7 minutes ago, Sergej said:

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

Hi Sergej, I'm glad you enjoyed both of those songs too!

That's Charli's lot now, after a BRAT-heavy 2024 EOY, but still more Wolf Alice to come. Thank you for commenting

Not too many I recognise in that last section - I think Plastic Box is the only one I've heard before! Giving In The Rain a listen now though, the lyrics are certinly very poignant and paint a difficult picture of trying to keep sadness to yourself. I hadn't clocked the 'tears into gold' lyrics until you mentioned them, another interesting facet to the song if it is referencing Kintsugi!

35 minutes ago, PeteFromLeeds said:

Not too many I recognise in that last section - I think Plastic Box is the only one I've heard before! Giving In The Rain a listen now though, the lyrics are certinly very poignant and paint a difficult picture of trying to keep sadness to yourself. I hadn't clocked the 'tears into gold' lyrics until you mentioned them, another interesting facet to the song if it is referencing Kintsugi!

Just realised that I mentioned Addison's parallels to Lana Del Rey before and I've now remembered that Lana has a song called 'Kintsugi'

Glad you enjoyed the lyrical content! Thanks for commenting

TOP 100 SONGS: 60-51

60. FKA twigs - Love Crimes | 225 points (peak: #2)

59. Ethel Cain - Waco, Texas | 227 points

58. The Marías - No One Noticed | 228 points

57. Bad Bunny - NUEVAYoL | 234 points

56. S1RENA - DNA 1NTERLUDE / DNA | 235 points (peak: #3)

55. Doja Cat - Jealous Type | 235 points (peak: #2)

54. Tame Impala - End Of Summer | 237 points

53. Vioflesh - Spring Nostalgia | 238 points

52. Snõõper - Worldwide | 240 points

51. Lorde - Shapeshifter | 241 points

'Love Crimes' is the highest song to appear from FKA twigs' EUSEXUA Afterglow release. This single introduces the album and immediately grabbed my attention, as any good track 1 should. Twigs discusses finding someone who may be a physical match, but doesn't provide what she's looking for emotionally. So she is battling with the conflict of rushing into romance or holding out for someone who can satisfy her on every front. She details a physical high like "your body flexible" but then immediately follows this up with "intellectual...", an important quality for her away from just their appearance. The repeated "you don't understand" lines are actually a sample, taken from 'BANSHEE' by Blood of Aza, an inspired pick from last year with only a 4-figure stream count. Elsewhere, a more familiar name in Ty Dolla $ign has a writing credit. Twigs elegantly glides across a stomping techno beat, a thrill with its in-your-face, often distorted bass. She embodies an alien character in the gritty music video, which feels straight out of the late '90s, reminiscent of visuals from that exciting Big Beat scene like 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy.

'Waco, Texas' is the final track from Ethel Cain's Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You album, in a prolific year for her career. This song was originally intended for debut album Preacher's Daughter but was later repurposed, including the decision to shorten it from 20 minutes to a still eye-watering 15 minutes in length. The initials of the title represent Ethel's lover Willoughby Tucker but the name was also inspired by the 1993 Waco Siege in Texas (also known as the 'Waco massacre'), a 51 day standoff between U.S. federal agents and the Branch Davidians, a religious cult. She uses this event as a metaphor for the destruction of her relationship with Willoughby, a fellow fiery demise. Willoughby has suffered trauma due to the death of his father and subsequently turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse. This relationship turns similarly toxic and co-dependent, becoming too much in the end. For Ethel, the trauma shifts from the impact of Willoughby's dad's death to her partner now departing from her life. The song-writing is intense and tortured, from an infatuated, naïve narrator, but stunning all the same, keeping me gripped for around 10 minutes. The final 5 minutes of the song are an instrumental outro, which ends on a haunting piano for the final minute or so. What a breathtaking closer to this project.

'No One Noticed' by The Marías dates back to spring 2024 but didn't make my chart until early 2025, after impacting the U.K. Spotify chart. This single, from their second album Submarine, gained traction on TikTok and was boosted further by Billie Eilish singing along to it in an Instagram story. 'No One Noticed' achieved an impressive #22 peak on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. This dreamy bedroom pop song is about feeling neglected in a relationship, but the narrator desperately wants things to work, even promising to jump on a plane if distance is an issue. María Zardoya's performance is generally tender and airy, but the voices in her head from those "maybe I, lost my mind..." lines later come to life with the added layers of echoed vocals. The accompanying production is ambient, with initially soft guitars, but they become more prominent during the instrumental sections. Similarly the drum patterns shift a little throughout. That underwater visualiser is a perfect tonal fit.

Bad Bunny had a stellar year with the release of his critically and commercially successful sixth studio album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. I'm sure 2026 will be another one to remember in his career as he takes to the stage for the Super Bowl half-time show next month. Debí Tirar Más Fotos is considered his most personal record to date and that's apparent on the song placed at #57 in this countdown, 'NUEVAYoL'. This primarily Spanish-language song is Bad Bunny's take on Puerto Rican identity and how he feels its authenticity is under threat, due to modernisation. The title 'NUEVAYoL' means 'New York' but is phonetically pronounced in a Puerto Rican accent. This track borrows from a salsa song called 'Un Verano en Nueva York' by Andy Montañez and El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, but flips it on its head, turning it into a dembow song - a rhythmic style originating from the Dominican Republic, which takes influence from dancehall and reggaetón music. Like 'Love Crimes' earlier, this is also an instantly striking album opener. I particularly love the unexpected switch towards the end. I'm delighted a song of this ilk was a U.K. top 75 hit thanks to Bad Bunny's popularity.

S1RENA was my entrant to the 177th edition of the BuzzJack Song Contest. I discovered the music video for her song 'DNA' on YouTube but it turns out these visuals comprise of both 'DNA 1NTERLUDE' and 'DNA', two separate tracks on streaming. So I credited that entry as 'DNA 1NTERLUDE' / 'DNA' and carried over the stylisation to my personal chart. She is from Bremerhaven and the lyrics are indeed German-language. Her style has interestingly been described as 'y2k techno meets fairy core', which I could evidently get on board with. The 'DNA 1NTERLUDE' beginning is ethereal and reminiscent of Oklou, who I also sent to BJSC last year. The following 2 minutes of 'DNA' morph into more of a club banger experience. This entry was a decent success for my nation Jadakissnia, as it scraped 20th place in the final, one of six top 20 finishes last year.

