Lucky strike then! :D

 

I was genuinely thinking about it though as it is really quite good out in the club and I knocked it out before the last lot because I had nothing else I could lose.

Oh Eyes, I have to agree with Jahq, Blue Jeans is dreadful. :( :puke: It's by far her worst single, why don't you put something like National Anthem in place of that piece of dirge instead? :wub:

Edited December 19, 201212 yr by ★ G R I E F ★

HOPEFULLY National Anthem is a lot higher up (ie. top 100)

HOPEFULLY National Anthem is a lot higher up (ie. top 100)

 

If I did a Best Videos Of 2012 countdown, it would be probably be #1. :wub:

Blue Jeans is wonderful!

Of COURSE National Anthem is higher somewhere! It was in my chart for like 20 weeks or something ridic. Not the video tho. Born To Die is the definitive Lana vid.

"Ride" is where it's at when it comes to Lana videos.

Also that one. :wub:

SINGLES: 200-191

 

http://prinzblog.cdn.bimp-asp.de/grand-prix/files/rona_nishliu_2.jpg

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Chart Peak: #62

'Vec shpres pas shpres dhe marrëzi'

 

Here we have it, the first Eurovision song to show up in my top 212. While almost all of them charted at some point for me, only 15, including Suus have made it this far. It's obvious which country finished highest so I'm not going to go there, but which Eurovision song is my SECOND favourite? Anyway, back to Suus, I really hated this when I first heard it, really really did, but in the lead up to the final, the fragility of the verses helped the song warm to me and eventually I could even get past the chorus and start to rather enjoy it. As such, I was rather pleased when Albania finished that high, and her live performance was as I recall one of the standouts of the night, although the whole thing was a complete surprise to me.

 

Chart Peak: #21

'All the places I've seen, all the people I've met, all the hearts that I've broken I won't ever forget'

 

And one place higher is the first of my 13 entries to both BJSC and UP to appear. One is missing, that one's Shell Perris as it was an older song and I'd known it for years. It's probably the least memorable of my BJSC entries this year anyway. :lol:

KIDS was my entry to Unknown Pleasures IX, a contest that nearly saw me quitting UP after only my second outing as the results were awful and there wasn't MUCH there worth keeping. I did decide to stay and that worked out well for me in 10 but I wasn't totally in love with this entry either. It's a good quirky song, and the final verse is lovely but it never really SMASHED for me. KIDS' EP is rather nice though, this is the highlight. This all sounds really negative but it's just I love my other entries far more.

 

198. 2NE1 - Scream

Chart Peak: #9

'I'm 'bout to paint this town red, koto gatta senbiki'

 

In a trilogy of firsts, the first Asian song to appear is at #198. It was also the first Asian song I charted top 10 in 2012, as far as I remember, not many Asian songs get that far and I was surprised to be putting it that high. Scream hasn't aged awfully well but it has a cracker of a chorus and the first verse is excellent. I prefer I Am The Best for most purposes however + I'm just conveniently ignoring the existence of I Love You. I am still of the opinion that 2NE1 are one of the best K-POP groups though, all but one of the Asian songs left are by soloists.

 

Chart Peak: #11

'peace from the pain in my heart that is haunting me'

 

I love Jess Mills as an artist. She's talented and has a great voice, and most of her songs are of the ballady persuasion, allowing the emotions to pour out, and she normally has great production, building the song up. This is technically her best song released this year (I also think Pixelated People and Vultures are pretty fab - this is half an entry for them but I have too few slots to fill) but it has a little something missing on the emotional side. That's why it's not higher. It's FANTASTIC as an aural aid, I just can't quite connect as well as I'd like. Everything from here on out gets different degrees of amazing however, the first 15 or so were a warmup.

 

Chart Peak: #17

'why can't I keep you for myself'

 

An entry for this Santigold-like song at #196, one I instantly liked from first hearing. Totally told Bré to send it, and it failed to impress oh dear. I still love it anyway - and if taste prevails it will do exceptionally well in the Rejects. The production is so warm, helping the lyrics become more than what they are, truth be told, they are not the greatest.

 

Chart Peak: #9

'love is the light scaring darkness away'

 

I do prefer the fact that Gabby Aplin is getting success to the song she's getting success with. Her other material is largely better (mainly The Liar And The Lighter, whatta cover) but this is a beautiful cover. Prefer it to the original, I don't mind saying that, and it's the best John Lewis advert so far. I was never much of a fan of the original so this can only stretch so far but her voice is just divine - a well earned #1.

