I haven’t written one of these in a while, so I have a lot new music to talk about.

Kyle Dion, DUCKWRTH, & UMI

Never would I have thought to see my favorite artists all on one track. Everything about this song is perfect. From the video aesthetics to the smooth voices and beat, everything was so well put together! Whoever thought to make this collaboration deserves both of sides of their pillow to be cold. I’m struggling to put my admiration for this song into words. Kyle Dion is an icon when it comes to slow/up beat songs like this. He really brings the track together with his high notes and his bridge and chorus is heavenly. After his verse is done, we are introduced to the godlike voice of UMI. UMI has been my favorite artist since 2018 and to see her make a song with DUCKWRTH is very overwhelming. When I found out about this track I could’ve died!! She is a really great lyrists and her feminine voice highlights the song’s light heartedness really well! Last but not least, DUCKWRTH. This man really takes all of my money every time he drops an album. Though I can listen to his music for free digitally, I find the action of buying it is more pleasing. He is a really good alternative rapper and he complements the song really well. I would like to add that the first few lines of this song is kind of vulgar, so listen with caution.

Juanpalitoschinos

I really love this group!!! I just discovered them today through Apple Music’s autoplay feature. Autoplay suggests and plays songs that are similar to the one that you are currently listening to. It is a great feature for music fanatics like myself because it helps us to discover more smaller artists like Juanpalitoschinos! When I clicked on their profile, (because I tend to do that a lot), I noticed that they only have two songs released on apple music. However, that did not stop me from listening to those two songs over and over again. It’s classified under the pop genre, but I feel like that’s not a genre they deserve to be under. If you ever heard of other Hispanic/ Latino artists like Cuco, then you would get the type of genre they make music under. It’s kind of a spin on bedroom/indie pop with a lot of Latino undertones. It’s honestly my top three favorite genres of music. The first song I ever heard from them was Lo que tú me das and words can not describe how good this song is! The beat really grabbed my attention and the grainy/smooth Spanish that comes after is so good! It feels like your in a coming to age film! If you like artists like Beach Bunny, Cuco, boy pablo, or BROCKHAMPTON, I strongly suggest you give these artists a listen!

Little Simz

I mean look at her…iconic. It’s surprising to see that not a lot of people in the U.S know who this artist is. If you’re a little confused on who this woman is, then let me tell you how she recently blew up all around the world. Tiktok started a trend with her song Venom to showcase women empowerment. Though that is my favorite song by her, she also has so many tracks that are phenomenal. She is a rapper based in the UK and she is mostly known for her pen work and her ability to rap with incredible speed. She is so inspirational because she unapologetically herself and you can see that confidence in her performances. She recently dropped the track Woman featuring another one of my favorite UK artist Cleo Sol. The song is about empowering black women no matter where they are from. It talks about our hardships and close sisterhood and how we always have each other. I love this artist so much because of her womanist statements and her ability to incorporate that into her artistry.

Still Woozy

Still Woozy will always and forever be one of the most wholesome artists I have ever listened to. He really has a way to express topics through music in a way that is so unique. They way he puts really sad stories/messages in such a upbeat and happy song is a skill that not many can master. I don’t really know how to describe his voice because it’s not really singing. It’s a mixture between talking and singing, but when he does sing!! I feel like he knows exactly when to sing a certain part of the song, because he knows it will add such a heavy impact on the song. Here are some songs to get you started, That’s Life, Goodie Bag, and Maybe She. These are just a few of my favorite songs but any song from his discography can hit for you in a completely different way.

ph-1

I love Harry so much. He is one of the funniest and down-to-earth people I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. He is a rapper based in South Korea signed under the label H1GHR. His music is so good! I am a really big rap fan and I’ve always wondered what rap looked/sounded like in different countries and languages. His music was the opening experience for me. He was actually one of the first Korean artists I listened to and let me tell you this man’s music does not disappoint. His more chill/love songs are my favorite because it really complements his personality more. However, his more hardcore/hype songs are so good. I really encourage to listen to this artist not only for his amazing music, but also for his great personality! Here are some of my favorite songs from him: Like Me, Perfect, Nerdy Love, and a track that he was featured on called The Purge.

Writing these posts really makes me feel like I should be paid to be their promoters. I do really love all these artists to much and I really hope ya’ll decide to listen to them.