'Jealous Type' was chosen as the lead single from Doja Cat's fifth studio album, Vie. She effortlessly switches between both singing and rapping, taking us through the messy realities of jealousy. My vocal highlight has got to be the high note she reaches for during the final chorus. This song was produced by Y2K (of 'Lalala' fame) but also Jack Antonoff, who had been criticised for stale and same-y production work in recent years, but certainly proves his versatility with the disco-pop sound of 'Jealous Type'. The quintessentially '80s elements, from the joyful synths to the sax, scratch an itch for me. Melodically this song also feels reminiscent of 'The Pleasure Principle' by Janet Jackson, a smooth lane to position yourself in. Doja looks every inch the star in the music video, also inspired by the '80s. It's a shame 'Jealous Type' didn't perform better, with a modest #28 position on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 in the U.K., instead of a lengthy top 10 summer smash.

Tame Impala felt like an artist who was long overdue a U.K. top 40 hit. However, it really seemed like this chance was going to be missed again, after 7 minute electronic song 'End Of Summer' was selected as the lead. Indeed, this only made the dizzying heights of #87, so much like buses - he continued to wait for one... until two top 40 hits showed up elsewhere in the era, thanks to the more commercial 'Dracula' and 'My Old Ways'. 'End Of Summer' was a radical shift for Kevin Parker and this acid house direction unsurprisingly alienated fans, hoping for their classic psychedelic indie rock sound instead. But I was into it. The lyrics appear to address a would-be lover, but also the fans, as the words in the drop especially seem to allude to a shift in sound. The length isn't an issue for me as I enjoy bathing in that lush, ambient instrumental break. The B-side, later turned album track, 'Ethereal Connection' is also fantastic, my favourite non-single of the project.

Vioflesh were selected as my second BuzzJack Song Contest entrants of the year, in the 172nd edition. This duo, based in Chile, were right up my street - with a sound that fuses together coldwave and synth-pop elements. I settled on their song 'Spring Nostalgia', which they say is about "taking you on a journey through a lucid dream of love and loss, where every glance feels like the warmth of a radiant sun". The music video lives up to the "nostalgia" part of the song title as it was shot with an analogue VHS camera. This entry thankfully connected with BJSC participants and finished in an impressive 4th place, netting me a second top 10 hit in a row, following Oklou's 'choke enough'. I have since continued to follow Vioflesh and they're extremely prolific, with latest album Nostalgia out last year on top of many standalone releases, so they racked up an impressive 12 top 40 hits in my personal chart in 2025 alone.

'Worldwide' by Snõõper was a 6Music favourite this year and I'm delighted they swerved the sophomore slump, releasing a great album of the same name. Their sound is categorised with the incredible label 'Egg Punk', which is a microgenre of punk rock that emerged during the 2010s. 'Worldwide' is utter chaos as the group perfectly execute how exhausting and fast-paced modern life can be, with stupidly catchy quickfire delivery ("left, right, miss Worldwide" is definitely going to be lodged in my brain again now), infectious fuzzy guitars, bouncy synths and a freeing DIY video full of charm. The accompanying album was a pleasingly manic ride too and unexpectedly included a snõõpified version of 'Come Together' by The Beatles - sure, why not.

This year Lorde's fourth record Virgin dropped and it satisfyingly became her first U.K. #1 album. I thankfully preferred this to her last album Solar Power, which holds good memories as I saw her live during that era, but was her weakest for me musically. Lorde has now evolved from calling her phone a 'cellular device' on 'Solar Power' to referring to it as 'metal', on my favourite Virgin album track 'Shapeshifter'. This song was inspired by the Tracy Emin artwork Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, so the "everyone that I've slept with..." line on the bridge is no coincidence. This piece is quite literally a tent with the names of 102 people that Emin has slept with on it, either romantically or platonically. Lorde enjoyed this raw, primal idea and wanted to explore how she sees herself in relationships, plus her own personal identity, on 'Shapeshifter'. In the chorus, she is constantly changing roles, from the "prize" to the "siren" to the "fruit", but concludes "...but tonight I wanna fall", so wishes to be herself rather than closing herself off to vulnerability, plus she could want to fall in love. Lorde sounds emotive throughout and I particularly love her "aaaaaaaah-aaaaaaaah" vocals during the outro. The production is such a treat too, with drum patterns reminiscent of garage music, plus grandeur strings also getting a look in.

Lady Twigs in pretty much every section. 🥰

20 minutes ago, pavi said:

Lady Twigs in pretty much every section. 🥰

It's Twigs' world and we're just living in it

Indeed was a pleasant surprise to see 'Stop Playing With Me' being one of the Tyler songs that you charted! The performance of goneMUNE was a bit reminiscent of Boy Harsher, songs with that kind of sound often feel like they get lesser results than I expect / than they deserve.

catching up again with 70-61 ~

As I already mentioned earlier in the thread 'In The Rain' was my favourite of Addison's album tracks (and funnily enough came on Spotify while I was driving home in the rain today x), love the layered vocals and also thought the percussion was quite Timbaland-esque. I had forgotten that 'Good Looking' was from as long ago as 2017 (it of course only charted in 2022 and I wouldn't have heard it before then, just forgot it was such an old song at the time it took off) - I also thought for a bit that song might have been a one-off strong moment with the rest of her material being quite forgettable but was proven wrong by 'Dream Woman' which I think I actually like slightly more, love the heavy moody production. 'Bloom Baby Bloom' was quite a misleading lead single, I did actually end up liking the follow-up single more and still think the album was pretty consistently good if a fairly big step down from 'Blue Weekend' but I still really wish they had more songs like this on the album, will just patiently await their 5th album and hope for more of these unhinged vibes from them then, parts of it remind me a bit of Bow Wow Wow. The GANS song is one of my favourites that I've discovered from catching up with your new entries of the year, always here for a new chaotic dance-punk act to keep an eye on *.* 'Chains Of Love' is a pretty strong Charli ballad, definitely better than I expected from reading people's descriptions of it as it is hearkening back to an era where Charli's music was a lot more hit or miss for me but yes still on board with this one and looking forward to the rest of the soundtrack although I do have to say I don't think it sounds like the kind of song that'd spend so long at #1 for you! 'Plastic Box' is a solid and very polished pop song that probably should have been a bigger hit than it was but one of her less interesting singles so far for me (also I still can't see the title without singing it to the melody of 'Cardboard Box' by FLO lol x). 'Punish' is still sounding great, not listened to her 'proper' album of the year yet but I get the feeling 'Perverts' is a bit more up my street in general anyway. The Zanias and FKA twigs songs are both good but also not ones I have much specifically to say about (I am envious of your ability to write lengthy paragraphs about every song x), and indeed you're correct that 'Killah' also wasn't much to my taste oops although it has grown on me a little bit after initially actually thinking it was the worst song on the album, I think I'd actually rank it ahead of 'Garden Of Eden' now even, I just still feel like it lacks the oomph I'd expect from a Gaga/Gesaffelstein collab. I want to hear her getting weird over a 'Hate Or Glory' style instrumental please xx

Nice to see "No One Noticed", "NUEVAYoL", "Jealous Type", "End Of Summer" and "Shapeshifter" on here in the #60-#51 section!

