#lyrics are from excalibur by kingdom

[darkbluekies]

Songs that remind me of my OCs

...with little to no explanation :) sometimes it's the lyrics, sometimes the genre, but overall just the vibe I get from the song.

There's a lot of kpop on Hedwig’s part because I'm sure that if she was a real person she'd be a kpop Stan.

This is where I expose my music taste

Silas:

Blinding lights — the weeknd

Goin' down — three days grace (all their songs fit him)

Criminal — corbyn

You and I — aryia

Sober — big bang

Red lights — stray kids

Blood // water — grandson

Mr saxobeat — alexandra stan

Mamma Mia — måneskin

Meant to be yours — Heather the musical (the entire musical makes me think of him???)

Dr Kry

Fairytale — Alexander rybak

Let's kill tonight — panic at the disco

Happy pills — weathers

Teeth — 5sos

Without me — dayseeker

Golden days — panic at the disco

Run away — or3o

Welcome home — or3o

Nicotine — panic at the disco

I ain't perfect — iv of spades

Stand out fit in — one ok rock

Lover of mine — 5sos

Ferrari — Isaac Dunbar

L-o-v-e — nat king cole

King edmund

Masquerade — Eric saade (literally created the one-shot that created Edmund)

Illusion — kingdom

Excalibur — kingdom

Ascension — kingdom

Long live the king — kingdom

The song of Dann (promise) — kingdom

Black crown — kingdom

The bidding — tally hall

Permanent vacation — 5sos

Mary on a cross — ghost

Forever (in my mind) — malinda

Don't light my fire — dreamcatcher

Kill the lights — set it off

Black fire — megagonefree

Cooler than me — Mike posner

Jerry

Ex's & oh's — elle king

Bouncy — ateez

Va va voom — Nicki minaj

God sent me as karma — emlyn (her entire discography reminds me of Jerry)

Lovelost — margø

Go hard — twice

Tomboy — gidle

Beauty full — dreamcatcher

If u seek amy — Britney spears

Take a hint — victorious

Strut — emeline

Blow — kesha

If you were a woman (and I was a man) — Bonnie tyler

Hedwig

Something in the water — boys world

Promise me — natewantstobattle

Hotel — Claire rosinkranz

Love foolish — twice (lots of their discography fits hedwig)

I'm good — David guetta

Hi high — loona

Boys like you — itzy

Up! — kep1er

Habibi (my love) — faouzia

Pick me — produce 48

Girl's girl — emlyn

Super model —måneskin

Back in vogue — aleXa

Deja vu — triples (krystal eyes)

Cherry talk — triples (Krystal eyes)

Nee look — triples

#yandere #yandere ocs #yandere oc

[we-survive-endlessly]

For the ask game: #1 with kingdom! They've got such banger b-sides and I wanna know your take

Also, #20: in your opinion, what are the top five must know songs from NCT. I am of a curious nature and like to keep my hand in 😄

Oooohhhh okay let’s think about these lol

1) Top 3 Songs for Kingdom?

Okay so their title tracks are usually my favorite lol just because I LOVE the theatrics, so my faves would be:

1) Long Live The King

2) Excalibur

3) The other title tracks tied for third 😂

BUT, you are correct and their b-sides are absolutely incredible too so my top three b-sides would probably be:

1) The Song of Dann (Promise)

2) Burn

3) Love is Pain

20) In your opinion, what are the top five must know songs from NCT?

This one is so HARD omg. I’m gonna pick non title tracks for these I think, cuz they never get as much love as the title tracks but are so good. I’m also gonna give 6 songs just because I want each of the main three subunits to have two songs here:

1) End to Start by NCT 127 - This is my favorite 127 song. The atmosphere it creates is just wow.

2) Far by NCT 127 - We all know I’m a sucker for a good synth and a rising bassline. Also the vocals go OFF.

3) Love Again by NCT Dream - The second verse is my absolute favorite. Like the melody and instrumental when Jisung comes in is so goooodddd.

4) Rainbow by NCT Dream - Beautiful vocals and they wrote lyrics about their memories growing up together? My EMOTIONS

5) Only Human by WayV - This is so beautiful and the melodic rapping is so nice. I listen to this when I’m in my feels.

6) Everytime by WayV - This was actually released for a soundtrack and it’s my favorite WayV song to date!

#that was WAY harder than I thought it would be lmao #I’m always down to give nct recs tho! #nct #nct 127 #nct dream #wayv #kingdom #Rae’s recs #Rae’s recreation #mac⭐️💛 #Hey look I had mail

[seokmthw]

OMG OMG I JUST READ THE RICKY ROYALTY AU IM IN SHAMBLES?? that was amazing I LOVEDDD IT it reminded me of kingdom's promise mv (I ALSO NOTICED UR TITLE ITS FROM EXCALIBUR RIGHT??) haha hi fellow kingme!!! if u ever expand on the fic i will be SEATED.

WOAH YOU UNDERSTOOD THE REFERENCE?? i'll actually cry i feel like it's hard to meet any kingme lately! there was inspo from both the promise mv and the excalibur mv and was based off the lyrics of last flower :)

BUT HI FELLOW KINGME! they're my ult group so i had to do something based off of their lore/songs for sure! who do you bias :o

#tiff talks

[haesunflower]

Omg yes, he's actually really cute and funny but I feel like he's also so mature and kind and always tries his very best to take care of the people he loves and make everyone feel comfortable. He's just a little bit older than me but he has a really nice way of speaking his thoughts and put them into song lyrics, it's like he has a young but old soul that makes him so reliable and overall just a really good person to be around of. This is something most people tend to ignore with idols, they just look at the first impression on their personality but never actually try to see how this person talks to other people or the way they act towards them (a good example would be Stray Kids' Lee Know, who always seems like a cold and mean guy, but it's actually so caring and has the softest spot for his members and cats)

aaaa sorry for all that rambling, I just love him so much 😭💖

omg I'm loving this; so, they have a king concept and every member represents an actual king from history whose story they develop on each comeback. Mujin is the King of Cherry Blossoms (his kingdom would basically be Japan) and their last comeback (on march) was actually his era, so I'll start by saying Dystopia.

