Brer

Was worrying this was about to be a painful experience with how bad the site lag was for a couple of hours but looks like it's mostly cleared up now in time for this, hope it'll stay that way!

 

Hoping I can get both my first top 10 and my first non bottom 5 finish (which are of course the same thing in this particular contest). x

 

I feel like there's a good chance my 12 wins this time!

I think we're suddenly back to being under 10 seconds of lag again now at least (unless I am jinxing it again now) x

I think it must be the number of 'guests' viewing the site, I've been watching the number each time I've been able to load the front page and it increases by a few dozen every time. Idk if setting the site to members only would fix that? x

My qualification rate was exactly 80% as of the thread linked in the OP just after my last DNQ, and since bumped back up to 80.3% (110/137) :magic:

Aside: although they typically are, there's not actually any rule that running orders have to be randomised!

Putting Scotland 2 last on purpose was my suggestion btw (following the precedent of Rob doing the same with the hour long Arca song), just to shield Oliver from criticism x

 

It's really just to avoid disruption to the listenthroughs i.e. giving an easy opportunity for people to just leave partway through if they don't want to listen to all of it (which is perfectly reasonable in extreme cases like this). As it happens no one did leave partway through in the semi-final listenthrough though so maybe it wasn't really necessary after all.

Finally listened to this today, I think overall it's a slight step down from 'SOUR' for me unfortunately (unpopular opinion I think) - idk if I was just paying more attention to the lyrics than I was on 'SOUR' but I feel like she has regressed to more immature/cringy lyrics in general, and it really ruins a couple of the songs on here (primarily 'love is embarrassing' and 'bad idea right?', but I notice it being a slight niggle even on a lot of the songs that I do like).

 

'vampire' is still a fantastic song obvz and still the best on the album for me, 'get him back!' is the obvious choice for the next single and a bit of an anthem as well (again don't think it's amazing lyrically but I'm able to look over it more on this one, I think it is a neat concept but doesn't always stick the execution) and my standout album track on first listen is definitely 'making the bed' :heart: but also really liking 'pretty isn't pretty', 'all-american bitch' and 'ballad of a homeschooled girl'. 'logical' is also pretty lovely and can see it being more of a grower and 'teenage dream' got off to a slow start but built into a pretty good closing track. 'the grudge' is ok but feels like a weaker retread of 'vampire' sonically with less payoff, and 'lacy' doesn't really do anything for me at all.

Any chance of Wednesday for the listenthrough?

 

Was planning to probably go with this! (not sure if it might be worth starting a bit earlier than usual due to the elephant on the deck :thinking: I see the Spotify playlist is 3 hours 11 minutes. Although tbf quite a few of us already listened through the whole song once so maybe it's not too big of a deal if it's left as a late finisher for the true hardcore who are up for listening to all of it again lmao)

Oh wow that's a huge climb for Mitski today - coming to be a pretty big hit at this rate? (Likewise up 15 places to #24 in the US today!)

 

And ooh nice to see Eyedress making an appearance, I don't think I know this particular song (surprise surprise it's another years old song, from 2019 this time, because we can't ever have an actual current alternative song go viral - well apart from the Mitski song I mentioned in this post I guess :basil:) but I've enjoyed other songs from her, a post-punk adjacent artist *.*

 

'Paint The Town Red' is back to being down on its numbers from the same day last week and by a more substantial margin today (~26k) - looks like it probably is going to be declining again unless other platforms save it somehow.

Qualification streak update (underlined nations have matched or beaten their longest streak to date, streaks that are longer when counting nonconsecutive participations ('broken streaks') are in italics where applicable):

 

01 38 Hendinia (broken streak: 43)

02 27 Cor Lupus

03 24 Cumulonimbia

04 23 Summericia

05 21 Altyr Muunilinst

06 13 Jadakissnia

07 7 Bøtanikkä

08 6 Kathaldazia

08 6 St. Burbia

10 5 Dobago

10 5 Quintessa

12 4 Beaverdonia

12 4 Greenfroze

12 4 Skall

15 3 Aeroche

15 3 Cadelicia (broken streak: 5)

15 3 Ramrynia (broken streak: 6)

