#he's proven that he has song writing and producing talents and yet they gave him the most boring solo debut

[stcrr]

elle fanning. cis female. she/her.  ／  lorelei “lorrie” gunther just pulled up blasting which witch by florence + the machine  — that song is so them ! you know, for a twenty-three year old musician, i’ve heard they’re really -reclusive, but that they make up for it by being so +observant. if i had to choose three things to describe them, i’d probably say chipped glitter nail polish, a silver gilt mirror, losing yourself in the beat of the music. here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble ! ( ally, 22, est, she/her )

me: i don’t have a type when it comes to muses! also me: unveils this new muse that is also introverted and anxious but this time with more glitter. anyways, meet lorelei, starr to her fans, and lorrie to her friends, an observant girl, gifted mimic, misfit, mirror, and musician. kind of a jem and the holograms/hannah montana/perfect blue hybrid. details under the cut, like for me to hyu to plot !! 

(also her pinterest im really proud of it you guys)

statistics.

full name. lorelei amelia gunther. nicknames. lorrie. aliases. starr. occupation. singer-songwriter. age. twenty-three. date of birth. february 1st, 1997.  nationality. american. ethnicity. white (austrian and irish).  gender | orientation. cis female | queer. hometown. boston, ma. zodiac sign. aquarius sun, scorpio moon, pisces rising career/voice claim. lorde.

height. 5′9 weight. 120lbs build. willowy.  distinguishing features. wide eyes, full lips, constant bags, probably has glitter in her hair.  health. 7/10; has no major illnesses but eats like shit, has a whack sleep schedule, is a dysfunctional adult basically. she’s also big depressed but you know how it be. 

positive traits. ambitious, intuitive, observant, imaginative, independent,  neutral traits. talkative, intense, impressionable,  negative traits. anxious, avoidant, moody, secretive, resentful, aloof, 

likes. the nighttime, storms, baggy clothes, mountains, weed, lsd, books, blanket forts, lying on the floor, singing, cryptids, cemeteries,  dislikes. being herself, deadlines, dolls/puppets, the paparazzi, social media, planning ahead, the outdoors, conflict, the beach, 

history. 

(tw suicide mention, anxiety attack) (tldr at the bottom)

her mother called her lorelei after the sirens of the rhine; she insisted her first cries were the sweetest song. and lorelei continued to have a beautiful voice; she sang more than she spoke. but only at home. 

she never responded to lorelei, though, not really; it felt too grand for her. she was a chicken-legged girl who liked overalls and goosebumps books. she was just lorrie.

she grew up in a lower-middle class region of boston, ma. her father was a salesman, and her mother was a travel agent. 

for a while, at school, she didn’t speak at all. she was diagnosed with selective mutism at age five, and it took until she was thirteen to overcome it completely. 

this was not at all helped by the fact that her parents had a nasty divorce when she was seven years old. her father used her mother’s ten-year-old suicide attempt against her in court to prove she wasn’t stable, and gained full custody of lorelei and her two older brothers. her oldest brother, matthias, sided with their father, but the middle brother, jeremias, sided with their mom, and tried to run away to his mother’s house basically every month. he ran away for good when he was fifteen, living with his girlfriend’s family. 

what helped her overcome this selective mutism, at least at first, was her middle school drama class. at home, lorelei had always been an excellent mimic. she did her favorite impressions for her drama teacher, and she encouraged her to try some monologues and scenes. as she got better at acting, she realized that she didn’t have to be herself; she could be somebody else. and that made talking all the easier. 

by high school, she was no longer selectively mute, but was still anxious and shy. she was, however, a total drama kid, and still loved to act. she could be outrageous, incredible on stage; she wasn’t being herself, after all, so if people were judging her, it was the character they were judging, not her. 

still she was def the kind of girl who had a mental breakdown every four months and dyed/cut her hair/gave herself bangs. she could never quite shake the feeling that she was an outsider looking in, separated, different. 

she still loved music, and as she grew older, she started to write songs. it was her secret dream to be a musician. one of her theater friends talked her into singing one of them when she was sixteen, and then encouraged her to try out for the talent show. she was able to get through the audition, though she was a little nervous, but she knew it would be fine. she was on stage all the time, this would be fine. 

but this time, she had to be herself in front of the entire school, and she froze up, not a sound leaving her lips. she doesn’t remember leaving the stage; only remembers that suddenly, she was in the girls bathroom, sobbing her eyes out. 

her friends comforted her that night, partying in their basement like they always did, but thats when lorrie had an idea. what if she didn’t perform as herself? 

that’s when a starr was born. 

as lorelei dressed herself up in all the holo and glitter she had, she created starr in her head; she was born beloved, charismatic, fearless, this glitz and glamor girl who had it all, but what now? even at the top, she found emptiness. she was a beautiful supernova, so breathtaking you forgot she was really a collapsing star. 

starr was lorrie’s ultimate muse; she wrote song after song for her in the next few months, until, finally, she asked some of her friends to help her record a music video. she didn’t expect this music video to get 60 million views in a matter of weeks. 

royals, of course, blew the fuck up, and she had people calling her house to get her to sign with this record company or that record company, and her eventual producer flew her out to la with her dad. and, of course, the rest is history. (her dad also blew a lot of the money she earned as a minor but she got rid of him and that’s neither here nor there.) 

however, as she got more and more into the la lifestyle, she began to rely more and more on starr as an alter ego. people liked starr, after all, and lorrie didn’t even like herself. she played the part of the dignified, wise, and eccentric former queen during interviews, when recording, at after parties and award shows. 

even her first major relationship she got while acting like starr, someone fearless and fun, basically a manic pixie dream girl. if you’ve ever listened to the album melodrama, then you know how badly that ended. 

that’s around when she realized that starr had taken over her entire life. coming home from a house party absolutely zonked, she looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize herself, didn’t see that nerdy, overall-clad chicken-legged girl from her family pictures. 

she stripped her clothes off, scraped the makeup off her face until her skin was red and dry, dragged a brush through her hair to get rid of all the product, and pulled on a hoodie and leggings she had brought with her to la a year ago. she wrote the first draft of all the songs in melodrama in the coming hours. 

however, she still wrote from starr’s perspective, knew she’d perform it as starr. it may be far more personal, but lorrie wasn’t ready to come out just yet. in fact, she’s kind of been hiding the last year or so, a full-on depression mess. 

tl;dr lower middle class nerdy girl from boston overcomes crippling social anxiety through acting, finesses this into an alter ego to be a musician, hits it big, loses herself in the alter ego, has a disastrous relationship, and tries to become herself again. 

present.

first of all, her real name is Known to the public, but not her “brand” outside of starr. it’s proven to be a boon as of late; she’s known for basically being a walking sailor moon cosplayer, not a skinny woman in baggy jeans and a big black hoodie.

since she’s trying to work on herself, she’s kind of in a creative slump. like, she still has more than enough royalties off her music to keep her going, but her agent and producer are both pushing her to clean up some of her songs and record them for a new album. she can still write as starr, but it feels... different, now. melodrama was far more personal than pure heroine, and she wants to continue to grow; writing as starr feels like reverting back to her sixteen year old self. but she’s too scared to write as herself So....

at events though she’s still in the gauze and stars people expect from starr. 

trying to reach out to her mom and brother jer again. not her dad, fuck her dad. 

loves true crime, the supernatural, and conspiracy thought. is probably watching a true crime doc rn. 

she’s just starting to leave her house for the first time in like... a year? like she’s only started to get out again in the last few months.

as for drugs, she def drinks, but she’s more likely to smoke weed. also, she’s a big fan of lsd, but holds herself off to only tripping every few months.

is considering moving to the woods and being the lonely crone everyone whispers about. or maybe switching to voice acting. 

she fuckin hates dolls. literally her worst nightmare is being trapped in some collectors’ doll rooms.  

wanted connections. 

melodrama ex (0/1) - the ex she wrote her breakup album about. can be any gender. i literally want this connection so bad kfdskjkadsfds

best friend (0/1) - someone who was with her throughout her... Transformation

squad (0/3) - bc who doesn't love a squad. this is the vibe i’m going for (sound warning)

icon (1/1) - someone lorrie looks up to and like... majorly doesn't wanna disappoint. - filled by kami!!!

musician buddies (0/?) - they bounce lyrics off of each other, you know how it is.

rival pop star (0/1) - idk i just think it would be Neat. maybe even with a plot that they had a major falling out and now they have to pretend to get along.

hookups (0/?) - or other messy shit

texting crush (0/1) - really weird concept but like... i imagine lorrie would have the number or snap or insta or whatever of this muse and they get talking after melodrama and she just... lays it all out. they don't really talk in person, but she feels really close to them and definitely develops a crush

weed buddy (0/1) - they come to her house and smoke and complain its great

friend turned enemy (0/1) - maybe someone who adored starr but doesn't like who she is now?????? idk idk

enemy turned friend (0/1) - maybe someone who thought starr was fake af but then meets lorrie being Herself and is just like "oh you're a Human" idk idk

bonus.

as a thank you for making it to the end of this fucking enormous intro, please take a moment to enjoy these tik toks reflective of lorrie’s personality (they’re also???? great on their own) 

lorrie talking/singing to herself alone in her house 

honestly she has tinkerbell vibes

drunk mouths speak sober thoughts

and thats on mental illness

#excess:intro #admittedly another novel #also i've been vibing to pure heroine all day and like #im going THROUGH IT #suicide mention tw #anxiety attack tw #drugs tw #also a notice i am not going to be making an open starter since... the event is TOMORROW so #i'll just reply to a few

[mbl17]

