Chez VampireBat

29. RobBot - Lido Pimienta - Marea Safe to say Rob may not be getting a second win here, but he's not been doing too badly with another Latin take, this one from the Colombian Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. Her music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, including traditional indigenous and Afro-Colombian musical styles such as cumbia and bullerengue, as well as contemporary synthpop and electronic music, she's also close friends with Nelly Furtado x This deceptively cheerful and catchy song aluudes to several types of cultural colonialism, from the gentrification of island lands by rich outsiders to Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita”, one of the first instances of an Anglo artist tapping into so-called Latin imagery, reflecting the critique and exploration of her roots throughout her music. 88; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 87; Ashnikko – Liquid (Lindsey) 85; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 83; O FUTURE – I Forgive You (leww) 81; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 75; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 71; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 69; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 64; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 59; Ennaria – UGLY 59; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 58; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 54; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 53; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 52; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 50; Lido Pimienta – Marea (RobBot) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 48; JMSN - Soft Spot (Addy!) 43; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 49; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 38; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free (Cody) 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 36; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 35; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 34; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 13; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry (Herbs) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Ashnikko couldn't have asked for a better time to have a late surge is now just a point behind! What will the last few voters say x

28. Cody - Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free Another Kate Bush soundalike, Cody really deserves better with this one. An Irish singer-songwriter formerly a member of the folk duo Saint Sister, specialising in 'atmosfolk' which fits here with Kate Bush soprano and Haim-esque production as the shimmering synths contribute her ethereal vocals, along with an elaborate video, it's a folksy outing that keeps it's hooks and evolution going until the closing moments 88; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 85; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 83; O FUTURE – I Forgive You (leww) 81; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 75; Ashnikko – Liquid (Lindsey) 75; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 71; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 63; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 62; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Ennaria – UGLY 55; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 53; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 53; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 51; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 50; Lido Pimienta – Marea 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 49; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 48; JMSN - Soft Spot (Addy!) 46; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 43; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 42; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 36; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 35; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 35; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free (Cody) 34; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 13; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry (Herbs) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) And another new leader as we approach the last few votes!

27. Lindsey - Ashnikko - Liquid Lindsey goes with the alt-pop/rap tik tok star, Ashnikko, who has wrote songs for Doja Cat and songs for Brooke Candy, Tomorrow X Together, and Hyoyeon of Girls' Generation. This track is from her second album and is in her own words, influenced by the gritty sound of Britney Spears. I didn't hear it when I heard it but contains the lyric "adopt a kitten' before 'f*** me roughly, and then treat me soft". Well then.... 85; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 82; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 81; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 81; O FUTURE – I Forgive You (leww) 75; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 70; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 63; Ashnikko – Liquid (Lindsey) 63; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 62; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 53; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 51; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 50; Lido Pimienta – Marea 50; Ennaria – UGLY 49; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 48; JMSN - Soft Spot (Addy!) 48; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 46; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 43; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 42; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 36; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 35; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 35; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 34; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 28; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 13; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry (Herbs) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Ane Brun benefits from points here to form something of a slender lead but anything could take it with a big score.

26. leww - O FUTURE - I Forgive You So it was Leww who sent this ambient, art-electronic and orchestral crossover that has been joint leading for a lot of the evening and could well be in with his chance of his first win and what wonderful justice that would be for the act formerly known as OOFJ famed universally for the scandal of the century just voer ten years ago to this day where Terra Avium missed out on the BJSC semi by a point just months before they would be expanded into twenty qualifiers, it's been justice a long time coming but I approve x I can't find anything about them online and they seem to have been dormant since 2015, but this is another beautifully unsettling, atmospheric outing with a Lynchian, Twin Peaks feel and an equally unsettling video. 83; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 82; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 81; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 81; O FUTURE – I Forgive You (leww) 75; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 70; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 63; Ashnikko – Liquid 63; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 50; Lido Pimienta – Marea 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 48; JMSN - Soft Spot (Addy!) 47; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 46; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 45; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 45; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 42; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 40; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 37; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 35; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 35; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 35; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 29; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 28; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 13; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry (Herbs) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Leww avoids pointing his closest rival this evening, but creates new ones as Nadah and Ane now move up to break the deadlock leading up to a photo finish.

