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Monsta X quickly returned on Feb. 18 with the release of their third album entitled Take.2 We Are Here. ,  a return that closely followed their previous release with their second full-length album  Take.1 Are You There? in October 2018 . Now if you don't know, I must be transparent. Monsta X is one of my favorite bands right beside Young the Giant, Paramore, and Flyleaf (Dreamcatcher's working hard to be included in this list). Over the years I've found I'm drawn to music with unique, powerhouse vocals and heavy and complex instrumentals. Listening to music is the only time when I appreciate sensory overload. Monsta X checks all these boxes with a plus side of incorporating elements of R&B, hip hop, and rap in their music which always elevates my listening experience.  So as you can imagine, I was extremely excited when I caught wind of their February return but concern loomed in the back of my mind. A brief interim period of four months between these two promotion periods or releases left Monsta X with little time to rest. And compared to the American bands that I listen to, Paramore for instance, there's yearly intervals between releases. I was worried  Take.2 We Are Here.  would feel rushed, that their title track Alligator would be heavily compared to their previous title track Shoot Out and most of all I was worried that Monsta X hadn't gotten enough rest and preparation.   There's plenty to talk about with Take.2 We Are Here . Plenty. I had what felt like a million thoughts on these tracks that it took me a month to get them altogether. For the life of me I could not garner a sense of the style and effect Monsta X was going for when I first collectively looked at the songs of Take.2 We Are Here.  After deciding to do a review on the album, I ruminated for a while on my ideas as I wanted to give the most comprehensive explanation of my feelings on each new track. First I'll share my thoughts on the music video for Alligator and the live performances before breaking down every song on the album.  Music Video Ever since my Discovery Channel phase in my late high school years, alligators have been one of my favorite animals. I learned so much about alligators watching the Discovery Channel show  Gator Boys (I was a big fan of Dual Survival and occasionally both Gators Boys and Dual Survival would consecutively air)  that I wrote an entire essay on alligators for an introductory college course. So a Monsta X comeback with alligators as the conceptual focus is everything I could have asked for and they were fully committed to the concept.  The well-produced music video infuses alligator and swamp themes and motifs in the lyrics, the set design, the clothing, the water dance break at the end of the video, the choreography. There were brief shots of an alligator (or a caiman but who can tell the difference, right?) sinking into the water as well as a  Jeep truck with an alligator skin paint job. After watching the music video, I admire the breadth with which they took the concept.  And I must mention that Monsta X's music videos have reached extreme levels of quality in production. Punchy and vibrant colors lit up their Livin' It Up music video. The music video for Jooheon's solo track,  Red Carpet , was ambitious, artistic, and established in aesthetic. Shoot Out' s music video had contrast in the sets (in choreography shots viewers moved from constrained to open spaces). Now Alligator  seems to have a mixture of Monsta X's  Beautiful, Dramarama, and  Shoot Out in it's construction.  The shooting of this music video reminded me a lot of their  Beautiful music video. Also, the impact of the water break dance at the end of Alligator mimics the end of Beautiful where Monsta X remove their suit jackets. Many other bands have danced in water for music videos but  Alligator' s water dance has to be one of the more epic takes I've seen in a while. Placing the shots of the water dance at the end with the fire in the background and the soft orange lighting, ends the video on a dramatic and suspenseful note. Alligator's story implements similar images and themes as Dramarama  (Although the Monsta X mythology is so complex and complicated that I only have the barest understanding of it all). And lastly, Alligator is just as hard hitting as Shoot Out but feels a little less contained.  This music video has to be the best I've seen from Monsta X. They used a lot of cool colors (blue, teal, black, white) in the music video but these colors never fell flat. Maybe that's because production paired the cool colors with bright reds and soft oranges. The music video storyline was pretty difficult for me to follow but the general idea to be taken away–Monsta X was trapped in cells, jailed and on watch by the government who is exacting law and order through the seven deadly sins (which are apparently responsible for the apocalypse so think twice before you scarf down a tub of ice cream). By the end of the music video Monsta X escapes. The incorporation of all these narrative elements, occasionally gave the music video a cinematic flash.    Live Performances Recently, Monsta X's been given many opportunities to display their epic performance skills and I'm loving it. Their M Countdown comeback stage featured not only their live performance of Alligator but an extended introduction where Jooheon and I.M. performed solo raps, Minhyuk and Hyungwon had a mini dance break, with the trio Kihyun, Shownu and Wonho also designated a dance break. Each different phase of the extended introduction fluidly transitioned. By having such an energetic introduction, they built suspense and anticipation for Alligator' s live performance.  Their live performance is what really placed a seal of approval on Alligator for me. Watching Monsta X's live performance of Alligator reminds viewers of how the group is full of charismatic performers. Each band member has their own signature flair, their own dance style, voice, and play to the audience in ways suited to their characteristics as a performer. When all seven come together as a collective, somehow everything melds perfectly together. Seeing the song paired with each member's unique charisma, the choreography, the styling as well as the bells and whistles of the water dancing and the fog effects made this an unforgettable performance. I've been following K-pop for two years and I've yet to see a M Countdown comeback stage so epic, so entertaining, and so dramatic. Monsta X's comeback stage is currently sitting at 1.4 million views on YouTube.  Alligator 's choreography also stands out. Not only are there thematically-fitting elements in the choreography but there's unique formations. Wonho has a dramatically entertaining dance solo at the start of the song. Satisfying parts of the choreography include Hyungwon's lunge to the center position during his lines and Minhyuk's center control of Kihyun and Wonho right before the final call and response rap with Jooheon and I.M in Alligator' s bridge.   The choreography is so satisfying to watch. Maybe that's because the dance moves perfectly align with Alligator 's rhythm, bass, and beats.  Now the styling, the alligator theme influenced the clothing for the music video and live performances. If you're a fan of Monsta X, you know that as of late, their stylists love leather. Leather came back into the styling again for Alligator but brought friends: lace, alligator print, and buckles. The lace, buckles, and alligator-textured textiles were all used to mimic the skin of an alligator furthermore pushing the idea that Monsta X members are the alligators drawing viewers into their swamp.  For their live performance of Play It Cool , also at M Countdown, Monsta X was having a blast. Wonho smiled so much during this performance and the Play It Cool 's club-esque choreography invites viewers to dance along (although with way less finesse than the Monsta X members). There were refreshing formations and doubles dancing in the choreography which briefly paired Wonho and Jooehon as well as Hyungwon and Minhyuk together. Since Play It Cool is a collaboration track with American artist Steve Aoki, it's amazing that Monsta X was given a platform to perform and promote the song live. The Album  Since Monsta X is one of my favorite bands, I'll share my reactions and analysis for just about every song in the album. In each song, sans the intro, I'll consider aspects like the lyrics and meaning, the instrumentals, the vocals, the title, the background of the song's creation, etc.  When I first heard Alligator , I felt unsure about the immense repetition. It reminded me a lot of WSJN's La La Love  and at the start of  Alligator , the repetition felt out of place. And for me as a listener, when a song has an overabundance of repetition, I usually need to be sold on another element working in tandem with the repetition to push the track to another level. In the final parts of Alligator , the outro with Kihyun's ad libs and the epic instrumentals along with the repetition brought everything together.  The repetition is what really gives the song its distinct K-pop color, however, everything else about the song is very indicative of Monsta X's style from the sirens or horns, the strong chemistry between Jooheon and I.M., the iconic line from Jooheon, Kihyun's ad libs, the powerful vocals in the chorus, Minhyuk and Hwungwon sharing the pre-chorus, the EDM drops. Everything about Alligator  says Monsta X. As Wonho said in their appearance on MBC's variety show, Weekly Idol,  Alligator is "Monsta X's K-pop." Actually, the further I listened to Alligator  and unpacked the instrumentals and vocals, the more I felt whispers and shadows of other Monsta X songs like Intro: Are You There?, Jealousy, and Dramarama. I also really love the parts of the vocalists. Hyungwon and Minhyuk sound so confident and I'm realizing more and more that their vocal tone is extremely soothing. Kihyun, Shownu, and Wonho's triplet passages in the chorus gave Alligator a hurried pace. It's also an interesting choice to create this vocal rhythm in the chorus rather than the verses (where you're most likely to see this rhythm). I also found that the "alligator" repetition gave contrast to the song. The repetition is sung in a low pitch, making it a solid transition from the higher-pitched chorus. Alligator can't be discussed without talking about the rapping. Jooheon's and I.M. rap lines in the second verse and bridge offer intense amounts of energy. The two rappers always impressively mood-match one another. When they were passing the mic back and forth in the bridge, it reminded me of watching WWE as a child and seeing the wrestlers tag each other and swap positions in the ring. In Alligator' s bridge, their rapping created so much tension, operating as a drop before the final moments of the song where the chorus emerges once more. I want to say that the rap verses in Alligator happen to be my favorite of the album but there are so many other solid rap verses that deciding is an impossible feat.  