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Love (Arashi album) (wikipedia)

Love (stylized as LOVE) is the twelfth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on October 23, 2013 under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited edition and a regular edition. The regular edition comes with a 32-page photo lyrics booklet, while the limited edition comes with a 60-page photo lyrics booklet and a bonus DVD with a music video for "P・A・R・A・D・O・X". The album sold over 670,000 copies in its first week and became the best-selling album of 2013 in Japan. It was released digitally on February 7, 2020. == Album information == Both the regular edition and the limited edition contain 16 songs. The regular edition comes with a 32-page photo lyrics booklet, while the limited edition comes with a 60-page photo lyrics booklet and a bonus DVD with a music video for "P・A・R・A・D・O・X". The album jacket cover for both versions are different. === Songs === "Love" includes two of the group's previously released singles: "Calling/Breathless" and "Endless Game". This album also includes eight new songs plus five of each member's solo songs. The limited edition comes with a bonus music video for one of the new songs on the album, "P・A・R・A・D・O・X". The members of Arashi travelled to New York City to learn the choreography for this song, which was choreographed by JaQuel Knight. Arashi has not released a music video for an album song since 2011, when they released a video for "Mada Minu Sekai e" from the album Beautiful World. == Promotion == To support their new album, Arashi performed a live tour "Arashi LIVE TOUR Love" hitting all the major dome stadiums in Japan. They had 16 performances beginning on Nagoya Dome on November 8, followed by Sapporo Dome on November 15, Osaka Dome on November 22, Tokyo Dome on December 12, and Fukuoka Dome on December 20, 2013. A video explaining the steps for the dance to their new song, "FUNKY", was uploaded onto their agency's official website. Arashi encouraged fans to learn the steps so that they could all dance together during the concert. == Track listing == == Personnel == Credits adapted from liner notes. === Musicians === === Production === == Release history == == References == == External links == Love product information

Love (stylized as LOVE) is the twelfth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on October 23, 2013 under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited edition and a regular edition. The regular edition comes with a 32-page photo lyrics booklet, while the limited edition comes with a 60-page photo lyrics booklet and a bonus DVD with a music video for "P・A・R・A・D・O・X". The album sold over 670,000 copies in its first week and became the best-selling album of 2013 in Japan. It was released digitally on February 7, 2020.

love

Love (Ayumi Hamasaki EP) (wikipedia)

Love (stylized as LOVE) is the third mini-album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on 8 November 2012 in three editions: CD+DVD, CD-Only and a limited Tales of Xillia 2 Edition. The EP's track list is formatted similarly to Hamasaki's singles, including remixes and instrumentals, which was different on how she present her mini-albums in the past. Love reached #4 on the Oricon charts, selling 64,841 copies in its first week. It ended up selling 94,347 copies, receiving a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for shipments of 100,000 copies. == Information == Love is the first from five consecutive monthly releases from Hamasaki to celebrate her 15th anniversary in the music industry. It has three new songs: "Song 4 U", "Missing" and "Melody" as well as remixes of them and remixes of "You & Me", which was released digitally few months earlier. The first track on the album, "Song 4 U", was used as the theme song for the 2012 video game Tales of Xillia 2. At first, Hamasaki included a music video for "Melody" for the track list in the DVD was eventually replaced by a music video for "Missing". "Melody"'s music video will then be included on her 14th studio album, Love Again. Love is Hamasaki first mini-album not to top the oricon charts, debuting at number 4 with sales of just 64,841. It sold a total of 88,435 in 2012, ending up as the 76th best selling album of the year. Hamasaki had stated that these five releases, including Love, are meant for her fans and not about sales and ranking. Love also charted at 7 at Japan Billboard Top Albums. In Taiwan, it charted at #2 at its debut week and rise to #1 in the following week. Her last number one album in Taiwan was Rock 'n' Roll Circus in 2010. == Track listing == == Charts and Certifications == Oricon Chart G-Music Chart (Taiwan) === Certifications === == References ==

Love (stylized as LOVE) is the third mini-album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on 8 November 2012 in three editions: CD+DVD, CD-Only and a limited Tales of Xillia 2 Edition. The EP's track list is formatted similarly to Hamasaki's singles, including remixes and instrumentals, which was different on how she present her mini-albums in the past. Love reached #4 on the Oricon charts, selling 64,841 copies in its first week. It ended up selling 94,347 copies, receiving a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for shipments of 100,000 copies.

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Love (Aztec Camera album) (wikipedia)

Love is the third studio album by Scottish pop group Aztec Camera, released in November 1987 on Sire. While it was released under the Aztec Camera name, Roddy Frame was the only remaining permanent member of the group and he recorded the album alongside a group of session musicians. Departing from the indie and folk-rock approach of earlier records, Love incorporated R&B influences, seemingly to break the American market. It failed to do so but did achieve commercial success in the UK, reaching No. 10 on the albums chart, following the success of its third single "Somewhere in My Heart", which reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. As a result, it became the band's most commercially successful album. == Background == The Backwards and Forwards (1985) live EP was released, reaching number 181 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. After this, the band went through a line-up shift, retaining frontman Roddy Frame and drummer David Ruffy, and adding guitarist Steve Jordan, bassist Marcus Miller and keyboardist David Frank of the System. == Reception == Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that the album was a "backward step into pop cliché, an attempt to make a record which would work on American radio." Upon release, the initially peaked at number 49 on the UK Albums Chart. After the success of its singles, it rose to number 10. == Track listing == All songs written by Roddy Frame. == Personnel == Personnel per booklet. == Singles == "How Men Are" (UK No. 25) "Somewhere in My Heart" (UK No. 3) "Working in a Goldmine" (UK No. 31) "Deep & Wide & Tall" (UK No. 55) == References == Citations Sources

Love is the third studio album by Scottish pop group Aztec Camera, released in November 1987 on Sire. While it was released under the Aztec Camera name, Roddy Frame was the only remaining permanent member of the group and he recorded the album alongside a group of session musicians. Departing from the indie and folk-rock approach of earlier records, Love incorporated R&B influences, seemingly to break the American market. It failed to do so but did achieve commercial success in the UK, reaching No. 10 on the albums chart, following the success of its third single "Somewhere in My Heart", which reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. As a result, it became the band's most commercially successful album.

love

Love (Beatles album) (wikipedia)

Love is a soundtrack remix album of music recorded by the Beatles, released in November 2006. It features music compiled and remixed as a mashup for the Cirque du Soleil show Love. The album was produced by George Martin and his son Giles Martin, who said, "What people will be hearing on the album is a new experience, a way of re-living the whole Beatles musical lifespan in a very condensed period." The album was George Martin's final album as a producer before his death in 2016. == Background == George Martin and his son Giles began work on Love after obtaining permission from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison (the latter two representing the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, respectively). The idea for using the Beatles' music in a Cirque du Soleil production had originally come from Harrison, who died in November 2001, through his friendship with the company's founder, Guy Laliberté. Speaking to Mojo editor Jim Irvin in December 2006, Giles Martin said that he first created a demo combining "Within You Without You" with "Tomorrow Never Knows", which he then nervously presented to McCartney and Starr for their approval. In Martin's recollection, "they loved it", with McCartney saying: "This is what we should be doing, more of this." In discussing the project, Giles Martin commented that elements were used from recordings in the Beatles catalogue, "the original four tracks, eight tracks and two tracks and used this palette of sounds and music to create a soundbed". Because he was concerned that they might not get the green light to proceed with Love, he began by making digital back-ups of the original multi-track recordings, just to get started on the project. He also said that he and his father mixed more music than was eventually released, including "She's Leaving Home" and a version of "Girl" that he was particularly fond of, with the latter eventually being released in 2011 as a bonus track on the album on iTunes. McCartney and Starr both responded very positively to the completed album. McCartney said that it "puts The Beatles back together again, because suddenly there's John and George with me and Ringo". Starr commended the Martins for their work, adding that Love was "really powerful for me and I even heard things I'd forgotten we'd recorded". == Composition == Love contains elements from 130 individual commercially released and demo recordings of the Beatles, and is a complex remix and polymix of multiple songs known as a mashup. As described by Alexis Petridis, mashups were popular earlier in the 2000s, with the Beatles serving as popular material; examples included Danger Mouse The Grey Album (2004), on which the producer fuses Jay-Z's rapping with music from the Beatles' White Album (1968), and Go Home Productions' "Paperback Believer", which used the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" and the Monkees' "Daydream Believer". McCartney was a fan of the "bootleg explosion", and hired mash-up producer Freelance Hellraiser as a DJ on his 2004 world tour, leading to the 2005 collaboration Twin Freaks. Love has also been described as a sound collage. According to Neil Spencer of The Observer, the album's 26 tracks "are set in an ambient flow of sound collages", while according to David Cavanagh, Love comprises mashups and megamixes that play "plurally, in collage form", resulting in album that "[flies] in the face of tradition by placing The Beatles in a 21st century sampladelic culture." === Track element notes === "Because" – According to an interview with the Martins in Entertainment Weekly, the opening track includes the bird sounds used in the World Wildlife Fund version of "Across the Universe", as well as "Free as a Bird". In addition, a new recording of a wood pigeon was implemented "to make it more British", according to George Martin. "Get Back" – The track uses the opening guitar chord from "A Hard Day's Night", the drum and guitar solos from "The End", percussion from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", and the orchestral swell from "A Day in the Life". "Glass Onion" – This track includes guitar from "Things We Said Today", horns from "Penny Lane" and vocals from "Hello Goodbye". "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – George and Giles Martin stated that elements from both the studio recording and the Hollywood Bowl live performance were used in the 5.1 surround sound mix. "Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing" – The medley features the guitar solo from "Taxman" and the horn section from "Savoy Truffle". The Martins said they also remixed keyboards from "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and backing vocals from "Helter Skelter" into the track. "Gnik Nus" – The track contains the vocal arrangement of "Sun King" played in reverse and accompanied by tambura drone. "Something" (with "Blue Jay Way" transition) – The track emphasises the lead vocal and George Martin's string arrangement on "Something" before transitioning into "Blue Jay Way", which also includes elements from "Nowhere Man". Giles Martin said the portion from "Blue Jay Way" set the mood for the next track, which they created in response to an idea by the director of the Love show for a "macabre Victorian circus". "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter" – The track contains the whole of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", guitars from "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", and heavily delayed vocals from "Helter Skelter". It also includes horse sounds from "Good Morning, Good Morning", harmonium and other elements from "Cry Baby Cry" and laughter from "Piggies". "Strawberry Fields Forever" – This version builds from an acoustic demo to incorporate sections of take 1 of the song (including harmony vocals that were cut from the edit of take 1 issued on the 1996 Anthology 2 compilation) and take 26. At the end of the track, it includes the orchestral section from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the piano solo from "In My Life", the brass included in "Penny Lane", the cello and harpsichord from "Piggies", and the coda of "Hello, Goodbye". According to author John Winn, part of "I'm Only Sleeping" also appears in the closing mashup. "Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows" – This track combines the vocals and the dilruba from "Within You Without You" with the bass and drums from "Tomorrow Never Knows". "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" – The track includes horns and guitars from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", clavioline from "Baby, You're a Rich Man", and sound effects from "Tomorrow Never Knows". "Octopus's Garden" – This track contains the string arrangement from "Good Night", sound effects and vocal elements from "Yellow Submarine", and elements from "Lovely Rita", "Helter Skelter" and ends with the beginning guitar riff from "Sun King". "Lady Madonna" – The song includes the percussion intro from "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?", the piano from "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", the guitar riff from "Hey Bulldog", Billy Preston's organ solo from "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and Eric Clapton's guitar solo from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". "Here Comes the Sun" (with "The Inner Light" transition) – As mentioned by Giles Martin, the track includes tabla and dilruba from "Within You Without You", backing vocals from "Oh! Darling" and a bass line from "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". "Come Together/Dear Prudence" (with "Cry Baby Cry" transition) – The track contains nearly all of "Come Together", which transitions into "Dear Prudence". It concludes with the vocal part from the end of "Cry Baby Cry", strings from "Eleanor Rigby", and what Giles Martin referred to as the "climax" from "A Day in the Life". "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" – The track uses a George Harrison demo of the song, previously issued on the Anthology 3 compilation. George Martin wrote a new orchestral score for the track, which he described as being his final Beatles string arrangement. "All You Need Is Love" – The track includes elements from "Baby You're a Rich Man" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", and ends with orchestration from "Good Night" and the sign-off from The Beatles Third Christmas Record. == Release and reception == Love was first played publicly on Virgin Radio's The Geoff Show. Geoff Lloyd, the show's host, chose to play the entire work uninterrupted, to allow younger fans to experience an album premiere. The album was released as a standard compact disc version, a two-disc CD and DVD-Audio package, a two-disc vinyl package, and as a digital download. The DVD-Audio disc contains a 5.1-channel surround sound mix (96 kHz 24-bit MLP), downmixable to two-channel. For backwards compatibility it also contains separate audio-only DVD-Video content with two-channel stereo (48 kHz 16-bit PCM) and 5.1-channel surround (448 kbit/s Dolby Digital and 754 kbit/s DTS). Love placed at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart during its first week of release, trailing Westlife's The Love Album and Oasis' Stop the Clocks compilation. In the United States, it debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, where it was certified Platinum in late 2006. At the 50th Grammy Awards in February 2008, Love won in the categories Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Surround Sound Album. == Legacy == Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly wrote in 2007: "LOVE really does feel fresh in a way that other latter-day Beatles products like Let It Be... Naked and even the Anthology collections haven't, quite. Freed from the need to adhere to chronology or chart success like the 10-million-selling 1's collection of a few years back, this instantly replaces that uninspired hits set as the album you'd give a kid who needs to discover the Beatles for the first time. It also manages to be the album you'd give the jaded boomer who's hearing these songs for the ten thousandth time." In 2017, Uncut ranked the album at number 75 in their list of "The 101 Weirdest Albums of All Time". == Track listing == All tracks written by Lennon–McCartney, except where noted. "Because" – 2:44 "Get Back" – 2:05 "Glass Onion" – 1:20 "Eleanor Rigby" (with "Julia" transition) – 3:05 "I Am the Walrus" – 4:28 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – 1:22 "Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing" – 1:54 "Gnik Nus" – 0:55 "Something" (with "Blue Jay Way" transition) (George Harrison) – 3:29 "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter" – 3:22 "Help!" – 2:18 "Blackbird/Yesterday" – 2:31 "Strawberry Fields Forever" – 4:31 "Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows" (Harrison/Lennon–McCartney) – 3:07 "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" – 4:10 "Octopus's Garden" (Richard Starkey) – 3:18 "Lady Madonna" – 2:56 "Here Comes the Sun" (with "The Inner Light" transition) (Harrison) – 4:18 "Come Together/Dear Prudence" (with "Cry Baby Cry" transition) – 4:45 "Revolution" – 2:14 (CD version) / 3:23 (DVD and iTunes version) "Back in the U.S.S.R." – 1:53 (CD version) / 2:34 (DVD and iTunes version) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison) – 3:46 "A Day in the Life" – 5:08 "Hey Jude" – 3:58 "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" – 1:22 "All You Need Is Love" – 3:39 Digital bonus tracks "The Fool on the Hill" – 3:30 "Girl" – 2:43 == Charts == == Certifications and sales == == See also == All Together Now, a documentary following the creation of the Cirque du Soleil show and its soundtrack Cirque du Soleil discography, a complete list of Cirque du Soleil's music releases with track listings List of best-selling remix albums worldwide Outline of the Beatles The Beatles timeline == References == == External links == Love at Discogs Love at Metacritic DVD-Audio specific review at HFR

Love is a soundtrack remix album of music recorded by the Beatles, released in November 2006. It features music compiled and remixed as a mashup for the Cirque du Soleil show Love. The album was produced by George Martin and his son Giles Martin, who said, "What people will be hearing on the album is a new experience, a way of re-living the whole Beatles musical lifespan in a very condensed period." The album was George Martin's final album as a producer before his death in 2016.

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Love (Boyz II Men album) (wikipedia)

Love is the eleventh studio album by R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released by Decca Records on November 24, 2009 in the United States. Like their previous album, Love was produced by Randy Jackson and Boyz II Men. This is their third cover album, following Throwback, Vol. 1 and Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, which were released in 2004 and 2007 respectively. The album is composed of popular love songs of the past. It also features a collaboration with Michael Bublé. The demo version of "Back for Good" was originally recorded with Irish singer, Nadine Coyle. The album sold 15,000 copies its first week. == Critical reception == AllMusic editor Andy Kellman gave the album two out of five stars. He found that "early-‘60s R&B, late-‘90s country, and early-‘80s rock are all part of the mix only hints at the randomness of the selections. Despite the range of the sources, Boyz II Men tie it all together, nearly to a fault. The group makes the occasional modification to the originals, like the ticking-clock vocal effect on Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"; otherwise, if you know the originals, and you know Boyz II Men, you can play these versions in your head without having heard them." == Track listing == == Charts == == Release history == == References ==

Love is the eleventh studio album by R&B group Boyz II Men. It was released by Decca Records on November 24, 2009 in the United States. Like their previous album, Love was produced by Randy Jackson and Boyz II Men. This is their third cover album, following Throwback, Vol. 1 and Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, which were released in 2004 and 2007 respectively. The album is composed of popular love songs of the past. It also features a collaboration with Michael Bublé. The demo version of "Back for Good" was originally recorded with Irish singer, Nadine Coyle. The album sold 15,000 copies its first week.

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Love (CNBLUE song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song recorded by South Korean rock band CNBLUE. It is the lead single to the band's second mini-album Bluelove. Written by Han Seong-ho, Kim Do-hoon, and Lee Sang-ho, the modern rock number was released by FNC Entertainment and distributed by Kakao M on May 19, 2010. The song peaked at number two on South Korea's national Gaon Digital Chart; since its release, it has sold over 2.4 million downloads domestically. "Love" scored the band three music show awards: one from Mnet's M Countdown and two through SBS MTV's Inkigayo. It also earned the Digital Music Bonsang at the 25th Golden Disc Awards. == Composition == "Love" is a modern rock track which comprises a shuffle rhythm on acoustic and electric guitars. Main vocalist Jung Yong-hwa incorporates a rap in the second verse over a metal-like section. He felt that the song has a "fresh feeling" with a metallic twist. Songwriters Han Seong-ho, Kim Do-hoon, and Lee Sang-ho provided the track's lyrics and composition, which is written in the key of C Major and has a tempo of 100 beats per minute. == Release and promotion == A week ahead of its release, FNC Entertainment uploaded a music video teaser for "Love". The single was made available on online music stores on May 19, 2010. The music video begins with CNBLUE arriving at a dark-lit live bar filled with lethargic patrons. The band performs on stage, which energizes the crowd. The day after the single's release, CNBLUE began promoting it by performing it on weekly music chart shows beginning with Mnet's M Countdown. They made additional performances on KBS2's Music Bank, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's (MBC) Show! Music Core, and SBS MTV's Inkigayo. == Commercial performance == On the chart dated May 16–22, 2010, "Love" debuted at number 22 on South Korea's national Gaon Digital Chart. The following week, it ranked at number two. The single remained at its peak for three nonconsecutive frames and ranked within the top 100 for sixteen weeks. On Gaon Music Chart's year-end report for 2010, "Love" ranked at number 20 on its list of best-performing singles. It was the fifteenth best-selling song in South Korea with 2,455,117 downloads and ranked at number ten on the Streaming Chart for accumulating 22,685,321 streams. == Accolades == On the June 10 broadcast of M! Countdown, "Love" ranked number one on the program's music chart and earned its first music show win. It also earned the Mutizen Song Award on Inkigayo for two consecutive weeks. "Love" was awarded the Digital Music Bonsang at the 25th Golden Disc Awards. The song received further nominations for Best Band Performance at the 2010 Mnet Asian Music Awards and Song of the Year at the 2nd Melon Music Awards. == Charts == === Weekly === === Year-end === == References == == External links == "Love" on YouTube

"Love" is a song recorded by South Korean rock band CNBLUE. It is the lead single to the band's second mini-album Bluelove. Written by Han Seong-ho, Kim Do-hoon, and Lee Sang-ho, the modern rock number was released by FNC Entertainment and distributed by Kakao M on May 19, 2010. The song peaked at number two on South Korea's national Gaon Digital Chart; since its release, it has sold over 2.4 million downloads domestically. "Love" scored the band three music show awards: one from Mnet's M Countdown and two through SBS MTV's Inkigayo. It also earned the Digital Music Bonsang at the 25th Golden Disc Awards.

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Love (Can Make You Happy) (wikipedia)

"Love (Can Make You Happy)" is a song written by Jack Sigler, Jr. and performed by Mercy. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where "Get Back" by The Beatles kept it from the #1 spot. On other US charts, the song also peaked at #2 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart in 1969. Outside the US, the song also reached #2 on Canada's RPM 100, and #1 on RPM's Adult Contemporary chart. The song was ranked #42 on Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1969. == History == The song was originally released on Sundi Records, but as the single climbed up the charts, the group's lead singer, Sigler, faced being drafted. Sundi Records quickly released the album Love (Can Make You Happy) that included the song plus other cover songs that were not recorded by any of the original group. Sigler, who ended up not being drafted, signed the group to Warner Bros. Records where they recorded a sound-a-like version of the single and released the album, Love Can Make You Happy. Since Sigler never signed with Sundi, the record label was sued and the original album was banned from distribution. The Sundi recording was produced by Mike Apsey and Ron Resler and the Warner Bros. recording produced by Brad Shapiro and Steve Alaimo. == Chart history == == Other versions == Boris Gardiner released a version of the song as a single in Jamaica in 1969. James Marvell released a version of the song as a single in 1981 that reached #90 on the country chart. The song was sampled by indie pop band Belle and Sebastian for their song "(My Girl's Got) Miraculous Technique". == In media == The original version of the song was featured in the 1969 film, Fireball Jungle. == References ==

"Love (Can Make You Happy)" is a song written by Jack Sigler, Jr. and performed by Mercy. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where "Get Back" by The Beatles kept it from the #1 spot. On other US charts, the song also peaked at #2 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart in 1969. Outside the US, the song also reached #2 on Canada's RPM 100, and #1 on RPM's Adult Contemporary chart. The song was ranked #42 on Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1969.

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Love (Cirque du Soleil) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at the Mirage in Las Vegas. A joint venture between Cirque and The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd, it is the first theatrical production that Apple Corps Ltd. has partnered in. Love is written and directed by Dominic Champagne. Music directors are George Martin, producer of nearly all of The Beatles' records, and his son, record producer Giles Martin. A soundtrack album of the show was released in November 2006. On April 10, 2024, Cirque du Soleil announced that the show is coming to an end with a final performance on July 7, Ringo Starr’s 84th birthday. == History == The project arose from discussions in 2000 between George Harrison and his friend Guy Laliberté, one of Cirque's founders. Three years of negotiations between surviving members of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, The Beatles widows Olivia Harrison (representing George Harrison) and Yoko Ono (representing John Lennon), The Beatles' holding company Apple Corps Ltd. and the MGM Mirage culminated in an agreement. The first executive producer was Neil Aspinall, then-manager of Apple Corps Ltd. Dominic Champagne shares the show concept creator credit with Gilles Ste-Croix (a founder of Cirque), who is also credited as the director of creation. The creation director is Chantal Tremblay. Tickets went on sale April 19, 2006. Preview performances ran from June 2 to June 29. During these shows, including June 16 and June 17 which were attended by McCartney. In attendance at the gala opening on June 30 were McCartney, Starr, Ono, Cynthia Lennon, Julian Lennon, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, and George Martin. It was the biggest reunion of The Beatles' 'family' since the band's breakup. At the end of the show, McCartney, Starr, Olivia, Ono and Martin went on stage. On June 26, 2007, everyone met for the first anniversary of the show at the Mirage, where the Love show is staged. McCartney, Starr, Olivia and Ono were interviewed by CNN's Larry King shortly before the show began. The group unveiled a plaque at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas in memory of John Lennon and George Harrison. Starting in late October 2010, Cirque du Soleil offered backstage tours of the Love theatre. The experience allows visitors to see the backstage wings, training rooms, costume workshop, and break area, and go up to a catwalk into the sound and lighting booths. Not every experience will be the same, as the tour is conducted around a "regular day", so performers may or may not be training, rehearsing, or even working out. Leading up to the show's 10th anniversary in July 2016, producers updated the production, which included changes to imagery, costumes, and acts, as well as the addition and removal of pieces of music. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was shut down from March 2020 until August 2021. == Set and technical information == Created by French designer Jean Rabasse, the Love theater at The Mirage houses 6,351 speakers and 2,013 seats set around a central stage. Each seat is fitted with three speakers, including a pair in the headrest. The sound system was designed by Jonathan Deans. The stage includes 11 lifts, 4 traps, and 13 automated tracks and trolleys. Each lift is capable of lifting 20,000 pounds. The LOVE theatre features 32 digital projectors that are used in the show. Everything is digital from source to screen, making very large high definition digital 100’ wide panoramic images. Video images on two walls above the audience on two sides of the auditorium emphasize elements of the show and provide transitions. High-definition projectors also create enormous images (designed by Francis Laporte) on four translucent screens that can be unfurled to divide the auditorium. The Love theater, which replaced the Siegfried & Roy theater at The Mirage, is said to have cost more than $100 million. The theater is set up as a circular theatre in the round, with seats 360 degrees around the stage. There are four balconies in the theater, and the furthest seat from the absolute center of the stage is only 98 feet. The closest seat to the absolute center of the stage is 23 feet and 4 inches, which is only 2 feet and 9 inches from the edge of the stage. == Storyline == The loose story of the production traces The Beatles' biography in broad strokes from the Blitz, through the band's founding and climb into superstardom, their psychedelic and spiritual works and their break-up in 1970. The finale is a joyous celebration of The Beatles' "reunion" that the show itself represents. Love traces this path without relying on literal or historical representations of individual people. Its landscape is inhabited by fictional characters plucked from The Beatles' lyrics. Sgt. Pepper, a central figure, encounters such characters as Lucy in the Sky, Eleanor Rigby, Lady Madonna and Mr. Kite. In an exception to this stylistic choice, the "Here Comes the Sun" scene features a character resembling Krishna. Similarly, several scenes include mop-topped, dark-haired figures in black suits who resemble The Beatles. The international cast totals 65 performers. Each song or medley is the name of a scene. == Characters == Love has a plethora of characters which are inspired by the music of The Beatles. Doctor Robert: The host of Love. Eleanor Rigby: An English woman. Father McKenzie: A preacher from older times. Fool: A strange man on Roller skates. Groupies: The unrelenting fans of The Beatles Her Majesty: As a symbol of pride for the nation, she is often seen in a large oval frame. Julia: Evokes John Lennon's mother, Julia Lennon. Mr. Kite and Helter Skelter:. Kids of Liverpool Krishna: Unites the cultures and sounds of the East and West. Lady Madonna: A character who represents motherhood. Lucy and the Firemen: A duo of lovers. Mr. Piggy: Represents the aristocratic traditional values. Nowhere Men: Represent the zeitgeist of Love. The Nowhere men are four characters: Pink Nowhere man, Dr Robert, the Fool, and Eggman. Nurses: The caregiving stagehands of Love. Sailors Sgt. Pepper: A Ringmaster-like character. Sugar Plum Fairy: A charming disc jockey. Teddy Boys Eggman: A Breakdancer. == Acts == Love features elaborate choreography and various acrobatic and aerial performances. Come Together Get Back - Bungee Solo Bar Trapeze Here Comes the Sun - Rope contortion Aerial Russian swing (Kris Carrison) Sgt. Pepper - Korean rope Back in the U.S.S.R. - Trampoline Latex rope Help! - Skater Spanish web Free running == Costumes == Philippe Guilottel, Love's costume designer, wanted to infuse the same spirit of The Beatles into the costumes for Love. Many include juxtaposed elements, such as traditional and Victorian fashions being combined with colorful, imaginative designs. Many of the costumes are highly sophisticated and voluminous, almost as if taken from a cartoon. For example, Savile Row tailoring traditions were utilized for the Sgt. Pepper Parade, turning the outfits inside out. == Music == Unlike most other Cirque productions, which feature live music, Love uses prerecorded material from The Beatles' catalog. Many of the original Abbey Road Studios recording session tapes have been reorchestrated and inspired Love's dance, acrobatics, as well as visual and theatrical effects. Sir George Martin, The Beatles' original producer, and his son Giles Martin worked with the entire archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical component for Love. The result is an unprecedented approach to the music for a stage production. Love samples 120 songs to create 27 musical pieces. The songs are mixed so that the lyrics and instrumentation from one song blend into the next. One musical highlight of the show is a new version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which matches the first studio demo of the song with a string arrangement written for Love by Sir George Martin. A commercial soundtrack of the show was released in November 2006. == Filmography == A documentary on the making of Love titled All Together Now was released on October 20, 2008. The following scenes from Love are included in Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" "Blackbird" "Octopus' Garden" "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" "Get Back/Glass Onion" == References == == External links == Official website It's big-top Beatles, by George Something in the Way You Remix, NPR Interview with Giles Martin

Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at the Mirage in Las Vegas. A joint venture between Cirque and The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd, it is the first theatrical production that Apple Corps Ltd. has partnered in. Love is written and directed by Dominic Champagne. Music directors are George Martin, producer of nearly all of The Beatles' records, and his son, record producer Giles Martin. A soundtrack album of the show was released in November 2006. On April 10, 2024, Cirque du Soleil announced that the show is coming to an end with a final performance on July 7, Ringo Starr’s 84th birthday.

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Love (Coleridge) (wikipedia)

Love is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1799 as Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie. == Publication == This poem was first published (with four preliminary and three concluding stanzas) as the Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie, in the Morning Post, on 21 December 1799: included (as Love) in the Lyrical Ballads of 1800, 1802, 1805: reprinted with the text of the Morning Post in English Minstrelsy, 1810, with the following prefatory note:—"These exquisite stanzas appeared some years ago in a London Newspaper, and have since that time been republished in Mr. Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads, but with some alterations; the Poet having apparently relinquished his intention of writing the Fate of the Dark Ladye": included (as Love) in Sibylline Leaves, 1828, 1829, and 1834. The four opening and three concluding stanzas with prefatory note were republished in Literary Remains, 1836, and were first collected in 1844. For a facsimile of the MS. of Love as printed in the Lyrical Ballads, 1800, see Wordsworth and Coleridge MSS., edited by W. Hale White, 1897. For a collation of the Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie with two MSS. in the British Library, see Coleridge's Poems. A Facsimile Reproduction, &c., edited by James Dykes Campbell, 1899. It is probable that the greater part of the Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie was written either during or shortly after a visit which Coleridge paid to the Wordsworths's friends, George and Mary, and Sarah Hutchinson, at Sockburn, a farm-house on the banks of the Tees, in November 1799. In the first draft, ll. 13–16, "She leaned, &c." runs thus:— She lean'd against a grey stone rudely carv'd,The statue of an arméd Knight:She lean'd in melancholy mood Amid the lingering light. == Influences == In the church at Sockburn there was, as of 1912, a recumbent statue of an "armed knight" (of the Conyers family), and in a field near the farm-house there was a "Grey-Stone" which was said to commemorate the slaying of a monstrous wyverne or "worme" by the knight who was buried in the church. Ernest Hartley Coleridge finds it difficult to believe that the "arméd knight" and the "grey stone" of the first draft were not suggested by the statue in Sockburn Church, and the "Grey-Stone" in the adjoining field. It has been argued that the Ballad of the Dark Ladié, of which only a fragment remains, was written after Coleridge returned from Germany, and that the Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie, which embodies Love, was written at Stowey in 1797 or 1798. But in referring to "the plan" of the Lyrical Ballads of 1798, Coleridge says that he had written the Ancient Mariner, and was preparing the Dark Ladie and the Christabel (both unpublished poems when this Chapter was written), but says nothing of so typical a poem as Love. By the Dark Ladié he must have meant the unfinished Ballad of the Dark Ladié, which, at one time, numbered 190 lines, not the Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie, which later on he refers to as the "poem entitled Love", and which had appeared under that title in the Lyrical Ballads of 1800, 1802, and 1805. In Sibylline Leaves, 1828, 1829, and 1834, Love, which was the first in order of a group of poems with the sub-title "Love Poems", was prefaced by the following motto:— Coleridge wrote the following to the editor of the Morning Post: The following Poem is the Introduction to a somewhat longer one, for which I shall solicit insertion on your next open day. The use of the Old Ballad word, Ladie, for Lady, is the only piece of obsoleteness in it; and as it is professedly a tale of ancient times, I trust, that 'the affectionate lovers of venerable antiquity' (as Camden says) will grant me their pardon, and perhaps may be induced to admit a force and propriety in it. A heavier objection may be adduced against the Author, that in these times of fear and expectation, when novelties explode around us in all directions, he should presume to offer to the public a silly tale of old fashioned love; and, five years ago, I own, I should have allowed and felt the force of this objection. But, alas! explosion has succeeded explosion so rapidly, that novelty itself ceases to appear new; and it is possible that now, even a simple story, wholly unspired [sic? inspired] with politics or personality, may find some attention amid the hubbub of Revolutions, as to those who have resided a long time by the falls of Niagara, the lowest whispering becomes distinctly audible. == References == == Sources == Campbell, James Dykes, ed. (1899). Coleridge's Poems; A Facsimile Reproduction of the Proofs and MSS. of Some of the Poems. Westminster: A. Constable. Coleridge, Henry Nelson, ed. (1836). The Literary Remains of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Vol. 1. London: William Pickering. pp. 50–2. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1817). Biographia Literaria; or, Biographical Sketches of My Literary Life and Opinions. Vol. 2. London: Rest Fenner. pp. 3, 298. White, William Hale (1897). A Description of the Wordsworth & Coleridge Manuscripts in the Possession of Mr. T. Norton Longman. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. pp. 34–5. Wordsworth, William (1800). Lyrical Ballads, with Other Poems. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). London: T. N. Longman and O. Rees. pp. 138–44. Zuccato, Edoardo (2008). Petrarch in Romantic England. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 109. doi:10.1057/9780230584433. ISBN 978-1-349-36016-1. English Minstrelsy: Being a Selection of Fugitive Poetry from the Best English Authors. Edinburgh: John Ballantyne and Co. 1810. pp. 131–9. Attribution: Coleridge, Ernest Hartley, ed. (1912). The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 330–35, 1052–59. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

Love is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1799 as Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie.

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Love (Disney song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song from Walt Disney's film Robin Hood with the lyrics and music by Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns. The lyrics were sung by Huddleston's wife, Nancy Adams instead of Monica Evans, who voiced Maid Marian for the rest of the film. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song that a young Jodie Foster and Johnny Whitaker performed a singing duet together of their version on stage at the 46th Academy Awards, but lost to "The Way We Were" from the film of the same name. The song was also used in the soundtrack for the 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox, directed by Wes Anderson, as well as on the 2023 Amazon.com Super Bowl ad "Saving Sawyer". == References ==

"Love" is a song from Walt Disney's film Robin Hood with the lyrics and music by Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns. The lyrics were sung by Huddleston's wife, Nancy Adams instead of Monica Evans, who voiced Maid Marian for the rest of the film. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song that a young Jodie Foster and Johnny Whitaker performed a singing duet together of their version on stage at the 46th Academy Awards, but lost to "The Way We Were" from the film of the same name. The song was also used in the soundtrack for the 2009 film Fantastic Mr. Fox, directed by Wes Anderson, as well as on the 2023 Amazon.com Super Bowl ad "Saving Sawyer".

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Love (DramaGods album) (wikipedia)

Love is the second and final studio album from DramaGods, a project led by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. Bettencourt is most remembered for being the guitarist in the band Extreme. Originally conceived as a double-album entitled "Love/Hate", the songs were combined into one album. It is not known what happened to the rest of the songs from these recording sessions, if they were ever fully recorded and produced, or just left as demos. The album was originally released by JVC Victor in Japan and is the first released by the band under the name DramaGods. The band was previously known as Population 1, but changed the name due to legal issues. The song 'Interface' was later re-recorded for Extreme's album Saudades de Rock. == Track listing == Megaton (Bettencourt, Pessia, Ferlazzo, Figueiredo) Lockdown (Bettencourt) Bury You (Bettencourt, Burns) Broken (Bettencourt) Pilots (Bettencourt, Figueiredo, Pessia) Interface (Bettencourt) Heavy (Bettencourt, Pessia, Ferlazzo, Figueiredo) Something About You (Bettencourt) Fearless Leader (Bettencourt, Pessia) Sometimes (Bettencourt, Ferlazzo, Figueiredo, Pessia) So'k (Bettencourt, Figueiredo) Replay (Bettencourt, Pessia) Nice To Meet You (Bettencourt) Sky (Be, ) == Personnel == Nuno Bettencourt — guitars, lead vocals; bass (tracks 4, 12) Steve Ferlazzo — keyboards, backing vocals Joe Pessia — bass (tracks 1-3, 5-11, 13, 14); mandolin (track 4), slide guitar (track 4), guitar (track 12) Kevin Figuereido — drums, backing vocals == See also == Nuno Bettencourt Mourning Widows Extreme == References ==

Love is the second and final studio album from DramaGods, a project led by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. Bettencourt is most remembered for being the guitarist in the band Extreme. Originally conceived as a double-album entitled "Love/Hate", the songs were combined into one album. It is not known what happened to the rest of the songs from these recording sessions, if they were ever fully recorded and produced, or just left as demos. The album was originally released by JVC Victor in Japan and is the first released by the band under the name DramaGods. The band was previously known as Population 1, but changed the name due to legal issues. The song 'Interface' was later re-recorded for Extreme's album Saudades de Rock.

love

Love (Foetus album) (wikipedia)

Love is a Foetus album released on CD by Ectopic Ents/Birdman Records in 2005. Initial copies include a DVD disc with additional content. It features a dramatic shift in tone and style compared to previous Foetus releases, being more atmospheric and emotional in tone. Love is Ectopic Ents #ECT ENTS 027. == Track listing == === CD === All songs by J. G. Thirlwell "(Not Adam)" – 4:11 "Mon Agonie Douce" – 3:29 "Aladdin Reverse" – 7:30 "Miracle" – 4:48 "Don't Want Me Anymore" – 6:44 "Blessed Evening" – 3:41 "Pareidolia" – 6:01 "Thrush" – 6:53 with Jennifer Charles "Time Marches On" – 3:07 "How to Vibrate" – 8:31 === DVD === ==== Love: The Videos ==== "Blessed Evening" (directed by Karen O, lensed by Spike Jonze) "(Not Adam)" (directed by Jeremy Solterbeck) ==== Love: The Short Films ==== "How to Vibrate" (directed by Kurt Ralske) "Mon Agonie Douce" (directed by Clément Tuffreau) ==== Extras ==== "I'll Meet You in Poland Baby" (taken from the Male DVD) "Mary Magdalene" (performed by Rotoskop and featuring vocals by J. G. Thirlwell) The Venture Bros. 5 trailers (score by J. G. Thirlwell) A Foetus Life: A Documentary on J. G. Thirlwell 2 trailers (directed by Clément Tuffreau) "Verklemmt" (directed by Alex Winter) ("hidden" title 17, not available via the menus) == Personnel == J. G. Thirlwell – All instruments and vocals, except: Pamelia Kurstin – Theremin (7) Jeff Davidson – Trumpet (9) Christian Gibbs – Guitar (9) Kurt Wolf – Rhythm guitars (4) Jennifer Charles – Vocals (8) == Production == J. G. Thirlwell – Production, composition, arrangements, recording, mixing, sleeve design Scott Hull – Mastering Heung-Heung Chin – Art direction == External links == Love at foetus.org Love at Discogs

Love is a Foetus album released on CD by Ectopic Ents/Birdman Records in 2005. Initial copies include a DVD disc with additional content. It features a dramatic shift in tone and style compared to previous Foetus releases, being more atmospheric and emotional in tone. Love is Ectopic Ents #ECT ENTS 027.

love

Love (Girl's Day album) (wikipedia)

Love is the second full-length studio album by South Korean girl group Girl's Day. It was released by Dream Tea Entertainment and distributed by LOEN Entertainment on July 7, 2015. It consists of fourteen songs, including the title track "Ring My Bell", used to promote the album on several music programs, including Music Bank and Inkigayo. A music video for the title track was also released on July 7. The album was a commercial success peaking at number 3 on the Gaon Album Chart. It has sold over 30,212 physical copies as of December 2015. == Release and promotion == The full album was released on July 7, 2015. The promotions of the song "Ring My Bell" started on July 6, 2015 on The Show. The song was also promoted on the shows, Show Champion, Music Bank, M! Countdown, Music Core and Inkigayo. == Commercial performance == Love entered and peaked at number 3 on the Gaon Album Chart on the chart issue dated July 5–11, 2015. In its second week, the album fell to number 11 and in its third week to number 37. It spent a total of nine consecutive weeks on the album chart. The album entered at number 10 on the Gaon Album Chart for the month of July 2015, with 28,499 physical copies sold. It also charted at number 63 for the month of August for a total of 29,207 copies sold. The album charted at number 64 on the Gaon Album Chart for the year-end 2015 with 30,212 physical copies sold. == Track listing == == Charts == === Sales and certifications === == References == == External links == "Ring My Bell" Music Video on YouTube

Love is the second full-length studio album by South Korean girl group Girl's Day. It was released by Dream Tea Entertainment and distributed by LOEN Entertainment on July 7, 2015. It consists of fourteen songs, including the title track "Ring My Bell", used to promote the album on several music programs, including Music Bank and Inkigayo. A music video for the title track was also released on July 7. The album was a commercial success peaking at number 3 on the Gaon Album Chart. It has sold over 30,212 physical copies as of December 2015.

love

Love (Inna song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her debut studio album, Hot (2009). It was released as the second single from the record on 16 February 2009. Written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, "Love" is an EDM and house track. Its lyrics revolve around the potential complications related with love. The song was described as containing high-pitched vocals by one reviewer, as well as compared to the work of English rock band New Order. Another critic foresaw the single to be commercially successful. It was aided by an accompanying music video, which was uploaded onto label Roton's official YouTube channel on 7 May 2009. The clip was filmed near Bucharest, Romania by Bogdan Bărbulescu and portrays a fight between good and evil. For further promotion, Inna also performed "Love" at the Bulgarian event Loop Live in October 2009. Commercially, the song reached the top ten of the charts in Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary. == Release and composition == "Love" was exclusively presented on Romanian website Urban.ro and released to Romanian radio station Radio 21 on 16 February 2009, where it was played for the first time during the "Muzica Ta" ("Your Music") radio programme hosted by Marian Soci. The single's radio release had previously been delayed for unknown reasons. On Radio 21's website, a sample of the song was also posted prior to its premiere, while an editor thought that it was Inna's "gift" for her fans for Valentine's Day. Written and produced by Romanian trio Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, "Love" was released as the second single from Hot (2009), Inna's debut studio album, following her debut song of the same name (2008). According to The Hindu's Neeti Sarkar, "Love" is a cadenced song that belongs to the EDM and house genres. Its lyrics talk about "how complicated situations of love can become". Paul Lester of The Guardian noticed "high-on-helium girly vocals" in the composition of "Love" and Hot album track "On and On". He also compared both songs to the work of English rock band New Order, listing their track "True Faith" (1987) as an example. == Reception and accolades == An editor of Romanian magazine Unica predicted the recording to be commercially successful. It reached number four on the Romanian Nielsen Music Control chart, Inna's second consecutive top five hit in the nation after her debut single "Hot" topped the chart in December 2008. "Love" also peaked at number five in Slovakia, while further top 10 placements were achieved in Hungary and Czech Republic. In Spain, the recording debuted on the Spanish Singles Chart at number 37 as that week's highest debut, while peaking at number 31. "Love" was nominated in the Top 1 Romania 2009 and Girls – The Best Hit 2009 categories at the 2009 Romanian Top Hits Awards, as well as in the Best Song in the Balkans from Romania for 2009 category at the 2010 Balkan Music Awards. == Music video == An accompanying music video for "Love" was uploaded onto label Roton's official YouTube channel on 7 May 2009. It was shot by Bogdan Bărbulescu on 21 April 2009 in an abandoned hall in Bucharest, Romania during the span of 14 hours. Filming began at about 8:00 in the morning. According to Unica, Bărbulescu's concept for the video was a fight between good and evil, which he showcased through "impressive" contrasts. Making-of footage of the clip was published on the same day on Urban.ro. The visual opens with a confluence of black and white flowing water fluxes, followed by a ballerina pirouetting through the air "in a grim decor, full of old machines". Subsequently, a boxer is shown beating a punching bag, while a topless man empties a water bottle onto him and a woman sporting a white hoodie holds a bat in her hands. Later in the video, the aforementioned appear to fight against people masked entirely in black. Near the end, Inna walks among the two parties before they disappear. Interspresed shots show the singer wearing a white leotard with a black corset and a long white veil attached to it, as well as the topless man jumping in the air. Some of the video's scenes are played in slow motion or backwards. An editor of Unica praised the clip's concept and elaborated: "The link between the two worlds [of good and evil] is made by Inna, who wears a special outfit meant to highlight both the positives and the negative characters. The new video brings us a happy end in which love conquers, as we can see from the title of the single." They also thought that the clip was awaited in "more than 10 countries" due to the success of Inna's precedent single. == Track listing == Official versions "Love (Play & Win Radio Edit Version)" – 3:39 "Love (Play & Win Extended Version)" – 5:02 "Love (Original Version)" – 4:14 "Love (UK Radio Edit Version)" – 2:23 "Love (Dandeej Remix)" – 5:15 "Love (DJ Andi Remix)" – 5:44 "Love (eSQUIRE Radio Edit)" – 3:54 "Love (eSQUIRE Club Remix)" – 5:57 "Love (7th Heaven Radio Edit)" – 3:51 "Love (7th Heaven Club Remix)" – 6:35 "Love (Klubfiller Club Remix)" – 6:35 "Love (Klubfiller Dub)" – 6:30 == Charts == == Release and radio history == == Notes == == See also == List of music released by Romanian artists that has charted in major music markets == External links == Official music video on YouTube == References ==

"Love" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her debut studio album, Hot (2009). It was released as the second single from the record on 16 February 2009. Written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, "Love" is an EDM and house track. Its lyrics revolve around the potential complications related with love. The song was described as containing high-pitched vocals by one reviewer, as well as compared to the work of English rock band New Order. Another critic foresaw the single to be commercially successful. It was aided by an accompanying music video, which was uploaded onto label Roton's official YouTube channel on 7 May 2009. The clip was filmed near Bucharest, Romania by Bogdan Bărbulescu and portrays a fight between good and evil. For further promotion, Inna also performed "Love" at the Bulgarian event Loop Live in October 2009. Commercially, the song reached the top ten of the charts in Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary.

love

Love (Is All We Need) (wikipedia)

"Love (Is All We Need)" is a song recorded by British DJ Adam J, and features Sugababes' Amelle Berrabah and production team The Nightcrashers. It was released on 19 August 2013, and is Berrabah's second solo release as a featured artist since her collaboration with Tinchy Stryder on his single "Never Leave You" in 2009. The song is credited to Adam J as lead artist and features Amelle's vocals. The song failed to chart. == Background == In May 2013, Amelle Berrabah confirmed she'd nearly completed work on her solo album, and was looking to release the collection some time in the summer. Berrabah later revealed further details about her solo album, and hinted at the release of a new single: "I'll be starting a promo at the end of June with my single and the rest will fit into place. I'm really excited and can't wait." In June 2013 it was announced that Amelle Berrabah had teamed up with British DJ Adam J for his new single, which was stated to feature production team The Nightcrashers. The single was released on 19 August 2013. == Music video == A lyric video for the song was released onto YouTube on 24 June 2013, which also confirmed Berrabah's collaboration with Adam J. On 19 July 2013, Nightcrasher Records previewed a 'Behind the Scenes' video of the shoot for the single. The official music video for the single premiered on 26 July. The video shows Amelle singing in a nightclub, while other scenes show a couple's romantic relationship story, with Adam J acting as a narrator. == Track listing == Digital remix EP "Love (Is All We Need)" featuring Nightcrashers & Amelle – 3:32 "Love (Is All We Need)" featuring Nightcrashers & Amelle (Extended) – 6:00 "Love (Is All We Need)" featuring Nightcrashers & Amelle (Extended Instrumental) – 6:00 "Love (Is All We Need)" featuring Nightcrashers & Amelle (Radio Edit) – 3:17 == Release history == == References ==

"Love (Is All We Need)" is a song recorded by British DJ Adam J, and features Sugababes' Amelle Berrabah and production team The Nightcrashers. It was released on 19 August 2013, and is Berrabah's second solo release as a featured artist since her collaboration with Tinchy Stryder on his single "Never Leave You" in 2009. The song is credited to Adam J as lead artist and features Amelle's vocals. The song failed to chart.

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Love (Keyshia Cole song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song by American singer Keyshia Cole, written alongside producer Greg Curtis for her debut studio album The Way It Is (2005). The song was released on January 6 as the album's fourth and final single and emerged as the most successful single from the album. It peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming her breakthrough record and preceding a string of modestly successful singles, also receiving platinum certification by the RIAA. == Background == "Love" was written by Cole along with producer Greg Curtis. When she moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, "Love" was the track that she thought stood the best chance of getting her signed to a label. When she met with A&M Records President Ron Fair, she performed the song, and Fair signed Cole on the spot. The track tells the story of a girl who is always trying to do her best for her boyfriend, even though she believes that she is never good enough. The lyrics read: "I used to think that I wasn't fine enough and I used to think I wasn't wild enough but I won't waste my time tryin' to figure out why you are playin' games what's this all about?" The song describes the boyfriend's infidelity and Cole's struggle to believe it because she is madly in love with him. == Chart performance == "Love" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 82 and rose to number 49 in its second week, becoming the chart's "Greatest Gainer." It slowly moved up the charts with minor setbacks, and eventually reached position 19, becoming Cole's most successful solo charting single up to then until her 2007 song "Let It Go" reached position seven. "Love" also peaked at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Billboard ranked 18th on its 2006 R&B/Hip-Hop Songs year-end chart. "Love" was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). == Music video == An accompanying music video for "Love" was directed by Benny Boom. R&B singer Tyrese appears as Cole's boyfriend in the video which was largely shot in various New York City locations. The clip starts as two policemen pull over Cole and Tyrese after she allegedly ran a red light though she denies the accusation. Tyrese appears to be living a double life. Although Cole suspects that he is a criminal, she never confronts him since he gives the impression of being a loving boyfriend. As Cole is watching television, a video of her boyfriend and some other men robbing a bank appears on the screen. After she arrives home from a day of lavish shopping, Cole is confronted by the authorities who ask her if she knows the whereabouts of her boyfriend. Her boyfriend then picks her up, she gets into the driver's seat of the car, and we are taken back to the scene shown at the beginning of the video. In this take, however, the policeman recognizes that it is Cole and calmly calls the whole thing off by asking for her autograph. Cole confronts her boyfriend about his criminality and decides to stay with him when he pledges to give up his life of crime to be with her. Frequently aired on BET's countdown show, 106 and Park, the video made the countdown for 65 days before it was retired on April 19, 2006. == Track listings == Notes ^[a] signifies an additional producer == Credits and personnel == Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Way It Is. == Charts == == Certifications == == References ==

"Love" is a song by American singer Keyshia Cole, written alongside producer Greg Curtis for her debut studio album The Way It Is (2005). The song was released on January 6 as the album's fourth and final single and emerged as the most successful single from the album. It peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming her breakthrough record and preceding a string of modestly successful singles, also receiving platinum certification by the RIAA.

love

Love (Kis-My-Ft2 song) (wikipedia)

Love is the 21st single by Japanese boy band Kis-My-Ft2, released on July 11, 2018, by Avex Trax. == Overview == The theme of this album is “Marugoto Love Song(The whole thing is a love song.),” and each song in the album is a song about "love" in its various forms. It was released in three forms: First edition A/B and Regular disc. The DVD of the first edition A includes the music video for “Love” and “Kis-My-Ft2's Funny Sports Championship,” while the DVD of the first edition B includes the music video for “Because I Love You” and the DVD of “Ura Yummy! ~Moments of Another Kiss Matsuso~" will be included. The regular edition include three unit songs. This is the first time in two years that a unit song has been included on a single. "Love" is a commercial song for Kowa's "Unakowa Cool", in which the members appear."Because I Love You” is a commercial song for Daiichi Kosho Company's "Live Dam Stadium", and is an emotional ballad about her painful feelings of being too young to love as a student. The music video “Dance Edition” features dance. "Love" and "Because I Love You" made their television premieres on the July 7, 2018 broadcast of Nippon TV's "Tge Music Day: The Song You Want to Tell" and TBS Television (Japan)'s "Count Down TV" on the same day, respectively. == Chart performance == The song reached No. 1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart dated July 23, 2018. This was their 21st consecutive No. 1 ranking on the chart since their debut single “Everybody Go”. The special single "You & Me" released on April 25, 2018, was sold exclusively on Seven Net, so it is not counted in the Oricon count. CD first-week sales: 175,655 (Oricon total). By December 9, 2018, the album had sold a total of 197,737 copies and ranked 33rd on the 2018 annual Oricon Album Ranking. == Track listing == === CD === Regular Edition "Love" [3:40] "ConneXion" [3:47] - Taisuke Fujigaya, Kennaga Senga, Wataru Yokoo "When You Wish Upon a Star" [4:53] - Yuta Tamamori, Toshiya Miyata "Happy Birthday" [1:33] - Hiromitsu Kitayama, Takashi Nikaido First Edition A/B "Love" "Because I Love You" [3:20]. === DVD === First Edition A "Love" Music Video "Love" Music Video making document Kis-My-Ft2's Funny sports championship wirh roller skate First Edition B "Because I Love You" Music Video (Dance Edition) "Because I Love You" Music Video (Making Document) The making of "Because I Love You" MUSIC VIDEO (Dance Edition) "Yummy behind the scenes!" (Moments from the other side of Kismatsuso apartment) == References == == External link == 21st Single "Love" - MENT Recording Kis-My-Ft2 Official Website - MENT Recording (in Japanese) Kis-My-Ft2 Official Website - Starto Entertainment (in English)

Love is the 21st single by Japanese boy band Kis-My-Ft2, released on July 11, 2018, by Avex Trax.

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Love (Lennon & Maisy song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song by Canadian music duo Lennon & Maisy. They recorded the song for a Coop Naturaplan TV commercial. The song reached number two in Switzerland for three consecutive weeks. == Charts == == References ==

"Love" is a song by Canadian music duo Lennon & Maisy. They recorded the song for a Coop Naturaplan TV commercial. The song reached number two in Switzerland for three consecutive weeks.

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Love (Love album) (wikipedia)

Love is the debut album by the Los Angeles-based rock band Love; released in March 1966 by Elektra Records. == Background == Arthur Lee, who was originally from Memphis, Tennessee, but had lived in Los Angeles since he was five, had been recording since 1963 with his bands, the LAG's and Lee's American Four. He had written and also produced the single "My Diary" for Rosa Lee Brooks in 1964 which featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar. A garage outfit, The Sons Of Adam, which included future Love drummer Michael Stuart, also recorded a Lee composition, "Feathered Fish". However, after viewing a performance by the Byrds, Lee became determined to form a group that joined the newly minted folk-rock sound of the Byrds to his primarily rhythm and blues style. Singer, songwriter / guitarist Bryan MacLean, whom Lee had met when he was working as a roadie for the Byrds, joined the band just before they changed their name from the Grass Roots to Love, spurred by the release of a single by another group called the Grass Roots. MacLean had also been playing guitar in bands since about 1963 but picked up music early. Neighbor Frederick Loewe, of the composers Lerner & Loewe, recognized him as a "melodic genius" at the age of three as he doodled on the piano. Also joining the band was another Memphis native, lead guitarist Johnny Echols. From L.A. was drummer Don Conka. A short time later, Conka was replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. Love's first bassist, Johnny Fleckenstein, went on to join the Standells in 1967. Fleckenstein was replaced by Ken Forssi (formerly of a post-"Wipe Out" lineup of the Surfaris). == Recording and music == Ten of the album's fourteen tracks were recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood on January 24–27, 1966. The remaining four tracks ("A Message to Pretty", "My Flash on You", "Emotions", and "Mushroom Clouds") come from another, undocumented session during that period. Love features a mixture of folk rock genre, garage rock, and psychedelic rock. The first rock album issued on then-folk giant Elektra Records, the album begins with the group's radical reworking of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David song "My Little Red Book" and also features "Signed D.C." (allegedly a reference to one-time Love drummer Don Conka), along with the poignant "A Message to Pretty". == Release and reception == The album sold approximately 150,000 copies. In a retrospective review of the album, Richie Unterberger for AllMusic called it "their hardest-rocking early album and their most Byrds-influenced." He also stated, "Arthur Lee's songwriting muse hadn't fully developed at this stage, and in comparison with their second and third efforts, this is the least striking of the LPs featuring their classic lineup, with some similar-sounding folk-rock compositions and stock riffs." === 2001 CD reissue === The 2001 CD reissue presents both monaural and stereophonic mixes of the album, as well as an alternate take of "Signed D.C." and "No. Fourteen", the B-side to the "7 and 7 Is" single. == Legacy == The stark instrumental "Emotions" is used uncredited in Haskell Wexler's 1969 film Medium Cool as a recurring theme. "My Little Red Book" was featured over the final credits of the movie High Fidelity in 2000, and the Beverly Hills, 90210 episode "Alone at the Top" in 1995. == Track listing == == Personnel == Love Arthur Lee – lead vocals, percussion, harmonica. Also drums on "Can't Explain", "No Matter What You Do", "Gazing", and "And More". Johnny Echols – lead guitar Bryan MacLean – rhythm guitar, vocals. Lead vocals on "Softly to Me" and "Hey Joe". Ken Forssi – bass guitar Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer – drums Additional personnel According to the box set Love Story, the tracks "A Message to Pretty" and "My Flash on You" may feature John Fleckenstein on bass and Don Conka on drums in place of Forssi and Pfisterer, respectively. == Singles == "My Little Red Book" b/w "A Message to Pretty" (Elektra 45603) "No. Fourteen" (from these sessions, B side of "7 & 7 Is" - Elektra 45605) "Hey Joe" (B side to rare "¡Que Vida!" single - Elektra 45613) == Release history == == References ==

Love is the debut album by the Los Angeles-based rock band Love; released in March 1966 by Elektra Records.

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Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things) (wikipedia)

"Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" is a 1965 pop ballad by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. A rare ballad for the group, whose forte was reportedly uptempo soul dance numbers including "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run", the b-side to the group's single, "You've Been in Love Too Long", although the song only peaked at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #22 on the Billboard Hot R&B singles chart. Cash Box described it as a "plaintive, slow-shufflin’ heart-throbber with a nostalgic years-back sound." Other artist recording the song include: Kim Weston (original recording artist on unreleased track), Diana Ross and the Supremes, Thee Midnighters, Slim Smith, Jean Carn, Billy Preston, and Eula Cooper. The Andantes recorded co-backing vocals on all three Motown recordings. == Personnel == Lead vocals by Martha Reeves Background vocals by The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, Jr. Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers == References ==

"Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" is a 1965 pop ballad by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. A rare ballad for the group, whose forte was reportedly uptempo soul dance numbers including "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run", the b-side to the group's single, "You've Been in Love Too Long", although the song only peaked at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #22 on the Billboard Hot R&B singles chart. Cash Box described it as a "plaintive, slow-shufflin’ heart-throbber with a nostalgic years-back sound." Other artist recording the song include: Kim Weston (original recording artist on unreleased track), Diana Ross and the Supremes, Thee Midnighters, Slim Smith, Jean Carn, Billy Preston, and Eula Cooper. The Andantes recorded co-backing vocals on all three Motown recordings.

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Love (Masaki Suda album) (wikipedia)

Love is the second album by Masaki Suda. It was released on July 10, 2019. It debuted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart. == Track listing == == Charts == === Album === === Singles === "Machigai Sagashi" == Awards == == References ==

Love is the second album by Masaki Suda. It was released on July 10, 2019. It debuted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart.

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Love (Michael Bublé album) (wikipedia)

Love (stylized as the red heart emoji ❤️) is the tenth studio album by Canadian singer Michael Bublé. It was released on November 16, 2018, by Reprise Records. It is supported by the lead single "When I Fall in Love". == Background and writing == Love is Bublé's first release of any kind in two years, following his eldest son Noah being diagnosed with liver cancer, which he has said made him consider "never returning to music". He later returned to write and record songs in the studio as his son's condition improved. On his approach to the album, Bublé stated: "My end game for the new record was to create a series of short cinematic stories for each song I chose and have it stand on its own." Once the rough outline of his album concept was formed he pitched the idea to his band members while they were visiting his Vancouver home for a casual jam session and video games. For the album, Bublé wrote the original song "Forever Now" and co-wrote the track "Love You Anymore" with Charlie Puth. The singer coaxed his mentor David Foster out of retirement from studio projects to oversee development of much of the album. Bublé originally thought he would title the album My Romance in reference to his rekindled romance with music, but he decided against it because he felt the title would involve frequent contextual explanation. == Promotion == Bublé announced the album in a Facebook Live stream, where he acknowledged the time he had spent away from music. The album was also called his "most romantic record to date". He performed a section of "Love You Anymore" on Carpool Karaoke for Stand Up to Cancer on October 26, 2018. He performed on The Graham Norton Show on November 9 and The X Factor on November 11. === Singles === The first single from the album, "When I Fall in Love", was released on September 27, 2018. It was followed by the original song, "Love You Anymore", on October 12, and finally "Such a Night" on November 9, one week before the album's release. == Commercial performance == In Canada, Love debuted at number 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart with 26,000 album-equivalent units. It is Bublé's seventh top-two debut in the country. In his second week, Love reached number one on the chart, with 21,000 equivalent units. On January 2, 2019, Love was certified Platinum by Music Canada for shipments of 80,000 copies in the country. In the United States, Love debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 with 111,000 units, 105,000 of which were pure album sales. It became Bublé's eighth top-10 album and sixth top-2 on the Billboard 200. In the United Kingdom, Love debuted at number one with sales of 66,794 (88% of the sales being physical CDs), making it Bublé's fourth chart-topping record on the UK Albums Chart. == Track listing == == Charts == == Certifications == == References ==

Love (stylized as the red heart emoji ❤️) is the tenth studio album by Canadian singer Michael Bublé. It was released on November 16, 2018, by Reprise Records. It is supported by the lead single "When I Fall in Love".

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Love (Mika Nakashima album) (wikipedia)

Love is the second studio album by Japanese entertainer Mika Nakashima, and her third overall album release counting the mini-album Resistance. Its release date was November 6, 2003, in Japan, prior to the Christmas holiday. In contrast to her previous album, True, this album boasts a wider range of styles including ballads, soft reggae, and club jazz. It proved to be a successful move as the album outsold her debut; it topped the Oricon 200 Album Chart upon release and sold just over 437,000 copies in Japan alone the week it came out. Love won the 2003 Best Album Award at the Japan Record Awards, and has sold 1,447,681 copies to date - making this album the best-selling album in Mika's career. == Track listing == == Charts and sales == === Oricon sales charts (Japan) === === Singles ===

Love is the second studio album by Japanese entertainer Mika Nakashima, and her third overall album release counting the mini-album Resistance. Its release date was November 6, 2003, in Japan, prior to the Christmas holiday. In contrast to her previous album, True, this album boasts a wider range of styles including ballads, soft reggae, and club jazz. It proved to be a successful move as the album outsold her debut; it topped the Oricon 200 Album Chart upon release and sold just over 437,000 copies in Japan alone the week it came out. Love won the 2003 Best Album Award at the Japan Record Awards, and has sold 1,447,681 copies to date - making this album the best-selling album in Mika's career.

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Love (Morrison novel) (wikipedia)

Love (2003) is the eighth novel by Toni Morrison. Written in Morrison's non-linear style, the novel tells of the lives of several women and their relationships to the late Bill Cosey. Cosey was a charismatic hotel owner, and the people around him were affected by his life — even long after his death. The main characters are Christine, his granddaughter and Heed, his widow. The two are the same age and used to be friends but some forty years after Cosey's death they are sworn enemies, and yet share his mansion. Again Morrison uses split narrative and jumps back and forth throughout the story, not fully unfolding until the very end. The characters in the novel all have some relation to the infamous Bill Cosey. Similar to the concept of communication between the living and the dead in her 1987 novel Beloved, Morrison introduced a character named Junior; she was the medium to connect the dead Bill Cosey to the world of the living. The storytelling techniques in Love, namely the split narrative, suggest a recent trend in Morrison's literature that divides the plot among different time periods. == Critical reception == According to the book review aggregator Book Marks, Love received mostly positive reviews from critics. For example, critic Elaine Showalter, writing in The Guardian, praised it as "a disarmingly compact, unpompous book ... full of quirky, perverse characters and provocative, unfashionable ideas." In The New York Times, Laura Miller compared Love favorably to some of Morrison's earlier works, such as Beloved and Sula. == References ==

Love (2003) is the eighth novel by Toni Morrison. Written in Morrison's non-linear style, the novel tells of the lives of several women and their relationships to the late Bill Cosey. Cosey was a charismatic hotel owner, and the people around him were affected by his life — even long after his death. The main characters are Christine, his granddaughter and Heed, his widow. The two are the same age and used to be friends but some forty years after Cosey's death they are sworn enemies, and yet share his mansion. Again Morrison uses split narrative and jumps back and forth throughout the story, not fully unfolding until the very end. The characters in the novel all have some relation to the infamous Bill Cosey. Similar to the concept of communication between the living and the dead in her 1987 novel Beloved, Morrison introduced a character named Junior; she was the medium to connect the dead Bill Cosey to the world of the living. The storytelling techniques in Love, namely the split narrative, suggest a recent trend in Morrison's literature that divides the plot among different time periods.

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Love (S.E.S. song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song by South Korean girl group S.E.S. recorded in Korean and Japanese. The Korean version served as the title track for the group's third Korean studio album of the same name, released under SM Entertainment on October 29, 1999. In Japan, "Love ~Itsumademo Onje Kajima~" was the group's sixth Japanese single under VAP, released on April 21, 2000. It served as the first single for their sophomore Japanese studio album Be Ever Wonderful (2000). == Music video == The music video for "Love" was shot in New York City. It was one of the most expensive music videos produced in South Korea at the time with a reported budget of around $1 million. == Covers == Ive's Wonyoung covered the song at the 2022 KBS Song Festival. == Track listing == Japanese CD single "Love ~Itsumademo Onje Kajima~" (Love ~いつまでもオンジェ·カジナ~) – 4:12 "Round & Round" – 4:15 "Round & Round" (Again And Again Mix) – 4:15 "Love ~Itsumademo Onje Kajima~" (Instrumental) – 4:12 == Charts == == References == == External links == S.E.S.' Official Site SM Entertainment's Official Site

"Love" is a song by South Korean girl group S.E.S. recorded in Korean and Japanese. The Korean version served as the title track for the group's third Korean studio album of the same name, released under SM Entertainment on October 29, 1999. In Japan, "Love ~Itsumademo Onje Kajima~" was the group's sixth Japanese single under VAP, released on April 21, 2000. It served as the first single for their sophomore Japanese studio album Be Ever Wonderful (2000).

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Love (The Cult album) (wikipedia)

Love is the second studio album by the English rock band The Cult, released on 18 October 1985 by Beggars Banquet Records. The album was the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching number four in the UK and staying on the chart for 22 weeks. It produced three Top 40 singles in the UK, "She Sells Sanctuary", "Rain", and "Revolution". It has been released in nearly 30 countries and sold an estimated 2.5 million copies. Love was recorded at Jacob's Studios in Farnham, Surrey, in July and August 1985. == Background == Many European CD pressings, as well as Canadian and Australian pressings, include two bonus tracks: "Little Face" as track four, and "Judith" as track eleven. Various other foreign pressings have several other bonus tracks. For unknown reasons, the Korean vinyl and cassette tape editions omitted the songs "Big Neon Glitter" and "Revolution". Also inexplicably, in the Philippines a considerably shorter version of the song "Brother Wolf; Sister Moon" was used; it lasts only 5:18, omitting most of the guitar solos in the second half of the song. In 2000, the album was remastered and reissued on CD, with only the ten original songs and different artwork. "Big Neon Glitter" and "Hollow Man" are alternately listed with and without the article "The" in their title, respectively. In 2003, the record was issued on CD in Russia, Belarus and Lithuania, formerly being available only as a bootleg LP in the Soviet Union. These 2003 Eastern European releases came with the bonus tracks "Faith Healer" and "Edie (Ciao Baby)" (acoustic) as tracks 13 and 14, and the word acoustic is misspelled as "accoustic"; the pressings also use a different font for the lettering. There is also an Indonesian cassette tape version which rearranges the track listing, and includes "Dreamtime" and "Bad Medicine Waltz", from the previous Cult studio album, Dreamtime (1984). To coincide with the band's Love Live Tour in August 2009, the band released two different editions of the album: Version one is the "Expanded Edition", a 2-CD set consisting of the album on one disc as well as extended versions of album cuts, remixes and b-sides on the second disc. This set was released on 8 August 2009 in Varada and the US, and 21 September in Europe. Version two is called the "Omnibus Edition" which features the first two discs from the "Expanded Edition" plus two more discs. Disc three features demos from the Love album presented for the first time, and disc four features a live concert recorded by the BBC at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 31 October 1985. == Track listing == === Original 1985 release === === 2009 "Expanded edition" CD 2 track listing === "She Sells Sanctuary" (Long version) – 6:59 "No. 13" – 4:40 "The Snake" – 8:09 "(Here Comes the) Rain" – 6:19 "Little Face" – 4:54 "Revolution" (Full length remix) – 5:29 "Judith" – 5:29 "Sunrise" – 5:11 "All Souls Avenue" – 4:45 "She Sells Sanctuary" (Howling mix) – 8:26 "Assault on Sanctuary" – 7:31 === Omnibus edition CD 3 and 4 track listings === ==== CD 3: "The Demos" ==== "Brother Wolf, Sister Moon" – 7:54 "Hollow Man" – 5:48 "She Sells Sanctuary" – 5:21 "All Souls Avenue" – 4:56 "Little Face" – 5:45 "No. 13" – 6:23 "Big Neon Glitter" – 6:34 "Waltz" (Instrumental) – 4:36 "Nirvana" (Instrumental) – 6:04 "Revolution" (Instrumental) – 6:50 "She Sells Sanctuary" (Olympic mix) – 7:04 ==== CD 4: Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 31 October 1985 ==== "Love" – 5:54 "Nirvana" – 5:05 "Christians" – 4:33 "Hollow Man" – 5:01 "Big Neon Glitter" – 4:46 "Brother Wolf, Sister Moon" – 7:01 "Rain" – 5:12 "Dreamtime" – 3:10 "She Sells Sanctuary" – 5:35 "Go West" – 5:02 "Spiritwalker" – 4:35 "Horse Nation" – 3:17 "Phoenix" – 5:19 === Bonus tracks/international releases === "Little Face" (bonus track, track four in some territories) "Judith" (bonus track, track eleven in some territories) "Faith Healer" (bonus track, track thirteen in Eastern Europe and Asia) "Edie (Ciao Baby)" (acoustic version) (bonus track, track fourteen in Eastern Europe and Asia) Indonesian cassette tape versions: Side A: "Love", "She Sells Sanctuary", "Rain", "Nirvana", "Revolution", "Black Angel" Side B: "Phoenix", "The Hollow Man", "Big Neon Glitter", "Brother Wolf Sister Moon", "Dreamtime"*, "Bad Medicine Waltz"*. *From the studio album Dreamtime. On these Indonesian pressings, the song "Brother Wolf Sister Moon" is incorrectly listed as "Brother Walf Sister Moon", and drummer Nigel Preston is listed as Nigel Reston. Saudi Arabian cassette tape versions includes "Spiritwalker", "Dreamtime", "Rider in the Snow" and "A Flower in the Desert" as bonus tracks, but it does not include "Judith" or "Little Face". An alternate Saudi Arabian version includes only nine of the original ten songs, omitting "Revolution" and comes with a different sleeve. == 2009–2010 Love Live Tour == In 2009 and 2010, the Cult played the Love album in its entirety during an extended tour. The setlist typically was formatted as follows. "Nirvana" "Big Neon Glitter" "Love" "Brother Wolf, Sister Moon" "Rain" "Phoenix" "Hollow Man" "Revolution" "She Sells Sanctuary" "Black Angel" Encore: "Electric Ocean" "Wild Flower" "Illuminated" (later replaced with "Sun King") "Rise" "Fire Woman" "Dirty Little Rockstar" "Love Removal Machine" On 10 October 2009, Jamie Stewart and Mark Brzezicki joined the band on stage, performing "The Phoenix" and "She Sells Sanctuary". == Personnel == The Cult Ian Astbury – lead vocals Billy Duffy – guitars, backing vocals on "Hollow Man" Jamie Stewart – bass, keyboards and strings, backing vocals on "Hollow Man" Nigel Preston – drums on "She Sells Sanctuary", "No. 13" and "The Snake" Additional personnel Mark Brzezicki – guest drums on all tracks except "She Sells Sanctuary", "No. 13" and "The Snake" Simon Kliney – Fairlight The Soultanas (Mae McKenna, Lorenza Johnson, Jackie Challenor) – backing vocals on "Rain", "Revolution" and "Phoenix". == Certifications == == References == == External links == Love at Discogs (list of releases)

Love is the second studio album by the English rock band The Cult, released on 18 October 1985 by Beggars Banquet Records. The album was the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching number four in the UK and staying on the chart for 22 weeks. It produced three Top 40 singles in the UK, "She Sells Sanctuary", "Rain", and "Revolution". It has been released in nearly 30 countries and sold an estimated 2.5 million copies. Love was recorded at Jacob's Studios in Farnham, Surrey, in July and August 1985.

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Love (footballer) (wikipedia)

Arsénio Sebastião Cabungula or Love (born 14 March 1979) is an Angolan former professional footballer. A as a forward, he was Angolan top scorer twice in 2004 and 2005. He won three Girabola titles with ASA. He is a former member of the Angola national team and played regularly, usually as a substitute. He was in his country's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. 1º de Agosto striker Arsénio Sebastião Cabungula "Love" was a new addition for Petro de Luanda football team, for the second half of national first division soccer league, also dubbed Girabola 2010. The athlete was loaned from 1º de Agosto to Petro de Luanda for a six-month period, with the contract ending in December 2010. In 2017, he was appointed as the Angolan U17 national team head coach and concurrently, he is serving as an assistant manager with the Angola national football team. == Career statistics == Scores and results list Angola's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Love goal. == References == == External links == Love at National-Football-Teams.com

Arsénio Sebastião Cabungula or Love (born 14 March 1979) is an Angolan former professional footballer. A as a forward, he was Angolan top scorer twice in 2004 and 2005. He won three Girabola titles with ASA. He is a former member of the Angola national team and played regularly, usually as a substitute. He was in his country's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. 1º de Agosto striker Arsénio Sebastião Cabungula "Love" was a new addition for Petro de Luanda football team, for the second half of national first division soccer league, also dubbed Girabola 2010. The athlete was loaned from 1º de Agosto to Petro de Luanda for a six-month period, with the contract ending in December 2010. In 2017, he was appointed as the Angolan U17 national team head coach and concurrently, he is serving as an assistant manager with the Angola national football team.

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Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) (wikipedia)

Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) (Korean: 결혼작사 이혼작곡) is a South Korean television series starring Sung Hoon, Lee Tae-gon, Park Joo-mi, Lee Ga-ryeong, Lee Min-young, Jeon Soo-kyeong and Jeon No-min. The first season aired on TV Chosun from January 23 to March 14, 2021, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:00 (KST). This drama is available for worldwide streaming on Netflix. The second season was aired on TV Chosun from June 12 to August 8, 2021, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:00 (KST). It is available for streaming on Netflix. The second season finale episode reached a nationwide rating of 16.582%, making it the eleventh highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. The third season was aired on TV Chosun from February 16 to May 1, 2022. The last episode of this season recorded 10.39% nationwide viewership, which was its best for the season. It is available for streaming on Netflix. == Series overview == == Synopsis == The series tells the story of three married couples, each in their 30s, 40s and 50s. == Cast == === Main === Sung Hoon (season 1-2), Kang Shin-hyo (season 3) as Pan Sa-hyeon, a lawyer Lee Tae-gon (season 1-2), Gee Young-san (season 3) as Shin Yu-shin, a psychiatrist Park Joo-mi as Sa Pi-young, Yu-shin's wife, a producer of a radio show. Lee Ga-ryeong as Boo Hye-ryung, Sa-hyeon's wife, a radio show host. Lee Min-young as Song Won, a Chinese translator and the mistress of Sa-hyeon. Jeon Soo-kyeong as Lee Si-eun, a writer of a radio show Jeon No-min as Park Hae-ryun, Si-eun's husband, a professor of Department of Theater. Moon Sung-ho as Seo Ban, an engineer of a radio show, Pi-young, Hye-ryung and Si-eun's colleague. (season 2-3; recurring season 1) Bu Bae as Seo Dong-ma, Ban's younger brother, Ga-bin's ex-boyfriend. (season 2-3; recurring season 1) Song Ji-in as A Mi, a model and the mistress of Yu-shin. (season 2; recurring season 1, 3) Lim Hye-young as Nam Ga-bin, a musical actress, Hae-ryun's colleague and mistress. (season 2; recurring season 1, 3) === Supporting === Kim Eung-soo as Pan Mun-ho, Sa-hyeon's father Kim Bo-yeon (season 1-2), Lee Hye-sook (season 3) as Kim Dong-mi, Yu-shin's stepmother Roh Joo-hyun as Shin Gi-rim, Yu-shin's father Lee Hyo-chun as Mo Seo-hyang, Pi-young's mother (season 1-2) Lee Jong-nam as So Ye-jeong, Sa-hyeon's mother Han Jin-hee as President Seo, Ban and Dong-ma's father (season 3) Yoon Seo-hyun as Jo Woong, Dean of Chinese Medicine Hospital, A Mi's biological father. (season 1-2) Jeon Hye-won as Park Hyang-gi, Si-eun and Hae-ryun's daughter, Woo-ram's elder sister. Im Han-bin as Park Woo-ram, Si-eun and Hae-ryun's son Park Seo-kyung as Shin Ji-ah, Yu-shin and Pi-young's daughter Shin Soo-ho as Attorney Yoon, Sa-hyun's colleague (season 1-2) Bae Yoo-ri as Joon-jae, the Pan family's housekeeper (season 1-2) === Special appearances === Yoon Hae-young as Ji Su-hui, A Mi's mother (season 1-2) Hong Ji-min as Oh Jin-a, friend of Hae-ryun and Ga-bin (season 1, 3) ==== Season 1 ==== Oh Seung-ah as Lee Yeon-hee, a colleague of Pi-young, Hye-ryung and Si-eun Shin Joo-ah as Lee Soo-jung, the wife of Yeon-hee's boyfriend Hyun Suk as Mun-ho's friend Seo Yu-ri April 2 (Band) Park Jun-myun as Audrey ==== Season 2 ==== Lee Sook as Mo Seo-ri, Seo-hyang's younger sister Hong Ji-yoon as a clerk of diamond jewelry store Lim Baek-cheon as a guest on a radio program hosted by Boo Hye-ryung Park Sang-min as himself == Production == Five years after announcing her retirement from the industry, television screenwriter Phoebe signed an exclusive management contract with Jidam Inc. in early August 2020 and stated that her next project would air in the first half of 2021. In Season 3, Lee Tae-gon and Sung Hoon are confirmed not to appear in this season. The drama staff later said that the production of season 3 and actors Sung Hoon and Lee Tae-gon have not been confirmed and are in talks. On October 29, 2021, it was reported that Kang Shin-hyo will be playing the role of Pan Seo-hyun, the original role of Sung Hoon who withdrew and agency Ace Factory says it has received an offer and is considering it. Later on October 30, 2021, it was reported that Kwon Hyuk-jong will join the cast as Shin Yu-shin, played by Lee Tae-gon, who withdrew. On January 25, 2022, the season 3 broadcast is confirmed to air on February 26, 2022. On March 18, 2022, it was reported that actor Kang Shin-hyo was confirmed with COVID-19, having been diagnosed on the 17th, performed a rapid antigen test and the result was positive and will leave the containment area on March 23. On April 14, 2022, it was confirmed that Actress Song Ji In was diagnosed with coronavirus 19 on April 13 and is currently undergoing treatment. == Original soundtrack == === Season 2 === ==== Part 1 ==== == Viewership == Season 1 A 6.9% viewership rating was recorded nationwide for the series premiere, making it the current highest-rated drama of TV Chosun, surpassing Queen: Love and War, Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny, and Grand Prince. The eighth episode logged a nationwide average viewership of 9.656%, making it the thirty third highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. Season 2 According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode of the second season aired on August 8, 2021, scored an average nationwide rating of 16.582%, which is the highest rating in two seasons, breaking its own record for the highest viewership ratings achieved by any drama in TV Chosun history. The second season became the eighth highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. Season 3 According to viewer ratings research firm Nielsen Korea, 32nd episode aired on May 1, recorded 10.395% nationwide viewership. It was the highest viewership ratings for season 3. Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 == Notes == == References == == External links == Official website (in Korean) Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) on Netflix Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) at IMDb Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) at HanCinema Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) at Naver (in Korean)

Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) (Korean: 결혼작사 이혼작곡) is a South Korean television series starring Sung Hoon, Lee Tae-gon, Park Joo-mi, Lee Ga-ryeong, Lee Min-young, Jeon Soo-kyeong and Jeon No-min. The first season aired on TV Chosun from January 23 to March 14, 2021, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:00 (KST). This drama is available for worldwide streaming on Netflix. The second season was aired on TV Chosun from June 12 to August 8, 2021, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:00 (KST). It is available for streaming on Netflix. The second season finale episode reached a nationwide rating of 16.582%, making it the eleventh highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. The third season was aired on TV Chosun from February 16 to May 1, 2022. The last episode of this season recorded 10.39% nationwide viewership, which was its best for the season. It is available for streaming on Netflix.

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Love (image) (wikipedia)

Love is a pop art image by American artist Robert Indiana. It consists of the letters L and O over the letters V and E in bold Didone type; the O is slanted sideways so that its oblong negative space creates a line leading to the V. The image LOVE was first created in 1964 in the form of a card which Robert Indiana sent to several friends and acquaintances in the art world. In 1965, he was invited to propose an artwork to be featured on the Museum of Modern Art's annual Christmas card. Indiana submitted several 12” square oil on canvas variations based on his LOVE image. The museum selected the most intense color combination in red, blue, and green. It became one of the most popular cards the museum has ever offered. A 34" x 34" screenprint of the image (1967) is in the MoMA permanent collection. A 72" x 72" oil painting of the image (1966) is in the permanent collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which also owns one of the screenprints. In 1966 Indiana worked with Marian Goodman of Multiples, Inc. to make his first LOVE sculpture in aluminum. In 1970, Indiana completed his first monumental LOVE sculpture in Cor-Ten steel, which is also in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. == Significance == === Original inspirations === MoMA historian Deborah Wye describes Indiana's image as "full of erotic, religious, autobiographical, and political underpinnings" that make it "both accessible and complex in meaning." The iconography first appeared in a series of poems originally written in 1958, in which Indiana stacked LO and VE on top of one another. The first paintings addressing the subject of love were 4-Star Love (1961) and Love Is God (1964). The art historian Susan Elizabeth Ryan wrote that in 1964 LOVE had been a "more explicit four-letter word—beginning with F, and with a second letter, a U, intriguingly tilted to the right." Indiana and Ellsworth Kelly had been in a rocky relationship and Indiana had been working on word paintings. She adds "The two men were in the habit of exchanging postcard-size sketches, with Mr. Kelly laying down fields of color and Mr. Indiana adding large words atop the abstractions." Indiana's red, blue, and green LOVE painting was then selected to appear on the Museum of Modern Art’s annual Christmas card in 1965. In an interview Robert Indiana said, "It was the most profitable Christmas card the museum ever published." Indiana said he was inspired to use these colors because his father used to work at a Phillips 66 gas station whose colors were green and red. Robert Indiana described the original colors as "the red and green of that sign against the blue Hoosier sky". Still, it is believed the colors were inspired also by the painting Red Blue Green (1963) of Ellsworth Kelly, his former partner. Indiana said, "Ellsworth Kelly introduced me to Hard-Edge and was a great influence on my work, and is responsible for my being here". The first serigraph/silk screen of LOVE was printed as part of an exhibition poster for Stable Gallery in 1966 on the occasion of Indiana's show dedicated to his LOVE series. In 1973, the United States Postal Service commissioned a stamp design by Indiana and released the eight-cent LOVE stamp in advance of Valentine's Day. Unveiled in a ceremony at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the stamp became so popular that 425 million were printed over the next two years. == Versions == === Hebrew version === In 1977, he created a Hebrew LOVE with the four-letter word Ahava (אהבה "love" in Hebrew) using Cor-Ten steel, for the Israel Museum Art Garden in Jerusalem. === Variation for Google === For Valentine's Day 2011, Google paid homage to Indiana's LOVE, which was displayed in place of the search engine site's normal logo. == References ==

Love is a pop art image by American artist Robert Indiana. It consists of the letters L and O over the letters V and E in bold Didone type; the O is slanted sideways so that its oblong negative space creates a line leading to the V. The image LOVE was first created in 1964 in the form of a card which Robert Indiana sent to several friends and acquaintances in the art world. In 1965, he was invited to propose an artwork to be featured on the Museum of Modern Art's annual Christmas card. Indiana submitted several 12” square oil on canvas variations based on his LOVE image. The museum selected the most intense color combination in red, blue, and green. It became one of the most popular cards the museum has ever offered. A 34" x 34" screenprint of the image (1967) is in the MoMA permanent collection. A 72" x 72" oil painting of the image (1966) is in the permanent collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which also owns one of the screenprints. In 1966 Indiana worked with Marian Goodman of Multiples, Inc. to make his first LOVE sculpture in aluminum. In 1970, Indiana completed his first monumental LOVE sculpture in Cor-Ten steel, which is also in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

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Love (magazine) (wikipedia)

Love (stylized in all caps) is a bi-annual British style magazine founded in 2009 by stylist and fashion journalist Katie Grand. She joined the magazine's publisher Conde Nast from pioneering British fashion title Pop with a brief to launch an edgy, photographic fashion title aimed at broadening the company's audience. In 2012, Lulu Kennedy, founder of the Fashion East initiative, joined Grand's team as editor-at-large and Alexander Fury was named editor. Suzanne Weinstock of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism described the magazine this way in 2010: Despite its glossy pages, the magazine has a raw look. Black-and-white photography dominates, and most of the color photography has a muted palette, as if the pictures have aged and faded. Some images are clearly fashion photography; others are more like inventive snapshots. Nudity is plentiful in many styles, from the grittily pornographic to the breathtakingly artistic. The first cover in 2009 featured American singer-songwriter Beth Ditto, naked. Later covers have featured Madonna, Cher, Kate Moss, Miley Cyrus, Lea T, Justin Bieber, and even (for the tenth issue) Minnie Mouse. Grand left the magazine in September 2020. She was replaced by Whembley Sewell who announced plans to move the magazine to the United States. == References == == External links == Official website

Love (stylized in all caps) is a bi-annual British style magazine founded in 2009 by stylist and fashion journalist Katie Grand. She joined the magazine's publisher Conde Nast from pioneering British fashion title Pop with a brief to launch an edgy, photographic fashion title aimed at broadening the company's audience. In 2012, Lulu Kennedy, founder of the Fashion East initiative, joined Grand's team as editor-at-large and Alexander Fury was named editor. Suzanne Weinstock of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism described the magazine this way in 2010: Despite its glossy pages, the magazine has a raw look. Black-and-white photography dominates, and most of the color photography has a muted palette, as if the pictures have aged and faded. Some images are clearly fashion photography; others are more like inventive snapshots. Nudity is plentiful in many styles, from the grittily pornographic to the breathtakingly artistic. The first cover in 2009 featured American singer-songwriter Beth Ditto, naked. Later covers have featured Madonna, Cher, Kate Moss, Miley Cyrus, Lea T, Justin Bieber, and even (for the tenth issue) Minnie Mouse. Grand left the magazine in September 2020. She was replaced by Whembley Sewell who announced plans to move the magazine to the United States.