They're not your usual group that tries to follow s certain trend on every comeback, they have a unique kind of music that goes so well with their concept. Their title tracks have a traditional charm to them, according to the history time of each king, so you won't find two songs that are alike.

Their previous comeback last year was Louis' era, the King of aesthetic/beauty, the title track was Long Live the King, he's probably the most modern one out of them.

Dann (the King of Change) actually has two songs, Ascension (the title track) and Promise. The second one has an mv too, but I'd recommend having a tissue box nearby.

Ivan's (King of Snow) song, Black Crown; Chiwoo's (ex member, King of Clouds) Karma and Arthur's (King of Rain) Excalibur. Those are the title tracks and eras so far, it's easier to tell you those but their other songs are really good as well (the ones that are coming to my mind right now are Picasso, Night Air, Blinder and Love is Pain)

Sorry for making this so long, I didn't meant to 🥲 I'm actually really bad at recommending and explaining stuff so I hope that helps a tiny little bit.

Once again, I'm really, really thankful for your cute little Mujin texts!! 💖💖

I will DEFINITELY drop by your inbox once I am able to listen to all your recos! Kingdom’s lore is so intricate omg I love groups with really strong branding and concepts

so excited to learn more about them! and thank you for taking the time to explain hehe much appreciated!!

[honeyroha]

So I wanted to get my Kingdom timeline theory and general theories/observations sorted out before Mujin's mv comes out.

This is also primarily Excalibur and Black Crown. Personally I think Ascension, Promise and Long Live The King are all fairly straight forward. As for Karma I do think it's also straight forward but, the music video itself is mostly dancing and Chiwoo being tied up. I think any theory crafting or anything for this one will have to come mostly from the lyrics and frankly I've never been good at that so I'll leave Karma up to other people

HOK 1

Excalibur Teaser 1 (Meteor Ver) :09 Electric sounds :19 Some type of magic when he hits Excalibur on the ground

Excalibur MV Teaser :03 Is that a geyser?

Excalibur :43 Something going on with Ivan's staff that includes electricity 1:11 They've got a general overarching motif with circles/the moon/the sun 1:33 I think this shows that Jahan found Arthur first. Arthur seems lost and like he doesn't know what's going on or that he's in danger before Jahan grabs him and runs away with him. 1:59 There's still some smoke edited in but not nearly as much as the 3rd teaser for some reason 2:10 Dann is very calm about Arthur's kingdom burning around them 2:34 Arthur looks back for Jahan's approval not Dann's. Arthur looks back at Dann but they don't share a nod like Arthur and Jahan do Dann just seems to be preparing himself. Also Dann's makeup here makes him look like he's crying 3:23 Arthur raises Excalibur up, lighting starts at the hilt, he hits Excalibur to the ground, lightning is through the blade of the sword, lightning starts sporadically all around them, he pushes the sword into the ground again and lightning flows through the sword again. Both of those times also lines up with the others moving in the choreo. Something magical then peters off into flames around the sword when he swings it. He stabs himself with electricity still hitting around them. 4:09 He got Excalibur at some point while in the desert wearing the white clothes

We know the dance holds a lot of meaning for all their songs and on the whole I'm not good at figuring out what they mean but I feel like I've got something here. 3:03 and on we've got Dann falling back onto a bunch of swords, Arthur stabbing himself with Excalibur and all the members falling to the ground. That got me thinking about the timeline for this music video specifically.

Arthur finding Excalibur is first, Something happens and all the other kings either die or almost die and Arthur sacrifices himself to save them, Arthur somehow is brought back and finds his kingdom very different from how he left it and that's where Jahan finds him, the shots of the other members were either of them dealing with things without Arthur or them all regrouping after they found out he's back, Dann shows him what his kingdom has become, possibly one of the members returns Excalibur to him, then they set off together

HOK2

Karma Teaser 3 :17 Is there actually something to Chiwoo tied up being overlayed on Louis?

HOK3

Black Crown MV Teaser :17 The lightning is back

Black Crown :29 Chaos Chiwoo is tied up and it seems like we're looking at him through some kind of reflection? that's getting broken up by drops of water :30 Chaos Mujin with the hands through the wall. I've seen other people speculating they're the 108 spirits. 1:16 Dann is arguing with everyone but is mostly talking to Arthur through all of this. Arthur doesn't look away while him and Chiwoo are fighting. Arthur and Chiwoo stop fighting, Jahan is holding Chiwoo back, Louis and Mujin are bickering and Dann is still arguing with everyone. Jahan is the one who picks it up and gives? it to Ivan 1:20 Chiwoo reaches for it and Arthur stops him, Dann and Jahan also react to pull him away 1:30 There are multiple people with Chaos Dann here all on their knees around him and at 1:38 He is on his knees with them standing around him 2:56 Is this another place that they implied Mujin has magic and if so he can do a lot of different things 3:27 Fate Dann and Chiwoo are the only other Fate versions we see lying on the ground besides Fate Ivan when he dies. Is this implying that Dann and Chiwoo also let go of their Fate halves? Or from 3:27-3:35 can it be implied that they either already have or partially have done away with their Fate selves and Fate Jahan is helping to bring them back? I know I'm not wording this thought quite right

HOK5

Long Live The King 1:48 This shot is in reverse 1:52 Is normal again

Timeline 1 Karma > Excalibur > Black Crown > LLTK. Ascension and Promise don't fit yet. The events of Promise happen before and during Ascension while Ascension is during and after Promise Whatever they were running from in Karma led to them putting Arthur into his sleep/dying then I think there's a gap here. Something happened after Arthur regained his throne that led them/Ivan to believing they/he needed the Black Crown.

