addictdesu | Recent Entries

THIS IS

leitoph 's DREAMWIDTH ACCOUNT. ALL POSTS FROM LIVEJOURNAL HAVE BEEN IMPORTED HERE, AND FUTURE POSTS WILL BE CROSSPOSTED. IT'S THE VERY DEFINITION OF A BACK-UP BLOG, ALTHOUGH I'VE A TON OF BACK-UP BLOGS THAT DON'T GET UPDATED! *WORRY NO MORE, DW IS THE KEY~ *

If you have neither seen me from LJ, here are some quick facts about me and my blog:
1. I VIRTUALLY SCREAM T E G O S H I Y U Y A AT LEAST ONCE A DAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY
2. NEWS fan (Chankapaana) since 2010
3. Other fandoms, as of 2017: Panic! At The Disco, MAMAMOO, Kis-My-Ft2, Fifth Harmony
4. I write music reviews not tragedies
5. I love puns especially pink ones ↓

That's it for now, until I can make a less shabby welcome post :)

Lately I've been making icons (and other edits) but sadly misplacing them. ><

So I have to make a masterpost for all my graphics. I hope I can always update!
note: because this is a masterpost, not all stuff here are NEWS-related (though most of 'em are~)

( icons *NEWS* )

( icons *KARA* )

( banners )

( headers )

Feel free to grab; credits are appreciated!

If the f-o banners are too big for your journal, you can always resize the pics to your preferred size ^_^

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Pokoponpekorya - NEWS

For all that is worth writing in 2020, a Livejournal entry is long overdue. I just recently started visiting LJ semi-regularly again, after changing the header of this journal and modifying the profile page and the sidebar. Working from home made me conscious of my internet habits and encouraged me to revamp my sites and blogs. I am actually active on Tumblr again; albeit with a new name and look, the former being changed to the name of our new puppy... and that change is personally symbolic as I never thought I'd ditch addictdesu in the most anti-climactic way possible.

It's a gradual process. Feels like the time spent in building up these blogs was swifter than the days that went by without visiting them;
exactly the same way in fandom. I was supposed to celebrate my 10th year of being a NEWS fan in June. But I didn't know if it meant anything to celebrate anymore when the last two years I've been just out of the loop, so bad that everything seemed like a distant memory. Certainly, recent events surrounding the fandom exacerbated that feeling.

And we start with this one. Damn, look at all my tags, and Tegoshi Yuya is the most prominent. Read just one of those Tegoshi posts and you'd instantly see the dedication I've had for this guy. Shamelessly, I've always put him above NEWS, although my love for NEWS was also formidably strong.

The reason I took a break from fangirling was detailed in my previous entry, hence, I will not explain the "why" of it. Not turning a blind eye to the possibility that I'll eventually be estranged from the fandom, the question for me was when and how to get back. When I landed a job, I thought, "Oh cool, I reached my main goal irl, I can now return to fandom!"; but I put it off until the end of probation period in the office. That period was also around the time NEWS celebrated their 16th anniversary and NYUSU.ph with their 10th (again, previous entry) in a fan-held party I was able to attend. It should be easier, then, to get back, since I finally even had physical presence and communication with fellow fans, binged 2 NEWS concerts in a day, and felt genuinely free after months of being stuck in self-loathing and unemployment pressures.

Gratifying at best, but I didn't know why--it did not get the gears going. I was mostly in a nostalgia state; the reminiscing of the good old days seemed to be more appealing than actually looking forward to the more recent stuff. Time passed, I kept on postponing, kept on making plans on "when" and "how" to return. I'll do it once STORY comes out--didn't happen. I actually delayed listening to the album, and when I came around to it, it was only half-hearted. Right now I can only recall four tracks. But this one, for sure: I'll return once Tegomass comes back. I became certain of this promise. I miss the duo so, so bad, I would have taken any new release in a heartbeat. It also helped that I've always seen them as a musical unit rather than idols, so in a sense there's less emotional 'obligation' for, an example, a new fan, or a fan that has just come back from hiatus.

For the time being, I got occasional updates on NEWS, on Tegoshi, and on Johnny's. Obviously it was not enough to understand everything that's been leading to the events of Tegoshi's suspension and eventual exit from the group.

Wait.

Dear LJ, it hurts to recall, especially this late... but I never had the willpower to make an entry about it, until, unironically, discovering that today is my 10th year on this site. Tegoshi withdrew from NEWS and left Johnny's in June 19 this year. And I honestly still can't come to terms with it.

Because one: Until now, I'm uncertain of my opinion of the whole debacle. The night the news broke out, needless to say I was in utter shock. Somehow I managed to make a post on Facebook containing my initial trainwreck of thoughts and ended it with a positive note that's directed to the remaining members and to fellow fans. But after that? The confusion just got worse. Tegoshi immediately became active in social media, held a presscon to explain himself and continuously worked to keep himself relevant by getting small projects on the side. He also released a tell-all book. NEWS, meanwhile, took a little more time to make a public apology; the remaining members slowly but steadily keeping themselves busy to keep the group afloat. They now have a new song as a 3-member group.

That is just a basic summary of the aftermath (apologies if I missed a major news or event). When majority has probably moved on or moved forward, whether with 3-nin or Tegoshi or 3-nin plus Tegoshi, I am still at a crossroads. I've seen the side of Tegoshi--I don't know if I still want to believe him. I have seen the side of the fans who couldn't accept what he's done--I don't know if it's still reasonable to take their camp. I haven't seen most of NEWS' activities since--and I don't know if I still want to.

Because two: I have lost, I don't know if permanently or temporarily, my emotional connection to NEWS. It is not easy to say it. Typing this entry has got me shedding some tears *seriously*. But this is why I said earlier that it’s a gradual process. Turning my attention to varied interests outside of my fangirling bubble and being in control of my life had a hand in an eventual change of opinion on my fangirl lifestyle, that, in effect, affected how I saw Tegoshi. The idealism lost, bit by bit, and I started to see that many of the things I defended him for were the things I would consider unhealthy, from the outside looking in.

I love NEWS, but Tegoshi has been a big part of it. I want them to succeed, prove to everybody (and even to me!) that they can reinvent themselves and reach greater heights that former members may even be envious about. However, I can’t see myself too involved with them anymore.

I feel like I also owe every fandom friend I’ve had with an apology. Sorry for taking a break AND not contacting anyone, and sorry for returning from break just to say I’m quitting. It’s fcking like Tegoshi’s situation in a sense. Got a suspension, and boy, did it go to a full-blown resignation! I’m sorry for not standing my ground and have a firm opinion about things. I’m still hurting. At the same time, I feel nothing.

Regarding the future of this journal, it’s found on the sidebar. "Keeping this LJ for keeps." There's a part of me that wants to continue making entries, but what's the point? No matter how many fandoms I introduced before, it would always come back to NEWS. Whether in the form of punchlines, inserting Tegoshi's name in every chance I could get, and relating everything to the group, their lyrics, their music, their member-ai, their history, it was always in their honor. I mean I wouldn’t wanna transform this into a purely personal blog. I think it’s also disrespectful to theme this journal with whatever fandom/s I have at the moment. Not a guarantee that I’ll never post again, and so if it happens, bet it would include NEWS one way or another.

To commemorate my 10^th year in LJ, I’m ending this with some journal trivia:

I have a total of 194 posts, including this entry. (Not a lot for 10 years ><)

Even though I opened this journal in 2010, I didn’t know how to use it until late 2012.

The name leitoph is an amalgam of my name and Toph Bei Fong (a character in Avatar The Last Airbender)… I have definitely mentioned this in my intros xD

In my 117 tags, 93 posts have the NEWS tag (including this entry), surprisingly higher than the Tegoshi tag with 79 posts.

The Massu tag has 50 posts, tied with Shige’s. Koyama’s has 49. *wut*

As much as my favorite fan activity was doing photo edits, I only attempted to create LJ icon sets twice. One set for NEWS and one for KARA.

I also keep a lot of private entries. Most are unfinished tribute posts and smut fics lol

I once made an entry about leaving the fandom in the future. Just thought it’s nice to give it a lookback.

Current Mood: restless
Current Music: The Lobster - The Gloaming

I know.

It's been more than a year. And as I only have less than 30 minutes inside the internet shop *remember good old days? ;o;*, many things urged me to make a quick update on LJ, as this has been one of the places where I could maintain a balance of being myself both in RL and fandom. Well of course it was mostly the fangirl in me who created those entries, but even though I'm not active in the fandom nowadays, it's the confident, formidable fangirl personality that needs to take centerstage now. Recently I was trying to get back into NEWS updates on LJ and that's how I discovered that Tinypic has closed!! Most of my banners, edits and gifs were there, gone forever.

