Diego Mendez – Literary Arts Blogspace

7Fates: Chako (Prologue-Ep 2) A Digesting, Reviewing, Partaking, Analyzing, Moment

Alright. My love for BTS is a secret by no means. If you didn’t know though…I am absolutely enthralled in everything that is the top global 7 member k-pop group-BTS!

For Context: Earlier this year, it was announced that BTS would be doing a collaboration with Webtoon– one of the most popular graphic comic website/app in the bizz right now. It was January 14, 2022 that the first episode, “The Prologue”, was published, yet somehow I still have not given myself the opportunity to read it. It’s now March 31,2022. I will admit that I am no avid comic reader, and I only started because of BTS; however, three months later I am seeing what this comic has to offer.

The Webtoon comic is titled 7Fates: Chako and is loosely based of the 7 BTS members. I’m going to be focusing on the first three episodes, including the prologue, to focus on what the comic has been initially giving as I have started it off.

Warning –Spoilers Ahead– Warning

Right off the bat the reader is thrown into an action scene. It is a vivid moment which I assume is introducing the audience to the main 7 people. There is little dialogue in this action scene which could have easily left the reader extremely confused as to where/who/what is even going on, but this isn’t the case. This strategy actually works for a number of reasons.

For starters, since there are such few words written, each word passing becomes vital. The writing team knew an immediate fight scene could be overwhelming with 7 new characters being introduced all at the same time, so a third person narrator gave a very broad description of the story as the main protagonist and antagonist groups were introduced– the Chako team and the Beom monsters.

The delivery can be compared to a microfiction. Like in a microfiction, one wants to say the most with the least amount of words. This is exactly what they did while giving the reader enough information to be interested but not overwhelmed.

After this, the story dives into what seems to be a few moments in the past before the intense prologue scene. The story continues to unfold by jumping back and forth through time. The actual characters aren’t time traveling, but the story is being told by flashbacks and flashforwards. Now, this is exciting and keeps suspense from one transition to another and all, but I am afraid it can be just slightly confusing at times. Luckily so far, when a transition happens, it will begin with two seconds of the scene from where the reader previously left off.

I’m not saying shifts through time are a bad way of telling a story at all, especially because the main character keeps recalling lost memories about his past in this story. For some reason though, the flashes through time do not feel like smooth transitions to me. It’s almost giving me reader’s whiplash. I hate to say any negative critiques about anything associated with BTS, but this couldn’t be a truthful review without me mentioning this.

Other than that, through the first three episodes I am having no major negative feelings that would cause me to cease interest. Granted I may be a little biased 😉 I feel like so much and not much has happened already, and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. I’ll leave that up to your own judgement.

But yeah! This is a fun story that is outside my usual reading zones, and I am glad BTS were the ones to help me explore other horizons of story telling. If you want to see what I’ve been clamoring on about for an entire blog post check out WEBTOON and search for 7FATES: CHAKO for the weekly updated series. Hopefully you won’t be disappointed. I haven’t been so far Thank you so much and have a great day ♥

Reviewing “The Hit Man”

https://maynardjgvsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/the-hit-man.pdf

Hey >.> “The Hit Man” is a genius story written by T.C. Boyle in 1977. This blog post is only made possible by his mind and literary work of course. So, this is what happened…

It was Reading Across America Day, and I needed a juicy book to sink my talons into. I went to my teacher– the magnificent Clinnesha Sibley– who had recommended me a book of short stories by a man named T.C. Boyle, the book titled The Human Fly and Other Stories. Next thing I know I’m losing my marbles over the stories I’m reading from the book.

From the anthology of short stories, I chose “The Hit Man” to write about today because it is so simple yet so conveying. (Above is a link which provides an online copy of the story. You won’t get a virus by clicking it, just a great read. Here it is again in case you missed it the first time 😉

https://maynardjgvsu.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/the-hit-man.pdf

A Disclaimer: I am no professional story reviewer. I am simply sharing what I stumbled upon and thought to be a bomb read.

“The Hit Man” is a compelling story of a man’s entire life. The main awe factor is the way in which the story is written, which is in these sections. As you may have seen or read from the links provided, we are introduced into the story by an unnamed narrator who recalls moments from The Hit Man’s life. (The main character is named The Hit Man.) He continues revealing this mysterious Hit Man by small snippets of information. Some sections are on the chunkier side and others are only one sentence, and that’s all they need.

This works so well. What I thought at first would become choppy, turned into the opposite. The story flowed effortlessly which was achieved by keeping all the fragments of The Hit Man’s life in chronological order. Sections tying into one another helped execute Boyle’s plan as well.

One example of this is with the “Peas” section. I thought The Hit Man becoming frustrated with peas was Boyle trying to show The Hit Man’s humanity. It was even kind of funny to me. However, after reading on to the “Moods” section, I see it is his short temper that was being spotlighted.

There was also a lot of imagery that compared The Hit Man to the Grim Reaper. Throughout, The Hit Man is constantly being recognized by his black hood. Another reference is when The Hit Man receives a golden scythe trophy. He also is thought to be this hellish character as he “pets” a three-headed dog after raking leaves on his lawn and igniting them.

This only further helps build the personality file of who The Hit Man is, an unstoppable and dangerous man. I think it was a smart choice to do this because since there isn’t much space for character building through the section storytelling, it helps readers to already have a foundation laid. That way, they are able to quickly absorb The Hit Man’s aura and move on to finding out even more about him.

There is one thing I didn’t quite get…I hate to even say this…It was the “Talk Show” section. I don’t have much to say on it because I just wasn’t sure what its purpose was. Also, I was curious about the logistics behind The Hit Man revealing his identity; however, it was still very interesting to read.

Overall, “The Hit Man” was such a fun thing to start with for my journey into reading more often. Of course, I highly recommend you give it a try. Be safe out there and try not to make too many enemies because you never know…just kidding. But seriously be safe ♥

Call Me By Your Name Review

*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*

Disclaimer: This is my review of the Call Me By Your Name through its film and script, not the book. Credit to authors and director mentioned below.