15 3 Wholune

19 2 Fljótavík

19 2 Kluminican Republic

19 2 Land of DW

19 2 New Lexico

19 2 Persephonia

19 2 Pestolia

19 2 Scotland 2

19 2 Terra Avium

19 2 Ultraviolenceland

28 1 Bronzil

28 1 D'yermak'er

28 1 Eastovka

28 1 FARC

28 1 FSR Rontvia

28 1 Harmonica

28 1 Jupiterdonia

28 1 Lookylion

28 1 Lotunia

28 1 Neliönoir

28 1 République d'Áskorza

28 1 Sandénia

28 1 Singerpurear

28 1 Taahino (broken streak: 2)

28 1 Utopia

 

xx (4) Aesthetica

xx (4) Ojnoj

xx (3) Yehesi *

xx (3) Zanmatony

xx (2) Danæviia

xx (2) Rolloland

xx (2) Sovarasma

xx (2) Thelonia

xx (1) Abeltesfayeton

xx (1) Aelandor

xx (1) Oslol *

xx (1) POPHub

xx (1) Séyetana

xx (1) Suedeonia

xx (1) Yobnedorica

 

* did not enter this contest so may resume a broken streak in the future

 

The inevitable has happened with Hendinia's broken streak reaching 43, surpassing FSR Rontvia's all time record consecutive (and overall) streak of 42 - now just to wait and see if they can do 5 more in a row to secure the consecutive record as well! Cumulonimbia and Summericia also continue to truck along extending their current records, in a month where we don't lose any particularly long streaks, with the top 6 all continuing to have qualified for every final this year so far. Altyr Muunilinst and Jadakissnia are both one contest away from matching their national records (as are a couple more lower down).

 

Matching their records this month we have Beaverdonia making it to 4 in a row which they previously managed in BJSCs 79-82 (as part of a broken run of 6 qualifying entries in a row also including BJSCs 76-77), then again in BJSCs 84-87 and BJSCs 99-102. They also had another broken run of 5 qualifying entries in a row in BJSCs 139, 141-142 & 146-147, but we shall see if they can now manage 5 in a row in consecutive contests for the first time ever next month. Scotland 2 also match their national record as they qualify a second time in a row, previously doubling up in BJSCs 152-153 (their first two contests).

'Adventure Of A Lifetime' is the first of my 10s to drop out, which I suppose isn't too surprising! Such a joyous song though :wub: and gotta love the monkeys x

I nearly voted for 'The Boy Is Mine' as well, not really a song I tend to think of as an all time fave but it sounded great in the listenthrough yesterday!

Switched to 'Adore You' x

Ghost Stories?

 

In countries where basically no one is downloading albums (there are a lot of them) their iTunes album chart just shows its all-time best sellers to fill up numbers below whatever minimal actual current sales there are, hence there being a few albums from the peak era of iTunes downloads that are just always at the top of Kworb's 'global album chart'.

Oh Kylie the flop that you are!

 

Oh Jonas the flop that you are!

 

Oh Brer/Jerd/Moby Dick triple A-Seed the smash that you are!

Votes for Dario G, Natalie Imbruglia and Madonna but could have gone for several others again. And Will Smith for worst, absolute naff x

Get Rihanna oot #savebob

Let's see how we did with predicting the DNQs then :magic:

 

Semi-Final 1:

 

Brer 9/12 (CONO/PAGA/TART over DOBA/Rd'ÁS/WHOL)

Cody 9/12 (CONO/KYLI/TART over COR L/JUPI/LOOK)

Dan 9/12 (CONO/KYLI/PAGA over DOBA/LOOK/UTOP)

Roba 9/12 (CONO/DANÆ/KYLI over ALTY/UTOP/WHOL)

Wardy 5/12 (AELA/E RUK/FLYN/KYLI/NICE/SÉYE/SUED over ALTY/NEW L/RAMR/Rd'ÁS/TAAH/UTOP/WHOL)

 

Semi-Final 2:

 

Kath 9/12 (BEN'S/THEL/ZANM over ESTV/PERS/TERR)

Brer 8/12 (ABEL/AEST/ROLL/THEL over ESTV/PERS/PEST/SNDN)

Dan 7/12 (BEN'S/POPH/ROLL/THEL/ZANM over GRNF/LOTU/SNDN/TERR/ULTR)

