^^

@Calum In all honesty I don’t think that’s even remotely true either. People just love what they love, and sometimes you just can’t vote for all the songs you want to vote!!!

I wanted to vote for 16 songs this month, and outside of my Top 10 only Herbilore didn’t make it, which is sad because I can say that I loved it equally as much as some of the songs I voted!!! But for me the lower end votes, they always get shuffled between 5-6 songs and I always get into conflict with myself which ones to award and which ones to remove, especially when it’s a strong semi as this one this time!!!

And I always hope and pray they all make it to finals!!!

5 minutes ago, blacksquare said:

I actually quite liked 'Everything Reminds Me of You', but just found this semi to be ridiculously strong — more so than usual. So many songs felt indirectly aimed at my taste, total bloodbath

Yeah my top 15 in Semi 2 were as strong to my taste as my top 7 or so in Semi 1, so I think Valencia would have been about mid pack in my Semi 1 vote had it been there.

Unfortunately the pop songs did get a tough draw in there but I love the presence of Herbilore in the contest.

Thanks for the responses guys :)

I do all mine blind and sometimes get a nice surprise, but for the most part see similar names at the end (including one tbh that I’d rather not see as I don’t think they’re very nice!)

I liked your entry too Herbs as it happens, just not enough to point it this time around. From memory, I think it was about 14th in my rank.

Like gooddelta, I tend to listen blind these days on shuffle until the last listen through on the day I vote. I often don't know which is which until then, yet I still find that similar countries pop up in my votes. If anything, I think I'm more likely to push a country up in my votes if I feel like I don't vote for them as often and they've sent something I liked

16 minutes ago, Herbs said:

Thanks for the responses guys :)

I do all mine blind and sometimes get a nice surprise, but for the most part see similar names at the end (including one tbh that I’d rather not see as I don’t think they’re very nice!)

Someone just got draggedT

Herbs you were one away from getting a point from me if that’s any consolation!

I do still think you should’ve qualified. However, Super Elastic would have been a much safer bet.

But then again, you should only enter what you enjoy.

1 hour ago, Jade said:

SEMI FINAL 2

Did Not Qualify

23rd: Scotland 2 • fakemink - Braces (22 pts)

MY RECORD LIIIIIIIIIIIIVES

I don’t understand the score that New Lexico and Yehesi got. Like. At all. Baffling to me. Herbilore was 11th in my votes and that also deserved more points too

Lost my 5 and 3 as well as my already 10. (Freidland and East Rukahavian respectively).

As for my qualification, well yes I was purposely voting late due to the backlash which whilst AI yadada i get but then I don't like this public coded chinese whispers treatment which I find completely weird tbh. I fail to see how its the only 'moral conflicting' entry there either

Thanks to those who did vote it through cause they enjoyed it. I do wish I changed it now, gah.

15 minutes ago, Roba. said:

As for my qualification, well yes I was purposely voting late due to the backlash which whilst AI yadada i get but then I don't like this public coded chinese whispers treatment which I find completely weird tbh.

Sorry to hear that you feel this way, Rob. There has been unexpected controversy at pretty much every stage so far that’s been a bit of a challenge to navigate, but ultimately, I’ve tried my best to make this edition a safe, fun space. So I wouldn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable or singled out.

I think everyone’s made their points now (not to knock that in general, there’s definitely interesting debates to be had) so hopefully we can collectively move on.

23 minutes ago, Roba. said:

Lost my 5 and 3 as well as my already 10. (Freidland and East Rukahavian respectively).

As for my qualification, well yes I was purposely voting late due to the backlash which whilst AI yadada i get but then I don't like this public coded chinese whispers treatment which I find completely weird tbh. I fail to see how its the only 'moral conflicting' entry there either

Thanks to those who did vote it through cause they enjoyed it. I do wish I changed it now, gah.

I haven’t heard the whole song, but from the little highlight reel Jade put together it sounds really promising!

Agreed that nobody should be singled out and made to feel embarrassed for their selection choices. This is after all a song contest and every type of audible art, genre, vocals etc are allowed and should be welcomed, even if it's not always to everyone's personal taste. It is what brings variety and diversity to an otherwise stale contest of the same kinds of entries each time. It's possibly the reason some former regulars walked away in the past unannounced.

It's up to the rest of us to make this the safe space Jade said and be willing to welcome back returning nations with fresh ideas in the future.

I'm not ashamed to say I was one of Summericia's supporters in my semi final and felt perfectly fine to assign their entry points just the same way I did for everyone else. I did not treat them differently because of what they sent. I enjoyed it and that's how I scored it.

I'll even go as far as saying thank you to Rob for sending it because I discovered something I would otherwise not have known of before.

