, and fans are lucky enough - on the re-issue of “Stranger In Us All” -  to be presented with a unique live recording from a 1995 Swedish concert, of ‘The Temple Of The King’ - it also features a radio edit of the single ‘Ariel’, plus the song ‘Emotional Crime’ that has previously only been released in Japan.

Accompanying the extensive liner notes is a personal account from singer Doogie White, plus plenty of artwork and memorabilia from Doogie’s own Rainbow collection.

Doogie White has had a pretty extensive career as a singer / songwriter since his days with Rainbow - We caught up with him whilst on a train to Mannheim to find out more ...

HR : Having been a fan of Rainbow prior to joining them in 1994, how did it feel to suddenly have such a prominent role in the band?

Doogie White : It was a huge moment for me in every way.   There I was, a cheeky upstart who had long admired all that Ritchie did, being personally asked by him to come to America and join his band. He knew nothing about me and I thought I knew all about him. We hit it off straight away from the first notes we played together. We played old Purple and Rainbow songs and some bar band standards and jammed a few ideas just for him to see what I could do on the improvisation front.

I was only supposed to be there 4 days but he asked me to stay for a week. We discussed what kind of album we wanted to make. We played football. He did some magic tricks and we jammed for hours.

We had a good and healthy working relationship and a fine friendship. I knew my place and was happy to be part of his new adventure. He shared his hopes and fears. He trusted me.

I think we made a fine album with some good songs and a couple of real Rainbow classics. There were a couple we compromised on and we did have better ideas but we never finished them so that they could not be released as “bonus” tracks at a later date. I know how much he hated the re released Purple stuff with alternate takes.

I have hours of material but it’s in the Loft ...

HR : Despite the sudden nature of the break-up in 1997, was the overall experience of those 3 years a positive one?

DW : Yes!  Even at the very end when I decided it was here and no further,  it was all good and positive. It was sad of course as I felt there was more work to do and I had given him a tape with 6 song ideas for the next album. Some ended up on Cornerstone’s HUMAN STAIN and another on a TANK album. I treated my time in Rainbow like Ali treated the Heavyweight Crown.   It was the wrong time for the kind of music we were doing but we did it anyway.

Despite what Ritchie says, or in most cases does not say, we got on well until we did not.  His choice not mine. HR : To me it has always seemed strange that it literally ended over night - like a political coup d’etat! - Especially as You seemed to fit Ritchies criteria perfectly ; with what you contributed as both performer and writer. There are many citations which suggest that through Your input, there was a wider range of material that could be performed live, and also Ritchie stated [at the time] that Stranger In Us All was the best thing he had recorded to date - does  that reflect how You felt whilst working with him and Rainbow?  

DW : I don’t think Stranger In Us All is the best thing he did. I don’t even think it’s the best thing I have done. That’s just him promoting the album. It has its place and that is for others to judge. It was a good album though!

I just followed his lead. If he wanted to go off and jam some blues of folk or silly songs I was there as were the rest of the band (Greg Smith, John O’Reilly or Chuck Burgi, Paul Morris, and others) to back him up. He knew that we knew what was required, and also knew what I could bring to the party - he exploited that to the max some nights! He has said he does not like fun and that music is a serious business, but for anyone who saw that ‘95 tour you know that there was some serious music and some serious fun on stage! We were enjoying each other and pushing each other. He’s quite talented like that.

Then others got his ear and were feeding him negative stuff, whispering’s, designed to disrupt him, for his ears only and that was unhelpful - but it suited their agenda and just made him more suspicious, which he had never been with me before.

No one in the band was doing anything other than enjoying being in the band and RAWKin on stage every night. There were no egos just a happy band doing the best they could every night,  and those who saw it knew it was good. I did say if he had a problem with me, for him to come to me and we could sort it out - But that is not his nature and he never did. So when it came down to it he was prepared to believe what he wanted and what he was being told and have things done in his name that were quite frankly beneath the man. When his management were being obstructive I wrote directly to him and he honoured all his commitments to me and made sure that his management paid what was due at the time. That’s how it should be.

HR : And that’s where it stopped  - until now ... “Stranger In Us All” has just been re-released and given a new lease of life?

DW : Yes they have pumped out the frequencies and it really sounds lot better than the flat linear sound of the original.

We should have added some of the extra tracks I have of the demos. But there are far too many hoops to jump through and it would mean new agreements between him and I. That’s not a path he wants to walk. HR : No, understood - but going back to when the original album was released - Obviously you were unaware of the fact that it would be the only recording that Rainbow would make at the time (possibly the last ever one?)  - does it change the way that you feel about it? Do you ever listen to it?

DW : I don’t listen to it at all. I don’t listen to anything I have done other than a couple of times when I get it. Occasionally something will pop up randomly on my iTunes and and a wee nostalgic smile passes my lips. But actually with SIUA - I remember every ounce of effort ; every change of lyric, key, tempo - So it has a different flavour for me than for others. I am proud of it, yet I know that we could have done better. But I was new to the big spotlight and while I stood my ground for a bit every now and again, it was Ritchie’s band and he got to do what he wanted.  Pat [Regan] was producing it and had his instructions on how to guide me.   I was just happy to be waking up every day knowing that today was going to be a new adventure.

I had so much fun all the time. Even when the dark clouds were hovering as they kinda did for the last while. His management did go out of their way to make band, and on the road, life a little less inclusive or welcoming ... But It was that 90 mins on stage that made anything worthwhile.

From what people have told me it’s a shame he now has such a distorted view of our time together. But it’s not my business and I don’t care what he thinks about it or how he feels about me.  I have seen some of the comments attributed to him that people send me. He really does re write his own history and I always have a good giggle at some of the nonsense he comes out with.   He loved it at the time, but to be fair it was a long long time ago and perhaps NOT the most important endeavour he has done musically. I look back at it slightly differently because it was VERY important to me. It was the best of times and will never be repeated for him, or for me.

HR : Well thankfully it didn’t deter you from carrying on! You have been involved with many great artists and projects during your career - have you any particular favourite memories?

DW : My memory palace is overflowing with errr memories from my times with LA PAZ  and CORNERSTONE, YNGWIE and SCHENKER, through TANK and beyond. I have a wonderful life and I am having a wonderful career - And if I am honest, really honest, my career would have been very different had it not been for that one tape I passed to Colin Hart who passed it to Ritchie Blackmore,  who made that fateful call one Saturday night in April 1994. I am forever in his debt and do you know what? He will get no joy at all from me saying that, and that is kind of pleasing!

HR : [laughs] Now I don’t mean to offend you by comparing you to a musical nomad, but you do seem to have moved around quite a bit -  If you could have settled for any greater length of time, or even permanently with one of those bands, who would it have been?

DW : I always have plenty to do recording and writing and performing. There is no dirt on the back of my shoes.

I was with Ritchie for 3 years, Yngwie for 6, Schenker now for 5. I would have been happy to do another album with Ritchie but he had a time machine and went away to his beloved middle ages with all the comforts of the 21Century.

With Yngwie we had run our course but remain friends, if not in touch much.

With Michael I hope to continue our successful partnership. We needed time away to do other things after the 4 years of intense touring/recording - Just to get some fresh experiences and know what side the bread is buttered.

HR : That’s always a bonus! What about future plans? Any more solo work or new collaborations in the pipeline?

DW : I am doing an album with a Bulgarian metal band called John Steel. (Blaze did their first) I will be finishing it when I am back from my short run of solos shows with my band WHITE NOISE (Italian Chapter).

I am always working. Sometimes under the radar sometime soaring like an eagle. Its all good and its all fun.

HR : You always look content to be on stage, and just take it all in your rock stride! Ha! What’s the strangest gig you’ve ever played?

