'Hands' was a really baffling DNQ, shame it did as it would otherwise have been the most Danævii points you ever had for an entry!

as it happens the 7 we did get to vote for are still yet to appear here so yay, although Fleurie 'Breathe' was great too, just unfortunate enough to be in a very strong contest so narrowly missed out my top 15.

ooh now we're getting into a section with most of my faves: "The Ransom", "Moment Like You" (side note: so glad she's doing okay now), "Bimbo Doll", "Fade Out" and "Gold" (I heard this in the radio randomly like 10 years ago and it was the weirdest thing ever) in particular shine so bright in this crop

 

Have you really not heard any of the previous Ready Set songs before "Higher"?

I went back and heard some earlier stuff but wasn't so keen on it! Definitely didn't know it at the time.

 

I did like 'Wasteman' also.

'Hands' was a really baffling DNQ, shame it did as it would otherwise have been the most Danævii points you ever had for an entry!

as it happens the 7 we did get to vote for are still yet to appear here so yay, although Fleurie 'Breathe' was great too, just unfortunate enough to be in a very strong contest so narrowly missed out my top 15.

Thanks all for your comments :wub:

 

So sorry for the silence in here, I may be able to do a few posts tonight + early tomorrow but I've otherwise been super busy and I've got another busy weekend coming up so there may be another little pause! Thanks for the patience + interest so far :wub:

35 | BJSC 94

 

Tom Jay Williams

Closure

 

http://i.imgur.com/fY5hG5r.png

 

Semi Final: 12th (73 points)

Final: 35th (122 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #2

 

Australian singer Tom Jay Williams has had a few stabs at the world of pop music. He rose to fame as the youngest ever finalist on Australian Idol at the time, ultimately speaking out against the experience after the exposure led to him being physically assaulted. A single, LOL, followed in 2010. He later joined boyband At Sunset who were active from 2014-17, before Tom found his way back to solo music. Closure was the first track he released, playing perfectly into the hands of the "future bass" Chainsmokers-esque pop music that was big around the time. The production is top notch and he's got a great voice. I loved the song and, unluckily, it ran into Cheat Codes' No Promises in my personal chart so didn't quite hit #1. It did qualify in BJSC though, achieving a lower position in the final. Tom released one more solo single before joining another boyband, Darling Brando, in 2018, before he left in 2021.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

25/03/2017 | 02 | 10 weeks | Closure | NAS | 16-2-3-4-6-10-14-23-32-40-x

11/11/2017 | 03 | 05 weeks | Figure It Out | NAS | 3-6-13-21-36-x

 

34 | BJSC 121

 

AJ Mitchell

Say It Again

 

 

Semi Final: 15th (51 points)

Final: 33rd (110 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #2

 

Lowkey on my radar for a year or two, it was AJ Mitchell's track All My Friends that really made me sit up and take notice of the American singer. He had a great voice, and lots of potential, and the track itself had a strong run in my chart despite not making my top 10. A series of top 10 hits started to follow, and he hit the big time in my personal chart with this track. Say It Again arrived in late 2019, and immediately I loved it. It's polished, slick and really catchy, and though it didn't quite hit #1, it had by far AJ's best chart run. It qualified in BJSC and was another middling hit, but it deserved better in my opinion! AJ only scored two further top 10s in my chart and debut album SKYVIEW eventually arrived with a whimper, the pop hooks mostly gone in favour of mellow more R&B-leaning tracks that just weren't to my taste.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

22/12/2018 | 33 | 01 weeks | No Plans (feat. Marteen) | NAS | 33-x

09/03/2019 | 15 | 07 weeks | All My Friends | NAS | 15-21-16-19-24-28-x-39-x

18/05/2019 | 14 | 02 weeks | Afterhours (teamwork., Nina Nesbitt & AJ Mitchell) | FEAT | 14-35-x

25/05/2019 | 09 | 04 weeks | Talk So Much | 1 | 19-9-18-36-x

03/08/2019 | 28 | 01 weeks | Move On | 2 | 28-x

17/08/2019 | 10 | 05 weeks | Slow Dance (feat. Ava Max) | 3 | 10-21-26-25-34-x

28/09/2019 | 08 | 06 weeks | Down In Flames | NAS | 12-8-12-26-37-x-36-x

26/10/2019 | 30 | 01 weeks | Like Strangers Do | NAS | 30-x

16/11/2019 | 02 | 16 weeks | Say It Again | NAS | 2-4-8-11-17-33-x-15-26-26-23-10-14-19-20-28-36-x

30/11/2019 | 06 | 10 weeks | Unstoppable | NAS | 21-36-x-16-23-20-18-6-13-23-31-x

20/06/2020 | 13 | 01 weeks | Burn | NAS | 13-31-x

17/04/2021 | 09 | 03 weeks | Stop | 2 | 9-12-22-x

12/06/2021 | 30 | 01 weeks | Growing Pains | NAS | 30-x

 

33 | BJSC 111

 

Oscar Enestad

Sign of My Love

 

 

Semi Final: 25th (35 points)

