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diejager · 1 year

Note

Hello, may I please ask for 10 in you 1k event with nsfw yan Diluc please, aslo congrats!

1k special [2/10]

1k special masterlist

Cw: smut, creampie, implied sex marathon, DARK, yandere, blood, marking, possessive, sadism, BDSM, NON-CON, DUB-CON.

Wc: 662

HI! Thank you!! <33

# 10 " You're so cute,"

Bound and gagged, your cries fell on deaf ears when faced with Diluc, the workers never bothered you, they never entered the room unless you were dressed and with Diluc, they never tried freeing you, and they never stopped fearing for their safety under Diluc's iron-like hold on the region and Teyvat. A rich businessman with relations was the worse kind to garner their ire or obsession.

His hips moved at a steady pace, shallowly thrusting and taking his time to watch you squirm and take him whole; red, swollen folds rubbing around his thick length, leaking the combined juices of your orgasms. His narrowed eyes burned darkly with unbridled lust as they moved from your ankles locked around his hips to your soaked mound, over your navel, stomach, and chest covered in purple and red bites and kisses, and from your tear-stricken face and puffy eyes to your bound hands gripping the mahogany headboard. He was entranced by your appearance, a wreck and bumbling mess of tears and moans made by his hand. It made him harder, his cock twitching and promising another load. Pain and pleasure came as one, one couldn't exist without the other and it appealed to his sadistic side, it appealed to it too much.

His hands felt everything he could, all the skin that stayed unmarred by his teeth and fingers, he wanted to bite into the fatty part of your thighs, leave them red and bloodied until he lapped it up, he wanted to paint your hips black and blue with his hands, leave them pained and sore for the coming days.

Thoughts drowned by pleasure (and your cries), he jerked wildly, pace erratic with loud panting as he peppered your neck and collar with wet kisses. His pounding went from short and shallow to deep and rough, he loved hearing your muffled squealing and whiny cries. He found it simply adorable.

"You're so cute, " Diluc cooed, breathing heavily into your ears. "Calmer and more pliant when I fuck you, hmm?"

Your mind reeled in disgust, conscience praying for it to stop, telling your body to stop reacting so disgracefully. You wanted your body to stop betraying you, to stop turning into a puddle of sweat and cum in Diluc's hand he could tell you all about him much your body loved it, that you loved him and were simply in denial; but you knew, you knew that your body only reacted to stimuli, that you hadn't really wanted him, your body simply reacted to what it was given.

Your body jerked and jolted when the leaky of his raging erection slammed into your cervix, alternating between pounding into your cervix and your sweet spot. Your body reacted to his foreplay because he knew where to touch, what to rub and roll, he did things while having you bound.

"I'm going to come," he groaned, mind numb with delight at the image of you plump and bred with his child.

He licked your neck, drawing a line of saliva from your collar to your jaw, lips patting to swallow your drool and kiss the side of your mouth. He cursed, hips rocking erratically, dick twitching before he ground deeper into you and came. The warmth that filled you brought a sickly feeling, ropes of cum covering your walls and clinging to every part of your cunt. You almost shuddered as he rutted against you, pushing his release deeper. You would've puked if you weren't gagged, bound, or here at all.

The most damning thing about this was the words he mumbled after he came, the soft promise he told you in an innocent tone:

"I love you."

Tag list

@kitto-lover @stygianoir @emperatris-rinaka @jalepp

#x reader #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #yandere x reader #yandere #yandere x y/n #yandere genshin impact #diluc x reader #yandere diluc ragnvindr #yandere diluc #yandere diluc x reader #diluc smut #genshin impact smut #yandere genshin impact smut

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systembug · 1 month

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Retrieving the skitarii that @kitto-paint drank under the table

i screwed the anatomy sorry >.<

#not bugs #silly admech doodles

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euphorickaeya · 2 years

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𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝!! pt. 4

honey’s notes: redid the whole notes because this was really old, I had something written but, it wasn’t how I wanted the story to go, and so I have rewritten it, and hopefully this is better!

pairings : Zhongli, Ei, Venti, Albedo, Aether x reader.

reader uses they/them pronouns.

[content warning : arguing, swearing, kidnapping. drugging. muttering and borderline obsession from Albedo/Venti. Mentions of a dark room, can cause anxiety.] I would like it if anyone under 16+ would not interact with this specific chapter.

recommended song: everything I wanted - billie eilish.

it has been days, since the incident. You refuse to look at your acolytes in the face, their pleads seem to get nothing out of you. Your phone has buzzed non-stop, your “friends” talking about pressing charges, and talking about how crazy, your “cosplay friends” were.

you sat in your kitchen, your coffee now gone cold, you didn’t know how it went wrong so fast. You needed to get rid of them, they didn’t belong here. Why did you even house them? Why couldn’t of you just told them to go back? Force them to work something out? You couldn’t help but space out, the sun’s rays hitting you from your kitchen window.

