Michael Bubré

Just remembered I'd not done this yet! I did listen to the songs I missed from the session later in the evening and it ended up bumping my number of playlisted songs for the week to a new record of 24 - added Queen/Madness as I already knew I would, Stevie Wonder which I did know and is another great classic but just didn't recall it straight away from the title, and 3 more discoveries, enjoyed both of the other XTC songs quite a bit and I will happily take the Splodgenessabounds version of 'Two Little Boys' and forget Rolf Harris had anything to do with it (not that it was his song in the first place anyway). Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds Madness - Baggy Trousers Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay Queen - Another One Bites The Dust XTC - Generals And Majors ...so that's 3 of my 5 votes for the week being songs I missed on SyncTube oops! XTC the only one I didn't already know well ofc. Just missing out from songs I already knew are Stevie Wonder, Motörhead and Adam And The Ants and next best discoveries of the week were Kate Bush, The Specials' 'Stereotype', XTC's 'Towers Of London' and Sweet People. (is it just me that didn't particularly like 'Fashion' then oops)

x

The new Ed song really doesn't sound like a 2025 hit at all, sounds plucked straight out of the early 10s and we're not at the nostalgia cycle for that era yet. Think it only made the top 40 at all because of Ed still having some lingering name power, I'd be surprised if it made much of a recovery in coming weeks. Obviously he can still get big hits (not at the level of his previous hits I know etc.) with the right songs (i.e. 'Azizam' and 'Sapphire') but this one isn't it.

Tbf I think there is usually a sentence explaining this in the OP of the spinoffs (actually I think we usually have a rule banning UK top 10 hits outright, otherwise we are a lot more lax with what is allowed than in the main contest as there's no other formal rules per se but mods have discretion to veto anything that's egregiously cheap). We have had a couple of spinoffs in the past that intentionally had no restrictions at all (minus not sending songs that had been sent before) but not for a while.

Just having a look at the confirmations so far... I'm going to give a certain person the opportunity to reconfirm of their own volition before I make the rare step of intervening to issue an official veto for a spinoff for the first time in a very long time xx (the regular veto framework doesn't apply to spinoffs but there are limits!!)

The currently ongoing contests really said no to the alt bloc (fair, shall just have to sniff out some melodies xx)

Ah thanks Miri! May have forgotten saying that I was going to make a playlist myself hehe Here's the YouTube playlist though:

Oops I shall be running slightly late but yes x https://sync-tube.de/room/ApAM3t-I Final listenthrough shortly

Sorry but this really does just give C-tier Eurovision slop, I can only assume it somehow hits harder in context of the film? I do like 'Your Idol' though.

I think Dan who usually makes the Spotify playlists is away at the moment, I'll make one later today if no one does before me x Will do the final listenthrough this evening (+ post a YouTube playlist then as well)!

10/10 album title

...is that not the American Amazon chart? x

Was it only Yehesi who didn't vote btw or did someone qualify with a deduction? ~~~~~ edited in for posterity: Qualification streak update (underlined nations have matched or beaten their longest streak to date, streaks that are longer when counting non-consecutive participations are in italics where applicable): 01 56 Hendinia (non-consecutive: 61) 02 21 Aeroche 03 18 Danæviia 04 16 Bøtanikkä 04 16 Greenfroze 06 13 Neliönoir 07 12 Altyr Muunilinst 07 12 Cor Lupus 09 11 Ajanaeda 09 11 Cumulonimbia 09 11 Kluminican Republic 12 9 Why So Sirius 13 7 Jadakissnia 14 6 Aesthetica 14 6 FARC 14 6 FSR Rontvia 14 6 Persephonia 14 6 Séyetana 19 5 Baleghde 19 5 Macromia 21 4 Land of DW 21 4 Zanmatony 23 3 Lotunia 23 3 République d'Áskorza 23 3 Skall 23 3 Terra Avium 27 2 Kathaldazia 27 2 Mothertopia 27 2 New Lexico 27 2 POPHub 31 1 Aelandor 31 1 Dobago 31 1 Fljótavík 31 1 Jupiterdonia 31 1 Pestolia 31 1 Thelonia (non-consecutive: 4) xx (15) Trifoski xx (10) Lookylion xx (5) Bronzil xx (2) Scotland 2 xx (2) Taahino xx (1) A-Konohagakure xx (1) Flynnonda xx (1) Herbilore xx (1) Hushkanukia (non-consecutive: 5) * xx (1) Ojnoj * xx (1) Yehesi * did not enter this contest so may resume a non-consecutive streak in the future

