Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in rounds, I have been swamped with work and haven't been able to focus my time on here. I really hope you'll continue on with this series and I'm hoping my situation with work gets better.
Anyways, this episode will be centered around 80's music. I want vibes from the 80's that make me wanna dance.
Hey everyone! Sorry for being vague about the challenge, if there's another challenge like it or with different parameters, then I shall make sure to include that.
Anyways, here are your critiques
rhayden82 and tbrown_47
Red Velvet!!!! Love them so much! This song was such a tone shift from some of their other comebacks, so I really loved seeing that. With this song, the vocals took priority and it allowed the song to just be free with its interpretation. I loved the vibe of it, and how the tones of the voices were different throughout the different sections. My only gripe for the song was that the end got a bit annoying with the repeating phrase, but other than that I was vibing.
coolKat and Byleth
Dreamcatcher is sooooo underrated! I had listened to them a bit, but this song is now getting me absolutely hooked!!!!! The acting in the MV was superb, but this is about the music lol. I loved the soft voices and how the upbeat and driving beats of the song pushed the narrative of it. The beginning with all of the different instruments was just soo beautiful, then adding the immediate change, like amazing!!! The powerful and soft coming together to make this song absolutely amazing to listen to! GREAT JOB!
(Ps. I am more of a rapper than a vocalist, and Dami's rap had me wanting to learn it so bad!!!!!!)
Maxchaos and CarolinaSteele
GFriend disbanded too early!!!!!!!! This song is definitely classic GFriend, and I really liked it! The vocals, the instrumentals, the vibe was all there. I do think that the song's composition left a little to be desired due to the lack of variety in the sound. However, the song was a bop!
txashaun and Delights
STAN LOONA! I love this song! The vocals, the rapping, THE DANCING! I love every aspect of this song (besides the gross line distribution lol). I enjoyed how the mixing of the song allowed the bridge to come out as something totally different. The bridge in itself is one of the best bridges of all time. So that in itself was just awesome. But yea, the rest of the song was soo good! Well done!!!!!!
Becksta20 and SomebodyAwesome
GFriend changing their concept here really allowed them to showcase a different sound, and it was very much an awesome comeback. However, this is their weakest comeback in my opinion. I like the song, but the chorus and how the song was set up was so similar to other songs that had been released during that time. There was nothing bad about the song, but its just boring to listen to due to those factors.
Onto the results....
When I call your name please step forward
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- #rhayden82 and #tbrown_47
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You are...
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Safe. Congratulations, you will move on to next week.
#Byleth and #coolKat
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and
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- #txashaun and #Delights
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You are the top 2 teams of the week. Congratulations!
Now, before the last team is saved, lets get onto the winner of the challenge!
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The Winner of this week's challenge is...
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- #Byleth and #coolKat Congratulations!!!! #Delights and #txashaun you are High.
Now, time for the Elimination...
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The pair getting eliminated this week is...
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- #Becksta20 and #SomebodyAwesome ....... you did well this week, but it was not enough to save you.
This might not be your last time here, be on the lookout for a way back in...
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See you next Episode!
You might be thinking... whats the challenge? Well, I want you to give me a
--------K-pop girl group song.--------
You cannot submit anything by:
Blackpink, Mamamoo, Aespa (the groups that are either generic or problematic rn)
Good luck you guys!
(And just so you know I made the groups by averaging your placements and going down the list. Lets see if the bottom contestants can rise to the top!)
Hey guys! Time to see if you made me sad or not lol. Next round there will be a twist, so lets see whos lucky enough to make it to next round!
rhayden82
I liked the premise of the song, but it was a little cheesy. I loved the strings and the piano in the background and how they amplified the bridge of the song. The different dynamics of the song and the different tones of voice were really nice to hear! I did like the lyrics about the family loving him no matter what, because I am from a broken household. So that definitely lead to the song hitting a bit differently. Your best submission by far!
coolKat
The song itself was good, but I found the synth harmonies a bit awkward and it didn't make the serious tone seem all that forward. My attitude totally changed going into the final bridge and chorus. It was so interesting how the strings were being plucked and played in dissonant chords and then the final high belting chorus which really shows her emotion of the song. It was absolutely gorgeous. Adding in the low piano and the string runs at the end really just amplified the whole thing. Well done!