3 hours ago, Brer said:

Indeed was a pleasant surprise to see 'Stop Playing With Me' being one of the Tyler songs that you charted! The performance of goneMUNE was a bit reminiscent of Boy Harsher, songs with that kind of sound often feel like they get lesser results than I expect / than they deserve.

catching up again with 70-61 ~

As I already mentioned earlier in the thread 'In The Rain' was my favourite of Addison's album tracks (and funnily enough came on Spotify while I was driving home in the rain today x), love the layered vocals and also thought the percussion was quite Timbaland-esque. I had forgotten that 'Good Looking' was from as long ago as 2017 (it of course only charted in 2022 and I wouldn't have heard it before then, just forgot it was such an old song at the time it took off) - I also thought for a bit that song might have been a one-off strong moment with the rest of her material being quite forgettable but was proven wrong by 'Dream Woman' which I think I actually like slightly more, love the heavy moody production. 'Bloom Baby Bloom' was quite a misleading lead single, I did actually end up liking the follow-up single more and still think the album was pretty consistently good if a fairly big step down from 'Blue Weekend' but I still really wish they had more songs like this on the album, will just patiently await their 5th album and hope for more of these unhinged vibes from them then, parts of it remind me a bit of Bow Wow Wow. The GANS song is one of my favourites that I've discovered from catching up with your new entries of the year, always here for a new chaotic dance-punk act to keep an eye on *.* 'Chains Of Love' is a pretty strong Charli ballad, definitely better than I expected from reading people's descriptions of it as it is hearkening back to an era where Charli's music was a lot more hit or miss for me but yes still on board with this one and looking forward to the rest of the soundtrack although I do have to say I don't think it sounds like the kind of song that'd spend so long at #1 for you! 'Plastic Box' is a solid and very polished pop song that probably should have been a bigger hit than it was but one of her less interesting singles so far for me (also I still can't see the title without singing it to the melody of 'Cardboard Box' by FLO lol x). 'Punish' is still sounding great, not listened to her 'proper' album of the year yet but I get the feeling 'Perverts' is a bit more up my street in general anyway. The Zanias and FKA twigs songs are both good but also not ones I have much specifically to say about (I am envious of your ability to write lengthy paragraphs about every song x), and indeed you're correct that 'Killah' also wasn't much to my taste oops although it has grown on me a little bit after initially actually thinking it was the worst song on the album, I think I'd actually rank it ahead of 'Garden Of Eden' now even, I just still feel like it lacks the oomph I'd expect from a Gaga/Gesaffelstein collab. I want to hear her getting weird over a 'Hate Or Glory' style instrumental please xx

Oh yes, Boy Harsher eternally deserve better, plus the Boy Harsher-soundalike that tanked my Halloween spin-off streak

Yay for us having a snap favourite Addison album track then as she included visuals from 'Times Like These' on a shirt called 'the singles' or something, so I think that was supposed to be a single. Indeed very Timbaland-meets-Neptunes for all your 2000s R&B flavoured needs *.* I think 'Good Looking' made #9 in my chart, compared to the #4 peak of 'Dream Woman' and would say the latter has overtaken it in my affections now too... also never would've seen anything else topping 'Good Looking', so good going.

My thoughts are exactly the same as yours regarding this Wolf Alice era! I'm grateful for the stunning flowery vinyl in my collection but here's hoping their next album is a step up in quality overall indeed. Oh yes I remember you digging the GANS song and can absolutely see why, definitely sounds like you bait.

It does seem quite surprising that 'Chains Of Love' has effortlessly spent longer at #1 than anything from BRAT (maybe slightly helped by the quiet Christmas period) but what can I say, it pleased my gothic heart. Shame 'Plastic Box' didn't go top 40 for JADE, I'm surprised her team didn't go harder, with physicals, after they were effective in boosting 'FUFN' into the top 40.

I can imagine Perverts being more up your street indeed, based on your reactions to the songs from each project so far, but who knows. Haha fair, FKA twigs and Zanias both still have songs to come (absolute shocker regarding the former, I know!!) so perhaps you'll have stronger feelings for those.

Ah okay, I did indeed remember that correctly then well, I'm pleased to hear it's at least grown on you a bit, but that is a r00d bottom 2!!! Here for extra weirdness as well though.

Thank you Brer for commenting!! 🤩

2 hours ago, Sergej said:

Nice to see "No One Noticed", "NUEVAYoL", "Jealous Type", "End Of Summer" and "Shapeshifter" on here in the #60-#51 section!

Ooh I'm pleased you have as many as 5 highlights from that section, Sergej <3 thank you for commenting!

