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slavghoul · 1 year

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Hello, I prepared some statistics to give you a short overview of Ghost's amazingly successful 2022. It is based on data I collected between 22/12/2021 and 22/12/2022.

The big Ghost event of 2022 was of course the release of the band's fifth album, IMPERA.

Since March 11, it has sold nearly 500,000 copies, won the American Music Award for Favorite Rock Album and received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance ('Call Me Little Sunshine').

Within the first week of its release, the album reached #2 on the Billboard 200 (ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States) and ranked in the top 20 best-selling albums in 19 countries across the world:

#1 in Sweden, Austria, Germany, Finland, Spain

#2 in US, UK, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands

#3 in Australia, Canada

#5 in Switzerland, Ireland, France

#7 in Poland

#8 in Hungary

#12 in Denmark, Portugal

#20 in Italy

IMPERA is Ghost’s best charting album to date.

On YouTube, the band amassed a staggering 260 million views. 840,000 people subscribed to the channel this year, which makes up 42% of all current subscribers.

5 most watched videos on YouTube in 2022:

Mary On A Cross (Official Audio) – 32 million views

Call Me Little Sunshine (Official Music Video) – 15 million views

Square Hammer (Official Music Video) – 11 million views

Mary On A Cross (Live in Tampa 2022) – 8.2 million views

Spillways (Official Music Video) – 6.8 million views

On Spotify, the band amassed 1,285,625 new followers. That’s around 61% of all followers since the band appeared on the platform.

5 most streamed songs on Spotify in 2022:

Mary On A Cross - 193,709,473 streams

Call Me Little Sunshine – 41,108,589 streams

Square Hammer – 29,720,042 streams

Dance Macabre – 26,494,053 streams

Spillways – 24,910,870 streams

It goes without saying that the viral success of Mary On A Cross on TikTok brought in a lot of new fans this year, but the magnitude of it becomes even more astonishing if you look at numbers.

On this graph, I marked a few events that resulted in a noticeable spike in the number of monthly listeners on Spotify, including the approximate time when MOAC began to gain traction on TikTok. As you can see, nothing, not even the release of a new album, gave the band as much attention as the 3-year old song suddenly raising in popularity on one single platform.

Between end of July and beginning of October, the number of monthly listeners on Spotify skyrocketed from 2.5 million to 12 million. This is a 380% increase.

Although the numbers have been in decline since then, it appears that for the past month they have stayed at a steady 9 million. As of today (Dec 22, 2022) the exact number is 9,110,996. Exactly a year ago (Dec 22, 2021) the number was 1,999,951. A hefty 355% increase in only a year.

Some other milestones and fun facts:

On June 7, Cirice, Dance Macabre, and Square Hammer were all certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 units in the USA. Following the viral success, Mary On A Cross was also certified Gold on November 20.

The band's most liked post on Instagram this year was a video of Papa throwing the first pitch at the White Sox game (273,241 likes).

The episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live where Ghost performed Call Me Little Sunshine was watched by around 1.3 million people.

In September, Ghost reached over 12 million monthly listeners on Spotify and was the 450th most streamed artist globally - that's 450 out of over 11 million!

As of today with over 1.6 billion accumulated streams Ghost is one of the 1,000 most successful artists on the platform of all time (currently #808).

On September 11, Mary On A Cross peaked at #1 in the Viral Hits chart on Spotify in 54 countries across the world.

It was also the highest charting Swedish song on the platform in 2022, peaking globally at #31.

At this point I think it’s safe to declare that Ghost’s global success reached unprecedent heights this year and even allowed them to officially join the ranks of mainstream artists. With all of the above, 70 completed shows this year and many more to come in 2023, and with media of the likes of The Wall Street Journal proclaiming Ghost “the next generation of arena stars,” it looks like that the band is well on the way to become one of the biggest rock acts of this century. Not bad for a side project started by one Swede in his bedroom somewhere in Linköping.

Let us hope 2023 will be as devilishly good!

#the band ghost

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ierobots · 8 months

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This is the entire My Chem Discography

I’m deleting my old song master posts in favour of putting them all into one: here’s all My Chem and solo project songs that aren’t on Spotify, some that are but you may not know are MCR, with links to everything except lost media and scrapped songs. PS: I may update to add James Dewees and Jarrod Alexander

My Chemical Romance

All Not On Spotify (Playlist) My Name Is Jonas (Live Feature) Live Covers (Playlist) Nine Volt Heart (Lyrics Only)

Documentary: Punk’s Not Dead

No Links/Scrapped Titles & Songs: Number of the Beast, American Idiot (Live Covers) Stabbing, Wish You Away (Sorrows and Drowning Lesson scrapped titles??) First Chance, Still Alive, Teenage Girl, Pretty, Monster Jam (+ over 30 scrapped DD and CW songs/titles) Dark Cloud, Witch, Wake Up (no longer online)

Frank Iero

Cameo: Punk Rock Holocaust (with Ray Toro) Addiction: A 60s Love Story (with James Dewees)

Bloodnun: Self Titled (full demo) Beneath the Unholy (full side of split) Straying Further From God’s Light (feature)

Sector 12 (aka Steve Weil aka Hybrid): New Demo (full demo)

Death Spells: Sunday Came Undone (unreleased song) Demos (full album)

Leathermouth: Myself (bonus track) What’s A Pulse Got To Do With It? (Bodysnatchers demo) Murder Was The Case (demo)

The Lovecats: Performance Playlist (live band only)

Pencey Prep: …trying to escape the inevitable (full demo EP) Last Rites (short clip) All Otherwise Unreleased/Not On HIS (Playlist: 6 songs) (Cotton Candy is not a Pencey Prep song)

Reggie and the Full Effect: No Country For Old Musicians (Full Album - Ray Toro on lead guitar, Frank on bass, vocals on tracks 8 & 13)

Solo: All Not On Spotify (Playlist) Live Covers (Playlist)

Features: All Vocal Features (Playlist) All Guitar Features (Playlist) All Live Features (Playlist) All Music Video Features (Playlist)

Can’t Find Links: Live at BBC Maida Vale (EP), 2022 (L.S. Dunes Demo) Little Boxes, On The Road Again, True Love, Can’t Hardly Wait (Live Covers)

Gerard Way

The Mo-Fo’s: Demos (Playlist)

Solo: Soundcloud Releases (Playlist) All Not On Spotify (Playlist)

Features: Vocal Features (Playlist) Live Features (Playlist) I’m A UFO In This City (Album Producer) Sleep When I’m Dead (Song Remix)

