#and then the highlight reel of my personal favs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

neuronal · 1 year

Note

so sorry about the [gestures to finishing shl] skdjdkshdakdh who would you say is your fav character? did you have a fav part? 💖💖🫶🫶🫶🍅💞

lexiiiiii, my life has been divided into two parts bc of this show: pre-shl and post-shl dhksajdf

also aaaaah that's such a hard question to answer, each and every character was written so well! but if i was forced to choose, it would be wen kexing simply because i love his character's arc and i love the subtle development that occurs over time to make him realize he is worthy of love and forgiveness and that he can let go of the past, that his mistakes don't define him and that there is always something to live for :(

BUT i would be doing incredible injustice if i don't mention gu xiang since her journey overlaps so heavily w wen kexing's and the relationship these two have has truly taken everything out of me (and is arguably the highlight of the show imo). i still do not agree with what happened in ep 35 (SHL SPOILERS just in case) like she was the light in the dark, a symbol of hope, the living proof that wen kexing could retain his compassion in such a dreadful environment and the fact that she was raised to be kind and innocent in spite of the hardships the both of them must have gone through... it does not make sense for wen kexing to get his happy ending when she doesn't!!! (and it's not even fair to call it a happy ending, we don't see it in the show, but it's not wrong to assume that her death also revived his trauma about letting the wrong person in (like it was with zhao jing back then) and regardless of everything, she was his family! she saved him just as much as he saved her! she deserved to live a long life!!!)

apart from zhou zishu, other characters i liked were tragicomic ghost and beauty ghost but again, they did not get the ending they deserved :( i was so happy about liu qianqiao finally moving on from yu qiufeng, and then THAT happened....like it completely defeated the entire purpose 😐

as for my fav part....hdkfsjd there are so many!!! i will not be able to answer this, the show is a perfect blend of comedy and found family and love and forgiving yourself. i love the whole theme about how 'redemption' is not sth that is given by others, it's what you choose for yourself when you let go of your past mistakes/grudges, and decide you are worthy of kindness

sorry, this is so long dskjf i'm currently head empty only shl, and i'm still reeling, so my thoughts are kind of all over the place, but thank u so much for letting me talk about it!!! 🌹🌺🌷🌸🪷

#ooo also another character i liked was the scorpion king #the destructive need for parental approval....yeah i get that completely

1 note · View note

pwarkluv · 3 years

Text

❝ electric love ❞ - pjs

park jisung x reader | fluff | 2k words

WARNINGS | lowercase is intended, too fluffy because it’s my fav genre to write about, kinda strangers to lovers au, idol au, idol!jisung, itzysixthmember!reader, I’M SO SORRY TO MY CURVY AND THOSE TALLER THAN JISUNG READERS y/n is called small and tiny in this fic (i still love you though), mentions hair color but just pretend it’s dyed like lisa’s hair in the hylt era, shy!jisung and shy!reader because y’all are babies who don’t know how to approach someone who you like

SUMMARY | when itzy and nct dream meet on weekly idol, one member of itzy catches a certain maknae’s eye.

AUTHOR’S NOTE | inspired by “electric love” by borns :P yes it’s a tiktok song but it’s a good tiktok song so bite me >:( i disappeared for a bit so enjoy this trash imagine because i lost the will to write for a bit. also not edited really well i’m sorry for mistakes :(

your palms become sweaty as you nervously sit in the chair, the makeup artist diligently working on your face. wannabe came out about a month ago and the overwhelming popularity and support came flowing through, especially with ryujin’s shoulder part in the beginning.

itzy’s fandom grew and so did the group as a whole, the six of you continuing to learn more about being an idol.

but the one thing you were lacking in was interacting with other idols.

itzy debuted in early 2019 giving you guys a little interaction with others like your brother group, stray kids. but when the whole pandemic hit, causing you all to isolate in quarantine to protect each other, talking to others outside of your company became rare.

you were extremely awkward when it came to other idols. sure, you could talk to fans. you knew how to act and talk to them since that was a part of your training. but talking to idols, another person who wasn’t a fan, was different.

unfortunately for you, on the episode of weekly idol you are about to appear on, another group was going to be present. and of course they just had to be one of your favorite boy groups of all time: nct dream.

you’ve always looked up to nct as a whole, but nct dream has always been your favorite because they were young when the six, originally seven, first debuted. you were twelve when you saw their debut stage. dancing has always been a passion of yours. it made you feel free and alive. music has always been a part of you as well. you taught yourself how to write songs and produce them, even releasing music on soundcloud under an alias.

so ever since you saw nct dream debut, you decided you wanted to be an idol too. three years later and you’re in itzy, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. but now that you were going to be in close proximity to the people you’ve looked up to for so long, even talking to them made your head hurt.

ryujin bumped your hip teasingly as the six of you prepared to go on screen, knowing how you felt about nct dream. she was casted during a got7 fansign so when she first met them after her debut, that girl was a statue (though she would never admit it).

“don’t worry y/nnie, i won’t mention your crush on park jisung.” ryujin slyly said before moving to escape your wrath.

“ryu!” you whined, trying to smack her moving body. your face flushed, the heat rushing to your cheeks at the mention of the older boy. though you’ve never said it outloud, you’ve always had a thing for the maknae of nct. how could you not? he’s tall, polite, has a really good voice, and is the main dancer just like you. his style and the way he moved was beyond impressive, causing you to fall for him even more.

the girls found out about your so-called “crush” (quotation marks to make you feel better even though you’re head over heels for him) when you saw nct dream in an award show. yuna saw the way you blushed and how your eyes strayed to the tall then pink haired boy a couple tables away from the six of you. since then they’ve all teased you about it whenever they can, making you whine in embarrassment every time.

you shakily wipe your hands on your outfit, a stylist making a sound of disapproval before you turn to give her a small smile. moving towards a small mirror, you examine how you look with a worried face. your pale blue paper bag jeans were slightly baggy and you cringed knowing you were gonna perform wannabe in those. you adored the flowery top you had on though. it was white with tiny black flowers printed all over, the puff sleeves adding to the look. your hair was slightly curled, the blonde highlights peeking through from your jet black hair.

you let out a worried breath as the management ushered you to hurry. showtime, you thought to yourself as you anticipated for the words “action”.

in the middle of the room was the iconic white stage where weekly idol have always held their episodes. on one side was itzy waiting to enter and on the other was nct dream.

“today is a very special episode for we have two awesome groups joining us today!” one of the hosts exclaimed excitingly, adding on to your nerves. lia sensed your distress and reached to give your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“give it up for the hottest girl group of their generation, itzy!” the other host yelled before the six of you partied onto the stage. each of you had an excited expression on your face as the two hosts continued on before introducing nct dream.

“let’s warmly welcome one of our favorite teams to have on this show, nct dream!”

your heart raced as you saw the six of them walk on stage goofily, trying not to laugh at how awkward jisung looked. as if he sensed your eyes, jisung’s gaze met yours causing you to look away in shock. suddenly the floor became more interesting than the boy you’ve been crushing on for almost a year.

“all in us! hello, we are itzy!” the six of you greeted towards the screen. unknowingly to you, the boy you were caught staring at was looking at you too.

❝ baby you’re like lightning in a bottle ❞

jisung likes to think he’s a simple boy. he doesn’t like breaking the rules and is mostly a good kid. but gosh from the moment you two made eye contact, the brown haired boy was ready to run away then and there. you were pretty. like beyond pretty, and he’s never felt this way before.

sure it was a little creepy and slightly concerning for his image seeing as he currently has heart eyes for you while the cameras are rolling, but jisung couldn’t help himself. that flowery top of yours made you look soft and small, as if he could scoop you up in his arms like a child. jisung knew he was tall but dang, seeing you from afar made him think he was extra tall. the boy chuckled under his breath seeing you wear boots, knowing that gave you an extra boost.

she’s so small, he thought, smiling a bit.

renjun nudged him, noticing the younger was spacing off before following his eyes to a certain member of itzy. the elder smirked a bit as they all did their introductions.

“to the world here is, nct.”

the boy smugly looked at their maknae who was currently blushing at being caught by his hyung for looking at you.

young love, renjun thought before turning his attention back to the hosts.

❝ i can’t let you go now that i got it ❞

“so you guys have two main dancers in itzy right?” one of the hosts asks as the 12 idols sit together on chairs. yeji nodded and spoke up.

“yes it’s me and y/nnie but y/n’s a better dancer than me.” she replied, pointing a shoulder to you. you quickly rebutted and waved your hands in disagreement.

“no way~” you denied, turning red. “yeji unnie is the best.” you replied shyly, an awkward thumbs up to try and back up your claim.

everyone cooed at your shy face. although you were the second youngest in itzy, 4 months older than your maknae, yuna’s much taller than you which made you look like the youngest. because of this everyone, including yuna, tended to child you because you were just so baby.

“weren’t you a part of a highlight reel?” the other host asks you, once again embarrassing you. the girls laughed, the other six boys looked at the host in confusion.

“y/n unnie was apart of bts sunbaenim’s love yourself highlight reel!” yuna exclaimed. although she too was in the highlight reel, yuna always thought you were much cooler because you got selected for your dancing skills.

everyone gasped in surprise (the hosts a bit more fake since they already knew that) at the revelation.

“i was able to dance with j-hope sunbaenim and jimin sunbaenim for that highlight reel.” you responded, smiling a bit at the memory. the boys were beyond shocked knowing this must meant you were good.

“how was it?” a host asks.

you marveled at the thought. “they were such good dancers and really really nice!” you said with a happy expression. “i would definitely love to dance with them again if i were given the opportunity.” the look on your face was clear you loved dancing and loved working with the pair.

“can you show us the dance?” the host asks and just like that you immediately become a shy mess.

“o-oh um i mean yeah i could do that.” you stuttered as chaeryoung softly pushed you off your chair and into the middle of the room. she smirked a bit at your timid form, knowing what she’s doing. from the moment you walked in, the maknae of nct seemed to be head over heels for you and she knew he was the main dancer just like you.

i swear if they don’t end up together after this i’m suing, chaeryoung thought as she looked at the starstruck boy watching you expectantly.

❝ and all i need is to be struck ❞

jisung wasn’t surprised to hear that you were one of the main dancers in itzy but to hear that you worked with bts’s j-hope and jimin? he was beyond impressed and (though he would never admit it) was lowkey really excited to see you dance.

he watched as you timidly walked towards the middle of the stage, calming down your nerves. jisung watched with a faint smile until the music started playing, and just like that he was a goner.

❝ by your electric love ❞

the way you moved, your technique, your facial expressions. everything was mesmerizing. the whole room watched in awe as you danced to the routine you burned into your mind as a trainee, knowing that this was one of your biggest projects ever. in that moment jisung completely fell for you, and everyone in the room except for you knew that.

