【FLOWER】 Better Off Worse / CircusP [ ⚠ CW ] 

i'll follow you until you love me

Ok the part where vflower being happy was shown as a skippable ad was genius

2:36 (in the music video) is referencing a specific performance of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi"! she had been concealing fake blood packs for most of the song but at the final chorus, they began bleeding, as she "bled out" on stage for the audience, ending it by dangling on a rope by one hand smeared in blood just like flower does in this song. lady gaga elaborated, saying: “If I’m gonna be sexy on the VMAs and sing about the paparazzi, I’m gonna do it while I’m bleeding to death and reminding you of what fame did to Marilyn Monroe. And what it did to Anna Nicole Smith." ABSOLUTELY in the spirit of this song. (also, the fact that this is a reference is all but confirmed by rice's pinned comment, since that's a line from Paparazzi's chorus- also pretty much right when the fake blood becomes most noticeable in that particular performance.)

flower's English is literally amazing here??? She sounds like she actually has an English voicebank! I've never heard her like this before!

Circus really woke up and chose violence with this one and I LOVE IT. And putting a reference to Wildfire in the climax of a song about fans obsessed with older work is just peak music

0:28 "started streaming August 25 2010"

I like how this song is straightforward telling you "HEY IM NOT FUCKING OKAY" in stark contrast to the generally cryptic messages sent by the songs in question. they even mention fans analyzing their pain line by line and how they hate it, which explains why the song is so straightforward

this is genuinely probably the coolest vocaloid MV i've seen in a hot minute. the captions are SO creative and i LOVE all the references, rice did such an amazing job here. not to mention the song ittself??!! i... can relate to a lot to the lyrics here and i'm happy you made a darker song. it's comforting to see that sometimes. please keep making amazing work, you two! 🙏

This one hit different. The concepts of "all good art is born from suffering" and "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" really shine through here, and I also feel like there's a little bit of anger at people preferring how one was "back then", regardless of one's growth. I love how the MV is made to look like a livestream or premiere as well, with Flower essentially suffering for the entertainment of the audience.

So I may be wrong of course, but here is what I think this song is about…usually I don’t have a super clear idea of EXACTLY what a song’s meaning is, but this one clicked instantly. I love Circus’s work, his older and newer songs are all just amazing. But- as it seems with many producers…darker works get more attention. Some of Circus’s most popular songs are ones like InSaNiTy, Copycat, Goodbye, Circus Monster…and these songs are all very deep and even painful. But many of his newer songs- songs that come from places of joy and creativity, passion and collaboration- don’t get as much attention. I’m a creator myself and when something you put so much work into- something you make as an escape or to cope/vent gets so much more traction and support than something you make as you’re recovering…it doesn’t feel great. I really truly wish more producer’s songs would get the appreciation they deserve, especially Circus. Putting heart and soul into your creations takes a lot out of someone. This is an incredibly well made song, as always, and everyone that was part of it did an amazing job. ❤

its morbidly ironic how this song is taking off so fast compared to other songs, despite literally being about how people prefer when creators create based off their suffering - i think the reason this happens is bc people want things to relate to, and cling onto it when they find it, but people seem to forget that the happy shits just as good a lot of the time i can see this becoming a song for animation memes too honestly-

In a cruel twist, I can totally see this song becoming crazy popular Edit: 1M views in 10 months... 😶

I love these "meta" songs about the struggles artist and producers deal with, when their branding or famous works revolve around the "marketability" of their pain. I already really liked Vane's "Digital Heart" and RI-P's "Pyrite Girl," but Circus' take... man, it hits really hard. It's such a complex and unfortunate issue. And hell, I know those in the mainstream music industry struggle even more to recover their mental health, especially the young ones with a lot of money, because SO MANY PEOPLE with more power in the industry benefit and profit from their suffering. It's actually quite sickening. Which, that's why acknowledging the "eras" of an artist are so important. Recognizing that just because you no longer share a particular struggle with a favorite artist doesn't mean your connection to their music is totally gone. Celebrating the conclusion/closure to their "arc," to that painful period in their life, with them, even through simple comments and reshares, means a lot. And with indie producers, we have the privilege of being able to cheer them on more closely. We love you, Circus! Cheers to more happiness for you!