I am going to preface this article by saying, everything you read about this topic is fundamentally true and you cannot argue with me based on the results. Everything that is found on the internet is always true and correct, and I will have NO SLANDER under this post about not including chocolate chip. I refuse to allow it. Anyway, that's besides the point. Let's get right into the batter!

 

 1. Oatmeal Cookies –

Notice how I specifically say oatmeal cookies and not oatmeal raisin cookies. I do not like the texture of raisins because it gives me “beef-jerky-of-the-fruit-world” vibes. I also hate oatmeal, but when baked like this I think it gives the cookie the perfect amount of crunch and flavor without being too boring. I never got the whole dipping a cookie into milk thing, but with oatmeal cookies I can imagine it. 

2. Sugar Cookies

I know that this was supposed to be a “hot-takes” sort of blog, but I do genuinely enjoy sugar cookies. That’s kind of it to be honest, I just like the softer sugar cookies because it reminds me of when I was a kid and I would shove as many into my mouth as I could and then go running so I could eat them alone.

3. Macaron Cookies

I always loved the crumbled texture these cookies had, and I’m a HUGE texture person. I can only eat specific cheeses for that reason. If I find the texture of something to be off, I refuse to eat it. But these cookies are light and airy while still giving you flavor and filling you up. I’m pretty picky with flavors, but since they are so popular now theres hundreds of different kinds of macarons! 

 

4. Cutout Cookies

Yeah, yeah. “These are basic! What kind of tier list is this?!” Listen for a second. Nothing beats nostalgia, also this is MY PERSONAL TIER LIST SO LEAVE ME ALONE. Anyway. I remember making these cookies every christmas and mine always looking the best, though nobody said that. Decorating them was my favorite memory from every Christmas, better than the presents or anything else. I mean, the presents were awesome, but I loved making the cookies and decorating them. I swear I can still smell them as I write this in the library.

 

5. Fortune Cookies 

The idea of a cookie that tells you a fortune is pretty cool. If you were reading a fiction book and that was described, everyone would be losing their mind! It kind of looks like an old man’s ears when you break it apart, but I can look past that to appreciate how creative an idea it is. I knew someone once who would eat them whole and never knew there was paper inside of them. Wonder how they’re doing.

 

This concludes part 1 of my Top Ten Cookies list, and once again: you can’t disagree! I am the author. Just kidding. Your opinions are your own, just like mine are. Tell me about your favorite cookies and the memories you have surrounding them! 

I feel like everyone has experienced an attachment to an inanimate object before. Whether it be a childhood stuffed toy, or an old tattered blanket, I feel like forming an emotional attachment to a material object is just a part of life. Forming an inanimate attachment is just a step in childhood, and one day parting from it is almost a coming of age rite of passage. Although, for some, the ability to put sentiment behind non-living objects never goes away. The childlike joy of figurines or papers never fades, and inanimate attachment grows with them. 

Topics like this are some of my favorite things to talk about. Pieces of life that are so miniscule, yet they hold so much value through the right set of eyes.  I love hearing about others favorite stuffed animals, or blankets that they’ve carried with them since childhood. Something about getting a glimpse into peoples’ ‘fragments of affection’ as I like to call them. 

To me, hand-written notes are something I have recently begun holding dear to my heart. Since coming to MSA especially, I have held notes in high regard. From a letter from a senior on the first day of living at MSA, to notes my mom wrote on Parent Day. I keep each one, and for some reason, the pieces of paper that stay in my desk drawer bring me happiness. Maybe it’s because I am a particularly sentimental person, but I really think there is value in being able to find sparks of joy within seemingly lifeless objects.

I am not writing all of this just to inform the fellow blog-spacers of my attachment to pieces of paper (although I very well could have wrote a whole blog on that topic). Through this blog post, I really just wanted to encourage others to not feel ashamed of  their inanimate attachments. Because what constitutes what can or cannot bring you comfort? Shoot, it could even be a lucky paperclip for all I care. Just own it, Whatever your object is, I encourage you to be proud of it, because life is hard enough, and if you can find something as miniscule as paper (in my case) joyful, I think that is something to be proud of. Being able to find joy in things as simple as an old blanket or toy  is something that not everyone can do, so if you find yourself, I urge you to embrace it!

In the future I hope to continue this blog as a series of introducing other’s (and my own) inanimate attachments! Hopefully it will be a good way to take a glimpse into what brings others joy. 