Zhongli and Venti stood in the entrance of the open kitchen, looking at you worriedly, you’ve been sat there hours ago. Just staring straight ahead into your kitchen window, your hands holding your coffee mug. They all knew you were angry with them. Could you blame them, though? They were reverent acolytes, everything they knew to do was in your name, it always was and always will be, till their dying breath.

Ei stayed away from you, she has cocooned herself is the guest room you’d allowed them to live in, any time you’ve walked past it, you’ve heard nothing but muffled mutters and repeated phrases from her. It creeped you out, as much as you loved Genshin Impact, this isn’t what you wanted.

You never wanted overbearing people in your life, never the overprotective glances, the suffocating clinginess they put on you, the responsibility of taking care of them, feeding them. They don’t have documents in your world, no proof of life. You knew they didn’t care to come back to their world or to stay, but they wouldn’t survive in your world, how could they? They didn’t exist as real people in your world.

You never wanted this, you’ve gotta remember that.

You let out a sigh, Venti and Zhongli perked up, you’ve moved, standing up from your seat and dumping your coffee into the sink, before looking at them. “You need to get out of here, this world, MY world.” You spat.

The two were taken aback, but, why? What did they do? Why did you want to kick them out?

“Why?..” Venti mumbled out, the small pitter patter of his feet approaching you. You put your hand up. “Don’t dare walk closer to me. Ever since you’ve been here, all five of you, you’ve done nothing but ruin my life. It was nice at the start,” you grip the edges of your kitchen island.

“But you’re a nightmare. You guys shouldn’t of come here at all, I thought, it would be nice, but you guys are scary and you’ve creeped me out.” You walked past Zhongli and Venti.

“but, your grace—“

“ENOUGH. I’ve had enough of your “grace” and god bullshit! I’m not a god! Stop putting that on me, don’t you hear me?! You’re not real!” Your hands push zhongli away, his back hit the wall, portraits and paintings fell from off the wall, colliding with your tiled floors.

“Stop this nonsense, okay!? I’m no god, I’m just a simple human being, why are you so dense? Has your belief turned you blind?!” You let your anger out, you were sick of it, the calling of your name as if it was a holy grail, the obsessive belief that anything you’ve touched has been blessed. it’s driving you nuts, you can’t live like this, it’s too much of a punishment, especially when you’ve done nothing wrong.

Zhongli and Venti stayed quiet, by now, the rest of the crew has come down to see the commotion. They stay silent as you held zhongli to the wall, you’re huffing angrily. “don’t you know, i bleed red, my eyes shine dull, they don’t shine stars, my hair doesn’t flow in the wind nor is it unnatural, i can’t command the nature of your world or mine.” Your voice felt like it was pleading, pleading to have them see that you’re normal, someone who’s got a common life, you grow, you work, you earn money.

You can’t grow money, you can’t heal anyone, you’re no miracle. “This, unreachable standard you’ve put on me along the months you’ve been here, it’s killing me. So please, just stop.” You let go of Zhongli as you step back, tears threatening to fall from your eyes. Not a peep from any of your…well. Them. Not a word, from them.

“Okay.” Albedo said. He calmly walked upstairs, hands on some papers he must’ve wrote some research on. Ei no longer cried, her eyes seemed dull, as if, a doll, her puppet. Aether’s eyes went through a myriad of emotions, from hurt, to confusion, to losing hope. He knew he shouldn’t of trusted you, held out hope that maybe, if he could bring you back home, you’d convince his sister to come back to him.

Venti looked at you, before your hands, red and scuffed, he mumbled something you couldn’t hear, before his hands held yours, “if you wish us gone, then, ill make that come true, just, don’t put your anger on us anymore, that was never our intention.” His hands lifted yours to his lips, a kiss on your fingers, feeling like a gentle breeze.

Zhongli walked away, after dusting himself off, not a word to you or anyone else, just left the room. You didn’t hear from any of them, the rest of the day.

you paced quickly in front of the door to Albedo’s and Aether’s shared room, you had wanted to apologize, you felt like you shouldn’t of yelled at them, you were angry, stressed. You knocked on the pale door, “albedo?..aether?”You called out softly.

“I just wanted to apologize, I, didn’t mean to blow up in your face, I was stressed and…” you weren’t sure if you should continue. “I just..I hope you know I didn’t mean it, you guys are just as stressed as me.. I know you’ve got stuff to get to, back home..” you fiddled with your hands, hearing no response you just sighed.

You had the same reaction to the room the archons were in, not an answer. You walked back to your room, feeling defeated. “goodnight guys.” You called out to the corridor, hoping that they were okay.

You got ready for bed, an uneasy feeling in your stomach. You weren’t sure if it was because of the fact that you’ve gotten no response, or that you’re feeling the guilt. You just hoped that you can sleep it off, try to ease yourself. Your hands ran down your face, a big sigh coming out of you.

