Song Contest - BOTB 7 (Results posted!)

[Aristophanes]

OK listen up folks, perhaps I've got a solution to this very severe problem.
Why don't we use a 'flexible' deadline?

It'll work like this:
- The submission period for entering songs is a week. Because why would it take anybody more than a week to find a damn good song.
- In first instance, the voting deadline is 5 days. People should be visiting this forum at least every five days unless they're on a Hawaii vacation. Or if you jumped into a volcano and killed yourself, in which case we won't be seeing you again. Ugh.
- This deadline will get extended by 3 days every time that the amount of people that HAVE voted, is not yet more than 75% of entrants. This will be allowed three times, until there have been 14 days passed (= 2 weeks) after which the voting will always be over.
- Every time the deadline needs to get extended, the entrants that haven't voted yet will receive a penalty, like -5 points off of their score every time. This will add up to -20 if you don't vote all four times, which is also how many points will be subtracted from your score in the current situation.

So here's an example.
In

Song Contest 2.783.425

, 20 people entered a song. 75% of 20 is 15, so as soon as there have been 15 votes submitted at bare minimum, we can close the voting.
After the first 5 days, only 13 people voted. The voting deadline will be extended for another 3 days, and the 7 people that didn't vote get a -5 point score.
After 8 days, three more people have voted, so 16 in total. The voting deadline will be closed, and 3 people have a 5-point penalty while the rest gets -20 and will not be allowed to enter the next contest as usual.

I think this could solve the problem in multiple ways: not only having to wait waaay too long ever again, as well as giving participants penalties if they're rebellious to vote in an adequate way. Also, if there's a lot of interest in Song Contests (assuming people VOTE), there will be more Song Contests on average. Seems like a nice added bonus to the hardcore fans that always vote on time.

Leave your opinions please.

That's a rather elegant solution actually!

[Plotinus]

Sounds great, vizllsto, I approve.

[Errantparabola]

I like that as well. Sorry i havent voted. Intend to do so today.

[Aristophanes]

It's a shame that didn't get the pagetop tbh

[vizIIsto]

It's a shame that didn't get the pagetop tbh

Then edit your post and add it as a quote!

[Aristophanes]

It's a shame that didn't get the pagetop tbh

Then edit your post and add it as a quote!

I forgot I had that power!

Done
I'm such an idiot! XD

[PJ.]

Seems bad.

[Davsto]

only amendment i'd make would be initial timeframe of one week bc 5 days doesn't include every day of the week yk

[schadd_]

just go like "deadline extended... but watch out!" and then randomly end it early sometimes

[pickemgenius]

im always just gonna vote like 2ish days before deadline whenever it is.

[Errantparabola]

12) lechtenstaein- not gonna listen to it rn but it'll be my 12
10) iceland - nice this is good actualyl... oh WOW this is good... a good romp. hm
8) portugal - haha cute. also, a neat song. fun!
7) mali - this was fun oh hey brass nice
6) car - god save the queen
5) uk - yeah i remember this song.
4) bhutan - cool... strings are nice... its good
3) hungary - i liekd this but it felt longer than it was
2) poland - ya it was like bob your head kind of good
1) north korea - they look like the kind of music they make

[Errantparabola]

Like, the last 4 minutes could have been as effective as a 20 second outro. Why is it so long!?!?!?

you are weak aristpohens

[Errantparabola]

ugh just kiedding i sound like an asshole

[Parama]

it's stupid to enter a 25 minute song in a song contest tbh like

why

i think the longest song i've ever entered was 12 minutes long (and i think it won that contest too so lol)

[xyzzy]

Liechtenstein -- 5 -- I have probably spent more of my life listening to this song than I have any other song. any of you who didn't listen to the whole thing or who gave it lower scores because it's so long are cowards. (except for you, Ari: I'm giving you a pass because I know you only have 25 minutes in any given week that you aren't working, so it was probably selfish of me to occupy literally 100% of your free time with one song, even if it is my favorite song of all time.) I saw Sufjan perform this one live as the closer to his concert at Wolf Trap a couple years ago, and it was nothing short of a spiritual experience. I've had a lot of concerts where I had similar experiences (seeing Neutral Milk Hotel perform "Oh Comely", seeing Paul McCartney perform "Blackbird", and most recently, seeing the Mountain Goats perform "This Year" on the fourteenth anniversary of