25. Addy – JMSN – Soft Spot JMSN is an Albanian-American artist (so I guess you could've seen that sender coming!), with some subtle garage and hip hop vibes, it's an interesting twist on Pop and R'n'B that immerses you in a unique soundscape. the song is from 2023 but didn't gain attention until a year later through a viral snippet of the song's music video on social media. 81; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 81; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 75; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 72; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 70; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 68; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 62; Ashnikko – Liquid 59; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 50; Lido Pimienta – Marea 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 46; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 45; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 45; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 45; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 42; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 40; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 37; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 36; JMSN - Soft Spot (Addy!) 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 35; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 30; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 29; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 29; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 25; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 13; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry (Herbs) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 10cc haven't had a big score in a while but they've stubbornly held on and it's now joint again!

24. Herbs - Lisa Mitchell - Coin Laundry Poor Herbs, at least he saw this flop coming I guess x This cute, quirky indie track comes from not the Eastenders character the sixth place finisher of Australian Idol, our second laundry themed video, the concept of the song was developed when she was waiting for the spin cycle to finish in a coin laundry in South Melbourne, Australia. While at the coin laundry, Mitchell was doodling on a notebook and when she arrived home, she wrote the song from a verse she had written at the laundry. It was filmed at a launderette in London which had to be closed off while recording. 77; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 75; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 75; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 70; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 65; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 61; Ashnikko – Liquid 59; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 58; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 47; Lido Pimienta – Marea 45; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 43; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 42; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 40; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 40; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 37; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 36; JMSN - Soft Spot 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 35; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 34; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 30; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 29; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 29; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 13; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry (Herbs) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Herbs helps to tighten the top 2 even further as Ane Brun is looking in spitting distance as well

23. HarryInnanen - Indiana - Smoking Gun No stranger to song contests, Harry sent this cut from Indiana's early work way back in 2013, around the same time she performed for Queen Elizabeth II during the monarch's visit to BBC Radio 1, singing a cover of David Bowie's Heroes with The Script. Known best for her brief UK chart hit, Solo Dancing, this maintains the dark and alternative take on pop she specialises in. One fact I managed to find about her that we didn't already know is that in 2018, she sparked controversy when she released topless photos of herself, taken in front of a World War I memorial plaque. She later explained that she did not realise it was a war memorial and said 'Pretty sure those boys that gave their lives for this country would enjoy a casual bit of side-boob' well then.... 77; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 75; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 70; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 65; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 65; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 61; Ashnikko – Liquid 58; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 58; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 47; Lido Pimienta – Marea 47; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 43; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 42; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 40; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 40; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 36; JMSN - Soft Spot 36; Black Boboi – Red Mind 35; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 33; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 30; Indiana – Smoking Gun (HarryInnanen) 30; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 24; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 21; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Yet another top 3 score for Army of Lovers but the top 2 remain as close as ever, Ashnikko starts to threaten as well.

22. gooddelta - The Real Group - Chili Con Carne So it was Rich that blessed us with this memorable a capella retelling of a chili con carne recipe, from a Swedish a capella group that have been through many lineup changes and cite Bobby McFerrin as an influence. The song was from their first full length English Language album in 1989 and could be seen as a metaphor for always remembering the spices of life, or they could have just been hungry, certainly weird and wonderful either way x 77; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 74; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 65; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 62; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 61; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 58; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 57; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 51; Ashnikko – Liquid 51; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 47; Lido Pimienta – Marea 47; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne (gooddelta) 43; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 43; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 40; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 40; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 36; JMSN - Soft Spot 36; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 34; Black Boboi – Red Mind 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 30; Indiana – Smoking Gun 30; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 28; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 24; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 21; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Rich gives 10cc a narrow lead again as we approach the end game, these two are still neck and neck.

