#it's actually so forgettable to me that every single time i have to go listen to it again to remember what song it is

[ditterbutter]

.

#wish i heard the appeal in mr. br*ghtside #so many people are obsessed with that song and i just never understood the appeal #it's not catchy or memorable in the slightest #it's actually so forgettable to me that every single time i have to go listen to it again to remember what song it is #and it never sticks out #there's no melody to it in my ears #and lyrics are out of my head immediately #literally just listened to it five mins ago and i can't remember a single line ??? #i mean outside of the 'coming out of my cage' thing but that is literally only because it's a meme #i can't hear it as a lyric from the song #it's just a meme text

[utilitycaster]

the thing is, the accounts on cr twitter who have these wild takes aren't even shippers

they're all about nuance about the gods, aeor, ludinus, ruby vanguard.....but then have these extreme views about orym, say he's got bloodlust and pretty much equate him to a cop/military soldier

Hey anon! So I will admit as I have in the past that I largely avoid CR Twitter because I hate Twitter as a platform and the community of CR Twitter specifically (more below) but I will say the tweets I have seen have largely been from people who are, if not the most rabid of shippers, shippers. I did in fact just go there and click on "Orym" as it was trending, and the tweets to this effect are largely from people with black and purple hearts in their names. I don't think they're necessarily conscious that this is the reason why they try so hard to discredit Liam's characters (and I think the desire for Laudna to be a Traumatized Innocent rather than a person who has done her own share of harm is an even larger factor) but I do think it is part of it.

I should note: a significant point of reference for me is that the person who famously said "do not uwuify this" re Orym post episode 63 is Wally Wests on Twitter. Look, I know I use the word "stupid" a lot, and I'm trying to reduce it not because I think it's a problem to use but because it reduces the impact and also heavily implying people are stupid without outright saying it tends to be more effective on every level but god this person is the dumbest motherfucker in the fandom and I'm not even kidding. Like, they're the "Australian white person who writes like Rupi Kaur but worse" I've referenced. Because of The Algorithm they are weirdly popular in that space and it baffles me because I honestly don't understand why every single thing they say isn't just filled with replies saying "are you fucking stupid." Like I physically cannot understand how you can have a brain and read a single word they say and go "this is a person I should listen to." They are also not a big shipper, but they do like the ship from what I understand. Specifically on Tumblr, the people echoing this nonsense are pretty much shippers.

With that said yeah, I do think it's worth addressing the soldier aspect. First off, if we're talking cops, why is Bryce, pleasant but forgettable minor NPC, inexplicably popular in this fandom despite them being an actual crownsguard of an actual authoritarian government. Like are all fictional cops bastards or no (fwiw my opinion is no, because the context of the world in which they exist is extremely important; I'm just pointing out the inconsistencies)? But also...I've run into this with Worlds Beyond Number too, and it actually came up on the Fireside chat, but there are words people hear (empire, religion, soldier) and automatically go "BAD BAD BAD" and don't spend any time thinking about how we've come to these conclusions. And for what it's worth I think Empire is always ultimately going to be bad because of its source in conquest; religion is neutral with the potential to harm or hurt; and soldier is deeply contextual and inherently gray; but all are very valid things to explore in fiction, where the war crimes and abuses aren't real. I remember seeing a take about Candela Obscura shitting on how half the party is former soldiers, and like...the messaging of this season of Candela is undeniably about the immense psychological damage of war, and the soldiers were defending their home against a colonizing force rather than doing any sort of invading, but some people are so high on a paper-thin unexamined concept of what I presume they tell themselves is leftism that they cannot see that. Orym's husband did not die trying to invade a nation for their oil. He died because people trying to unleash a horror ran an attack on their town as a practice run. Orym's experience as a soldier has always been one of defense, never conquest or destruction, and that is important to understand. It doesn't mean that in the future Zephrah couldn't become an oppressive power (and various worldbuilding in Exandria does explore the idea of small community watches or protective guards growing deeply corrupt or expansionist over time, but god knows the people saying this shit have the lore knowledge of a dead pigeon), but the aspects of being a soldier he is engaging with are those of personal sacrifice and protecting one's own, not killing for resources or ideology (which, let's be real, is usually an excuse to take the resources of those you disagree with).

#answered #Anonymous #i've also now gotten like. 3 or 4 examples of how fucking BONKERS this cohort's cherrypicking is re: video clips #they cut off just before the thing that clearly contradicts their point starts. it would be funny if it didn't remind me so much of fox new #anyway uh. sorry anon for going on a rant this is why i don't go on twitter. #long post #cr tag

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

Hi!

I'm so glad you opened a new blog for this game!

I can't wait until it gets out!

I actually understand a little bit of Japanese vocal (but not the kanji lol)

So to what I get of the character relationship with eachother (it might not correct though!)

William-

Liam: says that will is their and doesn't want be hated him

Victor: says tha he and will are the head of the CROWN but their relationship doesn't go to be so close and advise to be careful around him

Harrison-

Liam: says that the 2 of them are partner and That he is a bit of a troublemaker but still kind but for some reason Harry looks at him with sad eyes

Victor: he likes him and finds him cool!!!! But it one-sided love...

Liam-

William:(his lines are so complicated!!!) He finds him cute and says that Liam is ready to hurt someone or himself for love (not so sure about this one!)

Harrison:he doesn't not think of as a partner but as an acquaintance but doesn't think he's evil at all

Elbert-

Alphons: Since the first time they met he thinks he's a weirdo

Ellis: says that Elbert is always searching for beauty and he wants to help him and wonders when will he be happy

Alphons-

Elbert: thinks that Al know him better than himself

Roger:(i really had a hard time to get what he says) Al has the mirror of snow white which mean he can see through people (really not sure about this, but anyway Roger seems an expert of curses!)

Roger-

Alphons:he say he is cruel and very egoist and for that reason to be careful around him

Jude:(I'm in love with his accent but it's to damn hard to understand every single word!!!) Roger is a messed dude and he used to do experiments on people (not sure! Cause this dude speaks kansai!)

Jude-

Roger: they used to do the same profession (so doctor i guess?) But he decides to stop, still he didn't quit the habit to smoke

Ellis:the day he met him Jude made a promise and for that reason they are together! Doesn't say he is a good person but hoes he can find happiness

Ellis-

Elbert: says that Ellis gives him a lot of things and it hurts him that he can't reach ellis' expectation

Jude:(he sounds like his dad lol!!!) Says that he might seems like quiet but is actually pretty stubborn and because of that he is a pain in the ass and he doesn't want to be with him forever

Victor-

William:(i really have a hard to understand the lines of this beautiful dude) since the day he met him he's free (not sure!) But is suspicious about the queen from Victor's story (maybe she might be dead JUST A THEORY)

Harrison: Vic puts a lot of tension on him, he is a pain, and a big liar! He can continue to talk bad about for the rest of the day!

First of all, thank you for this! This can be helpful for everyone!

William: I'm happy that William sounds dangerous. Please remain dangerous forever.

Victor: I agree with you! Even I think that Queen Victoria is dead and Victor hiding this truth from the others and is giving orders in her majesty's place...and if the male leads demand that they want to see Queen Victoria, then Victor can pose as Queen Victoria...that's why he grew that long hair, right? Victor? lol

Harry: Sounds like a free-spirited guy, who doesn't care about anything and is cool. Nice! Also, no pun intended.

Liam: This guy looks to be veryyyyyyyyyyyyy self-giving and I don't like those kinds of people. I don't mind if people are a little selfish about themselves. I hope he's not too selfless.

Elbert: I can imagine a scene where Elbert calls MC beautiful and keeps her locked inside his cage as the most beautiful thing in the world.

Alphonse: Still is a psychopath and I don't know why, but out of all, he is the most forgettable character for me. Sorry, Alphonse fans...

Roger: Jude has an accent? Since when? Am I racist for not noticing?

Jude: Okay, I came back after listening to Jude's voice lines and.....i didn't notice the accent, feel free to call me racist... I mean, it's not as noticeable as Yoimiya's accent. I'm sorry. When the trailer comes out, I might notice it. Sorry Japanese people, IF I'VE OFFENDED YOU.

Ellis: Sounds like he's very innocent and clingy?

