(no subject)
Apr. 28th, 2026 03:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsWeight management exercise only class was yesterday and the usual hall we do it in was unavailable so we ended up in the sports hall, sharing with the badminton people. They had two nets and half the hall, we had the other side, and I tried my best to ignore the fact strangers could easily see me exercise. Rosie did say she considered asking for more nets to be brought in so we could play too, but decided against that, which I'm glad about. She was also considering taking the class for a walk, but decided she'd look like the Pied Piper just randomly leading us all around town *g*
So, in the end she just brought in a few bands, some lighter dumbbells and two steps, and added in some body weight moves to increase the stations. One of which was a wall sit as she's a sadist. At one point as I was doing the move, she told me I looked very Zen, which was great to know as inside I was crying.
It's my one to one after class tomorrow, so we'll see where I'm at then.
Bodhi's coming here after school for half an hour as her mams are going to her school parents evening. I also watched her on Saturday as the mams had gone for an early showing at the cinema. Safe to say, considering I'm also picking Bodhi up from school tomorrow, you can tell Kayleigh is back in full-time work. Maybe today is the day I'll actually remember all the Demon Hunter characters. I can only hope before I permanently lose my cool auntie points.
Sunday was such a beautiful day, and we ended up at a transport museum that's local to us. Despite being so close I haven't been there for a very long time, mainly because transport really isn't my thing. But James likes that stuff so we called in, and when we went to pay the guy on the till made a zipped lip motion and then said, just go in for free. Which was unexpected and lovely of him.
Apparently we'd gone on some kind of cosplay military day, and there was tank firing later on. Not that we stayed long enough to see that as the place is pretty small, and we'd seen everything in an hour. I did have a go on the fundraising tombola and won a latte coffee mug filled with coffee sachets which was a nice win. If you do have a TikTok account you can see James' video about it here. Including a photo of me in it, I'm on one of the vintage army jeeps and while you could go fully inside, the seats were so low I had visions of getting stuck, and didn't really fancy being prised out of a vehicle.
Today I've been for a walk to the local shops to buy felt circles as there has been a run of coaster sales at the craft shop so they need a restock. This is my contribution to the crafty side of things, James creates, I stick on the feet *g*
And now I must go and get ready for hurricane Bodes to arrive.
So, in the end she just brought in a few bands, some lighter dumbbells and two steps, and added in some body weight moves to increase the stations. One of which was a wall sit as she's a sadist. At one point as I was doing the move, she told me I looked very Zen, which was great to know as inside I was crying.
It's my one to one after class tomorrow, so we'll see where I'm at then.
Bodhi's coming here after school for half an hour as her mams are going to her school parents evening. I also watched her on Saturday as the mams had gone for an early showing at the cinema. Safe to say, considering I'm also picking Bodhi up from school tomorrow, you can tell Kayleigh is back in full-time work. Maybe today is the day I'll actually remember all the Demon Hunter characters. I can only hope before I permanently lose my cool auntie points.
Sunday was such a beautiful day, and we ended up at a transport museum that's local to us. Despite being so close I haven't been there for a very long time, mainly because transport really isn't my thing. But James likes that stuff so we called in, and when we went to pay the guy on the till made a zipped lip motion and then said, just go in for free. Which was unexpected and lovely of him.
Apparently we'd gone on some kind of cosplay military day, and there was tank firing later on. Not that we stayed long enough to see that as the place is pretty small, and we'd seen everything in an hour. I did have a go on the fundraising tombola and won a latte coffee mug filled with coffee sachets which was a nice win. If you do have a TikTok account you can see James' video about it here. Including a photo of me in it, I'm on one of the vintage army jeeps and while you could go fully inside, the seats were so low I had visions of getting stuck, and didn't really fancy being prised out of a vehicle.
Today I've been for a walk to the local shops to buy felt circles as there has been a run of coaster sales at the craft shop so they need a restock. This is my contribution to the crafty side of things, James creates, I stick on the feet *g*
And now I must go and get ready for hurricane Bodes to arrive.
(no subject)
Apr. 23rd, 2026 01:29 pmturpsIt was James' day off yesterday, and as our usual weight management class was cancelled we decided to drive to the big gym in Sunderland instead.
While there I did two and a half new things. I sat on one of those big bouncy balls, previously I've been very reluctant sure they'd pop under my weight. Then didn't know what to do after sitting, so put it back on the holder. I also had a go at pulling and pushing the sled in the dedicated weight room. It only had 15kg weight plates on it, but man, I felt it afterwards. And for the half, did five minutes on the stairmaster. I'm giving that a half new score as I used to go on that machine back in the day, the first time I was going to the gym. But haven't gathered the courage to do it again this time, until yesterday anyway.
But seriously, what do you do on those bouncy balls? I'm going to have to look up some routines for next time. And of course, we had a session of the hydro massage beds; after the workout this time.
Hmm, I did just look up some routines and a lot of stability work is going on, including rolling around on your back and doing crunches. Maybe I'll stick to sitting and bouncing a bit for now.
Bodhi is coming here for a couple of hours after she finishes school. So, that's all of three days after Kayleigh restarted work, and I'm Bodhisitting again. I can see some more interrogation about why I still don't know all the Demon Hunter songs being in my future. Last time she was here I had to watch Free and explain myself as to why it wasn't my favourite song ever. The reason that I hadn't actually heard it before didn't seem to cut it.
