quality blogging

[ever_neutral]

it's me again.

so when i posted my last post i expected five people to respond. imagine my feels upon discovering that livejournal is secretly as alive as it was in the days of yore.

[real-time footage of me reading my inbox]

Comments

[kwritten]

I will suggest A History of Glitter and Blood which was just published in August by Hannah Moskowitz. It's apparently about fairies and prostitution and politics. I went to the publisher's brunch at the beginning of the season and the editor in charge of this book was super excited. I'm sure that your online publication will be able to find a copy of it for you and since it's so new, it's probably something that will need reviews.

Also the Engelsfors Trilogy by Mats Strandberg and Sara Bergmark Elfgren. The last book in the trilogy was just published this year, so it should be new enough to review. You'll have to read the other two first, but it's totally worth it. There's also a Swedish film that Ranya really loves but that I've not had the chance to watch yet. Also the other Alex loves it, too and if you read them then we can both yell at you about it a lot.

I also picked up this book called Queen of the Tearling because the second one just got published recently and the main character's name is Kelsea and I'm a narcissist? But... I haven't had the time to actually read it.

I think it would be really awesome if you started reviewing the new Ms. Marvel comics also because Kamala Khan should have ALL THE POSITIVE REVIEWS.

Also Kenna has been obsessed with/yelling at me about something called Splintered? but I'm a terrible sister, etc etc.

(lol I also freelance for a reviewing company from time to time so I'm kind of reckless about my recommendations)

For the meme:

me (shouts into a crowd):: WELL NAM WOOHYUN DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HIS FANS AND HE CAN'T SING ANYWAY THE SLUT.

For the second meme: tell me your feelings about Spice Girls, let's make this old school as hell.

[gryfndor_godess]

Also the Engelsfors Trilogy by Mats Strandberg and Sara Bergmark Elfgren...Also the other Alex loves it, too and if you read them then we can both yell at you about it a lot.

Dooooo ittttttttt

It has fantastic characters, a plot that actually kept me guessing, and the characters have to face actual consequences for their mistakes (which felt fucking novel). Only sad thing is the third book is not actually published in English yet (although ARCs exist, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE PLEBES CAN'T READ IT YET), so unless you secretly read Swedish, you'll have to wait a bit. It was SUPPOSED to come out in February of this year, and the date keeps getting pushed (my grandparents pre-ordered it for me for Christmas last year, so I keep getting very sad Amazon emails telling me that it's been delayed AGAIN).

[ever_neutral]

I have been persuaded!!!!! Will wait for the third one's translation to review and snatch the first two in the beantime.

[kwritten]

yisssssssss

you will not regret this

[gryfndor_godess]

WOOT!!! \O/

[kwritten]

Wait. WHAT? Why isn't it out yet? What is the new projected date?

[gryfndor_godess]

I don't know the reasons for the delays. I assume extra time to translate was the initial reason because they're SO (wonderfully) long, but since you have an ARC, obviously there's a finished translation somewhere... I was so excited when you told me you had an ARC b/c I figured it meant I'd finally be getting mine lol. Alas, twas not so. Amazon currently says it'll come out Sep 30th, so that's not too far away. I have zero expectations at this point, though. We'll see...

[ever_neutral]

You make compelling cases. Will take under advisement. (Can't do comics, though, sorry to say.)

(OF COURSE YOU DO. I bow to your seniority.)

HE CAN'T SING ANYWAY

I set myself up for this but -- you know that time on Angel when teenaged!Connor came back and then cut off some guy's ear? GPOY.

(btw, smh at y'all coming at me through this one dude... I have other biases. Bye.)

Pls see first comment thread for Spice Girls feels.

[kwritten]

I'm so glad Alex swooped in and backed up my Englesfors feelings. You will not regret this.

(lol. never bow to me. I'm the worst. I take all the books and never read them and they let me b/c I'm disarmingly cute.)

(you have other biases, this is true, but Namstar is so easy to pick on)
((lol when I did this on tumblr I got 100% "Dawn Summers is useless" responses. we all are predictable in our own ways.))

ah! Spice Girls! I loved your feels. They are cutely. Carry on.

Do you have Neon Jungle feels? Did Ranya and Jessica pull you into that mess? BECAUSE IF THEY DID I NEED TO KNOW.

*aggressively watches Big Bang music videos on youtube and pretends that I'm past this era of my life*
*lol*

[ever_neutral]

((lol when I did this on tumblr I got 100% "Dawn Summers is useless" responses. we all are predictable in our own ways.))

Biases are so unfortunate. : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \ : \

I don't have excessive Neon Jungle feels due to only having seen minimal stuff. Ranya and Jessica clearly did not try hard enough, tbh. ARE U HERE TO TRY?