Timeline 2 Just adds Ascension and Promise Karma > Excalibur > Promise > Ascension > Black Crown > LLTK. This fully depends on how much you believe the last point I made about Black Crown. If Chiwoo and Dann truly do either fully or partially let go of their fate selves I can only see that making sense after the events of their music videos where they have already lost everything.

#Kingdom #I went a little crazy the other night and finally got around to cleaning it up #Please let me know what you think about any of it

[kingdomtual]

okay so here comes the big nerd energy! If you want to see my personal analysis of the Kingdom lyrics and theories for their title tracks then you can check it out below. I promise you I’ve written way too much but hopefully you’ll find some enjoyment in it :)

So, history of kingdom...we know they’re all vaguely connected in some way. They all live in the same world, different lands, different styles, and sometimes some MAGIC? But what’s really going on!

Well, I can only theorize LOL so take my words with a grain of salt. And me showing you all the similarities between the lyrics doesn’t mean that the songs are the same or telling the same story, it’s really just making some comparisons to show how these stories may intertwine in their world!

Let’s start at the beginning: Excalibur. 

Excalibur is pretty simple compared to the other songs, because it repeats lyrics pretty often, but there’s a lot of interesting phrases used in the verses.

Excalibur clearly depicts a world that has suffered greatly, and is going to change for the better as they take hold of their destiny. It mentions ‘A new world’ and ‘taking hold of destiny’ and ‘history starts with us’. So, it almost feels like a rebirth for the kings in this song, but also because it was their debut song you can say it might just be the introduction to this new world they’ve created in the kingdom lore. 

Excalibur, unlike the other songs, is very triumphant and powerful at the end. Arthur wins, he beats the bad guys, he gets his throne. This is the only time we’ve actually seen a king become established in his kingdom, instead of losing their kingdom. Food for thought.

My current running theory for Excalibur is that Arthur’s story is actually the end. All the kings have lost everything up until that moment (even Arthur didn’t have his throne until the end so what happened before?) and then they band together with Arthur and take everything back, all of them restored as heroic kings.

It’s a big theory, not much ground for it really other than Arthur’s story being so different from the others so far, but it’s fun to think about!

Regardless, we do know Arthur has suffered loss (he lost his crown somehow before the events of the MV) and was constantly in danger before he retook what was lost.

Now, Karma. Truly this song is one of my top favorites, I love it so much, and there is soooo much going on in the lyrics. It shares a lot with Excalibur and Ascension, I think, but most especially Ascension.

Karma frequently mentions destiny, like Excalibur does. Of course this destiny seems a bit more rebellious, but that’s kind of the tone of the song in general.

But the similarities with Ascension are quite frequent. 

There’s the idea of losing one’s memories over time: 

Karma:  Inside the lost memories, This is the dazzling Shangri-la

Ascension: The memories slowly fading, The blue light that gently shines around

Feels very similar to me. And in general, Ascension and Karma share a similar theme of being betrayed by their kingdom- however, Chiwoo’s kingdom is lost due to his own negligence, while I believe Dann’s kingdom was lost because of some bigger betrayal that may be revealed later.

We see this because in Karma the lyrics say things like ‘Holding onto my destiny, With my back turned to the world, I’m runnin’ runnin’ runnin’”. So, there destiny shows up again, which makes sense because I think the kingdom storyline is filled with fate and destiny, but Chiwoo’s chapter makes it pretty clear that he ended up choosing a path that led to the loss of his kingdom. 

Whereas in Dann’s chapter there are many lyrics like, ‘All the arrows with resentment are pointing at me’ and ‘A glance between narrow bars, I see all the enemies coming’, etc. There are a lot of words like ‘resentment’ ‘despair’ and ‘condemnation’ that I think make it pretty clear that Dann was betrayed by his people. There’s even the term ‘rebelled’ so it may have actually been a total coup that took Dann’s kingdom. But we still see the similarities between Chiwoo and Dann. Here are some more that I find very interesting:

Karma: ‘Behind this overwhelming despair, glory shines’

Ascension: ‘All the seeds of despair, wake up’

Karma: ‘Open the door to the air that endlessly pushes over’

Ascension: ‘When the gray sky door opens, wake me up’

Karma: ‘In this eternal wait, a flower blooms’

Ascension: ‘One beautiful day, the flower blooms splendidly’

Lots of similar ideas and imagery in their lyrics. The sky door and door to the air are especially interesting to me, but there’s lots of flower imagery, too.

But let’s not forget the incredible Black Crown. I think Black Crown has a unique energy to it that makes it stand out from the other three. Whereas Arthur’s song is triumphant, Chiwoo’s song is tragic and a bit rebellious, and Dann’s song is sorrowful and powerful, Ivan’s song has this tone of desperation and wickedness. 