Final: DNQ

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

I discovered Swedish boyband The Fooo Conspiracy in 2016 and they scored a couple of hits in my chart (the biggest being My Girl - a song that still holds up now!). One member down and a name change to FO&O brought them to Melodifestivalen in 2017, and from then on, they had me in the palms of their hands. Two #1s in my chart and one of my favourite albums of the year later, their self-titled release had solidified itself as one of my favourite boyband albums. However, FO&O went quiet and member Felix Sandman took part in Melfest solo in 2018, finishing 2nd. Both Oscar and Omar were announced to follow in his footsteps in 2019, but before Oscar released I Love It, he threw this track out (his second solo single after 2018's Heaven On My Skin, which didn't do much for me). Sign of My Love proved to be a taste of what was to come, with production to die for and Oscar's vocals on top form over the dance pop track. Sadly, it also proved to be a taste of what was to come success-wise, by DNQing in BJSC just like I Love It later did in Melfest (still such a crime, I'll never get over it). I Love It became my favourite song of 2019 and I still go back to it regularly, so it overshadowed this a little but I still love it a lot! Oscar later turned to singing in his native language Swedish and an album, Drömmar, eventually arrived in 2022 including all of his Swedish-language singles plus a few new tracks, and I loved it a lot though he never topped the 1-2 punch of Sign of My Love and I Love It.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

30/06/2018 | 27 | 01 weeks | Heaven On My Skin | NAS | 27-x

19/01/2019 | 01 | 09 weeks | Sign of My Love | NAS | 1-2-3-4-13-19-19-29-33-x

16/02/2019 | 01 | 27 weeks | I Love It | NAS | 1-2-1-2-5-11-14-13-16-19-24-25-34-39-x-33-26-33-x-29-x-30-33-x-10-16-19-27-29-35-37-x

03/08/2019 | 03 | 05 weeks | Vi var som inga andra | 1 | 3-8-15-29-39-x

21/03/2020 | 06 | 07 weeks | Aska (Klara & Jag feat. Oscar Enestad) | FEAT | 6-10-17-20-27-33-39-x

02/05/2020 | 04 | 05 weeks | Sänker våra glas på innergården | 2 | 4-7-15-25-38-x

13/06/2020 | 02 | 06 weeks | Sorger | 3 | 2-3-12-17-21-37-x

01/08/2020 | 05 | 04 weeks | 16 år | 4 | 5-19-24-32-x

26/09/2020 | 04 | 05 weeks | Se på oss nu | 5 | 4-11-20-26-33-x

26/06/2021 | 17 | 01 weeks | Svarta moln (feat. CHILI) | 6 | 17-x

07/05/2022 | 09 | 04 weeks | Du är allt jag vill ha | 7 | 9-16-32-x-31-x

21/05/2022 | 28 | 01 weeks | Fåglar sjunger (feat. ZLMA) | 8 | 28-x

 

32 | BJSC 142

 

Alyssa Reid

roses

 

 

Semi Final: 5th (75 points)

Final: 8th (184 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

With her more experimental ASHS era closed off at the end of 2021 with the release of a compilation album, Alyssa Reid returned to her own name to release a brand new single in early 2022. Though Alyssa's been a firm favourite of mine for a long time, her success has been less consistent post-2013, so I wasn't sure which way roses would go. To my delight, it was an instant bop. roses could easily be an Ava Max song, with a big chorus and moody vibe over a dance-pop track, and it cemented itself as her best song in almost a decade. After a month's break in January 2022, I returned to send Alyssa to BJSC for the third time, and it was third time lucky as she finally hit the top 10 for me (previously also making it for FARC with Don't Call Me). With 7 entries now under her belt, it'll be a long time before Alyssa could be sent again, but I don't have any regrets. Alyssa's released another couple of singles since roses, though we're still waiting on her next album.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

04/02/2012 | 01 | 74 weeks | Alone Again | 1 | 1-1-1-1-1-2-2-3-3-4-4-6-7-3-7-7-9-8-11-12-15-12-12-14-15-15-16-17-18-19-20-17-18-14-19-25-21-21-22-25-19-25-28-29-22-22-23-12-18-22-21-25-20-19-14-20-24-23-19-15-17-19-19-20-23-26-22-11-15-16-25-31-39-x-19-x

04/02/2012 | 01 | 28 weeks | The Game | 2 | 3-3-3-4-5-6-7-11-17-17-18-x-21-15-7-6-5-3-1-2-2-2-5-7-11-14-19-21-26-x

21/04/2012 | 20 | 01 weeks | Talk Me Down | 3 | 20-x

16/02/2013 | 24 | 01 weeks | Rewind Again (feat. Devlin & Diane Birch) | MASHUP | 24-x

23/03/2013 | 01 | 20 weeks | Running Guns | 1 | 1-1-1-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-6-9-10-15-21-28-37-37-x

21/09/2013 | 01 | 26 weeks | Satisfaction Guaranteed | 2 | 1-1-1-2-5-6-8-11-15-19-13-17-20-22-21-26-29-31-36-34-38-8-14-21-26-36-x

09/11/2013 | 23 | 08 weeks | Mistress Claus | NAS | 23-39-x-36-35-35-x-39-x-38-x-33-x

