Golden Hit: Season 3 📀 Congrats to TruGemini! ✨

[Element]

Next next

[Aurora]

 

Hey, Hitmakers! It’s been fantastic seeing your creativity take new heights in the recent Midjourney challenge.
While judging for Round 2 is underway—my reviews are already posted—it’s time for your next writing exercise.

 

Without further ado, let me introduce you all to the third round of Season 3...

 

After our last highly involved and conceptually challenging round, we wanted something a little more tranquil. In this throwback challenge, we’re searching for songs that integrate or utilize water imagery in a notable way. This isn’t designed to be an extremely difficult challenge, as songs featuring elemental imagery—water imagery in particular—have been a prominent part of ATRL writing tournament culture, and when done well, have been recognised as some of the most successful and beautifully written pieces of their seasons.

 

Although this is a rather straightforward challenge, we judges have curated a small collection of our own submissions that would satisfy this challenge. These are not meant to be interpreted as a box to be confined within, but simply put you on a path of what we may be anticipating should you have no idea where to start:

 

Aurora: “Positano” (2017), “Into My Sea” (2021)
fountain: “Heartwater” (2015), “Heartwater II” (2021)
Hug: “Drowned In Neon” (2017), “Crimson Water Runs” (2020)

 

Judge's Tips

📀 Water naturally provides strong metaphors for human emotion—think a calm stream, crashing waves, or torrential downpour. Utilize these emotions.
📀 This challenge’s name is a nod to the recent Avatar film. Referencing this is not expected, but inspiration from other sources may strengthen your imagery!
📀 There are many songs inspired by water: “Set Fire to the Rain” (Adele), “Never Let Me Go” (Florence), “ocean eyes” (Billie) etc. Try listening for inspiration.

 

Songs due via Google Form submission by Thu. Feb 9, 11:59PM EST

 

fountain, Hug, and I are all eager to see how your songs flow together, and hope nobody gets lost out at sea! The top three submissions will earn their writers a Hit Token, so make sure to submit for your chance at one of those. If you have not yet signed up for Golden Hit: Season 3, that's fine! Just submit an entry and we'll add you to the sign-ups list.

 

 

@Legend E@Kylie Jenner@Julia Fox@worldwide angel@JonginBey@Hooker Barbie@XO_Life@Euterpe@Remmy@Element@Invisibility@Blue.@TruGemini@8thPrince@mxtthewdelrey@beatinglikeadrum@EpicSongFan@JoeAg@DatChickDoe@Augmented

[Aurora]

1 minute ago, Element said:

Next next

Nawt this page sabotage.

[fountain]

Ahh I am very much looking forward to seeing the entries for this challenge… this round has the potential to be very, very iconic I fear. Water songs you will always be famous!

 

One piece of advice I have is to remember that there are many, many potential water sources to draw your inspiration from. While there’s nothing wrong with choosing something more prominent like the sea, it might help to try and think of more unique ways to incorporate water imagery as there could potentially be similar and overlapping ideas between entries. However as always it ultimately doesn’t matter how unique your song is, what matters most is how strong your lyrics are! I think our example songs of our past water entries are kinda a good showcase of this… for example the acclaim that Heartwater received back then despite being so simplistic is really funny in retrospect (especially with how this game and its expectations have grown over the years).

 

BUT… my biggest piece of advice it to listen to the greatest album of all time for inspiration!!

 

an audiovisual masterpiece and the official water song bible, tbh

 

[Aurora]

10 minutes ago, fountain said:

an audiovisual masterpiece and the official water song bible, tbh

It's a true fact, I fear. I should listen to it again today now that the challenge has launched, whew!

 

But I completely agree—water imagery doesn't just have to mean the ocean, although that may be the most obvious connection and is perfectly valid. Hug's examples are probably the most varied, using water imagery as the basis for songs about clubbing and bloodshed in war respectively (poor my basic romance songs ass!) I think this curation of songs does highlight the flexibility you have when it comes to not only what "water" imagery you can incorporate, but how vast the range of concepts you can apply water imagery to truly are.