#asks #ikemen villain #ikemen series #otome #cybird #cybird otome #cybird ikemen

[silent-partner-412]

look i don’t usually talk about this on my tumblr cuz now all my followers are fe fans but god i fucking hate how popular music is talked about, whether it’s by pop music stans or otherwise. it feels like no matter who you talk to it’s always “music was soooo much better back in the day”, which is fucking hilarious bc now i’m seeing people my age who grew up on the same music as me (pop music/artists circa 2010-2015) and are like “wow pop music has gone downhill” i am going to punch these people in the stomach. literally everybody who does this, whether they’re a 60 year old jaded old man or a 21 year old gay boy, is cherry-picking the good artists/songs and forgetting the bad and ESPECIALLY the boring ones. like i have a lot of nostalgia for the pop music of my childhood, but if you actually go back and listen to the top 100 hits of any year? most of it is bland and forgettable. this is true for quite literally every single year for pop music in existence; there’s a select handful of songs that are great and will probably be remembered for years to come, there are a few especially bad songs that everybody loves to make fun of, and then the majority of the rest of forgettable junk from any genre. that’s just how it is, and how it always will be. if you truly think there’s any significant quality difference between the pop music of the 2020s and the pop music from decades past, you are probably blinded by nostalgia or not listening close enough.

and this isn’t even getting into twitter stan wars which are consistently insufferable no matter what, it gives you the impression that some people simply cannot enjoy more than one artist. it’s just so bad, and i hate that i’ve dedicated so much time and passion to this stuff when it seems like all the other ppl who are similarly passionate are… like that.

this has nothing to do with anything really i just wanted to rant. if you’ve never done so i recommend listening through one of the year end billboard hot 100 charts, because it reveals a lot about what you remember and care about in a certain era vs what gets completely left behind.

[devilbombers]

Music Rambles: Vocaloid/utaite

for real have been living under a rock all this time because I actually only really got into the vocaloid/utaite scene only about 2 years ago. I REALLY think I missed out during it's peak.

Love or hate vocaloid, you cannot ignore the herstory and impact it has on the world

The beginning of the end

I still recall in highschool some of my friends were really into it and as a matter of fact I was constantly reminded of the fucking kagamine twins just because I have a twin lmao. I thought it was all super cringe though and I would actually get creeped out if people mentioned it and shamed them for it. oh how the tables have turned.

cringe or not, it was impossible to ignore it or deny the yass slayery it has. Some songs I either pretended it sounded like shit and/or listened to in secret was:

butterfly on your right shoulder - the kagamine twins (#1 guilty pleasure at the time)

electric angel - the kagamine twins

just be friends - megurine luka

angelfish - rin kagamine

first love academy, school of true love - rin, len and gumi (fun fact: this is the first song i ever found with gumi in it so i actually thought gumi was a man at first. Ever since then I've accepted gumi as a trans legend lmao)

it really wasn't until I discovered reol did I actually give in to it all. Initially I thought reol's voice was unbearably high and giga's intense beats hurt my brain, but luvoratory is too good to be played once and after a few thousand listens before i knew how i felt i was hooked.

things probably spiralled out of control for me with it all because fast forward to around 2019; miku expo begins and she ACTUALLY has a show in my city. I actually cop VIP TICKETS to go see her. This would've been the craziest shit ever to ever happen to me if it didn't get cancelled because of covid aadjasdsaldlaakl it was supposed to be my first concert too. (on a slightly lighter note; I got tickets a little while ago to go see gumi live in my city!!!!!!!!!)

thoughts on the genre as a whole

I think the most irresistible thing about the whole vocaloid/utaite genre to me is there is no consistent genre to it. It works so well with my personal philosophy of having no favorite music genre of course I have to be so invested in it.

some producers and utaite i like:

giga

nilfruits

yuu miyashita

babuchan

rerulili

kira

oster project

kikuo

ado

mitchie m

utsu-p

Hiiragi Kirai

tsumiki

youman

if you're already familar with some of these guys, you can already tell all of these artists and such are quite vastly different from each other. It's a little beautiful to me in a way how it all is how it is and you can't really see any other music subculture do something like this.

FAVORITE VOICE BANKS

I really want to say it's Rin Kagamine because I'm delusional as fuck and think we're the same person and most of the vocaloid songs i listen to happen to use her vocals. Some years ago during a very boring and so forgettable con I cannot remember what it was called, i was just sitting idly by my table as my friend played songs a little on their speaker. One of the songs they played was Meltdown by iroha and ever since then I can't stop playing it almost every single day and everytime even the slightest inconvenience happens to me; I will blare this song so loud in frusturation.

Vflower is somewhere way up there with fav vocaloids. VERY unique sounding voice and I really like how producers are able to tune her very differently from each other. She's really dominating the scene lately and at this point its IMPOSSIBLE to ignore her. which is exactly why I'm so aggravated at companies and such for not letting her play live or even put her in fucking project sekai!!!!!!! how the fuck are you gonna keep putting her songs in it but not have her in it! i don't care if she's not in the same company theres no way you don't have the money to do it!!!!!!!!

i feel like there isn't a lot of songs by Gumi by herself; i really wish there were more bangers for her. She duets extremely well with mostly rin or miku though. Her voice provider is half-filipino therfor gumi is half-filipino and my only representation in this awful world so i really like her. Very nice sounding voice, theres a lot of opportunity to use her for most things really. I have the exact same issue as i do with vflower, PUT HER IN PROJECT SEKAI AND LET HER DO MORE CONCERTS YOU COWARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Megurine Luka has the most prettiest sounding voice for sure. I would group her in my top 3 vocaloids in no particular order with vflower and rin. LOTS of nice range and there isn't much to say i can say other than shes a fucking legend and she's kind of sexy lmao.

THERE REALLY IS NO SONGS FOR MEIKO AND IT FUCKING SUCKS CAUSE SHE HAS SO MUCH UNTAPPED POTENTIAL. Very nice almost silkyish mature sounding voice. Personally i think no one knows how to harness her voice the best than oster project. Maybe it's just because they're the only producer who makes shit for her, but I feel like maybe meiko's voice is best used in dramatic type songs with lots of classic instruments. I'm actually angry at the world for not producing her enough my god

Ms Hatsune Miku; what can i really say except she's literally the bitch of all time. Obviously the vocaloid with the most impact for sure with what i would say is the most balanced type of voice from all the voice banks which gives her lots of opportunity to do literally any song which is exactly why she has so much motherfucking power.

#music rambles #I'll definetly make more posts reviewing various producers and such in a more detailed manner down the line

[sambinnie]

An early dip for the Mabon equinox, so headtorches are dug out and white-light the wires of cobweb that we normally brush unconsciously from our faces as we run. Stars too: we haven’t seen them while swimming for half a year. The swans are too sleepy at this time to put up their usual Jets v Sharks pugnacity, and just paddle softly out of our way. The water is still and velvety; we dress in dim dawn and I run home for pancakes. 

Time to find balance again. The windows clatter in their frames as the autumn wind starts up, and I’m trying to hoard enough handicrafts and uplifting media to keep me going though the darkening evenings. The usual SAD was working overtime at the start of this year for a good few months (I wasn't even well enough to do my annual Mad Men binge-watch), so I’m trying to do all those boring things that actually make us feel better: knitting and jigsaws, short but brilliant books, as little processed sugar as I can manage, decent sleep patterns. Is it worse when those things work, or when they don't?

I’ve wondered here before about the loss we’ve self-inflicted by sprinting away from organised religion. Of course it makes sense, when you look at the wider picture — (particularly Western) religions have caused indescribable amounts of bloodshed, destruction and suffering. And yet! What have we lost, in our hurry to show how clever we are to not fall for dogma, mantras, herd mentality, cults, and arbitrary nonsense of in-people and out-people? We’ve certainly lost group singing and group rituals, two hulking great parts of social union that crop up in every single civilisation, two things that offer comfort and structure, joy and togetherness. But! At least in our current hyper-individualist society we’ve freed ourselves from dogma, mantras, herd mentality, cults, and arbitrary nonsense of in-people and out-people, right? PHEW. I mean: PHEW. P H E W. In totally unrelated thoughts, remember that brief window in modern times when men didn’t have an excuse to publicly hate and berate women when we asked for dignity, safety, and equality, when a sizeable swathe didn’t casually drop slurs into conversation with the safe knowledge that surely no sensible, decent woman would disagree with him? Remember that? No, me neither. 

Great things: This article from the Drift on Jack Antonoff is so, so excellent. Thoughtful, intelligent, informed and with a clear argument, it’s exactly what I want to read but so often find myself reading Twitter-rants disguised as legitimate articles instead. This: “If there were a producer who fully belonged to this moment, he would need to be something like a non-brand brand, paradoxically recognizable for his ability to produce stylishly forgettable content... Ubiquitous and ignorable, critically acclaimed and terminally unhip, memeable but unshakably serious, such a figure would fully express the essence of a seemingly essenceless moment.” And this: “Get too close to Antonoff, and his sound vanishes into a series of unremarkable elements; zoom out too far, and it evanesces into generality.” Just marvellous.

This episode of 60 Songs that Explain the ‘90s is also fantastic, with host Rob Harvilla describing one old Celine Dion song as “like drinking rosé from a fire hose.” Like all great music writers, Harvilla is never snobbish about any of the music, and speaks so well about each song's context and influence that I want to listen to everything ever recorded by every act. 

The After Party is a wonderful programme, made comforting and delightful by the presence of Sam Richardson (sadly not in Baby Show mode) but raised to heart-stopping bliss with John Cho. How is that beautiful man 51? Or rather, why do we not know better how beautiful 51-year-olds look? Anyway, full-blown limerence is occurring, even when he’s doing ridiculous dances and absurd speeches; his episode still breaks my heart and I’m here to watch your travel show, Ulysses. 

