Album Reaction: Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots

Everybody, we're listening to Blurryface today! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. This post may be coming out on a Friday, but trust that it's being written the second I saw that this album was on Spotify. Blurryface was originally coming out on Tuesday, but then this video came out on Sunday. My life has been a whirlwind ever since.

Open up Spotify right now, and get ready to go on the ride of your life with me. Make sure your playlist isn't automatically set to shuffle. That would be confusing for you.

This is eerie but really cool. I feel like this song should be in Fast and Furious or something. Yes! The chorus! I'm so in love already. I'm buying it this moment. I love how it gets from super fast rapping and then slows down super quick. I LOVE THE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE MIDDLE. I'm literally in love with everything about this song. The creepiness, the catchy chorus, the instrumental parts. Everything about heavydirtysoul is perfect.

I've heard this song before the album came out. You can see it from my Saturday Seven last week. The chorus on this song is my favorite. Oh, they just mentioned student loans and tree house homes. I would take the latter too, Tyler. I feel this song on a very deep level. I'm hella stressed out, but I too need to wake up and make money. I've been wondering whose voice this was at the end. I like it, but where did it come from? 

This is the first song that hasn't started with rapping. I really like the change. THIS IS THE BEST CHORUS. The music makes this song sound so happy, but Tyler Joseph is talking about taking bullets for people. IS HE SINGING IN FALSETTO? I'm in love with this, "I've been thinking too much," stuff. The end of this song is EVERYTHING. Oh, that wasn't the end? The real end is everything also. 

Fairly Local was the first song I had heard from this album. When I listened to it I didn't know what to think because it sounds really dark. I haven't heard it in a good week, but it has been stuck in my head all day today. I really love this song now. Who is this random guy rapping? Is he the same guy from before? I'm so in love with this album so far. 

THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG. I LOVE THE PIANO. THE CHORUS IS GREAT. MY TASTE IN MUSIC IS YOUR FACE. I'M JAMMING OUT ON MY COUCH RIGHT NOW, AND MY DAD ASKED IF I WAS OKAY. This is a very non-traditional song to write about your wife, but it's so great. I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS SONG AND THIS BAND AND TYLER AND JOSEPH INDIVIDUALLY AND NEVER LET THIS ALBUM END. 

This song sounds very different than what I've heard from them before. DON'T TRUST A PERFECT PERSON AND DON'T TRUST A SONG THAT'S FLAWLESS. I guess I can't trust this entire album because everything's perfect. Who is telling Twenty One Pilots to stay in their lane? Sorry that they're better than you. I like this song. It's kind of weird and different, but I am so in love. I really like the drumming in the end. 

THIS SONG HAS A UKELELE. I'm thirty seconds in and in love. I love how stripped down the beginning of this song is sounding. Even the rapping with the ukelele is perfect. The chorus is everything. I love the high notes. I don't have much to say about this one because I'm too busy falling in actual love with a song. GIVE ME SO MUCH MORE OF THIS PIANO. The last minute of this song is real perfection. 

Okay, this is starting out with some fun synthesizer stuff. I love what they did with the "Don't forget about me," line. This song is pretty chill and it's great. We just had three pretty upbeat songs, so it was time for a slower one. This is great though. I'm so in love with this. It's perfect. I feel like this is a good time to mention that I'm jamming out so hard that I am sweating. I can't even imagine how hard I'd be sweating if I didn't have a computer on my lap.

The beginning of this song caught me so off guard. Be assured, though, I'm in love. I love the hook. I love the chorus. Did he just say, "En fuego"? Is he speaking Spanish to me? Now he's yelling at me. I love this entire song. The last few "I wanted to be a better brother, better son," kind of gave me chills? Overall, another A+ song. 

THE UKELELE IS BACK. This is so much more upbeat than the last few songs. These are kind of depressing lyrics, but I'm still smiling from ear to ear? I'm so in love with everything about this song. I love all of the instruments, and then I love how raw the chorus is. Never let this song end. 