Ray Toro

Prev. Mentioned: Punk Rock Holocaust 2, No Country For Old Musicians

The Rodneys (Band with Matt Pelissier): Soccertown USA (full album playlist)

Aurelio Voltaire: Raised By Bats (full album)

Mikey Way

Waterparks: Cluster (full EP)

Features: Makeshift Love (music video) We Don’t Have to Dance (bass) Louder Than Your Love (bass)

Matt Pelissier

Prev. Mentioned: Soccertown USA

Revenir: Exiled From Bear County (full album) All Demos (Playlist)

#mcr #my chemical romance #frank iero #mychem #frnkiero #gerard way #mikey way #ray toro #my chem #leathermouth #bloodnun #death spells #fiatc #hesitant alien

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outsideratheart · 1 year

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Christmas Miracle (Alexia Putellas x reader)

A/N: This technically is not part of my advent calendar series but you guys wanted angst and who am iIto say no. To the anons who sent requests for this, i hope you like it. I know it isn’t quite what one of you asked for but I did try to use both of them to build the fic.

2022 was a rollercoaster of emotions for both you and Alexia. You had immense success with Barcelona despite failing to complete the quadruple. Then Alexia had her injury the day before your first game with England. Whilst the summer was one you will remember for the rest of your life, it is one Alexia wished never happened.

Off the pitch you spent endless hours at media events and photoshoots, luckily you had each to lean on when things became too much.

It was the reason why your final appearance of the year was bearable. FC Barcelona requested that the captains of the female team attend the gala so that they can talk about how the women’s game is progressing.

By the time the event ends both of your social batteries are drained and you are ready to go home.

“Tonight has been the best so far” you lean back against the leather seat letting the coldness of the fabric calm you.

“That’s because it was our first one where the world knows we are together. We didn’t have to hide our love” Alexia rests her head on your shoulder. Her fingers interlock with yours as they lay in your lap.

There were many reasons why the night was a success but none came close the one Alexia said. The summer was a test for many reasons yet despite this your relationship with Alexia grew stronger than ever. Being in a different country when your girlfriend was going through the hardest time of her live didn’t stop you from being there for her and Alexia’s injury didn’t stop her from cheering you on from Barcelona. It was during the final when Alexia asked you if you she could tell the world about the two of you. You obviously said yes having been waiting for her to comfortable enough to do so.

“I got to dance with the most beautiful girl in the world and everyone else had to watch on in envy” you recall the moment in your head, it was one that had never happened before. The music slowed yet you and Alexia stayed on the dance floor as you swayed to the beat. The crowd around you becomes less relevant with every verse that is played.

“We certainly stole the show” Alexia says.

“What’s next? We are officially on winter break. I didn’t really get an off season due to AMOS cup, I’m ready for a holiday” you ask Alexia knowing that she has been working with your manager, who just so happened to be hers, to make sure you got at least two weeks off. No photoshoots, no interviews, no distractions in the slightest.

“I’m thinking Australia. Me, you, mum and Alba fly out on the 22nd then have an open invite for anyone to join us between Christmas and new year” Alexia used the words thinking loosely. Truth is she has been planning this for a couple of months.

“That sounds like heaven” you dip your head slightly to kiss her temple. A smile dugs at your lips when you feel her relax into your touch.

The two of you sit in comfortable silence as the radio plays a Spanish Christmas song that Alexia seems to know all the words to. You make a mental note to ask her about it later having never heard it before.

You are calm and still in that moment, holding the woman you love but then out the corner of your eye you can see a set of car lights getting closer and closer. You think it is going to stop but when it becomes clear that the driver has no plans to do so, you do what comes naturally. You protect Alexia. You quickly shift in your seat so that your back is against the door. Alexia doesn’t have a chance to question the movement as the car is hit.

The force of the impact causes the car to roll but enough times that it remains upright.

All Alexia can hear is ringing through her ears, her vision is blurred but she tries her hardest to come to her senses. She squeezes her eyes shut then focuses on her breathing. When she opens them again everything is back in focus. The sight she saw filled her with panic and struck fear within her.

“Ale” Your voice is strained and she can only guess how much pain you must be in.

“Baby, you’re ok” Alexia words are more a form of reassurance for her than you.

She is frozen. What does she do? Does she try to move you? No, in the TV shows they say never move the person as it can cause more harm. There is a deep wound on your side no doubt from the car hitting you. She reaches one arm behind your head whilst the other one applies pressures in hope of stopping the bleeding but she feels warm liquid on her hand which is near your head. When she pulls it away her hand is covered in blood.

“Can you lean forward for me?”

You eyes fail to focus as they stare into space but you do as she says. When you do Alexia can see a cut on the back of your head. This only fills her with more panic as she knows head injuries are very serious.

“Are you both ok?” The driver, who has managed to get out of the vehicle, asks the two of you.

“I am, I think. Y/N is hurt badly, she has cut to her side and a deep cut on the back of her head. It could be worse I don’t know. What do I do?” The panic grows tenfold as Alexia says your injuries out loud.

“Alexia are you hurt?” the driver asks.

This earns a scoff from the midfielder. How could he not see the shape you are in. Why would he ask about her and not you.

“She is hurt” it is all Alexia can bring herself to say.

“I know and I have already called 112. I have told them that Y/N is injured but they asked me about you”

This made more sense.

“I’m ok, I think” Alexia looks herself up and down and repeats her words.

“You have” you cough suddenly “a cut on your eyebrow”

If the situation wasn’t as serious Alexia would have laughed at your selflessness. Here you are, clearly in pain with god knows how many injuries yet you have taken the time to check her out.

She wants to make a clever remark but when she looks back you she see’s your eyes slowly closing, as if you cannot take no more. The pain rushing through your entire body is becoming too much to bare.

“No, No” Alexia begins crying as the severity and the possible outcome of this becomes real.

“Y/N, baby, mi amor, mi alma” She uses every nickname she have ever given you in hopes that one will register.

“I love you Alexia” It was said like a last affirmation of your love for her “If this is where my story ends then I want you to know I have loved every minute spent by your side and I wouldn’t change it for the world” a single tear runs down your cheek and Alexia is quick to wipe it away.

“Don’t cry for me baby. Focus on the good times we have had, they are ours and will stay with you until the end of time”

Those are your last words as your body succumbs to the pain.

The paramedics arrive not long after. As they load you into the ambulance the driver, one that the team had used and who had gotten to know you and the rest of girls well, tells Alexia that he called Jonatan and he has let the team know what happened.

