I feel like you might actually like 'In Your Bones' more than I do myself now tbh :kink: Not sure I'd have ranked it as high as #84 among my own EOY lmao. I think you're right about it being overshadowed by 'Feeling Electric'. Hoorayy for my first appearance anyway! x Much love for Pixel Fix and OELSP in particular from this section :heart:

Aw!! It's a really good song! But I see your point about it not being quite as out-there/different as you normally go for. Yeah I think they both had that similar kind of anthemic vibe but 'Feeling Electric' just seemed to catch on a bit more. Still, top 20 is nothing to sniff at *.* Woop woop! Keep your eyes peeled for some more of yo sangs x

Another huge fan of The Ransom here :hi: Definitely agree that it was The Actual Republic of Bellamia's best this year! That and Don't You Cry For Me were my 13- and 15-pointers from 89, I'd love to see Cash Flow feature as well ;o

Another huge fan of The Ransom here :hi: Definitely agree that it was The Actual Republic of Bellamia's best this year! That and Don't You Cry For Me were my 13- and 15-pointers from 89, I'd love to see Cash Flow feature as well ;o

Yay Jord! Pleased that you got the appeal of 'The Ransom' too *.* + agree that it's the nation's best this year! The dancey sound certainly stood out from their repertoire this year and while it didn't smash, at least it has picked up a few vocal big fans. Great 15 + 13 pointers for 89 *.* Absolutely loved the music of that contest. Hosting it was the cherry on top of the cake <3

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80. Liv Dawson - 'Still' (Ultraviolenceland)
79. Stupeflip - 'Stupeflip Vite !!!' (Skall)
78. Mount Tyrant - 'One Night' (Flynnonda)
77. Lorn - 'Acid Rain' (Republic of Adonia)
76. Ghost - 'Square Hammer' (Quintessa)
75. Salt Ashes - 'Save It' (FARC)
74. Midnight To Monaco - 'One In A Million' (Usfland)
73. John The Baptiste - 'Socila' (N DNTN)
72. White Night Ghosts - 'Hope' (Bignia-Zaragovina)
71. Dinamo Azari - 'Cyan (feat. S.Y.F. & Fritz Helder)' (FKA FKA FKA π)

Ultraviolenceland pop up for a third time and they still have another to come in the countdown! They have impressed us considerably more this year. Perhaps as they are sending more stuff that you wouldn't particularly expect from them. The switch-up is very much appreciated when it has brought us gems such as 'Still', here at #80! The song is just wonderful to chill out to with both tranquil production and vocals. It is pretty much the word 'lovely' embodied in a song. Stupeflip then bring the opposite vibes next up at #79! Skall keep finding new ways to stand out from the crowd and 'Stupeflip Vite !!!' certainly does that. The bonkers French song sounds like one of those Epic Rap Battles of History offerings. It's pretty addictive and was something extremely refreshing in the BJSC 88 final! A big thumbs up for Skall qualifying a fair amount this year so I could start rewarding them more.

Fellow BJSC 74 debutants Flynnonda have had a pretty poor string of luck in the contest as of late - DNQing all but two times in 2016. Even Mount Tyrant couldn't make it through in a guitar-heavy semi! It of course hasn't gone unappreciated by Jadakissnia, though. 'One Night' was actually a song that I had bookmarked as a potential if I ever felt like being a little different sometime, as we haven't really sent any rock yet. Flynnonda got there first but saved us from the heartbreak of what would have been that DNQ, at least. This type of song is not usually my cup of tea but there's something about it that all clicks into place - the lead vocals, backing vocals and instrumentation just all really work together and produce a pretty passionate standout chorus. Definitely Flynnonda's moment of the year for me! In the same semi as Mount Tyrant, the fate of Lorn was thankfully far more pleasing. 'Acid Rain' sounded doomed to my ears when I first heard it while making re-caps, but I was very wrong when the hype came flooding in for it. Thankfully BJSC took to this marvellous synthy piece. The production is astonishing and really carries the song. The vocals are very welcome as well though when they come around, they're pretty eerie. The whole feel of the song is quite spooky, which naturally gets our seal of approval.

