Song Contest 204 (Results posted!)

[Aureal]

Spoiler:

(Chile) Angra - Carry On

The vocals were the weakest point of this otherwise exhilirating piece with soaring energy and involved instrumentation that kept creatively changing it up.

(Suriname) The Valley - k.d. lang

Quiet, poignant and contemplative is definitely a type of music I can go for given the right mood. Her vocal shifts of approximately one million octaves kept it startling enough that I wasn't getting lulled into boredom, and then the swelling emotion to cap it off worked well.

(Mount Celeste) Kensuke Ushio - Ping Pong Phase 2

Clever rhythm. Over too soon- I really was expecting it to kick into a full-energy mode there rather than end. Maybe there's a Phase 3 for that.

(Sweden) Arcana - Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming

The title is apt. Atmosphere is definitely that of a monastery pondering the gloom of history. It could've kept going and bringing up the energy some more- it had not worn out its welcome at all.

(eSwatini) James Blunt - The Greatest

I uh, definitely did not see the artist name and momentarily cringe thinking it was James Corden because I was conflating him and Emily Blunt because they starred in Into The Woods. The song was pretty good, unlike if James Corden had sung it.

(Tuvalu) Silent Planet - Antimatter

Yes it was a lot of screaming, but it works in this one. It feels like the overall tone conveys empty void of space and we are screaming into it, trying to show that we matter.

(Peru) Jockstrap - Greatest Hits

I don't even know how to describe this oddball one, but it made me feel warm and fuzzy like I was on a lounge chair just casually floating by any sort of serious bizness.

(Antarctica) Julien-K - Cruel Daze of Summer

If I was the kind of person who went out to nightclubs for dancing or karaoke this would probably be more my style. It was solid, perhaps went on a bit longer than necessary as I was fading out of interest again by the end despite it having me bopping to the beat for a little while.

(Club Penguin) Pete Seeger - Casey Jones (The Union Scab)

I'm a union steward so I'm contractually obligated to approve of this one.

(Gibraltar) Portishead - Glory Box

The mellow vibing isn't quite my style either, though the brief segment during the end where it started going harder did catch my interest.

(Wales) The Murder Capital - Crying

I guess the energy in the later portion was pretty good, though the earlier part wasn't doing as much for me.

(Vatican City) Tennessee Ernie Ford - Union Dixie

Uh.... I guess there's some interesting thought experiments to be had here?

(Iraq) Every Time I Die - INRIhab

Relatively unpainful metal screaming on refrains but better singing elsewhere. Didn't catch much of my interest or push me away.

(Australia) G Flip - The Worst Person Alive

A song existed. There was a lot of the title being repeated in it, over and over. There was some energy to it.

(Pakistan) Young the Giant - Superposition

Was there anything but a chorus in this one? Didn't really do anything to bring me in.

(Gabon) Noah Kahan & Post Malone - Dial Drunk

A country song about... getting into fights and drunk driving? I simultaneous find country music both a bit engaging for the twangy strings and offputting for the political associates. And I can't relate to the subject matter at all.

(Poland) Dominic Fike - Ant Pile

A bit of decent instrumentals but the autotuned vocals are just boring, and I was never a teenager so I cannot relate to the lyrics at all.

(Mali) Beabadoobee - Talk

I was mentally starting to chalk this one off as forgettable pop then was hit with the lyric "we go together like the gum on my shoes." So maybe 'forgettable' was sadly not the right word. Cringe lyrics, cringe autotuned singing, just all around cringe. Couldn't wait for it to be over.

(Bhutan) Lil Mariko - Hi, I'm a Slut

I had that 28 minute one going the whole 28 minutes last time around but this one I shut off after not more than 20 seconds. JUST NO

[Aristophanes]

Spoiler: Awesome Contest!

Iraq: Every Time I Die - INRIhab

What a mass of unapologetic energy to start things off with!

This will sound incredibly un-Ari, but I actually quite enjoyed this! I don't know what it was about it, but the energy did what it needed to, the guitar and the strained vocals were just right without being overboard, I could understand most of the lyrics, and it all came together really nicely! I especially like how it feels like this ongoing effort, this battle against the devil, unrelenting as it would be. The parts where the time signature breaks a little, adding the extra notes to the bars, feel like the devil is maybe making progress and breaking through, but is then fought back and contained. This ever present struggle is done really well and it didn't hurt my ears doing it!

Bravo!

Antarctica: Julien-K - Cruel Daze of Summer

Another cool energy at the start of things!
This one is really euro-techno dancy and I like that sound a lot!

