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dragonfly0808 · 7 months

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Musa’s Discography Pt.2

First Full Album. Written throughout the second half of s3 and the first month of summer. Published int he summer between s3 and s4

This one again didn’t have a specific theme though I did try to go for a vibe. Like, this is Musa writing to cope with everything that’s going on whilst trying to ignore her mental health issues so there are one or two ‘darker’ songs when she couldn’t write smth happy or at least not act like everything is fine.

Not sure if I worded that correctly. Here goes:

Afterglow by Taylor Swift.

This is perfect to me as an opening track right before Rivusa have made up she writes this because well… it just fits a lot and I think it’s perfect to open an album that’s kinda Musa just trying to look at the brighter side and ignore the bad shit going on or trying to act like everything will be fine

The Louvre by Lorde.

I see Musa writing this towards the start of summer as a fun summer track to distract herself as she tries to figure out where to stay

Best Friend by Conan Gray.

This was written in bits and pieces over s2 and s3 and it’s just about the squads, I can see her basing it off of the platonic soulmates, like the final part is a super old recording of Sky when Stella told him an ex called her before s1

New Romantics by Taylor Swift.

Another fun summer song to cover up the sadness in an iconic way. I love this song way too much, it deserves more hype

Blue by Madison Beer.

Another track co-written by Helia, story-based. This is the first time the tiniest bit of darkness slips through mostly on the production

Exhale by Sabrina Carpenter.

One of few songs where Musa is fully honest and lets herself go a bit, but I still don’t really count it as one of the ‘darker’ songs. She wrote this before gaining Enchantix

Tornado Warnings by Sabrina Carpenter.

This one was one that she wrote in one night with Helia when neither could sleep and after Musa had lied to her therapist pre-Enchantix, so they just took the phrase ‘lying to my therapist’ and made up a little story as they do

Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift.

This song is peak Rivusa s3 for me, like- just both of them being so bad at relationships but wanting to be in one regardless and just UUGGGGHHHH love them

Sober by Lorde.

First slightly ‘darker’ song, was meant to be a summer bop but turned a bit darker. Here is where the album goes on a tiny spiral. I say tiny cause she won’t really go ‘dark’ till the second album

Stay Numb and Carry On by Madison Beer.

First song she wrote after gaining Enchantix. Kinda wrote a few nonsensical lyrics before pulling them together for the verses and the chorus is just how weird she felt after gaining Enchantix

Follow the White Rabbit by Madison Beer.

Another song she wrote soon after gaining Enchantix. Co-written by Helia cause that song to me is Helia-coded when he’s in a bad mental space…

Tell Em by Sabrina Carpenter.

More light-hearted, wrote it after Tecna ranted about Timmy and about how if they did started dating she’d be stressed about people knowing. Started writing it in s2 while Tecna wouldn’t shut up about Timmy. ‘Cause I’m falling down like I’m summer rain’ Idk why but to me that’s such a Tecna-coded line

idontwannabeyouanymore by Billie Eilish.

Probably the darkest Musa gets in this album, I almost see this as the mirror of Exhale. This was after she kinda processed everything that happened after gaining Enchantix and a few intense therapy sessions

Shadows by Sabrina Carpenter.

It just fits so well at first. I can see her writing this about lit the whole squad before gaining Enchantix, it doesn’t fit as much after that.

Giant by Yuqi.

This would kinda be her way to close the album in a more ‘positive, don’t worry I’m totally fine, I’ll be alright ajajaja rise up like a giant yeah…’ way. Basically she wrote it as a way to tell everyone don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine

Now, on to, the extra tracks of the deluxe version! Oh yeah we’re getting way too specific!!!

The deluxe version comes out after she’s taken in by Tecna’s family.

Deluxe version includes:

skinny dipping by Sabrina Carpenter.

Wrote this during her time at the Wujin Festival whilst the squad went backstage to chat and have fun, performed it on her last day. Little details about almost everyone ‘Oatmilk latte in your name’ is Stella. ‘Arguments in your garage’ is Riven/Timmy, ‘Shannon’s being Shannon’ imagine she said Lexie. Etc.

Bigger Than the Whole Sky by Taylor Swift.

Wrote this while Tecna was in Omega, didn’t want to publish it originally but Tecna cried when she heard it and said she should

i love you by Billie Eilish.

Written during the Rivusa fights and the reconcilation. Very vulnerable so she was hesitant to include it at first but decided to go for it

Labyrinth by Taylor Swift.

Written by Helia about Flora, it was originally a poem. Musa loved it and together they modified a line or two to make it into a song

The Best Day by Taylor Swift.

Musa wrote it whilst sobbing after the Crystal Labyrinth, she wanted to write about the good times she remembered and kinda just sing about her mom’s life instead of her death if that makes sense. Decided to include it in the deluxe version last second cause it felt so personal

decode by Sabrina Carpenter.

This is about her dad. Written after the Wujin Festival and Musa choosing to stop trying to mend their relationship.

That was a long one phew… that’s the first album!!! Yay!!!

Part 1

Winx Rewrite Masterlist

#winx club #winx rewrite #winx #winx headcannon #winx fanfic #winx headcanons #winx musa #winx headcanon #winx club rewrite #riven x musa #musa x riven #musa #winx rivusa #rivusa #winx helia

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chickawah23 · 11 months

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I just feel like rambling about Maroon

This was all sparked by rusty telephone lyric:

The mark thеy saw on my collarbone. The rust that grew bеtween telephones. The lips I used to call home. So scarlet, it was maroon.

The rust that grew between telephones made me think of the whole theme of reputation “the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now why cause she’s dead.” From LWYMMD. The era where Taylor literally wiped her entire social media hiding memories.

Coming back to Maroon. The entire song is an us vs. them narrative. The first half of the chorus is us. And the second half is them. And the verses are all just we. And the pre chorus + the bridge explain the story.

Verse 1 ends with “I see you everyday now” and leads into “I chose you”

Verse 2 ends with “the rubies that I gave up” and leads into “and I lost you” but the entire second verse is about the silence we agreed on.

The bridge is about the memory still being there but she had to let go of that story. That legacy we had to leave behind to move forward.

Idk why I’m in the mood to ramble about this.

I just think “I chose you. I lost you because I had to erase us.” Is the story. I lost that version of us.

The song is the same as New Year’s Day and gold rush. Songs about giving up the memories in exchange for a new reality where they are still together just not with the same public history. Not because of a break up but because you can’t use the old narrative. The love is still there.

Also

I know this has come up before Idr where but “The rubies that I gave up” makes me think of the Ruby coding language. And it makes me think the lyrics are a play on words tied to giving up memories to make room for new ones. Idk here’s a gif of Karlie saying Ruby is her favorite coding language.

Also I just learned that Rust is also a programming language. So the “rust that grew between telephones” lyric also feels like a play on a secret language to communicate after they caught on.

This is very rambly. I just like Maroon as a song and I like the idea of it being extremely layered.

#song analysis #parallelograms #lyrical parallels #rambles rambles rambles #clowning it up

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atiny-for-life · 3 months

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Xikers Full Storyline Explained - Part 1

Masterlist

NOTE: Apologies for the new post - I accidentally deleted the old one when I was cleaning up my old posts in the mass editor so I had to rewrite it from scratch.

도깨비집 (TRICKY HOUSE)

Side-Note:

The meaning behind the name "Xikers", to reference Minjae from Showterview, stems from a combination of 'X' and 'hikers' in which the 'x' represents an unknown variable in math but also the Roman numeral X, meaning 10 (they're 10 members) while 'hikers' means travelers - combine the two and we get the general meaning of "10 boys who travel through infinite time and coordinates"

The Korean title "도깨비집" translates to "Goblin House" which already provides us with the concept of the entire MV - Xikers are goblins

More specifically, they're Dokkaebi which stem from Korean folklore and possess a multitude of supernatural abilities which vary between regions and tales

For the purpose of this MV, we'll be focusing on the following abilities and characteristics: they're mischievous and enjoy playing pranks on mortals, they possess inanimate objects (i.e. common household items), blue flames herald the appearance of a dokkaebi - keep all this in mind as we begin our analysis of the MV

We open on a business man resting his eyes in a near fully empty subway car and can already see a familiar figure in the background: Jinsik

He's listening to music as he spots this video's victim and proceeds to get up and place his headphones over the stranger's ears

Immediately, the man's eyes fly open and the madness begins as Yechan's voice kicks in with the first line of the song

In a trance, the man gets up and watches Jinsik as he backs away and begins to perform on his way to the end of the subway car

He turns on his heel, opens the door to the adjoining car and disappears into the darkness beyond, only to instantly be replaced with Junmin who comes leaping out - an exchange that happens too instantaneously to be humanly possible

Side-note: It's really sick practical effect - and it's only the first of many (I fucking love this MV)

Junmin picks up the performance where Jinsik left off and also proceeds to summon three further members with a fluid movement that sends out blue glowing streaks of light - the blue fire heralding the appearance of further dokkaebis

The remaining members appear shortly after , seemingly by the same door Jinsik disappeared through - however, this is when the space around this poor man begins to bend the fabric of reality

We see him facing the second half of the group as he suddenly begins to rush backward, pass through a doorway and stop right by the first group (another perfectly executed practical effect)

We're now forced to accept that we've left behind such concepts as the laws of physics

The lyrics here really drive home that, to these dokkaebis, this is all just great fun ("This is a game, yeah, welcome to my playground") - they just wanna mess with this guy, make him sing and dance for their own entertainment

Following Yechan's rap, the business man's cheeks fill up before he pukes out multiple blue streaks of light which very much drives home that this guy is fully possessed at this point

During the immediate aftermath, the environment begins to warp further, expanding the subway car to create a wide enough space to serve as a stage for ten people

The overhead ceiling also changes completely to a clockwork-like interior made up of interlinking gears and chains

As the chorus continues, we also switch to blue lighting and then fully shift into a CGI space in which the blue glowing wisps freely fly around the members

We switch to the second verse which also returns the subway car dimensions to normal

It is then that we see the businessman is no longer wearing his headphones, as he's presumably too deep into his possession to be pulled out by noise alone, and takes a microphone out of his briefcase, indicating a potential pre-existing interest in singing

However, we don't get to witness him perform just yet, instead, we see him get out at the next stop and sway on his feet as he tries to stand still in his ongoing trance

He's just about to collapse when he falls back into a shopping cart and suddenly, we're no longer by the subway tracks but in another corridor just as empty as the former space had been

But the man isn't really alone

All ten members appear around him, pushing him along in the cart - a shot that is then briefly replaced by him rolling along only surrounded by a few streaks of blue light

