:hi:

 

So it's that time of year where I start my EOY. There may be instrumentals, blog stuff, some chart stuff, some odd stuff and some songs even I can't categorise, but I hope you enjoy some of it! I will be doing my top 100 singles and a little extra before that, problem is I may not be able to start for a few days due to Christmas and the fact my laptop charger's gone bust so I'm pretty much without one (or one with all my files on :() for a few days at least, BUT I wanted to put the thread up to know it's coming~

 

So I'll start soon but feel free to hype/speculate in the mean time~ (and I haven't got around to looking at others' yet shamefully, but I will make time to do that soon!)

Edited January 17, 20169 yr by Chez Wombat

Hype for the Wombats :cheer:

your commentaries are usuually excellent so hiiipe and stuff yay

Looking forward to this Chez :wub:

YAYYY http://smileys.emoticonsonly.com/emoticons/h/hummingbird-100.gif this should be good~

 

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As a pre-requisite, here are ten songs that are not anywhere my top 100, nor in fact my ears ever again as I've made sure, as these are the top 10 songs I never wanna hear again~ (alternatively known as the Golden Turd awards - Wombat chart edition). In no particular order, they're all equal levels of shitness.

Meghan Trainor - Dear Future Husband/Lips Are Movin'...oh sod it, EVERYTHING
I was hoping this bitch would remain as a one hit wonder after All About That Bass but somehow, there is actually interest in her. Ugh, has there been a worse artist the last few years? She's certainly yet to release anyway halfway decent and Dear Future Husband is quite easily her worst. Tacky by name and nature, horribly dated, faux-retro style, atrocious and an utter unashamed rip-off of Olly Murs' Dance With Me Tonight, there's sounds like and then there's THIS. And this song kinda sums up her really - just an awful all round package and the worst is this really bad attempt at a feminist support in her lyrics, sticking up for girls, girls who need to have power etc. and yet the ways of putting this across lyrically are the most basic and formulaic ways possible, it actually comes across as somewhat patronising and self-indulgent, I cannot imagine any girl would be 'inspired' by her. I guess that is what annoys me about her - textbook feminism and no sense of real conviction or power in what she's selling (like the Spice Girls), just poor all round really, I'd be happy if I never heard another song from her.

Sophia Grace - Best Friends
Yeah....no

Rachel Platten - Fight Song
If Meghan annoyed me with textbook feminism, well this annoys me in a similar way. I don't know who this woman is, I'm familiar with her name but this was the first time I've heard a song from her, but it was instantly a real irritant with it's lyrics. 'don't really care for nobody else but me', 'take back my life song', 'got a lot of fight left in me' and it's dull title notwithstanding, it's textbook 'empowerment' and seems determined to use every cliche in the book to get it's point across, ultimately turning it into a bit of a boring listen. Not to mention it sounds like total Heart FM fodder and a pale imitation of something Kelly Clarkson or Christina Perri can do better, when all I know of an artist is textbook empowerment and a lack of identity, it's not giving me a great image of her.

Anything Jeremih features in
Just to prove I'm not just picking on women here!!11 Ugh, srsly I groan when I see the title 'feat. Jeremih', as I just know it's gonna be some bland as hell urban pop crossover, with likely a sampled chorus, constant 'ay ay ay' and DJ Mustard recycled beats and general bland as hell vocals from the guy. His voice just sounds so generic and bland so much that I have no desire to listen to his songs more than once, doesn't help that he was EVERYWHERE in various top 10 hits, why is the guy that sung a song called Birthday Sex suddenly in such high demand?? Idk, I don't get it. Somebody is the prime offender here, not that anyone could save that turd.