[fountain]

19 minutes ago, Aurora said:

It's a true fact, I fear. I should listen to it again today now that the challenge has launched, whew!

Lemme bring back this iconic avi you made me (the only good one I ever had)  

 http://i.imgur.com/KHY0jOP.gif

edit: not it having over 100,000 views

Edited February 4, 2023 by fountain

[Aurora]

41 minutes ago, fountain said:

Lemme bring back this iconic avi you made me (the only good one I ever had)  

 http://i.imgur.com/KHY0jOP.gif

edit: not it having over 100,000 views

You should bring it back for this round.

 

@ the bolded: DH her impact!

[Invisibility]

Loving iamamiwhoami's worst album impact!  well unless Be Here Soon counts as one,

 

This week I'm feeling like drawing inspiration from:

 

I'm a fountain of blood in the shape of a girl

You're the bird on the brim hypnotized by the whirl

 

[fountain]

49 minutes ago, Invisibility said:

Loving iamamiwhoami's worst album impact!  well unless Be Here Soon counts as one,

Pls there is no worst album! They are all diverse incomparable masterpieces

[Hug]

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1evwSLXjuPcDA6hVeqdyCofOXdBvWU1jwv1GimG1BzGY/edit?usp=sharing

 

So I actually started work recently and I currently have more hours than I wanted. It's a bit of a mess rn and I'm gonna try to sort this out. Anyway, that's my cop-out for not doing as much fancy formatting this week. I still tried to at least be constructive, helpful, or at the least positive. I hope to be able to settle into this job and be better at this but...we'll see. Anyway here's my reviews this week.

 

If there is anything in your review you do not wish to be public, just let me know and I will remove it.

 

@Julia Fox@Kylie Jenner@worldwide angel@DatChickDoe@beatinglikeadrum@XO_Life

@JoeAg@Legend E@Augmented@Euterpe@Invisibility@TruGemini

[Euterpe]

37 minutes ago, Hug said:

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1evwSLXjuPcDA6hVeqdyCofOXdBvWU1jwv1GimG1BzGY/edit?usp=sharing

 

So I actually started work recently and I currently have more hours than I wanted. It's a bit of a mess rn and I'm gonna try to sort this out. Anyway, that's my cop-out for not doing as much fancy formatting this week. I still tried to at least be constructive, helpful, or at the least positive. I hope to be able to settle into this job and be better at this but...we'll see. Anyway here's my reviews this week.

 

If there is anything in your review you do not wish to be public, just let me know and I will remove it.

 

@Julia Fox@Kylie Jenner@worldwide angel@DatChickDoe@beatinglikeadrum@XO_Life

@JoeAg@Legend E@Augmented@Euterpe@Invisibility@TruGemini

“I would say I’d have liked more to this, but because I’m like trying to get all my reviews out before I have to go to bed I’m just going to thank you for keeping it brief instead.”

 

[fountain]

 

Round 2: Midjourney

A lovely round, thank you everybody  look forward to results taking place later today!

 

@Julia Fox - Bet

I am definitely into the image you used for your inspiration. It’s enigmatic and carries a heaviness and intrigue to it; it makes you ask straight away, who is this man?

I am a fan of the song you have written to accompany this image, too! Honestly, who doesn’t love a good shady, tongue in cheek, dragging somebody through the mud kinda song? It’s highly entertaining and I think you’ve done a good job with this concept. Like you said the song has a slight commercial edge to it, it definitely has a strong relatability factor to it because we can all picture this kind of narcissist and most of us have probably unfortunately encountered one too!, so I think it has a resonance to it in the idea that I can see a lot of people really enjoying and feeling vindicated with this song as a type of anthem. Lyrically I think there are a lot of enjoyable and fun lines that standout, I particularly have really enjoyed “this entire room knows the smell of your bed sheets” (hilarious!),  “so by the way, at the end of the day, you’ll end up alone” (drag him!). Overall this is another really fun and attitude filled song from you and I have enjoyed reading it.

