Thanks to the 7 of you who voted for Binzatina, and commiserations the 3 of you as well as Iz who didn't qualify either. I only lost Terra Avium from my votes, but also many of the long tail just outside.

I've some unwanted milestones - first DNQ streak, one top 30 finish in the last 8 contests (when I managed 8 in a row not so long ago).... and "DNQ" once again becomes my most common finishing position in all Buzzjack song contests with 7, moving ahead of 2nd again.

Thank you Sabrewulf for your attentive hosting so far.

A-Konohagakure was my ex-flatmate's ('Agon') favourite in the listenthrough 😉 But it may have been mainly because of the black cat's adventures in the video...

Thanks Seán for hosting!

I have never seen an entire bloc get wiped out like that before

Pagasa grew too strong and ate all the bigger nations

Oh, also I'll be generating the recap tomorrow so if anyone wants a specific timeslot for their song to appear now is the time to message me with that.

It needs to be 14 seconds.

The alt songs that did actually make it will all be massively elevated in the final now. There will be no big spread of votes with loads of the alt songs I expected to get through now out, so the alt votes will be concentrated while there is so much pop to vote for that that vote will be more thinly spread imo.

+4 Cumulonimbia: Titanic - La Dueña

9/10

Happy for MACE and Fright Years qualifying the most!

Sorry I've been lurking, felt completely knocked out after work today so I was napping through the majority of the results again and thought I'd just save my thoughts for a rambly post at the end x

Firstly very much happy and relieved to see Band Of Horses qualifying - got a mixed bag of predictions and I was not feeling confident as I was fearing it could end up being a bit forgotten and overshadowed by bigger alt songs of which there were a fair few in this semi, but hooray that my first back-to-back DNQs since BJSC 56 did not turn into my first back-to-back-to-back DNQs since... well, also BJSC 56 x Now hopefully I can avoid being last in the final again and it'd be by default at least the 2nd most successful of my last 6 entries!

Lost 2 of the top 3 from my own votes though which is not good, I did figure Zephyra Continuum might be just a little bit too niche even in an alt-friendly semi (I had hope for them to pull off an upset but realistically not a surprising loss) but whaaaat at Jadakissnia being out, I think that was my favourite entry from them from quite a while 😿 was thinking it'd likely still be very close between them and my 10 pointer from this semi for my 18 in the final with Zephyra maybe still having an outside chance to snatch it but these results make my 18 seem quite uncompetitive now (although tbf I've still not given a second listen to semi 1 yet and then will of course hear everything a couple more times in the final so there will still be the chance something from there could compete). Otherwise I also lost A-Konohagakure from my votes which is also not that big of a shock but still disappointing, I did move them up a couple of points after my second listen, hopefully they haven't just missed out by like 1 point as I maybe could have moved them up even more... but I was trying to be mindful that I am definitely ranking for the songs and not being too influenced by the videos (it is a great song anyway but undoubtedly the adorable animated cat video has helped it stand out more for me). Although I say that when I myself have sent a song that I think the video is a big part of the appeal of so I encourage everyone else to still bump me up in their votes for the sob story video please

I thought my top 17 of this semi were playlist-worthy (1 more than last month's semi despite having fewer songs!) - I lost two more songs from that 11th-17th section, first Ajanaeda which was a big grower on second listen and quite a charming oddball of a song, and Lotunia which was also a lite banger. Ennea and Flynnonda were both also good and a shame they didn't get through, although I did think the latter didn't sound like it would quite have the appeal of 'Hunt You Down' (though regardless slipping from a win to a 20-point DNQ just a year later is a bit steep!) Ben's Sanctuary coming last with their anniversary entry is unfortunate, I did appreciate it being quite an inspired pick as far as Kylie songs go but unfortunately I guess there might be a reason this one seems to have stayed in a bit of obscurity by her standards whoops - I thought the song was ok, seems we were more in the market for Lookylion's Kylie-alike than the real deal though. Greenfroze's song was not for me but will of course also join the chorus of people mourning the loss of their Q streak (which, now I've qualified again, I should really end my strike and get around to updating again )

Didn't think it was in doubt but glad that Dalisska have indeed qualified for their own final and a hooray to some other faves from Jupiterdonia, Summericia and Trifoski in particular qualifying x

12 Jadakissnia

10 Q

8 Zephyra Continuum

7 Q

6 Q

5 Q

4 A-Konohagakure

3 Q

2 Q

1 Q

14th Ajanaeda

17th Lotunia

19th Ennea

21st Flynnonda

23rd Ben's Sanctuary

28th Greenfroze

I'll still give a belated second full listen to semi 1 before finalising my ranking there but from my initial listen I've lost 2 of my top 5 (Séyetana and Cumulonimbia) and another 2 of my top 10 (Bronzil and Aelandor) so that is also not great - and 3 of those are quite surprising losses as well, I know Jim identified this being a bad semi draw for him and clearly was correct in the end but I still would have expected them to be through (sad that they are on a rough run of form lately #endbronzilracism), Cumulonimbia is a real head-scratcher of a loss though as is Aelandor to a slightly lesser extent, I guess when it seems that the pop nations in semi 1 didn't even think the pop was pop enough it was bound to be rough for alt entries. Séyetana being the least surprising of those losses for me but also obviously the one that actually came closest to making it - thanks for the discovery anyway Iz, as I posted in your thread it's nice to hear some legit bossa nova stuff for once as much as I've enjoyed the influence that genre has had on mainstream artists like beabadoobee, Billie Eilish and most recently Mitski. Skall definitely should not have come last either and as a cheerleader for foreign language rap entries it is a shame to be losing both Pestolia and République d'Áskorza x Terra Avium is one that I was hoping to be a grower for me, I enjoyed the instrumental on first listen but wasn't quite as sold on the vocals.

Central and South American artists seem to be taking a lot of Ls so far this year, my own Venezuelan act last month didn't make it and 4 of my major losses from the semis this month are at least tangentially from those regions (A-Konohagakure from Uruguay, Séyetana's featured artist having a Brazilian connection, Cumulonimbia from Mexico/Guatemala and Bronzil from Chile).

Again to end on a more positive note though, big hoorays for Bøtanikkä, Harmonica, Lentyll and Pagasa among others from semi 1 - brilliant to see Freidland finally qualifying again too (I thought this one would be a borderline but maybe would still have leant towards predicting them to be out again so happy to be wrong there) and eternal underdogs East Rukahavian pulling off a bit of an upset qualification is good to see too though I'll be hoping the song itself clicks for me more with further listens. Séyetana vs. Wholune was a cruel last two, although I'd have preferred the former to make it on the strength of the songs alone it has been aaaages since Wholune were last in a final and this song did deserve to make it through as well so hooray for a DNQ streak ended there.

Broooooooo so many of my faves went out 😭😭😭

I still can’t get over Terra Avium – Puissance – Grace of God.

10 hours ago, blacksquare said:

here we go

LMAO I just finished watching the last episode of UK v The World and now it's all making sense