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ILoveMakonnen (wikipedia)

Makonnen Kamali Sheran (born April 12, 1989), better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen (often stylized as ILOVEMAKONNEN), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single "Tuesday", which initially gained recognition following its remix with Canadian rapper Drake. After its release in August of that year, he signed with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records that same month; the song was re-released by the label shortly after and subsequently peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tuesday" also received a nomination Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and served as the lead single for his likewise re-issued self-titled debut extended play (2014), which moderately entered the Billboard 200. He parted ways with OVO in 2016, and his following releases have failed to chart. == Early life == Makonnen Kamali Sheran was born on April 12, 1989, in South Los Angeles, California, and was named after Makonnen, father of Ras Teferi who was later crowned as Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. His father is a first generation immigrant from Belize who worked as an electrician and his mother was a nail instructor who worked in the beauty business for over 30 years. In an interview, he described himself as mixed with African American, Indian, Irish, Belgian, German and Chinese heritage. Growing up in Los Angeles, he moved to the Atlanta area when he was 13 years old, due to his parents' divorce. There, he witnessed the death of a close friend in his senior year in high school. == Career == === 2008–2013: Career beginnings === Makonnen started making songs on his computer and uploading them to MySpace. On this website, he met rising musicians, such as Adele. Makonnen also created a blog, where he would post interviews with musicians such as Lil B and Soulja Boy Tell'em. After a period under house arrest following the fatal accidental shooting of a friend, he enrolled in a cosmetology school and became a part of a group called Phantom Posse. In January 2012, Makonnen met Atlanta producer Mike Will Made It and formed a brief professional relationship with him. However, because of Mike Will's busy schedule, the two were not able to meet often, and soon were separated from each other. === 2014: Rise to prominence === In March 2014, record producer Mike Will Made It would reply to Makonnen and brought him to the DTP studios, where he played some of his songs towards a fellow producer Metro Boomin. Metro instantly liked Makonnen and stayed in touch with him. Later, after recording six songs together, Metro brought these fellow Atlanta producers Sonny Digital and 808 Mafia, who were all unusually impressed with him. Two days later, Makonnen recorded the song, titled "Don't Sell Molly No More" with Sonny Digital, which would later launch his music career. Sonny Digital introduced him to the other Atlanta producers such as DJ Spinz, Dun Deal and St. Louis producer Cammy Recklezz. He started gaining local fame within the community with songs such as "Living on the Southside", "Sneaky Lady" and "My New Friend". Makonnen was then featured on Mike Will's mixtape, titled Ransom. In July 2014, the singer released his self-titled EP iLoveMakonnen, which included the singles "Tuesday" and "I Don't Sell Molly No More". The latter reached pop singer Miley Cyrus, who shared it on her Instagram. The post got over 210,000 likes and counting, that brought a lot of new fans to Makonnen. On August 15, 2014, Vice included his song "Whip It" in their Staff Picks for the Week list, commenting: "Makonnen's voice is incredible! ... How could you not have a good time listening to this song? If there is anyone I trust to teach me how to whip it, it is definitely my friend Makonnen." In August 2014, after hearing "Tuesday", Drake asked one of the song's producers, Sonny Digital, if he could remix the song. Makonnen agreed to send it to Drake, but didn't think much of it. However, two days later Drake released a remix. Makonnen later commented: "Yeah, I surprised. Shocking. Drake listens to Makonnen. It was great. I was excited. Surprised, shocked. Just overwhelmed." The remix, simply titled "Tuesday" went viral and led to increased media interest in iLoveMakonnen. In August 2014, Makonnen was featured in XXL's The Come Up section, which focuses on new artists. He later stated he was not looking for a major label deal and instead planned to go touring and record music independently: "I'm not too thirsty to sign a deal. Cause a label will really just take all your free music down and you have to be somebody's bitch." On September 1, 2014, it was announced that Makonnen had signed to Drake's label OVO Sound, which is distributed by Warner Bros. Records. === 2015–2016: OVO Sound and iLoveMakonnen 2 === In an interview with The Fader in December 2015, more than a year after signing to Drake's OVO Sound, Makonnen said the label delayed tracks from iLoveMakonnen 2 from coming out. The song "Second Chance," for example, was finished in January 2015 and intended for a summer release, but ended up being self-released by Makonnen in November 2015. Makonnen said, "Second Chance was supposed to be that summer banger this summer. That was supposed to be out, touching people and hitting them this summer. By the time next year they'll be ready for something else. It's all late. People are doubting me, doubting what the fuck I said when I made the fucking song. You wait a year later and it's whatever. Hopefully, it's worked right. The song is structured properly. Everything is all there for proper radio play to just spin it over and over to people. Who knows? I don't know what the fuck they want." Makonnen also claimed "extra bullshit in the industry" stopped "Teach Me How To Whip It" and "No M'aam" from getting radio play. When asked if he still talked to Drake, Makonnen responded, "Here and there. By the time this comes out, I'll probably see him six more times or no more times. I don't know. I just wish everybody well in all that they do and I just go on and live my life and try to uplift motherfuckers. At the end of the day I'm tired of uplifting people. I just gotta uplift myself now because everything else is a waste of time." Makonnen also described the music scene: "There's not even any money here anymore. It's all lies. The money's gone and everybody is now keeping up this front as if there's money there." On February 8, 2016, it was announced that alongside Travis Scott and Vic Mensa, Makonnen would be part of the "Wangsquad", an Alexander Wang campaign. === 2016–present: Departure from OVO Sound === On April 18, 2016, Makonnen parted ways with Drake's label OVO Sound, saying the "choice to be solely on Warner Bros. Records was the right thing for me and for my best interest." On May 7, 2016, Makonnen announced he would be retiring from music to focus on acting but released a new song shortly after, with confirmation of a new project. In the late summer of 2017, Makonnen collaborated on an album with Lil Peep in London. The album was scrapped after Makonnen leaked it online in May 2020. On August 17, 2018, Makonnen announced a single he co-wrote titled "Falling Down", a reworking of "Sunlight On Your Skin" that he recorded with Peep during the sessions in London. The new version features since deceased rapper XXXTentacion, who recorded his verses following Peep's death. The single was officially released on September 19, 2018. The original "Sunlight On Your Skin" version was released on September 27, 2018. == Personal life == On January 20, 2017, via Twitter, Makonnen came out as gay. == Discography == === Studio albums === === EPs === === Mixtapes === === Singles === ==== As lead artist ==== ==== As featured artist ==== === Guest appearances === == Filmography == == References == == External links == Official website

Makonnen Kamali Sheran (born April 12, 1989), better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen (often stylized as ILOVEMAKONNEN), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single "Tuesday", which initially gained recognition following its remix with Canadian rapper Drake. After its release in August of that year, he signed with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records that same month; the song was re-released by the label shortly after and subsequently peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tuesday" also received a nomination Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and served as the lead single for his likewise re-issued self-titled debut extended play (2014), which moderately entered the Billboard 200. He parted ways with OVO in 2016, and his following releases have failed to chart.

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Jana Kramer (wikipedia)

Jana Rae Kramer (born December 2, 1983) is an American country singer and actress. She is known for her role as Alex Dupre on the television series One Tree Hill. Kramer began her musical career in 2012 and has released two albums: Jana Kramer (2012) and Thirty One (2015). The albums produced seven charted singles on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, including the top 10 hits "Why Ya Wanna" and "I Got the Boy". She competed on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in fourth place. == Early life == Jana Rae Kramer was born on December 2, 1983 in Rochester Hills, Michigan to Nora and Martin Kramer, who are of German descent. She has an elder brother, Steve, who is a sergeant at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. She speaks some German. Kramer lived in Dearborn for some time after her parents divorced. She attended Rochester Adams High School, where she graduated in 2002. Kramer subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She later moved to Nashville, Tennessee. == Career == === 2002–2011: Acting career and record deal === In 2002, Kramer made her acting debut in the low-budget independent horror film Dead/Undead. The following year Kramer guest appeared on All My Children, which marked Kramer's television debut. Kramer has since continued to appear in a number of television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and CSI: NY. She has also had small supporting roles in films such as Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Click, Prom Night, Heart of the Country, and Country Crush. She was also in Spring Breakdown. In 2007, Kramer appeared in a recurring role on the NBC sports drama television series Friday Night Lights. She played the role of Noelle Davenport in the series' second season. In 2008, Kramer appeared in The CW teen drama series 90210, a reboot of the 1990s teen drama television series Beverly Hills 90210. Kramer played the role of high school student Portia Ranson and made her debut in the first season's second episode "The Jet Set". Her role went on for six episodes and Kramer made her final appearance in "The Party's Over", which aired May 5, 2009. In 2009, Kramer appeared on the HBO dramedy television series Entourage. Kramer played the role of a sorority girl who seduces the character Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and appeared in four episodes. In June 2009, it was announced Kramer would star in the CW drama television series seventh season of One Tree Hill. Kramer played the role of Alex Dupre, an actress and tabloid darling who becomes the new face of Brooke Davis's fashion line, "Clothes Over Bros", and creates havoc for the residents of Tree Hill. Kramer made her debut in the season's first episode. Initially Kramer's appearance on the show was meant to be in a recurring form, but her role was upgraded to a series regular by the season's fourteenth episode, "Family Affair". In March 2012, Kramer made the announcement that she would no longer be making regular appearances in the show's ninth and final season, as she decided to focus on her music career. Her last appearance on the show occurred in the second episode of the ninth season, "In the Room Where You Sleep," which was aired on January 18, 2012. In February 2011, Kramer signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. That same month she premiered her promo track, "I Won't Give Up", which premiered in the One Tree Hill episode, "Holding Out for a Hero", and was released the following day exclusively on iTunes and Amazon. The song reached number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following month Kramer began work on her debut album. Country music producer Scott Hendricks produced the majority of the record. In April 2011, Kramer released another promo track, titled "Whiskey", which she also performed on One Tree Hill. The song reached number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on digital sales alone. === 2012–2018: Jana Kramer, and Dancing with the Stars === In February 2012, Kramer was cast as the protagonist in the independent drama film, Heart of the Country, playing the role of a privileged young woman, Faith Carraday, who is following her show-biz dreams but leaves it all and moves to rural North Carolina after her husband is jailed for Wall Street fraud. Kramer is also attached to a horror film named The Gatekeeper. On January 16, 2012, Kramer released her official debut single, "Why Ya Wanna". Kramer premiered the official music video, directed by Kristin Barlowe, on February 6, 2012. The song peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Whiskey" is the album's second official single. On June 1, 2012, Kramer made her first televised live performance on Fox & Friends to promote her debut album. She performed "Why Ya Wanna" in front of a crowd of fans in New York City. On June 5, 2012, Kramer released her self-titled debut album Jana Kramer. The record received positive reviews from critics with many praising Kramer's vocal performance. On June 5, 2013, Nationwide Insurance released the first of a series of commercials in its "Join the Nation" campaign, featuring Kramer as a stealthy woman dressed in black leather who follows a team of burglars and replaces the items they steal with newer versions to promote Nationwide's "Brand New Belongings" initiative. Nationwide had signed Kramer to sing the Nationwide jingle in August 2012. A second commercial, released in April 2014, featured Kramer's character replacing items in a fire-blackened apartment to promote Nationwide's renters' insurance. In November 2014, Jana reprised her Nationwide role, this time as a sexy Santa Claus-like figure replacing items during Christmas season. Nationwide's advertising partner McKinney is behind the spots. In July 2013, Kramer opened for Blake Shelton on his Ten Times Crazier Tour in Virginia Beach, VA. In August 2013, the independent film Approaching Midnight starring Kramer had its world premiere at the Emagine Royal Oak in Michigan. In 2024, Jana Kramer starred in the Lifetime movie Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story as Morgan Metzer where she was also the executive producer. It is based on the true story on how Morgan was gaslit by her ex-husband Rodney Metzer (portrayed by Austin Nichols). == Personal life == Kramer married Michael Gambino in 2004. They divorced several months later, after Kramer suffered severe domestic abuse that led to Gambino's 2005 conviction on attempted murder charges. On December 22, 2009, Kramer became engaged to actor Johnathon Schaech, whom she had met on the set of Prom Night. They married on July 4, 2010, in Michigan. The couple separated a month later. Their divorce was finalized in June 2011. Kramer met country music singer Brantley Gilbert in June 2012 CMT Music Awards. They later began dating and became engaged on January 20, 2013, his 28th birthday, but ended their relationship in August 2013. In August 2014, Kramer began dating Washington Redskins tight end Mike Caussin, whom she met on Twitter. She announced just weeks later that they had split because of his infidelity. Shortly after, she publicly forgave him and they reconciled. Kramer and Caussin became engaged in December 2014 on her 31st birthday, and were married on May 22, 2015. On August 10, 2015, the couple revealed they were expecting their first child. Kramer gave birth to her daughter on January 31, 2016. By August 2016, Kramer and Caussin had separated in the midst of Caussin's admission into rehab for sex addiction. They reconciled the following year and renewed their wedding vows in December 2017. In April 2018, Kramer and Caussin shared their battle with his sex addiction. In July of that year, Kramer announced she was expecting her second child. Kramer gave birth to her first son on November 29, 2018. On April 20, 2021, Kramer filed for divorce from Caussin, citing "inappropriate marital conduct, irreconcilable differences and adultery". Two days after the pair split, a temporary restraining order was issued. On May 20, 2021, it was reported that Kramer and Caussin reached an agreement with custody and child support. Kramer was awarded primary custody, according to the documents. The divorce was finalized on July 22, 2021. From September 2021 to October 2021, Kramer dated former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. From late 2021 to April 2022, Kramer dated fitness trainer and Navy veteran Ian Schinelli. In January 2023, Kramer publicly confirmed via Instagram her relationship with Allan Russell, a former Scottish soccer player who created Superior Striker, a coaching program. On May 25, 2023, it was confirmed the two were engaged after six months of dating. On June 8, 2023, the couple confirmed via Instagram that they are expecting their first child together. Kramer gave birth to her second son on November 13, 2023. == Filmography == === Film === === Television === == Dancing with the Stars == On August 30, 2016, Kramer was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional partner Gleb Savchenko. Kramer and Savchenko reached the finals of the show and finished in 4th place. == Discography == Jana Kramer (2012) Thirty One (2015) == Awards and nominations == == References == == External links == Official website Jana Kramer at IMDb

Jana Rae Kramer (born December 2, 1983) is an American country singer and actress. She is known for her role as Alex Dupre on the television series One Tree Hill. Kramer began her musical career in 2012 and has released two albums: Jana Kramer (2012) and Thirty One (2015). The albums produced seven charted singles on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, including the top 10 hits "Why Ya Wanna" and "I Got the Boy". She competed on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in fourth place.

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Ms. Kelly (wikipedia)

Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. It was released on June 20, 2007, through Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment. Originally titled My Story and expected for a mid-2006 release, the album marked Rowland's first solo studio album in four years. Retitled and delayed numerous times prior to its official release, the album's release date was eventually moved to 2007 in favor of a multi-tiered marketing strategy and additional recording sessions. Willed to produce a more personal effort after her debut studio album Simply Deep (2002), Rowland contributed nine tracks to the reworked Ms. Kelly, which took her solo work further into urban music markets, involving production by Scott Storch, Polow da Don, Soulshock & Karlin and singer Tank, among others. Upon its release, Ms. Kelly received generally positive reviews from most music critics and achieved reasonable commercial success, debuting at number six on the US Billboard 200 and at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 86,000 copies in its first week, being Rowland's highest first-week sales with a studio album to date in the US. As a consequence, Columbia released three Deluxe reissues of the album the following year – an extended play (EP) Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, Ms. Kelly: Deluxe Edition and another extended play Ms. Kelly: Digital Deluxe – containing previously unreleased songs and remixes. Exclusively at Walmart, Ms. Kelly was packaged with a bonus DVD titled BET Presents Kelly Rowland (2007). The DVD features BET and performance highlights, and music videos from Rowland's solo career. == Background == In 2002, Kelly Rowland teamed up with rapper Nelly to record the chorus and vocals on the track "Dilemma" for his album Nellyville. Released as the album's second single, the song became one of the most successful singles of the year, topping various charts worldwide, including the US Billboard Hot 100. Originally scheduled to be released in early 2003, the success of the collaboration caused the label to extend the release date of Rowland's debut solo album Simply Deep, which Rowland rushed within three weeks to get done and was described as alternative R&B. Released in the United States in October 2002 and internationally in 2003, Simply Deep was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 602,000 copies in the United States. Released to an even bigger success in international territories, the album topped the UK Albums Chart and became a gold-seller in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, resulting in worldwide sales total of two and a half million copies. The album yielded three singles. "Stole", a pop rock-influenced mid-tempo track about loss, was released as the album's lead single and became an international top-ten hit single, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song failed to capitalize on the success of "Dilemma", reaching the top-thirty only. After a three-year hiatus that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Rowland rejoined Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams for Destiny's Child's final studio album Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004. Meanwhile, Rowland had started work on the conception of her second solo studio album. She began collaborating with songwriter-producer Bryan Michael Cox, partner WyldCard, and production duo CKB. Some of their early recordings, including "Bad Habit" and "Flashback", were later included on Destiny's Child's final studio album as well as the group's live DVD Live in Atlanta (2006), respectively. As she was anxious to avoid hasty productions as on her previous album, which Rowland felt was less personal, she took a wider role in the production of the album; the singer co-wrote the majority of the songs and shared ideas in which one to produce. "I wrote a lot on this record [...] and it's especially from me [to my fans]," she told CNN about the album. "It's a feelgood record; very intimate. It's a sneak peak into my mind and heart of the past three or four years." == Music and lyrics == After the rock–dance sound which dominated her previous album Simply Deep, Rowland felt she was still struggling with finding her sound as solo artist, and instead of capitalizing off its international success, the singer and her management settled on "a more urban approach" with her second album. Commenting on her decision, Rowland later told MTV News, "in general, I'm going in the urban, more R&B route. Of course, that's what I started with Destiny's Child, [but on] my first solo album I did more of a pop-sounding record. So I wanted to go back to my roots and dibble and dabble with some beats." Consequently, Columbia Records consulted a wider range of contemporary R&B and hip hop producers and artists such as Big Tank, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Rockwilder, Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins, and Robin Thicke to work with Rowland on the album. Female rapper Eve, also lent her voice to a guest part. Lyrically, love, independence, and maturity became reoccurring themes throughout the album. With songs such as "'I'm Still in Love with My Ex" and "Better Without You" inspired by Rowland's former relationship with American football player Roy Williams, most of the tracks Rowland recorded were relationship-driven, something she said she was not hesitant about discussing. "I just went in the studio and just did me, because I think that's when you get your best product. That's when it's just natural. It just flew out of my mouth and came out in lyrics [and] I had great writers involved." While recording her vocals, Rowland was inspired by several singers, citing former bandmate Beyoncé Knowles, and singers Brandy and Whitney Houston as major inspirations, "I listened to a lot of Whitney Houston for her vocals. I love her. I love Beyoncé's voice, and I love Brandy. Those are three vocalists who inspire me. I love how different they are. I love how they take themselves to the next level." === Songs === Opening song and lead single "Like This", which features rap from Eve, was one of the last songs recorded for Ms. Kelly. Noted for the use of a cowbell in its melody, the single was first released in March 2007 to mixed reviews and became Rowland's highest-charting solo single since "Stole" (2002). The second track, titled "Comeback", is one of the two tracks Scott Storch contributed to the album. Planned to be released as the album's second single, Rowland shot a music video for the track with director Philip Andelman in July 2007. When a single release failed to materialize, the video premiered on Rowland's official YouTube account in early 2008. "Ghetto" is set as the third track and features rapper Snoop Dogg. Originally recorded for the shelved My Story, the crunk-influenced track was released as the album's second single in North America in August 2007, where it achieved minor success, reaching number nine on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles only. The album's fourth track, "Work", was written after returning from a night out in Miami and rushed in "like twenty minutes." An up-tempo composition featuring funk production and go-go elements, it was released as the album's second international single during the first quarter of 2008 and enjoyed major international commercial success, emerging as the highest-charting single off the album. Synthesized "Flashback" is the fifth track of the album and had previously appeared on Destiny's Child's video album Live in Atlanta (2006). Released to generally lukewarm reviews, the San Francisco Chronicle called it "positively lackluster". "Every Thought Is You", a ballad produced by Rockwilder, garanered positive critics, with About.com noting it "a classy, well-sung mid-tempo track about healthy infatuation". The seventh track "The Show" features a guest appearance by singer Tank, who produced the track. It's followed by a one-minute-long interlude. The ninth track "Still in Love with My Ex" was rumored to be about Rowland's ex-fiancée Roy Williams. The tenth track "Better Without You" speaks about a protagonist who feels better after ending a relationship. It's followed by the eleventh track "Love", and the album closes with a love song "This Is Love". == Release and promotion == Originally expected for a March 2006 release, the album had two title changes and three unofficial releases until its official release the following year. Initially scheduled for a July 11, 2006 release, the album's original draft, entitled My Story, was eventually shelved in favor of a revamped version with a different vibe. Although manager Mathew Knowles initially insisted that the decision to push the release date from July 2006 was because more time would be needed to properly set up the project, Rowland later admitted that she had been unsatisfied with the album's direction, and thus, she asked to rework with a stable of new record producers on the project. Speaking of the delay and the original track listing, she told Billboard: "it was basically a list of songs that I put together about the past three years of my life, with love and relationships", and added: "And I remember listening to the record, and I was just like, 'I don't want this to be too deep to where, you know, [I] lose people.' And the record was too full of midtempos and ballads, so I wanted to bring it up a little bit." Her decision led to the cancellation of the album's original leading single "Gotsta Go", a collaboration with rapper Da Brat that she premiered on the MTV Asia Awards 2006 Bangkok on May 6, 2006. Rowland eventually consulted new producers to collaborate on the album, including Mysto & Pizzi, Sean Garrett, Scott Storch, and Atlanta-based Polow da Don, who contributed the single "Like This," a duet with rapper Eve, to the album. In addition, the singer decided to retitle the album. She stated: "I really put my heart and soul into this record and not only am I excited that everyone's going to hear the music, I'm looking forward to people getting to hear the real me. That's the reason I called the album Ms. Kelly. Because the title is all about respect, being an adult and that's how I feel about my life, and my music." Other promotional efforts included a sophomore CD teaser in Live in Atlanta features. "Flashback" was also included on an audio disc packaged with the DVD. === Singles === Recorded late into the production of the album, Rowland and her management chose "Like This" as the lead single off Ms. Kelly. Moderately successful on the charts, the song reached the top ten in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and dominated the US Dance Club Songs. "Comeback" was sent to urban radio on July 30, 2007, as the album's second single in the United States, while "Work" was released as the second international single and achieved greater success than "Like This". Pushed by a newly produced Freemasons remix, it reached the top ten on the majority of all European and Oceanic music charts. "Ghetto", featuring Snoop Dogg, followed with minor to no commercial success stateside. The album produced previously unreleased "Daylight" as fourth and final single; it became a top twenty success in the United Kingdom and helped introducing the Diva Deluxe reissue. Although never released as a single, Rowland shot a music video for "Comeback" back-to-back with the video for "Work". The track was originally planned to be released as the album's second single alongside ballad "Still in Love with My Ex". In a fan poll to determine the second single of the album, "Still in Love with My Ex" was chosen. This never materialized, however. === Tour === The Ms. Kelly Tour was Rowland's first North American tour. She had previously headlined an exclusive European Simply Deeper Tour (2003) for her debut solo album, Simply Deep. The Ms. Kelly Tour was originally scheduled to hit fifteen cities between October 2007 and December 2007, with a three-night finale in Las Vegas. However, three scheduled tour dates were cancelled with no ticket refunds. R&B singer Mario was the tour's opening act. == Critical reception == Ms. Kelly received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of hundred to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of seventy, based on ten reviews. Alex Macpherson of The Guardian gave the album four and a half stars out of five. He complimented Ms. Kelly as "poised, dignified and completely lacking in the hysteria normally associated with R&B divas giving vent to their feelings" but felt that "the emotions simmering beneath her glassy, controlled tones are as raw as any Mary J. Blige classic." Ben Williams of the New York Post referred the album as a "mostly upbeat record that soulfully delves into contemporary funk", while Entertainment Weekly found that "after a blah solo debut with 2002's Simply Deep, Kelly Rowland — assisted by producers like Scott Storch and Polow Da Don — brings the noise and the funk to her vibrant follow-up. Newsday writer Glenn Gamboa remarked that with Ms. Kelly, Rowland "doesn't dabble in various genres. She doesn't try to push the envelope. Rowland does what she does best: She cranks out one potential pop hit after another. Ms. Kelly shows that Rowland knows her strengths and that she intends to keep playing to them." Andy Kellman from AllMusic found that Ms. Kelly "sounds like an album where Rowland is mostly sorting through some deeply personal relationship issues with a couple relatively lighthearted songs thrown in for variety." He noted that "all-around, the album does provide a stronger set of songs than 2002's Simply Deep. The material tends to be kind of insidious, rather than hitting you immediately or going through one ear and out the other." Giving the album three stars out of five, he also remarked that "the lyrics [...] are direct and specific, going beyond basic breakup material." Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani stated that, "this time around, both the production and lyrics are stronger." He praised the "bona fide club jams" on the album. Billboard wrote that while "Rowland may never upstage her superstar groupmate Beyonce, but she certainly has the vocal chops and charm to stand on her own stiletto-clad feet. Compared with her gospel-fueled 2002 solo debut, Rowland appears confident and dominant on foot-stompers [and] though still short of career-defining, Ms. Kelly finds its author opening up more while welcoming the possibility that destiny may just find another star. In a mixed review for About.com, Mark Edward Nero characterized the album as "basically one by someone with the persona of a backup player who's been thrust in a lead role." While he praised songs such as "Work" and "Like This," Nero felt that the album contained too many "weak songs" and that Rowland, "although she may feel comfortable in the role, can't carry the full weight — just like Scottie Pippen never could with the [Chicago] Bulls." Dotmusic's Jaime Gill called Ms. Kelly "old-fashioned", writing that "Rowland's big problem is that she has the lungs but not the voice [...] She can holler like Beyoncé, growl like Kelis or swoon like Aaliyah, but has little to no natural style of her own." Ken Capobianco's review for The Boston Globe was more emphatic dubbing it "a solid if somewhat safe set of grooves, but the album never takes full flight to become something special." == Commercial performance == Ms. Kelly was listed for thirty-three weeks on nine different charts. It made its first appearance on the Irish Top 75, Dutch Top 100 and Swiss Top 100. Its highest peak position worldwide was number six on the US Billboard 200, selling 86,000 units in its first week and becoming Rowland's highest entry on the chart. The album spent eleven weeks inside the chart. By July 2011, Ms. Kelly had sold 222,000 copies in the United States. Outside the United States, the album failed to enter the top forty of the majority of the charts it appeared on, except in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart. The standard edition of the album sold 24,424 in the United Kingdom as of 2008. In Brazil, the album opened at thirty-seven; it also peaked at number ten on the Japanese International Albums Chart. The album struggled to appear in the top-fifty of the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia, peaking at number forty-four after several weeks on the chart. However, the album reached the top ten on the Australian Urban Albums, peaking at number eight. The reissue, titled Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, charted for three weeks on the top seventy-five UK Albums Chart, entering the chart at number twenty-three. It charted significantly higher internationally, peaking two weeks later on the European Top 100 Albums chart at number eighty. == Track listing == Notes ^[a] signifies a co-producer ^[b] signifies an additional producer == Re-releases == === Diva Deluxe === Following the original album's lukewarm sales and reception, Rowland re-entered recording studios to collect new songs for a reissue of Ms. Kelly, including production by Stargate, Jeff Dawson, CKB and Mark Feist. She was also expected to record with producer Danja, but deadline pressure prevented from happening; a new track by J. R. Rotem did not make the final cut. "The sales weren't as good as I wanted them to be and to be honest, I did feel sad about that for a little while", Rowland stated in 2008, still blaming the final track listing for too many midtempos and ballads. "I didn't realize it while I was recording it. After it was released [back in June] many fans said the songs would rock if they were more upbeat." Branded with the title Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, the United States re-release received a digital download release only on March 25, 2008, containing seven tracks — five new songs and two remixes of songs found from the standard edition of the album. Previously unreleased song "Daylight", a Bobby Womack cover and collaboration with Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, served as the reissue's new lead single. The international edition of the Ms. Kelly re-release was released physically and digitally in May 2008, retitled as Ms. Kelly: Deluxe Edition. It removed seven tracks from the original release and replaced them with six of the seven Diva Deluxe tracks, an additional remix of "Daylight" by Joey Negro and the internationally successful Freemasons remix of "Work", as Rowland "wanted to have another view on the record and close the Ms. Kelly chapter" with the re-release. === Ms. Kelly Deluxe === === BET Presents Kelly Rowland === ==== Background and release ==== On July 7, 2007, Columbia Records and BET released a joint DVD+CD version of the album called BET Presents Kelly Rowland. The DVD consists of a candid interview with Rowland as she talks about the production of Ms. Kelly, her time as a member of Destiny's Child, and her perspective on her celebrity status and solo career. The DVD also features BET highlights, performance highlights, and music videos from throughout Rowland's career. "BET celebrates Kelly's highly-anticipated return by pairing her new CD with a bonus DVD like no other. Now, her biggest fans can experience her Black Carpet interview, five live performances and five timeless videos including one never before released in America anytime. Beyonce and Michelle even wish Ms. Kelly the best on the DVD." The DVD was originally packaged with Rowland's second album, Ms. Kelly, exclusively at Walmart. However, it is now available for individual purchase at online shopping sites such as Amazon.com. ==== Track listing ==== BET Highlights Access Granted: The Making of Kelly Rowland Access Granted: "Stole" Black Carpet Interview with Toccara Performance Highlights Hometown Church Performance Destiny's Child Performance "Say My Name" Live in Atlanta Glam-o-rama Minneapolis Performance Kelly Performs "Bad Habit" and "Dilemma" Live in Atlanta BET Awards 2005 Performance with Destiny's Child: "Cater 2 U" Music Videos "Stole" "Dilemma" "Bad Habit" "Like This" "Train on a Track" (previously unreleased in the US) == Credits and personnel == Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ms. Kelly. == Charts == == Release history == == References == == External links == Ms. Kelly Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine at Metacritic

Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. It was released on June 20, 2007, through Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment. Originally titled My Story and expected for a mid-2006 release, the album marked Rowland's first solo studio album in four years. Retitled and delayed numerous times prior to its official release, the album's release date was eventually moved to 2007 in favor of a multi-tiered marketing strategy and additional recording sessions. Willed to produce a more personal effort after her debut studio album Simply Deep (2002), Rowland contributed nine tracks to the reworked Ms. Kelly, which took her solo work further into urban music markets, involving production by Scott Storch, Polow da Don, Soulshock & Karlin and singer Tank, among others. Upon its release, Ms. Kelly received generally positive reviews from most music critics and achieved reasonable commercial success, debuting at number six on the US Billboard 200 and at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 86,000 copies in its first week, being Rowland's highest first-week sales with a studio album to date in the US. As a consequence, Columbia released three Deluxe reissues of the album the following year – an extended play (EP) Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, Ms. Kelly: Deluxe Edition and another extended play Ms. Kelly: Digital Deluxe – containing previously unreleased songs and remixes. Exclusively at Walmart, Ms. Kelly was packaged with a bonus DVD titled BET Presents Kelly Rowland (2007). The DVD features BET and performance highlights, and music videos from Rowland's solo career.

love

Love (1919 American film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 1919 American short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. Prints of the film survive in collections. == Plot == As summarized in a magazine, Fatty (Arbuckle) meets Winnie (Westover) after rescuing her father Frank (Hayes) from a well at their farm and is smitten with her. Fatty is dismissed and leaves, however, as Frank wants Winnie to marry Al Clove (St. John). Fatty returns to the farm in the disguise of a hired girl so that he can be near his beloved, but finds he must fend off the flirtations of her father Frank. Winnie's marriage is all arranged, but at the dress rehearsal the groom is missing, so the "hired girl" takes his place and goes through the practice ceremony, word for word, with the bride. When the wedding day arrives, the ceremony is broken up when Fatty and Winnie announce that they have already been married as the rehearsal was the real thing. == Cast == Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle as Fatty Al St. John as Al Clove, Fatty's rival Winifred Westover as Winnie Frank Hayes as Frank, Winnie's father Monty Banks as Farmhand (as Mario Bianchi) Kate Price as the Cook == See also == Fatty Arbuckle filmography == References == == External links == Love at IMDb

Love is a 1919 American short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. Prints of the film survive in collections.

love

Love (1920 film) (wikipedia)

Love is an extant American 1920 silent era romance drama film starring Louise Glaum, James Kirkwood, and Joseph Kilgour. Directed by Wesley Ruggles and produced by J. Parker Read, Jr., the screenplay was adapted by Louis Joseph Vance based on a story by Carol Kapleau. == Plot == A young woman, Natalie Storm (played by Glaum), works in a sweatshop and struggles to support her mother (played by Yorke) and little sister, Beatrice (played by Cartwright). Their mother dies and Beatrice suffers from poverty. Because of her circumstances, Natalie rejects the marriage proposal of Tom Chandler (played by Kirkwood), a self-educated mining engineer. He then leaves for South America, where he intends to make his fortune. To save her sister and herself, Natalie becomes the mistress of a wealthy Wall Street magnate, Alvin Dunning (played by Kilgour). When he publicly humiliates her, however, she becomes determined to free herself. Meanwhile, Chandler discovers a copper mine in South America and returns. He is invited to a party at Dunning's home. When he meets Natalie as Dunning's mistress he is heartbroken and abruptly leaves. Natalie is by now desperate to get away from Dunning. She then acquires enough money from a lucky stock tip to leave him. Dunning finds Natalie and attempts to force her to return to him. He is killed in a violent car accident and Natalie is severely injured. Upon opening her eyes after the crash, she sees Chandler standing over her. The couple is happily reconciled. == Cast == Louise Glaum as Natalie Storm Peggy Cartwright as Beatrice Storm James Kirkwood as Tom Chandler Joseph Kilgour as Alvin Dunning Edith Yorke as Natalie's mother Laura La Plante - (*scenes deleted) == Production == The working title of the movie was The Woman Who Dared. Love was released by J. Parker Read, Jr., on December 5, through Associated Producers. The technical director was Harvey C. Leavitt and the technical director of architecture was Charles H. Kyson. The intertitles were written by H. Tipton Steck. The art titles were by F. J. van Halle, Carl Schneider and Leo H. Braun. Love was banned by the British Board of Film Censors in 1921. == See also == List of American films of 1920 List of banned films == References == == External links == Love at IMDb Love at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films Love at the Complete Index to World Film

Love is an extant American 1920 silent era romance drama film starring Louise Glaum, James Kirkwood, and Joseph Kilgour. Directed by Wesley Ruggles and produced by J. Parker Read, Jr., the screenplay was adapted by Louis Joseph Vance based on a story by Carol Kapleau.

love

Love (1952 film) (wikipedia)

Love (Swedish: Kärlek) is a 1952 Swedish drama film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Sven Lindberg, Doris Svedlund and Victor Sjöström. It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm. The film's sets were designed by the art director Nils Svenwall. == Plot == == Cast == Sven Lindberg as Einar Brandt, priest Doris Svedlund as Inga Tomasson Erik Strandmark as Anton Tomasson Victor Sjöström as Bishop Anders Henrikson as Sylvester Andreasson Hugo Björne as Andersson, parish clerk Gunnel Lindblom as Rebecka Andersson Kolbjörn Knudsen as Brandéus, dean Jarl Kulle as Wilhelm Andreasson Märta Dorff as Selma Danielsson Torsten Lilliecrona as Johan Johansson Jan Molander as Sofus, fisherman Axel Högel as Simon, fisherman Josua Bengtson as Fisherman Wiktor Andersson as Shoemaker Emmy Albiin as Hanna Anders Andelius as Emrik Danielsson, Selma's son Mats Björne as Member of boat's crew Elsa Ebbesen as Ms. Mattsson Mona Geijer-Falkner as Malin Karin Högel as Woman at accident site Börje Mellvig as Dr. Holm Björn Montin as Olle, a boy in church Björn Näslund as Rolf, member of the trawler's crew Gösta Qvist as Man at accident site Walter Sarmell as Member of the trawler's crew == References == == Bibliography == Qvist, Per Olov & von Bagh, Peter. Guide to the Cinema of Sweden and Finland. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. == External links == Love at IMDb

Love (Swedish: Kärlek) is a 1952 Swedish drama film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Sven Lindberg, Doris Svedlund and Victor Sjöström. It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm. The film's sets were designed by the art director Nils Svenwall.

love

Love (2004 film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2004 Indian Kannada-language romance film written, directed and produced by Rajendra Singh Babu. The film stars Aditya, making his debut, and Rakshita in lead roles, while Mohanlal, Amrish Puri and Kota Srinivasa Rao feature in supporting roles. This was also Mohanlal debut in Kannada. The film features soundtrack composed by Bollywood composer Anu Malik, marking his debut in Kannada cinema. A. R. Rahman's Airtel jingle was featured and reused for another four similar tunes in the film. The film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Prema Nagar and in Malayalam as Aey Taxi. == Plot == The story is about the romantic relationship between Vicky and Ganga that begins from Kashi and then travels to Dubai. Tragedy starts with Jai Jagadish and ends with Saligrama Oberoi. Ganga, who mistakes Vikram to be a womaniser, understands his character when he saves her from a fire accident. They become lovers, but things change when a mysterious woman enters their lives. == Cast == == Production == Mohanlal made his Kannada cinema debut with the film, as a taxi driver. The film was shot in locations such as Allahabad and Varanasi, a month long shoot was conducted in Dubai from November 2003. Mohanlal joined the film in November in Dubai. The film was written, directed and produced by Rajendra Singh Babu. His son Aditya made his acting debut with the film in the leading role. == Soundtrack == The music of the film was composed by veteran Bollywood music composer Anu Malik, making his debut in Kannada cinema. The makers also used A. R. Rahman's Airtel jingle was featured in the original soundtrack album and reused for another four similar tunes in the movie. Telugu dubbed version is titled Prema Nagar. The Malayalam dubbed version was titled Aey Taxi. == Release and reception == Love was released on 9 July 2004. The film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Prema Nagar and in Malayalam as Hey Taxi. The reviewer for Deccan Herald called the film "a disappointing fare" and criticized its plot. Of the acting performances, they wrote, "Actingwise, Adithya has put in good efforts. There is nothing much to say about Rakshitha's performance as she has done similar roles earlier. Arun Sagar in the role of Amrish Puri's son is wasted." The reviewer concluded writing, "Camerawork gets noticed particularly in Banaras and Dubai desert scenes. Anu Malik's musical score has nothing new. The only songs by A R Rahman's were good." Sify wrote "This is a big budget film shot in the picturesque locales of Varanasi, Dubai and other exotic locations on a lavish scale. The songs, cinematography and actions are well conceived but the director has not given any importance to the story which is predictable and banal". == References == == External links == Love at IMDb

Love is a 2004 Indian Kannada-language romance film written, directed and produced by Rajendra Singh Babu. The film stars Aditya, making his debut, and Rakshita in lead roles, while Mohanlal, Amrish Puri and Kota Srinivasa Rao feature in supporting roles. This was also Mohanlal debut in Kannada. The film features soundtrack composed by Bollywood composer Anu Malik, marking his debut in Kannada cinema. A. R. Rahman's Airtel jingle was featured and reused for another four similar tunes in the film. The film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Prema Nagar and in Malayalam as Aey Taxi.

love

Love (2008 Indonesian film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2008 Indonesian anthology romance film directed by Kabir Bhatia as a remake of the 2006 film Cinta. The film marked the last appearance of actor Sophan Sophiaan before his death in 2008. Sophiaan appeared opposite his real-life wife, Widyawati. == Plot == With Jakarta as the background, the film shares the stories of 5 different couples of various ages, social, and economic groups. == Background == The project began filming in 2007, and was at first accused of being a copy of the 2003 British romantic comedy film Love Actually. Writer Titien Wattimena denied that it was a copy, and Christo Damar of 'The Nature Producers' stated that while Love began with the same basic precept, it was actually based upon the 2006 film Cinta, with perhaps a 10% similarity to its predecessor, and 90% being a different story as now set in Jakarta. The composer Erwin Gutawa contributed to the film. == Cast == Laudya Cynthia Bella as Dinda Irwansyah as Restu Acha Septriasa as Iin Darius Sinathriya as Awin Fauzi Baadilla as Rama Luna Maya as Tere Sophan Sophiaan as Nugroho Surya Saputra as Gilang Widyawati as Lestari Wulan Guritno as Miranda Ajeng Sardi as Dewi Aryo Wahab as Rio Gading Marten as Arif Marsha Aruan as Icha Linda Ramadhanty as Ayu Nur Saptahadi as Chandra Al Fathir Muchtar as Omar Marsha Timothy as Tia Joko Anwar as Arya == Awards and nominations == This movie won "Movie of the Year" at the Guardians e-Awards and nominated for "Favorite Film" at the Indonesian Movie Awards. == Album == Ost. Love is a compilation album released in 2008 to accompany the film of the same title, Love. The soundtrack album has 9 songs. The hit song single Sempurna sung by Andra and The BackBone was recycling song by Gita Gutawa. === List Song === Sempurna (second version) - Gita Gutawa Anugerah Terindah Yang Pernah Ku Miliki - Sheila On 7 Oo..Oo..Oo.. - Gigi Kasih Tak Sampai - Padi Scoring Love 2 - Erwin Gutawa Dua Hati Menjadi Satu - Gita Gutawa feat Dafi Ku Ingin Engkau - Vagetoz Sempurna (first version) - Gita Gutawa Scoring Love 1 - Gita Gutawa == Reception == Iskandar Liem of the Jakarta Post wrote that the film might have seemed to simply be a remake of the earlier Cinta, using notable stars as a means of attracting money at the box office, but offered that "despite its flaws, [the film] proves to be an emotional reflection on affairs of the heart. Speaking toward the work of Sophan Sophiaan in the film, Liem wrote it was "refreshing to see senior thespian Sophan venturing outside his usual stern patriarchal roles with his touching portrayal of vulnerability." He acknowledged the work of Widyawati, Sophiaan's real-life wife, in her role as Lestari, writing "her character's generosity of spirit genuinely glows from her". He shared that of the cast, the work of Acha Septriasa was a "standout performance", writing "her performance is so fluid and organic, it's hard to believe this is the same grating actress who shamelessly turned on the waterworks in Love is Cinta". Liem concluded his review by summarizing "In spite of its flaws, Love still gave this jaded viewer a warm fuzzy feeling all over as the credits rolled". == References == == External links == Love at IMDb

Love is a 2008 Indonesian anthology romance film directed by Kabir Bhatia as a remake of the 2006 film Cinta. The film marked the last appearance of actor Sophan Sophiaan before his death in 2008. Sophiaan appeared opposite his real-life wife, Widyawati.

love

Love (2012 film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2012 Taiwanese-Chinese romance film directed and cowritten by Doze Niu. It stars Zhao Wei, Shu Qi, Mark Chao, Ethan Juan, Eddie Peng, Amber Kuo, Ivy Chen and Doze Niu. Love premiered in the Panorama section of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. The film features an ensemble cast, with the stories revealed to be interwoven as the plot progresses. == Plot == Love showcases the different types of relationships: family, friends, lovers, coworkers, and also those between strangers are shown to express the different types of love people have every day. Through the three subplots of eight interwoven characters, the ups and downs of love, what love has to offer and what love has to take, the film shows the relative situations in which love can take hold. === Subplot 1: Yi Jia, Xiao Min, and Ah Kai === Yi Jia is a simple, ordinary girl that goes along with everybody around her. She is in the Cycling Team of her university, and plays the supportive role called the domestique. Her real life is similar to that of her role on the cycling team: she has no characteristic, no special talents and is not very outstanding in general. When she is with her best friend—Xiao Min—she also assumes a supportive role, just like on the cycling team. Xiao Min is best friends with Yi Jia, and yet is the complete opposite of Yi Jia. Xiao Min is assertive, talented, confident, has a good family background, and has everybody's attention. She also has a boyfriend, Ah Kai. Ah Kai is interested in filming and dreams to be a successful director in the future, but his dream is often tossed around as a joke by people he knows, with the exception of Xiao Min. These three best friends complement each other, forming a strong friendship, but all this comes to a halt when Yi Jia finds herself pregnant. === Subplot 2: Mark, Xiao Ye === Mark is a young and successful entrepreneur. He is self-indulgent, cool, modern and casual. His motif about woman is, "As long as it is worth it to conquer" and has an attitude represented with the phrase, "If you never have to do it, then you never miss it". On a trip to Beijing, Mark meets Xiao Ye. Xiao Ye is a single mother with a seven-year-old son, Dou Dou, and is Mark's realty estate agent. Their meeting, however, did not go well, as it ended in the police office with Xiao Ye suffering a broken leg and having her son become lost along the way. Eventually, with the help of Mark, Dou Dou is found. Through this experience, and his time with the mother and son, Mark finds himself developing intimate feelings that he never had with people before. === Subplot 3: Xiao Kuan, Rou Yi, Chao Ping === Xiao Kuan has a simple, pure, boy-next-door personality. Rou Yi is a materialistic woman, dependent on rich men, and mistress of Chao Ping, which leads to her life in the limelight. Chao Ping is an aging man, and CEO of a well-known company. After an unhappy night of partying, Rou Yi and Chao Ping argue on the way home. Rou Yi gets out of the car, continuing the argument, which is rapidly growing more heated, and the ensuing fight is witnessed by Xiao Kuan. In a moment of heroism, Xiao Kuan grabs Rou Yi, running away from Chao Ping and brings her back to his house, which is quiet and serene. From then on, they became acquaintances, and Xiao Kuan's place serves a place of escape for Rou Yi - a place away from the lights and attention. Through Xiao Kuan's simple life, Rou Yi contemplates her life and eventually comes to the conclusion that it is time to change and take control. == Cast == Shu Qi as Rou Yi Ethan Juan as Xiao Kuan Ivy Chen as Yi Jia Mark Chao as Mark Amber Kuo as Xiao Min Eddie Peng as Ah Kai Zhao Wei as Xiao Ye Doze Niu as Chao Ping Yu Mei-ren as Mrs. Li Lung Shao-hua as Mr. Li Yang Kuei-mei as Mark's mother === Cameo appearance === Ralf Chiu as Mark's assistant Rhydian Vaughan as Xiao Kuan's colleague Frankie Huang as Xiao Kuan's colleague Emerson Tsai as Xiao Kuan's colleague Chen Han-dian as Xiao Kuan's colleague Pu Hsueh-liang as Wedding host Kang Kang as Cycling coach == Soundtrack == == Box office == In Taiwan, the film grossed more than NT$160 million. In China, the film grossed more than CN¥130 million. == Awards and nominations == == References == == External links == Love at IMDb Love at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase Love at AllMovie Love at Rotten Tomatoes Love at Box Office Mojo Love (2012) Official Website

Love is a 2012 Taiwanese-Chinese romance film directed and cowritten by Doze Niu. It stars Zhao Wei, Shu Qi, Mark Chao, Ethan Juan, Eddie Peng, Amber Kuo, Ivy Chen and Doze Niu. Love premiered in the Panorama section of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. The film features an ensemble cast, with the stories revealed to be interwoven as the plot progresses.

love

Love (2015 film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2015 erotic drama art film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. The film marked Noé's fourth directorial venture after a gap of six years. It had its premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and was released in 3D. The film is notable for its unsimulated sex scenes. The film received mixed reviews. == Plot == Murphy (Karl Glusman) is an American film student living in Paris. On a rainy January morning, he receives a call at the small apartment he shares with Danish partner Omi (Klara Kristin) and their 18-month-old son, Gaspar. The surprise visitor is Nora, the mother of his ex-girlfriend Electra (Aomi Muyock), who asks if Murphy knows of her daughter's whereabouts. She hasn't heard from Electra in three months, and is worried, given her issues with depression and previous suicide attempts. For the rest of this day, Murphy recalls his relationship with Electra in a series of fragmented, nonlinear flashbacks. They depict their first meeting; their quick hook-up; and their lives over the next two years, which are filled with drug abuse, rough sex, and tender moments. Murphy and Electra eventually met and had a no-strings-attached threesome with Omi, then a young adolescent, as a way to add some excitement to their love life. However, Murphy continued his sexual relationship with Omi, without Electra's knowledge. This eventually resulted in an unplanned pregnancy, due to a broken condom. Omi refused to terminate the pregnancy, as she was against abortion. Admitting the truth to Electra ultimately ended her and Murphy's relationship, leading to the present-day set up of Murphy and Omi raising the child together. Electra's whereabouts and ultimate fate are left unresolved at the end of the film. == Cast == == Production == Initially, Noé wanted the then-married couple Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel to play the leads, but they took issue with the explicit, unsimulated sex. Love is the screen debut of the film's two main actresses, Muyock and Kristin. Noé met them in a club. He found Karl Glusman for the role of Murphy through a mutual friend. The budget of the film was approximately €2.6 million. Principal photography took place in Paris. Noé has said that the film's screenplay was seven pages long. In a pre-release interview with Marfa Journal, Noé implied that the film would have an explicitly sexual feel. He asserted that it would "give guys a hard-on and make girls cry". The film is notable for its unsimulated sex scenes. According to NPR, "roughly half of Gaspar Noe's Love consists of raw, unsimulated sex acts – presented in 3D, no less". In most cases, the sex scenes were also not choreographed. Gaspar Noé said that some of the sex scenes in the film are real while others are simulated. The director also preferred not to reveal which ones were simulated and leave the possibility to the spectators to detect the true from the false. "I think the experience of sex should be represented in all its power - instead of being caricatured as it is too often", he explained before specifying that he also did according to wants and needs of the actors: "I also composed with the limits of the actors. For Karl Glusman (Murphy), the representation of ejaculation was done in a natural way; actresses experience this differently and I respected their limits." == Release == Love was selected to be screened out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 20 May 2015. The week before its debut at Cannes, the film's U.S. distribution rights were acquired by Alchemy. It was selected to be screened in the Vanguard section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film also screened in The International Film Festival of Kerala, held in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The film was refused a license to be screened in Russia. == Reception == On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 42% with an average rating of 5.1/10, based on 96 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: "Love sees writer-director Gaspar Noé delivering some of his warmest and most personal work; unfortunately, it's also among his most undeveloped and least compelling." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Some critics and audiences were shocked by the films graphic sexual content, including the opening sex scene which inspired audiences filming their reactions to the opening scene on social media. == References == == External links == Love at IMDb Love at AllMovie Love at Box Office Mojo Love at Metacritic Love at Rotten Tomatoes

Love is a 2015 erotic drama art film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. The film marked Noé's fourth directorial venture after a gap of six years. It had its premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and was released in 3D. The film is notable for its unsimulated sex scenes. The film received mixed reviews.

love

Love (2020 film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Khalid Rahman and produced by Ashiq Usman under the banner of Ashiq Usman Productions. The film stars Shine Tom Chacko and Rajisha Vijayan in the lead roles. Love marks the tenth project of Ashiq Usman and third film of Khalid Rahman after Unda and Anuraga Karikkin Vellam. The film is co-written and edited by Noufal Abdullah. The music is composed by Yakzan Gary Pereira and Neha Nair, while Jimshi Khalid was hired as the cinematographer. == Plot == The movie begins when Deepthi is doing scanning and the doctor confirms that she is eight weeks pregnant. Her husband Anoop gets a text message "I am pregnant", but he continues to play a violent video game. Deepthi reaches home, and soon they both start arguing. The fight turns violent, and Anoop pushes Deepthi against their picture on the wall, and she immediately collapses. Confused, Anoop decides to commit suicide and tries to cut his nerves using a shaving blade, and then he hears a ring on the door. He takes Deepthi's body to the bathroom. At the door, it was Anoop's friend, and he starts talking about his life's problems and starts drinking of what was left in the bottle Anoop was having. Anoop tries to console his friend, saying that he has to talk out the indifferences with his wife. Apparently, he doubts his wife is having an affair with his partner and the partner is trying to steal all his money by cheating him in their combined business. His wife is blaming him for not having kids, but when Anoop says he had already impregnated his earlier girlfriend and his friend replies that he cannot tell that to his wife and prove himself, he wants to commit suicide because he is fed up with life, but after speaking to Anoop, he changes his mind and decides to kill his partner instead. Meanwhile, another of Anoop's friends comes home with his girlfriend and tells Anoop that they both need to spend half an hour in their bedroom. While the friend and his girlfriend are talking in the room, the girlfriend receives a message from a guy, and he gets annoyed. He asks her to immediately delete all messages and stop talking to him. Meanwhile, he gets a call from his wife and starts questioning him where he is. He denies that he is with his girlfriend and that he does not have any contact with her. That starts a fight between them, and the girlfriend leaves, saying that she does not want to be a casual partner for him. Deepthi's father comes home to meet Anoop. He tries to talk about his daughter's problems, but Anoop is not interested. Anoop also says he has no financial issues. When the dad asks him if he physically abuses his wife, Anoop says that he has the rights to do whatever to his wife. Her dad slaps Anoop and says he is Anoop's dad and he also has the rights and leaves. The two friends see this from the balcony, but they stop themselves in interfering because it is Anoop's personal matter. Anoop hears a knock on the door again, and when he opens it, he sees Deepthi. Deepthi enters the house, but now the house is clean as if nothing happened. Soon, the fight turns fierce. Deepthi accuses Anoop for having an affair and also being irresponsible in this business ventures and losing all the money. From the conversation, we can understand that the two friends who are at his home are not two outside people, but multiple personalities of Anoop itself. One of them wants to kill Deepthi, while the other says no. Finally, Anoop hits Deepthi on her head with an iron box, and she collapses. In the final scene of the movie, we see a car which gets stopped by police for checking. We see Deepthi on the driving seat, who confesses that she killed her husband and the body is in the trunk. It is left to the viewer to guess how Anoop was killed. == Cast == Shine Tom Chacko as Anoop Rajisha Vijayan as Deepthi Gokulan as Anoop's friend Sudhi Koppa as Anoop's friend Veena Nandakumar as Haritha Johny Antony as Deepthi's father Rony David as YouTuber Ajith Chacko John Kaippallil as Police Officer Sunny Wayne as Shelby (voice only) Aji Peter Thankam as Neighbor == Production == After the success of Unda, Khalid Rahman announced that the next film will have Rajisha Vijayan and Shine Tom Chacko in lead roles. Both were collaborated with him in his previous films. He also informed that additional cast includes Veena Nandakumar, Sudhi Koppa, Johny Antony, and Gokulan M.S. Principal cinematography started on June 22, 2020, in Kochi, adhering to COVID-19 protocol guidelines. On July 15, the crew informed that the film shoot has completed and it only took 23 days. == Release == Love was released in United Arab Emirates on 15 October 2020. Love is the first Malayalam film to release in UAE cinemas after a long spell owing to restrictions to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The film released in Kerala on 29 January 2021. Love has been streaming on Netflix since 19 February 2021. Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "Love is tricky, and therefore, Love is tricky, too. It flips around genres like mad: it’s a narcissistic murder mystery like Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope mixed with a psychological black comedy like David Fincher’s Fight Club mixed with a domestic-abuse drama like Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad". == Remake == A Tamil adaptation with the same title was released in 2023 with Bharath and Vani Bhojan in the lead roles. The Tamil remake is directed by RP Bala. == References == == External links == Love at IMDb

Love is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Khalid Rahman and produced by Ashiq Usman under the banner of Ashiq Usman Productions. The film stars Shine Tom Chacko and Rajisha Vijayan in the lead roles. Love marks the tenth project of Ashiq Usman and third film of Khalid Rahman after Unda and Anuraga Karikkin Vellam. The film is co-written and edited by Noufal Abdullah. The music is composed by Yakzan Gary Pereira and Neha Nair, while Jimshi Khalid was hired as the cinematographer.

love

Love (2021 film) (wikipedia)

Love (Russian: Love, lit. 'Lyubov') is a 2021 Russian romantic comedy film directed by Igor Tverdokhlebov. It was theatrically released in Russia on February 11, 2021 by KaroRental. == Plot == The Love Hotel is the most beautiful place to spend Valentine's Day. And suddenly the former classmates gather there and the meeting reinforces their old feelings. == Cast == == References ==

Love (Russian: Love, lit. 'Lyubov') is a 2021 Russian romantic comedy film directed by Igor Tverdokhlebov. It was theatrically released in Russia on February 11, 2021 by KaroRental.

love

Love (2023 film) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed by R. P. Bala in his directorial debut. It is a remake of the 2020 Malayalam film of the same name. The film stars Bharath and Vani Bhojan with Vivek Prasanna, Radha Ravi, Daniel Annie Pope, Swayam Siddha and Adams in supporting roles. The film marks Bharath's 50th film. The music was composed by Ronnie Raphael with cinematography by P. G. Muthiah and editing by Ajay Manoj. The film released on 28 July 2023. == Cast == Bharath as Ajay Vani Bhojan as Divya Vivek Prasanna as Ajay's friend Radha Ravi as Divya's father Daniel Annie Pope as Ajay's friend Swayam Siddha as Ajay's friend's girlfriend Ganesh Ram Sathya TRS Iyappan Sridhar == Production == The film was produced by R. P. Bala and Kousalya Bala under the banner of RP Films. It is the second collaboration between Bharath and Vani Bhojan after Miral. The film's first look was released on 21 April 2022, the film's teaser was released on 6 December 2022, and the film's trailer was released on 13 July 2023. == Soundtrack == The soundtrack of the film was composed by Ronnie Raphael. == Release == The film was released on 28 July 2023. == Reception == Logesh Balachandran of The Times of India gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Love would have been an interesting murder mystery if RP Bala had brought in a few more solid conflicts without too many twists and turns." Chandhini R of Cinema Express gave it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Love could have matched up with the impact that the original created, if only it stayed true to the original's narrative, importantly, in the second half and embraced the beauty that lies in self-interpretations and observations instead of overcooking the plot to simplify it for a new audience." == References == == External links == Love at IMDb

Love is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed by R. P. Bala in his directorial debut. It is a remake of the 2020 Malayalam film of the same name. The film stars Bharath and Vani Bhojan with Vivek Prasanna, Radha Ravi, Daniel Annie Pope, Swayam Siddha and Adams in supporting roles. The film marks Bharath's 50th film. The music was composed by Ronnie Raphael with cinematography by P. G. Muthiah and editing by Ajay Manoj. The film released on 28 July 2023.

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Love (Amen Dunes album) (wikipedia)

Love is a studio album by Amen Dunes. == Track listing == == Chart positions == == Release history == == References ==

Love is a studio album by Amen Dunes.

love

Love (Cloud Cult album) (wikipedia)

Love is the ninth studio album by Cloud Cult, released on March 5, 2013. MTV compared the album's first single, "Good Friend," to Polyphonic Spree, Arcade Fire, and Weezer. == Track listing == All songs written by Craig Minowa. You’re the Only Thing in Your Way It’s Your Decision Complicated Creation 1x1x1 All the Things We Couldn’t See The Calling Love and the First Law of Thermodynamics Good Friend Meet Me Where You’re Going Sleepwalker It Takes a Lot Catharsis The Show Starts Now == Personnel == Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Sarah Elhardt-Perbix - French horn, trumpet, accordion, backing vocals Shannon Frid-Rubin - violin, backing vocals Craig Minowa - lead vocals, guitars, bass, keys, piano, digital drums Shawn Neary - trombone, glockenspiel, banjo, backing vocals Arlen Peiffer - drumset, backing vocals == References ==

Love is the ninth studio album by Cloud Cult, released on March 5, 2013. MTV compared the album's first single, "Good Friend," to Polyphonic Spree, Arcade Fire, and Weezer.

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Love (DJ Trevi song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song by American progressive house and electro house artist DJ Trevi. It was featured in the documentary Gay Latino Los Angeles: Coming of Age. A radio and extended version were re-released on December 8, 2012. == History == The song was originally made for personal use as a healing process for DJ Trevi. He had recently come out of an emotional relationship with someone who was HIV positive. He wanted to convey a message that love is love no matter what status, color of your skin, sexual orientation, or religion. The video had a powerful message, that it is possible to love someone that is positive, even though he is negative. The video went viral and people wanted a copy of the song that accompanied the video. DJ Trevi agreed to release the song and donate the profits to an HIV awareness program. The song had an impact in the gay community, with people expressing either hate or love for the message. Although the song was released and had moderate success, the former reality TV star has never played the song in his sets. == Reception == The song peaked at number 9 in the international radio charts on Jango in the week ending 4 October 2011. In the United States, "Love" received exposure from its use in the documentary Gay Latino L.A., which was shown at universities and festivals. It premiered in Mexico, adding international exposure for the film and its soundtrack, which features two of DJ Trevi's tracks. A radio and extended version were re-released on Dec 8th, 2012. == Track listing == “Love” (Radio Edit) – 4:23 “Love” (Original Mix) – 7:59 == Chart performance == == References ==

"Love" is a song by American progressive house and electro house artist DJ Trevi. It was featured in the documentary Gay Latino Los Angeles: Coming of Age. A radio and extended version were re-released on December 8, 2012.

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Love (Destiny) (wikipedia)

"Love (Destiny)" (stylized as "LOVE ~Destiny~") is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the second single for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on April 14, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Three versions of the recording have been made available—a ballad version arranged by Tsunku, an edited version with vocals by Tsunku, and a dance-influenced version included on Loveppears. Upon its release, "Love (Destiny)" received near universal acclaim from music critics, praising her vocal performance, with some highlighting the single as one of Hamasaki's best work. Commercially, the recording experienced success in Japan, reaching number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and TBS' Count Down TV chart, her first song to do so on either charts. It also became Hamasaki's first single to sell over 500,000 units, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 400,000 copies. Due to the single's success, it was re-released as a CD single and re-entered both charts. An accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi, and featured Hamasaki in a large skyscraper while singing to the song in different areas. In order to promote the single, it appeared on several remix and greatest hits compilation albums, and live concert torus conducted by Hamasaki. It was also used as the theme song for Japanese television show SemiDouble (1999). To date, the recording remains one of her highest-selling singles according to Oricon Style. == Background == === Versions and composition === Three versions of the recording have been made available for purchase. "Love (Destiny)" initially served as Hamasaki's second single for her album Loveppears but did not appear on the album for unknown reasons. Written by the singer, the production process was handled by Max Matsuura whilst it was composed by Japanese musician and businessman Tsunku, who worked as the producer for Japanese group Morning Musume and vocalist of Sharan Q at that time. The composition was then arranged by Shingo Kobayashi and Yasuaki Maejima, and mixed by Atsushi Hattori. The second version, "Love (Since 1999)", portrayed a duet with Tsunku and featured songwriting credits by him during the English chorus. Being arranged by Takao Konishi and mixed by Koji Uchikado, the track appeared as an A-side single in Japan and Taiwan during its April 1999 release. The final counterpart of the recording was titled "Love (Refrain)", and was similarly composed by Tsunku, but arranged by Naoto Suzuki and programmed by Takahiro Iida. "Love (Refrain)" was added to the track list of Loveppears, and is musically a dance song, a genre that heavily influences the album. According to the demo sheet music published at Ultimate Guitar Archive, the recording is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. Lyrically, each song was written in third person perspective, a trait that is shared with the rest of the tracks on Loveppears. The lyrical content of the songs delves on a lonely woman who wants to find love. === Release and formats === "Love (Destiny)" was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on April 14, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The mini CD format featured a total of four tracks, with the first two being original recordings accompanied instrumentals. Subsequently, on February 28, 2001, Avex Trax distributed a CD single including the four tracks from the mini CD, plus two remixes of Hamasaki's single "Kanariya" (1999) and one remix of a previous album track, "From Your Letter". The artwork of the CD and digital format was shot by Toru Kumazawa, and featured an image of Hamasaki hugging an unidentified male. == Reception == Upon its release, "Love (Destiny)" received widespread acclaim from music critics. A reviewer at Amazon was positive towards the songwriting, and praised Hamasaki's "painful" and "love[ly]" performance. In 2015, Japanese website Goo.ne.jp hosted a 24-hour only poll for audiences in Japan to vote for their favorite single released by Hamasaki; as a result, "Love (Destiny)" ranked at number six, with a rating of 43.9 average percent. Commercially, "Love (Destiny)" experienced success in Japan. It debuted inside the top ten on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 70,540 in its first week of availability. The recording then went to number one, becoming Hamasaki's first number one single on that chart. It lasted 26 weeks, marking the singer's longest-charting release. Charting together as "Love (Destiny)"/"Love (Since 1999)", both tracks debuted at number one on the Count Down TV chart hosted by Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), having become her first number one there as well, and similarly spent 26 weeks within the top 100. By the end of 1999, "Love (Destiny)" sold over 650,790 units in Japan, thus being ranked at number 30 on Oricon's Annual 1999 chart behind two fellow releases of the singer, "Boys & Girls" (1999) and her extended play A (1999). Likewise, it charted at number 28 on TBS' Annual Chart. In July 1999, the single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 400,000 units. As of July 2016, "Love (Destiny)" marks the singer's 12th highest-selling song based on Oricon Style's database. Following the CD single release, "Love (Destiny)" charted at number 20 on the Oricon Singles Chart, the highest result from her re-released maxi CDs. It lasted four weeks within the top 100, and sold 39,080 units. Additionally, the song reached number 100 on TBS Count Down TV chart on May 14, 2001, her lowest entry to date. == Music video and promotion == An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Wataru Takeishi. It opens with Hamasaki watching her previous music videos on several television screens. Sitting in a small room, she exits it and finds a large number of fans and paparazzi bombarding her; scenes interspersed through the main plot feature her looking towards a mirror. Following the first chorus, Hamasaki is shown riding through Tokyo city, including her appearance at a recording studio singing the song, and on top of a skyscraper at night. The frames subsequently re-appear throughout the visual, with it ending with a blurry shot of Hamasaki looking away from the mirror, and the TV screens from the first shot displaying the logo of Avex Trax. The music video was included on several DVD compilations released by Hamasaki: A Clips (2000), A Complete Box Set (2004), the digital release of A Clips Complete (2014), and the DVD and Blu-Ray re-release edition of her 2001 compilation album A Best (2016). It was additionally used as the theme for Japanese television show Semi Double (1999). "Love (Destiny)" has been heavily promoted on compilation albums conducted by Hamasaki. It has been included on one of the singer's remix compilation album, Ayu-mi-x 7 Version Acoustic Orchestra (2012). A remix produced by Todd Okawa appeared on the maxi CD for her single "Boys & Girls", and it was re-recorded for her 10th anniversary in 2008 on her single release "Days/Green". The single has also been featured on two of Hamasaki's greatest hits albums, A Best (2001), and A Complete: All Singles (2007). "Love (Destiny)" has further been included on one of the singer's major concert tours, part one and part two of her 2000 concert tour. == Track listings == == Charts == == Certification and sales == == Release history == == See also == List of Oricon number-one singles of 1999 == Notes == == References == == External links == "Love (Destiny)" at Ayumi Hamasaki's official website. (in Japanese)

"Love (Destiny)" (stylized as "LOVE ~Destiny~") is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the second single for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on April 14, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Three versions of the recording have been made available—a ballad version arranged by Tsunku, an edited version with vocals by Tsunku, and a dance-influenced version included on Loveppears. Upon its release, "Love (Destiny)" received near universal acclaim from music critics, praising her vocal performance, with some highlighting the single as one of Hamasaki's best work. Commercially, the recording experienced success in Japan, reaching number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and TBS' Count Down TV chart, her first song to do so on either charts. It also became Hamasaki's first single to sell over 500,000 units, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 400,000 copies. Due to the single's success, it was re-released as a CD single and re-entered both charts. An accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi, and featured Hamasaki in a large skyscraper while singing to the song in different areas. In order to promote the single, it appeared on several remix and greatest hits compilation albums, and live concert torus conducted by Hamasaki. It was also used as the theme song for Japanese television show SemiDouble (1999). To date, the recording remains one of her highest-selling singles according to Oricon Style.

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Love (Doyle novel) (wikipedia)

Love is a 2020 novel by Irish author Roddy Doyle. The novel takes place in Dublin, mostly in a pub, and concerns two friends, Joe and Davy, who have reconnected for a night of drinking. == Publication == Publication of the novel in Doyle's native Ireland was pushed from June 2020 to October. == Reception == According to literary review aggregator Book Marks, the novel received mostly "Positive" reviews. Kirkus Reviews gave the novel a negative review, writing that "By the time the novel belatedly reaches the big reveal, the reader has passed the point of caring." == References ==

Love is a 2020 novel by Irish author Roddy Doyle. The novel takes place in Dublin, mostly in a pub, and concerns two friends, Joe and Davy, who have reconnected for a night of drinking.

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Love (Flipper album) (wikipedia)

Love is the fourth studio album by the San Francisco-based punk rock band Flipper, released in 2009. The album was issued more than 16 years after their previous studio album, 1993's American Grafishy. Love is the only Flipper studio album to date to include former Nirvana member Krist Novoselic. Recording sessions took place at Novoselic's studio in Washington. Love was released simultaneously with the live album Fight, which was recorded in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. Jack Endino recorded and produced both albums. == Critical reception == The Austin Chronicle wrote: "These old dogs haven't learned any new tricks, but with Jack Endino in the producer's chair and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, they manage a raucous, post-punk retread that, after the teenaged delinquency of 'Be Good, Child!' goes off like 'Sex Bomb' closing 1982's seminal Album: Generic Flipper." == Track listing == All songs written by Bruce Loose, Ted Falconi, Krist Novoselic and Steve DePace. == Musicians and personnel == Flipper Bruce Loose – lead vocals Ted Falconi – guitar Krist Novoselic – bass; backing vocals on "Learn to Live" Steve DePace – drums; backing vocals on "Learn to Live" Production personnel Jack Endino – engineering, production == References ==

Love is the fourth studio album by the San Francisco-based punk rock band Flipper, released in 2009. The album was issued more than 16 years after their previous studio album, 1993's American Grafishy. Love is the only Flipper studio album to date to include former Nirvana member Krist Novoselic. Recording sessions took place at Novoselic's studio in Washington. Love was released simultaneously with the live album Fight, which was recorded in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. Jack Endino recorded and produced both albums.

love

Love (Jana Kramer song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song recorded by American country music artist Jana Kramer from her second studio album, Thirty One (2015). The song was written by Catt Gravitt and Jimmy Robbins, and produced by Scott Hendricks. It was released on June 9, 2014 as the album's first single. == Music video == The music video was directed by Ryan Lassan and premiered in June 2014. Kramer filmed the video in Honduras along with her charity, Hearts2Honduras, which helps bring English tutors to Honduras, as well as helping to house and feed Hondurans. When speaking of her song "Love", Kramer said, "I’m just focused now on spreading love", and that "...there’s so much hate in the world, and I don’t think we focus on the love in the world enough...There really is a lot of love out there and I think if we spotlight that more, people will have more love in their lives in general.” == Critical reception == Vickye Fisher of forthecountryrecord.com notes that the song has a "fresh approach", and is distinctive because of its "simplicity and catchy hook". It features prominent vocals and simple lyrics, is short and concise, yet is sung "with passion and conviction". Its upbeat tone creates "a positivity lingering in the air long after the song is over", and will "encourage listeners to want to play it again". == Chart performance == == References ==

"Love" is a song recorded by American country music artist Jana Kramer from her second studio album, Thirty One (2015). The song was written by Catt Gravitt and Jimmy Robbins, and produced by Scott Hendricks. It was released on June 9, 2014 as the album's first single.

love

Love (Japanese band) (wikipedia)

Love was a Japanese pop/R&B vocal duo, produced by Hiro of Exile's production agency, LDH. They debuted in 2009 with the single "First Love: Love Letter." Their song "Tada Hitotsu no Negai Sae" was certified gold by the RIAJ for 100,000 full-length cellphone downloads. The band's name comes from the first word in their production company (LDH)'s non-acronym name (Love Dream Happiness). == Biography == The band was formed in 2008 by former Paradise Go!! Go!! member Misaki Matsumoto, and quarter Italian Stephanie. The pair met through production agency LDH, when they were given the roles of the two vocalists in a dance performance group called Real Force. When the plans for this unit fell through, the duo formed Love. Both members had been in the entertainment industry for over ten years. The group's first activity together was releasing a cover of Zone's "Secret Base (Kimi ga Kureta Mono)" as a ringtone (as well as releasing the full version in a special CD attached to the August issue of Gekkan Exile magazine). A year later, the group released their debut single, "First Love: Love Letter," with this cover as a B-side. The group's songs have been popular through digital markets, with all lead tracks from their singles reaching the top 5 on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart (including "Taisetsu na Kimochi" from their debut album Taisetsu na Kimochi which was not released as a physical single). The duo have had two collaborations with Exile twice: once before their debut on the song "Love, Dream & Happiness" on Exile's compilation album Exile Ballad Best in 2008, and in 2009 Misaki recorded background vocals for Exile's song "If (I Know)" on their album Aisubeki Mirai e. On the 28th of December 2012, it is announced that LOVE is dismissed after the year. == Discography == === Albums === === Singles === == References == == External links == Official site (in Japanese) Official blog (in Japanese)

Love was a Japanese pop/R&B vocal duo, produced by Hiro of Exile's production agency, LDH. They debuted in 2009 with the single "First Love: Love Letter." Their song "Tada Hitotsu no Negai Sae" was certified gold by the RIAJ for 100,000 full-length cellphone downloads. The band's name comes from the first word in their production company (LDH)'s non-acronym name (Love Dream Happiness).

love

Love (Jay B EP) (wikipedia)

Love. is the second extended play by South Korean singer Jay B, released on January 26, 2022 under the pseudonym Def.. == Background and release == Jay B announced the release of his first EP under the pseudonym Def. on December 31, 2021, by posting the title of the album through an Instagram story. Love. went on sale for the pre-order period only, from January 5 to January 12, and was released on January 26 under Warner Music Korea together with a music video for the title track "Sunset With You". The record is about love and the emotions it brings along; it's opened by "Again", an intimate and sensual R&B collaboration that sees rapper Leon rapping in two languages. "Why?" combines synth and bass beats with an electro-acoustic guitar riff, while the third track, "I Just Wanna Know", gives jazz and R&B vibes, with the cello and bass in the background. "Like a Fool" is the singer's third collaboration with producer and soloist Junny. In "Want U", he alternates a high tempo in the chorus and a lower mid-range tempo in the bridge. Love. ends with "Sunset With You", a lo-fi song with a dreamy atmosphere and soft percussion in the background, which tells the story of a couple happy with their relationship. == Critical reception == Nandini Iyengar from Bollywood Hungama commented "The album, from start to end, is a treat for those who like indie and alternate beats, interspersed with R&B." Bandwagon listed it among the best albums and EPs of the first half of 2022, stating: "Lyrically, it feels like an honest diary about love and what it's like navigating that complicated emotion, like someone actually going through all its ups and downs in real time. While sonically, it's just a world of lo-fi and R&B that you just want to swim in." It was featured at #13 on the list of the best Korean hip hop and R&B albums of 2022 according to Rolling Stone India, which felt that, in Love., "Def. tastefully explores the magic of romance with the right amount of sensuality", taking control of listeners' senses through vocal orchestration, and observing that the listening experience was elevated by the fluid progress of the tracks. == Commercial performance == Love. sold just over 24,000 copies on the day of release for both the Hanteo Chart, and the Gaon Chart, and around 41,000 in the first week according to Hanteo. It has overall sold 52,724 copies in January for the Gaon Chart, ranking 18th. It debuted in third place on the Gaon Album Chart in the week January 23–29, 2022, while "Sunset With You" entered the Gaon Digital Chart at 152 and was third on the Gaon Download Chart. == Track listing == == Personnel == Def. – lyrics, composition, arrangements, production, creative direction Mirror Boy – composition, arrangements, mixing Royal Dive – composition, arrangements Saimon – composition, arrangements Leon – lyrics (track 1), composition (track 1) Junny – lyrics (track 4), composition (track 4) 528 Hz – recording (track 6) Boost Knob (Park Gyeong-seon) – mastering == Charts == == References ==

Love. is the second extended play by South Korean singer Jay B, released on January 26, 2022 under the pseudonym Def..

love

Love (John Lennon song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, originally released on his debut solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970). The song's theme is more upbeat than most of the songs on Plastic Ono Band. == Song == The song first came out on Lennon's 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. Lennon considered releasing it as a single, but was dropped in favour of "Mother". However, "Love" received considerable airplay at the time from stations who hesitated at playing "Mother". "Love" later appeared on the compilation The John Lennon Collection (1982), and was released as a promotional tie-in single for the collection. The single version is a remix of the original track, which most notably differs in having the piano intro and outro (played by Phil Spector) mixed at the same volume as the rest of the song; on the original album version, these parts begin much quieter and increase in volume. The B-side was "Gimme Some Truth", but labelled as "Give Me Some Truth". Ultimate Classic Rock critic Stephen Lewis rated it as Lennon's 5th greatest solo love song, saying that "The close-miced vocals and delicate piano/acoustic guitar instrumentation increase the intimacy of the song." Far Out critic Tim Coffman rated it as Lennon's greatest deep cut, calling it "one of the best examples of Lennon’s melodic sensibilities, moving through different keys effortlessly while still keeping the key melody gliding throughout the track." An alternate take of the song appears on the John Lennon Anthology box set (1998) as well as the Acoustic album (2004). The picture on the sleeve for 1982 release of "Love" was taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz on 8 December 1980—the day of Lennon's murder. Like the 1982 British issue, the original version of the song was released as a single again in October 1998 for the Japanese market only with the Japanese edition of another compilation Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon. This song gained great success on Japan's Oricon chart and won the song of the year 1999 in Japanese gold disc prize. The song was also used as Lennon's entry on the iTunes exclusive 4-track Beatles EP 4: John Paul George Ringo, released in 2014. == Personnel == The musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows: John Lennon – vocals, acoustic guitar Phil Spector – piano == Track listings == All songs written and composed by John Lennon (except where noted). === 1982 release === "Love" [remix] "Gimme Some Truth" === 1998 Japan release === "Love" [album version] "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King/Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) == Charts == == Certifications == == The Lettermen version == The Lettermen recorded the song in 1971. This single became a top 20 hit on the Japanese Oricon singles chart and hit number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the only charting version of the song in the US and the last charting single of the group's career. === Charts === == The Dream Academy version == The Dream Academy covered this song on their album A Different Kind of Weather (1990), and also released as a single (CD, cassette, and vinyl formats are available). The single featured a strong Indian theme throughout (evident in the music video). The song samples the "Funky Drummer" drum break. Like the album it was released on, it received mixed reviews. Many critics and fans felt that they over-stretched it. The CD single included six different mixes of the song along with "Mordechai Vanunu", which was written for Mordechai Vanunu. A second B-side, called "The Demonstration", can be found on the UK CD single version. There are also exclusive remixes issued on the cassette and 12" single. As it turned out, this was the band's penultimate single and has an accompanying video that was shot in India. === Track listing === "Love" (single version) – 3:42 "Love" (Hare Krishna Mix) – 7:01 (appears on the compilation album Somewhere in the Sun... Best of the Dream Academy) "Love" (Whales in Love) – 4:00 "Love" (Dream House) – 7:34 "Love" (Love Is 12) – 6:52 "Love" (Love Is 7) – 4:18 "Love" (Dreamstrumental) – 5:07 "Mordechai Vanunu" – 5:39 (written for Mordechai Vanunu) "Love" (Trance mix) (an exclusive remix that only appears on the maxi-cassette single released in the U.S.) == Jimmy Nail version == A version by Jimmy Nail was recorded for his album Big River, which was released as a single on 8 December 1995 (the 15th anniversary of Lennon's death), and peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. === Charts === == Other versions == Barbra Streisand covered the song in 1971 on her album Barbra Joan Streisand, along with another Lennon composition "Mother". AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann described Streisand's "delicate reading" as a "gem." Another cover was by Norwegian actress/model/singer Julie Ege. The song was later covered by Vicky Leandros in several versions, the first on her 1970 UK album I Am, then a guitar version in 1971 in various releases, an a cappella version on her US album Across the Water and a new guitar version with Roland Gabezas in 2005 titled "Ich bin wie ich bin". Shirley Bassey covered the song on her 1972 album I Capricorn. Other covers have been recorded by Kenny Loggins, Asha Puthli, the Mission and the Cure. In 1990, Morgan Fisher, former keyboard player with Mott the Hoople, and a resident of Japan since 1985, recorded a version of "Love" for his album Echoes of Lennon. Yoko Ono read the lyrics over Fisher's ambient keyboards. The Cure recorded a version in 2007 for the international release of Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Italian singer Mango re-interpreted the song on the album Acchiappanuvole (2008). American musician Beck's version was released in January 2014, and included on the 2014 compilation album Sweetheart 2014. == References == == External links == The Making of John Lennon's "Love" take-by-take song analysis The Video of the Dream Academy version Hosted on VH1.com.

"Love" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, originally released on his debut solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970). The song's theme is more upbeat than most of the songs on Plastic Ono Band.

love

Love (Kendrick Lamar song) (wikipedia)

"Love" (stylized as "LOVE.") is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring American singer Zacari, taken from the former's fourth studio album Damn (2017). It was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records on October 2, 2017, as the third and final single from the album. Lamar and Zacari wrote the song with its producers Teddy Walton, Sounwave, Greg Kurstin, and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Titled after the emotion it addresses, "Love" is a ballad that finds Lamar expressing his unconditional love for his significant other. Its lyricism incorporates a fragmented stream of consciousness, inside jokes and nostalgic experiences. Musically, it is a 1980s-inspired pop rap and new-age song that features delicate synthesizers and thundering trap drum beats in its vast production. The track was complimented by music critics for its intimate songwriting, catchiness and comforting tone, although some found it to be lackluster and out of place on Damn. "Love" peaked within the top 40 of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts. An accompanying music video for "Love", directed by Dave Meyers and the Little Homies, was released on December 21, 2017. The song has been certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Lamar has performed "Love" on three of his concert tours: the Damn Tour (2017–2018), the Championship Tour (2018), and the Big Steppers Tour (2022–2023). == Background and production == During his cover story with T: The New York Times Style Magazine on March 1, 2017, Kendrick Lamar confirmed that he was in the middle of finishing a new album. He released the promotional single "The Heart Part 4" on March 23, and further hinted at a new album with the line: "Y'all got 'till April the 7th to get y'all shit together." After an untitled project was made available for pre-order, Lamar formally announced his fourth studio album, Damn, on April 11, with a scheduled release date of April 14. Its artwork, tracklist and featured artists were revealed on the same day. Zacari and Lamar first appeared on a song from Isaiah Rashad's debut album The Sun's Tirade (2016), but did not meet in person until after the album was released. Before their meeting, Zacari was working with Teddy Walton on material for his own project. He was promised by his manager, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., that he would join Lamar for a recording session towards the end of 2016. When they met, Watson played about four of the songs he was working on with Zacari for Lamar. He was animated for the first three tracks, but went quiet when the final song was played. Following the meeting, he asked for the stems to the last record. Matt Schaeffer and James Hunt recorded "Love" at No Excuses in Santa Monica, California, with additional recording handled by Zeke Mishanec and Brendan Silas Perry. Derek "MixedByAli" Ali mixed the song with assistance from Tyler Page and Cyprus Nois Taghipour. Additional vocals provided by Kid Capri were recorded at Jungle City Studios in Manhattan. Zacari did not learn that the song was going to be included on Damn until three months before it was set to be released. == Composition == "Love" is the tenth track on the standard version of Damn, and the fifth track on its collector's edition. It has a length of three minutes and 33 seconds. The song is set in the key of F major with a fairly slow tempo of 63 beats per minute. Walton, Sounwave, Greg Kurstin and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith produced the song and composed its instrumentals with Lamar and Zacari. It implements a tonic–subdominant chord progression that Mitch Findlay from HotNewHipHop noted is not often used in hip hop songwriting. The "wandering quality" of the progression enhances the song's "detached whimsy." Lamar and Zacari's vocals span from F3 to C6. Described as a "psychedelic concoction" by Rap-Up and "a whole new genre" by Zacari, "Love" is a pop rap and new-age ballad with strong elements of R&B. It is evocative of a "high school dance in the mid-1980s." Gliding synthesizers and stuttering trap rhythms magnify its "atmospheric" soundscape and touches the borders of cloud rap, according to Findlay. As Zacari uses a "soaring" falsetto in the refrain, Lamar uses his "unconventional" cadence as an additional instrument to "build on the existing harmony." Rolling Stone journalists noted that gentle synth swells were incorporated in its "spacious" and "tender" production. Some critics believed the song's vocal melodies and mainstream radio appeal were similar to the works of Drake, while others were reminded of Enya's instrumentations. "Love" serves as the successor to "Lust" on the standard version of Damn, and its precursor on the collector's edition. Its opening line ponders on the accompanying emotions the two tracks further address. The songwriting was inspired by Lamar's teenage experiences of understanding love and attraction for the first time, while Zacari's writing was influenced by previous platonic relationships. Findlay pointed out that throughout the song, Lamar is "not looking to impress, but rather to express" his unconditional love towards his significant other. His fragmented stream of consciousness uses inside jokes and nostalgic experiences to paint a "series of personal snapshots;" references used include Mike Tyson, 50 Cent's "21 Questions" (2003), and Young Dro's "Shoulder Lean" (2006). "Love" is presumed to be a dedication to Lamar's life partner, beautician Whitney Alford. The lyrics, "I want your body, your music / I bought the big one to prove it", have been alluded to the couple's engagement, which was announced in April 2015. == Critical reception == "Love" has received generally positive reviews from music critics. It was included in Billboard and Complex's lists of the best hip hop love songs. Writing for PopMatters, Dave Heaton described "Love" as a "delicate" and "lush" moment of comfort amidst the "extreme, dark emotions" of Damn. Clover Hope for Jezebel praised how Lamar "endearingly embraces simplicity" with his songwriting and how its structure represented the parent album's "smooth contours." NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen was stunned to hear Lamar sound so "earnest and unguarded" throughout his "smooth and taunt" vocal performance. He hailed the song as Damn's "revelation" that he keeps revisiting. Christopher Hooton of The Independent found "Love" to be a "saccharine-synthed, straight up wet track" that "just makes no sense" being on Damn. Spin's Brian Josephs echoed his sentiments, describing the song's balladry as "out-of-place in its wistfulness." In a review for Exclaim!, A. Harmony did not consider "Love" to be impactful enough to warrant many listens, which she finds to be "unusual" for Lamar: "Forgettable isn't typically his style." == Commercial performance == "Love" debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the first week of Damn's release. Following its release as a single, it re-entered the chart at number 41 for the week ending December 2, 2017, and moved up to number 27 the following week. After its accompanying music video was released, "Love" reached its peak at number 11. It has spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, before departing the chart on April 14, 2018. On the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, "Love" became Lamar's first number-one single as a lead artist. It also became his first number-one song on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. == Music video == Dave Meyers and the Little Homies, composed of Lamar and Dave Free, directed the music video for "Love". It was released on Lamar's Vevo channel on December 21, 2017. The video chronicles a loving and "tense" relationship between Lamar and his lover. They are seen making love, talking, arguing, and separating from the perspective of a kitchen table; a reference to photographer Carrie Mae Weems' "Kitchen Table Series" (1990). Following their split, Lamar attempts to overcome lustful desires, such as being tempted by the presence of multiple women at a music video shoot, and reconcile with his lover. An easter egg teasing Lamar's involvement on the soundtrack album of the superhero film Black Panther (2018) is shown on a clapperboard during the shoot. == Live performances and covers == Lamar performed "Love" for the first time as an encore during his headlining performance at Coachella on April 16 and April 23, 2017. The song was included on the set list for the Damn Tour (2017–2018), the Championship Tour (2018) and the Big Steppers Tour (2022–2023). Synth-pop band Chvrches covered the song on Triple J's Like a Version in July 2018. == Personnel == Credits adapted from the liner notes of Damn. == Charts == == Certifications == == Release history == == References ==

"Love" (stylized as "LOVE.") is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring American singer Zacari, taken from the former's fourth studio album Damn (2017). It was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records on October 2, 2017, as the third and final single from the album. Lamar and Zacari wrote the song with its producers Teddy Walton, Sounwave, Greg Kurstin, and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Titled after the emotion it addresses, "Love" is a ballad that finds Lamar expressing his unconditional love for his significant other. Its lyricism incorporates a fragmented stream of consciousness, inside jokes and nostalgic experiences. Musically, it is a 1980s-inspired pop rap and new-age song that features delicate synthesizers and thundering trap drum beats in its vast production. The track was complimented by music critics for its intimate songwriting, catchiness and comforting tone, although some found it to be lackluster and out of place on Damn. "Love" peaked within the top 40 of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts. An accompanying music video for "Love", directed by Dave Meyers and the Little Homies, was released on December 21, 2017. The song has been certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Lamar has performed "Love" on three of his concert tours: the Damn Tour (2017–2018), the Championship Tour (2018), and the Big Steppers Tour (2022–2023).

love

Love (Kid Cudi song) (wikipedia)

"Love" (stylized as "love.") is a song by American musician Kid Cudi. Originally recorded in 2013 for his fourth solo album Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014), the song failed to make the final cut for the album, however Cudi would release the song on March 3, 2015 as a promotional recording via his verified SoundCloud page. Although Kid Cudi had declared that due to copyright issues the song would never be released officially, it was ultimately released in 2022, re-mastered and included as a bonus track on his first greatest hits compilation The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1, issued on July 8. == Background and release == On March 3, 2015, Kid Cudi released "Love", his first song since his surprise album Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon was put on the market in February 2014. The song was originally recorded for Satellite Flight and was built around a sample of "Sunblocks" by American electronic rock duo Ratatat. Cudi previously sampled Ratatat for "Heaven at Nite" from his breakout mixtape A Kid Named Cudi (2008), and later collaborated with the duo on "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Alive" from his commercial debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009). Cudi released the song via his official SoundCloud account with a statement that read: "Something I made during the SF sessions. produced by me, keys by Dot. Sample is from one of my favorite Ratatat jams "Sunblocks". And love to Evan and Mike for allowing me to release it.. For you. Hope it brings you some peace if you have a lonely heart out there. byeeeee :)" The song’s positive reception led many a fan requesting Cudi on social media to release the song via digital streaming platforms (DSP); on January 7, 2022, Cudi would finally reveal why the song had been officially unreleased, citing sample clearance issues—specifically Ratatat refusing to clear the sample used from their 2010 song "Sunblocks", taken from their fourth album LP4. However, on July 8, 2022, Cudi's first greatest hits album The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1 featured a re-mastered version of "Love" as the only bonus track, and in an act of fan service was finally made available on DSPs and for digital download. == Music and lyrics == The song's lyrics describe love being the cure to loneliness. Andy James of DJBooth.net noted "Cudi's hook is a necessary reminder that this pain isn't permanent, that rebirth is possible." Carlo Affatigato of Auralcrave wrote "'love.' is an optimistic song about the way we have to fight our pain and chase our inner peace. The track is strictly related to Kid Cudi's personal story: he dealt with depression and drug addiction, and the healing path was a process that required a lot of personal growth." The music heavily samples the song "Sunblocks", composed by Evan Mast and Mike Stroud of Ratatat. Produced by Cudi himself, the song features additional production from Cudi's WZRD bandmate, Dot da Genius. Alex Hudson of Exclaim! wrote “the track begins with a chilled-out groove before swelling with wailing guitars (or are those synths?) and then bursting dramatically into a melodic, uplifting refrain.” == Composition == The track runs at 139 BPM and is in the key of F major. == Critical reception == Upon its initial release in 2015, "Love" went on to receive positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Zach Frydenlund of Complex praised the song's inspirational message: "the emotional and uplifting song features Cudi pouring his heart out while encouraging his listeners to stay positive and don't get down on themselves with the lyrics, 'Don't be so down, come on young homie, you'll be ok, you'll find real love.'" Misha Sesar of The Fader wrote "the song has a heartwarming melody that borrows Ratatat's soothing tones from their 2010 song "Sunblocks" paired with Cudi's soft dreaming vocals. It's a feel-good song that Cudi breathes his soul into it, singing, 'hopeful is all I know.' And after listening to this, hopeful is truly all I feel." Camille Augustin of Vibe called the song empowering. Kevin Montes of TheYoungFolks called the song beautiful. Armon Sadler of Uproxx wrote "the song captures the introspective and optimistic nature commonplace to much of his content." In 2017, Craig Lee of Medium.com, dedicated a article to the song concluding with “‘Love.’ can be the track to save a life and breathe fresh energy into a dimmed spirit. Cudi’s discography is too vast to even begin to tell you how much he’s helped youth to adults. ‘Love.’ is just the tip of the iceberg.” In 2018, Andy James of DJBooth.net dedicated a article to the song, stating "[the song]'s opening verse—simple yet soul-stirring, like most of his best work—is an all-too-familiar reflection of the 'pool of emotions' that threatens to drown a lonely, depressed heart. Unlike most lonely songs that nurse a newly-broken heart or alleviate the anguish of unrequited love, 'love.' speaks specifically to an empty heart, the kind hollowed out by self-loathing, social anxiety and suicidal thoughts." In 2022, Carlo Affatigato of Auralcrave also wrote a article dedicated to "Love", calling the song "a beautiful track full of harmony, with lyrics expressing an important meaning". == Credits and personnel == Scott Mescudi – vocals, production, songwriting, composition Oladipo Omishore – production, songwriting, composition Evan Mast – songwriting, composition Mike Stroud – songwriting, composition Iain Findlay – mixing engineering Joe LaPorta – master engineering == Charts == == Release history == == References ==

"Love" (stylized as "love.") is a song by American musician Kid Cudi. Originally recorded in 2013 for his fourth solo album Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014), the song failed to make the final cut for the album, however Cudi would release the song on March 3, 2015 as a promotional recording via his verified SoundCloud page. Although Kid Cudi had declared that due to copyright issues the song would never be released officially, it was ultimately released in 2022, re-mastered and included as a bonus track on his first greatest hits compilation The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1, issued on July 8.

love

Love (Lana Del Rey song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song by the American singer Lana Del Rey. It was released on February 18, 2017, by Polydor Records and Interscope Records, as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Lust for Life (2017). The song was written and produced by Del Rey, Benny Blanco, Emile Haynie and Rick Nowels, with additional production by Kieron Menzies. Its release was first teased with promotional posters hung in Los Angeles on February 17, after which the release date was pushed up due to leaked versions of the song surfacing online the same day. The song incorporates alternative pop, bubblegum pop, dream pop, and rock with a 50s style. == Critical reception == Eve Barlow of Pitchfork wrote that "'Love' is an ode to allowing yourself to feel" and that it "reassures the listener that the feeling can still lift, that love can still conquer". Barlow also gave the song the Best New Track designation. Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone called the song "anthemic" and Frank Guan of Vulture called "Love" "marvellously good". Pitchfork listed "Love" as the 28th-best song of 2017 in their annual ranking. == Commercial performance == "Love" debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her highest-charting song on the chart since Ultraviolence's lead single, "West Coast". It also debuted at No. 2 on Hot Rock Songs, exceeding the No. 3 peak of "Young and Beautiful" in 2013. "Love" also launched as her first No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales (46,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music) and at No. 5 on Rock Streaming Songs (6.6 million domestic streams). The song also peaked at No. 9 on the Digital Songs chart. == Music video == The music video was in production in June 2016. Del Rey's hairstylist, Anna Cofone, also shared photos of her makeup kit on set on Instagram, which she later deleted. On February 20, 2017, Del Rey announced the music video on an Instagram livestream. Shortly after the livestream it was made available on YouTube. The music video garnered over 19 million views within a week. The music video begins in black and white, showing Del Rey singing on stage in front of a small audience, intercut with young adult couples getting ready for a day at the beach. As Del Rey sings the chorus, the video fades into color, and scenes of the couples floating through the Solar System in their cars and alone. Towards the end of the video, Del Rey is also seen performing with her band on the surface of the Moon, with the camera turning to the sky, where a symbolic black hole can be seen. It was directed by Rich Lee. Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone called the video "dreamy", while writing that the clip "alternates between black-and-white and washed-out color, Del Rey sings "Love" juxtaposed with footage of people "young and in love". Kelsey J. Waite of A.V Club wrote that "'Love' sends you tumbling through space", calling it a "stunning sci-fi video". Luke Morgan Britton of NME wrote that "The video sees Del Rey dramatically performing in Space", while Ben Kaye of Consequence of Sound called the clip "romantic". == Live performances == Del Rey first performed "Love" at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas on March 17, 2017. == Use in media == The song can be heard in the pilot episode of the television show Siesta Key. Los Angeles music producers DJDS and Empress Of also released a collaborative synth-pop cover of the song on December 1, 2017, via Loma Vista Recordings == Track listing == == Credits and personnel == Credits adapted from Tidal. Management Published by Heavy Crate Publishing (ASCAP) / Universal Music Publishing Group Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing Published by Please Don't Forget to Pay Me Music. All rights administered by EMI April Music Inc. and Universal Music Publishing Group Personnel Lana Del Rey – vocals, production Benny Blanco – production, keyboard, drums, mixing Mike Bozzi – mastering Emile Haynie – production, mixing, synthesizer Kieron Menzies – production, engineering, mixing Rick Nowels – production, keyboard, bass guitar, drums, mellotron, vibraphone Dean Reid – engineering, electric guitar == Charts == == Certifications == == Release history == == References ==

"Love" is a song by the American singer Lana Del Rey. It was released on February 18, 2017, by Polydor Records and Interscope Records, as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Lust for Life (2017). The song was written and produced by Del Rey, Benny Blanco, Emile Haynie and Rick Nowels, with additional production by Kieron Menzies. Its release was first teased with promotional posters hung in Los Angeles on February 17, after which the release date was pushed up due to leaked versions of the song surfacing online the same day. The song incorporates alternative pop, bubblegum pop, dream pop, and rock with a 50s style.