 

@Kylie Jenner - The ocean sets me free

The imagery of the picture you have created is really interesting. It isn’t until right now that I am realising this, but is it supposed to be Taylor inspired? From the hair, to the guitar, and the white horse, and the song being described as country. If this is the case I think it is quite a clever idea to have the image be inspired by characteristics of a singer because it helps imagine how the song might actually sound. I can’t help but hear this in the vein of one of her songs now nnn, hopefully that was intended!

It was a shame you weren’t able to submit for the first round in time but by posting the song you wrote for it you’ve already got my attention this season because that was a really great song, so I’m glad you were able to submit for this round! What strikes me immediately about this song is how different it is to what I had expected, I definitely was not anticipating a country song from you, but it is so well done! I think this is really a showcase of your versatility as a writer. The imagery in this song of the western setting is definitely not what I was expecting from the cover either, but it is so well used and totally embodied throughout the song which is really great, and the chorus itself is a great representation of the imagery in your picture. The imagery is probably the thing that impresses me the most about this song, it so cleverly it used to help tell the story and to carry the narrative and while reading it totally takes you to the place described due to the depth of the imagery used; it's very immersive in this way which is great writing. I also believe it is lyrically strong and I have a couple of standouts to praise, “Ignition ain’t my decision but it’s all I’ve come to know”, “I dream in the night that the pain will subside but the sting will always singe, cause when there’s a fire in your eyes, the scalding glow of the badlands makes you realise your sins” - whew! This is a great submission and definitely leaves me guessing and excited to see what you write next!

 

@worldwide angel - perfect blue

Your image is beautiful, like it honestly looks like it could be a real painting. At first I thought I was in store for a sombre song based on it, but after actually reading the song I feel more of an enchanting quality in the image, as though it is depicting somebody who has been enchanted by the water/moon (and what it represents).

Something that I have to praise, a thing that I really love, about your writing is how meticulous it feels. Every line and every word feels like it has been perfectly intended and crafted in that way, and honestly it can take me a few read throughs to truly get what everything is supposed to represent and what part it plays in the song; but when I do get there, it all clicks and absolutely hits. Something that I think you do is you dance along the line between abstract and simplistic in your writing, and it is so interesting to read. A lot of the time some of the lyrics themselves can feel quite simplistic in nature, but then actually have a very grand and touching meaning behind them. And then you also have the more abstract moments, which all come together in a really artistic amalgamation. What I’m saying, really, is that when I read something that you have written I always feel as though you have diligently worked on it and then each word is exactly and intended, and it is great to read something that you can tell really had thought and care put into it so much. I could argue actually that your writing almost has the same enchanting nature of the water/moon throughout this song; it always takes me on a journey. Anyway, to be more specific, I think that this is a really quietly powerful song. Upon first reading somebody might not be able to pick up on the intricacies and the depth throughout, but the more you read it, and when you hear the inspiration and explanation behind it, it truly becomes apparent and the song gains a whole new appreciation; like poetry in a way. I really enjoyed the way this song made me think, it’s truly a really thoughtful piece, and there are so many touching lyrics throughout; “how could it be that something so simple could fall in love with me before even I could have; before anyone could have”, “take my time and slowly lurch, acknowledge pain, preserve my purpose” and I also really enjoyed the use of french with the “waves pour cette heure” line - a really nice surprise that I was not expecting! Overall I think this is another great entry from you and one so full of profound meaning.

 

@DatChickDoe - Dancehall Fairy

I do kinda agree that the song that pairs with this image is nowhere near what I was expecting! To me this image feels woodsy, enchanting and quite whimsical in a way of literal fairies and nymphs; I definitely didn’t picture a club dancing song, however I love to see the different interpretations that can come from this.