All the kings have some idea in their title songs about doing whatever they must to protect what they love/their kingdom, etc. But Ivan is truly willing to risk it all for an actual curse and the ability to ‘run the world’. I’m gonna say that he’s the only one that we truly see take an ‘evil’ route, if you will.

We have the two factions ‘White Kingdom’ and ‘Black Kingdom’, or I like to call them ‘Fate’ and ‘Chaos’ Kingdoms. They both want the notorious (and cursed) black crown.

The Chaos Kingdom is fallen, and the Fate Kingdom are currently reigning. Fate Ivan makes a choice, maybe out of naivety or just not wanting to lose, to go and take the crown for himself (despite seeing how it’s already tearing apart his team as they argue about it) but this is what begins it all. Chaos Ivan wants to be restored to power, too. That crown holds the key. And so the ‘civil war’ between these two factions begins, and of course ends with Chaos taking the crown.

This is also the second time we’ve seen magic involved in the story. The first time, of course, being Excalibur where it appears that Louis and Ivan have some sort of magical abilities. So, to me, it makes sense that we see Ivan in a magical setting once again.

So, anyway, what about the lyrics? They’re top tier. Let’s dive in!

I think comparatively, most of the lyrics have similarities to Karma. There’s a lot of phrases about being ‘punished’ for what they’re choosing to do, and obviously I compared the second verse in the beginning of the song to Ascension (’Inside the prison without bars...’) but I think a lot of it stands on its own because of the vibe it has. Still! There are some interesting points so let’s check it out:

Excalibur: Destiny in my hands, this fantasy will spread out

Black Crown: We’ve got the crown, like an enormous spreading legacy

To me this is very similar because like Arthur taking hold of his destiny and following it, he’s causing his power and influence to grow. They term it ‘fantasy’, but that’s how I see it more. For Ivan, ownership of the crown is what causes his power/influence to grow. Same vibe to me.

Karma: I must handle everything for the things that are precious to me

Black Crown: I choose suffering over the loneliness that overwhelms

Black Crown has this whole theme of choosing the most dangerous option in order to avoid losing what’s important to him (Ivan), or losing the world, or being alone. It’s actually so tragic, but Karma also shares a lot of these themes. However, for Ivan I think it’s far different than it was for Chiwoo. Fate Ivan presumably had it all going on, he seemed to have himself a castle and was ruling to some degree but he needed the black crown to ensure Chaos Ivan didn’t ‘run the world’ and take what he had gained. Chaos Ivan needed that Crown so he wouldn’t continue suffering in his loneliness. 

Karma and Black Crown also make mention of ‘mercy’ and it’s similar but not. 

Karma: I’ll protect it with my whole body, with this cruelly heavy mercy

Black Crown: No Mercy

Karma’s mention about mercy is how it’s so cruel to him, but mercy isn’t…cruel by nature? But because of his own rebellious nature, he sees it that way. For Black Crown, of course it’s much easier to understand LOL They’re taking the crown, and taking no prisoners.

And of course I mentioned ‘punishment’. 

Karma: I’m ready, I can’t deny this punishment

Black Crown: Get wild, until I get punished by heaven

Both are willing to take any level of punishment to get what they want. ‘Consequences be damned’ and all that. 

And now onto Ascension, although I’ve already talked a bit about it so I will keep this short: I think Acension shares a lot with Karma, like I mentioned, but also a lot with Excalibur.

The main thing that sticks out to me (and any Kingmaker) is Ivan’s iconic ‘Open the Gate’, which is also their greeting. It all started with Arthur’s era, and it felt like he was opening the door to a new beginning, but also it felt like, ‘Open the gate, let’s get this started. Let’s fight.’ There’s determination behind it.

And Ascension holds that same level of determination in the phrase. Right after Ivan’s ‘Open the Gate’, Dann begins calling ‘Open the door, open the door’, almost as if challenging anyone to enter. At this point, I feel, Dann was ready for the fight that he knew would be inevitable. Instead of being afraid, or anxious, or sad, he knew he was going to have to be strong and stand up. He wasn’t going to cower before the enemies coming towards him. He knew things were dire, but he also knew he wasn’t going to just stand by. 

It’s a powerful phrase, and I think any time we hear it in future songs that it will remain just as powerful! 

Let me finish off with lyrical comparisons to the newest addition to History of Kingdom. I won’t go into anymore lore talk, because I’ve done enough of that LOL Here are some:

Ascension: Remember the engravement on my bruised heart

Karma: Endless time gets deeply nailed into my heart

Acension: I’ll protect you, I’ll miss you

Karma: I’ll protect it with my whole body

Ascension: I’ll be tied in a thorny bush when the castle walls burn

Excalibur: Embrace the scars that have deeply dug in like sharp thorns

And the final bit I’ll do here is put my favorite parts that I think fully sum up the heart of each song, so you can kinda see the similarities there. Thanks for following me through all of the nonsense of my brain <3 I wish this had been more concise, but I’m terrible at that.

Excalibur: 

History starts with us

The world must go on properly

The color is getting clear

Put away all fear

Bow before the closed castle gate and swear

Karma:

I’m dumping out all of my longing for the world

Spit out your weak fears

I must handle everything for the things that are precious to me

I’ll protect it with my whole body

With this cruelly heavy mercy

Black Crown:

A mysterious defeat cannot exist

Rather than losing the world, I would become a monster

I choose suffering over the loneliness that overwhelms

The evil power of necessity given to me

Ascension:

Pale moon,

Remember the engravement on my bruised heart

Knife of condemnation

Don’t forget my royal command

#kingdom #arthur #dann #mujin #louis #ivan #chiwoo #jahan #if anyone actually reads this I'll be shocked LOL #hok theory

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

Okay, so there's this guy called Gary Hughes, maybe he is very popular, maybe not, I am the worst at music and I don't understand music genres, but wikipedia defines his music hard rock.