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Love (Milov sculpture) (wikipedia)

Love is a sculpture by Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The sculpture was featured at the 2015 Burning Man festival in Nevada. The sculpture appears to represent two humans who are at odds, but each has an inner child attempting to connect with each other. == History == Alexander Milov is a Ukrainian sculptor, blacksmith, and designer. Milov has said that he first came up with the idea for Love in 2007. He constructed the sculpture with dimensions of 75 by 45 by 175 centimetres (30 in × 18 in × 69 in). It was made of tape and wire and was put on display at the Kyiv Museum of Contemporary Art. The artist claimed that the sculpture "went unnoticed". The sculpture was remanufactured on a much larger scale and it was featured at the 2015 Burning Man festival. In 2015 the art theme of Burning Man was "Carnival of Mirrors". Alexander Milov was the first Ukrainian to receive a grant to exhibit his art at the festival in 30 years. The sculpture depicts two wire-frame adults who appear to be alienated from one another, but inside of each figure there is the love of each figure's inner child which is represented by two opaque children reaching out to each other. Milov made the sculpture in Ukraine and shipped it to Nevada. The sculpture was purchased by a winemaker from Hungary and it was eventually moved to Vál, Hungary in 2017. On the fourth of December 2018 a new Love sculpture was created in Ukraine and installed in Odesa, Ukraine, in front of a cinema. == Design == The sculpture is made up of metal, mesh, plaster and lighting. It is 58 feet (18 m) long,18 feet (5.5 m) wide and 24 feet (7.3 m) high. The large wire figures are welded metal and the inner children are made from plaster. The lighting in the child figures is wired for 220 volts and operated by a generator. The design features two large wire-framed human figures (man and woman) sitting back-to-back. Inside of each human figure is a figure of a child trying to reach the other child through the wires. At night the two children inside the figures light up. The two adult wire figures are slumped over and both appear to be sad. The dichotomy is represented by the two inner children who face each other, reach out and attempt to connect. According to the artist the sculpture represents the conflict between man and woman and the children (who glow at night) represent the purity and sincerity which gives them a chance to make up when dark times arrive. == Reception == The sculpture has been called a "scene of conflict with hope and innocence rising from within." Buzzworthy called it a powerful sculpture which captivated thousands. Boredpanda also called it a "powerful sculpture". == References == == External links == Video: Love sculpture construction plan Video 360 view of Love sculpture (time lapse)

Love is a sculpture by Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The sculpture was featured at the 2015 Burning Man festival in Nevada. The sculpture appears to represent two humans who are at odds, but each has an inner child attempting to connect with each other.

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Love (Musiq Soulchild song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is the second single from Musiq Soulchild's debut album Aijuswanaseing. It debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on December 30, 2000, spent 38 weeks on the chart (its last being September 15, 2001), and peaked at #2. "Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on February 17, 2001, spending 22 weeks there, peaking at #24 and falling off on July 7, 2001. The gospel R&B trio Trin-i-tee 5:7 covered this song in 2002 for their album The Kiss, changing the title to "Lord", making it a gospel song. The music video features shots of the since closed Lorraine Hotel in Philadelphia. == References ==

"Love" is the second single from Musiq Soulchild's debut album Aijuswanaseing. It debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on December 30, 2000, spent 38 weeks on the chart (its last being September 15, 2001), and peaked at #2. "Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on February 17, 2001, spending 22 weeks there, peaking at #24 and falling off on July 7, 2001. The gospel R&B trio Trin-i-tee 5:7 covered this song in 2002 for their album The Kiss, changing the title to "Lord", making it a gospel song. The music video features shots of the since closed Lorraine Hotel in Philadelphia.

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Love (Rosemary Clooney album) (wikipedia)

Love is a studio album by Rosemary Clooney, arranged by Nelson Riddle, recorded in 1961 but not released until 1963. Clooney and Riddle were having an affair at the time of the recording, and this was the second album that Riddle had arranged for Clooney. They recorded Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle! in 1960 for RCA Victor Records, and the songs that make up Love were recorded the same year. RCA Victor didn't release Love at the time, and Frank Sinatra bought the master tapes for Love from RCA when he signed Clooney to his record label, Reprise Records in 1963. Reviewing the CD reissue of the album in 1995, New York Times music critic Stephen Holden compared Love to Riddle's legendary 1955 collaboration with Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours. "Ms. Clooney was 32 when she recorded the album," Holden wrote, "and her singing is hushed and lovely." == Track listing == "Invitation" (Bronisław Kaper, Paul Francis Webster) – 2:50 "I Wish It So" (Marc Blitzstein) – 4:09 "Yours Sincerely" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:25 "Imagination" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 4:04 "Find the Way" (Ian Bernard) – 3:49 "How Will I Remember You" (Walter Lloyd Gross, Carl Sigman) – 4:20 "Why Shouldn't I?" (Cole Porter) – 3:23 "More Than You Know" (Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans) – 3:20 "You Started Something" (Floyd Huddleston, Al Rinker) – 2:32 "It Never Entered My Mind" (Hart, Rodgers) – 4:38 "If I Forget You" (Irving Caesar) – 4:31 "Someone to Watch Over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 3:37 == Personnel == === Performance === Rosemary Clooney – vocal Nelson Riddle – arranger, conductor == References ==

Love is a studio album by Rosemary Clooney, arranged by Nelson Riddle, recorded in 1961 but not released until 1963. Clooney and Riddle were having an affair at the time of the recording, and this was the second album that Riddle had arranged for Clooney. They recorded Rosie Solves the Swingin' Riddle! in 1960 for RCA Victor Records, and the songs that make up Love were recorded the same year. RCA Victor didn't release Love at the time, and Frank Sinatra bought the master tapes for Love from RCA when he signed Clooney to his record label, Reprise Records in 1963. Reviewing the CD reissue of the album in 1995, New York Times music critic Stephen Holden compared Love to Riddle's legendary 1955 collaboration with Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours. "Ms. Clooney was 32 when she recorded the album," Holden wrote, "and her singing is hushed and lovely."

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Love (S.E.S. album) (wikipedia)

Love (Korean: 러브; Leobeu) is the third Korean studio album by S.E.S., released in October 29, 1999, by SM Entertainment. It sold 760,475 copies and became the second best-selling Korean girl group album at the time, only behind The Pearl Sisters' My Dear (1968). The lead single of the same name was promoted along with another single "Twilight Zone". == Background and release == The album includes "talk" tracks recorded by the group members before and after each song. Two singles were released from the album: "Love" and "Twilight Zone". The latter single uses the metaphor of a "twilight zone" to represent a state of uncertainty, with its lyrics containing themes of the complexities of love and longing. The song achieved a first place music program award on SBS's Inkigayo. In Japan, the title track "Love" was recorded in Japanese and released as a single on April 21, 2000. The single was promoted as "Love ~Itsumademo Onje Kajima~" and featured the track "Round and Round" as a b-side. However, it was not commercially successful, peaking at only number 100 on the Oricon Singles Chart with sales of 2,030 copies. In November 2016, "Love" was remade as "Love [Story]" as part of S.E.S.'s 20th anniversary album Remember (2017). == Commercial performance == Love was a commercial success in South Korea upon its release, peaking at number one of the MIAK monthly album chart in October 1999 with 550,030 copies sold. It sold 723,528 total copies in 1999 and was one of the year's best-selling releases. It continued to show strong sales the following year, having accumulated total sales of 760,475 copies by the end of 2000. It remained the second best-selling album by a girl group in South Korea for 21 years until Blackpink's The Album (2020). == Accolades == == Track listing == == Promotion and live performances == === 2000 S.E.S. First Concert === S.E.S. held their first live solo concert titled "A Sweet Kiss From The World of Dream" in support of the album. It took place on March 19, 2000, at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul and included performances of both their Japanese and Korean songs. A live video CD of the concert was released by SM Entertainment in June 2000. == Charts == == Sales == == References == == External links == (in Korean) S.E.S.' Official Site (in Korean) SM Entertainment's Official Site

Love (Korean: 러브; Leobeu) is the third Korean studio album by S.E.S., released in October 29, 1999, by SM Entertainment. It sold 760,475 copies and became the second best-selling Korean girl group album at the time, only behind The Pearl Sisters' My Dear (1968). The lead single of the same name was promoted along with another single "Twilight Zone".

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Love (Sesame Street album) (wikipedia)

Love (styled L♥VE on the front cover) is a record album featuring the cast of Sesame Street. It was released in 1980. The album received a Grammy award nomination for Best Recording For Children, but lost to In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record. == Songs == Side A (Performers) Love (The Kids) Wonderful Me (Big Bird) The Things I Love (Oscar the Grouch) Do You Like Me (Bert and Ernie) I Love a Waltz (The Count) The Lovable Monsters of Sesame Street (from The Sesame Street Monsters) Bert's Love Song (Bert) I Just Adore 4 (Big Bird and The Tarnish Brothers) (from The Count Counts) Side B (Performers) I Love When it Rains (Bob with Oscar) A Really Good Feeling (Big Bird) (from Bert And Ernie Sing-along) I Love a March (Ernie And Bert) Filling the Air with Love (Olivia) Transylvania Love Call (The Countess and the Count) The Happiest Street in the World (Big Bird) (from Sesame Disco!) == References ==

Love (styled L♥VE on the front cover) is a record album featuring the cast of Sesame Street. It was released in 1980. The album received a Grammy award nomination for Best Recording For Children, but lost to In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record.

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Love (Sweet Love) (wikipedia)

"Love (Sweet Love)" is a song by British girl group Little Mix. It was released on 3 September 2021 through RCA Records as a single in support of their greatest hits album Between Us. The song was written by group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, along with Lauren Aquilina, MNEK and Sakima; the latter two also produced the song. "Love (Sweet Love)" was met with generally positive reviews from critics. Described as a pop song with elements of synth-pop and soul music, with lyrics that explores themes of female empowerment, independence, and self-love. On the UK Singles Chart it reached number 33, becoming Little Mix's 31st top 40 single. It also reached the top forty in Ireland, Croatia, Latvia and Hungary. Little Mix performed the track for the first time during The Confetti Tour, in 2022. == Background and release == On 29 August 2021, Little Mix teased the song by posting a short snippet of the music video on their social media accounts. The song was announced on 30 August 2021, with a new snippet of the music video released the next day. On 2 September 2021, a snippet of the song was released on the online video-sharing platform, TikTok, a day before the official release of the song. "Love (Sweet Love)" was released on 3 September 2021, along with an accompanying music video. This marked the group's first official song as a trio after Jesy Nelson's departure from the group in 2020. “We are so excited for ‘Love (Sweet Love)’ to be the first single released from Between Us. We loved shooting the video for this song, it feels like a real moment and we can’t wait to share it.” == Composition == "Love (Sweet Love)" is a pop song written by group members Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, with MNEK, Sakima and Lauren Aquilina. The members of Morcheeba, Ross Godfrey, Paul Godfrey and Skye Edwards, were also given a writing credit, as the song samples Morcheeba's 2000 track "Love Sweet Love". MNEK and Sakima also handled the production. The song runs for a total length of three minutes and forty seconds. Lyrically, the song discusses independence, female empowerment, and self-love, with the lyrics "I don't need your love to love me. Need my own celebration, yeah, Solo stimulation, yeah, Kiss my imagination. I don't need your love to love me" included in the song. == Music video == The music video was released on 3 September 2021, the same day as the song's release. It was directed by Samuel Douek, who had also directed the music videos for the group's previous singles "Confetti" and "Heartbreak Anthem". In the video, the group appears as "gold-adorned goddesses" sat on thrones and dressed in gold gowns with golden headpieces, surrounded by worshippers in a garden greenhouse. In an Instagram post, Douek said that "The concept was inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite art movement and the lesser known Sisterhood that romanticised nature and emboldened women through painting". He continued by explaining that he wanted to "celebrate Little Mix as the regal queens they are; unimpressed by a cohort of Knights that vie for their attention". Douek then described the song as a "a celebration of self-love and female empowerment" and admired Edwards and Pinnock for their performance in the video, as they were pregnant at the time the video was shot. The video also contains choreography by Khloe Dean and the art direction was directed by Furmaan Ahmed. == Critical reception == Lyndsey Havens from Billboard included the song in a list of ten cool pop new songs and described it as "the kind of punchy, soulful pop stompers that fans have come to crave from Little Mix". Rolling Stone India said that "Love (Sweet Love)” "encapsulates the group's long-established personas as icons of empowerment and self-love ... The synth-pop track employs Little Mix's arsenal of harmonies and vocal variations, giving the single a fresh, anthemic feel." Conor Clark from Gay Times said "'Love (Sweet Love)' is about love and passion which features vocal harmonies from the trio". == Track listing == Digital download and streaming "Love (Sweet Love)" – 3:40 Digital download and streaming – acoustic "Love (Sweet Love)" (acoustic version) – 3:44 Digital download and streaming – Dopamine remix "Love (Sweet Love)" (Dopamine remix) – 4:01 Digital download and streaming – Emily Nash remix "Love (Sweet Love)" (Emily Nash remix) – 3:18 Digital download and streaming – Shane Codd remix "Love (Sweet Love)" (Shane Codd remix) – 3:18 Digital EP "Love (Sweet Love)" (Dopamine remix) – 4:01 "Love (Sweet Love)" (Emily Nash remix) – 3:18 "Love (Sweet Love)" (Shane Codd remix) – 3:18 "Love (Sweet Love)" (acoustic version) – 3:44 == Charts == == Release history == == References ==

"Love (Sweet Love)" is a song by British girl group Little Mix. It was released on 3 September 2021 through RCA Records as a single in support of their greatest hits album Between Us. The song was written by group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, along with Lauren Aquilina, MNEK and Sakima; the latter two also produced the song. "Love (Sweet Love)" was met with generally positive reviews from critics. Described as a pop song with elements of synth-pop and soul music, with lyrics that explores themes of female empowerment, independence, and self-love. On the UK Singles Chart it reached number 33, becoming Little Mix's 31st top 40 single. It also reached the top forty in Ireland, Croatia, Latvia and Hungary. Little Mix performed the track for the first time during The Confetti Tour, in 2022.

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Love (TV series) (wikipedia)

Love is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, and Paul Rust. The series stars Rust, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Mitchell, and Claudia O'Doherty. Netflix originally ordered two seasons of the show. The first 10-episode season was made available on February 19, 2016, and a 12-episode second season premiered on March 10, 2017. Netflix renewed the series for a third season one month prior to the second-season premiere. On December 15, 2017, Netflix announced that the third season would be its last. Season 3 premiered on March 9, 2018. == Summary == The series is presented as a "down-to-earth look at dating", exploring male and female perspectives on romantic relationships through the characters Mickey and Gus, played by Jacobs and Rust, respectively. Mickey and Gus are two untrustworthy people, each with significant emotional baggage, attempting to build a trusting relationship with each other; Mickey is an alcoholic, a love/sex addict, a pot stirrer, and someone who tends to be dishonest with herself and others, while Gus is awkward, emotionally needy, oblivious to social cues, and prone to occasional outbursts when things do not go his way. == Episodes == === Season 1 (2016) === === Season 2 (2017) === === Season 3 (2018) === == Cast == === Main === Gillian Jacobs as Mickey Dobbs Paul Rust as Gus Cruikshank Claudia O'Doherty as Bertie Bauer Chris Witaske as Chris Czajkowski (season 3, recurring seasons 1–2) Mike Mitchell as Randy Monahan === Recurring === Gus's and Mickey's family Kathy Baker as Vicki Cruikshank Ed Begley Jr. as Mark Cruikshank Kyle Bornheimer as Ken Cruikshank Drew Tarver as Andrew Cruikshank Daniel Stern as Marty Dobbs Gus's coworkers Iris Apatow as Arya Hopkins Tracie Thoms as Susan Cheryl Jordan Rock as Kevin Milana Vayntrub as Natalie Seth Morris as Evan Dawn Forrester as Denise Hopkins, Arya's mother Mickey's coworkers Brett Gelman as Greg Colter ("Dr. Greg") Bobby Lee as Truman Mickey's friends Kerri Kenney as Syd Kyle Kinane as Eric Chantal Claret as Shaun Andy Dick as himself Other recurring characters === Guest === == Reception == === Critical === Love has received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the cast. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, season one holds an approval rating of 88 percent based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Judd Apatow's Love is an honest look at building a relationship, helped along by its two appealing leads." On Metacritic the season has an average score of 72 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reviewed the show positively but commented that the length of the episodes (up to 40 minutes) and the familiar premise do not always work in the show's favor. Daniel Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter observes, "It's a variation on a common theme, but it's also squirmingly effective, fitfully funny and carried by a great, uncompromising performance from Gillian Jacobs...If you can warm up to the prickly, but probably realistic, characters, there's a lot to like, if not love." Alan Sepinwall of Hitfix reviewed it positively and said, "I can see all those issues, and more. I just don't care. When you feel it—as I very quickly did with Love—nothing else matters." On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 94 percent based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 7.19/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "In its sophomore season, Love treads the balance between comedy and drama with greater confidence, going deeper into the endearing, frustrating, delightfully realistic relationship of Mickey and Gus." On Metacritic, the season has an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The third season was also well-received, with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 11 reviews), and a consensus that "Love concludes with a moving final season that explores the work that goes into making a relationship succeed, allowing its central pair to surprise the audience, each other, and ultimately themselves." This season scored 77 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On The A.V. Club, Erik Adams wrote that "More than the love story itself, Love's greatest achievement might be that it managed to make Gus and Mickey feel like fully realized, complicated individuals independent of their love story." === Accolades === In 2017, Love was nominated for Best Musical or Comedy Series at the 21st Satellite Awards. == References == == External links == Love on Netflix Love at IMDb Love at Rotten Tomatoes

Love is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, and Paul Rust. The series stars Rust, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Mitchell, and Claudia O'Doherty. Netflix originally ordered two seasons of the show. The first 10-episode season was made available on February 19, 2016, and a 12-episode second season premiered on March 10, 2017. Netflix renewed the series for a third season one month prior to the second-season premiere. On December 15, 2017, Netflix announced that the third season would be its last. Season 3 premiered on March 9, 2018.

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Love (Thalía album) (wikipedia)

Love is the third studio album by Mexican singer Thalía, released on 7 October 1992, by the previously owned Televisa record label, Melody/Fonovisa, which now belongs to Univision Music Group. It was produced by the Spanish songwriter and producer Luis Carlos Esteban. The album was released in Mexico, some Central-American countries, the United States (with an alternative cover artwork), Spain, Greece and Turkey. In Mexico, two different versions of Love were released and later it would sell over 500,000 copies there, becoming her most successful album till the release of Primera Fila which sold over 600,000 copies. To celebrate Thalía's 25th anniversary as a solo artist, as for December 2014, this album is available in the digital platforms iTunes and Spotify. == Background and production == After releasing her second studio album Mundo de Cristal, Thalía went to present the TV show VIP Noche in Spain, where she met the Spanish composer and music producer Luis Carlos Esteban, whom she asked for help to finalize the compositions of what would become her third solo album. To this album, songs with many different music genres were selected, like a cover of "Cien Años" which is a bolero song originally sung by Pedro Infante and "Love", a contemporary song in the dance music style of the 1990s. It also includes another three covers: "A la Orilla del Mar" ("At the Seashore"), "La Vie en rose" ("Life in pink") and "Nunca Sabrás" ("You'll Never Know"). Photography was in charge of the well-known photographer Adolfo Pérez Butron. The first edition of Love included only 12 songs. However, as Thalía's soap opera, María Mercedes, was turning into a big success, a second version of the album was issued featuring the telenovela's theme song as a bonus track. == Promotion == Thalía presented Love for the first time on the Mexican television show Siempre en Domingo, hosted by Raúl Velasco, where she performed the first single, "Sangre", dedicated to her ex-boyfriend and manager Alfredo Díaz Ordaz who died in 1993. Shortly after the release of the album, Thalía appeared on the talk show Y Vero America Va, hosted by Verónica Castro, where she performed live numerous songs from the album. A special show named Love and her fantasies (from Spanish: Love y otras fantasías) was exhibited in Mexico and included seven music videos of the album's songs: "La Vie en rose", "El Día del Amor", "El Bronceador", "Love", "No trates de Engañarme", "Sangre" and "Déjame Escapar". After the success of the telenovela María Mercedes, it was re-released for the United States as Love and Other Fantasies, the show was broadcast by Univision and were produced by Televisa in 1993, it included the music video for Maria Mercedes and four live performances of Thalía's singles: "En la Intimidad", "Pienso en Ti", "Sudor" and "Amarillo Azul". Later Thalía's songs "Sangre", "Love" and "Flor de Juventud" received another music videos. They were made and shown exclusively on Siempre en Domingo TV show. == Singles == "Sangre": The lead single from Love, it was released in 1992 and was written by Thalía herself. She dedicated it to her then future husband, which died before the marriage. The song reached the number five position in Mexico City. "María Mercedes": The second single, included in the re-released edition of Love, it also appears as the theme song of Thalía's soap opera María Mercedes. It peaked #10 in Mexico City. A remixed version was included in the tracklist of the digital download and streaming versions. "Love": The third single from the album, it was released in 1993. In the TV special "Love y otras fantasías" a video with Thalía and two dancers dressed in black dancing the song was included. The song reached position number three in Mexico City. Two remixed versions were included in the single: "Club Remix" (7:31) and "1001 Nights Club Mix" (6:52). "La Vie en rose (La Vida en Rosa)": The fourth and final single from the album, it is a cover of Édith Piaf's song, the arrangement of the song resembles the same used by Grace Jones in her 1977 album, Portfolio. An edited version was included in the tracklists of the digital download and streaming version. == Commercial reception == The album sold 200,000 copies in Mexico in the first month of release and later was certified Platinum + Gold (equivalent of 350,000 copies sold at the time). Eventually, Love sold 500,000 copies there. The album's lead single peaked at number two in her native country. The album was certified Gold in Philippines and Thalía received both En éxtasis and Love certifications in her second visit to the country. == Track listing == == Charts == == Certifications and sales == == References ==

Love is the third studio album by Mexican singer Thalía, released on 7 October 1992, by the previously owned Televisa record label, Melody/Fonovisa, which now belongs to Univision Music Group. It was produced by the Spanish songwriter and producer Luis Carlos Esteban. The album was released in Mexico, some Central-American countries, the United States (with an alternative cover artwork), Spain, Greece and Turkey. In Mexico, two different versions of Love were released and later it would sell over 500,000 copies there, becoming her most successful album till the release of Primera Fila which sold over 600,000 copies. To celebrate Thalía's 25th anniversary as a solo artist, as for December 2014, this album is available in the digital platforms iTunes and Spotify.

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Love (Thalía song) (wikipedia)

"Love" is a song by the singer Thalía, released as the third single from the album Love, from 1992. The track was released as 12" single with remix versions and a music video was made for the TV special Love Thalía, from 1993. The song appeared on the charts of the Mexican newspaper El Siglo de Torreón and the magazine Notitas Musicales. == Background and production == After releasing her second studio album Mundo de Cristal, Thalía went to present the TV show VIP Noche in Spain, where she met the Spanish composer and music producer Luiz Carlos Esteban, whom she asked for help to finalize the compositions of what would become her third solo album, To this album, songs with many different music genres were selected, like the song "Love", a contemporary song in the dance music style of the 1990s. At the time of the single released the album had sold over 200,000 in Mexico only and later was certified Platinum+Gold for over 350,000 sold in the country. == Promotion and commercial reception == In addition to naming the singer's 1992 album, the song also served as the title of the Televisa channel special called Love Thalía, the special would be updated months later with more songs added and would be entitled Love Thalía... y Otras Fantasias, a music video to "Love" was made for the special. In the video Thalía appears with two dancers dressed in black, dancing in a purple color setting. A different music video was made exclusively for the show Siempre en Domingo presented by Raúl Velasco, also from the Televisa channel. In 1992, Thalia received the award for "Best Singer" at the Premios TVyNovelas from Saul Lisaso in Mexico City and surrounded by impressive scenography and dancers dressed in Egypt-inspired costumes, she performed the "1001 Nights Club Mix" version of the music in it. The song became the album's second biggest hit, reaching #3 in Mexico, behind of Sangre only which peaked #2 months earlier, on the same list. == Track listing == Source: == Charts == == References ==

"Love" is a song by the singer Thalía, released as the third single from the album Love, from 1992. The track was released as 12" single with remix versions and a music video was made for the TV special Love Thalía, from 1993. The song appeared on the charts of the Mexican newspaper El Siglo de Torreón and the magazine Notitas Musicales.

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Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere) (wikipedia)

"Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere)", also called "Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere", "Love (Your Magic Spell Is Everywhere)" or "Love Your Spell Is Everywhere", is a traditional pop song first published in 1929, written by Elsie Janis with music composed by Edmund Goulding. == History == The song was first performed by James Melton and Gloria Swanson in 1929 and featured in the talkie The Trespasser. It was later covered by Johnny Mathis, Dean Martin, Kenny Burrell, Sammy Davis Jr., Curtis Fuller, Jackie Gleason, Peggy Lee, Johnny Douglas and Living Strings, Harry James and Henri René. A 1964 episode of The Red Skelton Hour was called "Love, Your Tragic Smell Is Everywhere or A Hat Full of Hate", a parody of the song title. == See also == List of 1920s jazz standards == References == == External links == Lyrics "Love (Your Spell is Everywhere)" by Gloria Swanson, The Trespasser (1929) on YouTube

"Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere)", also called "Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere", "Love (Your Magic Spell Is Everywhere)" or "Love Your Spell Is Everywhere", is a traditional pop song first published in 1929, written by Elsie Janis with music composed by Edmund Goulding.

love

Love (band) (wikipedia)

Love is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965. Led by Arthur Lee, the band primary songwriter, they were one of the first racially diverse American rock bands. Their sound incorporated an eclectic range of styles including garage, folk-rock, and psychedelia. While finding only modest success on the music charts, peaking in 1966 with their US Top 40 hit "7 and 7 Is", Love would come to be praised by critics as their third album, Forever Changes (1967), became generally regarded as one of the best albums of the 1960s. The band's classic lineup is considered to consist of Lee, the guitarist and singer Bryan MacLean, the bassist Ken Forssi, the guitarist Johnny Echols and the drummer Donnie Conca, who was replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. By 1968, only Lee remained and he continued recording as Love with varied members through the 1970s. MacLean and Forssi died in 1998. Lee died in 2006. Forever Changes was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011. In recent years, original member Johnny Echols has toured under the title of the Love Band or Love Revisited. == History == === Formation and early years === Singer/multi-instrumentalist Arthur Lee, who was originally from Memphis, Tennessee but had lived in Los Angeles since the age of five, had been recording since 1963 with his bands the LAG's and Lee's American Four. He wrote and produced the single "My Diary" for Rosa Lee Brooks in 1964, which featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar. The Sons Of Adam, which included future Love drummer Michael Stuart, recorded the Lee composition "Feathered Fish". After attending a performance by the Byrds, Lee decided to form a band that joined the newly minted folk-rock sound of the Byrds to his primarily rhythm and blues style. Singer/guitarist Bryan MacLean, who had met Lee when he was working as a roadie for The Byrds, joined Lee's new band, which was first called the Grass Roots. MacLean had also been playing in bands around Los Angeles since about 1963. Also joining the band was another Memphis native, lead guitarist Johnny Echols, and drummer Don Conka. A short time later, Conka was replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. Love's first bassist, Johnny Fleckenstein, went on to join the Standells in 1967. Fleckenstein was replaced by Ken Forssi (formerly of a post-"Wipe Out" lineup of The Surfaris). Upon the appearance of another group called The Grass Roots, Lee changed the name of the new band to Love. Love started playing the Los Angeles clubs in April 1965 and became a popular local attraction, while gaining the attention of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds. The band lived communally in a house called "the Castle", a large but run-down residence sourced by Ronnie Haran. It was a dilapidated mansion that the band was allowed to live in if they did the maintenance and paid the taxes. According to John Einarson in the book "Forever Changes", the cover photo of their first two albums was of the band taken in Laurel Canyon at a burned down house that only had the remains of a fireplace left standing. Signed to Elektra Records as the label's first rock act, the band scored a minor hit single in 1966 with their version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "My Little Red Book". Their first album, Love, was released in March 1966. The album sold moderately well and reached No. 57 on the Billboard 200 chart. The single "7 and 7 Is", released in July 1966, gained notice for the exceptional guitar work of Johnny Echols and proto-punk style drumming of Pfisterer. The single became Love's highest-charting single at No. 33 in the Billboard Hot 100. Two more members were added around this time, Tjay Cantrelli (real name John Barbieri) on woodwinds and Michael Stuart on drums. Pfisterer, never a confident drummer, switched to harpsichord. Elektra's art director, William S. Harvey, designed a distinctive logo for the band, "four cartoonish letters with exaggerated, curvaceous serifs", incorporating male and female symbols. Arthur Lee had an exclusive contract with Herb Cohen for a short time after signing with Elektra Records. After Lee met Ronnie Haran, booking manager for the Whisky a Go Go, Cohen was fired by Arthur in favor of Haran. Haran continued to manage Love, despite not having an official contract, for a couple years. Mike Gruber took over after Haran departed as manager, though Haran remained somewhat involved with the group. === Forever Changes era === Love's second album, Da Capo, was released in November 1966 and included "7 and 7 Is" as well as the subsequent singles "She Comes in Colors" and "¡Que Vida!". It marked the experimental direction Arthur wanted to take. With the seven member lineup for DaCapo, shortly after this album, Cantrelli and Pfisterer left the band, leaving it as a five-piece once again. Their third album Forever Changes was released in November 1967 and was co-produced by Bruce Botnick. The album displayed a softer and more avant-garde approach for the band. By this time, tension arose between Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean, who wanted more of his songs on the album. The band recorded the album in only 64 hours, though many professional session players were used, including some who replaced actual band members in one or two songs. Writer Richard Meltzer, in his book The Aesthetics of Rock, commented on Love's "orchestral moves", "post-doper word contraction cuteness", and Lee's vocal style that serves as a "reaffirmation of Johnny Mathis". Forever Changes had one single, MacLean's "Alone Again Or", which reached number 123 on the pop charts. By this stage, Love were far more popular in the UK, where the album reached No. 24, than in their home country, where it could only reach No. 154. Forever Changes has since received recognition as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, appearing on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011. === Later years === For unclear reasons, Bryan MacLean left the band after Forever Changes (though one possible issue was a solo deal that he had signed with Elektra), while Lee dismissed all the other members. MacLean later reemerged as a Contemporary Christian artist. Johnny Echols and Ken Forssi succumbed to drug addiction and crime, and disappeared from the music scene; and drummer Michael Stuart also retired from music. Echols eventually moved to New York and became an in-demand studio musician. Arthur Lee, as the only remaining member, convened a new lineup of Love with Jay Donnellan (soon replaced by Gary Rowles) on guitar, Frank Fayad on bass, and George Suranovich on drums. This lineup played in a blues rock style, as opposed to the folk-rock and psychedelic styles of the band's previous incarnation. The new lineup never garnered the widespread acceptance or acclaim of the original group. Three albums were released by various permutations of this lineup: Four Sail (1969), Out Here (1969), and False Start (1970). The last featured a guest appearance by Jimi Hendrix. Another album by this incarnation of the band was recorded in 1971, but the material was not released until 2009 on the compilation album Love Lost. Arthur Lee released the solo album Vindicator in 1972. Another lost Love album titled Black Beauty was recorded in 1973 by a new lineup featuring guitarist Melvan Whittington, bassist Robert Rozelle, and drummer Joe Blocker, but Arthur Lee's record label went out of business before it was released. The album was finally released by High Moon Records in 2012. The final official Love album, Reel to Real (1974), was recorded by Lee and session musicians. It features the track "Everybody's Gotta Live", which was previously recorded by Lee for Vindicator. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, there were various attempts to reunite the original Love lineup. At the suggestion of late-period guitarist John Sterling, Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean reunited for one show in 1978, which was recorded and released as Love Live in 1980. Material from Out Here plus four previously unreleased live tracks was released as Studio/Live in 1982. Arthur Lee was largely inactive in the 1980s and only made sporadic onstage appearances with pickup bands. Lee reemerged in 1992 with a new album titled Five String Serenade, released under the name Arthur Lee & Love. The album's title track was later covered by Mazzy Star. Lee then returned to semi-regular performing, often backed by the band Baby Lemonade. In 1995, Rhino Records released the compilation Love Story, a two-disc set with extensive liner notes which chronicled the band's 1966–1972 period. Ken Forssi, bassist for the classic Love lineup, died of a suspected brain tumor at age 54 on January 5, 1998. Bryan MacLean died of a heart attack at age 52 on December 25, 1998, while having dinner with a young fan who was researching a book about Love. Arthur Lee was in prison when both of these former bandmates died. === Reformation and reunions === After spending six years in prison from 1995 to 2001 for firearms offenses, Lee began touring under the name Love with Arthur Lee, with the members of Baby Lemonade rounding out the lineup. In 2002 Michael Stuart (now known as Michael Stuart-Ware), the drummer on the Love albums Da Capo and Forever Changes, wrote the acclaimed book Behind the Scenes on the Pegasus Carousel with the Legendary Rock Group Love. Johnny Echols joined Lee's latest group for a special Forever Changes 35th Anniversary performance in the spring of 2003 and again for tours in 2004 and 2005. Due to Arthur Lee's battle with acute myeloid leukemia, the details of which were not known by the band at the time, he could not participate in the final tour in 2005. Since no one knew of his illness, Lee's decision to forgo the final tour was met with confused reactions. The remaining members of the band, led by Echols, continued to perform without Lee, under the name The Love Band. Michael Stuart-Ware and Johnny Echols performed with Baby Lemonade at Hollywood's Whisky A Go-Go on June 28, 2006, in a benefit concert for Arthur Lee. The show included guest appearances by Robert Plant and Nils Lofgren. Lee died of acute myeloid leukemia on August 3, 2006, at age 61. In 2009, a reformed version of Love, featuring Johnny Echols, members of Baby Lemonade, and Probyn Gregory of the Wondermints, toured the United States and Canada. Michael Stuart-Ware was listed as a member of this act for a time in 2009. The group continued to tour sporadically in the following years under the name the Love Band featuring Johnny Echols. This group completed a 'farewell tour' of the UK in 2019, but continues to perform in the U.S. as LOVE-Revisited. In November 2021, they announced that they would again tour in the UK in 2022, and at some shows would play the whole of their first two albums, Love and Da Capo, in their entirety, as well as Forever Changes. == Influence == Today, Love's critical reputation exceeds the limited success they experienced during their time; their 1967 album Forever Changes is held in particularly high regard and often appears on lists of the best rock albums of all time. During their late-1960s heyday, the Rolling Stones and the Doors were known to be Love fans. Many bands of the 1990s that were influenced by psychedelic rock list Love as a major inspiration, such as Primal Scream, The Stone Roses, and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Robert Plant cites Forever Changes as one of his favorite albums. == Members == === Current members === classic lineup members are in bold Johnny Echols – lead guitar, occasional vocals (1965–68, 2002–present) Rusty Squeezebox (born David Ramsey)– guitar, vocals (1994–present) Mike Randle – guitar (1994–present) David "Daddy O" Green – drums (1994–present) James Nolte – bass guitar (2021–present) === Former members === classic lineup members are in bold Arthur Lee – songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, harmonica (1965–75, 1978, 1982, 1992–2006; his death) Bryan MacLean – songwriter, rhythm guitar, vocals (1965–68, 1978; died 1998) Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer – drums, organ, harpsichord (1965–67) Larry Pincock – drums (1965–1966; died 2012) Johnny "Fleck" Fleckenstein – bass guitar (1965–1966, died 2017) Don Conka – drums (1965, special guest from 2003; died 2004) Ken Forssi – bass guitar (1966–68; died 1998) Michael Stuart-Ware – drums (1966–68, special guest from 2006, 2009) Tjay Cantrelli (born John Barberis) – woodwind (1966–67; died 1985) Frank Fayad – bass guitar, backing vocal (1968–73, 1982; died 2014) George Suranovich – drums, backing vocal (1968–70, 1978, 1982; died 1990) Jay Donnellan – lead guitar (1968–69, 1982; died 2021) Drachen Theaker – drums (1968–69; died 1992) Gary Rowles – lead guitar (1969–71, 1982) Nooney Rickett – guitars (1969–71) Paul Martin – guitars (1969) Don Poncher – drums (1971–1973) Craig Tarwater – guitar (1971–1973) Melvan Whittington – guitar (1973–1975; died 2015) Robert Rozelle – bass (1973–1975; died 2011) Joe Blocker – drums (1973–1975) Eric Alan "Ricky" Rackin – bass (1976–1977; died 2007) Probyn Gregory – multiple instruments (2009) Justin Polimeni – drums (1992–1993) Bobby Beausoleil – guitar (1965, as The Grass Roots) David Chapple – bass guitar (1996–2021) === Timeline === == Discography == Love (1966) Da Capo (1966) Forever Changes (1967) Four Sail (1969) Out Here (1969) False Start (1970) Reel to Real (1974) Arthur Lee & Love (1992) Love Lost (2009, compilation of recordings for unreleased 1971 album) Black Beauty (2012, compilation of recordings for unreleased 1973 album) == References == == External links == Love at AllMusic Love discography at Discogs Complete Love discography (Archived September 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine) – With track listings, personnel and lyrics. The Boston Phoenix, July 2008

Love is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965. Led by Arthur Lee, the band primary songwriter, they were one of the first racially diverse American rock bands. Their sound incorporated an eclectic range of styles including garage, folk-rock, and psychedelia. While finding only modest success on the music charts, peaking in 1966 with their US Top 40 hit "7 and 7 Is", Love would come to be praised by critics as their third album, Forever Changes (1967), became generally regarded as one of the best albums of the 1960s. The band's classic lineup is considered to consist of Lee, the guitarist and singer Bryan MacLean, the bassist Ken Forssi, the guitarist Johnny Echols and the drummer Donnie Conca, who was replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. By 1968, only Lee remained and he continued recording as Love with varied members through the 1970s. MacLean and Forssi died in 1998. Lee died in 2006. Forever Changes was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011. In recent years, original member Johnny Echols has toured under the title of the Love Band or Love Revisited.

love

Love (crater) (wikipedia)

Love is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located just to the north of the crater Perepelkin. Prager nearly touches the northeastern rim. To the northwest is Bečvář. This is an eroded crater formation with several smaller craters along the rim. A chain of three small craters lies across the western rim and inner wall, and a crater cuts across the eastern rim. The inner walls have been worn and their features softened by impacts and possibly ejecta from other craters. The northern portion of the interior floor contains a considerable number of small craters that nearly form a continuous carpet in places. The southern floor is less impacted. The crater was named after British mathematician and geophysicist Augustus Edward Hough Love by the IAU in 1970. The crater was known as Crater 284 prior to naming. == Satellite craters == By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Love. == References == == External links == Love at The Moon Wiki Digital Lunar Orbiter Photo Number I-136-H2

Love is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located just to the north of the crater Perepelkin. Prager nearly touches the northeastern rim. To the northwest is Bečvář. This is an eroded crater formation with several smaller craters along the rim. A chain of three small craters lies across the western rim and inner wall, and a crater cuts across the eastern rim. The inner walls have been worn and their features softened by impacts and possibly ejecta from other craters. The northern portion of the interior floor contains a considerable number of small craters that nearly form a continuous carpet in places. The southern floor is less impacted. The crater was named after British mathematician and geophysicist Augustus Edward Hough Love by the IAU in 1970. The crater was known as Crater 284 prior to naming.

love

Love (disambiguation) (wikipedia)

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment to people and things. Love may also refer to: == Places == === United States === Love, Kentucky, an unincorporated community Love, Mississippi, an unincorporated community Love, Cass County, Texas, an unincorporated community Love, Swisher County, Texas, an unincorporated community Love, Virginia, an unincorporated community Dallas Love Field, an airport Love County, Oklahoma LOVE Park (JFK Plaza), Philadelphia Love Township, Vermilion County, Illinois === Other places === Love (crater), on the far side of the Moon Love, Saskatchewan, Canada, a village Lõve, Estonia, a village Love River, Taiwan == People == Love (given name), a Swedish first name Love (surname) Love (footballer) (born 1979), Angolan footballer Arsénio Sebastião Cabúngula == Arts, entertainment and media == === Fictional characters === Love (Bleach), an animated TV series and comics character from Bleach Love (Ai Otsuka), a character created by Ai Otsuka Foxxy Love, an animated TV series character from Drawn Together Love Heart, a character from Sky Love and The King of Fighters Love Momozono, a character from Fresh Pretty Cure! Love, a character from Thor: Love and Thunder === Films === Love (1919 American film), starring Fatty Arbuckle Love (1919 German film), a German film Love (1927 American film), an adaptation of Anna Karenina starring Greta Garbo Love (1927 German film), a silent film directed by Paul Czinner Love (1952 film), a Swedish film directed by Gustaf Molander Love (1956 film), a German-Italian film starring Maria Schell and Raf Vallone Love (1971 film), directed by Károly Makk Love, a 1982 anthology of six vignettes written, directed and produced by women, including three by Mai Zetterling Love (1991 Indian film), Indian film starring Salman Khan and Revathi Love (1991 Soviet film), a Russian film directed by Valery Todorovsky A Love (1999 film), starring Fabrizio Gifuni Love (2004 film), a Kannada feature film directed by Rajendra Singh Babu Love (2005 film), directed by Vladan Nikolic A Love (2007 film), starring Joo Jin-mo L-O-V-E, a 2009 Taiwanese anthology of four vignettes, featuring Wilson Chen Love (2008 Indonesian film), directed by Kabir Bhatia Love (2008 Bengali film), by Indian director Riingo Bannerjee Love, a 2008 short film starring Kristina Klebe Love (2011 film), directed by William Eubank, with music by Angels & Airwaves Love or Amour, a French-language film directed by Michael Haneke Love (2012 film), a film directed by Doze Niu Love (2015 film), a French film directed by Gaspar Noé Love (2020 film), a Malayalam film directed by Khalid Rahman Love (2021 film), a Russian film directed by Igor Tverdokhlebov Love (2023 film), a Tamil-language film === Video games === Love (2008 video game), a platform video game developed by Fred Wood Love (2010 video game), a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Eskil Steenberg === Literature === Love (play), an 1839 play by James Sheridan Knowles Love (Carter novel), a 1971 novel by Angela Carter Love (manga), a 1993 Japanese manga series by Osamu Ishiwata Love (Morrison novel), a 2003 novel by Toni Morrison Love (Doyle novel), a 2020 novel by Roddy Doyle === Music === ==== Groups and labels ==== Love (band), a 1960s-70s American rock group Love (Japanese band), a pop/R&B duo Love Records, a Finnish label =LOVE, a Japanese idol group ==== Albums ==== Love (Aaron Carter EP), 2017 Love (Aaron Carter album), 2018 Love (Angels & Airwaves album), 2010 Love (Arashi album), 2013 Love (Ayumi Hamasaki EP), 2012 Love (Aztec Camera album), 1987 Love (Beatles album), 2006 Love (The Cult album), or the title song, 1985 Love (DramaGods album), 2005 Love (Edyta Bartosiewicz album), or the title song, 1992 Love (Flipper album), 2009 Love (Foetus album), 2005 Love (Inhabited album), or the title song, 2008 Love (The Juliana Theory album), 2003 Love (K-Ci & JoJo album), 2008 Love (Love album), 1966 Love (Mika Nakashima album), 2003 Love (Michael Bublé album), 2018 Love (Rosemary Clooney album), 1963 Love (S.E.S. album), or the title song (see below), 1999 Love (Sesame Street album), or the title song, 1980 Love (Thalía album), or the title song, 1992 L.O.V.E (Terri Walker album), or the title song, 2005 L.O.V.E (Zonke album), 2018 L.O.V.E., by Eason Chan, 2018 L-O-V-E (album), by Nat King Cole, or the title song (see below), 1965 Love... The Album, by Cliff Richard, 2007 Love?, by Jennifer Lopez, or the title song (see below), 2011 Love, by Kelly Chen, 2003 L.O.V.E. (Life of Valezka & Eko), by Valezka and Eko Fresh, 2004 The Love Album (Westlife album), 2006 Love (Jay B EP), 2022 ==== Songs ==== "L-O-V-E (Love)", by Al Green "L-O-V-E", by Nat King Cole "L.O.V.E." (Ashlee Simpson song) "L.O.V.E.", by Brown Eyed Girls "L.O.V.E.", by Jessie J from the album Who You Are "L.O.V.E.", by Sophie from the compilation album Product "L.O.V.E.", by VV Brown from the album Travelling Like the Light "L.O.V.E.", by Westlife from album Spectrum "L.O.V.E. Love", by Orange Juice on the album You Can't Hide Your Love Forever "Love" (CNBLUE song) "Love" (Disney song), from the film Robin Hood "Love" (Inna song) "Love" (Jana Kramer song) "Love" (John Lennon song) "Love" (Kendrick Lamar song) "Love" (Keyshia Cole song) "Love" (Kid Cudi song) "Love" (Lana Del Rey song) "Love" (Musiq Soulchild song) "Love" (Sasha Son song) "Love?" (Donna and Joe song) "Love (Can Make You Happy)", by Mercy "Love", composed by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, first performed by Lena Horne for the film Ziegfeld Follies, 1946 "Love", by American Authors on the album Oh, What a Life "Love", by Benzino on the album Redemption "L.O.V.E.", by Black Eyed Peas on the album Elevation "Love", by Charlotte Church on the EP Four "Love", by Country Joe and the Fish on the album Electric Music for the Mind and Body "Love", by the Cult, the title track of the album Love "Love", by Daughter "Love", by Def Leppard on the album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge "Love", by Destiny's Child from Destiny Fulfilled "Love", by Gojira on the album Terra Incognita "Love", by Imagine Dragons on the album Origins "Love", by Lostprophets on the single "A Town Called Hypocrisy" "Love", by Kylie Minogue on the album Golden "Love", by Matthew Sweet on the album Earth "Love", by Paul Simon on the album You're the One "Love", by Petra on the album Beyond Belief "Love", by Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians on the album Black Snake Diamond Röle "Love", by Sara Groves on the album Fireflies and Songs "Love", by S.E.S. on the album Be Ever Wonderful "Love", by the Smashing Pumpkins on the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness "Love", by Sonata Arctica on the album Pariah's Child "Love", by Sonic Dream Collective "Love", by Victoria Williams from Loose "Love", by Zoé on the album Rocanlover "Looove", by Travis Scott on the album Utopia "Love?", by Strapping Young Lad from the album Alien "L.O.V." by Fitz and the Tantrums from Pickin' Up the Pieces === Radio === Love 97.2FM, a Singaporean radio station LOVE FM 104 - see List of radio stations in Barbados Love Radio Network, Philippines === Television === Love (TV series), a 2016–2018 Netflix original series Erotas (TV series) (Greek for "Love"), a Greek soap opera The Spirits of Love, or simply Love, a 2006–2008 Taiwanese Formosa TV drama "Love" (Death Note episode) "Love" (2 Stupid Dogs), an episode of 2 Stupid Dogs "Love" (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared), an episode of Don't Hug Me I'm Scared "The Love" (The Amazing World of Gumball), an episode of The Amazing World of Gumball === Other uses in arts, entertainment and media === Love (Alexander Milov sculpture) a sculpture featured at Burning Man Love (Cirque du Soleil), a theatrical production LOVE (magazine), a bi-annual British style magazine Love (image), a pop art image by Robert Indiana L.O.V.E. (sculpture), a 2010 sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan in Milan, Italy == Other uses == Love (horse), thoroughbred racehorse Love, one of several names for the number 0 in English Zero in the tennis scoring system Linguistics of visual English, a version of manually coded English in use North America Love-in, a peaceful public gathering focused on meditation, love, music, sex and/or use of recreational drugs. Love Party (Italy), a political party in Italy founded in 1991 Free love, a social movement that accepts all forms of love Love wave, a surface wave that produces horizontal motion == See also == All pages with titles beginning with Love All pages with titles containing Love Løve, a surname Löve, a surname Loves (film), a 2004 Indian film LøVë (disambiguation) Love Love (disambiguation) Love Love Love (disambiguation) Loved (disambiguation) Love's, American chain of truck stop and convenience stores Luv (disambiguation) One Love (disambiguation)

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment to people and things. Love may also refer to:

love

Love (given name) (wikipedia)

Love (Swedish pronunciation: [luːvɛ]), or more uncommon Lowe, is the Swedish version of the French name Louis. It can also be a version of Lovisa, and can thus be used both for men and women, although it is more common with men. The name is uncommon amongst adults; there are fewer than 200 men older than 30 in Sweden with the name, but several hundreds from every cohort born in the 1990s. As on 31 December 2009, there were in total 6,058 men in Sweden with the name Love/Lowe, of which 2,953 had it as first name, and the rest as middle name. There were also 531 women with the name, of which 128 had it as their given name. In 2003, 344 boys got the name, and of those, 182 got it as given name. The same year, 24 girls got the name, of which 6 got it as given name. The name day in Sweden is 2 October (1986-1992: 3 December; 1993-2000: 26 November). == Persons with the name Love or Lowe == Love Ablish (born 1982), Indian first-class cricketer Carl Jonas Love Almqvist (1793-1866), author, romantic poet, early feminist, realist, composer, social critic, and traveler Love Antell (born 1980), Swedish-Finnish singer and artist Love Gantt (1875–1935), American physician Melissa Love (1978-1999), American country singer Jennifer Love Hewitt (born 1979), American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and director Augustus Edward Hough Love (1863-1940), English mathematician, geologist == References == SCB

Love (Swedish pronunciation: [luːvɛ]), or more uncommon Lowe, is the Swedish version of the French name Louis. It can also be a version of Lovisa, and can thus be used both for men and women, although it is more common with men. The name is uncommon amongst adults; there are fewer than 200 men older than 30 in Sweden with the name, but several hundreds from every cohort born in the 1990s. As on 31 December 2009, there were in total 6,058 men in Sweden with the name Love/Lowe, of which 2,953 had it as first name, and the rest as middle name. There were also 531 women with the name, of which 128 had it as their given name. In 2003, 344 boys got the name, and of those, 182 got it as given name. The same year, 24 girls got the name, of which 6 got it as given name. The name day in Sweden is 2 October (1986-1992: 3 December; 1993-2000: 26 November).

love

Love (horse) (wikipedia)

Love (foaled 13 April 2017) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed top-class form as a juvenile in 2019 when she won three of her seven races including the Silver Flash Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes as well as running third in the Fillies' Mile. On her first appearance as a three-year-old she won the 1000 Guineas, following up with a facile victory in the Oaks Stakes and a similar win in the Yorkshire Oaks. == Background == Love is a chestnut filly with a broad white blaze and a white sock on her right foreleg bred in Ireland by the Coolmore Stud. She is owned by the Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith. Like many Coolmore horses she was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. She was sired by Galileo, who won the Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001. Galileo became one of the world's leading stallions, earning his tenth champion sire of Great Britain and Ireland title in 2018. His other progeny include Frankel, Nathaniel, New Approach, Rip Van Winkle, Found Minding and Ruler of the World. Love's dam Pikaboo showed no racing ability, failing to win or place in five starts, but did better as a broodmare, producing several other winners including Lucky Kristale (Lowther Stakes), Peach Tree (Stanerra Stakes) and Flattering (Munster Oaks). Her grand-dam Gold Runner was a half-sister to Don't Forget Me. == Racing career == === 2019: two-year-old season === Love was ridden her first three races by her trainer's son Donnacha O'Brien. The filly made her debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse on 6 June in which she started the 11/4 favourite but came home fourth of the seven runners, just over three lengths behind the winner Cayenne Pepper. Three weeks later she started favourite for a similar event at the Curragh and disputed the lead from the start before going down by a neck to the Jessica Harrington-trained Windracer. On 11 July Love started 5/6 favourite for a maiden at Leopardstown and recorded her first success as she led from the start and held off a challenge from Soul Search to win by a head. Seamie Heffernan took over the ride when Love was stepped up in class for the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown two weeks later. She started at odds of 8/1 in an eight-runner field which also included her stablemates Precious Moments (the 2/1 favourite) and So Wonderful as well as Windracer. Love immediately went to the front and was never seriously challenged, pulling away from her opponents in the last furlong to win "easily" by three and a quarter lengths from Unforgetable [sic]. After the race Aidan O'Brien described the winner as "a lovely filly" who was "coming forward with every run". In her last three races of 2019 Love was partnered with Ryan Moore. On 23 August at the Curragh she was made the 6/4 favourite for the Group 2 Debutante Stakes but after taking the lead two furlongs out she was overtaken in the closing stages and faded to come home fifth of the nine runners behind Alpine Star, Petite Mustique, Soul Search and So Wonderful. The Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on 15 September attracted a field of nine two-year-old fillies and saw Love go off the 6/1 third choice in the betting behind the British-trained Daahyeh (winner of the Albany Stakes) and Albigna. Soul Search, Precious Moments and So Wonderful were again in opposition as well as Tango (another Aidan O'Brien entry), Under The Stars (Princess Margaret Stakes) and Assurance. Moore settled the filly just behind the leaders as Tango set the pace before giving way to Soul Search two furlongs from the finish. Love overtook Soul Search just inside the final furlong and stayed on well to win by three quarters of a length from Daahyeh. Aidan O'Brien commented "She is a queen. She's genuine, has a beautiful pedigree, and stays very well. She has a beautiful action and when Ryan asked her to get down and lengthen she stuck her head out. She's been working lovely and progressing with every run". On 11 October Love was sent to England and stepped up in distance for the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket Racecourse and started the 4/1 third favourite in a nine-runner field. She took the lead four furlongs from the finish but was not able to break away from her rivals and was outpaced in the closing stages, finishing third behind Quadrilateral and Powerful Breeze. === 2020: three-year-old season === The flat racing season in England was disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 1000 Guineas was run a month later than usual on 7 June over the Rowley mile at Newmarket. Quadrilateral headed the betting with Love (ridden by Moore) starting the 4/1 joint second favourite alongside Millisle while the other twelve runners included Raffle Prize (Queen Mary Stakes), Cloak of Spirits, Boomer (Prestige Stakes), Under The Stars and Summer Romance (Empress Stakes). In rainy conditions the fillies raced on the far side of the wide, straight course with Cloak of Sprits setting the pace and Love settling in mid division to the left of the leaders towards the centre of the track. Love made steady progress approaching the last quarter mile, went to the front a furlong out and drew right away in the closing stages to win by four and a quarter lengths from Cloak of Spirits with Quadrilateral a head away in third place. After the race Moore commented "She's a very uncomplicated filly and we've always thought a lot of her... she was in control of the race from a long way out... At the moment she looks the best three-year-old filly around. I don't know what the plan is but I'd say the Oaks is an option for her". The 242nd running of the Oaks was run behind closed doors, over one and a half miles at Epsom Racecourse on 4 July and Love, with Moore in the saddle, went off the 11/10 favourite with the best of her seven opponents appearing to be Frankly Darling and Ennistymon who had finished first and second in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. Love settled towards the rear as the two pacemakers, Tiempo Vuela and Passion set off in front and opened up a huge lead on the rest of the field. Love began to make rapid progress in the straight, picked off the pacemakers approaching the final quarter mile and drew away to win in "impressive" fashion by nine lengths. Her winning time of 2:34.06 was a new record for the race and 0.37 seconds faster than the time recorded by Serpentine when winning the Epsom Derby over the same course and distance an hour later. Aidan O'Brien said "Before the Guineas we thought the mile might be a little bit short, we always felt she’d get a mile and a quarter well and she's very genuine and tries hard, so we were always hoping the extra distance was going to improve her... her last few canters during the week were incredible, really. Obviously you never know what is going to happen, but we felt she was very well" while Moore commented "She was exceptional today. We’ve always thought she's very good and she proved that in the Guineas, but today she's taken a step forward. Almost her best furlong was her last furlong. She's got a great temperament and I don’t think she could have been any more impressive, really... she’ll be a threat to anything". On 20 August, Love won the Darley Yorkshire Oaks by 5 lengths ridden by jockey Ryan Moore despite some concern by her trainer over rain on the course the previous day. Second was Alpinista. Moore said Love had been exceptional this year – "she's just got stronger and stronger and has done it very easily today". On 19 November Love was named Champion Three-year-old Filly at the Cartier Racing Awards. In the 2020 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Love was rated on 122, making her the equal twenty-first best racehorse in the world and the best three-year-old filly alongside Gamine and Swiss Skydiver. == Pedigree == == References == == External links == Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart – Love

Love (foaled 13 April 2017) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed top-class form as a juvenile in 2019 when she won three of her seven races including the Silver Flash Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes as well as running third in the Fillies' Mile. On her first appearance as a three-year-old she won the 1000 Guineas, following up with a facile victory in the Oaks Stakes and a similar win in the Yorkshire Oaks.

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Love (manga) (wikipedia)

Love (Japanese: ラブ, Hepburn: Rabu) (stylized as LOVe) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Ishiwata. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 1993 to February 1999. Its chapters were collected in thirty tankōbon volumes. == Manga == Love is written and illustrated by Osamu Ishiwata, and is the continuation of the story from B.B., an earlier manga of Ishiwata's. Love started in the combined 1993 35th–36th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday on August 18, 1993, and finished in the 1999 10th issue of the magazine on February 17, 1999. The series was collected into thirty tankōbon volumes published by Shogakukan, released from April 18, 1994 to March 18, 1999. === Volume list === == References == == External links == Love at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Love (Japanese: ラブ, Hepburn: Rabu) (stylized as LOVe) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Ishiwata. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 1993 to February 1999. Its chapters were collected in thirty tankōbon volumes.

love

Love (surname) (wikipedia)

Love is an English language surname of several possible origins. It is possibly derived from "Luiff", which came from "Wolf". It may be spelling without diacritics of names such as Löve. Notable people with the surname include: == In sports == Bob Love (born 1942), American basketball player Bryce Love (born 1997), American football player Caleb Love (born 2001), American basketball player Colin Love (born 1945), Australian rugby league football administrator Davis Love III (born 1964), American golfer Donald Love (born 1994), Scottish footballer; defender for Sunderland Glenn Love (born 1989), American football player Harry Love (cricketer) (1871–1942), English cricketer Ian Love (born 1958), Welsh footballer Jesse Love (born 2005), American racing driver Joanne Love (born 1985), Scottish footballer John Love (1924–2005), Rhodesian race car driver Jordan Love (born 1998), American football player Josh Love (born 1996), American football player Julian Love (born 1998), American football player Kevin Love (born 1988), American basketball player Kyle Love (born 1986), American football player Langston Love (born 2002), American basketball player Mike Love (defensive lineman) (born 1994), American football player Ricky Love, American basketball player Stan Love (basketball) (born 1949), American basketball player; father of Kevin Love and brother of Beach Boys member Mike Love Ted Love (born 1991), Brazilian footballer Vágner Love (born 1984), Brazilian footballer Yeardley Love (1987–2010), American women's lacrosse player and murder victim == In music == Airrion Love (born 1968), American singer (member of The Stylistics) Abz Love Richard Abidin Breen (born 29 June 1979), better known as Abz Love, is an English singer, rapper and songwriter. Love was a member of the boy band Five and is current member of supergroup Boyz on Block. Courtney Love (born 1964), American musician and actress Darlene Love (born 1941), American singer D. Wayne Love, British vocalist with the Alabama 3 (A3 in the US) G. Love (born 1972), stage name of Garrett Dutton III, American musician Geoff Love (1917–1991), British musician Gerard Love bass player and songwriter with Teenage Fanclub Kylie Sonique Love (born 1983), American drag queen, singer, dancer and reality television personality Larry Love, British vocalist with the Alabama 3 (A3 in the US) Mary Love (1943–2013), American soul and gospel singer Mike Love (born 1941), American singer-songwriter and founding member of The Beach Boys Monie Love (born 1970), stage name of Simone Wilson or Simone Gooden, British singer, emcee and radio personality Patrick Love (born 1968), American gospel musician Rico Love (born 1982), American rapper and record producer Shirley Love (born 1940), American opera singer == In entertainment == Adrian Love (1944–1999), British radio presenter Angelina Love, the best-known ring name of Lauren Ann Williams (born 1981), Canadian wrestler Bessie Love (1898–1986), American actress Brandi Love, stage name for Tracey Lynn Livermore (born 1973), an American pornographic actress Brother Love, stage name for Bruce Prichard (born 1963), a professional wrestling personality Darris Love, (born 1980), American actor Dude Love, a ring name of Mick Foley (born 1965), American wrestler Gary Love (born 1964), British actor and film director Harry Love (animator) (1911–1997), American animator Kermit Love (1916–2008), American puppeteer, costume designer and actor Loni Love (born 1971), American comedian, television host, actress, and author Nick Love (born 1969), English film director and writer Pauline Joless Love (1914–2001), American actress better known as Pauline Moore Willie Love (1906–1953), American Delta blues pianist == In science and technology == Augustus Edward Hough Love (1863–1940), British mathematician David Love (geologist) (1913–2002), American field geologist David J. Love (born 1979), American professor of engineering Michael Harris-Love (born 1968), Researcher and Physical Therapy Program Director Robert Love (born 1981), American open-source software developer, author and speaker Stanley G. Love (born 1965), American scientist and NASA astronaut == In the military == General Sir Frederick Love (1789–1866), British Army officer and Lieutenant Governor of Jersey George M. Love (1831–1887), American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient Harry Love (lawman) (1810–1868), head of California's first law enforcement agency John Love (general) (1820–1881), United States Army Major General (Indiana) during and after the Mexican–American War John K. Love, United States Marine Corps general serving with NATO Nancy Harkness Love (1914–1976), American pilot, commander of Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron in World War II Robert Love (soldier) (1760–1845), American Revolutionary War soldier and political leader Robert J. Love, American pilot, Korean War flying ace == In politics and law == John Arthur Love (1916–2002), American politician, governor of the State of Colorado Mia Love (born 1975), American politician Milton Sydney Love (1852–1924), magistrate in New South Wales, Australia Peter Early Love (1818–1866), American politician, lawyer, jurist Ralph Love (1907–1994), New Zealand politician and activist Reggie Love (born 1981), personal aide to U.S. President Barack Obama Samuel B. Love, Florida politician Sandra Love (1945–2018), American politician Shirley Love (politician), (1933–2020), American politician and radio broadcaster William Love (disambiguation), several people, including William Love (Australian politician) (1810–1885), New South Wales MLA William Love (London MP) (c. 1620–1689), for City of London William Carter Love (1784–1835), U.S. Representative from North Carolina William F. Love (1850–1898), U.S. Representative from Mississippi William L. Love (fl. 1872–1951), New York politician William D. Love (1859–1933) United States Tax Court judge == In religion and philosophy == Rev. John Love (minister), D.D. (1757–1825), Church of Scotland preacher and author Richard Love (1596–1661), English churchman and academic == Others == Bernice Love, unmarried name of Bernice Love Wiggins (1897–1936), Texas poet Buddy Love, the villain in the film The Nutty Professor and its remake George H. Love (1900–1991), American businessperson Hamilton Love (1875–1922), lumberman and sportswriter Horace Beevor Love (1800–1838), British portrait painter Iris Love (1933–2020), American archaeologist Layla Love (born 1980), American photographer Peter Love (executed 1610), English pirate Samuel G. Love (1821–1893), American educationist Tom Love (1937–2023), American entrepreneur == See also == Löve (disambiguation) Løve (disambiguation) == References ==

Love is an English language surname of several possible origins. It is possibly derived from "Luiff", which came from "Wolf". It may be spelling without diacritics of names such as Löve. Notable people with the surname include:

love

Destiny Fulfilled (wikipedia)

Destiny Fulfilled is the fifth and final studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on November 8, 2004, by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. Following the conclusion of promotional activities for their globally successful third studio album Survivor (2001), Destiny's Child embarked on a two-year hiatus, during which each member released solo albums to varying levels of success. They reunited in the summer of 2004 to record Destiny Fulfilled, primarily at the Sony Music Studios in New York City. Unlike the group's previous recordings, the album saw each member equally contributing to the songwriting and production, drawing inspiration from the events in their lives while being apart. Executive producing Destiny Fulfilled alongside their manager Mathew Knowles, Destiny's Child further worked with frequent collaborators such as Rockwilder and Rodney Jerkins, as well as several new ones, including 9th Wonder, Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison. Their efforts resulted with an R&B record further exploring genres such as crunk, dance, hip hop and funk. Lyrically a concept album, each of its tracks is a continuation of its predecessor, altogether telling a complete story tracing a woman's relationship journey. The balladry and lyrical content were met with generally mixed reviews from music critics, who nevertheless praised the equality of contributions among members and their vocal performances. A highly-anticipated comeback album, Destiny Fulfilled went through several release date alterations due to a concern over Internet leaks, ultimately being released a day earlier. Its street date violation resulted with a premature debut at number 19 on the US Billboard 200. The album's sales were principally unaffected by the unconventional release as it subsequently peaked at number two, selling 558,000 units within its first eight days of release, and went on to be certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Despite its mixed critical reception, the album garnered five Grammy Award nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album. One of the best-selling girl group albums of all time, the album has sold over seven million copies worldwide. Destiny Fulfilled produced four singles. "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier" both peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and achieved widespread international commercial success. "Girl" peaked only at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but was a top-ten hit in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, "Cater 2 U" fared better on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 14. Destiny's Child further promoted the album with their world tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It (2005). During the tour's Palau Sant Jordi show in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, the group announced their disbandment; they formally disbanded following the release of the live album Live in Atlanta (2006). == Background and development == In April 2001, Destiny's Child released their highly-anticipated third studio album Survivor. Fueled by the widespread commercial success of "Independent Women Part I" and "Survivor", it became their first US Billboard 200 number-one album. The album sold steadily and went on to be certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Furthermore, it was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), and has sold over ten million copies worldwide. While recording Survivor in December 2000, Beyoncé announced that Destiny's Child would eventually embark on a hiatus which would allow each member to release a solo album, which they hoped would further increase interest in the group. The idea of solo albums emanated from the group's manager and Beyoncé's father Mathew Knowles. Kelly Rowland further explained in an interview that Destiny's Child had been present in the media for a long time and they wanted to "give the public eye a rest from DC for a minute". During that same interview, she acknowledged that the trio would reunite during the fall of 2003 to start recording a new album. During the hiatus, Michelle Williams released two gospel studio albums–Heart to Yours (2002) and Do You Know (2004). The former peaked atop the US Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, becoming 2002's biggest selling gospel album; with over 220,000 copies sold in the US and 500,000 worldwide. Furthermore, Williams won a British MOBO Award for "Best Gospel Act" in 2002 and made her Broadway debut, as the lead in the musical Aida on November 18, 2003. Although Beyoncé's solo album was initially scheduled for October 2002, its release was postponed due to the success of Kelly Rowland's collaboration with Nelly, "Dilemma", which peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 for an accumalative 10 weeks and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards. Therefore, Rowland's pop rock-oriented solo debut Simply Deep was moved up to October, ahead of Beyoncé's album. Simply Deep debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, and has gone on to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over 600,000 copies in the US and over 2.5 million worldwide. Beyoncé, who was the last member to release an album, was regarded the most successful with Dangerously in Love (2003). The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, enjoying international commercial success and widespread critical acclaim. Furthermore, it produced two US Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits–"Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy"–and won five Grammy Awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004), causing Beyoncé to tie for winning the most Grammy Awards at a single ceremony among women. The members' respective solo achievements led to intense speculation over the disbandment of Destiny's Child. In July 2004, amidst the rumors, Rowland announced the group's return to the studio to record Destiny Fulfilled. The group claimed the reunion was destined to happen, and that their affinity for each other kept them together. == Recording and production == Production of Destiny Fulfilled commenced during the summer of 2004, with Destiny's Child enlisting frequent collaborators such as Rockwilder and Rodney Jerkins, as well as new ones, including 9th Wonder, Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison. 9th Wonder initially met Beyoncé while she was in the recording studio as her now-husband, rapper Jay-Z recorded the song "Threat" for his album The Black Album (2003). After Jay-Z went through the CD of tracks 9th Wonder had handed to him, Beyoncé mentioned that she liked what she heard from him. Several months later, 9th Wonder received a call from Jay-Z, asking for him to give the CD to Destiny's Child. He was surprised at being contacted by the rapper about working with the group, as he confessed that he had never owned an album by them. He later traveled to Los Angeles to work with the trio for their next album. During the three-day session, he produced the songs "Girl", "Is She the Reason" and "Game Over". Garrett, who co-wrote "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "T-Shirt", "Is She the Reason", "Girl" and "Through with Love", recalled working on the album: "There was so much magic going on in the studio. We probably recorded all the songs in about a month and every day it was a new song coming out. 'Lose My Breath' was towards the latter part of the album and that was an amazing song that we felt could not only be big on the radio but big with bands and marching bands. I was on a natural high after that." Destiny's Child recorded Destiny Fulfilled within a three-week period, mostly at the Sony Music Studios in New York City, where all tracks except "Through with Love" were recorded. They took the role of executive producing, alongside their manager Mathew Knowles. Beyoncé, who vocally produced the songs, commented that it was important for her to make sure their voices were audible and identifiable. Taking it as one of her goals, the group decided to focus on mid-tempo songs and on few dance tracks and ballads—which they considered songs listeners cannot sing along with. Beyoncé further elaborated: "We wanted to make sure that the songs would be something that we were proud of 10 years from now, 20 years from now. We wanted it to be something that people can really feel an emotion to. Up-tempo songs can do that, but they more make you wanna dance." Jerkins, who had worked with the group on their previous studio albums and with Beyoncé for her solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003), was concerned with how he would manage the production, saying: "How is this going to work?' Cause Beyoncé, she blew up solo, so how's it going to work in a group together?". However, he stated his skepticism vanished once the recording commenced, as he saw the group's "excitement being back in the studio together", calling the process "natural". The members stated the first week of recording Destiny Fulfilled was spent solely on conversations about the events in their lives while being apart, as they hadn't spent quality time together for an extended period. This further inspired them to record the conversations and use it as the main theme of the record. In most cases, producers would send the group a CD containing a track which would serve as the basis in the songwriting process; without the producers' supervision of which part to sing, a new direction of their style was formed, differing from their previous records. The traditional approach where each member sang one verse and chimed in the chorus was replaced; on some tracks from Destiny Fulfilled, their vocals alternated on every line of the lyrics, a technique similar to hip hop artists. Differing from Survivor, on which Beyoncé had taken an active role in writing and producing, Destiny Fulfilled saw each member contributing inputs culled from personal experiences, individual opinions and points of view independent of those from the other members. As Kelly Rowland was recently engaged during the songwriting process, her writing was further influenced by the engagement. She also cited that being apart from the group affected the lyrical themes as well: "All of us have been in three different places ... so there's a lot to talk about, a lot that's gone on, personally. I think it's important to talk about that on this new record, to put what we've been going through separately into the new record." == Music and lyrics == During an interview with MTV, Beyoncé stated that the songs from Destiny Fulfilled put altogether tell a complete story and noted that each track was a subsequent continuation of its predecessor. She concluded: "[The album continues with] this whole journey of this group of women trying to find love. And truly they find it because they love themselves and find it in themselves. It's friendship, it's love, it's maturity and growth, and it's everything that we wanted it to be." Musically, Destiny's Child tried challenging themselves, as they worked with different arrangements while trying to create an original sound; to succeed in this, they were influenced by The Emotions, Jodeci and SWV mixing elements of their music. Their final product was a predominantly R&B record, which further incorporated soul, dance and hip hop. The album is mostly composed of mid-tempo tracks, following the up-tempo first two tracks; Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian felt the balladry showcased "the girliness in the trio, musically and lyrically". Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine found elements of middle of the road music in the ballads. Destiny Fulfilled opens with the up-tempo dance track "Lose My Breath", which details a man full of empty promises to a woman. It is musically complete with military, marching-band drums, keyboard stabs, and the backing track contains various sound effects. "Soldier", featuring T.I. and Lil Wayne, contains elements of Southern hip hop and crunk. Unsatisfied and unfulfilled with the lover from "Lose My Breath", the protagonists ask for a decent "soldier", further singing about finding a gangster. After finding him, the R&B ballad "Cater 2 U" lyrically details submissively serving the man. Inspired by him, the protagonists sing about doing various things to make him happy, musically accompanied by synthesizer as the song builds a crescendo. The fourth track "T-Shirt" is complete with inorganic drum sounds, guitar and backwards loop as the trio sings about sleeping in bed with their lover's T-shirt, "craving his presence, and inhailing his scent". "Is She the Reason" is an R&B ballad noted to have a similar chord progression to works of The Beatles. It lyrically follows a protagonist competing with another woman for her lover's love and attention. The song contains a trumpet-laden sample from Melba Moore's song "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To". "Girl" was noted for its Motown influence and friendship-themed lyrics. It features Beyoncé and Williams concerned about the relationship Rowland is in, trying to comfort her and persuade her to leave her partner. Rowland lyrically responds to them by ending the relationship on the following track "Bad Habit", on which she solely sings lead vocals. "If", complete with strings, lyrically talks about men who don't appreciate their girlfriends until their relationship ends and they realize their mistakes. "Free" was described as a "soul classic from 1975", with critics also noting elements of 1970s funk music, as the trio speaks on being "set free" after being in a relationship in which their efforts were never reciprocated. The mid-tempo track "Through with Love" was noted for its "angry" nature as it addresses a break-up. It features an undulating piano line as the members sing with restrained vocals and later religious redemption with elements of gospel. On the closing track "Love", "capital L kicks the daylights out of the forces of fear, doubt and disappointment", as the group "thank[s] God for love". They further sing about how people "can't truly love another until [they] love God and then [themselves]", proclaiming that they have found love and are "madly in it". == Release and promotion == Promotion of Destiny Fulfilled commenced when Destiny's Child performed "Lose My Breath" after its online release on September 9, 2004 on ABC's 2004 NFL season "Opening Kickoff" special, to break their two-year hiatus. The album's track listing was revealed on October 15. On October 25, they appeared at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, performing the song with an a cappella, jazz-styled opening. The following month, they performed a medley composed of "Say My Name", "Independent Women Part I" and "Survivor" and finished with "Lose My Breath" on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where they also sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. On November 8, 2004, the trio appeared on Total Request Live and performed "Lose My Breath" along with "Say My Name". They additionally appeared on the German entertainment television show Wetten, dass..? on November 13, and performed "Lose My Breath". Originally slated for November 16, Destiny Fulfilled was released a day earlier due to Columbia Records' concern over "potential for Internet leaks and 'burned' CD counterfeits" which could "lead consumers to experience inferior and incomplete versions of the album". MTV had already made it available for streaming as part of its program "The Leak" on November 8, while Trans World Entertainment and Walmart began selling the album on November 12. Although the album's format was originally announced to be the then-new DualDisc, it was released on an audio-only CD; however, it was released on DualDisc on February 8, 2005. On BET's 106 & Park, Destiny's Child performed "Soldier" on November 15, 2004. They also performed the song on CBS's The Early Show on December 8. In February 2005, they gave another performance of "Soldier" on the British television show Top of the Pops. At the 2005 NBA All-Star Game on February 20, they performed both "Soldier" and "Lose My Breath". They performed the latter again at the 2005 ESPY Awards on July 13. "Cater 2 U" was performed on June 28 at the 2005 BET Awards in Los Angeles. When the advanced release date of Destiny Fulfilled was announced, Destiny's Child confirmed the initial dates of their world tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It, which visited Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America from April to September 2005. Promotions of the tour aired over radio stations and television channels across the United States, with the group further collaborating with McDonald's, which served as its sponsor. Outside North America, it was promoted with a CD+DVD tour edition of the album, which included music videos and live performances. The tour's set list included tracks from Destiny Fulfilled alongside Destiny's Child's previous work and each member's individual songs. Numerous costume changes occurred throughout the show; the concerts exhibited products from Beyoncé's clothing line from House of Deréon, the company she co-founded with her mother Tina Knowles. During a concert at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on June 11, Rowland announced before 16,000 spectators that Destiny's Child would disband following the end of the tour. In a statement released to MTV, the group said the tour had provided them the opportunity to depart from Destiny's Child on a "high note". They also talked about the moment when the group started their musical endeavor and their realizations of pursuing individual careers after working together for several years. Destiny's Child thanked fans for their support while not closing the chance of seeing them continue supporting each member's goals in music, film and television. The July 15 show in Atlanta was filmed for the video album Live in Atlanta, which was released on March 28, 2006. A commercial success, the video debuted atop the US Top Music Videos and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). == Singles == "Lose My Breath" was released as the lead single from Destiny Fulfilled on September 9, 2004. A widespread commercial success, it peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's seventh consecutive top-ten single on the chart. Furthermore, it became their second Dance Club Songs number-one single. The digital single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 2020. Internationally, the song peaked atop the European Hot 100 Singles, as well as charts in Belgium, Ireland and Switzerland, further peaking within the top ten in almost every other country. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) used the song as the music for their introductory montage during the 2004 NBA Playoffs and through the first few weeks of the 2005 NBA Playoffs. Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005). Its accompanying music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld and shows the group members involved in an alleyway dance battle against their own duplicates. At the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for Best Dance Video. "Soldier" was released as the second single from Destiny Fulfilled on November 9, 2004. Repeating the success of its predecessor, it peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and atop the Dance Club Songs. The digital single was certified platinum by the RIAA in July 2020. Internationally, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006). The black and white accompanying music video for the song was directed by Ray Kay and features appearances from featured artists T.I. and Lil Wayne, Beyoncé's sister Solange, singers Lloyd and Ginuwine, and rappers Bow Wow, Ice Cube, WC and Jeezy. At the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for Best Group Video. "Girl" was released as the third single from Destiny Fulfilled on March 15, 2005. It failed to replicate the success of its predecessors as it peaked only at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ending Destiny's Child's streak of top-ten singles on the chart. The digital single was certified gold by the RIAA in October 2005. Internationally, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. Its Sex and the City-inspired accompanying music video was directed by Bryan Barber and follows the song's lyrical theme, with Rowland ending the video by leaving her deceitful lover. "Cater 2 U" was released as the fourth and final single from Destiny Fulfilled on June 7, 2005. A moderate commercial success, it peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The digital single was certified platinum by the RIAA in July 2020. Internationally, the song failed to chart in most countries due to its digital-only release, but peaked at number seven in New Zealand. Despite causing polarity among critics due to its lyrics, the song was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song in 2006. Its Jake Nava-directed accompanying music video depicts the group in various settings at the Red Rock Canyon State Park. "Got's My Own", which originally appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of Destiny Fulfilled, was released as a promotional single on May 3, 2005. == Critical reception == Destiny Fulfilled received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 52 based on 17 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Dimitri Ehrlich of Vibe complimented the production, saying that it "showcases advanced production values" with "impressive" songwriting and vocal abilities, concluding that it "offers divine satisfaction". A writer for Billboard felt the album worked as "a testament to Beyoncé's evolving multiple talents". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised Rowland's and Williams' abilities as vocalists and their contributions to the choruses, but felt that Beyoncé "steals every song", further commending her for sounding "larger than life even when she's quiet". However, he concluded: "as a whole, the album winds up sounding too reserved and heavy-handed, which makes it a disappointment". Andy Battaglia of The A.V. Club wrote in his review that "Destiny Fulfilled sounds distant and detached", further criticizing its mid-tempo balladry for sounding "uninterrupted at best, uninspired at worst". Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times commented that the album is "a surprisingly perfunctory disc that never quite justifies its existence". Alan Ranta of Tiny Mix Tapes doubted Beyoncé's lyrical sincerity, saying: "the success of this album depends once again on the complete suspension of die-hard fans' disbelief that Beyoncé 'Your Ad Here' Knowles could ever actually truly love another human being as much as she loves herself and her possessions." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian commented that the lead vocals on Destiny Fulfilled were likely to be sung by each member equally, noting that it made the album a "democratic" one. However, she criticized Destiny's Child for squandering "the extent of their talents" on the album. Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly also noticed its "overall air of democracy at work" and noted that the album "often moves at a molasses-like pace, weighted down with a preponderance of exquisitely executed but ultimately dull ballads". Jenny Eliscu of Rolling Stone echoed Sinclair's comments, saying: "In all but a couple of songs, the verses are divided into three sections, with Beyonce leading things off, followed by Rowland, then Williams". She noted that after a couple of upbeat songs, "the album slumps into an endless string of overwrought R&B ballads where the only saving grace is ... these ladies can harmonize like nobody's business." Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine commented that the album's ballads build into "the same sort of standoffish sexual supply-and-demand bartering that has marred their worst tracks". Sarah Godfrey from The Washington Post also criticized the balladry, alongside the absence of women's empowerment-themed lyrical content present on the group's previous recordings, but noted each member's individuality and praised their vocal performances. == Accolades == === Awards and nominations === === Listings === == Commercial performance == In the United States, Destiny Fulfilled prematurely debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart dated November 27, 2004 due to a street date violation, amassing sales of 61,000 copies in a single day and registering the highest pre-street date sales in the history of Nielsen SoundScan at the time. In its first full week of sales, Destiny Fulfilled sold over 497,000 copies, with an increase of 713% compared to its early sales, ascending to number two on the Billboard 200. The same week, it reached the summit of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums after prematurely debuting at number 11. The group's second number-one album on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums following Survivor (2001), it spent two weeks atop the chart. On January 14, 2005, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It emerged seventh on the year-end Billboard 200 and third on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for 2005. By October 2009, the album had sold 3.1 million copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Canada, the album debuted and peaked at number three on the Canadian Albums Chart, and was certified platinum by Music Canada in June 2005. In the United Kingdom, Destiny Fulfilled debuted and peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart on November 27, 2004; it went on to spend a total of 25 weeks charting. Additionally, the album debuted and peaked at number two on the UK R&B Albums Chart. It was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on April 20, 2018. Across Europe, the album reached the top ten in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Furthermore, it peaked at number five on the European Top 100 Albums, and was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in December 2004 for sales of one million copies across Europe. In Australia, the album debuted and peaked at number 11 on the ARIA Top 100 Albums, being certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) two weeks later. In New Zealand, it debuted at number 25 and peaked at number 21 in its 13th week, being certified gold by the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). In Japan, the album debuted and peaked at number four on the Oricon Albums Chart, and was soon after certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). According to IFPI, Destiny Fulfilled was the eighth best-selling album worldwide of 2004. One of the best-selling girl group albums of all time, it has sold over seven million copies worldwide. == Impact and legacy == Upon the release of Destiny Fulfilled, numerous critics questioned why Beyoncé returned to Destiny's Child after achieving the most solo success among the members, with Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine lambasting her for performing with the group again with the "full intention" of taking advantage in order to bolster her "divette" status to superstardom. However, Beyoncé responded by saying the motive behind the group's reunion was their friendship rather than business. Writing for The Recording Academy, Dontaira Terrell retrospectively claimed Destiny Fulfilled "peeled back the layers of the pop phenom girl group we once knew and re-introduced us to a trio of fully evolved, self-realized women", further describing it as "an ode to the life lessons of friendship, spiritual enlightenment, personal growth and transformation. Its resonance is still widespread, and the baton of wisdom found in the albums [sic] lyrical content is just as relevant [in 2019] as it was 15 years ago." In the wake of their disbandment announcement in June 2005, Destiny's Child revealed in an interview that their disbandment had already been planned during the recording of Destiny Fulfilled, adding that its title was not coincidental. During the sessions, they discussed individual aspirations and realized that remaining as a group would prevent them in pursuing those interests. They further elaborated they wanted to part ways "while they were on top — and more importantly, while they were still friends". Beyoncé had also said "the group felt it still had something to offer musically" with the album, adding: "We did this record for ourselves, not to sell a million the first week out... That doesn't mean as much to us as just the fact that three friends got back together to do another record. That was our destiny.". Rowland commented: "We were like, 'You know what, we're getting older and we want to end on a high note.' We want to give our fans a great final record". Beyoncé also commented regarding the finality of their career: "Who knows what will happen in three, five or 10 years? The main thing is that we maintain our friendship and that we do it because we want to – not because it's a good business move." Following the conclusion of Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It, the group released their first greatest hits album #1's in October 2005, which became their second US Billboard 200 number-one album. It included three new tracks, one of which was Beyoncé's song "Check on It", which became her third US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single as a solo artist. They subsequently released the live video album Live in Atlanta on March 28, 2006, the same day they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Afterwards, the group formally disbanded. Following the disbandment, Beyoncé recorded and released her second solo studio album B'Day (2006) to widespread critical and commercial success, while starring in the Academy Award-winning musical drama Dreamgirls. After numerous postponements, Rowland released her second studio album Ms. Kelly in June 2007; it became her first US Billboard 200 top-ten album. During Beyoncé and Rowland's respective promotions for their albums, Destiny's Child reunited at the BET Awards 2007 and during Beyoncé's 2007 world tour The Beyoncé Experience. Michelle Williams released her third studio album Unexpected, which showcased a drastic change in her musical style from gospel to dance-pop, in October 2008. Destiny's Child would not release another album until the compilation album Love Songs–which included Destiny Fulfilled tracks "Cater 2 U", "T-Shirt", "If" and "Love", alongside some of the group's other previous recordings and the newly-recorded "Nuclear"–in January 2013. == Track listing == Notes ^a signifies a producer and vocal producer ^b signifies a vocal producer ^c signifies a co-producer ^d signifies an additional vocal producer Sample credits "Is She the Reason" contains excerpts from "I Don't Know No One Else to Turn To" by Melba Moore. "Girl" contains sampled elements from "Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams" by the Dramatics. "If" contains excerpts from "Inseparable" by Natalie Cole. "Free" contains excerpts from "Night Whistler" by Donald Byrd. "Game Over" contains excerpts from "Flashback" by Dee Dee Sharp. "What's It Gonna Be" contains replayed elements of "Do It Roger" by Roger. == Personnel == Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Destiny Fulfilled. == Charts == == Certifications == == Release history == == See also == Destiny's Child discography List of Billboard number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2004 List of Billboard number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2005 List of best-selling girl group albums == Notes == == References == == Bibliography == == Further reading == == External links == Official website Destiny Fulfilled at Discogs (list of releases) Destiny Fulfilled at Metacritic

Destiny Fulfilled is the fifth and final studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on November 8, 2004, by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. Following the conclusion of promotional activities for their globally successful third studio album Survivor (2001), Destiny's Child embarked on a two-year hiatus, during which each member released solo albums to varying levels of success. They reunited in the summer of 2004 to record Destiny Fulfilled, primarily at the Sony Music Studios in New York City. Unlike the group's previous recordings, the album saw each member equally contributing to the songwriting and production, drawing inspiration from the events in their lives while being apart. Executive producing Destiny Fulfilled alongside their manager Mathew Knowles, Destiny's Child further worked with frequent collaborators such as Rockwilder and Rodney Jerkins, as well as several new ones, including 9th Wonder, Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison. Their efforts resulted with an R&B record further exploring genres such as crunk, dance, hip hop and funk. Lyrically a concept album, each of its tracks is a continuation of its predecessor, altogether telling a complete story tracing a woman's relationship journey. The balladry and lyrical content were met with generally mixed reviews from music critics, who nevertheless praised the equality of contributions among members and their vocal performances. A highly-anticipated comeback album, Destiny Fulfilled went through several release date alterations due to a concern over Internet leaks, ultimately being released a day earlier. Its street date violation resulted with a premature debut at number 19 on the US Billboard 200. The album's sales were principally unaffected by the unconventional release as it subsequently peaked at number two, selling 558,000 units within its first eight days of release, and went on to be certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Despite its mixed critical reception, the album garnered five Grammy Award nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album. One of the best-selling girl group albums of all time, the album has sold over seven million copies worldwide. Destiny Fulfilled produced four singles. "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier" both peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and achieved widespread international commercial success. "Girl" peaked only at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but was a top-ten hit in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, "Cater 2 U" fared better on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 14. Destiny's Child further promoted the album with their world tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It (2005). During the tour's Palau Sant Jordi show in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, the group announced their disbandment; they formally disbanded following the release of the live album Live in Atlanta (2006).

