#link to rap for youth scene

[uncsukuna]

songs made by black artists that i think would suit jjk characters. oh my god this took forever to format n link songs. anyway, happy black history month yall!!!! i hope yall like this bc im sick of seeing taylor swift pop up in the list of artists gojo would listen to <33

gojo – starboy the weeknd, daft punk + ghost town kanye west, partynextdoor

for starboy it just gave im that nigga vibes, and for ghost town it's just the entire ‘i alone am the honored one’ scene. but mayb it could also be applicable to current gojo? idk.

geto – like a tattoo sade

fun fact: this is actually the inspo for my user!! the whole ‘broken by the burden of his youth’ and ‘hungry for life, thirsty for the distant river’ reminds me of his whole reason for defecting. he's hungry for life (wanting sorcerers to not have to risk their life to protect non-sorcerers & actually live a long, fulfilling life) and thirsty for the distant river (remember when they kept with the race/hallway analogy? yeah, and geto's goal was always going to be unattainable for him simply bc he didn't have the strength)

yuuji – adorn miguel + crooked smile j. cole, tlc

UGGHHH he's just so lovely. the most supportive boy ever i love my son sm, and that is my only justification for my song choices.

megumi – alone willow + nineteen pinkpanthress + answer tyler, the creator

tbh… idk bros been goin thru it this entire series, but esp recently. for answer, i rlly liked the first couple of verses (idk what to actually call it, but it's before the first chorus) bc it aligns well w papaguro n megumi. ig the stepdad could be gojo…?

nobara – no scrubs tlc + conceited flo milli + apeshit the carters + on my mama victoria monét

she takes nobody's bs n i love that for her!!! i feel like she'd absolutely love flo milli + megan thee stallion.

nanami – lotus flower bomb wale, miguel + i love you more than you know black party, childish gambino

sorry i rlly like him y'all... there's no angsty reason for these songs! n for i luv u more than yk, it's just nanami if/when he goes to malaysia :3

choso – do you like me? daniel caesar

i actually dk for this one... i just thought it suited him! yk since he wants to live as a human n when he loves he loves hard (shown by how determined he is to be the best older brother to his lil siblings)

toji – she will lil wayne, drake + foe tha love of $ bone thugs-n-harmony, eazy-e + crack rock frank ocean

i am a firm believer toji would like 90s + early 2000s rap. it just makes sense idk, also i once saw a post that said he died just a bit b4 no hands by waka flocka came out and... hey! for crack rock, it's just post-mamaguro him n instead of crack, it's his gambling addiction

sukuna – hater's anthem infinity song + hit ‘em up 2pac, outlawz + king’s dead jay rock, kendrick lamar, future, james blake + unbothered ski mask the slump god

he's a hater just for my son. bum ass nigga... and for hit em up: ‘don't one of u niggas got sickle cell or sumn? u fuck around n have a seizure or a heart attack’

maki & toji – worst behavior drake

self explanatory! them n their rebellion against the zenin clan <3

gojo & geto – oui jeremih

cause if weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! sorry but this is fueled by geto saying ‘we are the strongest’... thats it :p

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk gojo #jjk geto #jjk nanami #jjk yuji #jjk megumi #jjk nobara #jjk maki #jjk choso #jjk toji #jjk sukuna #jjk headcanons #gojo headcanons #geto headcanons #toji headcanons #sukuna headcanons

[reality-detective]

💥💰 Revealed: The Secret Empire of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans 💰💥

Prepare to uncover the shocking truth about the world's most influential families and their iron grip on the global economy. The Federal Reserve Cartel, comprised of the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Morgans, holds unparalleled power that extends far beyond the realm of oil.

Picture this: The Four Horsemen of Banking, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, join forces with the Four Horsemen of Oil, such as Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP, and Chevron Texaco. But their domination doesn't stop there. They have extended their reach to encompass the music industry through an intricate network of private banks. These behemoths, along with Deutsche Bank, BNP, Barclays, and other European old money giants, control the strings of the music industry, enabling them to dictate its direction and influence.

The nefarious deeds of the Rockefeller dynasty are far-reaching, starting with their military-commercialization of music in the early 1900s. They orchestrated a diabolical plan to shift the world's standard tuning of music to 440 pitch. This insidious frequency was known to provoke greater aggression, psychosocial agitation, emotional distress, and even physical illnesses. Behind the scenes, this manipulation led to financial gains for those complicit in the monopoly, including agents, agencies, and companies connected to the North American Rockefeller crime cartel and elite organizations.

Fast forward to the late 1980s, when the Rockefellers summoned the top music executives and talent to a highly secretive meeting in Los Angeles. Their sinister agenda? To usher in the era of Controlled Rap Music, tightly linked to the privatization of U.S. prisons. These privately owned prisons, operated by the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Bush family, and other influential figures, served as money laundering operations, tax exemption schemes, and pyramid scheme operations.

The Rockefellers devised a cunning plan to control the rap industry and target black communities by promoting violent music that fueled oppression and civil unrest. They brought together top executives and leading black artists, binding them with confidentiality agreements. Their objective was clear: coordinate the violence within the rap music movement, while major record labels gained exclusive rights for production and distribution across the United States. As a reward, they would receive shares and points within the private prison systems.

The Masonic plan unfolded with precision, resulting in over 1,500 private prison systems housing more than 1 million black teenagers by 1990. These vulnerable youths, expressing the generational trauma imposed upon them, unknowingly contributed to the Rockefellers' malevolent scheme. The private prison systems reaped billions annually from the government, creating a vast money laundering network through inflated products, such as ramen noodles priced 8 times higher than their actual value. The flow of hundreds of billions from government funding, pyramid schemes, and insurance companies transformed the privatization of prisons into a multi-trillion-dollar venture.

Local courts and judges mercilessly sentenced petty criminals and first-time offenders, filling the ever-expanding private prisons. As a result, the United States now holds the dubious record for the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the world, with an unprecedented number of prisons. This was not an accident—it was a meticulously orchestrated plan by the Rockefellers.

But their influence doesn't end there. These silent thieves also manipulate elections, ensuring their grip on power remains unbroken.

Unmasking the true face of those who control the world, the Rothschilds and Rockefellers find themselves in the crosshairs of military alliance operations aimed at dismantling the Rothschilds' deep state power in Europe, the UK, Russia, and China.

Are you connecting the DOTS? 🤔

#pay attention #educate yourself #educate yourselves #knowledge is power #reeducate yourself #reeducate yourselves #think for yourself #think for yourselves #think about it #do your homework #do your own research #do some research #do your research #question everything #ask yourself questions #connecting dots

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

Papoose presents 50 Years of Hip Hop – A Celebration of What's to Come – the 40/40 Club – New York, NY – April 13, 2023

The 50th anniversary of hip-hop marks a significant milestone for a cultural movement that has transformed music, fashion, and art across the globe. Originating in the South Bronx of New York City in the early 1970s, hip-hop emerged as a voice for marginalized youth to express themselves through music, dance, and graffiti art. Since then, hip-hop has become a cultural phenomenon that continues to evolve and break down barriers. Papoose is a rapper who has made significant contributions to the hip hop community that goes beyond music.

The Brooklyn rapper gained popularity in the early 2000s for his mixtapes which showcased his natural talent for storytelling. His intricate wordplay and lyrical ability earned him a loyal fanbase in the underground hip-hop scene. His dedication to preserving the genre's history and legacy has cemented him as a pillar in the community, making him a perfect fit for the role as Head of Hip Hop.

On January 24th, 2023, TuneCore, the leading digital distribution and music publishing service for independent artists, announced a new partnership with the legendary rapper, naming him Head of Hip-Hop for the company. In his new role, Papoose will report to Andreea Gleeson, Chief Executive Officer, and will lead the company’s Artist Ambassador program for Hip-Hop, making him responsible for scouting rising talent, overseeing artist education and act as a brand advisor for TuneCore.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Hip-hop, Papoose and TuneCore linked up to commemorate the incredible milestone and celebrate the rap giants belated birthday and new role as Head of Hip Hop for the music platform. Held at the notorious 40/40 Club in NYC, the event pulled in hip hop juggernauts and various pioneers in the community, including Remy Ma, Fabolous, Jim Jones, Ja Rule, Melle Mel, Doug E. Fresh, Mona Scott Young, Consciousness, Rocky Bucano, Bishop Whitehead and many more. Throughout the night DJ Trase spun tracks from the 80's-90s, setting up the perfect tone for a night of nostalgia and celebration.

To kick off the event, Rocky Bucano from the Universal Museum of Hip Hop presented Papoose with the "Hip Hop Artist Executive Award," recognizing the artists contribution to the genre and the community. To open up the lineup of performances, Papoose introduced his TuneCore recruits, rappers Manson Thugication and K Goddess.

The up-and-coming rappers set the tone for the night with raw lyricism and flow that only native New Yorkers bare. As the night went on Papoose introduced icon after icon to the stage, including Melle Mel, Ja Rule, Fabolous, Jim Jones, Maino, Remy Ma and Doug E. Fresh. Each bringing energetic and captivating performances that instantly brought the crowd back to the golden era of Hip Hop.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we reflect on its impact on society and culture, and recognize the contributions of the pioneers and visionaries who have helped shape the progressive movement. We look forward to seeing what Papoose’s new role at TuneCore will do for the community and wish him a happy belated birthday.

Natalie Orozco

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: April 21, 2023.

Photos by Thomas Gracia © 2023. All rights reserved.

#50 Years of Hip Hop #2023 #Concert Review #40/40 Club #New York #Natalie Orozco #Thomas Gracia

[kevgao1030]

Bruno Mars: The Modern Man of Retro

In today's music industry, various artists have carved their own niche through creating pieces drawn from popular genres, ranging from rap, country music, and rock. One particular genre draws much of its popularity and identity from hip hop and R&B. At its forefront stands song artist and pop icon Bruno Mars. Peter Gene Hernandez, or Bruno Mars, almost single handedly revived the era of hip hop from the 1990s through his most popular songs. Today, Bruno Mars represents the 90s culture, and while he is not as popular as he was during the 2010s, his influence situates him as a well-known artist in the modern US.