While there I did two and a half new things. I sat on one of those big bouncy balls, previously I've been very reluctant sure they'd pop under my weight. Then didn't know what to do after sitting, so put it back on the holder. I also had a go at pulling and pushing the sled in the dedicated weight room. It only had 15kg weight plates on it, but man, I felt it afterwards. And for the half, did five minutes on the stairmaster. I'm giving that a half new score as I used to go on that machine back in the day, the first time I was going to the gym. But haven't gathered the courage to do it again this time, until yesterday anyway.
But seriously, what do you do on those bouncy balls? I'm going to have to look up some routines for next time. And of course, we had a session of the hydro massage beds; after the workout this time.
Hmm, I did just look up some routines and a lot of stability work is going on, including rolling around on your back and doing crunches. Maybe I'll stick to sitting and bouncing a bit for now.
Bodhi is coming here for a couple of hours after she finishes school. So, that's all of three days after Kayleigh restarted work, and I'm Bodhisitting again. I can see some more interrogation about why I still don't know all the Demon Hunter songs being in my future. Last time she was here I had to watch Free and explain myself as to why it wasn't my favourite song ever. The reason that I hadn't actually heard it before didn't seem to cut it.
(no subject)
Apr. 21st, 2026 11:31 amturpsJames has been binge-watching The Pitt, either two or three episodes a night depending on if it's a work night or not. So, I've been watching too. At the same time I'm downloading and watching the new season. So, what I'm saying is there has been a lot of The Pitt in my life lately.
We've just hit the festival shooting eps in season one, and it was a reminder that while I'm still enjoying season two, so far it's not as strong in the kicked in the gut feeling as the first. Though, maybe I'm just getting used to that emotion in terms of the show. Who knows?
I got a phone call from the doctors yesterday cancelling my appointment for tomorrow. It was a joint one for my B12 injection and routine check, and while waiting for that wasn't an issue, the new suggested date of the 20th of next month really wasn't ideal for my B12 which I need every three months. Thankfully, they were able to split the appointment and fit me in for the injection next week, otherwise I would have been flagging energy wise by next month.
And talking of medical stuff. I finally got my new compressions last week, nearly three months exactly from the day the script was handed in. The magenta pair are very, very pink, and the jean blue pair look pretty much the same shade of my other blue ones. I do wish they were still doing the mango yellow, but, at least I have them now. Though, what's weird is the seam is on the side of the leg and not the back like every other pair I have. I assume it's to stop the feeling of walking on the seam, which doesn't bother me, but I can imagine would some people, but does mean I keep pulling them on wrong, assuming the seam goes to the back.
We did a grip strength test in class yesterday. Rosie emailed everyone their results, and I'm pleased that one hand has the average grip strength for my age while the other is slightly over. And hey, I'll take it.
The Ring Doorbell has suddenly got very specific in its notifications. Before, it would say for example, a person is walking past your door. Now, it gives details, a person is walking past with a trolley, two people are walking on the roadway carrying a bag, and my favourite so far, two people with a beige dog are walking past your door. Though, I was startled by the notification that popped up saying 'someone is trying to open your door' then when I went to check, it ended … with a blue envelope. Turned out, it was someone delivering leaflets.
I was talking to my neighbours the other day, and they mentioned their young daughter always waves and says hello to the camera when they walk past, and after checking she does. One day I'm going to use the speaker and say hello back.
We've just hit the festival shooting eps in season one, and it was a reminder that while I'm still enjoying season two, so far it's not as strong in the kicked in the gut feeling as the first. Though, maybe I'm just getting used to that emotion in terms of the show. Who knows?
I got a phone call from the doctors yesterday cancelling my appointment for tomorrow. It was a joint one for my B12 injection and routine check, and while waiting for that wasn't an issue, the new suggested date of the 20th of next month really wasn't ideal for my B12 which I need every three months. Thankfully, they were able to split the appointment and fit me in for the injection next week, otherwise I would have been flagging energy wise by next month.
And talking of medical stuff. I finally got my new compressions last week, nearly three months exactly from the day the script was handed in. The magenta pair are very, very pink, and the jean blue pair look pretty much the same shade of my other blue ones. I do wish they were still doing the mango yellow, but, at least I have them now. Though, what's weird is the seam is on the side of the leg and not the back like every other pair I have. I assume it's to stop the feeling of walking on the seam, which doesn't bother me, but I can imagine would some people, but does mean I keep pulling them on wrong, assuming the seam goes to the back.
We did a grip strength test in class yesterday. Rosie emailed everyone their results, and I'm pleased that one hand has the average grip strength for my age while the other is slightly over. And hey, I'll take it.
The Ring Doorbell has suddenly got very specific in its notifications. Before, it would say for example, a person is walking past your door. Now, it gives details, a person is walking past with a trolley, two people are walking on the roadway carrying a bag, and my favourite so far, two people with a beige dog are walking past your door. Though, I was startled by the notification that popped up saying 'someone is trying to open your door' then when I went to check, it ended … with a blue envelope. Turned out, it was someone delivering leaflets.
I was talking to my neighbours the other day, and they mentioned their young daughter always waves and says hello to the camera when they walk past, and after checking she does. One day I'm going to use the speaker and say hello back.
