🍋‍🟩⭐️Limelight | Episode 9

THEME "Size Matters" As in the size of the song title. For this theme all you have to do is submit one song with only one word in the title, and one song with at least five words in the title. For the longer title; you are allowed to use a title where part of it is in parentheses, as long as what's in the parentheses is actually part of the title. Like, it has to be a sentence that makes sense when you remove the parentheses!
Cray - "Evangeline" by Stephen Sanchez "Evangeline is about being completely consumed by love for someone. The narrator doesn’t just want to be with Evangeline but wants to be her comfort, safety, and everything she needs. There’s a dreamy, almost idealized quality to the way he sees her, as if she’s perfect in his eyes. But underneath the romance is a little desperation and vulnerability. He’s giving himself completely to her and hoping she’ll choose him in return. In the context of the album Angel Face which this is from, the song represents the beautiful, innocent beginning of a love story that eventually becomes much darker.." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ratings: JUDGE 1 - 5 Points "The vocals here are super intoxicating! It has a little taste of that indie, bluesy sound that never gets old. I really love the old-school cinematic feel of this too! But then it also feels a little modern as well! It's no secret that I'm not a huge fan of a lot of slow music or with love as a theme…but if y'all going to do it, then you have to do it right and this is an example of that. Still probably won't listen after this round but a solid submission nonetheless!" - JUDGE 2 - 6 Points "This song is my favorite! I added this to my playlist immediately right when he started singing, this song is absolutely beautiful and I really enjoy the music and the lyrics, he has a really talented voice and now i’m going to look for more songs by him." - JUDGE 3 - 2 Points "This is pretty pleasant to listen to, although it doesn’t really stand out to me. I feel like I’ve heard this song before, which is possible since Stephen Sanchez is kind of popular…he does have a nice voice, and this song displays it pretty well. While this song was nice throughout, I would’ve liked for there to be some peaks and valleys to make for a more dynamic listening experience. This theme was incredibly broad, so I feel like you could’ve found something much more interesting." FIRST SUBMISSION - TOTAL POINTS: 13 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Cray - "All We Ever Do Is Talk" by Del Water Gap "All We Ever Do Is Talk is about being deeply attached to someone while realizing that your relationship has become stuck in a cycle of conversations, problems, and uncertainty. The narrator still sees this person as incredibly important, someone he loves and feels deeply connected to, but something has changed. They no longer have the same effortless intimacy and passion they once had. Instead of simply being together, they spend their time talking about the relationship, trying to understand what went wrong and going over the same issues. The memories of their past intimacy make that realization even more painful. He remembers when their connection felt spontaneous, exciting, and natural, and now he compares that to the distance between them. He isn’t necessarily saying he wants the relationship to end; he wants to know whether the closeness they once had can come back. That’s what makes the song feel bittersweet rather than simply sad. There is still love and hope, but there’s also the fear that loving someone isn’t always enough to restore a relationship once the feeling between you has changed." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ratings: JUDGE 1 - 3 Points "Do I like this song? Well..yeah, I do! It sounds like an old memory! It's just really smooth and easy to listen to. That being said, it's one of those again that I feel like we've heard so many times in different words. When those sorts of songs are submitted, it's not that they're bad…it's just that they don't stand out. It's also a little repetitive but I actually don't mind that a ton in this scenario as it sort of adds to the feeling of an old memory that just loops in your head. Not sure if that makes sense but it makes sense to me so it's fine! Haha! Anyway, good song, not sure that it's particularly a great submission!" - JUDGE 2 - 5 Points "This song is 100% up my alley. I love the guitar in the song and also the sound of the artist. I really like the lyrics as well as the meaning behind them. Your notes really help me enjoy the song more. Great job!" - JUDGE 3 - 5 Points "This is one of those songs that feel like a movie scene, and it also makes me feel nostalgic towards a memory that doesn’t even exist. It’s extremely catchy, but also emotionally vulnerable. I love the juxtaposition of the glimmery indie pop instrumentals with the gut punchy and relatable lyrics. Like damn, I’ve been there. I really enjoyed this song." SECOND SUBMISSION - TOTAL