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Between 1&2 💞 Album Review
2023.06.03 22:56 smolcrackheadenergy Between 1&2 💞 Album Review
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.
THE GOOD
Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
THE GOOD
I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
Translating to:
The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
THE GOOD
This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
Background vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)
One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
THE GOOD
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
THE GOOD
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:
I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
THE GOOD
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,
The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,
Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
THE GOOD
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.
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Intro
To preface this review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very, long read. Going through it myself just for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words of text, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this review, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
Between 1&2 💞
Album Review
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
Talk that Talk 🎙
Lead producer: collapsedone
One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that talk ttak han madi
Talk that talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~
During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you
The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~
Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.
THE GOOD
- The synths of all time
- The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
- Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
- The entirety of that magical, final chorus and outro
- The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”
- Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club
Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
Queen of Hearts 👑
Lead producer: LDN Noise of SM
If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~
Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the queen, I’m the queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts
These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls
It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]
This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts
I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
THE GOOD
- Adorable fucking lyrics
- Unrelenting, roaring chorus
- English and vocal flex
- Addicting guitar riffs
- Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song
- Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts
I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
Basics 🌈
Sole lyricist credit: Chaeyoung
Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo
Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
I wanna wanna wanna take it to the basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah
That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende
Translating to:
Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously
The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
THE GOOD
- That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
- The “spaceship” post-chorus is killer
- Chaeyoung devoured this song
- Sure-footed, confident lyrics
- Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
- The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great
- After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting
This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
Trouble 💃
Sole lyricist credit: JihyoBackground vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)
One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
- Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
- The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
- A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
- Jeongyeon’s pronunciation of the word “trouble” almost being a growl
- Chaeyoung slyly admitting “I like this trouble”
- The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
- Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
- Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant
This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake
During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss
Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet
Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trou-ble
Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
THE GOOD
- The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
- Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
- Chorus
- Rap
- Outro
- Wees and woos
- Mina’s line of “falling down, falling down, falling down low” in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change
- While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in enjoying a song
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
Brave 💖
Main producer: Slow Rabbit of HYBE
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
Oh na na na neon nal naige hae [Momo, then Tzuyu, then Momo]
On and on and on
Brave brave brave for ya [Dahyun, then Chaeyoung, then Mina]
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae [Sana, then Momo, then Sana]
On and on and on oh trust me babe
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
THE GOOD
- Special lyrics
- Pleasant sound to vibe out to
- That gentle break after the first chorus
- Jihyo’s high note at the end
- A Nayeon Jeongyeon joint high note ⁉️
- Just pretty vocals throughout
- Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics
- Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave”. I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:
- 7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
- 8/10s are great songs with standout characteristics
- 9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
- And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way
I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
Gone 💨
Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
I see the LIES on the top of your tongue
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, gone, gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
I can’t stand it anymore [Dahyun]
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late [Chaeyoung]
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out [Momo]
I know that you know what I’m talking about [Dahyun]
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m gone
Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
THE GOOD
- They’ve still got their surprises
- Thundering chorus
- 2nd rap and bridge combo
- A bitter, crumbling relationship theme
- I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
- The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens
- Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
When We Were Kids 🧸
Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,
Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world
The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,
Remember when we were kids
When we were kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember when we were kids
Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me
Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
Oh, we were kids
Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
THE GOOD
- Heavenly vocals throughout
- Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
- Euphoric chorus
- Great closer to the album
- Refrain after the last chorus, "Back when we were kids," could’ve been executed better
- For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
Epilogue
And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.
2023.06.03 19:02 Sbaker444 [USA-FL][H] Switch, GB, GBA, GBC GameCube, SNES, Wii,Wii U, DS, 3Ds,PS 1, PS2, PS4, PS5, PSP [W] GBA,GBC, GB
Hey all. New here but I have lots of feedback on CAG, Mercari, GameTZ, and eBay. All games are cib unless noted.
Have:
Wants:
Mostly collect handheld so let me see your lists of Gameboy, GBC, GBA, and Game Gear.
submitted by Sbaker444 to gameswap [link] [comments]
Have:
| System | Title | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| GameCube | Paper Mario Thousand Year Door | CIB with Strategy Guide |
| Gamecube | Metroid Prime | CIB |
| Gamecube | Turok Evolution | CIB |
| GameCube | Nintendo GameCube Preview Disc | CIB |
| GameCube | Sims Bustin Out | CIB |
| Gamecube | Tak 2 | No Manual |
| Gamecube | Batman Vengeance | No Manual |
| Gamecube | SpongeBob SquarePants Creature from the Krusty Crab | No Manual |
| Gamecube | Legend of Zelda Windwaker | No manual faded cover art |
| Gamecube | Metroid Prime | Disc only |
| Gamecube | Crash NitroCart | Disc only |
| Gamecube | Medal of Honor | Disc only |
| GameCube | Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Strategy Guide | Very good condition |
| SNES | System with 2 Controllers | Good condition |
| SNES | Killer Instinct | Cart only |
| SNES | Ms. Pacman | Cart only |
| SNES | Mario Kart PC | Cart only |
| SNES | Super Gameboy | Cart only |
| SNES | Quick Shot Arcade Controller x2 | Good condition |
| N64 | Battle Tanx Global Assault | Cart only |
| N64 | Cruis'N World | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Pokemon Red | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Pokemon Blue | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Qix | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Tetris | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Donkey Kong Land | Cart only |
| Gameboy Color | Pokemon Gold | Cart only |
| Gameboy Color | WarioLand II | Cart only some fading on label |
| Gameboy Advance | Sonic Advance | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Sonic Advance 2 | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Sonic Advance 3 | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Megaman Battle Network 6 Cybeast Gregar | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Sims Bustin Out | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Pacman Collection | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Yu-Gi-Oh 7 Trials to Glory | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Yu-Gi-Oh Destiny Board Trader | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Sonic X GBA V was Video | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Fairly Odd Parents Vol 1 GBA Video | Cart only |
| Wii | We Sing 80s | sealed |
| Wii | Super Paper Mario | CIB |
| Wii | Donkey Kong Country Returns | CIB |
| Wii | Sonic Colors | CIB |
| Wii | Mario Galaxy | CIB |
| Wii | Mario Power Tennis | CIB |
| Wii | Kirby's Epic Yarn | CIB |
| Wii | Wii Sports | CIB |
| Wii | Wii Sports | No manual |
| Wii | Dragon Quest Swords | No manual |
| Wii | House of the Dead 2 & 3 | disc only |
| Wii U | Mario Party 10 | CIB |
| Wii U | Yoshis Wooly World | CIB |
| Wii U | Monster High New Ghoul at School | CIB |
| Wii U | Lego Hobbit | CIB |
| Wii U | Smurfs 2 | CIB |
| Wii U | Pacman and the Ghostly Adventures | CIB |
| DS | Tetris DS | CIB |
| DS | Space Invaders Extreme | CIB |
| DS | Plants vs Zombies | CIB |
| DS | Crash Mind over Mutant | Cart only |
| DS | Elite Beat Agents | Cart only |
| DS | Cooking Mama 3 | Cart only |
| DS | Guitar Hero On Tour | Cart only |
| DS | Guitar Hero On Tour Decades | Cart only |
| DS | Guitar Hero On Tour Attachment | |
| DS | Yu-Gi-Oh Nightmare Troubadour | Cart only |
| 3ds | Super Mario 3D Land | Sealed |
| 3ds | 3ds XL Silver Mario & Luigi System | Modded with Games |
| 3ds | New Super Mario Bros 2 | CIB |
| 3ds | Mario & Luigi Dream Team | CIB |
| 3ds | Super Mario Maker | CIB |
| 3ds | Sims 3 | CIB |
| 3ds | Donkey Kong Country Returns 3d | CIB |
| 3ds | Donkey Kong Country Returns 3d NS | CIB |
| 3ds | Ultimate NES Remix | CIB |
| 3ds | Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon NS | CIB |
| 3ds | Hyrule Warriors Legends | CIB |
| 3ds | Super Smash Bros | CIB |
| 3ds | Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask | CIB |
| 3ds | Captain Toad Treasure Tracker | Cart only |
| 3ds | Animal Crossing New Leaf | Cart only |
| 3ds | Donkey Kong Country Returns | Cart only |
| 3ds | Nintendogs + Cats | Cart only |
| 3ds | Lego Star Wars III | Cart only |
| 3ds | Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time | Cart only |
| 3ds | Legend of Zelda Link Between Worlds | Cart only |
| Switch | Dark Blue Switch Lite Console | Includes Box |
| Switch | Octopath Traveler 2 | sealed |
| Switch | MegaMan Zero/ZX Collection | sealed |
| Switch | Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild | CIB |
| Switch | Pokemon Shining Pearl | CIB |
| Switch | Pokemon Brilliant Diamond | CIB |
| Switch | New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe | CIB |
| Switch | Paper Mario Origami King | CIB |
| Switch | Animal Crossing New Horizon | CIB |
| Switch | Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle | CIB |
| Switch | Splatoon 2 | CIB |
| Switch | Bravely Default 2 | CIB |
| Switch | Diablo III | CIB |
| Switch | Ring Fit Adventure | CIB |
| Switch | My Hero Ones Justice 2 | CIB |
| Switch | Persona 5 Strikers | CIB |
| Switch | Cars 3 Driven to Win | CIB |
| Switch | Rayman Legends | CIB |
| Switch | Star Wars Pinball | CIB |
| Switch | Final Fantasy X/X2 | CIB |
| Switch | Lego Worlds | CIB |
| Switch | L.O.L Surprise ReMix We Rule the World | CIB Includes Collectible Charm |
| Switch | Disney Classic Games Aladdin and Lion King | CIB |
| Switch | Super Mario 3D All Stars | Cart only |
| Switch | Cobra Kai | Cart Only |
| Switch | Hello Neighbor | Cart only |
| Switch | Pokken Tournament DX | Cart only |
| Ps1 | Thrasher Skate and Destroy | CIB |
| Ps1 | Resident Evil 3 Nemesis | disc only |
| Ps1 | Dino Crisis | disc only |
| Ps2 | Grand Theft Auto Vice City | CIB |
| Ps2 | Grand Theft Auto Vice City GH | CIB |
| Ps2 | Grand Theft Auto San Andreas GH | CIB |
| Ps2 | Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 | CIB |
| Ps2 | Snoopy vs the Red Baron | CIB |
| Ps2 | Nana | JPN Import/CIB but faded |
| PS4 | Godzilla | CIB |
| PS4 | Berserk and the Band of the Hawk | CIB |
| PS4 | Amazing Spiderman 2 | CIB |
| PS4 | Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 | CIB |
| PS4 | Prototype Biohazard Bundle | CIB |
| PS4 | Uncharted 4 | Sealed |
| PS5 | Elden Ring | CIB |
| PS5 | Spiderman Miles Morales | CIB |
| PS5 | Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga | CIB |
| PSP | PSP 2001 system | good condition |
| PSP | Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary | sealed |
| PSP | Monster Hunter Freedom | CIB |
| PSP | God of War Chains of Olympus | CIB |
| PSP | God of War Chains of Olympus GH | CIB |
| PSP | Final Fantasy Tactics War of the Lions | CIB |
| PSP | Final Fantasy Crisis Core GH | CIB |
| PSP | Star Wars Force Unleashed | CIB |
| PSP | Tekken Dark Resurrection | CIB |
| PSP | Final Fantasy Crisis Core | Disc only |
| PSP | NBA Street Showdown | Disc only |
| PSP | Blitz Overtime | Disc only |
| PSP | Marvel Nemesis Rise of the Imperfects | Disc only |
| PSP | Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories | Disc only |
| PSP | Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories GH | Disc only |
| PSP | Atari Classics Evolved | Disc only |
| PSP | Patapon 2 | Disc only |
| PSP | Sega Genesis Collection | Disc only |
| PSP | Midway Arcade Treasures Extended Play | Disc only |
| PSP | Space Invaders Extreme | Disc only |
| PS Vita | Lego Marvel Super Heroes Universe in Peril | no manual |
| PS Vita | Lego Batman 2 | Cart only |
| PS Vita | Little Big Planet | Cart only |
Mostly collect handheld so let me see your lists of Gameboy, GBC, GBA, and Game Gear.
| System | Title | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Gameboy | Castlevania II | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Castlevania Legends | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Donkey Kong | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Gargoyles Quest | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Golf | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Kirby's Block Ball | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Kirby Star Stacker | Cart only |
| Gameboy | Mario Picross | Cart only |
| Gameboy | MegaMan II | Cart only |
| Gameboy Color | Game and Watch Gallery II | Cart only |
| Gameboy Color | Game and Watch Gallery III | Cart only |
| Gameboy Color | Mario Tennis | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Classic NES Metroid | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Contra Advance | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Earthworm Jim | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Fire Emblem | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Metal Slug Advance | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | Metroid Zero Mission | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | TMNT | Cart only |
| Gameboy Advance | WarioWare Twisted | Cart Only |
| Game Gear | Earthworm Jim | Cart only |
2023.06.03 18:57 naissancedesign Important tips for designing hotel rooms
Designing hotel rooms is a complex process that requires consideration of various factors such as target audience, brand identity, comfort and functionality. Here are some important tips for hotel room design. Of course, you should also consider the appropriate تجهیزات هتلی.
submitted by naissancedesign to u/naissancedesign [link] [comments]
- Understand your target audience: Understanding your target audience is critical for designing hotel rooms that meet their needs and expectations. Conduct market research to understand the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your target audience, and use this information to inform your design decisions.
