#she perfectly encapsulated how this song makes me feel
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The Story Behind The Song: Arctic Monkeys’ early ambitions on ‘A Certain Romance’
Lucy Harbron – Far Out Magazine | January 17, 2024
It was 2006. Mortgages were crashing, and businesses were going bust. Tony Blair was on his last legs in office as the longest-serving prime minister since Margaret Thatcher, and the hangover of ‘Cool Brittania’ was beginning to set in with an unexpected ferocity. Things were bleak when a young Alex Turner sang, “There ain’t no romance around there” through the public’s speakers. Arctic Monkeys were about to write themselves into musical history as the voice of a new generation.
The final song on their debut album, there has always been something special about ‘A Certain Romance’. In 2022, after the release of their seventh album, The Car, Turner seemed to find himself reflecting back on that 2006 track. To the musician, that early cut holds a clue to everything that was to come as he said the piece “showed that we did actually have these ambitions beyond what we once thought we were capable of”.
Coming in at over the five-minute mark, ‘A Certain Romance’ almost feels like the Arctic Monkeys’ version of a rock opera, summarising all the themes, feelings and energy that came before it on their seminal album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. It has the cheekiness of ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’ and the catchy instrumentals of hits like ‘Dancing Shoes’ or ‘I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor’. Utilising the northern charm of ‘Mardy Bum’, it stands as a final, neatly summarising point on the social commentary found in their early tracks like ‘From The Ritz To The Rubble’ or ‘Riot Van’. Really, it could be argued that ‘A Certain Romance’ is the ultimate example of Arctic Monkeys’ original sound, perfectly encapsulating all the things that made the world listen up and pay attention.
It’s like they seemed to know that, too, always allowing the song a special place. In fact, it was really the band’s opening remark. Years before the offer of a debut album came around, the group were a well-oiled machine with their own local hits. They had the northern live music scene in their hands as their homemade demo CD was passed around like everyone’s worst-kept secret. Beneath the Boardwalk features eight out of the 13 songs that would be on Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, albeit in a slightly different, lower-quality version. But the opening number, ‘A Certain Romance’, sounds just the same.
It’s all there, from the rolling opening drums to that final guitar solo. Recorded and produced in a rented studio at only age 17, the existence of ‘A Certain Romance’, one of the band’s most explorative and energetic numbers, in this form this early in their career feels like a diamond sitting in a mine. It proves that they were always onto something special.
They never needed any help. In fact, their producer, Jim Abbiss, noted that they even seemed nervous about the help. “I think they were probably a bit weary, like ‘who’s this guy? And is he gonna make our sound this or that.’”
They didn’t want anything to change too much, as the group already had the songs figured out. Turner certainly did, as the track’s meandering narrative about hometown lads, fights, and local boredom is already there. Talking on a podcast, original member Andy Nicholson revealed the story behind the song. “We had a practice room with a pool table in, and we had a party in there, and we invited another band who were friends of ours, and we all had some drinks,” he said. “Then something happened, someone throws a pool cue, someone throws a pool ball, and everyone ends up fighting,” he added, explaining the lyrics, “there’s boys in bands / And kids who like to scrap with pool cues in their hands.”
But the magic of Arctic Monkeys lies in their nuance. What begins as a snooty analysis of his local landscape is a genuinely affectionate take. “Well, over there, there’s friends of mine / What can I say? I’ve known ’em for a long long time / And, yeah, they might overstep the line / But you just cannot get angry in the same way,” Turner sings, looking around at his bandmates and lifelong friends. ‘A Certain Romance’ is not only a time capsule for the group’s beginnings but is an ode to all the people who were there with them. It’s an ode to the hometown that made them and all its various characters.
But as the last guitar solo roars to life, there is an unspoken statement that they’re going to be bigger than what they came from. “I remember when we were recording ‘A Certain Romance’ and having a conversation with the producer about the final guitar solo,” Turner told NME, recalling the moment these songs were reworked for their debut. But they wouldn’t let anyone mess with ‘A Certain Romance’, knowing exactly what they were doing and trying to say with that one. In the 2003 demo version, all the feeling is already there, and Turner wouldn’t risk it.
“There’s something that happens at the end of that track where we break some rules in a single moment,” he continued. What happens at the end of the piece feels even more special, considering how the album was recorded. “These are the songs we wanna do, and I think this is the order we wanna do them in,” Alex Turner told their producer, recounting the conversation in 2007 to RadioX, “And he goes, ‘alright, we’ll try to record them in that order as well.’” As the final song, that last guitar solo is the last thing recorded for the album, standing as a cathartic outlet and a chance for the band to prove themselves.
“We focused on the [emotional] effect of the instrumentals over the words,” Turner reflected on the track, concluding, “and I feel like we’ve been trying to do that again and again since then.”
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#I could talk about 'A Certain Romance' until I'm blue in the face or a sobbing mess#lucy did a good job on this one#she perfectly encapsulated how this song makes me feel#the moment I heard it I knew that this band was something incredibly special#it is so near and dear to my heart I will never stop singing it's praise#the fact they made this song that is so compelling and takes you an emotional journey from the beginning to end over 20 years ago????#and how protective they were of it when making the first album cause they knew it was something special#and Alex drawing similarities between 'ACR' and 'The Car' & letting the instrumental moments of the song convey more emotion than the lyri#like he always said they continue to follow the same instincts from the very beginning nearly 20 years later#i just want to write an ode to ACR so i can ramble on about it#but im gonna shut up for now#anyways please enjoy this article LOL#arctic monkeys#wpsiatwin#whatever people say i am that's what im not#a certain romance#alex turner#jamie cook#matt helders#nick o'malley#andy nicholson#far out magazine
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Barbie: Yeah, I’m a Guy Who Watched the Barbie Movie.
Sooooo... I’ve watched the Barbie movie. And I am a man. So deal with it.
What is the Barbie Movie?
Basically, the Barbie Movie is about... well, Barbie. Everything pink and feminine as far as the eye can see. The movie itself however is taking it in a far different direction.
The film’s director Greta Gerwig is basically a surprising director to have for the film. Gerwig is known for her female-driven movies like Ladybird and Little Women to name a few. So it’s no surprise that Barbie is on a journey of self-discovery about her identity as a woman and a Barbie.
There’s also this whole Barbenheimer meme going on, but I’m talking about Barbie.
After Watching...?
The Barbie Movie is both a jaunty jab at the stereotypes of both male and female roles and Mattel, as well as a beautifully hilarious film thanks to Margot Robbie’s portrayal as the classic or stereotypical Barbie. Robbie’s Barbie goes though a transformation from the definitive Barbie to a fully grown being. Her existence is put into question as she learns more and more about the real world and the harsh truths that come with it. She slowly discovers that she’s more than a Barbie, but an actual person with autonomy and choice.
America Ferrera kills it as a lover of Barbie who had to live with Barbie’s standards in the real world. Ferrera gives a powerful speech about the constant frustrations of what it’s like to be a woman, perfectly encapsulating the highs and lows of the gender in a completely human way. Ferrera is the perfect person to take on this role based on her work from Ugly Betty and Superstore, showing more humanly real traits than superficial perfection.
Ryan Gosling’s Ken as an antagonist made a lot of sense once you think about the theme of film. Ken is essentially the butt of the joke that Barbie takes for granted, making him feel inadequate. So when he finds the respect he craved in the real world, he starts to build a “Kendom” for him and his fellow Kens to feel good about themselves and step out of the shadow of the Barbies. It is exactly how we all think would happen if Ken found out about patriarchy.
It basically tackles both ideas of feminism, patriarchy, hyper femininity, and toxic masculinity in this film without making it too preachy or forced in your face or that men are trash and women are perfect. No, it takes those ideas in a way that addresses the flaws in each set of philosophies while not demonizing or glorifying any side. They’re just opposing ideas with their own problems to deal with and some good ideas that are taken too much as fact without common sense.
The scene that moved me the most was Barbie’s choice to become human after experiencing life and having a conversation with the creator of Barbie Ruth Handler. Combined with the haunting Billie Eilish song “What Was I Made For” and flashes of various girls and women living life, it was a beautiful tribute to what Barbie was initially made for: a tribute to a daughter from a mother.
What Was Barbie Made For?
Barbie was made for those who think Barbie is just a doll that goes against modern women and those who believe Barbie to be an inspiring figure to strive, but most of all those who know the full history of a mother-daughter relationship in its creation.
If you love Barbie, you’ll love the movie. If you hate Barbie, you’ll love the movie. If you don’t know Barbie, you’ll love the movie.
#barbie#margot robbie#ken#ryan gosling#greta gerwig#ladybird#little women#barbie 2023#america ferrera#ruth handler#billie eilish#barbenheimer#barbieedit#ugly betty#superstore
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he loves me, he loves me not.
Description: all her life, han yumi was used to those around her making her feel unloved. desperate to fill the want of being desired, she finds love in a place she probably shouldn’t.
