Tags are supposed to make blogging easier. They’re supposed to help you organize your content, make it searchable, and give your readers a way to navigate through your posts. But on Blogger, the tagging system — which they call “labels” — is so bizarrely designed that it often feels like it was created to frustrate users instead of helping them. The problem isn’t just the character limit (which I’ve ranted about already). It’s the way Blogger forces you to enter tags: with commas, no spaces allowed, and an absurd rule that you must put a comma at the very end or else none of your tags will show up. It’s pure insanity. Let’s break this down. On most platforms, tags are simple. You type them out, and the system either separates them automatically by space or gives you a neat little box for each tag. On YouTube, Instagram, or WordPress, for example, you can add tags like “music,” “rock,” “indie,” and “Keane” without thinking twice. Blogger, however, makes it unnecessarily complica...

 When it comes to blogging, tags are supposed to be one of the most useful tools we have. They help categorize posts, make them easier to find, and help readers navigate the site. But on Blogger, tags (or “labels” as they’re called) come with an extremely annoying problem: not only is there a limit on how many tags you can use, but there’s also a total character limit. And that character limit is less than what platforms like YouTube allow for tags. This restriction makes no sense, and for people who run blogs that cover complex topics — like my music blog — it becomes a constant source of frustration. The purpose of tags should be to help you fully describe your post, so people searching can actually find it. A music discussion post, for example, might cover a specific band, a specific album, a broader genre, a time period, and maybe even a theme. That’s already at least five or six tags that need to be there to capture the essence of the post. But when Blogger forces you to st...

 Music has always been a medium of connection, empathy, and action. From benefit concerts to charity singles, artists have long used their voices to bring attention to crises, galvanize support, and offer hope. In recent days, Keane publicly lent their support to Gaza, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian struggles faced by Palestinians. This gesture reminds us of the profound role music can play in social awareness and global solidarity. It also inspires a compelling vision: an international musical project — a “We Are the World”-style collaboration — uniting artists across genres and generations to sing in support of Gaza. Such a project could amplify voices, humanize a crisis, and offer hope amidst immense hardship. The Power of Musical Solidarity Throughout history, music has served as a bridge between communities, a universal language capable of conveying emotion and urgency in ways words alone often cannot. Songs like We Are the World and Do They Know It’s Christmas? mob...

 Music videos have always served as more than just promotional tools; they are visual interpretations of a song’s emotional and narrative core. Some videos are polished, cinematic spectacles with elaborate sets and CGI, while others succeed through authenticity, intimacy, and simplicity. Keane’s “You Are Young” is one of those songs that lends itself perfectly to a human-centered, collage-style video — a concept that could amplify the song’s uplifting, unifying message in ways a traditional music video could never achieve. While such a project may seem unlikely, imagining it allows us to explore how music, video, and community can intertwine to produce something raw, emotional, and meaningful. A Vision Rooted in Realness The core idea of the envisioned video is both simple and radical. Instead of focusing solely on the band performing in a studio or a single narrative setting, the video would be composed of myriad individuals, famous and not, each singing a single word of the so...

  When people think of Keane, the songs that usually come to mind are the classics: Somewhere Only We Know , Everybody’s Changing , Is It Any Wonder? These tracks defined their early career and cemented them as one of the defining piano-rock bands of the 2000s. But Keane’s catalog goes deeper, and some of their later songs deserve just as much recognition. One such track is “You Are Young,” released on their 2012 album Strangeland. While it was embraced by fans, it never gained the wider attention of their earlier hits. In fact, it never even received a proper music video, leaving it somewhat under the radar outside of the dedicated Keane community. And that’s a shame, because “You Are Young” is perhaps one of the most anthemic, hopeful songs in their discography — and in many ways, it feels like it was written for this moment in history. The Message of “You Are Young” The beauty of “You Are Young” lies in its simplicity and optimism. The song speaks directly to younger gene...

 When we talk about songs that define eras, we often go to the obvious choices — the power ballads, the protest anthems, the blockbuster hits that everyone knows. But sometimes, a song that quietly entered the charts ends up speaking to future generations in ways no one could have predicted. Keane’s “Everybody’s Changing” is one of those songs. Released in 2004, it wasn’t necessarily meant to be a grand, world-unifying anthem. It was an intimate meditation on the inevitability of change, the frustration of feeling stuck, and the melancholy realization that life keeps moving whether we’re ready or not. Yet, more than two decades later, it resonates on a global scale like never before. And that is why it may deserve the same treatment that songs like “We Are the World” received: a modern revival, with a diverse lineup of artists coming together to reimagine it for the present. The Timeless Message of “Everybody’s Changing” At its core, “Everybody’s Changing” captures a universal...