🙂 

-Adele 

#8 adrian

adrian is a haunting, ineffably gorgeous song that perfectly showcases jewel’s incredible gift for storytelling. it tells the tale of a young man who is disabled in a canoe accident and chronicles the shallow reactions of those around him. because adrian is unable to speak, the lyrics allow you to see the world through his eyes without being able to do anything about it. the song also tells about a young girl named mary who loved adrian despite his disability. i always find myself feeling so devastated at the bleakness of the story. there is no happy ending, no heroes. just a broken boy and a girl who doesn’t know how to put him back together.

my favorite line: he looked so fragile, he looked so small, and she wondered why he was still alive at all

#9 i’m sensitive

because i love this album so much, i feel that i have to be as honest as possible about each song; it pains me to say that i just don’t like this song that much. it isn’t a bad song by any means, it just doesn’t align with the quality of the other tracks for me. i have to be in a very particular mood to listen to this one, and it doesn’t happen super often. i still think that it’s clever and has some gorgeous lyrics, and i do enjoy it occasionally- it’s just not a personal favorite.

my favorite line: and i was thinking that it might do some good if we robbed the cynics and took all their food

#10 you were meant for me

this. song. i genuinely cannot describe how much this song means to me. it’s the one that introduced me to jewel, and i fell so madly in love with her art thanks to this magical tune. the song’s lyrics are… for lack of a better word… silly. in the absolute greatest way possible. she sings about pancakes and brushing her teeth and somehow makes it this beautiful, emotional experience. the song is widely regarded as a breakup anthem, but its meaning has always held something different for me. jewel essentially walks you through her day during a difficult time. it’s monotonous and sad, but there is an undeniable sense of hope that finds you in this track. jewel once said that the song is actually about dealing with anxiety and taking inventory of the little things you do throughout the day and practicing mindfulness, which is what i relate the song to. this is easily one of my favorite songs of all time, and i am so grateful to have stumbled across it when i did.

my favorite line: dreams last so long, even after you’re gone, and i know that you love me and soon you will see you were meant for me, and i was meant for you

#11 don’t

this is another one of my favorites. this song’s gorgeous, simple guitar never fails to draw me in, and jewel’s vocals are beyond stellar on this track; and i haven’t even gotten started on the beautiful lyrics. this song paints a bewitching, melancholy picture of lost love. the song is essentially a plea from someone to stop doing the things they once loved so much because they want to be able to let go. it’s an excellent ballad for the relinquishment of tenderness.

my favorite line: don’t walk too close, don’t breathe so soft, don’t talk so sweet, don’t sing

#12 daddy

daddy is a harsh, gritty song with little tenderness to offer. it takes a cold look at the relationship between a woman and her father, and she details exactly how she feels about him- bitter, cheated, and angry. this is an outpouring of the very purest form of rage, and jewel’s vocal delivery matches her lyrical mastery and intention incredibly well. this is a song that i immediately had to know the background behind, because fortunately, i don’t relate to it. jewel wrote this about a time she went over to a friend’s house and saw how poorly her father treated her.

my favorite line: i’m gonna make you just as vulnerable as i was, daddy, what’s that say about me?

#13 angel standing by

this song immediately stands out because of its unique sound. it’s simultaneously acoustic and ethereal. there are very few lyrics, and i would say for good reason. this piece feels more like an experience than a song. the song is basically like a message from a guardian angel, and its words are comforting, warm, and pure.

my favorite line: you’re never nothing less than beautiful, so don’t you worry, i’m your angel standing by

#14 amen

i think that amen is an excellent provider of closure with which to end this album. it’s a gorgeous piece of poetry about the uncertainty of this life that translates perfectly into a siren song for the ages. the poem begins with references to motherhood and nature and ends with references to God and the broken world we live in.

my favorite line: where are my angels? where’s my golden one? where’s my hope now that my heroes have gone?

speaking about this piece of music that i love and admire so much has been amazing for me, and i can’t wait to begin my next album! i know i tend to ramble on in these blogs sometimes, and i guess that’s just my way; but as the ever-wise jewel would say, “what we call human nature in actuality is human habit.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am blogging right now! I am blogging because I forgot to actually get a blog completed. Too many ideas, not enough time. So, this is a placeholder blog of sorts. Yep, that’s right. You’re reading a placeholder blog. There’s NO way that I could do something fun or cool with a placeholder blog, right?

