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

[shelven]

Sorry, I've been really busy the past few days, but I'm starting to work on mine now and should have it in by tonight!

[sumthintoxic82]

Ugh this was SO HARD to edit...my first draft was 484 words  

 

then 404, the 381, and FINALLY got it down. 

 

I dunno if i'll do great with this round, but here goes...

[Pedro]

 

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

 

Look at what we have here! Our season 9's top five! Let me start by wishing you the best look as things will start getting more and more demanding. This was a somewhat "free" round or so you thought... Well truth is, this round there will not be such thing as contestants voting. 100% of the decision will be from the judges and you will not know what we will be evaluating... But don't think I will make you not listen the entries, you will.

 

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

Well, I know the song isn't out but the song title gave me the inspiration I needed for the round.

This round there's no theme. Send in a song from your album (respecting rule number four) and write an essay in no more than 350 words. Maybe it's the right time for originality, taking risks, doing something you've never done before? I don't know, you tell me! Don't forget to justify your choice.

 

Bon Appétit.

 

1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 'Alive'

 

Spoiler

ROUND EIGHT: “ALIVE”

 

A lead single is the first impression people receive of an album, so it carries the immense responsibilities of establishing the album’s identity without giving too much away, and convincing people that the album will be worth listening to despite there not yet being any other tracks to support this claim. “Alive” takes on these responsibilities for This Is Acting excellently, and I would be remiss if I did not provide this single with its deserving praise during this game.

 

The importance of “Alive” was heightened because it needed to help Sia successfully transition between her two most recent albums. Sia’s sudden shift from being personal and self-reflective on 1000 Forms Of Fear to being a storyteller and actress on This Is Acting could have been viewed as an insincere gimmick, but “Alive” portrays it as a natural artistic exploration by seamlessly integrating these two sides. On the one hand, many aspects of “Alive” fit right into 1000FOF, with the song’s booming production, Sia’s powerful vocals in the chorus and the metaphor-heavy lyrics all being consistent staples of that album. Yet despite these familiarities, “Alive” also showcases a new side of Sia – the song is far more upbeat and fast-paced than the average 1000FOF song, and the track’s message about overcoming obstacles in life is noticeably more universal and positive than 1000FOF’s dark and emotional content. By using the foundation of Sia’s previous songs but adding a significant twist, “Alive” introduces TIA as an album that is not abandoning Sia’s style, but is applying it to a new concept and theme.

 

In fact, by linking Sia’s personal half and acting half, “Alive” does more than just introduce Sia’s audience to her transition; it also captures the overall depth of This Is Acting. Throughout this season, I’ve alluded to the idea that one of the deepest nuances of acting involves the actor using their own personality and experiences to heighten their performances. This is exactly what Sia tells her listeners with “Alive” – the song and album are distinctly acting performances, but they’re ones that rely on Sia’s past history to shine. 

2. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 'Naked'

 

Spoiler

I personally believe that you shouldn't have to reuse a song from your album unless you have no other choice. Otherwise, you're not really giving your album much coverage. Since this round has no theme, there is no excuse as to why I shouldn't continue giving spotlight to the songs on the album that have yet to be used. Naked is one of three songs remaining on Nine that I have yet to cover in the game. This song is considered to be a least favorite by Samantha's fans on here, but I actually think it is one of the more underrated songs on the album. It is notable for being the only song on it that has no positive energy or messages associated with it, and for good reason, as it is about the failure of a troubled relationship that is beyond repair. The minimalistic synthbeat production with the lyrics create the metaphorical image of a place with very cold and freezing temperatures, like the Arctic Circle, which is a good analogy to Samantha's relationship to this guy. She feels "unprotected", "exposed" and only felt air when holding him. She even compares him to a ghost. As she sings this, the production's beats are similar to raindrops or ice falling to the ground. As the song progresses toward the bridge, you can feel Samantha's heartbreak pouring out as the production picks up and the atmospheric image goes from arctic cold to pouring rain as she belts into the last chorus, with the storm receding as she quietly finishes off the song. Even though it is the only song on the album that does not have a positive message associated with it directly, it's still important to the tracklist, because it serves as a good reminder that everyone has bad moments, but if you keep your head up, everything will turn out ok. One bad relationship didn't hinder Samantha in the end, as she found peace. Her next relationship hopefully is better.

3. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 'Hurricane'

 

Spoiler

“Hurricane”

 

How does Hurricane represent BADLANDS?

Hurricane created the protagonist - a girl who belongs to no city, and belongs to no man. She brings chaos wherever she finds herself. She, like a hurricane, represents indiscrimination. She will destroy anybody, but this is because she herself has been destroyed. The track features very unmistakable and bleak lyrics. It is an anthem of harrowing youth. It is the narrative of how this initially vulnerable girl turns the tables on the man taking advantage of her, becoming so sure of herself. But this sureness is not always beneficial. It depicts isolation. Nobody can understand her inner demons and she becomes very secure in her solitude. She lets nobody too deep into her life, because the BADLANDS are hers and hers only. Rebelliously individual or purposefully lonely, the interpretation is yours.

 

Who is this girl?

Me. It was a way of letting the fans into my psyche or my BADLANDS. It is not a nice place, but it is a place to call my own. I also wanted the fans to understand why that frame of mind was such an important part of my song writing. Hurricane is the most perfectly compact track to display this barren landscape.

 

How is “Hurricane” the perfect track for this purpose?

The lyrics are extremely raw, taking on a storytelling quality. I opted for unambiguous and upfront lyrics in the verses, making the metaphors in the chorus quite easy to follow. It seems to empower defiant independence, however one can go too far when navigating the darkness of their minds alone. But ultimately, it is about being free, wherever you may find yourself. The production is also very dramatic, yet oddly calming. This is especially during the chorus where my vocals are intentionally airy, evoking imagery of a storm. I even continue to use hurricane as a metaphor throughout the album as a way of signalling demolition, such as in Gasoline. Therefore, Hurricane is such an encapsulation of my BADLANDS experience and the perfect song to let others see the twisted and tormented “freedom” of walking alone.

4. sumthintoxic82: Kelly Clarkson - "Piece By Piece": 'Second Wind'

 

Spoiler

Kelly Clarkson - Piece By Piece - "Second Wind"

 

 

I've been a huge Kelly fan since the beginning. Aside from her incredible vocal talent, Kelly's personality and honesty are so refreshing. However, because Kelly isn't your normal "pop star" she sometimes gets lost in the shuffle of "pop stars". So for this round, I decided to to chose "Second Wind"

 

Second Wind is about about the negatives that people say about her. And although she's not always "on top", she always comes back, getting her second wind. From proving that she was more than just a "reality show" winner, to battling with her label over her music, to her own body image, Kelly has had more than her fair share of second winds in her career. When Piece by Piece was released, despite not having a top 10 hit, the album was able to debut at number 1. But from there, things started to go down. Her first two singles didn't make a huge dent on the charts, and more people were focusing on her body image rather than the music. Just when it looked like the era was ending without a bang, Kelly made a very emotion performance on American Idols final season. Overcome with emotion, this performance reminded the general public just how great Kelly is. Piece by Piece shot up the charts, jumping to #8. While everyone was writing Kelly off, calling her a flop, Kelly came back stronger than ever with that performance. It reminded the general public exactly why Kelly is still here.

 

As I've said before, this album is about the pieces of her life. While Kelly is in a happier place in life, this album is full of "second winds". From trusting in love again, to overcoming obstacles, to being confident and not letting people define you, but for you to define yourself. Just when you think she's down, she's gonna come back, even harder than the last.

Love Kelly or hate her, she is here to stay. The album may have started out uneventful, but it ended with a bang that proved why Kelly is stronger than ever.

5. lhdang2000: Adele - "25": 'Remedy'

 

Spoiler

Throughout this journey, we have always talked about the 25 Adele. However, we always look through one viewpoint: her relationship.  But because of that, the idea of D’Angelo, her son, might have slipped out. Meanwhile, ‘Remedy,' where she pays tribute to her son, creates a deep cut in me.

