Kern Posted November 1, 2023 Posted November 1, 2023 Submitted my ranks I had no idea how to approach mine entry and couldn’t figure it out, sorry
poki Posted November 2, 2023 Posted November 2, 2023 I would send "Real Life" from my album and say it's Ken's point of view on how Barbie treats him.
ATRL Moderator Element Posted November 3, 2023 ATRL Moderator Posted November 3, 2023 ELEMENT'S CRITIQUES Spoiler @ATRL Username - Beatopia - Ripples - Cowboy I really enjoyed the way that you framed this! Your depiction of the cowboy archetype as merely a mask hiding personal vulnerability was pretty believable. I had to listen a few times to really get the vision, as my initial reaction was to look for something energetic and rebellious. However, you tied everything back to the song effectively. @Auburn - The Velvet Rope - Accept Me - Princess While I do mostly agree with the premise of your costume choice, this entry felt kind like a checklist to meet the minimum requirements. The sonic elements were pretty simplistic and rushed in at the end, despite having more than 30 words left to expand upon them. The lyrical connections were mostly tuned into the first verse, and so you could have connected more with vocal delivery or production. I would have been interested in more about this line: "the song also fits a more child fantasy or fictional-based depiction of a princess, with the lyrics portraying her as more emotionally fragile and pleading" - how else does she achieve this emotional state? @EriKills - Trouble - Rabbit Hole - Bunny Quite frankly, I think you ate. Were you lucky that this song exists on your album? Absolutely! But hey, you chose the album and the song chose you this round! What I love most about this entry is your second paragraph, which covers the target demographic for this costume. Your comparison to "sexualized antagonists" is incredibly apropos and this song is a fantastic representation of that archetype. The lyrics, the production, the vocal delivery/personality all perfectly capture the vapid nature of the costume, and you describe each of these aspects in sufficient detail. Also I'm screaming at you comparing the instrumental to "mindless, fast-paced bunny sex" Excellent job! @luckystrike - Bloom - Lucky Strike - Princess Overall, a big improvement from last round! You did a great job of using specific lyrics from the song to build your case, and didn't just insert them into the middle of the entry without context. I also would have loved to learn more about the sonic elements of the song and how they contributed to this royal atmosphere. @minho - HYPNOS - Where I'm From - Princess This is a really solid entry overall! You discussed key lyrics and sonic aspects of the song which made you envision royalty. I even think that there were other lyrics throughout the song that you could have used to your advantage, including references to "birthright" or "my people". The opening discussion with poised vocal delivery was a really unique word choice, but I completely see it here. You might have spent a bit too much space on the idea of being relatable or nuanced -- I don't know if that was truly necessary for this costume. @MusicLoverDude - Midnights - Vigilante **** - Ninja The comparison is definitely on point here! A unique choice for sure, but it paid off. I most enjoyed how you took the base level/obvious concept of the ninja costume, and took it to a unique level for this specific song (by juxtaposing it against another song with such a theme). The creepy, dramatic, yet understated nature of the production was a missed opportunity to highlight though, as it works so well with the costume! @Not Like The Movies - CTRL - The Weekend - Spider-Man I appreciate the more unique costume choice here! This essay didn't have the usual flow and cohesion that you've shown in past rounds. It almost felt a bit hectic and like a brain dump of ideas. You started off strong by explaining the concept, but then you have a bunch of one-off sentences that don't really feel logically ordered. For the lyrics, I think you summarized the plot well enough but specific examples always strengthen an essay. For the production, I don't really see the cinematic connection. It's rather mellow to me, not intense. This description also could have used more specific detail. So overall... good idea, but the execution was not here this time. @PinkBox - Rebel Heart - Unapologetic ***** - Dinosaur I was not really feeling this entry. It was like a huge laundry list of attempts to connect with the theme. I wish that you had done more to describe the production, because I could almost see an argument that the rhythm could be like dinosaurs stomping around on the ground. You had many opportunities to leverage exact song lyrics, but you didn't. I also feel some contradiction, as I struggle to see confidence and empowerment as a trait for a reclusive character. @Post Malone - Unapologetic - Half Of Me - Dinosaur Nice comparison overall! I think you did a good job of staying focused on your central argument. The entry loses some viability when you read all of the song lyrics, as the destruction and chaos that you chose to highlight does not really carry throughout the entire song. The entry feels like a stretch as the song progresses. I would have loved to see some aspects of production in here too. @Psycho - Emotion - All That - Princess Similar to a few other entries, this veered into laundry list