Category: Entertainment

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Art Entertainment Music

The road to winning Eurovision 2021: Måneskin’s rise to fame.

Every year, all of Europe eagerly hold their breath, waiting to see, which country will take the Eurovision prize home this year. Many see it as an opportunity to put their country on the map or bring their music career to a whole different level. Numerous world-renowned artists found their international fame by winning the famous contest, such as Celine Dion and ABBA, however, winning the Eurovision contest is no easy feat. This was never clearer than with 2021 Eurovision winners, the Italian rock band Måneskin. From their participation in the Italian ex factors to disproven drug allegations, this band’s road to fame is long, arduous, and full of important milestones, despite their young age.

 Lead vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchi met in a high school in Monteverde, Rome where they were young students in this same establishment. There they decided to form a band in 2016 and initially used to play in private when they decided to partake in the pulse competition for new bands -that they later won-, which is also when they choose the band’s name. According to the band members, they came up with the name by asking Victoria De Angelis, who is half Danish, to say some Danish words, and so they chose Måneskin, which means moonlight.

This pushed them to start writing their own songs, and eventually lead them to perform in the Felt Music Club & School .
After that, they took their music to the street by becoming buskers and they performed all around the city of Rome. By then they started to participate in more contests and live shows and training hours per day. As they grew older, they amassed more experience, and in 2017, they went on to win second place in the Italian talent show The X Factor where they covered many English songs such as “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers and one original song “Chosen”. This same song was then released as their first single which was included in their first EP by the same name which consisted of songs they covered in the X Factor. It was certified platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry and it jump started their national career.

On 23 March 2018, they released their first Italian single ” Morirò Da Re “, which was then included in their first original album “Il Ballo De La Vita ” (The ball of life) which topped the Italian charts. Additionally to the album, they also released a film documentary called “This is Måneskin” as a way to promote themselves and their album. They released three more songs in 2019: “Fear for Nobody“, ” L’altra dimensione” and “Le parole lontane“, while simultaneously going on their first European tour in Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom with more than 140,000 tickets sold. They then released their seventh single “Vent’anni” while working on new material in London.
In March 2021, they won the Sanremo Music Festival 2021 with the song “Zitti e buoni “. After that, they announced their second Album  ” Teatro d’ira ” (Theater of wrath).

On 22 May 2021, they were announced as the winners of the 2021 Eurovision contest while representing Italy, again with the song « Zitti e buoni », winning a total of 524 points – 206 from the jury and 318 from the public. A few moments after their win, however,  online speculations raised the question of whether Damiano, the lead singer of the rock band, was taking drugs, specifically cocaine, after seeing footage of him with his head near a table during the contest. This question was directly asked by a journalist to the singer during the press conference that followed the win. Damiano David – who considered the accusation to be incredibly offensive, and overshadowing their win on the BBC breakfast – formally denied these accusations during the conference and willingly provided a drug test, which turned out negative, as evidence.
This didn’t stop their success, the video of them singing their winning entry in the Eurovision is currently number 1 trending on YouTube, and the song itself has entered the top 20 in many European countries and is now top 9 on the Spotify global chart.
According to the band « this is just the beginning » and they will be going on tour and releasing new music as stated by Vitoria de Angelis in their first reaction to their win.

They are now preparing their next album which is to be released by the end of the year, with at least four concert dates in Italy, a tour in Italy and Europe starting in March 2022 and they have officially released their merchandise today, which were sold in 28 minutes. With all these plans ahead and their blossoming international fame, the world is going to be seeing more of Måneskin soon.   

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Entertainment Fashion Music

Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes” are not, in fact, satanic, and here is why.

The newly released song Montero (call me by your name) by Lil Nas X  sparked both outrage and admiration with its bold approach to the biblical episode of Adam and Eve. Some people considered his video to be satanic but this is not the only aspect of his newest ventures that have gotten him accusations of Satanism. With the new release of his « Satan shoes » which sold out in less than a minute, he has gotten backlashes for the design which contains an upside-down cross, a pentagram, three six, a bible verse, and, supposedly, human blood. But despite what is shown in modern media and horror films, none of the previously mentioned characteristics are satanic symbols.

