Back to a section where I have no real complaints about any of the songs, yay :kink:

 

Neat that both of your BJSC top 10 hits finished so close together here, though my ranking of the 3 is the exact opposite of both their contest finishes and their placings here - She Pleasures Herself was of course very up my street :heart: while 'Tachi' was a very nice discovery too and indeed a good surprise top 10 finish, Paola & Chiara also quite a bop though not quite in the upper echelon of Jadakissnia entries for me.

 

'Mr. Morale' feels like quite an overlooked track from the Kendrick album despite imo being one of the more accessible songs on there (and the title track!), have to stan the percussion. Likewise for both 'True Romance' and 'CHURCH GIRL' at least on here as you said, I do definitely see why some people weren't really into 'True Romance' and actually kind of surprised that I am as I tend to not be too into that kind of vocal performance but she really sells it on this occasion. 'CHURCH GIRL' is just a full fat banger though and anyone underrating it is just no fun tbh xx

 

'Gasoline' was definitely an instant highlight of Dawn FM for me too (eyebrow raising English accent aside :kink:) while the expanded 'All Too Well' and the BRITs performance of 'In The Fire' were really just epic moments that speak for themselves, definitely perched for any further Dave BRITs appearances as he really knows how to nail them :heart: and agreed with you that 'Immature' is the easy highlight of FLO's discog so far but I have been more a fan of them than I expected to be in general so far considering they feel very like a modern Sugababes and I have never been the biggest Sugababes fan.

*.* 9/10 is still great of course but it is satisfying when you approve of an entire section :lol:

 

I guess all three of those BJSC entries are so different to each other so it's a bit difficult to compare them. This is something I don't plan to change this year as I just sent a gothic song and have a jungle potential in my back pocket for next month :lol: glad you enjoyed all three of them anyway, especially She Pleasures Herself as that didn't really set the contest alight unlike the other two.

 

Yeah 'Mr. Morale' definitely deserves more attention! I remember warning you about both 'White Dress' by Lana and 'True Romance' because both have potentially polarising vocal styles, but thankfully you loved both of them too, yay :lol: 'CHURCH GIRL' is a full fat banger indeed, it was so instant.

 

Dave really has stolen the show twice now. He could've easily performed 'Location' and 'Clash'... but 'Black' and 'In The Fire'? His mind *.* glad you agree with me that 'Immature' is FLO's best song so far, hopefully more people on here will discover it in time as most of the chat on BJ is, understandably, about 'Cardboard Box' at the moment.

 

thank you for commenting <3

My favourites from 80-71 are the two which made the official Top 10, albeit in 2021, and are my favourites to date by those two artists. In The Fire has that dramatic loop while the guests and finally Dave bring the metaphor of the title to life. However for Taylor, with more than a decade of catalogue behind her, that's perhaps a bigger claim, and the 10 Minute version of All Too Well lives up to it. I'd heard the original before, but the storytelling and lyrical imagery here is especially captivating through the middle section and the coda after the final chorus.

 

Elsewhere, those are some of the standout tracks I recall from the albums by Beyoncé, Tove Lo and The Weeknd, and probably Kenrdick although I found his whole album quite consistent, while FLO's song sounds at least as good as Cardboard Box from a couple of plays. That just leaves the BJSC ones I'm unfamiliar with, though I'm new to that whole universe :D I did seek out a few of the songs I didn't know from 100-81, of which the Sky Ferreira one is my favourite discovery - if an album's on the way, it sounds promising.

My favourites from 80-71 are the two which made the official Top 10, albeit in 2021, and are my favourites to date by those two artists. In The Fire has that dramatic loop while the guests and finally Dave bring the metaphor of the title to life. However for Taylor, with more than a decade of catalogue behind her, that's perhaps a bigger claim, and the 10 Minute version of All Too Well lives up to it. I'd heard the original before, but the storytelling and lyrical imagery here is especially captivating through the middle section and the coda after the final chorus.

 

Elsewhere, those are some of the standout tracks I recall from the albums by Beyoncé, Tove Lo and The Weeknd, and probably Kenrdick although I found his whole album quite consistent, while FLO's song sounds at least as good as Cardboard Box from a couple of plays. That just leaves the BJSC ones I'm unfamiliar with, though I'm new to that whole universe :D I did seek out a few of the songs I didn't know from 100-81, of which the Sky Ferreira one is my favourite discovery - if an album's on the way, it sounds promising.

I'm glad that those two songs were standout hits for you too! There are still more top 40 songs and 2021 carry overs to come. Naturally I think those are great choices of favourites from both artists <3 PSYCHODRAMA and We're All Alone In This Together are both packed full of so many moments. I think 'Heart Attack' from the latter is the one that had the deepest effect on me, the lyricism and build-up is so hard-hitting. My favourite Taylor song is probably still the very atmospheric 'Out Of The Woods' but she has so many great moments in her catalogue at this point and 'All Too Well' is an excellent example of her song-writing at its best, indeed.

