Chez Wombat

Still Blue is a great choice, I considered that for the main contest last year <3 Best of Both Worlds is similarly iconic for different reasons *__ Shame not everyone submitted something, but glad we got a great turnout anyway.

This is very addictive and catchy, and some wonderful production, the lyrics are dreadful, but honestly probably no worse than some other finalists I've heard. Quite impressed with it, I knew he had it in him, remains to be seen how well it will do (with the discourse this year, it's hard to know where the votes will go), but a step in the right direction.

01; David Bowie – Lazarus 02; Romy & Fred again.. - Strong 03; George Michael - Jesus to a Child 04; The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk - Starboy (Hopefully the far better I Feel It Coming is on the list to send as well!) 05; Les Rythmes Digitales feat. Nik Kershaw – Sometimes 06; Tone Damli feat. Eric Saade – Imagine 07; Conan Gray - Caramel 08; Troye Sivan - Angel Baby 09; Ruel - I Can Die Now Think this is the strongest of the three this time, there was nothing I particularly disliked, the Eric choice is egregious as anything, but it is darn catchy.

01; ROSALÍA – Reliquia 02; FKA twigs - Stereo Boy 03; Nelly Furtado – Try 04; Lily Allen – 22 05; LiSA - Akeboshi (明け星) 06; Kesha - RED FLAG. 07; Kelly Clarkson – Haunted 08; Delta Goodrem - Eclipse 09; Chappell Roan - After Midnight Hope Twigs isn't in trouble, I really liked this again!

01; ABBA - Take a Chance on Me 02; Blondie - Sunday Girl 03; Florence + the Machine - My Love 04; HAIM - Want You Back 05; The Corrs - Summer Sunshine 06; Erasure – Chorus 07; Scissor Sisters - Let’s Have a Kiki 08; The Chicks - Julianna Calm Down 09; Atomic Kitten - Eternal Flame Classic top 2 and though they aren't my favourites from Florence and Haim, they sounded much better than I remember after not hearing them for a while. No hard feelings to Atomic Kitten's sender, but I've always detested that cover.

Had to redownload iTunes as I've only had Apple Music on my computer for a while now! But nonetheless bought it, God knows what the algorithm will recommend me after this x

Congrats John! It did sound a likely victor and was a decent song if not quite vote worthy, I suppose it's for the best Pagasa got deducted as my 18 being just eight points off winning hurts </3 Pleased to see Harmonica, Klum Rep and Rontvia get top 10 positions, think I do prefer that 11-20 section overall though, although woah at Aeroche being that low, I thought that was a surefire contender x Definitely quite a few of that bottom half I'd have liked a bit higher, I was gonna say that Scotland 2 finishing that low is really surprising, but it only just qualified so I guess that's a good result! I admittedly checked out a little bit following the DNQ and losing several of my votes, but nonetheless thank you for the great and very efficient hosting Sabrewulf!

That is an unexpected yet wonderful top 2, would be here for it x

Voted, great edition as always x Eric Whitacre into the Spice Girls song was an iconic whiplash

Sorry, did a search and couldn't find it, must have had the accent on the wrong e! 😄 Anyway it needs a bump as I love this one. To repost, I've quite enjoyed some of her songs so far, but this one is instantly more standout, her dreamy vocals go amazingly with the dark production <3 (and yes sorry to inadvertantly screw over anyone that wanted send this to the next BJSC x)

The Belgian singer, very big in her native, perhaps best known over here for working with Dua Lipa and performing with Kavinsky at the 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony, has teamed up with iconic French duo Justice for this new single. Heard this this morning and simply had to share it - I've quite enjoyed some of her songs so far, but this one is instantly more standout, her dreamy vocals go amazingly with the dark production <3 (Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, feel free to move it as it's a bit hard to class, but Apple Music lists it as Pop and her last songs have been pop sooo x also sorry if I've inadvertantly added to it's veto points if you were planning to send it to the next BJSC xx)

I think Darth Vader's Father line is the biggest for me, I still sometimes misremember it and I've seen it multiple times Some others: Wizard of Oz - 'I don't think we're in Kansas anymore' is actually 'I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore' Jaws - 'We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat' is actually 'You're' Morbius also never says 'What if I told you...' in The Matrix 'Do you feel lucky punk', 'Play It Again, Sam' and 'Houston, we have a problem' are other famous quotes not actually said in that way. I've never seen it but 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' is apparently never said to that effect ever in all of Star Trek!