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Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (wikipedia)

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (DHMIS) is a British musical horror comedy web series created by Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling. The series is notable for its blending of surrealism and morbid humour with horror and musical elements. Its production is diverse, combining puppetry, live action, and styles of animation including stop motion, traditional animation, flash animation, clay animation, and computer animation. The original series consisted of 6 short episodes released from 29 July 2011 to 19 June 2016 on YouTube. A follow-up television series was released in 2022 on All 4 and Channel 4. In the series, each episode starts like a typical children's series, consisting of anthropomorphic puppets akin to those featured in Sesame Street or The Muppets. The series parodies and satirises these TV programmes by contrasting its childlike, colourful environment and its inhabitants against disturbing themes; each episode features a surreal plot twist in the climax, including psychedelic content and imagery involving graphic violence, dark humour, existentialism, and psychological horror. The six episodes of the web series explore and discuss basic subjects typical of preschool education, namely creativity, time, love, technology, diet, and dreams, while the television series touches on jobs, death, family, friendship, transport, and electricity. The web series received widespread critical acclaim for its story, production design, psychological horror, humour, hidden themes, lore, and characters. The television series was met with similar acclaim. == Premise == Each episode revolves around three characters: a yellow childlike humanoid with blue hair and overalls, an anthropomorphic green mallard duck with a tweed jacket, and a red humanoid with a mop-like head. Their names are never explicitly stated in the series but are often referred to as Yellow Guy, Duck and Red Guy respectively. The characters never refer to each other by name, but by pronouns. Yellow Guy's father, Roy, also occasionally appears. An episode typically goes with the three main characters meeting one or several anthropomorphic characters, who begin a musical number related to a basic concept of day-to-day life with an upbeat melody, similar to that of a Sesame Street segment. As each song progresses, it becomes apparent that its moral or message is nonsensical and self-contradicting, and that the "teacher" character has ulterior, sinister motives. The climax of each episode is typically a plot twist involving escalating psychological horror which culminates into gore and graphic violence. Later in the series, the characters begin questioning the nature of their reality and the bizarre messages of the teachers. == Production == Becky Sloan, Joseph Pelling and Baker Terry met while studying Fine Art and Animation at Kingston University, where they started THIS IS IT Collective with some friends. They produced the first episode of Don't Hug Me I'm Scared in their free time with no budget. When they started on the project they imagined making it into a series, but initially dropped the idea after finishing the first episode. After the short film gained popularity, they decided to revisit that idea. Channel 4's Random Acts commissioned the second episode. The show attracted mainstream commissioners; however, Sloan and Pelling turned these offers down because they "wanted to keep it fairly odd" and "have the freedom to do exactly what we wanted". In May 2014, Sloan and Pelling announced that they would start a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to make four or more additional episodes, one every three months, starting in September 2014. They uploaded low-quality camera footage of the characters being taken hostage and held for ransom. A 12-year-old American boy tried to use hacked credit card information to donate £35,000 to the campaign, but he was caught and those funds were thrown out. Their Kickstarter goal of £96,000 was reached on 19 June 2014, and in total £104,935 was raised. YouTuber TomSka became an executive producer on the series after donating £5,000 to the Kickstarter. In January 2016, Sloan and Pelling collaborated with Lazy Oaf to release a line of clothing based on the characters and themes of the show. === Television series === On 19 June 2017, a year after the release of episode 6, Sloan hinted towards additional work into the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared series. A teaser trailer titled "Wakey Wakey..." was released on the channel on 13 September 2018, teasing a television show made in a collaboration between Blink Industries, Conaco, and Super Deluxe. The 30-second video gained over two million views within 24 hours of its release and peaked at No. 1 on YouTube's Trending list. Details of the plot were released on 3 December 2018 in advance of a 2019 Sundance Film Festival screening of the pilot. The pilot episode ran at 23 minutes, and it appeared in the "Indie Episodic Program 1" alongside other short films. On 7 July 2020, it was announced that the series had been picked up by Channel 4. The series wrapped up filming by September 2021, and it was expected to be originally released streaming on All 4 on 12 September 2022. However, the series was postponed because of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. On 16 September 2022, it was announced that the series would be releasing on 23 September 2022 on All 4 and premiered 30 September 2022 on Channel 4. == Episodes == All episodes were written by Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling, with Baker Terry co-writing each episode starting with "Time". "Time" is co-written by Hugo Donkin. == Themes == In a faux interview, Sloan and Pelling jokingly described the plot as "three best friends who go on a journey to find a magic pirate ship and save the day". A student writer for Nouse compared the appeal of the first episode to themes in Gothic literature, arguing that they are both "tapping into the same cultural fear of a violent subconscious hiding beneath the façade of normality". In The Wesleyan Argus, another student writer called the series a "fine example of the era of esotericism" and noted that, "There is a building meta-commentary on the relationships between viewer, perception, creator, participant, and art (and perhaps death) that began with the first episode, but what that commentary is trying to say is not yet entirely clear. However, there is an absolute sense that the series is building toward a culmination." == Cast == Baker Terry as Yellow Guy, Duck, Tony the Talking Clock, Shrignold, Steak and Lamp Becky Sloan as Sketchbook and Spinach Can Joseph Pelling as Red Guy and Colin the Computer === Cameos === TomSka as Magnet Kellen Goff as Shovel == Reception == === Web series === The series received widespread critical acclaim. Scott Beggs listed the original short film as number 8 on his list of the 11 best short films of 2011. Carolina Mardones listed the first episode as number 7 in her top ten short films of 2011. It was included as part of a cinema event in Banksy's Dismaland. In April 2016, the main characters of the series were featured on the cover of the magazine Printed Pages, along with an "interview" of the three main characters written by the magazine's editor. All six episodes were included in the September 2016 festival XOXO. Drew Grant of The Observer described the series as "mind-melting". Freelance writer Benjamin Hiorns observed that "it's not the subject matter that makes these films so strangely alluring, it's the strikingly imaginative set and character design and the underlying Britishness of it all". Joe Blevins of The A.V. Club praised the show's "sense-to-nonsense ratio" and its production values. Samantha Joy of TenEighty praised the sixth episode of the series, writing that it "creates a provocative end to a pretty dark narrative about content creation". === Television series === Like the web series, the television series received critical acclaim. Toussaint Egan of Polygon states, "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared could be described as the demented British half-cousin of Sesame Street and the heir apparent to Wonder Showzen, albeit less politically charged than the latter and more focused on taking a sledgehammer to the standard of children's educational television". Don't Hug Me I'm Scared has been named as one of the best TV shows of 2022 by several publications. The Telegraph ranked it at number 20, saying it was "unlucky not to be (in the top 10)". The Guardian ranked it at number 31, calling it "clever, bleak, charming, grotesque and funny". Radio Times ranked it at number 42, praising its "creepy and mysterious spin on vintage children's television, brought vividly to life through inventive crafts and puppetry". The series was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy Show at the 2023 National Comedy Awards. The series won the British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Production Design at the 2023 British Academy Television Craft Awards. == Creators == Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling are British graphic designers, artists and animators. Their advertising runs through commercial productions. The duo have worked as part of the THIS IS IT Collective. Their content consists of videos, graphic design art, animation, music, and working with real-life materials to resemble things in the real world as art. They won multiple awards, including the 2012 SXSW Midnight Shorts Award, and the 2016 ADC Young Guns award. They co-wrote and did puppeteer work for Cartoon Network's The Amazing World of Gumball episode "The Puppets" (season five, episode 36). Sloan and Baker Terry provided voices of Grady, Frank, and Howdy (the three puppets featured in the episode, who trap the main characters Gumball and Darwin in their world). This episode features a song where the puppets sing about never-ending fun to Darwin with toned-down disturbing content similar to the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared series in theme. A series of shorts based on the episode followed, titled Waiting for Gumball, made by the same team as the original TV episode. == See also == Wonder Showzen Happy Tree Friends Pib and Pog Salad Fingers The Amazing Digital Circus Popee the Performer == Notes == == References == == External links == Official YouTube channel Becky and Joe's website

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (DHMIS) is a British musical horror comedy web series created by Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling. The series is notable for its blending of surrealism and morbid humour with horror and musical elements. Its production is diverse, combining puppetry, live action, and styles of animation including stop motion, traditional animation, flash animation, clay animation, and computer animation. The original series consisted of 6 short episodes released from 29 July 2011 to 19 June 2016 on YouTube. A follow-up television series was released in 2022 on All 4 and Channel 4. In the series, each episode starts like a typical children's series, consisting of anthropomorphic puppets akin to those featured in Sesame Street or The Muppets. The series parodies and satirises these TV programmes by contrasting its childlike, colourful environment and its inhabitants against disturbing themes; each episode features a surreal plot twist in the climax, including psychedelic content and imagery involving graphic violence, dark humour, existentialism, and psychological horror. The six episodes of the web series explore and discuss basic subjects typical of preschool education, namely creativity, time, love, technology, diet, and dreams, while the television series touches on jobs, death, family, friendship, transport, and electricity. The web series received widespread critical acclaim for its story, production design, psychological horror, humour, hidden themes, lore, and characters. The television series was met with similar acclaim.

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Kelly Chen (wikipedia)

Kelly Chen Wai-lam (born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972) is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. She has been referred to as a "Diva of Asia" (Chinese: 亞洲天后; lit. 'Asia's Heavenly Queen'). Chen has great success in the East Asian entertainment industry with nearly 20 million record sales of 38 albums. According to Oriental Daily News, Chen was the highest earning female Hong Kong celebrity of 2014, earning 83 million HKD (US$10.7 million). == Early life == Chen was born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972 in Hong Kong. Her father was a jewelry merchant and her mother was a housewife. She attended Canadian Academy International School in Kobe, Japan, for high school.. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York. == Career == === Early career === In 1994, while still a student at Parsons, Chen made two commercials, one for Shanghai Beer and one for the Bank of Hong Kong. Chen returned to Hong Kong in 1994. She was introduced to an acquaintance who owned a production studio and was chosen to feature in a Jacky Cheung music video. Chen made her film debut in Whatever Will Be, Will Be (仙樂飄飄) and sang the film's theme song. In September 1995, Chen performed the song "Mou Tian" composed by composer Steve Barakatt then released a compilation album, Break the Sky, with three other singers, and then her first Cantonese album, Intoxicated Lover (醉迷情人), in December. It was a success in Hong Kong and furthered her acting and musical career. 1996: Chen released her first Mandarin language album, I Don't Think So (我不以為), in, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, which sold over 150,000. Following the album's success, she produced another Cantonese CD in October 1996, Wind, Flower, Snow (風花雪). "Wind, Flower, Snow" is a very popular song in Hong Kong. In November 1996, Chen released her first Cantonese single, "Traveler". in Japan That year also saw her first stint as a Japanese singer when she released two Japanese singles. 1997: Chen performed her first ever concert, Starry Dream of Love (星夢情真), and released the partner CD in June, which sold over 100,000 copies in Hong Kong. She held three concerts in Hong Kong in June, named the Kelly Starry Dream of Love Concert (陳慧琳星夢情真演唱會). In July, she released "The beginning is a cunning morning", first Japanese single and her first Japan-based hit. Chen also provided the voice of Madame Trunk in the animated movie A Chinese Ghost Story. In the course of five months Chen released four albums. With the releases of her second Mandarin album, Insight (體會), the compilation Kelly's Best Collection 97, the live CD Starring Dream of Love Live in Concert, and her next Cantonese CD A Movie (一齣戲). Insight sold 1.34 million in East Asia. Chen had established herself as a popular singer and actor in East Asia. 1998: Chen embarked the Kelly Starry Dream of Love World Tour (陳慧琳星夢情真世界巡迴演唱會), starting in Australia. Besides the world tour, Chen performed 10 concerts for school children in Taiwan. She released her Mandarin album, Love Me Or Not (愛我不愛), the hit single of which, "Diary" (記事本), is well-known all over Asia and became her signature song so far. This album sold over 2 million copies in Asia. Chen boosted her status as a Chinese pop music diva in Asia entertainment industry. 1999 and 2000: Starring in the television drama Don't Be a Cry Baby with Japanese star Kyoko Fukada and performing two concerts in Fukuoka, Japan in 1999, Chen increased her Japanese fanbase. She released a new album, Love of Colours which sold over 300,000 in Hong Kong from 9 December 1999 to 2000, and was the best selling album in 2000. She also won "The most popular female artist" in 1999 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation. Her albums sold over 230,000 in Hong Kong in 1999, the best selling female artist in Hong Kong. 2001: Chen released her remix album Kelly BPM Dance Collection in March, which sold over 150,000 copies. She embarked on the Paisley Galaxy World Tour (陳慧琳花花宇宙世界巡迴演唱會), which started out with one show in Singapore and two shows in Genting Highlands in Malaysia. (She broke the record of best-selling Hong Kong singers' concerts in Malaysia.) Chen went to North America, where she performed concerts in Chicago, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Toronto all as a part of her world tour in May. She later toured China where she performed in Guangzhou, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing. She released a Mandarin album, Flying (飛吧), in August. It was among the top 20 best-selling albums in Taiwan in 2001. Chen's movie Calmi Cuori Appassionati (冷靜與熱情之間), released in November 2001, grossed more than 30 billion yen (HKD$220,000,000) in Japan. The film broke the pre-sale ticket record in Japan and was ranked as the 67th best-selling movie in Japanese box office history. It was ranked at 98th best-selling movie in 2006 in Japan's box office history. Chen won "Asian Pacific Most Popular Hong Kong Female Artist" at the 2001 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation. === Stabilizing career === 2002: Chen released her first Japanese album, Grace, in January, selling over 50,000 copies in Japan. She released her Cantonese album Ask Kelly that February. The single "Blessed" (有福氣) was very popular in Hong Kong. She released her Mandarin album Love is coming (愛情來了) in May and held one concert in Taoyuan, Taiwan, named "Kelly Chen Love is Coming Concert" (陳慧琳愛情來了演唱會). She held 12 shows in Hong Kong in July, named "Kelly Dynacarnival World Tour, Hong Kong" (陳慧琳飛天舞會演唱會). She held a show called "Kelly Dynacarnival World Tour" (陳慧琳飛天舞會世界巡迴演唱會) in Sydney and Melbourne in September. In November, she released her Mandarin album(new+bes) Shining Colourful (閃亮每一天). She held her "Kelly Dynacarnival World Tour" in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in December. The Republic of Liberia issued stamps commemorating her in December. Chen won "Asian Pacific Most Popular Hong Kong Female Artist" at the 2002 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation and "Best Dressed 31st Awards" held by the Japanese government. She held her "Kelly Dynacarnival World Tour" in San Francisco, Atlantic City and Toronto in April 2003. She released her Mandarin album You Don't Mean It (心口不一) and Cantonese album Love (愛) in August. You Don't Mean It sold over 800,000 in Asia. Chen again won the "Asian Pacific Most Popular Hong Kong Female Artist" award at the 2003 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation. She became the first Asian spokesperson for Dior in May 2004. She released her Cantonese album "Stylish Index". She was chosen as "Famous Outstanding Young Persons of the World" (2004年度世界傑出青年) by Junior Chamber International in October 2004. She held 10 shows in Hong Kong in December, named "Kelly Lost in Paradise World Tour, Hong Kong" (陳慧琳紙醉金迷演唱會) and also released her Cantonese album "Grace & Charm". She was also voted "CCTV Most Popular Female Singer " (第七屆中央電視台音樂電視大賽港澳臺及海外華語歌壇最受歡迎女歌手) by forty-five million Chinese people in 2004. In 2005, her song "Hope" (希望) from the Korean TV series Dae Jang Geum (大長今) was popular in Hong Kong and mainland China. "Hope" improved her earnings as well as the company promoting her at the time. At the TVB 8 Awards Presentation Chen took home three awards for "Hope" including the Song Award, World's Most Popular Cantonese Song, and Most Well-Liked Female Singer in mainland China. "Hope" was the top song of charts for 20 radio stations in China and had even set a high record for ringtone downloads. A month after the initial launch, there were over 3 million downloads and, to date, the accumulated figure is over 6 million. As such, her record company earned $5 million after deductions. Universal Music Group's managing director called Chen to inform her of the good news. Chen had promised that if the number of downloads were to go over 10 million, she will distribute the earnings to the staff. She wrapped up her "Kelly Chen Lost in Paradise World Tour" (陳慧琳紙醉金迷世界巡迴演唱會) in 2005–2006 in Asia and North America (10 shows in Hong Kong, two shows in Genting Highlands in Malaysia, two shows in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, 12 shows in Mainland China (two each in Shanghai and Guangzhou, one each in Nanjing, Wuhan, Harbin, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Changzhou, and Wuxi), three shows in the USA (two in Connecticut and one in Las Vegas), and one show in Toronto, Canada). "Lost in Paradise" lasted three hours and contained 35 songs from Chen's lengthy 10-year music career. Chen held 30 shows in the "Kelly Lost in Paradise World Tour". Chen was ranked as the third highest-income artist (and the highest-income female artist), following Jackie Chan and Andy Lau, overall in the Greater China region from 2005 to 2007. In 2008, Chen performed in the movie Empress and the Warriors (江山美人). She held six concerts in Hong Kong, named "Kelly Chen Love Fighters Concert 2008" (陳慧琳Love Fighters演唱會08). She announced to all the audiences that she would marry Alex Lau in her last concert on 18 June. Chen has turned down all the shows of the "Kelly Chen Love Fighters World Tour" (陳慧琳Love Fighters 世界巡迴演唱會) in China, Taiwan, Korea, USA, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia because she wanted to give birth. She performed in the closing ceremony of 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. === 2009–present === In 2009, Chen was chosen as a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum in 2009. Chen performed with Amei Cheung, in the opening ceremony of National Games of China. After the birth of her children, Chen shifted her focus from her career to her family. Chen released Chasing Dreams (微光) on March 16, 2010, her first album since the birth of her first son in 2009. Chen's first major screen role since An Empress and the Warriors (2008) was as an entertainment TV anchor in Horseplay (2014). In 2023, Chen surprised her fans with a series of new songs, including Eye of the Storm (風眼), Unconditional Love (我的親人), Price of Romance (談情的價值) and Knowledge of Love (愛情常識). == Personal life == Chen married long-term boyfriend businessman Alex Lau Kin Ho on 2 October 2008. Chen gave birth to her first son, Chace Lau, in July 2009. Chen had a miscarriage in 2011. Her second son Riley Lau was born in March 2012. She is of Shanghai ancestry. Chen speaks fluent Cantonese, and in various degrees of fluency, Mandarin, Japanese, and English. She has an elder sister and a younger brother, singer Victor Chen Si-hon. == Tours == Wind, Flower, Snow Concert (1997–1998) Starry Dream of Love World Tour (1997–1998) Deep Impact Taiwan Tour (1998–1999) Paisley Galaxy World Tour (2000–2001) Dynacarnival World Tour (2002–2003) Lost in paradise World Tour (2004–2006) LOVE Fighters Concert (2008) Kelly Let's Celebrate! World Tour (2015–2016) Kelly Season Two World Tour (2023-2025) == Philanthropy == Since 1998, Chen has been involved in charitable activities and has served as an ambassador for causes including environmental protection, education, and children. She was appointed a Hong Kong Goodwill Ambassador in 1998. === Environment === Chen was appointed Hong Kong Ambassador of Environment in 1998. With Greenpeace, she has made commercials to promote awareness of environmental protection in 2006. === Education === In April 2002, she was appointed by the "Standing Committee on Language Education and Research" (SCOLAR) as the "Ambassador of The Workplace English Campaign" to encourage the working people to keep studying the English language as Chen herself had done. After years of serving other funds, Chen started her own to help children: the Kelly Chen Children Education Fund raises money to help needy children. Besides performing her Dynacarnival concert in Hong Kong, Chen travelled to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia to perform. Chen was soon appointed by the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department as the "Ambassador of The Rehabilitation". She was awarded two honours. First, she was chosen as one of Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons 2002. That same year, she was invited to represent Hong Kong to attend the ABU Prizes – Presentation & Special Concert in the NHK Hall in Tokyo. She received the 13th Annual Best Dressed Award in Japan, becoming the first foreigner to receive the award. She was later invited by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and HKSAR Government Health Department to film the publicity campaigns for promoting the respect of personal privacy and organ donation throughout China and Hong Kong. === Children's causes === She was appointed by UNICEF as the Honorable China Children's Health Ambassador. Chen was later appointed by the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association as "Girl Guides Millennium Goodwill Ambassador", which led her to visit Inner Mongolia to investigate the way young children were living and the health and food services they were receiving. In 2001, Chen added another title to her growing list as the Volunteer Ambassador 2001 as appointed by the Social Welfare Department. She was later appointed by UNICEF a second time as the Ambassador of The Hong Kong Committee For UNICEF. === Other charitable work === As an ambassador of the Hong Kong Red Cross, Chen promoted the donation of blood banks. She was an ambassador for the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). March 2003 brought more titles Chen's way: she was appointed The Philatelic Ambassador by the Hong Kong Post, as well as "The Love And Peace Ambassador" by City Junior Chamber. Chen soon took her "Dynacarnival" to North America by performing in Atlantic City, Toronto and San Francisco. She began to release DSD versions of her earlier albums, including Dedicated Lover. She was later appointed as Star of "Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award" by Lion & Globe Educational Trust, furthering her push for better education. In June 2003, Chen's wax figure for the Madam Tussaud Wax Museum was ready and was put on display. She was later invited to be the "Love Ambassador" of "World Children's Day at McDonald's 2003" by McDonald's restaurants in Hong Kong. She was appointed as the "Pass-it-On" Ambassador by the Hong Kong Red Cross and attend its Christmas campaign to visit the John. F. Kennedy Center. Chen's charitable work continued into 2004 as she was appointed as the star representative to attend the "5th HK Outstanding Teenagers" election press conference held by Hong Kong Playground Association and RTHK. In February, Chen was appointed as both "Road Safety Vision Ambassador" by the Road Safety Council to promote road safety, and as the "Reading Ambassador" by The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong. May 2004 brought the title of "Hospital Play Ambassador" to Chen, as well as the title of "Japanese Promotional Ambassador" by The Japan Society of HK, Consulate General of Japan and RTHK to encourage Hong Kong citizens to learn Japanese. Chen received another award when she was named "The Outstanding Young Persons of the World" in 2004 by the Junior Chamber International, becoming the first Hong Kong female celebrity to be honoured with the award. In 2007, Chen was appointed as Hong Kong "Innovative Entrepreneur Ambassador" (創意創業大使) and had sung the theme song "Innovation" (創) for the "Innovative Entrepreneur of The Year 2007" (創意創業大賞2007) organised by City Junior Chamber 城市青年商會, Hong Kong. Chen's responsibility is to promote the awareness of entrepreneurship to youngsters and to attend the various promotion events organised. She also continued the support of Innovation Entrepreneur in 2008. After completing her movie, An Empress and the Warriors, with Leon Lai, Chen headed a concert, called "Love Fighters", at the HK Coliseum in June 2008. This was her biggest concert headline to date, which will feature many sets and exotic choreography. Chen donated $600,000 for the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. == Media and public relations == In a survey conducted in 2002 by the City University of Hong Kong, Chen was voted "The Most Popular Idol" by local youth groups. In 1997, Shiseido hired Chen to appear in their commercials; she was "depicted as [a] modern Asian [beauty], not quite identical yet not totally different from Japanese women." Chen was also chosen as the cover model for Ginza, a new monthly magazine targeted at women in their twenties. == Discography == === Studio albums === ==== Hong Kong Cantonese ==== Intoxicated Lover 醉迷情人 (Dec. 1995) Wind, Flower, Snow 風花雪 (Oct. 1996) Starry Dreams of Love 星夢情真 (June 1997) A Movie 一齣戲 (Dec. 1997) Da De Dum (I Am Falling Out of Love) Da De Dum (我失戀)(July 1998) True Feeling 真感覺 (Feb. 1999) Don't Stop Loving Me 繼續愛我 (Aug. 1999) Paisley Galaxy 花花宇宙 (May 2000) The Big Day 大日子 (Nov. 2000) In The Party (July 2001) ASK (19 December 2001) ASK KELLY (1 February 2002) Dynacarnival 飛天舞會 (12 July 2002) Baby Cat (13 December 2002) Love 愛 (22 August 2003) Stylish Index (23 July 2004) GRACE AND CHARM (22 December 2004) Happy Girl (25 August 2006) Kellylicious (16 May 2008) Reflection (7 February 2013) And Then (15 January 2016) Watch Me (20 July 2018) ==== Taiwanese Mandarin ==== I Don't Think So 我不以為 (May 1996) Insight 體會 (Aug. 1997) You're Not The Same 你不一樣 (Mar. 1998) Love Me Or Not 愛我不愛 (Dec 1998) Love You So Much 愛你愛的 (Apr 2000) Flying 飛吧 (Aug. 2001) Love Appeared 愛情來了 (10 May 2002) You Don't Mean It 心口不一 (1 August 2003) Eternal Sunshine 我是陽光的 (16 September 2005) Chasing Dreams 微光 (16 March 2010) ==== Japanese ==== GRACE (29 January 2002) == Filmography == Whatever Will Be, Will Be (仙樂飄飄, 1995) The Age of Miracles (1995) Lost and Found (天涯海角, 1996) A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation (1997) Anna Magdalena (安娜瑪德蓮娜, 1998) Hot War (幻影特攻, 1998) Metade Fumaca (半支煙, 1999)—Cameo Tokyo Raiders (東京攻略, 2000) And I Hate You So (小親親, 2000) Lavender (薰衣草, 2000) Calmi Cuori Appassionati (冷靜與熱情之間, 2001) Merry Go Round (初戀拿喳麵, 2001) – Cameo Infernal Affairs (無間道, 2002) Infernal Affairs III (無間道 III, 2003) Breaking News (大事件, 2004) Super Model (我要做Model, 2004) – Cameo McDull, the Alumni (春田花花同學會, 2006) – OL It's a Wonderful Life (心想事成, 2007) An Empress and the Warriors (江山美人, 2008) 72 Tenants of Prosperity (72家租客, 2010) All's Well, Ends Well 2012 (八星抱喜, 2012) Tales from the Dark 1 (迷離夜之“放手”, 2013) The Monkey King (西遊記之大鬧天宮, 2014) Horseplay (盜馬記, 2014) An Inspector Calls (浮華宴, 2015) The Monkey King 2 (西遊記之孫悟空三打白骨精, 2016) == References == == Further reading == "Buzzing: Kelly Chen Pregnant". The (Singapore) Straits-Times. 16 February 2009. Chow, Vivienne (3 October 2008). "Kelly Chen weds long-time love in lavish ceremony worthy of a Canto-pop dream". South China Morning Post. Greenpeace China. "陈慧琳"气候变化危机"短片". Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2009. Hong Kong Cinemagic. "Kelly Chen Wai Lam". Retrieved 12 April 2009. Iwabuchi, Kōichi (2002). Recentering globalization: popular culture and Japanese transnationalism. Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-2891-7. "Kelly Announces Her Marriage During Concert. 陳慧琳演唱會上宣布婚訊". Chongqing Times. 20 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2009. Haibao. "陈慧琳的新鲜资讯". Haibao.cn. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009. == External links == Kelly Chen's official site Kelly Chen at IMDb Kelly Chen at the Hong Kong Movie Database

Kelly Chen Wai-lam (born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972) is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. She has been referred to as a "Diva of Asia" (Chinese: 亞洲天后; lit. 'Asia's Heavenly Queen'). Chen has great success in the East Asian entertainment industry with nearly 20 million record sales of 38 albums. According to Oriental Daily News, Chen was the highest earning female Hong Kong celebrity of 2014, earning 83 million HKD (US$10.7 million).

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List of Bleach characters (wikipedia)