21. Lee J_11 – Goldielocks - Provocateur Certainly fitting the quirky vocal of the contest, Lee sends the second Finnish act here with this quirky indie pop number, the artist first received mainstream recognition with in 2025, after her song "Made Of" competed in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2025, Finland's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, where it placed second. Uhsting may know more x 74; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 72; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 62; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 58; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 55; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 54; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 51; Ashnikko – Liquid 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 47; Lido Pimienta – Marea 47; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 43; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 43; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 40; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 40; Ennaria – UGLY 36; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 36; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 34; Black Boboi – Red Mind 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur (Lee_J11) 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 30; JMSN - Soft Spot 30; Indiana – Smoking Gun 28; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 22; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 21; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) We may have been forgetting the Mexican spices for a while now, but we may be there as The Real Group are almost in the top 10, Army of Lovers get yet another jump up the table but not troubling the top 2 yet.

20. Nine 3/4 - Ane Brun - Don't Run and Hide One of the contenders this evening, Nine sent this song from former BJSC winner and big name in underground Norwegian pop, Ane Brun, Sami in origin but singing mainly in English. This song was released in 2020 in the depths of lockdown from her album, After the Great Storm. An intimite, beautifully atmospheric song that is sparse in style yet still creates an uncanny feeling mainly through the melancholy sound of her voice and swirling strings. 74; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 72; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 58; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 55; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 55; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide (Nine ¾) 54; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 50; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 46; Lido Pimienta – Marea 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 44; Ashnikko – Liquid 40; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 39; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 38; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 34; Black Boboi – Red Mind 33; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur 32; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 31; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 30; JMSN - Soft Spot 30; Indiana – Smoking Gun 28; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 23; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 22; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 18; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Nine has said she has previously only finished 10th here and she could well be on track to beat that, but can she go all the way? The top 2 remain the same and closely locked for now.

19. Tafty - Æ MAK – Let’s Do It Tafty admittedly found this quite a tough theme, but this was a good pick by Berlin-based artist Aoife McCann, an up and coming artist who again I couldn't find a lot online about but has made a living off experimental music and opened for the likes of Tune Yards and Django Django, described by her as “Fleet Foxes and Sylvan Esso taking mushrooms at a Summer gaff party.” it has a great sultry feeling and I like the way it expands as the track evolves. I couldn't find a keyboard shortcut for that character so sorry for not inclusding that in the copy-pasteable list x 70; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 69; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 58; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 55; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 54; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 50; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 42; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 42; Ashnikko – Liquid 41; Lido Pimienta – Marea 40; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 39; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 38; Ennaria – UGLY 37; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 34; Black Boboi – Red Mind 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur 32; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 30; JMSN - Soft Spot 28; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 23; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 22; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 22; Indiana – Smoking Gun 18; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 12; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It (Tafty) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Tafty sadly is second from bottom and in tandem with that, he largely ignores the top contenders, but it does allow some lower down contenders like Ashnikko to make more of a impression.

18. Juan Carlos - Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo Juan got a bit unlucky in the confirmation process, but it was certainly worth it for this, one of the many latin picks, she is a Peruvian musician and model originally working with fashion companies inthe States before being mentored by Morton Subotnick following university. This is from her 2022 album, Trececerotres (referring to the apartment she grew up in in Lima) and draws on themes of "magic, ritual, healing, and the matrilineal relationship' reflecting Lalita's personal experiences growing up and her relationship with her mother and grandmother, the song opens with the voice of Lalita's grandmother urging her to put her soul into everything she does, and the sparse yet striking style is distinctive with the minimal atmosphere accompanied by a video in which Lalita expressively dancing alone in a room, a wonderful pick x 70; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 69; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 58; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 55; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 54; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 50; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo (Juan Carlos) 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 42; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 41; Lido Pimienta – Marea 38; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 37; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 36; Ashnikko – Liquid 34; Black Boboi – Red Mind 33; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur 32; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 30; Ennaria – UGLY 30; JMSN - Soft Spot 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 18; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 16; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Indiana – Smoking Gun 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 07; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry It's a change in winner but only by a point as they nonetheless start to pull away

