Animal REVIEW

 When I was young, I had a hard time making out what Kesha’s Animal is supposed to be. What Platonic form this album supposed to fulfill, if you may. I’ve been listening to the first 2 Kesha albums since I was a little kid, and Warrior clicked with me instantly as I dove into it in my room one spring 2016 evening. But Animal was always different. Animal is harsh with loud bleeps and bloops everywhere that almost seem overwhelming when paired with her braggadocious persona. That’s why when I wrote this video originally in summer 2018, I wrote a 5,200 word hit piece against what this album has to offer. Instrumentation was described as, “just electronic beeping noises” with “annoying electronic noises all thrown together at once.” The lyrics are subject to my critique as well, so that I critique TiK ToK for… using poetic imagery? And I clearly dislike a highlight of Kiss N Tell’s identity. I even described the production on the record with this phrase: “This part has enough autotune to be too noticeable, but it doesn’t have enough autotune to be artistic or stylistic, or anything other than a distraction.” And I think today I see the album in a very different light. Albeit a bit dated, Animal is a well-constructed product that’s rife with a unique, appealing sense of character. When I first listened to this as a soundtrack to grade school homework, I went in with the mindset this album was as universal as Warrior was. It isn’t; and that's okay! Animal tends to work best as driving music, or party music. But that isn’t a problem with the art. Albums like Animal are aiming to be really clever with how it meets the needs of those specific scenarios. As it caters to a loud environment, this type of project lives and dies by its character. For this album to do well, it needs to stand out with all boldness and confidence. And I’m happy to report that Animal passes with flying colors. Kesha followed in the tradition of Britney Spears’ Blackout by reveling in modern synth sounds and effects. Instruments like electric guitars are present, but you have to dig if you want to find them. But Kesha never comes off as a mere modernist who uses synths because it’s popular to do in the landscape of the late 2000s. Her character basks in the artificiality of the world she builds for herself. That world is reflected in the sounds of the album. That’s why the guitars are much clearer on serious songs like Blind and Dancing With Tears In My Eyes. This album may be known for its fun party girl songs like Take it Off, Boots N Boys, and Backstabber, but it doesn’t maintain that illusion the whole time. Sometimes a glimmer of reality peaks through. Whether you’re listening to a party song or a sad song, Animal is incredibly attractive. Vocal performances are on point, and production sounds more lush and deep than you might initially anticipate. Take it Off is probably the best example. It builds such a fun, yet grimy atmosphere that’s just about impossible for anyone except Kesha herself to match. When I was a kid, I didn’t appreciate Animal, but now I see it in a new light. Animal is a creative and fun album that goes deeper than the party persona it puts on.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Movie Review

This goes hard.

Prince of Persia is one of my favorite game series, especially Sands of Time on GameCube. I found the movie for $3 at PawnAmerica and we watched it.

A review of Prince of Persia Sands of Time (2010) starring Jake Gyllenhaal and a girl that looks kinda like Kesha.

Pretty standard action movie. Like a lot of Disney movies, the CGI did not blend well with the scenery. Looked fake. Just because it's based on a game from 2003 doesn't mean it should look like one.

As most movies with time travel, it has some time related plot holes. It's not a big deal if you don't think too much.

It's funny cuz Jake Gyllenhaal does NOT look Persian at all. Kesha doesn't either. Alfred Molina somehow does, though?

3/10, it was just okay.

E3 Wishes and Predictions 2018 - Ubisoft

Ubisoft had a great E3 conference last year. It had Bebe Rexha in it. They finally announced a sequel to Beyond Good and Evil on the Xbox, and Bebe Rexha was there. Shigeru Miyamoto helped announce Mario Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Not to mention, Bebe Rexha was there. So how do they follow it up this year?

Announce

a

new

Rayman

game.

Rayman Legends came out 4 or 5 years ago already. I would love to have another 2D Rayman game like it available. Rayman is an awesome franchise that I really like. I wouldn't mind if it included Rayman Legends content as unlockable content or DLC either.

Just Dance 2019 is pretty much a given. But what's not a given is whether or not it will be on Wii U, 360, or PS3. I have no doubt it will be on the Wii, since that version always sells well, but I hope it's on Wii U, 360, and PS3 just for the legacy of it all. Oh, and feel free to include some songs from Kesha's Rainbow in there. That's my favorite album of 2017. Green Light by Lorde should also be in there. Hopefully there's enough good songs in there to make me feel like it's better than JD18. Just dance 3, 2014, and 2017 are currently the best ones. Hopefully I can add 2019 to the list.

The guys behind Let's Sing 2018 got lazy and released it for Wii and Switch, but not Wii U. That's why I'm not sure about Just Dance 2019 for the Wii U.

You know a really good franchise the Ubisoft now owns that sold really well in the past, but they haven't done anything with recently?

Uhh, yeah, that might be it. Thanks, wallpaper guys. I've heard some say that Prince of Persia evolved into the Assassins Creed series, but I think the Prince of Persia series just has a much more interesting aesthetic to it. Assassins Creed has Roger Craig Smith, but it doesn't matter if the environments aren't that interesting. The only interesting-looking AC games I've seen are Black Flag and Origins, and I don't think we'll be getting those again soon. So give us more Prince of Persia. Did you guys know that Prince of Persia had a movie and LEGO sets? isn't that neat?

In 3rd Grade I said that Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was a Disney movie and everyone thought I was wrong. I'm still not happy about this.

— Josh (@Icystorm9) March 11, 2018

If that were all Ubisoft announced this year, I would be more than satisfied. Rayman, Prince of Persia, and a good Just Dance game are all I really need from them. But there is some more stuff I'd like to mention.

Starlink is a game I haven't seen or heard anything about since last E3. Where has it been? I hope it returns this year. I was super hyped and it looked really interesting. I really, really want to play it, and it's supposed to be out in the fall of this year, so we should see more of it this year.

I've heard in the past that Watch Dogs and Assassins Creed were going to both be on a biennial cycle- Assassins Creed one year, Watch Dogs the next. It's clear at this point that's not happening, but I really wish it was. It seems like the perfect fit. I have Watch Dogs 1 on Wii U and it has its fun moments. I've heard the second one is a lot better. I have high hopes for a third one, if they ever decide to make it.

I expect Ubisoft to show off Just Dance. They did last year. Bebe Rexha was there. This year I think they'll get someone like Dua Lipa, although I wouldn't count Bebe Rexha out with the popularity of Meant to Be this past year. I also expect to see some Beyond Good and Evil 2 footage, including gameplay. I think they'll show off some more Starlink, since the last we've heard of it was at last E3. I really thought that game was interesting and I want to see more. We'll probably get a trailer for the new Assassins Creed game. It will be a great show, no doubt. It can't say it will be better than Nintendo's or Sony's, but I have high hopes. Next I'll discuss Sony's show. Goodbye!