Ruth B - Lost Boy
The one BJSC song featured here. I don't normally find the energy to hate songs from that contest, they're normally just not my thing and I ignore them, the contest changes so I forget them and they don't have time to offend me. But this somehow stuck with me, it's another piano ballad and again it's the lyrics that piss me off (though the song DRAGGING on for what feels about fifty minutes doesn't help), using a metaphor of being a lost boy from Peter Pan for being a free spirit and not only does she hammer this point into the ground with as many bloody Peter Pan references as she can, but the whole thing just comes across as some pathetic attempt to be 'deep' and 'meaningful' and the stripped back tone suggests that further, when it really is just pretentious, 'artsy' singer-songwriter tosh with lyrics that sound like that of a first year undergraduate in Creative Writing (and being one of those once, I thought using extended metaphors is awesome, now...it takes something special to not make me groan at them). I don't remember who sent this so sorry for shitting all over your song and all, but this one made enough of an impact on me that I DETESTED it. It's rare something meant to be so inoffensive is actually so offensive.

Chris Brown feat. Tyga - Ayo
I've said my piece about Chris Brown and I'm done expecting decent stuff from him and sure enough it's mainly all still crap, but I wish they wouldn't pollute the charts for so long as somehow they have mass appeal instead of being carted off to the bin where they should be. What bothers me about Ayo is it SOUNDS EXACTLY THE SAME AS LOYAL (I even often mistype it as Loyal :')), same beats, chord progession, lyrical subject, random guest raps everything. So it seems not only that Chris Brown is incapable of producing a good record but he's clearly running short on actual new songs too. Yay.

Stereo Kicks - Love Me So
I don't hate boyband songs, a lot of them aren't really my thing but they're inoffensive and tolerable for the most part. Not this though, from a boyband that were never going to work in the first place, it's little wonder the single didn't either, with about one distinguishable voice present in the whole thing, but the song is some hideously formulaic, overwrought ballad that even Westlife would hold their noses up at with some really weird 'chanting' in the chorus, probably attempting to get them all involved. When this was all Mr.Cowell and co could throw at them, you wonder why they were even signed in the first place. In summary, probably the most all round pointless song/concept all year.

Iggy Azalea feat. Jennifer Hudson - Trouble
Utterly basic drivel from the most basic rapper out there (and additionally, one of my least favourite singers featured), ADoseofBuckley already has done a good tearing apart of Iggy Azalea in general and that Pretty Girls monstrosity with Britney Spears so I'll refrain from that, but generally this embodies almost everything Iggy does save for Fancy (which was good as an establishing kinda song and catchy so I'll give her that) in being basic structurally, song-wise, lyrically, EVERYTHING. Females have genuinely been underrepresented in rap in general, so it is a bit of a shame that she seems to be the one that is flying that flag in the mainstream. In general, YAWN.

Sam Smith - Writing's On The Wall
I've said everything about Sam before really, this year he continued to attempt to be as drippy and bland as possible, in all honesty, since not having to hear them on the charts every week I've kinda just brushed them aside and they don't offend me anymore, but ofc. he had to release a new song and it just happened to be the Bond theme. Now another dominant act at the time (and now) - Adele I got a bit sick of back in the day and wasn't convinced she could do the Bond theme justice, but she did and Skyfall is definitely a highlight from her for me. I was willing to give Sam the same benefit of a doubt - but he didn't pull it off at all and Writing's on the Wall is simply more of his trademark drippiness and blandness along with accompanied unoriginal Bond strings, there is no feeling or genuine suspense or dread that comes from the record, it doesn't work as a Bond theme (now maybe as I've not seen the film, it suits the tone of the film as subtle? Idk I've been hearing that from some people but I don't know if it's correct, either way I'm judging this musically) and it irritated me that this was the first that got to number 1. Along with not working as a Bond theme, it didn't convince me of Sam as an artist that he can expand beyond what he can already do, sooo just a really bad exercise all in all.

Charlie Puth feat. Meghan Trainor - Marvin Gaye
UGH UGH UGH, now this list isn't in order but THIS easily takes the biscuit as the worst song I've heard this year. Charlie Puth's part in See You Again wasn't awful so I wasn't judging or anything, but this was ATROCIOUS. Utterly puke inducingly terrible lyrics of course are second nature here to THAT LYRIC. Honestly in what universe did the lyric 'Let's Marvin Gaye and Get it on' get OK'd? It is atrocious, there is no sense of real irony here either, which is really the saddest thing and makes me cringe the most, if it was novelty I'd understand, but no this was actually the song to launch him into the world (and he actually thought roping in Meghan Trainor in to help him here was a good choice) and it was a number 1. Truly the golden turd of the year.