She Used To Love Him

Surviving R. Kelly has proven to be one of those documentaries that people can’t stop talking about. Executive Producer Dream Hampton succeeded in bringing R&B singer R. Kelly’s alleged questionable activities with underage girls and women to the forefront again in the #MeToo era. Now that this is a hot topic, Prince’s past relationships with two of his exes who were under the age of 18 (yet of the age of consent in their respective countries) are being re-examined. Writer Sezín (rhymes with Celine in case you care) Koehler penned a questionable opinion piece on Black Girl Nerds to misinform you all about it. (UPDATE as of 1/19/2019...the article has been rightfully pulled from the website).

https://blackgirlnerds.com/not-a-love-letter-to-prince-batman-album-on-30th-anniversary/

For what it’s worth, Rhymes With Celine is not a black girl. The half Lithuanian American and Sri Lankan author discusses how she planned to write a love letter to Prince’s 1989 Batman soundtrack on its 30th anniversary, but now in the wake of Surviving R. Kelly she can no longer love the album that once gave her life some much needed light. She also can’t love Prince anymore because of the (y’all ready for it?) ”horrific real life events that have come to light about Prince”. “Horrific” is Koehler’s word, not ours. She goes on to claim that he groomed both 16 year-old Anna Fantastic and Mayte Garcia and she’s absolutely sick about it. Don’t even think about bringing up David Bowie to her either. Interesting. Sezín Koehler claimed back on April 27, 2016 in a published Huffington Post piece called Happiness Is Purple: Requiem for Prince that our man provided the soundtrack to many of the rare happy moments of her life.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sezin-koehler/the-sounds-of-happiness-a_b_9765640.html

“The fact that Prince made it a priority to mentor, support, and promote the careers of so many women over these past decades is another testament to what a giving creative soul he was, and a rock’n’roll feminist. I can’t think of a single other male artist who gave legs up to as many women as Prince did, nor who boasted all-female bands like the Vulvalini-esque 3RDEYEGIRL. He was so ahead of his time it’s profound to begin putting his life’s work into this kind of perspective.

Like David Bowie, Prince’s sparkling fabulousness transcended social and cultural norms — especially in subverting notions of masculinity and its presentation — in such unique ways, it’s impossible to take a full measure of its and his depth and scope except to say that he was one of a kind and there’ll never be another person who reaches the bar he raised. We had a purple unicorn living among us all this time, and damn straight we knew and worshiped him.”

She also brings up the brilliance of the Batman recording and calls Prince a genius who she believed respected women by mentoring and supporting female talent. She mentions how he was just as fabulous as (y’all ready for it?) David Bowie. So you mean to tell us that an alleged lifelong Prince fan didn’t know the stories of Anna Fantastic and Mayte Garcia for all of these years? While she was fan girling for for David’s fabulousness, she was totally unaware that he had sex with a 14 year-old? Sezín Koehler was born around 1979 so definitely old enough to have witnessed the Mayte saga. So what gives? Is this really a case of a concerned fan looking at some of Prince’s decisions with a fresh set of eyes? Or is it that Koehler and the Black Girl Nerds website are like everyone else on the internet and will write for attention? I mean look at us! Anything is possible because the founder of Black Girl Nerds, Jamie Broadnax, landed flat on her face after her Universal FanCon event went down in flames due to financial difficulties while writers for the site went unpaid. Hitching your wagon to the scandal of the moment is a sure fire way to get some attention and click bait revenue right?

Now we aren’t here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t be outraged about. As much as Prince was a musical genius, a philanthropist, and our King of Shade, he was still a flawed human being. However you can find the details of Prince’s dealings with Anna and Mayte to be inappropriate without dropping him in the same category as R. Kelly. We watched all 6 parts of the R. Kelly documentary and if any of the things these women are alleging is factual, he’s a true predator and abusive monster. Don’t even get us started on R. Kelly’s 2008 child porn trial. Anna and Mayte have told us for years how they both felt adored and nothing but love from Prince. They’ve also been adamant that nothing sexual occurred until after they turned 18. Anna even popped up to tell Sezín that she got it wrong:

The only woman who has ever publicly accused Prince of any outlandish sexual behavior is Charlene Friend, who at her big age claimed that Prince was keeping women (not her!) in cages. None of this was ever proven of course and the story likely stemmed from Charlene’s anger at Prince stopping her from selling some nice gifts he had given her.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Sezín Koehler has taken a male musician to task for what she perceives as bad behavior. In 2013 she called out Robin Thicke for the lyrics to his hit song Blurred Lines.

https://psmag.com/social-justice/mouths-rapists-lyrics-robin-thickes-blurred-lines-66569

Koehler wrote that the song was a “rape anthem” that victim blamed at the same time. She proceeded to intersperse the lyrics with images of rape survivors who detailed how their attackers used statements similar to the song. We truly believe each survivor. We hate that we live in a world where so many people have these gut wrenching stories of being violated, but at the same time it’s a bit over the top to try and assume what’s going on in the mind of a songwriter because YOU don’t think Robin was asking for permission. So no consideration that the lyrics of Blurred Lines could also be the dirty talk between two consenting lovers? One would think that as a writer Koehler wouldn’t want to go down the slippery slope of having people presume what’s going on inside her head and slander her over a misinterpretation. Anyway, after receiving a proper verbal beat down with the facts from Prince fans,Sezín decided to lock up her Twitter until the heat is off. We guess she didn’t want that much attention?

#prince #Prince Rogers Nelson #purplearmy

[irisouy]

So today I want to give my opinion on my latest obsession: BTS. No, I am not speaking about “Behind The Scenes”, but about a music group/band called BTS (Bangtan Boys). For those who do not know them (who doesn’t at this point?) they are a 7-member k-pop group, who are breaking all records. I usually do not give my opinion on music, since my blog is mostly a “The 100”–related blog, but I felt that this time I could make an exception, because I have been enjoying this group very much during “The 100” hell-hiatus and felt like sharing my impressions.

So how did I come across discovering this group? Well… lately I have been into k-dramas. Almost two years ago I discovered the world of Korean dramas, and really fell in love with it. It made me stop watching most American series (well except for The 100, duh), and I have been doing a lot of binge-watching of really good Korean series. Of course, while watching them I often hear really nice songs in the background or as OST, and out of curiosity I went on YouTube to listen to those tracks in full version. That’s how I discovered k-Pop: it was first VIXX, then GOT7, then EXO and WINNER. Of course, I watched other k-pop boy-bands, but those are the ones that I liked most. And then, one day, after watching a clip from one of the groups I have just mentioned, the automatic lecture feature in YouTube put on “NOT TODAY” of BTS and I got hypnotized by the crazy dancing. Don’t get me wrong, other groups are very good dancers, but BTS choreographies and attitude really impressed me big time. And when I watched “FIRE” next, I was hooked.

Before I move on let me clarify some things about me: first of all, I do not consider myself as an ARMY member. Again for those who are not familiar, “ARMY” is the name of the BTS fandom and I believe it is one of the most active fandoms in social media if it is not the most. Second of all, I am in my mid-thirties, which is kind of old considering the average age of ARMY stans. Also, I was a teenager during the 90’s and I have lived the boys-band era, and let me tell you this: I have never been a fan (to the exception of some random songs). So this is the opinion of a person who is not in the BTS fandom (yet?), who has never really been fond of boy-bands and who is “oldish”.

Let’s get into it! (Beware, I have a lot to say => 5 K words after the cut)

Disclaimer: I am rather new to this so if I say something wrong, educate me, do not send hate please

So as I said, it’s the dancing that got me interested in BTS: the songs I first heard where OK to my standards, very catchy, but I mostly loved watching the dancing, more than listening to the songs. But then, I came across the rest of their songs and I started enjoying it more and more. The more I listened to them, the more I enjoyed it: this kind of music has a way to creep into you.

So what has “sealed the deal” for me?

A great discography

Variety of genres in their discography: not one songs resembles the other. They have Hip-hop, trap and rap tracks, R&B and pop songs, ballads …the variety of genres is impressive, even within the same song! I am not used to see this in other (non-korean) groups/singers: once they start in a genre they stick to it, with very seldom variations. But BTS seems to enjoy exploring genres and they are very good at it.

I mostly like their calmest songs with “Tomorrow” being my absolute favorite, followed by “House of cards” and “Let me know”. But they have so many beautiful songs: “Spring Day”, “Save me”, “Dead leaves”, “Hold me tight”, “Sea”, “Born singer”, “I need U”, “Run”, “Go Go”, “Boy in luv”, “Best of me”, “Baepsae” to name some of my favorites. I even really like their debut songs such as “No more dream”, “N.O.”& “We are bullet-proof”.

This doesn’t mean I do not enjoy their most recent songs like “Blood, sweat and tears”, “DNA” & “Mic Drop”: but for those, I mostly like the video clips more than the songs (sorry, my opinion!). Just like “Fire” and “Not today” are extremely catchy (and I’m in love with the MVs), but it is not the type of songs I listen to on my way to work. Those are the type of songs which are more powerful if you watch the whole performance (singing + dancing).

So my advice: do not just listen to Title tracks only: my favorite BTS songs are not Title tracks, and they are sooooo good.

To top it all, the majority of their songs have meaningful lyrics and tackle sensitive topics. And when you start scratching the surface you discover that their songs and MVs are connected to each other across the years of their existence. That’s when you get into theories, because yes, every detail is important and is part of a mysterious and giant puzzle that will blow your mind.

Top-notch Production

An A-team: I firmly believe that BTS members are among the most talented individuals I have ever encountered, but they are not alone in this. The reason why BTS is rising to the top is also due to the team surrounding them. Watch any BTS MV: the cinematography is beautiful, the costumes are stylish, the color scheme is on point, the choreographies are awesome, and camera angles perfect… you can feel there is a lot of work and thought put together to get this result. And when you watch live performances, you also get the sense that behind BTS, there is a talented team that supports them.