The hospital waiting room is eerily quiet as multiple families wait for updates on their loved ones conditions. Alexia is sat alone in the corner, her hands stained red with your blood. The white trousers she wore are now more pink. Her mind wanders to what happened. She soon finds herself angry with you, which angers her more given the current condition you were in, you chose to put yourself in harms way to safe her. It reminds her of when you were watching some action film, the name escapes her but she remembers you saying that you would sacrifice yourself for her, you said you would take a bullet for her, she never thought for a minute that you would ever prove this to her.

She is so caught up in her own mind that she doesn’t see that she has company.

“Ale” Alba takes a seat near her sister.

The feeling of comfort that her little sister brings shocks Alexia but in that moment she has never been more grateful for her.

Words fail Alexia as every negative emotion rises to the surface. Her body racks with sobs as Alba pulls her close whilst fearing the worst.

“Is Y/N —“ Mapi cannot say the words out loud in fear of getting the answer she didn’t want to hear.

Ingrid pulls her close now knowing how her girlfriend would react if the worse were to have happened to her best friend.

“No, No. Y/N is fine. She is the strongest out of all us. Tell her Alexia” Pina all but begs.

Still, Alexia cannot bring herself to face the team. She cannot look them in eye and say that she is reason why you are in surgery, all because you made the split second decision that her life holds more value than your own.

“Alexia” Leila whispers as she crouches down in front of her friend “are you ok?”

Again Alexia didn’t expect it. Why was she getting asked about herself when you were in much worse shape. Then it hit her, the nurses must not have told them anything about your condition, they weren’t family. At least not according the the hospital.

“It was bad Leila. There was nothing I could do. One minute she was holding me then next thing we got hit by a car. She’s hurt Leila, there was so much blood. Her side and her head”

The team hang on Alexia’s every word as they get told what happened.

“She is alive, yes?” Mapi asks and for the first time since entering the hospital she has hope.

“She’s in surgery” Alexia looks up and faces her team “she was unconscious when we got here but the doctors said she had a heartbeat”

“That’s good Ale” Alba tries to reassure her sister.

“No Albs, you didn’t see her. She said goodbye, like she was already giving up”

The girls listen in shock. You had never given up on anything in your entire life, you were too stubborn to do so.

“Y/N doesn’t give up and she won’t leave, not without living her life with you. She has plans for the two of you Alexia. She has told me over and over again about how she plans on marrying you and having a family with you. How one day your children will celebrate with you both as you win games and trophies. Trust me Alexia, she has plans for the two of you and she won’t leave this earth having not done any of them” Mapi uses every ounce of positive energy she has to reassure your girlfriend knowing that you would do the same if you were in her position.

“I don’t if we will get that future maps. I know this is hard for you too, I know she is your best friend and I know that you must be just as scared as I am” Alexia stands for the first time since the team arrived. She stands so that she can embrace her in a hug.

“She’ll be ok Alexia. Our Y/N doesn’t give up without a fight. She needs us to be strong because she can’t” Mapi responds.

The team sit, pace and stand in the waiting room as the doctors work on you in the operating theatre. A hour passes before they see a man, in his late 40s, dressed in scrubs approach them.

“Are you the family of Y/N Y/L/N?” the surgeon asks and everyone nods in response.

Alexia is front and centre as she listens to him explain the surgery and what is next for you.

“I know it must be scary but the surgery went well. She had a brain bleed and some internal bleeding, both of which we were able to control rather easily but due to head trauma she is in a coma”

Upon hearing this several girls gasp in shock whilst Alexia’s face remains stoic.

“A coma?” she needs him to confirm what she heard was correct.

“A medically induced coma. Head traumas can be difficult to recover from. You don’t realise how much we use our brain because the tasks come so easily to us. Y/N needs to heal before she come back to you, ok?”

“She is going to be ok though? The crash was bad, I thought I was going to lose her”

She can tell the doctor is thinking carefully about his response. The chances of recovery were high but the truth is they won’t know how well the surgery went until you wake up.

“Your girl is a fighter Alexia”

What she does next is unexpected. She pulls the doctor into a hug, thanking him over and over again for saving you. He of course says it part of his job and that the hard part is all on you. Visitors are allowed and he explains that due to the circumstances and with it being the holidays he will allow everyone in to see you.

“You go in first Ale” Alba hesitantly pushes Alexia towards your room.

Alexia froze at the threshold almost as if she was waiting to be let in. There you laid, unconscious, helpless and unrecognisable. If you were to ask anyone who ever met you and they would say that your eyes were unforgettable yet in this moment as your eyes remain closed Alexia tries and fails to remember what they looked like. The tube that was helping you breath causes a level of panic and fear inside Alexia that she never thought possible.

When she plucks up the courage to enter the room she doesn’t go straight to you. Instead she chooses to stand at the foot of your bed, her mind running a hundred miles an hour as flashbacks flood her mind.

She has seen the movies so she knows that she should talk to you and that could help but in there moment she is speechless.

Then she sees your personal belongings on the table beside you. In the clear bag was your jewellery. Some was what you wore for the gala but what she wanted the most was your everyday Jewellery. Your necklace and the ring you always wore on your middle finger. Every since you met you had these items having been given them when your grandmother passed away.

She proceeds to place the necklace around her neck and places your ring on her finger. The small sentiment brings her peace having it feel like part of you is with her.

“Mi alma” she takes a seat beside you bringing your cold hand to her mouth as she places several kisses on the back of it.

”You talked about our story ending but it is only just beginning. I have so much planned for us, you have to wake up that I can show you” Alexia wipes her nose “Please Y/N”

You don’t answer her, how could you.

Alexia is alone with for you almost half an hour. Alba knocks gently on the door as not to scare her sister.

“They can come in” Alexia says like she knows what her sister is about to ask.

With that rest of the Barcelona girls enter your hotel room. Some go straight to your unconscious form, others watch from afar.

It’s when Alexia sees Mapi frozen in the door way, much like she was, does she move from your side.

“She saved my life Maria” Alexia confesses almost like it was a crime.

“I know” the defender nonchalantly replies.

“How?”

“It something she would do. She loves you and I could tell my the way you were acting that there was something more to it than just a car accident”

“I’m so mad at her. Is that wrong?” Alexia knows that she shouldn’t be mad that you saved her live but the cost of that it sit well with her. Should the worse happen, how could she live with herself.

“Oh I’m mad at her too Ale. When she wakes up she will have us both to deal with” Mapi tries to lighten the mood knowing that the alternative wasn’t an option. She had to remain optimistic and plan for the future. A future in which you wake up.

