Chez Wombat

SRXH9AbT280 5. Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine/Heavy is the Crown I'm going to cop out a little bit with this selection, as I'm not sure which one I prefer ultimately, yet I do feel I have the same sentiments towatds them both - that being how Linkin Park pulled off a comeback so great! Linkin Park were one of my favourite bands growing up and Chester's sudden death was one of the celebrity deaths I've been saddest about in recent memory. That could well have been the end, and I'm sure to many fans it was and they would be outraged by getting a new lead singer, yet I'm of the view that sometimes you have to carry on in the face of tragedy and in the case of a band that I was ready to consign to my childhood, their two songs really give them a new lease of life. Emily Armstrong may be...controversial in some ways, but she really fits in brilliantly in The Emptiness Machine, as it is a song that is instantly so like them yet she doesn't try purposefully to be like Chester, something I'd sense another male singer would've struggled with. Where Emptiness... was more Minutes to Midnight and onwards, Heavy is the Crown is very much classic Meteora era and has a likeness to Faint, with Shinoda's rapping and an intense chorus, and it did hype me up for Arcane Season 2 stream it x. Overall, probably one of the most impressive comebacks I've seen in recent years and seeing them rewarded with charts hits was a nice cherry on top.

tHxEQ1oaYig 6. Nia Archives – Silence is Loud 90s Breakbeat style sounds will always be my catnip so Nia Archives choosing that as her brand meant she was always going to be someone I was going to be interested to explore further. Crowded Roomz was a great introduction, I always find lyrics with drum'n'bass can add a real sense of urgency and repeated lonely refrains really complement the frantic production well. Silence is Loud though takes things up a notch, the vocals are limited to a single line and are heavily overshadowed and distorted this time but the production is ramped up with blaring synths and drums coming from all angles, creating something truly intensive which is not dissimilar with 90s Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, it really works beautifully and great to see some action in a dance genre that is less active these days.

I was also going by Five Thirty Eight, which is the same website as the one you quoted, which shows shows 45-41 Approval in January 2017, not great but not wildly unpopular by any means https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

Most US presidents get a more favourable approval rating when they're just starting to enter office, Biden had a much better rating than that this time in 2021 and I believe Trump was a bit higher than that in 2017. It's the classic 'things may change now until they don't' attitude. Let's look at his ratings a year into the job before we say anything conclusive.

30; Editors – Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors 29; U2 – One 28; Chicane – Poppiholla 27; Crowded House – Weather with You 26; Daft Punk – Da Funk / Musique 25; Alan Walker – Faded 24; The Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow 23; Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit 22; The Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion 21; R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts 20; Billy Joel – We Didn't Start the Fire 19; The Bravery – An Honest Mistake 18; Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell On You) 17; The Singing Nun – Dominique 16; The Doors – Light My Fire 15; Klaxons – Golden Skans 14; The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army 13; Coldplay – Adventure of a Lifetime 12; Dolly Parton – Jolene 11; Ben Pearce – What I Might Do 10; The Kooks – She Moves in Her Own Way 09; Queen – Another One Bites the Dust 08; Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music 07; Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight 06; Matrix & Futurebound feat. Max Marshall – Control 05; Marlon Roudette – When the Beat Drops Out 04; Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills 03; Ella Henderson – Glow 02; Queen – You're My Best Friend 01; MK – 17

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam

I understand that perspective, but it's still a hollow victory as I just don't see how Chappell can be much bigger than she already is, she was one of the reported about popstars of 2024 and most of the audience they're aiming for already knows that. I mean yeah she'll get more hits, maybe a number 1, festival slots, maybe another album etc. (and I will openly hold my hands up if I'm wrong) but it's hard to see how 2025 will be seen as her ultimate breakthrough.

This is probably the most songs I've known in a contest ever, either everyone's a cheap hoe or maybe I've just been a bit more in touch with new pop music this year :thinking: A fair few I was considering myself and really interested to see who sent them, also interested to see who comes 2nd behind Chappell Roan x

It's ironic in clearly trying so hard to stay relevant, they've made themselves look even less relevant. Had it been almost anyone else on the list (Maybe Mercury winners aside), it may have raised their profile enough to get more people interested, break a barrier that they hadn't yet like a top 10 hit. In choosing someone that's already had huge sales, award nominations and getting to be a household name, what exactly are they promoting here? She will get plenty of recognition in the upcoming Grammy and Brit awards. That is not and has never been the purpose of the award. The Last Dinner Party were a bit obvious, but still reaped the benefits of the award and were fitting as 2024 felt like their big breakthrough year. Chappell has already reaped any possible benefits of what this could bring, except maybe not a Glastonbury slot. Bizarre decision and I hope they get a lot of backlash so they don't continue down this route, or they might as well rebrand the award.

Excellent and always the rightful winner of course, but wonderful to see Hallelujah as high as 2nd, one of the very best covers of all time :wub: (sadly beaten by one of the worst -_) Thanks for running this!

I think I voted for all of this top 10, love seeing I Believe in Father Christmas do so well, remains one of the most beautiful and thoughtful Christmas songs, I pity Spotify's boring Americanised playlists for ignoring it x I'd be cool with any of the top 3 winning, though I guess The Pogues would be most appropriate.

Excellent to see Nosferatu open so well, especially after The Northman really underperformed at least initially, I thought Eggers may not be given the chance again, but this is him at his strongest and deserves to do well <3

I wonder if his views were more akin to someone like Jeremy Corbyn if a single newspaper would be taking him seriously at all... He has literally no authority or experience with British politics and yet he is being tauted by the Media as someone worth listening to. It's just depressing, I honestly commend Starmer and the current government for not feeding the troll and actually trying to do their jobs, but there will be so many numbskulls who think he's actually got a point.