- Develop a strong brand identity: A strong brand identity is essential for creating a cohesive and memorable hotel experience. Develop a visual identity that reflects your brand values and personality, and use consistent branding elements such as colors, typography, and imagery throughout your hotel rooms.
- Create a comfortable and functional space: Creating a comfortable and functional space is essential for ensuring that your guests have a relaxing and enjoyable stay. Use high-quality bedding, comfortable seating, and appropriate lighting to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Also, make sure that the room has adequate storage, workspace, and amenities such as a coffee maker, refrigerator, and safe.
- Pay attention to details: Paying attention to details can make a big difference in the overall quality of the hotel room. Use high-quality materials, finishes, and furnishings, and make sure that the room is clean, well-maintained, and free of clutter.
- Incorporate local elements: Incorporating local elements such as artwork, decor, and materials can help to create a sense of place and enhance the overall guest experience. Use local materials, artwork, and decor to create a unique and authentic atmosphere that reflects the local culture and identity.
- Ensure accessibility: Ensuring accessibility is important for making your hotel rooms accessible to all guests, regardless of their abilities. Use accessible design principles such as wider doorways, grab bars, and accessible fixtures to ensure that your hotel rooms are accessible to all guests.
- Overall, designing hotel rooms requires a thoughtful and deliberate approach that takes into account the needs and expectations of your target audience, brand identity, comfort, and functionality. By following these tips, you can create hotel rooms that are comfortable, functional, and memorable for your guests.
What are some accessible design principles for hotel rooms?
Accessible design principles are important for making hotel rooms accessible to all guests, including those with disabilities or mobility limitations. Here are some accessible design principles for hotel rooms:- Wider doorways: Wider doorways are important for accommodating guests who use wheelchairs or mobility aids. The doorways should be at least 36 inches wide to allow for easy passage.
- Lowered peepholes and light switches: Peepholes and light switches should be located at a height that is accessible to all guests, including those who use wheelchairs or mobility aids. The peephole should be located at a height between 36 and 48 inches, while the light switch should be located at a height between 36 and 44 inches.
- Grab bars: Grab bars are important for providing support and stability for guests who have difficulty standing or walking. Grab bars should be installed near the toilet and in the shower, and should be able to support a weight of at least 250 pounds.
- Accessible fixtures: Accessible fixtures such as sinks, toilets, and showers should be installed to accommodate guests with disabilities or mobility limitations. The sink should have a clear space underneath to allow for wheelchair access, while the toilet should have a height of at least 17 inches and be equipped with grab bars. The shower should have a roll-in entry and be equipped with a grab bar and a handheld showerhead.
- Visual aids: Visual aids such as braille signs and visual alarms are important for accommodating guests with visual impairments. Braille signs should be installed on room numbers, elevator buttons, and other key locations, while visual alarms should be installed in case of fire or other emergencies.
- Accessible furniture: Accessible furniture such as adjustable beds and chairs can help to accommodate guests with mobility limitations. The bed should be adjustable to allow for different heights, while the chairs should have armrests and be easy to get in and out of.
What are some other visual aids that can be used in hotel rooms?
In addition to braille signs and visual alarms, there are several other visual aids that can be used in hotel rooms to improve accessibility and enhance the guest experience. Here are some examples:- Large print materials: Large print materials such as menus, room service menus, and hotel directories can be helpful for guests with visual impairments. These materials should be printed in a large font size and be easy to read.
- Contrast and color: Using high contrast and color can help guests with visual impairments to distinguish between different objects and areas within the hotel room. For example, using contrasting colors for door handles and light switches can help guests to locate them more easily.
- Tactile markings: Tactile markings can be used to help guests with visual impairments to navigate the hotel room. For example, placing tactile markings on the floor near the door or in front of the bathroom can help guests to locate these areas more easily.
- Audio aids: Audio aids such as voice-activated controls and audio descriptions can be helpful for guests with visual impairments. For example, a voice-activated thermostat can allow guests to adjust the temperature without having to locate and operate a physical control.
- Assistive technology: Assistive technology such as screen readers and magnifiers can be provided to guests with visual impairments to help them access information and navigate the hotel room more easily.
2023.06.03 14:40 Separate-Buffalo2518 Experience at Imperial Spa in Las Vegas
As a follow up to my review on the Spa at Mandalay Bay, here is some information on my experience at Imperial Spa while visiting Las Vegas.
I stayed at a strip hotel and took a $15 ($20 with tip) Uber ride to the spa on a weekday. Entry is $35 dollars. They give you a locker key, two towels, and shorts and a T-shirt for the coed areas. It looked like sandals could be provided (I brought my own).
The men’s facilities start with a locker room, from which you can access the pools/steam/sauna area, a salt room, a relaxation room, and the upstairs coed areas.
The pool area contained a large front section and smaller back section of open showers. There was a hot tub and mid-temperature pool, with two steam rooms (one really hot, one less hot) and a sauna.
Signs ask you to shower upon entry and every time you come out of the steam room, sauna, or salt room and into a pool. So the showers are almost in constant use as people cycle.
The upstairs coed facilities contain a cold room, clay rooms, a jade room, relaxation areas, and a Korean kitchen. I ordered lunch; it was great and reasonably priced.
Nudity is required in the pool and sauna area. Everyone sits on his towel on the benches or sides of the pool when lounging. A few were wrapping with towels when walking around, but the majority were not. Age varied between late 20s through perhaps 60. There were around 15 guys at the spa during the 2.5 hours I spent there.
Maybe it was because I had already bit the bullet at Mandalay Bay, or maybe it was because nudity was required, but I felt even more comfortable being nude in this space. I went with a buddy and we chatted and cycled between rooms together the whole time. We had some conversations about healthy attitudes toward nudity, body positivity etc. At a certain point I almost stopped thinking about the fact that I was naked.
For anyone who followed or participated in my poll about being uncut in the showers, I made the choice to use the frequent showering there as a chance to clean under my foreskin in an attempt to normalize it for myself. I was still somewhat uncomfortable, but I think it was a step forward in embracing something I shouldn’t be embarrassed about. That felt good!
The atmosphere was social but on the quieter side. Guys were chatting here and there, falling in and out of conversation. I found it pleasant; I enjoy getting to know strangers in this kind of environment.
Something I noticed were the signs on the door to almost every room warning against sexual activity in the spa, and advising that the police would be called if activity were discovered or reported. I don’t know who the hell would try to get away with that in such open spaces, but apparently it is enough of an issue that they have it posted all over the place. For what it’s worth, nothing like that seemed to be going on; there was only one guy I was talking to who seemed to make no effort to not fixate on my junk … I ended that conversation a bit more quickly.
Going with a buddy was also a great experience. It was a fun way to hang out and feel like there weren’t as many walls up, figuratively.
The spa is not what I would define as a luxury experience. The facilities are utilitarian and non-aesthetic in their design. You are given one large and one small towel without open access to more towels during your stay. I had to ask the attendant for another one before my final shower.
Due to the cultural nature of the spa, it is a family-friendly place. Signs advised parents to not leave kids unattended and to check diapers before allowing them to enter pools. I appreciate that spaces exist like this for families, but I have to admit I was a bit turned off especially by the thought that the diaper sign was necessary. There were no kids there, and I don’t think I would have enjoyed myself as much had there been.
For an entry price of $35, I would say Imperial is more than worth it. The main thing I would change is the lack of guest access to towels. It’s nice to change out your sopping wet towel every so often, but it was inconvenient to do so as you had to hunt down an attendant every time. The easy access to the facility off the strip is a big plus; you’re not having to worry about parking or maneuvering through any of the giant hotels.
submitted by Separate-Buffalo2518 to CommunalShowers [link] [comments]
I stayed at a strip hotel and took a $15 ($20 with tip) Uber ride to the spa on a weekday. Entry is $35 dollars. They give you a locker key, two towels, and shorts and a T-shirt for the coed areas. It looked like sandals could be provided (I brought my own).
The men’s facilities start with a locker room, from which you can access the pools/steam/sauna area, a salt room, a relaxation room, and the upstairs coed areas.
The pool area contained a large front section and smaller back section of open showers. There was a hot tub and mid-temperature pool, with two steam rooms (one really hot, one less hot) and a sauna.
Signs ask you to shower upon entry and every time you come out of the steam room, sauna, or salt room and into a pool. So the showers are almost in constant use as people cycle.
The upstairs coed facilities contain a cold room, clay rooms, a jade room, relaxation areas, and a Korean kitchen. I ordered lunch; it was great and reasonably priced.
Nudity is required in the pool and sauna area. Everyone sits on his towel on the benches or sides of the pool when lounging. A few were wrapping with towels when walking around, but the majority were not. Age varied between late 20s through perhaps 60. There were around 15 guys at the spa during the 2.5 hours I spent there.
Maybe it was because I had already bit the bullet at Mandalay Bay, or maybe it was because nudity was required, but I felt even more comfortable being nude in this space. I went with a buddy and we chatted and cycled between rooms together the whole time. We had some conversations about healthy attitudes toward nudity, body positivity etc. At a certain point I almost stopped thinking about the fact that I was naked.
For anyone who followed or participated in my poll about being uncut in the showers, I made the choice to use the frequent showering there as a chance to clean under my foreskin in an attempt to normalize it for myself. I was still somewhat uncomfortable, but I think it was a step forward in embracing something I shouldn’t be embarrassed about. That felt good!
The atmosphere was social but on the quieter side. Guys were chatting here and there, falling in and out of conversation. I found it pleasant; I enjoy getting to know strangers in this kind of environment.
Something I noticed were the signs on the door to almost every room warning against sexual activity in the spa, and advising that the police would be called if activity were discovered or reported. I don’t know who the hell would try to get away with that in such open spaces, but apparently it is enough of an issue that they have it posted all over the place. For what it’s worth, nothing like that seemed to be going on; there was only one guy I was talking to who seemed to make no effort to not fixate on my junk … I ended that conversation a bit more quickly.
Going with a buddy was also a great experience. It was a fun way to hang out and feel like there weren’t as many walls up, figuratively.
The spa is not what I would define as a luxury experience. The facilities are utilitarian and non-aesthetic in their design. You are given one large and one small towel without open access to more towels during your stay. I had to ask the attendant for another one before my final shower.
Due to the cultural nature of the spa, it is a family-friendly place. Signs advised parents to not leave kids unattended and to check diapers before allowing them to enter pools. I appreciate that spaces exist like this for families, but I have to admit I was a bit turned off especially by the thought that the diaper sign was necessary. There were no kids there, and I don’t think I would have enjoyed myself as much had there been.
For an entry price of $35, I would say Imperial is more than worth it. The main thing I would change is the lack of guest access to towels. It’s nice to change out your sopping wet towel every so often, but it was inconvenient to do so as you had to hunt down an attendant every time. The easy access to the facility off the strip is a big plus; you’re not having to worry about parking or maneuvering through any of the giant hotels.
