Single Artwork description: An African person on the floor under a desk appearing exhausted and overwhelmed. He is wearing traditional African material, surrounded by office items: a laptop covering his face, theres wires to the right of him, a laptop bag to the left of him and on the office table theres an air purifier necklace, headphones, an ergonomic mouse, a regular mouse, a wireless keyboard, papers, a book and a wireless HDMI transmitter. The image is overall is a bluey hue.
Lyrics:
(jazzy instrumental with city sounds)
Wake up? Are you awake? The shareholders need their money. Have you woken up yet? Hello
Love, Builder of Worlds presents: Commuter’s Commitment (Mundane Mondays)
Press release written by L.M Gabriel
For immediate release.
KPIs. P & L. Business as usual. The collective groan could be heard amongst commuters everywhere when companies announced their "Return To Office” plans for 2025.
A guttural groan, from those of us burned out, hummed in harmony against silent screams that caregivers and parents swallowed so as to not startle those they care for.
In response, seemingly ever attuned to the quiet whispers of the masses, Love, Builder of Worlds collaborated with Manae Vaughn-Hammond to present: Commuter’s Commitment/Mundane Mondays.
The song is a lo-fi jazz instrumental inspired by the infamous London commute the anti-binary artist grew up deeply entrenched in; acutely aware of its adornments of delays, overcrowded platforms, stuffy and sometimes sweltering heat, and of course its ear piercing symphony of screeches. Commuter’s Commitment instead offers itself as a reprieve from the cacophony of chaos that is the commute, and serves the listener as a friendly accompaniment of comfort on those seemingly endless mundane mondays and the days that follow.
A marked departure from his debut single, punk rock anthem ‘Scared For The Climate’, Love’s eclectic taste and production skills are on full display here. While ‘Scared For The Climate’ was filled with angst and furor, Commuter’s Commitment/Mundane Mondays conveys the weight of its sentiments wordlessly, and the listener is invited to find a soft landing against the frenzied familiar.
The multidisciplinary artist prides the composition as an anti-capitalist song for the worker. Of which at one point is briefly interrupted by a voice, pulling us out of the wistful daze it had transported us to; to remind us that the shareholders of the corporations we toil for matter much more than our desperate need for work/life balance. That our restful reprieve was much like a dream, fleeting, and we must leave our overpriced housing and make that commute - burnout and Covid be damned.
As ever, Love, Builder of Worlds has created something for marginalised groups that transports you to the lived experience he is conveying through the sounds he has so carefully created. Not wishing to leave us stuck in this vicious cycle, the artist invites listeners to patronise Olólùfẹ́ Collective, a space for marginalised people to create, collaborate and practice collectivism.
Commuter’s Commitment (Mundane Mondays) is out on 25th November 2024.
Official Website
https://ololufe-collective.ghost.io/tag/love-builder-of-worlds/
Bandcamp
https://lovebuilderofworlds.bandcamp.com/track/scared-for-the-climate
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@LoveBuilderofWorlds
Apple Music (Free Congo)
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/love-builder-of-worlds/1712766120
SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/lovebuilderofworlds
Please note Love, Builder of Worlds is not on any social media
Transcript
Welcome to an(other) perspective, a space where commentary is experiential, where the evidence is existence as one knows it, and therefore also, the lack thereof.
*music*
Now that I've watched part 2
I have to express my just, disappointment with Wicked
I'm so sorry like
I couldn't be more sorry because, I genuinely feel like
watching Cynthia Erivo perform
and hearing Cynthia Erivo sing has genuinely
like with no exaggeration
given me a new lease on life,
it has really given me something to aspire to.
I would love to be at good as writing
as Cynthia Erivo is at singing and emoting.
Like, her voice gives me like a physical reaction in my body
it is STUNNING and I think her performances across both of the Wicked films
were truly like, they were heartfelt, they were sincere
they were measured, they were- they were deep.. there was like a fountain-
there was a deep well of emotions there.
And I feel like she really pulled from them, and I really got that in the performance
I also feel like it- cinematography
everything it looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
It looked SO aesthetically pleasing and-and Paul Tazewell -
my goodness, those costumes were magnificent.
The storytelling does not exist in these two films.
I'm really really really really really really really really sorry.
And it started off with the first film
after you watch the first film in the cinema
and you watch it like two- another
like by the second or the third watch,
you're like huh like..there's not actually much.. that happened here.
But I wanna talk about part 2, because I literally just watched it.