DW : With La Paz in the 80’s at a place called ‘Roots of Cleghorn’ run by a lad called “Chicken George”. It was farming country and George was the only black guy for 100 miles. We played to a farmer in a bunnet and his sheep dog,  and George was the door man collecting the money! HR : Haha! No way!? Well from ‘Roots Of Cleghorn’ to Stockholm Circus -  If you could take a ‘dream’ band on the road, who would be your line-up, and what songs would make it to the setlist?

DW : I would just want to be backing singer for David Bowie, and cover  anything from “Love you til Tuesday” to “Blackstar”.

#doogiewhite #rainbow #ritchie blackmore #blackmoresnight #rock legends #rockhistory #music #prog rock

[be17forever]

My Honest Review of “An Ode”

Let me preface this by saying, I am absolutely a Carat, I’ve been a Carat since Mansae era, and I will continue to be a Carat. That said, there were a lot of things in this newest album “An Ode” that made me really think. I wanted to review and process my thoughts on the album honestly, as a fan, as a music lover, as a listener. 

1. Hit: I don’t really think I need to delve into it because a lot of my initial reactions have been blunted since I’ve been repeating it pretty non-stop for a month now. Key point: I really didn’t appreciate the song much on first listen and not even with the whole performance. I mean, the performance is definitely impressive, but it didn’t really jive with the music or wow me in a way that “Getting Closer” did. However, I blasted it on speakers, realized that’s what the song was really suited for, and really came to appreciate it a lot more. 

2. Lie Again: Hands down my favorite song on the album. It obviously cannot be a choice for title song, but the quality is really close to what I expect from a title song. Great choice for instrumentals, great catchy chorus despite it being a mellow slower song, good build up through the verses. Vernon’s part references DWC, and this self-referencing is what I love about Seventeen. It is the best part of being a long-term serious fan of their music, though I know it can be divisive because it alienates new listeners (though DWC was fairly popular, so maybe not?) This song is the follow-up song that DWC deserved instead of “Without You” (possibly my least favorite sub-song from Seventeen, ever, and definitely my least favorite on Teen, Age). The bit after the bridge is a bit of a weak point, but not super jarring to the whole song. Great mixing. I don’t look at line distribution for each song because I don’t think a measure of “how much” part a member got in a 13-member group really means anything, but nothing stood out as a particular problem. Overall, a very well-rounded and well-executed song. There’s really not much to say because I think the song speaks well for itself.

3. Fear: I hate saying negative things about it because it is the title track and I have been so looking forward to it, but there were some points that made it just lackluster. Some errors were glaring, to a point that I don’t think I’ve ever felt about their songs, not even in the early days.

First, some positives. I think “Fear” did really well in terms of synthesizing the R&B base with slightly Arabian/Eastern/Medieval thematic bits with EDM, hip-hop, and their usual rock elements. It sounds like something I might have heard on the radio in mid-2000′s but with contemporary elements that remind me we’re in 2019 already. This entire album is fairly consistent in keeping to the R&B genre, which is honestly a hard move for them because Seventeen has been more rock or punk-rock based for so many of their albums in the past. “Fear” has also managed to keep the HHU from pitching their lines too low. The HHU, including Wonwoo, are not naturally low deep gravelly when they rap. They can pull off that kind of sound in studio, but it’s really difficult to do when they perform live. That’s why you’ll hear them often just doing their lines in a completely different tone than the recorded line. I hope they continue this decision into future songs because it makes it less jarring to hear the rap lines during live performances. Seungkwan’s voice shines like no other in this song. The song really plays to the best qualities of his vocal style. I know lately, there have been accusations of under-utilizing the main vocalists, but no one can say that with this song because it is clear that Seungkwan was very well incorporated into the song. Jeonghan also really fit well into the style of the song. His vocals really stand out, which is a huge achievement for someone who was not utilized much at Seventeen’s debut. 

That said, there are just a lot of things that felt sloppy to me about this song. Now, I cannot tell if these are mistakes or deliberate stylistic choices. However, some of these points are not just my personal opinions, they kinda go against the rules in a meaningless way. The mixing is really clumsy with the song. The beginning line from Wonwoo sounds a lot like how Mingyu started “Getting Closer”. But the glaring difference is that there is no musical anticipation into the part, nor is there a momentum out of that part before the first drop into the verses. There are so many quick fixes they could have done to the little instrumental that comes after his part to offset this, but because of the lull, the song immediately loses impact. I’m not sure what kind of effect they were going with doubling Joshua’s part. It sounds unnecessary, but I do like that they started absolutely bare with just the voice for the verse. It creates at least a little bit of tension into the rest of the first verse, which builds up by ping-ponging between more vocally artistic lines and rhythmic rap. Everything gets wrapped up by Seungkwan’s “Someone tell me, what should I do?” And then.

Nothing.

They recover the momentum that was lost through the whole verse, and then there’s just no impact into the chorus. It’s a real shame because I think “The way I love” bit is fairly catchy, so if they had a strong start to the chorus, the whole thing could have been really catchy. Also, the chorus is just a bit too short for “The way I love” to shine. Mentally, I wanted to hear another repeat of the chorus. Now, I’ve made my peace a long time ago with the fact that Seventeen just isn’t really going to chase after trends for their title songs. They’re not going to force themselves into a catchy hook just so the song can be catchy. But “The way I love, the way I love”-- that line is just so naturally perfect as a catchy tune, so it’s a little disconcerting that this wasn’t taken an advantage of. 

I really like the idea of taking away the instrumentals and having Jeonghan just stand alone with that whispery, haunting voice to give a fresh-start feeling for the second verse and keep it from being stale. However, I do believe there was a legitimate mixing error for this part. You can barely hear his part during this section if you keep a constant healthy non-eardrum-perforating volume on the song. If it is that hard to hear his part, casual listeners won’t even pay attention to it. And the whole cessation of the instrument and how wistful Jeonghan’s voice is should have made this part the absolute high point of the song. You do not have to lower the volume so low on the vocal track to keep the atmosphere because you literally just cut away the backing instrumental and his tone is enough to give that feeling. I just have a difficult time getting past this as just a stylistic choice. The second verse is also quite boring compared to the first aside from Jeonghan’s part. Coups’s verse tries to give a little change on the rhythm, but it just doesn’t really work for me, personally. Then we move into the chorus, but it’s better this time because of the little “Oh, oh, oh” break and “The way I love” repeating.

I really feel quite neutral about the bridge. It doesn’t really stand out until it launches into “This is love”. And then there’s just a lot of overlapping elements. I’m not sure if they felt pressured into trying to use all of the members, or as many as they can, for this last bit, but there’s just a lot going on in not a particularly cohesive way. The two vocalists belting, for example, is quite impressive but feels like an afterthought. 

The reason why this song fell a little short for me were primarily the editing choices that made me keep guessing if a certain effect was there intentionally or if it was a mistake. If it was an error, that is something that should not have gone uncaught on the first full albums in 1.5 years; if it was intentional, it was poorly executed. The lyrics-- I’m going to be completely honest. I’m fairly fluent in Korean, and the lyrics are really confusing. I’m not sure what kind of message they’re trying to send-- don’t love me, I’m poison, love me, my mind is corrupted, I’m afraid... If Woozi one day said that this was a song representing a conversation between two people or like a case of DID and two personas within a person warring, that would be a plausible explanation of what’s going on in the lyrics. And Seventeen lyrics are usually not like this at all. Seventeen songs have fairly elegant and figurative lines, cohesive story that makes sense, etc.. It’s part of why the song sounds good as segments (aka the teaser bits) but doesn’t really work together when it all comes together. 

I do still really like the overall genre of the song. They were really true to incorporating all the elements they said they would use. The HHU, I felt, was more well-incorporated than they have been for the last few comebacks. Seungkwan and Jeonghan’s voices pop out like no other. And it’s really, really difficult to make a dance song that is in a minor key and using scales/progressions that are not part of the more typical, Western music and have it sound natural but sophisticated. I imagine it may even grow on me after a while. But there were just some choices that felt a little bit flat and unpolished compared to what I had anticipated from the teasers. 

