[holyground]

But Fergie performed.

[Speezy]

Originally posted by DillonATRL

i'm actually working on them now so i can hop in the shower after because the last thing in the world i wanna do is watch the amas and even worse see people tweet about it

The tweets are the best part

[Dylan']

Welcome castaways to the 12th results show of the season! You each created an EP this round. You were judged on the following scale:

Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 4 Points
Explanation: 4 Points

Total: #/10 Points

With that said, let's get started...

Tribe Bonbondi


The Entries:

1. gotintoririfever1

Originally posted by gotintoririfever1

It's been a crazy, fun and wild year for Jessie J and comeback of today's top premier pop diva's is just right around the corner. She is finally back in full throttle burning up with her 7 track EP "Sweet Talker". The personal and insipired EP masterpiece is full with fiery tracks that she haven't been done before yet along with her latest collaborative hit with today's hottest artist Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. Love that song? I'm sure everyone will love the EP harder .
The EP comprises of 7 beautifully crafted tracks that people will absolutely love. The songs just scream BANGER and hits! The album is opened by the EP track "Sweet Talker" followed by the infectious hit "Bang Bang." The adrenaline rush continues with the next track "Ain't Been Done" then we slow things down to the funky and mellow song "Seal Me With A Kiss". Proceeded by the heartfelt ballad "Personal" showcasing the emotional and vulnerable side of the cd. Then she decides to amp things up again with the next track "Burning Up" with a guest feature from 2Chainz then closing this perfectly helmed EP with the song "Masterpiece". She stated that she is still working on her masterpiece but can things get any perfect with this EP?

Dylan: Jessie J - Sweet Talker (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Not that different from the original but I love the original so I guess that's a good thing.
Revised Tracklist: 3/4
Pretty solid tracklist overall. However, in my opinion, Get Away should have been there because it's a great track compared to Ain't Been Done and also because it would flow of the EP because you have Personal randomly stuck in the middle which is awkward. The flow is a bit off starting off with Sweet Talker which could be a album closer and Burnin Up close to ending the album when it (and/or Bang Bang) screams album opener tbh. However. other than the Get Away snub, you chose the right tracks. Would have ben a 3.5 if the order wasn't super weird.
Explanation: 2.5/4
Like you mentioned, it seems more like a commercial script than an actual explanation as to why the tracks are there. If we were doing an advertisement it would have slayed, but we aren't. You could have got a higher score had you actually explained your choices.

Overall, a potentially strong entry that was fell to average due to the explanation. Like the effort though!



7.5/10

ethan - gotintoririfever1
Laying it on a bit thick with that description, but I was with you there for a little while. I didn’t see enough of an explanation of why you included each song or didn’t include others. As for the track listing itself, it’s hard to make a good track listing when an album doesn’t have any good songs on it, but you didn’t make any bad choices. I wish it had You Don’t Really Know Me on there, but as long as it has Bang Bang and Burnin Up, you’re good to go.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 3.5/4
Explanation: 2/4

Total: 7.5/10

gotintoririfever1

Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 4 Points
Explanation: 4 Points

Total: 10/10

Anna: I can’t see any faults in this, cool EP.

Nicole - gotintoririfever1

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4 - I think your tracklisting was pretty good with a few exceptions. Firstly, Ain't Been Done is extremely overrated to me and it's one of the songs I listen to the least on the album. It feels very generic and faceless so if you were cutting down the album to an EP I see no use at all in keeping that track. Secondly, I wish you would have included one of the more meaningful ballads (Get Away, Your Loss I'm Found, or You Don't Really Know Me). I feel that all of these songs are pretty personal to Jessie and she probably feels that they represent her as an artist well. They're probably much more personal to her than...Personal. Personal is a good song too, though, so I'm not taking off any points for that. So yeah basically Ain't Been Done could have been for one of those songs. Ballads are what Jessie does best a lot of times. Thank god you included Seal Me With a Kiss, Sweet Talker, and Masterpiece. Those three songs are pure slayage! If she can't get a hit with any of those songs then she's really ova.
Explanation: 2/4 - Well I feel like you said a lot without really saying anything, if that makes sense. I mean you didn't really give any insight into why you picked what you did other than saying most of the songs were hits and Personal was a heartfelt ballad. I mean I know it can be hard to explain your choices sometimes for things like this when you're just picking a song because it's an enjoyable uptempo but you could have tried a little harder.

Total: 7.5/10

2. prezli

Originally posted by prezli

JASON DERULO - TALK DIRTIER

CREATED BY PREZLI // COVER BY PREZLI

This EP is easily the hottest EP you have ever heard. My main goal was to select the best songs which fit the title "Talk Dirtier" and to arrange them to flow seamlessly. I chose this title because the songs are about sex and the lyrics are "dirtier" than ever.

Talk Dirty ─ The EP starts off with the title song. A catchy song, a smash hit, probably one of his best songs, one of the most successful songs this year... need more?

Wiggle ─ I like "Wiggle" because it's not a typical song you hear everyday. Its instrumental sounds special. Oh, did I mention Legend Dogg? Shake your booty.

The Other Side ─ Following the bangers, the third track is a low-key song that I'm sure everyone likes.

With the Lights On ─ I like the dubstep beat in "With the Lights On."

Side Fx ─ Side Fx is my favorite song on this EP. His voice is very good in this song. The thing I really love is its hidden sexuality.

Fire ─ Back to the bangers, we have "Fire" as track 5. I'm not a Pitbull fan, but he's great in this song. It makes my body dance.

Zipper ─ I think Zipper is a good close of this EP. The female vocal is extremely amazing in the chorus part. I-I-I-I-I-I wanna ri-i-i-i-i-i-ide.