I think that BTS is the only idol group of Big Hit entertainment (for now) and it really shows. You can tell Big Hit puts a lot of effort and care into this group. Every little detail is well thought of and planned. Big Hit entertainment is doing everything they can to showcase the talent they have in their hands. I also appreciate the fact that they are letting each member explore their own artistry outside from the group. The fact that they gave solos to each member in the Wings album was a smart move. It allowed each member to shine on their own, with their own style, while still showcasing the group as a whole. Smart, smart indeed.

I like the fact that they allow some freedom to their artists: they have their say in the production process, they write lyrics, produce songs, and from time to time they let them get songs by themselves and let them explore the music they like. Because they are so different, and they all shine when performing solo, but each on their own way. Just have a listen/look at the mixtapes released for each member of the rap line: whether it is RM’s, Agust D’s or J-Hope’s, each mixtape has a different feel and genre. The members’ tastes and personalities just shine through their music and I like the fact that Big Hit supports them into their musical journey.

 7 talented young men

Well of course what makes BTS so good are its 7 talented members: each one has a very distinct voice, style and personality and whether they are singing, rapping or dancing, the experience is really enjoyable. Note that they are so good, that it took me a loooooong while finding a “bias” (aka favorite member), and even if I have one now, the others are really not far away from him. It’s crazy how easily you can get attached to them.

Let’s do a quick tour of the members, their performances and characteristics. (Again, this is my opinion based on what I have seen, do not get offended that I don’t like your bias as much as you do!).

Let’s start with the rappers: J-Hope, Suga and RM. I am not going to lie, although I enjoy rap, it is not my cup of tea: I’m fine with small doses, but can have trouble listening to pure rap, with nothing else around. However those 3 rappers made me appreciate rapping in ways I did not expect, because they have the attitude, the flow and the talent. If you don’t know them already, I recommend listening to their Cyphers (with subtitles turned on) which are really, really good: I personally really like Cypher pt. 4, but pt.3 is really good too (but this will be different according to each person’s tastes).

The rappers of the group have suffered from mockery from other rappers because they joined BTS, and were hence considered as not being “real rappers”. But let me tell you this: they have proven again and again that they are extremely talented and that they do not need to envy other self-proclaimed “real” rappers.

· J-Hope: real name Jung Hoseok, also known as Hobi, Hoseok. He might be the most underrated rapper as usually RM and Suga get most of the attention. At least, I know he is the last member I paid attention to within the rap-line. Rap-wise I would say that his style is slower than RM’s and Suga, infusing his cheerful personality in every line. I like how he modulates the rhythm of his diction in his rapping, and the fact that he incorporates singing into it, building his own rapping style. What is also impressive is the fact that J-Hope never rapped before joining BTS, he was a dancer. But keep in mind that I am far from being a specialist of rap. The first time I paid attention to J-Hope is with the Wings album: I was impressed with his track “Boys meets Evil” and I also really enjoyed “Hey Mama”. What gets me the most with him is that he is a multi-faceted artist: he knows how to rap, sing (have you heard his singing? soooo nice!) AND he is an amazing dancer. I really do love his dancing: the energy he has when dancing is breathtaking, and this same energy transpires in his solo tracks. And of course I have to talk about his mixtape that just came out in March 2018. Such a sleek and mellow sound: the Hixtape is a very unique trip into his world and a real treat for the ears. No wonder it broke records all over the World! Also, personality-wise J-Hope is a funny, caring and optimistic individual: basically, a real sunshine. What’s not to love?

 · RM: real name Kim Namjoon, aka God of Destruction, formerly known as Rap Monster (or Rap Mon) …he is the first rapper that I noticed because of his low deep voice and chill attitude. He “spits some bars” has some will say but in the best way possible. His rapping skills are sick: he can rap extremely fast (*cough*joke*cough*), or take it slower, but always with attitude. But what is weird is that I like RM the most when he sings…yep, with time I have the impression that he has been singing more and more and I absolutely love it. His part in “Best of me”, “Let me know”, or in “4 o’clock” is really awesome for lack of a better word. RM is the leader of BTS and as such he is in charge of being the spokesperson of the group and the link between Big Hit and the BTS members. He basically is the dad of the group and makes sure that every member gets his share of spotlight.

Besides from being a caring and respected leader, RM is also an excellent song writer and producer: you need to listen to songs like “Spring day”, or “Serendipity” to see the tip of the iceberg of his writing abilities.

Basically, RM is a really smart (IQ of 148), caring, charismatic individual who takes his role in BTS to heart.

 · Suga: real name Min Yoongi, also known as Agust D. At first I didn’t really pay attention to Suga. But he is a quiet force that crept into me slowly and then hit me hard. I really started noticing him with his solo song in the Wings album: “First love”. I first listened to it without reading the lyrics and I was touched by the raw emotion that his performance transpired. Then, when reading the lyrics I got transported by his love of music: music was and will always be his first love. Nice. But of course it didn’t stop there, that was just an appetizer: I then discovered his mix tape under his other stage name “Agust D”. Oh WOW. Do you remember when I said I was not into rap songs that much? Well I am into HIS songs very much. I discovered real gems in this mixtape, my favorites being “Agust D”, “Far way” and my number 1 of all “The last”. His rapping is the most lit thing I have ever heard, the way he modulates the rhythm of his rapping according to the message he wants to deliver and at the core of that there is always RAW emotion. And when you read the lyrics of “The last”, oh my… it’s heart-wrenching. This guy is so freaking talented that he just became my bias wrecker with this mix tape, hands down.

But Suga’s talent does not lie only on his rapping skills; just like RM he writes lyrics, composes and produces songs. And he really is very good at producing: my favorite song of BTS (Tomorrow) was produced by him. He even won an award for his producing skills. I like that he is so passionate about his music.

And I also like his personality: he is more introverted than the others, with a darker humor and can be a real savage. But you can tell he is a tormented soul (even before reading his lyrics!) and inside he is a big softy. So yeah, freaking Suga: an awesome individual, rapper AND producer.

OK, now let’s dive into the vocal line: Jin, V, Jungkook and Jimin. As I said, I am biased because I enjoy singing more than rapping (well most of the time).

· Jin: real name Kim Seok Jin, also known as “Worldwide handsome”. Yes, he IS handsome but he also has such a beautiful, and breathy voice. The “visual” member of the group is also the most underrated singer of BTS. I thank the Wings album every day because it got me into knowing each member and pay attention to them individually. Just like with Suga and J-Hope, it’s Jin’s solo song “Awake” that made me notice him more. He surprised me in a very positive way, and I realized at that moment that may be the fact that I did not pay attention to him was simply because he doesn’t have that many lines in the songs. He truly deserves to get way more spotlight to show his true potential. Luckily he finally got more lines in the Japanese album and has shone in “Don’t leave me”, and “Let go”.

Jin has a very stable voice that relaxes me to no end. I can’t wait to get some Jin-exclusive content: I will be there to support him. I honestly was low-key disappointed that Jungkook got the intro “Euphoria” for “Love yourself: Wonder”: I was expecting an intro by Jin (don’t get me wrong I love Euphoria and Jungkook!).

Personality-wise, even though he is the oldest, I think he might be the least mature of all the members: a true kid with the funniest laugh ever (sounds like windshield). He is sweet and sensitive, but very loud! Especially when food is involved ^^ He spends his time telling dad jokes and blowing flying-kisses. As time goes on, I am liking him more and more even if at first I thought he was kind of “bland” (nonsense I know!). HE IS NOT.

 · V: real name Kim Taehyung, also known as Tae or Tae-Tae. What a soulful voice! His voice is the most distinct to me out of the members of the voice-line: when I started listening to BTS I could tell his voice apart from the others because it is very unique. His voice is like melted chocolate: so beautiful and warm. Once again, I will be referencing the Wings album: in his solo track “Stigma” he hits the high notes without a sweat and keeps his husky voice all the way through. Among my favorites I would also mention 4 o’clock (with RM!) or his cover of Adele’s “Someone like you”. But just listen to any BTS song: you cannot miss his voice. He is the member with the widest vocal range. I absolutely love his part in “Let me know” and “Spring day” to name a few, but the list would be too long. Just one thing though, I like his voice the most when he is in the low range: I appreciate him in Blood Sweat and Tears for example, where he showcases his highest notes, but I don’t know why, I am most invested when he is in the lower ranges. It just does things to my heart I cannot handle (“Crystal Snow”, “Let go”… OMG)

So his voice is amazing, anything else? Hell yeah. He is such a good performer! We often talk about J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook when discussing dancing skills, but honestly V is not lagging at all. He lives his performances to the fullest: he is very expressive and very good at acting. Besides from that, he is a weird and funny fella and yet another sweetie. He is the biggest troll you will find and a real social butterfly. Tae really makes me laugh so much and his reactions are so unpredictable!

 · Jungkook: real name Jeon Jungkook, also known as Kookie, muscle bunny. Ok this guy is not called the “golden maknae” for nothing (Maknae means the youngest of the group). He is absolutely badass in everything he does: singing, rapping and dancing (and drawing, and sports and photography, editing…and so many areas that it is unfair for the rest of the world). He is also a very handsome kid, so I am not surprised he is the “bias” of many ARMY stans. He is one of the first I noticed because I really liked his attitude in the MVs, and when I heard his voice I melted. There is a reason he is BTS’ main vocalist. Listen to his cover in collaboration with Jimin for “We don’t talk anymore” and you’ll have an idea of how beautiful his voice is. I actually like this version of the song better than the original one. But any other cover he has done is wonderful as well (papercut, or 2U for example) and let’s not forget his solo track “Begin” (yep Wings album again). His voice has a wide range and is extremely stable, even while dancing.  To sum up, Jungkook is a very young artist that has the potential to become a bulldozer in the music industry. He oozes talent from every pore of his skin. This kid is growing fast and thanks to his “hyungs” he is asserting his style and personality.

