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pynkgothicka · 9 months

Text

ＥａｔＩｔＵｐＰＪＭ

Synopsis - You willingly agree to help watch over your friend's house while she's gone (Part 4 of the Monster Series.)

Pairing - Yandere! Dark! Alien! Park Jimin x AFAB! Reader

Featuring - Rina Sawayama

Tags and Warnings - Death, Stalking, Non-Con touching but nothing explicit he's just touching her

Authors Note - This is the first challenge I've done where I'm actually gonna complete it lol

“Hey, how would you like to make some extra bucks.” You stood in your kitchen, phone on speaker. Your friend, Rina called you, and being your literal best friend of course you'd hear her out.

“Hmm? What's up?”

“I have to out on a trip, fashion week in Paris actually. And I kind of need someone to watch my house.” Rina states, being heard to take a bite of some chips. “And I need you here by tomorrow. Late notice I know.”

You let out a sigh. “Uhhh I don't know, I'd have to pack tonight and then move some money around.” You poured yourself a bowl of cereal. Rina could be hear giggling on the other end.

“Just bring yourself and some clothes. You can eat my food and if you run out they'll be some cash to get more. Listen I'm just desperate, I really need someone to stay for a few weeks.” Your friend pleaded. You chuckle before speaking.

“Okay Okay! I'll come tomorrow morning.” You say taking a bite of the fruit loops you poured for yourself. “What time you need me.”

“6.”

“I'll be there.”

🛸

You had a duffle bag full of clothes as you got dropped off in front of the desolate white home. Rina was pretty well off, her home being two story with a nice balcony. You rung the door bell, Rina opening the door quickly. “I told you I'd be here.”

“Your here early, literally it's 5:30.” She said laughing. She pulled you in for a hug and allowed you to walk in. The house was very uncharacteristically quiet. She usually has music playing for ambiance or a television on. But there was nothing.

But you let it go for now.

“Okay, so you can sleep in my room. And on my bed is around 1000 bucks.” Your eyes widen as you follow her up the stairs.

“God, how much money do you think I spend!” You say laughing as she opened the door. Her bed was huge and comfortable.

“I want you to ball out girl!” She says before lowering her voice and sitting down on the bed. “You know I'll miss you …”

“I'll still be here, besides you're coming back.” You say laughing. Rina looks at you and giving you a small smile. She nods her head before getting up with a shallow sigh. She quickly came up to you hugging you tight, which you reciprocate hugging her back. You followed her back downstairs as she got in her car and left without another word.

Well it's not like you had anything else better to do.

Might as well clean up and unpack.

🛸

You'd been in the house for two days and things were off. The general ambiance wasn't a comfort more so a burden.

Rina didn't return any of your calls.

But you let it pass.

You played Lauryn Hill, as you got ready for bed. You brushed your teeth, and slipped on your night gown. You climbed into bed and pulled the soft blankets. Often noises echoed in the empty home but it was something you could let go.

However you couldn't let this one go.

The floorboard next to the bed creaked.

The sound made your head turn. But nothing was there. So you tried to fall back asleep, turning away from the noise. But then the bed dips.

It's faint but there.

“The way your chest rises when you sleep… it's beautiful.”

The voice is airy, and you can feel a hand peel back the blankets. You try to bite your lip to keep quiet but find it harder and harder. The hand then touches your shoulder, and it's texture is other worldly. It's almost too smooth. And it begins to rub circles on your shoulder, as it that would calm you. “Your heart rate is rising, I think we both know that I'm here. And we both know your awake.”

You stay silent, tears beginning to pour down your face silently as you sniffle.

“Are you scared, wondering how I got in here?” The man snickers as he runs his hand down your back. They trained along your spine, making you shiver and tremble.

“I ask that like your going to respond. How stupid of me, I'm sorry I'm still picking up on humans finicky behavior.” The voice says adding a bit of an laugh towards the end. The laughing stops and finally with a sigh the hand is removed and the thing gets up. “You'll see me soon, don't worry.”

Then it leaves.

Almost as soon as it leaves you sit up and began to pant. You couldn't take it anymore.

🛸

Finally the next day you have enough of trying to call Rina. You're about to leave and just say fuck it. No money is worth what you experienced.

Almost as if you summoned her Rina called. You pick up the phone and she quickly interjects. “Hey where you going?” She says almost too causally.

“How do you know I'm leaving?” You almost snap at her.

“I'm… watching you through my cameras.” She says after almost seeking and just landing on a explanation.

“I'm fucking leaving, you've been ignoring me and someone broke in last night. They touched me and everything.” You said over the phone continuing to stuff your bag with your things. Rina gasped over the phone. You couldn't tell if it was to mock you or not.

“But you can't go, someone, most importantly you need to watch over the house. Are you telling me your quitting when things get hard?” Rina goads you.

“That's different than this. Why can't you seem to understand. Someone. Touched me. And spoke to me, something is in this house.” You spoke into the phone grabbing your packed bag. Rina let out a quiet gasp and then a choke. She began to cry on the phone.

“Please, don't go. I need you… Please you don't understand.”

“Rina, what don't I understand? Just tell me what is up.”

“Listen… I screwed up. I-” You can were listening to Rina, but she became interrupted by a loud splattering on the other side of the phone.

“R-Rina?” You ask as the signal cuts out. You take that as a sign to leave. You grab your bag and run for the front but it refuses to budge. “Fuck!” You tell trying to ram it open but you collapse. You fall to the ground and begin to cry and sob.

“Broken aren't we?”

You look up at the voice and out a shakey gasp. It's a man, or it mimics one. But his skin tone is noticably pink and smooth. His eyes are pools of black.

“W-What even are you…” You ask looking at him.