You switched off your lamp from your bedside table, snuggling into your bed, blanket bunched up on you, being held tightly. You couldn’t sleep, your eyes wouldn’t close. You felt, like being watched. Like you weren’t alone. You scanned the room in the dark, you laid awake in the dark for a good while.

You clutched your blanket closer to yourself, unsure of whether to check out what’s creeping you out or not. after a good twenty minutes of laying in your bed in the dark, you decide to reach for your lamp when a hand clasped you mouth and wrist, a scream came out of you then, looking everywhere for your captor’s face.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’ll be okay. You’ve left us no choice, your grace. You’ve been in this world too long, too brainwashed into a mortal’s life.” The person whispered to you gently, you could feel the fear creeping up in your veins, your hands start to shake, tears starting to form in your eyes.

“I’m sorry, this will hurt a little.” A prick in your arm makes you jump, before squirming, the person holding you seemed strong, not before long, your eyes start to droop, you could feel your strength leaving as you tried to fight till the bitter end, before your eyes closed, you could see the moonlight enter your room, as the room faded out, albedo’s melancholic smile was the last thing you saw.

#genshin sagau #sagau #genshin self aware au #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #yandere genshin #euphoric~works #albedo x gender neutral reader #venti x reader #zhongli genshin impact #ei x gn!reader #aether x gender neutral reader #IM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT >:///

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skitariiposting · 10 days

Note

Hear me out

Instead of stilt legs on the Skratos

It's just two skitties standing on top of each other, that way the lower skittie can use radium while the upper skittle uses their arquabus

Ig this isn't quite a propper question about admech, but they are my favorite faction so I just wanted to send this thought to someone

Honestly, it's such a great idea, I gotta appreciate it. In fact, a lovely tumbr user named @kasperl-ruprecht did a take on that here. You two got some good parallel thinking going on, this concept is so funny to me.

I'd love to see some art of a skatros standing awkwardly watching three skits clambering and falling over each other, trying to match his size. I feel like it's something @kitto-paint would make, if they haven't already.

#skitposting #ask-itarii

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kitto-paint · 17 days

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It's time to repost orange juice skitarii here probably

#skitarii #admech #wh40k #kitto paint #adeptus mechanicus #skitarii ranger #skitarii marshall

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akinojam · 30 days

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[English Translations] SHOOTING DELTA / VΔLZ 🔺

youtube

song credit

Song: SHOOTING DELTA

Artist: VΔLZ

Lyrics, Music: Genzuki Tojiro, Kaida Haru

Arrangement, Gt.: Okamura Daisuke/OD (PHYZ)

Ba: Natsume Yuuki (PHYZ)

Dr.: Yuumao

Special Thanks: PHYZ

Lyrics

Japanese romaji English

[Kaida Haru Nagao Kei Genzuki Tojiro]

そう叫ぶよ！思うがままにさ！

過去も今も超えて

会いに行くよ

sou sakebu yo! omou ga mama ni sa

kako mo ima mo koete

ai ni iku yo

yes, scream it out! to your heart's content

surpassing both the past and the present

we'll go meet you

ここにいる意味(わけ)探して

突き抜けてく　光　のその先へ

どこまでも　未来目指してく

背中を預けた　その仲間と

koko ni iru imi(wake) sagashite

tsuki nuketeku hikari no sono saki he

doko made mo mirai mezashiteku

senaka wo azuketa sono nakama to

finding the reason(excuse) to be here

break through and to beyond the light

wherever it is, aim for the future

with those comrades that you leaned on

違う色同士でも

交わって馴染んでく僕ら

星をそれぞれ繋げて

空に放て

大きなデルタ打ち上げろ

chigau iro doushi demo

majiwatte najindeku bokura

hoshi wo sorezore tsunagete

sora ni hanete

ookina deruta uchiagero

even if it's the ones with different colors

we interact and become familiar to each other

connecting the stars one by one

release them up to the sky

let's shoot up a big delta

Sing！

もう奔るこの鼓動は止められない！

いつかの憧れ抱いて眠る

あの日の夢求めて

Sing!

mou hashiru kono kodou ha tomerarenai!

itsuka no akogare daite nemuru

ano hi no yume motomete

Sing!

these already running fast heartbeats can't be stopped now

holding the admiration from sometimes ago in our arms as we fall asleep

in searching for the dream from that day

そう叫ぶよ！思うがままにさ！

伝えたいんだ

ここに生きている理由を

きっと最初から出会う運命だったんだね

過去も今も超えて

会いに行くよ

sou sakebuyo! omou ga mama ni sa!

