I say that because this is the hardest week of the first round for me. Seven of my favorite artists of the past twenty-five years - Robyn. Arcade Fire, Cher Lloyd, The Dixie Chicks, Girls Aloud, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Pavement - are all stacked up against each other. Plus three I enjoy a great deal - The Strokes, Carrie Underwood, and Bon Iver. But what songs are playing? Two standout moments from Album of the Year winners, one song that was ROBBED of Best Dance Recording by another song that played last week, and, as poster jinzo calls it, one song that was a "#1.5" hit in the UK. I have a feeling which song will be the most loved (hello Ms. Carlsson) and least loved (goodbye Pavement!), but on with the show.

Bon Iver, performing Skinny Love

Pavement, performing Cut Your Hair

Robyn, performing Dancing on My Own

The Dixie Chicks, performing Not Ready to Make Nice

Arcade Fire, performing Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Cher Lloyd, performing With Ur Love (featuring Mike Posner)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor, performing Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) [with Spiller]

Carrie Underwood, performing Before He Cheats

The Strokes, performing Hard to Explain

Girls Aloud, performing Untouchable

I genuinely don't know what to do.

Listen to all ten songs, and rank them. Comment on them also. Your favorite song gets a 10, your least favorite gets a 1.

Due by next Saturday!

Call Your Girlfriend

This is gonna be hard.

So many better GA songs.

Robyn had ten people vote for her. The most of any artist this entire game.

I don't really know much about the Robyn base, but it sorta seems like it's divided to me between the Dancing on My Own stans and the Call Your Girlfriend stans Surely CYG was #2?

And the artists playing next week are:

Madonna
(ineligible: Vogue, Ray of Light, Jump)
Cheryl Cole
(ineligible: Promise This)
Missy Elliot
(ineligible: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly), She's a Bitch, All n My Grill, Funky Fresh Dressed)
Erykah Badu
Girls
(ineligible: Laura)
Shania Twain
(ineligible: If You're Not In It For Love (I'm Outta Here), You're Still the One)
Mary J. Blige
(ineligible: Real Love, Not Gon' Cry)
Roisin Murphy
(ineligible: Let Me Know, Movie Star)
The Saturdays
Pink
(ineligible: Most Girls)

Madonna, Cheryl, and Shania next week! Awesome! Of course my cherrypick would be picked for the very last week Darn luck of the draw.

Such good picks for Robyn, Bon Iver and Dixie Chicks! I can't wait to play this week.

Did anyone else besides me vote for "Cobrastyle?"

I thought about it. Robyn really needs a top ten.

I'll never tell.

Some FYCs before voting starts:

Cheryl
Parachute
Waiting
Happy Tears
Hummingbird
Amnesia
Yeah Yeah

Mary
MJB Da MVP
Just Fine
Reminisce
Sweet Thing
Love No Limit
I Can Love You
No More Drama
I'm Going Down
I Love You

Roisin
Sow Into You
Momma's Place
Bodicea
Ruby Blue
Primitive Love
You Know Me Better

The Saturdays
Why Me, Why Now?
White Lies
All Fired Up
Missing You
Do What You Want with Me
Ego
Faster
Work

Girls
Love Like a River
Heartbreaker
Thee Oh So Protective One
Vomit
Substance
Lust for Life
Hellhole Ratrace

Erykah
Honey
Otherside of the World
Next Lifetime
Tyrone (Live)
A.D. 2000
Windowseat
Orange Moon
Bag Lady
Penitentiary Philosophy

For Your Consideration:

Madonna
The Power of Good-Bye
Get Together
Nothing Really Matters
Rain
X-Static Process
Hung Up
Music
Sky Fits Heaven
Some Girls
Love Spent

Shania Twain
Any Man of Mine
No One Needs to Know
Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
That Don't Impress Me Much
The Woman in Me
I'm Gonna Getcha Good!
From This Moment On
Forever and for Always
It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing
When You Kiss Me

Did anyone notice that I only posted nine artists for next week?

Because I did.

The tenth is: ....

Pink
(ineligible: Family Portrait)

She's such a non-factor she always slips my mind.

You should edit the post with all the others or else she will be completely forgotten.

Just like her career!

And, for those wondering: take a look at the start of last year's second round. As you can see, the artists that played last year - and the one's playing now - are VASTLY different. Almost shocking what a new influx of voters can do.

I would have loved to have played last year! So much pop! Many of those artists got drawn into the same few weeks together this year so they sorta punched each other out. I'm so bummed that Gaga and Kylie were ineligible this time around. Was Kanye ineligible too? Three of my favorite artists

It was ... a very different crowd. In retrospect, a little too poppy with a bunch of cherrypicks that were obviously going nowhere and time wasters - Lolene (who got the lowest average ever in this game), Kristinia Debarge, most of the J-Pop acts - that took spots from deserving candidates. This year's top 32 will be at least a little out of the ordinary for ATRL.

Although I was surprised that Phoenix and MGMT did so well last year. This year, contemporary indie rock is not having the best of luck. (Well, one group has a solid place in the second round, but I don't want to spoil it.)

Gaga had quite a run. Bad Romance/Poker Face/So Happy I Could Die/Monster. She won it all if I remember correctly.

I should probably give Pink a solo FYC, since I gave her the snub of life.

Pink

Crystal Ball
Most Girls
There You Go
Trouble
Humble Neighborhoods
Who Knew
God is a DJ
Raise Your Glass
Try Too Hard
Please Don't Leave Me

10. Hard to Explain - Oh boy I love the Strokes' first album so much. This is probably their greatest song, something about it is so touching to me.

9. Dancing On My Own - This Really deserved all the critical acclaim it got! It's a very emotionally compelling, catchy, and well produced Pop song.

8. Sprawl II - Their songs with the girl singing are always my favorites.

7. Groovejet - I love the calm groove, it fits her vocals wonderfully and keeps me interested.

6. Before He Cheats - The song title really put me off, but I couldn't not enjoy this.

5. Untouchable - I do like this song, but it's missing their signature sass that makes me love them so much. I felt like that with most of Out of Control.

4. Cut Your Hair - I feel bad putting this song so low. I know how influential and important they are... and I like this song, but I don't love it. The video is neat though.

3. Skinny Love - Ehh definitely not my favorite of theirs. Not really much I can say about it.

2. Not Ready to Make Nice - Banal Power ballad.

1. With Ur Love - Not as bad as I expected, but my expectations were extremely low.