Quintessa were a country that we absolutely loved last year. They have had less standout moments in general for us this year BUT 'Square Hammer' makes up for it, as that song really appealed to us and reminded me why I was so favourable to the nation last year. The chorus of this Ghost song packs SUCH a punch and the production is pretty memorable and even slightly quirky alongside. The guitars sound incredible - this year has been a great intertwining of BJSC and guitars.

There are a couple of countries in this section who we pointed for the first time this year. The first of these is Bignia-Zaragovina, who have beaten their allies The Actual Republic of Bellamia to having the highest song on this list out of BigBell. I was absolutely gobsmacked that Bignia-Zaragovina were the country behind 'Hope' as it sounded so unlike any of the entries I knew from them. So that was a wonderful surprise to see them unleashing a chilling instrumental on us. Next, Usfland had a much better BJSC year in 2016 compared to last year - they actually qualified a handful of times! One of their standout qualifiers this year was courtesy of Midnight To Monaco! xKito Music are usually a reliable YouTube channel (they were the source of our very own 'Virtual Paradise' and 'Toccata', after all!) so I was intriuged when I saw their channel name attached to this. Thankfully this was a total wow moment from this channel and Usfland - I absolutely adore the combination of the catchy chorus, choppy background vocals and thumping production.

'Save It' is the second winner to appear in this countdown, and the first that we actually voted for! FARC absolutely made BJSC 84 theirs as they took the crown with a mammoth landslide win. It's easy to see why when this song just oozes mass appeal. The chorus is an absolute stormer and just never tires! The production also sounds pretty huge. The whole thing just felt like a moment before it had even won. Bravo FARC.

N DNTN and FKA FKA FKA π are both very good at bringing some quality unique entries to the contest. Thus receiving lots of points from us this year. The former country have their first appearance in the countdown at 73 with 'Socila'. This song with its barely decipherable lyrics and pounding production is absolutely entrancing. You don't have to know a thing about the song and yet you just get swept up in the beauty of it. Some more essential N DNTN moments this year shall be coming later. For now we have FKA FKA FKA π who round off the section with 'Cyan'! I must admit that I was pretty damn shocked that this qualified at the time. Retrospectively, this year has felt pretty much open to anything qualifying so perhaps it wouldn't be so much of a shocker now. Still, I was so glad that it did make it as it stood out from the crowd massively. The vibes of the song are so relaxing with such gentle (but interesting!) core production and soothing vocals to go with it. The little switching up of the production in parts, such as before the second round of vocals come in, is very much welcomed also to inject a bit more flavour. Such an intriguing piece of music!

Edit - I'm a flop, there is another Quintessa entry to come that I managed to skim past in my list.

 

(Next section won't be here until near the end of the week as I'm busy for the next few days. I promise I'm not flopping at keeping this up already :lol:)

Edit - I'm a flop, there is another Quintessa entry to come that I managed to skim past in my list.

 

(Next section won't be here until near the end of the week as I'm busy for the next few days. I promise I'm not flopping at keeping this up already :lol:)

 

Well, I guessed so, seen as you gave one an 18 :dance:

Well, I guessed so, seen as you gave one an 18 :dance:

Indeed *.* which makes it all the more silly that I brushed over it :blush:

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70. Sasha - 'Xpander' (Cumulonimbia)
69. Daydreamer - 'Travelling Light' (Terra Avium)
68. Nimmo - 'Dilute This' (Ultraviolenceland)
67. Smerz - 'Because' (D'yermak'er)
66. Fallgrapp - 'Vlasy' (Persephonia)
65. Big Black Delta - 'RCVR (feat. Debbie Gibson)' (Fljótavík)
64. Aelyn - 'Give Love A Try' (Pupok)
63. Olga Bell - 'Randomness' (Fljótavík)
62. Pillow Person - 'Go Ahead' (Trifoski)
61. John Rous & Alfie Rhodes - 'Oasis' (N-Lazone)