The vocals are necessary, but the lyrics seem like they could be anything. Like they thought saying "daze" instead of "days" was neat and the rest could just be filler.
Ooo! That build in the 4 minute mark and the up in sound and energy is cool! I like that!
I think it's maybe a little predictably repetitive but it also changes things up a few times. It just doesn't always feel novel when it does that.

Club Penguin: Pete Seeger - Casey Jones (The Union Scab)

Ahahahaha! Union propaganda at its finest! XD
Casey Jones scabbed in life, worked himself way too hard, died because the company didn't care about safety. Gets to heaven and scabs there (which clearly means heaven can be imperfect but also that scabbing is technically god-approved so I think they missed the mark a bit on that one!) and gets punted to hell by the angel union XD What a story!

Gibraltar: Portishead - Glory Box

Ooo, the singer's voice is really good! I love the timbre and the growl, and it goes so well with the mellow mood and the gritty guitars!
That "move ova" at like a minute thirty is so good! Mmmm!

I could listen to this all day! What a voice, what a feel!

Suriname: The Valley - k.d. lang

Ah, k.d. lang! Wonderful! What a vocalist!

On the surface this song feels really simple and straight forward but it is so well composed. The tension in the cords, the painting of pictures with her words, it's really nicely done!
I really like the wobbly "you will walk" section, adding an off-kilter feel with the extra beat and catching itself, straightening out with "good company" to help stabilize and keep to the path.

Mali: Beabadoobee - Talk

Oh! beebadoobee! I was actually going to submit them sometime soon! I guess I won't be doing that! Haha

I was definitely going to submit something a little more coffeehouse vibed, but this is alright. I like some of the imagery and its implications, going together like gum on a shoe, going out (assumedly to the club) on a tuesday, like everything they do is a little off-kilter and imperfect, but that's what they like about it.

I honestly find the song a little generic, but that's not always bad. It just doesn't pop to me.

Tuvalu: Silent Planet - Antimatter

This is interesting! Another solid energy song with just that little off-kilter feel.

I find a lot of it pretty interesting! The way the sci-fi sounds are panned is cool and lends a lot to the overall vibe. The use of guitars in the...Iunno, dubsteppy beat part? I lack the verbiage for this style of song to a certain degree so I'm sure that's wrong but I also think you understand. Anyway, that's a really cool usage of the instruments to do something I've heard in a way that I haven't.

It has a lot of cool elements and again, like in the first submission, the vocals are not typically my thing but the way they are used here they are understandable, not overdone, and lands themselves well with the song.

I don't know where things will place until the end as I arrange them while I go, but some pieces might be surprises to my scoreboard this time around! It really depends if the contest stays as strong as it started!

Scythia: Four Bitchin' Babes - What Was I Thinking?

This is another one that got me laughing, and I am a sucker for a good, simple, story song especially if it's silly!

I honestly had to pause it at "Art Garfunkle's looking back at me" because that's just too good! XD And the solution is to buy a sombrero! So dramatic! I can't!
And the intentional clunkiness of some of the lines just gets me!

"What were we thinking? This song has no end."
And their manager trying to keep it together! That was too much!

HOLY SHIT IT CAME BACK!!!

Peru: Jockstrap - Greatest Hits

This was alright, the sounds were kinda experimental and fun. A little disjointed though, and I don't think the song works without the music video unfortunately. I always like when a video supports the song, but when it makes the song it's a bit unfortunate. If not for the visual queues, this would drag I think, especially in the middle part when there's just nothing going on for a while.

All this said, with the video it did entertain me!

Mount Celeste: Kensuke Ushio - Ping Pong Phase 2

See, now here we get a ping pong match, and I could definitely picture it without a video required.
The build up in instrumentation is a classic technique and it works really well here to build energy, flow, and tension to this song! Short but effective.

Poland: Dominic Fike - Ant Pile

This ended up feeling really short, I wanted it to go on longer and flesh out the relationships we were introduced to in the song! I guess that's a pretty high praise!

I was going to criticize how trying someone to an ant pile made no sense, and then I realized this is not a Canadian ant hill but like one of those crazy ones from South America or Africa or...well probably Australia! That makes a lot more sense. They accomplished a lot of story in a very short piece, very well done.

Pakistan: Young the Giant - Superposition

I like the sound of this and for some reason the words "space hippie" kept coming to me when I tried to think of a descriptor for this.