In the pre-release period, Monsta X released a highlight medley previewing tracks of Take.2 We Are Here . I found myself most drawn to  Ghost after getting a brief glimpse of Ghost 's pre-chorus and chorus in the highlight medley. The harmonization of "ghost," the lyrics, vocal execution, and the chorus' melody all caught my attention. I left the highlight medley assuming Ghost would be my favorite track, the favorite. After listening to the whole album multiple times, I suppose I know myself pretty well as Ghost is a favorite I'm always ready and eager to play on Spotify. Ghost begins with disruptively loud and repetitive vocals and limited instrumentals–only some sort of windy or breathy sound effect along with a synth xylophone or chime–in the background. Beginning with quiet instrumentals and the repetition of "ghost" give the song it's haunting, dream-like quality. Accompanied by very minimal instrumentals, the verses give the effect of loneliness in a vast world that reflects the ghost experience.  You'll travel to so many places when listening to Ghost . You have Wonho and Shownu's echoey verses at the start, Jooheon's and I.M.'s rap verses, the pre-chorus with Hyungwon's heartfelt vocals, Kihyun's high notes in the chorus, the extended bridge with Kihyun's infamously smooth yet suspense-building  shoo bi lu bi shoo bi lu bi shoo bi la, the unsettling hook with the harmonization of "ghost," and the fantastic ad libs as the song is wrapping up. There's so much to unpack.  Once again, Ghost is one of my favorite tracks (it's fighting with another track for the favorite). The notes and chords chosen provide the listener with a suspenseful experience. Hyungwon's best vocal lines are in Ghost as well as Kihyun's lovely execution of the chorus. Plus Jooheon's and I.M.'s raps are extremely fitting for Ghost .  Ever since last year, Monsta X teased a collaboration with an American artist, but never hinted at the artist's identity. When I saw the track list and the highlight medley for Take.2 We Are Here. and the "(ft. Steve Aoki)" next to Play It Cool , I got my answer. Steve Aoki has done over a hundred collaborations, including a collaboration with BTS, and the list still grows. Steve Aoki has worked with various artists from various genres and his style combined with Monsta X's made for a complementary fusion.  When I listened to the full song for the first time, I was so confused. I couldn't place the vocalist for the very first singer of the track. It didn't sound like any of the designated Monsta X vocalists. I began to wonder if Steve Aoki had some hidden vocal talent but then it dawned on me that main rapper Jooheon was starting off the verses. Although his main position is rapper, he's also a hidden vocalist as shown during Monsta X's live performance of Bruno Mars'  Versace On the Floor where Jooheon blew everyone away with his high, sustained notes.  This song also blew me away with its seamless collaboration. Play It Cool sounds like a modern Monsta X song. It follows the trajectory of sound that Monsta X has been currently into–a retro mixture of funk, house, club, EDM, etc. If you want to know the epitome of laid-back and groovy, then blast  Play It Cool  from your speakers. The majority of the song stays in one vocal range, making you feel a tiny tick of irresolution. However, this effect feels purposely done. You want to listen to song more in search of that resolution and before you know it, you've listened to the track 20 times on repeat–not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.  Some ending side notes: The addition of the Spanish word "bailemos" in I.M.'s rap is a nice way to shout out and gain attention of Spanish speaking fans; the synth horn (it may not be a horn but it sure sounds like one) used at the end of Play It Cool  effectively closes the song and the ending note projects an unresolved effect; everyone adds a dash of emotion to how their lines are sung–no robotic vocals here. The structure of the chorus being half vocals and half dance break establishes  Play It Cool' s groovy mood. In all kinds of aspects Play It Cool is an extremely effective track. It's exciting that Monsta X partnered with Steve Aoki and I hope this leads to more opportunities and collaborations with artists from around the globe.  As someone who's not generally fond of slow songs or ballads, I always get surprised when I come across said slow song or ballad and listen to the track in its entirety. So cue my listening to and enjoyment of  No Reason,  a song produced by Wonho of Monsta X. After proceeding tracks packed with intensity in both the vocals and instrumentals, No Reason  is a necessary pallet cleanser. The gentility of No Reason in comparison to the tracks before and after it, set the song apart from the heavier, darker tracks. If there was ever a musical representation for a breath of fresh air, this is it.  Originally, only three members of Monsta X (Kihyun, Wonho, and Minhyuk) sang and performed  No Reason . The refreshing trio performed No Reason as part of their set for the 2018 Golden Disc Awards (the same set that closes with a water break dance). I also remember their performance of No Reason when I saw Monsta X in concert during their 2018 world tour. Due to the fan's demand for a seven member studio version, No Reason  was included in Take.2 We Are Here .  One interesting feature of No Reason  I keep returning to is its start. It begins without any vocals, just instrumentals and almost sounds like the end of a song rather than the beginning. This structure makes you wonder where the song is heading. Interestingly enough, in a song so tender and sweet Monsta X still manages to incorporate some kind of EDM-worthy drop in the instrumentals, an example being the drop underlying Jooheon's rap lines just before the bridge.  However there are changes made to No Reason 's seven member version such as Jooheon's and I.M.'s rap verses (which was calmly conducted to match the song's tone), Shownu's and Hyungwon's harmonization, and Shownu's solo lines. The addition of Shownu's voice really added vocal texture to the song since his voice has a deep, round, and soulful feel. Overall, I have to give Wonho props for producing a structurally deviant track and the whole group props though for successfully tackling the high vocal range and light mood of No Reason .  In their previous album and title track release with Shoot Out , there was a focus on the seven deadly sins in the Shoot Out music video. Since Monsta X's last two albums are connected ( Take.1 and now Take.2) it's not a stretch to assume that the seven deadly sins concept still applies to this album especially with the promotional photos for Take.2 We Are Here.  that heavily imply themes of temptation (Eve, temptation, and the Garden of Eden fall) through the usage and symbolism of apples . Let's take a little break to discuss the mythology behind Monsta X's music. Their music video for  Dramarama  crafted a narrative of time travel. In the Dramarama  music video storyline, time traveling is federally outlawed. Despite these laws, Monsta X continues to time travel to meet one another, save one another's lives, etc. In my own interpretation, I believe this time traveling idea is operating as an open door for new concepts a.k.a new worlds. In short, for every Monsta X comeback the members are traveling to a different time period to time period with a different culture, set of rules, etc. And it seems for this comeback, their time traveling got them stuck in a world where the seven deadly sins are national law. We even know that this music video is connected to their previous music videos and the time traveling concept due to Hyungwon's solo shot where he's surrounded by clocks and Kihyun's solo shot where the walls around him are covered in equations (I'm assuming he's portraying the genius role and hopes to solve the science of time traveling).  Since Monsta X's concept centers around the seven deadly sins, greed is most apparent in the lyrics and title of the rap-heavy track  Give Me Dat which conveys desperation for something or someone. Kihyun's voice in the chorus contains hints of desperation while a forceful nature underlines I.M.'s raps in the wonderful call and response portion he shared with Wonho at the end of the song. In fact, these parts are so memorable (the chorus and call/response along with Minhyuk's "I can let go" and Kihyun's line in the pre-chorus) for me that I immediately mentally sing them whenever I think of this track. Give Me Dat's verses remind me of Turbulence  in that both tracks contain attitude and sass in the lyric delivery.  Jooheon and I.M. established a lengthened flow and tone through their longer parts in Give Me Dat that they're not quite able to accomplish in the other tracks–a favorable Give Me Dat trait. I enjoyed seeing where they took the rhythm and flow of their verses. And once again in  Give Me Dat we see the addition of Spanish words like "fuego" and "tango" which will charm Monsta X's Spanish-speaking fans. Another interesting aspect to this song was how I audibly unpacked some of the instrumentals after repeated listens. I really liked the added texture of the  whoa, whoa, whoa(s)  in the chorus; it gave the song a dash of soul and contrast when paired with Kihyun's high-pitched vocals.  Now it's time to discuss one of the wilder tracks on Take.2 We Are Here. ,  Rodeo . I call it wild because it seems all inhibitions were thrown to the wind for this track. Rodeo begins with so many different sounds. We hear guitar, more windy sound effects, a horse neigh or bellow (who let BoJack Horseman take part in this production?), a heavy EDM beat, Kihyun and Jooheon's ad-libs. Twenty seconds into the song, you just know you're in for one hell of a ride.  And I felt like my senses were getting hit from every kind of direction, tumbleweeds attacking from the north, south east, and west, sensory overload. For one, the vocal delivery felt very purposeful and unique to the tone of Rodeo . Hyungwon, Wonho, and Minhyuk slightly manipulated their voices to fit the energy and mood of Rodeo . With  Take.2 We Are Here.  I realized how much Monsta X focuses on emoting their songs. Maybe this has always been the case or Monsta X recently pushed the emoting to another level but I've really noticed it with this album in particular.  Pacing. We have to discuss pacing. This song's pacing is all over the place similar to a rocky travel on horseback. I particularly liked the pauses in Shownu and Wonho's lines. You think the pauses will continue past Shownu and Wonho's parts but instead the verses travel to completely unexpected places especially with the back and forth between Minhyuk's vocals and I.M.'s rapping. Then the pre-chorus hits and the entire pace and feel of the song shifts once again. Luckily, in this track, Kihyun has the pre-chorus. Although it's never a bad decision to have Kihyun sing in the chorus, he's almost always given the chorus. It's nice to see his vocals in a different tone and utilized for a different part. Since Kihyun is not singing the chorus for Rodeo , Jooheon got to shine. With the extreme energy of this song, it was an appropriate choice to have charisma expert Jooheon sing a large majority of the song. I also have to commend Jooheon for maintaining two ends of a vocal spectrum and adding a lot of contrast to the song. At one point in Rodeo he's whispering (a really unexpected and well-timed twist in the vocals) and in the chorus he's basically shouting. I expect nothing less of this hype cinema-esque song than for it to be heavily played at concerts although it's in setlist competition with a couple of recent hype-inducing Monsta X songs like Oh My! and Fallin' (a.k.a Heavy Rain). Oh Turbulence , my Take.2 We Are Here. baby, how I have been waiting to share my thoughts about you. Right beside Ghost , Turbulence has been another favorite of mine that's been playing on repeat. First off Turbulence 's lyrics are being sexualized due to the lyrics in the chorus, which is slightly understandable. However, taking a deeper look into the lyrics you'll find lines like "You left me while I still have feelings on you" and "I want to fly and bump into your feelings." In my own interpretation, it sounds as if Turbulence  is trying to communicate the vengeful thoughts someone has when they've been broken up with or hit a rocky path while in a relationship, any situation in which someone has shifted your emotional spectrum. Vegence came to mind simply because of the seven deadly sins or sinful concept of this comeback. When someone has rocked your world and emotions by breaking or chipping away at a serious bond, in return you may want them to experience those turbulent emotions.  