tournament Choose The Album, Then a Song 10 | Winner: Auburn

[Sanguine]

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[Sanguine]

Choose The Album, Then a Song

Round 8

Opposites Attract

 

Top 6: This will be the first and only (until the finale, that is) round you’ll be submitting two songs! For this, we want you to take the two most dissimilar songs on your album, explain what the differences are, and then say why they both still fit within the album, in 250 words or less.

 

You can re-use your audition song or anything from rounds 1-5.

 

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE

^ link

You may only submit once, but edits of the submission are allowed.

 

The bottom player cumulatively will be eliminated.

 

~36 hour deadline

DUE: Wed, Nov 19th @ 5 am EST

@ATRL Username @Auburn @EriKills @Psycho @ultraviolence.xx @wehavetostan

Edited November 20, 2023 by Sanguine

[Auburn]

Thanks everyone

[Not Like The Movies]

Thanks I deserved better but it's okay. Rooting for Kelela or Janet.

[Sanguine]

Choose The Album, Then a Song

Round 8: Opposites Attract

 

ENTRIES AND EXPLANATIONS HERE

CONTESTANT VOTING LINK HERE

 

 

If you do not complete this by the deadline, 30% of your score will be deducted.

 

The last place contestant CUMULATIVELY will be eliminated.

 

~48 hour deadline!

DUE: Sat, Nov 25 @ 10 am EST

@Psycho @ATRL Username @EriKills @ultraviolence.xx @Auburn @wehavetostan

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Sanguine

[Staryu]

I'm tired and sick and fat and I think this round is a little difficult to critique w/o being nitpicky/forcing negativity but let me type a few meaningless words 

 

 

ATRL Username - Good song choices, intentional polarity, yes I hear it, idk what to say tbh, I think you explained yourself well.

 

Auburn - I like how you broke it down into sonic and lyric sections and then tied the two together, the desire for connection, Janet's loneliness, I agree with everything you said tbh.

 

EriKills - Yes Natalia is a troubled antagonist, I think you chose the two most dissimilar options, so good job  

 

Psycho - I think Emotion is a hard album to choose "dissimilar" tracks on, it's such a sonically cohesive album, I did expect you to choose Warm Blood tho. You could have elaborated a bit more about why they both fit on the album I guess, but I agree these songs are emotionally very different, so it's a cute tie in to the album title. 

 

Uvie - I read you have an MFA in creative writing, unfair advantage in this essay competition tbh!! JK but you do have top tier write ups every round and there's not much bad to say or disagree with  Love the "genetic glue" term you used, and I agree these songs are very different but also siblings.

 

WHTS - I do like that you mention the sequencing in this album when tying these two tracks together, I did feel like the tracklist is a bit chaotic when I listened to the album, but yeah I think these songs are very different and you explained yourself well.  

[Kelp]

Feel better @Staryu

[ultraviolence.xx]

2 hours ago, Staryu said:

I'm tired and sick and fat

i told you not to read my diary!!

[shelven]

SHELVEN'S CRITIQUES

 

ATRL Username – Beatopia – Broken CD / Talk

 

I think you did everything you needed to do to cover the theme here. You explain why the songs are different and fit them nicely into the larger album’s dichotomy of sonic concepts. Referring to songs’ track list placements has been a hit-or-miss argument throughout this season, but it works very well here to further highlight how clearly these songs contrast each other. The idea that both songs fit into 90s/00s nostalgia is an intuitive reason for why the songs both fit on the album well despite their opposite sounds. The one thing that prevents this from being a perfect entry to me is I think your second last sentence veers away from “why these songs both fit on the album” territory and into more dangerous “why these songs are actually similar” territory which slightly undermines your argument about them being opposites. But other than that one point which I think you should have left out, this was very solid!

_____________________________________________________

 

Auburn – The Velvet Rope – Empty / Every Time

 

You use some great imagery in your explanation that really sells these songs as being sonic opposites – comparing the beat that “flows past your ears” in Empty to the beat that’s “hesitant to move forward” in Every Time is a clear and immediate way of differentiating the two songs. I’m admittedly less sold on your explanation of how the songs are lyrical opposites – while they’re definitely different approaches, both songs have a common link of having doubts and uncertainty about love, which makes it difficult to believe these songs are the two most dissimilar songs on the album. You end your explanation on a very strong note, though – your reasons for why these songs both fit on the album are specific enough to not feel generic, while still being general enough to maintain the idea that the songs themselves are ultimately still opposites.

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EriKills – Trouble – Problem / Outta Time

 

This is a pretty flawless model of how to navigate this round. You picked songs that are very obviously opposite to each other and that shows in how effortlessly you’re able to contrast them in a very comprehensive way that covers lyrics, vocals and production. And then your final paragraph about why they both still fit on the album navigates a perfect balance between reminding us the songs are opposites but convincing us that, despite those opposites, they each have a cohesive place on the overall theme on the album. I don’t think there’s a single misstep in here; great job.

_____________________________________________________

 

Psycho – Emotion – Boy Problems / Your Type

 

You can tell this was a bit of a tough round for you because of how sonically cohesive your album is – I actually think you made a smart choice to go all-in on the lyrical polarity of these two songs instead of trying to sell us what would have probably been an unconvincing argument about how they’re musically opposite. You use specific lyrics well here, as I think they’re very strong and clear examples of the opposite approaches to love and relationships that Carly takes in these songs. However, I think your entry really suffers overall from a very half-baked answer to the part of the prompt about why both songs still fit on the album. “Both songs are about emotions” is way too general and abstract of a reason to feel convincing and I think you missed an opportunity to paint a more nuanced picture of your album. 

