RobBot

This (and Dave) were my reason for using the start of Rein Me In’s run as a marker point. Not that Dave is experimental but it’s MOR pop.

Yeah, in isolation, I don’t even think Babydoll would make me groan - I think it’s a better song than Ordinary for sure. It just feels like it’s the next MOR song in line to dominate after about two years of long running #1s that feel quite MOR. I’d love a Not Like Us or a Guess or something at #1. I do think Stop The Wedding, though it still would get played on Heart FM, would be a big injection of personality and fun into the top spot that doesn’t often feel present.

I also just kind of think almost every single #1 single this year has been quite… safe and lacking excitement. I’d say, even if I like songs by Ariana, Ella, Olivia etc, every song that’s gone to #1 since Rein Me In first took over in February has been quite safe.

I’ve posted before about this so I’ll probably sound like a broken record but “it sounds like just Man I Need” is kinda exactly the problem to me. Olivia Dean delivers her song with a breeziness, an earnestness that feels like a long lost classic. Babydoll feels like it’s been scientifically designed in a lab to sound like Man I Need, with all of the soul and warmth zapped out. Right down to all of the videos I’ve seen for it where his style has suddenly changed to always wearing a suit, a dance that his team have created for it, the celebs they’ve got involved - it’s great promotion and fair play to his label for carrying it out so well and getting a hit from it, but it just feels stripped of any authenticity and sincerity, which is why I can’t enjoy it. I’d be lying to say it’d be the worst #1, I don’t think it’s even a bad song and I can it’s appeal in being catchy but between his voice being edited/mixed in quite an annoying way on this track and recreating a recent songs’ former glory in such a blatant way isn’t something I’m ever going to want to see succeed or seek to listen to myself.

Starting with the females as I’m a bit strapped for time this week and I’m familiar with all of these so gave them a quick and easy listen on the way to work: 09 Agnes - 24 Hours (I feel equally about all of my top 3 and don’t really know how to split them but Agnes hasn’t had a top rating from me yet and I think this is one of her best ever, so felt deserving of the maximum at last for an artist that I adore) 08 Zara Larsson - Can't Tame Her (could easily be a third week at the top for me, a pretty flawless pop song by one of my favourite artists of all time - 24 Hours just whacked me over the head that liiiitle bit more) 07 Adele - Chasing Pavements (this has aged like fine wine, an instant classic sounding song and that final chorus is just euphoric when she leads in with the big note from the middle 8 - I think I appreciate this more now than I would’ve done aged 12) 06 Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Bittersweet (I’ve always had a soft spot for this song and found it underrated so I’m glad to see it receiving love in this thread, lush) 05 Leona Lewis feat. Avicii - Collide (is it generic for Leona? Yes. Does it still bang? Absolutely. Loving all the representation for Leonas up tempos in this contest because they don’t get enough wider world love) 04 Kate Bush - Cloudbusting (again, splitting hairs at this point but easily my favourite Kate entry to date so I felt like it deserved more than the bare minimum) 03 Jessie Ware - Hot N Heavy (the era where I sat up and paid attention to Jessie, fantastic song but pretty much every other single from this era has more of an impact on me) 02 MARINA - I Am Not a Robot (I definitely loved this when it was released and it still does sound great but hasn’t aged with as much finesse as others to my ears, still like an 8/10 though, it’s just a super strong pack) 01 Robyn - Keep This Fire Burning (again, I hate to add to the dogpile because this isn’t a bad song but I definitely prefer I Am Not A Robot by a decent distance so I couldn’t put it anywhere else)

My thought processes so far have been: iamamiwhoami - Pavel Zara Larsson - LeeJ Milica Pavlovic - Uhsting Damien Rice - Herbs Fontaines DC - Jade Addy - Vengaboys Jessie Ware - Elgornio/Josh Agnes - Elgornio/Josh Leona Lewis - Jay Bananarama - Gooddelta I’m sure there’s more but I’m only particularly sure of the first 6 tbf, think I’m clutching for the rest where I think they could be multiple people.

It must be quite the comfort to know you can crash out at any time but you’ve got two of the most loved songs of all time on Buzzjack in your back pocket 😂

Wait, are we allowed to speculate? I’m constantly pointing the finger at people but I literally don’t have a clue to be completely transparent and I’m just doing it for fun 😂

My theory all along has been that Lee wasn’t late at all and that he’s the one that beat me to Zara 😂

Don’t worry Herbs, now you’ve sent that Little Mix cover, you’ll be just fine!