tsutaetainda

koko ni ikiteiru riyuu wo

kitto saisho kara deau unmei dattan dane

kako mo ima mo koete

ai ni iku yo

yes, scream it out to your heart's content

we want to convey it

the reason we exist here

we're sure it was fate for us to meet each other since the beginning

surpassing both the past and the present

we'll go meet you

変えられない自分自身

ここでならば必要なピースになる

隙間だらけの歩幅さえも

僕ら埋め合って重ねてきた

kaerarenai jibun jishin

koko de naraba hitsuyou na piisu ni naru

sukima darake no hohaba sae mo

bokura ume atte kasanete kita

the oneself that cannot change

if it's here, it'll become an essential piece

even the strides filled with gaps too

we make up for each other one time after another

どの色で輝けるか

自分じゃ分からないだけど

なぜか怖くはないんだ

奇跡描け

どこまでも声響かせろ

dono iro de kagayakeru ka

jibun ja wakaranai dakedo

naze ka kowaku ha nainda

kiseki egake

doko made mo koe hibikazero

in which color will we shine

we don't know it ourselves, but

somehow we're not scared

paint miracles

let's make our voices be heard everywhere

Spark！

もう弾けた僕たちは止められない！

いつでも憧れ抱いて進む

その瞬間求めて

Spark!

mou hajiketa bokutachi ha tomerarenai!

itsu demo akogare daite susumu

sono shunkan motomete

Spark!

The us that already burst opened can't be stopped now

holding the admirations we've always had in our hand while going forward

in searching for that moment

そう輝く！思うがままにさ！

示したいんだ

ここで歌える理由を

あの日迷子の僕を救ってくれたんだよ

だから前を向いていられたんだ

sou kagayaku! omou ga mama ni sa!

shime shitain da

koko de utaeru riyuu wo

ano hi maigo no boku wo sukutte kuretan dayo

dakara mae wo muite iraretan da

yes, shine! to your heart's content

we want to show you

the reason we're singing here

you saved the me that was a lost child that day

that's why I was able to stay looking forward

ずっと見てきたよ

後悔も焦燥も

見てきたから強く在れた

この先で何があっても平気さ

隣にキミがいるから

zutto mite kita yo

koukai mo shousou mo

mite kita kara tsuyoku areta

kono saki de nani ga atte mo heiki sa

tonari ni kimi ga iru kara

we've always watched

both the regrets and the frustrations

watched them so we could be able to stay strong

even if there is anything from now, it's okay

because you're right next to us

Sing!

そう燃やすよ　この命果てるまで

いつかの憧れ抱いて眠る

少年じゃいられない

ねえ見ててよ！キミだけの星座を！

伝えたいんだ

ここに生きている理由を

聞いてよ

Sing!

sou moyasu yo kono inochi hateru made

itsuka no akogare daite nemuru

shounen ja irarenai

nee mitete yo! kimi dake no seiza wo!

tsutaetain da

koko ni ikiteru riyuu wo

kiite yo

Sing!

yeah, burn it, this life, until it's exhausted

holding the dreams from sometimes ago in our arms as we fall asleep

we can't just stay the young boys like that

hey, look at it! the constellation that is only yours!

we want to convey it

the reason we exist here

listen to us

Sing！

もう奔るこの鼓動は止められない！

いつかの憧れ抱いて眠る

あの日の夢求めて

Sing!

mou hashiru kono kodou ha tomerarenai!

itsuka no akogare daite nemuru

ano hi no yume motomete

Sing!

these already running fast heartbeats can't be stopped now

holding the admiration from sometimes ago in our arms as we fall asleep

in searching for the dream from that day

そう叫ぶよ！思うがままにさ！

伝えたいんだ

ここに生きている理由を

きっと最初から出会う運命だったんだね

過去も今も超えて

会いにきたよ

sou sakebu yo! omou ga mama ni sa!

tsutaetain da

koko ni ikiteiru riyuu wo

kitto saisho kara deau unmei dattan dane

kako mo ima mo koete

ai ni kita yo

yeah, scream it out! to your heart's content!

we want to convey it

the reason we exist here

we're sure it was fate for us to meet each other since the beginning

surpassing both the past and the present,

we came to meet you

[T/Ns]

Happy 4th Anniv!!!

Translations might not be 100% accurate, if there is any mistakes please dm me on twt(@ nnire_chu)

I used "we" as the main pronoun here as most of the pronouns in th JP lyrics are "we/us" except for the one I used "I/me", also because I'm interpreting the song lyrics as message from VΔLZ to listener more than individual to individual.

If the template looks weird, I'll fix it once I get back home and have access to pc!

#VΔLZ #nijisanji #shooting delta #kaida haru #genzuki tojiro #nagao kei #Youtube

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computerkit · 7 months

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silliest doodles of all time feat corner v1 & v2

#ultrakill #v4v #artkit #doodlekit #sep 2023 #ms paint #my personas #persona kitto #v1 #v2 #qkit #furry #robot #animalgirl

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kittokattx · 1 year

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ms paint christmas kitty

#kittos art #my art #christmas #furry #ms paint

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snowdust64 · 6 months

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『Tobira』 romaji + English translation

Artist: VΔLZ Original lyrics: Miyagawa Iren English translation by Snowdust64

Notes: - Implied pronouns are in brackets. I used my best judgment to fill them in, but other listeners may interpret them differently. - English words from the original lyrics have been preserved and are denoted in all caps.