CarolinaSteele
This is gonna be a little weird to say, but the guitar and the way the chords were structured I first thought this would be a Christian worship song, but I was wrong lol. I wasn't digging it until the chorus hit. I loved the guitars just driving and building in the chorus, it showcased the emotion that I thought the first verse was lacking. I understand why the song is set up the way it is, and the vocals being added on top of the guitars just added another layer of emotion to it. The fact that the end really died down from the continuous chaos really helped capture what the song truly was about. Nice comeback!
tbrown_47
The introduction really felt emotional, I loved that! THE VIOLINS ADDING DISSONANCE OMG (sorry, I always type these as I'm listening lol)! The soft and yearning vocal color really helps me establish what the tone of this song is about. The percussive elements help add the element of suspense and wanting. After hearing all of these elements, the song didn't really hit anywhere else. I was expecting the instrumentals to shift a bit throughout to convey more of a theme, but I was left a little disappointed. It felt a bit one note, and so all the emotion kinda left me throughout the song. The only real change happened near the end where the violins ramped up, and I liked that section. Overall, a good submission, it just lacked diversity in the sound.
txashaun
The piano starting off really helped set the mood for the song. Her deep and soft vocals really spoke to me in the beginning. The dynamic contrast in her voice was so impeccable. The chorus is absolutely iconic and the lead into it is so smooth and powerful. The bridge is so condemning and solemn, its speaking straight to my soul. Her voice is just so full of emotion. The violins and piano AND THE KEY CHANGE yes yes yes! This song speaks to me a lot because I have had to deal with my parental figures being abusive towards me. So hearing this reminds me that it was them, and that I had no control of what they would do. Well done!!!!!!
Byleth
Starting off with those dissonant guitar strums was so smart. The vocals.... so haunting and yearn like. It sounds like she wants to cry. The guitars, the eerie silence, the lyricism, the tone... it all screamed at me for help. This song pored with emotion and yelled at me to save the girl trapped in her mother's clutches. The chorus where she is crying out and begging for us. I was absolutely disturbed and extremely saddened by this song. It truly showcases what goes on in the heads of so many people who cant find an escape. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Despite what this paragraph says, I'm speechless.
Maxchaos
I liked the piano in the beginning, and how the voice had the raw emotion to it. The drums coming into the song really made it seem like someone was walking down the road in the middle of the night pondering what the had done with their life. But now, hearing that this is about losing a friend, it all comes into its own now. The way the voice sounds like he misses the friend, the way the piano and drums support the voice, it all made sense. I cannot really relate to the song, so it was hard for me to find out everything, but, I liked it a lot!
Becksta20
The instrumental this song has really helped capture the emotion this song holds. Her vocals are soft and dark at the same time, I loved how her voice is what's driving the tone of the song. The song itself isn't too dark, its actually quite light in terms of stylistics and sound. I liked the contrast between the tone of the song and the tone of the music itself, very smart idea. The song is very sad, I just think its kinda repetitive.
Delights
The beginning of the song is really different from the rest of them. I liked the rap element, the artist truly put in what they felt about their situation in the song. However, the use of the higher sounding "let you down" gets annoying after a bit. The raps all hold different stylistics and themes to them, its really interesting to listen to. The final chorus really helped me like the song more, even with the higher let you down part. The breakdown of the music afterwards really tied the whole thing together. Great job!
SomebodyAwesome
This submission was interesting. I can see why this song is sad, but the production of the music didn't really allow me to be. The jazzy piano and the bright tones didn't really match it and while contrast is welcome, it kinda pulled me out of the sad zone. With that being said, this song had some cool moments, especially when the child's voice would come up, which is what let me know about the theme. Idk, its a mixed bag for me.
Eagles3256
The traditional choir like vocals and piano really bring an essence of sadness to this song. The vocals are quite slim in terms of stylistics, which adds a layer of emotional connection to the song. I really disliked that its been used for so many memes and Tiktok's because the emotional quality of the song disappeared. I also didn't really like that the song didn't really have a lot of dynamics to it, the voice stayed kinda stagnant, and a lot of it was repetitive.
You 6 represent our tops and bottoms of this week. The rest of you are Safe.
Onto our top songs
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- #rhyaden82 You came back this week with a song that showcases powerful and soft emotional vocals and a story to back it up.
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- #Byleth Your song left me speechless with how much raw emotion can pour into one song. It was disturbing, beautiful, and amazing all at once!
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- #txashaun The song is iconic and always showcases how so many young people are terrorized by their parents. Thank you for spreading awareness!
The winner is...