I don't know where this song is going to go, but I'm already dancing. Oh, this song took a direction I was not expecting, but I STILL LOVE IT. The verses have a reggae vibe that I'm feeling. We're rapping now! I honestly was not expecting this. Now I feel like I'm in the middle of a Kanye song? I'm hoping we get more of the piano in the last few songs.

The beginning of this song happened and I thought it was a Spotify commercial because of how different it was. It sounded so angelic. I'm loving everything about this chorus. Actually now that the angel voices are back I'm loving everything about this song. I wonder if there will be any rapping. I am so in love with this song. It's easily one of my favorites on the album right now. I want to have a little dance party with this right now. I need to see this live. How did this song even happen? It's so different. I can't even begin to comprehend how I can be so in love with a song. 

I'm loving how low-key the beginning of this song is. Tyler was right with how the lyrics are a downer, but the song sounds happy. THAT CHORUS WAS VERY UNEXPECTED BUT VERY APPRECIATED. I love this song so much I'm actually about to cry. I know I've said this about every other song on the album, but I am so, so in love. I want to stop listening to the album right now because I never want it to end.

THE PIANO IS BACK AND I CAN ALREADY TELL THIS IS GOING TO BE SO SAD. So, I actually listened to the entire song before giving my thoughts this time. I loved how they would build up the drums during the chorus. I loved how all of the instruments came together in such a powerful way at the end. I actually got chills during this, and if the song were a minute longer, I'd be crying. This was the perfect song. This was the perfect ending to Blurryface. And again, I am so in love. 

I had listened to Twenty One Pilots off and on until their last album, Vessel, came out. Before then, I would see a song or two and think they were good but never really thought anything of it. When Vessel came out I was in love. I thought it was amazing. I hadn't heard anything like it, and I was hooked.

Vessel was amazing, but honestly, Blurryface is on a completely different level. It's so different from Vessel, but it's still very much Twenty One Pilots. While I've enjoyed every single song I've ever heard from Tyler and Josh, this album made me feel something deep down inside, which is something that I can't say an album has done in a long time. Individually, every song was a masterpiece. They were beautiful. Together, it was actual perfection. I think I'm going to say something very weird right now. I'm happy that the album came out, but I'm also very thankful? This entire album was something I didn't know I needed. I'm in love. I'm in awe. I'm sad. I'm happy. I'm feeling things that I didn't know I could feel anymore. When I said I loved every song, I couldn't have meant it more. I cannot wait until I can hear what they do next.

Everybody needs to go listen to Blurryface right now. It's a beautiful work of art. I'll see everybody later because right now I think I'm going to go cry.

Ballparks I Need to Visit Before I Die

Can I just say how happy I am to finally be doing this link up? I missed last month's and am still mad at myself for it. And then I missed all of Kasey's Spring Training link ups. Who am I? Anyway, I'm finally here. Today we're supposed to be talking about our favorite ballparks and is it sad that I've only managed to go to one in my entire life? I live in Southwest Florida and it is a huge trip to get to any park outside of Florida. Who cares if I've only been to the Trop (I'm still mad at the Rays. I didn't forget.)? It made my favorites list really easy.

It wouldn't be much of a post if I ended it there. It's my goal to get to ever MLB ballpark before I die (and like half of MiLB because Minor League Baseball is where my heart truly is, but there are so many teams), so I'm just going to make a list of the places I definitely need to hit up before I'm gone.

First on my list is Turner Field, because I could realistically get there this year. This wouldn't really help my ballpark bucket list aspirations because they're moving, but I've always had a soft spot for the Braves and Atlanta. I hope I can get there by the end of the summer and have my first baseball beer.

If I could get to any ballpark where proximity wasn't an issue and I wouldn't have to plan like an entire trip to get there, Camden Yards would be so high up on that list it isn't even funny. My dad grew up in Baltimore, and I think it would be so cool to go to an O's game with him one day.

I don't think Busch Stadium needs much explanation? I mean, you see the St. Louis arch from your seat. That's so cool! Plus, Cardinals fans seem cool. I can't wait to get a hot dog there.