Gary Hughes, in 2003 created two arthurian albums. Not only there are arthurian songs, but different singers have different roles, so... this is like a hard rock arthurian musical!

The characters are: Arthur (Gary Hughes), Guinevere (Lana Lane), Lancelot (Danny Vaughn), Morgana (Irene Jansen), Merlin (Bob Catley), Galahad (Sean Harris), Nimue (Sabine Edelsbacher) and Mordred (Doggie White), plus King Aelle (D. C. Cooper) and two narrators (Harry Hess for cd2 and Damian Wilson for cd1).

The cd follows a chronological order, so ALBUM I has the start and the betrayal of Guinevere and Lancelot:

01. Excalibur (lyrics, youtube) - a general song about the mythos and Excalibur and what is going to come in the album. 02. Dragon Island Cathedral (lyrics, youtube, King Arthur) - Arthur sings of the start of his kingdom from taking the sword in the stone 03. At the End of Day (lyrics, youtube, Arthur and Guinevere) - romance song 04. The Reason Why (lyrics, youtube, Lancelot) - Lancelot being sad because of love 05. Shapeshifter (lyrics, youtube, Morgana) - Morgana shapeshifting, probably seducing Arthur? 06. King for a Day (lyrics, youtube, Merlin) - Merlin lamenting that he cannot be king and revive the Old Gods 07. Avalon (lyrics, youtube, Lancelot) - Lancelot really loves Guinevere 08. Sinner (lyrics, youtube, Galahad) - Galahad accusing Guinevere of being a sinner 09. In Flames (lyrics, youtube, Merlin) - I think Merlin here talks about Guinevere betrayal as well, as he talks about how the time has come and the crime is done 10. Lies (lyrics, youtube, Arthur) - and in fact here Arthur sings about how Guinevere betrayed him and lied to him

Now album II is all about Arthur' fall:

01. Kill the King (lyrics, youtube, Aelle) - the Saxon king really wants to see Arthur dead 02. There by the grace of the gods (lyrics, youtube, Arthur) - Arthur feels like he is slowly failing and losing the battle 03. Still Love You (I Still Do) (lyrics, youtube, Arthur) - Arthur still loves Guinevere :(  04. Oceans of Tears (lyrics, youtube, Gunevere) - Guinevere makes a decision 05. Rise from the Shadows (lyrics, youtube, Morgana) - Morgana is ready to get her revenge 06. Believe Enough to Fight (lyrics, youtube, Merlin, Nimue) - Nimue has probably more strength than Merlin to work for the old gods of Britain 07. The Hard Way (lyrics, youtube, Mordred) - Arthur is going down! 08. The Pagan Dream (lyrics, youtube, Nimue) - You see, I am not sure here if Nimue is for or against Arthur. I like to think that Nimue got ride of Merlin to take for herself the rebirth of the old Briton’s gods (but then, Arthur says “for the gods”, so I am not sure( 09. Demon Down (lyrics, youtube, Mordred) - Mordred at Camlann 10. Deius (Instrumental) 11. Without You (lyrics, youtube, Galahad) - Galahad here has the role of Bedivere... but... you know... if you want to pretend he is singing about Mordred... like I do, you can 12. Once and Future King (lyrics, youtube) - the epilogue

Regarding personal preference, Nimue for me had the best songs and voice, but I love “Kill the King” so much that I listen to it to motivate me to clean my house and exercise. I also adore all the songs by Mordred and Morgana, and I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT Lancelot’s voice is great. 

#merlin #mordred #morgana #king arthur #guinevere #lancelot #aelle #arthur #nimue #galahad #once and future king #music #gary hughes

[saltypicks]

reviewing february’s comebacks

Eat My Love, BIBI

Didn't like it on the first play, liked it subsequently. Now it's meh.

Cinema, CIX

Pleasant.

Doesn't Make Sense, Daybreak ft. Heize

It really makes no sense that I knew this would be a sleepy coffeeshop type of song and I still went ahead to listen to it. And why is it so long?

Can We Talk Again, PURPLE KISS

I tried my best to like this song, listening to it over and over. Now it just sends me running whenever I hear it.

GOOD GIRL, HyunA

Initial impression: I prefer I'm Not Cool to be honest. Now: Still prefer I'm Not Cool. This song could have made it higher in my opinion if it wasn't for that chorus.

Home, Gaho

Sorry Gaho but my monthly ballad quota has been filled.

Forever, aespa

This is nothing but a lullaby. Even the video sends me to sleep.

Wrap Me In Plastic, MOMOLAND, Chromance

People were talking about the lyrics being creepy, and they kind of are, but the song is catchy. I like it.

Sugar, Kim Woo Seok (UP10TION)

Love the aesthetics of the MV. The song is pleasant too, much like CIX's Cinema.

Tiger, Ravi ft. Chillin Homie, Kid Milli

The singer in the back is not credited. Why is she not named? She's the one saving this song from being just another rap song. Well really it's the chorus and the traditional instruments, but still.

Alien, Han (Stray Kids)

Initial impression: I'm sorry but I can't even remember how this one went. Now: At least now I remember the 'I'm an alien on this earth' line?

Runner, Raiden, Baekhyun, Changmo, T1

Really like the vibe of this song.