It's made clear that he's the only one capable of seeing these spirits - to the rest of the world, he'd appear to be doing all this to himself

While the lyrics reiterate the hallucination-like state of the situation, our mischievous beings, of course, take the business guy to an arcade where they proceed to waste all his money on winning plushies and goofing around

We get some really pretty lighting in this scene and some neat fisheye lens shots of Minjae guiding us through the location

Moving into the second half of the video, the tension keeps building as the possession escalades further and further

We see the man (covered in his spoils from the arcade, aka a shitton of plushies) fully lose himself in hallucinations of giant plushs who approach him in an empty parking garage and proceed to join him in a little dance performance

His dance group alternate with half the Xikers members before we cut to a shot of a giant hand pulling the strings of our business man who's now no more than a puppet to forces beyond his comprehension

The dokkaebis then decide to continue on with their stroll through the city and take the man along in his familiar shopping cart

Along the way, they perform in a bike storage tunnel before they reach their next destination: the fairgrounds

Here, they leave the poor guy to ride endless circles on the carousel while they themselves enjoy their ongoing performance of the chorus

It's then that the illegal activity comes to a head as the man takes a metal pipe to an ATM which causes the bills within to erupt and rain down on the still performing dokkaebis

The melody then switches up, slowing down a bit, becoming more entrancing

We find our business man in a black void, looking absolutely out of it, as he gets circled by the familiar blue wisps

It is then that we cut to a red Porsche conveniently located in the center of a vacant parking lot

We can only presume it was purchased with the money from the banged up ATM

The man gets in, starts the engine, grabs the steering wheel and steps on the gas pedal as the song goes from a slight fade out to a steady beat accompanied by the members chanting together

In the darkness of night, he's driving donuts around Xikers who're performing their dance break as the wind picks up around them

Ghost-like white pieces of fabric are being carried along by the borderline storm which is beginning to form with Xikers in its eye

It is here that we move into the iconic "Shanty-shanty-ay-a-ya"

Side-note: "shanty" is the name for both a small shack-like house (potentially referencing the Tricky House) and sailor's work songs from the past which were created to accompany rhythmic laborious tasks as they would help sync up their movements (potentially referencing the repeated chanting of the line)

During this section, we repeatedly cut back to the previous stops of the night's excursion until we wrap it up with Xikers in the parking garage

Once the song is over, we return to the business man on the empty parking lot

He's laying there alone, his briefcase nearby and no signs of a red car or plushies anywhere

However, he's surrounded by exactly ten brooms, representing the ten dokkaebis who just so happen to have the ability to possess households objects - mysterious

#xikers #xikers lore #Minjae #Junmin #Sumin #Jinsik #Hyunwoo #Hunter #Junghoon #Seeun #Yujun #lee yechan #tricky house mv #doorbell ringing

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mint-merriment · 6 months

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things about the rhythm doctor act 5 update

just some stuff i noticed/liked abt act 5 !

note: this covers the new content added so there Will be spoilers! also i Just bought the game (despite knowing the prior levels through youtube hee hee) so this is from the perspective of someone playing seamlessly through the acts :)

misc pre-act-5 stuff:

i dont know if the 'simulated' option was there before, but it is very cool actually!

after playing 1-xn (act 4 boss), instead of the credits playing, paige suggests the intern take the day off. the screen fades to black and we are implied to have had a restful day before coming into work the day after and starting the cutscene with hailey and logan

from the steam page, i noticed that you have to play 2-1n in order to start act 5, so i purposefully didn't play 2-1n to see what they would do. (now that i think about it, this definitely is because the boss level uses the 'skip a beat' cue that is introduced in 2-1n's tutorial.) in order to let you know you need to know about skipped beats on svt patients, nicole blocks the doorway to the physiotherapy ward and asks you to go check on cole because he's got a bit of writers' block. it then cuts to 2-1n immediately so you can play it!

before you play 5-1, the ward takes the appearance of the field (which confused me a lil). after the level finishes, the illusion of the field dissipates to reveal the actual ward :0

5-1 & 5-1n:

in the level itself, the background sign counts your hits! other things are also displayed on the lights of that sign when its shown (such as the 'ready get set go' from the nurse, imitation of static during the rainy part, etc)

whenever you have to hit a "two" or "three" or etc, the lights that orbit the patient have that number of beams. nice visual cue there

the beat right before the cutscene where paige is startled awake by lucky, the ball is flung at the screen. even if you hit it perfectly, the animation that plays is lucky's early/late animation- ie, the one where his rotator cuff is tearing :(

speaking of. paige was sleeping/dozing off next to lucky to be startled awake in the first place, and throughout the level and after she notes that he might be feeling anxious

whenever you're cued for "four", lightning flashes in the background. this is just cool to me

in the second half of the level, the hospital ward actually glitches in and out! good foreshadowing for what the actual ward looks like on a first playthrough

5-1n actually starts with ian's hand as a fakeout- you might think he'll take the first few beats, but it immediately fades into the dream where our hand is taking the procedure, and transfers over to real life too

the miner actually has a single held beat in this level, with a unique running animation! foreshadowing his appearance in 5-3 intermission :)

"one slip, too late, three strikes, for me" I LOVE WHEN THE LYRICS COUNT!! AND ALSO IT COINCIDES WITH HOW MANY BEATS YOU HAVE TO HIT THAT TIME. (these lyrics also show up on the sign in the background!)

when logan says 'my hero would never hesitate to take his shot!', hailey joins in from the word hesitate. to me, it reads like he's said this a lot before and she knew what he was going to say, which is quite cute

the second chorus was from the trailer! which. is where they got it from probably lol.

5-2 & 5-2n:

5-2's tutorial has new tutorial music :0

the song itself is called lofi beats for patients to chill to, which is obviously a reference to 2-1 lol

speaking of 2-1, in the level proper, the part after the short cutscene between ian and paige includes that one piano part from it (specifically the part synced to the samurai's heart that ian is doing)!

ahh the classic 'i thought i was getting better so i went back to normal and made it worse' :(

i do like the snickety snick sound of the freeze cue! as well as the texture of the ice, it is very... cool B)

the tutorial (of 5-2n) shows the continuing friction between ian/paige vs edega, focusing on ian. edega is trying to push the rhythm doctor program to be something it's not really, which is just a tasty lore bit (i talk more about the story below)

...okay so 5-2n is sooooo hard for me, specifically me, but maybe also some of you. but it is a banger! and the burn/freeze beats are a very cool concept. (also the burn cue sounds very.. blacksmithy? it reminds me of that one forging minigame in patapon.)

the 'stage' thing is cool, introducing us to the individual concepts, before we get thrown off the deep end. very difficult, very fun. this level will haunt me.

i also liked the background ! oh yes and also: the mythical "5" cue :0

5-3:

5-3 is an intermission! one revolving around held beats haha, fittng for our second character- the miner! i liked the miner's reintroduction, and how his philosophy and views on life and his own health ended up greatly affecting lucky's viewpoint as well. as we see in the future!

the digging through bag to find things and multiple other random things being thrown out was very funny :)

samurai being at the other end of the bungee cord lmao

its nice that miner doesn't even know who lucky is, it makes their interaction a lot more genuine without the veil of 'fan' and 'guy who has fans' :) (even if it is a bit of a hit to lucky's ego oof)

i also really enjoyed the conversations overheard! cole not knowing anything about baseball players was funny, and mr and mrs stevenson reunion was so touching,,,(and also the birds hehe.) i love how they conveniently narrated it so that someone who isn't physically there can know almost exactly what's happening

this also really shows how much the hospital is a community of its own now actually. paige calling everyone over to see the reunion, even wondering where we, the intern finger, are. the doctors work very hard to make everyone's stay comfortable, and i'm glad that everyone's comfortable enough to be reaching out and finding this moment touching.

also speaking of which. its very funny and very in character that the reason mrs. stevenson wasn't moved to mr. stevenson's room earlier.. was that everyone involved forgot about it oops. at least the birds are there too!

annnd as evidenced by 5-x's pre-treatment notes, the miner's words seems to have really helped and affected lucky! good job!

(also. i got an s- on this the first time. dunno if you can get an s+)

5-x:

now. 5-x. the BIG ONE. god its so good but you already knew that

a preface for everything: the window movement is IMMACULATE. IMMACULATE I SAY.

the crunchy guitar chord coming in right as the screen pans up to the sunset-sky and the 'boss stage' fading in was PERFECTION. BY THE WAY.

i like the window moving like a clock! and sometimes, each tick actually ticks over to a different scene at a different time, with different people in the hall (but edega watching from that observation room at all times. unnerving)

the snapshots of people hanging out is also really nice, i like seeing that most have come to visit :) and also in multiple combinations! they are all hanging out :D

i cant get the blast beats perfectly, but i like the timing and occurrences of them- syncing really well with the lyrics/song!

"it'll never be a hundred percent. you have to make peace with that" this line hit me so hard. i have nothing else to say. its a good quote.

this scene is just good actually. it shows that the miner and lucky have spent enough time together, and when he responds to that quote with "i know... it's just..."? that speaks of understanding! and he was also spontaneously willing to share why he strives so hard, which lines up with all of his previous behaviors perfectly.

this cutscene also acts as a checkpoint; if you fail after it, restarting quickly returns you here! (during my initial playthrough i only failed twice, once before and once after)

SAMURAI COMING IN CLUTCH WITH THE "CAN YOU TEACH ME BASEBALL" thank you samurai you've done us all a great service

i really like how when the running sections start up again, everyone who was shown to have been roped in shows up in the next one (ie logan and hailey joining after the box of beans part)

also. the return of beans hopper! nicole's coffee throw being repurposed for baseball! cole and the samurai (who are of course friends since at Least 2-2n) texting each other! cole's "X" response before immediately after being shown running with the rest of them! (interestingly, nicole doesn't show up in the next running scene. maybe because she was designated as pitcher??)

also, lucky is running Behind everyone, the samurai is rolling/skating/thats his run animation apparently, hailey and logan are running together, and cole is running ahead of them all. fitting!

the team!! the people who were roped into this impromptu team include: samurai, logan, hailey, cole, nicole, lucia, hugh (farmer), miner, and the insomniac. thats... almost everyone lol. besides the birds, the stevensons, and the doctors

lucky's 3am thoughts were portrayed really well. imo, even though it doesn't seem like it, i believe that this game does mean something to lucky, though maybe this isn't realized until after the game. the virus kicks in here, and the screen movement is very intense here

glad they included him brushing this negative mindset in the morning to focus for the game though! late night thoughts can be very mean...

the lil graphic of the game playing out under lucky's heartbeat was really cute. glad they didn't go the 'intern, you must now treat Every Patient Here while they're playing' route (though that might be what is implied actually happened storywise rather than gameplaywise? through paige and ian's convo). ayo, hailey scored!