Fandom 50 S4 Post 14: BTS' ARIRANG (a review and slight deconstruction)
Apr. 20th, 2026 12:34 pmglitteryvHere are some thoughts on the album as we've entered BTS in Chapter 2 - Group Era*
[*AFAIK, Chapter 2 was initially used for the interesting combo of enlistment + first solo eras. However, as soon as they were all discharged from the military, BTS themselves began using "Chapter 2" when referring to the here and now. I'm not gonna argue with the Tannies. If that's how they see things, then that's how they see things and it's up to everyone else to clarify if the "Chapter 2" era is the solo or the group one. *Hands*]
The only hint abt what ARIRANG was probably gonna sound like was a good 16-second clip in the animated teaser. So, most ppl (myself included), were preparing for some booty-shaking music. Only to then get v. confused after clips for "SWIM" dropped...
As soon as the first notes began playing, I was ON THE FLOOOOOOOR. This is an album that gives listeners 41 minutes of AMAZING music. It's also meant to be listened to from top to bottom if you want to appreciate it to its fullest extent. This is a v. grown up album and I love that for all of us.
One of the coolest things is the bouquet of genres happening:
* Do you want songs that make you feel like you're getting down at the club with hella loud beats? "BODY TO BODY" and "FYA" are deffo the ones for you.
* Do you like rap and/or hip-hop that goes IN? Then go check out "HOOLIGANS", "Aliens", and "2.0"!
* Is meditating your thing? "No. 29" is THAT BITCH that'll give you all the peace and quiet you need.
* Are you a fan of easy listening pop music that you can chill out OR drive to? "SWIM" is there for you.
* Is your playlist filled with songs that are slightly off-center or alternative rock? "Merry Go Round", "NORMAL", and "Like Animals" will fit the bill.
* Maybe you're in the mood for dance music that makes you feel sexy? "One More Night" will make you shimmy every which way.
* Is your thing music that's r&b but make it weird? "they don't know 'bout us" is the one tune you'll want to check out.
* Are you into YEARNING-centric, r&b songs? "Please" is the song for you.
* Do you like 70s rock/anthem rock? "Into the Sun" gets the spotlight easy.
IMO, this is an album for those ppl that like music in general. The breadth of genres the Tannies have tapped into is something I haven't seen in a loooooooooooooooong time.
ANOTHER THING this album has done v. effectively is being played out and abt in the world. Within the first 3 weeks of ARIRANG, I've heard:
1. "SWIM" at my local CVS* and at a supermarket. [* The CVS part I was expecting as, whoever's in charge of making the playlists for CVS, they keep selecting BTS English song circa "Dynamite". To date, I've heard: "Permission to Dance", "Butter", "Seven", "Like Crazy", "Slow Dance", "Don't Say You Love Me", "Running Wild", "Sweet Dreams", "Mona Lisa", and "Killin' It Girl".]
2. A car was blasting "2.0" down the main street by my apartment building. There's a stoplight and that's how I managed to have enough time to realize that some dude was playing BTS at top volume, LOL
3. I took one of my elderly aunts to go grocery shopping at Walmart. There's a tiny store inside that specific Walmart that repairs cellphones and sells accessories as well. As we were leaving, I heard "One More Night" playing.
Please note that I don't live in a city that's particularly K-Pop friendly? Like, we're lucky if we get one K-Pop concert per year. And still random songs from the album are playing here and there.
So now I'm gonna go into the criticisms and well, why some ppl are WRONG.
FTR, folks ARE allowed to dislike this album and/or BTS' music (solo and group). I understand (to a certain extent) that there will be ppl who don't vibe with the music. And I'm OK with that as long as it has to do with musical preferences. There are certain beats and styles that set my teeth on edge too. Saying "I don' like this cuz it's not for me" IS a valid reason.
HAVING SAID THAT, tho, there have been certain "points" that have come up enough times for me to sit there and 🤔
Complaint no.1: BTS is Too Westernized/has been too Westernized circa the English Trilogy
The "funny" thing abt that is the majority of times I've seen it being brought up, it's been by non-Koreans (meaning non-Native OR diaspora Koreans). And I'll give those folks a hard 😒. Cuz "too Westernized" according to WHOM?
Doubly so because BTS has gone out of the way to reinforce the idea that they're proud of being Korean and their culture (see the album title, the vinyl album covers, the connection they've reinforced between the real story of the (real life) 7 Korean men who sailed to the US in 1896 and recorded "Arirang" at Howard University, and other details (up to and including concert sets, VCRs, and their individual fits.)
Complaint no. 2: OMG, there are too many songwriters. With the majority of them being Western songwriters! WHY couldn't the members just write and/or produce everything?
To which I gotta say, if you look at the credits, out of the 15* songs, RM has 14 credits. The only song he doesn't have one is "No. 29" (which has no lyrics.) 5 of the remaining members have at least 2 songwriting credits in the album. The only one w/o any credits is Jin**.
[**NB: per Jin himself, he'd been in the middle of his solo tour while everyone else was writing songs. And it would've been extremely selfish on his part to ask them to wait ~3 months until he was done to then start the songwriting process. He's a bit bummed out he couldn't be a part of that aspect of the album. HOWEVAH, it's v., v. clear that he was hands-on when he joined the Tannies in California AND afterwards.
