Slovenia
- RedHook ft. Sly Withers - Soju
A bop. Love the chorus. Very “done with this shit” customer service rep vibes. Respect to the guitarist. AND THE FRICKIN SAXOPHONE!! Ooooh and the crowd singing along. Love that shit. I wish the chorus came back one more time to make that even more impactful, but still a really solid piece.
Lithuania
- Sonido Gallo Negro - Bocanegra
Alright. Funky. Takes me back to dorking around with an electronic keyboard with my cousin when we were kids. Got a bit weird and repetitive after a while.
Gibraltar
- Kelela - Raven
Got my attention right away. The Batman vibes. Gorgeous voice. “There’s nothing here to mourn” is a powerful line. YES IT BUILT UP TO SOMETHING EVEN COOLER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD. Oh! But it ended so suddenly. Dang, I wish it’d gone just a bit further.
USA
- Yoasobi - Idol
Super Smash Bros energy. Ooh key change. Dance-worthy. Rap that ascends into high-pitched madness? I’ll take it. Some very nice note sequences around the 2:40 mark. Cool ending.
Peru
- Deerhunter - Desire Lines
Strong intro. New Moon vibes. Kinda petered out halfway thru to the end, and it was just background noise. Still pleasant. And I don’t want to give it 0 points, so it makes the cut!
Wales
- Cub Sport - Come On Mess Me Up
Enya vibes at first, which I didn’t expect with the title. Lovely voice. Chorus makes me feel like I’m running down the street with friends at dusk, laughing and feeling like maybe good things can last forever.
Chile
- Cigarbox Man - Hollywood
It’s like a conglomeration of good sounds from different genres. Is it rock, is it country, is it indie? No, but also yes. Not quite my jam, but I’m not mad listening to it. Another one that ended when I thought it was building up to more.
Ireland
- Tom Odell - Heal
Mine. The piano gives me chills every time. And then Tom’s voice just… kills me. Especially when he says “heal, hell, heal” and his voice is all raw and emotional… And the last line “tell me some things last…” I heard this song when I was writing once, and I immediately knew it would play during a funeral scene, and my GOD it hurts me. And then it was the first credits song for a very sad movie that I love (If I Stay, if any of y’all need a good cry), so… yeah. This song resonates with my soul. It’s so simple but so deep.
IF I COULD VOTE: look, I know it’s not gonna be the top song, but maybe I need to stop trying to win and just… share songs I like? (man, does anyone else think I sound like xof? definitely not related, nope, not a bit)
Israel
- Joulez - Lon La-bul
I really appreciate that somebody else shared a mostly electronic song. I’m still not over that one time I shared a Seven Lions remix and someone commented, “do people still listen to dubstep?” and I was like…. uh…. do people NOT? Anyway, the singer’s voice in this is quite lovely, and the beat is good.
Yemen
- As Cities Burn - Pirate Blues
This has a timeless, raw beauty to it. “She’s not coming back” voice break is great, but the broken screams at the end are perfection. Sped-up guitar and drums near the end were a nice touch too, just for something different.
Denmark
- Kansas - Dust in the Wind
Does anybody not know this song? I grew up on this bread and butter. I actually heard Kansas perform this live at the New York State Fair back in 2017? Very nostalgic. And honestly, it’s a nice song. Solid Kansas choice. My fave growing up was Carry On, My Wayward Son, naturally, but maybe that one’s a tad overplayed? Anyway, I’ll give this a decent placement, but I’m not like jumping out of my seat, you know?
eSwatini
- Dodie - Ready Now
Intro is nice. I like how clearly she pronounces every syllable. Makes it really personable and sweet, like a friend whispering in your ear. Plus, it’s easy to understand the lyrics. Outro is even nicer. So relaxing. I’d listen to this on repeat.
Oz
- Hortus Animae - Bible Black
I’m intrigued by the title. Yep, sounds exactly like I thought it would! Ooh like a darker, rougher version of Trans Siberian Orchestra. Oof, 8 mins seems a bit long for this. There’d better be singing (narrator: there was not, in fact, singing). Oh hey, they sound like demons. Bible Black. Demonic. Got it. Getting “My Lullaby” from Lion King 2 vibes at 1:50 (the villains always have the best songs). (Hahaha pausing this to take a call at work was hilarious.) Sorry, I’m kind of rambling just trying to find positive things about a genre that isn’t my jam. Like, I think it’s good. The drum and guitar and keyboard are noticeably good. I would totally listen to a version without the vocals. Just give me those rockin’ instruments. DUDE THERE’S A VIOLIN. OKAY, I’M GIVING POINTS FOR THAT. IT’S REALLY FUCKIN’ PRETTY. Niiiice, ended on a whisper. (okay, I went back to find the time stamp for the “My Lullaby” comment, and I’m actually… jamming a little? Weird.)
Mali
- Manchester Orchestra - Angel of Death
Chill and energetic all at once. Damn, this guy’s voice is unique. I like it. This feels like the type of song that would have defined my high school experience, if I’d found it back then. I honestly love this, and I applaud the choice. YES I LOVE A GOOD BUILDUP. AHHH IT DID EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED AND MORE! Had to crank up the volume to feel it in my soul. Ending wasn’t my favorite (kinda veered off into something different and barely offkey in that offputting way that works in other stuff but felt weird here, but could’ve worked if they’d circled back to the original sound), but all in all, I really really liked this, and it deserves the top spot.