POINTS: 13 ROUND 8 TOTAL POINTS: 26 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Lewis - "Superhuman" by Anna-Sophie "I feel this is a bit of risk, as you are either going to love it or hate it. To be in the Final 3 is amazing, I’ve had so much fun in this competition.. so I wanted to submit something that was true to me, my energy and my personal taste. I am a sucker for a song that gives me power, and instantly puts me in a good mood. Travelling through the City listening to this song makes me feel unstoppable, that is what music should do❤️" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ratings: JUDGE 1 - 6 Points "Easy personal fave this round! Probably the only one that I'll listen to more of once the round is over! I do think there is one submission that was maybe more creative/stand-out so I'm teeter-tottering between which of the two should get my top spot. I don't know where she's from but I love that even though the song is English, I hear her accent. But most importantly, I love the empowering theme of the lyrics! We all have a little superhuman in us but we just don't always know it…..until we hear this song, anyway! It's really upbeat/energetic and optimistic. It’s literally 11:30 P.M. but I sorta want to get up and go kick some butt at the gym after hearing this. Maaaybe I'll wait until morning! Haha!" - JUDGE 2 - 1 Point "I think this song is okay but nothing in this song really stands out to me as other songs in this round did. I think that it just reminds me of another girl pop artist and it didn’t really impress me, I am confused when you say that you took a risk because I feel like this song doesn’t really give any risk at all, it’s just a pop girl song." - JUDGE 3 - 1 Point "A risk you say…I’m sorry but I don’t really see how this was a risk. This feels like a pretty basic pop song. I don’t love this, I don’t hate this, I actually don’t have any thoughts on this or feel any particular way towards it, and honestly that’s a problem. If the “risk” you speak of was submitting a generic song then that’s a risk you should not have taken." FIRST SUBMISSION - TOTAL POINTS: 8 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Lewis - "I Like the Way You Die" by Black Honey "Still staying on my “Final Three journey” lane, I wanted to push myself a little with this round and submit something outside of my usual taste. I spent some time exploring genres I wouldn’t normally listen to, with the challenge of finding a song that could genuinely win me over …and surprisingly, I had a lot of fun doing it! Then I came across “I Like the Way You Die” by Black Honey, and I instantly knew this was the one. It feels different for me, but at the same time, it completely captures the energy I want to bring. It’s unapologetic and has that undeniable bad ass energy. I wanted this choice to show that my music taste has range, but there’s another reason behind it too… if I make it through to the Final Two, this is exactly the energy I plan on bringing with me." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ratings: JUDGE 1 - 2 Points "The title of this song is TERRIFYING! Ngl, I was a little skeptical when opening this link as to what I would hear! Lol! I struggled a bit to understand the lyrics which is a bummer because it kind of takes away from the song. I did look them up though and they're pretty fierce! Subjectively, this isn't my absolute favorite but I do appreciate that it's something new and different! Your notes are flawless though! Submitting this song blind would confuse me but making a personal connection to it sort of fills the void!" - JUDGE 2 - 4 Points "I think this song is okay. The main issue I have with this song is that I feel like I can’t hear the artist singing because the instruments are so loud LOL. I’m also not a huge fan of the effect that is on her voice. I think the instruments to this song are good but I just wish I could hear her more." - JUDGE 3 - 3 Points "I just…I don’t know. I find this particular sound to be really uninteresting. This takes me back to those 2010’s indie/alternative rock songs that turned into huge hits. They all had the “ooooh’s” in the choruses and the megaphone vocals and a grunge aesthetic that sounds a bit too plastic and commercialized for my liking. It’s not for me, but the 3 points I’m giving you are because it feels like you actually tried to do something a bit different and unique with this submission, which is more than I can say for the two songs below this." SECOND SUBMISSION - TOTAL POINTS: 9 ROUND 8 TOTAL POINTS: 17 -----------------------------------------------------------------