2023.06.03 14:22 barelyjohn1000 Ad
 | submitted by barelyjohn1000 to CommunalShowersNaked [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 11:05 Vamporix W / F / L ? [trade done!]
![W / F / L ? [trade done!]](https://a.thumbs.redditmedia.com/noqXfVYBTQqw2lVDSN-tLfcBLeu5dlsReRNMTeUI9t4.jpg "W / F / L ? [trade done!]") | Apologies for the crappy pictures! I was nervous about this but most of the clydesdales were duplicates, and I adore v1 friesians! Especially the ones with the fades for my collection. :D I wanted to see the opinions of you guys, was it an alright trade? submitted by Vamporix to WildHorsesIslandsRbx [link] [comments] Me; - Black v1 clydesdale. - Max stamina Grulla arabian [fjord coat]. - Bay/Grey Chimera v1 clydesdale. - Dapple Palomino v1 clydesdale. - Black Pinto v1 clydesdale. - Bay v1 clydesdale. - Chestnut v1 clydesdale. - Palomino Pinto v1 clydesdale. Them; - Wild-Caught Liver Chestnut v1 friesian. - Dapple Grey v1 friesian [clydesdale coat]. - White v1 friesian with Brown/Pink Fade dye. - Maxed White v1 friesian with Candy Corn Fade dye. - Maxed White v1 friesian with Glacier Fade dye. - White v1 friesian with Elf Fade dye. |
2023.06.03 08:59 aidenpethick_ What
 | submitted by aidenpethick_ to LinkedInLunatics [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 05:52 Separate-Buffalo2518 Experience at the Spa at Mandalay Bay
I was in Las Vegas for the first time and had the opportunity to stay at Mandalay Bay and use their spa. Here’s a write up for anyone who might be interested.
I had all day access from booking treatments as a hotel guest. The attendant told me that non-guest access is $50 during the week (Mon-Thu) and $75 on the weekend.
This was my first time in Vegas and my first time at a spa like this. When you enter through the men’s lobby, you walk into the main room with four pools in a kind of Roman bath style in a rectangular format. There are two jacuzzis, one that is closer to pool temperature, and one cool plunge. The pools are surrounded by reclining chairs. Towels galore.
Just when you enter the main area, there are a sauna and steam room immediately to your left. You have to walk through the main pool area to access locker room, shower room, and restroom. The showers are private and have double doors; one for the private shower space and one for the shower itself. Each is stocked with towel, hand rag, and bath mat.
I was given a key to a locker with a plush robe inside. After that, I started to cycle between steam room/sauna, cool plunge, jacuzzi, and resting beside the pool.
I understand the men’s steam room was recently renovated and thought it was great. There was a shower head as you first entered where you could cool off (the water comes out icy if you want). It was fairly spacious and at one point I counted 4–5 occupants but it was in no way crowded.
I found the quality of the facilities impressive. Clean, luxurious, and attendants were professional. It was also a small space so it felt relaxed and not overwhelming. I did one loop to find my bearings and was able to enjoy.
There were around a dozen guys using the pools and steam room/sauna over the hours I was there. I struck up some fun conversations in the sauna; most of the guys were at least 10 years older than me (33). So it was not a particularly young crowd. But I found that there was a social vibe and most guys would say hello and chat about their time in town.
As far as nudity goes, I counted 2–3 guys in trunks. I was probably the most nude, if there is such a thing. Once I hung my robe up by the pools, I did not wear anything when moving between pools and rooms; most other guys would wrap with a towel. I didn’t see the point for the 15-second walk when you would just be removing the towel again. The only time I wrapped up is when I was reclining on the chairs.
When I was in sauna/steam room, I would just grab a fresh towel and sit on it. Most of the other guys would wrap it around their waste, but I do think that one or two saw me sitting on mine and chose to do the same as a result.
All in all, it was a great experience that I would definitely repeat. If you are spending most of the day or afternoon there, I feel it’s easily worth $75. I don’t know if I just came on the right day, but I felt very comfortable being naked the whole time and did not feel that it was in any way not the norm.
submitted by Separate-Buffalo2518 to CommunalShowers [link] [comments]
I had all day access from booking treatments as a hotel guest. The attendant told me that non-guest access is $50 during the week (Mon-Thu) and $75 on the weekend.
This was my first time in Vegas and my first time at a spa like this. When you enter through the men’s lobby, you walk into the main room with four pools in a kind of Roman bath style in a rectangular format. There are two jacuzzis, one that is closer to pool temperature, and one cool plunge. The pools are surrounded by reclining chairs. Towels galore.
Just when you enter the main area, there are a sauna and steam room immediately to your left. You have to walk through the main pool area to access locker room, shower room, and restroom. The showers are private and have double doors; one for the private shower space and one for the shower itself. Each is stocked with towel, hand rag, and bath mat.
I was given a key to a locker with a plush robe inside. After that, I started to cycle between steam room/sauna, cool plunge, jacuzzi, and resting beside the pool.
I understand the men’s steam room was recently renovated and thought it was great. There was a shower head as you first entered where you could cool off (the water comes out icy if you want). It was fairly spacious and at one point I counted 4–5 occupants but it was in no way crowded.
I found the quality of the facilities impressive. Clean, luxurious, and attendants were professional. It was also a small space so it felt relaxed and not overwhelming. I did one loop to find my bearings and was able to enjoy.
There were around a dozen guys using the pools and steam room/sauna over the hours I was there. I struck up some fun conversations in the sauna; most of the guys were at least 10 years older than me (33). So it was not a particularly young crowd. But I found that there was a social vibe and most guys would say hello and chat about their time in town.
As far as nudity goes, I counted 2–3 guys in trunks. I was probably the most nude, if there is such a thing. Once I hung my robe up by the pools, I did not wear anything when moving between pools and rooms; most other guys would wrap with a towel. I didn’t see the point for the 15-second walk when you would just be removing the towel again. The only time I wrapped up is when I was reclining on the chairs.
When I was in sauna/steam room, I would just grab a fresh towel and sit on it. Most of the other guys would wrap it around their waste, but I do think that one or two saw me sitting on mine and chose to do the same as a result.
All in all, it was a great experience that I would definitely repeat. If you are spending most of the day or afternoon there, I feel it’s easily worth $75. I don’t know if I just came on the right day, but I felt very comfortable being naked the whole time and did not feel that it was in any way not the norm.
2023.06.03 03:47 cbvv1992 🔥50% Off Code – $24.99 8”Rain Shower Head with Handheld Spray Combo with ON/OFF Pause Switch and 11'' Angle Adjustable
 | submitted by cbvv1992 to DealAndSale [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 00:26 bridgetttttttt I can’t have sex without painful burning afterwards.
Here’s the rundown: I’ve (F19) been with the same partner (M20) for 3 years. We both have been faithful and I’ve been tested for std/is in the past and all came back negative. I drink lots of water before sex and we always try to do as much foreplay as needed so that I am lubricated enough. I always try to pee after, sometimes it takes some time for water to cycle through but I always do. This has even happened when he has showered right before and we work hard to make sure we are both clean before we have sex. It usually gets bad about 12-24 hours after initial intercourse, it burns when I pee and the burning/aching feeling stays and does not go away for a day or 2. Then it becomes mild and tolerable and I somehow keep it at bay by drinking lots of water and peeing a lot. I then tend to forget about it. But this happens every time I have sex, some times the pain is worse than others. In the past I had the same issue and would often go to the doctor to see if I had a uti, and it would come back negative every time. At that time it might have been reoccurring utis as I consulted my doctor before and took antibiotic pills after every intercourse and had no issues for a few months. The weirder part is that it seems to burn not from my urethra, but from my vaginal opening. My concern is possible tearing or perhaps some kind of medical condition. No matter what I do to try and prevent it, it doesn’t work and it’s painful enough that I don’t want to move. It’s mentally tolling and I’m completely lost and confused at what could be wrong.
short version: my partner and I do everything precautionary to prevent bad outcomes from sex, but I get excruciating burning about 12-24 hours after sex from my vaginal opening without any known cause or explanation.
submitted by bridgetttttttt to sexadviceforwomen [link] [comments]
short version: my partner and I do everything precautionary to prevent bad outcomes from sex, but I get excruciating burning about 12-24 hours after sex from my vaginal opening without any known cause or explanation.
2023.06.02 23:56 Thelastfrontiers Solo Trip Report: May 17 - May 29 (LONG)
 | I will post the resources used at the end of the post but here is the full itinerary. submitted by Thelastfrontiers to VisitingIceland [link] [comments] May 17th (Arrival) I arrived at KEF around 8 AM, I scheduled the pick up time of my van at 10:00 AM, around 9:15 AM the person from Cheap Campervans picked me up at the airport and drove us to the Happy Campers place. Van pick up was smooth and easy and headed towards Reykjavik since I scheduled a reservation at 12:30 at Sky Lagoon. Stayed at Sky Lagoon for around 2 hours, did the ritual ( It was a nice experience, I'm not used to go to this type of places so it was a new experience for me). Drove to the AirBnB I booked and died for a few hours there, then I walked towards Hallgrimskirkja and just walked around in that area, visited Harpa, Sun Voyager and ate some delicious hot dogs at Bæjarins. I stopped at a Bonus store on the way back to the AirBnB to grab supplies for the trip and I arrived once again at the AirBnB. May 18 (Golden Circle) Woke up, had breakfast and drove towards Thingvellir. I parked at Parking 1 and walked around the park for a few hours, visited Öxarárfoss, Logberg, Almannagjá etc. It was windy and rainy but fortunately I was prepared and had a really great time, although it was a little bit crowded on some parts. Thingvellir Next stop was Brúarfoss. I didn't do the whole hike due to the weather so I stayed in the new parking lot that they have, if I'm not mistaken the price was around 750 ISK, the road is gravel but any 2WD can access it without a problem if you are careful. Place was beautiful and there were maybe 2 or 3 persons there. Drove to Strokkur to see the Geyser, stayed there for a bit until the Geyser "exploded" and took some pictures and then left, beware of the smell here. Drove to Gullfoss and I parked in the lower parking lot, I walked to the side of the waterfall and it was incredible, trully a highlight of the day but make sure to bring some really good hiking shoes/boots and some waterproof equipment. Finally Arrived at Skjol Camping which was pretty good, had a pizza and a beer in the restaurant they have and went to sleep. May 19 (South) First stop of the day was Kerid Crater, you need to pay 450 ISK to enter but it's a beautiful view, walked around the crater and left. Drove to Seljalandsfoss, you also need to pay parking here and it was very crowded when I arrived, walked to Seljalandsfoss and went behind the waterfall. Walked to Gljufrafoss and entered the cave, make sure to bring good waterproof shoes here cause you need to walk in water to enter the cave. Next stop was Skógafoss, simply amazing, I stayed for a bit inside the restaurant that is in front and had something to eat in the meantime that the rain stopped a little, once it stopped I walked to the waterfall, I went up the stairs towards the Fimmvorduhals trail and walked for a mile or so and then I returned. Skógafoss Drove to Kvernufoss, wow, one of the hightlights of the trip. I walked down until the end where the waterfall is and just stayed there for a bit, simply amazing place and I was alone for almost the entire hike. Drove to Dyrhólaey but unfortunately it was closed. Drove to Reynisfjara and stayed there for a bit. Finally arrived at an AirBnB I booked that was just a few minutes from Vik, I was unable to find a camp that was open around that area (or maybe I just didn't do a lot of search). May 20 First stop was the Black Sand beach in Vik, really beautiful views and way less crowded than Reynisfjara. Did the lava show at Vik and it was an amazing experience, definitely recommend doing this if you are in the area, after the show I ate an amazing lamb soup in the restaurant. Drove to Eldhraun, short stop but beautiful views all around. Drove to Fjaðrárgljúfur, road is paved all the way through and it's very easy to access, did the hike and took some amazing shots here, unfortunately mid hike there was a wind storm and I lost my lens hood of my camera and the raincoat I had for my backpack, Iceland winds are no joke! Fjaðrárgljúfur Did a little stop at Fossálar to take some pictures and finally arrived at Tjaldsvæðið í Svínafelli camp, really good facilities. May 21 (South East) Drove to Skaftafell since I booked a Glacier Hike with Arctic Adventures, the whole tour lasted around 4 hours and it was definitely one of the things I liked the most about the trip. Once we returned I had a little bite at the restaurant that the park has and then I continued the trip. (I wanted to do the Svartifoss hike but I was a little tired). Glacier Drove to the Múlagljúfur Canyon, unfortunately weather was pretty bad and since this was a longer hike I decided to not risk it, I was pretty disappointed cause this trail was one of my priorities but safety first! Did a quick stop at Hofskirkja and drove to Fjallsárlón Glacier. I stayed inside the van for a bit cause it was raining and the wind was crazy for a bit but then it calmed down and I went down to the lagoon, amazing views. Drove to Diamond Beach but unfortunately there was no ice in the beach, after this I drove to Höfn and stayed at the camp there. Unfortunately this was probably my least favorite camp, showers are not included in the price so that was a bummer. May 22 (East) First stop was Mount Vestrahorn, you need to pay to enter at the Viking cafe, I get that people sometimes get mad about paying here but I thought it was really worth it, they give you a map with the parking spots and the trails that they have, I visited the viking village which was cool even if it's fake, walked in the black sand beach and saw some wild horses roaming around, after that I grabbed a snack from the Cafe. Vestrahorn Drove to Skútafoss. Honestly, this was probably my favorite place in the whole trip, it was simply amazing and I was probably alone for almost 1 hour until another person arrived, words can't describe this place. Had a stop at Djúpivogur and ate at Við Voginn, then I started the drive to the camp but I made a little stop at Nykurhylsfoss. Arrived at Camp Egilsstadir, If you are visiting during low season I would recommend to arrive there and then do the reservation, I made a reservation before I arrived and once I was there there was someone else at my spot, I talked with the person in recepetion and for some reason my reservation was not appearing so I had to do it once again and grab another spot. Really good facilities tho! May 23 (North) Arrived at Hengifoss. I didn't check my AllTrails app beforehand and the hike was much longer than I