“I'm something you can barely understand, but that's okay. All that matters is that your here. Here with me.” The man sits down and places his hands on the side of your face. He slowly makes you look at him, his eyes sparkling. “You're special, your going to change my life.”

“W-What are you even talking about…” You say looking at him. His skin is inhumanely smooth, his thumbs brushing against your chin. He looked you up and down and smiled, and his smile grows as he laughs. “What's so funny.”

“Your my new mate. You're going to save my people, my planet!” He said looking at you and putting his hands down.

“N-No. Fuck no.”

“Oh you just don't know. Rina lured you here, her house. This house is a trap. Just so you can get with me. But don't worry about that. She's dead.” He said laughing, rubbing your shoulders fondly. You stared at him, in shock. All the information he unloaded on you and just continued to unload on you broke you.

Looking at everywhere but what's in front of you, your mind was a mess. But the man seemingly realized that and just snickered. He then took out a device from the baggy clothes he wore, It was metallic and he put it to the side of your head.

“I don't want you scared of me out entire relationship, so I just have to do some reprogramming…” The device then turned out and you could feel a needle drag across your skin, almost breaking it. “This won't hurt a bit.”

Let me know through a dm or ask or comment to be included in my official Taglist- @darkuni63 @fangirl-death-rose @captainengineer-trixie @chimmisbae @iloverubberduckiez-blog @mageprincess7 @looneybleus @whipwhoops

#dark writing #tw dark content #tw yandere #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere blog #yandere bts #bts #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts x reader #yandere jimin #park jimin #yandere park jimin #writing #bts fanfction #yandere fanfiction #Spotify

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groovesnjams · 4 months

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youtube

13 / 50

"Red Wine Supernova" by Chappell Roan

MG:

There’s so much Shania Twain (I suppose, though if I’m being precise, I think there’s so much LeAnn Rimes on the Coyote Ugly soundtrack) in “Red Wine Supernova.” We’re in a boom period of re-examining, re-contextualizing, and re-appreciating late-90’s radio rock. It’s something Grooves N Jams never stopped doing; I remember where I was when I first listened to Third Eye Blind’s self-titled debut like it’s my own personal national tragedy. So it’s a bit surreal and, honestly, kind of deadening to bob on these waves a second time. I can feel us all, in this moment, careening toward Evanescence, Linkin Park, eventually Puddle of Mudd and Staind, and then the total death of radio for a second time. I think there’s a wont to put all of that on streaming and pirating, as though the medium itself was flawed and the music can be salvaged. The medium was flawed, but also, this sound was extremely easy to replicate and the imitators were often nothing more than fridge magnet poetry cloaked under a couple production tricks.

Anyway, I feel like Shania caught some short shrift during this period, so, unlike the general 90’s ennui I’m starting to feel, the resurrection of “You’re Still the One” via boygenius and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” via Chappell Roan is still fresh and delightful. Shania could be playful and camp in a way that our often serious, humorless pop culture really, really misses. Perhaps I’m missing the point and part of the joy of her quasi-drag and over-performed yelps is to bop along and not overthink it, but I’m here to overthink it. There are plenty of artists who could fit themselves inside of “Red Wine Supernova” (Rina Sawayama tried it with “This Hell,” for example) but Chappell is comfortable with performing in way that feels slightly waylaid by our current era of always on branding and universal blandness. She’s using her voice, flexing it and manipulating it, a commanding tour de force woman and a goofy, confessional girl by turns. It’s a stage show, for sure, but after years and years of single facet performers (professional mope boys like Drake and The Weeknd or Ariana Grande’s mumbled “yuh” or Charli XCX’s irony pop) it’s a delight to see someone prowl around like she does, fully owning her character, imperfections and all. In that way, she’s taken what Shania did – her kick your feet up and laugh friendliness – and added a layer of vulnerability on top by not trying to strangle every last drop of productivity from her margins. It’s possible to dislike Chappell Roan and that’s what makes her so loveable.

DV:

If I was a teen in 2023 I would be basing my entire personality around Chappell Roan right now, to the annoyance of everyone around me. Like others on this list, she has a way of encapsulating an entire world and attitude inside a single song and making you a part of it whenever you listen; unlike those others, at its most inviting Chappell's world is centered around getting drunk and naked in the most ostentatious way possible. MG and I didn't catch Chappell's tour this year due to "fuck LiveNation" reasons, but you don't need to see it live to realize that "Red Wine Supernova" is made for crowdwork, full of call-and-response moments and subtle punchlines. I say subtle; I mean, "Want me to fuck you" is tucked halfway through a verse rather than in a more obvious spot like the chorus. But in Chappell Roan's hands, everything seems obvious, belying the skill it takes to take a lyric this packed with obnoxious theater kid energy and make it irresistibly charming. "Red Wine Supernova" wears itself on its sleeve and demands you do the same. It's a dialogue between Chappell and the listener as much as between her and the girl biting her neck.