Just look at what happened to my LJ. Had to temporarily change the background to a plain black HD photo on Google. x_x

So anyway!!! The ONLY fandom-related stuff I could share here, after 1 year, is that I got to attend NYUSU.ph's EPCOTIA and Strawberry Concert Viewing/NEWS' 16th Anniversary and NYUSU.ph 10th anniversary! Here's a photo, courtesy of ate Botz:

*OMG, 30 minutes is almost done?!! Alright, I'm going to continue this post next time! Bye for now!!*

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

EDIT, NOV. 1

I'm now using the mobile app so the formatting has changed and it also affected the above pictures (would fix once I get on PC again).

As promised, this post is continued! It results to not being a very, very quick update anymore so the title has been edited too. And guess why I had to do this today--because it's the first day of November, meaning it's just 10 days to go before Tegoshi's 32nd birthday and I still can't wrap my head around the thought that I missed one whole year and more. Didn't even feel Tegoshi turned 31, except that I always have it in mind because his birthdate is one of my reliable units of time measurement. Crazy stuff of a fan. Well, always a fan. ♥️

But I did not actually update this post to talk about Tegoshi's upcoming birthday. I wanted to talk about how my life has been, and inject some of my current interests, to which I find taxing as I also only find the will to make entries usually after work. So imagine how sleepy I am now. :'(

~~So let my sleepy state do the update with bare edits:~~ Posting the full update, no one would probably care to read the whole thing but if you did, wow thank you~

~~**LJ mobile app has no Cut or Spoiler option? smh**~~

( READ MORE )

Current Mood: listless
Current Music: Lost Control - Alan Walker

NEWS in QLAP April 2018 issue. (credit: love_kt_ms02)

I didn't have a 2017 year-ender or a 2018 year-starter LJ entry, when ironically, I wrote a lot of lists. To-do lists are getting consistent, Dreams list are becoming more specific and attainable, and making little Fandom lists is quite enjoyable after all the pressure of serious writing.

This is one of those little lists. Based on combined personal preference and the songs' importance and/or relevance to the fandom, here are NEWS' best singles B-side tracks, since 2012.

We can't fit all the years from NEWS' debut in 2003 if we want to finish this quick. So, go get your mp3 players or CDs and rediscover the beauty of these B-sides:

TRAVeLiNG (KAGUYA, 2015) - I dislike this song. But its quirkiness is unforgettable, lyrics are pure fun and it's one of the first and clearest reminders that NEWS was serious when they cued that their music would go the edgier distance.

Butterfly (KAGUYA, 2015) - Coming from the same single as TRAVeLiNG, this song, on the other hand, is one of my ultimate favorites! Koyama loves it too, probably more than I do.

I・ZA・NA・I・ZU・KI -Represent NEWS mix- (EMMA, 2017) - So far, there are four remakes. I can't judge which remake is the best, though we can tell which stands out based on the degree of difference from the original, and this one wins. Ad libs, anyone?

Distance (恋を知らな君へ , 2016) - A song clearly intended for international fans. It might not have the same appreciation as the other 'fan' songs, but the skit on SCP makes up for it.

madoromi (LPS, 2018) - NEWS' expertise lies in ballads. This is one of those with an almost-perfect execution. I chose this to be here over Wasurenagusa (see candidates) because personally, it makes me more sentimental.

NEWSICAL (LPS, 2018) - It might not be popular as a B-side track than it is popular as NEWS' self-produced musical; still, it is their prized work, something that goes beyond a B-side.

ANTHEM (四銃士 , 2015) - It got this high because of Club World Cup 2015 and 2016. Used as the theme for two straight years, beating all of NEWS' other soccer songs!

SEVEN COLORS (ONE -for the win-, 2014) - B-side with a PV. Higher than ANTHEM because it was more monumental during the time of its use. And it contains Tegoshi's highest belted note ever.

Sweet Martini (チュムチュム , 2015) - The majority has spoken about our love for this song. Ranked 1 in songs we wanted to see NEWS perform, we really love the sensuality it brings, without having to go through the embarrassment brought about by NEWS' more explicit songs.

Before revealing the #1, here are some Candidates that deserve their spot, just outside the top 10:

勿忘草 (Wasurenagusa) (KAGUYA, 2015) - NEWS members can actually sing. For a proof, you need a simple, unsynthesized ballad such as this.

Snow Dance (EMMA, 2017) - Another 'modern' on the list, just a little polishing and this Future House track could be mistaken as a Jonas Blue unreleased song in collaboration with an idol group.

Hello (WORLD QUEST, 2012) - The very first 4-nin ballad, it held what hope fans had for the restarting NEWS, vice versa.

FLYING BIRD (ONE -for the win-, 2014) - Underrated pop-rock track that's just plainly underrated that's why I included it here.

SPEAKER (四銃士 , 2015) - Ask about my personal B-side ranking and this song shoots up to the Top 5. I have an image of this song as the perfect B-side: easygoing yet somehow emotional, modern party anthem.

フルスイング (Full Swing) (チャンカパーナ , 2012) - NEWS' fight song. Would have taken over Chankapaana in a heartbeat, it was just that they chose the catchier track for an A-side; but for a B-side, it has fandom-wide merit. Again, NEWS' fight song (Along with U R Not Alone--but that'll be on another list!) Music and lyrics well-represent NEWS in all its past, present, and future. It is iconic, a story in itself, the A of all Bs!

I did review NEVERLAND album. Really. It concluded to a half-baked work, with some details neatly in place then chunks of phrases huddled under bullet points just to look outlined. After a year I ditched the writing effort, and it's sad because it's my favorite album! (so far. There are news of a 2018 album that I can't say as promising as the 2017 and 2016 ones, if based on the title--"EPCOTIA"--let's leave it at that.)

But there's no reason to not write about NEWS' 1st single of 2018. This year is the group's 15th anniversary! Let's have an early celebration, in the form of indulging in love, peace and smiles.

Title: LPS
Date: January 17, 2018
Tracks: 5

►L-R: Regular Edition and Two Limited Editions jacket covers◄

General comments

LPS stands for "Love Peace Smile", if the paragraph above did not give enough clue. The single is both expected and unexpected in its 5-track content, with the first and second track used in NEWS' biggest self-produced project yet; then one new song in the form of a ballad, and two old song remakes which could possibly cover much of their old discography soon with every release.

NEWS' musical identity is invested in concepts--hence, their own description of their songs having a "strong worldview". LPS the single, although the title track is rhythmically weak, demonstrates NEWS' mastery of showing the strong worldview image. The tracklist has songs gentle to somber (with the exception of idiosyncratic NEWSICAL) yet NEWS made a twist by using edgy jacket photos--just when you thought they'll use the mirror costumes in NEWSICAL which are more suitable for the theme, they instead invested in spunkier visuals.

The music video is an outdoor one I am always wishing for (it's been a while since the last!). LPS is one of NEWS' simplest PVs and the only thing you can boast about it is how it was shot in just one take. Or you can boast about how beautiful it actually is. Beside the sea at sleepy dawn, it enfolds intimacy not found in their other videos no matter how demonstrative the concepts and choreo have been.

( Read more... )

Wrapping it up:

I honestly think that the single is mediocre, despite my high praises for most of the tracks. Save for NEWSICAL which is marginally different from the rest of the package, LPS the single is truly pleasant; but if you're into bombs like I do, we'll have to wait till the next release. Usually, I give high ratings based on power/impact. I give LPS a middle ranking just because the "power" aspect is weak, but its tracklist is really great--one of NEWS' best without even having to try!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Current Mood: peaceful
Current Music: LPS - NEWS

It started as wishful thinking between me and

dhes19. Each time we met, there were always small talks of what-ifs that included organizing a fan event.

This November, thanks to the big help of our co-organizers

tegophilic, Kibuta and Sol, with contributions from local and international fans, our dream to host an event did happen!

Due to content involving several people which calls for privacy--and I don't want this post to be friends-only hehe--I decided not to share everything (you can see more photos of the event on my Facebook album and on the event page)

The poster promoting the event

There was only more than a month of planning so we had to take things in a fast pace and not expect too much. Again, the big help of the co-organizers made things smoother and a lot easier. We wouldn't have plenty of pretty giveaways, prizes, and sponsors, if not for them ♥

Venue: Yuchi's Coffee Shop
Time: 1-5pm

Two of the organizers (ate Diane and Kibuta) headed early to the venue as they were in charge of the material aspect of the event, while the two of us (me and Dhes) who fetched the attendees from north and south pick-up points became the event's MCs. Sol unfortunately wasn't able to attend, but for a very good reason: she was on an overseas trip.

MC-ing is not as easy as Keiichan shows it to be xD

The party started almost two hours late! We had to make big adjustments to the programme. Otherwise, it was a successful party, full of fun and freebies.

We didn't get to play many of the games in our list because of the program delay but those activities were the notable ones. From an icebreaker game of answering fandom-related questions based on color of lollipop picked, there was a guessing game, an adaptation of the "Hep Hep Hooray" which we called Tei Tei Po, and trivia quiz. The highlight of the event was probably the monomane as it got everyone cheering for the ~abashed~ participants in front. It was worthy, though!

