Song Contest 99 (Entries up, votes due 10/3!)

[KuroiXHF]

I see it now.

[Davsto]

Entries are up!

And left-aligned, for some reason.

[Political joke]

[TheWayItEnds]

I'll try looking for it when I finish listening to all these songs.

BTW, I've been listening to all these songs, expecting that I'd hate all of them. WHY DON'T I HATE ANY OF THEM? Like, they're really good.

let me know when you get to mine.

[PJ.]

which one is yours?

[TheWayItEnds]

the one he hates.

Chad.

[TheWayItEnds]

everyone can direct their complaints to parama.

[Parama]

tbh i can't hear you over the saxophones

[kraska77]

i only listened to 40 sec~1 min of most of these

spain- 5.5/10
south korea- 5.999/10
tajikstan- 5/10
hong kong- 3/10
uzbekistan- 5.2/10
burkina faso- 6/10
uruguay-4/10
finland- 4.5/10
mali- 4.6/10

central african republic- this is the most decent song so far and it's not even that good 6.5/10
kiribati- hey i kinda like this one 6.8/10 groovy

new zealand- 4.8/10
hungary- so bland 3.2/10
Cote d'Ivoire- 3.1/10
guyana- 3.7/10
iceland- 6.2/10
india- 5.7/10 the quacks ruined this
latvia-3.15/10
chad- no. 3.1111/10
usa- 6.1/10
canada- 4.2/10

albania- 10 :3

greece- this is even worse than within temptation 2.9/10

macedonia- i like this 6.6/10

sri lanka- lyrics are so corny theyre kinda funny lol 4.999/10
bhutan- 5/10

[KuroiXHF]

So I'm probably half of the way through, and I've found a couple of songs I absolutely cannot stand.

I'm also not saying mine, but I have no idea how Kraska could rate my song so low.

I'll make a list of the songs i like when I'm done.

[PJ.]

Spain: slow, meandering and the chorus is twice as long as the verses combined
South Korea: not for me
Tajikstan: Sounds like something out of a VN at first. Then sounds like something out of a very high budget VN.
Hong Kong: This was nope before i clicked. I clicked. Still nope.
Uzbekistan: This might get points. Not really for me tho. "my mom like why it smell like weed everytime in the house" was a killer for me.
Burkina Faso: this picture is trippy as hell. This sounds like Grimes. Not as good as Grimes. 2 girls tho? I have no idea what any of these intruments are. OOOO harmonica!. I don't know wha5 any of these other instruments are. Is there an accordion?
Uruguay: Wild Hunt is one of my fvorite albums of all time and I entered King of Spain like 6 years ago. It did not make top 10. I feel that bodes poorly for this song, which is not half the song king of spain is. Still probably getting a very high score from me
Finland: This song not being a K Pop cover of Piano Man KILLED you. Sorry bud. 0. You had no chance.
Mali: remember when I said I knew there was things not getting points before i clicked?
CAR: meh
Kiribati: This was a yes from the first beat. it being only 2 minutes helped.
New Zealand: I'm not really into thugga, tbh. But this might still slide in over other stuff that is just nope.
Hungary: Not for me
ivory coast: maybe cause watamote
Guyana: This guy really wishes he was as good as Benn Jordan
Iceland: nope
India: haha, i liked this more than I should
Latvia: I liked this alot before the vocals kicked in.
Chad: I liked this way more than i thought i would.
USA: Bubble bubble bubble pop bubble bubble pop pop. peg knows his audience. I think american pop acts should have choreography videos.
Canada: I wish the anime was as good as the music videos
Albania: not for me
Greece: sounded worse than everything it sounded like it ripped from
Macedonia: I liked this way more than I should. Reminded me of snow
Sri Lanka: this was very pleasant.

[kraska77]

kiribati and macedonia are my fav submissions and probably the only songs in this contest i'd listen to again in the future

[KuroiXHF]

The submissions I'd like and will review again before I make my final choice:
Spain
South Korea
Hong Kong
Hungary

EDIT: This isn't to say that I think poorly of the other ones. I'm just saying that these are the ones I'd seriously consider as my favorite out of this list.