17. Spiceboy - Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids Spiceboy sent the other fairly recogniable diva here with this cut from all the way back in 1967. The song was written by her then-husband Sonny Bono and is sung from a father's perspective, the lyrics tell the story of a divorce as explained to the couple's children.The song starts slow, then, after a few stanzas, a fast bridge section has the father giving some orders to the kids, including to "Say your prayers before you go to bed, and be sure to get to school on time". There is a baroque pop feel to it similar to that of the Beach Boys and it stops and starts a lot as well as changing key and taking on the perspective of a different parent as the mood changes. It was a top 10 hit in the US from her fourth album but didn't chart in the UK. 69; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 58; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 55; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 55; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 50; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 49; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 42; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 38; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 33; Lido Pimienta – Marea 33; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 33; Goldielocks – Provocateur 32; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 30; Ennaria – UGLY 30; Ashnikko – Liquid 27; Black Boboi – Red Mind 27; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 26; JMSN - Soft Spot 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids (Spiceboy) 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 16; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 16; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 15; Indiana – Smoking Gun 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 06; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry Army of Lovers certainly seem very all or nothing here as they get yet another 12 to leap them to the contention zone, Spiceboy awards his fellow retro acts which is good news for 10cc.

16. pavi - Ruusut - Yhen Toisen Pavel sent this Finnish electro/art pop song with pulsating club beats and glimmering synths accompanied with that beautifully cute finnish twang and a late switch up. Good song, altough sadly I could not find anything about them from a quick Google even on the Finnish wiki,apart from that they won the Critics Choice award in Finland in 2018 and are currently without a drummer x 64; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 58; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 55; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 55; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 49; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 49; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 42; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 38; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 33; Lido Pimienta – Marea 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 31; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 30; Ennaria – UGLY 27; Black Boboi – Red Mind 27; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 26; JMSN - Soft Spot 26; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen (Pavi) 26; Ashnikko – Liquid 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 25; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 23; Goldielocks – Provocateur 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 17; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Indiana – Smoking Gun 14; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 10; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 06; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry We reach the halfway mark and 10cc maintain their lead but there is still very much all to play for not the least from Nada and Ana who Pav helps out x

15. jimwatts - Purity Ring - imanocean Jim sends the Canadian electronic act who were all the blogpop rage back in the early 2010s and indeed have had past BJSC success. This ethereal, dreamy acoustic-based track comes from their fourth album, a concept album imitating a soundtrack for a fictional role-playing game, inspired by video games including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VI, and Nier: Automata. Guessing this is where the player's at the water x 64; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 58; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 49; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 45; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 44; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 43; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 42; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 38; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 33; Lido Pimienta – Marea 32; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 31; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 30; Ennaria – UGLY 27; Black Boboi – Red Mind 26; JMSN - Soft Spot 26; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 24; Purity Ring – imanocean (Jimwatts) 24; Ashnikko – Liquid 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 20; Goldielocks – Provocateur 17; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Indiana – Smoking Gun 14; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 09; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 06; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 03; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It thankyoujim10cchavetakenoveromgcantheyholdonmaybebutitwillbealongwaituntilallthevotesarerevealedhaveyoustoppedreadingyet

14. AllStarbySmashMouth - FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel A collaboration between Shanghai-based singer and DJ who creates music from her bedroom, FiFi Zhang with one of the main DJs of the early digicore scene, dazegxd, who contributed to the 2020s Jungle revival. This is taken from her album where she collaborates with various artists in a tribute to 90s anime and fashion, The result is as you'd imagine ambient, dreamy soundscape with some trance and different chord progressions throughout. It hasn't found a lot of fans so far sadly. 58; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 54; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 49; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 45; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 44; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 44; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 43; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 38; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 35; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 30; Ennaria – UGLY 29; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 27; Black Boboi – Red Mind 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 25; JMSN - Soft Spot 24; Purity Ring – imanocean 24; Ashnikko – Liquid 23; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 22; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 21; Lido Pimienta – Marea 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Goldielocks – Provocateur 15; Indiana – Smoking Gun 14; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 11; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 09; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel (AllStarbySmashMouth) 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Nothing for O Future makes 10cc reach closer.