Hours pass, the moon takes place of the sun in the sky and the team get told that visiting hours are over. Unfortunately these rules applied to Alexia regardless of how hard she argues.

“Ale” Alba grabs her sister’s shoulder “you’ll go home, get showered and get some sleep then we will come first thing in the morning”

“I can’t go home. I can’t go back to our home without her” the vulnerability of Alexia’s current state is not something Alba is used to.

“Then we will go to mama’s and the three of us will come here together tomorrow”

And that is what happens day in and day out. The Putellas women visit in the Morning, the doctor allows Alexia to stay throughout the day and then the team visits in the afternoon.

4 days after the accident, the doctors are happy with your progress so they take the breathing tubes out. The hope that was slowly leaving Alexia get reinstilled.

Everyday Alexia talks to you. She tell you stories about what has been happening in the world. She shares her favourites moments that the two of you have shared over the years. Mapi brings in her iPad and talks you through the tattoo designs she has come up with, even stating which ones you should get.

When Christmas Eve comes the energy amongst the team is down. So when Jana and Bruna suggest decorating your room for when you wake up everyone agrees it’s a good idea.

Alexia allows it but doesn’t join in. Every year the two of you decorate your house and doing it without you feels wrong.

“Mija, why aren’t you helping?” Eli asks as she sees her daughter sitting outside your room instead of with you.

“I can’t do it anymore” she runs her fingers through her hair in frustration “I have tried to be positive but what if she never wakes up or worse what is she—“

“Ale you can’t think like that. Y/N is strong. From what you and the doctor have told me her injuries are bad which is why it is taking so long for her to heal”

“I really love her and I don’t think I can do this without her” Alexia collapses in her mum’s arms as once again her emotions overwhelm her.

“I know you do and I know she loves you. Your story isn’t over, this is just a story you will tell your children” Eli says.

“I will not tell my children how their mother almost died protecting me” Alexia is quick to respond.

She hopes to never talk about this every again. Once you wake up this can be put in the past.

“I spoke to the doctors. They said I can stay here tonight with it being Christmas Day tomorrow. Will you and Alba come visit us?” Alexia asks her mum.

“Of course. Who needs Australia when we can come to the best hospital in Barcelona?“

Her mothers joke causes Alexia to laugh maybe more so than necessary. She couldn’t believe how much had changed in just under ten days. You are suppose to be in Australia right now and instead you are fighting for your life.

When the next morning arrives Alexia feels hopeful for the first time since the crash. It wasn’t just ‘you will be ok’ hope, it’s something different, something more powerful.

“Merry Christmas Y/N” Alexia kisses your temple.

“I don’t know what you have got me this year or if you even had the chance to get anything but I want you to know that the only thing I want is for you to wake up. These past ten days have been the worst in my life”.

She wipes her tears for the umpteenth time.

“I need to see your beautiful eyes, hear your infectious laugh, I need you Y/N”

Alexia goes to her bag to get your present. The small black velvet box which she had bought almost a year prior is held firmly in her hands.

“I had plans Y/N” Alexia opens the box to reveal the silver band with a small diamond in the centre.

“Alba helped me pick it out so I know you’ll like it. She misses you by the way, mum too and Nala, Ay Dios Mío she has no idea what is going on”

“I love you with all my heart and I planned to go into 2023 with you as my fiancée” Alexia pulls the ring out of the box as she plays with the diamond.

She then places it on your ring finger, breathing a sigh of relief when it fits perfectly.

“You suppose to ask me first” your voice is hoarse.

You slowly open your eyes, squinting slightly due to the brightness of the lights. It takes a few seconds to realise where you are and how you got there but then you remember.

“The crash. Alexia, are you ok?” You reach for her face.

“I’m ok, thanks to you. You saved me Y/N”

You see Alexia start to get emotional. A sight that doesn’t get easier no matter how many times you see it.

“Come here mi amor” you use all of your strength to move yourself across the bed so she can fit.

Alexia wants to argue. She wants to tell you to be careful but she is craving your touch. So she buries herself into your side.

“Careful. That hurts” you tell her and her hand reaches to where the wound on your side is.

“There was so much blood. I thought I was going to lose you” Alexia has told many people this but it is much harder saying it to you.

“Hey. We don’t have to talk about it. Let’s talk about this” you hold your hand up for the two of you to look at.

The ring was beautiful.

“I bought it last year when we were in Dubai. I was waiting for the right time to ask you”

“And you thought that now, in a hospital, was the right time” you tease her.

“I never actually asked you” Alexia rises to the teasing.

You raise your eyebrow in response. A smirk pulls at your lips as you wait.

“I love you Y/N. I had so much I wanted to say but I don’t want to waste anymore time. If I have learnt anything in the last few days it’s like life is short and I don’t want to spent another day without you as my fiancée. Y/N Y/L/N will you marry me?”

“I will” it was the easiest answer you have ever given.

When Alexia shifts her weight you know what is coming. The kiss is likr something you have never experience before. The passion in it makes you emotional and when you feel Alexia’s tears on your cheek you know she must be feeling the same thing.

“I wished for a miracle and here you are” Alexia pulls away. She lets you hugs her, hold her in your arms whilst reassuring her than you are ok.

#alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagine #alexia putellas one shot #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso one shot #espwnt x reader #espwnt one shot #espwnt imagine #barcelona femeni x reader #barcelona femeni one shot #barcelona femeni imagine

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mariacallous · 3 months

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When Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, annexing the Crimean Peninsula and bringing turmoil and destruction to Ukraine’s eastern regions, many people—both outside Ukraine and inside it—found it easier to ignore the violence unfolding in the country’s east than admit that war had returned to Europe. This included creative artists, who rarely mentioned the war in their works, not least because they feared scaring off the Russian fans who constituted much of their audience.

As Ukrainians all over the country woke up to explosions on Feb. 24, 2022, the truth could no longer be ignored: The “big war” had truly begun. Today, the country’s art is catching up to the truth of war.

Before 2022, few Ukrainian artists and entertainers openly mentioned the ongoing war in their works. In fact, many pop stars like Ivan Dorn or Luna continued to perform in Russia and created works aimed, first and foremost, at the Russian market and in the Russian language. When criticized for this by their Ukrainian fans, many dodged the subject, claimed to be “apolitical,” or explained their actions as “trying to build a bridge” between Russia and Ukraine.

