thecptz Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 21 minutes ago, Lazuli said: I don't like reading long ass essays tbh i like you
Lazuli Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 1 minute ago, thecptz said: i like you Uhm why are you here?
thecptz Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 1 minute ago, Lazuli said: Uhm why are you here? i'm everywhere mom
shelven Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 (edited) 27 minutes ago, Lazuli said: I don't like reading long ass essays tbh Oop, I'm ready for my 4/10 then But tbh it was really hard to make an essay for this round that wasn't long because of how many things we had to talk about. We had to reference 5 aspects of Harry Potter (the houses + Hogwarts), refer to every song on our album, talk about our artist AND talk about ourselves Edited June 10, 2017 by shelven
Lazuli Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 11 minutes ago, thecptz said: i'm everywhere mom Go away 10 minutes ago, shelven said: Oop, I'm ready for my 4/10 then But tbh it was really hard to make an essay for this round that wasn't long because of how many things we had to talk about. We had to reference 5 aspects of Harry Potter (the houses + Hogwarts), refer to every song on our album, talk about our artist AND talk about ourselves That is very true, however you have to make sure that it's easy for the judges to read too! The main point is, not only do you have to care about covering all your bases in your content, but you gotta convey it efficiently to us too. Then again, this is what I personally feel only.
shelven Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 Just looked through some of the finals entries from past seasons, and a lot of them were a similar length as mine or even longer, so hopefully that means I didn't go over the top
Rihlana Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 3 hours ago, Lazuli said: I don't like reading long ass essays tbh Squealing Ready for my Britney Jean era
Rihlana Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 (edited) Submitted and 150% certain I wrote an amount of words considered "over the top" but I love this album so much and have so many thoughts about it Good luck @shelven and @MusicLoverDude It's been a pleasure! Edited June 10, 2017 by Rihlana
Pedro Posted June 10, 2017 Author Posted June 10, 2017 Just checked the entries. You are all fine! Sorry for the delayed answer!
shelven Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 8 hours ago, Rihlana said: Good luck @shelven and @MusicLoverDude It's been a pleasure! Good luck to you too! You and MLD have both been amazing competitors 8 hours ago, Pedro said: Just checked the entries. You are all fine! Slay!
Pedro Posted June 12, 2017 Author Posted June 12, 2017 Obviously, I keep on failing deadlines. Sorry!
Pedro Posted June 12, 2017 Author Posted June 12, 2017 ATRL's original game "Choose The Album, Then a Song" is back for its anticipated ninth season on its original concept. We are READY. The final three have successfully submitted their final entry - which required a lot of work, so respect for everyone - and we are ready to vote on the winner! Public vote will be opened but will only count if there's enough votes. Are you ready? 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. Deadlines must be respected by contestants and judges; There will be three updates weekly: the round presentation, the entries and the results. 3. 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. 4. The vote process is build up of two parts; Every round the judges votes will be mixed with the public votes. 5. 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 Harry Potter is a world on its own. It may be the most fascinating thing ever created after Britney Spears. Alright, I promise I will keep this professional. When I looked at my right side and saw my Harry Potter collection, I was like: "I waited a full week, thinking on what theme to go with and it was always here by my side? Great!" So I do apologise for the long time but here it is. Harry Potter contains so many things that I could just pick one and it'd give us an amazing final round but during this one we will be focusing on Hogwarts Houses. As you know (or should!) Hogwarts is a witchcraft and wizardry school where students learn magic. Before they do, they are received with a huge cerimony where they are distributed into four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. It is the sorting hat job to put every studend into one of those based on the student's personality and ambitions. In this final round, you will become the sorting hat and sort every song from your album into a house... Yes, EVERY song. You don't have to elaborate on each individually but you will be reading the characteristics of each house and sort the songs into one according to what they represent. There's no need for balance. What I mean is you don't have to put 5 songs in each house. You can actually put all of them into one if that's what makes sense. I actually said you'd sort EVERY song but I lied. One of the songs will NOT be sorted. It will represent Hogwarts: the heart of each house a.k.a. the heart of your album. Besides sorting every song, you will sort two more things: yourself and your artist keeping in mind the relationship that both of you have with the album (you don't have to put yourself and your artist in the same house). There is no word limit (please don't go over the top). Find HERE the characteristics of each house and HERE an overview of Hogwarts. 