 

            She started off with different emotions of her relationship, just to describe how much she treasures her son. Throughout the track, Adele used images like wide, deep river or heavy rain to reassure her son that no matter what happens, she’ll always be by his side. It is very hard to balance between the life of a celebrity and a mom with all those tours and schedule. But for Adele, she has been through so much that nothing will get in the way of her love for him.

 

             One particular reason why this song cuts me deep is the relationship between her and her son. Growing up, my Dad always got drunk whenever he was home. He beat me up. He beat my mother up even if we didn’t do anything. Every night, I always heard her crying. She wanted to run away, but she couldn’t do that, because of her love for my two brothers and me. Mama, the strongest woman I’ve ever known, worked day by day to pay our bills, our tuition to study in America and she would never complain. And I never appreciated that. When I started growing up a bit more, I tried so hard to be edgy, and I fought every time she scolded me. Not until now, when I’m so far away, do I treasure her. As strong as a person I am, I would still trade anything, just to have Mama next to me.

 

            And that is the reason why I love this song so much. Thanks to Adele, I now understand how hard it is to be a Mom. And I want to tell all who’s reading: If you have your mother by your side, don’t let her cry, please treasure it because you’re luckier than a lot of people.

 

 

As I've stated, there will be no off/save votes this week. The judges will have to submit their rates but you will not have a free week. Actually, during this eighth round there will be a few changes. Not only, there will be changes in the points distribution to stimulate competition but you will have a task that may help you quite a lot. Let's call it a semi bonus round. Via PM, each of the five contestants will send me their opinion on who they think will win the round and on who they think will lose it - one person in each. You can nominate yourself, obviously but keep in mind you don't know what the judges are evaluating.

 

Whoever gets that right (or whoever gets closer) will get a boost on their cumulative points that will be revealed soon.

 

DEADLINE

May, 5th

 

Spoiler

@shelven, @MusicLoverDude, @Rihlana, @sumthintoxic82, @lhdang2000

 

[MusicLoverDude]

Oh no

 

[lhdang2000]

I already have the names on my mind after reading the essays the first time.  

[shelven]

This is such a difficult round to do a prediction for because the lack of theme means that all 5 of our entries are really diverse, so it's hard to say which approaches the judges will prefer over others  

[Gwegend]

second wind! whew! what a fabulous song and great essay! @sumthintoxic82

 

I wanna play this game next time tysm.

[MusicLoverDude]

@Pedro Are you going to be revealing our choices for winner and losers for the round first before the results are shown?

[Lazuli]

Sent! Good luck all

[sumthintoxic82]

Hmm...im sorta torn..

 

Their are 2 that I REALLY like for different reasons as who should win, while there are 2 that I dont like as much also for different reasons, as 2 which should lose...

 

This round seems like it could just go any way though

 

[Kavish]

Sent.

 

[Pedro]

Guys, due to personal reasons, I believe the update may not happen today. I will keep you posted!

[lhdang2000]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

Guys, due to personal reasons, I believe the update may not happen today. I will keep you posted!

But everybody submitted already right? 

[Pedro]

On 05/05/2017 at 4:36 PM, lhdang2000 said:

But everybody submitted already right? 

Yes but me.

 

I have been out of the town and my laptop had to be cleane hence why I wasn't able to update yet. I can almost give you 100% guarantee that I will have this updated by tomorrow. I am so sorry guys. I don't wanna let you down.

[lhdang2000]

1 minute ago, Pedro said:

Yes but me.

 

I have been out of the town and my laptop had to be cleane hence why I wasn't able to update yet. I can almost give you 100% guarantee that I will have this updated by tomorrow. I am so sorry guys. I don't wanna let you down.

That's fine, take your time. 

 

And no special judge this week.  

[Pedro]

Guys,

 

Because I like to keep you posted and justify myself, I would like to explain the delay on the update: I just started a new job. My previous one was as simple as leaving home 10-20 minutes before the shift started, this one I have to leave like 1:30h before to make it in time so my routine wasn't yet ready. With this being said, I didn't have the time to do the critics for the round. On top of that, I had to travel to south of Portugal this weekend where I had limited access to my laptop - it was opened and cleaned and I had no wi-fi for most of the time. I am now back and going through the entries but I don't think I will have enough time to update the game.

