Welcome to the final episode of Tim’s Music Gauntlet. There’s a lot to cover in this finale, but I do want to give a quick shout out to the three finalists FromAWindow, zach3051, and stuartlittle16. You have all done a phenomenal job, and I was thrilled to listen to the soundtracks you all submitted. Let’s jump right into the comments.
Track 1: Past
#Stuartlittle16: Beautiful Soul - Jesse McCartney
5-6 year old Tim was VERY into Dreamstreet, so needless to say, I do enjoy Jesse McCartney. I haven’t heard this song in years, so it was nice giving it another listen. I loved all the elements that went into the beat and backing track without sound overly produced. I definitely did not remember the bridge. It added a very new dimension to the song that seems like it would be out of place, but does kind of work. But I’m glad I got to relive this song.
#FromAWindow: Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
I love Kelly, and this is my absolute favorite song by her. As a black kid growing up in a predominantly white community in the sticks, this song definitely struck a chord with me growing up. There’s honestly nothing that I don’t love about this song: the instrumentation, the subtle harmonies, the lyrics - it’s all so good.
#Zach3051: High Five - Sigrid
When Sigrid first started singing, I honestly thought I was going to hate this song. But she really grew on me as it went along, and by the end, I was smiling and bopping along to the song; I seriously wanted to jump into the music video and dance with her. She definitely has a very unique sound that I can appreciate and grow to like.
Track 2: Present
#Stuartlittle16: Love Myself - Hailee Steinfeld
This is bop. I enjoyed this song when it first came out, and I enjoy it now. This is one of those songs that can put me in a good mood, make me smile, and make me want to dance. Musically, it’s simple, and it’s fun. It’s pretty repetitive but not annoyingly so. To me, it has a lot of the things that make a good pop song.
#FromAWindow: Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah) - White Denim
This is definitely right up my alley. The band is absolutely on point and provides the grooviness that I love. The only thing that I didn’t love about it was the vocals. There were some parts where it felt like he was trying to force himself to sound a little more soulful rather than just singing naturally. But overall, it was a very good song.
#Zach3051: Distance - Yebba
This was such a lovely song. It’s chill, groovy, and jazzy - three of my favorite adjectives. I love the way all the instruments play off one another to really create a sound that is cohesive and fits well with her vocals. And speaking of her vocals, she was so smooth. And when those trumpets came in, the song was truly complete in my eyes. I loved this.
Track 3: Tengaged (Interlude)
#Stuartlittle16: Toxic - Britney Spears
Toxic - a pretty fitting description of Tengaged. I’m not a huge Britney fan, and this song is kind of annoying. The high-pitched strings, while an iconic part of the song, is pretty grating. The bass is nice, and is the best part of the song. It’s still a fun song at its core, but it isn’t something I’d listen to on my own accord.
#FromAWindow: WTF Do I Know - Miley Cyrus
Ah, don’t we all long for the day we can move on from here and not miss it? Jokes aside, that opening bass riff was great. I do enjoy the new sound that Miley has in the songs I’ve heard from Plastic Hearts. I think it really fits her unique voice extremely well.
#Zach3051: Fuck This World (Interlude) - Rina Sawayama
Um...who is this woman? I’ve seen her songs pop up in other music games, but now I NEED to dive into her discography. This song slapped, and it got my attention. The backing track was fantastic. I can also definitely relate the lyrics and the emotions she’s expressing in the song. Even though this song is an interlude, it’s certainly not an afterthought. Also, fuck this site!
Track 4: Future
#Stuartlittle16: 1-800-273-8255 - Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid
This was my first time listening to this song, and wow. There was a lot happening lyrically. I’m sure a lot of people have felt the way the emotions expressed in this song (I certainly know I have at times), and I really appreciate the relatability of this song. I do wish the three artists were integrated together a bit better, particularly Khalid because his verse seemed like a bit of an afterthought.
#FromAWindow: Babylon - Lady Gaga
When I first listened to Chromatica, I was pretty disappointed...then I got to the very last track of the album. This was the one song that stuck out with me on the first listen and is easily my favorite Chromatica song. This is a dance club bop, but there’s a lot more going on with it that I love. There’s some great wordplay in the lyrics with babble on, Babylon. I love the choir, and the sax bit absolutely kills. Probably the biggest bop of 2020.
#Zach3051: Resolution - Matt Corby
Lyrically, this is a strong song and a very fitting choice for the future you described. Musically, I was a little underwhelmed. The instrumentation was really good, but the whole song felt like a huge build up with no climax. It was a good song overall, but it ultimately left me wanting a bit more.
Before I announce the final placements, I do want to acknowledge some of the songs that stood out throughout the competition with some superlatives.
THE FUNKALICIOUS AWARD - to the grooviest song of the competition
Honorable Mentions: Audrey Tell Me by Juice; I Don’t Know You by The Marias
The Winner…
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THE SLEEPER AWARD - to the song that I didn’t think I would like, but really impressed me
Honorable Mentions: By the Grace of God by Katy Perry; Prague by Damien Rice
The Winner…
THE ROOKIE AWARD - to the best song that was introduced to me through the competition
Honorable Mentions: Corre by Jesse & Joy; No Roots by Alice Merton
The Winner…
MOST VALUABLE SONG AWARD - to the highest rated song that truly embodied the theme for its round
Honorable Mentions: Hard Times by Paramore, I Used to Love H.E.R by Common
The Winner…
No, without further ado. It’s time to announce third place. With a score of 28.5, third place goes to...
Stuart, you were the only contestant to avoid the dreaded gauntlet battle. You submitted some real jams and some songs that pleasantly surprised me throughout the competition. You were an excellent contestant, and thank you so much for playing <3
Now. It’s time to announce the winner, the lone survivor of Tim’s Music Gauntlet. With a total score of 33, our winner is…
Congratulations Braden! You have survived Tim’s Music Gauntlet! If I’ve learned nothing else from our friendship, I’ve learned that we think pretty similarly and have exceptional taste in music. You came out of the gates running and didn’t look back the entire competition. This win was well earned.
That means second place goes to #zach3051 with a final score of 31.5. Zach, you may have come up just short of the win, but your effort this competition was no less impressive. I was extremely impressed with a lot of your out of the box song selections, especially in this final battle. You’ve introduced me to a lot of great new songs and artists, and I really appreciate that. Thanks so much for playing <3
To the rest of the contestants, thank you all so much for playing. I had an absolute blast hosting, and I hope you all had just as much fun participating. I do have some other ideas for future music games, and you are welcome to join when the time comes. Here are the final rankings and a nice chart to wrap things up. <333
