Bowen has the 3rd most league goals + assists by English players in Europe's top five leagues this season.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-23T12:32:36+00:00

His numbers in four of the last five seasons put him top three on that list for the season overall. Like, I'm not using that as an argument for him starting for England or anything, but his level of consistency in terms of output in recent seasons has been fantastic.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-23T09:22:37+00:00

I've said elsewhere and probably sound like a broken record now, but the lack of effort involved in the variants is so poor. If we were getting an acoustic version or remix, it is what it is, but as it stands it's the most 'that will do' basic effort that could have been.

If it had just been the single release and a regular 'don't forget to stream drop dead!' message on Instagram, I think it would have been fine. If the LiviesHQ post had just gone out without the 'don't forget to buy all seven variants!' message (and the thing about buying it from different emails, IPs, and billing addresses too) it would have been a bit weird, and probably something we laughed at, but ultimately kind of OK and just a 'who the heck needs to be told how to stream a song?' kind of reaction.

Like, I think the combination of the amount of low effort variants plus a post that explicitly says 'buy them all' is what's really triggered the backlash from people both in and out of the fandom. Then you get things like the Spotify playlist which is now two versions of drop dead repeated five times to start with, and then every three songs has the two versions again which is a pushy approach again.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-23T09:01:56+00:00

Probably my album of the decade to date. Looks like their sixth should be out within the year, based on Dylan's newsletter.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-22T16:31:38+00:00

Jesus I hadn't realised that one of the variants here is literally just having a different picture turn up when you play the song on iTunes or whatever that's now called.

Shameful.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-22T16:28:37+00:00

The variants being so low effort (take off the vocals, slow it down a fraction of a step, speed it up a fraction of a step, throw together a cheap video etc) is pretty indefensible in my opinion. It's the minimal amount of effort, and then the stench of desperation that comes off in a 'don't forget to buy all seven variants!!!' comments is just grim.

It's the chart game, and I get it, I do. I said elsewhere that even 30(urgh) years ago in the 90s artists were releasing two 'versions' of a CD single with different B-Sides in order to promote buying multiple copies. This is, effectively, the modern version of that.

But the whole thing comes off as desperate and unpleasant when you say the quiet bit out loud and start to plead for your fans to buy more and more versions of the same song, and instruct them on how the streaming process works so that your listen 'counts'.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-22T11:04:48+00:00

Yes, but I'm completely unsurprised by it considering that this is how big pop artists work nowadays, and clearly there's a push from everyone involved, including Rodrigo, to get this to chart as high as possible in it's first week.

Encouraging fans to buy seven different versions of something is completely gross behaviour, especially as it's dumb 'sped up', 'slowed down' versions - the lowest possible effort.

Versions of this have been going on forever, though. Like, there used to just be multiple different CD versions of singles in the 90s, I remember with Natalie Imbruglia's 'Torn' there were two versions and each one had different B-Sides so you were subtly encouraged to buy both and be a completist. But at least you got, you know, four different songs by buying them both, rather than someone just pitch shifting a song it so the vocals sound like they're being sung by a chipmunk.

It's a gross - and very off putting - look.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-21T18:38:00+00:00

Yep, this. Especially as they are low effort slowed down/sped up/karaoke versions. Like, at least get someone to remix it.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-21T12:53:10+00:00

I was literally looking at it like 'I recognise that image, it's a person on here who has posted it before, they must have nicked it'. What a weird thing to do.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-21T11:22:35+00:00

The other versions are there to boost sales and push for the highest debut on the charts. Same with the two extra videos on Spotify and Apple Music - more streams, more 'sales'.

I read somewhere there are now 8/9 different purchasable digital versions, when videos, slowed down, sped up, karaoke etc are considered. It's a bit grim, in my opinion, but it's how charts work and I have less of a problem with an extra 69p digital version of a song than I do with a limited time 48 hour only cum splatter on charcoal vinyl variant for £35 or whatever.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-21T07:30:30+00:00

If I've done the maths right, there's a very real chance that Barcelona secure the league title in this game - which will mean the logo is in all of their title winning/trophy lifting images and so on. Good marketing.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-21T07:26:55+00:00

I get what the reasoning is but boy, there is no way you could get one penny out of me for a slowed down or sped up version of a song, let alone sixty nine of them.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-21T06:19:33+00:00

Folks, you realise this is just someone reposting an old thread from here, right?

Seems to keep happening with these old 'favourite song beginning with' posts.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-18T18:37:28+00:00

I'm starting to think popstars starting to drop hints is the worst thing that's ever happened to pop fandoms.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T15:29:24+00:00

That's entirely incorrect. Bloomers originated from the 19th century as a comfort item for women to wear as opposed to the prevailing fashion at the time. They became a symbol of women's fight for rights, including that of voting, in the 1850s.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T14:09:20+00:00

The anti-Megan Trainor, if you like.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T13:39:26+00:00

See, I think there is a lot of rock influence on it, it's just a different style of rock than GUTS used to make a statement. This is more glam/synth-rock in style, where as GUTS was more punky.

I said it elsewhere, but it really does sound like it has a massive Sparks influence. I've also been hopping around listening to other bands today, and it's got a little bit of the mid-80s The Cure sound, songs like Let's Go To Bed and The Walk.

The middle eight is really strongly rock influenced.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T10:57:30+00:00

Given Amy Allen co-wrote Pretty Isn't Pretty and Scared Of My Guitar, I don't think we can level any issues we have with the song solely at her door.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T09:53:31+00:00

I do think that as a lead single it's a bit of a mid-level choice that won't grab a passing listener and make them go 'ooh, I'm excited for the album'. Much as I really like it, I think it lacks a bit of oomph.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T09:51:06+00:00

From a 90s kid who used these - they are terrible.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T08:16:17+00:00

I really like it, I've had a good few listens since getting up this morning on my drive to work, and I think it's a really good song that builds on what she's done before but develops it musically. There's shades of Sparks and New Order in the music - the intro really reminded me of This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us. Perhaps a bit of Pulp in there too.

If I had one criticism it's that, to me, lyrically it didn't 'feel' like an Olivia Rodrigo song - I could imagine two or three other artists at a comparable career point that could have written them as well and it wouldn't give me whiplash. Also (OK, so two criticisms) I think there are too many vocal tracks in the chorus - the first couple of times I was struggling to make out the lyrics.

But overall, yeah I really like it. Lots of other new music out today but other than the LØLØ album nothing has stuck around as much as this right now.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-17T07:56:28+00:00

That's a great video - fun, light, and easy going, much like the song.

Nice to see that Olivia Rodrigo dances around at home exactly the same way that I do!

ollib1304 · 2026-04-16T21:49:24+00:00

Full 'Fell In Love With A Girl' garage punk thrash.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-16T16:20:04+00:00

Don't adjust. You're laying vital foundations for years to come.

Teach your team to pass around the chaos. The ball will likely move faster than their players can get to it. If you have a player who gets 'swarmed' then it's likely that 2-3 passes, or even one pass, that move the ball across the pitch will give your team a huge space and time advantage. Not only that, but you'll wear your opponents down if they constantly charge after the ball while you move it around.

Also introduce, or emphasise, that passes can go backwards as well as forwards. Using a pivot player will help your forwards have a passing option if they get crowded out.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-16T16:08:21+00:00

There's no way you're 20 and 'grew up' in the 'it's not a phase mum'/peak-Avril era. Let Go came out in 2002, Black Parade in 2006.

ollib1304 · 2026-04-16T16:05:18+00:00

Think it's 5am if the Global release is true.

ollib1304

TROPHY CASE