tournament Diversity 5: Let's Celebrate! | Winner revealed (pg.154)

April 23, 2023

omg.... i know the winner.

April 23, 2023

Thank you so much Ellie! :heart:

April 23, 2023

Thank you judge :jonnycat:

April 23, 2023

5 hours ago, thecptz said:

omg.... i know the winner.

April 23, 2023

Thanks judgesss :heart2: it’s been so fun playing with Miley and putting my own spin on her career & various eras. No matter what happens, I'm excited to have made it this far!!

May 7, 2023

CRITIQUES

FINALE

Spoiler

On 4/22/2023 at 8:03 AM, Euterpe said:

@CBC @wish @Not Like The Movies

I’m not giving critiques for the finale, so I’m gonna give final thoughts about the finalists and my feelings for them throughout the season.

Going through alphabetical order:

Bjork

This is someone I knew the name of but never listened to before. Bjork is… so experimental, in a way I’ve never heard before. Some of the strange sounds really worked for me through the season. I don’t quite understand why, but I’m choosing to go with it. Good job making it this far! And good luck!

Miley Cyrus

Slide Away was did dirty; I love that song. I’m glad you were brought back in. Miley has been a great addition and a deserved finalist! Miley has a lot of good, diverse work, so I’m glad there was a place for that to be showcased. Good job making it this far! And good luck!

Solange

Another artist I’ve heard of but never listened to. Solange has a very unique style that I can’t even think of someone to compare her to. And the explanations were always thorough, giving a rich history to her songs and why she wrote them throughout the season. Overall, I’ve been impressed with her artistry. Good job making it this far! And good luck!

On 4/22/2023 at 8:35 AM, Sanguine said:

FINALE CRITIQUES!!!!

Category One

Björk - I Can't Get No Satisfaction (with PJ Harvey) (round 6: two is better than one): Doing the collab round and with a cover... hm. PJ is super predominant here, so not sure it was a great choice. Decent song though

Miley Cyrus - See You Again (round 2: genre benders): A solid choice for the round, and a super fun throwback. Good decision overall!

Solange - Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) (round 12: i'm a blank canvas): You took the riskiest route here being the only contestant to go for a more subjective theme, and I think it mostly paid off for you with a strong explanation and analysis. The song is good, I like the harmonies

Category Two

Björk - Triumph of a Heart: I was surprised by your choice, but I liked that you subverted my expectations of a more artsy video with one that's quirky and silly. My only complaint is the shooting was sometimes a little disjointed

Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed: Very much a spectacle, I was impressed by the choreo
Solange - Don't Touch My Hair: This was extremely well-directed with a beautiful aesthetic corroborated by your explanation!

Category Three

Björk - Declare Independence: It wouldn't be Volta without the eccentric outfits and overall vibe, the performance went off and the crowd was excited + contributed to the performance without diverting my attention from her

Miley Cyrus - Mother's Daughter: Engaging performance, but I did hope for a little more of a spark
Solange - A Medley of Songs from When I Get Home: Loved the lighting but found the setup to be occasionally distracting? Her vocal performance sounds the exact same as the studio ones and it's well-paced though, so definite points for that

Category Four

Björk - Arisen My Senses: This song is way better than I remembered lol. Very pretty. Not sure a Utopia song was the perfect crowning choice but it does have a majestic quality to it

Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart: Damn you really said I'll save all the Can't Be Tamed/early nostalgic classics until the end LOL. A superb track to close things off with!

Solange - Bad Girls (Verdine Version): I love this song, Dev Hynes is a genius for the work he was doing in the early 10s, amazing choice

General Comments

Björk: An artist I like and have gained a lot of appreciation for in the past couple of years, you've done a great job pulling from all the different points of her diverse discography!

Miley Cyrus: I've never been a huge Miley fan, but you've been extraordinarily smart about your choices throughout the season and showcased that she does have a number of gems, so you've done a fantastic job! Glad you ended up making it through because I can't deny her discog has tons of variation!

Solange: Solo is an artist I've always liked a decent amount but had only properly gotten into her EP, because of your choices I've been listening to her a lot more this year and When I Get Home especially has grown on me significantly! Thanks for your great selections!

@CBC @wish @Not Like The Movies

On 4/22/2023 at 10:03 AM, Hikari said:

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PART 1: REDO

Björk - I Can't Get No Satisfaction (with PJ Harvey) (round 6: two is better than one): Well this was kinda a very unexpected choice. I felt like Bjork played more of a supproting role rather than a collaborator in this performance. It was not bad though.