=================

ASPHALT bakari mite itara aozora no ARCHIVE mo minogashi chau deshou takanaru mune wa kore ijou osae kirenai dakara atarashii asu e

If the ASPHALT is all [I] look at [I’ll] miss out on the ARCHIVE of blue sky [I] can’t suppress this pounding in my chest anymore That’s why towards a new tomorrow

tsumiageta PUZZLE ga totsuzen kuzure tatte aseru koto mo naku bakabakashii to nagedashita kinou yori wa chotto otona ni natta ka na

The PUZZLE [I] assembled suddenly fell to pieces Nothing to sweat about Thinking, how silly, [I] tossed it out More so than yesterday, maybe [I’ve] grown up a bit

osanai koro no yume wa (nandakke) ima to chigatta toshite mo (IT’S OK) mikai no ji o yuku tabibito wa kitto hitomi o kagayakasete iru hazu sa

Even if the dreams from [my] childhood are different from what they are now The traveler conquering unexplored lands Surely their eyes are shining

matta nashi no mirai ga bokura o temaneite mada namae no nai hoshi o mezasu nda hajimari no aizu kikoetetara isogiashi de tobira no mukou de machiawase

The future that won’t wait beckons to us [We’re] aiming for a star that doesn’t yet have a name The signal for the beginning If [you] hear it, then hurry [Let’s] meet on the other side of the door

ashita no koto nante kaminomizoshiru nda MANUAL-doori ja tsuman’nai shi kako no ashiato datte NAVIGATION ni naru dakara shinpai no deban wa nashi

God only knows what tomorrow will bring And going by the MANUAL is no fun Even footprints from the past can serve as NAVIGATION So there’s no space for worry

are mo kore mo yaritakerya muzukashiku kangaenakute ii njanai? jinsei no COIN TOSS kaisuu wa kimattenai kara nando demo CHALLENGE shiyou

If [you] want to do this and that Isn’t it fine not to think so hard about it? Life’s COIN TOSS doesn’t happen a set number of times We’ll CHALLENGE it again and again

ano hi chikatta koto (itsuka) toki ga nagaretete mo (tagai no) atama no naka de uzumaiteru motto ookina senaka miserareru hazu sa

What [I] vowed on that day (someday) Even if time passes by (for each and all) It’s swirling around in my head Surely, [I’ll] be able to show [you] and even bigger back *

kimi to miru mirai ga hontou no START datte ippo fumidaseba soko ni wa niji ga kakaru tobiro no mukou ni nani ga machikamaete ite mo yukou warai aeru basho e

The future that you and [I] see This is truly the START If [you] take one step forward There, a rainbow beams On the other side of the door No matter what awaits Let’s go, to that place where we can laugh together

samayou kokoro to wakare shite tobikomu nda NEXT STAGE e

Bid farewell to this wandering heart Leap to the NEXT STAGE matta nashi no mirai ni takaku te o nobashite mada daremo mitenai keshiki o egaku nda hajimari no aizu kikoetetara isogiashi de tobira no mukou de machiawase

To the future that won’t wait Reach [your] hand out high [We’re] painting a scenery no one has seen before The signal for the beginning If [you] hear it, then hurry [Let’s] meet on the other side of the door

===============

* The words ‘ookina senaka’ literally means ‘big back’ (as in a person’s back) and is a common way to describe someone as strong and dependable. In English, the figure of speech of ‘having broad shoulders’ has a similar meaning.

#VΔLZ #nagao kei #kaida haru #genzuki tojiro #nijisanji

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deadcactuswalking · 8 months

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 09/09/2023 (Kylie Minogue, Kenya Grace, Tion Wayne/Nines)

Content warning: Discussion of death and some sex references

Doja Cat dethrones Olivia Rodrigo at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, with “Paint the Town Red” becoming her first ever song to top the chart. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start with the notable dropouts, which are songs exiting the UK Top 75 (that’s what I cover) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we say farewell to “On the Radar Freestyle” by Drake and Central Cee, “FE!N” by Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti and Sheck Wes - kind of - “Pakistan” by D-Block Europe featuring Clavish, “How Does it Feel” by Tom Grennan, “Everywhere” and “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, “Kill Bill” by SZA, “Another Love” by Tom Odell and finally, “Riptide” by Vance Joy. And stay out.

Always infinitely more interesting are our notable gains, which this week includes “Party All the Time” by Hannah Laing and HVRR at #57, “DNA (Loving You)” by Billy Gillies featuring Hannah Boleyn at #54, “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves at #50, “Rave Out” by Turno, Skepsis and Charlotte Plank at #41, “Feel It” by Jazzy at #35, “Bittersweet Goodbye” by Issey Cross at #23, “Rush” by Troye Sivan at #22 thanks to a remix featuring PinkPantheress and Hyunjin of Stray Kids (it’s alright), “Asking” by MK and Sonny Fodera featuring Clementine Douglas at #14 and finally, Fred again.. and Obongjayar get their first top 10 hits as credited artists with “adore u” - even if I’m not a fan of the song, still happy for them at #9.

