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Rated: 13+ · Book · Music · #2313403
A blog about music from my unique perspective (also a spot for some poetry I’ve written)
A blog, generally about music, usually for projects hosted by Jeff Author Icon. I may also write about the 48-Hour Media Prompt Challenge if I don't feel like writing a story or poem inspired by the given song. Other bits of poetry or different topics of discussion might end up here as well.

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February 28, 2025 at 7:35am
February 28, 2025 at 7:35am
#1084489
My 28th and final choice for "The Soundtrack of Your LifeOpen in new Window. is a fitting one, the end track of the 2024 Imagine Dragons album Loom.

Sound:
Oddly enough, Fire in These Hills has a trumpet in the background. The feel is slow-paced and vibe-y, similar to the album cover art. Dan Reynolds' voice comes in from a distance at certain moments, and overall the production is quiet, simple and understated, for the Dragons at least.

Theme:
Dan here is contemplating the sunset of his relationship with his ex-wife Aja Volkman, turning perhaps for comfort to his loyal fans, who are with him and the band through it all.

Fire in These Hills is very much a final track, carrying a distinct feeling of sadness and weariness, as Dan realizes how much he's poured himself into his decades-long career, perhaps sacrificing relationships in the process. Like a child, he expresses open vulnerability and a longing to return full circle in the bridge, "I'm so tired… I've run so far, can I please come home?"

In an NPR Weekend Edition interview, the hostess described Fire in These Hills as "very inspirational" and "a song of encouragement…" I don't see that in it myself, honestly. I see a song of loss, change, and a desire to make things right after it's too late. Perhaps the most optimistic moment is when he realizes "after everything, you're here with me still…" we are unsure who he's thinking of, though: his four kids? His fans? His ex-wife, who he insists is still his best friend? Such is life.

The emotional impact is greater at the Amazon Music Songline performance, especially with the strings backing and the sun setting over the scenic California coastline. There is also some commentary which adds enlightenment.

Significance:
Perhaps what stands out to me most about Fire in These Hills is that I fell asleep listening to it on my first evening. I don't usually fall asleep with my earbuds in, but this is such a slow, peaceful song that once I turned the Bluetooth volume one crank down, my mind started drifting and the next thing I knew I was like "wait, what just happened? how many times did I let this play?" (About six or eight, according to my music player app.)

Enjoy this finale. I don't have as much to say about it as I thought I would, which is a relief.




Words: 400.

February 27, 2025 at 9:55am
February 27, 2025 at 9:55am
#1084445
My 27th choice is a deep cut from the 2024 OneRepublic album Artificial Paradise. It brings the album's themes around full circle, being one of the most serious, thoughtful and lyrically dense songs on it.

Sound:
The first thing I noticed about Last Holiday is how real it is. It begins with applause and a guitar hook, sweeps up some cello, with handclaps and harmonizing backing vocals… everything about it appears to have been recorded at an real performance, almost like sitting around a campfire, rather than in a studio. This makes the message come alive in a truly memorable way.

Front man Ryan Tedder's voice comes through quietly, with an honest, heartfelt tiredness and urgency which is fitting for the bottom of an unusually long album.

Theme:
Last Holiday strikes a tone of urgent maturity, with Ryan coming to the realization that life doesn't go on forever and certain things like love, family and personal faith should be prioritized above others such as money and career.

It has a deep weariness, even jadedness to it, as the chorus goes "I don't believe in the stars anymore/ they never gave me what I wished for…" It reminds me of children growing up and realizing life isn't a Disney movie.

"Press pause and take some moments/ find God before it all ends…" Honestly, the simple yet deeply philosophical lyrics don't need much explanation. They're a reminder to get our life's act together and live with no regrets, because we never know when it will be over.

Significance:
I wish I could tell you Ryan's backstory about Last Holiday… but I don't like podcasts. Ryan Tedder appeared on the Kyle Meredith show after AP dropped last year, and one of the "teasers" was something like "the dark truth behind Last Holiday."

When I saw that I was like "OMG, I must find out!" Because I knew there was something more to Last Holiday than it might seem. But the podcast is over an hour long, it rambles all over the place, Kyle Meredith seems like an obnoxious interviewer, and I can't carve out an hour to listen to a show or another hour afterwards to take notes on everything I learned.