The movie Call Me By Your Name takes place in the Summer of 1983, “somewhere in Northern Italy.” Oliver is a foreign exchange student who comes to live and study under Professor Perlman for the summer. The professor’s son, Elio, is a young, bright boy who loves to dance kinda funny.

The film follows the complicated relationship of Elio and Oliver who begin to bond incredulously. What begins as simple infatuation evolves into insatiable desire.

One of the biggest things this movie shows is how stellar character interaction can be for ultimate audience satisfaction.

It must be talked about! See? Elio agrees. 🙂

For starters, Call Me By Your Name does an incredible job at utilizing indirect dialogue. There are too many moments to keep track of, but perhaps one of the best to mention is when Elio is expressing to Oliver how he feels about him.

Elio never just comes out and says, “I like you.” He talks to Oliver in a certain way where he beats around the bush with his language, and Oliver follows along talking in a similar fashion.

It just makes sense. It’s the 80s and society was in a different place, especially with the topic of sexuality in public, as they are in during this conversation. It also keeps the audience figuring out the plot themselves rather than simply having it laid out for them. Here is the scene from the film.

This is only one of many scenes that showcase this indirect style of dialogue that courses through the film’s structure.

A picture from the above mentioned scene.

There are also many subtle notions that are easy to be overlooked but help the storyline. One of these instances when Oliver is eating a poached egg for the first time. He struggles at first and ruins his first egg, but after he learns he devours the egg.

Elio’s mother, Annella, suggests he have another.

Oliver responds with the line, “I know myself. If I have three, I’ll have a fourth, and then more.”

The script elaborates after this line by writing, “ELIO has never heard someone Oliver’s age say, I know myself. It’s somewhat intimidating. He lowers his eyes.”

This highlights how early on the power dynamic Oliver and Elio struggled with in the beginning of the film began. I imagined it perhaps started later on when the two were more vocally catty.

Perhaps I am reading too much into it. For me though, upon reading the script I have noticed more spots that could have easily been overlooked watching the film, whereas a viewer might only focus on the more obvious scenes shown.

Another powerful scene that deserves its own moment is probably toward the very end of the film. Elio’s father has a talk with Elio about their relationship, and it is very emotional. It adds all the closure you didn’t realize you and Elio needed by that point of the film. Here is the video and script for the scene.

This is actually very unique for a LGBTQIA+ film. For the gay male character to have such a supporting father is not a common thread of almost any gay films/shows. Besides the closure and diversity it delivers, this moment deepens the layers of the father’s character. It shows how insightful and observative he is, while also providing care for his son he knows is hurting. This scene hits the audience at an already rough point of the film, but it is vital.

Overall, I can only hope I did this movie the justice I feel it deserves. Call Me By Your Name has been such a great addition to cinema, and has phenomenal acting. Like writing aside, the actors/actresses serve.

What’s not to love about this movie? I invite you to go take a trip to Italy through the film and see for yourself (possibly again) what I’ve been geeking over for an entire blog post. You might just have a good time 🙂

Thank you to André Aciman for writing the book. Thank you to James Ivory for writing the screenplay. Thank you to Luca Guadagnino for directing the movie. You guys thankfully made this story come to life. Again, thank you so much. <3

Literary Analysis: The Yellow Wallpaper

Have you ever thought of being a woman? Well, perhaps you already are, but how about a woman in an 1880s New England setting? One particular short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilmore, follows such a story of a woman during this time and place. She is neglected from having her own opinions, as with most women of this time, by her husband, John. She becomes driven into a nervous breakdown through his treatment of her condition. Thus, the narrator is forced to find her own freedom from societal and situational oppression through a yellow wallpaper.

During the time period of the 1800s, women’s roles in society were limited. This is a time when women were subjected to house duties, childcare, and nothing more. One article describes the thought process then as, “Socially, women were considered weaker hence unequal to their men counterparts,” even going on to say, “Some people would compare such a condition as slavery” (“Women’s Role in Society”). This is made apparent in the story when time and time again the narrator is neglected by the other characters in the story. Such an example can be seen when the narrator is being subjected to her “rest cure”, and she is being assigned her room by her husband. She describes a beautiful room they pass which made her illustriously excited, later telling how “…John would not hear of it” (Gilmore 648) or fancy the idea. A simple request she is asking is not afforded. Thus, she is left to a room where “the windows are barred” (Gilmore 648) and there is the wallpaper initially mentioned as, “It is dull enough to confuse the eye…pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves…they suddenly commit suicide” (Gilmore 648). This is not a room where someone who is respected would be placed for recovery.

Although there were many revelations and “cures” becoming hypothesized in the psychological world during the late 1800s, some of which made evident in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” none are helpful to the narrator. If anything, her condition worsens. The rest cure limits her to little or no stimulation. John assumes this will help as on page 649 the narrator says, “He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him” (“The Yellow Wallpaper). If John tried to understand the patient, his wife, more, he could understand stimulation is what she needs to stay sane. Her situation of being confined to a single room with no activity is not inflicted because she is mad, but it is the catalyst driving her mental state to madness.

With the wallpaper in her room being the only sense of stimulation within her life, this leads her to have no other options but to become fixated upon it. Throughout the story, there is progression from hating the wallpaper to becoming obsessed upon its existence. On page 650, she goes on to “see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about behind that silly…front design” (Gilmore). The narrator was experiencing neuroses at this point and visualizing herself trapped in the wall as she is trapped in her life. Sigmund Freud, famous Austrian neurologist, has explanations for this type of behavior as, “Freud was convinced that neuroses…and other difficult-to-explain aspects of mental life were rooted in conflicting and usually unconscious desires rather than neurological malfunction” (“From Nerves to Neuroses”). Her desires become freedom manifested through the woman who,” in the very bright spots keeps still, and in the very shady spots she just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard” (Gilmore 654). This example of the woman in the wall could be compared to the narrator’s writing practices or also her unconscious desires to leave the confinement she has been subjected to. Afterall, at one point she mentions, “that I must take care of myself for [John’s] sake, and keep well” (Gilmore 652). This proves her conscious mentality is still set on pleasing her husband and not on improving her own mental stability. With her options limited and a maddening mind, her only solutions seem to be freeing the woman in the wallpaper, herself being that woman.

