6 minutes ago, PeteFromLeeds said:

Ooh nice to see Tavo Akys here! Certainly something a bit different for Eurovision, glad the UK pointed it well. It's been quite the run of good Lithuanian Eurovision entries for me - this one will be appearing in my EOY at some point as well!

Hi Pete, oh yes I think it was 8 points on the televote, forced to stan the diaspora and taste of course just caught up with your EOY and I see you haven't got to the top 100 yet so I'm pleased it's somewhere in there thank you for commenting! :)

Indeed definitely much more here for the twigs representation in this section <3 'Striptease' I think is probably my 2nd favourite song from 'EUSEXUA' after 'Drums Of Death', I don't think I actually knew about there being a version with Eartheater (I was pretty out of the loop on the whole re-release / new album stuff) so may have to check that out, I always think of Purity Ring when I hear this song but that may or may not just be because 'Fineshrine' is probably the only other song I've ever heard that contains the word 'sternum' haha. Man/Woman/Chainsaw is a very standout artist name (I remember spotting it on the lineup of a local music festival around here a while back x), don't think the sound of their music matches the vibe of the name really but 'Only Girl' is a great wholesome indie tune, definitely an act to keep an eye on. 'Summer Forever' I think is a better showcase of Lana vibes from Addison than 'Diet Pepsi' was (even though that did grow on me eventually) but still thought she had better songs on her album, salty that when we saw her live her set snubbed both my favourite of her singles ('High Fashion') and her album tracks ('In The Rain') </3 but this one was a fun one to hear live iirc. I hadn't heard 'Unidos' before the other day, I was kind of hoping from that collaboration that it'd have a bit more of a Latin flair to it but it's still a very infectious house tune, a lot better than a lot of Dan Snaith's Caribou output of late. I mostly flopped at listening to albums from 2025 again so I need to do some catchup for that at some point and The Horrors' album needs to be a high priority there, 'Lotus Eater' is a bit more lowkey than the other tracks I've heard from it but still a wonderful atmosphere builder. Also need to check out the PinkPantheress album, 'Nice To Know You' is the best of the album tracks I've heard from it I think, actually didn't know about it sampling 'Spiral', that was sent to BJSC as République d'Áskorza (or Ashton at the time)'s 50th entry before the anniversary entry rules existed but they snuck it through anyway. I did hear The Weeknd's album and I think it's quite underrated on BuzzJack (albeit maybe some of the songs do blend in with each other a little too much x), happy that 'Timeless' delivered him a big hit from the era even though it doesn't really fit the aesthetic of the rest of the album and yeah the whole Carti AI thing is a bit of a side-eye to it but at least we can presumably trust that the vibey instrumental and Abel's own parts are actually legit Was cool that we had a snap favourite in Eurovision, a shame the UK diaspora support for Lithuanian entries does not extend past voting numbers and into the actual charts as it would have been wonderful to see 'Tavo Akys' becoming a hit but at least it did do decently in the contest despite not sounding at all like typical Eurovision fare, we stan a moody jam. Shame the vibes around Eurovision have turned quite rancid now, still not quite sure but thinking I might give the show a miss this year but I'll plan to listen to the songs again at least and hopefully there'll still be a few good discoveries to be made there. Think I recall 'I Search For A Sign' being at one of the BJSC semi listenthroughs that you weren't able to attend so I heard it before you and knew immediately it'd be a big fave for you haha, I did rank it in the top 5 of its semi as well so boo at the DNQ but was good to see it making your chart anyway as I feel DNQs usually don't show up there (same with the massively robbed Snapped Ankles from the same semi x). 'Butterflies' is another song like 'Sushi' that I think takes a little while to get good but then I get very into it towards the end, think it is my 2nd fave of the songs I heard from the TV Girl/George album after 'Take A Trip'.

58 minutes ago, Brer said:

Indeed definitely much more here for the twigs representation in this section <3 'Striptease' I think is probably my 2nd favourite song from 'EUSEXUA' after 'Drums Of Death', I don't think I actually knew about there being a version with Eartheater (I was pretty out of the loop on the whole re-release / new album stuff) so may have to check that out, I always think of Purity Ring when I hear this song but that may or may not just be because 'Fineshrine' is probably the only other song I've ever heard that contains the word 'sternum' haha. Man/Woman/Chainsaw is a very standout artist name (I remember spotting it on the lineup of a local music festival around here a while back x), don't think the sound of their music matches the vibe of the name really but 'Only Girl' is a great wholesome indie tune, definitely an act to keep an eye on. 'Summer Forever' I think is a better showcase of Lana vibes from Addison than 'Diet Pepsi' was (even though that did grow on me eventually) but still thought she had better songs on her album, salty that when we saw her live her set snubbed both my favourite of her singles ('High Fashion') and her album tracks ('In The Rain') </3 but this one was a fun one to hear live iirc. I hadn't heard 'Unidos' before the other day, I was kind of hoping from that collaboration that it'd have a bit more of a Latin flair to it but it's still a very infectious house tune, a lot better than a lot of Dan Snaith's Caribou output of late. I mostly flopped at listening to albums from 2025 again so I need to do some catchup for that at some point and The Horrors' album needs to be a high priority there, 'Lotus Eater' is a bit more lowkey than the other tracks I've heard from it but still a wonderful atmosphere builder. Also need to check out the PinkPantheress album, 'Nice To Know You' is the best of the album tracks I've heard from it I think, actually didn't know about it sampling 'Spiral', that was sent to BJSC as République d'Áskorza (or Ashton at the time)'s 50th entry before the anniversary entry rules existed but they snuck it through anyway. I did hear The Weeknd's album and I think it's quite underrated on BuzzJack (albeit maybe some of the songs do blend in with each other a little too much x), happy that 'Timeless' delivered him a big hit from the era even though it doesn't really fit the aesthetic of the rest of the album and yeah the whole Carti AI thing is a bit of a side-eye to it but at least we can presumably trust that the vibey instrumental and Abel's own parts are actually legit Was cool that we had a snap favourite in Eurovision, a shame the UK diaspora support for Lithuanian entries does not extend past voting numbers and into the actual charts as it would have been wonderful to see 'Tavo Akys' becoming a hit but at least it did do decently in the contest despite not sounding at all like typical Eurovision fare, we stan a moody jam. Shame the vibes around Eurovision have turned quite rancid now, still not quite sure but thinking I might give the show a miss this year but I'll plan to listen to the songs again at least and hopefully there'll still be a few good discoveries to be made there. Think I recall 'I Search For A Sign' being at one of the BJSC semi listenthroughs that you weren't able to attend so I heard it before you and knew immediately it'd be a big fave for you haha, I did rank it in the top 5 of its semi as well so boo at the DNQ but was good to see it making your chart anyway as I feel DNQs usually don't show up there (same with the massively robbed Snapped Ankles from the same semi x). 'Butterflies' is another song like 'Sushi' that I think takes a little while to get good but then I get very into it towards the end, think it is my 2nd fave of the songs I heard from the TV Girl/George album after 'Take A Trip'.

I had forgotten you rated 'Drums Of Death' so highly but can see why that's a big favourite. I'll always associate it with the title track thanks to its inclusion in the music video *.* I also thought of that Purity Ring song when re-listening to 'Striptease' and locking into the lyrics haha, what a throwback <3

My thoughts on those two Addison songs are exactly the same! Wild that I went from dismissing 'Diet Pepsi' as a bit of a Lana pastiche (albeit later a grower) to seeing her in the flesh alongside actual Lana, lol. Shame 'High Fashion' is so underrated in general as Addison seems to absolutely love it from all the interviews I've watched of her. Glad 'Unidos' was a good discovery for you!

Yeah definitely give that Horrors album a go! I'm admittedly not too familiar with their back catalogue but consensus seems to be that it was a return to form. I simply had to check it out based on stanning 'The Silence That Remains' so hard and am glad 'Lotus Eater' then hit me more. Fancy That is so much fun, I had forgotten you hadn't actually heard it yet, but definitely worth checking out. Her remix project was a bit overwhelming for me with so many tracks but I'm appreciating the Zara remix recently, now it's had a standalone spotlight. I don't think I knew 'Spiral' was sent to BJSC in the past, ooh!

Perhaps I need to make an abridged version of The Weeknd's album as I think that is just another project that overwhelmed me too much yeah when 'Timeless' dropped I remember thinking it felt quite different to what he'd recently been putting out, but a good move to bring back hype as it sounded like more of an obvious hit. 'Tavo Akys' supremacy <3 yeah, what has happened with ESC is such a shame.

That SyncTube anecdote rings a bell now you mention it! You know me too well and fair re. 'Butteflies', the breakdown towards the end is so good 🦋 <3

Thank you again Brer for the detailed comment!! 🤩

TOP 100 SONGS: 80-71

80. Tyler, The Creator - Ring Ring Ring | 186 points

79. Gorillaz - The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks) | 187 points

78. Sugababes - Weeds | 191 points

77. sombr - 12 to 12 | 192 points (peak: #12)

76. Night Tapes - storm | 192 points (peak: #10)

75. Lady Gaga - Garden Of Eden | 199 points

74. goneMUNE - AMNESIA | 200 points (peak: #7)

73. Kraftwerk - Europe Endless {BJSC 100th anniversary entry} | 200 points (peak: #4)

72. Model/Actriz - Cinderella | 201 points

71. Oklou - dance 2 | 202 points

Tyler, The Creator dropped ninth studio album Don't Tap the Glass this year and surprised listeners with more of a carefree, hip house sound. I can understand why this project divided fans, due to its dancefloor-ready sonic shift and less hard-hitting lyrical content than usual, but the Neptunes-style flavour of the era did pull me in for the most part, especially with a summer release. 'Ring Ring Ring' also has older influences as it samples 'All in the Way You Get Down' by Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio. I wasn't familiar with this song, so just checked it out and I appreciate the smooth groove, which appears to borrow from Heatwave's 'Boogie Nights'. Tyler layers his production with further synths, disco strings and of course, the ringing of a phone. Lyrically, he is pining for an ex that he doesn't feel ready to let go of yet, despite her cutting him out. This is clearly illustrated on "I know you said not to call you again, but I miss you". Hopefully he respects her boundaries and moves on in time, but for now, I appreciate the inspiration for this slick summer jam. It feels like a hit that got away, as one of the catchiest songs on the album, merely registering a #44 placing on the Billboard Hot 100 and #62 in the U.K. chart.