Warnings: swearing, mentions of alcohol and drugs, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationship, cheating, suggestive content (the smallest smidge of smut.)
⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩彡
“you must get a kick out of hurting yourself.”
it was a warm spring afternoon, new leaves bursting into life and she wished she could do the same.
shed her old ways and give way to a new way of living.
it felt like deja-vu, the way chaewon would reprimand her for her self- destructive behaviour, as she pathetically tried to defend herself.
yumi was in a toxic situationship with song eunseok.
they first met over a year ago, yumi reeling from a breakup and eunseok looking for an escape from his already stressful life.
she remembered the way he slid into the space next to her, his hands cupping the end of the cigarette so she could light it.
she mumbled a quiet thanks, curious as to what prompted him to act, but he said nothing.
it was chilly then, the breeze whistling into the dark of the night like a song of sorrow.
they barely said any words to each other, but oddly enough she had never felt less alone.
he sighed, a similar look of worry on his face, and she found herself watching this stranger.
‘maybe he’s just like me,’ she thought to herself as they both looked up at the sky together, taking in the stars that dotted the otherwise dark canvas.
“you okay?” his question surprised her. someone who she had never met before, who had no clue about anything going on in her life, was staring at her with eyes of concern.
“no, not really,” she answered truthfully, a lump forming in her throat that she was forced to swallow.
“who is?” he chuckled, not because he was making fun of her, but because he found it funny, that the girl he chose to stand by just so happened to share the same emotions as him.
it was quiet again, and she turned to stare at him.
his brown hair looked soft, falling on his face perfectly. his lips were pink, slightly glossed, and she swore he had the cutest nose she had ever seen.
calling him beautiful would not even begin to encapsulate how ethereal he looked.
“take care of yourself pretty. and make sure you always have a jacket on you for nights like this,” he pushed off of the wall they were leaning on, swiftly removing his jacket to place it around her shoulders, his touch lingering.
before she could say anything else, or even get his name, he had vanished.
she spent the rest of the party looking for him, but she had no luck.
“did you happen to see a guy about this tall with a black tee?” she would ask her friend mark, who was too wasted to even hear her question.
“this jacket belongs to him, are you sure you don’t recognise it?” yunjin shook her head, saying something about how she didn’t study people’s outfits when she came to parties.
by the end of the night she was dejected, sure she had missed the opportunity to ever see him again, his jacket the only piece of him she had.
that was until a week later.
already running extremely late, she sprinted across campus, panting and huffing by the time she was outside of her classroom door.
not wanting to make it obvious that she had practically ran a marathon to be there, she waited outside to catch her breath.
“i know learning how to say i have siblings in japanese is not the most exciting thing, but don’t you think if you’re here you should just go in.”
the voice of the stranger sounded awfully familiar, and she whipped around to see the same guy she met at the party.
“hello again angel,” his voice was smooth, like honey, and she struggled to stay upright.
manoeuvring around her, he twisted the knob of the door, opening it so he could walk inside first, using his foot to keep it ajar for her.
it took a couple of seconds for her to get it together, and she scurried in after him, slightly embarrassed as the class grew silent.
keeping her head down, she followed the footsteps of the man in front of her, almost falling backwards when he made a stop.
“you should go in first.”
he let her take her seat on the inside before slouching into the chair next to her.
aware that there was now a cute boy next to her, her actions were a lot more clumsy, dropping her pen, almost knocking over her water bottle.
from the corner of her eye she could see him suppressing a smile, and she felt her face heat up.
for the rest of her class, she trained her eyes to remain on the professor only, sure that if she looked to her left she would not be able to act right.
“i realise i didn’t even give you my name. i’m song eunseok,” he said after class, extending a hand towards her.
“han yumi,” she replied quickly, knowing that if she tried to say anything else she would stutter.
their interactions were like this for a while, eunseok filling in awkward silences as she just admired him.
she could never imagine being like him, someone who seemed to be without anxiety, able to vocalise what he wanted, and not getting nervous.
slowly but surely, she felt herself infatuated with him, wanting him to be near, a sense of pride within her when others would catch them speaking.
“are you guys dating or something?” her friends would ask, and she would act coyly.
“i suppose it does look like that.”
but after a couple of months it was all starting to get too much.
she found her entire day depended on whether or not they spoke.
if he was stressed, she wouldn’t be able to shake off the burden she forced herself to share with him.
when he laughed she felt butterflies erupt in her stomach, in a dream like state as she tried to savour the sound as much as possible.
at first she thought she was doing a good job at hiding it. that was until he confronted her.
“i see the way you look at me you know,” he would tell her in the room they came to find refuge in, the smell of weed and puke starting to suffocate.
“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied, willing to act innocent till the end.
“i like it. it makes me feel good,” he confessed, inching closer to her.
she shivered when she felt his fingers brush a piece of hair behind her ear.
although neither of them were speaking, the stolen glances and feather light touches were enough to talk for them.
she felt her skin tingle as his fingers still hovered over her face, trailing down to her jawline.
heat was radiating from their close proximity and it felt like time was moving slowly as both of them dared the other to make the first move.
the tension between the two was palpable, it had been building up over the past couple of weeks and in the moment it felt like it was at breaking point.
her face was so close to his that she could smell the familiar fragrance of vanilla, the scent driving her crazy.
yumi reached out to wrap her arms around eunseok’s neck, playing with his earlobe, and he leaned into her touch sighing.
at this point they were only inches apart, foreheads resting on each other as his gaze continuously flicked down to her plump lips, "i really want to kiss you right now."
"fucking kiss me then eunseok," and without a moment of hesitation he pulled her towards him by the waist and their lips met.
their kiss was full of tenderness and passion, a dance of two hearts in perfect harmony.
she felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her on top of him.
the world around them ceased to exist, leaving only the two of them in a sea of pure, unbridled emotion, as the sound of music surrounded them.
the kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity, their lips parting only for brief moments to catch their breath.
they explored each other's mouths with a gentle urgency, their tongues intertwining in a dance of passion and desire.
as they finally broke the kiss, they looked into each other's eyes, both knowing that they had found something special in each other.
it was a moment that would stay with them forever, a moment of pure, unadulterated love and passion.
if only they were on the same page.
not even three days later, news broke out about eunseok and his on and off girlfriend making amends and being back in a relationship.
her heart broke as she watched him with his arm draped around her shoulder, nose nuzzled into her neck as she cooed at him.
maybe she was a bad kisser?
maybe she wasn’t pretty?
maybe she wasn’t made to fall in love.
she turned to the only thing she knew to ease the pain.
drugs and alcohol.
cross fading, she sat with her head leaning on the couch, tears streaming down her face as she wished that death would have mercy on her, embrace her in its clutches and end her suffering.
from a young age she never received the love that she was supposed to, her birth being accidental and her mother constantly blaming her for her father leaving.
she did nothing to hide her disdain for her own child, raining down curses and letting her know she would never receive love.
after a while she started to believe those words.
seeking affection and comfort from anyone who would give it to her left her vulnerable.
married men, boys who love bombed her just because they wanted to have sex.
and she just let them.
because in her eyes, being alone was more painful.
this time was no different, instead her state of decay was far worse than before.
she snuck around with eunseok, believing him when he said he didn’t mean to hurt her, that he didn’t expect to get back together with his ex.
she rubbed his back, allowing him to grip her tightly as he sobbed in her arms, about how unloved minjeong made him feel, how she was always looking at other guys.
he was broken, just like her.
she sat on her heels one day, becoming emboldened as she looked him in the eyes, telling him that she could show him what it felt like to be loved.
that night they made love. again and again until yumi could no longer feel her legs, a shaking mess as she weakly reached out for his hand to pull him closer.
he wasn’t doing much better than her, a sweaty mess as his eyes remained closed, his lips in between his teeth to conceal the noises threatening to spill out.
she stroked his face, urging him to look at her.
“i love you,” he groaned at the use of the unfamiliar words, only making him pick up the pace as he laced their fingers together.
“fuck,” he felt himself getting dangerously close, lifting her leg over his toned shoulder as he reached forward to kiss her.
their fluids mixed together, the whole ordeal messy and wet, but she didn’t care.
“tell me- shit- tell- fuck- tell me you love me too,” she was finding it hard to speak, but she needed to hear him say it.
“i fucking love you,” he whined, throwing his head back, his thrusts getting sloppier.
even though hot tears pricked the corner of her eyes, even though she was growing weaker by the second, she forced herself to look at him.
“i love you, thank you for loving me too,” she felt the coil snap in her stomach, this orgasm the most intense as she writhed under him, his grip on her hips the only thing keeping her from falling.
he finished not long after, sliding out of her and pulling her into his arms.