THE BALL BOUNCING AROUND THE SCREEN WAS SO GOOOOOD AUGHHHHH . fun fact the first time i saw it i was so entranced by the ball richocheting that i forgot i had to hit it. i think thats where i failed here lol. also, the parallels between the samurai and lucky here are quite thematic

ahhh lucky's final speech to the team! it resolves his feelings about his coach (whom, as we know, didn't think he could succeed in the role he wanted to play, but from whom lucky still sought validation from), and also helps him portray his own thoughts about his stepping away from baseball for a time to recover.

fun fact: if you fail between the game's start and the final speech, lucky expresses doubts about this being worth, but the players are still ready! they aren't backing down yet!

and of course. they win!! lucky refuses dr. edega's treatment, preferring to stay at the hospital for an extended period of time for his physical therapy :)

fun fact: i talked to the janitor after this (the janitor has some surprising insights actually) and while he was tempted to join the team, he ultimately didnt, instead deciding to cheer from the bleachers! thank you janitor

(also. this poor, poor local university team. they got beat by a cobbled-together team consisting of *checks notes* patients at a hospital who literally All have some sort of heart problem, ranging from some teenagers to people who have been doing hard labor or been incredibly sleep deprived for years. f on their part. but also a big name baseball player was coaching them, so that softens the blow haha. still tho. teenagers. thats gotta suck for them. lmao)

and! even though lucky hasn't been added to the credits (which perhaps the final release might change?), the roof where paige sings still has the net and baseballs strewn around :)

bonus 4-4n because it was also added:

spoiler: it was very cute. im glad they added it, it's very fitting!

the 'skip' cues were quite underutilized before, so im glad that they used them here (especially to signal that the characters were going to speak a short sentence, hehe)

NICOLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR!!! from all the way back in 2-4!! glad she's trying it out again :)

also its SO cute that she dusted off her skills because she was thinking about cole, perhaps wanting to make a song for him.

can't believe that when asked if they were thinking about playing for someone, neither cole nor nicole answered properly.

also. their hearts are beating in sync here. there is no one else to call the other heart's cues, the nurse is enough for both.

((sorry, i love act 2. they are so good.))

logan doesn't have heart eyes on hit, because hailey's out of town :(

leitmotifs!! i like the guitar from 1-2 coming back in for logan and hailey. and also the samurai's part threw in a bit of 1-1 too !

about the story+misc thoughts (this one is WAY more rambly):

this act is about lucky's struggle with his hospital stay, and also brings edega into the spotlight a bit more with the overarching story.

actually, this act is structured a lot like act 2 (which is. my favorite act actually)(all the times is SO GOOD OKAY) but only one person; it uses mostly two-beat rhythms, the first night level is a song with lyrics and the only lyric'd song before the boss, including an intermission, and a moving window final boss (with lyrics!). it also focuses on a singular (2 patients in act 2) patient's struggles for multiple levels, rather than multiple recurring patients for the levels, which i think really fleshes out said character a lot.

and i really like lucky's story! he was so impatient to get out, worrying about losing everything he had built for himself, but through the efforts of everyone at middlesea hospital, he realized that he could take it slow, that he won't suddenly be nothing if he takes the recommended amount of months to heal, and even if he steps away from the game. (i think his friendship with the miner was so good for him, im glad they brought the miner back)

as for the overarching plot, it brings the question of 'if the rhythm doctor treatment is really effective, does this make traditional medicine more obsolete?' and... the answer is actually no. in 2-4n, paige brings up that the rhythm doctor treatment only stops the symptoms, it doesn't treat the cause. and that's what she and ian are actually there for! (although paige does start to wonder if it'll ever get to the point where the rhythm treatment Can solve such things. shelve this for now)

we, the intern finger, are merely throwing a rope to a drowning person. paige and ian (more prominently paige bc ian is splitting his time working on the rhythm doctor program) are the ones actually pulling them back to safety- recovery takes time, and while some problems can be solved with a bit of rhythm defibrillation, Not All Of Them Can. in my mind, the ideal scenario is the rhythm doctor program supplementing a full hospital staff, but...

worryingly, edega doesn't seem to have picked this up, or if he has, he's deliberately ignoring it. as seen before and also in 5-1's tutorial, he's allowing the hospital to remain understaffed while pivoting towards the rhythm doctor program. he's pushing ian to make the rhythm doctor program do more things than what its meant to, as evidenced in the 5-2n tutorial, and in the pre- and post-5-x conversation. (and possibly more but those are the ones i remembered fastest.) ian has actually figured out what's causing the connectifia abortus (and what a shock that was, to learn that the program itself is dealing with inherent glitchiness), but edega making him work on other things is stopping him from being able to fix it. (ian also mentioned edega's plans for a 'miracle cure' which is. hm. worrying to say the least.) i am intrigued about the plan to distract edega long enough to let ian do his job tho...

also. edega's theme is very unsettling. make of that what you will.

if you're down here thank you for reading! tl;dr rhythm doctor act 5 update Good :)

#haha wow this was a long post :3 a REALLY long post O_o;#rhythm doctor #rhythm doctor act 5 #rhythm doctor spoilers #anyway. mayhaps i shall do this for the rest of the game. just little things yknow? buuut not right now (i have spent hours on this)#i was initially gonna put this in a single thing of bullet points with no breaks but alas. there's a 4000 character limit for a single list #hope this is coherent!#rhythm doctor tag

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louisupdates · 9 months

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Concert Review: Louis Tomlinson at Moody Amphitheater

Louis Tomlinson brought his headlining “Faith in the Future” Tour to Moody Amphitheater on July 7. Throughout the night, Tomlinson brought heartfelt lyrics, upbeat anthems, and an infectious positive energy that truly gave the Austin crowd a night to remember.

Written by Lauren Stephens

Photos by Lauren Stephens

Austin’s balmy air and glowing sunset enveloped Moody Amphitheater on July 7, where despite the warm Texas weather, Louis Tomlinson fans lined up along the venue’s perimeter anxiously awaiting what would be a fiery set from the British artist. They came bearing handmade signs, treasured merchandise, and an anticipatory excitement for the night ahead.

Around 7:10 pm, the show opened with a set from 23-year-old singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin. He kicked off with his hit song “You Don’t Belong” from his debut EP. The Newcastle native displayed a refreshing vulnerability, singing about everything from addiction (“4.5%”) and the everlasting remnants of childhood we all carry with us (“You’ll Be Free”). His mature lyrics and captivating stage presence made for a strong beginning to the night. At 8:00 pm, Scottish indie rock band The Snuts took the stage. Jack Cochrane, Joe McGilveray, Callum Wilson, and Jordan Mckay showed off their seamless group dynamic throughout their enlivening 30 minute set. They played a mix of indie rock tunes, ranging from summer tune “Maybe California” to their newest single “Gloria.” Their coming of age aura synced perfectly with the golden hour lighting and the crowd waving their hands in the air enthusiastically.

Shortly after the sun fell, The Snuts wrapped up their set, and the crowd felt the closeness of Tomlinson’s presence as the pre-show playlist came on shuffle. At each song’s end, everyone collectively held their breaths — eyes scanning the stage for the beloved singer — and released them as a new, non-Louis tune began. At 9:05 pm, their inhales released into a collective scream as the lights dipped the amphitheater into darkness. Seconds later, white lights flashed on stage and smoke filled the air as the supporting band walked out to their respective places. The recognizable opening drum beats of “The Greatest” rang through the venue, and in a haze of white fog and flashing lights, Tomlinson entered the stage with a smile. Screams erupted from the crowd before falling seamlessly into singing the first track off Faith In The Future along with him.

Following the opening track, the lights shifted into a sensual red as Tomlinson began his 2019 single “Kill My Mind.” Now adjusted to the stage, he gripped his mic passionately as he eased into the chorus singing, “I can ease the pain / Just a little taste babe / And ya won't let go of your hold on me.” Throughout the song and the rest of the set, Tomlinson was intentional about connecting with his fans, gracing all areas of the stages and pointing out to fans’ beaming faces. The crowd reflected his energy right back to him, dancing and rehearsing each lyric without hesitation.

The vibrant red lights shifted into a soft blue, signaling a shift into the more reflective single “Bigger Than Me.” Touching on the inner struggles of self-doubt and personal growth, the pop rock anthem brought the crowd together in beautiful solidarity. Tomlinson’s eyes gleamed with gratitude as he looked out, taking in the gravity of thousands of voices singing back to him, “Now I realize that the world outside / Is bigger than me.”

Throughout his hour and a half long set, Tomlinson never lost the attention of his audience. The crowd mirrored his every lyric, and consistently erupted into cheers between each song. There were moments of sentimental tears, such as during the One Direction original “Night Changes,” and others of spirited dancing during “She is Beauty” and “Back to You.”

After two minutes and 18 seconds of the sheer zeal of “Out of My System,” Tomlinson disappeared off the stage in a post-firework fog. Fans quickly caught the encore memo and began chanting, “Louis! Louis! Louis!” After a couple minutes passed, a single spotlight appeared on the dark stage, and Tomlinson reappeared, standing alone on the side of the stage. His warm voice recollected a darker time in the beginning lines of “Saturdays,” “Feelin' dirty cheap on Silver Street / At quarter to three / Hidden across my face / In the crowd, I'm countin' up the days / In a haze.” The pensive first verse and nostalgic pre-chorus slowly built into the all of the lights going up and the band joining in as he sang, “No matter how much you want it, some things change.”

For the final two songs of the set, Tomlinson played an ode to his past life with “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” from One Direction’s fourth studio album, Four. Suddenly we were back in 2014, and the atmosphere filled with a sense of reminiscence and nostalgia for a time that was simpler. After the crowd screamed the last, “Where do broken hearts go?” back at Tomlinson, the stage dimmed yet again. Soon after, a singular light welcomed the beginning of Faith in the Future’s third single “Silver Tongues.” Reflecting on the bliss of coming-of-age moments, the song perfectly captured the night’s youthful fervor as fans echoed, “Nights like these, we'll remember,” and Tomlinson’s powerful performance proved this to be true to every audience member. As the song closed out, fireworks pierced the black sky and streamers cascaded down, with fans reaching up, hoping to take a small part of Tomlinson’s magic with them.