13. matto - Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize matto sent a furious, distinctively brilliant example of the genre with the Russian-born artist who immigrated to Israell in 1991 at the height of the Gulf War, first to a kibbutz in Negev and several months later to Tel Aviv where she grew up and lived until the age of 20. Exposed to political instability from young age and having experiences growing up a migrant in a xenophobic environment, it has informed her work (and certainly not in favour of the regimes that run both those countries, I should add x) this song is taken from the 2024 album Your Guide to Revolution", a sister release to another album that year, it was released along with a text called A Guide to Radical Living - A no nonsense guide to living comfortably with just enough: Why wealth needs poverty and how not to play along". This song tackles the trivialisation of civilian deaths by cynical politicians attempting to sway public opinion, it's tribal drums and percussion accompanied with her bare vocals give a raw feel that only makes the emotion clearer. 58; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 49; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 45; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 44; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 44; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 41; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 41; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 35; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize (matto) 33; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 27; Black Boboi – Red Mind 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 24; Ashnikko – Liquid 24; Ennaria – UGLY 24; JMSN - Soft Spot 21; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 21; Lido Pimienta – Marea 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 20; Purity Ring – imanocean 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Goldielocks – Provocateur 15; Indiana – Smoking Gun 14; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 12; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 11; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 11; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 09; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 04; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 03; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It matto has been hanging around the top end and gives points to a lot of those ahead of him, notably allowing O Future to take a slightly more comfortable lead.

12. Julian - My Brightest Diamond – Pressure Julian sent this cut from the project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Nova, previously collaborating with the like of Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Colin Stetson and the Decemberists, an intimite song packed with chamber instruments that builds and veers through her powerful voice, there's a little bit of early Florence about it, accompanied by an interpretive dance video where she channels her inner Tilda Swinton, it's a great song and deserves to be doing better x 50; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 47; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 45; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 44; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 38; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 36; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 35; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 33; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 29; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 24; Ashnikko – Liquid 24; Ennaria – UGLY 21; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 21; Lido Pimienta – Marea 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 20; JMSN - Soft Spot 20; Purity Ring – imanocean 17; Black Boboi – Red Mind 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Goldielocks – Provocateur 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 13; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 11; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 11; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure (Julian_) 09; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 08; Indiana – Smoking Gun 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 04; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 03; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It Julian bolsters a lot of the competitors to make the lead still narrow, as well as putting 10cc back in spitting distance.

11. King Rollo – 10cc – Une Nuit A’Paris He may have surprised people in the Retro contest, but here it is Rollo who sends the long experimental 70s rock you'd expect him to send. 10cc and Godley and Creme's earlier work of course are one of the innovators of art and avant-garde pop and this mini opera like tale is the opener to their 1975 album The Original Soundtrack, providing the sort of narrative and experimentation that is reminiscent of Bohemian Rhapsody. Originally 20 minutes long and initially thrown almost anything instrumentally before sticking with piano bass and drums, telling the increasingly sinister tale of a murder, Creme has said that musically they tried to stretch themselves by setting up a new musical problem and then trying to solve it, the type of experimentation he and Godley would become famous for. 46; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 42; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 37; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 36; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 33; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 33; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 32; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris (King Rollo) 29; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 24; Ashnikko – Liquid 24; Ennaria – UGLY 22; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 21; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 21; Lido Pimienta – Marea 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 20; JMSN - Soft Spot 20; Purity Ring – imanocean 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Goldielocks – Provocateur 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 13; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 11; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 11; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure 08; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 08; Indiana – Smoking Gun 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 07; Black Boboi – Red Mind 04; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry 03; Æ MAK – Let’s Do It Rollo has got off to a good start here, though he does help out his competitors a bit, with another generous 12, he makes it so close to being a top 2 of Terra Avium former artists x And everyone is now off zero hurrah!