Much like Tyler, Gorillaz are also gearing up to release their ninth studio album soon. This project, The Mountain, was lead with Sparks collaboration 'The Happy Dictator'. The two acts came together after the latter group left a note in Damon Albarn's dressing room at Primavera Sound Festival, encouraging him to reach out them if he wished to team-up. I'm pleased Albarn accepted this offer as Russell Mael's harmonies are a highlight of the song for me. But Albarn's own vocal contributions, as Gorillaz member 2-D of course, are also powerful. 'The Happy Dictator' was inspired by a holiday to Turkmenistan with his daughter. He witnessed their dictatorship in action and was fascinated by the concept of all bad news being banned. Obviously, that's a terrifying and overly controlling thought, but also allows the listener to reflect on their own relationship with today's constant stream of unavoidable bad news. It's a layered topic that I've struggled navigating, as someone who wants to stay informed, yet wishes to not be too overwhelmed by it all, which certainly comes with a level of privilege. Gorillaz take this subject and frame it through the rose-tinted lens of a dictator, with lines such as: "no more bad news, so you can sleep well at night, and the palace of your mind will be bright". They also tap into other relevant topics right now, like the line "broken hearts being full of rage", in an era full of rage bait and radicalisation online. The package is psychedelic, haunting and with a synth-pop backing reminiscent of Plastic Beach, an album that has flourished in the streaming era. Gorillaz experienced a fantastic year for their back catalogue in general, with 'Feel Good Inc.' returning to the top 40 in 2025, while 'The Happy Dictator' settled for a more modest #73 chart position. However, this still allowed for the fun observation of Coldplay's 'Sparks' (another British group thriving with their older material) and the band Sparks charting in the top 75 simultaneously.

Sugababes treated fans to the singles 'Jungle', 'Weeds' and 'Shook' in 2025, as well as performing on tour. That second release 'Weeds' was the one to grab me the most. The girls claim the song is about "growing together" which feels appropriate for their long, turbulent history together, but also more literally - as 'Weeds' suitably contains a lot of beautiful, botanical imagery. The music video also taps into this with simple but ethereal visuals. The trip-hop genre felt en vogue last year in female dance-pop music, with the likes of Addison Rae and FKA twigs adopting this sound on their latest projects. This development was music to my ears as I am a big fan of that world. The trip-hop direction for 'Weeds' was a gorgeous choice and feels natural for the girls. 'Stronger' from the 2.0 era particularly stands out to me as a previous trip-hop tinged highlight from the group. The Mutya, Keisha and Siobhán line-up never disappoint with their harmonies, so deliver 'Weeds' to perfection.

American singer-songwriter sombr experienced a stellar breakthrough in 2025, achieving three U.K. top 10 hits. 'Undressed' reached the dizzy heights of #4 while 'back to friends' and '12 to 12' both got to #7. I'm pleased the latter eventually found its way to the top 10, even if a #12 peak at one point was fitting. It still claimed the latter in my weekly personal chart, at least! '12 to 12' grabbed me the most from his trio of big hits, with its more upbeat, funky style. It sounds influenced by '80s synth music but also with some '70s blues and disco pointers. sombr similarly adopts two different styles for his vocal performance - with a soft, falsetto delivery but also one that resembles more of a growl. Lyrically, he has feelings for someone who doesn't appear to reciprocate. sombr stars opposite... himself in the music video, but also with none other than Addison Rae, who I've now name-checked twice in this section without her own music appearing! '12 to 12' is pop boy excellence with its catchy, infectious hooks, driving synth production and added marimba for memorable effect.

UK-Estonian group Night Tapes were vaguely on my radar but it took their song 'babygirl (like n01 else)' to properly hook me in. This was entered to my 'Dreamy Pop' edition of the Pop Forum Song Contest by blacksquare and received top marks. I then closely followed the rest of this portals//polarities era, becoming particularly infatuated with 'Helix' which is still to come, but also had a lot of appreciation for 'Storm'. This song invites us to show up for others even if it may not seem convenient when times are hard. Our very own blacksquare once again showcased this group on the forum, via their nation Neliönoir, in the BuzzJack Song Contest. I thought this particular song was a smart pick from Night Tapes' repetoire as it is so instant, thanks to an enchanting vocal performance from Iiris Vesik, plus ambient yet accessible electronic production, with gorgeous drums. Night Tapes indeed took the contest by storm and became my favourite non-Jadakissnia winning entry of the year.