“The Faith in The Future” Tour’s success made it even more clear how influential Tomlinson has become. Louis’ fans know every lyric to every tune, and there is a sense of community at his concerts that few artists achieve. His music speaks to some of his darkest moments and greatest memories, creating a striking bond between him and his fans. In this, Tomlinson perfectly, yet honestly, fulfills the greatest gift of music: to connect people.

#louis press #louis tomlinson #fitfwt23: austin #7.7.2023

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phynally · 9 months

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Greek mythology and the Hunting Dogs

What if I told you the Hunting Dogs' theme song used Greek mythology to hint at the future of the series?

BSD manga spoilers ahead

For this analysis, I’ll be using a fan transcription of the Hunting Dogs/Bloodhounds theme.

Original post with transcription:

One Song, Two Narratives

The Hunting Dogs' Theme first appears in Episode 44: Dogs Hunt Dogs (S4, e7) and is repeatedly used throughout the anime during scenes involving the Hunting Dogs' pursuit of justice.

However, its lyrics (in line with previous songs from the show) feel purposeful, describing two distinct narratives within the story.

1. Artemis and the Agency

The first portion of the song seems to be directed at the Armed Detective Agency, as seen in the first verse,

“Here comes the setup from the moon It’s time to play hide-and-seek”

and first pre-chorus,

"Do you remember what you have done to my world? You cannot recall it We chase you round and round a shiver

The "setup from the moon" might be a reference to Artemis, the Greek goddess considered by some to be the personification of the moon (Artemis is also directly mentioned in the second verse—more on this later).

Additionally, "hide-and-seek" may also refer to the cat-and-mouse chase between the Hunting Dogs and ADA that began in season four and has continued to play out in both the anime and manga.

The pre-chorus further echoes the sentiment felt by the Hunting Dogs toward the agency, as from the Dogs' perspective, agency members appear to be lying about atrocities they "cannot recall."

2. Artemis and Fukuchi

In a twist of irony, the song's second half seems to change focus, however, as we can see in verse two,

“How come you cannot see your doom? …I have the end of Artemis”

and the second pre-chorus,

"Have you conceded that you've been already dead? Your bullshit feeds the end Shut up now dancing 'round a shiver"

Now you may be wondering, "But Phy, why aren't these lyrics also about the agency?" I'm so glad you asked.

To answer this, we need to take a brief dive into Greek mythology:

Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt, said to have once punished a hunter who saw her bathing by having them turned into a deer and devoured by their own hunting dogs [Wikipedia].

In a way, the Hunting Dogs personify this "end" condemned by Artemis in myth, as the ADA is ‘fated’ by the Page to be targeted and torn to shreds by their own nation’s military police.

However, this line takes on a deeper meaning when applied to Fukuchi, a hunter who has "already been dead" in alternate futures and whose "bullshit" (claiming to lead a terror investigation while being the cause of said terror) "feeds the end" of their world.

Another key difference between the first and second verses is that while the agency is only "set up by the moon" to "play hide-and-seek," Fukuchi is "doomed" to "the end of Artemis."

Could this mean Fukuchi will ultimately face his end—similar to the hunter from myth—as he is torn apart by his own hunting dogs?

If so, we may have already seen the beginning of this process in Tachihara and Jouno's resistance to Fukuchi. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before Tecchou and Teruko follow suit, passing the ironic judgement of Artemis on their former captain.

BUT HEY, THAT'S-- not my line lol

Thanks for reading!!~ <3

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd s5 #bsd spoilers #bsd theories #the hunting dogs #bsd hunting dogs #bsd tachihara #tachihara michizou #bsd teruko #teruko okura #bsd tecchou #tecchou suehiro #bsd jouno #jouno saigiku #bsd fukuchi #fukuchi ouchi

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creature-phases · 3 days

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Backslide Analysis

I want to preface this analysis by saying that Backslide is about two things, one more so than the other. Surface level it is about Tyler being afraid of his career with Twenty One Pilots failing.

On a deeper level, it is about the cycle of depression. Here’s the fun thing about clinical depression, it does not go away. Sure you can heal, get better, and learn how to manage it so it isn’t so overwhelming, but it never truly disappears. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that when you have depression there is a fear that you will slip back into your worst moments.

This is something I think Josh captures well with the music video. When he posted it to his Instagram he put the caption “This song is really meaningful to me.” If I had to guess I’d say Tyler probably laid out the album and let Josh pick whatever track he wanted. Probably with the exception of Next Semester since Tyler knew what he wanted to do with that one.

I’d wager that this is either Josh’s favorite song on the album or the one that spoke to him the most or likely both.

One last thing. Twenty One Pilots has always been a way for me to deal with my own mental health issues. When I pick apart their lyrics it is with heavy bias towards myself. There is a overlay of “if I wrote this this is what I would have meant”.

Anyway onto the analysis

[Intro]

I don't wanna

[Verse 1]

“Rat race, place to place, adding weight/Tendencies on repeat, innit”

This plays into the cycle of everyday life especially with depression. How it feels like you are just going with the motions and how that begins to weigh on you. This sort of monotony causes you to fall back into old habits, or maybe the fact that you are just going through the motions is the bad habit.

“Benefit from a shoe with no lace”

I’m not confident in what I think this line is saying. My interpretation of this line literally is that having shoes with no laces means there is one less thing you need to do, one less thing to think about, which can be a benefit or a detriment. A less literal interpretation is this line being more sarcastic and it being more like saying he feels like a shoe with no lace. That part of him is missing or that something is wrong. There isn’t a benefit.

“Take the seat with the crease in it”

This goes back into the discussion of cycles and going through the motions. The seat having a crease implies that he sits in that seat a lot. It’s part of the routine. This connects directly the line “Tendencies on repeat, innit”. In both its rhyme and its meaning.

“I don't mind if it's lonely, I don't mind if it's fair/I don't care, you control me, leading me anywhere”

To me, this reads as denial. He does care, a lot actually, but he’s trying not to, or he’s trying to convince his dark thoughts (Blurryface) that he doesn’t care. When you let depression and anxiety control you you try to convince yourself that you’re okay with that. That nothing is wrong.

“I don't wanna backslide to where I've started from/There's no chance I will shake this again”

When I first heard the “I don’t want to backslide” part I thought he meant his career, but the second half of this pre-chorus takes me away from that thought completely. I am of the firm belief this is saying “I am terrified of relapsing because I don’t know if I have the strength to get better again.”

The definition of “backslide” according to Merriam-Webster (yes I’m pulling out all the stops) is to “lapse morally or in the practice of religion” or “to revert to a worse condition”. I’m ignoring the religion aspect because I personally do not view TOP through a religious lens. I think the fact that this is the specific word choice means this song is very much focused on backsliding in mental health.

“'Cause I feel the pull, water's over my head”

If you listen to Twenty One Pilots you know that Tyler Joseph loves his water references. People have already connected this to the pre-chorus of Fall Away which I do agree with. This song and this album in general seems to be a love letter to everything that came before it.

Have you ever been caught in a rough wave? Because it is not fun and it can actually be terrifying. This line is about Tyler feeling the tug of old dark thoughts pulling him under the water. People will often describe depression as the feeling of drowning because it is a very apt description.

“Strength enough for one more time/reach my hand above the tide”

Struggling with mental health is exhausting and there are plenty of times where you have the thought “I don’t think I can do this anymore.” You don’t think you have the strength to keep reaching out for anything to grab onto.

“I'll take anything you have/If you could throw me a line/I should've loved you better”

I’m of the firm belief that a big part of this song is Tyler talking to his younger self and Blurryface. I know I’ve seen people say “Oh, ‘you’ is god obviously” which it very well could be, but that just isn’t the case for me.

I relate this to the feeling that my depression is kind of in cahoots with my younger self. I picture it as being willing to take any beating just so you can get out of this one hole. Obviously, no one is at fault for their depression and how that takes away their childhood, but it often feels that way. Like you are personally responsible and your younger self resents you for it.

I think a lot of people hate their younger self. You hear it often people saying “I was so weird back then” or anything like that. But those thoughts just make it all worse. I think in order to heal you need to realize that you often need to love who you were.

I also come at this from the perspective of a trans person. So part of that self hatred comes from that. Hating the fact you didn’t get to grow up as who you actually are. But once again, that isn’t your younger self’s fault. It isn’t your fault either.

“Do you think that now's the time/you should let go?”

This is the response to the previous lines by those dark thoughts. Give up, let the wave drag you down. Aren’t tired, just accept it. Which is then followed by

“It's over my head”

Which implies that Tyler listened.

[Verse 2]

“Bad place, on a hundred-dollar bass/kinda wishin' that I never did "Saturday"

I view this line as being about No Phun Intended. If you’ve listened to that album you know just how dark of a place someone has to be in to write that kind of stuff and sing it the way Tyler did. Also considering that Tyler was a high school student it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a super cheap bass. If not about No Phun Intended then I would say it would be about the Self-Titled album or Regional At Best for very similar reasons.

This connects directly to the idea of not wanting to Backslide. That fear of falling back into your worst moments. Not wanting to be in the headspace he was in when he wrote those songs.

This is then somewhat contradicted by him saying that he sort of wishes he didn’t put out “Saturday”. One thing I will say is I always appreciate Tyler’s sincerity when it comes to regret and anxiety. This is most blantant on Blurryface which makes a lot of sense. Considering this song is sort of the return of Blurryface it is even more appropriate. I’m not a huge fan of Saturday. Not because its “different” to what they usually put out, but I just don’t vibe with the music. It has some great lines but it does admittedly feel too produced.

I think part of this line is showing that the backlash from Scaled and Icy, which is best represented by Saturday, got to Tyler. He is only human. He has been very upfront in saying that he does, in fact, care what people think. This line is actually perfect at encapsulating his anxieties combined with his desire to not go back to a dark place.

Maybe he also feels like he wasn’t true to himself in that song, or that the response to Saturday is part of what caused his fear of backsliding.

“‘Is that a stain? You should change/Are you doin' good?/Did you solve all of your problems?’”

I’m very much of the opinion that the boy at the lemonade stand is meant to represent a younger version of Tyler. I often picture how my younger self would react to me now. I know one of the main questions young me would have would be “did we get better?” Then there is an even younger version of me that has no idea what he’s in for. He would represent “Is that a stain/you should change”. This is obviously referring to the back paint Tyler uses that represents his depression and anxiety. That younger version of him doesn’t know what is in store, so the paint is seen innocently as a stain.