Our top five on this week’s UK Singles Chart is pretty standard: we have Peggy Gou’s “(It Goes Like) Nanana” at #5, “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish at #4, “vampire” at Olivia Rodrigo down to #3, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #2 and of course, “Paint the Town Red” at #1. Now off to look at our interesting list of new entries.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 - “HONEY (ARE U COMING)” - Maneskin

Produced by SLY and Rami

As soon as I saw this title, I had my concerns about this Italian rock band dipping into incredibly unsexy “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE”-esque territory, but whilst the double entendre may still be there, the song is more about sheer adrenaline… and it goes hard as balls. I’ve never been a fan of Mr. David’s nasal delivery, but he rides the riff pretty effectively here, even going into a falsetto he can’t even really hit for the purpose of just having chaotic fun, which seems also to be the reason for the switch between a slimy sing-songy flow in the chorus and its ending screech. The riffs here are infectious, with some great subtle overdubs in the verses, and once again, Ethan Torchio on the drums does a lot to keep this song’s momentum going with a basic but propulsive drum pattern that hits heavy in the chorus and plays really well off of the nastier bass as it rattles around the mix during that post-punk-esque bridge. I do wish the final chorus had a better build up than the smash-in technique it goes for here, but this still kicks a decent amount of ass, even if it’s not all that interesting or unique for this band.

#73 - “Back on 74” - Jungle

Produced by J. Lloyd

It is incredibly painful to see a song called “Back on 74” debut at #73. So close. Anyway, Jungle are a real unique group - you could call them a soul group, an electronic music group, but I don’t think they can effectively be pigeon-holed really. They’re probably best described as a funk group active since 2013 and consistently snatching top 10 albums in the UK. It was of no surprise to see their latest, Volcano, peak at #3 there but it is a bit of a surprise to see them on the singles chart, this being their highest-peaking song in the UK Singles Chart ever and first since 2014’s “Time” which peaked all the way down at #94. I’ve yet to listen to that album yet, but this is a great cut with Lydia Kitto on lead vocals, keeping in a breathy, sometimes clipping higher register amidst a rolicking groove and cute acoustics that exemplify probably the most appealling part of this song to me: sincerity. It’s a nostalgic-feeling jam with seemingly the best intentions with each little vocal harmony, especially when the guys join in on the second verse with Kitto or provide that deep-pitched “oh-oh” doo-wop lines during the chorus. Kitto has some really flailing vocal riffs here too, poking out of the mix kind of desperately in a way that reflects that mantra of “let it go!” The warm synth keys, almost reminding me of Tyler the Creator in how they replicate what would be a brass instrument in an older song, come in later and really seal the deal for me, trickling down until… the song just kind of ends, abruptly, and slightly disappointedly. We do return for a soulful acoustic outro consisting mostly of vaguely psychedelic improv, but it doesn’t feel like a substantial conclusion to a song with so much drive. Otherwise, I mean, it’s still a good ride to hop on, just could have found a better destination. I would be surprised if this stick around too but, hey, I wouldn’t be complaining - it’s rare that something like this ends up even this high.

#72 - “Miillion Dollar Bill” - Beyond Chicago, Majestic and Alex Mills

Produced by Beyond Chicago and Majestic

This is a bit of a deep cut, guys! For context, “Million Dollar Bill” is a throwback-sounding disco and funk track by the legend Whitney Houston herself, released in 2009 and produced by Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz, yet somehow not ending up sounding in any way modern. This is probably a good thing for Whitney, as her performance here and the instrumental she’s on has never felt perfectly right to me; she still had the pipes in 2009 obviously, but she approached the song in a way that didn’t feel as youthful as it should, as proven by Alicia Keys’ fresh-faced backing vocals that kind of just make me wish she kept the song for herself. It’s also just kind of a boring song, with very little up its sleeves other than relying on sheer belting prowess from its lead star. Regardless, as the lead single from her final album, it still peaked at #5 in the UK, and is clearly remembered enough for a remix by UK DJs Beyond Chicago and Majestic, who you may know from his remix of Boney M.’s “Rasputin” which peaked at #11 just a few years ago. Now on one hand, this song does what the song should have always done, increased the punch of the percussion and picked the pace up a bit. On the other hand, we no longer have the iconic Whitney Houston and are stuck with the completely serviceable - most of the time - Alex Mills, who covers the song without the subtlety that Whitney inherently brought at times in that original version. That’s mostly a good thing when it comes to the incessant French house flip that this song has, still maintaining a replicated version of some of the original, more organic percussion for the pre-drop but going all-out elsewhere on basically digitising this single. I’m still pretty torn on it - it makes the song what it was probably written as, with little regard to who it was written by or for. It slaps harder but less interestingly, it’s got more vocal leap but less personality. It’s structurally completely fine so it’ll function in a club, and I guess that’s this song’s only real purpose so I’m sure it can be a fully ignorable version of a pretty uncommonly-brought-up single from the tail end of a legend’s career.