#gnjsoty2k23 #chappell roan #red wine supernova #music

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whinlatter · 4 months

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do u have any fancasts for the characters in beasts?

i actually don't, really! i know i used sadie sink for ginny in the trailer, but that was mostly because the scene pack for the all too well music video was too good to miss out on for the red headed girl/outdoorsy vibes with some claustrophobic interior shots (she's gorgeous tho). for the most part, i'm not really picturing specific actors - certainly not the movie cast, with the exception of maggie smith for mcgonagall. the reasons for this are quite flippant and dumb and more functional than they are a matter of principle. it's partly that i find the age issue too tricky - the bulk of the characters are supposed to be teenagers, nineteen/twenty at the oldest, and i don't have a huge repertoire of teen actors/actors who convincingly played teenagers in my head to work with. plus any actors i can think of just tend to be too implausibly good looking to be able to meaningfully project characterisation onto them.

to be honest i also would want actors who could plausibly play a british/irish person, so usually - sorry to my country folk - much less well groomed and conventionally attractive than a north american actor, let's face it. and because most famous british actors tend to be (with exceptions) from a certain class background, and i am relentless in my class politics, i find it hard to imagine these characters that come from a wide range of different walks of life and backgrounds played by the same bunch of like 20 people who all come from the same postcode. yes this is shade at the british actor pipeline and i'm not sorry about it!

the only sort of exception to this rule is michael corner. when i was trying to develop him as a character i did try and go looking for fancasts to help me get somewhere with how i was imagining him. i thought it might help flesh out his characterisation to get a sense of how he might speak or move, to help me come up with a sense of his presence and vibe, and therefore a plausible backstory for him and a set of motivations (so someone late teens who can do prickly and be a bit of an arsehole, but also ends up a hero and went out with ginny for a whole year, so must have something redeeming and endearing about him in there somewhere). the closest i got with that was amir wilson, because he's got a good set of brows and a cracking scowl on him, but to be honest even he's a bit too cool and handsome for what i was going for with michael.

for ocs, i tend to pull more from vibes than specific people or actors. though i don't think they look alike, rina is named after and is supposed to have some of the vibes of pop queen rina sawayama, partly because rina's kind of intimidating and deliciously aggy, but also because her song catch me in the air is about coming of age and mother/daughter relationships told through the metaphor of flight, and i liked those vibes for the character and the fic as a whole.

thank you i loved thinking about this one!

#beasts #thank you for this question!#remember when i named a character graves and everyone had to politely inform me that graves was already a character in fantastic beasts #so if you picture colin farrell when you read scenes with graves in them that's absolutely on me my b

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rebel-moons · 1 year

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oh!!! I remember when u did these a bit ago!! Anyways. For the song ask. You know. Jjpope + 34 <3

oof this is late! sorry, got too drunk at a holiday party yesterday and had to work today. sorry for the wait, have some ridiculous boys💖💖💖

beg for you charli xcx featuring rina sawayama

There is a boy in Pope’s bed.

And this boy is kissing Pope, all sweetly devastating, keeping him close with a hand wrapped around his neck. “I’m supposed to be packing,” Pope murmurs between the slow, easy slide of their lips. He makes no move to detangle himself from the grip.

There is a boy in Pope’s bed, and it’s new and terrifying and wonderful, and Pope wants to indulge, stay wrapped in this moment and let time pass them by. Because tomorrow means leaving this perfect bubble, leaving his bed and his boy behind.

JJ hums into a grin, lips moving against Pope’s as he snarks, “you sure are packing something,” and Pope manages to jerks away just as JJ’s knee comes up between his legs.

JJ cackles, like that’s the reaction he was hoping for. Pope ducks his head, hiding his smile.

“You’re the worst,” he tells JJ, too fond for his own good.

“Yeah, probably,” JJ agrees easily. He flips his vape over his knuckles, a neat little trick that highlights his thin, deft fingers. Pope’s eyes get caught there for a moment, the uneven nailbeds and rough, callused skin from years of salt-water work without gloves, because JJ loses every pair. Luckily, JJ misses his obvious staring, too busy sneaking a hit off the vape before Pope can scold him. “You’re still gonna miss me, though, right?”

The words poke at some tender spot in Pope’s chest. Sometimes, Pope considers there may be something wrong with him; this unending hunger, the unquenchable want that fills him up can’t be normal. He’s cursed to never be satisfied with what he’s got, to always, selfishly, want more than his lot.

Even this, with JJ, as good as it is, is not enough to quell that greed. Pope’s adrift, knocked clean off his board and spinning under the waves, untethered from any solid thing that makes sense. It’s not even about whether he’ll miss JJ - he will, of course he will, terribly and constantly - but more, it is that he doesn’t know how to exist without JJ.

Instead of fumbling through the attempt at explaining his disorganized thoughts, Pope presses back into JJ’s space, arms going around him.

“Oh, hey,” JJ says, soft, his own arms wrapping Pope close. JJ’s nose nudges Pope’s hairline as he awkwardly cranes his neck to keep Pope in his eyeline.

JJ kind of stinks, unwashed boy and weed and the vaguely cola scent of stale deodorant. And this position is more than a little uncomfortable, JJ squished between the wall and the bed, Pope all but sprawled out over his chest. Plus, Pope really does have to pack.

Instead, he hides his face in JJ’s sweaty neck, clinging. JJ laughs, a small huff that jostles Pope, but he also pulls Pope tighter against him, settling them more fully into the embrace.

Pope will get up in a few minutes. For now, he’s going to enjoy having exactly what he wants.

send me a ship and a number (1-100) and I’ll write something based on the corresponding song from replay playlist

#jjpope #outer banks #look they actually kiss in this one #consider this a happier alternative to the one i posted yesterday #jj x pope #obx fic #kelsey writes #also. know how deeply ridiculous i wrote them. pope is going away for two weeks.#they are just literally that spongebob patrick 'wait for you to come back' meme #thesunwillshineclearer #thank you as always for indulging <33333

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sunlightbabe · 1 year

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If you do do this (which i hope I'm not being too aggressive but throwing this ask at you rn lol) I'm throwing in my vote for vic + lucid by Rina sawayama feat. dancing with victoria pls pls

the fact that i got this ask right after posting the original idea made me so happy tbh <333 thank you angel!

⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰

LUCID {youtube + spotify}

SUMMARY: It started with a spilled drink and ended with a clumsy kiss on the dance floor. A night out with friends takes an unexpected turn when you bump into the one person that's been on your mind for the better part of a year- the same stranger who stole both your chapstick and your heart.