“Thanks for asking, in a way, but/accidentally uncovered a new one yesterday”

Tyler has talked in the past about the cycle of getting better and then falling back. This line most directly connects to what I was talking about in my intro about the fact that depression never really goes away. Life goes on and new problems arise.

“What happened to what I brushed under the rug?”

This alludes to the fact that Tyler never truly solved some of his problems. Instead he just brushed them under the rug, but it didn’t stay under the rug,

“I used to be the champion of a world you can't see/now I'm drowning in logistics”

I’ve seen this connected to both Bandito and Forest as both have a bridge that focuses on Tyler being in control of a world and the destruction of said world. When you have depression you tend to be in your head a lot, and when you are a creative like Tyler, you are in it even more so. I heavily relate to creating worlds inside your head to feel a sense of control. There are ways I could relate this to the lore ™ but I’m not going to for consistency's sake.

The part about drowning in logistics. Creating a world as in-depth and with as many moving part as Tyler did is exhausting. Creating can be exhausting. You can get to a point where you over think it. It all ties back to the fact that Tyler could destroy this world.

“I don't mind if it's lonely (It's over my head)/I don't mind if it's fair (You should let go)/I don't care, you control me (It's over my head)/Leading me anywhere”

The earlier denial is being challenged and their is this sense of giving up.

“I don't wanna backslide”

The outro cycles back into the beginning with the “I don’t wanna-”. The fact that it is also lower and not as audible reflects the defeated nature of the song.

#twenty one pilots #gonna do the music video too #I have so many thoughts about this song

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eddsworld-the-masquerade · 1 year

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New theme song! With vocals AND lyrics :D

This one was largely inspired by Massive Attack and their album "Mezzanine" which I listened to on loop while working on backgrounds for VN. Very different vibes compared to the old theme XD I might make a tamer version for the actual main menu.

Lyrics and some of my ramblings about the song under the cut! ALSO, headphones recommended for full experience (there's a lot of panning and phasing)

So as was with the old theme, the guys are each represented by instruments.

Edd is the lead synth (Cat is another synth that supports him), percussion/drums and all the SFX and weird noises on the background. He's got the most presence overall cuz it's his world. He's the glue that ties it all together.

Tom is the bass. He's mostly on the back but he's nearly ever present with the richest widest sound and can be heard most when others shut up lol.

Matt is the keys. He's got his own solo part, in the bridge. In the chorus him and Edd play the same notes one after the other, as if trying to get the upper hand. Most noticeable when each of their parts are playing louder.

Tord is the guitar playing the bass notes, in the chorus. This wasn't exactly intentional but his instrument chiming in only in the chorus is almost a reference to him not doing much talking. Also, in the first half, it's playing relatively normal, but in the second half, there's a lot more legatos and sliding up and down, as if he's letting himself get a bit more lose, dropping his usual class pres persona

Overall with this song I wanted something extremely textured, like a dozen of kittens purring into the ears XD I don't know why but textured songs with lots of sounds are becoming my jam lately.

It's less reliant on Eddsworld's jingle now, able to stand on its own. Though I couldn't help myself and sneaked a reference to it in the verse, the last four notes playing by the lead.

And now, the lyrics!

(I wrote them in like an hour, and I'm no poet, so forgive me if these sound too corny)

No rest for me Under the undying moonlight. A silent plea Echoing through the dark of night. (Come set me free) Heartbeat gone null, Body's numb and vision turned blurred white. No wish but one - For you to come and hold me tight. No future, No time. No meaning, No rhyme. No senses, No feelings. No life in These beings. No rest for the wicked (Come set me free) No rest for the wicked (Come set me free)

#eddsworld vtm au #eddsworld au #music #mod art #written in fl studio before any of you ask XD

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kanethegoofster · 3 months

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The Start Of A Series Of Posts Of Me Rambling About The Plot Of The Fragile Since This Album Is So Good Holy Fuck Oh My God Trent Reznor Please Marry Me.

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR MENTIONS OF: SUICIDE, DRUG USE, SELF-HARM AND OTHER DARK TOPICS.

The Fragile Is Nine Inch Nails' fourth main studio release, being also reffered to as Halo 14, it was released in September 21, 1999. It features the sounds of Industrial Beats, Heavy Rock and even some Ambiental, The Album is a spirital successor to their last studio release "The Downward Spiral" from 1994, one of the things it shares with The Downward Spiral is the fact it's a concept album with a story.

So time for me to make a post on here and ramble about my interpretation of TF's Story and also why I like this album so fucking much...

So yeah uhh... For Context this doesn't consider TF as a sequel to TDS, not a literal one, but rather a spiritual sequel, they share themes and stuff but they have seperate antagonists and stuff, also the NIN wiki is gonna be a main source for this thing. Oh also I reccomend that you listen to both The Downward Spiral and The Fragile, oh also maybe watch an explanation thing for the TDS songs, as I will reference the events of TDS from time to time.

Somewhat Damaged

SD is a song that uses a single motif throughout it's entire duration, a simple four note guitar riff, with the first half of the song written in a 9/4 (or a repeating 3/4) time signature. The Motif starts as a acoustic guitar, and as the song goes on the motif is played by distorted guitars. The song's lyrics are from the perspective of our first character, our protagonist, who shall go unnamed, much like everyone in this story, the title is an understatement, this guy's not somewhat damaged, he's way more.

The first stanza of the song, gives us an idea of how he is doing "So impressed with all you do... Tried so hard to be like you... Flew too high and burnt the wing... Lost my faith in everything" he seems to be talking to someone he wanted to be like, I interpret this song is about drug use, more especifically Heroin, it made our protagonist turn into a more self-destructive version of himself (similar to Mr. Self Destruct from TDS) before the events of the album our protagonist went through a downward spiral, though it isn't THE Downward Spiral the protagonist from TDS goes through, as our protagonist is still alive. (The TDS protagonist shoots himself in the end) Our protagonist is at rock bottom, that's evident as the song goes on. Also the lines "Tried so hard to be like you" and "Flew too high and burnt the wing" will be referenced in later songs.

The second Stanza starts "Lick around divine debris, Taste the wealth of hate in me, Shedding skin, succumb defeat... This machine is obsolete" our protagonist is angry at everything, he feels defeated, I presume the "machine" mentioned in these lyrics are a representation of our protagonist.

Pre-Chorus time: "Made the choice to go away! Drink the fountain of decay, Tear a hole, exquisite red! Fuck the rest and stab it dead!" the protagonist wants to step away from using drugs, he wants to improve himself. "Drank the fountain of decay" referencing the protag using drugs for the first time. "Tear a whole, exquisite red! Fuck the rest and stab it dead!" references shooting up, which is injecting a substance, often drugs such as meth or heroin, with a hypodermic needle, the needle tears a whole into the skin.

SD's Chorus starts with "BROKEN, BRUISED, FORGOTTEN, SORE! TOO FUCKED UP TO CARE ANYMORE!!" pretty obvious, our protagonist doesn't care about the fact he's using drugs, he doesn't care about how he's killing himself by using drugs. "POISONED TO MY ROTTEN CORE!! TOO FUCKED UP TO CARE ANYMORE!!!" he compares himself to a rotten apple, since he's been corrupted by drug use. these lines are repeated a second time.

"In the back, Off the side, And far away... Is a place where I hide, where I stay" keep in mind this "place" this place is mentioned again a few times throughout the songs of the album.

outro starts "Tried to say, tried to ask, I needed to all alone by myself, where were you?" drugs at first kinda made him feel better at first but it slowly worsened his life in the long run. "How could I ever think, it's funny how everything that swore it wouldn't change is different now, Just like you would always say, we'll make it through... THEN MY HEAD, FELL APART AND WHERE WERE YOU?!?" to me this is him trying to blame the drugs for his self destructive behavior, maybe he tried to give up earlier but he couldn't do it.

"HOW COULD I EVER THINK IT'S FUNNY HOW? EVERYTHING YOU SWORE WOULD NEVER CHANGE IS DIFFERENT NOW?!?! LIKE YOU SAID 'YOU AND ME, WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH' DIDN'T QUITE, FELL APART, WHERE THE FUCK WHERE YOU!?!?!?!" The protagonist is calling himself a fool for using drugs, and becoming addicted to them, he feels betrayed, this might imply he nearly overdosed and died due to drug use. The songs ends with a cresendoing synth based on Trent Reznor's voice, as it slowly fades into the next song with a slow, menacing drone... but uhh since this post took at least half an hour to write I'll think I'll make every song into separate posts, so I'll have to make 25 different posts for each song, I hope I can get the next rambling by tomorrow.

#nine inch nails #somewhat damaged #lyrical analysis #sorta #rambling #I love this fucking album omg #The Fragile #tw drugs

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why-so-serious-lucifer · 7 months

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K-pop Discography Deep Dives: BTS (Part TWO)

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

So, my credentials: I’ve got nothing this time, folks. I’m not an Army; I’m too casual to even be a casual fan. I like most of what I’ve heard, based on friend recommendations, but I have no idea how representative of their work the songs I’ve heard are. I know the group members’ names, but barely anything about them, although I’m always open to learning more. The reason I wanted to do this deep dive is because I’ve been a k-pop fan for almost five years now and I’ve heard every opinion between “BTS is the second coming of Christ” and “BTS is responsible for the collapse of society,” and I want to make up my own mind, free of influence.

Since BTS has over 200 songs, I’m also doing short supplementals each week, both to give myself and you guys a break and to look at groups / soloists with discographies too short to need a full week (because this is gonna be a dissertation and I’ll have to separate it into two parts). So, grab your lightstick, get some ice cream, steal a fluffy dog, and settle in folks. Let’s do this.

We left off just before You Never Walk Alone, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. I was surprised on first listen of this one, because I don’t quite know how to classify it; it’s too calm to be one of their more bombastic songs and too loud to be one of their calmer ones. I’m just not sure what to say about it, to be honest. I don’t hate it but I don’t like it either. I like the instrumental and the elegance of some of its quieter moments but as I’ve stated ad nauseum, empty, chanty choruses are one of my song pet peeves, and I just can’t get into a song with it.

So then, we have Spring Day. I also don’t know what to say about this one, for the complete opposite reason. It’s the other one of BTS’ songs in my Top 25 K-pop songs, and I admit it; I find it almost impossible to be objective when I go “aww” the second I hear the opening notes. It’s melancholy and contemplative, wistful and pained, hopeful and tragic. The lyrics are honestly beautiful and such a raw expression of grief that it’s the kind of song you need to sit with for a minute before moving on.

I, like most people, have someone I love deeply that this song reminds me of, and it always makes me appreciate life just a little more every time I give it a listen. It’s perfect, but you don’t need me to tell you that. Go take a deep breath and watch the music video for yourself.