“and that’s the end of today’s episode of weekly idol!” you all cheered with the hosts, jisung’s heart beating fast knowing he wanted to talk to you after this episode but not knowing how to.

“cut!” the director yelled out, a little excited to know what was to come. they of course noticed jisung’s lovestruck expression and the way your eyes lingered on the boy, and of course they didn’t catch it on camera. knowing you two were young and idols, they didn’t want to ruin what you two might have since they were all rooting for you two.

“if you don’t talk to her i swear i’ll tell her embarrassing stories of you.” donghyuck threatened. just like the others, he too noticed jisung’s attraction to you throughout this whole episode. the boy’s eyes widened in shock, yelping as chenle pushed him towards your way with a small smirk.

“unnie no.” you cried out, beyond terrified as you watched jisung walk towards you. as soon as the episode ended you were pulled away by the girls who quickly explained to you that jisung “had the hots'' for you (ryujin’s words, not yours).

your mind was going at a million miles per hour, heart racing as jisung came closer and cleared his throat.

“h-hi.” he said, his voice never not taking you by surprise. jisung was towering over you, looking down at you nervously.

“h-hello.” you smiled and jisung could’ve sworn he melted just a little.

“get together already!” lia and jaemin yelled out together, making the two of you blush and unconsciously lean closer.

❝ electric love ❞

“wanna hang out sometime soon?” jisung asked, his sudden confidence taking you and him off guard. you bit back a smile before holding your hand out.

“give me your number.” you replied, jisung’s smile he let out making you fall even more for him.

662 notes · View notes

theji · 3 years

Text

让我留在你身边 Let Me Stay By Your Side: An Analysis

I'm still reeling over XZ's performance last night. I've always had a soft spot for Singer GG and his rendition of Eason Chan's Let Me Stay By Your Side blew me away. Yesterday, I did a brief review of his performance but today, I wanna talk more about this particular song.

Warning: CPN ahead. It's all fake and my personal interpretation.

It's the theme song of a 2016 dramedy titled <See You Tomorrow>. Prior to this, I'd known about this song so when it was announced that XZ would perform this song, immediately my mind started to wander. I've mentioned numerous times that XZ is someone who's very intentional when it comes to choosing songs for his performances. Lyrics and the meaning behind those songs matter, especially since he doesn't get to sing publicly very often. Coupled with the recent fake rumours, which I briefly discussed here, I'm somewhat convinced DD chose the song for him or that it's a song dedication to DD. These 2 were always singing in CQL bts, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume they send each other songs in real life to convey certain messages.

Or perhaps DD sent this song to GG last year as a show of support and commitment during that dreadful incident, and this performance is GG's response to DD. Sort of like a "I got your message, I hear you." After all, Eason Chan is one of DD's fav singers so he probably knows this song. Alongside the other candy from last night (hello blue hair and XZ Studio posting 3 times in a night, as though to emphasise certain things), I believe this song is for DD.

Let's recap XZ's excellent performance first.

youtube

I saw comments on Weibo and YouTube from XFXs claiming that GG sang this song for them, to thank them for staying by him all along. Their reasoning was that in the movie, Eason Chan's character sang this song during a performance for his fans. Literally. I really don't think GG is such a Captain Obvious. Objectively, and not because I'm a BXG, I don't think the narrative fits. I have the lyrics translation below for those who want to know what the song is talking about but I'll just pick out certain parts to highlight.

我从来不说话 I never speak 因为我害怕没有人回答 Because I'm afraid no one would answer 我从来不挣扎 I never struggle 因为我知道这世界太大 Because I know this world is too big

I feel like this is DD's monologue. We know he's a quiet guy who prefers to do more, talk less. He has said that sometimes he doesn't quite know what to say, hence he'd rather not. For fear of saying the wrong things or having nothing constructive/witty to contribute to the conversation. I'm like this too. In the vast entertainment industry, he is but an artiste. Even if he's at the top now, he knows better than to go against the flow. He'll just do what he needs to do, without fighting or struggling. 太多时间浪费太多事要面对 Too much time wasted, too many things to face 太多已无所谓太多难辨真伪 Too much that doesn't matter, too many difficulties in distinguishing real from fake 太多纷扰是非 Too much confusion over right and wrong

在你身边是谁 Who is there by your side From this part of the song onwards, it's DD's message to GG. Here, it's somewhat describing the entertainment industry - the complexity, sometimes hypocritical nature etc. Who is your true friend? DD knows and understands the nature of the industry. 最渺小的我有大大的梦 The most insignificant me has big dreams 时间向前走一定只有路口没有尽头 As time moves forward there can only be crossroads with no end 纷纷扰扰这个世界所有的了解 I know this world is confusing and disordering 只要让我留在你身边 Just let me stay by your side

最渺小的我有大大的梦 The most insignificant me has big dreams 我愿意安静的活在每个有你的角落 I am willing to live quietly in all corners alongside you 如果生活还有什么会让你难过 If there's anything in life that upsets you 别怕让我留在你身边都陪你渡过 Don't be afraid, let me stay by your side and tide it over with you

最渺小的我最卑微的梦 The most insignificant me has the humblest dream 我发现这世界没有那么那么的不同 I discovered that this world isn't all that different 现实如果对你不公别计较太多 If reality isn't fair to you, don't let it bother you too much 走吧暴风雨后的彩虹 Let's go ahead. Rainbows will appear after the storm

也许会落空也许会普通 Maybe you'll fail, maybe you'll be ordinary 也许这庸庸碌碌的黑白世界你不懂 Maybe this mediocre and "black and white" world is hard to understand 生命中所有的路口绝不是尽头 All crossroads in life are never the end 别怕让我留在你身边都陪你渡过 Don't be afraid, let me stay by your side and tide it over with you

The four verses here are quite similar in a sense. These are words of encouragement and affirmation. Promises of better days ahead and a brighter future. Of a commitment to stand side by side and weather all storms together. The road ahead may look bleak, there'll be challenges but it's not the end of things. I may be insignificant and powerless to help much; we are all just pawns in this entertainment industry but everything will be better eventually if we trudge on. Together. Even if all else fails, or if you choose to quit, I will still stay on with you.

The B/W world here to me is referring to the harsh reality of being in the entertainment industry - where there's only famous/not famous, talented/not talented, right/wrong, etc. There's no space for average or mediocrity or grey areas. You really have to be at the top of the game in order to 'make it' or else you'll be replaced by new blood soon. It also reminded me of the criticisms against GG last year, where he was faulted for failing to react fast enough, for not guiding fans along, for not doing certain things that people expected of him. So it's either my way (the public's/the powers to be's) or the highway.

To me, the song isn't for the fans and the tone of voice isn't that of a fan's message. It's not about 'I like you, I support you, I'll always love you and be by your side, don't give up'. Rather, it speaks of a deeper level of understanding, of mutual understanding. Like 'I know what you're going through, I know what it's like, I know this can all be too much but don't worry it will all pass. I will be with you, fighting alongside you, as long as you'll have me.' For these reasons, I believe the song is dedicated to a certain someone, and not a group of someone.

I really really like this song, and I like it even more when XZ sang it. With or without the BJYXSZD angle, it is still a very touching song and is worth multiple listens. I recommend everyone to listen to the original version by Eason Chan as well.

youtube

#yizhan #byjx #bjyxszd #the ji's song of the moment #xiao zhan #i love singer xiao zhan

38 notes · View notes

autistic-shaiapouf · 3 years

Text

Hmmm okay who would be interested if I compiled youtube playlists of vocaloid songs arranged by voicebank

They'd all be solos too, a miku song but only miku sings, I'll have a miku one but it'll forever be a WIP bc of the sheer amount of popularity she has U_U but ye, I think im gonna do some 👀 especially since there's Iconic songs and then a whole bunch of lesser known ones I'd love to bring to the forefront, that and I'm excited for what I might find

OH I could do a highlights reel one for my own personal favs too hehe

#going from video to video.. just like middle school sjfkdkkf #i keep saying i wanna have a second vocaloid phase and i think this'll be it 👀#miku playlist with 30 songs but its 5 hours long bc theyre all techno/edm U_U✊#i wanna.. and then theres the issue of like. deleted songs n stuff :/ but I'll deal with it when i have too #i already have a miku one from. a WHILE ago and im gonna start from scratch 😤#i tried to do one for sf-a2 miki but i think id need a nico nico account to really do it.... all those songs i heard in middle/high school..#theyre all gone now :( which makes the yt -> mp3 songs i have even WILDER bc theyre basically unfindable now #hoatm rants

14 notes · View notes

sunfoxfic · 2 years

Text

Fanfiction Year in Review - 2021

thank you @kasienda for the tag!!

1. List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished

I am not going to give all of my fics that were completed this year because that's over 30 and that's a lot (though the vast majority of them were one-shots), so here's a highlight reel.

the fear was real - post-Sandboy Lukanette

However Ungrateful - AU where Gabriel Agreste is the mayor, as well as some other funky stuff

wage war on gravity - a Nooroo character study

i want the secrets your secrets haven't found - DJWifi, Animan missing scene

Butterfly Nest - post-Optigami conversation between Alya and Chloé

Atlas Telamon - Sentimonster Gabriel Agreste AU, longfic

Chat Noir's Amended Guide to Internet Safety - A homorous Ladynoir one-shot

25,913 - post-Wishmaker Luka character study

stained glass variation of the truth - Ladrien/Adrinette Optigami AU

i'm guessing that i've grown horns - post-Mega Leech Chloé and Adrien

i could run from it all (but i'd only get lost) - sentiAdrien, Adrien and Félix

the harder i try / only keeps my eyes closed - a little bit of Chat Blanc, a little bit of Ephemeral

Paris in White - post-reveal hurt/comfort

it's hard to be brave (when you're alone in the dark) - post-Shanghai Special Fei and Marinette quality bonding time (and hurt/comfort)

2. Number of words written

On AO3: 155,058

Unique words on AO3 (because I. may have posted Atlas Telamon twice due to Reasons): 127,373

Actual word count (estimate): 217,373

That's. A lot. That's a lot of words. The bulk of it is about 80k to the fic I wrote for the ML Big Bang which I will start getting to share with all of you on January 4th. There's some one-shots and unfinished fics here and there that I didn't post, so I added on another 10k, which is honestly probably an underestimate.

3. Your most popular fic

In hits, (Preparation for) A Night to Remember. In kudos, Chat Noir's Amended Guide for Internet Safety. (It's only 2 kudos more, but still.)

4. Your personal fav:

That I published? Ahh that one's hard. Probably stained glass variation of the truth? But I love all of them ;-;

5. Your fav scene:

It is days like today where I wish my big bang fic was out already, because the answer would definitely be the pineapple scene, but noooOOOooo. I think I have to say i could run from it all (but i'd only get lost). It only has one scene, so it's very easy to pinpoint which scene from it is my favorite.