Despite the notoriety this symbol got through its use in Horror movies and games, the upside-down cross is not a symbol of Satanism. This symbol’s origin lies in Christianity, specifically the death of saint peter. The disciple of Jesus refused to be sentenced to the same death as Jesus and so requested to be crucified upside down. Since then, the Catholic church started using this cross in his honor hence why it is called the cross of Saint Peter.

Lutheran Church of Veitsiluoto, Kemi, Finland.

As for the pentagram, this symbols’ origin can be found in ancient Greece and Babylonia. One of its use was to represent the human anatomy, showing the four limbs and the head, which is a motif that will be picked up again in the renaissance era with scientists such as Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. This same scientist and occultist also popularized its use as a symbol of the five elements, fire, water, earth, and air.

Pentagram and human body.

This symbol is also associated with modern occultism where it’s the symbol of Wicca and was adopted by the satanic temple in 1966 to symbolize the triumph of earthly principle and carnal desires. This symbol was also used in many religions such as Judaism where it represented wisdom, justice, and mercy, in the Druze religion and Christianity where it once symbolized the five wounds of Jesus. The pentagram can also be found in countries’ flags such as Morocco. As such, the pentagram in and itself is not a satanic symbol but a symbol with varied uses.

Flag of Morocco.svg
Flag of Morocco.

Now for the bible verse put on the shoes and their box, here is what it says: « He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ». This biblical verse shows the fall of satan from his usurped place in heaven, the mind of man, or could be a reference to the story of satans’ creation but it is always a symbol of satans defeat. It is something for believers to rejoice in and is by no means or definition satanic, glorifying the devil or a bad omen.

Satan Shoes in their box

As for the three 6, in the bible, this number called the number of the beast or the number of men symbolizes the system of man that is under the influence of satan being mainly false religions, the deceived false governments, and mankind’s economic system which is self-centered. As such, this number does not symbolize the devil himself but the incomplete aspect of humanity mainly being, the governmental organization present throughout the globe and money. This number also contains positive connotations in places like China. It is only in modern culture where it started gaining notoriety for being a symbol of satan.

On his shoes, Lil Nas X incorporated symbols that can be easily attributed as satanic because of the way mainstream media paint them even though their use is complex and not necessarily related to satanism and are sometimes the complete opposite of that such as the bible verse mentioned.

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Entertainment Music

A testament to embracing one’s self, Montero (call me by your name) by Lil Nas X is finally out.

From Old Town Road to Holidays, Lil Nas x has been releasing a steady stream of hit songs, and now, his highly anticipated single MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name), followed by the release of his “Satan shoes”, is finally out for the word to see.

For a few months now, Lil Nas X has been teasing his fan base by showing little snippets of his song on his TikTok videos. It clearly had the desired effect as people have been dying to hear the song in its integrity.

@lilnasx

i was so young 😢

♬ CALL ME BY YOUR NAME BY LIL NAS X – not lil nas x

Now that their wish is coming true, Lil Nas X did not disappoint. Throughout the song, he sings of authenticity, of a place where societal pressure can’t reach him, as he says at the beginning of the song: « In life, we hide the parts of ourselves we don’t want the world to see, We lock them away. We tell them, ‘No.’ We banish them. But here, we don’t.”

This place being well, Hell. Throughout this whole music video from kissing a snake and falling to hell on a pole, to giving the devil a lap dance, not only does Lil Nas X offer his fans a well-crafted and aesthetically pleasing narrative, but it is also his way of embracing his sexuality. According to one of his Instagram posts, this whole song and video, is a message to his younger self, the one who was afraid of ever coming out, Of being « That type of gay » and about loving . After all, considering that the song’s title is his real name, it should come as no surprise that he has an intimate connection to it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM3i2RelCkK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This song is now #2 on trending on YouTube and was more than well received by his fans and fellow musicians who have been very vocal about their opinions and love for the song on Twitter. Many of them consider Lil Nas X  as someone Queer black kids could look up to and be encouraged to embrace themselves.

https://twitter.com/osnit_/status/1375298572371914752

In this new single, Lil Nas X gives us another iconic performance, paving the road to so many others, all wrapped up in a devilishly ethereal narrative and colorful aesthetic, enough to charm Eden’s snake himself.