“i wish we could stay like this forever,” she played with the cool metal around his neck.
he said nothing, pressing a kiss to her forehead before disappearing into the bathroom to get something to clean up the mess.
so even though he would always return back to minjeong’s arms, days after fucking her like it was the only thing she knew, she kept coming back.
she would slip into a state of depression, abusing substances, becoming withdrawn and getting into fights with friends.
eventually he would notice, kiss all her worries away and press her into his mattress while he whispered about how he loved the way she made him feel.
like a fool she took this to be love.
what else could it be when two broken people found solace in one another?
her friends had the completely opposite opinion, warning her that she was being used, that if he really loved her he would not put her through this.
chaewon nagged on and on but it didn’t change her feelings for him.
he was her favourite person, the only reason she could be happy, the only thing keeping her from ending her life.
not her friends, not her favourite tv show or food.
it was song eunseok she would think about when the overwhelming pressure of living consumed her.
he existed somewhere between comfort and fear in her heart.
one pendulum swing away from running away, or perhaps feeling the same way she felt too.
#song eunseok#eunseok#riize#riize smut#riize imagines#eunseok imagines#Spotify#riize x reader#riize imagine#eunseok x reader#eunseok smut#eunseok angst
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I HAVE QUESTIONS!!!
for yn and jeno
- what songs do you dedicate to each other? like what songs do you think of when you think of the other?
- is there anything you regret (sexually?)
- how does it feel when you see the other upset and mad?
- do you get along with each others friends?
- who’s louder in bed?
- jeno, what’s your opinion on what seoyeon did to yn that one time?
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<3333 i love this
what songs do you dedicate to each other?
yn - i love you by little mix. it’s a strong love ballad. i really resonate with the lyrics. it’s emotional, it’s powerful, it makes me happy, it makes me cry, it gives me life. the song perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to love lee jeno and what it feels like to be loved by him
jeno - here with me by dVvd, i don’t care what happens in my life, as long as i’m with yn then it’s all that matters. i just want her by my side, with me. we belong with each other.
(jeno) nothing on you by bruno mars, i wanna be yours, moments by one direction,
(yn) pretty boy the neighbourhood, style by taylor swift, glue song by beabadoobaee
is there anything you regret sexually?
yn - hm, i mean, not really? we always have fun and we always talk about what we should explore/what we liked and what we didn’t really like.
jeno - fuck no.
how does it feel when you see the other upset/mad?
yn - jeno gets upset very rarely. i’ve seen him cry like 3 times in the years we’ve been together. and each time killed me. if i think about it now then i will sob. you know that something hits jeno hard when it causes him to cry. all i could do was comfort him and hold him as he sobbed into my shoulder :( he cried himself to sleep all three times. i tried to hide my tears from him and not show him that i was getting upset but we ended up crying to each other all 3 times :( i want nothing in the world to ever hurt my man. like i will become violent at anyone or anything that makes him feel that way
and when he’s mad? oh he gets mad a lot. it’s not that difficult to calm him down for me, i’ve become quite good at it. i sit attentively and listen to him as he lets it out and then i actively calm him down, kisses on his temple, holding his hands, rubbing his shoulder, rubbing his cheek with my thumb, whispering softly to him. it’s all the small things that calms him down. he becomes very overwhelmed with anger and it’s gotten him into many fights, verbal and physical. he isn’t afraid to defend what’s right and that’s what i love about him, his priorities are so strong <3 there hasn’t been a time where he’s been in the wrong or he’s picked a fight for the wrong reasons. he doesn’t ever pick them. he’s mature.
jeno - yn gets quite sad and emotional, she probably cries in my arms every week and it hurts me every single time. she’s very sensitive and i don’t wanna call my girl weak but she takes a lot of things to heart, she feels everything and she feels it a lot. she can’t deal well with confrontation or any sign of misunderstandings and she just bursts open in my arms and lets everything out :( when she’s upset she begins hyperventilating and sobbing really loudly, she can’t get her words out and she shakes. so the first thing i do is drop everything for her and just hold her, put her in my arms, massage her hair, kiss her forehead, look into her eyes and whisper sweet things to her. i just wait for her to calm down before we start talking. it takes a while sometimes, sometimes she’s able to recover quickly. whichever one it is, i’m always so proud of her. she’s so strong. we always talk about what’s on her mind and what’s made her upset and i try my best to guide her through it and help her on what she has to do, i try to give her good advice. i’m so endlessly proud of her. she just has a big heart and gets overwhelmed a lot. i wish i could take away her pain.
jeno - my girlfriend doesn’t get mad, she has so much patience, more patience than i will ever have. but she can get snappy when she’s stressed and under high pressure. it’s okay though, it’s nothing serious. 9/10 she will always come into my arms and kiss me all over my face and apologise for being snappy with me
do you get along with each others friends?
yn - yeah! i love them. at first i was really shy and they all probably thought i was anti social. i’m sure they wasn’t too keen on me but i hope i’ve changed their minds :) they’re chill and good company, they make jeno happy and that’s all that matters. they’re incredibly caring and protective too. i’m someone who gets suffocated in the presence of others but none of jenos friends make me feel that way :)
jeno - yn has like… maybe three friends and one of them is me 😭 i’m joking. yn’s main friend is heejin and i do love her. mainly after seeing how good of a friend she is to yn. she always protects and defends her and she makes my girlfriend happy. yn has a habit of not defending herself, she lets people shit on her and treat her like crap but heejin always fights for her and it warms my heart. she fights back to all the girls who are so unnecessarily rude and bitchy to yn. once she punched seoyeon in the face and wow… i’m glad because she does things that i can’t do
who’s louder in bed?
yn - definitely jeno
jeno - what the fuck? it’s you
yn - [shakes her head] jeno doesn’t try to be quiet. he wants everyone to hear. it’s a kink i think. he says the dirtiest of things at the top of his lungs
jeno - it’s 100% yn. she will scream at the top of her lungs all night long. she will scream daddy, baby and jeno the most. even when she’s tired and so fucked out of her mind she still forces herself to have the energy to scream one more ‘JENO’ or ‘DADDY!!’
yn - he doesn’t care who hears or sees him, that’s why he always fucks me in the living room or in public, he wants people to see.
jeno - says the girl who rode my dick on the train home
yn - there was like one other person in the carriage and she was old and blind anyways!
jeno - well she wasn’t death, she could hear you moaning ‘daddy’
#jeno fluff#jeno smut#jeno x reader#fic my first and last#nct jeno#jeno imagines#jeno moodboard#nct#nct 127#jeno#nct lee jeno#nct dream jeno#nct new team#nct x reader#nct u#nct imagines#nct dream#nct smut#nct scenarios#jeno texts#lee jeno#jeno icons#nct icons#fic mfal#mfal jeno#mfal yn#mfal ask jeno#mfal ask yn#mfal facts
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evermore songs as relating to midge maisel because every time i listen to that album i think of her
champagne problems: midge and benjamin. this song has a similar premise to midnight rain i feel like and it just applies to midge wanting more for herself than just a husband
happiness: midge and joel. this song perfectly describes their relationship. this and closure are like their quintessential songs (no, i did not like joel how could you tell?)
dorothea: midge and lenny. “if you ever get tired of being known for who you know, you know you’ll always know me” could be either of them to each other
coney island: midge and benjamin. specifically the line ‘sorry for not making you my centerfold’ like ughhh
cowboy like me: midge and lenny. it’s so fucking perfect. like they’re so similar (can you tell they’re my fav ever) and this song just perfectly encapsulates the vibes of their relationship
long story short: just midge’s love life in general tbh.
marjorie: midge and lenny. hear me out here - after they part ways in the finale, we know in real life lenny bruce died from an od, and i feel like midge would feel soo guilty that she never got to see him again
closure: midge and joel. it’s just so them.
right where you left me: midge and joel SPECIFICALLY right after he leaves her
it’s time to go: midge. just her and relationships that no longer serve her she’s such a badass
#the marvelous mrs. maisel#midge maisel#midge x lenny#joel maisel#benjamin ettenberg#i don’t think i spelled that right but wtv#miriam wiessman#lenny bruce#mrs maisel#evermore#taylor swift#midge is so evermore coded#argue with the wall
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How Never Have I Ever Uses Music to Hint at the Future
I’ve always loved the way music tells a story, especially in movies and tv shows. These things usually go unnoticed unless you’re a college student trying to ignore homework on a Tuesday afternoon. I have been aware that NHIE has been whispering a secret story through its soundtrack for a while now but never had time to actually compile it into one monster of a post. So I’m doing it now!
This is where I try to convince you that the show has been hinting at Devi ending up with Ben all the way since season one. There are over 100 songs in the official soundtrack and of course, I can’t go through them all so I’ll just stick with the most important moments from all three seasons and lyrics that I think encapsulate the core message of the songs.
SEASON 1
The Pilot – Introductions
Paxton’s intro song (Dancing On My Own – Robyn) makes a lot of sense for both characters. It talks about trying hard to get someone’s attention and failing at it. It is a song with a dramatic, pulsating beat that plays over Paxton’s big entrance into Devi’s class.