It would be far easier for me to read the transcript… but Apple podcasts does the worst transcription job I've ever seen. They couldn't spell the host's name right, forget labelling who was speaking. I would have to jump through digital hoops to try to get a legible transcript. So… it drives me crazy, but I don't have the scoop. If you have time to watch the interview on YouTube and find where Ryan talks about Last Holiday, let me know!

I will say this was a significant song for me last August as I prepared a story for the Official WdC Contest, What a Character. I was dealing with subjects far more intense than I'd ever thought I would attempt to write about, and Last Holiday was my early draft choice for the heroine's theme song, something she listens to and takes refuge in during a crisis.

With this in mind, I must've listened to Last Holiday a couple dozen times, trying to absorb the experience and match up the song's themes with what I was writing. At some point I realized there was a mismatch, and the song I ultimately went with and took my title from was God Only Knows, from For King and Country. Indeed, I made myself tired of Last Holiday, and quite frankly have not listened to it again until writing this up!

Last Holiday is a timeless classic, with a somber yet optimistic tone as it reminds us to appreciate and hold on to what we love before inevitable change takes it away.



 
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God Only Knows Open in new Window. (18+)
Will the road she’s on lead her home? 1st in What a Character, August '24
#2325210 by Amethyst Angel 🍀 Author IconMail Icon


Words: 660.
February 26, 2025 at 4:26am
February 26, 2025 at 4:26am
#1084393
My 26th track is yet another deep cut (no music video) from the 2015 Imagine Dragons album Smoke + Mirrors. This is my last one off of it for this year's "The Soundtrack of Your LifeOpen in new Window. series.

The cover art which surrealist oil painter Tim Cantor  Open in new Window. created for Polaroid shows an infant floating over a cheetah in full speed mode. This is supposed to capture the theme of a life lived recklessly and thoughtlessly.

In Cantor's rough drafts and concept sketches, which were released alongside the S+M demo collection (Reflections), it is revealed the original ideas for the painting included a skeleton in the grave at the base of the image, and the infant was a fetus in the womb. This would have completed the cycle of life in a rather more intense way than it ended up being.

Sound:
Polaroid jumps right into the opening lines, beginning lightly and then bringing in the drums between the opening and the first chorus.

I'm pretty sure it has a glockenspiel, or perhaps a xylophone; some kind of bell notes which add a unique texture. I like how we can hear everyone in the band join in on the second chorus; it adds a folksy, "sing-along" feel. The wall of sound at the end is a bit of a pile-on, but it's typical of the S+M album.

I might add here that Smoke + Mirrors was entirely self-produced by the Dragons, which resulted in a rather over-the-top sound as compared to their next album, Evolve (2017,) which had outside producers overseeing it and recommending a cleaner, more pared-down style.

Theme:
Polaroid lays out emotions disguised in an endless series of folksy, almost playfully opaque metaphors; Dan Reynolds describes himself as everything from a "day-late two face" to a "rolling freight train."

When he started writing and sharing his songs as a teenager, he didn't like to reveal his true feelings of confusion and depression to his parents, so he would hide behind metaphorical language. This habit lingered through several albums, until these days when guitarist Wayne Sermon has expressed admiration for the way Dan's songwriting voice has matured and he can express what he feels with directness and honesty. (Amazon Music Songline performance)

Significance:
I can remember the day I put this on to listen to for the first time. It was New Year's Eve, and we were headed to Naples, Florida for a vacation. I played it once, and proceeded to have it on loop for most of the drive south, enthralled by the simple, catchy melody and the quaint, unique metaphorical lyrics which seemed to describe me as well as the narrator.

The next day was the new year, and I found myself making a digital art piece inspired by Polaroid, with the words "life's a blank canvas, and you are the color of boom!" incorporating the idea of fireworks and a new beginning despite the song's overall gloomy theme.

Polaroid is one of my favorite ID songs to sing to myself, quite easy and memorable like an old-fashioned folk song.



Words: 516.
February 25, 2025 at 1:51am
February 25, 2025 at 1:51am
#1084355
Today's choice is a single off the 2016 OneRepublic album Oh My My. Better never got a music video because band leader Ryan Tedder took an extended break from music production after the album release.

