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beautifulpersonpeach · 2 years

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Repost: Ask on BTS at the 2022 Grammys

Anonymous: I'm sad for the boys. They really deserved that award but you were right BPP. I went back to read the posts on your blog about it and I just wonder where that confidence other people seemed to have that they are winning, where did that confidence even come from? To see someone who sounded so sure and convinced that BTS would win got my hopes up and I was a bit upset that you were the person underplaying BTS when you said you weren't optimistic for them. But you were right. I owe you an apology but can you pls explain why you were skeptical? I'm happy for Doja and Sza cause they deserve it, and a lot of armys look happy for Doja too, but BTS also did everything right. I feel a strong sense of disappointment but at least we have the concerts.

Hi Anon,

I get you. Believe me, this is not the sort of thing I want to say I told you so about. I wanted to be wrong, but I’m not blind or stupid.

Jon Batiste, THE Jon Batiste, is the first Black artist to win Album of the Year in 14 years. 14 YEARS. Even without getting that Grammy award, this man is easily one of the most awarded and accomplished men in that room. He’s almost like the Black version of BTS in terms of accomplishments and accolades at his age. He’d been nominated for Grammys three times before and all those times he was beat out by white men with arguably less achievements even in terms of critical acclaim for their music (and yes not even better music but since that’s subjective let’s just move on lol).

As I said in my posts on the Grammys (linked here and here), this is something I’d been discussing with my friends for a while.

And, I’m about to say something that I really hope isn’t misunderstood, so I’ll try to communicate this as carefully as possible but still read the next paragraph at your own risk.

When discussing BTS’s chances with my friends, sentiments split into two factions, almost entirely along lines of race. I love my white friends dearly, but it’s always so interesting to see how they see the world. I mean this completely unironically. Some of them are very well educated, they’ve taken all the culture studies courses and would be the first people to tell you about ‘gender and race sensitivities’, etc, but they all completely discounted the race factor when it came to the Grammys. They all, without exception, thought that since BTS was nominated last year and didn’t win, the Grammys would just have to give it to them this year. They all really didn’t understand how big of a deal race is in these awards. They were completely blind to its weight. Nearly everybody 'buys' the Grammys and that’s no secret. But the price to pay for it is not equal. And oftentimes, POC musicians and/or industry outsiders get a special tax. Similar to one I’ve observed for Black women in corporate spaces: you have to be overqualified, and then some, to get the same recognition as non-Black colleagues.

The calculus is always, always, different for POC musicians. And this is something I’ve learned the hard way in my own personal experiences as a visible minority, and something ARMY and BTS have learned over the years too. It’s one reason ARMY is so focused on trying to get BTS as high as possible, because to make real impact, you really have to outsing, outsell, outperform, everybody in the fucking room, to get a mildly decent shot. It’s one reason I completely shut out the snide remarks, rumors/speculation they bought the award, and other petty fanwars fodder, cause in the real world, race actually matters. So anon, you ask why I was skeptical? Besides that, some other things set off the alarms in my head.

Before tonight, I felt skeptical because the Grammys snubbed Map of the Soul: Persona in 2019 for the 2020 Grammy awards.

They did the same thing with Map of the Soul: 7 in 2020. That album is so critically acclaimed? So impeccably made? Black Swan literally has it’s own sub-culture. Like, there was no way, no way in hell, that album did not deserve consideration (especially when you look at the competition). I’m not even mentioning its commercial performance. But the Grammys gave one nomination in a secondary category to Dynamite.

Lol.

When I saw that, my mates were elated but I was just laughing. Cause that was bullshit.

So when I saw take two with Butter, I realized what game we were playing. As the night wore on and I noticed Doja hadn’t won in any of the main categories she was nominated for (she honestly deserves any awards she would’ve won and did win - we definitely agree about that and it’s true ARMYs love that for her too), but when I noticed that, I realized she’d get it for the pop duo category. Because for her, that’s a snub but a win - if that makes sense. Note: when I refer to race here, I’m referring to a quality that distinctly ‘others’ you in that notoriously white institution, so while Doja and Sza are obviously not (I mean, look at how they were snubbed for the main categories that it’s clear they deserved), BTS are even more removed - they are Korean, from Korea not the US, primarily singing in Korean (yes it matters, even if it was an English song nominated).

I previously said the concerts feel like insurance, and it again turns out I was right for that too. Because the prevailing sentiments of ARMYs so far is “boo hoo, onto BTS’s sold out four concerts that have literally taken over Vegas.” I promise you anon, many attendees of the Grammys will be at their shows. If BTS is nominated a third time, we’ll see if they’re treated marginally better than Jon Batiste and if they do win the award they should’ve won four years before. But I’m honestly not holding my breath. The Grammys/Recording Academy is an institution that has its days numbered, and you can see that with how they moved a secondary category (pop duo/group) to the main show, excessively used BTS in promotions for the event, placed the announcement of that secondary category towards the very end, and then shoved in all the ads you could imagine right before their slot. I was watching the awards with my non-ARMY friends and even they sensed the desperation enough to comment on it, I didn’t even say anything, just nodded and sipped my Rye and Ginger.

K-pop is literally the only thing that can give that award show any life at all, and that’s more likely to be the case in the coming years because BTS has shown k-pop groups it is possible, and more importantly, shown America how much money there is to be made by having k-pop fandoms engaged, and that is the primary thing the industry cares about if we’re keeping it real lol, and so if for nothing else, BTS has paved the way lmao.

But I actually think BTS won tonight. I mean sincerely, it feels for me like they were the real winners. Like I actually don’t feel bad at all. Because it’s clear as day, every single person in that hall respects them as artists. Their performance was incredible. Nobody could deny it. Their smiles made sitting through that hogfest bearable, and the standing ovation they received was the cherry on top. As it always is with BTS, I feel so proud to be ARMY.

***

Originally posted: April 4th, 2022 8:56am

#bts #grammys 2022 #repost

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bettysuperstore · 2 years

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The Ever-Growing Popularity of Betty Boop Merchandise

The appeal of Betty Boop is unparalleled in terms of nostalgic memories. She is a 92-year-old It-girl who has marketed more of her featured Betty Boop Merchandise than the entire Kardashian family combined. She has worked with everyone from Supreme on a satin blazer previously worn by Bella Hadid to Jean Paul Gaultier on a fragrance. That and her own emoji exists!

Why do we, however, adore her so very much? Honestly, it isn't the annoying tagline, the irksome accent, or the sickly-sweet sexy voice. Everyone seems to concur that the child's oversized head perched atop her svelte curves is a source of nightmares. However, prior to Betty Boop, female animated characters were either crude generalizations or were male fictional characters with the addition of eyelashes and a bow. (See Minnie Mouse, for instance), but not Betty, who was 100% female.

Art Davis described the Betty Boop he developed as having "a snub nose, and a pug nose at that; she had large eyes and long eyelashes; a little turned up nose; and a tight little mouth." Since she's the first of her kind—a stylish, seductive, no-holds-barred vixen who believes in the power of awesome lipstick, people can’t help but fangirl over her to date.

Since her rediscovery by influencers in the 1980s, Betty Boop merchandise sales have greatly outpaced her screen time, despite the fact that many people are unaware of her existence as a cinematographic conception. The character has been, then on, frequently depicted in the new merchandise as her well-known, classier version, and she has once again gained popularity across the globe.

Did you know that Betty Boop was named the United Football League's official fantasy cheerleader in 2010? Additionally, Betty Boop merchandise catered to the club's female audience.

Furthermore, today, a modernized, family-run Fleischer Studios is attempting to revamp Betty and preserve her legacy. Even so, Betty Boop is now a recycling advocate and a cyclist. She does yoga, treks, and speaks in TikTok jargons. In a self-help book published last year, Susan Wilking Horan, portrayed Betty as a character who wears jeans and champions beliefs like freedom, self-care, and compassion.

Betty Boop merchandise still has its dapper influence on many. To date, Betty Boop inspires woman with her classic combination: long, mysterious lashes and vibrant red lips, making them all ready for the red carpet.

Do you recall how Linda Evangelista made everything look exorbitant or how Christina Aguilera attended the 2004 Grammys channeling her inner Betty Boop with a fake tan?

It’s not wrong to say that Betty Boop is undoubtedly the most popular and best-known character in the world. For almost a century, the sales curve of Betty Boop merchandise and her fandom haven’t seen a downfall. Isn’t it amazing?

#Betty Boop Merchandise #Elvis Presley Memorabilia #betty boop store #bettysuperstore

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crybabyddl · 7 months

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In honor of grammy noms coming sometime this week, I’d like to once again say…

FUCK THE GRAMMYS!!!

(If you’d like to read my rant about the grammys snubbing demi lovato, along with an unintentional tangent that came from my ranting where i analyze demi’s confident, tell me you love me, dancing with the devil… the art of starting over, and holy fvck eras, that’s below here lol.)