There was a lot of story missing, and by that I'm not saying that they didn't follow the
the play. I'm not saying that um and I did watch the play once when I was a kid, um
the musical and I really enjoyed it
but that- like- the people that I went with to see-
to see the film told me that this
part 2 is in line with what happens in the musical
and what happens on stage
and I was like okay if that's the case then Wicked isn't as great as you guys have been saying
because where is the story?
Where is the drama?
Where? Like where?
What was Elphaba doing all of those months learning magic? Like where was the trying and failing to learn magic?
Where was the depression from the solitude?
Where was her doing her darnedest to convince the animals that - actually - she isn't an opp?
Even though she did do that to uh Chistery and co? She's actually on their side and that's why um Oz and the Wizard of Oz is against her?
Where was that scene?
Where was us, you know, reflecting on her treatment? And reflecting on how actually
while she was being bullied at Shiz, Nessa never showed up for her - and that's why
it was easier for her to make that decision to not return when their father died
do you know what I mean
like even in the year and the- and then that scene
having that scene in there would be um-
would still fit in with the story because guess what Nessa betrayed her- again! EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
where was the-the private reflections of Madame Morrible after every
uh- not after every announcement but at least after one announcement having you know memories of of her and Elphaba bonding?
Where was the- Where was the-
Where was the back and forth? Where was the... what's the word? Where was the duality?
Like.. where was the Judas of it all? Do you know what I mean like, is it me Jesus?
Like is it me ? YEAH! like you were her teacher you like- where were those memories?
Where was like even Madame Morrible maybe she was happy to drop Elphaba in it-Elphaba in it
because she realized how powerful she was
As stated in the first film when she said I can't-I can only read but a few words of the Grimmerie, here comes Elphaba first crack out of the book.
Like where's the memories of her looking at Elphaba "actually
you're actually a little bit too powerful for me and, if I ever need to take you down I will." Like where was that thought? Where was that scene?
Like for Madame Morrible to turn on the dime..?
Why does Madame Morrible hate the fucking a-animals so much? Did an animal kill her mum?
What are we talking about?
And I fucking HATE I hate allegory
I hate allegories for racism for slavery
I- cause you guys you never do it well
that's why I fucking hate robots by Channel 4
I HATE THAT SHIT. It's so fucking racist because there isn't any actual heartfelt- there's like- it you can just tell, the people that are using this allegory
have- they you've like you
like- the marginalisation that black people
and Africans specifically have had to face in the western world
you've never experienced that emotion and you DON'T know how to tell that story.
In the first um film, we should have seen Elphaba trying to assimilate beyond a hair flick like
have you never met a black girl in your life?
it's so ANNOYING. It's so annoying and it's so fucking disappointing, it doesn't make any fucking sense. It doesn't make any fucking sense and d'you know what? Elphaba, maybe she should have come up with a little wig!
She was- she- she- maybe she should have come up with a little straight wig.
Like, as like, and like if we're gonna go there - then let's really go there let's do ASSIMILATION.
Let's do Elphaba acting like she's no longer i-intelligent
acting like Gli-Glinda in that regard as well. Being in class like "oh
what's going on?" do you know what I mean?
Like, let's do fucking assimilation, if we're gonna go then then let's GO.
Let's do- let's do the thing, let's tell the story..
And what is the time frame because as as Elphaba's younger sister
When did- what-what age did Nessa Rose become the governor after her dad died??? What are we talking about?
And speaking of Nessa Rose- give me more give me MORE..GIVE ME MORE.
I feel like one of the things that is missing from the story is
INTENT.
Where was everyone's intent from the apart aside from the fact that she had green skin?
Jealousy, envy- envy is green hello?
let's like, hello?
Hello? Hello?
I'm just- I'm- it's just so hard
it's just so hard to not be like perpetually wound up about this
because I don't have the fucking money to IP
Wicked and REDO IT
but you guys had-according to fucking Bowen Yang got a gaji-
a gajillion dollars, you had a gajillion dollars
and this is like I'm-oh my goodness..
