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#does this song fit them entirely? no. does this chorus punch me in the throat every time even still? yes.
waddingham · 9 months
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every once in a while, they leave you behind — lost in translation.
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feed-your-neopets · 4 years
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Valdemar x Devil!Lucio Fluff (One-shot)
Writer Preface:
First, I haven’t written fanfiction in years. Nor have I read a book recently. So, don’t feel bad about pointing out grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything like this. Also, my knowledge of the science and medical world is pitiful. Please, let me know if I said something ridiculous.
Second, it is cannon that Lucio has a New Jersey accent. It may enhance the story to imagine him with it, because I did while writing this.
Third, this is just slow, awkward, fluffy Valdemar x Lucio stuff. I was trying to piece together how a relationship could even develop between them, and I love the challenge of unlikely, cursed pairings. I was thinking this would probably take place in Muriel’s route (so, smoll SPOILERS from this point on). I would think Lucio’s social circle would be dwindling since – ya know – he merged with the Devil and all. Lucio would definitely be longing for friendship and companionship. Valdemar will humor him if it means they get new things to study. Get that bag, Valdemar.
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The salon was one of the few rooms left in the palace where one could find some peace. Ironic, as this room was once one of the livelier places in the palace. After all, the salon was where Countess Nadia would entertain her guests. Now, it was an echo of its former self.
Since his resurrection and merging with the boss, Count Lucio ran with a different crowd, and these new guests had a habit of “borrowing”. Not that Valdemar cared about the state of the rooms throughout the palace, nor the drunkards who sloppily paraded through the hallways with pockets full of silverware. However, the room was simply lacking. It was not quite the same without Countess Nadia’s fingers gliding across the ivory keys with precision and grace. Instead of the haunting melodies of a grand piano and the idle chatter of the other courtiers, the room was filled with the distant echoes of intoxicated partygoers reciting a rather impolite folk song about a sea captain’s cousin.
However, Valdemar was paying little attention to the commotion outside and quietly sipped their tea. They chose instead to focus on the decorating choices they felt were an improvement. For example, the dying flowers wilting in waterless vases were a nice touch. Additionally, the portrait that Count Lucio had commissioned in his mother’s likeness had some alterations. It was laying waste on the ground below where it was once proudly hung. The vandalism was done with such intention that Valdemar was certain the count had crossed out the eyes himself. Valdemar pondered if he had done so in a fit of rage. The count had such a temper, and judging from his interaction with his mother, there was a lot of emotional baggage to unpack. While the symbolism was a tad on the nose, Valdemar appreciated the irony none-the-less. It was Lucio who murdered his own mother. It was only fitting he should be the one to remove the light from her portrait’s eyes too.
Without much warning, the doors of the salon burst open with a bang; shaking the few portraits that still hung on the walls. Yet, Valdemar sat unflinching despite the abrupt entrance from the count.
“Alright, I’ll catch you guys later.” called Count Lucio to a chorus of guttural cheers and whooping from the end of the hall. Valdemar peered at the count from over their teacup as they took a long sip. They had been wondering what was taking the count so long. He had been the one who had requested a meeting with them. To keep them waiting seemed in poor taste.
“Crazy guys.” chucked Lucio to himself before turning his attention to Valdemar. “Hey, there you are! Where have you been? You weren’t at last night’s party. You missed Vulgora tackling several new recruits. You should have seen them go at it. We were taking bets and everything.”
“Hm.” hummed Valdemar as they peered into their teacup, finding more interest in the way the tea leaves settled to the bottom of their cup than Lucio’s story. However, Lucio did not seem to notice as he reenacted the punches and kicks of last night’s tussle; knocking over a chair in the process. “But hey, don’t worry about missing it. They’ll probably do it again tomorrow night. You’re gonna love it.”
“I am sure, my count.” lied Valdemar.
Lucio seemed convince Valdemar was genuine, and with an exaggerated groan, he slumped into the chair next to them. Valdemar watched as he adjusted the scabbard on his waist, the end of which clanked aggressively on the hardwood floor. His legs then spread out for maximum comfort as he sunk into his seat. It would seem he was finally situated, and he looked merrily back at Valdemar expecting them to speak first. The quaestor closed their eyes. Admittedly, their patience was wearing thin. With a short sigh, they placed their teacup on the table and prepared themselves to address the count.
