tournament Golden Hit: Season 2 📀 Congratulations Hug! 🏆

[Remmy]

alright, it's finally in! and i think this is the most time I've spent on 1 of these songs somehow

(this image lowkey has a double meaning)

 

1 hour ago, Legend E said:

Oh thank you  I included the birthday part cause it is actually real and I will always complain how, in general, my birthdays have been some of the worst days ever

SAME

[Remmy]

Remmy 'Golden Hits'

 

VOLUME ONE:
SIDE 1 || HITS FROM THE BACK
1. Nonstop Hardcore
2. Scary Movie
3. Flowerbloom
SIDE 2 || HITS TO THE HEART
4. Paper Airplane Crashes
5. Pulse
6. Don't Let a Man Tell You What to Do (with Sigrid)

 

VOLUME TWO (RERELEASE):
7. Family Tree
(8. Forest Noises Interlude)
9. THE ZOO
10. Flowerbloom (S2 Version) [Live from the Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio]
11. Being Myself (From the Broadway Musical "Me, Myself and I")

[Aurora]

35 minutes ago, Remmy said:

Remmy 'Golden Hits'

 

VOLUME ONE:
SIDE 1 || HITS FROM THE BACK
1. Nonstop Hardcore
2. Scary Movie
3. Flowerbloom
SIDE 2 || HITS TO THE HEART
4. Paper Airplane Crashes
5. Pulse
6. Don't Let a Man Tell You What to Do (with Sigrid)

 

VOLUME TWO (RERELEASE):
8. Family Tree
(9. Forest Noises Interlude)
10. THE ZOO
11. Flowerbloom (S2 Version) [Live from the Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio]
12. Being Myself (From the Broadway Musical "Me, Myself and I")

What happened to track seven? 

[Legend E]

39 minutes ago, Remmy said:

alright, it's finally in! and i think this is the most time I've spent on 1 of these songs somehow

(this image lowkey has a double meaning)

 

SAME

WHEW POOR US

[Remmy]

8 minutes ago, Aurora said:

What happened to track seven? 

it's a hidden track

[JoeAg]

okay i submitted it

it's kinda bs again but I think it turned out okay at the same time

[Jackson]

6 hours ago, Legend E said:

Oh thank you  I included the birthday part cause it is actually real and I will always complain how, in general, my birthdays have been some of the worst days ever

ok lowkey same though – i understand from that perspective

[fountain]

3 hours ago, JoeAg said:

okay i submitted it

it's kinda bs again but I think it turned out okay at the same time

 

5 hours ago, Remmy said:

alright, it's finally in! and i think this is the most time I've spent on 1 of these songs somehow

(this image lowkey has a double meaning)

Thank you for submitting 

[worldwide angel]

thank you @Jackson   i guess a pitfall of mine is hiding behind universal feelings, it just feels more comfortable but i do know that there is power in being specific. once again, thank you! 

[beatinglikeadrum]

 

 

 

 

 

[fountain]

The final songs of Golden Hit Season 2:

 

@XO_Life - Evilist & Evilist (After Thoughts)

@Hug - Deep in the Expanse

@Euterpe - My New Birthday

@Julia Fox - the knife that changed it all

@hurricane326 - Their Names

@Legend E - Creating Oceans (The Book)

@worldwide angel - nevermore 

@Augmented - The Surrender

@beatinglikeadrum - alcohol dependence syndrome/abandoned child syndrome

@TruGemini - Applause

@Remmy - Being Myself

@JoeAg - Eleventh Hour

 

 

Entries per challenge:

 

Chorus Metamorphosis: 10

Free-form: 8

Duet: 6

Golden Bars: 3

 

[fountain]

 

If anybody is interested what the challenge spread looks like:

Chorus Metamorphosis
Free-form
Duet
Golden Bars ☆

@XO_Life - Evilist & Evilist (After Thoughts)☆
@Hug - Deep in the Expanse
@Euterpe - My New Birthday
@Julia Fox - the knife that changed it all
@hurricane326 - Their Names
@Legend E - Creating Oceans (The Book)
@worldwide angel - nevermore 
@Augmented - The Surrender
@beatinglikeadrum - alcohol dependence syndrome/abandoned child syndrome
@TruGemini - Applause☆
@Remmy - Being Myself☆
@JoeAg - Eleventh Hour

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by fountain

[Remmy]

damn ma most of these titles sound depressing as hell

[fountain]

22 minutes ago, Remmy said:

damn ma most of these titles sound depressing as hell

Welcome to Golden Hit

[Julia Fox]

Thank u @Jackson

i thought heat meant warm? that’s why I said our bed is not gonna be in heat… but now I do my searching also says it could mean other things lol but I still see that it could mean warm but anyway ty for your review! I’m glad you liked the song!

[Jackson]

20 minutes ago, Julia Fox said:

Thank u @Jackson

i thought heat meant warm? that’s why I said our bed is not gonna be in heat… but now I do my searching also says it could mean other things lol but I still see that it could mean warm but anyway ty for your review! I’m glad you liked the song!

“heat” alone means warmth, but “in heat” usually refers to a female animal looking to breed lol. but i really did stan your song this week, such a good way to end the season! 

 

 

[Aurora]

The rap option flopping again... yeah y'all aren't getting early reviews from me again.

[worldwide angel]

9 hours ago, beatinglikeadrum said:

 

 

 

 

 

[Hug]

3 hours ago, Aurora said:

The rap option flopping again... yeah y'all aren't getting early reviews from me again.

I would've if I didn't historically tank with rap on rounds where it wasn't absolutely required  

[fountain]

might write some reviews

 

[Julia Fox]

3 minutes ago, fountain said:

might write some reviews

 

can’t wait 

[fountain]

Quote

• Location: Vegas (as of 9/18)

the emancipation of @Remmy 

 

happy for you to escape that place!!

[Remmy]

1 hour ago, fountain said:

the emancipation of @Remmy 

 

happy for you to escape that place!!

oop I thought this tag was for reviews

 

but right  especially since that hurricane hit like a week later (and my poor sister had to fly back there 2 days before that)

[fountain]

17 minutes ago, Remmy said:

oop I thought this tag was for reviews

 

you wish!!

[fountain]

Round 6: The Mix n Match Final

 

@XO_Life - Evilist & Evilist (After Thoughts)

I think you very much succeeded in telling the story you went for, one of a harmful relationship, how it can affect a person and the thoughts they deal with afterwards. I really liked this looking at it as an emotional release, writing is an amazing place to vent and let out your personal frustrations and I think this is a very good example of how writing is a very important tool and artform in that way, and that even when writing about negative things, it can have a positive effect for people; I think a lot of people unfortunately would be able to relate to this song, but it’s also bittersweet in a way because writing about that and sharing the experience is a powerful thing too. I really appreciated that you went ahead and submitted the After Thoughts part too, I enjoyed this as an epilogue to the song and think it could actually have been expanded even more and could’ve been a full sequel song to be honest because the potential is there, it could be cool to work in this person moving on afterwards to go full circle with the story. Overall I think you’re ending the season on a high note, and I definitely think (if we disregard last round) you’ve shown some real growth this season, so great job!

 

@Hug - Deep in the Expanse

This is very interesting to me. Everybody who ever even attempts writing will at some point experience that dreaded phenomenon of writer’s block, and it’s hard to know how to deal with it. When that issue can be turned around and used to its advantage through situations like this where you spin it around and instead decide to write about the writer’s block itself, is always really smart to me and really intriguing. In a way it’s an act of defiance, because you aren’t given in to this unfortunate thing, and instead are trying to make the most out of it, and I really appreciate that and think that it offers an interesting viewpoint which you have successfully explored here. I think you sum it up yourself the best with the final line, this is you giving it your all instead of giving up, and that feels evident through the song itself and also in hearing your changing thoughts about it. It’s probably not the note that you wanted to end the season on, but I think it’s a poignant and valuable one, because moments like this are inevitable in our lives and what is most important is how we adapt and deal with them; and that’s exactly what you’ve done. Good job, and good luck in the final.