Something great about this song is that it isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is, which is a pure, uplifting and carefree dance bop! You capture the energy and the attitude of this inspiration really well, and quite frankly, I would like to join this dancehall fairy in action, too! I do think that this is very different from what your last entry showed, and I feel like it might have been a bit of a risk going in this direction (in terms of the competition and score/ranking if you are concerned with that). In a round where you could have written about absolutely anything you wanted, I would say to me it’s a little unexpected to go in the direction of a club song as opposed to something more unique, but again, ultimately, the round was about letting you write whatever YOU wanted to write, so if this was what you wanted to write then I am very happy to see it! I think what is evident from this song is how much it is supposed to encapsulate fun and joy, and I do think it does that successfully, however I would be lying if I were to say this is one of your more impressive entries because lyrically it falls a bit shallow to what you have shown in the past. Ultimately there is still a need for songs like this and we love listening to them, and I picture this as a mega bop, but in the scheme of your writing and entries that we have seen from you prior, I don’t think this is as great as your writing can be and has been.

 

@beatinglikeadrum - butterflies (daughters of Inspiration, her cruel assassins)

Firstly, I love your image and I think it’s definitely fitting with the tortured artist vibe that is going on in your song. It’s really pretty and it kinda reminds me of the Melodrama cover!

As for the song itself, this is totally the return to form that I was hoping for from you! This is what a real beatinglikeadrum song is like, whew! I absolutely love your concept here, and I love the conversation that is had throughout the song, which demonstrates the more darker and stressful side of being a creative person with the way that ideas and inspiration can themselves be harmful at times! I think you really portrayed this pretty complex sentiment wonderfully, and the imagery/metaphor of telling it through the butterflies swarming you is really beautiful. This is such a step up from your last submission and this is the amazing standard of writing that I said you were capable of, and I’m happy to see you back to that this round. Great job!

 

@XO_Life - GameBoy

Okay your image probably couldn’t be any more fitting for your song since it’s literally a gameboy and the song is about playing a gameboy asdhdjdls, I like it though it’s a great cover, but I don’t have much to say for it. 

As for the song, I actually quite like it! It gives me kinda Lizzo meets Doja vibes with the style, attitude and the influences going, I could definitely picture the exact kind of song you were channelling here and you did a great job at achieving that. Now, despite what you said about it not usually being the type of song that we enjoy, I think it’s actually very well written! Now, it’s probably not going to be my favourite of the round just in general because the concept is a bit more juvenile and just for fun, but I do think that this is quite objectively a well written song and will be scored as such regardless of how serious it is! The way you fully committed to the concept and filled the song with so many references and so many ideas relating to the central theme is a really good showcase of your writing abilities. Just as much as really poetic writing can be impressive, a more simplistic idea that is explored very well can also really impress us, and I think that this song is a nice example of that! I don’t really have any criticism for this at all, it was just overall a nicely written fun song which was kept entertaining thanks to your writing skills throughout. Good job. 

 

@JoeAg - Where I Wish I Was Among the Owls

Your choice of image makes a lot of sense to me for two reasons, firstly being that owls seem to be a big inspiration for you since they also inspired by Season 2 entry Tyto Alba, and secondly their depiction alongside the world fits pretty well with what I understand of your writing because you usually do bring in a lot of worldly and societal factors and inspiration into your songs, usually from the perspective of people going against society, and to see this further manifested in this song about dreaming of an owl filled world makes for something really inspired. 

As for the song, it is beautiful, as is ever the defining characteristic of your writing; it’s beauty. The emotion and the yearning in the song is palpable, and you always move me with your intensely poetic lyrics. You have some absolute standouts here that I will think of for a long time, in particular, “I was up in the trees, where I wish I was among the owls, hey love me more than my family ever could have” and “I am free at last, floating to the other dimension, where discovery awaits, where pride will never falter, among the young owls” - these so perfectly represent the two extremes that your writing showcases here, something so heartbreaking and relatable in the worst way, and then something so hopeful and joyous in the best way. I hope you continue to walk that line and tug our heartstrings every step of the way. You’ve been great from the very beginning, from Season 1, but something about this moment seems very right, I don’t know if the timing is convenient, or if you are in a real inspiration hot spot right now in life, but whatever you are working with is making magic. 

 

@Legend E - Desolation

Your image is an exact reflection of your song and represents it perfectly. The imagery is really striking, and I actually pictured it as even more severe than this while reading your song! (which, 1. shows just how dark the song is, and 2. how good your use of the imagery was, that I had pictured something so extravagant).