I'm saving one of the best for last purely out of respect here. Fenway deserves it. With all of the history this place has, it would be rude for me to not even list is. I am by no means a Red Sox fan, but I can get behind a passionate baseball organization.

That's all I've got for now! I can't wait to check out everybody else's favorite ballparks.

Questioning the Clippers

Yes, I understand the NBA Playoffs are still happening, but I can't bring myself to watch anymore of it. For those who don't know, the Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated on Sunday, and I'm still in a state of shock. The Clippers were up 3-1, and they completely killed Houston in two of those games. They had three games to win one and somehow didn't do it. I don't know what happened.

Let's pour one out for the Clippers. They had a good season, even though they never seemed to have it all together. Austin Rivers was surprisingly not the worst trade in the history of basketball. One thing I don't understand, though, is how a team can have so much tied into Spencer Hawes and then not play him. Yes, he has weaknesses, but DeAndre Jordan can't really do anything when he's more than three feet away from the basket yet gets praised. I mean, yeah, he's great defensively, but like, make a free throw. Please. 

Speaking of DJ, what's happening with him? I'm assuming LA will want to keep him. They don't have anything really special on defense without whatever he's doing. But what does DeAndre want? Does he want to go home to Texas? Does he want a new beginning on an okay team where he can be the best? Does he even have what it takes to be the best? I feel like he's pretty comfortable being one of the best but not the best. That's gotta be less pressure. I think he stays and continues the bromance with Blake. 

What happens to the rest of the team now? Will the Blake Griffin/Kevin Durant switcheroo happen? I hope not. I love Blake and understand that Oklahoma may be enticing, but please stay in LA. I can't handle keeping track of more than one team. I'm trying to figure out who they could even trade to help them. Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford? I would have included JJ Redick in that, but I like him too much with Chris Paul and Doc. I feel like the Clippers just have to try to draft well and wait this one out. Is Doc a good GM?

I'm going to be mourning this series for the rest of the summer. The Clippers could have had it all. At times, it even looked like they could compete against the Warriors. I feel like that's the hardest part. They are better than Houston. They should have beaten Houston, and they choked. I'm sure they were exhausted, but you gotta win. That's literally your job. I'm so confused and sad, and I don't know how this could happen.

I guess it's time to turn all of my energy to baseball. Um, I guess if you want to comment, let me know the last time something you loved so much and you were close to making history and then it was ripped right from your arms. See everybody later.

Race to the Castle: I'm Still Dying

This week there won't be much of an update. Last week's running went okay but didn't go as well as I had hoped. I'm still really struggling with running, and I'm starting to wonder, "When will this get fun?" I see so many people in love with running, and I want that to be me so badly. Right now, it just isn't though.

Anyway, this past week I got a gross cold and I'm still kind of stuffed up, so I'm hopefully just moving my run to tomorrow. I don't want a repeat of last Monday on my hands, so I think it's for the best.

That's all I have for this week. See y'all next Monday!

Saturday Seven

It's been a long, long time since I did one of these bad boys. This week has been fine. I've gotten back on the wagon with my half marathon training and have started putting other things into the works for me. Not even Emily knows everything that I've been trying to plan. Other than that, I've just been looking at these cool things this week!

1. I've never been into electronic music before, but for some reason Porter Robinson has gotten through to me. Check out Language to see what I'm talking about.

2. Is anybody else watching the NBA Playoffs? My Clippers are killing me right now. They should have wrapped up the series with Houston two games ago, but here we are. Check out this play, though! With all that spinning I think Blake missed his calling as a ballerina.

3. Girl Meets World is actually the perfect show. That's all I have to say about that.

4. Twenty One Pilots' new album comes out this week! When I first heard Guns for Hands from their last album, Vessel, I fell so in love. Stressed Out is my favorite song that I've heard from the new album so far, but I'm sure that I'll love the entire thing when I hear it.

5. As a person searching for happiness in running, I really appreciated this list of tips from experienced running people.