Through scarce resources and aid, the narrator found the liberty necessary to her through the only means imaginable by her because no one else was. This story teaches us the importance of the tender human condition through the story of a woman in the late 1800s. A woman with psychoanalysis needed but not received; a woman with respect deserved but met with neglect. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a necessary feminist piece that shows mistakes that should never be exercised again.

Works Cited

All Answers Ltd. “Women’s Role in Society in the 1800s.” Ukessays.com, UK Essays, 12 Aug. 2021, www.ukessays.com/essays/history/womens-role-in-society-in-the-1800s-history-essay.php.

“From Nerves to Neuroses | Science Museum.” Science Museum, 2019,

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/nerves-neuroses. ‌

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. The New England Magazine, 1892.

Lord, Oh Lorde Part Tres (3)

This is the last installment of my analysis on Lorde’s Solar Power album. As with my last two parts, just as a disclaimer, this is my initial listen on all songs. I’ll then be giving my raw thoughts afterwards as I interpret the song. Last post, we stopped on “The Man with the Axe” which leads us into “Dominoes.” Feel free to listen along to the album songs as you read my thoughts on them. Links will be provided. 🙂

8. Dominoes

Lyrics

I heard that you were doing yoga
With Uma Thurman’s mother
Just outside of Woodstock
Now you’re watering all the flowers
You planted with your new girlfriend
Outside on the rooftop

Just another phase you’re rushing on through
Go all New Age, outrunning your blues
Fifty gleaming chances in a row
And I watch you flick them down like dominoes
Must feel good being Mr. Start Again

I know
Know a girl who knows a
Another girl who knows the woman that you hurt
It’s strange to see you smoking marijuana
You used to do the most cocaine
Of anyone I’d ever met

Just another phase you’re shooting on through
The whole world changes right around you
You get fifty gleaming chances in a row
And I watch you flick them down like dominoes
Must feel good being Mr. Start Again
Yeah, it must feel good being Mr. Start Again
Don’t get up
Yeah, it must feel good being Mr. Start Again

Raw Thoughts:

This track, it feels calming in a way. There’s this nice, simple beat that continues throughout with flickers of new additional sounds that pop up fittingly. It’s one of those beats that make you just wanna say back and forth.

With the lyrics themselves, the beginning lines make me think she’s singing about someone who’s older to have experienced Woodstock with Uma Thurman’s mother. This person is also a party spirit I can imagine from the copious amounts of cocaine they seemed to used to do. He seems like a fun guy, “Mr. Start Again.” Also, the second to last line of, “Don’t get up,” gives me more reason to believe he’s someone older.

My biggest question is whether this is someone Lorde knows personally, or if this is just a random narrative about someone fictitious. This person who has changed with a seasoned reputation in life. Who are they?

9.Big Star

Lyrics

Everyone knows that you’re too good for me, don’t they?
I’m a cheater, I lie, and I’m shy
But you like to say hello to total strangers
Shivering pines and walls of colour
I can’t believe I used to stay inside

But every perfect summer’s gotta say good night
Now I watch you run through the amber line
I used to love the party, now I’m not alright
Drinking in the dark, take me home tonight

Baby, you’re a big star
You’re a big star
Wanna take your picture

I toss up if it’s worth it now
Every time I get on a plane
I’vе got so much to tell you
And not enough time to do it in

But еvery perfect summer’s gotta take its flight
I’ll still watch you run through the winter light
I used to love the party, now I’m not alright
Hope the honeybees make it home tonight

Baby, you’re a big star
You’re a big star
Wanna take your picture

‘Til I die
‘Til I die
‘Til I die

Raw Thoughts:

This is a negative-self view song. It differs from the perspective I think the other songs have been in because they remained more as a positive new self Lorde sung about. Reflecting back to the beginning track though, “The Path”, I remember the journey it mentioned. If this album is symbolic to that journey, this may be the hard parts where she’s grown from.

I do think talking bad about herself, causes the descriptions of this “Big Star” to be even more grand than if it had been if described on its own.

There is still growth shown nonetheless besides the ‘hate talk’. Towards the beginning of the track there is mention of how she became isolated and drank more, then it shifts to her on plane rides. I do sense there is more productivity in the routine with this line, but afterwards with, “I’m not alright,” obviously it shows this is only the start regaining balance.

10. Leader of a New Regime

Lyrics

Wearing SPF 3000 for the ultraviolet rays
Made it to the island on the last of the outbound planes
Got a trunk full of Simone and Céline
And of course my magazines
I’m gonna live out my days

Won’t somebody, anybody, be the leader of a new regime?
Free the keepers of the burnt-out scene
Another day, lust and paranoia reigns supreme

We need the leader of a new regime

Raw Thoughts:

This continues the story! “Made it to the island on the last of the outbound planes” In the last song she was getting on the plane, now she mentions her destination was to an island. This changes everything. If we’re following the album’s story, I feel like I must have missed a shift earlier that the album took. When the album was starting with “Solar Power” and talking about not having any cell service and being on beaches…(*wink wink*)…where we seem to be going back to?

This is where I’m not sure. Did I miss something? I’m not sure whether right now with this track if Lorde is going back to the beaches and island bliss or if the album started there and then began a flashback to show why Lorde went to the beaches/islands in the first place.

Also, “Free the keepers of the burnt-out scene.” This line right here makes me wonder if she is referring to herself as one of these keepers because she is going to get her freedom. Then, the next line mentions that so far nothing is changing. Acknowledging the problem but then not volunteering to fix it, I think she is saying someone else needs to step up. Obviously I hope it doesn’t go as literal to mean she is done with music now. Please no 🙁 I must have just misunderstood… *gulp*

This song may be short, but it is vital to the story-telling of the album. I can’t wait to see if the next song answers my questions.