Since the nature of this song feels vengeful, I can tell that Monsta X attempted to portray this in how they sung the lyrics. The lyric delivery is harsh and full of attitude. To represent plane turbulence, the vocals begin in a moderate range before taking a slight dip in pitch in the pre-chorus for Shownu and Jooheon's parts before raising in volume and pitch with Kihyun's part in the chorus. When you hit turbulence on an airplane, things get a little shaky. The use of monosyllabic words in the lyrics and Shownu's triplet lines reflect that feeling of trembling aircraft. And I really have to hand it to I.M. and Jooheon who assisted with crafting the lyrics alongside JQ and Sohn Hee because the lyrics, the melodies, the rhythm, everything seems made for each other.   I found myself surprised by aspects of  Turbulence . The bridge surprised me in how many different members sung in it (R.I.P. Hyungwon and Minhyuk's lines). It was 30 seconds with a combination of vocals and rap. The bridge was all over the place with vocal texture from multiple Monsta X members, furthering the concept of an unstable emotional state. I did want more from the instrumentals in Turbulence . It seemed the instrumentals had a lot of rhythm yet lacked progression. But the melodies, the vocals, were enough to enhance Turbulence  and make it an ultimate favorite.   So... I'm just going to say it. Out of all the Monsta X songs, and I've heard them all many times, Stealer would be near the bottom quarter of my rankings. Now, there are good features of the song that I'll unpack, but this track feels a bit incomplete. And maybe this is because I can feel a slight struggle in their performance of the unconventional routes Stealer takes, specifically in the verses.  On episode 147 of Idol Radio where Monsta X was being interviewed by Illhoon, a member of the K-pop group BTOB, Wonho said, "It's not the title but we recorded this song 3 times so we had some trouble with this song. The lyrics changed 3 times."  You can feel the trouble even in the song's final version and I can't clearly detail what feels off to me, since I'm no music expert. However, for me, the trouble lies in the verses. Whenever the verses arise, especially the first verse, the melodies and instrumentals just aren't syncing with my ear. It's unfortunate because once that first verse is over, I'm hooked into the rest of the song. The chorus has an epic Dance Dance Revolution quality to it. There's cool harmonies between Minhyuk and Hyungwon in the bridge. I wonder if Stealer  was intended to be a track that blended old K-pop sounds with new generation sounds because I can definitely sense inklings of that past K-pop sound in the second verse.  What's unfortunate is that given more time to prepare this album, Monsta X might have continued working with Stealer , tweaking it until the track reached that finished status. It's a difficult, unique, and ambitious song. I never knew where the song was going in my first listen and they definitely tried some different techniques with the track. But, for me, Stealer needs one more push to reach its full potential. Finally, it's Party Time . Maybe in discussion of the last track I sounded like a negative Nance, but we're going to end on a good note. I love this song . Whenever a Monsta X song is packed with R&B influence, it's qua-li-ty content. Upon first following Monsta X and looking into their discography, you'll surprising find a lot of slow R&B jams like Amen, Honestly , Perfect Girl , etc. I remember being astounded that I was drawn to these tracks as mentioned previously, it takes a lot for me to like a slower song–this was never the case with Monsta X. In current times, the R&B sounds of their music feel a bit drowned out by all the other influences (EDM, house, trap, etc.). So it's nice to see Monsta X going full-force with the R&B genre once again.  And even though this song is a slow jam, it hits hard. If there was one song on the album that gets me immediately dancing it's Party Time. The one song that could sing me to sleep with its soft vocals– Party Time . The one song where the vocals, the rap, everything just wrap me in some sort of warm cocoon of satisfaction and harmony, it's Party Time . The one song I could play on repeat, repeat, repeat without ever getting bored– Party Time . I can see why Party Time was chosen as the final track. The song balances the listener after they've experienced all of the hectic, wild, and intense tracks proceeding Party Time . It's such a laid back hit with a noteworthy structure.  Party Time holds remnants of Monsta X's Blue Moon with the  da la la chants (does anyone else hear Hyungwon's voice the most in these chants? Maybe I'm so starved for him to have lines that my ears are fabricating sounds). These chants are used to set a rhythm  for the song's bridge underlying Shownu, Wonho, and Kihyun's velvety vocals. And the vocals for most of the song were soft and calming, a stark contrast to the song's message of preparing to party all night long. I must sound like a broken record at this point because I was drawn to I.M. and Jooheon's raps in Party Time  as well. I.M. had this great stitching of words with "I feel like drunken Alexander" in his lyrics and the flow and rhythm of Jooheon's rap is so memorable. If I wasn't dancing already, I always begin dancing and singing along when Jooheon's rap begins. All around this was a solid track suited to my music tastes.  Final Thoughts In some aspects  Take.2 We Are Here.  played it safe (and I'm just nitpicking here). Risks are being taken in terms of Jooheon singing in Play It Cool, Stealer 's ambitious structure and old K-pop feel, and the triplet melodies in Alligator and Turbulence but things could have been pushed a tad bit further. I assume they went a little safe with this album because the interim period between their past two albums was so short. With their next release, I'd like Monsta X to take their time so Monsta X and anyone included in these productions have the time and space to go even more outside of the box with the music . The production of the music video, the wardrobe, the choreography, the live stages was, in contrast, very polished and grand. Monsta X took the majority of their risks in all of these categories especially with all the water dancing and the in-depth incorporation of the alligator concept.   I.M., who participated in writing lyrics for a majority of the songs, did a fabulous job. Many of the lyrics felt made for the song's melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, etc. He even included Spanish in the lyrics. And the choruses! One gleaming ingredient in  Take.2 We Are Here.  are the choruses. Each chorus is perfection. Their melodies stick in your head. They sneak up on you. Suddenly and randomly I'll start mentally singing the chorus to Ghost as if the chorus is haunting me (the only time I'll welcome any kind of haunting).  I hope you enjoyed this analysis of Take.2 We Are Here . I wanted to share my extended thoughts on each track simply because whenever I look for reactions or an analysis about my favored songs the spokesperson never says much. Their thoughts are very condensed and I always leave wanting more from that reviewer. Therefore, I provided a very lengthy review for others who may be seeking an extended analysis on Monsta X's Take.2 We Are Here . Monsta X dragged us into the swamp and now, I feel like I'm drowning. Monsta X recently performed a cover of 2PM's Heartbeat and it's a stellar performance. Whenever I think I can't be more of a fan, they prove me wrong. Take.2 We Are Here. felt like a transition or a gradual evolution in sound. Monsta X already possesses a signature stamp but with Take.2 We Are Here. it seems they are edging toward an extremely polished style. In their next release, we may see the full extent and the direction in which they are trying to take their music.   Videos courtesy of YouTube users: Sarang Tae, boys&girlsgroup lyrics, célιne • 셀린느, nakojjang 2, Jaeguchi, and Zaty Farhani

On these cold February nights, while munching on a warm bowl of Ramen, I've often wondered, what is all the hype about cults? Not that you'll catch me joining a cult anytime soon, but I've always wanted reasons as to why people join cults. We see cults in shows and movies, in our history, in present day. Researchers once estimated the existence of nearly 3,000 cults around the globe. It seems our society is slightly obsessed but what plays into someone's decision to join a cult? Through an examination of the Syfy show Deadly Class and former head of the Chicago Area Skinheads, Christian Picciolini, we can gain some answers to these pressing questions. Christian Picciolini's Story The answer to my question became most prominent while viewing a Ted Talk presentation by Christian Picciolini , who outlines his path from young teen to neo-Nazi gang leader and head of a white supremacist punk band to co-founder of the nonprofit Life After Hate, a peace advocacy organization dedicated to assisting others in distancing themselves from violent extremism. But how did it all begin for Christian Picciolini? It starts in his home where Picciolini often found himself alone. His parents worked 14 hours a day and each possessed multiple jobs to attain a living wage, however, their hard work left their son behind. "Quality time with my parents was pretty much nonexistent. Even though I knew that they loved me very much, growing up I felt abandoned. I was lonely and I started to withdraw. Then I started to resent my parents and become very angry," said Picciolini during the Ted Talk presentation. Amidst his self-consuming loneliness and anger, someone reached out. One day, while smoking a joint in an alley, 14-year-old Picciolini was approached by a man with a shaved head and tall black boots. The man was Clark Martell, founder of the Chicago Area Skinheads (CASH), the first American neo-Nazi organization that Picciolini would eventually join after speaking with Martell. "It was as if this man (Clark Martell) in this alley offered me a lifeline. For 14 years I felt marginalized and bullied. I had low self-esteem and frankly I didn't know who I was, where I belonged, and what my purpose was. I was lost. And overnight, because this man had pulled me in and I had grabbed on to that lifeline with every fiber of my being I had gone from 'Joanie