Dylan: Jason Derulo - Talker Dirtier (EP)

Title: 1/1
Predictable but cute nevertheless.
Cover: 1/1
Nice fonts!
Revised Tracklist: 2/4
Your theme was a good idea but it forced you to choose songs that aren't the strongest tracks on the album. Even if you wanted just sex songs, I think Kama Sutra had smash potential and Trumpets is still about sex even if it's not as raunchy. I think both or at least one of those tracks should have made the cut personally. Fire is pure filler bonus track material so I don't agree with that being on the EP at all. Glad to see The Other Side make the cut as it is his best song. Finally, Marry Me is one of his best songs so despite the theme, I believe it should have been included in a way that holyground included more meaningful songs as a way of saying sex isn't everything and love does matter. Good idea but the execution was a bit off.
Explanation: 3/4
Your explanation was solid overall. You could have went a little more in depth about a few tracks but you explained your theme and goal for this EP which helped a lot. If you hadn't done that, I would have been super confused about some track choices.

Overall, I thought this was decent. As I said, the effort/direction was nice, but the execution got a little messy.



7/10

ethan - prezli
Good descriptions, some of it seemed random but we can’t expect too much out of you guys. Huge props for including The Other Side, which is the only song on the album I like. I think you could have included Trumpets, which is much more well-received (and includes a reference to Katy Perry) instead of Fire. Trumpets would have actually made a really great closing track.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 2.5/4
Explanation: 3.5/4

Total: 8/10

prezli
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 3 Points
Explanation: 3 Points

Total: 8/10

Anna: I like the theme and how it all tied together, but your explanations seemed a bit basic. And where is Trumpets?

Nicole - prezli

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 2/4 - I wish you had focused on just making a great EP though instead of the "hottest EP ever" because that really limited the types of songs available for you to choose. Variety is the spice of life! I don't really like any EP or album that is completely one note. I feel like listening to this EP only without any of the other songs would get pretty monotonous eventually. I mean throwing in a song like Stupid Love, Marry Me, or Rest of Our Live would have really rounded it out. And even if I just focus on the sexier uptempos - you snubbed Trumpets and Kama Sutra, for example, which are both billions of times better than Fire, Zipper, and even the Talk Dirty rip-off Wiggle. You didn't do terribly but there was definitely room for improvement.
Explanation: 3/4 - Well you explained the concept behind this EP and what your mission to do with it was and then explained why you liked each song and why it earned it's spot on the EP, so I guess there isn't anything to criticize here. You explained yourself well enough.

Total: 7/10

3. Speezy

Originally posted by Speezy

Mariah Carey - The Art of letting go

1. Thirsty
2. Faded
3. Dedicated (feat. Nas)
4. #Beautiful
5. You Don't Know What To Do
6. Make It Look Good
7. You're Mine (Eternal)
8. One More Try
9.The Art of Letting Go

---

This EP Showcases Mariah's throwback vibe from an upbeat tempo to a transition to slow songs.
This EP isn't filled with most slow songs (like her album) but rather upbeat songs as well to manifest Mariah's vocal ability .
The tracklist gives a story line of her being in lover but the man Is thirsty and there love faded away. Then he calls her beautiful and she is deciding between the faith of there relationship. Then she finally lets go of him and her problems

Dylan: Mariah Carey - The Art of Letting Go (EP)

Title: 1/1
So much better than the embarassing joke the album is actually titled.
Cover: 1/1
Yeah.
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
I own all of Mariah's recent albums and I despise this album so this was difficult to get through. I would have butchered you had Beautiful been removed from the tracklist so good job there. Overall, I didn't see any major problems. You chose some midtempos as well as a few ballads which makes the EP balanced. The flow was great so I applaud you there. Good. No real complaints.
Explanation: 1.5/4
You screwed yourself over here. The story is cute I guess. But you didn't explain why you chose the songs you did which was the point of the explanation. You're really going to need to step the explanation game up because it seems to consistently be your downfall. You choose the right things but then fail to back it up.

Overall, a decent entry. You could have potentially won this round but as I said previously, the explanation was barely an explanation at all. This will do for now but let's explain next time.



7/10

ethan - Speezy
I hate when people try to make stories out of albums, as if anyone would actually pay attention to that or care if an album told a story from start to finish. That was the majority of your explanation, so I wish we’d seen some more specifics in other areas (like why you chose the songs you did). Thirsty is a completely unlistenable song, I have to dock points for including it. There are better songs on that album, although they’re all pretty much terrible. Kudos for including #Beautiful.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 2.5/4
Explanation: 1/4

Total: 5.5/10

Speezy

Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 3 Points
Explanation: 1.5 Points

Total: 6.5/10

Anna: Dylan shouldn’t even have put this up for choice, it’s way too long. Your explanation is short but I feel like it is too short, you could have gone more into detail and related every song to the storyline.

Nicole - Speezy

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 3/4 - I mean, Thirsty is a guilty pleasure bop but it's truly a mess putting it as the opening track lol. I still would have included Thirsty if I were making an EP of this album too so I'm not saying it was a bad pick in general. Most of your choices were good ones. The track I have the biggest problem with you choosing is One More Try. I mean, I guess it goes with the story you were trying to create but that's why sometimes it's just smart to pick the best songs and include some variety instead of trying to tell a story with the songs or anything like that. An original Mariah track would have just been better imo. One More Try is just too long and boring as hell. Cry or Supernatural would have been better picks, both are standouts. Could have also done without Make It Look Good but hey on a positive note I'm glad you included The Art of Letting Go especially, that song is great! Shouldn't have been shoved to the deluxe edition only.
Explanation: 3/4 - I mean, you could put more effort into your writeups. I feel like they are always very short in comparison to everyone else's but despite this you did at least explain the story you were trying to tell with the songs you chose so it still worked despite the briefness this time.

Total: 8/10

4. holyground

Originally posted by holyground

Kylie Minogue - Le Sex (EP)



1. SEXERCIZE
2. MR. PRESIDENT
3. SEXY LOVE
4. LE SEX
5. FEELS SO GOOD
6. KISS ME ONCE
7. INTO THE BLUE

This EP focuses on what Ms. Minogue knows best, and what everyone loves best, sex. It starts off with the controversial Sexercize, designed to put you in a hot and sweaty mood right away. Then we get a little kinky with Mr. President.