4. Let Me Hear You Say: I felt very meh about this song. It’s a cutesy song, and it serves its purpose. Nothing really stands out good or bad about the song. It reminds me a little bit of “Without You”. Let Seventeen have one cutesy almost-vapid song on their album, ok?

5. 247: Definitely not my style, but it blends well with the R&B theme of the whole album. It has all of the elements of those sticky R&B bedroom anthems reminiscent of male solo artists like Taeyang, Rain, or (for those closer to my age) Brian McNight. But minus the stickiness. I do wish that they incorporated a little bit of team element to it-- this whole song could have been sung by a single male artist and I would not have felt weird about it. A group should be accomplishing something different than what a solo artist brings to the table. This is my least favorite performance unit song from Seventeen, but that is not saying much because all performance unit songs are, in my definition, glorious hits, home runs, true bangers. This one just fell a little short of legendary.

6. Second Life: I hear the “hip-hop” elements... ok, Woozi, ok. I appreciate that Seventeen’s vocal unit feels more adventurous than sticking to ballads. This is also a quite meh song for me. The weird stop in the bridge is a bit jarring... to be honest, I don’t think anyone on the vocal unit could have pulled off the effect they were trying to go for, though. I think the lyric content is really warm and appealing to a slightly older audience. 

7. Network Love: I love this song, and not just because I’m a filthy American 외퀴. I love the theme of it. I love the playfulness they have with the lyrics (“I 좋아 = 아이 좋아”). That is also another divisive element about Seventeen’s music that I love but sometimes alienates the public. The whole build up and drop into the chorus is just masterful. The lyrics are witty. If this was a group song, it could have been a decent contender for title song. The theme is very relevant and authentic. Honestly, if Lie Again was a little less perfect, this would be my favorite off the album. 

8. Back It Up: We’re starved for a good HHU song, ok? What a great addition to the HHU’s discography AND this album simultaneously. I mean, my favorite is and will always be “Un Haeng Ill Chi” and “Check In” is also just so well-polished, but “Back It Up” is a great change of pace. I like that they just went ham on the lyrics, on the song, on the mixing. It shows the versatility of the song’s creators. The only sad thing is that the lyrics are so confident and ambitious about achieving more as a group, but in real life, this kind of drive and ambition is only expressed in the 3-ish minutes they have on stage and not reflected in the aggression of their activities and artistic direction. 

9. Lucky: I wonder if Woozi is secretly on a mission to receive credit for the best use of pan flutes and bossa nova elements in a kpop song. He’s managed it once with “Fast Pace” and now he’s done it again with “Lucky”. It’s a very light song. There are a lot of things in this song that can be difficult to pull off because they’re not conventional, but it really works on the macro level. A stark contrast to how “Fear” fails to make unconventional choices sound intentional and cool. I love that the lyrics tell us to “slow down” and the whole song has that on-your-toes kind of fluttery rhythm. Light, bouncy, solid group b-side.

10. Snap Shoot: This must have been a strong contender as a title song. I’m almost mad that it’s not (even though it is completely contrary to the whole dark Seventeen/growth theme they’re trying to turn over in 2019). The choir starting the song off is perfectly whimsical. It really took advantage of many of the members. For example, Joshua and Woozi sing comparable parts in verses 1 and 2. But they sing it with their own flow and style, it almost feels like a completely different melodic line. And it works well for both of them. The chorus is super catchy. The concept of the song is really true to the times. It can really work as a summer or a winter song. Very universal, very likable. There’s absolutely no rule that Seventeen “must” do a bright, poppy song. I think that frame is something we have to keep resisting against, especially for older fans who’ve seen the peak of the carefree boyish days. But if we look at the songs that they’re really known to the public for, such as Aju Nice, Pretty U, and Mansae, they certainly have that brightness as a known group characteristic, and they’ve nailed getting a cohesive and inclusive group sound down to a science since those early days. So it naturally follows that Snap Shoot sounds almost effortlessly perfect. 

11. Happy Ending (Korean ver.): I know people really want Korean versions of the Japanese releases because the Japanese singles/titles are great, and they show off new elements of Seventeen. But I am of the camp that if a song has lyrics in it, the melodic line must accompany the natural rhythm and flow of the lyrics, not the other way around (reinforced by my one-time brief conversation with Sondheim). Have you ever seen the “Kevin may not be smart, but he’s strong” meme? That’s what the song feels like to me. And this will happen for any song you try to translate into another language. It’s so, so, so difficult to keep the fluency of the words while retaining most of the original melody. Not saying it’s impossible, but this particular version did not excel in this regard and the new version only made me want to sing “Kikasete, kikasete” every time because the original was just so catchy. 

Final thoughts: This will not be a make-or-break album for me. I still hear a lot of the Seventeen I fell in love with or grew to appreciate. Some of the b-sides from this album, like Lie Again and Network Love, were truly great songs. But this made the less stellar songs stick out even more in contrast. I did like that they’re venturing into the “dark Seventeen” territory more because as much as old fans love it and still miss it, the teenagers are no longer teenagers and Seventeen does not have to box themselves into one image. I really appreciate that they changed up the basis of their sound to the more R&B territory, undoubtably guided by Bumzu, who has quite a history in that area. And they really stuck to it through the album. Though not as cohesive as YMMDay had been, the album does play like the songs, for the most part, belong together. That is kind of a lost art in the kpop world nowadays. CD’s are for pretty packaging, the tracklist shows off the width of the group at best, and no one seems to care for how the songs work together in order. When you listen to “An Ode”, it sounds like an entire album. Seventeen is a group in kpop that is quite counter-cultural in this way. I also really appreciate the effort that went into the music video production. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but it was a lot of things that the fans had been asking for a long, long time. The visual for the music video for “Fear” is definitely striking and appealing. That’s a big part of the music in kpop, so it would be irresponsible not to mention how well the MV works with the music. 

That said, there are few disappointments and choices that seemed questionable, especially when it comes to title track “Fear”, which should be their best song from the first full length album they’re dropping in over 1.5 years. As a Carat, I cannot be afraid to speak about things that are not working for me in this album. First off, I don’t have this delusion of grandeur that because I had some suggestions about improvements to this album, Seventeen members will take my specific words to heart and be so hurt and broken over it. If they don’t get the kind of reception they were hoping for, it can be saddening. But they still have literally thousands of Carats-- including myself-- supporting their future endeavors. Second, just because the members worked on the album themselves does not mean there’s no room for constructive criticism and feedback from the fans, industry professionals, and even the general listener. I appreciate all the hard work and sleepless nights they put into the album and simultaneously have things that I wish were thought through more carefully. As a fandom, we can’t label everyone who points out a few flaws as a complete heretic. That’s how we only grow insular and never end up reaching full potential. When there is no room for criticism, no more feedback and no desire for changes from fans, that’s when a group hits stasis. And as my old chemistry teacher (perhaps erroneously) liked to say: absolute equilibrium in a living thing means death.  

[ivycali-blog]

Musical Ideas From My Notebook Pt. 1

Vocal Melody: In the chorus of the song “Faith” by Ghost, he is harmonizing with the guitar. (Useful technique)

People like familiar aspects arranged in an original fashion to give a desired/expected effect.

Specifically Designed elements paired/collaged together & animated into an engaging journey that’s also aesthetically pleasing.

People love the rebranding of familiar/favorable stimulus.

Each song is a blend of personalities that add up to a total personality (of the song) <-- Stay in character

The aim of music is to make you move, feel, or imagine.

Is the character (of the song) a monster? a punk kid? a princ((e)ss)? an enforcer? a knight? etc.

Play something (a motif) fitting, then elaborate, then switch.