“Is there a reason you have called me here today, my count?” asked Valdemar as politely as they could muster.
A spark of realization lit in Lucio’s eyes. “Oh, yeah, that’s right! I gotcha something.” said Lucio as he started rummaging through a small satchel. “I felt like we left it kinda weird at that old broad’s house, and I been wanting to make it up to you.”
“Old broad?” whispered Valdemar to themself as they searched their lexicon for a translation.
“Yeah, you remember. I gave you her heart. I was weird about it, but you were just asking for your payment.” explained the count. “It is nothing amazing, really. You probably have twenty of ‘em, but I was traveling through the market, and I saw it, and I thought - do you know who would like this? Quaestor Valdemar - so, I got it. No big deal, ya know?”
From his bag, Lucio pulled out an adult human skull. Embedded in the eye sockets were large rubies that burned in the orange glow of the setting sun. The count placed his gift in Valdemar’s hand, who made quick note of the condition in which the skull was in. In short, it was nearly perfect. The dental work was most fascinating to Valdemar. Not a single tooth was crooked or missing. No sign of disease or decay. Whoever extracted this specimen knew what they were doing. Valdemar was so transfixed by the skull, they almost forgot Lucio was still in the room.
“Yeah, I thought you like that.” said Lucio as he leaned forward in his chair. “I got that off a guy who was selling all kinds of wild, kooky stuff.”
Valdemar was quiet as they studied the skull. They were far more impressed by the specimen itself than the embellishments. Gemology was not at the top of their list of the most appealing subjects, and frankly, they thought the rubies were rather gaudy.
As they pondered the feasibility of extracting the gemstones without damaging the bone, a visibly nervous Lucio shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the silence between them.
“I -uh- I got it because the eyes remind me of your eyes.” said Lucio. As the words left his mouth, he instantly wished he had just swallowed them instead. He was not prepared for Valdemar's undivided attention. Their eyes were fixed on Lucio. Their expression was blank. Their entire form was eerily motionless. He immediately felt the need to elaborate. “Ya know, because the rubies are pretty - pretty like your eyes.”
To Lucio’s relief, the compliment was enough to break their stare. No one had ever called their eyes pretty before. Creepy. Unsettling. Unnatural. But never pretty. Pretty was a meaningless word. Pretty was objective. Pretty could not be measured. Pretty was unscientific. Yet, the word bounced around in their mind, unextrapolated and uncategorized. Valdemar wanted to dissect its meaning. They wanted Lucio to elaborate. What did it mean to have pretty eyes?
"Hey, is that thing broken?" asked Lucio. who had unknowingly grounded Valdemar from their slow spiral into the definition and interpretation of the word pretty.
"Pardon?" asked Valdemar.
"Did that bastard give me a busted skull?" asked Lucio gesturing to a fissure starting from the bottom of the eye socket across the cheekbone.
Realizing what the count was referring to Valdemar had to stifle a laugh. "No, that is a zygomaticomaxillary suture. You'll notice the second one, right here." They turned the skull to allow Lucio to see the other fissure reflected on the other cheekbone.
"Oh, so it's okay then? It's not broken?" asked Lucio.
"This specimen is in excellent condition." reassured Valdemar. A moment passed between them before the quaestor softly cleared their throat, and managed a polite thank you to the count. They fully intended to investigate the skull further for any clues of what may have lead to the specimen’s demise. They loved a good mystery. Afterwords, it would look lovely in their display cabinet - pretty ruby eyes and all.
“Right, so that guy I got this skull from. He has other things too. Goopy things in jars. Dead things in jars. Dead things out of jars. Drawings of bones and meaty parts. Books. Does any of that sound interesting to you?” asked Lucio.
Valdemar considered Lucio’s offer before replying, “I suppose that I am always in search for new specimens to add to my collection. Additionally, this could be an opportunity to ask the merchant where the rest of the remain’s of this specimen can be found.”
