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anarcho-mom-unist · 3 years

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A survey of my ‘spotify wrapped’ from 2020

So, I listen to music between a lot of platforms, I hate how spotify operates as a company (and like in a way that’s pretty comparable to my loathing of the publishing/distribution sides of creative industries,) and I fucking refuse to ever pay for spotify askjdhd

However based on the aggregate of my 100 most-listened-to songs from a year of mostly hitting shuffle on an artist, album, or playlist on mobile, I do have some reflections and highlights. From that I made something of a survey of that list which includes my #1 and #100 song in addition to 1 song from each set of ten, for a total of 12 songs. These represent artists and genres I really got into this year, as well as longtime favorites that are worth talking about:

1. “Bad Trip” - Bad Trip (single) - Xena Elshazlii & Fady Haroun: "Bad Trip” is probably my favorite 2020 release, like if I had to pick one. The track has incredible energy, from the soft piano and vocalization intro to the verse with it’s sparse drums, subtle bass line, and slight strings to an absolute banger of a chorus with punchy staccato synths, reinforcement of the drum groove, and addition of an electric guitar. Elshazlii & Haroun pack a lot into 2-and-a-half minutes of music, and the variations in texture, mix, & music in each iteration of the song’s discrete sections are *chef’s kiss* ---verse 1 and chorus 1 are not identical to verse 2 and chorus 2, to say nothing of the short instrumental transition b/n the first chorus and second verse. Whenever I listen to “Bad Trip” I’m compelled to hit ‘repeat’ ---which is not a normal occurrence for me---and experience the builds and releases that this track brings once again. I don’t know much Arabic beyond the slang terms and exclamations that peppered my grandparents’ & parents’ speech when they spoke to each other in Armenian, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t tell y’all that “Bad Trip” is among the songs that make me want to learn the language so I can better sing along w/ them.

3. “City Lights” - Sailorwave II - Macross 82-99 ft. Kamei: "City Lights” is the opener to Macross 82-99′s 2018 EP Sailorwave II, and it does that job immaculately. While I recommend the entire EP and an exploration of the Future Funk genre as a whole, you can’t go wrong with getting a taste of either through “City Lights.” The track bursts to life w/ synth brass chords and fast drums, quickly finding its way into punchy up-tempo horn line w/ light rhythm guitar and an active & bouncy bass line joining the mix. “City Lights” more or less goes from A to B to C and after the instrumental opening, the track shifts to a more under-voice horn line offering a countermelody to a mid-to-low register vocal line which is soon after joined by high voices punctuating the beginning of each phrase. The horns, guitars, and singers are cut from the track as the song enters its final section, a rap verse from featured artist Kamei accompanied with a slower-moving bass and light synth chords & wash in the middle register. Taken all together, “City Lights” ---like “Bad Trip” before it---packs a lot of music into a short duration & leaves me wanting more, which I especially long for when listening to the track outside of the context of the EP (which is what I usually do.)

12. “Turn to Hate” - Pony - Orville Peck: There’s a lot I could have done better in 2019, and “check out Orville Peck” is pretty high up there. “Turn to Hate” is a song that is at once heartrending, sincere, & catchy as all get out. Peck does one of my favorite possible things a musician can do on this track, and that’s make me Feel Things at a quick tempo. The vulnerable lyrics sung in outlaw country bass are supported by a fairly simple chord progression that acts as a solid foundation for a lot of texture ---moving guitar lines in the accompaniment part and middle-ground lines that move in and out of the melodic foreground. My moment of pure delight on the track is Peck’s laconic “yeehaw” that leads into a guitar solo that does so much work w/ its relative simplicity. “Turn to Hate” is an excellent song to get you into Orville Peck’s music if you aren’t already, if any of this piques your interest then I strongly recommend exploring his output of classic country meets 2010s indie meets camp gay sensibilities meets emotional realness. (This is as good a place as any to advise you to check out Yola and her album Walk Through Fire.)

27. “Water No Get Enemy” - Expensive Shit - Fela Kuti & Africa 70: I’m a newcomer to Afrobeat which is a fuckin’ shame because it contains a lot of the things I love most in music: rhythmic density and variety, jazz and “folk” idioms working together, a sense joy in the music-making with righteous anger at injustice in the music’s purpose, and a kick-ass horn section. "Water No Get Enemy” by Fela Kuti & Africa 70 is as good an intro as any to Afrobeat as it’s a delightful & excellent piece of music by the genre’s pioneer. It’s worth mentioning that in addition to its musical quality, Afrobeat is also deeply connected with Pan-Africanism and the resistance to the presence of European colonizers in Sub-Saharan Africa. To be frank, whatever I write can’t really do justice to this song or the musical movement from which it comes, go listen to it... a jam you can dance to while hating the British!? Immaculate.