With Sexy Love and Les Sex, it's all about keeping up the momentum and the drive to do the best of what you can do and doing it right. Then, we get to how it Feels So Good.

Finally, we slow things down with Kiss Me Once and Into the Blue for a euphoric ending. In the end, love is what's important and sex is just the activity that comes along with it that takes you to a higher place. What's the point of it if it only satisfies one particular craving and not fulfill you as a whole?

Dylan: Kylie Minogue - Le Sex (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cute.
Cover: 1/1
I'm assuming you made this yourself as image search doesn't show where this came from so nice job there!
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
The flow is completely there with the transition from pure sex to actual love. I did like the theme. but it prevented you from choosing Million Miles which is one of the highlights of the album in all honestly. Mr. President may fit into your theme, but it definitely is bonus track material. I think Million Miles could have been snuck into your album without the theme being thrown off. However, other than that, it was a very nice tracklist for this EP.
Explanation: 4/4
You took advantage of the explanation which others failed to do. And you managed to explain in a fulfilling way without writing three paragraphs. Quantity can save your ass a bit, but it can't prevail without quality which you delivered. I'm a fan.

Overall, one of the strongest entries. You had logical reasoning for your tracklist and backed it up in a clever way. Great job!



9.5/10

ethan - holyground
I love Sexercize as an opener, it feels like a little intro to the theme of the album. It’s Les Sex, btw. Not Le Sex. Mr. President is a weird choice, but I buy it in the context of the album’s theme all about being sexy. Thank you for including Kiss Me Once and Into the Blue, both outstanding tracks.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 4/4
Explanation: 3.5/4

Total: 9.5/10

holyground
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 2 Points
Explanation: 2 Points

Total: 6/10

Anna: I personally don’t like the theme, I just don’t see the overly sexual thing working for Kylie, to the point where listening to the album made me uncomfortable. I’m sure you could have come up with something else. Regarding the tracklist you did come up with, I would have preferred it starting out with the more cute/tame songs and then build up the heat and tension.

Nicole - holyground

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 2.5/4 - Would be great if you didn't pay dust to many album standouts. I mean Million Miles, Fine, and Sleeping With The Enemy...all not there?!? Unacceptable! Million Miles is Kylie at her best. It's pop perfection! And Fine and Sleeping With the Enemy are both unique in their own ways, add something important to the album, and are both great lyrically. One of the sex songs could have been cut for one of those songs (even though i do love all of the sex songs but it should have been done for the sake of variety). I could have done without In the Blue too. I mean it's grown on me but compared to most of Kylie's other first singles, it's kinda tragic. Most of the other tracks are better. So while creating a theme for your EP may make your explanation easier it doesn't necessarily help your tracklist as we can see.
Explanation: 3.5/4 - Even though I thought the tracklist would have been better if you just threw away any theme regarding the subject matter of what you chose you ended up giving a great explanation of what you did decide to do which helped your score in the end. So good job here!

Total: 8/10

More entries on next post.

[Dylan']

5. Yvess

Originally posted by Yvess

Ariana Grande MY EVERYTHING

Ariana Grande rose to fame in the music scene with her debut album entitled "Yours Truly" that shows us her R&B side which thrilled us to see what the pop diva has in store for us on her next album.
In this EP, Ariana didn't disappoint as she proved that she truly got what it takes to be a major pop girl that everyone should watch out for. Ariana shows us that she can do awesome ballads, R&B jams, Catchy pop hits and more, that's why this EP is entitled "My Everything". I want my EP to be able to take us to a ride of different emotions with the help of its tracklist that encapsulates Ariana's vocal prowess all throughtout while exploring the depths of falling in and out of love. This EP gives us a vip seat to the evolution of her music. We start off the EP with the infectious hit "Problem" and R&B gem "Be My Baby", it truly bridges the evolution from her debut album and what's to come up next for her music. To be followed by EDM-infused tracks "One Last Time" and "Break Free", it speaks about showing confidence in being yourself and finding love. To further prove Ariana's versatility, "Break Your Heart Right Back" and "Love Me Harder" comes up next that tackles about her vulnerability on love and heartbreak while giving us Ariana's daring and sensual side. The power ballads "Best Mistake" and "My Everything" shows us her growth in the ballad department making it the perfect choices to close the EP. My EP gives Ariana's everything she's got which serves as a good foundation to her next steps that she's going to take on her music career. My Everything EP leaves it's listeners an impression of Ariana's sincere and conscious effort in evolving her musical vocabulary and artistry.

Dylan: Ariana Grande - My Everything (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Better than the original.
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
This was good for the most part. The problem with this album was she tried to appeal to all genres shes capable of and it turned a bit messy as an overall piece. You cut out most the filler. I'm glad to see Break Your Heart Right Back and Best Mistake since most of ATRL hates anything that's not candy coated pop. I am personally a fan of Why Try over One Last Time, but it's nothing to sweat about when both are fine tracks. The flow was a bit off with us transitioning from dance Break Free to urban BYHRB to midtempo pop Love Me Harder in a row. But other than flow, I saw no real problems to complain about.
Explanation: 3.5/4
You gave genuine effort into the explanation which was nice aside from a few minor errors. Fir example, you mentioned Best Mistake as a power ballad which confused me since it's a midtempo r&b/rap track. You must have been thinking of the underrated gem Why Try, huh? Overall, you explained well.

Pretty good entry overall. In the top 1/2 of this round due to effort and well thought out choices.