One of the event's (well, the venue's) amenities was the face printed on the drink. Along with the food, it's the reason why the event ticket was expensive. Oiii that's a secret--and it's not a secret anymore xD

The raffle draw was my favorite part. Every single attendee got a major prize, to top off the already-bountiful mini prizes distributed during the games.

We wrapped up the party with photo ops and recording a short video message to NEWS. Tei~!

I was a little disappointed with the limited time we had watching Tegoshi/NEWS media on the TV, but then, maybe that's where the idea of NEVERLAND concert viewing came in during our afterparty chat. If NYUSU.ph won't do it, there's a possibility that our team will! ♥

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: PERFECT HUMAN (LIVE) - RADIO FISH & NEWS collaboration

I sadly can't make a longer separate post here on time, but I don't want to leave my LJ blank on his special day. Below is the link to one of my Tumblr posts ↓

http://addictdesu.tumblr.com/post/167372136031/these-examples-and-more-he-is-just-as-enigmatic

I... have actually been emotional for days now. It's overwhelming on many levels, words can't even explain. ;o; Congratulations on your 30th year of existence, Tegoshi!

(credits for these photos: inala, newsnoai, graphicabyss, weibo, twitter)

Would you mind a bit of fictional backdrop?:p

Long ago... Not so long ago... Just about the years of this millenium, Masuda Takahisa, the prince of yellow sunshine and gyozas, has been wearing the saaaame crown for yeeeears. Of course, crowns don't just "change" unless you change status, but in this kingdom--magical it secretly is, there is an abundance of crowns!! Prince Masuda, however, sticks to his crown; he'd have it adjusted sometimes, change the color, add or subtract gems, and at rare occasions he wears it differently, but it was discernibly the same crown and his subjects have been watchful about it. He's their prince, after all.

One day, he gathered his people on the tribune of his palace. There was nothing to say--as soon as subjects came in from the heavy, stylish metal door, they were filled with confusion and awe! Crows crowed, chickens stayed in the air and pigs talked... What happened to our prince? HE'S WEARING A DIFFERENT CROWN, WHAT THE FLOCK

Oops, not that crown, but that crown under that crown.:)

We are all subjects of Massu's kingdom--okay, let's jump back from AU--we are all part of the fandom and therefore we've had something said at least once in regards to his new hairstyle. We were shocked, but weren't shook with his new hair as much as the fact that he never reverted it since that episode. He decided to keep it, for the reason that he actually likes it!

What do you think? I am loosely watchful over hairstyle changes because I experienced how the fandom reacted when, years earlier, Tegoshi transformed into a blond--it wasn't something that made everyone upset, but it affected a number of Tegoshi fans enough that they withdrew from the fandom (they didn't leave because of the blond hair alone; instead, the blond was the 'trigger' that made them realize Tegoshi wasn't the same anymore.)

*insert moment of silence T^T*
*and a blond Tegoshi just because :3*

Massu's an entirely different story: it was only his hair that changed. Yet, Massu's hair isn't only hair!!! His hair is one of his trademarks, the thing that makes Massu, Massu™. Throughout the years his hairstyles underwent little and temporary changes; the red hair in 2011 being the boldest, but it didn't look quite out of the box because prior to that he was already experimenting with colors and highlights.

Change became real when the newest style revealed something we've rarely seen before: Massu's forehead. It's the equivalent of topless Massu, which we also rarely see because macho guy is a conservative idol, although we know he rocks the half-nude. (EDIT: YES HE ROCKS THE HALF-NUDE. GO SEE IT AT THE END OF THE PICSPAM)

And that's why, even if his change in style isn't an indicator of a major character change like Tegoshi's, many fans won't probably get used to it. Will you? Or have you gotten used to it by now?

I... answered... yes. This may be odd but I love his new style even if it sometimes looks like it came out straight from the 90's--especially when it's parted in the middle (and that's the exact reason my sister says no!)

I think it suits the shape of his face and the forehead peek is creative this way, rather than trying a mohawk (which would be awful) or plainly growing out the fringe. It also doesn't look very outdated because of his hair color. And I like how he could do many twists to it! Like, it added to the fashionista vibe Massu's been giving off through his stylish garments and ecletic accesories.

I'd honestly say that this change took away the forever-youthful image of Masuda Takahisa. When he stopped looking the same from baby era, to junior era, even to Quartetto era (basically in all these years there were no signs of aging!!), the illusion that he never ages is now so effin' crushed. In just a matter of a new hairstyle, he visibly matured. No more bebi buta Masshuuu (๑´･_･`๑) But, the guy is already 31! If matured-looking Masuda is the new thing, I'm glad this happened. The transition from cute to hot is so incredible any other member wouldn't be able to beat it.

I'm assuming you skipped all these ramblings above for the picspam hehehehe~ Without further ado, here are my fave Massu new look/new hair/parted hair photos:

( P-I-C-S-P-A-M-!!! )

Belated happy 31st birthday Massu! This wasn't supposed to be a birthday post, but there's no better time to do it ;)

Just when I thought I'm past the habit of making anniversary posts because I've ran out of ideas to write, and tbh my yearly contents were all the same, my 7th year in the fandom is the obvious oddity. Even last year's start of fangirling over Panic! At The Disco pales to how shook my emotions are this year. (And did you know that Western Pop music completely took me back into its arms? *gasp! and more gasps ala Selena Gomez*)

But this blog is mainly dedicated to NEWS, and at most times, when I say "fandom" I automatically mean NEWS. I also know you came to this post for NEWS so yes I'll give you NEWS. Leave the cake at my door. :p

However, inadvertent it always is (no, don't believe that--I've always done it on purpose), this blog post will focus on Tegoshi. Not only because he's my bias. If my last LJ entry talked about Koyama not onlybecause it was his birthday but for the troubles he was facing that time, it's unfortunately the same with Tego. Only it can be considered worse. Great man meets great fallback. World eats boy. (At this point I'm talking not in a Fan sense, though the next paragraphs are guaranteed to be more fangirl-sounding... and emotional. I guess I'm still warming up xD)

First things first. I can't believe I have spent 7 years in the fandom. That's 1/3 of my life on Earth! I never forgot the day I fell for subgroup Tegomass for their music, and how the curiosity for the main group NEWS turned into something big, that less than a year afterwards, nobody could calm me down as I cried over Tegoshi Yuya for no reason other than I was just a fan.

It's not that hard to accept things. I can proudly say that I'm an obsessive-but-not-possessive fangirl. While I can provide a blueprint of "how to snatch Tegoshi and lock him up in my house" (jk. jk. jooooke), I won't do that, because what will happen to my gazillion Tego OTPs? I believe that the more, the merrier, so it warms my heart seeing Tegoshi gain wider fame and more fans. He got out of the shadows--that's the secret reason I got over RyoPi withdrawal that fast. EviL LaUgH harharharharhar

In spite of my extremely Tegoshi-centric fangirling during the first years, I couldn't envisage him in a successful future without the rest of the group. NEWS worked as a team and they became STRONG AF, INSEPARABLE AF, LOVABLE AF; showed they are ARTISTIC/MUSICAL AF, and most importantly: HOT AF!! (lol this makes me sound perv af) For the hundreds of thousands of fans, NEWS was/is why we love NEWS. I get more offended when NEWS is being targeted than when it's Tegoshi alone. The group is my treasure, I've expressed a lot of positivity about them. It's all genuine. Side by side, my admiration for NEWS grew big and my attachment to Tegoshi grew deep, vice versa.

I wanted this entry to be thoughtfully detailed by making it a Fandom History post (a.k.a. my fangirl journey 2010-present! I started to write regular journals coinciding with the time I started to be a NEWS fan so yes I can chart my fangirl timeline) but that wasn't what I originally meant when I said I'll post my anniversary post early; besides, my different accounts dedicated to this crazy roller coaster of emotions lifestyle have spoken way louder than any single illustrative post. Secret # 2: I've had many NEWS-related accounts/blogs and some of them gained prominence in the fandom without revealing I am behind those ;) What are these accounts? Secret~

Anyway, added to the fact that NEWS fandom is collectively peaceful, because NEWS love surprising us fans, the excitement was always there and it was nearly impossible that the feelings will die out. This place has become such a huge part of my life--more than the longevity, although I consider it too because rarely I get attached to something--it's the heart and mind investment that counts. The dedication. The passion. Here's one more secret: I silently judged those who left the fandom. I was really devoted to NEWS that I didn't understand why the other 'devotees' could just leave like that, especially in the recent years, when the group is at its peak in activity. Why abandon when everything finally feels right? The more the merrier was my philosophy when it comes to this, so when anybody stopped being a fan, I took it to heart.