01/02/2014 | 35 | 01 weeks | Clyde | AT | 35-x

15/02/2014 | 14 | 03 weeks | Gravity | AT | 14-23-32-x

15/02/2014 | 19 | 02 weeks | Radio Silence | AT | 19-29-x

15/02/2014 | 03 | 07 weeks | Hurricane | 3 | 24-x-3-8-11-17-23-34-x

15/02/2014 | 35 | 01 weeks | Let It All Go | AT | 35-x

18/07/2015 | 02 | 05 weeks | Dangerous (feat. The Heist) | 1 | 2-6-11-25-39-x

12/12/2015 | 13 | 05 weeks | Tomorrow | 2 | 13-18-23-27-38-x

18/06/2016 | 06 | 05 weeks | Rollercoaster | NAS | 31-6-16-24-33-x

19/11/2016 | 05 | 04 weeks | Badlands (feat. Likewise) | NAS | 5-12-22-31-x

22/07/2017 | 09 | 05 weeks | High | NAS | 9-11-15-23-36-x

05/10/2019 | 01 | 11 weeks | A Million Voices | 3 | 15-1-5-4-17-27-34-x-11-11-12-22-x

07/12/2019 | 04 | 07 weeks | Paranoid | 5 | 37-x-8-4-6-21-28-39-x

25/04/2020 | 07 | 07 weeks | Don't Call Me | 6 | 7-10-17-31-x-23-23-30-x

08/08/2020 | 10 | 05 weeks | My Ex | 7 | 34-x-14-10-14-30-x

08/01/2022 | 02 | 08 weeks | Lie | AT | 7-3-2-10-14-24-34-37-x

08/01/2022 | 05 | 06 weeks | Cold | 4 | 13-7-5-15-23-37-x

08/01/2022 | 16 | 03 weeks | Without You | 2 | 17-16-20-x

08/01/2022 | 18 | 03 weeks | More Than Friends | 1 | 18-18-23-x

08/01/2022 | 26 | 03 weeks | 3AM | AT | 27-26-36-x

08/01/2022 | 28 | 02 weeks | Ocean | 8 | 28-30-x

08/01/2022 | 35 | 02 weeks | Mean | AT | 35-37-x

08/01/2022 | 38 | 02 weeks | Din Låt | AT | 38-38-x

19/02/2022 | 01 | 09 weeks | roses | NAS | 1-4-6-10-17-21-27-27-32-x

14/05/2022 | 08 | 03 weeks | Like a Song | NAS | 8-18-40-x

09/07/2022 | 06 | 02 weeks | When It Hurts | NAS | 6-26-x

 

31 | BJSC 120

 

Conan Gray

Maniac

 

 

Semi Final: 8th (78 points)

Final: 14th (169 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #4

 

I'm not sure where I discovered Conan Gray now, perhaps trawling through Spotify which is something I often do these days to find entry-worthy tracks. I knew there was something special to him when I found him, though. With an EP and a few other singles under his belt, it was still early days for Conan's career, but he scored a top 10 in my chart with his then-newest single The King. The rollout for debut album Kid Krow began after that, with another top 10 from lead single Checkmate, but it was this track that really broke him through for me. Maniac was released in one of the busiest weeks in my chart's history, being one of nine new entries to my top 10 that week, so its peak of #4 was pretty impressive in the circumstances! Maniac is pop perfection, with a massive chorus and a top notch video to accompany it, and it set the tone for what was to come from Kid Krow as well as Conan's later releases, making him one of the most exciting new artists around. Maniac did well in BJSC, finishing 14th, and the track is certified silver in the UK despite not charting here! Later single Heather became the highest charting track in the UK chart from a primary artist I've sent to BJSC, which leads into a further Conan entry still to come...

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

16/03/2019 | 07 | 09 weeks | The King | NAS | 40-x-23-30-7-9-16-24-22-30-x

13/04/2019 | 12 | 05 weeks | The Other Side | NAS | 17-12-22-37-32-x

29/06/2019 | 10 | 08 weeks | Checkmate | 1 | 17-10-13-24-33-x-40-38-x-39-x

14/09/2019 | 25 | 01 weeks | Comfort Crowd | 2 | 25-38-x

02/11/2019 | 04 | 23 weeks | Maniac | 3 | 4-8-12-18-27-31-36-x-31-22-26-9-12-11-13-21-19-23-30-18-23-26-32-36-x

18/01/2020 | 13 | 02 weeks | The Story | 4 | 13-39-x

21/03/2020 | 01 | 10 weeks | Wish You Were Sober | 5 | 8-1-2-3-4-8-13-16-23-32-x

18/07/2020 | 09 | 13 weeks | Heather | 6 | 9-10-17-28-33-17-19-17-18-19-29-30-38-x

17/10/2020 | 09 | 04 weeks | Fake (Lauv & Conan Gray) | FEAT | 9-11-22-32-x

27/02/2021 | 02 | 09 weeks | Overdrive | NAS | 2-5-6-11-20-25-24-32-36-x

15/05/2021 | 01 | 07 weeks | Astronomy | 1 | 1-3-11-18-21-34-38-x

17/07/2021 | 02 | 11 weeks | People Watching | 2 | 26-2-11-7-7-10-19-21-32-31-39-x

06/11/2021 | 01 | 14 weeks | Telepath | NAS | 1-2-5-7-8-13-13-17-14-19-24-26-31-36-x

29/01/2022 | 03 | 06 weeks | Jigsaw | 3 | 3-5-13-21-29-38-x

23/04/2022 | 05 | 05 weeks | Memories | 4 | 5-11-17-22-30-x

28/05/2022 | 15 | 08 weeks | Yours | 5 | 21-22-19-19-26-15-21-32-x

02/07/2022 | 04 | 05 weeks | Disaster | 6 | 4-7-15-36-33-x

 