Not Today’s opening is…not for me, and feels especially harsh after the beauty that is Spring Day. I do really enjoy the pre-chorus, although I admit that I appreciate more than like the song as a whole. But, it has so much energy and drive it’s hard not to be pulled along for the ride. For the album as a whole, I really enjoyed seeing the variety in all of the solos, and although the one I liked the best was Stigma, I enjoyed the cinematic opening and the odd vocalizing of Lie and the slightly jazzy vibe of Mama too.

I’ve mentioned that I liked Taehyung’s voice before, but I really loved it in Stigma. He goes between whispering and half-wailing so well, and his voice carries so much emotion that I found myself swept up in it too. And of course, as a queer woman myself, the plaintive apologies and constant reference to “sins” make me wince in sympathy, although I have no idea if that’s the intended meaning.

On to an odyssey of a repackage album in Love Yourself: Answer, starting with Euphoria. At first, I was worried that the chorus would be empty, but the post-chorus assuaged my worries. I like the instrumental, especially the mix of the gentle guitar and the electronic twinkling (I don’t know how else to word it). The song’s overall not my favorite of theirs but a nice breather, upbeat and wispy, and the music video definitely made me smile, so props to them!

DNA continues the wispy, upbeat guitar trend, with whistling thrown in for good measure and making a nice contrast. I love the sprawling quality of the chorus, although I wish that the slight post-chorus at the end of the song continued through the rest of it, as I think it would make it live up more to the greatness that is the pre-chorus, which I don’t quite think it does. Although, I’m aware that that’s more personal preference than anything else. I think this one is my favorite single from the album.

Idol has an interesting beat and a good message. I’m sure it’d be a great song to run or dance to, and I do understand why people like it. I found myself tapping my head during the post-chorus, which I did enjoy. It’s just not for me, with its constant rapping and such a chanty chorus. Something about it just doesn’t feel like it works, although I could see it growing on me if I gave it more listens.

Mic Drop is even more not for me, to no one’s surprise. Unlike with Idol, where I could appreciate but not like it, I didn’t enjoy any part of this one and I found it grating on my ears. Again, I acknowledge that this is due to personal pet peeves more than anything, but it bears repeating that even if I can note the talent in something, that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Overall though, I quite liked this album. The trilogy (if you will) of Serendipity (I love the guitar), Singularity (Taehyung’s vocal control is impressive), and Epiphany (I’ll talk more about it in a minute) is lovely, down to the names themselves. I also enjoyed Answer: Love Myself and although the song itself isn’t my style, I appreciated the unique lyrics of Anpanman.

Epiphany is definitely my favorite, though. It starts with a soft piano and strings, then slowly builds to become a quietly powerful song about the strength that it takes to wake up every morning and keep going, even when it seems impossible. It’s a topic that is near and dear to my heart, and I don’t think enough songs address it. I love how something about it feels cyclical, just like its meaning, and Jin’s voice communicates it so honestly that I completely understand why so many people have connected to this song.

Black Swan starts with a unique harp (?) that gives a sharp contrast to the more hard-hitting beat and electronic production layered over it. I want to like it more than I actually do, because there are so many interesting ideas in it but none of them are given time to breathe or developed enough to make the song stand out. I don’t really have an opinion in a way, because it doesn’t feel quite finished to me.

Boy With Luv surprised me with how much I actually liked it. Halsey’s voice works very well in it (though, as a fan of hers, I wish she had a little more to do) and it was a little toothless compared to other singles of theirs (and hers, for that matter), but I loved the pre-chorus. Overall, it’s fun! It’s not ending up on my Top 10 Lists but I didn’t skip it nor did I want to.

ON has a great build up and finally is one of their more EDM songs with a good payoff after it, moving like a marching band with the background drums. I quite liked this one; it marries their more ethereal and electronic style and their more harsh and dark style together in what turns out to be a great combo. I especially enjoyed the bridge and the pre-chorus, proof that I can enjoy chanting if it comes in concert with other things too.

On Map Of The Soul: 7, I liked most of the songs, including Filter, 00:00, Moon, Louder Than Bombs (especially the “louder than bombs, I sing”), and Inner Child. But, my favorite was Friends. If you’re a fan of them, you might think I’ve been harsh in my reviews, but I want to say that’s mostly because when I know what groups are capable of and they don’t strive for it, it feels like a missed opportunity. Like NCT Dream, I think that BTS’ best songs are when they let the cool facade fade away and sing (and write) from the heart, which is exactly what Friends is.

Look, I’m a sap. It’s a gently anthemic, almost sickeningly sweet song about Taehyung and Jimin’s friendship that doesn’t just wear its heart on its sleeve, but screams about it from the balcony. Of course I replayed it three times and kept going “awww” every ten seconds. I was doing work at my desk and once it got to the “you are my soulmate” part, I suddenly got the urge to text my own soulmate friend and tell her how much I love her. Which I did.

Life Goes On is understated and feels a bit more like a b-side, but it’s honestly so sweet that I like this one too. It feels like a warm hug, and I don't even mind the rap, because it’s miles ahead of the ones in calm songs from the beginning. I already knew this song too, but in context with the rest of their discography, I enjoyed it more. Having spent this review and the last going through Everests of albums, BE is almost scarily short. That being said, I did enjoy the guitar in Dis-ease, and I especially appreciated the throwback to the skits of the first few albums in Skit, a good return to form.

Alright. Enough of the hearts and flowers, I have a confession to make. I hate Dynamite. I know that I don’t have any actually valid reasons for this, because I know it’s a good song. But, as I said in the disclaimer, I’ve been a k-pop fan for almost five years now and since the time this song came out, it’s become people’s reference point for BTS, which is already wrong, and then it becomes their reference point for k-pop, which never fails to get under my skin.

It’s not BTS’ fault that so many English-speaking people see a song specifically designed to appeal to an English speaking market, and then refuse to do any effort to look beyond it, but it drives me insane nonetheless. I’m sure that if it wasn’t to that level of fame that I’d feel the same way about it that I do about Boy With Luv. My thoughts are the same for Dynamite, Butter, and Permission To Dance, so I’ll spare you the repetition.

I’m going to end not with my irrational hatred of Dynamite but with a note that I really enjoyed the song they released with their Best Of album, “Yet To Come,” although I don’t think it was a single. I won’t go into too much detail but I did think that it was very sweet and a good thing to end on.

So, overall thoughts: I’m very glad I did this. I’m glad that I took the time to make up my own mind and recognize that I was doing what I just called out all the people who assume that Dynamite is every k-pop song ever, and assuming that I wouldn’t enjoy this deep dive. I’m extremely happy to say that they proved me wrong. I can’t call myself a fan, exactly, but I can say that I respect their talents (and their humor) much more than I did before this. I always watch an interview when I’m typing up this last part, and I might even watch more than one this time. We’ll see.

My top 5 songs are, to no one’s surprise, Spring Day, Friends, Butterfly, Epiphany, and Life Goes On, with a special shout out to Paldongangsan and War Of Hormone. BTS gets a 8.5/10 from me, the same as (G)I-DLE and NCT Dream, which I definitely didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the greater part of their discography, and of the songs I didn’t like, it was usually personal preference or bias and not any fault of the songs themselves. Once we get to 9/10 and beyond, it gets firmly into the land of what are my own absolute favorite groups (like, say, Gfriend), so I can’t really rate them any higher.

I’ll see you very soon for a quick girl group supplemental and next week for a longer girl group! Tschüss!

#BTS #k-pop deep dive #BTS review #review #K-pop #yoongi #suga #namjoon #rm #Jin #seokjin #jungkook #j-hope #hoseok #v #taehyung #jimin #k pop boy groups #Halsey

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iwanthermidnightz · 2 years

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Taylor Swift is best known and beloved as a storyteller, often weaving personal details, cultural references, and double entendres into her songs.

"I love to communicate via Easter eggs. I think the best messages are cryptic ones," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2019. She cited clothing, jewelry, and music-video sets as favored hiding spots, adding that she has been "encoding messages into the lyrics" since her debut album in 2006.

Because Swift is proudly meticulous and intentional with her art, fans delight in dissecting her lyrics and visuals, treating each album like a trail of breadcrumbs to be found and interpreted.

A certain branch of Swifties, known as "Gaylors," have long found queer subtext and themes in her music — particularly sapphic listeners who find solace and camaraderie in Swift's accounts of quiet yearning, forbidden love, and female intimacy.

In fact, some believe that dismissing the queer narratives in Swift's music does "a disservice to her genius and lyrical prowess."

Songs like "Welcome to New York" and "You Need to Calm Down" boast overt nods to LGBTQ causes, while others contain subtle phrases and slang that are widely known within the gay community — and therefore highly unlikely to have flown beneath Swift's diligent radar.

Insider's music team analyzed 31 songs in Swift's catalog from a queer perspective, listed below in chronological order.

"Mary's Song (Oh My My My)"

"Mary's Song (Oh My My My)" was apparently inspired by a couple who lived next door to Swift's family while she was growing up.

Swift seems to narrate the story from Mary's perspective, opening with a female pronoun: "She said, I was 7 and you were 9 / I looked at you like the stars that shined."

Because the other half of the couple is neither named nor gendered in the lyrics, Swift seems to fill the role herself, as if she and Mary share these intimate memories ("Our very first fight," "Our favorite spot in town").

Their relationship is defined by fate, but also by disbelief: "Our daddies used to joke about the two of us / They never believed we'd really fall in love." This could point to attraction that breaks with convention, or a fantasy tinged with the fear of familial rejection.

Notably, those fathers are mentioned in the first two verses but absent in the final chorus, when Swift recounts Mary's wedding.

"The Very First Night"

"The Very First Night" was released as a vault track on "Red (Taylor's Version)," meaning it was cut from the album's original tracklist in 2012.

Fans immediately found the song notable for its apparent bait-and-switch.

In the pre-chorus, Swift sings, "They don't know about the night in the hotel / They weren't riding in the car when we both fell," establishing a classic rhyme scheme known as AA BB.

However, the next couplet doesn't rhyme: "Didn't read the note on the Polaroid picture / They don't know how much I miss you."

The final "you" is jarring since the ear is trained to expect a four-line stanza made up of two rhyming couplets. "Her" would have been the natural word here, and the substitution seems designed to be obvious — particularly for a lyrical expert like Swift.

This strategy continues throughout the song as she pairs words like "whispered" and "whisper" with "you."