Lady Gaga released her sixth studio album MAYHEM in 2025, a triumphant era. 'Garden Of Eden' is the third track on the album, a prominent placing that helped it to chart here, reaching #23. Gaga uses sinful biblical metaphors, such as the forbidden fruit in the titular location, to illustrate bad decisions made at the club. The production certainly feels ready to captivate any sweaty dance floor audience with its glorious stuttering synths, provided by Gesaffelstein. The punchy chorus is reminiscent of classic The Fame/Monster Gaga pop perfection, which checks out, as she intentionally wanted this song to be a 2000s throwback, extending to the electro-clash influence in the production too. It's a shame her team dropped the ball on post-album activity, as this is crying out for a video!

From one religious reference to another, goneMUNE's 'AMNESIA' opens with: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth". I came across this song while potential hunting for the BuzzJack Song Contest. My nation Jadakissnia opened 2025 with a remarkable run of three top 10 hits, the only country to do so between editions 171-173, so the pressure was on to extend this to another contest - as I had never achieved four top 10s in a row before. Unfortunately, this dream didn't quite materialise, as my selection of 'AMNESIA' resulted in a 25th place finish in the end. But it still extended my qualifying streak and felt true to the Jadakissnian sound nevertheless. goneMUNE is a dark alt pop artist from Singapore, whose cyborg persona Averdonia takes us through 'AMNESIA' - exploring themes of grief, loneliness and resilience in the lyrics. The back-drop of darkwave synths of course sealed the deal.

No, you have not just stepped into a time machine with the #73 song in this countdown. My 10th anniversary of joining the BuzzJack Song Contest fell this year, so I got to send something special to my 100th contest, to mark the occasion. Kraftwerk are one of my all-time favourite artists and I felt they deserved more love on the forum, after an underwhelming placement in the BuzzJack's Favourite Group event, despite being pioneers in their field. My nation is also pretty synonymous with dark synths so Kraftwerk felt like appropriate founding fathers. I had a wealth of choice, with many classic studio albums under their belt, but ultimately decided on the opening track of Trans-Europe Express, 'Europe Endless'. This seemed like a particularly epic choice, clocking in with a duration of 9:41, my longest entry to date. Kraftwerk are travelling through Europe by train and make note of both its "elegance" and "decadence" in this song. The production, dating back to 1977, shines in a particularly progressive year for electronic music. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect of this entry, with Leww predicting it to either smash or bomb, but in the end taste prevailed and I achieved a remarkable 4th place finish! This may be far from a 2025 release, but it heavily impacted my year due to its BJSC inclusion, therefore performing well enough in my weekly chart to take a spot here.

American band Model/Actriz first came to my attention when @Brer's nation Persephonia sent 'Mosquito' to the BuzzJack Song Contest in 2023, which received my bronze medal. They were then back in my orbit when I heard the brilliant 'Cinderella' on 6Music, later also unleashed to the BuzzJack Song Contest, placing in a strong 4th. Their mix of enthralling dance-punk production and heartfelt LGBTQ+ themes made for a compelling listen. Vocalist Cole Haden particularly lays everything on the line during the second verse, detailing his childhood anecdote of wanting a Cinderella birthday party, which may sound like an insignificant detail, but has clearly caused some trauma - as he is nervous about sharing it with a date. The production at this point of the song really ramps up to further illustrate that anxiety. The music video is striking as it brings to life both the protagonist's masculine side and more repressed feminine desires. It's sad to watch the shaming of the latter flamboyance but the video is peppered with some humour too. The songwriting is imaginative while the production instantly grips, with its dissonant guitars and hand claps. Stream Pirouette.

'dance 2' is the highest placing addition from the deluxe version of Oklou's choke enough, but isn't the last we'll see of her. I think of the standard album as quite an introverted, late night 'in your feelings' project to listen to alone in your room. So I was surprised to find this dance-pop banger sitting in with the deluxe tracks! But I was certainly not complaining, as it's an exciting step, plus not entirely without more familiar moments of serenity, both in the production and as she states "I feel I should maybe slow down". But ultimately, 'dance 2' is utter euphoria for the clubs and festivals, with a hand from Sega Bodega on the production. He used to live in an East London warehouse with Oklou and pushed her to finish the song for years. I'm glad that persistence paid off in the end!

Nice to see "Tavo akys", "Timeless", "Ring Ring Ring" and "12 To 12" on here.

1 hour ago, Sergej said:

Nice to see "Tavo akys", "Timeless", "Ring Ring Ring" and "12 To 12" on here.

Hi Sergej, glad you appreciate all of those songs too :) nice to see 'Tavo akys' getting quite a lot of love in this thread so far *.*

thank you for commenting!

There are much more better songs in Lithuania.

But your taste is more obscure/indie.

Wow Jade how dare you not have any Lithuanian songs in your personal chart

2 hours ago, Last Dreamer said:

There are much more better songs in Lithuania.

But your taste is more obscure/indie.