I'm gonna get a little deep on the lyrics and I'm not sure if it was intended but I don't see how it couldn't have been.
In his universe she is his dark star. That's tragic. Dark stars don't interact directly with anything we know of yet. They are theoretical based on measurements but can't be proven. And there are an untold number of them, given that dark matter and energy are theorized to make up huge swaths of all things in the universe! So this little unobservable thing which potentially interacts with him but seems indifferent to anything he does and is one of countless similar objects is the subject of his longing and there can never be a proper interaction. "I want you to want me. Why don't we rely on chemistry?" is again so sad! Being a dark star, can their chemistry ever match up? Can they ever interact? She will always have an effect on his universe but they can never properly be together.

This grew on me a lot as I wrote this. Also I'm likely way overthinking it. I do that sometimes.

Bhutan: Lil Mariko - Hi, I'm a Slut

Oh...okay.
This makes me think of like, bad bahbie meets belle delphine.

I like the bloops of like, uploads or comments in the song. They're a cool addition to a song about posting things on the internet.

It's a little crass for my liking, but it does its thing well I think.

Sweden: Arcana - Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming

Now this sets an epic scene!
I can picture the landscape, old and beaten, foggy and covered in trees. The chanting distant as it comes from a castle or monastery which emerges from the fog.
There's not a lot of movement, it's a quiet and still scene. A little somber. It does a great job painting the image!

eSwatini: James Blunt - The Greatest

James blunt got a lot of shit for how overplayed "You're Beautiful" was back in the day, but that's not his fault. He has a great voice and it's unfortunate that he will always be stuck in the shadow of that song. This is such a motivational song. It's definitely written for his child, but it can apply to all of us. And I think his voice shines really well here! His higher whine, the bit of growl, it's got a power, but not for himself. It's a power for the subject of the song. That's a hard feat to accomplish!

I know, we've all had enough covid pump up save the world songs. But I think this stand on its own legs separated from any of that.

Gabon: Noah Kahan & Post Malone - Dial Drunk

Dang, this is really good too! I saw Post Malone and wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't this though!

Another tragic song really. They're so stuck on their ex that they get drunk, get in fights, and use them as their emergency call when they get picked up. The sad, misplaced hope that she will call back, that this cry for attention will be met with anything positive, it's so sad!

Also their voices are great in this and I like the style they went for with the song!

Vatican City: Tennessee Ernie Ford - Union Dixie

Tennessee Ernie Ford!? That's a name I haven't heard in a long time!

This is a fun song. The juxtaposition between the marching and dancing is fun and I like the instrumentation. He's got a very straight voice that fits the song well too.

Australia: G Flip - The Worst Person Alive

Aw, this is sad. It's the other side of songs like happier by Olivia Rodrigues and a lot of other songs with a similar idea of "I want you to be happy even if you're not with me anymore" and yes a lot of the time those come with the caveat of wishing for the subject to not be happier than they were with you, but it's still wishing them well because you loved them and still probably do just differently.

This gets at the opposite and is from the subject's viewpoint, which is different! It really hurt her than her ex has such mean thoughts towards her. Where did the love go, how did it turn into this? The simplicity in the track is so this can be highlighted and it is. I think it's a little underdeveloped and heels a bit stagnant, kind of in the same vein as the beebadoobee song. I like where they were going with it though.

Wales: The Murder Capital - Crying

Interesting disorientation in the forward/reverse effects in the beginning. This is continued in the offbeat, off kilter feel in the drums and singing, the guitars add to it. It's a cool effect, though it's not quite my thing.

I've mentioned that a couple of songs here felt short or underdeveloped, like they could have given me more. This one lost my attention despite its best efforts with all the off-kilterness of it and could have been shorter.

Chile: Angra - Carry On

Oh okay, this could be fun. It's got a lot of energy and some good instrumentation to start with!

I like the vocals, they're a lot lighter in feel then a lot of the songs that fit in this general genre from what I know if it at least. I expected a lot more indistinguishable growl rather than soaring vocals as we got here! And I really like the varied instrumentation! I even like the guitar break! I'm not usually big on electric guitar, rocky songs, etc. But of course there are exceptions. This one checks a whole lot of those boxes!

It's a very epic feeling piece, driving forward and carrying on, I could see is fitting into a lot of settings and working really well. Very fun piece!

Man, this is a really difficult contest to rank! I really enjoyed the majority of it and while I usually get to the point around midway in the rankings where I've stopped enjoying the songs for the most part, this contest was full pretty much end to end with pieces I actually liked and appreciated! Especially for a contest of this size, I'm really surprised! Thanks to all who submitted

[ChannelDelibird]

Unfortunately, I'm listening on a day when I'm quite exhausted from work, and probably won't be at my most eloquent or verbose. (You're welcome.)

Spoiler: Reactions

Iraq // INRIhab - Every Time I Die

Enjoyed the guitars and drums well enough in a really general 'just rock out a bit' way without any one part of it being memorable for me. Not fussed about the vocals but managed to mostly ignore them.