2016 suddenly became a turning point. Maybe because I was subconsciously stressed about entering adulthood, or maybe it was P!ATD bursting the bubble that's been long enclosed in NEWS, or maybe it was caused by my forming doubts on Tegoshi's attitude and behavior (more on the next paragraphs) that I fathomed the feeling of decreasing enthusiasm. I realized that the level of love could stay the same, but you can love that thing andnot be overly passionate about it. Furthermore, my disappointment over leaving fans was gone, and I learned that many of those who left didn't actually stopped loving NEWS; they just stopped at acting like fans and doing fan things.

To comprehend these... It felt liberating, yet it bothered me somehow. I was still very attached to Tegoshi and the fandom, and the dwindling of passion was conficting with the strong feelings I still have inside.

( still a long post ahead! )

Things are getting back to normal. 2017 is generally delightful for NEWS, with NEVERLAND album being their most musically daring album yet, the 3-month concert tour comes to an emotional finish. Koyama is again chosen for 24hrTV. There are new J-web corners. SCP's doing great; they've got more time for group bonds, and a simultaneous boom in indivudual/duo shows and projects. The members' relationship are stronger than ever (generic statement but very true, they're stronger than ever). Fandom's turning 15 next year! Once a dream, now the norm, NEWS is heading to an amazing direction. If Koyama and Tegoshi's rumors have one positive implication, it is the fact that NEWS is now worthy to be publicized with that kind of attention. While not exactly pleasant, it's an indicator that NEWS has definitely piqued the consciousness of virtually anyone in Japan.

And there goes my ichiban. All I've really wanted for him is to be a good person. It is a blanket term because 'good' can mean a lot of things. Obviously, I don't expect him to become an altruist or give up his current lifestyle. I don't want him to tone down. I just hope he'd be more mindful, with the personal potential he's got, and the kind of focus he utilizes to achieve things... He could be a reckless idol yet a responsible person at the same time. How about inspiring? He already is. Just his presence can make his fans dream big, think big. You've heard him speak seriously, it's almost enlightening. Everyone could muse about his face, his voice, his physical/mental/emotional strength and abilities. The catch is, inspiration can't be seen, so only us who stand by him can understand how clear an inspiration Tegoshi radiates.

It's theoretically hard to have intense feelings for someone who doesn't even know you, but if that intensity has found its way to your system, it turns into faith. I'm proud that I support Tegoshi, in a myriad of ways and in the brightest and darkest of days, such as this. I want to say it's Love but the term is always debatable in celebrity-fan situations... However, even some people in actual relationships don't think about their partners in depth and isn't concerned much with the character, the potential, the good and the bad, and how things could be in the long run. Maybe I am just the overthinker kind, but with all that's embraced is it still wrong to say that I love Tegoshi? I believe that these seven years are love, regardless of distance, regardless of not knowing everything. In spite of my often exaggerations and misjudgements. The faith is there. I love Tegoshi Yuya and I love NEWS. I may not be as enthusiastic as before but this love has become a constant thing--it never ends.

One last secret: When I saw the photos and reports of Tegoshi crying at the con, I cried for him at least twice a day for five days straight. "Apathetic", huh :p Not really relevant to everyone but to this post! xD Happy 7th anniversary to me :)

*It's my first time to post through LJ mobile which I think is a huge disadvantage because of limited controls, and I have no idea how it would appear on browsers. Pls bear if the post turns out cluttered*

Koyama is now 33 years old and three years in his 30's say not so much appearance-wise. Unlike people whose face don't age, Koyama's face gets youngeras he ages! Still, there's lot of unspoken words about this person; he's sometimes taken at face value and for the role he plays in the group: the leader. Undoubtedly true, but Koyama's more than these. He's a newscaster--he's influencial. Among NEWS, he's the one attuned to the pulse of the general public, whether he's ever made it visible or not. This tall dork know what motivates people, and he's glad to be pulled along because he also knows how to pull along, in his own way. In other words, Koyama is secretly a business tycoon. Joke.

The point is, Koyama is smarter and more noble than what he shows to fans. With him, things fall into place. Might as well check yourselves because Koyama must've made you fall under his influence... a good kind of it. *He's a good person so he'll only leave an imprint of good things ;)*

( The way of the Keiichan... )

April 12 is rad, astrology says! Technically, my anniversary in the Panic! At The Disco bandom is still 10 days from now, but today marks the exact first year of my rediscovery of the band. What makes it special, it's the frontman of a one-man band (HAHAHAHAHAHA) date of birth--HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRENDON BOYD URIE!

(cr: popbuzz)

(cr: coupdemain--this was posted only a day ago!)

Of course, it's not all about memes or the laughs factor. It doesn't even comprise half of the reasons why it gets me going. The songs, whether they're Ryan Ross-origins or Brendon Urie-composed (or Dallon, or Jon or Spencer or... Brent?) speak to me until now. It doesn't have to be the lyrics, the music gives me life. But the lyrics are genius too--these had made P!ATD a breakout act in the first place.

Music videos are eccentric, though not ultra-eccentric it loses its 'pop' factor. Brendon said P!ATD is pop, albeit it's also different from a pop band; lol I wouldn't even start discussing what genre Panic! is because Panic! defies genre. What Brendon probably meant by pop is Panic! exists to reach everybody's airwaves by their 'slightly' controversial concepts (1, 2), out of the box lyricism, music adapted from music, and exuberance. My goodness, Brendon's exuberance. *warning, brief mention of bias ahead~* Tegoshi may be hyper but Brendon is HIGHper he might have outdid Johnny's with his backflips. Heck, he outdid most future with his forehead.

*Sorry, this is an inside joke :p*

About the "music adapted from music" part, P!ATD's critics would agree that the band is not big on originality. Every album is inspired by certain artists, like when A Fever You Can't Sweat Out was a product of trying to be different from their Garage Rock neighbors in Las Vegas, it ended up sounding like a Fall Out Boy rehashed. Pretty. Odd. could be mistaken to be a The Beatles demo album. Vices and Virtues was more original, but then it was also similar-sounding with '80s alternative rock. Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! was another attempt to be different, for Panic! to be different from itself and so it contains electronic tracks, akin to underground electronic bands. Death Of A Bachelor was an obvious fusion of Sinatra and Queen--Brendon is proud of imitating his idols, whether critics say he fails or is trying hard.

But you can't really question the originality of Panic!'s music when music is largely sampled especially in the era of today. What they are complaining about, maybe, is the argument that Panic! is and should be an alternative band, not a music act which strives to do metal at one point, and Broadway musical the next. This kind of experimentation should be left to the legends--wait, isn't Beebo already a legend? :p

For the record, Brendon is a drunk legend. He likes beer, vines about beer, includes any kind of hard drinks in his lyrics, etcetera. As long as he knows where to draw the line, and it appears he does, then I'll see beer on every casual video and not make qualms. Brendon has/had ADHD and while conditions are usually not to be thankful for, his own drove him to be the experimental guy, the no-brainer when it comes to new things. Because he believes that Crazy = Genius He has tried playing about 20 instruments. He aquires skills just because. He can do stunts, he jumps from rooftops to pools, he can dance and act (we're just waiting for his big break in Hollywood lol), he can pull off a transvestite, he can make a stadium-full audience laugh for 15 minutes straight. But he doesn't do that, he'll just jump from topic to topic. Most importantly, he can narrate a full rad history even when drunk!

Brendon is legitimately nice. Figuratively, he likes to include everyone in the big tour bus (don't try to crowd him though, he has anxiety) and swim in invisible waters with the sharks until we drown. Or if that is morbid (yeah that is), he just wants everyone to treat each other equally and with respect. He doesn't hide his bold opinions of what's good, bad and dirty, he never holds back calling out the bigots: he has tirades against Trump, against homophobes, against sexists, against bullies, against himself when he was younger, etc. Together with his natural creativity, his good heart makes him a true unicorn (his MBTI is ENFP by the way *o*)

He loves his wife. Brendon and Sarah are #CoupleGoals!!!! In their 8 years of being together and almost 4 years of marriage, Brendon consistently expresses adoration for Sarah, like a true fanboy (awwwwweeee). I mean it ain't the end of all things, though that was his wedding vow :p If I have one wish for Brendon's birthday, it is for their family to stay strong and grow in the years ahead!

(cr: banyabell.tumblr)

He really is my spirit animal. He has flaws, he had depression, as the youngest he was spoiled, he was rebellious, was a fuccboi in the past and had fought with band members. These don't outweigh the positive things he possess, and the good qualities he evolved to. I love his busy, wandering mind. I love his dedication to music. I love his flamboyance, showing off the stuff he can do, 'cause why not? I love his stand on social issues. I love how he always remind his fans to be fearless and expressive. "You're a treasure, not trash."