I should've known that any mention of Lithuania would draw you to this thread

14 minutes ago, pavi said:

Wow Jade how dare you not have any Lithuanian songs in your personal chart

There's 1 but too indie and the blonde singer is male x

Even worse than having no songs at all x

Hi Jade

I'm very happy to see Madison Beer here. I've been on board with her for quite a while not waiting for her to properly breakthrough. There's been a few false starts where it looked like it might happen but unfortuantly she remains underrated so far. Massive hype for the album next week.

I've obviously got to mention Ari as well 🤣 I'm a rare dissenting voice that thinks 'Wicked: For Good' was better than the original. Although, I do concede that the songs aren't to the same level overall.

'Timeless' won me over despite my usual aversion to Carti and 'Ring Ring Ring' was my highlight from a Tyler album that I found to be one of my biggest disappointments of the year.

Excited to see what else is to come 🙂

Great list so far Jade x

Especially liking ‘viscus’ sneaking in. The lyrics have really struck a chord with me. Such a beautiful beautiful song

“it’d be nice to grow old

without being under attack” ❤️😭

Giving dance 2 a listen given you linked it - it's a nice song! I've not heard anything else from Oklou (not sure if I've been living under a rock as the name does seem familiar ) but this one is very funky, very dance-able to and the vocals go well with it.

3 hours ago, LewisGT said:

Hi Jade

I'm very happy to see Madison Beer here. I've been on board with her for quite a while not waiting for her to properly breakthrough. There's been a few false starts where it looked like it might happen but unfortuantly she remains underrated so far. Massive hype for the album next week.

I've obviously got to mention Ari as well 🤣 I'm a rare dissenting voice that thinks 'Wicked: For Good' was better than the original. Although, I do concede that the songs aren't to the same level overall.

'Timeless' won me over despite my usual aversion to Carti and 'Ring Ring Ring' was my highlight from a Tyler album that I found to be one of my biggest disappointments of the year.

Excited to see what else is to come 🙂

Hi Lewis!

Great that you've had Madison's back for quite a while now. I remember wondering if she was on the cusp of breaking out when 'Make You Mine' came out, as I kept seeing it on social media, alas it wasn't to be. Fingers crossed she can get a first top 20 album with this new project.

Haha, Ariana always an artist for us to bond over *.* fair, my brother actually preferred the Wicked sequel as well! I was into a lot of the songs from the first film, like: 'No One Mourns The Wicked', 'Popular', 'What Is This Feeling?' and, of course, 'Defying Gravity', whereas 'For Good' and 'No Good Deed' only really pulled me in for the second one.

Shame the Tyler project was so disappointing for you, but I can see why, fingers crossed his next one will be more up your street.

Thank you for popping in here, much appreciated

2 hours ago, k👠th said:

Great list so far Jade x

Especially liking ‘viscus’ sneaking in. The lyrics have really struck a chord with me. Such a beautiful beautiful song

“it’d be nice to grow old

without being under attack” ❤️😭

Ooh hi Kath, glad you're enjoying so far

Those lyrics you highlight are beautiful indeed 🥺

thank you for commenting! xx

2 hours ago, PeteFromLeeds said:

Giving dance 2 a listen given you linked it - it's a nice song! I've not heard anything else from Oklou (not sure if I've been living under a rock as the name does seem familiar ) but this one is very funky, very dance-able to and the vocals go well with it.

Glad you're enjoying 'dance 2' <3 Oklou started off the year with a 10th place finish for me in BJSC (with 'choke enough' but she'd previously been sent on the forum with older material as well) and then managed to chart an album in the top 100 the following month, off the back of some online hype! She is also currently my avatar on here as I love the aesthetics of the album booklet as well as the music *.*

Thanks for commenting! :)

TOP 100 SONGS: 70-61

70. Addison Rae - In The Rain | 212 points

69. FKA twigs - 24hr Dog | 215 points (peak: #8)

68. Suki Waterhouse - Dream Woman | 215 points (peak: #4)

67. Lady Gaga - Killah (feat. Gesaffelstein) | 216 points

66. Zanias - Naiad | 218 points

65. Wolf Alice - Bloom Baby Bloom | 219 points (peak: #6)

64. GANS - IN TIME | 219 points (peak: #5)

63. Charli xcx - Chains of Love | 223 points

62. Ethel Cain - Punish | 224 points

61. JADE - Plastic Box | 225 points (peak: #8)

'In The Rain' is the highest album track from Addison Rae's debut album to feature in the countdown. Unfortunately, this song was not a part of the set list when I saw her in London last year. Addison certainly takes some cues from Madonna's masterpiece Ray of Light and her influence appears to stretch further on 'In The Rain', as the opening lines contain "I strike a pose", a potential callback to 'Vogue'. The lyrics are introspective, as she deals with her emotions and how they're portrayed to the public. Addison uses the line "so I cry... only in the rain" to demonstrate how she prefers to mask her feelings on the outside, in the face of tough scrutiny. I enjoy the imagery of that chorus and the Kintsugi inspired "turning my tears into gold" the most throughout the song. The production contains dreamy keyboard moments plus Timbaland-esque drums, giving it the feel of a 2000s throwback, much like the artwork of the album.