Top 30 will pick up again after the weekend! :D

30 | BJSC 128

 

Isac Elliot

Weekend

 

 

Semi Final: 1st (153 points)

Final: 2nd (305 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

And here we land at my biggest entry to date! A couple of months before, I posted in my national thread asking people to help me decide between Isac Elliot's Weekend and Future Jr.'s Sidewalk Teens for my next entry. I might have been a bit more confident in Weekend off the bat if my previous Isac entry, Worth Something, hadn't fared so unjustly. The feedback was clear, Sidewalk Teens was the way to go, but it didn't qualify and I was at a bit of a loss. Two months later, I didn't really have anything else to send so thought I'd plump for Weekend regardless. It's one of Isac's best for me, and that's high praise from me when he's released so many good songs. The pulsating synths in the chorus add energy to a well-crafted pop song, which is what I've come to expect from Isac over the years. What I certainly didn't expect was the BJSC response. As always with TARO Bellamia, we seem to sneak behind people and surprise when people least expect it (relying on the silent majority rather than the vocal minority who predict and hype tracks), and Weekend blew away any of my expectations by giving me a second runner-up placement, with my highest points tally to date. Not only that, but it won the semi! While Weekend didn't come as close to winning as CXLOE's SICK did just over a year before, it was still amazing to see it become my biggest entry to date, and I'm glad so many people found love for it! Isac of course has remained a regular in my chart, having just scored a top 10 hit with his latest Finnish-language single Kaks.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

13/04/2013 | 03 | 11 weeks | New Way Home | 1 | 4-6-3-6-11-17-24-31-34-39-40-x

08/06/2013 | 02 | 07 weeks | A.N.G.E.L | AT | 2-3-6-9-17-27-34-x

08/06/2013 | 16 | 03 weeks | Paper Plane | AT | 16-21-36-x

29/06/2013 | 31 | 01 weeks | First Kiss | 2 | 31-x

26/10/2013 | 03 | 06 weeks | Dream Big | 3 | 9-3-8-14-21-33-x

05/04/2014 | 36 | 01 weeks | Are You Gonna Be My Girl | PS | 36-x

11/10/2014 | 14 | 06 weeks | Tired of Missing You | 2 | 19-14-20-26-32-37-x

15/11/2014 | 02 | 10 weeks | Just Can't Let Her Go | 3 | 6-9-5-2-5-7-13-16-24-33-x

15/08/2015 | 06 | 08 weeks | Lipstick (feat. Tyga) | 1 | 9-6-10-14-22-28-32-x-33-x

09/04/2016 | 05 | 14 weeks | Worth Something | 3 | 36-5-11-21-23-33-x-9-6-8-12-22-33-39-x-35-x

16/07/2016 | 23 | 02 weeks | What About Me | 4 | 25-23-x

17/09/2016 | 20 | 03 weeks | Beast (Tungevaag & Raaban & Isac Elliot) | 5 | 29-20-28-x

13/05/2017 | 09 | 04 weeks | SHE | 6 | 9-19-28-39-x

09/09/2017 | 23 | 03 weeks | AYO | 7 | 23-29-36-x

14/10/2017 | 36 | 01 weeks | EYES SHUT | 8 | 36-x

09/12/2017 | 01 | 11 weeks | Mouth to Mouth | 10 | 12-11-6-2-1-4-7-12-21-28-35-x

21/04/2018 | 05 | 04 weeks | Rich & Famous (SJUR & Isac Elliot) | FEAT | 5-11-15-26-x

05/01/2019 | 06 | 05 weeks | Throw Popcorn (Samuel Daayata feat. Isac Elliot) | FEAT | 14-6-13-24-39-x

25/05/2019 | 09 | 02 weeks | Soldi (Mahmood & Isac Elliot) | FEAT | 9-35-x

24/08/2019 | 01 | 09 weeks | Waiting Game | NAS | 1-2-4-7-11-15-18-23-35-x

16/11/2019 | 05 | 04 weeks | Somebody Else | NAS | 5-10-20-28-x

25/07/2020 | 01 | 10 weeks | Weekend | NAS | 1-3-10-11-12-20-24-27-27-37-x

26/09/2020 | 01 | 06 weeks | Ghost | NAS | 1-3-11-18-24-33-x

06/02/2021 | 01 | 07 weeks | Waving at Cars | NAS | 1-2-7-9-13-19-29-x

17/04/2021 | 03 | 05 weeks | Roommates | NAS | 3-5-10-22-28-x

26/06/2021 | 05 | 03 weeks | TMI | NAS | 5-14-29-x

18/06/2022 | 09 | 04 weeks | 20min (feat. william & Cledos) | NAS | 9-19-31-33-x

17/09/2022 | 04 | 10 weeks | Makso Mitä Makso (feat. Sexmane) | NAS | 4-7-8-9-14-18-21-32-33-38-x

05/11/2022 | 05 | 06 weeks | Lowkey (feat. 1.Cuz) | NAS | 5-9-13-23-29-37-x

05/11/2022 | 14 | 02 weeks | Hentoo | B-SIDE | 14-32-x

18/03/2023 | 07 | 04 weeks | Kaks (feat. ibe) | NAS | 7-14-21-25-...