9/10

ethan - Yvess
I haven’t listened to the whole album, but I listened to the iTunes previews and it seems like you made some good choices. It’s a bit feature heavy, but the album itself is feature heavy, so there’s only so much you can do about it. It seems like you put effort into the explanation, and even if I don’t completely understand because I don’t follow Ariana, it made sense to me.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 3/4
Explanation: 3/4

Total: 8/10

Yvess
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 4 Points
Explanation: 4 Points

Total: 10/10

Anna: I like your tracklist and explanation, both very nicely structured. Not the biggest fan of My Everything but I guess as the title track it should be there plus it’s good at the end.

Nicole - Yvess

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 4/4 - The best tracklist I've seen so far! Mine probably would have been exactly the same and if not that there may have been just one track I included that you didn't. And that track would have been Hands on Me or Too Close. I think both are amazing and are among the best tracks on the album but they could be seen as risky choices. Maybe that would have been a good thing though because it's just very safe to include all the singles although I understand why all of them were chosen to be singles and none of them were bad picks but sometimes there are tracks that are amazing that don't get that attention because they're not viable commercially. Your tracklist was as close to perfect as it gets nonetheless so you'll be getting a 4 here.
Explanation: 4/4 - Very well said. I agree with all of that!

Total: 10/10

6. Amaloner

Originally posted by Amaloner

1. Artist + Album Title - 1 Point
Taylor Swift - 1989 (EP)


2. Album Cover - 1 Point



3. Revised Tracklist - 4 Points

1. Blank Space
2. Out of the Woods
3. Wildest Dreams
4. How You Get the Girl
5. I Know Places
6. Clean
7. You Are In Love
8. Style

4. Explanation - 4 Points
Back up your choices in however many words you need.

Taylor went full on pop with this album. So, I chose the tracks which I think are the most pop-sounding among all of the songs in the album. We all know that Taylor is known for writing about her exes. That's why I picked Blank Space, not only it was really cool that she was mocking her public image of dating a lot of guys, but I believe the lyrics and beat were perfectly executed. Out of the Woods reminds me a lot of Safe & Sound (her song with The Civil Wars) which I absolutely love. The song has a bit of a dark vibe but not as dark as S&S. Wildest Dreams is something different that I've heard from Taylor, very mature and some people even compared this one to one of Lana's songs. The song has a elegant, graceful feel to it. This song literally takes my breath away whenever I hear it. How You Get The Girl is extremely cheesy and girly but definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. The song is just so fun. I Know Places is one of the songs that I instantly liked when I first heard the album. Maybe, it was the drums in the background. Clean is every refreshing to the ears maybe because it's a song about moving on. It sounds very indie too. One of the most underrated songs in the album, You Are In Love, because a lot of people find it boring. But I think ballads are the real gems of the album (in this case, the EP).Style, definitely one of the fan-favorites and one of the standout tracks in the album, well you just gotta love this song, the mood, the beat, everything. If you don't like it, then something is just wrong with you.

Dylan: Taylor Swift - 1989 (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Love it! If you made it yourself, kudos to you.
Revised Tracklist: 2.5/4
I wasn't the biggest fan of this tracklist because it left me feeling so bittersweet. I was excited her worst songs recorded Shake It Off & Welcome to New York were snubbed. But then All You Had To Do Was Stay & Wonderland were both snubbed so I was disappointed to not see at least one of these tracks on there. You can't put each judge's fave tracks on the EP which I understand, but one of your slots was completely wasted with the filler How You Get The Girl. That slot could have been used on something worthwhile. The flow was fine other than Clean being thrown into the middle of the two love songs. Style ending the album actually makes sense so I'm on your side there. As you can tell, I'm conflicted.
Explanation: 3/4
You took the time to actually explain which is greatly appreciated. I wish it was a little less along the "I like" and "I think" lines since it seemed so focused on only your opinion, but that's just something to take into consideration the next explanation you complete. Effort was there but the substance was lacking at times.



7.5/10

ethan - Amaloner
Sorry bud, you picked the one album from the list I’ve actually listened to beginning-to-end more than once, so it’s going to be the only album I have really strong opinions about. I can’t even fathom why you included Clean or I Know Places, and your explanation didn’t clear anything up for me (why do I care which songs you liked? an album is not just songs that you like. I LOVE Welcome to New York but I would cut it in a heartbeat if I was tasked with this challenge). Neither are very pop-sounding, which you made seem like was your goal for this EP. Where is Shake It Off? Where is I Wish You Would? THESE are pop songs. Why is Style closing the EP? I don’t get it and there was no explanation for it.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 2/4
Explanation: 1.5/4

Total: 5.5/10

Amaloner
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 3 Points
Explanation: 2 Points

Total: 7/10

Anna: You explained why you picked each track, but you didn’t say anything about the structure/order of the tracklist. I also think Clean should have been the album closer, it just can’t be followed up with anything.

Nicole - Amaloner

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 2/4 - Well, I wouldn't say you chose any bad songs since the album is truly great and I wouldn't describe even my least favorite track as bad per se. But you did include a few of my least favorites I must say. You Are In Love is very boring in my opinion...This Love is far superior. So that was an unnecessary pick. I Know Places is also one of the more uneventful tracks. Neither really should have made an EP for this album considering all of the truly amazing tracks there are. And as far as the very poppy tracks go - Bad Blood, All You Had to Do Was Stay, and I Wish You Would are better than HYGTG. I think another one of those very poppy tracks were needed to truly represent the album. On the plus side - Blank Space, Clean, Style, Wildest Dreams, and OOTW were great picks. I am just disappointed with those three meh choices considering all of the great options you had. Still a decent tracklist but it could have been flawless!
Explanation: 3.5/4 - Even if I didn't agree with every choice you made I like that you backed them all up. Your explanation was also very well put. And you can tell that you did take the time to put it together instead of just throwing it together quickly and sending it in so I will reward you for that to make up with how I felt about some of the choices for the tracklisting.