The song also features the lyric, "We broke the status quo / Then we broke each other's hearts." It's difficult to argue that Swift having secret rendezvous with a man would break the status quo in any significant way.

"Welcome to New York"

"Welcome to New York" is the opening track of "1989," Swift's official pivot to pop.

She said the album was largely inspired by the "celebration of being unique" in New York City, noting the "freedom" she felt after moving there.

"Everybody here was someone else before," she sings in the second verse. "And you can want who you want / Boys and boys and girls and girls."

When asked specifically about the aforementioned line on a 2014 episode of "The Talk," Swift responded, "I wrote the song kind of following when gay marriage became legal in New York."

"So many of my friends had to be kind of scrutinized for who they were in love with from the time they came out," she continued. "I didn't want to make a big deal of it because I don't think it should be a big deal who you love."

The state of New York legalized same-sex marriage in June 2011. Swift moved to the city three years later in March 2014 and released "1989" in October of that year.

"Style"

"Style" is ostensibly about Harry Styles, whom Swift reportedly dated in late 2012 and early 2013. But the lyrics describe a relationship that evades commitment and clear boundaries, so both people were romantic with others in their downtime.

"I say, 'I heard that you've been out and about with some other girl,'" Swift sings in the second verse. "He says, 'What you heard is true but I can't stop thinking 'bout you and I.'"

Swift replies: "I've been there too a few times."

Given the vague phrasing, this could easily be interpreted to mean that Swift had also been "out and about with some other girl."

Swift kept her interpretation similarly vague while discussing the line with Ryan Seacrest in 2014.

"It's basically one of those relationships that's always a bit off. The two people are trying to forget each other, they both have been out with other people and are trying to forget one another," she explained. "So, it's like, 'Alright, I heard you went off with her and you came back, and well, I've done that, too.'"

"Out of the Woods"

"Out of the Woods" recycles the image of a Polaroid picture that Swift used in "The Very First Night," perhaps indicating the songs were inspired by the same person.

"You took a Polaroid of us / Then discovered / The rest of the world was black and white / But we were in screaming color," she sings in the first verse.

The juxtaposition between the monochromatic world and the relationship's "screaming color" carries the implication of a queer awakening, as gay pride is heavily associated with vibrance and rainbows.

"Out of the Woods" also embodies an anxious, claustrophobic feeling that many closeted queer people may relate to. Swift draws a parallel between the thrill of falling in love and the fear of being discovered.

"I Wish You Would"

"I Wish You Would" features the lyric "We're a crooked love in a straight line down," which echoes the prejudiced idea that queer love is deviant, unnatural, or "crooked" in a culture that deems being straight as the standard.

"How You Get the Girl"

"The song 'How You Get the Girl' is a song that I wrote about how you get the girl back if you ruined the relationship somehow and she won't talk to you anymore," Swift told Audacy in 2014.

"Like, if you broke up with her and left her on her own for six months and then you realize you miss her," she continued. "All the steps you have to do to edge your way back into her life, because she's probably pretty mad at you. So it's kind of a tutorial."

While this song could be read as Swift doling out advice for clueless men, it's not outrageous to imagine that she's speaking from experience. Because Swift only uses "she" and "her" pronouns throughout the song, both interpretations are able to coexist.

"Wonderland"

"Wonderland" is a source of much speculation among Swift's fans. The song is built upon a bed of references to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," the famous 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll that was animated by Disney in 1951.

Swift uses "falling down the rabbit hole," which transports Alice to Wonderland, as an extended metaphor for falling in love.

"Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?" is a nod to Alice's observation that "curiosity often leads to trouble." Swift also aligns herself with the book's band of outsiders with the lines, "Too in love to think straight" and "We both went mad."

Many fans have noted that Dianna Agron — who was frequently photographed with Swift in 2011 and 2012 before abruptly distancing from each other in 2013 — had a "Wonderland" quote tattooed on her ribcage that has since been removed. She also reportedly had a Tumblr, deleted in 2013, that was called "felldowntherabbithole."

"I believe that love comes in many ways, shapes, and colors," Agron told Nylon in 2015. "I feel proud that we as a society are starting to understand and support more than just the social norms."

"New Romantics"

Just the title of "New Romantics" could be interpreted as a cheeky nod to queerness, especially since the public support for gay marriage began hitting new highs in the years that Swift wrote "1989."

"'Cause baby, I could build a castle / Out of all the bricks they threw at me," she sings in the chorus.

Throwing bricks is symbolically linked with the 1969 protest at Stonewall Inn in New York City, which is often cited as a turning point in the national fight for LGBTQ liberation.

It's safe to say Swift is aware of this history: She gave a surprise performance at Stonewall Inn in 2019 and included a nod to the landmark in her music video for "You Need to Calm Down." (Ryan Reynolds is shown creating a painting of its facade.)

Another noteworthy lyric arrives in the second verse when Swift sings, "The rumors are terrible and cruel / But, honey, most of them are true."

"Don't Blame Me"

"Don't Blame Me" employs drug use as a metaphor for love, broadly evoking themes of experimentation and rebellion.

In the first verse, Swift draws a contrast between the men she's used as "playthings" and a new kind of relationship, one that's authentic and private: "Something happened for the first time / In the darkest little paradise." Shortly after, she admits, "For you, I would cross the line."

In the second verse, she gets more specific: "Halo hiding my obsession / I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy."

Fans have theorized this points to Karlie Kloss, Swift's one-time best friend. They were nearly inseparable for several years before a rumored rift in 2018.

Kloss is best known as a model and Victoria's Secret Angel. When Swift performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2013 and 2014, the two women would exchange playful touches and strut down the runway holding hands ("Halo hiding my obsession").

In March 2014, the duo took a road trip through Big Sur, which Kloss described as "an adventure of a lifetime with my girl." She also shared a photo of a yellow daisy, tagging Swift as the center of the flower ("Now I'm your daisy").

"Gorgeous"

"Gorgeous" is plainly about forbidden love — or, more accurately, forbidden attraction. Swift is agonized by the subject's beauty because, as she admits, "there's nothing I hate more than what I can't have."

This song could certainly be about Joe Alwyn, Swift's current partner of nearly six years, who she may have met while dating another man.

It could also be about sapphic desire. As Lindsay Zoladz wrote for The Ringer, "the listener has to accept that there exists something, or someone, that Pop Overlord Taylor Swift cannot immediately command with the snap of a beautifully manicured finger."

"Doesn't 'Gorgeous' sound like it's about having a crush on a woman?" Zoladz continued. "Wouldn't that be the only kind of love forbidden to Taylor 'I'd Never Alienate My Republican Fan Base' Swift?"

(Note: "Gorgeous" was written and released several years before Swift expressed liberal political views and aligned herself with the LGBTQ community.)

(Also note: During the "Reputation" stadium tour, Swift would use the song to introduce the "gorgeous women" onstage with her.)

"Dancing With Our Hands Tied"

"Dancing With Our Hands Tied" is another example of Swift associating love with anxiety and panic, a striking motif of both "Reputation" and "Lover."

The title applies a common idiom, "used to say that someone is unable to act freely because something (such as a rule or law) prevents it," according to Merriam-Webster.

As a hyper-famous woman, Swift is likely "unable to act freely" in a new relationship for fear of rumors, tabloids, and paparazzi.

In a queer context, "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" captures the fear of coming out and being met with homophobia. This is illustrated in the song's second verse: "I loved you in spite of / Deep fears that the world would divide us."

"Dress"

During every show on the "Reputation" stadium tour, Swift would dedicate "Dress" to Loie Fuller, a pioneer of modern dance and an out lesbian. According to Vogue, who photographed Fuller in 1913, she lived with her girlfriend from 1905 until her death.

"Dress" is perhaps Swift's most explicitly sexual song ("Only bought this dress so you could take it off"). Although Swift is a noted fan of wearing dresses, it's possible to read this line as the song's subject taking off her own dress.

"Dress" also includes the line "I don't want you like a best friend" twice in each chorus, indicating a friends-to-lovers arc. This is notable because, one, falling in love with your best friend is canonically queer, and two, Kloss described Swift as her best friend on more than one occasion.

Later, Swift sings defiantly, "Everyone thinks that they know us / But they know nothing about us." This doesn't seem to match the tone of Swift's relationship with Alwyn. At the time "Reputation" was released, the public knew hardly any information about their dynamic or history.

"They have quite a low-key relationship, which Taylor likes," Swift's pal Ed Sheeran said in October 2017. "It's normal, and no one really knows about it right now."

Even the song's name invites speculation that it could be about a queer relationship. Put plainly, the song is about sex — so it's interesting that she represented that concept with a dress, a widely recognized symbol of femininity.

"Me!"

Swift described her seventh album "Lover" as "very, very autobiographical," citing "extreme catchiness and moments of extreme personal confession."

She released its lead single on April 26, which is recognized nationally as Lesbian Visibility Day. She promoted the flamboyant music video with a post on Instagram, writing in the caption, "ME! Out now!"

She seems to nod to the gay-pride flag in both the video and the lyrics, singing of herself, "But one of these things is not like the others / Like a rainbow with all of the colors."

In her Netflix documentary "Miss Americana," Swift explained the video's aesthetic concept to Brendon Urie, who is featured on the song.

"Whatever makes you, you — emo kids, theatre, dance sequences, 'La La Land,' everything," she began, to which Urie replied, "Nailed it."

"And when it's me, it's like — dancers, cats, gay pride, people in country western boots. I start riding a unicorn," she continued. "Everything that makes me, me."

"You Need to Calm Down"

"You Need to Calm Down" is Swift's most emphatic declaration of support for the LGBTQ community.

Although Swift doesn't explicitly identify herself as a member of the community, she sings in the song's pre-chorus that "shade never made anybody less gay."

This may be a callback to "I Forgot That You Existed," the opening track of "Lover," in which Swift said she "lived in the shade you were throwing."

In the music video, Swift also wears a wig with the colors of the bisexual-pride flag.

"Cruel Summer"

Fans speculate that "Cruel Summer" was written in 2016 when Swift was socially ostracized due to her feud with Kim Kardashian and Ye, formally known as Kanye West. A photocopied page of her diary was included with physical copies of "Lover," in which Swift had written, "This summer is the apocalypse."

Some believe this song was inspired by Alwyn, although according to that same diary, he didn't begin dating Swift until October 2016.

Instead, phrases like "angels roll their eyes" and "no rules in breakable heaven" may be references to Kloss' legacy as a Victoria's Secret Angel.

In the bridge, Swift sings, "I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you," calling to mind a closeted queer romance.