Antarctica // Cruel Daze of Summer - Julien-K

That punchy intro caught me in just the right mood. Frankly, I would have been much happier if it had just jammed out for six-and-a-half minutes without bothering with vocals because I was having a great time without them and they didn't feel especially notable. Still, had a great time with this, enough to forgive it for the pointless misspelling of "days".

Club Penguin // Casey Jones (The Union Scab) - Pete Seeger

Fuck that guy, for sure, but the old-fashioned folk style here is too face-up with its storytelling to me much interest to me as a song. That we even get the 'classic' sign-off riff kind of underlines that to me; it feels more like a bit than something I'd listen to alongside the rest of my library. Still, though; fuck that guy. Don't cross picket lines.

Gibraltar // Glory Box - Portishead

There is literally nothing worthwhile I could tell you about Glory Box other than that I wish you'd submitted the full track rather than the video edit. I will prioritise voting for things that I haven't heard before but it's obviously an all-timer.

Suriname // The Valley - k.d. lang

lang is one of my mum's favourites and, intellectually, I can recognise why that would be, but in practice they really don't tickle my soul. This is quite pretty but, gosh, also rather plodding for most of its run. The strings were really, really welcome when they arrived in force.

Mali // Talk - Beabadoobee

(my entry!)

I like Beabadoobee! I'm down with the kids! This is my favourite track from a consistently fun and sweet album, 2022's Beatopia. It's shamelessly Doing a Nineties Radio Sound but doing it with such a slick professionalism that I have no trouble getting caught up in it (and I wasn't even a big fan of songs that sounded like this at the time). It's less representative of the album than other cuts I could have picked but it's just a good time.

Tuvalu // Antimatter - Silent Planet

I wouldn't have expected the heavier rock sound to play well for me when integrated into a synthwave aesthetic that I'm still only near the beginning of a journey towards fully appreciating, but until the growling started it really did work for me. Even with the dirtier vocals it was more tolerable than that kind of stuff usually is for me, though I do feel like it proooobably means I won't return to it. But it's a good proof of concept for things that sound similar to this. Man, my mum's gonna be so angry with me for voting this above k.d. lang.

Scythia // What Was I Thinking? - Four Bitchin' Babes

Some great voices being used in a style that is just nails-on-chalkboard stuff for me. It's really close to being something that works for me but, when we start deploying stage-musical-conversational-interjection "What was I thinking?"s, that's my cue to leave. We're in 'more skit than song' territory and that's just not what I'm looking for.

Peru // Greatest Hits - Jockstrap

Banger. Quirky beat, loads of fun production choices, and a surprisingly effective integration of dreamed-out vocals into a lithe and wriggly synth landscape.

Mount Celeste // Ping Pong Phase 2 - Kensuke Ushio

A clever little high-concept piece that I enjoyed well enough, but in more of a 'huh, that's cool' way than an 'I need to listen to this over and over' way.

Poland // Ant Pile - Dominic Fike

Partially due to my existing bad mood, I kept thinking that it was about to break into some part that was going to annoy me, but it never did. Bright, bouncy and didn't overstay its welcome... ultimately, I had a perfectly good time bopping along. What little I absorbed of the lyrics seemed like a fun little time-lapse of a relationship. Sure. Sign me up.

Pakistan // Superposition - Young the Giant

Spotify threw, like, two Young the Giant tracks at me around a decade ago, which I thought were alright, but I was never moved to follow up. This sounds quite much synthier than I remember those being but I enjoyed the surprise a lot - it served as a neat contrast to the mandolin(?), and I have a feeling that that riff will be in my head for a few days. Almost certainly will make me buy the song. Ooh, and the diversion into that little bass bridge? Sold! Despite my grumpiness, there are some real choices to be made up the top of my order now.

Bhutan // Hi, I'm a Slut - Lil Mariko

I'm totally down with the reclamation of slut-shaming but, lyrically, I definitely think I've just got the message now and won't need to relisten. Makes me think I might enjoy more of their work, though, because the production is slick as hell. Like, this is really good at what it does, but it's not gonna be something that I'll want shuffled into my playlists.

Sweden // Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming - Arcana

Definitely has the feel of something that's not entirely complete, like an atmosphering establishing shot for a story we haven't got to yet. But the deep, booming drum in the back is cool, and it's all rather pretty. That it doesn't really do anything with its setup and just goes for what's quite a long fade in the context of its overall runtime will hold it back, though.

eSwatini // The Greatest - James Blunt

The thing that I most took away from watching this video was the part in the description where it said this was the seventh single from this album. That seems like way too many singles. Wild. Anyway. Give me David Gray over Blunt any day in the 'surprisingly high-voiced British singer-songwriter type who wears nice coats and you're slightly surprised to find out is still making music' stakes. Blunt's high notes are a bit whiny and twangy for my taste. The lyrics are a bit X Factor, too. It's not dreadful but I am not in a position to take it seriously.