 

29 | BJSC 146

 

Alfie Templeman

Candyfloss

 

 

Semi Final: 8th (71 points)

Final: 13th (190 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

I say this every year in my EOY countdown, but there's nothing I love more in music than a surprise. A song that hits you way harder than you expect. Often, those are the songs that you remember most and can keep an artist in your affections forever. After finding Alfie Templeman in 2019, he remained somewhat on my radar though I followed him quite inconsistently despite enjoying everything I'd heard of him. His indie-pop was fun and catchy, and it did everything it needed to. With his debut full-length studio album coming in 2022, Alfie began his album campaign with a few more poppy singles including 3D Feelings and Broken, and I gave the album a listen of course, expecting to enjoy it a fair amount. However, I didn't expect to find something as good as Candyfloss. The second that first chorus hit, I was in love. Hooks for days with a huge chorus and the fun factor dialled all the way up to 11, Candyfloss was just irresistible. It became Alfie's first #1 in my chart that week, easily blowing past his personal best peak of #6 for Shady the year before. I grabbed a last minute ticket to his album release show and signing at Rough Trade that week and met him just a couple of days later! Candyfloss became a top 20 hit in BJSC too, giving me my highest points tally of 2022 albeit not the highest position. It was later released as the fourth single from Alfie's Mellow Moon album, and received a playlist spot on Radio 2 and spot plays on Radio 1 (though no playlist spot despite heavy support for previous singles, boo). Alfie's currently in the studio working on his second album, recently sharing pictures of himself with Nile Rodgers!

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

27/07/2019 | 20 | 04 weeks | Stop Thinking (About Me) | 1 | 20-24-29-35-x

25/07/2020 | 09 | 06 weeks | Obvious Guy | 3 | 39-9-17-21-26-38-x

09/01/2021 | 18 | 02 weeks | Forever Isn't Long Enough | 1 | 18-38-x

09/01/2021 | 06 | 04 weeks | Shady | 2 | 6-11-22-31-x

27/03/2021 | 34 | 02 weeks | Everybody's Gonna Love Somebody | 3 | 36-34-x

12/02/2022 | 09 | 03 weeks | Broken | 2 | 9-19-27-x

04/06/2022 | 01 | 10 weeks | Candyfloss | 4 | 1-1-3-7-16-18-22-38-34-36-x

 

28 | BJSC 49

 

Kristina Maria

Karma

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ck5Asw8.png

 

Semi Final: 15th (48 points)

Final: DNQ

Personal Chart Peak: #3

 

Where I discovered Canadian singer Kristina Maria I'm not really sure - forgive me, it was over a decade ago! I know I discovered her entire Tell the World album at the same time, but it was Karma that really stood out to me as being a really strong pop track. It had a big chorus and great production (a little dated sounding now like much of that era), and it felt like I was onto a BJSC hit after achieving only one qualifier in my first six contests. Karma came SO close, too. While the song's origins are foggy in my brain, I vividly remember host Ryan choosing to only allow 14 qualifiers in this particular contest, preferring fewer songs in the final. Of course, I finished 15th - a typical qualifying position. Not sure I've ever forgiven him x The song is one I go back to regularly, and I ended up charting another Kristina song just a few months later; FML x2 matched Karma's peak and I was definitely tempted to send it to BJSC as well a couple of times! She's been long off my radar, though a single called Let's Ride arrived only last year.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

29/09/2012 | 03 | 07 weeks | Karma | 6 | 4-3-5-8-11-17-23-x

08/12/2012 | 03 | 08 weeks | FML x2 | 1 | 5-3-4-6-13-25-29-38-x

13/04/2013 | 38 | 01 weeks | You Don't Have the Right to Cry | NAS | 38-x

19/07/2014 | 09 | 02 weeks | Where the Sun Don't Shine (feat. ARG=NTO) | NAS | 9-26-x

 

'Weekend' and 'Candyfloss' are both tunes!

Thanks Rob :wub:

27 | BJSC 163

 

Conan Gray

Telepath

 

 

Semi Final: 13th (71 points)

Final: 19th (176 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

And here we are, my most recent entry and my 100th so far. Just four places above my previous Conan entry, Telepath slots in considerably higher than my other 2023 entries so far. It helps that I've known it for over 18 months though! Telepath is my favourite Conan song, and I was gutted that he chose not to include it on the main tracklist for his Superache album (though it did make the Japanese deluxe). It was his third #1 in my chart, and I chose it as my 100th entry because Conan is the only lead artist I've sent to have achieved a UK top 20 hit after I sent him! In what's beginning to feel like a losing uphill battle up the BJSC scoreboard, Telepath fared quite well, finishing in the top 20. It's still one of Conan's most recent releases, with the Superache album coming out in the middle of 2022 and he continues to tour the album now.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

16/03/2019 | 07 | 09 weeks | The King | NAS | 40-x-23-30-7-9-16-24-22-30-x

13/04/2019 | 12 | 05 weeks | The Other Side | NAS | 17-12-22-37-32-x

29/06/2019 | 10 | 08 weeks | Checkmate | 1 | 17-10-13-24-33-x-40-38-x-39-x

14/09/2019 | 25 | 01 weeks | Comfort Crowd | 2 | 25-38-x

02/11/2019 | 04 | 23 weeks | Maniac | 3 | 4-8-12-18-27-31-36-x-31-22-26-9-12-11-13-21-19-23-30-18-23-26-32-36-x