 

Happy to hear that we also share some 2022 standouts! I think 'Mr Morale...' did have one section that felt like a dip in quality (from about 'Crown' to 'Savior') but otherwise I feel hooked by that listening experience. Oh yes I was thrilled to see that you've signed up to BJSC now *.* I've not missed a contest since my debut in 2015 as it's good fun and a goldmine for music discovery. Oooooh yay I'm glad the Sky Ferreira song proved to be a particularly worthwhile discovery! I won't get my hopes up for an album release from her, due to her career history, but fingers crossed :lol:

 

thank you for commenting <3

TOP 100 SONGS: 70-61

 

 

70. Working Men’s Club - Cut | 154 points (peak: #9)

69. Panther Modern - Creep | 154 points (peak: #3)

68. Jacob Banks - Just When I Thought | 157 points

67. Working Men’s Club - Circumference | 158 points

66. Elisa - O Forse Sei Tu | 159 points

65. Daniel Avery - I Would If I Could | 161 points

64. Bowery Electric - Freedom Fighter | 165 points

63. SCALPING - Remain in Statis (feat. Grove) | 166 points

62. Kendrick Lamar - United In Grief | 170 points (peak: #5)

61. Kuedo - Infinite Window | 170 points (peak: #3)

 

Working Men's Club continue to assert their dominance over my countdown with a further two appearances in this section. 'Cut' is the latest single offered up by the brilliant Fear Fear era. It clocks in at almost 7 minutes long and uses that run-time to show off a more guitar-heavy side of the band. The lyrics of this single are born out of frustration and feel as topical as ever. They have a lot of fight in them with words as pointed as "end this division". Panther Modern may not have set the BuzzJack Song Contest alight but he does register a #69 position in this countdown, so justice has been served. I chose 'Creep' as my first BJSC entry of 2022 and hoped that it would mark a positive start to the year for my nation. Instead this decision fell flat as this song did not even qualify for the final. It may not have captured the hearts of the masses but I still stand by that layered spooky synth production and muffled vocal combination. His style is described as a mix of darkwave and electro which was always going to be up my street. At #68 is a name that I had forgotten about but he demanded my attention all over again last year. Jacob Banks entered my chart a decade ago with his Chase & Status collaboration 'Alive'. I hadn't consistently kept up with his releases since then but I clearly should have going by the standard of 'Just When I Thought'. It is an intense, gorgeously-written moment from him where a relationship seems to have been fractured. These lyrics are backed by huge drums and synths, before then slowing down a few minutes in for a long piano and guitar outro. The feminine backing vocals are a nice touch when this is a tale involving two people at war with each other. Working Men's Club register the #67 position here with the second single from this current era, 'Circumference'. My hopes were high following the lead 'Widow' and at first I wasn't totally sure about the more laidback sonic approach this time. However, those icy synths soon stole my heart. The disillusioned words, such as: "walking around this futile place, such a disaster, so uneducated" effectively paint the picture of struggling through small town life. This section has been quite male dominated so far but Elisa is up next at #66 to shake things up a bit. I discovered 'O Forse Sei Tu' when I watched Sanremo Festival last year. The winner of this legendary contest has the option to represent Italy at Eurovision if they so wish. I feel obliged to point this out because the honour has been turned down in the past. Elisa settled for 2nd place in the final but I'm sure she wasn't phased as she had already won the contest 21 years prior. She definitely still has it in my eyes as I thought she delivered a knock-out vocal performance full of clarity. 'O Forse Sei Tu' is about a special kind of chemistry present in a relationship and the effects it has on you. Shoutout to the glorious middle 8 which particularly conveys that passion for me.

 

Next is one of the standout alt-electronic artists of the year. Daniel Avery's latest album Ultra Truth is a must listen but is prevented from being even more enjoyable due to the omission of 'I Would If I Could'. This song is merely a B-Side, indeed those still exist in the streaming era, but it's a shame it didn't make the cut as it's such a strong one. It was the first taste of a more chilled approach this era, something that would be prevalent on the album so it would've fit in like a glove. It's a slow-burning instrumental that makes me feel all warm inside. At #64 it is Bowery Electric with a song that is over 20 years old. However, it made my personal chart this year as it was another song I unearthed for the BuzzJack Song Contest. 'Freedom Fighter' drew me in with its throwback trip-hop sound and effectively monotonous vocals. This performed better than expected in the contest, finishing in 20th place, thanks to a handful of big fans propping it up. SCALPING had been on my radar thanks to virtual song contests as well. I had also seen a little bit of hype for Grove on the forum so I was intrigued by the prospect of a collaboration between the two. The result is an absolute banger. Grove's distorted delivery of lyrics about entirely human conflicts of emotion is backed by towering, crunchy electronic beats and guitars. Just my cup of tea when it comes to dark dance music. Kendrick Lamar provides the one top 40 hit in this section as 'United In Grief' charted at #14 last year. This track swiftly reminds us how long a wait it has been since Kendrick's previous era - 1,855 days to be exact, at the time of writing. The way this song develops is a total ride. It opens up with soft, piano backing then morphs into a fast-paced drum beat before the two then marry together. Lyrically Kendrick walks us through some highs and lows during his career and is candid about his mental health struggles along the way. Rounding off this section is Berlin-based producer Kuedo. I had really enjoyed the song 'Sliding Through Our Fingers' last year, the opening track on his latest album, but then loved the title track 'Infinite Window' even more. This is an electronic instrumental that has a stellar build-up. It serves a colossal drama shift about 1:40 in and allows us to de-compress afterwards with a chilled outro.

