I don’t feel like letting people know what’s coming out tomorrow right now, but I will say Rod Stewart and Mark Collie were fantastic. I’d rather people know what makes me feel good this month, stuff I’ve had for years and gained new appreciation for.
“Edge of Dawn” by AmaLee-A cover of the end credits song from Fire Emblem; Three Houses. This game made me proud to be an ally, for one of the few times in my gaming history, I engineered at least two same-gender couples. I keep going back to this game in fan fiction because of the relationship between the player character “Byleth” and Edelgard, empress of the fictitious Adrestian Empire. Edelgard was one of eleven children and lost all her siblings in a torturous “science experiment” that implanted a second crest (magic power-enhancing device) in her and her siblings. The only known survivors are herself and the character Lysithea in the same game, and from the childish behaviors Edelgard exhibits (wanted to “gorge herself on sweets” and imitating one of her best friends), I’m guessing it happened somewhere between 5-8 years old, causing part of her development to shut down and become buried in a rigid, hurting exterior bent on making things right. Without Byleth, she is damned to fail and lose her mind in the process, dying a depressing, almost pointless death. With Byleth, she succeeds and finds the relationship her soul has been lacking; a close, personal friend she can be fully honest with and thoroughly enjoys.
“The Story of Tonight” from Hamilton-This song reminds me of the revolutionary aspects of the above game, you are effectively bringing the bill of rights and freedoms of speech and religion to the continent, freedoms we must not take for granted in the wake of the political rampage of the last five-plus years. This was why I chose the path, to create restoration in my own mind. What I found was worth more than freedom, the ability to help and heal a damaged life. Only Persona 5 Strikers has allowed that since with the characters Makoto Niijima and Kuon Ichinose, both of whom come from pasts where their close relatives died and they were unsure how to progress. It is an aspect I love in gaming and want to see more of.
“Critical Role Theme Song” by Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson and Sam Riegel-This played on Spotify after I played the first two. Laura Bailey and fellow show members Marisha Ray and Matt Mercer have played roles in the Fire Emblem series (Bailey and Mercer are also in the Persona series) and this isn’t the first time Bailey and Mercer have had “Falchions and cunning,” since they played Chrom and his daughter Lucina in Fire Emblem; Awakening and the Smash Bros series. A glorious celebration of nerd-dom.
Bmblb by Jeff and Casey Lee Williams-This may have been the first same-gender love song I ever heard, debuting in 2017 for the web series RWBY. Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, the “BY” in the title phrase, have a same-gender relationship; Blake and her voice actress are bisexual. Also, Blake’s Mom is voiced by Tara Platt, who voices Edelgard. Yang and Blake have a different story, of course, they are huntresses against monsters known as Grimm spawned by the immortal witch Salem, defending people from them. Blake and her family are also faunus, humans with animal traits; Blake and her Mom both have cat ears and quick reflexes, which allows the story to stand against all kinds of discriminations and intolerances in the real world and in its own world of Remnant.
She’s Not Him by Miley Cyrus-This could also be the first same-gender love song I’ve ever heard, Miley addressing her pansexuality and her desire for women partners, but inability to let go of male partners. It was a bold move that paid off, mainly due to the song’s tender nature and soft touch.
I Burn by Jeff and Casey Lee Williams and Lamar Hall-The theme song of Yang Xiao Long in season 1 of RWBY. Yang was introduced as a rough and powerful punching phenomenon who can deal out everything thrown at her. She is an icon to the LGBTQ+ community, the only time I recall her sad is when Blake was distant, which she openly wept about in front of her other teammates. She even forlornly gazed at a stack of books (Blake’s favorite pastime is to read) before this, showcasing that though she can take physical pain like no one else, emotions cut even deeper. The true definition of “badass.”
Same Love by Macklemore-Released in 2012 to support the gay marriage campaign in Washington State, dealing frankly with the pain of stereotypes and our online presence. Macklemore even calls out, “at Church they taught me something else/if you preach hate at the service/those words aren’t anointed/the Holy Water you soak in has been poisoned.” Like him, I may not be the same, but that’s not important. No freedom until we’re equal, damn right that’s important.
She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert-This started as a refrain in the previous, Mary, a Seattle lesbian who has collaborated with K.Flay and Julien Baker, displays the truth of same-gender relationships, the innocent compassion between two lives. It honestly makes me feel better every time.
The Story by Brandi Carlile-Mary isn’t the only Seattle-area LGBTQ+ singer-songwriter, Brandi Carlile has been releasing music since 2005 and been married to a woman for several years. This song was even covered by Dolly Parton in 2017 for a tribute to the original album and when I’ve seen Bumbleby fanart these days, all I can think of is the line “Even when I was flat broke/you made me feel like a million bucks.”
Again Today by Pearl Jam-Part of the 2017 tribute, this actually originated from a letter Brandi sent to lead singer Eddie Vedder, asking for a “Seattle sound” on the album. The band knocks it out of the park and Matt Cameron does an especially good job on drums, Eddie Vedder singing the vocals in his trademark, low-slung style. Highly recommended for fans of the Grunge sound.
Last Hope by Paramore-While looking at art of singers the other day, I saw a drawing of Hayley Williams and was brought back to hearing this at the KeyArena (now renamed the Climate Pledge Arena by amazon.com) It’s about persevering in adversity, with the lyrics “It’s just a spark, but it’s enough to keep me going” and “The salt in my wounds isn’t hurting any more than it used to/It’s not that I don’t feel the pain, it’s just I’m not afraid of hurting anymore.” Feel tailor-made for the struggles this month means for those in the community and those like me who just want to support the belief of equality we wrote down almost 250 years ago and don’t feel like we’ve ever displayed. And all the art and songs are just a spark, but enough to keep me going.
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