Posted July 15, 201410 yr http://i59.tinypic.com/otovaq.png VILKOMMEN. Continuing on from the DELIGHTS of Reloaded editions I and II (started in April 2012 and February this year respectively), I bring you the honourably late third edition from the GLIMMERING TEAT of our great nation, MAMMARÍA. Maybe we'll make it to the much-awaited tenth edition by the time the decade's out. The third edition was originally held in the hazy post-Christmas hangover of January 2008 in Bokitown, Bokia (as you can tell creativity was at a PREMIUM in those days, but since all things in my nation now revolve around breast wordplay I shall keep quiet). >>>>>>>>>>>>> HISTORY And now, a little context. One thing immediately noticeable to anybody tracking the contest through its early stages is that this contest saw a huge drop off in participation from the second edition, with 26 taking part compared with 34 in BJSC II. Partly down to everyone going back to work/school after the free-for-all of a December contest, partly down to yours truly not bringing the verve and vibrance he brought to II as co-host (:angel:). But mainly down to the one debate which has been a constant throughout BJSC's history rearing its head for the first time: cheapness, and how to have a song contest which balanced fun and freedom while making sure that someone didn't just enter and win with that Avicii feat. Jentina smash #1 everybody loves. After the first two editions saw entries such as Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music* and top fives for Maneater, Bittersweet Symphony and Murder On The Dancefloor (as well as swathes of obvious entrants), three things were clear. A contest with huge potential for discovering new music was being dominated by contestants who were playing to win, and doing so by turning the contest into a reordering of the Multichart; a lot of people were voting at the last minute, and typically for tracks that they already knew; the way things looked an obvious winner was inevitable at some point, which would only accelerate the obviousness as others saw a winning formula. It was obvious something had to be done. So, the first attempt at leveling the playing field for those sending less obvious entries was made - the banlist. Despite being hilariously tame by today's standards (banning any artist that had been #1 on the Buzzjack Multichart), it went down pretty badly. With mod at the time and host of the following contest Boyan strongly objecting to it and accusations that yours truly was attempting to dominate the contest², the proposal was rebranded as a 'starting point' for a debate on how to limit cheap³ entries. In practice though, with so many participants at the time members who'd joined Buzzjack and the BJSC specifically from the Nation Song Contest*², it was a debate which was put on ice and nothing actually changed. However, the genie had been let out of the bottle, and it was a debate which would carry on before exploding pretty dramatically (by internet standards) over a year later during the fourteenth and fifteenth editions of the contest, leading to two of the three mods resigning in one weekend and the contest briefly looking as if it might be finished as a swathe of participants withdrew out of 'solidarity'*³. But, with the issue of cheapness hanging in the air, there was more of a self-policing element to the the third contest and people by and large went for more unknown tracks - although it was by no means universal as you'll see. With the reduced participation, this contest had much more of an autopilot feel to it, and there wasn't much excitement or interaction with the contest at all compared with the one before - something that would be the case until the sixth contest**. However for my money this contest looks a lot more satisfying in retrospect than the second one did - far more obscurities and 'I'd forgotten that, that was a great little track!' moments than the one before, although there are still a couple of very big offenders present. Very odd when put alongside one of today's contests, but the contest was at least beginning to move towards a formula and definition we'd recognise today. *which only missed out on winning the whole thing by being euthanised with a calculated massive penalty for non-voting in the semis. Sue me, bitch. ² I WAS but let's be real, it wasn't without good reason. ³ though nobody actually referred to any entries with the c-word at the time (that didn't become a hugely inflammatory term that sparked wars in half a second for another few months), everyone knew exactly what was under discussion. *² which was - and so far as I can tell still is - far more militant about any track being allowed as an entry, although it had the big cultural difference of participants being from all over the world. Hence there wasn't quite as much as a bias towards pop women who are big in the US/UK, though by the looks of it cheap tracks still by and large perform well over there. Horses for courses. *³ but that's a story for another year. If we ever get there. I really should've asked if I could run this and IV at the same time, shouldn't I? ** which