Miley Cyrus - See You Again (round 2: genre benders): I've always loved this song. You really had your nostalgia ammos ready for this finale and we're not complaining at all.

Solange - Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) (round 12: i'm a blank canvas): A very beautiful song with such uplifting message. I really commend your explanation, it's always very detail-oriented.

PART 2: MUSIC VIDEO

Björk - Triumph Of A Heart: Not really what I had in mind for the finale but it was very camp and fun! We love a story!

Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed: Can't go wrong with this childhood classic bop! The setup/costumes were very on point too.

Solange - Don't Touch My Hair: The message of the song was very well executed in this music video. The imagery and cinematography was beyond delioghtful indeed.

PART 3: LIVE PERFORMANCE

Björk - Declare Independence: The mics were definitlely on! A very electric performance from the Icelandic legend, the audience was definitely having the best time of their lives.

Miley Cyrus - Mother's Daughter: Well it was nice to see some of the audience singing along and vibing to the song. Kinda wish the video focused more on MIley though.

Solange - A Medley of Songs from When I Get Home: The transitions from one song to another were very smooth. Her live vocals were very impressive as usual.

PART 4: CROWNING SONG

Björk - Arisen My Senses: I guess? I mean Utopia is lowkey overhated. It's a beautiful song, points for the Arca feature.

Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart: The GP was definitely wrong for snubbing this gem. Definitely one of the best songs in her career.

Solange - Bad Girls (Verdine Version): It definitely has the Dev Hynes sound. A very very nice song to end this season.

Good luck to everyone! You all deserve to be in the top 3 of this season <3

@CBC @wish @Not Like The Movies

On 4/22/2023 at 10:53 AM, Tom Vercetti said:

PART 1: REDO

Björk - I Can't Get No Satisfaction (with PJ Harvey) (round 6: two is better than one): This was a real unexpected choice here. I never even heard this before but I did like this a lil more than your previous collab song. Was this song worth the redo choice though? Decisions.

Miley Cyrus - See You Again (round 2: genre benders): I like this a little more than prisoner. Not a huge improvement theme-wise but it does it job.

Solange - Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) (round 12: i'm a blank canvas): I'll be honest that I don't remember your round 12 entry that clearly so this was an appropriate one to re-do. I think it's definitely a stronger song choice and the color association has visible ties to it.

PART 2: MUSIC VIDEO

Björk - Triumph Of A Heart: Well this was a journey We see a side from her we haven't seen before. It's easy for a first viewer to get lost in this but it wouldn't be a bjork video without something going on.

Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed: Similarly to last round, she's making a mission statement for her career pretty much even visually. I remember this video being flamed and controversial during its initial release and that energy continued into her following era. It's not a video I would go back a lot personally but it's a memorable one for her career to say the least.

Solange - Don't Touch My Hair: Love this video and its overall meaning. Very artsy/majestic with the cinematography and stylistic appearances.

PART 3: LIVE PERFORMANCE

Björk - Declare Independence: Alright this performance was kinda hype ngl after the raise your flag part. The intensifying beat and the movement kept my attention throughout.

Miley Cyrus - Mother's Daughter: Ngl this performance didn't do much for me. Idk if it's because it's a daytime performance or the song choice but something was off. At least she was fully invested and tried to make the performance as entertaining as she could.

Solange - A Medley of Songs from When I Get Home: Was this inspired by my performance last season? I don't mind medleys tbh if they're done right since they can showcase multiple different styed songs in a single package. This performance was decent too. My one criticism is that the performance seems a bit more tight-spaced compared to the competition but it's not a big detractor since the songs don't naturally call for that energy.

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PART 4: CROWNING SONG

Björk - Arisen My Senses: Man you are on a roll with these left-field choices. I hated Utopia but this was one of the better songs from the album at least. As someone who has been liking her music for many years now I def appreciate the risk-taking and seeing her get this far. Your explanation really hits the mark as to why she's such an interesting artist.

Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart: Great ending song for your journey. The trance/electro-house influence fits my type of music and it also sounds like it could be a hit today with the right promotion. Ever since last season, I had no doubts Miley would've made it far again since this game is basically tailored for artists like her.