[pickemgenius]

I think american pop acts should have choreography videos

I TOTALLY AGREE

[TheWayItEnds]

Chad: I liked this way more than i thought i would.

im glad because i spent a really long time deciding between 3 songs for an entry that i assumed everyone would hate.

[Willowmeadow]

Guyana: This guy really wishes he was as good as Benn Jordan

That's funny, considering how I've mostly moved from KiloWatts to The Flashbulb in the past 4-ish years.

[KuroiXHF]

The thing about Guyana that bothers me most is the asymmetry of the nose in the picture.

[Empire]

ok the right thread this time >_> (make sure to get yr sleep friends)

my rankings with lazy reviews that probably sounded a lot meaner than i wanted due to sleep deprivation.

Central African Republic - this is my #2 king crimson song and it still owns even though i haven't listened to it in some time
Uruguay - i'm a total sap for this guy's music
Kiribati - wow, the bass playing on this. great groove.
Bhutan - i used to be very into this band when i was ~18 but they still sound great to me even now after having not really listened to them much. many good memories also.
---
Burkina Faso - good, but could do without the twee vocals
India - lmao. this song reminds me of the parrot sample scratching at the end of "frontier psychiatrist"
Canada - sometimes falls prey to j-rock tropes (see: the build-ups to the chorus) but the music is fun and interesting enough to keep me engaged.
Iceland - fun stuff. wondering how much better this would sound if you de-metal-ize it.
Albania - would have liked this more if it were maybe just a bit longer and had just a tiny bit more stuff.
Sri Lanka - i really wish the lyrics weren't so bland but i enjoyed the music.
Macedonia - pretty good but i have a feeling i won't be coming back to this after the contest.
---
Finland - guilty pleasure ear candy that gets fuckin torpedoed by a horrible out of place rap verse (why is kpop full of shit like this)
Uzbekistan - the production is sorta cool i guess
Tajikistan - sounds like the ost to an ys game, also it goes on forever
Mali - could fit in a trailer to the latest hot new summer blockbuster
South Korea - generic piano ballad, but at least is isn't the chock-full-of-farty-synth pop w/ really out of place rap verses that seemingly every kpop song has
Hungary - another generic piano ballad
Guyana - sounds like dated 90s electro. unremarkable in every way.
Greece - not really feelin this one, sorry.
New Zealand - beat is ok but boring. can't stand his voice though.
---
Latvia - super fucking cloying
Cote d'Ivoire - uh, there was a ~5 sec bit in there with the piano and the bass that was neat?
Hong Kong - like nightwish, except even worse
USA - remember when i mentioned farty synths and bad (half-)rap verses in kpop? yeah
---
Chad - struggled to finish it, tbh

[BROseidon]

I'm sad the original post is gone

[toolenduso]

I'm sad the original post is gone

What original post?

[Errantparabola]

For better or for worse, I listened to every song all the way through.
I have odd taste at times, so apologies for me being harsh-- I'd like to preface this by saying I'm sure all of these artists are talented and do their thing very well, just that a lot of it isn't for me. I ask you to not take my criticism as anything but personal opinion. Thanks.

Bhutan

- I spent a while trying to decide whether I liked this or really liked this, and settled on somewhere in between. A-

Central African Republic

- The beginning instrumental drew me in.

Very

long but had some variety so it was bearable. Some good parts in the mix. B+

Kiribati

- I enjoyed it a lot. It seemed a little all over the place, but overall it was good. B+

India

- It was interesting, and quite enjoyable. I probably wouldn't listen to it regularly, but it was fun, found myself tapping my foot. B+

Greece

- It's not what I usually like, but somehow I found myself liking it a lot. B+

Tajikistan

- I liked this a lot from the start and I kept liking it, and it tried (although didn't fully succeed) to keep from dragging on. B+

Hungary

- Decent. Not outstanding or unique, but it's a nice song. B

Macedonia

- See what I wrote for Greece. B

Sri Lanka

- It's solid, but in a not entirely interesting way. That being said, I quite like it. B

Uruguay

- It was okay. Not amazing. B-

Canada

- Pretty good. Don't really have much to say about it other than interesting music video. B-

Finland

- Standard K-pop group fare, right down to the key change. The rap didn't make me want to tear out my ears to the extent that it could have. C+