Many more fans, especially those who've seen him in real life, would testify how inspiring of a human being Brendon is. In this birthday post, I hope I've condensed everything I know, what I love about him and Panic!, why the person and the band gets me going. Can I say more, I'm ready to go.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Ready To Go - Panic! At The Disco

April 12 is rad, astrology says! Technically, my anniversary in the Panic! At The Disco bandom is still 10 days from now, but today marks the exact first year of my rediscovery of the band. What makes it special, it's the frontman of a one-man band's (HAHAHAHAHAHA) date of birth--HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRENDON BOYD URIE!

(cr: popbuzz)

Happy 30th beeboday. Blessed guy is now 30. /Show praise with your body, stand up, sing Hallelujah. Hallelujah!/ I'm personally excited for what I'll see over the net for Beebo's birthday; P!ATD fans are some of the most creative folks I have ever seen. And lover of memes, as belonging to the lover of memes, emo kids and post-emo kids will always have sarcasm on the upfront. I wanna know why they got me going and it seems I already found one of the answers: memes.

I easily jumped in to the fast-growing fanbase (or BANDwagon, you could say) because of the amount of memes that made me laugh when I started to stan Panic!. Top with Brendon's naturally meme-worthy face, his grandiose expressions and "voice higher than my grades" claims, it was very easy to dig further and further that the memes I saw were already repeating. Then again, P!ATD fandom belongs to the most creative folks I've seen so we don't run out of memes; Brendon himself makes new ones, sadly not through shortlived site Vine but he still makes memes out of his actions, words... and face.

(cr: coupdemain--this was posted only a day ago!)

Of course, it's not all about memes or the laughs factor. It doesn't even comprise half of the reasons why it gets me going. The songs, whether they're Ryan Ross-origins or Brendon Urie-composed (or Dallon, or Jon or Spencer or... Brent?) speak to me until now. It doesn't have to be the lyrics, the music gives me life. But the lyrics are genius too--these had made P!ATD a breakout act in the first place.

Music videos are eccentric, though not ultra-eccentric it loses its 'pop' factor. Brendon said P!ATD is pop, albeit it's also different from a pop band; lol I wouldn't even start discussing what genre Panic! is because Panic! defies genre. What Brendon probably meant by pop is Panic! exists to reach everybody's airwaves by their 'slightly' controversial concepts (1, 2), out of the box lyricism, music adapted from music, and exuberance. My goodness, Brendon's exuberance. *warning, brief mention of bias ahead~* Tegoshi may be hyper but Brendon is HIGHper he might have outdid Johnny's with his backflips. Heck, he outdid most future with his forehead.

*Sorry, this is an inside joke :p*

About the "music adapted from music" part, P!ATD's critics would agree that the band is not big on originality. Every album is inspired by certain artists, like when A Fever You Can't Sweat Out was a product of trying to be different from their Garage Rock neighbors in Las Vegas, it ended up sounding like a Fall Out Boy rehashed. Pretty. Odd. could be mistaken to be a The Beatles demo album. Vices and Virtues was more original, but then it was also similar-sounding with '80s alternative rock. Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! was another attempt to be different, for Panic! to be different from itself and so it contains electronic tracks, akin to underground electronic bands. Death Of A Bachelor was an obvious fusion of Sinatra and Queen--Brendon is proud of imitating his idols, whether critics say he fails or is trying hard.

But you can't really question the originality of Panic!'s music when music is largely sampled especially in the era of today. What they are complaining about, maybe, is the argument that Panic! is and should be an alternative band, not a music act which strives to do metal at one point, and Broadway musical the next. This kind of experimentation should be left to the legends--wait, isn't Beebo already a legend? :p

For the record, Brendon is a drunk legend. He likes beer, vines about beer, includes any kind of hard drinks in his lyrics, etcetera. As long as he knows where to draw the line, and it appears he does, then I'll see beer on every casual video and not make qualms. Brendon has/had ADHD and while conditions are usually not to be thankful for, his own drove him to be the experimental guy, the no-brainer when it comes to new things. Because he believes that Crazy = Genius He has tried playing about 20 instruments. He aquires skills just because. He can do stunts, he jumps from rooftops to pools, he can dance and act (we're just waiting for his big break in Hollywood lol), he can pull off a transvestite, he can make a stadium-full audience laugh for 15 minutes straight. But he doesn't do that, he'll just jump from topic to topic. Most importantly, he can narrate a full rad history even when drunk!

Brendon is legitimately nice. Figuratively, he likes to include everyone in the big tour bus (don't try to crowd him though, he has anxiety) and swim in invisible waters with the sharks until we drown. Or if that is morbid (yeah that is), he just wants everyone to treat each other equally and with respect. He doesn't hide his bold opinions of what's good, bad and dirty, he never holds back calling out the bigots: he has tirades against Trump, against homophobes, against sexists, against bullies, against himself when he was younger, etc. Together with his natural creativity, his good heart makes him a true unicorn (his MBTI is ENFP by the way *o*)

He loves his wife. Brendon and Sarah are #CoupleGoals!!!! In their 8 years of being together and almost 4 years of marriage, Brendon consistently expresses adoration for Sarah, like a true fanboy (awwwwweeee). I mean it ain't the end of all things, though that was his wedding vow :p If I have one wish for Brendon's birthday, it is for their family to stay strong and grow in the years ahead!

(cr: banyabell.tumblr)

He really is my spirit animal. He has flaws, he had depression, as the youngest he was spoiled, he was rebellious, was a fuccboi in the past and had fought with band members. These don't outweigh the positive things he possess, and the good qualities he evolved to. I love his busy, wandering mind. I love his dedication to music. I love his flamboyance, showing off the stuff he can do, 'cause why not? I love his stand on social issues. I love how he always remind his fans to be fearless and expressive. "You're a treasure, not trash."

Many more fans, especially those who've seen him in real life, would testify how inspiring of a human being Brendon is. In this birthday post, I hope I've condensed everything I know, what I love about him and Panic!, why the person and the band gets me going. Can I say more, I'm ready to go.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Ready To Go - Panic! At The Disco

For the past months, I've been trying to post things other than my obligatory Music reviews and year-enders, but I can't. It seems that my thoughts on things other than the aforementioned subject matters don't matter anymore. No one has made me feel this way, but I do; and I don't know how or why, but I still do.

Just for the week I had two drafts written but I stress over whether to post them or not. For one, the contents speak of being real, and though I don't think I've been pretentious big-time, I know I've also been hiding many things. When there's a flick of courage-mixed-honesty influencing my emotions to write, as soon as I finish the posts I'm back to sucking them up. And there's more guilt in that, because I already prepared my mind to expose--then suddenly I'll snap: Wait! Is this right? Isn't this too bothersome? Is this essential? Resulting in frustration topping frustrations.

I'm frustrated with many things, dear journal, and they don't show. I wish I could talk about them but again, what just happens is the description above.

EDIT (April 10): With the recent major changes that's happened in LiveJournal, its management and the terms, it is like a blessing in disguise for keeping me watchful over the site again nowadays. Moreover, in case anything dire happens to Livejournal, I created a Dreamwidth account where all my entries are imported, and crossposted from now on!

Addict I am, A D D I C T D E S U

P.S. I have a new "fandom" (not yet full-fledged fan but ugh I'm addicted enough)

Even though they're also 4 members now *cries*

Current Mood: sad
Current Music: I Wanna Be Free - Panic! At The Disco

Happy 2017! Well, we're practically done with the 'New Year' celebrations now; but as this is my first post for the new year I'll be starting with a music review, one I have missed doing so much.

Last year, I skipped writing for 恋を知らない君へ (Koi wo shiranai kimi e) when halfway through my review of the single the text file was corrupted. What a loss, it was an interesting time for NEWS--it was their busiest schedule in their whole career so far! In the middle of bustling activities the music they've released was quite a successor for January's ballad ヒカリノシズク--essentially a ballad single (3/4 of the single are slow songs!), Koi wo is the sound you were silently longing for in NEWS.

But they've built their image around concepts that are apt for the bold... thus, they keep coming back for it. The newest single, EMMA, straightforwardly tells you that they're not done with チャンカパーナ and KAGUYA and チュムチュム’s bombastic sound yet. Putting aside the Classical, the ballads, and the sports tracks, NEWS' real strength in their discography lies in the way they make controversial A-sides coupled with hidden treasures that are the B-sides. EMMA, like the older successful singles, does it again.

►L-R: Limited Edition (LE) A, LE B, and Regular Edition covers◄

General comments

The paragraphs above are considered part of the general comments, but hey, let's make this section more specific. EMMA is the OP for the TV adaptation of 嫌われる勇気 (Kirawareru Yuuki), and in which Shige is one of the main characters. /Thank you Shige for constantly giving NEWS themes songs for singles!/

This is my first time to talk about the jacket covers, the second most controversial bit (yeah, the single is that controversial that we even have a plausible rank). At first glance of the covers they're totally unrelated to NEWS; look in any way and they're still random pieces of material which would've been done better by the fans. Not to be rude, really, but it was the general consensus. Judging a book by its cover is still prevalent; especially that we judge an idol group's jacket covers by the idols' faces, not the face of someone else.