While I have perfectly understood the actual meaning of the song, I really love how it can also apply to mental health issues as a whole around treatment and people's perception. If you're not looking sick then you aren't really. It's like you're better off worse, always opening older wounds and showing the worst because saying you're ok means the end of the support you need to actually be ok. Also : "I oversimplify the tears I cry while you tear them down line by line" is exactly my relationship with therapists tbh

Circus, i have the sudden urge to go out and give you a hug The line “behind every piece of art is a human to be heard” hit me the hardest, man

Reference + time for each outfit because why not: 0:30 Addicted 0:31 Haywire + Love Song 0:32 Fall Away + Insanity 0:36 1/4th 0:37 Detrimental + Frigid Hearts 0:38 Last Words + Wake Me Up 0:39 Puzzle 0:44 Monochrome 0:50 Treat Me(So Right) + Goodbye 0:51 Afraid of Everything + Like Whatever 0:52 Patches 1:43 Miki's Outfit (Shatter Specifically) + I Am Here 1:44 Cause & Effect + Ten Thousand Stars 1:45 Can't Stand You 1:49 Golden Afternoon 1:50 See + Poltergeist 1:51 Just for Tonight + キミを探す (Rana Song) 1:52 Deja Vu 1:57 Circus Monster 2:03 Dolphin (I Found You) + State of Isolation 2:04 The Start + Nana 2:05 SLASHER 2:10 (In Order bc this is a lot) Ghoulish, Round and Round, Lie, Karma, aiSeNMa, Finale II, Hello Again, Copycat, Different Seas, SF-A2 Miki Wants a New Original Song, 僕のもの (Piko Song), Breathe, Dreaming With You, Quicksand, Beast, Falling Out of Love, FADE, DynaMIC Letter, Dawn, What Goes Around, Spectrum, What I Need (MONEY), mErcy, How to Pretend, Bronze to Gold, Bubble Gum, The Tale of A 10 Year Old Vampire Queen, Wrong + Right, Welcome to the Circus, Last of Me, Crystalline, Wildfire 3:04 Calm Before the Storm, Center Stage 3:05 Misery Loves Company, Castaway 3:06 Memory 3:10 iNFeCTioN 3:11 甘い言葉, I (Love) 3:12 Evergreen, Glow, Orbit 3:18 Nebuholic 3:24 Sabotage, Muffins, Decay, Enough Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of them

Reading the comments, I think a couple people are missing the point! It's not that you can't like edgy and depressive content, it's that you *can* like those but should *also* support the more upbeat content from your favourite creators. You're only a "bad fan" if you start vocally complaining about how their "old" content was better or how you miss a style they had before, or if you ignore everything else they do and only get excited when new edgy content comes out!

“You think by now that we would’ve learned Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard” oh my god that part hit like a truck

I CAUGHT THAT WILDFIRE LYRIC REFERENCE!! I heard "you'd think by now-" and nostalgia just SLAPPED me in the face. Circus, this is insanely good. This encapsulates that really dark part of being a content creator SO well. Incredible job to everyone who worked on this. Wow.

imma say that i love how the closed captions are a part of the pv. it adds to the whole "youtube" vibe of it.

You just won't stop dropping absolute bangers lately, huh?

idk if anyone noticed but when shes dressed as wildfire her mouth is covered, idk if its intentional but it makes sense when you remember the song was removed from youtube like shes been silenced (crystaline was too tho so idk)

This got covered like 5 times in less than 18 hours. That tells you how good this song is. It's what makes the vocaloid community so special. Covering your friends songs is ENCOURAGED and celebrated.

loving this song feels like a double edged sword because my brain keeps going ''oh i love the darker tone and the references to past songs, especially wildf-- OH NO I'M THE PROBLEM'' /j jokes aside this really hit hard, both the song and the pv pop off hard! this isnt a topic you hear a lot about and i respect that a lot

"Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard" hits so hard

It's sad that the depressing songs are what get the most content, but unfortunately, it seems as though that is what people may relate to nowadays. I love the newer, happier songs. I really felt the raw emotion of the old songs and how hard they hit. It was relatable. Happy songs are relatable now, but everyone can connect to the raw, miserable emotion.

Gosh, Circus. Your talent at making non English voice banks sing in perfect English, and the emotions you put in each word... your effort astounds me with every new release. I hope you'll use Flower for more songs, but whoever you choose is fine. Please continue impressing us.

someone else may have mentioned it already but i really like the detail of like. every version of flower aside from their past happy self is wearing a choker or some other form of restrictive neckwear like being the way they are now is suffocating them is a very neat touch esp considering we literally see them choking their happy self because they cant be like that anymore, because no one wants them when theyre happy and free. they have to restrict themself and their happiness, even to the point it suffocates them, because thats how people want them. idk maybe im reading way too much into a simple choice of accessory, but i thought it was a neat subtle touch.

this pv is soooo cool to look at. some easter eggs i noticed are the stream start date (the release date of circus monster - during the live action shot it switches to april 10. admittedly i'm not sure what this is in reference to), "you'd think by now that we would have learned" i'm PRETTY sure is a direct reference to a line from wildfire (same melody and almost word for word), the "chat" is full of users named after a circus song with their "message" being a line from the song (for the brief moments when it's not garbled text)... something that caught my attention is "it's 4am on a school night." because i know circusp was still in high school (maybe even late middle school?) when he started making songs. and i think i specifically remember him saying once on like, a livestream? that he made most of iNSaNiTy at around 4am. i might be misremembering. and of course flower constantly changing costumes to match like...every single song circus has made. that's a lot of flowers that rice had to draw!! i know it probably comes from a place of a lot of hurt but i hope at least the song was cathartic to make.

dayum... this is relateable to a degree. the notion of a starving/suffering artist is tragic on a societal scale. why do us artists have to suffer in order to be seen? i really don't know.