Gabon // Dial Drunk - Noah Kahan & Post Malone

Yer man here is really, really not my style. And

then

Post Malone showed up.

Vatican City // Union Dixie - Tennessee Ernie Ford

I, too, support the goodies. We're in the same bucket as the Pete Seeger track, here, although there's a little more going on instrumentally, but I don't think either is in danger of breaking into my points here.

Australia // The Worst Person Alive - G Flip

Never thought I'd see a sequel to Vanessa Carlton's piano shenanigans. Strewth. Anyway, I'm a sucker for that beat of instrumental silence into the big, crashing chorus. Yeah, this is a fun belt-it-out, and I think the vocals are much better suited to those parts than they are to the quieter verses. At its best moments, it sounds like Julien Baker covering a pop-punk song I'd otherwise be annoyed by but enjoy in her hands. I'm down for listening to this again, for sure.

Wales // Crying - The Murder Capital

What an interesting slow build this was. Like a lovechild of post-rock and 80s UK indie. It feels like the kind of song that would be more of a 'fall deeply in love with it after five listens' than the immediate satisfaction of some other tracks in this list, but I'm definitely curious enough to give it that exposure. It held my fascination very easily.

Chile // Carry On - Angra

What a relief to encounter a song that's straightforwardly not for me while I try to figure out my scores.

--

Really hard to choose between my favourites this time! You should probably feel a little hard done by if you end up with five points from me here.

[T-Bone]

Don't take this the wrong way but there were too many meme songs

[Aristophanes]

Don't take this the wrong way but there were too many meme songs

I may or may not have rated it higher because of this

[toolenduso]

Spoiler: Someday I'll be like the man on the screen

Antarctica - Julien-K - Cruel Daze of Summer: Very 90s feel to this. It's aight, it's kinda catchy. DECENT.
Club Penguin - Pete Seeger - Casey Jones (The Union Scab): "If you don't strike with us you'll FUCKING DIE" lol. Nah, but I dig the song though. It's got energy. DECENT.

Gibraltar - Portishead - Glory Box: I remember liking Portishead the last time they were entered, but I guess not enough to save it to my all-time SC favorites list. This is nice and has some cool weird guitar stuff, which I do enjoy. DECENT.

Suriname - The Valley - k.d. lang: Very pretty, wow, much singing. I really like the blue note (is that what it is?) during the chorus. This just very solid and enjoyable and will get points from me. GOOD.

Mali - Beabadoobee - Talk: Meh. DECENT.
Tuvalu - Silent Planet - Antimatter: Hm, some nice heaviness and discordance here. I am liking it. Fave so far. GOOD. 

Scythia - Four Bitchin' Babes - What Was I Thinking?: Excellent band name. Song is pretty meh though. DECENT.

Peru - Jockstrap - Greatest Hits: Very ambient but not without some tension. Audio snippet that sounds like "play dead" repeats throughout. It's aight. DECENT.

Mount Celeste - Kensuke Ushio - Ping Pong Phase 2: OK so they sampled a ping pong match and turned it into a beat? That's fucking cool. Doesn't do a ton with it, unfortunately. DECENT.

Poland - Dominic Fike - Ant Pile: I like it. It's got a lot of dynamism to it. DECENT.

Pakistan - Young the Giant - Superposition: Pretty sure this band's been entered before but I can't remember what I thought of them at the time. I kinda like this, I'm not a big fan of the production but I do like the...is that a ukelele? Yeah whatever that main featured instrument is doing the central riff. DECENT.

Bhutan - Lil Mariko - Hi, I'm a Slut: Haha, what a song title, Mark! I'll admit I feel like I'm just missing something about the lyrics here, unless it's literally just what it says on the label. But lyrics aside, I actually really like the track. DECENT.

Sweden - Arcana - Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming: ....idgi. DON'T CARE.

eSwatini - James Blunt - The Greatest: Well, it's a ballad. Pretty much just relying entirely on the singer's voice, which is very good, but I don't really like anything else about this. DECENT.

Gabon - Noah Kahan & Post Malone - Dial Drunk: Meh. DECENT.

Vatican City - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Union Dixie: Duuuuuuuuude. I already liked this guy for his voice, but shit, this song is awesome. Tell em, Ernie! DECENT.