6. A scene or fic that challenged you

The big climactic scene in Atlas Telamon in chapter nine actually reads as a lot of smaller scenes because I cut it up for the organization of the chapter, but it's technically one scene, and I wrote it as such. It was very difficult to write, because the entire thing was teetering on the edge of too much information vs. not enough -- how much do I reveal about the Butterfly? How much do I reveal about Gabriel? Whose perspective should this part of the story be in? That, on top of the fact that I generally struggle with action, made that scene so difficult, but I did love it.

7. A line of writing you're proud of

Again, I want to say the pineapple scene in my big bang fic, but I'm not allowed to. God I can't wait until I can share the pineapple scene.

But aside from that, I love this line from 25,913:

[Luka's] voice had to be like the gentle waves of the sea, moving from motion to motion but indescribable in any movement and indiscernible from what it’d been doing just a moment before.

I don't consider myself one much for poetry but the use of the letter "m," -- motion, motion, movement, moment -- makes the sentence sound very musical. (Is that a pun? If so, unintended but appreciated.) It's a sentence that sounds the way it's describing, and I just love that line. (Would you believe that I wrote it on the road, and that it was entirely coincidental?)

8. A comment that touched you

This one, which was later revealed to be from the lovely Nameless Anon <3

9. Something that inspired your writing

This one I can answer even though it's about my big bang fic, thank God!! So, I love AJR, and when OK Orchestra came out I was listening to it on repeat. 3 O'Clock Things is 100% the inspiration for my big bang fic (which also has a title now, Strangely Familiar).

Please bear in mind that my URL used to be "animatics-ill-never-make."

So I was listening to the song and I was basically like, "Okay, this is a song about the vulnerability of a conversation at 3 AM and how revealing it can be to be honest. What if it was about Marichat and Ladrien? What if it was like about them visiting each other and slowly getting more stressed with the weight of the secrets they're carrying?"

So the earliest conceptions of my big bang fic looked nothing like what it looks like today. It was an animatic about Ladrien and Marichat.

But I got to thinking more specifically about what the animatic would be: what the scenes would be, who would say what, etc. (I do this with essentially all of the animatics I'll never make.) And when it came time to answer who's saying which verse, it became very clear that none of the verses really matched either Marichat or Ladrien.

But they did match Alya and Nino. (I can elaborate on that in another post.)

It spiraled from there. The question became, "Why do they not know each other's identity?" The answer: They didn't go to school together, so they never dated. Okay, how do they know each other? Well, post-Hawk Moth defeat, Adrien and Marinette introduce them; first they're introduced as superhero partners, then several years later they're introduced as civilians. So on and so forth until I got a DJWifi roommates AU, and then I took my chances biting off probably more than I could chew to write it for the ML big bang. As far as I know, I only have the second longest fic at just under 80k currently (and I still have one, maybe 2 more scenes to write). I am not at liberty to say how long the longest fic is but there's a significant gap.

And, great news everyone! 3 O'Clock Things by AJR was my top song of the year on Spotify. So thank them for my AJR.

I can also say with certainty that next year's big bang fic will be a whole lot less of a commitment.

10. Your proudest accomplishment

The big bang fic. It's, to my knowledge, the longest DJWifi fic on AO3 (though I could be wrong about that which is another rant). It's also the first time I've written something like this since 2018, when I finished my second original novel, and it is longer than almost anything I've written with the exception of a 100k unfinished ML fic.

11. Any writing goals for the next year?

Keep it up, mostly? Don't turn a "30k max" fic into an 80k commitment for a collaborative project? Next year is probably gonna be my busiest yet. I'm moving for the first time ever (not technically but realistically, yes, this is the first time I'm moving) and then it's off to university, so I'm not sure I can commit myself to too much right now.

#tag game #happy new year #personal

6 notes · View notes

queenmylovely · 4 years

Text

Queen/Borhap Creator Appreciation Day

Seeing all of the love in all the posts that have come across my feed and into my notes, I am so happy that we are taking this time to appreciate one another, both creators and the people that support us alike! I think we (including me) should all take this as an opportunity to continue this kind of love and support going forward. To start, here is a list of some of my favorite creators of all types, with a bit of something that they create (if I missed anybody, know that I do absolutely appreciate you, I just have been a little absent the past weeks). Thanks again for all the love and I’m super excited to go check out some people I should be following!!!

(a lot of the fics I’m recommending are smut and therefore 18+, please respect that boundary)

Edits, etc.

@moustachefreddie does a ton of great edits, including this one that reimagines the single cover for “Time Waits for No One”

@39-ers does wonderful edits and moodboards, like this one that I think is very relevant to their url

@stardust-killer-queen and her moodboards and other edits are fantastic, I love this one’s colors sm

@cherries-n-rocknroll is fucking amazing and so is this edit from my url and this one that’s just gorgeous (and all her other stuff too)

@stoneqoldcrazy has some crazy cool moodboards especially this one! that makes the boys their colors from Hot Space (trust me if you click it it will make sense)

@ogrebattles continue to put out spectacular edits and I love my url edit so so much!

@freddie-mercurys has brilliant freddie content as well as brilliant gifs like these

@tenderbri is a seasoned curator of all tender bri things (obvs) and also posts her one edits

@drbriangay has some of the most beautiful art like this piece

@mypassionfortrash makes superb gifs of rog like this one, among other things she’s great at (like art! and fics!)

@s-k-y-w-a-l-k-e-r makes excellent gifs including this one that’s super super cool

@joemazzhello’s gifs of Joe make life so much better, exhibit A

Fics

@brianmays-hair is relatively new to me but I love everything she has put out since I followed her and this is what reeled me in

@illfoandillfie it’s no secret how much I love brigid and this is one of my favs of hers

@sonic-volcano is super sweet and writes super sweet stuff as well!

@freddiesaysalright is a prolific writer of fantastic series and this totally genius fic is one of my favs

@theborhapboysawakenedmywhatever writes terrific things and her hcs are A+, especially this one 👀

@supersonicfreddie has been someone whose writing I have enjoyed since probably the second day I started my tumblr lol and ofc I must mention the fic written for me (that sounds so narcissistic i swear lolll)

@almightygwil consistently writes outstandingly and all her writing is sensational but something about this blurb makes it necessary to be highlighted

@fallingprincess I got to get to know recently plus she writes fantastic things including this

@asphalt-cocktail’s writing is A1 and I suggest you start with this cause um amazing

@taliaphobia is the sweetest and also the cutest and also so’s her writing like this little blurb

@la-vie-en-rosuh listen LeeAnn’s a total sweetheart and am I going to keep recommending things that were written for me? Yes (but mainly bc it’s a fantastic piece of writing regardless)

@killergwil writes stuff that makes me a little insane, but in the best way humanly possible, so uh check this one out if you want to feel the same

@just-my-sickly-pride is such a fucking great writer and was such a fucking great secret valentine that wrote a fic for me (also this one changed my mind ab what john is capable of)

@laedymoon is a gorgeous person all around and her fics are as well, here’s a oneshot and here’s a series

@rogerina-is-hotter-than-me has ridiculously hot, ridiculously real writing and any of her prof!gwil pieces are amazing, but here’s a good start

@m0etenchandon’s fics are all stellar but I have a soft spot for the multi fics like this one

@a-night-at-the-0pera marvels me with her dedication to detail and ability to make me feel like i am In the story and this fic made me a period piece convert

@mrbenhardys could go on either list, but I’m including her on this one bc I love her fics so much and this one turned me on to the wonders of enemies to lovers

@anotheronebitesthedeaks has some truly fantastic stuff and must be credited with the manifestation of sugardaddy!john. This fic isn’t one of those though lol

@redspecialty writes fics that you get immersed in completely and when they’re done you have to face the harsh reality that you are not, in fact, reader, so enjoy one of my favs of hers that is also so explicit even I blush at times

@perriwiinkle is one of the first blogs I followed and this series is one of the first i read in its entirety, and I’m so glad i did

p.s. I included some writers that are not writing anymore or at the moment, which ofc is totally their choice and a valid one that we should all respect, I just wanted to highlight them bc I still love going back to their fics and would recommend anyone else doing the same

#I do love you all #oh fuck I hope all the links work #especially bc I didn't name anything lollll #its for the ~mystery~ so the creators have to click thru to see what I linked asldfaihoijdfa ignore me #ive only been moving stuff from drafts to queue so thats why it may look like ive been here but honestly not really...#anyway #queen #borhap #bohemian rhapsody #fic recs #edits #appreciate the queen creators #fandom appreciation day #appreciatethequeencreators #appreciate content creators

75 notes · View notes

tcm · 4 years

Text

Rediscovering Bob Hope by Susan King

I once turned down Bob Hope’s offer to take a piece of his pumpkin pie. It was a week after Thanksgiving in 1991. I had been dispatched by my editor at the Los Angeles Times to interview the comic legend, then 88, for his upcoming Christmas special on NBC, Bob Hope’s Cross-Country Christmas, which featured Macaulay Culkin, Reba McEntire, Miss America and the Associated Press All-America Team (football).

Hope had been with the Peacock network for 54 years at that time and he had been doing holiday specials for them since 1953.

All press interviews took place at his famed mansion in Toluca Lake in a Vermont Country Store-decorated family room that overlooked his expansive backyard which was spread over several acres. Lunch was served during the 30-minute interview. Though he was extremely hard of hearing, Hope refused to wear his hearing aids. So, interviewers were placed on his left side at the table because his hearing was better in that ear.

We were served a delicious warm chicken salad with bacon. But the highlight of the meal was a pumpkin pie with warm homemade whipped cream. All conversation stopped while we ate the heavenly dessert. Hope still had once piece left when he forked it and proffered it to me.

“I’ll give it to you for 25 cents,” he said laughing. I didn’t have any change, so I politely turned down the offer. He smiled as he popped the piece into his mouth.

Most baby boomers like myself grew up with Hope. I remember my mother taking me at the age of five to see his last good movie, 1960’s THE FACTS OF LIFE, which also starred Lucille Ball. And on early Sunday evenings, one of the TV stations had a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby Theater, which featured their slaphappy Road comedies (1942’s THE ROAD TO MOROCCO is my fav), as well as such solo Hope hits as 1940’s THE GHOST BREAKERS and 1949’s SORROWFUL JONES, with Ball. And in the 1960s, Hope’s NBC specials, especially the ones where he entertained the troops, were must-see viewing.

When I was old enough to finally see the Academy Awards, I found him the perfect Oscar host. In fact, he would host the ceremony 19 times either solo or as part of a team. Though he always joked that he was never nominated for an Oscar, he actually received four honorary Oscars as well as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

But the quality of his movies dropped drastically in the 1960s. I remember sitting in horror in the theater during 1966’s BOY, DID I GET A WRONG NUMBER! and 1967’s EIGHT ON A LAM. And I rarely watched his specials from the 1970s on. He seemed out of touch and too conservative. Hope’s once fun shows seemed wheezy.