Here are my favourites from your latest selection:

76. The Weeknd - Gasoline | 148 points (peak: #3, weeks on chart: 5, weeks in the top 10: 3)

74. Taylor Swift - All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) | 149 points (peak: #1)

66. Elisa - O Forse Sei Tu | 159 points (Nice song from a wonderful artist, my favourite from her this year was "Litoranea". Also, I think she was 2nd, right behind the eventual winners Mahmood & BLANCO)

62. Kendrick Lamar - United In Grief | 170 points (peak: #5)

Here are my favourites from your latest selection:

76. The Weeknd - Gasoline | 148 points (peak: #3, weeks on chart: 5, weeks in the top 10: 3)

74. Taylor Swift - All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) | 149 points (peak: #1)

66. Elisa - O Forse Sei Tu | 159 points (Nice song from a wonderful artist, my favourite from her this year was "Litoranea". Also, I think she was 2nd, right behind the eventual winners Mahmood & BLANCO)

62. Kendrick Lamar - United In Grief | 170 points (peak: #5)

I need to check out more of Elisa's music! Oh yes, you're right, there are so many rankings to keep up with for the contest, I was thinking of the pre-final one when she was languishing behind them and Gianni, was nervous the latter would snatch it :lol: *swiftly edits*

 

thank you for commenting <3

Those songs from Working Men's Club are my second and third faves from the album - I mentioned them in your albums top 3 earlier, but after hearing Cut on the radio a few months ago (most likely Radio X) that established it as one of the highlights for me - while United In Grief definitely is one of the standouts from Kendrick's album. I've given a play to each of the others and the Kuedo one (which I originally read as "Infinite Widow" hehe) sounds the most likely to be something I'd come back to.

Those songs from Working Men's Club are my second and third faves from the album - I mentioned them in your albums top 3 earlier, but after hearing Cut on the radio a few months ago (most likely Radio X) that established it as one of the highlights for me - while United In Grief definitely is one of the standouts from Kendrick's album. I've given a play to each of the others and the Kuedo one (which I originally read as "Infinite Widow" hehe) sounds the most likely to be something I'd come back to.

Ooh I don't think I was aware that Radio X played Working Men's Club! I know 6Music are fans but that's about it. Well, I highly approve of that *.* glad you're also into 'United In Grief', I was so pleased that it was one of the trio that charted when his album was released. Thanks for taking the time to do that! Funnily enough "widow" also crossed my mind :lol: happy you liked ^_^

'Circumference' was my favourite of the pre-album singles from the Working Men's Club album although 'Cut' was one of the several album tracks that I enjoyed more than all of them - definitely seems like the right choice for a post-album single as it has one of the stickiest hooks on the album for sure :music: Interesting that one of your DNQs has actually ended up ahead of both of your BJSC top 10 hits here (although still all bunched fairly close together), definitely agree that Panther Modern deserved a lot better, I remember being pretty surprised at that one going out as I don't think it sounds too far outside the wheelhouse of your usual hits! Bowery Electric was a nice archival find too.

 

'Just When I Thought' was definitely a surprise package as I hadn't really loved any of Jacob Banks' solo songs before and sadly there wasn't anything else nearly as good elsewhere on his album either (though still a few more pretty good songs) but that one song kind of blew me away the first time I heard it, strong James Blake vibes :heart: and speaking of instantly being blown away, I remember when I first listened to the Kendrick album I was initially a little nervous of it not living up to the hype after such a long wait since the last album but 'United In Grief' being the opening song on the album definitely calmed those fears pretty quickly, one of the best songs on the album and still iconic that it got to be a UK top 20 hit *.*

 

I am still being a flop and not listened to Daniel Avery's album yet oops (it's very high priority for when I finally resume listening to the last handful of 2022 albums I want to hear :ph34r:) but he was otherwise in 'can do no wrong' mode pretty much all year and indeed even dropping some fantastic songs that didn't even make the album, 'I Would If I Could' being one of those <3

 

I sent Kuedo to Club Bizarre a while ago and was quite a long wait after that for new material from him but his eventual comeback definitely delivered and 'Infinite Window' was my fave from the new album so was thrilled you were a big fan of it too :heart: (and glad to see Jim has listened and somewhat enjoyed too B-) x). I think that SCALPING song was also one you first heard after it appearing on one of my playlists though it was actually quite low down for me so hooray for it proving a much bigger hit for you, it ended up growing on me a bit more partly just from hearing the clip of it in your chart recaps so many times haha.

 

I don't actually remember the Elisa song that well (forgot it was this big a hit for you!) so should revisit but I do remember liking that one too. Also had no idea she had been around for so long and even won Sanremo before :o #education (I see her win was during Italy's hiatus from Eurovision though oops).

 

(also hype already for potential Junglekissnia in BJSC 152 x)

'Circumference' was my favourite of the pre-album singles from the Working Men's Club album although 'Cut' was one of the several album tracks that I enjoyed more than all of them - definitely seems like the right choice for a post-album single as it has one of the stickiest hooks on the album for sure :music: Interesting that one of your DNQs has actually ended up ahead of both of your BJSC top 10 hits here (although still all bunched fairly close together), definitely agree that Panther Modern deserved a lot better, I remember being pretty surprised at that one going out as I don't think it sounds too far outside the wheelhouse of your usual hits! Bowery Electric was a nice archival find too.

 

'Just When I Thought' was definitely a surprise package as I hadn't really loved any of Jacob Banks' solo songs before and sadly there wasn't anything else nearly as good elsewhere on his album either (though still a few more pretty good songs) but that one song kind of blew me away the first time I heard it, strong James Blake vibes :heart: and speaking of instantly being blown away, I remember when I first listened to the Kendrick album I was initially a little nervous of it not living up to the hype after such a long wait since the last album but 'United In Grief' being the opening song on the album definitely calmed those fears pretty quickly, one of the best songs on the album and still iconic that it got to be a UK top 20 hit *.*

 

I am still being a flop and not listened to Daniel Avery's album yet oops (it's very high priority for when I finally resume listening to the last handful of 2022 albums I want to hear :ph34r:) but he was otherwise in 'can do no wrong' mode pretty much all year and indeed even dropping some fantastic songs that didn't even make the album, 'I Would If I Could' being one of those <3

 

I sent Kuedo to Club Bizarre a while ago and was quite a long wait after that for new material from him but his eventual comeback definitely delivered and 'Infinite Window' was my fave from the new album so was thrilled you were a big fan of it too :heart: (and glad to see Jim has listened and somewhat enjoyed too B-) x). I think that SCALPING song was also one you first heard after it appearing on one of my playlists though it was actually quite low down for me so hooray for it proving a much bigger hit for you, it ended up growing on me a bit more partly just from hearing the clip of it in your chart recaps so many times haha.

 

I don't actually remember the Elisa song that well (forgot it was this big a hit for you!) so should revisit but I do remember liking that one too. Also had no idea she had been around for so long and even won Sanremo before :o #education (I see her win was during Italy's hiatus from Eurovision though oops).

 

(also hype already for potential Junglekissnia in BJSC 152 x)

'Circumference' is a good choice of favourite pre-album single although, shockingly, not a match with me :magic: :kink: agreed that 'Cut' has a very memorable hook and even the instrumental gets stuck in my head from time to time. Indeed :o my favourite ever BJSC entry of mine did finish in 2nd place but I can still appreciate my flops too it seems :kink: yeah I was definitely surprised by how much 'Creep' bombed too, I had the confidence to start off the year with it and everything and am not used to a DNQ straight away. Ah well - here's hoping for a better start this year!

 

I agree that 'Just When I Thought' is far and away the best thing on his new album <3 but did quite like 'By Design (Evel Knievel)', 'Aim for My Head' and 'Our Song' too. 'United In Grief' is such a bold and brilliant opener from Kendrick, god bless that positioning both artistically and for streaming purposes. You need to check out Daniel Avery's album ASAP!!! It's an easy highlight of 2022 :wub:

 

Oh yeah I forgot that you had originally sent Kuedo to Club Bizarre! I miss the days when I had encyclopaedic knowledge of song contest music and the corresponding editions, my memory for them has really deteriorated :lol: ofc you introduced me to the SCALPING song also - glad I could repay the favour in a way by lodging its chorus in your brain via recap then :lol: ooh yes definitely revisit the Elisa song, it seems like the kind of thing you would enjoy too. Ah well there you go *.*

 

:cheeseblock: will try and not budge from this choice as it seems like a fun switch up!

 

thank you for commenting <3

Concerts - all 3 of those are on my wish list. Especially dua lipa, but tbh id go and see far more acts if they did smaller venues like Bournemouth😀

 

And whats this about being 25? That cant possibly be right you were at uni only the other month!!!😲

Giving Infinite Window a listen now, a really intriguing track! So many changes all the way through.

Concerts - all 3 of those are on my wish list. Especially dua lipa, but tbh id go and see far more acts if they did smaller venues like Bournemouth😀

 

And whats this about being 25? That cant possibly be right you were at uni only the other month!!!😲

I hope you get the chance to see Dua one day! I at least got to see The Bootleg Beatles and Lorde in smaller venues last year, was nice to have some more intimate gigs in the mix too.

 

Tell me about it :drama: went from 22 pre-pandemic to 25 now in a flash :kink:

 

thank you for commenting <3

 

Giving Infinite Window a listen now, a really intriguing track! So many changes all the way through.

Ooooh thanks for giving that a go, glad you enjoyed *.* the switch-ups definitely kept me on my toes!

 

thank you for commenting <3

Apologies for the delays in progressing with this - it's been difficult to find time for everything.

 

TOP 100 SONGS: 60-51

 

 

60. Mareux - The Perfect Girl | 173 points

59. Everything Everything - HEX | 175 points

58. ROSALÍA - DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA | 178 points

57. La Femme - Lâcher de chevaux | 179 points

56. Men I Trust - Billie Toppy | 180 points

55. Oscillian - Ulysses 31 | 181 points (peak: #3)

54. Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under | 181 points (peak: #2)

53. Acid Fader - Keelhauling | 181 points (peak: #1)

52. o0o - Wedbecutetoget-her | 184 points

51. Röyksopp - Like An Old Dog (feat. Pixx) | 185 points

 

'The Perfect Girl' by Mareux is one of several BJSC-adjacent songs to feature in this section. Ansel's nation sent it to the very first contest of last year and it was resilient enough to end up as my favourite entry of 2022. So hats off to Pestolia for making a big impression on me very quickly. This song is a haunting cover version of 'The Perfect Girl' by The Cure, which dates back to 1987 as part of their Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album, one of my favourites from the band. I was intrigued to hear what a new version would sound like and was not disappointed. The darkwave approach gives the song an entirely new feel so I can separate the two in my mind quite easily. It was originally written with Robert Smith's long-term partner Mary Poole in mind, represented by lyrics such as: "You're such a strange girl, I think you come from another world". It was fascinating to learn that this experienced a degree of virality on TikTok, if only it had been enough to reach the chart. Everything Everything were on top form last year with their latest album Raw Data Feel. 'HEX' stood out to me as a brilliantly bonkers riot with its quickfire delivery, banging synths trying their best to keep up and quirky, witchy, cult-themed lyricism. The riffs in the chorus are an earworm of their own too. There is also a guitar solo during the middle 8 which feels pleasingly retro. I think my brain would explode if I tried to imagine what a video for this standout album track would be like. I recall 'DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA' being an instant standout during my first listen of ROSALÍA's latest record MOTOMAMI. It is a reimagined version of Justo Betancourt's 1968 song and throws in a Soulja Boy sample for good measure - more specifically the remix of Vistoso Bosses' 'Delirious' which features him. I adore the bolero flavour here and the sample works surprisingly well in repetitive fashion. 'DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA' is one of several songs on the album that addresses the pressures of fame. I first discovered La Femme in BJSC thanks to the excellent Trifoski entry 'Sphynx' which almost got my top marks, they were only blocked by Øfdream. I was floored by how different 'Lâcher de chevaux' sounded, although it's still pleasingly dark. It is an instrumental that seems to take us through a horse race judging by the title, galloping noises and accompanying visuals. It has the energy of Muse's 'Knights of Cydonia' and also, in my mind, the minimal haunting vocals transport me to the sound of Joe Meek produced death discs of the 1960s, like 'Johnny Remember Me' by John Leyton. What an intriguing sound in a modern landscape! Men I Trust first came to my attention when I searched for a potential to make my Nuggets debut (guitar-based song contest in the Indie, Rock and Alternative forum) with. I stumbled across the Tame Impala-esque 'Lauren' and managed to pull off a debut win with that! Most of what I've heard from the band has been similarly dreamy but 'Billie Toppy' is instead more charging. It has an infectious post-punk groove and details the struggles of life with titular character Billie. This song has quickly become my favourite from them since 'Lauren'.

 

Oscillian is behind the first of three Jadakissnia BJSC entries in this section. This was my final entry of the year but registers a solid position already thanks to a strong chart-run. 'Ulysses 31' takes inspiration from a retro anime of the same name and is executed in mostly-instrumental style, save for some French spoken words. I was instantly hooked by its action-packed synthwave sound and couldn't believe that it was only a bonus track. This entry was a rather successful climax to last year as it finished in a respectable 12th place in the contest. 'Seventeen Going Under' by Sam Fender is the most commercial selection of these 10 by far as it was a top 3 hit in the official U.K. chart. It first entered my chart back in 2021 and experienced a lengthy second wind that crossed over into 2022. 'Seventeen Going Under' reflects on difficult times during Sam's childhood that he felt defeated by. This includes his mother's illness (and subsequent hounding by the DWP when she couldn't work as a result) plus school bullying, a scarring relationship and general mental health themes. I love the anthemic feel of the song and its tantalising build up to that final burst where the title is unravelled. The richness of the instrumental is great too with its guitars, twinkly glockenspiel, piano, synths and of course saxophone components. I was on a mission to turn over the initial failure of my 2022 BJSC experience and make it into more of a success with something special. I stumbled across Acid Fader on YouTube and immediately fell in love with 'Keelhauling'. It was another dark entry in a row but I hoped this one would fare better as my heart was set on it. This indeed turned out to be the case as it not only qualified but achieved a top 15 placing in the final, which I was more than happy with. I am very fond of its spooky synth instrumental and the atmospheric muffled vocals. This was the only one of my BJSC entries to make #1 in my personal chart last year but others are higher in this EOY due to stronger chart-runs overall, such as o0o with 'Wedbecutetoget-her'. I came across this song in a Spotify playlist created by a YouTuber whose taste aligns pretty well with mine. I was intrigued by both the artist name and title so clicked play and this turned out to be a very wise decision. It secured another top 20 position for my nation but, most satisfyingly, the majority of those who supported it seem to be really big fans. This song runs with a high-pitched sample of 'Let Go' by Frou Frou and bouncy production, which proves to be a very cute combination. In my head this is a sapphic anthem due to the artwork and emphasis of 'Her' in the title. But who knows, the artist seems to be quite elusive. 'How The Flowers Grow' was my favourite song from the first of three Profound Mysteries albums by Röyksopp so I was very excited to learn that there was more work to come from them and featured artist Pixx together. This combination of artists were once again behind my favourite track on Profound Mysteries III. This feels quite low for a song that is still in my chart now but ultimately it is hampered due to debuting late in the year and sharing those chart weeks between two years. It topped my weekly chart thanks to its hypnotic nature. It features minimal but thought-provoking lyrics that always come back around to the repetition of the title. Those words may include "you're gonna drop dead" but Röyksopp keep this alive with the drums as a constant. We also have their more typical features such as electronic beats and gorgeous strings to connect it all together. The execution of this song definitely has a bit of a Hot Chip feel to it.

No surprises that Seventeen Going Under is my favourite of those last ten, having been my most played song of last year. It was a joy to see it going from strength to strength as Sam's first Top 40 hit, then Top 20, Top 10 and eventually Top 3 - it's also a masterwork of instrumentation and songwriting, with that middle eight section (for Bruce Springsteen comparisons, a song of his called Badlands goes low key and builds back up in a similar way) and finally the chorus, if you can call it that: "I see my mother, the DWP see a number", then the title. And then his Glastonbury performance pushed the anthemic status of the song even higher. He needs another Top 40 now, and it'll come eventually. Elsewhere, I liked the third Röyksopp album of last year's trilogy the most, although by far my two favourite tracks on it are the ones which are still riding high on my own chart.

No surprises that Seventeen Going Under is my favourite of those last ten, having been my most played song of last year. It was a joy to see it going from strength to strength as Sam's first Top 40 hit, then Top 20, Top 10 and eventually Top 3 - it's also a masterwork of instrumentation and songwriting, with that middle eight section (for Bruce Springsteen comparisons, a song of his called Badlands goes low key and builds back up in a similar way) and finally the chorus, if you can call it that: "I see my mother, the DWP see a number", then the title. And then his Glastonbury performance pushed the anthemic status of the song even higher. He needs another Top 40 now, and it'll come eventually. Elsewhere, I liked the third Röyksopp album of last year's trilogy the most, although by far my two favourite tracks on it are the ones which are still riding high on my own chart.

I thought you might approve of 'Seventeen Going Under' appearing here *.* I'll need to check out 'Badlands'. I didn't catch as much Glastonbury coverage as I wanted to but I did see that and it was a moment. Sam just having the one top 40 hit to his name to date does not feel representative of his popularity (the album sales are more like it, though!) - here's hoping his next lead can chart high. I can exclusively reveal that there are still 3 Röyksopp songs to come - one of which is one of the two currently riding high for you. I presumed that the volumes would decrease in quality but III was brilliant.

 

thank you for commenting :heart: I appreciate it

I think Acid Fader and o0o were my 2 favourite Jadakissnia entries of last year so cool to see them finishing next to each other here! Oscillian was a banger to round out the year as well (also hooray that you have indeed started this year stronger results wise :magic:) Also adored 'The Perfect Girl' too, I didn't realise when I first heard it that it was a cover as I'm not familiar with the original but he definitely makes it his own. Was actually just thinking I hope we get some new material from him soon and checked and he literally released a new song yesterday ooh x

 

For once there is a ROSALÍA song here that is actually not my favourite of the section oh my x although still love it of course (and I think the music video may be my favourite from the MOTOMAMI era). My fave here has to be 'HEX', my favourite album track from another excellent album from Everything Everything, truly unhinged in the best way possible *.* and also absolutely adore 'Billie Toppy', I need them to make more songs with this post-punky edge to them (unfortunately didn't really care too much for the single after that one iirc). Somehow don't think I ever noticed the similarity between the La Femme song and 'Knights Of Cydonia' (I remember you making the Joe Meek comparison before though) but can definitely see that!

 

My opinion on 'Seventeen Going Under' has kept going up and down but I never managed to really properly get into it sadly, I appreciate it for what it is and it was great for a song with that sound to be so huge but it just doesn't connect with me like that for whatever reason, I hope I'll be more into his next era as he definitely can make songs I love (see 'Play God' and 'Get You Down'). And... been saying this for weeks now but one day I promise I will finally listen to 'Profound Mysteries III' :ph34r: but 'Like An Old Dog' is a good pick from it, Pixx definitely delivering with their collabs.

Apologies for the delays, have been in a drained "brain doesn't want to engage in any writing" mode for a while but will aim to get this going again in the coming days.

 

I think Acid Fader and o0o were my 2 favourite Jadakissnia entries of last year so cool to see them finishing next to each other here! Oscillian was a banger to round out the year as well (also hooray that you have indeed started this year stronger results wise :magic:) Also adored 'The Perfect Girl' too, I didn't realise when I first heard it that it was a cover as I'm not familiar with the original but he definitely makes it his own. Was actually just thinking I hope we get some new material from him soon and checked and he literally released a new song yesterday ooh x

 

For once there is a ROSALÍA song here that is actually not my favourite of the section oh my x although still love it of course (and I think the music video may be my favourite from the MOTOMAMI era). My fave here has to be 'HEX', my favourite album track from another excellent album from Everything Everything, truly unhinged in the best way possible *.* and also absolutely adore 'Billie Toppy', I need them to make more songs with this post-punky edge to them (unfortunately didn't really care too much for the single after that one iirc). Somehow don't think I ever noticed the similarity between the La Femme song and 'Knights Of Cydonia' (I remember you making the Joe Meek comparison before though) but can definitely see that!

 

My opinion on 'Seventeen Going Under' has kept going up and down but I never managed to really properly get into it sadly, I appreciate it for what it is and it was great for a song with that sound to be so huge but it just doesn't connect with me like that for whatever reason, I hope I'll be more into his next era as he definitely can make songs I love (see 'Play God' and 'Get You Down'). And... been saying this for weeks now but one day I promise I will finally listen to 'Profound Mysteries III' :ph34r: but 'Like An Old Dog' is a good pick from it, Pixx definitely delivering with their collabs.

Ooh, I remembered that you really liked Acid Fader but forgot you were so fond of o0o too, yay :wub: it had been a long time since I'd last sent a synthwave entry so I was really happy to find something as good as 'Ulysses 31', what a hidden gem. Yay, came so close to starting off the year with a top 10 but will still happily take 11th. Fair, I had quite an intense interest in The Cure during lockdown and 'The Perfect Girl' stuck with me quite well as Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is one of my favourite albums by them. So that was a high bar but I absolutely love what Mareux did with it! Oh wow :o definitely going to add that to my 'new music catch-up' playlist ASAP as I missed that.

 

:o oh my! I feel like I haven't really revisited the music videos very much aside from the one for 'SAOKO', should probably have a marathon at some point. 'HEX' is just brilliant, happy that we snapped on our favourite album track from this era *.* I did think you'd be into 'Billie Toppy' as I know how much you appreciate post-punk music, especially recently, so I'm glad that was the case ^_^ oh yes the 'Knights Of Cydonia' similarity came to me on subsequent listens I think, absolutely love that charging style!

 

It's a shame that you never really got into 'Seventeen Going Under', after following him for a while and then that turning out to be his singles chart breakout moment. Here's hoping for a hit you can get behind next time! 'Play God' remains flawless tbh. Omg yes you need to get on to Profound Mysteries III ASAP!!!! glad it's 2/2 for you as well as I remember you also liking 'When The Flowers Grow' too.

 

TY for the continued detailed comments <3 taste twins ftw

TOP 100 SONGS: 50-41

 

 

50. Tove Lo - Pineapple Slice (with SG Lewis) | 186 points (peak: #4)

49. piri & Tommy Villiers - beachin (Skream Remix) | 186 points (peak: #2)

48. Mitski - There’s Nothing Left for You | 187 points

47. Beyoncé - ALL UP IN YOUR MIND | 188 points

46. Weyes Blood - God Turn Me Into a Flower | 192 points

45. Lights & Motion - The World I Remember | 194 points (peak: #3)

44. Röyksopp - Me&Youphoria | 194 points (peak: #2)

43. Nova Twins - Antagonist | 197 points

42. Sega Bodega - Kepko | 198 points

41. Röyksopp - How The Flowers Grow (feat. Pixx) | 199 points

 

Tove Lo was one of my favourite pop artists of 2022. Her next appearance in this countdown is courtesy of 'Pineapple Slice', which turned out to be my top album track from her latest record Dirt Femme. We were treated to two SG Lewis collaborations this era and I had high hopes after the first of those, 'Call On Me', instantly clicked. I didn't expect 'Pineapple Slice' to be even better though! The lyrics take the 'Watermelon Sugar' route of dressing up pure filth as fruit. It is a lot of fun and I couldn't help but love the retro disco diva type production, some flourishes really remind me of 'Ring My Bell' by Anita Ward. 'Pineapple Slice' accumulated the same number of points in my chart as the Skream remix of piri & Tommy Villiers' 'beachin', but that is ahead thanks to its #2 peak back in the summer months. I'd describe piri & tommy's sound as airy drum and bass so this remix really is quite different. Skream works his magic and provides thumping, dark production instead. I adored his remix of 'In For The Kill' by La Roux over a decade ago so it's great to see that he's still got it. Apparently piri & tommy called it quits as a duo as recently as last month, which is a shame as they seemed to have a decent amount of hype behind them, but perhaps they can still find some success as soloists. Mitski was not on my radar enough until 2021. Up until that point I was only familiar with 'Your Best American Girl'. But her latest era, Laurel Hell, changed everything. 'There's Nothing Left for You' is a haunting album track with its hopeless lyrics and goosebump inducing build-up. It drew me in with the slow burning first verse and chorus which then morph into an explosion of a bridge. The production matches the intensity so well too. Another album track I got into last year was 'ALL UP IN YOUR MIND' from Beyoncé's much-loved RENAISSANCE era. There was absolutely no way that I wasn't going to be all over a bouncy A.G. Cook produced song by her. She exudes confidence in the lyrics and has a lot of fun with this hyper-pop style of sound. Unfortunately this seems to be really underrated from what I've seen but it was an easy standout for me. 'God Turn Me Into A Flower' by Weyes Blood has done remarkably well to feature in the top half of this countdown when it only just left my regular top 40 chart last week. It made an impact on me so quickly. This stunning song is about wanting to be your authentic, vulnerable self in a narcissistic world that often pushes back against that. Weyes Blood delivers these sentiments so beautifully and is backed by subtle but effective production, which really puts the spotlight on her voice.

 

I believe Lights & Motion first came to my attention thanks to the BuzzJack Song Contest several years ago. 'The World I Remember' is my favourite of theirs to date. It is a very cinematic instrumental that tugs on my heart-strings with its epic post-rock features. It begins with a relaxed, melancholic guitar and progresses into more dramatic bursts to keep us on our toes. The subtle vocal portions here and there are a lovely touch. 'The World I Remember' had the same points tally as 'Me&Youphoria' by Röyksopp but the latter's peak was one place higher on the podium, so they win out. I'd class 'Like An Old Dog' as my favourite from Profound Mysteries III now but the numbers don't lie and 'Me&Youphoria' had more time to build up a strong chart run before the year was out. It still remains a top highlight from that album anyway. The escapist lyrics from the chorus like: "I could fly you away, euphoria awaits..." made me swoon and I adore the dreamy delivery from the uncredited vocalist, who goes by the name of Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs. It amazes me that Röyksopp kept up the quality control so effectively when they were now three albums deep into the trilogy. I discovered Nova Twins last year and liked what I knew but was yet to be truly won over. That completely changed after I decided to watch the Mercury Prize awards for the first time in 2022. I was bowled over by their incredible energy on stage and immediately had to look up the studio version of this song they had performed, 'Antagonist'. This heavy, infectious rock stomper soon became a new chart topper for me. It is about self belief and using that to carry you forward in whatever you may do. I need to channel that "I'm feeling like a riot" energy more often. The guitars on this are thrilling and these two very talented ladies translated that feel on stage effortlessly. It's great to see them killing it so much critically. Sega Bodega has been a revelation for me in recent times. I know him more in a behind-the-scenes capacity for other artists but 'Kepko' has been his first proper smash in my chart. This is a full throttle electronic song with dazzling production and chopped vocals that I may not understand a word of, but love. I must issue a strobe warning if anyone wants to check out the music video! Röyskopp make a second appearance in this section, this time at #41. 'When The Flowers Grow' was merely an album track from Profound Mysteries but it really captured my attention. I recall it being a bit of a slow burner, probably because it has quite a subtle execution. But that deep, brooding feel eventually got to me quite a lot. Pixx have been a great discovery on both this and 'Like An Old Dog'. They should definitely keep working with Röyksopp, much like Susanne Sundfør.

Hi Jade :hi: I'm still slowly catching up on reading everyone's EOYs so I'm actually relieved that I haven't missed yours entirely!

 

'ALL UP IN YOUR MIND' was one of the biggest Renaissance standouts for me too, so you're not alone on here at least. I didn't realize A.G. Cook produced it! Looking forward to seeing if there's more Beyonce to come on here.

 

I haven't properly listened to Nova Twins yet but just heard a clip of them on the BRITs since they were an award nominee, and I was wowed by just that short clip! I will definitely check them out based on that clip alone, would it have been 'Antagonist'? If so I'll play that one first!