You ready for yet another wonderful piece of music?
Our song for today is . . .
"8PM" from Animal Crossing: City Folk
Composed by Nintendo
In case you somehow missed it, Animal Crossing: New Horizons dropped for the Switch on Friday (yes, I did go out and buy it right after work). I would've picked a track from there, but since the OST isn't on YouTube just yet, I decided to pick something from the last main series Animal Crossing game that released on console--which was City Folk for the Wii, released in 2008. (Man, it's been a while.)
This is one of my favorite hourly songs from the game. I mean, they're all great, but there's something really comforting and relaxing about this particular one. Maybe it's the soothing acoustic guitar. Maybe it's that one note of whatever instrument it is at 0:57. I dunno what exactly makes this track stand out.
What I do recall is memories of playing City Folk at 8pm, especially on Saturdays when I'd hop on to quickly run over to the museum to hear K.K. Slider perform at the Roost. Sometimes you'd go out of your house and it'd be raining or snowing, which changes the music a bit. It makes the song even more peaceful somehow. Those were simpler times, simpler days.
Man, now I'm kinda wanting to pull this game out and play it again. Obviously it's not going to be as good as New Leaf or New Horizons, but the nostalgia factor will probably ease up the test of time. And let's be honest, no matter how old each title might be, the Animal Crossing series never loses its charm. I've played other life simulators, but none of them have quite the same appeal as the ones about living in a town of anthropomorphic animals.
To me, the games have always been about slowing down, taking a breath, regrouping your mind, and just enjoying the moment. You lose track of time and reality for an hour or two, and you can relax as you live an uncomplicated life. With what the world is going through these days, Animal Crossing is a much-needed reprieve. It makes the release date of New Horizons very, very timely.
Did you enjoy the song? Have you bought New Horizons yet? What's your favorite title in the series? Share some of your favorite Animal Crossing memories!
Yes, this moment has finally arrived--the moment you've all been waiting for! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the conclusion to the third annual Music Monday Awards!
After weeks of making difficult choices and waiting in agony, it is now time to announce the results. The song that wins here today will go down in history as the ultimate Music Monday song of 2019. Four finalists duked it out for that title, and they were:
"The Kraken" from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest "History Maker" by Dean Fujioka "The Search" by NF "Oliver Queen Suite" from Arrow: Season 1
Nine people voted in round 3 (two of which had to message me their votes thanks to the comments acting goofy), and here's what they chose! Are you ready? Drumroll, please!
"The Kraken" ended up not being chosen by anyone. That surprises me, as the Pirates of the Caribbean scores are widely heralded as being fantastic compositions. At least it made it to the finals. That's what counts. None of us will deny that its intense beats and gritty electric guitar make for a bombastic action track that cannot be described as anything short of epic.
"History Maker" and "Oliver Queen Suite" received 2 votes each. I'm honestly happy that an anime opening song made it this far. It gives me hope that maybe another one will perhaps claim the crown sometime down the road. I personally thought the latter was going to be this year's "Undertale"--a long track presented as the very last song of the year that steals everyone's hearts in the end. It appears that was not the case, but one must acknowledge it is a very moving piece.
That means the song that landed 5 votes and wins the Awards is none other than . . .
photo credit: me
NF isn't your typical rapper. Many members of the rap genre in the "secular" world tend to talk about money, sex, drugs, cars, etc, while dropping swear words every other syllable on top of a boring beat that sounds like garbage. On the other hand, many Christian rappers play it safe and end up sounding decent enough, but kind of boring. They don't bring life to the genre, don't make it creative, don't make it their own playground.
Nate, on the other hand, is the perfect middle ground. You won't hear him swear once, and when he does talk about his money or his car, he does it in a very self-aware way. Like, he knows that what he's doing has been done plenty of times before, and he makes a joke of it. But he doesn't play it safe either. He gets into the gritty, acknowledging that life can sometimes be extremely cruel and the world overwhelmingly dark. He should know: his parents divorced when he was young, his mom's boyfriend physically abused him, and his mom overdosed on drugs and killed herself. He's been submerged in heavy situations that no one should have to deal with.
That's why his songs aren't often pretty, or pretend that things are easy. His music is his therapy. But in putting himself out there, he's been able to help so, so many people. Others who have struggled with depression or suicide or abusive family situations or self-harm--or anything like that--can feel like someone gets it. And that's a powerful thing. He's aware of that too, and he has publicly thanked God for his gift, because he knows its source.
"The Search" is a great example of how he makes rap music his own thing. The music in this particular song is very different, dominated by strings that provide the main beat, with drums and an ethereal choir joining in for the main chorus. His flow is so unique, fluid throughout the entire track. Not one word is wasted. You need to hear the song a few times in order to catch all the lines and their meaning. He's just so freaking talented! One of my favorite parts is still what I shared when I originally posted the song:
"Just think about it for a second, if you look at your face
Every day when you get up and think you'll never be great
You'll never be great, not because you're not, but the hate
Will always find a way to cut you up and murder your faith."