Sound:
There are two vastly different versions of Better: the string and the studio. Both masterfully encapsulate an atmosphere of tension, anxiety and mental fragility.

The studio original uses generous doses of dubstep (a special kind of synth) and reverb, creating an eerie feeling of pulsing brain waves against Ryan's staccato lyrical rhythms and plunging, echoing deep notes.

The string version begins with the effect of an inexorably ticking clock, and has no drums whatsoever. Violin and cello chase each other between the words in high notes of orchestral symphony, weaving a web of mystery and instability.

Theme:
By now Better's theme is probably obvious. Ryan Tedder is here dealing with being on the edge of a nervous breakdown, reminding himself that it can happen to anyone and "in the morning I'll be better."

He speaks directly from his own experience, bringing us a song so honest, he lived up to it the moment he had the opportunity. I was getting into 1R as a band right when Ryan was making his comeback in 2017, and I eagerly cheered him on, praying he wouldn't be another Chester Bennington, who had passed the same year, though I knew little about either of them.

I love how at the bridge, Ryan turns the question of mental well-being upon us and offers us the same advice he's been telling himself. It's a clever lyrical twist which brings the message home.

Significance:
I've only rarely heard this song in public, instead bonding to it directly from YouTube in my early days of exploring 1R. The two versions taught me what to expect from the band in terms of their skills with the cello (thank member Brent Kutzle for that,) and the lyrics gave me a relatable way to navigate my own feelings of unease and mental exhaustion.

I seem to go through a nervous breakdown of some kind at least once a year, usually in the winter. Ryan's words offer some comfort as I remember the cyclical nature of life and the way things tend to get better after getting worse. I have often hummed and sung this to myself over the years, clinging to its simple, fragile optimism.

Last year as part of my "Musicology AnthologyOpen in new Window. project, I took Better and crafted a story about a neurodivergent young man in a hostile work environment, based partly on my own experience. At first I thought it was a rather silly story… how heartwarming to receive a five-star review and award from my dear friend Jack Tyler. (He even listened to the song at the end; "syncopated" is how he described the lyrical rhythm.)

I can't let go of the Oh My My album this month without a word of thanks to Jack for patiently reading, reviewing and awarding stories out of that collection. His kind words of advice and affirmation kept me motivated to complete the most ambitious, high-stakes project I'd yet taken on here.



Better Open in new Window. (13+)
Think you lost your mind? Don't worry about it...
#2320166 by Amethyst Angel 🍀 Author IconMail Icon


Words: 540.
February 24, 2025 at 5:22am
February 24, 2025 at 5:22am
#1084306
My next track—don't worry, there's only a few left!—is a bonus off the tail end of the 2015 Imagine Dragons album Smoke + Mirrors.

Being one of a handful of extra songs, it did not have its own painting from artist Tim Cantor.

Sound:
Thief has a "larger than life" style, bombastic and exaggerated, with somewhat more of a Night Visions feel than a S+M feel to it. The drums are enormous, the guitars are suspenseful… some of the most "adventuresome," built-up tracks on S+M are the bonuses. At least two of them were used as movie soundtracks.

The bridge gives a pause, synesthetically twinkling into a slow buildup and return to the chorus.

Lead singer Dan Reynolds' voice seems especially high and thin, almost weak, on Thief, perhaps overwhelmed by the wall-of-sound production.

Theme:
Thief has some of my favorite lyrics of all of ID: poetic, thoughtful, and super simple to memorize and repeat. Dan mourns the loss of what he sees as his youthful boldness, pointing out his observation of the world's descent into a cynical refusal to face the truth.

Significance:
I've sung the two verses of Thief to myself far more often than I played the song over the years. In fact, I gave the words my own melody, turning Dan's slow, moody intonation into a quicker, more playful sort of jingle.

Oddly enough, I don't seem to have a lot to say about this song even though I love singing it. That's probably a good thing *Laugh*



Words: 262.
February 23, 2025 at 8:32am
February 23, 2025 at 8:32am
#1084265
My next track is Vertigo, from the 2004 U2 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. It's a fun song for me because I don't listen to much of the old-fashioned "noisy rock" kind of stuff. Steven groans when I mention it, but hey. It's my playlist, not his *Laugh*

Sound:
Despite having raucous guitar riffs which might almost be called grungy, Bono's voice here is anything but. He doesn't scream and yell with exaggerated angst like grunge/emo artists usually do, which makes Vertigo a marvelously tolerable song for me to listen to.