“My music isn’t about politics, it’s about healing souls,” Luna said in a lengthy interview with Russian opposition journalist Xenia Sobchak in 2021. “That’s why I don’t pay attention to the critics back home trying to make me feel guilty for giving concerts in Russia.” Similarly, Dorn claimed that by interacting with Russian listeners he was “trying to capture as many people as possible with my music so that they would never attack my own country.”

But the main reasons were pragmatic ones: The large and relatively rich Russian market has long been attractive to Ukrainian performers, much like the American market for the English-speaking world. Making films or music built around a Ukrainian context could scare off Russian fans, so the overwhelming majority of content made in the 2000s and 2010s was tailored to sound and look as neutral as possible, devoid of any references to local events or personalities. There were, of course, notable exceptions.

Musicians, such as singer and veteran military paramedic Anastasiia Shevchenko, better known by her pseudonym СТАСІK, wrote songs openly referencing the war in their lyrics and music videos. Indie rapper Stas Koroliov released an entire album in 2021 of tracks inspired by the war and society’s apathy toward it. It contained lyrics like “I now understand that to become a messiah you just need to state the obvious: My homeland is at war with Russia.”

While mainstream comedies that wanted both Ukrainian and Russian box office sales steered clear of any references to recent domestic events, independent movies were more willing to process the violence taking place in Ukraine’s eastern regions and the loss of Crimea. Wartime dramas such as Tymur Yashchenko’s U311 Cherkasy (named after the naval mine sweeper blocked by Russian forces during the capture of Crimea) and Maryna Er Gorbach’s Klondike addressed specific events of the Russo-Ukrainian war, while Nariman Aliev’s 2019 drama Homeward was a meditation on what the loss of Crimea meant for its indigenous Tatar population. Other films, such as Volodymyr Tykhyi’s dramedy Our Kitties, tried to find humor amid the heartbreak and horrors faced by the Ukrainian soldiers stationed on the frontlines.

Everything changed in early 2022, when war—previously treated as a niche subject that was likely to scare off people looking for light entertainment—quickly became the only topic most Ukrainians were interested in. As missiles rained down, entertainers suddenly realized that they could not remain apolitical bystanders any longer.

Almost every popular musician spoke out against the invasion, with several (such as Dasha Astafieva and Vitaly Kozlovskiy) apologizing for performing in Russia and platforming their Russian colleagues in recent years. “I felt like a zombie while performing in Russia. I’d arrive, smile mechanically at everyone, do the set and return home. Russia has a lot of money but it’s a soulless place,” Astafieva wrote in a social media post shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion. Many artists—such as Antytila leader Taras Tolopya, singer Yarmak, and most of the lineup of cult Kharkiv-based hip-hop group TNMK—took up arms and joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while others took to volunteering by raising funds and sourcing equipment for Ukrainian soldiers, performing on the frontlines, or training as medics.

Some of their personal stories exemplified Ukraine’s modern civic identity, which has little to do with ethnicity or where you were born. Instead, for many, it’s a choice. Take Yulia Yurina: The Russian-born musician first came to Ukraine as a 18-year-old student in 2012 and soon joined forces with Ukrainian-born Stas Koroliov to form critically acclaimed pop-folk duo Yuko. Today, Yurina—still formally a Russian citizen despite publicly renouncing her citizenship and applying for a Ukrainian passport—is not only a beloved performer, whose recent album encapsulates much of the anger and grief felt by the average Ukrainian, but also a volunteer working tirelessly to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with weapons and equipment. “I dance through the bullets as air raid sirens sing to me,” Yurina sings on one of the album’s tracks. “I am disgusted by what you’ve done here, you’re killing souls but you won’t be able to kill our dreams. We are not your friends, your family, or your lovers.”

During the first months of the war, a new subgenre of locally produced music arose. “Bayraktar-core” (the semi-ironic name came from how often these songs mentioned the Turkish drones used to great effect by Ukrainian forces in the early stages of the war) songs were simple, composed over a mere few weeks, catchy, and characterized by their aggressive optimism, constant references to recent events, local politicians, wartime memes, and foreign allies (Boris Johnson, then British prime minister, was mentioned often).

What these songs lacked in lyrical nuance and musical innovation they more than made up for by giving millions of Ukrainians a sense of unity and community amid the chaos and horror. “Occupiers came to Ukraine, wearing new uniforms and driving military vehicles,” go the lyrics of one of the most popular “Bayraktar-core” songs. “But their equipment was soon ruined by the Bayraktar!” Some, such as a viral mashup sampling a folk tune and a phrase spoken by Johnson, made the leap over to English-language social media.

While simple war-themed entertainment (or even anything vaguely patriotic and uplifting) might have been enough for listeners and viewers in the early months of the war, the artistic questions got sharper as the fight went on.

Did performers who left the country soon after the full-scale invasion have a right to make money off of songs mentioning the horrors others faced while staying in Ukraine? Could writers who hadn’t personally experienced life under Russian occupation use the devastation in say, Bucha or Mariupol, in their stories? And what if they conducted interviews with the people who had? Many of these questions lack definite answers, but the public response to various works inspired by the war have been noticeably different.

When writer Daria Gnatko announced in late 2022 that she would be publishing a novel set in Russian-occupied Bucha, many pointed out that not enough time had passed to properly process the events that had transpired in the town, and wondered whether writing a story like this without conducting in-depth interviews with the survivors of the occupation was a form of exploitation. The book, along with another upcoming work by Gnatko, a novel inspired by the destruction and occupation of Mariupol, was postponed indefinitely by the publisher after a wave of public criticism.

Likewise, popular writer Kateryna Babkina’s latest novel Mom, Do You Remember? was met with controversy after the author, who had spent much of the war abroad, announced that the plot would be inspired by the occupation of Bucha. Some reviewers were concerned that not enough time had passed since the liberation of Kyiv Oblast and that the subject was still too triggering for most readers, while others darkly suspected Babkina had only mentioned the tragically famous town when announcing the book to draw more attention to her work.

However, most of this criticism was limited to social media, while the reviews in local publications were much more enthusiastic about the novel—which is told from the perspective of a teenage girl narrowly escaping from Russian occupation with her infant half-sister and trying to build a life for them both abroad—and described it as a touching and delicate work full of compassion.

“If for some Ukrainians the book is therapeutic, for foreigners, in particular for Poles, who can already read Babkina’s story, it gives a more internal context about what war victims experience—who walk the same streets and visit the same shops as they do—actually go through. What challenges and problems they face, what they feel, why some do not learn the language and choose to return home despite the missile attacks, and what is happening in the hearts of millions of children who were forced to grow up one day when their world was destroyed by Russia,” wrote a reviewer for the Polish-Ukrainian outlet Sestry.

