2018 BTT BRACKETS (And Discussion?)

[baystateoftheart]

Almost all the votes are in and I have to say I'm underwhelmed by what's shaping up as the final. Not by the songs themselves - all three are great and two are transcendent - but by the selection or lack thereof. All of them inhabit a very similar space of being conspicuously arty but not especially challenging listens. If we look at music as a spectrum ranging from fully poppy to fully bonkers, none of them are near those poles, instead all occupying an almost aggressively tasteful median.

If Falling Into Me and/or If You Know You Know had advanced, I don't think I'd perceive this dynamic.

What do you all think? Am I totally off base or do I have a point?
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[Repo]

I hear what you're saying, Baystate, but still...

Hval • Holter • Sons Of Kemet

idk. That's a show I'd definitely pay to see.

[baystateoftheart]

[babyBlueSedan]

I got the same impression that you did baystate, and it will be even stronger if Romance somehow comes back and wins against the Sons of Kemet song. I might be biased since I'm not a fan of Holter or Hval, but both songs are nice enough when they're on but don't feel quite daring enough to be great. It would have been interesting to have Pusha T or one of the really poppy songs in the final to see how it would have fared, but I think the "tasteful median" as you described it is less likely to repel people and more likely to grab votes in match-ups people aren't sure of. And of course there are users here who just really like these songs.

I am glad that the final will have two female artists and a jazz song - the diversity could have been a lot worse than it is.
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[Fischman]

I can see that take wrt Holter and Hval, but Sons is a different kettle of fish to me. IMO, it provides as good a variety in the final as Romance would have. Personally, I'm impressed that a legit Jazz tune made it this far and that alone makes it worthy and a preferable finalist to Romance.

[Skinny]

I mean 'Roaches' was clearly the best song in the tournament, but the final looks set to be pretty cool regardless.
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[cestuneblague]

Yeah I mean it's all about going for the best song, the importance of "variety" in the final is all well and good if that's how it all turns out but it's necessity is still somewhat specious. I mean I can see how Sons of Kemet looks like a better balance to the two likely Victor's in their respective brackets (although it ain't over till the fat lady sings), but from a personal perspective I'm rather unenthused if it makes it through since the last two songs Sons have been up against were much better in my eyes, but then again that's just one schmuck's opinion. I don't think anybody's voting on the logic "What would make a more diverse finale", and again the only point in each match is to vote which song you prefer and whatever song ends up going the distance is more cumalative circumstance and shouldn't be a factor in each individual match's voting. Tl;Dr summary: take the tournament match by individual match.

[Skinny]

But 'Roaches'.
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2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.

[cestuneblague]

But "Beverly".


No I def don't want to see like I'm ganging up on Sons, again the beauty of the tournament is everybody and all their personal perspectives gets a say and totally respect how each cookie (bracket) crumbles.

[Jimmy Dread]

I don’t think you’re ganging up on SOK at all... and I’m pleasantly surprised it’s gone as far as it has, given that my past selections in tournaments gone by have ended up getting booted out early doors.

Personally speaking I’d have loved to see Pusha in the final, and Holter (whilst beautiful) doesn’t do nearly as much for me as Gwenifer’s take on American Primitivism did. But I totally get why people love her track - and 10-15 years ago I might have felt the same. On a purely personal level and for me - the hitherto eternal jazz-sceptic - to not only find something from the genre that’s instantly clicked as well as opened gateways that 12 months ago I never would have entertained is reason for me to celebrate how seismic ...Harriet Tubman has been in my own little voyage of musical discovery. If by nomm’ing it I’ve managed to turn a few ears then regardless of what happens from here on in my work here is done.
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