This is very much a round of songs that by popular artists that I find to be underrated and not killed by overplay. 24 Hours, Bittersweet, Collide, Can’t Tame Her all fit that brief for me but love them all. That’s a brave Robyn choice but I expect she’s got enough fans to survive it? Probably?

Obsessed with this Calvin on Sam war. Can’t say as I blame Damien using, arguably, his strongest card now he’s been so close to the chop. Don’t think he’ll go with this and then you’ve made it to the next stage so fair play x

It’s only taken four rounds but it is TIME to stan Bananarama *.*

I’ve exceeded my own expectations so far so now I’m actually starting to feel a bit of pressure not to trip up.

Okay, with that semi split, it’s been real, thank you for a lovely streak 😂

GAH another theme! Gag it x

30 Eleni Foureira - Fuego 29 Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - I'll Never Love Again 28 Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry 27 Kim Petras - Heart To Break 26 Kacey Musgraves - High Horse 25 SOPHIE - Immaterial 24 Charli XCX & Troye Sivan - 1999 23 Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 22 Dua Lipa & BLACKPINK - Kiss and Make Up 21 Troye Sivan - My My My! 20 Ariana Grande - Breathin 19 Ciara - Level Up 18 Silk City & Dua Lipa - Electricity 17 Little Mix - Wasabi 16 Rita Ora - Let You Love Me 15 Ariana Grande - God Is A Woman 14 Lady Gaga - Always Remember Us This Way 13 Janelle Monáe - Make Me Feel 12 Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa - One Kiss 11 Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next 10 Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow 09 Clean Bandit (feat. Demi Lovato) - Solo 08 M.O, Lotto Boyzz & Mr Eazi - Bad Vibe 07 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood 06 Ellie Goulding (feat. Diplo & Swae Lee) - Close To Me 05 Calvin Harris & Sam Smith - Promises 04 Dua Lipa - IDGAF 03 DJ Snake (feat. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B) - Taki Taki 02 Bruno Mars (feat. Cardi B) - Finesse 01 Years & Years - All For You

Ooh, thrilled to see my Instruction nomination getting an AQ spot! And Zara now having two entries in the final CONFIRMED ❤️

Sorry for the delay to the start of the contest, guys, absolutely not Nelly’s fault in any way. Quite honestly - if I didn’t have a streak/wasn’t a moderator, I’d probably follow Dandy’s lead in taking a break from this month. I’ve had a gig, a wedding, over time and now a holiday for my anniversary at the end of the week. The song I’ve ended up sending is over a year old but I’d rather send something that I’ve loved for a duration of time and think is a genuinely gorgeous song than just the flavour of the moment that I’m not super passionate about for a hit/to keep my Q streak alive.

It’s all very… hard to categorise and I’m glad Calum doesn’t really police it, as much as some categories might not be the most to my taste, I think pretty much every act straddles pop in some sense. I think you could call Damien folk-pop, Calvin dance-pop, Gary Numan synth-pop etc. I do feel Fontaines DC are possibly the act that have the least crossover to pop, pretty much any descriptor of them would be rock or alternative, but I agree that it’s unlikely that replicating this contest in another forum would gain much traction, so I don’t really argue with them being here and I don’t think any poster should feel shoved out of such a popular contest/face negativity because their taste doesn’t quite fit inside a narrow box. Ultimately, it’s just a fun competition and I’d agree with Rich that there’s a good enough balance of people voting and when push comes to shove - our finalists to date have been Avril Lavigne, Pet Shop Boys, Christina Aguilera, ABBA, Lily Allen and Kelly Clarkson who are all undeniably pop so it’s not like the inclusion of these acts often threatens the pop fans in any way.

New Music Friday has been a big fat flop. What do you mean OBSESSED haven’t even added anything new for me to cheaply nab?! All the same, I’ve listened to two new albums this past week which I’ve really enjoyed so I may go that direction. Or I’ll send something I have in my potentials list from previous contests this year - I have a bad habit of just moving on from songs if I don’t send them in the month I consider them because I like my entries to feel fresh to me but there’s still some really good stuff on there that I shouldn’t just dismiss.

We did, when we went potential dates, switch things around from a Saturday deadline with a Sunday opening because there’s a likelihood of plenty of switches/late confirmations so we have accommodated for New Music Friday with an extra day to research! How useful I’ll be remains to be seen as I’m at Pussycat Dolls tonight and a wedding tomorrow but we shall see x

I will not be making my decision until the final day x

This hasn't been open as long as it should've been but would like to creep above 20 votes if possible!! It's not too late my loves x