This is a list of characters for Tite Kubo's manga and anime series Bleach. It takes place in a fictional universe in which the characters are split into various factionalized fictional races. They are subdivisions of humanity, but are distinguished by whether they live on Earth or in one of the afterlives, by possession of thematically contrasting supernatural powers, and by the use of aesthetics drawn from the artistic traditions of different real-life regions. The main character of the series, Ichigo Kurosaki, has the ability to interact with ghosts. He soon meets Rukia Kuchiki, a female Soul Reaper from the Soul Society whose mission is to deal with hungering lost souls called Hollows. After seeing Rukia grievously wounded by a Hollow in his presence, Ichigo receives the power of exorcism and psychopompy to carry out her Soul Reaper duties as she recovers. As Ichigo guides the recently deceased to the afterlife while contending with Hollows, he clashes and forms alliances with the other supernaturally powered residents of the city, including his friends. Many individual characters and the series' character design work have been praised, though Bleach's constantly-expanding character roster has been a point of criticism in the press. The size of the cast has been explained by author Kubo as the result of his writing process, in which he first creates new figures, then writes their personalities and character arcs, and finally assembles these interactions into a new plot. The overall response to this technique is mixed, with some reviewers believing the resulting characters are still relatively stereotypical and often get little individual focus, while others have remarked that even secondary characters feel like protagonists of their very own stories. == Creation and conception == Bleach's creative process is focused around character design. When writing plotlines or having difficulties generating new material, Tite Kubo begins by thinking of new characters, often en masse, and rereading previous volumes of Bleach. Kubo has said that he likes creating characters with outward appearances that do not match their true nature, an element that can be found in many Bleach characters, as he is "attracted to people with that seeming contradiction", and finds an "urge to draw people like that when [he] works." When creating characters for the manga, Kubo first designs character appearances and only then decides what their personalities will be, in reflection of what he drew. When brainstorming character designs, he will go out and draw the faces of real people he sees, a hobby of his dating back to childhood. Kubo considers every character to be unique and wants each of them to have the opportunity for character development in the course of the series. When asked about potentially-romantic relationships between certain characters, Kubo states that he "doesn't want to turn the series into a love story", since he thinks there are more exciting aspects of their personalities to draw out. Kubo has cited influences for elements of Bleach ranging from other manga series to music, foreign language, architecture, and film. He attributes his interest in drawing the supernatural and monsters to Shigeru Mizuki's Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro and Bleach's focus on unique weaponry and battle scenes to Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya, both manga Kubo enjoyed as a boy. Bleach was first conceived from Kubo's desire to draw a shinigami in a kimono, which formed the basis for the design of the Soul Reapers. Several characteristics from them such as the kidō spells and the zanpakutō swords(katana) are also based on Japanese literature. Rukia Kuchiki was the first character Kubo designed, but he did not see her as a lead character, so he created Ichigo Kurosaki to be the series protagonist. Other characters from the series also use different languages to describe their terminology; the powers from the Quincy are taken from German, while Hollows and Arrancar instead use Spanish terms; for the latter, Kubo believed that the language sounded "bewitching" and "mellow" and that felt appropriate for a species of ghost. The names of several Arrancar are based on famous architects and designers who inspired scenery appearing in Bleach. == Main characters == === Ichigo Kurosaki === Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎 一護, Kurosaki Ichigo) is the main protagonist of the series. A tall orange-haired high school student, Ichigo becomes a "substitute Soul Reaper" after unintentionally absorbing most of Rukia Kuchiki's powers. His cynical nature at first makes him ill-disposed towards the duty, but, with the passage of time, he accepts and welcomes the strength his Soul Reaper powers give him. When creating the manga series, Kubo commented that Rukia Kuchiki, the first character he created, did not seem like a lead character, so he created Ichigo to be the series protagonist. Ichigo is voiced by Masakazu Morita in the Japanese version of the anime and by Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dub. === Rukia Kuchiki === Rukia Kuchiki (朽木 ルキア, Kuchiki Rukia) is a Soul Reaper,(死神, Shinigami, literally 'Death God'), who is assigned hollow extermination duties in Karakura Town. She meets Ichigo for the first time when she breaks into his house, not knowing that he can see her. Their relationship further complicates when Rukia saves Ichigo and transfers her powers to him. Rukia lacks it and cannot return to the Soul Society. She assumes a temporary lifestyle as a regular human, using a gigai (human form) obtained from Kisuke Urahara's shop, and enrolls into Ichigo's high school and takes up residence in his closet, while teaching him how to be a substitute Soul Reaper in her place. Rukia was the first female character of the series created by Kubo, her design being the one he decided to use for all the other Soul Reapers. Rukia is voiced by Fumiko Orikasa in the Japanese version of the anime and by Michelle Ruff in the English dub. === Orihime Inoue === Orihime Inoue (井上 織姫, Inoue Orihime) is a long-time classmate of Ichigo and one of his closest friends. She used to have a crush on Ichigo since the beginning, however due to Ichigo's selfless wish to protect his loved ones, Orihime genuinely falls in love with him. Since the age of three, she had been an orphan when her older brother Sora left their abusive parents' home with her and raised Orihime on his own. Later on, when Orihime was in middle school, Sora died in an accident. Though initially devoid of spiritual powers, she develops spiritual awareness early in the plot. She later obtains the god-like ability to warp reality through rejecting past phenomena. Orihime is voiced by Yuki Matsuoka in the Japanese version of the anime and by Stephanie Sheh in the English dub. === Renji Abarai === Renji Abarai (阿散井 恋次, Abarai Renji), is a Soul Reaper of Squad 6 in the Gotei 13. When he was first introduced he played an antagonistic role as he was sent to the human world to find and bring Rukia back to the Soul Society. He initially dedicates his life to defeating Ichigo, before joining forces with him to rescue Rukia halfway through the Soul Society arc. He has since become a major protagonist and a consistent ally and rival of Kurosaki. His weapon throughout the series is Zabimaru. Renji is voiced by Kentarō Itō in the Japanese version of the anime and by Wally Wingert in the English dub. === Uryū Ishida === Uryū Ishida (石田 雨竜, Ishida Uryū) is a Quincy, a descendant of a line of near-extinct, priest-like, hollow-hunting archers, who were historical enemies of the Soul Reapers. He bears a deep grudge against all Soul Reapers, including Ichigo, and is an early antagonist in the series. He comes to view Ichigo differently over time, and eventually becomes a valuable ally and a friendly rival. As a Quincy, Uryū possesses the supernatural power to gather invisible "spirit particles" called reishi from the atmosphere. Once gathered, these particles can be shaped into spirit-energy constructs, foremost among them a bow and arrow, and to fuel various magical spells and superhuman abilities. Uryū is voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama in the Japanese version of the anime and by Derek Stephen Prince in the English dub. === Yasutora "Chad" Sado === Yasutora Sado (茶渡 泰虎, Sado Yasutora), better known as Chad (チャド, Chado), is one of Ichigo's friends at school. He is of mixed Japanese/Mexican heritage and a student who towers over his classmates at 6 feet 5 inches. Despite his imposing appearance and fearless attitude he is quite meek and refuses to fight unless it is for the sake of another. When he attempts to protect Ichigo's sister Karin and her friends from a hollow, he discovers a unique ability that strengthens and armors his right arm, enabling him to fight hollows. He is quite loyal to his friends, especially Ichigo, who is one of his closest friends. He displays little emotion except when something or someone he cares about is in danger. Chad is voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto in the Japanese version of the anime. In the English dub, Chad is voiced by Marc Worden from episode 2–85, by Jamieson Price from episode 86–366 and by Alain Mesa in Thousand-Year Blood War. == Antagonists == === Hollows === Hollows (虚（ホロウ）, Horō) are the class of spirit that most enemies in the series they are part of. They are spirits that had been human but were not sent to Soul Society in due time after death. This makes them lose their sense of being and gives them a craving for human souls. Their main characteristic is a white mask completely covering their face and a hole near their chest. Each hollow's mask has a design unique to that individual. The Arrancars, Hollows who acquired humanoid form and Soul Reaper powers, become the primary antagonists later in the series under the command of the rogue Soul Reaper Sōsuke Aizen and the ten strongest Arrancars known as the Espadas. The 10 Espadas are numbered 0–9, 0 being the strongest and 9 the weakest. But the rating also works with spirit pressure density numbered 1–10, with Espada's 0's power contained with a 10 tattoo. === Sōsuke Aizen === Sōsuke Aizen (藍染 惣右介, Aizen Sōsuke) is the main antagonist of the pre-timeskip half. While introduced as the captain of Squad Five later revealed to have been behind various events prior to the series, Aizen has orchestrated a series of events in the Soul Society to obtain the Hōgyoku for his goal to create an Ōken to kill the Soul King with the aid of the Arrancars and rogue Soul Reapers he recruited. However, revealed to have played an indirect role in Ichigo's conception, Aizen is defeated by him, before being captured by Kisuke and sentenced to the Muken for twenty millennia. === Bounts === The Bounts (バウント, bounto) are a group of humans with special abilities. They are the main antagonists during the anime-exclusive Bount and Bount Assault on Soul Society arcs. The Bounts live eternally due to an accident during a scientific experiment earlier in the Soul Society, where they were created, and began to eat the souls of human beings to gain more power. They each have a unique weapon known as a Doll, a familiar which is its creator's power given physical form. Dolls are mostly self-sufficient creatures when released, although they tend to be used as weapons in various ways such as a large battle axe or a snake, as a sword and whip. Their leader Kariya, motivated by the destruction of himself and all connected to him, plans to invade the Soul Society along with the remaining Bounts to destroy it and themselves. However, with the exception of his friend Gō Koga, Kariya managed to have his forces wiped out by the Soul Reapers prior to himself being killed by Ichigo Kurosaki. IGN criticized the Bounts as being "lame bad guys," noting that the bittō (the Bounts’ mosquito-like creatures that collect souls) in particular were like "something straight out of a bad sci-fi movie," but admitted the Bounts were "decent plot devices" to develop the other characters. ==== Jin Kariya ==== Jin Kariya (狩矢 神, Kariya Jin) is the Leader of the Bounts who planned to destroy the entire Soul Society through the Jōkaishō, the device that created the Bounts. He was originally Eugene Currier, a boy who was befriended by the Soul Society scientist Ran'tao before being forced to leave his home when Soul Reapers are dispatched to kill the Bounts. Jin Kariya's Doll is Messer, having long absorbed it to manipulate wind without releasing it into its true form. While usings Messer's full power, Kariya can move the wind at such speeds in order to generate lightning and move at high speeds similar to a Flash Step. Eventually, defeated in the end, Kariya's true agenda is revealed to be the mutually assured destruction of the Soul Reapers and the Bounts. Jin is voiced by Tōru Ōkawa in the Japanese version of the anime and by Troy Baker in the English dub. ==== Gō Koga ==== Gō Koga (古賀 剛, Koga Gō) is the one that was closest to Jin Kariya, whose Doll is the spider-like Dalk, who is able to manipulate her metallic body to create weaponry or be confronted into a battle axe that Koga uses. In the 1800s, while still going under the name Claude Gaugain, Koga was living in a countryside somewhere in Europe when Kariya brought him Cain to guide in their ways. But it ended with Cain's death which haunts Koga. In the end, after confronting Kariya and nearly getting killed by Hitsugaya, Kouga is the last remaining Bount as his wounds are tended to be Ran'Tao. Gō is voiced by Tōru Furusawa in the Japanese version of the anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub. Dalk is voiced by Takako Honda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Karen Strassman in the English dub. ==== Cain ==== Cain (ケイン, Kein) is a young male Bount that Jin Kariya left in Gō Koga's care many years ago. When he tried to summon his mantis-like doll Waineton, the doll turned on Cain and killed him in front of Gō Koga. Cain is voiced by Takayaki Fujimoto in the Japanese version of the anime and by Peter Doyle in the English dub. Waineton is voiced by Philece Sampler in the English dub. ==== Hō and Ban ==== Hō (鵬) and Ban (磐) are twin brothers who appeared when they used their dolls in order to attack Uryū Ishida. Hō and Ban's dolls are Guhl and Günther, bottle caps that manipulate water making its power source nearly unlimited. They can wrap themselves around their opponents in order to drown them or even flood a person's body killing them from the inside out. They are tasked by Kariya to eliminate Uryū while he is recovering in his father's hospital after he's been attacked by Ryō Utagawa. They fight Ichigo, Renji, Rukia and Sado and try to kill them by drowning them from the inside, but they are killed when Ganju uses some firecrackers to destroy their dolls, aging them to death. In the Japanese version of the anime, Hō and Ban are both voiced by Daisuke Sakaguchi. In the English dub, Hō and Ban are voiced by Roger Craig Smith and Brian Beacock. ==== Ryō Utagawa ==== Ryō Utagawa (宇田川 稜, Utagawa Ryō) served under Jin Kariya and had ambitions to overthrow him. Ryō Utagawa's doll is Fried, which takes the form of a golden snake with black stripes and green eyes when unsealed. Its powers allow Ryō to turn whatever Fried touches or sees into a snake. Ryō can also intercept attacks through a barrier called Snake Net. Once the technique is activated, if something is seen as a threat to Ryō through Fried, it will be attacked no matter where the threat runs to by snakes emerging from the ground. When it came to the fight against the Bounts at their mansion, Ryō was killed by Maki Ichinose and his body turns to dust. Ryō is voiced by Shūsuke Sakino in the Japanese version of the anime and by Tony Oliver in the English dub. Fried is voiced by Miho Saiki in the Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. ==== Yoshi ==== Yoshi (ヨシ) is a member of the Bounts. She fought Rukia, Orihime, and Kuroda in an alley until Mabashi ordered her to leave. Later, she invades Soul Society with the other Bounts and nearly kills Rukia in a fight, but is forced to retreat when Byakuya intervenes. She then duels Ishida and dies at his hand when he realises she can't block and attack at the same time and forces her to attack him before piercing her heart with an arrow. Yoshi's doll is Nieder, who takes on the form of a jian and fan combination. In its base form, the fan can fire needle-like projectiles at its target. It can also be used for defense against regular attacks. The jian part of the Doll is used for regular offense. When the fan's size increases, it can protect Yoshi against all attacks, but Yoshi loses all form of offense. When the jian increases in size, its offensive power increases further, as the jian gains a trail of energy swords. Yoshi is voiced by Yōko Sōmi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Stephanie Sheh in the English dub. The jian and fan parts of Nieder are voiced by Taro Yamaguchi and Mariko Kōda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Joe J. Thomas and Wendee Lee in the English dub. ==== Mabashi ==== Mabashi (馬橋) interrupts Yoshi's battle against Rukia, Orihime and Kuroda. He uses his doll to control Rukia's body and use her to fight the others, but falls back once Orihime uses her powers to force it out of her body. During the Bount Assault on Soul Society, he poisons Soi-Fon and uses his doll to turn her squad against her, but is tricked by her and dies after being hit twice in the same spot by Suzumebachi. Mabashi's doll is Ritz, who has the ability to possess the body of anyone and control them. Mabashi is voiced by Daisuke Ono in the Japanese version of the anime and by Keith Silverstein in the English dub. Ritz is voiced by Asami Sanada in the Japanese version of the anime and by Sandy Fox in the English dub. ==== Sawatari ==== Sawatari (沢渡) is the oldest of the bunch. Sawatari's doll is Baura, who has a whale-like appearance that Sawatari sits on top of. Baura has a dimension in its stomach where anyone that is swallowed by Baura will die if they stay in him too long. He attacks Rangiku, Sado, Ururu and Noba in Karakura Town and uses Baura to swallow Ururu, who is saved when Rangiku uses Kido to force the doll out of the ground. During the Soul Society invasion, he runs into Mayuri Kurotsuchi and fights him, dying after being poisoned by Ashisogi Jizo. Sawatari is voiced by Yuzuru Fujimoto in the Japanese version of the anime and by Joe J. Thomas in the English dub. Baura is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub. ==== Ugaki ==== Ugaki (宇柿) is a member of the Bounts. Ugaki's doll is Gesell, which is a huge, eyeless monster. It has the ability to manifest many melee weapons from its limbs. Gesell can see through the eyes that generate light as his master does through his glasses. It is controlled by Ugaki through a deck of cards. Whatever is shown on a card Ugaki plays, appears within the shadow of an object, which is created by the light generated from the eyes. Ugaki fights Ichigo and Renji in a cave until signs of weakness causes him to be killed by his own doll. Ugaki is voiced by Katsumi Suzuki in the Japanese version of the anime and by Kirk Thornton in the English dub. Gesell is voiced by Neil Kaplan in the English dub. ==== Yoshino Sōma ==== Yoshino Sōma (相馬 芳野, Sōma Yoshino) is Kariya's ex-wife, whose doll is a fire humanoid named Goethe that can regenerate from most attacks and sees his master as mother figure. Fighting against the other Bounts, Yoshino tried to take the soul of a human until she was stopped by Yoruichi. In the end, following Kariya's example, Yoshino absorbs Goethe to increase her power but is still killed with her energy used to create the Bittos. Yoshino is voiced by Masako Katsuki in the Japanese version of the anime and by Dorothy Elias-Fahn in the English dub. Goethe is voiced by Richard Epcar in the English dub. === Xcution === Xcution (エクスキューション, Ekusukyūshon) is a secret organization in Naruki City that makes itself known to Ichigo seventeen months after he loses his Soul Reaper powers and serve as the main antagonists in the first arc after the timeskip. The group is made up of humans whose preborn encounter with hollows resulted in them becoming outcasts who possess a power known as Fullbring (完現術（フルブリング）, Furuburingu, lit. "Final Manifestation Art"), an ability to manipulate the "soul" of an object to bring out its full potential. But a Fullbringer's true power comes from enhancing the soul of an object they are compatible with, such as a prized possession. However, the effects of a Fullbringer's power will cease once the user is dead. Using Tsukishima's Fullbring, Xcution's other members had placed themselves in a fabricated notion that they need a Soul Reaper to become normal humans and train Ichigo to use Fullbring. But once Tsukishima restored their memories, the group reveals their real intention to take Ichigo's Fullbring powers. Though Xcution got Ichigo's Fullbring, they were scattered after Ginjō's death. ==== Kūgo Ginjō ==== Kūgo Ginjō (銀城 空吾, Ginjō Kūgo) is the leader of Xcution. In the past, he was the first substitute Soul Reaper before he went into hiding upon learning that he was not trusted by the Soul Society. Ginjō later established Xcution and becomes its leader while having the Fullbringers exchange energies with him to cement their organization. Soon after, Ginjō has Tsukishima alter his memory to win Ichigo over before having his memories restored to siphon Ichigo's Fullbring. While his Fullbring power is Cross of Scaffold, turning his Saltire pendant into a large Claymore, Ginjō can use his Soul Reaper badge to augment his power. After absorbing Ichigo's Fullbring, Ginjō gains access to Ichigo's abilities. When he is unable to convince Ichigo that they were both wronged by the Soul Society, Ginjō releases his bankai to counter Ichigo's. However, Ichigo proves to be too strong as he manages to kill Ginjō. After Ichigo requests permission to bury him in the land of the living out of respect, Ginjō ends up living within the Soul Society alongside Tsukishima and Giriko. Ginjō is voiced by Hiroki Tōchi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Travis Willingham in the English dub. ==== Shūkurō Tsukishima ==== Shūkurō Tsukishima (月島 秀九郎, Tsukishima Shūkurō) is the former leader of Xcution and Ginjō's accomplice. His Fullbring power is Book of the End (ブック ・ オブ ・ ジ ・ エンド, Bukku obu ji Endo), a bookmark that transforms into a katana with two abilities: cutting through anything and inserting/removing false memories of whatever it cuts, living or not. If suiting his fancy, Tsukishima can use his power to destroy the minds of his victims by having them suffer mental breakdowns from an overdose of false memories. After Ginjō's surprise attack on Uryū, Tsukishima alters the memories of his fellow Xcution members to win Ichigo over while he places Orihime and Chad under his spell alongside Ichigo's sisters and friends. But once Uryū reveals Ginjō as the true mastermind and Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers are restored, Tsukishima causes Chad and Orihime to have a mental breakdown for his amusement until they are knocked out by Isshin and Urahara. Tsukishima then engages Byakuya in battle before being wounded and left to die. After Ichigo defeats Ginjō in a fight, Tsukishima attempts to kill Ichigo, only for his attack to be taken by Riruka instead. Afterwards while being carried away by Moe, Tsukishima dies from his injuries with everyone under his spell restored to normalcy. Following his death, Tsukishima was later seen living within the Soul Society alongside Ginjō and Giriko. Tsukishima is voiced by Daisuke Ono in the Japanese version of the anime and by Matthew Mercer in English dub. ==== Yukio Hans Vorarlberna ==== Yukio Hans Vorarlberna (雪緒・ハンス・フォラルルベルナ, Yukio Hansu Foraruruberuna) is the youngest member of Xcution. His Fullbring Invaders Must Die (インヴェイダーズ・マスト・ダイ, Inveidāzu Masuto Dai) allows him to insert people into another dimension, which is controlled by his video game console as long as it has battery life. Prior to joining Xcution, Yukio came from a wealthy family. But the neglect by his parents and turning to his power led to Yukio stealing his family's fortune and indirectly causing his parents' suicide after he ran way. Taking over in the last stages of Ichigo's Fullbring training, Yukio later gained a power boost that allows him to Fullbring without his game console. After being defeated by Toshiro Hitsugaya, later confronted by Jackie Tristan, Yukio decides to improve upon his father's company and eventually hire the surviving Xcution members. Yukio is later enlisted by Kisuke to help Ichigo and his friends during the battle against Yhwach. He is voiced by Mitsuhiro Ichiki in the Japanese version of the anime and by Lucien Dodge in the English dub. ==== Jackie Tristan ==== Jackie Tristan (ジャッキー・トリスタン, Jākkī Torisutan) is a Fullbringer whose Fullbring is Dirty Boots (ダーティ・ブーツ, Dāti Būtsu), whenever her boots get dirty, she becomes physically stronger with superhuman speed. After her power boost, Jackie gains exhaust pipes on her right shoulder that covers enough of her body in muck that she can shatter the ground with a simple step. Unlike the others in her group, as she was unable to protect her family with her power, Jackie hated her Fullbring and genuinely wished to be rid of it. She eventually got her wish after she seemingly sacrificed herself to get Renji out of Yukio's Fullbring, feeling some regret in losing her power while promised a position in Yukio's company alongside the other surviving members of their group. Jackie is voiced by Atsuko Yuya in the Japanese version of the anime and by Julie Ann Taylor in the English dub. ==== Giriko Kutsuzawa ==== Giriko Kutsuzawa (沓澤 ギリコ, Kutsuzawa Giriko) is a Fullbringer who serves as Xcution's bartender. Giriko's Fullbring is Time Tells No Lies (タイム・テルズ・ノー・ライズ, Taimu Teruzu Nō Raizu) which allows him to impose "timers" upon things and beings to which they are attached. These timers are linked to specific conditions that Giriko himself can set. But once the time period is established, however, not even Giriko himself can deactivate and the subject must attain the conditions or be burned away by time itself. After Xcution steals Ichigo's Fullbring powers, Giriko gained the ability to increase his body mass and strength in relation to the simplicity of his ability's condition. But to his shock, Giriko is easily killed off by Kenpachi Zaraki. Following his death, Giriko was seen living in the Soul Society alongside Ginjō and Tsukishima. Giriko is voiced by Atsushi Ono in the Japanese version of the anime and by Michael Sorich in the English dub. ==== Moe Shishigawara ==== Moe Shishigawara (獅子河原 萌笑) is a hoodlum Fullbringer who works for Tsukishima, his Fullbring, named Jackpot Knuckle (ジャックポット・ナックル, Jakkupotto Nakkuru), increasing his luck to extreme levels using brass knuckles with three 7s on it. But the downside is that the longer he uses it, the weaker he becomes. Unlike the rest of Xcution, Moe did not receive an upgrade to his powers as he battles Ikkaku who convinces him that his loyalty is misplaced as Shishigawara overheard Tsukishima and Ginjō agreeing that it would be in their best interests to kill Moe. After the fight between the Soul Reapers and Xcution conclude, Shishigawara was last seen carrying the dying Tsukishima away. Shishigawara is voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino in the Japanese version of the anime and by Todd Haberkorn in the English dub. === Wandenreich === The Wandenreich (見えざる帝国（ヴァンデンライヒ）, Vandenraihi, "Invisible Empire") are a group of Quincies led by Yhwach in the final storyline of the series. Their attire usually consists of long white trench coats fitted with numerous buttons, a cape, a belt (usually a piece individual to each member), and a five-pointed cross, the Quincy Zeichen, somewhere upon the uniform. The Wandenreich named their group from the act of hiding themselves and their fortress Silbern (銀架城（ジルバーン）, Jirubān, German for "Silver", Japanese for "Silver-Wrought Castle") within a pocket dimension in the Seireitei's shadows called Schatten Bereich (影の領域（シャッテン・ベライヒ）, Shatten Beraihi, "Shadow Realm"). Apparently founded by the survivors of the Quincy massacre a millennium ago, the Wandenreich have been preparing to exact revenge on the Soul Reapers once amassing enough power to do so once their leader is revived. In the aftermath of Aizen's defeat, the Wandenreich conquered Hueco Mundo and captured numerous Arrancars (including the former Espada Tier Harribel) to serve as their personal Vanguards and foot soldiers. The Wandereich orchestrated two invasions on the Soul Society, the first leading to the notable deaths of Squad One's Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe and Head-Captain Yamamoto. After absorbing the Soul King and altering the Royal Palace by submerging it with the Silbern, renaming it the Wahrwelt (真世界城（ヴァールヴェルト）, Vāruveruto, German for "True World", Japanese for "True World Castle"), the Wandenreich planned to create a new world order, which would require a total genocide by destroying the Soul Society, the Real World and Hueco Mundo. However, after absorbing Ichigo's powers and the last two Sternritter survivors, Yhwach reveals his true goal was to eliminate all life in existence for bringing ruin and death to all living begins (including his children, the Quincys) for all eternity. Quilge Opie leads one of the many Jagdarmee (狩猟部隊（ヤークトアルメー）, Yākutoarumē, German for "Hunting Army", Japanese for "Hunting Corps") groups that hunt Arrancars. The Wandenreich also includes the Soldat (聖兵（ゾルダート）, Zorudāto, German for "Soldier", Japanese for "Holy Soldier") serving as low-ranking soldiers sent to exterminate the remaining enemy soldiers after the elite force, the Sternritter (星十字騎士団（シュテルンリッター）, Shuterunrittā, German for "Star Knights", Japanese for "Star Cross Knight Order"), have done defeating them. Four of the Sternritters, known as the Schutzstaffel (親衛隊（シュッツシュタッフェル）, Shuttsushutafferu, German for "Protective Echelon", Japanese for "Imperial Guards") are additionally handpicked by Yhwach to serve as his personal bodyguards. ==== A: Yhwach ==== Yhwach (ユーハバッハ, Yūhabahha), the main antagonist of the post-timeskip half and by far the most powerful enemy of the entire series, is the sovereign of the Wandenreich and the progenitor of all Quincies. Yhwach is also the son of the Soul King, the being whose existence is vital to the Soul Society. Yhwach bares the epithet "A" for "The Almighty" (全知全能（ジ・オールマイティー）, Ji Ōrumaitī, Japanese for "All-Knowing"), the ability to see anything and everything that can occur all possible futures, and when he sees and knows of a power, it is rendered unable to defeat him. At its full capability, the ability can also alter the future in any way Yhwach wishes. When Yhwach was born, he already demonstrated supernatural abilities through infusing a part of his soul in other people to heal them of injuries and disabilities. But the moment a person healed this way dies, Yhwach regains that fragment, while gaining that person's abilities and knowledge. As this extended his life, revered as a holy child, Yhwach took the name of YHWH which the people proclaimed in his presence. Yhwach resolved to destroy the current reality to create a world without death, defeated by Yamamoto a millennia prior to the events of the series and sealed away for nine centuries and nine decades. Upon being freed, Yhwach spent the next nine years stealing the powers from "impure" Quincies to regain his power through his life-manipulating ability Auswählen (聖別（アウスヴェーレン）, Ausuvēren, German for "Selection"). Among his victims were Ichigo's mother Masaki, as she protected her son Ichigo from the Hollow Grand Fisher, and Uryū's mother Kanae Katagiri. It appears his time imprisoned has left his sanity in question; he claims everything he is doing is for peace despite his sadistic behavior and dark humor. Months after Aizen's defeat, Yhwach conquers Hueco Mundo by defeating its current leader Tier Harribel and imprisoning her while employing Arrancars as foot soldiers for the Wandenreich in preparation to invade the Soul Society. As Ichigo Kurosaki battled Quilge, Yhwach has the Sternritters invade the Soul Society and attempted to recruit Aizen while having Royd Lloyd pose as him. But once Yhwach arrives and executes Royd, he steals Yamamoto's bankai and uses it to kill him. Shortly after, Yhwach is then confronted by Ichigo and has a brief battle with him, during which he reveals that his mother Masaki was a Quincy before departing. Several days later, as Ichigo learned of his ties to the Quincy through both his mother and Zangetsu's likeness to how Yhwach looked 1000 years ago, Yhwach has Haschwalth bringing Uryū before him. Telling Uryū that he was the only impure Quincy who survived the effects of Auswählen, having a power that surpasses his own, Yhwach makes the young Quincy his heir before returning to the Soul Society to enact the final phase of his plan. Shortly thereafter, Yhwach launches another attack on the Soul Society, replacing the Seireitei with Silbern. He oversees the battle and renders judgement on his subordinates who lost their battles, namely Cang Du and BG9. It is revealed that Yhwach spread pieces of his soul all over the Seireitei so that each death that occurs on the battlefield would prolong his life. After Ichigo returns to the Soul Society, Yhwach uses the opportunity to invade the Royal Realm where the Soul King resides. Accompanied by Uryū and Haschwalth, Yhwach is revealed to be accompanied by his strongest Sternritters as well when he summons them to engage Squad 0 and then revives them at the cost of his less powerful followers with Auswählen. From there, forced to reveal his true power, Yhwach defeats Ichibē Hyōsube before finding the Soul King. Though he mortally wounded the Soul King, Yhwach uses his influence over Ichigo's Quincy powers to have him kill the Soul King. But when Mimihagi intervened through Ukitake's sacrifice, Uryū holding off Ichigo, Yhwach decides to absorb Mimihagi while ordering his forces to kill anyone who intends to stop him from fully absorbing the Soul King. Yhwach eventually absorbed the entirety of the Soul King and Mimihagi's power before transforming the Soul King realm into the Wahrwelt, eventually revealing his intentions to be the only living thing in existence as he proceeds to carry out the task with Ichigo pursuing him. But after Aizen's attempt on his life, Yhwach ends up being killed by Ichigo after Uryū weakens the Quincy so a death blow can be made. Dying after telling Ichigo he condemned the world to continue the cycle of life and death, Yhwach's corpse becomes the new linchpin to reality while his spiritual pressure would briefly manifest ten years later before being extinguished. Yhwach is voiced by Takayuki Sugō in the Japanese version and the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls. In the English dub, he is voiced by Richard Epcar. ==== B: Jugram Haschwalth ==== Jugram Haschwalth (ユーグラム・ハッシュヴァルト, Yūguramu Hasshuvaruto)) is Yhwach's right-hand man and grandmaster of the Sternritter, and also has the epithet "B" for "The Balance (世界調和（ザ・バランス）, Za Baransu, Japanese for "World Harmony"), which allows Haschwalth to reflect any misfortune he suffers towards his opponent. Being a rare Quincy as he was born with the same power as Yhwach as he can possess his power while the older Quincy rests, Haschwalth lived with his uncle as a child before watching him die in a forest fire incited by Yhwach. Though Haschwalth and his childhood friend Bazz-B trained to someday avenge their losses, they ended up in the Wandenreich with Haschwalth's ability recognized by Yhwach and made his right-hand instantly. Like the rest of the Wandenreich, Haschwalth was sent to deliver their leader's war declaration, killing Squad 13's Hidetomo Kajomaru during the first invasion. Sometime later, Haschwalth helps Yhwach in his plan to steal Yamamoto's bankai by accompanying Royd Lloyd after he assumed their leader's form. After Yamamoto's death, Haschwalth is told to convey to the other Sternritter that they were to raze Soul Society before Ichigo arrived. He watches his master fight Ichigo before being called back to their palace, before which he easily breaks Ichigo's bankai. During Uryū Ishida's appointment as Yhwach's successor, Haschwalth remains calm while the other Sternritters object and preferred him over Uryū. Later, during the Wandenreich's second invasion, Haschwalth confronts Shunsui Kyōraku and Nanao Ise despite the latter uses a special kidō capable of preventing any Quincy from entering. Though Haschwalth breaks through the barrier, he is called back by Yhwach to punish the Sternritters who lost their respective fights. Haschwalth later creates the passage to the Royal Realm and accompanies Yhwach to help in his taking of the Soul King's powers, later mortally wounding Bazz-B in battle and questioning Uryū's loyalties while possessing Yhwach's Almighty ability. But when Yhwach uses his Auswählen on him, knowing his fate is sealed, Haschwalth uses his power to transfer Uryū's wounds onto himself before dying. Haschwalth is voiced by Yūichirō Umehara in the Japanese version of the anime and the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls. In the English dub, he is voiced by Robbie Daymond. ==== C: Pernida Parnkgjas ==== Pernida Parnkgjas (ペルニダ・パルンカジャス, Perunida Parunkajasu) is a cloaked Sternritter who is the severed left arm of the Soul King. Pernida possesses the epithet "C" for "The Compulsory" (強制執行（ザ・コンパルソリィ）, Za Konparusorī, Japanese for "Compulsive Execution"), a sight-related ability that causes the opponent to collapse inward through a distortive variation of a Quincy's Blut ability invading the target's body. Pernida can also use that ability to manipulative inanimate objects and environments as well while absorbing the traits of those his Blut nerves infected. As one of the Schutzstaffel, Pernida was hidden away in Yhwach's shadow until summoned to fight Senjumaru Shutara's forces with her largest guard fatally distorted by Pernida's power before being killed by Ōetsu Nimaiya. Pernida is revived by Yhwach activating his Auswählen, facing Kenpachi Zaraki when he and Mayuri Kurotsuchi confront the mysterious Quincy who has orders to kill any intruders in the altered Royal Realm. Though he effectively takes Kenpachi out of the fight by forcing the latter to amputate his distorted right arm, Pernida is forced to discard his cloak after Mayuri deduces the Quincy's attack method and severely injures him. Pernida proceeds to use his power as the Soul King's left arm to take out Mayuri, who wants to study the entity a while more. But Pernida's regenerative abilities prove difficult for Mayuri before he uses Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Makai Fukuin Shōtai to create a Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō designed to counter Pernida before having his Zanpakutō eat Pernida. But Pernida destroys Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō from the inside before managing to destroy Mayuri's left arm prior to Nemu getting involved to heal her captain's arm, with Mayuri realizing Pernida's evolution ability as Nemu goes out all to protect him. But a Pernida clone manages to kill Nemu and eats her body, only to end up dying from excess regeneration due to the lieutenant's cellular makeup. ==== D: Askin Nakk Le Vaar ==== Askin Nakk Le Vaar (アスキン・ナックルヴァール, Asukin Nakkuruvāru) is an aloof Sternritter who has the epithet "D" for "The Deathdealing" (致死量（ザ・デスディーリング）, Za Desudīringu, Japanese for "Lethal Dose"), which allows Askin to calculate the "absolute lethal dose" of substance by consuming a lethal dosage of it. This allows him to not only increase or decrease the lethal dosage needed to kill his opponent, he can render himself immune to all consumed substances and projects it through attacks like Gift Ball (ギフト・ボール, Gifuto Bōru, German for "Poison Ball). During the Wandenreich's second invasion, Askin appears in the place that had housed the Soul Society's Research and Development Institute, surprising most of its inhabitants yet taking his leave when Mayuri and Nemu Kurotsuchi appear. Noticing BG9's defeat against Suì Fēng, Askin confirms Mayuri's suspicions that the Wandenreich have prepared the possibility that the Soul Reapers have trained in different powers after their bankai had been stolen by them. Askin later accompanies Yhwach to the Royal Dimension after being promoted to as the fourth member of Schutzstaffel, the last to be killed by Ōetsu Nimaiya after his plot to poison the Soul Reaper's blood is thwarted when Nimaiya simply has Tenjirō Kirinji replace his blood with hot spring water. But Askin is revived by Yhwach activating his Auswählen, later finding himself fighting for his life against Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez when he confronts Ichigo's group while sent to kill any intruders in the altered Royal Realm. As Ichigo, Chad and Orihime move on, Askin fights against Yoruichi and Yūshirō Shihōin, defeating the latter before finding himself facing Urahara as he instigates Yoruichi's transformation. This forces Askin activate his Vollständig, Hasshain (神の毒見（ハスハイン）, Hasuhain, Japanese for "God's Poison Taster"), defeating Yoruichi while using his Gift Ring to blind Urahara in one eye. But Urahara activates his bankai to overwhelm Askin, distracting the Quincy long enough for Grimmjow to land the death blow from behind. However, upon his death, Askin activate his Gift Ball Deluxe to increase in lethalness to kill both Urahara and Grimmjow resulting in the two being saved by Nelliel before they are taken by the poison. Askin is voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi in the Japanese anime and in the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls and Daman Mills voices him in the English dub. ==== E: Bambietta Basterbine ==== Bambietta Basterbine (バンビエッタ・バスターバイン, Banbietta Bastābain) is a sadistic Sternritter who has the epithet "E" for "The Explode (爆撃（ジ・エクスプロード）, Ji Ekusupurōdo, Japanese for "Bombing"), able to create bombs out of anything she mixes her spirit energy into. Bambietta fights with the 7th Division captain, Sajin Komamura, and steals his bankai. Like most of the Wandenreich, she is opposed to Uryu being named Yhwach's successor. During the Wandenreich's second invasion, she fought both Shinji Hirako and Komamura, the former of whom she manages to incapacitate despite his shikai state. However, Komamura manages to retrieve his bankai from Bambietta, at which point she activates her Vollständig, which amplifies her power and causes her to grow wings and a pentacle-shaped halo. The two fight, with Komamura using his Human Transformation technique and bankai to overwhelm and defeat Bambietta. Though she barely survived Komamura's attack, Bambietta is killed off by her fellow female Quincies to be used as Giselle's zombie bodyguard. In this new state, she is later summoned by Giselle to fight Ikkaku and Yumichika and defeated by Charlotte Chuhlhourne before later being reduced to a lifeless corpse when Giselle is forced to drain her blood to treat her mortal injuries. Bambietta is voiced by Ayana Taketatsu in the Japanese anime and in the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls and by Anne Yatco in the English dub. ==== F: Äs Nödt ==== Äs Nödt (エス・ノト, Esu Noto) is a gaunt Sternritter member who has the epithet "F" for "The Fear" (恐怖（ザ・フィアー）, Za Fiā, Japanese for "Fear"), due to his ability to infect opponents with paralyzing, unstoppable fear. Normally, this only works if he stabs his enemies with his reiatsu thorns; however, upon activating his Vollständig, he can infect them by eye contact. In battles, he has a tendency to rant about the nature of fear, believing that true fear is instinctual and therefore unavoidable. Having been raised on the concept of Heaven and Hell, Äs is fearful of death and pain. While hospitalized and close to death, Äs is approached by Yhwach and accepts the Quincy's offer of power. During the first invasion, Äs Nödt stole Byakuya's bankai and used it to nearly kill him before interfering in Yamamoto's battles with Royd Lloyd alongside NaNaNa and Bazz-B, forced to fall back after getting nearly incinerated by Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka. He later appears, when Yhwach names Uryu their successor. During the second invasion with orders to kill Byakuya, Äs Nödt confronts Rukia who is traveling across Seireitei in search for other Soul Reapers. With Rukia refusing to tell him where Byakuya is, Äs finds that Rukia is unaffected by his power as she is technically not alive by using her newly perfected Sode no Shirayuki's freezing power, thus not being able to feel fear. Rukia then proceeds to freeze Äs Nödt. The attack fails, as Äs merely activates his Vollständig, Tatarforas (神の怯え（タタルフォラス）, Tataruforasu, Japanese for "Fear of God"), and infects Rukia via his enhanced powers before being sliced through by a newly recovered Byakuya. Äs recovers and assumes a more monstrous form on the expectation that Byakuya is going to be his opponent, but Rukia activates her bankai, Hakka no Togame, and destroys Äs. Äs is voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka in the Japanese anime and by Elijah Ungvary in the English dub. ==== G: Liltotto Lamperd ==== Liltotto Lamperd (リルトット・ランパード, Rirutotto Ranpādo) is a young, preppy Quincy with the epithet "G" for "The Glutton" (食いしんぼう（ザ・グラタン）, Za Guratan, Japanese for "Gluttonous"), the ability to extend her mouth into a massive maw to consume anything larger than herself. Despite her relatively petite appearance, she is quite profane, as shown when she calls out Bambietta for her habit in killing handsome men for her pleasure. When she and the other female Sternritters attack Kenpachi in his weakened state after he defeated Gremmy, Liltotto devours many of the Soul Reaper reinforcements. She later unsuccessfully attempts to attack Ichigo upon his return, thwarted by Ichigo himself, her fellow Sternritter Bazz-B, and then by several members of Gotei 13. Later, after nearly being killed by PePe's love spell on Meninas, Liltotto activates her Vollständig and proceeds to eat him upon his defeat by Kensei. She later manages to find Giselle, and the two are approached by a terrified and hysterical Robert Accutrone as he reveals Yhwach is going to use Auswählen to sacrifice all of them. Devastated by the treachery, Liltotto barely manages to grab Giselle as they escape with their lives despite losing their Quincy powers. Hurt by Yhwach's betrayal, Liltotto joins forces with Bazz-B to ally themselves with the Soul Reapers in entering the Royal Realm to kill their former master. Though she and Giselle reach Yhwach, they were overpowered and defeated. Liltotto is voiced by Aoi Yūki in the Japanese anime and by Cherami Leigh in the English dub. ==== H: Bazz-B ==== Bazz-B (バズビー, Bazubī), short for Bazzard Black, is a hot-blooded and merciless Sternritter who has the epithet "H" for "The Heat" (灼熱（ザ・ヒート）, Za Hīto, Japanese for "Scorching Heat") as he can manipulate the temperature of surrounding spirit pressure with a finger to create flames and explosions, increasing the potency up to all five fingers. He is a childhood friend of Haschwalth, whom he nicknamed "Jugo", having crossed paths with him while the latter was hunting a rabbit. He vows to kill Yhwach ever since the sovereign burned down his home and trained with Haschwalth for five years, intending to earn Yhwach's trust afterward. Bazz-B defeated Izuru Kira and the other 3rd Squad members when he appeared in Soul Society, using his power to offset Head Captain Yamamoto's attack when it was about to consume him and his fellow Sternritters. He was one of the Quincy most opposed to Uryu Ishida being named Yhwach's successor, thinking Haschwalth would be the successor and confronting him about his acceptance to their leader's ruling. During the second invasion, Bazz-B overpowers Hitsugaya before Cang intervened to kill the Soul Reaper captain. Bazz-B later confronts Shinji, Momo, and Marechiyo, intending to stop them from intervening Kenpachi's fight with the other Sternritters. He then stops Candice and her group from fighting Ichigo any further prior to Yhwach's arrival to the battlefield. After failing to kill Ichigo, Bazz-B takes on Rukia and Renji before he loses his power then Yhwach uses his Auswählen on him and the other surviving members left to fight the Soul Reapers of Squad 0. Bazz-B regroups with Liltotto and Giselle as they ally themselves with the Soul Reapers in entering the Royal Realm to kill their former master. Bazz-B eventually finds Haschwalth, livid to learn that his friend knew the full effect of Auswählen and did nothing as he resolves to kill him first. But Bazz-B loses his right arm to Haschwalth before being left to bleed to death after being slashed down the left flank. Bazz-B is voiced by Yūki Ono in the Japanese version of the anime and in the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls. In the English dub, he is voiced by Xander Mobus. ==== I: Cang Du ==== Cang Du (蒼都（ツァン・トゥ）, Tsan Tu) is a Sternritter who has the epithet "I" for "The Iron" (鋼鉄（ジ・アイアン）, Ji Aian, Japanese for "Steel") as he can turn his skin into a hardened material. During the first invasion, Cang fights Tōshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto and manages to steal the former's bankai. In the second invasion, Cang is ordered to personally kill Hitsugaya, interrupting the latter's fight with Bazz-B. When Cang tries to activate Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, he is forced to relinquish the bankai due to Hitsugaya's use of the Shin'eiyaku to temporary Hollowfy him contaminated the weapon. Cang is eventually defeated and encased in ice with Hitsugaya's attacks, although he manages to break out of it after the activation of his Vollständig. Nevertheless, Cang was imprisoned alongside BG9 and brought before Yhwach for judgment. Though he uses his ability on the grounds of refusing to die by the hands of any other than Yhwach, Cang is bisected by Haschwalth. Cang Du is voiced by Ryō Kuratomi in the Japanese anime and by Landon McDonald in the English dub. ==== J: Quilge Opie ==== Quilge Opie (キルゲ・オピー, Kiruge Opī) is one of the leaders of the Jagdarmee squad who has the epithet "J" for "The Jail" (監獄（ザ・ジェイル）, Za Jeiru, Japanese for "Prison") due to his ability to create flawless cages made of spirit energy. He is assigned in Hueco Mundo to capture Arrancars for Yhwach to use as Vanguards for the Wandenreich, having no toleration for disobedience and willing to act in a barbaric manner if offended. After easily defeating Loly and Menoly as well as Harribel's Fracción, he is confronted by Ichigo and his friends. He engages Ichigo in battle and activates his Vollständig, Biskiel (神の正義（ビスキエル）, Bisukieru, Japanese for "God's Justice") and uses his Sklaverei ability to absorb Ayon. Receiving orders from Yhwach to keep Ichigo occupied while the Sternritter invade the Soul Society, Quilge struggles to keep up with Ichigo's movements and is unsuccessful in stealing Ichigo's bankai, causing Ichigo to assume the Wandenreich fear a Shinigami's bankai. Falling for one of Ichigo's taunts, Quilge attempts a counterattack only to be shot from behind by Kisuke Urahara. However, Quilge gets back up using Ransōtengai and shoots Urahara in the back, as well as severely injuring Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue and imprisoning Ichigo in a seemingly impenetrable cage. Just as when he was about to move in to kill the others, he is sliced in half by an off screen (or off panel) Grimmjow Jagerjaquez, effectively killing him. Quilge is voiced by Koichi Yamadera in the Japanese version of the anime and Xander Mobus in the English dub. ==== K: BG9 ==== BG9 (ベー・ゲー・ノイン, Bē Gē Noin) is a helmeted Sternritter who has the epithet "K". It has a single glowing eye, hides various robotic tendrils and artillery beneath its cloak and claims to have never "breathed", leading Suì Fēng to believe it is a robot. It is cruel and sadistic, not above threatening children if his demands are not met, as seen when he injures Omaeda's younger sister with one of his tendrils. During the Wandenreich's initial invasion of the Soul Society, BG9 stole Suì Fēng's bankai. While looking for Suì Fēng during the second invasion, it finds Omaeda and takes his younger sister as a hostage to force the lieutenant to give him his captain's whereabouts. Though attacked from behind by Suì Fēng, BG9 is unscathed as he greatly injures the captain with its weapons. Before it can deliver a finishing blow, Suì Fēng regains control of her bankai and uses it to attack BG9. As a result of its defeat, BG9 is brought before Yhwach for judgment while watching the execution of Cang. BG9 is voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka in the Japanese anime and by Aaron LaPlante in the English dub. ==== L: PePe Waccabrada ==== PePe Waccabrada (ペペ・ワキャブラーダ, Pepe Wakyaburāda) is an overweight Sternritter with a staff who has the epithet "L" for "The Love (愛（ザ・ラブ）, Za Rabu, Japanese for "Love"), the ability to make people and anything with a heart madly fall in love with him to the point of attacking their own allies when asked. For the duration of the second Wandenreich invasion, PePe stood on the sidelines before he personally gets involved in the fighting by first forcing Hisagi to attack Byakuya and then having Meninas attack Liltotto so he would not have to share the credit for wiping out their opponents. Defeating Hisagi, Byakuya attempts to kill PePe after losing his zanpakutō to the Quincy's power. After assuming a Cupid-like form from his Vollständig Gudoero (神の性愛（グドエロ）, Gudoero, Japanese for "Godly Eros), PePe is stopped from killing Byakuya by the arrival of the zombified Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi after Mayuri took control of them. Easily defeated by facing opponents who are immune as they do not know the meaning of love, a mortified PePe finds himself at Liltotto's mercy before she proceeds to devour him. PePe is voiced by Ryū Yamaguchi in the Japanese anime and by Zeno Robinson in the English dub. ==== M: Gerard Valkyrie ==== Gerard Valkyrie (ジェラルド・ヴァルキリー, Jerarudo Varukirī) is a muscular Sternritter, believed to be the Soul King's animate heart, who wears a winged helmet and has the epithet "M" for "The Miracle" (奇跡（ザ・ミラクル）, Za Mirakuru, Japanese for "Miracle"). This power allows Gerard to manifest the thoughts, feelings, and desires of the masses into reality. By manifesting the Soul Reapers' fear of him, he was able to empower himself, increasing his Godly Size (神の尺度（サイズ）, Kami no Saizu, Japanese for "Godly Scale). As one of the Schutzstaffel, Gerard hides in Yhwach's shadow before being called forth to disarm Senjumaru Shutara while helping Pernida kill off Shutara's reinforcement guards. Though Gerard is easily killed by Ōetsu Nimaiya, he is brought back by Yhwach using Auswählen. Gerard is then given orders to kill any intruders in the altered Royal Realm, facing a group of Soul Reapers led by Shinji and Renji. But after grievous injuries inflicted on him by Byakuya, Gerard uses The Miracle to turn himself into a giant as he overwhelms the Soul Reapers before being frozen by Hitsugaya. Gerard breaks free, however, and engages both Hitsugaya, Byakuya, and Kenpachi in battle. After Kenpachi activates his bankai and manages to bisect Gerard, Gerard recovers by activating his Vollständig, Aschetonig (神の権能（アシュトニグ）, Ashutonigu, Japanese for "Power of God"), in response. Eventually, Gerard is killed by Yhwach's Auswählen after the Quincy Emperor has stolen Ichigo's powers. Gerard is voiced by Tsuyoshi Koyama in the Japanese version of the anime and by Dave B. Mitchell in the English dub. ==== N: Robert Accutrone ==== Robert Accutrone (ロバート・アキュトロン, Robāto Akyutoron) is an elderly Sternritter who has the epithet "N". During the first Wandenreich assault on the Soul Society, Robert fights Shunsui Kyōraku and shoots out the Soul Reaper captain's right eye with his Vollständig Grimaniel (神の歩み（グリマニエル）, Gurimanieru, Japanese for "Walk of God"). He is later present when Yhwach declares Uryū Ishida will be his successor, and like the rest of the Wandenreich, Robert is shocked by his leader's decision. During the second invasion of the Seireitei, he and the other Stenritters confronting Ichigo Kurosaki, Robert is attacked and defeated by Byakuya Kuchiki. Recovering from his wounds before learning that Yhwach has continued without him and the others, Robert realizes the significance behind their leader's actions as he attempts to warn Liltotto before being killed as the consequence of Yhwach's Auswählen. Robert is voiced by Takaya Hashi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Neil Kaplan in the English dub. ==== O: Driscoll Berci ==== Driscoll Berci (ドリスコール・ベルチ, Dorisukōru Beruchi) is a large Sternritter who has the epithet "O" for "The Overkill" (大量虐殺（ジ・オーヴァーキル）, Ji Ōvākiru, Japanese for "Massacre"), reflecting his power to become stronger every time he kills someone, such as Squad One's Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe while stealing his bankai, Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū. He fights and defeats Shūhei Hisagi easily and is soon engaged by Yamamoto himself. Delighted, Driscoll activates Chōjirō's bankai and tries to kill the Head-Captain with it. However, it fails to have any significant effect on Yamamoto, who kills Driscoll. Driscoll is voiced by Nobuaki Kanemitsu in the Japanese version of the anime and by Bill Butts in the English dub. ==== P: Meninas McAllon ==== Meninas McAllon (ミニーニャ・マカロン, Minīnya Makaron)) is a ditzy Sternritter who has the epithet "P" for "The Power" (力（ザ・パワー）, Za Pawā, Japanese for "Power"), possessing immense superhuman strength. When she and the other female Sternritters attack Kenpachi in his weakened state after he defeated Gremmy, immobilizing him with a single punch, Meninas focuses her attacks on the Soul Reaper captain while her associates deal with the Soul Reaper reinforcements. She later unsuccessfully attempts to attack Ichigo upon his return, thwarted by Ichigo himself, her fellow Sternritter Bazz-B, and then by several members of Gotei 13. During the battle with the remainder of the Gotei 13, Meninas is struck by PePe's "The Love" and ordered by him to attack Liltotto before being immobilized. She is voiced by Reina Ueda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Anne Yatco in the English dub. ==== Q: Berenice Gabrielli ==== Berenice Gabrielli (ベレニケ・ガブリエリ, Berenike Gaburieri) is a Sternritter with black and white colored hair who has the epithet "Q" for "The Question" (異議（ザ・クエスチョン）, Za Kuesuchon, Japanese for "Objection") which plays on their power to force people to divulge their abilities when asked. Berenice fights Kenpachi Zaraki alongside Jerome Guizbatt and Loyd Lloyd. Kenpachi explained that they was a very arrogant individual who had something against him and explained their power to a great length, though Kenpachi admitted that he could not hear her too well due to Jerome's roaring ability. Berenice is killed by Kenpachi after having their throat torn out. Berenice are voiced by KENN in the Japanese version of the anime. ==== R: Jerome Guizbatt ==== Jerome Guizbatt (ジェローム・ギズバット, Jerōmu Gizubatto) is a large dark-skinned Sternritter with an ape-like appearance who has the epithet "R" for "The Roar" (咆哮（ザ・ロア）, Za Roa, Japanese for "Yell") as he assumes an ape-like form to dramatically amplify his voice to create a devastating sound-based shockwave. This ability proved to be no match for Kenpachi as he easily cuts Jerome in half and carried his corpse atop his sword. Jerome is voiced by Takahiro Fujiwara in the Japanese anime and by Todd Haberkorn in the English dub. ==== S: Mask De Masculine ==== Mask De Masculine (マスク・ド・マスキュリン, Masuku do Masukyurin) is a large, flamboyant Sternritter who has the epithet "S" for "The Superstar" (英雄（ザ・スーパースター）, Za Sūpāsutā, Japanese for "Hero"), as his strength increases when he is applauded by his assistant, James. Mask also wears a Luchador Mask and arrogantly strikes warrior poses, wishing that he had an audience to see his battles while seeing himself as a hero. After Äs Nödt defeats Byakuya, Mask De Masculine knocks Renji unconscious as he was about to activate his bankai, causing Äs Nödt to scold him. In his second attack, he is accompanied by James who carries a boxing ring bell with him and makes it look like the fights Mask engages in are wrestling matches. Mask easily defeats Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Hisagi. He then claims he took down all the "Captain" level classes around him until he sees Rukia and Renji fall from the sky. He is intercepted by Kensei and Rose, the former of whom unleashes his bankai to knock out Mask. However, James encourages Mask to get back up and fight, activating his special ability and enabling Mask to knock out Kensei with ease. He then proceeds to destroy his own eardrums to negate Rose's bankai's special ability, and then blasts a hole through Rose's chest. Before he can kill Rose, Renji intervenes the attack and engages in battle with him. Renji manages to block all of Mask's attacks and also slices James to pieces before slashing Mask. However, as he can be revived by Mask, James's remains regenerate into numerous clones whose cheering causes Mask to activate his Vollständig. Mask manages to overwhelm Renji before being defeated and then incinerated by the Soul Reaper's perfected bankai. Because of Mask's nature as a Quincy, James was recreated after Yhwach absorbed the deceased Mask's powers. Mask is voiced by Yasuhiro Mamiya in the Japanese anime and by Bill Butts in the English dub, while James is voiced by Kenichi Suzumura in the Japanese anime and by Christopher Swindle in the English dub. ==== T: Candice Catnipp ==== Candice Catnipp (キャンディス・キャットニップ, Kyandisu Kyattonippu) is a Sternritter who has the epithet "T" for "The Thunderbolt" (雷霆（ザ・サンダーボルト）, Za Sandāboruto, Japanese for "Thunder"), which allows her to fire lightning bolts. She is quick to anger, as shown when she threatens her fellow Sternritter, Giselle, after the latter teases her. When she and the other female Sternritters attack Kenpachi in his weakened state after he defeated Gremmy, Candice takes out some Soul Reaper reinforcements before helping Meninas in attacking the Soul Reaper captain. When Ichigo arrives and throws Candice into a building, she takes the matters personally and resolves to kill him by activating her Vollständig to unleash her Electrocution attack. However, she is wounded by her opponent's Getsuga Jūjishō and has Giselle regenerate her severed arm. Candice is attacked by Bazz-B as she was about to resume her fight with Ichigo. However, before they can proceed with their intent, Candice and other Sternritter are stopped by several members of Gotei 13. She is shortly defeated by Byakuya, along with NaNaNa Najakoop and Robert Accutrone. She later has both her power and Vollständig stripped as well and left knocked out unconscious. Candice is voiced by Yumi Uchiyama in the Japanese version of the anime and in the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls and by Shara Kirby in the English dub. ==== U: NaNaNa Najahkoop ==== NaNaNa Najahkoop (ナナナ・ナジャークープ, Nanana Najākūpu) is a Sternritter who has the epithet "U" for "The Underbelly" (無防備（ジ・アンダーベリー）, Ji Andāberī, Japanese for "Defenseless"), which allows him to determine his opponent's spiritual power distribution and produce a U-shaped "Morphine Pattern" marking on the opponent to create a weak point that he would capitalize on. During the first invasion, he engages Rose in combat before interfering in Yamamoto's battle with a disguised Royd Lloyd, barely surviving the Head Captain's Ryujin Jakka. After Renji defeats Mask de Masculine, NaNaNa spies on him while he is resting, surprised that he left himself exposed for so long and saying that his luck has run out. Later, NaNaNa is present when Bazz-B interrupts Ichigo's fight with Candice, eager to take Ichigo's head himself. He is stopped by several members of Gotei 13 and engages them in a fight instead. He is later shown to have been swiftly defeated by Byakuya. NaNaNa, alongside other surviving Sternritters, has his power forcibly extracted to empower Yhwach's four elite Sternritters. He analyzes the newly freed Aizen upon the latter's declaration to destroy the Royal Realm and tries to battle the Soul Reapers, but is shot down by Bazz-B before he can do anything. NaNaNa is voiced by Tomoaki Maeno in the Japanese version and by Zeno Robinson in the English version of the anime. ==== V: Gremmy Thoumeaux ==== Gremmy Thoumeaux (グレミィ・トゥミュー, Guremii Tumyū) is a young member of the Sternritter who has the epithet "V" for "The Visionary" (夢想家（ザ・ヴィジョナリィ）, Za Vijonarī, Japanese for "Dreamer"), the ability to turn fantasy into reality. Because of this power, Gremmy is considered the strongest of the Sternritter and feared by even his allies. Originally being a disembodied brain in a dome casing, Gremmy used his ability to create a body for himself. During the second Wandenreich's invasion, Gremmy creates a stand-in named Guenael Lee (グエナエル・リー, Guenaeru Rī), whose "V" epithet stands for the "Vanishing Point" (消尽点（バニシング・ポイント）, Banishingu Pointo) in terms of his ability to make his own shape and existence disappear at will, disappearing from both a person's sight and memory. After Guenael appears before a hiding Isane and Yachiru, with the latter forgetting him after she punched him in the face, Gremmy kills off his creation while revealing to the two Soul Reapers it was a distraction so he could kill Rose and Kensei. Gremmy almost killed Yachiru when Kenpachi arrives. Intending to kill the Soul Reaper captain with the power of his imagination, Gremmy engages Kenpachi in battle. Eventually, with Kenpachi using his own power against him by displaying his own, a furious Gremmy builds up his muscle strength in a desperate effort to defeat Kenpachi. But it results in Gremmy's death as his body breaks apart due to it not being able to handle the increased muscle mass. As Gremmy dies, he leaves a brain in a jar as his true form. Gremmy is voiced by Natsuki Hanae in the Japanese version of the anime and in the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls and by A.J. Beckles in the English dub, while Guenael is voiced by Tadashi Miyazawa in the Japanese version and by Alex Cazares in the English dub. ==== W: Nianzol Weizol ==== Nianzol Weizol (ニャンゾル・ワイゾル, Nyanzoru Waizoru) is a Sternritter who has the epithet "W" for "The Wind" (紆余曲折（ザ・ワインド）, Za Waindo, Japanese for "Twists and turns"), the ability to push away any attacks that he has seen and allows him to move around uninhibited. Having a habit of not completing his sentences, Nianzol has shaggy black hair and a rather inhuman appearance with two tongues sticking from his mouth. Nianzol accompanies Yhwach, Haschwalth, and Ishida during their raid of the Soul King Palace, acting as Yhwach's "shadow" to protect him from the Royal Guards before revealing himself. However, defeating most of Senjumaru Shutara's guards, Nianzol finds that she altered his trenchcoat and dies of impalement by the article of clothing during his attempt to remove it. Nianzol is voiced by Sōichirō Hoshi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Robbie Daymond in the English dub. ==== X: Lille Barro ==== Lille Barro (リジェ・バロ, Rije Baro) is a dark-skinned and somewhat arrogant Sternritter with a crosshair-like mark over his closed left eye and has the epithet "X" for "The X-Axis" (万物貫通（ジ・イクサクシス）, Ji Ikusakushisu, Japanese for "All-Piercing"). This power makes him a dangerous figure as the Heilig Pfeil shot from his rifle Diagram is strong enough to pierce captain-ranked Soul Reapers and devastate areas with no means of blocking the blast, even more when he uses both eyes to use his full power while intangible. As lead member of the Schutzstaffel, and the first of the Wandenreich to receive his unique power, Lille was hidden away in his leader's shadow until summoned to fight the Royal Guard. After Gerard and Pernida take out Senjumaru Shutara's guards, telling her the Royal Guard lost the moment Yhwach arrived, Lille proceeds to kill what he later learned was a decoy in Shutara's image as the Royal Guard spring their trap and is easily killed by Ōetsu Nimaiya. When Yhwach activates his Auswählen, Lille is revived alongside the other elite guards and severely wounds Ōetsu with his rifle. Lille is then given orders to kill any intruders in the altered Royal Realm, using his power to snipe down any Soul Reaper within his sight. As he tries to snipe down Shunsui, the Soul Reaper Head-Captain engages him in a fight that forces Lille to fight at full power while using his Vollständig, Jilliel (神の裁き（ジリエル）, Jirieru, Japanese for "Judgement of God") to even the odds with Shunsui's attempt to kill him with his bankai allowing him to assume a divine centaur-like form. This forces Shunsui to give Nanao use of Shinken Hakkyōken, helping use the ability of her Zanpakutō to redirect Lille's strongest attack back on him. Severely injured, Lille falls down to the Seireitei, scattering into multiple, long necked flamingo bird headed like pieces of his Vollständig, and proceeds to destroy the Seireitei, only to be confronted by a revived Izuru Kira. It is most likely possible that he was killed by Yhwach's Auswählen and stripped of his power, along with the rest of his weakened clones. Lille is voiced by Satoshi Hino in the Japanese version of the anime and in the Japanese game Bleach: Brave Souls and by Evan Michael Lee in the English dub. ==== Y: Lloyd Brothers ==== L. Loyd Lloyd ("Lの"ロイド・ロイド, Eru no Roido Roido) is a bald Quincy with a third eye on his forehead who has an identical twin brother named R. Royd Lloyd ("Rの"ロイド・ロイド, Aru no Roido Roido). Their identical appearance is the result of their ability to imitate others as they have subconsciously used it on each other before being born. The two joined the Wandenreich under the same epithet "Y" for "The Yourself" (貴方自身（ジ・ユアセルフ）, Ji Yuaserufu, Japanese for "Yourself") that plays on their shape-shifting powers. However, while both can assume the forms of others, only Loyd could replicate one's powers and techniques while Royd instead copy his target's memories and personality. During the attack on the Soul Society, as Loyd died fighting Kenpachi Zaraki after assuming his form for a duel, Royd posed as Yhwach and defeated Kenpachi before distracting Yamamoto while the real Yhwach was meeting Aizen. Once fulfilling his role in weakening Yamamoto for him while receiving mortal wounds, Royd is killed off by Yhwach. Royd is voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi in the Japanese anime and by Robbie Daymond in the English dub. ==== Z: Giselle Gewelle ==== Giselle Gewelle (ジゼル・ジュエル, Jizeru Jueru) is a Sternritter who has the epithet "Z" for "The Zombie" (死者（ザ・ゾンビ）, Za Zonbi, Japanese for "Deceased"), the ability to turn living beings touched by her blood into corpse-like slaves, depending on the afflicted's spiritual pressure, restore severed limbs, or heal herself by drinking her zombies' blood. During the Wandenreich's second invasion, Giselle, alongside Candice, Liltotto, and Meninas kill off Bambietta after her defeat by Komamura, stating that she would not like seeing their side lose Bambietta as she converts the deceased comrade into her personal zombie enforcer. After the female Sternritters attack Kenpachi in his weakened state, Giselle goads several Soul Reaper reinforcements into cutting her so they would kill themselves at her command. However, after Yumichika sees through both Giselle's method of attack and accuses her of being a man, Giselle summons the zombified Bambietta to have her kill Yumichika and Ikkaku. However, Giselle ends up facing Mayuri as her zombified Soul Reapers face the Soul Reaper captain's personal army of revived Arrancar. Once Bambietta is defeated by Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Giselle reveals that she used her ability to place Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Rose, and Kensei under her control. However, after studying Giselle's power, Mayuri devised a serum to alter the blood in zombified Soul Reapers and make them into his own personal servants before having Kensei stab him. She is shown to have survived the ordeal by drinking Bambietta's blood and has his power extracted by Yhwach's Auswählen. Hurt by Yhwach's betrayal, Giselle joins forces with Bazz-B to ally themselves with the Soul Reapers in entering the Royal Realm to kill their former master. Though she and Liltotto reach Yhwach, they were overpowered and defeated. Giselle is voiced in the Japanese anime by Nao Tōyama and by Casey Mongillo in the English dub. ==== Σ: Shaz Domino ==== Shaz Domino (シャズ・ドミノ, Shazu Domino) is Sternritter assigned with the Greek letter Sigma, whose ability to absorb surrounding Reishi with his regenerative power Stigma (聖傷（スティグマ）, Sutiguma, Japanese for "Holy Scar) renders him virtually unable to be killed. Shaz was originally one of Gremmy's imagined constructs before he used Sigma, previously known as The Viability" (生存能力（ザ・バイアビリティー）, Za Baiabiritī, Japanese for "Viability), to give himself a true body and freedom from Gremmy's influence. Following Head Captain Yamamoto's death, Shaz stands among the ruins of the SRDI, having already killed a number of scientists and thrown three knives into Akon's back, just as the latter manages to free Ichigo Kurosaki from the Garganta. Spotting Ichigo, whom he does not recognize, Shaz introduces himself as one of the Sternritters and ends up being attacked while attempting explain his special ability. As revealed in the "Beginning of the Revive of Tomorrow" side story in the 13 Blades fanbook, after escaping the Soul Society, Shaz participated in the Wandenreich's second invasion of the Seireitei with the intention to learn the method of creating his own Hōgyoku before being ultimately defeated by Izuru Kira. Shaz is voiced by Shinya Takahashi in the Japanese version of the anime. == Supporting characters == === Soul Reapers === Soul Reapers are the protectors of souls, granting them access to Soul Society and keeping them safe from hollows. Many of the protagonists introduced in the series are Soul Reapers, either in profession, origin, or abilities. Each Soul Reaper possesses a zanpakutō, a sword that doubles as both a weapon and a physical manifestation of the owner's soul. Each zanpakutō has its own personality, which is at times at odds with its owner's. Though Soul Reapers make up the bulk of the characters from Soul Society that have been introduced in the series, a far greater number of souls occupy its outskirts. === Byakuya Kuchiki === Byakuya Kuchiki (朽木 白哉, Kuchiki Byakuya) is Rukia's older brother. He is a captain of Squad Six, with the purpose of capturing his sister and executing her in Soul Society, but he and his lieutenant Renji Abarai are forced to face the replacement shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki, before taking her away. Byakuya is a representative of Clan Kuchiki and proved to be a fair aristocrat who does not get carried away by emotions, as he did not care about the execution of his own sister, even confronting Renji and Ichigo for trying to save her. But currently they have returned as allies, even though Byakuya is reluctant because of his enmity with Ichigo. === Urahara Shop === The Urahara Shop (浦原商店, Urahara Shōten) is a convenience store that predominantly deals in snacks and small household goods. It also caters to a more select crowd of spiritually aware beings, providing them with merchandise it has acquired from Soul Society. Three of its regulars (owner Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Tessai Tsukabishi) are former high-ranking Soul Reapers that are now fugitives of Soul Society. ==== Kisuke Urahara ==== Kisuke Urahara (浦原 喜助, Urahara Kisuke) is the owner of the Urahara Shop, whose habit of wearing traditional Japanese wooden sandals and a bucket hat earned him the nickname "Mr. Hat-and-Clogs" (ゲタ帽子, geta-bōshi). Kisuke is usually quite laid-back and has a jovial if not comical attitude, tendencies that tend to drive away customers. Despite his odd work ethic and personality, Kisuke is a keen intellectual with an inventive streak and an uncanny ability to discern an opponent's weaknesses and attack patterns with ease. Kisuke also leaves his store unattended for long periods of time, like when he trained Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends in the store's cave-like basement. Kisuke is eventually revealed to be actually the former Captain of Squad 12 after being promoted from his 3rd seat in Squad 2. He also founded the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. A century ago, Kisuke caught Sōsuke Aizen in the act of converting Hiyori and their fellow Soul Reapers into Hollows. Though Kisuke managed to save them by turning them into Vizards, learning that Aizen was after the Hōgyoku (崩玉, lit. "breakdown sphere") he developed, Kisuke is forced to leave the Soul Society when framed for the crime and go into hiding in the World of the Living. Though he attempted to dispose of the Hōgyoku in the gigai he developed for Rukia, Aizen obtained the sphere. Later aiding the Soul Society in their battle against Aizen by creating a Fake Karakura Town, Kisuke engages Aizen in battle and is initially defeated. However, though defeated, Kisuke placed a special kidō seal on Aizen that activated after the Hōgyoku rejected Aizen as its master. As a former captain, he is also adept in using high-level kidō and uses a sharp tactical style of combat. His zanpakutō is a shikomizue named Benihime (紅姫, "Crimson Princess" or "Bloody Princess" in some translations). In this form it has three known special abilities: it can create a polygonal "blood mist shield" capable of blocking most attacks, a crimson-colored energy blast which is similar to a cero, and an explosion that combines volatile energy with a net. Benihime's bankai is Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame (観音開紅姫改メ, "Inquisition of the Crimson Princess of the Doors of Avalokiteśvara"), which takes the form of a giant doll-like woman that appears kneeling behind Urahara. According to Urahara, those afflicted having seams appear on them, his bankai has the power to restructure anything it touches and can repair, rip, or optimize a person affected by the bankai. Its powers were vaguely hinted towards when Urahara was asked to use it to help train Sado, with Urahara stating that his bankai is not fit for such a purpose. Aizen has commented on Urahara's ability, calling him the only man whose intellect exceeds his own. Kubo has commented on Urahara, saying he is based on Snufkin, whom he thought was cool. He is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the Japanese version of the anime and by Michael Lindsay in the English dub until episode 214 where the role was recast to Doug Erholtz starting from episodes 231. He is played by Seiichi Tanabe in the live action movie. ==== Yoruichi Shihōin ==== Yoruichi Shihōin (四楓院 夜一, Shihōin Yoruichi) is an old friend of Urahara Shop owner Kisuke Urahara, and so uses it as a place of residence when she is not abroad. She is a slim, dark-skinned woman with deep-violet hair. She can also transform into a black cat and back at will (much to Ichigo Kurosaki's displeasure as she would tease him whenever she appeared naked before him after transforming). Her cat form gives her a deep voice, which leads many characters to initially believe she is a male and thus call her "Mr. Yoruichi". Yoruichi is very easy-going and she insists that Suì-Fēng avoid formalities when speaking to her. She tends to avoid combat and will not engage her enemies unless her allies will lose without her intervention. When first introduced, she helps Ichigo and his friends infiltrate Soul Society. As the series progress, it is revealed that Yoruichi is a former captain of the 2nd Division, head of the noble Shihōin clan, and was the Commander in Chief of the Secret Mobile Corps. Therefore, she is highly knowledgeable in Soul Society's history due to her background as a leader of one of the four highest ranking noble families. According to a citation from Kisuke Urahara when he explained to Hiyori Sarugaki, any squad captain in the Gotei 13 who has had the Secret Mobile Corps under his or her control (usually 2nd Squad) will be a formidable military force in Soul Society. As Yoruichi was the leader of the Secret Mobile Corps and also a squad captain herself during the pendulum period and also a leader of a high ranking noble house, it has made her position in the Soul Society as one of the most intimidating and respected. A century before the start of the series she abandoned all of her military and noble house positions by helping Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi, and the Vizards escape to the human world. Series creator Tite Kubo identifies Yoruichi as one of his two favorite female characters in the series (along with Rangiku Matsumoto), citing that he "has a lot of fun drawing her and creating stories with her." Yoruichi has lived up to her former position as a captain and Commander in Chief of the Secret Mobile Corps due to her prowess throughout the series including when she immobilized the unreleased Espada Yammy Riyalgo bare-handed. While she is very skilled in all Soul Reaper tactical combat, Yoruichi has always been presented in the series as extremely powerful in hand-to-hand combat and the use of flash steps (瞬歩, shunpo), a high-speed movement ability. While the ability is common for any competent Soul Reaper, her speed movement is almost unmatched, leading her to be called the Goddess of Flash (瞬神, shunshin, English Anime: "Flash Master"). Even after a century later, Byakuya Kuchiki is still unable to surpass her speed. Yoruichi is also highly skilled in "Flash Cry" (瞬閧, shunkō), which is an advanced technique that combines hand-to-hand combat and kidō abilities. The use of shunko allows the user to fight bare-handed against any opponent's weapons without being injured. She has never been seen wielding a zanpakutō in the current or gaiden storyline, though is shown carrying a kodachi-like blade during flashbacks. She has also been shown using gauntlets and sabatons during her latest fight against Aizen, though these have been destroyed since then. Despite the fact that she is no longer the Captain of the Second Division, she does retain and use the uniform she wore at the time, which is unique for its absence of any clothing over the back or shoulders. It is explained that this is due to Yoruichi's mastery of Shunkō, which when utilized, destroys the fabric on the back and shoulders of the one using the technique. To date, only Yoruichi and Suì-Fēng have been shown to actively wear this particular uniform. She is voiced by Satsuki Yukino in the Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. Her cat form is voiced by Shirō Saitō in the Japanese version of the anime and by Terrence Stone in the English dub. ==== Tessai Tsukabishi ==== Tessai Tsukabishi (握菱 鉄裁, Tsukabishi Tessai) is Urahara's personal assistant in both business and other matters. He is a large, muscular man with a thick mustache who is always seen wearing an apron. He is shown to have great physical strength, made apparent by his ability to smash a hollow's head to pieces with a single, open-palmed thrust. During the Turn Back the Pendulum miniseries, it is revealed that he was the captain of the Kidō Corps in Soul Society. As a result, Tessai is extremely skilled in kidō, demonstrated by his ability to use a level 99 binding spell while skipping its incantation. He has not been shown to carry a zanpakutō, but he did carry a shakujo during his time in Soul Society. For using forbidden kidō spells in aiding Kisuke Urahara in his attempts to help the visoreds, Tessai was sentenced to imprisonment by the Central 46 and was forced to flee to the human world. Tessai is voiced by Kiyoyuki Yanada in the Japanese version of the anime and by Michael Sorich in the English dub. ==== Jinta Hanakari ==== Jinta Hanakari (花刈 ジン太, Hanakari Jinta) is a small, red-haired boy who is supposed to do manual labor for the shop, such as cleaning. Instead he usually slacks off and forces Ururu to do all the work. Though he frequently bullies her, he does care for Ururu as he recovers her body after she is injured by an arrancar. Though he is more knowledgeable than one might expect given his young appearance, he is still childish, calling Renji Abarai a "moocher" (居候, isōrō), and he enjoyed teasing, spitting, and drooling on Ichigo when his Chain of Fate was severed and Ichigo was becoming a hollow in an incapacitated state. Jinta seems to have a crush on Yuzu Kurosaki, calling her "The Goddess" and regarding anything she gives to him as sacred. His primary weapon is an oversized iron rod, similar to a Tetsubo, which he can use to attack. He is voiced by Takako Honda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Cindy Robinson in the English dub with Benjamin Diskin later voicing Jinta after the time skip. ==== Ururu Tsumugiya ==== Ururu Tsumugiya (紬屋 雨, Tsumugiya Ururu) is a meek, black-haired girl with pigtails and purplish-blue eyes who mostly does manual labor for the shop. She is 3 years older than Jinta. She uses a multi-barreled shoulder cannon as her weapon, which can turn into a rocket launcher to deal with powerful opponents. Ururu's meek attitude is somewhat at odds with her fighting ability, which is undefined, but quite high (Urahara vaguely mentions that her fighting ability is at an "anti-Soul Reaper" level). Her punches and kicks have a lethal amount of force and far surpass what is capable of most characters. She seems to respond robotically when injured or when Hollows are nearby. During such times, Ururu seems to take on a rather simplistic view of right and wrong; she considers those that cause harm (relative to her) as enemies, and believes that enemies must be eliminated. She is voiced by Noriko Shitaya in the Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. === Vizards === The Vizards (仮面の軍勢（ヴァイザード）, Vaizādo, lit. "Masked Army"; "Visored" in Japanese media and first English release) are Soul Reapers who have obtained hollow powers via a process called "Hollowification" (虚化, horō-ka). While Ichigo's Hollowification was initially stable and naturally occurred because of his lineage, Hollowfication was a method originally used by the Soul Society before the progress was deemed too great a risk as the resulting hybrids would be uncontrollable and eventually self-destruct in the final stages of a disease resulting from the soul's instability: Soul Suicide (魂魄自殺, Konpaku Jisatsu). The group of Soul Reapers who became the Vizards were forcefully converted ages ago by Sōsuke Aizen as part of an experiment prior to them forced to flee the Soul Society. Unable to return to their original forms, the Vizards were saved from Soul Suicide by Urahara stabilizing them with a vaccine created from Quincy Heilig Pfeil and Human souls. To gain access to their hollow powers, a Vizard dons a hollow mask that augments their Soul Reaper abilities with access to some of the generic hollow abilities. The Vizards have not shown any sort of hierarchy, seeming to prefer a loose-knit organization. After Aizen's defeat, many of the Vizards are allowed to return to the Soul Society. ==== Shinji Hirako ==== Shinji Hirako (平子 真子, Hirako Shinji) is the de facto leader of the Vizards and a friend of Urahara's. He is somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that are otherwise serious. He seems to like annoying his associate, Hiyori Sarugaki, which usually earns him a slap from one of her sandals. He also appears to have a history of referring to cute girls he meets as his 'first love', complete with a deadpan look on his face despite the obvious lie. In the past, Shinji was the previous captain of Squad Five, preceding his lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen. But Shinji's reasons for making Aizen his right hand were out of distrust from the first time they met and kept an eye on him. But Shinji realized too late that Aizen used his own distrust against him when he was among those afflicted with hollowification. In the storyline, Shinji aids Ichigo in taming his inner hollow, later leading the other Vizards against Aizen's forces. Though Shinji tells Yamamoto that they're only helping as friends of Ichigo's and as enemies of Aizen, he is eventually reinstated as Squad Five captain as he aids in the fight against the Wandenreich. Shinji's zanpakutō is named Sakanade (逆撫, literally "Offense", translated as "Counter Stroke"). When released by Shinji's command "collapse", five holes line the blade's length, and a large ring forms at the bottom of the hilt. The blade releases a scent that inverts and reverses the enemy's visual perception. Shinji claims that it is impossible to comprehend the attack directions, as the more experienced one is, the more one relies on instinct to fight, causing one to inevitably fall prey to Sakanade. After training more thoroughly with his zanpakutō, Shinji is even able to invert the words he says, as well as make those more susceptible to the ability Sakanade very ill. Shinji is quite skilled with his hollow powers, using a single cero blast to easily overwhelm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. His Hollow mask resembles a pharaoh's mask. Shinji is voiced by Masaya Onosaka in the Japanese version of the anime and by Roger Craig Smith in the English version. ==== Hiyori Sarugaki ==== Hiyori Sarugaki (猿柿 ひよ里, Sarugaki Hiyori) is a former lieutenant of Squad Twelve under captains Kirio Hikifune and then Kisuke Urahara, initially declining the latter as she saw the former as a motherly figure. Hiyori is a small, blonde-haired girl with a short temper and violent tendencies that include death threats and physical violence. Hiyori often attacks Shinji Hirako, regardless of his outranking her in their pre-Vizard days, usually by slapping his face with one of her sandals or using him as a human shield when necessary. Hiyori took the longest to defeat her inner Hollow out of all the Vizards. During the battle with Aizen, Hiyori was mortally wounded yet was healed by Captain Unohana in the aftermath. Her Hollow mask is skeletal in appearance with a large horn on the forehead and diamond-shaped markings over the eyebrows. Her zanpakutō is named Kubikiri Orochi (馘大蛇, lit. "Beheading Serpent") and is released with the command "chop cleanly" to become a large cleaver with a jagged edge. Hiyori is voiced by Reiko Takagi in the Japanese version of the anime. In the English dub, she is voiced by Mela Lee in earlier episodes and by Laura Bailey later on in the series. ==== Love Aikawa ==== Love Aikawa (愛川 羅武（ラブ）, Aikawa Rabu) is the former captain of Squad 7. He is a tall man with a spiked afro (shaped like a normal round afro during his days as a Soul Reaper), and wears sporting sunglasses and a jogging suit. He seems to be very laid back, usually reading Weekly Shōnen Jump or some of Lisa's erotic manga in his spare time. Love's hollow mask is designed after a traditional Japanese Oni mask. Love is later shown to be quite physically strong, being able to rip a Menos Grande in half with his bare hands. Love's zanpakutō is named Tengumaru (天狗丸, lit. tengu). His shikai transforms it into a large kanabō reminiscent of a black cactus, twice the size of Love. Tengumaru has the ability to project fire from its tip. Love is voiced by Tetsu Inada in the Japanese version of the anime and by Travis Willingham in the English dub. ==== Kensei Muguruma ==== Kensei Muguruma (六車 拳西, Muguruma Kensei) is the previous captain of Squad Nine, bearing a 69 tattoo on his stomach that influenced Shūhei Hisagi to have one on his cheek after saving him when he was younger, and piercing on his left eyebrow. One of the first to be turned into a Vizard, Kensei's hollow mask takes on the form of what appears to be a hockey mask, with a flat surface, and six slits running down the front. In comparison with his fellow Vizards, Kensei is a much more serious character. He has a short temper and is easily irritated, particularly by Mashiro. After the events of the Fake Karakura Town battle, Kensei is reinstated as a Soul Reaper Captain. However, during the Wandenreich invasion while his wounds are tended to by Isane after his ordeal against Mask De Masculine, Kensei is killed by Gremmy Thoumeaux and brought back as a zombie by Giselle Gewelle, before Mayuri Kurosutchi usurps control over Kensei to have resume defending the Soul Society. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, he is shown to have returned to normal. Kensei's zanpakutō is named Tachikaze (断地風, lit. "Earth-Severing Wind") and is released with the command "Blow". His shikai shrinks it down into the form of a survival/combat knife. While in this form, Kensei demonstrates the ability to charge and fire spiritual energy from the blade. Tachikaze can also manipulate wind, as demonstrated when Kensei uses several wind blades to slice up a hollow, killing it instantly. Kensei's bankai is named Tekken Tachikaze (鐡拳・断地風, lit. "Iron Fist Earth-Severing Wind"). The combat knife transforms into two bladed, bronze knuckle-like weapons known as tiger claws in each hand that are connected by a long fabric-like material that wraps around and up his arms like bandages and form a small arc above his head. Kensei's bankai focuses all of the destructive power into the knuckles, causing whatever the knuckles are touching to be hit continuously with implosive power. Kensei is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita in the Japanese version of the anime and by Dave Mallow in the English dub. ==== Mashiro Kuna ==== Mashiro Kuna (久南 白, Kuna Mashiro) is Kensei's former lieutenant in Squad Nine. She is a somewhat carefree-crazy girl who is prone to throwing fits for the smallest of things, such as Orihime befriending Hachi or when Kensei insisted on following his subordinates into battle. Her overall style of dress is reminiscent of the costumes worn by the tokusatsu superheroes of late 1970s Japanese television, particularly those of the Kamen Rider Series. Even her attacks are announced like a Tokusatsu superhero. She often calls Ichigo Berry-tan (or "Berry Boy" in the English manga, and "Carrot Top" in the anime), a pun on Ichigo's name ("ichigo" in Japanese also means "strawberry"). Unlike the other Vizards and Ichigo who have to undergo a type of training to control their hollows, Mashiro was able to maintain her hollow mask for fifteen hours on her first attempt to control her hollow. Mashiro's hollow power gives her exceptional physical strength as she easily decapitated several Menos Grande and the giant hollow which was brought by Wonderweiss Margera and subsequently engaged in battle with him. However, in the mid-battle with Wonderweiss Margera her mask shatters well before her time limit was up causing Kensei to intervene. Her mask resembles a grasshopper's head, another reference to Kamen Rider. Mashiro loves to engage in battle by combining her physical strength and hollow power rather than using her zanpakutō, the name of which is still unknown. Mashiro is voiced by Akemi Kanda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Laura Bailey in the English dub. ==== Rōjūrō "Rose" Otoribashi ==== Rōjūrō Otoribashi (鳳橋 楼十郎, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō), commonly referred to as Rose (ローズ, Rōzu), is previous captain of Squad Three prior to Kisuke's promotion to captain. He is an effeminate man with long, wavy, blond hair and a bird's beak-like Hollow mask. He seems to be interested in music, as he speaks to Love about an artist's new single and has been seen playing or tuning a guitar on several occasions. Rose appears to be one of the calmer and perhaps wiser ones amongst the group, though he becomes irritated whenever Love spoils a manga's story for him. After the events at the Fake Karakura Town, Rose returns to the Soul Society and restored to his captain status. But during the Wandenreich invasion, after being saved from Mask De Masculine by Renji and taken to be cared for by Isane, Rose is killed by Gremmy Thoumeaux and then brought back as a zombie by Giselle Gewelle. Later, Mayuri Kurotsuchi takes him over and uses him to defend the Soul Society. Ten years after Yhwach's defeat, he is shown to have returned to normal. Rose's zanpakutō is named Kinshara (金沙羅, lit. "Gold Shala"). His shikai transforms the blade into a long, plantlike whip with a flower at its tip. Prefaced as Kinshara Eleventh Sonata (金沙羅奏曲第十一番, Kinshara Sōkyoku Daijūichiban), Kinshara's technique, Izayoi Bara (十六夜薔薇, lit. "Sixteen Day-Old Moon Rose"), causes this tip to discharge an explosion of energy. Kinshara's bankai, Kinshara Butōdan (金沙羅舞踏団, lit. "Gold Shala Dancing Troupe"), summons several figures called the "Dancers of Death". His bankai allows Rose to use music to create the illusion of physical pain (burning, drowning, etc.) as long as his opponents hear the music. But bankai is useless against opponents who are deaf or who deafen themselves. Rose is voiced by Shouto Kashii in the Japanese version of the anime and by Christopher Corey Smith in the English dub. ==== Hachigen "Hachi" Ushōda ==== Hachigen Ushōda (有昭田 鉢玄, Ushōda Hachigen), commonly referred to as Hachi (ハッチ, Hatchi), is the physically largest Vizard. He had been the Vice Kidō Captain (副鬼道長, Fuku Kidōchō) of the Kidō Corps under Tessai Tsukabishi. He specializes in kidō, and as such is always tasked with making barriers for the Vizards' use. He is skilled enough to use bakudō up to 99 without reciting their incantations. By his own admission, his powers are very similar to those of Orihime Inoue's. Despite his unusual size, Hachi is actually very kind and gentle, and seems to enjoy Orihime's company. His mask resembles a Native American tribe mask. He has been seen with a zanpakutō during Ichigo's training when the young man went berserk, he helped restrain him while also brandishing the blade at him. Later during the battle at Karakura Town, he encased it in his barrier right before confronting a horde of Gillian, however, it is uncertain what its powers are or if it is even a zanpakutō at all. He aids in Suì-Fēng's battle against Barragan and manages to ultimately defeat the Espada at the cost of his forearm. Hachigan is voiced by Takashi Nagasako in the Japanese version of the anime and by Joe Ochman in the English dub. ==== Lisa Yadōmaru ==== Lisa Yadōmaru (矢胴丸 リサ, Yadōmaru Risa, romanized as Risa Yadōmaru in the Japanese media) used to be Shunsui Kyōraku's lieutenant in Squad Eight, having spied on the captain's meetings and read to her successor Nanao Ise on a monthly basis; she is later allowed to return to Soul Society after the Wandenreich's invasion and is promoted to captain of Squad Eight, the seat of which has been vacant since Shunsui's promotion to captain-commander status. She is a girl with glasses and long, braided, dark hair, who dresses in a seifuku, as opposed to the more Western-style uniforms worn by the female students of Karakura High School. She seems easily irritated and apparently likes to read erotic manga. In the English translations, it has been edited to "swimsuit magazines". Her mask resembles a knight's helmet, with a cross shape opening on it. Her zanpakutō is called Haguro Tonbo (鉄漿蜻蛉, lit. "Black Dragonfly". 鉄漿 means "black tooth dye"). In its shikai form, it becomes a large guan dao or monk's spade with a fanned blade and large orb on the opposite end. Lisa is voiced by Kanako Hatori in the Japanese version of the anime and by Tara Platt in the English dub. == Other characters == === Modified souls === Modified souls (改造魂魄, kaizō konpaku), or Mod-Souls for short, are a variation of the gikon (義魂, Artificial Souls) created by Kirio Hikifune that Soul Reapers use as stand-ins while using gigai (義骸, artificial body) vessels to move about in the World of the Living. Unlike Gikon, given personalities and unique powers of their own, Mod-Souls are produced in the Soul Society's Project Spearhead (尖兵計画, sempei keikaku, "Vanguard Plan") to assist in the combat against Hollows by reanimating corpses. However, this act was deemed immoral and Project Spearhead was disbanded with all Mod-Souls seemingly deposed of. With Kon one of the surviving Mod-Souls, four other Mod-Souls have been introduced in the anime series. Like Kon, three Mod-Souls created by Kisuke typically inhabits a plushie with all of their abilities intact (albeit scaled down to fit their size). But all four anime-exclusive Mod-Souls possess their own personal gigai they can use to avoid attention with complete use of their abilities. ==== Kon ==== Kon (コン) is the first Mod-Soul to appear in Bleach, designated an Underpod (部下強化型（アンダーポッド）, Andāpoddo, Japanese for "Lower Part-Strengthened Form") model with strong leg strength. By chance, Kon ended up living with Ichigo when he was placed in a container of Gikon that Rukia bought for Ichigo to use. Kon primarily serves as a comedic foil in the series, receiving little respect and much disdain from other characters. He is not completely undeserving of this treatment as he is highly perverted in nature; he is drawn to girls with big breasts (and displays attraction towards Rukia despite her lack thereof, but more because he believes she saved his life) and, when inhabiting another's body, spends his time trying to look up skirts since "it will not be [his] reputation that gets sullied". However, from the beginning he displayed a much more serious side to himself, believing that life should not be taken on purpose after he witnessed the destruction of other Mod-Souls. Kon's area of expertise are his legs, and thus he can run faster and jump higher than any human, even in his plush form. He typically inhabits a lion plushie that he is very fond of, referring to it as his "sexy body". Kon also inhabits Ichigo Kurosaki's body whenever he is away, playing the part of Ichigo so that his family does not miss him. Although Kon makes only sporadic appearances in the Bleach storyline, he frequently hosts and/or stars in omake specials for the series including his talk show Radio Kon Baby, self-proclaiming himself as the series' mascot. He is voiced by Mitsuaki Madono in the Japanese version of the anime and by Quinton Flynn in the English dub. ==== Kurōdo ==== Kurōdo (蔵人) is a somewhat cowardly Mod-Soul with the ability to shapeshift. He replicates the ability of others when he does so (although he cannot replicate the potency of said abilities). His plushie body is a rabbit-like purse. Kurōdo's gigai is of a bespectacled man with a mustache and two-tone hair color (black to the left, blonde to the right). He wears a gray top hat, multi-colored suit, and tie, as well as dark brown boots. He is often told he talks too much. Kurōdo is voiced by Nobuo Tobita in the Japanese version of the anime and by Michael McConnohie in the English dub. ==== Noba ==== Noba (之芭) is very quiet, rarely speaking more than a few words. He is fairly shy, hiding his face when he wishes to show no emotion. Despite this, he is somewhat analytical and adept at strategic combat. Noba has the power to teleport himself and others to almost any location he has been to, using inter-dimensional portals. The dimension inside the portals appears to be red. He can also create wormholes to redirect ranged attacks, both physical and energy-based, back at the enemy. Noba's plushie body is an anthropomorphic turtle in gray dress trousers and a white ruffled shirt with a red bow tie. He retreats into his shell when embarrassed or feeling shy. His gigai is of a young slim built, red-haired man with aqua eyes wearing a ninja-esque outfit: a fur coat with a shield on his back and a zippered mask. Noba is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita in the Japanese anime and by Roger Craig Smith in the English dub. ==== Lirin ==== Lirin (りりん, Ririn) acts as the leader of the Mod-Souls introduced in the Bount arc. At times she is petty and arrogant, resulting in her initial dislike of Ichigo Kurosaki. She can sense Bount reishi, along with their dolls. Other times she shows real concern for others, eventually developing a fondness for Ichigo where she will put herself in harm's way to protect him. She often looks down on Kon as inferior, which causes frequent arguments between the two. Her special ability is the creation of illusions. Lirin's plushie body is an anthropomorphic bird that wears a blue coat, red bow, and blue boots. She does not like the plushie at all and claims that she cannot change to another. Lirin's gigai is a small girl with short blonde hair wearing a pink, fur-trimmed coat, a purple bird-shaped cape, and red boots. She, Kurōdo and Noba all live at Urahara's shop while not in action. Lirin is voiced by Yumi Kakazu in the Japanese anime and by Julie Ann Taylor in the English dub. ==== Nozomi Kujō ==== Nozomi Kujō (九条 望実, Kujō Nozomi) is a Mod-Soul. She has escaped from the Soul Society and is wanted by Kagerōza Inaba. She is actually the result of Project Spearhead, the experiment that created the first Mod-Soul in the image of its overseer Ōko Yushima. In truth, having a grudge against the Soul Society yet needing a stronger body to best use his power without residual side effects, Yushima transferred his consciousness into a Mod-Soul that he splintered into two to conceal his presence: One half becoming Nozomi who embodies Yushima's restraint and the other bearing his rage and personality that became Kagerōza. Ending up in Karakura Town while evading the Reigai, Mod-Soul based clones of Soul Reapers created by Kagerōza, Nozomi is found by Kon and befriends Ichigo and his friends as they protect her. In the process, having intending to destroy herself to keep Kagerōza from fulfilling his goal, she manages to open up and show off her exuberant personality while manifesting her own zanpakutō Arazome Shigure (退紅時雨, Faded Scarlet Late Autumn Shower) which can absorb spirit pressure in its released state. Eventually, Nozomi is captured and Kagerōza proceeds to use his lab equipment to absorb her and assume his true form as Yushima. However, Nozomi's conscious is able to endure and fight Yushima as he battles her friends. Though she managed to separate from him, Nozomi dies from the internal wounds she inflicted on Yushima while she was still a part of him. Nozomi is voiced by Hisako Kanemoto in the Japanese anime and by Julie Ann Taylor in the English dub === Kurosaki family === ==== Isshin Kurosaki ==== Isshin Kurosaki (黒崎 一心, Kurosaki Isshin) is, at the beginning of the series, the unassuming father of Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu, and the head of the family. Later on in the series, it is revealed that their father was in fact formerly a Shinigami and captain of the 10th Division, making him the predecessor of its current leader, Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Forced to abscond his duties as a Shinigami after sacrificing his powers to save the life of his eventual wife, Masaki, Isshin opened the Kurosaki Clinic in the Human World, living a simple family life in Karakura Town. He adopted the surname of his wife, Kurosaki, but was originally a member of the Shiba clan, making him relatives of Ganju, Kūkaku and Kaien Shiba. The goofy, energetic, and fun-loving demeanor he typically presents belies his discerning eye and wisdom, which his eldest son, Ichigo, has been able to rely on at points in the series. Isshin is voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in the Japanese version of the anime and by Patrick Seitz in the English dub. Isshin is played by Yōsuke Eguchi in the live-action film while Keith Silverstein voices him in the English dub of the live-action film. ==== Karin Kurosaki and Yuzu Kurosaki ==== Karin Kurosaki (黒崎 夏梨, Kurosaki Karin) and Yuzu Kurosaki (黒崎 遊子, Kurosaki Yuzu), are Ichigo's younger sisters. While Karin is typically cynical and sarcastic with the ability to see spirits, Yuzu is more soft-spoken, empathetic and emotional. When Ichigo loses his powers after defeating Aizen, beginning her first year of high school with Yuzu, Karin took a more active role in seeing and interacting with ghosts. Karin is voiced by Rie Kugimiya in the Japanese version of the anime and by Kate Higgins in the English dub. In the live-action movie, she is played by Miyu Ando. Yuzu is voiced by Ayumi Sena in the Japanese version of the anime and by Janice Kawaye in the English dub. In the live-action film, she is played by Kokoro Hirosawa. In the English dub of the live-action film, both of them are voiced by Janice Kawaye. ==== Kazui Kurosaki ==== Kazui Kurosaki (黒崎 一勇, Kurosaki Kazui) is the son of Ichigo and Orihime, who possess Shinigami powers. His face closely resembles that of his mother's, having the same shaped eyes and facial curves, while he inherited his father's bright orange hair, though his hair is noticeably smoother than Ichigo's. Kazui is adventurous, regularly making uninvited appearances in Hiyori Sarugaki's home and freely interacting with remnants of Yhwach's Reiatsu. ==== Masaki Kurosaki ==== Masaki Kurosaki (黒崎 真咲, Kurosaki Masaki) was the wife of Isshin Shiba, and the mother of Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu, as well as the last of the Kurosaki bloodline who was taken in by the Ishida family with the plan that she would marry Ryūken to continue the Quincies' existence as pure-bloods. However, after being infected by the artificial Hollow White, Masaki instead married Isshin after using a method to repress the hollow influence that required Isshin to have his Soul Reaper powers sealed. She was killed by the Hollow Grand Fisher while protecting Ichigo. It is revealed that when Masaki and Ichigo encountered Grand Fisher, Yhwach's Auswählen caused Masaki to lose her Quincy power, rendering her unable to fight against Grand Fisher. Masaki is voiced by Sayaka Ohara in the Japanese version of the anime and by Ellyn Stern in the English dub. In the backstory episodes from Thousand-Year Blood War anime dub, Masaki's voice has been provided by Cherami Leigh. Masaki is played by Masami Nagasawa in the live-action film. === Karakura Town === The following are inhabitants of Karakura Town: ==== Keigo Asano ==== Keigo Asano (浅野 啓吾, Asano Keigo) is a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is an extremely hyperactive character and often uses overly dramatic movements and words to act out his feelings. He is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Yuri Lowenthal in the English dub. In the live-action film, he is played by Hiroto Yamada while Kaiji Tang voices him in the English dub of the live-action film. ==== Tatsuki Arisawa ==== Tatsuki Arisawa (有沢 竜貴, Arisawa Tatsuki) is a good friend of Ichigo Kurosaki and the best friend of Orihime Inoue. She has known both since she was young, sparring with Ichigo in their karate classes and defending Orihime whenever people picked on or bothered her. She is voiced by Junko Noda in the Japanese version of the anime and by Wendee Lee in the English dub. In the live-action film, she is played by Risako Itō while Erika Ishii voices her in the English dub of the live-action film. ==== Mizuiro Kojima ==== Mizuiro Kojima (小島 水色, Kojima Mizuiro) is a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki. He has a boyish face and gentle manner of speaking, with a marked fondness for older women. He is shown to be spiritually aware but has yet to display any unique abilities. He is voiced by Jun Fukuyama in the Japanese version of the anime and by Tom Fahn in the English dub. ==== Chizuru Honshō ==== Chizuru Honshō (本匠 千鶴, Honshō Chizuru) is a classmate of Ichigo Kurosaki. She is an open lesbian and is often trying to get close to Orihime only to be thwarted by Tatsuki who would often attack her. She is voiced by Saki Nakajima in the Japanese version of the anime. ==== Ikumi Unagiya ==== Ikumi Unagiya (鰻屋 育美, Unagiya Ikumi) is the owner and manager of the Unagiya Shop (a business which performs a variety of odd jobs for its customers) in Karakura Town and the mother of Kaoru Unagiya. She hires Ichigo Kurosaki sometime after the loss of his Shinigami powers. Ikumi is shown to have good fighting skills as seen when she had to beat up the punks that were making Ichigo late to work. She is voiced by Yūko Kaida in the Japanese version of the anime and by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn in the English dub. ==== Kaoru Unagiya ==== Kaoru Unagiya (鰻屋 馨, Unagiya Kaoru) is the young son of Ikumi Unagiya. Kaoru is fairly petulant, though he tends to be over-protective of his mother. As a result, Kaoru is distrustful of other males who come near her warning them not to ingratiate themselves with her. He is voiced by Kaoru Mizuhara in the Japanese version of the anime and by Yuri Lowenthal in the English dub. ==== Lurichiyo Kasumiōji ==== Lurichiyo Kasumiōji (霞大路 瑠璃千代, Kasumiōji Rurichiyo) is the heir to the Kasumiōji Clan and was a central figure to the Kasumiōji Conspiracy. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father died of an illness. She was targeted by Gyōkaku Kumoi, his assassins, and their silent partner Shūsuke Amagai as part of their plot to dispose of Lurichiyo and obtain leadership over the Kasumiōji Clan by using the bakòťó. With the help of Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki, Amagai was defeated with those involved in the plot ending up either killed in action or incarcerated. Afterward, Lurichiyo was engaged to Shū and assumed leadership over the Kasumiōji Clan. She is voiced by Reiki Takagi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Eden Riegel in the English dub. === Shiba Clan === The Shiba Clan are Isshin's family who are based in the Soul Society as its fifth noble family with prestige compared to the Kuchiki and Shihōin families. But after the death of Kaien Shiba, the Shiba Clan fell from their high-status position prior to the events of the series and make a living as fireworks specialists in the outskirts of the Soul Society. Isshin Kurosaki was originally a member of the Shiba clan, making him relatives of Ganju, Kūkaku and Kaien Shiba but how exactly is unknown. ==== Kūkaku Shiba ==== Kūkaku Shiba (志波 空鶴, Shiba Kūkaku) is a fireworks expert, the younger sister of Kaien and the older sister of Ganju. She lives with her family in themed houses (which she changes in design and location regularly) on the outskirts of Soul Society. For some unknown reason, Kūkaku is missing her right arm which in the anime is replaced with a prosthetic. Kūkaku is the head of the Shiba family after Kaien died. Because they knew only that Kaien was killed by a Soul Reaper, both Kūkaku and Ganju are distrustful of Soul Reapers when first introduced. After Kaien's killer Rukia Kuchiki explains how he died and apologizes, the Shibas make amends. Kūkaku seems to have some kind of relationship with the Urahara Shop, knowing Yoruichi Shihōin and claiming to have worked with Kisuke Urahara in the past. She can perform high level kidō spells, and carries a kodachi tied around the remaining portion of her right arm. Kūkaku's firework cannon is capable of breaching through high concentrations of reiatsu, which is used by Ichigo's group to cross over to Seireitei and much later to transport Ichigo and the Royal Guards toward the Royal Palace, is one of the few ways to do so. She mentions having to let Ichigo enter the Royal Palace even if it saddens "uncle" before commanding her brother to train with the deceased Xcution members in preparation for the Wandenreich's second invasion. She is voiced by Akiko Hiramatsu in the Japanese version of the anime and by Cindy Robinson in the English dub. ==== Ganju Shiba ==== Ganju Shiba (志波 岩鷲, Shiba Ganju) is Kaien and Kūkaku's younger brother. He is the leader of a gang, who all ride large boars. Incidentally, Ganju's boar, Bonnie-chan, met her end in a nabe which Ganju himself was invited to by 4th squad captain Unohana. Ganju possesses a hot temper and a strong ego, though has shown a softer side, easily being cowed by his older sister, Kūkaku. He and his sister initially hate Soul Reapers due to the death of their brother, Kaien, though after his interactions with Ichigo Kurosaki he overcomes this. Ganju is not particularly attractive, something that has become a running joke in the series. He has a dagger which resembles a meat cleaver or a Chinese Dadao, though his skills are limited and he instead relies on his arsenal of fireworks and his earth magic. Ganju's earth magic does not seem to operate on the same principles as standard Soul Reaper kidō spells; the one technique he uses can reduce whatever earth it is aimed to sand or quicksand, useful when making holes in walls to escape pursuers. Ganju participates with Ichigo's group in entering Seireitei with the intent to understand what made his late brother never hate Soul Reaper to the very end even after being killed by one. He later confronted his brother's killer, Rukia, and while at first resentful, he eventually forgave her after learning the truth behind Kaien's death from Ukitake. During the Wandenreich's attack on Soul Society, he also participates with Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and Yoruichi to face Yhwach in the Royal Realm. He is voiced by Wataru Takagi in the Japanese version of the anime and by Kyle Hebert in the English dub. === Quincy === Quincy (滅却師（クインシー）, Kuinshī) are a clan of humans who are descended from Yhwach. Spiritually aware because of Yhwach's blood running through them, the Quincies can reshape spiritual particles into various types of bow and arrows, swords or explosives. There are also Quincies that are born once every two centuries with same power as Yhwach himself. At their height, Quincies used their powers to combat the hollows to protect the land of the living with a greater success rate than the Soul Reapers. However, unlike the Soul Reapers who purify Hollows, Quincies completely destroy the soul and thus create an imbalance between the life and death that would threaten to destroy the world. As a last resort to prevent further imbalance, the Soul Reapers exterminated most of the Quincies with only a few traces remains allowed to live. As a result, having great animosity towards Soul Reapers, some Quincies marry into normal human families with their children becoming Impure Quincies while some Quincy families attempt to keep their bloodline pure. Tite Kubo created the Quincy as rivals to the Soul Reapers, resulting in long-range weapons as a counter to the standard Soul Reaper zanpakuto and white clothing as an antithesis to the black Soul Reaper uniform. Their name stems from their symbol, a five-pointed star, and the prefix "quin," meaning "five," as well as Kubo's liking for the phrase "Quincy archer." Other than Uryū Ishida and the Wandenreich, there are some other Quincies who had survived the genocide. ==== Ryūken Ishida ==== Ryūken Ishida (石田 竜弦, Ishida Ryūken, romanized as "Ryūgen" in Bleach Official Character Book SOULs and other Japanese sources) is Uryū's father who works as the Hospital Director of Karakura Hospital. Ryūken is portrayed as a bitter and cold Quincy who detests his own people though he is extremely powerful and possesses many of their people's lost or stolen artifacts (some of the new weapons that Ishida currently uses are "borrowed" from his father). It is revealed that he was meant to marry Masaki Kurosaki, a distant relative of his, to preserve the blood purity of the Quincy. However, his engagement fell through when Masaki underwent Hollowfication and Isshin Shiba tied his life with Masaki's in order to save it. Instead of Masaki, he married his family maid, Kanae Katagiri. Nine years before the main story, Kanae was subjected to the Auswählen and eventually died, impacting Ryūken and causing him to detest Quincy. After his wife's death, he performed a long-term autopsy on her body in order to retrieve a special silver cloth created from Auswählen and used it to make an arrow that can stop Yhwach's power. Ryūken is voiced by Ken Narita in the Japanese version of the anime and by Michael McConnohie in the English dub. ==== Sōken Ishida ==== Sōken Ishida (石田 宗弦, Ishida Sōken) was the father of Ryūken and the grandfather of Uryū. He trained Uryū in Quincy abilities throughout his childhood, becoming his mentor in the process. Sōken tried to make amends with Soul Reapers by advocating a new system of response to Hollow attacks. His proposal was never accepted, and he was eventually killed in a Hollow attack due to his old age (with Mayuri Kurotsuchi being responsible for not sending Soul Reapers to save him). Sōken is voiced by Eiji Maruyama in the Japanese version of the anime and by David Lodge in the English dub. ==== Kanae Ishida (nee Katagiri) ==== Kanae Katagiri (片桐 叶絵, Katagiri Kanae) was the wife of Ryūken Ishida and the mother of Uryū. She is of a mixed-blood heritage (Gemischt) and originally worked as the maid of the Ishida family. She befriended Ryūken since they were children and eventually developed a crush on him, although she is aware that Ryūken must marry his distant relative, Masaki Kurosaki. After Ryūken's engagement with Masaki fell through, she comforted a weeping Ryūken and eventually married him, giving birth to Uryū. However, nine years before the main story, the Quincy progenitor, Yhwach initiated the Auswählen: the process to absorb the power of impure Quincy, which took the powers of both Kanae and Masaki. Kanae, who was already weak at the time, eventually died three months later. Kanae is voiced by Mamiko Noto in the Japanese anime. === Zanpakutō Spirits === The Zanpakutō (斬魄刀, "Souls-Cutter Sword") are the main weapons of Soul Reapers, conceived and invented by Ōetsu Nimaiya of Squad Zero. When first created, a nameless zanpakutō is initially known as an asauchi (浅打, "Shallow Hit) and is given to low-class Soul Reapers. Over time, from imprinting the owner's soul into it, the asauchi eventually transforms into the Soul Reaper's personal zanpakutō. As a consequence, having been a formless entity prior, the spiritual embodiment of a zanpakutō gains a unique appearance. While each one's appearance is reflection of the owner's spirit pressure, zanpakutō spirits have an additional form during the bankai state of a zanpakutō. Though they would test their owners' worth in using them, zanpakutō spirits exist to protect their wielder and would eventually cease to be if the Soul Reaper who owns them dies or uses a technique that would render the user powerless. There are few exceptions to the rule such as in the case of the Ise Clan's zanpakutō Shinken Hakkyōken, which can be passed down the generations as a family heirloom. During the Zanpakutō Rebellion and Beast Swords arc, the zanpakutō spirits were given a true presence by the power of the unique zanpakutō Muramasa. However, by the end of the Beast Swords arc, weeks after his death, Muramasa's power waned and the zanpakutō spirits return to their original states. ==== Zangetsu ==== Zangetsu (斬月, Slaying Moon), also simply called "old man" by Ichigo, is the manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy powers, who appears as a tall man with ragged black hair, facial hair, and sunglasses. This appearance is supposed to represent Yhwach, the first Quincy, 1,000 years before the start of the series when he fought Yamamoto. Pretending to be Ichigo's actual Zanpakutō, Old Man Zangetsu aided Ichigo in achieving his potential as a Soul Reaper. However, while attempting to tame his Inner Hollow, Ichigo hears his opponent introducing himself as Zangetsu. The reason for this is revealed when Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月, Heaven Chain Slaying Moon), a younger and more powerful version of Zangetsu that Ichigo encounters while in his bankai state, reveals that he and Ichigo's Hollow are both halves of the same being that represents Ichigo's overall power. After he and Ichigo's Hollow assumed their true form, Tensa Zangetsu battles Ichigo to test his resolve in using the Final Getsuga Tenshō. Though Ichigo passed his test, Tensa Zangetsu reveals the consequences of the attack before bidding his owner farewell. Ichigo would learn that the Zangetsu he knew was actually the personification of his powers as a Quincy, therefore resembling a younger Yhwach. Confronted by Ichigo about this, confirming what the youth learned about him, Zangetsu reveals he had kept Ichigo's full power as a Soul Reaper in check because he initially didn't want Ichigo to become Soul Reaper out of concern for his safety. As they fought together, however, Zangetsu's determination waver and he finally decide to unlock the youth's full potential in light of Yhwach's return. After Zangetsu is reforged, his essence resides in the smallest of the split blades in his Shikai state. Zangetsu is voiced by Takayuki Sugō in the Japanese version of the anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub. Tensa Zangetsu is voiced by Showtaro Morikubo in the Japanese version of the anime and by Keith Silverstein in the English version. ==== Hollow Ichigo ==== "Hollow Ichigo" is the real Zangetsu and the true manifestation of Ichigo's Zanpakuto. He was born from the result of Ichigo's mother being infected by trace remains of the Hollow White that passed on into Ichigo and fused with Ichigo's latent Soul Reaper power, which manifested when Ichigo awakened as a Soul Reaper. In appearance both normally and when in bankai form, Hollow Ichigo is identical to his host save for his white eyes (golden in anime), opposite colour scheme and permanent grin. Prior to his full awakening, Hollow Ichigo manifested himself as a mask that continuously appeared and shielded Ichigo from what would have been a fatal attack. After Ichigo is aware of his existence, he is eventually able to fully manifest himself by possessing Ichigo's body during his fights. Whenever possessing Ichigo's body, a Hollow mask would form on Ichigo's face as Ichigo slowly undergoes Hollowfication. Though a bloodthirsty berserker who would taunt and take any chance to take over Ichigo's body, Hollow Ichigo's nature as a zanpakutō compels him to intervene during some of Ichigo's fights to protect his wielder by the means of Hollowfication. After his identity is fully revealed, it is explained that everything that Hollow Ichigo did was actually for the sake of making Ichigo stronger and properly utilize his power. After Zangetsu is reforged, Hollow Ichigo's essence resides in the largest aspect of the split shikai state of his zanpakutō. Hollow Ichigo is voiced by Masakazu Morita in the Japanese version of the anime and by Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dub. ==== Zabimaru ==== Zabimaru (蛇尾, Snake Tail) is the Zanpakutō owned by Renji Abarai. It appears as a Nue, first seen in the Soul Society arc when Renji was recovering from his first fight with Ichigo. In the anime exclusive Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, Zabimaru's form changes to that of a green fur woman and a young boy with a snake tail. Though the two are normally connected by a chain, with the child assuming their zanpakutō form for his older counterpart to wield, the two halves of Zabimaru act independent of each other when needed to. In the Japanese version of the anime, the original form of Zabimaru is voiced by Tōru Furusawa, Saru by Mitsuki Saiga, and Hebi by Asami Sanada. In the English dub, while Vic Mignogna in English dub voiced Zabimaru's original form, Saru is voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn while Hebi is voiced by Michelle Ruff in English dub. ==== Hyōrinmaru ==== Hyōrinmaru (氷輪丸, Ice Ring) is the Zanpakutō owned by Tōshirō Hitsugaya, appearing as a dragon made of ice. Hyōrinmaru already tried to communicate with Hitsugaya before he became a Soul Reaper. During the anime-exclusive Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, Hyōrinmaru assumes the form of a tall young man with long-flowing green hair and dragon limbs. In the second film, "The Diamond Dust Rebellion", it was revealed that Hitsugaya's friend Sōjirō Kusaka also possessed Hyōrinmaru. Though the two saw it as a sign of their friendship, the Central 46 members deemed such an event unacceptable with Kusaka seemingly put to death, after he failed a test he and a reluctant Histugaya were put through over which of them can be recognized as the sole owner of Hyōrinmaru. But when Kusaka returns, having been brought back to life by the item, he uses the power of Ōin (王印, "King's Seal") to transform into a parody of Hyōrinmaru, before Ichigo forces Kusaka back to his Soul Reaper state so Hitsugaya can settle things with his friend. Hyōrinmaru is voiced by Daisuke Matsuoka in the Japanese version of the second film, by Kenji Hamada in the Japanese version of the anime, and by Travis Willingham in the respectful English dubs. ==== Katen Kyōkotsu ==== Katen Kyōkotsu (花天狂骨, Bones of Heavenly Blooming Madness) is a pair of Zanpakutō owned by Shunsui Kyōraku. Shunsui's Zanpakutō, named simply Katen (花天, Heavenly Flower), manifests as a tall, well-endowed violet-haired woman with an eyepatch, whom Shunsui affectionately calls "Ohana" (お花, Flower). Katen physically appears when Shunsui unleashes his bankai, Shunsui, having explained that she only lets him use her full power when she is in the right mood due to her moody nature. When asked by his sister-in-law to conceal Shinken Hakkyōken, Shunsei has Katen create an offshoot of herself to hold the cursed Zanpakutō in her body. This offshoot assumes the form of a silent, young kunoichi that sees battle as a game, named Kyōkotsu (狂骨, Madness Bone) and nicknamed by Shunsui as "Okyō" (お狂, Madness). While both Katen and Kyōkotsu make their initial debut in anime-exclusive Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, they appear in the final arc of the manga: Katen appearing when Shunsui uses his bankai to fight Lille Barro, with Kyōkotsu appearing when Shunsui decides to give Nanao her family's Zanpakutō as a last resort to defeat Lille. Katen is voiced by Ayumi Fujimura in the Japanese version and by Erin Fitzgerald in the English dub. === Mimihagi === Mimihagi (ミミハギ) is a fallen god that is a vassal of the Soul King, specifically its animate right arm, appearing as a humanoid in the shape of an arm with one eye on his hand-like head. Mimihagi has long been forgotten by most in the Soul Society yet is revered in the outer areas of Eastern Rukongai for his ability to prolong a person's life by taking the afflicted portion of their body from them and giving the person the means to live through the Kamikake (神掛, lit. "Suspended God") ability to compensate for the irreversible side-effects. Such an example is Jūshirō Ukitake, whose lungs Mimihagi removed at his parents' behest. During the second invasion of the Wandenreich, Jūshirō activated Kamikake to offer his body to Mimihagi to revive the Soul King. Mimihagi accepts Jūshirō's sacrifice, but is stopped from reviving the Soul King by Yhwach and is absorbed by the Quincy. == Merchandise == Several types of merchandise have been produced based on the likeness of the Bleach characters. Apparels from them include replicas of the zanpakutō, hollow masks as well as Soul Reapers clothes for cosplays. Other merchandise based on them include action-figures, plush, and key-chains. Characters are also featured on Bleach trading cards that have different abilities depending on the character appearing in the cards. In Japan, there have been released soundtracks in which the voice actors from the anime perform songs related to their characters. Most characters are also featured in video games from the series, with most of them being fighting games. == Reception == The characters from the series have received praise and criticism from several reviewers. Anime News Network noted them to be relatively stereotypical but with traits that make them look "special" noting the interactions they have as well as the large and variable cast of side characters. They were also praised for having energetic attitudes and distinctive ways of fighting. While they commented on Ichigo on being "almost a typical anti-hero", they mention that he is just a common person with a tragic past making him likable to the fans. They also praised Tite Kubo's artwork to give them good clothes and the anime staff for improving them. Mania Entertainment agreed with praising the artwork of the manga and noted that the "characters have personalities and oddities all described in those designs". They have also praised the development of the characters remarking how Renji, before being defeated by Ichigo, he asks him to save Rukia, while during his first appearances he was more violent and was meant to arrest her. IGN agreed and mentioned that the large number of plot happening within each character make the series more than "example of shonen fighting manga". However, the reviewer commented that it is hard to take the series seriously when one of the main Arrancar is named Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez. Wizard Universe also praised Ichigo as the best hero of 2007 commenting that the only reason why he is not like every "shonen character" is that he only wants to save his friends, not because he tries to act as a hero. IGN also added that while some fights were dragged for many chapters, they are easy to enjoy due to the abilities of the characters and the artwork from Kubo. In another review, comicbookbin said that Bleach's characters tended to avoid the most obvious courses of action, giving the series an element of unpredictability. Tite Kubo has been praised by comicbookbin.com for creating a "dense multi-layered narrative housing a mob of characters". They remarked how each character from the series had two subplots making the reader hard to remember although that made them more complex. In a review from the volume 20, they noted how Kubo turned the fights into "martial arts and epic fantasy serial" comparing them with fights from famous movies like The Matrix and praised how well drawn they are. Anime News Network also added that the English voice acting of the characters is as good as the Japanese one, considering each of them very original. == Explanatory notes == == References ==

This is a list of characters for Tite Kubo's manga and anime series Bleach. It takes place in a fictional universe in which the characters are split into various factionalized fictional races. They are subdivisions of humanity, but are distinguished by whether they live on Earth or in one of the afterlives, by possession of thematically contrasting supernatural powers, and by the use of aesthetics drawn from the artistic traditions of different real-life regions. The main character of the series, Ichigo Kurosaki, has the ability to interact with ghosts. He soon meets Rukia Kuchiki, a female Soul Reaper from the Soul Society whose mission is to deal with hungering lost souls called Hollows. After seeing Rukia grievously wounded by a Hollow in his presence, Ichigo receives the power of exorcism and psychopompy to carry out her Soul Reaper duties as she recovers. As Ichigo guides the recently deceased to the afterlife while contending with Hollows, he clashes and forms alliances with the other supernaturally powered residents of the city, including his friends. Many individual characters and the series' character design work have been praised, though Bleach's constantly-expanding character roster has been a point of criticism in the press. The size of the cast has been explained by author Kubo as the result of his writing process, in which he first creates new figures, then writes their personalities and character arcs, and finally assembles these interactions into a new plot. The overall response to this technique is mixed, with some reviewers believing the resulting characters are still relatively stereotypical and often get little individual focus, while others have remarked that even secondary characters feel like protagonists of their very own stories.

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List of Death Note episodes (wikipedia)

Death Note is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga series of the same name written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was directed by Tetsurō Araki at Madhouse and originally aired in Japan on Nippon TV every Wednesday (with the exception of December 20, 2006, and January 3, 2007) shortly past midnight, from October 4, 2006, to June 27, 2007. The plot of the series primarily revolves around high school student Light Yagami, who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook called a Death Note. This book causes the death of anyone whose name is written in it and is passed on to Light by the Shinigami Ryuk after he becomes bored within the Shinigami world. A two-hour "Director's Cut" compilation television film, titled Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God, aired on NTV a few months after the anime concluded. Although advertised to be the "complete conclusion", the popularity of the series inspired the release of a second TV special, titled Death Note: Relight 2: L's Successors nearly a year later. These specials recap the first and second arcs of the anime, respectively, with new scenes added to fill in any plot holes resulted from omitted footage. In 2007, Viz Media licensed the series for a bilingual release in North America. Episodes of the series were officially available for download soon after they aired in Japan; according to Viz, this was "significant because it marked the first time a well known Japanese anime property [was] made legally available to domestic audiences for download to own while the title still [aired] on Japanese television." Viz Media began releasing these episodes via Direct2Drive on May 10, 2007. In addition to this downloadable release of a subtitled version of the series, Viz also acquired the rights for the home video release of both the subtitled and dubbed version of the series. On October 21, 2007, Death Note premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Death Note episodes were also added to Adult Swim's streaming video service, Adult Swim Video, on Fridays before airing on television. On November 9, 2008, Death Note began airing weekly, at 3:30 a.m. EST, starting with episode 1, "Rebirth", on Adult Swim. In Canada, the series premiered on YTV's Bionix programming block on October 26, 2007. In October 2007, Hong Kong began airing the Cantonese version of Death Note at 12:00 a.m. Saturday nights on TVB. On April 14, 2008, Death Note premiered in Australia, where it aired on ABC2 on Mondays at 9:30 p.m. Five pieces of theme music are used for the series. The first opening theme, titled "The World", is performed by Nightmare. Nightmare also performed the first ending theme, "Alumina" (アルミナ, Arumina), which reappears as the ending theme in the television film Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God and as an insert in episodes 12 and 19. Both songs appear on their album The World Ruler. The second opening theme from episode 20 onwards is "What's Up, People?!" and the second ending theme is "Zetsubō Billy" (絶望ビリー, Zetsubō Birī, "Desperate Billy"), which also appears as an insert in the TV special Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God. Both themes are performed by Maximum the Hormone and appear on their album Bu-ikikaesu. The final episode's ending theme is "Coda ~ Death Note" by series co-composer Yoshihisa Hirano. "Misa's Song", performed by Misa's voice actress Aya Hirano, is heard as an insert for episode 25. The English version of the song is performed by the character's English voice actress, Shannon Chan-Kent. == Episodes == == Television films == == Home media release == === Japanese === === English === == References == == External links == Official Death Note anime website (in Japanese) Death Note (2006–2007) at IMDb

Death Note is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga series of the same name written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was directed by Tetsurō Araki at Madhouse and originally aired in Japan on Nippon TV every Wednesday (with the exception of December 20, 2006, and January 3, 2007) shortly past midnight, from October 4, 2006, to June 27, 2007. The plot of the series primarily revolves around high school student Light Yagami, who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook called a Death Note. This book causes the death of anyone whose name is written in it and is passed on to Light by the Shinigami Ryuk after he becomes bored within the Shinigami world. A two-hour "Director's Cut" compilation television film, titled Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God, aired on NTV a few months after the anime concluded. Although advertised to be the "complete conclusion", the popularity of the series inspired the release of a second TV special, titled Death Note: Relight 2: L's Successors nearly a year later. These specials recap the first and second arcs of the anime, respectively, with new scenes added to fill in any plot holes resulted from omitted footage. In 2007, Viz Media licensed the series for a bilingual release in North America. Episodes of the series were officially available for download soon after they aired in Japan; according to Viz, this was "significant because it marked the first time a well known Japanese anime property [was] made legally available to domestic audiences for download to own while the title still [aired] on Japanese television." Viz Media began releasing these episodes via Direct2Drive on May 10, 2007. In addition to this downloadable release of a subtitled version of the series, Viz also acquired the rights for the home video release of both the subtitled and dubbed version of the series. On October 21, 2007, Death Note premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Death Note episodes were also added to Adult Swim's streaming video service, Adult Swim Video, on Fridays before airing on television. On November 9, 2008, Death Note began airing weekly, at 3:30 a.m. EST, starting with episode 1, "Rebirth", on Adult Swim. In Canada, the series premiered on YTV's Bionix programming block on October 26, 2007. In October 2007, Hong Kong began airing the Cantonese version of Death Note at 12:00 a.m. Saturday nights on TVB. On April 14, 2008, Death Note premiered in Australia, where it aired on ABC2 on Mondays at 9:30 p.m. Five pieces of theme music are used for the series. The first opening theme, titled "The World", is performed by Nightmare. Nightmare also performed the first ending theme, "Alumina" (アルミナ, Arumina), which reappears as the ending theme in the television film Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God and as an insert in episodes 12 and 19. Both songs appear on their album The World Ruler. The second opening theme from episode 20 onwards is "What's Up, People?!" and the second ending theme is "Zetsubō Billy" (絶望ビリー, Zetsubō Birī, "Desperate Billy"), which also appears as an insert in the TV special Death Note: Relight: Visions of a God. Both themes are performed by Maximum the Hormone and appear on their album Bu-ikikaesu. The final episode's ending theme is "Coda ~ Death Note" by series co-composer Yoshihisa Hirano. "Misa's Song", performed by Misa's voice actress Aya Hirano, is heard as an insert for episode 25. The English version of the song is performed by the character's English voice actress, Shannon Chan-Kent.

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List of number-one singles of the 2020s (Malta) (wikipedia)

This is a list of the songs that have reached number one on the BMAT PRS Malta airplay chart during the 2020s. The issue date is the date the song began its run at number one during the decade. == Chart == Key † – Songs in Maltese ‡ – Songs in English and Maltese == References == BMAT PRS Malta Airplay Chart on The Malta Independent PRSMalta on Facebook

This is a list of the songs that have reached number one on the BMAT PRS Malta airplay chart during the 2020s. The issue date is the date the song began its run at number one during the decade.

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Love? (wikipedia)

Love? is the seventh studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on April 29, 2011, by Island Records. Produced during the pregnancy of her twins Emme and Max, Love? was cited by Lopez as her most personal album to date, taking inspiration from the birth of her twins and her own experiences with love. Recording for the album began in 2009, with an original release date for the project set for January 2010 by Epic Records to coincide with Lopez's film The Back-up Plan. However following the lack of success with lead single "Louboutins", Lopez and Epic Records parted ways, leaving the fate of Love? in uncertainty. In 2010, Lopez signed a new record deal with Island Records, allowing proceedings for the release to be kept. The album includes a mixture of previously recorded material which leaked online in 2009 and 2010 during recording sessions, along with new songs with Tricky Stewart, The-Dream and RedOne commissioned by Island Records. Primarily a dance-pop record, Love? also marks a return to Lopez's pop/R&B roots. Upon its release, Love? garnered mixed reviews from music critics. While some were critical of it, others disagreed, praising it as a great dance album. Commercially, Love? debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming her sixth album to peak within the top 10 in the United States, and her highest peak since 2005's Rebirth. Internationally, Love? experienced moderate success, peaking within the top 10 in twenty-four different countries and also reaching the top five of several music markets. The album sold 353,000 copies in the United States. The album's first single under Island Records is "On the Floor" and features Pitbull. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped over thirty international charts, while the second and third singles from Love?, being "I'm Into You" featuring rapper Lil Wayne and "Papi", both topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs, each becoming moderate hits. Love? has become her third consecutive album to have all singles reach number one on that chart, earning her a milestone for eleven number ones at the time tying her with Katy Perry and Kristine W. == Background == Love? follows the footsteps of her least commercially successful album, Brave (2007), which just missed the top ten of the US Billboard 200, at position 12. Its beginnings date from late 2007 and early 2008, during Lopez's pregnancy with twins Emme and Max. While pregnant, and while at home after pregnancy, Lopez had been working on new music for future projects. In February 2009, a new song from those recording sessions titled "Hooked on You" leaked online. Lopez would address the leak on her official website in May 2009, where she said "I'm always excited about my music and this ["Hooked on You"] is one of a few tracks I'm currently working on. I'm flattered by everyone's interest in the track and really excited for you to hear the real thing..." Songwriter Wynter Gordon also addressed another leak from the album, a song that Gordon wrote called "What Is Love". In a personal blog through her official MySpace page, Gordon expressed her discontent that an unfinished, unmastered version of "What Is Love" had been leaked through the Internet. "I wrote this song from a deep place in my heart. If the world was gonna hear it, I wanted them to hear it right... It's as good as gone to me now... The story was given a Lifetime TV special instead of a movie... sad." Gordon did note that she was dissatisfied with the circumstances but was in "no way dissing Lopez." The following month Lopez told MTV's Larry Carol that she was keen to finish the album and several singles, with a potential release date for the end of 2009. In February 2010, Lopez left Sony Music Entertainment (and Epic Records) by mutual consent. Her departure from the label temporarily halted production on the album. However upon signing a new contract with Island Def Jam Music Group, recording resumed on the album, and Lopez entered the studio with Kuk Harrell to record brand new material for the disc. The New York Daily News revealed that Lopez would be taking some of the records recorded under Sony Music to her new label so that they could be included on the album. She said "stuff I'd been performing will be on the album as will previously released dance cuts." According to the paper, Island Def Jam would also release a remix disc alongside the album. AOL's music entertainment site, PopEater, later reported that Epic Records had actually shelved Love? and never committed to releasing the album, although this was never confirmed by Lopez, Epic or Island Def Jam. In February 2011, Lopez told BBC that the album was nearly complete. She had around twenty songs recorded from 2009–2011 which were being considered for the album, but she was finding it hard to edit the final track listing. "I'm very proud of the album; it's so hard to edit it because I have recorded maybe 20 songs and of course I'm not going to put 20 songs on an album, so to cut out eight to ten of those... it's breaking my heart." Lopez credits Love? as her best album to date because on it she recorded her "best vocals". RedOne and Lopez's new label boss, Antonio "L.A." Reid served as executive producers on the album. == Recording and production == While on set filming for The Back-up Plan in June 2009, Lopez revealed to MTV's Larry Carol that she had been working on the follow-up album to 2007's Brave. She had been working on the album during pregnancy, but it was not until the birth of her twins, Max and Emme, that she was able to focus on the project. Carol asked about the direction of the album, but Lopez refused to comment, instead saying "You can't help but put not only your kids into it, but to put anything you are going through in your music. [...] The only thing you can really sing or write is stuff that you know. The more music you make and the more that you get into it and the more you write, the more you realize that's all you can write." At the time of the interview, two of the album's songs had leaked. The first, titled "(What Is) Love?", was written by Wynter Gordon and co-written and produced by Emile Dernst II (D'Mile). After expressing dismay at the song's leak, its writer (Wynter Gordon) spoke of why the song was very personal to her: "[What Is Love is about] not knowing what love is ...I felt like so many woman have that same story. No fathers, families, abusive boyfriends and husbands..no parental support, they feel alone .. I've had my few relationships and have yet to feel love [sic]." Jean Baptist produced a 'part-two' for the song, which was mentioned at one of the album pre-release parties, attended by Rap-Up magazine, however the second part of the song was omitted from the track listing. The original version of the song, under the title "What Is Love", was included on the soundtrack to the 2010 film, The Back-up Plan, starring Lopez. Gordon also wrote "Starting Over" for the album with help from Marcella Araica and Nathaniel Hills (Danja), who also produced the song. Over a "fast-paced, galloping beat", Lopez describes the hardships of "getting back in the game after a breakup." According to the album credits, this is the only song with credited live instruments. The third song written by Gordon is called "Everybody's Girl", co-written by Mike Caren, Shep Crawford and Ollie Goldstein. The lyrics in this song speak of whether the female protagonist's man can love her "under the intense glare of the spotlight", over an up-tempo production. The other, aforementioned leaked song, "One Love", was written by Lopez, Antea Birchett, Anesha Birchett and Dernst II, as a tribute to her past relationships. Lopez references her famous lovers from the past, Sean Combs ("Took a shot with the bad boy from the block"), backup dancer Cris Judd ("We danced until we said 'I do'"), Ben Affleck ("Came and swept me off my feet, went nowhere but kept the ring"), and Marc Anthony ("Number four, you sang to me, but I'm not sure ... Made me want to try once more and I couldn't say no"). The Birchett sisters also worked with Muhammed Kateeb and Otis Greyson to write the third leaked song, "Hooked on You". Danja also produced two other songs for the album, "Love and War" (also written by the Birchett sisters) and "Keeper". The latter bears some resemblance to T.I.'s "Hell of a Life" (2009) which was also produced by Danja. It also follows in the same vein as "One Love" with lyrics that focus on Lopez searching for and then finding Mr. Right. While "Starting Over" and "One Love" both made the album, Danja's other two productions did not. Meanwhile, Caren and Chris Sernal respectively produced and wrote the guitar-driven ballad "Beautiful", which according to Rap-Up, is resemblant of production work by Ryan Tedder. Lopez also worked with Pharrell Williams and his production outfit The Neptunes on the album. One record they produced, "Fresh Out the Oven" was written by Williams, Pitbull, Lopez and Amanda Ghost. It also features additional vocals from Pitbull, but was only ever intended to be a fun record that was leaked by Epic Records and promoted in US night clubs. Neither track made the final track listing. However, not all of Lopez's collaborators were new. She reunited with longtime collaborator, Rodney Jerkins (Darkchild) who has worked with Lopez numerous times in the past. Darkchild produced "This Cannot Be Love", although the song did not make the final track listing for Love? It has similar introductory chords to "The Boy Is Mine" (1998) by Brandy Norwood and Monica. "This Cannot Be Love" has a progressive uptempo melody which continues to gather pace over the course of the song, while in the lyrics Lopez "asks if true love exists." When asked what inspired some of the album's records, Lopez told The Advocate, that whenever she records a new album she always thinks of dance music as it is popular in the gay community and club cultures. She said songs like "This Cannot Be Love"have musicality similar to her worldwide hit, "Waiting for Tonight" (1999), which was well received by the LGBT community. "[This Cannot Be Love] talks about the idea of getting lazy in love. You know how we do that? When you're with somebody and you're like: Wait a minute — remember when we were so in love and obsessed with each other? What happened?" Lopez also worked with Norwegian producers, StarGate on a personal song called "Story of My Life", and the album's second single "I'm Into You". While the former does not feature on the album, the latter is an Island-flavoured mid-tempo song, co-written by Taio Cruz and featuring guest vocals from Lil Wayne. Other major producers on the album include Christopher "Tricky Stewart" and The-Dream, who produced the album's Epic Records lead single, "Louboutins". The song was initially produced and written by Stewart and The-Dream for Brandy Norwood, but following Norwood's departure from Epic Records it was subsequently given to Lopez. The song, backed with strong synths and trumpets "tells the story of a woman stuck in a dead-end relationship with a man who clearly doesn't deserve her, and with her journey to realizing that and eventually walking out on him", and her frustration that her man is not 100% committed. "Louboutins" topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart but did not garner any airplay. Furthermore, critics gave the song mixed reviews, calling the lyrical content "boring", "dated" and "poo", although some did appreciate that the song was "catchy" and had some club appeal to it. It was excluded from the final track listing. Other songs recorded with Stewart and The-Dream include "Run the World" which initially featured Rick Ross and The-Dream, but the final version of the song removed both featured artists. It was tipped by Lopez to be a potential summer single. Another song produced by the duo was "Good Hit", initially lined up as a buzz single. MTV's Chris Ryan described it as having a slick dance beat over which "Lopez sings about dropping it low in a voice coated with the much-maligned but incredibly popular vocal filter." In November 2009, Stewart told Vibe that his and The-Dream's fellow production associate Kuk Harrell, would be producing a lot of the album. He said "I heard him working on some of the vocals and she has a lot of really good songs, I will say that. The stuff I heard was really good, really strong." Following Lopez's move to Island Def Jam, Lopez re-entered the studio to record new material with Harrell. Lopez later revealed that most of the album had been revamped and most production was now courtesy of Stewart and The-Dream despite recording several new songs with Moroccan producer RedOne, which made the album. Amongst those recorded with RedOne is the Latin music-influenced "On the Floor" which features Pitbull and a sample from Kaoma's 1989 hit single "Lambada". Two other RedOne songs, co-written and co-produced by Lady Gaga, "Invading My Mind" and "Hypnotico", also appear on Love? "Hypnotico" was originally recorded by recording artist Tami Chynn for her unreleased second album. Meanwhile, Lopez told fans in March 2011 that she recorded some of the album's songs in Spanish. Rap-Up revealed that the album was to also feature production from producer Troy "Radio" Johnson. == Title, concept and cover == Lopez revealed to MTV that the album would have a very tight and focused concept. Although in initial interviews she refused to reveal the title or concept, she said the album was personal to her. "You can't help but put not only your kids into it, but to put anything you are going through in your music", she said. "[T]he only thing you can really sing or write is stuff that you know. The more music you make and the more that you get into it and the more you write, the more you realize that's all you can write." In October 2009, People magazine revealed that Lopez's album was going to be called Love?. She would tell KIIS FM's DJ Skee that she had chosen to call her album Love? because love was something that still confused her. "Love is the most confusing thing in the world, that's why the album is called Love with a question mark." Lopez told The Advocate's Brandon Voss that she also took into account the gay community and how they might feel towards the album. She said all her previous albums had a universal appeal and the LGBT community had played a part in the success of her music in the past, e.g. "Waiting for Tonight" (1999). During interviews with one of her official fansites, Lopez also revealed that fans could expect a mixture of musical styles like her previous albums. "Expect pop records, R&B and a little hip hop." When Billboard previewed the album in January 2010, Ben-Yehuda Ayala said "Lopez sings, talk-sings and broods (within pop reason) on the subject of love," while Rap-Up said it is very much in keeping with the title, "a love roller coaster, taking you through the ups and downs of a relationship." Following her move to Island Def Jam, Lopez said she would still be pressing ahead with the album under the title Love?. "I just feel like it's an endlessly fascinating topic that all my albums have been about. It's still very confusing to me and so I explore that on this album, probably more than my other albums." She also revealed that her husband Marc Anthony initially disapproved of the title because he felt that it may imply that the couple were having marital problems. However in interviews with DJ Skee, she said "love has always been a theme of my career and this record wasn't going to be different. The album has a lot of up-tempo, dancy, urban tracks." The album cover for Love? was revealed on Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010, which aired December 11, 2010. On the cover, Lopez is adorned with diamonds "and a fur coat as she looks into the distance." Robbie Daw from Idolator joked that "from the look of things, it seems as if Miss Lopez's hair is having a close encounter of the third kind on the cover. Or maybe that's just her natural glow when she's up in the morning making flapjacks for the kids?" The deluxe edition, which features sixteen tracks as opposed to twelve on the standard edition, features the same cover as the standard edition except the background and text is tinged blue instead of pink. == Release and label change == In July 2009, a spokesperson for Lopez told People magazine that Lopez was not replacing Paula Abdul on the eighth season of American Idol because she would be busy promoting her film, The Back-up Plan as well as her new album. Both projects were slated for a January 2010 release, despite Lopez previously stating that she was aiming for the end of 2009. However during an interview with KTU Mornings, Lopez revealed that both the album and film were being pushed back to April 2010. Rap-Up magazine would later confirm that the album and film were being released together in cross-promotion of each other. However this date appeared unlikely when, backstage at the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, she said "I'm working on my album that will be out... hopefully this year, we'll see if I get it done... You know how it is, you go in your there non-stop, you leave it alone for a minute and you come back – you're like, okay, this is what I need." On February 22, 2010, it was announced that Lopez had parted ways with Epic Records, leaving the fate of the album in jeopardy. The initial press release from Lopez's manager Benny Medina said: "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist, she is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together". That same day, Lopez's representative confirmed the news to Entertainment Weekly and revealed that Lopez was negotiating a deal with several other labels. Lopez herself confirmed the split and announced that she had found a new label and that the album would be released in the summer of 2010, "I have fulfilled my contractual responsibilities with Sony/Epic up to this point, and we have both reached friendly terms about my departure from the label. I'm also happy to say that we've found a new home for my album, 'Love,' and that it is slated for release in the summer of 2010." Billboard magazine would later go on to confirm that Lopez had signed to Def Jam Records and that the album was now due in Summer 2011. According to Rap-Up magazine, the album was to be released on March 29, 2011. Just several weeks after the first announcement, Rap-Up announced that the album had been pushed back to April 19, 2011. No reason was given for the new date. This conflicted with comments made by Lopez during an online chat with her fans. On March 13, 2011, Lopez said that the album was most likely to come out at the end of May 2011 after at least one more single had been released. A final release date of May 3, 2011, in the United States was later confirmed. == Promotion == The promotional campaign for Love? began with the song "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Pitbull. The song was leaked by Epic Records in 2009, and promoted to US nightclubs as a "fun record". It would go on to top the US Dance/Club Play Songs chart. In November 2009, Lopez premiered the album's lead single, "Louboutins" at the 2009 American Music Awards. The performance gained notoriety for an unchoreographed fall in the middle of the dance routine. Lopez was praised for her swift recovery and continuation of the performance. Lopez reprised the performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 3, 2009, where she also laughed and joked about the incident. She was also booked to perform on the season six finale of So You Think You Can Dance on December 16, 2009. The performance took on a holiday theme and was choreographed by the show's team. Her final performance of the year came on December 31, 2009, where Lopez performed "Louboutins" along with a medley of her previous hits "Waiting for Tonight" and "Let's Get Loud" at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. Lopez's choice of outfit, a shimmering skin-tight cat-suit, received attention from the media with the New York Daily News praising her for her "flawless physique". On January 18, 2010, on the talk show Lopez Tonight, Lopez appeared in place of George Lopez and opened the show with a ten-minute comedy set. George Lopez appeared after she finished to continue with the show and announced that Jennifer would be back in several weeks with a live band to perform. On February 19, 2010, Lopez performed at the 60th annual Sanremo Music Festival in Sanremo, Italy. She performed a medley of her chart-topping hits, as well as "(What Is) Love?", introducing it as the lead single from the soundtrack of her then-upcoming movie The Back-up Plan. On February 27, 2010, Lopez performed and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. She performed two new songs: "Pieces" and "Starting Over", although it was later confirmed that the first song Lopez performed was actually called "Until It Beats No More", and not "Pieces" as reported. On January 16, 2011, a trailer for a new promotional single, "Good Hit", was released. In the video Lopez assumes the role of a teacher to lead a classroom of beauty school students. It was directed by Alex Moors back in October 2010, back to back with another song called "Take Care". It is Love?'s second promotional single after "Fresh Out the Oven" with Pitbull (2009). The debut of the album's first official single, "On the Floor" with Pitbull, was timed to coincide with the premier of Lopez's L'Oréal hair commercial during the 68th Golden Globe Awards ceremony and her debut as a full-time judge on season ten of American Idol. Several more promotional singles preceded the album's release, which were all exclusively released through the iTunes Store. On March 22, 2011, the Spanish version of "On the Floor", titled "Ven a Bailar", was released followed by "I'm Into You" on April 2, "Papi" on April 17 and "(What Is) Love?" on April 23, 2011. "I'm Into You" was subsequently confirmed as the album's official second single. "Papi" debuted in Finland at number nine, Spain at number eighteen, Canada at number sixty-five and the US at number ninety-nine. == Singles == On December 21, 2009, when the album was due for release under Epic Records, a song titled "Louboutins" was released as Love?'s first single. Despite being promoted with several live performances, the song was declared a commercial failure after failing to garner US airplay, although it did top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It was one of the contributing factors to Lopez leaving Epic Records. The album's first single under Island Records is "On the Floor". The uptempo dance song features rapper Pitbull along with a sample of Kaoma's 1989 hit single "Lambada", and elements of house and Latin music. It was sent to mainstream radio on February 8, 2011, and was first released for digital download as a remix EP on February 11. The standard version was released on February 18. The song was well received by critics who compared it to Lopez's 1999 debut single "If You Had My Love", and her millennium hit single "Waiting for Tonight". It is the first single from Love? to receive recognition on the US Billboard charts, after the Epic Records' buzz single, "Fresh Out the Oven" (also featuring Pitbull), and previous lead single, "Louboutins", both failed to receive any airplay. The single reached the top five in most countries around the world, including reaching number one in eighteen countries. In the UK, it reached number one, giving Lopez her third number one single in the UK and first since 2005's "Get Right". During an online chat with fans in March 2011, Lopez revealed that she was considering releasing "I'm Into You", featuring her favorite male rapper, Lil Wayne, as the album's next single. The song was released in many countries on April 1, 2011. "I'm Into You" was also used in a promotional campaign in the US and Canada on Lopez's official Facebook page. If enough fans "liked" the song, then it would be unlocked for early purchase on the iTunes Store. On April 1, the song was released to iTunes, four days earlier than planned for those markets. A music video for the single began production on April 2, 2011. The video aired on NBC's The Today Show on May 2, 2011. "Papi" was released as the third single It impacted U.S. Top 40/Mainstream and Rhythmic radio on September 27, 2011 and was released in the UK on October 31, 2011. == Critical reception == Love? received mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 46, based on nine reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Stephen Thomas Erlewine, editor at the music website AllMusic, gave a mixed review for the album, commenting that "Lopez was never, ever about singing" and referring to the album as "high-sheen wallpaper, so flimsy that it peels away immediately after application." Adam Markovitz from Entertainment Weekly commented that "despite the star power she emits on screen, her vocals have always been less than stellar" and that she "often sounds limited and nasal, with a flatness that can feel downright Rebecca Black-esque at its worst." However, Ian Drew from US Magazine awarded the album three out of five stars, praising Lopez for returning "to her dance-diva-from-the-block roots." In his review, Drew concluded that "all in all, when it comes to her day job, J. Lo is solidly still in business." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the album three out of five stars, saying that: "Love? isn't the all-out dance album it could—and should—have been." Cinquemani also saw that: "the album's urban-leaning midtempo tracks feel oddly dated, like leftovers from an album recorded in a pre-Gaga world." Hermione Hoby from The Observer gave the album a mixed review, saying that Lopez "ends her four-year recording hiatus with a load of turbo-produced bangers." However, Hoby was not impressed with the lyrics, commenting that they let the album down. "The only thing impeding dancefloor abandon is the hilarity of the record's lyrics." Alex Macpherson from BBC Music gave a favorable review for the album. He said that Lopez "possesses both a lightness of touch and the effortless confidence of one of nature's own divas, which means that whenever she hits the floor to essay up-tempo swagger tracks she convinces without being as overbearing." MacPherson also felt that "Love? seeks to showcase her vulnerability and depth of feeling." The Los Angeles Times was critical of the album, rating it one-and-a-half out of four stars, and referring to it as "a limp, personality-free dance-pop collection with plenty of A-list collaborations (Tricky Stewart, RedOne, Lady Gaga) but none of the lightweight charm she once brought in hits like 'Waiting for Tonight' and 'Jenny from the Block'." Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone rated it two stars out of five and said that: "Love? arrives with shiny production credits, but it's undone by J.Lo's slight voice and slighter personality." Robert Copsey from the entertainment website Digital Spy gave a more favorable review for the album, rating it three stars and stating that: "As a comeback album, Love? does the job perfectly – hauling an almost-forgotten Lopez back into chart relevance with a collection of calculated, safe and bang-on-trend tunes that were constructed for radio and clubs alike." At USA Today, Elysa Gardner rated it two stars out of four, writing that the release "suffers from such a lack of personality." Pop Crush was more positive with its track by track review pointing "I'm Into You", "Run The World", "Until It Beats No More" and "Hypnotico" as standout tracks. == Commercial performance == Love? debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 83,100 copies in its first week. In its second week, the album dropped to number nine, selling 33,000 copies. In its third week, the album dropped to number 18, selling 18,000 copies. In the fourth week, the album slipped only one slot to number 19 with 16,000 copies. The following week, it fell to number 38, selling 12,000 copies. In its first month of sales, Love? sold 138,400 copies. As of July 2020, Love? had sold 353,000 copies in the US. Elsewhere, Love? performed decently. The album debuted at number 11 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, becoming her highest debut since 2005's Rebirth, which peaked at number 10. Later, the album jumped to number nine, becoming her highest peaking album on the Australian charts since 2001's J.Lo. The album spent eight weeks on the charts, her longest since 2002's This Is Me... Then. In New Zealand, the album debuted at number 19, becoming her best debut since her 2002's remix compilation J to tha L–O! The Remixes. In its third week, the album peaked at number 12, her highest since J to tha L-O!, which peaked at number three. In Europe, the album performed moderately well. In Switzerland, the album peaked at number one, becoming her fourth album to do so. It was later certified gold for selling more than 15,000 copies. In Spain, the album peaked at number three, becoming her best since 2007's Como Ama una Mujer. In France, the album debuted and peaked at number seven, becoming her best effort on the French charts since Rebirth, remaining for 24 weeks on the charts, her longest since This Is Me... Then. In the United Kingdom, Love? debuted and peaked at number six, her best album on the UK charts since J to tha L–O!. In July 2013, the album was certified gold in the country for completing shipments of 100,000 units. == Track listing == Notes ^a signifies a vocal producer "On the Floor" and "On the Floor (Ven a Bailar)" contain an interpolation of "Llorando Se Fue", written by Gonzalo Hermosa and Ulises Hermosa. "Take Care" contains: interpolation and sample of "Rude Boy", written by Ester Dean, Makeba Riddick, Robyn Fenty, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, and Robert Thompson. elements of "I Like It", written by Eldra DeBarge, William DeBarge, and Etterlene Jordan. == Personnel == Adapted from album booklet. === Performance === === Technical === === Art, design and photography === Doug Joswick – package production Julian Peploe Studio – art direction, design Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance Martina Nilsson – styling Mary Phillips – make-up Juan Carlos Maci Ques – hair JP Robinson – art direction, design Warwick Saint – photography Gabriela Schwartz – marketing Kristen Yiengst – photography coordination == Charts == == Certifications == == Release history == == See also == List of number-one hits of 2011 (Switzerland) == References == == External links == Love? at Metacritic JenniferLopezOnline.com — Jennifer Lopez official website