Total: 7.5/10

7. Truth Teller

Originally posted by Truth Teller

TINASHE - Aquarius EP

Written Tracklist

♒ Cold Sweat
♒ How Many Times (feat. Future)
♒ Feels Like Vegas
♒ Watch Me Work
♒ 2 On (feat. Schoolboy Q)
♒ Far Side Of The Moon
♒ Bet (feat. Devonté Hynes)
♒ Bated Breath

Cover Art Explanation

The Aquarius star sign logo, as Tinashe stylized it in the end of the Aquarius album trailer graces the top and bottom part of the cover, divided in two. The Aquarius sign also replaces the numbers of the songs on the tracklist.

The core of the cover art is a tall, large wave. It was chosen because :
1) Tinashe's smooth sound and vocals correlate to the element of water
2)The order of the tracklist is inspired by the movement of a wave
3) Water has played a big part in the Aquarius era. It's included in the 2 On lyric video, the Pretend video, the Aquarius album trailer and it inspired The Calm interlude

Both the cover and the back which also includes the element of water are black and white. This design represent the album's elegant, old school feel and vibe. The only thing that breaks the B & W design is the blue color. It's used in Tinashe's name in the cover and in the song titles in the back. Blue is often associated with water, because water reflects the color of the sky.

Tinashe's name in the cover is stylized as TinΛshe. The Λ digit is inspired by Aaliyah's self titled album, which is an influence in Tinashe's sound and image. Λ also looks like a part from the aquarius sign logo. Her name is not prominent. It looks like a painter's signature. That's because her work is more important than her brand. It's all about the art

Tracklist explanation

The tracklist resembles the movement of a wave. It goes through the same phases as a wave and there's a cohesive and coherent consecutiveness between the phases, as each track smoothly leads to the next one.

Phase 1 : The beginning
Before the wave starts forming, the sea is peaceful and smooth. That's exactly how I'd describe Cold Sweat. The whispery sensual chorus points to that direction. How Many Times is in the same vein. Future's intense verse and Tinashe's high adlibs are the perfect calm before the perfect storm.

Phase 2 : The rise
The wave starts developping slowly without looking menacing. That's what Feels Like Vegas is about ; a strong midtempo track that works as the "fasten your seatbelts cause she's coming for your lives" moment of the EP. The wave gets bigger and more impressive, increasing in altitude, during Watch Me Work. The track is sassy, pulsating, catchy and faster in pace. It's the natural follow-up to Feels Like Vegas.

Phase 3 : The peak
The wave is now at its high point, slaying and ravaging everything on its way. 2 On, the urban bop of the year, is the perfect song to represent that.

Phase 4 : The gradual fall
Representing how the wave is slowly decreasing in altitude and approaching the shore, Far Side Of The Moon is a smooth transition from 2 On, as it's slower in tempo and more emotional, but its production allows it to linger in the middle of an r & b ballad and a midtempo bop. The next step is Bet. The wave has reached the shore and and we're left with the beautiful sound and the white foam on the sand.

Phase 5 : The quiet
After the storm, comes the quiet. The instrumental outro of Bet works as a perfect prelude to the most sentimental moment of the EP, the heartbreaking Bated Breath.

Dylan: Tinashe - Aquarius (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
The album has a wave-like theme surrounding it so that was cool. Also, including a back cover was nice even if you're not a photoshop expert!
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
Watch Me Work was the only reason this wasn't a 4/4. I realize AHOD is a 2 On sibling but it's the stronger track of the two. I totally get why the Queen of R&B demoted Watch Me Work to a bonus track though it's still a bop. Aside from that, you chose the true standouts. The flow was great aside from Watch Me Work which should have been axed to begin with. No real complaints other than that. You chose an album me as well as Nicole love so it was risky since our opinions on it are strong, but you ultimately prevailed imo.
Explanation: 3.5/4
I was totally riding this wave with you, but the urban bops WMW & 2 On are hard to apply any artistic meaning to. They're just bops, you know? But I did like the explanation going along with your album cover and general theme so that was really cool.

One of the stronger entries overall. Watch Me Work was the only real downfall, but it's no big deal. I thought it was a great entry other than that.



9/10

ethan - Truth Teller
You did a bit much with your explanation. The sentence "Blue is often associated with water, because water reflects the color of the sky.” should never be included in a description for an album artwork. Too much. I appreciate the effort, I just hope in future rounds you will find a way to take it less seriously. The track list, eh. Aquarius is literally the only song on the album I could finish, and it wasn’t on there, but it didn’t fit with the theme so I can’t bag you too much. It’s a boring album so

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 3.5/4
Explanation: 3.5/4

Total: 9/10

Truth Teller

Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 1.5 Points
Explanation: 3 Points

Total: 6.5/10

Anna: A lot of songs on this album sound samey, I would have preferred if you had focused more on the energetic songs to make the EP more memorable. The concept seems ok, but in a 8 song tracklist you dedicate only 1 song to the peak yet 4 songs to slowly building up/down. That will not get the attention of the listener.

Nicole - Truth Teller

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 3/4 - Well obviously it's noticeable right away that All Hands on Deck was not included. I think it should have been. I noticed you say in the thread that you feel AHOD and 2 On are similar and that's why you didn't include both. Maybe it's just me but I don't necessarily hear that. I mean they're both among the more mainstream songs on the album obviously but that's about it. Feels like the tracklist is missing a little bit since it's a clear standout. Wildfire and Pretend could have been cute to include too, but I guess I'm okay with it. Looking past all that however I still think you created a pretty solid tracklist. It would be a great EP even without those songs which I suppose is a testament to Aquarius just very a quality album overall.
Explanation: 4/4 - Needless to say you had the most creative explanation of the bunch. Definitely was not expecting to see anything like that. Kudos to you though for thinking of something like though! And you actually made it work well which is the most important thing.

Total: 9/10

More entries on next post.