31. “Vardavar” - EP No. 1 - Tigran Hamasyan: The first of two songs from Armenian Jazz-fusion pianist/keyboardist and composer, Tigran Hamasyan, is a fast moving rhythmically dense piece of music named after the Armenian holiday of the same name ---Vardavar is a holiday of pre-Christian origin that Armenians celebrate in July in observance of the transfiguration of Christ, it involves throwing buckets of water on each other! Appropriate to its namesake, the running piano line through much of the track and the melodic lines are both exceptionally fluid and reminiscent of water. The rhythm of the tune follows a highly irregular subdivision of the bar that it’s best to feel along w/ as a listener ---seriously, unless you’re transcribing the tune or practicing/rehearsing it, don’t worry about counting---and get lost in with the flow of the music. Notable features of the track are the dense layering of instrumental/vocal lines on the melodic and countermelodic material, breakdowns & entire sections where the music takes to longer notes, “slower” feel & division of the bar, and a slower harmonic rhythm, unexpected unisons b/n instruments, and the transformation of Armenian folk melodies & texts between vocalized material and statements of the original material. There is no living musician whose work I love more than Tigran’s and if you’re not familiar with it “Vardavar” is an excellent place to start.

46. “Boyish” - Tropical Jinx - Little Big League: "Boyish” is better known as one of the singles from Japanese Breakfast’s sophomore album Soft Sounds from Another Planet where Michelle Zauner presents the tune at a slow tempo with an unassuming instrumental accompaniment, wash of synths in the chorus, and low-register closing guitar solo which leaves the audience with a sense of melancholy & vulnerability. The original version from the 2014 LP of Zauner’s former band, Little Big League, offers a different take on the text: noisy guitars, driving rhythm, aggressive drumming on a rock groove, and a vocal delivery offering more of the rage of heartbreak than its sadness. Zauner refers to “Boyish” as an ‘ugly girl anthem’ and that intention is very apparent on this version of the track ---whereas the Japanese Breakfast take on it gave me a sense of being in the gender hinterlands b/n acceptable presentations of masculine and feminine. Both versions of the song are really worth seeking out for different reasons, and I chose to highlight Little Big League on this list because they’re a solid guitar-driven emo band that deserves appreciation in its own right.

50. “Dreaming” - Eat to the Beat - Blondie: What do I need to say about Blondie!? A CBGB act from the late-70′s that straddled the worlds of Punk and New Wave at their peak with a mix of an exceptional rhythm section (that bass!) diverse and compelling guitar work, and the captivating and ever-iconic vocals and presence of Debbie Harry. “Dreaming” might be my favorite song from Blondie and has had a special place in my heart since I first listened to them with my mom. It’s one of those songs that I’m tempted to call a perfect pop song: a joyful performance, lyrics that are at once simple and relatable ---whom amongst is unfamiliar with longing!?---music full of hooks & containing the kind of energy that just goes and takes you with it!

65. “Holy” - Shadow Theater - Tigran Hamasyan: The second entry from Tigran Hamasyan comes from his 2013 album Shadow Theater ---an excellent work as a whole---and is one of the slower, more spacious, and simpler tracks from it. “Holy” is a setting of the Armenian liturgical piece “Soorp Soorp” which is frequently used in the celebration of the Eucharist (even in the Armenian Protestant church I grew up in) and it’s achingly beautiful. There’s always something to be said about a musician capable of complex and virtuosic feats on their instrument doing something very simply and very well, and that’s what the entire ensemble brings ---including frequent collaborator Areni Agbabian who provides the vocals. Even as the texture thickens in the middle of the song, the middle ground & harmonic support coming from strings and bassoon (Ben Wendel) is simple, under-voice, and reverent. “Holy” is the kind of piece of music that offers an encounter with God ---even if one would never otherwise believe in something beyond the material; even just for a moment.