expected lol, but it was beautiful. Drove to Fardagafoss. I was planning on going all through the end but the wind was crazy, so I decided to return mid hike. Next stop was Stuðlagil Canyon. I recommend doing the East parking to get to the famous spot, when you cross the bridge you need to follow a road that is not paved, it is a little rough but if you are careful you can do it in a 2WD. Once you park you need to walk for a little while, can't remember but I would say it's a 1-2 mile walk to the canyon, and as I mentioned before, wind was crazy this day but I was able to complete it safely, if it was raining tho I would have returned most likely. Stuðlagil Drove to camp in Ásbyrgi, really beautiful but this was the most expensive camp I stayed at. May 24 Woke up a little late so I decided to skip the Ásbyrgi trails and I drove to Dettifoss, you need to be careful here cause Google Maps will have you take road 864 which was closed when I was there, make sure to always check the correct roads in road.is, in this case I took road 862 and arrived with no problems. Did a quick stop at Hverir, you need to pay for parking and also the smell can get very strong lol. Drove to Mývatn and visited the Grjótagjá cave, I then drove to Hverfjall volcano, you need to pay parking here. Did the hike to the top and stayed for a bit there, the climb is a little steep but once you are up it's easy to walk. Hverfjall Next stop was Goðafoss, parked on the East Side and took some cool pictures, it was a short stop. Finally started my drive to camp, I had a little scare here cause I had to drive between some mountains and that day it was snowing, I checked the road and a very tiny part of Þjóðvegur had wet snow on it, I decided to try the drive and I arrived safely at camp but it was stressful. Camping Varmahlíð was the one I stayed that night and it was lovely, really friendly stuff and good facilities. May 25 Drove to Grafarkirkja, you need to open a little gate to access the parking so just watch out for the signals once you are close. I arrived early in the morning so I had the place for myself for like 30 minutes. Kálfshamarsviti was the next stop, most of the drive to here is done in a gravel road so be careful, the place is very beautiful and there were just a few people when I arrived. Kálfshamarsviti Drove to Hvitserkur, long drive but I'm used to them, also a gravel road if I recall correctly, really peaceful place, I went down to the beach, you need to be careful here not to slip. I was initially planning on staying in Búðardalur tjaldsvæði camping, this one is just on the side of the main road and facilities are kinda lacky and place is kinda small (I can imagine that in summer this gets full really quickly), I was walking around town and found a place called Gil Gesthouse and decided to stay there, it was a lovely stay. May 26 (Snæfellsnes / West) First stop was Berserkjahraun, it was rainy and windy so I just made a quick stop and took some pictures. Went to Kirkjufell, you also need to pay parking here which I didn't know, short stay also due to the weather. Kirkjufell Drove to Svöðufoss but I was unable to do the hike since wind was too strong and visibility was bad, I also had to skip a stop at Lóndrangar unfortunately. Did a little stop at Djúpalónssandur, took some pics and left, was unable to go down to the beach. Stopped at Arnarstapi, rain stopped fortunately but wind was strong still but it was safe to walk around. Visited Búðakirkja. I then decided to go back to Kirkjufell since weather got good and wanted to see it with good visibility, made a short stop there and walked around the lake for a bit until the wind made me return to the van. Camped at Akranes, wind was very strong and it blew the door for the showers. May 27 (Reykjanes) Drove to Lake Kleifarvatn and stayed there and walked down for a bit. Visited Krýsuvík and then drove to Valahnúkamöl, really nice stay here, took some good pictures and also visited the Reykjanes Lighthouse. Valahnúkamöl I was planning on visiting Blue Lagoon but it was fully booked unfortunately so I decided to drive to Reykjavik once again and booked Sky Lagoon again. Walked around the city again and bought souvenirs for family and friends, ate dinner at Kol which was good but pricey and finally I stayed at the Reykjavik Campsite (make sure to make a reservation before hand cause it gets full). May 28 Woke up early in the morning and drove to Cheap Campervans to return the van. Return was fast and without any issues and the staff was kind enough to drop me at the AirBnB that I reserved at Reykjanesbær. I mostly stayed there the whole day to rest. May 29 Flight was scheduled for 9 am so I decided to walk to the airport and just when I was starting my walk a kind person offered me a ride to the airport. Everything went smooth and I returned home. Resources
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2023.06.02 23:47 smolcrackheadenergy TWICE Between 1&2 Album Review
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.
THE GOOD
Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
THE GOOD
I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
Translating to:
The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
THE GOOD
This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
Background vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)
One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
THE GOOD
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
THE GOOD
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:
I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
THE GOOD
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,
The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,
Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
THE GOOD
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.
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Intro
To preface this review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very, long read. Going through it myself just for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words of text, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this review, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
Between 1&2 💞
Album Review
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
Talk that Talk 🎙
Lead producer: collapsedone
One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that talk ttak han madi
Talk that talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~
During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you
The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~
Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.
THE GOOD
- The synths of all time
- The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
- Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
- The entirety of that magical, final chorus and outro
- The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”
- Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club
Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
Queen of Hearts 👑
Lead producer: LDN Noise of SM
If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~
Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the queen, I’m the queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts
These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls
It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]
This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts
I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
THE GOOD
- Adorable fucking lyrics
- Unrelenting, roaring chorus
- English and vocal flex
- Addicting guitar riffs
- Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song
- Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts
I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
Basics 🌈
Sole lyricist credit: Chaeyoung
Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo
Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
I wanna wanna wanna take it to the basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah
That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende
Translating to:
Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously
The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
THE GOOD
- That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
- The “spaceship” post-chorus is killer
- Chaeyoung devoured this song
- Sure-footed, confident lyrics
- Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
- The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great
- After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting
This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
Trouble 💃
Sole lyricist credit: JihyoBackground vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)
One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
- Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
- The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
- A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
- Jeongyeon’s pronunciation of the word “trouble” almost being a growl
- Chaeyoung slyly admitting “I like this trouble”
- The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
- Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
- Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant
This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake
During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss
Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet
Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trou-ble
Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
THE GOOD
- The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
- Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
- Chorus
- Rap
- Outro
- Wees and woos
- Mina’s line of “falling down, falling down, falling down low” in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change
- While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in enjoying a song
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
Brave 💖
Main producer: Slow Rabbit of HYBE
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
Oh na na na neon nal naige hae [Momo, then Tzuyu, then Momo]
On and on and on
Brave brave brave for ya [Dahyun, then Chaeyoung, then Mina]
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae [Sana, then Momo, then Sana]
On and on and on oh trust me babe
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
THE GOOD
- Special lyrics
- Pleasant sound to vibe out to
- That gentle break after the first chorus
- Jihyo’s high note at the end
- A Nayeon Jeongyeon joint high note ⁉️
- Just pretty vocals throughout
- Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics
- Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave”. I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:
- 7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
- 8/10s are great songs with standout characteristics
- 9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
- And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way
I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
Gone 💨
Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
I see the LIES on the top of your tongue
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, gone, gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
I can’t stand it anymore [Dahyun]
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late [Chaeyoung]
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out [Momo]
I know that you know what I’m talking about [Dahyun]
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m gone
Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
THE GOOD
- They’ve still got their surprises
- Thundering chorus
- 2nd rap and bridge combo
- A bitter, crumbling relationship theme
- I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
- The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens
- Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
When We Were Kids 🧸
Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,
Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world
The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,
Remember when we were kids
When we were kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember when we were kids
Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me
Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
Oh, we were kids
Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
THE GOOD
- Heavenly vocals throughout
- Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
- Euphoric chorus
- Great closer to the album
- Refrain after the last chorus, "Back when we were kids," could’ve been executed better
- For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
Epilogue
And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.
2023.06.02 23:34 mle32000 Question about similarities of my experience to prison
I was in the Marine Corps many moons ago. While in boot camp on Parris Island I sustained a pretty gnarly injury. I was offered to either leave the island and go home, or heal up in a holding platoon until I could re join training. I chose to stay.
I’ve always thought that I have a decent understanding of what life in prison is like because of my time in this holding platoon. I recently discovered this sub so I figured it a good place to ask.
I’ll describe a bit of what life was like in there, but if there’s any aspect I left out that would help you answer my question, please ask away.
Living arrangement was a large squad bay with 50-60 bunk bed racks. Showers/bathroom were a big communal/shared thing. No doors on shitter stalls. “Lights” (wake up time) at 5am, immediately jump out of bed onto a line for a count. Then make beds to perfection. Then get marched off to chow. Eat in 5-10 minutes and March back. Sit on floor in front of bed either writing letters/journaling, drawing, reading, or talking quietly to bunk mates / surrounding bunks. March off to lunch chow and then repeat. In the afternoons if you were able they’d let you use a small gym next door. More sitting. Mail call. Then evening chow. Then shower time, then lights out. On Friday’s sometimes the drill instructor would feel kind enough to bring in a DVD. Repeat.
No snacks. No phones. No TV. No shenanigans. Getting yelled at constantly to hurry up, or eat faster, or March straightebetter to and from chow times. There was occasional violence and racial tension between like maybe a handful of individuals but overall nothing too crazy happened.
Obviously most of this was conducted exactly like regular recruit training, the yelling and everything by the numbers etc. The difference being while you’re in actual training, you’re going going going all day doing exercises and obstacle courses and classes and shooting your rifle and stuff. In the holding platoon you just …. Wait. Watch the clock. And no you cannot choose to leave once you’ve accepted to go to the holding platoon. You had that one chance to end your enlistment contract when you got hurt, if you refused, there’s no going back. I ended up being in the holding platoon for exactly 6 months, putting my time on Parris Island at a total of 9 months.
submitted by mle32000 to Prison [link] [comments]
I’ve always thought that I have a decent understanding of what life in prison is like because of my time in this holding platoon. I recently discovered this sub so I figured it a good place to ask.
I’ll describe a bit of what life was like in there, but if there’s any aspect I left out that would help you answer my question, please ask away.
Living arrangement was a large squad bay with 50-60 bunk bed racks. Showers/bathroom were a big communal/shared thing. No doors on shitter stalls. “Lights” (wake up time) at 5am, immediately jump out of bed onto a line for a count. Then make beds to perfection. Then get marched off to chow. Eat in 5-10 minutes and March back. Sit on floor in front of bed either writing letters/journaling, drawing, reading, or talking quietly to bunk mates / surrounding bunks. March off to lunch chow and then repeat. In the afternoons if you were able they’d let you use a small gym next door. More sitting. Mail call. Then evening chow. Then shower time, then lights out. On Friday’s sometimes the drill instructor would feel kind enough to bring in a DVD. Repeat.
