theycallmemaraj Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 my phone is broke and I'm trying to fix it but iTunes is the absolute worst, I should get this done by end of today though. Was there a specific time?
Queen Conchita Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 1 hour ago, theycallmemaraj said: my phone is broke and I'm trying to fix it but iTunes is the absolute worst, I should get this done by end of today though. Was there a specific time? Pretty sure the deadline is in 6 hours if it's sticking to the previous times
Pedro Posted March 6, 2017 Author Posted March 6, 2017 Ok! Finally I get the time to write something to you! As you know, I was on holidays until yesterday and that's why we had to postpone the game - eventhough the round itself takes a lot of effort. Now that I am back I am looking forward the update. I was supposed to update it yesterday but I was only ready at 1AM and I was very tired. I will update it tonight. I will give @Tymps. the opportunity to submit until 5 hours from now. If not, he will be eliminated.
Queen Conchita Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 8 hours ago, Pedro said: Ok! Finally I get the time to write something to you! As you know, I was on holidays until yesterday and that's why we had to postpone the game - eventhough the round itself takes a lot of effort. Now that I am back I am looking forward the update. I was supposed to update it yesterday but I was only ready at 1AM and I was very tired. I will update it tonight. I will give @Tymps. the opportunity to submit until 5 hours from now. If not, he will be eliminated.
Pedro Posted March 7, 2017 Author Posted March 7, 2017 (edited) ATRL's original game "Choose The Album, Then a Song" is back for its anticipated ninth season on its original concept. Officially back! Hopefully this will be the longest (and only) hiatus of the season, right? I know! We kick off this fourth round with some "sad" news - depends on the interpretation. @Tymps. has been desqualified from the game due to the fact he didn't submit his entry at all and we are now reduced to ten players which I am sure will give their best and they better have because this round anything can happen! Let's just review the rules before meeting the entries. 1. There's not such thing as bad losers; We are all here to have fun and share our favorite music with everyone. 2. Every contestant must cast a vote each round; The main purpose of the game is to introduce everyone to new music. If this rule isn't applied, only the judges will benefit from it. 3. Every entry must contain a written part; To fully understand your decision, you will be required to send in an essay along with the song chosen. 4. A song can only be used twice and can only be use three rounds after; This will allow you to explore your album further. 5. Deadlines must be respected by contestants and judges; There will be three updates weekly: the round presentation, the entries and the results. 6. There's no space for stan wars or called voters; The main purpose of this game is to introduce everyone to knew music. Therefore, we don't want any fights or any type of voting manipulation. 7. The vote process is build up of two parts; Every round the judges votes will be mixed with the public votes. 8. Be fair and do not be biased. If you want others to respect your work and game, make sure you respect others too by not allowing your personal taste affect your votes. Spoiler What usually makes an album sound and feel so great is the fact that it takes you into a journey of emotions. You get to experience so many sides of an artist and end up having mixed feelings throughout the listening session. This round is exactly about that but focusing on the cohesiveness of the record. You are going to send in not one but TWO songs that are opposite of eachother but end up being really important to the album itself. In this round, you will have to talk about those two songs and also about the album itself. Therefore the word limit will be extended to 250 words. Also make sure you nail the round as there will be different points distribution and literally anything could happen. 1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 'Space Between' || 'Summer Rain' Spoiler ROUND FOUR: “SPACE BETWEEN / SUMMER RAIN” This round’s description mentioning a “journey of emotions” is extremely fitting for This Is Acting, as acting at its core involves being able to convey a vast array of complex emotions. Like any skilled actor, Sia pulls this off perfectly, and the strongest example of her emotional range is found when comparing Space Between to Summer Rain. On the surface, these songs could not be greater opposites, both musically and lyrically. Space Between is easily the album’s most sombre and heartbreaking track – the instrumental is heavy and dark, and one can physically feel the intense pain and defeat in Sia’s voice as she laments over being in a dead and loveless relationship where neither side is willing to let go despite its emptiness. However, just two tracks later, the listener finds a completely different Sia on Summer Rain. The production of this song is bright and builds in energy leading to a chorus that is explosively positive. Whereas Sia’s voice is filled with pain on Space Between, she uses her vocals to exude confidence and euphoria on Summer Rain, as this time, she is celebrating finding a partner who genuinely cares for her after being used to disappointment in love. While it might seem odd that such drastically different songs appear so close together on the album, the dichotomy between Space Between and Summer Rain excellently captures the powerful nature of This Is Acting. The best actors use their wide range of life experiences to shape their performances, and that is exactly what Sia sets out to do on this album. These two songs show how she has gone through both love and heartbreak; happiness and disappointment; confidence and pain, and Sia brilliantly uses the art of acting to share the impact of her lifelong emotional journey with her listeners. 2. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 'Nine' || 'Born To Be Alive' Spoiler According to Samantha, Nine is an album that puts a positive spin on negativity, and thus, as I mentioned in Round 1, focuses mainly on positive energy, which can come in different forms. On one hand, we have the track Born To Be Alive, an EDM club banger that focuses on living in the moment with people you care about. The beat of this song, along with Samantha's pulsing vocals make you want to dance along and the energy from it goes by quick, as it's best suited for a party setting. Nine's title track on the other hand, is a ballad that Samantha has described as being more organic, relying just on a piano, violin and acoustic guitar underneath Samantha's vocals, which are very soft spoken throughout most of the song but builds up as the song reaches its climax. The song is about Samantha's mother, who passed away from cancer in 2014. She mentions in the song that even though her mom is dead, she knows now that she will always be there and it gives her peace. The energy from this song lasts longer; the listener is more likely to relax and connect on a deeper level to this song and relate it to their own life. Both of these songs however give Nine depth as they demonstrate the album's key idea of turning negativity into positivity, and the songs themselves can open the doors to checking out the other songs on the album. Born To Be Alive can lead to Only Just Begun followed by Show Me Love, while Nine can lead to Let the Good Times Roll followed by Castle. Overall, they both have an impact on the album that represent it properly. 3. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 'Drive' || 'Strange Love' Spoiler BADLANDS has an uncanny ability to remain cohesive even with tremendous sonic and thematic differences between tracks and none showcase this more than “Drive” and “Strange Love” (SL). This will be shown by demonstrating just how polar opposite the two are, even when sharing a common thread to weave together the BADLANDS experience. “Drive” and “SL”, at their hearts, are tracks about concealment. In “Drive”, both Halsey and her lover understand how they feel, but neither will put their pride aside and confess, even if happiness is the outcome. The track even utilises driving metaphors as a way to dance around the truth. By the second chorus, Lido’s voice is layered onto Halsey’s showing just how mutual, yet undeclared their feelings are. The vocal delivery is delicate and the production is light, conjuring imagery of an open highway, allowing the listener to understand that even with no escape from the Badlands, there is hope that somewhere else lies beyond. This is heavily contrasted to “SL” where Halsey bares all. Halsey unashamedly tells the people what they want to hear, uncensored (such as having sex on the bathroom sink), before proclaiming that she need not say anything. The production is grimy and heavy, and the vocal delivery is extremely aggressive. Halsey described BADLANDS as an “angry… record” and nothing establishes this better than “SL”. “Drive” and “SL” are compelling insights into the psyche of Halsey and therefore, BADLANDS. The former represents stunning realisation that through expression of feelings, there can be relief from the dystopia that is her Badlands, whereas the latter oxymoronically represents tormented solace in closeted emotion. Thus, both tracks are extremely important to the cohesiveness of the narrative that Halsey is trying to portray – dealing with complex emotions and the inability to express them properly or at all. 4. theycallmemaraj: Ariana Grande - "Dangerous Woman": 'Thinking Bout You' || 'Side To Side (feat. Nicki Minaj)' Spoiler I have chosen these two songs as I think they are the complete polar opposites on the Dangerous Woman despite having very similar themes. Thinking Bout You is a slow melancholy track that could bring a tear to your eye. The intense instrumental makes you sit there and think about things that have no correlation to the song whatsoever. You do not even need to hear the lyrics to feel the emotion that bursts out of this song. The pre-chorus stands out with this song as Ariana is practically shouting at her lover to come back to her. However, the bridge is what hits you the most as she belts the last words as the joyous beat erupts, making you feel like you need to cry and smile at the same time. Side to Side takes a completely different approach as it makes you feel like you’re ready to go out, have some fun and party. This track screams summer and sex to me, not just because of Nicki Minaj’s feature. The Caribbean styled synths give the song some extra life which just makes you want to dance. The lyrics are catchy with a hook that never gets old. As always, Ariana is giving us A* vocals to compliment the instrumental. The backing vocals are what stand out the most for me with Side to Side as Ariana just takes the lyrics to a whole other level hitting major highs and surprisingly, some deep lows. I think these two tracks are the perfect example of how cohesive Dangerous Woman is because they are both about sex however they bring out the different emotions attached to it. 5. sumthintoxic82: Kelly Clarkson - "Piece By Piece": 'Tightrope' || 'Invincible' Spoiler Tightrope and Invincible are two songs that really are at opposite ends on the spectrum. both lyrically and sonically. Tightrope is a simple piano ballad, with