Burkina Faso

- Felt like it wanted to grab my attention but it didn't. Not a terrible song. C+

Albania

- Felt sort of... empty in a way. Not a lot going in the song, but what was there was good in a kind of surreal way. C+

Guyana

- I didn't dislike it, but it was quite boring and didn't really have much going for it. C

Spain

- It was a slow song, which can sometimes be amazing. Not so much for this song, which sort of bored me. C-

Hong Kong

- It's interesting how such a heavy song can simultaneously be so boring... C-

Latvia

- I mean... the instrumental was alright. D+

South Korea

- Bias for Korean ballads, but I really dislike his voice. Favorite part was that one line that someone else sang. D+

Mali

- I normally like Watsky, but I did not like this. D

USA

- See Finland, except worse in almost every way. D

Cote d'Ivoire

- No thanks. D-

Iceland

- It was just too frantic and disorganized for my taste. D-

New Zealand

- I really dislike his voice and I had a hard time finishing the song. F

Uzbekistan

- Oddly enough, the beat really grated on my ears, which made the song hard to listen to. Don't like the artist either. F

Chad

- I mean, they're good at what they do, but it's just not for me. F

[Zachstralkita]

Uzbekistan: This might get points. Not really for me tho. "my mom like why it smell like weed everytime in the house" was a killer for me.

The common theme of hedonistic glorification of unregulated substance use is contrasted with Da$h narrating how his emotional instability has led to dependency, whether mental or physical. However, he is quite unable to reconcile his thoughts and feelings due to what he perceives is a shit-torrent(thank you, Mr. Lahey) of life's events (which are seemingly routine to this man but are slowly taking their toll on his physical well-being, and especially his emotional well-being) coming at him faster than he can address meaningfully and with a clear mind, such as the strained relationship with his mother almost to the point of eviction, his antisocial behavior and general apathy to most societal regulations, perhaps some of which can be attributed to constant substance abuse and near addiction to nullify or change the feelings he would rather not encounter, (the common listener would think marijuana from most of the lyrics but more applicable are, say opioids and even alcohol), and falling under unnecessary scrutiny from his then-girlfriend who believes he is being unfaithful when Da$h himself admits the only time he is ever unsavory is when it comes to his financial dealings. Last but not least, his gang-affiliated lifestyle and all the occupational hazards that come with it, whether it be incarceration or a certain to be violent conflict with law enforcement officers, neither of which sustainable outcomes, and of course, death being an obvious risk. Despite this, the ambition for his music career has not diminished and has instead become his goal and perhaps his outlet for these feelings. The song ends on a relatively high note with optimism compared to the depressing tone prevalent for the majority of it. In addition to selling drugs to supplement his income, Da$h has been perfecting his legitimate craft to the point where he is rather unkempt in terms of appearance, having not been for a haircut in several weeks to presumably write and record music nonstop. He then sets himself already above the rest of those in the same profession if only as a reminder to himself. The song closes out with him stating his end goal is, indeed, massive monetary profit. Though I suspect his gain has been more than merely material.


-------

I listen to them in full. 8 or above - I'd probably listen to it on the regular, though that's not to say that heavy 4s through 7s suck. and I think I don't judge music as harshly as some people do. As I'm doing this i realize theres so many songs holy shit

Spain - It just started and I already love it. This shit is really smooth. Whoever submitted it, I love you. 10/10

South Korea - Hmm. I admit, even tho I don't know what he's saying, when he dropped that shit for a second time at 2:00 I felt some type of way. OH SHIT I CHANGED MY RATE CAUSE 3:18 CAME IN GOT DAMN 6.3/10

Tajikistan - I dunno, I was fucking with it when it started. It just seems kind of repetitive though. I'm definitely seeing the VN thing that someone mentioned. Maybe that's obscuring my judgement. With tears. The second half of this song redeemed it. I'll say 6.5. Were this in a VN, I'd be like " okay okay " when it came on and the protagonist was doing some crazy shit and having cat shrine-maidens incorporated somehow, but I can't fully say I'd listen to it outside of said VN, while there are some songs from VNs that I definitively would. 6.5/10