It has honestly lost all its credibility for me since Demi Lovato wasn’t nominated for pop vocal album for Tell Me You Love Me, OR for a best performance for Anyone. Not to mention, the amount of hype and build up they created around Demi all those years only to snub them TWICE. Like I’m sorry but Demi is one of the very few actual vocalists left in this day and age, and is someone who actually cares about music, how it’s made, and is genuine about why it’s being made.

The HOLY FVCK album is in the top 3 of their discography and it was barred from promotion FOUR (4) DAYS after its release. Physical copies of the album were literally banned from being sold in stores in the UK. Demi said in an interview that they knew HF wouldn’t be a mainstream success. They don’t make music for the money, fame, or commercial reasons. They almost DIED, they have no time for the insincere bs that comes with promoting music or selling your brand as an artist. They’re simply making music to make music because they are talented and have a gift that needs to be shared. Notice how most of the grammy noms are songs and albums that have been the most commercially successful? Yeah, Demi doesn’t fit that mold and I’m glad they don’t. I’d rather have a “flop” album that was made with genuine feelings and heart than a grammy winning album that was made to get on the charts.

Demi has said that confident was their attempt to get a grammy nom and sure enough, that’s the one album of theirs that got a grammy nomination. It wasn’t fully genuine, and while being a lovatic during the confident era was one of the most fun and memorable times of my life, and the album is without a doubt INCREDIBLE, it’s extremely noticeable that it wasn’t as Demi as an album like HOLY FVCK. What I mean by “Demi” is that there’s a certain… metaphorical wall between the music they’re putting out and the listener. With Confident, while I love the album with all my heart and listened to it nonstop until TMYLM came out, there’s a palpable separation between the art, the artist, and the listener. When I think about the Confident era, it just feels like Demi was so disconnected from the music. Yeah, they were SUPER active with the fans on social media, but when you look back, you can see what was promo and what wasn’t. We recently learned the kind of stuff they don’t like doing, like going to red carpets and the Future Now Tour outfits, which makes the disconnect more obvious. Plus, now that it’s been a few years, along with taking into account the things Demi’s said about their previous albums and their respective eras, it’s easier to see the degrees of separation that existed.

With TMYLM, of course Sorry Not Sorry had a lot of commercial success, and the documentary Simply Complicated coincided with the album’s release. It was an incredibly effective tactic created by Demi’s (old) (and awful) team, I won’t lie. And with this era, we also saw a more vulnerable Demi. They’d split from Wilmer in 2016. It made for an emotional life on the Future Now Tour, (a joint tour with nick jonas set up by demi’s management. It was basically the Confident album tour.) and TMYLM was the product of it. So to recap, Demi relapsed with their ED after their breakup with Wilmer, was on tour with Nick Jonas who she had unreciprocated feelings for, and she began dating again. They were connected to Bomba, Luke Rockhold, Neymar Jr., Lauren “Kittenz” Abedini, Kehlani, and of course was famously caught setting the perfect thirst trap for Mr. Henry Cavill. (Although I personally don’t believe Demi dated Neymar or Kehlani. Neymar was a not-so-sneaky link. As for Kehlani, they were just on tour together and shared a kiss. Maybe they hooked up tho.) All of this struggle and romance allowed for some really intense songwriting. That’s why we have so many scrapped songs from the TMYLM era. (Also bc it is believed that it was going to be a living album that had droplets during and after the TMYLM tour, but that didn’t happen bc they relapsed with alcohol & substances.) Anyway, from the album AND the discarded masterpieces, it’s obvious that Demi was feeling A LOT of strong feelings. Navigating loss, rejection, casual sex, new love, relapsing, being controlled, etc. It allowed that wall between a masterfully calculated, commercially successful album and its listeners/enjoyers to fall. While it still isn’t akin to watching Demi write a song in front of you, it’s definitely a glimpse into what their life was like during 2016-2017. At the start of tour, you can tell the wall goes back up a little bc it has to be promoted and the show has to be captivating so that people show up bc these days, talent isn’t enough to be successful, and everyone knows Demi has more than enough talent. But the wall comes back down as they get more comfortable, but it goes back up once April hits, when Demi starts the European leg of the TMYLM Tour. It’s there where they relapsed with alcohol, which led to them eventually relapsing with drugs. People had assumptions, especially when they wore sunglasses to that one show, but it wasn’t until June that Demi revealed they were no longer sober, and even then, it seemed like it was only alcohol that Demi had picked up again. I don’t remember when they relapsed with drugs, but I do think it was a bit after, like after Demi left Europe. I think it might’ve been in May when Demi picked drugs up again. Anyway that’s not the importance of any of this. I kinda got sidetracked. Whatever. Anyway, tmylm was more genuine than confident but the pressure for the album to be successful was what created that separation that can still be felt there.

With dwtdtaoso, you can feel a lot of authenticity within the album itself. Not just the songs, but just like the stops in between the songs and just holding the physical album. But again, there was the pressure of a comeback album, a new manager, a sense of having to prove that they were back and better than before. The album was also made and came out during covid so that messed EVERYTHING up. Literally 2020 was set to be demi’s year with the success of Anyone at the Grammys, the acclaim of their national anthem at the Super Bowl, and a clean slate to start this new chapter, it was looking so great. Then the buzz single I Love Me came out and it wasn’t exactly what fans were expecting, but we supported it like crazy and it’s honestly a cute bop in my eyes and for Demi, someone who was healing and getting back on their feet, it was fitting for them. Anyway, then covid and m*x happened so the soulful, petty, r&b-influenced, and collaboration-heavy album was scrapped. Or maybe, it was scrapped after Commander In Chief. Idk. Anyway, we got Demi’s droplet era in lieu of an album, with collabs up the wazoo. I can’t speak on how genuine this era was bc Demi wasn’t even Demi during the droplet era. They were still figuring out their sobriety, they were dating and engaged to a psychopath, they were in their activist era on social media, and they were struggling with their ED. Anyway, go to 2021 with the alphabet album and i love it. I love that album so much, and even tho demi has said it felt like they were making the album for everyone else to show they were okay, it still was very genuine bc all the songs can be connected to parts of demi’s life. Anyone was written 4 days before the od, dwtd is obviously about addiction and relapsing, icu was about the aftermath and how it affected their sister, taoso was about starting over and not letting a partner define them, lonely people was about the bittnerness that comes after a breakup and trying to turn it into something positive, twydlam is about demi’s ed and how being in a relationship can trigger than, especially bc it was rumored that wilmer would try not to be seen with demi when they were heavier, and it made them feel like crap and question everything ofc, melon cake is word for word about their ed experience with their old manager, mhln was written by ariana and since she and demi are friends, she knew it was fitting for demi’s situation with maxipad, wops actually had lyrics leaked somehow in 2020 so we knew it was coming and demi was basically reflecting on how they lost sight of what really matters bc of being a celebrity, their sobriety, etc. carefully is literally about learning to trust someone and letting someone into your life after being hurt in the past, tkolia is about demi’s journey of acceptance with their sexuality and imagining themself with someone new and what they would preface their relationship with, easy is about losing a lover and trying to mourn, 15 minutes is a genius song about maxipad and how he overstayed his welcome in demi’s heart and took them for granted and how he’s going back to the streets where he belongs. mgamb is about surrounding yourself with good friends after a breakup bc nobody understands you better than your besties so focus on the fun and friendship. California sober is about being california sober and that is what demi tried doing. Mad world is a cover about how society is fucked up and the world makes you feel like you’re doing everything wrong and it feels like you’re in a spinning state that you cant escape and everyone’s watching you try to get out and criticizing you for not being able to navigate it all at the snap of your fingers. Butterfly is about demi’s birth father and how they learned to accept his passing and their strained relationship. Good place is about being in a good place even if it took a lot of bad times in bad places to get there. It all ties into what demi was going through during their hiatus and up until the release of the album.

Holy Fvck is what I consider to be their most genuine album bc it’s honestly the first time we’re given a glimpse into Demi’s anger. It also talks about grief, being in the public eye, and addressing and/or overcoming trauma. If you know enough about Demi, you can connect each song to a theme in Demi’s life that explains what the song is about, just like I did for dwtdtaoso. I’m tired so maybe I’ll edit this post and add that in at some point, but I also feel like if you get it you get it and if you feel unsure about any of it, you dont get it. And that’s ok. But i love holy fvck and i love being able to scream it in the car when im feeling intense feelings and dont really want to cry about them. So i just belt it out to demi’s music

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sedicisantidote · 1 year

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how are you so optimistic???

hiii anon!!

sorry this is going to make no sense but stay with me please!