Theme:
I can actually identify with what I think Bono's trying to say here. He's describing the dizzying experience of having to perform in an extremely noisy, dark, grubby, crowded, indecent environment, and clinging to whatever kind of faith he feels in his heart to keep his head straight amidst the insanity.

As a person with sensory sensitivities, I'm easily distracted, overwhelmed and swept away by noisy environments, especially when there's music involved. Walmart on a busy day can make me go totally haywire…

On a side note, "vertigo," the actual medical condition, is connected to the inner ear and relates to how we process sound. Speculation remains on why exactly U2 named the song Vertigo, whether perhaps after a Mexican nightclub or something else.

Significance:
I first heard this in October 2024, during Hurricane Milton, in the same truck stop playlist as U2's other song Beautiful Day. I was delighted and amused to find it, understanding pretty well what it's about.

Which brings me to a fun little story I wrote as part of my "Musicology AnthologyOpen in new Window. series in May/June 2024. I had no idea Vertigo existed yet, but I crafted an overwhelming nightclub environment and a jaded spy character who couldn't stand it, partly based on my own attitudes. Ironically, I managed to incorporate yet a different U2 song into that story: City of Blinding Lights. It received an award from an appreciative fellow author.

Enjoy *Smile*


Oh My My Open in new Window. (13+)
Floating up like there's water underneath; I'm the desert, you're the shining sea...
#2321090 by Amethyst Angel 🍀 Author IconMail Icon


Words: 331.

February 22, 2025 at 9:40am
February 22, 2025 at 9:40am
#1084230
By the time this blog post goes up, Reflections, the Imagine Dragons album full of demos from the 2015 Smoke + Mirrors era vault, will be available. My choice, then, is an appropriate one, a deep cut off the original album: Hopeless Opus.

The title is a twist on the idea of a "magnum opus," or something you've given your entire life to, your biggest and proudest creation.

The cover art provided by surrealist oil painter Tim Cantor  Open in new Window. (Note to self: make sure that link still works, his site is under construction with the Reflections release) Anyway, his art piece for this song shows us a medieval thinker, sitting at a desk while his perfect mask slips away, revealing a troubled face.

Sound:
Hopeless Opus is a track which defines the uniquely messy sonic style of Smoke + Mirrors: fuzzy reverb, vocal stacking, distant shouts—"Jason!"—fluting notes, guitars, drums, and distortions piled on top of the kitchen sink like dirty dishes, pretty much. At several points you may question the integrity of your headphones. Trust me, that's the way it's supposed to sound.

Theme:
This song deals with an overwhelming sense of failure in the face of apparent success. It looks towards mysterious figures who are supposed to have some kind of control (the postman delivering checks, the "Fate Man," the umpire) asking them for a favor, another chance to make things right and finally succeed.

It even toys with the idea of "I could fake my own death," a hint at a desperate longing for a fresh start and a feeling of having made a disaster of one's life.

"It's not a picture perfect life, not what I had in mind/ let me write my own line…" sums up the song in words which need no explanation.

Dan Reynolds was going through severe depression and battling Ankylosing Spondylitis when he wrote this. The explosive success of ID's 2012 breakout album Night Visions proved to be nearly too much for him to handle. Thus, much of the moodiness, heaviness and searching on their sophomore album.

Significance:
Hopeless Opus is a song which has always spoken deeply to me. I identify strongly with Dan's feelings of failure and being trapped in a life full of poor decisions.

One of the incredible things about this song is how it taught me to sing. I had not sang a single note since I was a young child, and I've always struggled with my perception of my own voice. As I learned about pop music in my adult years, I didn't want to try singing because I was afraid my voice would sound like Adele!

The evening I discovered Hopeless Opus, I had it on repeat ad infinitum, analyzing it, memorizing it, and feeling completely at one with the words. At some point, I put aside the earbuds and blasted the song as loud as I could.

Suddenly, as Hopeless Opus became my song, I started singing along with Dan on the chorus. And just like that, my voice was released. (I don't sound like Adele when I sing; I sound like a cross between a teenage boy and a duck.)