'24hr Dog' is yet another appearance for FKA twigs in the countdown, during a banner year for her. This is track 10 on Eusexua and was worth the wait of that penultimate slot, as it immediately blew me away. The electronic production, with minimal drums, is hypnotic and reminiscent of Björk's Vespertine project, her best album for me. I also adore Twigs' vulnerable, layered vocals and the intensity of the lyrics. The words read like a BDSM relationship but the meaning of this song is supposedly about an addiction to technology, as explained in conversation with fellow alt darling Imogen Heap. Twigs expanded by saying she rubs her hands every time she feels the urge to take out her phone mid-conversation with someone, as a reminder she's there in the moment.

I loved Suki Waterhouse's 2017 song 'Good Looking' but it took me a while to come across another by her that I enjoyed as much. This moment finally arrived in 2025 with the commanding 'Dream Woman'. She tries to embody the ideal partner in this song, just as the title suggests. Suki's airy vocals are ethereal, even when dropping f-bombs during the bridge. The dark pop production reminds me a little of Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games' as it similarly adopts a prominent harp, probably the most beautiful instrument to my ears. The black-and-white visuals help to enhance the hazy feel of 'Dream Woman' even more. This song was a standalone release in early 2025 but was later included on the deluxe version of her second album, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin. I was two days out from experiencing Suki live as a support act for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, but have still been in the same room as her, fiancé Robert Pattinson and Dua Lipa, in the audience of a ROSALÍA concert in 2022.

'Killah' can be found as track 6 on Lady Gaga's latest album, MAYHEM. She is slowly cementing herself as the Queen of Halloween with even more spooky-titled songs under her belt now. Gaga explores a femme fatale role in 'Killah', as she uses metaphors that wield power and control. I enjoy how confident and playful her vocals are throughout. The production was also an instant highlight, as the groovy electro-funk sound channels the best of Prince and Bowie. Gesaffelstein really comes into his own with the more techno-laced instrumental breakdown. This song feels a bit underrated, with the second lowest stream-count out of the first 10 songs on the album, but Gaga pleasingly decided to showcase it during a performance slot for SNL, initially wearing purple - perhaps a Prince tribute.

Zanias has quietly notched up a number of hits in my personal chart this decade. So I was excited to learn that a new project, Cataclysm, was on the way for 2025. 'Naiad' was released as the fourth pre-album single back in September, in a killer back-to-back following release #3 'Serpentsmile', which is still to come. This song is written from the perspective of water, an abused resource, that Zanias links to her experience of living under the patriarchy as a woman. The lyrics are powerful and lend themselves to beautiful, Earthly imagery thanks to the song's foundations. The vocals are haunting and drive the message home with conviction. Her production is always a highlight, with this darkwave sound even channelling some drum & bass rhythms too.

I couldn't wait to hear new Wolf Alice material as 'The Last Man On Earth' has retrospectively become my favourite song of 2021, although was at least top 3 at the time anyway. The group chose to lead their fourth studio album The Clearing with 'Bloom Baby Bloom', a pleasingly left-field start to the era. The track opens with a cheerful piano sound, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not entirely the direction they're going for when the bridge arrives, as Ellie Rowsell ferociously tears up the lyrics while loud, rocky guitars and drums back her. She continues to show off her versatility with an almost-operatic performance during the prettily written chorus. She has nothing left to prove and does not hide behind the comfort of her guitar in the music video, instead taking centre stage with commanding presence. This was an electric start to the era, so it's a shame the album lacked more quirky moments, but it still had its highs - particularly 'The Sofa', which is still to come.

GANS (...German for Goose!) are a Birmingham duo who first caught my attention right at the start of 2025, after their track 'IN TIME' was playlisted by 6Music. Their debut album GOOD FOR THE SOUL later followed but I was still a bit late to the party, as pre-release material had been drip fed since 2023. However, I am certainly not complaining that 'IN TIME' was my introduction to them. I immediately sat up and took notice as they offered blistering dance-punk energy. The lyrics are quite repetitive throughout, with each line sang at least twice, but this also offers a sense of urgency alongside the production - particularly the enthralling "I don't believe it, I don't see..." coda. They definitely seem like one to watch.

Charli xcx has impressively landed here already with November release 'Chains of Love'. This debuted at #18 in my weekly chart but became an almighty grower, as 5 weeks at #1 helped to secure its #63 EOY placement. She has since achieved a sixth week at the top so could certainly end up beating this position in next year's countdown. 'Chains of Love' was released as the second single from the upcoming Wuthering Heights soundtrack, an accompaniment to the Emerald Fennell film. First single, 'House', was an unorthodox spoken word lead alongside John Cale. On paper, I certainly expected this sound to be more up my street than 'Chains of Love', when I saw the latter described as a ballad. However, that didn't quite pan out! This song harks back to the gothic synth sound of Charli's True Romance era, a welcome throwback, despite very much being a BRAT girl. The lyrics and Charli's vocal delivery feel tortured much like the longing in the novel Wuthering Heights. The production, which Finn Keane also had a hand in, feels instantly evocative. I cannot wait to hear this soundtrack in full next month.