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- #Byleth Congratulations!!!!!!! #rhayden82 and #txashaun you are Safe.
Now onto the bottoms of this week...
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- #tbrown_47 Your song was good, it just didn't give me a lot of emotion to it. The music itself was good!
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- #SomebodyAwesome Your song was very confusing to me, I got the emotion, but I also didnt. The song's musical elements took away from the connection.
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- #Eagles3256 Your song was also not bad, however due to many internet factors it has become tainted and lost a lot of emotional value.
The last person safe from elimination is..
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- #tbrown_47 You are Safe.
The bottom 2: #Eagles3256 #SomebodyAwesome
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The person going home this round is...
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- #Eagles3256 I'm sorry, but out of so many good songs, yours was the worst tonight. Thank you for playing!
Becksta20
I liked the Halloween feel of this song! I will have to say that the difficulty of this song is what let me down. Like the harmonies and the way the songs were set up felt rigid, but never the less they were still very beautiful. My favorite section has to be the slower more overture like section. I will say that this piece did a very good job in having contrasting sections and having a nice flow to it. The ending to me felt underwhelming. Overall, I enjoyed listening to it, however the lack of difficulty was what brought most of these comments.
coolKat
I love the opening phrases, it really played into the march style of the presented piece. The simple yet difficult melody is one of my favorite musical tropes. Its not trying to sound difficult, but it actually is. The layered harmonies in the moving lines and the staccato sections really drive that home. I was starting to think this was getting repetitive but then after ending the original beginning phrase, it brought us into a new fresh one. And the after that a chromatic filled cadence with the brass and high woodwinds ended the song with a nice traditional march feeling. I absolutely loved it! The only thing I will say is I was expecting more of a tone shift at places. Overall, GREAT JOB!
tbrown_47
The very beginning brought me to the theme of the song. The high trumpet and low brass lines with the flute and clarinet giving us these small run sections, absolutely divine! The contrast in the first two sections with the transitions of brass to woodwind are very prominent. The new section after this adds a nice flowing section that the song needed to really sell the theme. I do think its a bit repetitive, but its beautiful nonetheless. Im a little disappointed by the ending and lead up to it. It was the same thing, but they added an eighth or quarter note at the end. But like that didn't really make me satisfied after hearing it. Overall, this song had me vibing, I loved all the parts of it. The only thing I can really say is that it was kinda repetitive.
txashaun
THIS PIECE!!!!!!! Its literally one of my favorite pieces to play. I am a clarinet player and love it when pieces make woodwind part specifically designed to be more difficult. This was one of those ones. The flute solo is breathtaking! The section when the band comes in has this nice Arabian feel and the percussion absolutely drives that home. Im a sucker for clarinet high notes, and this piece is jammed pack full of them! THE PERCUSSION BREAK AND THE LOW BRASS! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! I dont think this piece is very repetitive because it uses the same melody in different ways to accentuate the different sections of the band. The little bridge moment is so fitting to adding contrast. The lead up into the end gave me so much tension, I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting and then it disappeared.... Then almost immediately came back with the high woodwinds and a pounding low bass line! ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maxchaos
So underrated! This piece is insanely difficult for ensembles to play. I love the way it gives the feeling of panic and escape with the driving sections. The clarinet harmonies always have me so happy, they're so raw and crunchy and amazing! The saxophone melody is my favorite part of the song. The continuous eighth notes really add to the atmosphere. THE PERCUSSION!!!!!!!!!!!! THE TRILLS!!!!!! THE HIGH BRASS! THE CONTRASTING SECTION!!! THE CLARINET SOLO!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I loved the brighter section, it made me feel like the tragedy was over. But through the section that followed you can still tell theres more to come. The bass flares back up and were back to where we started.... running! Quite literally lol. Its so dynamically interesting and full of so many amazing moments!!!!!!! The chaotic ending was one of my favorite parts! WELL DONE!
Byleth
This song is very iconic. The driving jazz eights and the percussion being toward a jazz combo setting made it really refreshing to listen to after all of the concert pieces. The clarinet solo and the drum section were really well presented. I loved the different section and how they allowed for different woodwinds and brass to shine. Midway through the song though, I found myself getting bored due to the nature of knowing what was gonna come next. This was hindered by the fact solos were scattered throughout, so I commend you on choosing something with that in it. I always appreciate a clarinet feature and always try to learn any I can. The ending felt very nicely placed and resolved very nicely. I enjoyed listening to it, but almost missed the concert elements. I would've enjoyed hearing a flute or some other concert instruments, but im not too picky. I think this song was shafted mostly because of how notable it is. I wanted something that's specifically concert or has no words to it. That's just me tho. Doesnt take away that its a fun piece.