Starting from his origins, Bruno Mars was (as expected) especially interested in pop music during his youth, drawing inspiration from big names like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Much of the music her produced is best described as "vintage", such as his early collaborative efforts in songs like "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and "Billionaire" by Travis McCoy. Such works served to cement his image as a hip hop artist.

Following Bruno Mars' success in late 2000s projects, he began to pursue his own career in the form of his first official album Doo-Woops and Hooligan. The album had almost immediately become a countrywide success, pulling in hundreds of thousands of listens at an alarming pace.

Personally, during my first listen of the entire album, I could not connect the songs to his recent works. However, I eventually was able to discern the instrumentals that linked both of his works. His use of more excitable background music instills a unique depiction of music that is hip hop but is also undeniable a Bruno Mars song. I had actually felt nostalgic as I had heard these very songs in my youth. As a matter of fact, I had heard of these so much that I initially believed that Bruno Mars' songs were the musical products early 2000s era, when in actuality his songs were indicative of what the 2000s represented.

Following his album's success in 2010, Bruno Mars worked on various projects with other music artists until the release of his new album Unorthodox Jukebox. While it did not perform as successfully as his initial album, it still sold very well and reflected his personal style.

My first impression of the album was that it certainly was created by Bruno Mars. It remained upbeat and its lyrics matched the instrumentals. However, I felt that it was certainly not as iconic as his first album. The greatest departure from his style was the song "Gorilla", which reminded me more of rock music than hip hop.

Finally, the last song I want to cover for Bruno Mars is, in my opinion, Bruno Mars' most iconic song: Uptown Funk. With its 90s feel and the stylization of the music video, one can immediately conjure the time era that Bruno hoped to capture. The clothing style exemplifies the 90s: the tinted sunglasses, fedora, leather jackets, and jewelry! Furthermore, the use of the setting sells the theme with the use of vintage cars, brick building neighborhoods, and the overall quality of the recording. On the last point, the filming quality was excellent, but it still captures the sense of 90s television, likely due to the colors used. Furthermore, both the choreography and lyrics also give off a 90s-esque atmosphere. For instance, the lyrics

Take a sip, sign a check Julio, get the stretch Ride to Harlem, Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi If we show up, we gon' show out Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy

display a sense of old time metaphors and vernacular that is easily recognizable. In regards to thee dance, much can be attributed to the style, but the group choreography also matches up with 80s dance styles, many of which involve swaying back and forth.

To conclude, Bruno Mars is one of the greatest icons in the 21st century through his incorporation of 80-90s music style and his own unique twist that can be easily recognizable to those who hear his songs. While his name has not been as prominent in today's music scene, Bruno Mars will continue to remain as a mainstay in today's culture, especially in regards to the niche community of retro music.

#bruno mars #music #pop music #uptown funk #hip hop

[milliesfashionblogunit2]

Logos

As part of our unit 2, I had to research logos to then develop my own logo.

Vivienne Westwood

Iconic. Punk. New Romantic. Vivienne Westwood was the brand of the 70's, embellishing t-shirts with shocking anti-establishment slogans and graphics, bondage trousers—black pants featuring straps inspired by sadomasochistic costume. She was ready to take a turn on the industry, working with bands like the sex pistols to take fashion to the next step. Her approach to the fashion industry was always with a dash of rebellion and fun that can be easily detected from her romantic corsets, outgoing slogans, and beautiful statement jewellery pieces. Upon entering the 80s, the orb emblem was born by combining the royal British symbol seen on crown jewels and rings of Saturn. Westwood, who admired Britain's deep history of monarchy and astronomy, wanted to pay homage to both facets.

Playboy

The Playboy logo is one of the most iconic logos in the world, recognizable everywhere as a symbol of prestige, sexiness, and a little bit of mystique. Clean, simple, and yet entirely unique, the Playboy logos widespread reorganizability has no doubt played a role in the international success of the magazine. While Hugh Hefner was essential in creating Playboy, he was not actually the one who created the iconic logo. That distinction goes to designer Art Paul. Mr. Paul sketched out the logo for use in the second issue of Playboy. Since that second issue, the logo has not once been changed from the original design. This in itself is a remarkable fact considering how often companies redesign their logos these days and is a testament to the effectiveness of the original logo’s design.

NASA

Conspiracy nuts are often accusing Nasa of covering up all manner of things such as; UFOs, secret space technology and even controlling the weather. And, although you'd think the space agency's logo is pretty innocuous, there are those that believe it also has a hidden meaning. Well, the surprise is that there's no big secret! The blue disc and stars represent a planet and space, with the red chevron adding the upward flight of aeronautics. The grouping of stars is said to mirror the constellation of Andromeda. However, some urologists claim that it doesn't match current star maps and may actually be linked to Nasa's alleged work on extra-terrestrial life.

Stussy

The logo defining the brand started in the early 1980s, when he scrawled his surname on handcrafted boards with a simple broad-tipped marker. He then used the logo on T-shirts, shorts and caps that he sold out of his car around Laguna Beach, California. The signature was derived from that of his uncle, Jan Stussy. A piece to Stussy is the 8-ball which means “ball of destiny” and it symbolizes those who never give up, in the urban language it represents the last man left standing The brand grew during a time when epochal shifts that now frame contemporary popular culture were taking place. In the music scene the late ’70s gave us punk, while the early ’80s brought us a new DIY type of music called rap. Punk broke creative and aesthetic barriers and taught us that anyone could have a band. Rap pushed social boundaries and explored the ideas of remixing and sampling. These new ideas and territories created a new modern platform for fashion and cultural expression. The designs and overall aesthetic touched on references from a range of underground subcultures that resonated with Stüssy. This approach appealed to a worldwide network of creative youth who shared a common interest in surf-culture, skating and music. Limited distribution fuelled the desire internationally, and those who wanted the gear found it and felt a part of something bigger in the process.

Porsche

the Porsche logo pays homage to Stuttgart, where Porsche’s headquarters are located. Stuttgart is located in southwest Germany and was actually built atop a horse-breeding farm. Stuttgart used horses in its city seal, inspiring Porsche to make a black horse the centrepiece of its logo which represents power and the seal of Stuttgart. Furthermore, the antlers and black and red stripes on the logo were influenced by Württemberg’s state seal, as the state colours are red and black. The Porsche logo design also honoured Swabia, the Porsche family’s second place of residence.

Juicy Couture

The playful and glamorous mood characteristic for Juicy Couture is reflected in its logo. The name of the brand is given in an intricate, highly decorative script. While it has been inspired by Old English scripts, it does not look dated. The golden glyphs are decorated with highlights creating a 3D effect

[veworofficial]

Lollipop lil wayne mp3 download

#Lollipop lil wayne mp3 download 320kbps

#Lollipop lil wayne mp3 download download

Lastly DJ Punish melds Baltimore club breaks with techno sounds on his mix which breaks out into a cool half-step beat on the chorus. Highly regarded and only 18 yrs old, Dem Slackers drops yet another essential remix that puts the bass upfront, loud enough to hear every last frequency of the incredible squelch-sounds he generates. He tops it though by switching into a brief sample of the A Milli beat during Wayne's verses. R3hab also brings the fire by throwing sheets of white noise into a huge build up that finally drops into a siren-filled beat. and formed the immensely popular Hot Boys group on Cash Money Records. By the time he was 15, he'd linked up with Juvenile, Turk and B.G. Rishi Romero adds galloping soca snares and some gliding synths (reminiscent of countryman Afrojack). One of Southern rap's most enduring and talented emcees, New Orleans' Lil Wayne began rapping at the tender age of 11. Mischa Daniels handles the tune and gives it a huge makeover, adding some lethal cymbal hits and huge reverb to Wayne's "ya money" line. For anyone looking for a more big-room vibe though, the remixes have got you more than covered. Combine that with Wayne's auto-tuned vocals and it's a marriage made in heaven. Irwan's original is pretty huge in its own right - with a similar winding and distorted riff that AVH laid down for Dizzee on "Bonkers".

#Lollipop lil wayne mp3 download download

With Wayne giving shouts out to Amsterdam, you can tell this is a Dutch affair, with the cream of Holland's huge dance scene getting a look in here. Download Lollipop mp3 Essentials of Lil Wayne. Even though Weezy is currently still a jailbird this collaboration hits the shelves packed with top mixes from a variety of producers. When Lil Wayne debuted as a 12-year-old kid on the B.G.’z 1995 album True Story, it wasn’t exactly clear that he’d become one of the best rappers of his generation.It’s not just that he’s clever or funnyit’s the way his style manages to balance classic, boast-driven rap with the kind of wild metaphors and constellatory thinking often left to poets. Now a full-fledged pop star, he dabbled in rock music for 2010's Rebirth, while nurturing his Young Money Entertainment clique and rising stars like Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga.Review: A real coup for Dutch electro DJ Irwan, who has managed to snag possibly the biggest rapper alive on the planet on this extensive single. He wrapped up the trilogy with 2008's Tha Carter III, featuring the inescapable hit "Lollipop," and continued to expand his horizons across mixtapes, the rock-leaning single "Prom Queen" and even a performance alongside Kid Rock at the Country Music Awards. With 2004's Tha Carter and its 2005 follow-up, Tha Carter II, he made a case for himself as the South's preeminent rapper, with a supple flow, witty lyrics and ample charisma. Lights Out, released in 2000, and 2002's 500 Degreez established Wayne as a true force in a shifting hip-hop landscape. His raps focus on youthful rebellion, New Orleans style - crack, girls and turf supremacy are paramount. The song was released digitally on March 13, 2008. The track features the late R&B artist Static Major and is produced by Deezle and Jim Jonsin. But Wayne went solo in 1999 with Tha Block Is Hot. 'Lollipop' is the first single from Lil Waynes sixth studio album, Tha Carter III. Though the emcees showed promise, many listeners focused on the post-Bounce production of Mannie Fresh, and regarded Wayne as a fresh-faced vehicle for the producer.

#Lollipop lil wayne mp3 download 320kbps

DOWNLOAD MP3/ZIP Stream and freeload Lil Wayne Bleu Snappin’ Zip Download Mp3 Zippyshare + 320kbps cdq itunes Fakaza flexyjam download datafilehost torrent zippyshare Song below. By the time he was 15, he'd linked up with Juvenile, Turk and B.G. Lil Wayne has dropped a brand new song titled Bleu Snappin’ and is right here on Corejamz for your fast download. One of Southern rap's most enduring and talented emcees, New Orleans' Lil Wayne began rapping at the tender age of 11.