Can be more consistently positive in my comments for 60-51 'Love Crimes' is easily the best of the 'EUSEXUA Afterglow' tracks you charted for me so pleased that it was the most successful in your chart, absolutely slaps, I do find the stop motion (?) visuals in the video a little unsettling but I guess that fits her general vibe to be fair x 'Waco, Texas' probably suffers for me a little bit by my chronic inability to pay attention to lyrics unless I am really trying to, I can tell from the lyrics I did catch that it's a pretty heartbreaking song that deserves more attention from me but it still sounds beautiful and at least even my passive brain can appreciate the last few minutes of instrumental <3 Was very intriguing to watch 'No One Noticed' having a lengthy slow burning run in the US and a shame it never quite did the same here but it's still a really lovely and relaxing bit of dream pop, although will never be able to unhear Whoddy's observation that the vocal melody in the latter half sounds like The Beach Boys' 'Kokomo' Bad Bunny continues to be one of the most reliably innovative and quality artists in mainstream Latin music (mainstream music in general really x) and love how this era was so unapologetically influenced by Puerto Rican culture, 'NUEVAYoL' was a banger of an opening track indeed, hope it'll show up in his Super Bowl set. S1RENA just got the one point from me in BJSC, as I had the unpopular opinion of kind of wishing 'DNA 1NTERLUDE' was just a full length song of its own as I was slightly more into that Oklou esque vibe than the main song although that still did click with me more on repeated listens - Vioflesh on the other hand were a medallist (13 points) for me, a quintessential Jadakissnia dark banger and more evidence that Chile is secretly one of the best countries for music *.* their current hit in your chart is rivalling 'Spring Nostalgia' in quality for me as well (and generally enjoyed most of the other songs I've heard from them in your charts as well). My one negative moment in this batch is 'Jealous Type' but not that I dislike it, I just think it falls a little short of potential greatness, I think it has a really good chorus and the rap verse has also clicked with me after initially finding it underwhelming but I still feel like the sung verses just feel like complete filler which kills the momentum of the song a bit </3 may also just be suffering a bit from my aforementioned slight fatigue with 80s revival style hits in general. I'm not clamouring to hear the Tame Impala album given the generally mixed to negative reception it's got (and not being a fan of 'Loser' at all) but agreed with you that 'End Of Summer' was a successful experimentation from him although can understand it being divisive. I've been aware of Snõõper for a while (via Fantano iirc) but don't think I'd ever heard anything from them until checking out the songs you charted from them and I had been missing out as they are such a fun band to listen to, I clearly need more egg punk in my life x I even gave them the honour of letting them be one of my many wooden spoons in the PopJustice Song Contest () with 'Star 6 9' which I liked even more but 'Worldwide' is an absolute banger too. And 'Shapeshifter' is also a beautiful song and one of the best from 'Virgin', I remain somewhat of a defender of 'Solar Power' (definitely not as good as the first 2 albums but people exaggerate the drop in quality, 'Fallen Fruit' alone makes it a salvageable era x) but this album was a step up indeed and a shame that it still feels like it got somewhat forgotten and hasn't got many flowers in end of year lists and the like.

Weeds, 12 to 12 and Jealous Type are my favourite songs since I last commented, plus Gaga of course

1 hour ago, Brer said:

Can be more consistently positive in my comments for 60-51 'Love Crimes' is easily the best of the 'EUSEXUA Afterglow' tracks you charted for me so pleased that it was the most successful in your chart, absolutely slaps, I do find the stop motion (?) visuals in the video a little unsettling but I guess that fits her general vibe to be fair x 'Waco, Texas' probably suffers for me a little bit by my chronic inability to pay attention to lyrics unless I am really trying to, I can tell from the lyrics I did catch that it's a pretty heartbreaking song that deserves more attention from me but it still sounds beautiful and at least even my passive brain can appreciate the last few minutes of instrumental <3 Was very intriguing to watch 'No One Noticed' having a lengthy slow burning run in the US and a shame it never quite did the same here but it's still a really lovely and relaxing bit of dream pop, although will never be able to unhear Whoddy's observation that the vocal melody in the latter half sounds like The Beach Boys' 'Kokomo' Bad Bunny continues to be one of the most reliably innovative and quality artists in mainstream Latin music (mainstream music in general really x) and love how this era was so unapologetically influenced by Puerto Rican culture, 'NUEVAYoL' was a banger of an opening track indeed, hope it'll show up in his Super Bowl set. S1RENA just got the one point from me in BJSC, as I had the unpopular opinion of kind of wishing 'DNA 1NTERLUDE' was just a full length song of its own as I was slightly more into that Oklou esque vibe than the main song although that still did click with me more on repeated listens - Vioflesh on the other hand were a medallist (13 points) for me, a quintessential Jadakissnia dark banger and more evidence that Chile is secretly one of the best countries for music *.* their current hit in your chart is rivalling 'Spring Nostalgia' in quality for me as well (and generally enjoyed most of the other songs I've heard from them in your charts as well). My one negative moment in this batch is 'Jealous Type' but not that I dislike it, I just think it falls a little short of potential greatness, I think it has a really good chorus and the rap verse has also clicked with me after initially finding it underwhelming but I still feel like the sung verses just feel like complete filler which kills the momentum of the song a bit </3 may also just be suffering a bit from my aforementioned slight fatigue with 80s revival style hits in general. I'm not clamouring to hear the Tame Impala album given the generally mixed to negative reception it's got (and not being a fan of 'Loser' at all) but agreed with you that 'End Of Summer' was a successful experimentation from him although can understand it being divisive. I've been aware of Snõõper for a while (via Fantano iirc) but don't think I'd ever heard anything from them until checking out the songs you charted from them and I had been missing out as they are such a fun band to listen to, I clearly need more egg punk in my life x I even gave them the honour of letting them be one of my many wooden spoons in the PopJustice Song Contest () with 'Star 6 9' which I liked even more but 'Worldwide' is an absolute banger too. And 'Shapeshifter' is also a beautiful song and one of the best from 'Virgin', I remain somewhat of a defender of 'Solar Power' (definitely not as good as the first 2 albums but people exaggerate the drop in quality, 'Fallen Fruit' alone makes it a salvageable era x) but this album was a step up indeed and a shame that it still feels like it got somewhat forgotten and hasn't got many flowers in end of year lists and the like.

*.* excellent, I think the next section should hopefully be consistently positive for you as well, there's one hit that I know you're not too fussed about and another I forget what you think of, but hopefully at least 8 you approve of. We shall see anyway! Pleased you also think 'Love Crimes' is the best of EUSEXUA Afterglow <3 I think I know what you mean with the stop-motion bit in the music video, I saw a YouTube comment where someone had compared it to Madonna's frenetic 'Ray of Light' video - that surely must've been an influence! Fair regarding Ethel and there's an entire fictional universe to keep on top of as well, which is a lot especially for a casual listen, but I'm glad you appreciated the general sound and emotion of it, still very valid feelings.

Oh I had forgotten about that 'Kokomo' comparison but can hear it upon re-listen Bad Bunny please do a 'Tití Me Preguntó' / 'NUEVAYoL' mash-up at the Super Bowl, you know you want to.

Sooooo pleased that you loved 'Spring Nostalgia' and the new one 'Chains', there's a lot of them in my chart at the moment, with 'Chains of Love' and Man/Woman/Chainsaw too I've gone for a classic Jadakissnia gothic sound to kick off 2026 so here's hoping you will enjoy this one too, manifesting top tier relations for us this year.

That's fair re. 'Jealous Type' - I'm glad the rap verse ended up clicking with you upon further listens, at least. I didn't love the album as much as hoped but did think 'Gorgeous' was another good single / video package. Glad you also enjoyed 'End Of Summer' and I'd definitely recommend 'Ethereal Connection' from the album, as the closest song to that sonically.