I think this is incredibly poignant, and it must hurt to see your expressions of pain celebrated more than your joyous songs, but I think those darker songs speak to a lot of people who are in a similar space to where you were when you made them. I was in a really bad place when I first found you years ago, and songs like yours helped me feel less alone, helped me process feelings that were looming in the back of my head. I don't want to know where I'd be without your music. I can't imagine how painful it must be to have to relive your past trauma so much, but with those songs you're continuing to help people through theirs.

some might've missed this, but the chat is full of characters from circus's other songs. there are also times where the "chat" turns into lyrics from their respective songs for a second before changing back into the scrambled text throughout the rest of the video. here's where i saw it: - 1:00 - 1:12 - 1:17 - 1:20 - 1:55 - 1:57 - 2:00 - 2:12 - 2:15 - 3:04 - 3:07 - 3:10 - 3:21 - 3:25 there's also moments around 3:53 but it's only part of the chat that changes. also, at 3:04, flower's pfp changes from an image of their younger self to an image of them displayed in this song. even the smallest details here show how much this song wants conveys the unfairness of darker songs getting more attention than others and the darker memories creators relive when hearing these songs. they feel "better off worse" for their content to grow, and this song again shows that perfectly. i really hope you're doing alright, circus. please know that there are many people here in the community that love all of your songs equally and want you to be happy. you're an amazing and talented individual. ❤ ❤ ❤

I know it wasn't really the point of the song and this will likely go unnoticed amongst a sea of comments, but I just wanted to share how important this song is to me. I came upon this song during a particularly hard time in my life, as I had just been suddenly blocked and discarded by my best friend of 5 years. We started to drift away when I committed to mental health recovery, but he never wanted to change. Listening to this song made me cry the first time, and the subsequent times as well. It really did feel like, to him, I was better off worse. then, he might have liked me enough to stay. it's been several months now and I'm coping with the grief much better, but this song still holds that special place in my heart. It came to me at a perfect time and, in a way, helped me realize how I was not at fault. It's not fair to only be given attention and love when you're at your worst. I guess it took a song like this to help me realize that, and I'm so glad it was one as amazing as this one.

Amazing, loved the Closed Caption and how it went with the MV design.

The fact that v flower doesn't even have an english voice bank means that VocaCircus literally tuned her to make her sound like she was speaking english is SO impressive!

This song was better better better better better better better better better better than my expectations. Amazing job to everyone

Props to whoever did the subtitle annotations, I love how they change WHILE Flower sings to account for emphasis!

So, CircusP, I know you probably won't see this, but I have a few things to say . . . First thing: as an aspiring author going to lessons on how to become a good writer, the message of "better off worse" is so true in writing. We're taught that if your character isn't fundamentally flawed and doesn't go through a lot of hardship, people will get bored of the book and put it down. That message just from an artistic standpoint is spot-on. Second thing: I'll admit that there's some of your newer music that I haven't been huge on, but that's completely not because I preferred your old stuff either, being a newer fan--I'm just not into love songs. It's just not my thing. But that leads me into my third thing: the song that actually led to me subscribing to your channel was your original version of Someone New. That song isn't sad. Unlike a lot of older fans, I was brought in by that song because the pandemic was so hard for me and I was super behind in school, but I listened to that song, and I know it's not the meaning you were intending for, but it was like it was telling me that I could do it, that I could change from the person I was and become that person with good grades. And I actually did it eventually. That and the song was just so beautiful with the high harmonies layering over Cangqiong's already beautiful voice. Again and again, I've listened to it and it's helped me. I know it had to be unlisted, but I'll forever stand by that that song has a power that I haven't felt in many other songs. The other song of yours that I really loved was Puzzle because it was just so happy. It was like, yeah, life is hard, but you'll get through it, and every step forward will, in a sense, put another piece into the puzzle of life. I can relate to that on so many levels. Great song. Your sadder songs also hold a special place in my heart, as they've helped me figure out my characters in my stories and inspired me to create dynanic contrast between the sadder moments and the happier ones, but when you started writing happier songs, at least I knew you were happier, and that's what really matters in the end whether or not I could relate to all of them. You make music. I assume you enjoy making music, or else why would it have such a large part in your life? Feeling pressured to revisit old emotions from your past shouldn't take away in that joy. And sometimes, making a happier song that some may not relate to may actually help someone else or inspire them to keep trying. Sad songs have the power of connection, but happier songs have the power of creating new beginnings. So know that many are here because they want to see more of your darker content, but there are also some of us like me that originally hit that subscribe button because of the positive impact your more inspiring music had on us. And above all else, your happiness is what really matters. It doesn't matter how many people listen or like the newer music just as long as you're getting the same enjoyment out of it as you always have. I look forward to your next song no matter the theme and I hope you have a good day, CircusP!