 

I will now give you my word that tomorrow night, we will know the eliminated contestant.

 

Hope you understand it!

[shelven]

We completely understand, Pedro. Hope you're enjoying your new job!

[Pedro]

16 minutes ago, shelven said:

We completely understand, Pedro. Hope you're enjoying your new job!

Thank You! I am, even though we are just in training. It is a breath of fresh air now. I used to work for one of the world's biggest company as technical support but it was getting to a point, I was feeling depressed by going there so this is all for good, I hope!

[Pedro]

 

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

 

We're finally ready! I truly apolgise for the delay but we're more than ready. This round was such a curious round because everything was uncertain but that made it so exciting because we got to see everyone's A game and originality surely striked. Before we start and before getting to see the judges' dresses, let me tell you what the judges evaluated - we did followed a pattern.

 

• ORIGINALITY (Taking in consideration the theme of the essay,  the song, the essay, previous rounds...);
• SONG SUBMITTED (Had the song already been submitted before? Does it make sense sending it again? The song didn't fit any other round?);
• ADVANTAGE TAKEN (Understand if the contestant took full advantage of this round to show that he/she deserves to win).

 

Well, look at them! 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: 30 Points | 4th Place: 25 Points | 5th Place: 10 Points.

 

 

Spoiler

Well, I know the song isn't out but the song title gave me the inspiration I needed for the round.

This round there's no theme. Send in a song from your album (respecting rule number four) and write an essay in no more than 350 words. Maybe it's the right time for originality, taking risks, doing something you've never done before? I don't know, you tell me! Don't forget to justify your choice.

 

Bon Appétit.

 

 

 

 

As you know during round eight there was no such thing as public vote. Therefore the votes of the jury accounts for 100% but we are not done with points yet. The predictions you made will also be accounted here and give you an extra boost. How did it work? Well, just like this.

 

If you predicted lhdang2000 to win the round, you'd get 20 points (40:2), if you predicted Rihlana to win, then you'd get 17,5 points (35:2), if you predicted shelven, then you'd get 10 points (20:2). The same criteria was applied to the losing bets but with the reverse action. If you thought lhdang2000 was going to lose, then you'd get only 10 points and if you thought shelven was going to lose, you'd get 20. With this being said, take a look and find out who did better:

 

 

Overall, MusicLoverDude and shelven tied for the best prediction but MusicLoverDude takes the trophy because he guessed the winner of the round: lhdang2000.

 

 

Spoiler

1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 298 Points. (=)

2. lhdang2000: Adele - "25": 295 Points. (+1)

3. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 287 Points. (-1)

4. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 284 Points. (=)

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]

 

I am so sorry to see you go sumthintoxic82. You're truly an amazing contestant and I'd like to thank you for bringing all that you could to the game taking in consideration your hard schedule. I hope to see you around and in the future!

 

[Pedro]

 

Find below the judges' comments to each entry.

 

Spoiler

PEDRO

 

1. shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 'Alive'

 

5

 

This round was all about giving you the chance of standing out among others. We were looking for originality and that justification of seeing you as a potential winner. Well, we know you are a potential winner, you’ve been demonstrating that throughout the competition but not this round. You did good - you always do good - but I am pretty sure you could’ve come with a different concept. Not only I believe “Alive” is too alike from her previous album’s sound but I think this could’ve been an alternative to the first round hence why I am a little bit disappointed on this entry.

 

2. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 'Naked'

 

7,3

 

There are two things I appreciated the most about your entry. The fact that you didn’t even think of reusing another song so you could give us more of your album and how you chosen to give us a more different side of Samantha and showed diversity. Let me also say that this may be my favorite song by Samantha so far. On a negative side though, I believe this could’ve been used in different rounds such as in round four (Better Together) which takes a few points away from you. Nonetheless, your choice of going around and trying to give us diversity won for me.

 

3. Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 'Hurricane'

 

8,5

 

You took this opportunity to create your own essay and your own method of giving us something different which I truly appreciate. This was the most original essay and something that I was looking forward reading and loved. Nonetheless, you made me wonder: “why didn’t Rihlana sent this to introduce her album?” I believe you would’ve done even better and this is why you don’t have a perfect score.