Wrong. I am going to do something so cool. It’s going to be so cool you won’t even see it coming. It’s gonna be insane, it’s gonna happen in the paragraph after the paragraph that comes after this one! You aren’t ready! You’re just so unprepared! I bet that’s driving you insane! All this suspense!

It’s creeping closer and closer. I bet you can hardly stand it now, can you? You want to see the cool thing so bad. Well, if you’re patient, you’ll get it. All you have to do is keep reading. Keep reading, and reading, and reading, and reading and- oh I’ll stop that now. Are you ready? Are you sure? It gets closer with every word.

Something unexpected, is always going to be the thing that you would have expected if you weren’t told to expect the unexpected. Something will go right, or wrong. It’s always this way. If it wasn’t then nothing would make sense. Random and unexpected are different, random is unexpected but gets boring fast, but unexpected, what is truly unexpected, is unique and exciting at all times. Some people will be able to tell where something’s going, others will be surprised, but see the trail of clues left behind on their second time. I mean, some of you might have some idea of what I’m doing here, others may simply be waiting.

Here it is. The answer to your great expectations! What is this? What is the cool thing that will happen with this placeholder blog? Well, the answer could be obvious. It’s all a mind game, you see. I made you wonder what I could possibly be doing if this was just a placeholder blog. I built up the anticipation for the big reveal. I made you second guess yourself, and now. Here we are. The climax. This is a short story hidden in a blog. The main character is you, your mind, your thoughts, your actions. You’re the main character! What does that make me, though? The antagonist? Perhaps. I could be. I could’ve been. I wasn’t, though. I think. I could have been, though I’ve long since forgotten.

Interesting, isn’t it. Are you underwhelmed? Are you content? Overwhelmed even? I wanted to try something with a placeholder blog. Warm up your brain, make you think. Isn’t suspense important? It’s what drives the plot forward, gives the readers questions and answers at the same time. A story is created, given meaning within the words. The words bring forth life, characters, places. But how does it end? How do these worlds end? Would you like to know? The end of these worlds is, and always will be, the final punctuation of the last sentence, where your questions may have been answered, or not.

Hello again everyone. I hope you enjoyed last weeks edition to my top tens! This week is the continuation of that! Same rules apply as always! Lets just get right into it!

5. Labyrinth (1986)

Surprisingly, this is another movie that I watched when I was much younger than I am now. This is a fantasy movie about a young girl named Sarah whose baby brother, Toby, had just been kidnapped by the goblin king, played by David Bowie. She has thirteen hours to try and make her way through the labyrinth full of mazes and traps so she can save her brother. I always loved this movie for many reasons, but the main one is how great the plot is, mixed with the musical aspect. I actually listen to “Magic Dance” to this day. It’s a song by the one and only David Bowie. 

Favorite Line: “Your eyes can be so cruel” – Jareth, the Goblin King.

4. Dirty Dancing (1987)

Gosh, I’m just realizing how many of these movies I watched when I was young. It’s kinda funny, because when I watch these movies now I pick up on things that I didn’t the first time. This movie is super popular so if you don’t know about it or have heard of it you have literally been living under a rock. I’ll sum it up really quickly for you. Pretty much, our main protagonist is a teenage girl called Baby. Yeah. Baby. Anyways, her family is rich and she’s expected to be the perfect daughter for the rich father. He takes the family out to a resort type thing where Baby meets one of the entertainers(dancers) named Johnny. Of course she has to keep it a secret from her father who would most definitely disapprove of their love. That’s all I’m going to say for this one because I really do think that you should watch this for yourself.

Favorite Line: “No one puts Baby in a corner.” -Johnny

3. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)

This film is actually in my top 3 for many reasons. The casting of the film was so good and the plot was very intriguing. Though, it did have some clichés. That doesn’t bother me much though. So as the story goes, a nerdy high school student, Ronald, played by a young Patrick Dempsy is our main character and our supporting main character is lead cheerleader, Cindi, played by Amanda Peterson. So, Cindi goes to a party and gets a bad stain on her mothers white leather outfit. She can’t afford to get it fixed so Ronald offers her a deal. If he agrees to pay to get the outfit fixed, Cindi has to pretend to date him for a while until he’s popular. That’s all that I’m going to spoil for now because just like the other ones on this list I’d rather you watch them yourself to enjoy!