it's 4 AM on a school night 100 calorie life Making sure the set ups just right, just right Burning every bridge that I grace Making sure that I feel pain Getting in a bitter headspace At this pace I'm ready to go I know your craving for a brand new low I'm ready to go To halt my growth and put on a show To you I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse My happiness is never cared for Over-analyze my broken heart As the tempo kicks up a notch 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me in this spiral of despair No, we must go back Go back to 'my' roots if you could call it that Go back to the hurdles that I've already passed Reliving them over and over And when there is closure We gotta go bolder I'm ready to go Because I know my woes are a product to be consumed Now you're running low I know you want something new But what else can I do? Oh, what else can I do? To you I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse My happiness is never cared for Over-analyze my broken heart As the tempo kicks up a notch 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me in this spiral of despair Better off recovering than recovered Better off hurting than to have hurt Better off in the dark than in the light Better off near death than be alright Bleed out for audience approval Tragic, but perfectly on schedule You think by now that we would have learned Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard But I'm still better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse Rejecting change to keep you there Because I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when I'm running out of time It's like I'm better-better-better off worse The mourning of one still alive I oversimplify the tears I cry While you tear them down line by line 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me- Only ever like me when I wanna die

Oh man this hit hard. Seeing Crystalline and Wildfire referenced shows a lot, and knowing you’re at a point where you can look back at those now shows a lot of growth I think a big issue these days is people not viewing music as art, rather as content to be consumed, and ignoring the person behind it all It’s been absolutely amazing to see your growth over the years and I can’t way to see what more is in store

oh my god i could rant for HOURS about this song.. it's so so well done, i love all the references and they fit absolutely perfectly with the theme. it compliments the other songs in cmyk, especially puzzle. it's like they're two sides of the same coin. it's absolutely genius. (personal rant below) ↓↓↓ i was first introduced to vocaloid through circus' darker songs, i remember goodbye and circus monster specifically. those and a few others will always hold a special place in my heart, i remember feeling so much less alone when someone put the pain i was feeling at the time into words. but i also remember when i got back into vocaloid around a year ago, and i saw that circus was now making music from a place of passion and joy rather than pain, i felt so happy. it gave me so much hope to see that the same person who created the songs i cried to as a young teen was now using their talent to bring happiness into the world and celebrate the joys of life. those people who say that an artist has "fallen off" when they create art about having recovered... they don't understand that living in pain is not sustainable. yes, art can be a good outlet for suffering, but that's not all there is to it. a light-hearted love song holds just as much emotion and artistic merit as one about despair, and i wish more people would recognize that. even in the comments section here, on a song that sends a message as clear as day, there are people who seem to be ignoring the actual message and just celebrating because "circus finally made another dark song!!!". it feels like they just don't care.

An absolutely bewildering, gorgeous music video; the little details like "BRO/KEN" in the subtitles styled like SLASH/ER, the momenta of Flower beibg happy represented as an ad with 10 views, and every different flower design being lovingly drawn and bouncy in a way that i cant stop lookin at. its all so perfect. so delightfully fucked up and sad (also i was just gonna comment "damn flower ur bobbie's" but like that felt like itd be missing the point of their pain and sorrow so sorry flower (and your bobbies))

GOD. as both an artist and longtime circus-p fan, this song hits really hard. it feels like if you stop being ill and upset all the time, you suddenly won't have the ability to make "good" art. at least not art that other people take interest in. people want to see you at your worst, because they're also suffering, and if your suffering can bring them some sort of comfort... then your cries of help can serve as comfortable ambiance for them. it's one thing to willingly share vent art. it's another for people to only ever want your vent art. the lyrics in this song are so direct yet REALLY well written and powerful. I love it. and whoever did the captions is nuts. happy new year y'all, it's time to be unapologetically happy.

I tend to lurk but I feel compelled to comment because you guys completely KNOCKED THIS ONE OUT OF THE PARK HOOOOLY CRAP between the earworm of a rhythm and lyrics that really get stuck in your head- to the fantastic visuals (rice hOW MANY OUTFITS DID YOU DRAW) and designs, (I love how the numbers jump up and down constantly it really adds to it all jfgcg Also the breathing feels so *heavy* and the dangling and just MAN RICE YOUR VISUALS) how perfectly it all goes and ALSO how the CC actually *contributes* to the video in a visual way if you decide to use them I'm just. In awe of all the care that's gone into this. You guys are amazing. Power Group of the century godbless you

I deeply appreciate the appearance of Flower with her longer hair. You don't see people use it very often

もうすぐ一年かあ…ずっと聴いてるなあ

i just noticed the detail of the premiere chat not just being nonsense, its all of the other songs he's produced occasionally flickering to a line from that song! brilliant detail and great way to showcase a little bit of your entire discography

The part that breaks me is that there are moments in this video where in the "live chat" section You can see Circus's previous songs commenting with their own lyrics... 3:21

This song is a banger and all, but considering the other comments picking up on the theming of this song. I think this is a good time for us to remind ourselves. The artists whose works we love and praise, they are culpable of growth, improvement and experimentation like other artists. And as fans/audience members the onus is on us to at least acknowledge and respect that part. Preachy as that probably sounds.