Pleased that my chart lead you to checking out this Snõõper era *.* although, by extension, I apologise for steering you towards a wooden spoon result in PJSC the absolute lack of taste!! I'm probably being a bit harsh on Solar Power, as I particularly enjoyed the title track and 'Mood Ring' - a #1 in my chart, but I guess it was difficult to follow two 11/10 albums of life in Pure Heroine and Melodrama. Virgin was closer to those highs again and indeed being done dirty by EOY lists, what are they playing at!!

Thank you for the comment, Bré - nice and timely ahead of the next section *.*

1 hour ago, JosephStyles said:

Weeds, 12 to 12 and Jealous Type are my favourite songs since I last commented, plus Gaga of course

glad you liked all of these too, Joseph 🥰 thank you for commenting x

TOP 100 SONGS: 50-41

50. Sam Barber - Indigo (feat. Avery Anna) | 247 points

49. Model/Actriz - Diva | 248 points

48. Ethel Cain - F**k Me Eyes | 251 points

47. Chalk - Pool Scene | 253 points

46. Danny L Harle - Azimuth (feat. Caroline Polachek) | 254 points

45. Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | 257 points

44. Sleep Token - Emergence | 258 points

43. Sara Zozaya - Blu | 259 points

42. Ariana Grande - twilight zone | 264 points

41. Lorde - What Was That | 265 points (peak: #5)

'Indigo' by Sam Barber and Avery Anna marks the first of five top 40 hits in this surprisingly commercial section. This duet didn't exactly set the chart alight, with a #33 peak, but I was pleased it did creep into the top 40 for a few weeks, as a #41 placing early into its run would've been a frustrating position to be lumbered with. 'Indigo' also managed to scrape into the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. I have historically not been too hot on country music but am slowly letting more alt country sounds into my life. I appear to have a particular soft spot for male/female duets in this area, as Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves' 'I Remember Everything' was a #2 hit in my personal chart, now followed by a #10 weekly placing for 'Indigo'. This song is a melancholy team-up between two heartbroken ex-lovers. Sam Barber sings about mentally struggling and conveys this with colourful metaphors, explaining that he used to feel like gold, but is now the sadder indigo. It is implied early on that his ex-partner is concerned for his well-being and Avery Anna's verse suggests that she does still love him, but struggled with the pressures of commitment. There are also themes of religion as both mention turning to God during the song. Overall, I think it is beautifully written and tenderly performed by both artists. I also love the piano-heavy instrumental break with drums that build effectively.

Model/Actriz released 'Diva' as the third single from sophomore studio album Pirouette. I was, once again, immediately hooked on their reliably thrilling industrial dance-punk sound, mixed with standout lyrics that explore the realities of queer culture. 'Diva' swiftly slapped me around the face with pretty left-field, stuttering guitars that are balanced out by the more typical drum sounds. The lyrics take lead singer Cole Haden's lived experiences of dating while on tour, mixing hedonistic highs with the melancholia of not knowing whether he'll see the other person again. That songwriting is conversational and pretty bonkers in places, with classic Model/Actriz duality like: "you could call me a small business owner, living in America, while trapped in the body of an operatic diva". But there is still plenty of heart and emotion underneath any in-your-face moments. The vocal delivery is intense and keeps you on your toes as the cadence shifts throughout. The production also switches up during the bridge, becoming particularly danceable at that point. The accompanying black & white music video is also an imaginative treat as it mixes fabulous choreography with surrealism.

'F**k Me Eyes' was released as the second single from Ethel Cain's sophomore studio album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, which serves as a narrative prequel to her debut album. This song is about a character named Holly Reddick in the fictional Ethel Cain universe, who Cain is jealous of, but also admires. This Reddick character has her own traumatic baggage as lines such as "she's no good at raising children, but she's good at raising hell" describe her mother. Cain is envious of her because she's the attractive girl that all the boys want to sleep with, so fears even her own partner Willoughby Tucker will stray, however - these boys appear to only want one thing. Ethel finds common ground with her in the line "they all wanna take her out, but no one ever wants to take her home" as she fears she will be replaced. The confidence that this alluring Holly Reddick character has appears to be a façade, best illustrated in: "they never see her wiping her f**k me eyes". Ethel Cain was inspired by Kim Carnes' 'Bette Davis Eyes' when creating this song, in terms of subject matter, but also in that synth-pop production. 'F**k Me Eyes' also has shoegaze qualities. I enjoy the build-up of this song as Ethel's delivery becomes passionate and the instrumental is also more intense, with crashing percussion. This song dated back to 2020, as the oldest demo from Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, but wasn't quite ready until five years later. I'm pleased 'F**k Me Eyes' got to see the light of day now as it was a wonderful contrast to also fantastic lead single 'Nettles'.

Belfast-based trio Chalk wrapped up their series of Conditions EPs in 2025 with third instalment, Conditions III. 'Pool Scene' was my favourite track of the four taken from this release. It quickly drew me in with a slow-burn gothic sound. However, an enthralling switch-up is teased early with the line "show me how to dance". At the half-way mark, a intense vocal performance ushers in an almighty shift to this incredible dance-punk energy. The lyrics generally appear to explore the theme of learning how to get back up after falling to the ground, metaphorically using a pool scene. This idea, while tinged with sadness, feels like a cathartic release to end the EP on as its closing track. I continue to admire their marriage of old school influences with more of a fresh, post-punk sound.

British producer Danny L Harle provided an elite run of collaborations last year - working with the likes of PinkPantheress, Oklou and of course, Caroline Polachek. This is not the most unexpected meeting of artists, as he was involved with producing her second record Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (my favourite album of 2023), plus they came together for the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach soundtrack. However, this was still a welcome collaboration and broke new ground for them, as she had to ride the beat of his sound rather than being the lead artist. Danny L Harle said he designed the melody of 'Azimuth' around Caroline's voice. She puts in a typically ethereal performance, while his trance production adds an extra uplifting layer to the more hopeful elements of the lyrics, such as "I trust you will light the way". The words are peppered with some ambient imagery to match the blue single cover - such as waves, rain and of course, the "cerulean" descriptor - also the title of his upcoming album, out next month, which I am hotly anticipating based on the singles so far.