I have honestly always found Closer and Ne-Yo quite overrated, I do get the appeal, it just doesn't excite me that much. I hold a lot of good memories with Sex on Fire, I do get how people cannot stand it, but I have soft spot for it, I didn't like it as much as their other songs at first but it definitely clicked with me a lot. Was a bit of a surprise number 1 at the time for me, I didn't think they were quite at that level yet given they were only scraping the top 20 before, but this one definitely got them a bigger fanbase if just for an album and a bit. Now You're Gone was a really random number 1, definitely taking advantage of that January lull, but the cheesy europop was quite a fun novelty, it definitely got old after more than one single though. There's two in the top 10 that are by far my favourites so I'll be hoping they're as high as possible!

Excellent top 2, Are 'Friends' Electric still feels quite harrowing as a subject matter and its themes still relevant to this day, the menacing synth line (sampled brilliantly in Freak Like Me which was my introduction to it) is wonderful and Numan's vocals add a great sense of urgency. Heart of Glass is an easy favourite from Blondie, her vocals and the addictive guitar hook are amazing, the outro where the instrumental really flourishes is a highlight. I Will Survive is definitely a singalong classic too. Great stuff D*, I think my own ranking would be very similar albeit Pink Floyd would definitely be in my top 3 x

A shame for the 1975, they had a lot of great ones that weren't sent yet, but a random, fairly standard remix was a bit of a strange choice.

01; ROSALÍA - Divinize (Really must get round to this album, this is the one I've already heard) 02; FKA twigs - Kicks 03; Lily Allen - Tennis (Better when listened with the album than on it's own, but nice to see two songs I'm familiar with here x) 04; Nelly Furtado - Wait For You 05; Chappell Roan - Picture You 06; Delta Goodrem - Electric Storm 07; LiSA - TA, I, SE, TSU Pile up (た、い、せ、つ Pile up) 08; Kelly Clarkson - Judas 09; Toni Braxton - Sex & Cigarettes 10; Kesha - Cannibal Nelly's being done a bit dirty here x

01; Erasure - Sono Luminus (supporting the long songs across all the groups x) 02; Florence + the Machine - Howl 03; Blondie - Shayla 04; The Chicks - Lullaby 05; Scissor Sisters - Skin Tight 06; Atomic Kitten - Walking on the Water 07; HAIM - Days Are Gone 08; The Corrs - Hideaway 09; ABBA - Keep an Eye on Dan 10; The 1975 - Pressure (Artful Remix) I enjoyed the Chicks and Kitten songs unexpectedly, the bottom 2 don't feel like they deserve that but it's just such a tough category.

01; David Bowie - Warszawa (oh wow I didn't know he had instrumentals in his back catalogue! Beautiful <3) 02; George Michael - Precious Box 03; Troye Sivan - IN A DREAM 04; Nik Kershaw - You Might 05; Conan Gray - Miss You 06; Fred again.. - Sabrina (i am a party) 07; Eric Saade - It’s Gonna Rain 08; The Weeknd - Nothing Compares 09; Ruel - SITTING IN TRAFFIC 10; Shawn Mendes - Where Were You in the Morning? Best choices yet from George, Troye and Nick as well x

33 please!

Well this isn't going too well, Violet Hill, Star Guitar and Song 4 Mutya all deserved to be in </3

Fantastic news to wake up to this morning! It definitely seemed to take better advantage of the urban, liberal areas dissatisfied with Labour which won't necessarily be the same for other Reform seats, but great for the Greens either way and it not being even close when it was forecase to be is even better. I guess it's less disastrous for Labour than if Reform had won, but still disastrous, I agree I can't see how Starmer lasts beyond the inevitable local election Labour wipeout. Y'know, maybe if he stopped trying to cater to a faction that will slate him in any case and to please everyone and pleasing no one... Lol at Farage claiming 'family voting', poor thing was really hoping for those headlines x

Seyetana was a lovely piece of quirky indie so a shame to lose that, although it did better than I thought and I did enjoy Wholune's too I guess I'm pleased I still have 6/10 of my votes and my top 3 are still here, but still, that felt particularly brutal...Semi 2 better be good x

Oh Jesus, Cumulonimbia as well?! :/ I can't remember a semi result this bleak

Ah shoot x I did see it coming though, just not a good semi for this at all and tbh, even in the listenthrough, a lot of those I was hoping to stan it weren't quite as enthusiastic which led me to think I've not quite got it right. It was admittedly quite a last minute, risky find as well. I suppose I'm overdue a final on the sidelines so I'll take it given I beat my previous consecutive Q record, so close to a full year though </3 maybe it's never meant to be x (although not quite as heartbreaking as some streaks breaking! Commiserations after that epic run to Greenfroze x) Still a few of my favourites still to come, already quite a brutal round for my votes.

:’( think we need an #endbronzilracism movement, am excellent entry.