I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh
I'm right over here, why can't you see me? Oh
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the girl you're taking home, ooh
I keep dancing on my own (I keep dancing on my own)
Ben is introduced with a softer melody (Rubia – Juan Wauters). It is in Spanish, a language I don’t speak as well so I won’t try to translate it but I will leave you with this Pitchfork review of it written by Steven Arroyo :
“Rubia” still succeeds wonderfully on these terms, a longing love letter to someone with a memorable nose in a far-away country…
Te guardo un lugar en mi corazon
No quiero irme, chequeo hora son
Me iré pensando que
Muy pronto contigo yo estaré
There is an important moment near the end of the episode when Devi goes to talk to Paxton (and asks him to have sex with her) in which Playing Games by Anna of the North plays.
I've been playing games with your heart
Left you thinking in the dark
Just to make you feel unsure
Then I know you want me more
This whole song is very interesting to me. The singer seems to describe a situation in which she has the upper hand in a relationship.
I’ve been playing games with your heart, so I know I’ve made my mark is a lyric I think perfectly shows Devi’s desire to enter a relationship. It is not because she actually likes Paxton. In fact, she doesn’t even know him yet. I think it tells of Devi’s reasons to have a boyfriend – to make a mark not just on him but the school, and her peers as well. She wants to stop being “invisible” as to somehow regain some power over her situation in s1 (the death of Mohan) as well as distract herself from it.
Episode 2
The song Dancing on The Limit (by Prizes) plays as Devi dreams of Paxton coming into her room to have sex with her. It is the first “love song” of Devi and Paxton which I find genius since it doesn’t actually depict reality.
I'm never gonna quit it
Back in love within a minute
We're dancing on the limit
But I love the way you're making me move
It is a fantasy, something Devi feels when she imagines what would be like to be Paxton’s girlfriend.
Episode 6
In Ben’s episode we get so much more insight into who he is, and not just that shell of an obnoxious overachiever he built for himself. We also get insight into his feelings for Devi when he is having dinner with the Vishwakumars where after choosing not to “nuke her back”, he actually has a fun time with her family as the song (Call Me by Sarah Rebecca) in the background goes :
Call me angel, I could save you
I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you
At the very end of the episode when Devi Venmos Ben so that he never has to “accept food from a pedo again” another love song can be heard (Lost – Boy Harsher).
I’m the one that holds you
In the middle of the night
I'm the one that wants you
Forever til we die
Episode 7
In this episode Devi and Paxton kiss for the first time to Fire For You by the Cannons which at first seems like a really sensual song… until you actually read the lyrics.
I could've died for you
How could you not know?
I was alive with you
But you brought in the cold
Was I being lied to? Wish I never met you
Started to regret you
Episode 10
Boys Like You - Kids at Midnight
We’ve reached my favorite NHIE song. I love the synths. I love the 80s vibe. I love everything about it (No wonder why that Malibu kiss got an MTV nomination).
Certainly the most interesting thing about this song playing during this scene is right as the camera lowers on Devi’s phone, we cut to Paxton leaving a voicemail with these lyrics in the background :
She said, "Boys like that should be in second place”
Now do with that what you will but this is the most intentionally placed lyric in season 1, in my opinion.
I know it hurts right now, one day you'll realise
There's no need to hide yourself from the world
All my life I've been hiding myself
Just waiting for a boy like you
SEASON 2
Episode 8
In the scene we see Devi apologize to Ben about the cheating when the song Up All Night by The Undercover Dream Lovers starts playing. The song is seemingly about second chances and not letting someone go. I thought the theme of driving was interesting considering Malibu.
Caught up on the freeway
You test my patience all the time
Find another exit, ooh
Blocking you from mine
Episode 9
Heat Waves – Glass Animals
During Paxton and Devi’s kiss Heat Waves plays and I have to admit the song as well as the scene are amazing. However, I’ve seen this song misunderstood by Daxton fans so much, probably due to the scene trending (mostly on TikTok where people enjoy quick content without much context).
The writer of the song, David Bayley says this about what it means, mentioning another song called Your Love : “They're both definitely two of the songs that are about relationships and sort of knowing that they're doomed,"
Bayley uses the term Heat Wave to represent an illusion of a highway mirage (the air that rises off asphalt on extremely hot days making it seem like the road is wet).
So the love that the writer describes is just like the heat waves – an illusion.
Now I gotta let you go
You'll be better off in someone new
I don't wanna be alone
You know it hurts me too
You look so broken when you cry
One more and then I say goodbye
Episode 10
GOLDEN – Running ; Ben comes into the girls bathroom to try and make Devi feel better after she is rejected by Paxton. As he is saying “When are you gonna to realize that that dick doesn’t deserve you” the lyrics playing are :
But I get these feelings
That I can't explain
It’s in my veins
being the underdog all the time
Hello Pongo – Summer Love
Another love song that plays when Ben and Devi see each other at the dance.
I've been lookin,
for you my summer love
forever summer love
Sam Smith – Love Goes
This song is – do you wanna guess? Not a love song. It is a sad one.
I hope you understand that I have to send you away
You may not understand, but I know that you will one day
You're broken, I know this
And if you knew it, you would love me a whole different way
But that's how love goes, goes
I also think it’s funny how just as Devi and Paxton are about to slow dance the DJ plays a different, more upbeat song which tells us they aren’t really that compatible with each other. They just never manage to catch that love song!
I wonder if season 4 brings us a Ben and Devi slow dance…
SEASON 3
Episode 1
Josha Daniel – Dream of You ; We finally get something close to a love song for Daxton in the first scene of season 3 even though it it pretty vague and repetitive.
We are never gonna waste our time again
I can't sleep when i dream of you
I can't sleep when i dream of you
Ilo Ilo – Clementine ; Devi and Paxton almost have sex
Clementine
Trying to erase you from my spotless mind
Hit fast-forward but I'm stuck in rewind
Episode 3
Afternoon Bike Ride – Before The Fall ; Devi tells Nalini she and Paxton broke up
After an autumn of ends lеd to silence
Winters cloak covered the tracks of the tyrants
Spring couldn't bring on the promise of June
With no voice to sing and nothing to bloom
I found the mention of June interesting even if it wasn’t intentional because it almost seems like an answer to Heat waves (Sometimes, all I think about is you, Late nights in the middle of June).
Mel Blue – Finding You; Ben tells Fabiola Devi broke his heart
I lost you love
You lost you too
I lost myself
I’m finding you
Episode 5
Carla Morrison – Eres tú ; Ben and Devi say goodbye to each other after their bet at the coffeehouse
(I found a translation for this one)
Today I woke up wanting to kiss you
I have a thirst to caress you
Entangle myself with you and not let you go
You're so intoxicating
It's you
Episode 10
“Because I’ll miss you. A lot.”
“Wait. There’s the stomach knots.”
Jaguar Sun – Car Keys
Oh, how you've grown
Look back now
And move on
Don't worry, about a thing
Just grab those car keys
And drive into the rain
Another song involving cars, driving… I’m starting to think all of this makes sense! Also I love how the song mentions growth because Devi did grow so much in season 3.
Prinze George – Take off
Saw you in the living room
You were wild with light and I wanted you
Tried to do the woman thing
I was eager, young and abandoning
I would force you to love me
I would force you to stay
I would force you to love me
I would stand in your way
And you can't take off without me now
After Boys Like You this has to be my favorite NHIE song. It also has an 80s vibe to it and the two songs feel very much connected in my mind. The lyrics talk about standing in a lover’s way. Preventing them from leaving you and closing that chapter of their life.
I am still in your way
This lyric that appears later in the song shows that after everything that happened to them in season 4, they are still in each other’s way. They can’t forget about each other even after actively pursuing other people.
After analyzing so many songs, I really have to give credit to the show. Most of these were chosen so carefully to fit certain moments. You can really tell the show was made with a lot of intention and love, at least soundtrack wise.
As far as proving who the main couple (endgame couple, whatever you wanna call it) in season 4 is, to me that is pretty obvious even without the support of the soundtrack. I’m very curious about the songs we’ll get to hear in the new season and I also wonder if we will hear some old ones again.
Let me know what you think!
#never have i ever#never have i ever netflix#never have i ever season 4#nhie#nhie s4#nhie netflix#ben gross#devi vishwakumar#benvi#ben x devi#music analysis
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OC Ships and Songs Tag
I was tagged by @mysticstarlightduck, here, and @pheita, here. Thank you both so much! 💙
Rules: write two to five songs from them that represent your ship between your ocs (it can be platonic or romantic or a secret third thing). then add a quote from said WIP (if possible!) underneath it.
Tagging (gently): @sam-glade @outpost51 @void-botanist @sparatus @sarahlizziewrites and anyone else who'd like to do this!
Mariel and Axtapor: Valentine - Laufey
This WHOLE SONG is so them I can't 😭 but these parts especially!
What if he's the last one I kiss?