You're My Destiny, D1CE

Sorry, but no.

Corny Love Song, JYP & Yoyomi

Rated [N] for a solid no.

One in a Million, Mark Tuan and Sanjoy

I can't focus on anything else but what they have processed his voice into.

Silent Boarding Gate, Jun (SEVENTEEN)

Hmmm. Nice? I like it because it's in Chinese (Mandarin?) but I doubt I'll play it.

Way Home, TXT

There is a reason I forgot this was even a thing. BigHit, really?. The minisode 1 mini had Ghosting and Wishlist on it and you chose to promote this instead?

Bicycle, Chungha

Initially: Chungha wtf. Now: Still don't like the verses, and the dance break in the MV was pointless in my opinion, but I will sing along whenever this comes on. Progress.

ZERO:ATTITUDE, Soyou, IZ*ONE, pH-1

This is pretty nice for a CF. The verses are forgettable but things get a bit better in the chorus. I love the chant -- very catchy and also great to sing along to. The rap really wasn't needed, especially because I have no memory of it after the song ends.

Paranoia, Kang Daniel

Everything was building up just fine until the chorus came in. It's an okay song, but as something that sounds like it's meant for Halloween it should have been more than this.

Hero, Lucy

Not bad, but this can't top Snooze as a title track. Stove (one of the b-sides for this mini) is better.

gimme gimme, NCT 127

Initially: I lost hope in NCT after the mess that was Resonance, so nothing can disappoint me any more. I like the verses and the chorus because of that weird industrial-like sound in the back, but the prechorus where everything slows down just so the vocalists can do their job is very annoying. SM did that with Punch and Kick It, and I don't appreciate it. It's OK, I guess. I think I like it more than a lot of people -- it's very similar to Chain. Now: They look so fine in the video! The song grew on me, what a surprise.

DOOM DOOM TA, TRI.BE

A nice song but it doesn't really stand out for a debut, maybe watching the MV will change my mind (edit: it didn't). Their b-side Loca is much more interesting to me, even if it is a 90%-off version of BLACKPINK's Pretty Savage.

Excalibur, KINGDOM

Love the MV and the concept but the song is lacking, it's okay I guess.

Good Bye, Kwon Jin Ah

Usually I stay away from Korean ballads unless someone recommends one because they usually sound the same. This was a recommendation too and I'm happy to say I love this song. Once in a while a ballad will impress me and this one has. It might not appeal to anyone who is picky about their ballads but I love this mostly because her voice is so pleasant to listen to. It's the same way I love Chen's Hello even if it is the standard kpop ballad.

God Damn, I.M (MONSTA X)

Sounds like regular trap rap to me.

Beautiful Sunday, M.O.N.T (Narachan)

Nice sounding thing not for me.

Encore, GOT7

zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Don't Call Me, SHINee

Honestly sounds like an NCT song to me, I like it though.

Clicker, J.DON (N.Flying)

OK.

TAIL, SUNMI

Queen, when is the album release please?

All Or Nothing, WEi

Nothing.

WINGS, PIXY

Nice name, nice concept. Where's the nice song?

Beautiful Beautiful, ONF

It is interesting how I don't even stan this group but I always look forward to their comebacks because quality. This song really just swooped in and stole the award for song of the month. I will humbly reflect on my actions and promise to show you a better side of me by stanning ONF like I should.

Runway, ATO6

This is a really, really great song. The video is minimalist but still interesting. I hope we get more music like this from these guys.

Too Good, IMLAY ft. Chenle (NCT)

I liked the song IMLAY released featuring YangYang and I like this too.

Breathe, Golden Child

Like it better than their title track.

Lose, WONHO

It's really cool that Wonho is able to come back even after a scandal and still release quality music.

Oh! That Girl, C.T.O

No idea who these guys are but they have a great song.

Breaking Dawn, The Boyz

Why does kpop ruin everything with chorus drops?

#reviews #february #kpop reviews #saltypicks

[sabakunoai]

RULES: LIST 10 SONGS YOU’VE BEEN LISTENING TO AND TAG 10 PEOPLE

I was tagged by @nashilena , thank you! 💗

1. Someone You Loved

CRUSHES MY HEART. "I let my guard down, and then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved." or "I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain..." #braime

2. Mortals & Fools

One of my favourite songs from the musical "Death Note" by Frank Wildhorn. Rem, a God of Death, singing in a duet with Misa, a human girl with whom she slowly falls in love with, that love is only for mortals and fools. #poetic #ironic

3. Hands of Gold

Peter Hollens cover. I love this song.

4. Speechless

The only part I really liked about the new "Aladdin" movie were Jasmine's scenes. This song was the absolute best sequence of the whole movie imo.

5. Apex Predator

Cool song from the musical "Mean Girls".

6. Spirit in the Sky

My favourite song from this years Eurovison Songcontest. It's catchy and I love the joiking. It got most votes from the general audience as well at ESC!

7. Morgen triffst du den Tod

This song is from one of the best musicals ever: "Arthur - Excalibur" by Frank Wildhorn! It's about King Arthur and the music and lyrics (german only, but the songs actually have to exist in english as well somewhere) are brilliant. And VERY often remind me of Game of Thrones... "All these wolf howls don't frighten me at all. […] For the dragon will soon be slain and the lion saviours the triumph!" or "He has no chance in the game of thrones, which no one has yet won with fairness." for example.

8. Kingdom of One

One of my faves from #forthethrone

9. Egil Saga

A song by the medieval-ish band "Faun". The language is old-icelandic and the lyrics a very old medieval text. "Faun" is amazing.