11. Mood Ring

Lyrics

I’m tryna blow bubbles, but inside
Can’t seem to fix my mood
Today it’s as dark as my roots
If I, if I ever let them grow out (ah-ah)
Now all of my oceans have riptides
Can’t seem to find what’s wrong
The whole world is letting me down
Don’t you think the early 2000s seem so far away? (Ay-ay-ay-ay)

Ladies, begin your sun salutations
Transcendental in your meditations (love and light)
You can burn sage, and I’ll cleanse the crystals
We can get high, but only if the wind blows (blows just right)

I can’t feel a thing
I keep looking at my mood ring
Tell me how I’m feeling
Floating away, floating away

I’m tryna get well from the inside
Plants and celebrity news, all the vitamins I consume
Let’s fly somewhere eastern, they’ll have what I need (they’ll have what I need)
Let’s go

Ladies, begin your sun salutations
Pluto in Scorpio generation (love and light)
You can burn sage, and I’ll cleanse the crystals
We can get high, but only if the wind blows (blows just right, ri-ri-ri-right)

I can’t feel a thing
I keep looking at my mood ring
Tell me how I’m feeling
Floating away, floating away
All the sad girls sing
We’ll keep dancing ’til the mood rings
Tell us how we’re feeling
We’re floating away, floating away

Take me to some kinda
Take me to some kinda
Take me to some kinda place (anywhere)
Watch the sun set, look back on my life (take me to some kinda)
I just wanna know, will it be alright? (Take me to some kinda)
Take me to some kinda place (anywhere)

Raw Thoughts:

And, the story continued. (I don’t think that was a complete sentence. The story isn’t either though, so it should be okay.) Here we are, this feels like Lorde has made it to the island and doesn’t exactly know how to heal. The song does seem to have a spirituality to it. With the mention of the astrological of “Pluto in Scorpio generation” and then again with the mentioning of crystals and sage, an herb known for cleansing. She is trying to find ways to shake off the negative energy that has brought her down in the rest of the album. It feels like a fresh start.

I think the use of saying she needs a mood ring to understand her emotions is such a clever thing to have done. To my knowledge, mood rings are almost known as a youthful, childish-even, thing. Also, with the line about her reflecting on how “far away” the 2000s seem shows that she is thinking to the past. Possibly even to a time when she was younger and may have possessed a mood ring, except this time the ring has new purpose for her now. It’s all very poetic and stunning.

Sounds amazing as well! This is truly all circling back to the beginning of the album and feeling so cohesive in its storytelling. I’m impressed.

12. Oceanic Feeling (Final Track) 🙁

Lyrics

It’s a blue day
We could jump Bulli
When I hit that water

When it holds me
I think about my father
Doing the same thing
When he was a boy
When he was a boy
It’s a blue day
We could go fishing

You’ll cast the big one
Ah

Sliding the knife under the skin
Grateful for this offering

And all the living things

Under the sun
Under the sun

Little brother
I think you’re an angel

I see your silver chain levitate
When you’re kick-flipping

Baby boy, you’re super cool
I know you’re scared, so was I
But all will be revealed in time (time, time)

Oh, look, the rays are in the bay now
Can you hear the waves and the cicadas all around?
I can make anything real

Rays so hot, it’s a summer body
Everyday is blue and never cloudy
Don’t look down
I can make anything real

In the future
If I have a daughter

Will she have my waist?
Or my widow’s peak?
My dreamer’s disposition, or my wicked streak?

Will she split a tab with her lover?
Laugh with the stars like her mother

When she was a girl

Now the cherry black lipstick’s gathering dust in a drawer
I don’t need her anymore

‘Cause I got this power

Just had to breathe
(Breathe out, breathe out, breathe out, breathe out)
And tune in (tune in, tune in, tune in, tune in)
Just had to breathe
(Breathe out, breathe out, breathe out, breath out)
And tune in (tune in, tune in, tune in, tune in)

I just had to breathe

And tune in
I just had to breathe

And tune in

Just had to breathe

Oh, has enlightenment found?
No, but I’m trying, taking it one year at a time
Oh-oh, can you hear the sound?
It’s shimmering higher
On the beach, I’m building a pyre
(Used the wood brought in by the tide)

I-I know you’ll show me how
I’ll know when it’s time to take off my robes

And step into the choir

Raw Thoughts:

She’s got it. She’s on the right track. This song is living proof of that because she has grown enough on this album to look outward from herself. She is singing about not only herself but also her family, and it’s super sweet. Finding comfort in the ocean and relating it to her father was everything. Hearing Lorde give messages to her little brother and just tell him like, ‘I see you. I went through the same thing. You got this.’ It’s just so refreshing to hear. After all the struggle this feels like a great close off.

She doesn’t need her cherry black lipstick anymore I feel has to be a reference I can’t realize at the moment. There’s a confidence that I enjoy seeing. After hearing of the hard times along the album, I’m glad to see Lorde take a stand. Her healing process feels like it’s becoming complete. Her growth is going to take off from here.

The little bit at the end about having not reached enlightenment was nice to here. I think it’s a message people need to hear. Sometimes you just have to take it one small bit by a time to stay okay, or better.

This song feels like it has caught up to “Solar Power’s” point of life progression-like we’ve officially caught back up from the flashback the album took. Now though, we caught up and kept going, and I think that was the point. I feel satisfied as a listener with this ending. The album and collection of tracks feels like a whole, solid artwork. It’s masterful.

I’m so glad I got the opportunity to delve deep into looking at all the little gears that turn for this album to work so well. I’ve always been a fan of Lorde since her debut album, and nothing has changed after hearing this one.

Also, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did making it.

I obviously can’t wait to see what she does next. Until then though, I think she’s taught me to just live in the moment and until the moment comes: “Breathe out, and tune in” ♥

Lord, Oh Lorde Part Deux (2)

Here I am again with the next installment of analyzing the Solar Power album, by Lorde. I hope you’re finding your paths, and if it led you here, well you’re more than welcome to stay. Last week I mentioned how this is going to be my initial listen to the songs, and then I will put in my raw thoughts. Last post’s ending song was California, so we will continue from there. Again, feel free to listen along as you read my personal takes.