If we had actually done a One Big Final there could have been the potential for a number of very low scores with how low some of the semi scores were as it is!

Poor brave Scene being sacrificed to the Cor Lupus engagement bait xx ('NAZARETH' was another one I hoped to be a grower for me whoops, I will still give it another listen along with the rest of the semi anyway though) From my semi votes/ranking: 12 Q 10 Q 8 Q 7 Q 6 Q 5 Q 4 Q 3 Trifoski 2 Flynnonda 1 Q 12th Yehesi 13th Taahino 20th Ben's Sanctuary 22nd A-Konohagakure Happy that I did get all of my top 7 through as they were the main essentials but whoops lost quite a few of my second tier faves there. (will edit in my ranking of the semi 1 faves after relistening but Lookylion and Scotland 2 were the main losses from my first impressions) edit: 6th Scotland 2 8th Lookylion 13th East Rukahavian 14th Cheiron 16th Bronzil 19th Herbilore Scotland 2 & Cheiron both did indeed grow on me on second listen x

Aw - Taahino another one that didn't quite make my votes but would have got points out of the other semi, it was one that grew on me a decent amount on second listen as well, reminded me a bit of Florence + The Machine.

My 2 pointer from my semi gone as well (Flynnonda), hoped this one might make it through for them but ah well, I guess it wasn't too far off. Yay Pestolia ~ rooting for Taahino and Cor Lupus for the last two spots x

Yay for Thelonia - had no idea what to expect from that song but turned out to be a positive surprise x

Land of DW, Macromia and Kathaldazia all also bringing tunes woo x edit: and Terra Avium, FSR Rontvia and Cumulonimbia - these results are flying by xx Oh nooo at Lookylion being out - unfortunately feel like that might be a case of wrong semi syndrome... definitely a big standout entry so a real shame to not have it in the final.

Feel like Scotland 2's song was pretty much targeting only me and I wasn't in its semi so go figure xx (it was in my top 10 of the semi from my first listen ranking, mainly for the production which does slap, thought I might need another listen to get used to the vocals x). Trifoski the first one lost from my votes (was my 3 pointer) and oof that's the end of a pretty long streak for them D: #justice4vocaloid Lotunia, Jadakissnia and POPHub some more fab qualifiers though! Best entry from the latter for a hot minute x

Yehesi was not far off my votes (probably would have snatched a couple of points if it was the opposite semi), deserved better than that, the 'Boom Boom Pow' reference was ikonik x I don't think East Rukahavian deserved to be last yet again either but not a surprise to see them out again, a decent indie pop track but ultimately did not stand out too much unforch (although in the weaker semi it was also not far off my top 10 on first listen - still need to do a relisten to finalise my ranking of semi 1) edit: knew that one DNQ prediction for Neliönoir was silly, I think this will be another pretty big hit for them. Yay for Dobago & Skall too!

Not exactly sure how to interpret these posts...! Are these all qualifiers? (yay for myself + Aelandor, Fljótavík and Hendinia so far if so x)

My song seemed to go down well with some people who don't usually love my entries on SyncTube so hopefully no worries about it qualifying (unless that just means it isn't getting high points from anyone xx).

Apple Music seems to be glitching out a bit with the Gunna tracks, the song with Asake was briefly showing as his highest song (and #1 on US Apple Music) but now reset to a position that makes more sense, I think a lot of his songs were showing up higher than they should have been.