77. “The Day the World Turn Day-Glo” - Germ Free Adolescents - X-Ray Spex: X-Ray Spex is one of those bands I’ve listened to before on a recommendation I received ages ago but never really followed up on beyond the one song sent my way. “...Day-Glo” is a fuckin’ banger of song that just bursts with this wonderful energy from the jump & showcases the best qualities of X-Ray Spex’s sound: driving guitars, wild saxophone lines, and chaotically charismatic lead vocals from singer Poly Styrene. X-Ray Spex have an output that is wild and fun as hell to explore, and “...Day-Glo” is an excellent place to start ---you’d also do well to check out their more notable song “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!”

84. “Marquee Moon” - Marquee Moon - Television: Listen, you don’t need to read some internet lesbian with a music degree go off about Television ---one of the most musically interesting acts to come out of CBGB and one of many definitive proofs that Punk is not a label that people should fucking fight about having a true definition of. Clear 11 minutes in your day, find a pair of headphones so you can experience the use of stereo in the recording and enjoy each element of the song, especially with regards to Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd’s interlocking guitar lines.

96. “Leylum” - Kokorec - Collectif Medz Bazaar & Sevana Tchak: Armenian folk music, baby!! Collectif Medz Bazaar offer a lively and joyful rendition of the classic folk song “Leylum” which has been burned in my mind from church and community gatherings ---the fun ones with music and all of your aunties dancing in a circle and such. Listen to this song and DM me if you aren’t dancing along of joining in on the response parts as best you can. I think this particular recording offers a nice entry point into an exploration of Armenian music, the instrumentation hits a lot of the staples of Armenian folk ensembles ---duduks, dohl, dumbek, clarinet, shvi, etc.---and the song itself is an up tempo dance tune which I find to be easier to start with than ballads or liturgical music.

100. “Electrastar” - Paradize - Indochine: Back in the hazy past of 2017, one of my friends from undergrad and I were hanging out and playing music for each other. In a departure from his usual library of French Baroque music, he played a song by French New Wave band, Indochine. That song was “Electrastar” which is a consistent favorite of mine, my favorite song from its album ---Paradize, which is already a solid record---and a great entry point into the musical output of a band which has been active for about 40 years. "Electrastar” features driving rhythm guitar, pulsing synth under the texture, eminently catchy chorus and post-chorus, and a very care-full and effective approach to the mix. Also, not for nothing but that album cover is 👀

Survey of 2020 Listening

#magatha.txt #long post #music recommendations #Xena Elshazlii #Fady Haroun #macross 82-99 #kamei #orville peck #fela kuti #tigran hamasyan #little big league #blondie #x-ray spex #Television #collectif medz bazaar #sevena tchak #Indochine #french mention

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wegotjiminsjams · 6 years

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Drama Llama 2

Chapter: 2

Jin X Reader

Word Count: 2002

Genre: Angst, fluff, humour (maybe?), enemies to lovers

You wake up before the alarm and wonder where your life is headed, if there is even a slight possibility that your mother may change her mind and not force you into this, but you didn’t want to be late again so you manage to convince yourself to get dressed and head to class.

The saying that you can never be prepared enough for a day is true in your case. Today, Mr. Lee has prepared an activity, everyone is divided into groups and each group has to present a mad ad. Basic guidelines have been given, like having a slogan, song or a catch phrase, something that would convince your audience to buy the product you are advertising. You wonder how would mad ads help you in developing your acting skills and you decide to ask Mr. Lee.

However you get a reply from Seokjin, “Ofcourse Ms.Arrogant wouldn’t know this. You see y/n Mad ads test how creative and convincing you can be as an actor. Both of which I’m sure you are not” he says in a condescending tone.

“Oh and you are? I can see how creative you are with your pathetic insults, so you shouldn’t be talking” you reply, successfully shutting him up.

You could hear the other people in your class whispering about you and Seokjin but you decided to shut everyone’s mouth by your performance today. You had taken part in enough activities in your school, to have the confidence that you would be good at this. Mr. Lee gave the class about an hour’s time to come up with an idea and present it. After the performances there would be an evaluation, more like a feedback session both from Mr.Lee and from the rest of the class. You wanted to get a good feedback and for a beginner you decided to play safe and stick to something easy, advertising for cosmetics, a product easily bought by a lot of people. Everyone in your group agreed to the idea of playing safe. You get to know the people in your group and it makes you happy that there are certain people who can see past the initial judgement you had been put through and treat you like another classmate rather than the daughter of y/m/n or an arrogant brat.