#Lollipop lil wayne mp3 download

[ya-ya-ak-liu-zhang]

Athletic AK

Here’s AK killing it at basketball and archery :)

Maybe don’t put AK on the soccer team for Super Novae...

#ak liu zhang #liu zhang #ak 刘彰 #this duck is athletic #i have no guesses as to which sport AK will play during Super Novae #or what team he's on #no clue how that show works really #heard most of the time participants are chatting with each other #apparently it's become a matchmaking show #link to rap for youth scene #https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MozJON79xPQ #link to archery #https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2yQxH-OS4Q

[skriveting]

Music for writing MASTERLIST

updated 28.12.21. all links are to spotify.

Music is a wonderful source of inspiration and can serve as a useful tool for keeping a consistent tone in a scene or the story overall. Below is a list of songs that can serve as inspiration for writing, categorized as follows:

Songs with lyrics

Instrumentals / Movie scores

Classical music

Songs with lyrics:

⚜️ Midas Touch, Aurora (2021, Pop)

oof

"I'd find you on your knees And you'd beg for me to be The woman on your throne But I'd rather be alone" !!!!!!

🌊 Heathens, Aurora (2021, Pop)

the DROP ON THIS TRACK- Unmatched.

wild vibes

❄️ Once Upon a December, Pentatonix (2020, A capella)

magical, mystical

longing

grand

💘 It's Been A Long, Long Time, Pentatonix (2021, A capella)

ethereal, peaceful

slow dancing

reuniting with a loved one

❤️ Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker, Ingebjørg Bratland (2008, Hymn)

this is a Norwegian Christmas song, but I imagine it will sound quite magical (perhaps especially) if you don't know the words, too

I believe the English version is called My Heart is Wandering

there are many versions of this song, but this is one of my favorites

Here's another version I really like: Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker, Sissel (1987)

❤️ Mu Váibmu Vádjul Doppe (version 1), (version 2), Mari Boine (2001/2013, Hymn)

the sami version of Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker

magical

brings me to thoughts of nature on a dark winter night

🔪 Cutthroat, by Imagine Dragons (2021)

MASSIVE duel vibes

badass

fight-to-the-death vibes

👑 The Tradition, by Halsey (2021)

Grimey, bleak, dark

Gives me protagonist fighting the system-vibes

It’s a tough world out there, you have to do what you have to do to survive

🍾 I Feel Good, by Pitbull, Anthony Watts, and DJ White Shadow (2021, Pop)

something about this song just screams blasted in a club with flashing lights and I can’t stop laughing

let ur characters cut loose and make stupid mistakes !!

“I don’t know about you, but I feel good” 😎

⚔️ Warriors, by 2WEI and Edda Hayes (2020, Cover of Imagine Dragons)

this was made for writing big battles with a slow build-up!

epic all around, really immersive

makes me want to write a scene built around it even though I have no project like that going on at the moment

🔲 Blank Space, by Taylor Swift (2014, Pop)

an iconic song about the push and pull of relationships

the song is a world/story in and of itself, great to build off of

catchy

(this whole album could be on this list)

😳 Tucked, by Katy Perry (2020, Pop)

a song made about how we fantasize about people

makes me write some saucy romance-longing

just a fun track honestly + kinda unique

🌗 Phases, by PRETTYMUCH (2019, Pop)

a song about sticking with a partner as they go through different phases in life

holding out for that special someone, giving them room to grow

really sweet

👑 Crown, by Stormzy (2019, Hip hop/Rap)

reminds me of a rainy city

bleak

heavy

a gang-leader type of vibe

🌆 Slacker Friends, by Way Down the Rainbow (2019, Alternative)

a slow burn, but worth every second.

a beautiful song for reminiscing about friendship

looking back on youth and savoring every moment

👭 Glad He’s Gone, by Tove Lo (2019, Alternative/Indie)

finally, your friend broke up with her man

reuniting of friends

friend love > romantic love

😫 Baby, by Clean Bandit ft. MARINA and Luis Fonsi (2018, Dance/Electronica)

this song inspired me to write in a medieval setting for some reason lol

makes me think of flamenco dancing (as a non-Spaniard) or some other passionate dance

just a bop, had this on repeat

🕺 Give Me the Night, by Georges Benson (1980, R&B/Soul)

a time-capsule to a different time

smooth

makes me want to roller skate on retro skates

📓 Coolest Guy on Campus, by RebMoe (2021, Indie)

the perfect song for an admiring-from-far-away situation

upbeat

sweet

🖤 Hearts a Mess, by Gotye (2006, Alternative/Indie)

a masterpiece, an experience, a revelation

what a ride

emotions in audible form

🪢 It’s Nice to Have a Friend, by Taylor Swift (2019, Pop)

just friendship? hmm??

a kids-to-adults-growth concept

upbeat, airy instrumental

Instrumentals / Movie scores:

🐐 A Narnia Lullaby, by Harry Gregson-Williams (from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 2005)

short

unnerving

🌫 The Blitz, 1940, by Harry Gregson-Williams (from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 2005)

boy oh boy did Harry Gregson-Williams write a lot of good music for this movie (but it's Harry Gregson-Williams so why are we surprised)

TENSE

the sound of the bombers flying by?? wow

🦢Dance for Me Wallis, by Abel Korzeniowski (from W.E., 2012)

the piano on this track-

dramatic, everything coming to a head

one of my favorite tracks ever, I think

🦇 Is She With You?, by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL (from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016)

Climax-music

Big drums, fast tempo

🔪 Brother’s Keeper, by Henry Jackman (from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, 2016)

⚓️ Safe Now, by Henry Jackman (from Captain Phillips, 2013)

📻 A Hidden Life, by James Newton Howard (from A Hidden Life, 2019)

🐱 The Puss Suite, by Henry Jackman (from Puss in Boots, 2011)

this track has no right to be as good as it is, but that's Henry Jackman for you

¡olé!

⚡️ The Roundhouse, by Henry Jackman (from Pokémon Detective Pikachu, 2019)

this track just goes hard idk what else to say

🍒 The Comedown (From the Apple Original Film “Cherry”), by Henry Jackman (2021, Instrumental)

been OBSESSED with this (my #1 played song on spotify this year)

perfect for moody/subtextual/emotional stuff

a world all of its own

just such a good track. please check it out

Classical music:

🪄 Prospero’s Magic, by Michael Nyman (1991)

there’s something so haunting and emotional about this, please listen to it

🎼 String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73: III. Allegro non troppo, by Dimitri Shostakovich/Dmitrij Sjostakovitsj (1946)

this piece makes me nervous, but in a good way

🎹 Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat, K.482: 3. Allegro - Andante cantabile - Tempo I, by Mozart (1785)

🎭 Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19: II. Allegro scherzando, by Sergei Rachmaninov

#music for writing #writing music #music #writblr #writeblr #writing #writers of tumblr #writing tips #writing inspo #writing inspiration

[mako-lies]

I’ve been really into Cambodian music lately, specifically the growing Original Music Movement. For some context, Cambodia had a really rocking music scene in the 60s, prior to the Khmer Rouge taking over. A lot of the Khmer cultural heritage was lost during the Cambodian Genocide, and recovery after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime is... still ongoing in a lot of ways. 

 Specially focusing on music, a lot of the music that Cambodia “produced” after that was basically Khmer (Khmer, referring both to the people of Cambodia and also the Khmer language) covers of foreign songs. There was no producer of original Khmer music. It wasn’t until recently that there was a revival of Cambodian original music. 

The figure I’m most familiar with is Laura Mam, though she isn’t the only figure. She is co-founder of a record label called Baramey Productions, which produces Khmer original music. Her story is really interesting. Here are some NPR articles about her and a TED talk that she did. 

 Her production company, Baramey, is the one I’m most familiar with and has artists such as VannDa, Sophia Kao, Khmeng Khmer, and Songha. There’s another popular production company called KlapYaHandz with artists like Vuthea, SreyLeak, and AGO. I also was able to find an alternative label called Yab Moung Records. 

 History lesson aside, LETS TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC. 

VannDA 

 Basically, if we’re talking about contemporary Cambodian music, we HAVE to start with VannDa. He is considered the King of Cambodian Rap, and for good reason. His ability to seamlessly weave old and modern music styles, English and Khmer, is incredible. An incredibly versatile artist, I don’t think I’ve heard anything of his I don’t like. Honestly, a lot of his songs read like poetry—and they’re all subtitled in English so he’s a really good jumping in point.

Time to Rise is his most famous song. It’s helped him reach international fame, and really meshes traditional Khmer music with modern rap. It also incorporates vocals from Master Kong Nay, a musician who survived the Khmer Rouge, to really solidify this blend of past and present. The lyrics are gorgeous, the beats amazing, and it’s just such an incredible song. The instrumentals (the ones not done by Master Kong Nay) are done by Vanthan, a fantastic musician who’s mastered all of the Khmer traditional instruments.

  Queen Bee is a sweet love song. This is a live performance he did, linked mostly because you can really see the flute here!

Sorrow lmao he did a video on his phone when he was in quarantine 

 Laura Mam 

While she mostly produces these days I think, she does still make music sometimes, especially for Women’s Day. She has such a sweet sounding voice, and I love everything that she puts out! Also, she dances really well—sometimes she shows up in Baramey Productions videos to dance and things. Again, her videos are subtitled in English, so an easy jumping in point.

 Just Like You is a really cool song that honors three Cambodian women and tells their stories of resilience. Has some bonus VannDa in it, and is catchy as hell. 

 Kmeng Khmer 

Literally meaning “Khmer Youth,” they’re a duo who were actually the first group signed on with Baramey Productions. I really like that they’ve got a young, kind of lighter sound. Their stuff doesn’t have subtitles, so I don’t understand the lyrics, but it’s such fun music to listen to!

 Far Away is such a bop. And their dancing is really nice. I love how bright and fun the video is, too. 

Komlos Tang 3 is another fun, catchy bop that I really enjoy. 

