♦★♦ bops, basically ★♦★ | finished, basically

Are you Team ♦Black Diamonds♦ or Team ★Blue Stars★?


  • Total voters
    53
#2
♦#2♦

Natalie-Don-t.jpg


♦ NATALIE DON'T ♦
RAYE 2/5
9.065
11 (6) @louciano @Inland Empire @Aester @Ana Raquel @VertigoStick @Maki | 10 (7) @Dynamo @CorgiCorgiCorgi @saviodxl @Daniel_O @Trouble in Paradise @Conan @Laurence | 9 (6) @DJHazey @soratami @BubblegumBoy @Isobel @berserkboi @Music Is Life & Death
6.5 @JakobVision22 | 7 (4) @WowWowWowWow @unnameable @spaceship @Epic Chocolat

#14 - #7 - #3 - #6 - #6 - #2

Coming second we have a song that actually spent most of the voting period outside the top 5, but got an influx of high scores from the last few ballots, including half of its six 11s, the most in the whole rate, which propelled it to #2. Still, despite taking the silver, at no point during the voting period did Natalie Don't actually have a realistic shot at hitting #1. Aside from having the most 11s, the song also has the second highest lowest score in the rate, only beaten by the winner.

Natalie Don't was released on July 10th 2020 (my birthday!) as the third single from RAYE's mini-album/EP Euphoric Sad Songs, which houses most of her rate entries. It didn't do anything commercially, but it was a big hit in the PJ monthly charts, and at the end of the day those are the charts that really matter. Conceived as a "modern day Jolene", much like a certain classic embedded below, Natalie Don't is a very cute disco-tinged semi-bop which, at the time of its release RAYE named her favourite song she'd ever wrote, though given recent developments I imagine that's probably no longer the case. Though interestingly enough, I think you can kind of hear a hint at the direction RAYE would take in the future in this song's bridge. Anyway, do I think this is top 2 material? Not really. To be honest I feel RAYE really benefited from the timing of this rate, and the wave of goodwill she received at the time, because Regardless and Love Of Your Life also way overperformed. I'm writing this here rather in the next elimination because I actually have no qualms with the winner - and in fact it wasn't even close.

@WowWowWowWow (7) "OK I won’t"

@daninternational (8) "Doesn't bop as hard as others, feels like this is the direction she continued into success, prefer her basic bops"

@Solenciennes (8) "You get the sense that Natalie Don’t not charting was one of the sticks used to beat Raye with by the record label, not letting her release a full length album, which is wild because it’s a really great song. The Jolene reference/inspiration is woven well into the fabric of the track, which is a tall order when it’s such a singular, gigantic reference to be making."

@berserkboi (9) “Very engaging melody!”

@saviodxl (10) "The narrative, the drama, the tension! Even I'm fearing that Natalie might steal my man. I don't have one atm."

@Trouble in Paradise (10) "nawt this Jolene style banger shocking me! Wow her label really fumbled a star"

@Dynamo (10) "Listen, I know half of the comments I've made here are just me repeating myself, but come on!!! This one is pretty good!"

@Maki (11) "Very likely my favourite song in the entire rate. Fantastic melodies, instrumental, the way sections flow one into another, plus great lyrics to boot. Just pop perfection through and through. Maintain a healthy balanced diet. Don't overdo TikTok. Throw away their clothes. Don't give this song anything less than a 10 x"

@louciano (11) “It really grew on me. I love Jolene and I love bops so mixing the two together is a great combo. Raye is an amazing songwriter and managed to convey that panicked feeling so well all while making a mega bop!”

@Aester (11) "This isn't the first RAYE song I heard, but it is the one that made me a massive fan. I think I listened to it about thirty times in a row initially. I read a review that called it "if 'I Will Survive' and 'Jolene' had a baby" and well, I love both of those songs, so of course I love their baby."