[Dylan']

8. Bey_RihStan

Originally posted by Bey_Rihstan

JHENE AIKO - SOULED OUT: The EP





track 1 - Brave
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1-C3H-gf8g

I think That Brave is a great way to start the EP, because it is one of the best mid tempos (& there are a lot) on the album. Not only that, but it has a great message to it & can be seen as an anthem to some women.


track 2 - Spotless Mind
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6agOgnnJESA


A more peaceful, serene song on the album with a throwback feel. It fits perfectly as a follow up to Brave.

track 3 - Remember
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_j2N_3LLY


Remember is a cute, "ballady" themed song. It's perfect for a middle track, & would probably appeal to a lot of people & could potentially work as an urban single. The drums & music is wonderful, as well. It has a nostalgic feel. Which correlates with the title.


track 4 - To Love & Die (ft. Cocaine 80s)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQgLo2bSPg8


To Love & Die is one of the better songs & more "uptempo" than most of the songs on the album. It's a nice distraction of the slower, more emotional songs to come before & after it. & it is actually a "feature" & not just Jhene by her lonesome (even though it really is)

track 5 - Limbo Limbo Limbo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWkhv2PguDI

Limbo Limbo Limbo is a rock influenced track & it is one of the best songs on Souled out.
It flows well between "To Love & Die" & "Lyin King" another one of the up tempos & the most diverse song on the album.


Track 6 - Lyin King
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfUX-F9bFWo

Another one of the up-tempos & stand out tracks on the album, it fits just right as one of the songs that ends the album & flows well between "Limbo Limbo Limbo" & "Promises". Another anthem for the heartbroken.

track 7 - Promises
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvsHZrqWCyk


Promises is one of those songs that just feels "right" to close an album. Obviously
one of the more personal songs on the album, as it has a recording of her (?) as a child, It truly defines the phrase "saving the best for last" it is a perfect closer. Promises features & is about her daughter, Namiko.

Dylan: Jhené Aiko - Souled Out (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Gorgeous cover. I love the original as well though.
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
Remember & Brave were the only two tracks I didn't get. W.A.Y.S. is a fan favorite and Wading stands out musically so I wish at least one of those would have made the cut. Other than that, you chose the exact songs I would have chosen. The flow was fine with you transitioning from a midtempo sound to more uptempo tracks leading back into the slower more "souled out" songs. Promise closes the EP perfectly as you stated. You did a good job with this.
Explanation: 2.5/4
The individual explanations were good for the most part but I would have loved to see a portion that focused on the EP as a whole and how it captures Jhene's vision for this piece. Some type of musical direction would have been nice to see. Everyone else had a vision and you didn't seem to have one here.

Overall, you did well for the album you chose. Your explaining needs to be worked on but I still think you came out in the middle of the pack.



8/10

ethan - Bey_Rihstan
Is this a real album? Children’s lullaby albums couldn’t put me to sleep as fast as this. This girl must drink and party for 23 hours straight and then head into the studio, exhausted, and muster up whatever energy she has to whisper out a song. I would have liked a little bit more about your overall decisions for the EP rather than just song by song.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 3.5/4
Explanation: 4/4

Total: 9.5/10

Bey_Rihstan

Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 3 Points
Explanation: 3 Points

Total: 8/10

Anna: Very cohesive, the songs pretty much blend into each other. I don’t recall a single one of them because they all sound the same to me but your explanations made sense.

Nicole - Bey_RihStan

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 3/4 - It's funny because you probably thought you were at a disadvantage for choosing an album we all despise but I guess in my case it ended up helping you. Due to the fact that I really don't give a **** about any of these songs so I can't say that I'm disappointed about ones in particular that didn't make it but I did listen to the album and tried to force myself to think about what songs I would include in an EP if I had to. I think I would have included W.A.Y.S. because the beat as least makes it a little less boring than all her other stuff and the lyrics are nice. The Pressure could have been there too perhaps but again since I'm meh about everything your actual choices are fine for the most part.
Explanation: 3.5/4 - Well you explained your choices well and I do like that you defending each song and it's spot on the EP and why you feel that it deserved to be there so it was good.

Total: 8.5/10

9. Remmy

Originally posted by Remmy

Remmy | Bonbondi

ROUND XII:
Choose An Album, Make It An EP

ALBUM:
Lea Michele - 'Louder'



http://i.imgur.com/WgyoZeL.png

Dylan: Lea Michele - Louder (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Cute layout.
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
The flow was there with the transition from light to dark. The actual album's flow was really awkward so I'm glad you fixed that up. I'm also glad Cannonball was removed. The lighter portion of the album is fine considering the concept you had for this EP. The dark side is almost perfect except the three ballads in a row gets to be a bit much. I think A Thousand Needles or Cue The Rain could have replaced Battlefield to balance the emotion of the EP. Other than that, great job. Burn With You & Empty Handed are great tracks so I'm relieved to see them still on this EP.
Explanation: 4/4
You wrote just enough for me. It wasn't filler to make your explanation seem more in depth than it was. But it also wasn't too short for me to see your reasoning. You backed up your choices well and didn't describe any track falsely.

One of my favorites this round. Really nicely put together and explained in a very reasonable fashion.



9.5/10

ethan - Remmy
There is a LOT of fat to trim on this album, which makes your job pretty easy. Credit to you for keeping Battlefield, Don’t Let Go, and If You Say So. Credit to you for dropping Cannonabll. I cannot agree with your inclusion of Burn with You, that song just rubs me hella the wrong way. Other than that, the filler was trimmed and the standouts were included. Great formatting and explanation.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 3.5/4
Explanation: 4/4

Total: 9.5/10

Remmy
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 4 Points
Explanation: 4 Points

Total: 10/10

Anna: You know what you’re doing. Layout is also amazing, and I love how you came up with the backstory of her scrapping the album and releasing the EP instead.