I am a hugee harry fan, have been for a few years and when he released harry's house last year, I knew in my heart he was going to win album of the year. I still had a few doubts ofcourse, but deep down i always knew! then more artists starting releasing great albums, including beyonce, adele, kendrick and then all these discussions on gold derby, reddit, etc started firing up on how he (previously snubbed multiple times) will probably not take it home but could take another gf field award like roty. that did little to deter me though! then on the grammys day, I saw it all go down live, and when harry didn't win either roty or soty, most of the fans had almost given up, saying that he will be snubbed in all the gf categories, I felt he would win it even before trevor made his to that sweet grandma harrie!

that's the same way I feel about charles and 2023. I'm sure that there will be some races where I'll also give up all hope (sorry I'm self diagnosed with chronic "can't stick to one opinion" disease ksjsk) and every single race weekend makes me want to puke but in the end, I have hope he will pull through!!

and I'm doing everything for him that I did for harry, every 11:11 i notice or in my daily prayers, I will sneak in a " please make charles leclerc f1's world driver's championship #1 winner in 2023 with scuderia ferrari in the #16 car" etc. [also sorry i have to be specific every time so there is no room for misunderstanding, like i know I am being silly BUT STILL 😭 would be just his luck god is done after he cheats his way through grill the grid once more and wins the gtg championship and then god is like "i did what you asked me to, he won a championship in f1]

#anon.asks 💕

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bisexualhobi · 2 years

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Not fucking RM begging for a Grammy on vlive and JK just lapping up everything he says 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

There’s a few things here. He just admitted that they didn’t get nominated on merit. They met with Scooter and said Justin has been nominated X amount of times it’s our turn. If it’s for an exemption how does the Ministry of Defence justify this? They are admitting to doing a dodgy deal to secure it.

Secondly he’s exposing the academy. We all know the issues, the racism, bias etc but it’s very unusual for nominees to actually expose this. It’s usually those snubbed artists that bring it to light. He’s admitting that the awards are essentially worthless because you can buy it and it’s all about who you know?!

I don’t think he realises the ripple effect it could cause if it gets circulated. The academy won’t be thrilled will they?

They also knew how slimy Braun is and still got into bed with him so they could win. He’s just exposed a whole lot here and sounded extremely desperate and almost army like with the “he has so many nominations we want one now”. It’s extremely hypocritical. Army’s and BTS flip when someone says they should step aside to make room for other groups.

Sorry I didn’t mean for it to be so long! I just had some thoughts ……..

they really rode scooter's dick this hard.... bang pd got into bed with him for all this and the worst thing is all they could get was a pity nomination again. like at the very LEAST scooter could have gotten them a record of the year nomination. this is terrible. I genuinely pity them I can't believe it has come to this

an 8 year journey full of highs and lows and it all comes down to a dumb award no one in the US cares for. how tragic

#asks #I'm genuinely speechless and sorry for them. this is beyond pathetic #all I can say I hope they get that grammy if it means that much to them. I hope this was worth it

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blush-and-books · 3 years

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🥳🎉 Congrats on 1.5k followers!!!🎉🥳

My four word prompt for you is

One: famous au

Two: fluff

Three: meeting

Four: autographs

And anything you come up with will be amazing 💕💕ily

once again i got carried away. but who is surprised??? this was so much fun!!!

Luke Patterson was excited to be at the Grammys for many, many reasons -- but only part of it (a big part) was because Sunset Curve was nominated.

Best Rock Album, Record of the Year, and Best Rock Performance were their three nominations for their third album, Demo Tapes, and specifically their singles Now Or Never (rock performance) and Unsaid Emily (record of the year). It was all that the boys had been working towards, seeing as this was their first time around after a near revolt towards the academy last year for snubbing their sophomore, self-titled album. The four of them were beaming with excitement in their custom suits -- God, custom, as uppity as it was, Luke couldn’t deny he looked hot.

However, besides the fact that the four boys were rocking their suits and were going to be honored to perform Now Or Never on the same stage that their inspirations had done decades before -- Luke couldn’t help the bubbling in his stomach that he might run into Julie Molina on the red carpet.

Yes, the Julie Molina.

After revealing during a round of Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts on the Late-Late Show that Julie was Luke’s raging celebrity crush, and she exposed the same truth about him while playing Plead The Fifth on Watch What Happens Live, Luke had been itching to meet her in person.

Both of them seemed to be on the other sides of the country -- hell, even the world -- at different times, from running the talk show circuit to world touring. He knew they were both from LA, but it never felt like they were home at the same time.

Tonight, she was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Vocal Performance, and yes; Record of the Year, too. And this was only for her sophomore album, Wake Up, and her leading single of the same name. The single had debuted at #1 on the charts and knocked Now Or Never to #3 (it was competing with All Eyes On Me, by Dirty Candi), while the album had been switching with Demo Tapes on the charts for the last month.

He was honestly hoping that they would get the chance to communicate, or even collab, at some point -- as many avid fans online were urging -- because he was pretty sure she was one of the most talented songwriters in the next generation of the music industry.

He thought they could make each other even better.

His plan was honestly to try and track her down on the red carpet, and if that didn’t work, he would find her in the auditorium. She would probably be in the front row next to Adele or Beyonce anyways, seeing as how she was (as deserved) America’s Darling.

“Dude,” Alex elbows him in the gut and gestures to the line of paparazzi and reporters with flashing cameras in microphones. “Stop staring into space and smile. And walk us on, lead guitarist.”

The nickname is said with spite and a smirk, but Luke is overall grateful that Alex centered him in the moment once again and got him to quit looking for Julie.

She probably wasn’t even there yet, so he shouldn’t worry about it.

(Even though he’s definitely been fantasizing about how stunning she’ll look tonight.)

Him and the boys walk up to a few reporters to hyperactively answer a few questions while finding time in between to pause for photos of all of them together, and some individual shots. They are in the middle of being ushered down the red carpet when he hears it:

“Julie! Julie Molina! Come here darling, I would love to talk to you!”

There are a few people in between them, but she’s there -- in a stunning, bright purple dress covered in sparkles and small diamonds. Her curls are flawlessly pulled back but still twirling down behind her head, and to be blunt -- she takes his breath away, even though he can’t see her clearly.

“Luke! Luke!” A photographer is calling out to him, so he is sure to face back and sling his left arm around Reggie as the band poses for a few more group shots. Once again, a technician is guiding them to walk right to proceed along the carpet, and Luke catches that Julie is still being interviewed.

He doesn’t realize he’s staring when a reporter, the same reporter that’s interviewing Julie, is calling him over.

And Julie is still standing there, visibly blushing under layers of makeup and sending him a sheepish, apologetic smile.

Without hesitation, he jogs over, and hugs the reporter.

“Hi, Grace! It’s good to see you!”

“Luke Patterson, you are the talk of the night -- besides my other guest, Miss Julie Molina, of course.” Grace gestures to both of them, and Luke sees that Julie is still avoiding her eyes, and even though they are currently broadcast on national television he just wants to talk to her.

“Yes, of course, I’ve been looking forward to getting to officially meet her all night.”

Julie’s head whips to the left to look at him -- he meets her eyes with his classic, joyous Luke Patterson grin. When she reflects it, he feels like the final nail has been hammered into his coffin.

“No, you have not!” She slaps his arm playfully. “I should have known you’d be a flirt when I met you.”

“So what you’re saying is… You’ve thought about meeting me too?”

Their moment is interrupted by the reporter. “Wait, you two haven’t met before? That’s impossible!”

“And incredibly disappointing,” Luke jumps in. “All of our fans keep asking us to meet but we’ve been touring at the same times, and the timing’s just never been right.”

“I just told Marie Claire last week that Lu- Sunset Curve, sorry, was my dream collab for the future. Our sounds could blend so well!”

Luke’s heart just about shoots out of his chest, so he tries to control himself by biting his lip with a smile. The reporter doesn’t miss it. “Luke, you look happy about that!”

“I- I-” His stutter emerges, but he quickly swallows and changes directions. “It’s just really cool to hear that, we listen to Julie’s music all the time at home, and I have spent an unhealthy amount of time imagining a collaboration, so hearing she feels the same way tells me already that we would creatively blend really well.”

At his side, Julie beams at him. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and she’s giggling at his sweet words, and in the split moment that the reporter tries to regain their focus -- their hands brush together as they spin back to face Grace.

In a bold move, Luke raises his fingers towards hers like they are magnets, and holds his breath while he waits for a reaction.

He can finally breathe when her fingers link in his; her soft skin brushing along and sending sparks up his arm.

“Well, I should let you guys go,” Grace says with a sigh, “but thank you both so much for taking the time! Can we expect a possible Julie Molina/Sunset Curve collab anytime soon?”

Surprisingly, Julie takes the lead on this one, her fingers tightening around his hand.

“If it’s not the next song that I release, then somethings wrong and you guys will need to send help.”

You have a band, Luke tells himself, a band that you need to talk to about-

“I second that,” he finds himself saying with a squeeze to Julie’s hand.