I gulped down The Devil’s Candy, Julie Salamon’s incredible account of the making of Brian De Palma’s The Bonfire of the Vanities in 1990. The access she was given to everyone from the top execs to the (predictably mistreated) interns makes this a jaw-dropping look at the decisions that turn an idea into a finished film, and one doesn’t get the sense things have improved in the industry in the last thirty years. 

Can I recommend, on a tired, dark evening, having fish finger wraps? It’s hardly rocket science — cooked fish fingers in wraps with tonnes of crunchy lettuce, and a huge spoon of quick tartare sauce (on very tired, dark evenings, I just chop gherkins and put them, several spoons of drained capers, and any onion stub lying around, finely chopped into a bowl of mayonnaise) (or even use stuff from a jar, I don't care). It’s salty and crunchy and warm, costs little and requires almost no thought. 

One housemate has developed an unusual passion, in the form of Willem Dafoe, on discovering that he lives in Rome, keeps alpacas, and owns a rescue greyhound. I totally get it. Another housemate leaves me in the morning calling, ‘Carly Rae Jepsen and Pikachu!’, a reference to this slightly addictive xkcd comic, and I feel completely delighted with the state of the world. There is a balance to be found in all things. 

[cosettepontmercys]

Hi! Ya I totally agree that festivals are probably exhausting especially if you went to all days. I've always kinda wanted to go to one though and I like that there are a lot of different artists. I've always wanted to go to Outsidelands or maybe Coachella one day just to see what it's like and for the experience so it's still cool that you got to go! I'd be worried about the weather too.

So music for me is a lot easier than watching TV shows. I try to and basically listen to everything cuz I like all genres and always listen to new music. I am pretty familiar with most artists. If you recommend some artists you like, I will definitely check them out and add it to my long list haha. So I like everything but my favorite artists are the ones who I've loved for a long time and sometimes kinda from the beginning of their career. My top two are Taylor and Twenty One Pilots though..for their music, and being in the fandom, which are the only two that are like that where I'm obsessed and know a lot about them. Taylors my favorite and they are my sister's favorite. Then Paramore and a Canadian artist called Lights are two more I've been a fan of since like 2009. Then other alternative or emo bands like MCR, Panic at the Disco and Fall Out Boy..but it's not really my everyday music anymore. My favorite kind of music is alternative. I'm also a big fan of The Smiths and The Cure's music and the guitar in their music and their lyrics. Best Coast and Soccer Mommy are two other artists where I love pretty much every single song from them and some of my favorite artists ever now..and I was also kind of a fan from the beginning. The lead singer of Best Coast actually just put out her own solo album last week so that's something I've been playing recently. I also love all of Hayley Williams solo music and Best Coast and Soccer Mommy are kinda similar to Paramores music if that helps. I also like Beabadoobee who opened for Taylor too. I'm also a fan of pop music..and any like singer songwriter girl I will pretty much check out. I loved Carly Rae's last albums and Tori Kelly just put out an EP. I've been a fan of Kelly Clarkson for a long time too and her last album was so good. I'm also a fan of anyone from 1D. I like Sabrina, Gracie, Maisie, and anyone who Taylor recommends usually, like Haim and Phoebe too. I'm excited for Olivia Rodrigo and Holly Humberstone's albums. I also love Broadway and musicals a lot lol. Also Jeremy Jordan is in a band now called Age of Madness and I liked every song from the EP. The only genre I don't really care for is EDM Rap or country..but I still enjoy girl country artists too.

The Barbie house recreated on stage would be so amazing!!! That's so cool that you talked about Smash with someone while you were there haha. I loved the music on the show and omg I forgot about the Bombshell musical. The only thing I kinda knew about the Some Like it Hot musical besides the Tony wins and the plot from the movie was apparently they reused the song Lets Be Bad in the show.

.I think Newsies would be such a cool show to watch live and I like all of the casts too anyway. I missed Waitress on tour but I would have wanted to see that one too. It's another show where all of the cast is good but each performer makes the character a little different. I liked Jessie, Sara, Katharine McPhee and Nicolette too from clips I saw. Drew Gehling and Jeremy were the best Pommaters to me. I wonder who was the cast for the proshot and when it was coming out.

The Notebook musical sounds interesting though with the sets and stuff. Hopefully they can improve it when it does come to Broadway. Movie adaptations are always kinda tricky or cash grabby too, and then it's hard to put songs in or they end up forgettable..or they change it a bit from the original movie .Something like The Bands Visit, Legally Blonde, Waitress, and Beetlejuice and Moulin Rouge are ones I thought worked pretty well. Also did you hear about or what are your thoughts on the new Gatsby musical? It's starring Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada!!!

hellooooo friend! i was telling everyone i know that i'll never do another music festival again, but then my best friend was like "wait but i really want to go to one someday" so i guess i am going to at least one more music festival in my lifetime. the things we do for the people we love! i think outside lands might be chiller than lolla, so i'm thinking i might do that with her at some point depending on the lineup? the lineup this year looks really good; i was looking at it a while ago before landing on lolla — there's a bit of overlap with lolla artists (including my girl holly!!) but there's also conan gray, who i'd love to see live, and inhaler (who i saw live earlier this year), and samia (who i wish i'd gotten to see earlier this year, but things just didn't quite work out). music is also easier for me than tv shows! especially since i can listen to them while i work! i like beabadoobee — she was fun to see live at lolla! she's actually coming to seattle in a few days i think, but i decided to pass on her concert just because i've spent too much money lately (especially on live music). i'm so so excited for holly humberstone, i feel like i've been waiting on her debut for ages. some other people i've been listening to lately are: griff, grace enger (who is opening for maisie on her us tour; her album just came out yesterday), cate canning, gretta ray (who has an album out next week), claire rosinkranz (who opened for maisie's aftershow), the japanese house, renee rapp, charli xcx, haim, muna, lily kincade, clairo, isabel pless, del water gap, lizzy mcalpine, etc.! i had no idea that jeremy jordan is in a band now; i'll have to go look it up later! ooh i didn't realize that! i haven't kept up with SLIH at all but i've had friends go and say it was amazing, and the choreo was beautifully done! i just have not really been paying attention to broadway lately </3 i loveeee drew gehling's pomatter; i know some people think he got stale near the end but i was always charmed by him haha. i do have a soft spot for drew though because he was in roman holiday! i've seen links for the proshot floating around but i've never seen it; i really should sit down and watch it some day. ooh yes! all the ones you listed were great movie → musical adaptations, and i'd also add once, sing street, and amelie to list (among others)! i think it's just like ... the newer/more recent ones feel very ... underdone/cashgrabby/like they're just churning out musicals to have them if that makes sense? i am very intrigued about the gatsby musical, especially since there's two — it'll be a very "wild party" situation again i think! i'm very curious to see how jeremy jordan and eva noblezada play off each other (esp. since he's quite a bit older than her). i actually really love gatsby; my english teacher was phenomenal the year we read gatsby and made me really appreciate analyzing text/annotating/etc. more! i cannot waittttt to see the costumes and set (i'm a very visual person!) what about you? what do you think of it?

#post: answered #i will get to your other ask later today !! running late for work 🤍

[windowedsill]

Cracker Island

Gorillaz have always lacked consistency. Maybe by necessity. I mean, from its beginning its always been an excuse for Damon Albarn to collaborate with artist new and legacy, from Beck to St. Vincent, Grace Jones and Jehnny Beth, De La Soul, on and on. And while that's cool, I never feel like Gorillaz has lived up to its star-studded potential. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a lot of Gorillaz work. Nearly every record gives a few new classic, great jams. Even on forgettable records like The Now Now, there's synth-rock gem "Tranz." Humanz is utterly inconsistent, but "Andromeda" is incredible, "Saturnz Barz" is fun and spooky. But, really, have Gorillaz ever had a good record front to back? I just find the rotating cast of artists so whip-lashy. Gorillaz have long felt like single artists, albums more like playlists than definitive statements. And maybe that's because I find Demon Dayz drab, boring. Their early work is fun, but can veer into alt mall fodder. Though, perhaps I haven't given Plastic Beach as much of a listen as I should. I dunno, I just feel like Gorillaz were never built, nor maybe even intended to be an album band. It worked out, I guess. Gorillaz are built to thrive in the streaming age since their albums are never terrible, never offensive, just a little skippable, a little forgettable. And that's most of what Cracker Island left me thinking. I like it. Two tracks in, I thought it was amazing. Oil is just fantastic, Albarn's radio-processed focals over a drum machine rock beat is always a winning combo. Stevie Nicks sounds great on it. The title track is fun too, even if Thundercat is underused. But then the record keeps going with buzzy synths and it all blends together. Oh, Kevin Parker is there, that tracks. Wait, what's the premise of this one? The band's on a cult island or something? Bad Bunny sounds cool among the blissed out pop of it all. There's something about Gorillaz that sounds like the background of every skate store and every mall and every water park. The band tee everyone owns and all your *cool* friends sort of listen to. So many artists and 20 years of records and remember when the gang was stuck in a haunted house? That's about the time the Netflix film got announced; now it's cancelled. Are the Power Puff Girls cannon in the Gorillaz universe? There's so much context, so much high conceptness that pays off in music that is so disconnected from Gorillaz: The Virtual Band *and* from Albarn: the guy behind it. Cracker Island is fine. Good, actually. Some great songs, quite a few skips, but nothing terrible.

