Printable version of thread

Posted by: gooddelta 8th April 2021, 11:07 AM

What do you consider to be your most surprising DNQ, to the point that you maybe thought you had a smash on your hands and really didn't see it coming. And similarly, what is the one song that you took to the final that you most expected to DNQ?

Ignoring the much discussed Headhunted by Mira Craig and Spin My World by DJ Kent feat The Arrows, my big shock DNQ that I keep coming back to from 'recent' times is Mary Keanes Introduction by Daithi, in early 2017.



It did redeem itself with a top three Rejects finish but I was honestly astounded this failed to qualify, such an incredibly unique dance song with the old Irish woman telling a charming love story. I had thought it was a very safe top ten finish actually

In terms of shocking qualifiers, I'm not sure I was expecting much from Spacetrain's Salsa Me, yet it won the semi! And then flopped in the bottom five of the final in a dire turnaround of fortune, but it still exceeded my expectations. Also, it didn't qualify but Safari's gospel song I Need You came very close to doing so, when I'd expected it to struggle to double digit points in the semi, in fact I wondered if it would be a nul pointer!

But the one that really really surprised me at the time was Ilumbarada by Ortiga, which actually finished 5th in the final, when I was pretty certain it was going to DNQ at the time - I was elated with how well it did.

Posted by: Dobbo. 8th April 2021, 11:34 AM

Most surprising DNQ by far was this:



This type of trashy dance almost always does well. My similar sounding entry TEPR - Taste Of Love finished top 10!


Most surprising qualifier was this:



Was still relatively new to the contest then so didn't have such a good idea on what "sounded" like a qualifier but I was pushing my luck with my Q streak at this stage and didn't think this one would make it so was more relieved when it did. First ever DNQ with the next entry anyway...

Posted by: b 8th April 2021, 11:46 AM

omfg thank you for reminding me of Headhunted. Still a BOP *.*

Posted by: dan::G 8th April 2021, 12:05 PM

this one will always be the infamous DNQ of ours, being one of the big festival house anthems of the early 2010s and tipped for big success in the odds thread.



and this is still the most surprising Q of mine given the context of our run at the time, we’d been DNQing pretty much all year in 2012 with mostly dancepop then this being a progressive house instrumental ends up actually making it.



in more recent times I was a bit surprised Boris Brejcha managed to Q for me, even with the song being one of my favourite ever entries. I also thought the Vassy song was a sure fire hit yet that got me one of my worst ever semi bombs.

Posted by: Jade 8th April 2021, 12:12 PM

My most surprising DNQ was probably 'Do It Again' by SOLDOUT - it sounded like it could do well, they had previously taken me to victory in Worldvision with 'To The Ocean' and it had really good odds. It at least got some Rejects redemption!



Most surprising Q was probably 'hazy iii' by Yoshitaka Hirota as it was a very niche sound but it clearly had enough big fans to carry it through. It didn't exactly light up the final, with a 34th place position, but I was shocked that it was there in the first place.

Posted by: 152chris 8th April 2021, 12:22 PM

gawd i RLY thought i had smashes on my hands with both scandinavia and str8 outta mumbai! scandinavia esp i listened to again for the first time in AGES this week (when i was compiling my bjsc history lol) and i still don't understand what happened.






my biggest surprise hit was prob tear the house up, is it still statistically the least popular winner ever?

Posted by: Chez Wombat 8th April 2021, 12:28 PM

There's a handful of my DNQs I got quite hyped up about, only to have them bomb. I think this was the biggest though cos it had an epic sound, I was receiving a lot more hype than usual for it with many declaring it the best in the whole contest, it also performed the best of all my entries in Rejects.



My most surprising Q is probably this as it was a very niche sound that wasn't getting a lot of hype at all and received pretty much unanimous DNQ predictions, usually when this happens I can see it coming, but not with this one and it actually went on to do better than I thought in the final too (shoutout also to ADULT. - Why Always Why from last year which I had similarly already resigned myself to flopping!)

Posted by: Rob S 8th April 2021, 12:29 PM

Some of my most surprising flops would have to be Elliot Lee and KEYS&CAGES as I expected more people to be fans to see them safely through. As for the surprise qualifiers I'd have to say VNV Nation from January literally because I already sent them a few years prior and they missed out.. tbh I'm still taken aback as to how it came so close to winning biggest surprise hit for sure. On a smaller note I didn't expect Alice Gray to even come anywhere near to qualifying. Was thinking low 20's DNQ for that one!

Posted by: gooddelta 8th April 2021, 01:00 PM

I guess a lot of these DNQs fell in ‘the wrong semi’ because there are some seriously big sounding songs being posted here. Especially the two from Chris.