 

4. sumthintoxic82: Kelly Clarkson - "Piece By Piece": 'Second Wind'

 

8,2

 

I am shocked at this being literally your “second wind”. I would never had expected you to comeback as hard and I am so pleased! Your essay was truly a breath of fresh air. Even though it didn’t focus 100% on the album itself, the originality factor was more than respected as you focused on Kelly Clarkson herself, her career, her ups and downs, etc. I am truly happy with this essay and let me justify the 8,8 out of 10. Well, even though you had an amazing entry from my perspective, I am not sure this would be an essay that’d give you the title of the game.

 

5. lhdang2000: Adele - "25": 'Remedy'

 

8,8

Not you playing with our emotions like this, sir! I really appreciated how you took the opportunity to give us more than Adele and of yourself. I believe that personal rounds can make people uncomfortable hence why I stopped doing them. We don’t have to expose our personal life but you did it and I felt like it was so beautifully done. I seriously hope your mom is ok and you will be with her again soon. I believe with this entry you reaffirmed your position again by bringing diversity and originality.

 

Spoiler

LAZULI

 

1. shelven: Sia – “This Is Acting”: ‘Alive’ – 7.5/10

This essay centres around why you think Alive is an excellent first single and how it shows Sia’s growth and the theme of the album. I suppose you tackled what you set out well, but I thought it was an underwhelming topic. I think you’ve heard this criticism before but I’ve never really used it, but it was a very technical essay. I’m sure you could’ve done more to show why you and this album deserve to win.

 

2. MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade – “Nine”: ‘Naked’ – 6/10

This whole essay felt like a description of the song and a bit more than that. You described it well, fleshing out the song bit by bit. But, at the end of the essay I only know the song. You should’ve talked about yourself and the album, too (you sort of touched at the end but it was only a touch).

 

3. Rihlana: Halsey – “Badlands”: ‘Hurricane’ – 7/10

You better not be plagiarising a Halsey interview here! Honestly, you talking in Halsey’s voice not only puts a bizarre image in my head, it also makes your essay very impersonal. Yeah it’s personal to Halsey, but what does this song mean to you? Why did you decide to play this song and this album? Why should you win? All of those things were too detached from this essay. 

 

4. sumthintoxic82: Kelly Clarkson – “Piece By Piece”: ‘Second Wind’ – 6/10

Sumthintoxic sis, you had an excellent chance to make this an extremely personal essay about your own second wind, but I am quite disappointed that you didn’t. If you included just a paragraph on how the song relates to you, I would’ve given you the highest points this round. Regardless, the approach of your essay was rather simplistic. It was merely a commentary of the PBP era.

 

5. lhdang2000: Adele – “25”: ‘Remedy’ – 8/10

This touched me. I was looking for a very personal touch in the essays and you did it. However, you needed to talked more about the album too, like the importance of the song in the album, why it shows that your album deserved to win etc.

 

Spoiler

KAVISH

 

9.8 |  Rihlana: Halsey - "Badlands": 'Hurricane'

 

We have seen bouts of Halsey's torment each round, but you give us the backstory and also the entire picture with this entry. Despite this being an essay that would also fit in the first round, I am still pleased that you took this road because I had given you this criticism: "a little depth about the 'uncomfortable and untouched themes' or why it is an 'angry' record would have made me understand the approach of the album a bit more" and this detailed essay fills the gaps that I was looking for back then. So you succeeded in redeeming your song-album introduction with this essay and also introducing new aspects of Halsey and the album that you had not delved in before. The interview format with you as the artist is one that I have never seen in this game and you used this 'no theme' round as an opportunity to do something different and interesting, and in the end you stood out for originality.

 

 

9.5 |   lhdang2000: Adele - "25": 'Remedy'

 

The mother-son relationship is one that we had not seen off 25 so far, so taking a different approach was the clever route. We also did not have a personal round this season, so veering your essay into an emotional direction felt even more clever, unexpected, and made you stand out in this aspect. You not only gave us another glimpse of Adele's life, but you also disclosed a big chunk of yours as well – thus taking the 'no theme' round to your advantage.