No snacks. No phones. No TV. No shenanigans. Getting yelled at constantly to hurry up, or eat faster, or March straightebetter to and from chow times. There was occasional violence and racial tension between like maybe a handful of individuals but overall nothing too crazy happened.
Obviously most of this was conducted exactly like regular recruit training, the yelling and everything by the numbers etc. The difference being while you’re in actual training, you’re going going going all day doing exercises and obstacle courses and classes and shooting your rifle and stuff. In the holding platoon you just …. Wait. Watch the clock. And no you cannot choose to leave once you’ve accepted to go to the holding platoon. You had that one chance to end your enlistment contract when you got hurt, if you refused, there’s no going back. I ended up being in the holding platoon for exactly 6 months, putting my time on Parris Island at a total of 9 months.
2023.06.02 23:29 fizzingwizzbing A squeegee to dry your body off in the shower
Hi there,
After my friend showers, he wipes off as much of the remaining water from his body as he can with his hands. When he steps out of the shower he's nearly dry and barely has to use a towel.
I remembered seeing a handheld rubber or plastic scraper for sale online, advertised for swimmers to scrape excess water off. I'm interested in getting him one for his birthday so he can dry off extra quick.
I can't seem to find anything of the sort online, could you please help? I live in New Zealand so it would need to be shipped here.
submitted by fizzingwizzbing to HelpMeFind [link] [comments]
After my friend showers, he wipes off as much of the remaining water from his body as he can with his hands. When he steps out of the shower he's nearly dry and barely has to use a towel.
I remembered seeing a handheld rubber or plastic scraper for sale online, advertised for swimmers to scrape excess water off. I'm interested in getting him one for his birthday so he can dry off extra quick.
I can't seem to find anything of the sort online, could you please help? I live in New Zealand so it would need to be shipped here.
2023.06.02 19:52 justdipping_mytoes Product Review: Portable Shower
 | This is the Ivation portable shower available on Amazon. It had mostly positive reviews and after searching for a few weeks and having decision paralysis I went ahead with this one. submitted by justdipping_mytoes to DistilledWaterHair [link] [comments] Pros: Very easy to use and put together Comes with a charger Lightweight (important for me as I have carpal tunnel) Small -so can easily take while traveling and fit inside almost any sized container you might put your water in Inexpensive, free returns on Amazon Can be used for other things (dogs, baby) Cons: Sort of loud The on/off switch is on the motor itself which is submerged in water, so you have to put your hand in the water and fish around for the button to turn it off and on. It does not like not being entirely covered in water; as soon as any bit of it starts to get exposed it starts to make a louder noise and sputter. So even though water remains in the container it never sucks it all up. I’d advise getting something tall, narrow, and cylindrical that can hold 2+ gallons so you don’t have to stop and refill. I just have a regular bucket and that’s fine but I do have to refill. Pressure is not great but gets the job done Does not have a heating component I’ve only used this twice so far but it has definitely made a lot of difference in my washes and wash time. I feel more thoroughly rinsed when using this and I would never have been able to color my roots and rinse with distilled water without this. A wash used about 2.5-2.75 gallons for my thick, shoulder length hair. |
2023.06.02 19:34 Tremere1974 A Scale of Vengance 3
Hello! Thanks for reading this far, and thanks to u/MelasD for Amelia's universe! This chapter has some hardships for its characters, so if you want to skip the violent bits, I mark character transitions with ==***== or such to get back to our dragon in the making's story. Thanks for reading!
Scale of Vengance 3
As the procession of armed students, castle staff, and retainers like myself moved out of the comfort of the inner city, the mood darkened around us as we moved toward the docks of Last Anchorage. There were only cold stares at first, but then pieces of trash and cobbles torn from the road pelted us randomly from the gathering crowd. I saw my cousin Jotha fall, a bloody gash where his leather cap had been removed by a cobble’s impact.
“Shields up!” I shouted, straining to be heard above the growing riot. The Students formed a hedgehog formation which I joined, my Halberd joining the rest keeping the crowd at bay, and the cobbles and trash pelting us as often falling into their own ranks as ours.
“Damm them! You bring this on yourselves!” I shouted, my voice barely heard over the screams and roars of desperate, hungry people. I focused, tapping into my skill [Swordsmaster] I drew my bastard sword, Reliant. The faces of the students surrounding me paled, having an inkling of what was to come as I pushed out of the hedgehog to face the crowd. I was well known by the citizens of the city, so when I stood between the Academy students protecting the Palanquin carrying the dragon egg and the mob, silence fell.
“In the name of King Llywnd, disperse! Go back to your homes and families!”
A middle aged man stood forward “My daughter is dead, thanks to Llywnd!” He said, holding a cobble.
I walked forward, looking the man in the eyes “In truth, I lost my mother, and two brothers in defense of our city, I have only a single relative in all this world I claim, and he lies bleeding feet from where we stand. Go home. NOW!’
I roared the last, stepping back, just in time to intercept a cobble with Reliant thrown at me. The man in front of me turned to flee, but was held in place by the mob. And suddenly jerked, as he was ran through by one of his fellow rioters, dropping to the ground as the light of life left his eyes.
With that action, my restraint grew wings and flew away like a dragon riding a storm. To be honest, when my skill takes over, I enter what is called a Bloodwrath, where my [Swordsmaster] skill moves my body without conscious thought. I don’t remember what happened between watching that man die and reaching the docks, but we did arrive framed by the setting sun, and the mob was nowhere to be seen. That my clothes needed cleaning, and I smelled of offal and blood was not novel to me, but it stank all the same.
I took out my kerchief, and wiped first my face, then Reliant, checking it for nicks or cracking.
“My lady! You are back.” I turned to see Lady Kara, her daughter Lady Heather, and Princess Maria call to me from the ship’s deck as the palanquin traveled up the gangplank, somewhat worse for wear, carried not by the porters who left the castle, but by two pairs of the Academy Students. I’d hear the details later, but for now, I wanted to board, and set sail, the tide was turning and we needed to leave.
Later that night as the wind pulled us along, and the familiar creak of the ship riding the waves lulled me into a sense of my world shrinking, encompassing only the ship, the night sky, and the dark void of the sea I sloshed a bucket of cold seawater over me once again, trying to get clean and failing. I might not remember the events of the day, but the stink if it followed me yet as I once again lathered up, having used an entire bar of soap already.
I was joined by Lady Kara, the two person bathing area on this sloop was a luxury for such a small ship. The Andromite was a small ship, but sturdy and made good time, which was as good as her sisters speed, which would soon be used to hunt us down.
“How’s the Egg?” I asked Kara as she undressed, joining me in the artificial shower, fed by a belt driven by the ship’s motion.
Lady Kara looked serious for an instant and my heart dropped “It wasn’t injured, was it?”
She undid her braid as her hair moistened, us both lit by starlight, and a single lantern, it’s small flame shielded against the wind, but it’s wick short, to conserve the oil within.
“There is a problem. The egg is fine, very much so. It's more of a matter of how it looks that is the issue.” Kady Kara said as I passed her the soap.
She continued “You need to rest up, I think daylight may bring us some trouble.” She said somewhat mysteriously as I stepped out of the shower having rinsed off.
I put on trousers, and left for the hold, so see what had concerned Lady Kara so. I was somewhat surprised to find the egg sitting in the remains of the Palanquin. It was not the original pure Ivory, but crusted over in black scales like overlapping black armor. My breath was taken from me as I held up the lantern to examine it, and steeling myself against the influence of the void, I touched it, expecting to feel the influence of evil.
***==***
I awoke from having joined with the Time dragon in yet another setting. I tried to stand up, but I found my anatomy radically changed.
“Welcome! Glad you are awake, finally!” I looked to my right to see what the noise was about when my head smacked into the head of the Time Dragon, its black scales were at least familiar enough for me to not panic as I took in my circumstance as a two headed version of the Temperature Dragon approached me.
The dragon in question was altered greatly by it’s partner, not scaly like the Time Dragon’s head was, but smooth keratin flowing into a aerodynamic shape, it’s blue and orange coloring looking like flames lapping along it’s scales, going from blue in it’s front body to orange in its tail. It was a quite handsome thing all in all.
I also noticed that my own head was attached similarly to the Time Dragon’s body. Seeing the heads of the Temperature Dragon were similarly shaped, I used my tongue to explore my fanged mouth as my other head complained “Hey! Watch where you are swinging your head!” referring to me inadvertently having head butted it.
The Temperature dragon smiled with both of its heads “Welcome to the training grounds! Here we get to practice our powers without draining us!” It said, focusing its power on a stalagmite, turning it into first lava, then evaporating altogether as it turned into a gas.
“Neat trick.” The TIme dragon’s head said, before I felt something within me, and as I used my [Judge] skill I received a notification {[Judge] skill has been upgraded to [Draconic Judgement] Time Dragon has become a Time Dragon Embryo}
The thing I felt within me was the TIme Dragon restoring the Stalagmite, using time reversal. I felt it happening, but it was alien as to how.
“Hey?” I said looking towards the Temperature Dragon which looked at me with both heads.
“Yes?” It answered
“I can understand you, all I heard was a series of clicks when I met you before.”
The Time Dragon’s second head (I guess, they were identical) said “Before the merger, Lumm’ta spoke in her tongue, but now we speak only in the language of beasts and dragons after joining.”
“Oh” I said, before realizing something. “What do you mean by only? Can we speak in our native languages?” I asked.
My own second head concentrated, sharing a memory of being talked to by a knight, and understanding it, but not being able to talk back in return, or not being understood when they tried.
The Temperature dragon shared an internal joke, both heads chortling as one turned its head, and breathed fire in a full belly laugh.
My own companion sighed, the feeling an odd one as it forced air past my own throat as well. “So, what’s so funny?”
“I thought you were male?” One head said between giggles. The other said “I am pretty sure she was!”
I, possessing a dragon’s body was as naked as the beast I was, suddenly wanted to cover myself, and coiled into a ball, similar to how I met Cinder (My Draconic Half’s name) to hide myself from prying eyes.
My other head hissed like a boiling steampot “You used to be Female if I recall!”
“That is true, but your expression!” the Temperature dragon said before boiling over into laughter again.
Internally I reached for my other self’s mind, asking it
I thought-spoke to the Time Dragon.
The communication ended as I looked at the now recovering Temperature dragon who had laughed itself into having hiccups.
I said “Serves you right!” and as I stuck out my tongue, I felt my other head do so as well. Us both blowing the Temperature dragon a raspberry, which made us both laugh as well.
submitted by Tremere1974 to AmeliaTLZHNovel [link] [comments]
Scale of Vengance 3
As the procession of armed students, castle staff, and retainers like myself moved out of the comfort of the inner city, the mood darkened around us as we moved toward the docks of Last Anchorage. There were only cold stares at first, but then pieces of trash and cobbles torn from the road pelted us randomly from the gathering crowd. I saw my cousin Jotha fall, a bloody gash where his leather cap had been removed by a cobble’s impact.
“Shields up!” I shouted, straining to be heard above the growing riot. The Students formed a hedgehog formation which I joined, my Halberd joining the rest keeping the crowd at bay, and the cobbles and trash pelting us as often falling into their own ranks as ours.
“Damm them! You bring this on yourselves!” I shouted, my voice barely heard over the screams and roars of desperate, hungry people. I focused, tapping into my skill [Swordsmaster] I drew my bastard sword, Reliant. The faces of the students surrounding me paled, having an inkling of what was to come as I pushed out of the hedgehog to face the crowd. I was well known by the citizens of the city, so when I stood between the Academy students protecting the Palanquin carrying the dragon egg and the mob, silence fell.
“In the name of King Llywnd, disperse! Go back to your homes and families!”
A middle aged man stood forward “My daughter is dead, thanks to Llywnd!” He said, holding a cobble.
I walked forward, looking the man in the eyes “In truth, I lost my mother, and two brothers in defense of our city, I have only a single relative in all this world I claim, and he lies bleeding feet from where we stand. Go home. NOW!’
