diff --git a/src/lib/components/app/bg-analyzer.svelte b/src/lib/components/app/bg-analyzer.svelte
index 0d2aa3e..d8d3f68 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/app/bg-analyzer.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/app/bg-analyzer.svelte
@@ -1,17 +1,26 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-  import { onMount } from 'svelte';
   import { setMode } from 'mode-watcher';
+  import { state as appState } from '@/state.svelte';
   
-  export let videoSelector: string = "#bg-video";
-  export let updateInterval: number = 2000;
-  console.log('update')
+  let { videoSelector }: { videoSelector: string } = $props();
 
   function analyzeVideoBrightness(video: HTMLVideoElement, canvas: HTMLCanvasElement, ctx: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
-    if (video.paused || video.ended) return;
+    const perf = window.performance.now();
+    if (video.paused || video.ended || video.readyState < 2) return;
 
     canvas.width = 32;
     canvas.height = 32;
-    ctx.drawImage(video, 0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
+    
+    const sourceY = Math.floor(video.videoHeight * 0.67); // take the top two-thirds
+    const sourceHeight = Math.floor(video.videoHeight * 0.33); // take the bottom third
+    
+    // draw the bottom third of the video to the canvas
+    // prettier-ignore
+    ctx.drawImage(
+      video,
+      0, sourceY, video.videoWidth, sourceHeight,
+      0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height
+    );
 
     const imageData = ctx.getImageData(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
     const pixels = imageData.data;
@@ -30,30 +39,40 @@
     }
 
     const avgBrightness = totalBrightness / pixelCount;
-    const isDark = avgBrightness < 0.5;
+    const isDark = avgBrightness < 0.45;
 
     setMode(isDark ? 'dark' : 'light');
+
+    const now = window.performance.now();
+    console.log(`brightness: ${avgBrightness}, time taken: ${now - perf}ms`);
   }
 
-  onMount(() => {
+  $effect(() => {
+    const videoId = appState.currentBackgroundId;
+    if (!videoId) return;
+    
     const video = document.querySelector(videoSelector) as HTMLVideoElement;
     if (!video) return;
 
-    const canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
-    const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
-    if (!ctx) return;
+    const analyzeWhenReady = () => {
+      if (video.readyState >= 2) {
+        const canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
+        const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
+        if (!ctx) return;
+        
+        analyzeVideoBrightness(video, canvas, ctx);
+        video.removeEventListener('loadeddata', analyzeWhenReady);
+      }
+    };
 
-    function updateGlobalTextColor() {
-      analyzeVideoBrightness(video, canvas, ctx!);
+    if (video.readyState >= 2) {
+      analyzeWhenReady();
     }
-
-    video.addEventListener('loadeddata', updateGlobalTextColor);
-
-    const interval = setInterval(updateGlobalTextColor, updateInterval);
-
+    
+    video.addEventListener('loadeddata', analyzeWhenReady);
+    
     return () => {
-      clearInterval(interval);
-      video.removeEventListener('loadeddata', updateGlobalTextColor);
+      video.removeEventListener('loadeddata', analyzeWhenReady);
     };
   });
 </script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/lib/components/app/bg-dropdown.svelte b/src/lib/components/app/bg-dropdown.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b8e1c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/components/app/bg-dropdown.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import * as DropdownMenu from '$lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/index.js';
+  import { buttonVariants } from '$lib/components/ui/button/index.js';
+  import { state as appState } from '@/state.svelte';
+  import Image from '@lucide/svelte/icons/image';
+
+  let selectedBackgroundId = $state(appState.currentBackgroundId!.toString());
+  $effect(() => {
+    appState.currentBackgroundId = selectedBackgroundId;
+  })
+</script>
+
+<DropdownMenu.Root>
+  <DropdownMenu.Trigger class={buttonVariants({ variant: 'default', size: 'icon' })}>
+    <Image />
+  </DropdownMenu.Trigger>
+  <DropdownMenu.Content
+    class="max-h-[50vh] overflow-y-auto"
+  >
+    <DropdownMenu.Group>
+      <DropdownMenu.GroupHeading>Select background</DropdownMenu.GroupHeading>
+      <DropdownMenu.Separator />
+      <DropdownMenu.RadioGroup bind:value={selectedBackgroundId} class="grid grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-4">
+        {#each appState.backgrounds as background}
+          <DropdownMenu.RadioItem value={background.id.toString()} hideRadio>
+            <div class="relative flex items-center flex-col">
+              <div class="absolute bottom-0 left-0 w-full bg-black/50 text-white text-sm text-center p-1">
+                {background.name}
+              </div>
+              <img
+                src={background.thumbnailUrl}
+                alt={background.name}
+                class="size-32 object-cover rounded-sm"
+              />
+            </div>
+          </DropdownMenu.RadioItem>
+        {/each}
+      </DropdownMenu.RadioGroup>
+    </DropdownMenu.Group>
+  </DropdownMenu.Content>
+</DropdownMenu.Root>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/app/bg-image.svelte b/src/lib/components/app/bg-image.svelte
index 0a96c0d..2149bac 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/app/bg-image.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/app/bg-image.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { state as appState } from '@/state.svelte';
+
+  let video: HTMLVideoElement | null = null;
+  $effect(() => {
+    const backgroundId = appState.currentBackgroundId;
+    if (backgroundId && video) {
+      const resolvedBg = appState.backgrounds.find((bg) => bg.id === backgroundId);
+      // i may or may not have yoinked this cors proxy for other purposes
+      video.src = `https://cors.notesnook.com/${resolvedBg?.landscapeUrl}` || '';
+    }
+  })
+</script>
+
 <video
-  src={true ? "https://ch-cdn.srizan.dev/discord-rain.mp4" : "https://ch-cdn.srizan.dev/flower-shop-beachside-moewalls-com.mp4"}
+  bind:this={video}
+  src={"https://example.com"}
   autoplay
   loop
   muted
@@ -7,4 +22,4 @@
   class="absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full object-cover -z-10"
   id="bg-video"
   crossorigin="anonymous"
-></video>
+></video>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/lib/components/app/bottom-bar.svelte b/src/lib/components/app/bottom-bar.svelte
index 67c2e39..672ee3f 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/app/bottom-bar.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/app/bottom-bar.svelte
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <script>
+  import BgDropdown from '@/components/app/bg-dropdown.svelte';
   import Disclaimer from '@/components/app/disclaimer.svelte';
   import MusicPlayer from '@/components/app/now-playing.svelte';
   import StationDropdown from '@/components/app/station-dropdown.svelte';
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
   <div class="hidden sm:block flex-1"></div>
   <div class="flex gap-4 mt-3 sm:mt-0">
     <StationDropdown />
+    <BgDropdown />
     <Disclaimer />
   </div>
 </div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/lib/components/app/daemon.svelte b/src/lib/components/app/daemon.svelte
index a02789a..3ef6f02 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/app/daemon.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/app/daemon.svelte
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
   // svelte-ignore non_reactive_update
   let audioElement: HTMLAudioElement;
-  let isInteracting = false;
 