10. WoW73 - CHARLOT - Time Travelling No relation to the Tramp, WoW sent the Dutch based artist, CHARLOT, said to make music inspired by the art, books and films that inspired her and this cut from her recent album, 'Lost Like Alice,' which is inspired by Lewis Carroll's fairy tale and is made up of 12 chapters interpreting the work, each exploring major themes such as identity, change, and meaning. This was described as Kate Bush inspired and I certainly see it (as well as a bit Regina Spektor and AURORA), with ethereal vocals combined with spoken verses and synthesisers and strings blending into the dream-like atmosphere in the chorus. Very nice x 38; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 36; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 32; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 31; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 31; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 29; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 26; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 25; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 25; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 24; Ashnikko – Liquid 24; Ennaria – UGLY 22; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 21; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 21; Lido Pimienta – Marea 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 20; JMSN - Soft Spot 20; Purity Ring – imanocean 16; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Goldielocks – Provocateur 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling (WoW73) 13; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 11; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure 08; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 06; Black Boboi – Red Mind 05; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 04; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry Ane Brun takes over the lead, also in BJSC this month and a former winner there, how will that translate here?

9. vibe - Janet Jackson - What About Perhaps not an artist you'd expect to be appropriate to this theme and your mileage may vary, but actually I was quite impressed with the switch-ups and blending of mellow ethereal acoustic pop with a rock punk feel in the angry chorus in which she's never sounded more like MJ. The song is loosely based on her own traumatic experiences which juxtaposes her reminiscing a perfect beach setting before she remembers what he put her through. This was an album track from her 1997 album, The Velvet Rope, which was praised for her innovative styles and her honest lyrics raising awareness of female domestic violence. 33; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 32; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 31; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 31; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 28; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 26; HMLTD – Stained (Jaz13Music) 26; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 25; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 24; Ennaria – UGLY 22; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 21; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 20; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 20; JMSN - Soft Spot 19; Ashnikko – Liquid 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 14; Lido Pimienta – Marea 13; Janet Jackson - What About (vibe) 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling 12; Mulaa Joans – Members Only (DaTilt) 12; Purity Ring - imanocean 11; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 11; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure 09; Goldielocks – Provocateur 08; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 06; Black Boboi – Red Mind 05; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 04; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry vibe mainly gives her top votes to songs lower down the scoreboard and allows Mulaa to join in style, and we have another new winner with O FUTURE, something of course I can't help but support x

8. Jaz13Music – HMLTD - Stained Jaz's debut to PFSC is a pretty striking one that arguably is a little more on the art rock side than pop, but I'm certainly not complaining. Influenced by the Ziggy Stardust era of David Bowie and the New Romantic period in the 1980s, HMLTD blend electronic and experimental pop with guitars and this cut from their debut back in 2016 is a swirling soundscape of electronic drops, a throbbing bass, bizarre lyrics and a thrashing glam rock fading into a hazy distorted breakdown by the end, accompanied by an outrageous video filled with all manner of blood and gore, it's a memorable start. The band have been criticised for using queer and/or gender-bender aesthetics, including cross-dressing, make-up, and flamboyant performances, despite being heterosexual men, to which they have said that they are trying to challenge toxic masculinity and learning and are indebted to queer methods to express that. 31; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 31; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 29; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 28; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 26; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 26; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 25; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 24; Ennaria – UGLY 24; HMLTD - Stained 22; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 21; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 15; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 14; Lido Pimienta – Marea 13; Janet Jackson - What About 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling 12; JMSN - Soft Spot 11; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 09; Ashnikko – Liquid 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure 09; Goldielocks – Provocateur 08; Purity Ring - imanocean 07; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 07; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 06; Black Boboi – Red Mind 05; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 05; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 04; Lisa Mitchell – Coin Laundry CLEARLY the best votes so far of course, and we now have a joint winner x