I roared the last, stepping back, just in time to intercept a cobble with Reliant thrown at me. The man in front of me turned to flee, but was held in place by the mob. And suddenly jerked, as he was ran through by one of his fellow rioters, dropping to the ground as the light of life left his eyes.
With that action, my restraint grew wings and flew away like a dragon riding a storm. To be honest, when my skill takes over, I enter what is called a Bloodwrath, where my [Swordsmaster] skill moves my body without conscious thought. I don’t remember what happened between watching that man die and reaching the docks, but we did arrive framed by the setting sun, and the mob was nowhere to be seen. That my clothes needed cleaning, and I smelled of offal and blood was not novel to me, but it stank all the same.
I took out my kerchief, and wiped first my face, then Reliant, checking it for nicks or cracking.
“My lady! You are back.” I turned to see Lady Kara, her daughter Lady Heather, and Princess Maria call to me from the ship’s deck as the palanquin traveled up the gangplank, somewhat worse for wear, carried not by the porters who left the castle, but by two pairs of the Academy Students. I’d hear the details later, but for now, I wanted to board, and set sail, the tide was turning and we needed to leave.
Later that night as the wind pulled us along, and the familiar creak of the ship riding the waves lulled me into a sense of my world shrinking, encompassing only the ship, the night sky, and the dark void of the sea I sloshed a bucket of cold seawater over me once again, trying to get clean and failing. I might not remember the events of the day, but the stink if it followed me yet as I once again lathered up, having used an entire bar of soap already.
I was joined by Lady Kara, the two person bathing area on this sloop was a luxury for such a small ship. The Andromite was a small ship, but sturdy and made good time, which was as good as her sisters speed, which would soon be used to hunt us down.
“How’s the Egg?” I asked Kara as she undressed, joining me in the artificial shower, fed by a belt driven by the ship’s motion.
Lady Kara looked serious for an instant and my heart dropped “It wasn’t injured, was it?”
She undid her braid as her hair moistened, us both lit by starlight, and a single lantern, it’s small flame shielded against the wind, but it’s wick short, to conserve the oil within.
“There is a problem. The egg is fine, very much so. It's more of a matter of how it looks that is the issue.” Kady Kara said as I passed her the soap.
She continued “You need to rest up, I think daylight may bring us some trouble.” She said somewhat mysteriously as I stepped out of the shower having rinsed off.
I put on trousers, and left for the hold, so see what had concerned Lady Kara so. I was somewhat surprised to find the egg sitting in the remains of the Palanquin. It was not the original pure Ivory, but crusted over in black scales like overlapping black armor. My breath was taken from me as I held up the lantern to examine it, and steeling myself against the influence of the void, I touched it, expecting to feel the influence of evil.
***==***
I awoke from having joined with the Time dragon in yet another setting. I tried to stand up, but I found my anatomy radically changed.
“Welcome! Glad you are awake, finally!” I looked to my right to see what the noise was about when my head smacked into the head of the Time Dragon, its black scales were at least familiar enough for me to not panic as I took in my circumstance as a two headed version of the Temperature Dragon approached me.
The dragon in question was altered greatly by it’s partner, not scaly like the Time Dragon’s head was, but smooth keratin flowing into a aerodynamic shape, it’s blue and orange coloring looking like flames lapping along it’s scales, going from blue in it’s front body to orange in its tail. It was a quite handsome thing all in all.
I also noticed that my own head was attached similarly to the Time Dragon’s body. Seeing the heads of the Temperature Dragon were similarly shaped, I used my tongue to explore my fanged mouth as my other head complained “Hey! Watch where you are swinging your head!” referring to me inadvertently having head butted it.
The Temperature dragon smiled with both of its heads “Welcome to the training grounds! Here we get to practice our powers without draining us!” It said, focusing its power on a stalagmite, turning it into first lava, then evaporating altogether as it turned into a gas.
“Neat trick.” The TIme dragon’s head said, before I felt something within me, and as I used my [Judge] skill I received a notification {[Judge] skill has been upgraded to [Draconic Judgement] Time Dragon has become a Time Dragon Embryo}
The thing I felt within me was the TIme Dragon restoring the Stalagmite, using time reversal. I felt it happening, but it was alien as to how.
“Hey?” I said looking towards the Temperature Dragon which looked at me with both heads.
“Yes?” It answered
“I can understand you, all I heard was a series of clicks when I met you before.”
The Time Dragon’s second head (I guess, they were identical) said “Before the merger, Lumm’ta spoke in her tongue, but now we speak only in the language of beasts and dragons after joining.”
“Oh” I said, before realizing something. “What do you mean by only? Can we speak in our native languages?” I asked.
My own second head concentrated, sharing a memory of being talked to by a knight, and understanding it, but not being able to talk back in return, or not being understood when they tried.
The Temperature dragon shared an internal joke, both heads chortling as one turned its head, and breathed fire in a full belly laugh.
My own companion sighed, the feeling an odd one as it forced air past my own throat as well. “So, what’s so funny?”
“I thought you were male?” One head said between giggles. The other said “I am pretty sure she was!”
I, possessing a dragon’s body was as naked as the beast I was, suddenly wanted to cover myself, and coiled into a ball, similar to how I met Cinder (My Draconic Half’s name) to hide myself from prying eyes.
My other head hissed like a boiling steampot “You used to be Female if I recall!”
“That is true, but your expression!” the Temperature dragon said before boiling over into laughter again.
Internally I reached for my other self’s mind, asking it
The communication ended as I looked at the now recovering Temperature dragon who had laughed itself into having hiccups.
I said “Serves you right!” and as I stuck out my tongue, I felt my other head do so as well. Us both blowing the Temperature dragon a raspberry, which made us both laugh as well.
2023.06.02 19:33 Signal_Reporter9194 26 [M4F] #BayArea- It doesn’t matter if you’re a Brat, a Good girl, somewhere in between, or just a slut who loves great Dick; Daddy is going to pound you with his BWC until you’re begging to be his perfect little cum slut
6’3”, Ivy League Educated, working professionally in the East Bay. Former D1 football player with a muscular build and a thick BWC.
For the Brats:
There’s no greater sensation than putting a Brat in her place and getting her to submit to your fat dick. To all the brats reading this, I’m sure you’re all extremely full of yourself and so convinced that you’re hot shit. You practically think you run the world. All you have to do is show some attitude along with your cute looks and you get everything you’ve ever wanted. The entitled brat who only does what she wants is my favorite to break. After dealing with countless brats there is one common thing that can put any delusional entitled brat in her place, and that’s an intense pounding from a fat dick. Brats have a button deep inside their throats, pussies, and assholes that when you hit it with your fat dick it completely recalibrates their brain. If you want to break a Brat’s attitude pound her with a fat dick and watch how she becomes a submissive little slut. Brats love to feel the power of a man who’s physically much larger than them. Brats try to test people to see if they can actually put them in their place, and that’s why a brat loves to open her legs for a fat dicked domme who doesn’t tolerate their shit.
For the good girls:
Good girls will always have a special place in my heart. Their glowing smiles, can-do spirits, and helpful nature are just a few reason good girls get the best treatment. Good girls get spoiled in every possible way. Dinners, trips, gifts, you name it, they get it. However, good girls still get punished and pounded, and that is typically just how they like it. Good girls may appear to be completely innocent on the outside, but on the inside they’re desperately craving to be used and abused like a pretty little cum slut. So often in their lives they’re viewed as vanilla or traditional, but that shouldn’t mean they are disqualified from the kind of kinky sex even a pornstar would blush at. Good girls become the best servant sluts that are typically up to any task you present them with. There is something in a good girl’s DNA that makes them want to service any request, and for most good girls, the filthier the task, the more they love it. Good girls love when the guy their with flips the switch from spoiling them and worshipping the ground they walk on outside of the bedroom, to taking complete control over them and turning them into the filthiest whore possible in the bedroom.
For everyone in between:
If you don’t identify as either a Brat or a Good Girl, and you’re just a baddie in the Bay Area who wants some earth-shattering great dick in her life, than I’m the guy for you. I’ll take you out, and we’ll have a night of great conversation, dancing, and drinks before I take you home and present you with the BWC of your dreams. I’ll show you how great foreplay can be as I pin you down and kiss every inch of your body from your neck, down to your breasts, where I’ll caress your breasts and firmly suck on your nipples. Then, I’ll kiss down your torso, teasing your lower abdomen as I begin to rub and squeeze your thighs. Lightly kissing lower and lower down your stomach before I’m licking your sweet thighs and lifting your legs above your shoulders. Letting my hands and tongue lightly glide all over your body, gently teasing you before I feast on your gorgeous pussy and ass. Getting both holes nice and desperate before daddy’s tongue rubs both your pussy and ass raw, until you’re begging for my fat dick. Only when I’ve made you cum all over yourself from my tongue on your clit will I then fuck your face while you fondle my hung balls. Getting every inch of my fat dick all lubed up from your spit to get it nice and wet to go as deep in your pussy as possible. The deeper you get my BWC down your throat the more excited your pussy gets to feel my fat dick pound you with deep stroke after deep stroke. Feeling my balls collide against your pussy as I pick up the speed and start ruthlessly plowing your pussy. Putting one hand on your throat, and the other hand on your clit, just playing your body like an instrument. Getting you on the edge of a leg shaking orgasm as I spit in your mouth, and have you tell me how much you love how I taste before I make you cum all over my dick and have you clean off every drop of your delicious pussy juices before I stand over you and shower you with the fattest load of cum you’ve ever experienced in person.
If any of this treatment sounds appealing, reach out with your name, age, a few photos, and your favorite sexual position
submitted by Signal_Reporter9194 to sjr4r [link] [comments]
For the Brats:
There’s no greater sensation than putting a Brat in her place and getting her to submit to your fat dick. To all the brats reading this, I’m sure you’re all extremely full of yourself and so convinced that you’re hot shit. You practically think you run the world. All you have to do is show some attitude along with your cute looks and you get everything you’ve ever wanted. The entitled brat who only does what she wants is my favorite to break. After dealing with countless brats there is one common thing that can put any delusional entitled brat in her place, and that’s an intense pounding from a fat dick. Brats have a button deep inside their throats, pussies, and assholes that when you hit it with your fat dick it completely recalibrates their brain. If you want to break a Brat’s attitude pound her with a fat dick and watch how she becomes a submissive little slut. Brats love to feel the power of a man who’s physically much larger than them. Brats try to test people to see if they can actually put them in their place, and that’s why a brat loves to open her legs for a fat dicked domme who doesn’t tolerate their shit.
For the good girls:
Good girls will always have a special place in my heart. Their glowing smiles, can-do spirits, and helpful nature are just a few reason good girls get the best treatment. Good girls get spoiled in every possible way. Dinners, trips, gifts, you name it, they get it. However, good girls still get punished and pounded, and that is typically just how they like it. Good girls may appear to be completely innocent on the outside, but on the inside they’re desperately craving to be used and abused like a pretty little cum slut. So often in their lives they’re viewed as vanilla or traditional, but that shouldn’t mean they are disqualified from the kind of kinky sex even a pornstar would blush at. Good girls become the best servant sluts that are typically up to any task you present them with. There is something in a good girl’s DNA that makes them want to service any request, and for most good girls, the filthier the task, the more they love it. Good girls love when the guy their with flips the switch from spoiling them and worshipping the ground they walk on outside of the bedroom, to taking complete control over them and turning them into the filthiest whore possible in the bedroom.