(*Re the 15th song: there's a hidden track titled "Come Over" that (as of the time of this post) is only available in the Deluxe version of the vinyls. There doesn't seem to be any current plans to release it on streaming platform (though there are some campaigns asking Yoongi and co to please do so.) It's part of the current leg of the tour setlist.]
Now, as for BTS having too many outside songwriters, one only needs to go back to 2016's "Save Me" to see that they were already working with non-Korean songwriters and producers. Also, a lot of the big songs in BTS' repertoire (such as "IDOL", "Euphoria", "Black Swan", "Boy With Luv", and "Mikrokosmos") have multiple Western folks credited too. IJS
Complaint no. 3: It doesn't sound like the "old BTS"
This specific complaint is over something that doesn't exist. Because BTS has never had a specific sound. Pre-2015, their songs were more hip-hop heavy. 2016-2019 had more abt EDM beats. Their 2020 music onward has had a blend of the two and then some.
At the same time, the "old sound" criticism has had a lot of pushback from some fans saying that ARIRANG (especially the first half) reminds them of BTS' 2014 album Dark & Wild.
So, again, this is one of those "ppl complaining cuz they've got nothing else to complain abt" type of things.
Complaint no.4: There's NO message
This is ridiculous. Also an indication of a reading comprehension fail. Head on over to Doolset's amazing translations and then try to say the songs are vapid. PFFFFT!
Complaint no.5: There's TOO MUCH Autotune
?????? Yes, there's Autotune--which is a tool that talented ppl like BTS have used in amazing ways. They're not the only ones as seen in BIBI's "Kazino" or anything by T-Pain. When it comes to BTS, Yoongi does like using AutoTune the most, but it's not a crutch. Rather than it being weird, its addition to the songs enhances the music.
AutoTune has gotten a bad rep because many 'singers' have relied on it as a way to hide their lack of talent. It does serve a purpose, though, whether ppl want to accept that or not
Outside of all of that nonsense, I think many of the ppl who have been v. negative toward this album fall into one of these categories:
A. Those who wanted this to sound exactly like every other Kpop bg album. And I get that cuz we do like familiarity. It's also the reason why some groups are known for having a specific sound. And, again, BTS is not in that category (please note that this isn't me putting down other groups while elevating the Tannies. It's simply an observation.) Even if you were to go from album to album, it's v. hard to pinpoint what makes an album a BTS album since they, again, don't have a signature sound AND they also dabble in a lot of genres.
B. Ppl who expected a return to a heavier EDM sound because that seems to be the "sound du jour" among a lot of Kpop releases. Kinda like how Jersey Club was EVERYWHERE 4 yrs ago.*Hands*
C. Some ppl didn't listen to any of the Chapter 2 (solo era) works. There's a lot of their individual albums being represented here.
Interestingly, a lot of the (initially) lukewarm opinions some had abt ARIRANG changed once they saw the Tannies perform the songs LIVE either on the Netflix comeback special (which is still available to watch) OR any of the concerts livestreams.
This is something that happened to me a few years ago with "Permission to Dance". I don't care much for that song. BUT, when BTS did the PTD Onstage in Los Angeles, Seoul, and Las Vegas, they closed out their concerts with PTD and that's when I got it! The trick to that song was experiencing it live. FWIW, I still pretty much whatevs abt it, but there we are.
So, if you don't like any of the songs, maybe check out the Netflix comeback and your opinion might change. Maybe it won't. IDK, you do you. XD
NGL, even after many listens, I'm still in awe with BTS and what they've done with this album. Realistically, they could've dropped anything and it'd have still been well-loved by ARMYs. Instead, they chose to not do the typical/expected "reunion album". They switched lanes into mostly new soundscapes at the same time they reinforced the idea of the OT7. Which brings me to the FACT that this is group album. There are no subunits or solos anywhere. EVERY. SINGLE. MEMBER. GETS. HIS. MOMENT. IN. EVERY. SINGLE. SONG!
And this goes down to the infamous ~line distribution angle. All 7 members have abt the same amount of time in ARIRANG. And that's a hella impressive thing to do when you've got SEVEN different ppl and 15 songs to do. [NB: Even better is how BTS has incorporated the group idea into their performances. Their current tour has NO solo or unit songs and it all makes me feel v. shiny-eyed. UwU.]
This is an album that invites the listener to ride the groove as it switches from rap to r&b to rock to easy pop. IMO, it's one of the most accessible in the Tannies' album discography. The songs feel v.much of the here and now instead of falling into a nostalgia trap. Give it a spin and you might end up digging it too. :D!
[*AFAIK, Chapter 2 was initially used for the interesting combo of enlistment + first solo eras. However, as soon as they were all discharged from the military, BTS themselves began using "Chapter 2" when referring to the here and now. I'm not gonna argue with the Tannies. If that's how they see things, then that's how they see things and it's up to everyone else to clarify if the "Chapter 2" era is the solo or the group one. *Hands*]
The only hint abt what ARIRANG was probably gonna sound like was a good 16-second clip in the animated teaser. So, most ppl (myself included), were preparing for some booty-shaking music. Only to then get v. confused after clips for "SWIM" dropped...
As soon as the first notes began playing, I was ON THE FLOOOOOOOR. This is an album that gives listeners 41 minutes of AMAZING music. It's also meant to be listened to from top to bottom if you want to appreciate it to its fullest extent. This is a v. grown up album and I love that for all of us.