 

@Euterpe - My New Birthday

Frankly I could never have imagined a song like this. Your mind? This is so out of left field and as you aimed for, campy and fun. I love that you had an idea and just totally went for it, no matter if it might be unconventional or whatever, and just decided to have fun with the final round instead of trying to be super poignant or emotional or anything. This game can be whatever you want, and if you want it to be writing songs about turning into a werewolf, that sounds perfectly fine with me! Despite the unexpected theme the song itself does sparkle with your usual flair as a writer, slightly enchanting and alluring, but then you also hit the funny bone with the short spoken phrases too which were nice breaks throughout the song. Overall it makes for a unique and jovial final impression, and I hope your experience throughout the season has been similarly fun. From the very beginning of Season 1 you stood out to me and I’m really glad that you joined this season and have experienced the successes that you have, you should really be proud of yourself and what you’ve written throughout this game. Good job, and good luck in the final.

 

@Julia Fox - the knife that changed it all

I appreciate your willingness to really go there with this song. It’s about a really sad and complex topic, but I think you handled it well and with some good nuance. What I enjoyed the most, and what I consistently enjoy throughout your writing, is your ability to put such a personal touch on things; when it comes to imagery, particularly imagery relating to a relationship, you are unmatched. It’s never predictable, and you always charm me with the images that you bring to your songs and come up with; yet since they are so specific, it gives me the feeling that they must be truly lived experiences, which adds a further dynamic to your songs. They feel vivid to me in this way, and create a warm feeling when reading them; even in a song that deals with such a pensive topic and bleak story, you still manage to charm and delight thanks to this aptitude in your writing. As ever, this all made for a lovely read and leaves me mostly with this nice feeling afterwards, despite the nature of the song, due to this enjoyment of your writing and style. The story itself when choosing to focus on that too is enjoyable, and you cement the emotion of the song with some really strong lyrics, for me the standouts being “listening to oldies and slow dancing to them in the morning, with the cats begging us to be fed” and “the books that you had to read, what the **** do i do with them?” which highlight my favourite qualities of your writing; in your songs, I feel like it’s the small things that have the most impact for me and what I take away from them, when writing a song about such a dark topic it could be very easy to get lost in the emotion and feeling of it but as a writer you seem to always remain poised and offer quite poignant unique viewpoints that I appreciate so much = what would one do with a lost loved one’s books, and yes it’s fun to focus on the lovely couple, but what about their hungry cats too? I have to praise you for always bringing such dimension to your songs in this way, it’s been such a treat to see throughout your time both this season and last season. I definitely believe you’ve come a long way as a writer, you should be really proud of yourself.

 

@hurricane326 - Their Names

Let me start off by saying that I don’t view your latest submissions as your flop era. To out myself, I actually gave them both the same score which was a 9. Now, this is lower than the scores I gave your first 3 submissions, but a 9 is still a fantastic score. I think a similar thing applies to your run throughout this season; you started off so impressively strong right from the beginning, that I guess it was almost inevitable that there would be a moment when that might falter, if even slightly, and I think it’s easy to then view that as flopping or something, but in reality I think you’ve still been doing amazingly, it just can be hard to grasp that in comparison to your performance in the earlier rounds. I say all of this to come to the point that with this entry, I think you’ve broken out of whatever you want to call that moment, and have ended the season on a strong note. I really enjoy this song, and as ever you prove yourself to be a stellar writer with your polished and cut lyricism. In fact, this I would say is one of my favourite submissions from your solely from a lyrical point I think; as I say all of your songs are always well written, but I like the balance present in this song, it feels storytelling yet also nicely uses imagery and also, to me, leaves things a little open to interpretation. You say in description for the song that it should be pretty self explanatory and I think it is to a degree, but to me the reference to “their names” is where I am left to ponder over the meaning, and I appreciate this, because to me it could represent a few different things. I absolutely loved your use of the duet challenge here; dueting with yourself between your personal feelings and your rational mind is a strong concept, and I adored how it was used throughout the song, those parts where my favourite in fact and whenever I saw a new one coming up I knew I was in for something special. It created a really nice back and forth throughout the song and explored the story you were trying to tell well. Overall I really enjoyed this song, it is so nicely written and feels like a lovely conclusion to this season for you; it’s been a real treat getting to read your writing both throughout this season and the first, and I hope you are proud of the wonderful work you’ve done. Good job, and good luck in the final.