10. Dangerous to Dream

One of my absolute favourite songs from the "Frozen" musical. Elsa is one of my favourite Disney characters and this song gives her so much more depth. It's really beautiful and touching.

I am tagging @lannisterboi @supper-party @oxthkeepxr @lannistarthh @braimeistheendgame @oathoftheheart @lannisters-of-tarth @jaimeelanister @mothdogs @serbriennethebeauty Only if you WANT TO!!! 🙌

#ask #10 songs

[searchingwardrobes]

The Valley of Tomorrow

Deleted Scenes Week Six: Underworld

In honor of Once coming to its conclusion, I will be posting my deleted scene fics here on tumblr leading up to the finale. There are 14 total, and they will be posted in chronological order. Each week leading up to the finale, I will post the scenes in a particular arc.

Summary: But the one thing that cuts deepest of all is the mirror that hangs on the other side of the chamber. This is Killian Jones true torture. Or how Killian went from a hero's death to being tortured by Hades. Title and lyrics from song of the same name by needtobreathe.

Words: Almost 2,000

Rating: T

Episode: Swan Song through Labor of Love (contains dialogue from Labor of Love)

Trigger Warnings: Major Killian whump

I am a troubled mind, I am a calloused heart

A failing engine from driving way too hard

Trying way too hard

I pulled a thirty eight out of my bleeding heart

I killed my selfishness for bringing me this far

This far away from you

Oh, this is the way I wanna go down

This is the way I wanna go out

Killian Jones, sadly, has lied to Emma Swan before. Many times. It’s a fact that he wishes weren’t true. A fact that merely points to the depth of blackness in his soul. But this lie has to be the worst one he’s ever told her.

He lies and tells her it’s okay, nodding at her as she sobs, Excalibur clutched in her fist. The tears streaming down her face break his heart in two, and he wishes she didn’t have to do this. He thought about doing it himself, of holding the sword to his breast and falling upon it. But he feels the darkness throbbing just below the surface, and he knows he isn’t strong enough. It has to be her. So he lies.

He lies and lets her believe it won’t hurt him, that he isn’t afraid of steel slicing right through him. Lies as if he doesn’t mind dying. Not that he doesn’t know this is the right thing to do. But he wanted so much more. His heart breaks to think of all they wanted together and now will never have. Tries not to think of all the memories they will never make in that house he picked out for them.

He told her this day would come, that afternoon in that cabin in the woods. He warned her someday he would lose his happy ending. But now he lies as if he won’t miss it at all.

And then the excruciating pain, and he tries not to cry out, strangles it when it slips past his lips anyway. The last thing he sees is her – bathed in light. Exquisite in all her radiance, the darkness gone forever, and as he falls to the ground and his life ebbs away, he knows it was worth it. In the end, he made the right choice. She’ll have a future. She’ll have her family. Henry is no longer marked for the Underworld. He saved him. He saved them all.

******************************************************

When Killian opens his eyes next, he’s confused. He hasn’t gone anywhere: Emma and Henry; all of them are right before his eyes. Then he sees Emma fall to the ground. It’s him! Or his body anyway.

A black hand shoots out and grasps his chin. Look it breathes out, and Killian has no choice. He realizes now that he’s standing in Charon’s boat on the pond in Storybrooke. His head turns to watch the scene before him, though it’s the last thing he wants to do.

“Why are you staying here?” he bites out to the figure at the boat’s helm. “Take me to hell. I know it’s all I deserve.”

But Killian is forced to watch as Emma sobs over his body. He is unable to look away when the paramedics come and have to physically lift her off him. They check for vitals, though it’s useless anyway, and his heart breaks (can it when he’s dead?) when he sees Emma lift trembling hands to her lips. He sees the hope spark in her eyes: maybe, maybe . . . then sees it die. She gasps and folds in on herself as she takes his hand. The emergency crew gives her a minute to say goodbye, but then Emma won’t let go. David and Snow have to physically pull her away. She doesn’t release his hand until the last possible moment, then she collapses into her parents’ arms. He’s never seen her cry like that; never seen her so broken.

“Please,” he begs the wraith by his side, “take me away from here. I can’t bear it.”

Mercifully, there’s black.

************************************************

When Killian opens his eyes again he’s in the living room of their blue house – or what would have been their house. Emma’s crying reaches his ears, and he hugs himself around the middle, the agony of her cries causing a physical ache. He goes to her, tries to talk to her, but she can’t hear him. He reaches out to touch her, but his hand is made of air.

He stands and screams, “Is this hell? Why am I being tortured like this?”

He tries to go to the door and leave, but he can’t. He’s forced to hear and watch Emma’s grief. He had forgotten how many different ways a person could cry. He went through them all with Liam and with Milah, but hearing Emma grieve is worse than his own. She alternates between sobbing with gut-wrenching gasps and crying softly as tears course tracks down her cheeks. She doesn’t bother wiping them away, and he yearns to reach out and do it for her. But he can’t. The worst is when she simply lies on her back, emptiness in her face, her hands clenched around the ring he gave her.

Killian felt deep inside that eventually he would lose his happy ending; lose Emma. But he always assumed she would move on. That she would be fine without him. He knew she would grieve losing him, of course. He knew she loved him. But he hadn’t expected this level of grief.

Killian clenches his fist, then lifts his head and shouts at whoever is in charge of this torture. “Okay, I see what you’re doing! But she won’t grieve this way forever! She’ll move on; she’ll be happy.”