One of the coolest things is the bouquet of genres happening:
* Do you want songs that make you feel like you're getting down at the club with hella loud beats? "BODY TO BODY" and "FYA" are deffo the ones for you.
* Do you like rap and/or hip-hop that goes IN? Then go check out "HOOLIGANS", "Aliens", and "2.0"!
* Is meditating your thing? "No. 29" is THAT BITCH that'll give you all the peace and quiet you need.
* Are you a fan of easy listening pop music that you can chill out OR drive to? "SWIM" is there for you.
* Is your playlist filled with songs that are slightly off-center or alternative rock? "Merry Go Round", "NORMAL", and "Like Animals" will fit the bill.
* Maybe you're in the mood for dance music that makes you feel sexy? "One More Night" will make you shimmy every which way.
* Is your thing music that's r&b but make it weird? "they don't know 'bout us" is the one tune you'll want to check out.
* Are you into YEARNING-centric, r&b songs? "Please" is the song for you.
* Do you like 70s rock/anthem rock? "Into the Sun" gets the spotlight easy.
IMO, this is an album for those ppl that like music in general. The breadth of genres the Tannies have tapped into is something I haven't seen in a loooooooooooooooong time.
ANOTHER THING this album has done v. effectively is being played out and abt in the world. Within the first 3 weeks of ARIRANG, I've heard:
1. "SWIM" at my local CVS* and at a supermarket. [* The CVS part I was expecting as, whoever's in charge of making the playlists for CVS, they keep selecting BTS English song circa "Dynamite". To date, I've heard: "Permission to Dance", "Butter", "Seven", "Like Crazy", "Slow Dance", "Don't Say You Love Me", "Running Wild", "Sweet Dreams", "Mona Lisa", and "Killin' It Girl".]
2. A car was blasting "2.0" down the main street by my apartment building. There's a stoplight and that's how I managed to have enough time to realize that some dude was playing BTS at top volume, LOL
3. I took one of my elderly aunts to go grocery shopping at Walmart. There's a tiny store inside that specific Walmart that repairs cellphones and sells accessories as well. As we were leaving, I heard "One More Night" playing.
Please note that I don't live in a city that's particularly K-Pop friendly? Like, we're lucky if we get one K-Pop concert per year. And still random songs from the album are playing here and there.
So now I'm gonna go into the criticisms and well, why some ppl are WRONG.
FTR, folks ARE allowed to dislike this album and/or BTS' music (solo and group). I understand (to a certain extent) that there will be ppl who don't vibe with the music. And I'm OK with that as long as it has to do with musical preferences. There are certain beats and styles that set my teeth on edge too. Saying "I don' like this cuz it's not for me" IS a valid reason.
HAVING SAID THAT, tho, there have been certain "points" that have come up enough times for me to sit there and 🤔
Complaint no.1: BTS is Too Westernized/has been too Westernized circa the English Trilogy
The "funny" thing abt that is the majority of times I've seen it being brought up, it's been by non-Koreans (meaning non-Native OR diaspora Koreans). And I'll give those folks a hard 😒. Cuz "too Westernized" according to WHOM?
Doubly so because BTS has gone out of the way to reinforce the idea that they're proud of being Korean and their culture (see the album title, the vinyl album covers, the connection they've reinforced between the real story of the (real life) 7 Korean men who sailed to the US in 1896 and recorded "Arirang" at Howard University, and other details (up to and including concert sets, VCRs, and their individual fits.)
Complaint no. 2: OMG, there are too many songwriters. With the majority of them being Western songwriters! WHY couldn't the members just write and/or produce everything?
To which I gotta say, if you look at the credits, out of the 15* songs, RM has 14 credits. The only song he doesn't have one is "No. 29" (which has no lyrics.) 5 of the remaining members have at least 2 songwriting credits in the album. The only one w/o any credits is Jin**.
[**NB: per Jin himself, he'd been in the middle of his solo tour while everyone else was writing songs. And it would've been extremely selfish on his part to ask them to wait ~3 months until he was done to then start the songwriting process. He's a bit bummed out he couldn't be a part of that aspect of the album. HOWEVAH, it's v., v. clear that he was hands-on when he joined the Tannies in California AND afterwards.
(*Re the 15th song: there's a hidden track titled "Come Over" that (as of the time of this post) is only available in the Deluxe version of the vinyls. There doesn't seem to be any current plans to release it on streaming platform (though there are some campaigns asking Yoongi and co to please do so.) It's part of the current leg of the tour setlist.]
Now, as for BTS having too many outside songwriters, one only needs to go back to 2016's "Save Me" to see that they were already working with non-Korean songwriters and producers. Also, a lot of the big songs in BTS' repertoire (such as "IDOL", "Euphoria", "Black Swan", "Boy With Luv", and "Mikrokosmos") have multiple Western folks credited too. IJS
Complaint no. 3: It doesn't sound like the "old BTS"
This specific complaint is over something that doesn't exist. Because BTS has never had a specific sound. Pre-2015, their songs were more hip-hop heavy. 2016-2019 had more abt EDM beats. Their 2020 music onward has had a blend of the two and then some.
At the same time, the "old sound" criticism has had a lot of pushback from some fans saying that ARIRANG (especially the first half) reminds them of BTS' 2014 album Dark & Wild.