-x-

I sense many will not agree with me here :ph34r: :kink: I will get to the songs I actually like next I promise~

Edited January 17, 20169 yr by Chez Wombat

No actually, I agree with everything there except with Fight Song. Most of her songs aren't as lyrically shallow as Fight Song honestly (particularly on her first album, that one has far more of an identity and places her as a bit of a lighter alternative to Kelly C et al), I guess that's part of the reason why that one became a hit but I still think it's a great tune.

 

Everything else though I either don't care much about or would be in my list of the worst of the year too. Particularly 'everything with Jeremih'.

Agree with Dear Future being there :puke:

 

Poor Fight song, Love Me so, Trouble and Marvin Gaye tho :(

 

 

Hiya Chez

 

I seem to like everything that people don't this year :/ I like every track I've heard on that list.

 

Best Friends is a bit embarrassing as an actual song but I think she's cute so go her for turning it into a bit of a career I suppose :P

 

lips are Movin is my favourite on that list, I love doo-wop sounds anyway and she reminds me a bit of a female Olly Murs in terms of the sound and cheeky persona too. Everyone seems to be talking about the lyrics but I think they're said in jest and she pulls it off for me. I can see why people would be upset by unnecessary/bad feminism.

'Feat. Jeremih' pretty much defines my 2015! :lol: Can see how this voice comes across as featureless and I think his success is partly down to his similarity to Chris Brown etc. Freak Of The Week was my summer jam and Somebody and The Fix were essential too.

 

Love Ayo obviously, but much prefer Loyal (much more iconic). Trouble is okay, but mainly for the chorus and not something I listen to out of choice. Totally agree about Meghan Trainor though, cannot stand her! Marvin Gaye is bad, but not as offensively so as Dear Future Husband!

Hi Chez! Loved those commentaries even if I don't necessarily agree with all :P Your write up on Love Me So is perfect however.

Absolutely love the commentaries Chez but disagree on most of them :lol:

Love all of Meghan Trainor, Marvin Gaye, Trouble, Lost Boy & Fight Song :heart: Though agree with you on the rest, especially that Sam Smith track which is torture and so awful in the movie as well :(

Thanks for the comments guys <3 I appreciate you reading even if you don't agree!

 

-x-

 

Gonna start now~ Just missing out on the top 100:

 

101. Charli XCX feat. Rita Ora – Doing It

102. Tiasu – Plummet

103. Phases – I’m In Love With Your Life

104. Muse – Dead Inside

105. Hannah Diamond – Every Night/Pink & Blue

106. Best Coast – Heaven Sent

107. July Child – Turn Me On

108. Oh Wonder – White Blood

109. I See Stars feat. Cassadee Pope – The Hardest Mistakes (Electric Forest Remix)

110. Matt Lange feat. Jeza – I Can’t Forgive (Eric Rigo remix)

111. Slow Magic - Girls

 

Charli XCX is up and down for me but when she's good, she's great and Doing It was just that, even Rita didn't ruin it. Phases was a wonderfully happy and exuberant song, even if I can't personally relate as my life is not at the point where I'm in love with it :magic: Muse's album was pretty good, though none of the singles had a lasting impact on me, Dead Inside was the best though, sounding not totally like them but also sounding like them, as weird as that sounds. Hannah Diamond is so enjoyable and cute, the LAHNDAN accent just adds to the appeal for me. Two more good BJSC entries, one a straight out rock anthem with Best Coast and a somewhat odd dance-R'n'B Kevin Lyttle cover (that VASTLY improves on the original for me at least). Oh Wonder will appear later, but this gorgeous ballad is another highlight.

 

Two of my own song contest entries just miss out, the cool electronic bleep bloop electro sound of Slow Magic, who I discovered this year and I'm REALLY into their mysterious, trippy sound and wanted to send one of their songs to BJSC, Girls was my choice but it wasn't my ultimate favourite and I tired of it just a tad, but they are a fab artist discovery. Also here, all the way back in January and I heard it first in 2014, is this very hauntingly beautiful number from Matt Lange.