[lunapaper]

Album Review: 'Surrender' - Maggie Rogers

Since the release of her 2019 debut album, Heard it in a Past Life, Maggie Rogers has been trying to find herself. 

She moved to Maine, cut off all her hair, cut herself off from the rest of the world and completed her master’s degree in religion and public life at Harvard Divinity School. Her performance at Coachella this past April was actually part of her post-graduate coursework.  

‘If I wanted to now, I could go be a professor, or I could work in a bookshop,’ the Maryland-born singer recently told the BBC. ‘And knowing that this other life exists makes me choose music actively, every time. It's not just something I got swept up into, like, 'I went viral and here I am.’ 

She might be feeling more spiritually fulfilled, but on her latest album, Surrender (also the name of her master’s thesis), Rogers is still creatively in a state of flux. 

Like Heard it in a Past Life, the album strips Rogers of her quirks in favour of bland pop cliches while at the same time overcompensates in strange ways. 

Everything is bigger on Surrender – the production, the emotions, the hooks, the vocals. At times, Rogers tries to ape the raspy, yodel-like wail of 90s icons like Alanis Morissette and The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan. The maximalism can work to its advantage on tracks like ‘Want Want’ with its punky burst of electro pop and first single ‘That Where I Am,’ which has an eerily similar backbeat to Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella.’ 

But bigger doesn’t always mean better, of course. What might feel liberating and euphoric at first has you feeling drained by the seventh or eighth track. Rogers and co-producer Kid Harpoon just heap on the synths and reverb and drums, and turn it all the way up to 11. Surrender really is the perfect title for this record, because you really have no choice but to surrender to these waves upon waves of sound that just pummel you into submission. I made a big mistake listening to this with earbuds on; I had to keep turning it down because it was giving me a headache. It’s only when we get to the gentle ‘Begging for Rain’ that we get any sort of respite, Rogers’ voice caressing a restless sprawl of reverb and drums. 

For songs that are so big and bold in nature, they’re pretty forgettable (bar ‘Want Want’ and ‘That’s Where I Am’). 90s nostalgia is so hot right now, yet Rogers and Harpoon take from the blandest parts of that decade – adult contemporary rock,  twee coffeehouse jams. ‘Symphony,’ in particular, is just a dull rehash of the Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘1979,’ stripped of its bleak and infinite sadness.  

References to head and the odd ‘fuck’ thrown in also come off as rather gratuitous, while the mention of Rogers’ friend masturbating to a picture of Robert Pattinson staring at the wall is something that I didn’t really need to know. If one of my so-called friends put something like that in a song, I’d have to disown her. ‘It’s a different kind of world,’ she reflects on the ghostly final track. Yeah, no shit. Even that track has to explode into a monstrous roar of sound. 

And dear God, who the fuck mixed the vocals on this record? (Jeremy Hatcher was the vocal programmer, apparently, according to the Genius credits). Why does Rogers feel the need to over-sing so much? When did she decide to start taking vocal cues from Jessie J and Rachel from Glee?   

‘Horses’ is probably the most egregious example of her vocal bombast, drowning out what’s supposed to be a wistful, Tracey Chapman-style ode to heartbreak. The sound mixing is so godawful on this record, it’s like the vocals and instruments are constantly at war with each other. Rogers’ voice sounds like it could give out at any moment, she belts so damn hard. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like to perform songs off this night after night. She doesn’t have a bad voice, but she’s no Mariah, either; it’s just not built for that. 

On Surrender, Rogers sought to capture the transcendent feeling of a festival gig, having ‘massive, mouth-watering fantasies of a tent at Glastonbury, where someone was playing really heavy drums, and I could feel the bass in my collarbones and someone spilled a beer on my shoes’ in the wake of lockdown anxiety. 

Like a festival gig, it can feel joyful and exhilarating for the first few songs. But the novelty wears off the longer it drags on. Soon, you’re feeling exhausted, stifled by the heat and reeking of beer and sweat. And the couple beside won’t stop dry-humping one another. It’s not nearly as fun as you thought it’d be… 

The image of a loud, sweaty and defiant Rogers is a thrilling one, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Moments of raw emotion are let down by overwrought and generic production choices, making them feel more like melodrama. It’s like Surrender is trying to make up for the oddly lacklustre effort of Heard it in a Past Life, swinging way too far in the other direction. There’s just no in-between, which is a shame since Rogers has shown that she’s capable of producing glossy pop bangers like ‘Give a Little,’ ‘Say It’ and ‘The Knife.’  

‘All I ever wanted is to make something fucking last,’ Rogers admits on the  ‘Anywhere with You.’ Hopefully she one day does... 

- Bianca B. 

#music #maggie rogers #surrender #new #reviews #albums #Bianca B

[thekingofwinterblog]

Amphibia Week - Day 6

Music i Like from the show.

Amphibia in my opinion generally only has 2 modes. Incredibly catchy and memorable, or completely forgettable.

Luckily for it, every bit of actually important music fir into that first catagory.

Flight of the Moth is a very good piece, but one of my biggest problems with the episodes it's featured in is that we never got a full version of it, it's always cut off as it really get's going.

No big deal is an incredibly catchy song that embodies Anne perfectly, and perfectly encapsulated the lovable wackiness of this death world called Amphibia.

However, if i had to go with my absolute favorite pieces of music, it would be the Theme song takeovers.

More specifically Sasha's theme song takeover.

Both of them are really, really good music videos, with catchy tunes, great singers, and achieve the same goal of giving us a great insight into their respective girls minds, virtues and flaws.

However, Sasha wins for one specific reason. And that's the DnD scene where Marcy sucks as a dungeon master. It's a very funny scene... But it KILLS this as a piece of music by stopping the momentum and the tune dead in it's tracks, which makes listening to this song as a song annoying.

Sasha does not have an equivalent moment however and instead commits itself to being music from the start to the end.

Also, just seeing and listening to this thing, makes me wish that we got an episode or two at the tower, just to get more insight into how the thing changed between her arrival and the destruction of the tower.

I love how this piece helps showcase many of the traits that helps set Sasha so far apart from the usual "Rich, Snobby mean girl" archetype that so many other characters start off as.

Sasha is a rich girl. She likes being rich and live in luxury. But at the same time Sasha has nothing against putting her back into something.

She's instead hardworking, diligent, and passionate, giving her absolute all.

One part i especially love about this piece is that Sasha, rather than being the usual trainer who is there at the sidelines, instead leads by example, showcasing the kind of lead from the front charisma that strength is supposed to embody.

Also i love how Sasha, with her calamity enhanced body just pushes herself and her toads to the absolute limit, but is surprised at how out of shape these guys seem to her, but in reality it's just her being superhuman.

And it's not just brute training, Sasha goes all in, spending every single morning drilling them in Tai Chi.

But at the same time, Sasha other traits are not ignored. She still loves partying, and this time period was crucial for Grime's development as well(Which is why i wish we got more episodes at the tower), and she is very, very good at making people like her.

Also this shot. It's meant to be a comedic image, showcasing Sasha's love for the good stuff go to her head, but i can't help but read into it as a bit deeper.

It's not just that Sasha gets to indulge in the good stuff after spending weeks in a cell, and is letting it get to her head.

There is also the fact that this is a result of HER achievements. This is not her being cared for by the parents Sasha does not care for, it's a result of her own actions that have earned her this level of luxury.

It is all her hard work being rewarded both with respect, wealth and affection. And that is Sasha's Dreamworld in a nutshell.

Literally the only thing missing here is Anne and Marcy, and this would be absolutely perfect for Sasha. She has a job she likes, it brings her wealth, respect, and power, and as we later see she relishes in using her own won wealth to spoil Anne.

Both Theme song Takeovers are great, and really delves into what a good character song should, all while being fun, catchy and memorable, but again, Marcy's has the problem of that complete halt to the music.

#amphibia #music #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu #the song takeover #amphibia week

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

top 10 albums of 2021 [revised]

I published my first top 10 list too hastily, without nearly enough pedantic overanalyzing of my deepest, darkest feelings about music that came out this year. in order to crack this top 10 I need a pretty uniformly excellent album, one that maintains consistent vibes from top to bottom - not just a handful of songs that I really liked. this ranking more properly takes the full-body experience into account.

unlike my top 10 songs of 2021 and favorite books of 2021, which were friendly and imperfectly alphabetized free for alls, these are ABOSLUTELY ranked in order of favoritism and I want you to know that I have STRESSED over this order.

