the date already reaches October '18 but she will just arrive in New Zealand by then, not even Singapore was decided, let alone my country. And the price, bloody hell, converted to my currency, the festival seat in New Zealand is approximately 1,9 million. I love her, but I'm poor!!!!! Guess I should start saving from now until next year!
Taylor Swift's Reputation Foreword
It's almost like a tradition for me not to search Taylor Swift's album Foreword before the record arrives on my hand. Reputation just did this afternoon. I already stream all the song beforehand, so I listen to the album while examining the lyrics and its depths, while singing along of course. After I finished the whole record, I came back to the first page and recite the Foreword like a poem. Here's what I thought.
All the previous Forewords usually had this vibe of encouragement and gratitude, where she shared her notion so we all understand what she trying to deliver her songs on the album. Like, Fearless' Foreword is so full of gratitude to the fans to make it possible for her to make the album; Speak Now's Foreword encourages people to be brave of what we all think and speaks it up, Red's Forewords tells us all the bright burning love she encountered and that love is crazy but don't worry, it is called love because it's crazy; 1989's Foreword tells us how her life had changed in the couple of years and that we have to face the change with open hands, that change is a good thing. But here, I feel like Reputation's Foreword has a different vibe. She didn't write "The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now, cause she's dead" for nothing. I might quote Ultron a little bit here to make myself clear. She didn't just change. Saying that would be an understatement. She has evolved.
She was talking about the way she understands people, the faces we human put front as a simple description of who we are, then its relevance to today's generation and social media, her feminist thought against those who prefer to see her work as an open letter to some beautiful man on the screen instead of a result of contemplation, musical talent, and hard work, that was not just hers but the other co-producers too. The media simplifying it as a way of 'oversharing' wasn't just an insult to her, but to all the people whose hard works was involved in the making of the album. The way she expressed all these ideas was so different from the way she wrote Foreword in the previous record. And I personally think it fits the concept of this album. About being fierce. About being tough.
The Taylor Swift that I see has always been sarcastic tho, since the era of Picture to Burn. She is a sarcastic person to start with (maybe that's one of the reasons why I am so into her. I adore her to the spiritual level, lol), but before, she usually used sarcasm when she's mad, upset, angry, or just being shady. Here, all I caught is that she's being sarcastic because she's so done. She's done with all the roller coaster people tried to push her through. The Foreword is like her giving a middle finger to everyone who ever messes with her and said, "Go on, do whatever you want. I'm done here"
Another thing I caught is about people and their faces. Taylor spots it right in the beginning about the concept of mask human wear in social life. I mean, it’s not just her cheesy words, it’s science (I learned it in Social Psychology class). She reminds me of the fact that I can’t have the person I love as a whole. I love them under the mask they show me. Especially in the millennia where social media has wrapped people into beautiful pictures to post (Yes, I’m looking at you Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I love you, I’m your loyal user since you are my source for BTS funny memes. But your existence has made several of my friends prefer to travel for good pictures than a good atmosphere for good mental health). This ‘pictures culture’ has shaped our generation to conclude what others are having from their squared pictures instead of actually trying to understand them as an actual human being. We sometimes forget that the girl smiling on our ‘home feed’ is also a girl with emotion, struggle, characters, background, and stories.
Gosh, I’m too emotional, I’m gonna stop.
@taylorswift you had me again on this record.
@taylorswift you had me again on this record.
2017 Playlist
It's been a year since I'm writing for this blog yet I still write so little. What a terrible writer I was. But so far, 2017 had been a blast. On the contrary of 2016 where I was in such existential crisis, in 2017 I felt like I had a better grip on myself, despite several challenges to my ideology and shift in perspectives I felt like 2017 was the year I was grown enough to make a big decision by myself and take responsibility for it. 2017 was also the year I become more liberal toward everything. I see things not in a childish, narrow, idealistic views again. And music, like before had helped to open my views toward everything, both from their beats and their lyrics. I had more songs on my playlist compared to 2016, so here it is
I found a lot of new artists I haven't heard the song before, even tho they're already famous; like Halsey, The 1975, The Japanese House (it was recommended by Youtube after I heard too many The 1975), and my recent favorite, BTS!!!
HALSEY
Songs:
100 Letters; Colors; Ghost
Well, she's definitely more than that girl that being featured by The Chainsmoker. She has that one recognizable and sensual voice and that bad girl vibes with a very honest lyrics (I am weak to those singers who wrote their own lyrics). And I think she has that kind of songs that matched her voice very well. I didn't put it on my playlist, but I also enjoy that one song where she featured Lauren from Fifth Harmony. Their voice blends so well!