Your tongue feels heavy in your mouth. You're not sure if it's nerves or the shot Victoria had pressed into your hands just moments ago. It was some sort of flavored vodka- cherry, you think, except thinking is hard because Victoria-

Some of the alcohol had gotten on the back of her hand and you watch as she raises it to her mouth and licks it up, the corners of her mouth turned up in a knowing grin. You watch her. She watches you watch her. The bloom of warmth in your stomach can only be half attributed to the shot.

Victoria leans in close to be heard over the music.

"Thomas called me a fool, you know."

You blink, feeling like you missed something. "Sorry?"

"Thomas- he's my best friend, the tall one with the funky moves over there?" Victoria gestures over her shoulder. The floor is packed so heavily that you can't tell who she's pointing out, but it doesn't matter because she continues, "Anyways, he called me a fool because I've been waiting to see you again. He said 'Victoria, do you know how many clubs there are in Italy? How do you know you will see your mystery girl?'. But I knew I would. And I was right."

A delighted giggle falls from you and you're close enough that you can see Victoria's nose scrunch up a little as she smiles at you in return.

"... I wanted to ask for your number," you admit in a rush. "That night. Well, this night too, if I'm being honest, but you had went to the bar and my friends dragged me out of the club and it was so loud-"

Victoria grabs your hand and it feels like something clicks into place. "Tell you what, dance with me first? We can talk numbers and last names and whatever you want to know, but I need to dance with you first. I've waited a year for this, don't you dare ask me to wait any longer."

You tighten your hand around Victoria's, shifting it so that your fingers intertwine. You're not planning on letting go and from the way she gives your hand a quick squeeze, you know she's not either. It feels like a promise.

"Okay. I'm yours."

The way Victoria smiles at you, the way it lights up her entire face as if you had just offered her the world, is something that you will never forget.

{ maneskinbrainrot's 1000 follower celebration }

#ask #anon #1000 follower celebration #victoria de angelis blurb #victoria de angelis x reader #writing tag

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taste-in-music · 1 year

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taste-in-music’s top 30 songs of 2022

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my annual countdown of my 30 favorite songs of the year. 2022 had a lot of great music releases, and I’m so excited to recount the songs I replayed throughout the year. Now, on with the list!

This year was so jam-packed I have ten honorable mentions to share before we get to the list proper: tears in the club by FKA Twigs ft. The Weeknd, Destination l’amour by Pi Ja Ma, Little Freak by Harry Styles, Fast Times by Sabrina Carpenter, EMPATHY 4 BETHANY by Saya Gray, Be Cool by Maggie Rogers, This Hell by Rina Sawayama, Heavy Heart by Bartees Strange, Karma by Taylor Swift, and Shotgun by Soccer Mommy

F2F by SZA: “F2F” was a fast favorite that came late in the year, mostly for how pleasantly surprising it was. The 2000s pop-punk revival has been percolating for the past few years, and SZA’s entry into the genre suits her frighteningly well. She’s written on the complications of revenge sex and missing an ex before, but the area-ready bombast of the guitar-driven instrumental elevates it to the next level. It may have looked to the past for sonic inspiration, but it feels fresh.

君に夢中 (Kimini Muchuu) by Hikaru Utada: I didn’t know what to expect when I clicked play on J-pop icon Hikaru Utada’s new album on a whim, but when I heard “君に夢中,” which translates to “crazy about you” in English, I was immediately struck by a feeling of familiarity. It may be because the opening synth riff reminds me of “Boys Of Summer,” it may be Utada’s impassioned delivery, it may be the rattling hi-hats that instate an undeniable groove on the song’s back end. Whatever it is, Utada managed to capture something ethereal on this track, and I can’t wait to explore more of her catalogue in the future.

Flower (In Full Bloom) by Luna Li ft. Dreamer Isioma: Romantic angst never sounded so damn dreamy. On “Flower (In Full Bloom),” Luna Li pleads with a lover that refuses to put in the effort in a relationship, while Dreamer Isioma provides the opposing perspective speaking about how the spark has already died. As the song progresses, the cushy soundscape of twinkling keys escalates to a bitching guitar solo that makes for one hell of a final moment.

Kissing Lessons by Lucy Dacus: If nothing else, “Kissing Lessons” is a marvel of concision. Each detail Dacus compiles, bracelet charms, hair tosses, dreams of buying a three-story house, all come together to form a rich vignette about a young girl’s budding sexuality and growing inculcation into gender roles in just under two minutes. Place those details over a rollicking rock instrumental and you’ve got on special sucker punch of a song that gives you just enough to want to know more. The only choice, then, is to hit repeat.

It’s Raining by Superorganism ft. Dylan Cartlidge and Stephen Malkmus: For Superorganism, there is no sample too silly, no instrumental flourish too strange to throw into their melting pot. Describing “It’s Raining” from their sophomore album World Wide Pop means describing the barrage of baffling moments it throws at warp speed. Frontwoman Orono Noguchi sings about a “cyborg grilled-cheese-sandwich machine” over thunderclaps. English rapper Dylan Cartlidge spits bars about Elon Musk over a backing chorus of what sounds like demented Muppets. Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus’s lyrics about riding a horse-drawn carriage are ushered in with clip-clopping hooves and a sample of a neigh. These moments come together to form a loopy, loping confection that’s as absurd as it is addictive.

Superfan by Chelsea Jade: On “Superfan,” Chelsea Jade navigates the blurred lines of talking to a crush, a situation where you’re trading adversarial jabs and confrontational quips and you can never tell if you’re flirting or fighting. Ultimately, Jade reveals the obsession lying beneath the surface, identifying herself as a “superfan” trying to play it cool. Driving home the playful awkwardness is Jade’s use of vocal samples throughout, whether they’re narrating along to her conversation or splicing through the chorus with hiccup-y clips of harmonization. It’s a song that cuts through the guise to reveal the vulnerability at its core.