4. Stoned at the Nail Salon

Lyrics

Got a wishbone dryin’ on the windowsill in my kitchen
Just in case I wake up and realize I’ve chosen wrong
I love this life that I have, the vine hangin’ over the door
And the dog who comes when I call, but I wonder sometimes what I’m missin’

Well, my hot blood’s been burnin’ for so many summers now
It’s time to cool it down, wherever that leads

‘Cause all the beautiful girls, they will fade like the roses
And all the times they will change, it’ll all come around
I don’t know
Maybe I’m just stoned at the nail salon
Maybe I’m just stoned at the nail salon again

Got a memory of waitin’ in your bed wearin’ only my earrings
We’d go dancin’ all over the landmines under our town
But the sun has to rise, when it does, we’ll divide up the papers
Two former hell-raisers, I’m still crazy for you, babe

Well, my hot blood’s been burnin’ for so many summers now
It’s time to cool it down, wherever that leads

‘Cause all the music you loved at sixteen, you’ll grow out of
And all the times they will change, it’ll all come around
I don’t know
Maybe I’m just
Maybe I’m just stoned at the nail salon again

Oh, make it good
Oh, make it good
I’d ride and I’d ride on the carousel
‘Round and ’round forever if I could
But it’s time to cool it down
Whatever that means

Spend all the evenings you can with the people who raised you
‘Cause all the times they will change, it’ll all come around
I don’t know
Maybe I’m just stoned at the nail salon
Maybe I’m just stoned at the nail salon again

Raw Thoughts:

This one. As I was listening to it on Spotify getting ready to type, I was reading the little quotes from her about the song’s inspiration. Lorde was mentioning there about how this song came to her after the end of a tour. Usually during this time all these grand questions and worries of life begin to come at her. I think it comes across in the song very well.

There is still the uncertainty at certain parts when she’ll sing something profound and then follow it with, “I don’t know.” It seems reminiscent of when someone younger, or even a child, wants to express their emotions but isn’t quite sure how their feelings will be taken. This doesn’t lessen the value of the lines in anyway. If anything it adds to the depth of growing up. There are all these ideas of what “grown up” should be. Sometimes disregarding age, we’re just lost and/or confused. I do think this song is about that growing up moment when all the sudden realizations start hitting right in the feels.

This one’s deep.

5. Fallen Fruit

Lyrics

To the ones who came before us
All the golden ones who were lifted on a wing
We had no idea the dreams we had were far too big
Far too big

And we will walk together
Psychedelic garlands in our hair
Through the halls of splendor where the apple trees all grew
You’ll leave us dancing on the fallen fruit
The fallen fruit
The fallen fruit
The fallen fruit

From the Nissan, to the Phantom, to the plane
We’ll disappear in the cover of the rain
Took the great minds and the vapers
And a pocketful of seed
It’s time for us to leave

And we will walk together
Psychedelic garlands in our hair
But how can I love what I know I am gonna lose?
Don’t make me choose

Raw Thoughts:

I read the very little detail from Spotify from Lorde, and she said this song is about the environment and the parent generation.

I love how it begins with how the- I’ll refer to the newest generation as “us” and “our” because I am part of it- anyways, the way it describes our generation’s dreams as too big is great imagery. It could mean our dreams are too big because they expand beyond Earth’s lifetime.

( Really though, all the song has great imagery and metaphors for the topic at hand. )

Along with how she is blaming the past generations by saying how they took advantage of the apple trees, and now we are left “dancing on the fallen fruit.” As in, the trees no longer bare fruit due to the climate problems. It is all very environmental political without being overly rude I think. She is stating the problems and expressing her ideas, but still politely. That may be my own bias talking because I’m not the one being put on the spot in this song, but it’s an amazing message told in amazing chords and melodies.

6. Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)

Lyrics

Dancing with my girls, only having two drinks then leaving
It’s a funny thing, thought you’d never gain self control
Guess it’s been a while since you last said sorry
Crying in the dark at your best friends’ parties
You’ve had enough, gotta turn the lights up, go home

Couldn’t wait to turn fifteen
Then you blink and it’s been ten years
Growing up a little at a time then all at once
Everybody wants the best for you
But you gotta want it for yourself
My love

You can take ’em if you want ’em, these are just
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it all
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it
Secrets from a girl
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it
Secrets from a girl (Secrets from a girl)
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it all

‘Member all the hurt you would feel when you weren’t desired?
(Doing anything for more touch)
‘Member what you thought was grief before you got the call?
Baby girl, no one’s gonna feel the pain for you
You’re gonna love again, so just try staying open
And when the time comes, you’ll fall
Yeah, when the time comes, you’ll fall

Your dreams and inner visions, all your mystical ambitions
They won’t let you down
Do your best to trust all the rays of light
Everybody wants the best for you
But you gotta want it for yourself
My love

Couldn’t wait to turn fifteen, then you just go
(Whoosh)
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it all
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it
Secrets from a girl
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it
Secrets from a girl (Secrets from a girl)
Secrets from a girl, who’s seen it all

Welcome to Sadness
The temperature is unbearable until you face it
Thank you for flying with Strange Airlines
I will be your tour guide today
Your emotional baggage can be picked up at Carousel Number 2
Please be careful so that it doesn’t fall onto someone you love
When we’ve reached your final destination, I will leave you to it
You’ll be fine
I’m just gonna show you in, and you can stay as long as you need to get familiar with the feeling
And then when you’re ready, I’ll be outside, and we can go look at the sunrise by euphoria mixed with existential vertigo?
Cool

Raw Thoughts:

Wow. This one hit me a little differently. It is almost hard for me to analyze it because right now I’m so in my head emotionally about what secrets Lorde just let me in on. Although, I think that’s good writing! It’s thought provoking and kept me engaged from the lines.