Their response seemed to greatly please the count as he leaned back in his chair. For the past few nights, he had done nothing but party - which he loved to do, and would surely want to do again - but sitting with Valdemar, as the sun lowered into the horizon felt nice. Not to mention, they knew a lot, which Lucio appreciated. Having them around could be quite helpful to keeping his kingdom. Additionally, he was curious as to what was under their bandages. His money was on horns, but it would be fun to confirm his suspicions.
“Great, I’ll take you down there sometime.” said Lucio. “And, if you see anything you like, consider it yours.”
While material possessions never interested Valdemar, the idea of discovering something new was quite alluring. Perhaps, the merchant had a sealed jar of an entirely forgotten disease, or maybe they would uncover an ancient tomb that described a real account of an unsolved death of an entire village. The more they thought about it, the more exciting the prospect became.
“Would now be an appropriate time?” asked Valdemar who had moved to the edge of their seat. Their body was stiff with anticipation, as they leaned over ever so slightly towards him. A coy smile spread on Lucio’s face. He knew the moment he agreed, Valdemar would be sprinting for the door. Frankly, it seemed cruel to make them wait another moment for his answer.
“I’ll have someone fetch two cloaks and a carriage.”
END.
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idio-cies · 4 years
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Click by Scrubb
Back again with this series of unpicking Scrubb songs ^-^
This is the song used for the music club assignment- on the English translation video (where these lyrics come from) it also says “Perfect Match” X . Both these song titles show that the narrator believes they are a “perfect match”  as I have found with most Scrubb songs, they are pretty self explanatory, I just like going through them still and relating them to 2gether.
This song is as the title suggests, but It is very significant that Tine and Sarawat choose this as the song to perform because it suggests that they are on the same path.
The song is also used as another means of confession from Sarawat in ep 5, I have also added in the lyrics from the episode in italicised brackets
Verse 1:
I've never thought that we would have a good day that we are still here (I never thought I would have such a great day with you by my side like this)
Rocky start? I have found the translation on the video’s don’t make sense sometimes, but for Click and This Person I couldn’t find another English translation, so the episode translation is actually better in this instance. To me this indicates that the narrator is pessimistic. Obviously this person is special and their day(s) are better because of them being in their lives.
Of course I need to draw from the episode itself! I do believe this leaves an impression on Tine, it’s like there is something in him that knows this is of significance. He does looks tired and rightfully drunk as well.
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10/10 acting, either that or that tiredness is just Win, bless him.
I suddenly felt since we first met that there seemed to be something (I felt it the second we first met, it’s like there was something)
A connection to this person. We know now that Sarawat fell in love at first sight. I also like how it never outwardly says that it’s love, another thing that seems to occur with Scrubb songs, but of course it’s indicative. But it’s like the narrator is also trying to find the answer, which is what makes me think the narrator is pessimistic.
When we talked, I somehow knew and saw that there was something meaningful (By talking to you I know it, I know this is meaningful)
Yep, Sarawat always says something meaningful, or asks questions that get a meaningful answer from Tine. He wants to know what Tine thinks/ his perspective on things, he cares a lot. I am amazed at how reserved Sarawat actually is with Tine and it genuinely is because he has the patience for Tine, he can understand him. Tine doesn’t necessarily know it, but he also understands Sarawat better than he wants to admit.
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Just needed to add this in to say that Tine always admires Sarawat when he plays. This is one of those moments.
There was probably something between us that connected us together (Between us, there must be something, that link us together)
Pretty obvious; love.
Chorus:
(We both understood) so easily
This is interesting in the balcony scene. Tine does the brackets. Pretty self explanatory, just significant that Tine joins in with this- it isn’t biased.
(It was different from other people) it was significant
A love that was unique. I also feel like it would be a significant love that was never felt before between these two people which is what Tine is constantly in search for.
(We answered the truth inside) how did each of us think
They had to look inside themselves, what they had been yearning for. This line is interesting though, “answered the truth inside”. This is usually speaking of the heart (where Tine needs to focus on) and this is where the episode is better as it directly links up; “I will tell you what’s inside” the pronouns change things, especially with Tine singing it. This is followed up by “What we are thinking” it’s collective and they are on the same wavelength, and it’s so important for Tine to say “I will tell you” because he’s the one that needs to find the answer. Sarawat does tell him, though he leaves it “vague” at the end of the day, but Tine is still figuring things out.