Build patterns and grooves on the spot, based on imagination

Delirious melodies are useful (staggered in a linear direction)

Off-beat rhythms are all about odd-numbered consistency/repetition

Kicks: Passive Motion / Snares: Active Motion

Instrument + Context (genre/feeling) = Personality

Each personality has its out temperament & tone

Write songs as (a) movie scene(s)

Pick a character & stick with it

People listen to your music for the way YOU write it. You hold a frame by simply existing. It all is framed by you & your style/aesthetics

Many/some may never hear your music

As long as the song fits into the 1 or 2 words that describe its frame, it’s enough.

Write something “Rock”, or “Hood”, or “Trap”, or “Chill”, or etc.

Chorus - The groove

Song - Groove, similar groove, similar groove, something different, etc.

For more melodic songs, write the beat last.

Number combinations for lead rhythm: 1, 1, 1 - 2, etc. just like hi-hat rhythm

Instrumental rate influences beat rate

Important notes don’t have to be held or accented, just as long as they’re played/included.

Combine important parts/sections of different chord progressions.

The song (Why) is not the production (How) or the aesthetics (What).

Fibonacci numbers correlate with growth. Things that don’t have a growth rate, or things that are static (outside nature or inanimate) can have or appear in numbers such as 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, etc. (Jung - The Quaternity)

Actually build cool melodies, patterns, phonetics, and number combinations.

Start motifs on different centers/registers/notes.

Any sound within the song should carry the general feel/tone of the song (exceptions can be made) --> My connotations of Alan Watts’ voice: Warm, fuzzy, cozy, belongs in a warm/fuzzy/or cozy song.

Use whatever techniques you can, even just bang on the keys if you have to. All you need is the vocal melody, then you can begin to build the music behind it. Use your natural talent of hallucinating music.

Song element pallet: A pallet of elements, each of which constitute a dynamic feel within the song. (Ex: The drop, down-tuned vox, off-beat patterns, reversed snare hits, etc.) Each of these are concepts you can build a song around/use as your main showcased elements or use as undertones within the song. These are also “grounds” as to not become “lost in possibility”.

Dynamics & adding elements is all about holding back with each element/tool until the moment when it’s most useful. Treat it as if you have a limited number of times you can use them. Just be conservative & contained. (Compare this concept to Hunter S. Thompson’s drug routine)

Each motif only needs to contain enough of the intended attitude. It just needs to be “good enough”.

Music speaks to the “inner child”. This is why logic falls second to emotional response. Speak to your inner child, perform to everyone else’s.

“Is this the right moment to introduce this element into my song? (Dynamic timing & placement)

Linear songs (Changing motifs) vs. Dynamic Songs (Same/repeating motifs throughout)

Straight-time vs. rhythmic groove

Longer holds/sustains charges the song with emotion. More “holds” = a more emotional dynamic.

Any element added to the song affects the overall aesthetic fell of the song.

“Is this enough?”

Only keep your family/friends in mind when being self-conscious about your music. How would those closest to you feel about it? Everyone else is just a spectator by happenstance.

Keep in mind the tone of each noise/sound & how it compares to the tone of the song.

Fill in spaces until things are enough.

Have Bass, Mid, and treble aspects in the song.

Pick a motif, melody, or flow & stick with it. Practice control/restraint.

Just by using a certain beat/melody/chord progression, it becomes yours.

Each element has different tone/dynamic/etc. values. Each value adds up to the total aesthetic value, or feel of the song.

What instruments/tones are often native to/often used in certain genres? Blend genres!:D

What audial (auditory?) stimulus (motifs/tones/instruments/dynamics/etc.) can represent/symbolize certain visual/external stimulus? (Ex: What says “fast car”?)

In music, nothing is certain or solid. Everything depends on everything else, and everything adds up to different equations/feels.

What would be playing if you were “_”? Write that. (soundtrack to a story/situation)

[lilicriticallanguages]

Five Key Tips for Learning a New Language (Not general)

Real talk. I hate searching for language learning tips online. I've been learning languages for about a decade now and have therefore read a lot of articles and watched a lot of videos claiming to have helpful language learning tips and frankly very few of them do. Most of it is just generic information repeated over and over again. So that leaves series self-studiers like you and me AOL. Reading generic crap over and over could end up making our language learning process much longer and more difficult than it has to be. That is, until you read this post! Hehehe!

I know you've waited long enough so let's just jump right in with these no non-sense tips to help you start your language learning journey process.

1. Choose a Color for Your Language

Like I said in a previous post about how I avoid mixing languages up, it is important to choose a color for the language you study. However, don't just choose any color, choose a color that has some significance to you and to the language itself. Something that causes an emotional response or a mental image, so that you build a strong emotional and mental bond to the language as soon as possible. This bond will help you memorize vocabulary and make progress a little faster in the language. The idea is that you want to get as comfortable with the language as possible. Once you choose a color, buy a notebook in that color, buy highlighters and pens in that language, and if you use flashcards try to find some in that color.

2. Learn The Available Sounds in the Language First

Okay, this is probably unlike anything you've ever heard but hear me out. If you want to learn to seriously learn a language, it is important to understand what sounds are available and what sounds are NOT available in the language. For example, English has the 'V' and the 'Th' sound but Korean has neither. On the other side, Korean has the 'Eu' sound and English doesn't have an equivalent.

You need to train your mouth and vocal chords to produce different sounds and it is important to begin training yourself immediately. Even before you even learn to read or write. You can learn these vowels and consonants in almost every language before learning to read even character based languages. For Chinese, you can use the pinyin chart by Yabla. It has every possible sound in the language with audio so you can practice them all. There is also a Russian chart with the IPA and corresponding audio for if the consonant or vowel is at the beginning, middle or end of a word. There is also a French chart based on the IPA with audio as well! It does help to learn the IPA, especially if you are learning more than one language

I suggest that you listen to these sounds and practice the sounds that have no equivalent in English (or whatever language you speak natively) especially often. I suggest you do this FIRST in your language study. Write down the sounds you learn in your fancy new language learning notebook with some examples that you think will help you remember the sounds. There is nothing worse than cementing poor pronunciation early on in your studies and then having to fix it later. It's VERY hard to fix.

2. Memorize What Goes Where (NOT JUST SVO-SOV)

I know that alot of people will tell you to just look where the subject object verb will go only, but I want you to look at where most major sentence parts should go. Try to memorize that order and structure for basic sentences by using charts and stuff. For example, try to remember where the subject, preposition, object, adjective, time, and verbs go. Here is a chart of Japanese, Korean, Chinese sentence structure respectively.

Remembering the order early on will save you a lot of trouble later and will also help you speak more smoothly without having to stop and think so much about how to say what you want to say.

3. Hit the Ground Running: Use NATURAL Speed Audio to Learn Vocabulary and Phrases

A lot of people complain that they often can't understand native speakers because they talk too fast. Well that's because when we first learning languages, we have this ultra slowed down audio that helps us feel comfortable. Well, language learning isn't comfortable. So you're going to need to find natural audio that is as fast and normal as if you were speaking to a native speaker. This is difficult to find at the beginner level, but I do know one really awesome language learning program called Learn a new language with the Scientifically-Proven Pimsleur Method - Only 30 Minutes per Day - Completely Portable - Trusted by FBI. Click here!

">Pimsleur that does exactly that! It presents phrases at normal speed, then slows it down once or twice so that you can hear it clearly, then speeds it back up for the remainder of the lesson. This method is a kind of shadowing method that requires that you repeat the native speaker exactly after them. This is EXCELLENT for language learners who are serious about learning and learning fast.

4. Organize Your Studies Based on Situations or Topics

If you are self-studying and have different language learning resources all over the place, try setting a topic for the week and learning as much vocabulary through videos, audio, movies, etc based on that topic. Start with the ones you're actually interested in if you like, but don't forget to do the practical ones to like going to a doctor, talking to the police, buying groceries, or going shopping.