The truth is that when it comes to describing experiences as traumatic as an ongoing war, there isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all perspective or approach. Some readers find works written about or vaguely inspired by something they or their loved ones went through therapeutic, while others find them triggering or even offensive.

When it comes to film, meanwhile, the pre-2022 offerings were earnest but often unwatched. Reviewers treated these movies as important pieces of cinema, but ones that described horrors most Ukrainians preferred not to dwell on for too long. After the full-scale invasion, however, a dark realization dawned: The wartime dramas were now reflections of our own collective experience, and no romantic comedy or workplace drama was going to stop you from thinking about shrapnel and blood.

That was supplemented by the belief that Ukrainians had to bear witness. At a time when many civilians felt abandoned by human rights organizations’ failure to document Russian war crimes (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally called out the International Red Cross over its inaction after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, while Amnesty International found itself in hot water after publishing a much-criticized report accusing Ukraine of endangering its own civilians), filmmakers took this challenge upon themselves. Documentaries shot during the siege of Mariupol, after the liberation of Bucha, and during the near-constant shelling of Kharkiv became a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy, encouraging non-Ukrainians to support Ukraine, and an instrument to counter Russian propaganda and war fatigue in the West. Perhaps the best-known example is the Oscar-nominated documentary film 20 Days in Mariupol, which garnered universally positive reviews at home and abroad and offered viewers a unique glimpse into the horrors faced by the residents and defenders of the besieged city.

One unexpected wartime challenge is creating entertainment aimed at children. How do you keep kids of vastly different ages entertained while sitting in cold, poorly-lit bomb shelters for hours on end? How do you teach them the rules of wartime safety in an accessible and easy-to-remember format? How do you help them process the heartbreak of losing loved ones, having parents on the frontlines, or living in constant fear of missiles and drones? And perhaps most importantly, how do you begin to broach the topic that there are people who want these kids and their entire families dead? This is when Patron—a real-life sapper dog who became an unexpected celebrity among both kids and adults alike—came in handy.

The wildly popular Jack Russell Terrier, who works as a detection dog and mascot for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine first caught the public’s eye in early 2022, when the dog was awarded a medal for locating and helping defuse unexploded mines left behind by Russian forces after they were driven out of Chernihiv. A video of the bulletproof vest-wearing puppy went viral, and the newly famous dog was soon making charity appearances, visiting kids harmed by the war in hospitals across the country, and even got his own animated web show and book series. Content starring Patron is produced in partnership with UNICEF and aims to teach Ukrainian kids the importance of staying away from abandoned landmines, avoiding suspicious objects left behind by the invading army, and staying brave under difficult circumstances.

Undoubtedly, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to a heightened interest toward local art both among Ukrainians and foreigners, as well as provided an entire generation of artists with stories of sacrifice, courage, and defiance—stories that, despite their complexity, simply must be told, and that may well become modern classics at an international scale. When Penguin Press bought the rights to Ukrainian writer and soldier Oleksandr Mykhed’s autobiographical novel The Language of War, publishing director Casiana Ionita described the book as “a war book that will be read 10, 20, 50 years from now.” But it’s unclear if enough foreign publishers are ready to break their long-standing tradition of viewing events in Ukraine solely through the eyes of their Moscow-educated authors and allow Ukrainians on the frontlines to speak for themselves, like Mykhed, before the war claims them too.

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yeonjunszn · 2 years

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so sick !

pairing: idol!lee heeseung x non-idol!f!reader

genres: fluff﹒crack﹒smallest amount of angst possible

warnings: mature language (nothing new), strangers to friends to lovers, mentions of cheating (its not from any of the mcs), unfunny jokes, the plot takes place during/starting with the release of dimension : dilemma and will end around dimension : answer era, uni!au bc reader is a uni student, reader is literally the sweetest person alive laurv her saur much, heeseung is borderline insane, but so is reader’s entire friend group so whatever, everyone except enhypen are uni students, the only idols are enha, also (for clarification since they are name dropped) — txt exists in this universe without gyu and tyun, more warnings per individual chapter!

feat: the rest of enhypen, ryujin from itzy, sumin from stayc, taehyun and beomgyu from txt, hyunjin and felix from skz

summary: when your boyfriend of almost eight years cheats on you your senior year of university, you decide that you’re done with anything and everything to do with love. that is, until you meet a guy who sings love songs for a living.

status: completed!

started: may 21, 2022

ended: september 13, 2022

— WOWWW CANT BELIEVE MIXED UP IS DONE 🙁🙁 i’m kinda sad but it’s okay!! bc we have this baby here now!! i got the inspiration for this from so sick by ne-yo and also that one song by lauv that heeseung sang on i-land LMFAO

— send an ask to join the taglist!!

profiles: sunshine y/n & friends | 7 overgrown children | the fake fan accounts

zero. happy anniversary, asshole (477)

one. self love >>

two. hypehouseification of lee heeseung

three. double homicide

four. australianized tamed-dashed

five. why is he kinda..

six. pneumonia

seven. partner project in english

eight. happy birthday heeseung

nine. AWOOOOO 🐺

ten. stuck together (1.3k)

eleven. congrats! or sorry that happened!

twelve. can this be us

thirteen. down baddery and stalking

fourteen. ayo hitman bang introduces

fifteen. s(he) be(lie)ve(d)

sixteen. sevendeez nuts

seventeen. #emo #different #notlikeothergirls

eighteen. jungwon my savior

nineteen. sexy starfish

twenty. bring it on the musical

twenty one. simpy mcsimpson

twenty two. peer pressure is a bitch

twenty three. Y/N.EXE HAS CRASHED

twenty four. they grow up so fast

twenty five. october 30th (3.9k)

twenty six. back off.

twenty seven. h-hyunjin being logical ??