Nicole - Remmy

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 3/4 - This was probably one of the easiest albums to cut down so I don't have complaints about your choices other than one. How did you snub Thousand Needles? That definitely deserved a spot. Easily within my top 5 songs on the album. Other than that, everything else is good although Don't Let Go isn't one of my favorites (sounds like a song a Disney girl rejected ) but obviously it's not like you had many choices in the uptempo department so I won't dock you for that. Although I think Gone Tonight could have been cute in its place although I know it doesn't have the same vibe as DLG. But anyway you did a good job and I liked the sequencing as well.
Explanation: 4/4 - Well you put a lot of effort into the look of your entry (it looks great, btw!) as usual. You also described everything song well enough and explained why it's earned it's spot on the EP as well. And again, I do like the flow you decided to go with because I think it works very well going from the more upbeat songs to the slower ones and then of course If You Say So being the final track.

Total: 9/10

10. Superiore

Originally posted by Superiore

IGGY AZALEA - THE NEW CLASSIC (EP)

This is what The New Classic should've been, according to me, if it came out as an EP.

I obviously decided to keep the 5 singles on the tracklist. Other than for the sake of them being her most known songs, I also think each one of them represents in the best way every side of Iggy's style, from the most urban to the poppiest sound.

The album tracks I kept are some of her strongest material so I couldn't think of this project existing without them. Another good thing that goes to their side is that they're solo tracks. Being an EP so short, by definition, the non singles tracks have to be able to showcase exclusively Iggy's talent in the little time avalaible and they do it quite well, in my opinion.

I decided to break down the tracklist in the way that the Urban singles and the Pop ones won't be tied all together and the album tracks strategically disposed to separate the singles in the batch, avoiding at the same time an overdose of them and also creating expectation for the next to come.

Dylan: Iggy Azalea - The New Classic (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 2.5/4
I would have kept all the singles except Bounce. I adore **** Love but when you only have a certain amount of spaces to fill, it's not top priority. New Bitch was another choice I wasn't a fan of. The only song on the EP that has genuine meaning to it was Work. I would have liked to see any of the more meaningful tracks such as Walk The Line, Don't Need Y'all, or Rolex make an appearance. That way you could have still kept the rise to fame and the enjoyment of success present on the EP.
Explanation: 2/4
I don't think it's necessarily obvious to include the singles. Some people completely ignored the lead singles of their albums in their EPs and it worked just fine. You explained the general goal you had for the EP well but failing to mention any tracks in particular doesn't rub me the right way. The glass was half empty here.

Overall, this was probably my least favorite entry this round. I don't say this to discourage you, but it just seemed so halfway there that you just remained stuck in the middle in both categories of tracklist/explanation while others at least prevailed in one.



6.5/10

ethan - Superiore
It should not have been “obvious” to include the 5 singles. When you only have 7 spots to fill, you should not have automatically dropped the 5 singles released in there. Bounce and Change Your Life fulfill the same purpose, and Bounce is not anywhere near strong enough of a track to have made the cut on this EP (even though it is my favorite Iggy song). Iggy’s album is such a hodgepodge of hip-hop and pop, I’m glad you didn’t separate them, but the tracks you chose to include (New Bitch? over Walk the Line or Goddess?) are concerning.

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 2/4
Explanation: 2/4

Total: 6/10

Superiore
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 4 Points
Explanation: 4 Points

Total: 10/10

Anna: This has a really good flow and I feel like you put a lot of thought into it. The songs really represent different sides of Iggy while being commercial and appealing. Well done.

Nicole - Superiore

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 2/4 - One of the more disappointing tracklists I must say. I mean, I agree that the singles are among the best songs on the album but you didn't really need to put on all of them if you were creating an EP. I think you should have let more of the actual album-only material shine since there are some gems there. Choosing all of the singles just feels a bit predictable and doesn't showcase all of what the album has to offer. And the two non-singles you did choose were a bit disappointing as well. New Bitch is one of my least favorites on the album. As for **** Love, I do like that track...but it has a similar vibe to Bounce so I think you should have chosen one or the other. There were definitely better options: The very personal and fantastic Walk the Line, 100, Goddess, or even Rolex. This wouldn't be a horrible EP to listen to by any means but you could have done more with it to truly make it stand out.
Explanation: 2/4 - I mean it wasn't a bad explanation but maybe if you were more specific about each track and really defended each song and it's place on the tracklist more you could have score a bit higher here.

Total: 6/10

11. DOMINO

Originally posted by DOMINO

Motion EP, by Calvin Harris, is a mini album consisting of seven amazing songs. It features his singles
Under Control, Summer, Blame and Outside plus 3 brand new songs.

The dance driven EP showcases Harris's undeniable talent as a producer and will not disappoint when
being played in the clubs all over the world. Harris has once again proven to work with great
musicians - newcomers such as HAIM, Tinashe and big artists like Gwen Stefani and Ellie Goulding.

"All of these songs have one thing in common, they will make you want to get up and dance!"

Starting off with Summer, which features Harris's own vocals you get drawn into the album. Once
Pray to God starts you will lose yourself. Its catchy lyrics and phenomenal usage of electric guitars
and heavenly vocals does HAIM's other works justice. Outside is the second song by Goulding and Harris and
their dynamic proves to work just as fine as it did back on his first album. Track #5 Together is just a
dream come true. Stefani and Harris have done a great job on that one. Under Control (feat. Hurts) and
Blame (feat. John Newman) have already topped several charts so it's only natural they will not be missed
on this tracklist. Last but not least we have another highlight, Dollar Signs. The new songstress Tinashe shows
how she can incorporate her urban influences and turn it into a dance song.

Tracks: 7・Overall Length: 25:56min

Dylan: Calvin Harris - Motion (EP)

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Love the layout.
Revised Tracklist: 3.5/4
This was solid throughout. Glad to see Dollar Signs & Pray To God placed on the EP, The only track I don't agree with is Together because it seems so basic and a letdown for such a big collaboration. But at the same time, it has Gwen Stefani on it so I can see why you may have overlooked the quality for that track. Overall, no real complains besides that very minor mistake.
Explanation: 4/4
You gave background info and also managed to mention each track which I felt was pretty obvious though not everyone did it. It wasn't lengthy, but quantity isn't always quality which you seem to understand.