We kick off this section with a country who have brought many interesting contributions to the contest this year - including a reworked version of the BBC News theme. Their first appearance however is courtesy of 'Xpander'. It has been very in vogue this year to go back to the archives, and Cumulonimbia did just that as this song dates back to 1999. This progressive trance instrumental is a pure delight and is yet another reminder of how on point dance music was in this decade. No words to be found but 'Xpander' has pretty uplifting vibes to it in the upbeat production, it reminds me of summertime and being on the beach whenever I listen to it. Next up at #69 (nothing lewd to see here, folks x) is close to being another instrumental in a row, but not quite because this just short of 8 minutes extravaganza does have a small portion of delicate vocals to break it up a bit. Long duration and mostly comprising of instrumental is already a good start for us. As for the song itself, what a journey it is! It slowly builds up throughout with a range of lovely sounds, leaving you wondering what's in store, then BAM that monster of a gritty HUGE second half comes around! I am blown away by this portion every single time as it simply forces your attention and sounds so so good. It elevates the song to make it one hell of a memorable experience.

There are four countries who have now peaked in the countdown. 'Dilute This' firstly provides the highest placing here for Ultraviolenceland at 68. Nimmo's sound is quite La Roux but just that bit more infectious and appealing for me. The repetitive bridge and chorus of 'Dilute This' are both superb. So damn catchy but with thought-provoking lyrics like "What have we become?", meaning it's not necessarily the most happy song just because it's so upbeat. The production is also great and particularly stands out when it shines on its own before the final chorus comes around, gotta love the magical bleeps and synths. They seem to be a promising act with 'Dancing Makes Us Brave' being top notch as well! Next at 67, D'yermak'er repeat last year in having one entry that stood out from the rest of their output this year by quite some distance. Last year that accolade went to 'Down Low' (Jessica 6) and now we have 'Because'. The nation unleashed this slightly underrated standout entry right at the start of the year. It is captivating from the word go, with the fantastic combination of deep bass grooves and rather enchanting vocals. The vocals switch from quite sweet to being a bit lower pitched and robotic in places which is a pretty cool switch up. Simply irresistible!

Pupok's highest entry in the countdown is awarded to Ukranian Aelyn with her trance smash in the contest 'Give Love A Try'! Ukraine is clearly host to some of the finest artists in the world with Verka Serduchka, my ONUKA, Jamala and Aelyn. Hopefully Aelyn follows in the footsteps of ONUKA and gets a slot on X Factor Ukraine *.* Anyway, 'Give Love A Try' was one of our 10 winners in 2016 ~ being crowned in BJSC 86. The icing on top of the cake for Pupok's new-found success following four previous consecutive top 10s! Trance is always a wonderful genre and this definitely delivers. The vocals are so beautiful and the production injects a bit more life into it, but is not overpowering or anything. So a pretty lovely balance. Next, N-Lazone are another nation to peak in this section. I was finally able to provide them points for the first time after quickly falling in love with their dirty dance tune 'Oasis'. It is quite reminiscent of Feder's 'Goodbye' which unravels the appeal of it already, as I absolutely love that. The whole vibe of it is in the same vein - an entrancing mid-tempo that sounds like something that would be played on Radio 1/a club at like 3am. "Lost in the dessert, so deep, me and my beat" is such an infectious line, the production is banging and the vocalist delivers a very confident and sultry performance.

Fljótavík are one of a handful of countries that have impressed us in a big way on several occasions this year. They start by having a double appearance here! 'RCVR' is the first of the two at 65. I am ALWAYS here for retro vibes when done well and this song really sounds like something straight from the 80s. 'Funkytown' is what this reminds me of a bit (close enough to the 80s, with that being released in 1979!) ~ perhaps due to to the very similar lines in both songs featuring "talk about it talk about it" repetitively. This is just a total joy much like that song anyway, I am a sucker for synths and just love the back-and-forth male/female delivery. That chorus is just a stormer as well! Their other entry here is 'Randomness' by Olga Bell. The Russian born singer delivered a brilliant bit of dance music. The production is fascinating ~ a bit dissonant and random if you will x But I love it all the same! The vocals are completely charming as well, a pretty interesting but accessible song when both are married together.

