Let’s get some discussion with past winners of this prestigious award who have found the right ingredients to summon the most amount of voters points in the finals. What is it that made your entry the success it was? Did you put a lot of thought into the selection process or was it merely a spontaneous entry at the last minute? I always find it interesting to see what wins just to get a flavour of what does well here and what could go on to become a more successful viral hit in the future perhaps. Maybe luck has a lot to do with it in terms of what semi you are drawn into and which nations are participating in the contest you have entered. Is there anything else worth noting when it comes to what is responsible for your victory?

 

I want to just take a moment to applaud all the BJSC winners of 2022 and the hard work that has gone into hosting the respective follow-up contests too. Thank you all for a great year.

Send cheap stuff xox

 

With me it was just stumbling across some play lists. I don't naturally pick out pop songs that do well either so I guess in my case it's just pure luck that it's that popular with people voting and I guess TikTok for Madison.. (excluding the niche/indie crowd as they were never going to touch pop very often if at all).

 

I'm still to attempt winning with something left field, VNV which I didn't expect to smash that hard with coming close I guess.

Edited December 21, 20222 yr by A Roba's Tale

I think it really depends on what is popular on buzzjack at the time. I won when I was still fairly new to the contest so really can’t give a specific answer. 😂

I think the draw definitely counts. If you happen to be in the 'wrong' semi you could be screwed, given that most winners don't get across the board support

have the pop song people like most

sneak through the veto process on a technicality

 

I think anyone who's gotten a top 3 hit has some experience of what sort of song you need to win as they could be winners with some very slight adjustments - and that's how I'm going to justify answering this thread based on what my medallists have taught me. It needs to stand out, but it can't be too niche as much as I do want to win with a hard metal stormer, that's a long shot - though I did come second with one! And that succeeded due to a great build and an cleverly put together song structure with rises and falls, plus enough of a pop-leaning facade to be lent some points from that bloc.

 

If the song has qualities that make it more likely that voters will give you high points that's good, something unusual and yet captivating - could be great production as on 'Thunder', could be spoken word segments or choirs, it needs to be the best song of its type in the final and that type needs to have enough inbuilt strong support from at least a third of the field, normally. My other second-placer was a clear standout for dance enthusiasts, and my somewhat recent bronze medallist swept the alternative vote and those that like long journeys of dance entries.

 

Catchy but not annoying.

 

Well-structured.

 

A vocal style that gels with what people know already/a captivating instrumental or BOTH.

 

You know that you can probably rely on at least 10 and hopefully more of the regular participants to give you high points for it before the contest even starts. It needs to be points bait.

 

It's not too unoriginal (some winners can get away with this) and is professionally produced.

 

SOME form of keeping up with who is entering, though I like to think this is an overstated aspect as normally a decent balance is kept.

 

And most importantly, you need to psych enough people out into sending niche songs so your entry has an easier time grabbing all the consensus points.

Still awaiting a win :cry: I can tell you how to get a 2nd place! I think some months like this one the strength/crossover appeal of the song is undeniable and that’s something to look for. Lots of months it just happens to be the one song that edges out others and there’s so many factors that can alter what might happen!

It's mostly luck. You need the right semi draw, the right nations participating and most importantly, just enough "hype" that subconsciously psychologically affects people's perceptions of the entry to bump it up more points than they originally would have given it.

 

P.S not taking from personal experience of course :P but definitely the impression I get.

Edited December 21, 20222 yr by Dobbo.

At the moment I just think it's as simple as sending the pop or commercial dance track that comes closest to the veto mark as you can get as the contest feels like it has a high proportion of pop voters these days.

 

Other genres can still do well and have a lot of fans and support - but there aren't quite enough of them these days to actually produce a winner.

 

 

It's interesting as I think the contest goes through phases, like there was a definite and reasonably long phase where indie and more alternative leaning dance and pop music did better but many of the fans of that type of entry have moved on over the years.

It's mostly luck. You need the right semi draw, the right nations participating and most importantly, just enough "hype" that subconsciously psychologically affects people's perceptions of the entry to bump it up more points than they originally would have given it.

 

P.S not taking from personal experience of course :P but definitely the impression I get.

 

I'm pretty sure posting about the entries does affect something and if I figure out a post to game it, I'll do that. Though normally it's harder to do to your own entry (as you'll be seen as having a bias), which is good for fairness' sake I suppose.

you just feel it....lol joking.

 

I agree with most of the points above but also I think if you have a song that one or other two members wants it, most of the times it produces a winner.

And most importantly, you need to psych enough people out into sending niche songs so your entry has an easier time grabbing all the consensus points.

Now I know why ICONIC! And capo/volto FLOPPED :kink:

Oh yes I think the hype factor is a genuine thing also. There are quite a few times when a song receives hype after the odds thread and semi results and then it suddenly finishes 3rd or something after being projected to finish much lower just by looking at the semis. I know this can be affected by 'wrong semi' etc but I do think hype and odds play a part too.

Wardy and I need to hype each other up more often :P

Go with something that pushes the veto envelope ala Altyr and Hendinia x

I’d love to know!

 

I try and send things I like and hope people will get behind too!

Honestly I’ve won four times and I’m still trying to figure that out myself I definitely agree with what’s been said above, a lot of the times you can rely on a certain niche or “cheapness” factor but it can only get you so far. Ultimately the song needs to have some level of crossover appeal to give it that extra boost to send it over the line. And sometimes that crossover appeal might be affected by what’s been booted out in the semis - one time Bray managed to vote for a slew of K-pop songs after most of his faves were given the shaft!

 

It really just depends on what happens in that given month and you really won’t know that you’re on to a winner until we’re well into the contest :lol:

I am feeling particularly exposed in this thread as some of the comments perfectly describe Leony, Nova Miller and LOVA.

 

After my 2/3 years most successful years in the contest I don’t really think I’m any the wiser on the specifics of what makes a winner (or a smash), I can just as easily pass them over (the other Lovesick this month for example), but for me most of the time you know it when you hear it. Which sounds really obvious, but that’s what happened with ALMA a few months back. First listen and I knew it was a smash.

When I entered Confidence Man, I had already confirmed a different song, but upon hearing Holiday, it screamed WINNER, so I re-confirmed. I had the same sensation with Honey. - though I had sent it to PJSC first, but two other people did too, so it became ineligible there.

That said, I've had the WINNER feeling with several other entries that did not win (at all) though...

The other option is of course to inexplicably win by sending something like Hypocrite, which I still am proud of for it being the most unlikely winner ever

Call you nation Aeroche and certainly not Yehesi

 

Tbh i'm just mad my time of not flopping lasted about 5 months about a 7 years ago and now I'm back to my usual ACTUAL flopping