Favorite line:

“Didn’t you take economics? You could have had me for $49.95.” – Corissa 

2. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. (1986)

AHHHHHHHH! I love this movie so much. On the surface it might just seem like a basic coming-of-age movie, but gosh does it really work. So, the story is about a senior in high school named Ferris Bueller. The movie starts off with him in his bed pretending to be sick so he can skip school. His unsuspecting parents agree to let him stay for his ninth sick day that month. He gets his girlfriend out of school by pretending to be her father over the phone, and his best friend is ACTUALLY sick, yet he drags him out of his house to have a fun day out on the town. He gets chased around by the suspecting school principal and his jealous sister! I love Ferris as a character because of how clever he is and how he views life! I definitely recommend watching this!

Favorite Line: “You say Ferris Bueller, you lose a testicle.”- Ferris’s Sister

1. Heathers (1989)

OKAY. This is my absolute favorite 80s movie! So, we follow our main protagonist, Veronica Sawyer, on her journey through high school. She was inducted into the ‘Heathers’ which is the most popular clique in school ruled by the three heather’s; Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, and Heather McNamara. She doesn’t really fit in very well with them because of her more…moral beliefs? Question mark on moral.  So as the story goes, Veronica meets new student and edgy (hot) teenage boy named Jason Dean, also known as JD. JD is pretty angsty and frankly, he’s unhinged. Veronica ends up making a mistake and getting on Heather Chandler’s bad side, to which she appoints JD to help her make it up to Heather. They end up ‘accidentally’ killing Heather Chandler and framing it as a suicide. As I said before I’m definitely not going to spoil the rest of it because its SUCH a good movie and you should watch it for yourself! Oh, and if you need someone to watch it with, I will never turn down the opportunity. 

Favorite line: “Our love is God. Lets go get a slushie!”

 

Thanks for another great week of reading my top tens! I hope you enjoyed and make sure to keep an eye out for next week’s addition!

When introduced to the idea of blogging, an idea occurred to me. Why not write a “review” (I use the term loosely and comedically) of my friends. It could turn into quite the little series, which is hopefully something you will enjoy, and definitely something that I would enjoy. 

More importantly, this series could provide an opportunity to inform the world on the absolute miracles these people have worked on me with their presence in my life.

These are people that, in their own individual ways, have helped me put the pieces of myself back together into a person I never could have become without them, a person I’m proud of. The least I could do, should they consent to it, is tell the world of their doings and let people know the good they’ve done. 

As promised, I will now begin with the series dedicated to friends in my life. These installments will likely come off as very sappy, with me gushing a lot, but that’s just how it will have to come across. These are people that mean a lot to me, and since I revolve primarily around words of affirmation, this is what the result of me trying to express that is. 

This week’s installment: Locklyn. 

From literally the first day I arrived on campus (and honestly, probably new student day, too if I could remember), Locklyn has been in my life. That first day was spent primarily with her and my now ex-roommate, Michael. 

And from the very beginning I knew I was going to like Locklyn. I couldn’t for the life of me explain to you why, and honestly I still can’t really, but I will try. 

It’s just that Locklyn is so…homey. I’ve never once felt out of place, unwelcome, scrutinized or judged in her presence, which is exceedingly rare for someone who lives their life in the proverbial spotlight (be it my own or someone else’s) at all times, as I do. 

But that was never an issue with Locklyn. I know that I can, and have, talked about anything with her and it would never make her think less of me. In fact, knowing that little ball of emo maniacal energy, the more messed up it is the more she would probably want to talk about it. 

The point is, Locklyn is a safe harbor in a way that very few of my other friends are able to be. She does it flawlessly, and accomplished it in stunning speeds to boot. I wouldn’t trade the world for this vault of a best friend, and I’m beyond glad I got to meet her. 

I hope you all can have at least one interaction with her, too. I promise, it’s beyond worth it. 

Sincerely, someone who enjoys talking censorship free. 

P.s. I look forward to sharing the same schedule with you all year, ya little psycho. >:) 

Welcome back to this weeks edition of “The Different Voices of MSA. This week, I am here with Christopher Eichleberg.

“What made you choose the Theater discipline?”

“It was my last option.”

Very honest at the least.

“If you had to choose another art which one would you choose?”

“Not literary, they dropped me.” Lol.~Chris’s 1st response

“I’d choose visual.” Chris said to which I replied with:

“But Chris you can’t draw.” And to which he responded with:

“Simone…I’ve seen your paintings.”…I remained quiet after that.