Live Chachi' to full blown Nazi overnight.'" By sharing his experience, I witnessed an example of violent extremist groups targeting the young and lonely; those who believe there's no place for them in the world; those who lack positive and healthy communities. Once these groups find the proper target, they speak of a paradise awaiting recruits and impress extremist rhetoric; then the target is drawn into their ranks. Cult Characteristics These extremist groups are just one of the many forms cults take. Characteristics of cults can be present in fraternities, the military, religious and political groups, making a challenge for social scientists to agree on a definition for cults and to "[distinguish] cults from other groups with similar dynamics." Executive Director of the American Family Foundation in Bonita Springs, Florida Michael D. Langone has his own definition of cults: So experts can't seem to agree on the exact definition of cults, so what would be key characteristics of these social groups? The Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations , describes cults using the following characteristics: Charismatic leaders who demand obedience Strong cohesion Devout commitment to a leader and transcendent worldview Strict authoritarianism Employed methods of social influence Social and moral superiority Overt dependence on the group by its members The very last characteristic, "overt dependence on the group by its members" is an aspect that creates difficulty for members when trying to leave cults. Many join cults because they're in a period of extreme dependence as a result of temporary disorganization. Temporary disorganization in one's personal life (for example, moving away from home) can become a huge factor in someone joining a cult. Temporary disorganization can appear in both the public and private sector. The presence of cults in the U.S. is attributed to the cultural changes in the 1960s. In the 1960s there was social, political, and civil unrest regarding the Vietnam War and equal rights for women and black citizens. Religious influence decreased as more people searched for different methods and outlets of understanding. This is prime hunting ground for cults to take shape, for cults to become "groups whose beliefs conflicted with mainstream dogma." For Picciolini, disorganization was evident in his familial relations. He resented his parents and began to act out to gain their attention. The parental void in his life created a space where the central message of the neo-Nazi extremist group could take root. "The group’s central message, total love and acceptance, is easy to understand and does not require cognitive elaboration. In fact, deep processing among members is discouraged. Socially disconnected prospective members are showered with love ('love bombing'), given hope that the group can answer all their questions and provide the stability that seems to be missing in larger society," as stated in the Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. The stability or "love bombing" that cults promise are the most important and compelling component for its highly dependent members . It took Picciolini 8 years to break free of neo-Nazi environment and the people he grew connected with. It took the birth of his son–a healthier connection–to make him question his choices as leader of a violent extremist group. However no one's experiences in these groups are exactly the same and I found similarities and differences in experience vivified in Syfy's recently released show Deadly Class . Deadly Class Application A short while after viewing Picciolini's presentation, I watched the first episode of the Syfy show Deadly Class following a special online preview of the pilot on December 20th. I've followed Syfy shows like Haven, Alphas, Being Human, The Magicians and Face Off before so eventually this show was going to pass my radar. The first episode of Deadly Class premiered on Syfy on January 16th. It's based on the comic book series of the same name that's written by Rick Remender . In Remender's story, we follow main character Marcus Lopez Arguello who begins the series homeless, on the run from the cops, and on the verge of committing suicide with nothing left to lose until he is brought to King's Dominion, an elite academy of assassins, where he finally finds purpose. What struck me the most about Deadly Class wasn't the fact that minutes into the show a student passes a note in class and their professor immediately bitch-slaps her in the nose with his wooden cane for doing so, no it's the methods of manipulation used by the leader of King's Dominion and the students to draw Marcus into their cult. Early in the episode, the audience finds that Marcus lost both his parents in a freak accident and was sent to an abusive boy's home that eventually burned down in flames. We assume Marcus began the fire at the boy's home that murdered dozens since the cops are hunting Marcus for arson and murder. Now he's homeless and on the run from the cops; he's eating fast food out of garbage cans; he's being harassed by Rory, a homeless serial-killer. Life gets more interesting for Marcus when he hits a joint laced with angel dust, starts getting chased by the cops, then gets kidnapped by students of King's Dominion and brought back to the academy. Since this is Marcus' first encounter with representatives of King's Dominion, we see the first attempt of Master Lin, leader of King's Dominion, to recruit Marcus. If we examine Master Lin's dialogue, we find key words, phrases, and ideas that are being weaponized to lure Marcus into the academy. Master Lin is clearly using rhetoric suited for his audience, employing methods of social influence. Marcus who yearns for simple things like a family and a home is offered this when Master Lin promises "a home for people like you" and mentions "peers." The rhetoric of "chance" is another persuasive choice as Master Lin expresses his offer to Marcus for a chance at life which is more than what Marcus received from anyone after his parents passed. This short period of dialogue from Master Lin is also heavily infused with "you" and "I" or interchangeable versions of these pronouns. Through rhetoric alone, Master Lin is sowing seeds of a future relationship. He's establishing a rhetorical connection with Marcus. Although Marcus rejects Master Lin's first recruitment effort, Marcus is approached once again while in the middle of a suicide attempt. At this point, Marcus is in an even more precarious psychological state that parallels young Picciolini in that both young men were lost. Marcus believes the cops will eventually catch him, that he has nowhere to go, no purpose. He sees life through disillusioned and cynical eyes. There's even a short and desperate spell of dialogue where Marcus laments, "Every single thing I own, gone. Nowhere left to go. No future. No way out. I tried, Papa, but there's nothing left to fight for." So, with nothing else to lose, he's ready to leap to his death. But just as he takes a step towards an earth-shattering fall, he's stopped by Saya, a King's Dominion student. She draws Marcus from the ledge and gets him to agree to go back to King's Dominion with her using soundbites like, "What have you got to lose" and "You don't have to be alone." She holds his hand and kisses him, a direct display of the seduction and "love bombing" usually dispersed among members as psychological manipulation to create a sense of connection and unity. Marcus is further folded into the rhetoric, initiative, and transient worldview of King's Dominion with his second meeting with Master Lin. In this scene, Master Lin explains the general aim of King's Dominion which was founded by his great grandfather who came to the U.S. in search of the American Dream but found "a nightmare of indentured servitude and abuse." Thus rose King's Dominion, a secret organization fighting for the "self-liberation of oppressed people" by "[giving] peasants the required skill" and "[their] rage a voice" to "dethrone their corrupt masters." This message of giving Marcus a voice, along with the gift of the school uniform–clothes–and a community of peers must seem like paradise, the lottery, for Marcus who up until now, felt he owned nothing, felt like nothing. Replace either Saya or Master Lin with Picciolini's tall man in the black boots and it's a similar scenario only slightly different recruitment techniques. However we quickly find out that King's Dominion is not the paradise it made itself out to be pre-membership. Saya, the girl who kissed Marcus, wants pretty much nothing to do with him now that she succeeded in bringing Marcus back to King's Dominion per Master Lin's request. A Nazi passes Marcus a threatening note in class and Marcus realizes the students of King's Dominion are divided into gangs of which Marcus has no affiliation–a dangerous position to be in especially when you have a member of the cartel wanting to slice and dice you for breathing in his girlfriend's direction. Poor Marcus can't catch a break. The beginning of this show mimicked some of the key aspects of recruitment into these organizations right up to the authoritarian control of Master Lin who delves out physical punishment via a wooden cane. Deadly Class leaves viewers guessing if they're watching through the perspective of heroes or villains or somewhere in between. Even Marcus wonders if he's joined a cult after donning the King's Dominion uniform (his exact words are: fuck, I think I just joined a cult) which makes this show so fascinating to dissect in conversation with Picciolini's experience, the definition and characteristics of cults, and why people join them. The comic book itself may even contain further alignment with the realistic paths and outcomes of being in these kinds of organizations. Marcus and Picciolini are just examples and reminders that reinforces one of James Baldwin's many startling quotes, "The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose." I'd even take this philosophy one step further and say a desperate person is society's most dangerous creation; Picciolini was desperate for a connection and relationship, for somewhere that he belonged. Marcus seemed to be desperate for many things: a home, relationships, a purpose in a world constantly beating him down. This is why healthy communities are a societal necessity. It's essential that people find communities of friends, families, or healthy communities related to their interests, hobbies, and personal growth. We need communities that lack the extreme confluence of characteristics found in cults. We need open, honest, welcoming and supportive communities to reach out to those lost and desperate so that others with less than good intentions do not get to them first. I would like for the Uncultured Critic blog to become a community where people feel they have another connection. With many forms of art–writing, music, painting, movies–a connection develops between you and the artist. There's a dialogue for you to unwind and ponder as the artist communicates to you through their work. I hope everything that I write can establish these kinds of connections. Have you seen the first episode of Deadly Class? What did you think of the show? Leave your comments down below! Sources: Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations , International Cultic Studies Association , CQ Researcher