The remaining songs in this section are from two of our favourite countries of the year ~ Persephonia and Trifoski! The former have ended up in this section with 'Vlasy', their entry to the Jadaphonia hosted contest 89. Persephonia are always one to take on the norm with their war on English, and they delivered on something interesting once again with a Slovak song! This definitely appealed to me with its chilled electronic/trip-hop style. The vocals are also lovely and c'mon how was I not gonna love this when there is an absolutely stunning string section in the mix?! A total beauty <3 Trifoski on the other hand have ended up here with an English song, but there is a pretty fab Spanish version floating around too! How on EARTH did 'Go Ahead' perform so badly in its contest?! Sometimes I will just never understand BJSC voters because it sounded like a certified smash to these ears. Pinning the blame on that pesky Trifoski agenda tbh. 'Go Ahead' is quite PC Music-esque, with its bubbly production and slightly high pitched vocals. Love love love.

I never noticed that 'Funkytown' similarity in 'RCVR'. Iconic. x

Stupeflip then bring the opposite vibes next up at #79! Skall keep finding new ways to stand out from the crowd and 'Stupeflip Vite !!!' certainly does that. The bonkers French song sounds like one of those Epic Rap Battles of History offerings. It's pretty addictive and was something extremely refreshing in the BJSC 88 final! A big thumbs up for Skall qualifying a fair amount this year so I could start rewarding them more.

 

I've been rediscovering my obsession with Epic Rap Battles of History lately. That comparison may be partly why I took to Stupeflip so much, it has that same relentless energy pulsating through the track.

 

also RCVR *.* I second what Bre said, maybe I should give that a few more spam plays. And Aelyn is excellent too.

I never noticed that 'Funkytown' similarity in 'RCVR'. Iconic. x

Haha it was bugging me for a little while what that lyric was reminding me of but then it eventually clicked! Indeed :cheeseblock: *.* x

 

I've been rediscovering my obsession with Epic Rap Battles of History lately. That comparison may be partly why I took to Stupeflip so much, it has that same relentless energy pulsating through the track.

 

also RCVR *.* I second what Bre said, maybe I should give that a few more spam plays. And Aelyn is excellent too.

Haha yes Izzles that description is spot on. The mix of relentless energy as you say and how bonkers it is makes for one extraordinary BJSC highlight *.*

 

Glad you took to both 'RCVR' and 'Give Love A Try' too <3 Yessss, the former deserves all the spam plays in the world.

 

~

 

Thanks for all the comments so far guys! Not sure if I've posted a general thank you yet so here we go. It means a lot that people are actually reading these posts and interacting, it has been a lot of fun so far to put this together. Nu section coming tomorrow most likely 'cause pizza and possibly Lounge Mod duties tonight~

Mount Tyrant love :heart: Should have qualified tbh what hoes :(

Mount Tyrant love :heart: Should have qualified tbh what hoes :(

Yesss, such a brilliant entry from you this year :heart: Indeed, mega hoetry displayed here when it couldn't even qualify in a guitar-heavy semi </3

 

Flynnonda to have better luck in 2017 please!

I was low key hoping to make your list, but now that it's gotten this far I don't think there's any way any of my entries have made it. But you've got some great picks so far, can't wait to see who makes up the rest of the list!

I was low key hoping to make your list, but now that it's gotten this far I don't think there's any way any of my entries have made it. But you've got some great picks so far, can't wait to see who makes up the rest of the list!

Glad you have been following this and appreciate my picks so far Travis :heart: You've shown some promise this year so far, pleased that I very quickly got the opportunity to vote for you in BJSC 90. Looking forward to what you bring to BJSC next year!

