hendery protection squad 2k19

(201115) @bumkeyk 

1 (criminal) & 2 (black rose) of the album set a specific emotional landscape of despair & emotional turmoil & being completely captive to toxic relationships, duality of both victim + perpetrator on his part 

3 (strangers) - speaks to quiet loss but a hopeful tilt to it as if the sun is going to come up eventually even after losing important relationships 

4 (waiting for) - enmeshed in a toxic dynamic again but knowing it’s toxic this time & he is begging himself to let go of the dream that this can ever be a reciprocal, healthy love but being dragged down again

5 (famous) - literally abt fame necessitating illusions & masks of perfection [the start of the song having ‘i’m so fabulous’ + ‘i’m so dangerous’ & refrains of ‘no drama no drama’ & then by the end of the song just having ‘i’m famous’ so the glamour of fame dying…] & not knowing who he is anymore 

6 (clockwork) - devastating loss & finality of outcomes & unable to take back mistakes 

7 (just me and you) - spending a perfect, peaceful night with someone but the sounds of a cassette opening & closing emphasizing this is a memory or a recorded desire 

8 (nemo) - loss but from the perspective of much more distance, plaintive acknowledgement of how he’s hurt the other person but still a bit vague on it, not fully understanding but still wishing they were together again

9 (2 kids) - bittersweet but full acceptance that the relationship is over & better understanding of what went wrong & conclusion neither party can rly be blamed as either victim or perpetrator but due to follies of youth + immaturity

Xuxi’s wise words for weishennies.

Bonus: Hendery’s reaction in the background