i miss N DNTN and #00274E though :( they bring a different side of pop that i quite enjoy on occasion

Tbf looking back at the entries list most of my favourite entries didn't qualify anyway :lol: the whole way through.

coming into BJSC ~6 months ago with zero prior knowledge of what the prevailing tastes on this forum are, my impression is that the most 'popular'/common genre seems to be electronic, specifically that with a synth/pop crossover aspect & female vocals.

 

obviously this is just my view of what tends to be *most* likely to do well, but it has had an impact on my choices of song (for example, this month's entry and BABii are the only two entries of mine so far that I've been quite certain will qualify)

Just like, more generally, and this is unique to pop as a 'genre' (or well, anything sonically associated with a time period but for simplicity let's just say pop), it's very easy for pop of a sound that was popular some years ago to sound dated, and anyone stuck on those sorts of styles and sending pop will also likely not get much traction here because it sounds dated.

I can certainly say with confidence that there's certainly a niche of pop that will do fairly well usually (at least qualifying) and that's still true almost 5 years after i joined bjsc :kink: i don't think the problem has been sending the same thing over and over again :unsure:

I think pop is doing fine x (of the pop songs that DNQed the only one that was really surprising was Charlotte Sands)

this is rly interesting because I'd say my song this month is vv pop !!!

I personally don't like instrumental pieces (that often), songs with very few lyrics, or songs heavy on the experimental. I think it's great that people have found like-minded people in BJSC for this, but it has often left me wondering why people would vote one song over another (e.g. in BJSC 171, I really need someone to tell me how a song with the same word repeated over and over is better than Karmageddon)

 

As you've described — it's all subjective. 'CHAS' is bonkers and silly, but it's interesting and has great production. Memorable!

'CHAS' is bonkers and silly, but it's interesting and has great production. Memorable!

that's why i'm sure from the moment i see this song in bjsc that there is never a question of it nqing ;)

 

(mind i heard this song before and even charted it so i'm biased oop x)

coming into BJSC ~6 months ago with zero prior knowledge of what the prevailing tastes on this forum are, my impression is that the most 'popular'/common genre seems to be electronic, specifically that with a synth/pop crossover aspect & female vocals.

 

obviously this is just my view of what tends to be *most* likely to do well, but it has had an impact on my choices of song (for example, this month's entry and BABii are the only two entries of mine so far that I've been quite certain will qualify)

 

Yeah this is the actual answer. That sort of song tends to do well with most people no matter what their normal tastes are, as it's good at reaching across divides and only when there's true overload of it (as has happened a couple of times) does it start to sound passé.

 

On #00274E and N DNTN, what happened with them is that they, along with Aeroche and the other alt nations that fueled that wave, came in sending alt pop and indie pop to a contest in 2012 that was almost entirely built around the whims of Scandiavian electropop. One of the more dramatic shifts in the contest that I can recall, but looking back at it, that was actually all very pop-leaning compared to what we have now. Though of course through the years they've both been very diverse entrants.

 

it's a spectrum

After listening to the SF2 qualifiers I’m close to wanting to beg! Please return some of the more pop-centric nations!!!

This contest can definitely be split 2007-2011 era, and 2012-onwards era. A lot of the new countries who debuted in 2012/2013 definitely made it more indie/electronic leaning and, tbh, also a lot more competitive. Not to say there wasn't some indie/electronic stuff doing well in that early era, but it wasn't usually winning.

 

In those first few years I used to feel like I could send any catchy, well produced pop song (especially Scandipop/electro-pop, or better yet, a crossover of the two) and it would end up in the top 10 quite easily. This definitely was not the case from 2012 onwards, which is when I started to diversify a lot myself, not only because the contest was but also because my music taste evolved in my mid-20s quite a lot.

 

Pop is not a genre I really understand how to do well with anymore, apart from the odd fluke like Monaco, which is strange because it used to be my bread and butter. A different type of pop does well these days, and it's not always the kind of pop that I really love (which is melodic, very tightly produced stuff with a big chorus - which is why I vote for Altyr so often as they still send this kind of thing).

I also think BJSC has had a new era since 2023/2024? :unsure: maybe biased because of my marked change in fortunes in the contest :kink:

lowkey the reason why it looks like pop is on a decline is bc a lot of the definitive pop dedicated countries aren't here anymore (like TAROBell, Unovia, etc.) or only appear sporadically (Hushky/Ramrynia/UVLand), but the dedicated pop countries that are still here still have very well received entries + newer countries have potential to enter that area, and there are certainly other countries that fall into a gray area between mainstream pop and indie/alternative (I'd like to say me, but I prefer my "jack of all trades master of none" strategy :lol:)

 

idk what the definitive meta is right now, people seem to say synthpop but I also think the meta is "whatever Kath is sending" :lol:

lowkey the reason why it looks like pop is on a decline is bc a lot of the definitive pop dedicated countries aren't here anymore (like TAROBell, Unovia, etc.) or only appear sporadically (Hushky/Ramrynia/UVLand)

What would it take to get some of those well established nations to return, and not only return but to stay, and enjoy being part of BJSC again? The worst thing is for them to return for a month, fail to qualify, and leave feeling worse than before they returned. :(

 

I would love to see them back as I did enjoy their entries in a swathe of alt-leaning entries, it broke it up for me and I enjoyed the variety, but it didn't always reflect in my votes sadly, but that is down to me, I should try and embrace other genres than my usual ones I vote towards.

 

It is sad when these ones leave as it is often unannounced, and it leaves a gaping hole that other nations can't fill, and with them a genre gets more and more depleted it feels like, and thus, new eras come along like uhsting said.

 

What about another off-limit "BJSC Reunion" event for the future to encourage some former nations back again maybe? :D

Whereas I kind of feel like the most reliable genre to send is long songs full of instrumental noise :lol:

hmm idk if I'd say it was declining as such, at least not currently but it can be hit or miss for sure (I guess that can be said for any genre though). There was a time a few years back where pop wasn't doing well at all though and it was very dance/instrumental heavy - the best hope for a pop-voter was a dance track with vocals :lol: I do think people can be overly critical of pop songs in BJSC though, like they'll avoid it completely unless it strikes some sort of niche. The best way to go is to find a pop track that can have appeal across the board on some sort of level which isn't always easy, I feel like Trust! By Rebecca Black is a really good example (okay it didn't win) but I still think dance voters appreciated it. Actually, Hendinia entries in general seem to be a good indicator for the sort of pop that resonates, same for POPHub (although poor brave Charlotte Sands </3 ). Cor Lupus are usually on the money too.

 

I do think if there's any type of entry that's going to suffer due to the semi draw it's usually the pop songs, you're kinda doomed right away if you end up in a semi without the known pop fans because there aren't as many as there once was. Most of my entries from the past year or so were pop though and I'm on my longest Q streak so there's still some hope :lol: I think the tide is starting to turn though so maybe this is the beginning of the end for us :kink:

ugh, my #impact

#TaaHub :wub:

when emlyn survived the semi of death

Not sure if my entry is considered pop, because it clearly sounds more J-Pop and pop-rock rather than the contemporary American/European/Scandi pop in general.

 

I might once return to that subgenre of music again (Ilse DeLange - Confetti Shotgun) later on this year...

Edited January 27Jan 27 by CowTzy

oh no please keep doing J-pop or Asian pop in general I think you're tapping into something BJSC is sorely missing xx :wub:

 

and I have to keep Bré annoyed with my stannings x don't remove one of the ways to annoy him pleek ;) ;)