Seven 7/12 (AEST/OJNO/POPH/THEL/ZANM over GRNF/LoDW/LOTU/QUIN/TERR)

Y'all Starlight 7/12 (BEN'S/SOVA/POPH/THEL/TRIF over D'YER/ESTV/HEND/SCOT/ULTR)

Wardy 6/12 (ABEL/AEST/RofA/ROLL/SOVA/THEL over HARM/LOTU/PEST/QUIN/SNDN/ULTR)

uhsting 6/12 (ABEL/BEN'S/POPH/ROLL/THEL/ZANM over GRNF/QUIN/SNDN/SING/TERR/ULTR)

Cow 5/12 (ABEL/AEST/OJNO/POPH/SOVA/THEL/ZANM over ESTV/FARC/HEND/NELI/SCOT/SING/ULTR)

 

So semi 1 predictions went pretty consistently ok for everyone except for Wardy :kink: although he has the 'bragging rights' of being the only one to correctly predict Conoria's DNQ (while I was the only one to correctly predict Kylienips' DNQ despite them being 2nd from last oop).

 

A wider spread for semi 2, congrats to mystic Kath doing best there :clap:

 

Thelonia's was the only song to defy all predictions (having 8/8 Q predictions but DNQing oop).

Updated as well!

We have a tie for the lead atm :thinking:

 

tbh I'm feeling very tired and need to be up early tomorrow oops so I think I'm actually just gonna leave this open a bit longer and will see if the tie gets broken, new poll up tomorrow evening either way though pinkie swear x

It was really quite extraordinarily close for the last qualification slot in both semis there - 15 out of 24 of the DNQs were within 12 points of qualifying which surely has to be a record argh, Wholune's votes alone could potentially have caused a swap or two in semi 1. (Also spying a very rare 4 way tie in semi 1 just outside the qualification zone!)

From my votes:

 

12 QUALIFIED

10 QUALIFIED

8 QUALIFIED

 

7 QUALIFIED

6 REPUBLIC OF ADONIA

5 QUALIFIED

4 QUALIFIED

3 QUALIFIED

2 ZANMATONY

1 ROLLOLAND

11th Sovarasma

12th Ben's Sanctuary

15th Abeltesfayeton

17th Trifoski

19th Thelonia

20th POPHub

26th Ojnoj

27th Yobnedorica

30th Aesthetica

 

Weeping 4 Brazilian Bad Gyal, 7/10 is ok-ish but then sucks to have lost a few more that just missed out that were also really good.

 

From my semi 1 rankings:

 

2nd Pagasa

3rd Kylienips

6th Flynnonda

7th Séyetana

14th The Spodic Empire

17th Suedeonia

19th Niceland

22nd Tartford

24th East Rukahavian

25th Danæviia

26th Conoria

28th Aelandor

 

And this was the considerably weaker semi for me oops (although I will note I didn't actually dislike any of these, there were just not nearly as many songs as the other semi which left a notably strong impression, just a sea of 'decent' entries) so only 6/10 including losing 2 of the top 3 is not really the greatest results but ah wells, suppose it'll mean fewer painful cuts from my final votes!

I’m getting Mutter PTSD from Scotland 2’s song

 

Well the thing people moaned about re 'Mutter' was it barely changing during its runtime, you absolutely cannot levy that complaint against Don Salsa lmao

Oh hell naurrr at Pagasa being 21st... :cry: that was my 2nd fave in semi 1 so lost 2 of my top 3 which I had comfortably ahead of the pack :( not the first time a big fave from Pagasa has been 1 place off, Bartees Strange comes to mind too.

 

Zanmatony was my 2 pointer as well so also a bit of a disappointment to see that out, certainly stood out and would have been nice to have all of the metal songs qualifying but alas not quite </3

 

Taahino was probably my biggest grower on second listen though and Greenfroze is another goodun too so not complaining about those 2 qualifying!

 

Thanks for the hosting and speedy reveal Oliver (fighting against the lag a bit :P), will post my DNQ rankings and get to working on a Q streak update when I get back home - ended up not actually having to go quiet after all, was just being a bit antisocial on my phone xx

Yayyy Singerpurear, a brilliant pick from the UK chart archives there, had never heard of the artist before! And also a strong retro pick from Lookylion alongside ^_^