As the reporter hypes up their announcement while facing the camera, they start to walk away, and Luke realizes he has to rejoin the band on the carpet and not get to stand here and hold Julie’s hand and tell every reporter that he is holding Julie Molina’s hand!

Julie turns to him. “See you in there?”

“See you in there,” Luke smirks, “I’ll be the one on my feet when you sing.”

“And I’ll be the one holding the Grammy.”

And with a wink, as Luke shakes his head with an awed grin, she makes her way back to the carpet.

As it turns out, they do find each other later. Shockingly, Julie asks the band for an autograph, because -- despite Luke’s teasing -- her little brother is apparently a huge fan.

She is the victor in the competition for Record of the Year, but Sunset Curve pulls away with two trophies from their other nominations, and Luke can’t find it in him to be anything but overjoyed for themselves and Julie -- especially as he watches her sing, captivate the entire audience, and get everyone on their feet at the end.

In a burst of impulsiveness, she joins them in their van after the ceremony; but instead of going to an afterparty, they drive to the boys’ house on the beach and Luke finds himself curled up on the couch in his custom suit right next to Julie (who is almost on top of him), furiously writing down new songs and beginning their collaboration then and there.

It turns out, they were wrong about one thing.

The next song released by the two artists isn’t the collab -- the next album is. Julie and the Phantoms becomes their official collaboration project, and spirals into more of a hit than their individual groups.

Twelve months later, they are back at the Grammys, and everything is the same -- only they are no longer competing. They are a team. And Luke couldn’t be happier about it; especially when he shows up on Julie’s arm.

@willexx @unsaid-emily

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #jatp fanfic #juke #juke fanfic

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therappundit · 3 years

Text

Top 10 Rappers of 2020

The finish line of this long, surreal year is finally upon us...which means that it’s time for me to throw down the gauntlet in the ‘Best of 2020’ frivolous list race! 🙌

*Just to be clear*: this is a list of MCs who I believe turned in the best overall performances in 2020. ***This is NOT a list of the my top 10 favorite MCs***, or even who I believe to be the best MCs in the world at the moment...these are simply dope artists that put forth the strongest, most consistently interesting and important (to the genre) high-quality work in the perilous year that was 2020.

If you think your favorite MC was slighted....well, Michael Jordan is the greatest to ever play the game of basketball but even he didn’t win MVP every year, right? I encourage you to write your own list - it’s a cool way to dap artists that are too often overlooked by industry websites, and share the music you enjoy with others that may not have given the record a spin otherwise.

Even if 2020 didn’t bring you the “instant classic” you had been hoping for, I think it’s hard to deny that this year really had impressive depth when it came to showcasing some of the most diverse music that the genre has to offer. I can’t speak for music in general - sadly I’m just The Rap Pundit, not The Music Pundit - but I can say that it has been an impossible task to keep a playlist less than 500 songs deep at a time, because for every truly great release in 2020 there seemed to be 30 very good releases. 👌

So how did I come about these 10 MCs (and Honorable Mentions)? Before you get huffy about who I snubbed (and that is pointed directly at my jury of older head peers that consider themselves tastemakers, but also haven’t opened their minds up to any new takes on rap styles since the year 2000)...here are the five chief pieces of criteria that I put into finalizing my list:

- quality (whatever lane you’re in, how often did you ‘own it’?)

- quantity (at least 10 very good-to-great songs released, and 3-4 verses that stand out as a ‘must-hear’ for any rap music fan)

- consistency (not just 4-5 great features and a few forgettable solo tracks, will I want to keep at least 7 or 8 of your own new songs released in 2020 in my rotation for 2021?)

- impact (are you so vital to the type of rap music you make that if you stopped rapping tomorrow, there’s no one else in the game that could fill that void?)

- “it” factor (are you carried by a co-sign or an elite production team, or did you bring a style/talent to the table that could carry a record in and of itself?)

Got it? Then here we go...

1. Conway the Machine

I hope 2020 was the type of year that Conway the Machine had been hoping for since he first began his journey with rap music. After years of scraping and hustling towards music industry recognition (and not just cult figure status), at year’s end we see Griselda’s top Lieutenant holding down a rare balancing act: champion of underground hip-hop, and most requested feature by any mainstream rap star looking to add some tough-talking muscle to their album.

While much of Conway’s content has always been driven by surviving an attempt on his life in 2012, much like 50 Cent, Conway’s way with words and perspective manage to elevate the quality of his material to a higher tier than most. And where - at least in his heyday - 50 Cent benefited from an indestructible super-villain persona, Conway’s success can be greatly attributed to a larger-than-life heart. With every braggadocious act of gunplay, there are moments of gratefulness to still being alive to share success with his brethren, as well as a painful longing to be with close allies that are no longer with him (at least not in the physical form).

Above all else, in 2020 Conway the Machine did what he has always done throughout his career: delivered well written, passionate bars about coming up in an impossibly challenging environment and coping with loss...only now his craftsmanship and understanding of how to channel all of those feelings into a more polished final product have yielded the most well-rounded solo project of his career in From King to a God. Progress is a slow process, but the long and winding road has finally taken Conway a step closer to that G.O.A.T. status he will hopefully continue to reach for...

Best Evidence: FKTG, and a countless number of scene-stealing verses alongside rap acts ranging from deep underground to household names

2. Freddie Gibbs

I don't use the word "sauce" all too often (this may actually be the first time), but if there was any MC guaranteed to bring sauce to any rap record right now, it's Freddie Gibbs.

Forever existing somewhere between gritty gangsta and syrupy old soul, the flavor that Freddie brings to every verse is malleable enough to work on virtually any type of record, which was certainly proven in 2020. Anyone foresee a Gibbs & Alchemist Grammy nomination heading into 2020? It’s a testament to how high quality work, through consistent reliability and dues paid, can elevate a project from underground niche following to critical acclaim. While his work with Alchemist may not reach the lofty levels of his heralded collaborations with Madlib, Alfredo represents the best that “quarantine music” can offer...two talented friends saying one day, “hey we should finally drop a full tape together, why not?” - and then BOOM, it happens.

Too many fail to remember that Gibbs already has a long accomplished body of work behind him...so the fact that he may just be entering his prime now, is scary.

Best Evidence: Alfredo, Machinedrum’s “Kane Train”

3. Boldy James

Comeback MC of the year, and no it is not close (but big shout-out to Grafh, another dope MC who had an amazing year).

I'm old enough to remember when folks like Roc Marciano and Ka were seen as sleepy, monotone rappers with little hope of reaching permanent rap icon status (flash-forward to today, and they are widely consider geniuses). For some, the quieter, less hook-dependent approach to making rap songs, was....well, not great rap music. They were wrong then and they’re wrong now, but similar to how the coolest, smartest cat in the room is rarely the loudest, it can take some time and patience before everyone learns what’s what. Time is what is required to appreciate Detroit’s Boldy James, a veteran that has been through it - both in terms of the ups and downs of the music business, as well as the streets through which he draws his stories and inspiration.

Boldy makes it seem all too easy, rapping his verses with the cool, casual tone of telling old stories to a close friend over drinks. Dropping multiple projects (with one still to come) in one year can often lead to over-saturation. Even the most dedicated fans/stans can begin to feel less enthusiastic about new releases when they have already received a healthy portion of more of the same...but most rap fans are not necessarily Boldy James fans. Boldy fans (much like Roc Marciano and Ka fans) are already aware that knowing what type of material to expect from your favorite MC can be a blessing if that MC takes pride in the execution of the final product, rather than the noise leading up to it.

The beauty of his collaboration with The Alchemist (big year for that guy, huh?), The Price of Tea in China, is that it celebrates the more subtle nuances of boom-bap, proving that great MC and producer chemistry can trump the “shock & awe” of more uptempo rap music. The shock in Boldy James’ lyrics sits within the detailed descriptions of the cold world he grew up in...so monotone or not, how can any music could be more gripping than that?

Best Evidence: TPOTIC, Manger On McNichols, a long list of consistently perfect feature verses

4. 42 Dugg

I would say this is more of a longterm investment rather than the celebration of a rapper already within rap’s inner circle, but 42 Dugg didn’t just steal the show on every feature this year, he also displayed maturity in his ability to craft well-rounded, high quality rap singles. I’m talking joints that work just as well on the street tape level as they would at the radio level. That is especially rare to see from a rapper that is still relatively new to national conversations.

So much more than just a co-sign of Lil Baby and Yo Gotti, the Detroit eastsider has already proven that he can craft a full solo album with the swagger of a far more seasoned MC. 42 Dugg combines a Boosie-esque, "oh you think you’re better than me??” chip on his shoulder with the unpredictable bombast of Lil Wayne. What he may lack in punchlines he makes up for in musicianship, his voice bringing one of the most nimble touches to trap music that I have heard in a long time. 42 Dugg music is hard and soulful, with the natural hunger of a rapper that knows me might be one smash away from superstardom. By this time next year, I’m betting he will be.