twenty eight. coffee again

twenty nine. jongseonglations

thirty. illegal and banned in 27 countries

thirty one. questions

thirty two. *screams quietly*

thirty three. 11/11 11:11

thirty four. stfu glee boy

thirty five. everything is fine

thirty six. worth it (830)

thirty seven. heeseung hate club

thirty eight. seoul uni’s ms. sunshine condoning violence

thirty nine. rest in piece cookie 💔💔😔

forty. let me love you (until you learn to love yourself)

forty one. taylor swift

forty two. he’s insane

forty three. more than friends less than lovers

forty four. thankful for you

forty five. feels so right (1k)

forty six. a pick me boy :/

forty seven. touch some grass

forty eight. life update: it got worse

forty nine. can’t stay away

fifty. no longer bitchless (1.3k)

fifty one. engenes better sleep with one eye open

fifty two. merry christmas my beautiful swan

fifty three. IM GONNA STRANGLE YOU (affectionately)

fifty four. he is human too

fifty five. taehyun be fucking fr

fifty six. twt user enhatranslate

fifty seven. proud gf moment

end. polaroid love

BONUSES

one. anonymous source

two. date night

three. best thread ever

four. y/n outsold floplift

five. ban enhypen_members

six. that feeling when

#SAUR EXCITED #i hope i do this justice LMFAO i’m in love with the plot tbh #i’m also happy that i can give riki his gremlin personality finally #enhypen smau #enhypen social media au #enhypen socmed au #enha smau #enha socmed au #enha social media au #enhypen heeseung smau #enhypen heeseung x reader #lee heeseung smau #lee heeseung x reader #⭒ — fluffy fluff #🦌 — lhs #so.sick.heeseung❤️‍🩹#yeonjunszn

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sageistrii · 19 days

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https://www.tumblr.com/sageistrii/749080074375086080/i-am-not-gonna-lie-i-find-it-a-tad-bit-funny-that?source=share

But do you think that because of jk's songs like seven, snty and 3D which were like gp friendly jk's popularity in sk might have increased? See i know that the sk industry or gp does challenges that fit the tiktok kinda vibes and even jisoo's flower was done by many many ppl (it actually reached my country too where i didn't just see the kpop fans doing the trend but even some celebs who never does anything related kpop doing the challenge or using the song) and jk's all these three songs were are actually pretty popular in sk. alot of idols has mentioned him as their fav/role model and even has recommended other songs from his album too. isn't it like being popular and having strong fb a different case? So do you think jk is more popular?? I'm just talking about it based on how much ppl i have seen doing his challenge/mention his songs/mention him as their fav etc. If there's other criteria through which this get's calculated then I'm not well aware. I actually saw someone asking this question so i was wondering too.

Seven did well in SK because it did well all over the world. 3d and snty not so much, like crazy did better than both those songs in all major aspects. If a song's acclaim and chart placement lies on how many people joined it's challenges, then I luv it by Kamila cabello would be number 1 on the hot 100 right now. Some people just join these challenges for fun, doesn't mean they're listening to the song. Like we can all see the chart placements of both songs

Also this man has been everywhere since 2022, Hybe made sure of that and you're surprised he's being name dropped by every kpop idol. That's literally how idols move, they name drop songs or artists that are trending at that particular moment. If this year some other soloist that isn't jk gets the same coverage and success that jk got in 2023, they're going to ignore him and talk about that person. You think none of those idols listen to other BTS members especially jimin? Or have y'all deluded yourself into thinking jk's album was the only one these idols listened to and liked? I guarantee you that they're also tons of idols who listen to rapline and love their music.

But they're going to mention the one member that was being shoved down their throat because that's how they also get publicity for themselves. And it's one reason why unlike some pjms I will never hype these random name droppings from idols because I know how it goes. Next year they're going to focus on the next trending idol or group and not even acknowledge your fave. It's like how idols jump on TikTok trends, it's not because they like the song or the singer, it's for visibility.

Let me use le sserafim as an example (no shade to them), during their promotions last year they danced to flowers by Miley because it was popular when they probably don't even listen to it but what they got in return was publicity because Miley posted them on her Instagram. They mentioned Taylor repeatedly during the time when her name was all over the media for the release of her re-recordings, they've name-dropped Beyonce in a song they teased in Coachella which makes sense because she's been the most talked about person on social media this year and has one of the most popular songs of the year so far, now they've also been linked to Sabrina carpenter in Light of her new found chart success. That's how the industry works. Name dropping or joining challenges doesn't necessarily mean they're listening because those idols could drop their 2023 Spotify wrapped, and you probably wouldn't find any Jungkook song.

Jimin has spent a long time at the top of Spotify Korea and like crazy got almost 200k unique listeners on melon, just a 100k+ below seven, you think none of those listens came from idols? But why would they name drop him after all the shit that happened with his debut and also when bang and scooter made sure all jk's achievements stifled his?

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happinessismusic · 3 months

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"Blake Shelton kicked off RodeoHouston with a Tuesday night triple play: God, Gwen Stefani and country music.

Yes, Mrs. Shelton made a surprise appearance during her husband's sixth RodeoHouston show. Five songs into the hourlong set, she pulled up to the stage in one of the Rodeo's signature black SUVs. The screams started before she stepped onstage.

Stefani, dressed in flowing purple and gold fringe, joined Shelton for "Nobody But You", a No. 1 country duet; and the superior "Purple Irises", a pop-rock single released this month. She made her solo RodeoHouston debut in 2022.

"By the way Houston, you're welcome," Shelton said between songs to the crowd of 59,461.

Shelton is in many way the ideal Rodeo performer, a precise balance of traditional and trendy. His hits are sturdy, and his voice is sturdier. He's charismatic but not overly showy. This was his first time on the rotating stage in six years.

"Every time I get to do this I think, 'Well this is probably gonna be it'. There's a whole crop of awesome new talent," Shelton said. "I've learned to truly appreciate these things."

He kicked off with "God's Country" and stuck to the hits, most of them No. 1: "A Guy With a Girl," "Neon Light," "Sangría, "God Gave Me You." The catchiest of them all remains "Honey Bee." Try to get the singsong chorus out of your head after one listen.

The show's most striking moment came when Shelton sang "Austin," his debut single that was released 23 years ago. He's evolved into a much different performer than the guy with the cowboy hat and curly mullet who first sang it. But it remains a standout in his catalog.

"Look at this place, man. Oh my God. What kind of people come out here in Houston, Texas to a stadium to watch a rodeo and then a damn country music concert on a Tuesday night?" Shelton said.

RodeoHouston people, that's who."

-----------------------

That is an awesome review!

#blake shelton #gwen stefani #shefani

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tomorrowusa · 8 months

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One of Putin's goals with his illegal invasion of Ukraine was to extend the cultural influence of the Russian world. That has been a bigger failure than his military disaster.

Ukraine's language situation is complex. But about 20% of the population is primarily Russian speaking and a majority of the population can understand Russian – a legacy of Soviet imperialism.

Russia used to be a major source of music. That changed bigtime in February of 2022. Putin has unintentionally created a boom in Ukrainian music.