I do think this is also approaching the conundrum of Head vs. Heart.
We know that Sarawat uses his heart “I do what I like by heart, not by duty”
So it is the fusing of these two things together to arrive at the answer which is that they love each other. Not that Tine uses his head much anyway, but you get what I mean; he overthinks.
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Also this is how that little bit ends. This says SO MUCH. Like, this is serious the way they are looking at each other here, it’s not like it has been before, and it’s different to how they look at each other after Sarawat sings alone. This is also not to do with them being serious for the assignment, this is just between them.
Verse 2:
There might be many times that we get confused, many people come and probably go
Makes sense. Tine gets terribly confused all the time. People will walk in and out of life, causing trouble (*cough cough* Pear, Mil *cough cough*) and obviously other people. At this time, the significant person would be Pear. Tine wants to pursue Pear because he thinks that that is what he wants, despite her not showing much interest and Tine in Ep 5 was clearly conflicted about Sarawat.
But when I met you, it felt different, because I was certain
Sarawat saying that he has known what he has felt the entire time. Paired with the first line in this verse, it conveys that he is accepting that Tine is confused and questioning. I’m also pretty certain that this is also Tine when he has finally come to terms about how he feels because when he first talked to Sarawat he was dumbfounded- it felt different, the thing is here, he wasn’t certain, not until he eventually realises truly how he feels
If we ended things today, it would probably be a mistake
Pretty bold, but in the context that the song is used, Sarawat doesn’t want things to end. There may be rifts, but what he feels is true. Pretty self explanatory. They have grown an attachment to the other and don’t want to let that go.
When I found someone whom I had dreamt of, the one that was a good match with my heart
Interesting… From what we know, Tine is the one in a constant search for love and the right one. They seem to share this song... Sarawat, however, knows that Tine is that one person and they do compliment each other.
Chorus:
Hook:
This is the bit that Sarawat sings to Tine alone and man is it important.
I've never met anyone, not too left, not too right, not too perfect
I like that it says “not too perfect” even though this person is being described as “not too”anything. They also do seem to be the part of the song where it is just one person, so it makes sense for Sarawat to sing this bit alone.
These lines are kinda reflected in what Tine asks him about his type afterwards. So expressing that Tine is “weird” is just about right aha
Not too pessimistic or too demanding, but has something extraordinary (You are not pessimistic or demanding but something about you is so special)
Continuation of previous statement but this is funny “but has something extraordinary” a certain someone said about flirting with him was quite special because he was “extraordinary” ahaha, oh Tine.
The vague lines of “not being too anything” is what makes this person special. Which is what Sarawat appreciates about Tine, is that he really admires him when Tine isn’t striking a pose, but his goofiness contributes to his weirdness- something that we have seen Sarawat be amused by.
What this also makes me think of is all of the types of girls that Tine had previously gone out with were all “too something” and they didn’t fit.
I've never met anyone, not too fast, not too slow, not too few
Continuation again
This is where it properly seems to hit Tine though
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But have something better than anyone else. A perfect match for my heart and perfect match together (But something in you is better than anyone. We just click. You are just enough for my heart)
You try telling me that Tine isn’t moved or knows!!!!!
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It’s the pronouns that just make it better because “you” is so straightforward, and I know that Sarawat doesn’t look at him until he’s almost done, but Tine just admires and it’s wonderful. Just Bro, I think it’s more than it just being a Scrubb song that’s speaking to you here.
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The little smile that he does here is very similar to this one in ep 6
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They make eye contact on the last bit “You are enough for my heart” like it is literally Sarawat saying “You are enough for me, Tine, you are the one”
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This is where Sarawat slows down, to really elongate it and make it meaningful. I do also think he got caught up, like he does in “This Person” but I just find this so interesting
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It’s not until Sarawat smiles that Tine smiles as well, but looks away, he’s so sheepish. You know that thing where you reflect the same actions as the person you are interested in, like same reaction or whatever, it made me think of that, but they went from serious to soft and like... urgh my heart.
Sarawat is saying that you are the one for him Tine, you are enough. This is such a punch in the throat later with This Person.