Love? is the seventh studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on April 29, 2011, by Island Records. Produced during the pregnancy of her twins Emme and Max, Love? was cited by Lopez as her most personal album to date, taking inspiration from the birth of her twins and her own experiences with love. Recording for the album began in 2009, with an original release date for the project set for January 2010 by Epic Records to coincide with Lopez's film The Back-up Plan. However following the lack of success with lead single "Louboutins", Lopez and Epic Records parted ways, leaving the fate of Love? in uncertainty. In 2010, Lopez signed a new record deal with Island Records, allowing proceedings for the release to be kept. The album includes a mixture of previously recorded material which leaked online in 2009 and 2010 during recording sessions, along with new songs with Tricky Stewart, The-Dream and RedOne commissioned by Island Records. Primarily a dance-pop record, Love? also marks a return to Lopez's pop/R&B roots. Upon its release, Love? garnered mixed reviews from music critics. While some were critical of it, others disagreed, praising it as a great dance album. Commercially, Love? debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming her sixth album to peak within the top 10 in the United States, and her highest peak since 2005's Rebirth. Internationally, Love? experienced moderate success, peaking within the top 10 in twenty-four different countries and also reaching the top five of several music markets. The album sold 353,000 copies in the United States. The album's first single under Island Records is "On the Floor" and features Pitbull. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped over thirty international charts, while the second and third singles from Love?, being "I'm Into You" featuring rapper Lil Wayne and "Papi", both topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs, each becoming moderate hits. Love? has become her third consecutive album to have all singles reach number one on that chart, earning her a milestone for eleven number ones at the time tying her with Katy Perry and Kristine W.

love

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (wikipedia)

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third studio album and first double album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on October 23, 1995, in the United Kingdom and on October 24 in the United States by Virgin Records. It was produced by vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan, alongside producers Flood and Alan Moulder. The lengthy 28-track album was released as a two-disc CD and a triple LP. The album features a wide array of musical styles, including art rock, grunge, alternative pop, and heavy metal. Propelled by its lead single "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 246,500 units. It remains the band's only album to top the Billboard 200. It spawned five more singles—"1979", "Zero", "Tonight, Tonight", the promotional "Muzzle" and "Thirty-Three"—over the course of 1996, and was certified diamond by the RIAA, equivalent to more than 10 million units sold in the US. Recording sessions saw a wealth of productivity: dozens of fully completed songs were cut from the album and would surface on later releases. A box set released in November 1996 titled The Aeroplane Flies High compiled the promotional singles from the album and featured approximately 30 fully completed songs from the Mellon Collie sessions that had not made the final cut for the album (including one track, "Pastichio Medley", which contained more than 70 short snippets of songs in various states of completion). Both Mellon Collie and The Aeroplane Flies High later saw reissues that included even more tracks from the sessions. Lauded by critics for its ambition and scope, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness earned the band seven Grammy Award nominations in 1997, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year ("1979"), as well as nine MTV Music Video Awards nominations, eight of which were for "Tonight, Tonight", including Video of the Year. The singles became hits on mainstream rock and modern rock stations, and "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979", "Tonight, Tonight" and "Thirty-Three" became the band's first Top 40 hits, crossing over to pop radio stations. It has since been regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s and of all time. == Recording and production == After the 13-month tour in support of the Smashing Pumpkins' second album Siamese Dream (1993), Billy Corgan immediately began writing songs for the band's next record. From the outset, the band intended the new record to be a double album, partly inspired by the Beatles' self-titled album. Corgan said, "We almost had enough material to make Siamese Dream a double album. With this new album, I really liked the notion that we would create a wider scope in which to put other kinds of material we were writing." Corgan felt that the band's musical approach was running its course, and wanted the band to approach the album as if it were its last. Corgan described the album at the time to the music press as "The Wall for Generation X", a comparison with Pink Floyd's 1979 album, one of the highest-selling and best-known concept albums of all time. The band decided against working with Butch Vig, who had produced the group's previous albums, and selected Flood and Alan Moulder as coproducers. Corgan explained, "To be completely honest, I think it was a situation where we'd become so close to Butch that it started to work to our disadvantage... I just felt we had to force the situation, sonically, and take ourselves out of normal Pumpkin recording mode. I didn't want to repeat past Pumpkin work." Flood immediately pushed the band to change its recording practices. Corgan later said, "Flood felt like the band he would see live wasn't really captured on record". In April 1995, the band began recording in a rehearsal space instead of entering the studio straight away. At these sessions, the band recorded rough rhythm tracks with Flood. Although originally designed to create a rough draft for the record, the rehearsal-space sessions yielded much of the new album's rhythm-section parts. Flood also insisted that the band set aside time each day devoted to jamming or songwriting, practices in which the band had never before engaged during recording sessions. Corgan said, "Working like that kept the whole process very interesting—kept it from becoming a grind." Corgan sought to eliminate the tension, long hours, and emotional strain that permeated the Siamese Dream recording sessions, about which he said, "[T]o me, the biggest offender was the insidious amounts of time that everyone spends waiting for guitar parts to be overdubbed. There were literally weeks where no one had anything to do but sit and wait." The band countered idleness by using two recording rooms at the same time. This tactic allowed Corgan to develop vocals and song arrangements in one room while recording occurred in the other. During these sessions, Flood and Corgan would work in one room as Moulder, guitarist James Iha and bassist D'arcy Wretzky worked in a second. Iha and Wretzky had much greater roles in the recording sessions of Mellon Collie compared to previous albums. This was, in large part, to counter rumours from the Siamese Dream sessions that Corgan was recording all of the bass and guitar parts by himself. Iha commented about how the recording sessions for Mellon Collie improved from that of Siamese Dream, noting: The big change is that Billy is not being the big 'I do this—I do that'. It's much better. The band arranged a lot of songs for this record, and the song writing process was organic. The circumstances of the last record and the way that we worked was really bad. Following the rehearsal-space sessions, the band recorded overdubs at the Chicago Recording Company. Pro Tools was used for recording guitar overdubs as well as for post-production electronic looping and sampling. Wretzky also recorded numerous backup vocal parts, but all were cut except that which was recorded for "Beautiful". When the recording sessions concluded, the band had 57 potential songs for inclusion on Mellon Collie. The album was originally planned to have 31 songs, but the count was reduced to 28. == Music == The songs on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness are intended to work together conceptually, with the two halves of the album representing day and night. Despite this, Corgan has rejected the term concept album to describe it, and it was at the time described as more "loose" and "vague" than were the band's previous records. He also said it is based on "the human condition of mortal sorrow". Corgan aimed the album's message at people between 14 and 24 years of age, hoping "to sum up all the things I felt as a youth but was never able to voice articulately. ... I'm waving goodbye to me in the rear view mirror, tying a knot around my youth and putting it under the bed." Musically, the album has been described as featuring alternative rock, grunge, alternative metal, art rock and heavy metal. Its sprawling nature resulted in diverse music styles from song to song, contrasting what some critics felt was the "one dimensional flavor" of the previous two albums. A much wider variety of instrumentation is used, such as piano ("Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness"), synthesizers and drum loops ("1979"), a live orchestra ("Tonight, Tonight") and even salt shakers and scissors ("Cupid de Locke"). All guitars on the album were tuned down a half-step in order to "make the music a little lower," according to Corgan. On some songs, such as "Jellybelly", the sixth string was tuned down an additional whole step to C♯ (referred to by Corgan as "the 'grunge tuning'"). There was a greater variety to the number of guitar overdubs utilized than on previous albums. Iha said, "[I]n the past, everything had to be overdubbed and layered—guitar overkill. That wasn't really the train of thought this time, although we did that too." "To Forgive" consists of only one live guitar take, while "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" contains approximately 70 guitar tracks. The various sections of "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" were recorded at various times, with different instruments and recording setups, and were digitally composited in Pro Tools. Corgan and Iha shared soloing duties; Iha estimated that the guitar solo duties were divided "half and half" on the record. Corgan has said that "For the solo in 'Fuck You (An Ode to No One),' I played until my fingers saw blood, You can't play a weak guitar solo in such a propulsive song. It's got to be attack-style." He explains this method by saying "... I put on the headphones and stand one foot away from the amp. I turn the amp up so loud that I literally have to play harder than the feedback, because if I stop playing even for an instant, the whole thing explodes." All but two songs on the album were written by Corgan. The closing track from the first disc, "Take Me Down", was written and sung by Iha, while the album's final track, "Farewell and Goodnight", features lead vocals by all four band members and, according to the BMI database, was written solely by Iha, despite being credited on the album liner notes as being written by both Iha and Corgan. Iha wrote additional songs during the making of the album that did not make the final cut. Corgan said in a 1995 Rolling Stone interview, "[T]here are some B sides that James did that are really good. They just don't fit in the context of the album. And part of me feels bad. But over the seven years we've been together, the least uptight part of the band has been the music." == Packaging and artwork == The artwork and visual design were conceived by Wisconsin-based illustrator and collage artist John Craig, who had spent most of his career taking editorial commissions for magazines. Craig worked from Corgan's scribbled notes and crude sketches, most of which arrived via fax. Craig made other illustrations that appear throughout the album's packaging—animals smoking pipes, celestial bodies with faces, wayward children walking eerie dreamscapes—all with a vaguely antique quality. The woman on the front cover on top of a star is actually a collage made from two paintings: the face was taken from a painting entitled The Souvenir (Fidelity) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, while the rest of the body was taken from Raphael's portrait of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. == Release, reception and legacy == Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was released on October 24, 1995. The night before, the band played a release-party show at the Riviera Theater in Chicago and took part in a live FM broadcast across the United States. The following week, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, an unusual feat for a double-disc album that cost more than US$20. The album was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. Originally 5,000 vinyl triple-LP (3xLP) copies were pressed. The vinyl edition has two additional tracks ("Tonite Reprise" and "Infinite Sadness") that are not included in CD and cassette releases. Later repressing resulted in 23,000 pressed but unnumbered copies. In 2012, a remastered four-LP vinyl edition was repressed, with the tracklist order the same as with the original CD and cassette releases, but without the two additional tracks from the original vinyl release. === Critical reception === The album received critical acclaim. Christopher John Farley of Time called the album "the group's most ambitious and accomplished work yet". Farley wrote, "One gets the feeling that the band [...] charged ahead on gut instincts; the sheer scope of the album (28 songs) didn't allow for second-guessing or contrivance." Time selected Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as the best album of the year in its year-end "Best of 1995" list. Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A rating; reviewer David Browne praised the group's ambition and wrote, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is more than just the work of a tortured, finicky pop obsessive. Corgan presents himself as one of the last true believers: someone for whom spewing out this much music results in some sort of high art for the ages. He doesn't seem concerned with persistent alterna-rock questions of 'selling out', and good for him: He's aiming for something bigger and all-conquering." IGN gave the album a score of 9.5 out of 10 and said, "As the band's magnum opus it single-handedly changed the face of Alternative Rock. That said, it's not just music, but a work of art." The Music Box gave it all five stars and said, "Indeed, for all its melodramatic self-indulgence, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is one of the best double albums of new material to be released by anyone in a long time." Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars. Reviewer Jim DeRogatis praised the album as "one of the rare epic rock releases whose bulk is justified in the grooves". DeRogatis noted that "the 28 songs on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness aren't linked by a libretto. They're only connected conceptually through the broad theme of being part of a day in the life of a typical, alienated teen." The writer stated that the album's main flaw was Corgan's lyrics, describing the songwriter as "wallowing in his own misery and grousing about everyone and everything not meeting his expectations." DeRogatis contended that while Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness "may even match The Wall in its sonic accomplishments", Corgan's lyrics lacked in comparison. Mojo reviewer Ben Edmunds also praised the music while criticizing Corgan's lyrics. Edmunds wrote, "[Corgan's] lyrics appear to be the repository for the worst aspects of his most treasured influences. He writes with a heavy metal aptitude for wordplay and an inflated prog-rock conviction of its worth, a deadening combination. But there's a sliver of distance in his rage-mongering now that comments as well as expresses." In his Consumer Guide, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau picked "1979" as a "choice cut", indicating "a good song on an album that isn't worth your time or money". === Singles === The album spawned five singles. While Corgan considered issuing "Jellybelly" as the album's first single, he told Chart it was passed over in favor of "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" because "'Bullet's one of those songs where, you know, it's easy to sing along to and [he affects a drawl] ya gotta sell them records." "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" was the Smashing Pumpkins' first single to reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 28 and peaking at number 22. "1979", the album's second single, charted at number 12, becoming the band's highest-charting American hit. The "Zero" single was released as an EP with six B-sides. All three of these singles were certified gold by the RIAA. "Tonight, Tonight" and "Thirty-Three", the album's final singles, reached number 36 and number 39 on the Billboard charts, respectively. While it was not commercially released as a single, the song "Muzzle" reached number eight on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and number ten on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. === Accolades === Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness earned the Smashing Pumpkins nominations in seven categories at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards, the second-highest number of nominations that year. The group was nominated for Album of the Year, Record of the Year ("1979"), Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal ("1979"), Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal ("Bullet with Butterfly Wings"), Best Pop Instrumental Performance ("Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness"), and Best Music Video, Short Form ("Tonight, Tonight"). The band won a single award, for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal for "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"; it was the group's first. In 2000 it was voted number 76 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness also ranked at number 14 on the 1995 Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll, and 487 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. On April 1, 2019 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it 26th greatest Grunge album of all time. In 2015, Spin included it in their list of "The 300 Best Albums of 1985–2014". The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. == Track listing == Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was intended as a two-record set. The CD and cassette versions of the album are divided into two discs, entitled Dawn to Dusk and Twilight to Starlight. The vinyl version is divided into three records with six sides, entitled Dawn/Tea Time, Dusk/Twilight, and Midnight/Starlight. The vinyl release also features two bonus songs ("Tonite Reprise" and "Infinite Sadness"), and a completely rearranged track order. In 2012 the album was remastered and re-released as a six-disc edition, with 3 bonus discs of music and a DVD and also on 4 Vinyl LPs which contained the regular CD track order instead of the original LP order. All songs written by Billy Corgan, except where noted. === Compact disc/cassette version/2012 vinyl reissue === Notes === Original vinyl version === This version adds the tracks "Tonite Reprise" and "Infinite Sadness". === 2012 CD/DVD reissue === As part of EMI Music's extensive reissue campaign, a special edition of the album was released on December 4, 2012. The 5-CD disc set consists of 64 bonus tracks of previously unreleased material, demos and alternate versions of Mellon Collie era songs—including full versions of tracks notably featured as parts of the "Pastichio Medley" from the Zero EP—as well as six new mixes of original album songs. The package also includes a DVD consisting of footage from two live shows: Tracks 1–11 taken from the group's concert of May 15, 1996, at the Brixton Academy in London, England, originally filmed by MTV Europe, and tracks 12–15 from their show of April 7, 1996, at the Philipshalle in Düsseldorf, Germany that was filmed by the German TV show Rockpalast. The bonus content and special features were curated from the band's archives by Corgan and were remastered from the original master tapes by Bob Ludwig. == Personnel == The Smashing Pumpkins Jimmy Chamberlin – drums, vocals on "Farewell and Goodnight" Billy Corgan – vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, piano, keyboards, autoharp, production, mixing, string arrangement on "Tonight, Tonight", art direction and design James Iha – rhythm and lead guitar; vocals, mixing, and additional production on "Take Me Down" and "Farewell and Goodnight" D'arcy Wretzky – bass guitar, vocals on "Beautiful" and "Farewell and Goodnight" Additional musicians Chicago Symphony Orchestra – orchestra in "Tonight, Tonight" Greg Leisz – pedal and lap steel guitar on "Take Me Down" Technical Roger Carpenter – technical assistance John Craig – illustration Flood – production, mixer Andrea Giacobbe – photograph Barry Goldberg – additional vocal recording, mixing assistance Adam Green – technical assistance Dave Kresl – string recording assistance Tim "Gooch" Lougee – technical assistance Guitar Dave Mannet – technical assistance Jeff Moleski – technical assistance Alan Moulder – production, mixer Frank Olinsky – art direction and design Claudine Pontier – recording assistance Audrey Riley – string arrangement on "Tonight, Tonight" Chris Shepard – recording Russ Spice – technical assistance Howie Weinberg – mastering Bob Ludwig – mastering (2012 remaster) == Charts == == Certifications == == See also == List of best-selling albums in the United States == References ==

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third studio album and first double album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on October 23, 1995, in the United Kingdom and on October 24 in the United States by Virgin Records. It was produced by vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan, alongside producers Flood and Alan Moulder. The lengthy 28-track album was released as a two-disc CD and a triple LP. The album features a wide array of musical styles, including art rock, grunge, alternative pop, and heavy metal. Propelled by its lead single "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 246,500 units. It remains the band's only album to top the Billboard 200. It spawned five more singles—"1979", "Zero", "Tonight, Tonight", the promotional "Muzzle" and "Thirty-Three"—over the course of 1996, and was certified diamond by the RIAA, equivalent to more than 10 million units sold in the US. Recording sessions saw a wealth of productivity: dozens of fully completed songs were cut from the album and would surface on later releases. A box set released in November 1996 titled The Aeroplane Flies High compiled the promotional singles from the album and featured approximately 30 fully completed songs from the Mellon Collie sessions that had not made the final cut for the album (including one track, "Pastichio Medley", which contained more than 70 short snippets of songs in various states of completion). Both Mellon Collie and The Aeroplane Flies High later saw reissues that included even more tracks from the sessions. Lauded by critics for its ambition and scope, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness earned the band seven Grammy Award nominations in 1997, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year ("1979"), as well as nine MTV Music Video Awards nominations, eight of which were for "Tonight, Tonight", including Video of the Year. The singles became hits on mainstream rock and modern rock stations, and "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979", "Tonight, Tonight" and "Thirty-Three" became the band's first Top 40 hits, crossing over to pop radio stations. It has since been regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s and of all time.

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Serial Experiments Lain (wikipedia)

Serial Experiments Lain is a Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. Animated by Triangle Staff and featuring original character designs by Yoshitoshi Abe, the series was broadcast for 13 episodes on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from July to September 1998. The series follows Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl in suburban Japan, and her relation to the Wired, a global communications network similar to the internet. Lain features surreal and avant-garde imagery and explores philosophical topics such as reality, identity, and communication. The series incorporates creative influences from computer history, cyberpunk, and conspiracy theories. Critics and fans have praised Lain for its originality, visuals, atmosphere, themes, and its dark depiction of a world fraught with paranoia, social alienation, and reliance on technology considered insightful of 21st century life. It received the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 1998. == Plot == Lain Iwakura, a junior high school girl, lives in suburban Japan with her middle-class family, consisting of her inexpressive older sister Mika, emotionally distant mother Miho, and computer-obsessed father Yasuo; Lain herself is awkward, introverted, and socially isolated. The status-quo of her life becomes upturned by a series of bizarre incidents that take place after girls from her school receive an e-mail from a dead student, Chisa Yomoda, and she pulls out her old computer in order to check for the same message. Lain finds Chisa telling her via email that she is not dead but has merely "abandoned her physical self" and is alive deep within the virtual realm of the Wired itself, where she claims she has found "God". From this point, Lain is caught in a series of cryptic and surreal events that see her delving deeper into the mystery of the network in a narrative that explores themes of consciousness, perception, and the nature of reality. "The Wired" is a virtual realm that contains and supports the very sum of all human communication and networks, created with the telegraph, television, and telephone services, and expanded with the Internet and cyberspace. The series assumes that the Wired could be linked to a system that enables unconscious communication between people and machines without physical interface. The storyline introduces such a system with the Schumann resonances, a property of the Earth's magnetic field that theoretically allows for unhindered long-distance communications. If such a link were created, the network would become equivalent to reality as the general consensus of all perceptions and knowledge. The increasingly thin line between what is real and what is virtual/digital begins to fracture. Masami Eiri is the project director on Protocol Seven (the next-generation Internet protocol in the series' time-frame) for major computer company Tachibana General Laboratories. He had secretly included code of his very own creation to give himself control of the Wired. He "uploaded" his own consciousness into the Wired and "died," leaving only his body behind. Masami explains that Lain is the artifact by which the wall between the virtual and material worlds is to fall, and he needs her to go into the Wired and "abandon the flesh", as he did, to achieve his plan. The series sees him trying to convince her through interventions, using the promise of unconditional love, romantic seduction and charm, and even threats and force. In the meantime, the anime follows a complex game of hide-and-seek between the "Knights of the Eastern Calculus" (based on the Knights of the Lambda Calculus), hackers whom Masami claims are "believers that enable him to be a God in the Wired", and Tachibana General Laboratories, who try to regain control of Protocol Seven. In the end, Lain realizes, after much introspection, that she has control over everyone's mind and over reality itself. Her dialogue with different versions of herself shows how she feels shunned from the material world, and is afraid to live in the Wired, where she has the possibilities and responsibilities of an almighty goddess. The last scenes feature her erasing everything connected to herself from everyone's memories of her. She is last seen encountering her closest friend Alice once again, who is now married, though Lain herself is unchanged. Lain promises herself that she and Alice will meet again anytime as Lain can literally go and be anywhere she desires between both worlds. == Characters == Lain Iwakura (岩倉 玲音, Iwakura Rein) Voiced by: Kaori Shimizu (Japanese); Bridget Hoffman (English) The title character of the series. Lain is a fourteen-year-old girl who uncovers her true nature through the series. She is first depicted as a shy junior high school student with few friends or interests. She later grows multiple bolder personalities, both in the physical world and the Wired, and starts making more friends. As the series progresses, she eventually comes to discover that she is, in reality, merely an autonomous, sentient computer program in the physical and corporeal form of a human being, designed to sever the invisible barrier between the Wired and the real world. In the end, Lain is challenged to accept herself as a de facto goddess for the Wired, having become an omnipotent and omnipresent virtual being with worshippers of her own, as well as an ability to exist beyond the borders of devices, time, or space. Masami Eiri (英利 政美, Eiri Masami) Voiced by: Shō Hayami (Japanese); Kirk Thornton (English) The key designer of Protocol Seven. While working for Tachibana General Laboratories, he illicitly included codes enabling him to control the whole protocol at will and embedded his own mind and will into the seventh protocol. Because of this, he was fired by Tachibana General Laboratories, and was found dead not long after. He believes that the only way for humans to evolve even further and develop even greater abilities is to absolve themselves of their physical and human limitations, and to live as virtual entities—or avatars—in the Wired for eternity. He claims to have been Lain's creator all along, but was in truth standing in for another as an acting god, who was waiting for the Wired to reach its more evolved current state: Lain herself. Yasuo Iwakura (岩倉 康男, Iwakura Yasuo) Voiced by: Ryūsuke Ōbayashi (Japanese); Barry Stigler (English) Lain and Mika's father. Passionate about computers and electronic communication, he works with Masami Eiri at Tachibana General Laboratories. He subtly pushes Lain, his "youngest daughter", towards the Wired and monitors her development until she becomes more and more aware of herself and of her raison d'être. He eventually leaves Lain, telling her that although he did not enjoy playing house, he genuinely loved and cared for her as a real father would. Despite Yasuo's eagerness to lure Lain into the Wired, he warns her not to get overly involved in it or to confuse it with the real world. Miho Iwakura (岩倉 美穂, Iwakura Miho) Voiced by: Rei Igarashi (Japanese); Dari Lallou Mackenzie (English) Lain and Mika's mother. Although she dotes on her husband, she is indifferent towards both her kids. She does not show much emotion compared to her husband, but she does share at least one trait; just like her husband, she ends up leaving Lain. She is a computer scientist. Alice Mizuki (瑞城 ありす, Mizuki Arisu) Voiced by: Yōko Asada (Japanese); Emily Brown (English) Lain's classmate and only true friend throughout the series. She is very sincere and has no discernible quirks. She is the first to attempt to help Lain socialize; she takes her out to a nightclub. From then on, she tries her best to look after Lain. Alice, along with her two best friends Julie and Reika, were taken by Chiaki Konaka from his previous work, Alice in Cyberland. Mika Iwakura (岩倉 美香, Iwakura Mika) Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese); Patricia Ja Lee (English) Lain's older sister, an apathetic sixteen-year-old high school student. She seems to enjoy mocking Lain's behavior and interests. Mika is considered by Anime Revolution to be the only normal member of Lain's family: she sees her boyfriend in love hotels, is on a diet, and shops in Shibuya regularly. At a certain point in the series, she becomes heavily traumatized by violent and relentless hallucinations; while Lain begins freely delving into the Wired. Mika is taken there by her proximity to Lain, and she gets stuck between the real world and the Wired. Taro (タロウ, Tarō) Voiced by: Keito Takimoto (Japanese); Brianne Siddall (English) A young boy of about Lain's age. He occasionally works for the Knights to bring forth "the one truth". Despite this, he has not yet been made a member, and knows nothing of their true intentions. Taro loves virtual reality games and hangs out all day at Cyberia with his friends, Myu-Myu and Masayuki. He uses special technology, such as custom Handi Navi and video goggles. Taro takes pride in his internet anonymity, and he asks Lain for a date with her Wired self in exchange for information. Office Worker Voiced by: Shigeru Chiba A top executive from Tachibana General Laboratories. He has a personal agenda, which he carries out with the help of the Men in Black. He looks forward to the arrival of a real God through the Wired, and is the man behind the Knights' mass assassination. There are many things he does not know about Lain, but he would rather ask questions about her than disclose his agenda. Men in Black Karl Haushoffer (カール・ハウスホッファ, Kāru Hausuhoffa), Voiced by: Jouji Nakata (Japanese); Jamieson Price (English) Lin Suixi (Chinese: 林随錫; pinyin: Lín Suíxī), Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki (Japanese); Bob Buchholz (English) The Men in Black work for the above "Office Worker" in tracking down and murdering all of the members of the Knights. They are not told the true plan, but they know that Masami Eiri is somehow involved, despite having been "killed." They see no need for an almighty, all-powerful God—let alone Lain—in the Wired. Chisa Yomoda (四方田 千砂, Yomoda Chisa) Voiced by: Sumi Mutoh (Japanese); Lia Sargent (English) A teenage girl who committed suicide at the beginning of the series. After her death, she e-mails Lain, Julie, and a few other kids, stating that she is still alive in the Wired, ultimately leading to almost every event that occurs within the anime. Reika Yamamoto (山本 麗華, Yamamoto Reika) Voiced by: Chiharu Tezuka (Japanese); Lenore Zann (English) One of Alice's friends from school. She does not seem to care for Lain, since she harasses her quite a lot. She is more serious than Julie, and also somewhat meaner. Julie Kato (加藤 樹莉, Katō Juri) Voiced by: Manabi Mizuno (Japanese); Gracie Moore (English) Another friend of Alice. She also harasses Lain, but not as severely as Reika does. She is sometimes insensitive to other people's feelings. Masayuki (マサユキ) Voiced by: Sora Fujima (Japanese); Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English) Taro's best friend. He is usually seen hanging out with Taro and Myu-Myu. Myu-Myu (ミューミュウ, Myūmyuu) Voiced by: Yuki Yamamoto (Japanese); Sandy Fox (English) A young girl who hangs out with Taro and Masayuki at Cyberia Café. She has feelings for Taro, so she gets jealous when he flirts with Lain. Narrator Voiced by: Takashi Taniguchi (Japanese); Paul St. Peter (English) == Production == Serial Experiments Lain was conceived, as a series, to be original to the point of it being considered "an enormous risk" by its producer Yasuyuki Ueda. Ueda had to answer repeated queries about a statement he had made in an Animerica interview where he claimed that Lain was "a sort of cultural war against American culture and the American sense of values we [Japan] adopted after World War II". He later explained in numerous interviews that he created Lain with a set of values he viewed as distinctly Japanese; he hoped Americans would not understand the series as the Japanese would. This would lead to a "war of ideas" over the meaning of the anime, hopefully culminating in new communication between the two cultures. When Ueda discovered that the American audience held most of the same views on the series as the Japanese did, he was disappointed. The Lain franchise was originally conceived to connect across forms of media (anime, video games, manga). Ueda said in an interview, "the approach I took for this project was to communicate the essence of the work by the total sum of many media products". The scenario for the video game was written first, and the video game was produced at the same time as the anime series, though the series was released first. A dōjinshi titled "The Nightmare of Fabrication" was produced by Yoshitoshi Abe and released in Japanese in the artbook An Omnipresence in Wired. Ueda and Konaka declared in an interview that the idea of a multimedia project was not unusual in Japan, as opposed to the contents of Lain, and the way they are exposed. === Writing === The authors were asked in interviews if they had been influenced by Neon Genesis Evangelion, in the themes and graphic design. This was strictly denied by writer Chiaki J. Konaka in an interview, arguing that he had not even seen Evangelion until he finished the fourth episode of Lain. Being primarily a horror movie writer, his stated influences are Godard (especially for using typography on screen), The Exorcist, Hell House, and Dan Curtis's House of Dark Shadows. Alice's name, like the names of her two friends Julie and Reika, came from a previous production from Konaka, Alice in Cyberland , which in turn was largely influenced by Alice in Wonderland. As the series developed, Konaka was "surprised" by how close Alice's character became to the original Wonderland character. Vannevar Bush (and memex), John C. Lilly, Timothy Leary and his eight-circuit model of consciousness, Ted Nelson and Project Xanadu are cited as precursors to the Wired. Douglas Rushkoff and his book Cyberia were originally to be cited as such, and in Serial Experiments: Lain, Cyberia became the name of a nightclub populated with hackers and techno-punk teenagers. Likewise, the series' deus ex machina lies in the conjunction of the Schumann resonances and Jung's collective unconscious (the authors chose this term over Kabbalah and Akashic Record). Majestic 12 and the Roswell UFO incident are used as examples of how a hoax might still affect history, even after having been exposed as such, by creating sub-cultures. This links again to Vannevar Bush, the alleged "brains" of MJ12. Two of the literary references in Lain are quoted through Lain's father: he first logs onto a website with the password "Think Bule Count One Tow" [sic] ("Think Blue, Count Two" is an Instrumentality of Man story featuring virtual persons projected as real ones in people's minds); and his saying that "madeleines would be good with the tea" in the last episode makes Lain "one of the only cartoons ever to allude to Proust". === Character design === Yoshitoshi Abe confesses to have never read manga as a child, as it was "off-limits" in his household. His major influences are "nature and everything around him". Specifically speaking about Lain's character, Abe was inspired by Kenji Tsuruta, Akihiro Yamada, Range Murata and Yukinobu Hoshino. In a broader view, he has been influenced in his style and technique by Japanese artists Kyosuke Chinai and Toshio Tabuchi. The character design of Lain was not Abe's sole responsibility. Her distinctive left forelock for instance was a demand from Yasuyuki Ueda. The goal was to produce asymmetry to reflect Lain's unstable and disconcerting nature. It was designed as a mystical symbol, as it is supposed to prevent voices and spirits from being heard by the left ear. The bear pajamas she wears were a demand from character animation director Takahiro Kishida. Though bears are a trademark of the Konaka brothers, Chiaki Konaka first opposed the idea. Director Nakamura then explained how the bear motif could be used as a shield for confrontations with her family. It is a key element of the design of the shy "real world" Lain (see "mental illness" under Themes). When she first goes to the Cyberia nightclub, she wears a bear hat for similar reasons. Retrospectively, Konaka said that Lain's pajamas became a major factor in drawing fans of moe characterization to the series, and remarked that "such items may also be important when making anime". Abe's original design was generally more complicated than what finally appeared on screen. As an example, the X-shaped hair clip was to be an interlocking pattern of gold links. The links would open with a snap, or rotate around an axis until the moment the " X " became a " = ". This was not used as there is no scene where Lain takes her hair clip off. === Themes === Serial Experiments Lain is not a conventionally linear story, being described as "an alternative anime, with modern themes and realization". Themes range from theological to psychological and are dealt with in a number of ways: from classical dialogue to image-only introspection, passing by direct interrogation of imaginary characters. Communication, in its wider sense, is one of the main themes of the series, not only as opposed to loneliness, but also as a subject in itself. Writer Konaka said he wanted to directly "communicate human feelings". Director Nakamura wanted to show the audience — and particularly viewers between 14 and 15—"the multidimensional wavelength of the existential self: the relationship between self and the world". Loneliness, if only as representing a lack of communication, is recurrent through Lain. Lain herself (according to Anime Jump) is "almost painfully introverted with no friends to speak of at school, a snotty, condescending sister, a strangely apathetic mother, and a father who seems to want to care but is just too damn busy to give her much of his time". Friendships turn on the first rumor; and the only insert song of the series is named Kodoku no shigunaru, literally "signal of loneliness". Mental illness, especially dissociative identity disorder, is a significant theme in Lain: the main character is constantly confronted with alter-egos, to the point where writer Chiaki Konaka and Lain's voice actress Kaori Shimizu had to agree on subdividing the character's dialogues between three different orthographs. The three names designate distinct "versions" of Lain: the real-world, "childish" Lain has a shy attitude and bear pajamas. The "advanced" Lain, her Wired personality, is bold and questioning. Finally, the "evil" Lain is sly and devious, and does everything she can to harm Lain or the ones close to her. As a writing convention, the authors spelled their respective names in kanji, katakana, and roman characters (see picture). Reality never has the pretense of objectivity in Lain. Acceptations of the term are battling throughout the series, such as the "natural" reality, defined through normal dialogue between individuals; the material reality; and the tyrannic reality, enforced by one person onto the minds of others. A key debate to all interpretations of the series is to decide whether matter flows from thought, or the opposite. The production staff carefully avoided "the so-called God's Eye Viewpoint" to make clear the "limited field of vision" of the world of Lain. Theology plays its part in the development of the story too. Lain has been viewed as a questioning of the possibility of an infinite spirit in a finite body. From self-realization as a goddess to deicide, religion (the title of a layer) is an inherent part of Lain's background. === Apple computers === Lain contains extensive references to Apple computers, as the brand was used at the time by most of the creative staff, such as writers, producers, and the graphical team. As an example, the title at the beginning of each episode is announced by the Apple computer speech synthesis program PlainTalk, using the voice "Whisper", e.g. say -v Whisper "Weird: Layer zero one". Tachibana Industries, the company that creates the NAVI computers, is a reference to Apple computers: the tachibana orange is a Japanese variety of mandarin orange. NAVI is the abbreviation of Knowledge Navigator, and the HandiNAVI is based on the Apple Newton, one of the world's first PDAs. The NAVIs are seen to run "Copland OS Enterprise" (this reference to Copland was an initiative of Konaka, a declared Apple fan), and Lain's and Alice's NAVIs closely resembles the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh and the iMac G3 respectively. The HandiNAVI programming language, as seen on the seventh episode, is a dialect of Lisp; the Newton also used a Lisp dialect (NewtonScript). The program being typed by Lain can be found in the CMU AI repository; it is a simple implementation of Conway's Game of Life in Common Lisp. During a series of disconnected images, an iMac and the Think Different advertising slogan appears for a short time, while the Whisper voice says it. This was an unsolicited insertion from the graphic team, also Mac-enthusiasts. Other subtle allusions can be found: "Close the world, Open the nExt" is the slogan for the Serial Experiments Lain video game. NeXT was the company that produced NeXTSTEP, which later evolved into Mac OS X after Apple bought NeXT. Another example is "To Be Continued." at the end of episodes 1–12, with a blue "B" and a red "e" on "Be"; this matches the original logo of Be Inc., a company founded by ex-Apple employees and NeXT's main competitor in its time. == Broadcast and release history == Serial Experiments Lain was first aired on TV Tokyo and its affiliates on July 6, 1998, and concluded on September 28, 1998, with the thirteenth and final episode. The series consists of 13 episodes (referred to in the series as "Layers") of 24 minutes each, except for the sixth episode, Kids (23 minutes 14 seconds). In Japan, the episodes were released in LD, VHS, and DVD with a total of five volumes. A DVD compilation named "Serial Experiments Lain DVD-BOX Яesurrection" was released along with a promo DVD called "LPR-309" in 2000. As this box set is now discontinued, a rerelease was made in 2005 called "Serial Experiments Lain TV-BOX". A 4-volume DVD box set was released in the US by Pioneer/Geneon. A Blu-ray release of the anime was made in December 2009 called "Serial Experiments Lain Blu-ray Box| RESTORE". The anime series returned to US television on October 15, 2012, on the Funimation Channel. The series' opening theme, "Duvet", was written and performed by Jasmine Rodgers and the British band Bôa. The ending theme, "Distant Scream" (遠い叫び, Tōi Sakebi), was written and composed by Reichi Nakaido. The anime series was licensed in North America by Pioneer Entertainment (later Geneon USA) on VHS and DVD in 1999. However, the company closed its USA division in December 2007 and the series went out-of-print as a result. However, at Anime Expo 2010, North American distributor Funimation announced that it had obtained the license to the series and re-released it in 2012. === Episodes === == Reception == Serial Experiments Lain was first broadcast in Tokyo at 1:15 a.m. JST. The word "weird" appears almost ubiquitously in English language reviews of the series, or the alternatives "bizarre", and "atypical", due mostly to the freedoms taken with the animation and its unusual science fiction themes, and due to its philosophical and psychological context. Critics responded positively to these thematic and stylistic characteristics, and it was awarded an Excellence Prize by the 1998 Japan Media Arts Festival for "its willingness to question the meaning of contemporary life" and the "extraordinarily philosophical and deep questions" it asks. According to Christian Nutt from Newtype USA, the main attraction to the series is its keen view on "the interlocking problems of identity and technology". Nutt saluted Abe's "crisp, clean character design" and the "perfect soundtrack" in his 2005 review of series, saying that "Serial Experiments Lain might not yet be considered a true classic, but it's a fascinating evolutionary leap that helped change the future of anime." Anime Jump gave it 4.5/5, and Anime on DVD gave it A+ on all criteria for volume 1 and 2, and a mix of A and A+ for volume 3 and 4. Lain was subject to commentary in the literary and academic worlds. The Asian Horror Encyclopedia calls it "an outstanding psycho-horror anime about the psychic and spiritual influence of the Internet". It notes that the red spots present in all the shadows look like blood pools (see picture). It notes the death of a girl in a train accident is "a source of much ghost lore in the twentieth century", more so in Tokyo. The Anime Essentials anthology by Gilles Poitras describes it as a "complex and somehow existential" anime that "pushed the envelope" of anime diversity in the 1990s, alongside the much better known contemporaries Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop. Professor Susan J. Napier, in her 2003 reading to the American Philosophical Society called The Problem of Existence in Japanese Animation (published 2005), compared Serial Experiments Lain to Ghost in the Shell and Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. According to her, the main characters of the two other works cross barriers; they can cross back to our world, but Lain cannot. Napier asks whether there is something to which Lain should return, "between an empty 'real' and a dark 'virtual'". Mike Toole of Anime News Network named Serial Experiments Lain as one of the most important anime of the 1990s. Despite the positive feedback the television series had received, Anime Academy gave the series a 75%, partly due to the "lifeless" setting it had. Michael Poirier of EX magazine stated that the last three episodes fail to resolve the questions in other DVD volumes. Justin Sevakis of Anime News Network noted that the English dub was decent, but that the show relied so little on dialogue that it hardly mattered. == Related media == === Art books === An Omnipresence In Wired: Hardbound, 128 pages in 96 colors with Japanese text. It features a chapter for each layer (episode) and concept sketches. It also features a short color manga titled "The Nightmare of Fabrication". It was published in 1998 by Triangle Staff/SR-12W/Pioneer LDC. (ISBN 4-7897-1343-1) Yoshitoshi ABe lain illustrations ab# rebuild an omnipresence in Wired: Hardbound, 148 pages. A remake of "An Omnipresence In Wired" with new art, added text by Chiaki J. Konaka, and a section entitled "ABe's EYE in color of things" (a compilation of his photos of the world). It was published in Japan on October 1, 2005, by Wanimagazine (ISBN 4-89829-487-1), and in America as a softcover version translated into English on June 27, 2006, by Digital Manga Publishing (ISBN 1-56970-899-1). Visual Experiments Lain: Paperback, 80 full-color pages with Japanese text. It has details on the creation, design, and storyline of the series. It was published in 1998 by Triangle Staff/Pioneer LDC. (ISBN 4-7897-1342-3) Scenario Experiments Lain: Paperback, 335 pages. By "chiaki j. konaka" (uncapitalized in original). It contains collected scripts with notes and small excerpted storyboards. It was published in 1998 in Japan.(ISBN 4-7897-1320-2) === Soundtracks === The first original soundtrack, Serial Experiments Lain Soundtrack, features music by Reichi Nakaido: the ending theme and part of the television series' score, alongside other songs inspired by the series. The second, Serial Experiments Lain Soundtrack: Cyberia Mix, features electronica songs inspired by the television series, including a remix of the opening theme "Duvet" by DJ Wasei. The third, lain BOOTLEG, consists of the ambient score of the series across forty-five tracks. BOOTLEG also contains a second mixed-mode data and audio disc, containing a clock program and a game, as well as an extended version of the first disc – nearly double the length – across 57 tracks in 128 kbit/s MP3 format, and sound effects from the series in WAV format. Because the word bootleg appears in its title, it is easily confused with the Sonmay counterfeit edition of itself, which only contains the first disc in an edited format. All three soundtrack albums were released by Pioneer Records. The series' opening theme, "Duvet", was written and performed in English by the British rock band Bôa. The band released the song as a single and as part of the EP Tall Snake, which features both an acoustic version and DJ Wasei's remix from Cyberia Mix. === Video game === On November 26, 1998, Pioneer LDC released a video game with the same name as the anime for the PlayStation. It was designed by Konaka and Yasuyuki, and made to be a "network simulator" in which the player would navigate to explore Lain's story. The creators themselves did not call it a game, but "Psycho-Stretch-Ware", and it has been described as being a kind of visual novel: the gameplay is limited to unlocking pieces of information, and then reading/viewing/listening to them, with little or no puzzle needed to unlock. Lain distances itself even more from classical games by the random order in which information is collected. The aim of the authors was to let the player get the feeling that there are myriads of informations that they would have to sort through, and that they would have to do with less than what exists to understand. As with the anime, the creative team's main goal was to let the player "feel" Lain, and "to understand her problems, and to love her". A guidebook to the game called Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide (ISBN 4-07-310083-1) was released the same month by MediaWorks. == See also == Noosphere == Notes == == References == == Further reading == Bitel, Anton. "Movie Gazette: 'Serial Experiments Lain Volume 3: Deus' Review". Movie Gazette. Archived from the original on May 21, 2006. Retrieved October 11, 2006. Horn, Carl Gustav. "Serial Experiments Lain". Viz Communications. Archived from the original on February 19, 2001. Retrieved September 25, 2010. Moure, Dani. "Serial Experiments Lain Vol. #2". Mania.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2010. Moure, Dani. "Serial Experiments Lain Vol. #3". Mania.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2010. Napier, Susan J. (2005) Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation ISBN 978-1-4039-7052-7 Prévost, Adèle-Elise; Musebasement (2008) "Manga: The Signal of Noise" Mechademia 3 pp. 173–188 ISSN 1934-2489 Prindle, Tamae Kobayashi (2015). "Nakamura Ryûtarô's Anime, Serial Experiments, Lain (1998)". Asian Studies. 3 (1): 53–81. doi:10.4312/as.2015.3.1.53-81. ISSN 2350-4226. Sevakis, Justin (November 20, 2008). "Buried Treasure: Serial Experiments Lain". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 25, 2010. Jackson, C. (2012). "Topologies of Identity in Serial Experiments Lain". Mechademia. 7: 191–201. doi:10.1353/mec.2012.0013. S2CID 119423011. == External links == Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived January 24, 2016) (in Japanese) Official Pioneer LDC game website at the Wayback Machine (archived March 1, 2000) (in Japanese) Official Funimation website Serial Experiments Lain at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Serial Experiments Lain is a Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. Animated by Triangle Staff and featuring original character designs by Yoshitoshi Abe, the series was broadcast for 13 episodes on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from July to September 1998. The series follows Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl in suburban Japan, and her relation to the Wired, a global communications network similar to the internet. Lain features surreal and avant-garde imagery and explores philosophical topics such as reality, identity, and communication. The series incorporates creative influences from computer history, cyberpunk, and conspiracy theories. Critics and fans have praised Lain for its originality, visuals, atmosphere, themes, and its dark depiction of a world fraught with paranoia, social alienation, and reliance on technology considered insightful of 21st century life. It received the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 1998.

love

Love (Indianapolis) (wikipedia)

LOVE is an artwork by American pop artist Robert Indiana (1928–2018), located at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It was created in 1970 as the first sculptural form of the artist's 1965 LOVE painting and has been on continuous exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art since it was acquired in 1975. == Description == This pop art sculpture consists of three separate elements fabricated from 3/8 inch-thick sheets of Cor-ten steel. They are bolted together to render the two-dimensional text design in three-dimensional form. The hollow but enclosed block letters are 72 inches deep. The largest piece consists of the L stacked on top of the V and fashioned as one unit without a seam between the letters. The O and E are separate elements that attach to the LV. Two posts are installed on the top of the E for the alignment and stability of the O, which has corresponding openings on its lowest surface. The right upper serif of the E comes into contact with and forms a smooth continuation to the proper left upper serif of the V. The bottommost curve of the O contacts the E in line with the E's inner vertical surface, and it contacts the L at the upper edge of the L's lower left serif. == Historical information == Although the word "love" contained much significance to 1960s culture, Indiana attributes his connection with the word to an earlier, more personal source. Attending Christian Science church services as a child in Indianapolis, he was impressed by a small plaque over the reader's platform bearing the inscription "God Is Love." By 1973, Indiana was no longer a practicing member of the church, but he insisted that the message of LOVE be taken as a spiritual one. The sculpture is based on the artist's original 1965 Christmas card design for MoMA, in which the majuscule letters of the word “love” are arranged in a 2×2 square, LO atop VE, and the O tilted to align with the diagonal of the square. MoMA's commission for the card came one year after Indiana had designed similar Christmas cards for close friends. After pirated versions of the design began to appear in excess during the late 1960s, Indiana attempted to copyright his work, but this was rejected on the grounds that a single word cannot be protected. Some art critics believed his switch to the large-scale, three-dimensional version of the artwork was an effort by Indiana to reclaim his design in monumental fashion. Generally, however, the innovation of the letters standing as an independent form is seen as an aesthetic progression from his earlier sculptures which utilized typography painted upon flat surfaces. === Other versions === The IMA's LOVE is the original sculptural rendition of the design. Many other versions have been made and are displayed worldwide, including editions in Hebrew, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish. === Location history === LOVE was executed in North Haven, Connecticut, in 1970 by Lippincott, Inc., a fabricator of large-scale sculpture. After its move to Indianapolis, the sculpture was originally installed on the main plaza at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1970 for the opening of the museum's current building. It then spent nearly a year displayed on the city hall plaza in Boston before being loaned to New York City, where it was exhibited in Central Park for the 1971 holiday season. Upon the artwork's return to Indianapolis in 1972, it was showcased for several months in front of the Indiana National Bank building and later appeared for a short time on the mall behind Eli Lilly and Company's administration building. The purpose of the latter instance was to use the sculpture as a backdrop for a TV commercial promoting the Lilly company; the ad intended to draw an analogy between the creativity of art and the creativity involved in research. LOVE has undergone a few location adjustments as the IMA building and grounds have developed over the years. In 2005, after a major museum expansion, the sculpture was restored and temporarily placed in the museum's Pulliam Court before it was moved outdoors to the main sculpture courtyard, where it is surrounded by decorative landscaping and faced Numbers 1-0, another Indiana sculpture. === Acquisition === The sculpture was officially accessioned into the IMA's collection in 1975 through a "Gift of the Friends of the Indianapolis Museum of Art in memory of Henry F. DeBoest." == Condition == As an outdoor sculpture made of a weathering iron alloy, the surface of LOVE should naturally carry an even layer of iron(III) oxide, which provides distinctive coloration and also protects the metal underneath from further corrosion. The price of being a cultural icon, however, has continuously disrupted the formation of this layer; viewers have enjoyed climbing the artwork since its first public appearances, apparent through photography and damage to the appearance of LOVE. Indiana acknowledged the inevitable appeal of his sculpture as a site of exploration for children, couples, and passerby. In a 1973 interview with Indianapolis magazine, he wished only "that people would take their shoes off first." Various conservation efforts to reduce the amount of direct patron contact and its effects, as well as to deal with moisture within the hollow letters have taken place throughout the sculpture's lifespan. The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture surveyed LOVE in July 1993, and the sculpture was deemed to be well-maintained. In 2006 the sculpture was blasted with an inert medium (aluminum oxide) to strip away uneven surface corrosion, and then it was re-installed outside on an indefinite basis to produce a new patina through natural weathering. The intention is to recreate the original "crispy," purplish, and iridescent surface. The restorative efforts of the IMA on behalf of LOVE were made possible through the generosity of Patricia J. and James E. LaCrosse. == See also == Love sculpture Numbers 1-0 List of Indianapolis Museum of Art artworks Save Outdoor Sculpture! == References ==

LOVE is an artwork by American pop artist Robert Indiana (1928–2018), located at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It was created in 1970 as the first sculptural form of the artist's 1965 LOVE painting and has been on continuous exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art since it was acquired in 1975.

love

Love (The Juliana Theory album) (wikipedia)

Love is the third studio album by American rock band the Juliana Theory. It was released on February 4, 2003, through Epic Records. After signing to that label in mid-2001, the band connected with Jerry Harrison, and began recording their next album in early 2002. Harrison and the Juliana Theory frontman Brett Detar produced the sessions; recording was held at The Site in Nicasio, California, Sausalito Sound in Sausalito, California, Lightning Tiger Studios in San Rafael, California, and Detar's basement and bedroom in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Described as an alternative rock release, the album saw the band shift away from the emo sound of their past albums. == Background == The Juliana Theory released their first two albums Understand This Is a Dream (in March 1999) and Emotion Is Dead (in August 2000) through independent Christian label Tooth & Nail Records. Frontman Brett Detar said they signed "a horrendous deal" with the label. The band hired Lounder Than Bombs Management to aid them in securing a major label contract. The success of both albums (combined sales of over 100,000 copies) attracted attention from labels in mid-2001; staff from the companies appeared the group's shows. In June 2001, they signed a five-album contract with Sony Music Entertainment-imprint Epic Records, as the label was more "understand[ing of] the band", according to Detar. The label had better distribution than Tooth & Nail, which was an issue when the band's music was not available in other markets, such as Canada. They received some backlash from their fans who wished for them to stay independent. As touring in support of Emotion Is Dead wrapped up in July 2001, the band spent the remainder of the year writing and demoing material for their next album. Around this time, drummer Neil Hebrank left the band; the band worked with two session drummers, before settling on Josh Walter. The members had known him from their childhoods; Walter learned the new material they had been working on and the older tracks quickly. In December 2001, they went on a tour of the North-Eastern US states; partway into the tour, Zao dropped off and was replaced by Piebald. When finding a producer, the band found former Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison the most enthusiastic. They had attempted to get Butch Vig, who was occupied recording and performing with Garbage, and Metallica producer Bob Rock to no avail. Harrison had seen the band live a handful of times, and liked what he heard. Prior to recording, he spent a week hanging out with the group discussing song arrangements and work on other items, to see how they would interact with him. == Production == They began recording, with Harrison and Detar acting as producers, in early 2002 in California, a mere four weeks after Walter had joined. The bulk of recording was done in two months The Site in Nicasio, California. It was located in the middle of the words; Allen said they intentionally wanted to track in a secluded studio, away from the distractions of a city. Further recording was held at Sausalito Sound in Sausalito, California, Lightning Tiger Studios in San Rafael, California, and Detar's basement and bedroom in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. David Schiffman was the main engineer; Eric Thorngren handled vocal recording. Dave Simon-Baker, Matt Cohen, Kevin Scott, Ari Rios, Andrew Keating, and Jared Miller were assistant engineers; Simon-Baker and Cohen operated Pro Tools, while Lars Fox did additional digital editing. Love cost $450,000 to make, in contrast to the $6,000 and $10,000 for their debut and Emotion Is Dead respectively. Detar said "a bunch of dumb things" led to them sending that much money. For example, Harrison billed the label $800 on a weekly basis to rent out his Pro Tools rig, which the group used for around four months. By the end of the sessions they bought the rig outright from Harrison. The long period of recording was down to their engineer, who left to adopt a daughter, resulting in the band hiring another engineer. A few of Detar's vocal parts were taken from demo recordings and added to the final studio versions as he perceived he wouldn't be able to best the performance of them, such as a scream on "In Conversation". On the band's previous releases, Detar would record one vocal take and punch in the odd word or phrase that he felt needed adjusting. For Love, Harrison had him record several vocal takes of each track, and would make a composite of what they felt was the superior performance of each line. Detar said it came across as "way more natural that way, and easier to get a performance that felt and sounded more cohesive." The recordings were mixed in May 2002 by Tom Lord-Alge, with assistance from Femio Hernandez, at South Beach Studios in Miami, Florida. Lord-Alge mixed nearly every track, except for "As It Stands" and "In Conversation", both of which were mixed by Thorngren. Ted Jensen then mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York City. == Composition == Love is an alternative rock album that saw the group move away from the emo sound of their earlier work, drawing comparison to Audiovent and Jimmy Eat World. It mixed the anthemic nature of Iron Maiden, the pop sound of The Joshua Tree (1987)-era U2, the energy of Sunny Day Real Estate and the melodies of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, alongside incorporated elements of folk rock, hip hop, grunge, power metal and post-punk. Some of the heavier tones were attributed to Waltler, as Detar referred to him as "a much more aggressive player", and could "feel the power ... even on softer stuff [as] he's still laying into the drums pretty hard." Though Detar later attributed that to himself and his past experience in Zao: "I think after I wasn't playing heavy music anymore there was always a part of that that seeped into my writing but it didn't really come into play until this record." Shortly after the album's release, bassist Chad Alan felt that the album was a "little too long" and thought they some of the songs should have been dropped. He also mentioned that they recorded three more songs that were kept off the album. Discussing the album's title, Alan said the track names on their previous releases were long, and they felt a shorter title would be a better summary of their work. He added that "'love' is a powerful word, and it's [...] the basic meaning of everything that happens in the world, be it positive or negative energy all kind of revolves around love". The lyrics focus on the importance of love in people's lives and the frustrations that accompany it. Alan said the album was a reaction to "a lot of things going on around us in the world." Detar said the record was a better representation of the group's live performances than their earlier releases. Harrison and Schiffman both pushed Detar's vocals "delivery further, and to sing lines as opposed to just play the part. It made the music more expressive and emotional." A second area that the band worked on was incorporating the pop hooks into the three-guitar structure of Detar and guitarists Josh Kosker and Josh Fiedler. The opening track "Bring It Low" is a riff-centered heavy rock track, followed by "Do You Believe Me?", which tackles trust issues, misunderstanding and self—destruction of one's worth in personal relationships. "Shell of a Man" changes tone three times over the course of its less-than-six minute running time: a slow-building track to a Skid Row-indebted power ballad to a piano coda. "Repeating, Repeating" recalled "Reptile" (1994) by Nine Inch Nails. "Congratulations" deals with the theme of hope, and features two guitar riffs that Detar compared to Zao, and later regretted incorporating them. "Jewel to Sparkle" is a gentle ballad about love; the music for it was the first thing written for the album. "White Days" is a ballad that talks about being able to outlast a snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains. Alan said the band were returning from a gig in Denver, Colorado, "and we almost got in a band accident" on the road. "The Hardest Things" is a piano-centric track; "Trance" is an aggressive talk about life, and is followed by "In Conversation", which discusses breakdowns in communication. "Into the Dark" was originally included on Emotion Is Dead and re-recorded for inclusion on Love; Alan had wanted to re-record "Constellation" from Understand This Is a Dream instead, but "Into the Dark" was chosen as the rest of the band and Epic had wanted it. == Release == In June and July 2002, the Juliana Theory embarked on a US tour with Glassjaw and Piebald; the Rocking Horse Winner, Celebrity, Noise Ratchet, and Coheed and Cambria appeared on select dates. Following this, the band went on another US tour in July and August. On July 16, Love was announced for release in October. In September, the group co-headlining the Great Day festival with the Clarks. In October, the album was delayed till early 2003 due to the group's label and management feeling it would get lost amongst the other releases in the November–December period. The following month, the group embarked on a tour of the UK. "Do You Believe Me?" was picked as the first single; the band had chosen this track, while the label wanted "Repeating, Repeating". Between January and March 2003, the band went on a co-headlining tour of the US with Something Corporate. They were supported by Vendetta Red, Red West and Fiction Plane. The band had to cancel several shows due to Detar suffering from tonsillitis, strep throat, the flu and lead poisoning; six weeks had passed before he made a complete recovery. Love was eventually released on February 4, 2003; discussing the artwork, Alan said they wanted to convey the "positives and the negatives", and initially had cannons and guns, which were changed to trumpets. Detar said the label considered it "dead before it came out" due to it leaking seven months prior, in addition to people at the label who championed the band had left or were fired. In March 2003, the band went on a Canadian tour with Snapcase and Hopesfall. Following this, they toured with the Ataris and Further Seems Forever on a two-month tour of the US. They then went on a two-week stint with Evanescence, before taking a short break in June 2003. On June 13, 2003, the album was released in Australia through Sony Music Australia. To coincide with this, the group supported One Dollar Short on their national tour in June and July 2003, and then toured throughout Canada until August 2003. In September and October, the band went on a headlining Us tour, with main support from Hopesfall; Count the Stars, Celebrity, and Punchline appeared on select shows. Count the Stars had to drop off some of the shows due to them being involved in a van accident; they were replaced by Unsung Zeros. In March and April 2004, the band went on a cross-country US tour, with Anberlin, Bayside, and Number One Fan. In July 2004, the band appeared at Hellfest. The album was released on vinyl for the first time in 2014. == Reception == Love was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. Greg Olmeda of Kludge said it was a "refreshing new approach" to what the band's fans were used to listening to, as they "seem intent on exploring new musical territory as they readily waver between genres with stunning musical precision." It "delivers the goods, with 14 assorted tracks that will lull you to sleep in one moment, and wake you up the next." The "[c]hurning" guitar work is "easily tamed by ... Detar’s addictively soothing voice." CMJ New Music Report writer Louis Miller said the band "had all of its rough edges polished and buffed into a high-gloss shine" to make it "more consumer-friendly". He found the album was "60 minutes of expert songwriting" with "corpulent guitar-work", and praised the "powerful lilt" of Detar, "whose vocal maneuverings just about force the listen to feel his pangs of loneliness as if they were their own". AllMusic reviewer Bradley Torreano said the mixture of various bands results in "a melting pot of rock & roll elements that is hard to pin down into any category." He called the collection a "genre-defying album filled with catchy songs that aren't afraid to be brutally heavy one moment just to transition into a gothic beauty the next." Melodic's Johan Wippsson opened his review by calling it their best release. He added that it got better with each listen due to the quality of the tracks and "that they aren't to polished just to suit radio". Rolling Stone negatively called it the "emo-punk version of a Creed album" with the "dark, near-metal riffage, thrashy screeching, big-ass choruses and tenaciously serious poetry". Trae Cadenhead of The Phantom Tollbooth criticized the group as they "tried too hard to reinvent themselves" with there being "nothing independent, raw, or even remotely exciting to be found". The Boston Phoenix writer Mikael Wood said it "confirm[ed] every reservation underground purists have about emo’s commercialization", referring Detar's vocals, the guitar tones and the track structures, "and enough bleeding-heart boilerplate to make Creed blanch". Love had sold 17,000 copies in the first week of its release. Leading up to the release of Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat (2005), sales of Love had reached over 100,000 copies. == Track listing == All music by the Juliana Theory, all lyrics by Brett Detar, except "Into the Dark", written by Detar, Chad Alan, Joshua Fiedler, Neil Hebrank and Joshua Kosker. == Personnel == Personnel per booklet. == References == Citations Sources

Love is the third studio album by American rock band the Juliana Theory. It was released on February 4, 2003, through Epic Records. After signing to that label in mid-2001, the band connected with Jerry Harrison, and began recording their next album in early 2002. Harrison and the Juliana Theory frontman Brett Detar produced the sessions; recording was held at The Site in Nicasio, California, Sausalito Sound in Sausalito, California, Lightning Tiger Studios in San Rafael, California, and Detar's basement and bedroom in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Described as an alternative rock release, the album saw the band shift away from the emo sound of their past albums.

love

Tennis scoring system (wikipedia)

The tennis scoring system is a standard widespread method for scoring tennis matches, including pick-up games. Some tennis matches are played as part of a tournament, which may have various categories, such as singles and doubles. The great majority are organised as a single-elimination tournament, with competitors being eliminated after a single loss, and the overall winner being the last competitor without a loss. Optimally, such tournaments have a number of competitors equal to a power of two in order to fully fill out a single elimination bracket. In many professional and top-level amateur events, the brackets are seeded according to a recognised ranking system, in order to keep the best players in the field from facing each other until as late in the tournament as possible; additionally, if byes are necessary because of a less-than-full bracket, those byes in the first round are usually given to the highest-seeded competitors. A tennis match is composed of points, games, and sets. A set consists of a number of games (a minimum of six), which in turn each consist of points. A set is won by the first side to win six games, with a margin of at least two games over the other side (e.g. 6–4 or 7–5). If the set is tied at six games each, a tie-break is usually played to decide the set. A match is won when a player or a doubles team has won the majority of the prescribed number of sets. Matches employ either a best-of-three (first to two sets wins) or best-of-five (first to three sets wins) set format. The best-of-five set format is usually only used in the men's singles matches at Grand Slam tournaments. == Game score == === Description === A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first side to win at least four points and have a margin of two points or more over their opponent. Normally, the server's score is always called first and the receiver's score second. Score calling in tennis is unusual in that (except in tie-breaks) each point has a corresponding call that is different from its point value. The current point score is announced orally before each point by the umpire, or by the server if there is no umpire. For instance, if the server has won three points so far in the game, and the non-server has won one, the score is "40–15". When both sides have won the same number of points within a given game—i.e., when each side has won one, or two, points—the score is described as "15–all" and "30–all", respectively. However, if each player has won three points, the score is called as "deuce", not "40–all". From that point on in the game, whenever the score is tied, it is described as "deuce" regardless of how many points have been played. However, if the score is called in French (for example at the French Open), the first occurrence of "40–all" in a single game may be called as such ("40–A", "quarante–A", or "quarante partout"). Thereafter, "deuce" ("égalité" in French) is used for all other occurrences when the score returns to "40–all" within the same game. In standard play, scoring beyond a "deuce" score, in which the players have scored three points each, requires that one player must get two points ahead in order to win the game. This type of tennis scoring is known as "advantage scoring" (or "adv"). The side that wins the next point after deuce is said to have the advantage. If they lose the next point, the score is again deuce, since the score is tied. If the side with the advantage wins the next point, that side has won the game, since they have a lead of two points. When the server is the player with the advantage, the score may be called as "advantage in". When the server's opponent has the advantage, the score may be called as "advantage out". These phrases are sometimes shortened to "ad in" or "van in" (or "my ad") and "ad out" (or "your ad"). Alternatively, the players' names are used: in professional tournaments the umpire announces the score in this format (e.g., "advantage Nadal" or "advantage Williams"). In the USTA rule book (but not the ITF rules), there is the following comment: " 'Zero', 'one', 'two', and 'three' may be substituted for 'Love', '15', '30', and '40'. This is particularly appropriate for matches with an inexperienced player or in which one player does not understand English." For tie-breaks, the calls are simply the number of points won by each player: === History === The origins of the 15, 30, and 40 scores are believed to be medieval French. The earliest reference is in a ballad by Charles D'Orleans in 1435 which refers to quarante cinq ("forty-five"), which gave rise to modern 40. In 1522, there is a sentence in Latin, "we are winning 30, we are winning 45". The first recorded theories about the origin of 15 were published in 1555 and 1579. However, the origins of this convention remain obscure. Some believe that clock faces were used to keep score on court, with a quarter move of the minute hand to indicate a score of 15, 30, and 45. When the hand moved to 60, the game was over. However, in order to ensure that the game could not be won by a one-point difference in players' scores, the idea of "deuce" was introduced. To make the score stay within the 60 ticks on the clock face, the 45 was changed to 40. Therefore, if both players had 40, the first player to score would receive ten, and that would move the clock to 50. If that player scored a second time in a row, they would be awarded another ten and the clock would move to 60, signifying the end of the game. However, if the player failed to score twice in a row, then the clock would move back to 40 to establish another "deuce". Although this suggestion might sound attractive, the first reference to tennis scoring (as mentioned above) is in the 15th century, and at that time clocks measured only the hours (1 to 12). It was not until about 1690, when the more accurate pendulum escapement was invented, that clocks regularly had minute hands. Therefore, the concept of tennis scores originating from the clock face could not have come from medieval times. However, the clock at the Wells Cathedral in England, which dates from 1386, had an inner dial with 60 minutes and a minute indicator and chimed every quarter hour. Likewise, the clock erected in 1389 at Rouen, France, chimed every fifteen minutes. By the end of the 14th century, the most advanced clocks would have marked minutes and chimed on the quarter hours. Clock faces like these would likely have been familiar to the English and French nobles by 1435 and 1522. It is not hard to imagine that they might have used a mock-up of a clock face to keep score, and that they would score by quarter hours since that is when the clocks chimed. Another theory is that the scoring nomenclature came from the French game jeu de paume (a precursor to tennis which initially used the hand instead of a racket). Jeu de paume was very popular before the French Revolution, with more than 1,000 courts in Paris alone. The traditional court was 90 feet (pieds du roi) in length with 45 feet on each side. The server moved 15 feet closer after scoring, another 15 feet after scoring again, and an additional 10 feet by scoring a third time. (For reference: the French foot is 6.5% larger than the imperial foot.) The use of "love" for zero probably derives from the phrase "playing for love", meaning "without stakes being wagered, for nothing". Another explanation is that it derives from the French expression for "the egg" (l'œuf) because an egg looks like the number zero. This is similar to the origin of the term "duck" in cricket, supposedly from "duck's egg", referring to a batsman who has been called out without scoring a run. Another possibility comes from the Dutch expression iets voor lof doen, which means to do something for praise, implying no monetary stakes. Another theory on the origins of the use of "love" comes from the notion that, at the start of any match, when scores are at zero, players still have "love for each other". === Alternative ("no-ad") game scoring === A popular alternative to advantage scoring, nowadays used at exhibition matches as well as professional tournaments in doubles, is the "no-advantage" or "no-ad" scoring, created by James Van Alen in order to shorten match playing time. No-advantage scoring is a method in which the first player to reach four points wins the game in all circumstances. No-ad scoring eliminates the requirement that a player must win by two points after a tie. Therefore, if the game is tied at deuce, the next player to win a point wins the game. This method of scoring was used in most World TeamTennis matches. When this style of play is implemented, at deuce the receiver chooses from which side of the court he or she desires to return the serve. However, in no-ad mixed doubles play, each gender always serves to the same gender at game point and during the final point of tiebreaks. === Handicap scoring === In the early 20th century, it was common for tournaments to have handicap events alongside the main events. In handicap events, the lesser-skilled player is given a certain number of points in each game. This is done so that players of different skill levels can have a competitive match. These handicaps consisted of two numbers separated by a period: "A.B", where "A" is the player's starting score and "B" is the number of games where the player receives an extra point. For example, a player with a handicap of "15.2" would start every game with a score of "15". In each series of six games, the player would also receive an extra point in two of the games. Therefore, they would start two out of every six games with "30" and the remaining four out of six games with "15". These handicap ratings where a player receives points can be denoted with an "R" in front, where the "R" indicates the player is receiving points. It is also possible to have a handicap system where the player owes points due to being higher-skilled, in which case the same two-number system is also used. These owed handicaps are denoted with an "O" in front that is short for "owed". == Set score == === Description === In tennis, a set consists of a sequence of games played with alternating service and return roles. There are two types of set formats that require different types of scoring. An advantage set is played until a player or team has won at least six games and that player or team has a two-game lead over their opponent(s). The set continues, without tiebreak(er), until a player or team wins the set by two games. Advantage sets are no longer played under the rules of the United States Tennis Association, nor in the Australian Open starting from 2019; and since 2022 for all other tournaments, including the French Open, the Fed Cup, and the Olympics. From 2019 to 2021, Wimbledon used a unique scoring system for the last set where the players continued to play after 6–all until a player earned a two-game lead (as in an advantage set); however, if the players reached 12–all, a seven-point tiebreaker was played to determine the winner. Mixed doubles at the Grand Slams (except for Wimbledon, which is a best-of-three sets format) have the third set replaced by a super tiebreak—sometimes referred to as a "best-of-two" format. A tie-break set is played with the same rules as the advantage set, except that when the score is tied at 6–6, a tie-break game ("tiebreaker") is played. Typically, the tiebreaker continues until one side has won seven points with a margin of two or more points. However, many tiebreakers are played with different tiebreak point requirements, such as 8 or 10 points. Often, a seven-point tiebreaker is played when the set score is tied at 6–6 to determine who wins the set. If the tiebreak score gets to 6–6, then whichever player to win the best of two points wins the set. Unlike games, set scores are counted in the ordinary manner (1, 2, 3, etc.), except that the state of having won zero games is called "love". The score is called at the end of each game, with the leading player's score first (e.g. "A leads 3–2"), or as "X–all". When a player wins a set, it is called as "game and first set", "game and second set", etc. In doubles, service alternates between the teams. One player serves for an entire service game, with that player's partner serving for the entirety of the team's next service game. Players of the receiving team receive the serve on alternating points, with each player of the receiving team declaring which side of the court (deuce or ad side) they will receive serve on for the duration of the set. Teams alternate service games every game. === Comparison === Advantage sets sometimes continue much longer than tie-break sets. The 2010 Wimbledon first-round match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, which is the longest professional tennis match in history, notably ended with Isner winning the fifth set by 70–68. The match lasted in total 11 hours and 5 minutes, with the fifth set alone lasting 8 hours, 11 minutes. Nevertheless, even tie-break sets can last a long time. For instance, once players reach 6–6 set score and also reach 6–6 tiebreaker score, play must continue until one player has a two-point advantage, which can take a considerable time. Sets decided by tiebreakers, however, are typically significantly shorter than extended advantage sets. The set is won by the first player (or team) to have won at least six games and at least two games more than his or her opponent. Traditionally, sets would be played until both these criteria had been met, with no maximum number of games. To shorten matches, James Van Alen created a tie-breaker system, which was widely introduced in the early 1970s. If the score reaches 6–5 (or 5–6), one further game is played. If the leading player wins this game, the set is won 7–5 (or 5–7). If the trailing player wins the game, the score is tied at 6–6 and a special tiebreaker game is played. The winner of the tiebreak wins the set by a score of 7–6 (or 6–7). === Scoring a tiebreak game === At a game score of 6–all, a set is often determined by one more game called a "twelve-point tiebreaker" (or just "tiebreak"). Only one more game is played to determine the winner of the set; the score of the resulting completed set is 7–6 or 6–7 (though it can be 6–all if a player retires before completion). Points are counted using ordinary numbering. The set is won by the player who has scored at least seven points in the tiebreak and at least two points more than their opponent. For example, if the point score is 6–5 and the player with six points wins the next point, they win both the tiebreak (seven points to five) and the set (seven games to six). If the player with five points wins the point instead (for a score of 6–all), the tiebreak continues and cannot be won on the next point (7–6 or 6–7), since no player will be two points ahead. In the scoring of the set, sometimes the tiebreak points are shown as well as the game count (e.g., 7–610–8). Another way of listing the score of the tiebreak is to list only the loser's points. For example, if the set score is listed as 7–6(8), the tiebreak score was 10–8 (since the eight is the loser's score, and the winner must win by two points). Similarly, 7–6(3) means the tiebreak score was 7–3. The player who would normally be serving after 6–6 is the one to serve first in the tiebreak, and the tiebreak is considered a service game for this player. The server begins his or her service from the deuce court and serves one point. Subsequently, the serve changes to the first server's opponent. Each player then serves two consecutive points for the remainder of the tiebreak. The first of each two-point sequence starts from the server's advantage court and the second starts from the deuce court. In this way, the sum of the scores is even when the server serves from the deuce court. After every six points, the players switch ends of the court; note that the side-changes during the tiebreak will occur in the middle of a server's two-point sequence. Following the tiebreak, the players switch ends of the court again, since the set score is always odd (13 games). An alternative tie-break system called the "Coman Tie-Break" is sometimes used by the United States Tennis Association. Scoring is the same, but end changes take place after the first point and then after every four points. This approach allows the servers of doubles teams to continue serving from the same end of the court as during the body of the set. It also reduces the advantage the elements (e.g. wind and sun) could give playing the first six points of a seven-point tiebreak on one side of the court. Another tie-break system, called the "super tiebreaker", consists of one player reaching a total of 10 points. The player must win by two points so there is no limit to the highest number of points. A typically close score may look like 10–8. At Wimbledon, a tie-break was not played in the final set until the score reaches 12–all. At the Australian Open, a tie-break was played in the final set at 6–all, but continued until one player had ten points, and was leading by two. The US Open used a conventional, "first to seven" tie-break at 6–all in the final set. The French Open was the only Grand Slam or professional tournament where a final-set tie-break was not played, and it was played as an advantage set until the 2022 edition. In March 2022, the French Open and all other Grand Slams adopted the “10-point tie-break” when the final set reaches 6–all. ==== History of the tiebreak ==== The tiebreaker—commonly shortened to just "tiebreak"—was invented by James Van Alen and unveiled in 1965 as an experiment at the pro tournament he sponsored at Newport Casino, Rhode Island, after an earlier, unsuccessful attempt to speed up the game by the use of his so-called "Van Alen Streamlined Scoring System" (VASSS). For two years before the Open Era, in 1955 and 1956, the United States Pro Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, was played by VASSS rules. The scoring was the same as that in table tennis, with sets played to 21 points and players alternating five services, with no second service. The rules were created partially to limit the effectiveness of the powerful service of the reigning professional champion, Pancho Gonzales. Even with the new rules, however, Gonzales beat Pancho Segura in the finals of both tournaments. Even though the 1955 match went to five sets, with Gonzales barely holding on to win the last one 21–19, it is reported to have taken 47 minutes to complete. The fans attending the matches preferred the traditional rules, however, and in 1957 the tournament reverted to the old method of scoring. Van Alen called his innovation a "tiebreaker", and he proposed two different versions: the "best-five-of-nine-points" tiebreaker and the "best-seven-of-twelve-points" tiebreaker. The "best-five-of-nine-point" tiebreaker lasts a maximum of nine points, and awards victory in the set to whichever player or team first reaches five points, even if the other player or team already has four: the margin of victory can be a single point. Because this tiebreaker must end after a maximum of nine points, Van Alen also called it a "sudden-death tiebreaker" (if and when the score reaches 4–all, both players face simultaneous set point and match point). This type of tiebreaker had its Grand Slam debut at the 1970 US Open, where it was employed until 1974. It was also used for a while on the Virginia Slims circuit and in American college tennis. This format is still used at the World TeamTennis. The "best-seven-of-twelve-point" tiebreaker lasts a minimum of seven points. This is the most familiar and widely used tiebreaker today. Because it ends as soon as either player or team reaches seven points and has a lead of at least two points, it can actually be over in as few as seven points. However, due to this required two-point margin, this tiebreaker can go beyond 12 points—sometimes well beyond. Because of this, Van Alen derisively likened it to a "lingering death", in contrast to the "sudden-death tiebreaker" that he recommended and preferred. The impetus to use some kind of a tie-breaking procedure gained force after a monumental 1969 struggle at Wimbledon between Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell. This was a 5-set match that lasted 5 hours and 12 minutes, and took two days to complete. In the fifth set, the 41-year-old Gonzales won all seven match points Pasarell had against him, twice coming back from 0–40 deficits. The final score was 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9 for Gonzales. The tiebreaker gave tennis a definite "finish line". In what follows, the "final set" means the fifth set for best-of-five matches, and the third set for best-of-three matches. In 1970, the US Open introduced the nine-point tiebreaker rule for all sets that reach 6–6, both in singles and in doubles. The 12-point tiebreaker format was introduced in 1975. In 1971, Wimbledon put into effect a 12-point tiebreaker when the score in a set reached 8–8 in games unless the set was such that one of the players could achieve a match victory by winning it. In 1979, Wimbledon changed their rules so that a (12-point) tiebreak would be played once any set except the final set reached 6–6 in games. In 1989, the Davis Cup adopted the tie-break in all sets except for the final set, and then extended it to the final set starting in 2016. In 2001, the Australian Open adopted the tiebreak at 6–6 in the final set in men's and women's doubles matches. The French Open followed in 2007. In 2001, the Australian Open replaced the deciding third set of mixed doubles with an eighteen-point "match tiebreak" (first to ten points and win by two points wins the match). Despite some criticism of the change by fans and former pros, the US Open (from 2003) and the French Open (from 2007) have followed the Australian Open in using the same format for mixed doubles. Wimbledon continues to play a traditional best-of-three match. Likewise, the ATP Tour introduced a match tiebreak format for doubles tournaments in 2006. The WTA Tour adopted that rule in 2007. Tie-break sets even for final sets are now nearly universal in all levels of professional play. All tournaments outside the four Grand Slams have used tie-break sets since at least 2006. The US Open has had it since the 1970s, and was the only major tournament to use a tiebreak in the final set for singles from 1970 to 2018. Final set tie-breaks were adopted by the Australian Open in 2019 for singles (2001 for doubles), the French Open in 2022 for singles (2007 for doubles), Wimbledon in 2019, Fed Cup in 2019, Davis Cup in 2016, and the Olympics in 2016. However, the details of final set tie-break sets in Grand Slam tournaments were not uniform until 2022. After criticism of two lengthy semifinals in the 2018 Men's singles, Wimbledon announced the 2019 Championships would use final-set tiebreaks if the score reached 12–12. The first was in the Men's doubles third round, with Henri Kontinen and John Peers defeating Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. Shortly following Wimbledon's final set tiebreak introduction announcement, the Australian Open introduced (for their 2019 tournament) a "super-tiebreak" at 6–6 for both singles and doubles (but not mixed doubles) in the final set, replacing the previous format in singles in which the final set would continue until one player was ahead by two games. The new format for the final set is similar to the "12-point tiebreaker", but with the winner being the first to ten points instead of seven (and they must still win by two points). Tennis Australia has called this a "10-point tiebreak". Prior to 2022, the French Open remained the only grand slam tournament that did not use any form of a tie-break for singles in the final set. This led to each of the four grand slam events having four different final-set scoring systems, and at times also across singles and doubles. This ended in March 2022, when the ATP, WTA, and ITF announced that final-set tiebreaks in all Grand Slams matches (except mixed-doubles) will have a 10-point tiebreak when the set reaches six games all (6–6). The IOC employed this format since the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021; however, the 13th game of every set has a 7-point tiebreaker. === Summary of current scoring rules in professional tennis === In summary from the above, since 2007 all non-major tournaments (ATP and WTA) have best-of-three matches. Singles have three tie-break sets where tie-breaks follow the 12-point format at 6 games all. Doubles and mixed doubles have two tie-break sets as in singles but the deciding set is a match tie-break of the 18-point format. Since 2022, all majors have tie-breaks in all sets (but see the match tie-break in mixed doubles) at six games all. In the deciding set, the tie-break is of the 10-point format, otherwise it is the usual 12-point format. Mixed doubles follow the 18-point match tie-break format in the deciding set except for Wimbledon, which uses a regular tie-break set with a 10-point tie-break in the third and deciding set at six games all. All matches are best of three except for men's singles, which is best of five. Wimbledon has best-of-five in the last of round of qualifying for men's singles, otherwise all qualifying matches are best-of-three. === Alternative set scoring format === While traditional sets continue until a player wins at least six games by a margin of at least two games, there are some alternative set scoring formats. A common alternative set format is the eight or nine game pro set, which is played until one player wins eight or nine games (instead of six) with a margin of two games. The tie-break is therefore played at eight or nine games all. While this format is not used in modern professional matches or recognized by the ITF rules, it was supposedly used in early professional tours. It is commonly utilized in various amateur leagues and high school tennis as a shorter alternative to a best-of-three match, but longer than a traditional tie-break set. In addition, eight-game pro sets were used during doubles for all Division I college dual matches until the 2014–2015 season. Another alternative set format is the "short sets", which is played until one player wins four games with a margin of two games. In this format, a tie-break is played at four games all. The ITF experimented with this format in low level Davis Cup matches, but the experiment was not continued. Nevertheless, this alternative remains as an acceptable alternative in the ITF rules of tennis. Another alternative set format is seen in World TeamTennis, where the winner of a set is the first to win five games, and a 9-point tie-break is played at 4–4. == Match score == === Description === The winner is the side that wins more than half of the sets, and the match ends as soon as this is achieved. Men's matches may be the best of either three or five sets, while women's and mixed doubles matches are usually best of three sets. The alternation of service between games continues throughout the match without regard to sets, but the ends are changed after each odd game within a set (including the last game). If, for example, the second set of a match ends with the score at 6–3, 1–6, the ends are changed as the last game played was the 7th (odd) game of the set and in spite of it being the 16th (even) game of the match. Even when a set ends with an odd game, ends are again changed after the first game of the following set. A tiebreaker game is treated as a single game for the purposes of this alternation. Since tiebreakers always result in a score of 7–6, there is always a court change after the tiebreaker. That change would occur in the next set. The score of a complete match may be given simply by sets won, or with the scores in each set given separately. In either case, the match winner's score is stated first. For example: in the former, shorter form, a match might be listed as 3–1 (i.e. three sets to one). In the latter form, this same match might be further described as "7–5, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(8–6)". (As noted above, an alternate form of writing the tiebreak score lists only the loser's score—e.g., "7–6(6)" for the fourth set in the example.) This match was won three sets to one, with the match loser winning the second set on a tiebreaker. The numbers in parentheses, normally included in printed scorelines but omitted when spoken, indicate the score of the tiebreaker game in a set. Here, the match winner lost the second-set tiebreaker 4–7 and won the fourth-set tiebreaker 8–6. === Total points won === Because tennis is scored set by set and game by game, a player may lose a match despite winning the majority of points and/or games played. Consider a player who wins six games in each of two sets, all by a score of game–30. The winner has scored 4×12 = 48 points and the loser 2×12 = 24. Suppose also that the loser wins four games in each set, all by a score of game–love. The loser has scored 4×8 = 32 points and the winner zero in those games. The final score is a win by 6–4, 6–4; total points 48–56. An example of this in actual practice was the record-breaking Isner–Mahut match in the Wimbledon first round, 22–24 June 2010. American John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut of France (6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7–9), 7–6(7–3), 70–68) despite Mahut winning a total of 502 points to Isner's 478. === Total games won === Likewise, a player may lose a match despite winning the majority of games played (or win a match despite losing the majority of games). Roger Federer won the 2009 Wimbledon final over Andy Roddick (5–7, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5), 3–6, 16–14) despite Roddick's winning more games (39, versus Federer's 38). Roger Federer lost the 2019 Wimbledon final, despite winning more games (and points, in fact) than Novak Djokovic. == Announcing the score == When playing a match, it is usually best to report each score out loud with one's opponent to avoid conflicts. During a game, the server has the responsibility to announce the game score before serving. This is done by announcing the server's score first. If, for example, the server loses the first three points of the service game, the server would say "love–40". This is to be done every time. After a set is complete, the server, before serving for the first game of the next set, announces the set scores so far completed in the match, stating their own scores first. If the server has won the first two sets and is beginning the third, the server would say, "two–love, new set". If the server had lost the first two sets, the server would say, "love–two, new set". After completing the match, either player, when asked the score, announces their own scores first. === Example === As an example, consider a match between Victoria Azarenka and Ana Ivanovic. Azarenka wins the first set 6–4, Ivanovic wins the next set 7–6 (winning the tiebreak 7–4), and Azarenka wins the final set 6–0. At the end of each set, the umpire would announce the winner of each set: Game, first set, Azarenka. Game, second set, Ivanovic. At the completion of the match, the result would be announced as: Game, set, match, (Victoria) Azarenka, two sets to one, six–four, six–seven, six–love. The result would be written as: Victoria Azarenka defeated Ana Ivanovic 6–4, 6–7(4–7), 6–0 The score is always written and announced in respect to the winner of the match. The score of the tiebreak is not included in announcing the final result; it is simply said "seven–six" or "six–seven" regardless of the score in the tiebreak. If a match ends prematurely due to one player retiring or being disqualified (defaulting), the partial score at that point is announced as the final score, with the remaining player as the nominal winner. For instance, the result in the final of the 2012 Aegon Championships was written and announced as follows: Marin Čilić defeated David Nalbandian 6–7(3–7), 4–3 (default) Code violation, unsportsmanlike conduct, default, Mr. (David) Nalbandian. === Variations and slang === During informal play of tennis, especially at tennis clubs in the U.S. (and other English-speaking countries), score announcements are frequently shortened with the use of abbreviations. For example, a score 15 is replaced with "five", or in some cases "fif". "Love" is often substituted to indicate "zero". Similarly, the scores of 30 and 40 may sometimes be spoken as "three" or "four" respectively. A score of 15–all may sometimes be announced as "fives". To further confuse score announcements, a score of 30–all (30–30) may often be called "deuce", and the following point referred to as "ad in" or "ad out" (or "my ad" or "your ad"), depending on which player (or team) won the point. The logic for this is that a 30–all score is effectively the same as deuce (40–40), in that one must win the next two points to win the game. == Scorecards == For formal scorekeeping, the official scoring the match (e.g., the chair umpire) fills out a scorecard, either on paper or electronically. The scorecard allows the official to record details for each point, as well as rule violations and other match information. Standard markings for each point are: An additional dot is marked in a score box to indicate a missed first serve fault. == Notes == == Further reading == Faulkner, Trish & Lemelman, Vivian (1999).The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tennis. New York: Macmillan Publishing ISBN 0028629108