It's hard to imagine events often seen in shows or movies happening in real life. We don't base scenarios such as thousands of balloons carrying a house up into the sky, a powerful Sith lord and cyborg revealing himself as his opponent's father, or reptiles large as skyscrapers touring Metropolitan areas within the realm of reality. But we should remember that art, shows, books and movies mirror our society in their themes, allusions, and plot points. The things we see in movies have their own realistic iterations. I had this flash of catharsis while listening to the story of former counterintelligence specialist, Monica Witt. I was driving to work with the radio set to NPR; NPR did not hold back as they described Monica Witt's crimes and history. A wave of surrealism washed over me; the world suddenly felt like a black and white movie, a scene from Night Train to Munich as spies and espionage and hackers flooded to forefront of reality. With such a fast-paced news cycle, Witt's story, along with many others, seem to have gotten lost in the hay stack but her story raises challenging questions about spies, persuasion, and evolutions in loyalty. Who is Monica Witt? Witt, a former Texas resident, worked as a counterintelligence specialist for the U.S. Air Force. She possessed the highest level of security clearance from 1997 to 2008 and was "deployed overseas to conduct classified counterintelligence missions" as stated by the Department of Justice. Witt also collaborated with the Department of Defense as a cleared defense contractor in 2010. A previously issued FBI missing persons poster posits Witt as working in either Afghanistan or Tajikistan as an English teacher. Before vanishing, she lived overseas for more than a year and within that time converted to Islam. The BBC reports that Witt was present on a television show in which she identified herself as a U.S. veteran and on several broadcasts criticized the United States. Witt was recruited by Iran after attending conferences sponsored by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and hosted by the Iranian New Horizon Organization such as the Hollywoodism conference held in Iran in Feb. 2012 . The Department of Justice notes that these events "[condemns] American moral standards and [promotes] anti-U.S. propaganda." These conferences established Witt's continued contact with a dual United States-Iranian citizen, contact that led to Witt's successful re-entry in Iran in Aug. 2013. Therefore following her conference attendance, Witt was defected and recruited by Iran in 2013. "Once a holder of a top secret security clearance, Monica Witt actively sought opportunities to undermine the United States and support the government of Iran—a country which poses a serious threat to our national security," said Jay Tabb, executive assistant director of the FBI's National Security Branch in a Feb. 13 press briefing in Washington, D.C. as stated on an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. How did Witt betray the US? In support of Iran initiative, Witt shared her classified knowledge and contacts with Iran, allowing four Iranian hackers, known as the Cyber Conspirators and part of the IRGC, to attack Witt's former U.S. intelligence colleagues using malware (software that is designed to damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer system) and spear-phishing (the fraudulent practice of sending emails from a trusted sender to get targeted individuals to reveal confidential information). The Cyber Conspirators allegedly used the malware and spear-phishing to attain access to U.S. intelligence individuals' computers and networks with the help of Witt and the information she provided. "In one such instance, the Cyber Conspirators created a Facebook account that purported to belong to a USIC employee and former colleague of Witt, and which utilized legitimate information and photos from the USIC employee’s actual Facebook account. This particular fake account caused several of Witt’s former colleagues to accept 'friend' requests," as stated in a Feb. 13 press release from the Department of Justice. Witt's alleged efforts were all in benefit of the Iranian government as she revealed secrets to Iran officials such as the "true identity" of a U.S. intelligence officer as well as the "existence of a highly classified intelligence collection program." What comes next? After investigations by the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, a grand jury in the United States District Court, District of Columbia indicted Witt on Feb. 8. Witt was charged with conspiracy to deliver national defense information to representatives of a foreign government and delivering national defense information to representatives of a foreign government; she is also considered an international flight risk. Charges were also filed against the four IRGC Cyber Conspirators (Mojtaba Mosoumpour, Behzad Mesri, Hossein Parvar, and Mohamad Paryar) for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft, and aiding and abetting. The FBI have issued warrants for all individuals charged however all indicted parties are still at large. U.S. Authorities will most likely continue looking for Witt and her co-conspirators as well as any additional parties that can provide extensive information on the charges filed or the whereabouts of Witt and the Cyber Conspirators. Final Thoughts Still at large, Witt is no longer an agent for the U.S. and it's so easy to criminalize Witt, to label her a traitor, to place her in a category, a box and nail it shut. But we must not stray from asking the important questions: How did her decision come to fruition? What drove her to work in the best interests of another country to the chagrin of her former allegiance? Well I took to the essays of Dr. Ursula M. Wilder and former CIA agent Jason Matthews for answers. Matthews' article "The Spy Who Turned Me," previously published by the Wall Street Journal , outlines how a case officer persuades an agent of another country to become a traitor and spy for the U.S. or any foreign intelligence service. Matthews notes that successful persuasion derives from trust: While Matthews admits there is no definitive handbook, there are common methods used in persuasion such as the acronym MICE (money, ideology, conscience and ego–apparently the Russians would add an "S" onto the end of this acronym for sex as they have used sexual entrapment in their own intelligence operations. But Matthews and many countries believe sex is not a "reliable recruitment technique"). These four points–money, ideology, conscience, and ego–are deployed to turn an agent against their country. While we can't exactly say which point had a role in turning Witt against the U.S., we do know that while overseas in Iran, she shifted religious beliefs, meaning ideology could have had a role in motivating her crimes. When it comes to persuasion via ideology, agents can either adapt a new ideology, like Witt, or have a "traumatic loss of ideology," both of which are a lengthy process that develops over years: "This agent no longer believes in her government. She has been abused by the system and hates the superiors who have ruined her career" (Matthews). So maybe Witt's decisions were driven by a lack of belief in the U.S. government and her superiors. Maybe she felt betrayed by the U.S., forgotten by her government, which made her betray the U.S. in kind. According to Dr. Ursula M. Wilder in her article "The Psychology of Espionage," these decision arise from what she denotes are the three elements of espionage. Dysfunction of personality : A spy may possess pathological personality features such as thrill seeking or a desire for power and control, features that lead to espionage. A state of crisis : Espionage may seem like the only option and the most logical choice to solve a problem and escape a painful or terrible situation. Ease of opportunity : If the spy, who has access to classified information, has a relationship with an interested "customer" the manipulations of these customers who "present themselves to potential spies as rewarding and safe patrons" can also lead someone down the path of espionage. Dr. Wilder admits that these elements appear in a variety of ways and mixtures and there are inklings of these elements in Witt's story. Remember Witt visited a conference in Iran and following her attendance, she is noted for having defected. We can only guess that at the conference, "interested customers" took the ease of opportunity to sway Witt's allegiance using the persuasive MICE methods. With Witt's whereabouts still unknown along with her reasons for defecting, we can only guess her reasoning. However we should still make efforts to understand how these events take place, how and why allegiances break and mend. We have to question what happened and why it happened. What made Witt betray the U.S.? We should make efforts to understand Witt before we stamp her with a label. Our understanding reveals not only ideas about Monica Witt, persuasion, and trust but information about ourselves. What are your thoughts regarding this whole ordeal? Do these experiences remind you of any movies or shows? Share in the comments below! And I implore everyone to read the full articles of Jason Matthews and Dr. Wilder for more lengthy information on the psychology of espionage. Sources: FBI.gov , BBC , The Washington Post , The Department of Jusitce, The Wall Street Journal , CIA.gov

Call me cynical, but I never had the best relationship with holidays–Valentine's Day included. I've had to come to terms with the fact that festivity is not a part of my construct. In fact, it'd be extremely fitting to label me a contemporary Scrooge. Back in my high school days, my friends and peers would willingly dress up for all the themed spirit week days–sports day, 80s days, superhero day, tie-dye day. Then there's me wearing my everyday, non-themed jeans, t-shirts, and Converse. My best friend always poked fun at me when I wore Pink leggings during pajama day (the only bed wear I owned were enlarged, permanently stained t-shirts and raggedy jogging pants). My lack of enthusiasm for anything celebratory is most likely due to the unshakable feeling that underlying all these festivities is capitalism, a profit made off of the sometimes obligatory celebration of the consumer (aside: I also came across vintage Valentine's Day cards for the first time and found some extremely weird designs playing to racial and sexist attitudes and stereotypes or just downright weird behavior. Imagine if any of these were released in today's time. It would a social media nuclear explosion). I don't mean to impress dark spins on these holidays; it's just my nature which is why I commend those that upkeep positive dispositions and partake in traditions, themed desserts and sharable appetizers, festive earrings, headgear, gift-giving, the whole shebang. While celebrations often fail to engage me during the holidays, I wondered if maybe the backstories, the mysterious origins of these holidays would instead. Cue the Google search engine! Digging deeper into the origination of Valentine's Day specifically, uncovered stories rooted in Catholic and Roman traditions that, in the end, did nothing to remove my cynicism for the holiday. However, the history of Valentine's Day raises new mysteries ready for exploration.