Tine I want to shake you. However, I do think it was his curiosity coming out in trying to work out Sarawat, that this is also Tine’s response to the song. He picked up that there was more feeling behind it, or he is thinking about what he has said previously about Scrubb songs, and this is why he asks Sarawat what his type was.
Chorus (kinda):
We both understood
It was different from other people
We answered the truth inside
We were the perfect match as our hearts told
Thought I should add this in, even if it has been previously stated, I just like the line “as our hearts told”
Also, emphasis on the collective noun “we” and “our”
Repeat of hook
Repeat of first couple lines of Verse 1
This song... man
All of this is pretty self-explanatory I find, it’s just made extra special that we get to see the interaction on screen as these songs play. That is my favourite part anyways.
No wonder the two songs in episode 5 are about two opposite sides of the spectrum; this one they are clearly on the same page as they get closer, then the other is not seeing and is basically Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me”.
This song was probably chosen because they did get so much closer and Sarawat seemed to have more hope, as you could see with his smile just then.
Anyways, soon I will get “This Person” done!
Together | The Answer | Close
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The 5 Best and 5 Worst songs from 2017′s Billboard Top 100 Singles
Whoops, this is like a year late.
The 5 Best Singles
5. 1-800-273-8255- Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid (#79)
Whenever pop songs touch on any sort of serious issue the question for me is do I buy the sentiment? Do I think it comes from a place of authenticity or is it a particularly cynical cash grab? I believe the sentiment on this one. I like the use of the suicide hotline number as the song title and the message is uplifting though not in a way that “message” songs can be where it just says, “hey, don’t do that, you don’t need to.” This song acknowledges the struggles of depression and suicidal thoughts without glorifying them nor minimizing them. 
4. I Feel It Coming- The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk (#34)
I love The Weeknd’s collaborations with Daft Punk. The majority of the Weeknd’s work is more slow jams that might go on a “songs to have sex to playlist” but, well, I don’t have a great deal of need for such songs. I do always have a need for catchy, funky songs that combine the talents of robots and Canadians. AND while being more upbeat, it’s still absolutely a song you could have sex to.
3. Starboy- The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk (#20)
Yeah. I really like The Weeknd/Daft Punk collaboration. This one ranks a little higher because I think the beat is more recognizable. It charted last year and this year so this song has staying power and it deserves it. This is a catchy, well-produced song that missed getting on my best list in 2016 but a year later, with different songs to compete against and (hopefully) me developing slightly better taste in the interim, it’s definitely one of the best charting songs of the year for me.
2. Praying- Kesha (#67)
I don’t know if there’s been a pop song with this level of raw emotion in all the years of Billboard charts I’ve looked at so far. Kesha is an absolute powerhouse in this song. I’m really glad this song charted because it is definitely different from her previous charting singles, it’s certainly not a song to grind against a dude you’ve just met while intoxicated but Praying is such a showcase of Kesha’s talent as an artist. The amount of emotion she evokes in this song is really impressive. Even Adele hasn’t released a charting single that’s such a punch to the feelings. 
1. Feel It Still- Portugal. The Man (#45)
But, at the end of the day, what I really want from my charting pop music is something I can dance to. Feel It Still is an exceptionally danceable song. I love it. It’s so funky. It makes me want to bust out all my white girl dance moves. I feel like there’s a dearth of songs that really make you want to get down and boogie in the charts these days and Feel It Still is there to represent that specific subgenre and it does so perfectly, with a great baseline and retro flair. I’m so about this song.
The 5 Worst Singles
5. Magnolia- Playboi Carti (#79)
There weren’t necessarily a lot of really notable, memorable bad songs on this year’s charts. Magnolia is here because more than anything, it’s forgettable. I guess there’s some use to it in that it sounds like an amalgamation or stereotype of the entire year in charting singles but nobody will remember this song in 15 years. Hell, I’m not sure anyone will remember this song in one year. It’s so disposable. There’s no staying power to it. It doesn’t seem like a song that a lot of people with have a big nostalgic connection to and exclaim in delight if they hear it in 15 years on a throwback radio station. Magnolia just kills three minutes and leaves no emotion, memory or thoughts behind it.