This song cuts deep for me because I can see a different interpretation than what is obvious. In my personal life I’ve felt and feel like no cares about me unless I’m crying, dying or actively s**cidal. And I often draw to get my feeling out and it seems the when I draw darker themes that’s the only art people want to focus on cuz it “has a deeper meaning” “there’s so much emotion in this piece” so I understand where circus is coming from and I still love his music either way especially the cute ones like dolphin and puzzle.

There is genuinely so much to be said and all of it ends up coming out ironic and almost empty, because of the song, itself- there's something so relatable in despair that makes others flock to it in music, and you're right we never learn that PEOPLE produce songs, which can be almost... worse in the vocaloid community? Because of the use of vocaloid as nothing more than a storytelling medium. Holy shit, the art is INCREDIBLE and adds so much to the lyrics- from the subtle additions of other song references (Puzzle and I believe that was Circus Monster stood out to me the most- not to mention the interlude with Paparazzi) in addition to the pile of Flowers laying on the ground. Obviously, the tuning is gorgeous and it perfectly uses vFlower's voice with that robotic, yet emotional voice and the strength at which it carries. Absolutely amazing use of a voicebank that doesn't have an English option, drool worthy music, and it's all put together perfectly- but even in saying that it still can have this empty sort of sting behind it. "You're suffering is beautiful when you put it like that," and it almost defeats the point of the message, itself. But one thing I will say unironically is DAMN!! vFlower somehow looks both transmasc and transfemme at the same time and it is such a banger to see. Got THE gender of all time. The Link of vocaloid.

YES YES YES!! i've been dying for this to be uploaded to youtube so i can loop it properly!! can't wait to see the PV, since the song is already amazing edit after premiere: YES YES YES IT'S REAL!! i've loved Better Off Worse since the first time i heard it, and this mv is SO beautiful. the references to all of the songs both new and old, Flower is SO clear here, and the meaning hits hard. so excited to preorder CMYK!

Something I haven't seen anyone mention is the stream date in the video; it's the original release date for Circus Monster.

Wow, this one hits hard. It's very raw, the message is really clear... and the MV helps to highlight this even more. And sorry if I'm being a hypocrite saying this, but I really liked it, the sincerity on this song. But, honestly, I like all your works, the dark and the fun ones 💜

How on earth do you make Una and Flower speak perfect english?? This is so real, art is not content, it's human expression and a space of comfort for the artist

OMG I can't believe it, this song is so good! I was freaking out when I saw Crystalline and Wildfire at 2:22, they had been my favorite songs for a very long time and I'm glad vocacircus finally makes a reference to them after so many years

Ok but no one is going to talk about the design ref?! Like I felt something when the "new" Flower was with her V4 design but her "happy" self was with her v3 design. I feel like everyone didn't payed sm attention to Flower in her V3 first release, but when she got her V4 and her new boyish design everyone started to use her for maaaaany songs, more than before... And if Flower were a real person I would think this is how she feels, like why do you prefer the new me who is tired and exhausted more than the last me where I was more myself without your critics?... Also this song, yeah is a bang but... I really felt the emotion here and it made me analyze a little bit myself if I was a good or bad fan while looking to my favorite accounts, do I care about their life? They're humans after all, it hurts rlly much-

(This comment was written in Japanese and posted based on the output from DeepL translation) I saw a post on NOTE (a blog-like service for posting text) that said, "Unlike other vocaloids such as Hatsune Miku, V flower has few works in which the character of V flower itself is sought after, and the songs are such that there is no necessity for them to be sung by V flower". This song reminded me of a post that said something like, "Unlike works sung by other Vocaloids such as Hatsune Miku, there are few works in which the character's picture is clearly shown in the music video". In this music video, V flower is wearing clothes of synthetic voice characters such as Hatsune Miku, MEIKO and other Vocaloids, school uniforms like Synthesizer V characters, UTAU costumes and so on, although I am not sure. In this song, V flower surely wanted to draw attention to herself and have a reason to be, like other synthetic voice characters, but no one would pay attention to her as she is, so she dressed up as other synthetic voice characters. However, the fact that she was only wearing a costume and her own hair and other parts of her head are still the same is becauseshe still felt she could not erase herself, and she wanted to draw attention to herself, even if there were other characters. Sadly, most artists did not create works featuring V flower's character, and some of them chose to use V flower as a "Better Off Worse" because other Vocaloids had too much of the same character. I am Japanese and do not fully understand the lyrics of this song or the original music video, so if you find anything strange, I would appreciate it if you could point it out to me. Also, if you can tell me the name of the character V flower is cosplaying in this music video, it would be very helpful. I think most of them are probably foreign UTAU characters, but there are so many different UTAUs out there that I know very little about them.

flower’s icon is originally her when she’s happy…but by 3:05 it’s changed to how she looks in the rest of the video :(

That was raw f.cking pain there. I stand by what I said once during a live stream. I really appreciate that you're willing to share these emotions with us.