 

I See Stars didn't quite make my top 100, but I did pick a lyric as a choice for my subtitle as I love it's inspiring and reflective feel in the lyrics, and the song itself is a wonderful electro-funk-ish kinda song that has grown on me loads since I discovered it in BJSC, thanks muchly Iz <3

 

This is Tiasu, do have a listen, it's worth it:

 

 

(MrSuicideSheep may as well be the official sponsor for my EOY x)

Edited December 28, 20159 yr by Chez Wombat

Sheepy

 

I did notice that lyric so I wondered if it'd appear here :o I adore the lyrics on The Hardest Mistakes, even if the great backing instrumental wasn't there I'd still give props to the lyrics, I agree, very very inspiring. And you're welcome, I'm very glad it's grown on you.

 

Great to see some love for Best Coast and Hannah Diamond here too, both some lovely tracks, especially the former, I wasn't sure anyone else would have them in.

And we're off (cos I don't have much else to be doing at 3 in the morning ;o)

 

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I don't really know the reason for the very generic name that makes this artist look like some really bad girlband, but she is much better than that. Damn That Valley is ridiculously infectious and quite edgy and melancholy in it's sound, especially as she wails longingly 'where is my man?' throughout the track and the video seemingly begrudging the land which apparently took her man from her. It's very Kate Bush in sound, and that continues with her next song 'Woman's Work' which has to be

to be believed, overall, a promising prospect who I hope can gain more attention soon.

 

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I have been loving this so much recently (more when it's become a hit as it passed me by a bit in BJSC) so this feels a bit low and this I'll probably love it more in 2016 than this year, I guess the performance of it on X Factor (I know I know) made me see how brilliant and classic it sounds being sung today, like a REALLY good Voice/X Factor single. Of course, it owes a lot to the song cover from the 1960s (which I haven't yet heard) but she pulls it off in a respect to make it sound current and contemporary and more relevant than ever, and not dated or shoehorned in, and the rap actually works to break up the choruses and bridges so I don't actually mind it, overall a real reflection of good ideas in today's music world <3

 

 

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Songs like THIS are the reason I love BJSC (as if that won't be stated enough throughout this countdown), as I certainly wouldn't be able to find stuff like this anywhere else. A nine minute long Middle Eastern ethnic folk-pop crossover which just works so well and despite the length, every one of those minutes doesn't feel wasted and leaves you wanting more. It's just such a unique musical experience that I'm grateful to have come across.

 

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I was intrigued by the artist name here (and still don't fully get the reason for it but whatever) and from the song title I sensed this would be a song that people on here would hate and hearing it had that confirmed :D Which kinda made me love it even more, I do always love a good repetitive 'OUSE song, especially an 'OUSE song where House is deciphered as 'OUSE, it is always fun to listen to in the 'OUSE or out and harking back to the glory days when deep 'OUSE like this would storm to number 1 weekly (:()

 

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I hear a lot of K and J-Pop through BJSC, but a lot of it is the same girl troupe/pop kinda sound which gets a bit boring to these ears, so it's nice to see something different come along every once in a while, and this was that. An entry in BJSC 80 (and somehow a DNQ :/), another one that loses out from me only just discovering it. What stood out to me was it was such a cool and distinctive sounding song, could very easily be on Disclosure's latest album and the different parts of the song including a rap verse all fit together fairly easily and works almost seamlessly together. Hell, I think this could easily be a hit here or anywhere if not for the language barrier, it just sounds that cool.