Prior to February 2022, YouTube’s rankings in Ukraine were overwhelmed by Russian-language songs, which occupied up to 75% of top chart positions. Ukrainian-language music struggled for visibility, making up just 10% of the weekly top 100. But in the months since Russia’s assault began, homegrown Ukrainian acts have rapidly overturned this imbalance. They now account for 65% of YouTube’s top slots in the country, while Russian musicians have been largely purged from the charts, Ekonomichna Pravda writes.

січня = January квітень = April липень = July жовтень = October

The war appears to have enriched Ukrainian performers financially as well. Best Music, a Ukrainian publishing company, reported one its top artists earning 248% more from streaming services in the third quarter of 2022 compared to 2021. Other leading singers saw quarterly streaming revenues in the $18,000 range.

Russian language and culture have taken it on the chin in most parts of the world – but especially in Ukraine.

In Ukraine, you can now officially write Russia and words related to it in lower case.

Ukraine Allows Russia-Related Words To Be Written In All Lowercase

So presumably your Ukrainian spell checker won't ding you if you type росія instead of Росія (Russia), путін instead of Путін (Putin), or москва instead of Москва (Moscow).

Putin is doing for Ukrainian culture what he's also done for NATO.

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black-arcana · 2 months

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WITHIN TEMPTATION Shares Preview Of New Single 'A Fool's Parade'

On April 5, 2024, WITHIN TEMPTATION will release their brand-new song, "A Fool's Parade", which marks a collaboration with the talented Ukrainian producer Alex Yarmak. According to a press release from WITHIN TEMPTATION's publicist, "A Fool's Parade" "highlights Russia's pretense regarding the war, and condemns its lies, ongoing crimes and brutal intentions."

A preview of "A Fool's Parade" is available below.

The song, released as a harbinger of the much-anticipated "Bleed Out 2024 Tour", is a powerful expression of what the press release calls "WITHIN TEMPTATION's commitment to continue shedding light on the ongoing existential struggle that Ukraine is facing against Russia's cruel invasion."

For the recording of the accompanying music video for "A Fool's Parade", Sharon den Adel — the frontwoman of WITHIN TEMPTATION — traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine. The music video is being directed by renowned Ukrainian video director Indy Hait.

With involvement in initiatives such as the Ukraine Aid OPS foundation, WITHIN TEMPTATION aims to keep drawing attention to Europe's much-needed support for Ukraine's defense.

In a June 2023 interview with James Wilson-Taylor of Rock Sound, Den Adel spoke about the lyrical inspiration for WITHIN TEMPTATION's "Wireless" single: "When the war started in the Ukraine, we were in the studio writing songs, And it's one of the songs that we wrote. And it is about war, of course. It's about a soldier going to war and thinking he's going to liberate people, do good stuff and be a hero and everything, but then he finds out that he's been lied to by media but also government. And then he finds that he can't go back because he's already in his army gear, for instance. You can't go forward, you can't go backward because you have your buddies next to you and you'll all die in the field. And in front of you, you have a mission impossible almost."

The Dutch singer continued: "So that's what we try to do — maybe also shine a light on certain situations within the war. It's just we're storytellers — it's like amplifying a certain kind of emotion that people could feel in this situation."

Asked how she and her bandmates decided to use Russia's invasion of Ukraine as inspiration for one of their songs, Sharon said: "Well, from my point of view, it's not just their war. I really believe what some people are saying — it's really our war as well. Because it's next to us. They already said, they're not gonna stop at Ukraine; they're gonna go further. And a couple of hours flying from my home, it's already Kyiv. So it's also our war. I think we should be aware of the fact that this is a danger for all of us. They won't stop. And hopefully — we wanna keep this a little bit alive in our own small way by writing about it and talking about it and waving a flag on stage about it."

In March 2022, WITHIN TEMPTATION was one of the artists who took part in a telethon concert in support of Ukraine. "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" united more than 20 countries and bring together more than 50 participants. The marathon was broadcast from Warsaw on the Polish TV channel TVP. In addition, broadcasters from many countries around the world, including Estonia (EBR),Lithuania (LTR),the Czech Republic (ČT2),Georgia (GPB / First),Albania (RTSH 2),Montenegro, Slovenia, Latvia (LTV),Croatia (HRT),Slovakia (RTVS),Austria (Puls 4),Cyprus, Canada (OMNI) and others, rebroadcasted the marathon on their local channels.

In an interview with Greece's Rock Overdose, Den Adel stated about her band's participation in the event: "For us, it was an honor to be asked for it. I think as a band and as people, we really value freedom of speech and freedom and democracy. I think as a band, people sometimes say, 'Don't be so political,' people say, 'Don't be so expressive and don't take a side on things.' But as a musician, I think it's important to represent who you are, not just in music but really stand for what you make and what you are saying in your lyrics in a way. And things that are happening in the world inspire us to write music, and then you also have to take a stance and what side you are. I think when it's so obvious where there's an aggressor and where there is a country being violated, invaded, you should take a stance and then it makes it much easier even to be very clear about where you stand in this whole conflict. Of course, it's something that we are keeping ourselves updated with every day because we find it very sad to see that a country that wants to be a democracy is invaded this way. So we are very honored to be asked also to play for this event, this marathon, and happy to do it."

Released last October, WITHIN TEMPTATION's latest album, "Bleed Out", signifies a bold leap forward for the band. From contemporary, hard-hitting, and djenty riffs to soaring melodies displaying their symphonic roots, WITHIN TEMPTATION has created a sonic journey that fuses diverse musical styles and thought-provoking themes. This is an album that is as epic as it is unflinchingly outspoken, and now more than ever, this is a band who isn't afraid to make a stand on issues the members care about.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, WITHIN TEMPTATION have shifted their focus from writing about personal emotions and societal subjects to tackling global injustices and reflecting the tumultuous state of the world in a way that other artists seem unable or unwilling to do.

While songs such as "Wireless" and "We Go To War" examine the authoritarian aggression on display in Ukraine and other warzones, the title track itself addresses the plight of women fighting for their rights in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini.

The album also grapples with the complex issues around a woman's right to choose in recent single "Don't Pray For Me" and throughout, this impassioned and political focus is reflected in the intensity and heaviness of the music. Embracing a new era of musical exploration and lyrical depth, WITHIN TEMPTATION have pushed boundaries and showcased their artistic evolution, delivering a fist-in-the-air proclamation of both their moral convictions and their fearless approach to music.

youtube

#sharon den adel #within temptation #a fool's parade #Youtube

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