As a reminder, abstractjay and FromAWindow have immunity this round. IMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: this is the last round that two immunities will be awarded: going forward, immunity will be awarded to just one person per round based on a joint decision or highest overall score!
Before we start two participants Yawnha & Mrkk did not submit song this round after several reminders, and unfortunately are eliminated from the competition.
boysofsummer2005 - Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
- I think I'll give this a 7/10. the music is very peaceful & fitting for the song. I think the lyrics are strong. I think overall this did not need to be a 8/9 minute song & they made it a little repetitive, but the pacing made it digestible still. I am curious as to what you mean by nostalgic but I like the motivation behind the choice and it was a pleasant opening song for the round.
Voila - PNAU (Solid Gold)
- I will place this as a 6/10. The production is cute and I like the message behind the lyrics. However I don't really like the delivery or the voices of the artists.
konohavillage1 - Janelle Monáe/Prince (Give 'Em What They Love)
- I will give this a 5.5/10. It was a very bold choice for the most recent decade in terms of not being a modern style song at all. Aside from the outro, I wasn't really intrigued by the lyrics at all. I don't have much to say about it, it felt like a very middle of the road song.
StraightLoonie - Lorde (Royals)
- I think this lands a 7.5/10. It is a very 2010s pop song - I don't know if I'd agree it's the best, but I think it was one of the first mainstream rejections of the over the top lifestyle that some celebs shove in the public's face (for our generation), & that does make it special. I think the song is pretty simple with production and vocals but in a good way.
CarolinaSteele - Melanie Martinez (Carousel)
- Mmmmm 9/10. The beat really hits different. I like this song quite a bit and Melanie is my favorite artist as most of us know. I would agree that she brought something very different to the table & did it very well. This is ultimately my choice for immunity even though I typically prefer choosing newer discoveries for immunity.
Becksta20 Walk The Moon (Shut Up and Dance)
- 6.5/10. I can definitely see this being a jam song and it's cute but it does get really repetitive.
FromAWindow The 1975 (If We Made It)
- 4.5/10 This was a very interesting take for the theme. Obviously as far as making political statements go they went for more shocking lyrics but as far as putting that into a song...I don't understand several paths chosen. It doesn't really tie together, it gets extremely repetitive, and worst of all, I can't even understand what is being said.
smi9127 MAGIC! (Rude)
- 7/10 I think this one is a cute song and it has a pretty unique production.
kevrev4 Adele (Hello)
- 7.5/10 I think this is a good song but still about on par with most others. A little higher for vocalsss because we love to see them.
abstractjay Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera (Moves Like Jagger)
- 7/10 I think this is another essential 2010s pop song and its cute with production & lyrics.
hayden9102 Shawn Mendes (Treat You Better)
- 8.5/10 Yess this is one of the important ones. The intro is a little too long so it can't get into the 9s territory but otherwise it's a bop. & who doesn't want to imagine they're being sung to like that?
Boysofsummer2005 - Ms Jackson- Being a huge outkast fan, I think this was a solid song choice; not strong, but safe. It’s not my favorite from them but criteria wise, it was probably the best rap song of the 2000s in my opinion. The lyrics and style were extremely creative for something so mainstream. One of the most quotable and well known songs too that’s good in every way imaginable. The Production was also amazing, and Big Boi’s verse is the best. I still believe that they are one of the best bands in the last decade or two managing to combine classic soul and contemporary style of music. Personally, Hey Ya & Roses were more my cup of tea, but good job. 8/10
Voila -What’s up-I’ve heard this song many times but never knew who song it. It was a bit irritating at times just because of how cynically overplayed this anthem is. I do actually love the electric guitar sounds which adds just enough crunch to this. I also enjoyed the counterpoint background vocals in the last chorus. This song gives you frustration, desperation, rage, and fury all summed up in one which is pretty impressive. The song actually builds well too with the chorus loud nature, it’s just not a personal favorite, so that’s why I didn’t judge on that alone. 7/10
Konohavillage1- Asking for it- You went way left field with this one. Hole was such an interesting group. This song and style of music is extremely underrated in the alternative rock world. This song had great riffs and so much anger built up behind it. You really have to listen to this song closely to get the message. You can tell from production and the depths in the vocals that it was a song pertaining to some type of sexual assault/abuse making her question a decision she may have had leading up to wondering “if she was asking for it”, by that decision. The song’s content is presented very tastefully like a lot of good art because she’s asking a question and not thrusting an answer at you. The lyrics are implicit enough to make a statement which shows proof of the artist strength with words. Abuse/Assault is a cultural conceptive topic. You took a risk and it worked, well done. 10/10 IMMUNITY WINNER
StraightLoonie -sittin’ on the dock of the bay- This is a time piece. I like your backstory too for choosing this song and taking us to an era we wouldn’t think of. It has such emotional complexity. This songs melodies are supposed to be peaceful and carefree reason why it most likely would make you fall asleep at night, but if you listen closely you can interpret that this song is about a heartbreak. The reason he is "sittin' on the dock of the bay, wastin' time" is because he has lost all hope in life. That seemingly happy whistling sound is really a cover for deep despair and hopelessness, which makes the lyrics a little melancholy. I love that its multi-layered and a true masterpiece of that decade. 9/10
CarolinaSteele -Never Too Late-Your submissions are making me appreciate rock music more as I’ve not been the biggest fan of this genre. I honestly thought that in this particular one the singing was a bit over the top, but it was mostly enjoyable. The guitar did some cool arrangements in this song but at other times I found it a little too simplistic and generic. I did like the mysterious tune in the hook coupled with the lyrics, making it quite melodic in certain parts of the song. Not my favorite submission from you but I did get raw, honest, and powerful from the grunginess of this group’s sound, so I appreciate that. 6.5/10