 
#1
♦#1♦

Black-Mascara.jpg


♦ BLACK MASCARA. ♦
RAYE 1/5
9.347
11 (4) @Dynamo @BubblegumBoy @sfmartin @Daniel_O | 10 (11) @CorgiCorgiCorgi @Solenciennes @daninternational @Inland Empire @berserkboi @Untouchable Ace @Trouble in Paradise @Conan @Ana Raquel @laurence| 9.75 @Maki
7 (2) @Sprockrooster @JakobVision22 | 7.5 @WowWowWowWow
My score: 9

#9 - #3 - #2 - #1 - #1 - #1

And here we are. Beating Natalie Don't by 8.75(!) points - as I said above, it really wasn't even close - Black Mascara (I'm omitting the dot from now on for legibility reasons) is the Black Diamonds winner, and the bops, basically rate #1. As you can see above, it was the song to beat through the whole second half of the voting period. Lush Life and Anywhere did come close to overtaking it at points, and Anywhere really did look like it was going to, but then it got hit by two 6s and a 7 in the final days, while Black Mascara kept collecting more 10s, so that was very much the end of that. Black Mascara is the only song in the whole rate not to have received any scores below 7, which is very impressive.

I think we have mentioned it before, but Black Mascara, released in August 2022 as the second single from RAYE's debut album My 21st Century Blues, was the last addition to the song list. Originally, RAYE's fifth song in the rate was the 2021 standalone single Call On Me, which I really don't think would have fared particularly well, but a while after @DJHazey and I had pretty much settled on the song selection after a few days of deliberations, I brought up that it didn't feel right for RAYE's current era as an independent artist, finally free from the damaging major label shenanigans she was subject to for nearly a decade, not to be included in the rate, even if most of the material to come from it doesn't really fit this rate's vibe. Black Mascara does though. It's certainly the least straightforward song in the rate, with a somewhat unconventional structure and not as instant as most of the other songs here, but then again I don't think anyone could listen to it and not say think it slaps. @DJHazey brought this up yesterday in a PM and I agree - it's very cool how the two team winners ended up so different from one another. Lush Life is light, bubbly and carefree while Black Mascara is dark, heavy and somber. No denying both songs are fantastic bops though, and very deserving winners.

@louciano (9.5) “To be honest, I did not expect Raye to go for a song like this, but I can’t say that I’m upset about it.“

@Maki (9.75) "This one feels like a journey, definitely among the most unconventional 'bops' in the rate and I love it. "

@Solenciennes (10) "What a huge reset button. Still, somehow, staying true to the dance music she’d built a name for herself with, while being entirely new, grimier and harder hitting. It’s so, so satisfying that this was the prelude to Escapism. exploding and sending her independent music career up the charts, proving that her instincts were right. I hope Raye has bigger and better things coming her way."

@daninternational (10) "Amazing track and gave me high hopes for her debut album which (for me) she didn't deliver on. We Want Bops"

@berserkboi (10) “WOW! What excellence!!!”

@Trouble in Paradise (10) "the creativity, the twists, raye hits another level here!"

@Dynamo (11) "A true club-tastic masterpiece; like a volcano, it truly erupts in its final moments. Honestly, I think the music really speaks for itself."

@BubblegumBoy (11) "A work of art… hang it in the Louvre!"

@sfmartin (11) "It was tough picking an 11 from so many great bops. This song however is on another level and clearly stood out from the pack. I had to pick the song that made me experience something more than just joy or wanting to dance. RAYE has a miraculous talent for conveying piercing emotion in her dance music. One of the best recent purveyors of tears on the dancefloor. Her music always has a level of ingenuity and sophistication that always leaves me reeling. Listening to this song, you are taken on a journey through so many different music influences each making you feel something different. In 4 mins you go to so many places whilst it still being perfectly cohesive. Truth be told, I was disappointed there wasn't more like this on the album but I guess lightening in a bottle can only be captured once. "






 
ARTIST STATISTICS

RAYE


AVERAGE SCORE | 8.523
11s GIVEN | Eleven
10s GIVEN
| Thirty

BIGGEST FANS | @Laurence (9.8), @Inland Empire (9.6), @CorgiCorgiCorgi (9.4)
BIGGEST HATERS | @JakobVision22 (6.9), @Sprockrooster (7.2), @spaceship (7.4)



ARTIST RANKING

RAYE | 8.523
AVA | 8.425
ZARA | 8.356
RITA | 8.094
MABEL | 7.889
BEBE | 7.844

KIESZA | 7.739
SELENA | 7.648
DAYA and INNA | 7.616
ALEXANDRA | 7.509
ANITTA | 7.356
 
Black Mascara being crowned the winner feels like a Popjustice™. I didn't expect it to do this well (and I also thought I'd 10'ed it but maybe not?) since it's more subtle than a lot of the others, but I'm not complaining!