TheBreeze - "Trains" by Porcupine Tree "The lead singer Steven Wilson takes great pride in this song. He always closes with it at live performances, doing a bit where he jokingly hypes it up into the same category as classic rock masterpieces like Stairway To Heaven, Free Bird, or Bohemian Rhapsody. He then points out that no, most of his songs including this one have always remained under the radar in popularity... which captures the essence of Limelight. This was my gateway into discovering a really special band so I want it to be yours too. Trains transports you back into YOUR past, I'm sure there is some nostalgic memory that comes to mind while listening. I would love to hear about it! I think about riding the bus to and from the beach on a middle school field trip where I met one of my best friends." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ratings: JUDGE 1 - 4 Points "This sounds like it was plucked directly off of my Nostalgia playlist! I'm such a sucker for songs with heavy acoustic guitar so that intro was *chefs kiss*! I will say that without your notes, I would have seen this as more of a young romance song than anything. But I totally get where you're coming from with the memories. I also see that in some of the lines in the song, especially in terms of summers passing! Your notes brought me back to meeting my best friend in kindergarten! We were so close that teachers wanted to put us in separate classes until our parents told them that was stupid! One of my favorite senior pics is that same friend and I with our grad robes and diplomas in hand! Bittersweet and the memories make me smile but the amount of summers that have passed are unreal!" - JUDGE 2 - 2 Points "This song is also good, I just don’t know how to feel about the artists voice. I feel like he sounds a little off key at certain points in the song which makes me like the song less compared to other ones submitted. I really really enjoy the instruments but I just don’t really enjoy his voice :(" - JUDGE 3 - 6 Points "How have I never heard of Porcupine Tree before? I’ve clearly been missing out on something here. This song was an adventure that I was absolutely delighted to be on the entire way through. And yeah, the nostalgia factor was really there with this one. Here’s a memory for you. This takes me back to growing up, mainly around the age of 6 or so, and listening to alt rock bands with my mom. She introduced me to a wide variety of music when I was young, and this song reminds me of the type of music I would eagerly listen to on my iPod after being introduced to it by my mom. I loved everything about this song, thank you for this fabulous introduction to Porcupine Tree." FIRST SUBMISSION - TOTAL POINTS: 12 -----------------------------------------------------------------
TheBreeze - "In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom" by Volbeat "At least 5 words you say? Hold my beer bottle of goat milk. Volbeat, whose name stems from volume and beat, embraces their inner Johnny Cash here... that is, if he had gone mad and switched genres completely. Humorous, addictive, and can go straight into the soundtrack of the thriller television show Severance with the recurring theme of people wearing goat masks, this song is nothing short of memorable. Next time a friend asks you what you're listening to lately, make sure to cite this full title!" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ratings: JUDGE 1 - 1 Point "You crazy for even clicking on a song with that name thinking that it would be something you could submit. The title sounds like a joke, the song sounds like it's out to kill me! The Man in Black has some big shoes to fill! Nobody will ever do it but I did smile at Walk the Line/Night! I'm rarely lost for words but I'm honestly not sure what to think of this. It's weird, which has done well in the past but I'm not sure if I want a song to give me nightmares! Lol! P.S. You drink goat's milk out of a mason jar, like Moonshine. What is this beer bottle all about!? :P" - JUDGE 2 - 3 Points "This is also a really good song! I love the show Severance so I agree that it would fit right into the soundtrack. It gives me a little bit of Elvis Presley at first but then it gets into a bit of rock which I really enjoyed." - JUDGE 3 - 4 Points "When I saw this theme I was hoping someone would go above and beyond and give us an absolute clusterfuck of a song title. Thank you so much for doing that. I have to admit that I was unreasonably hyped when he managed to drop the FULL TITLE in the song. HE SAID THE THING!!!!! I will mention that we’ve gotten a lot of rock this season, and I felt that we’ve had other rock songs that were more interesting than this (although this one has the most interesting name). If it weren’t for that I may have liked this song more, but I still dug this a lot. I’m staying away from that barn though…" SECOND SUBMISSION - TOTAL POINTS: 8 ROUND 8 TOTAL POINTS: 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------- And therefore, Lewis I'm so sorry but you have been eliminated from Limelight </3 Lewis it's been a PLEASURE having you here this season. You quite possibly have been the underdog of the season climbing your way to the final 3, where ultimately you will fall just short. You should be very proud and thank you for playing <3 --- CONTESTANTS Cray TheBreeze --- ELIMINATED brookie KnowUh Space Lexus ChloeKay melanie KaliMinaj Lewis