"The Man"

"The Man" exposes sexist double standards in Hollywood, exploring how Swift might be perceived if she were born a man but made all the same choices.

Swift explained the song's concept in an audio clip for Spotify's storyline feature.

"I've had the thought several times in my career, wondering if I had been a man instead of a woman, and if I had lived my life exactly the same way — had the same triumphs, made the same mistakes, dated the same people — what would people have said about me if I was a man instead of a woman?" she said.

The phrase "dated the same people" becomes relevant when paired with the song's bridge: "What's it like to brag about raking in dollars / And getting bitches and models?"

"The Archer"

In "The Archer," Swift compares falling in love to preparing herself for "combat" and expresses a deep-rooted fear of being seen and understood. Queer fans may relate to this as a fear of being outed.

The song's bridge is particularly foreboding: "'Cause they see right through me / They see right through me / They see right through / Can you see right through me? / They see right through / They see right through me / I see right through me / I see right through me."

"False God"

While superficially a love song, "False God" contains clear undertones of religious guilt and shame, recognized by queer people who were raised in God-fearing households.

"They all warned us about times like this / They say the road gets hard and you get lost when you're led by blind faith," she sings in the pre-chorus. In this context, "they" would refer to those who use religion as a reason to oppose gay rights.

Indeed, Swift's early work hints at a relatively religious and conservative upbringing. She references praying and keeping faith in tracks like "Our Song," "Christmas Must Be Something More," and "Come in With the Rain."

Although her current relationship with religion is a bit murky, Swift does mention Jesus in her 2019 track "Soon You'll Get Better," and in "Miss Americana," she self-identifies as a Christian.

"It's Nice to Have a Friend"

"It's Nice to Have a Friend" thematically mirrors "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)," describing a childhood friendship that blossoms into an adult relationship.

The songs even follow the same structure, describing a youthful crush in verse one and a budding teen romance in verse two, concluding with the couple's wedding and happy ending.

"It's Nice to Have a Friend" doesn't use any male or female pronouns, but several details suggest girlhood and shared femininity: swapping gloves, sleeping in a tent together as kids, "light pink sky," "call my bluff, call you 'babe.'"

"The 1"

"The 1" is the opening track on "Folklore," which Swift described as a collection of stories, visuals, and characters as a vehicle for expressing her own "whims, dreams, fears, and musings."

"The lines between fantasy and reality blur," she told fans upon the album's release. "Speculation, over time, becomes fact."

"The 1" broadly explores the question of "what could've been," recounting details of past relationships with overtones of nostalgia and regret.

"We were something, don't you think so? / Rosé flowing with your chosen family," Swift sings in the final chorus. "And it would've been sweet / If it could've been me."

Swift has used "chosen family" to describe friends she made in her 20s, specifically those she left behind: "It's sad but sometimes when you grow, you outgrow relationships," she wrote in 2019.

But the term is also deeply entwined with the LGBTQ community, where it's used to describe a group of friends, usually queer, who support and celebrate your identity — especially in the face of homophobia or familial rejection.

"Seven"

"Seven" is clearly in conversation with "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)" and "It's Nice to Have a Friend." This trilogy seems to excavate queer feelings and connections that arise at a tender age, especially within friendships that begin platonically or appear platonic from the outside. (See also: "I knew everything when I was young," the pivotal line in "Cardigan.")

Of the three songs, "Seven" contains the brightest glimmers of queerness. Swift sings about someone with "braids like a pattern" whom she wants to run away with: "Pack your dolls and a sweater / We'll move to India forever."

Swift even references the famous idiom "in the closet," used to describe someone who's hiding their sexuality: "I think your house is haunted / Your dad is always mad and that must be why / And I think you should come live with me / And we can be pirates / Then you won't have to cry / Or hide in the closet."

The dad who's "always mad" recalls the father figures in "Mary's Song," who didn't believe their kids would really fall in love.

"Illicit Affairs"

"Illicit Affairs" is widely interpreted as a song about marital infidelity, but a love affair could be "illicit," or forbidden, for a variety of reasons — including laws, rules, or societal norms.

Swift sings of a relationship full of "clandestine meetings and longing stares," an experience that could be applied to a variety of queer love stories throughout history and pop culture. Fans have paired the lyric with TV shows and films like "Call Me by Your Name," "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," "Heartstopper," "Happiest Season," and "My Policeman."

Another line in the bridge, "You showed me colors you know I can't see with anyone else," recalls the rainbow-infused allusions in "Out of the Woods" and "Me!"

"Invisible String"

The central metaphor of "Invisible String" was likely inspired by an East Asian folk myth known as "the red thread of fate," visualized as a red string tied around the fingers of soulmates, connecting them by either end.

The song is also rich with Easter eggs and callbacks. Swift opens by referencing Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, known as her adopted hometown. In verse two, she references the title of her 2014 single "Bad Blood."

Because much of the song draws from real details in Swift's life, fans were quick to note the intentional phrasing in the final chorus: "Time, wondrous time / Gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies."

Blue-purple-pink is the exact arrangement of the triple-striped bisexual-pride flag, from bottom to top.

"Betty"

I previously wrote about the queer interpretation of "Betty" and how it can, and should, coexist alongside Swift's official explanation that it's written "from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy."

Within the song itself, the narrator is only known as James, named after Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's eldest daughter. (Swift herself was named after James Taylor.)

The song declines to give the narrator any gendered pronouns or identifiers. This vagueness makes it easier to visualize your own versions of the characters — and with Swift's feminine voice serenading a girl named Betty, it's arguably easiest to visualize two girls.

The core listening experience of "Betty" is hearing a girl sing about wanting to kiss another girl.

"Gold Rush"

"Gold Rush," the second track on "Evermore," is about pining for someone who "everybody wants" and refusing to submit to their charms ("I can't dare to dream about you anymore").

Swift describes this person's beauty as "gleaming, twinkling," and perceptibly feminine: "What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? / With your hair falling into place like dominoes."

One year before the release of "Evermore," Kloss shared a photo of herself in a golden dress for the 2019 Met Gala. She captioned the post, "Gold rush."

Swift had previously described Kloss using terms like "gold" and "sunshine." She selected the sun when asked to describe Kloss using a single emoji in 2015. (In return, Kloss selected the princess for Swift.)

"Tolerate It"

Swift told Apple Music's Zane Lowe that "Tolerate It" was largely inspired by "Rebecca," a 1938 Gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier.

"I was thinking, 'Wow, her husband just tolerates her. She's doing all these things and she's trying so hard and she's trying to impress him, and he's just tolerating her the whole time,'" she explained. "There was a part of me that was relating to that, because at some point in my life, I felt that way."

The song's central couplet captures this heartbreaking indifference: "I know my love should be celebrated / But you tolerate it."

During a 2019 interview with Elvis Duran, Swift echoed this very sentiment while discussing her public support of LGBTQ rights and the Equality Act.

"I just wanted to make it known to everyone around me, and my loved ones, and my fans, and my friends and my colleagues, like, I don't just tolerate the way that you are, I celebrate the way that you are," she said.

"Dorothea"

Much like "Betty," "Dorothea" is a love song addressed to a girl. Swift described the titular character as "a girl who left her small town to chase down Hollywood dreams."

But unlike "Betty," Swift has never declared that "Dorothea" was written from the male perspective.

"If you're ever tired of being known for who you know / You know, you'll always know me, Dorothea," Swift sings in the chorus.

"Friend of Dorothy" is popular queer slang; you may have heard the term in The 1995 film "Clueless", or more recently in Netflix's "The Crown". It was originally coined as a synonym for a gay man, but it's more commonly used today as a catchall for any member of the LGBTQ community.

"Ivy"

On its face, "Ivy" is the "infidelity" chapter of "Evermore's" failed marriage anthology.

The narrator seems to be a married woman who's in love with someone else, terrified that her husband will find out.

Many fans have theorized that "Ivy" was inspired by Emily Dickinson. Scholars believe the poet was a lesbian and in love with her childhood best friend, Sue Gilbert, who ended up marrying Dickinson's brother.

The two women shared plenty of intimate letters and Gilbert apparently inspired much of Dickinson's poetry, the most famous of which ends with the line, "Sue - forevermore!" (Not to mention, "Evermore" was announced on Dickinson's birthday, December 10.)

The Apple TV+ series "Dickinson" celebrates the poet's queerness and focuses largely on her clandestine romance with Gilbert.

At the end of a 2021 episode titled "Grief Is a Mouse," the women reunite for a passionate sex scene that leads into the credits, soundtracked by "Ivy."

Swift herself approved the song's usage in the show, according to showrunner Alena Smith.

"I really wanted to use that song — I mean I love that song and also the fans have sort of developed a mythology around it as being a song that relates to Emily and Sue on some emotional level," Smith told the Hollywood Reporter, adding, "We were lucky that Taylor said yes."

"Cowboy Like Me"

"Cowboy Like Me" uses the titles "cowboy" and "bandit" as euphemisms to describe two people in cahoots, hiding who they are from the outside world.

"You're a cowboy like me," then, could be interpreted as a private recognition of shared queerness.

"You asked me to dance / But I said, 'Dancing is a dangerous game,'" Swift sings in the first verse, a clear reference to "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" and the risk she associates with being openly in love.

Later, Swift sings of "the old men that I've swindled" and pretending she was in love for financial gain: "Telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear / Like it could be love / I could be the way forward / Only if they pay for it."

Celebrities have been known to engage in relationships for PR purposes— to promote a film, for example, or rehabilitate a person's reputation.

PR relationships have also been historically used to conceal a celebrity's sexuality. Stars like Michael Bolton and Colten Haynes have described the "isolation" and emotional pain this caused before they felt comfortable publicly coming out as gay.

"Right Where You Left Me"

"Right Where You Left Me" one of the most heartbreaking songs in Swift's catalog, also contains one of her most conspicuous queer references.

"I swear you could hear a hairpin drop / Right when I felt the moment stop," Swift sings in the pre-chorus. "Glass shattered on the white cloth / Everybody moved on / I stayed there."

The commonly used idiom is "you could hear a pin drop," meaning it's very quiet. But Swift intentionally changed the noun to "hairpin."

"Dropping hairpins" is a well-known euphemism in the LGBTQ community, described by the New York Times as "a traditional gay gambit."

"This means to drop clues, if not outright statements, about one's own homosexuality in an effort to induce one's interlocutor to follow suit," the Times reported in 2015.

The Stonewall Inn protest is also known was "the hairpin drop heard around the world."

#THIS WAS SO NECESSARY TO HAVE ALL IN ONE PLACE #the writer did their homework

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