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Let's use this post as a way to turn over so I can post the next section at the top of a brand new page~ :kink:

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60. Jody Wisternoff - 'The Bridge (Chicane Rework) (feat. Sian Evans)' (Tartford)
59. The Range - 'Florida' (Pagasa)
58. Digitalism - 'Blitz' (Persephonia)
57. Sofi Tukker - 'Matadora' (Desbuanda)
56. Die Antwoord - 'Banana Brain' (Cadelicia)
55. Raye - 'Shhh' (N DNTN)
54. Parade Of Lights - 'Feeling Electric' (Medhelnia)
53. Princess Chelsea - 'The Cigarette Duet' (Singerpurear)
52. Javiera Mena - 'Otra Era' (Trifoski)
51. U.S. Girls - 'Woman's Work' (Terra Avium)

Section 60-51 is the most-DNQ heavy of the lot so far. We start off with the double-DNQs of 'The Bridge' and 'Florida' at 60 and 59. The former passed me by at the time, but suddenly it completely clicked when coming on Spotify much later and I couldn't quite believe that I had written off something so good! Chicane is usually reliably strong and Sian Evans sounded great on DJ Fresh's #1 hit 'Louder' earlier in the decade. Jody Wisternoff was a brand new name to me, but all the contributions of this song are great so a solid trio they made. This is a fantastic bit of dance, not generic in the slightest and instead completely blissful. The production is strong enough to carry this as an instrumental (as it is for most of the duration anyway) but the subtle, serene vocals that are introduced were a stroke of genius nevertheless and add a little something extra. Next, 'Florida' was a wonderful second entry for Pagasa this year; the nation are showing a lot of promise already. A total shame that this electronic beauty DNQed. The vocals are an a cappella sample of Ariana Grande (!!!1) but with perhaps a less well known song in 'You'll Never Know'. The title of that song is pretty much the only words I can recall from the song as they've been played around with a bit. But the muffled vocals work. The slick production mostly makes this for me anyway, in particular the steel drums were a genius addition. The third and final DNQ of this section is Terra Avium's absolutely beautiful 'Woman's Work'. We were a huge fan of this nation last year, so it was pleasing for them to already be off to a strong start in BJSC 81 this year. This song is a bit eerie in the desperation of the vocal delivery and haunting synths that surround it. But this is a winning combination for me! Retro-sounding, spooky and passionate - one of Terra Avium's finest moments this year. Hopefully this one performs well in the Rejects final for some well-deserved justice~

Unlike the DNQs, we have a couple of big smashes in this section as well - including one of the winners this year! N DNTN won in BJSC 88 with 'Shhh' by Raye, with #00274E and none other than Jadakissnia finishing in the remaining medal positions. Raye is starting to break out through dance features, collaborating with the likes of Jonas Blue and Jax Jones. But this commercial dance direction hasn't hit me quite as hard as the incredible 'Shhh' has. Raye was previously entered to BJSC with the pretty bland 'Bet U Wish', so it was a huge surprise to see her coming back fighting in the contest with this absolutely HUGE offering. The production is completely exhilarating and is what immediately got me on board. But I also love her chaotic quick-fire delivery of the verses and the quirky "shhh" noises of the chorus. Amazing winner. Another huge success in this section was 'Feeling Electric' by Parade Of Lights! Medhelnia were having a bit of a rough time - debuting with a DNQ and then following it up with another one. However, it was third time lucky and they smashed it all the way into second place, just behind Bang La Decks' 'Aide'! 'Feeling Electric' is a wondrously uplifting song, with the type of anthemic chorus that you could imagine being sang in unison by thousands of people at a stadium. Great lyrics, twinkly production and even gospel-type backing vocals at one point.

We have a couple of Iberian entries in this section! It was pleasing that the first two contests of the year in particular featured a lot of Spanish (including our very own Sonia y Selena *.*) and a bit of Portugese. At 57 we have 'Matadora' by Sofi Tukker courtesy of Desbuanda. This duo are currently gaining hype and have even been nominated for a Grammy award for 'Best Dance Recording'! This song got 9 points from me in the contest but continues to grow and grow - hence it being all the way up here, surrounded by songs that I gave double-figure points to! This song is an absolute delight, the heavy bass is a total thrill, further instrumentation that is interwoven such as the playing of the charango (a small stringed instrument) sounds great and gives it a lovely Latin American-type flavour and the Portuguese language is beautiful, so put them together and we have an incredibly euphoric and gorgeous standout bit of dance. Javiera Mena's 'Otra Era' also makes an appearance here courtesy of Trifoski. There was no way we were going to be able to resist the combination of sweet Spanish vocals backed by a lovely subtle synth-pop sound. Her voice is nice and light which further adds to the tranquil feeling of the production. One of many brilliant moments from Trifoski this year.