What if he's the only one I'll ever miss?
Maybe I should run, I'm only twenty-one
I don't even know who I want to become
I've lost all control of my heartbeat now
Got caught in a romance with him somehow
I still feel a shock through every bone
When I hear an, "I love you"
'Cause now I've got someone to lose
Quote
And then, the realization hit me; he would probably be more affectionate now than ever before. Such a thing could not be possible, could it? I could hardly imagine how he would be— Oh, it was too much to entertain! I smiled at him, then covered my face bashfully, giggling at the prospect. He laughed along with me but, curiously, didn’t tease me about it.
Fay and Wilkes: If We Were Made Of Water - BANKS
Perfectly encapsulates their forever will they/won't they. My angry little disasters 💙
Baby say it again
Maybe if you say it again
Maybe if you say it again
Maybe I'll believe it then
Baby say it again
Baby if you say it again
Change some words around maybe I'll believe you then
And I'm hurting from the way that this worked out
If you could rearrange your words you could've saved it
If we were made of water, we could swim around it
Can't no more
Quote
She nodded after some moments and cupped my face in her hands. We savored one another on the decks of her ship as we’d done many times before, but not under the stars or those vast skies as before. Beneath the surface. Occulted. And this time with the limits of how high we could reach laid plainly before us. The soured reality of our demise tainted the water around us like some festering thing. There was no joy. No love. Nothing beautifully stirred. It was still and cold.
AASOAF 3 Taglist: @outpost51 @thelivingdeceased @faelanvance @captain-kraken @illjustpretend @elshells @writeblr-of-my-own
Join/leave the taglist using this Google Form.
Hartim and Lexlar: Pain and Misery - The Teskey Brothers
You guys are just getting to know these two but they and their story have lived in my heart for so long, I can't wait for you all to know it too 💚
Honey, please, whoa please
Won't you stay with me?
'Cause since you gone
It's pain and misery
Hey
I'm begging you, honey
Whoa
I want you to love me
Yeah, I want you to love me
I need you so bad
Quote
Something about the way he had spoken the word made Eiph’ck feel strange. He turned his head, easily finding Quye’ck’s outline. He was looking back at him, but in the darkness, could not make out his expression.
“Goodnight, Eiph’ck.”
Those words, they were warm. And loud. Like a fire… They made his throat hot. They made him grateful for the darkness.
“Goodnight, Quye’ck.”
M.O.W Taglist: @moonluringfrost @writeblr-of-my-own @illjustpretend @sparatus @outpost51
Join/leave the taglist using this Google Form.
#tag game#oc ships and songs tag#aasoaf#aasoaf 3#aasoaf 2#m.o.w#my writing#mariel#axtapor#fay#wilkes#lexlar#hartim
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i've been listening to sofia isella's entire discography today cause im insane and it's crazy how well some of the songs fit with death note characters. or maybe im just too i deep in and im slowly losing my mind. anyhow
Death Note Characters as SOFIA ISELLA Songs
Light: I Looked The Future in the Eyes, It's Mine. a song about being high on the power trip of believing the near future is yours for the taking hello???????? 'they ask us, "how's it feel to be god's favourite?" we say, "we don't know, we've never known different."'
L: Cacao and Cocaine. more specifically fanon L. more specifically lawlight L. plus L feeling unfufilled if his life isn't riddled with the danger of detective work. 'would you like your heart to get attacked? would that feel better than boredom in another beige and bland cul de sac?'
Mello: Hot Gum. a slutty song with fire imagery and religious metaphors. need i say more? 'i watch us burn and fall, the heat is ten feet tall... and the flicker flames weave in through my teeth.'
Matt: Rainbow Rocket Ride. literally the mellodramattic song we've all been waiting for. with video game metaphors n references??? could something be more perfect? 'i found my joy with a runaway boy, and the cosmos is so big it won't notice we went missing'
a few more under the cut:
these next ones im less sure about but i still think they fit the vibes of the character:
Near: All of Human Knowledge Made Us Dumb. technically this is a song about the internet rotting our brains, but the general vibes of disconnection from reality and numbness, and everything making more sense in fiction and theory than reality is very near-coded in my opinion. i have always headcanoned near as a hikikomori, though less because he just doesn't want to go out and more because he physically can't function in the world. high support needs autism who???? 'and i can know every answer that's ever been known, but when everyone's together everyone's alone'
Misa: Everybody Supports Women. again a bit of a stretch, im not completely sold on it. but there are moments that make me go ugh yes. it feels like the toxicity of the idol industry along with, well, everyone around her going against misa, or at least that's how it feels to her. i think it encapsulates the isolation of her character and how people don't see her suffering cause she has a pretty face perfectly. misa is such a tragic and ultimately lonely character who lost everything she has ever loved. and she does not get enough comfort and sympathy for that."she's probably self-centred, we hate her and she's nothing, if everybody leaves her then she had it coming"
#weeeeeeeeeeeeee#death note#dn#light yagami#yagami light#l lawliet#l death note#mello death note#mihael keehl#matt death note#mail jeevas#near death note#nate river#misa amane#amane misa#death note headcanons#music headcanons#characters as songs#sofia isella#thoughts n rambles
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Orchid? 🙂
orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect?
Oooh, this is a tough one, because what does "perfect" even mean in art? Is it a song that will never *not* make me cry ("It's Quiet Uptown," from Hamilton)? A song that makes me feel called the fuck out ("Mission," by Rush)? Or is a song that so perfectly encapsulates how I feel about something that all I can do is gesture at it and say "that" ("Ghost of a Chance," again by Rush, "One of Us" by Heather Dale, and "Because of You," Kelly Clarkson)?
I don't need technical perfection in a song for it to be perfect. I need it to make me *feel* something, for it to resonate deep in my soul. To have meaning that I can't entirely put into words.
Which, in this moment of time, makes me go to an old English folk song - "I Will Give My Love an Apple", specifically the arrangement by Benjamin Britten that's just a little atonal in fascinating ways. The lyrics are:
I will give my love an apple without any core
I will give my love a house without any door
I will give my love a palace wherein she may be
and she may unlock it without any key.
My head is the apple without any core
My mind is the house without any door
My heart is the palace wherein she may be
And she may unlock it without any key.
I've loved this song since first I heard it, and in recent years it's taken on additional meaning for me. So for me, now, in this space? It's a perfect song.
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Best Underrated Anime Group I Round 1: #I4 vs #I5
#I4: Colorblind witch meets her granny’s friends by time travel
Despite the kaleidoscopic magic ingrained in everyday life, Hitomi Tsukishiro's monochrome world is deprived of emotion and feeling. On a night as black and white as any other, amidst the fireworks spreading across the sky, Hitomi's grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell, for which she has been harnessing the moon's light for 60 years, to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school.
Hitomi's mission seems unclear, but her grandmother assures her that she will know when she gets there. Following a trip through time aboard a train driven by a strange yellow creature, Hitomi finds herself in stoic artist Yuito Aoi's room, and his drawings flood her world with color. What is Hitomi's purpose there, and why do Yuito's drawings return such breathtaking color to her drab world?
#I5: Comfort-food anime, 4 guys managing a cafe
Kyousui "Sui" Tougoku inherits a traditional Japanese-style cafe called Rokuhoudou from his grandfather, which he manages alongside Gregorio "Gure" Valentino, Tokitaka Nagae, and Tsubaki Nakao. Their hospitality par excellence undoubtedly turns any one-time visitor into a regular. Having gone through their own share of trials and tribulations, the staff at this modest cafe do their best to serve their customers—whether it be through tea, sweets, or even helping with the various troubles one may have.
Although most days pass pleasantly, the small world of Sui and his friends takes an unexpected path when their reputation as a cafe flourishes overnight.
Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!
#I4: Iroduku: The World in Colors
youtube
Propaganda:
It’s the kind of show I only watched once, but it stayed with me to this day. It has a unique story that, despite having supernatural elements, feels grounded in human emotions the most. A rare but solid example of magical realism.
The premise is so original, yet very easy to grasp from a start. The time-travel and magic simply lay a groundwork for the story to carry on. If you were ever frustrated by how in supernatural shows there isn’t enough time to explore characters’ emotional depth bc plot, then this anime will be a delightful breather for you. Because the whole show is about the main character’s healing process, learning to overcome her fears, opening up to others… It’s a journey of a lonely, broken person who finds meaning to her life in a distant timeline. And it’s wonderful and painful on all levels.
The visuals, animation, background art are all stunning. Usage of colour is meaningful, to portray heroine’s colourblindess with proper weight. The show isn’t black/white for the viewers, but when she sees colours, they truly make them shine. Soundtrack wise, ending song is heartbreakingly beautiful and encapsulates the feeling of the whole series perfectly.
TL;DR: It's magical but not intense. Sad but comforting.
(I hope I did it justice. Pls watch it, it has 12 eps that are 100% enough for this story <3 )
Trigger Warnings: Not stated.