Best Evidence: Young & Turnt 2 (Deluxe), features on high profile records like Lil Baby’s “Grace” and “We Paid”, and a growing stream of attention grabbing solo loosies

5. Rome Streetz

In 2020 it was almost impossible to be an underground MC with a great project unless you landed a Rome Streetz verse.

Rome has been bubbling for a while now, but in 2020 he unleashed an onslaught on the game. At times he seemed like the hardest working MC in underground circles, busting his ass to not only make as many appearances as possible, but also to own any song he guested on. He raps like every verse might be “the one” that gets him a huge contract, and that’s a level of hunger and consistency that will likely land him more than one huge contract someday. In spite of that laundry list of strong features, the young Brooklyn MC still managed to release multiple dope solo projects, all flashing a rap style that feels at once a throwback and the fresh voice NYC rap needs.

Rome is clearly from the same school as many of the New York City greats, because he has the capacity to deliver dark, potent bars with the sharp intellect of a Harvard lecture (think AZ before “Sugar Hill”). While he sounds most at home when he’s rhyming over instrumentals that run more coldblooded than a horror flick, it’s easy to picture him popping up in more places in 2021...if that’s even possible.

Best Evidence: Noise Kandy 4, Kontraband, The Residue, and at least 50 incredible features with a who’s-who of the underground’s finest

6. Stove God Cook$

No one saw this coming....well, maybe Roc Marciano, Lord Jamar, Busta Rhymes and a few more NYC heads in the know - but I guarantee you, no one else saw the Stove God coming!

Bar for bar, no MC owned more rewind-worthy rap quotables in 2020 than Stove God Cook$. Dropping a solo debut with VERY little fanfare and zero features (apart from the steady, reliable guidance of Roc Marciano - low key one of hip-hop’s most reliable producers), a slow bubbling word of mouth campaign on social media eventually got Stove God verses exposed to more and more high profile ears. Such a grass roots campaign is rarely seen...I mean, a rap album slowly becoming a critical darling simply off the strength of more and more random folks discovering the music and Tweeting about it, as opposed to the buzz being calculated before the product??? It feels almost too good to be true these days, as early reviews of Reasonable Drought typically lead with something along the lines of, “hey, have you heard of this album? I have no idea who this is, but it is 🔥🔥🔥”

It has often been said that Roc Marciano has a lot of “sons” in the game, implying that Roc Marci gave birth to a style that a whole generation of underground MCs run with today. So it’s ironic (or perhaps highly appropriate?) that the next level of progression for Roc might be to have a protege, a young Jedi to carry on the tradition on Roc’s own terms, and become the next new star to be embraced by the old heads. But Stove God isn’t a clone of Roc, or anyone else, he’s simply one of the most exciting artists to hit the NYC underground in a generation. Everything from his word choice, to his fresh references and sense of humor, to his delivery and the way he structures his verses, feels like a collection of “firsts”, there’s simply no one sounding like him. And if his work in 2020 is any indication, he will continue to be in a league of his own for years to come.

Best Evidence: Reasonable Drought, spotlight snatching features alongside Roc Marciano and Griselda’s finest

7. Lil Baby

Once viewed by some as just another “Lil”, Lil Baby had been rollin’ coming into 2020, but by the end of 2020 it’s clear that he has arrived at the forefront of rap music’s most reliable hitmakers right now.

A must-have feature on any rap album reaching for max exposure, Lil Baby’s dexterous flow, charisma, and pen that is significantly sharper than early reports indicated, made him one of the few shining stars in 2020 to consistently deliver good rap music to what in any other year would have been considered smash hits in any club.

What makes Lil Baby’s music standout is that he could easily be a “cookie cutter” MC, phoning in verse after verse just to get another check, but instead he continues to bring it - trying to squeeze in an extra catchy lyric, maybe flow in a way that breaks up a verse to make it stand out from the pack a little more - and even when he is featured over cookie cutter beats that sound like every other trap inspired beats that came before it, Baby seems eager to prove something. I think that’s what I like about him - he’s on a short list of mainstream-bred Young Thug disciples that seem to really want to put the work in to becoming one of the greats.

Best Evidence: I mean...did any rap star have more songs in circulation this year? Dude was everywhere, but “The Bigger Picture” got his name officially into the lyricist conversation (even though personally I don’t even think it’s one of his more impressive records - at least not stylistically)

8. Westside Gunn

No one denies that the Griselda Records team had a banner year, yet somehow the vocal leader of the group managed to drop a handful of dope projects without receiving credit for being a great MC in his own right. Great artist, great album curator, great business man - sure, but great MC?? That credit is rarely given to the FLYGOD. He might not even understand how natural he is as a solo MC, waxing unpredictable flows and half-bars that stick in your mind in place of catchy hooks or predictable song structure. He might call himself an artist first, but I still call him one of the most prolific rappers today (regardless of whether he retires after the ball drops).

I can’t believe I have to tell rap fans this in the year 2020...but......you all know that message and punchlines are just part of the art of rapping, right...and not the only thing that defines who is a dope MC and who isn’t?? Play any solo cut from Westside Gunn and filter out the “doot-doot-doots” and stream of conscious hooks and what you are left with is one of the most distinctive voices in rap music, attempting off-kilter flows and phrases over some of the most impressive production in rap music today, and to me that sounds like my kind of rap music. What the Buffalo floor general lacks in diversity of subject matter he makes up for with a relentless imagination.

That’s why it’s not all that surprising to me that Westside Gunn enjoyed more mainstream attention in 2020 than he ever has before. All he needed was a window of exposure and he certainly capitalized on it, pitching his sound and his vision in all the right places, without compromising his style or vacating his lane. So strictly as a MC, I would consider him the Young Thug of the east coast underground scene, and if 2020 does turn out to be his final year of recording solo projects, I am thankful that he already has a long list of quality projects with high replay value to revisit again and again. But don’t wait - give this man his flowers now.

Best Evidence: “Euro Step”, “Rebirth”, “327″, “Shawn vs. Flair”, “Michael Irvin”, and YES he even had a more than worthy verse on “$500 Ounces” alongside Freddie Gibbs and Roc Marciano

9. Benny the Butcher

Who else is more reliable to deliver a dope feature verse than Benny?

By now you must be muttering at least a few things about me, so let me just make two points: YES, I am a big fan of Griselda records, but NO I do not consider that an unreasonable bias because even on paper according to a large variety of sources, it’s clear that Conway, Boldy James, Westside Gunn and Benny are true specialists when it comes to the quality of the work they distribute. Its not a fluke or a trend, they’re just that good at what they do...I have been saying this for almost 5 years now, but in 2020 the rest of you sleepy heads finally just stopped hitting snooze.

Benny the Butcher already possesses the writing capacity, attention to detail, and skills of observation/personal reflection to put himself within special company as one of the nicest pens in the business today. But in 2020, he dialed things up even higher...or perhaps word of mouth just finally caught up with the rest of his peers? The tribute to the classic Roc-A-Fella era that was his Burden of Proof project with Hit-Boy helped expose Benny to a much larger audience, and it has been beautiful to see so many more folks quoting and sharing his lyrics on Twitter, because I recall when he had about the same amount of Followers that I do, because it wasn’t all that long ago (I just hope they go back to experience all of his prior work - I’m still partial to his incredible verses on “Shower Shoe Lords” and “Pissy Work”)!

In my not so humble opinion, I do think some of the more dramatic pomp and circumstance on the BOP album was more suited to a Rick Ross or Meek Mill than Benny, so I’m actually more excited to hear what Benny has in store for 2021. He truly sounds at his best over more minimalistic production that lets his lyrics fill the spotlight...but still, tracks like “Timeless” and “Legend” do remind me of some of my favorite moments from old JAY-Z albums...blasphemous, maybe, but true.

A shot to the leg last month seems to have done nothing to slow his momentum, so if you didn’t board the bandwagon by now, you are inexcusably late.

Best Evidence: Burden of Proof, mercilessly slaughtering every verse on every Griselda projects, and a ton of show-stealing features

10. Drakeo the Ruler

What a journey it's been for the L.A. rising star.

Flexing a penchant for placing local slang into his music and delivering dark verses with a clear sense of humor, it's easy to see the appeal of Drakeo's style. If Thank You For Using GTL was an inspiring attempt to do anything possible to keep his buzz going (in that case, recording his verses over a prison phone), the quick release of We Know The Truth shortly after he regained his freedom seems to have given him a 50 Cent-esque teflon aura at the moment.

But this is about more than just Drakeo himself, it’s about what he represented before incarceration, and what he represents now. As one of the more visible forces in a new generation of west coast hip-hop, Drakeo was a few key features away from exploding onto the national scene. Now after surviving his ordeal, likely with a great deal more to write about, his ceiling has only been raised - and along with his growth potential, so rises the potential for the current rap scene out in L.A. right now. Mark my words: by this time next year Drakeo’s flow will be one of the most flagrantly jacked flows in rap music coast to coast.

