gooddelta

Also voted. There wasn't any individual song I absolutely loved here tbh, but at the same time there were some really nice discoveries and I enjoyed 12 songs more than the rest of the pack (several of which I already knew). Intriguing mix of genres and sounds, I've no doubt the 80s and 90s will be most competitive but I did enjoy a lot of the submissions from earlier than this and my votes are well spread over all the years.

Tinchy. Had forgotten that existed, what an unwelcome reminder!!

I did look at their accounts recently and their turnover and profit was actually relatively static year-on-year, albeit sales literally about 80-90% down from their heyday. But I guess the Yearbooks and more lucrative hardback book CDs and vinyls are propping them up for now, and they won't go on forever, so maybe once those are done the brand will be too, and they are limping the numbered series on until the brand ends altogether? I really don't see how the numbered series is making them much if any money anymore though.

6,000 for Now, eek! Quickly getting to the point that it won’t be worth their while, although it has a historically bad tracklist, probably the worst ever. At least the series got another No.1.

I love Evacuate The Dancefloor but can certainly see how tacky it is, with the rent-a-rapper and Gaga copycat production, but I respect the hustle, it kept them relevant for another album and it's still a very catchy song. However, MJ certainly should have had a posthumous No.1 and it's unlucky for Cascada that blocking him is this song's legacy. Beat Again is very mid but somehow became a radio classic, I still hear it all the time. Mama Do is pretty good but I prefer every other Pixie single from that debut album. I really still like Fight For This Love a lot, sure Cheryl could have released anything and got to No.1 at this point but the song is such an earworm and the X Factor performance was a moment. It did very well internationally too in territories she's not known in (top five in Spain, Sweden, Germany, Italy etc - and who can forget that Covid meme) which proves the strength of the song above the artist. I quite love the bridge (and love the idea that Gaga could have been influenced by it for Shallow, I can actually see the melodic similarity now you mention it!). 3 Words and Parachute were very well chosen singles too, but the wider album was a bit more forgettable. Not got much of an opinion on Run This Town, I never really listen to it but it's a well produced record, I just get nothing from it but it being a bit of a plod unfortunately. I still love Empire State of Mind though. I love When Love Takes Over, strong production and Kelly sounds great on it. Maybe this was THE song that really got the club banger era fully underway? Guetta was one of the figureheads of the movement and this was his first hit in that 2009-2012 era. I feel like a lot of music sounded like this for the next three years. I liked My Life... a lot more at the time than I do now, having read about how much Kelly didn't want to record the song/work with Dr Luke as detailed in the write-up. It's also a touch on the throwaway side for me compared to the awesome and underrated My December album. At the time it did peak at No.4 in my personal chart though, but Love Story was No.1 for two weeks, the first song by Taylor Swift I really loved although she'd gone to No.8 for me over a year earlier with Teardrops On My Guitar. So at the time I wanted Taylor at No.1 but she's not exactly short of success now and it's good that Kelly got a chart topper to her name in the end. Maybe in a decade Underneath The Tree will be her second!

Well done Julian/ABBA! On paper they probably have the strongest catalogue of all the artists sent, but as we know, it's all about song choice in this competition and I really admire the way you weaved some underrated gems like Eagle and The Day Before You Came In, not to mention those tracks right at the start which put ABBA immediately in jeopardy, yet left their huge hits open for the latter rounds - so well played strategically and this final song was of course the obvious and best choice. ABBA still have about 15 big hits or classic songs in the tank unused too! I was 100% sure you were ABBA from the first round (for some reason it always sticks in my head that you ranked Agnetha as your all-time third favourite female artist in a Gezza rank, so stands to reason the group must be a big favourite), but Scene and Joseph being Kelly and Lily I hadn't called until recently. Kelly is the only other artist that could have beaten ABBA but it would have definitely taken Since U Been Gone to do it, so as that was used in the battle rounds this top three outcome felt like a very clear result to me (and tbh even then I'm not certain that could even get past The Winner Takes It All, but it would have been a closer battle). Nevertheless I love that Sober finally got its moment and Scene you played some cool choices, especially from the brilliant My December, plus Piece by Piece, the string of smashes from Breakaway and so many more <3 I ranked them 1) ABBA, 2) Kelly, 3) Lily, but the first two are all-time favourites <3 Never really been that much into Hard Out Here but Joseph has played Lily so brilliantly (I was so sure you were Atomic Kitten for almost the whole thing!). Showcasing a lot of the best album of last year, plus some great cuts from across all of her other eras. Very well played all of you, and of course, biggest thanks and congrats to Calum for the herculean effort involved in this and amazing hosting. I loved being part of it this time! I knew Delta never stood a chance but I couldn't not play her, with the opportunity to share so many of my all-time faves. Going to have a think for next year on who could potentially be competitive but who I also love (and also from a different category).

Rontvian votes are in, very diverse semi, the second listen last night helped to cement my favourites, but 12 songs stood above the rest of the pack for me so hope they can all get through (unlikely going by the predictions currently).

I'm sure I predict a top ten for Aeroche nearly every month, but this is almost certainly one. Can see it crossing over more for sure. Cute choice!

Welcome back, this is a really impressive song and production, hopefully a top half finish for you.

New Lex sounds like a Q to me - gives me ABBA piano meets Sabrina vibes, which always goes down well here. Plenty of pop countries in its semi to support I'd have thought.

Ashanti I think, not one of my favourites from her, even less so since Aitch sampled it.

That's the third month in a row with a Scene DNQ prediction oops, going to have to overcome it AGAIN!

Voted. One mentor has played and timed everything to perfection by not throwing out an unbeatable song too early.

@Doctor Blind

BalladJack Song Contest come through