Posted by: ✖ leww ✖ 8th April 2021, 01:07 PM

This definitely. I was CONVINCED I was on for a Top 10 finish LOL. I also would make a case for Howling - Howling (Ame Remix) but that kind of sound would do a lot better today than it did then, and I knew it was a big risk.

In terms of ones I did NOT expect to qualify:









And got 32nd, 20th, 4th and 1st respectively.

Posted by: JosephStyles 8th April 2021, 01:14 PM

At the time I was very surprised and gutted that this DNQd as I thought it sounded like a qualifier at least...



This one definitely caught me off guard though, and I blame some of you guys for telling me it'd do better than Isac Elliot - Weekend



As for surprising Qs, I remember not expecting much of this one when I entered but it was a delightful surprise to see it get through!

Posted by: RobBot 8th April 2021, 01:23 PM

I've been burnt both times I tried sending K-Pop and I genuinely think 'Heroine' is the best SUNMI that's been sent, while all of her other entries qualified, so I was quite shocked and disappointed by that failing to qualify!



My most surprising qualifier, was me having nothing and pretty much admitting defeat by sending Julia Volkova because me & Yu found it funny, and then it actually didn't do badly?

Still an iconic song though, I stand by that xo

Posted by: dandy* 8th April 2021, 01:26 PM

Moan was such a landmark winner in BJSC - completely changed perceptions of what could do well

I was so happy when it won but secretly gutted that I'd never been brave enough to send Trentemøller before

Posted by: SevenSeize 8th April 2021, 01:48 PM

Hard to think of many DNQs I was surprised by, I expect almost all my entries to not qualify The closest would be Happier i guess since people were tipping it as a contender at the time




and for surprise qualifers, well...

Posted by: k👠th 8th April 2021, 02:11 PM

Both really undeserved DNQs but not surprising I guess since Kathaldazia are slept on in general

Posted by: gooddelta 8th April 2021, 02:15 PM

And Jamali Kath! Crazy, crazy DNQ, gorgeous song.

Posted by: k👠th 8th April 2021, 02:25 PM

Oh god and that was truly tragic! BJSC letting an actual girl band DNQ #kathaldaziacurse

'Spin My World' was massively robbed too! One of my all-time faves and a huge hit here in SA!

Poor Lewwisha being surprised by Moaning!

Posted by: coi 8th April 2021, 02:32 PM

From before I was even aware this forum existed but I really enjoyed Goodbye by Feder at the time! Also before my time but Howling (Âme Remix) deserved better too.

As for my own entries, I don't think any of the DNQs were a huge surprise to me, I just wanted to send them because I loved them really. Indeed, none of them came particularly close to making it through either but this was one of the more popular DNQs, I think 2502 was rather underrated!



My most surprising Q would definitely be Meditations On Loss (sadly the music video has gone now though), I really enjoyed it but it didn't seem to me like it would do as well as it did!

Posted by: Quarantilas 8th April 2021, 02:52 PM

In terms of things I didn't expect to Quali, then this is absolutely something I had nailed on as a DNQ



I still absolutely love it, and I am so so pleased that it did make it through to the final.

Otherwise I am not to surprised when an entry qualifies because I don't send something I am not wholly in love with at that point in time so I tend to back my own entires extremely highly.


When it comes to unjust DNQs imma focus only on ones pre-BJSC C because Im still too irritated about some of the more recent ones to be objective.


First off I am still pure raging this didn't Qualify



12 years old and STILL sounds absolutely banging.



Still think this was at least worthy of a 17-27 placing in the final



Also still don't get how this failed. Its so bouncy and uplifting.



Trashyelectrofempop perfection.




Still absolutely furious about this one too. I can only assume people saw the artist and then just didn't listen to the song. Because there is no other rational explanation for how this didn't qualify.




Edit - This one I understand (#BJSCSoEnglish) but i am still sad about

Posted by: Quarantilas 8th April 2021, 02:53 PM

This DNQing might be BJSCs highest crime.

Posted by: BiminiBonBoulex 8th April 2021, 03:17 PM

A forum full of dirty rascals had convinced me that this was DNQing and its success was the absolute cherry on the cake of a chaotic results thread.



In terms of surprising DNQs, apart from the one I'm fresh off of, I was fully convinced this was going to be a contender to win!



Those dramatic strings! Y'all in LXI were tasteless hoes!

Posted by: Iz 💀 8th April 2021, 03:32 PM

I think my biggest mismatch of expectation would be this one:



I probably should have sent 'Blind As Night' but I was convinced 'The All Time High' would be a top 10 or something even more than that, instead, didn't qualify.