Pagan Festivals and Love Lotteries On February 15th, Romans took part in the ancient festival of Lupercalia ; a fertility festival supervised by a troupe of priests called Luperci and held in the honor of the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus, and Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Lupercalia was conducted to promote agriculture and familial fertility, ward off evil spirits, and purify the city. Within sacred caves, Lupercalia celebrators gathered; they sacrificed goats for fertility and dogs for purification. Furthermore, the goat hide was cut into strips, dipped in sacrificial blood, and with this tool in hand, used to slap both women and crops, a practice said to promote fertility for the coming year. That same day, all the single ladies would enter their names to a matchmaking lottery from which single men draw names, deciding which pairs will spend the rest of the festival together (one could only guess how they'd chose to spend that time, wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Following these pairings, many couples got married. The Valentine's Day we have today is admittedly a more toned-down version of the previous Roman traditions for I have never been slapped with bloody goat hide. Praise the powers that be! However, it's theorized that our current Valentine's is a Christian cover-up of the more scandalous Roman tradition. That definitely appears to be the intention of pope St. Gelasius I, who suppressed the celebration of Lupercalia and modified the holiday to a feast of the Purification. Martyrdom Valentine's Day received its name from various saints, all who died on February 14th and shared the name of Valentine or Valentinus. The lives of these saints were recorded in a collection entitled Acta Sanctorum by an organization of Belgian monks called Bollandists who were dedicated to excavating saintly histories (although they often were only able to recover the saints' name and date of death). They did so by examining manuscript archives from around the globe. One volume of their written records contains information surrounding February 14th. In these records, we find that the first Valentine died along with 24 soldiers in Africa. The following two Valentines were the victims of martyrdom and were executed during the reign of 3rd century Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus . In the times of Emperor Gothicus' reign, it was common to persecute Christians. One of the two Valentines was, in fact, a Roman priest named Valentinus who was ultimately beheaded after attempting religious conversion as well as curing an aristocrat's daughter's blindness through Christian mysticism (after placing his hands on the young woman's eyes and a brief plea to God, the daughter was no longer blind). Apparently he also signed letters addressed "from your Valentine" to the young woman cured. Another man named Valentine who was a bishop of Terni, part of the province of Umbria, Italy, was also beheaded after similarly attempting religious conversion and healing his own son. Our friendly registrars, the Bollandists, believe that these two accounts of Valentine are likely to be different versions (Roman and Terni) of the same man's death. There's other legends of these saintly lives swimming around such as a Valentine defying Emperor Gothicus's orders (the Emperor outlawed marriage for young men, believing single men without family made better soldiers) and secretly conducting marriage for young people; another account credits a Valentine for trying to help Christians, who were often beaten and tortured in Roman prisons, to escape. As it turns out, there are various tales, stories, or myths about the origins of Valentine's Day. Since a single version has yet to be defined as truth, this is one holiday that's going to stay shrouded in mystery. Did you find yourself as surprised by the history of Valentine's Day as I was? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Sources: History.com , NPR , Smithsonian.com , Encyclopædia Britannica, New World Encyclopedia #legends #valentinesday #history #news #holiday

*Potential spoilers ahead* As many know, there are no shortage of problems with the CW show Riverdale (bad dialogue, flat and inconsistent characterization, predictable plot points, need I go on?). However, I realized while listening to the amazing Riverdale podcast The Riverdale Register what problem stopped me from closely watching season 3 of Riverdale –the show sets up expectations for viewers without following through or by following through in the most boring ways. Most well-written books, shows, and movies implement foreshadowing (an indication of a future event) for the audience by revealing a tidbit of information that becomes important in later parts of the narrative. When writers circle back around to those earlier details or important plot points, the audience becomes satisfied that details they filed into their memory bank were actually given narrative purpose. And best of all, the writer's artistic choices appear intentional to their audience; they appear to have control of their narrative; details and events matter because every cause has an effect. The screenwriting blog Screencraft explains the technique of plant and payoff extremely well in the article Best “Plant and Payoff” Scenes Screenwriters Can Learn From . The article even offers various examples from movies and shows appropriately using this technique of foreshadowing. But what is the plant and payoff technique? As Ken Miyamoto outlines in his article, the plant and payoff technique is a form of foreshadowing that "[introduces] a story point" (the plant) with the story point returning to the narrative later on (the payoff). This writing technique offers viewers "an advance hint of what is to come later in the story." So when writers create story points for their audience and then offer no payoff, they leave viewers dissatisfied–which continuously happens in Riverdale . In Season 2 episode 13 , Archie finds out that the FBI agent, Agent Adams (a name that sounds like an alias and cements Archie as a gullible sap), that's been harassing/pressing him for incriminating information on the Lodges was in fact working for the Lodges all along. The whole ordeal was a scam and test of Archie's loyalty to Veronica and her family. In revealing this, Agent Adams, whose real name is Andre, takes Archie to some desolate place in the woods and with the words, "Here ya go, boss" hands Archie over to none other than Hermione Lodge. The show dramatically frames this meeting as some sort of large revelation and causes viewers to question if Hermione is the real mastermind behind the Lodge's plots instead of Hiram. During the scene, Hermione strongly states, "Agent Adams isn't real. He works for me, one of my capos. I asked him to apply a lot of pressure to you, threaten your father, even, see if you would crack." Television shows are not exempt from open-ended interpretation; the ending of Lost is proof of this fact. But in my mind, this rendezvous between Hermione and Archie demonstrated that Hermione was the big bad, even worse than Hiram. Yet as it turns out, Hiram becomes the big bad for the second half of season 2 all the way to season 3, meaning he isn't under Hermione's thumb. Looking back, I wonder if the show just wanted an intense shot for the episode trailer and so they overdramatized the scene between Hermione and Archie. However the scene gave off the impression that there was subtext to pay attention to. That if the subtext was decoded, you'd find out Hermione was the Lodge behind everything. Instead of satisfying the audience by taking the plant (Hermione ordering one of her capos to deceive Archie) and paying if off later on (Hermione becomes the big bad), the audience is instead led down a more lackluster route in the show–Hiram, of course, was the one in control all along. In season 3 Betty's mother sends her to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy in an effort to protect Betty from the Gargoyle King after the Gargoyle King invaded the Cooper home. At the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, Betty finds out that the Gargoyle King has a chamber in the facility where Quiet Mercy patients are occasionally sent. Viewers are led to believe that the Gargoyle King is lurking the halls of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, manipulating and mystifying inpatients in his chamber, however we soon find out in the midseason finale of season 3 that the Gargoyle King isn't really appearing in the Sisters of Quiet Mercy at all. Instead the patients are hallucinating his appearance, a combination of Fizzle Rocks and a gargoyle statue stashed in the chamber and inducing these visions. This storyline for Betty is just another example of Riverdale paying off plants in the most unsatisfying way for their viewers. Instead of the Gargoyle King being an actual entity entering the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, as to be believed by the audience, instead the show reveals a less engaging resolution in a gargoyle statue. And finally, in the midseason finale of season 3, Hiram pulls some strings and Riverdale ends up quarantined. The audience is put under the assumption that no one can get in or out, specifically Jughead and F.P. who were on their way back to town. This assumption is only punctuation by the cops guarding the town's entrance, guns in hand, guns that they point in the direction of Jughead and F.P. upon the father and son's arrival. As a viewer, you expect some sort of plot line when the show returns of Jughead and F.P. attempting to get back into Riverdale, despite the quarantine. Instead we get this voiceover while Jughead freely walks in the halls of Riverdale High: Wasn't Jughead just trapped outside of town, unable to get in? Were him and F.P. let back in? Why isn't more time spent on the quarantine when the midseason finale ended on a quarantine? I vaguely remember episodes from the ABC show Once Upon a Time where characters occasionally were locked out of or trapped in Storybrooke most often by casted spells. Then an episode or two would be spent on characters trying to defeat this obstacle–showing the audience what transpired instead of telling the audience. The same should apply to Riverdale . How awesome would it have been to see Jughead and F.P. figuring out how to get back into Riverdale? Jughead's voiceover easily explains away an obstacle that the audience should have experienced with the characters. Then again, I realize I'm asking for improvement of a show I'm no longer watching. Although I've brought up examples from season 3, For the sake of my sanity I stopped closely watching Riverdale at the start of the third season, sticking only to the midseason and season finales. The show's writing lacks a sense of control as introduced plot points, events, characters, are seemingly forgotten by the writers or just written off in voiceovers. Some basic aspects of foreshadowing seem to not apply to Riverdale and audience expectations end up tarnished in the process. Oh Riverdale , if only you let your hinted plot points come to fruition. We'd have Hermione, the mama bear mob boss dispensing her capos all over town. Admittedly, the show still has a bit of a hold on me because it once held so much promise and the show has been able to establish this uniquely retro, grungy, angsty atmosphere. Only, Riverdale has turned into a parody of itself. Maybe that was always the intention but I've grown tired of parodies, of satire. So many shows and movies seem to be satirical commentaries that only give writers an excuse to reuse old tropes and tired plots. I want originality. I want a serious, hard-boiled mystery that just so happens to have teens. But I suppose I must be realistic. I must ask not for a lot and expect even less. And Riverdale could prove me totally wrong. There could be some great twist where Hermione is revealed as the big bad; they flashback to time spent during the quarantine; they could start paying off various plants but... I just won't be around to see it. If you're currently watching Riverdale, I'd love to know what you think about the current season! Are you confused? Do you love it or hate it? Are you indifferent? Have your thoughts about season 3 changed over time? Let me know with a comment down below.