I think everyone is entitled to vote as they please but it’d be a good idea to move on from continuing to bring up the controversy if the member involved is uncomfortable, especially as they were none the wiser when entering the song.

Now here’s to the final 😊 I’m impressed with the calibre of the line-up and can’t wait to find out how voting unfolds over the week.

(I really need to sleep… 😅)

JUSTICE FOR YEHESI!!!!!

6 hours ago, Silas said:

I don’t understand the score that New Lexico and Yehesi got. Like. At all. Baffling to me. Herbilore was 11th in my votes and that also deserved more points too

7 minutes ago, Cameron said:

JUSTICE FOR YEHESI!!!!!

My dream team 💓

sorry aside from the drama - thanks for hosting Jade. Nice, slick job

Sorry Jade, I know you said it's best to move on and there's no need to reply or anything but I did just want to say sorry Rob again for bringing it up in kind of a weird way that made the 'chinese whispers' thing happen. I sometimes make impulsive posts. It did generate some rather interesting discussion but could've also been initiated in a different way. I wouldn't want anyone to feel so uncomfortable when having their entry discussed. In any case, it's definitely not personal, especially as you didn't know.

I did wonder if maybe in some time there's gonna be more and more AI entries. Like gooddelta said, the lines are also getting more blurred.

15 hours ago, LexC said:

So to summarise:

• That slag Rob steals my entry when he only found it the day of confirmations opening

• I get robbed of an AQ by the odd number of entries

• I get screwed by maybe the worst semi-final draw possible

BJSC 179, get tae f***!

Bitch, the song only came out the day before confirmations open!

I do feel bad for this set of circumstances though, love you Lex x

Qualification streak update (underlined nations have matched or beaten their longest streak to date, streaks that are longer when counting non-consecutive participations are in italics where applicable):

01 59 Hendinia (non-consecutive: 64)

02 24 Aeroche

03 21 Danæviia

04 19 Greenfroze

05 16 Neliönoir

06 15 Altyr Muunilinst

06 15 Cor Lupus

08 14 Kluminican Republic

09 10 Jadakissnia

10 9 FARC

10 9 FSR Rontvia

12 7 Land of DW

12 7 Zanmatony

14 6 République d'Áskorza

14 6 Skall

14 6 Terra Avium

17 5 Kathaldazia

17 5 Mothertopia

17 5 POPHub

20 4 Aelandor

20 4 Fljótavík

20 4 Pestolia

23 3 Cheiron

23 3 Elëdan

23 3 Flynnonda

23 3 Summericia

23 3 Taahino

28 2 Deandria

28 2 Dobago

28 2 Jupiterdonia

28 2 N DNTN (non-consecutive: 4)

28 2 Persephonia

28 2 Séyetana

28 2 The Spodic Empire

35 1 A-Konohagakure

35 1 Baleghde

35 1 Bøtanikkä

35 1 Cumulonimbia

35 1 Hushkanukia

35 1 Lookylion

35 1 Sovarasma

xx (5) Lotunia

xx (4) New Lexico

xx (2) Bronzil

xx (2) Herbilore

xx (1) East Rukahavian

xx (1) Harmonica (non-consecutive: 5)

xx (1) Pagasa *

xx (1) Scotland 2

* did not enter this contest so may resume a non-consecutive streak in the future

Everyone with a streak of at least 6 in the last contest qualified again this time so no changes at the top of the board - Hendinia's neverending streak continues to never end marching on to a record expanding 59 in a row and 64 in non-consecutive contests, Aeroche stay their closest competitor and Danæviia, Greenfroze and Neliönoir continue to round out the top 5 each expanding their current national records to 21, 19 and 16. The rest of the top 10 also stay put, Kluminican Republic expand their current record streak in consecutive contests again to 14 which is now only one away from matching their record in non-consecutive contests. Jadakissnia's AQ puts them in the double digits club again which now encompasses the top 9.

Land of DW surpass the previous record they matched last month making it 7 in a row for the first time. Terra Avium now match their previous consecutive contests record of 6 in a row (previously set in BJSCs 167-172, but remaining short of their record in non-consecutive contests of 8 in a row achieved in BJSCs 112-116 & 118-120), as do Mothertopia on 5 in a row (previously done in BJSCs 169-173), Cheiron on 3 (previously done in BJSCs 165-167 and again in BJSCs 169-171) and, as Mattias recently mentioned, Deandria on surprisingly just 2 despite their very lengthy though sporadic contest history (they previously did 2 in a row in BJSCs 17-18, 81-82, 98-99 and 119-120, plus a couple more pairs of back-to-back qualifiers in non-consecutive contests for BJSCs 93 & 96 and 105 & 107).

I'm astonished that Deandria never managed 3 in a row back in the day... for some reason I remember them being quite successful but maybe I'm mixing things up with Unknown Pleasures