Before Killian even realizes what is happening, the floor gives way beneath him, and he’s falling. He feels as if he’s falling forever, and then with a jarring crash, he’s lying on a stone floor. He groans as he rolls over and sees a dispassionate figure in a crisp suit. Killian chuckles.

“Who knew a dead body could still feel such pain?”

“Oh, we’re just getting started,” the man tells him cooly. He squats down so he’s on eye level with Killian. “Forgive me, I don’t believe I introduced myself. I’m Hades.”

Killian just scowls at him. “What was the point of all that?” he spits out. “Torturing me by showing me how Emma is grieving? Is this my hell?”

Hades chuckles, “I’m god of the Underworld, not Hell. But that’s a common misconception. You see, my domain is where people languish because of their unfinished business. You were getting your passport stamped for the Elysian Fields, and well, I just couldn’t have that. The more souls in my kingdom the better, you see?”

Killian struggles to his feet and suppresses the urge to kick Hades feet from under him. “So now you’ve made Emma my unfinished business.”

Hades stands toe to toe with him. “Precisely.”

“Too bad it didn’t work,” Killian snarls. “I have no regrets. No unfinished business. I know she’s hurting, but in time she’ll realize there was no other way. With her parents and her son beside her, she’ll move on. She’ll find happiness.”

Hades leans back and taps his fingers on his lips. “Is that so?”

“Yes. And what’s more I finally did what I always wanted to do. I destroyed the Dark One.”

Killian startles as Hades begins to laugh. An uproarious laugh that has him doubled over and sniffling away tears. “Oh, I’m sorry, pirate,” he finally says. “You don’t know.”

Hades then snaps his fingers and a crystal ball appears in his palm. Killian leans forward to see Emma sit up from her couch with a start. Then she’s marching into Gold’s shop, and . . . Hades snaps the ball again, a smug grin on his face.

“Rumplestiltskin,” Killian chokes out, “he’s the Dark One again.”

“Yes,” Hades sighs, “so much for your heroic death, huh?”

Killian lunges forward, but before he can get his hands on Hades, the god has sent him hurtling backwards. He collides with the wall, then slides down to the floor. Every bone in his body feels broken, and when he lifts a shaking hand to the back of his head, blood is on his fingers. Hades looms over him.

“Yes, bones are broken. Yes, cuts are bleeding. But you’re dead, so there is no end to the pain. It just goes on and on. For eternity.”

Hades then kicks him repeatedly, chains him to the wall while his demons slash at him, and uses any number of torture devices. But the one thing that cuts deepest of all is the mirror that hangs on the wall on the other side of the chamber.

A mirror of Emma Swan getting older, and older, and older. Still weeping, still lying awake night after sleepless night. Always alone, always clutching Killian’s ring.

That is Killian Jones true torture.

*******************************************************

Finally, mercifully, he passes out. But the torture doesn’t really end because he hears Emma calling his name. And then – shadowy before him is Emma herself. And she looks so real. She tells him she’s here, in the Underworld, to bring him home. He tries to respond to her, but he can’t.

Killian gasps, his eyes opening suddenly. Or at least, one eye. The other is swollen shut. He’s on a cold, stone floor. He struggles to his feet, confused when he sees that he is in an open corridor.

“Is this a bloody trick?”

Killian takes one tentative step.

“No,” a voice calls out, and he pauses. A girl is huddled in an alcove on the other side of the corridor. “That’s exactly what it is. A trick. Don’t move. He wants you to think you can escape, but you can’t. No one can.”

“Aye,” Killian spits out, shuffling forward, “we’ll see about that.” Emma had seemed so real, he has to go and try to find her.

“Don’t!” the girl shouts again. “He’ll hunt you down!”

“Hades?” Killian almost chuckles. “He’s already done his worst to me.”

“I don’t mean Hades,” the girl replies, her eyes glazed over with fear.

“Who then?”

Her fear is so intense, she can’t even answer, just shakes her head trembling, “Nothing, just . . . don’t.”

Killian growls in irritation. His Swan may very well be here in the Underworld, and he has to get to her before Hades does. “Look, this isn’t my first cell. I don’t just sit around and rot. Now, somebody’s come down here to save me, and I need to make her job easier.”

The girl lifts an eyebrow in surprise. “How do you know she’s here?”

“She got me a message.”

The girl furrows her brow. “How do you know that isn’t one of Hades tricks?”

“Because I know!” Killian shouts at her in frustration. “When you love someone, you know.”

And with the first flicker of hope swelling in his breast after many dark days, Killian Jones reaches out his hand for the girl to take.

Perhaps this isn’t the end after all. Perhaps this is just the valley of the shadow of death, and on the other side of the valley is tomorrow. For him. For Emma. For both of them.

I never second-guessed the little voice I heard

It’s just a whisper, that sounded like a scream

I ain’t never felt so free

I will stand alone in the valley of tomorrow

  @kmomof4.

@hollyethecurious.

@bethacaciakay.

@ultimiflos.

@kylalovesbabeme.

@couldnthandleit.

@tiganasummertree.

#cs ff #deleted scenes #underworld #swan song #labor of love #the valley of tomorrow #killian whump #countdown to the finale

[we-survive-endlessly]

The fact that this is the last MV in the History of Kingdom story and it’s got like a quiet moment before the chorus dropping even though you expect it to drop right away JUST LIKE EXCALIBUR and the clips from Excalibur and then naming the title tracks in the lyrics 😭

#I love them so much #their music and story telling and ahhhhh #kingdom #coup d’etat #Rae’s real time reactions