I've since tried singing nearly every one of the songs I love, and I've discovered Dan Reynolds writes some of the easiest possible melodies. He focuses on rhyme, rhythm and poetic structures rather than delicate vocal melisma, resulting in simple, catchy, repeatable songs I've often compared to nursery rhymes.

One might call them "sturdy" songs. One might also hearken back to Dan's appreciation for and influence by 90's hip-hop such as Tupac. Dan says it's his childhood classical music training and liking for old-fashioned pop radio singles.

Hopeless Opus is a favorite of mine for many reasons, inspiring several art pieces and following me through different stages of my life as I deal with my deeply dualistic nature.



Words: 630.
February 21, 2025 at 1:28am
February 21, 2025 at 1:28am
#1084162
As I begin writing this post while waiting in line at Walmart, would you believe 2013's Counting Stars started playing overhead? Yep. Good ol' OneRepublic *Smile*

Stargazing is a deep cut off their 2024 album Artificial Paradise. There's an acoustic version on the Super Deluxe album, and it's hard to choose a favorite. 1R does wonders with acoustics… when they're not too lazy to record a fresh set of vocals over them *RollEyes*

Sound:
This song has a "vibe-y" sound, classic OneRepublic in all respects: guitar strums, harmonies, echoes, etc. Listening to the original, I'm wondering what exactly the difference is with the acoustic. I'll let you know…

Ok, the acoustic begins with a piano rather than a guitar. Ryan speaks into near silence at first, and the instruments are much sparser. I believe they did indeed record a fresh vocal track for this version. It also seems a bit slower, but that's more the pacing of the music than the actual length, which is identical to the original.

Oh, there's no drum. That means I can add the acoustic Stargazing to my "no drums" playlist. Which means I should probably go back through the acoustic set and see if any of the others don't have drums either. I was in a bit of a rush when the Super Deluxe Artificial Paradise came out. Hardly had a chance to truly appreciate some of the treasures on it.

Theme:
Stargazing is one of the cornerstones of AP, shedding more lyrical light on the album's themes and concepts. It speaks with a hint of sadness: "dark side of the moon/ the world looks so blue/ I'ma leave it all behind if I have to…"

Remember what I said about "Singapore, by OneRepublicOpen in new Window. painting a musical picture of an alien encounter? Well, Stargazing pretty much paints a lyrical picture of such. The chorus, "top down, now we're beaming up" and "welcome home to the afterglow" as well as the general desire to be removed from the world's pains and sorrows by losing yourself in celestial wonders…

Significance:
Stargazing was an immediate favorite of mine, one of the AP tracks which fell into the more classic and acoustic category rather than being more electronic or funky.

As I listened to this song while condensing my ideas about AP's overarching narrative, I realized I had already tapped into this same idea of running away with aliens, three months before the song appeared! Inspired by Nathan W. Pyle's loveable Strange Planet creatures, I wrote "Little BlueOpen in new Window. for Gaby's "Game of ThronesOpen in new Window. activity in April of 2024.

Enjoy this beautiful, wistful song.




Words: 448.
February 20, 2025 at 8:49am
February 20, 2025 at 8:49am
#1084131
My 20th is a deep cut off the 2024 Imagine Dragons album Loom. It's ironic, I'm writing this in one sitting back to back with yesterday's, and the two songs are thematically diametrically opposed, as you might guess by the provocative title.

Sound:
Gods Don't Pray is built around a surprisingly infectious, bouncy bass line, with edgy synth waves and squelchy little sounds interspersed. Musically it's fairly simple, allowing the words to come through without a lot of fussy effects.

Theme:
The lyrics are where it's at in this song. This is one of the only songs my bands have recently released which I memorized all the words to quickly. I only remember bits and pieces mostly these days, since I don't write them down by hand anymore (golly, how did I ever have time for that *Shock2*)

When I first saw the title Gods Don't Pray in the Loom tracklist, I worried it would be a deeply sacrilegious song. ID has previously put out songs discussing Dan Reynolds "Lennon-ish" lack of faith; in 2022's Take It Easy, he declares "they tell me heaven's just a lie—well I'm not surprised!"

