#skandra

I’m a big fan of these gals 👇

Their interactions were very genuine, and much like the green and white-haired boy NPCs we meet in earlier quests (I like them too!), there’s actually some character development involved. As the former leader of the party who left a while back, Leandra (my name for glasses girl) acted as a good mentor for current leader Skati (bandana girl). It’s my belief that this particular mini storyline was meant to parallel or at least allude a little bit to the union leaders, so it was really interesting to see this particular type of relationship between Keyblade wielders play out

Four years ago, Speedy Ortiz leader Sadie Dupuis released a full-length debut, Slugger, under her solo moniker Sad13. Then, back in June, she announced a sophomore outing called Haunted Painting. The latest preview of Haunted Painting is called 'Oops…!' Here’s what Dupuis had to say about it: "We recorded 'Oops…!' at New Monkey, which was Elliott Smith’s studio. This one has a magic drum sound — thanks entirely to engineer Sarah Tudzin (of Illuminati Hotties notoriety), and Zoë Brecher’s impeccable playing. Just before writing it, on tour with CHVRCHES, a venue employee became physically and verbally violent with one of my Speedy Ortiz bandmates. He directed his fake apology at me instead of the person he harmed, presumably because I am smaller and present feminine. My vengeance complex kicked in and I got a scary adrenaline high making sure this unsafe person was removed from the show. While I’m glad I have protective instincts, I wrote the song to process ways in which I’ve used people’s assumptions about me and my body to wield my own version of toxic masculinity. Kimber-Lee Alston, who directed remotely via Zoom, turned this story and song into an allegory about a 1950s prom queen vampire who lures in her bad boy victims with delicious, blood-filled treats." Musically, 'Oops…!' sits between the poppiest ends of Dupuis’ Sad13 songwriting and the more rock-oriented side of her work with Speedy Ortiz. [via Stereogum]

Lola Young has unveiled a powerful new video for latest track ‘Woman’. As Lola explains when opening up the video - “what you’re about to see is woman in all their glory, in all their pain, unapologetic in their self-love and unashamed in this moment of vanity”. Taking striking visuals and combining it with Lola’s standout voice - the results are a must-watch. Speaking about the video, Lola explains: “I wanted to make this video because I believe women are all undeniably strong, sexy, free, brave, vulnerable, raw and powerful and that we do not have to hide away. We do not have to remain unseen, our bodies should never be sexualised or a taboo conversation, or only seen through the male gaze. We have the ability to normalise our bodies being on show, and accept them for their differences, as It’s important to remember those differences are currently often shamed. I pushed for the women in the video being fully nude and the energy on set because of that was insane. I have never felt more empowered in my life. Nipples, bums, rolls, stretch marks, cellulite, all of these things are beautiful along with the ‘perfect’ body. This is my personal experience of being a woman, hopefully other women will have their own take on what it means to them”. [via Dork]

'Rivers' is the new single by the musical project of Alexandra Duparc — SKANDRA. This song is a story we have each possibly lived inside. But it’s not one you easily wish to remember. It is a toxic setting wherein who you love is eating away at you and you’re not able to break away. The very muse you draw so much from is the same one that hurts you even while you sleep. 'Rivers' takes you on a journey through the looking-glass both in sentiment and aurally. With synthetic pops, energetic picks, and rhythmic beats, the song will peacefully make your ears and mind, alike, buzz with nostalgia, and fills them with hope for a better future.

Taking a leap from the Broadway stage to the recording studio is singer-songwriter Sophia Anne Caruso with her debut tune 'Toys'. Teaming up with Empire The Sun’s Nick Littlemore, Sophia’s sweet angelic vocals guide us through this sombre piano melody as she confesses her innermost thoughts and feelings. With raw emotion and a captivating presence, Sophia wanders through ruins of a castle and forest for a stirring cinematic video. The poetic song follows up from the actor’s performance in the Tony-nominated Broadway production of the cult classic Beetlejuice, where she stared as the gothic teenage physic medium Lydia. While she may have conquered the stage with her incandescent performances, the singer is ready to take on the next challenge and we’re excited to see where the next chapter will take her. [via Wonderland]

Tāmaki Makaurau’s Valkyrie are back with a brand new track ‘Good Thing’, their most infectious bop of a track yet (really – try not to dance to this, we dare you), accompanied by a vivacious and decadently alluring video directed by Shae Sterling. The track is written about the sexiness of Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger, and is overflowing with good vibes and energy. Speaking of the idea behind ‘Good Thing’, Valkyrie’s front woman Omer Gilroy says, "Imagine being stuck in isolated nature for a week, surrounded by the Beatles, the Stones and Jimi Hendrix... No cell service, just vinyls of the classics and friends. We had a good thing going and what you hear in the song is how we felt while writing it."

Two weeks after Kylie Minogue released her new song 'Say Something,' the singer has paired the single with a sparkling video directed by Sophie Muller. Keeping with the Disco theme of her new album and song’s lyrics, the visual finds Minogue and her dancers grooving to 'Say Something' in front of an interstellar backdrop, with the pop singer sometimes delivering the track from atop a horse statue. “We’re a million miles apart/In a thousand ways,” Minogue sings on the upbeat, introspective track. “Baby you can light up the dark/Like a solar-scape.” [via Rolling Stone]

Los Angeles' DeathbyRomy makes dark, gothic pop with a theatrical edge; the 20-year-old's debut album, 2018's Monsters, is filled with brooding electronic beats as she waxes poetic about her many failed loves, complete with features from Lil B, Yung Bans, and Cuban Doll. DeathbyRomy's most recent single, 'Fiending For A Lover,' though, shows the young artist making a pivot into brighter, more straightforward pop with its upbeat, maximalist production and an intro that feels like a nod to the TikTok famous 'Lalala.' NYLON premiered the song's video, a quarantine-filmed visual that includes a Mean Girls-esque burn book, and the singer dressed to the nines in Harajuku fashion. Lounging in the maximalist pink interiors of her room, the young artist fantasizes about wanting to be tied down again, even if it ends up kind of toxic: "Something in the way you hurt me/ I love it though it's quite unnerving." "This song was inspired by feeling locked up during this quarantine," Romy writes of the song in an email. "An overall sense of lingering mania and being the hopeless romantic I am; I’ve been fantasizing more than ever about my imaginary boyfriend. There may also have been a crush or two who inspired the song….(sneaky smile)." [via NYLON]