 Sophia Kao 

She’s more of an R&B singer. I love how distinct her voice is, it’s so relaxing and good. She mostly (entirely?) sings in English, and often collabs with the other Baramey artists. I really love her sophisticated sound and sad vibe. 

Time is a great sad love song. I love her mix with VannDa, the blend of English and Khmer they have going~! 

 Hell is another sad love song in her typical style. 

 Vuthea 

A hugely popular Cambodian artist, he works in a variety of styles ranging from pop-rock to hip hop to more traditional styles as well. Vuthea’s songs are some of the most popular in Cambodia today, and for good reason—he’s super fun to listen to. 

Kromom 3 Styles is a fun song to listen to, and possibly his most popular song?

Oun Sas Ey is another easy listen. His songs always have such a nice beat, and his voice is so nice! 

Sreyleak 

A farmer who sings both pop and traditional music, Sreyleak has such a beautiful voice. She is super popular in Cambodia, and I love all of the music of hers that I’ve heard. 

Saravan Rok Ku is super neat because she’s got this very traditional sound going on, compared to the rap that goes on in the middle. Her voice is just so lovely, and I never feel like she’s overpowered by the rappers. 

Rom Tov Mit is just a really nice display of her vocals, it’s super sweet~! 

Sin Setsochhata 

The granddaughter of one of Cambodia’s most famous singers, she is a soul and pop singer. Her voice is beautiful, and she’s able to sing a bunch of different styles too. She’s working on a new EP and I’m super hyped to see what she’s going to make! 

Champa Battambang is a remake she did of one of her grandfather’s most famous songs. It’s honestly so beautiful, the first time I listened to it, it took my breath away. 

Truth is a beautifully sad song, that shows off her voice so well. It also has English captions, and is an incredibly poignant song about facing the reality of her father’s death. 

Vartey Ganiva 

Dubbed Cambodia’s Queen of Punk, she’s one of the few punk/alternative Khmer artists. I honestly couldn’t find much about her, but she seems really neat! 

Evil Husband is about domestic abuse. Such a strong song. I love her voice, and the instrumentals are so good too! ​

I’ll stop here because uh… this list is already GINORMOUS, but I hope you like at least some of the songs I’ve linked. Some of the artists are on iTunes if you decide you want to support them. It’ll be really cool to see how Cambodia music continues to develop~! Note: I’m not like… a huge music person, so I don’t know all the terminology or anything so sorry about that! I just got really excited. Also, I’ve done some research for this, but if I’ve gotten anything glaringly wrong, please let me know (:

#cambodian music

[onestowatch]

KennyHoopla Chases a Hopeless Romance on “Dirty White Vans//”

Photo: RAHEEMISBLIND

Ahead of the resurgence of pop-punk, there existed KennyHoopla, an unassuming Wisconsin native stirring up a paradigm shift in the world of alternative music with a sound that called to mind everything from the heyday of new wave, punk, and emo while retaining a refreshingly novel atmosphere. Now, having since found an ardent collaborator and supporter in Travis Barker and released an acclaimed debut mixtape, the Wisconsin artist stands at the forefront of the scene he’s helped shape.

“Dirty White Vans//” marks the first new single from the alternative trendsetter since the release of his lauded 2021 mixtape Survivor’s Guilt//. The fervent track sees KennyHoopla linking up with Dwilly and Barker on production to deliver a moment that simultaneously feels like a victory lap and an ode to aimless youth. “I wrote the addy to the party on your dirty white Vans / Finna swing it to the crowd, sold out in France,” sings the Wisconsin native with all the impassioned restraint of a hopeless romantic who find himself on top of the world. 

“Travis and I were just in the studio, and I wanted to make some rap shit to kind of show a different side of me. Dwilly and Travis made the beat. I caught a vibe and wrote to it… I’ve had that hook on my phone for years now; I’ve just been waiting for the right beat to put it on. This one fit really well, so I recorded it and it was dope,” shares KennyHoopla.

Catharsis has always and will always be at the heart of KennyHoopla’s music. Whether it be chasing a nostalgic high while carving out what’s next, redefining alternative music as we know it, or simply penning what feels like a universal anthem for any outsider who finds themselves falling in love at a moment’s notice, KennyHoopla will be here to do it.

Listen to “Dirty White Vans//” below:

#kennyhoopla #dirty white vans #dirty white vans// #alternative

[jezfletcher]

1000 Albums 2021: Albums #10-1

#10. Lydmor - Capacity (avant-pop)

Danish artist Lydmor does a kind of atmospheric synthpop which she describes as "post-feminist youth-solo-electronica-singer-songwriter-chill-out beat-music", and while that doesn't necessarily tell you what her music is going to sound like, it gives you a sense of the myriad influences which infuse her music. As such, it's hard to categorise her music distinctly. But I find myself drawn to the dark electronica which builds to a climax, or the dreampop track that gets punctured with a sudden blast of bassy synth like a foghorn through the mist. There's no question as to my favourite track though, which stood up in a week which I consider to be one of the best in 2021 (it was the week of March 15, in case you're interested). It's a brilliant dark synthpop track that builds to an industrial pummel and rush, while still balancing Lydmor's delicate vocals over the top. It dragged the album into my attention and continued dragging it all the way to my top 10 of the year.

Recommended Track: Someone We Used To Love You'll like it if you like: dark synthy beats that still manage to feel airy and graceful

#9. The Go! Team - Get Up Sequences Part One. (vaguely alterna-J-hip-poptronica)

The Go! Team basically just have a cheat code for my ears, or so it seems. It's almost unfair the way they can so perfectly come up with bouncy hiphop fused pop that so works for me. It seems effortless what they do, as I shovel a seemingly endless pile of Go! Team tracks into my Wheelbarrow of Good Music. Leaving behind the marching band accompaniment of Semicircle (my #1 album of 2017), this is back to the turntablism beats and funky synthesis of their earlier albums. Add Ninja's always welcome semi-rapped lyrics over the top and you hit that sweet spot; the one that makes me turn off clipping and attack damage and gives you 1000 ammo. Again, this is an album with a really huge number of tracks I could single out for praise, each of which is a great example of exactly the formula I so like: World Remember Me Now, Pow and Cookie Scene each have something that both links them to the rest of the album, and gives them their own identity. But I'm going with A Bee Without Its Sting, which I think is perhaps the most coherent and effective pop track while still retaining everything that makes The Go! Team unique. The flute also helps. I'm a sucker for a flute riff.

Recommended Track: A Bee Without Its Sting You'll like it if you like: music that's made up of all the other music genres pasted together

#8. Valerie June - The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers (eclectic roots soul)

I'm not sure there's an album this year that's harder to classify than Valerie June's The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers. With elements of gospel, soul and roots rock, she sings with a mild country twang and the delicate control of vocal jazz, while her band runs through dreampop, blues, RnB and Latin. And yet, there's something marvellously coherent about the whole album—it never feels piecemeal, and you never really feel like it's a messy conglomerate of unrelated styles. It's as though June synthesises her own fully-formed identity from everything else, and makes it seem like the most natural thing in the world. I really love this album as a whole, but that's not to say there's not some standout tracks as well. Along with some of the most interesting interludes of the year, we have some beautiful vocal performances, and ones which use her voice to propel them to great heights. I love the more upbeat and optimistic Smile, the soaring You and I, and the soft Why The Bright Stars Glow which starts the album's slow turn towards home. But this is also an album which is better than the sum of its parts, and if I had to recommend something to listen to, it would be: all of it.

Recommended Track: all of it, or, if I must: You and I You'll like it if you like: vocal performance as an art form, and albums which transcend their individual tracks.

#7. Trace Kotik - Everything Has Been Done By Now, So Now, Everything Is Possible… (indie folk rock)

This was another album that surprised me with its depth in relistening. Like The Orange Peels from yesterday, this won its week, but I never really considered it a serious contender. But, in fact, this is a really awesome collection of music. It takes a kind of folk heart and weaves elements of progressive rock over the top into these monumental tracks that still feel like they maintain a sweet simplicity to them. It's never static, it builds and changes at all moments across the album, which gives it a sense of rising exultation. It's easy for music like this to get caught up in itself—to take itself too seriously or to lose the joy in the music. The fact that this can actually successfully channel folk pop in the vein of Passenger as effects-heavy guitar swells all around is a sign that it never goes too far down the rabbit hole. I have two particular standouts: 100 which opens the album with a rich driving rock, and Slip which builds into an absolute anthem.

Recommended Track: Slip You'll like it if you like: big prog rock sounds, but think the songwriting often drifts too far from pop structures

#6. Various Artists - The Metallica Blacklist (eclectic heavy metal covers)

Running at just over 4 hours in length, it's fair to say that The Metallica Blacklist is a monumental undertaking in more ways than one. A series of artists each interpret their song of choice from Metallica's seminal Metallica (a.k.a. The Black Album), in as wide a variety of styles as I basically listened to across the whole 1000 Albums project. 6 different versions of Enter Sandman, 7 of The Unforgiven, a whopping 13 different versions of Nothing Else Matters. Some are true to style, others are loosely inspired by, or merely sample the songs they cover. Some manage to completely transform a song you know into something else entirely. Ha*Ash transforms The Unforgiven into a Latin folk ballad, My Morning Jacket turns Nothing Else Matters into twee pop so seamlessly you feel like the original is actually the style-bending metal cover. Chase & Status lay down some UK Garage while BackRoad Gee raps over the top of Wherever I May Roam. Saxophonist Kamasi Washington arranges My Friend Of Misery into a wandering free-jazz jam. It showcases the talents of the featured artists, but at the same time reinforces the fundamental quality of the originals. It's such an interesting project—especially because of the fact that they've taken the all-encompassing approach of including so many different versions of the same songs. The typical approach would be to recreate the album track by track—but allowing you to compare versions of the same track is fascinating. Of course, this also means it is, yes, 4 hours long. But I promise you that whoever you are, you'll find something you like in this album.