The title EMMA itself was a mystery, and the costumes, choreography and lyrics are controversies. In spite of the discernible similarities with the past singles, EMMA has a unique and striking presentation--bolder than ever, it keeps NEWS on the relevance, but with a more matured viewpoint as all of them will be now in their 30's this year.

What's the most important thing in EMMA? Arguably not the title track. There are always hidden gems found in the B-sides, extra special this time around. Whether to satiate fans with a good throwback or just another way of being innovative, remakes are often anticipated especially if done by the same artist. NEWS did a remake of two of their most popular songs pre-4nin: さくらガール (Sakura Girl) and I · ZA · NA · I · ZU · KI; so yes, it's not really arguable that this is the most important thing in the single.

Still to throw in the already wild blend are the "Snow" songs. Although not religiously, NEWS have Season-themed tracks and for this winter there are two--a very generous move, since usually there is only one Season song per release. That way, I feel like EMMA (the single) isn't actually rushed as opposed to how EMMA (the song) appeared (from the jacket covers to the fact that the PV was shot a little before the new year). Rushed or not, in terms of the quality of the music the single is extensively thought-out. It is approached in a polarizing manner; age-old tricks for the new songs and new quips for the remakes.

Song by song comments

01 EMMA is nothing new, except that it is the ultimate rehash of NEWS' novelty hits--meaning everything is combined in here. チャンカパーナ 3.0? KAGUYA 2.0? Retro twin of MR. WHITE? A Western チュムチュム? A Country 恋のABO? Another バンビーナ (Bambina)? Yes, the song is all of that. Yet the wild mesh the song is founded on may be the very reason EMMA is nonviable, as it sounds like it is just there to follow the working pattern... For the love of nasty, loud titles... For the novelty.

( Read more... )

--

This single's overall feel is more than a winter affair. EMMA is summer-hot, Sakura Girl is for spring, I · ZA · NA · I · ZU · KI's autumn sentiments and the 'Snow' songs direct take on winter... With these characteristics, it's almost as complete as an album. And we don't really need to think about a new album because after this single was released, an announcement for a new album came! Let's look forward to NEVERLAND, and I hope I could make a review for it as well.

Single rating: ♪♪♪♪ (Four lovely eighth notes out of 5!)

Current Mood: mellow
Current Music: Snow Drop - NEWS

What I said last year... came true.

I don't know how to start this genre-searching, artist-loving segment so let's just start from when. When I said last year that I'll augment my music exploration in 2016, although I was earnest I wasn't committed to doing that. The then-incoming year saw spotlight on NEWS, and my new KPop fandoms also started to get exciting--I thought, 2016 would be a year of settling on the artists I discovered on/before 2015. In short, no new fandoms please!!! Focus on your existing loves!!!

Well, it turned out that 2015 was just a taste test. Because in 2016, that's where the buffet began to be served.

Window shopping, genre hopping

For the true love of genres, I studied them. There were probably almost 10 times I hooked up *LOL* with Wiki-kun *LooOOoL* and other sites to randomly research about Rock and is subgenres, Electronic and its subgenres; refresh my knowledge of Classical music eras, etc. The result, I got better at identifying genres. It's a small dream of mine to hear songs and identify their precise genre in a snap. For example, knowing that Blood, Sweat and Tears by BTS is Tropical House just by listening to its first 10 seconds.

No one can deny (except EXO-Ls? hahaha) that this is the grandest KPop release of the year. I still didn't get into KPop boys, though.

Genre is like food; both are/have flavors, it's inevitable to pick your tastes. Power Pop is one. I think this is pretty apparent in my fondess for hyper, driven tracks. Progressive Rock, like Queen's (and Panic! At The Disco cover) Bohemian Rhapsody, is a genre I'd want to challenge, whether composed or sung, in the future. Aside from the fact that it's one of the hardest to pull off, it's the fulfillment of my vision of pieces so varied you hear symphonies the one minute, and Swing the next!

The original Bohemian Rhapody in 1975 and the 2016 cover. Asking the forbidden question: which version is better?

Skipping hundred more genres and subgenres, appreciating them from afar (thus, "window shopping" xD) as this post won't go into the technical side of things, let's head to the highlight--the songs and the artists.

I didn't just Panic!

In my six years of being a loyal NEWS fan, Panic! At The Disco is the only band/artist that reached the level of love I have for NEWS. (You can see my P!ATD-appreciation post here) But it doesn't mean that my bias treatment is the same. Instead of focusing only on P!ATD as I did on NEWS especially on the getting-to-know stage, P!ATD became the door for a genuine music enjoyment by means of actively searching for more.

I could say that I'm the musician with the least knowledge of songs. Despite my frequent assertions of open-mindedness to music, I admittedly don't listen to a lot of songs (IF we're talking about songs I choose to listen to. Otherwise, I've known a lot of songs from the TV, radio, karaoke, and other media since childhood! Haven't we all?) I tend to repeat only the ones I like, and I can do that for years.

Here's a comparison for a clearer picture. Tegoshi said he has over 10,000 songs in his music player. 500 is already too many for me. Brendon learns almost 500 songs a year. I could only go with 50-100. Tegoshi also said he loops songs for an average of 2 times. When I heard his solo Encore for the first time, I looped it for 2 straight weeks!

This means that while I'm very open to genres, I'm notoriously picky with songs. My exploration this year is my wildest so far. If it goes beyond on 2017, why not, right?

Artist Feature

And we've reached this point! There are many artist/bands I wanted to feature, but I'll only show whose discographies I've already dug (that says I've loved them enough!) Carry on~

( Artists Feature )

Bonus

These artists almost made it on the Feature list! I'd still like to mention them in a shorter, separate list (because I am really motivated when it comes to listing stuff :>)

Artist: Fall Out Boy
Why include? Because FOB bassist Pete Wentz discovered P!ATD and put the band under his music label. He is their literal senpai! Also, FOB is part of the "Emo Trinity", with P!ATD and My Chemical Romance.
I recommend: 20 Dollar Nosebleed (Feat Brendon Urie)

Artist: The Brobecks
Why include? I learned this band through Dallon Weekes, P!ATD's ex-bassist, wherein in The Brobecks he was the frontman. Although now inactive before even hitting it big, the band made cool alternative tracks.
I recommend: Love At First Sight

Artist: Justin Bieber
Why include? A pure coincidence, or by Tegoshi's influence? Nevertheless, I really like his new material and recent collaborations.
I recommend: Let Me Love You (DJ Snake feat Justin Bieber)

Artist: 4th Impact
Why include? A Filipina group of sisters (again!) that made it into the top 5 of X-Factor UK Season 12. I don't know if they already have original songs; anyhow, I got addicted watching their contest performances on Youtube.
I recommend: Their classic and viral audition hit, Bang Bang

Artist: Fifth Harmony
Why include? Im a year where both Fifth Harmony and Little Mix are equally relevant (more relevant than male groups like One Direction!), I prefer the sassier and sexier Fifth Harmony. Nothing personal, I just like their songs more.
I recommend: That's My Girl

Song Feature

This part is tricky. I don't have a clear basis for the list; if we go by my favorites for each featured artist above, my other favorites outside these artists won't be included. Same as if I give featured songs outside of these artists. To settle, this will be a random list of 10 songs that'll immediately pop in my mind *meaning this part is candidly written!!*, trying to be as artist-varied as possible without forfeiting my actual favorites! Here we go~

( Song Feature )

Extras and Conclusion

In total, I actively listened to an average of 400 songs this 2016. This year-end feature is short of expounding the expanse of my music experiences and exploration *LOL a lot of "ex"-es there!*; for example I didn't mention my (almost) monthly Classical music meditation, where I listen to different instrumental pieces without searching for their names and composers, to keep my mind unwary of memorizing every artist and every repertoire. I started self-studying guitar, albeit it hasn't progressed from the few basic chords! I also had fuuuuuuun times with my young cousins as we formed a cover/jamming group, Panic! At The Discrew. Most of our silly covers a.k.a. shenanigans were stored in my tab, and were erased permanently when the gadget was formatted :'( Last summer, my family had plans of conducting singing tutorials at home, though it did not come to fruition (besides, I don't think I can be a reliable music teacher orz). What else? I have a pen, I have an apple... Uh! apple pen!

End the rambling with the rambling with a beat. ピコ太郎 (Piko-Taro)'s PPAP is just one of Japan's biggest contribution to 2016 in music!

This reminds me that I still have to hear Babymetal for even Brendon adores this kawaii Metal group. 2017 will be a blast! I have a feeling that next year will swivel to Japanese music in depth, a certain possibility made by the official start of MNL48 this December. Things are going fast, in fact. As for MNL48, I'll try to make a blog post from an outsider's perspective (not an AKB48 fan nor an MNL48 applicant).