4. I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)- ZAYN & Taylor Swift (#26)
I can’t stand Zayn’s falsetto. It hurts my ears. That’s the major sin of this song. If he sang at a register that appealed more to my human ears than bats, this song probably wouldn’t even make my short list of considerations for the worst songs because it’s otherwise a competent if unremarkable song. But jeez, I do not like listening to Zayn hitting that register. It makes me cringe like nails on a chalkboard. The song also doesn’t scream or even whisper passionate, kinky BDSM relationship but hey, the movie also failed on that front so I’m not even mad at that particularly.
3. Look What You Made Me Do- Taylor Swift (#39)
With 1989, if not before then, Taylor Swift proved she cant make a good-ass pop song. 1989 was an album full of them. As a followup, Look What You Made Me Do is more than disappointing. The melody isn’t good and is so unoriginal they had to settle a claim with Right Said Fred of I’m Too Sexy fame. That’s a problem. The sort of sing-talk that Swift does for most of the song also doesn’t appeal to me. And there’s the lyrics. Subtlety thy name is not Taylor Swift. We all know what this song is about and it’s not charming. She comes across as petty, thin-skinned and unlikable. She also completely fails to evoke any sort of bad-girl image despite that being her clear attempt. This song is bad in a way where I’m tempted to call it lazy because it’s definitely not utilizing all the potential of Taylor Swift and her team but that’s sort of the worst part about it, it’s not lazy or a throwaway song. A lot of thought went into this and all those thoughts were bad. This is not a song, it’s a compilation of bad ideas.
2. Chained to the Rhythm- Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley (#73)
It’s arguable if Katy Perry ever had a personality but in recent years I still feel like she’s lost whatever personality she initially had. This song is cliche and lame. Maybe a singer with a more powerhouse voice could’ve sold it but I dunno, the basic tune of this song seems like something I’ve heard several times before. Katy Perry’s music has always been pretty shallow but I excused it in the early years because it was at least catchy. I don’t find this song nor many of her recent hits to be such. Chained to the Rhythm just seems tired. It’s supposed to be a roof-raising party song but I just feel sleepy and a little sad when I listen to it. Even the fact that the chorus mentions zombies doesn’t soften my opinion to it. It’s such a bad simile and doesn’t even have the right number of syllables to quite fit the melody. I don’t like it.
1. Body Like a Back Road- Sam Hunt (#8)
Holy shit. This song is the highest charting of any song on my best or worst list and it’s the stupidest. I don’t need to do a particularly in depth analysis of this, do I? Comparing your lover’s body to a road of any description is a bad and unflattering metaphor. Anyone who’s a fan of country music should be furious at this song because it sounds like a parody of country music. How did Sam Hunt ever think this was a good and complimentary thing to say about his girl? God, this song is just beyond stupid. Sam Hunt deserves to be punched in the throat by the shambling, resurrected corpse of Johnny Cash for writing, recording and releasing this song.
Other Observations on this List
It’s been like a year since I started listening to this and I’m just hammering this out before I go on vacation for a week so these observations are gonna be kinda half-assed.
Listening to this playlist back in January and then months later when I finished was sort of interesting because I had a lot more passionate opinions in January and a lot of them felt sort of nullified when I went back and finished this in later months because music trends just sunk in more for me I guess.
I do wish this current trend of sort of droning pop music would end. So many songs this year don’t have a whole lot of inherent danceability.
So white rappers aren’t even a notable change in the status quo now, huh? I’m not saying 2018 was the first year that white rappers existed but I have noticed that in the past two or three years there just seems to be far more prominence of white rappers and less discussion about that. I think, as a culture, we’ve just stopped caring if it’s cultural appropriation or whatever which is fine I guess, but some of them are so average, I sorta wish it was still the case where (with the exception of Vanilla Ice), white rappers had to be in some way notable to prove that they deserved to take up space in a genre that started as being by and for the black community.
I didn’t put Bodak Yellow on my best list basically because of personal taste (mine is bad) but damn. What a powerhouse of a song. As a statement of intent, it’s exceptional. Cardi B came to slay.
Can we PLEASE be done with Maroon 5?
iSpy almost made my best list. It’s dumb but at least it knows it’s a dumb song which shows self-awareness that actually makes it smarter than a lot of songs on this list.
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