10. Live At Electric Lady - Bleachers

I'm actually surprising myself by including this; I was actually considering just cutting this list to nine albums when I remembered Jack Antonoff casually dropped this little darling in November. listen, I like Jack Antonoff, but I'm also very tired of him producing samey sounding songs for himself and every pop woman in the industry over and over. the actual new Bleachers album that dropped this year, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, was perfectly competent but utterly forgettable; I listened to it once and then never again because I've heard other Bleachers albums and that's basically the same as hearing Take the Sadness Out. HOWEVER. I am a sucker for a good live album, and this a good live album that makes for real easy listening. thanks, Jack.

9. Stand For Myself - Yola

truly every day I thank god and the sweet baby jesus that I got over the "no rap no country" part of my life, the musical equivalent of finding out that vegetables are good, actually, and your parents just didn't know how to cook. Yola's packing a gorgeously rich and expressive voice that I jut want to put on loop for hours so I can Feel Things.

8. DEACON - serpentwithfeet

DEACON has slipped in JUST IN TIME to make this list, and the only thing I regret is not loving it sooner. the vibes are immaculate all the way through, a soulful celebration of serpentwithfeet's love of men and love and loving men. you'd have to be heartless not to groove with this.

7. lately I feel EVERYTHING - WILLOW

as soon as Willow dropped the first single for this album I knew we were in for an EXPERIENCE. a punky and eclectic departure from Willow's previous psychedelic earth mommy music - and packed with some truly surprising and well-played guests - lately I feel EVERYTHING somehow got more rewarding with every listen. Willow has made some extremely promising moves with her music in the past couple years, and I for one am delighted to see what comes next.

6. Hot Winter - Jo Rodriguez

my most unexpected love of the year, a bandcamp darling from an artist with a whopping 27 monthly listeners on spotify. it was one of many albums recommended to me by a dear friend who listens almost exclusively to unlistenable bands who only play gigs in grocery store parking lots at 3 in the morning while dressed as pirates, and I was shocked by how much I actually dug it.

5. A Southern Gothic - Adia Victoria

this album is absolutely everything the name implies and then some, folksy and yearning and a little bit witchy and deeply, deeply in love with the South. from the very first note I knew it was going to be good, and I wasn't ever disappointed. my favorite album of the year for gray skies and cozy days.

4. star-crossed - Kacey Musgraves

Miss Musgraves I'm deeply sorry for whatever happened that led to you getting divorced - or I'm happy for you? I don't know anything about your personal life and I'm not going to learn, because I don't want to and it's none of my business. but I do really appreciate you spinning the experience into this flawless country pop album, which I like more and more each time I listen.

3. Ruin - The Amazing Devil

an unexpected release that won my heart at once. I've loved everything The Amazing Devil have ever put out, probably because their music sounds like the soundtrack to a version of my life where I find a portal and run away to fight monsters with a sword. and now they also have a song to perfectly capture the feeling of sitting at home in quarantine for a year trying to figure out the fuck you're meant to be doing with your life - thanks, Drinking Song for the Socially Anxious!

2. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert - Little Simz

if you want a full album experience (which I do, always) you're not going to be able to get much better than Little Simz. her album GREY Area topped my 2019 list, and reader? Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is MILES better than GREY Area. listening to this album feels like taking a stroll through an impeccably curated gallery, every second of the experience calibrated for maximum artistry without ever feeling overbearing or contrived. Little Simz was also in Venom 2, if that sweetens the pot for anybody.

1. MONTERO - Lil Nas X.

yeah, Montero wasn't going to budge an inch when I redid this list. it managed to live up to an impossible amount of hype and then some, cementing Lil Nas X as more than just a style icon or a top tier shitposter. he's also an extremely gifted, driven, and ambitious musician who serves as his own muse, crafting his image and experience to tremendous effect. he's a genius he's the moment he's the future etc etc. long may he reign.

#batmanisagatewaydrug's funky jams

[klaineownsmysoul]

Why does D agree to certain things? It’s probably because the alternative is worse but then I still don’t understand why he agreed to the sham. He could not have right? Idk what would have happened had he, but I feel anything is better than being married to her. All she does is ruin his reputation, and give him a straight image (to his team), so I genuinely wonder what image he wants for himself because if he didn’t go along with it, what else could they have painted him as that they haven’t already and continue to?

There are endless opinions on this, depending on who you ask. The m/iarren stans and the fans who believe that every message from D’s SM are actually from him will tell you that there was nothing to agree to because he loves her and wanted to marry her because he can’t live without her. They have a love that’s truer than true and are #couple goals. They are perfect for each other in every way and he adores her every breath and she’s just as devoted to him, which is why she follows him everywhere he goes. There’s nothing odd about the length of their relationship and the fact that no one involved in it can give you a consistent time frame. You ask 5 people how they met or when they started dating, you’ll get 5 different answers. All those pics of them together where she’s grabbing onto him and clutching at any limb within her reach are just her being affectionate. The fact that they sit like strangers on a subway during one part of an interview and when it’s noticed, the next part that’s released has both of them being all touchy feely is just coincidence. The dude bro slang and emoji filled posts are just him having fun and being spontaneous. They’re cheeky and silly. Its just him living his best life and there’s nothing forced or untoward about it. He loves only hanging out with her trashy besties and spending nights entertaining the masses in her piano baby/lifelong dream business that she can’t be bothered to promote or run while he accompanies her on the piano looking completely lifeless as she drunkenly butchers one of the 4 songs she knows and thinks she can sing. He’s just being a supportive partner when he talks about the awful branded merchandise from the strip bar during a tv segment that’s supposed to be about his career and then models it later on in a cute coupley pic where he looks like his soul has just left his body. Having her accompany his every move is just what married couples do or didn’t you know that? It’s not natural for one partner to do something without the other, especially if it’s career related. All celeb couples are joined at the hip once they officiate their own wedding. All celeb couples have a wedding - or a great party as it’s sometimes known as - that is corporate sponsored to within an inch of its life. All celeb couples who have one person say they didn’t want to be in a public relationship have a cover story done in Vogue magazine and then have their pr team make sure the link to that article is noted and shared in practically every print interview done for the other person for over a year. This is all completely normal behavior for a 100% believable couple.

There are no such things as contracts that dictate behavior and managers and pr teams don’t post things on their client’s behalf. Lavender relationships and marriages are a thing of the past. No one would dare impose something like that on a celeb in 2021. It must be nice to be that naive. Or sad. Mostly sad. If you believe that, then you haven’t been listening to the stories of celebs who’ve been closeted and decided to come out at the risk of their career. It’s a thousand times easier to market someone as straight - there’s no denying that. And when you’re young and just starting out, you have no leverage whatsoever and will go along with what people tell you to do. If you don’t, you don’t have a career. It’s as simple and evil as that. They hold all the cards and if you want to be a musician or an actor, you have to play by their rules. You sign a deal and before you know, everything has snowballed and you’re in so deep, you don’t know how to begin to climb out. Look at Taylor Swift and the mess she’s gone through with her songs and she’s one of the biggest singers on the planet. Whether you’re a fan or not, you know who she is. If she can’t get control over songs that she freaking wrote because of a shitty contract she signed when she was like 16 without massive amounts of legal issues, what hope do the people who are less famous have? Look at what D said about his lack of input on the evolution of Blaine’s hair and how he didn’t want to rock the boat. Something as simple as that and he didn’t feel like he could or should speak up. Now apply that same mentality to a legal document and think about how hard it would be to try to countermand any part of it, especially when you’re as young as he was then.

D’s team is particularly troublesome because they’re lazy and incompetent and have no interest in marketing him as he really is. The easy way out is the straight way out and that’s their lane. That’s the one they’ve chosen and they will ride that till the wheels fall off. Let’s be honest: D is all RR has. He’s going to milk every drop he can out of D while he can. There’s no celeb out there with an established career who’s considering new management who looks at D’s situation: the circus that is always around him, the garbage that’s posted on his SM in his name, the endless ads for things like ugly ass jewelry and a paid promo pic for a 5 star hotel in the Philippines from the group honeymoon (not a thing) that they crashed after D spent days sifting through garbage with women who live in abject poverty and will never make the kind of money that even a meal at that hotel would cost which totally makes him look awesome - and think “yes! This is what’s been missing all along. Where do I sign?” He’s not getting a free home reno and some TV time from the girl who played Luna in the HP movies and B/ecca T/obin - someone who played a forgettable and unremarkable bitchy blond cheerleader (def breaking the mold there, totally not a trope that can be found in every 80s high school movie or tv show) and now hosts a ridiculous podcast. So he’s going to push his own agenda and make sure that everyone knows his client is straight at every opportunity that’s presented and foist his bride in our faces at even more opportunities just in case it wasn’t clear because oh my god did you hear that D is straight? And he’s been dating this super cool rockstar woman since he was an embryo so there’s no way anything could have ever happened between him and someone else from this show he was on for a while. It wasn’t a big deal or anything. He had a small role and a love interest but they weren’t real popular. I mean if you’ve seen one gay teenage romance, you’ve seen them all. The show’s been over for 5 years and they’re hardly ever mentioned now so there’s no point in keeping them alive. It’s not a role that meant anything to him and it’s certainly not something he would want to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of. I wonder if he was allowed to do that as long as managed to shoehorn in a mention of his lovely ball and chain of many moons. Because that’s what always happens. Doesn’t matter what the topic at hand is - it always seems to come back around to her. And she just smirks and flashes her fake engagement ring at the camera and eats it up because he does all the work and she reaps all the rewards. Like RR, she’ll never give him up without a fight because what then? No one will write articles about what a badass she is. No one will be there to do free promo for her strip bar. No more red carpet pics or designer duds gifted to her. No more free trips to Europe or last minute weekend getaways with his stylist. No one will care about her super secret Instagram account and post pics from it that she’s forwarded over so they get picked up and pumped out to news blogs for maximum coverage. No more pics with actual famous people because who’s inviting a career less nobody to events? She’s a woman in her mid 30s who behaves like an 18 year old on spring break and thinks nothing of it. She doesn’t give a shit how her behavior reflects on D because she doesn’t care about him. All she cares about is what he can provide her and that’s secondhand fame, money, and the image of the best wife to ever wife. But if he was single, then there’d be even more questions about his sexual orientation than there are now and no way to refute anything. So we get this clusterfuck. What they fail to understand is that the harder they push, the more holes they create and the more distasteful this all becomes. I just want to be a fan of D. That’s all I want. But I can’t do that because he comes with a front and center “work family” that I can’t get away from.