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Art Entertainment Music

“People disappear here”: Halsey’s Artworks on sale for the first time in her career.

For fans of the artist, it’s no secret that music is not the only creative outlet through which Halsey enjoys expressing herself. Her passion for painting has shown itself in her music career on multiple occasions such as The “Graveyard (time laps)” music video or her performance of « Eastside » on Saturday night live. In her newest art venture, however, fans and admirers of her art now have the chance to acquire one of her pieces for themselves. On the 12 of march, the artist announced that she will be putting some of her artworks on sale for the first time through the Nifty gateway, with a portion of the sale going to My Friend’s Place (MFPLA), an organization for homeless youth and Carbon 180, which works to fight global warming.

https://twitter.com/halsey/status/1370822746154885121

The artworks in question called « People disappear here » , consists of one principal hand-painted piece with an animated version of it as well as multiple animations of the painting’s characters. According to Halsey, these creations were inspired by the multiple episodes of sleep paralysis and their demons which she has been experiencing a lot since the beginning of the quarantine. She says that « After seven years of bed surfing hotel rooms around the world, adjusting to my own pitch-black cave in California had a little bit of a learning curve. »

This state of mind becomes more than apparent with the disproportionately grotesque and almost human creatures dispersed through the impressive art piece and animations put up for auction on the 17th of march.  The vivid colors and almost clay-like texture of the animated monsters along with the eerie music in the background of each bring to life all of the artist’s strange nightly companions whether that would be a «toddler TV programming evil dentists » or a child born with huge claws.  Fan’s of horror video games might find this style a bit familiar.

Overall, the collection was well received and 5 days after the release of the art pieces, the main art work and most animations were sold out during the silent auction and their owners are not accepting offers. However, a lot of character animations are still available for sale on Nifty from the previous buyers, so there still is hope for fans who still wish to acquire a piece of Halsey’s collections. The price range goes from 2, 388 $ to 10,710 $.

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Art Entertainment

Five underrated artists that will spice up your Instagram feed.

From covers to jewelry making, Instagram has always been a great place for people to showcase their work and talents.  Indeed, the popularity and accessibility of this platform make it perfect for those that seek to attract people from all over the world. However, the relationship between the poster and the viewer is one of mutual benefit. Most people follow artists on Instagram because they genuinely enjoy or get intrigued by the person’s work. After all, what is art without someone to enjoy it?  With that being said, there is also a certain pleasure in discovering new talent on  Instagram and adding them to your collection of great artists to follow. The hunt for the next best thing never ends so here is a list of underrated painters, street artists, cartoonists, and illustrators that are worth checking out.

Lauren (@laproxie) :

The 21 years old digital artist is not only a great cartoonist but also a creative storyteller. Indeed, she does not only create beautiful illustrations but also draws a multitude of comic sketches from among us inspired panels to her comic Brutal havens. Her comics aren’t only hilarious and intriguing but they are also very inclusive and unexpectedly relatable for a comic about demons, angels, and immortal gods. Come for the beautiful graphics and stay for the funny and sweet characters! Careful, however, you might get to attached to the gods and fallen angels, you’ve been warned.

Jack Carden (@jack.carden.art) :

Jack Carden is a young artist from New Zealand who got his fame from the platform TikTok for his strange and unconventional art style. Indeed, the gothic-inspired pieces of works found on his page can seem strange at first glance. But still, capture people’s attention with its alluring rejection of what we generally perceive as art.

Read more “Five underrated artists that will spice up your Instagram feed.”
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Entertainment Movies

What we know of Emma Watson’s alleged retirement from the movie industry.

Lately, the famous Harry Potter actress has been trending on Twitter and the news of her alleged retirement has reached far and wide from TikTok to Instagram, putting her fans in a frenzy. It has also been the topic of discussion of many news outlets. But things are a little blurry these days and people don’t know what to believe. Here is what we know as of now about the 30 years old artists’ activities or lack thereof.