Ethel Cain's 'Punish' placed 51st in my 2024 EOY countdown but its weekly chart-run stretched into early 2025, so it has also ended up at #62 this year. I won't repeat my commentary from last time, but can since add that Ethel dropped the accompanying project Perverts right at the start of last year and it was quite the experience! This was a record that intentionally alienated her usual fanbase, swapping her more accessible alt sounds for drone music. I definitely need to be in the right mood for this music but it's thrilling nevertheless. The lengthy 'Housofpsychoticwomn' and 'Amber Waves' ended up completing my top 3 from it, alongside 'Punish'. Ethel released a second project last year, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, which was more typical in sound. More on that to come!

BuzzJack favourite JADE unfortunately just misses out on a spot in the top 60, via tiebreak, with 'Plastic Box'. This song was released as the fourth single from her debut solo album THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! and reached #44 in the U.K. chart. The lyrics were written by JADE, Lauren Aquilina, Grades and Oscar Görres; the latter two produced the track. It makes sense that this has a Swedish touch to it, with Görres' involvement, as the synths give me a strong 'sad banger' Robyn vibe, as well as channelling more recent soundalikes in P!nk's 'Trustfall' and Ariana Grande's 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)'. That sound certainly gets a thumbs up from me. The lyrics feel refreshing, as JADE explores her jealousy within her partner's dating history, despite her currently being the apple of his eye. These thoughts aren't ideal but feel real all the same. The music video pays homage to Madonna's 'Don't Tell Me' in parts, which feels true to JADE's noughties pop girl fantasy from what I gather about her taste in interviews, plus the giant heart reminds me of Roger Sanchez' 'Another Chance' video, so that obviously gets brownie points.

"Plastic Box" is my favourite Jade song so far. "Chains Of Love" is another great Charli XCX song and a great precursor of the upcoming soundtrack. "Punish" is stellar andthe part after "That i was an angel
But they made me leave" is so intense. Nice to see also "Dream Woman" mentioned - the verses are so great. From your previous selection I like "12 To 12" (#3 in my year-end chart) and "Garden Of Eden" (my favourite song from Mayhem).

3 hours ago, DaTilt said:

"Plastic Box" is my favourite Jade song so far. "Chains Of Love" is another great Charli XCX song and a great precursor of the upcoming soundtrack. "Punish" is stellar andthe part after "That i was an angel
But they made me leave" is so intense. Nice to see also "Dream Woman" mentioned - the verses are so great. From your previous selection I like "12 To 12" (#3 in my year-end chart) and "Garden Of Eden" (my favourite song from Mayhem).

'Plastic Box' is a strong choice of JADE favourite! I'm such a sucker for that ethereal synth sound.

Here's hoping for plenty of gothic goodness if 'Chains of Love' is anything to go by 🥰

Glad you also appreciate 'Punish' <3 such an intense song indeed and the inspiration is very dark.

All caught up on your EOY now so yay for us having a decent amount of crossover, including those last few you mentioned.

Thank you for popping in here to comment, much appreciated

80-71 comments (oop needing to play a bit of catchup already xx) ~

The songs that immediately stood out to me (and still my favourites) from the Tyler album were the more aggressive / rap focused songs but 'Ring Ring Ring' did quickly grow on me to be a favourite as well, love the retro Pharrell vibes - was a shame that its chart momentum stalled out quickly and it looked for a bit like the album wouldn't have any major hits but hooray for 'Sugar On My Tongue' eventually taking off even if that one is still not quite as much of a highlight for me. Need to listen to / familiarise myself more with the other new Gorillaz singles ahead of the new album but 'The Happy Dictator' was a strong lead single, cool to see Sparks still being active and creative so far into their career (and getting a new charting song out of this) and I like the contrast between the jovial sound and the dystopian lyrics, very interesting to read about the backstory of it there. I think the 80s revival trend in the charts has had a bit of diminishing returns but '12 to 12' is a great addition to it, have enjoyed all of sombr's big hits but this one is easily my favourite of them, absolutely killer hook. Cool to see the first couple of Jadakissnia entries showing up, was not my most supportive year but I still gave decent points to most of your entries including both of the ones in this section, goneMUNE definitely feels like an underrated one (and I'd probably bump it up a place or two in my ranking of that contest if I re-voted now) but was fabulous to see Kraftwerk being such a big hit, was a neat idea for you to use your anniversary entries to pay tribute to electronic legends and this one actually being a new song to me unlike 'Ageispolis' although sticking with BJSC, as I again already posted about in the BJSC FM thread 'Cinderella' really gave me major entry envy, not too often that I think people recycling my artists find even better songs from them but that's definitely the case with this one, has all of the gritty and slightly anxiety inducing (in a good way xx) intrigue of the material from their previous album but somehow spins it in a much more accessible dancey direction and it all comes together beautifully, 'Pirouette' is probably at the absolute top of my list of 2025 albums I need to get around to. 'dance 2' funnily enough also feels like it fits a similar description there - maintaining the overall vibe of the Oklou album but with a more upbeat dancey sound that works really well. Don't have a lot to say about the other 3 songs, 'Weeds' is a decent trip-hop tune, 'storm' is pleasant but not their best (they'll have a song I liked more to come later in this countdown I guess but I can at least appreciate this one for giving us another Neliönoir hosted BJSC x) and 'Garden Of Eden' has just never done anything for me oops, the Gaga album had its moments but I do feel like my opinions on it are largely out of sync with the consensus (not that that's an entirely new thing #justice4plasticdoll).