Australia - G Flip - The Worst Person Alive: Simple, but effective. DECENT.

Wales - The Murder Capital - Crying: Delicious time shenanigans, weirdo track. This my type ah shit. DECENT.

Chile - Angra - Carry On: I can get on board with this specific type of metal. I like the rhythm. Good singer. Reminds me of Rush, if Rush, like, embraced metal more. Liking this bridge with that heavy ass bass. DECENT.

[BS2000]

Spoiler: 7 word reviews

gibraltar portishead
legendary track/group, truly baby making music

mt celeste kensuke ushio
dunno origin but damn really enjoy this.

wales the murder capital
really like how song progresses and moves

club penguin pete seeger
really fun choice, do ninja turtles unionize?

antarctica julien k
jarringly immediate and fun, despite bleh vox

vatican city tennessee ford
different kinda union, similarly creative song choice

australia g flip
nice energetic track kinda throwback kinda current

mali bebadoobee
kinda too old for this, but delightful

Pakistan young the giant
this was ok. inoffensive and slightly pleasant

gabon post malone
G-Flip sister track, with malone and banjo

Poland Dominic Fike
very gen-z yet I love the brevity

chile angra
mafiascum loves their metal. cheesiness isn't terrible

scythia 4 bitchin babes
wild band name actually matches silly song (or: you want niche you got niche, bitch)

bhutan lil maruko
sexually forward and progressive. nonetheless subtlety preferred

eswatini james blunt
heavy handed track from one hit wonder

iraq every time i die
more restrained than I expected. Still uninterested

sweden arcana
oh jeez dramatic interlude. surprised it's short

suriname the valley
piano ballad. too american idol for me.

tuvalu silent plant
this starts promising and gets progressively worse

[Song Contest]

Deadline approaches!

We're a long way short of everyone having voted so please do get on it with alacrity.

[Pink Ball]

Going for it now! Sorry for the delay

[Pink Ball]

Spoiler: A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one

Iraq

Every Time I Die - INRIhab

I like the non conventional chord progression, but the over extension between each verse was off. And well, the shouting. But overall I didn't hate it which is better than good!
Score: 3.5 out of 10

Antarctica

Julien-K - Cruel Daze of Summer

Background music. Maybe in another context in which I'm not giving full attention to it? Unnecessarily too hard on the bass. I like his voice!
Score: 3.5 out of 10

Club Penguin

Pete Seeger - Casey Jones (The Union Scab)

Lovely vocal range and in some specific parts the technique's outstanding (like when the first time he says "angels"). Back vocals are what shows how rustic music was back then, they're plain and boring, but of course, charming in their own way; I mean, we're talking about a 100+ year old song, recorded 70 years ago! Funny lyrics knowing how things turned up against communism just a couple of years later.
Score: 6.5 out of 10

Gibraltar

Portishead - Glory Box

It feels like I'm lacking some kind of context for this one, I got misleaded to believe it was maybe like a joke but it never got to the butt of it, I don't know, I feel weird about this song.
Score: 4.5 out of 10

Suriname

k.d. lang - The Valley

Should've ended in the 2 minute mark and would've hit much deeper; after that it gets kinda boring because of the mellow nature of the song itself. She's great, don't get me wrong, it's just that this kind of songs are better delivered when the meaningful lyrics go straight to the point, not as literal as possible no, but just a short, great message. Here Today by Paul McCartney is an example of what I'm trying to depict. This one's a great song nonetheless.
Score: 6 out of 10

Mali

Beabadoobee - Talk

Nope, not it. I'll give her the redeeming quality of hitting out perfectly the 00's pop vibe, but why though, that's not a good thing to do today. Plastic music, there's an over saturation of it.
Score: 2.5 out of 10

Tuvalu

Silent Planet - Antimatter

Oh you tried to fool me with this one didn't you?
Score: 2 out of 10

Scythia

Four Bitchin' Babes - What Was I Thinking?