Dude the way you tuned flower is INSANE ! You gave her a totally different accent??? How did you do that?????? She almost sounds like Reol in this!! Its crazy good. The effort put into this song is incredible.

Respect to VFlower for streaming for 13 years straight

Lyrics it's 4 AM on a school night 100 calorie life Making sure the set ups just right, just right Burning every bridge that I grace Making sure that I feel pain Getting in a bitter headspace At this pace I'm ready to go I know your craving for a brand new low I'm ready to go To halt my growth and put on a show To you I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse My happiness is never cared for Over-analyze my broken heart As the tempo kicks up a notch 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me in this spiral of despair No, we must go back Go back to 'my' roots if you could call it that Go back to the hurdles that I've already passed Reliving them over and over And when there is closure We gotta go bolder I'm ready to go Because I know my woes are a product to be consumed Now you're running low I know you want something new But what else can I do? Oh, what else can I do? To you I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse My happiness is never cared for Over-analyze my broken heart As the tempo kicks up a notch 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me in this spiral of despair Better off recovering than recovered Better off hurting than to have hurt Better off in the dark than in the light Better off near death than be alright Bleed out for audience approval Tragic, but perfectly on schedule You think by now that we would have learned Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard But I'm still better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse Rejecting change to keep you there Because I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when I'm running out of time It's like I'm better-better-better off worse The mourning of one still alive I oversimplify the tears I cry While you tear them down line by line 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me- Only ever like me when I wanna die

1:17 omg i love the attention to detail on here having the chat be previous songs and the message being the lyrics.

"Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard." That line stuck at me hard so much😢. Incredible work CircusP❤ PS: The intro of video is absolutely genius!

circus-p making a song with flower is all i've ever wanted. the amount of references in this is absolutely insane gosh, rice did an amazing work with the mv as always! i've been listening to circus' work for a WHILE now (more than a decade, which is kinda crazy) and i could definitely see myself grow up with his songs. his music style has evolved so much over the years and i love that it's still so unique and recognizable. feeling like people only care about your stuff when you're at your worst and that "good" art only really comes from suffering is very real, but please keep up with the good work.

Something I love about this song is that it is exactly 4:04 long.

THIS IS SO GOOD MY GODDDDD And I really enjoyed spotting the setup of the pv and the references to your previous songs. I can tell this can be resonant to how most of your earlier works (and the darker ones at that) are more praised than his newer ones. Or just at the "suffering artist" trope in general! I think this song is so aware of that fact and executes it so well, I got chills watching it! And once again I am reminded of your growth as a producer, and I am so proud of how far you've come. I'll always be looking forward to all your works then, now, and in the future 💜

What i think a lot of people noticed, is as if her outfits changes, she cosplays (?) As a different Vocaloid.

If you turn on captions, there’s a neat detail at 1:59 and 2:00 where the word “broken” gets split in two with a slash

im hoping theres a better CW at the start of the MV, cause "CONTENT WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised" tells me literally nothing. i already know what the song is from patreon but i worry for others EDIT: ending up missing premiere, but im glad the description was updated with better CWs! honestly one of my favorite MVs from rice now. its so good

I'm sorry, but this might actually be my favourite off the album. It's just too relatable and the lyrics are genius tbh. Also I love VFlower, all the references, the art, the video and of course the song itself. Great job everyone!! But please take care of yourselves too...

I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH, SO MUCH, LOOK AT ALL THOSE FRAMES, YOU HAD TO REDRAW AND REDESIGN EVERY SINGLE ONE, THE VOCALS ARE INCREDIBLE, ITS TOO RELATABLE, THE MESSAGE OF THIS, HOLY HELL FUCKING SHIT THIS IS ART. THANK YOU FOR CREATING

Absolute banger that makes me feel guilty for listening on repeat i PROMISE IM NOT HERE TO COMMODIFY YOUR MISERY THIS SONG JUST GOES HARD IM SORRY,

Okay, I think this one is my favorite song of yours, I think I had some tears falling off my face but I couldn't really feel those because of the lyrics and the feelings that went literally crazy, I think? (geez idk how to explain myself 😭) But that song, those lyrics, this melody, in particular, touched me... Thank you for making this song.

if you build fame with sadness, people will know you for sadness, and like you because they can be sad with you if you no longer want to make sad content, your sad audience will leave, but a new, non-sad audience will grow it's why there's always butthurt old fans that say "blablabla fell off" cuz they changed the content they do, including gaming channels that switch to vlogs or music. youtube is an unfortunate environment like that but I like your content, old and new. I was around before haywire was uploaded. I love your sad songs, and I love your happy songs. Golden Afternoon, Orbit, Treat Me So Right, Just For Tonight, Dawn, Ghost Night Parade, Dreaming With You, Nana, the Creative Remix, and Infection and I'm surely not the only one. take a break if you have to, and embrace your growth. haters and whiners are loud, but your supporters are numerous and will grow with time. be yourself

I never thought I'd be listening to an angsty Vflower song that was guilt tripping me for liking angsty Vflower songs.