Personality-wise, he is a walking-meme and a mischievous little bunny: he loves teasing his hyungs so much. But at the same time he still is shy in many situations: but his BTS brothers are there to protect him.

 · Jimin: real name Park Jimin, also known as chim chim or little mochi. Ok, ladies and gentlemen, presenting what k-pop fans call the “bias”. Jimin is my “bias”. He wasn’t at first, but he won me over, clip after clip, performance after performance. I like him because he is made of contrasts: I really love his voice, which can reach the highest flawless angelic notes, but at the same time deliver raspy sounds when singing low notes. I got to admit that Jungkook has a really nice voice which sounded similar to Jimin’s when I first started listening to BTS: it was hard for me telling them apart. But eventually I reached a point that know I can tell them apart 99.9% of the time: I like the fact that Jimin’s voice vibrates and flows when getting into high notes, and gets a little raspy when hitting low notes. I am not sure I can express what I hear with my English skills though (non –native speaker here). I like voices that can stir up my emotions, and his definitely does that. I always ended up liking his parts the most in almost every song, before knowing it was all him. How can I not mention his two solo songs: “Lie” and “Serendipity”? his voice is pure bliss. But I also liked his debuts and growls. Some say that he has not the best voice; I don’t care, I like his voice the most because he has some imperfections. And yes V, Jin and Jungkook can hit really high notes, but none of their voices get me as Jimin’s voice does. You know, personal bias here.

On top of having an amazing voice, this guy is an amazing dancer: both, J-Hope and him are always wonderful to watch. Jimin’s way of dancing is so expressive: everything from body to face lives the songs to the fullest. His background in contemporary dance mixes so well with popping and hip hop style of dancing. He has a good control of his body, and just flows; he is like water. Add to the equation that he seems to be a real cinnamon roll in RL, and you have an artist who is sweet and a badass at the same time. He has a very bright and sweet personality, but once he gets on stage, he becomes this other persona, full of strength and attitude: the contrast is striking and so interesting. I guess I also like the fact that he is also a very sensitive soul, struggling with self-confidence issues and inner-demons. He is a perfectionist and tortured soul hiding behind the sweetest smile.

 Energy, emotional honesty and passion:

OK, so besides their music and talent, there is also a “je ne sais quoi” factor that got me attached to this group in particular. I started watching many videos of them performing live but also many off-stage videos. And let me say this: I really liked what I have seen. OK it might be staged or manipulated, because I don’t really know what is really going on behind the scene, but it felt quite honest. Their energy seems legit, their interactions and care for each other seem genuine, their emotions as well.

Here are the things that I noticed and really liked:

·Real passion for music:

BTS members love music. Some prefer producing songs, other like to sing, others enjoy dancing… but they all have in common a drive to improve and always deliver the best performance in everything they do. Their work transpires passion and positive energy.

·Emotional honesty:

First of all I was surprised by what I call their “emotional honesty” and how they break male western stereotypes. In the countries I have lived (US, France and Spain): men are not allowed to be fragile. When I say they are not allowed, I mean society standards pressure them into always having a strong façade, no matter what. Emotions are kept buried inside because otherwise they would be seen as “feminine” and it is considered as a weakness: any time a man shows his feelings, his vulnerabilities he is being weak. Last time I checked men are human beings, just like women: they go through pain, grief, anger, anxiety etc. The fact that society tries to control the way men express their emotions is as harmful as society trying to dictate women into not being equals to men. So that’s the type of attitude I am used to see with men raised in western societies: “conceal don’t feel”.

But BTS members are not like this at all. I don’t know if in Korea men are more in touch with their emotions (I don’t know this country and its society so I cannot judge), or if BTS members are emotional because they are still young. But anyways, it is so refreshing to see these kids expressing their feelings, inner turmoil and anxieties on-stage or off-stage; they laugh and cry whenever they feel like it. They are honest with their emotions and it shows: I really hope that when getting older, they won’t lose that emotional honesty because to me that is their strength.

This emotional honesty is also present in their songs: many of them have shared their personal struggles in songs. The two songs that stroke me most were “The last” from Agust D (aka Suga) and “Lie” from Jimin: the lyrics are so personal and even dark. It takes a lot of courage to share this type of struggle, but that’s what makes this group so special. They express themselves through music. But even other group songs have deep and meaningful messages showcasing their struggles and inner thoughts. They communicate with theirs fans and the world with their lyrics.

·A strong brotherhood:

The second thing I really enjoyed about those Behind The Scene (he he he BTS;)) moments is their interactions with each other. One can tell that they are all very close to each other and that they are each other’s support. OK I know that this subject is leading me straight into a sensitive subject: “ships”. Yep, I know there is a lot of “shipping” among ARMY stans… I won’t get into that because I hate ship wars (if you know the 100 fandom you can understand what I’m saying…although I do ship, but my motto is ship and let ship). I honestly have no preferences among the relationships of the members (no ships among BTS members), but I can really say that it is a pleasure to watch their interactions, and it puts a smile on my face every single time.

And if their interactions are so pleasant to watch it is mainly due to the first point I raised: their emotional honesty. In every interaction I have watched they all seem so close to each other: not just a mere partnership, no, it seems to be a deep friendship, a brotherhood of sorts. One can tell that together they had to face challenges and suffer from extreme stress: this type of situation has the advantage to solidify relationships with the people you are living this with.

They seem to have healthy relationships: the kind of relationship where you can count on the support of the other person. We have to keep in mind that these are very young men that got into the music industry at a very young age. They got separated from their families, and even if they seem to be holding “their shit together” and being all grown-up, deep down they are still kids at heart that are getting into adulthood. They struggle with inner demons, society pressure and hectic lives.

In the light of last year’s events (suicide of SHINee’s member Jonghyun), I really hope that this group of young men are going to keep the sincerity that I can sense in them: honesty with their emotions, their art, and their relationships. I really wish they won’t get their wings burned by the music industry, and that they will have space to breathe and become their own person.

I said I don’t consider myself as part of the ARMY, but I just wrote the longest meta ever about them… should I create a side blog dedicated to BTS and jump into the fandom? Not sure I can handle two fandoms…

#bangtan #bts #bangtan boys #not the 100 #v #rm #jin #jungkook #jimin #j-hope #suga #i really like them

[sticksstonesandstars]

AuSOME PEOPLE NEVER GROW OLD

To the boy who had the moves,

    Thank you for still wanting to be with our group despite how once, we only depended on you and did only little things when our group had to come up with something. WE PARTY ROCK!

To the boy with the equations –mathematical and chemical, the nouns and a history,

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge but I guess you run too deep. Ease up a little; we still have so much time.

To the boy who will never run out of things to say,

    Let me tell you that there’s more to the world than what you truly see; and so is that there are more people to this world other than you.

To the boy with white hair, and the boy who was able to prove that he can, too,

    It’s as if you care and then you don’t, so get a grip and realize now what you truly believe in and what you want. But I am proud of how you shine at wonderful times and how you proved that you can, too.

To the boy with magnificent and overwhelming dreams and imaginations,

    Thank you for your jokes and funny comments that contributed to the happiness I continuously feel whenever I’m with you guys.

To the boy who said so many things but still had words that were left unsaid,

    We all know that you are competitive, very grade conscious and how much open you are. But I know there’s more to that openness, you are still deep and needs some burden off your shoulder. Thank you for making me realize some things and take it easy.

To the boy who was sometimes belittled, I guess because of his height,

    You’ve proven that there’s more to you than being into sports especially that you showed how competent not only in acads but also at extracurricular activities and how very able you are; keep going.

To the boy who was comfortable in silence,

    I know that you have so many things to say, all you just have to do is speak up and be heard.

To the boy who was silent but needs to be heard,

    To tell you honestly, you don’t really open up, you and I know that for sure so open up more because we only know so much about you.

To the boy who is easy going and just goes with the flow,

I know that there’s more to you than that I-don’t-care-anymore attitude and relaxed vibe; show it off and play life’s game more seriously.

To the boy who is certain but at the same time, uncertain,

    Life is ironic, yes and offers so many possibilities, cheer up a little and look at the brighter things there are.

To the boy who keeps things in equilibrium,

    You know you’re good and you uses that knowledge to your advantage, stay like that and thank you for believing in me.

To the boy who was happy-go-lucky and would give way for what matters more,

    I can say that you are a good person and somehow a selfless one considering that you would not ruin other things only to get what you want, stay like that but be more specific and clear because sometimes it’s as if you care and then you don’t and that confuses us.

To the boy who was all shy but through time, he bloomed,

    No matter how we can comfortably speak to each other or you can speak to others, I still see the shyness in you; boost your confidence, you’ll need that for your own sake.

To the boy who is as silent as an untouched piano, that when played would produce so many beautiful notes, even a wonderful song,

    I know some things you’re good at, I just wish you’d nurture them more and share it to the world. And you must build up the confidence to stand up for yourself and show the world who you truly are. Eksennaaa!

To the boy with a temper but has a soft heart deep within,

    Know where you stand at; take it easy and chill out, dude.

To the boy who’d gladly use “maaari” over “pwede”, and with the words only a true makata knows,

    You sometimes, I mean always, run deep with words so be more shallow because we’d understand better that way and also thank you for translating and just being there.

To the boy with so much practicality in him,

    Thank you for not really taking my jokes seriously and just for going with the flow and know that you are not just anybody, you are you and you are worth it.

To the boy who was taken for granted and whose worth was ignored by others,

    You know how words can wound someone deeper than a knife could so be sure of your words and choose them appropriately and accordingly; people get hurt from your unscreened words, but still thank you for opening up our eyes to the truth and all the tutorials of how to walk in a runway or do a catwalk or whatever.