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ultraviolence.xx – RAVEN – Contact / Divorce

 

As you know, I’ve gone back and forth on your approach to your entries throughout the season: sometimes, they feel a bit too music critic-esque to feel fully convincing for the theme, while other times that level of technicality really sells your argument. This time, I’m leaning more towards the former than the latter. I do think you cover what you need to cover with this theme, touching on both lyrical and sonic opposites between the songs and tying them together in a way that convinces us why both songs fit without sacrificing the idea that they’re ultimately still opposites. But after reading your explanation a few times, I think I just wanted something a bit more direct and clear, instead of the somewhat abstract and poetic approach you took to discussing each song. Good content overall here, but as you keep moving forward, continue to think about the most effective way to communicate your strong ideas. 

_____________________________________________________

 

wehavetostan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl / California

 

Like EriKills, I think your strong song selection for this theme did a lot of the work for you: the songs are such clear opposites in both sound and lyrical perspective that your explanation of why the songs are so different is pretty effortlessly convincing. The overall dichotomy of SGUMG’s confidence with California’s vulnerability is immediate, and your explanation is smart to highlight that so simply and directly. Your explanation for why both songs fit on the album is logical and convincing, although it does feel a little bit surface-level and “easy” – saying that both songs fit because they both represent the journey of life and dreams is true, but I think you could have benefitted from some more specificity there. Good job overall though!

 

@Psycho @ATRL Username @EriKills @ultraviolence.xx @Auburn @wehavetostan

[Element]

ELEMENT'S CRITIQUES

 

@ATRL Username – Beatopia – Broken CD / Talk

Definitely a solid way to start the round! You gave us clear contrasts between the delivery and production with specific examples of each. Lyrical comparison seemed to be overlooked here, which has strengthened other entries. The second half of the essay was pretty good overall - the nostalgic universe concept is a bit hard to envision if you are unfamiliar with those albums; for me, it works though.

 

 

@Auburn – The Velvet Rope – Empty / Every Time

Great job! You covered the key points in each song, explaining why they were chosen for this contrast. Your final lines, showing how both songs still fit into the album, were pretty strong as well. Discussing the influential genre bending and lyrical connection was a great approach to the "how do they still fit" part of the prompt.

 

 

@EriKills – Trouble – Problem / Outta Time

I think this was a very solid entry overall. Your song choices were pretty accurate in showing off two different sides/chapters in this story. Your color by number approach was your friend for sure. You dove deeply into the production, lyrics, and delivery - and made the contrast of each one quite obvious. My one complaint about this entry is that I would have loved to see some discussion of how these two different styles/genres fit into the album. Narratively/lyrically, it all makes sense.

 

 

@Psycho – Emotion – Boy Problems / Your Type

Compared to other entries this round, this unfortunately feels quite surface level and one-note. There was minimal discussion of each song's sonic elements. The lyrical comparison was fine enough. The final paragraph was your time to shine and provide some more insight into the album's overall theme of emotion, but we were only given a quick summary.

 

@ultraviolence.xx - RAVEN – Contact / Divorce

This was a flawless entry for me. Distinct and accurate song choices, and you directly contrasted them with specific points/examples. The comparison points were also sensible and representative of the whole album. Great job!

 

@wehavetostan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl / California

I think you did an amazing job explaining the differences between these two songs - production, lyrics, and delivery. The core contrast of someone with a confident identity becoming completely shattered and uncertain is very dynamic. Your final sentences detailing the unpredictable nature of life were quite philosophical. This comparison probably could have been expanded, as it felt a bit rushed at the end. I would have loved to also see a bit more about how the genre shifting fit within the album.

 

[Sanguine]

Results! @Psycho @ATRL Username @EriKills @ultraviolence.xx @Auburn @wehavetostan

[Sanguine]

4th (round)

@wehavetostan with Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl / California

Judges: 26

Contestants: +1

Points: 19.75

 

2nd cumulatively with 164.25 points

[Psycho]

[Sanguine]

3rd (round)

@Auburn with Empty / Every Time

Judges: 26.5

Contestants: +4

Points: 20.875

 

1st cumulatively with 170.375

[Sanguine]

The results are so short now to our elim we go

[Psycho]

We poppin bubble bubble bubble

[Sanguine]

5th (round)

@ATRL Username with Broken CD / Talk

Judges: 26

Contestants: -1

Points: 19.25

 

5th cumulatively with 157 points - SAFE

 

6th (round)

@Psycho with Boy Problems / Your Type

Judges: 19.5

Contestants: -7

Points: 12.875

 

6th cumulatively with 146.625 points - ELIMINATED

 

Sorry to see you go!! You had a great, consistent run  Emotion AOTM

[Psycho]

Ou

[Sanguine]

2nd (round)

@EriKills with Problem / Outta Time

Judges: 28

Contestants: +2

Points: 21.5

 

4th cumulatively with 159.625 points

 

 

1st (round)

@ultraviolence.xx with Contact / Divorce

Judges: 28

Contestants: +7

Points: 22.75

 

3rd cumulatively with 162.75 points

 

YAYYYY you finally got your win after all those #2 placements!!

 

[Auburn]

Emotion AOTM [2]

[Sanguine]

RESULTS

 

SPREADSHEET

[ultraviolence.xx]

13 minutes ago, Sanguine said:

1st (round)

@ultraviolence.xx with Contact / Divorce

Judges: 28

Contestants: +7

Points: 22.75

 

3rd cumulatively with 162.75 points

 

YAYYYY you finally got your win after all those #2 placements!!

 

 

MY CRUEL SUMMER IS FINALLY HEEEEERE

[Sanguine]

Pageeee

[Sanguine]

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[Sanguine]

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