1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting" Spoiler FINAL ROUND: “THIS IS ACTING” Using the houses of Hogwarts as an analogy for “This Is Acting” is an incredibly fitting way to conclude the showcase of this album. Throughout this season, I’ve shown how TIA is the result of Sia creating and highlighting a diverse array of nuanced characters; similarly, the four houses of Hogwarts serve to show off the diversity and defining characteristics of the witches and wizards who attend the school. Interestingly, the four houses of Hogwarts match up incredibly well with four distinct categories of characters that Sia chose to base her acting challenge upon. Gryffindor: Bravery, Perseverance, Chivalry Gryffindor is the home of the three protagonists of Harry Potter – Harry, Ron, and Hermione – and is commonly associated with being a house of “heroes”. This is because Gryffindor witches and wizards are defined by their bravery in the face of struggle, their perseverance to overcome obstacles, and their chivalry when helping those in need. Looking at these characteristics, there are many songs on TIA where Sia takes on a character who would be categorized as a Gryffindor. Alive and The Greatest are arguably the most obvious examples of the Gryffindor characteristics of bravery and perseverance on TIA. The protagonist of Alive is recounting the struggles she’s faced in her life and celebrating how she’s been able to overcome them, whereas The Greatest similarly serves as an anthem for constantly persevering and having the courage to reach one’s ultimate potential. The Gryffindor trait of chivalry also makes numerous appearances on the album, with the narrators of Footprints and Summer Rain both telling stories of people who came to save them in times of need and renewed their faith in love and life. Finally, on Jesus Wept, Sia’s character faces both a moment of weakness in the form of addiction as well as a moment of strength in fighting through it, perfectly representing the journeys of Harry, Ron and Hermione throughout the Harry Potter series. Hufflepuff: Loyalty, Patience, Appreciation Hufflepuff is often the forgotten house in the Harry Potter universe, but this is only because the traits that define Hufflepuffs are ones that make them peaceful and non-confrontational. Whereas the other houses accept conflict and rivalry, Hufflepuff witches and wizards view life through a more peaceful and optimistic lens, placing heavy emphasis on loyalty, patience, and appreciating what one has. This lighthearted, positive focus was seldom seen in Sia’s previous albums, but on TIA, Sia allows these characteristics to finally emerge on numerous tracks. One Million Bullets places a clear focus on loyalty, with Sia’s sole non-acting song on the album talking about her commitment to stay loyal to her romantic partner even though she can sense difficulties on the horizon. Broken Glass promotes a similar message, with Sia’s character assuring her partner that she will not discard him as soon as their relationship gets difficult and that she will have the patience to get through the tough times. In fact, Sia makes a particularly complex statement about loyalty and patience on TIA. Whereas the two aforementioned songs portray these traits in a positive light, House Of Fire asserts that these traits can have downsides too, with the character in this song staying loyal to her partner despite the abusive nature of their relationship. Hufflepuff students’ appreciation for life and contentment with what they have is also perfectly represented on TIA in Cheap Thrills, a carefree lighthearted track about being able to find enjoyment without relying on excessive wealth or lavishness. Ravenclaw: Knowledge, Logic, Rationality While the other three Hogwarts houses are all defined by mostly emotion-based traits, Ravenclaw witches and wizards forgo the influence of emotion and instead opt for rational, logic-based thinking and reasoning. This leads them to be known for their knowledge and understanding of themselves, others and the world around them. And just as Ravenclaw emerges as the voice of reason among people often fuelled by emotion, certain songs on TIA have a very similar effect. On TIA, Sia explores the idea of knowledge and understanding primarily in the context of relationships, highlighting both the benefits as well as the drawbacks of possessing true insight. On the one hand, the upbeat Confetti presents knowledge as empowering, as Sia’s character sings about her realization that she doesn’t need to stay in a relationship with someone that doesn’t value her and that she’ll be happier without her partner. Additionally, Fist Fighting A Sandstorm is an uplifting track where Sia’s character celebrates her newfound freedom that has come as a result of her finally understanding that she cannot control every single negative occurrence in her life and therefore