Onto the next question: What is your favorite play?

“Hamlet, it’s really good.”

What is your favorite part of theater?

“The acting class is pretty cool, and interacting with other people.”

Who is your favorite actor?

“Donald Glover.”

How did you find out about MSA?

“Through you all, I wanted to leave Terry.”

Thank you Chris for your joyful responses, until next week!

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog for this week! We’ll be going over my top ten favorite 80s movies of all time! Kind of contradictory to say that though!  As always there are plot spoilers and these rankings are biased and based on my enjoyment of the movie! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy!

10. Beetlejuice (1988)

Gosh, where do I even start with this movie?  According to my mother, I first watched this movie when I was only 4 years old. I always find myself attached to movies that have kind of an alternative concept to them. I also love Tim Burton movies so of course this was going to be on the list somewhere! This movie was actually remade into a musical in 2016 because of how popular it was! If you haven’t seen or heard of Beetlejuice then let me sum it up for you. We as the watcher follow the story of a happy couple who were recently deceased. They don’t realize this until they find a new family living in their home. One of my favorite characters from the movie is the gothic styled daughter of the family, Lydia Deetz. My mom sometimes compares me to her as well. I think it’s funny. Throughout the movie the deceased couple contact the infamous Beetlejuice to help them get the living family out of their home. I’ll leave it up to you to watch and see how that ends. 

Favorite Line:  “I’m the ghost with the most, babe” – Betelgeuse

9. Ghostbusters (1984)

I will always choose to watch this movie if I see it on the channel guide in my living room. The first time I watched this movie was when I was around 7 years old and I watched it with my brother. I remember how the first opening scene in the library scared me so much that I just didn’t wanna watch the rest of it.  My brother convinced me to stay after laughing at how scared I was. Anyways, lets get back into the movie. Ghostbusters is a very popular franchise that has had video games, spin offs, sequels, and remakes! The most recent remake was in 2016 with the same title as this one. Ghostbusters is about a group of… weirdos who are also different types of scientists.  They’re all friends and fight ghosts together! Isn’t that just so fun and fresh? The movies are more comedic than scary but its also able to balance them out pretty flawlessly. I personally love all the movies in the franchise!

Favorite lines: “Okay, who brought the dog?” – Louis Tully                                                                                                 “Your Mother!” – Egon Spengler

  

8. Little shop of horrors (1986)

So uh, this movie is interesting to say the least. To put it into simple terms, a flower shop worker named Seymour is crushing over his coworker Audrey. He finds a suspicious plant and names it Audrey II. This plant only feeds on human flesh and blood. The more it eats the more it grows. So, interesting plot right? Well that’s not even all of it. Its also a musical movie! Yes and one of my favorite songs on it is called “Feed Me (Git It)” and the plant Audrey II is the vocalist for this song. When I watched this film for the first time I probably laughed over a thousand times. Its very comical and also has small hints of horror ever now and then. 

Favorite line:  “Feed me, Seymour!” – Audrey II

 

7. The Lost Boys (1989) 

Okay. Before I say anything else, this is a vampire movie but honestly I’d rate it higher than twilight. Yes that’s right. I’m looking at you Edward Cullen stans. I said it. Anyways, this movie is set in northern California where two brothers have just moved in with their mother there. The younger brother makes friends fairly easily with two other boys who are just as big of geeks as he is. The older brother though, he uh… had some trouble and ends up crushing over the leader of a gang of ruthless vampires’ girlfriend. He was not too thrilled about that. The two brothers must fight against the vampires to save themselves and those of whom they care about. My final notes on the movie…  these vampires are not hot. Sorry.

Favorite line: “You better get yourself a garlic T-shirt, Buddy, or its your funeral.” – Edgar Frog

6. The Goonies (1985)

I had a whole paragraph written about this movie but the software decided it wasn’t good enough so I’m going to redo it! This is one of my all time favorites out of all movies. I watched this first with my brother and my mother. In the movie, the main character finds an old treasure map with the name One-Eyed Willy on it in his fathers attic. He and his group of ‘loser’ friends decide to go and hunt for it since the main character is moving away soon. They follow the map and eventually end up at a café run by a family of criminals. That’s where the main character’s older brother catches up with him for stealing his bike. He tries to get the kids to go back home but eventually is stuck following them to the treasure along with the brothers love interest and her best friend. The family of criminals eventually find out about the treasure as well and chase the group around through all the traps and tricks One-Eyed Willy has left for them. 