18/01/2020 | 13 | 02 weeks | The Story | 4 | 13-39-x

21/03/2020 | 01 | 10 weeks | Wish You Were Sober | 5 | 8-1-2-3-4-8-13-16-23-32-x

18/07/2020 | 09 | 13 weeks | Heather | 6 | 9-10-17-28-33-17-19-17-18-19-29-30-38-x

17/10/2020 | 09 | 04 weeks | Fake (Lauv & Conan Gray) | FEAT | 9-11-22-32-x

27/02/2021 | 02 | 09 weeks | Overdrive | NAS | 2-5-6-11-20-25-24-32-36-x

15/05/2021 | 01 | 07 weeks | Astronomy | 1 | 1-3-11-18-21-34-38-x

17/07/2021 | 02 | 11 weeks | People Watching | 2 | 26-2-11-7-7-10-19-21-32-31-39-x

06/11/2021 | 01 | 14 weeks | Telepath | NAS | 1-2-5-7-8-13-13-17-14-19-24-26-31-36-x

29/01/2022 | 03 | 06 weeks | Jigsaw | 3 | 3-5-13-21-29-38-x

23/04/2022 | 05 | 05 weeks | Memories | 4 | 5-11-17-22-30-x

28/05/2022 | 15 | 08 weeks | Yours | 5 | 21-22-19-19-26-15-21-32-x

02/07/2022 | 04 | 05 weeks | Disaster | 6 | 4-7-15-36-33-x

 

26 | BJSC 127

 

Bastiaan and jens featuring Wiktoria

Someone Else

 

 

Semi Final: 15th (55 points)

Final: 28th (151 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

Already a big fan of Norwegian singer Jens Solberg, I was naturally interested in his first foray into a dance collaboration. Bastiaan is a Danish DJ, who had released just one single prior to this - a remix back in 2015. Five years later, he teamed up with jens as well as Swedish singer Wiktoria for a dance-pop banger that I loved from first listen. It was Bastiaan's first hit in my chart, and amazingly, Wiktoria's too - her previous Melfest entries must have just missed my top 40! jens scored a sixth top 10 with it, and when I sent it to BJSC, it was my second time sending him within a year. Thankfully, Someone Else fared much better than In or Out, qualifying for BJSC. It later hit #1 in my personal chart, and Bastiaan scored a follow-up top 5 hit with later TARO Bellamia entrant Torine, who I discovered via their collaboration. Wiktoria charted again with her Melfest song from 2023, and jens charted a couple of his EP tracks later in 2020 but, as per my In or Out post, he's been quiet for a long time now.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

Bastiaan

01/08/2020 | 01 | 14 weeks | Someone Else (Bastiaan & jens feat. Wiktoria) | NAS | 37-5-9-9-11-8-1-3-11-18-22-25-31-32-x

28/11/2020 | 05 | 04 weeks | Hate You (The Same) [bastiaan & Torine] | NAS | 35-5-15-27-x

 

jens

10/08/2019 | 03 | 05 weeks | Lottery | NAS | 3-7-18-32-36-x

28/09/2019 | 04 | 05 weeks | Awkward | NAS | 4-10-16-29-38-x

02/11/2019 | 10 | 04 weeks | Wish I Was Right for You | 1 | 10-14-23-30-x

25/04/2020 | 01 | 10 weeks | In or Out | 2 | 1-1-2-5-10-17-29-26-33-40-x

02/05/2020 | 15 | 03 weeks | A Place to Call Home | OST | 15-18-34-x

20/06/2020 | 09 | 03 weeks | Nocturnal | 3 | 9-20-31-x

01/08/2020 | 01 | 14 weeks | Someone Else (Bastiaan & jens feat. Wiktoria) | FEAT | 37-5-9-9-11-8-1-3-11-18-22-25-31-32-x

03/10/2020 | 14 | 02 weeks | Tough Love | AT | 14-37-x

03/10/2020 | 23 | 01 weeks | Johanna | AT | 23-x

 

Wiktoria

01/08/2020 | 01 | 14 weeks | Someone Else (Bastiaan & jens feat. Wiktoria) | FEAT | 37-5-9-9-11-8-1-3-11-18-22-25-31-32-x

18/02/2023 | 25 | 01 weeks | All My Life (Where Have You Been) | NAS | 25-x

 

25 | BJSC 86

 

Maty Noyes

In My Mind

 

http://i.imgur.com/mZzDvnC.png

 

Semi Final: 13th (57 points)

Final: 22nd (159 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

Struggling for a BJSC entry, this was one of the occasional months where I truly had nothing. I'm not sure what the plan was but I was probably going to be scraping the barrel for an entry initially. Then this pops up one Friday on the josepvinaixa blog and I take a listen out of curiosity. I knew Maty Noyes already from her feature on Kygo's Stay, and it certainly wouldn't have been the first time I'd sent a vocalist off a Kygo hit to BJSC. I loved In My Mind from the start and I confirmed it for the contest after just one play. It hit #1 in my chart in its first full week and notched up an impressive run in my top 40, while faring pretty well in BJSC too. An EP followed, with Maty's surname spelled out in capitals across the tracklist (hence this being "in my miNd" on the Spotify EP) and I paid attention to Maty for the next couple of years, though I became less interested in some of her more recent music.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

05/12/2015 | 04 | 10 weeks | Stay (Kygo feat. Maty Noyes) | FEAT | 36-27-38-x-4-10-17-22-28-38-x-28-x