 

@Legend E - Creating Oceans (The Book)

I think you have really nicely and maturely explored the sides of an unfortunate friendship here. Choosing to do through the concept of the friendship being its own story book is really clever, and the way you incorporated this idea throughout the song was very nicely used and never felt one note to me. I always enjoy the emotion that you put behind your songs - highlighted in ones like this, Spa Night, and Interviewing Myself - and I would definitely say that is one of your strengths as a writer, you always explore emotions really well and this song feels like another great example of this. It’s always evident that a lot of thought goes into your entries thanks to the breakdowns you give over each section, but with this song in particular it was especially clear to me with how you cleverly told this story and brought in so many metaphors related to writing and storytelling in relation to the friendship, and honestly for me every single one of them hit; really well thought out and creatively done. I would say in general that the writing in this song is strong, but there are specifically a few lines I want to point out and praise you for which I really think punched: the second to last line in the second chorus (very poignant), the last two lines of the third verse (ouch!), and lines 4-6 of the third chorus (the ego says: is that a reference to me?!). Really good stuff. Overall, I think you are ending the season on another strong note, and it’s been a great season for you overall, I’ve loved getting to see your writing and how it’s grown from the beginning of season 1 to now, and I hope through the experience you’ve really enjoyed yourself and are proud of what you’ve written!

 

@worldwide angel - nevermore 

Whew, I was not expecting a song like this from you! Maybe it’s just me, or the interpretation that I have based on your prior entries, but I’ve come to associate your writing more with sweetness and ethereal feeling, and this is like the total opposite of that. It’s nice to see actually because I think it shows some diversity and your willingness to switch things up as a writer. Right from the very beginning you go in with some really hard hitting lines, I mean the opening lyric itself “i hope you choke” goes straight there and I think it’s really strong and powerful at putting you exactly in the emotional place that you were intended, based on your explanation of the song. The concept and the emotion behind the song is really complex but I appreciated how you explored it throughout this song, it overall has a very angsty feel to it but focuses more on the hurt as opposed to the melodrama of it which is good. Now, if I am to be totally honest, it’s probably not my favourite of your entries throughout this season, but I do think it’s a really interesting and nice end to the season for you. Overall, you’ve been such an amazing addition to this season; right from the beginning I was instantly impressed with Eternal and you’ve consistently kept up this high standard and submitted some fantastic songs (minus the round that you missed) so I hope you are really proud of what you’ve written and have enjoyed your experience this season. It’s been a pleasure to get to see your writing, and hopefully we get to see you again come Season 3!

 