Taylor Swift was back in a big way in 2025 with her record-breaking twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl. I was very excited for this record, after it was revealed that it was a return to Max Martin and Shellbeck pop, as I adore her 1989 album - easily in my Taylor top 3, with folklore and evermore. Unfortunately, I found this release to be a colossal disappointment. I tried my best to get into the era, even attending a The Official Release Party of a Showgirl cinema release, but it just wasn't clicking aside from 'Ruin The Friendship', the Sabrina Carpenter collab at a push and the true gem of the project... lead single, 'The Fate Of Ophelia'. In dramatic Swift fashion, this song is inspired by the character Ophelia from Hamlet, who drowns due to grief and romantic rejection. Taylor understandably wants to avoid this fate. I thought this song was a great natural progression, marrying her recent synth-pop sound with the more poetic lyricism accessed during her folkmore period. I got an exclusive early look at the music video, thanks to the aforementioned cinema release and I enjoyed watching that plus the extra behind-the-scenes look, as Taylor plays different female performers from over the decades - giving the choreography a good go. 'ME!' was obviously a head scratching choice of Lover lead over 'Cruel Summer' in retrospect but I think 'cardigan', 'willow', 'Anti-Hero', 'Fortnight' and 'The Fate of Ophelia' have been great picks since. 'The Fate of Ophelia' has now spent 7 non-consecutive weeks as the U.K. #1, my second favourite chart-topper of 2025. At one point, we pleasingly had a top 40 that was book-ended with fictional characters, as Tame Impala sat at #40 with 'Dracula' during one of '...Ophelia's weeks at the top, nice.

The rise of masked group Sleep Token was a fascinating chart story in 2025. They had been cultivating a rabid fanbase over time but properly broke through into the mainstream ahead of fourth studio album, Even in Arcadia. The lyrical content of lead single 'Emergence' feels appropriate to the group's story now they were experiencing such a monumental reintroduction themselves. This song appealed to me as it stood out so much in the current chart landscape - as a sprawling, 6 minute prog metal song. I thought frontman Vessel provided a commanding vocal and the shapeshifting production was very dynamic. The song starts out slowly, with stirring piano and guitar elements, before becoming this heavier beast and then departing on a jazzy note. Sure, why not! This British band reached #17 in their home nation with 'Emergence' and even more impressively, #57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. I didn't really get into the follow-up singles, plus haven't explored their back catalogue in great detail, so it remains to be seen whether they'll be a one hit wonder in my chart - but I appreciate this bold stamp on the charts this year nevertheless.

'Blu' by Sara Zozaya is the latest Jadakissnia BuzzJack Song Contest entry to drop out. My country won BJSC for the first time in 4 years, during the 178th edition, so I was afforded the privilege of an auto-qualifier entry for BJSC 179. I wanted to use this wisely and 'Blu' seemed to fit the bill, as quite a subtle song, that might get lost in the shuffle without the safety net of an automatic qualification. This turned out to be a good move in the end, as 'Blu' finished 32nd, my worst performing finalist of 2025 - so who knows if it would've escaped the semi-finals. My victory was with a recycled artist, Erin LeCount, so I also wanted to go back to inspired roots this time - and this certainly seemed to be the case with 'Blu', which had less than 2000 YouTube views when I sent it. This slow-burn Basque entry also attracted me with an ambient yet cinematic sound, due to its post-rock edge. This increased our qualifying streak up to a round 10 in a row... until that was in tatters the following contest!

Max Martin rears his head once more in this section as he helped to compose and produce 'twilight zone' alongside Ilya Salmazadeh and of course Ariana Grande, who solely wrote the lyrics. This is a very personal song and the kind of material you'd probably expect in her post-divorce era... as she uses the metaphor of the twilight zone to express how perplexed she was that a certain relationship had actually happened. Ari has regularly spoken about how the TV series The Twilight Zone has inspired her and even dressed up with a pig-face for Halloween one year. 'twilight zone' was chosen as the lead single from the deluxe version of her eternal sunshine album, titled eternal sunshine: brighter days. I was pleased she continued down the ethereal synth-pop lane after concluding that 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' from the standard edition was a career highlight. 'twilight zone' is not quite as earth-shattering as that but still beautifully performed and executed, my favourite new addition to the main body of work. It's a shame we were a bit short changed with the music video, which is lifted from the visually stunning Brighter Days Ahead short film (which won 'Video of the Year' at the VMAs) but only includes 2 minutes of the song. The U.K. #5 peak was a solid addition to her chart stats, especially for a deluxe song, although I wish it had stuck around longer and performed better in the U.S.

Lorde once again claims the embedded slot after losing out on a tiebreak to a #1 hit in my weekly chart. More on that one soon. But first, 'What Was That' was our introduction to Lorde's fourth studio album, Virgin. I couldn't wait to hear this, after she shared a snippet on social media, as it sounded like a return to more electronic roots again. Upon first listen, I was a bit unsure, as the chorus sounded a bit messy and the drop didn't impact me as much as hoped, but after a few more plays I could relax - as everything fell into place. I soon came to love that frantic delivery on the chorus and got used to the drop, bathing in the Melodrama-esque storytelling and dark synths, plus drums inspired by Radiohead's 'Reckoner'. Lorde worked alongside Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro on both the writing and production of 'What Was That'. In this song, Lorde has now moved on from a break-up, but expresses pain and regret nevertheless - with introspective, reflective lines such as "I cover up all the mirrors, I can't see myself yet". She later details the infatuated early days of her relationship, such as kissing for hours straight or doing MDMA in the back garden (or "blend DNA" according to Radio 1's edit) - however, other parts of this chorus feel like they could be addressing the fans - such as "since I was 17, I gave you everything", as she famously blew up at a young age. I always feel an emotional connection whenever Lorde mentions her age in a song, as only 8 months younger than her, so it's like we've done adulthood together so far. Having her back is like hearing from an old friend, especially with a sound more reminiscent of her earlier work, but still distinctive enough and wiser. Lorde was back in the U.K. chart with 'What Was That' but annoyingly stalled at #11!

Hi there Jade!

Nice to see "Indigo", "The Fate Of Ophelia", "Twilight Zone" and "What Was That".

Great chart!

Take care.

11 minutes ago, Sergej said:

Hi there Jade!

Nice to see "Indigo", "The Fate Of Ophelia", "Twilight Zone" and "What Was That".

Great chart!

Take care.

Hi Sergej!

Glad you enjoyed all of those songs! Almost a full house for the top 40 hits in that section. *.*

thank you for commenting :D

Giving Azimuth a listen - enjoying the music, I can certainly see where you're coming from with the lyrics being quite downbeat but with glimmers of hope in there!

