#song analysis

[that-greek-mythology-girl]

During "Full Speed Ahead", Odysseus goes: "Ithaca is waiting. My Kingdoom is waiting. Penelope is waiting for me." Whilst the chorus goes: "Ithaca's waiting. The Kingdoom is waiting. ....waiting." Do you think that little space where they don't repeat Penelope's name, they're saying to themselves their own loved ones names. For example, Eurylochus would go: "Ithaca's waiting. The Kingdoom is waiting. Ctimene is waiting."

And then they never make it home.

HAHA

[dumbnotstupidfuck]

thinking back on it: no WONDER husk was so damn mad at having to be at the hotel! him selling his soul to save his power, plus the scene in the pilot where he was in the middle of winning a card game (in his own casino, most likely), means that alastor allowed him to keep his casinos and territory to generate power for himself, which he probably gets from other sinners money/souls

it was business as usual outside of alastor owning his soul and forcing him to go when he needs him. that’s why he quit so suddenly and immediately went back, bc this was his environment before the hotel (once again, not unlike angel living at the vee tower full time and always having sex and doing drugs)

the songwriter for love in a bottle mentioned that the background sinners are called the huskettes, meaning they’re literally named after him and (based on the animation) likely are the pretty workers who follow him around to every table and get him drinks and look nice at his side

he quits the hotel, goes right back to doing everything his overlord self was doing, going EXTRA hard bc he’s stressed about a bunch of stuff, goes on a losing streak as he gets progressively drunker and starts lashing out at his own workers, then absolutely wallows in misery at the bar as he orders at least 20 drinks and drunkenly rambles about how he doesn’t need love and alcohol is the only thing that’ll ever make him feel loved

and then here fucking comes angel dust looking GORGEOUS in drag singing directly to him about how he could be at his side (instead of a set of workers who are expected to be there and he’s only flirting with because he’s drunk and feeling good from the high of gambling) while engaging in his vices and whether he wins or loses he’ll still love him and want to be around him regardless

they met and fell for each other at the hotel when neither of them had their vices or personas, so husk doesn’t only love angel for his body and sexual image and angel doesn’t love husk because he’s good at winning money at a casino and swindling others out of their money to generate power.

[india422]

"The kind of intimacy that Charlie and Vaggi are having is not a 'wooing' kind of intimacy—it's the kind of intimacy that exists between people are who intimate with each other casually and regularly. For whom it is not a special occasion, but an opportunity to connect and, maybe, shut out the outside world for a bit. ... This song exists in a place of romance, but also in a place of fun. And speaking as a partner who is sometimes prone to anxiety, there are times it is important your partner validates you, and there are times it is important that your partner gets you out of your head. And this song is a really fun example of the latter."

Well said. Very well said. The naysayers need to watch this (but they'll still be bitching, let's be for real) and understand what Vaggi did wasn't bad at all. All relationships are different, and that's okay.

[cowboyhatesithere]

I can do it with a broken heart is still such a wild song to even exist. she's shouting from the rooftops: "I spent the last god knows how many years masking depression and alcoholism and fuck all of you I did it well!" It's not a Better Off Without Him Anyways power anthem. It's I may have looked Better Off but actually I quite wanted to Die and was crumbling to pieces every night backstage and no amount rhinestone bodysuits and girl group dinner parties could really put a patch on how damaged I felt. It's a crazy level of brutal honesty most would never expect of a mega popstar already at the top of her game. What could she possibly gain from admitting her faults at this point? Why not just run the victory lap? But she's such a confessional songwriter at heart she simply Cannot Help herself but divulge that she's been faking it 'til she makes it for as long as she can really remember at this point and breaking down more than not. and that's Taylor Swift.

[arson-mushroom]

Something that strikes me as interesting is that, throughout most of kpdh, all the songs Rumi sings are either about destroying demons or fixing herself.

Takedown and How It's Done have quite obvious lyrical themes of killing demons, Golden has lyrics that imply Rumi wants to change herself to be 'the girl they all see' and not have to hide her patterns (though it's implied that this is by creating a golden Honmoon and getting rid of the patterns for good).

Even in Free, a duet about healing/feeling seen, Rumi refers to 'fixing' her problems, and whilst this is in a more healthy manner than before ('we can't fix it if we never face it' -> facing the fact that she is part demon and has her patterns as a part of her), the way I see it in this song, freedom to Rumi still looks like not having her patterns at all.

This is, however, not the case for What it Sounds Like. There are so many reasons I love this song, so many of the lyrics are about self-acceptance and being able to exist as a person, with flaws and imperfections. Specifically lines like 'shouting in the silence/we're not alone' and 'the scars are part of me/darkness and harmony' really show that Rumi is seeing that other people can love her (all of her). As well as this, she's accepting her patterns and just herself in general, including the parts of her that she tries to hide ('so we're not heroes/we're still survivors' and several other both explicit and implicit lines). This is the only song where Rumi isn't trying to 'fix' herself, and that's super significant.