It seems as if I've been waiting 10 summers for Cube Entertainment to get their shit together and let CLC out of the Cube dungeon. But in retrospect, the wait wasn't THAT long. The last time CLC released music was in February of 2018 with their title song Black Dress and I've waited longer for new tunes from American bands. The sad part about the saturated K-pop market is that fans or consumers can forget about groups if they aren't releasing music on a consistent basis. Since the long wait for more CLC is over and my expectations are high, I wanted to record my thoughts before the release of CLC's 8th mini album No.1 , specifically their title track No , as well as after. Before Ambiance It was when the teasers started dropping on YouTube that I became aware of CLC's comeback. They released teasers for each member, the first being Yujin's . I was shocked by the teaser's chic and sassy tone. The ambiance of the teasers reminded me a lot of Black Dress , so does that make this comeback Black Dress Pt. 2? Colors Another strong feature of the music video teasers were the colors. In these images of Yujin and Eunbin alone, there's purples, red, oranges, and blues. I love the punchy vibrancy of it all! In these current times, it appears that music videos with extremely colorful and eye-catching pallets tend to receive more viewership. Colors usually = aesthetically pleasing content. So I'm hoping that the music video itself will draw in more views for CLC. Message From what I've been able to grasp, CLC's No seems to be about saying no to society's standards of beauty and embracing who you are and want to be. In Elkie's teaser, she even sang, "I love me. I like it." I'm super excited to see the full extent of this comeback's empowering concept. Music There's also much to look forward to in the other tracks on CLC's 8th mini album. In the highlight medley I found myself drawn to Show and Breakdown (that brief glimpse of Show was so catchy, it's been stuck in my head ever since my first listen). For some reason, the music is also giving me Lady Gaga vibes. I'm not sure if it's from all of the synth work in the song but this comeback has a certain art pop flavor that I feel Mama Monster would appreciate. Overall, CLC's pre-promotional period for their 2019 comeback is looking very promising. All of the members look sassy, chic, and classy and I can only hope No is received well. After Uniqueness While I previously compared the feel of this song to Lady Gaga and CLC's Black Dress , in retrospect, this song feels very original. Its sound has a fresh ring. I'm no expert with music genres but there seemed to be a slight retro, disco flavor in No . The song also keeps the interest of the listener by straying from repetitive pop structures. One way No mixes things up is with the usage of silence. Moments of Silence One way in which the song was able to keep you interested and veer from repetition was by having these moments of silence during the hook, "Red lip? No. Earrings? No. High heels? No. Handbag? No." The song even retains a circular structure by having this instrumental silence at the beginning of the song and then in the bridge, adding intensity to the song's effect. The B-sides Not only was CLC's title track a hit that I'm chronically playing but each of the tracks on their mini album can stand on their own as a title track. They're all super catchy that without having listened to the songs too many times, I can at least sing from memory a good 30 seconds of each song. And they took me by surprise with their track I Need U which is perfectly sung in all English. Choreography The live performances began so quickly for CLC this comeback and they've been knocking it out of the park. You got to see a lot of Sorn and Elkie even in the B-side live performances of Like It and Show . They're all flawlessly dancing in high heels–which I can't relate to but absolutely commend. I loved the subtle choreography for No 's hook. When they mention earrings, their hands do this purposeful fan gesture around their heads. Then when the bridge (that includes slow, dramatic runway walks, what else could you ask for?) and the dance break hit so do the chills and goosebumps. There were actually many dance breaks in this CLC comeback like at the beginning of Show , for instance. And each dance break has been conducted with so much stage presence, it's as if all of their songs were born to be performed on stage. Seungyeon In this 2019 comeback, Seungyeon really shined. She often took center stage in the dance formation and made me shake in my boots from the sheer intensity in her expressions and her precise control over her body's every movement. For me, she was a standout in this comeback and her voice was really well suited for the lines in No 's hook. Full Force Promotion After No 's release I'm going to commend Cube Entertainment for the way they've been promoting the song. There were teaser videos for each individual member, allowing each member to shine and reminding the audience of what to come. Immediately following No's release, live performances of No as well as CLC's B-sides Like It and Show were on YouTube. CLC and Cube Entertainment are not being quiet about this comeback at all. Ever since the whole situation with Hyuna and Edawn leaving Cube Entertainment thus leading to the end of Triple H (insert ugly cry face here) and Edawn's leave from Pentagon, I've been on the outs with Cube Entertainment. However, they deserve a pat on the back for the handling of CLC's comeback. Hopefully this momentum continues for the rest of the promotional period. Imagery & Lyrics I appreciate the entire spirit of this comeback. The lyrics scream strength, confidence, and boldness with lines like "Forget ways to look more 'beautiful'/ Screw how you feel, so 'I' can look more like 'me.'" Another important tidbit, Soyeon from (G)-Idle arranged the song and wrote lyrics alongside Yeeun for No . You can sense Soyeon's signature and it's always great to see artists from different groups working together. While music can be interpreted in many ways, for me, No is about forgoing pressures, stigmas, and social standards set by others and confidently being who you want to be. It's about breaking out of a forced one-dimensional image–as people are rarely one-note. This is evident in the quick shot of CLC closing a coffin, trapping handbags, high heels, and clothing inside. It's like they are laying costumes or shells of people they were told to be to rest. They're telling anyone who hears this song that they're not afraid to be themselves, embrace every aspect of their character, dress as they like, express themselves as they like and they'll love themselves while doing it. And that's a message I can get behind. Final Thoughts So far, CLC's 2019 comeback has been extremely exciting. They came back with a lot of force and power and after waiting so long for new music from CLC, I'm now a well fed Cheshire. The bar was set really high with No and I hope they get more recognition and music show wins with this release. It would be a long time coming. Make sure to visit the On Repeat page for the On Repeat playlist which will include songs from CLC's new mini album No.1 . Want to support CLC? Vote for their new release on websites and apps like M Countdown and IdolChamp , buy their new album No.1, and stream No 's music video and live performances. Comment below with your thoughts on CLC's title track No and their 8th mini album No.1. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Even though a book may be written decades ago, its themes and ideas can still apply to current times. Reading can exponentially teach you about the world and the people in it. Writers often pull from their experiences when writing and it is by reading that we can learn ways to navigate or rethink our own experiences. It was by reading Rabindranath Tagore's The Home and The World that I learned the dangerous, violent, and corrupt roads that extreme nationalism and blind loyalty to leadership can take a society. While reading Agatha Christie's semi-autobiographical Unfinished Portrait (a book I came across while shopping at the Printer's Row Lit Fest in Chicago last year) , I found myself called to rethink society's unquestioning idolization of people, things, and ideas . Unfinished Portrait follows the life of a woman named Celia who at the start of the novel, is contemplating suicide. This negative course of mind is however interrupted by a man named J.L. or Larrabay, who catches the tell-tale signs of depression and a suicidal determination in Celia's disposition. This leads to Larraby vowing to stop Celia from committing suicide and asking her what life events led her to such a dark place. She begins to paint the picture of her life for Larraby, starting with her earliest years. I'm so used to Christie's murder mysteries that I found this novel refreshing in its lack of nosy detectives and murdered parties. There are still whisperings of the elements of mystery in that the novel calls the reader to ponder what events in Celia's life could have led to the misery encompassing her at the novel's start. We also have the mystery of the Gun Man, an elusive figure used to symbolize Celia's fear, that haunts Celia's dreams as a child and, in its mystery, continues to haunt her in adulthood. But what was most interesting about Unfinished Portrait was a monologue near the end of the book that felt so applicable to current times. Celia's monologue follows an explanation of her life to Larraby including events such as her husband Dermot (of whom she was deeply and foolishly in love with) leaving Celia and her child, Judy, for a mistress. And indeed, Celia was stupid. Christie outlines a very important and ugly truth–that trust should not be doled out easily. That we should not be too arrogant in our beliefs or perceptions of other people, ideas, things. That we should stray from behavior shown by Celia and not be blinded by our arrogance. No one or nothing should be idolized or exempt from questioning. It seems Christie is conducting self-reflection, venting even, through Celia's character as events in Celia's life coincide with events in Christie's . Agatha Christie married Archibald Christie, an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps, however their marriage ended in divorce in 1928 as Archibald began an affair–very similar to Dermot, a war general with straying sights. Agatha Christie also disappeared for 11 days in 1926 which sounds comparable to Celia during her isolated and reflective time with Larraby. Even the Queen of Mystery is not exempt from these very cruel aspects of life. And unfortunately I see so many examples of people behaving as Celia and Agatha Christie in so many aspects of society. I see this behavior in music, movie, and sport fandoms. I see this behavior in religious organizations. I see this behavior when it comes to politics in various countries. As humans we put people or ideas on pedestals and assume their perfection but this can lead to followers feeling duped and betrayed, as Celia did, when evidence shows us we've been wrong the whole time. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want ever want to feel that way if I can avoid it–betrayed and fooled by a trusted source. Unfortunately this leads to a path of constant uncertainty but this idea that it's unfair to trust people too much, to try them too high, to put them on pedestals just because you like them there is will ensure that you are never handing your trust out blindly to people, ideas, or things who may not deserve it. Even the books I read must be measured and assessed alongside other books and my own experiences to see where their ideas fit in my worldview. In learning, it's important to consult a variety of sources as in doing so, truth will emerge. Consulting one source for truth, for example those who consume news from one source such as FOX or CNN, will leave you with glaring blindspots. When I was on a hair product kick, buying any kind of hair product that promised hair growth and deep moisturizing, I wish I had known about Celia's character arc. I could have saved a lot of money and a lot of time by questioning my sources before opening my wallet. Was there a time where you felt you could have used Celia's advice? Comment down below and share your experiences!