@Augmented - The Surrender

Honestly it was very sad for me to read your explanation of this song; both of the subject matter and the story, and also how you feel towards this song and your performance this season. I want to say right off the bat, that this has definitely not been a rocky season for you. I can say that definitively. Even if I am just speaking from a personal viewpoint, I can say that there is only one round I have given you anything less than a 9 (it’s probably a no brainer which one that was) and otherwise you’ve had high scoring from me and have consistently impressed me. If I am to look at it from a factual viewpoint too, the point still stands. Your songs consistently have scored really great (again, minus Rule the Game, but a slip up like that is nothing unusual) and I think you’ll certainly see this and might even be shocked when it comes to the finale and this is all revealed. What I want to make clear, really, is that you shouldn’t feel this way and I’m sorry that you do. You’ve written some brilliant songs this season, and proved your talent as a writer just as seriously as you did in the first season. And you know what? I think this entry itself is proof of this too. Now, like you’ve said, it probably isn’t completely finished and could be taken further; but looking strictly at what is here as opposed to what isn’t here, I am again seriously impressed. This is gut wrenching, even in its current form. Honestly it hits me as deep as songs like When Tradition Falls and Lost did. This is incredibly emotional and brave to write about, to such a degree that I really can see why you did struggle to go any further with it, and I don’t fault you for that at all. Instead, I’m inspired, both at your willingness to go so deep personally, and also to share it with us and to open yourself up like this. It’s incredible, really, and I’m so sorry that you don’t feel or see this to the same degree. What I will say though in spite of this is that you are an amazing writer, seriously, your entries - and this specific one included - have been some of the most touching and affecting that I have had the opportunity to read, and I can’t praise you enough for this. You’ve been a really special presence in this game, both this season and last, and I hope you can be proud of what you have achieved throughout the experience. Regardless, as I hope I’ve made clear, you’re a powerful writer and inspiring person and I absolutely love seeing your writing and getting to experience your viewpoint every time we do, and I hope this message really can make you feel this. Again, you’ve done a wonderful job this season and you should be proud of yourself, and I can only hope we get to see you again in the future.

 

@beatinglikeadrum - alcohol dependence syndrome/abandoned child syndrome

This is a bit of a mix for me. On one hand, you can kind of tell that the song is somewhat rushed, while it tells a story it doesn’t really develop into anything, as in the story doesn’t really have a conclusion to it, which does make it seem somewhat like an idea that came in a moment and was written quickly after, as opposed to something thought out and conceptualised. On the other hand, for what it is, it’s still pretty impressive. I’ve said this before because you’ve submitted rushed songs similarly before, but for something rushed it does still show your creativity and honestly your writing skill shines through regardless. It’s a shame that you couldn’t write something that you were fully proud of or could work on for longer as your final entry, but I will choose to focus on what is here as opposed to what isn’t here, and I think you’ve demonstrated your strong writing capability despite the overall piece being rushed. In general it’s quite funny, your entries have been kind of all over the place this season, from scoring super high with a song like C13H16N202, and then songs that didn’t so well lik Cock-a-doodle-do, and in this way you’ve kept us on our toes. We never really know what to expect from you, whether we might be about to read a literal masterpiece, or something more irreverent. Regardless though you’ve really shown some amazing writing throughout this season so I definitely think you should be proud of yourself, of course even earning yourself a number 1, so ultimately you’ve done a great job and should be proud of that. I’d love to see you return again next season, with a little bit better time management I can see you dominating a season! 

 

@TruGemini - Applause

First things first I’m shocked to see you write without the use of an instrumental! I know you mentioned earlier in the season that you always write to instrumentals and sometimes struggle to write without use of one, so I really appreciate and am happy to see you write this song with less focus on an instrumental! I did want to comment on that earlier when you mentioned it and try and push you to attempt to write a song relying on one less, but I also didn’t want to overstep at all or try to push you in a way that might not be beneficial, so I decided against it. The fact that you’ve chosen to do so on your own regardless without this feedback shows to me your dedication to writing and also how ambitious this entry is for you. Now, it would’ve been quite ambitious alone for you to write most of it without an instrumental, but to also interpret all four challenges is just even more impressive. But of course, we’ve seen you do this before, so if anybody was going to of course it would be you! I really, really appreciate it and I’m impressed at how you’ve really strived to make this song special. And, it is special. It’s very clear throughout that you put a lot of effort into this, and to put it simply, I really loved the song. While it is full of ambition it never pushes this too far, the song on its own without all of these factors added to it is still strong in itself. The story that you tell here is really moving, and I thought the concept was absolutely lovely. Personally I found the self empowered to be more sweet and touching as opposed to corny, and the line between the two can be very delicate, but I think you succeeded in pulling it off maturely and white poignantly. As usual your lyricism throughout the song is really strong and full of your style and flair which we have all come to love, to specifically point out a few examples that I really loved and touched me: “death at 22 my baby that path wasn’t suited”, “you are the music”, “Together? Me and you. Heh… that’d be cool”. The central theme of the applause worked really well with the concept and the story that you were telling and frankly, yes, you do deserve some applause and hopefully you are feeling it from this review! Finally, I really appreciated the delicate topic that this song dealt with, I thought it was powerful and moving that you wrote such a lovely and beautiful song about this, and I definitely think you should be proud of yourself. I’ve absolutely loved getting the chance to see your writing both throughout this season and the first, your entries are always so fun to read and full of your unique charm that is so enjoyable and easy to read. I hope we get to see it again. 