The song does a great job of following the album’s theme of journey and getting older. There are so many shifts of mindsets throughout after she has learned “the secrets.” It’s a lot of meaningful messages too, in my opinion. All the messages are things that seem obvious, but while in a teenage mindset… just aren’t. Although I am not a girl, I still just felt a certain type of way when I heard “the secrets.”

I think this song should be a part of the education system for teens. If this song was heard across the masses then so many heartbreaks might be prevented. We could elevate as a society. Just an idea ♥

7. The Man with the Axe

Lyrics

If I had to break it down
I’d say it’s the way you love to dance
Moving the furniture when my back is turned
A flick of the lights and the world falls away
And your office job, and your silver hair
But our shapes in the dark are the reason I’ve stayed for all these years

I thought I was a genius
But now I’m twenty two
And it’s starting to feel like all I know how to do is
Put on a suit and take it away
With my fistful of tunes that it’s painful to play
Fingernail worlds, like favorite seashells
They fill up my nights and then they float away

I’ve got hundreds of gowns, I’ve got paintings in frames
And a throat that fills with panic every festival day
Dutifully falling apart for the princess of Norway

But you with your doll’s lashes, your infinite T-shirts
I should’ve known when your favorite record
Was the same as my father’s, you’d take me down

I guess I’ll always be this way
Swallowed up by the words and halfway to space
But there by the fire, you offered your hand
And as I took it, I loved you, the boy with the plan

You felled me clean as a pine
The man with the axe
And the light in his eyes

We’ve been through so many hard times
I’m writing a love song
For you, baby

Raw Thoughts:

This is definitely the ballad of the album. My primary thoughts were how this love song correlated with the rest of the album. I suppose this is showing her personal life, so we as an audience understand her own personal growth. I feel like with the other songs we only got glimpses, but in ways that also helped us. This song seems a lot more personalized and specific.

It seems like a mood for love that is young, or at least it still has that giddy feeling of young love.

A metaphor I thought was very clever, “But our shapes in the dark are the reason I’ve stayed for all these years.” She had a way of using the figurative language to tell so much without saying it. I love the illusiveness. It almost in ways keeps the full experience her’s. This song is so revealing yet not at all at the same time. That’s an amazing trait for a piece of writing to have. It’s hard to explain.

I really enjoyed this segment of analyzing Lorde’s magnificent new album, Solar Power. Diving in to the journey of listening to an album about a journey is very cool. I feel like as Lorde is revealing, yet more of her life, I’m still growing along with her. It’s so rad.

Well that’s all for this post, but I want you all to keep learning helpful secrets and maybe…don’t eat all the fallen fruit 😉

Lord, Oh Lorde

Hello everyone! I am here to give my Literary analysis of Lorde’s new album, Solar Power. Feel free to listen to the tracks along with me as you read, or just vibe to your own thing while reading 🙂

Starting off, the New Zealand based singer, Lorde, has grown up with generation Z through her music. Ever since her debut album, Pure Heroine, in 2013, she captured the essence of the rambunctious teenage years. Years later, she released her sophomore album, Melodrama. This album reflected more of the mindsets as we encroached adulthood and growing up.

Her most recent album? Your guess is as good as mine. Lorde has always maintained a certain humanity in her music that focuses on universally felt emotions. I think this is why her music has become so popular, and she has stayed that way.

Her tracks always have had a signature Lorde feeling, or recognizable tone, but each album has had its own vibe at the same time. With this new album we’ve had three releases before the album, but they all varied in their own ways. It’s hard to tell what might be in store for this review of Solar Power, but here we go.

For this review I will be putting my raw, in the moment, thoughts as I hear the track for the first time and read the lyrics. Then, I’ll give my overall thoughts. I haven’t looked at any Easter Eggs or anything so if I misunderstand some of the lines, my bad 😉

The Path

Lyrics

Born in the year of OxyContin
Raised in the tall grass
Teen millionaire having nightmares from the camera flash
Now I’m alone on a windswept island
Caught in the complex divorce of the seasons
Won’t take the call if it’s the label or the radio

Arm in a cast at the museum gala
Fork in my purse to take home to my mother
Supermodels all dancing ’round a pharaoh’s tomb

Now, if you’re looking for a saviour
Well, that’s not me
You need someone to take your pain for you?
Well, that’s not me

‘Cause we are all broken and sad
Where are the dreams that we had?
Can’t find the dreams that we had
Ah, ah, ah-ah

Let’s hope the sun will show us the path, ah-ah, ah-ah
Let’s hope the sun will show us the path, ah-ah, ah-ah
I just hope the sun will show us the path

Saviour is not me
I just hope the sun will show us the path
Saviour is not me
I just hope the sun will show us the path, ah-ah, ah-ah
Path, ah-ah, ah, path

Raw Thoughts:

Okay, I hear cicadas or snakes? All these lines seem abstract at first, but I feel like they still correlate to each other some way. It makes me wonder if she’s talking about herself and reflecting on her beginning rise to stardom.

Even if it’s another character, I like the message that even this star, is just living life. It reminds the audience through lines like, “Fork in my purse to take home to my mother,” that there is also humanity and relatability in the seemingly famous character. The narrator of the song seems to be categorizing themselves with the listener in a way that signals they both are on the same path toward self-exploration.

Lastly, the song’s suggestion that the sun is the guiding light and solution really drives the theme for the album’s name, Solar Power. I think it was a really smart choice to put this song first and could even suggest that the rest of this album is the path to finding the solutions to the problems presented in the song.

Lorde on writing The Path: “I just felt like the absurd, beautiful nature of being alive was really starting to present itself to me.”

2. Solar Power

Lyrics

I hate the winter, can’t stand the cold
I tend to cancel all the plans (so sorry, I can’t make it)
But when the heat comes, something takes a hold
Can I kick it? Yeah, I can

My cheeks in high color, overripe peaches
No shirt, no shoes, only my features
My boy behind me, he’s taking pictures
Lead the boys and girls onto the beaches
Come one, come all, I’ll tell you my secrets
I’m kinda like a prettier Jesus

Forget all of the tears that you’ve cried
It’s over (over, over, over)
It’s a new state of mind
Are you coming, my baby?