BANGTAN SONYEONDAN
Songs:
Just One Day; Run; Danger; DNA; Not Today; Run (Ballad Mix); War of Hormone; Go Go; Spring Day; Burning Up (Fire); Blood Sweat & Tears; 21st Century Girl; Dope; I Need U (Remix); Mic Drop; Silver Spoon; Epilogue: Young Forever; Boyz With Fun; Cypher 4
This probably the most extreme turn in my taste of music. So let me tell you a story about how I become an ARMY (BTS fandom, believe me, they are all awesome!). I was watching The 1975 Japan interview, and then there was this sentence that was said by Adam, I can't write it in quotes because I forgot the exact words, but the point he made was that true beauty should translate across most cultures. The words hit me like, yeah, I think that the reason I love these songs delivered not in my native language is not because I can relate to the lyrics when I heard it (as I thought before), but maybe because they are all beautiful, and either I read the lyrics once or over and over again when I sing it, the beauty of the lyrics and the music manage to get inside me. In other words, the artists are capable of delivering their passion through their music to me. That sentence lingers for so long in my head, and one day I was scrolling through Pinterest, I read this article about BTS, where they wrote messages to their fans in a magazine interview. One of the member, with stage name Suga, wrote you'll like BTS song if you listen without prejudice. And I was like woah! That was one heck of a strong statement right there. Maybe he was right. All these times, I never try to listen to K-Pop music because I thought I didn't understand the lyrics and they are not my taste, but maybe I just see them with prejudice and refuse to give it an objective try. So there, I give it a try.
It was that moment where the internet was bombarded by the fact they perform at AMA, and since I subscribed The Late-Late Show Youtube channel, I watched their DNA performance. And BAM!!!! They sound awesome!!! And the choreography, I haven't seen any western male boyband serve such a performance on stage. Then I started to search their name and.... the rest is history. Now every time I watch their performance on Youtube, I started chanting the fan chant, lol, it was infectious.
For you who haven't heard about them, let me take this opportunity to tell you who they are. BTS consists of Kim Namjoon (RM), Kim Seokjin (Jin), Min Yoongi (Suga), Jung Hoseok (J-Hope), Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung (V), and Jeon Jungkook.
Their music is mostly upbeat and rarely organic, but the songs are those kinds that can lift up my mood, especially when I'm driving (yes I'm driving now). Of course, I don't understand the meaning of their lyrics the first time I heard them, I don't speak Korean. So the process usually starts with me liking the beat, search the lyrics and got amazed by the message, watch their live performance and got starstruck! It didn't stop there, I start watching their live interview and fall for their personality too! Gosh, it was like when I fall for The 1975 all over again. Oh, and their memes, gosh the fandom are crazy with memes and they are hilarious! I think I'll dedicate a separate post about them, but overall, their music are great!!!
ED SHEERAN
Songs:
Barcelona; Castle on the Hill; Dive; Eraser; Galway Girl; Perfect (feat. Beyonce)
I don't think I need to introduce who Ed Sheeran is. He is a global sensation already. I've listened to Ed Sheeran since his first album, but I think Divide is my favorite. I think Divide has a different vibe than the previous two albums of him, but still with his touch. With his previous album, I think most of his songs have a pretty dense lyric cramped up in a three minutes song. Divide has a more balanced song. And let's talk about the song Perfect. It's being played in almost every romantic situations in my country. I heard it in the radio when it's rain, inside my friend's car (the one who's being in love), my cousin's wedding, it could be the best romantic song of the year! To make it better, he even featured Beyonce later, like whaaaat!!!! A perfect duet singing a perfect song called Perfect? Perfect!
KODALINE
Songs:
Brand New Day; Brother; High Hopes; Love Like This (Acoustic); The One
Kodaline is an Irish based indie-rock band consists of Steve Garrigan, Vinny May, Jason Boland, and Mark Prendergast. Despite being called rock band, my favorite songs from Kodaline are the ones that is not so rock at all. I don't understand music that much to define what kind of sound they have, the point is, I like their slower song. They are really soothing to my ear. Oh, and you need to see Brother music video if you're looking for something to make you cry. I cried.
EVANESCENCE
Songs:
Bring Me to Life - Synthesis; Imperfection
I only have one thing to say about this: THE LEGEND IS BACK FELLASSS!!! Listening to the remake of the legendary song Bring Me to Life almost bring me tears, like I was so emo for this band, lol. Amy Lee's voice is my aesthetic forever!
TAYLOR ALLISON SWIFT
Songs:
Call It What You Want; Clean; Come Back... Be Here; Dancing With Our Hands Tied; Dress; Getaway Car; Gorgeous; I Know Places; King of My Heart; Look What You Made Me Do; State of Grace (Acoustic); I Did Something Bad; The Story of Us; Wonderland; ... Ready For It?