I sometimes don’t know what he wants for himself image wise but I truly don’t think it’s this. The difference between in person D and SM D is too great for me to believe he’s really cool with all of it. I don’t know how many more times he has to say that he’s rarely on SM, which should be the reddest of red flags that most of the stuff posted is not coming from him. The fact that he’s taken to SM to rebuff things said in his name that are patently false and insulting reinforces that belief for me. He’s not perfect but he’s not the fake barely literate guy he’s portrayed as. I wouldn’t still be here if I thought that’s who he really was and I wouldn’t care at all about his personal life if it wasn’t shoved down my throat ad naseum.

Well this post kinda got away from me. 😊. I’m so very tired of all this and if I’m tired, D must be exhausted.

#pathetic and obvious table for one please #Hollywood is effing toxic #he deserves so much better

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

I've never met ANYONE who actually likes the Chibnall era. Would you seriously say that it's objectively good?

Brace yourself for unpopular (albeit positive) opinions.

Objectively? I don't know, I tend to feel like media is very much subjective and down to opinion. But on the whole...yeah. I'm gonna say yeah. I think the Chibnall era thus far is every bit as good as the Moffat Era and Davies Era were. It actually blows my mind to see the fandom come together and almost universally agree that the show has gone downhill. It's part of the reason why I kind of stepped away from the Doctor Who fandom because there's something very demoralizing about re-watching clips from Season 12 and seeing literally every comment just talk about how the show is ruined. And if I re-watch old clips, very often I come across comments that talk about how the show "used to" be good, and should have ended with Twelve, etc. I know a little reluctance toward the new Doctor can be part of the transition process, but normally the fans are over it by now.

Things haven't really changed.

I've been re-watching Twelve's era, and found a new appreciation for him. But I re-watched Thirteen's era right beforehand, and you know what? It holds up. Season 11 is remarkably strong. I can't think of a single "bad" episode in that season. It focuses on the characters, and thus it doesn't have nearly as strong ambitions, compared to one of the Moffat seasons, which were clever but often convoluted. They couldn't always stick the landing. (Looking at you, Season 6) But every has it's good parts and it's bad. The same man who wrote The Wedding of River Song and betrayed the entire season's storyline in the process...also wrote The Doctor Falls, which is probably my favorite final episode of any season ever. The Chibnall Era is the same way. The Tsuranga Conundrum isn't really a bad episode, it's just kind of forgettable, apart from the Pting. But then it is immediately followed up by Demons of the Punjab, which is an exceptional story in every way. I want the Thijurians to return for Thirteen's regeneration, I'm saying it.

My point being that even if there are episodes you can't stand in the new era, is that really exclusive to Chibnall? All the way back in Season 1, they had The Long Game, which I remember disliking, but it was sandwiched between Dalek and Father's Day, which are in my opinion, the two best episodes of that season. A lot of people don't like Orphan 55, for example. But it's followed up by Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror. Does anyone really dislike that episode? You're valid if you do, but I think it's really good. Ask me about any episode in the Chibnall Era, and I'll find something to like about it. (Except maybe Arachnids in the UK...and that one's not even bad, just kind of weak.) Because like I said, there is good and bad in every season...and I do think that the fandom has overblown how "bad" the Chibnall Era is...though that may be in part because I think this era is generally good? Incredible companions, solid episodes, a great Doctor, and hey...this era actually made the Daleks scary again. That is impressive. Even most of the hated episodes, like Orphan 55 as I mentioned...I enjoy them.

I stand by that. I think this era is great. If anything, I don't like that they reduced how many episodes we get, because some of these stories, like The Witchfinders and It Takes You Away especially Fugitive of The Judoon, are just begging to be two-parters. Spyfall is the only real two-parter we've had, in my opinion (Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children feel like two separate stories to me) and the episode was much stronger for having the extra time. If I have one genuine criticism with the Chibnall Era as a whole, it is the stark contrast between Seasons 11 and 12. I love Season 11, I thought it was beautiful. I like it far more than most people. I also truly enjoyed Season 12. But they are worlds apart, with Season 11 feeling so standalone and Season 12 picking up with a big storyline that really hadn't been hinted at all in the previous outing. The tone is also different, with The Doctor and "the fam" having a distance between them that seems to have developed offscreen in between seasons. It was as though Chibnall wanted to give everyone a breather from big overarching plots after the Moffat Era, but then after one season he decided "break's over" because he wanted to tell his story. And that's okay! It is. But it's jarring. Anyway, let's talk about Chibnall's storyline. You know where this is going.

"That" episode.

I meant what I said before. There isn't a single episode that I actively hate as much as say, Listen. Now let's get very controversial, because I know what y'all are thinking. "Not even The Timeless Children?" And I'll just get this out of the way right now: I don't think The Timeless Children, or it's twist, ruins Doctor Who. I don't think it gets anywhere close. I mentioned before that I was demoralized reading the comments on a clip of Doctor Who...to no one's surprise, it was this episode. Now, I may just be biased...after all, I didn't even hate Hell Bent. But while I have my criticisms of Season 12, The Doctor's revised backstory accounts for exactly none of them. You want to know what really bothers me? That we had a seven season buildup to Gallifrey's rescue, a nine season buildup to it's return...only for the show to do nothing with it, and then just destroy it again a couple of seasons later. As someone who loved The Day of The Doctor, I'm mad about that. Among other reasons, destroying Gallifrey is the kind of card you can really only play once.

So no, I don't think The Timeless Children is perfect. The Doctor had a seven season character arc culminating in them learning the lesson that using The Moment would be wrong, and that it was never okay to do something like that. To hear her even consider using The Death Particle, that "Or, a solution" line in response to Ryan appropriately reacting in horror? Yeah, that upset me. I don't like that Gallifrey is gone again, and even if The Doctor wasn't the one to do it, she almost did, and she left someone else to do it in her stead. That bothers me more than The Timeless Child ever could. That being said...the Timeless Child doesn't bother me. Seriously, it blows my mind that people act like this twist ruins Doctor Who. It...really doesn't, guys.

It does not insult the legacy of William Hartnell. He is still The First Doctor. It's not like there isn't a precedent for secret incarnations from The Doctor's past. We didn't start calling Christopher Eccleston The Tenth Doctor after we found out about John Hurt. Nothing can change The First Doctor's status or take it away, nor do I think Chibnall is trying. He is doing what I've actually wanted Doctor Who to do for a while. Give us a story about The Doctor's childhood. (Listen doesn't count, I don't care, that was all kinds of bad.) Let me ask you, what does this really change? I've seen people complain about the revision of The Doctor's history...but there's a precedent for that too. We could play bingo with how many times Clara fundamentally altered or influenced the show's history. She is the reason he started traveling, the reason he chose his Tardis, and the reason he saved Gallifrey. Why doesn't that bother people, if this does?

I also understand it if people dislike this change because they feel as though it makes The Doctor a kind of chosen one, compared to them having just been an average person who wanted to make a difference. I get that. However, this is down to interpretation, and there are so many ways to interpret The Doctor. Some people love it when The Doctor goes dark, other people cannot stand it and view it as out of character. Some people love it when The Doctor is heroic and badass, when they save the day...others would prefer that they take the backseat, teaching the humans how to save the day themselves. "The man who makes people better." And which interpretation you get, where it falls on the spectrum...it will vary from writer to writer. Moffat loved to make everything about The Doctor, and Davies frequently compared him to an angel or a god. This is not the first time that the show has portrayed The Doctor as a godlike being. It's not even close to the first time. And honestly? I don't think this makes The Doctor special or supernatural. I think it makes them a victim, nothing more. A victim of child abuse.