So, again, this is one of those "ppl complaining cuz they've got nothing else to complain abt" type of things.
Complaint no.4: There's NO message
This is ridiculous. Also an indication of a reading comprehension fail. Head on over to Doolset's amazing translations and then try to say the songs are vapid. PFFFFT!
Complaint no.5: There's TOO MUCH Autotune
?????? Yes, there's Autotune--which is a tool that talented ppl like BTS have used in amazing ways. They're not the only ones as seen in BIBI's "Kazino" or anything by T-Pain. When it comes to BTS, Yoongi does like using AutoTune the most, but it's not a crutch. Rather than it being weird, its addition to the songs enhances the music.
AutoTune has gotten a bad rep because many 'singers' have relied on it as a way to hide their lack of talent. It does serve a purpose, though, whether ppl want to accept that or not
Outside of all of that nonsense, I think many of the ppl who have been v. negative toward this album fall into one of these categories:
A. Those who wanted this to sound exactly like every other Kpop bg album. And I get that cuz we do like familiarity. It's also the reason why some groups are known for having a specific sound. And, again, BTS is not in that category (please note that this isn't me putting down other groups while elevating the Tannies. It's simply an observation.) Even if you were to go from album to album, it's v. hard to pinpoint what makes an album a BTS album since they, again, don't have a signature sound AND they also dabble in a lot of genres.
B. Ppl who expected a return to a heavier EDM sound because that seems to be the "sound du jour" among a lot of Kpop releases. Kinda like how Jersey Club was EVERYWHERE 4 yrs ago.*Hands*
C. Some ppl didn't listen to any of the Chapter 2 (solo era) works. There's a lot of their individual albums being represented here.
Interestingly, a lot of the (initially) lukewarm opinions some had abt ARIRANG changed once they saw the Tannies perform the songs LIVE either on the Netflix comeback special (which is still available to watch) OR any of the concerts livestreams.
This is something that happened to me a few years ago with "Permission to Dance". I don't care much for that song. BUT, when BTS did the PTD Onstage in Los Angeles, Seoul, and Las Vegas, they closed out their concerts with PTD and that's when I got it! The trick to that song was experiencing it live. FWIW, I still pretty much whatevs abt it, but there we are.
So, if you don't like any of the songs, maybe check out the Netflix comeback and your opinion might change. Maybe it won't. IDK, you do you. XD
NGL, even after many listens, I'm still in awe with BTS and what they've done with this album. Realistically, they could've dropped anything and it'd have still been well-loved by ARMYs. Instead, they chose to not do the typical/expected "reunion album". They switched lanes into mostly new soundscapes at the same time they reinforced the idea of the OT7. Which brings me to the FACT that this is group album. There are no subunits or solos anywhere. EVERY. SINGLE. MEMBER. GETS. HIS. MOMENT. IN. EVERY. SINGLE. SONG!
And this goes down to the infamous ~line distribution angle. All 7 members have abt the same amount of time in ARIRANG. And that's a hella impressive thing to do when you've got SEVEN different ppl and 15 songs to do. [NB: Even better is how BTS has incorporated the group idea into their performances. Their current tour has NO solo or unit songs and it all makes me feel v. shiny-eyed. UwU.]
This is an album that invites the listener to ride the groove as it switches from rap to r&b to rock to easy pop. IMO, it's one of the most accessible in the Tannies' album discography. The songs feel v.much of the here and now instead of falling into a nostalgia trap. Give it a spin and you might end up digging it too. :D!
(no subject)
Apr. 17th, 2026 09:02 pmgala_applesDad struggled to get her to wake up, begging her can you wake up, Staci’s here, Staci wants to talk to you
She eventually opened her eyes and said hi
Dad left the room so I could talk to her, but I couldn’t really say anything, she had fallen asleep and wouldn’t wake up and wouldn’t answer, I just kept squeezing her hand and saying hi and asking her to wake up
She finally opened her eyes for a minute and I wanted a goodbye hug but I couldn’t reach over the armrest and I didn’t know how to lower it, so I panic yelled for dad to get back and by the time he got back in the room she’d fallen asleep again
We struggled get her awake again, but she finally did and I dove forward for a hug and she gave one and then dad had to help her hold her arm up but she hugged me and I got to hug her and put my head to her chest one last time
I told her she tried. That for a while she stopped trying and it hurt so much, but then she tried again, and it was good, it was important, she tried, she tried, for so long, for a decade we had time together where she tried to parent and care
And she tried to live in the hospital but it was done, she was tired, she couldn’t. And it’s not okay but it’s okay everyone gets tired eventually
Her arms were covered in bruises, just the whole thing. I’m so glad I didn’t have to see her fucked up skin grafted legs
She fell asleep again and this time she was more insistant, we really struggled to wake her up again but she barely could, she couldn’t get her eyes open, but when I said goodbye she smiled
And then I had to walk away. And i sobbed throughout the walk to the lobby I wonder how the nurses felt seeing it I wonder how frequent it is for them I don’t think I could work a job where I hear people sobbing and don’t try to intervene / actively choose to let them get it out like Everett or Ali at work
We sat in the lobby and I put my head on dad’s shoulder and we held hands and cried. I repeated she said hi she hugged me she smiled.