would see the contest go from very nearly being killed off to being the most popular it had ever been in the space of about a month. But again, that's one we'll leave for that contest's Reloaded edition... <<<<<<<<<<<<< VOTING - Anyone can vote in this and all Reloaded contests, regardless of whether you've just joined or if you've been away for years. If you were originally in this contest you can vote for any of the entries ASIDE from your own. - Vote using the standard ESC system of 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for your top 10 favourites from the final. All who read this will vote. That is an ORDER. - Voting will last until Sunday 27th July noon, please send all votes to me by PM. Results will be that evening. I hope to see a good number of you voting - and most of you should know a few of these, so it shouldn't take too long to dash through the unknowns (even though I have a PRETTY SOLID IDEA of the likely winner here), especially as you have two weeks basically. - Non-voters who were taking part in this contest (and given only about a third of the entrants are still posting here today I expect there'll be a FAIR FEW) will be deducted fifteen points from their final total, so yeah, VOTE. - Rabbitland have been disqualified as an alias country - which goes contrary to last time, but Eyes wasn't to know the vagaries of posting scandals circa early 2008. (Entries with a * after their name entered this contest under a different name and this has been updated for continuity. Pendulous Republic of Nørk entered this contest and about forty others as Kopečka, for example.) THE LINE-UP 01 / Tapatilandia: 02 / New Alba: 03 / Rivandia: 04 / Kylienips: Tamsin Archer - Sleeping Satellite 05 / Cascadia: 06 / Camdonia: Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues 07 / Romeria: 08 / Ashton: 09 / Utopia: 10 / Frahliso: 11 / Xanaga*: Liberty X - Song For Lovers 12 / Phinechendza: Sunrise Avenue - Fairytale Gone Bad 13 / Botanikka: 14 / Spila: 15 / Pendulous Republic of Nørk*: 16 / Bhangra: 17 / Kingdom of Waldia: 18 / Simondly: 19 / Astoria: 20 / FSR Rontvia: 21 / Land of Jack: Danny feat. Therese - If Only You 22 / Mdiče: 23 / Bokia: Ayumi Hamasaki - Marionette 24 / Angelicland: 25 / Farahtyn: Hit the BEAT and TAKE IT TO THE VOTES NOW
July 15, 201410 yr 'The Final Countdown' for the win. Very entertaining write up there Tirren. It's been a while since we had a good dramatic BJSC mod resignation (by which I mean I don't recall one ever happening). Who was Rabbitland an alias of? This is news to me.
July 15, 201410 yr Author And I think I'll DIE if anything as obvious as The Final Countdown wins. I'm hoping for a win from something that isn't a former UK top three.
July 15, 201410 yr Author (look it's not MY fault people are insisting we do all the early ones, I'm totally team Skip Till X, if only so we can finally give Camille the victory she's DESERVED FOR YEARS)
July 15, 201410 yr anything but Duffy for the win please. That'd be too obvious of a winner. Of course I haven't heard the songs yet and I may have to vote for it if the unknown songs are generally shite. 4 Strings though *.* and Verbalicious!
July 15, 201410 yr Author 'The Riddle' MUST win. I LOVE IT DEARLY but Robyn is calling to me. But SO ARE THE DIXIE CHICKS. And Danny's BEST SONG!
July 15, 201410 yr Author Who are those people? I'm certainly not one of them~ About a third of them are Nation Song Contest refugees.
July 15, 201410 yr - Rabbitland have been disqualified as an alias country - which goes contrary to last time, but Eyes wasn't to know the vagaries of posting scandals circa early 2008. I did sort of vaguely know this, but wasn't too sure on the procedure. Blink-182 is probably more of a notable entry to disqualify than Lindsay Lohan anyways. Mercy shall not win, because it's shite. Basically. The Final Countdown is iconic but far far far too obvious. I'm team Sunrise Avenue/Da Buzz all the way. (seriously both of those are awesome tunes and you should all carefully consider them) The Riddle and Dixie Chicks can live too. And there's Ayumi, oh my. BJSC's first J-Pop entry (presumably tied with this Ryuichi person). *.*
July 15, 201410 yr The right song won first time round imo, pretty sure it was my original 12, brilliant song.
July 15, 201410 yr I LOVE IT DEARLY but Robyn is calling to me. But SO ARE THE DIXIE CHICKS. And Danny's BEST SONG! oh god I didn't even see Danny. What a belter that is. And with the original and better guest vocal too.
July 15, 201410 yr Dixies or Death! (I'm willing to run V in commemoration of the first ever Allecian entry if this is where I say that)
July 15, 201410 yr To be honest alias or not I feel like Rabbitland should probably have been left in just for historical accuracy but there you go, I'm not hosting the thing ~ If 'Mercy' even gets one point (or -14 points being as Rivandia are FAIRLY UNLIKELY to vote) that's one point too many to be frank.
July 15, 201410 yr I would have been inclined to keep them in also for the same reason. Mainly because we didn't know it was an alias at the time.
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