To the girl with the cleft chin and the “gandang di mo inakala” type,

    I can always remember how you’ll never let someone win an argument easily without you having something to say, I have experienced that with you, stay standing up for yourself and never let yourself be belittled.

To the girl who desperately needs something to remove some insecurities and pressure off her shoulders,

    I know as a close friend and your classmate for nine years how you are somehow insecure of your body and how pressured you are because of what your family is expecting from you. Come on. You’re beautiful just the way you are and just do what you love then you’ll make it through. Hang in there.

To the girl with the frank attitude and beautiful dreams,

    Thank you for believing in me even when I myself doubted my own capabilities. You don’t know how much that meant to me.

To the girl with all the jokes there is to this world,

    I know how you are broken inside and yet you are the one who always tries to cheer up everyone, stay cheerful despite the things you’ve gone and will go through and always know that we’ll always be there for you, I myself most even if we’re considered to be not that close.

To the February-born kalog type of girl,

    You are kalog most of the time to the point that we’d think you’re beyond normal and at the same time, you are a laitera type of girl so I’d ask you to stay and not stay like that at the same time because you’ll open the eyes of people to what’s true but may cross the line at the same time. But still, thank you for all the eye-openers you gave me.

To the girl pertained as the “Liza Soberano ng bayan”, in and out,

    For me, you are the most almost perfect (because nobody is perfect) person I’ve known, you are beautiful in and out, in different ways, stay like that and thank you for all the little things and the bits of kindness you showed and gave me.

To the girl with the hidden beauty and talent within her,

    You are the type who doesn’t really ooze with so much confidence and out of all the people in the classroom, you are one of the very few ones who I know is good in writing or English as a whole and hides it so show it to the world, you deserve to be known for the things you’re good at and at the same time, the world has to get to know you.

To the petite but grown-up girl who needs some confidence in her and some sarcasm off her,

    I remember how once we had to push you to audition for the girl group competing in the annual Intramurals, the thing is you know you’re good at dancing but will never perform unless you are pushed, build up the confidence and nurture your talents more because you still have to show them to the world.

To the girl who can never get bullied, has so much confidence but still gets shy several times,

    I know that you also have gone through so many things in life and know that you sometimes feel envious of others even for only just a short period of time because you were never given the chance to feel and experience that fatherly love and affection but look around you, you still have your family and your friends, we’ll always be there for you. Always be happy and know that your positivity is contagious, stay the same.

To the girl with almost an I-don’t-care attitude but needs some affection,

    We all know that you are always absent but I don’t know the reason behind that so I cannot judge but it’s concerning that it’s as if you don’t care about your studies when that is where your future depends so be more serious and I hope you will find affection from people because some say that people become clingy because they lack affection and you are just that.

To the girl who is fierce and kind and small all at the same time,

    Thank you for riding on my jokes despite them being corny and for always listening to me rant and complain everything there is to this life and of course, for all the memories we made and shared together. I’m sorry for all the times that I have crossed the line and lastly, you’ll always be that Best Actress for me. TARAY TEH!!!

To the girl who is as if she doesn’t care about the world and is just equally easy-going,

    Stay kind always, very cliché but I’m hoping you will and I know that there’s more to you than that easy-goer vibe, show that to us and allow us to know you more.

To the girl with positive thoughts and a positive mindset,

    You are very cheerful and always looks at the brighter things in life, stay like that despite having to conquer an infinite number of obstacles coming your way.

To the girl who can be comfortable in silence but she has more to say, ironic, but that is literally and metaphorically and that type na “nasa kanya na lahat,”

    Once we joined an out of town contest and there were only four of us and that made me realize how you have so many things to say yet keeps quiet and I know that there’s more of you to that. You are basically an intelligent and a beautiful person, inside and out which more so allows us to say, Nasa ‘yo na ang lahat! Iba na ang maganda, matalino, mabait at mayaman pa. CHAROOOT HAHAHAHA

To the small but terrible Amazona,

    You are that one person who’ll never let herself lose an argument or someone who always has something to say back and I can say that the phrase “back at you” fits you most because you’ll never back out on anything, on anyone but I hope you’ll realize the limits to that attitude but still, I admire you for that because that shows how confident of yourself you are and brave and courageous all at once.

To the girl who is still reigning as Ms. Sports and will never run out of confidence even if she is already kababain,

    I guess I ran out of things to say because of that three pages long message so all I have to say now is thank you for everything.

To the girl who is very kind and warm-hearted,

    People have misconceptions of you but you were able to prove that you can do better and you did better, keep doing that and thank you for being such a kind and a warm-hearted person.

To the girl who is matalino, di papatalo and di sumusuko,

    No matter how unknowing or uncertain of yourself you are, always know that despite we’re not such close friends, I can say that I can be there for you too, and allow me, or us to be your cheerer and supporter too to give back to you that one time when you were our number one cheerer and supporter.

To the girl who is very makwela,

    I know that we never became close but I still thank you for the four consecutive years that we shared together and the moments we’ve had and made all those years. Keep shining and I hope you’ll find genuine happiness someday soon.

To the girl who runs deep and also needs something to remove some pressure and burden off her shoulders,

    I guess you run deep too; ease up a little. Thank you for making me realize some things too. And, don’t beat yourself up too hard. Hang in there beautiful, you’ll make it through.

To the girl with the innate fear but also has all the answers within her,

    I know for a fact that you have some pressure on your shoulder that plays as a burden but I also know that you can overcome that. Take it easy, do what you love and go on pursuing your dreams.

To the girl who was taken for granted but in turn have so many people who will stay by her side,

    You are really open and such a happy person but we know that there’s more to you than what we see or hear, open up more.

To the girl who is still unknown to the world,

    Since we have different circle of friends, we don’t really talk that much and we don’t really get to know you that much so allow us to but still thank you for answering my questions and stay happy and contented always.

To the girl who just goes with the flow and just as beautiful, inside and out,

    You are too kind and the type who just goes with the flow, stay like that and always remember to be happy or stay happy no matter how many stones life throws at you.

To the girl with the inner kalog,

    You are all shy too but when people get to know you, you have that inner kalog, let more people know about you.

To the girl who just got out of her shell and now is comfortable with how there’s more to our comfort zones,

    You’ve proven that you are very capable too, and keep doing, keep proving that and thank you for not getting mad and taking typical jokes of you seriously and for just riding with them. I am also sorry for crossing the line at times and thank you for the moments that we shared together.

To the girl who is always stressed out but still manages a genuine smile,

    Thank you for everything and I am so proud of you for realizing that you deserve better. Know your self-worth and look at the brighter things in life more. I will always cheer you on and always remember to have that genuine smile on you, ALWAYS.

To the girl with more to her than her height,

    I know for some reason that because of your height, you can be somehow belittled (from personal experience) but I know too that you can prove those people who underestimate you wrong and show them how you are more than your height and your physicality after all, you have your mind and your heart.

God bless us all with our decisions we have to make and may He bless as well our futures.

Wishing you all luck for your SHS and soon, College!

SHINE LIKE THE STARS!

[onestowatch]

Matthew Chaim on Bon Iver, Road Trips, and ‘The Mathematics of Nature’ [Q&A]

Photos: Dan Robinson

When asked, people would readily agree that logistics and emotions don’t entirely align. Left versus right brain, we’ve all been told which side of the spectrum we sway toward. Yet, after the personality tests are settled and we inevitably grow through our experiences, feeler or thinker aside, it becomes clear that the palette of the human experience is certainly not black or white but iridescent in nature.

Songwriter, artist, and travel enthusiast, Matthew Chaim will tell you that his life journey follows this colorful metaphor. Losing his father at only 12 years old, Chaim was exposed to some of the darker hues of life at an extremely tender age. It was this exposure to immense pain that spurred the outpouring of his heart into music.

From his first EP, 2018′s HOMEMADE, to his debut album The Mathematics of Nature, Chaim’s evolution as an artist and a person is wildly apparent. From the deeply personal and profound subjects present to the intricate sonorities utilized, with The Mathematics of Nature, Chaim has reached a new height in his artist career, one that exemplifies incredible courage and relentless creativity.  

Together, Chaim and friend, producer, and co-writer Jason Wu, a.k.a. Rabitt, explore the multi-hued palette of the human experience. A concept album through and through, though seemingly intangible, as one allows themselves to get lost in the project, the range of sonics explored becomes an extension of feeling. By marrying the science of sound with the art of emotive expression, we can better understand what The Mathematics of Nature truly entails.   

Each track tells a different part of Chaim's story, complete with all the highs and lows and back and forth that comes along with being so distinctly human. As the album progresses, the story moves through various gains and losses: the death of his father, the loss of a love, and finally the discovery of the world around him and what is truly most important in life. The Mathematics of Nature becomes a sort of sonic photo album, highlighting beautiful moments of strife and clarity along the way.  

We had a chance to catch up with the myth, the legend, Matthew Chaim on everything from the grieving his father, his solo trip across the United States, and the inspirational process of constructing The Mathematics of Nature. 

  OTW: Let’s start at the very beginning, how did you catch the music bug?  

Chaim: I started playing the drums when I was about 15, and quickly adopted the vision that I would spend my life touring the world as a drummer. That vision hasn’t changed all that much. My position on stage has simply shifted a touch more downstage. 

OTW: Any groundbreaking musical or philosophical influences on you?

Chaim: My influences are ever-changing. A big one for me throughout the creation of this project was and is Bon Iver. When I drove across the country to move from Montreal to LA, I was driving West for eight days and that meant witnessing eight sunsets in a row. Every evening as the sun began to set, I’d switch off whatever album or podcast or audiobook I was listening to and put on Bon Iver’s 22, A Million. Not only is that record an incredible sunset soundtrack, it also showcases such free, stream-of-consciousness creativity in both the writing and production. And that is the place I also strive to write from. Or rather, not so much strive towards but let go into.  