5. Use Jokes!!

The best part about my language study is making jokes and stuff to help me memorize new vocabulary words. Here's an example from my Instagram page:

Learning vocab can be excruciating! Here is a #languagelearning tip to help make it a little more fun! 😊#language

Okay, that one isn't really a good joke, but you know what I mean. Make a joke based on the vocabulary word to help you remember it!

Bonus: Language learning is about being wrong over and over

Language learning is about being wrong over and over and over again. Making mistakes and then correcting those mistakes. If you afraid of being wrong, or don't like being wrong, you're going to have a hard time because language learning is about being wrong over and over until you get it right. Your attitude towards language learning must be open minded, willingness to be wrong and then corrected, and most importantly patience because this stuff takes a while!

Also don't forget to enter into the Giveaway for a free Japanese and Korean textbook and a genkouyoushi textbook! You can enter here: https://mailchi.mp/5d1fee9996a6/lilijapanesegiveaway

Happy learning!

#studyblr #langblr #studying #language #languages #language learning #language learning tips #mondaymotivation #language study #study motivation #studyspo #how to study #new language #tips #how to learn a new language #beginner #chinese #korean #japanese #french #italian #polish #hindi #finnish #spanish #russian #thai

[harjii]

2018 Music | My Faves

This is a bit delayed but @genjitsu-no-yume reminded me to create a list of my favourite music in 2018. I’ve split this list into 3 sections; favourite songs, favourite albums and throwback discoveries because I am constantly discovering music releases months (sometimes years) after they’ve been released OTL. 

By no means is this a list of what I think was the best. This is simply a list of the music I discovered which I loved and none of it is in any particular order. There’s constantly so much being released and all of it is so wonderful, how to possibly pick between it all?! 

Anyway, without further ado, here’s a list of my favourite music in 2018!

Favourite Songs Released in 2018

Tell Me - Infinite

Till Sunrise (feat JW of Nell) - Kim Sunggyu

The Chance of Love - DBSK (TVXQ)

Crossing A Line - Mike Shinoda

Caste of the Nine - A9

Who We Are - FAKY

Get It - PRISTIN V

Forever and a Day (Lean On Me) - WANNA ONE

Dear My Friend (Feat. Washio Reina from E-Girls / Flower) - MACO

Warrior (Feat. John Cooper) - Ledger

HELP ME - NU’EST W

Heroine - Sunmi

Sleeping Beauty - Epik High x Sekai no Owari

Shoot Met - DAY6

Sober (feat Ummet Ozcan) - HYO

F E E L S - Safetysuit

Almost Love - Sabrina Carpenter

Growing Pains - Alessia Cara

Fakeshow - Da-iCE

If It’s Okay With You - Nam Woohyun

La Fiesta - THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE

Woman - BoA

Fake Divine - HYDE

Love Bomb - fromis_9

Upside Down - BIGFLO

Black Heart - UNB

Tempo - EXO

Pretty Sin (Oh! My Mistake) - APRIL

Hope Torture - NELL

Spring Breeze - WANNA ONE

Favourite Albums Released in 2018

1. Post Traumatic - Mike Shinoda

Having been a Linkin Park fan since I was 13, Chester’s passing hit me really, really hard. Every Linkin Park fan can relate to the heart break felt but when Mike started releasing music, it became therapy for us all. The album dropped half way through 2018 and by then, he’d already released a fair number of the tracks as E.P.’s beforehand. Even though we’d heard many of the songs by this point, listening to the album as a whole was so much more emotional and so moving. Mike’s emotive lyrics, the strife he went through after losing someone so close to him is a pain we all felt we could connect to. Truly, I’m so thankful to him for releasing this album. I replayed it so much for weeks and weeks and the more I listened to it, the more I felt myself healing. The music is incredible; as always Mike has his own unique touch when it comes to creating music and the lyrics really tell a story of grief, sorrow, heartbreak, anger but most of all, hope. It’s this hope that we’re left hanging on to by the time the album ends and if that isn’t the perfect way to end an album, I don’t know what is.

Favourite tracks:  Over Again / About You (feat. blackbear) / Crossing A Line / Hold It Together / Make it Up As I Go (feat. K.Flay) / Running From My Shadow (feat. grandson)

2. DON’T MESS UP MY TEMPO - EXO 

Honestly, I was too immersed in NU’EST to give EXO a second thought as both groups debuted at the same time but I’d always known of EXO and always had a distant appreciation of their talents. However, when they started releasing teasers for their comeback my EXO-L friend started sharing her excitement with me. I went with it, intrigued to hear what they’d release. The moment I watched the MV for ‘Tempo’, I was instantly sold. I was so sold that I couldn’t stop re-watching the MV for days and days, to the point that I was trying to find signal in the Bermuda triangle that is the staff room at work just to stream it during lunch breaks! Safe to say, I fell pretty hard. Then I listened to the whole album and I was blown away. My only question was-why hadn’t I listened to them properly in the first place? Every song on this album is a mature progression for the group and their harmonies are just unyielding. I honestly can not praise this album enough. Mostly I’m just so thankful that it exists because it got me into EXO’s music properly, after long last!

Favourite tracks:  Tempo / Ooh La La La / With You / 24/7 / Bad Dream / Oasis

3. WHO, YOU - NU’EST W

Picking a favourite album by my boys was difficult because they released 2 stellar mini albums in 2018, however I had to go with ‘WHO, YOU’ in the end because my goodness was every track blindingly fantastic. In fact I’d go as far as to say that every song on this album could be released as a promo track and every song would chart well. NU’EST W did a brilliant job in the composition and tone of this album. It’s somewhat moody whilst also incorporating EDM which just blends so effortlessly. I really can’t fault any song on this album. And don’t even get me started on the title track; ‘Dejavu’ was a masterpiece! Prior to release NU’EST W had stated that the title track would include Latin tones since that was quite a big musical trend throughout 2018. As expected, they incorporated the Latin tones so subtly that it created such a infectious and trendy song. Also that bass in the chorus-bridge is so funky! Just amazing. NU’EST W’s musical development in 2018 was such a marvel and this album really proved that.

Favourite tracks:  Signal / Dejavu

4. WARNING - Sunmi

As a Wonderful, naturally I was excited every time Sunmi released anything. However seeing just how her popularity soared after ‘Gashina’ was released filled me with so much inexplicable joy because yes, this is what she deserved; RECOGNITION. This woman has only ever worked hard to challenge herself and grow as an artist and ‘WARNING’ is certainly proof of that growth. Comparing the musical tone of ‘WARNING’ to her first mini album ‘Full Moon’ you can really hear the stark difference in styling both musically and vocally. Sunmi has always had a unique set of vocals but in her ‘Full Moon’ mini album, they were masked greatly by the production I felt. But having more musical control after leaving JYPent, Sunmi has proved release after release what a capable song-writer she is and how she can work with the production team to create an album that not only appeals to the large majority but is true to her artistry. This entire album is testament to her talents and to know that she snatched so many music awards for it fills me with nothing but pride. Every award and achievement with this album was well deserved.

Favourite tracks: Siren / Curve / Gashina / Heroine 

5. The Pains of Growing - Alessia Cara

I’ve been a fan of Alessia’s music from the moment I heard ‘Scars to Your Beautiful’, introduced to me by my sister. That was one of the rare times where she had shared music I actually loved! Ever since then, I’ve patiently waited for Alessia to release some new music, so the moment ‘Growing Pains’ was released as a single, I was instantly hooked. I replayed the song so many times in one day I lost count. I just knew that her new album would be equally if not better than her first album. She certainly matured in her lyric writing and musicality because ‘The Pains of Growing’ is such a fantastic conceptual album. The trials and tribulations of transitioning into an adult can really be trying but Alessia took all those experiences we all go through and placed them in song. Listening to the songs on this album just makes me remember those difficult times yet at the same time, there’s a fondness in the crazy and ridiculous emotions and moments which took place. That is what this album does; it takes you back to those times if you’re already grown. But for those who are growing still, it’s something you can find comfort in and relate to.