RAYE and Ava probably earned my best averages too, so them at #1 and #2 on that front also feels good.
 
Oh, that's a surprising yet an excellent winner!
I honestly thought that "Natalie Don't" had this in the bag since nobody ever called for it to leave and it's more accessible/outright bop of the two so to see "Black Mascara" win by such a point difference is really unexpected. I thought it was too unconventional to do really well, let alone win.

I read a review that called it "if 'I Will Survive' and 'Jolene' had a baby"
This makes so much sense and no wonder I stan all three songs.

I can now confirm that "Natalie Don't" is my favourite song in the entire rate (with "Slow Down" and "Salt" being the runner-ups), so it's a pity to see it just miss out on being my ideal winner. However, "Black Mascara" became a 10 for me, so I have absolutely no complaints about it taking the crown.

All in all, the moody alt girlies won!
 
he/him
We know what @soratami has in the queue rate-wise (¡no puedo esperar!) and @DJHazey I recall the 60s rate as well … am I misremembering or did you say once you wanted to do Ultimate TVjustice like you did with Movies?

Any ultimates are on hold for now. But maybe if I have big gap between rates again.

60s Hits next, then I think I might have a poll for my rate after so I know you'll be ready to vote Cascada.

That or Avril, Veronicas, or Delta re-rates (just remembered wanting to do that today) and any others I think of because I will be open to popular vote for the next one.
 
he/him


black-diamonds-1.png



Team Stats

Team Avg | 8.003
Voters w/ Higher Avg | 24
Songs in Top 10 | 7
Songs in Top 20 | 15
Songs in Bottom 10 |
4
Anitta | 7.356 - 11x0 - Boys Don't Cry (#13)
Ava | 8.425 - 11x8 - Kings & Queens (#8)
Kiesza | 7.739 - 11x4 - All of the Feelings (#10)
Mabel | 7.889 - 11x1 - Don't Call Me Up (#7)
Raye | 8.523 - 11x11 - Black Mascara. (#1)

Rita | 8.094 - 11x6 - Anywhere (#3)


blue-stars.png



Team Stats

Team Avg | 7.765
Voters w/ Higher Avg |
7

Songs in Top 10 | 3
Songs in Top 20 | 5
Songs in Bottom 10 | 6
Alexandra | 7.509 - 11x3 - Come Into My World (#21)
Bebe | 7.844 - 11x5 - Sacrifice (#5)
Daya | 7.616 - 11x2 - Bad Girl (#24)
Inna | 7.616 - 11x0 - It Don't Matter (#23)
Selena | 7.648 - 11x11 - Slow Down (#16)
Zara | 8.356 - 11x8 - Lush Life (#4)


Overall Rate Stats

Overall Highest Avg | @soratami (9.25), @DJHazey (9.11), @BubblegumBoy (8.90)
Overall Lowest Avg | @spaceship (6.75), @Sprockrooster (6.78), @VertigoStick (6.86)
Black Diamonds Highest Avg | @soratami (9.30), @BubblegumBoy (9.01), @DJHazey (8.86)
Black Diamonds Lowest Avg | @Sprockrooster (6.65), @If You Go (6.73), @spaceship (6.83)
Blue Stars Highest Avg | @DJHazey (9.36), @soratami (9.20), @BubblegumBoy (8.78)
Blue Stars Lowest Avg | @Trouble in Paradise (6.62), @VertigoStick (6.63), @spaceship (6.66)

Most 11's | Natalie Don't (6), Black Mascara. (4), Sacrifice (4), All the Time (4), Slow Down (4)
Most 10's | Anywhere (13), Lush Life (12), I Will Never let You Down (12), Don't Call Me Up (12), Kings & Queens (12)


 


black-diamonds-1.png



Team Stats

Team Avg | 8.003
Voters w/ Higher Avg | 24
Songs in Top 10 | 7
Songs in Top 20 | 15
Songs in Bottom 10 |
4
Anitta | 7.356 - 11x0 - Boys Don't Cry (#13)
Ava | 8.425 - 11x8 - Kings & Queens (#8)
Kiesza | 7.739 - 11x4 - All of the Feelings (#10)
Mabel | 7.889 - 11x1 - Don't Call Me Up (#7)
Raye | 8.523 - 11x11 - Black Mascara. (#1)