A sincere welcome home from the rap world, Drakeo the Ruler. Hopefully the worst is now behind you. 🙏

Best Evidence: We Know The Truth, Free Drakeo, Thank You For Using GTL

*Honorable Mentions*:

Che Noir, Ka, Ransom, Billy Woods, Royce Da 5′9″, Jay Electronica, Fly Anakin, Curren$y, Lil Uzi Vert, Roc Marciano, Skyzoo, Black Thought, Tee Grizzley, Your Old Droog, Flee Lord, Lil Wayne

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serendipitybutterfly · 3 years

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Honestly if bts win a Grammy for butter or ptd I will throw my hands in the air 😂. It would just show that the grammys gave the award to just shut people up 😂 because let's be real, even tho they have alot of issues they still give awards with for songs that are good (even tho I'm still very upset about the weeknd not being even nomined while bts got nominated for fu*king dynamite 😭) . Also it might encourage the guys to make that type of music 😭 😬 which that would be 😶. I definitely thing that the guys only care about the numbers and the coin right now. They have alot of talent yet I don't think that they would deserve even the nomination yet alone a win with these recent songs.

Anyway I hope you had a good Halloween 🎃🎃🎃😘😘😘

I think we all, including them, need to stop worrying so much about the Grammys... Those awards are not given out based on artistic excellence or even popularity... You've got to playing ball with the right people. Many amazing artists have been constantly snubbed by the Grammys while objectively worse songs have been awarded... It means nothing.

That said, if they won or even got nominated for something like PTD a part of me would almost be offended on their behalf knowing how many amazing songs they've personally played big roles in creating, along with their team... But who knows how they themselves would feel...

Right now, it seems pretty obvious to me that a new album / comeback is imminent so I'm just looking forward to that.... To songs that are actually written and produced by my favourite artists, that tell their own stories and reflect their actual artistic sensibilities and talents.

I do have faith in their taste and skills. I just hope that in the future they will play a greater role in any English language releases (or at least the big hit producers will) as well and make sure the music and lyrics feel more authentically them... It's possible. Even if you run your Korean lyrics through a translation app and then get a professional English speaking song writer to tidy them up and make them sound good... You know, like Tae seems to have done for Sweet Night, which no one could deny is definitely a 'Tae song', despite being in English.

Unlike PTD (or Dynamite... I haven't forgotten how much I dislike you either) defenders constantly claimed, for people who didn't like the song, the language was really not the problem... At least not directly. The problem was that, if you like BTS's music, PTD seemed like a complete departure from what makes them them... In pretty much every way... Sonically, lyrically... Even the choreography was cutesy and twee and I'm sorry but these grown men looked rather ridiculous doing it... To the point that I literally still can't watch a performance of it without getting second hand embarrassment... A young rookie girl group with a peppy, cute, innocent image would have been better suited to the concept perhaps and would have made it seem believable and genuine (if you can imagine a rookie version of s*nsd or t*wice totally selling a song then you know it's NOT a BTS song... This is not intended as a diss at all to those groups BTW. I'm actually a fan of those groups (T*wice's first English single is vastly superior to Dynamite imo, come at me!) because they knew / know their brand and sell it well and actually, I think, in some ways really epitomise what made Kpop so unique when I first got into it... but they had a very different style and essence which suited them but does not seem genuine when coming from BTS who are very different kinds of artists. Which makes total sense as they made completely different music...) ...

But hey, thank goodness, that era is over and we seem to headed towards a new album which, as ITS revealed, the members are definitely involved in... And that always bodes well! Let's focus on positive things! 💜

#onwards and upwards

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newcaptainofsquad9 · 4 years

Text

So, When Can We Tell The World? {1} Min Yoongi x black! fem! reader

Parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Summary: You and Yoongi have been collaborating for a few years, what the public world didn’t know however was that the both of you were in a happy, functioning relationship. After showing up to support at one of your shows, Yoongi suggests going public, making you anxious for him, but most of all your own well-being with his fans and of what the South Korean public would think of you.

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Romance, Idol-verse, Smut (hinted at in this part, but none explicitly)

Word Count: 2, 046

Author’s Note: So, here we are another series. I know too many, but this one will probably be the same chapter length as Shakespeare Sub, I promise. Anyways, I hope ya’ll enjoy it and if ya’ll have any BTS or EXO requests, send them my way. Thanks!

The last song of the concert always feels surreal. The stage isn’t huge, just a decent sized theater in Bluetsville(your hometown). It’s the thought that gets me, I’ve played at bigger venues before, yet coming back always gets me emotional. Once the song finishes I smile so hard my cheeks hurt and glance out into the crowd as applause fills the entire venue.

One person stands out the most with his over-sized black hoodie, glasses and a cap with my stage name on it. I wouldn’t have done a double take if he didn’t flash that familiar gummy smile, as if he knew I was going to look there. It’s only a moment, yet I recognize Yoongi’s smile anywhere, he hardly does it even around me. Maybe his fans don’t notice him but in that slip second I did as he claps the loudest before sending me his finger hearts. I start to do it back, but stop myself abruptly. No, that’ll just draw attention to us. It’s almost an exclusive k-pop gesture, which someone on Twitter could easily pick up on. Instead I send him a quick wink.

“Thank you so much!” I scream.

The crowd reacts in thunderous applause once more, I give one last bow and turn back towards the curtain, disappearing behind it.

***

I find myself dressed down in my dressing room, wearing one of Yoongi’s old hoodies, a snapback and grey sweats. My phone lights up abruptly, signalling an upcoming call from my brother, Kevin of all people.

“Sup loser,” I say through a low giggle.

“Yo idiot,” he answers back, “how’d the show go?”

I sigh with a dopey grin.

It was amazing. Even though the people packed together in swayed, waved and sung together like a frenzied horde, I couldn’t help but think back to Yoongi. I hope he got to wherever he needed to safely.

“Uh, did you hear me?” Kevin asks.

“Y-Yeah,” I say quickly, “it went amazing, a little more daunting compared to my first tour.”

Kevin gaffs.

“If that didn’t boost your chances at the Grammys, I don’t know what will!”

I chuckle against the phone at my brother’s words.

“I don’t think that’s how it works Kev,” I say, “I don’t really care, they invited me, I guess to preform.”

Kevin hums.

“Yeah?” he asks, “And what about ol’ Agust D, eh? he performing with you? I heard him and the guys were supposed to be there too.”

I can’t help but smile when he mentions Yoongi’s other rap persona. That album was what made me discover Yoongi’s music, along with BTS’s discography and eventually pushed me to want to collaborate with them. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with Yoongi during our time recording All The Crown Players(a song from your album).

“I’m not really sure,” I say, “you know how they can be.”

“Oh, I know, how can they snub you twice!” Kevin whines, “anyway, I gotta go! Next time you talk to ol’ Suga tell him I said hey!”

I roll my eyes.

“I told you to call him Yoongi,” I groan.

“Ey, that’s what the fans call him,” he says, “talk to you later, love you.”

“Love you too idiot,” I say.

Kevin starts to say something else but I hang up anyway. If he’s got something to do he won’t call back as fast and I won’t get another earful.

“That’s what you get for teasing me about my boyfriend,” I mutter to myself.

A text from Yoongi lights my phone up instead.

Yoongi: It amazes me every time you perform, God you were so amazing babe

My dopey smile returns once my fingers numbly tap the keypad in response.

Me: I saw you at the end! How the hell did you get in without anyone recognizing you?

Yoongi responds straight away.

Yoongi: I have my ways. I’ve been doing this for seven years sweetheart, I’ve mastered the art of incognito mode. 😎

My grin spreads out at his message. My fingers follow the lame joke that pops into my head, yet I couldn’t care less.

Me: So, what you’re Batman? No, Anpanman! 😂😂

I giggle out as Yoongi’s response takes a little longer, as it should. Between my lame jokes and Jin’s dad jokes I think he’s fed up with the both of us. At least with me it makes some sort of sense.

A moment passes, instead of a text back I get a call from Yoongi. Oh boy.

“Hello?” I answer.

“I know you’re laughing,” Yoongi says, “I just want to confirm that it wasn’t funny.”

I cover my mouth to stifle the remaining giggles that flood out.

“I know, but it’s true,” I say, “you are my Anpanman.”

Yoongi grumbles something that I can’t make out.

“Sorry babe, what was that?” I ask.

“Nothing Jagi,” he says, “anyway —”

“Yoongi,” I warn, “tell me, please?”

Yoongi sighs deeply.

“I said, I better be your Anpanman,” he admits, “are you happy now?”

“Yes,” I say, “how long are you gonna be here?”