And this is another thing in the second film
why the fuck is Glinda like so fucking innocent
it doesn't make any sense
like the irony of the second film is
they paint Glinda as being genuinely good
and it's like if Glinda was genuinely good
then she would have joined Elphaba's cause
how do you not see that
what we needed to do was have the veneer that they were
they had they had put on for her
that Madame Morrible and the Wizard was
was pumping that you know
press machine for her and behind the scenes
it's all got to her head
she's a compulsive liar
she's a fucking raging narcissist
and she is actually terrible to her staff
she's terrible to her friends that work for her
and she actually doesn't give a fuck about anything
but looking GOOD like Madame Morrible said
like this idea like I'm sorry
I APOLO-GISE
but all of those moments and scenes of Ariana
Grande's eyebrows furrowed
and her crying
that isn't like it like definitely emotional
but it doesn't it doesn't make sense
like it doesn't flow if you were so CUT UP
if you were so cut up
you would side with the actual powerful witch
and this is the thing
Elphaba is the one with the actual power
look how she was able to save Fiyero
oh my gosh speaking of Fiyero
the fact that there isn't a timeline that's clear
I don't know what 12 um
tidal moons or tidal waves that have turned
I don't know what that fucking means
the timeline comes into play with Nessa
being the governme- governor
and Fiyero
like still holding this much of a torch for Elphaba
without us you showing us him longing for *HER
and him actually being off put by Glinda's character
okay yeah
the the the marriage was a surprise
it was a surprise proposal
but if Glinda's so good if Glinda genuinely her heart
she wanted to do everything that she could
she did she never meant for any
any of this to happen
then there had to be something that repulsed Fiyero enough
enough for him- WITH THE WORLD AGAINST HER
with the world against her
given that he wasn't there
when this whole shit started
with the wizard
for him to turn against Galinda and be like
actually
that's the love of my life
I'm gonna stick beside her
she- like and then you gave us one scene
you gave us one scene
one little flashback of when Nessa
Rose Boq
Fiyero Glinda and Elphaba were hanging out in the field
oh my gosh I just one of the things that I
I actually I can't
I can't do it like the lack of storytelling is
is that I that's why I STAY- like
I don't watch much TV but if I do
it's going to be a reality TV show
or it's going to be a fucking K drama
because those people- and not the romance ones
I do not watch romance K dramas
I don't need you guys to build up a romance
give me the family dramas
give me the mother wound dramas
give me the slice of life dramas
people trying to make it through their everyday
give me the Hello My Twenties-
we're 20 and and
and we're 20
and we're living in our 20s and it's difficult
and we're navigating all sorts of things
give me a "this rich family ruined my life
so I'm back to ruin theirs"
give me that every single day of the week
because guess what?
they're gonna explore people's parent wounds
they're gonna explore um power
they're gonna explore wealth
they're gonna explore narcissism
they're gonna explore losing the will to live
having the will to live
they're gonna explore what the poor will do
to get into the graces and
and not just the graces
but the positions of the rich as well
like you guys you always give me fucking nothing
you give me fucking nothing
and it does my fucking head in like
we can't just keep watching white people look good
it doesn't make any sense and speaking of which
oh my goodness why was Glinda's lashes so dark
and the hair was so blonde
it didn't make any sense
it didn't make any sense it didn't make any sense
it didn't especially because tha- oh my goodness
it didn't make any sense it didn't make any sense
it didn't make any sense
don't get me wrong
Ariana Grande performance of her life
she really committed she really committed
I don't feel like the second performance was as strong
as the first but she she bled for that shit
I fear she really tried
I think the first film she was Oscar worthy
given Oscar standards you were you Ariana Grande
you deserve that Oscar and so did Cynthia
I just feel like
there were so many things where you can tell
a storyteller has not been involved here
which is impossible for me to think
and the people that I went with are saying
oh well
it followed the script of
of the um
of the of the play
it followed the play and it's like
well the first film didn't
and actually the play doesn't follow the book
because I tried to read the book and it was PERVERTED
so I actually put it down
and so and the play didn't follow the book
so why can't we have some artistic license in the film
in a film where you can do all sorts of takes and cuts
like oh my gosh
it upsets me so much guys
it upsets me so much I just don't understand
like go on girl
give us NOTHING and I say that keeping in mind
I've said Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivro
they gave us everything Jonathan Bailey ate down
I do feel like
Fiyero should have been played by somebody else
I say that with so much respect
because he really did do the part
as much justice as he could
but also
Cynthia being the only black woman in the main cast
ugly ugly
ugly especially
when the people who can relate with Elphaba the most
based on having skin
a skin colour that's different from everybody else
who's that gonna be black-
exactly African women
exactly exactly exactly...
and when did Chistery learn to speak?