 

Chart Peak: #5

'you were the best of me, the reason that I believe'

 

#14. Azerbaijan are so cold and calculating as a Eurovision country. I don't care, I LOVE IT (shut it Icona Pop). Their ballads are normally nothing short of amazing. In the 3 years I've been watching, the Azeri entry has always been towards the top of my rankings and there's normally a point where I absolutely LOON for it. This is the weakest of the 3 so far, but it's still rather amazing. Not that I was overly pleased to see it do SO exceptionally well on home turf as this essentially confirms that Azerbaijan will always always always be a fixture in the top 10 from now on, but it's an enjoyable listen.

 

Chart Peak: #30

'la la la la la la la la la la'

 

Jonna Lee puts in her first appearance on this chart. I can't REALLY deny play, it's a great song and while it's not the best off kin, it's a fair way ahead of the bottom half in terms of quality. The 'la la la' hook makes it what it is, along with that crashing instrumental, and it's another of those songs I loved playing during Tenerife so that boosted it a little bit. Possibly as we go further into the future it should have won BJSC so maybe I should have given it that point. But then Let It Go is a fine song too, it only just missed out here. Not the time to be talking about this Iz.

 

Chart Peak: #17

'big glass coffins, they keep coughing'

 

This is a lovely measured track, and the first I'd really heard from Regina Spektor so it's set the tone for what I expect when I listen to her material. Slowly building throughout the track is some lovely production, followed by some fantastic drums to close the track. Regina's voice is along the spectrum of those I am quite the fan of (see also many other quirky, airy singer-songwriters). All in all, a track I was quite certain to like.

 

Chart Peak: #15

'now rain is all there is'

 

Arlissa is a singer I'm hoping, out of all of those on Sound of 2013, for success the most next year. She's really quite an exciting prospect, she sings similarly to Florence, but it feels like she could be doing a lot more and so I hope to hear a few more studio tracks soon. Hard To Love Somebody is a nice song but is dominated by Nas' rapping, and it isn't the best. I think I'll wait for her material next year before I properly assess where she sits for me in terms of how much I like her, but I feel like she's brimming with potential and I can't wait to hear more. Her live version of her song Sticks & Stones is exactly the sort of thing I'm excited about.

 

 

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/76005134/iamamiwhoami%20play02.png

Play! :wub: One of my favourite songs of the year.

 

Why isn't the song higher though? :(

What the HELL is the Blue Jeans hate going on here?! One of Lana's finest singles.

"When The Music Dies" >>>>> Safura

 

:wub: That stunning performance with the colour changing dress. As for "Suus", I'm disappointed it isn't the Tirren version.

Play! :wub: One of my favourite songs of the year.

 

Why isn't the song higher though? :(

 

Kin has 3 songs that are far better (as yet undisclosed). Plus it's not AS good as everyone says it is, it does drag a little over repeated listens.

 

"When The Music Dies" >>>>> Safura

 

:wub: That stunning performance with the colour changing dress. As for "Suus", I'm disappointed it isn't the Tirren version.

 

Nothing is better than Safura you heathen.

 

Tirren's version of Suus is amazing but not the sort of thing we welcome here.

Lana Del Rey is AWFUL. Video Games is quite toreable though! Gawd, Have I really got to endure 200 singles!

SINGLES: 190-181

 

http://thenewreview.net/wp-content/uploads/ELUVEITIE.jpg

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

190. Natalya Zarraga - Sundown

Chart Peak: #14

'and as I reached for the light it was taken from me'

 

I would not have come across this song were it not that I saw Unknown Pleasures VIII opening and thought 'I NEED TO GET IN ON THIS'. One rapid Youtube search later for something worth entering, and I'd come up with this. It's quite unique (how often do you get a song dominated by a HARP? *.*) but in retrospect it was never going to do well, and I think only 4 people or something ridiculous voted for it. Harp aside, it's a lovely little song and Natalya has a great voice, although this seems to be about all she's done that's worth anything. I definitely have a different attitude to picking entries for UP than I do for BJSC, I'm far more willing to take risks in the former, something I do want to change but it's hard when if you do too much of a risk your song won't be heard by half the people playing. This does often mean that I love my UP entries slightly less, but sometimes I'm almost prouder that I'd entered something like this - it flopped in UP but I'd never get this through a BJSC semi either so I wouldn't enter it there.

 

Chart Peak: #9

'she's a lonely girl, and it's a lonely world'

 

I always have room for Alicia Keys somewhere in my life, and so this lead single from her latest album is rather wonderful. It's a little plain for full on love and the Inferno version is not needed so buzz off to your trap Nicki, but there are some really great parts in it that show off Alicia's voice perfectly. It does prove that Try Sleeping.. really was a once in a career thing though. :(

 

Chart Peak: #10

'I don't wanna talk about sex'

 

I thought her career was over. Is rather catchy (main reason it's here) but I do not understand why she thought this would be a good comeback single. It's laughable and a bit dated. Yet it is still rather fun so you can't blame poor Nelly for trying. Career's over now.