When I talked to Richard Zoglin for the L.A. Times in 2014 about his biography, Hope: Entertainer of the Century, he noted that the comic alienated viewers during the Vietnam War.

“He was so sure that we were doing a good thing over there in Vietnam,” he said. “He had been convinced by the generals he met over there that the military was being hamstrung by politicians and if we went all out, we would win this war in a couple of months. He hated that there were protesters out there picketing. He was from the World War II generation. He started speaking out. He would bad-mouth picketers.”

Hope died July 27, 2003, just two months after his 100th birthday. There haven’t been any major retrospectives of his classic films. In fact, the Bob Hope Airport has been renamed the Hollywood Burbank Airport. (Its legal name is still Bob Hope Airport). In a 2016 interview with the L.A. Times, Burbank commissioner Don Brown said that “Bob Hope isn’t doing it. We’ve been told by our travel agencies here and been told by the airlines that we’ve got to do something, and the name Bob Hope just doesn’t identify with this airport.”

I think it would be great if the new decade started with a rediscovery of Hope, who not only conquered film, but vaudeville, Broadway, radio and television. And he was the complete package. Not only was he funny, but he could sing and dance.

Even before he made his feature film debut in 1938’s THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938, he had starred on Broadway in 1933’s Roberta. Hope and Eve Arden introduced the standard “I Can’t Get Started (with You)” in Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, and he and Ethel Merman turned Cole Porter’s “It’s De-Lovely” into a major hit in 1936’s RED, HOT AND BLUE. “Thanks for the Memory,” the Oscar-winning song from his first film, became Hope’s signature song and a decade later he introduced the Oscar-winner “Buttons and Bows” from his hysterically funny 1948 farce, THE PALEFACE.

Hope really came into his own with the 1939 mystery-comedy THE CAT AN THE CANARY with Paulette Goddard. It was the first time he played what would become his on-screen persona of the brash, wisecracking coward who loved women. Woody Allen later admitted his reel-life character was inspired by Hope.

Hope told me in 1991 that he had been offered a return to Broadway after he came to Hollywood, but “I got lucky after my third picture, THE CAT AND THE CANARY. I turned into box office. When Cat and the Canary came out (people) started running to the theaters. Then Paramount ran over to my dressing room with a contract for seven years. So, I signed up for seven years.” He made one hit after another in the 1940s and 1950s.

“They were not great films, but Hope is great in them,” Zoglin told me. “You can see how focused he is as a performer, how in character he is all the time. He’s good physically, and verbally he’s absolute perfection.

Film and TV historian Stan Taffel also explained to me in 2014 that Hope was as “perfect as Chaplin was. He knew where the camera was, and he knew how to pose for the camera. He didn't take his character so seriously, so we could have fun with it. I think his movies in that era are the best things he ever did.”

Save for the wan 1962 THE ROAD TO HONG KONG, the Road comedies with Crosby and Dorothy Lamour are perhaps his finest achievements. The comedic chemistry between the three is hard to match. Hope noted in my interview that he and Crosby had no idea that 1940’s THE ROAD TO SINGAPORE would kick off a successful franchise. “We didn’t care,” he said. “We used to do anything for a laugh. After about a week [into production], the director, Victor Schertzinger, went into the commissary and sat down at the table and said, ‘I got the easiest job, all I have to do with these guys is say ‘Start.’ But I don’t want to say ‘Stop.’ It was fun.”

The last time I saw Hope in person was at the taping of the special Bob Hope: The First 90 Years in early May, 1993, executive produced by his daughter Linda Hope. The special would go on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy Special.

It was an extraordinary evening. I was at the front table with Karl Malden ad his wife and Telly Savalas and his wife. Les Brown and His Band of Renown was to my left. Michael Feinstein and George Burns were sitting behind me. Lamour was at a nearby table and so was Ginger Rogers. I looked to my right and saw President Gerald Ford sitting with Walter Cronkite.

Johnny Carson, who had retired from The Tonight Show opened the special in what would be his last monologue. He told the crowd that it was “astonishing” how much Hope had accomplished over his near seven-decade career, adding that the world is a “better and happier” place with Hope in our lives.

There wasn’t a dry eye int the house when veterans of several wars talked about what it meant to them when Hope came during the conflicts to entertain them.

Back in 1991, I asked if he would ever retire.

He smiled: “Not as long as I feel good. It is too much fun. God, you just have fun just doing things with people. You have fun writing. …It keeps your mind alert and keeps you thinking.”

#Bob Hope #Road to Morocco #Bing Crosby #comedian #vaudville #war #entertainer #troops #television special #TCM #Turner Classic Movies #Susan King

117 notes · View notes

shophotlavablog · 4 years

Text

Inspo: Lizzy Alvarado

Lizzy went from an internship at Steakworld to a career woman at depop. One of my favorite Lizzy stories is that she used the tips from a post I made on tumblr about” how to land an internship” ON me and got the job. Now She is the the marketing manager at Depop and constantly making waves. She is always inspo for Hot Lava design and aesthetic so I wanted to highlight this hustler to inspire everyone to seize the moment and make it happen for yourself.

Q: What have you been working on lately?

With my job everything has turned digital, which has been a crash course on how to do an event in digital format. So, I’ve been doing a lot of [Instagram] lives with different artists and trying to bring the energy that I used to do with my work IRL to digital, so it’s kind of been a challenge, but it’s been fun.

At home, kind of just nesting it up. I feel like every few weeks I realize how long we’re going to be in quarantine—so I, like, redo my house a different way, so I think it’s kind of nice because since quarantine started I’ve really settled into my house. I have a lot of house plants and cats, so I’m kind of like trying to keep everything alive.

Q: What are some things you’ve been doing to prioritize “me time”?

I think by making myself a challenge. Right now, me and my best friend are doing this workout challenge, where we FaceTime each other and do the workout at the same time. It’s been my mental and physical entertainment, and gives me something I have to be held accountable for, like trying to workout and having a goal.

Recently, I took a week off. Even though were working from home I don’t think it’s the same as when you’re working; you always have to take a little break and reset and a lot of my coworkers and myself have not given ourselves that, because we’re working at home, when are we going to take that time and just sit? But recently I took a whole week off and I didn’t answer one Zoom meeting or do anything. For me, that reset my whole mindset and gave me time to just think about the reality of the position we’re all in, and my reality, like what I need to do instead of living in limbo of half doing things because I’m waiting for us to be out of quarantine his life for now just telling yourself that you need to adjust at least until like January or something for now and just set my dates back, pushing things back as things happen.

I feel like I’ve been working later and more sporadically when I’m working from home because you can just check your messages or your computer whenever, and you can get up and see the dishes are piling up and spent two hours cleaning your kitchen, and then you have to make up for it, and then you’re working until nine or something, so it’s definitely a balance figuring it all out.

Q: Can you give us a small walk through on how you started out in your career, and what younger you would need to hear to get where you are?

I started off by doing a PR internship in NY that was focused on beauty products. It was there that I learned a few hard truths like the "top 10 best products for glowing skin" mentioned in vogue was actually just a list of products that various PR agencies were able to pay off editors to add. It just didn't sit right to me and I didnt end up staying at the agency after my internship, but it did spark something in me about promoting products that I did like and that aligned with my values: sustainability, female owned brands, etc.

One great thing about my time in NY is that's where I happened to meet my boyfriend on one fateful night out at Max Fish which is usually the opposite of the place you meet your soulmate lol. Anyways fast forward a few months and I ended up moving to LA for said boyfriend and had to completely start over. I had no connections in LA, no friends, and at that point was still too early in my career for my resume to stick out of a pile. The start was rough and I had to get PT jobs to make money while I figured out what the fuck I was going to do in this new place where people usually move to with very specfic big dreams.

Now to the good part, the part where HOT LAVA started it all for me. Rachael loves this story and I didn't actually admit it to her until several months after working for her. Basically I had been reading her advice column Steaktalk for a long time and she had a post about how to get a job. Literally she broke down how to set up your resume, cover letter, and mentioned ways to set yourself apart from the rest. Well I used it to apply for an internship with her and it worked! Once I had that experience in LA under my belt I was able to transition into a brand manager for The Cobra Shop which was right next door to the HL office and eventually I started working for Depop as a Marketing Manager which is where I am today.

Q: Tell me your most embarrassing moment in your current career/ relationship/ creative endeavor:

That’s a tough one. I feel like when you’re first starting out, everything feels embarrassing. I remember the first time I came to Hot Lava—I didn’t do anything I can think was embarrassing, but like, being embarrassed of my existence of just not knowing how to interact with people. Because when you just see everything online, when you finally meet people in person, sometimes it can be really overwhelming. It’s kind of funny to just be embarrassed for being yourself sometimes, but I feel like you grow out of it.

Q: Do you think about where you’d like to be in 5 years or even 1 year, or are you more of the “in the moment type”?

I am more of a person who is in the moment. I do think of where I want to be in five years but I don’t hang onto that title too much, because I think if I think, “In five years I want to be a CEO,” and right now I’m just a marketing manager, in my head I’m like, “What am I doing? I’m just out here everyday not doing that.”

I feel like I live in the moment as far as knowing that, if you are in the moment, it’s going to pay off in the future. If I do work on whatever I’m supposed to be doing at the time, or whenever I’m given the opportunity to do that, then yeah, it will pay off in the end.

I don’t think my career really started to move until I was able to accept being in the moment. For me, when I think about my jobs and how I got to being hostess in New York, to being a dog walker and now to becoming a marketing manager, I don’t think I was able to do that until I was able to say that I just need to live in the moment and get that job to make money right now.

I knew I thought I could do something great but I wasn’t able to do anything great until I was able to sit myself down and handle the basics like, get a job—not “the” job, but a job, and just do OK at that, get your money right, and get to the right place. And slowly I was able to start looking for internships and then I was able to get one. Then it just grew from there.

I feel like if I was living with my head in the clouds, thinking about the future, I wouldn’t have been able to do that because I wouldn’t have accepted just getting a basic job for now.

Q: What causes you stress and how do you ease those stresses?

Prioritizing my work/home life tasks stress me out, especially working from home RN if you have a deadline but also a pile of dishes to do it's hard to ignore that when you aren't able to leave the house and ignore the home life stuff. I try to read self help books, make lists, ect. The biggest help is self talk and just reminding myself that the world won't just because your todo list isn't complete.

Q: Name one hobby:

I really like going out and riding my bike, so finding places are safe right now has kind of been the thing. I don’t go mountain biking or anything, I like riding my bike in a nice/safe area. I also don’t want to be in the city, so I’ve been looking for national parks nearby and local areas where you can do a 14 mile bike ride or something. I used to live in New York and I would ride my bike everyday, so I used to ride 25 miles a day, but now it’s like 12 miles I’ll make a whole day out of it.

I also really like music, but it’s sort of like a personal thing. I write songs and work on stuff, but I’ve never thought of it as something I’d do in reality. But, I’ve been doing that a lot more since we’ve been in quarantine.

Q: One thing you always tell your best friend:

I mean I tell her everything. I literally have become attached to Facetime with her daily since quarantine started. It's kind of a nice thing because she lives all the way in Texas so being stuck inside has brought us closer. I used to call her every couple of days and give her the highlight reel of my week but now it's like every 3 hours and life is so boring stuck inside that no detail is spared.

Q: If you wrote a book what would the title be and why?

Scared for No Reason: Why Doubting Yourself is Your Downfall.

I feel like there are already many books about this subject but I haven't found one I really connected to specifically. One of my biggest realizations in life is how much fear has stopped me from doing things I am actually really passionate about or interested in. I am still on the road to ultimate confidence (giving myself a deadline of reaching age 30 for this), but a lot of things changed in my life when I pushed past the fear and doubt that is a big part of my inner voice. A few examples are applying for internships that have led to my career (thanks Hot Lava), talking to my boyfriend who I have now been with for 5 years, walking up to a brand's creative director and telling them I can produce content for them and making that my side gig. The point is none of this would have happened if I was listening to that fear voice in my head saying I'm not good enough, pretty enough, or qualified enough.

Q: What's your favorite Hot Lava piece and why?

My fav Hot Lava piece recently would have to be the bike shorts or zebra dress just from a design perspective. I think the team really hit the nail on the head and created trending pieces in a unique Hot Lava style. My all time fav piece and first piece I ever bought is the surf top! I purchased the first one HL ever produced the night it launched in 2014 or 15? Its white and has an eye! But I love the cut the most. I have it in black and lime green too. It's just the perfect top, a contrast of modesty with the high neck but also sexy with the tightness.

What's on Lizzy's Playlist:

1 note · View note

flakandforay · 6 years

Text

Love Yourself 轉 Tear Analysis

this is the overview of bangtan’s 3rd full album: LY 轉 Tear.

disclaimer: this is just my personal opinion, feel free to disagree. do let me know your thoughts in my ask box

overall: this album has been anticipated by many especially since it was meant to be a continuation of the Love Yourself series that bangtan has been promoting in late 2017!

Though bighit has actually released the Love Yourself Wonder: Euphoria film that they had mentioned in several news articles, they released the next instalment of the Love Yourself series with Love Yourself: Tear. Not to mention how Namjoon literally took part in the producing of all the tracks with Yoongi and Hoseok taking part in 8 of them and our Golden Maknae with one song!!!!

One would know this based on the hints of their 2017 year-end shows. And so, here it is.

intro: singularity: okay, so I actually already gussed that this intro would be done by Taehyung based on their DNA positions towards the end of the brdige ( in this theory ). Since Jimin was revealed followed by Jungkook, next would be Taehyung and the next one would be Seokjin.

This intro is definitely me favourite one out of all the intros so far. I really liked the overall vibe of the song. The soft, slow burn jazz is what I live for. Based on my Singularity analysis, I already mentioned how this song is something that I would prolly listen in some café, sipping some coffee and snapping my fingers as some form of poetry is being recited. ( call me cliché, but I believe this song just encompas this whole vibe )

I really believed Taehyung outdid himself with this intro, although it is slightly longer than the previous intros of bangtab, one must consider that this intro is actually much more slower than the rest in terms of the beats per minute and how there is a lot of space in between.

Truly a song that showcases Taehyung’s vocals, skills and even his dancing skills as seen in the MV ( also, aesthetics anyone?????? ) I am so proud of Taehyung right here.

fake love: To be honest, I must say that this title of the song already gives off a real miserable vibe about it. The title of it wasn’t actually released until it was stated in an article prior to the comeback.

The boys have mentioned to us before how excited and believe that this title track would hit it off and in fact it did!! It actually earned 35 PAK ( Perfect All Kill ) before they even step foot in Korea since their comeback dropped.

I really love how the vibe of it is just oozing with BST; the whole sensual and intimate side of it coupled with the sadness of the HYYH series. Truly remarkable. A must-listen song.

It definitely showcased more of Seokjin’s underrated vocals together with the new styles of raps that the boys have been trying out especially Hoseok. Particularly, I enjoyed his rap the most. The choreography here is another plus point that has my eyes being so satisfied at the visuals and everything???

Bangtan, has truly outdid themselves this time round with this title track.

전하지 못한 진심 (Feat Steve Aoki): another wonderful surprise by bangtan by gifting us with another vocal line song!! ( honestly, we are so spoiled because aside from the cyphers, bangtan still delivers vocal line songs!! )

so, while listening throughout the song, I have a feeling Steve Aoki prollu produced thi whole song or co-produced but im not too sure. Honestly, I loved the underlying beat of this whole song, one could consider it similar to a ballad especially from the intro itself with the piano and the soulful voice of Taehyung.

But one could also listen to this as a type of slow burn song as well especially with the lyrics ‘ but I still want you’. With the title itself being translated to ‘The sincerity that I couldn’t show before’; kinda reminded me of the Smeraldo flower which also means ‘The truth that couldn’t be told’.

I love how throughout this song, though there is a nice steady increase in the beats and percussion, it is still a rather slow burn, never actually exceeding the ‘peak’.

134340: im pretty sure this song is much like modern jazz, yet the synths kinda remind me a bit of 이사. But this could easily be altered to Michael Buble if you know what I mean.

Even tha rap done by the rapline especially Namjoon is more towards the laidback one. Also, I really love how there is the use of flutes rifght here which becomes the underlying beat. I loved how there is the use of a female voice that gives the conversation kind of feel in the song.

Also, the way that Seokjin does the bridge sounds a bit like the 80s kind of singing. Truly, it is much like a throwback but in a modern way?

낙원: the title of the song translates to ‘Paradise’. But moving on, I am still learning to grasp onto this song but maybe over some time, it might grow on me.

The synths here are pretty modern actually but the transition from Yoongi to Hoseok is truly one of the key features in this song and the doubling done by the vocal line that gives a much more fuller sound.

love maze: the instrumentals here sounds very traditional until the synths and percussions come in, giving it the modern spin off to something possibly like R&B.

magic shop: out of this whole album, this is one of my fav songs in the entire album actually. To think that Jungkook took part in the prioducing of this song and how that this is their 2ndfan song after 둘!셋! during the Wings era says something!!!

I really love at how calm this song is. The synths are the driving force of this whole song but im so thankful that it doesn’t override the voals of the group especially in the prechorus and chorus as this is where the highlight lies, within the lyrics of it.

Im surprised that the drop of the chorus isn’t so hard but yet it is deemed appropriate and the phrase ‘So show me” “I show you’ just striked a chord within me. I can just imagine the armys just singing along to bangtan truly.

airplane pt.2: honestly, just listening to the intro itself gives me the feel of some Carribean ballroom dancing song specifically th Cha Cha, that’s just how it is. One could easily tell how big the influence of South American music is inside here as well. I mean, you could literally dance to the Cha Cha with this song???

I was actually wondering how is this Airplane pt.2 until I heard Hoseok’s verse. I love how they kinda made a part 2 of Hoseok’s song Airplane and continued from Hoseok’s lyrics to say that now the boys are travelling around the world.

anpanman: this is the kind of song that has the same kind of vibe such as 21stCentury Girls, 고민보다고(GoGo). So, one could easily call this a trilogy to be hoenst. The same fun vibe mixed with a lot of aegyo and audience participation in a way that the dance would most likely involve making some signs or actions towards the audience and capture their hearts etc ( then again, when does bangtan never capture the hearts of their audience?? )

I was actually skeptical to how this is, especially with the title since some speculated that it could possibly be the Jaoanese cartoon superhero but it could also be the name of an asteroid considering the relations with 134340.

so what: this is a song that could be under the same category as Wings: Interlude and the full version of the Wings song, something similar to the kind of 80s disco feel.

outro: tear: let me start off by saying at how pumped I was to actually hear the melodic instrumentals from the 3rdHighlight Reel, specifically (Tear). it is the instrumentals that would increase in terms of volume, speed and percussion that gives off an ominous feeling; and based off the 3rdHighlight Reel, this is where, everything starts to collapse. ( on a side note, I really loved all of the instrumentals from the highlight reel ( I actually enjoyed it by themselves, it’s one whole story itself and it is great )

But I love the twist in which, instead of some kind of slow burn rap down by the rap line, this outro could be considered to be one of the hard songs despite the instrumentals at the beginning. This could easily be one of the songs from Dark and Wild and I wouldn’t even tell the difference except that maybe the rapping styles of the Yoongi and Hoseok have changed slightly. This is especially with Yoongi’s more melodic lines but the breakdown of the underlying beats is easily one of the cypher ones.

The rapline has done it again.

last thoughts: although this album was meant to have more darker themes, I actually expected something like dark and wild in which almost 60% of the songs were just heavily influenced by the heavy angst and rebellious teens so this time round, I was expecting some heavy angst from a recent heartbroken person. Also, they mentioned how this was meant to have some semblamce of rock but only the music structure is of rock but the song itself doesn’t sound like rock.

But regardless, another quality album of bangtan especially with how they mixed their various styles from their earlier albums. One could tell how much they have grown with this album and I could never feel as proud.

[Photo Source] Bighit Entertainment Credits: maxine ☕️ DO NOT REPOST ©

8 notes · View notes

hallyu-doin · 7 years

Text

BTS Starter Pack #1

If you’re curious as to who they are, I’mma give you all the tools to discover them for yourself. If you have kpop friends, they’re probably gonna show you a lot of stuff, but you’re not really going to connect with them unless you discover BTS’s songs and videos for yourself.

Here’s where to look:

>>> Bangtan Bombs/ Bangtan Bombs [ENG SUB]

Personally, these videos are the main reason I stan BTS so much, because they’re basically short lil videos into BTS’s backstage life and personalities. I’m such a hypocrite, I’m gonna show you my (personal) top 3 fav Bangtan Bombs right now.

(1) 150120 [BANGTAN BOMB] 95z dance time with a Beat app - I like this one because it shows the family dynamics of the group. I tried to pick Bangtan Bombs that had them all in it.

youtube

(2) 140414 [BANGTAN BOMB] After Show Champion Special Stage - This one literally shows each of their personalities in a couple of seconds lol

youtube

(3) [BANGTAN BOMB] Runway in the night - Nothing needs to be said for this one.

youtube

-This is not a Bangtan Bomb, but this is their Introduction Performance Trailer where they showcase their dance skills for their debut. I just, I love and idk where to put it.

-Ok, want more dancing? Here’s their O!RUL8,2? Comeback Trailer.