People also disliked this episode for removing the mystery behind The Doctor...but I fail to see how it did that? There are so. Many. Questions. That this finale opens up. Where did The Doctor come from? How and why did they get to our universe? What exactly is The Division? What went down between them and The Doctor? Where is Tecteun? (No, she's not Rassilon...) As the Masters asks, "What did they do to you, Doctor? How many lives have you had?" Amid all of the comments that made me sad, I did see a great one about how the original creator of Doctor Who actually didn't like it when they introduced the Timelords, because she felt that it boxed the show in and removed the mystery behind The Doctor, and how "She would have loved this episode." I agree with that. (Still salty that they destroyed Gallifrey though...) You know, I am genuinely interested in this story and where it's going to go, especially with the sixtieth anniversary approaching. But it depresses me that they might scale it back now, after how much the fandom has risen up against it. Not that I'm saying the fans shouldn't be happy, but...it's clear that a story is trying to be told here, and I think it should have that chance.

To each their own, of course. But I will never understand why this era is so hated.

#Doctor Who #Dr. Who #The Doctor #The Thirteenth Doctor #Chris Chibnall #Chibnall Era #Doctor Who Season 12 #Doctor Who Season 11 #Long post #Boy did this get long #Ramblings #The Timeless Children #The Timeless Child

[sylvies-chen]

Okay, so non TV fandom related ask but curious to know your ranking of all of Taylor Swift's albums!

OOF OK THIS IS A HARD ONE but thank you so much for the ask anon! I’ve never had to do this before and it’ll definitely be a challenge, but a fun one! Also keep in mind I do like all her albums so even the last place ones are iconic and dear to my heart. Anyway, let’s do it:

*Taylor’s Version for all albums that apply

Folklore: there is not a single song on here that isn’t an absolute banger, 10/10 it’s perfect for spring and summer but also works all year round, convinced this album can do no wrong ✨

Lover: this album never fails to make me feel every single type of happiness. I do have some nitpicky issues with a few songs— like I didn’t love You Need To Calm Down because as someone who’s bi/queer I can say with certainty that homophobia isn’t just a “haters gonna hate” mentality— but honestly Cruel Summer, Daylight, Paper Rings, Lover, they’re all bops that completely make up for it and give you that epic sort of joy when you listen to them. Instant serotonin boost!

*Fearless: honestly I don’t know if this album would have ranked as high for me had there not been a Taylor’s version just because the added songs gave it such an extra pop. Before we knew Red (Taylor’s Version) was coming, this album being remade and expanded was something completely unprecedented and new. It still would have ranked high in my head regardless, because it has so many songs I consider to be quintessential to the early days country Taylor!

Evermore: BEAUTIFUL ALBUM, gorgeous gorgeous girls love Evermore!! only reason it doesn’t rank higher for me is because it makes me cry too much so I have to be in the mood to get emotional (which, in all fairness, most of the time I am)

*Red: again, probably would have ranked Red a little lower had it not been for Taylor’s Version because the dumb ass internet ruined a few of the songs on the original album for me by doing the most traumatizing parodies ever. But then Red (Taylor’s Version) came and Phoebe Bridgers popped in for a duet and Taylor blessed us whth the LEGEND that is All Too Well (10-minute version), so really idk what I’d do with myself if this album DIDN’T exist.

Speak Now: this one is like peak angsty tortured yet epic love, like Haunted and Enchanted and Dear John and Sparks Fly like CMON, if you ever go numb and need to feel something, put this album on. It’s an emotional awakening!! There are some songs on here that I just find a little forgettable, like Innocent or Long Live, but that doesn’t mean they’re not good! I just wouldn’t have remembered them if I hadn’t been listening to the full album to prepare for this post.

Reputation: I feel like people are going to hate me for putting this one so low on my list but don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the songs!! they’re so fucking good! The only issue I have is that when it was released, it was so clouded by the drama of Taylor v. Kim K sparked by Look What You Made Me Do that the press kept pushing, so I just got annoyed and couldn’t fully enjoy the album until years later.

1989: Again, not to say this isn’t a god album, but my main issue with it was that the songs that I liked the best were the ones that weren’t broadcasted as much or weren’t as popular!! It makes complete sense that Shake It Off was the one that became super popular because structurally it was just the perfect formula for a classic, successful pop song: it was fast, upbeat, a theme about shaking off a “hater” that was generic enough to reach a wide audience, a chorus that was three words and easy to remember. Those are the kinds of songs that do really well on radio stations and in the general public which is why so many people who don’t know Taylor Swift’s music all that well still know that she made that song. It was really smart of her to do that actually, but it was definitely the most typically pop of all her albums. You Are In Love and How You Get The Girl were my two favourites though, absolute gems that make me believe in love <3

Taylor Swift: the songs on this album are good but I’m just not a huge country fan (if you ask me if I like country music I will say yes, absolutely, but it’s not my favourite genre by far) so none of them resonated with me as much and especially seeing where Taylor’s skill is now, this one’s really only at the bottom for me because she’s very new and green and inexperienced in this album and it’s audible.

#swifties please don’t murder me #abby.answers #taylor swift #album ranking

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Most Hated Characters

As y’all can see, this week’s T5F is a request sent in by anon. I picked it because I guess at the time I thought it would be fun to explore some of TWDG’s least popular, and most hated, characters while also taking into account characters that I can’t stand. 

These are characters that the vast majority of us don’t like or downright despise for many different reasons. None of us are going out of our ways to defend most of these bastards, and anyone who is I get the impression they’re doing so for the sake of being Different™... though while looking around for info about these characters and what people were saying about them, I did find myself in some odd places.... come across, eh... odd fanart. 

But I guess this is the part where I say this is all in good fun and if you happen to be a legit stan of any of these people, that’s cool. Maybe you can answer some of my questions as to why??

5. Nate 

Okay, when I said that I found myself in odd places, it turns out that Nate actually has a bit of a fanbase. It’s not big or anything, from what I can tell, but big enough for me to question why because I was under the impression that we all agreed that this dude sucks.

Seriously, I would’ve put him higher on this list if I hadn’t discovered this handful of people making fanart for him and claiming him as a comfort character. While I find that an odd choice, you do whatever makes you feel comforted, y’know? Just would like to understand why. 

As for the rest of us, he’s terrible. Every time I go back to 400 days, he’s someone I never look forward to seeing. I’ve even tried not getting in the truck with him while playing Russell’s story, but in true Telltale fashion, you’re forced to drive along with this creep. 

Red flags start going off when Russell’s sharing his story about his previous group, something you can tell left some trauma with him, and Nate is just weirdly fixated on the girl Russell liked. Like yeah okay dude, I get it, it’s the apocalypse and you haven’t had any action for a while but oh my god. 

Then the whole walker thing that almost gets Russell chomped is annoying. Oh, and how could I forget about how it’s implied that he attacked the old couple before and was there to finish them off, which he does no matter what and it’s not great. 

Hell, he even uses the line Russell gave him but it’s worse because crazy eyes. And if you don’t say anything, Nate murders them right there without a thought and then continues to be a real creep. Fuck this guy. 

As the wise Eddie once said, “I don’t what that guy in my life, man!” 

4. The Stranger

Hey, have I ever mentioned how much this dude sucks? 

I don’t even have to tell you why he’s on this list. We all know the obvious reasons-- manipulated and kidnapped Clementine, which caused Lee to get bit by a walker and fucking die. No one here is white-knighting for this dipshit. 

Sure, it sucks what the Stranger went through. He lost his family and that would be enough to drive anyone up the wall. I mean, just look at Kenny. But this dude, okay. Look. Listen. I can only feel so bad for you when you lost your son on a hunting trip that your wife told you not to go on, then when you went looking for him, you literally left the car unlocked and running for anyone to come across. Then you come back and gasp. So your wife leaves you for being a moron... then when you find her dead, you cut off her head and keep it like a damn bowling ball because...??

At least that’s what I get from it. The writers probably should’ve done a better job with explaining what the hell happened but y’know. 

That’s not the only reason no one likes this guy. Oh no, you also add to the pile that the Stranger himself is dull. As a character, the dude is just.... boring. And I get that’s probably what they were going for with the whole “I’m just a guy, but you ruined my life and made me this way.” 

However, when you set him up the way you did with the talks over the walkie and the stalking, I was expecting a bit more personality outta this loaf of soggy bread. But no... boring yet crazy. Interesting combo and I’m afraid it doesn’t work. 

3. Larry

Larry?? On a list of most hated characters?? Nooo...

Yeah, surprise. Larry also sucks. Stop the presses. 

Larry is a pain in the ass to deal with for two episodes, constantly belittling the people around him and treating his daughter like shit. Oh, and don’t forget how he behaves towards Lee even if you try to be as nice as possible. Nope, he doesn’t care, he still thinks Lee is garbage and will continue threatening to reveal Lee’s secret to the group. Who cares if that could fuck up the dynamic and endanger the group? Larry sure doesn’t. 