Rita | 8.094 - 11x6 - Anywhere (#3)


blue-stars.png



Team Stats

Team Avg | 7.765
Voters w/ Higher Avg |
7

Songs in Top 10 | 3
Songs in Top 20 | 5
Songs in Bottom 10 | 6
Alexandra | 7.509 - 11x3 - Come Into My World (#21)
Bebe | 7.844 - 11x5 - Sacrifice (#5)
Daya | 7.616 - 11x2 - Bad Girl (#24)
Inna | 7.616 - 11x0 - It Don't Matter (#23)
Selena | 7.648 - 11x11 - Slow Down (#16)
Zara | 8.356 - 11x8 - Lush Life (#4)


Overall Rate Stats

Overall Highest Avg | @soratami (9.25), @DJHazey (9.11), @BubblegumBoy (8.90)
Overall Lowest Avg | @spaceship (6.75), @Sprockrooster (6.78), @VertigoStick (6.86)
Black Diamonds Highest Avg | @soratami (9.30), @BubblegumBoy (9.01), @DJHazey (8.86)
Black Diamonds Lowest Avg | @Sprockrooster (6.65), @If You Go (6.73), @spaceship (6.83)
Blue Stars Highest Avg | @DJHazey (9.36), @soratami (9.20), @BubblegumBoy (8.78)
Blue Stars Lowest Avg | @Trouble in Paradise (6.62), @VertigoStick (6.63), @spaceship (6.66)

Most 11's | Natalie Don't (6), Black Mascara. (4), Sacrifice (4), All the Time (4), Slow Down (4)
Most 10's | Anywhere (13), Lush Life (12), I Will Never let You Down (12), Don't Call Me Up (12), Kings & Queens (12)


These stats confirm tht me and @DJHazey may love some of the same artists but sometimes our taste does not align! Just like how he can run a rate flawlessly while I…. Shouldn’t run rates
 

Solenciennes

Staff member


black-diamonds-1.png



Team Stats

Team Avg | 8.003
Voters w/ Higher Avg | 24
Songs in Top 10 | 7
Songs in Top 20 | 15
Songs in Bottom 10 |
4
Anitta | 7.356 - 11x0 - Boys Don't Cry (#13)
Ava | 8.425 - 11x8 - Kings & Queens (#8)
Kiesza | 7.739 - 11x4 - All of the Feelings (#10)
Mabel | 7.889 - 11x1 - Don't Call Me Up (#7)
Raye | 8.523 - 11x11 - Black Mascara. (#1)

Rita | 8.094 - 11x6 - Anywhere (#3)


blue-stars.png



Team Stats

Team Avg | 7.765
Voters w/ Higher Avg |
7

Songs in Top 10 | 3
Songs in Top 20 | 5
Songs in Bottom 10 | 6
Alexandra | 7.509 - 11x3 - Come Into My World (#21)
Bebe | 7.844 - 11x5 - Sacrifice (#5)
Daya | 7.616 - 11x2 - Bad Girl (#24)
Inna | 7.616 - 11x0 - It Don't Matter (#23)
Selena | 7.648 - 11x11 - Slow Down (#16)
Zara | 8.356 - 11x8 - Lush Life (#4)


Overall Rate Stats

Overall Highest Avg | @soratami (9.25), @DJHazey (9.11), @BubblegumBoy (8.90)
Overall Lowest Avg | @spaceship (6.75), @Sprockrooster (6.78), @VertigoStick (6.86)
Black Diamonds Highest Avg | @soratami (9.30), @BubblegumBoy (9.01), @DJHazey (8.86)
Black Diamonds Lowest Avg | @Sprockrooster (6.65), @If You Go (6.73), @spaceship (6.83)
Blue Stars Highest Avg | @DJHazey (9.36), @soratami (9.20), @BubblegumBoy (8.78)
Blue Stars Lowest Avg | @Trouble in Paradise (6.62), @VertigoStick (6.63), @spaceship (6.66)

Most 11's | Natalie Don't (6), Black Mascara. (4), Sacrifice (4), All the Time (4), Slow Down (4)
Most 10's | Anywhere (13), Lush Life (12), I Will Never let You Down (12), Don't Call Me Up (12), Kings & Queens (12)



Politely returning my rate villain branding to the hosts, not a receipt to be found!
 
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