Okay, so, to state the obvious, this is MORBID. But… I loved it. If I am being honest, the first part of the song might be some of my favourite stuff we’ve seen from you so far… the first verse and chorus and so disgustingly dark and raw and I ate every single bit of that (flesh) up! While I can’t quote the lines I do want to point some out that really helped sell all of this to me - firstly, the third line of the first verse, while the two statements here contradict each other this is what I LOVED about this line, because to describe something disgusting and then attempt to put a positive spin and adjective on it truly showed to me just how twisted this song was going to be and immediately I was like, okay, I’m in for something with this, and it took me there. Secondly, the final two lines of the chorus… I’m not exaggerating, you made my jaw drop. That’s possibly one of the most depressing and emotionally devastating lines that I can recall from this game, and the use of repetition to further drive home this idea that they shouldn’t care… that is so beyond anything that I can think to say in response, like… the absolute bleak nature of such a statement resonated with me so much that I had a physical response; wow. I will say, on the other side, after such a strong beginning the following sections didn’t do as much for me I will be honest, in this case the widening of the scope in this song to then include other people and begin talking about them wasn’t really needed I don’t think, I feel like the song would’ve continued to be really powerful if it had just continued to revolve directly around the protagonist from the opening of the song, rather than shifting focus on to the deaths of others as well, if that makes sense? Anyway, overall, this song is an amazing showcasing of your writing with such powerful imagery, concept and lyrics that rip you open, so wonderful job. Wherever the inspiration for this music is coming from, I hope you know you are making something powerful and beautiful out of it.

 

@Augmented - Drunk on the honey

First off I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU BACK!! I hope you are doing well.

Your AI image as you described can definitely be pretty open to interpretation, which is a nice angle. When I first saw it I thought it was somebody falling as opposed to drowning or floating, and looking at it now I can almost see a fourth interpretation where the black smudges are kinda like wings coming to save and swoop this person up? It’s undefined and I like that aspect, which also pairs with your song well.

Your portrayal of mental health issues in this song feels really genuine and accurate, and it really resonates and relates with me. Your description of this as delirium is so perfect, because these moments really do manifest as a peculiar type of delirium that we are made to endure. As you say in the song, a lot of the times it doesn’t make sense, you contradict yourself and it is confusing, and I loved how you made that statement with the section “I want to be forgotten without having existed, I want to be remembered when lonely with my thoughts, I know it seems confusing” because it IS and this is what makes this song feel so genuine because I think anybody who has suffered with mental health issues will agree that it’s so confusing and it can be really hard to really grasp your thoughts, and to know what you want, and to know what is true; and, all of this is to say, I think you perfectly painted a depiction of all of these complexities with this song. Great job, and welcome back! 

(I hope we get to see more!).

 

@Euterpe - A Pull

Oh wow oh wow… the song for this image is NOT what I was expecting, but in such a good way! At first I figured it was just about, like, a standard sunset, or longing for a city life or something… but then reading it and finding out its about doomsday, whew, such an unexpected but interesting turn of events! Frankly, I’m here for it, because I fantasise about the end of the world, too…

And, well, I think a lot of people do these days. But the way you did throughout this song was done in such a delicate and beautiful way. I love and appreciate so much that you completely removed the drama from the subject matter and instead portrayed it through such gentle and stunning imagery, which is what really made the song for me. I really love how you approached this lyrically, and it’s almost even more like a poem or writing piece, which personally I really appreciate to see because I enjoy when the scope of what songwriting, and ‘songs’ are, is expanded upon (I’d really be interested in reading the story that you mentioned this started as, also!). Overall this is a lovely entry to me… even though it’s literally about the end of the world, I love it’s emotive and subtle language which makes you really feel appreciative of the narrative going on, and with killer lyrics like “Karma like an EKG, analysing a moral heartbeat” I am all in on this song. Great job!

 

@Invisibility - Quaint Human Spectacle

Your image is a perfect representation of the concept for this song, with the mystical pop up pink circus coming during the night, it was so easy and vivid to picture and your images portrays it wonderfully!