Holding Back by BANKS: In the years since her debut, BANKS has become my go-to artist for electropop bangers that conjure emotional vulnerability and goddess-level confidence alike. “Holding Back” may be an outpouring of memories in the wake of a doomed relationship, but the hard-hitting electronic groove and boosted bass breathe new life into a familiar concept. As BANKS switches between vulnerable coos and full-chested belts, she unleashes the innermost desire for her care to be reciprocated. “I wrote you a melody,” she sings in the chorus, “can’t you see that?”

Whatever Fits Together by Skullcrusher: Skullcrusher has perfected the art of weaving immersive tapestries from whispy sonic fragments, a strummed guitar here, a gossamer synthesizer there, a lyrical fragment about leaving home to tie it all into a single package. “Whatever Fits Together” pulls disparate pieces from their distinct places in the ether to form something transient and melancholy, the mournful tone of Helen Ballentine’s voice balanced by a sunny tambourine. It’s ephemeral, it’s beautiful, it all fits together perfectly.

Another Man’s Jeans by Ashe: Ashe may have broken onto the pop scene with brokenhearted ballads, but there’s always been a confidence and cleverness to her delivery that’s made her stand out. On her comeback single “Another Man’s Jeans,” she douses her witty songwriting with pure funk concentrate and struts through a kiss-off to a situationship with more swagger than she’s ever showcased on tape before. It makes for one of the most fun party jams of the year.

girlfriend by hemlocke springs: I first encountered hemlocke springs via an Instagram Reel where she posted a video propositioning “do u wanna hear the weirdest bridge you’ll ever hear in ur entire life?” The subsequent bridge shows springs hurling her voice up and down the scale with reckless abandon over a spritely synth groove, and wile it might not be the “weirdest bridge” I’ve ever heard, it certainly was one of the most memorable the year had to offer. The rest of the song, a blasé kiss-off to a potential suitor, pulls of the rare achievement for a viral song and lives up to the catchiness of the initial clip.

Spitting Off the Edge of the World by Yeah Yeah Yeahs ft. Perfume Genius: “Spitting Off The Edge of the World” is awesome in the archaic sense, encapsulating the simultaneous awe and terror that comes from facing something so much bigger than yourself. It’s a song that earns it galactic sense of scope from the quiet moments it provides to contrast it, as Karen O and Perfume Genius trade demure, flitting verses before the chorus kicks in on the heels of a larger-than-life barrage synths and guitars. It’s titanic, it’s triumphant, it’s just awesome, (in that it’s also just damn great.)

The Loneliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen ft. Rufus Wainwright: I remember when this song was released just ahead of The Loneliest Time album and questioning how this collaboration could possibly work. As soon as I heard it, the answer was clear: never question Carly Rae Jepsen. At this point, Jepsen has boiled pop music down to a science, but that doesn’t mean it’s sterile or forced. The string-adorned, disco-inflected groove on “The Loneliest Time” is the perfect landscape for Jepsen and Wainwright to trade verses about giving an old flame a second chance. It all culminates in that excellent bridge where Jepsen enthusiastically declares “I’m coming back for you baby / I’m coming back for you!” I, too, will continue coming back to this song, and Jepsen’s catalogue as a whole, when I need a pick up from my own personal loneliest times.

fairy song by beabadoobee: Throughout her second album Beatopia, beabadoobee’s jaunty melodies and sugar-sweet vocals just barely cover a greater desperation for care and connection percolating beneath the surface. The best demonstration of this is “fairy song,” where a running list of self-care tasks atop perky pianos slowly cracks apart until it fully breaks into a buzzy whirlwind of distortion and beabadoobee’ screams just barely audible in the background. Then, just as the pandemonium reaches its peak, the song pulls itself back together and returns to the chipper atmosphere it began with. Ignoring one’s distress will only take you so far before the weight becomes too much to bear. Sometimes, drinking water and going outside isn’t enough. Letting the mess fly free every so often might just be the key to moving forward.

Cardigan by Sophie Cates: “Cardigan” is my silly pop song of the year, the track I turned to when I needed an instant sugar rush of endorphins. Sure, Sophie Cates rhymes “again” with “again” with “cardigan” with “again” again on the hook, but when it's set against the most instantly catchy melody of 2022, I hardly even notice. That’s not a slight against Cates’s writing though, the other choice details she employs throughout the song paint a vivid picture of a romance that’s lost its sparkle, and the wistful desire for the magic to return. It’s that undercurrent of longing that elevates “Cardigan” from being just a silly pop song to a great silly pop song, one that sticks around long after the initial rush has passed.

Bump by Dora Jar: Dora Jar’s music captures the dark whimsy of a fairy tale, but the real fairy tales where the pixie dust and glass slippers come with a hungry wolf or vengeful witch lurking in the shadows. It’s a musical world that’s a little spooky, rife with curiosity, and lit up with a flicker of excitement. “Bump” is one of the best demonstrations of this quality, with Dora Jar describing the wonder of a chance encounter that may escalate into something more. The song is accented with astonished gaps, a swampy chorus of backing vocals, and an air-tight beat. It’s sweet and wondrous and a little claustrophobic, sonically capturing that tight-throated, heart-hammering anticipation to see what comes next.

In The Eyes Of Our Love by Yumi Zouma: “In The Eyes Of Our Love” is good in a way that just feels obvious, providing a breezy yet danceable energy that’s poised to play out the romantic climax of a teen movie from the 90s. Beneath its cheery surface, though, is a tremor of anxiety. Lead vocalist Christie Simpson signs of crumbling walls, splitting lips, and looming storms, worries that accelerate and melt away over the song's duration. Every great pop song grows all the greater with a sense of urgency, and “In The Eyes Of Our Love” threads that needle effortlessly while still being danceable as hell. What more could you want?