Others include 'Moonglow' (particularly as I almost always qualify when I make a gothic metal pick I'm fully behind) and 'Pretty Cvnt' (though when I saw the semi for that one I knew I was f**ked, that definitely got a top 20 position in another semi draw), 'Sonsick' is an old classic of mine that I was sure would qualify also.

oh and this of course:



literally had it as a 'send this to get a hit' entry, seemed like BJSC was into that but APPARENTLY NOT

as for surprising Qs



this perhaps, it's such an indulgent entry of mine (both artists previously entered by me) that managed to outperform two of the three times I'd sent them before this, never expected it to do as well as it did (15th), still kinda proud of that. Otherwise, Alestorm (my most recent hit lol).

Posted by: uhsting 8th April 2021, 03:34 PM

So far only have 2 qualifiers and I think those two are to be expected. However, there are some entries which I think would have qualified:



I thought this had a nice message and a really nice hook that would be memorable, and that note at the end



It was another song from the potentials I have and it seems this would go down well with the people... oh boy how wrong I was!



I was fully convinced anything more electronic and sophisticated would grab some points in BJSC, but clearly not



Was convinced that anything in the 4 potentials I have would be a qualifier and went for the artist that was successful in BJSC before and a song I like the most. Should have read the feedback a lot more carefully and went for other songs instead (but that would not have given me the first victory in PFSC )

Posted by: awardinary 8th April 2021, 04:50 PM

Ok having had a little time to think about this question, I’ve chosen that my most surprising qualifying entry was this one from Les Rythmes Digitales which qualified 12th in my Semi Final in BJSC 99 but then finished 39th in the final. I don’t think I would qualify with an entry like that with today’s standards.



As for my most surprising DNQ, considering how well instrumentals generally do, I would suggest that this 10 minute long entry from Envio was one entry that I felt relatively confident would break my DNQ run at the time, but it wasn’t to be, and sadly finished 22nd in my Semi Final in BJSC 96. Even Dobago described it just the other day as one of the best instrumental songs he had discovered in BJSC.



I think when I’ve entered more songs over time I will have a better perspective of what my most surprising entries are, but these are the two I went with today.

Posted by: Cosmic Cody 8th April 2021, 06:58 PM

idk about most surprising dnq but i'm gonna throw this in bc it turned cor lupus from one of the top countries into basically invisible



qualifiers: basically every qualifier after that

Posted by: Cosmic Cody 8th April 2021, 07:06 PM

special shout out to La Di Da bc I was genuinely scared for all the K-pop and I thought 124 when all the K-pop went through was a one-off, like we may have had like... FOUR K-pop hits in the three years between BJSC 100 and that and one of them was in English to appease the xenophobia so yeah there's that

Posted by: Cameron 8th April 2021, 07:38 PM

Where do I start with the undeserved DNQ's? I think in terms of the tracks that shocked BJSC voters the most:



Thank goodness Caution Tape smashed rejects.



Considering Higher was high in all the odd predictions and sadly DNQ'd made me particularly upset. It is funny now, because the next month I managed to qualify with Nerdy Boy. (Which is the bubblegum sound that BJSC hates).



I will also just leave this here from this year...

Posted by: TheSnake 8th April 2021, 07:45 PM

Surprising DNQs

Posted by: Tafty 8th April 2021, 09:17 PM

For me:

Surprising DNQ:

KARA - STEP


So unjust and absolutely heartbroken it failed to qualify. My favourite K-Pop song of all time. It's a stunner! One of the most perfect pop songs ever. Deserved to be the first (?) K-Pop winner.

Also a shout out to recent DNQ'er

NIKI DEMAR - Alone In My Car


One of my favourite entries of mine. The chorus is just... sublime.

Onto surprising Qualifiers...

Kuana Torres Kahele, Napua Greig and James Ford Murphy - Lava


I love this so much, but I was pretty surprised to see it make the final

EDIT: Oh and this

Noah & The Whale - The First Days of Spring


I probably would be less surprised now, but way back in a largely, predominant pop contest, it was lovely to see this BEAUT make it through to the final!

Posted by: jakewild 8th April 2021, 09:37 PM

absolutely

I remember my first few contests being drenched in pop but when moan won it felt like anything had a chance thank GOD

Posted by: ✖ leww ✖ 8th April 2021, 10:11 PM

Posted by: Bré 8th April 2021, 10:41 PM

I think my most surprising DNQ would be this:



I sent it after a good little string of qualifiers and had a pretty good feeling it'd continue that and maybe even contend to be a second big hit in a row after coming 3rd in the previous contest, the DNQ blindsided me a bit (and kicked off a run of 3 DNQs in a row which I have luckily avoided repeating since xx). They did go on to get some redemption by having a top 10 hit with a different song (which I don't like as much but admittedly is a little more wide appealing, even though I'm still not sure why 'Simple Guy' apparently wasn't wide appealing to begin with xx).