Presently, the featured artists, songs, even the others that haven't touched the lists in this post, are my joys of 2016.
What's yours? *this sounds like a line from a commercial--insert commercial jingle* xD

Current Mood: lethargic
Current Music: Hallelujah - Pentatonix

Ah, the smell of turkeys... The sound of Thanksgiving! *uhh Leya, you don't celebrate Thanksgiving in your country! /laughs/*

Still and all, it's just the right season to be grateful for EVERYTHING, fandom-wise. I have prepped to make a pimp post/list of all of NEWS' activities this 2016, but I was apparently distant for some time, and I couldn't do it without possibly missing a detail or two (but I still want to do it; why not? ^_^)

This November alone, two celebrations happened recently. Well I guess you already know. ;) Happy 29th birthday Tegoshi Yuya and HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY テゴマス!

Although I'm a week late with the LJ greeting, my birthday posts were actually posted early--minutes to November 11. Ironically, even when now I don't get enthusiastic over NEWS/Tegoshi like I used to, his 29th birthday was his birthday I anticipated the most. Blame the 29-peso Coke Float from McDonalds I got addicted to; every time I bought the flashing ₱29 made me think of Tegoshi (even Brendon) and his then-incoming 29th year of ~~fucking~~ existence.

Now, Tegoshi is ~~a fucking coke float~~ 29. Here was my birthday post! (crossposted on Tumblr)

( Happy birthday. The best is yet to come. )

A week after the post, I’d like to rant. I usually say what I think on FB but I feel like this is a small, shallow complaint, otherwise it affects me negatively. I’m very, very, very disappointed that my birthday post got a low count of 20 notes.

Yes it matters to me, especially when my past tributes never reached below the 50-note mark. There’s a reason I don’t go too personal on Tumblr: it is where I want recognition for my aesthetics rather than to be gushy or soppy (not to say I ain’t ever! For one, my birthday post is a gushy type of post.)

To be fair I still had another birthday tribute posted, and it got an equal number of notes yet it was a sleazy bit that I wasn’t too concerned about. (crossposted on Tumblr and All Things Tegoshit)

( November 11 is the new Valentine's, so... )

It was the antithesis to the seriousness of the other post, and an indicator that despite everything, I was very much having fun that day.

Speaking of having fun! On Nov. 11 I had a spontaneous meet-up with Dhes, where the idea of this entry’s title comes from. “Spontenacious” for the half-carefree, half-solid celebration, and “Cereb-ration”, because we had a whole afternoon/evening of fandom talk—portions of which were intellectual, almost deep discussions about Tegoshi, Tegomass, NEWS… you know, fandom thingamajigs.

And in every fan gathering there’s a huge deal of wacky and tacky:

You know what it meant, right? xD

GOTTA CATCH IT WHOLE... TEGOMON!!

Oraaaaaaayt. Happy Pocky Day as well!

While Tegoshi’s birthday was a “spontenacious cereb-ration”, Tegomass’ anniversary was a very quiet day for me, having a severe cold and cough I can’t even see the computer screen clearly and all I did was borrow (and credit ofc!) a TM fanart from Deviantart and post it on FB.

But the international fandom has been more than ready. In all its awesomeness, here’s the Intl Paana (including the Japanese fans) tribute to テゴマスの10th!

Tegomass is such a powerful duo shown in the prettiest of images, don't you agree? ♥
Again, happy birthday Tegoshi and happy anniversary Tegomass. There are a lot of things to be grateful for, and for us, you are on the top of the list.

Current Mood: exanimate
Current Music: Décalcomanie - MAMAMOO

Wake me up when it's halfway September. ♪

My tab has died. It was a great loss; although my multimedia files are carefully backed-up, most of the things I created--from my recent diary entries to my graphics, to drafts of blog posts, weren't retrieved when the gadget was formatted. Worse, it was found out to have a more serious defect, and all the cleaning made wasn't sufficient. As much as my heart wasn't ready, my wallet bore the heavier load.

In addition to this, the tab is the only personal gadget I use to surf the internet so if you see this post, I'm using something that 's not mine. I went back to the years 2011-2012, when I was a cyber shop hopper LOL and it feels harder now that I'm already not used to surfing in a public computer. But this is the only way, so... I've been doing this for the past two weeks anyway.

It's just a few hours to NEWS' 13th anniversary and of course I don't want to be sad. My Koi Wo Shiranai Kimi E review is put on hold; basically all my fandom projects, including blog posts. Aw. But I must confess that I had an almost full blackout from the NEWS fandom (for the first time in 6 years!--this signifies a lot!) for two or three months? I mean, a total blackout is impossible (if you have 70% of all your friends from the fandom world), yet it's short of that. Sort of waning feelings *gasp!*, not simply about time.

I didn't plan it actually; it was a little inevitable. Panic! came, RL was in the way, and I got too lax thinking that there are so much more active fans so I won't bother updating until I come back (OF COURSE, I WILL COME BACK. EVEN IT WAS "SORT OF WANING FEELINGS" I KNOW I STILL LOVE NEWS, AND THAT LOVE IS ETERNAL!). I made a comeback post on FB last week, a sad one telling about the situation of my tab, and a little hint in my renewed state as a fangirl that I'm not putting all of my focus on NEWS anymore. I have like, 4 more fandoms and I learned how to treat them as bona fide fandoms hahaha~ Simply put, I became a legit multifandom chick xD

But! Back to NEWS, I'm in love again. Catching up with everything: Hen Lab, 24hr TV, SCP, Koi wo Shiranai Kimi E, among other projects that prove 2016 to be NEWS' NEWSIEST YEAR *throws confetti*, that's what's gonna be the theme of my anniversary post. Lucky 13th year! #NEWS13thAnniversary ♥

The end of blurb, as my downloads are complete and I'm ready to watch. Bye!

Current Mood: rejuvenated
Current Music: The Sound - The 1975

More than a month of fangirling over Panic! At The Disco and this band effortlessly makes its mark on me as a lifetime influence, just like NEWS. It took the same quick period for NEWS to secure that spot in my life, by the way. (And look how far I've gone walking with NEWS ♥ With Panic! it might just be the same!)

There's no denying it. Panic! is now at par with NEWS: My number 1 fandom, my favorite people, my greatest inspiration, etc. And because I can't just let two "number ones" compete for my enthusiasm, time and appreciation, I've cited a big distinction between the two; yeah, I sound like a sore arbiter but it has made me at peace with my feelings ever since. (Damn were the days in late April when I was very new to Panic! and I kept weighing my passion for both bands ><)

NEWS in QUARTETTO concert tour (cr: inala )

NEWS is my family. The place where I belong. It's a habitat that thrives on love; I get my ample share, and I give my ample support in return. Here is where I feel the safest, yet here is also where I feel bold. Tegoshi is my ideal person. Despite this, I don't actually want to be like Tegoshi. And NEWS' personality doesn't really speak to me on a personal level. I've found more of myself in Panic!.

Key word in NEWS is familial.

(cr: Panic!'s FB page)

Panic! At The Disco is my spirit animal. It's who I am both in my weakest and in my strongest. I see myself in the metaphors of their lyric-writing, especially Ryan's. I see my ideal self in Brendon's personality, musicality, and creativity. I want to be like Brendon. The band's success and freedom are my goals. But my source of nurturing and support is NEWS. And Tegoshi remains as my ideal person.

Key word in P!ATD is personal.

But maybe you wonder HOW it's Panic! among other bands and artists. Tbh, since I became into NEWS, Western bands, whatever genre they're doing, were all the same to me. The Panic! I knew, was a musical fling back in 2008. For a fact, I didn't know who Panic! was/were, except for the attention-hogging name *!* and a couple of songs which were a little part of my huge adolescent playlist by various artists and that was the actual musical fling).

I sang along to I Write Sins Not Tragedies and even made a Tagalog parody without knowing the names of the band members and what they look like. So how did that change? How was I reintroduced to the band and became the fan that I am today? Oh, well imagine, as I'm searching Wikipedia about Neoclassical Music and I can't help but to see, oh I can't help but to see a link that says: "List of Baroque Pop Artists"...

...It's partly NEWS' fault.

April 12, 2016. I was halfway through my QUARTETTO album review (that ~~still isn't posted~~ is also posted today, after almost 3 months delay, and it's partly Panic!'s fault! Hahaha) when I had to check Wikipedia for Classical Music terms and references. NEWS' new style is specifically Neoclassical (lit. "New Classical") and its subgenres, best known of which is Baroque Pop. Out of curiosity, I checked the link List of Baroque Pop Artists to see if maybe there are familiar artists I'd chance there. I saw Kalafina in the list and I was honestly not surprised, though very, very pleased because the JPop trio was my jam at the time (They're still my jam!). Besides Kalafina, Panic! At The Disco was present.