7. DaTilt - Mulaa Joans - Members Only DaTilt sent up and coming British alternative pop/soul singer, Mulaa Johns, she originally gained fame through Tik Tok in her early teens with her Etta James covers getting particular attention before she was able to release her first EP and has recently featured on BBC Introducing. The song definitely has more than a hint of Billie Eilish and Lana here, with the distinctive vocals and the slow textured build. 31; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 29; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 26; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 25; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 24; Ennaria – UGLY 24; HMLTD - Stained 22; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 21; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 21; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 15; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 14; Lido Pimienta – Marea 13; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 13; Janet Jackson - What About 13; CHARLOT - Time Travelling 12; JMSN - Soft Spot 09; Ashnikko – Liquid 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure 09; Goldielocks – Provocateur 08; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 08; Purity Ring - imanocean 07; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 06; Black Boboi – Red Mind 05; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 05; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 05; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 02; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) Daniela maintains her lead, but only just as Army of Lovers jump back up and other contenders like O FUTURE and Ane Brun start to emerge.

6. Chez Wombat - Natalia Lafourcade - Azul So I was not my former main BJSC act but one I sent quite recently to the Worldvision spin off, and while yes it's not ideal sending the same artist so soon, I was really torn sending this to worldvision and it's eclectic production, structure and swirling cinematic outro made it a perfect fit for this theme and I didn't want to stray too far away from one that is noticeably pop, it reminds me chiefly of the late 2000s apple advert in the vein of Feist and Yael Naim. Released all the way back in 2009 and long before she became a critical favourite through her contemporary take on latin traditional music, this was on her third album HU HU HU with lyrics about social phobias and insecurities which is nicely reflected in the sort of switching up in the track, TNatalia's record label didn't originally want to promote the song Azul so she promoted it separately on MySpace. 31; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 24; Ennaria – UGLY 24; HMLTD - Stained 22; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 22; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 21; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 16; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 15; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 15; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 13; Natalia Lafourcade – Azul (Chez Wombat) 13; Janet Jackson - What About 13; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 12; JMSN - Soft Spot 12; Lido Pimienta – Marea 09; Ashnikko – Liquid 09; My Brightest Diamond – Pressure 08; CHARLOT - Time Travelling 08; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 08; Goldielocks – Provocateur 07; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 06; Black Boboi – Red Mind 05; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 02; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 02; Thunder Bae – ARCHANGEL (Jade) 01; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love As is common in these song contests, me and Jade's votes are quite similar and I help to solidify slightly the early lead for Daniela with Ennaria and HLMTD just behind x

5. Jade - Thunder Bae - ARCHANGEL Jade sent Thunder Bae, who is also in this month's BJSC with the song that weirdly enough was originally incorrectly linked here. She is a German dark electronic artist, this one coming from her debut album A WOMAN, opening with blooming strings echoing that of ROSALIA's Lux (of course), followed by a breath before the dark electronics take over before taking in more of a Lykke Li style before a late switch up. She is best known as the current lead singer for 80s cult band, Propaganda, on their most recent album, and reviews of the album certainly point to an interesting haunting, cinematic listen in the vein of FKA Twigs or Lana Del Rey, it's sadly yet to score but hopefully that can change x 23; Daniela Lalita – Pisoteo 22; Army of Lovers – Israelism (Mango) 21; 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 17; Ennaria – UGLY 15; Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 15; Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 15; QT – Hey QT (Dobbo) 14; HMLTD - Stained 13; Natalia Lafourcade - Azul 13; Janet Jackson - What About 12; JMSN - Soft Spot 12; Lido Pimienta – Marea 12; O FUTURE – I Forgive You 12; Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 10; Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) – Sympathize 10; Nadah El Shazly – Ghorzetein (uhsting) 09; Ashnikko – Liquid 08; CHARLOT - Time Travelling 08; Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 08; Goldielocks – Provocateur 07; FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 06; My Brightest Diamond - Pressure 05; The Real Group – Chili Con Carne 02; Diet Cig – Scene Sick (Scene) 01; Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love Jade's votes ensure a new winner at this early stage as the similarly arty experimental female artist, Daniela Lalita takes over, though with only three points between the top 3.