fighting them is futile. But while these two tracks celebrate knowledge and reason, Sia also cautions listeners that possessing full understanding of the negativity in one’s life can have damaging consequences. This can be seen on Space Between, an emotional lamentation over Sia’s character coming to terms with the fact that her once fulfilling relationship has died, and Midnight Decisions, which presents a character who is analyzing the mistakes she made in a relationship, berating herself for them, and ultimately turning to alcohol addiction as a result. Slytherin: Ambition, Power, Confidence Slytherin’s association with many of the infamously evil witches and wizards in the Harry Potter universe has given it a widespread negative reputation, but in reality, the Slytherin house is rooted in just as many admirable and beneficial qualities as the other Hogwarts houses. Slytherins are focused on achieving what they want using their undying ambition and desire for power, and they’re confident and secure in their strengths and potential. Whereas the Harry Potter series shows how these traits can lend themselves to “evil” tendencies, Sia shows off these traits in a much more positive light using tracks from TIA. With TIA being a far more emotionally positive album than its predecessor, it’s no surprise that multiple tracks focus on feelings of ambition, confidence and power. The album opens with Bird Set Free which immediately shows Sia playing an ambitious character that exudes confidence and a sense of freedom now that she has stopped letting others hold her down or influence how she feels about herself. Similarly, Unstoppable is an anthem for self-determination and ambition, as Sia’s character sings about feeling as though she has the power to do anything she sets her mind to. Whereas these two songs showcase power and strength in a general sense, Move Your Body complements them well by honing in on a specific topic: the strength and power that one can experience from the art of dance. Finally, on the silly and sassy Sweet Design, Sia sets out to create a character who proves that knowing one’s strengths and using them to one’s advantage shouldn’t be considered malicious, but instead should be empowering. Hogwarts, Sia & shelven In the literal sense, Hogwarts is the school that the witches and wizards of Great Britain attend to develop their magical capabilities and gain exposure to different forms of the craft. However, in a metaphorical sense, Hogwarts represents a place of comfort and safety. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Hogwarts is repeatedly described as protecting its students from the outside dangers of the world and allowing its students to feel free and united. Based on this representation, it is undoubtedly clear that the equivalent to Hogwarts on This Is Acting is Reaper. Reaper is a liberating track that starts with Sia’s character recounting her past life difficulties, but proceeds with her proudly assuring herself that she has moved past them and into a position in life where she feels safe and genuinely happy. And just as Hogwarts acts as the “heart” of the houses, Reaper can be seen as the “heart” of TIA. The album represents Sia letting go of her past restrictions, insecurities and fears, and expressing a newfound freedom where she can create various different characters that come together to approach life in a way that’s honest, yet diverse. She sings about not letting her past struggles destroy her in the present on Reaper, but that’s also a message that’s embedded throughout all of TIA. When placing Sia into a Hogwarts house based on her relationship with this album, I looked at TIA from the perspective of how it differs from her previous albums. Sia is an artist known for wearing her emotions on her sleeve in her music, creating albums that are deeply personal and representative of her own life. But by carefully crafting a multitude of characters that deliberately cover a broad range of topics, Sia’s approach to TIA is far more rational and methodological than her previous releases. For this reason, I chose to categorize Sia as a Ravenclaw on This Is Acting – she uses her wit, intelligence and objective knowledge of her past experiences to finally create an album that goes beyond her own life and can apply to everybody’s lives. Lastly, labelling my own relationship towards TIA with just one house was difficult, since my feelings towards this album are complex and varied. However, inherent in all of my feelings towards TIA is a sense of appreciating it and being loyal to its concept, which is why I have chosen Hufflepuff to describe myself. When This Is Acting and its concept were first announced, it was met with heavy skepticism and doubts, but because of my love for Sia, I remained open-minded to the idea and was determined to look at it optimistically. Choosing to go into this album from that perspective paid off immensely, because it allowed me to look at an album that some might consider basic and simple on first glance and instead see the layers of depth, meaning and complexity hidden inside it. And I truly hope that during this season, I’ve opened your eyes to see those same layers that I can see in This Is Acting. 2. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine" Spoiler Throughout this season, I have expressed on a regular basis about how Nine is about turning negativity into positivity, even during dark times of someone's life. In a way, just putting a positive attitude into life can be quite magical in itself. And the more I thought about it, the more I noticed that Harry, myself, Samantha and Hogwarts all have similarities to each other. By pure coincidence, the best song to describe Hogwarts is "Castle". This is because it contains values from all four of the houses, as it showcases Samantha's courage, bravery, hard work, patience, learning, ambition and resourcefulness all in one because the song shows that she didn't give up on her career, despite all the setbacks and having to move back home previously as well. Her ability to not give up on her career, or the release of her album, even when her mother died, is why I also believe Samantha is best fit for the house of Hufflepuff. We live in the day and age where many artists get their albums pushed back until it's too late. Samantha was the same case, but we finally got the album in the end and it takes hard work and patience for that to happen. When it comes to the rest of the songs, I noticed a general pattern with my thought process for these groupings. Samantha's more uptempo songs, "Only Just Begun" and "Born To Be Alive" were best fit for Gryffindoor, because the energy provided from those songs influence bravery and courage and just enjoy yourself. The more personal songs on the album "Naked", "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Nine" were best fit for Ravenclaw, because they all show Samantha learning from bad relationships or learning how to have a more a positive outlook on life after her Mom's passing. The other three relationship songs on the album, "Wait For It", "Always" and "What You Want", all fit into the House of Hufflepuff. Wait For It in particular is perfect for patience. Always and Wait For It also fit patience, as well as the hard work in maintaining a relationship, and the loyalty one has for someone special in order to make it work. The two sassiest songs on the album "Shake That" and "Show Me Love", were best suited for Slytherin, as Shake That's girl power message shows leadership while "Show Me Love"'s lustful nature shows a bit of lustful ambition. In regards to myself, Ravenclaw is the best choice. My relationship to the album has become more personal over time, as my life has changed a lot since it's release in November 2015. The album title makes me think a lot about how my life has changed these last 9 years. This is my 9th year of being myself 100%, my 9th year out of the closet, my 9th year on ATRL, and my 9th season in this game. I'm autistic, so I've had a lot of people doubt me over the years, but I made it through high school being well-liked, and I currently hold two jobs plus pay rent, my own groceries, and so forth. My parents separated after 23 years last year, resulting in my Dad moving out and my Mom got diagnosed with a liver disease. She won't get better, but she has up to 10 years left to live with good medication. I relate a lot to "Castle", "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Nine" as a result, because I think about how much I've progressed as a person and how much I have learned. Even on ATRL, my maturity kinda shows. I spend less time on here these days, which correlates to the amount of work I have, and thus I have less time to worry about stupid crap or getting into stupid fights. I'm definitely still kinda a mess, but I've definitely tamed myself out a bit. I have shown you guys at the best of my ability just how magical and inspiring Samantha's attitude on life is and how she translates that into her album. Every song on the album shows how well-rounded Samantha's personality is and how personal she can get with her songs. My journey with Nine is coming to a close and with this final round I have shown, just as I have the entire season, that I know my album well enough to connect it to the challenge at hand. And that is why I deserve to win. Regardless of my placement though, I just would like to thank the judges, shelven and Rihlana, and lhdang for all the encouragement and support I've gotten this season and it's truly an honor to finally reach this stage of the game after 9 seasons and 5 years. And I'm truly happy that I got here with Samantha Jade out of all people. So it's time for me and Sammi to take this home! 3. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands" Spoiler FINAL ROUND BADLANDS is a fantastically wild ride through the troubled maze that is Halsey’s mind. Throughout the intense twists and turns of the album, Halsey shows many different sides of her personality. She has felt the debilitating pain of loneliness, the sweet relief of escape and everything in between. As such, BADLANDS is an extremely diverse album thematically and it only makes sense that when sorting the songs into the Hogwarts houses, an expected balance was struck. GRYFFINDOR Those who fall into the Gryffindor house are typically seen as fiercely valiant and extremely determined. As such, they make amazing leaders and have an unparalleled ability to command support and loyalty in a group of people. They may seem a little competitive and foolhardy, but Gryffindors are ride-or-die friends, chivalrous until the end. Three tracks on BADLANDS fall into the archetype of Gryffindor, with the third song truly demonstrating the very best aspect of the Gryffindor personality. 