a very soft hint of an orchestral element. With Kelly's voice being more subtle, yet emotional. Invincible on the other hand is a mid tempo song, with a more grand orchestral elements that REALLY hit harder and Kelly's vocals come in more powerful and confident. Lyrically, Tightrope is about the insecurities in your life. Whether that's in a relationship, or in your work life. Its about the pressure that's put upon you. A pressure that you may not always be able to live up too. Invincible is about triumphing over those insecurities. Coming out stronger and knowing what you were able to push through to get to where you are. Knowing that you are not perfect, but you will prevail. Sometimes, we feel weak and sometimes, we feel strong. I believe that you cannot truly know yourself without really knowing your weaknesses. When you hit your rock bottom, there is only one way to go, and that's up. While it might be bad when it happens, that weakness will eventually lead to a stronger you. You will know how much you can take in life. Not allowing those insecurities and fears to take over. Knowing your fears, but knowing to push beyond them and reach for the stars. As I've said before, this album is about the many "pieces" of Kelly. The good sides, bad sides, sad sides and happy. Like a puzzle, certain "pieces" fit together, while other don't, but to finish the puzzle you need ALL the pieces to come together. Individually, "Tightrope" and "Invincible" are opposite, but put together, along with the rest of the pieces, and you'll see the whole picture. 6. Vulnicura: Robyn - "Body Talk": 'Don't ****ing Tell Me What To Do' || 'Stars 4-Ever' Spoiler Body Talk remains a timeless classic thanks to the three dimensional complexity in which Robyn displays her pop persona and how each side is represented on the record - the stark contrast of the minimalist Don't ****ing Tell Me What To Do, who refuses to be anyone's pawn, and the bubbly Stars 4-Ever are the best selections of how two differing tracks can prove that Body Talk is more than the sum of its parts. By examining these two tracks, its clear that Robyn explores the balance of autonomy and dependence in a relationship; lyrically, DFTMWTD is almost a self-dissection of Robyn's own flaws and faults spoken in a robotic and humorous fashion, in contrast to the lighter tone of S4E where Robyn freely expresses her desire to be together with her lover. This balance runs even deeper in the production - while S4E follows a common and predictable song structure, DFTMWTD is much less rigid and harder to define with its sparse production, which may be a pretext to Robyn's own struggle in examining her flaws and structuring them in a positive way. The theme of repetition and not learning from past mitsakes is not uncommon throughout Body Talk, and this awareness shows that DFTMWTD is almost a mantra for Robyn of all her vices and worries, and yet by album's end, S4E displays a carefree attitude through Robyn's effervescent vocals and production. These ideas are even reflected in track placement; DFTMWTD nears the beginning of the record, and S4E closes it, a cycle that is sure to be repeated. It's clear that Body Talk is layered in subtleties that tell their own stories upon close inspection - DFTMWTD and S4E are but one permutation of a multitude of other comparisons that can be made throughout Body Talk. 7. Queen Conchita: Conchita Wurst - "Conchita": 'Pure' || 'Where Have All The Good Men Gone' Spoiler Conchita is a very versatile album with songs suitable for many of life's situations. Delve deeper into the songs and the differences between the 12 tracks start to unravel themselves. One of the most obvious differences between "Pure" and "Where Have All The Good Men Gone" in particular, is of course, the tempo and production. In Pure, Conchita strips back in a raw, moving, emotional ballad and brings out her vulnerable side to the track, with simplistic production and soft piano accompaniment, whereas in Where Have All The Good Men Gone, out comes Conchita's sassy, burlesque, sexy side backed up with statement brass instruments with punchy, finger clicking production. "Where Have All The Good Men Gone" is a song about love and men, questioning whether there is a genuine man out there amongst the liars and the ones who will let you down, "Pure" takes a more personal approach in Conchita's life, remembering her younger years before having to stand on her own two feet and therefore no longer recognising herself. Both songs are key to the album as it symbolises a personal look into the journey of Conchita's life through music. Not everything is rosy and upbeat all the time and that's what personal songs such as "Pure" represents, and "Where Have All The Good Men Gone" represents female empowerment and self worth. 8. Lion: Troye Sivan - "Blue Neighbourhood": 'Lost Boy' || 'Too Good' Spoiler For this round I've chosen Lost Boy and Too good, two songs that talk about love but in two totally different ways. Lost boy talks from the point of view of someone who says he wants to commit to a relationship but honestly has no idea of what he wants to do. He doesn't want to get his lover's hopes up but can't seem to let him go either. Musically the song is quite simple but effective, it starts with a simple piano then adds a little electronic drum. At the end of the chorus there's a little synth that's quite joyful and makes the song sound more hopeful, it makes you feel that maybe he just needs time to find himself. Too good talks from the point of view of someone who's in love with someone and he's afraid he'll leave. The song starts with a piano, but it is a more dramatic one than on Lost boy. From there's a little electronic drum and synths are added but overall it's a more minimalist approach. They both are different but somehow they balance each other. You can't just have songs about loving someone and them not loving you back like Too good and that's where Lost boy comes in to portray to the other side of a relationship. 