 

 

9.0 |   MusicLoverDude: Samantha Jade - "Nine": 'Naked'

 

Since the beginning of this season, you presented the album with this notion that Samantha turns negativity into positivity and you succeeded in doing that each round. The only two ballads you presented so far were Castle and Nine, and even if they were dark clouds, both had a silver lining. During a 'no theme' round, it only makes sense to submit a song that we haven't seen so far, and Naked is the right choice because it lacks this silver lining and we are seeing something new from her. I also liked your introduction because you are the only one who went into the technicality of why you picked this track and what a round like this means.

 

 

6.1 |   shelven: Sia - "This Is Acting": 'Alive'

 

Given that sumthintoxic82 used Alive last round in an attempt to pass it off as the worst song on This Is Acting, using it in the 'no theme' round is a clever way to do damage control. You did clean the slate after he tried to tarnish it by highlighting the song's importance, but this essay could have also fit in the first round and the statements that you made about Sia and the album are no stranger to us at this point, so there was no enlightening purpose by going with this approach. What would have made a difference and given your entry an edge is a reference to last round and we would have seen this same essay as a satisfying payback, but you made no mention that this was your intention and therefore it feels like a missed opportunity to use this song.

 

 

5.9 |   sumthintoxic82: Kelly Clarkson - "Piece By Piece": 'Second Wind'

 

The underlying notion of this essay is one that mirrors a lot of your prior entries in that Kelly pushes through her insecurities and comes out stronger. Like you wrote, "this album is full of second winds", therefore this is not the song to present at this stage of the game because we have already seen this side of Kelly. You should have sent a song that we do not expect, or go a different approach other than being descriptive of her life or the message like you have done in previous rounds. It is a sweet entry, but it does not serve any purpose and you should have thought more in the veins of how to use this 'no theme' round to your advantage.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2017 by Pedro

[lhdang2000]

Yass at me getting that top spot @ these important rounds.

 

Thanks the judges for loving my entry. I was a bit hesitated since it's close to the Mother's Day and there might be a round of this. But I'm scared of playing safe already so I brought everything I have.

 

And @sumthintoxic82, you have done an amazing job through the competition. One of the best one academically and visually also. . Hope you'll come back next year.  

[shelven]

nnnn this is exactly why I need themes to follow  

 

Also tbh I'm now slightly upset about that bonus round where everyone gained a huge amount of points on me, because this round proved that the bonus round meant that if I have one bad round, I'm suddenly completely vulnerable and my consistency in the game beforehand effectively meant nothing  I understand the intention was to make the scoreboard closer and more intense, but I'm not sure how I feel about only being 14 points away from elimination purely because I had a single bad round. I think the sheer amount of points given in that bonus round was a bit too extreme. But oh well, can't change the past.

 

Sorry to see you go, @sumthintoxic82  Congrats on making the Top 5 though!!

 

 

 

[Pedro]

4 minutes ago, shelven said:

Also tbh I'm now slightly upset about that bonus round where everyone gained a huge amount of points on me, because this round proved that the bonus round meant that if I have one bad round, I'm suddenly completely vulnerable and my consistency in the game beforehand effectively meant nothing  I understand the intention was to make the scoreboard closer and more intense, but I'm not sure how I feel about only being 14 points away from elimination purely because I had a single bad round. I think the sheer amount of points given in that bonus round was a bit too extreme. But oh well, can't change the past.

 

 

Don't make fast conclusions just yet. The game isn't over yet and you know that final challenges can easily do what bonus rounds did.

[shelven]

28 minutes ago, Pedro said:

Don't make fast conclusions just yet. The game isn't over yet and you know that final challenges can easily do what bonus rounds did.

Don't worry, I'm not exactly counting myself out  And I hope I didn't sound bitter, because I'm genuinely not. Like I said, I understand the appeal and necessity of the bonus rounds, but I just think for future seasons, you should consider reducing just how powerful and game-changing they are compared to the actual main rounds of the game.

[lhdang2000]

I'm fine with the bonus round; however, Pedro should let the 1st place play also, but have a lower point system for them. That way, they could gain points also, and we can also earn more points.