 

187. Of Monsters And Men - Dirty Paws

Chart Peak: #9

'they used to sing about the birds and the bees'

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum to Little Talks, yet still recognisably Of Monsters And Men, Dirty Paws is a lovely plodding song, telling a sort of story that eventually builds up to a tantalising climax of sound. It makes very little sense aside from it being about some animals. A DITTY is one way of describing this I suppose, all very charming and pretty much impossible to hate.

 

186. Young Dreams - Fog Of War (& 186a. The New Division - Kids)

Chart Peak: #9

'waiting for my own Athena'

 

We're getting through all the #9s today, that's really quite coincidental. Hosting UP XI I fell in love with a couple of tracks entered, notably Fog Of War (and Kids which is almost as good so it gets an honourable mention hurr). So much so people thought I'd sent it. Aside from me never having sent a male vocalled song yet (something I plan to remedy soon), I don't think it sounds like what I'd enter, but it is pretty fab nonetheless. It's a lovely track, not that there's so much interesting with vocals going on, but it feels amazing when you listen to it, due to the instrumental. Kids has the same thing going on, a load of wonderful instrumentals with some soothing vocals over the top of it.

 

 

Chart Peak: #4

'somehow I'll always know my time will come, I'll never give up'

 

An absolutely massive track with a stunning vocal from Miss N'Diaye, it's got that lifting production reminiscent of Titanium and Euphoria (but nowhere near as good), nevertheless all excellent stuff and it would have been an amazing Eurovision entry had it been saved for this year's Melodifestivalen, although I have a feeling she has an even better track up her sleeve, I hope at least, this did tire after a while.

 

Chart Peak: #5

'your love washes over, like a tidal wave'

 

The first track by Sub Focus that I've really connected with, no doubt because it features the vocals of the occasionally amazing Alpines. It's not perfect by any means but it was a lovely choon for the latter part of the year - and that dubstep bridge is divine. I normally hate those so that's a real achievement.

 

Chart Peak: #20

'These great stone walls are cold and silent'

 

About the only entry for a non-Nightwish metal band, Eluveitie do something rather rare here, they give a track fully over to a female member of the band, and it produces something wonderful (the rest of their material is standard screamy metal). There's still a little bit of metal there but otherwise this shows off the vocalists' voice wonderfully. With a crashing chorus, there's nothing more I really want from this genre.

 

Chart Peak: #6

'Welcome to the inner workings of my mind'

 

The highest entry for MS MR, their wonderful big single Hurricane. It's not something you can really RAVE to, but the drop into the chorus is something pretty lovely and it's really relaxing to listen to. Unlike Bones it doesn't have as fantastic an ending but it's stronger all the way through. Also one of the best things about the top 10 in XLVII, one of the only ones I could really endorse there.

 

181. Hilltop Hoods feat. Sia - I Love It

Chart Peak: #9

'we have nothing but the cocksure'

 

And here we have the first entry of many for Sia, and what a year she has had. I think this first appeared at the turn of the year so it's had the whole year to work its way into my mind - and despite the rapping being fairly uninspiring, it's not offensive by any means and is nice to listen to. The real star comes with the chorus, where Sia does her usual thing and makes me love it. :basil: (I'll show myself out)

 

 

http://cdn.rap-up.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/nelly-big-hoops-video.jpg

 

Lana Del Rey is AWFUL. Video Games is quite toreable though! Gawd, Have I really got to endure 200 singles!

 

*212

212 *.*

 

Oh, you've made me want to listen to Safura - Drip Drop!

Oh god, I hate Girl On Fire! :puke: I do like Big Hoops though, it grew on me after it came out. :D

Oh I've missed a lot of this. Just went through your albums countdown and the quality is really good, and the singles are off to a similarly strong start! Glad to see MS MR (and I GUESS Aubrey) here, any chance of other Umiirukan entries making it in?

Oh I've missed a lot of this. Just went through your albums countdown and the quality is really good, and the singles are off to a similarly strong start! Glad to see MS MR (and I GUESS Aubrey) here, any chance of other Umiirukan entries making it in?

 

POSSIBLY. Keep following and find out. :D

I absolutely LOVE Dirty Paws and am gutted it didn't do what Little Talks did! :wub: Don't wanna say too much atm, but I love the haunting instrumental and the unsettling feel it has gives it a real sense of mystery, despite those rather strange lyrics, I sense there is a deeper meaning.

 

I've been following and I've liked most of what I've known, but glad to see the New Division get a mention at the very least, I can't imagine there'll be much else I've sent in this chart :lol: