tournament Choose The Album, Then a Song 9: And the winner is...

[lhdang2000]

This round is so complicated tho. Different but sophisticated. I think I re-wrote it twice because I misunderstood the topic. 

 

Anyway, that's not Pedro's fault so if you're reading this, don't feel bad. It's just that it's a very different theme. I personally love it.  

[shelven]

I'm having massive writer's block for this round. I'm pretty sure I know which songs I plan on using, but I can't figure out the approach to take at all  I should hopefully still have it done by tonight though.

[shelven]

nnn so I'm at 525 words and I still have one more song to talk about AND I need to do a quick concluding paragraph. This is going to be a bitch to cut down  

[Pedro]

3 hours ago, shelven said:

nnn so I'm at 525 words and I still have one more song to talk about AND I need to do a quick concluding paragraph. This is going to be a bitch to cut down  

If you manage to do less than 550, I will accept it.

[Pedro]

Guys, I will extend the deadline 'til tomorrow night. @Rihlana, @shelven and @MusicLoverDude. You can go until 550 if you need.

[shelven]

Dammit, I literally JUST finished cutting it down to 500  Tbh I like my entry the way it is now, so I'm not going to go back and re-add words - I'll just keep it at 500.

[Speezy]

whos left  

[lhdang2000]

4 hours ago, Speezy said:

whos left  

Adele vs Samantha Jade vs Sia vs Halsey.  

[Rihlana]

28 more words to cut down  

[Pedro]

 

ATRL's original game "Choose The Album, Then a Song" is back for its anticipated ninth season on its original concept.

 

We are down to F O U R and we are down to the toughest round so far. The contestants had the rough challenge of gathering all of the unused songs and present them to us. It's time to see the entries! Oh! I almost forgot. There will be no public vote once again.

 

We will go there in a bit, let's review the rules!

 

 

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

The round before the final is generally reserved to the mean girls round but not this time as we have had that one already. We are taking a different approach and focusing on new music from your album... After all, we are here to know it better.

 

During this round, you will have to send all of the songs you have never submitted before and explain why you never chose to send it. The word limit will reach 500 words which will give you enough space to elaborate on your reasons and focus on a few rounds as examples. Make sure you focus on the songs and on the respective themes in order to justify yourself properly with valid arguments. Note that I said all of the songs, not one or two.

 

If by any chance, you've already sent all of them. Select one song you believe it's worth sending again and justify it.

 

Also remember that giving you the opportunity of finally presenting all of the songs from your album, will also give you space to justify why you deserve the final round.

 

1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 'Reaper' / 'Unstoppable' / 'Confetti' / 'One Million Bullets'

 

Spoiler

ROUND NINE: “REAPER” / “UNSTOPPABLE” / “CONFETTI” / “ONE MILLION BULLETS”

 

 

                Due to its unique concept, This Is Acting is a multifaceted album, with each song highlighting Sia in a different “acting challenge”. For that reason, every song had the potential to be used at some point during this season, with there being four songs that I came particularly close to selecting.

 

              “Reaper” is my personal favourite track on TIA, which made it a strong contender for Round 2. The instrumental is polished and undeniably catchy with its thumping beat, groovy baseline and explosive chorus. The lyrics are uplifting and relatable while still maintaining Sia’s clever writing, and the song perfectly balances between being happy without being corny. That said, despite how much I love “Reaper”, I ultimately selected “Cheap Thrills” because it was the song that initially roped me into TIA.

 

              I first pondered using “Unstoppable” for Round 4’s “journey of emotions” since it’s an extremely positive track by Sia’s standards, with Sia exuding unapologetic confidence and self-determination. Nonetheless, I chose “Summer Rain” because its topic was a closer comparison to “Space Between”. “Unstoppable” is also unique for Sia due to its exuberant, empowering horn-filled instrumental that does a stellar job at showing how Sia ventured far outside her comfort zone for this album. Therefore, I almost chose it again in Round 6, but I picked “Jesus Wept” because its instrumental told a deeper story.

 

              I strongly considered “Confetti” when selecting a love song for Round 5 because it shows Sia using acting to approach a familiar topic in a new way. “Confetti” is a breakup track, but instead of being bleak and upsetting, it comes from a place of maturity and contentment as Sia realizes the faults in a relationship and celebrates its end instead of lamenting over it. However, in its place, I chose “Midnight Decisions” because its production and emotional complexity provided a bigger contrast against “Move Your Body”.

 

            “One Million Bullets” is the song that I most wish I could have used but didn’t. It’s the only song on the album Sia originally wrote for herself, meaning it’s not an “acting challenge” like the rest of TIA. However, the decision to include one non-acting song on this album is brilliant, as it suggests that one’s true self is ultimately just another complex character one plays. This idea is one I wish I could have explored further, but it unfortunately didn’t lend itself to any of the round themes, and for the no-theme Round 8, I decided that “Alive” was a slightly stronger track that contributed more to TIA.

 

            Throughout this season, I’ve discussed how TIA is a more complex album than it seems, serving as an insightful commentary on the power of acting. But with this round’s track-by-track approach, I hope I’ve demonstrated that TIA is not just an interesting think piece, but also a phenomenal collection of individual tracks where every song contributes something meaningful. With both these elements in mind, I believe it’s clear that TIA deserves one last showcase in the final round.

2. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 'Wait For It' / 'Always' / 'Firestarter' / 'Soldier' / 'Up' / 'Sweet Talk'

 

Spoiler

When I submitted Naked last round, I mentioned that it was one of three songs remaining that were unused. The other two songs are Wait For It and Always. I was actually waiting to get rid of Wait For It in the "Let It Go" type of round. In fact, had lhdang done more research in the Mean Girls round, he would have realized this song is actually worse than Shake That. The vocal editing is what ruins the song, as it makes Samantha's voice unrecognizable in some parts and it clashes with the minimalistic approach to the song's instrumental, which consists of just an acoustic guitar, a beat, and some chimes. Had they left Samantha's vocals alone, this song could have been a contender for the Symphony round. I honestly just didn't want to subject the judges and the other contestants to the torture of listening to this. Perhaps the most infuriating thing, since we are talking about unused songs, is that I had to wait 3 years for Nine to come out, and along the way, Samantha released FOUR singles that did not make it onto the final tracklist: Firestarter, Soldier, Up and Sweet Talk. All four are in better quality but didn't make it (links will be provided to compare), yet this mediocre song makes it with the ironic title of "Wait For It", when it wasn't worth it. Now on the other hand, Always is a summer bop that talks about being in love with someone and to remind each other to love each other so they are together forever. This song fits the positivity theme of the album well, and the main reason I haven't used it is because there were stronger choices on the album for specific rounds. Pedro mentioned last round that Naked could have been used in Better Together, and Always would have been a good match for it since they show the opposite sides of a relationship. However, the differences between Born To Be Alive and Nine were stronger and represented the album better, because the death of Samantha's mother is a bigger influence on the album than relationships with men are in regards to the overall theme. Always could have also been a contender for the love and fun round that followed right after, but What You Want showed a lot more love and passion than Always did and that's why I paired it with Shake That. The lyrics of What You Want also were more connectable to Shake That for that round as opposed to Always and continuity, or connecting the songs and past rounds together has been one of my main focuses of this game as we have progressed. Ultimately, the song is good but it just doesn't stick out enough to be usable in a round so far. I think it's justifiable that these two songs haven't been used at this point, especially when looking at Rounds 3 and 4, which were crucial to my current placement in the game. I don't think I would have made the semi-final if I had used Always or Wait For It sooner.

3. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 'New Americana' / 'Control' / 'Hold Me Down'

 

Spoiler

Every song on BADLANDS tells a story. Halsey has meticulously crafted a track list where every song is necessary if the listener wants to understand her frame of mind. Whilst the overall premise is based on her troubled psyche, not every song fit the overarching theme of any rounds.

 

NEW AMERICANA (‘NA’)

NA existed as a secondary entrant to most of the rounds. For example, Round 2 asked for the song that chained us to our album. “Ghost” was my only option. The track was the reason I delved into Halsey’s music and was the reason I even knew what BADLANDS was. NA functioned as a single that kept me hooked. It was not the initial chaining, yet its grand production and booming chorus kept me hungry. Also, Round 5 asked for a dance track. Relatively, NA is one of the more “upbeat” tracks, but “Roman Holiday” does a better job of portraying the sweet release of escape. It is extremely euphoric and is the best encapsulation of happiness within her struggles. NA does not quite hit the brief in that, whilst idealistic, it is still quite heavy and defiant.

If there was a round asking for the most anthemic song, it would be NA. It represents an interesting outlook on youth today. We will see women rise to positions of power. We will see same-sex partnerships as just another relationship to celebrate. We will fix the wrongs of the past.

 

CONTROL AND HOLD ME DOWN (‘HMD’)

 “Control” nor HMD fit any of the rounds’ themes satisfactorily. “Control” has very interesting and unique production. However, it could not have bested “Gasoline” as an entrant for Round 3 as “Gasoline” is a technical masterpiece. “Gasoline” is a whirlwind of emotions created by clever layering of both instrumental and vocals. “Control”, whilst a worthy contender that does match extreme subject-matter with grimy beats, does not create the intense angst that “Gasoline” does throughout its short length.

HMD welcomes the listener to the recurring theme of demons and may well have been used in Round 8. It introduces Halsey’s struggles, letting the listener know that her demons have an insanely strong pull over her. However, to use HMD in the free round would have been a disservice to “Hurricane” which basically sets up the protagonist who experiences the anguish that the entire track list details.

If there was a round asking for the two songs which best show the journey of BADLANDS, it would be these two. In HMD, she is separate from her demons. However, in “Control”, she finally becomes one with her demons, seen in the subtle pronoun shift from “they’ll” to “I’ll”. HMD begins the dissent into madness causing her to feel more angry and isolated and “Control” is full of torment detailing her struggles with bipolar disorder, practically embracing the darkness.

As shown above, whilst these songs did not perfectly fit any round, they are still worthy components of the concept that is BADLANDS demonstrating Halsey as a versatile artist. I believe I deserve the final round because I have recognised this versatility, captured it effectively and have utilised it proficiently every round to show you that BADLANDS is not just a “Tumblr faux-indie” project, but rather the troubled mind of a young woman who finally let somebody in.

4. lhdang2000: Adele - "25": 'Why Do You Love Me' / 'Sweetest Devotion' / 'Lay Me Down' / 'I Miss You'

 

Spoiler

Through eight rounds of the competition, we have been through a variety of emotions of Adele when she expressed her feelings of a grown woman in 25. Every single small step connected with each other like a puzzle. However, there were pieces that I haven’t touched because I know, it could either be deep cuts, or happiness that words couldn’t explain. 

 

        In the album, Adele expressed the state of forgiveness in Hello; the relief of letting things go in Send My Love; the pain of fame in Million Years Ago; the fragility of a woman in love in All I Ask/Love in the Dark; the strength of holding on in Can’t Let Go/Water Under the Bridge; the feelings of being lied in When We Were Young; the beauty of motherhood in Remedy.

 

        For ‘Why Do You Love Me,’ Adele finally believes in love again, it’s the last song of the album, yet explains perfectly why everything in this album happens. It was because she is being loved and appreciated by her man. I never use this song; I never plan to. I feel like I haven’t experienced and I won’t get the full acknowledge of these feelings. One day, I hope I will be able to find someone who loves me like Simon does for Adele so that I can feel real love.

 

        Personally, I could never express the true feelings of ‘Sweetest Devotion.’ In the song, Adele describes D’Angelo as something that is even bigger than her life. I never dare to use the song, because deep down, I never actually love and understand my Mom, after everything she has done for me. She has been through enough, and I don’t deserve her. But I’ll try, and maybe later, I will use this on a special occasion, who knows?

 

        All of those, despite its difference, tell that she knows what she’s doing and she’s trying. However, with ‘Lay Me Down’ and ‘I Miss You,’ it seems like Adele has reached the bottom of desperation. Sometimes, if you tell the truth, it will be kind, and if you say something unkind, that becomes a lie. Adele tried so hard not to lie because she knew he might bring it up in the future. But when she was honest, he got offended. She just couldn’t win, so she believed that sex could help her win him. I don’t plan to use these because I hate it when people suffer so deep in a relationship, they could help themselves no more as I have done that to myself.

 

        Those are songs I haven’t used for many reasons, either my insecure or inexperienced. But that shows one thing, I haven’t shown my full potential, and I’ll bring everything I have in the finale, where emotions, stories, harmonies blend to form a beautiful picture. I have been through ups and downs in this competition, but, my desire of impacting people through writing never ends, and going to the finale would only strengthen it harder.

 

DEADLINE

May, 21st

 

Spoiler

@shelven, @Rihlana, @MusicLoverDude, @lhdang2000

 

[MusicLoverDude]

Ndfhfhshaaff at me being the only one to forget about mentioning the final round

 

[lhdang2000]

So we can only wait till the 21st for the result?

 

EDIT: Just read all of the entries, everyone did terrific. It's my honor to be here with y'all that even if I'm eliminated this week, I won't even feel sad at all. 

Edited May 16, 2017 by lhdang2000

[Rihlana]

I'm so proud of us all  

[shelven]

Wow, everyone really brought their A-game this round  Obviously I really want to make it to the final round, but after reading all of these entries, I wouldn't even be that disappointed if I was eliminated because all four of us deserve a spot in the finals right now.

[Pedro]

That's so true. This is such a strong top 4!

[lhdang2000]

So I was doing the scoreboard for this to practice Excel for my school project next year, and I realize I'm doing the worst average-wise.  

 

Anyway, just try to make this alive until the result.  

[Pedro]

I've gone through the majority of the entries and I have to admit that you are all so close to eachother in terms of points! This will be interesting!

[MusicLoverDude]

Oh boy...this is going to be nervewracking.

 

 

[lhdang2000]

Here for the result as soon as possible as I don't have a good feeling.  

 

I've been in and out this thread hoping for the result since like.. forever.  

Edited May 21, 2017 by lhdang2000

[Kavish]

Sent.

 

 

[Pedro]

 

ATRL's original game "Choose The Album, Then a Song" is back for its anticipated ninth season on its original concept.

 

We are damn ready. We are about to find out Choose The Album, Then a Song 9 top three. It was such a long way but we managed to find the best of the best and the ones truly worthy of this title. Before moving, I'd like to say that if you reached this far, you're already a winner. Thanks for your commitment. So... Are you ready for the very last elimination?

 

I am but first... our judging panel!

 

 

 

          Pedro                           Lazuli                             Kavish     

 

Looking good, girls! Now that you've taken your position, let's review the voting rules along with the respective updates for this round.

 

 

1. The voting process is dived into two parts: the public vote and the judges votes;

Each of these parts account for 50% of the results.

2. Each contestant that didn't cast a vote will be deducted 30% of his/her final result;

The 30% discount can be translated into less 5 points.

3. The judges have rated each entry from 1 to 10;

All of the judges votes are then summed and we get to an average.

4. Your results are cumulative from the points you receive eachround;

5. During the voting process there may be ties. Find below the rules to break them:

5.1. If there is a tie wiithin the public vote, the entry with the best result within the judges votes gets ahead;

5.2. If there is a tie within the judges votes, the entry with the best result within the public vote gets ahead;

5.3. If there is a tie within the final results, the entry with the best result within the judges vote gets ahead.

6. The points distribution have changed in order to decrease expected events.

1st Place: 40 Points | 2nd Place: 35 Points | 3rd Place: 25 Points | 4th Place: 10 Points.

 

 

Spoiler

The round before the final is generally reserved to the mean girls round but not this time as we have had that one already. We are taking a different approach and focusing on new music from your album... After all, we are here to know it better.

 

During this round, you will have to send all of the songs you have never submitted before and explain why you never chose to send it. The word limit will reach 500 words which will give you enough space to elaborate on your reasons and focus on a few rounds as examples. Make sure you focus on the songs and on the respective themes in order to justify yourself properly with valid arguments. Note that I said all of the songs, not one or two.

 

If by any chance, you've already sent all of them. Select one song you believe it's worth sending again and justify it.

 

Also remember that giving you the opportunity of finally presenting all of the songs from your album, will also give you space to justify why you deserve the final round.

 

 

 

And that's it. The final results would just be a repetition of those so we are moving on straight to the elimination. The points distribution were changed and updated: 1st Place: 40 Points | 2nd Place: 35 Points | 3rd Place: 25 Points | 4th Place: 10 Points.

 

 

Let's kick things off with the good news, shall we? With a total amount of 327 points, the first member going straight to the final round is...

 

Spoiler

RIHLANA

Congratulations! We will get to hear more from "Badlands" by Halsey!

 

Also safe from elimination and getting a spot in the final we have...

 

Spoiler

SHELVEN

Obviously! Congratulations to you too. We will get to see more acting in the final round. You finished with 333 points!

 

And we are now down to two contestants: MusicLoverDude and lhdang2000. Only FOUR points separate you two. The third and last member to get a place in the finals is...

 

Spoiler

MUSICLOVERDUDE

Oh wow! After NINE seasons you made it through the finals and look at your album's name! Was it all planned? Congrats!

 

It is time to say goodbye to LHDANG2000. Thank you so much for taking part in this and congratulations on making it so far. You truly deserved the final as well. All the best and hope to see you soon!

 

Spoiler

1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 333 Points. (=)

2. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 327 Points. (+1)

3. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 309 Points. (+1)

4. lhdang2000: Adele - "25: 305 Points.[Eliminated - R9]

5. sumthintoxic82: Kelly Clarkson - "Piece By Piece": 265 Points. [Eliminated - R8]

6. Queen Conchita: Conchita Wurst - "Conchita": 208 Points. [Eliminated - R7]

7. Speezy: The Weeknd -  "Starboy": 129 Points. [Eliminated - R6]

8. theycallmemaraj: Ariana Grande - "Dangerous Woman": 109 Points [Quit - R6]

9. Vulnicura: Robyn - "Body Talk": 104 Points [Quit - R5]

10. Lion: Troye Sivan - "Blue Neighbourhood": 52 Points. [Eliminated - R4]

11. Tymps.: Lemon Demon - "Spirit Phone": 47 Points.[Quit - R3]

12. ReachOut: Hilary Duff - "Breathe In. Breathe Out.": 34 Points. [Eliminated - R3]
13. Sempiternal: Asking Alexandria - "The Black": 12 Points. [Eliminated - R2]

14. Verge of Obscene: Britney Spears - "Glory": 14 Points. [Quit - R1]

15. Alena: Melanie Martinez - "Cry Baby": 5 Points. [Quit - R1]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by Pedro

[Pedro]

 

Find below the judges' comments to each entry.

 

Spoiler

PEDRO

 

 

Spoiler

LAZULI

 

 

Spoiler

KAVISH

 

Edited August 9, 2017 by Pedro

[MusicLoverDude]

@Pedro Totally not planned  I just really wanted to play with Samantha this time around. She doesn't get a whole lot of attention on here you know, something that Carly does get. I don't know how you got the Carly Rae vocal comparison though - Samantha would vocally blow her head off - I mean, she covered Leona Lewis and Mariah Carey while on X Factor afterall. Carly's voice is more singer-songwriter suited (and Robyn suited). Samantha's voice is more like Ariana Grande's and Carly's is more like Hilary Duff's.

 

Anyways, time to show Samantha's reaction to making the final of X Factor in 2012. Pretty similar to mine right now.

 

2:06

 

Still can't believe I made it here after starting off near the bottom this season.

[shelven]

Whew, this is going to be an intense final  Even all the way back in Round 1, I said that @Rihlana had huge potential to become the frontrunner of the season, and now we're neck-and-neck going into the finals  And I'm so happy you made the finals, @MusicLoverDude! Even though I haven't competed against you in this game before this season, I had read some of your entires in past seasons from when I used to observe this game, and your improvement this season has been MASSIVE. Really incredible to witness, and you deserve to be rewarded for that with a finals placement  

 

That being said, I'm sad to see @lhdang2000 go  I thought you played with 25 very well, and as someone who enjoys that album, I really appreciate you opening my eyes to new themes and ideas about the album and its songs that I had never considered before. Congratulations of making the semifinals  

Edited May 21, 2017 by shelven

[lhdang2000]

I know that something is gonna happen since I was too worried during the whole week.For me, I don't know why, but I wouldn't have changed anything from my last entry, probably my perspective, but I feel like that's enough. Hey, eveybody's different right?

 

This might also be my last season since I did real great this season and I don't want to ruin it.

 

Anyway, congrats to the top 3, you are the finalists, you all deserve this. .

 

I'd like to give a shoutout to MLD, the dark horse of the competition, since I can't win this, you betta take this home, I'll be rooting for you. .

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by lhdang2000