1. Roman Holiday – Roman Holiday demonstrates Halsey bravery in finally letting go. It might seem headstrong and imprudent to just leave everything behind, but there is a beautiful sense of daringness in escape. She finds herself lost in the moment and just wants to enjoy life with her lover by her side and this endearing optimism blossoms throughout the track. 2. Young God – Possibly demonstrating something that may happen to Gryffindors if they are too constantly revered, Halsey and her lover discuss feeling like Gods. There is a sense of delusional grandeur. There is a constant theme of feeling bigger than oneself. There is mention of “flying through the streets” and just looking at everybody down below. One trap that Gryffindors can fall into is feeling too arrogant. However, this song also demonstrates confidence and has a distinct feeling of assurance. 3. New Americana – A generational anthem, New Americana is purely and unambiguously Gryffindor. Halsey commands a group of loyal subjects into battle and defiantly fights the world for their place. This song represents everything Gryffindor. There is bravery in standing up for what is right and just. There is unwavering nerve in attempting to topple a system that has been in place for so long. The lyrics incite a flame in the hearts of youths and the production only fuels this blaze with the intense explosion of the chorus. With this Gryffindor state of mind, Halsey is motivational, inspiring and courageous. She is determined to prove that this generation deserves their place on this Earth, and in unapologetic in her veracity. As such, this track truly embodies the Gryffindor ethos. HUFFLEPUFF Those sorted into the Hufflepuff house are extremely friendly, loyal and value sociability above aptitude. As such, they make amazing friends and partners but can often be left questioning why others are not as willing to give as they are. They may come across as slightly incompetent, but where they lack in natural ability, they make up for with hard work and dedication. Four tracks fit the general model of the Hufflepuff, with the fourth clearly and overwhelmingly demonstrating the house’s ideals. 1. Coming Down – Coming Down is a song that has not been utilised yet in this competition. It did not really fit any of the rounds’ criteria, but it fits nicely into the Hufflepuff house. On this track, Halsey shows robust dedication to her lover. She loves him like religion, she thinks of him as a saviour. It may seem foolish to hold somebody up and idolise them this extremely, but the mark of a Hufflepuff places unwavering love and loyalty above all else. She even goes on to call him the devil, but even with such immorality, she decides to stay. She repeatedly mentions making sacrifices just to stay with this person. Even the instrumental on this track maintains a light and airy feel, indicating the affection that Halsey feels. Coming Down represents an interesting dichotomy between the strengths and weaknesses of a Hufflepuff (i.e. Loyalty even where somebody is undeserving). 2. Haunting – Due to the Halsey’s dark past, many of the tracks are geared towards wishing to let someone go, but not being able to, as is clearly shown on Haunting. The track discusses Halsey’s initial feelings of purity being washed away by her lover. She calls him a fever, meaning that whilst she feels warm when he is around, he is still not good for her. She tries to wash away his sins, but she implores him to keep on haunting her. She is unable to truly relinquish the devotion she feels to this person, a highly unique trait of the Hufflepuff. It does not seem in her best interests, but Hufflepuffs place loyalty above all else, which can sometimes bring pain and confusion. 3. Ghost – A longing for lost love in a lover that is not lost, Ghost embodies the devastating emptiness a Hufflepuff can feel when their devotion is misplaced. Even her lover warns her that he is not good for her, but she cannot seem to let go. She is told that her loyalty and love is misplaced but still contemplates why her lover has emotionally abandoned her. It is not necessarily the smartest option, but it is typical of a Hufflepuff to place emotional connections above all else. 4. Colors/Colors Pt II – Colors is a beautifully tragic song about Halsey’s lover losing his vibrancy. As an overtly Hufflepuff song, it would have been extremely difficult to see somebody who she loves so much lose their lustrous “blue” and become a lifeless “grey”. She speaks of her unwavering devotion to this person through vivid chromatic metaphors and whilst the arduous work Halsey is putting in is strongly felt, it seems to be pointless. She still feels an intense emotional connection to her lover, even hoping he does not lose his way too much that he dies before his 28th birthday. Even the production gives off a forlorn feeling, a devastating feeling a Hufflepuff may need to endure. Colors Pt II is the explosion of these intense feelings and serves as a dissent from the Hufflepuff ideals into the unabashed self-expression of the Slytherin ideals on “Strange Love”. RAVENCLAW Those sorted into the house of Ravenclaw are typically intellectual, witty and appreciate openness. They are extremely creative and original and are quite likely quirky and unique. Sometimes, this introspection can go a little overboard and cause the Ravenclaw to fall too deeply into their imagination and in Halsey’s case, the darkness. However, they are humanistic, individual and accepting of off-kilter ideas. Four songs fit within the realm of the Ravenclaw, with the fourth demonstrating the House superbly. 