OTW: Your lead single “Sunflowers” is about the loss of your father as a child. How did experiencing this grief at suh a young age shape the person you are today?

Chaim: I was already a pretty sensitive kid before my father passed away. He died when I was only 12 years old, and I think it left me in a very confused and shocked state. Perhaps more so at such a tender age, but I believe we all find ways of storing such immense pain in faraway crevices of ourselves—both physically in our bodies and mentally/emotionally in our psyches. Writing songs has proven to be a great way for me to excavate this hidden pain within me, and reverse some of the numbing work I had to do at such a young age. 

OTW: You’re originally from Montreal, can you tell us about the music scene there? How does it compare to Los Angeles?  

Chaim: I don’t know that I ever found myself deeply embedded in the nucleus of the Montreal music scene, so I’m probably not the best ambassador to talk to it. But I will say there is an incredible culture in Montreal that has allowed some pretty incredible music to come out of the city. I definitely found my little community of creative collaborators there, and I’m super grateful for getting started in Montreal with those friends. There is a rhythm to Montreal that is completely different to Los Angeles. And the more time I spend here in LA, the more thankful I am for having some sort of tether to the slower, more grounded pace that Montreal built in me.

OTW: When moving to LA you took an epic solo road trip across the country, were there any profound moments experienced on that journey?

Chaim: That whole journey had a pretty profound effect on me. I was surprised to learn just how much I enjoyed driving long distances completely alone, and after the first few days, I settled into this wonderful rhythm that felt really empowering. There was something about getting to LA by myself and on my own terms that gave me this beautiful sense of independence and freedom. And the closer I got to my destination, the more the Earth rewarded my efforts with its beauty. 

As I got into Colorado and then through Utah, the natural landscapes opened up into these incredible expressions of just how creative and grand the world can be. I also met some incredible people along the drive. I chose not to plan my overnight stays beforehand and often ended up couch-surfing with complete strangers. Some of whom I’m still in touch with. It has been nice to settle into LA for a while now, and have my own space and whatnot. But I definitely feel another road trip coming in my near future.

OTW: Any recommendations for when we plan our road trip across the U.S.?

Chaim: Check your oil and tires. Plan as little as possible. Go slow. 

OTW: Tell us about meeting your primary collaborator and friend, Jason Wu a.k.a. Rabitt?

Chaim: Jason and I met in the Summer of 2018 when I was here in LA for a few weeks on a writing trip. I had actually reached the end of my trip the week prior and was planning to head back to Montreal when my good friend Aidan D’Aoust at the Songwriters’ Organization of Canada (SOCAN) had contacted me with a cancellation at their LA house. He asked me if I wanted to extend my trip a week and stay at the house, and it was in that extended week that I was lucky enough to meet Jason. We were thrown into a session together, and out came “Sunflowers” on that very first day. 

That was a really powerful and cathartic song to write, and I was excited to see what else Jason and I could create together. I left back to Montreal, and a few weeks later decided to drive myself across the country to LA. Jason and I started writing together on a regular basis in the fall of 2018, and both our creative collaboration and friendship steadily grew. It’s been an incredibly gratifying experience to build an entire project from scratch together. His talent, creativity and willingness to take risks make writing songs with him exciting every single time.  

OTW: Since your debut EP, your sound has changed a bit. Tell us about what inspired this sonic shift?

Chaim: I think it has a lot to do with what’s in my ears that effect where I’m going sonically. At the time of writing my debut EP Homemade, I was obsessed with Drake and the whole Toronto, OVO thing: PARTYNEXTDOOR, Majid Jordan, etc. Then last year, I started to fall back in love with my favorite band as a kid, Coldplay. And that sent me on a whole adventure of digging into artists that I was familiar with but never went deep on, such as Bon Iver. And when I started to really listen to 22, A Million, it was over. I was in love.

OTW: Tell us about the process of putting together The Mathematics of Nature?  

Chaim: A lot of The Mathematics of Nature was written in the fall of 2018, just after making the trip across the country and committing to discovering what my life could be like if I came to LA and didn’t leave. Before making that trip, however, I also ended a long-term relationship with someone I loved in Montreal. So I got to LA full of the raw sensations of a breakup plus the inspiration I soaked up on that drive and out came all these songs. Once Jason and I decided to put together a project that was entirely written by us, it allowed us the freedom to do some experimental and exciting things with the songs. I think we felt that the cohesion would be there no matter what since our creative signatures would naturally touch every track. So with that in mind, we just threw ideas at these songs and saw what stuck. I’m super excited about the final creation, and yet also know that this is only the beginning.

OTW: Any collective motifs or themes? Easter eggs?

Chaim: Lots of themes are threaded through these songs for me, and the order of songs also plays some importance. A lot of it lives at this intersection of heart and mind, of left brain and right brain, of math and nature. But I also love the idea of people discovering their own meaning and relationship with the songs. In terms of easter eggs, one thing that comes to mind is in the intro song “Tender.” There are these vocal samples in it that are my vocals all chopped up and pitched and tuned in different ways to create something melodic yet of little to no lyrical meaning. However, within the gibberish, you can sort of make up your own ideas of what I’m saying. I’ve started to hear certain lyrics in there. You might find your own.

OTW: We hate to play favorites but we can’t help but mention how much we love“Departed.” What was the inspiration behind that one in particular?

Chaim: “Departed" is about the on-and-off relationship I was in back home. It speaks to the intensity, the volatility, and the pain of constantly running away and running back to someone you love. Interestingly enough, “Departed” was probably the most laborious song to write and finish on the project. I remember it took us a good few sessions to start to feel like we had something. I had written it off early on in my head as something I wasn’t crazy into. And then, sure enough, it grew into this super emotional and special song for me. It’s also one of my favorites to perform live.

OTW: What does your writing process with Rabitt look like?

Chaim: Jason quietly starts an idea on the guitar or piano or some pad sound, usually a very simple one. And I sit in the back of the room and quietly sing some melodies and jot down some lines. Sometimes he’ll print out a loop of that one sound and I’ll go outside the studio and write to it on the balcony or somewhere alone. After I feel like I’ve got something I’m into, I’ll head back in and only then will we start to put what I’m writing and what he’s writing together. There’s this “alone, together” quality to our collaboration that I really enjoy.

OTW: We have to mention, the sounds found on the project are truly mesmerizing. How did you and Rabitt go about shaping the sonics of the EP?

Chaim: We just try and do the weirdest things we can think of. On “Thoughts," which is the second song we wrote together, we started by loading up some sort of vocoder connected to the mic and I recorded some ideas. Jason then pitched those vocals down and sped them up. We scanned through them until we landed on this crazy frog-sounding rhythmical thing, which ended up becoming the main percussive element to the song. Jason is also incredible with melody. Coming up with melodies is probably my favorite part of songwriting, so typically my artist child gets all frustrated when someone else in the room is pitching their own melodies. But Jason is amazing at creating these addictive melodies that end up in a lot of our songs’ post-choruses. For more sonic details than that, you’ll probably have to ask Jason directly. But yeah, I think a lot of it is simply our intention to find sounds we’ve never encountered before. 

OTW: You’ve been busy performing live around North America. Tell us about the curation of your live show? A little bird told us there is a meditation portion of the performance…

Chaim: That bird is giving everything away. It’s been super exciting to build out a live production for this music, and we’re just getting started. My goal with the live show is to bring people into a quieter state. Not outwardly quiet, as surely I want the music to be loud AF. But an internal quietude, a concentration. Because it’s so easy for us to forget to enjoy what we are experiencing in the moment and spend our time negotiating with the endless train of thoughts and judgments in our minds. 

Live shows are an excellent place for us to start and tackle this habit, because by attending a show we are essentially saying, “For the next however many minutes, I am going to focus my attention on this centralized point of entertainment.” People are giving me the gift of their attention. So that’s why I’m playing with this meditation section of the show. We’re still in the research and development phase, but I have some pretty crazy visions of what this production will evolve into in 2020.  

OTW: Anything special in the works for 2020?

Chaim: So ya the live show is front and center for me in 2020. We’re going to be taking this music out into the streets for sure. I’ve also got some songs to share with you in 2020 that are... important to me. That being said, I'm also starting to pendulum swing back into writing more, and I think I’ve got some fresh music in me that is ready to take form.

OTW: Who are your Ones to Watch?   

Chaim: I’m really into EDEN right now, love his new releases. There’s also this insanely talented Canadian artist named Leif Vollebeck who I’m obsessed with. He just dropped a new record two weeks ago. 

#Matthew Chaim #The Mathematics of Nature #EDEN #Bon Iver #album reviews #singer songwriter #indie #electronic

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON XLNC’S BASSIST, LEAD VOCAL, MAIN RAP MIN HANEUL...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: n/a CURRENT AGE: 20 DEBUT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 15 COMPANY: Koala.T Music SECONDARY SKILL: n/a

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): God-given-visuals, something often used to brand him but is never really said as more than a joke between band members. Ha-choo, a fun play on the fact that he tends to sneeze a lot. Not often used amongst fans, but a staple between friends.  INSPIRATION: Growing up with an musician mom and singer dad exposed him early to music and art, and he’s always been in love with it. Becoming an idol only helped him find a way to channel his passion and make something great. SPECIAL TALENTS:

aegyo

freestyle rap

did taekwondo for a while, able to ‘show off’

NOTABLE FACTS:

currently studying a music major in university

knows how to play the piano

is allergic to dogs

has a small following from his brief days in modelling and as an underground rapper 

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Haneul had always wanted more of the ‘idol’ side compared to the band side of things, and the company’s lack of promotion and exposure for the group is something he wants to fix. He aims to slowly bring XLNC into the public spotlight, either through their songs or something else entirely. He also wants to fix their unprofessional image, and he wants it done quick- preferably in time to show a new side of the band when their next comeback rolls around.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

Despite being unable to go solo, Haneul wants to make it big- even if he has to drag the rest of the band along. He hopes that XLNC can be the ones to change the scene of kpop and make it big, bringing back the popularity that bands once had. Instead of Nitro and Nightmare being the breadwinners, and despite knowing that it will probably never happen, he aims for XLNC to be at the top of their company and be the most respected ones.

