RobBot

YES DARA

Yes, it was more interesting than usual but I’m sorry, this was so amateur and the writing was on the wall from the get go. I expected 0pts from jury and televote, so I was one point off being right. If you do this type of thing, it has to be done VERY well. I don’t even think, bar the final chorus, this song feels particularly fun? I don’t want to get up and dance to it so what’s really the point of it? Graham, sadly, summed it up by saying “bless him, this is not his world” - well, what the f*** are we doing as a country with a huge music industry if we’re sending people where this isn’t their world?! These results hurt more because of how we’ve just slowly reversed back to Square 1 after Sam, it’s like we never ever learn ANYTHING. And it’s not that hard because, for the last two years, most fans could’ve predicted the songs wouldn’t have done well so how has this not been picked up before we reach the contest? And this is no hate to LMNC, I think they’re pretty cool in their own lane and I think this year was way more interesting and less safe than we usually take it. It’s nice to see us out of the Radio 2 sphere of “safe and listenable”, but the whole package never felt anywhere close to competitive for me. We just MUST have Dara’s, Alexandra Capitanescu’s, Satoshi’s or even just Delta Goodrem’s in our country who can perform the shit out of a number because it’s been 4 years in a row of performers where I was just relieved they got to the end of the song without messing up and I want to be CONFIDENT.

The “Ru decides” tie breaker also felt weirdly anti-climatic, like… get the queens to vote between them? Up the drama? She just decided Akeria and I was like …oh okay? Sure?

I still can’t get into Dawn. I can appreciate the glow up is there, the looks definitely are and she has improved but she doesn’t have that “oomph” of a spark when she’s on camera that Akeria, Morgan and honestly Morphine do. Definitely disappointed that Morgan didn’t get to progress, she’s great TV.

☝️185 ☝️ ILLIT ‘IT’S ME’ Just say I’m your fave! As Babe America made it three top 10s on the bounce with her 2010s pop sounding number, we’re diving into K-Pop for BJSC 185, in the form of ILLIT with It’s Me. The song is the first Hendinian entry to hit #1 in the nation this year (unposted as yet x) but will that obsession be shared by other nations? It’s been a long wait for Hendinia to return to K-Pop, going back as far as SUNMI’s Heroine, which failed to qualify in 2018. Will ILLIT change the K-Pop fortunes?

I had hoped you might mean me when you posted in the thread about being surprised not to have voted for someone all year 😂 thanks for the love, I’ve really been enjoying your comeback (voted for you 3/4 times I think?)

Here goes Operation K-Pop, can't turn back now!

not twinkwatch 💀

YES CYPRUS!! My happiest result of the whole thing cos all of my other favourites felt like locks. Need that hot mess to open the show on Saturday ❤️

Gotta hand it to Delta - it was gonna take something special to top Antigoni’s vocal masterpiece but I think she might have managed it!

Howling at how bad Antigoni was. But still one of my favourites of the year so rooting for her to somehow still manage it.

It didn’t, it was #163 the day before, just a typo x

You were in BJSC 181 that she was a runner up for about four contests ago also

These latter vetoes had a bit more discussion than the first 3 so apologies to the two members behind them. I don’t mind being transparent in saying I didn’t vote to veto Valencia but I think there’s something to be said for “not now but not forever” with some artists and that they need a bit of a cooling off period. Avery Cochrane was one of them too but I don’t think these artists will be vetoed every time going forward so if someone sends them in the future and they don’t get vetoed, we’re not being inconsistent if you get me.

I think these were referring to ORKID, who was vetoed at the very start of confirmations to be fair.

So so so relieved for Felicia! She needs to absolutely BRING IT for the final.

Christ on a bike, this just keeps getting worse. BBC 1 aren’t having it back after this 😂

f*** me, this hosting is the worst in a long while.

Scared for Sweden, I don’t know why 😭

Now THAT was camp. Shit. But camp x

Loved the shot of the stairs there x

Okay, I really contest anyone who said Finland doesn’t feel like a winner to stand by that now. Watching it in a room full of mostly people hearing each song for the first time and everyone was GAGGED and silent.

Bloody Mary for me x

I can’t pretend to be boycotting it because I’m in a bit too deep but I attended for the last 3 years and had booked hotels to go again this year but decided not to when it was revealed Israel were staying. And I thought I’d feel the most intense FOMO this week but I actually don’t. I hadn’t even listened to every entry until 2 weeks ago compared to the last two years where I’ve reacted to every entry on my YouTube channel within 48 hours of release. The whole situation really has put a huge damage on the contest and it’s gonna take a lot to bring it back (but the ever hopeful optimist in me still hopes it can). Those NY Times revelations, while they’re not wildly shocking, are really upsetting. The lengths that they have gone to to keep them around is worse than indifference, it’s an active campaign of support. Really gross.

I actually don’t think I agree anymore that people aren’t connecting with current music as much as I think people are lazier than ever with seeking new music out. This is evidenced by how long it takes some songs to be a hit - Rein Me In doesn’t sound any different to how it did at the start of its run. They want it to come to them on TikTok or a movie because Spotify doesn’t really encourage new music. You create a playlist, you stick to putting that on every day and if you’re not actively searching for new stuff, then you continue to regurgitate that same material until a format like TikTok forces something else upon you.