09/07/2016 | 01 | 22 weeks | In My Mind | 1 | 10-1-3-8-10-14-19-25-28-25-19-25-31-32-34-39-30-24-29-34-37-40-x

25/02/2017 | 08 | 05 weeks | London | NAS | 8-11-19-27-37-x

11/03/2017 | 26 | 01 weeks | Falling Down (Arty feat. Maty Noyes) | FEAT | 26-x

16/09/2017 | 13 | 03 weeks | Say It to My Face | NAS | 13-21-26-x

30/06/2018 | 03 | 05 weeks | Spiraling Down | 1 | 3-6-13-21-29-x

28/07/2018 | 28 | 01 weeks | Porn Star | 3 | 28-x

 

24 | BJSC 57

 

tyDi featuring Kerli

Something About You

 

http://i.imgur.com/G3KHcPd.png

 

Semi Final: 4th (110 points)

Final: 4th (140 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

I stumbled across this track on some random MP3 source I used to use back in 2013. I had no idea what or who tyDi or Kerli were at the time (I wasn't in the contest for her previous entries), but I checked it out with BJSC in mind. Something About You is a pretty unique track among my entries, much dancier than anything I'd sent before and a definite U-turn following over a year of mostly mid-level hits at absolute best. It felt good to send something different though, and it paid off. Something About You was pegged as a potential winner, and it finished 4th in the final - by far my best result to that point, and it would remain my best result for six years! tyDi's had a few more top 40s in my chart, notably a top 5 hit with Greyson Chance, but I've not charted anything more by Kerli.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

tyDi

20/07/2013 | 01 | 11 weeks | Something About You (feat. Kerli) | NAS | 14-7-4-2-1-2-5-9-14-20-27-33-x

29/02/2014 | 29 | 02 weeks | Stay (feat. Dia Frampton) | NAS | 33-29-x

13/02/2016 | 39 | 02 weeks | Only (tyDi & Olivia Somerlyn) | PS | 39-40-x

20/02/2016 | 04 | 06 weeks | Oceans (tyDi & Jack Novak feat. Greyson Chance) | NAS | 18-4-7-12-25-36-x

 

Kerli

20/07/2013 | 01 | 11 weeks | Something About You (tyDi feat. Kerli) | FEAT | 14-7-4-2-1-2-5-9-14-20-27-33-x

 

23 | BJSC 85

 

Jesper Jenset

High

 

http://i.imgur.com/rqB1Ist.png

 

Semi Final: 3rd (108 points)

Final: 9th (208 points)

Personal Chart Peak: #2

 

Norway's Jesper Jenset was already on my radar when High came out. After taking part in Norway's Idol series, finishing fifth and securing a record deal, I discovered Jesper's debut single Superhero. It was typical "twinkpop" done perfectly, and it's one I still really enjoy. Never Coming Back, the follow-up, was more of the same, but things took a different turn with High. Moodier and darker in its sound, High veered more towards a dance-pop sound, and I loved it from first listen. Peaking at #2 in my chart, High felt like the song to bring Jesper to BJSC with, and it was a resounding success! A top 10 finish in the final was a pleasant surprise, and to that point, my highest finish with a male vocal. Jesper's next single interested me less (it was a weaker version of High) and he's charted intermittently since then, but did manage a top 5 hit with the lush FOR LOVE. Interestingly, his last three songs to make my chart all peaked at #40!

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

18/07/2015 | 10 | 09 weeks | Superhero | NAS | 10-17-12-16-21-19-24-30-37-x

28/11/2015 | 09 | 05 weeks | Never Coming Back | NAS | 9-14-15-21-30-x

14/05/2016 | 02 | 14 weeks | High | NAS | 3-2-5-7-8-10-13-15-13-17-21-29-36-37-x

26/11/2016 | 13 | 02 weeks | Lies | NAS | 13-26-x

19/05/2018 | 05 | 05 weeks | FOR LOVE. | 1 | 5-8-18-30-34-x

06/10/2018 | 40 | 01 weeks | Bad Vibrations | 1 | 40-x

31/10/2020 | 40 | 01 weeks | Skinny Jeans | 2 | 40-x

14/08/2021 | 40 | 01 weeks | Skyt Me I Hjertet | 1 | 40-x

 

22 | BJSC 108

 

Ruel

Younger

 

 

Semi Final: 19th (43 points)

Final: DNQ

Personal Chart Peak: #2

 

Despite taking an indefinite hiatus through 2018 and into 2019, I did break it a few times to send the occasional track. A DNQ in BJSC 107 didn't deter me from sending another song I adored the next month. I discovered Australian singer Ruel through a YouTube recommendation for his track Dazed & Confused. I knew he was special from that alone; Dazed & Confused remains a favourite of mine and an excellent display of the beginning of his signature sound, as well as a vocal to die for. Follow-up single Younger (found on the Ready EP with Dazed & Confused) peaked at #2 in my personal chart not long after and became one of the defining songs of the year for me. BJSC didn't care for it much sadly and it didn't qualify, but I'll always defend how brilliant this song is and how underrated Ruel is in general. Of course, a bigger BJSC hit did follow, but more on that later!