#I5: Rokuhou-dou Yotsuiro Biyori
dailymotion
Propaganda:
The overall calming atmosphere of the café and the peace good food can bring—this forms the basis of the human interaction happening at Rokuhoudou, the café. We see people finding comfort in the food they have while at the café, and it seriously so sweet. A lot of people might enjoy this.
Trigger Warnings: None.
If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.
#anime#best underrated anime#polls#poll tournament#tournament#anime tournament#animation#animated show#group stage#group stage round 1#tournament polls#irodoku: the world in colors#irodoku#rokuhoudou yotsuiro biyori#rokuhou-dou yotsuiro biyori#yotsuiro biyori#group i
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nine favorite albums in no particular order,
tagged by @an-ivy-covered-summer (thank you I love to ramble about music)
Portishead - Dummy - This is probably my favorite album of all time? It's perfect to me. It makes me feel so good, physically and mentally. It's the quintessential 90s album, the definitive trip-hop album, and always makes the list of "25 Albums You Should Own On Vinyl" for a reason. It's immaculate and it spawned a slew of imitators who never ever got close to this kind of quality. I think people also don't appreciate hop much trip-hop/downtempo has influenced today's pop music. SZA's latest album especially felt super trip-hoppy, so did elements of Midnights.
Massive Attack - Mezzanine - if there's one other trip-hop album you should pick up, it's this one. This album benefits greatly from Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins' ethereal vocals. Every song on this is amazing. When I was playing this album for a friend about a decade younger, he said "oh this is the album with the music from all the movies." lol. Indeed It's been licensed to hell for a reason!
Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk - Okay I set a rule for myself that each artist would only get one album in this list to avoid putting up nine Tori Amos albums, but Scarlet is my favorite. This road trip across America immediately after 9/11 is one of the first albums to... if not criticize the US response to 9/11, because it was really too early for that, but to be very, very wary of what the response would be. It's an album that expresses sympathy for a wounded nation, while also acknowledging the nation's sins. I think this is one of a few Tori albums that was too high concept for the mainstream audience, but Tori has never been for the mainstream audience, anyway.
Taylor Swift - evermore - Of all the Taylor Swift albums, it was reputation that brought me to the dance and Red that made me fall madly in love. But evermore is her best work. It's perfecting upon the formula she came up with in folklore. Which, don't get me wrong, I love folklore, but with Taylor's obsession with being "sonically cohesive" it's kind of a bummer of an album? I appreciate how the vibes of evermore are more varied. Also, "ivy" is the most beautiful song she's ever written.
Green Day - American Idiot - This album doesn't need much description, it's so well-known, but nothing really compares to how hard this album hit during the height of Bush Era Hell. As a 26 year old when this came out, it felt like my generation was getting our mainstream protest music, finally.
Paul Simon - Graceland - This album won the Grammy for Album of the Year for a reason: it's soooo good. I know there's a lot of drama/controversy surrounding it, but I always felt Paul approached his love of African music from a genuine place. It's such a good midlife crisis album, I understand it now more that I am in midlife than I did when I discovered it at age 12. And the bass line for "You Can Call Me Al" is fucking legendary, isn't it? PS - Paul Simon is the greatest songwriter of all time.
VNV Nation - Automatic - Why was it so hard to pick a VNV Nation album? I really kind of wanted to put last year's Electric Sun in the mix, but I need to let that sit with me before I add it to a list like this. This is the album that brought me to the dance: "Gratitude" is an all-time fave VNV song of hopefulness. "Control" is the dance club banger to end all dance club bangers. I loooooooove this band. I wish there were more futurepop bands out there, tbh, it's SUCH an excellent genre.
Lana del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell! - This is Lana's best. It's not really even close. This is one of the best albums of the 21st century. The way "The greatest" so perfectly encapsulates the Trump-era nihilism... I DO want shit to feel the way just like it used to. Kanye West IS blond and gone. We DIDN'T know that we had it all. :( The ache of nostalgia in our current very painful times hits perfectly on this record (WHYYYY don't I own it on vinyl yet??)
Puscifer - Existential Reckoning - So hard for me to pick a Maynard project and not pick TOOL, but Puscifer has become my favorite of his three bands. Existential Reckoning is similar to NFR! in that it captures the political moment. Maynard has never seemed particularly political in his music until this record, which is pretty interesting. ER seems to be advocating for a return to rationality over ideology, of moderation over extremism, of science over faith. It takes a very humanist approach to looking at life in 2020. "Apocalyptica" is probably the craziest song because it sounds like it was written about COVID, but it was not, in fact was written just a few months earlier. "Bedlamite" is the coda to the album that promises hope: It's gonna be all right. When they did this album Live at Arcosanti and sang this song while the sun rose behind them, four days before the 2020 election and Maynard crooned that it would be all right, I looked at my roommate, and I said, "it really is, isn't it?" And we both got kind of overwhelmed. And then a few days later, it was. Trump lost.
I went into way detail >_> told you I like rambling about music
tagging: @swiftzeldas @emmaswanned @brightnshinythings @mariacallous @ouijawaydidhego
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A Reflection of the Ideal Self; a mirrortype
In collaboration with @fish-and-forbear I’m happy to introduce the term reflection, or mirrortype, to the alterhuman community. A mirrortype is defined as a reflection of the ideal self and both terms are perfectly acceptable ways to describe it – whether you say “Elsa is a reflection of me”, or “Elsa is one of my mirrortypes”, or some other version of those statements.
The following text will try to define what an “ideal self” is in this context, what a reflection/’type can appear as, and elaborate on the similarities and differences with similar terms. It is 800 words long, with an approximate reading time of six minutes.
The ideal self
The ideal self is similar to an archetype, except it has, in our experience, far more detail. It is how we feel on the inside; how we should be. It isn’t a kintype or “true self” in that there isn’t a singular entity at the centre of it; it is a collection of values, beliefs and traits we encapsulate
There is something to be said of how the ideal self is something involuntary; a constant across lifetimes, selves and identities, but I’ll save that for a different time.
What is a reflection of the ideal self?
In our experience, reflections are most often found in fictional characters – but that is due to the nature of our ideal selves. Your ideal self might look very different, and you might find reflections of it in concepts, colours, songs, animals, objects, and so on. In my case, I associate a lot of concepts, colours, songs, animals and objects with my reflections, but that does not make them my reflection.
Let’s use my mirrortype Elsa as an example. Nearly everything about her is perfectly aligned with my ideal self; it’s almosta 1:1 reflection. Her gentle strength, her femininity and magic powers, the way she is a spirit meant to protect and bridge – that she is a protector, that she is tired, that she is old – these are all traits she shares with my ideal self. Because of that I relate strongly with her, but it doesn’t mean I am her. If anything, she is me – the same way as when you look in the mirror. You are not your reflection, but your reflection is you. It is not a kintype, not otherheartedness, not a synpath… but it is similar. And that brings us to similar terms.
Similar terms
It might be easier to understand what a mirrortype is if we compare it to other, pre-existing terms. Mirrortypes are very similar to terms like otherhearted, synpath, paratype, simile… and dozens more, whether widely spread or not. We really get nitpicky and gritty with the details when it comes to this, but it’s important, so bare with me.
Otherheartedness and synpaths is such a vague concept from before. It serves almost as an umbrella term these other terms fall under (like paratypes and similes). Mirrortypes are something very specific, where otherheartedness and synpaths are very vague, so the distinction is easy to draw between those.
Things get trickier with paratype, coined by @aestherians. In raer own words, paratype “includes every connection and relationship you have with something, that only exists because of your pre-established identity”. There is room for a lot of overlap with paratypes and mirrortypes, due to the nature of the whole ideal self – in many ways, you could say that a mirrortype is just a paratype with a more specific source… but there is another term that is extremely relevant to mirrortypes: similes.
Simile, another term coined by @aestherians (and elaborated on here, along with otherheartedness, synpaths and paratypes) is “a character, animal, concept, or object, which reflects or otherwise represents who you are, without actually being a part of your identity. A simile may be described as a metaphor for who you are.” Sounds familiar, right? So… what’s the difference between a mirrortype and a simile?
I want to preface this by saying I love the term simile, and I used it for a while to describe Elsa, though it still didn’t entirely fit. The difference, once again, comes down to the ideal self. A simile is a reflection of what is “already there”, who you already are as a person – and that is not the ideal self. My mirrortypes are very different from my similes!
If we want to get very nitpicky about things, you could say a mirrortype is the child of a paratype and the sibling of similes. A simile but to the left; a simile but with a different flavour. After all, the self and the ideal self will always have that in common: they are you.