If I had to judge it for the music itself, it would obviously do poorly 'cause it feels dull, like it's meant to just complement the lyrics and the humour. If I judge it as a humorous piece instead, however, it's even worse because it's not funny. See? I made it look like I was going to say the opposite of what I actually said, bamboozling the reader and using deception as my own humorous vehicle. If I had to judge my own joke, it would score better than this song.
Score: 1.5 out of 10

Peru

Jockstrap - Greatest Hits

Daaamn that bass. This one gets all the marbles this time, this one's the one that makes me want to listen to the whole album and see what's behind the curtain.
Score: 10 out of 10

Mount Celeste

Kensuke Ushio - Ping Pong Phase 2

Really cool, the build up makes actual sense, very creative.
Score: 8 out of 10

Poland

Dominic Fike - Ant Pile

I don't mind his generic indie voice, but the song in general gives pretty cool vibes. The section in which he starts singing faster is really well executed.
Score: 7 out of 10

Pakistan

Young the Giant - Superposition

Great lyrics delivered in a not so great indie way.
Score: 6 out of 10

Bhutan

Lil Mariko - Hi, I'm a Slut

This reminds me of that girl who used to sell bath water and I say that as an insult.
Score: 1 out of 10

Sweden

Arcana - Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming

I don't get it. I mean I do get it, but not in this context, maybe?
Score: 2.5 out of 10

eSwatini

James Blunt - The Greatest

I started writing this after listening to this song saying agree to disagree: James Blunt is a one-hit wonder, even if he has objectively better songs than You're Beatiful, he's not remarkable enough and his voice is actually a bit annoying. I was so sure about this that I started listening to another James Blunt song just to prove my point, and well, that song was Monsters. Fuck me I cried like a baby, I'm still crying while writing this. I'll still give this one a lower score because it's cheesy. If you'd have submitted Monsters instead I'd give it a 10 out of 10.
Score: 5 out of 10

Gabon

Noah Kahan & Post Malone - Dial Drunk

Decent! I need to dive into Post Malone, everyitme I interact with him (against my will) I really like what he does. It's cool to see he's experimenting with different music styles too.
Score: 7.5 out of 10

Vatican City

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Union Dixie

Now this one's just brilliant. Maybe this particular Song Contest iteration is making this one even better because of the previous songs I've listened, but I loved the idea, the execution and the music overall.
Score: 8.5 out of 10

Australia

G Flip - The Worst Person Alive

Amazing song. I don't know anything about this and I don't have the time to research but it feels like the drummer composed the song 'cause it's rhytmically lovely and the drums are actually what make this song stand out from the rest.
Score: 9.5 out of 10

Wales

The Murder Capital - Crying

Not really into it, but it had some interesting parts.
Score: 4 out of 10

Chile

Angra - Carry On

Last Song Contest's Nightwish entry reminded me of this song which I used to listen when I was a kid via my older brothers. I used to like it a lot for its intensity and because of the lead singer's voice, I couldn't believe back then that a man could sing like that. Not the best song in the world, but nostalgia is always a cool factor.
Score: Carry On out of 10

[Radical Rat]

I did not know we were allowed to reveal opinions before the results were out, I will attempt to do that tonight

[MiniDeathStar]

I literally cannot make sense of these ratings el autotuno generico sometimes getting 10/10 and sometimes 1/10 and they all just sound the exact same to me help

[Song Contest]

Sweden

MiniDeathStar

12 - Antarctica
10 - Iraq
8 - Chile
7 - Mali
6 - Australia
5 - Tuvalu
4 - Gibraltar
3 - Scythia
2 - eSwatini
1 - Pakistan

Tuvalu

pickemgenius

12 - Iraq
10 - Mali
8 - Australia
7 - Bhutan
6 - Mount Celeste
5 - Club Penguin
4 - Chile
3 - Poland
2 - Gabon
1 - Vatican City

eSwatini

Aristophanes

12 - Scythia
10 - Gibraltar
8 - Poland
7 - Gabon
6 - Pakistan
5 - Sweden
4 - Suriname
3 - Club Penguin
2 - Chile
1 - Mount Celeste

Scythia

Aureal

12 - Chile
10 - Suriname
8 - Mount Celeste
7 - Sweden
6 - eSwatini
5 - Tuvalu
4 - Peru
3 - Antarctica
2 - Club Penguin
1 - Gibraltar

Chile

Pink Ball

12 - Peru
10 - Australia
8 - Vatican City
7 - Mount Celeste
6 - Gabon
5 - Poland
4 - Club Penguin
3 - Pakistan
2 - eSwatini
1 - Gibraltar

Current Scores:

26 Chile
24 Australia
22 Iraq
22 Mount Celeste
17 Mali
16 Peru
16 Gibraltar
16 Poland
15 Antarctica
15 Scythia
15 Gabon
14 Suriname
14 Club Penguin
12 Sweden
10 Pakistan
10 eSwatini
10 Tuvalu
9 Vatican City
7 Bhutan
0 Wales

[Song Contest]

Gibraltar

Infinity 324

12 - Gabon
10 - Vatican City
8 - Bhutan
7 - Peru
6 - Pakistan
5 - eSwatini
4 - Club Penguin
3 - Antarctica
2 - Scythia
1 - Mali