Favourite tracks: Growing Pains / I Don’t Want To / Trust My Lonely / Nintendo Game

Throwback Discoveries

1. EVOLution - Sabrina Carpenter 

I didn’t mean to completely fall helplessly in love with Sabrina Carpenter’s music especially since I just looked her music up after binge watching ‘Girl Meets World’, but that’s exactly what happened. In fact I listened to her music non-stop for so long, my sister got fed up of constantly listening to Sabrina (she should’ve been thanking me really //rolls eyes). Her first album ‘Eyes Wide Open’ was such a sweet and soft album, I really enjoyed it a lot but her second album ‘EVOLution’ really was a level up in her styling both musically and physically. It’s very experimental and you can tell that Sabrina was still finding her feet and figuring out what kind of music she wanted to release, but I always love the journey. The albums which portray the journey, the experimenting, I always end up loving them the most and this album is exactly that. Lyrically, I really love what Sabrina did on ‘Thumbs’; singing about society and humanity the way she did was brave and I couldn’t help but love her even more after hearing this song. Every song on this album holds its own and is such a fantastic testament to Sabrina’s progression as an artist. 

Favourite tracks: On Purpose / Thumbs / Run and Hide / Mirage / Don’t Want It Back / Shadows

2. Holiday Night - Girls’ Generation

Work became quite stressful for me last Spring and for a whole week, I found that ‘Holiday’ by Girls’ Generation kept popping into my head. The odd thing about this was that I’d only heard the song a handful of times and I’d never listened to the album-so then why was it in my head? How? I put it down to the fact that I actually needed a holiday, ironically (I really did though //sobs). In the end, I decided to look the album up and give it a listen. So I did. And then I listened to it some more. And before I knew it, I was just listening to it on repeat for weeks. Honestly, I’d never gotten in Girls’ Generation properly (aside from absolutely loving their Japanese album ‘Girls and Peace’); I’d just casually listened to them over the years so I was quite taken aback by just how much I loved this album. It just made me feel so happy and made me feel so good, especially after long tiring days at work. This then propelled me to look into their discography a little more...that is until I got a little sidetracked...

Favourite tracks: Holiday / Only One / One Last Time / Sweet Talk / Love Is Bitter 

3. The Voice - Taeyeon

So whilst listening to more Girls’ Generation, I thought, “Oh yes, solo work!” And I don’t know why, I went with Taeyeon’s solo work first. That’s basically where I got completely sidetracked and completely forgot to check the other members because W O W! Taeyeon has some amazing pipes!! I had watched her MV for ‘I (feat. Verbal Jint)’ years ago but just not taken to it as much; after re-watching it, I then watched the MV for her song ‘Make Me Love You’ and that’s where I fell for her music. It’s such a simple song melodically but the way Taeyeon’s vocals build throughout the song from one octave to another, gaining more and more strength and confidence just fits the meaning of the song so perfectly. I was so blown away when I heard this song that I needed more. I downloaded her album in the end and gave it a proper listen. Every song had me hooked but the song which got me the most was ‘Time Lapse’. When I saw that Kim Jongwan from Nell had written the lyrics and helped with the composition I just knew I’d love this because I love Nell, and I did love this! SO MUCH! But it wasn’t just the song structure and melody, but Taeyeon’s voice is so vulnerable in this song. When she hits that high note towards the ends of the song, it gives me goosebumps every time. Honestly, it left me breathless. No wonder her first full album was entitled ‘The Voice’ because really, Taeyeon’s voice is exceptionally. To add to it, she covered Nell’s ‘Time Spent Walking Through Memories’ which was an additional bonus track on the physical album and what a cover it is-WHAT A COVER! I’ve nothing but so much love for Taeyeon’s talent, truly.

Favourite tracks: Make Me Love You / Fine / Cover Up / Time Lapse / When I Was Young / Live in Color / Fire / Time Spent Walking Through Memories (Nell Cover)

4. Tree - SEKAI NO OWARI

What I love doing at conventions is picking up random album, just to discover something new and exciting. Although in this case, I knew about SEKAI NO OWARI already and I absolutely loved their song ‘Death Disco’ and their collab with Epik High, however beyond that? I knew very little of their music. I came across the limited edition of this album at a convention and thought, “Wow, I know this is rare so I should just get it. Yup.” Plus it was a great opportunity to expose myself to more of their music, so why not? I do think music is about timing because if past me had heard this album, I don’t think I’d have appreciated it half as much as I appreciated listening to it in 2018. SEKAI NO OWARI’s musicality is just so unique; I’ve never heard anything else like it! The more I listened to this album, the more I found myself in a trance just repeating it. I’m a big fantasy lover so when listening to this album, I realised it was like listening to something from another world, something mythical and sometimes ethereal but mostly just-unusual, in a good way. It’s very difficult to explain the way SEKAI NO OWARI’s music sounds but if you know it, you know what I mean. If you don’t know it, you should go check them out.

Favourite tracks: Snow / Magic / Fantasy / Mermaid Rhapsody / Pierrot / Death Disco / Dragon Night 

5. The War - EXO

Having finally given into EXO, I basically spent all of November and December listening to their entire discography. ALL OF IT. The hilarious thing is that my first impression of ‘The War’ was, “I’m not entirely sure what I feel about this album”. Then I re-listened to it more and more...and more...and more, until i realised the entire album had grown on me at an alarming rate. In fact, the point at which i realised just how much I loved this album was when I was trying to create a playlist of my favourite EXO songs and I put 7 out of 9 songs on this album in that playlist. What’s even funnier is that I liked ‘Forever’ and ‘Diamond’ the least when i first heard them, but after listening to the album so much, they became two of my favourite songs! This doesn’t happen often, where I end up liking an album I didn’t like much to begin with so much but this album really knocked me for twenty! I could probably write reams and reams for every single track on this album but what I will say is that this album really shows just how much EXO grew musically since their first album ‘XOXO’. I really feel like you can hear EXO coming into their own on this album like-they sound comfortable with the music they’re singing, as if this is what they’ve wanted to create for so long. They exude so much confidence vocally on this album that you can’t help but fall for every single track. At least that’s what I found!

Favourite tracks: Basically the entire album. Don’t even ask me to pick!

#writing this made me very aware of just how my taste in music has changed up #there's very little rock in my life nowadays...huh... #harj musings #2018 #music #personal #kpop #k-pop #k pop #jpop #j-pop #j pop #mike shinoda #exo #sabrina carpenter #girls generation #taeyeon #snsd #alessia cara #nu'est #nu est #nuest #nuest w #nu'est w #sekai no owari #sunmi #linkin park #japanese music #korean music #western music

[veryotl]

Sooo for the past... three or four albums I’ve done a reaction to the Highlight Medley... And I really need to get back into making content again! So here we go! Here’s my breakdown of the “You Make My Day” Highlight Medley!

1. Oh My!

I will be completely honest here: I wasn’t liking the sound of this song until I saw the MV teaser. It felt a little bit busy with all the noises in the background, and a little bit jarring without a before or after section to show a progression in music. However, in the MV teaser, we got a little bit more of the song as well as some of the dance to kind of bring the beat and melody a little more to the forefront, and with the added context of the progression of the song, I can now say I’m very excited to hear the rest of this song. It’s not really like anything Seventeen has ever done, and relies a little more heavily on strange synth-y noises instead of the Seventeen style of funky bass and really present instrumentals. If I had to draw a connection anywhere, it would be to Change Up. A repeating melody line with mostly simple instrumentals, however even that isn’t exactly what this song is. But as always, far be it for me to say what Seventeen’s style is or isn’t, not after Clap and Call Call Call were so good. They constantly subvert my expectations and I trust they’ll pull this off like they always do.