Acid green, aquamarine
The girls are dancing in the sand
And I throw my cellular device in the water
Can you reach me? No, you can’t (aha)

My cheeks in high color, overripe peaches
No shirt, no shoes, only my features
My boy behind me, he’s taking pictures (he’s taking pictures)
Lead the boys and girls onto the beaches
Come one, come all, I’ll tell you my secrets
I’m kinda like a prettier Jesus

Turn it on in a new kind of bright
It’s solar (solar, solar, solar)
Come on and let the bliss begin
Blink three times when you feel it kicking in

That solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power (oh)
Solar-olar-olar power

Raw Thoughts:
This song, also the title track, really has this disconnecting vibe that I like. If we think of story progression from the past song, it could be signaling the effects of following the guiding sun to look for answers.

The connection to the narrator and the sun is definitely proving to be an obvious staple and connection that the songs are all following.

There was a message on Spotify that said Lorde used organic instruments for the production of the song. I think that it really makes this song feel more genuine, and it makes the scene seem more obtainable of an experience as well. It was just such a smart move in presenting the art.

I love that through the positivity and message, the song itself evokes warmth. The description of this beach scene, and everyone in this “new state of mind” helps get this message across even further.

I wonder if this is the scene after everyone has found their dreams once again. Alternatively, I wonder if it is just the beginning of the journey that is being illustrated…

3. California

Lyrics

Once upon a time in Hollywood when Carole called my name
I stood up, the room exploded
And I knew that’s it, I’ll never be the same
That’s when the door swung open
And a voice said, “We’re glad you came”

Now I’ve spent thousands on you darling
All the hotels and the jets
And I’d pay it all again
To have your golden body back in my bed
But I don’t miss the poison arrows
Aimed directly at my head

Goodbye to all the bottles, all the models
Bye to the clouds in the skies that all hold no rain-
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)

Once upon a time the Canyon Store was where my world began
All that mystery and beauty
Gleaned from desert flowers and gifted children
But it got hard to grow up with your cool hand around my neck

Now in my hotel, we’re sunbathing
My girlfriends, and my baby
But every time I smell tequila
The garden grows up in my mind again

Goodbye to all the bottles, all the models
Bye to the kids in the lines for the new Supreme-
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)
(Don’t want that California love)

It’s just a dream
It’s just a dream
It’s all just a dream
I wanna wake up, I wanna wake up

Raw Thoughts:

Wow. This song has a strong message. There are many meanings behind the lines.

Beginning with -well the beginning-the story starts off with the narrator gaining this fame. I believe the Carol could be referencing when Lorde won her first two Grammys. This signals when she realized things would never be the same again in her life.

The “poison arrows” mentioned could be other artists or even the music industries in California that weren’t supportive of her? I think that would make sense with the fact that she is wanting to escape this “California love” that is superficial?

This is definitely written as a farewell to California though. I do appreciate how the negative emotions expressed on this track are through cold sensations. This is shown in the line, “But it got hard to grow up with your cool hand around my neck.” The cold seemed to be holding her back, and she needed to make her way back to the metaphorical warmth.

I really enjoyed being able to share my initial, fresh thoughts on the album. This seems like it’ll be a fun adventure. Lorde always fascinates me.

Thank you so much and if you go follow that guiding sun, make sure you don’t look at it for too long ♥

Looking at the Journey

Junior Year. Who wants it? Who needs it?

It has been…a journey to say the least.

Gurl, I’m not gonna lie to you. When I heard a lot of people saying Junior Year was the hardest year academically…they weren’t lying. I don’t mean to say this in anyway to scare any incoming juniors. I made it through it just like the millions across the world who do the same it’s just that- dang, it’s challenging.

Even just knowing that millions across the world do it though, I wondered, how does that help me? Just because I know that many people are also accomplishing this feat at my age but I have no idea how to get through they year. It seems so hard, impossible even. But then…*clicks the 14 second video below*

This right here though, this right here! When our lord and savior, Nicki Minaj told me that she hates lazy people, when she told us Barbz, her fans, to stay in school. Mmhmm! After that, I had no more missing assignments. Nicki, along with an array of my role models and IDOLS helped me persevere and find the drive to continue on my educational journey. BTS is no doubt on that same list. You know for my last blog imma shout them out! I love you BTS!

I just, I think that’s what this whole school thing is all about. Whether it be your junior year or even Kindergarten year, the point is when you can’t find the energy within yourself to keep going, find it in others. For me, that may have been Gaga or Taylor Swift, but finding who your ‘person’ is is just as vital for your survival.

I’ve been referencing this as just a school thing, but it can go beyond that, think beyond the academics.

I remember when I was driving home recently, there was a song that came on right before my final turn to the road that led to my house, but all of the sudden when it came on, we didn’t turn. I told the driver,” Don’t turn just yet! Let’s see where this takes us.”

Granted, I was also the driver and the passenger in this situation because I was the only one in the car, but I still just let it take me.

The song was just heart-wrenching for me because it was from one of my favorite K-Dramas and is like a staple through the show and the lover’s relationship, but that’s besides the point. Before I continue with the story/lesson, here is the song, “Same,” in case you’re wondering though…

Basically the song killed my emotional well-being. Okay. I was a wreck! I was playing it while driving past my old high school. I even drove the same path that my brother and best friend, who have both already graduated, would take me down everyday to drop me off. And after that? I drove myself where my mom would drop me off at the elementary building when we were late and missed the bus.

I left the school the same way my brother would drive us home, that is me and my best Judy, Caitlyn. We would talk about how much we wanted to leave this town, escape from this flesh prison that was called a school and be so much bigger. Bigger than we already were from the other bland, basic kids at our school who were already following the boring footprints of their parents and their parents’ parents. We were on fire.

At first I was so, like obviously sad, thinking back to when all my friends had grown out of the songs we grew up on talking about our teenage spirit. I was the only one “left behind,” so to speak, and it felt like maybe I hadn’t grown up enough.