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

09/06/2018 | 04 | 13 weeks | Dazed & Confused | 2 | 4-7-12-22-21-20-17-20-30-38-35-x-35-x-37-x

28/07/2018 | 02 | 17 weeks | Younger | 3 | 6-6-2-4-5-7-12-11-17-23-29-35-x-29-32-x-40-39-x-29-x

10/11/2018 | 28 | 05 weeks | Not Thinkin' Bout You | 4 | 30-35-31-28-33-x

04/05/2019 | 01 | 19 weeks | Painkiller | 1 | 10-4-2-7-6-13-1-3-9-16-20-25-31-40-x-18-21-26-36-x-37-x

22/06/2019 | 20 | 03 weeks | Flames (SG Lewis feat. Ruel) | FEAT | 20-25-34-x

17/08/2019 | 10 | 09 weeks | Face to Face | 2 | 13-22-25-31-36-10-12-20-27-x

07/09/2019 | 05 | 06 weeks | Real Thing | 3 | 29-x-5-10-16-25-36-x

21/09/2019 | 04 | 12 weeks | Free Time | AT | 8-6-4-7-14-16-26-32-38-x-11-23-31-x

21/09/2019 | 39 | 01 weeks | Unsaid | AT | 39-x

08/02/2020 | 08 | 03 weeks | Down for You (Cosmo's Midnight & Ruel) | FEAT | 8-20-25-x

30/05/2020 | 07 | 06 weeks | Empty Love (GRACEY & Ruel) | FEAT | 16-x-38-7-16-24-40-x

19/09/2020 | 01 | 09 weeks | as long as you care | 1 | 1-3-5-10-15-18-21-26-36-x

10/10/2020 | 03 | 06 weeks | say it over (feat. Cautious Clay) | 2 | 3-8-13-16-23-34-x

16/01/2021 | 09 | 06 weeks | distance | 3 | 23-9-9-16-27-39-x

20/02/2021 | 03 | 07 weeks | too many feelings | NAS | 3-6-10-15-20-30-36-x

04/09/2021 | 40 | 01 weeks | Notice Me (Dylan J feat. Ruel) | FEAT | 40-x

11/12/2021 | 01 | 17 weeks | GROWING UP IS _____ | 1 | 12-1-2-2-3-6-8-12-15-14-22-28-30-28-32-36-x-28-x

19/03/2022 | 04 | 08 weeks | LET THE GRASS GROW | 2 | 4-6-14-22-24-33-34-39-x

20/08/2022 | 01 | 34 weeks | YOU AGAINST YOURSELF | 3 | 12-1-3-2-2-3-4-3-1-2-3-7-7-7-12-12-15-14-16-18-6-13-16-23-28-28-31-28-30-15-24-26-28-29-...

29/10/2022 | 02 | 13 weeks | SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM | 4 | 24-2-2-3-7-10-14-18-21-25-24-27-34-x

26/11/2022 | 06 | 08 weeks | golden hour (JVKE & Ruel) | FEAT | 15-6-16-20-24-28-30-36-x

28/01/2023 | 02 | 11 weeks | MUST BE NICE | 5 | 14-2-2-4-6-11-10-19-19-23-22-...

04/03/2023 | 02 | 06 weeks | I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE YOU | 6 | 5-2-5-5-11-15-...

11/03/2023 | 20 | 01 weeks | SET YOURSELF ON FIRE | AT | 20-x

11/03/2023 | 24 | 01 weeks | LIE | AT | 24-x

11/03/2023 | 30 | 01 weeks | END SCENE | AT | 30-x

11/03/2023 | 34 | 01 weeks | IF AND/OR WHEN | AT | 34-x

 

21 | BJSC 45

 

Haley Reinhart

Free

 

http://i.imgur.com/ee3lqxt.png

 

Semi Final: 23rd (32 points)

Final: DNQ

Personal Chart Peak: #1

 

My first year of entries was certainly patchy success-wise, and it varies strongly in quality I find, with a few dropping out early on but there's still a couple representing 2012 in the top end of this countdown, and I will forever make a case for this song. I discovered Haley Reinhart's Free because it was co-written by well-documented Joseph fave Lucie Silvas, but I knew nothing about Haley at the time. In 2011, Haley finished third in American Idol's tenth season and signed a record deal months later. Free was her debut single, with its parent album receiving positive critic reviews if not major commercial success. Free was a bit of a slow burner for me at first, initially peaking at #12 in my chart, but a re-entry saw it work its way up to the top 10 and then to #1! The album also peaked at #1 for me, spawning three further top 40 hits including a top 10 in deluxe track Spiderweb. It DNQd in BJSC unfortunately, but I firmly believe it deserved better and I remember being disappointed at the time. Haley's second album wasn't as strong in my opinion but it's title track was solid and made my top 20, and she did a gorgeous Elvis cover in 2015 that also features on her sophomore effort! A third album followed in 2017 though Haley's fallen a little off my radar unfortunately.

 

TARO Bellamia Chart History

 

07/04/2012 | 01 | 24 weeks | Free | 1 | 12-16-17-x-17-8-6-1-3-5-7-11-18-19-22-21-26-x-23-27-31-36-40-27-36-40-x

26/05/2012 | 20 | 01 weeks | Undone | AT | 20-x

09/06/2012 | 10 | 08 weeks | Spiderweb | AT | 10-14-13-18-22-25-29-x-40-x

27/04/2013 | 25 | 02 weeks | Let's Run Away | AT | 25-32-x

17/10/2015 | 30 | 01 weeks | Can't Help Falling in Love | 1 | 30-x

30/04/2016 | 20 | 04 weeks | Better | 2 | 20-24-34-40-x