I begged him to not be one of those spouses that goes within six months of their spouse, he promised he’d stay around, it’s the second time we’ve had that convo. I said I was worried he’d be lonely, he said he had stuff to do, I told him I’d get him more books at the library. He gave me a summary of the second half of the book I’d gotten out for him, the fannish style of his explanation soothed my sobbing. Just like fandomy stuff has always gotten me through mental health stuff. He’s recently wondered if I’m autistic based on a sportsball player he likes getting diagnosed and looking up symptoms and it’s like no, i work with heavily autistic kids at work that’s not me, I have ocd and sensory issues but no communication issues, but man does hyperfixating on something help, stories and scripts have always helped
We talked about the slow logistics of the next steps, he’s going to have Heather and Colin help for the funeral stuff, but there’s so much cleaning and sorting to do. He wants to keep the bed, we have all this food she’ll never eat
A few hours later after coming home he asked how I was doing I told him I took a gummy he basked how that was going I apologized for being a bad daughter/son/offspring but I was sad but also kinda enjoying my weekend. He said he cycles through being fine and crying
In the hospital we’d talked about how he didn’t want to be his dad, based on the abusive dads of the 1950s in his book, and how he didn’t think grandpa ever said he loved him,and he tried to be better by me. He was a parent for such a crucial part of my life when mom wasn’t, he’s always supportive
In the hallway I tell him that even being able to have this conversation makes him better than grandpa. The fact that it’s the hundredth hard convo we’ve had because he’s always there for me proves he’s a better father.
So I apologise for being neurodivergent and knowing I don’t react to things in the right ways, and him loving and supporting me anyway, and being queer, and needing help with executive function/adulting shit, he said the better for him, and what was normal anyway. I was like well Tracy Karen Nicole (straight married with multiple kids house owning cousins) are more than me, for sure. He told me about Tracy having to take a business trip so heather’s got to take paisley to a dance recital because pat doesn’t know how to do makeup. I said that’s dumb because when your kid is into a thing, you support it even if you don’t actually give a shit. You go to the recital, the sportsball game, the choir robotics chess club. Dad knows endless reems of fandom shit he doesn’t care about for me. Dad said no, pat loves the kids and Jenna’s husband is like that too, they just don’t know how, and it’s just like no, you learn if you care. Dad learned about Buffy and hp and at and hr now. I want to roll my eyes and be like the incompetence of men, and the willingness of hets to allow it but dad never fucking did. It’s not the men or the hets it’s just bad people and good people.
She eventually opened her eyes and said hi
Dad left the room so I could talk to her, but I couldn’t really say anything, she had fallen asleep and wouldn’t wake up and wouldn’t answer, I just kept squeezing her hand and saying hi and asking her to wake up
She finally opened her eyes for a minute and I wanted a goodbye hug but I couldn’t reach over the armrest and I didn’t know how to lower it, so I panic yelled for dad to get back and by the time he got back in the room she’d fallen asleep again
We struggled get her awake again, but she finally did and I dove forward for a hug and she gave one and then dad had to help her hold her arm up but she hugged me and I got to hug her and put my head to her chest one last time
I told her she tried. That for a while she stopped trying and it hurt so much, but then she tried again, and it was good, it was important, she tried, she tried, for so long, for a decade we had time together where she tried to parent and care
And she tried to live in the hospital but it was done, she was tired, she couldn’t. And it’s not okay but it’s okay everyone gets tired eventually
Her arms were covered in bruises, just the whole thing. I’m so glad I didn’t have to see her fucked up skin grafted legs
She fell asleep again and this time she was more insistant, we really struggled to wake her up again but she barely could, she couldn’t get her eyes open, but when I said goodbye she smiled
And then I had to walk away. And i sobbed throughout the walk to the lobby I wonder how the nurses felt seeing it I wonder how frequent it is for them I don’t think I could work a job where I hear people sobbing and don’t try to intervene / actively choose to let them get it out like Everett or Ali at work
We sat in the lobby and I put my head on dad’s shoulder and we held hands and cried. I repeated she said hi she hugged me she smiled.
I begged him to not be one of those spouses that goes within six months of their spouse, he promised he’d stay around, it’s the second time we’ve had that convo. I said I was worried he’d be lonely, he said he had stuff to do, I told him I’d get him more books at the library. He gave me a summary of the second half of the book I’d gotten out for him, the fannish style of his explanation soothed my sobbing. Just like fandomy stuff has always gotten me through mental health stuff. He’s recently wondered if I’m autistic based on a sportsball player he likes getting diagnosed and looking up symptoms and it’s like no, i work with heavily autistic kids at work that’s not me, I have ocd and sensory issues but no communication issues, but man does hyperfixating on something help, stories and scripts have always helped
We talked about the slow logistics of the next steps, he’s going to have Heather and Colin help for the funeral stuff, but there’s so much cleaning and sorting to do. He wants to keep the bed, we have all this food she’ll never eat
A few hours later after coming home he asked how I was doing I told him I took a gummy he basked how that was going I apologized for being a bad daughter/son/offspring but I was sad but also kinda enjoying my weekend. He said he cycles through being fine and crying
In the hospital we’d talked about how he didn’t want to be his dad, based on the abusive dads of the 1950s in his book, and how he didn’t think grandpa ever said he loved him,and he tried to be better by me. He was a parent for such a crucial part of my life when mom wasn’t, he’s always supportive
In the hallway I tell him that even being able to have this conversation makes him better than grandpa. The fact that it’s the hundredth hard convo we’ve had because he’s always there for me proves he’s a better father.