Cadelicia and Singerpurear both peak in this section with pretty quirky songs! I was already a massive fan of Die Antwoord prior to 'Banana Brain' being entered ('Ugly Boy' being my utmost favourite if I were to choose, that sample *.*.*.*) so it was a delight to see them pop up in the contest. The song is exactly the type of thing you'd expect from Die Antwoord - a bit of a bonkers offering from all involved. Gotta love the barmy verse from Ninja in particular which name-drops both the Loony Tunes and Pikachu. Yolandi sounds as delightful as ever also and the production is thumping and energetic. The video also dropped since the contest and is every bit as mad and impressive as their videography usually is. We also have Singerpurear with their quirky and actually pretty classy duet 'The Cigarette Duet'. The song is about a couple who are fighting about the risks of smoking, with the female being the smoker and the male being a former smoker who is trying to get her to quit. The rich back-and-forth delivery of the song coupled with the amusingly deadpan expressions of the two in the video make for one enjoyable experience. A wonderful retro-sounding song that stood out for miles in BJSC 89!

Last but not least we have Persephonia cropping up again! 'Blitz', courtesy of German duo Digitalism, was their second entry of 2016 and a completely different direction to their first, which is still to come. The word that comes to mind for 'Blitz' is 'banger' - it's simply that, a pounding high-octane dance song that easily lifts the mood. This instrumental is extremely feel-good, I always seem to picture the music video of the crowd jumping up and down and having a blast when it's on, and that's exactly how I feel when I listen to it as well. The type of massively euphoric song that is fit for blasting really loud and losing yourself in!

Hi Jade, yay for Princess Chelsea making it :wub: Thanks for the review, pretty accurate! I won't nitpick about Otra Era not being in the upper reaches, glad to see it listed. I adore it! :yahoo: Feeling Electric is the other fave for me, though I also liked Sofi Tukker; not to mention a bunch of the others missing from my countdown.

These paragraphs are so educational. Who knew Ariana Grande was the vocalist on 'Florida' :mellow: cheap x Wonderful section of songs there, especially 'Matadora'/'Otra Era'/'The Cigarette Duet' :heart: (way too low for SOFI TUKKER tho xx)

 

Yay for 'Blitz' and 'Vlasy' showing up here as well, and assuming I have 4 songs in the top 50 ;o yay x

Hi Jade, yay for Princess Chelsea making it :wub: Thanks for the review, pretty accurate! I won't nitpick about Otra Era not being in the upper reaches, glad to see it listed. I adore it! :yahoo: Feeling Electric is the other fave for me, though I also liked Sofi Tukker; not to mention a bunch of the others missing from my countdown.

Hi there John! Woop woop *.* No problem whatsoever, it was fun revisiting that song/music video and letting the words come to me haha. 'Otra Era' really is beautiful, these songs all feel too low tbh but I just have way too many highlights this year, so making it at all is an achievement! Glad you were on board with Feeling Electric and Matadora too!

 

These paragraphs are so educational. Who knew Ariana Grande was the vocalist on 'Florida' :mellow: cheap x Wonderful section of songs there, especially 'Matadora'/'Otra Era'/'The Cigarette Duet' :heart: (way too low for SOFI TUKKER tho xx)

 

Yay for 'Blitz' and 'Vlasy' showing up here as well, and assuming I have 4 songs in the top 50 ;o yay x

Haha, you learn something new every day eh ;) x Pagasa being a tad sneaky thurr, tho at least it didn't sample a major hit or something shet like 'Focus' x Thank you very much, thought this would be quite a you-friendly section! :heart: (Yeah 'Matadora' did feel way too low :( though has done pretty well to be this high when I 'only' gave it 9 points!)

 

You are indeed correct in thinking you have 4 songs in the top 50 *.* x