Eagles3256
I played this arrangement of Seven Nation Army in Marching Band. This is not made to be particularly interesting musically as its written so that we can have stands tunes at football games. Its not difficult, its not interesting, its just kinda there. Im not having fun with it. Also the fact that the ending is the worst one I've heard tonight says a lot. I gave you the resources to use and specifically said Concert Band. But ill accept this, its mediocre, but music regardless.
Delights
Finally a slower oriented song. The clarinet in the beginning is beautiful! The musical phrases and the pauses allowed there to be this character within the music and allowed me to really feel the emotion in this piece. I really love this piece as this summer I was at my states Governors School and we played this as our closing piece. It was the final night, and as we were all playing this at sundown, and after we finished we realized that the memories we had will last a lifetime. We all cried that night and wished the experience didn't have to end. The sheer emotional nature this song conveys had me in tears performing it. I love the soft rise and fall, the slowly fading instruments, the pauses, the everything! It was perfection... thank you <3
CarolinaSteele
Yea, again with the statement I told eagles.... use the resources I give you. I know this, its iconic, but what else can it give me. Strings are an orchestral instrument, not a concert band instrument. I liked all the musical parts of your song, its just that i've heard it too many times and it became stale for me really quickly. Cool song I guess...
SomebodyAwesome
The beginning was refreshing for a march, added a nice sense of flow but bubbliness as well. I'm always a fan of high woodwind lines that rest above brass lines. The next section is kinda simplistic, but when the moving quarters come out it added a lot to it. The tone seems to have not really shifted throughout the song, and kinda keeps it until there was a small climax near the middle. That tone change was subtle, but effective. I liked the contrasting legato sections throughout the piece complimenting the chromaticism in the lower brass and lower woodwinds. This song also felt a bit repetitive to me, and the ending didn't really strike me as a huge moment. Overall, this song was pretty fun to listen to! I liked the traditional march feel with the high flowing woodwind and the punchy brass, but it was brought down by the repetitive nature and the simple soundscape.
rhayden82
If you have to take other songs to make a concert band piece, I can guarantee you that the piece is gonna be a whole lot less interesting than the song itself. The opening song was lackluster and it lacked a dynamic flow. Despite having some really great harmonies, this felt very flat to me. I do like the transitions this song gives me, I think it really showcases the songs very nicely. The way the song played with the instrumentation of different melodies was really fun! The slower section wasn't good, I didn't like how it was resented musically. Like it sounds great, but like nothing as emotional as the movie. After a lot of these sections, I felt as if they were adding songs to give the piece more time to play. It didnt feel together and the pauses during the transitions didnt help it either. Its all just so simple and doesnt make me want to listen in depth at all. The ending was average, not the worst. Overall, kinda disappointed. It was easy, simple, and didnt gag me. The song did have some good moments though.
You 6 represent the tops and bottoms of the week. The rest of you are Safe.
Lets start with the Highs of the week :)
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- #txashaun I really appreciated you putting this banger of a song on here. Brought back some fun memories of my all district concerts.
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- #Maxchaos You gave me an underrated piece and gave me a story through music. I really enjoyed it!
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- #Delights You gave me a song I wish to perform again at the Dusk of my senior year. I truly thank you for submitting this song...
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The winner of this weeks challenge is...
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- #Delights Congratulations!!! #txashaun and #Maxchaos ... you are safe, you will recieve a High placement.
Now... onto our Lower placing contestants.
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- #Eagles3256 You submitted a song that wasn't interesting at all and didnt deliver to me once again.
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- #CarolinaSteele You didnt really do the challenge. You gave me a song that many have heard before. I wasnt impressed
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- #rhayden82 Your piece was not really difficult, and kinda flat... I wanted more.
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The last queen safe this week is...
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- #rhayden82 I hope you'll comeback stronger next episode.
#Eagles3256 and #CarolinaSteele...
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You two represent our bottom 2 of the week. Only one of you can go home...
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That person is...
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- #FromAWindow you didnt submit. You saved #Eagles3256 from Elimination.
You two use this as a lesson to look at what the challenge calls for. Ill see you guys in the next challenge. Good Luck!!!!!!!!