The tennis scoring system is a standard widespread method for scoring tennis matches, including pick-up games. Some tennis matches are played as part of a tournament, which may have various categories, such as singles and doubles. The great majority are organised as a single-elimination tournament, with competitors being eliminated after a single loss, and the overall winner being the last competitor without a loss. Optimally, such tournaments have a number of competitors equal to a power of two in order to fully fill out a single elimination bracket. In many professional and top-level amateur events, the brackets are seeded according to a recognised ranking system, in order to keep the best players in the field from facing each other until as late in the tournament as possible; additionally, if byes are necessary because of a less-than-full bracket, those byes in the first round are usually given to the highest-seeded competitors. A tennis match is composed of points, games, and sets. A set consists of a number of games (a minimum of six), which in turn each consist of points. A set is won by the first side to win six games, with a margin of at least two games over the other side (e.g. 6–4 or 7–5). If the set is tied at six games each, a tie-break is usually played to decide the set. A match is won when a player or a doubles team has won the majority of the prescribed number of sets. Matches employ either a best-of-three (first to two sets wins) or best-of-five (first to three sets wins) set format. The best-of-five set format is usually only used in the men's singles matches at Grand Slam tournaments.

culture

Kultur (wiktionary)

Kultur (uncountable) Alternative spelling of kultur From Latin cultūra. IPA(key): /kʊlˈtuːɐ̯/ Hyphenation: Kul‧tur Rhymes: -uːɐ̯ Kultur f (genitive Kultur, plural Kulturen) culture kulturell (“cultural”) Unkultur → Yiddish: קולטור (kultur) “Kultur” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “Kultur” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon “Kultur” in Duden online

Kultur (uncountable) Alternative spelling of kultur From Latin cultūra. IPA(key): /kʊlˈtuːɐ̯/ Hyphenation: Kul‧tur Rhymes: -uːɐ̯ Kultur f (genitive Kultur, plural Kulturen) culture kulturell (“cultural”) Unkultur → Yiddish: קולטור (kultur) “Kultur” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “Kultur” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon “Kultur” in Duden online

culture

kultur (wiktionary)

Kultur Borrowed from German Kultur, from Latin cultūra; doublet of culture. IPA(key): /kʊlˈtuːɹ/ kultur (uncountable) German culture or civilization, especially seen as authoritarian or racist during the period of world wars (1914-18 and 1939-45) 1963: so much rot spoken about their inferior kultur-position and our herrenschaft – but that was for the Kaiser and the businessmen at home — Thomas Pynchon, V. “kultur”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). Rhymes: -ur kultur c (singular definite kulturen, plural indefinite kulturer) culture “kultur” in Den Danske Ordbog From Dutch cultuur (“culture”), from Middle French culture (“cultivation; culture”), from Latin cultūra (“cultivation; culture”), from cultus, perfect passive participle of colō (“till, cultivate, worship”) (related to colōnus and colōnia), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). IPA(key): [ˈkʊltʊr] Hyphenation: kul‧tur kultur (first-person possessive kulturku, second-person possessive kulturmu, third-person possessive kulturnya) culture, practices and beliefs particular to a society or group. tillage of crops, collection of (micro-)organisms; cultivation (practices, beliefs) kebudayaan (crops, cultivation) budi daya, kultivasi “kultur” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). kultur m (definite singular kulturen, indefinite plural kulturer, definite plural kulturene) culture “kultur” in The Bokmål Dictionary. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). kultur m (definite singular kulturen, indefinite plural kulturar, definite plural kulturane) culture “kultur” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). kultur c culture (customs, etc.) culture ((higher) art, etc.) a culture (group with common culture) (botany, agriculture) culture (microbiology) a culture kultur in Svensk ordbok (SO) kultur in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) kultur in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Kultur Borrowed from German Kultur, from Latin cultūra; doublet of culture. IPA(key): /kʊlˈtuːɹ/ kultur (uncountable) German culture or civilization, especially seen as authoritarian or racist during the period of world wars (1914-18 and 1939-45) 1963: so much rot spoken about their inferior kultur-position and our herrenschaft – but that was for the Kaiser and the businessmen at home — Thomas Pynchon, V. “kultur”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). Rhymes: -ur kultur c (singular definite kulturen, plural indefinite kulturer) culture “kultur” in Den Danske Ordbog From Dutch cultuur (“culture”), from Middle French culture (“cultivation; culture”), from Latin cultūra (“cultivation; culture”), from cultus, perfect passive participle of colō (“till, cultivate, worship”) (related to colōnus and colōnia), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). IPA(key): [ˈkʊltʊr] Hyphenation: kul‧tur kultur (first-person possessive kulturku, second-person possessive kulturmu, third-person possessive kulturnya) culture, practices and beliefs particular to a society or group. tillage of crops, collection of (micro-)organisms; cultivation (practices, beliefs) kebudayaan (crops, cultivation) budi daya, kultivasi “kultur” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). kultur m (definite singular kulturen, indefinite plural kulturer, definite plural kulturene) culture “kultur” in The Bokmål Dictionary. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). kultur m (definite singular kulturen, indefinite plural kulturar, definite plural kulturane) culture “kultur” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. From Latin cultūra, from colō (“I cultivate, nurture”). kultur c culture (customs, etc.) culture ((higher) art, etc.) a culture (group with common culture) (botany, agriculture) culture (microbiology) a culture kultur in Svensk ordbok (SO) kultur in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) kultur in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

culture

culture (wiktionary)

Wikiquote Wikisource culcha (pronunciation spelling) From Middle French culture (“cultivation; culture”), from Latin cultūra (“cultivation; culture”), from cultus, perfect passive participle of colō (“till, cultivate, worship”) (related to colōnus and colōnia), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkʌlt͡ʃə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkʌlt͡ʃɚ/ Hyphenation: cult‧ure Rhymes: -ʌltʃə(ɹ) culture (countable and uncountable, plural cultures) The arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and habits that characterize humankind, or a particular society or nation. The beliefs, values, behaviour, and material objects that constitute a people's way of life. The conventional conducts and ideologies of a community; the system comprising the accepted norms and values of a society. (anthropology) Any knowledge passed from one generation to the next, not necessarily with respect to human beings. (botany, agriculture) Cultivation. http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/grownet/flowers/sprgbulb.htm The Culture of Spring-Flowering Bulbs (microbiology) The process of growing a bacterial or other biological entity in an artificial medium. The growth thus produced. A group of bacteria. (cartography) The details on a map that do not represent natural features of the area delineated, such as names and the symbols for towns, roads, meridians, and parallels. (archaeology) Short for archaeological culture (“recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society”). (euphemistic) Ethnicity, race (and its associated arts, customs, etc.) agriculture culture (third-person singular simple present cultures, present participle culturing, simple past and past participle cultured) (transitive) to maintain in an environment suitable for growth (especially of bacteria) (compare cultivate) (transitive) to increase the artistic or scientific interest (in something) (compare cultivate) “culture”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. culture in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018. "culture" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 87. “culture”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC. Borrowed from Latin cultūra (“cultivation; culture”), from cultus, perfect passive participle of colō (“till, cultivate, worship”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). IPA(key): /kyl.tyʁ/ culture f (plural cultures) crop culture (“arts, customs and habits”) → Turkish: kültür “culture”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012. culture f (plural culturis) culture culturâl IPA(key): /kulˈtu.re/ Rhymes: -ure Hyphenation: cul‧tù‧re culture f plural of cultura cultūre vocative masculine singular of cultūrus culture Alternative form of culter IPA(key): /kulˈtuɾe/ [kul̪ˈt̪u.ɾe] Rhymes: -uɾe Syllabification: cul‧tu‧re culture inflection of culturar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative

Wikiquote Wikisource culcha (pronunciation spelling) From Middle French culture (“cultivation; culture”), from Latin cultūra (“cultivation; culture”), from cultus, perfect passive participle of colō (“till, cultivate, worship”) (related to colōnus and colōnia), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkʌlt͡ʃə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkʌlt͡ʃɚ/ Hyphenation: cult‧ure Rhymes: -ʌltʃə(ɹ) culture (countable and uncountable, plural cultures) The arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and habits that characterize humankind, or a particular society or nation. The beliefs, values, behaviour, and material objects that constitute a people's way of life. The conventional conducts and ideologies of a community; the system comprising the accepted norms and values of a society. (anthropology) Any knowledge passed from one generation to the next, not necessarily with respect to human beings. (botany, agriculture) Cultivation. http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/grownet/flowers/sprgbulb.htm The Culture of Spring-Flowering Bulbs (microbiology) The process of growing a bacterial or other biological entity in an artificial medium. The growth thus produced. A group of bacteria. (cartography) The details on a map that do not represent natural features of the area delineated, such as names and the symbols for towns, roads, meridians, and parallels. (archaeology) Short for archaeological culture (“recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society”). (euphemistic) Ethnicity, race (and its associated arts, customs, etc.) agriculture culture (third-person singular simple present cultures, present participle culturing, simple past and past participle cultured) (transitive) to maintain in an environment suitable for growth (especially of bacteria) (compare cultivate) (transitive) to increase the artistic or scientific interest (in something) (compare cultivate) “culture”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. culture in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018. "culture" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 87. “culture”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC. Borrowed from Latin cultūra (“cultivation; culture”), from cultus, perfect passive participle of colō (“till, cultivate, worship”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). IPA(key): /kyl.tyʁ/ culture f (plural cultures) crop culture (“arts, customs and habits”) → Turkish: kültür “culture”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012. culture f (plural culturis) culture culturâl IPA(key): /kulˈtu.re/ Rhymes: -ure Hyphenation: cul‧tù‧re culture f plural of cultura cultūre vocative masculine singular of cultūrus culture Alternative form of culter IPA(key): /kulˈtuɾe/ [kul̪ˈt̪u.ɾe] Rhymes: -uɾe Syllabification: cul‧tu‧re culture inflection of culturar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative

culture

Culture (wikipedia)

Culture ( KUL-chər) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location. Humans acquire culture through the learning processes of enculturation and socialization, which is shown by the diversity of cultures across societies. A cultural norm codifies acceptable conduct in society; it serves as a guideline for behavior, dress, language, and demeanor in a situation, which serves as a template for expectations in a social group. Accepting only a monoculture in a social group can bear risks, just as a single species can wither in the face of environmental change, for lack of functional responses to the change. Thus in military culture, valor is counted a typical behavior for an individual and duty, honor, and loyalty to the social group are counted as virtues or functional responses in the continuum of conflict. In the practice of religion, analogous attributes can be identified in a social group. Cultural change, or repositioning, is the reconstruction of a cultural concept of a society. Cultures are internally affected by both forces encouraging change and forces resisting change. Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies. Organizations like UNESCO attempt to preserve culture and cultural heritage. == Description == Culture is considered a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human societies. Cultural universals are found in all human societies. These include expressive forms like art, music, dance, ritual, religion, and technologies like tool usage, cooking, shelter, and clothing. The concept of material culture covers the physical expressions of culture, such as technology, architecture and art, whereas the immaterial aspects of culture such as principles of social organization (including practices of political organization and social institutions), mythology, philosophy, literature (both written and oral), and science comprise the intangible cultural heritage of a society. In the humanities, one sense of culture as an attribute of the individual has been the degree to which they have cultivated a particular level of sophistication in the arts, sciences, education, or manners. The level of cultural sophistication has also sometimes been used to distinguish civilizations from less complex societies. Such hierarchical perspectives on culture are also found in class-based distinctions between a high culture of the social elite and a low culture, popular culture, or folk culture of the lower classes, distinguished by the stratified access to cultural capital. In common parlance, culture is often used to refer specifically to the symbolic markers used by ethnic groups to distinguish themselves visibly from each other such as body modification, clothing or jewelry. Mass culture refers to the mass-produced and mass mediated forms of consumer culture that emerged in the 20th century. Some schools of philosophy, such as Marxism and critical theory, have argued that culture is often used politically as a tool of the elites to manipulate the proletariat and create a false consciousness. Such perspectives are common in the discipline of cultural studies. In the wider social sciences, the theoretical perspective of cultural materialism holds that human symbolic culture arises from the material conditions of human life, as humans create the conditions for physical survival, and that the basis of culture is found in evolved biological dispositions. When used as a count noun, a "culture" is the set of customs, traditions, and values of a society or community, such as an ethnic group or nation. Culture is the set of knowledge acquired over time. In this sense, multiculturalism values the peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between different cultures inhabiting the same planet. Sometimes "culture" is also used to describe specific practices within a subgroup of a society, a subculture (e.g. "bro culture"), or a counterculture. Within cultural anthropology, the ideology and analytical stance of cultural relativism hold that cultures cannot easily be objectively ranked or evaluated because any evaluation is necessarily situated within the value system of a given culture. == Etymology == The modern term "culture" is based on a term used by the ancient Roman orator Cicero in his Tusculanae Disputationes, where he wrote of a cultivation of the soul or "cultura animi", using an agricultural metaphor for the development of a philosophical soul, understood teleologically as the highest possible ideal for human development. Samuel Pufendorf took over this metaphor in a modern context, meaning something similar, but no longer assuming that philosophy was man's natural perfection. His use, and that of many writers after him, "refers to all the ways in which human beings overcome their original barbarism, and through artifice, become fully human." In 1986, philosopher Edward S. Casey wrote, "The very word culture meant 'place tilled' in Middle English, and the same word goes back to Latin colere, 'to inhabit, care for, till, worship' and cultus, 'A cult, especially a religious one.' To be cultural, to have a culture, is to inhabit a place sufficiently intensely to cultivate it—to be responsible for it, to respond to it, to attend to it caringly." Culture described by Richard Velkley: ... originally meant the cultivation of the soul or mind, acquires most of its later modern meaning in the writings of the 18th-century German thinkers, who were on various levels developing Rousseau's criticism of "modern liberalism and Enlightenment." Thus a contrast between "culture" and "civilization" is usually implied in these authors, even when not expressed as such. In the words of anthropologist E.B. Tylor, it is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Alternatively, in a contemporary variant, "Culture is defined as a social domain that emphasizes the practices, discourses and material expressions, which, over time, express the continuities and discontinuities of social meaning of a life held in common. The Cambridge English Dictionary states that culture is "the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time." Terror management theory posits that culture is a series of activities and worldviews that provide humans with the basis for perceiving themselves as "person[s] of worth within the world of meaning"—raising themselves above the merely physical aspects of existence, in order to deny the animal insignificance and death that Homo sapiens became aware of when they acquired a larger brain. The word is used in a general sense as the evolved ability to categorize and represent experiences with symbols and to act imaginatively and creatively. This ability arose with the evolution of behavioral modernity in humans around 50,000 years ago and is often thought to be unique to humans. However, some other species have demonstrated similar, though much less complicated, abilities for social learning. It is also used to denote the complex networks of practices and accumulated knowledge and ideas that are transmitted through social interaction and exist in specific human groups, or cultures, using the plural form. == Change == Raimon Panikkar identified 29 ways in which cultural change can be brought about, including growth, development, evolution, involution, renovation, reconception, reform, innovation, revivalism, revolution, mutation, progress, diffusion, osmosis, borrowing, eclecticism, syncretism, modernization, indigenization, and transformation. In this context, modernization could be viewed as adoption of Enlightenment era beliefs and practices, such as science, rationalism, industry, commerce, democracy, and the notion of progress. Rein Raud, building on the work of Umberto Eco, Pierre Bourdieu and Jeffrey C. Alexander, has proposed a model of cultural change based on claims and bids, which are judged by their cognitive adequacy and endorsed or not endorsed by the symbolic authority of the cultural community in question. Cultural invention has come to mean any innovation that is new and found to be useful to a group of people and expressed in their behavior but which does not exist as a physical object. Humanity is in a global "accelerating culture change period," driven by the expansion of international commerce, the mass media, and above all, the human population explosion, among other factors. Culture repositioning means the reconstruction of the cultural concept of a society. Cultures are internally affected by both forces encouraging change and forces resisting change. These forces are related to both social structures and natural events, and are involved in the perpetuation of cultural ideas and practices within current structures, which themselves are subject to change. Social conflict and the development of technologies can produce changes within a society by altering social dynamics and promoting new cultural models, and spurring or enabling generative action. These social shifts may accompany ideological shifts and other types of cultural change. For example, the U.S. feminist movement involved new practices that produced a shift in gender relations, altering both gender and economic structures. Environmental conditions may also enter as factors. For example, after tropical forests returned at the end of the last ice age, plants suitable for domestication were available, leading to the invention of agriculture, which in turn brought about many cultural innovations and shifts in social dynamics. Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies, which may also produce—or inhibit—social shifts and changes in cultural practices. War or competition over resources may impact technological development or social dynamics. Additionally, cultural ideas may transfer from one society to another, through diffusion or acculturation. In diffusion, the form of something (though not necessarily its meaning) moves from one culture to another. For example, Western restaurant chains and culinary brands sparked curiosity and fascination to the Chinese as China opened its economy to international trade in the late 20th-century. "Stimulus diffusion" (the sharing of ideas) refers to an element of one culture leading to an invention or propagation in another. "Direct borrowing," on the other hand, tends to refer to technological or tangible diffusion from one culture to another. Diffusion of innovations theory presents a research-based model of why and when individuals and cultures adopt new ideas, practices, and products. Acculturation has different meanings. Still, in this context, it refers to the replacement of traits of one culture with another, such as what happened to certain Native American tribes and many indigenous peoples across the globe during the process of colonization. Related processes on an individual level include assimilation (adoption of a different culture by an individual) and transculturation. The transnational flow of culture has played a major role in merging different cultures and sharing thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. == Early modern discourses == === German Romanticism === Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) formulated an individualist definition of "enlightenment" similar to the concept of bildung: "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity." He argued that this immaturity comes not from a lack of understanding, but from a lack of courage to think independently. Against this intellectual cowardice, Kant urged: "Sapere Aude" ("Dare to be wise!"). In reaction to Kant, German scholars such as Johann Gottfried Herder (1744–1803) argued that human creativity, which necessarily takes unpredictable and highly diverse forms, is as important as human rationality. Moreover, Herder proposed a collective form of Bildung: "For Herder, Bildung was the totality of experiences that provide a coherent identity, and sense of common destiny, to a people." In 1795, the Prussian linguist and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835) called for an anthropology that would synthesize Kant's and Herder's interests. During the Romantic era, scholars in Germany, especially those concerned with nationalist movements—such as the nationalist struggle to create a "Germany" out of diverse principalities, and the nationalist struggles by ethnic minorities against the Austro-Hungarian Empire—developed a more inclusive notion of culture as "worldview" (Weltanschauung). According to this school of thought, each ethnic group has a distinct worldview that is incommensurable with the worldviews of other groups. Although more inclusive than earlier views, this approach to culture still allowed for distinctions between "civilized" and "primitive" or "tribal" cultures. In 1860, Adolf Bastian (1826–1905) argued for "the psychic unity of mankind." He proposed that a scientific comparison of all human societies would reveal that distinct worldviews consisted of the same basic elements. According to Bastian, all human societies share a set of "elementary ideas" (Elementargedanken); different cultures, or different "folk ideas" (Völkergedanken), are local modifications of the elementary ideas. This view paved the way for the modern understanding of culture. Franz Boas (1858–1942) was trained in this tradition, and he brought it with him when he left Germany for the United States. === English Romanticism === In the 19th century, humanists such as English poet and essayist Matthew Arnold (1822–1888) used the word "culture" to refer to an ideal of individual human refinement, of "the best that has been thought and said in the world." This concept of culture is also comparable to the German concept of bildung: "...culture being a pursuit of our total perfection by means of getting to know, on all the matters which most concern us, the best which has been thought and said in the world." In practice, culture referred to an elite ideal and was associated with such activities as art, classical music, and haute cuisine. As these forms were associated with urban life, "culture" was identified with "civilization" (from Latin: civitas, lit. 'city'). Another facet of the Romantic movement was an interest in folklore, which led to identifying a "culture" among non-elites. This distinction is often characterized as that between high culture, namely that of the ruling social group, and low culture. In other words, the idea of "culture" that developed in Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries reflected inequalities within European societies. Matthew Arnold contrasted "culture" with anarchy; other Europeans, following philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, contrasted "culture" with "the state of nature." According to Hobbes and Rousseau, the Native Americans who were being conquered by Europeans from the 16th centuries on were living in a state of nature; this opposition was expressed through the contrast between "civilized" and "uncivilized." According to this way of thinking, one could classify some countries and nations as more civilized than others and some people as more cultured than others. This contrast led to Herbert Spencer's theory of Social Darwinism and Lewis Henry Morgan's theory of cultural evolution. Just as some critics have argued that the distinction between high and low cultures is an expression of the conflict between European elites and non-elites, other critics have argued that the distinction between civilized and uncivilized people is an expression of the conflict between European colonial powers and their colonial subjects. Other 19th-century critics, following Rousseau, have accepted this differentiation between higher and lower culture, but have seen the refinement and sophistication of high culture as corrupting and unnatural developments that obscure and distort people's essential nature. These critics considered folk music (as produced by "the folk," i.e., rural, illiterate, peasants) to honestly express a natural way of life, while classical music seemed superficial and decadent. Equally, this view often portrayed indigenous peoples as "noble savages" living authentic and unblemished lives, uncomplicated and uncorrupted by the highly stratified capitalist systems of the West. In 1870 the anthropologist Edward Tylor (1832–1917) applied these ideas of higher versus lower culture to propose a theory of the evolution of religion. According to this theory, religion evolves from more polytheistic to more monotheistic forms. In the process, he redefined culture as a diverse set of activities characteristic of all human societies. This view paved the way for the modern understanding of religion. == Anthropology == Although anthropologists worldwide refer to Tylor's definition of culture, in the 20th century "culture" emerged as the central and unifying concept of American anthropology, where it most commonly refers to the universal human capacity to classify and encode human experiences symbolically, and to communicate symbolically encoded experiences socially. American anthropology is organized into four fields, each of which plays an important role in research on culture: biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, and in the United States and Canada, archaeology. The term Kulturbrille, or "culture glasses," coined by German American anthropologist Franz Boas, refers to the "lenses" through which a person sees their own culture. Martin Lindstrom asserts that Kulturbrille, which allow a person to make sense of the culture they inhabit, "can blind us to things outsiders pick up immediately." == Sociology == The sociology of culture concerns culture as manifested in society. For sociologist Georg Simmel (1858–1918), culture referred to "the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history." As such, culture in the sociological field can be defined as the ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together shape a people's way of life. Culture can be either of two types, non-material culture or material culture. Non-material culture refers to the non-physical ideas that individuals have about their culture, including values, belief systems, rules, norms, morals, language, organizations, and institutions, while material culture is the physical evidence of a culture in the objects and architecture they make or have made. The term tends to be relevant only in archeological and anthropological studies, but it specifically means all material evidence which can be attributed to culture, past or present. Cultural sociology first emerged in Weimar Germany (1918–1933), where sociologists such as Alfred Weber used the term Kultursoziologie ('cultural sociology'). Cultural sociology was then reinvented in the English-speaking world as a product of the cultural turn of the 1960s, which ushered in structuralist and postmodern approaches to social science. This type of cultural sociology may be loosely regarded as an approach incorporating cultural analysis and critical theory. Cultural sociologists tend to reject scientific methods, instead hermeneutically focusing on words, artifacts and symbols. Culture has since become an important concept across many branches of sociology, including resolutely scientific fields like social stratification and social network analysis. As a result, there has been a recent influx of quantitative sociologists to the field. Thus, there is now a growing group of sociologists of culture who are, confusingly, not cultural sociologists. These scholars reject the abstracted postmodern aspects of cultural sociology, and instead, look for a theoretical backing in the more scientific vein of social psychology and cognitive science. === Early researchers and development of cultural sociology === The sociology of culture grew from the intersection between sociology (as shaped by early theorists like Marx, Durkheim, and Weber) with the growing discipline of anthropology, wherein researchers pioneered ethnographic strategies for describing and analyzing a variety of cultures around the world. Part of the legacy of the early development of the field lingers in the methods (much of cultural, sociological research is qualitative), in the theories (a variety of critical approaches to sociology are central to current research communities), and in the substantive focus of the field. For instance, relationships between popular culture, political control, and social class were early and lasting concerns in the field. == Cultural studies == In the United Kingdom, sociologists and other scholars influenced by Marxism such as Stuart Hall (1932–2014) and Raymond Williams (1921–1988) developed cultural studies. Following nineteenth-century Romantics, they identified culture with consumption goods and leisure activities (such as art, music, film, food, sports, and clothing). They saw patterns of consumption and leisure as determined by relations of production, which led them to focus on class relations and the organization of production. In the United Kingdom, cultural studies focuses largely on the study of popular culture; that is, on the social meanings of mass-produced consumer and leisure goods. Richard Hoggart coined the term in 1964 when he founded the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies or CCCS. It has since become strongly associated with Stuart Hall, who succeeded Hoggart as Director. Cultural studies in this sense, then, can be viewed as a limited concentration scoped on the intricacies of consumerism, which belongs to a wider culture sometimes referred to as Western civilization or globalism. From the 1970s onward, Stuart Hall's pioneering work, along with that of his colleagues Paul Willis, Dick Hebdige, Tony Jefferson, and Angela McRobbie, created an international intellectual movement. As the field developed, it began to combine political economy, communication, sociology, social theory, literary theory, media theory, film/video studies, cultural anthropology, philosophy, museum studies, and art history to study cultural phenomena or cultural texts. In this field researchers often concentrate on how particular phenomena relate to matters of ideology, nationality, ethnicity, social class, and/or gender. Cultural studies is concerned with the meaning and practices of everyday life. These practices comprise the ways people do particular things (such as watching television or eating out) in a given culture. It also studies the meanings and uses people attribute to various objects and practices. Specifically, culture involves those meanings and practices held independently of reason. Watching television to view a public perspective on a historical event should not be thought of as culture unless referring to the medium of television itself, which may have been selected culturally; however, schoolchildren watching television after school with their friends to "fit in" certainly qualifies since there is no grounded reason for one's participation in this practice. In the context of cultural studies, a text includes not only written language, but also films, photographs, fashion or hairstyles: the texts of cultural studies comprise all the meaningful artifacts of culture. Similarly, the discipline widens the concept of culture. Culture, for a cultural-studies researcher, not only includes traditional high culture (the culture of ruling social groups) and popular culture, but also everyday meanings and practices. The last two, in fact, have become the main focus of cultural studies. A further and recent approach is comparative cultural studies, based on the disciplines of comparative literature and cultural studies. Scholars in the United Kingdom and the United States developed somewhat different versions of cultural studies after the late 1970s. The British version of cultural studies had originated in the 1950s and 1960s, mainly under the influence of Richard Hoggart, E.P. Thompson, and Raymond Williams, and later that of Stuart Hall and others at the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham. This included overtly political, left-wing views, and criticisms of popular culture as "capitalist" mass culture; it absorbed some of the ideas of the Frankfurt School critique of the "culture industry" (i.e. mass culture). This emerges in the writings of early British cultural-studies scholars and their influences: see the work of (for example) Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall, Paul Willis, and Paul Gilroy. In the United States, Lindlof and Taylor write, "cultural studies [were] grounded in a pragmatic, liberal-pluralist tradition." The American version of cultural studies initially concerned itself more with understanding the subjective and appropriative side of audience reactions to, and uses of, mass culture; for example, American cultural-studies advocates wrote about the liberatory aspects of fandom. The distinction between American and British strands, however, has faded. Some researchers, especially in early British cultural studies, apply a Marxist model to the field. This strain of thinking has some influence from the Frankfurt School, but especially from the structuralist Marxism of Louis Althusser and others. The main focus of an orthodox Marxist approach concentrates on the production of meaning. This model assumes a mass production of culture and identifies power as residing with those producing cultural artifacts. In a Marxist view, the mode and relations of production form the economic base of society, which constantly interacts and influences superstructures, such as culture. Other approaches to cultural studies, such as feminist cultural studies and later American developments of the field, distance themselves from this view. They criticize the Marxist assumption of a single, dominant meaning, shared by all, for any cultural product. The non-Marxist approaches suggest that different ways of consuming cultural artifacts affect the meaning of the product. This view comes through in the book Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman (by Paul du Gay et al.), which seeks to challenge the notion that those who produce commodities control the meanings that people attribute to them. Feminist cultural analyst, theorist, and art historian Griselda Pollock contributed to cultural studies from viewpoints of art history and psychoanalysis. The writer Julia Kristeva is among influential voices at the turn of the century, contributing to cultural studies from the field of art and psychoanalytical French feminism. Petrakis and Kostis (2013) divide cultural background variables into two main groups: The first group covers the variables that represent the "efficiency orientation" of the societies: performance orientation, future orientation, assertiveness, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance. The second covers the variables that represent the "social orientation" of societies, i.e., the attitudes and lifestyles of their members. These variables include gender egalitarianism, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, and human orientation. In 2016, a new approach to culture was suggested by Rein Raud, who defines culture as the sum of resources available to human beings for making sense of their world and proposes a two-tiered approach, combining the study of texts (all reified meanings in circulation) and cultural practices (all repeatable actions that involve the production, dissemination or transmission of purposes), thus making it possible to re-link anthropological and sociological study of culture with the tradition of textual theory. == Psychology == Starting in the 1990s,: 31  psychological research on culture influence began to grow and challenge the universality assumed in general psychology.: 158–168  Culture psychologists began to try to explore the relationship between emotions and culture, and answer whether the human mind is independent from culture. For example, people from collectivistic cultures, such as the Japanese, suppress their positive emotions more than their American counterparts. Culture may affect the way that people experience and express emotions. On the other hand, some researchers try to look for differences between people's personalities across cultures. As different cultures dictate distinctive norms, culture shock is also studied to understand how people react when they are confronted with other cultures. Cognitive tools may not be accessible or they may function differently cross culture.: 19  For example, people who are raised in a culture with an abacus are trained with distinctive reasoning style. Cultural lenses may also make people view the same outcome of events differently. Westerners are more motivated by their successes than their failures, while East Asians are better motivated by the avoidance of failure. Culture is important for psychologists to consider when understanding the human mental operation. The notion of the anxious, unstable, and rebellious adolescent has been criticized by experts, such as Robert Epstein, who state that an undeveloped brain is not the main cause of teenagers' turmoils. Some have criticized this understanding of adolescence, classifying it as a relatively recent phenomenon in human history created by modern society, and have been highly critical of what they view as the infantilization of young adults in American society. According to Robert Epstein and Jennifer, "American-style teen turmoil is absent in more than 100 cultures around the world, suggesting that such mayhem is not biologically inevitable. Second, the brain itself changes in response to experiences, raising the question of whether adolescent brain characteristics are the cause of teen tumult or rather the result of lifestyle and experiences." David Moshman has also stated in regards to adolescence that brain research "is crucial for a full picture, but it does not provide an ultimate explanation." == Protection of culture == There are a number of international agreements and national laws relating to the protection of cultural heritage and cultural diversity. UNESCO and its partner organizations such as Blue Shield International coordinate international protection and local implementation. The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions deal with the protection of culture. Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights deals with cultural heritage in two ways: it gives people the right to participate in cultural life on the one hand and the right to the protection of their contributions to cultural life on the other. In the 21st century, the protection of culture has been the focus of increasing activity by national and international organizations. The UN and UNESCO promote cultural preservation and cultural diversity through declarations and legally-binding conventions or treaties. The aim is not to protect a person's property, but rather to preserve the cultural heritage of humanity, especially in the event of war and armed conflict. According to Karl von Habsburg, President of Blue Shield International, the destruction of cultural assets is also part of psychological warfare. The target of the attack is the identity of the opponent, which is why symbolic cultural assets become a main target. It is also intended to affect the particularly sensitive cultural memory, the growing cultural diversity and the economic basis (such as tourism) of a state, region or municipality. Tourism is having an increasing impact on the various forms of culture. On the one hand, this can be physical impact on individual objects or the destruction caused by increasing environmental pollution and, on the other hand, socio-cultural effects on society. == See also == Animal culture Anthropology Cultural area Cultural studies Cultural identity Cultural tourism Culture 21 – United Nations plan of action Honour § Cultures of honour and cultures of law Outline of culture Recombinant culture Semiotics of culture == References == === Sources === == Further reading == == External links == Cultura: International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology What is Culture?

Culture ( KUL-chər) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location. Humans acquire culture through the learning processes of enculturation and socialization, which is shown by the diversity of cultures across societies. A cultural norm codifies acceptable conduct in society; it serves as a guideline for behavior, dress, language, and demeanor in a situation, which serves as a template for expectations in a social group. Accepting only a monoculture in a social group can bear risks, just as a single species can wither in the face of environmental change, for lack of functional responses to the change. Thus in military culture, valor is counted a typical behavior for an individual and duty, honor, and loyalty to the social group are counted as virtues or functional responses in the continuum of conflict. In the practice of religion, analogous attributes can be identified in a social group. Cultural change, or repositioning, is the reconstruction of a cultural concept of a society. Cultures are internally affected by both forces encouraging change and forces resisting change. Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies. Organizations like UNESCO attempt to preserve culture and cultural heritage.

culture

Culture (Bottom) (wikipedia)

"Culture" is the second episode of the second series of British TV sitcom Bottom. It was first broadcast on 8 October 1992. It is the second episode to feature only the two main characters. == Synopsis == After falling behind with the rent, Richie and Eddie desperately try to find ways to entertain themselves after their television is taken back to Rumbelows. == Plot == This episode begins with the pair doing a crossword. They get bored so Eddie tears up the paper. They then argue about whose fault it is that the television has been repossessed. Richie said that Eddie went to Rumbelows with the money to pay the rent, but instead gave the money to a strange and wizened old man in return for five magic beans. Eddie responds that Richie was going to the rental shop as he saved up the rent money every week for the past three month, when they are only £86.23 behind, but instead went five doors down along to Dr. O'Grady's personal organ enhancement clinic, and lose a mere £85 for having his personal organ enhanced (which turned out to be a scam). Richie complains about his boredom, and then suggests playing 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey'. However, since there is nothing in the flat to play with, they end up playing 'put a bit of Sellotape on the fridge', in which Eddie wins. After this, Eddie suggests that they have a 'see how much custard you can fit in your underpants' competition, in which Richie wins after Eddie sits down, splattering his custard all over the room. After cleaning up, they try to play with Richie's antique chess set that his Great Aunt Dorothy left him. Richie puts on a smoking jacket, which is actually his Mac, turned inside out. Richie tells Eddie that the chess set is the one that Wellington played with on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. Here, it is made clear that Eddie has been stealing the valuable ivory chess pieces and selling them. Because there are only five pieces left, they have to play chess with different objects as the missing pieces such as frozen prawns (in place of pawns), a potted cactus, a tomato ketchup bottle, a large Spider-Man figurine and a toy skeleton. They also create cocktails using Pernod, Ouzo, marmalade and salt as ingredients, naming their creation the Esther Rantzen, as it 'pulls your gums over your teeth'. Just as they are about to start playing, Richie tells Eddie he does not know the rules of chess. The episode then cuts to a few hours later; it is now 5:00am and Eddie has been up since 10:00pm telling Richie the rules of chess 124 times. They have been through the Ouzo, Pernod, Old Spice and all three litres of the industrial strength floor cleaner. By now, Eddie's nerves are frayed and he furiously forces Richie to begin the game. Having learned nothing over the previous seven hours, Richie acts out a war situation with his pieces, destroying half of them in the process and Eddie – realising that Richie still does not have a clue about the rules – moves his queen around the board several times in one go to confuse Richie, and then drags Richie's pieces over to his side, before declaring checkmate. Richie retaliates with a punch and they have a massive fight, in which Richie gets his feet crushed with a table, has a chair broken over his head and his head slammed in the fridge, but not before ramming the spike of an umbrella into Eddie's groin. Eddie talks to the viewers about how 'they say television encourages violence, well I'm smashing his face in and we haven't got one!' only for Richie to pull the television from behind the fridge and explain that it had not been taken; he had hidden it to see what a night without television would be like. He also hoped it would 'get a bit of interaction going'. Eddie obliges by smashing the television set over Richie's head. == References ==

"Culture" is the second episode of the second series of British TV sitcom Bottom. It was first broadcast on 8 October 1992. It is the second episode to feature only the two main characters.

culture

Culture (album) (wikipedia)

Culture is the second studio album by American hip hop group Migos. It was released on January 27, 2017, by Quality Control Music, 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from DJ Khaled, Lil Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Travis Scott, while the production was handled by Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, Murda Beatz, Buddah Bless, and OG Parker, among others. Culture was supported by three singles: "Bad and Boujee", "T-Shirt" and "Slippery". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. It also topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Migos' first number-one album on both charts. The album also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. In July 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. == Background == The trio first initially announced that the title for their second album would be called No Label 3, however, they later changed it to Culture. After it was scheduled for release in October 2016, the release of the album was delayed due to their conflict with 300 Entertainment. == Cover art == The cover artwork is made by Stole "Moab" Stojmenov, a young Italian graphic designer based in Milan, and makes explicit reference on the turning point that this album represent for Migos themselves. The cover is what Migos gave to American hip hop culture and the city of Atlanta in every sphere, from music to fashion. == Promotion == === Singles === On October 28, 2016, Migos released the lead single, "Bad and Boujee". The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, while the production was handled by Metro Boomin and G Koop. The song has topped the US Billboard Hot 100, marking the first ever number-one for Migos and Lil Uzi Vert, respectively. On June 20, 2017, "Bad and Boujee" was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "T-Shirt" was first released as the album's promotional single on January 6, 2017. It was later impacted urban contemporary radio as the album's second single on February 14, 2017. The song was produced by Nard & B and XL Eagle. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Slippery" featuring Gucci Mane, was released as the album's third single on May 16, 2017. The song was produced by Deko and OG Parker. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. === Promotional singles === The first promotional single, "Call Casting", was released on January 13, 2017. The song was produced by Buddah Bless. It peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second promotional single, "What the Price", was released on January 19, 2017. The song was produced by Ricky Racks, Keanu Beats and 808Godz. == Critical reception == Culture was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 18 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic praised the album saying, "Culture propels the Migos three into the mainstream with a collection of woozy trap gems that is a peak in their young careers thus far". Writing for Rolling Stone, Christopher R. Weingarten said, "Culture also sees Migos upping their game musically, working with some of Atlanta's hottest producers (Metro Boomin, Zaytoven) to cook up stickier melodies than ever". Clayton Purdom of The A.V. Club said, "On Culture the band stakes a claim as the most important rap group to come out of Atlanta since Outkast. That it even seems fathomable is proof of the album's success". Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews said, "Offset has developed into a charismatic storyteller who holds your attention when he keep the stories on wax rather than behind bars". Karas Lamb of Consequence said, "Backed by production from Murda Beatz, Purps, Cardo, Zaytoven and Nard & B, co-pilots Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff sustain the hubris, excess, and immediate gratification adored by fans of gutter rap machismo while somehow bottling the very particular charm necessary for them to capture the hearts of pop-loving teens across the globe and carry rapping children's lit live on the radio". Chris Gibbons of XXL said, "Culture is a tour de force of all that makes Migos great while showcasing all of the group's strengths—the gift for catchy hooks and melodies, unique flows, incredible group chemistry and phenomenal one-liners". Lewis Lister of Clash said, "CULTURE may be limited in its scope, but it delivers in spades everything one might have hoped for from "the Beatles of this generation". Sofia Rajkumarsingh of The Line of Best Fit said, "Migos never try to recreate anything they've already done, but simply deliver more music that reflects their contagious, unadulterated flow. Culture is an album where they seize a moment of much-deserved success". Winston Cook-Wilson of Spin said, "If you gauge artistic success by innovation, you can just filter the best of Culture, a very decent group of Migos songs, into a playlist. But if you appreciate Migos and the sound they ushered into contemporary rap as being one of the genre's most basic, essential natural resources, it will be easier to let the whole album—a drama of perseverance—ride out". Kitty Empire of The Observer said, "Like their increasingly musical, but still weird, productions, Migos's triplet-heavy, robotic non-flows have come on leaps and bounds, while retaining the group's core starkness". === Rankings === === Industry awards === == Commercial performance == Culture debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 131,000 album-equivalent units in its first week (44,000 of which were pure album sales). It also topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Migos' first number-one album on both charts. As of July 5, 2017, the album has moved 1,002,000 album-equivalent units in the United States. On July 14, 2017, Culture was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of a million units. It also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart with first-week sales of 2,000 copies. == Track listing == Notes ^[a] signifies an additional producer == Personnel == Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. == Charts == == Certifications == == Release history == == References ==

Culture is the second studio album by American hip hop group Migos. It was released on January 27, 2017, by Quality Control Music, 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from DJ Khaled, Lil Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Travis Scott, while the production was handled by Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, Murda Beatz, Buddah Bless, and OG Parker, among others. Culture was supported by three singles: "Bad and Boujee", "T-Shirt" and "Slippery". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. It also topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Migos' first number-one album on both charts. The album also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. In July 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

culture

Culture (band) (wikipedia)

Culture are a Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976. Originally they were known as the African Disciples. The one constant member until his death in 2006 was Joseph Hill. == History == The group formed in 1976 as the vocal trio of Joseph Hill (formerly a percussionist in Studio One house band the Soul Defenders), his cousin Albert "Ralph" Walker, and Roy "Kenneth" Dayes, initially using the name The African Disciples. Roy Dayes also used the name "Kenneth Paley", which is the name that appears on the Culture records released by Virgin Records. The African Disciples soon changed their name to Culture, and auditioned successfully for the "Mighty Two": producer Joe Gibbs and engineer Errol Thompson. While at Gibbs' studio, they recorded a series of singles, starting with "See Dem a Come" and including "Two Sevens Clash" (which predicted the apocalypse on 7 July 1977), many of which ended up on their debut album Two Sevens Clash. The song was sufficiently influential that many in Kingston stayed indoors on 7 July, fearing that the prophecy would come true. A second Gibbs-produced album, Baldhead Bridge, followed in 1978, by which time the group had moved on to record for producer Sonia Pottinger. The group entered into a long-running dispute with Gibbs over royalties to the first album. Two Sevens Clash meanwhile had become a big seller in the United Kingdom, popular with punk rock fans as well as reggae fans and boosted by the support of John Peel on his BBC Radio 1 show, and reached number 60 on the UK Albums Chart in April 1978. This prompted Virgin Records to sign the group to its Front Line label, releasing Harder than the Rest (1978) and International Herb (1979). Culture also released records on other labels in Jamaica, including a dub version of Harder than the Rest, Culture in Dub (1978, High Note), and an album of different recordings of the same album, Africa Stand Alone (April 1978). An album recorded for Pottinger in 1979 with a working title of Black Rose remained unreleased until tracks emerged in 1993 on Trod On. Culture performed at the One Love Peace Concert in 1978. In 1981 the three singers went their own ways. Hill carried on using the Culture name, and recorded the Lion Rock album, which was reissued in the United States by Heartbeat Records. Hill and his new band recorded a session for long time supporter John Peel in December 1982, and the group went on to record further studio sessions for Peel in 1998 and 2002, and their performance at the Royal Festival Hall in July 1998 was broadcast on his show. For their part, Walker and Dayes recorded a handful of songs on their own; a few of which turned up on an album titled Roots & Culture. Hill performed at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1985 and in 1986 the original line-up reformed to record two highly regarded albums – Culture in Culture and Culture at Work. Several albums followed in the 1990s on Shanachie Records and Ras Records, often recorded with Sly and Robbie, with Dayes leaving the group again around 1994, with Reginald Taylor replacing him. Dayes subsequently worked as a solo artist under the name Kenneth Culture. By 2001 Telford Nelson had replaced Taylor. Joseph Hill, who came to symbolise the face of Culture, died in Berlin, Germany on 19 August 2006 while the group was on tour, after collapsing following a performance. His son, Kenyatta Hill, who had acted as the group's sound engineer on tour, performed with his father's band at the Western Consciousness show in 2007, which was dedicated to Joseph Hill, and became the lead singer of Culture; Walker and Nelson continue to provide backing vocals. In 2011, Live On was released, featuring Kenyatta's performances of his father's songs, including "Two Sevens Clash" and "International Herb". == Discography == === Studio albums === === Dub albums === Culture Dub (1978), High Note Culture in Dub: 15 Dub Shots (1994), Heartbeat Stoned (One Stone in Dub engineered by Fathead and Jim Fox) (1996), RAS Scientist Dubs Culture into a Parallel Universe (2000) Rare and Unreleased Dub, Revolver === Live albums === Cultural Livity: Live Culture '98 (1998), RAS Live in Africa (2002) Live in Negril (2003) === Split albums === Roots and Culture (1982), Jah Guidance – split with Don Carlos === Compilations === === DVDs === Live in Africa (2002), RAS == References == == External links == Allmusic biography 2003 article, ic stand against crack Culture biography and discography

Culture are a Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976. Originally they were known as the African Disciples. The one constant member until his death in 2006 was Joseph Hill.

culture

Culture (disambiguation) (wikipedia)

Culture is both the conventional conduct and ideologies of a given community. Culture may also refer to: == Science == Microbiological culture Microbial food cultures Animal culture, socially-transmitted and learned traditions in animals === Social sciences === Organizational culture, also known as corporate culture, in management Material culture, the artificial objects that characterize a human society Archaeological culture, a recurring combination of artifacts and construction that indicate a past society == Entertainment and fiction == === Literature === Culture Magazine, an American cannabis culture magazine Culture series, a science fiction series written by Scottish author Iain M. Banks The Culture, an advanced civilization in the Banks novels === Music === Culture (band), a Jamaican reggae group Culture (American band), an American metalcore band Culture (musician), a Canadian rapper Culture Press, a UK record label Culture (album), a 2017 album by Migos === Other === "Culture" (Bottom), an episode of the British sitcom Bottom Kultur (film), a 1918 American silent film directed by Edward J. Le Sainte == Other == IETF language tags, used in computer internationalization and localization to identify a "culture" - the combination of language and peculiarities of geographical location in computing (like en-UK, en-US, de-AT, de-DE, fr-BE) Cultures, Lozère, a commune in France == See also == Cross Culture (disambiguation) Counter Culture (disambiguation) Couture (disambiguation) Cult (disambiguation) All pages with titles beginning with culture All pages with titles containing culture All pages with titles beginning with cultural

Culture is both the conventional conduct and ideologies of a given community. Culture may also refer to:

culture

Culture (musician) (wikipedia)

Culture is a Canadian-Bahamian hip hop rapper and reggae artist. His biggest chart success has been "Africa" with Karl Wolf. The song was recorded for Karl Wolf's second studio album Bite the Bullet. This version is based on the original 1982 "Africa" song by Toto. The song peaked at number 2 on the March 14, 2009 Canadian Hot 100 chart. It peaked at number 20 on the Japan Hot 100 during the week of Jul 11 2008 and topped MuchMusic Countdown in July 2009. == Discography == === Singles === "Africa" (Karl Wolf feat. Culture) == References == == External links == Video clip of "Africa" on YouTube

Culture is a Canadian-Bahamian hip hop rapper and reggae artist. His biggest chart success has been "Africa" with Karl Wolf. The song was recorded for Karl Wolf's second studio album Bite the Bullet. This version is based on the original 1982 "Africa" song by Toto. The song peaked at number 2 on the March 14, 2009 Canadian Hot 100 chart. It peaked at number 20 on the Japan Hot 100 during the week of Jul 11 2008 and topped MuchMusic Countdown in July 2009.

culture

Archaeological culture (wikipedia)

An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of types of artifacts, buildings and monuments from a specific period and region that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between these types is an empirical observation. Their interpretation in terms of ethnic or political groups is based on archaeologists' understanding. However, this is often subject to long-unresolved debates. The concept of the archaeological culture is fundamental to culture-historical archaeology. == Concept == Different cultural groups have material culture items that differ both functionally and aesthetically due to varying cultural and social practices. This notion is observably true on the broadest scales. For example, the equipment associated with the brewing of tea varies greatly across the world. Social relations to material culture often include notions of identity and status. Advocates of culture-historical archaeology use the notion to argue that sets of material culture can be used to trace ancient groups of people that were either self-identifying societies or ethnic groups. Archaeological culture is a classifying device to order archaeological data, focused on artifacts as an expression of culture rather than people. The classic definition of this idea comes from Gordon Childe: We find certain types of remains – pots, implements, ornaments, burial rites and house forms – constantly recurring together. Such a complex of associated traits we shall call a "cultural group" or just a "culture". We assume that such a complex is the material expression of what today we would call "a people". The concept of an archaeological culture was crucial to linking the typological analysis of archaeological evidence to mechanisms that attempted to explain why they change through time. The key explanations favoured by culture-historians were the diffusion of forms from one group to another or the migration of the peoples themselves. A simplistic example of the process might be that if one pottery-type had handles very similar to those of a neighbouring type but decoration similar to a different neighbour, the idea for the two features might have diffused from the neighbours. Conversely, if one pottery-type suddenly replaces a great diversity of pottery types in an entire region, that might be interpreted as a new group migrating in with this new style. This idea of culture is known as normative culture. It relies on the assumption found in the view of archaeological culture that artifacts found are "an expression of cultural norms," and that these norms define culture. This view is also required to be polythetic, multiple artifacts must be found for a site to be classified under a specific archaeological culture. One trait alone does not result in a culture, rather a combination of traits are required. This view culture gives life to the artifacts themselves. "Once 'cultures' are regarded as things, it is possible to attribute behavior to them, and to talk about them as if they were living organisms." Archaeological cultures were generally equated with separate 'peoples' (ethnic groups or races) leading in some cases to distinct nationalist archaeologies. Most archaeological cultures are named after either the type artifact or type site that defines the culture. For example, cultures may be named after pottery types such as Linear Pottery culture or Funnelbeaker culture. More frequently, they are named after the site at which the culture was first defined such as the Hallstatt culture or Clovis culture. Since the term "culture" has many different meanings, scholars have also coined a more specific term paleoculture, as a specific designation for prehistoric cultures. Critics argue that cultural taxonomies lack a strong consensus on the epistemological aims of cultural taxonomy, == Development == The use of the term "culture" entered archaeology through 19th-century German ethnography, where the Kultur of tribal groups and rural peasants was distinguished from the Zivilisation of urbanised peoples. In contrast to the broader use of the word that was introduced to English-language anthropology by Edward Burnett Tylor, Kultur was used by German ethnologists to describe the distinctive ways of life of a particular people or Volk, in this sense equivalent to the French civilisation. Works of Kulturgeschichte (culture history) were produced by a number of German scholars, particularly Gustav Klemm, from 1780 onwards, reflecting a growing interest in ethnicity in 19th-century Europe. The first use of "culture" in an archaeological context was in Christian Thomsen's 1836 work Ledetraad til Nordisk Oldkyndighed (Norwegian: Guide to Northern Antiquity). In the later half of the 19th century archaeologists in Scandinavia and central Europe increasingly made use of the German concept of culture to describe the different groups they distinguished in the archaeological record of particular sites and regions, often alongside and as a synonym of "civilisation". It was not until the 20th century and the works of German prehistorian and fervent nationalist Gustaf Kossinna that the idea of archaeological cultures became central to the discipline. Kossinna saw the archaeological record as a mosaic of clearly defined cultures (or Kultur-Gruppen, culture groups) that were strongly associated with race. He was particularly interested in reconstructing the movements of what he saw as the direct prehistoric ancestors of Germans, Slavs, Celts and other major Indo-European ethnic groups in order to trace the Aryan race to its homeland or Urheimat. The strongly racist character of Kossinna's work meant it had little direct influence outside of Germany at the time (the Nazi Party enthusiastically embraced his theories), or at all after World War II. However, the more general "culture history" approach to archaeology that he began did replace social evolutionism as the dominant paradigm for much of the 20th century. Kossinna's basic concept of the archaeological culture, stripped of its racial aspects, was adopted by Vere Gordon Childe and Franz Boas, at the time the most influential archaeologists in Britain and America respectively. Childe, in particular, was responsible for formulating the definition of archaeological culture that is still largely applies today. He defined archaeological culture as artifacts and remains that consistently occur together. This introduced a "new and discrete usage of the term which was significantly different from current anthropological usage." His definition in particular was purely a classifying device to order the archaeological data. Though he was sceptical about identifying particular ethnicities in the archaeological record and inclined much more to diffusionism than migrationism to explain culture change, Childe and later culture-historical archaeologists, like Kossinna, still equated separate archaeological cultures with separate "peoples". Later archaeologists have questioned the straightforward relationship between material culture and human societies. The definition of archaeological cultures and their relationship to past people has become less clear; in some cases, what was believed to be a monolithic culture is shown by further study to be discrete societies. For example, the Windmill Hill culture now serves as a general label for several different groups that occupied southern Great Britain during the Neolithic. Conversely, some archaeologists have argued that some supposedly distinctive cultures are manifestations of a wider culture, but they show local differences based on environmental factors such as those related to Clactonian man. Conversely, archaeologists may make a distinction between material cultures that actually belonged to a single cultural group. It has been highlighted, for example, that village-dwelling and nomadic Bedouin Arabs have radically different material cultures even if in other respects, they are very similar. In the past, such synchronous findings were often interpreted as representing intrusion by other groups. == Criticism == The concept of archaeological cultures is itself a divisive subject within the archaeological field. When first developed, archaeologic culture was viewed as a reflection of actual human culture. ...in the traditional view we translate present into past by collecting artifacts into groups, and naming those groups as archaeological cultures. We then make the equation between an archaeological and a human culture by making the assumption that artifacts are the expressions of cultural ideas or norms. (...) This approach (...) was termed "culture history" by many (...). This view of culture would be "entirely satisfactory if the aim of archaeology was solely the definition and description of these entities." However, as the 1960s rolled around and archaeology sought to be more scientific, archaeologists wanted to do more than just describe artifacts, and the archaeological culture found. Accusations came that archaeological culture was "idealist" as it assumes that norms and ideas are seen as being "important in the definition of cultural identity." It stresses the particularity of cultures: "Why and how they are different from the adjacent group." Processualists, and other subsequently critics of cultural-historical archaeology argued that archaeological culture treated culture as "just a rag-tag assemblage of ideas." Archaeological culture is presently useful for sorting and assembling artifacts, especially in European archaeology that often falls towards culture-historical archaeology. == See also == Archaeological association – Glossary for archaeological termsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Law of superposition – In undeformed stratigraphic sequences, the oldest strata will be at the bottom of the sequence Relative dating (archaeology) – Determination of the relative order of archaeological layers and artifacts Sequence (archaeology) – Stratigraphy of the archaeological record, used as part of the 'seriation' method of relative dating Seriation (archaeology) – Archaeological method of relative dating Sequence dating – Archaeological relative dating method based on linking pottery styles to time periods Stratigraphy (archaeology) – Study of archaeological sedimentation for dating purposes == References == == Sources == == External links == What is an archeological culture? – Academia.edu

An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of types of artifacts, buildings and monuments from a specific period and region that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between these types is an empirical observation. Their interpretation in terms of ethnic or political groups is based on archaeologists' understanding. However, this is often subject to long-unresolved debates. The concept of the archaeological culture is fundamental to culture-historical archaeology.

culture

Damien Moyal (wikipedia)

Damien Zev Moyal (born September 25, 1976) is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter, and designer. Born in Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida, where he notably fronted such hardcore punk, metallic hardcore, and melodic hardcore bands as Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, Morning Again, Culture, Bird of Ill Omen, and Bridgeburne R. Moyal has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2006, and is the founding member of the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk band Damien Done. Moyal's early musical projects include the hardcore punk act U.S. Decline (1992–1993), the hardcore group Insist (1993), the metallic hardcore band Reach (1993–1994), and the groove metal project HandOverFist (1994). He next joined established vegan straight edge metallic hardcore band Culture, which he fronted from 1994 to 1995, then again from 1996 to 1998, recording music for such record labels as Uprising Records, Good Life Recordings, Toybox Records, and Conquer the World Records. Moyal later took part of Culture's reunion from 2012 to 2016, which saw material released through Eulogy Recordings. Following his first exit from Culture in 1995, he co-founded the melodic metallic hardcore band Shai Hulud (1995–1996), participating in its demo recording and helping the band get signed to Revelation Records. Moyal's vocal and lyrical contributions to Shai Hulud were released by such record labels as Revelation Records, Crisis Records, Asian Man Records, Sub City Records, Trial & Error Records, and Metal Blade Records. While still in Shai Hulud, Moyal teamed up with ex-Culture members to launch the metallic hardcore band Morning Again (1995–1996). The band recorded material for Conquer the World Records and Good Life Recordings, which again lead to getting signed by Revelation Records. Moyal has since performed with Morning Again at a handful of reunion shows in 1999, 2002, and 2014. After quitting Shai Hulud and being fired from Morning Again, Moyal started the sludge-metallic hardcore band Bird of Ill Omen (1996–1997), but left before any studio material could be tracked. Moyal's lyrics were later used by Bird of Ill Omen's second vocalist for material released by Eulogy Recordings. While still in Bird of Ill Omen, Moyal joined the melodic hardcore side-project As Friends Rust (1996–1997), which broke up after recording a demo tape. In 1997, Moyal relocated to Gainesville, Florida, where Culture had moved the year prior, and there reformed As Friends Rust (1997–2002), which quickly became his principal project for the next five years, releasing music through such labels as Good Life Recordings, Doghouse Records, Initial Records, Defiance Records, and Equal Vision Records. Moyal again reformed As Friends Rust in 2008, and the band has remained active into the 2020s. When Culture broke up in 1998, Moyal and several of its members teamed up with members of Assück to form the short-lived metal band Some Sort of Radio (1998–1999), and in 1999, he and members of As Friends Rust and Speak 714 formed the old-school hardcore punk side-project Bridgeburne R (1999–2000). Following his departure from As Friends Rust in 2002, Moyal founded the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk solo project Damien Done, which eventually expanded into a full band. After returning to Miami in 2004, he took part of the acoustic folk duo Goodnight at the End of the Tunnel with Kaleb Stewart (2005), and the short-lived metallic hardcore band Best Wishes (2006). In 2006, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and formed the DJ duo Old Man Underground (2008). Moyal reunited with ex-Culture members in the hardcore band On Bodies (2009–2017), which released music through Eulogy Recordings and Demons Run Amok Entertainment. Since 2022, Moyal has been part of the death metal band Ekstasis with drummer Fred Estby, and the heavy metal band Caskette. == Background == === Early bands: U.S. Decline, Insist, Reach, and HandOverFist (1992–1994) === Moyal's first band was named U.S. Decline, a hardcore punk group based in Miami, Florida, which he joined in 1992, at the invitation of his friend, drummer Steve Blanchard. Most of the band's members had previously played under the name Midget Stew, but with a different vocalist. When Moyal came into the picture, the new line-up named itself U.S. Decline, and also included guitarists Sal Lopez and Francis Alvarez, and bass guitarist Sky Rheam, with whom the vocalist would continue to play in his next two bands. Although the band recorded rehearsal demos with Moyal, U.S. Decline would not perform any shows, nor enter a studio to record a proper demo tape (The Empty Fight for Freedom), until mid-1993, by which time Scott Pellicane had been recruited as lead vocalist. In 1993, Moyal and Rheam formed a heavier Miami hardcore band named Insist. The band also included future Makeshift and Sunday Driver vocalist and guitarist Alex Martinez, guitarist Manny Avila, and drummer Doron Lev. Insist played its first and only show on September 11, 1993, sharing the stage with U.S. Decline (with Pellicane on vocals), Sloth and The Staggers. The band also recorded a rehearsal demo tape which was not circulated. In October 1993, Moyal, Rheam and Avila left Insist to form a new metallic hardcore band named Reach. Reach also included drummer Louie Long (who would later play in Culture and Morning Again) and co-lead vocalist Joel Pelkey, both of whom had played in another metallic hardcore band, Organized Pain, with guitarist John Wylie (who also later played in Culture and Morning Again). Reach played its first and only show on November 27, 1993, again sharing the stage with Sloth and The Staggers, and with Tension (the latter of which featured guitarist Wylie and bass guitarist Matt Fox, with whom Moyal would later play in Shai Hulud). In the summer of 1994, Moyal briefly sang in the groove metal project HandOverFist, which featured former Trauma members, guitarist John Paul Guy and drummer Alex Garbutt. === Culture (1994–1995, 1996–1998, 2012–2016) === Moyal joined established Pompano Beach, Florida-based metallic hardcore band Culture in September 1994. The band was formed by ex-Timescape Zero and Ego Trip guitarist Richard Thurston, along with drummer Joshua Williams and original vocalist Mark Mitchell in December 1993 and had already gone through several member changes, including three prior vocalists, and then included ex-Tension and Organized Pain guitarist John Wylie. Culture had also previously recorded and released a demo tape and a 7-inch vinyl single earlier in 1994, and the band was getting ready to enter Studio 13 in Deerfield Beach, Florida with producer Jeremy Staska to track a full-length. With Moyal newly on board, Culture embraced a vegan and straight edge identity and recorded its debut album Born of You with Staska. Unsatisfied with the first-recorded version, Culture wrote a handful of new songs and returned to re-record the full-length two more times within two months with Staska. Moyal was going through a difficult break-up at the time and implemented many of the depressive themes he was facing in the lyrics of the new songs. The third version of the album was sent to Redford, Michigan-based hardcore record label Conquer the World Records, which quickly signed the band and released the album on compact disc and 12-inch vinyl in June 1995. Culture returned to the same studio in the spring of 1995 to record four new songs, intended for a series of Various Artists compilations and a split 7-inch vinyl with emo band Roosevelt for Vero Beach, Florida-based record label Intention Records. One of the songs from this recording session was used on the Laguna Beach, California-based record label Uprising Records' Various Artists compilation Ceremony of Fire. By the time that Culture's Born of You album was released, however, tensions with guitarist Wylie had forced Moyal out of the band. The band toured in promotion of Born of You during the summer of 1995 with vocalist Louie Long, and afterwards re-recruited its original vocalist Mark Mitchell. Born of You became successful, and was reissued a number of times by such record labels as Good Life Recordings, Demons Run Amok Entertainment and Contraband Goods. Following a poorly-received tour in the summer of 1996, promoting the band's Deforestation EP (which featured lyrics written by Moyal prior to his departure), Culture relocated to Gainesville, Florida and asked Moyal to return as the band's vocalist. With Moyal back in the band, Culture was immediately signed to Belgium's Good Life Recordings and Chicago, Illinois' Toybox Records. The band promptly entered Goldentone Studio in December 1996 to re-record two old songs with producer Rob McGregor, planned for a 7-inch EP (they were later included as bonus tracks on their Heteronome EP). During the winter of 1997, Culture did a series of mini-tours on the east coast and midwest of the United States. In February 1997, Culture recorded three new songs at Goldentone for a split with Belgian metallic hardcore band Kindred. In May 1997, Culture returned to the same studio again to record three new songs for the Heteronome EP. Culture toured the United States during June 1997, playing such festivals as the Syracuse Hardcore Festival, in Syracuse, New York and the Indianapolis Hardcore Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. Culture then embarked on a three-week tour of Europe, including a show at Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium, accompanied by Kindred in support of their split release and Heteronome EP on Good Life Recordings. Upon returning home, Culture's line-up changed, resulting with the departure of original guitarist Thurston and drummer Jason Dooley. The band recruited former Morning Again bass guitarist Christopher "Floyd" Beckham and Roosevelt drummer Timothy Kirkpatrick. With the new line-up, Culture returned to Goldentone to record seven songs with McGregor; five re-recorded from Born of You, one new song and a cover of Judge's "Fed Up", intended for a release titled Reborn of You, or Mike Warden Can Suck It (a pun on Judge's Chung King Can Suck It). The release was stuck in limbo at Toybox Records and was never properly released. In November and December 1997, Culture was booked for a month-long tour of Europe with American punk rock band Gang Green, but were kicked off when the latter objected to playing shows with a straight-edge band. Culture instead performed at the Chicago Hardcore Festival in Chicago, Illinois and Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida in December 1997. Culture was booked for a two-month North American tour with New York hardcore band Shutdown during April and May 1998, but their van broke down on their way to the first show and they had to pull out. Culture returned to Europe for a four-week tour in August and September 1998, which included another stop to play the Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium, but broke up shortly afterwards. Culture has since regrouped for a series of reunions, beginning in September 2012, followed by August–September 2013, July 2014, June–July 2015 and July 2016. In September 2012, a compilation of previously unreleased material and demos, titled From the Vaults: Demos and Outtakes 1993–1998, was released by Eulogy Recordings on compact disc and Ghetto Josh Records and New Ethic Record Co-Op on 12-inch vinyl. Twelve of the nineteen songs on the compilation feature Moyal on vocals. In March 2015, the band recorded a new EP for United Kingdom-based record label Carry the Weight Records. === Shai Hulud (1995–1996) === In the late summer of 1995, Moyal joined up with guitarists Matt Fox and Dave Silber and drummer Jason Lederman to form metallic hardcore band Shai Hulud. Lederman was quickly replaced by Steve Kleisath and rhythm guitarist Oliver Chapoy joined when Silber moved to playing bass guitar. With this line-up, Shai Hulud recorded 6 songs with producer Jeremy Staska at Studio 13 in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and shortly after played its first show at a Halloween party on October 31, 1995, at Discount's rehearsal warehouse. Shai Hulud's demo tape was received by Rob Moran, an A&R representative at Revelation Records' subsidiary Crisis Records (and who also played bass guitar for metallic hardcore band Unbroken). The band was promptly signed in early 1996 and a 7-inch vinyl of the recorded material was planned, but tensions between Moyal and Fox led to Moyal's voluntary departure. At the time of his departure, in the spring of 1996, Moyal recommended fourteen year old Chad Gilbert take his place as the band's new vocalist. Moyal's original lyrics were used on two of the three songs from Shai Hulud's debut EP, A Profound Hatred of Man, released on February 18, 1997, by Crisis Records, as well as on four of the nine songs from the band's debut LP, Hearts Once Nourished with Hope and Compassion, released on November 4, 1997, by Crisis Records. In August 2001, Sub City Records and Asian Man Records released the song "Sauve Qui Peut" from Shai Hulud's 1995 recording session on their Various Artists compilation Plea for Peace/Take Action. All of the original 1995 recordings were later included on the band's compilation album, A Comprehensive Retrospective: or How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Release Bad and Useless Recordings, which was first announced in 2000 and planned for release through Fox's record label, Ides of March. After considerable delay, the compilation was ultimately released through Revelation Records and Fox's renamed label, At Dawn We Wage War, on January 25, 2005. In addition to the demo, the release also includes four rehearsal recordings with Moyal on vocals and a phone message left by Moyal on Fox's answering machine. The band's original recording of the song "Hardly", with Moyal on vocals, was also released on a Various Artists compilation by Australian record label Trial & Error Records in 2005. Moyal has since provided guest vocals on Shai Hulud's song "Medicine to the Dead", which appeared on the band's fourth studio album Reach Beyond the Sun, released on February 15, 2013, by Metal Blade Records. === Morning Again (1995–1996, 1999, 2002, 2014) === In December 1995, while Moyal was still a member of Shai Hulud, he was recruited to front a new metallic hardcore band formed by ex-Culture members, guitarist John Wylie and drummer Louie Long. Although Moyal and Wylie had suffered conflicts of interest in Culture six months prior, the two hoped to reconcile, which in turn inspired the lyrics to Morning Again's first song, "Turning Over". Morning Again was completed with guitarist Michael Wolz and bass guitarist Eric Ervin, and the band quickly wrote five songs and entered Studio 13 in January 1996 to record its debut EP, The Cleanest War, with producer Jeremy Staska. Two months later, the band returned to the same studio to record two songs for an eponymous 7-inch vinyl for Intention Records. The 7-inch was released on May 1, 1996, while The Cleanest War was released on compact disc and 12-inch vinyl through Conquer the World Records on May 15, 1996. The band then embarked on a two-week tour in promotion of its first two releases, playing shows up the East Coast and Midwest of the United States and into Canada. Upon returning home, Moyal was kicked out of the band due to recurring conflicts with Wylie. Morning Again gained international popularity and became the first American band signed to Belgian record label Good Life Recordings in late 1996. Good Life Recordings promptly released the compilation Hand of Hope on compact disc and 12-inch vinyl in January 1997, which included all of the band's recorded material with Moyal on vocals. The same songs were later reissued on the compact disc compilation Hand of the Martyr, co-released by Eulogy Recordings and Alveran Records on April 30, 2002, to coincide with a Morning Again reunion show. Moyal's songs were repackaged again on the 12-inch vinyl compilation I, released by Germany's Demons Run Amok Entertainment on September 25, 2015. Moyal has sporadically performed reunion shows with Morning Again In December 1999, he joined the band to perform two secret shows under the names Hand of Hope and Cleanest War; the first at Club Q in Davie, Florida, the second at Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida. On June 15, 2002, Morning Again performed another reunion show with Moyal under the name Hand of Hope at the Orlando Magicfest in Orlando, Florida. Moyal last performed with Morning Again at Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium on August 9, 2014. === Fork in the Road and Bird of Ill Omen (1996–1997) === Two months after being dismissed from Morning Again, Moyal formed North Miami, Florida-based sludge metal/metalcore band Fork in the Road, which quickly changed name to Bird of Ill Omen. The band also included guitarists Joseph Simmons (who would later play in Morning Again, Culture and As Friends Rust) and José Martinez (later of Poison the Well), bass guitarist Thomas Rankine (who would later play in As Friends Rust and Further Seems Forever) and drummer George Rios (formerly of doom metal band Floor and meatlcore band Brethren). Martinez, Rankine and Rios had previously played in the emo band Crestfallen earlier that year. While writing a full-length album's worth of material during most of late 1996 and early 1997, Bird of Ill Omen played local shows with Shai Hulud, Morning Again, Discount, Strongarm, Vision of Disorder, Earth Crisis, Zao and Cavity. By late 1996, Moyal was shuffling his time between North Miami-based Bird of Ill Omen, Davie-based As Friends Rust, and Gainesville-based Culture. Bird of Ill Omen's membership was revised when former Morning Again bass guitarist Peter Bartsocas (who would also later play in As Friends Rust) replaced Martinez in November 1996, and the band recruited second vocalist, Rob Ogman. In March 1997, Simmons was kicked out of Bird of Ill Omen, after he was asked to join Morning Again as their new guitarist. The band quickly recruited Andrew Logan, who had played in Crestfallen. Moyal was displeased about Simmons' firing, as it had been done without his knowledge while he was out of town with Culture, which lead to his quitting the band. By this time, the band had written half a dozen songs with Moyal for a planned full-length debut. The band's new vocalist, William Shane Post, used Moyal's original lyrics for three of the six songs on Bird of Ill Omen's debut album, Self, Dare You Still Breathe?. The album was released on compact disc in February 1998 by Eulogy Recordings, on 12-inch vinyl in July 1998 by Think Tank Records, and on compact cassette in October 2021 by Contraband Goods. The band also used the band logos which Moyal had designed on most of their releases and merchandise. === As Friends Rust (1996–1997, 1997–2002, 2008–present) === In September 1996, while still a member of Bird of Ill Omen and having recently rejoined Culture, Moyal teamed up with guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez and drummer Matthew Crum to form the Davie, Florida-based melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust. The band was named after lyrics from the song "Now Ruin Is", penned by Moyal in 1995, originally planned as a Shai Hulud song, but ultimately used as a Bird of Ill Omen song. As Friends Rust recorded six songs at Wisner Productions in November 1996 with producer James Paul Wisner, using three of them on a well-circulated demo tape. By the spring of 1997, this incarnation of As Friends Rust had fallen apart as Moyal dedicated more time to Culture and Bird of Ill Omen; Olmino, Gomez and Crum opted to continue playing together in the bands Red Letter Day, and later, The Rocking Horse Winner and The Darling Fire, while Gomez also played with Poison the Well. Moyal reformed the band after moving to Gainesville, Florida, with then-members of Culture. In March 1998, As Friends Rust recorded the song "Home Is Where the Heart Aches" at Goldentone with producer Rob McGregor; three members of Hot Water Music provided backup vocals on the recording. The new song was combined with four songs from the 1996 recording session to make up the band's debut EP, The Fists of Time, released by Good Life Recordings on compact disc and 10-inch vinyl in July 1998. The cover art of The Fists of Time was designed by Moyal. In promotion of the new line-up, recording and forthcoming release, the band embarked on a five-week tour of the United States in June and July 1998, accompanied by Discount and Dillinger Four. The tour included stops to perform at such festivals as More Than Music in Columbus, Ohio, Tin Can Full of Dreams in Lawrence, Massachusetts and Wilkes-Barre Festival in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. After a slight line-up change, As Friends Rust returned to Goldentone to record "The First Song on the Tape You Make Her" with McGregor. The song would appear on a split CD and 7-inch vinyl with Discount, released by Good Life Recordings in December 1998. The two bands toured Europe from December 1998 to January 1999, in promotion of the release and accompanied by Swedish hardcore band Purusam. In the spring of 1999, As Friends Rust was signed to American record label Doghouse Records and a month later returned to Goldentone to record six songs with McGregor. The new material was released on a self-titled compact disc and 8" vinyl by Doghouse Records in September 1999; the European version was erroneously promoted under the title God Hour by Good Life Recordings during the summer of 1999. As Friends Rust toured the east coast of the United States during three weeks in June 1999 accompanied by acoustic musician Keith Welsh. The tour included stops to play the Wilkes-Barre Summer Music Festival in Kingston, Pennsylvania and Syracuse Hell Fest in Syracuse, New York. The band quickly followed up with a five-week European tour in July and August 1999, playing at such festivals as Good Life Midsummer Hardcore Festival in Kuurne, Belgium, Festival Hardcore in Sant Feliu De Guíxols, Spain and Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium. The European tour was intended to be shared with Hot Water Music, but due to disagreements, the two bands booked separate tours. In October 1999, Japanese record label Howling Bull Entertainment released the compact disc compilation Eleven Songs, which included a selection of the band's recorded material from 1996, 1988 and 1999. In December 1999, the band played Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida. A December 1999-January 2000 tour with The August Prophecy and Dragbody was booked but cancelled at the last minute. During the first half of 2000, As Friends Rust went on mini tours with New Jersey hardcore band Fast Times and Washington D.C. hardcore band Good Clean Fun, and also played The Copper Sun Indie Records Winter Festival in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Detroit Festival, in Detroit, Michigan and Krazy Fest 3 in Louisville, Kentucky. In June 2000, Doghouse Records re-issued The Fists of Time: An Anthology of Short Fiction and Non-Fiction on compact disc, 12-inch vinyl and digitally. As Friends Rust immediately embarked on a four-week tour to promote the release, playing shows across the entire United States with Virginia hardcore band Strike Anywhere. The tour included such festivals as Mixed Messages in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pheer Festival, in College Park, Maryland and Hellfest 2K in Auburn, New York (which As Friends Rust did not play due to a last-minute change in venue). In July 2000, Good Life Recordings invited As Friends Rust back to Europe for a week's worth of shows in Belgium and the Netherlands, including a performance at Dour Festival in Dour, Belgium and another at Metropolis Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In mid-August 2000, the band returned to Europe for a full five-week tour, which included a handful of cross-over shows with Canadian hardcore band Grade and New Jersey hardcore band Ensign. This European tour also included stops at Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium and TurboPunk Festival, in Poznań, Poland. Tensions during the European tour caused three of the five members of As Friends Rust to quit the band. Moyal again reconstructed the band, recruiting former Culture, Crucible and Morning Again bass guitarist Christopher "Floyd" Beckham, former Twelve Tribes drummer Alexander Vernon and future Rehasher bass guitarist Guillermo Amador. This line-up recorded two songs at Goldentone with McGregor in February 2001, both of which were released as Morningleaver / This Is Me Hating You by Doghouse Records as part of its 7-inch vinyl Fan Series in March 2001. After further line-up changes, As Friends Rust record its debut full-length Won in July 2001, with producer James Paul Wisner at Wisner Productions. Former As Friends Rust drummer Matthew Crum contributed additional percussion, while backing vocals were provided by Further Seems Forever bass guitarist Chad Neptune. Won was delayed by several months, ultimately being released in October 2001, in the United States by Doghouse Records, in Japan by Howling Bull Entertainment and in Europe by German record label Defiance Records. As Friends Rust began touring full-time in support of Won, starting with an American summer tour supported by Vangard, Keepsake and Further Seems Forever in August and September 2001. The last leg of the American tour was cut short due to the September 11 attacks in New York City, but the band managed to perform at Orlando Magic Festival in Orlando, Florida, Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and Philly Music Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As Friends Rust then reunited with Strike Anywhere for a five-week European tour from October to December 2001. In promotion of these shows, British record label Golf Records reissued the band's earlier compilation album Eleven Songs on compact disc. A highlight performance at London, England's Camden Underworld from November 16, 2001, was filmed and later released on video and DVD by British record label Punkervision in December 2002. As Friends Rust played its last show of 2001 at Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida. In February 2002, As Friends Rust recorded six songs at Wisner Productions with producer James Paul Wisner, as part of a one-off loan-out to Equal Vision Records. Tension within the band resulted with Moyal recording his vocals separately, without the other four members' presence. A week later, Moyal quit As Friends Rust, citing dissatisfaction with touring and wanting to focus on school, but encouraged the band to find a new vocalist and continue under the established name. At the time of his departure, As Friends Rust was already in the midst of booking an entire year's worth of tours. The final recordings with Moyal were released on A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of Our Times in May 2002 on compact disc and 12-inch vinyl by Equal Vision Records in the United States and Defiance Records in Europe. As Friends Rust continued on with Beckham initially taking over vocal duties, until Adam D'Zurilla came in as proper vocalist. The band honored its touring obligations throughout the summer, but by September 2002, the remaining members opted to rename the band Salem. In March 2008, Moyal announced that As Friends Rust would regroup for a series of European shows. It was further revealed that the band would be performing with its 1998–2000 line-up, for a total of six European shows (including Ieperfest) and a single American show in Gainesville, Florida. In 2011, Moyal announced that As Friends Rust had begun to demo new material, though the band was not satisfied with the material. In 2014, As Friends Rust travelled to Asia for the Japan Tour 2014, which spanned from June 12–15, 2014, supported by Japanese hardcore bands Endzweck, Noy and Nervous Light of Sunday. In promotion of the tour, Japanese record label Cosmic Note released a compact disc best of compilation titled Greatest Hits?, which included a selection of the bands recordings from 1996 to 2002, hand-picked by Moyal. The compilation was also released on compact cassette by Indonesian record label D'Kolektif in December 2014, and on 12-inch vinyl by Dutch record label Shield Recordings in April 2015. As Friends Rust played three shows in 2015: the first at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York; the second at Groezrock in Meerhout, Belgium; the last at The Fest in Gainesville, Florida. In May 2015, German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment released The Porch Days: 1998 to 2000 on 12-inch vinyl. The release compiled all of the band's studio recordings from 1998 to 2000, as well as previously unreleased live recordings of two of the three songs composed-but-never-properly-recorded by the band with that line-up. As Friends Rust performed three shows in 2019: one at The Kingsland in Brooklyn, New York, and two on the same day at Molotow in Hamburg, Germany as part of the Booze Cruise Festival. Later that year, they recorded two new songs, their first in nearly two decades, which were released in July 2020 on the 7-inch vinyl Up from the Muck by Unity Worldwide Records. In September 2021, Moyal revealed in an interview that As Friends Rust was working on a new full-length album. === Bridgeburner R (1999–2000) === In the summer of 1999, Moyal teamed up with As Friends Rust bass guitarist and backing vocalist Kaleb Stewart, Radon drummer Bill Clower, and ex-Speak 714 guitarist Eryc Simmerer, to form the hardcore punk band Bridgeburne R. The band recorded eight songs at Goldentone Studios with Rob McGregor in September 1999: "T.V. Gone Awry", "Girls Up Front!", "OK, One Positive Song, But That's It.", For the Kidding", "Hardcore Means I'm Not Allowed to Smile", "Myth of Terrorism", "Holocaust Revisionism" and "We Mean Business". The material would only be released an entire year later by Belgian record label Genet Records, on the band's sole album, a compact disc titled What Do You Know About Bridgeburne R? 1986-1992 The Singles Collection. To market the release, the band took on a fictional persona as a defunct hardcore punk act from Texas, once active from 1986 to 1993 (according to the album liner notes), or 1984 to 1994 (according to the press release). The liner notes proclaimed the release as a collection of songs lifted from its out-of-print records from the late 1980s and early 1990s, including split 7-inch vinyls with Born Against and Nausea. The press release also proclaimed that Bridgeburne R had headlined tours with such supporting acts as Black Flag, Bad Religion, Negative Approach, Biohazard and Nuclear Assault between 1985 and 1994. To support the album, Bridgeburne R embarked on a real three-week European tour, which spanned from September to October 2000, accompanied by American hardcore band Fall Silent. Stewart, however, quit the band a week before the tour (at the same time as he quit As Friends Rust); Mykel Tre Beaton replaced him as bass guitarist for the tour. === Rubbers and Damien Done (2002–present) === After leaving As Friends Rust in February 2002, Moyal began working on solo material under the moniker Rubbers. Rubbers was renamed Damien Done and the band was immediately signed to Belgian record label Good Life Recordings. Handling vocals and acoustic guitar, Moyal recruited drummer and keyboardist Matthew Crum, then member of The Rocking Horse Winner; electric guitarist Juan Montoya, formerly of Floor and Cavity and later of Torche; and electric guitarist and bass guitarist James Paul Wisner to record the six-song debut EP Love Thongs in September 2003. Wisner also engineered and produced the session. Love Thongs was scheduled for release through Good Life Recordings as a CD and DVD combo package in April 2004, but the release remained stuck in limbo for over a decade. While awaiting the release of Love Thongs, Moyal recruited several new musicians, including former I Hate Myself drummer Jon Marberger; former Shai Hulud, Cavity, 108, Against All Authority and Where Fear and Weapons Meet drummer (and then-member of Hazen Street and Until the End) Jason Lederman; former Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Dashboard Confessional and Seville bass guitarist Dan Bonebrake; and former Glasseater guitarist (and future Poison the Well touring guitarist) Ariel Arro. With Arro, Damien Done recorded a cover of Integrity's song "Eighteen", which was released on Escapist Records' Various Artists compilation Harder They Fall: Tribute to Integrity in February 2007. Love Thongs was eventually renamed Stay Black and was finally released on 12-inch vinyl by German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment in July 2016. Demons Run Amok Entertainment simultaneously released a 7-inch vinyl of two newly recorded Damien Done songs: "He Really Tried" and "And Now the Rain" The new songs featured drummer Timothy Kirkpatrick, formerly of Moments in Grace; bass guitarist Mike Hasty, formerly of Walls of Jericho; and electric guitarist Juan Montoya. Hasty also engineered and produced the session. In December 2016, Moyal rebuilt the band with former Child Bite drummer Benjamin Moore, former Earthmover guitarist Andrew Dempz, and bass guitarist Laura Jane Leonard. In 2017, the band was signed to California-based record label Mind Over Matter Records, releasing in September of that same year a 7-inch vinyl single of two new songs: "Curious Thing" and a cover of Killing Joke's "Primitive". Damien Done follow-up with Charm Offensive, the band's first full-length album, released on 12-inch vinyl by Mind Over Matter Records in March 2018. The album was released on 12-inch vinyl in Europe by Belgian record label Hypertension Records, and promoted through a nine-date European tour in August 2018. The band kicked-off their European tour by playing at Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium, followed by shows in Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and England. On Valentine's Day 2020, Damien Done released the digital EP Baby, Don't Hearse Me; an 11" screen-printed vinyl version was released by Mind Over Matter Records a month later. The band quickly followed up with the To Night EP, released digitally in May 2020; a tape edition was released by Contraband Goods in October 2020, while Mind Over Matter Records and Speedowax Records co-released a double 7-inch vinyl version a year later in October 2021. In November 2020, Damien Done released the three-song EP Demos from the Year 2020, which includes working versions of the band's forthcoming full-length album, Total Power. In February 2021, Damien Done released the single "Nightclubbing", a cover of the 1977 Iggy Pop and David Bowie song. On January 31, 2023, "Pray for Me", the first single from Total Power, was released; the album is scheduled for release through Mind Over Matter Records on May 19, 2023. === On Bodies (2011–2017) === In 2011, Moyal rejoined former Culture member Richard Thurston to start up the hardcore band On Bodies, which the pair had been discussing since 2009. After tracking nine songs as a two-piece for their debut EP Planet Hospice (with Thurston playing all the instruments), the band was immediately signed to John Wylie's record label Eulogy Recordings. On Bodies recruited drummer Julio Marin and guitarists Richard Walbert and Chad Kishick (with Thurston assuming bass guitarist duties) in time for the EP-release shows in February 2012. Planet Hospice was released on CD by Eulogy Recordings and on vinyl by American Enemy Records. The full band next recorded five songs for their sophomore EP, The Long Con, released after some delay in May 2013 on vinyl through German record label Coffee Breath and Heartache, and much later, again on vinyl through American record label Irish VooDoo in March 2015. Irish Voodoo also released the band's third EP, Unremarkably Mortal, on vinyl in August 2015, which was again recorded as a two-piece band (with Thurston playing all the instruments). In March 2015, On Bodies embarked on a Japanese tour promoting a compilation of their second and third EPs, Unremarkably Mortal + The Long Con, released on compact disc through Cosmic Note. The band by then consisted of Moyal on vocals, Thurston and Zachary Colina on guitars, Josh King on bass and former Culture drummer Joshua Williams. Later that year, Williams was replaced by Boone Haley and King was replaced by Megan Schroer. German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment released the compilation Unremarkably Mortal + The Long Con on vinyl in September 2015. === Ekstasis (2022–present) === In April 2022, Moyal teamed up with Canadian multi-instrumentalist David Williams to form the death metal band Ekstasis. The pair recorded a four-song demo, which included the tracks "Magmatic Decimation", "Paralyzing Impermanence", "Holes" and the Morgoth cover "Eternal Sanctity"; the material was eventually released as the band's debut extended play, Paralyzing Impermanence, on cassette tape and digitally through American record label Unspeakable Axe Records, on October 28, 2022. After the recording of the demo, but before it was released, the band recruited Swedish drummer Fred Estby. === Other bands and guest contributions === One of Moyal's lesser-known bands was Some Sort of Radio, a metal project which was active from late 1998 to early 1999, and featured guitarists Joseph Simmons and Robert Proctor (from Assück), bass guitarist Gordon Tarpley, and drummer Bradley Bulifant. The band was named after an unreleased As Friends Rust song, and although recordings of rehearsals exist, Some Sort of Radio never entered a studio nor played a show. Moyal and Kaleb Stewart also collaborated on a number of projects outside of As Friends Rust and Bridgeburne R. In autumn of 2002, Moyal co-produced Stewart's band Grey Goose's Love EP, which was originally planned for release on Good Life Recordings, but was shelved by the record company (in a similar situation that Damien Done would go through a year later). Moyal also contributed vocals to a number of songs on the release. In January 2005, Moyal and Stewart formed an acoustic folk duo named Goodnight at the End of the Tunnel, which recorded the single "Lately It's the Cross", produced by Moyal. In May 2005, Moyal produced and contributed vocals and synthesizers to Stewart's acoustic project Bread Riot. In March 2002, shortly after departing from As Friends Rust, Moyal contributed guest vocals to Gainesville pop punk band Loyal Frisby's song "Deceitful Happiness and Made Up Pain". The song was recorded at Goldentone Studios with Rob McGregor and was released in May 2002 on Loyal Frisby's split CD with Rick Derris and Mindlikewater. In September 2003, Moyal invited guitarist Juan Montoya to contribute to Damien Done's Love Thongs EP. In return, Montoya invited Moyal to contributed guest vocals to his band Pandabite's song "Painkiller", which was recorded that same month at The Dungeon with producer Jeremy Dubois, and released on their sole EP Doom Box later that year. In 2006, shortly before relocating to Ann Arbor, Michigan, Moyal briefly played in the Miami, Florida metallic hardcore band Best Wishes. The band included guitarists Richard Walbert and Ariel Arro, bass guitarist Chad Kishick, and drummer Brian Ray. Throughout 2008, Moyal (under the pseudonym DJ Done) and Nik Fortman (under the pseudonym Dead Nik) hosted a series of old-school punk and metal nights named Old Man Underground. The events were held several times a month in various clubs around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. In 2015, Moyal contributed guest vocals to Belgian metalcore band Deconsecrate's song "Planetary Holocaust"; the track was released on the album Nothing Is Scared, through Good Life Recordings in May 2015. In 2016, Moyal contributed guest vocals to French metalcore band Lazare's song "Mass Murder of Clear Minds"; the track was released on the album From Hate... With Love, through French record label Terrain Vague on October 14, 2016. In 2019, Moyal contributed guest vocals to American artist Nathaniel Shannon & The Vanishing Twin's song "Mater Suspiriorum", which appeared on the concept EP The Three Mothers, released by Aqualamb Records on October 20, 2020. In 2021, Moyal contributed guest vocals to American electro-pop artist La Femme Pendu's song "La Somnambule", which appeared on her album Vampyr, released on October 22, 2021. == References == == External links == Damien Moyal at AllMusic Damien Moyal discography at Discogs Damien Moyal at IMDb Damien Moyal discography at MusicBrainz