>>> BANGTANTV - This channel is where they post their Bangtan Bombs, choreography videos, behind the scenes footage, covers, and their messages to ARMY. (ARMY=BTS fans)

>>> ibighit - This is BTS’s company channel. If you watch any of their music videos, PLEASE watch it on here because I believe it gives the company money without going through 1theK. (At least that’s what I heard.) You’ll see other groups on here like Homme, but BigHit’s been focusing on BTS, so it is mostly their content. But hey, if y’all have time, check out GLAM. They’re a girl group who used to be under BigHit. I really like their style and BTS used to be backup dancers for them.

These are some important series I think y’all should watch if you want to dive into BTS’s music video theory universe.

(1) BTS Wings Short Films - These videos were made to premise the Wings era and the Blood Sweat and Tears mv. Each short film title has a corresponding solo music track for each member. They are beautiful and they are connect. People have still not figured out all the theories, but there are some pretty good ones out there, so check them out. But let me just say this, these theories extend all the way to BTS’s first ever mv ‘No More Dream,’ cuz y’all “Stigma” was spray painted on the mcfreaking wall.

(2) BTS Highlight Reels - These videos were made to premise the Love Yourself era and there are GIRLS in it! I’m still waiting for them to come back. I miss them. These videos also tie into the BTS mv theory universe.

(3) BTS Prologue - This video is solely focused on the story of the HYYH era and the music videos. It connects with every mv but particularly with Run and I Need U.

>>> BTS’s VLive Channel - This is basically a livestream channel where fans can actually have a chance to talk to BTS when they go live. You can make an account to get notifications and make comments, but you don’t need one to watch. (Pro-ARMY Tip: If you’re ever on there and some fool asks a member to get another member, tell them to stop, that’s just disrespectful.)

They post a lot of cool series on there like:

-BTS RUN! - A show where they do a lot of games and activities.

-BTS Bon Voyage Season 1 -They go to Europe.

-BTS Bon Voyage Season 2- They go to Hawaii!!! They stayed in my grandma’s neighborhood!

-BTS GAYO - I believe they do music activities on this and other games.

>>> BTS MVs: (They are found on the BigHit channel). Here are 2 of my favorites, because Tumblr won’t let me post 3.

> War of Hormone ( 호르몬전쟁) - Oh ma lord, they are so rude.

youtube

> Fire - It’s just a freaking bop, ma dude.

youtube

And here are the others:

> Dope ( 쩔어) - A freaking hype song.

> Blood Sweat and Tears ( 피 땀 눈물) - A freaking sexy song.

> Spring Day ( 봄날 ) - A freaking sad and romantic song.

> Not Today - A freaking lit song.

> Young Forever - A freaking song that makes me cry every time I hear it.

> Run - A freaking deep song about growing up and youth.

> I Need U - A freaking romantic song with a mv that tells a totally different story lol.

> Danger - A freaking sick mv with eyeliner and sexiness and unrequited love.

> Just One Day - A freaking adorable and soft mv about love.

> Boy in Luv - A freaking teenager af mv about love.

> N.O. - A freaking rebellious mv talking about society and how it’s messed up yo

> We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2 - A freaking music video if you want to see Suga wearing a football jersey AND a deep sea diver’s mask AND toting a snowboard and where BTS takes on the haters

> No More Dream - A freaking music video that is BTS’s very first music video with more swag than you could possibly imagine.

If I missed one, I’m sorry. I ended up just going through their entire channel and wow do they have a lot of mvs. Anyway, I’m going to make another post like this for their other stuff. Ask me questions if you want. Enjoy. <3

#man im so tired #why did i do that #i spent way too much time on this #bts #bangtan #bangtan boys #kpop #kidols #starter #pack #new #fan #army #a.r.m.y.#mine

2 notes · View notes

chibivesicle · 5 years

Text

Golden Kamuy 194 - western style shoot out at the hot springs!

This week’s chapter of gk is all about using action to continue to introduce the two new characters from the 27th, Warrant Officer Kikuta and Private First Class Ariko. Even though we still don’t have much background on them, we can get a good feel for their personalities through their actions. And it really fits in with a traditional spaghetti western style of shoot out. Which leads into the awesome chapter title page.

I’m not a huge fan of westerns in general but I loved watching spaghetti westerns as a kid. My personal fav was “My Name is Nobody”. I love how this chapter title page captures that feel in the layout of the page like a movie poster. The fact that Kikuta is much larger with the head and revolver shot really highlights how he will pay an important role here. This chapter is non-stop classic shoot out style action. It reveals that Kikuda was able to see with his left eye that was already covered so adjusted to the dark. He quickly fires off two more shots at Toni.

This really begins to establish the fact that Kikuta is a skilled gunslinger and seems to rely on heavy force and firepower. The shoot out then becomes more intense as he goes on the offensive as indicated by the very powerful angle on the panel with Kikuta and his eyes are looking off to his left, while Toni puts on his echolocation ears to help him fight back. Even though he can’t see, and you have that little sweat drop, the angle of this panel really seems to display strength from him.

Now that Toni is “ear”-quipped (sorry for the terrible pun) he will be much more effective at defending himself from Kikuta and his firepower. As Kikuta encounters another blind bandit, he shows off again that he uses an excessive amount of force.

He’s firing both revolvers at a target, which was incorrect since they threw a rock to distract him, but it is clear that he wants to fire a rapid number of shots in a relatively short distance. He gets hit by one of the men which allows Toni to locate him and then fire. As soon as I saw this panel here where he gets shot in the chase and drops his revolvers, I was immediately thinking, bah he’s not dead.

I also liked this panel with Ariko, I dunno, I like how he’s not running to Kikuda’s aid but he’s just walking along with some purpose. He doesn’t look stressed out or rushed but he’s carefully walking along and ready draw his rifle if needed. He just hears the sound of gunshots and is like “Oh is that near Hell Valley . . . la la la.”.

So why did I immediately think Kikuta is not dead. This was such a similar scene to that of the Tanigaki-Ogata sniper battle.

A shot straight to the chest, he’s wearing his cloak, and you see him reeling back with his arms wide open and since he did get shot with a rifle he falls back. But we all know at this point that he was hit in his binoculars and they saved his life while he laid there stunned on the ground for a bit.

So the next page shows Kikuta recover to shoot that man who hit him and then reveal how heavily he is armed. He has a full vest of revolvers under his jacket. This then leads to the info boxes informing us that they are all Nagant Model 1985 revolvers that were acquired from Russian officers during the Russo-Japan war and that he sent subordinates to collect for him.

Since he collected revolvers from officers this implies that they are more than likely are double action in their firing mechanism.

So before I go any further, a quick interlude about Kikuta’s gathering of enemy firearms during wartime. The Russo-Japanese war was from 1904-1905. As far as the general rules and conventions that referred to warfare they would be under the Hague Convention of 1899. The next Hague Convention was actually postponed due to the Russo-Japanese war and did not occur until afterwards. This would refer to not pillaging the opposing side for example and how to treat POWs. Under the Hague Convention 1899, one could procure arms from a captured solider as well as horses and any military related paperwork. However, that was it. The Hague Convention 1899 did not refer to the treatment of the dead. It wasn’t until the 1907 Hague Convention that the rights of the dead discussed and agreed upon and these were further updated under the Geneva Convention in 1949.

Here is a link to the full text:

https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule113

So, Kikuta’s collection of Nagant revolvers was within the legal framework at that time, but it does seem a bit excessive for a collection. . . . and calling them precious war trophies makes it clear he sees them as prizes of the conflict that are important to him.

Now back to the chapter events, Kikuta continues in his shoot out with the blind bandits and Usami comes to his aid and bayonets one man from behind, and he’s pretty much a gonner by this point but Kikuta shoots him in the chest twice at point blank range. Usami even requests that he doesn’t shoot him since he’s behind him but Kikuta shoots him anyways.

This is clearly a very excessive action on his part. Nikaido then shoots at Toni and he retreats further and Ariko catches up to the group. Kikuta is clearly not exactly pleased that Usami and Nikaido caught up to them and clearly had the full intent to tail them in their pursuit of Toni. Usami is a terrible liar and just makes his awkward smile and looks super guilty. Meanwhile, Ariko looks ready but relaxed in the background as they continue to pursue Toni.

This indicates that there is clearly some bad blood or suspicion between Tsurumi’s inner circle and men like Kikuta and Ariko. It appears that Ariko has taken the lead in the group in regards to tracking Toni. We already know back from the beginning that Nikaido lacks tracking skills from his time as a rebel with Ogata and Usami has never indicated he has that skill set either. I’d guess based on Kikuta’s revolver driven, shoot fast and close style, that he also does not have hunting/tracking skills. So that leaves Ariko, the only current Ainu of the 27th that we know of. I don’t want to stereotype him, but we can likely assume he has hunting and tracking skills just like Asirpa and Kiroranke.

As they pursue Toni, he almost hits him with a rifle shot. He barely misses him and it is clear that Ariko is strategically positioned behind a tree as well.

This means Ariko proceeded very carefully to get into position and then he patiently waited until he had a nice and clear shot. And he almost got him which indicates he has a lot of skill with a rifle.

They eventually track Toni to a mine shaft that he entered. Ariko has taken the lead in tracking them to it. Of course we’ve seen this set up before as well.

Three men outside of a hole into the ground. This really reminds me of the fate of the bear death trio; Tamai, Okada and Noma. Tamai is over confident and fires his rifle into the bear den.

This set-up tells the reader that this is likely a bad idea based on how the last trio’s interaction with a cornered individual in a cave/tunnel/den went down. But Kikuta wants to catch Toni so he is more than willing to follow him into the cave. Which then shows his body language when he indicates for the men to stay silent . . .

I shall refer to this as the badass and sexy “sssshhhhh” panel. Here Kikuta exudes confidence as he makes it clear to this subordinates that he’s in charge and he does it with flair.

They enter the cave and then Usami breaks an ice stalagmite, giving away his position to Toni who is able to quickly shoot him in the leg. Now Kikuta and Ariko are easy targets and the tables have turned on them so to speak. And things will continue with the next action packed chapter!

All in all this chapter has given us quite a bit of information about both Kikuta and Ariko’s characters. Ariko is a very calm and methodical man. He appears patient and he also seems to trust Kikuta as a superior. He just strolled over to meet up with Kikuta and was never in a rush or appeared worried. He appears to be a decent shot with the rifle and he has tracking skills as well. He reminds me of a cross of Tanigaki and Ogata. Tanigaki has outdoor tracking skills while Ogata is a patient and rational man when in situations. He also does not speak much, he’s not saying anything spicy, he simply is only stating the facts.