The presentations begin with Jin’s group, although you didn’t care much for it you had to admit that there was something really offbeat about their concept and they somehow managed to pull it off. Another person, Jung Hoseok, who was a part Seokjin’s group was extremely good at dancing and rapping and skillfully included this into their sketch. The performances took place one after the other and after each performance everyone was given five minutes to note down any pointers and the final evaluation would happen after everyone’s performance.

Your group was the last to perform, you were so nervous after seeing everyone’s performance you thought you would mess it up. But everything went as planned and you were proud and happy that your idea worked. The class was given a break for half an hour after which everyone had to assemble for the feedback session.

The class begins by evaluating Seokjin’s group, no one had anything bad to say about them and though you hated to admit that theirs was the best group performance of the day you decided to keep your personal differences away and praised their performance. They had the maddest mad ad of all you could say, Seokjin even included a dad joke which surprisingly fit in. However Mr. Lee had something to say, things like not giving the weaker members of their group a spotlight was not a good decision, it was a group activity and everyone had to be given a fair chance.They lacked teamwork. He appreciated their effort but told them to keep in mind that they must not let all this appreciation feed their ego and must work more hard next time.

As the feedback session proceeded you could see not many could take what was said to them in a positive way, many lashed out at Mr.Lee too. It was your team’s turn and you were hoping that you wouldn’t do anything stupid and would only take things in a positive way and work on improving yourself. The feedback you received was good more or less, you could have done better but you thought you didn’t perform badly.

You were feeling quite proud of yourself until Seokjin opened his mouth and said, “Now now y/n wasn’t it too easy for you to just take something that has been done many times already? Your idea lacked originality, you played it safe so you would receive only positive reviews didn’t you?”

You wanted a chance to explain yourself that not everyone in your group was familiar with mad ads and you only chose this so everyone would feel included but he continued, “Too difficult for Ms. Arrogant to face criticism?”

You just couldn’t take it anymore and you yelled,” Shut up you Jerk! Everyone is not perfect. At least I was considerate enough to do something that everyone in the group would be comfortable doing, unlike you, you just went ahead with what you thought was good for you and only you!”

To which Jin responded “Oh so now you’re jealous of me?”

“Jealous of someone with pathetic dad jokes like you? Oh please. Do you even---”

“That’s enough Seokjin and y/n!” your instructor cut you off before you could even complete your sentence. “This is a class and I would like it if you can behave like mature adults. I will not tolerate this sort of behaviour again, whatever you both have to say to each other please say it in your own time.” he gave a stern look conveying how done he was the two of you bickering again.

You turned to the professor, thoroughly embarrassed that Seokjin had managed to rile you up and made you lose your cool in front of the whole once again. You heard Seokjin mumble a small apology before doing the same to not cause anymore unwanted attention towards yourself. Mr. Lee seemed to accept that and then proceeded to gather everyone in a circle to address the theoretical part of this class.

“Now the reason for this activity was to help you learn the importance of constructive criticism, teamwork, enunciation, co-ordination and screen presence” As he droned on about the origin, history and relevance of Mad Ads you couldn’t help but think of Seokjin.

You were still so furious and agitated. Like what does he think of himself? Just because he is good looking and maybe somewhat good at acting doesn’t mean he can treat others like shit! You’ve seen him hang out with this guy named Hoseok in class but you doubt he has any real friends.

You are so consumed in your thoughts that you don’t realise class is over.

“Before you all leave, I want to inform you all that the whole of next week you will each be assigned a partner and have to do a thorough research on any one famous playwright’s works and style of writing. By the end of the week I expect both members of each pair to perform a satire that brings out the chosen playwright’s essence. I will be judging you all on the depth of your research and how well you portray your chosen playwright's style” say Mr. Lee

“I will be emailing you all about your assigned partners with more details about this assignment so please look forward to that” he says dismissing the class.