NF also happens to be very underrated. You almost never hear him on the radio, and if he is, it's almost guaranteed to be his song "Let You Down." He has won only two awards. How in the world is that even possible?! I honestly don't know how he hasn't even been nominated for any Grammys or anything. He deserves to be acknowledged more. I know he's not in it for the fame or anything, but I'd like to see him become more well-known.
Thankfully, he at least won the award as the top song of 2019 on my blog. We have some comments here, actually, about what other people had to say about "The Search." Let's check them out!
"NF has been one of my favourite artists to listen to these past three or so years. Most of his songs display great lyrical talent, epic beats, and 'replayability', and 'The Search' is definitely no exception. I love how pretty much every line in the song is different, how he doesn't use a beat to rap with in the beginning of the song, and the funny quotable lines and great messages in the song. It's just an epic rap song overall." -Preston Hiew
"From the very first line--a self-addressed question bearing layers of meaning beneath its casual appearance--this song is brilliant in its technical execution, lyrical depth, and (as Preston pointed out) replayability. Some sections still hit me no matter how many times I've heard them.
"'Grabbin' my keepsakes, leavin' my burdens; well, I brought a few with me, I'm not perfect.'
"'The point I'm makin' is the mind is a powerful place, and what you feed it can affect you in a powerful way...' Etc." -Tracey Dyck
"1. Because I just saw Nate perform it live last month and IT SOUNDED AMAZING
"2. Wearing coats in cold weather and hanging with friends is great advice. Balloons as well.
"3. The music video is creepy and amazing at the same time!!" -Megan Hiew
Well, there you go! The winning song was both intense and meaningful, an epic combination. Thanks for participating once again in this year's Music Monday Awards! What're your thoughts on the winner and the whole show? Any constructive criticism for me? My deepest congrats to NF for giving us music that's real and relatable in so many ways!
Well, we have sprang ahead an hour this past weekend, but we'll never skip so far ahead that we'll miss a Music Monday!
Our song of the day is none other than . . .
"You Say Run" from My Hero Academia: Season 1
Composed by Yuki Hayashi
If you read my Monthly HapPENings posts, you'll know that I'm currently watching a few anime, one of which is the ever-popular My Hero Academia (also referred to as Boku no Hero Academia). It's about a boy named Deku--the green-haired fellow in the video--who lives in a world where 80% of the population have quirks, otherwise known as superpowers. Some folks use them for selfish purposes and turn to lives of chaos and crime. Others fight back by using their abilities to serve justice and look good doing it.
Deku has always dreamed of being a hero, just like his idol, All Might. (He's the blonde in the middle.) But unfortunately, Deku falls under the 20% of people who are quirkless. He resolves to go against the norm and enrolls for UA High, the school that raises young superheroes and hones their powers. In an unexpected twist of fate, Deku is able to get into UA thanks to the guidance of another hero, but that's only the start of the battle. If he wants to prove his mettle, he'll have to face many obstacles--including other students who are desperate to get to the top no matter what.
I think this song is a good representation of the show--or at least, S1. It's a powersong, one that makes you wanna get up and moving because of how pumped you are. Through its soaring strings, relentless drums, pulsing guitar, and ethereal choir, it fills you with determination, perseverance, strength, and courage. I feel like this is could be Deku's theme song, as he struggles against mighty odds and ruthless opponents. He's not willing to let his dream die, and so he'll fight with everything he's got.
I hadn't realized that this was such a motivating song until it randomly played on my way to work a week or two ago. Hearing made me go, "Dang, I feel like I can take on today!" I imagine if I listen to it on a walk, I just might end up running--or at least fast-walking. It's just such an epic song. The anime soundtracks I own have been top-notch so far. Might be one of my new favorite musical niches.
What're your thoughts on this song? How does it make you feel? Have you seen My Hero Academia yet? 'Cuz you should if you haven't!
Y'know, even though February had one extra day in it, I swear it went by just as fast as any other month.
So . . . for some reason my mind is completely blanking out on any life events or social activities that happened this last month. Usually I remember these things, but not today. I know I went for supper/coffee with one of my uncles once or twice . . . but I can't recall what else I did. I'm pretty sure I did stuff. I dunno. Sorry that this section is going to be so boring this time around.
Bookish HapPENings
I didn't finish any books in February either, even though I said last time that I'd hoped to get more reading done. Whoops. Maybe this next month will be better in that regard.