Until the very end, this dude is just a splinter in the foot. By the time you get to the meat locker and he has a heart attack, you’re not gonna save him because you think he’ll be better if he survives. No, you’re attempting to save him for Lilly and Clementine’s sake, and if you don’t even care about that, you siding with Mr. Family Man to smash his head in. 

Not only is he a soiled diaper, he also don’t have much personality outside of asshole. He has maybe two moments where he’s shown to be just a bit chill? I mean, Lilly tells us that he has a lot of pain and that’s why he’s like this.... but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. 

Oh, and can’t forget that apparently he was obsessed with Lilly leaving the lights on so he let the power get cut, so Lilly couldn’t eat ice cream and had to let her hair air dry like a heathen. Unforgivable. 

So yeah, fuck Larry. 

2. Troy

Ugh, Troy. Fuck this guy. 

No really, out of all TWDG characters, this dude and my #1 pick are my most hated. Can’t stand Troy and the only reason I didn’t do a tie for #1 is because for a split second, Troy does show a tiny bit of humanity when Carver is beating down Carver, but blink and you’ll miss it.

Which had me a little concerned to find a handful of posts about having crushes on Troy and drawing fanart but.... again, I guess you do you? And if you can, please explain why because I honestly don’t understand. 

Just looking at the screenshot of him annoys him. He’s got one of those punchable faces, y’know? 

Anyway, when playing as Clementine, I’m always worried that he’s gonna pop up outta no where and grab her by the neck like he does later in ep3, even though I’ve played s2 a bunch to know that he’s not going to. 

But hell, he doesn’t need any excuse to smack anyone around, and there are a handful of times he can really hurt Clem depending on her choices. 

Not great, dude. 

Can’t say I’m too sorry that Jane shot your dick off. 

1. Badger

Yeah, you guys remember Badger. Y’know.... the man who murdered Mariana then laughed about it, claiming that he enjoyed watching her head explode and would do it again and again if he could? 

That’s what puts him at #1. He may not have the most screen time like Larry or Troy, but when he is around, he’s fucking awful.

He gets joy from killing Mariana, like it’s some sort of sick thrill for him to go around murdering children and other innocent people. 

Remember Francine? Caught her and used her as bait to try and get Javi to come down, and even went as far as to have some fingers cut off. Like, he gets off on destroying people, entire communities.

Shit, he seems to even get off to his own beat down. 

He’s fucking gross and outta everyone on this list, I haven’t found a single person being like “Yeah, he’s garbage but I like him kinda?” like no, you’re such garbage that even the Different™ crowd don’t want you. 

Fuck Badger. 

By the way, if you’ve never had Conrad kill him in your game, I suggest looking it up. It’s pretty good. Gives Conrad a little bit of closure after what happened to Francine, as well as give Javi some closure for Mari’s murder. 

Not a single soul wept for you, Badger. 

---

Dishonorable Mentions

-Joan. She’s boring, forgettable, and no one is out here gushing over her because most of the time, we can’t even remember her name. -Danny from Vince’s story in 400 Days. Y’know, the dude going to prison because he was convicted of SA. I’ll never understand why people go with him over Justin. Justin sucks, too, but not the same level Danny does.  -Lilly in S4. Ugh. That’s a whole other topic for another day. -Arvo, though I guess he has a bit of a following, too

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Well there ya go. Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices for this list? Or have anything to add? I’m always down to chat.

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

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Next week’s T5F Top 5 BROTPs

#twdg t5f #twdg clementine #twdg lee #twdg kenny #twdg lilly #twdg larry #twdg jane #twdg troy #twdg russell #twdg nate #twdg aj #twdg #twdg joan #twdg danny #twdg arvo #twdg conrad #twdg javi #twdg mariana #twdg badger

[betterversion--ofme]

Rebecca Black's Search for Identity

Rebecca Black's unabashedly sapphic bop 'Girlfriend' came onto my radar recently. "Holy shit," I thought to myself, thrilled, "She's grown up and got a Carly Rae Jepsen meets Katy Perry sound? I need to hear more of this!"

Well, not exactly... 'Girlfriend' is that, but Rebecca Black isn’t that. Not yet, at least - out of a dozen or more releases, it’s just that one song.

The truth is, Rebecca has been trickling out songs for years, throwing things at the wall, looking for the style that will make her take off.

As I hopped from song to song in the Youtube recommended links, each song was different. They could have each been from a different singer. I was so excited after hearing Girlfriend, but each song I listened to left me more confused.

Skipping past the series of regrettable cash-ins while she was under management of Debra Baum right after 'Friday', then a handful of forgettable EDM pop tracks, are a few more recent interesting songs with -wildly- different vibes. So who IS Rebecca Black?

Welcome Back (she never left)

Every piece of press that Rebecca gets has the same lede: Remember the Friday girl? Well she’s BACK, she’s GROWN UP, and she’s a REAL MUSICIAN now!

But apart from a 3-year hiatus between 'Saturday' and 'The Great Divide', Rebecca has actually been consistently releasing music every year since 'Friday'. There's no comeback to speak of, she's always been around, just not gathering much attention.

It's the kind of PR move that works once and only once: that was then, this is now, and then you stand on the quality of your work and move forward. But every bit of press I could find, at the release of every song coming out almost every year, has taken this stance, not even mentioning the prior songs. She keeps trying to break out, but the viral fame is too comfy to leave behind.

The lead single off her one and only EP ‘RE/BL’, 'Heart Full of Scars', feels like an intentional callback to her viral phase and the cyberbulling she experienced. And I don't doubt that the bullying and harassment she went through left some deep marks. And the biggest thing that’s put her in the headlines lately, of course, is a new version of Friday.

So on the one hand she is trying to move forward with a pop career, but on the other hand she keeps leaning on her prior name recognition and winking back at the past.

She also has a pretty large presence on Youtube. I admit, I have not done a deep dive of her Youtube, Tiktok, and other social media presence. As I understand it, she is friends with a group of LGBTQ Youtubers and makes appearances in their work as well. Most of the recent vlogs on her channel, though, once again are themed around 13-year-old Rebecca.

I mean, those viral-fame-milking videos have double or more the amount of views compared to her other videos, so I guess do what the algorithm commands you to do, girl.

A short history of Rebecca Black the artist

I want to start out by saying I'm not going to consider 'Friday' as part of her career. I want to judge her current work on its own merits: would I be listening to it, if it didn't have any name recognition?

Directly after 'Friday', Rebecca was signed to DB Entertainment and released a string of awkward songs and videos. The less said about them, the better. Then was 'Saturday', dipping from the one-hit-wonder sequel song well with the best of them (see Kung Fu Fighting's Dance the Kung Fu, and The Devil Comes Back to Georgia).

The one cohesive work she has released is the EP ‘RE/BL’ in 2017. Other than that, everything has been released in one-off singles or pairs.

She’s got very safe EDM pop in Foolish and Anyway. She’s got some sweet but dark, Melanie Martinez vibes in Sweetheart and Do You. (She’s even worked with Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas on Satellite). Every time she seems to be heading in a certain direction, she releases something completely different.

As of yet, though, she hasn't settled on any genre or general identity that I would expect from a pop artist. Not that I'm expecting every song she puts out to be the same, or that I don't love some experimentation, but the things she has put out simply don't feel cohesive, and it's like each song is aimed at a different audience.

Who Is Her Base?

So, having listened to all the songs she’s put out to date, I’m at a loss with how to describe Rebecca Black as a pop artist.

Is she a mainstream pop idol? Is she retro-inspired and glittery?

Is she cute but a little dark and edgy? Or a boundary-pushing hyperpop queen?

She's a chameleon, becoming a different artist each time she works with a new collaborator. And I think this is hurting her chances at building a devoted base of fans.

February was big PR moment for our girl Rebecca. Just a week after 'Girlfriend' dropped, so did the hyperpop remix of Friday.

Unfortunately, hearing the phrase 'Friday hyperpop remix' gives you just about everything you need to know, and you barely need to listen to the song. I'm not saying that because of any distaste for hyperpop - Simply, the actual execution of the idea was unsurprising and unexciting (IMO).

It's not completely out of left field, though, as Rebecca is honestly dipping her toe into hyperpop. She had a feature on Dorian Electra's latest album, and her main 2020 release "Closer" has some light Sophie/Charli-esque touches (albeit in a much safer and chiller way than the Dorian track). Her Fantano interview does imply this is something she’s interested in pursuing further.

If Rebecca goes full hyperpop, I am totally behind that. It's a ripe niche, people will appreciate her meme appeal rather than be driven away, and 'hyperpop star' is a rather more achievable goal than 'mainstream pop star'. If she can do that and do it well, it could be the perfect career move for her.

I do hope Rebecca finds her identity as a musician. It’s a tough step for any artist deemed a “one-hit wonder”, and doubly difficult for her unique situation. I think she’s got a lot of potential, and someday we’ll stop saying “Oh, the Friday girl?” and start saying things like “Oh, I loved her latest album!”

#rebecca black #hyperpop #dorian electra #friday #bubblegum bass #i only want good things for her #and i also want a whole album of songs like girlfriend haaha i am very biased