In my journalism teachings, I've been instructed that fancy, pretentious words aren't the best to use in news article when a simpler word will suffice due to the fact that news should be accessible for all readers at various reading levels. Making your news stories similar to a stanza out of a Wallace Stevens poem will alienate or confuse readers. While I sit on the fence of this idea, as I think we shouldn't be afraid to use uncommon words (it is only by using uncommon words that they will get more common and well known), I saw a challenge to this philosophy while reading an article from The Atlantic where I saw the word "vivifies" used in explaining. This was the first time I had seen the word and so I did further investigation. Meaning Vivify (verb): To enliven or animate; to endow with renewed life; to impart vividness and vitality to; to make something or someone more lively or vivid; to give life to; to brighten or sharpen; to make more interesting Examples Rosita began planting chrysanthemums to vivify the flower beds in her front lawn. Too sleepy and wracked with thorns, I vivify; I gloss. To read more about the word vivify and ways to use it, check out these sources: Merriam Webster, Dictionary.com , Oxford Dictionary .

When it comes to K-pop, I've always been a fan of the complex. Before their 2019 comeback, I repeatedly watched CLC's comeback teasers and in every teaser the artists gave me so many layers–chic, elegant, fierce, sexy, strong, cute, confident, the list goes on. As a viewer you stay engaged when artists are dynamic and constantly offering their audience something new. Monsta X kept surprising me all throughout 2018, even at the start of 2019, with their hard-hitting Shoot Out comeback, their Versace on the Floor cover, their live performance of the Korean Version of Spotlight, their performance at the 2018 MAMA and the Asia Artists Awards , their water dance break , their Japanese release Livin' It Up , and plenty more. But with certain artists, I need to experience a couple of comebacks before my mind rudely calls out to me and says, "Psst, where have you been all this time? You've been missing out." Astro had a recent comeback with their song, All Night and because my knowledge of the group only extends to their song Crazy Sexy Cool , I thought I would give them another try. Crazy Sexy Cool was a cute and charming song with funky tones but the song didn't hook me. As someone who has so many K-pop groups on my radar, I need to choose carefully when adding more to my ever-growing list. So at the time of Crazy Sexy Cool, I hadn't felt compelled enough to enter a stage of fandom for Astro. However, I wanted to give the group another try as what I usually find is that certain comebacks or eras just may not be my style or may not be the right time for me to become a fan. Some groups just have to grow on you or a specific comeback may pull you in, give you and understanding of the group's feel and concept and then make you a fan while certain releases can make you indifferent. Long story short, I watched All Night and ... there's a lot to talk about. Music Video MJ's voice Every single time MJ sang, he pulled my attention. Since I'm no vocal expert I can't even determine why I was so drawn to his voice (maybe it's sorcery?) but the same happened in my viewing of Crazy Sexy Cool . Out of all the members, I walked away from that era knowing MJ's name and face and apparently with All Night nothing has changed. Sanha I also found to have a distinct voice from the other members and his voice had a soulful ring during the pre-chorus. The hair colors K-pop hair stylists love to dye idols' hair all kinds of crazy colors (sometimes making them look as if they walked out of an anime) and the color was flying with Astro. There were dreamsicle orange, soft pink and frosted purple hair colors–all colors that stood out against the cool blue backgrounds rampant in the music video. Set design Although the title of the song is All Night , the music video reminds me more of day what with all the floral accents in the set design and the bright, warm colors at the start of the video. As the video moves further along, however, the shadows in the lighting increase, night arises. Chic and elegant atmosphere Talking briefly about the set design brings me to the wonderful and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere of the whole video. The white clothing, the flora, the smooth dancing, and the R&B twist to the song all work in tandem to craft a chic and elegant, almost delicate, atmosphere. R&B tones Many K-pop songs include a mixture of genres in their works (one of the many reasons why I love the genre) and this feature was present in All Night . There was a mixture of R&B and pop which just reminded me of the early 2000s jams my mom and dad would play in the car. These elements I found most evident in the chorus and pre-chorus also known as my favorite parts of the song. Moonbin's charisma Along with MJ, Moonbin kept stealing my eye throughout the music video. It could be his voice, his hair's cotton candy color or the fact that he was showing some shoulder at the end of the music video, but he seriously radiates with some kind of gravitational energy that pulls you into his orbit. Dynamism Since Crazy Sexy Cool , I associated this cute and charming image with Astro. Their youthful, cute sides do not completely disappear in All Night but, for the most part, there's a different tone–a serious serenade. With this song, Astro adds a different layer to their appearance and is telling me, as someone not extremely familiar to them, that they have more to offer than only a youthful and joyful concept. Live Performances For live performances I checked out their performances on M Countdown on January 17th and January 24th (and I must say I am a fan of the black outfits, amen to the stylists). Some common denominators between both performances was Moonbin's electric charisma. Before watching the live performances, I wondered if the same level of energy I witnessed in the video would be apparent on stage. And I wasn't disappointed. He's extremely expressive and artfully delivers the subtle sensuality of their current concept. Plus he drove the crowds wild whenever he revealed his shoulder. There were some key moments in the choreography I kept a look out for in the live performances after briefly glimpses of the moves in the music video. When they all drop it low during the chorus, for example. I also really liked the detailed floor work at the very beginning of the song and during Rocky's part in the bridge. MJ was also super happy in their first M Countdown appearance. He ended the stage with such a bright smile I almost shielded my eyes from the UV rays. His smiles were extremely infectious so I'm labelling him the group's happy virus. But I could be totally wrong. I also found while watching the live performances that I was really able to focus on the voices of each member and found them all vocally stable and distinct. If listened regularly to Astro, I would most likely be able to tell who was singing which part of a song with minimal problems. Final Thoughts I learned so much more about Astro by giving their music another try. They seem to have strong vocals, charisma on stage, and bright dispositions. Astro is really trying to pull me in, make me an official Aroha, but I'm going to hold back for now. I'll keep a look out for more tunes and maybe check out the full All Light album, but I'd like to see more from Astro first. It seems Astro is entering a more mature period. I know they have a younger member in their group, Sanha, which in the past may have limited how risky Astro's concepts were what with Sanha being a minor. So maybe, moving forward, their comebacks will take more mature routes, which would cement my fandom. Overall, I really enjoyed this comeback from Astro and I got a better sense of who they are as a group. They all seem like bright, joyful, and radiant individuals which is reflective in their music and each member's stage presence. A fan of Astro? Comment down below with your favorite Astro song or your thoughts about their most recent comeback!