9. Speezy: The Weeknd - "Starboy": 'Rockin'' || 'True Colors' Spoiler For this round I am selecting True Colors and Rockin’ from the album. These songs are opposite in sound and subjecy but fits well to make “Starboy” the album that it is. Abel’s new album brings his dark side to us with bass filled tracks and vocal melodies. “True Colors” is a soft song with a smooth constant beat that showcases Abel’s vocal abilities. In the chorus for example you can hear this very well. This track may be the opposite of the upbeat electro like bop,”Rockin” but its works within the album as a break from the first handful of tracks which are very upbeat. This smooth track is the first moody track you run into on the album and it serves as a transition to the other moody like track such as “Stargirl” and the rest of the moody tracks that follows. “Rockin” is a song different in nature both lyrically and beat-wise compared to “True Colors”. This track subject matter is speaking about a quick relationship for sex purposes only over an electro-bass booming beat. This 80’s sounding track finds its self in upper portion of the album. This track carries the 80’s uptempo inspired feel that some of the album tracks like ”False Alarm” has. As stated that subject matters are opposite. One wants track wants to careless sex filled relationship why the other is wanting the girl to show Abel her “true colors” Rockin': (You don't have to spend your life with me …. I just want your body next to me ) True Colors: (Girl, come show me your true colors Paint me a picture with your true colors These are the questions of a new lover) Overall, Rockin’ being my favorite track and “True Colors” being my least favorite, Starboy wouldn’t probably feel the same when played entirely without these tracks 10. lhdang2000: Adele - "25": 'Love In The Dark' || 'All I Ask' Spoiler ‘All I Ask’ is penned together by Adele and Bruno Mars, they intended to do an uptempo, instead, turning into a piano ballad. Throughout the whole song, Adele passionately wants the last night with her lover. They both know they can’t be together anymore. But, tonight, she wants to do what lovers do. She wants to create a lasting memory. She wants it because she knows, she will never be able to love someone as much as the way she loved him. In contrast, ‘Love in the Dark,' tells another story. The orchestral ballad describes how Adele feels damaged by the constant lying and decides that she would be the one to break all the bounds and give up on this love. She can continue this relationship no more. She is hurt, but she realizes she were not the same person when this relationship began no more, she has matured. The space between them mentally and physically cannot reconnect no more, and, “I don’t think you can save me.” As always stated, ‘25’ is the record of growth, experience, and letting go. And those two songs are perfect examples of it. Adele used to drown in happiness because of love, but because of love, she must also go through pain. A woman, when they are in love, they always stay true to herself. She is frail and fragile. But once you lied and broke her heart, she’ll be the one to move forward, no matter how much it hurts her. DEADLINE March, 10th Good Luck! Edited March 8, 2017 by Pedro
Pedro Posted March 7, 2017 Author Posted March 7, 2017 @shelven, @MusicLoverDude, @Rihlana, @theycallmemaraj, @sumthintoxic82, @Vulnicura, @Queen Conchita, @Lion, @Speezy, @lhdang2000
Queen Conchita Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 (edited) **** such strong entries, vote off is going to be tough. Edited March 7, 2017 by Queen Conchita
Speezy Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 Quote One wants track wants to careless sex filled relationship why the other is wanting the girl to show Abel her “true colors” LORD JESUS fix this line
MusicLoverDude Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 Hey @Pedro, was something wrong with the song links I sent you? You have the links from Samantha's Australian YouTube channel, not the ones from the links I sent you.
sumthintoxic82 Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 not another person gone already at first glance some of these look really strong...cant wait to get into them
Pedro Posted March 7, 2017 Author Posted March 7, 2017 5 hours ago, MusicLoverDude said: Hey @Pedro, was something wrong with the song links I sent you? You have the links from Samantha's Australian YouTube channel, not the ones from the links I sent you. Yes, they were blocked for some countries. That is why I had to change... are they not the songs?
theycallmemaraj Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 SAVE - Adele, Weeknd OFF - Conchita, Halsey
MusicLoverDude Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 5 hours ago, Pedro said: Yes, they were blocked for some countries. That is why I had to change... are they not the songs? They are the songs, but they aren't available to view in the US
Pedro Posted March 7, 2017 Author Posted March 7, 2017 7 minutes ago, MusicLoverDude said: They are the songs, but they aren't available to view in the US Can you get us a link that will be available like everywhere? It's a struggle now with Apple Music and Spotify
shelven Posted March 7, 2017 Posted March 7, 2017 I just read through all the entries and everyone did a good job this round. Voting is gonna be really difficult I'll definitely have to read through them again before casting my votes.
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