*aggressively watches Big Bang music videos on youtube and pretends that I'm past this era of my life*

Listen, Love Song and Blue are among the most played in my brooding playlist. None among us are innocent.

[belecrivain]

*sigh* sadly there is not much point to stoking the NJ fires, since the group is no more, but hopefully Shereen + Asami + Jess + Amina are on to bigger and better things and Jess and Asami have set up a cozy little hideaway somewhere so you should prepare yourself with the glorious hair retrospective.

here we go:

"Trouble": their first release, in the Icona Pop vein.

"Louder": not my style but I know a lot of people were blown away by this.

"Welcome to the Jungle": again I wasn't impressed by the song -- I swear, just-barely-substandard material did this project in -- but worth it for Asami singing "jag-u-ar," plus the misandry of the video, 70% of which is half-naked men contorting themselves and NJ looking bored.

"Braveheart" -- it ends up as garden-variety EDM, but you do get Amina talking about "3 AM bizarre" and Asami counting in Japanese along the way.

"Sleepless in London" (acoustic cover) -- SHEREEN'S VOICE.

there's more on the YouTube channel but now I must tear myself away and get work done.

*sobs* about my minimal icons

[kwritten]

Bless you! I was totally going to do this and then you went and did it.

BUT SOMETHING THAT WAS FORGOTTEN ::::

Also important, their COVERS Alex. omg the covers:

Take Me To Church AND THEY KEPT THE FEMININE PRONOUNS!!!!!

my actual disney villain theme song::

moar covers::

we can't stop (miley cyrus)

work bitch (britney) this video is just the four of them sitting around on the floor gigling at each other and singing. it's the most fucking endearing thing I've ever seen.

jessie j mix more sitting on the floor giggling at each other and being ridiculous.

can we dance (vamps) feat. jess sitting on a table like a cat and everyone idolizing their maknae shereen b/c she's amazing

hideaway (kiesza) featuring amina and asami rockin' the opening vocals and just in general being incredible. also ridiculous dancing happens.

waiting game (banks) this vid is in b&w and they all look like bad asses instead of the squishy little marshmallows we all know that they are

I'm mostly obsessed with them because of their covers, tbh. like their original stuff is good - but the way that they harmonize, it makes my toes curl - I listen to Royals and wonder why anyone would ever want that to be done with one voice when four is obviously superior. and take me to church - it doesn't even sound like a cover, it sounds like that's what it's supposed to have been all along.

Also - Asami is clearly my bias. I wish it was Shereen. But there's something about Asami's vocals that just SLAYS. I can't wait to see what she does solo. What they all do solo.

i'm back

[ever_neutral]

After marathoning all of these I have concluded that you are correct that their covers >>>>>>>>. Why did they not pursue the acoustic route over EDM??

I actually have the Take Me To Church cover!! It would appear I was halfway there with this group already... but declined to jump all the way in out of self-preservation. For the best, apparently. /o\

They crushed both Lorde and Miley to dust and danced in their ashes. R.I.H.

IIRC that Jessie J. medley was the first I ever saw of NJ (thanks to Eleonore - ofc). They have so much charisma as a group tho. /o\

Asami's vocal tone DOES slay. She and Shereen are definitely the vocal biases. May we hear more of them ASAP.

ugh my lack of icons

[kwritten]

Asami's vocal tone DOES slay.
It took me a while to really key into Asami's tone, but once I did I was like: HEY HEY YOU YOU LETSGETMARRIEDORSOMETHING.

I really hope all four of these ladies do some solo work soon

They crushed both Lorde and Miley to dust and danced in their ashes. R.I.H.
In the best fucking way possible. I love me some Lorde, but she doesn't have their vocal quality. And no one can compete with FOUR such perfect voices like this. /slay

belated reaction

[ever_neutral]

first of all: they disbanded ALREADY? o_____________________O r.i.p....

anyway, i believe i was already familiar with most of these releases but still worth revisiting. i have to say i'm with you on Welcome to the Jungle/Braveheart, neither of which are my style at all. Louder is pretty basic but i don't hate it. overall Trouble is most jam-worthy to me. (iirc Eleonore once attacked me with an acoustic version of it which was even better.)

i do dig Shereen's voice! girl is straining those adlibs in the acoustic cover but idem. in other news, the hair-porn is real.

[kwritten]

Biases are necessary and I choose the best ones forget sunggyu, we all make mistakes, okay

JESSICA SWOOPED IN AND DID THE BEST JOB AND I CAME IN LATER TO ADD THE COVERS BECAUSE THE COVERS ALEX. *STARS IN EYES*

Listen. Sometimes I go back and watch Crooked just to laugh-sob at myself about how g-dragon is actually Draco Malfoy stuck in a kpop au and also just feel better about my life choices in general.