But what I didn’t expect was that this pink circus was going to be a little queer haven! This was such a pleasant surprise and I’m an absolute sucker for queer joy like this so, well, you got me! There was no way I couldn’t love this, everything about it was just so charming from the imagery and depictions of the different circus members, the concept of the pop up queer circus itself, and the narrative throughout the song of the lonely individual coming across this circus and being whisked away by its dazzling sights; all just so, so lovely. Something that I particularly have to give your props for, is that even though this song is such a joyous representation, it also has some great and subtle nods toward really important social issues for our community, particularly with the line “the queer little band is as human as you and me” and of course the title and overall theme itself of this “Quaint Human Spectacle” which is purposefully depicting queer people as human just the same because, for whatever reason, some people really seem to struggle with that concept! Anyway, all of this was so great, you truly pulled me in with this concept and the amazing imagery throughout and it was so fun to read and, as the title suggests itself, an absolute spectacle. Great job! 

  

@TruGemini - Kintsukurio 

Firstly, I hope your new job is going well!

This image is so stunning and really subtly moving and special, there’s a quiet beauty to it and this imagery and overall theme is so perfect for a song.

I love hearing the backstory that this is a concept that has been brewing within you for nearly a decade, and I think it’s clear when reading the song that this is a special and deeply intimate one, and I want to thank you for sharing this with us and letting us read this! I’m also really happy that, after all that time, you’ve been able to finally write and complete this song, and I guess that you can now say it is fully formed, like the song is kintsukurio itself too. Immediately, as ever, I was struck by the innate rhythm of the song and your ability to write with such musicality and catchiness, which I think I say in every review of yours, and I might continue to until it becomes untrue. When I read your songs, I might as well be listening to them, because they leap right off the page, and that will always be such an impressive writing ability. Now, lyrically, this is up there with some of your most emotive and personal lyrics that I think we have seen throughout your entries, and they really blew me away; in particular, “Like bullshit aint going on, the police turn that siren on, my life just might be ******* gone” which is just absolutely beyond hard hitting, “In my pain and regression in void, locked in a box that did not have a voice, trapped in a boy that did not have a choice, easier option for them to exploit” with the way these lines build upon each other and then just completely sucker punch you in the gut, and then simply “I am the fix to my broken” which is beautiful and speaks for itself. Wonderful job.

[Legend E]

Thank you for the reviews all

[Invisibility]

Thanks for the critiques!

[DatChickDoe]

Welp. Thank you for the critiques. 

[Aurora]

R2 results will be starting momentarily! Some crazy scores this round, good luck all.

[fountain]

the results Beyoncé-ing 

[Aurora]

 

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Happy Golden Hits, and may the odds be ever in your favour.

This was a polarising round: there was no unanimous winner, but one of you did emerge victorious!

We also saw some of our largest ranges in scores and rankings in Golden Hit thus far.

 

 

@Julia Fox@Kylie Jenner@worldwide angel@DatChickDoe@beatinglikeadrum@XO_Life

@JoeAg@Legend E@Augmented@Euterpe@Invisibility@TruGemini

[Legend E]

[Aurora]

 

Dancing their way into the Top 12 of Golden Hit's Midjourney round is...

 

@DatChickDoe with a score of 5.517 for their song “Dancehall Fairy”

[fountain]

 Dancehall Fairy definitely had the potential but just didn’t really dive enough into the concept tbh, still a fun and carefree bop tho, rooting for you to be back in the top next round !!@DatChickDoe

[Aurora]

 

I bet you won't be able to guess the #11 placing writer this round...

 

@Julia Fox with a score of 6.833 for their song “Bet”

[fountain]

@Julia Fox up two positions this round IKTR!! single digits next round I’m manifesting it 

[Aurora]

 

Buried at the bottom of the Top 10, this next writer might have an angel looking out for them after all...

 

@Legend E with a score of 7.717 for their song “Desolation”

[Legend E]

oh not bad given the reviews, glad it still went top 10, as I really put my soul in it