Recommended Track: My Morning Jacket - Nothing Else Matters (for stylistic metamorphosis), or Ghost - Enter Sandman (for fully understanding the DNA of the underlying song) You'll like it if you like: any style of music, have a passing familiarity with The Black Album, and have 4 hours to kill

#5. Greta Van Fleet - The Battle at Garden's Gate (hard rock)

This was the year of Greta Van Fleet for me. I'd been vaguely aware of them before, and would have at least screened their 2018 debut album. But this year, they burst into my awareness, first with their lead single Heat Above, and then with The Battle at Garden's Gate, a sophomore effort that did not disappoint. There's a consensus, it seems, within the musical literati, that Greta Van Fleet do derivative music. There's particular scorn placed on them for "copying Led Zeppelin" or imitating Rush's Geddy Lee. But I just don't get that at all: because this is great music. So is Zeppelin. The two can co-exist. (And by the way, the last thing Robert Plant released is a series of country songs with Alison Krauss—not without its charms, I'll admit, but not exactly what you want if you're a pure Zeppelin fan). But even the argument that “getting new music in the vein of Zeppelin is worthwhile” sells this album short. It's a fantastic collection of hard rock in its own right—and it is a style which is very much underdone nowadays. There's something about the counter-tenor wail of Josh Kiszka that you don't find even in the classics. Heat Above is a standout—a scream of passion at its height—but the more atmospheric Broken Bells or the sway-with-your-lighter-out showstopper Light My Love are weighty and anthemic pieces of music. I really loved this album, and I'll defend it against the naysayers and traditionalists who are afraid of hard rock moving into the 2020s.

Recommended Track: Heat Above You'll like it if you like: hard rock, as long as you're not being a dick about it

#4. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - L.W. (microtonal psychedelic rock)

I said something about being a dirty little Giz boy or something earlier when I had King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's other 2021 album, Butterfly 3000, on my list, so I'm really just driving that home when I include a second one, and in my top 5 no less. This is a companion album to 2020's K.G., which was my #2 of last year, so it's fair to say that King Giz doing microtonal music really works for me. In some ways, honestly, I think this is a better and more coherent album even than my #2 of last year—still mixed into one continuous set, this has more iconic and identifiable tracks coming through, each laced with the alien quality of the non-Western tunings of their instruments. I really don't know of anyone doing anything quite like this apart from King Giz, but even the band doesn't let this style define them (as we saw, they had another excellent album out this year that sounds quite different). But I find myself drawn to their microtonal oeuvre in a way I can't quite describe. Sadly, the microtonal night these guys were meant to be doing at Vivid Sydney this year was squashed by Covid—and would have been a rare time to see them in precisely this mode—but knowing how prolific and how constantly inspired they seem to be, I feel like I can look forward to many many more years of being a filthy King Giz piggy.

Recommended Track: Pleura You'll like it if you like: psychedelia—the microtonal tunings just feel like a natural extension of this

#3. Chvrches - Screen Violence (indie pop)

I think that much like King Giz, I will follow whatever Chvrches does with wistful starry eyes. The difference is that there's a fragility to synthpop as a genre that means bad synthpop can be very bad, and there's always the threat that Chvrches could really fall off a cliff at some point. But that point is certainly not Screen Violence, where they deepen and darken their sound, moving it towards more of a guitar-infused indie pop. It's a sonic expansion in some ways, but it's still based on the clever hooky pop songwriting they're known for. The change is a clever move, because it really gives them space to grow, both in this album, and towards the future. What makes this album particularly good though is that while it's a change for the group, they still manage to pack in so many individual tracks that I really love. I could rattle off half the album as particular favourites of mine: pounding club beats in Asking For A Friend, upbeat indie pop in California, introspective rock in How Not To Drown (featuring Robert Smith), or the one that synthesises all of those features together the best, Final Girl. But even singling out tracks feels like a disservice to the album as a whole, where the lesser tracks are better than the best tracks on most of the albums I heard this year. This album is great not just because, well, it's great, but because it suggests a longevity and future direction for the group which is quite exciting.

Recommended Track: How Not To Drown You'll like it if you like: synthpop, but wish it had a bit more weight, y'know?

#2. Pepe Deluxé - Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1 (eclectic electronica)

It's extremely hard to categorise Pepe Deluxé. They're primarily based around sequenced electronica, so that's the easiest box to place them in, but there are elements of art rock, neo-psychedelia, psychojazz and Latin funk—that's without touching on the various sub-genres of electronica it goes through too: triphop, big beat, industrial, acid jazz. It's a big ol' bowl of gumbo; maybe a bunch of stuff that doesn't look like it goes together, but the result is delicious. It's also hard to get a grip on what they want to be as a band. They've been around since the 90s, and this is their first album in 9 years, if you don't count them, apparently, doing the soundtrack to Angry Birds: Go. I really quite love this album—it feels at times so over the top that it's self-satirising, or at least slightly comic. But at the same time, it's just embracing all of its own excess and I love it for that. At one moment it's the overture to a circus that's probably going to kill you. The next it's a guided tour of the Halls of Kalevala, or a little sunny pop ditty in Finnish. It's about as entertaining an album as you could hope to find, and it's extremely worthy taking out my Runner Up Album of the Year.

Recommended Track: 22nd Century Dandy You'll like it if you like: gumbo

#1. Dylan Cartlidge - Hope Above Adversity (soul-pop-hiphop)

Finally, sitting atop the pantheon for 2021 is the remarkable debut album from Dylan Cartlidge, Hope Above Adversity. It's an uplifting and many-faceted album of kicking soul tracks, driven by Cartlidge's infectious attitude and lyrical flow. It's fair to say, that like many (most) of my top albums, it's eclectic—giving us a bit of everything while bouncing to its own grooving beat. There's another common factor with a lot of the albums you'll find high on this list, in that this sounds so fresh and unique, and unlike anyone else. Dylan Cartlidge has something really novel to bring to the table, and he lays it down track after track after track. I love the journey of PTSD, the funky breaks of Hang My Head, the rhythmic drive and rap of Cheerleader. But I also just like spending time in Cartlidge's company—it's an envigorating and heartening experience, and I highly recommend it.

Recommended Track: Cheerleader You'll like it: I guarantee it

#1000 albums #1000albums #album of the year #albums #top of the year

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animage January 2021 Issue (Part 2)

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

I decided to split this translation into two parts as it made more sense flow wise.

Part 1: Merry Christmas from the Yashahimes Part 2: Interview with SixTONES (the group that performed the opening theme to Yashahime)

Click here to read Part 1

SixTONES, Let’s Start Running

An opening theme that livens up the start of the story with a catchy tune and lively moving cinematic. Thoroughly dissect the charm with an interview and scene cuts!

Singing the opening theme for “Hanyō no Yashahime” is the energetic idol group that has gained popularity across a wide age range, SixTONES. What is charming about their 3rd single, “New Era”, is that it is an emotional song that has a melody overflowing with a sprint like feeling and rap mixed in. With the meaning of “A new age” included in the title, it perfectly matches this work that draws the story of the new generation.

Bringing out the feel of the tune’s youthful vitality is probably the condition of its link between the video. Going along with the lyrics of “Let’s start running” at the beginning, Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha can be seen running together. At the hook of the song, matching the melody, the three of them rhythmically attack demons. In accordance with that, within the tune’s positive impression, the “likeness” of the three girls is added refreshingly. With the synergy of the song and the cinematic, it is an opening theme with an overflowing feel of righteousness that instantly draws viewers into the world of the work.

Shared Questions

Q1. From the start, what sort of impression did you have of “Inuyasha”?

Q2. What did you think when you heard that the song would be the opening theme for “Hanyō no Yashahime”?

Q3. What is your favorite part within the melody or lyrics?

Q4. What were your thoughts during the recording?

Q5. What did you think when you saw the completed opening cinematic?

Q6. If you could go to the Feudal Era, what would you take with you?

Kochi Yugo “I took a photo together with the opening screen”

A1. My impression was the characters were so cool and cute that it made me want to try on Japanese clothes when I was little. Personally, I fell for Sesshōmaru.

A2. I was genuinely happy. I never imagined that SixTONES would oversee a theme song to an anime that is popular across a large range of generations. Anime songs have a lot of impact, so I thought this was a chance for people of all different generations to hear us!

A3. I personally love Morimoto’s B melody part. It has remained in my ear ever since listening to the demo sound generator and I secretly wanted to sing that part. Please, I would like everyone to listen (to that part) consciously!

A4. Rather than focus singing well, I went into the recording wanting to focus on the sprint like feeling and emotion. It ended up having a good nuance with more emotion in it which made me happy!!

A5. Seeing the main characters move with our tune was fresh and exciting. When the credit came up, I instinctively took a picture of it!!

A6. I would take a large amount of seasonings like mayonnaise to the Feudal Era. I want to eat fish and rice deliciously! I also want to make a triumphant face!

Kyomoto Taiga “I streaked my hair as a sign of respect”

A1. I watched it every week after coming home from school, so it feels like I’m returning to my childhood when I watch “Inuyasha” even now. V6’s “CHANGE THE WORLD” (first opening theme song of “Inuyasha”) was the first CD I ever bought so I’m happy that we were entrusted with the theme song this time!

A2. Anime theme songs are something I normally appreciate and have an aspiration for, so I was truly happy. Putting in respect for the work, I streaked my hair for the shooting of the music video and (CD) jacket.

A3. There’s charm packed in the whole thing but the falling hook is especially nice so I would like everyone to enjoy the development of tune as it changes like a rollercoaster.

A4. I was entrusted with the important parts like the beginning of the A melody and the B melody right before the hook, which influences the tune’s impression and enlivenment. Hence, I completely brought out my rock side which was locked in my internal shelf when I sang. I hoped my strength and passion came through.

A5. It’s a work that inherited the world of an anime I watched when I was little, so hearing our voices resound in the theme song was deeply moving.

A6. A blanket. I have a habit of making blankets into pillows when I sleep so I’d like to take one so I can sleep well.

Tanaka Juri “The potential of the tune expanded with the added cinematic”

A1. The image I have of “Inuyasha” is that it’s recognizable to many people and has a lot of fans. I watched it myself and a lot of my friends are big fans.

A2. I heard that we would be singing the theme song first before the actual song. Frankly, I was happy and excited as to how our music would match the anime’s setting.

A3. I think you’ll get the feeling that you’re being taken to a variety of worlds from this single song due to the way the melody continuously changes. However, it really comes together as a whole, so the quality of the song is high. It would be great if people can enjoy the six of us shining in our individual parts with their ears.