My most surprising qualifier would probably be this one:



Based on the song alone I didn't think it was too unlikely to qualify as post-rock always has its fans, but it got near enough the absolute worst semi-final draw it could possibly get (with essentially every single person who usually votes for this sort of thing being in the opposite semi). I was saved by the fact that semi-final happened to have one of the lowest points barriers for qualifying in the contest's history, allowing this to scrape through in 18th place (the lowest placing qualifier) with just 34 points. Went on to do decently in the final.

Posted by: jakewild 8th April 2021, 10:44 PM

my most surprising Q and it went on to win. don't remember it getting any hype at all

Posted by: Bré 8th April 2021, 10:47 PM

I would agree but this was an auto-qualifier so not exactly a surprise qualifier! (definitely one of the most out of the blue winners though)

Posted by: jakewild 8th April 2021, 10:49 PM

o yer! lmao forgot it was an aq oop

Posted by: Bré 8th April 2021, 10:52 PM

Out of the other posts in here so far, 'Touched By The Sun', 'Flutterwonder', 'Cercavo Amore' (one of the best Rd'Á entries for me and I actually forgot it was a DNQ!), 'Yoohoo', both of the N DNTN ones, 'Mary Keanes Introduction' and above all else 'The Home We Made Pt. II' deserved more the most.

and 'Get Down' remains one of the most heinous things to ever 'grace' the contest xx

Posted by: Riser 9th April 2021, 12:35 AM

My most surprising DNQ is well known I think. The only time I've ever had a contender to win



Honorable mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx_sKosgBIM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMNmG0IPSK0 (and probably Photo ID from the last contest!)

My most surprising Q was a backup choice after my original entry got vetoed, slow-tempo folk is not exactly a recipe for success. It didn't do great in the final but I never thought it'd get that far anyway!



Honorable mention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=628DOLWLe2g and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQtaQMc6l3M

Posted by: Doctor Blind 9th April 2021, 12:41 AM

So many DNQs to choose from, but I think my first ever entry was a bit of a surprising DNQ. Maybe the video put people off?



I guess Charlotte Adigéry is less surprising, but no less upsetting:



I also feel like Soulé deserved better than crashing out




I think my most surprsing Q is probably Max Richter (Spring 1 (Ade Laugee Remix)) which definitely doesn't sound like a hit, but I guess it stood out for being different?

Posted by: Bré 9th April 2021, 12:54 AM

'Spring 1' is still one of your most memorable entries for me! (I apparently only gave it 4 points at the time but definitely deserved better than that in retrospect)

'All Your Love' and 'Fantasy' definitely another 2 that deserved better as well.

Posted by: Riser 9th April 2021, 12:59 AM

Still one of my fave discoveries from BJSC. It just played on my shuffle a few days ago too. Everyone else was so wrong

Posted by: Cosmic Cody 9th April 2021, 03:10 AM

I don't understand why more KARA songs haven't been sent around that time period, I feel like Pandora and Damaged Lady would have been decent sized hits

although if i read the songs of page correctly Asian pop was just flat out ignored by BJSC in 2013 which is kinda sus but okay

Posted by: Iz 💀 9th April 2021, 04:14 AM

Not like it couldn’t do well, in BJSC 50, a month before 2013, two of the top 5 were Asian pop. So that’s better than most periods in BJSC. Swear I remember 4minute getting a hit around that time too, and Namie Amuro and Girls Generation also. Late 2012-early 2013 was the golden age for Asian pop and KARA DNQing was very unexpected and undeserved at the time iirc

Posted by: Iz 💀 9th April 2021, 04:27 AM

Of course the issue there is more like the contest is receptive to Asian big names but much less of Asian obscure artists than western obscure artists which is why after that initial period of big name success it became briefly harder to find a hit. But these things go in cycles, one day my love for Japanese music will hit everyone else. One day.

