tournament 🩸 ATRL's Song Contest 🩸 Winner revealed (pg.769)

[smholiv]

this is my midway disclaimer to say that it sucks I can only give ten songs points bc there's lots of stuff I like

[smholiv]

raveena - rush

your timing is impeccable bc last night I was listening to this album with dolby on AM and I gained a whole new impression. idk its just so lush and intricate and dreamy, she wanted a concept album and she nailed the concept  

[Sanguine]

Olivia Rodrigo - all-american *****: Yupppp love that this sounds like an Indigo de Souza song

[smholiv]

rachel chinouriri - ribs

impeccable indie queen, she is standing UP!! to the Phoebe bridges school of boring ****!!!!

[Sanguine]

Red Velvet - Look: Great song!! Love how Janet-y it is

[smholiv]

bree runway - somebody like you

doesn't feel like her for some reason, I kind of feel like anyone could've done this so im not really enthusiastic about it. see: mokya critique

[Sanguine]

Olivia Rodrigo - ballad of a homeschooled girl: YESSSS SLACKER ROCK!! Incredible song

[smholiv]

olivia rodrigo - all american *****

you simply slayed, one of my 12 contenders (you know the other one)

 

she is sooo smart and meticulous with her sound its crazy. this reads exactly like a 90s punk/grunge song but in a fresh way. its so fitting of who she is as an artist and a figure, and she not only pulls it off, she gives it a newfound energy that sets her apart from others who attempt this sound. she knows that in order to stand out and demonstrate her careful artistry she needs to go to the ROOTS. she is uncovering the riot grrrl/punk moments of the 90s and building on the foundation they set rather than just cosplaying. this is PERFECTION. she found who she wants to be as an artist and embraced it wholeheartedly

 

also that SCREAM!!! I feel it

[smholiv]

red velvet - look

slayful combination of like 3 different styles, we want them BACK (in this form and not whatever mild mundane nonsense they've done the last couple years)

[Sanguine]

Lianne La Havas - Please Don’t Make Me Cry: Really nice, I gotta check how many songs I wanna give points to atp cuz my critiques might not be useful anymore djfjnd

[Sanguine]

Demi Lovato - Ruin The Friendship: I don’t really have thoughts on this

[smholiv]

olivia rodrigo - ballad of a homeschooled girl

the distorted punk guitar opening immediately lets you know the guts era olivia is not the girl we (thought we) knew before. filled with incredible energetic hooks, twists and turns, and a blasting chorus that channels a combination of rage, insecurity, and cognitive reflection, ballad is everything I could want in her music at once. brutally honest, a little tongue-in-cheek, but most importantly its one of those songs where you can fully empathize or even apply elements to your own life. its so wild to me how she manages to create these coming of age anthems so effortlessly. you feel the passion in her voice and with every lyric. I feel like this album had so much care and thought put into it where it almost feels too meticulous but there's enough grit and rough around the edges elements that it truly feels like an organic growth. watching her career evolve and reshape has been one of the most important pop music moments of this decade to me. I am forever rooting for a young asian pop-star that is quietly (or not so quietly) rebelling against the pressures and expectations put on her. it feels like she knows she isn't meant to fit into any box and is leaning into that with this complex album. all of her influences and passions and style inspirations are worn on her sleeve but reinterpreted in her own way and that is exactly how music should be. this is the kind of album I would want to release myself... it channels the younger version of me that didn't really realize how much punk and rock and shoegaze was the medium/outlet that I needed. there's so much I would want to say and so many thoughts that swarm my mind, and it feels like she's starting to uncover them for me. riot grrrl forever, this is the song of the year

[smholiv]

lianne la havas - please don't make me cry

wtf her voice  this album is so good, I think this is a clear highlight too. this vibe is everything, it kind of reminds me of being at a bookstore or something (positive!) but her incredible vocal performance makes it more grounded and beautiful. will be getting points from me

[Sanguine]

Chloe x Halle - ROYL: Does that make every song sent now besides Catch Up? It’s good though yeah

[smholiv]

demi lovato - ruin the friendship

absolutely no thoughts

[smholiv]

chloe x halle - royl

not bad at all, its pretty cool, but I think this might not make my list bc of how many songs I want to give points to  

[smholiv]

if I gave you a pretty positive critique but no points I truly apologize bc narrowing this down to ten songs was VERY hard

[Not Like The Movies]

Kk

[Bicassie]

well atleast i’m getting eliminated in the 16th round 

I lasted 15 rounds last time 

 

I think sending 2 songs makes coasting by very difficult for a player like me who dislikes taking risks since I dont trust ya’ll to like what I like 

 

but me ending 11th just like last season will annoy me 

oh well maybe i’m just not meant to make top 10 

[Fruity]

WTP: it doesn’t come together for me I’m afraid, like I see what she was going for but overall the elements feel detached and grating 

[Fruity]

Her: I don’t really listen to Megan but this is probably my favourite song from her other than the obvious (Savage). I’m walking to the gym rn and getting my life >

[Fruity]

Future Nostalgia: some people love to hate on this track but it’s honestly the perfect opener to this cultural RESET of an era… love the chromatic elements and unexpected twists and turns in the production throughout, it’s the perfect amount of jarring where it just works 

[Fruity]

Naked In Manhattan: it’s kind of a bop in an unenthusiastic way. However the chanting parts are very cringe, as are numerous lyrics, both of which completely destroy any chance of points 

[Fruity]

Perfect Movie Scene: this was pretty cool in a low key way. The production is so clean, it reminded me of classical minimalism at times with that repeating synth which I appreciated a lot, but then climaxed into something magnificent. I feel like good headphones will benefit this track a lot. Will have to see where it lands

[Fruity]

Cool: I don’t usually go for artists with this kinda shtick but it is kinda cool once it gets going yeh. In a round this big I don’t really know if it’s remarkable enough for points