   function togglePlayback(play: boolean) {
     if (!audioElement) return;
@@ -31,17 +30,16 @@
     const data = await getGeneralData();
     state.presets = data.presets;
     state.stations = data.stations;
-    state.backgrounds = data.backgrounds;
+    // TODO: support parent backgrounds
+    state.backgrounds = data.backgrounds.filter(bg => bg.isActive === 1 && !bg.parentId);
     state.atmospheres = data.atmospheres;
 
     if (data.stations.length > 0 && state.currentStation === null) {
       state.currentStation = data.stations[0].id;
     }
-    if (data.backgrounds.length > 0 && state.currentBackgroundId === null) {
-      const firstActiveBg = data.backgrounds.find((bg) => bg.isActive && !bg.parentId);
-      state.currentBackgroundId = firstActiveBg
-        ? firstActiveBg.id
-        : data.backgrounds[0]?.id || null;
+    if (state.backgrounds.length > 0 && state.currentBackgroundId === null) {
+      state.currentBackgroundId = state.backgrounds[0].id;
+      console.log('asdf', state.currentBackgroundId);
     } else {
       state.error = 'Failed to load initial data (empty response).';
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-radio-item.svelte b/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-radio-item.svelte
index 9b965b6..862c0ed 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-radio-item.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-radio-item.svelte
@@ -7,24 +7,36 @@
     ref = $bindable(null),
     class: className,
     children: childrenProp,
+    hideRadio = $bindable(false),
     ...restProps
-  }: WithoutChild<DropdownMenuPrimitive.RadioItemProps> = $props();
+  }: FixedProps = $props();
+
+  interface FixedProps extends WithoutChild<DropdownMenuPrimitive.RadioItemProps> {
+    /**
+     * Wether if the circle should be shown or not
+     * @default false
+    */
+    hideRadio?: boolean;
+  }
 </script>
 
 <DropdownMenuPrimitive.RadioItem
   bind:ref
   class={cn(
-    'data-[highlighted]:bg-white/20 data-[highlighted]:text-accent-foreground relative flex cursor-default select-none items-center rounded-sm py-1.5 pl-8 pr-2 text-sm outline-none data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50',
+    'data-[highlighted]:bg-white/20 data-[highlighted]:text-accent-foreground relative flex cursor-default select-none items-center rounded-sm py-1.5 pr-2 text-sm outline-none data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50',
+    hideRadio ? 'pl-2' : 'pl-8',
     className
   )}
   {...restProps}
 >
   {#snippet children({ checked })}
-    <span class="absolute left-2 flex size-3.5 items-center justify-center">
-      {#if checked}
-        <Circle class="size-2 fill-current" />
-      {/if}
-    </span>
+    {#if !hideRadio}
+      <span class="absolute left-2 flex size-3.5 items-center justify-center">
+        {#if checked}
+          <Circle class="size-2 fill-current" />
+        {/if}
+      </span>
+    {/if}
     {@render childrenProp?.({ checked })}
   {/snippet}
-</DropdownMenuPrimitive.RadioItem>
+</DropdownMenuPrimitive.RadioItem>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-separator.svelte b/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-separator.svelte
index 73f21c2..6319946 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-separator.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/ui/dropdown-menu/dropdown-menu-separator.svelte
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@
 
 <DropdownMenuPrimitive.Separator
   bind:ref
-  class={cn('bg-muted -mx-1 my-1 h-px', className)}
+  class={cn('bg-white/20 -mx-1 my-1 h-px', className)}
   {...restProps}
 />
diff --git a/src/routes/+page.svelte b/src/routes/+page.svelte
index cdb2c3e..b03e4ac 100644
--- a/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 <BgImage />
 <Daemon />
-<BackgroundAnalyzer videoSelector="#bg-video" updateInterval={2000} />
+<BackgroundAnalyzer videoSelector="#bg-video" />
 
 {#if state.isLoading && !state.hasInteracted}
   <div class="flex flex-col h-screen w-full items-center justify-center space-y-2">