You say a quick goodbye to Sooyoung, not wanting to linger any longer than needed in this place. Over the past few days you had developed a friendly relationship with Sooyoung, she was a fellow classmate and didn’t judge you based on your background unlike a certain someone. Plus she was actually fun to hang out with and complain about what a dickhead Seokjin really was. However for some reason she always had an amused expression on her face whenever you ranted about him to her. Nevertheless she was always there to listen to you ramble on and it felt quiet nice to have an actual friend in this shithole.

~~~~

To put it lightly, Jin was upset, and partly upset with himself. He knew he shouldn’t have caused a scene in class but he just couldn’t help himself. After your performance, you looked so smug and arrogant that he couldn’t help himself. Although your idea was nothing out of the ordinary yet you managed to pull it off and the thing that annoyed Jin the most was that everyone seemed to only have praises for your team. He knew you were already too arrogant and don’t need any more of an ego boost. So he decided to point out your flaws, he knew that being the spoiled brat that you are you are not used to criticism in any form. Everyone always praised you, no wonder why you thought so highly of yourself. And from the way you reacted, turns out he was right, you’ve never been criticized before and to see that frown on your beautiful features just brought Jin all the happiness in the world. You were too arrogant for your own good and someone needed to teach you that you can’t get everything that you want. Although Jin does admit that he could have been a little more tactful and not cause another scene but there is something about you that causes him to forget all his rationality.

As soon as class is over, he heads over to a nearby cafe with Hoseok, a usual occurrence since they formed a friendship on the first day and both of them liked to grab a snack and discuss about class and homework.

“You know for someone who hates y/n, she sure does occupy your thoughts a lot” hoseok says bringing Jin back from his thoughts

“What do you mean?”

“You were thinking of her right?” Hoseok says with a knowing smirk

“What? How did you know? And what are you implying by this?” Jin says in a defensive tone

“Nothing I’m just saying even though you hate y/n, all you do talk about her and notice even the slightest things she does. So maybe you feel differently towards her and this behaviour of yours is just a defense mechanism.”

Utterly baffled by Hoseok’s statement Jin almost spits out his coffee “Are you crazy? I feel nothing but annoyance towards y/n and that’s that! And you are the one bringing her up now not me so it’s you who’s obsessed with her!” he says exasperated

“Alright if you say so” Hoseok smiles innocently “Anyway I gotta rush see you tomorrow, try not much about y/n” he chuckles

Before Jin can even comprehend what he said Hoseok was out of the cafe. “I’ll get him tomorrow”

~~~~

You come back home your mood already sour from earlier, only to have an argument with your mother. It was the same old, you not wanting to attend this stupid class and her forcing her dreams onto you. You were so done with everyone and everything that you just shut yourself in your room, not wanting any human interaction whatsoever.

You open your laptop, to watch a movie to take your mind off things when you see a notification of a new email. You click on it to find that it’s your professor’s email and he has shared the list of partners. You pray to God that you get Sooyoung, because although everyone may not be that bad (well except for a certain someone) you really are most comfortable with Sooyoung.

You scroll down to see the name of your partner and your heart stops beating. There in bold letters Kim Seokjin’s name is written right next to yours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hope you like it!

#bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts fluff #bts angst #jin fluff #jin angst #bts seokjin #enemies to lovers #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bts #drama llama

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laurynkranzenglishaccount-blog · 7 years

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Multimodal Media Review

Lauryn Kranz

Dr. Cicci

English

26 September 2017

Molly’s playlist consisted of two genres--pop and folk. Molly’s Middle School Jams had an interesting and enjoyable collection of song, starting with a classic pop singer and ending with an upbeat, exhilarating tune that throws millennials back to the presumably not-so-missed middle school dances. Molly’s Middle School Jams has three basic themes throughout the songs on her playlist: romance, “the struggle” and the value of time.

“Someone Like You” by Adele is a song following a classic love story. Unlike most love songs though, Adele doesn’t go with the typical “girl hates boy” scenario. She shows her maturity through moving on and “wishing nothing but the best” for her ex-lover. Although Adele’s song may be based around a romance that is somewhat typical, her voice is most definitely not. Adele has a unique, exceptional voice that is impossible to be copied. Her vocal range is incredibly broad and Adele is hands down the best vocalist on Molly’s Middle School Jams. Adele is so emotionally connected and bare-boned to her music, it’s difficult not to feel the same thing she is singing. Similarly, “Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers is quickly noticed as a sincere and candid song. “She’ll tear a hole in you, the one you can’t repair. But I still love her, I don’t even care.” These lyrics are touching and real to many and hard to overlook. Like a beating heart, the song has a pulsing tempo that catches and holds your attention on solely “Stubborn Love”. The Lumineers wrote this song showing that a man loves this woman, despite her flaws. “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons talks about a particular flaw in his woman--she’s not ready to be with him. Mumford & Sons sings “I will wait, I will wait for you” clearly meaning that he’s prepared to wait for her until she decides what she wants. Mumford & Sons’ “I Will Wait” was the most interesting combination of instruments on Molly’s Middle School Jams. It incorporates both bluegrass and folk by implementing acoustic guitar, piano, bass and banjo. “I Will Wait” is a quick paced song that draws the audience in within seconds. Comparably, “Madness” by Muse grasps your attention but from a different approach. It describes the mystery in a relationship, feelings changing and growing. Muse sings, “Now I have finally seen the light, now I have finally realized.” He realizes loving her isn’t an option, he needs to. “Madness” is a very relatable song to most people who have been in a relationship; it’s whimsical. Muse incorporated that whimsical side into “Madness” by creating a beat that pulls you in and pushes you out in a pulsing sensation. The song feels (in a good way) out of control almost, and that might have been the point: relationships are crazy and it’s so easy to lose control when people choose to love one another.