I cant believe flowers been streaming for 12 years

examples- 1:51 is poltergeist, 2:10 is round and round, 2:12 is aisenma The theme that people are only listening to music that’s made at the cost of it being when it’s creator wasn’t doing the hottest- I love the detail of adding in Circus P songs that match the description.

I feel bad for loving this song despite it showing how much Circus has improved, but I've been here since Creepy Toast as a kid, and I love to see Circus improve in every way possible; it just makes me feel bad to even be excited over the nudges to the older, popular songs, considering this song itself in lyric and MV (which is amazingly made and with a lot of dedication, I can see, great job Rice! I'm super impressed) is calling out types like me who know Circus from the older popular songs while disregarding the producer himself. However still I'm glad to see you call out those who only *did* care about the darker songs and not about the human behind and the effort put in. I feel genuinely bad for relating so much to every lyric. It feels great to grow up listening to Circus' music, but as the comments said, this song is a double edged sword. Personally I dropped off the map from Vocaloid/Vocal Synths for a long time and came back roughly around the time of Puzzle's release. Those older songs gave me comfort when I was younger as I could relate, (Finale I remember thinking a lot about when I was....11) and I imagine a lot of others, and the most painfully ironic thing is that this MV and song I relate the most to in this case. despite it's very dark nature, and definitely not the first or last it'll be.... (chuckles) im the problem (im also spiraling on the brink haha!) In seriousness, if you read this Circus, you've improved *so* much and I can only hope that you're doing well. It's been great to see you grow into the person you are today along with myself, both musically and mentally. I've been a lurking viewer too scared to comment really anything for like, 13 years, and I'm sorry about that. Your album looks like it's coming along great and I'm hyped to see what else you could have planned for the future. Your skills have definitely improved immensely and it's great to see this song with your current skills. I hope the best for you.

Honestly can't believe that it's been a year since this song's released

AHH I REMEMBER THAT I LISTENED TO THIS SONG ON THE DAY IT WAS RELEASED, AND NOW IT HAS ALREADY GOT A MILLION VIEWS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY DESERVED!!! I told all my friends about this and they love it (Written through a translator)

this is like, the best usage of flower in an english song i've ever seen

JP translate ※Deepl翻訳中心なので参考程度に --- it's 4 AM on a school night 100 calorie life Making sure the set ups just right, just right 学校の夜、午前4時 100キロカロリー生活 セットアップを確認する、ちょうどいい、ちょうどいい Burning every bridge that I grace Making sure that I feel pain Getting in a bitter headspace すべての橋を燃やしながら 痛みを感じることを確認する 苦しくなるような頭で考える At this pace I'm ready to go I know your craving for a brand new low I'm ready to go To halt my growth and put on a show このペースなら、もう大丈夫 新たな低空飛行を渇望してるんだろう 覚悟はできてる 自分の成長を止め、見せびらかすために To you I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse My happiness is never cared for あなたにとって私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいい 耐えられないくらい痛いときに聞く 私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいようだ 私の幸せなんてどうでもいい Over-analyze my broken heart As the tempo kicks up a notch 私の傷ついた心を過剰に分析する テンポを上げると 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me in this spiral of despair なぜなら私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいから この絶望の渦にいる僕だけが好きなんだ No, we must go back Go back to 'my' roots if you could call it that Go back to the hurdles that I've already passed Reliving them over and over And when there is closure We gotta go bolder いや、戻らなきゃ "僕の "ルーツに戻ろう、そうあなたが呼べるなら もう通り過ぎたハードルに戻るんだ 何度も何度も繰り返す そして区切りがついたら もっと大胆になるんだ I'm ready to go Because I know my woes are a product to be consumed Now you're running low I know you want something new 覚悟はできている 私の苦悩は消費される商品だと知っているのだから あなたはもう限界 新しいものが欲しいのはわかる But what else can I do? Oh, what else can I do? でも他に何ができる？ ああ、他に何ができる？ To you I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse My happiness is never cared for あなたにとって私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいい 耐えられないくらい辛い時、あなたは聞いてくれる 私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいようだ 私の幸せは、決して気にされない Over-analyze my broken heart As the tempo kicks up a notch 私の傷ついた心を過剰に分析する テンポを上げると 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me in this spiral of despair なぜなら私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいから この絶望の渦にいる僕だけが好きなんだろう Better off recovering than recovered Better off hurting than to have hurt Better off in the dark than in the light Better off near death than be alright 回復するよりも回復したほうがいい 傷つくより傷ついた方がいい 明るいところよりも暗いところのほうがいい 大丈夫というより、死にかけたほうがいい Bleed out for audience approval Tragic, but perfectly on schedule You think by now that we would have learned Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard 観客の賛同を得るために血を流す 悲劇的だが、完璧に予定通り 今頃になって、私たちは学んだとでも思っているのか 芸術作品の裏には、聴かせたい人間の声がある But I'm still better-better-better off worse You listen when it hurts too much to bear It's like I'm better-better-better off worse Rejecting change to keep you there しかし、私はもっと悪くなった方がいい 耐えられないほど痛いときに聞く 私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいようだ 変化を拒み続ける Because I'm better-better-better off worse You listen when I'm running out of time It's like I'm better-better-better off worse The mourning of one still alive なぜなら私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいから 時間がないときに聞いてくれ 私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいようだ まだ生きている人の弔い I oversimplify the tears I cry While you tear them down line by line 涙が出るのを単純化しすぎてる あなたが一行一行に引き裂く間 'Cause I'm better-better-better off worse You only ever like me- Only ever like me when I wanna die なぜなら私はもっともっともっと悪くなった方がいいから あなたは私を好きなだけ... 私が死にたい時だけ好きになってくれる