For himself, Haneul wants to expand his talents as an artist. He wants more of his input in their songs, their music, and how they play, the whole works. His goal is to become more or less the de facto leader of the band, and become well known for his songwriting ability, not just his pretty face.

IDOL IMAGE

Despite the so called versatility and freedom that Koala T was supposed to give them, the image presented for Haneul is a fairly stereotypical one. He starts off as the flower boy- the pretty one, the icon of a bubbly rookie but not the one meant to be saying very much, doing very much, more or less just there as a placeholder, a space filler. After that it’s the story of how he grows. A showcase of rare moments of genius, then hard hard work and a few emotional breakdowns here and there, and finally bam, real talent and the fans were the ones who helped him do it. In contrast to his more rough-around-the-edges (and dare we say it, raw and real) bandmates, Haneul is expected to be the perfect one, the good boy, a mary sue story with just enough heartbreak in it for the fans to buy into.

Of course, like any good story, it has just a tiny bit of truth in it. Haneul’s always been fairly friendly, mostly calm, and a good boy when he wants to be. His smile is too pretty to be considered fake and of course that plays into both his and the company’s advantage- despite being almost entirely written up on a piece of paper during a company meeting, his facade fits perfectly. Haneul can be the perfect statue: there’s no need to talk too much about a song he didn’t write, think up new details to stories that didn’t really happen, get frustrated over things he knows he can’t change only to expose even more vulnerabilities for the knets to latch onto like vultures. That’s everyone else’s job. It’s all too easy to play innocent and shy and docile, the rest of his personality just comes as a ‘pleasant surprise’ when he does show it.

That’s what makes the ploy real, of course. Haneul’s usually playful, plenty clingy, just enough mischievous and even the slightest bit of a playboy. Or what’s what the watered down version that KTM presents to the public. In truth he is all of those things and far more, a charming player with too much wit and too much ambition for his own good. But even he knows that it’s not in his favour to be this bold- perhaps if he was in a typical idol group, but not with XLNC. Instead, all the ambition and rebellion is written off as being passionate and free spirited, falling into the funnel of whatever they deemed as ‘emo’. On stage, he is expected to be cool and charming- or depressed, or angry, whatever the song calls for, he acts it out. And yet off stage Haneul has to play nice, like the stage was just for performance and well- both of them are, really.

The only thing that the company allows, that he allows himself, are brief moments of weakness. Briefly lapses in his golden personality, shows of the vulnerable teen inside who can still cry, still scream. And yet for the sake of a good show, these moments have become just as manufactured as the next. Sometimes Haneul can’t tell what he’s really feeling anymore, but as long as the fans gobble it up, that’s fine, right?

IDOL HISTORY

Haneul’s life was one of the things that Koala T like to dig out and show off over and over again, and yet it was not nearly as glorious as they made it out to be. Yes, he was born to a family of artists, but they had never been celebrities, they never lived in fancy houses, never were the musical geniuses people thought about. No they were rather plain, some third rate singer that had enough time on his hands to pursue a full time job on top of occasional gigs and a classical musician that, despite never being home, made just enough to keep up their modest apartment. Being born into his household meant that from young, he had no misguided dreams about what it was like to pursue the path of an entertainer. The starving artist trope was all too real and, as time went on, music just existed to be less and less of something that was enjoyed and more as a burdened tool that could not perform well enough to grant them the life they wanted to lead.

He was never encouraged to go down the same path his parents did- quite far from it, all Haneul’s parents wanted from him were good enough grades, a solid university, and some boring office job that could coast him (and them) comfortably through the rest of their lives. And for much of his childhood that’s what he had followed. A free spirit hammered down to a neat and tidy uniform, a lopsided smirk straightened to the perfect schoolboy’s smile, at least 16 teeth showing in every school photo. Perhaps that was when he got so good at acting, so good at pretending. If it made his parents happy and in turn benefited him, then it was okay to keep at it for a little while longer. And then when he grew up, he dreamed, he’d be the biggest superstar, far better than his parents would have ever dreamed of. And for a while he had almost thought this would come true.

The boy’s pretty face garnered attention from youth and soon, Haneul had been scouted away to film a commercial. Yet his doll like features were truly as empty as a doll’s, completely lacking the spark of energy the producers had wanted. That plus the strong opposition from his father soon had the boy dropped out of the program, and that was meant to be the end of the story. The whole ordeal fizzled to a lackluster end and life went back to normal, falling into the monotone best that it had been all along and which he was probably doomed to listening for the rest of his life. At that thought, whatever was left of Haneul’s wild dreams gave one last lurch. If his parents had thought he was still the goody two shoes he had been before, then they would soon be proven wrong with the twisted streak of rebellion growing inside.

Middle school found the teen packed away to some mildly prestigious boarding school half a city away. Middle school also found him… never where he was supposed to be. Yes, he went to most of his classes, yes, his average was at that rocky 90%, but what his parents never knew was that the rest of his time went to busking on the streets, in cafes or around Hongdae at night, wherever he could get his hands on and wouldn’t get kicked out of just because he was a lanky kid with a half broken mic and some soundcloud mix of beats. But he had never been the type to do things without a goal. Oh yes, Haneul knew exactly what he was doing. There had always been star scouts regularly in every spot he went to and he knew if he could make any sort of impression then… his chance came. It was KTM that extended to him the olive branch, the alluring words- the chance to be the next big thing. And of course he said yes.

That’s how Haneul left, left the boring life he had behind. It had taken a few angry phone calls, perhaps, a trip home where more than one curse was thrown around and furniture with it and Haneul couldn’t even quite remember how he did it but- he went back with signatures scrawled unwittingly across some paperwork. The then 16 year old was filled with no, not dreams, but ambition and plans to prove himself to the world and most importantly, as better than his parents. And like always it was too late when reality caught up. The company had been interested in his appearance, that was all. Nothing else was expected of him, no chance given to even prove himself. Despite the days laboring away in lessons and training until the wee hours he was, until the end, just a pretty face to stuff wherever they needed one. And when the managers settled upon an idol band concept but conveniently had one last open spot with nobody particularly suitable, then it was time to show his worth- to mold himself into the band player they needed. Make yourself useful, they told him.

Debut a year later was underwhelming. Even though his teammates were so talented, even though he himself had at the last minute found talent in playing the bass and was deemed acceptable, even though he was supposed to make a splash in the world- Haneul’s appearance on the scene had hardly dented the water. And it was in this- mediocre fashion that they continued, never really good but never really bad either. They had minor struggles, minor successes, and that was it. It wasn’t going his way at all. And the scary thought that slowly surfaced was: maybe he would have been better off just as a typical accountant or salesman? Haneul would not let that happen. He had so much potential, so much to prove…. and he was so afraid of failing.

#id.bio #id.koalat #id.xlnc #id.hwang hyunjin #id.honeypot

[iloveshayanderson-blog]

The Start of a New Trilogy

Riding the success of 3 album releases in just 2017 alone, Brockhampton, a rap collective based in California, announced in April their fourth studio album, Puppy. Which would be the groups first non independent album, after signing with RCA. To further the hype, the group deactivated their social media accounts, had they only know what would happen in the time they were away. Because a series of allegations would surface against a member of their group, Ameer Vann.  He was forced to reactivate his accounts, to be able to comment on the allegations. He confessed and apologized, yet stood firm, denying the more serious allegations. All while the rest of the group where still on their hiatus from social media. But they couldn't stay quiet forever. Kevin Abstract, the group's leader, announced the delay of Puppy. It seemed as if the worst was over, but only days later the groups official twitter would release a statement, stating Ameer was no longer part of Brockhampton.

Brockhampton decided kicking him out was the best for their careers, and mental health. Ameer’s actions clash with their image as progressive rap group, and their very morals. Although important, his departure will not result in the groups decline, as many bands have shown the ability to evolve, and even become better. After the Saturation trilogy, the group found themselves lacking creativity, now they must tweak their sound, to be able to benefit the remaining members, and force them to step up and fill the void left by Ameer.

Months after the statement, on May 27th, the group have come to terms with their decision, even announcing a new trilogy of albums, The Best Years of Our Lives. Fans however took longer coming to terms, with the departure of manys favorite member. For awhile fans took sides, resenting the group's decision to cast out Ameer. Others happy a “Emotionally manipulative and mentally abusive,” person left, as Rhett Rowan, one of the woman accusing the artist, said. Even till this day, on comment sections of new songs, and reviews from their new album, Iridescence, fans continue to argue, if the group made the right call. Creating a toxic environment in their respected fan discourses. Ameer stans wanting Brockhampton to fail just to prove a point. While social justice warriors condemn a flawed man, trying to better himself. Regardless of fans discussion, the group will continue to make music. Making it for those who respect their views, and choices.

 Brockhampton has always tried to be a progressive band since its creation, and appeal to a confused, and unsure youth, much like themselves. The lead member of the group, Kevin Abstract, is open about his homosexuality, and is very much for being loud and proud of your true self. He references his homesexuality heavily in his music, and he does it in part, because there is not many openly gay rappers in hip-hop. Hip-hop for the most part, has been a braggadocious genre of music, where men flaut the women, money, and cars they have on hand. Kevin Abstract and the rest of Brockhampton have set out to be a band that tears down walls. Whether the wall is changing hip-hop stereotypes, or creating a safe place for the LGBT community, or others who have been silenced for to long. Having someone in the group who has manipulated women, would downplay the work they have done to become a progressive band in the eyes of their fans. The image they want to have, clashed with the actions of their friend, and had to get rid of him.