11 hours ago, Brer said:

80-71 comments (oop needing to play a bit of catchup already xx) ~

The songs that immediately stood out to me (and still my favourites) from the Tyler album were the more aggressive / rap focused songs but 'Ring Ring Ring' did quickly grow on me to be a favourite as well, love the retro Pharrell vibes - was a shame that its chart momentum stalled out quickly and it looked for a bit like the album wouldn't have any major hits but hooray for 'Sugar On My Tongue' eventually taking off even if that one is still not quite as much of a highlight for me. Need to listen to / familiarise myself more with the other new Gorillaz singles ahead of the new album but 'The Happy Dictator' was a strong lead single, cool to see Sparks still being active and creative so far into their career (and getting a new charting song out of this) and I like the contrast between the jovial sound and the dystopian lyrics, very interesting to read about the backstory of it there. I think the 80s revival trend in the charts has had a bit of diminishing returns but '12 to 12' is a great addition to it, have enjoyed all of sombr's big hits but this one is easily my favourite of them, absolutely killer hook. Cool to see the first couple of Jadakissnia entries showing up, was not my most supportive year but I still gave decent points to most of your entries including both of the ones in this section, goneMUNE definitely feels like an underrated one (and I'd probably bump it up a place or two in my ranking of that contest if I re-voted now) but was fabulous to see Kraftwerk being such a big hit, was a neat idea for you to use your anniversary entries to pay tribute to electronic legends and this one actually being a new song to me unlike 'Ageispolis' although sticking with BJSC, as I again already posted about in the BJSC FM thread 'Cinderella' really gave me major entry envy, not too often that I think people recycling my artists find even better songs from them but that's definitely the case with this one, has all of the gritty and slightly anxiety inducing (in a good way xx) intrigue of the material from their previous album but somehow spins it in a much more accessible dancey direction and it all comes together beautifully, 'Pirouette' is probably at the absolute top of my list of 2025 albums I need to get around to. 'dance 2' funnily enough also feels like it fits a similar description there - maintaining the overall vibe of the Oklou album but with a more upbeat dancey sound that works really well. Don't have a lot to say about the other 3 songs, 'Weeds' is a decent trip-hop tune, 'storm' is pleasant but not their best (they'll have a song I liked more to come later in this countdown I guess but I can at least appreciate this one for giving us another Neliönoir hosted BJSC x) and 'Garden Of Eden' has just never done anything for me oops, the Gaga album had its moments but I do feel like my opinions on it are largely out of sync with the consensus (not that that's an entirely new thing #justice4plasticdoll).

Haha no worries, I still appreciate your comments whenever they may land!

Oh yes, I remember you being pleasantly surprised when some of the more aggressive Tyler songs charted for me, off the top of my head I think one of those was 'STOP PLAYING WITH ME'. Love that 'Sugar On My Tongue' found its way into the top 40 in the end, even if in Autumn when it feels like a summer project for me, a bit like how 'Midnight Sun' is now taking off while it's been snowing I have liked the other Gorillaz singles so far but 'The Happy Dictator' is still far and away my favourite - hopefully the album will throw up some more gems.

Nice to hear that you'd potentially push goneMUNE up a few places now! I was a bit misguided in thinking it could be a big dark pop hit, Erin LeCount instead being my secret weapon there, but no regrets as I love the song - and it was still a Q. Glad 'Europe Endless' was a good retro discovery for you and I'm so happy it connected with BJSC participants in general, especially after the previous Aphex Twin result had been a bit underwhelming.

Can see why 'Cinderella' would be an entry envy moment! I gave yours 13 points and that 15, so slightly favouring Scotland 2's choice, but not much in it at all - what a great artist discovery so far from what I know. I hope you'll love the album! Their previous one was removed from streaming briefly but thankfully was only a glitch. I agree re. 'dance 2' - still feels on brand but breaking out of a fresh, more upbeat box at the same time. I actually re-listened to choke enough this morning on a walk to the dentist and it was such a relaxing and pretty experience, alongside the snowy ground.

I agree that 'storm' isn't their best but I did think it was a wise choice when I saw it in the entry list, that indeed paying off! Poor brave 'Garden Of Eden' (and I don't think you were keen on 'Killah' either? Will be reminded of that soon I guess ) but there's still more Gaga on the way, that you'll hopefully approve of more.

Thank you Bré!!! 🩵

Nice to see "Bloom Baby Bloom" and "Chains of Love" in the recent selection of songs!