 

@Remmy - Being Myself

Omg we’ve unlocked a new Remmy, the musical Remmy! You know what, in all the time that I’ve hosted and judged these ATRL songwriting games, I can’t from memory remember any occasion when we’ve had a song written to be a musical number like this, and it’s kinda a shame because there are so many iconic songs like this! It’s always a shame because, if this example is anything to go by… I love it. This was literally so much fun. I think, interestingly, with this being the penultimate song of the season, the entry really does play out as the musical number you’ve envisioned because I am reading it as I come to the end of judging, while it would appear it the musical as you come to the end of that too, and it’s such an interesting and fun parallel that I just had to mention! Now for this song itself, I literally don’t think I could have enjoyed this more. It’s so unexpected getting a song like this, especially from yourself, but my god did it pay off. I had so much fun reading this. I can picture it perfectly, and the whole thing plays out exactly in the way you intended it. Beyond the actual style of the song, it’s also really well written too. I can’t fault it, it fits the theme perfectly and also the concept of it being a musical number between these two people; I think in another outcome it could have felt corny or something, but I think you totally pulled it off and that it actually only strengthens the entry. I really ate this up. Such a surprising and good job. Overall it’s been really fun seeing your entries the few times that you’ve been able to submit, it’s a shame you did have to miss a few rounds but totally understandable and… of course… there’s always next season if we might be blessed with your presence again! No but really, it’s always fun having you around and I think similarly to season 1 you’ve ended once again with your best song. Great job.

 

@JoeAg - Eleventh Hour

Here we are… the final song of Season 2. No pressure!

Luckily, it seems we are ending on a high note. A very high note… I absolutely adored this. 

This is everything that I love about your writing. Such a beautiful, heartwarming and deep story, accompanied by such vivid and stunning lyricism. Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect after your post about having to rush another song out… but you know what? There’s not a hint of it in the song. In fact it’s the contrary, this reads as so well thought out, complex and planned, and I have no idea how long you must have spent on it, but based on your post I imagine it’s less time than I would expect while reading it, and I’m really impressed. It’s not the best method for writing in my personal opinion, but god you’ve done a stellar job of it here. To be honest, I loved literally every single part of this song, and I think it’s probably my favourite from you this season, and likely one of my favourite songs in general from this season. I was truly just so enthralled in this story you were telling, which was so delicately painted through your beautiful words, and I enjoyed it from the very beginning to the very end. Really, what a wonderful song. A few absolutely stunning lyrics I have to specifically point out and praise you for: “Are you our home or just the blanket by the creek?”, “But what if we were these two men in another county, another state; ****, another country”, “Between you and I, God, nothing feels better than my man stroking my forearm” wow just WOW, so beautiful and unabashed. Overall I’m consistently impressed by your writing, but you’ve definitely had some absolute standouts this season: this, Tyto Alba and It’s Your Shade of Blue Now each were so beautiful and impressed me so much and I think you should be really proud of yourself. Coincidentally, they also each are a 10 from me, spoiler alert. Just hoping that this makes it clear how much I’ve adored getting to see these songs, and your writing in general. It’s always a pleasure, and we’ll be lucky if we get to see more from you again. Thanks for ending the season, and ending my judging of all these songs, on a really delightful note. 
 

Edited October 7, 2022 by fountain