Things I Loved In 2018

Song
Billie Eilish - When The Party's Over
Billie Eilish is one of the freshest new artists around right now. Her sound is unlike anything else in the music charts & I find her completely captivating as a person. She released 'When The Party's Over' late last year & it immediately struck a chord with me. Her vocals are so hauntingly beautiful & the lyrics are filled with raw emotion, which is even more impressive when you consider that she's only 17 years old. I get the feeling that she's been through some shit & I like the way that she expresses that through her songs. This song has such a sad, melancholic vibe to it which is only amplified by the accompanying music video. It's visually arresting & a welcome change from all the boring videos that most musicians keep putting out these days. I can't wait for her album 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?' to be released as I'm sure it'll end up being one of my favourite albums of 2019.

Other Faves: Nicki Minaj - Chun-Li / Smashing Pumpkins - Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)
RuPaul - Call Me Mother / BTS - Idol / BMTH - Wonderful Life


Album
Nicki Minaj - Queen
I've always loved Nicki Minaj but she really cemented her status as the true queen of rap with her latest album, aptly titled Queen. I'm a huge fan of Cardi B too but Queen is just that bit more cohesive as a full body of work than Invasion Of Privacy. As soon as Nicki released Chun-Li as a single I knew she had totally stepped up her game & I was definitely here for it. The rest of the album certainly didn't disappoint as Nicki is spitting rhymes harder than ever. Her lyrics are full of that signature Nicki charisma & attitude while her flows are equally aggressive & animated. Some of my favourite tracks on the album are Barbie Dreams, Good Form & Coco Chanel but Majesty is simply on another level. Nicki's collabs with Eminem are always a treat for the ears but their chemistry on Majesty is better than ever & I could quite happily could listen to this song on repeat for hours. In fact I probably have done seeing as my iPhone decided to delete all 45GB of music I had on there & this was one of the few albums left!

Other Faves: Smashing Pumpkins - Shiny & Oh So Bright / Cardi B - Invasion Of Privacy
Christina Aguilera - Liberation / Ariana Grande - Sweetener / Eminem - Kamikaze


Film
Mandy
There are few things I enjoy more than watching Nicolas Cage lose his shit. He's one of my favourite actors & if you don't agree then I suggest you watch Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Vampire's Kiss, The Family Man, Con Air, The Rock, Matchstick Men or Lord Of War. He's delivered some brilliant performances over the years but to be honest I've sat through some pretty awful films starring him, in the hopes that he'll freak out & give us a classic Cage moment. More often than not, I'm left feeling disappointed & annoyed at myself for wasting time watching them but last year Cage finally came through. Mandy is a psychedelic action horror film directed by Panos Cosmatos. It's set in the Shadow Mountains where a couple, Red & Mandy, are living peacefully in the woods. One day, a cult called The Children Of The New Dawn pass Mandy on her way to work & their leader is enamoured with her beauty. He kidnaps her & it's up to Red to get her back. One of the best scenes in the film is when Red locks himself in his bathroom, downs a whole bottle of vodka & starts screaming for several minutes. It's a great performance from Cage & definitely something that needs to be added to those YouTube compilations. As a film, Mandy is quite a surreal horror. The cinematography is eerily beautiful with intense lighting & colour techniques. The soundtrack is also fantastic & the film starts off with King Crimson's incredible song Stardust. It's quite an odd choice as my favourite film of the year but Mandy was just so different to anything else I've seen, especially when it comes to the horror genre.

Other Faves: A Star Is Born / Coco / The Incredibles 2 / Teen Titans Go! To The Movies / Ralph Breaks The Internet


TV Show
Westworld
To be completely honest I didn't pay much attention to season one of Westworld until the very end. The whole robot cowboy theme park thing seemed kinda interesting but it wasn't until the true nature of Bernard & the identity of The Man In Black were revealed that I considered it to be worth watching. By the time season two rolled around I was stoked to see the outcome of Ford's new narrative & the aftermath of Dolores' uprising. This season the characters have become fully formed as the war between Delos & the hosts takes place. There's even more secrets & mysteries behind Ford's true intentions as well as William's journey through Westworld to The Valley Beyond & his relationship with his family. We also got to see some of the other parks, Shogun World & The Raj. The different timelines in season one were confusing enough but it gets even worse in season two, especially as Bernard has scrambled his memories & even he doesn't know which timeline we're following. This allows the show to flashback & flashforward in a Lost-esque fashion which reveals some truly crazy shit. Personally I found the scenes with Jim Delos, William & their families even more interesting than what was going on in Westworld itself. I can't wait to see where the story goes now that the hosts have the possibility of existing outside of the parks.