I didn't need to worry, though, because this song is far more relevant to earthly drama than it is spiritual. Although I will point out that as Dan was raised Mormon, he is familiar with their understanding of humanity eventually achieving divinity. This may have led to his questioning why he should pray and who exactly he would be praying to if he did. There is some dispute over how the song's theme originated in the studio.

Dan speaks with a remarkably tidy rhythm: the two verses have a perfect 10-8-10-8 syllable count. I always say he talks more than he sings; in a way, he's really reciting poetry. This relates to his love of 90's hip-hop like Tupac and such. This also makes Gods Don't Pray very easy for me to sing. It's the kind of song I bring with me when I have to walk alone.

Where Dan says "love me, hate me and make me ugly, break me and shame me…" it was like a gut punch in my soul when I first heard it. I know exactly how that feels…

Significance:
Gods Don't Pray captured my fancy in a truly powerful way when I first listened to it. I imagined all sorts of dramatic scenarios, kind of like what you would see in Road to Perdition. As a sensitive person, I avoid watching movies at all costs and instead take satisfaction in songs which give me "movies in my head."

One of the scenarios I imagined had to do with the decadence of Rome and the Caesars' tendency to consider themselves gods. A father figure in ancient Rome had complete control over his household and those of his adult children, right down to determining if they lived or died. A situation like this is ripe for horrific distortion.

In essence, that is ultimately the working definition of a "God" for Gods Don't Pray: one who holds the power of life and death in their hands.

I became so obsessed over this song that during the month of August, when I decided to write something for Steven's fire-themed horror contest, I assumed I would be taking inspiration for a solidly horrifying tale from Gods Don't Pray. I even told him that in a Newsfeed comment, to which he responded dryly, "why am I not surprised?" *Rolling*

It didn't really work that way… the twisted, dysfunctional father-son relationship I had in mind managed to normalize itself, and ultimately the story I hammered out had little to connect it with the things I thought about when I listened to Gods Don't Pray.

Indeed, I think I might have had an easier time writing the story if I hadn't been so sure I would be inspired by one specific song. That experience taught me an important lesson about separating my music from my writing.

Enjoy… if you can *Wink*



Words: 681.

February 19, 2025 at 9:43am
February 19, 2025 at 9:43am
#1084080
My 19th is Human, a track off the 2016 OneRepublic album, Oh My My. This is one of the songs I wrote a story to for "Musicology AnthologyOpen in new Window. last year. I've heard it show up in unexpected places, but that was years ago, so it's basically a deep cut. It is not to be confused with 1R's 2021 album, which is also called Human. (This is one of the reasons why I underline album titles, which are technically supposed to be italicized alongside song titles. Many songs share a title with their respective album or even a different one.)

Sound:
Human is built around wavy, piano-based synth, almost a dance track. It features a steady high falsetto from lead singer Ryan Tedder; it is briefly electronically modified right before the outro, but most of it is his own skill. I've seen him doing high notes live, and he can handle them. Perhaps most impressive is how much he enjoys doing it.

One can sense the honest weariness in Ryan's voice in this song, as he was approaching a breaking point of exhaustion while this album was coming together. He is one of the most enthusiastic, hardest working people I know of, and by 2016 this pace caught up with him.

Theme:
Ryan tells us that when he finished writing Human, he worried it would be seen as sacrilegious. The band brought the song to the father of one of their members, who happened to be a preacher. He listened to it and approved.

The words show us a narrator who has fallen away in his spirituality and is returning to God with questions about why life is so difficult. God comes back with His own question: "how does it feel to be human?" And says He would like to experience our fragile human happiness for "just one day." This is a rather peculiar twist, since according to Christianity God came down to Earth in human form. But it makes for an interesting philosophical inquiry.

Ryan Tedder doesn't speak much about his personal faith, but he grew up in a large Christian home, and the basic, wholesome worldview has influenced a lot of his songwriting. In other words, he writes with soul. This song is a more obvious expression of spiritual thought than 1R's usual.

Significance:
I have always enjoyed the unique, quirky lyrics of Human, and find it going through my head every so often. I did my best to honor it in the 2024 Musicology Anthology. The story I wrote won second place at "Philosophical MusingsOpen in new Window.


Human Open in new Window. (ASR)
How does it feel to be human? Do some of the best plans you make get ruined?
#2320763 by Amethyst Angel 🍀 Author IconMail Icon


Words: 421.

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