From the struggles of love to the everyday struggles of life; “Lighters” by Bad Meets Evil (ft. Bruno Mars) is an enticing song. It includes both pop and rap, broadening the audience. Bad Meets Evil consists of Royce da 5’9” and Eminem, two rappers from Detroit, Michigan who both struggled as adolescence trying to make it to where they are now. “You and I know what it's like to be kicked down, forced to fight, but tonight we're alright”, references to Royce da 5’9” and Eminem’s past having to fight through what they did as kids, but now they made it to the top, they showed by having Mars sing “This one's for you and me, living out our dreams. We’re all right where we should be.” Mars is able to sweep the heart of his audience by his gift of being able to connect with the lyrics, while Bad Meets Evil was able to connect with the audience by being authentic and open with their pasts to the world. With all of the passion involved in Lighters, it’s easy to say that this was a brilliant collaboration between these three artists. Almost identically, “Some Nights” by Fun is about the lead singer, Nate Russ, and his journey to where he is now in fame. Russ was previously in a band whom he broke apart from to create a new life. He left his family in Arizona and everyone he loved behind, which is easy to tell as he sings, “So this is it. I sold my soul for this? I miss my mom and dad for this?” Russ does an incredible job with expressing himself throughout the entire song. It’s hard to miss the meaning and the pain under his skin. Not all people have a similar story though; not everyone makes it to where they want to be. “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People is about a kid, Robert, who’s had a rough life of being the underdog, being abused by family and being bullied by the “kids with the pumped up kicks” and is fed up. Consequently, Robert decides to go on a killing spree. The meaning of the song is very clear and extremely repetitive. “All the other kids with the pumped up kicks. You'd better run, better run, out run my (gun/bullet).” It’s showing the audience a graphic of gun violence and a lack of parental support for this child. Robert is taunting the “kids with the pumped up kicks” by testing them to out run his gun and bullets, which clearly with Robert’s “quick hand” isn’t possible. It’s a very dark and morbid song, but easy to remember due to the fact that Foster the People sing the same lyrics for nearly 70% of “Pumped Up Kicks”. I do have to give them this, though--it was extremely unique and to the point. You definitely don’t hear a song like that every day.

In certain songs, such as “The Phoenix” by Fall Out Boy, the uniqueness of it is the reason it’s appealing. “The Phoenix” instantly draws the audience in to get a closer listen. It’s the kind of song that will get your heart racing. Fall Out Boy is screaming a battle cry, saying our world is falling apart and that we’re running out of time to fix it. “Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time running out?” Fall Out Boy sings, directing to the younger generation, that something needs to be done to change our earth before time runs out. While Fall Out Boy sings that the world needs to be changed, Imagine Dragons in their song “It’s Time” is encouraging people to remain the same. “It’s Time” was an easily relatable song. “Now don’t you understand? I’m never changing who I am.” by singing this, Imagine Dragons is expressing that no matter how far in life they go, no matter how big their career gets and where it takes them, he’s still going to be the same person he was, only with new experiences. “It’s Time” is very straight forward with the meaning, saying to be proud of who you are and to never let anything change who you want to be. Imagine Dragons really hit the nail on the head with writing this fun, confident song that everyone can relate to at some point in their life. “It’s Time” was an inspirational piece of work that allows the audience to really take in the meaning of life. Likewise, “Tonight Tonight” by Hot Chelle Rae makes the listeners examine how much time we waste being upset or not having a good time due to one minor occurrence or the next. It’s a fun, upbeat song based on making a great time out of any situation, Hot Chelle Rae shows this by singing “That life can change, that you're not stuck in vain.” “Tonight Tonight” can get people’s feet tapping in the just first few moments. Hot Chelle Rae wrote a catchy, enjoyable tune that’s always amusing to listen.