 

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OK, so this fell quite a bit from when I first heard it all the way back in January and I was hailing it as one of her best and a new movie song classic, overplay kinda kicked in and I got a bit bored of it, but it's still amongst the best the chart had to offer this year. Ellie, for an artist I used to love and stan over, has really let me down this year. On My Mind got annoying so quickly and I have no desire to listen to this new album as it seems to just be standard pop/dance that Halcyon Days offered over a whole (long) album, which is fine for her becoming a chart star and all but not so much for the quality of music. Basically, her new mainstream pop sounds aren't for me and destroy her identity, BUT back to this song, this is a genuinely strong power ballad with genuine emotion which has epic, cheese and emotion levels right up there with Take My Breath Away, The Power of Love and other 80s movie classics, and definitely has potential to become a timeless classic too. Putting this next to the paltry Beating Heart and it's clear what she did better, so yes Ellie this was right, now maybe release an interesting single? Go on, just one, remember when she used to do things like this? :'(

 

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97. Ghost Bath – Golden Number

Another long one, and one that is pretty...niche to say the least. Honestly long atmospheric black metal with no lyrics except screams isn't normally my kind of thing, but something really struck me about the emotive value, the epic guitar solos and the slow building to the climax, going through a choral choir and ending with a beautiful piano solo, it reflects a feeling of an outpouring of grief and is really effective in putting that across, across every one of those nine minutes. It is quite beautiful and it's not something I ever thought I'd say about a black metal song.

 

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I love minimalist music, true it's not really one that's a barrel of fun to sit through, but it's an intense and sometimes quite insightful look at music in it's rawest form. one example of which is Forss, whose mini album on Soundcloud I really got into a few years back. This one that was sent to BJSC (do look out Bre if you are reading this thread ;o) reminds me of that in a lot of ways with a slight electro feel, distorted echoing vocals and a minimal ambient atmosphere with a slowly building feel, making it an intense and highly engaging listen of the rawest power music can have.

 

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More BJSC here, and this time the opposite to above in that it is a wonderfully polished, fresh and enticing electro-pop track with more than a hint of 80s style future pop like New Order and Ultravox. The track has excellently haunting yet mysterious vocals and refined production which includes beautiful strings and glitchy electronic stuff too. Highly listenable and instantly gripping.

 

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Aaand completing the BJSC trio, but I did know of this artist before thanks to an early morning Radio 1 play of Happy With Me, I found that they had a raw, stripped back musical sound that various electro-indie blog pop acts of a similar ilk didn't have which endeared me to them. Happy With Me was very sweet, and this was that too, but more refined, catchy and upbeat and is definitely the best thing I've heard from them. What I've heard since unfortunately hasn't appealed to me as much as it seems to be a bit overproduced and not going with the sound of these two songs, but these two remain highlights so that's all that matters I guess~

Edited December 28, 20159 yr by Chez Wombat

Love You Don't Own Me and Love Me Like You Do from that section, both incredible tracks :heart:

:hi: I have stumbled into this thread (despite never really looking in this forum! Just saw it on the front page so thought I'd pop in ;o), will try and keep up with it a bit! x

 

Excellent BJSC picks so far and yas at David Zowie as well (I think that is actually his real name by the way!), also very much agree with the thing about Ellie losing my interest this year except in my case this also includes 'Love Me Like You Do' :(

So far I love David Zowie, Ellie Goulding, f(x) and Grace all amazing :heart:

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Winning the title of most irritating and ridiculously long song title to type out ever (but kudos to them for actually including the credits unlike some dance producers ;o), but I'll let them off as it's Spinnin' at it's best. It's short, sweet and pretty simple - it sounds exactly like you'd expect a song about not being able to stop playing a song as it makes them high along with a reliably ~funky bassline from Mr Heldens, it works really well. Just the perfect song when you need to let your head down and dance.

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Ah yes, Adele. Pretty much the only woman in the world who could send all, young and old, into frenzy over a simple announcement of her new album on a TV commercial. I did get a bit sick of Adele back in the day, and Someone Like You still isn't really something I massively rate, but I have such an admiration for her today, admittedly helped a lot by watching the brilliant BBC special - she is such an example to big media stars both personality wise and musically with her completely fun loving energ, yet also grounded nature and need for space and let the music speak for itself, and Hello is a shining example of what she is capable of - no gimmicks present, just her voice and a light stripped back instrumental, but it isstill deep, emotional and stripped back powerhouse which packs a whole load of emotion, hitting harder than ever and it's no surprise it's still riding high in the charts. With the album continues to pretty much single-handedly keep the album market afloat, it is really quite phenomenal to think that someone like this has the world at her feet and little to no detractors, but a listen to this song shows how richly deserved it is.