Suriname

Aisa

12 - Mali
10 - Peru
8 - Gabon
7 - Gibraltar
6 - Mount Celeste
5 - Australia
4 - Sweden
3 - eSwatini
2 - Poland
1 - Vatican City

Peru

BS2000

12 - Gibraltar
10 - Mount Celeste
8 - Wales
7 - Club Penguin
6 - Antarctica
5 - Vatican City
4 - Australia
3 - Mali
2 - Pakistan
1 - Gabon

Mount Celeste

ceejayvinoya

12 - Gabon
10 - eSwatini
8 - Australia
7 - Wales
6 - Iraq
5 - Club Penguin
4 - Scythia
3 - Vatican City
2 - Chile
1 - Bhutan

Current Scores:

48 Gabon
41 Australia
38 Mount Celeste
35 Gibraltar
33 Peru
33 Mali
30 Club Penguin
28 Iraq
28 Chile
28 Vatican City
28 eSwatini
24 Antarctica
21 Scythia
18 Poland
18 Pakistan
16 Bhutan
16 Sweden
15 Wales
14 Suriname
10 Tuvalu

[Song Contest]

Mali

ChannelDelibird

12 - Pakistan
10 - Australia
8 - Antarctica
7 - Peru
6 - Wales
5 - Poland
4 - Tuvalu
3 - Gibraltar
2 - Bhutan
1 - Sweden

Iraq

toolenduso

12 - Tuvalu
10 - Suriname
8 - Wales
7 - Chile
6 - Gibraltar
5 - Club Penguin
4 - Vatican City
3 - Poland
2 - Mount Celeste
1 - Pakistan

Wales

DeasVail

12 - Australia
10 - Chile
8 - Peru
7 - Gibraltar
6 - Scythia
5 - Gabon
4 - Pakistan
3 - Iraq
2 - Mali
1 - Poland

Pakistan

Dannflor

12 - Poland
10 - Australia
8 - eSwatini
7 - Gabon
6 - Tuvalu
5 - Antarctica
4 - Bhutan
3 - Mount Celeste
2 - Suriname
1 - Wales

Current Scores:

73 Australia
60 Gabon
51 Gibraltar
48 Peru
45 Chile
43 Mount Celeste
39 Poland
37 Antarctica
36 eSwatini
35 Mali
35 Pakistan
35 Club Penguin
32 Tuvalu
32 Vatican City
31 Iraq
30 Wales
27 Scythia
26 Suriname
22 Bhutan
17 Sweden

[Song Contest]

Australia

N

12 - Chile
10 - eSwatini
8 - Tuvalu
7 - Antarctica
6 - Mali
5 - Gabon
4 - Poland
3 - Pakistan
2 - Club Penguin
1 - Sweden

Vatican City

AniX

12 - Australia
10 - Mali
8 - Bhutan
7 - Club Penguin
6 - Chile
5 - Peru
4 - Scythia
3 - Iraq
2 - Gibraltar
1 - Suriname

Antarctica

Radical Rat

12 - Tuvalu
10 - Mali
8 - Iraq
7 - Chile
6 - Poland
5 - Mount Celeste
4 - Peru
3 - Pakistan
2 - Bhutan
1 - Australia

Club Penguin

Skygazer

12 - Bhutan
10 - Mount Celeste
8 - Wales
7 - Suriname
6 - Chile
5 - Gibraltar
4 - Peru
3 - Scythia
2 - eSwatini
1 - Australia

Final Scores:

87 Australia

76 Chile

61 Mali

61 Peru
58 Gibraltar

58 Mount Celeste
53 Gabon
52 Tuvalu
48 eSwatini
44 Antarctica

44 Club Penguin
42 Iraq
41 Pakistan
38 Wales
37 Poland
34 Scythia
34 Suriname
32 Bhutan
32 Vatican City
18 Sweden

Congratulations to N!

PJ. (Bhutan), T-Bone (Gabon) and VashtaNeurotic (Poland) failed to vote! They each take a 12-point penalty and must decode five days of Savant information as the only good player alive at final three.

[Song Contest]

Song Contest 205 is open for business!

[Skygazer]

it might be worth noting that my song was a parody of a folk song about Casey Jones, who sacrificed his life derailing a train to save others. he was a member of two unions

it might also not be worth noting

[toolenduso]

it might be worth noting that my song was a parody of a folk song about Casey Jones, who sacrificed his life derailing a train to save others. he was a member of two unions

it might also not be worth noting

lol i completely missed that

[N]

G Flip, you beaut

[T-Bone]

I voted I'm so confused.

[Song Contest]

I voted I'm so confused.

It never came through to the form responses