“As long as you want me,” Yoongi answers, “we got a small break before Grammys and the MMAs. I was wondering if we could meet at your place.”

My heart hammers in my chest at his words. We’ve stayed with each other overnight before, yet I always feel like I’m some lovestuck teenager when I’m around Yoongi. We rarely get moments together, if it’s public we have to remain friendly, but not too friendly to raise dating suspicions. Even when he’s here in America it’s difficult to schedule time for each other. I’m an artist too and BTS is getting just as huge, the fact that Yoongi and I both have time before the Grammy’s is a God send.

“Y/N?” Yoongi asks, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Yeah, we can meet there,” I reassure, “you still have a key?”

“You know I do,” he says, “see you there.”

I bit my lip before humming in agreement.

***

The moment I step across the threshold of my house, I shut the door and twist the locks in place. A pair of strong arms wrap around my waist before I can get a chance to take my hands off the cold locks.

“I need to go to your shows more often,” Yoongi says.

I shiver at his breath near my ear and turn around in his arms to face him. He’s in his dark hoodie, but the hat is gone, revealing soft, short brown hair that falls into his eyes.

“You come when you can,” I say, “I’m just glad you got there safely.”

Yoongi chuckles while he moves a hand up to cup my face.

“You worry too much,” he notes, “I’m here, ok?”

His eyes soften as they bore into mine, he leans in to press our foreheads together. I follow his lead, our lips meet in a fierce kiss, something we haven’t been able to do in months. My fingers find themselves in his brown locks as he groans into the kiss, backing up slightly, yet not disconnecting from my lips.

I pull back with a giggle.

“Are you good?”

Yoongi nods and nudges his head towards my velvet sofa.

“I just wanted to take this to the couch,” he admits, “your concert took everything out of me.”

“Oh really?”

Yoongi nods as I take his hand and lead him to the sofa before we both plop down on it.

“Really,” he confirms with a kiss, “you kinda got me worked up actually.”

I return his kisses fully, pull myself up into his lap and rub down his chest.

“Is that in a good way?” I challenge.

Yoongi growls against my jaw, kissing down my neck as his hands rub up and down my sides.

“Oh it’s good baby, so good,” he groans, “God, tug your fingers in my hair again.”

I nod as our lips meet once again, my fingers find themselves in his hair as our make out continues. His moans make me smile, his hips bucking up against me as the kisses grow hungrier.

“You’re so needy,” I whisper, “do you need me to take care of that?”

Yoongi’s eyes close as he nods.

“Please, I, God, I love you,” he moans.

My hands freeze once I reach for the buckle of his pants. Did he just say the l word?

Yoongi opens his eyes, the lust that was once there is replaced with concern.

“Y/N?” he asks, “you all right?”

I nod and slide back onto the couch from his lap.

“Yeah,” I lie.

Of course I knew he loved me, he never says it though. I’m the one you says it, and Yoongi always responds with a “me too” or “love you more.” Never fully. It shouldn’t bother me much, yet it does for some reason.

“Y/N,” Yoongi says.

I look up and his face is only an inch from my own.

“Was that too much?” he asks, “what did I do wrong?”

I stroke his cheek and shake my head.

“Nothing, it’s just,” I pause before continuing, “it was just surprising to hear I love you from you.”

Yoongi pulls back to pull me into an embrace.

“You had me worried,” he whispers, “I know I need to say it more especially when we’re pressed for time together.”

I smile in the crook of his neck.

“No, it’s fine,” I say, “we can keep it between us.”

Yoongi pulls back with a puzzled glare.

“What do you mean?”

I sit up and gnaw at my lip.

“Maybe, we shouldn’t say it often, because I don’t want it to slip out at the wrong time,” I explain, “with ARMY and all those girls clawing at you.”

Yoongi chuckles as he leans in to plant a few kisses down my neck.

“Do they make you jealous?” he asks.

I can hardly focus as his lips continue to work.

“Well, a little,” I say, “it’s a lot to live up to.”

Yoongi grows serious. I end up against his chest as his arms wound themselves tightly around me. His heart beats rhythmically in tune with mine, forcing me to calm down just a bit.

“They don’t hold a candle to you,” he says, “I love them, but it’s a different type of love. You know I’d do anything for you, right?”

The words get lodged in my throat at the intense look Yoongi throws at me. He’s completely serious.

“Yoongi-”

“Y/N, I want to tell the world,” he admits, “ARMY, everyone.”

Where is he going with this?

“Yoongi, what are you-”

“We should be official,” Yoongi declares.

My mind goes haywire. He isn’t serious, right?

“But we are official,” I say, “Yoongi, we’ve already established that we’re dating.”

Yoongi shakes his head this time.

“Y/N you know what I mean,” he says, “I don’t want to hide anymore.”

A rush comes to my head at once. The headlines would be horrendous: “BTS star Suga has been revealed to be dating ‘urban’ Hip Hop artist Y/N Y/L/N.” Kpop Twitter will literally implode in on itself. Yoongi won’t get any rest and I won’t be able to live it down. If I was Korean maybe, just maybe I would get out alive, even if I was white too, but as a black woman? There’s not a chance in hell.

“Babe, please tell me what you’re thinking,” Yoongi pleads,”you’ve been quiet for awhile.”

“Yoongi, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say.

“How come?” he asks.

“Well, for one, do you know what happened with Chen? Kai? Jennie?” I ask, “the fans would devour me!”

“They wouldn’t,” he grumbles, “you’re an amazing person, singer, rapper and writer.”

“Yeah and black,” I say bluntly, “they can’t get past that.”

Yoongi takes both of my hands prior to squeezing tightly.

“I know, but they’ll just have to handle it, right?”

It’s like the words aren’t even being comprehended. Does he not hear me?

I inhale slowly and stand from the couch.

“Y/N-”

I give Yoongi an artificial smile, something to get him off my back for a moment.

“I-I’m ok, I-I just need some time to myself,” I say.

Yoongi deflates, but nods anyway before leaning back into the couch.

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struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor · 4 years

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MOTS: 7

After the Grammys snub and with the release of BE, I wanted to pay an homage to this album. Yes, it’s too long, not very cohesive (like LY: Tear is), some of the songs aren’t that great, and the auto-tune and production of the album often make the songs feel empty... but it takes risks, has something to say, and provides a rich auditory experience.

Quick rating of the tracks (my rating isn’t very precise, I’m just following my heart):

Intro Persona: a really great song, with great lyrics, very RM, very underrated (8.7/10), BLW: fresh, catchy, heartfelt, captures BTS’s charms perfectly, underrated, but I think Halsey’s vocals don’t fit the song very well (8.2/10); Make it Right: really not my style, a bit boring and doesn’t feel like a BTS song (7/10), Jamais Vu: nice and charming (8.2/10); Dionysus: badass (8.9/10)

Interlude Shadow: absolute masterpiece, from the lyrics to the use of the brilliant melody of O!RUL8,2?, this song is art, emotional and powerful (9.5/10); Black Swan: another masterpiece, the beat and the lyrics give me goosebumps, I literally feel this song with my entire body, it’s almost painful to listen to, yet so comfortable (10/10); Filter: the transition from Interlude: Shadow to Black Swan was great but the transition to Filter wasn’t a good decision, imo, it should’ve been ON or Louder than Bombs; the song is catchy and nice but not particularly exciting, the lyrics are interesting though (7.7/10); My Time is great and JK’s vocals are insane, but it’s a song I like in theory yet not wholeheartedly, there’s something missing for me (8/10); Louder than Bombs is a good follow-up to My Time sonically, it’s good but a bit bland and arranged in a way that makes it feel empty (7.5/10); ON: is what people call a ‘cultural reset’ (9.2/10); UGH doesn’t work for me in some ways, it’s a bit loud, aggressive and repetitive, it lacks the emotion and power of Tear, it feels empty as well (8/10); 00:00 is sweet and has a nice message, the vocals are great (8/10); Inner Child has a gorgeous concept but it’s a bit simplistic, ‘you’re my boy, my boy’ tears me up (7.7/10); Friends is cute and hearing JM and V shout ‘you’re my soulmate’ literally saves lives (7.9/10); Moon is overproduced and not the nicest song to listen to but Seokjinnie’s heart is all over it and you can feel its genuineness (7.8/10); Respect: I’m not very fond of this song tbh, it’s a bit annoying, but the ending is fun and the song is refreshing (7.9/10); WABP: The Eternal: I don’t like it that much, I actually feel disconnected from it because I haven’t been a part of BTS’s journey for long (7.5/10); Outro: Ego is the perfect follow-up to WABP because it’s full of charm and energy, but it’s not an amazing song (7.9/10); ON (feat. SIA)... idk? whatever.

Overall, most of the songs aren’t rated that highly but they all have something unique to offer and are interesting to listen to in their own ways. The main strength of MOTS: 7 is just that. It’s a rich, complex album, with a lot of layers.