2. Holiday

The snippet of this song we’re given seems to be from the first chorus, judging by the drop and how kind of understated and simplistic the backing vocals and instrumentals are, if it was later in the song I think there’d be more. It seems like a lighthearted fun song like Thinkin About You or Healing, although a little more chill and laid back than those. There’s not a whole lot I cans say about it from the teaser, except for that it seems to really fit the flow of this album? Thematically speaking, this album looks to be really cohesive and strong, but we’ll get back to that later.

3. Come To Me (Vocal Unit)

If you have been following me for any length of time, you probably know how excited I am for this song because for years I have been talking about how much I want to see Vocal Unit break out of their ballad element. Don’t get me wrong, I love their ballads, and they’ve taken some interesting creative turns like Don’t Listen in Secret having a jazzy-nightclub feel, but they haven’t had an upbeat happy song since 20, and while I can understand wanting a vocally impressive song it’s not like you can’t do that with a brighter tone. In the past, I’ve recommended a 50′s-60′s style song or a Vocal Unit Band song to break Vocal Unit out of their arena, but the direction that this song takes is much more chill house vibes, which is kind of the style right now. Which is fine, especially since Joshua has already exhibited his abilities to jive with that style on Rocket. You can really tell this is a vocal unit song, though, because even in the short clip they gave us you can hear like 3 layers of harmony. I’m super stoked for this departure from the norm and I hope this song is vocally challenging and also successful enough that it gives Vocal Unit some confidence to explore other styles!

4. What’s Good (Hip Hop Unit)

Now it’s time for the pendulum to swing in the complete opposite direction, and that’s because Hip Hop Unit has done it AGAIN. They’ve done a full 180 on my expectations and explored yet ANOTHER new style. Hip Hop Unit is probably the most unexpected unit in my opinion because every time they drop something new it’s completely against their established style. Ah Yeah seemed to be a good solid style, but then Fronting came out of nowhere with this peppy chill vibe, then Monday to Saturday took it a step up and brought back some kind of classic Hip Hop vibes while still exploring this idea of laid back rapping, and then Lean on Me comes out of nowhere with vocals and ballads, and then If I seems to go back into a darker vibe with some super heavy backing instrumentals and melody, and then Trauma goes modern??? With autotune and Mingyu doing vocals?? And now we’ve got this weird... pop... upbeat... groovy song? Hip Hop Unit always zags when I think they’re gonna zig. I cannot wait for this song and for Hip Hop Unit to zag on me again. This is gonna be great. 

5. Moonwalker (Performance Unit)

In some aspects, Performance Unit is similar to Vocal Unit in that they found a style with the success of Highlight and Swimming Fool and are sticking to it, and Moonwalker is in that wheelhouse. However, I can’t really begrudge them anything because they’re all FRICKIN BOPS and the style they’ve found I think really fits with their general feel as a group and the individual styles of the members. Plus, with songs like Who and The Real Thing, the members will often break out of their comfort zones and I appreciate that. Maybe in the future, I’d like to see another Who-style sexy intense song, but for now I’m perfectly content with another Electronic dance song, especially if accompanied by a sick dance like Swimming Fool was. Plus, I lowkey expect Dino to shine in this song, which is something we haven’t seen a whole lot of.

6. Our Dawn is Hotter Than Our Day

First off, this sounds like it could be a bridge-esque clip, maybe near to the end of the song, so the flow of the song might be different. Secondly, I think this might be a mistranslation, where “hotter” or “뜨겁다” should refer to a burning passion instead of a physical heat? Either way, I love this clip. The8 seems to be the main voice with maybe Coups and/or Wonwoo backing him, and it seems like a real impact moment, and I love that they’re kind of giving it to The8 as the main instead of their usual impact-hitters of Jun or Wonwoo. In terms of the general sound, it’s got this kind of lower energy vibe to it, something kind of akin to Campfire or Smile Flower in terms of atmosphere, but also more hopeful and positive in terms of feeling. The kind of song you listen to in the dusk of a summer night with the top down and the feeling of winding down instead of at 3 am with the feeling of looking back and crying. A very content song, I think. In general, the teaser doesn’t give us a whole lot in terms of progression, but I really want to see where the song goes as a whole and what they do with it.

Full Album Summary

In general, I think this album is a lot more thematically put-together than some of the older albums. I feel like they’ve recently tried to be thematically consistent, but there’s usually one song that breaks the theme, like Swimming Fool on Al1 or Clap/Hello on Teen.Age. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, especially in the recent years of not having to listen to an entire CD to hear the songs you like. However, having a super solid album that is consistent from top to bottom could make it so that more Hip Hop unit fans start to listen to Performance Unit, more people listen to the full album every time instead of just various songs, more people want to buy the entire album. 

As for the style, it’s a direction I didn’t really expect Seventeen to take, however it feels like a natural progression from Teen.age thanks to the inclusion of songs like Rocket and Change Up and even Without You to an extent? I think it’s a step away from Seventeen’s established style, but not necessarily a step in the wrong direction. In fact, I love that they don’t feel trapped in making the same song six comebacks in a row to have to keep their fans. They’re free to explore genres and styles and evolve and change, which is a necessity for any artist who doesn’t want to feel confined and trapped in their art. 

To make some predictions for this album, I think DK will become a real star this time around. This style really appeals to some of his voice’s natural charms. Joshua is going to do well with this concept, but I’m worried he’s not gonna get a lot of recognition for it due to the fact that he fits it so well that it feels very much like he’s a part of the furniture and not necessarily having a spotline shone on him. More on the concept of the MV, I think Seungkwan will be a big point in this comeback because the color scheme fits him super well and he stands out against warm colors really nicely. Also, we can expect to see more of debut, childlike playful Hoshi coming back this era. Vocal Unit’s solo will be a summer staple, Wonwoo’s solo part in the Hip Hop Unit song will kill and Vernon and Mingyu will shine in the concept, and Dino will come into his own with this Performance Unit song. Hopefully, The8 will become a popular pitch-hitter like Jun and Wonwoo this comeback as well!

No matter what, though, I absolutely cannot wait for this comeback!

#Seventeen #pledis 17 #Ymmd #clover overthinks seventeen #you make my day

[mrsrcbinscn]

Franny’s Top 10 Mainstream Country Songs of 2020

playlist

tl;dr: A selection of script excerpts from a video on Franny’s YouTube channel called “My 10 Favorite Hit Country Songs of 2020″. This isn’t everything she had to say about those songs ofc, just excerpts. I ain’t writing all her thoughts lmao

tw: mentions but no detailed discussion of death and abortion

INTRO: Susadei*, hello, and welcome to my channel, where I, Franny Sor Robinson, share my opinions about music on the internet.”

*susadei is the informal way to say hello in Khmer, Franny’s first language

TOPIC INTRODUCTION: It is almost Christmas, which means! It’s time to start my end of the year roundup. I made videos every December talkin’ about my top 10 favorite...fill-in-the-blank. This year, we’re going to start with my Top 10 Hit Country Songs of 2020. And before you start typin’ [cuts to Franny wearing Cornelius’ glasses and one of Laszlo pretentious artist scarves, black and white] “Ew! I came here to find of hipster shit!” [cuts to Franny wearing one of Petunia’s jackets, black and white] “Where’s the BANJOS!?” [color restored] that’s the one I’m recording next so hold on.

As always, this list is in no particular order, because I believe that music isn’t something you rank on a linear bad, worse, worst, good, better, greatest scale. 

RULES: Now, the rules!

The song can’t be one I had a part in “So if I co-wrote it, if it’s my song, or I featured on the track, it’s out.”

No carry-overs “If I mentioned it in my 2019 list, it can’t be on this list.”

Spread the love

“Only one artist repeat is allowed, I get one double dip but other than that, it has to be a new artist.”