Then, I remembered how it was when I first walked into MSA (Mississippi School of the Arts). I felt like the most nervous, least talented kid there. I not only felt isolated from my past friends, but also felt I wasn’t deserving of making new friends with the awesomely diverse people at MSA.

Where should I go then?

Well, my IDOLS came in to save me. They showed me how much I have already grown from that closeted, gay kid from small-town Wesson. My IDOLS reminded me of how much I had survived and been through. My strength was finally realized in a way that I don’t think I had ever viewed it. Even writing this now, I still feel the freshness of this feeling.

I just want anyone reading this, I guess, to remember to not get caught up in the fluff of what you’re going through at the moment, but to not forget what you have already conquered.

I forgot the pain and trials I went through all my life before my junior year to the point that, I couldn’t remember how I had ever gotten through the tough moments before. My advice? Never forget.

Always think back to your origin story and where you came from because it will remind you of how far you’ve come. That, and just have fun with life.

I write this for anyone like me who needs the message.

This is just one of the only songs I could put on here from Nicki Minaj because it’s at an award show so the language is censored 🙁

Here is art that got me through the year… I present to you “Roman Holiday” by Nicki Minaj.

This is also just a teaser of what has gotten me through the times recently being one of the most anticipated singles of all time! You can’t make this up. This is the teaser to BTS’ new single, “Butter.” It will be releasing May 20-21 , depends on your time zone.

Please, again, just remember to have fun every single time you get the chance, and be wild and free ♥

After all, “Life is a cabaret!” 😉

Disco Please!

We, yes we, as a society, need disco. The music was moving in a way of literally making you want to get up and move. Limbs stroking the air to the groove of the beats. Disco had catchy beats that weren’t about sadness or moping, but healing people through the art of dance. One popular song is literally titled, “Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life,” by Indeep.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the more contemporary music of today, and sometimes I get in a certain mood and need it. The slower tempo of some hits since disco are great, but really slowed down in tempo. I believe instead of these slower tracks, I think disco could keep me and many others from getting into the mood less often to need the slower tracks.

If the music isn’t enough to convince you, let’s just consider the fashion. My lord was it…everything! Gurl, these disco divas did not disappoint. These outfits are not even to mention the fashion that graced Studio 54. That was a nightclub unlike any other where people could enter on white horses or see all the accepting celebrities from Cher to Liza Minnelli. It was just fabulous.

The first picture is Cher. Pictured below her is “Queen of Disco”, Donna Summers.

Disco went even further beyond the music and fashion. You see, disco was fighting for rights in its own way during the 1970s where the dance floor was free to everyone. It focused on celebrating everyone’s differences and uniting through love. This shows the passion for disco went beyond just the music, it was a social movement and a testament in showing that equality could, and still can, be obtained. It was spectacular.

These are some of my favorite disco era bops if you want to check them out. PLEASE keep in mind that music videos were just becoming a thing, so the quality may not compare well to some more contemporary videos. I don’t mind it at all because , to some, not me, what the visuals lack, the music makes up for entirely 😉

The first is “Rough Diamond” by Madleen Kane.

This song really just gives it to me. It is Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” Whitney Houston later even did a cover of this song back in 92.

This next song is “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. This one might be more known by people who don’t know much about disco but it still slaps so I thought I’d add it.

This next song has two legends put onto one track to make a conglomerate of both their styles combined to make something so empowering. This is one of my faves of the list because it starts of slow, but then speeds up into disco heaven. They are both singing in the song about how over they are of a man and how they have “had enough.” It’s awesome, and I can only imagine how liberating it must be to dance to this song after a much needed divorce or breaking up from a toxic relationship because I haven’t experienced either yet and already get my life to the song’s energy. Here is “No More Tears (Enough is Enough)” by the immaculate Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer.

Yes, I did avoid mentioning disco’s terrible end because it is irrelevant to bringing disco back. Disco was a source for so many to just express freely without judgement. For so many, disco was life. As was said during the RuPaul disco-mentary, disco never really left, it just changed its name and address. I believe it shouldn’t need to change and can come back from the Witness Protection Program. In today’s climate, I think we could all use the curative powers of disco. ♥

Summer Bangers!

Summer.

It is a time for so many things for so many different people, and there’s so much I’m look forward to…but as of now there is one thing I’m talking about specifically…

Yes! BTS’ collaboration with McDonalds! They are getting their own meal on May 26 in America and I can wait to eat it everyday and sell out McDonalds for ALL they’re worth. This meal will entirely break my wallet which is already on its last leg. It’s okay though. It. Is. O *clap* KAY.

What will I be listening to while eating that meal that has been so graciously curated by some of the most powerful individuals this Earth has provided us? All the hits that roll out during Summer.

Ahhh! I feel like every Summer artists release some of their best bops of the year and I live every single time. and already! some of my favorites, I’m not sure about you, have shelled out some Ö *deep breaths* some , for lack of better words, awesome stuff.

My girls ITZY have dropped their EP “Gue?? Who” and every track is like very much their power and energy I needed to get through the end of this school year of endless struggle before the freedom is bestowed.

Girl In Red did her thing on a new album and every track is classic her in the best way and did not disappoint. I mean, we all knew it wouldn’t flop. Please, we knew that.

Then, Hayley Kiyoko popped back up and slammed us with her little mix, her little moment, and I stan. Her single “Found My Friends” is just spectacular. I remember watching the music video and just vibing so much with her and I was like, are we friends now? Am I who you found?? What? What’s happening right now, Hayley? For real?

She still hasn’t responded to my DM’s but I’m sure we’re still cool.

All this is to say the music Summer brings is always surprising. It’s things also that sometimes on initial listens I won’t get. But when it marinates and follows me something changes and it becomes the song that just came to me a little early. Those are usually the best songs.

There is also things to look forward to still! BTS is releasing their new single May 20/21 depending on your time zone you live in. It is called “Butter” and please feel free to stream it as much as you’d like. 😉

I just am so excited and can’t wait. Sadly I’ll have to wait because that’s just how things work, but hopefully you get what I mean.

So I just have to ask…what will you be listening to this Summer? 🙂