1. Hold Me Down – Hold Me Down demonstrates the perils a Ravenclaw may go through when delving too deeply within themselves. Methodical in nature, Halsey discusses how her inner demons are at war with her mind. She calls herself selfish, but helpless. She is in a state of confusion. Even though this seems horrendous, her Ravenclaw comes out in the assessment of the situation. It takes deep analysis to understand why somebody is acting as they are. The lyrics are declarative in nature, letting the listener know that whilst Halsey is in pain, she understands why. 2. Gasoline – The mark of the Ravenclaw is their natural curiosity – they want to understand why and Gasoline portrays this with one simple technique. The song is full of questions. She has no problems being herself and wants to know if others feel the same as her. She has an insatiable lust for knowledge, but this can lead to a burn out and the worst thing to put on fire is gasoline. 3. I Walk The Line - Whilst only a cover, Halsey specifically picked this song, changed it to fit the themes of BADLANDS and sang it to wrap up all of her thoughts, pain and realisations into one compact track. Ravenclaws are known for their expressiveness, analytic nature and originality, and this is demonstrated on this track. 4. Drive – Drive is a magnificently crafted track that shows all the hallmark signs of a Ravenclaw. It is extremely introspective and is where her wisdom explodes with massive realisations. The lyrics are intense and this is due to the stunning truth behind such realisations. Halsey has acutely analysed the relationship and in the chorus, she finally understands the reasons behind the pain. The production of the track is mellow and allows for deep thought. Drive is astoundingly Ravenclaw through the powerful contemplation and subsequent veracity of the lyrics. SLYTHERIN Unfortunately, the Slytherin house has been portrayed in a negative light. Conjuring connotations of evil and selfishness, Slytherin is extremely divisive. Some people detest the ideals of the house and some people are naturally drawn to the mystery. Whilst most of the antagonists are of Slytherin fame, the house is not purely wicked. They demonstrate resourcefulness, decisiveness and goal-oriented. Three tracks on the album embody these elements of Slytherin with the third track truly capturing the essence of the house. 1. Strange Love – This track is quite brash and brazen, but also stands for unwavering independence in the face of a relentless demand for information. Here, Halsey is serving what the people want on a silver platter but still maintains this devilish air of mystery around herself. Slytherin in spirit, Strange Love demonstrates Halsey’s unapologetic and domineering nature. Halsey is trying to live silently, but will pounce when threatened, just like the animal symbolic of the house. 2. Control – Throughout the journey of BADLANDS, the audience is slowly introduced to the concept of demons. These demons are symbolic of Halsey’s mental anguish which spawned the concept of the album. However, on Control, the torment erupts and we see an intense battle between the good and bad within Halsey. She understands that she is independent of her demons and that they cannot control her, but she still demands those around her fear her presence. She wants to be heard and understood, a key trait of a Slytherin. 3. Castle – Domineering and self-assured, Castle is unashamedly Slytherin. Through the lyrics of this song, the listener can tell that Halsey is resourceful and goal-oriented. She will find a way to the top and you would be best to move out of the way. The production is extremely intense, which exemplifies the decisiveness of the subject matter. It may seem egotistical and overly-competitive, but there is an overlying feeling that this is a woman who knows what she wants. There is a general disregard for the “rules” entrenched by society that, no holds barred, she was sent to destroy. The ambition and determination on this track make it unequivocally representative of Slytherin. HOGWARTS 1. Hurricane – The track that represents Hogwarts and the heart of BADLANDS is Hurricane. Hurricane created the protagonist. This protagonist has gone through the devastating loyalty when she embodied the Hufflepuff. She has gone through the dominant self-reliance as the Slytherin. She has gone through the grandiosity of the Gryffindor. And she has gone through the deep thoughts and realisations of a Ravenclaw. She is the wanderess, the