Kikuta is a huge contrast. He’s got such flair and he appears excessive and almost over the top and he oozes confidence (and sex appeal). He was introduced as a *ahem* very robust man at the onsen and since then with a relaxed look when getting the massage from Toni Anji and being a bit playful with his water trick at the onsen. He is clearly a lover of firearms like Ogata, but Ogata only carries one rifle at a time, he respected the Berdan m1870 single shot that he borrowed from the Orok man and he loved his trusty type 38 (rest in peace). In direct contrast, Kikuta collected as many revolvers as possible and he has to carry them with him as well!!! Kikuta appears greedy while Ogata appears practical; this is likely b/c Ogata truly desires love and acceptance and not a collection of rifles. These two firearms connoisseurs appear to be a direct contrast; Ogata the cautious sniper, who takes a careful but well planned shot from a great distance; Kikuta the flamboyant revolver wielder, who uses not one but two in close range and with extra shots just in case and doesn’t seem to concerned about accuracy. He figures if he shoots enough lead into an opponent he doesn’t need to care about accuracy. The fact that Kikuta covered his left eye seems like more than just a coincidence when Ogata recovers his only eye will be his right eye.

I am very curious to see where this will be going! Even though Kikuta seems to be a flamboyant and greedy guy, I’m still really interested to learn more about him.

#golden kamuy #gk meta #chapter 194 #warrant officer kikuta #kikuta #ariko #toni anji #tanigaki genjirou #ogata hyakunosuke #usami

15 notes · View notes

jessicakehoe · 5 years

Text

How Alok Vaid-Menon is Making the World a Safer Place for Everyone

It’s Friday night in Toronto, and The Garrison is packed with a motley crew of people with angular haircuts and septum piercings—the kind of crowd one might expect in attendance at Venus Fest, a feminist music festival that aims to remove toxic male aggression from live music environments. We’ve all assembled here to watch a South Asian drag queen named Manghoe Lassi gyrate with a comically oversized fake blunt to Bollywood music. The air in the club is nearly unbreathable, spiced with the ubiquitous scent of Santal 33 and generous base notes of body odour.

After Lassi finishes stripping down to her pot-leaf nipple pasties, Alok Vaid-Menon, a gender-nonconforming performance artist (who goes by they/them pronouns), arrives onstage dressed like a futuristic prophet attending Coachella, wearing a blue spandex crop top and matching pencil skirt that reveal a thatch of body hair, a Frida Kahlo flower crown adorning their magenta locks. After a moment of silence for the Christchurch, New Zealand, massacre, they proceed to launch into a rapid-fire act evoking the violence that trans people face on a daily basis and, in the same breath, throw shade on Ariana Grande.

By the end of the show, Vaid-Menon is visibly in tears and at least one person in the audience has passed out. I feel as if I’ve been shaken out of complacency so hard that I might wake up tomorrow with whiplash. It’s hard to reconcile the garrulous figure onstage with the soft-spoken, thoughtful person I met one day earlier.

“I never was able to consent to the various sets of stereotypes around gender and race that were ascribed to me, but with my outfits, I found I could interrupt those logics.”

Vaid-Menon ushers me into the lobby of the old Victorian home that serves as their crash pad in Toronto. They’re clad in a mix of colours and patterns that conjures the cacophony of a Jackson Pollock painting: a flowy earth mother tunic, zebra-print pants, a splotched ’80s-print skirt and door knocker earrings—finished off with a vibrant swipe of coral lipstick. For Vaid-Menon, whose tag line is “not a girl, not a boy, just me,” style is one of the most important weapons deployed in their ongoing crusade against the gender binary. “I do a lot of what the world calls ‘power clashing,’ but clashing denotes dissonance, and I don’t see it as that,” they say. “I’m trying to tell a story of mistaken dissonance—of harmony that is waiting to be recognized but is suppressed.”

Mistaken dissonance is perhaps the most succinct metaphor to describe the activism that is Vaid-Menon’s life’s work. “People see me as a failed man, a failed woman and, increasingly, a failed trans person,” says Vaid-Menon. Yet nothing about their self-presentation is a failure. As a non-binary transfeminine person, they have the ability to cast off stifling gender categories with the same ease one has when discarding a pair of ill-fitting pants in a change room—it’s every bit as intentional. “I never was able to consent to the various sets of stereotypes around gender and race that were ascribed to me,” they say, “but with my outfits, I found I could interrupt those logics.”

View this post on Instagram

here are my top 10 #streetstyle moments of 2018! so hard to choose! comment with your fav # 🥳🥳

A post shared by ALOK (@alokvmenon) on Dec 19, 2018 at 9:57am PST

As the author of the poetry book Femme in Public, Vaid-Menon has been touring around the world for the past three years drawing attention to the plight of visibly-gender-nonconforming people through their unique brand of comedy, slam poetry and music. “I cannot isolate Alok’s writing and poetry from the fashion, visual art, activism and performance aspects,” says Umlilo, one of Vaid-Menon’s contemporaries, who is based in South Africa.

Vaid-Menon’s father, Ramdas Menon, says Vaid-Menon wasn’t always fashion-forward, describing them as a “normal kid” who could be gregarious or introspective depending on their mood. “I always understood gender to be an obstacle to style,” Vaid-Menon explains, but they now view clothing as a site of political possibility. In 2013, Vaid-Menon began performing poetry onstage with Janani Balasubramanian under the moniker DarkMatter. Vaid-Menon began to dress up for performances but found that the act of exploring creativity through clothing felt so good, they began to cultivate a studied appearance offstage as well.

“I have a ‘boring section’ [in my closet] for when I just want to operate from point A to point B without getting harassed. But that section is getting increasingly smaller,” says Vaid-Menon. When tasked with wearing a gender-conforming outfit to an ex’s wedding last year, they showed up in a pair of banana-print pants.

View this post on Instagram

as the year comes to a close i will be sharing some of my highlights of 2018! first up is the 2nd gender free fashion collection i designed in delhi with @adrianne.ayao ! (stay tuned: we are already hard at work for 2019 collection). comment with the # of your fav look !!! also we have some of these as prints in my online store if you’d like one (link in bio)

A post shared by ALOK (@alokvmenon) on Dec 17, 2018 at 10:54am PST

In 2017, Vaid-Menon began to design their own clothing as a way to imagine what they would wear if they didn’t have to face violence, sketching out a flamenco-ruffle dress and a pink baby-doll dress with exaggerated bell sleeves. Right now, the clothing is strictly non-commercial, but Vaid-Menon dreams of a brand reaching out to collaborate on a gender-neutral capsule collection that doesn’t look like an assortment of beige-coloured flour sacks.

“Alok manages to straddle this fine line between a fierce warrior goddess that can be intimidating and a gentle clairvoyant spirit that is approachable,” says Umlilo. But by simply existing and living their truth—a.k.a. “being hairy as fuck and wearing makeup”—they are creating a sense of social possibility for others to do the same. “If there was ever a person able to express what I feel and put it into words, it’s Alok,” Umlilo continues. “There’s a raw honesty that their work has that manages to transcend space and time and express all the ancestral cries of sisters from yonder.”

“I’m still trying to figure out why my fabulosity threatens people. I think that at a fundamental level, people have been taught to fear the very things that have the potential to set them free.”

“At the core of it, I’m trying to challenge the international crisis of loneliness,” says Vaid-Menon. Growing up, the only characters on television they could relate to were cartoon villains like HIM, the lobster-clawed, falsetto-voiced villain of The Powerpuff Girls. Vaid-Menon displays a rare willingness to be vulnerable in public, a human quality that’s beginning to feel endangered in the age of Instagram, when most people choose to present a highlight reel of their accomplishments for the world to fawn over. Vaid-Menon’s poetry performances and writing workshops often double as group therapy sessions for participants. “When your job is to cry in public to hundreds of people who tell you ‘good job,’ it just kind of reinforces that you’re on to something.”

Photography by Bronson Farr

Despite Vaid-Menon’s inner power and strength, their self-expression is not a welcome sight for everyone and is often the target of cruelty and violence. “I’m still trying to figure out why my fabulosity threatens people. I think that at a fundamental level, people have been taught to fear the very things that have the potential to set them free.” But Vaid-Menon perseveres, partly because they are a pioneer and partly because they see no other way to live. “When non-binary and gender-nonconforming people critique gender binarism, it’s not just because we have selfish interests or are some angry minority of people. It’s because we’re trying to create a world that is more just and inclusive for everyone.”

View this post on Instagram

HOWDY!!!! today’s forecast is so cold outside but so fire 🔥 inside! excited to be making magic & photo shooting with my glam squad @double_d_production today!!!✨✨✨

A post shared by ALOK (@alokvmenon) on Nov 25, 2018 at 7:54am PST

Back at The Garrison, Vaid-Menon performs their wild and rancorous mix of political commentary, decrying the tribulations of irritable bowel syndrome and calling for a Hilary Duff 2020 presidential campaign. Like in a church, the set is punctuated by audible “mm-hmms” and scattered applause each time Vaid-Menon makes a salient point. By the end of the show, my mind drifts toward something they mentioned the day before: “I want to create irresistible images of what freedom can and does look like.” Onstage at The Garrison, that is exactly what is happening.

The post How Alok Vaid-Menon is Making the World a Safer Place for Everyone appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

How Alok Vaid-Menon is Making the World a Safer Place for Everyone published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

0 notes

soomuchhopeinadae · 7 years

Text

A warning for my incoming short series for Love Yourself by BTS (yes , I'm writing it now, uploading at Monday 1am kst)

Do note this might be rather short and poetic-feel

Thus the point of view might be changing. From POV of the members itself or a 3rd person view or as the girls(which will be readers)

They might be paired or related; suga jungkook , jhope jimin , rapmon V , jin alone

This is by my theory or theories I believe from fellow ARMY of what is happening from the MV. Whether u agree or not , is up to you , and read with an open mind

MOST IMPORTANTLY , IF U WATCHED THE HIGHLIGHT REEL OF LOVE YOURSELF 起承轉結 , U DO KNOW ITS RATHER DEPRESSING AT THE END WITH DEATH SUICIDE THEMES. SO WATCH WITH OPEN MIND/CAUTION AND DO NOT READ IT IF U ARE DEPRESSED OR CANNOT HANDLE DEATH THEME ESP WITH UR FAV BIAS!

^ I already knew in the highlight reel how jin’s ending was gonna be and tried to prepare myself but I still sdfghjkl. and jhope jimin part killed me inside.

#love yourself #bts #highlight reel #起承轉結 #big hit #mv #suicidal #depressing #read with caution #read with open mind #soomuchhopeinadae #fanfic #short series #chapters #poetic #point of view

0 notes

hottytoddynews · 7 years

Link

By Ellis Nassour, Ole Miss alum and noted arts journalist and author

Last season was dominated by the landmark Pulitzer-and Tony-winning Hamilton. People were saying, “How could the 2016-2017 season top that?” There’s not another Hamilton to be sure, but there’s plenty of excitement and diversity in this season of distinguished musicals.

It’s also been a season of superstars: Glenn Close, Bette Midler, Patti LuPone, Christine Ebersole. On these new original cast CDs, you won’t hear the thunderous applause at Sunset Boulevard, and Hello, Dolly!, Where mid-show standing ovations and numerous curtain calls for Close and Midler are the norm. But listen, and you’ll know why.