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Spring Awakening Fandom Tag
(By @winter-asleepening, tagged (kinda) by @feelssogoodinmyarms )
sorry for this being long and for jumping in on this out of nowhere, i got excited and i missed talking about this show now that i’m once again in my yearly spring awakening phase thanks to seeing a local production yesterday :)
1. How were you introduced to the show?
i was an emo kid trying to find musicals i liked bc i started doing theater in high school, i saw american idiot was made into a musical, and followed the john gallagher jr rabbit hole to a b00tl3g of obc spring awakening. this happened to be in 2014 and when i heard about dwsa on broadway i conned my mom into taking me to nyc to see it (i didnt tell her how sexual it was i just said “it’s about teens coming of age in germany set to rock music” and she had Words for me during that intermission lol)
2. Seen a production live?
yes, four: dwsa, a local college production, and two productions at local theater companies in the areas i’ve lived
3. Dream role/character you relate to most
y’all already know it’s moritz…. i imprinted on him when i was 14 and have never stopped being obsessed with him as a character. but i think it’s more likely i’d get the chance to play ilse before moritz and i would love to play ilse as well
4. Favorite male character
mort steeple :) i have never gotten enough of this dude, ever
5. Favorite female character
wendla <3 she’s such a good character when she’s played with the right amount of joy, stubbornness, and curiosity
6. Deaf West Revival or Original Broadway Cast?
dwsa all the way. i appreciate obc for what it is but dwsa is my definitive best revival/adaptation ever ever ever
7. Favorite song
comet on its way :) christ such a whole, like, deal 🙄😏
but if you force me to pick “a real song” that “is actually in the show” then… i think a production that has a really good “and then there were none” is killer bc it means 1. they’re focusing on my favorite boy moritz and 2. they have an adult woman who plays fanny gabor compassionately but flawed in a way that underscores the show’s themes around adults not trusting kids with their own minds and bodies. which i greatly enjoy
8. Least favorite song
this is unfair of me bc it never fails to make me cry and it has one of my favorite lyrics ever in it (window by window you try and look into this brave new you that you are) but it’s “the guilty ones” bc i think “there once was a pirate” is better. my hot take is that dwsa is only version of spring awakening i’ve ever seen where i actually prefer their use of guilty ones instead of pirate
9. Favorite quote/line
musical: so maybe i should be some kind of laundry line / hang their things on me / and i will swing ‘em dry / you just wave in the sun through the afternoon / and then see / they come to set you free / beneath the rising moon - don’t do sadness it’s just such an evocative description of feeling hopeless against all the pressures of life and perfectly encapsulates being 15 and desperate and just wanting a little bit of relief. plus the way daniel durant and alex boniello performed this is so killer. moritz stiefel i love you
play: “don’t let’s be sad […] if we recall this in thirty years, perhaps we shall make fun of it.——and yet everything is so beautiful. the mountains glow; the grapes hang before our mouths and the evening breeze caresses the rocks like a playful flatterer.” from hans in the vineyard scene. augh it’s just so tender and lovely in a way that the musical doesn’t have the time/ability to address, with the acknowledgement that yes this moment is temporary and who knows if ernst and hanschen will “make it”. and yet. everything is so beautiful. also PROOF THAT HANSCHEN ISNT A CREEP OR MANIPULATIVE HE IS ALSO A TEEN BOY IN LOVE FUCK YOU STEVEN SATER
10. Favorite TV performance
always and forever dwsa touch me on seth meyer i have seen it at least two hundred times and i’m not exaggerating
11. Favorite cast member(s)
daniel durant always always always. he is such a talent i’m so glad his career seems to be taking off, he’s genuinely one of the best actors i’ve ever seen in my whole life.
12. Favorite cast member moment
can i say 1st national tour cabaret where the boys performed comet on its way in order to bring up comet on its way again. if not it’s when i gave daniel durant a painting of him as moritz at stage door and i was a shy anxious teen who learned just enough asl to say “hi” and “thank you” and “will you sign my playbill please” and he was SO sweet to me and lovely and he hugged me and i know actors do that kind of shit all the time and i’m sure he doesn’t remember it but it really made my whole life when it happened :’)
13. Do you write fan fiction?
not outside of personal catharsis pieces that have never seen the light of day. i made an aloto/vineyard scene web weaving post though that i do think goes hard
14. Do you make fan art?
i still love the moritz and then there were none piece i did a few years ago but i haven’t done a whole lot past that… that may change though i want to get back into drawing
15. Do you cosplay?
no, but spring awakening costumes have 10000% influenced my real life fashion and hair decisions. lol
16. Don’t do Sadness or Blue Wind?
i just saw this GORGEOUS performance of dds/bw where ilse sobbed through her verse of blue wind and the rest of the cast like gathered around her and slowly peeled away to represent her memory/longing for real connection and the reality of her never really having that at all, and really underscoring that her spoken lines about her new life in the artist’s colony and wanting to take moritz home are just posturing to hide how lonely she is… so right now i think blue wind
17. Word of Your Body or the Reprise?
reprise when it’s done earnestly, but i do really love the lyrics in woyb
18. Touch Me or My Junk?
my junk! i love seeing the different ways it’s staged between georg and hanschen and the girls, plus it’s the only time the girls get to be horny
19. Explain the Song of Purple Summer
it’s a metatextual message from the story of spring awakening to the audience that underscores the themes of open and honest communication being the key to healthy people and relationships, it’s asking the adults in the audience to believe children (when they say they’re gay, when they ask for information and want to be given all of it, when they ask for help and say they want to die), it’s a message of hope to the kids in the seats who relate too much to the kids on stage, telling us that it will get better
20. Explain the Song of Purple Summer (wrong answers only)
horses fuck and have foal babies idk <3
that was very fun thank you for indulging me. if any of mine olde spring awakening/dwsa mutuals are still around please consider this me tagging you <3
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The Icon Status of Jane Birkin
Best known for being the muse behind the renowned Hermès Birkin bag, Jane was and still is, one of the world's most famous icons. She made her way in the British cinema scene during the mid 60s and was a part of films like: The Knack... and How to Get It (1965) and Blow-Up(1966). The latter led her to a career-defining role in Slogan (1969), during the making of which Jane met her decade-long partner, the famous French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The pair was best known for the French love song "Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus", recorded in 1967 with Brigitte Bardot. After he fell for Jane, Serge asked her to re-record the song. "Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus" was banned in several countries due to its overtly sexual content. Thus began a love story of the century. The couple's wild lifestyle inspired a freedom in an era when sexual expression was still taboo.
STYLE ICON
Jane Birkin acquired her style icon status through her day-to-day outfits. Her relaxed British demeanor, clean statement pieces, and French elegance were a killer combination. Thus, Jane stood out amongst other iconic stars of the time - bombshell beauty symbols such as Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, etc. Birkin's signature look was her long, usually messy, bedhead hair and fringe, flared blue jeans, simple white tees, and the capacious woven basket. However, it would be naive and unfair to say that Jane was an icon only because of her clothes.
LA PISCINE (1969) - a short summary
This slow-burn erotic crime drama directed by Jaques Deray follows Romy Schneider and Alain Delon as Marianne and Jean-Paul - a couple vacationing in a luxurious villa in the French Riviera. La Piscine presents an atmosphere that feels exactly like a careless summer holiday. The sweetness of doing nothing, dinners outside, bottles of wine, dancing, sleeping, kissing, and none other than - swimming in the pool. That is until, Jean-Paul’s old friend and Marianne’s former lover Harry drops by, along with his teenage daughter Penelope (Jane Birkin).
Costume Design
The person behind the costume design of La Piscine was the French designer André Courrèges. The looks made for Jane, specifically, were very much close to her actual style. Minimalistic colour palettes, simple silhouettes, and, most importantly, comfort mixed with elegance. These choices make Penelope's teenage essence stand out amongst all the rest of the thirty-something characters. We see lots of short skirts, revealing dresses, and very little make-up on her. Penelope's first look in the film includes a classic white 3/4 sleeved shirt, tucked into a mini checkered skirt. The accessories perfectly elevate this simple look. A delicate black belt to enhance the waist, black ballet mini-heels (talk about comfortable elegance), massive round sunglasses with blue lenses, and, of course, the basket.
Poolside Crochet Dress
Another statement look for Jane was this gorgeous white crochet poolside dress. The '60s was the decade for crochet pieces, thus it was representative of the trends. An ideal piece to throw on after a swim (with great ventilation too). The dress has a densely crocheted top around the bust area and reveals more skin going down, with a rather loosely crocheted spider-web pattern. It perfectly encapsulates Penelope's character - as the dress blends sensuality with a bit of alluring elegance. Good luck to me, because I will be trying to crochet this.
SWIMMING SUITS
When there's a swimming pool, there's always a swimming suit (well...). Because of the luxurious and colourful mise en scene in the film, the bathing suits worn by both Romy and Jane were either black or white shades. The pieces presented a distinct contrast between the greenery of the landscapes and the marine blue of the pool. This choice was the most immaculate way of capturing the effortless and elegant French way of dressing. As well as accentuating the dichotomy of both characters.
JANE B. FOR Agnès V.