Damien Zev Moyal (born September 25, 1976) is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter, and designer. Born in Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida, where he notably fronted such hardcore punk, metallic hardcore, and melodic hardcore bands as Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, Morning Again, Culture, Bird of Ill Omen, and Bridgeburne R. Moyal has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2006, and is the founding member of the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk band Damien Done. Moyal's early musical projects include the hardcore punk act U.S. Decline (1992–1993), the hardcore group Insist (1993), the metallic hardcore band Reach (1993–1994), and the groove metal project HandOverFist (1994). He next joined established vegan straight edge metallic hardcore band Culture, which he fronted from 1994 to 1995, then again from 1996 to 1998, recording music for such record labels as Uprising Records, Good Life Recordings, Toybox Records, and Conquer the World Records. Moyal later took part of Culture's reunion from 2012 to 2016, which saw material released through Eulogy Recordings. Following his first exit from Culture in 1995, he co-founded the melodic metallic hardcore band Shai Hulud (1995–1996), participating in its demo recording and helping the band get signed to Revelation Records. Moyal's vocal and lyrical contributions to Shai Hulud were released by such record labels as Revelation Records, Crisis Records, Asian Man Records, Sub City Records, Trial & Error Records, and Metal Blade Records. While still in Shai Hulud, Moyal teamed up with ex-Culture members to launch the metallic hardcore band Morning Again (1995–1996). The band recorded material for Conquer the World Records and Good Life Recordings, which again lead to getting signed by Revelation Records. Moyal has since performed with Morning Again at a handful of reunion shows in 1999, 2002, and 2014. After quitting Shai Hulud and being fired from Morning Again, Moyal started the sludge-metallic hardcore band Bird of Ill Omen (1996–1997), but left before any studio material could be tracked. Moyal's lyrics were later used by Bird of Ill Omen's second vocalist for material released by Eulogy Recordings. While still in Bird of Ill Omen, Moyal joined the melodic hardcore side-project As Friends Rust (1996–1997), which broke up after recording a demo tape. In 1997, Moyal relocated to Gainesville, Florida, where Culture had moved the year prior, and there reformed As Friends Rust (1997–2002), which quickly became his principal project for the next five years, releasing music through such labels as Good Life Recordings, Doghouse Records, Initial Records, Defiance Records, and Equal Vision Records. Moyal again reformed As Friends Rust in 2008, and the band has remained active into the 2020s. When Culture broke up in 1998, Moyal and several of its members teamed up with members of Assück to form the short-lived metal band Some Sort of Radio (1998–1999), and in 1999, he and members of As Friends Rust and Speak 714 formed the old-school hardcore punk side-project Bridgeburne R (1999–2000). Following his departure from As Friends Rust in 2002, Moyal founded the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk solo project Damien Done, which eventually expanded into a full band. After returning to Miami in 2004, he took part of the acoustic folk duo Goodnight at the End of the Tunnel with Kaleb Stewart (2005), and the short-lived metallic hardcore band Best Wishes (2006). In 2006, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and formed the DJ duo Old Man Underground (2008). Moyal reunited with ex-Culture members in the hardcore band On Bodies (2009–2017), which released music through Eulogy Recordings and Demons Run Amok Entertainment. Since 2022, Moyal has been part of the death metal band Ekstasis with drummer Fred Estby, and the heavy metal band Caskette.

culture

Hembree (band) (wikipedia)

Hembree is an indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band is currently based in Los Angeles, California. Hembree consists of Isaac Flynn, Garrett Childers, Eric Davis, Alex Ward, and Austin Ward. The band began releasing songs independently in 2015. Hembree is signed to Thirty Tigers of Nashville, TN. Their debut studio album, House on Fire, was released in April 2019. == History == The band was founded by original members Isaac Flynn, Garrett Childers, and Eric Davis. Brothers Alex and Austin Ward later joined in 2018. Hembree quickly garnered national attention after their single "Holy Water" was placed in an Apple commercial that aired during Super Bowl LII. The band's music has been featured in a variety of other national placements, including Monday Night Football (NFL) and Bose. Hembree has notably supported Elvis Costello, Phoenix, Cold War Kids, Vance Joy, JR JR, and Joywave, among others. The band first toured Europe in Fall 2018. In 2018, Hembree signed with Thirty Tigers (The Avett Brothers, Lupe Fiasco) to release their first full-length album House on Fire, released 4/26/2019. In 2019, Hembree performed at Hangout Music Festival in May and Music Midtown in September. During June 2019, they were featured on Alt Nation's Advanced Placement Tour alongside bands Bloxx and Warbly Jets. In October 2019, they supported Mating Ritual. In December 2019, they supported The Get Up Kids for 11 shows. They also appear on the soundtrack of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why: Season 3 with the song "Culture", and Outer Banks with the song "Continents". == Media appearances == Hembree was named one of NPR's Slingshot 2018 Artists to Watch. Rolling Stone named Hembree as one of the thirty best artists at SXSW 2018. "Had It All" debuted on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 on January 19, 2017. Lowe described the song as "absolutely fantastic." "Holy Water" was featured in Apple's HomePod "Distortion" TV spot, which ran during Super Bowl LII, the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, and the 2018 Winter Olympics. "Continents" (single) was featured on Kitsuné America 5: The NBA Edition. == Members == Isaac Flynn - guitar, lead vocals (2015-present) Garrett Childers - bass, vocals (2015-present) Eric Davis - keys, synth (2015-present) Alex Ward - guitar (2018-present) Austin Ward - drums (2018-present) == Discography == == References == == External links == Official website Hembree discography at Discogs

Hembree is an indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band is currently based in Los Angeles, California. Hembree consists of Isaac Flynn, Garrett Childers, Eric Davis, Alex Ward, and Austin Ward. The band began releasing songs independently in 2015. Hembree is signed to Thirty Tigers of Nashville, TN. Their debut studio album, House on Fire, was released in April 2019.

culture

Microbiological culture (wikipedia)

A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diagnostic methods used as research tools in molecular biology. The term culture can also refer to the microorganisms being grown. Microbial cultures are used to determine the type of organism, its abundance in the sample being tested, or both. It is one of the primary diagnostic methods of microbiology and used as a tool to determine the cause of infectious disease by letting the agent multiply in a predetermined medium. For example, a throat culture is taken by scraping the lining of tissue in the back of the throat and blotting the sample into a medium to be able to screen for harmful microorganisms, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, the causative agent of strep throat. Furthermore, the term culture is more generally used informally to refer to "selectively growing" a specific kind of microorganism in the lab. It is often essential to isolate a pure culture of microorganisms. A pure (or axenic) culture is a population of cells or multicellular organisms growing in the absence of other species or types. A pure culture may originate from a single cell or single organism, in which case the cells are genetic clones of one another. For the purpose of gelling the microbial culture, the medium of agarose gel (agar) is used. Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed. A cheap substitute for agar is guar gum, which can be used for the isolation and maintenance of thermophiles. == History == The first culture media was liquid media, designed by Louis Pasteur in 1860. This was used in the laboratory until Robert Koch's development of solid media in 1881. Koch's method of using a flat plate for his solid media was replaced by Julius Richard Petri's round box in 1887. Since these foundational inventions, a diverse array of media and methods have evolved to help scientists grow, identify, and purify cultures of microorganisms. == Types of microbial cultures == === Prokaryotic culture === The culturing of prokaryotes typically involves bacteria, since archaea are difficult to culture in a laboratory setting. To obtain a pure prokaryotic culture, one must start the culture from a single cell or a single colony of the organism. Since a prokaryotic colony is the asexual offspring of a single cell, all of the cells are genetically identical and will result in a pure culture. === Viral culture === Virus and phage cultures require host cells in which the virus or phage multiply. For bacteriophages, cultures are grown by infecting bacterial cells. The phage can then be isolated from the resulting plaques in a lawn of bacteria on a plate. Viral cultures are obtained from their appropriate eukaryotic host cells. The streak plate method is a way to physically separate the microbial population, and is done by spreading the inoculate back and forth with an inoculating loop over the solid agar plate. Upon incubation, colonies will arise and single cells will have been isolated from the biomass. Once a microorganism has been isolated in pure culture, it is necessary to preserve it in a viable state for further study and use in cultures called stock cultures. These cultures have to be maintained, such that there is no loss of their biological, immunological and cultural characters. === Eukaryotic cell culture === Eukaryotic cell cultures provide a controlled environment for studying eukaryotic organisms. Single-celled eukaryotes - such as yeast, algae, and protozoans - can be cultured in similar ways to prokaryotic cultures. The same is true for multicellular microscopic eukaryotes, such as C. elegans. Although macroscopic eukaryotic organisms are too large to culture in a laboratory, cells taken from these organisms can be cultured. This allows researchers to study specific parts and processes of a macroscopic eukaryote in vitro. == Culture methods == === Liquid cultures === One method of microbiological culture is liquid culture, in which the desired organisms are suspended in a liquid nutrient medium, such as Luria broth, in an upright flask. This allows a scientist to grow up large amounts of bacteria or other microorganisms for a variety of downstream applications. Liquid cultures are ideal for preparation of an antimicrobial assay in which the liquid broth is inoculated with bacteria and let to grow overnight (a ‘shaker’ may be used to mechanically mix the broth, to encourage uniform growth). Subsequently, aliquots of the sample are taken to test for the antimicrobial activity of a specific drug or protein (antimicrobial peptides). Static liquid cultures may be used as an alternative. These cultures are not shaken, and they provide the microbes with an oxygen gradient. === Agar plates === Microbiological cultures can be grown in petri dishes of differing sizes that have a thin layer of agar-based growth medium. Once the growth medium in the petri dish is inoculated with the desired bacteria, the plates are incubated at the optimal temperature for the growing of the selected bacteria (for example, usually at 37 degrees Celsius, or the human body temperature, for cultures from humans or animals, or lower for environmental cultures). After the desired level of growth is achieved, agar plates can be stored upside down in a refrigerator for an extended period of time to keep bacteria for future experiments. There are a variety of additives that can be added to agar before it is poured into a plate and allowed to solidify. Some types of bacteria can only grow in the presence of certain additives. This can also be used when creating engineered strains of bacteria that contain an antibiotic-resistance gene. When the selected antibiotic is added to the agar, only bacterial cells containing the gene insert conferring resistance will be able to grow. This allows the researcher to select only the colonies that were successfully transformed. === Agar based dipsticks === Miniaturized version of agar plates implemented to dipstick formats, e.g. Dip Slide, Digital Dipstick show potential to be used at the point-of-care for diagnosis purposes. They have advantages over agar plates since they are cost effective and their operation does not require expertise or laboratory environment, which enable them to be used at the point-of-care. === Selective and differential media === Selective and differential media reveal characteristics about the microorganisms being cultured on them. This kind of media can be selective, differential, or both selective and differential. Growing a culture on multiple kinds of selective and differential media can purify mixed cultures and reveal to scientists the characteristics needed to identify unknown cultures. ==== Selective media ==== Selective media is used to distinguish organisms by allowing for a specific kind of organism to grow on it while inhibiting the growth of others. For example, eosin methylene blue (EMB) may be used to select against Gram-positive bacteria, most of which have hindered growth on EMB, and select for Gram-negative bacteria, whose growth is not inhibited on EMB. ==== Differential media ==== Scientists use differential media when culturing microorganisms to reveal certain biochemical characteristics about the organisms. These revealed traits can then be compared to attributes of known microorganisms in an effort to identify unknown cultures. An example of this is MacConkey agar (MAC), which reveals lactose-fermenting bacteria through a pH indicator that changes color when acids are produced from fermentation. ==== Multitarget panels ==== On multitarget panels, bacteria isolated from a previously grown colony are distributed into each well, each of which contains growth medium as well as the ingredients for a biochemical test, which will change the absorbance of the well depending on the bacterial property for the tested target. The panel will be incubated in a machine, which subsequently analyses each well with a light-based method such as colorimetry, turbidimetry, or fluorometry. The combined results will be automatically compared to a database of known results for various bacterial species, in order to generate a diagnosis of what bacterial species is present in the current panel. Simultaneously, it performs antibiotic susceptibility testing. === Stab cultures === Stab cultures are similar to agar plates, but are formed by solid agar in a test tube. Bacteria is introduced via an inoculation needle or a pipette tip being stabbed into the center of the agar. Bacteria grow in the punctured area. Stab cultures are most commonly used for short-term storage or shipment of cultures. Additionally, stab cultures can reveal characteristics about cultured microorganisms such as motility or oxygen requirements. === Solid plate culture of thermophilic microorganisms === For solid plate cultures of thermophilic microorganisms such as Bacillus acidocaldarius, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Thermus aquaticus and Thermus thermophilus etc. growing at temperatures of 50 to 70 degrees C, low acyl clarified gellan gum has been proven to be the preferred gelling agent comparing to agar for the counting or isolation or both of the above thermophilic bacteria. == Cell Culture Collections == Microbial culture collections focus on the acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, cataloguing and distribution of viable cultures of standard reference microorganisms, cell lines and other materials for research in microbial systematics. Culture collection are also repositories of type strains. == See also == Colony-forming unit Blood culture Microbial dark matter Microbial Food Cultures Screening cultures Sputum culture Synchronous culture Gellan gum == References == == External links == EFFCA - European Food and Feed Cultutes Association. Information about production and uses of microbial cultures as well as legislative aspects.

A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diagnostic methods used as research tools in molecular biology. The term culture can also refer to the microorganisms being grown. Microbial cultures are used to determine the type of organism, its abundance in the sample being tested, or both. It is one of the primary diagnostic methods of microbiology and used as a tool to determine the cause of infectious disease by letting the agent multiply in a predetermined medium. For example, a throat culture is taken by scraping the lining of tissue in the back of the throat and blotting the sample into a medium to be able to screen for harmful microorganisms, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, the causative agent of strep throat. Furthermore, the term culture is more generally used informally to refer to "selectively growing" a specific kind of microorganism in the lab. It is often essential to isolate a pure culture of microorganisms. A pure (or axenic) culture is a population of cells or multicellular organisms growing in the absence of other species or types. A pure culture may originate from a single cell or single organism, in which case the cells are genetic clones of one another. For the purpose of gelling the microbial culture, the medium of agarose gel (agar) is used. Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed. A cheap substitute for agar is guar gum, which can be used for the isolation and maintenance of thermophiles.

culture

The Culture (wikipedia)

The Culture is a fictional interstellar post-scarcity civilisation or society created by the Scottish writer Iain Banks and features in a number of his space opera novels and works of short fiction, collectively called the Culture series. In the series, the Culture is composed primarily of sentient beings of the humanoid alien variety, artificially intelligent sentient machines, and a small number of other sentient "alien" life forms. Machine intelligences range from human-equivalent drones to hyper-intelligent Minds. Artificial intelligences with capabilities measured as a fraction of human intelligence also perform a variety of tasks, e.g. controlling spacesuits. Without scarcity, the Culture has no need for money; instead, minds voluntarily indulge humanoid and drone citizens' pleasures, leading to a largely hedonistic society. Many of the series' protagonists are humanoids who have chosen to work for the Culture's diplomatic or espionage organs, and interact with other civilisations whose citizens act under different ideologies, morals, and technologies. The Culture has a grasp of technology that is advanced relative to most other civilisations with which it shares the galaxy. Most of the Culture's citizens do not live on planets but in artificial habitats such as orbitals and ships, the largest of which are home to billions of individuals. The Culture's citizens have been genetically enhanced to live for centuries and have modified mental control over their physiology, including the ability to introduce a variety of psychoactive drugs into their systems, change biological sex, or switch off pain at will. Culture technology is able to transfer individuals into vastly different body forms, although the Culture standard form remains fairly close to human. The Culture holds peace and individual freedom as core values, and a central theme of the series is the ethical struggle it faces when interacting with other societies – some of which brutalise their own members, pose threats to other civilisations, or threaten the Culture itself. It tends to make major decisions based on the consensus formed by its Minds and, if appropriate, its citizens. In one instance, a direct democratic vote of trillions – the entire population – decided The Culture would go to war with a rival civilisation. Those who objected to the Culture's subsequent militarisation broke off from the meta-civilisation, forming their own separate civilisation; a hallmark of the Culture is its ambiguity. In contrast to the many interstellar societies and empires which share its fictional universe, the Culture is difficult to define, geographically or sociologically, and "fades out at the edges". == Overview == The Culture is characterized as being a post-scarcity society, having overcome most physical constraints on life and being an egalitarian, stable society without the use of any form of force or compulsion, except where necessary to protect others. That being said, some citizens and especially crafty Minds tend to enjoy manipulating others, in particular by controlling the course of alien societies, through the group known as Contact. Minds, extremely powerful artificial intelligences, have an important role. They administer this abundance for the benefit of all. As one commentator has said: Investing all power in his individualistic, sometime eccentric, but always benign, A.I. Minds, Banks knew what he was doing; this is the only way a liberal anarchy could be achieved, by taking what is best in humans and placing it beyond corruption, which means out of human control. The danger involved in this imaginative step, though, is clear; one of the problems with the Culture novels as novels is that the central characters, the Minds, are too powerful and, to put it bluntly, too good. The novels of the Culture cycle, therefore, mostly deal with people at the fringes of the Culture: diplomats, spies, or mercenaries; those who interact with other civilisations, and who do the Culture's dirty work in moving those societies closer to the Culture ideal, sometimes by force. == Fictional history == In this fictional universe, the Culture exists concurrently with human society on Earth. The time frame for the published Culture stories is from 1267 CE to roughly 2970 CE, with Earth being contacted around 2100 CE, though the Culture had covertly visited the planet in the 1970s in The State of the Art. The Culture itself is described as having been created when several humanoid species and machine sentiences reached a certain social level, and took not only their physical, but also their civilisational evolution into their own hands. In The Player of Games, the Culture is described as having existed as a space-faring society for eleven thousand years. In The Hydrogen Sonata, one of these founding civilisations was named as the Buhdren Federality. == Society and culture == === Economy === The Culture is a symbiotic society of artificial intelligences (AIs) (Minds and drones), humanoids and other alien species who all share equal status. All essential work is performed (as far as possible) by non-sentient devices, freeing sentients to do only things that they enjoy (administrative work requiring sentience is undertaken by the AIs using a bare fraction of their mental power, or by people who take on the work out of free choice). As such, the Culture is a post-scarcity society, where technological advances ensure that no one lacks any material goods or services. Energy is farmed from a fictitious "energy grid", and matter to build orbitals is collected mostly from asteroids. As a consequence, the Culture has no need of economic constructs such as money (as is apparent when it deals with civilisations in which money is still important). The Culture rejects all forms of economics based on anything other than voluntary activity. "Money implies poverty" is a common saying in the Culture. === Language === Marain is the Culture's shared constructed language. The Culture believes the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis that language influences thought, and Marain was designed by early Minds to exploit this effect, while also "appealing to poets, pedants, engineers and programmers". Designed to be represented either in binary or symbol-written form, Marain is also regarded as an aesthetically pleasing language by the Culture. The symbols of the Marain alphabet can be displayed in three-by-three grids of binary (yes/no, black/white) dots and thus correspond to nine-bit wide binary numbers. Related comments are made by the narrator in The Player of Games regarding gender-specific pronouns, which Marain speakers do not use in typical conversation unless specifying one's gender is necessary, and by general reflection on the fact that Marain places much less structural emphasis on (or even lacks) concepts like possession and ownership, dominance and submission, and especially aggression. Many of these concepts would in fact be somewhat theoretical to the average Culture citizen. Indeed, the presence of these concepts in other civilisations signify the brutality and hierarchy associated with forms of empire that the Culture strives to avoid. Marain itself is also open to encryption and dialect-specific implementations for different parts of the Culture. M1 is basic Nonary Marain, the three-by-three grid. All Culture citizens can communicate in this variant. Other variants include M8 through M16, which are encrypted by various degrees, and are typically used by the Contact Section. Higher level encryptions exist, the highest of these being M32. M32 and lower level encrypted signals are the province of Special Circumstances (SC). Use of M32 is reserved for extremely secret and reserved information and communication within Special Circumstances. That said, M32 has an air of notoriety in the Culture, and in the thoughts of most may best be articulated as "the Unbreakable, Inviolable, Holy of Holies Special Circumstances M32" as described by prospective SC agent Ulver Seich. Ships and Minds also have a slightly distasteful view of SC procedure associated with M32, one Ship Mind going so far as to object to the standard SC attitude of "Full scale, stark raving M32 don't-talk-about-this-or-we'll-pull-your-plugs-out-baby paranoia" on the use of the encryption. === Laws === There are no laws as such in the Culture. Social norms are enforced by convention (personal reputation, "good manners", and by, as described in The Player of Games, possible ostracism and involuntary supervision for more serious crimes). Minds generally refrain from using their all-seeing capabilities to influence people's reputations, though they are not necessarily themselves above judging people based on such observations, as described in Excession. Minds also judge each other, with one of the more relevant criteria being the quality of their treatment of sentients in their care. Hub Minds for example are generally nominated from well-regarded GSV (the largest class of ships) Minds, and then upgraded to care for the billions living on the artificial habitats. The only serious prohibitions that seem to exist are against harming sentient beings, or forcing them into undertaking any act (another concept that seems unnatural to and is, in fact, almost unheard of by almost all Culture citizens). As mentioned in The Player of Games, the Culture does have the occasional "crime of passion" (as described by an Azadian) and the punishment was to be "slap-droned", or to have a drone assigned to follow the offender and "make sure [they] don't do it again". While the enforcement in theory could lead to a Big Brother-style surveillance society, in practice social convention among the Minds prohibits them from watching, or interfering in, citizens' lives unless requested, or unless they perceive severe risk. The practice of reading a sentient's mind without permission (something the Culture is technologically easily capable of) is also strictly taboo. The whole plot of Look to Windward relies on a Hub Mind not reading an agent's mind (with certain precautions in case this rule gets violated). Minds that do so anyway are considered deviant and shunned by other Minds (see GCU Grey Area). At one point it is said that if the Culture actually had written laws, the sanctity of one's own thoughts against the intrusion of others would be the first on the books. This gives some measure of privacy and protection; though the very nature of Culture society would, strictly speaking, make keeping secrets irrelevant: most of them would be considered neither shameful nor criminal. It does allow the Minds in particular to scheme amongst themselves in a very efficient manner, and occasionally withhold information. === Symbols === The Culture has no flag, symbol or logo. According to Consider Phlebas, people can recognize items made by the Culture implicitly, by the way they are simple, efficient and aesthetic. The main outright symbol of the Culture, the one by which it is most explicitly and proudly recognized, is not a visual symbol, but its language, Marain, which is used far beyond the Culture itself. It is often employed in the galaxy as a de facto lingua franca among people who don't share a language. Even the main character of Consider Phlebas, an enemy of the Culture, ready to die to help in its downfall, is fluent in Marain and uses it with other non-Culture characters out of sheer convenience. It would have helped if the Culture had used some sort of emblem or logo; but, pointlessly unhelpful and unrealistic to the last, the Culture refused to place its trust in symbols. It maintained that it was what it was and had no need for such outward representation. The Culture was every single individual human and machine in it, not one thing. Just as it could not imprison itself with laws, impoverish itself with money or misguide itself with leaders, so it would not misrepresent itself with signs. == Citizens == === Biological === The Culture is a posthuman society, which originally arose when seven or eight roughly humanoid space-faring species coalesced into a quasi-collective (a group-civilisation) ultimately consisting of approximately thirty trillion (short scale) sentient (more properly, sapient) beings (this includes artificial intelligences). In Banks's universe, a good part (but by no means an overwhelming percentage) of all sentient species is of the "pan-human" type, as noted in Matter. Although the Culture was originated by humanoid species, subsequent interactions with other civilisations have introduced many non-humanoid species into the Culture (including some former enemy civilisations), though the majority of the biological Culture is still pan-human. Little uniformity exists in the Culture, and its citizens are such by choice, free to change physical form and even species (though some stranger biological conversions are irreversible, and conversion from biological to artificial sentience is considered to be what is known as an Unusual Life Choice). All members are also free to join, leave, and rejoin, or indeed declare themselves to be, say, 80% Culture. Within the novels, opponents of the Culture have argued that the role of humans in the Culture is nothing more than that of pets, or parasites on Culture Minds, and that they can have nothing genuinely useful to contribute to a society where science is close to omniscient about the physical universe, where every ailment has been cured, and where every thought can be read. Many of the Culture novels in fact contain characters (from within or without the Culture) wondering how far-reaching the Minds' dominance of the Culture is, and how much of the democratic process within it might in fact be a sham: subtly but very powerfully influenced by the Minds in much the same ways Contact and Special Circumstances influence other societies. Also, except for some mentions about a vote over the Idiran-Culture War, and the existence of a very small number of "Referrers" (humans of especially acute reasoning), few biological entities are ever described as being involved in any high-level decisions. On the other hand, the Culture can be seen as fundamentally hedonistic (one of the main objectives for any being, including Minds, is to have fun rather than to be "useful"). Also, Minds are constructed, by convention, to care for and value human beings. While a General Contact Unit (GCU) does not strictly need a crew (and could construct artificial avatars when it did), a real human crew adds richness to its existence, and offers distraction during otherwise dull periods. In Consider Phlebas it is noted that Minds still find humans fascinating, especially their odd ability to sometimes achieve similarly advanced reasoning as their much more complex machine brains. To a large degree, the freedoms enjoyed by humans in the Culture are only available because Minds choose to provide them. The freedoms include the ability to leave the Culture when desired, often forming new associated but separate societies with Culture ships and Minds, most notably the Zetetic Elench and the ultra-pacifist and non-interventionist Peace Faction. ==== Physiology ==== Techniques in genetics have advanced in the Culture to the point where bodies can be freed from built-in limitations. Citizens of the Culture refer to a normal human as "human-basic" and the vast majority opt for significant enhancements: severed limbs grow back, sexual physiology can be voluntarily changed from male to female and back (though the process takes time), sexual stimulation and endurance are strongly heightened in both sexes (something that is often the subject of envious debate among other species), pain can be switched off, toxins can be bypassed away from the digestive system, autonomic functions such as heart rate can be switched to conscious control, reflexes like blinking can be switched off, and bones and muscles adapt quickly to changes in gravity without the need to exercise. The degree of enhancement found in Culture individuals varies to taste, with certain of the more exotic enhancements limited to Special Circumstances personnel (for example, weapons systems embedded in various parts of the body). Most Culture individuals opt to have drug glands that allow for hormonal levels and other chemical secretions to be consciously monitored, released and controlled. These allow owners to secrete on command any of a wide selection of synthetic drugs, from the merely relaxing to the mind-altering: "Snap" is described in Use of Weapons and The Player of Games as "The Culture's favourite breakfast drug". "Sharp Blue" is described as a utility drug, as opposed to a sensory enhancer or a sexual stimulant, that helps in problem solving. "Quicken", mentioned in Excession, speeds up the user's neural processes so that time seems to slow down, allowing them to think and have mental conversation (for example with artificial intelligences) in far less time than it appears to take to the outside observer. "Sperk", as described in Matter, is a mood- and energy-enhancing drug, while other such self-produced drugs include "Calm", "Gain", "Charge", "Recall", "Diffuse", "Somnabsolute", "Softnow", "Focal", "Edge", "Drill", "Gung", "Winnow" and "Crystal Fugue State". The glanded substances have no permanent side-effects and are non-habit-forming. ==== Phenotypes ==== For all their genetic improvements, the Culture is by no means eugenically uniform. Human members in the Culture setting vary in size, colour and shape as in reality, and with possibly even further natural differences: in the novella The State of the Art, it is mentioned that a character "looks like a Yeti", and that there is variance among the Culture in minor details such as the number of toes or of joints on each finger. It is mentioned in Excession that: the tenor of the time had generally turned against... outlandishness and people had mostly returned to looking more like people over the last millennium... (previously) as the fashions of the intervening times had ordained – people... had resembled birds, fish, dirigible balloons, snakes, small clouds of cohesive smoke and animated bushes. Some Culture citizens opt to leave the constraints of a human or even humanoid body altogether, opting to take on the appearance of one of the myriad other galactic sentients (perhaps in order to live with them) or even non-sentient objects as commented upon in Matter (though this process can be irreversible if the desired form is too removed from the structure of the human brain). Certain eccentrics have chosen to become drones or even Minds themselves, though this is considered rude and possibly even insulting by most humans and AIs alike. While the Culture is generally pan-humanoid (and tends to call itself "human"), various other species and individuals of other species have become part of the Culture. As all Culture citizens are of perfect genetic health, the very rare cases of a Culture citizen showing any physical deformity are almost certain to be a sort of fashion statement of somewhat dubious taste. ==== Personality ==== Almost all Culture citizens are very sociable, of great intellectual capability and learning, and possess very well-balanced psyches. Their biological make-up and their growing up in an enlightened society make neuroses and lesser emotions like greed or (strong) jealousy practically unknown, and produce persons that, in any lesser society, appear very self-composed and charismatic. Character traits like strong shyness, while very rare, are not fully unknown, as shown in Excession. As described there and in Player of Games, a Culture citizen who becomes dysfunctional enough to pose a serious nuisance or threat to others would be offered (voluntary) psychological adjustment therapy and might potentially find themself under constant (non-voluntary) oversight by representatives of the local Mind. In extreme cases, as described in Use of Weapons and Surface Detail, dangerous individuals have been known to be assigned a "slap-drone", a robotic follower who ensures that the person in question doesn't continue to endanger the safety of others. === Artificial === As well as humans and other biological species, sentient artificial intelligences are also members of the Culture. These can be broadly categorised into drones and Minds. Also, by custom, as described in Excession, any artefact (be it a tool or vessel) above a certain capability level has to be given sentience. ==== Drones ==== Drones are roughly comparable in intelligence and social status to that of the Culture's biological members. Their intelligence is measured against that of an average biological member of the Culture; a so-called "1.0 value" drone would be considered the mental equal of a biological citizen, whereas lesser drones such as the menial service units of Orbitals are merely proto-sentient (capable of limited reaction to unprogrammed events, but possessing no consciousness, and thus not considered citizens; these take care of much of the menial work in the Culture). The sentience of advanced drones has various levels of redundancy, from systems similar to that of Minds (though much reduced in capability) down to electronic, to mechanical and finally biochemical back-up brains. Although drones are artificial, the parameters that prescribe their minds are not rigidly constrained, and sentient drones are full individuals, with their own personalities, opinions and quirks. Like biological citizens, Culture drones generally have lengthy names. They also have a form of sexual intercourse for pleasure, called being "in thrall", though this is an intellect-only interfacing with another sympathetic drone. While civilian drones do generally match humans in intelligence, drones built especially as Contact or Special Circumstances agents are often several times more intelligent, and imbued with extremely powerful senses, powers and armaments (usually forcefield and effector-based, though occasionally more destructive weaponry such as lasers or, exceptionally, "knife-missiles" are referred to) all powered by antimatter reactors. Despite being purpose-built, these drones are still allowed individual personalities and given a choice in lifestyle. Indeed, some are eventually deemed psychologically unsuitable as agents (for example as Mawhrin-Skel notes about itself in The Player of Games) and must choose either mental reprofiling or demilitarisation and discharge from Special Circumstances. Physically, drones are floating units of various sizes and shapes, usually with no visible moving parts. Drones get around the limitations of this inanimation with the ability to project "fields": both those capable of physical force, which allow them to manipulate objects, as well as visible, coloured fields called "auras", which are used to enable the drone to express emotion. There is a complex drone code based on aura colours and patterns (which is fully understood by biological Culture citizens as well). Drones have full control of their auras and can display emotions they're not feeling or can switch their aura off. The drone, Jase, in Consider Phlebas, is described as being constructed before the use of auras, and refuses to be retrofitted with them, preferring to remain inscrutable. In size drones vary substantially: the oldest still alive (eight or nine thousand years old) tend to be around the size of humans, whereas later technology allows drones to be small enough to lie in a human's cupped palm; modern drones may be any size between these extremes according to fashion and personal preference. Some drones are also designed as utility equipment with its own sentience, such as the gelfield protective suit described in Excession. ==== Minds ==== By contrast to drones, Minds are orders of magnitude more powerful and intelligent than the Culture's other biological and artificial citizens. Typically they inhabit and act as the controllers of large-scale Culture hardware such as ships or space-based habitats. Unsurprisingly, given their duties, Minds are tremendously powerful: capable of running all of the functions of a ship or habitat, while holding potentially billions of simultaneous conversations with the citizens that live aboard them. To allow them to perform at such a high degree, they exist partially in hyperspace to get around hindrances to computing power such as the speed of light. Some inhabited planets and all orbitals have their own Minds: sapient, hyperintelligent machines originally built by biological species, which have evolved, redesigned themselves, and become many times more intelligent than their original creators. According to Consider Phlebas, a Mind is an ellipsoid object roughly the size of a bus and weighing around 15,000 tons. A Mind is in fact a 4-D entity, meaning that the ellipsoid is only the protrusion of the larger four dimensional device into our 3D 'real space'. In the Culture universe, Minds have become an indispensable part of the prevailing society, enabling much of its post-scarcity amenities by planning and automating societal functions, and by handling day-to-day administration with mere fractions of their mental power. The main difference between Minds and other extremely powerful artificial intelligences in fiction is that they are highly humanistic and benevolent. They are so both by design, and by their shared culture. They are often even rather eccentric. Yet, by and large, they show no wish to supplant or dominate their erstwhile creators. On the other hand, it can also be argued that to the Minds, the human-like members of the Culture amount to little more than pets, whose wants are followed on a Mind's whim. Within the Series, this dynamic is played on more than once. In 'Excession', it is also played on to put a Mind in its place—in the mythology, a Mind is not thought to be a god, still, but an artificial intelligence capable of surprise, and even fear. Overview Although the Culture is a type of utopian anarchy, Minds most closely approach the status of leaders, and would likely be considered godlike in less rational societies. As independent, thinking beings, each has its own character, and indeed, legally (insofar as the Culture has a 'legal system'), each is a Culture citizen. Some Minds are more aggressive, some more calm; some don't mind mischief, others simply demonstrate intellectual curiosity. But above all they tend to behave rationally and benevolently in their decisions. As mentioned before, Minds can serve several different purposes, but Culture ships and habitats have one special attribute: the Mind and the ship or habitat are perceived as one entity; in some ways the Mind is the ship, certainly from its passengers' point of view. It seems normal practice to address the ship's Mind as "Ship" (and an Orbital hub as "Hub"). However, a Mind can transfer its 'mind state' into and out of its ship 'body', and even switch roles entirely, becoming (for example) an Orbital Hub from a warship. More often than not, the Mind's character defines the ship's purpose. Minds do not end up in roles unsuited to them; an antisocial Mind simply would not volunteer to organise the care of thousands of humans, for example. On occasion groupings of two or three Minds may run a ship. This seems normal practice for larger vehicles such as GSVs, though smaller ships only ever seem to have one Mind. Banks also hints at a Mind's personality becoming defined at least partially before its creation or 'birth'. Warships, as an example, are designed to revel in controlled destruction; seeing a certain glory in achieving a 'worthwhile' death also seems characteristic. The presence of human crews on board warships may discourage such recklessness, since in the normal course of things, a Mind would not risk beings other than itself. With their almost godlike powers of reasoning and action comes a temptation to bend (or break) Cultural norms of ethical behaviour, if deemed necessary for some greater good. In The Player of Games, a Culture citizen is blackmailed, apparently by Special Circumstances Minds, into assisting the overthrow of a barbaric empire, while in Excession, a conspiracy by some Minds to start a war against an oppressive alien race nearly comes to fruition. Yet even in these rare cases, the essentially benevolent intentions of Minds towards other Culture citizens is never in question. More than any other beings in the Culture, Minds are the ones faced with the more complex and provocative ethical dilemmas. Technology While Minds would likely have different capabilities, especially seeing their widely differing ages (and thus technological sophistication), this is not a theme of the books. It might be speculated that the older Minds are upgraded to keep in step with the advances in technology, thus making this point moot. It is also noted in Matter that every Culture Mind writes its own OS, thus continually improving itself and, as a side benefit, becoming much less vulnerable to outside takeover by electronic means and viruses, as every Mind's processing functions work differently. The high computing power of the Mind is apparently enabled by thought processes (and electronics) being constantly in hyperspace (thus circumventing the light speed limit in computation). Minds do have back-up capabilities functioning with light-speed if the hyperspace capabilities fail - however, this reduces their computational powers by several orders of magnitude (though they remain sentient). The storage capability of a GSV Mind is described in Consider Phlebas as 1030 bytes (1 million yottabytes). The Culture is a society undergoing slow (by present-day Earth standards) but constant technological change, so the stated capacity of Minds is open to change. In the last 3000 years the capacity of Minds has increased considerably. By the time of the events of the novel Excession in the mid 19th century, Minds from the first millennium BCE are referred to jocularly as minds, with a small 'm'. Their capacities only allow them to be considered equivalent to what are now known as AI Cores, small (in the literal physical sense) Artificial intelligences used in shuttles, trans-light modules, Drones, and other machines not large enough for a full scale Mind. While still considered sentient, a mind's power at this point is considered greatly inferior to a contemporary Mind. That said, It is possible for Minds to have upgrades, improvements and enhancements given to them since construction, to allow them to remain up to date. Using the sensory equipment available to the Culture, Minds can see inside solid objects; in principle they can also read minds by examining the cellular processes inside a living brain, but Culture Minds regard such mindreading as taboo. The only known Mind to break this Taboo, the GCU Grey Area seen in Excession, is largely ostracized and shunned by other Minds as a result. In Look to Windward an example is cited of an attempt to destroy a Culture Mind by smuggling a minuscule antimatter bomb onto a Culture orbital inside the head of a Chelgrian agent. However the bomb ends up being spotted without the taboo being broken. In Consider Phlebas, a typical Mind is described as a mirror-like ellipsoid of several dozen cubic metres, but weighing many thousands of tons, due to the fact that it is made up of hyper-dense matter. It is noted that most of its 'body' only exists in the real world at the outer shell, the inner workings staying constantly within hyperspace. The Mind in Consider Phlebas is also described as having internal power sources which function as back-up shield generators and space propulsion, and seeing the rational, safety-conscious thinking of Minds, it would be reasonable to assume that all Minds have such features, as well as a complement of drones and other remote sensors as also described. Other equipment available to them spans the whole range of the Culture's technological capabilities and its practically limitless resources. However, this equipment would more correctly be considered emplaced in the ship or orbital that the Mind is controlling, rather than being part of the Mind itself. Psychology Minds are constructed entities, which have general parameters fixed by their constructors (other Minds) before 'birth', not unlike biological beings. A wide variety of characteristics can be and are manipulated, such as introversion-extroversion, aggressiveness (for warships) or general disposition. However, the character of a Mind evolves as well, and Minds often change over the course of centuries, sometimes changing personality entirely. This is often followed by them becoming eccentric or at least somewhat odd. Others drift from the Culture-accepted ethical norms, and may even start influencing their own society in subtle ways, selfishly furthering their own views of how the Culture should act. Minds have also been known to commit suicide to escape punishment, or because of grief. Minds are constructed with a personality typical of the Culture's interests, i.e. full of curiosity, general benevolence (expressed in the 'good works' actions of the Culture, or in the protectiveness regarding sentient beings) and respect for the Culture's customs. Nonetheless, Minds have their own interests in addition to what their peers expect them to do for the Culture, and may develop fascinations or hobbies like other sentient beings do. The mental capabilities of Minds are described in Excession to be vast enough to run entire universe-simulations inside their own imaginations, exploring metamathical (a fictional branch of metamathematics) scenarios, an activity addictive enough to cause some Minds to totally withdraw from caring about our own physical reality into "Infinite Fun Space", their own, ironic and understated term for this sort of activity. Ship Minds One of the main activities of Ship Minds is the guidance of spaceships from a certain minimum size upwards. A culture spaceship is the Mind and vice versa; there are no different names for the two, and a spaceship without a Mind would be considered damaged or incomplete to the Culture. Ship Mind classes include General Systems Vehicle (GSV), Medium Systems Vehicle (MSV), Limited Systems Vehicle (LSV), General Contact Vehicle (GCV), General Contact Unit (GCU), Limited Contact Unit (LCU), Rapid Offensive Unit (ROU), General Offensive Unit (GOU), Limited Offensive Unit (LOU), Demilitarised ROU (dROU), Demilitarised GOU (dGOU), Demilitarised LOU (dLOU), Very Fast Picket (VFP–synonym for dROU), Fast Picket (FP–synonym for dGOU or dLOU), and Superlifter. These ships provide a convenient 'body' for a Mind, which is too large and too important to be contained within smaller, more fragile shells. Following the 'body' analogy, it also provides the Mind with the capability of physical movement. As Minds are living beings with curiosity, emotion and wishes of their own, such mobility is likely very important to most. Culture Minds (mostly also being ships) usually give themselves whimsical names, though these often hint at their function as well. Even the names of warships retain this humorous approach, though the implications are much darker. Non-Ship Minds Some Minds also take on functions which either preclude or discourage movement. These usually administer various types of Culture facilities: Orbital Hubs – A Culture Orbital is a smaller version of a ringworld, with large numbers of people living on the inside surface of them, in a planet-like environment. Rocks – Minds in charge of planetoid-like structures, built/accreted, mostly from the earliest times of the Culture before it moved into space-built orbitals. Stores – Minds of a quiet temperament run these asteroids, containing vast hangars, full of mothballed military ships or other equipment. Some 'Rocks' also act as 'Stores'. University Sages – Minds that run Culture universities / schools, a very important function as every Culture citizen has an extensive education and further learning is considered one of the most important reasons for life in the Culture. Atypical Minds Eccentric – Culture Minds who have become "... a bit odd" (as compared to the very rational standards of other Culture Minds). Existing at the fringe of the Culture, they can be considered (and consider themselves) as somewhat, but not wholly part of the Culture. Sabbaticaler – Culture Minds who have decided to abdicate from their peer-pressure based duties in the Culture for a time. Ulterior – Minds of the Culture Ulterior, an umbrella term for all the no-longer-quite-Culture factions. Converts – Minds (or sentient computers) from other societies who have chosen to join the Culture. Absconder – Minds who have completely left the Culture, especially when in doing so having deserted some form of task. Deranged – A more extreme version of Eccentric as implied in The Hydrogen Sonata Minds' names Minds (and, as a consequence, Culture starships) usually bear names that do a little more than just identify them. The Minds themselves choose their own names, and thus they usually express something about a particular Mind's attitude, character or aims in their personal life. They range from funny to just plain cryptic. Some examples are: Sanctioned Parts List – a habitation / factory ship So Much For Subtlety – a habitation / factory ship All Through With This Niceness And Negotiation Stuff – a warship Attitude Adjuster – a warship Of Course I Still Love You – an ambassador ship Funny, It Worked Last Time... – an ambassador ship === Names === Some humanoid or drone Culture citizens have long names, often with seven or more words. Some of these words specify the citizen's origin (place of birth or manufacture), some an occupation, and some may denote specific philosophical or political alignments (chosen later in life by the citizen themselves), or make other similarly personal statements. An example would be Diziet Sma, whose full name is Rasd-Coduresa Diziet Embless Sma da' Marenhide: Rasd-Coduresa is the planetary system of her birth, and the specific object (planet, orbital, Dyson sphere, etc.). The -sa suffix is roughly equivalent to -er in English. By this convention, Earth humans would all be named Sun-Earthsa (or Sun-Earther). Diziet is her given name. This is chosen by a parent, usually the mother. Embless is her chosen name. Most Culture citizens choose this when they reach adulthood (according to The Player of Games this is known as "completing one's name"). As with all conventions in the Culture, it may be broken or ignored: some change their chosen name during their lives, some never take one. Sma is her surname, usually taken from one's mother. da' Marenhide is the house or estate she was raised within, the da' or dam being similar to von in German. (The usual formation is dam; da' is used in Sma's name because the house name begins with an M, eliding an awkward phoneme repetition.) Iain Banks gave his own Culture name as "Sun-Earther Iain El-Bonko Banks of North Queensferry". === Death === The Culture has a relatively relaxed attitude towards death. Genetic manipulation and the continual benevolent surveillance of the Minds make natural or accidental death almost unknown. Advanced technology allows citizens to make backup copies of their personalities, allowing them to be resurrected in case of death. The form of that resurrection can be specified by the citizen, with personalities returning either in the same biological form, in an artificial form (see below), or even just within virtual reality. Some citizens choose to go into "storage" (a form of suspended animation) for long periods of time, out of boredom or curiosity about the future. Attitudes individual citizens have towards death are varied (and have varied throughout the Culture's history). While many, if not most, citizens make some use of backup technology, many others do not, preferring instead to risk death without the possibility of recovery (for example when engaging in extreme sports). These citizens are sometimes called "disposables", and are described in Look to Windward. Taking into account such accidents, voluntary euthanasia for emotional reasons, or choices like sublimation, the average lifespan of humans is described in Excession as being around 350 to 400 years. Some citizens choose to forgo death altogether, although this is rarely done and is viewed as an eccentricity. Other options instead of death include conversion of an individual's consciousness into an AI, joining of a group mind (which can include biological and non-biological consciousnesses), or subliming (usually in association with a group mind). Concerning the lifespan of drones and Minds, given the durability of Culture technology and the options of mindstate backups, it is reasonable to assume that they live as long as they choose. Even Minds, with their utmost complexity, are known to be backed up (and reactivated if they for example die in a risky mission, see GSV Lasting Damage). It is noted that even Minds themselves do not necessarily live forever either, often choosing to eventually sublime or even killing themselves (as does the double-Mind GSV Lasting Damage due to its choices in the Culture-Idiran war). == Science and technology == === Anti-gravity and forcefields === The Culture (and other societies) have developed powerful anti-gravity abilities, closely related to their ability to manipulate forces themselves. In this ability they can create action-at-a-distance – including forces capable of pushing, pulling, cutting, and even fine manipulation, and forcefields for protection, visual display or plain destructive ability. Such applications still retain restrictions on range and power: while forcefields of many cubic kilometres are possible (and in fact, orbitals are held together by forcefields), even in the chronologically later novels, such as Look to Windward, spaceships are still used for long-distance travel and drones for many remote activities. With the control of a Mind, fields can be manipulated over vast distances. In Use of Weapons, a Culture warship uses its electromagnetic effectors to hack into a computer light years away. === Artificial intelligence === Artificial intelligences (and to a lesser degree, the non-sentient computers omnipresent in all material goods), form the backbone of the technological advances of the Culture. Not only are they the most advanced scientists and designers the Culture has, their lesser functions also oversee the vast (but usually hidden) production and maintenance capabilities of the society. The Culture has achieved artificial intelligences where each Mind has thought processing capabilities many orders of magnitude beyond that of human beings, and data storage drives which, if written out on paper and stored in filing cabinets, would cover thousands of planets skyscraper high (as described by one Mind in Consider Phlebas). Yet it has managed to condense these entities to a volume of several dozen cubic metres (though much of the contents and the operating structure are continually in hyperspace). Minds also demonstrate reaction times and multitasking abilities orders of magnitude greater than any sentient being; armed engagements between Culture and equivalent technological civilisations sometimes occur in timeframes as short as microseconds, and standard Orbital Minds are capable of running all of the vital systems on the Orbital while simultaneously conversing with millions of the inhabitants and observing phenomena in the surrounding regions of space. At the same time, it has achieved drone sentiences and capability of Special Circumstance proportions in forms that could fit easily within a human hand, and built extremely powerful (though not sentient) computers capable of fitting into tiny insect-like drones. Some utilitarian devices (such as spacesuits) are also provided with artificial sentience. These specific types of drones, like all other Culture AI, would also be considered citizens - though as described in the short story "Descendant", they may spend most of the time when their "body" is not in use in a form of remote-linked existence outside of it, or in a form of AI-level virtual reality. === Energy manipulation === A major feature of its post-scarcity society, the Culture is obviously able to gather, manipulate, transfer and store vast amounts of energy. While not explained in detail in the novels, this involves antimatter and the "energy grid", a postulated energy field dividing the universe from neighboring anti-matter universes, and providing practically limitless energy. Transmission or storage of such energy is not explained, though these capabilities must be powerful as well, with tiny drones capable of very powerful manipulatory fields and forces. The Culture also uses various forms of energy manipulation as weapons, with "gridfire", a method of creating a dimensional rift to the energy grid, releasing astronomical amounts of energy into a region of non-hyperspace, being described as a sort of ultimate weapon more destructive than collapsed antimatter bombardment. One character in Consider Phlebas refers to gridfire as "the weaponry of the end of the universe". Gridfire resembles the zero-point energy used within many popular science fiction stories. === Matter displacement === The Culture (at least by the time of The Player of Games) has developed a form of teleportation capable of transporting both living and unliving matter instantaneously via wormholes. This technology has not rendered spacecraft obsolete – in Excession a barely apple-sized drone was displaced no further than a light-second at maximum range (mass being a limiting factor determining range), a tiny distance in galactic terms. The process also still has a very small chance of failing and killing living beings, but the chance is described as being so small (1 in 61 million) that it normally only becomes an issue when transporting a large number of people and is only regularly brought up due to the Culture's safety conscious nature. Displacement is an integral part of Culture technology, being widely used for a range of applications from peaceful to belligerent. Displacing warheads into or around targets is one of the main forms of attack in space warfare in the Culture universe. The Player of Games mentions that drones can be displaced to catch a person falling from a cliff before they impact the ground, as well. === Brain–computer interfaces === Through "neural lace", a form of brain–computer interface that is implanted into the brains of young people and grows with them, the Culture has the capability to read and store the full sentience of any being, biological or artificial, and thus reactivate a stored being after its death. The neural lace also allows wireless communication with the Minds and databases. This also necessitates the capability to read thoughts, but as described in Look to Windward, doing this without permission is considered taboo. === Starships and warp drives === Starships are living spaces, vehicles and ambassadors of the Culture. A proper Culture starship (as defined by hyperspace capability and the presence of a Mind to inhabit it) may range from several hundreds of metres to hundreds of kilometres. The latter may be inhabited by billions of beings and are artificial worlds in their own right, including whole ecosystems, and are considered to be self-contained representations of all aspects of Culture life and capability. The Culture (and most other space-faring species in its universe) use a form of Hyperspace-drive to achieve faster-than-light speeds. Banks has evolved a (self-confessedly) technobabble system of theoretical physics to describe the ships' acceleration and travel, using such concepts as "infraspace" and "ultraspace" and an "energy grid" between universes (from which the warp engines "push off" to achieve momentum). An "induced singularity" is used to access infra or ultra space from real space; once there, "engine fields" reach down to the Grid and gain power and traction from it as they travel at high speeds. These hyperspace engines do not use reaction mass and hence do not need to be mounted on the surface of the ship. They are described as being very dense exotic matter, which only reveals its complexity under a powerful microscope. Acceleration and maximum speed depend on the ratio of the mass of the ship to its engine mass. As with any other matter aboard, ships can gradually manufacture extra engine volume or break it down as needed. In Excession one of the largest ships of the Culture redesigns itself to be mostly engine ( Even more impressively, this is later discovered to be thanks to combining the hyperspace engine fields of thousands of semi-slaved warships which have been constructed in secret, and housed within the ship itself, and out of view) - and reaches a speed of 233,000 times lightspeed. Within the range of the Culture's influence in the galaxy, most ships would still take years of travelling to reach the more remote spots. Other than the engines used by larger Culture ships, there are a number of other propulsion methods such as gravitic drive at sublight speeds, with antimatter, fusion and other reaction engines occasionally seen with less advanced civilisations, or on Culture hobby craft. Warp engines can be very small, with Culture drones barely larger than fist-size described as being thus equipped. There is also at least one (apparently non-sentient) species (the "Chuy-Hirtsi" animal), that possesses the innate capability of warp travel. In Consider Phlebas, it is being used as a military transport by the Idirans, but no further details are given. === Nanotechnology === The Culture has highly advanced nanotechnology, though descriptions of such technology in the books is limited. Many of the described uses are by or for Special Circumstances, but there are no indications that the use of nanotechnology is limited in any way. (In a passage in one of the books, there is a brief reference to the question of sentience when comparing the human brain or a "pico-level substrate".) One of the primary clandestine uses of nanotechnology is information gathering. The Culture likes to be in the know, and as described in Matter "they tend to know everything." Aside from its vast network of sympathetic allies and wandering Culture citizens one of the primary ways that the Culture keeps track of important events is by the use of practically invisible nanobots capable of recording and transmitting their observations. This technique is described as being especially useful to track potentially dangerous people (such as ex-Special Circumstances agents). Via such nanotechnology, it is potentially possible for the Culture (or similarly advanced societies) to see everything happening on a given planet, orbital or any other habitat. The usage of such devices is limited by various treaties and agreements among the Involved. In addition, EDust assassins are potent Culture terror weapons, composed entirely of nano machines called EDust, or "Everything Dust." They are capable of taking almost any shape or form, including swarms of insects or entire humans or aliens, and possess powerful weaponry capable of levelling entire buildings. == Living space == Much of the Culture's population lives on orbitals, vast artificial worlds that can accommodate billions of people. Others travel the galaxy in huge space ships such as General Systems Vehicles (GSVs) that can accommodate hundreds of millions of people. Almost no Culture citizens are described as living on planets, except when visiting other civilisations. The reason for this is partly because the Culture believes in containing its own expansion to self-constructed habitats, instead of colonising or conquering new planets. With the resources of the universe allowing permanent expansion (at least assuming non-exponential growth), this frees them from having to compete for living space. The Culture, and other civilisations in Banks' universe, are described as living in these various, often constructed habitats: === Airspheres === These are vast, brown dwarf-sized bubbles of atmosphere enclosed by force fields, and (presumably) set up by an ancient advanced race at least one and a half billion years ago (see: Look to Windward). There is only minimal gravity within an airsphere. They are illuminated by moon-sized orbiting planetoids that emit enormous light beams. Citizens of the Culture live there only very occasionally as guests, usually to study the complex ecosystem of the airspheres and the dominant life-forms: the "dirigible behemothaurs" and "gigalithine lenticular entities", which may be described as inscrutable, ancient intelligences looking similar to a cross between gigantic blimps and whales. The airspheres slowly migrate around the galaxy, taking anywhere from 50 to 100 million years to complete one circuit. In the novels no one knows who created the airspheres or why, but it is presumed that whoever did has long since sublimed but may maintain some obscure link with the behemothaurs and lenticular entities. Guests in the airspheres are not allowed to use any force-field technology, though no reason has been offered for this prohibition. The airspheres resemble in some respects the orbit-sized ring of breathable atmosphere created by Larry Niven in The Integral Trees, but spherical not toroidal, require a force field to retain their integrity, and arose by artificial rather than natural processes. === Orbitals === One of the main types of habitats of the Culture, an orbital is a ring structure orbiting a star as would a megastructure akin to a bigger Bishop ring. Unlike a ringworld or a Dyson sphere, an orbital does not enclose the star (being much too small). Like a ringworld, the orbital rotates to provide an analog of gravity on the inner surface. A Culture orbital rotates about once every 24 hours and has gravity-like effect about the same as the gravity of Earth, making the diameter of the ring about 3,700,000 kilometres (2,300,000 mi) (nearly 5 times larger than diameter of the Moon's orbit around Earth), and ensuring that the inhabitants experience night and day. Orbitals feature prominently in many Culture stories. === Planets === Though many other civilisations in the Culture books live on planets, the Culture as currently developed has little direct connection to on-planet existence. Banks has written that he presumes this to be an inherent consequence of space colonisation, and a foundation of the liberal nature of the Culture. A small number of home worlds of the founding member-species of the Culture receive a mention in passing, and a few hundred human-habitable worlds were colonised (some of them terraformed) before the Culture elected to turn towards artificial habitats, preferring to keep the planets it encounters wild. Since then, the Culture has come to look down on terraforming as inelegant, ecologically problematic and possibly even immoral. Less than one per cent of the population of the Culture lives on planets, and many find the very concept somewhat bizarre. This attitude is not absolute though; in Consider Phlebas, some Minds suggest testing a new technology on a "spare planet" (knowing that it could be destroyed in an antimatter explosion if unsuccessful). One could assume – from Minds' usual ethics – that such a planet would have been lifeless to start with. It is also quite possible, even probable, that the suggestion was not made in complete seriousness. === Rings === Ringworld-like megastructures exist in the Culture universe; the texts refer to them simply as "Rings" (with a capital R). As opposed to the smaller orbitals which revolve around a star, these structures are massive and completely encircle a star. Banks does not describe these habitats in detail, but records one as having been destroyed (along with three Spheres) in the Idiran-Culture war. In Matter, the Morthanveld people possesses ringworld-like structures made of innumerable various-sized tubes. Those structures, like Niven's Ringworld, encircle a star and are about the same size. === Rocks === These are asteroids and other non-planetary bodies hollowed out for habitation and usually spun for centrifugal artificial gravity. Rocks (with the exception of those used for secretive purposes) are described as having faster-than-light space drives, and thus can be considered a special form of spaceship. Like Orbitals, they are usually administered by one or more Minds. Rocks do not play a large part in most of the Culture stories, though their use as storage for mothballed military ships (Pittance) and habitats (Phage Rock, one of the founding communities of the Culture) are both key plot points in Excession. === Shellworlds === Shellworlds are introduced in Matter, and consist of multilayered levels of concentric spheres in four dimensions held up by countless titanic interior towers. Their extra dimensional characteristics render some products of Culture technology too dangerous to use and yet others ineffective, notably access to hyperspace. About 4000 were built millions of years ago as vast machines intended to cast a forcefield around the whole of the galaxy for unknown purposes; less than half of those remain at the time of Matter, many having been destroyed by a departed species known as the Iln. The species that developed this technology, known as the Veil or the Involucra, are now lost, and many of the remaining shellworlds have become inhabited, often by many different species throughout their varying levels. Many still hold deadly secret defence mechanisms, often leading to great danger for their new inhabitants, giving them one of their other nicknames: Slaughter Worlds. === Ships === Ships in the Culture are intelligent individuals, often of very large size, controlled by one or more Minds. The ship is considered by the Culture generally and the Mind itself to be the Mind's body (compare avatars). Some ships (GSVs, for example) are tens or even hundreds of kilometres in length and may have millions or even billions of residents who live on them full-time; together with Orbitals, such ships represent the main form of habitat for the Culture. Such large ships may temporarily contain smaller ships with their own populations, and/or manufacture such ships themselves. In Use of Weapons, the protagonist Zakalwe is allowed to acclimatise himself to the Culture by wandering for days through the habitable levels of a ship (the GSV Size Isn't Everything, which is described as over 80 kilometres (50 mi) long), eating and sleeping at the many locations which provide food and accommodation throughout the structure and enjoying the various forms of contact possible with the friendly and accommodating inhabitants. === Spheres === Dyson spheres also exist in the Culture universe but receive only passing mention as "Spheres". Three spheres are recorded as having been destroyed in the Idiran-Culture war. == Interaction with other civilisations == The Culture, living mostly on massive spaceships and in artificial habitats, and also feeling no need for conquest in the typical sense of the word, possesses no borders. Its sphere of influence is better defined by the (current) concentration of Culture ships and habitats as well as the measure of effect its example and its interventions have already had on the "local" population of any galactic sector. As the Culture is also a very graduated and constantly evolving society, its societal boundaries are also constantly in flux (though they tend to be continually expanding during the novels), peacefully "absorbing" societies and individuals. While the Culture is one of the most advanced and most powerful of all galactic civilisations, it is still but one of the "high-level Involved" (called "Optimae" by some less advanced civilisations), the most powerful non-sublimed civilisations which mentor or control the others. An Involved society is a highly advanced group that has achieved galaxy-wide involvement with other cultures or societies. There are a few dozen Involved societies and hundreds or thousands of well-developed (interstellar) but insufficiently influential societies or cultures. The well-developed societies which do not take a dynamic role in the galaxy as a whole are designated as "galactically mature". In the novels, the Culture might be considered the premier Involved society, or at least the most dynamic and energetic, especially given that the Culture itself is a growing multicultural fusion of Involved societies. The Involved are contrasted with the Sublimed, groups that have reached a high level of technical development and galactic influence but subsequently abandoned physical reality, ceasing to take serious interventionist interest in galactic civilisation. They are also contrasted with what some Culture people loosely refer to as "barbarians", societies of intelligent beings which lack the technical capacity to know about or take a serious role in their interstellar neighbourhood. There are also the elder civilisations, which are civilisations that reached the required level of technology for sublimation, but chose not to, and have retreated from the larger galactic meta-civilisation. The Involved are also contrasted with hegemonising swarms (a term used in several of Banks' Culture novels). These are entities that exist to convert as much of the universe as possible into more of themselves; most typically these are technological in nature, resembling more sophisticated forms of grey goo, but the term can be applied to cultures that are sufficiently single-minded in their devotion to mass conquest, control, and colonisation. Both the Culture and the author (in his Notes on the Culture) find this behaviour quixotic and ridiculous. Most often, societies categorised as hegemonising swarms consist of species or groups newly arrived in the galactic community with highly expansionary and exploitative goals. The usage of the term "hegemonising swarm" in this context is considered derisive in the Culture and among other Involved and is used to indicate their low regard for those with these ambitions by comparing their behaviour to that of mindless self-replicating technology. The Culture's central moral dilemma regarding intervention in other societies can be construed as a conflict between the desire to help others and the desire to avoid becoming a hegemonising swarm themselves. === Foreign policy === Although they lead a comfortable life within the Culture, many of its citizens feel a need to be useful and to belong to a society that does not merely exist for their own sake but that also helps improve the lot of sentient beings throughout the galaxy. For that reason the Culture carries out "good works", covertly or overtly interfering in the development of lesser civilisations, with the main aim to gradually guide them towards less damaging paths. As Culture citizens see it, these good works provide the Culture with a "moral right to exist". A group within the Culture, known as Contact, is responsible for its interactions (diplomatic or otherwise) with other civilisations. Non-Contact citizens are apparently not prevented from travelling or interacting with other civilisations, though the effort and potential danger involved in doing so alone makes it much more commonly the case for Culture people simply to join Contact if they long to "see the world". Further within Contact, an intelligence organisation named Special Circumstances exists to deal with interventions which require more covert behaviour; the interventionist approach that the Culture takes to advancing other societies may often create resentment in the affected civilisations and thus requires a rather delicate touch (see: Look to Windward). In Matter, it is described that there are a number of other galactic civilisations that come close to or potentially even surpass the Culture in power and sophistication. The Culture is very careful and considerate of these groupings, and while still trying to convince them of the Culture ideal, will be much less likely to openly interfere in their activities. In Surface Detail, three more branches of Contact are described: Quietus, the Quietudinal Service, whose purview is dealing with those entities who have retired from biological existence into digital form and/or those who have died and been resurrected; Numina, which is described as having the charge of contact with races that have sublimed; and Restoria, a subset of Contact which focuses on containing and negating the threat of swarms of self-replicating creatures ("hegswarms"). === Behaviour in war === While the Culture is normally pacifist, Contact historically acts as its military arm in times of war and Special Circumstances can be considered its secret service and its military intelligence. During war, most of the strategic and tactical decisions are taken by the Minds, with apparently only a small number of especially gifted humans, the "Referrers", being involved in the top-level decisions, though they are not shown outside Consider Phlebas. It is shown in Consider Phlebas that actual decisions to go to war (as opposed to purely defensive actions) are based on a vote of all Culture citizens, presumably after vigorous discussion within the whole society. It is described in various novels that the Culture is extremely reluctant to go to war, though it may start to prepare for it long before its actual commencement. In the Idiran-Culture War (possibly one of the most hard-fought wars for the normally extremely superior Culture forces), various star systems, stellar regions and many orbital habitats were overrun by the Idirans before the Culture had converted enough of its forces to military footing. The Culture Minds had had enough foresight to evacuate almost all its affected citizens (apparently numbering in the many billions) in time before actual hostilities reached them. As shown in Player of Games, this is a standard Culture tactic, with its strong emphasis on protecting its citizens rather than sacrificing some of them for short-term goals. War within the Culture is mostly fought by the Culture's sentient warships, the most powerful of these being war-converted GSVs, which are described as powerful enough to oppose whole enemy fleets. The Culture has little use for conventional ground forces (as it rarely occupies enemy territory); combat drones equipped with knife missiles do appear in Descendant and "terror weapons" (basically intelligent, nano-form assassins) are mentioned in Look to Windward, while infantry combat suits of great power (also usable as capable combat drones when without living occupants) are used in Matter. == Relevance to real-world politics == The inner workings of The Culture are not especially described in detail though it is shown that the society is populated by an empowered, educated and augmented citizenry in a direct democracy or highly democratic and transparent system of self-governance. In comparisons to the real world, intended or not, the Culture could resemble various posited egalitarian societies including in the writings of Karl Marx, the end condition of communism after a withering away of the state, the anarchism of Bakunin and Fourier et al., libertarian socialism, council communism and anarcho-communism. Other characteristics of The Culture that are recognisable in real world politics include pacifism, post-capitalism, and transhumanism. Banks deliberately portrayed an imperfect utopia whose imperfection or weakness is related to its interaction with the 'other', that is, exterior civilisations and species that are sometimes variously warred with or mishandled through the Culture's Contact section which cannot always control its intrigues and the individuals it either 'employs' or interacts with. This 'dark side' of The Culture also alludes to or echoes mistakes and tragedies in 20th century Marxist–Leninist countries, although the Culture is generally portrayed as far more 'humane' and just. === Utopia === Comparisons are often made between the Culture and twentieth and twenty first century Western civilisation and nation-states, particularly their interventions in less-developed societies. These are often confused with regard to the author's assumed politics. Ben Collier has said that the Culture is a utopia carrying significantly greater moral legitimacy than the West's, by comparison, proto-democracies. While Culture interventions can seem similar at first to Western interventions, especially when considered with their democratising rhetoric, the argument is that the Culture operates completely without material need, and therefore without the possibility of baser motives. This is not to say that the Culture's motives are purely altruistic; a peaceful, enlightened universe full of good neighbours lacking ethnic, religious, and sexual chauvinisms is in the Culture's interest as well. Furthermore, the Culture's ideals, in many ways similar to those of the liberal perspective today, are to a much larger extent realised internally in comparison to the West. === Criticism === Examples are the use of mercenaries to perform the work that the Culture does not want to get their hands dirty with, and even outright threats of invasion (the Culture has issued ultimatums to other civilisations before). Some commentators have also argued that those Special Circumstances agents tasked with civilising foreign cultures (and thus potentially also changing them into a blander, more Culture-like state) are also those most likely to regret these changes, with parallels drawn to real-world special forces trained to operate within the cultural mindsets of foreign nations. The events of Use of Weapons are an example of just how dirty Special Circumstances will play in order to get their way and the conspiracy at the heart of the plot of Excession demonstrates how at least some Minds are prepared to risk killing sentient beings when they conclude that these actions are beneficial for the long term good. Special Circumstances represents a very small fraction of Contact, which itself is only a small fraction of the entire Culture, making it comparable again to size and influence of modern intelligence agencies. == Issues raised == The Culture stories are largely about problems and paradoxes that confront liberal societies. The Culture itself is an "ideal-typical" liberal society; that is, as pure an example as one can reasonably imagine. It is highly egalitarian; the liberty of the individual is its most important value; and all actions and decisions are expected to be determined according to a standard of reasonability and sociability inculcated into all people through a progressive system of education. It is a society so beyond material scarcity that for almost all practical purposes its people can have and do what they want. If they do not like the behaviour or opinions of others, they can easily move to a more congenial Culture population centre (or Culture subgroup), and hence there is little need to enforce codes of behaviour. Even the Culture has to compromise its ideals where diplomacy and its own security are concerned. Contact, the group that handles these issues, and Special Circumstances, its secret service division, can employ only those on whose talents and emotional stability it can rely, and may even reject self-aware drones built for its purposes that fail to meet its requirements. Hence these divisions are regarded as the Culture's elite and membership is widely regarded as a prize; yet also something that can be shameful as it contradicts many of the Culture's moral codes. Within Contact and Special Circumstances, there are also inner circles that can take control in crises, somewhat contradictory to the ideal notions of democratic and open process the Culture espouses. Contact and Special Circumstances may suppress or delay the release of information, for example to avoid creating public pressure for actions they consider imprudent or to prevent other civilisations from exploiting certain situations. In dealing with less powerful regressive civilisations, the Culture usually intervenes discreetly, for example by protecting and discreetly supporting the more liberal elements, or subverting illiberal institutions. For instance, in Use of Weapons, the Culture operates within a less advanced illiberal society through control of a business cartel which is known for its humanitarian and social development investments, as well as generic good Samaritanism. In Excession, a sub-group of Minds conspires to provoke a war with the extremely sadistic Affront, although the conspiracy is foiled by a GSV that is a deep cover Special Circumstances agent. Only one story, Consider Phlebas, pits the Culture against a highly illiberal society of approximately equal power: the aggressive, theocratic Idirans. Though they posed no immediate, direct threat to the Culture, the Culture declared war because it would have felt useless if it allowed the Idirans' ruthless expansion to continue. The Culture's decision was a value-judgement rather than a utilitarian calculation, and the "Peace Faction" within the Culture seceded. Later in the timeline of the Culture's universe, the Culture has reached a technological level at which most past civilisations have Sublimed, in other words disengaged from Galactic politics and from most physical interaction with other civilisations. The Culture continues to behave "like an idealistic adolescent". As of 2008, three stories force the Culture to consider its approach to more powerful civilisations. In one incident during the Culture-Idiran War, they strive to avoid offending a civilisation so advanced that it has disengaged from Galactic politics, and note that this hyper-advanced society is not a threat to either the welfare or the values of the Culture. In Excession, an overwhelmingly more powerful individual from an extremely advanced civilisation is simply passing through on its way from one plane of the physical Reality to another, and there is no real interaction. In the third case it sets up teams to study a civilisation that is not threatening but is thought to have eliminated aggressors in the past. == List of books describing the Culture == == Banks on the Culture == When asked in Wired magazine (June 1996) whether mankind's fate depends on having intelligent machines running things, as in the Culture, Banks replied: Not entirely, no. I think the first point to make about the Culture is, I'm just making it up as I go along. It doesn't exist and I don't delude myself that it does. It's just my take on it. I'm not convinced that humanity is capable of becoming the Culture because I think people in the Culture are just too nice – altering their genetic inheritance to make themselves relatively sane and rational and not the genocidal, murdering bastards that we seem to be half the time. But I don't think you have to have a society like the Culture in order for people to live. The Culture is a self-consciously stable and long-lived society that wants to go on living for thousands of years. Lots of other civilisations within the same universe hit the Culture's technological level and even the actuality of the Culture's utopia, but it doesn't last very long – that's the difference. The point is, humanity can find its own salvation. It doesn't necessarily have to rely on machines. It'll be a bit sad if we did, if it's our only real form of progress. Nevertheless, unless there's some form of catastrophe, we are going to use machines whether we like it or not. This sort of stuff has been going on for decades and mainstream society is beginning to catch up to the implications of artificial intelligence. In a 2002 interview with Science Fiction Weekly magazine, when asked: Excession is particularly popular because of its copious detail concerning the Ships and Minds of the Culture, its great AIs: their outrageous names, their dangerous senses of humour. Is this what gods would actually be like? Banks replied: If we're lucky. == Notes == == References == == Bibliography == === Primary Sources === Banks, Iain M. (1987), Consider Phlebas, Orbit, ISBN 1-85723-138-4. Banks, Iain M. (1988), The Player of Games, Orbit, ISBN 1-85723-146-5. Banks, Iain M. (1991). The State of the Art. Orbit. ISBN 0-356-19669-0.. Banks, Iain M. (10 August 1994). "A Few Notes on the Culture". Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written. Retrieved 3 August 2021.. Banks, Iain M. (1996), Excession, Orbit, ISBN 1-85723-457-X. Banks, Iain M. (1998), Inversions, Orbit, ISBN 1-85723-763-3. Banks, Iain M. (2000), Look to Windward, Orbit, ISBN 1-85723-969-5. Banks, Iain M. (2008), Matter, Orbit, ISBN 978-1-84149-417-3. Banks, Iain M. (2010), Surface Detail, Orbit, p. 400, ISBN 978-1-84149-893-5. Banks, Iain M. (2012), The Hydrogen Sonata, Orbit, ISBN 978-0356501505. Banks, Iain M. (n.d.), "A few Notes on Marain", Trevor Hopkins Homepage, retrieved 9 August 2021. === Secondary Sources === Blackmore, Tim (2010), "Save Now [Y/N]? Machine Memory at War in Iain Banks' Look to Windward", Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 30 (4): 259–273, doi:10.1177/0270467610373816, ISSN 0270-4676, S2CID 144415805 Brown, Chris (2001), "'Special Circumstances': Intervention by a Liberal Utopia", Millennium – Journal of International Studies, 30 (3): 625–626, doi:10.1177/03058298010300031601, S2CID 143328512. Horwich, David (21 January 2002), "Culture Clash: Ambivalent Heroes and the Ambiguous Utopia in the Work of Iain M. Banks", Strange Horizons, retrieved 3 August 2021. Jackson, Patrick Thaddeus; Heilman, James (2008), "Outside Context Problems: Liberalism and the Other in the Work of Iain M.Banks", in Hassler, D.M.; Wilcox, C. (eds.), New Boundaries in Political Science Fiction, University of South Carolina Press, pp. 235–258, ISBN 978-1-57003-736-8, retrieved 9 December 2008. Lippens, Ronnie (2002), "Imachinations of Peace: Scientifictions of Peace in Iain M. Banks's The Player of Games", Utopian Studies, 13 (1): 135–147, ISSN 1045-991X, OCLC 5542757341. Newitz, Annalee (2019), The future of another timeline, Little, Brown Book Group Limited, ISBN 978-0-356-51123-8, OCLC 1059268855. Norman, Joseph S. (2021), The Culture of "The Culture": Utopian Processes in Iain M. Banks's Space Opera Series, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-1-78962-174-7, OCLC 1120943463. Rumpala, Yannick (2012), "Artificial intelligences and political organization: An exploration based on the science fiction work of Iain M. Banks", Technology in Society, 34 (1): 23–32, doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2011.12.005, ISSN 0160-791X. Westfahl, Gary (2006), Space and beyond: the frontier theme in science fiction, Westport, Conn.; London: Greenwood Press, ISBN 978-0-313-30846-8, OCLC 751416745 === Interviews and Reviews === Horton, Richard (5 March 1997), Use of Weapons: Review, archived from the original on 28 January 2017, retrieved 17 February 2009. Johnson, Greg L. (2008), "Matter (review)", SF Site, retrieved 4 August 2021. Langford, David (1998), "Iain M. Banks: Inversions", Ansible.uk, retrieved 4 August 2021. Parsons, Michael (14 October 2010), "Interview: Iain M Banks talks 'Surface Detail' with Wired", Wired, retrieved 2 August 2021. === News Sources === Collier, Ben (18 July 2013), Becoming More Like The Culture, No. 1: Economics (v0.1), archived from the original on 22 July 2013, retrieved 5 August 2013 Cross, Tim (31 March 2017), "The novelist who inspired Elon Musk", The Economist. Newitz, Annalee (27 March 2017), "Elon Musk is setting up a company that will link brains and computers", Ars Technica. == Further reading ==

The Culture is a fictional interstellar post-scarcity civilisation or society created by the Scottish writer Iain Banks and features in a number of his space opera novels and works of short fiction, collectively called the Culture series. In the series, the Culture is composed primarily of sentient beings of the humanoid alien variety, artificially intelligent sentient machines, and a small number of other sentient "alien" life forms. Machine intelligences range from human-equivalent drones to hyper-intelligent Minds. Artificial intelligences with capabilities measured as a fraction of human intelligence also perform a variety of tasks, e.g. controlling spacesuits. Without scarcity, the Culture has no need for money; instead, minds voluntarily indulge humanoid and drone citizens' pleasures, leading to a largely hedonistic society. Many of the series' protagonists are humanoids who have chosen to work for the Culture's diplomatic or espionage organs, and interact with other civilisations whose citizens act under different ideologies, morals, and technologies. The Culture has a grasp of technology that is advanced relative to most other civilisations with which it shares the galaxy. Most of the Culture's citizens do not live on planets but in artificial habitats such as orbitals and ships, the largest of which are home to billions of individuals. The Culture's citizens have been genetically enhanced to live for centuries and have modified mental control over their physiology, including the ability to introduce a variety of psychoactive drugs into their systems, change biological sex, or switch off pain at will. Culture technology is able to transfer individuals into vastly different body forms, although the Culture standard form remains fairly close to human. The Culture holds peace and individual freedom as core values, and a central theme of the series is the ethical struggle it faces when interacting with other societies – some of which brutalise their own members, pose threats to other civilisations, or threaten the Culture itself. It tends to make major decisions based on the consensus formed by its Minds and, if appropriate, its citizens. In one instance, a direct democratic vote of trillions – the entire population – decided The Culture would go to war with a rival civilisation. Those who objected to the Culture's subsequent militarisation broke off from the meta-civilisation, forming their own separate civilisation; a hallmark of the Culture is its ambiguity. In contrast to the many interstellar societies and empires which share its fictional universe, the Culture is difficult to define, geographically or sociologically, and "fades out at the edges".

google search

Google (wiktionary)

Misspelling of googol (“one followed by a hundred zeros”), alluding to the site's purpose of providing easy access to vast amounts of information. IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡəl/ Rhymes: -uːɡəl Homophones: google, googol Google (trademark) A particular Internet company. (computing, trademark) A search engine that popularized the company of the same name. In other scripts, the trademark may also be written in Roman letters. Category:en:Google Android Frightful Five Google (third-person singular simple present Googles, present participle Googling or Googleing or Google-ing, simple past and past participle Googled) Alternative letter-case form of google From English Google. Google (genitive Googles) Google google From English Google. IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡle/, [ˈɡuːɡle̞] IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡəl/, [ˈɡuːɡəl] IPA(key): /ˈɡoːɡle/, [ˈɡo̞ːɡle̞] Google Google (trademark) Google (search engine) (France) IPA(key): /ɡu.ɡœl/ Google ? Google Borrowed from English Google. IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡəl/, [ˈɡuːɡəl], [ˈɡuːɡl̩] Hyphenation: Goo‧gle Google n (genitive Googles) Google (search engine) googeln Borrowed from English Google. IPA(key): [ˈɡuːɡl̩], [ˈɡuːɡəl] Hyphenation: Google Rhymes: -əl Google Google (search engine or company) Due to the difficulty posed by its word-final consonant cluster, it is sometimes localized informally (and somewhat jocularly) as gugli and this latter variant may serve as a basis for further derivations. The Hungarian version of Google uses suffixes with -o- in Google’s Chrome browser. or or guglizható (“googleable”) guglizhatatlan (“ungoogleable”) (gugliz →) kigugliz, meggugliz, rágugliz (“to google up”, approximately) guglizik (“to google”) Kiguglizhatatlan at latillad.org Collection of posts in this topic at moly.hu Melyik a helyes? Google-lal vagy google-val? at gyakorikerdesek.hu Google-on at e-nyelv.hu Borrowed from English Google. IPA(key): /ˈɡu.ɡol/ Rhymes: -uɡol Google m Google (search engine or company) googlare Unadapted borrowing from English Google. IPA(key): /ɡuɡl/ Rhymes: -uɡl Syllabification: Google Google m inan Google or Indeclinable. Google in Polish dictionaries at PWN Unadapted borrowing from English Google. (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈɡu.ɡow/ (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈɡu.ɡɔɫ/ Google m or f Google (search engine or company) When referring to the search engine the noun is often treated as masculine, when referring to the company itself as feminine. googlear, googlar

Misspelling of googol (“one followed by a hundred zeros”), alluding to the site's purpose of providing easy access to vast amounts of information. IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡəl/ Rhymes: -uːɡəl Homophones: google, googol Google (trademark) A particular Internet company. (computing, trademark) A search engine that popularized the company of the same name. In other scripts, the trademark may also be written in Roman letters. Category:en:Google Android Frightful Five Google (third-person singular simple present Googles, present participle Googling or Googleing or Google-ing, simple past and past participle Googled) Alternative letter-case form of google From English Google. Google (genitive Googles) Google google From English Google. IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡle/, [ˈɡuːɡle̞] IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡəl/, [ˈɡuːɡəl] IPA(key): /ˈɡoːɡle/, [ˈɡo̞ːɡle̞] Google Google (trademark) Google (search engine) (France) IPA(key): /ɡu.ɡœl/ Google ? Google Borrowed from English Google. IPA(key): /ˈɡuːɡəl/, [ˈɡuːɡəl], [ˈɡuːɡl̩] Hyphenation: Goo‧gle Google n (genitive Googles) Google (search engine) googeln Borrowed from English Google. IPA(key): [ˈɡuːɡl̩], [ˈɡuːɡəl] Hyphenation: Google Rhymes: -əl Google Google (search engine or company) Due to the difficulty posed by its word-final consonant cluster, it is sometimes localized informally (and somewhat jocularly) as gugli and this latter variant may serve as a basis for further derivations. The Hungarian version of Google uses suffixes with -o- in Google’s Chrome browser. or or guglizható (“googleable”) guglizhatatlan (“ungoogleable”) (gugliz →) kigugliz, meggugliz, rágugliz (“to google up”, approximately) guglizik (“to google”) Kiguglizhatatlan at latillad.org Collection of posts in this topic at moly.hu Melyik a helyes? Google-lal vagy google-val? at gyakorikerdesek.hu Google-on at e-nyelv.hu Borrowed from English Google. IPA(key): /ˈɡu.ɡol/ Rhymes: -uɡol Google m Google (search engine or company) googlare Unadapted borrowing from English Google. IPA(key): /ɡuɡl/ Rhymes: -uɡl Syllabification: Google Google m inan Google or Indeclinable. Google in Polish dictionaries at PWN Unadapted borrowing from English Google. (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈɡu.ɡow/ (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈɡu.ɡɔɫ/ Google m or f Google (search engine or company) When referring to the search engine the noun is often treated as masculine, when referring to the company itself as feminine. googlear, googlar