HapPENings on the Screen
Rewatched this with my family, and I remember why I absolutely love the Pirates series so much. Like, it's one of my all-time favorite movie franchises. I was also really impressed by how much the CGI withstands the test of time. The skeleton pirates looked really cool, even though the movie was made about seventeen years ago. I also noticed how they purposefully made it difficult for themselves, by having Jack and Barbossa have their final duel in a cave with random beams of moonlight shining down. The two combatants would pass through them in their fight and appear in their skeletal forms while in moonlight. It's never been something I took note of before, but I really appreciated it this time around. Also, this movie's score literally defined what pirate music sounds like. It's amazing.
Another rewatch. I'd seen this movie once, and that was a year or two ago. I loved it just as much now as I did then. The themes resonated strongly with me, especially with where I am in my life right now. I can't really talk about what I all pulled from the film, because that'd quickly venture into spoiler territory. But there were some good messages for me. Fury Road might be intense, violent, and strange, but it's also powerfully moving and emotional. And the score is on my list of my top four favorite soundtracks of all time.
Avatar continues to both impress and amuse. The last several episodes have been very strongly connected, and it's a direction that I'm truly appreciating. I love how the main characters are all heading for the same place, and you know that they're gonna cross paths sooner or later. Plus, there've been at least a couple of times in S2 where I've had to rewind funny moments because they've made me laugh so hard. This is a fantastic show, and I must own it.
I've begun watching S2 of My Hero Academia, and oh, is it ever good! It hasn't been overly intense yet, but I know it's gotta be building up to something big. However, that doesn't mean that's what happened so far is uninteresting--far from it, actually. The UA tournament has been a fantastic arc so far, and I really do love the focus on Todoroki (the white-and-red-haired dude). Can't wait to see how the season progresses!
Also started watching S2 of Attack on Titan. I don't know what to say except OH MAH FREAKING GOSH. They really haven't held back in this season. Episode 1 kicked things off with a bang, and it's only gotten better. I appreciate how some characters who were secondary in S1 are getting more attention this time around. But with there being just twelve episodes in S2, I have to wonder how crazy things are going to get. I love it! (And yes, I did watch the OVAs before this season, and they were great too--well, the last three were nothing short of amazing!)
I'm now over halfway through Firefly, and I'm quite enjoying it! The last episode I watched in February was definitely one of my favorites. It was shot well and meshed present, past, and even further past together in a cohesive manner. Overall, I can really see why people love this show. You can bet that I'll be buying the movie (called Serenity) soon so that I can get an idea of how Joss wanted things to end.
I was in the mood to play Skyward Sword again the other day, and my gosh, I'd forgotten just how much I freaking love that game! I'm currently replaying the game in Hero Mode, and I had left off at the entrance of Skyview Temple. Definitely a fun experience with my sisters (I thought I'd heard one of them say I should let a Bokoblin "ganumpsh" me so I could die and restart at the save point, and that became one of our running jokes.) I also died in the Ghirahim battle, which I hadn't expected. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I still have no clue as to why people complain about the motion controls. They work just fine for me.
Writerly HapPENings
Didn't do any writing this last month. I've been preoccupied with other things/haven't been in the right headspace. Hopefully I can at least write a piece for Havok in March.
Welp, that was my February. How was yours? I'm sure it was a lot more interesting than mine, so I wanna hear all about it.
Well, well, well. The Music Monday Awards are reaching their climactic finale. It feels like just yesterday that we were kicking them off.
In order to determine what the four finalists are, we must examine the results of the previous round. There were 8 participants, so let's not waste any time seeing what they voted for!
January, February, and March: Garnering the slimmest of victories, "The Kraken" snatched 4 of the votes. 3 people would have preferred to visit "Dragon Roost Island," and only 1 person was bopping their head to "Main Theme."
April, May, and June: "History Maker" took half of the votes, proving that anime music really is appreciated. 2 people were too busy falling asleep to "Grape Garden," and the other 2 were desperately trying to go "Beyond the Mirror." July, August, and September: This was hardly even a contest. NF took us by surprise and gained 6 of the votes. 2 participants weren't "Brave Enough" to acknowledge his talent. Sadly, everyone forgot "Fireworks" and left it in the dust. October, November, and December: So this was an interesting round. "Majora's Mask" and "Oliver Queen Suite" both landed 3 votes each. That means I've got to pull up a random decision maker and do best two out of three. Which means . . . "Oliver Queen Suite" will be moving forward! In the meantime, 2 people are out partying to "Just Friends."
Which of these songs will be the ultimate victor? You choose!
The Final Round
"The Kraken" from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
versus "History Maker" by Dean Fujioka
versus "The Search" by NF
versus "Oliver Queen Suite" from Arrow: Season 1
I leave this in your capable hands. Only you can decide which of these four songs will forever be known as the best one of 2019. I have but one request: when you vote for which song should be the legendary winner, please leave a little reason explaining why you think so. If the song you voted for is crowned, your comments will be used in the victory post.