#65 - “I KNOW ?” - Travis Scott

Produced by OZ, Coleman, Travis Scott, Buddy Ross and BBYKOBE

When listening to UTOPIA, this song may have been the track that exemplified just how much I was bored and frustrated by Travis, as this entire song seems like an exercise in testing patience. It’s plopped right in the middle of the album, between the mysterious Beyoncé-featuring “DELRESTO (ECHOES)”, an aimless, wandering lecture on how to lose all momentum, and the album’s attempt at a grimy banger, “TOPIA TWINS”, so the link between the two complete opposites kind of needs to be substantial, or smooth or at least effectively transitional. This is a piano-led stodge with distorted and time-stretched samples placed in and out as haphazardly as possible to connote “experimentation”. This could potentially fit into a hypnotising, drugged-out atmosphere as Travis has often fell into before but the layers of synth aren’t there, the vocal samples cut in and out, including his own ad-libs which are mixed interruptingly loud, and he has twenty girls sucking him “like bisons”. Regardless, the mindless repetition is enough to make this a catchy song, and hence a fan favourite that has lasted way longer than I expected in terms of its streaming traction. It’s not offensively bad like many other cuts on that album, or even all that frustratingly boring like the rest of it given its shorter runtime, but it’s still just about as worthless.

#53 - “Demons” - Doja Cat

Produced by d.a. got that dope

This series has for the most part always been “all about the music, man”, even if I do often get political or make off-hand comments about scandals. The one thing I tend to avoid - half because I just don’t care enough and half because it accentuates that musical focus - is the music video for a song. I will rarely ever watch a video for a song, genuinely, and this hurts several songs that I end up reviewing. This was a bigger deal from the mid-2010s and earlier, dating back to the 1980s, where videos were a big event that often came with the song to create cultural phenomena, but it’s not like we’ve had a “Thriller”-level match of phenomenon single and cinematic video since, well, maybe “This is America”? Music videos are a lot less important it feels nowadays, at least in the Anglosphere, and I bring this up because the video for “Demons” seems like it was made completely in conjunction with the song. Doja’s teeth-grinding yelps aren’t as villainous without the cloned pitch-black devils echoing them, the trap metal beat from d.a. got that dope of all people doesn’t blast as well without the knowledge that it’s the endless soundtrack to this helpless woman and her kids trying to escape the demonic creatures, and Doja’s sing-songy cadence sounds childlike without the condescending looks and that typewriter scene that practically explains why the second verse’s flow is so awkward. I’m not a music video reviewer though, I review songs and yes, surprise, surprise, I still like this. The horror movie strings are immediately punctuated by a shoddily-mastered bass and maniacal laughter from Doja, who cuts off her own gasping-for-air ad-libs with creepy empty space that is even more noticeable when the stiff beat seems like it should be doing more to cover her minimal, nursery rhyme verses. I’ll admit that the hook gets a bit stale, but the sarcastic pettiness and gross sex bars in that second verse increase the theatrics in a very typically unsubtle way that ensures this won’t fade from memory anytime soon. I’m dying on a very risky hill here, but hey, if Baby Keem needed to be a woman rapping over slasher film soundtracks all this time for me to like him (her?), then Doja found the formula before he could get to it.

#46 - “Last Time I Saw You” - Nicki Minaj

Produced by Hendrix Smoke, ATL Jacob, Bak, Frankie Bash and TooDope

The Queen of Rap is back with her sequel to her debut, Pink Friday and just like the original, there are sugary tacked-on pop singles. This particular one is a bit of a new lane for Nicki though, considering it’s a slow synthpop jam, held together by a ringtone lead synth and some of the worst straw-sounding drums I’ve ever heard on this kind of production backing a harder backbeat that actually functions, perhaps a bit more than Nicki’s mush-mouth singing that is still quite limited, even if it’s far from a bad performance, and coated in enough reverb and Auto-Tune to drown out many of the flaws. In fact, this restrained, kind of muted singing fits pretty well for a song about regretting being not as close as she could in a relationship before it ended. The rap verse may not really take the restraint angle, and it’s not exactly a good verse for Nicki’s standards, but it functions basically as a guest-rap verse on her own song, which is a cute decision, and doesn’t distract much from the song’s flow. In fact, on repeated listens, I began to really like this. Content-wise, the song is just vague enough to reflect any relationship, but does make it clear that it’s not purely romantic, and makes some leads toward it being about her late father, with her struggling to complete the sentence “I killed it”, which resonates with me particularly because there’s always a sense of guilt and loss that you weren’t the perfect person for someone when that person close to you dies, and being as closed-off as Nicki as in this performance, not really wanting to talk about it, was my instinctual reaction too when my father passed. The bridge is what really sold me on this though, with that speck of ambiance amidst all the backing vocal layers, a distant electric guitar signifying his death, before Nicki observes the stars in a nostalgic interpolation of Madonna’s “Lucky Star”, naming her father as the first star she notices in the sky that night. Then the vocal and synth layers continue to pile up, repeating mantras of sentences, whilst the drums transfix into this jerky Jersey club rhythm that never fully comes to a conclusion, just fading into a drumless chorus that is honestly pretty beautiful, especially with what sounds like a subtle male backing vocal harmonising with Nicki on the first line of that final hook. I… may have just talked myself into loving this one. I’ve got to stop doing that.