10 minutes ago, PeteFromLeeds said:

Giving Azimuth a listen - enjoying the music, I can certainly see where you're coming from with the lyrics being quite downbeat but with glimmers of hope in there!

Hi Pete, glad you enjoyed the music! Thank you for commenting

TOP 100 SONGS: 40-31

40. ROSALÍA - Porcelana (feat. Dougie F) | 265 points (peak: #1)

39. Nilüfer Yanya - Kneel | 266 points

38. The Marías - Back To Me | 270 points

37. Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun | 277 points

36. FKA twigs - Room of Fools | 285 points

35. Sidewalks and Skeletons & CASHFORGOLD - Dissolve | 291 points

34. Mount Palomar & Makeshift Art Bar - Pass The Parcel | 294 points

33. PinkPantheress - Tonight | 303 points

32. Nilüfer Yanya - Cold Heart | 305 points (peak: #4)

31. The Horrors - The Silence That Remains | 305 points (peak: #1)

I was lucky enough to hear ROSALÍA's fourth studio album LUX a day early as my CD arrived in the post in advance of the release date. It is times like these when I'm glad I still own a CD player that plugs into my laptop. Don't worry, I only imported the tracks into my own iTunes to spam rather than distributing them anywhere. 'Porcelana' immediately grabbed me with its discordance, hand claps and choral elements. ROSALÍA once again taps into a multilingual world as this track even includes a Japanese verse. This artistic choice made sense as soon as I learnt that 'Porcelana' was inspired by 17th century Japanese nun, Ryōnen Gensō. She was deemed too beautiful to be a nun, serving as a distraction, but was so intent on becoming one that she burnt her face with an iron to eliminate that perceived attractiveness... consequently being accepted. This shocking tale is incorporated in the lyrics, about beauty and sacrifice, on top of further spiritual themes. A fair amount of light imagery is used, including the "I am nothing, I am the light of the world" chorus, plus a nod to kintsugi early on - nicely tying in with the overall Japanese themes, plus linking her to Addison Rae earlier in the countdown who was also inspired by this practice on her own 'In The Rain'. The male feature Dougie F was initially uncredited, with online speculation that he could be Frank Ocean or Travis Scott. Alas, not even ROSALÍA can end the drought of Frank Ocean releases, so the wait continues.

British artist Nilüfer Yanya followed up 2024's brilliant My Method Actor album with last year's Dancing Shoes EP. 'Kneel' is the opening track on this project. She explained in an interview with NME that the song is about "committing yourself to something or somebody and feeling like you're surrendering". My favourite line in this song is the evocative "we're healing when nothing is spoken" during the chorus, the idea that there is still power in presence. Nilüfer contributes an equally vulnerable vocal performance and the production is wonderfully textured. 'Kneel' interestingly opens with a tambourine, alongside the guitar, bass and drum sounds. Eerie synths also work their way in. This song concludes on a powerful solely instrumental final minute, with distorted guitars and soaring strings.

The Marías achieved their first weekly #1 in my personal chart with 'Back To Me'. This song is a direct continuation from their second studio album, Submarine. That record explored the fresh wounds of a break-up, but some time has passed on standalone single 'Back To Me', as lead singer María Zardoya now reflects on the aftermath of the heartbreak. She is still in love with this former partner but has to deal with them moving on to someone new. Her ever-stunning vocals are backed by dreamy bedroom pop sounds, plus shoegaze elements, producing an atmospheric effect. It appears Ariana Grande wasn't the only one recently inspired by the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in her music, as the line "meet me in Montauk" in 'Back To Me' appears to reference it - which I of course approve of.

'Midnight Sun' by Zara Larsson initially went over my head when I first checked it out last June. However, fast-forward to September and it suddenly clicked while I heard it on holiday in Spain. That break wasn't the escapism I'd hoped for, with unexpected drama arising, so this song turned into an uplifting tonic for me. Larsson was inspired by her Swedish roots for 'Midnight Sun', writing about their 24 hours of daylight in summer, alongside Helena Gao and familiar collaborator MNEK - who is also credited on production duties, creating a drum and bass whirlwind. I particularly enjoy the added breakbeats. Zara perfectly sells the youthful, freeing nature of this song with an impressive vocal performance and commanding presence in the video. I adore the colourful aesthetics of those visuals, which particularly stand out in today's minimalistic landscape. The moodboard is very 2000s throwback, especially with a bejewelled phone and portable CD player serving as props. One of my 2026 musical predictions was 'Midnight Sun' taking off, on the back of Zara's recent TikTok virality and... this has actually come into fruition?! It is now a top 75 hit so fingers crossed for top 40 soon.

Apologies for posting a whole section without an FKA twigs mention, but order is now restored, as Eusexua album track 'Room of Fools' has placed at #36. This song is a love letter to the dancefloor, as twigs has previously mentioned that going to raves was a transformative experience, saving her. However, the more negative word "fools" also acknowledges humanity ignoring important issues while they escape. The production is heavenly, with a techno meets '90s trance feel to it. FKA twigs offers a layered vocal performance as ever, with a mix of lower register attack, plus euphoric high notes. Like '24hr Dog' earlier, I hear a heavy Björk influence here and can also see where people are coming from with Kate Bush comparisons. 'Room of Fools' concludes on a memorable note, with backwards vocals.

Sidewalks and Skeletons is the artist who first alerted me to witch house music, after discovering the BuzzJack Song Contest entry 'Exhume', so he will always have a special place in my heart as I am a big fan of the micro-genre. He's still making great music even now and often collaborates with CASHFORGOLD, who provides a muffled yet ethereal vocal performance on 'Dissolve'. The lyrics appear regretful and longing, as she claustrophobically discusses not being able to escape "the fire" and is dreaming of a past life. Sidewalks and Skeletons backs this up with usual witchy flair but also thumping electro clash-style synths, a dream combination for me. The music video fits the mood well, including a dark motorbike ride, plus the occasional pink hue to match the single cover.

Electronic producer Mount Palomar had a brilliant 2025 in my personal chart - featuring there four times alongside collaborators Naomi Banks, Karla Chubb (of SPRINTS), Pip Blom and of course, Makeshift Art Bar. I first discovered the latter Northern Irish band on 6Music via standout post-punk single 'Bedwetter', so I was excited to learn the two acts had joined forces. Mount Palomar caught their set at Borderline Festival in Dublin and thought they could make something unique together, the rest was then history. The band's aforementioned post-punk sound collides with Mount Palomar's pounding techno beats to create a truly thrilling and intense team-up, masterfully building tension throughout. The lyrics are inspired by the heightened emotions of a post-breakup fallout. I am dumbfounded that this music video has less than 2000 views as it deserves far more! Bring on the accompanying EP Feeding Frenzy, out next month.