6. I've been obsessed with reading Entrepreneur's website lately. Who knows, maybe that will have something to do with my future. One could hope! Anyway, check out the morning rituals of the most successful people in business.

7. I applaud the people at Buzzfeed for completing P90x. In high school, I tried it for about two weeks and then quickly gave it up. It was a lot, so hats off to these people for getting it done!

That's all I've got for this week! Now that I'm thinking about it, I kind of want to do P90x again? I'll mull that one over and get back to you guys later. Have a good week!

Best Podcasts for TV Lovers

It's no secret on this blog that I love TV. I talk about it quite often here and even more in person. But you know what I love almost as much? Podcasts. I've been on this podcast game for so long I used to have to download them and put them on my iPod Nano. While I still love all of my sports podcasts from way back when, today we're going to be all about the best podcasts for TV lovers.

Source: The Atlantic

Gilmore Guys is the absolute best. This podcast centers around two guys watching Gilmore Girls and then analyzing it. While Kevin has seen most of the show before, Demi hasn't. It's fun to listen to somebody experience a show that I have practically memorized. They also have guests on all of the time. Kevin and Demi's guests range from friends to people who were actually a part of the show. I mean, just last week they had Brad Langford on. This podcast is one of my all time favorites. If you like Gilmore Girls, you definitely need to check it out. As of right now, they're posting twice a week.

Source: Best of Friends Tumblr

Best of Friends is a podcast that's pretty new to me. As we've talked about before, I zoomed through Friends when it came to Netflix. I needed more, and that's when Best of Friends entered my life. Jamie, Erin, and Krista always bring a funny commentary to the show. Sometimes they have guests, but it's always a good time. I'm not going to say who but one person is Team Ross, and I am somehow handling that very well. Right now they're giving us one podcast a week that covers two episodes.

Source: Grantland Podcasts YouTube

I'm definitely saving the best for last today. The Right Reasons is what gets me through workouts. Juliet's snapping really helps me pick up my pace, and I don't think she's said anything mean about Southwest Florida yet? Anyway, Juliet and Jacoby's The Right Reasons is all about reality television-- a subject that is near and dear to my heart. They dabble in Bravo shows, all of The Bachelor series, and honor The Challenge as the fifth major American sport. They still watch The Real World which I gave up on a long time ago, but it's still nice to hear about when people "stop being nice and start being real." Also their podcast got a spinoff? What is that? Food News is perfect, but we can talk about that more on a different day. The Right Reasons is the perfect podcast for any reality TV lover. It doesn't get any better than these two. New episodes usually come out on Fridays.

Those are the only TV podcasts that I listen to right now, but trust me, they're the best. Does anybody else listen to podcasts? What are your favorites?

Race to the Castle: It's Been Awhile

So, it's been awhile since I've updated everybody on this running thing. The running most definitely isn't going as well as I had hoped. Mainly because of the weather but also because of my lack of motivation after the weather. It's either raining or too humid to function, and I don't want to handle it. Other than that, it's going okay? I'm still not full on running, but I'm going to keep saying I'm running because that will obviously will it to happen, right?

Let's talk about today's run. So today I was supposed to run two miles. Not too bad. The first half mile I was feeling amazing. It was great. Everything was happening for me. I was excited. Then somehow over the next quarter mile I went from amazing to feeling like I was going to pass out on the side of the road. I felt terrible. I definitely wasn't going to make it the full two miles. I immediately set out on going home which was about another quarter mile away. I started hobbling and stopping every few seconds to gain back my composure. I even had to sit down in somebody's driveway because I felt so bad. Somehow I finally made it home and immediately drank water and tried to relax. I'm fine now but for awhile there I thought I was dying in my neighborhood.

Now that this traumatic experience is over, I'm ready to look forward to my future training. I think I'm going to have to start running in the morning, though. It's so, so humid at night, and it's definitely starting to take a toll on me. I'll be sure to run in the morning at least once this week and report back on how it goes.

I think this next week will be fun! I just hope I'm alive to tell the story of it next week.