Part Of The Band by The 1975: Over the past few years, The 1975 have twisted the anthemic pop-rock that put them on the map to reveal the absurdity and anxiety at the heart of modern life. On “Part Of The Band,” the band’s first single off their 2022 album Being Funny In A Foreign Language, frontman Matty Healy’s musings on social upheaval are equal parts hilarious and insightful. After stuffing the song full of dizzying rhymes, (“vaccinista tote bag-chic baristas” with “communista keisters” especially comes to mind,) Healy finishes on a searing moment of self-reflection: “am I just some post-coke, average, skinny bloke / calling his ego imagination?” With a twitchily elegant backdrop crafted from plucky string swells, chopped-up vocal samples, and quivering synths, it’s a song whose catchiness, cleverness, and creativity lives up to the critiques on display.

ALIEN SUPERSTAR by Beyoncé: It was difficult to pick a favorite track from RENAISSANCE, an album so consistently excellent in its delivery of dancefloor euphoria. In the end, I had to go with the self-love celebration “ALIEN SUPERSTAR.” Every element of this song oozes self-assurance, from the spacy disco instrumental to Beyoncé’s vocals, which switch from sensual cooing to a British accent-inflected declarations to braggadocious belting at the drop of a hat. The result is a track poised to dominate dancefloors across the galaxy for years to come, and who’s surprised? She’s one of one. She’s number one. She’s the only one.

Nothing Gives Me Pleasure by Girlpool: I clicked play on Girlpool’s fifth album Forgiveness without any clear expectations. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be blasted with a wave of distorted synths followed by the most memorable opening line of the year: “Do you even want me if I even have to ask? / Break it to me gently with your fingers up my ass.” It’s an unforgettable one-two punch that immediately establishes the core themes of the album, trying to reconcile the desire for emotional and physical intimacy, and how those desires often conflict with and contradict one another. “Nothing Gives Me Pleasure” walks the power balance in a relationship built on mismatched expectations, trying to sate yourself with sex and coming up short. The soundscape skitters and heaves, the distortion ratcheting up as Harmony Tividad reiterates the title line over and over: “Nothing gives me pleasure like the words I know you won’t say.”

cool by Uffie: Uffie made a name for herself in the bloghouse scene of the early 2010s, a musical moment defined by glitchy earworms, a punkish dedication to keeping the party going as long as possible, and lots and lots of glitter. For her 2021 comeback single with Company Records, “cool,” Uffie evolves the quirky maximalism of her past into something slick, modern, and effortlessly, well, cool. On “cool,” Uffie digs for gold in moments of stillness amidst chaos, chronicling moments of reprieve during a night out: sleepy Uber rides, poolside kisses, eating cereal with her partner. The best demonstration of this comes when, at the precipice of each chorus, all the music cuts out for a moment before Uffie ushers in the razor-sharp groove with a simple utterance of the song’s title, delivered with a blasé surety of someone who’s seen it all. As she sings in the song’s third verse, she’s “got nothing left to prove.”

HENTAI by ROSALÍA: Amidst the raucous genreclash that makes up the rest of the MOTOMAMI tracklist, the gentle pianos of “HENTAI” may initially feel a bit out of place. But if you listen closely, there’s much to discover beneath its deceptively simple surface. First off, the lyrics are filthy as hell, (I know, big surprise for a song literally called “HENTAI,”) but the cheeky references to bike riding and tape making are balanced out by a tender backdrop that knows when to up the bombast. Whether it be the barely-there string flourishes, fluttering vocal runs, or the skittering blast of drums that drives the song’s closing moments home, “HENTAI” provides just enough off-kilter details that make the song transcend from mere sexy piano ballad into only “La ROSALÍA” could provide.

Simulation Swarm by Big Thief: Despite Big Thief’s fifth album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You dropping all the way back in February, I found “Simulation Swarm” shamefully late in the year. But as soon as I heard it, I knew it would be on this list, and pretty high up too. Adrianne Lenker crafts songs that are immediately familiar, like I must have been listening to them from childhood. The details she employs throughout "Simulation Swarm” balance beauty and malice, painting the dark fairy tale and casual terror of modern life “crystal blood like a dream true,” “swallows in the windless field,” “river of light who I love / That I sing to in the belly of the empty night.” Set against a locomotive folk instrumental, “Simulation Swarm” feels like a gentle hug from the abyss, voicing the ability to face danger and walk forward with hope.

Till We Run Out Of Air by Hatchie: I thought I knew what to expect going into Hatchie’s sophomore album Giving The World Away. Early singles like “Quicksand” and “This Enchanted” delivered another helping of the joyful shoegaze pop she’s been delivering for years. It’s a sound I’m always willing to gobble up, but there was an echo of something greater hovering right beneath the surface. With the final song on the album, Hatchie delivered a falcon punch of a finale that transforms that spark into a fireworks show. With its susurrus of swirling, watery synths and arena-ready chorus, “Till We Run Out Of Air” plows right through me with each repeated spin. It’s a song enraptured in the fine line between destruction and exhilaration, tracing the final moments in a romance with larger-than-life bombast. Perhaps the best encapsulation of this euphoria comes at the precipice of the chorus. “Open the curtains and let in the light,” Hatchie sings, before a glowing blossom of synths barrels the listener right into the song’s most anthemic refrain. It’s like the light at the end of the tunnel finally breaking through the darkness at just the right moment.

doomsday by Lizzie McAlpine: On her second album five seconds flat, Lizzy McAlpine elevated her personal songwriting with a cinematic scope. This approach is immediately introduced on the album’s opening “doomsday,” a slow-burning ballad chronicling a breakup though the lens of hindsight. McAlpine circles through deathly metaphors throughout the song: pulling the plug, violent ends, her partner as a “murderer” initiating their split on Halloween, the sample of a bone being split in half. This ghoulish gravitas of is backed up by an orchestral swell that makes the melodrama feel earned. These compounding elements build up the song’s momentum until McAlpine’s final revelation slams into you at full force: “I would’ve married you / If you’d stuck around / I feel more free than I have in years / Six feet in the ground.” The relationship may be dead and gone, but McAlpine makes it clear that she’s only getting started.