Daft Punk to win x

Brilliant news, I really wasn't sure a body horror film like this would make this much of a splash but surely that's got to bode well for the Oscars!

Best Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You George Michael - Faith Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine INXS - Need You Tonight Worst Cheap Trick - The Flame Def Leppard - Love Bites Richard Marx - Hold On To The Nights + more indistunguishable MOR rock ballads

The Bangles - Hazy Shade Of Winter Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield - What Have I Done To Deserve This?

0q3K6FPzY18 7. Charli XCX feat. Lorde – Girl, So Confusing I may be more than a little out of touch with Gen Z viral trends (maybe I'm too demure...I'm still doing wrong aren't I?), but Brat summer was something I can get behind. The Brat phenomenon was great to see, for me personally as it's the first Charli album I've heard and while her style can fall onto the side of trash pop I'm not so into, the critical acclaim doesn't speak for nothing and I'm glad I got to see a good reason for it this album. It was hard to pick a highlight, they are just really energetic, fun pop-dance songs that don't sacrifice creativity, honesty and experimentation, the sonic diversity particularly highlighted when she remade the album in different styles! I think Girl, So Confusing works though as it really has pretty much all the qualities as above - to put it frankly, it's a banger and a half, it's lyrics feel thoughtful and authentic and the remix from Lorde with her additional meta verse really add a knowing feel to it that also subtly comments on how girls (especially feuding ones) can become internet famous. Smart, honest and danceable, this is a song to represent Brat's themes in the best way.

BHQHYuiRPcQ 8. Fat Dog – King of the Slugs My favourite discovery from BJSC last year and one of two of my 18 pointers that actually won (and myself, not a bad year for winners x). The charmingly titled King of the Slugs by Fat Dog is an epic, brash, energetic and constantly changing song that is instantly memorable, you can really see how the group won some attention so quickly. Starting off with pounding synths and a brash vocal style, it didn't really need to do much else to be so memorable but throughout it's seven minutes, it also manages to gradually evolve, as if it is a stream of consciousness of the tormented protagonist, it drops to a slower pace before some fierce guitars return and that intensity is just as fierce at the opening. Containing middle eastern, Americana, punk and psychedelic elements littered throughout I might have stole that from a YouTube comment, it's a true smorgasbord of creativity and intensity that does give you hope that musicians willing to really switch things up are being recognised (well by Buzzjack and 6Music x).

Back to my usual place of lingering just outside the top 10 in these then! I'll take 12th though, thanks all x I voted for all of the top 3, but pleased to see a lesser known name winning. Congrats Severin! Shame it wasn't on streaming, a very intense listen. I'd also like to thank Whoddy for finally clicking the title of the song from the Spongebob movie end credits *. Thanks for hosting Addy ^_^

Don't think I've commented on these threads yet, but I'm all on board with this series after going through Season 1 earlier this year (not seen S2 yet but it's next on my list x) Pleased to see Armani go, arrogant and a loose cannon that would've lost it for them easily. I do really like Minah and Linda, the former's playing it brilliantly so far and absolutely was right to jump ship (though did facepalm a bit at Linda getting caught almost immediately by turning her head!) and hope they get a chance to recruit as another of them could be helpful.

Broken Heart was another one from my 1001 Songs... book and is one of the most beautiful and melancholy discoveries from there, it's grown quite a following despite not charting so wasn't sure I could sneak it into a song contest here, but glad I managed it x thank you for the votes so far, especially the two 12s from Jim and Bjork <3 pleased to be top half so far. I did enjoy all that current top 3, though my own top 3 were a long way ahead of the rest of the pack here, two of them need to be doing better x

F1W6yB1DUv0 9. Roxanne de Bastion – UV Not sure what it is about that name that appeals to me...B-) This is certainly one that remains quite firmly under the radar (a number of it's 121 views are probably me!) and had I not heard it by chance that one morning on 6Music, I wouldn't know it at all. I did want to shout it out as it was a really late standout song in 2024 for me. It's got a lovely melody to its chorus and her vocals are filled with a sense of quiet power that are never overbearing, and the piano eventually builds into a colourful instrumental array as it progresses, but it is the lyrics that stand out as well. The theme of the song and the EP was described by Roxanne as 'voicing the unsaid and about shedding light. It can be interpreted on both a personal, as well as on a societal level'. This song likens women in the music industry as being an ultraviolet light - invisible to the human eye but vital - and it makes lines like the need of a blacklight to make things clearer and the need of a change. It's the sort of subtle social commentary that I really like and makes songs stand out that bit more to just being well produced, contrasting slightly with the vibrant production and matching the quiet power of the vocals. A certain other song still to come continues that theme x

Thanks for commenting/listening! I guess a miserable, rainy New Years Day is a good place to start this x RAMO6HHfsdM 10. Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi It's been a while since I've heard from Bat For Lashes (2009/early 2010s to put it clearer, which feels further away every day x), while I never properly explored her work, I did really like what I knew of her work. I'm not sure I'd have found The Dream of Delphi if it wasn't on a recommended Apple playlist, and I'm very pleased I did as this is quite stunning and really deserved more attention this year. Natasha's vocals haven't lost any of their ethereal and other-worldly feel, they are the centrepiece that help to guide the song to dreamy horizons as the quiet synths and beat builds with each verse, before closing with some lovely strings. Coincidentally, I have another favourite called by the new age band, Cusco. I'm not sure if it's the mythical, dream-like feel that matches the sacred myth that always gives these Delphi songs such a beautiful, heartwarming feel but I guess there's something about that title. That's a tangential way of saying this is great and you should check it out (Cusco as well x)

H & Claire easily, though not a great selection (50 Cent is one of the best here but I expect that’ll be out soon x)