The Broadway League, the national trade association for Broadway, has released end-of-2016 – 2017 season statistics. It was the highest grossing one ever. Attendance reached 13,270,343 with a gross just short of $1.5-billion. This tally is only legit box office prices, which include premium sales.

The Tony Awards are June 11 in a three-hour telecast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall, with Kevin Spacey hosting. There were 20 musicals, which includes six revivals; 20 plays (10 original, nine revivals) – both among the highest ever in a season.

Until you can grab tickets these bargain-priced original cast albums are a perfect way to at least enjoy aspects of the in-person experience:

Amelie (Rhino Warner Classics; 26 tracks) by Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen; closed; available June 9:

Tony nominee, the luminous Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) returned to Broadway in this charming, bittersweet musical with book by Pulitzer Prize and Tony nominee Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza), based on the beloved Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated French film.

Highlights: “Writing on the Wall,” “Stay,” “Where Do We Go from Here?”

Anastasia (Broadway Records; 25 tracks) by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens; available June 9:

Christy Altomare (a Sophie in Mamma Mia) is amnesiac orphan Anya, hoping to find family, who’s spotted by bungling conmen (Derek Klena, John Bolton (A Christmas Story; Dames at Sea) who wish to take advantage of her likeness to Russia’s Grand Duchess Anastasia, thought to be the only survivor of the execution of Czar Nicholas and family. She’s so authentic that she wins over the skeptics, including the Dowager Empress, Tony-nominated Mary Beth Piel. Based on Disney’s 1997 animated film [includes Oscar-nominated “Journey to the Past” and five other film tunes].

Highlights: Original songs “In My Dreams,” “Everything to Win,” “Journey to the Past.”

Bandstand (Broadway/Yellow Sound Records; 18 tracks) by Richard Oberacker and Rob Taylor; available June 23: Returning WWII vet, a singer/songwriter, Corey Cott (Gigi; Newsies), forms a band with vets to seek the golden prize: Hollywood fame. But haunted by memories of his downed pal, he meets his young widow, Tony nominee Laura Osnes, who reluctantly joins the band. There’s instant attraction until a shattering secret is revealed. Pulsating Big Band-orchestrations by Tony-nominated Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen. Tony winner Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone) co-stars.

Highlights: “Just Like It Was Before,” “Love Will Come and Find Me Again,” “Everything Happens,” “Welcome Home.”

A Bronx Tale (Ghostlight Records; 19 tracks) by Alan Menken and Glen Slater:

Move over Manhattan Heights, make way for the stoops of rough and tumble 60s Bronx, where crime does pay, in this adaptation of Chazz Palminteri’s 2007 streetwise one-man play (also a 1993 film) about a boys influences. It’s Dad v. Crime Boss, Richard H. Blake and DD nominee Nick Cordero (Waitress, Bullets over Broadway scene-stealer) with traces of Newsies, Wise Guys, and Jersey Boys doo-wop.

Highlights: “Belmont Avenue,” “I Like It,” “Out of Your Head.”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Masterworks Broadway; 19 tracks) by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman:

Chocolate-covered whimsy, sadly readapted from the hit West End musical, based on Roald Dahl’s novel and featuring songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley from the 2005 film. Christian Borle, with John Rubenstein, and Emily Padgett (Side Show revival). The spectacular aspects have been decimated, and all that’s left is a bore. But it’s a family show.

Highlights: “What Could Possibly Go Wrong,” “If Your Father Were Here,” “The View from Here.”

Come from Away (Musical Company; 25 tracks, including bonus) by David Hein and Irene Sankoff:

Tony-nominated for Best Musical. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, 38 planes en route to the U.S. with 6,579 passengers were forced to land at Gander, Newfoundland’s former military base for a week due to airspace closure. In a variety of motifs [folk reels to lush ballads], we meet unprepared locals who must rise to the occasion. Winning cast of townspeople and passengers includes Tony nominee Jenn Colella, like American Airlines’ first female pilot, Chad Kimball (Memphis), Joel Hatch, Rodney Hicks, and Q Smith.

Highlights: “Lead Us Out of the Night,” “Me and the Sky,” “Stop the World.”

Dear Evan Hansen (Atlantic; 14 tracks) by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Steven Levenson:

Tony-nominated for Best Musical. Broadway’s always attempting to attract younger audiences, and those with good jobs or rich parents are flocking – along with adult theatergoers — to experience the devastating emotions explored in this musical about an emotionally repressed student.Tony nominee Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect films) gives a breathtakingly wrenching performance as the all but friendless teen, already hiding a dark secret, who uses a tragedy to become closer to a suicide victim’s sister and her family – and pays an anguishing price. Tony-nominated Rachel Bay Jones has big moments as his mother. Unfortunately, you won’t hear Will Roland and Kristolyn Lloyd’s scene-stealing bits. The deep empathy of the ballads will captivate and haunt.

Highlights: “For Forever,” “If I Could Tell Her,” “You Will Be Found,” “So Big/So Small,” “Words Fail.”

Falsettos (Ghostlight; two discs, 36 tracks; with a 60-page color booklet with lyrics and photos) by William Finn and James Levine; closed: Tony-nominated for Best Revival. A neurotic gay man, his wife, lover, son, their psychiatrist, and lesbian friends explore changing relationships in the make-up of modern families. Tony-nominated Christian Borle (Tony winner, Something Rotten), Stephanie J. Block Andrew Rannells (Tony nominated, Book of Mormon), and Brandon Uranowitz (Tony nominee, An American in Paris) captivate.

Highlights: “Love is Blind,” “This Had Better Come to a Stop,” “Making a Home,” “What More Can I Say,” “Unlikely Lovers.” Groundhog Day (Masterworks Broadway; 19 tracks) by Tim Minchin:

Tony-nominated, Best Musical. Tony nominee and Olivier-winning Andy Karl (Rocky, Mystery of Edwin Drood revival) in a Groundhog Day |Catch-22, based on the 1993 film, as arrogant TV weather caster who finds himself in a time warp – repeating the same day over and over. Clever staging adds a lot to the thin plot. Highlights: “There Will Be Sun,” “Hope,” “Everything About You,” “Night Will Come.”

Hello, Dolly! (Masterworks Broadway; 16 tracks; 42-page booklet with lyrics and color shot of Midler) by Jerry Herman:

Tony-nominated, Best Musical, Revival. Colorful revival starring the divine Bette Midler gives razzle dazzle new definition. In the showstopping moment after another – singing, doing fancy footwork or eating. She’s well-accompanied to Yonkers, the 14th Street Parade, and Harmonia Gardens by Tony nominees David Hyde Pierce, Gavin Creel, and Kate Baldwin. At 53 minutes, the cd doesn’t give the scope of being there. The disc has an 80-minute capacity, but cuts have been made. “The Waiter’s Gallop,” at 2:51, and the Finale, at 1:43, are shorter than onstage. You won’t feel shortchanged on the Overture, “Dancing” or title song.

Highlights: “Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” “Ribbons Down My Back,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment.”

Beginning June 13, Tony winner Donna Murphy (Passion) will play the lead on Tuesday evenings; and, at the end of June through year end, additional performances. In Transit (Hollywood Records; 18 tracks) by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth; closed: Broadway’s first a cappella score, by vets of Frozen and Pitch Perfect, told of New Yorkers facing the challenges of city life as MTA trains pass them by.

Highlights: “Deep Beneath the City,” “Choosing Not to Know,” “Not There Yet.”

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Reprise; two discs; 27 tracks) by Dave Malloy:

Tony-nominated, Best Musical. The complicated story, adapted from 70-pages of War and Peace, has been turned into a mesmerizing spectacle. Tony-nominated Denée Benton (Natasha, betrothed to Andrei) and Lucas Steele (arrogant, wicked Anatole) are ravenous lovers; Josh Groban (Pierre), the brooding misfit son of a royal who returns to Russia and an inheritance and attempts to untangle the romantic triangle. Brittain Ashford is stunning as the lovelorn Sonya. Highlights: “No One Else,” “Dust and Ashes,” “Sonya & Natasha,” “Sonya Alone.”

War Paint (Ghostlight; 21 tracks) by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie:

Tony, DD nominated Best Musical. Pioneering cosmetic entrepreneurs Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, portrayed by stage favs Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, engage in fierce rivalry for dominance from the 30s to 60s as they change the face of American women.

Highlights: “If I’d Been a Man,” “Pink,” “Forever Beautiful,” “Beauty in the World.”

There’s more: one from Off Broadway and one from London’s West End:

Spamilton (DRG; 25 tracks) by Gerard Alessandrini: This musical parody of guess what landmark musical is in love with what it mocks. It spins the difficulty of getting tickets, speculation about the film version, and most of all, the revolution — not the 18th-century political one, but the showbiz one. Alessandrini is the creator of 25 riotously hilarious Forbidden Broadway editions. He has a way with words, but this spoof is more affectionate tribute than one dripping with scathing humor.

Dreamgirls (Sony Music; 28 tracks, two discs) by Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger:

U.K. premiere of iconic 1982 Tony-nominated musical of Chicago R&B female trio vying for the big time during the 60s and learning hard lessons about show business and romance. Olivier-winning Amber Riley (Glee) is The Dreams’, Effie White.

Box office prices at around $189 and more for musicals can be daunting. Since you have to pay rent or monthly fees and also eat, you might consider the numerous promotions for shows in previews, Broadway League promotions for Kid’s Night, NYC & Company’s bi-annual Broadway Week [usually two weeks] 2-for 1 ticket offers (www.nycgo.com), and take advantage of the fact that 85% of shows are available for 40-50% off [plus $4.50 service fee] at the TDF booths.

Keep in mind newer shows such School of Rock and the return of Cats, Miss Saigon, and Sunset Boulevard [closing June 25]; and hot shows from previous seasons – Aladdin, Beautiful, Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, On Your Feet, and Waitress — all still going strong but with available seats. Then, they’re the long-running champs: Chicago, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. Hamilton is still hot, hot, and hot.

You can also still get original cast recordings of the original Miss Saigon; Cats; and Sunset Boulevard [Los Angeles, pre-Broadway cast].

Avoid purchasing price-gouging “resale tickets” from those sites engaging in this sort of consumer rip-off.

Ellis Nassour is an Ole Miss alum and noted arts journalist and author who recently donated an ever-growing exhibition of performing arts history to the University of Mississippi. He is the author of the best-selling Patsy Cline biography, Honky Tonk Angel, as well as the hit musical revue, Always, Patsy Cline. He can be reached at [email protected].

Follow HottyToddy.com on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @hottytoddynews. Like its Facebook page: If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss…

The post Take Broadway Home! – CDs of Tony Nominated Musicals From Off-Broadway and The West End appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

#hottytoddy #olemiss #oxfordms #oxford ms #mississippi #university of mississippi #the grove

0 notes