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We are quite a chart hit filled section here. Another ridiculously catchy and banging~ :music: use of a sample here with a whirling beat that draws you in as it loops around with the lyrics. Fitted with quite a cute video, this was a relief in the rather barren landscape of the January music scene and I look back upon it fondly, and Alone No More was another pretty catchy number that deserved to do a bit better than it did.

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*.*, Yes I went there. Drake goes a bit up and down in my affections, sometimes he's not so good (hi Started From The Bottom), but others he is fantastic (Hold On.., Take Care), this isn't quite up there with those, but it's extremely enjoyable with it's insanely catchy hook encapturing just about everyone and laid back, simple approach, accompanied with an...intriguing vine-inspiring video and dance, this is surely one of the most impactful songs of the year.

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Witch House - it's not a genre that I normally go to, but judging from this, it seems right up my street. With relentless synths and furious basslines accompanied with unsettling and creepy sound effects giving the effect of concocting something strange in the this cauldron (lol) of sound, it's a really intense listen, and any spoopy instrumentals like this are always get the a ok from me.

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86. Cold War Kids – First

I'd never before gotten into Cold War Kids, despite seeing their name around, so a good job this was entered into BJSC as I feel I may have been missing out if this is anything to go by. Really great indie rock music is admittedly quite hard to come by since the genre died out a bit in the mainstream, but with it's great marching beat and an explosive chorus, is a good insight into how anthemic indie is still out there.

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87. Priest – Samurai (Deebs Remix)

Priest, or X PRIEST X, as she was known back then which did confuse me when looking this song up again, is pretty much your standard blog indie pop artist as far as I can see and remains an under-the-radar one to watch for the time being, I do find that this remix of one of her tracks, Samurai, adds an extra kick to the track and a fantastic distorted vocal section and drops throughout, yet retaining a calming and likeable mood typical of this kind of synth pop, this is definitely the sort of thing that I like hearing from this kind of blog act. Hoping she can get some more attention in the new year.

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More catchy, electro indie-pop stuff now which also wouldn't sound out of place on various blogs. The solo keyboard gives way to a frantic electro background and a hellishly infectious chorus, becoming an earworm almost instantly. Not much else I can say for this but that shouldn't speak for it's quality.

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I do have a soft spot for Little Mix which I don't reserve for most girl groups, I'm not sure why, maybe as I always liked them a lot on X Factor, their adorable personalities, non-try hard style and sunny aura they and their music gives. Move and the majority of the last era was a masterstroke from them, so I was a little disappointed when their follow up to this was an extremely anonymous, boring and Capital pandering generic pop song in Black Magic, it did well for them which I was glad about, but musically it wasn't what I wanted from them. Love Me Like You was more so, not amazingly so like Move, but I like it's retro Supremes style throwback sound and I feel it showcases that they can reach further in sound than generic pop and make them a more interesting act in my eyes. It kept me interested in them, which is good as they are still possibly my favourite X Factor act.

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This was random, I didn't expect to find myself really loving a Spanish language version of a song from the Brave soundtrack in the BJfestivalen contest, but I did find myself endeared to it and it's sweet little 'na na na' chanting and swirling bagpipes and I somehow found the foreign vocals fit a bit better than the original English language ones. And I did find myself coming back to this and it's whimsical charm it brought, particularly as the film was one that played a big part in my summer dissertation and I also watched it recently on Christmas Day so I've been playing it a bit during the last few days. So a totally random one but it is a song (and a film :kink:) that I associate well with this year and makes me smile, so I couldn't not include it in this.

CHEZ hello ~

 

I strongly agree with the Meghan hate *.* but have to disagree with the 'Love Me So' disliking :( Yes it's a concept that doesn't really work but the song is GOOD ok!!1 :angry:

 

Not a whole lot i'm loving in your love list oops, but i'll keep checking back as i'm sure there will be plenty to come that I do like ~