Ah, where do I begin, I don't think I need to write much about this lady because you know everything I said would be biased because I LOVE HER! I love all her works, since Fearless era, and every year, there will always Taylor Swift songs in my playlist even when there is no new album from her. So you can imagine my excitement when she finally released Reputation after three years break! And she didn't just come back, she came back with a whole new attitude, and I LOVE IT!!! Reputation has a completely new sound, but as a hardcore swiftie, I can still hear even the same Taylor from the Fearless era sublimed in the lyric beneath the fierce sound. Gosh, we should stop now before I made a two pages long essays about how I love Taylor Swift
THE 1975
Songs:
A Change of Heart; Facedown; Falling For You; Haunt//Bed; Head.Cars.Bending; Heart Out; M.O.N.E.Y; Me; Medicine; Milk; Paris; Robbers; Settle Down; Sex; She's American; Somebody Else; So Far (It's Alright); The City; The Sound; Undo; By Your Side; Chocolate; Ugh!; Love Me
I already made a special post about how I fall for them and their sound. It's not just their sound, I fall for the personality shown in their interview, their aesthetic on stage, their existential lyrics, and I think these days, famous bands rarely show their organic instruments, and that is where The 1975 shows their music. Also they are British, so basically, yeah, I can be biased writing all these.
LORDE
Songs:
Homemade Dynamite; Liability; Perfect Places; The Louvre
I love her sound since Pure Heroine era. Not just a catchy upbeat sound, she has such a liberal lyrics, the kind of lyrics that didn't just talk about love, but also cynicism in a sarcastic way. I love sarcastic people. She also has this raspy voice and a one of a kind stage performance. Melodrama came in the middle of the year, just in time when I was craving for good songs. I think my favorite of all is Liability. The lyric is soo... Lorde. The perspective of that weird kid who tried to blend it but failed and end up dancing alone vibe. Gosh, I love her!
There are also other artists I listened to throughout the year. They either have a soothing sound (like Hozier and Novo Amor) or old school ones. Some of it came to my playlist after several throwbacks, like the High School Musical and Camp Rock era (oh how I missed those years).
1. New Empire - A Little Brave2. Novo Amor - Anchor
3. Hozier - Arsonist's Lullabye
4. Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles [This is just a must have song to anyone in long distance relationship, I think]
5. High School Musical Cast - Can I Have This Dance [GABRIELLAAAA!!!!]
6. Heathers The Musical Cast - Dead Girk Walking [You need to check out Heathers the musical, my favorite was from the Rock River Repertory Theater Company. They are good!]
7. Florence + The Machine - Delilah
8. Fifth Harmony - Deliver
9. Zayn feat. Sia - Dusk Till Dawn [Not really a fan of Zayn, but his voice blend well with Sia's]
10. Vance Joy - Georgia
11. Bastille - Good Grief
12. San Cisco - Hey, Did I Do You Wrong?
13. Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft
14. Oh Wonder - Midnight Moon
15. Creeper - Misery
16. Bebe Rexha - No Broken Heart (feat. Nicki Minaj)
17. London Grammar - Non-Believer
18. Selena Gomez - Only You
19. Glee Cast - Oops I Did It Again (Cover) [This one just sexy]
20. Ryan Adams - Out Of The Woods
21. I Know Leopard - Perfect Picture
22. Little Mix - Power [Leigh-Anne vocal rock in here!]
23. Cashmere Cat - Quit (feat. Arianna Grande)
24. Adele - Remedy
25. Paramore - Renegade
26. Anya Marina - Satellite Heart
27. One Night Only - Say You Don't Want It
28. Phosphorescent - Song For Zula
29. Amy Lee - Speak to Me
30. The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather [This could be classic like Wonderwall from Oasis. Try the one covered by Vitamin String Quartet, gosh!]
31. Keane - Tear Up This Town [Another Legend is back]
32. Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better
33. Natasha Beddingfield - Unwritten
34. Hippo Campus - Violet [I am so into this kind of sound, lately]
32. Camp Rock 2 Cast - Wouldn't Change A Thing [Ah, Camp Rock era]
33. Glass Animals - Youth
34. Wet - It's All In Vain
35. Oh Wonder - Drive
36. Suran - Wine (feat. Changmo) [This one was produced by one of BTS member, Suga. I came because of him, but stay because it's a good tune indeed!]
37. Ecoutez - Simpan Saja
38. Zedd - Clarity (Zedd Union Mix)
39. The Japanese House - Face Like Thunder
40. The Japanese House - Clean
After showing my playlist in my friends' car, I realized I have a really weird taste in music with no pattern at all. Most of them said they never heard any of the songs on my playlist and can't sing along. I don't blame them though. I am self-aware of my weirdness. But these songs had helped me throughout the year. I wanna say thanks to all the artists who made these. Your music is accepted in my heart. Good job
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