In 1988, the French filmmaker Agnès Varda decided to create an experimental documentary about Jane Birkin. The idea came from their conversation on how Jane felt anxious about turning forty. Agnès thought that it was the perfect opportunity to make a beautiful portrait of Jane's life. The documentary is filled with Jane acting in fake movie scenes, posing in Goya and Tiziano Vecelli's "paintings", portraying Joan of Arc, visiting her childhood home, and talking about her life. Varda's vision of Jane brings a magnetic piece of work to life. It is a must-watch for anyone who admires Jane or wishes to know a bit more about her.
“I’m Jane B. I was born British. My height now is 5 feet 7 inches. No distinguishing marks. No exceptional talents, but I’m here. You’re watching me as time passes.” - says Jane in the film. It seemed that everyone but herself thought of her as a charming, magnetic person. Not only Agnès Varda but also Jane's daughter, actress and director Charlotte Gainsbourg, created an ode to her mother in 2021, called Jane for Charlotte. Finally, in her forties, Jane fully embraced her lifelong insecurities - she cut her hair short, exchanged ballet shoes for old sneakers, and started wearing oversized men's suits. Jane lived the second half of her life in her truest form, until the very end.
I started writing this a couple of days before Jane's death. I thought the timing was hauntingly coincidental. She has been a part of my life ever since I read about her for the first time in Alexa Chung's IT (2013). It was one of those moments, where you can just sense that a person is special and I could not look away. I started watching her interviews, pinning every possible photo of her on Pinterest, printing out photos of her to hang on my wall, listening to her music, and watching her films. I cut my fringe at fifteen because of her and started separating my bottom lashes with lumpy mascara... My mum even bought me a basket-like bag to carry with me. Jane Birkin was not only a style icon to me. Her humble confidence, magnetic presence, and grace were the qualities I admired the most about her. Now, that is true beauty.
Rest easy, dear Jane. Au revoir.
#Jane Birkin#La Piscine#Fashion in Film#agnes varda#cinema#cinemetography#alain delon#romy schneider#serge gainsbourg
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🦙 + Lark?? -🍂
A QUESTION ABOUT MY SONGBIRD BABY LARK, YAY!! Thanks so much, Alvie!! (And I’ll also tag @auxiliarydetective and @supermarine-silvally just for fun, but you guys can just tell me if you don’t want me to! <3)
Their go-to song to cry to: A sweet lullaby about the moon and stars that her nursemaid used to sing to her when she was really little. The woman’s voice wasn’t very good, but the lullaby itself was very comforting, and the memory of having it sung to her, of that small sweet thing in a past that generally wasn’t that goof, never fails to make Lark cry.
Their love language: Words of affirmation for giving and receiving.
Their favorite holiday movie: If there was ever a circumstance where she could watch some of our modern holiday movies, I think she’d really like The Holiday.
Their pettiest moment: When running away from her life as the World Government’s songbird and leaving with the Straw Hats, Lark got a few small garden snakes and left them in the bed of one of her handlers, who she knew was terrified of them, as a last little act of revenge.
Their favorite 60s song: If she were ever to hear some of our sixties songs, I think she’d really love “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore.
Their nicknames: She doesn’t really have any that she’ll tolerate being called; she used to be called “songbird” or “little songbird” by her handlers and World Government officials, but nowadays anyone who calls her that is getting smacked hard, by Sanji if not her.
Their go-to karaoke song: “My Jolly Sailor Bold” (I specifically imagine the version by Acapella Onion).
A color you associate with them: Light pink! It’s soft and pretty, like her, but pink is also considered a strong color since it comes from red, and that perfectly encapsulates Lark’s inner strength that many people don’t ever expect her to have.
An event from their Prom night: I feel like I kinda can’t answer this, since I don’t think the One Piece universe has anything like prom and Lark wouldn’t have been able to go to it even if there was.
Their favorite wild animal: Despite how much she associates them with her past, Lark still really loves birds; she thinks they’re all beautiful and loves to watch them fly free.
send me 🦙 + an oc!!
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Angel Eyes & Basketball by Foot Ox is about Normal and Scary actually
(not in a romantic way, in my mind they are gay-lesbian solidarity)
Normal:
Scary:
Explanation below the cut if you want to listen to me ramble :3
im gonna go a few lines at a time for this to try and organize it better and ill really try to not over explain :]
Normal:
“There are flowers growing all around a massive animal inside of me”
the way i interpret it, the animal is obviously the Doodler but in the original context of the song i think its interesting that they make a point to say that flowers are growing around the animal, encasing it, maybe in an attempt to hide or shelter it. For my interpretation as it relates to the Doodler, i think it represents the Doodlers good intentions despite the bad outcomes
“And its so ugly And I’m so broken And I’m so ugly and it’s so broken”
the Doodler and Normal have very similar experiences which makes them also have very similar feelings and i think this encapsulates how Normal felt during at the church of the doodler, just this extreme catharsis and recognition being found in an ugly and broken animal
“I am calling all of my friends to pull me out from this hole But they’re so caught up in their own shit And I’m so caught up in my own shit”
I don’t really have much to say for this one because it can kinda be applied to all of the teens, there’s nothing particular Normal Specific here but they’re all just going through it man
“Worlds collapsing all inward And the drones are piercing through it’s own skin But I think we should live together Yeah, I think we should live together”
to me, “i think we should live together” isnt about moving in together but rather, not dying in the face of the world collapsing and not even just that, its about not dying with other people, because you have these other people with you and they’re also not dying if that makes sense? And i think that very much fits with Normals ideology because he’s obviously very big on connecting with the people around him even if everything is going to shit and even if nobody else really wants to be friends with him (not saying that the rest of the teens dont want to be his friend, this was more of an in general thing)
“And you have to believe me when I say I understand That no one around here seems to understand But you have got to make an effort Yeah, you have got to make an effort”
And this is where I can also start talking about Scary because in my mind this is basically Normal talking to her. And like I was saying before, Normal is very motivated to try and make everyone like him (making the effort), so when someone like Scary so outwardly seems to not care (even though she actually does), it would be very frustrating. But i can also see this being Normal talking to himself because pretty much no one else in the group seems to care as much about being friends if that makes sense? not to say the other teens dont care about each other, they do, but Normal cares so outwardly
Scary:
“Like kids smoking in cemeteries Trying to remember what it’s like to be nothing again So maybe it won’t be so scary When they finally meet the maker at all”
In my mind, “the maker” is Willy and because of how he is, Scary has to try and be nothing when she associates herself with him, even if she doesn’t directly realize it. This is definitely a plate of corn moment but I really appreciate the irony that when Scary was most aligned with Willy, she called everyone else “sheep” even though the rest of the teens had literally just ran away from and disobeyed their fathers while Scary was perfectly content to just follow Willy and went with whatever he said.
“There are flowers growing all around the tiny fish swimming in my blood Begging me for more cheap coffee Begging me for more cheap coffee”
Okay, you’re gonna start to sense a pattern here, but the cheap coffee is also Willy and i can explain. its not so much that it directly represents Willy, but more so the sense of a parental figure that is somewhat, sometimes proud of her, hence the comparison to cheap coffee. But anyway I got ahead of myself, the fish (and btw i love that they’re fish bc get it, stamplers and fishing. you get it) are sort of her anti-conscience if thats a word, basically just something that tells her that she can have what she wants immediately and she doesnt have to work much for it, it’ll just be there and sure it won’t be as good as it could be if you put in more work but do you even really deserve the good one? just take the easy one, it fits you better. i hope that made sense
“Swimming round a kingdom of regrets Slowly building up inside of me”
Pretty much the same as what i was just talking about before but this is the result of choosing the “cheap coffee” and i like to relate this to the scene where Scary asks Willy for a hug and he laughs at her because, if i were to relate that scene to this song, Scary was asking Willy to essentially be more than he is, to be more than “cheap coffee” to give her a reason to stay but he’s an asshole so he just isnt. And then the regrets are obviously just the regret she feels. i really hope that made sense i dont think im explaining myself well.
“But there are things that I believe in Yeah, sacred things that I am keeping for you to see Later when you need them, like a Christmas tree Covered in light blue ornaments”
I think this can represent just how much Scary is a poser and knows it. She knows that she‘s pretending but only reveals these things when she absolutely has to. For example, at the black parade and at the mayors office.
Alright thats it im done, i hope this was at least a little bit coherent lmao :3
#this song has been in my head for ages#“AND ITS SO UGLY AND IM SO BROKEN AND IM SO UGLY AND ITS SO BROKEN” “BEGGING ME FOR MORE CHEAP COFFEE BEGGING ME FOR MORE CHEAP COFFEE” ‼️🗣#normal oak swallows garcia#normal oak#normal dndads#dndads normal oak#scary marlowe#dndads scary marlowe#scary dndads#scary marlowe dndads#dndads#dndaddies#dndads s2#dndads season 2#dungeons and daddies#dndads quest#the doodler#willy stampler
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