You were in the top tier of this round for sure. It was well put together and overall just an easy to comprehend entry.



9.5/10

ethan - DOMINO
Fabulous formatting! I haven’t listened to the full album, but on an album like this, it’s going to be easy to cut songs because the songs are all pretty similar quality-wise. That’s not to say they’re bad, there are just not GREAT songs and BAD songs like on a regular popstar’s album. I love the tracks you chose to include, no glaring omissions or songs that don’t fit. Nice!

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Tracklist: 4/4
Explanation: 4/4

Total: 10/10

DOMINO
Title: 1 Point
Cover: 1 Point
Revised Tracklist: 4 Points
Explanation: 4 Points

Total: 10/10

Anna: The album itself seems to have a pretty flat dynamic, with every song working according to the typical Calvin Harris formula, but that’s not your fault. I like the selection of songs and how you arranged them. Very nice visuals as well.

Nicole - DOMINO

Title: 1/1
Cover: 1/1
Revised Tracklist: 3.5 - A very nice tracklist outside of Together. I mean I obviously expected the song to slay once I saw Gwen was on it but it disappointed me in every way. I don't know if this makes sense but I feel like her vocals don't go well over a dance beat, like the way she's singing. It just doesn't sound right to me. Faith or Open Wide should have been on there instead. And I think including one of the instrumental tracks could have been beneficial as well considering Calvin is a producer first and foremost so those tracks showcase his beats. However, that isn't that big of a deal because other than Together you still put together a very strong EP that showcases most of the standouts on the album and would be an enjoyable listen.
Explanation: 2.5/4 - Decent explanation although you could have went into a bit more depth with it and actually explained each songs worth and why it really belongs on the EP a bit more.

Total: 8/10

Final Results next post.

[Bey_Rihstan]

O

[Dylan']

Now that you've seen how well you did this round, it's time to announce final scores and start the voting period for Tribal Council. Below will be the individual rank followed by the overall rank.

Then finally Tribal Council will start as usual.



R12 Overall Rank:

1. Remmy - 9.5 - +6
2. DOMINO - 9.4 - +3
3. Yvess - 9.3 - +8
4. Bey_RihStan - 8.5 - +6
5. Truth Teller - 8.4 - -1
6. holyground - 8.3 - -3
7. gotintoririfever1 - 8.1 - +5
8. prezli - 7.5 - -2
9. Superiore - 7.1 - -1
10. Amaloner - 6.9 - -9
11. Speezy - 6.8 - -9

Overall Rank of the Game So Far:

1. Amaloner - 8.41 - =
1. holyground - 8.41 - +1
3. Remmy - 8.31 - =
4. Truth Teller - 8.18 - =
4. Yvess - 8.18 - +1
6. Superiore - 7.72 - =
7. gotintoririfever1 - 7.7 - =
8. DOMINO - 7.62 - +1
9. Bey_RihStan - 7.56 - -1
10. Speezy - 7.29 - =
11. prezli - 6.55 - +1
12. Gabegabe - 7.14

---

Remmy


Congratulations on winning your first individual immunity of the season! As I've said before, it's the only way to guarantee safety in this game. You are safe from elimination this Tribal Council but you will still cast a vote as usual.

Tribe Bonbondi, it's time to head to Tribal Council. One castaway will be leaving the island this Tribal Council. Each of you is to PM me a name for who you want eliminated from the game. There is no need to explain the choice as it is just a simple vote. You may change your vote if you change your mind. Just send me another PM. Remember, Remmy is immune from elimination. However, the remaining 10 of you are up for elimination this Tribal Council.

Good luck.

- Dylan

[Remmy]

OMG immunity Thanks for the amazing scores, judges. Wow, I kind of expected a good amount of love since 3/4 of the panel already loved the full album, but I didn't know it'd be this big. Thanks for the praise on my tracklist, explanations and layout.


DOMINO That was so close, you did an amazing job and sorry for snatching that by .1
Amaloner + holyground tied overall I guess we'll be seeing who'll keep and lose it next round.

[Bey_Rihstan]

Omg 4th

[Yvess]

Thanks judges for the good scores. It's more special now coz I got a 10 from Nicole

[holyground]

Congrats Remmy

[Dylan']

Originally posted by holyground

Congrats Remmy

Originally posted by holyground

ELIMINATE REMMY

[holyground]

Originally posted by DillonATRL

[Remmy]

Originally posted by holyground

Congrats Remmy

Thanks

Originally posted by DillonATRL

We all know this is just some silly act from ha. Why else would he make me a judge in his game if he wants me eliminated/banned/etc?

[Speezy]

thanks Judges for giving a Mariah a chance

You're really going to need to step the explanation game up because it seems to consistently be your downfall. You choose the right things but then fail to back it up.

Bye Felicia (Dylan) not you dragging my explanations from this season and last season and other games Ive probably entered with explaining

[Yvess]

congrats Remmy for giving Lea's EP justice

[Yvess]

it is indeed a very tight battle to the top,

[Bloomers]

It was really close for the Top spot. That looked like it was a difficult challenge to put together.

Congrats Remmy

[Dylan']

Originally posted by Speezy

thanks Judges for giving a Mariah a chance

Bye Felicia (Dylan) not you dragging my explanations from this season and last season and other games Ive probably entered with explaining

Girl I'm just saying you could be getting 9's and higher if you made them better.

Jordin's mixtape has me lowkey hyped.

[Superiore]

Thanks Anna for believing in my choices

I totally get the critics, though, and I partly agree. I shouldn't have put all the singles there but I truly felt like the album tracks I chose were amongst the strongest on the album. Blame my taste!