The Sunset Tree

's release), but this one might have been my favorite.
USA -- 2.5 -- this was the kind of song that, during a normal Song Contest, I'd probably think was pretty good but nothing all that special, which makes it kind of disappointing in what is supposed to be a Song Contest without any of the fluff. I didn't hate it, but it's just a pretty good j-rock song, and few of those actually manage to rise above the rest for me.
Iceland -- 3.5 -- this is a pretty good song, but the middle part drags a little bit; the first couple minutes sound like they'd work really well for one of those carefully choreographed fight scenes in a movie (think something like

Baby Driver

), and the repeated "don't let happy days just pass you by" at the end is the kind of space where I'd be happy to listen to like an hour of it, but the space between the beginning and end feels a little disconnected.
Egypt -- 5 -- I've not spent nearly enough of my life listening to Mitski, because I am a coward. all her music is beautiful and wonderful, and the way this just draws me in is so powerful.
Hungary -- 1.5 -- this is a fine song, but it never really draws me in. it's not that any of the elements from which the song is composed are flawed, but it just doesn't really come together for me. I wish I had a stronger reason for not really liking it, but I just don't really like it, you know?
Slovenia -- 4 -- this is fun as hell!!!
Sweden -- 2 -- I didn't hate this as much as I expected to, but this just isn't my thing. I just don't care for this whole genre at all.
Mali -- 3.5 -- oh wow, this person has an amazing voice! once the song starts layering on a bunch of other stuff, I don't like it as much, but that's just a beautiful voice even if it gets drowned out by a lot of sounds that aren't as good.
Ireland -- 1 -- this isn't

bad

, but it's boring. I listened to it twice in hopes that the second time would capture my attention more, but it just does not at all.
Bhutan -- 3.5 -- oh this is very nice! I've not listened to much of Jónsi's solo work, but it's always so very pleasing when I do. this is just really nice and good. also it's really funny that all the comments on the video mention that it was in a

FIFA

game because conceptually the idea of this kind of music being in the soundtrack to an annual sports videogame is wild.
Greenland -- 4.5 -- this was really beautiful and really good. I'm glad I got to listen to it!
Portugal -- 1 -- this sure was a song, I guess.
South Korea -- 4 -- this is really good, but you know what would be great? a cover of this from someone like Carly Rae Jepsen. like, just try to imagine that and understand that it would be the best. you know I'm right. anyway this isn't as good as that hypothetical cover song, but it's still a really good song and I had a great time listening to it.
North Korea -- 2 -- this comes so close to being something I'd love but it falls short and is instead just kind of disappointing. I really hate listening to these vocals and the rest of the song does not make up for them.
Poland -- 4.5 -- at the very beginning of the song this sounds exactly like it's going to be a cover of "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO. it turns out to be a completely different thing, but I had a fun time with it! thanks for the Good Tune
Central African Republic -- 2 -- this just isn't a very enjoyable song to listen to, sorry! I didn't have a good time with it. I'm sure this has fans and I'm glad for them but I do not count myself among their numbers.
Djibouti -- 3 -- oh hey, I heard a song by Lindsey Stirling during the drive from Colorado Meet. anyway she's very talented but I never really feel that emotionally invested in her music? like there's nothing that draws me in and really says "this came from a very personal place for this artist," y'know?
India -- 1.5 -- this isn't the worst prog rock Song Contest submission I've heard, but... well, it's hard to find a song from that genre that I really love.
Greece -- 2.5 -- this is fine. I had fun with it. a perfectly adequate song.
United Kingdom -- 2.5 -- all I'm saying is if your lead singer can best be described as "adequate" maybe you should reassess your strategy.

[PJ.]

I just think a 25 minute song with the hook being "do not be distracted" is cruel and unusual punishment.