#43 - “AMEN” - Tion Wayne and Nines

Produced by Smokey.jam and GUSTO

The two grit-voiced UK rappers team up for a collaboration that makes all too much sense and yes, whilst it is mostly a Tion Wayne song with a Nines guest verse, Nines still must have injected some fury in Tion here considering how he comes in with a lot of violence here, making his typical pop culture potpourri of references just that more fun. He’s over a pretty nasty beat too, blending shuffling boom bap drums with an eerie acoustic loop and some gorgeous female vocals standing airily in the back of the chorus. The call-and-response with the choir in the chorus is a brilliant choice to make this song anthemic, and to my surprise, Nines doesn’t really mess it up either. He comes in as sloppy and conversational as he’s always been, but his lowkey basically-just-talking flow is a nice respite from Tion’s aggression and he occasionally sounds smooth even. As a whole piece, this may not be perfect - it’s not exactly the most potent either have been - but it’s a great pumping rap banger outside of the trap and drill subgenres, which I feel like we’ve been missing lately. Hell, if this whole G-Unit revival sound in the UK is going to bring songs like this, I can’t be too upset at Digga D for helping start that.

#20 - “Strangers” - Kenya Grace

Produced by Kenya Grace

This one kind of came out of nowhere, especially for a top 20 hit, but this is Kenya Grace, a singer from London with just a few songs out as of writing, and this is her massive breakout hit, “Strangers”, which I see as a more futuristic and cinematic version of what PinkPantheress has been doing, replacing her more vintage-sounding samples with a plastic 80s synth and ominous vocal loops, whilst keeping the rhythmic, wistful delivery. Sadly, the chorus really doesn’t hit here, as it’s just two extended, kind of awkward lines with that “uh-huh” mantra filling in the blanks. Interestingly, just like PinkPantheress, the song feels unfinished, but in a completely different way, not that there’s a great song that just needs a proper emotional climax, but in that this song feels like a template for what could be a brilliant track, and never gets there, which is especially annoying since it uses the momentum of a drum and bass track to propel itself, which makes it incredibly unsatisfying when nothing aligns together as it should. It’s a good effort but I’m more hoping for a more realised follow-up than listening to this one anytime soon.

#19 - “Tension” - Kylie Minogue

Produced by Duck Blackwell and Richard “Biff” Stannard

And from a singer who was a practical unknown until recently to perhaps the most established and no-introduction-needed artist in this list. The second single and title track from her upcoming album, is “Tension” going to live up to the big comeback of “Padam Padam”? Well, perhaps it won’t be a similar phenom, but it applies a similar formula with the robotic repetition and bordering-on-cringeworthy lyrics amidst a slightly bubblier production than the last single, going for a 90s piano house lead and very fizzy synth bass plucks following every angle of the mix, even in the intensely-filtered pre-chorus which is practically a call-and-response, but with Kylie’s heavily affected cooing that eventually transforms into this completely unrecognisable glitched fabric mixed sloppily onto a slap house rhythm as the bass dominates the mix until what is practically a drop-within-a-drop, that brings in a freaking sick bass guitar line and releases a lot of airier synth soundscapes. The second verse has some fantastic choir-like backing vocal layers, and the rest of the song’s progression just continues to overwhelm in a way that seems set to establish Kylie’s sexual and pop culture dominance. As she’s basically a mystical figure in pop at this point, this new practically alien futuristic house sound that’s minimal in idea, maximum in execution, is a sound I really love for her. It actually brings her into the modern pop scene a lot smoother than you’d think, because it incorporates elements of her existing stage and media persona. This is great - silly, but not bordering on stupid like “Padam Padam” - instead, it’s just fantasical and out of this world in a really gripping way.

Conclusion

What a good week. There are only three songs of nine I wasn’t a fan of and even then, they’re far from terrible. Travis Scott does end up with Worst of the Week for “I KNOW ?”, but a Dishonourable Mention isn’t needed. Instead, how about two Honourable Mentions for “Back on 74” by Jungle and “Last Time I Saw You” by Nicki Minaj which was very close but does mean that Best of the Week goes to Kylie Minogue for “Tension”. There was a lot of good stuff this week though; I’ve yet to listen to Olivia Rodrigo’s newest but I hope she brings some of that same quality next week. As for now, thank you for reading, rest in peace to Steve Harwell and I’ll see you then!

#uk singles chart #tion wayne #nines #kylie minogue #kenya grace #song review

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