Beyond those rules, that’s really it. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

 10. Love You Like I Used To by Russell Dickerson

 Number ten on the list is one that, actually, surprised me. To me, Russell Dickerson is...well. I’m all about positivity on this channel, talkin’ about other artists. But. He’s solidly part of mainstream Nashville, y’all know my thoughts on the Nashville music industry. 

 It’s still -- I mean, it's a mainstream country song and was always meant to be, so it still follows the formula but it’s creative. It presents like a breakup song at first but right before the first chorus, you find it’s actually a love song. The first verse starts with

‘I've always loved you, oh, but something's changed’ but in the chorus you get [and she plays it on her piano, that her camera and microphone are set on and sings it] ‘I don't love you like I used to, this gets better every time you kiss me like this, it's stronger the longer I'm with you-’ and I think that’s a creative thing to do with a song.

 Like I’ve said before, I don’t hate every single pop country song, and I think there is value in and a place for, pop country. What I do hate is the vapid, formulaic trash that Nashville keeps pushing. So when a song like this that has the made-for-Nashville-radio arrangement but actually does somethin’ creative lyrically, I see it for what it is. And it’s good. It’s good.

 9. One Night Standards by Ashley McBryde

 I’ve actually had the pleasure of co-writin’ a song with Ashley before, so seeing how well this song’s done this year-- how well she’s done this year -- it’s been great. 

 This song’s about a woman laying down the ground rules for a one night stand and I love. this. song.

 A lot of people find this song sad, but I don’t think there’s anything sad at all about a woman owning her sexuality. I think this one line, ‘can’t you just use me like I’m using you’ makes people think it’s a sad song. Maybe it is! But like...I had casual sex all the time in college. I was absolutely using my one night stands for some meaningless, easy sex, and I knew they were using me for sex, and it was fine.

 It’s fine, that’s what a one night stand is. And to me, it sounds like she’s just here for some sex, and the guy’s like, trying to have conversation and do things “right” like offer his phone number, and she’s like, in the words of the great philosopher, Ke$ha, ‘just show me where your dick’s at.’ And I appreciate that.

 8. I Called Mama by Tim McGraw

 It might be because I’m seven months pregnant, and my son is starting university next fall, and my mother lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, but this song has started to make me cry so I can’t really, like, listen to it very often. But I think it is one of the most beautiful, honest songs on country radio this year. It’s a gentle ballad about not putting things off until it's too late, that starts off with a friend calling the narrator to tell him about the death of a friend, which leads to a phone call home to the narrator's mother.

 This song makes me think about myself, and my mother, and one day when my son is living on his own, my son and old lady me.

 The part in the second verse, ‘I can always hear her smile when I call, I just called to tell you that I loved you, I was missin' you and dad, and home, that's all’ -- I cry 1 out of 3 times. Probably. I miss my parents a lot. And I hope my son will miss me and call just to say he loves me and his father when he’s all grown up. The song makes me think about my family and my place in it.

7. Starting Over by Chris Stapleton

 This is another one that I feel on a personal level. It’s this positive ballad featuring his wife, Morgane, talking about how much they love each other and their desire to go through life’s bullshit together. And it just makes me think about my husband, and how much I love him.

 It’s another one I can’t listen to often, I get all misty-eyed. I can’t listen to love songs even when I’m not pregnant, I just call my husband like “I love you” “are you crying” “No!”

6. What If I Never Get Over You by Lady A

 This was one of my honorable mentions of 2019 so it doesn’t count, it’s allowed. Charles Kelley and Hilary Scott’s voices together are just - ugh, god, they’re chef’s kiss, perfect. And I...think this song is just about as good as Need You Now as far as their longing, breakup songs.

 I like how there isn’t a big beat-you-over-the-head climax moment because this song does not need one, it wouldn’t be right. Like, there is one but it’s not like ‘BAM’ there’s the climax! It’s very natural. It was a return to the rich, smooth sound of the band’s earlier hits and that’s the Lady A stuff I really loved. Even their fun stuff like Lookin’ For A Good Time and Love Don’t Live Here, from the earlier days, I prefer those to the overproduced kind of….made-for-radio stuff that snuck its way into their catalog over the years. Sonically, it seems like they’re returned to what makes them great together and I’m happy to see it.

 5. Bluebird by Miranda Lambert

 At number five on the list is Bluebird by Miranda Lambert. This whole album was on my best albums of 2019 list, and I am thrilled that Bluebird became a single. Miranda is a modern day legend in country music and this album especially just keeps proving it.

 Musically, lyrically, everything about this song works. The twists she makes on common metaphors in the English language like ‘when life gives you lemons’ instead of making lemonade she mixes them in her drink, they’re clever. I adore Miranda, it ain’t a secret, I’ve said as much to her gorgeous, gorgeous face, and it’s great seeing the songs from this album, including Bluebird, get the love it deserves.

 4. One Beer by HARDY and Lauren Alaina

 One Beer is a song about a teenage pregnancy, which. We all know my experience with that, but if you don’t, click here [points off to the side, and a card pops up that will link you to a video titled I Got Pregnant When I Was 14 #shoutyourabortion #endthestigma]. It kind of reminds me of Kenny Chesney’s There Goes My Life from...2000...2004? Is it? Wow, I’m old.

 Lauren Alaina’s voice is flawless, as always, and HARDY’s word play strikes once again. For my followers that didn’t grow up with English as their first language -- is this a thing in other countries, or is this an American thing? My UK, New Zealand, et cetera followers, comment down below if kids did this where you’re from too.

 Anyway, if a boy and a girl were so much as friends in like, first grade kids would tease you with this specific rhyme like, Joey and Sarah sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage --- and in the song, HARDY plays on that with ‘A boy and a girl and a three on the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes lust then a shotgun marriage, six months later comes a baby in a carriage’ and just love that kind of clever wordplay shit.

 3. I Wish Grandpas Never Died by Riley Green

 I first heard this song when I was in The States, driving around with Dan[iel Maitland] and it was on the radio, I thought it was some breakup song. But then the last line of the chorus hit me ‘I Wish Grandpas Never Died’ and I just start bawling and Daniel’s like ‘don’t get your tears on my new car seats!’

 Love you too, Dan.

It’s a beautiful song. Sad, but you can also tell he really loved his grandfathers, who’ve both passed away. He’s written several songs inspired by one or both of them. It’s a good song, good writing, I like how lowkey it is musically. And it’s honest songwriting that I wish country radio still had more of.

 2. Gaslighter by The Chicks

 After over a decade away from the music scene, my queen are BACK! Gaslighter was an amazing return and the rest of their album did not disappoint. Now, I don’t think the album was purely a country album, which I talked about in my full album review you can find here [points to the side, where a card pops up linking you to the video], but it is an album that I thoroughly enjoyed that included country songs. They experimented with this album, I love to see it. Let artists experiment without shaming them 2020! Anyway, the album does have lots of country songs and Gaslighter is one of them.

 Natalie Maines’ vocals are, as always, everything one would hope they’d be. They all looked great in the music video. It was a great middle finger to Natalie’s ex-husband, Adrian Pasdar. God, I bet it was fun to write.

 I love writing songs about Dan’s divorces with him since I don’t have one to write about. Keep getting divorces Dan, endless content. [cuts to a video of Daniel Maitland acting like she said that in person to him and he goes ‘rude.’]

 Stream The Chicks. Natalie, Martie, and Emily could stab me and I’d apologize to them, but the thing is, they never would. They’re too nice. They’re so nice. Collaborate with me again please, please, I love you. [mouths call me]

 1. Die From A Broken Heart by Maddie & Tae

 This song was another one of my honorable mentions in 2019, and I’m kicking myself for never properly talking about it until now. I’ve loved Maddie & Tae since Girl In A Country Song and Die From A Broken Heart is just -- god, it sounds so familiar.

 Like, it sounds like I did talking to my mother about getting my heart broken when I was younger. It’s honest, vulnerable songwriting that I can’t get enough of. 

#insp: youtube