[Parama]

to be fair i'm also just not a big sufjan fan

i've heard a decent bit of his stuff before and there's the occasional song i like but mostly i'm not interested

so putting 25 minutes of that in front of me alongside 19 2-5 minute songs is asking for way more than i'm willing to give. which was about 5 minutes, is what i gave it

[xyzzy]

that's deffo fair, I've peaced out of really long prog rock songs after a couple minutes in the past because I know there's literally nothing they can do in the last 8 minutes that will change my mind.

[PJ.]

I gave it like 9 before I realized it was 25 minutes.

[vizIIsto]

"End of Saturday"

Oh, you meant this week's Saturday...

[PJ.]

lol/

[PJ.]

i forgot we've supposed to have been rabbling for 2 days

[Parama]

I honestly don't even care anymore. I don't think I'm gonna join future song contests because between the awful pacing lately and the general lack of stuff I find interesting I just think I've lost interest in the concept altogether & it's the only reason I still visit this site anyways so I guess like. Oops

[Song Contest]

NA

schadd_

12 - Egypt
10 - Liechtenstein
8 - Slovenia
7 - Hungary
6 - Central African Republic
5 - Ireland
4 - North Korea
3 - Poland
2 - Mali
1 - Djibouti

Djibouti

Aristophanes

12 - Greenland
10 - Poland
8 - Hungary
7 - Ireland
6 - Bhutan
5 - Iceland
4 - United Kingdom
3 - Mali
2 - South Korea
1 - Slovenia

Ireland

vizIIsto

12 - Greenland
10 - United Kingdom
8 - Djibouti
7 - Portugal
6 - Mali
5 - Central African Republic
4 - Liechtenstein
3 - Iceland
2 - Greece
1 - Slovenia

Greenland

ceejayvinoya

12 - USA
10 - Iceland
8 - Greece
7 - Bhutan
6 - Ireland
5 - Djibouti
4 - South Korea
3 - Poland
2 - Sweden
1 - Slovenia

USA

pickemgenius

12 - Iceland
10 - Portugal
8 - Bhutan
7 - Mali
6 - Slovenia
5 - United Kingdom
4 - India
3 - North Korea
2 - Djibouti
1 - Liechtenstein

Current Scores:

30 Iceland
24 Greenland
21 Bhutan
19 United Kingdom
18 Mali
18 Ireland
17 Slovenia
17 Portugal
16 Poland
16 Djibouti
15 Liechtenstein
15 Hungary
12 USA
12 Egypt
11 Central African Republic
10 Greece
7 North Korea
6 South Korea
4 India
2 Sweden

[Song Contest]

Greece

Tammy

12 - Poland
10 - Mali
8 - Egypt
7 - Greenland
6 - United Kingdom
5 - Hungary
4 - Djibouti
3 - Portugal
2 - Iceland
1 - Ireland

Iceland

Parama

12 - USA
10 - Greenland
8 - India
7 - Bhutan
6 - Hungary
5 - Mali
4 - Ireland
3 - Poland
2 - Portugal
1 - United Kingdom

Hungary

Plotinus

12 - Djibouti
10 - Ireland
8 - Greenland
7 - USA
6 - Egypt
5 - Central African Republic
4 - Slovenia
3 - Sweden
2 - Iceland
1 - South Korea

United Kingdom

notachipmunk

12 - Djibouti
10 - Sweden
8 - Ireland
7 - USA
6 - Portugal
5 - Greece
4 - Bhutan
3 - Mali
2 - Poland
1 - North Korea

Poland

VashtaNeurotic

12 - Hungary
10 - Slovenia
8 - Djibouti
7 - United Kingdom
6 - Greenland
5 - Mali
4 - Iceland
3 - Ireland
2 - USA
1 - Egypt

Current Scores:

55 Greenland
52 Djibouti
44 Ireland
41 Mali
40 USA
38 Iceland
38 Hungary
33 Poland
33 United Kingdom
32 Bhutan
31 Slovenia
28 Portugal
27 Egypt
16 Central African Republic
15 Liechtenstein
15 Sweden
15 Greece
12 India
8 North Korea
7 South Korea