"you think by now that we would've learned behind every piece of art is a human to be heard" is one of my favorite lines in a song EVER, it just sends chills down my spine every single time

I noticed the Venti cosplay at 0:38 lol

I really appreciate the effort that went into the closed captions here!

Have been listening to this on repeat and at some point the repeated "better better better better-" started to sound like "bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter-"

1:00 I JUST REALISED THAT THE NAMES OF THE CHATTERS HAVE CHANGED INTO SONG NAMES AND THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID WERE THE LYRICS OF SAID SONGS VKJGKASDGFLGCF edit: WAIT IT HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES HOW HAS NOBODY TALKED ABOUT THIS??!?! edit 2: most are. i recognised goodbye, insanity, circus monster and copycat :/

たくさんのflowerの書き込みにとにかく愛を感じる 中毒的なサビの中でたくさんの花ちゃんを見れるのがホントに素晴らしい

Just realized that the song lasts to 4:04 (404 error Code)

I listened to this song on Patreon and didn't know what to say at this time so, I'll finally say it here : I love your actual songs. I love your happy songs, I love your popish songs, I love every single one of them. Heck, the one I have an hyperfocus right now is Captain. It's "Disney-esque" like you said but that's why it's so cool. Of course, I like your darker songs too, and I know there is less views too, but I'm 100% sure your actual audience wants you healthy and happy. Even if we are fewer, even if some of us only lurk and rarely talk, we just want one of our favorite artist to be ok. On a personal note, you were also the one who gave me confidence to buy my favorite voicebanks and try to do covers thanks to your streams. So, please be proud of you and your work ❤️

So I don’t usually comment but considering the content of the song I did want to say something. So I’ve been a fan of Circus’ work since I was in my early twenties I think? I was still in university at the time. I’m in my thirties now. And while I really liked and related to Circus’ angsty stuff at the time, I have changed a lot since then and it makes sense that Circus has changed too. And I really like Circus’ new stuff. One of my favourite ‘recent’ songs from Circus is Dreamin With U, which is such a sweet love song that I definitely can relate more to now as a married woman than I probably could have as the weirdo loner I was in my early twenties . I guess the reason I bring this all up is just that this song is a sobering reminder that behind the content we consume is a person and people change. Especially when you’ve been making content as long as Circus has. Which I really appreciate. Back when Circus started making music, the English Vocaloid scene was still very niche’. Now there’s a tonne of well-known producers! But Circus’ music is still my fave.

Circus? I just want to say no matter what theme your songs are, dark or light, I'll always be a fan! All of your music is wonderful,and if you are going through something difficult,please be safe and rest if needed! I also would like to thank you for everything you've done! Your music is wonderful and it has gotten me through a dark time and it's helping me feel happy! Please keep up the glorious work and continue to make wonderful music!!❤😂😊

"i oversimplify the tears i cry" "you only ever like me when i wanna die" alright these lines made me kinda queasy.

Not sure whether this was intentional or not, but I like how at the beginning, it can be heard as either “making sure that I feel okay, getting in a better headspace” or “making sure that I feel pain, getting in a bitter headspace” like!!! It fits the song so well… just thought I’d point that out, bc the subtitles say the second option, but the first one fits well too

歌詞はちょっとしか理解出来てないけど曲とMV凄くカッコイイ！

I found a similarity in this song with another song Circus made named "Slash/er" There is a lyrics part of Slasher song says "The audience wants more, becoming the monster."...

It is slightly ironic how well this song is doing

1 Million views! I remember the day the song came out