territory in the second half. However, the first half is really strong for me. You set the scene of being transported to this realm of fantasy, and did an excellent job of setting the scene through your description of the production. I'm not 100% sold on the lyrical connection, as you focus more on the generic "fairytale" concept vs. the "princess" costume. There's nothing really specific to princesses. It's a bit tenuous, but I think the production really helps you here! @stupidjock - Mercurial World - Secrets (Your Fire) - Princess I think you have an interesting baseline concept here with the modern princess, but you could have definitely expanded things! You made some general comments about the production, but I think showing specific moments or instruments that support your point would have been smart. Since you had more space, I wish that you had expanded on the "trapped in your room" concept, as this was the most intriguing! You could have compared the room's inevitable destruction in the song lyrics to the princess' desire to escape her tower. Perhaps Magdalena Bay enables her escape! Also, I will note that the final sentence about the third eye is really not necessary. @ultraviolence.xx - Raven - Contact - Barbie The idea of this downtempo album that has such dark aesthetics being Barbie is so funny to me. You definitely made the comparison work though! It doesn't have the complete glitz and glamour of the Barbie Cinematic Universe, but lyrically and sonically, it does align with Barbie's perfect world. You also win the prize for integrating lyrics seamlessly throughout the entry! @wehavetostan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - After Midnight - Bunny Honestly the bunnies just snapped so hard for me this round! You did a really great job of listing various concepts in a way that flowed naturally into one another, unlike many entries this round where each sentence felt disparate. I think that you basically covered every point that you needed to, and I have a great understanding of the song's key connections to the bunny archetype. A little more expansion on the production or vocal delivery would have been awesome, but this is a top tier entry either way! I would say EriKills' entry takes the edge for me slightly, due to a few more direct references to the way Natalia's delivery matches up to the persona and target demographic. 1
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 Results now!! @Psycho @ATRL Username @luckystrike @MusicLoverDude @minho @Not Like The Movies @stupidjock @EriKills @Post Malone @ultraviolence.xx @Auburn @wehavetostan @PinkBox
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 12th (round) @Not Like The Movies with The Weekend Judges: 19 Contestants: +0 Points: 14.25 5th cumulatively with 79.875 points 11th (round) @Auburn with Accept Me Judges: 18.5 Contestants: +5 Points: 15.125 1st cumulatively with 89.875 points
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 Just now, thecptz said: i'm here Tysm
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 (edited) 10th (round) @Post Malone with Half of Me Judges: 21.5 Contestants: -3 Points: 15.375 9th cumulatively with 66.125 points ... 8th (round) @ultraviolence.xx with Contact Judges: 24 Contestants: -1 Points: 17.75 7th cumulatively with 78 points Edited November 3, 2023 by Sanguine
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 5th (round) @Psycho with All That Judges: 24.5 Contestants: +5 Points: 19.625 6th cumulatively with 79.25 points 4th (round) @wehavetostan with After Midnight Judges: 27 Contestants: +6 Points: 21.75 4th cumulatively with 81.125 points 1
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 3rd (round) @ATRL Username with Ripples Judges: 25.5 Contestants: +11 Points: 21.875 2nd cumulatively with 82.75 points
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 It's actually our first TIE!! 1st (round - tied) @MusicLoverDude with Vigilante **** Judges: 28.5 Contestants: +11 Points: 24.125 8th cumulatively with 77.25 points 1st (round - tied) @EriKills with Rabbit Hole Judges: 26.5 Contestants: +17 Points: 24.125 3rd cumulatively with 81.875 points 3
ATRL Moderator wehavetostan Posted November 3, 2023 ATRL Moderator Posted November 3, 2023 Double slay
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 13th (round) @stupidjock with Secrets (Your Fire) Judges: 9 Contestants: -20 Points: 1.75 13th cumulatively with 54.75 points - ELIMINATED Thank you for playing! You really slayed the first few rounds and were top three cumulatively for a while so you deserved to last longer! 1
Kern Posted November 3, 2023 Posted November 3, 2023 Thank you, this challenge was really my final nail in the coffin But I lasted here longer than I expected 2
Sanguine Posted November 3, 2023 Author Posted November 3, 2023 (edited) 6th (round) @PinkBox with Unapologetic ***** Judges: 23 Contestants: +9 Points: 19.5 10th cumulatively with 66 points - SAFE 7th (round) @minho with Where I’m From Judges: 22.5 Contestants: +6 Points: 18.375 11th cumulatively with 64.25 points - SAFE ^ the roachism is real 9th (round) @luckystrike with Lucky Strike Judges: 24 Contestants: -7 Points: 16.25 12th cumulatively with 62.125 points - ELIMINATED Thanks for playing lucky! You were really dedicated to the game and I'm glad you got to write about gay sex before your elimination Edited November 3, 2023 by Sanguine
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