A4. As much as I could, I tried not to think about the fact that it was a theme song when I sang. I’ll mess up if I think about it. The conclusion I came to after interpreting the meaning of us overseeing (the song) in my own way was that there was meaning in SixTONES delivering cool music. Hence, I focused on creating cool music without thinking about unnecessary things.

A5. We saw it for the first time during the broadcast, but I felt that it expanded the potential of the song that we alone couldn’t express.

A6. A rice cooker. I want to eat warm rice.

Matsumoto Hokuto “I was happy there was starry sky cinematic at the slow part”

A1. At the time, I thought it was a work that was a little more for adults so I thought I shouldn’t push my limit and didn’t watch. Even so, I really liked the visuals for Inuyasha.

A2. I knew it was a highly anticipated work. Thus, I was little unsure if we could create a song that could clear that hurdle.

A3. The part at the intro and coda that goes “ai ai ai…” was sung not as a chorus but by myself. It’s a hard song with a lot of vigor but there’s a delicate harmonization paired with it so I would like people to pay attention to the depth and lightness as they listen.

A4. In addition to the “ai ai ai” part at the intro and coda being one octave lower, adding a nuance to it was difficult so I had a harder time with it than expected.

A5. It was my dream to see a battle scene go along with our song, so seeing the scene where swords are being brandished made me excited from the bottom of my heart. This is me talking personally; during my slow part, the starry sky shows on screen. The name Hokuto originates from the stars, so I was strangely happy.

A6. Smartphone. Taking high resolution pictures and videos; I want to take a walk while having a modern map open, matching up where is where.

Jesse “It fits so perfectly that I laughed”

A1. When I was little, I wanted to be a demon!! I had “Inuyasha” stationary too!

A2. I was excited, wondering how the cinematic would fit and when I actually watched it, it fit so perfectly that I laughed! It really matched! I was really happy!

A3. There’s a lot of parts such as the Japonesque feel from the intro, the rap, the righteous melody line at the hook, and my part which is the drop melody. Thus, I don’t think you’ll get tired of listening to it. Also, the lyrics are really straightforward which I love. In the drop melody, in addition to the sprint like feeling and heartrending feeling, the hue changes a little so singing it made me feel a happiness I really like.

A4. I shouted more than usual in the recording! I like Shintaro’s part, so I hum it a lot.

A5. The voice of SixTONES, the melody of “NEW ERA”, and the character’s movements all fit perfectly so I’m relieved. I’m thankful!

A6. SixTONES’s sound generator and speakers!

Morimoto Shintaro “It become one at “Let’s start running””

A1. At the time, I was in either kindergarten or elementary school, so I was always excited to watch “Inuyasha”. I remember buying Tackey & Tsubasa’s “One Day, One Dream” single CD.

A2. I was very surprised! Very happy! Just like the song’s name “NEW ERA”, I thought it would be great if “Hanyō no Yashahime” and SixTONES could create a new era!

A3. The world of “Hanyō no Yashahime” and the world of SixTONES, the sound that has a lot of changing keys; there’s a lot of substance within one song to enjoy. I would like for everyone to pay attention to the sprint like feeling.

A4. There’s my slow part that starts from “I wanna~” and I would love for people to enjoy the tempo and melody as well as the hook that rises towards the “No no no no no-“ part.

A5. The scene where the characters start running when the lyrics say “Let’s start running” really tugged at my heart like the work and SixTONES had become one!

A6. Snack food. I want to bring them like “We have these delicious foods in the future!”. Even if you’re fighting, food is sure to bring about peace. That is my wish.

The Start of the Three’s Journey Opening Storyboard, Production, and Key Animation: Tobe Atsuo

— Please tell us what your thoughts were when you first listened to “NEW ERA”.

Tobe: I felt pressure as I thought it fit the image of the work.

— The cinematic was matched with the song but what sort of theme did you think of for the storyboard?

Tobe: At first, it was originally planned that Director Satou Teruo would draw the storyboard, so we composed it based on the director’s ideas. First, the number one priority was that we wanted to make the feeling of continuation from the work called “Inuyasha” straightforward. We decided we wanted to express “The three meet through the guidance of the rainbow pearls and go off on an adventure together” in a simple composition.

— It seems that you were the “One-man key animator”, is this what you wanted yourself? Also, within those 90 seconds, was there a part in particular that you enjoyed drawing?

Tobe: The one-man key animator was the director’s request. Of course, expressing the forms and impressions of the three new protagonists was fun and it was work worth doing. However, drawing the inserts of characters from “Inuyasha” was nostalgic. Especially Kirara. Also, Takechiyo’s a good character (laughs).

— Please tell us the parts you focused on or points that we should pay attention to.

Tobe: In any case, I made sure not to deviate from the image of the three leads being “youthful”. I was careful of not making it “childish” but instead “youthful”. In the opening, I didn’t concretely present the enemies that would appear going forward as I wanted to focus on the aspect of “the of start of the three’s journey”. Nothing would make me happier if viewers are able to enjoy the main story like “What’s going to happen from here on”.

Inuyasha & Sesshōmaru

While holding the key to story of “Hanyō no Yashahime”, Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru, who have not yet made a proper appearance since episode 1, are drawn in a meaningful way in the opening. Just what sort of meaning do their expressions have….

Illuminated by the Morning Sun

In the opening cinematic, it finishes off with the forms of the three girls gazing at the morning sun from atop a cliff. It is a situation where the scene closely resembles that one scene from the cinematic of the very first opening theme of “Inuyasha”, “CHANGE THE WORLD”.

#Yashahime #Hanyou no Yashahime #yashahime: princess half-demon #Translation #SixTONES

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Artist Edition)

Many wonderful songs by K-Pop artists helped us get through the shit show of 2020.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high (and with MVs just around or below 1 million views too) but deserves your attention! 

This is the list for artists’ tracks, so the Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks. Click here for the Top 10 underrated idol tracks of 2020.

Some of the non-idol artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (for example DPR LIVE, CRUSH and MAD CLOWN) so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

DAVII - Jamie Cullum

DAVII had already demonstrated his vocal and producing prowess in the collaborations with HEIZE and other indie artists and his continues  to show his talent and skill in “Jamie Cullum”, an ode to the titular English jazz-pop singer songwriter. The song has a beautiful and memorable jazz piano arrangement and solo section, and DAVII complements the instrumental beautifully with his smooth RnB vocals. The simple Bauhaus-inspired MV sets further accentuates the atmosphere of this beautiful musical piece.  If you are a fan of Korean RnB and also jazz, this is the song for you!

DeVita “EVITA!”

When AOMG told the internet we are going to love their new artist, we know we would but most of us did not expect THIS SOUND. Starting off with a simple 80s vintage drum loop, we are then promised something more when a jazzy saxophone solo bursts onto the scene. The instrumental is reminiscent of 80s citypop but the arrangement of the song and the background noise and ambience creates a much more cyberpunk feel to the whole affair - all this creates a song that sounds both retro and highly futuristic. This modern take on citypop is further highlighted by the stunning music video and DeVita’s edgy vocal delivery, which smoothly switches between head and chest voice in a way similar to that of Rihanna and Lexie Liu. If you are a fan of these two artists or love citypop, you should certainly check out DeVita’s “EVITA!”

Divin’ “Siren”

The MV with the least amount of views on this list (less than 3,000 views at the time of writing this), Divin’s “Siren” deserves better. This song makes great use of synthesisers and has an addictive electronic beat. Divin’s singing is also very captivating, both smooth and desperate at the same time. The moments where he dramatically breathed in Michael Jackson-style between verses worked very well with the fast-paced beats. It is sad to see such a creatively executed track that sounded like the theme song to a Netflix sci-fi adventure series go completely unnoticed. If you want to feel like you are living in the world of TRON, Divin’s “Siren” is your type of song!

GEMINI “Going”

GEMINI is definitely an artist to keep an eye on if you are a K-RnB fan. “Going” is an extremely simple song - just the use of one processed guitar loop throughout the whole song (even in parts of the bridge), with some changes in the drums here and there. The whole MV also appeared to be quite low budget, just showing GEMINI going about his day - shaving, playing basketball, skateboarding and just straight up chilling. However, the song is carried by GEMINI’s emotive voice and smooth delivery to be easily one of the most enjoyable RnB songs this year and the simple MV made it feel like we were also there hanging out with this talented and carefree youth. If you love good K-RnB, “Going” is a must-listen song from 2020!

MADDOX “Sleep”

Some of you may have heard of MADDOX for his wild interview with DIVE STUDIOS but not as many of you listen to his music because this MV does not even crack 100,000 views (at the time of writing this). “Sleep” is lofi RnB gold, showcasing MADDOX’s crisp and somewhat melancholy tone. The instrumental is a mix of electronic guitar, synths and pianos, creating the atmosphere of a high-class hotel lounge, which is fitting as MADDOX anguishly croons through the hallways of a hotel. We know the song is “Sleep” but this song is certainly way too slept on. If you love the soothing RnB tunes of Crush and Zion.T, you should check out this song!

MINSEO “No Good Girl”

MINSEO is arguably one of the most talented female vocalists of this generation, able to easy alternate between genres and styles, from romani jazz to EDM, so it is frustrating to see her still so underrated. In “No Good Girl”, MINSEO returns to her ballad roots and demonstrates her skill in showing layers of emotions through her expert singing abilities. The song itself is also beautifully arranged and could easily be a primetime K-Drama OST that plays whenever the leads interact.  If you love vocal talent pure and simple and love coffee shop music, “No Good Girl” is the song for you!

Purple Rain “The King Must Die”

When one thinks of Korean rock bands, the tendency is to think of pop rock bands under FNC or other mainstream labels. Purple Rain reminds us to keep an eye on the harder, grittier rockers of South Korea. The song begins soft and controlled and slowly builds up with the entrance of the electric guitar solo. Upon reaching the chorus, the lead singer does a 180 in his delivery, belting with emotion and range and would alternate between his soft and harder vocals throughout the song. With the sound fit for an action blockbuster, “The King Must Die” is a song for those who love a powerful rock song!