Taking a break from my NEWS review I clicked on Panic!'s Wiki page, and it's not that I didn't have any choice of other artists yet I was genuinely interested why the band is under Baroque Pop. I knew them as an alternative rock band--again, I actually didn't know anything about the band prior to rediscovery but I wasn't that ignorant to not know they were alternative rock. Sure, I memorized 'I Write Sins...' stripped down to its cello intro but the other Panic! songs I remembered were so different from each other.

But the thing that intrigued me more was seeing the current line-up: a one-man band! Naturally, you'd check that sole member when there are no other options to check (ex-members are another topic). Coincidentally, it was Brendon *I wrote "Brandon" in my diary and people in the fandom said 90% will probably get his name wrong at first encounter--and I belong to that huge percentage orz* Urie's birthday that day so being a cheesy believer of fate I believed the coincidence was a sign I have to explore the band.

no title
He's approximately 7 months older than Tegoshi, and approx 8 years older than me. Wtf is with these '87-liners huhuu

Also as I was having problems regarding my feelings for Tegoshi *HAHAHAHA I NEVER TOLD YOU ABOUT IT, LIVEJOURNAL!* the urge for exploring other artists was strong (though I have been in the exploration phase since last year). I listened to MAMAMOO, AOA, and Kalafina more frequently than I listened to NEWS, and since Panic!'s confusing genre retained to me throughout that week, I finally searched the band on Youtube.

Tonight we are victorious. Feel optimistic about the little things in life yet?

Victorious was the first I thing I saw; honestly, I was disappointed because it sounded cliche--cite similarities with Taylor Swift's Bad Blood (or was it just me?)--but the music video was utterly entertaining! And Brendon's attractive af. I went to I Write Sins... for relieving those high school memories. It has been a while since I heard that song in spite of still singing it (and the parody) from time to time. :p

Panic!'s debut MV won an award. This has set the standard for all and every succeeding Panic! MVs.

I can't recall any instance of me watching the video before but when I watched it, it was so familiar. Maybe because the song was popular back then that I somehow knew what the video looked like? Either way, it gave me intense throwback feels! And I also saw Nine In The Afternoon, another song I knew and enjoyed, but have forgotten until it showed on the related videos.

At this point my interest to know Panic! grew at a fast rate. Aside from the obvious that Victorious, I Write Sins Not Tragedies, and Nine In The Afternoon are insanely different songs for a single band and that kind of variety is my ultimate dream if I become a de facto musician, I was sure I knew more songs; I just haven't recalled everything yet.

In my second try at exploring the band on Youtube I saw more recent as well as familiar songs/videos, and the incessant variety kept me excited. I was particularly awestruck by Time To Dance, it was one of the old songs I liked so baaaad. Hearing it again after years was so classic it evoked an important question--why didn't I appreciate Panic! as much as I did for Paramore?--that question is important because Paramore is my first-ever favorite artist, hence I never dared to put it in line with my fandoms and other favorites.

Caption: Idk why but I love this song so much.

Until I rediscovered Panic! and I was oddly attracted to the band strong enough that after Youtube I immediately followed fandom pages/websites too. Finally, it was during midnight of April 22, ten days after Brendon's birthday and the accidental rediscovery, that I proclaimed over a sleepless night of laughing to Panic! memes: The band is now officially added to my fandoms. ♥

That's when something unprecendented (at least for me) happened. A couple of hours later, Panic! announced that they'll be having a concert in the Philippines this August!

Caption: This kind of news would really give one a panic *oh yeah I just made a pun involving my two faves! xD

The rest is history; I mean, it's just a little over a month since I entered the fandom but in the days and weeks I've spent many big changes already happened, as seen from how it quickly climbed the ladder from being "just another fandom" to being the number one fandom.

Discography & Line-up changes. You know you truly love something when you love every aspect of it. (cr: panicatthesocialgrathering)

And no, it's more than fandom stuff. Things have changed personally, from my way of thinking, to my habits, to my goals. I'm currently working all of these so it's not a great time to discuss personal matters, and maybe they're too personal for the blog anyway.

I still love NEWS truly, deeply... but Panic! At The Disco redefined me. As I said, Panic! is my spirit animal. For the band's fans, it feels uncomfortable when the exclamation point in the name is missing. For me, it's my turning point in that exclamation point.

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Hallelujah - Panic! At The Disco

I realized there's a reason why I do my reviews late, aside from the fact that I'm the best procrastinator you'll ever know! (LOL).

I like comparisons. I like to find a common ground between the things I perceive, and I like to note the differences. I like to know which is better than the other, or which are on the same level; or how things turned out in the past and I use that as a basis for the present. Even if it takes time, it is through comparison and contrasting that I believe I could write my reviews effectively and in detail. In other words, these reviews aren't founded on first impressions alone. I wish I could write by my first impressions though, as most (if not all), reviewers do!

This is my first serious NEWS album review. I didn't make one for last year's WHITE because... I kept putting it off. xD

Title: QUARTETTO
Artist: NEWS
Release date: March 9, 2016
Tracks: 16 (12 + 4 solos)

►L-R: Limited Edition and Regular Edition covers◄

General comments

QUARTETTO is an album I was too excited to write my first impressions about. (Now you know why I explained myself above!). It's an album that blew me right away, that I hadn't even finished listening to it and I already commented about how it could make former NEWS fans regret leaving the fandom. It had such a huge impact; surely, it's NEWS' release. Every NEWS release is literally mind-blowing for me (duh, Paana!). Of course I could hear what I don't like from the first listen, but I can't impart these properly in the height of excitement. It is only through a longer period of listening that I could make a fair judgment.

Listening to it for weeks (edit: months!) now, I won't take the statement back--QUARTETTO is good and it'll make former NEWS fans regret leaving the fandom. Better than the disheveled WHITE album, QUARTETTO is solid and easy on the ears. For these reasons:

( Read more... )

Song by song comments

01 Theme of QUARTETTO, or the instrumental-only overture, follows some rules from the Classical era. It's in Binary form, in which the first part differs greatly from the second, but the second is actually just a development of the first part. It can also be considered as a "Theme" in Theme and Variations form; or in the modern music sense it contains different sections comprising all the other parts of the whole piece. In the simplest terms, it is a remix, a medley of all the songs in the album. It is its sole purpose--an introductory medley, yet the way all the songs are thrown in a rhythmic blender is very hip-hop, an unexpected move for NEWS. It also introduces the use of body percussion, and looping machine that makes music production impressive. I think this album aims to show the technical aspect of music to fans.

02 QUARTETTO, the actual song, is EDM (electronic dance music) all the way (quite surprising for the title, isn't it? But not that surprising, consideringTheme of QUARTETTO introduces this sound). It has the ingredients of an electronic genre: Fast rhythm, standard Eight note-beats, autotune, and of course the electronic humming of the bassline. The twist is, it has a prominent string accompaninent so that it sounds fairly classical. The contrast makes it catchy--even though there's no proven correlation, the arching violins works with the structured, synthetic beat.

The best part of the song is the most unprecedented one: the Koyashige blending where Shige sings the upper harmony! Too bad it's just one line. Well, the whole song lasts for only 2 minutes but it's okay; otherwise, it would turn out dull.

In a poll at

4newsfans, it shocked me that many voters have this track as their favorite. With its techno base, short span, and monotonous nature, maybe it is the consistency from start to finish that makes listeners appreciate it. And again, the contrast between the classical violins and buzzing bassline, if listened to closely, is actually breathtaking.

( Read more... )

NEWS knows how to sound refreshing at the right time, in spite of being almost 13 years in the business, and this showed in QUARTETTO. My hopes for the next album: 'refreshing' in the sense of trying concepts, genres and techniques that'd be deemed surprising in Johnny's. Actually, NEWS is already doing this through couple of releases including this one, but a full-blown surprise would be better in my opinion. QUARTETTO is a good album nonetheless; it's a very transparent material enjoyed by new and old fans alike.

Album rating: ♪♪♪♪ (4 eighth notes out of 5!)

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: LA Devotee - Panic! At The Disco

Profile

Leya

April 2022

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30

Syndicate

Page Summary

Style Credit

Base style: Corinthian by momijizukamori
Theme: Spinning Twinkling by zaluzianskya

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jul. 14th, 2025 05:47 pm

Promise me a place

in your house of memories

Recent Entries

THE WELCOME POST

Icon and banner and header masterpost!

My LiveJournal is 10 years old.

A quick update (edited to be a full update)

Top 10 NEWS singles B-sides!

LPS single review

Tegoshi's 30th birthday fan event/celebration

Tegoshi is 30 years old!!

Massu's New (okay, not so new now) Look Appreciation Post! + Picspam

The seventh year hitch

The way of the Keiichan (Happy birthday Koyama Keiichiro!)

I wanna know why You! Got Me Going

I wanna know why You! Got Me Going

Dear Livejournal,

EMMA single review

[Leya's 2016 year-end SP] My Year In Music

Spontenacious Cereb-rations!

Blurbs, September 2016

A Turning Point in an Exclamation Point

QUARTETTO album review