For a few years now, The actress has been quiet on social media, choosing instead to take some distance from them. This didn’t stop her from continuing to participate in series of blockbusters fit of the woman who made our childhood with movies such as Bling Bling, The perk of being a wallflower, Beauty and the Beast, and lately, Little Women in which Timothée Chalamet co-starred.

The news of her retirement initially saw the light of the day in a daily mail article where they reportedly said that her acting was “dormant”. This was understood by many as the actresses leaving her acting career behind.

This, however, was quickly challenged and questioned by many and rightfully so. According to what Emma Watson’s agent, Jason Weinberg, told Entertainment Weekly “Emma’s social media are dormant but her career isn’t.” The British actress is only taking a well-deserved break to supposedly spend some time with her boyfriend Leo Robinson who she’s been dating for a little more than a year.

In conclusion, as of now what we know is that the actress is taking some time off from the industry she was a part of since childhood. This, however, doesn’t necessarily signify any permanent withdrawal from the world of acting itself.

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Art Entertainment Music

Angèle : the latest addition to tiktok.

Its steady rise in popularity has pushed TikTok to become one of the most thought platforms for young teens and curious adults alike. So it was to be expected that people of influence and importance, from presidents to actors, will see this application as an opportunity to reach a younger audience. As such, lately, we can observe that more and more artists are giving the app a chance such as Billie Eilish and Jojo Siwa. This phenomenon, however, doesn’t limit itself to English artists only. In fact, into the french singer Louane’s addition, TikTok now has recently welcomed the Belgium singer Angèle, with the username  angele_vl, to its ranks.

The famous international singer has first joined tik to today the 29th of January with a cover of Alicia Key fallin’, with her playing the piano and guitar in duo format. This is not surprising considering her affiliation to English music and her recent collaboration with dua lipa on fever.

@angele_vl

#Duo avec @angele_vl

♬ son original – 💿 Angèle 💿

Even though the 25 years old singer joke about not understanding the app and claiming that it made her feel old, as seen in her bio,  she has, as of now, released five videos today ranging from jokes about her beloved dog to music-related videos.

@angele_vl

Je m’arrête plus

♬ son original – 💿 Angèle 💿

As of now, the Belgian singer-songwriter started her TikTok journey with 4614 Followers and 8926 Likes, numbers that are steadily rising, the more her fans are starting to realizing her addition on the platform.

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Art Entertainment

The boy who ruins paintings: Jack Carden’s say on anti-art, Dadaism and his future projects.

Between the millions of videos posted daily on TikTok can be found a blooming community of artists and art historians.  But lately, it’s in disarray, the balanced established have been shaken, by a…boy who ruins paintings..? Let me elaborate, Jack Carden, a 19 years old artist from New Zealand, has sparked both Horror and admiration in the hearts of every person that came across his pieces. The fine art and art history first-year student has started exhibiting his artwork at Christchurch’s The 013 gallery in 2020 and has now accumulated a big following on social media in a short time despite the controversy that surrounds his works. Having turned the heads of many, a big number of questions arose regarding the artist and his work. As such, we went directly to the source, Jack Carden himself, in hope of finding some answers.

Content warning: explicit language.

Q: How did you come to work with this style of art and from what do you draw your inspiration?

A: I have been drawing in this style since I could hold a pen. Something about messy left-handed handwriting and Scribbly drawings has always been a part of my bookwork growing up throughout school. In year 12, I was forced into art -I wanted to do chemistry- due to a timetabling issue at my school. I studied it for 2 years of IB. It quickly became my best subject. I researched Basquiat, Damien Hurst, Warhol, Keith haring, Jenny Saville, Hannah hock, John pule, the Dadaism movement, and so on. From these artists, I learned a lot about the intentions behind art, as well as ways of expressing oneself without limits – enter the whole of neo-expressionism. 

This combined with ideals from Dadaism and my neo-gothic touch, developed my style as it is known today.