Other Faves: The Circle / Dragula / Atlanta / Better Call Saul / RuPaul's Drag Race
American Crime Story: The Assassination Of Gianni Versace / American Horror Story: Apocalpyse


Animation
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
I've been meaning to start watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure ever since I saw a couple of guys cosplaying as Jotaro & Kakyoin at Majikkon but I struggled to find a decent stream for it. There were so many different series & I wasn't sure where to start. I also wanted to understand all the Jojo's memes & references that the Internet is so keen on pointing out. Last Summer it was announced that Part 5: Vento Aureo was going to be adapted into an anime & some people on Reddit were doing a rewatch of the whole series before it began. I decided to join in & soon found myself completely obsessed with the Joestar family. I couldn't stick to the one episode a day rewatch schedule & started getting through at least five episodes per day. The show tells the story of the Joestars, whose various members discover that they are destined to take down supernatural foes using the unique powers that they possess. There are many different parts, each following the story of one member of the Joestar family & all of their names can be abbreviated to 'JoJo'. The first season is set in England during the 1880s when Jonathan Joestar takes on his evil adopted brother Dio Brando after Dio uses an ancient mask to turn into a vampire. Part 2: Battle Tendency is probably my favourite part & features my favourite Joestar, Joseph. Things really take off in Part 3: Stardust Crusaders with the introduction of Stands, which are physical manifestations of mental strength & fighting spirit. The Stands get even more inventive through Parts 4 & 5 so the battles get really crazy & the villains are even more iconic. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of those rare shows that just keeps on getting better as it continues plus the songs are so damn good! It's impossible to choose a favourite. I often stick on a JoJo soundtrack compilation before doing any housework as the songs really get you hyped up! It's fast become one of my favourite anime shows of all time (tied with Attack On Titan) & I've even started reading through all the manga parts that haven't been adapted yet. I'd say it's worth getting into for the memes alone but that would be selling it short. If you're into anime at all, you owe it to yourself to start your own Bizarre Adventure with the Joestars.

Other Faves: Steven Universe / Yokai Watch Shadowside / Adventure Time / Summer Camp Island / Apple & Onion


Game
Octopath Traveler
JRPGs are my favourite genre of video game & when I heard that the team behind Bravely Default were working on something for the Nintendo Switch, I knew it was gonna be good. That something turned out to be Octopath Traveler, a turn-based role playing game with a gorgeous 'HD-2D' aesthetic. You play as eight different characters, each with their own jobs, skills & tragic backstory. Each chapter reveals more about their individual stories as they travel together on a journey to defeat those who have wronged them in the past. Some of the stories can get extremely dark, especially Primrose's which has a lot of references to brothels & sexual abuse but I found all of them to be really compelling. The characters are great fun to play as & I loved the combat system which expands upon the 'brave' & 'default' mechanics from Bravely Default in a really cool way. I started off as Therion the thief but you can team up & switch between each character to progress further in their individual storylines. Unfortunately they don't really link up at all but there is a final boss at the end that has had an impact on each of them. The soundtrack is amazing, as you would expect from Square Enix & it was just a blast to play. I really hope they come out with a sequel as I would love to spend some more time exploring the world of Orsterra with these eight travelers.

Other Faves: Pokemon Let's Go, Eevee! / Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Undertale / Hyrule Warriors / Super Mario Party

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80s Night In

Although I may have only been a baby in the 1980s I still think that the decade was an amazing one & I'm obsessed with 80s culture. My parents are practically OAPs now so I was always exposed to music & movies from times gone by when I was younger. Luckily Andy also shares my passion for the 80s. In celebration of the launch of Ladbrokes Crazy 80s Slot Game we were treated to a fantastic care package with everything we needed to put together an 80s night in. I thought I'd also share some ideas for how to host your own!