#bts #mots 7 #mots: 7 #bts mots 7 #text

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bangtanclock · 3 years

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THE WEST IS BIASED TOWARDS WESTERN (WHITE) ARTISTS AS A WHOLE. AND, LIKE RM’S VERSE IN UGH: RAGE? OF COURSE, YOU NEED IT

It seemed as if the world was in uproar (the good kind) when the Academy Awards Nominations were announced this past November 2020, and, almost eight years into their career, BTS made history by being nominated for the possibility to win their first ever Grammy award, the first South Korean act to ever achieve that.

This was wave turning for BANGTAN and to us, the BTS Army. In numerous words of support, it felt as though the excitement was never ending, and yet through all that happiness, we as fans wondered: although there is no doubt that BTS deserved that nomination (and that award), the fact that it was given to their only song in English made us second guess the Academy’s intentions with it.

It is not a secret that BTS has submitted their previous works to be nominated, but it was not until one of their multiple record-breaking hits Dynamite got it that we all realized that the charting song could become a double-edged sword. The power the disco pop song holds is undeniable, and it has let BTS reach numerous milestones, such as their first #1 in the Billboard Hot 100, the fastest music video to reach one hundred million views on Youtube and, of course, the Grammy Best Pop/Duo Group Performance nomination. However, it was also through these milestones that the western media’s -ahem- preference for the white mold and all-English hits became enlarged. Still, it’s important to see Dynamite not as BTS adapting or complying to the western public demand, but as BTS striving to break down the last wall in the market (and succeeding).

To be fair, BANGTAN did have tough competition against them in this category, but the song’s impact was impossible to ignore. Even then, and with all the data to back the South Korean’s group never-ending success, Dynamite still lost to Lady Gaga’s and Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me”. No disrespect to Gaga and Grande, for their careers speaks for themselves and they are huge names in the industry, but the collaboration did not have the worldwide impact Dynamite had. Despite this, the two iconic women are not to blame for the blatant snub against BTS, but the Academy itself and the secret committee that ultimately has the last word on Grammy wins, which has been known to be racist, xenophobic, definitely tone deaf and culturally disconnected -not only towards BTS, but to artists of color as a whole, going as far as to categorize the awards by genre, language and roughly race specific. This notion becomes further proved by the fact that, in the entire Recording Academy history, the number of BIPOC artists rewarded is too small to compete against their white counterparts.

BANGTAN are one of the hardest working acts in the industry, and sadly, sometimes it feels like it does take a genius to see it. It’s enough to go back in their history a bit and learn how it is that BTS came to be what they are now, for there has been a common misconception that their success has come easily to them, when in reality, it has not been an obstacle-free road at all.

Still, getting a little bit into the details of their work, it’s not very difficult to see the production that goes behind the scenes for BTS: from the music to the lyrics, to the music videos, to the choreography, to the live performances and so on. And, talking about performances, a few weeks before the Grammys were to take place, it was announced that BTS would finally get their own solo stage in the esteemed award show after having a collab stage with Lil Nas X by singing his smash hit “Old Town Road” at the 2020 Grammys. As it was confirmed by RM himself, a performance on the Grammy stage was a bigger goal to them than an actual Academy Award. Thus, the BTS performance became one of the (if not the most) highest anticipated acts of the night.

Many critiques would agree with me: when it comes to performing, nobody does it like BTS. For further proof, please refer to their 2018 MMA Idol Performance or to their 2020 Black Swan + ON + Life Goes On + Dynamite MMA Performance. These are just two in a long list of iconic live performances BTS has blessed our eyes and our ears with. It was only fitting that the group would perform the song that capsized their career in 2020 and continues to do so.

The Grammy’s “Dynamite” performance was the group’s 35th rendition of that same song, giving us a fresh, raw, and different delivery in each and every one of them, and this is just one of the things that make BTS so special. Adding to that their huge global fanbase, the Grammys tried to take advantage of both BTS and Army to try and skyrocket the views for the televised show. However, after the group’s loss against Rain On Me, many fans vowed against watching it until it was time for BTS’ performance. In a desperate try to maintain their views, the most anticipated act of the night was teased but pushed until almost the very end, further enraging the already fuming fans, and with good reason. When the time finally came for BTS to perform, fans tuned in to watch and support BANGTAN, trending hashtags and kind words towards them.

For this show, starting from a rose-filled stage and ending on top of a roof to end their number with a bang, I am very confident to say that the public asked for and BTS delivered an entertaining and flawless performance, if the amazing vocals, sharp moves and elaborate multiple stages are anything to go by.

BTS are an entity of their own, and their success does not depend on whether they get a Grammy or not.

The Grammys, on the other hand, proved that they are more than willing to use BANGTAN’s fame and audience for their own benefit. And, while the treatment towards BTS is not surprising, at the end of the day, the BTS Army only proved that they are here for BTS and for BTS only, the band’s post-Grammy VLIVE gathering almost as many viewers as the televised show in only under twenty minutes.

It only shows how much of a class act BANGTAN is that their reaction, while disappointed, was to strive to be better in hopes of getting an award next year. Needless to say, we will be here to back them up every step of the way.

#BTS #GRAMMYS #BTSGRAMMYS #DYNAMITE #BANGTAN #JUNGKOOK #KIMNAMJOON #parkjimin #kim taehyung #kim seokjin #min yoongi #suga #rm #jhope #jung hoseok #rant #personal rant

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suga-kookiemonster · 4 years

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P1 I don’t know I made the mistake of going on twit and tbh I kinda feel like Kpop in general not just bts fans have taken on a nasty almost forceful twist and I kinda miss the way shit use to be honestly! When fabs weren’t force feeding locals content and shaming them for it! work as an assistant for a program director for a radio station. And we often discuss how we sometimes feel like we have to say we’re Kpop fans bc of the industry were in! I found the genre personally bc I’ve always

p2 bc I’ve always loved k-rap then about 2 years ago I stumbled across Taemin and fell into a dark hole lol! If somebody says they don’t like rap or country witch are also genres it’s like OK whatever...but if somebody doesn’t like Kpop... it’s suddenly aggressive : why bc you can’t understand it? Music is music! Or why bc boys are we’re makeup?! Toxic masculinity issues! Well no what if ppl just don’t like it? We often speak about how the boys can be mistreated in this industry but

P3 but not the silent bias that’s within it I remember one night we let fans vote and in my particular state the boys got nowhere near as many votes as I think a Harry styles song or something ? Either way I still remember our host being like “why do I feel like I HAVE to play the song regardless bc if not ppl just assume I’m ignoring it bc it’s Kpop, not bc the masses in THIS city Didint vote for it!” That is a legit issue where people in the industry feel like they can’t say they

P4- That is a legit issue where people in the industry feel like they can’t say they don’t like a bts song in the same way they can say they don’t like a Shawn Mendes song! My point is we can’t deny that our boys get additional focus bc there not just a boy band from LA there a Kpop group! Fans were composing that there not “just”. Kpop group which is true there talented AF...but that’s dose play a huge factor in the appeal and the issues some “fans” create

P5 idk I guess the point of my rant is I miss when shit felt more natural and not forced or like I’m sometimes ashamed to be a Kpop fan bc of the way parts of the fandom presents itself. Let ppl be let ppl like who they like and dislike who they dislike as long as its done respectfully

this is definitely not just a bts problem. for some reason, the bigger a fanbase gets, the more psycho and unreasonable and cultlike the fanbase gets, no matter the genre. army? psycho. beyhive? psycho. barbz? little monsters? PSYCHO. i’m a fan of all of those artists, by the way. i just refuse to associate myself with the fanbases because as a whole, they’ve lost all common sense and have pretty much just become bullies. and twitter is their playground, so i make a habit to distance myself from it and only follow accounts that don’t drain my energy.

bts unfortunately now wields the double-edged sword of being the the first kpop act to break into western markets at this scale. great because they deserve it and they’re helping to dismantle a racist industry little by little, but also not great because it brings out the racist sentiments in people, and in order to compensate for that, the fandom is attacking anyone who isn’t into bts. which i think is stupid! kpop is a genre, just like anything else, and people are allowed to not like it. i can only think of a handful of country songs that i enjoy--i simply do not like the genre.

it gets more complicated at an industry level, however, because people usually like what they’re used to, and all the higher-ups in the western entertainment industry are white. they’re not used to it, and they don’t want it, and all poc groups get snubbed because of it. bts not getting enough votes at your radio station from the people who live there is one thing, as that’s regional (and you should be able to say “sorry guys! they just didn’t have the votes”), but bts “not getting enough votes” at the grammys is a whole other ball game, because that’s corporations and racism and politics. that’s a committee of rich white men judging art from women and poc when, as i previously stated, you’re not gonna get it if you’re not used to it.

#anonymous #asks

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