one-night stand. She is the woman who belongs to no city and belongs to no man. She is the whole reason I can sort these songs. She had to go through the pain and hardship to create the vessel through which all the other songs found their houses. Halsey needed to write this song to introduce the listeners to the Badlands and as the heart of the album, Hurricane is her Hogwarts. Whilst Hogwarts is the home of many wizards, Hurricane is the poignant realisation of freedom whenever Halsey may find herself and this is why Hurricane is Halsey’s Hogwarts – home is where the heart is, but home is not always the same. HALSEY Halsey has created a deeply introspective album is BADLANDS. It is multi-dimensional and intensely original in both the production and the lyrical content. The house that I would sort Halsey into pride themselves on this deep intellectual stimulation and novelty. That house is Ravenclaw. She is methodical in her approach, but her eccentricity is not lost. Whilst some may sort her into Slytherin due to the evident resourcefulness and independence, the track list is a winding road through dark and desolate areas of Halsey’s mind that only the profoundly contemplative Ravenclaw can unlock. Halsey’s power comes from her creativity which can be seen in her album rollouts, the metaphors she uses throughout her lyrics and the clever production. She has even developed these original ideas so far that she has created a place known as Hopeless outside of the BADLANDS and has brilliantly and intelligently linked the two in quirky and unique ways. For these reasons, the sorting hat would place Halsey in the house of the Eagle, Ravenclaw. RIHLANA BADLANDS can be a confusing journey through baffling terrain. These intricacies can see some give up on understanding the woman behind the anguish. However, I believe that I embody the traits of one house which has given me an ability to deeply analyse the tracks of BADLANDS and appreciate the inner workings of Halsey’s mind, which is something I do to people in my real life. That house is Ravenclaw. As I believe both Halsey and I are Ravenclaws, there is a mutual insight. She has created an extremely layered album and I have respected that approach beyond my wildest expectations as it has presented a challenge. The challenge was to understand. As a Ravenclaw, I pride myself on my curiosity in determining “why”. I took the mystery of BADLANDS and tackled it head on. It was taxing, but it was immensely rewarding. This is something I carry with me in life. I am hard working, intellectual and dedicated, but I will always remain quirky and open-minded and I believe I have demonstrated these qualities round after round to serve up my best work throughout the competition. Thank you for letting me be a part of this, and good luck to my fellow finalists! DEADLINE June, 18th RANK THE TOP 3
shelven Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 Wow, @Rihlana and @MusicLoverDude, both your entries are incredible Truly a finale where anyone deserves to win. Good luck to both of you! Also, to MLD, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry to hear about your Mom, but you should be so immensely proud of where you are in life right now despite what you've faced. Anyone who's been on ATRL for a while can tell how much you've matured and grown as a person
Lazuli Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 @Rihlana Did you accidentally send in your final year dissertation instead?
MusicLoverDude Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 I think it would only be fair if we invited back @lhdang2000 @ReachOut@Vulnicura@sumthintoxic82@Queen Conchita@M A R N ✮@Lion@theycallmemaraj@Alenaand @Verge of Obsceneto come back and vote. As well as @Inner Insanity@jqnetto@castle13 @Bad Things@Ronaldista Hope I didn't forget someone!
Inner Insanity Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 I kind of forgot this was going on. Wow these were fantastic entries. It's really close honestly. Any of you could win. 1. Sia 2. Halsey 3. Samantha
Rihlana Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 2 hours ago, Lazuli said: @Rihlana Did you accidentally send in your final year dissertation instead? Fun fact, my entry was longer than any of my assignments this semester I just have a lot of thoughts about BADLANDS I sound like that girl that "doesn't even go here" from Mean Girls.
Pedro Posted June 13, 2017 Author Posted June 13, 2017 2 hours ago, MusicLoverDude said: I think it would only be fair if we invited back @lhdang2000 @ReachOut@Vulnicura@sumthintoxic82@Queen Conchita@M A R N ✮@Lion@theycallmemaraj@Alenaand @Verge of Obsceneto come back and vote. As well as @Inner Insanity@jqnetto@castle13 @Bad Things@Ronaldista Hope I didn't forget someone! I love how you did what I was going to do :3
shelven Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 2 hours ago, Rihlana said: I just have a lot of thoughts about BADLANDS I sound like that girl that "doesn't even go here" from Mean Girls.
Queen Conchita Posted June 13, 2017 Posted June 13, 2017 @MusicLoverDude - I loved how personal yours was, I nearly teared up at one point 1. Halsey 2. Samantha 3. Sia
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