@pamiathat

#art

♬ original sound – Jack Carden

Q: Anti-art is quite a vague concept, how would you say it applies to your pieces?

A: I would say anti-art applies to my work on a few different levels. Firstly, the most recent series of works I have done is based on Dadaist ideals – this “rejection of art”. The concept of taking pre-existing artworks that are not mine – f*cking them up – and then selling them for thousands… it’s almost like one sarcastic p*sstake of the art world, especially the “art world” of TikTok. And it’s beautiful. On a more simple level, the act of fucking up artworks is in itself is “anti” art. The final level however is irrelevant to the art I make. It’s about myself as an artist – and my approach to art. I am going against the traditional route to becoming an artist. I’m a fucking kid on TikTok – not a 60-year-old man painstakingly painting beautiful and intricate oil landscapes only to be discovered and praised after he dies. My approach to the art world fundamentally does not fit within its norms. Which is perfect. I love it. Because fuck the traditional path. Literally who the f*ck cares about that anymore? It’s a new era – so let’s carve a new path. I have always said that I would rather everyone hate my art with a passion than be indifferent.

 I’d much rather be an anti-artist than not an artist.

Q: Because of this, a lot of controversy surrounds your work and whether it is or isn’t art, but how would you define art?

A: To me, art is about provoking emotion. Whether good or bad, beautiful or ugly. And without a doubt, my art does that. But this “controversy” regarding whether my art is or isn’t “art” is bullsh*t. Beautiful bullsh*t. Who gives a f*ck if it’s “art” or not in everyone’s eyes. To spark a conversation – a heated, rage-filled argument – about my art in the first place is something that as an artist, is extremely fulfilling. And was entirely intentional. “Anti-art” is a controversial term – utilized to spark controversy… and it worked. Of course, it worked. I had no doubt it would work… but when I started seeing hate videos with hundreds of thousands of views, I knew it really worked. To quote @jayclaytonwelch “this kid made something that will have a bigger emotional impact than most artists will achieve in their entire lives”. It worked. Whether “art” or not… it worked.

Q: Regardless of that, you have recently gained a big following on social media, why do you think your art resonates so deeply with some people?

A: I think my art resonates with people for a lot of reasons. But what I like about it is that it’s not like I’m this “art connoisseur” character. I title my TikToks very deliberately. “Boy draws picture”. Because realistically, that’s all I am. And despite what some people say, that’s all I’ve ever claimed to be – a boy that draws pictures. Which is believable. Relatable. Achievable for anyone. at the most basic level. Of course lots of people relate to it for personal reasons – e.g. the writing itself conveys stories that some people will relate with or simply people just really like gothic art etc…

Q: And finally, what future do you envision for you as an artist, and for your work?

A: In the near future I have a lot I want to achieve. I am working on clothing currently – as well as a run of limited prints. There are also a lot of other artists and tiktokers that I want to collaborate with. Once Covid-19 has fucked off, I want to do a gallery show internationally – ideally in New York. 

@pamiathat

just a chill afternoon project #art

♬ original sound – tobert

In the far future, I envision myself as still not quite being accepted by the “art world”. Hopefully.

Whether you like him or not, Jack Carden entered the art world with a bang and is planning to continue leaving his mark through his artwork, opinions, and future project.

You can find jack Carden here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackcardenart?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.tiktok.com/@pamiathat?lang=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pamiathat?lang=en

Site: https://www.jackcarden.art/

Categories
Art Entertainment Music

Louane: The French singer is now on TikTok.

From Arnold Schwarzenegger to Billie Eilish, a lot of international celebrities have thought out TikTok as a way to connect with their young fans or just to have some fun and enjoy the musical app. Some celebrities are very easily found, with clear user names and top-notch editing teams. But some, are more down to earth, sometimes hidden in plain sight between the millions of users but as active as any. One such person would be the internationally famous French singer and actress Louane, known under the username @watchoutforthetornado.

She first posted a video on the 19th of December 2020, in which she sings a cover of the song “Stuck with you” by Ariana Grande in duets format, leaving room for other people to interact with her.