Posted by: Cosmic Cody 9th April 2021, 04:39 AM

bruh that's why I thought BJSC 124 was a one-off bc all the K-pop qualified and the biggest hit of all of them was APRIL and they're

a. not girl crush like most K-pop groups that get huge hits like EVERGLOW, ITZY, 4Minute, BP, etc.
b. practically nugu in Korea (before the scandal at least)

at least the Asian pop audience has grown significantly since then which kinda helped

Posted by: Cosmic Cody 9th April 2021, 04:40 AM

all i'm saying is that daehun should make a comeback

Posted by: 152chris 9th April 2021, 01:58 PM

when i was looking up things i wanted to send for my return in the songs thread, the GASP i let out when i realised y'all let queen Aya Nakamura dnq with Pookie! honestly!!!



this song is HUGE

Posted by: Ghosty. 9th April 2021, 05:28 PM

Most surprising qualifier is definitely Use My Body While It’s Still Young by Rebekka Karijord and most surprising NQ for me is a toss up between Erdem Kinay’s Isporta, Owlle’s Ticky Ticky and Lucia’s Catastrophe. I was also really gutted when Rachel Zeffira’s The Deserters was snubbed

Posted by: Bré 9th April 2021, 06:12 PM

'Use My Body While It's Still Young' is another one that I remember quite well, didn't know that one was a 'surprise' qualifier

Definitely remember Owlle being a surprise DNQ though!

Posted by: Ghosty. 9th April 2021, 11:59 PM

I think it was just surprising for me personally, but from the perspective of everybody else, Lone Wolf is probably the most surprising qualifier for Caerfyrddia I’d say?

Posted by: jAddy! 10th April 2021, 04:06 AM

Needless to say, this is the most shocking DNQ in BJSC history...I don't know what ya'll were thinking!!!

2NE1 - I Am The Best



and the most surprised qualifier...I just was shocked to see pure 90's club trance qualifying

Storm - Huri-Khan

Posted by: Ultra's Version 11th April 2021, 02:09 PM

Qualifier:



Iconic.

I still scream every time I actually remember this qualified

Posted by: awardinary 11th April 2021, 02:14 PM

Oh my. Sam please enter BJSC 134 with something as iconic as this!

Posted by: dandy* 12th April 2021, 07:09 PM

Most surprising qualifier:




Not exactly surprising as such but the DNQs I'd have most liked to have qualified are...

Posted by: Harve 15th April 2021, 07:39 PM

I'm late but:







I think my most surprising DNQs come when I send pop like above, to the point where I probably shouldn't be surprised anymore.



And this was from an era where like 3/4 of my entries were DNQing so I was quite surprised that THIS was the track that stopped me getting 6 DNQs in a row.

Posted by: Cody Madrigal 14th February 2022, 01:55 AM

I guess just wanted to bump this bc now I have some actually surprising qualifiers?



The fact that I was convinced that this was gonna flop and almost everyone thought it would DNQ only for it to do pretty well in the end *.*



I think for this one it was a manifestation of me having to reconfirm an ungodly amount of times and as a result feeling very apathetic about how y’all would receive this bc typically if I get vetoed I’m not performing at my highest potential so I thought this was gonna be bottom 3 in the semi… and it came top 15. Expecting disappointment really is my superpower huh

Posted by: Popchartfreak 14th February 2022, 04:47 PM

I was pleasantly surprised by The Ritchie Family's 1978 flop doing so well, against predicted expectations:



and was a bit "doh!" at my first ever entry not qualifying, not least because it actually should have qualified but for an accounting error, so a belated shout out 10 years later for this 2000 flop, that I loved that year, and later ended up in Kill Bill Volume 2.



Yes this summer will be ten years of Buzzjack Song Contest for Singerpurear, so time permitting I may do a chart Best Of rundown, cos we may be the biggest flop nation of all-time (official!) but as several of them got kudos subsequently or previously outside buzzjack despite DNQ'ing, and my love for almost all of them (bar 2 or 3) remains undimmed, I think they make a fabulous eclectic collection. Well I would wouldn't I?

Posted by: diva thin muffin 14th February 2022, 05:39 PM

Most surprising qualifier: Sam Bluer - Body High
Most surprising DNQ: honestly any one of Klangkarussell, Hayley Kiyoko and Kilian & Jo

Also Sovarasma’s DNQ for BATHSHEBA. Wtf was that mess?

Posted by: uhsting 14th February 2022, 06:23 PM

Most surprising qualifier: Get F**ked by an Anchor by Seyetana iirc (ikonek)
Most surprising DNQ: Someone Else by Rezz and Grabbitz by Holland-Oats iirc

I still stand by the fact that Seize The Power should never have DNQed and agree with Jafet that the snubbing of BATHSHEBA was a mistake.

Posted by: uhsting 15th June 2022, 01:53 PM

Bumping this thread to add doechii - Crazy and Simon Goff - Vale to the most surprising DNQ or the most robbed entries in the last two editions! Especially the former I had it down to win the entire thing.