Solange - Bad Girls (Verdine Version): I like how you went with an underrated song as her crowning moment as I can relate to that. At times, an artist's culmination of talents aren't revealed in the big hits, rather you have to search for it. I can even see this song doing well in multiple past rounds which speaks to itself how diversified this entry is and why it makes sense for it to be solange's crowning song.

Gl guys

@CBC @wish @Not Like The Movies

On 4/23/2023 at 1:50 PM, Element said:

ELEMENT'S CRITIQUES

@CBC @Not Like The Movies @wish

Congratulations to the three of you on making it to the finale! You have each had really interesting journeys this season, and I've greatly enjoyed getting to know more about your artists. Bjork and Solange especially were pretty unknown for me, and both have proven to be diverse and talented forces. Miley is, of course, a multi-faceted talent as well with many classics that I know and love.

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PART 1: REDO

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Björk - I Can't Get No Satisfaction (with PJ Harvey)

This was... a strange choice honestly. I get why you decided to do this round as your repeat, but I feel like going the cover route where she didn't really shine was a bit misguided. Many people were criticized during that round when the other artist shone brighter than theirs. The performance was enjoyable enough for those seeking 90s alt vibes.

Miley Cyrus - See You Again

Absolutely perfect pick for this. Both genres are apparent, it was the right choice for you to redo, and it's a mega bop that I love. She confidently sings: "The next time we hang out, I will redeem myself" -- and indeed you did!

Solange - Borderline (An Ode to Self Care)

Beautiful color choice and explanation! Rosy brown fits the atmosphere and meaning of the song flawlessly. You also made the correct choice with the color round as your redo, as that was your only misfire I can recall. The track has a nice vibe and accomplishes its goal.

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PART 2: MUSIC VIDEO

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Björk - Triumph of a Heart

I enjoyed the unique plotline! It was unexpected and really represents Bjork's uniqueness, quirkiness, and talents. Seeing the different elements of the song midway through was interesting. Was it striking visually? At times, yes. Loved the nature shots and the flying hearts scene.

Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed

Definitely a strong pop video all around. The visuals and effects were on point and the rebellious glamour wraps it up in a shining display. Choreo slayed too. I feel like the only thing holding this back a bit is that it could have used a bit more variation. Great choice considering the significance in Miley's career and the metaphor!

Solange - Don't Touch My Hair

I absolutely loveddddd this video. The artistic arrangements, serene color palette, fashions, hairstyles, etc. Everything was done with impeccable detail in mind. I personally enjoyed how so many scenes were shot a bit off-center. It really focused your eye in an engaging way. Finally, she had interesting movements throughout -- this was performance art 100%.

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PART 3: LIVE PERFORMANCE

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Björk - Declare Independence

The electricity and passion was palpable throughout this performance! The audience was eating it up too. I think it was solid overall and definitely a great display of her energy. The song itself does become a bit redundant towards the end, so I was hoping for something a little different to happen... but overall, I was satisfied.

Miley Cyrus - Mother's Daughter

Something about this wasn't clicking. I don't know if it was the key she sang in, the number of lines she spoke instead of sang, or if she was running out of breath at times. IDK but I was expecting MORE all around. You achieved your goal of showcasing her personalty and stage presence, but the vocals were just not there like I was hoping.

Solange - When I Get Home medley

When I first clicked this and saw 10 minutes, I was a bit worried that it would drag... but it flew by. This was very entrancing to watch and I think it was a huge success. She demonstrated a fantastic vocal range: from high to low, from soft to powerful, from slow to upbeat. She gave us unique choreography and geometric shapes that captured our attention. The overall staging and background dancers were interesting too. Once again, I liked how she was off to the side, driving unique camera angles. She really focused on making the whole scene work together vs solely focusing on herself. Her stage presence wasn't sacrificed though!

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PART 4: CROWNING SONG

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Björk - Arisen My Senses

I actually really liked this selection!! It had an epic atmosphere that felt very ethereal and powerful, like a queen taking over the solar system. The galactic explosions in the song reminded me of fireworks, celebrating a coronation.

Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart

Definitely a solid choice for your final song. It's a huge bop and deserved more success!! I think it captures Miley's style and personality pretty well.

Solange - Bad Girls (Verdine Version)

A great entry all around! Loved the vocals and production on this. You did a great job connecting this back to your overall journey and also your genre-blending "unique quality" from last round.

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And that's a wrap! Keep streaming Higher Than Heaven xx

Good luck to all of you!