THE MOVIES: We were sent a selection of four classic 80s films. We ended up watching Back To The Future (although I prefer the sequel) & The Breakfast Club (one of my faves!). The 80s were a golden age for movies with huge blockbuster series like Star Wars, Batman, Indiana Jones & Die Hard. John Hughes was an unstoppable force & I'll happily watch any film with Molly Ringwold or any of the Brat Pack in it. If you're planning an 80s night here's some more cinema greats that I recommend: Heathers, Little Shop Of Horrors, Weird Science, The Man With Two Brains, Sixteen Candles, Blue Velvet, Labyrinth, Pretty In Pink, The Lost Boys, Raising Arizona, Twins, Beetlejuice, Return To Oz, Stand By Me, The Goonies, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Short Circuit, Gremlins & Fletch.




THE MUSIC: My favourite thing about the 80s is definitely the music! One of the first things Andy & I bonded over was our mutual love of Hall & Oates. The only radio station I like these days is Absolute 80s & I probably listen to 80s music more than anything else. We were sent this CD of 100 'hits' & that term should be taken lightly. There's some good bands on it but the song choices were pretty obscure. Instead here's whats on my personal playlist. I could list hundreds of songs I adore so this is just a small selection of tunes that I love to sing along & dance to:

1. The Smiths - This Charming Man
2. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
3. ABC - Poison Arrow
4. Spandau Ballet - Gold
5. Cameo - Word Up
6. The Specials - Ghost Town
7. The Cure - The Lovecats
8. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
9. Visage - Fade To Grey
10. Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
11. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
12. OMD - Enola Gay
13. Orange Juice - Rip It Up
14. Duran Duran - A View To A Kill
15. Gary Numan - Music For Chameleons
16. Human League - Don't You Want Me Baby
17. John Foxx - Underpass
18. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
19. Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
20. Ultravox - Vienna






THE SNACKS: Whilst watching our films, dancing about like crazy to some 80s tuneage & playing some party games we stuffed our faces with some retro sweeties. We were sent this huge box full of goodies from A Quarter Of which is an amazing online sweet shop. I'm rather partial to Fruit Salads & there were so many lovely treats like Parma Violets, Love Hearts, Sherbet Fountains, Wham bars, Drumstick lollies & lots lots more. We also got a bag of hard boiled sweets & a bag of chewy sweets. Let's just say the chewy sweets were devoured within minutes of me putting them out. It was the very best kind of sugar rush.





THE GAMES: The most iconic toy of the 80s has to be the Rubik's Cube. Andy & I completely failed at matching any of it up. I gave it to Chloe the next day & she actually managed to do one side?!?! Some kind of child prodigy I tells ya. We all had loads of fun with the remote control Pac-Man racers. Andy got given this cool Pac-Man mug for his Secret Santa at work so we had to get it out for this occasion - although we just drank cocktails instead of hot drinks! I made Sex On The Beach because that's one of our favourite drinks & apparently it was very popular in the 1980s. If Chloe hadn't been in the house we were gonna do a Back To The Future drinking game but that would've gotten us pretty wrecked!

When you're a parent to a young child every night becomes a night in so it was a lot more fun to give it a theme. If you don't get much time to go on a night out then I'd really recommend doing something like this. Themed nights in are a great idea if you're looking for something fun to do without a huge budget. I'm already planning a 90s one. Any suggestions are very welcome!

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Currently Loving #1

Nakd Cocoa Delight Bars
I'm still on a health kick even though I have fallen off the wagon once or twice. My compulsion to scoff crisps and chocolate has really diminished but if I do feel the need for something a bit chocolatey I opt for one of these Nakd bars instead. They are made entirely of blended dates, cashews and raisins with a hint of cocoa powder. They're so yummy! I normally have one of these as my afternoon snack. They're a lot more filling than a chocolate bar so I actually feel satisfied after just one bar rather than bingeing on a whole pack of chocolate. My daughter loves them too & its a good way to get fruit into her when shes asking for chocolate. They are a bit pricey but I stocked up when Sainsburys were doing 2 packs for £3 recently. Nakd do loads of different flavours from Pecan Pie to Banana Bread but as a big chocolate fiend, Cocoa Delight is my fave.