So I apologise for being neurodivergent and knowing I don’t react to things in the right ways, and him loving and supporting me anyway, and being queer, and needing help with executive function/adulting shit, he said the better for him, and what was normal anyway. I was like well Tracy Karen Nicole (straight married with multiple kids house owning cousins) are more than me, for sure. He told me about Tracy having to take a business trip so heather’s got to take paisley to a dance recital because pat doesn’t know how to do makeup. I said that’s dumb because when your kid is into a thing, you support it even if you don’t actually give a shit. You go to the recital, the sportsball game, the choir robotics chess club. Dad knows endless reems of fandom shit he doesn’t care about for me. Dad said no, pat loves the kids and Jenna’s husband is like that too, they just don’t know how, and it’s just like no, you learn if you care. Dad learned about Buffy and hp and at and hr now. I want to roll my eyes and be like the incompetence of men, and the willingness of hets to allow it but dad never fucking did. It’s not the men or the hets it’s just bad people and good people.
(no subject)
Apr. 16th, 2026 03:45 pmturpsI had a bit of an adventure today and went to a different branch of my gym, the big branch in Sunderland city centre. That meant many more machines to use and now, of course, every muscle in my body is starting to ache as I had to try out everything that was new to me. What I'd actually made the trip for was the bigger branches have hydro massage beds you can use as part of your membership, and I've wanted to try one for a while. So, today I did and oh man, it was good. It especially felt good on my lower back and legs. Then I went and destroyed that feeling on the machines.
Next time, work out first, then massage.
I'll still mostly go to my local branch as that's within easy walking distance, but this other one I'll try to get there with James once a week as it was good for him, too. Also, has much better music as they were playing Linkin Park at one point.
Yesterday we were also in Sunderland as James needed to collect his new glasses, and while we were in town we picked up our cards for the newly opened The Community Shop. It's on the same basis as Company shop, selling surplus food for cheap, just for this version only people on means tested benefits can join. I could be a member due to getting the carers' allowance so signed online a while ago, and went to get the actual card yesterday.
We ended up waiting in a queue for over an hour, and then the person who took my photo took the worst picture ever. She was so stressed with so many people waiting she hurried the process so only half my head is in shot and the lighting is horribly harsh, so I look like some gargoyle with half a face. But, she made no suggestion to retake so guess I'm stuck with it.
I doubt I'll use this shop as much as Company due to a lack of parking, but it's always good to have options. Especially so as members can also use the attached heavily discounted café and really, being able to get a main meal for £1.50 is a good thing.
Now, part of a post that I started on Monday.
It was a sweaty one at class today, not helped by the heating being on despite it being a lovely, sunny spring day. It was the biggest group we've had for a while, which is why it's a shame that the classes for the next two Wednesdays have been cancelled due to meetings, just as people have started to come back. But, Mondays are still on which is good.
So, got tidied up before going there, did class, came home, and I've made another batch of vegetable soup, so that's cooking in the slow cooker now.
We went to the cinema to see You, Me and Tuscany on Saturday. I do like a romcom and this was a good one. A predictable plot but set in a beautiful place with lots of sunshine, so you could just sit back, not think and enjoy what was on-screen. And James stayed awake for the whole thing.
After leaving there we drove to Corey's flat to drop his and Sharna's Easter sweets off. So, it was nice to spend some time with him.
Next time, work out first, then massage.
I'll still mostly go to my local branch as that's within easy walking distance, but this other one I'll try to get there with James once a week as it was good for him, too. Also, has much better music as they were playing Linkin Park at one point.
Yesterday we were also in Sunderland as James needed to collect his new glasses, and while we were in town we picked up our cards for the newly opened The Community Shop. It's on the same basis as Company shop, selling surplus food for cheap, just for this version only people on means tested benefits can join. I could be a member due to getting the carers' allowance so signed online a while ago, and went to get the actual card yesterday.
We ended up waiting in a queue for over an hour, and then the person who took my photo took the worst picture ever. She was so stressed with so many people waiting she hurried the process so only half my head is in shot and the lighting is horribly harsh, so I look like some gargoyle with half a face. But, she made no suggestion to retake so guess I'm stuck with it.
I doubt I'll use this shop as much as Company due to a lack of parking, but it's always good to have options. Especially so as members can also use the attached heavily discounted café and really, being able to get a main meal for £1.50 is a good thing.
Now, part of a post that I started on Monday.
It was a sweaty one at class today, not helped by the heating being on despite it being a lovely, sunny spring day. It was the biggest group we've had for a while, which is why it's a shame that the classes for the next two Wednesdays have been cancelled due to meetings, just as people have started to come back. But, Mondays are still on which is good.
So, got tidied up before going there, did class, came home, and I've made another batch of vegetable soup, so that's cooking in the slow cooker now.
We went to the cinema to see You, Me and Tuscany on Saturday. I do like a romcom and this was a good one. A predictable plot but set in a beautiful place with lots of sunshine, so you could just sit back, not think and enjoy what was on-screen. And James stayed awake for the whole thing.
After leaving there we drove to Corey's flat to drop his and Sharna's Easter sweets off. So, it was nice to spend some time with him.