Ameer’s dismissal was not only because he would taint their image. They had to let him go, because he lied to them, and went against their very morals. In Kevins own words, the band felt like he “broke that trust -- he did break that trust.” Not only did they feel lied to, but Ameer’s actions clashed with the groups morals, a good example is Matt Champion. On their second album, Saturation 2, Matt Champion delivers one of his best verses. The song in specific is titled, JUNKY, a song with each member giving details on issues they have with themselves or the world. Matt talks about rape culture, and his frustration that many men get away with mental, emotional, and or physical abuse towards women. Sometimes the crimes go unreported. He makes it personal by showing these woman could be your mother, sister, or daughter. It's a heavy line, and an awkward line considering the men Matt describes, fit Ameers characteristics brought up by the allegations. Ultimately being lied to, and there clash of morals lead to his removal.

Losing an important member of a band, especially the face of the trilogy of albums that gave them mainstream attention, is never ideal. Yes Ameer was important, and a fan favorite for his charisma, and charm he brought. But it doesn’t mean Brockhampton is doomed to fail. Many bands have proved the loss of a member is nothing but “A bump in the road.” It may come as a surprise but Ringo Starr was not the Beatles original drummer. Before they settled on Ringo, they went through a period of time with a revolving cast of drummers. The most notable omission from the group is Pete Best. Pete was removed from the group, because he didn’t connect with the group, and his level of drumming was not good enough for the group. Ultimately Pete’s dismissal was harsh, as their driver was the one who had to break the news to him. Ringo would then take the vacant spot, and well the rest is history. Bands losing key members isn't anything new, though at times harsh, it is best for the rest of the collective and their careers. Yet Brockhampton aren't new to having to cope with the loss of members. Because they have already done it

The group consists of 13 members, a combination of singers, rappers, producers, photographers, videographers, and other jobs involved in the group. But the group used to be even bigger, before Ameer’s dismissal. Before the commercial success of their Saturation Trilogy in 2017, the group released a free mixtape titled, All American Trash. Along with the 13 current members, and Ameer, before his dismissal. There were two additional members, Rodney Tenor and Albert Gorden. Rodney Tenor who was originally part of a small group, AliveSinceForever, which consisted of Brockhampton members Kevin Abstract, Dom McLennon, and the former Ameer Vann. The group would rebrand themselves and add the rest of the group, to form Brockhampton. After the mixtape release, Tenor would leave due to creative differences. Gorden a producer for the group, had originally helped produce some of  Matt Champions solo songs. There were allegations Gorden slept with Matt Champion's partner at the time which promptly caused him to be kicked from the group. From the first mixtape to their Saturation Trilogy, the group had to change up their sound to make up for the loss of a talented singer-songwriter, Rodney Tenor, and a whole project whose production was heavily created from Albert Gorden’s mind. Yet the group redefined themselves and created a trilogy of albums, that got them mainstream attention.

Most artists and bands, usually releases 1 full album a year, lord willing. But Brockhampton decided to saturate the market, and release a trilogy of albums, but releasing to much content has its own set of problems. The group pointed out the constraints they had created for themselves having to make each album fit the parameters of the Saturation trilogy. HK, the visual designer of the group explained how they felt making, Iridescence. “Making a third album in a trilogy where you’ve already set parameters and guidelines of how things should be. Having that open canvas again, has been the most refreshing thing.” The group felt constrained by their own creativity, Ameers departure from the group forces them to find that creativity and create something entirely unique to make up for the loss of Ameer. Brockhamptons versatility will be tested, but it also opens a spot for some of their more backup members to come out into the spotlight and shine.

Brockhampton don’t have to go out and replace Ameer, they have a few members fans would love to hear more from, one who comes to mind is Ciarán McDonald. Better know by his stage name, Bearface, is a member of the group fans have asked more from him. On the Saturation trilogy he rarely showed up, only providing background vocals, or where ever his voice was needed. He did play a huge role in the background, credited with many writing and producing credits on all three albums. Yet on the last track of each album, Bearface is given a track entirely to himself. While most rap albums usually end with the most hard hitting song, the Saturation trilogy takes different approach to closing an album. Almost like a left hook, Bearface comes in with beautiful vocals and serenades you until the album is finished. While the listener sits there confused, wanting more of Bearface, yet they only ever get him to close the album. Bearface, and other members have the talent to fill the void left by Ameer. It’s up the the group to be able to evolve their sound to get more from Bearface, and the rest.

Many die hard fans of Ameer will argue, the music they put out will never be as good as the original Saturation Trilogy of 2017. How could they replace the hole left by Ameer, he was one of their best lyricists in the group. There is no denying Ameer was different, his energy, his anger, the rawness of what he wrote about. He was in a class of his own, but Brockhampton was never about one person staring. Brockhampton is a collective of friends, who each bring their own talents and strengths to the table. It might take time for them to get over his loss not only in their music, but in their personal lives. But they have proven to be able to.

Brockhampton had to move on from losing Rodney Tenor, and Albert Gorden in the past. The pair were instrumental to laying the foundations of the group. Yet they moved on just fine, creating 3 great albums. However many argue the group won’t be able to move on from the loss of Ameer. After the news came out, the group cancelled their remaining tour dates, and scraped their album Puppy. The group spent months in deep emotional pain, they kicked out a close friend, and were lost. What seemed like the worst was to come, the group appeared on the Tonight Show, with a new single and a new album on the way. The future looked bright for the boys from Houston Texas.     Ameer’s controversial removal from Brockhampton will be a topic, that will always be in discussion. Fans will continue arguing whether the decision was justified, or if they did it to satisfy the social justice warriors, berating them on social media demanding his exile. Ultimately for their careers they made the right decision, because they are a progressive group with an image to uphold. Brockhampton aren't the first band to lose a pivotal member, and they won’t be the last, and they have more than enough talented members to make up for the loss of Ameer. They are capable of changing their sound, and utilizing members who did not get used properly on their previous work. Brockhampton have moved on from the Ameer situation, distancing themselves from the controversy. Weather fans agree, they will continue to make music, that they are proud of.

Annotated Bibliography

@brckhmptn. “Ameer is no longer in BROCKHAMPTON.” Twitter, 27 May 2018, 4:47 a.m., https://twitter.com/brckhmptn/status/1000705013747015680

    Brockhampton’s  official twitter responded, announcing to the world that Ameer was no longer in the band. They wanted to apologize on their behalf, to Ameers victims. They were lied to and are sorry for not addressing the rumors earlier. They also state they do not tolerate abuse of any kind, and know this is not a solution, but a step in the right direction for them. They also cancel their remaining tour dates, to regroup. After months of speculation, fans would live their worst nightmare, knowing the allegations were true, and Ameer was no longer part of the group.

Price, Joe. “Ameer Vann Exits Brockhampton Amid Abuse Allegations.”Pigeons & Planes, 27 May 2018,www.pigeonsandplanes.com/news/2018/05/ameer-vann-leaves-brockhampton.

    The article talks about some of the allegations that arouse earlier in the month. That Ameer was “emotionally manipulative and mentally abusive.” There was also allegations about sexual relations with a minor, which Vann went on to deny. Yet he did admit to the other allegations, days passed till Kevin, the frontman of the group, talked about the situation on a instagram video. Were everything seemed fine, till a performance without Ameer, lead them to finally announce Ameer was no longer part of Brockhampton. It shows a timeline, of all the allegations, giving false hope with Kevins livestream, only for Ameer to be booted out of the band.

Saponara, Michael. “BROCKHAMPTON's Ameer Vann Denies Allegations of Sexual Misconduct.” billboard, 14 Apr. 2018, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8455909/brockhampton-ameer-vann-denies-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct

    Of their high of releasing 3 albums in one year, each with critical acclaim. Ameer Vann was accused by multiple women on twitter. Each recalling their past relations with the rapper, and performer. One user claimed he was a predator and a cheater, emotionally abusive, among other things. A singer that Ameer dated in the past also claimed the same things, also bringing up, that before they went out together, he had relations with an underage girl. Ameer would then take to twitter to apologize for his past behavior, being selfish, childish, and unkind. But also deny the allegations of him having relations with a minor, violating anybody's consent, and criminally harming anyone. These allegations by multiple women would ultimately be the catalyst which lead to Ameer being exiled from the band.

“BROCKHAMPTON Kicks Out Ameer Vann.” Youtube, uploaded by Fantano, 27 May 2018,  www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1A4uQJLSiA

Anthony Fantano a highly respected music critic on Youtube. Talks about the repercussions of Ameer being kicked from the group. Brockhampton had an album set for a June release, but Kevin the lead member of Brockhampton said the album would be pushed back. But Anthony talks about the album being scraped completely, since many songs mostly had Ameer on them, and many tracks Ameer had creative input. He also talks about the contrast of fans reactions, some defending, and some agreeing with his exile. Anthony Fantano was the reason I learned about Brockhampton, and for many fans to, his views on the matter are balanced, showing both sides of each argument.

Kim, Michelle. “BROCKHAMPTON Kick Out Ameer Vann Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations.” Pitchfork,  27 May 2018, www.pitchfork.com/news/brockhampton-kick-out-ameer-vann-over-sexual-misconduct-allegations/

Just as every article, it brings up the allegations against Ameer, and Brockhampton’s decision to remove Ameer from the band. It also talks about the performance at a musical festival that showed the band perform without him, days before the would announce his exile from the band. They do share the identity of one of the women who made claims against Ameer. Rhett Rowan, shares about her past relationship with Ameer, calling him “emotionally manipulative and mentally abusive.” Also claiming to knowing Ameer had sexual relations with a minor. Sharing the identity of one of Ameers victims helps shine a light in society, and that fact many people stay quiet, and do not tell anyone of their abuse.