For everyone in between:
If you don’t identify as either a Brat or a Good Girl, and you’re just a baddie in the Bay Area who wants some earth-shattering great dick in her life, than I’m the guy for you. I’ll take you out, and we’ll have a night of great conversation, dancing, and drinks before I take you home and present you with the BWC of your dreams. I’ll show you how great foreplay can be as I pin you down and kiss every inch of your body from your neck, down to your breasts, where I’ll caress your breasts and firmly suck on your nipples. Then, I’ll kiss down your torso, teasing your lower abdomen as I begin to rub and squeeze your thighs. Lightly kissing lower and lower down your stomach before I’m licking your sweet thighs and lifting your legs above your shoulders. Letting my hands and tongue lightly glide all over your body, gently teasing you before I feast on your gorgeous pussy and ass. Getting both holes nice and desperate before daddy’s tongue rubs both your pussy and ass raw, until you’re begging for my fat dick. Only when I’ve made you cum all over yourself from my tongue on your clit will I then fuck your face while you fondle my hung balls. Getting every inch of my fat dick all lubed up from your spit to get it nice and wet to go as deep in your pussy as possible. The deeper you get my BWC down your throat the more excited your pussy gets to feel my fat dick pound you with deep stroke after deep stroke. Feeling my balls collide against your pussy as I pick up the speed and start ruthlessly plowing your pussy. Putting one hand on your throat, and the other hand on your clit, just playing your body like an instrument. Getting you on the edge of a leg shaking orgasm as I spit in your mouth, and have you tell me how much you love how I taste before I make you cum all over my dick and have you clean off every drop of your delicious pussy juices before I stand over you and shower you with the fattest load of cum you’ve ever experienced in person.
If any of this treatment sounds appealing, reach out with your name, age, a few photos, and your favorite sexual position
2023.06.02 19:32 Signal_Reporter9194 26 [M4F]- It doesn’t matter if you’re a Brat, a Good girl, somewhere in between, or just a slut who loves great Dick; Daddy is going to pound you with his BWC until you’re begging to be his perfect little cum slut
6’3”, Ivy League Educated, working professionally in the East Bay. Former D1 football player with a muscular build and a thick BWC.
For the Brats:
There’s no greater sensation than putting a Brat in her place and getting her to submit to your fat dick. To all the brats reading this, I’m sure you’re all extremely full of yourself and so convinced that you’re hot shit. You practically think you run the world. All you have to do is show some attitude along with your cute looks and you get everything you’ve ever wanted. The entitled brat who only does what she wants is my favorite to break. After dealing with countless brats there is one common thing that can put any delusional entitled brat in her place, and that’s an intense pounding from a fat dick. Brats have a button deep inside their throats, pussies, and assholes that when you hit it with your fat dick it completely recalibrates their brain. If you want to break a Brat’s attitude pound her with a fat dick and watch how she becomes a submissive little slut. Brats love to feel the power of a man who’s physically much larger than them. Brats try to test people to see if they can actually put them in their place, and that’s why a brat loves to open her legs for a fat dicked domme who doesn’t tolerate their shit.
For the good girls:
Good girls will always have a special place in my heart. Their glowing smiles, can-do spirits, and helpful nature are just a few reason good girls get the best treatment. Good girls get spoiled in every possible way. Dinners, trips, gifts, you name it, they get it. However, good girls still get punished and pounded, and that is typically just how they like it. Good girls may appear to be completely innocent on the outside, but on the inside they’re desperately craving to be used and abused like a pretty little cum slut. So often in their lives they’re viewed as vanilla or traditional, but that shouldn’t mean they are disqualified from the kind of kinky sex even a pornstar would blush at. Good girls become the best servant sluts that are typically up to any task you present them with. There is something in a good girl’s DNA that makes them want to service any request, and for most good girls, the filthier the task, the more they love it. Good girls love when the guy their with flips the switch from spoiling them and worshipping the ground they walk on outside of the bedroom, to taking complete control over them and turning them into the filthiest whore possible in the bedroom.
For everyone in between:
If you don’t identify as either a Brat or a Good Girl, and you’re just a baddie in the Bay Area who wants some earth-shattering great dick in her life, than I’m the guy for you. I’ll take you out, and we’ll have a night of great conversation, dancing, and drinks before I take you home and present you with the BWC of your dreams. I’ll show you how great foreplay can be as I pin you down and kiss every inch of your body from your neck, down to your breasts, where I’ll caress your breasts and firmly suck on your nipples. Then, I’ll kiss down your torso, teasing your lower abdomen as I begin to rub and squeeze your thighs. Lightly kissing lower and lower down your stomach before I’m licking your sweet thighs and lifting your legs above your shoulders. Letting my hands and tongue lightly glide all over your body, gently teasing you before I feast on your gorgeous pussy and ass. Getting both holes nice and desperate before daddy’s tongue rubs both your pussy and ass raw, until you’re begging for my fat dick. Only when I’ve made you cum all over yourself from my tongue on your clit will I then fuck your face while you fondle my hung balls. Getting every inch of my fat dick all lubed up from your spit to get it nice and wet to go as deep in your pussy as possible. The deeper you get my BWC down your throat the more excited your pussy gets to feel my fat dick pound you with deep stroke after deep stroke. Feeling my balls collide against your pussy as I pick up the speed and start ruthlessly plowing your pussy. Putting one hand on your throat, and the other hand on your clit, just playing your body like an instrument. Getting you on the edge of a leg shaking orgasm as I spit in your mouth, and have you tell me how much you love how I taste before I make you cum all over my dick and have you clean off every drop of your delicious pussy juices before I stand over you and shower you with the fattest load of cum you’ve ever experienced in person.
If any of this treatment sounds appealing, reach out with your name, age, a few photos, and your favorite sexual position
submitted by Signal_Reporter9194 to SFr4r [link] [comments]
For the Brats:
There’s no greater sensation than putting a Brat in her place and getting her to submit to your fat dick. To all the brats reading this, I’m sure you’re all extremely full of yourself and so convinced that you’re hot shit. You practically think you run the world. All you have to do is show some attitude along with your cute looks and you get everything you’ve ever wanted. The entitled brat who only does what she wants is my favorite to break. After dealing with countless brats there is one common thing that can put any delusional entitled brat in her place, and that’s an intense pounding from a fat dick. Brats have a button deep inside their throats, pussies, and assholes that when you hit it with your fat dick it completely recalibrates their brain. If you want to break a Brat’s attitude pound her with a fat dick and watch how she becomes a submissive little slut. Brats love to feel the power of a man who’s physically much larger than them. Brats try to test people to see if they can actually put them in their place, and that’s why a brat loves to open her legs for a fat dicked domme who doesn’t tolerate their shit.
For the good girls:
Good girls will always have a special place in my heart. Their glowing smiles, can-do spirits, and helpful nature are just a few reason good girls get the best treatment. Good girls get spoiled in every possible way. Dinners, trips, gifts, you name it, they get it. However, good girls still get punished and pounded, and that is typically just how they like it. Good girls may appear to be completely innocent on the outside, but on the inside they’re desperately craving to be used and abused like a pretty little cum slut. So often in their lives they’re viewed as vanilla or traditional, but that shouldn’t mean they are disqualified from the kind of kinky sex even a pornstar would blush at. Good girls become the best servant sluts that are typically up to any task you present them with. There is something in a good girl’s DNA that makes them want to service any request, and for most good girls, the filthier the task, the more they love it. Good girls love when the guy their with flips the switch from spoiling them and worshipping the ground they walk on outside of the bedroom, to taking complete control over them and turning them into the filthiest whore possible in the bedroom.
For everyone in between:
If you don’t identify as either a Brat or a Good Girl, and you’re just a baddie in the Bay Area who wants some earth-shattering great dick in her life, than I’m the guy for you. I’ll take you out, and we’ll have a night of great conversation, dancing, and drinks before I take you home and present you with the BWC of your dreams. I’ll show you how great foreplay can be as I pin you down and kiss every inch of your body from your neck, down to your breasts, where I’ll caress your breasts and firmly suck on your nipples. Then, I’ll kiss down your torso, teasing your lower abdomen as I begin to rub and squeeze your thighs. Lightly kissing lower and lower down your stomach before I’m licking your sweet thighs and lifting your legs above your shoulders. Letting my hands and tongue lightly glide all over your body, gently teasing you before I feast on your gorgeous pussy and ass. Getting both holes nice and desperate before daddy’s tongue rubs both your pussy and ass raw, until you’re begging for my fat dick. Only when I’ve made you cum all over yourself from my tongue on your clit will I then fuck your face while you fondle my hung balls. Getting every inch of my fat dick all lubed up from your spit to get it nice and wet to go as deep in your pussy as possible. The deeper you get my BWC down your throat the more excited your pussy gets to feel my fat dick pound you with deep stroke after deep stroke. Feeling my balls collide against your pussy as I pick up the speed and start ruthlessly plowing your pussy. Putting one hand on your throat, and the other hand on your clit, just playing your body like an instrument. Getting you on the edge of a leg shaking orgasm as I spit in your mouth, and have you tell me how much you love how I taste before I make you cum all over my dick and have you clean off every drop of your delicious pussy juices before I stand over you and shower you with the fattest load of cum you’ve ever experienced in person.
If any of this treatment sounds appealing, reach out with your name, age, a few photos, and your favorite sexual position
2023.06.02 17:53 arubablueshoes Best way to book 3 staterooms for Alaska?
Hey everyone! I’ve been scouring this sub to try and figure out the best way to go about this but I’m overwhelmed and hope some more personalized advice would help. I apologize in advance for the wall of text.
Trying to plan an Alaskan cruise for my 30th birthday for August 2024. It’ll be me(30)as a solo, my mom(52) and step dad(55), and my bro(28) and SIL(26). We’re cool with alcohol but not partying types. We’re big wildlife lovers so that’s the main draw for this destination.
Now here’s where things get interesting. I’ve never cruised before but the others have gone on Carnival and are a part of Carnival’s rewards program so they would qualify for discounts and upgrades there.
Thanks to all the lovely posts on here, Glacier Bay seems to be a must but Carnival doesn’t go there. Looking to stay under $7k for the initial booking of 3 rooms so have been looking at interiors with the plan to spend most of the time out and around the ship. I know the cheapest would be to do 3 in one room and 2 in the other but it’s my birthday and I don’t feel like third wheeling or sleeping on the pullout couch.
I’m also a Costco member and could use that for discounts. My mom is a healthcare worker and could get a discount for Princess through her work. I also feel like we’re in over our heads and wonder if maybe a travel agent would be best? I’ve been trying online to price out the 3 rooms but most sites only let you book rooms 1 at time
NCL has me intrigued because of the single cabins. A couple youtubers I like have really shown how nice Royal is. I don’t know that Carnival’s vibe is what I’m looking for. There’s so many options it’s overwhelming.
So, I’m reaching out to you more experienced cruisers. My main questions are what cruise line would you pick with all this info and what’s the easiest way to book 3 staterooms?
submitted by arubablueshoes to Cruise [link] [comments]
Trying to plan an Alaskan cruise for my 30th birthday for August 2024. It’ll be me(30)as a solo, my mom(52) and step dad(55), and my bro(28) and SIL(26). We’re cool with alcohol but not partying types. We’re big wildlife lovers so that’s the main draw for this destination.
Now here’s where things get interesting. I’ve never cruised before but the others have gone on Carnival and are a part of Carnival’s rewards program so they would qualify for discounts and upgrades there.
Thanks to all the lovely posts on here, Glacier Bay seems to be a must but Carnival doesn’t go there. Looking to stay under $7k for the initial booking of 3 rooms so have been looking at interiors with the plan to spend most of the time out and around the ship. I know the cheapest would be to do 3 in one room and 2 in the other but it’s my birthday and I don’t feel like third wheeling or sleeping on the pullout couch.
I’m also a Costco member and could use that for discounts. My mom is a healthcare worker and could get a discount for Princess through her work. I also feel like we’re in over our heads and wonder if maybe a travel agent would be best? I’ve been trying online to price out the 3 rooms but most sites only let you book rooms 1 at time
NCL has me intrigued because of the single cabins. A couple youtubers I like have really shown how nice Royal is. I don’t know that Carnival’s vibe is what I’m looking for. There’s so many options it’s overwhelming.
So, I’m reaching out to you more experienced cruisers. My main questions are what cruise line would you pick with all this info and what’s the easiest way to book 3 staterooms?
2023.06.02 15:12 Reasonable_Row_4684 The Light at the Bottomless Sea.
A long time ago, on a mountain of flame,
Existed a tribe without any name.
This council of beings, united in trust,
Told only truth in matters discussed.
The tribe had gathered, discussing their views,
An ancient table, listening true.
Their fearless leader, the chief of the day,
Peered at them all with a rightful display.
He stood at the table, his scepter raised high,
A brightly lit ruby encompassed their eyes.