Django Unchained
I'm a huge Tarantino fan and Django Unchained definitely didn't disappoint. I always enjoy the mix of violence & dark comedy in his work. Its about a black slave turned bounty hunter & is just as cool as it sounds. I really loved this film & I've already seen it twice. I thought both Christoph Waltz & Leonardo DiCaprio's performances were amazing. I can't believe that he actually cut his hand in that scene with the skull and just carried on going. How does he not have an Oscar already? The only thing I didn't love was Tarantino's awful Australian accent. Just why?! The soundtrack is an absolute killer, I've had it on repeat for a few weeks now. If you haven't already, go & see it now!!

My Mad Fat Diary
I stumbled across this programme on E4 the other day when the main character Rae got her period on her skirt in the 3rd episode & was instantly hooked. I could tell this would be a teenage experience that I would be able to relate to more than the likes of Skins. Its about an obese teenage girl in the 90s who has just spent time in a psychiatric hospital following a nervous breakdown & harming herself. The story follows her trying to make new friends & get a boyfriend without people finding out about her personal issues. Its very relatable & I love a bit of 90s nostalgia. The soundtrack is awesome & the dodgy fashion trends are spot on. I also read the book over the weekend and while it is good, I prefer the TV show so far. The show is a lot funnier & theres less of the constant teenage whinging. However in the book Rae is obsessed with Morrissey rather than Damon Albarn & we all know that Moz is king. I always end up reading books about these kind of issues such as Wasted, Girl Interrupted, Unbearable Lightness & Prozac Nation. I recommend checking them out if you're into that sorta thing too.

Yogi Cinnamon Spice Tea
I'm obsessed with putting cinnamon on my food, especially porridge & Greek yoghurt. I love the sweet & spicy smell of it too. I bought this tea a few weeks ago and I'm addicted to it, it tastes so good. It makes my whole drinks cupboard smell amazing! I always have a cup of this before I go to bed now. It really helps me to wind down at the end of the day & warms me up in my freezing bedroom.

The Book Of Mormon
I saw Les Mis the other week and it reminded me just how much I love musicals. I also love everything that the South Park guys do & had heard nothing but good things about their Broadway musical, The Book Of Mormon. So I found a sneaky cam recording that someone had uploaded online & watched the whole thing. It is absolutely hilarious! Its about a young Mormon missionary who is sent to Uganda & has to try and convert the people over there. It basically just takes the piss out of the LDS church but in a really enjoyable way. For a sneak peak check out this video of Andrew Rannells singing 'I Believe' at the Tony Awards. You might recognise him from Girls or The New Normal but he was also the original Elder Price on Broadway & his voice is stunning! I downloaded the original Broadway cast recording & I can't stop listening to it. The songs never fail to make me smile & I put them on when I'm doing boring tasks around the house like washing up haha. Its almost impossible to get tickets at the moment but I'm definitely gonna go see the West End production in August for my birthday.

i'm in lesbians with you.

Headband - H&M
Shirt - American Apparel
Skirt - American Apparel
This is what I'm wearing today, don't worry I'm not planning on going outside! I love this headband so much! Its a big black velvet bow and it always makes me feel cute. Doing this blog is making me realise how much stuff I wear from American Apparel. Its a shame that the one in Leeds is a bit rubbish, I can't find anything in there because of how they've laid out the stock. I always used to go to the one on Carnaby Street in London followed by a trip to Bodeans, nom nom nom.

Anyway I'm planning on staying inside today with the heating on full blast. I've got a cold which woke me up at 5am today & Chloe has a cough so we're better off in the warm. I'm probably gonna re-watch Scott Pilgrim later for the 3rd time in 2 weeks! I'm a bit late on the bandwagon because no one wanted to see it with me when it was on in the cinema. I love it though, might ask for the comic box set for Crimbo. I also downloaded the soundtrack because I really like the stuff Beck did for the film, especially 'Ramona'. I loved all the little references in it like how they used loads of Zelda music, plus he wears a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt which is the same as my tattoo, sweet :)