Lullabye by Grace Ives: Throughout Janky Star, Grace Ives concocts idea-stuffed soundscapes that vacillate between the anxieties and thrills of young adulthood. The earworms come so casually that they even materialize in the album’s moments of brevity. “Lullabye” is a perfect example of this. As the album’s closer, it shows the chaos winding down, giving way to moments of reflection. Ives’s breathily narrates the “lovely mess” of her life: watching movies on repeat, casually attempting gymnastics moves in the kitchen, and swapping confessions with a loved one late into the night. Set against gauzy landscape of synths, skittering drums, and chirpy backing vocals, I turned to the casual wisdom of “Lullabye” all the times this year when life got overwhelming. “No it’s nothing to be sad about,” Ives sings in the song’s closing moments, “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about.” It’s a welcome reminder of the power ruminating on small joys can hold.

Say It by SASAMI: On her latest album Squeeze, SASAMI took to flipping white male-dominated genres like punk and metal to articulate her own rage. One of the best examples of this is “Say It,” an unapologetic frenzy of glitchy rock scuzz. In an Apple Music interview, SASAMI stated that the song was “about the pain of someone not communicating with you,” carried out as she trades places with a bassy, distorted mirror of her own voice. Situated atop a strutting groove concocted of squealing guitars, grumbling bass, and booming drums, it all comes together to form something equal parts cathartic and terrifying. “Say It” might be one of the best rock songs the year had to offer, but amidst the ruckus, it’s first and foremost a call to throw your repentance to the wind and speak your mind.

Yuck by Charli XCX: If you’ve been on TikTok for the past year or so, odds are you’ve come across the idea of “the ick,” the moment in a romantic relationship where something as simple as watching your beau chase a ping-pong ball across the floor flips your feelings of adoration into disgust. It only makes sense that one of pop’s most forward–thinking artists would capture this cultural phenomenon with masterful specificity and simplicity. Over a bouncy synth-heavy beat, Charli XCX lays out the moment when her love interest’s gooey romantic devotion starts to drive her away. Throughout “Yuck,” she takes romantic tropes like puppy dog eyes and bouquets of roses and flips them on their head. The result is the definitive song to throw on when the candy hearts get cloying. After spending the last few years of her career pushing pop to its very limits, her latest album Crash was a welcome reminder that even without all the hyperpop flourishes, she can still write damn good and effortless catchy bangers like this.

Free by Florence + The Machine: How do you persevere in the face of suffering? seems to be the question Florence Welch fixates on most throughout her projects with Florence + The Machine. She’s turned to several places in the past: making a break for freedom on her breakout hit “Dog Days Are Over,” self-destructive love on rock bangers like “Ship To Wreck” and “Shake It Out,” and reconciliation on her previous album, High As Hope. While the definite answer for such a question may never materialize, Welch has recognized how music can be one of the most potent salves for such woes. Her 2022 album Dance Fever provides several welcome additions to Welch’s growing catalog of musical catharsis, but it was “Free,” a free-spirited banger co-written by Jack Antonoff, that ended up hitting me the hardest. “Free” taps into something primal yet graceful, a raucous recognition that sometimes, the most inspiring feelings of freedom come hand in hand with singing at the top of your lungs. “For a moment, when I'm dancing,” Welch declares with titanic vocals over a propulsive drum beat and glittering keys, “I am free.” This relief may be temporary, but for the moment, it’s nothing short of magical.

American Teenager by Ethel Cain: On her debut album Preacher’s Daughter, Ethel Cain chronicles a journey of adolescent ennui and religious turmoil through sprawling, atmospheric ballads. Before she gets into all that, she also proves that she can write a teen pop anthem for the ages. “American Teenager” is the first official song on the album, and while it may be shorter and more immediate than its predecessors, it’s no less deftly crafted. Cain harnesses the larger-than-life, anthemic synth pop of the 80s, accenting the soundscape with shining synths, booming drums, and a bright saxophone solo. While the song relishes in altruistic Americana imagery of crying on the bleachers and whiskey-fueled rebellion, Cain also acknowledges the darkness lurking beneath the jubilation on the surface. The opening verse describes her neighbor’s brother being shipped home in a coffin, “another red heart taken by the American dream.” Still, despite this darkness, there’s a hope at the core of “American Teenager” that catapults it into the stratosphere, that suggests that maybe someday, those promises might come to fruition.

touch tank by quinine: I first came across “touch tank” as a fragment on TikTok, a looping clip of quinnie lip synching along to the first few lines of the chorus: “He’s so pretty / when he goes down on me.” And what an attention-grabbing set of lines they are, it’s not everyday that you stumble across a sweet, unassuming bedroom pop song explicitly discussing cunnilingus. But it isn’t just the refreshingly matter-of-fact references to sex that make “touch tank” stick in the memory, it’s the atmosphere of intimacy quinnie builds around those lines. In its final form, “touch tank” builds an aqueous wonderland of small yet palpably intimate moments, freshly laundered t-shirts, discovering new tattoos, choosing to be gentle. “touch tank” is a tribute to those early stages in a relationship where you’re poking and prodding with care, trying to reach tender places without drawing blood. Rounded out with warm guitars, cooing flutes, and just a twinge of vocal distortion, it’s a song that feels lived in, welcoming, drawing you deeper into its depths with each repeated spin.