Rad Museum “Wet Umbrella / This Night”

Rad Museum made the list last year its darker and emotive song “Dancing In the Rain” ft. Jusén, and returns this time with the much softer and dreamy mashup of two tracks “Wet Umbrella / This Night”. The unpredictable song progression and the light airy vocals lead to an oddly pleasant song. You feel like you are travelling with a squad of misfits in a disoriented world when listening to this song. If you are an enthusiast of music Spotify would classify as “escape room” (e.g. Daniel Caesar, Tyler the Creator, Childish Gambino etc.), you would love this song!

VINCE “EMERGENCY” ft. Zion.T

With YG’s The Black Label managing him and being the songwriter for various K-pop hits like Sunmi’s “Gashina” and BLACKPINK’s “Pretty Savage” and working on BLACKPINK Rosé’s upcoming solo releases, it is strange YG stans are not supportive of this RnB vocal king. VINCE has a smooth honey vocals that work perfectly with any RnB track and “EMERGENCY” is further elevated by its memorable chorus and the addition of the uniquely wonderful Zion.T. Yet somehow this MV has yet to crack 1 million since it was released in February 2020 (at the time of writing this). If you are a fan of K-RnB, you would love this song!

Xydo “Betting” ft. pH-1

This song is the definition of falsetto overload but in all the right ways. Xydo’s high-tone singing is perfect for this simple song driven by a snappy bass, hi-hat and clap. pH-1’s rap verse also added the fun to this already very playful song. The camera angles and set also elevate the classy and smooth vibe of the whole song. If you are a fan of Gray’s production style, you would also love this stylish RnB song by Xydo! 

Which non-idol songs do you think were underrated this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and let the song sharing begin!!!

#kpop #k-pop #kpop underrated #k-pop underrated #kpop 2020 #k-pop 2020 #davii #davii jamie cullum #devita #devita evita #divin' #divin' siren #gemini #gemini going #maddox #maddox sleep #minseo #minseo no good girl #purple rain #purple rain the king must die #rad museum #rad museum wet umbrella / this night #vince #vince emergency #xydo #xydo betting

[hanning-studies]

Chinese Music Recommendations

Hey everyone! I’ve been getting a lot more into Chinese music lately and I thought I could give you guys some recommendations since I know it can be a bit difficult to find artist if you don’t know where to start looking. I’m gonna give you a brief overview of the artists (and where you might know them from) and a few song recs (I linked all of the artists/songs on Spotifiy!). This is probably gonna be mostly hip hop / pop, so if you’re into that you can check out my post. 🌻

Also, if you have other recommendations or just want to talk about your favorite artist hmu, I really love talking about and finding new music!

陈粒 Chen Li - I don’t really know a lot about her but she mostly does ballads and slower songs, that still are very powerful. One of her songs was performed in QCYN2. Song recs: 易燃易爆炸, 情景剧

陈梓童 Tifa Chen - I recently started listening to her album and it’s absolutely awesome! Her older song focus more on singing while the newer ones combine rap and singing. Overall, she has a more pop kind of vibe but also a ballad here and there. She was the runner up for The Voice of China 2016, appeared in Rap of China 2018 and recently collaborated with Jonas Blue. Song recs: Hustle (this was in QCYN2), 我不需要男朋友

GAI - Honourable mention for GAI. I don’t listen to him a whole lot but he is super important in the Chinese hip hop scene. He was one of the first rappers to combine hip hop and elements of traditional Chinese music. Sometimes, he also raps in his native dialect. He was the winner of Rap of China 2017. Song recs: 火锅底料，虎山行

宫阁 GONG - Literally the cutest lil’ bean! He started out as a composer (eg. for TF Boys) and released his first album in 2016. His music is really creative and every song is different so it’s kinda hard to put him into one genre. There are often rap elements but he also has a lot of ballads (beautiful voice btw) or songs with more of a rock vibe. He appeared in Chao Yin Zhan Ji alongside Jony J. Song recs: My Name Is (put the YouTube video because this perfomance was top-notch), 我想你了, Tokyo

Jony J - He’s probably my favorite Chinese hip hop artists. You might know him from Rap of China 2017, Chao Yin Zhan Ji or from QCYN2 where he is a mentor. His latest album has a very relaxed, easy vibe (good as study music) and I must have listened to it a dozen of times by now. He also has interesting lyrics that are good for studying if you’re at an intermediate level. Song recs: 不用去猜，子弹口水 

Kris Wu - This is Kris Wu, do I even need to say anything about him? I don’t listen to him a lot but he has a few songs that I really like. Song recs: 天地，大碗宽面

Lexie Liu - She covers different genres (trap, pop, dancehall) with her music. The lyrics are often very personal and poetic. Because she studied abroad and is signed with the American label 88Rising, she uses a lot of English in her songs. Also participated in KPOP-Star 2015 and won fourth place in Rap of China 2018. Song recs: Mulan, Sleep Away

乃万 NINEONE - You probably know her from QCYN2 but you should also really check out her album “Dear X”. It’s has a really youthful vibe and is just really fun to listen to. Song recs: SENBEI, 22, Sugar free

VAVA - The Queen of Rap, dare I say. She got a lot of attention for reaching the 4th place of Rap of China 2017 and for her song My New Swag being featured on the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack. She has incredible rap skills and a very confident, cool attitude. Song recs: Intro, Lie, Life’ s a struggle, 网红

万妮达 Vinida - If you like VAVA, you’re probably also gonna like Vinida since they give off a similar vibe. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I also think she has interesting voice. She participated in Sing! China 2016 as well as Rap of China 2018. Song recs:  Queendom, 场上称霸

威神V Wayv - The Chinese sub unit of NCT, but you probably already knew that, right? They just make really good, catchy C-Pop. The lyrics are kinda hard to translate though. Song recs: Love Talk, Take Off, Moonwalk

#can you see that i love gong ge #also why was like everyone on this list on rap of china? #nineone participated as well and kris wu is a judge #chinese music #chinese pop #chinese songs #cpop #music rec #music recs #chinese hip hop #music recommendation #chinese langblr #chinese studyblr #mandarin #mandarin langblr #chinese #qcyn2 #youth with you #hanning studies

[thatguyniles]

Blog Post #1

Out of all the films we had to watch, Mid 90’s was the most interesting to me. I’m interested in learning to skate and the retro look has always been cool to me. It was also one of the only films to hold my full attention to the point where I rewatched scenes for my own pleasure. Long story short this movie is lit. One of the characters I most identified with would be Ray. 

In the skate shop, Ray explains how it is being black because Fourth Grade asks if it’s cool. Spoiler it’s pretty cool not gonna lie. Ray gives an example that I wasn’t expecting from the movie. He says when they skate in Beverly Hills, they already get looked at some type of way and people say they’re vandalizing and stuff, but it feels like it comes down harder on him. After hearing him say that it was apparent that I would probably relate to him the most since i’m a young black man, and have also felt that some instances the consequences are harder for myself. 

When Ruben is explaining to Stevie everyone's nicknames, he says that Ray doesn’t need one because he’s cool without one. I feel a similar way about nicknames. I don’t need a nickname to feel different or cooler because A) I’m already cool, and B) I feel like my name is cool and having a nickname would take away from who I am. Stevie also says that ray is cooler without a nickname. Ray’s friends obviously see him in a positive light, which is the same with mine (I hope). They’ve told me I’m a cool dude, even though I don’t see anything I do that makes me seem any cooler than the average guy. If I had to take a guess It’s probably how I carry myself, like Ray I come off as a chill, laid back kinda guy and I also have a knack for clowning on people. We both also question authority, whether it be demands or rules that are set in place.

 When Ray and his squad are posted up on the steps of a school, a security guard walks up and tells them that they gotta skidaddle before they get their asses beat. Of course in classic teen fashion they say no and start roasting his ass lmao. Ray and the guard get into an F-you match and Ray says “you smokin cigarettes on school property” and the guard says Jesus smokes cigarettes. Ray immediately claps back with “what kinda cigarettes he smoke”. The guard, caught off guard (pun intended) stumbles over his words and storms off. Long story short I’m a smart ass.

There are three common themes in the films we watched and they are, drugs, acceptance and alcohol. In Mid 90’s Stevie smokes cigarettes with Ruben because he wants to fit in. Ruben saying he should be more like him because he smokes, skates, and dips his pen in someone else’s ink *wink*probably gave Stevie more incentive to try and fit in within the group of skaters especially since it appears that Stevie is younger than Ruben is. In KIDS Telly steals a 40 and drinks it throughout the next scene. Later Telly is offered Whip its in one of his homeboys crib and does one, immediately feeling the high. Back to Mid 90’s, Fuck Shit gives Ruben and Stevie some of his ADD medication, much to the dislike of Ray. In the next scene the group goes to a party and Stevie is seen smoking weed with a girl he met that night. These themes are relatable to youth culture because teens and young adults are at a vulnerable point socially in life. 

Teens usually try to fit into groups that they see as popular or successful at that point in time.They try to feel accepted because they themselves are unsure of what they want to do or who they are. Humans are social creatures so not fitting in any group hits us hard mentally.

Now the part I’ve been looking forward to the most, a new soundtrack for Mid 90’s! I’m about to give you the greatest soundtrack ever just so you know. 

The first song I thought of was “There They Go”, a South african rapper named  Nasty C. This song in my opinion fits well in the scene where everyone is skating at the courthouse and the police arrive. Everyone scatters and I think the name of the song fits the situation well. The song just sounds like good chase music to me.

 Next is “Dr Birds”, by rap collective Griselda. This song fits more as an instrumental in the scene where Fuck Shit accidently hits Stevie’s older brother with his board during a trick. The two then stand face to face and Fuck Shit punks him making him walk off. The song gives off a standoff vibe and has a bell sound that reminds me of the standoffs from Dragonball Z right before a fight.

“Fubu” by rapper Royce Da 5’9” featuring Conway the machine comes to mind as soon as I saw the party scene. The song is from Royce’s album “The Allegory”, and like always he come with bars. The beat gives off a mischievous and sneaky vibe that I think would go along well with the low lit lighting and the weed they smoke since obviously they wouldn’t want anyone to know what’s happening here.

“Wish You Well” by rapper Amir Obe would fit perfectly during the scene when Stevie comes home high off the drugs he took before and after the party and runs from his brother around the house. The song has an intensity that isn’t too overpowering for the scene, even if only the beat is used.

