totes4totes

I have a few long flights coming up so I plan on getting a start on these this weekend!

i do not want to join because i haven't watched enough shows but i do want to do the definitive takedown write-up on Carli Lloyd so now this is TOUGH

as i've spent the weekend digesting the taylor swift album i have some hot takes that i'm BRAVE enough to finally share: 1. Taylor needs to get away from Jack Antonoff and Aaron Desner. At least Jack Antonoff. I think what made them so interesting to begin with has become too rote. I think a strong part of Taylor's appeal of her music is how she has grown sonically and this sound stagnant. I think individually the tracks are good but as a full album, especially one of 31 tracks it all starts to sound too similar. Lyrically though, I think this has some of her weakest stuff. 2. I think overall it's good. Like how you listen to Taylor Swift and expect a certain level of quality but it's not exciting and it doesn't take too many risks. 3. I think this needed to sound angrier. Or sadder. Or in general more tortured. This is called The Tortured Poets Department. She sounds more tortured in her Karlie Kloss breakup album. Or her "fictional" stories of folklore/evermore or when she's singing about how girls are mean to her on Fearless. Overall, Taylor Swift doesn't feel challenged anymore. She's created a fanbase so rabid that critics receive threats of violence if they criticize her and she will sell so much of her 18 different vinyl presses that she will never feel it. I don't mind bad Taylor Swift songs if on the same album you get things like "New Year's Day" or "The Archer" (two Swift/Antonoff joints BTW) because that also feels in itself that Taylor is challenging herself or creating levels for herself. Where she doesn't feel afraid to fail. Hopefully eventually I can be proven wrong and the next album will be back to the Taylor Swift that I love. But this one just feels empty.

my final rankings do not change post finale

finale impressions: I was spoiled for the finale because I live in PST time and I had plans on Friday that prevented me from watching Drag Race. So when I was like 5 drinks in I finally took a look at the results and saw Nymphia won. I was BAFFLED. Despite the fact that Nymphia had been my favorite all season, the season was so clearly edited for a Sapphira win. And like @Elliott said, this was all filmed and edited before even airing a single episode unlike other "live" finales so it's not like they had an excuse. Which leads me to believe that since they always film two winners (dumb), that there was a bit of a switcheroo not at the last minute but close to it. Like after the season got halfway through Ru called up production and was like "Hey I know that I chose Sapphira like a while back but thinking on it, Nymphia." Anyway, I don't think that there's any question that Nymphia won the finale. I think Sapphira won round one but just barely. But Nymphia absolutely won the LSFTC. I am sure there are ways editing would have worked to make it make sense for Sapphira to win after but based on the finale nobody can be mad I would think (if they can edit it to make Jinkx win a lip sync for the crown, they can absolutely edit it to make Sapphira win). Though, one thing I question is Sapphira's costume and reveal. With the vampire fangs I think it would have worked better to go from something more "vampire" in color (red. black) and then reveal to signature blue. Or blood. There should have been sexy blood. Anyway, "Padam Padam" is never leaving my brain (it's 2023 all over again!), the Boba reveal was legit so good. What a good finale lip sync song choice and performance from both queens. Plane was a clear third the entire time. I think with as much money given out along with the Cassandra Peterson tribute and the Sasha Colby performance this does just kind of reinforce my belief that Drag Race is becoming less of a competition and moving far more towards a variety show. That's fine. I do kind of want All-Stars to move that way. Especially with having such polished queens, there's less opportunity for like real drama. We've really moved past that (fortunately? unfortunately? who can really say).

@kritaaay and i: For advancements: Let Me Love You for cuts: Je Suis Malade Your Song

how about these two and Vita Boers - "Starring Role" - (Jazz) - Watch Here

I’ll look later tonight!

@Erestor wanna move this on? Kalila Hermant & Vivian Cardoso Gomes - "I Was Here" - (Jazz by Laurent Flament)

@taylorkat one of these?

Colors of the Wind (Pocahontas) I feel in the next 20 years Pocahontas is going to go the way of Song of the South and "Colors of the Wind" is going to be its "Song of the South." A really excellent song that Disney would like everybody to forget where it came from. Because devoid of any context this is a genuinely beautiful song. Of course it is, it comes from the minds of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. But when it comes down to it all, this is a white lady singing a song written and composed by two white men about teaching a white man about how racism is bad through the face of a Native American character. In a story where they decided to make it a romance between a colonizer and the people he colonized. It's patronizing because it doesn't actually really borrow or reference any actual Native American traditions from the Powhatan people and instead just apes how white people view the like "Magic Native American" stereotype. It's a great song, I don't mind that it's lasted this long, but I'm going to save everybody from doing write-ups on it in the top 20.

REMAINING Heigh-Ho (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) Cruella De Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians) Step in Time (Mary Poppins) The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book) Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid) Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid) Friend Like Me (Aladdin) Circle of Life (The Lion King) Colors of the Wind (Pocahontas) Zero to Hero (Hercules) I Won't Say (I'm in Love) (Hercules) Almost There (The Princess and the Frog) Let It Go (Frozen) How Far I'll Go (Moana) Un Poco Loco (Coco) Show Yourself (Frozen II)

@FrogLenzen wanna do Kalila Hermant - "Birthday Cake" - (Hip-Hop) - Watch Here? or any kalila routine tbqh