What were your favorite songs from this year? Did I miss anything? Leave a comment or tag some in the reblogs and let me know.

This year has been an absolute whirlwind, and I hope you all have some good memories from it. Here’s to a safe, healthy 2023!

#songs #song recommendation #taylor swift #SZA #lucy dacus #carly rae jepsen #beyoncé #charli xcx #florence + the machine #ethel cain #taste in music 2022 faves #taste in music

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leverage-ot3 · 1 year

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I will now be restarting my leverage ot3 songs series (until someone has motivation to make more)

songs in this post (all from my playlist):

something I need (one republic)

church (fall out boy)

team (lorde)

chosen family (rina sawayama)

monster (imagine dragons)

Something I Need (One Republic)

I had a dream the other night || About how we only get one life || It woke me up right after two || I stayed awake and stared at you || So I wouldn’t lose my mind

okay so this could be any of them tbh, they are #livefastdieyoung with their life of crime and I feel like sometimes they wake up and are like holy SHIT I need you in this crazy corrupt world like I need air

And I had the week that came from hell || And yes, I know that you could tell

they can totally tell when eliot is having a bad day, no matter how much he tries to hide it, and it’s the same for parker (hardison doesn’t try to hide his bad days)

But you’re like the net under the ledge || When I go flying off the edge || You go flying off as well

THEY WILL ALWAYS CATCH PARKER, ELIOT IS ALWAYS THERE WITH HIS ARMS OPEN AND HARDISON HAS ALREADY PACKED A PARACHUTE

You got something I need || In this world full of people there’s one killing me || And if we only die once || I wanna die with you

they are what each other needs AND wants (and deserves) (shut up eliot). no but seriously they live together and risk it together and will die together (don’t worry, they have the robot bodies)

I know that we’re not the same || But I'm so damn glad that we made it to this time || This time now

they met by chance but they are so glad they did

If we only live once || I wanna live with you

this speaks for itself

Church (Fall Out Boy)

If you were church, I'd get on my knees || Confess my love, I'd know where to be || My sanctuary, you're holy to me || If you were church, I'd get on my knees

I feel like this song is eliot-centered only because he doesn’t think he’s worthy but he’d go to the ends of the earth for parker and hardison

And take the pain || Make it billboard big then swallow it for me || Time-capsule for the future || Trust me, that's what I will be || Oh, the things that you do in the name of what you love

that quote from eliot being able to take the pain from the tap out job? yeah. imma just leave you there with that thought

I love the world but I just don't love the way it makes me feel

If you were church || I'd get on my knees || Confess my love, I'd know where to be || My sanctuary, you're, you're holy to me, you're holy to me || If you were church, yeah, I'd get on my knees, yeah

THEY 👏 ARE 👏 HOLY 👏 TO 👏 HIM 👏 THEY ARE HIS PURPOSE

Team (Lorde)

Wait 'til you're announced || We've not yet lost all our graces || The hounds will stay in chains || Look upon Your Greatness and she'll send the call out || (Send the call out)

We live in cities you'll never see on screen || Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things || Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams || And you know, we're on each other's team

this one is just for the three of them running the world like no one’s business

Chosen Family (Rina Sawayama)

Where do I belong?

Tell me your story and I'll tell you mine || I'm all ears, take your time, we've got all night || Show me the rivers crossed, the mountains scaled || Show me who made you walk all the way here

Settle down, put your bags down || You're alright now

We don't need to be related to relate || We don't need to share genes or a surname || You are, you are || My chosen, chosen family || So what if we don't look the same? || We been going through the same thing || Yeah, you are, you are || My chosen, chosen family

Hand me a pen and I'll rewrite the pain || When you're ready, we'll turn the page together || Open a bottle, it's time we celebrate || Who you were, who you are ||We're one and the same

I chose you || You chose me || I chose (chosen family) || I chose you || You chose me || We're alright now

yeah the whole song is just *chef’s kiss* found family vibes

Monster (Imaging Dragons)

Ever since I could remember || Everything inside of me || Just wanted to fit in || I was never one for pretenders || Everything I tried to be || Just wouldn't settle in

eliot was the popular boy, the sporty guy, homecoming king, star quarterback, the guy that got the slow claps ffs. he went into the army because that’s what people like him did to escape their hometowns. he fit in the best he could because that was survival

If I told you what I was || Would you turn your back on me? || And if I seem dangerous || Would you be scared? || I get the feeling just because || Everything I touch isn't dark enough || If this problem lies in me

he’s done bad, terrible things. that darkness and violence follows him around like a shadow. he can never escape the things he’s done. he (thinks he) can never be redeemed. would they still love him if they knew? (don’t ask me that parker. because if you ask me, I’m gonna tell you. so please, don’t ask me)

I'm only a man with a candle to guide me || I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me || A monster, a monster || I've turned into a monster || A monster, a monster || And it keeps getting stronger

he’s making efforts to be good, to do better. but does that erase the monster inside him?

Can I clear my conscience || If I'm different from the rest || Do I have to run and hide? || I never said that I want this || This burden came to me || And it's made it's home inside

he never meant to be this way but that’s who he made himself to be. he’s changed, but that can’t change the past

#playlists #songs #leverage redemption #leverage #leverage ot3 #parker x hardison x eliot #parker #alec hardison #eliot spenxer #fanvid ideas #mine #sorry if this is long I couldn’t find page break on mobile for some reason ???#Spotify

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