“Kingdom Come” by Raury played in the back of my head when Ruben and Stevie were talking about nicknames. The song reminds me of togetherness with its calm mood and slower tempo. I think it works well when characters are connecting or expanding their relationship between one another.

“I’m Good Luv, Enjoy” by rapper Aaron May is a song I personally love to cruise to, so it’s only fitting I have it play during the scene when the group of skaters (and Stevie) are riding their boards down the street after Ray suggest they go skateboarding at the skate shop. The song would continue to play during the security guard interaction. The song has a good bounce along with the lyrics “I ain’t got time for you, get up out my face” work well because Ray gets in the guards face and clowns him which makes him leave. It reminds me of high school when me and my friends would crack jokes on the security guard at lunch.

“PTSD” by rap label Dreamville is a much better song to play when Ray and Stevie skate after his mother tells him he can’t hang with the skaters anymore. After his mom does her motherly duty Ray and Stevie have a heart to heart, and ray opens up about his younger brother who passed away. The song that actually plays during this scene is ass I’m not gonna lie. They needed to have me select the songs, Jonah Hill should cut me a check I’m just saying.

“Almeda” by Solonge is more of a joke selection. Don’t get me wrong the song is good, but if it were to play when Stevie downs a 40, that would be hilarious! Think about it as Steve chugs the bottle Solonge goes “pour my drank, sip, sip, sip,” lmao pure gold right there.

“Y U DON’T LOVE ME (MISS AMERIKKKA)” by Joey Bada$$ would play a little after Stevie gets drunk to Solonge. A lot happens in this scene and the trippy sound the beat has would complement Stevie and his impaired state especially when he gets into a fight with Ruben at a skatepark.

The final song I couldn’t decide between “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” by Nas, or “93 ‘Till Infinity” by Souls Of Mischief. These songs would play during Fourth Grade’s movie he was filming throughout the whole movie. The song that plays in the movie is an old school hip hop record, so I figured why not keep the similar sound, especially since he named the film wait for it….Mid 90’s.

You probably want to listen to this marvelous and swaggy soundtrack, oh what’s this a link to the soundtrack where did that come from. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0eFLRkG3KEgyMbWTGcJefn?si=RBLAKIsrTFqDLrsaLG_PSQ

[dailyexo]

[INTERVIEW] Baekhyun, Kai - 200128 Time: “Meet SuperM, the K-Pop Supergroup That Skyrocketed to the Top of the Billboard Charts”

"A palette of hair colors — aquamarine, silver, shades of gold — popped against monochrome clothing as the seven members of SuperM filed into a backstage room at Madison Square Garden. In a matter of minutes, the group from South Korea would take the stage for the first time at one of the biggest venues in the biggest city in the U.S. Outside on this Tuesday evening in November, enthusiasm buzzed for the newly formed K-pop supergroup, comprised of artists considered to be some of the best performers in the industry. Within two months of their debut, they had already hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart — the only K-pop act other than BTS to have topped the list — and attracted thousands at their shows from Forth Worth to Chicago.

The group’s ongoing North American tour, “We Are the Future,” began in November and continues through February, hitting 10 cities. In the moments before the group’s concert at the Garden, SuperM sat down with TIME to discuss, via a translator, their experience since the group’s launch in October.

“I feel like how we’re assembled itself is a very futuristic step that K-pop hasn’t ever seen before,” says Mark, the rapper from Canada and youngest member of SuperM. “Who knows what kind of road this may pave, but we just wanted to show how we can bring different elements together in one — and have that be expressed onstage in a powerful way.”

Assembling the “Avengers of K-pop”

Last summer, SM Entertainment, one of South Korea’s largest entertainment companies, and Capitol Records joined forces to announce the formation of what they referred to as “the Avengers of K-pop,” a group named SuperM. The act would feature members from SM’s boy groups SHINee, EXO, NCT 127 and WayV — each of which boasts a legion of fans that have powered them to the top of Asia’s music scene. “We keep describing them as ‘Avengers’ because I think that’s the best conceptual analogy that will immediately be understood by others,” SM’s A&R executive Chris Lee told Billboard at the time of the group’s launch. “Each Avenger has their own group and Iron Man has his own movie and Thor has his own but together they have an even greater synergy.”

The founder of SM, Lee Soo-man, selected the seven members himself. Taemin is a seasoned artist who debuted in his original group, SHINee, 11 years ago at the age of 14. Baekhyun and Kai hail from EXO — the first, a vocalist with an extensive range and a warm falsetto, and the second, an idol with tantalizing dance moves and even more tantalizing facial expressions. NCT 127’s leader Taeyong is joined by groupmate Mark, both of whom are powerhouse rappers with a knack for performing complex choreography. The lineup also includes two members from Chinese group WayV: Ten, the quadrilingual Thai artist with a honeyed tone, and Lucas, the deep-voiced rapper born in Hong Kong.

The seven artists hold one or more of the positions of “main dancer,” “main vocalist” or “main rapper” — terms used in K-pop to signal members with a central role in their respective specialties. As one team, they bring not only a vast armory of technical skills but distinctly charismatic personas honed through years of performing onstage — a major advantage for a “rookie” group.

Landing a No. 1 Album

The merging of fanbases played a substantial role in driving SuperM: The 1st Mini Album to the top of the Billboard 200. “All of us come from different teams that are already established and we already have our own careers, but us coming together on this album created this new synergy that was that much more attractive to not only our fans but also fans outside of our regular fanbases,” group leader Baekhyun explains. “They all came together in support of this album.”

The initial announcement of SuperM’s formation drew mixed reactions — some fans of individual acts expressed concern that this new project would lead to fewer resources dedicated to the existing groups. But those concerns were soon dwarfed by the significant wave of K-pop listeners across the fandoms of SHINee, EXO, NCT 127 and WayV whose enthusiasm was on display as they attended the tour and purchased the album in droves.

SM and Capitol released eight versions of the EP — one with each artist on the cover, plus one with the group — a packaging strategy often used in K-pop to incentivize album collection in the era of streaming. Besides the EP, a collection of merchandise was designed, each item with seven individualized versions. Each of the products was bundled with a digital album which fans could redeem, a move that would contribute to album sales counted toward Billboard charts. In total, more than 60 SuperM merchandise and album bundles were available. Bundling is nothing new in the American music scene — artists from Taylor Swift to Kanye West have taken the approach in past releases. But the high number of SuperM products that were offered was unusual, reflecting the marketing savvy of labels intent on getting their artists to the top.

Growing as Artists Through ‘We Are the Future’ Tour

The “We Are the Future” concert is a testament to SuperM’s ability to deliver cohesive performances as a new team, while holding their own as individual players. “In addition to our group stages as SuperM, we also showcase our solo stages,” says Baekhyun. “That’s when each member’s distinct music styles and performance aspects shine.” Later in the evening, for the group leader’s individual stage, he sang the groovy tracks “UN Village” and “Betcha” from his solo album. A smooth flick of the jacket and snapping of the fingers every few measures accentuated the vocalist’s relaxed gait, as Baekhyun found the groove in the rhythms of the R&B melodies.

“When I watch him sing and how he vocalizes, his breathing patterns — I feel like I’m taking a vocal lesson,” says Taemin of his bandmate. Mark nods enthusiastically. “Vocal instructor,” he chimes in, gesturing toward Baekhyun with his arm as the singer timidly mouths “thank you.” But it’s not just the SuperM leader’s individual performance that offers instructional value. As the seven artists prepared for the “We Are the Future” concert, a teacher-student relationship was layered onto their brotherhood.

“Me, Taemin hyung and everyone here have different styles of dancing and how we represent ourselves on stage, so when I look at them on stage, I get the tips and tricks,” Ten says, referring to Taemin with the term for “older brother” in Korean. SuperM includes some of the dancers widely acknowledged to be the best in K-pop, but each has a distinct way of executing choreography and freestyling, as displayed through their individual performances. Ten, in a mostly white ensemble, elegantly spun and glided onto the floor while dancing to his songs “Dream in a Dream” and “New Heroes.” Meanwhile, Taemin, dressed in all black with a mesh button-down shirt , sharply hit and twisted his body to the electronic beats of “Danger” and “Goodbye.” Kai, another highly skilled dancer, delivered a combination of soft body rolls and hard pops as animated flames lit up in the backdrop during the rapper-vocalist’s hip-hop solo “Confession.”

“I’ve learned a variety of traits from them and I combine them to create new techniques,” Lucas says, in Chinese, of the group’s senior members. For his solo performance, the Hong-Kong born artist confidently swayed to the drumbeats of the whimsical track “Bass Go Boom.” Although his speciality is rap, Lucas is simultaneously sharpening his vocal skills. “Baekhyun hyung sometimes teaches me to sing,” he says. Mark, grinning from ear to ear as he watched Lucas communicate in Chinese, jumps in and repeats “chang ge!” the Chinese word for “sing.”

On stage, Mark shed his youthful energy in favor of a more mature persona as he performed his solo rap “Talk About.” With whoops and claps, the rapper engaged the crowd and displayed the poise of someone who, at just 20 years old, has spent years making the stage his home. The other main rapper, Taeyong, exhibited his captivating stage presence in the track “GTA.” Wearing a glittery mask for the first segment, Taeyong showcased his ability to pack drama in his rap with vocal intonations and body movements alone.

Their Future as a Supergroup

In the months between the two legs of the tour, the seven members traveled globally for activities outside of SuperM. Baekhyun and Kai returned to Seoul for the release of their group EXO’s new album. Taeyong and Mark left New York after the November concert, only to fly back the next week to perform in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as NCT 127. Ten and Lucas visited cities from Bangkok, Thailand to Shenzhen, China for WayV’s “fan meetings.” Taemin, whose SHINee bandmates are in the military, is working on a solo album scheduled to drop in March.

On Jan. 30, the artists will come together once again as SuperM and tour cities from San Diego to Vancouver. All eyes, no doubt, will remain on the act as it strives to become a major player in the music scene beyond South Korea.

Photo links: 1

Credit: Time.

#EXO #EXO K #Baekhyun #Kai #200128 #p:news #t:news #fs:time #comeback:Obsession