Zara Larsson wasn't the only artist channelling the 2000s in this section, as PinkPantheress arrived with plentiful throwbacks, in delightful sample-heavy mixtape Fancy That. She may have lifted the strings of lead single 'Tonight' from American act Panic! At The Disco's 'Do You Know What I'm Seeing?', but her sound still feels quintessentially British, flipping that sample on its head. The throbbing four-to-the-floor bassline is reminiscent of 'Back-of-the-bus-Bluetooth-banger' music. That infectious club sound accompanies PinkPantheress' charming, playful delivery. She is in control here and is cheekily flirting with a shy crush. The music video is a visual feast, with period drama costumes and settings, much like Bridgerton - mixed with a more modern TikTok-ready dance routine. PinkPantheress also claims to be inspired by the music video for Jamiroquai's 'King for a Day'. The British public decided to have taste and made 'Tonight' a top 40 hit last year, sneaking in at #35.

Nilüfer Yanya experiences a double whammy in this section as 'Cold Heart' was a big hit in my personal chart last year, reaching #4. This song immediately tugs on the heart strings before she even utters a single word, as the guitar line is pretty melancholic. Nilüfer provides a haunting vocal delivery as she reflects on a relationship with a girl, who has the titular cold heart. She begins with the imagery of a "winter sun", a far cry from Zara's more upbeat use of the giant star earlier. It seems this frosty relationship never fully delivered, as she uses uncertain language like "almost all brand new" and "I guess you had a cold heart". The production is as rich and fluid as ever from her, with the aforementioned guitar also meeting synths and uptempo drums. There is a beautiful instrumental break towards the end as well, with sweeping strings. The pelican visualiser of course gives this brownie points too.

This section concludes with a repeat song from my 2024 countdown that experienced a lengthy enough weekly run to make it in for another year. 'The Silence That Remains' by The Horrors finished at an impressive #13 in last year's countdown, despite being released pretty late in the year. This time it has satisfyingly managed to flip those numbers around, placing at #31, just ahead of Nilüfer Yanya on a tiebreak due to its #1 status in my weekly chart. I won't repeat my previous commentary on this favourite but can now add that accompanying album Night Life was later released in March 2025. Aside from the aforementioned 'Lotus Eater' and 'The Silence That Remains', both in the countdown this year, my other biggest highlights were 'Silent Sister' and 'LA Runaway' <3

50-41 comments (catching up again oop xx)

Actually not sure which hit you were saying you thought I was not fussed about as I do like all of them - guessing you may have meant Taylor? Definitely not feeling too positive about this era in general from her but 'The Fate Of Ophelia' was the one song I did enjoy from the album albeit not quite among her best songs ever (also 'Elizabeth Taylor' has grown on me a bit and I liked 'Wi$h Li$t' more than I remembered when finally giving it a second listen the other day), somewhat suffers from her tendency to word salad lyrics of late but the tune is very solid, would rank it bang in the middle of her UK #1s, quite a way behind 'Is It Over Now?' and 'Fortnight' but just ahead of 'Anti-Hero' and well ahead of 'Look What You Made Me Do'. Either that or maybe you forgot that 'twilight zone' grew on me a lot after finding it middling on first listen, I don't really know what I was thinking there as I now feel like it's an even better version of the formula of 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)', this has also reminded me I meant to watch the 'brighter days ahead' short film but never got around to it whoops, it's on my Watch Later list on YouTube so I'll get to it eventually Then guessing the one you weren't sure of my opinion on is Sleep Token, I know they're another band with quite spotty reception and can see why but they were a welcome injection of diversity into the charts last year, nice that Bring Me The Horizon now have company in bands with heavy elements who can chart singles fairly consistently! The title track of their album was my favourite of their charted songs but 'Emergence' is a goodun too. Will just always find it amusing that the first time I properly heard a Sleep Token song was when 'Caramel' came on Radio 1 without being introduced beforehand and until it got to the chorus I genuinely thought I was listening to an Alex Warren song that I hadn't heard yet haha. I'm sure you must have known ofc that I'm a big fan of the other two hits here, gwan Lorde getting another embedded slot, I think now some time has passed I have cooled on the initial hype of 'What Was That' a liiiittle bit and now prefer quite a few other songs from the album but I still think it was a good comeback single both lyrically and production wise (and anyway I don't think the lead single has been the best song on any of her albums, 'Royals' was my fave from her debut for a long time but I'd sooner go to 'Tennis Court' these days), cruel that it peaked at #11, maybe she'll get top 10 with the lead from L5 in 2029 or whenever + Sam Barber very much serving similar vibes to Zach Bryan i.e. country music for people who don't like country music, and I greatly appreciate him for it, a powerful ballad there.

As for the non hit songs in that section - I don't know it as well as 'Cinderella' (still pending a listen to 'Pirouette') but 'Diva' is also excellent, had forgotten that was actually a bigger hit in your chart! 'Fuck Me Eyes' was the song from the Ethel album that stood out to me the most from what I've heard so far and I think it's still my favourite now, might help that it's a bit less lore heavy and more able to stand alone than a song like 'Waco, Texas' but also just really love the melancholy synth production <3 Chalk are another band I've discovered from your chart that have been consistently strong from the songs I've heard and they seem to have quite a diverse sound as well, the highlight of this song definitely being the electronic beat switch in the latter half. I somehow don't think I ever knew that Danny L Harle was involved with Caroline's album, that seems quite different to his usual style! 'Azimuth' definitely more what I'd expect from a collab between them i.e. banger beats and ethereal vocals, no notes x and 'Blu' was a great choice of auto-qualifier (though still deserved better in the final anyway x), a beautiful track that got 8 points from me, oh my at it placing higher on this countdown than your two top 5 hits of the year! 2 for 2 on enjoying Basque entries in BJSC as I also gave a point to the one Rich sent before (Huntza - Aldapan Gora) - assuming that was the only previous one anyway!

These also charted for me last year:

48. Ethel Cain - F**k Me Eyes | 251 points

45. Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | 257 points

42. Ariana Grande - twilight zone | 264 points

38. The Marías - Back To Me | 270 points

37. Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun | 277 points

The Horrors album was definitely a highlight of last year. "The Feeling Is Gone" was the track for me from it, which made it into my EOY Top 100.