[astronomically-average]

Analyzing Ego Renegade Boy

Yes it's been less then an hour since it released (as of starting writing this) but I love this song and am very fixated rn

Disclaimer: I am transmasc so I will be analyzing it with my own personal experiences and with the lens that Len, in this song, is transmasc

The lyrics

ty to @/hogdeploymentzone for giving me the lyrics!

The song itself follows Len being "prosecuted" for "killing" Rin. This is seen through multiple references in the lyrics and mv as well as being directly stated ("Oh your poor daughter/We'll keep her in our thoughts!", "Her blood is on your hands!", "It's not like the victim's here to see your jaded justice done") Although that's not what the song is about.

As seen by the chorus and other references in other verses ("live a lie or watch your daughter die/as if the choice could end with me alive", "its wrong, its right/god I'm so alive!", "It'd all be so simple if, oh it only I weren't there!"), this killing of Rin is heavily implied to be a metaphor for transitioning.

Many (non supportive) parents of trans kids claim the kid "killed their daughter/son and that's likely what is being referenced in the song. Its best seen by the fact that in multiple parts of the song, Rin's voice bank is used which implies she's (he?) not actually dead.

There's also lines about how Len "knows Rin" better than how others knew her (him? I don't know what to refer to Rin as in this case) (Did you know her?/her dreams and aspirations?) and later in the bridge its shown that Rin/Len did think about this choice and this is for the best ("Did you know her?/Did you know her Heavy heart?", "Did you know her?/Did you know the nights spent crying in a voice drown low?")

While there is a negative air of people prosecuting Len for being his true self ("lethal injection, guillotine, electric chair"*, "but what a disgrace we're mourning while the killer freely walks", "jury's out we cry for retribution/voices shout: 'her blood is on your hands!' ", "I'll slip the noose they tie"), there is still an air that Len is ultimately happy about this change and would choose it over being Rin, as seen by "I'd give it one last try, if I could/Leave it behind for the renegade life" and similar lyrics interspersed throughout the song. Good for him!

*Also this could be a nod to how being trans/gay/etc is illegal in many countries and is a punishable offense by death.

The Music Video / Art

Quick shout out to say that the artist did a great job on the mv and I love every second of it!!!

There are many very telling shots that this is about being trans, but before that let's talk about Len/Rin's outfits.

(This is the only good full body shot I could find lol)

Notably they're wearing practically the same outfit, just Len has an jacket that resembles a orange prison uniform, as well as Len's shackles. This further implies they're the same person but just one of them deserves to be incriminated.

Other shots that implies the same as what was said above. (I'm sure there's many more but I've already spent like half an hour relistening to this song to make sure I was confident in my interpretation of events)

Another thing I wanna point out is how Len is meant to come off as menacing and dangerous in the shots of him as seen in other's eyes, while Rin looks all innocent and (like when people completely ignore any actual feelings/experiences of those who choose to transition*) is "better" as a girl

*not sure how this came off as, basically trying to reference how some people despite always being gnc (gender non conforming) are treated like before they transitioned they were a paragon of masculinity/femininity

Do I even have to say anything for this one. He's transgender your honor and we're all happy for him

[honeyluned]

got a LOT of thoughts about paratise. i feel like we're finally getting to hear more of ivan's Inner Freak(TM) rather than just seeing it animated. it's raw and and twisted like nowhere, but also kinda sexy and so desperate. he's not just lamenting the cruel reality of his existence, he's yearning. you almost get the sense that his shitty upbringing has messed up his mind so severely that he doesn't even know how to love till without feeling this.. freakish obsession with him. he's never had the safety to feel out his emotions for till healthily, so they've culminated into this all-consuming desire to be — well, consumed — by till. the lines "my wish, to live in you like parasite / you, be my own private paradise" are so full of desire, but they also come from a place of such pain. like he yearns to wholly lose himself in till, because there's no other way to love him in their fucked up little world. because of alien stage they are all constantly brushing hands with death, and their concepts of love end up equally severe. the song constantly mentions wounds, pain, darkness, shadows — and yet, it still manages to be an impassioned declaration of desire. for ivan, pain and love have always been one and the same. and as long as it continues, the way he wants till will remain just a liiiittle bit masochistic.

[folksyswift]

can we PLEASE talk about how taylor swift really built an entire album around a car metaphor for a toxic relationship. like. she feels like this luxury car he crashed years ago!expensive, rare, irreplaceable… but she still wants him. so what does she do?? she tells him to go ahead, buy the car he wants. but here’s the thingggg the car won’t even start unless he touches her again.

and the wild part?? it works. he gets the car. so she lets go of her past and jumps in with him, ready to ride or die. they’re barely at the starting line before they’re breaking every rule, flooring it, crashing through fences like manic teenagers in love.

but then?? he starts throwing spikes on the road. like metaphorical sabotage. and she sees it, she knows it’s dangerous, but she doesn’t care because the ride is just so intoxicating. she’s addicted to the chaos and danger.

But of course. OF COURSE. he crashes it. again. AT HER OWN PARTY and he just drives away. To leave her stranded and safe, but right back at the start.

and the worst part??? she realizes he never even bought the car. it was a RENTAL. just like she was to him.