 In the world of music, appearances often speak louder than sound. For decades, image has gone hand in hand with genre, dictating what audiences expect from certain artists and shaping how those artists are received. A punk artist is expected to wear studs, leather, and chains. A pop singer is expected to dress polished, stylish, and mainstream-friendly. A rapper is expected to carry themselves with a certain swagger, toughness, and edge. These stereotypes don’t just exist as harmless expectations — they often serve as invisible walls, boxing artists into narrowly defined categories and discouraging them from experimenting or breaking away from what their image suggests. That is why someone like Barry Hendrixx feels so refreshing. Barry Hendrixx, a rising cover artist on YouTube, has quickly gained attention for his unique style and bold musical choices. On the surface, his look fits every stereotype one might associate with a “gangster rapper.” He’s got the tattoos, the grills, t...

  In the annals of music history, certain songs transcend their melodies to become cultural enigmas. One such track is “Subways of Your Mind” by the German new wave band FEX. Recorded in 1984 and initially released as a demo in 1985, the song remained shrouded in mystery for decades, captivating listeners worldwide with its haunting synths and elusive origins. Its journey from obscurity to recognition not only highlights the enduring allure of lostwave music but also underscores the power of collective curiosity in unraveling musical mysteries. The Birth of a Mystery The tale of “Subways of Your Mind” began in the mid-1980s when a teenager named Darius S. recorded a song from a German radio broadcast. This track, featuring an atmospheric blend of post-punk and new wave elements, was later uploaded online by his sister Lydia H. in 2007. Despite its evocative sound, the song's origins remained a puzzle, with no identifiable artist or title. Over time, it garnered attention from mus...

 When we talk about iconic television, there are few shows that immediately stand out the way Breaking Bad does. It is not only because of its writing, characters, and moral complexity, but also because of the way the show uses sound. In fact, sound and silence work hand in hand throughout the series to heighten tension, underline character choices, and create unforgettable moments. One of the most striking examples of this comes in the penultimate episode, Granite State , where the Breaking Bad theme itself makes a rare and deliberate appearance. For years, fans had associated that dark, twangy piece of music with the opening credits and nothing more. But in Granite State , it finally bursts into the show proper, right at the end, and in doing so cements itself as one of the most memorable themes in television history. This essay explores why that single use of the theme works so effectively, why it matters that it was withheld for so long, and how it reframes Walter White’s st...

 When we think of an apocalyptic soundtrack, our minds often gravitate toward epic scores filled with tension, deep percussion, and dramatic strings—think of the iconic music in disaster films like 2012 or Independence Day . But what if the soundtrack to the world’s end didn’t come with a heavy, foreboding atmosphere? What if, instead, it was an upbeat, carefree tune—like Weezer’s Island in the Sun ? This seemingly lighthearted and breezy 2001 classic has an almost childlike innocence to it. The song’s jangly guitars, whimsical vibe, and lyrics about a carefree escape to a sunny island feel worlds away from any disaster scenario. Yet, in an almost paradoxical twist, there’s something deeply fitting about pairing Island in the Sun with the dramatic imagery of the world crumbling—whether it’s a black hole devouring Earth, a massive tsunami engulfing coastlines, or any other disaster that signals the end of everything. The more you think about it, the more the song becomes an idea...

 Sometimes, as fans of music, anime, and storytelling, we find ourselves imagining a version of a song that could transcend its original context, that could hit differently because it merges the right elements of artistry, emotion, and interpretation. For me, that song is Namie Amuro’s “Hope,” the iconic 20th opening of One Piece , and the dream? Citizen Soldier creating their own version of it. Let’s start with why this idea matters. Namie Amuro’s “Hope” is more than just an anime opening—it’s a message, a narrative, a feeling. The song arrives during the Whole Cake Island arc, a pivotal moment in One Piece where themes of finding belonging, confronting personal struggles, and forging identity come to the forefront. In this arc, Sanji faces his past, struggles with his place in the world, and ultimately seeks to assert his own autonomy. The emotional weight of the arc pairs beautifully with the energy of the song. “Hope” captures a sense of yearning and perseverance that reso...

  In 2022, the music world lost a bright and irreplaceable voice when Ahmed Alshaiba passed away. His death came as a shock to many, myself included. It has been several years now since that tragic moment, and as the anniversary of his passing approaches, I find myself reflecting on his life, his work, and the way he made me feel through his music. Ahmed was more than just a musician—he was a bridge between worlds. Through his oud, a traditional Middle Eastern instrument, he brought new meaning to popular songs, film scores, and cultural pieces that many of us thought we knew. He reinvented them in a way that carried both history and innovation. For me, Ahmed Alshaiba was one of those rare artists who could take something familiar and make it entirely new without stripping it of its soul. When I first heard one of his covers, I remember being struck by how much emotion he could convey through strings alone. The oud, in his hands, felt like it was speaking directly to the heart. It...