Becksta20 -livin on a Prayer-This is such a difficult song to sing, trust me I’ve strained my voice on it many of times lol. Having said that, I don’t really like the beginning of this song, it’s like a weird talk box effect guitar and the lyrics throughout are pretty cheesy in a sense that it seemed like a typical down of on your luck miracle story. However, this song has some extreme appeal and climatic moments. I know that this song may speak to a lot of people who had hope spoken into their lives and broken hearts because of the lyrics. I think that Bon jovi’s head voice is phenomenal which really builds this song up. The solo part is a little bland, mediocre but the song overall is really good. I would rate it better than decent. 7.5/10
FromAwindow -Dead Man’s Party- I’ve never heard of this song before and I’m not quite sure what to think of it. I was so fixated on the drums in the song because they kept doing the same “Thum-boom-chi boom” sound that it took away from actually being able to pay attention to the lyrics. I mean there were some cool guitar parts and you can tell it was a song from the 80’s because of the vibe, but there was nothing outstanding about it for me. I had to look up the lyrics which seemed to be well-written, but the interpretation just wasn’t exciting at all. It does have a creative production and theme to it though. 5.5/10
Smi9127 -Buttons-This song is so fresh, danceable, and a sing along. I like that everyone in this group can actually really sing. I love Snoops verses on this, making this an urban-marketed type of track. This group has many outstanding songs that covers every genre imaginable. The Bollywood oriental-instrumental tune in the intro and bridge is so good. This was such a popular song back in the day. It really makes you just want to take a stroll through the town after sunset. 8/10
Kevrev4 -Let the music play- This song is pretty iconic for its time. I always vibe out to this whenever I hear it at a party because it’s so fresh and intoxicating. I like synth beats but I found it a little boring and the vocals mediocre in this one for some reason. However, she is a very talented artist, with many great debuts. I do love the 808 drums and acid bass programming making this a very unifying dance song. ‘Give me Tonight’ was probably my favorite because of the screaming vocals, so I prefer it more than this, but its’ still a classic disco song. 7.5/10
Abstractjay -Crazy- This song is so well written and there is a reason it stayed #1 on the charts for so long. It has like this Motown-disco throwback vibe mixed with neo soul, hip-hop, jazz, and vocals that mimic some of the greats; and this was actually a pop song. The lyrics are super catchy and the song is just infectious overall. It makes me roll down the car windows and blast my speakers, all the while my head is bobbing up and down to its magnificent melody lol. This song brings about great nostalgia and validation of modern music. The production was superb in this song, the bass and drumming very enjoyable. 8.5/10
Hayden9102 - Since you been gone- Kelly is a strong female vocalist and this was really like the start of her career, musically. It is definitely a millennial generation type of song that probably still holds up to this day. It’s a decent pop song but it fits her voice perfectly. I think it demonstrated a rockier, edgier side of Kelly that was never really seen before, which was great. My only downside was that it sounded like she was trying to have more a teen pop sound which she’s so much better than, than a sound that could be very outrageous like some of her other songs before it. I still think it was probably her best song though. 7/10
Totals:
Jon 15/20, Voila 13/20, Ken 15.5/20, Straight 16.5/20, Carolina 15.5/20, Beck 14/20, Braden 10/20, Smi 15/20, Kev 15/20, Jay 15.5/20, Hayden 15.5/20
Based on these scores, the 3 lowest scorers that would be heading to a sudden death round are FromAWindow, Voila, and Becksta20. However, with Braden's immunity, he will be safe, and only the other 2 will face off where one will be eliminated. Beck & Voila please submit your description and a song that represents you in the comments by midnight.
“13th/12th”- Yawnha Mrkk
“15th/14th” - tbrown_47cheritaisdelicious (both eligible for the battle back round)
“16th”- lukesurvives
"17th" - joshgillespie kingjames13 phonee
I like to leave an impression. This song does that. Brilliantly written well and even though she was a 2 hit wonder She left an impression. Love Leona Lewis
Becksta & Voila. We have made our finals decisions.
Noelle’s feedback-I think neither of them really submitted a description so we’ll have to more clearly ask for that in the future. I think bleeding love is like a cute song but it doesn’t really do anything for me whereas I thought the production of cardigan was more unique and the lyrics had more meaning. Although perhaps bleeding love is matched better to its music/production but idk i only noticed a couple spots where cardigan might’ve felt a little off. I think both have good vocals? There’s honestly not much of a difference like neither song really does anything too crazy just some trills. As far as Voila’s comment about leaving an impression..I knew of bleeding love of course but literally only the line i keep bleeding love lol so I’m not totally sold on the extent of that impression. Although I’m sure if we look at chart history it was up there for a long time so for a lot if people it probably did leave a more significant impression, and cardigan was not a long term charter as far as I know, but music is generally more fleeting today.
Blu’s feedback- Funny story is i actually submitted bleeding love in tim/beck’s movie round and Beck said it was a recognizable song from one of her favorite movies. It’s actually been in several movies/shows that’s how popular it is. I think it was her most stand out song. The lyrics may seem repetitive to song but it has so much depth in them and really tells a heartbreak story. In contrast, I do think the production was more heightened in Cardigan, not sure about lyrical meaning but I love the uniqueness of it. It’s a tough one because I actually perfect leona’s vocals here but Taylor’s artistry, if that makes sense?
After carefully deliberation, we went with the song that showcased the most creativity, artistry, and production value. The person moving on in the competition is………. Becksta, congruatulions we will see you next round. Voila thank you for your participation, and out of the box submissions, they didn’t go unnoticed and you will be eligible for the battle back round.
hayden9102
CarolinaSteele
abstractjay
StraightLoonie <3
konohavillage1
kevrev4
ROOTING FOR THOSE PEEPS !