Molly’s Middle School Jams was overall an entertaining, enjoyable and fun selection of music to listen to. She did a great job keeping her music into a small variety of genres, so that it easily made sense to the audience why she selected the songs she did. Molly had some songs that were faster tempoed and catchy, while she also had some slower, more in-depth songs that many people can relate to. Molly’s Middle School Jams also did an exceptional job of using an assortment of songs to make it more interesting and on-edge for the audience so that it never got boring. She chose songs that touched on the classic theme of romance, she selected some that grabbed your emotions by sharing a story of struggle, and others were an inspirational piece about how quickly time goes and to make the most of it. No matter what song you’re listening to on Molly’s Middle School Jams, her music will keep you entertained and hooked to hear more.

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vdbstore-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Vintage Designer Handbags Online | Vintage Preowned Chanel Luxury Designer Brands Bags & Accessories

New Post has been published on http://vintagedesignerhandbagsonline.com/from-melania-trump-to-american-nightmares-what-caused-a-stir-at-new-york-fashion-week-fashion/

From Melania Trump to American nightmares – what caused a stir at New York fashion week? | Fashion

The most head-scratching moment of New York fashion week was not part of the official schedule. It happened more than 200 miles away from the catwalks, in fact, in Washington DC, when Melania Trump disembarked from Marine One on Sunday wearing a red Calvin Klein shirt with beige epaulettes and a sharply pointed collar.

This was a strange occurrence, for anyone who knows their fashion references, because Trump’s shirt was recognisably part of Belgian designer Raf Simons’s first collection for Calvin Klein. Simons is the sort of brainy, arty designer beloved by the “liberal elite” that the president professes to hate. His take on the US megabrand has mined the tropes of Americana – prairie quilts, cowboy boots, the star-spangled banner – in what has been interpreted by critics as an attempt to reclaim the American dream from the political right.

Trump probably wasn’t trying to make a complex political statement when she wore the $695 (£524) top. She possibly chose it because its beige details coordinated with her big beige Hermès Birkin handbag, but that doesn’t make her adoption of Simons’s take on Americana feel any less meta. The pictures also underline the fact that – although the fashion industry is proudly run by liberals and immigrants – a designer’s personal ideals may not be echoed by those who can actually afford to buy the merchandise.

Raf Simons’s blood-splatter dress from the Calvin Klein show. Photograph: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Simons’s second Calvin Klein show, which opened New York fashion week on Thursday, was darker than his debut. It explored the American dream plus “American nightmares”. Violent photographs from Andy Warhol’s Death and Disaster series were printed on jeans and vests, while horror film references – blood-splattered dresses, shoes modelled after Jason’s hockey mask in Friday the 13th – were the collection’s centrepieces. This twisted take on patriotism was a trend at the shows, with Monse – a favourite label of Amal Clooney and Rihanna – presenting stars and stripes and sequinned baseball vests that had been shredded and nibbled. That show was presumably supposed to be cheerful – none other than Minnie Mouse sat in the front row – but all of that artful fraying at the seams felt pretty melancholy.

New York fashion week took place at a disastrous time for the US. Opening Ceremony staged a dance event directed by Spike Jonze and sold tickets to raise money for Hurricane Harvey, in a sad turn of events in which fundraising efforts were not able to keep up with natural disasters. Small talk between shows – usually of the “how was your summer?” variety – often touched on Donald Trump’s lack of concern about global warming. But there was also a disconnect at play: not once did I hear the designers addressing the fashion industry’s own, very considerable, role in damaging the environment.

Instead, designers chose to make socially conscious statements about ethnicity and gender. There was a pro-immigration collection from Public School, in which clothes were decorated with the slogan “Come Again” while designer Dao-Yi Chow wore a cap with a Daca Dreamers logo to protest against the threat of deportation young immigrants are facing now that Donald Trump has scrapped the program that protected them. At Prabal Gurung, there was talk about the “de-genderisation of colour”, an idea manifest on the catwalk as bright-pink, mid-blue and bright-yellow chiffon dresses. On the front row sat Gloria Steinem, attending her first fashion show at the age of 83, one seat away from Hillary Clinton’s right hand woman, Huma Abedin.