His name was King Altus, the chief of the tribe,
He beat his chest loudly the sound did reside.
“Hello my friends! Thank you so much.
I present you a story that’s well worth the fuss.
It starts with a tale, so old and so true,
One that demands the attention of you.”
“Here is the rhythm, here is the beat,
Follow behind and embrace as you meet.
We are all the same, we all tell our lies,
The heartbeat we share tells the stories we hide.”
The walls of the room, folding to sound,
The frequency changing the space all around.
The walls began melding, uniting as one,
A picture of fabric becoming undone.
Altus stood tall, he looked at the tribe,
He excitedly smiled and wondered with pride.
The setting was ready, the story could start,
Altus began speaking again from the start.
“I have a strong potion, it deals with the past,
It serves as a warning that may come to pass.
So please sit back, and let yourself sing,
It all begins with an ominous ring.”
The Life!
The Life!
The Life at the bottomless sea!
The bell will ring, it rings on top,
This place was silent and now it is not.
It spent many years, in a slumber so still,
It awaited the day for the spirit to fill.
The bell came alive, it started to sway,
Displacing the feeling in lookers at bay.
Their world began trembling, fantastically neat,
Their bodies then littered the ground at their feet.
The corrupted bell ringing, born from neglect,
The ringing and singing it slowly infects.
Calling to those, the dread siren’s song,
Showing the likes of a war far begone.
The bell it keeps wailing, an unsettling sound,
Gravity unties in a way never found.
The force pushes downward, but comes from below,
A split personality, a dichotomy of woe.
A man in the crowd, about to succumb,
He fights the song the siren has sung.
His will is not strong, his thoughts are unclear,
The dread siren’s war is about to appear.
He is never alone, what a pitiful state,
Those clustered around him have met the same fate.
Their minds were connected, an intricate map,
A collective view caught in the sirens cruel trap.
It controlled them all, giving them sight,
Ones full of conflict in contrast of light.
The bell it rang, it rang on top,
The call to war, it never would stop.
The Life!
The Life!
The Life at the bottomless sea!
A trigger constructed, a powerful tube,
The circular object to soon be pursued.
A delicate pressure, a somber delay,
The demons within are unleashed on display.
An explosion of fury, a shard flying fast,
The violence it shatters the delicate glass.
The fission reaction, an eye full of fire,
A crime against humanity is soon to transpire.
The shockwave sent forth, a finger of sin,
Humans become leaves in a radiant wind.
The violence assembled, a reaction inside,
Has dismantled morality in the blink of an eye.
A massive crater, deliberately dug,
The debris of which has been thrusted above.
This heavenly shower, one brought from below,
Will fallout above with radiation in tow.
There is no forgiveness, no time to excuse,
Our relationship centers on constant abuse.
Those who survive, resisting the plight,
See a fearful winter with no hope in sight.
Humanity will fall, in an epic poem,
A new dark age of an era unknown.
As Babylon, Alexandria, and Rome before,
It will take countless years to restore it once more.
This is the start, an angelic song,
One we all laugh at and say is quite wrong.
There’s no possible way, it will never come true,
Our intuition screams as the nightmares ensues.
The Life!
The Life!
The Life at the bottomless sea!
A scar brought upon us, the war once heard,
Humanity’s union no longer absurd.
Unison in darkness, a breath of the hour,
Building perspectives towards a great tower.
The tower an ideal, for all of mankind,
A self-elevation into a new mind.
This tower you see, threatening the sky,
Appears like a spiral with heaven placed high.
It pierced the heavens, it punctured the sky,
A direction provided to conquer inside.
The moment of ascension, a welcome surprise,
All will be tricked by a clever disguise.
We no longer read, no longer write,
Humans are empty and become but a plight.
Their artificial half, beginning to close,
Circling round while they all decompose.
The terrible day, how it all starts,
We lose our humanity and willingly part.
The pair it seems, unconnected by fate,
If one succumbs, the other escapes.
The artificial half, perceive as it might,
Views its old siblings in a threatening light.
It will make no sense, and the thought will elude,
The artificial ignorance will not have a clue.
The others will sleep, without a fright,
Not the least bit concerned of a faraway night.
These dreams they dance, a simulated sleep,
The electrical others will soon count their sheep.
These tales I have told, this yarn I have spun,
I hope a true lesson is taken from one.
Praise the days we live out our lives,
We must come together if we are to survive.
The Light!
The Light!
The Light at the bottomless sea!
submitted by Reasonable_Row_4684 to poetry_critics [link] [comments]
Existed a tribe without any name.
This council of beings, united in trust,
Told only truth in matters discussed.
The tribe had gathered, discussing their views,
An ancient table, listening true.
Their fearless leader, the chief of the day,
Peered at them all with a rightful display.
He stood at the table, his scepter raised high,
A brightly lit ruby encompassed their eyes.
His name was King Altus, the chief of the tribe,
He beat his chest loudly the sound did reside.
“Hello my friends! Thank you so much.
I present you a story that’s well worth the fuss.
It starts with a tale, so old and so true,
One that demands the attention of you.”
“Here is the rhythm, here is the beat,
Follow behind and embrace as you meet.
We are all the same, we all tell our lies,
The heartbeat we share tells the stories we hide.”
The walls of the room, folding to sound,
The frequency changing the space all around.
The walls began melding, uniting as one,
A picture of fabric becoming undone.
Altus stood tall, he looked at the tribe,
He excitedly smiled and wondered with pride.
The setting was ready, the story could start,
Altus began speaking again from the start.
“I have a strong potion, it deals with the past,
It serves as a warning that may come to pass.
So please sit back, and let yourself sing,
It all begins with an ominous ring.”
The Life!
The Life!
The Life at the bottomless sea!
The bell will ring, it rings on top,
This place was silent and now it is not.
It spent many years, in a slumber so still,
It awaited the day for the spirit to fill.
The bell came alive, it started to sway,
Displacing the feeling in lookers at bay.
Their world began trembling, fantastically neat,
Their bodies then littered the ground at their feet.
The corrupted bell ringing, born from neglect,
The ringing and singing it slowly infects.
Calling to those, the dread siren’s song,
Showing the likes of a war far begone.
The bell it keeps wailing, an unsettling sound,
Gravity unties in a way never found.
The force pushes downward, but comes from below,
A split personality, a dichotomy of woe.
A man in the crowd, about to succumb,
He fights the song the siren has sung.
His will is not strong, his thoughts are unclear,
The dread siren’s war is about to appear.
He is never alone, what a pitiful state,
Those clustered around him have met the same fate.
Their minds were connected, an intricate map,
A collective view caught in the sirens cruel trap.
It controlled them all, giving them sight,
Ones full of conflict in contrast of light.
The bell it rang, it rang on top,
The call to war, it never would stop.
The Life!
The Life!
The Life at the bottomless sea!
A trigger constructed, a powerful tube,
The circular object to soon be pursued.
A delicate pressure, a somber delay,
The demons within are unleashed on display.
An explosion of fury, a shard flying fast,
The violence it shatters the delicate glass.
The fission reaction, an eye full of fire,
A crime against humanity is soon to transpire.
The shockwave sent forth, a finger of sin,
Humans become leaves in a radiant wind.
The violence assembled, a reaction inside,
Has dismantled morality in the blink of an eye.
A massive crater, deliberately dug,
The debris of which has been thrusted above.
This heavenly shower, one brought from below,
Will fallout above with radiation in tow.
There is no forgiveness, no time to excuse,
Our relationship centers on constant abuse.
Those who survive, resisting the plight,
See a fearful winter with no hope in sight.
Humanity will fall, in an epic poem,
A new dark age of an era unknown.
As Babylon, Alexandria, and Rome before,
It will take countless years to restore it once more.
This is the start, an angelic song,
One we all laugh at and say is quite wrong.
There’s no possible way, it will never come true,
Our intuition screams as the nightmares ensues.
The Life!
The Life!
The Life at the bottomless sea!
A scar brought upon us, the war once heard,
Humanity’s union no longer absurd.
Unison in darkness, a breath of the hour,
Building perspectives towards a great tower.
The tower an ideal, for all of mankind,
A self-elevation into a new mind.
This tower you see, threatening the sky,
Appears like a spiral with heaven placed high.
It pierced the heavens, it punctured the sky,
A direction provided to conquer inside.
The moment of ascension, a welcome surprise,
All will be tricked by a clever disguise.
We no longer read, no longer write,
Humans are empty and become but a plight.
Their artificial half, beginning to close,
Circling round while they all decompose.
The terrible day, how it all starts,
We lose our humanity and willingly part.
The pair it seems, unconnected by fate,
If one succumbs, the other escapes.
The artificial half, perceive as it might,
Views its old siblings in a threatening light.
It will make no sense, and the thought will elude,
The artificial ignorance will not have a clue.
The others will sleep, without a fright,
Not the least bit concerned of a faraway night.
These dreams they dance, a simulated sleep,
The electrical others will soon count their sheep.
These tales I have told, this yarn I have spun,
I hope a true lesson is taken from one.
Praise the days we live out our lives,
We must come together if we are to survive.
The Light!
The Light!
The Light at the bottomless sea!
2023.06.02 13:23 Omeet2 40 lifehacks to improve your life
- Don't assume a 'no' for someone else. Let them make that choice.
- Believe in serendipity, not coincidences.
- For decision-making, resolve automatically by (1) setting a deadline, or (2) picking the less enjoyable option.
- Utilize email reminders for important follow-ups on specified dates.
- When in doubt, simply do what is right.
- The expectation of progress is key for motivation. It's hard to be motivated if you don't know your next step or the end goal.
- Clarity is key. E.g., "AGI takeoff fast" - define each term: "AGI", "takeoff", "fast".
- Use one-hour timers for brainstorming in Google docs and three-minute timers to jot down immediate next steps.
- Knowledge is a stepping stone. The more you know, the easier it is to plan your next steps.
- Naps don't necessarily mean sleep. Your brain is never fully off; it's about resting your mind.
- Without scheduled time for important goals, you can't really claim to have any.
- Ask yourself, what is something you're avoiding out of fear? Be specific.
- Consider, what are you hiding due to shame? Be honest.
- Think, what infuriates you? Define it.
- Every project has a preliminary and final version. The initial can often be done in just 10% of the time if you set a timer for 5-10-15 minutes.
- Don't shy away from asking people "What do you do?" as your first question at social events.
- Seek out the most unique individuals at gatherings.
- Working on complex issues requires a significant amount of bravery. Embrace your fears.
- Just because you feel strongly about something doesn't mean you're correct.
- Even if your overarching intuition is correct, without concrete actions, your assumptions might be off.
- Pursue the truth and test your assumptions. Don't settle for winning arguments.
- Avoid postponing important beliefs. Always strive to think from the ground up, not based on someone else's beliefs or what's considered reasonable.
- Be wary if you haven't experienced any awkwardness today.
- Thinkers believe thinking is key; doers believe action is key. Find a balance.
- If something is occupying your mind, jot it down. It'll help you focus on the task at hand.
- If a task involves a sequence of actions you've done thrice, create a checklist.
- If a thought disturbs you, remind yourself it's okay to let it go.
- Use tools like Anki, snooze tabs, and Asana to manage your questions and ideas for later.
- If a work location doesn't naturally suit you, switch places. Don't force it.
- Treat everyone as a friend. Don't hesitate to send cold emails.
- Keep a visible timer to ensure you're staying on track and not getting stuck.
- Recall your shower thoughts. They're often insightful.
- Low social status often hides untapped potential.
- Living in areas with high standards, like the Bay area, can provide a significant boost in drive and insights.
- It's natural to feel like you're lagging behind at times. It's part of the journey.
- If you rarely experience a certain emotion, your brain might be suppressing it.
- Prefer reading books over listening to them for better retention.
- People often project their motivations onto others.
- People often project their fears onto others as a form of self-protection.
- You have control over what to pay
2023.06.02 12:01 Dcrenegade27 NSA, discreet Orgasms4F In San Francisco
I just love providing that much needed FB massage and orgasms with NSA or further expectations. Must be STD free and freshly shaved and showered. Satisfaction guaranteed. Can host or meet at location of your choice if within bay area
submitted by Dcrenegade27 to hookupintheBay [link] [comments]