Favorite lines: “Tell us everything! Everything!”  – Francis Fratelli

“Everything. OK! I’ll talk! In 3rd grade, I cheated on my history exam. In 4th grade, I stole my uncle Max’s toupee, and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In 5th grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs, and I blamed it on the dog. When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids, and then they served lunch I got nuts, and I pigged out, and they kicked me out. But the worst thing I ever done — I mixed a pot of fake puke at home, and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: Hua-Hua-Hua-Hua-ahh — and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible; all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.” – Chunk

Well, that’s it for this week everyone. Thanks for reading and I hope this inspires you to go watch some of these movies! If you see me around don’t hesitate to spark a conversation about movies in general! I’ll never turn down that opportunity. Make sure to keep an eye out for next weeks part two of this series! See you then! <3

 

This week I am going to do something a little different from my usual Broadway-inspired blogs. As many of you (if not all), of you know, I have an avid obsession with Korean Pop bands. And, as many of you probably don’t know, one of my favorite K-pop groups released a new album not too long ago. So I thought that this blogspace was the perfect place to completely fan girl and make everyone listen.

The band I am going to be ranting about today is my beloved Stray Kids. Stray Kids is an 8 member band consisting of singers, rappers, dancers and all of the above. Their newest album titled ‘NOEASY’ is their second studio album, and it contains so many gems that I haven’t shut up about it for weeks. Picking my three favorite songs was honestly so frustrating, because I am truly obsessed with every song they put on the album. At one point I even considered just scrapping the whole “Top Three” idea because I really just wanted to talk about all of them. Anyways, enough rambling.

THIRD INSTALLMENT: STRAY KIDS-NOEASY

3. Silent Cry

I knew before that I even started this blog that I was going to have Silent Cry in my top three of the album. The beat and flow of the song just works so well, especially for the K-pop genre. But at the same time, it is also different from songs they have produced before. The lines are also equally dispersed in the song which is always the best feeling for a fan of a K-pop group.

The song perfectly highlights each member, and the lyrics are so well written. In the song, the lyrics talk about holding emotions behind a wall and never showing when you are hurt. Although the lyrics are quite heavy, the upbeat tempo keeps the song from being too serious. The lyrics are written by three of the members themselves: Han, Changbin, and Bang Chan, aka 3racha. The members are well known for their incredibly well written songs and their fast paced raps. In particular, Changbin really shined in Silent Cry, with his rapid fire rap and distinct voice. His voice really made the song so unforgettable, and the lyrics are written so well. 

2. Secret Secret (말할 수 없는 비밀)

This song has been my comfort song for the past few weeks. The melody is just so calming. As someone who thoroughly enjoys melodic K-pop songs, this song is my favorite type of song to listen to. It is just so calming, not to mention the amazing vocals that accompany the melody. 

The lyrics for this song aren’t something I can just skip over. As much as I rave about how a song sounds, I am primarily a fan of picking apart lyrics. Especially in K-pop songs, in which I have to search the translations for. Something about having to search a little more than just simply comprehending by listening makes me really look  deeper into the lyricism of the songs. The lyrics in this song in particular are about having a secret about how you truly feel. One of my favorite lyrics (translated) is “Pretending to be okay makes me even lonelier.” The lyrics are just so relatable and well written. 

1.  DOMINO 

I. LOVE. RAPID. FIRE. RAP.

Changbin’s rapid fire at the beginning of DOMINO is absolutely the reason this has to be number one. I’ve always been a fan of Stray Kids rapid fire rappers, but this song just really highlighted the rap as the opening line of a song. I am also a big sucker for techno/mechanic sounding backing tracks which Stray Kids always does especially well.

The main and backing vocals of all the backing vocals really are just amazing. Each and every one of the members is really utilized in this song. Especially Lee Know, who is known to have little to few lines in songs. (BTW thanks JYP entertainment for the crumbs.)

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Overall this album is so so amazing, and even if you aren’t an avid K-pop fan I would suggest giving it a listen. With ballads, upbeat music, rap, and singing, Stray Kids really does cater to all tastes. I could probably rant about how you should be a fan of Stray Kids for weeks, but I know nobody will listen to a whole blog about K-pop fan going crazing on blogspace.

ANYWAYS GO STREAM NOEASY STRAY KIDS SECOND STUDIO ALBUM!!!!!