The frow at Prabal Gurung: Gloria Steinem, Cleo Wade and Huma Abedin. Photograph: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images For NYFW: The Shows

There was no room for introspection at Alexander Wang’s show, however, where the modern Armenian-American institution that is the Kardashians helped generate buzz for a few sportswear and chainmail looks presented outdoors in the industrial depths of Bushwick. Afterwards, a newly silver-haired Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, were whisked away in a blacked-out SUV by a team of large, shaven-headed, suited men who had the air of secret-service operatives. The ensuing afterparty featured blaring rap music piped into a series of bouncy castles, millennials wearing headdresses saying “Wangover” and a centrepiece comprising hundreds of doughnuts piled high.

There were reasons to be cheerful. The casting of the shows felt more inclusive than ever, with a few plus-sized models and one very pregnant model on the catwalks, as well as women of diverse ethnicities and even – gasp – women in their mid-to-late 30s at shows such as Jeremy Scott’s ebullient 20th-anniversary presentation. That might not seem like much but, for fashion, it is progress.

Victoria Beckham’s strength in delicacy collection. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images

Female bosses proliferated. Victoria Beckham, for one, made a case for soft power with her collection of pastel colours punctuated with pretty, shiny, glittery shoes, designed, she said, to demonstrate “strength in delicacy”. VB – as she is referred to in the industry – had launched a major makeup collection a few days before her show, as did fellow celebrity mogul, Rihanna. The latter’s Fenty x Puma show also revelled in the power of glitter – the set was a series of pink sparkling sand dunes – and encompassed sporty hybrids such as high-heeled wedges with neon go-faster detailing, and stiletto flip flops.

The idea that powerful women can wear pastels and glitter if they want to – that, like men, they can cultivate whatever personal aesthetic they choose without being judged – chimed with the cheering moment broadcast in the midst of fashion week when, during the Miss America contest, Margana Wood, aka Miss Texas, described Charlottesville as “a terrorist attack”. She was spotlit on stage at the time, wearing a sparkly white dress, her blond hair tonged and arranged over one shoulder. Beauty pageants aren’t my thing; they’re possibly not yours either. But as an illustration of the argument that you never know what female empowerment will look like, it was perfect.

The five trends you will actually wear from New York fashion week (plus one you probably won’t)

‘What, these old jeans?’ jeans

Victoria Beckham walks after her show. Photograph: JP Yim/Getty Images

Dressing as though you don’t have the bandwith to agonise over your outfit – while simultaneously looking brilliant – is a strong power move. Victoria Beckham nailed it in the run up to her show, wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt of which she said: “I just haven’t had time to think about what to wear.” Others were at this on the frow, too, and they all wore a very specific style of jean: straight-legged and darkish, and ending an inch or two above the ankle.

The heritage blazer

Danielle Bernstein on the streets of Manhattan during NYFW. Photograph: Timur Emek/Getty Images

This was absolutely everywhere, worn with jeans, skirts or with trousers as part of a suit. The effect was slouchy and oversized, a slight smartening up, rather than the full hard-edged Working Girl look.

Yellow

Yellow at Prabal Gurung. Photograph: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/FilmMagic

Is yellow the new pink? NYFW answered this, the question de nos jours, in the affirmative, with catwalks and front rows full of highlights. There was The Haute Pursuit blogger Vanessa Hong’s pale maxi slip dress to the chunky yolk-coloured jumpers at Prabal Gurung and bright shots of daffodil and marigold elsewhere.

Cowboy boots

Model Karlie Kloss in cowboy boots. Photograph: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

You may not have worn them since Destiny’s Child were a four-piece, but Raf Simons put them on his catwalk for the second season this NYFW, while cool kids such as Millie Bobby Brown and Karlie Kloss are into them already. They will soon be yee-hawing their way to a high street near you.

A long, chunky jumper worn over a midi-length pleated skirt

Eva Chen attends the Jason Wu show. Photograph: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Not the kind of showy look that will guarantee Instagram influencers a starring role on street-style blogs, but this was the understated, chic silhouette that many show attendees were wearing. Ergo, a piece of real-life style inspiration.

Tom Ford at NYFW. Photograph: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/FilmMagic

The French cut swimsuit The award for most annoying catwalk micro-trend goes to the very high-cut swimsuits that were worn under low-slung trousers, shorts and skirts at labels including Tom Ford and Fenty x Puma. Sadly, it is now inevitable that bare hips will be the in thing by spring.

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