Hong Kong - I'm a fan of her singing in the verses. However, for a reason I can't put my finger on, this doesn't really seem noteworthy to me. Music video was nifty tho. 5.5/10

Burkina Faso - I like her voice. I like the instrumental. Damn this shit switched up on me at about 1:20 I feel like I'm on some good drugs. Yes. Okay lets see what we workin with here... 2:09 OKAYYYYYYY (lil jon voice) I was definitely not disappointed. 8.5/10

Uruguay - man, why do i feel like im playing life is strange? i dont even know. i dont know anything anymore. 7/10

Finland - damn this is pretty tight but i feel like to experience it in full i'd have to either A) be directly on the set when this was filmed B) this be the intro of some TV show that I happen to be involved in C) Be drunk. 7.3/10

Mali - I feel cheated somehow. Yeah Watsky can spit. And? Nothing in particular made this stand out to me. 6/10

Central African Republic - If I get shot in a gunfight (let's think mob related, perhaps even an assassin) play this as I fall. I was optimistic in the beginning, but 6/10.

Kiribati - I'm not really drawn in. This is what plays in the background while detectives are staking some dudes out. The French Connection or some shit, probably. 5/10



New Zealand - GRAHHHHHHHH IMA GET THE 223 AND START WETTIN SHIT UP . even tho thugger sometime sound like an adopted puppy with lung cancer and a motherfucking god damned sesame street character some time. it sometimes upsets me. and I have never been into him solo. still, 8.4/10 " and im on a perC y pill "

Hungary - I was captivated somehow, I think?. 6.2/10

Cote d'Ivoire - yeah you got me. i think i need to have energy to listen to this tho 7/10

Guyana - It wasn't an unwelcome change of pace, but this is inclined to make me feel very racy or just not engaged unless I'm really, really stimulated. It could be in the background of a video game and I'd like it. Actually, the drop at like 5:21 made me feel good. 6.3/10

Iceland - I'm sorry. I'm not sure what the fuck is going on here. As it progresses, I began to catch a glimpse of what the fuck

was

going on there but I never grasped it. Okay, then we hit like 2:40 and I begin to catch some of the fuck is going on here and hold it firmly, which I appreciated greatly. Then I got fucking lost again. I'm unsettled now. 3/10

India - i feel like im in a futuristic soda commercial or a futuristic animal crossing game. fuck yes. then the quacks. this is like getting kidnapped, but you end up having a really good time in both regards to treatment and environment and you say fuck going home, like the motherfufcker just hand u a pina colada and you put your feet up and play PS4 while motherfuckers on NBC bitchin bout the ransom.. 7/10

Latvia - i aint got shit else to say. i just need the camera to catch like the perfect angle of rays of moonlight glistening on me while I smoke a newport 100 to this shit and follow it with a piece of 5 gum. And somehow incorporate Rem. mhm. MHM. 4:13 onward tho. YES. 8.6/10

Chad - I was one with the hype. 1:38 onward >>. 8/10

USA - when it just started i wasnt expecting anything special but GOD DAMN IF 1:10 DROPPED IN A RAVE ID START PUNCHING DUDES. FUCK THAT IM BLASTING. what is wrong with me 9/10

Albania - It's not bad? But I'm like, having a flashback to some place I haven't been. I have no clue. 6.5/10

Greece - I dunno. I dont know how I feel about my mans voice. Not bad and instru isnt either 6.5/10

Macedonia - BUMBOCLOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT 9.5/10. Also, that Mobb Deep sample. U done good. U done very good.

Sri Lanka - In a parallel universe, I'm listening to this while dodging the draft and attempting to flee to New Canada in 3030. 8.4/10

Bhutan - Sometimes not a lot to say. 8/10

[Parama]

I'm unsettled now. 3/10

be thankful i didn't send omen, which i actually find kind of disturbing myself
it's really good, just... w e w

[TheWayItEnds]

Chad - I was one with the hype. 1:38 onward >>. 8/10

are you saying you liked the cleans or you would have preferred the cleanless songs i was considering?

[Zachstralkita]

Um. I'm not sure what exactly you mean by cleans. Are you referring to the growling in the vocals and stuff?




I don't mind stuff like that.

[TheWayItEnds]

cleans as in the clean (not screamed) vocals that started at 1:38