EXACTLY EXACTLY
why didn't you give us more
why like
I'm like
why did you not give us a scene of Elphaba pleading
her case to the animals like guys please
I'm not I'm not wicked
I didn't mean to do that to dem man
they tricked me like
we had that
when they were going down the Underground Railroad
which some one of you took fucking Keke Palmer's slave
hymn joke a little too far, that was dark sided
but I needed that because I was shocked
me as the watcher of
I watched the I watched the first film the day before
like yesterday before I watched this second film
I was shocked that the animals saw her
and they weren't shook up
they weren't shaking
they weren't they weren't run away
oh my gosh its Elphaba oh my gosh
she's gonna kill she's gonna kill us
she's gonna give us wings
she's gonna torture us I was like oh
you guys must be cool
you guys must be cool and how old is DulciBear?
because you guys made DulciBear seem hella old
when Elphaba was a was a behbeh
so what was all of that about
why did we didn't need you guys
they tried to tie up so many strings
that didn't need to be there
first of all:
the Wizard of Oz you ARE the father- didn't need that
I actually didn't need that
I didn't need that and and and then them being like oh
it's because she's from both worlds
both worlds in what regards
her mother wasn't a witch and neither was the Wizard
so what are you talking about
it doesn't make any fucking sense
and it doesn't make any fucking sense like
and what was Madame Morrible's problem
and and this is another thing about the animals
why were they
why were they chosen as scapegoat in the first place
did one of them kill Madam Morrible's mum?
you need to give me some background like
I hate
and this is what I was saying about the allegory
if you're gonna do it
then you better fucking do it but
but don't ever make it seem like
there always has to be a scapegoat
in this world
there always has to be a scapegoat and oh
to bring people together
there's always gonna have to be somebody to hate
and then not give a reason for the hate
I'll expand African people music melodies
beauty food culture vibes intelligence
carpentry joinery
Yorùbá people skipped the Bronze Age
and went straight straight to iron EXACTLY
exactly
I know why Europeans are jealous of West Africans
in particular
because that's where they did their their
their nastiest work
you can't just say oh oh yeah
let's just give them the animals but
and the animals were in your society
was it that oh
the animals actually animals have this secret
they have a a small power
or one of the animals killed eh Madame Morrible's family
also with um it like
it just it like
you have to give me fucking something also
going back to Glinda
it doesn't make sense and like I said
she needed to be narcissistic
mean abusive behind closed doors
and she needed to be in Munchkinland knock
knocking on people's doors being like
I heard that you you've got herbs for potions
I someone said that you saw a ghost
dedede you need to give me your power do I mean like
oh like it
like not like it like
the fact that the film was about Glinda
and none of it made sense
it pisses like it pisses me off so much
it pisses me off so much
because you really gave us nothing
like if you wanted us to make
if you wanted to make the film about Glinda
then you should have given us that
make it about like where was the
what was the tussle between good and evil
you've just kind of made her as this vapid
shallow babe who is on Elphaba side but
and who is good and innocent
but not good enough to actually fight for good
shut the fuck up shut the fuck up
shut the fuck up shut the fuck up
and Fiyero who doesn't give a fuck about anything
doesn't give a fuck about anything
was singing about how why try
like why try why pay attention
all of a sudden now he's in the military
where he has to follow the RULES
after being expelled from several SCHOOLS?
get the fuck out of here get out my face
get out my face get out
get out get out
get out
and if you were gonna do that
have him show up late
to whatever that fucking first scene was
when they were tap dancing for Glinda
have him show up late
his uniform is messy because guess what
he has ADHD but also he hates RULESSS
what was that big number FOR?
oh my gosh OH MY GOSH
like what reality are people living in
what reality are you-
like how could you genuinely have me sit down FOR WHAT?
two and a half hours FOR WHAT?
it doesn't make any sense
it doesn't make any sense
it doesn't make any sense
it doesn't make any fucking sense
and you've upset me actually
again Cynthia Erivo
YOU OWE ME NOTHING, YOU OWE ME NOTHING
Michelle Yeoh ate
and you looked good you looked good
I wish they gave you some more
but you did great Jonathan Bailey again
not my first choice for this role
you gave it you gave it some ate
definitely Ariana Grande do you know what
I can tell those were real tears
every time you cried you gave your soul for that
congratulations to you
all the best set designers Paul Tazewell
the sound in the cinema that I was in wasn't great
but you know the musicians
everybody that came together for the music
I also didn't like the music in the second film
I honestly I feel like you guys have lied about Wicked
and anyway but
you know everybody involved
all the assistants
everybody that put the contracts through
negotiated the deals grateful
glad that you got the work done
Jon M. Chu
exactly exactly
I'll leave it there exactly