@watchoutforthetornado

J’repost le meilleur duo 💖✨ #duo #arianagrande #pourtoi #foryou #fyp #justinbieber #song

♬ son original – Louane (Taylor’s version)

she then continued to post a multitude of other videos related to various topics such as other covers of songs belonging to French and English singers such as Pomme, and Justin Beiber without forgetting the fun challenges with her loved ones.

@watchoutforthetornado

On arrive après la guerre mais izi @anamilanovic_ #pourtoi #fyp #quidenousdeux

♬ Qui de nous deux – Julia et Marine 🌚🌝

All these videos had one thing in common and that is a large number of comments mentioning the singer’s identity and pointing out “that she looks a lot like Louane”. The loss of some people did add a bit of ironic humor to the mix but the French artist finally cleared out the mild confusion by stating in her latest and first video of the year, that she is, indeed Louane, through a song in true TikTok fashion.

@watchoutforthetornado

Répondre à @kingxbieberr

♬ This Is Me (Bonus Track) – Kesha

The 24 yeas old French singer is a great addition to the platform and seems to be enjoying her time on TikTok as much as her fans welcome her presence there.

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Art Entertainment Literature Music

The French parts of “Achilles, come down”: Translations and literary analysis

Throughout the Greek mythology inspired song, “Achilles, come down”, can be heard a man saying some French phrases during the musical interludes that connects the multiple verses of the 7 minute song. Some people would attribute its presence solely for aesthetic purposes, some think there is more to it, but regardless, most fan are curious about the meanings of these words. Like many other songs such As Swan Upon Leda by Hozier, It uses many artistic and literary symbolism to get it message across and so, to find answers to our questions, some research into the world of French literature was necessary.

To start with, here is what the first series of French phrases means:

“Je vois que beaucoup de gens meurent parcequ’ils estiment que la vie ne vaut pas la peine d’être vécue et j’en vois d’autres qui se font paradoxalement tuer, pour les idées, les illusions qui leurs donnent une raison de vivre. Ce qui peut être une raison de vivre est en même temps une excellente raison de mourir. »

“I see that many people die because they deem that life is not worth living and I see others that, paradoxically, get themselves killed for the ideas, the illusions that gives them a reason to live. What can be a reason to live is at the same time an excellent reason to die.”

These words are a direct exert from the philosophical essay The myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus who was a French author and philosopher belonging to the movement of absurdism.

Photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum

The same can be said of the second paragraph present in the song:

“D’un gérant d’immeuble qui s’était tué on disait qu’il avait perdu sa fille depuis Cinq ans, qu’il avait beaucoup changé et que cette histoire l’avait « miné ».”

“About a building manager that killed himself, people said that he had lost his daughter five years ago, that he had changed a lot and that this event “undermined” him.”

By now, it is clear that this essay by Albert Camus tackles the topic of suicide and the meaning of life as is common in the philosophy of absurdism. In fact, the book starts with the author stating that the only philosophical problem is suicide. With that in mind, we can clearly see a link between the song and all these quotes taken from The myth of Sisyphus.

Book cover of the first edition

Another interesting thing to note, is that the further the song progress, the more the quotes rises in intensity , and the closer it gets to the heart of the problem as shown by the extract present right before the fifth verse that present the conflict between the singer and Achilles intrusive thoughts:

“Des souvenirs d’une patrie perdue, de l’espoir d’une terre promise, ce divorce entre l’homme de sa vie… ”

“Memories of a lost homeland, hope of a promised land, this divorce between a man and his life…”

Finally, what makes these extract so fitting for this specific song is the fact that the band , Gang of youth, like Camus, opted to use an episode of Greek mythology to exhibit their answer to the philosophical problem of whether life, is in fact worth living or not. In Albert campus’s case, it was the story of Sisyphus, stuck in an absurd existence where he is doomed to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll back. As for the gang of youth case, they opted to take an episode from the lliad after the death of Achilles lover Patroclus.

In conclusion, we can clearly see that the French extract present in the song “Achilles, come down”, were specifically thought out to fit the songs and possibly the authors’ philosophical and artistic agenda.

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