Let's keep the eliminations going...
With another tie!
First up - we say goodbye to an act who's now lost both her songs.
=33. KYA (aka Christina Parie) - What I Live For feat. LDN NOISE
Average Score - 7.8
High Scorers - Me,
@DJHazey,
@daninternational &
@Music Is Life (10)
Low Scorers - @klow (4),
@abael (5),
@Phonetics Boy (6)
Give it up for Miss Christina Parie for managing to go
forty songs without losing a track! I mean, the glow-up from '16 & Unstoppable' to 'What I Live For' can't be denied, but that's still a pretty solid gap for an act that doesn't have the fans of a Samantha or a Dami.
'What I Live For' was released in 2014 and reached #65 on the ARIA Singles Chart - outpeaking #68 smasha '16 & Unstoppable' in every way possible. In the same way sis channelled mid-00s pop-rock a'la The Veronicas for
16 & Unstoppable (the Orgliasso sisters even wrote a track on that EP), Christina backed things up with a 'Lolita'-style electro-pop revamp. If they're The Veronicas, she's A Veronica too. And that's no shade.
Six years later this song still truly slaps. The drum'n'bass/garage influence gives it a propulsive energy that doesn't let up, and their are enough flourishes of pure pop production to really drive it home. I love the way it starts especially - it's one of my favourite intro/first verse combos in the entire rate. 'Got my shit together, now I'm ready, set it off'
indeed. The dubstep in the chorus might sound a little dated now, but in the context of its release you can see why it all worked.
I have such fond memories of this song. I'd just moved to Melbourne after it had come out, and spent a lot of time walking to and from my new home to my new office, and also just traipsing around the city getting to know the place. 'What I Live For' soundtracked a lot of that time, so when I hear it I'm instantly taken back to that period. A special time.
I gave 'What I Live For' a well-deserved 10 and it's LOVELY to see that score replicated by some of our other judges. We know a banger when we hear one! Let's hear from the panel, because y'all had some commentary for this one:
@daninternational (10) is here for the glow-up -
Ooh the reinvention!
So is
@Music Is Life (10), who also dished out full marks -
An electro-pop BOP. Loved this as well.
@pop3blow2 (8.8) would have liked to have seen more from Ms. Christina -
Hmm, this is interesting. Very busy, but it works. She seems like a potentially interesting artist
@Sprockrooster (8.5) has one thing to say -
Impressive.
@berserkboi (8.5) is still having PTSD from '16 & Unstoppable' -
Wow! She can actually sing decent songs! This score may have been enhanced by how much better than the previous song it was! Dddddd
@Untouchable Ace (8.2) echoes my sentiments that Christina is angling for a Veronicas understudy gig -
It's quite international for her but also behind the trend. She wishes she was a Veronica.
@Pineapple (8) is feeling it -
A little emo jam right here.
@Eric (7) isn't living for it, but doesn't hate it either -
Not especially original but a decent tune.
@klow (4) was our lowest scorer and here's why -
D&B of the sort you might find languishing on the second side of the screen in a Eurovision final. The video is very Florrie, and by that I mean a series of repetitive poses in the same dress over and over inside a salubrious property. None of this seems like a negative thing to me, boo?
And our second half of the tie is an artist we haven't seen lose a track until now....
And another 10 for your esteemed host.
=33. Reigan - All Of The Pieces
Average Score - 7.8
High Scorers - Me,
@berserkboi &
@Untouchable Ace (10),
@Music Is Life &
@daninternational (9.5)
Low Scorers - @klow (5),
@Hurricane Drunk &
@Ana Raquel
Sigh. Well, it was going to happen sooner rather than later, but it still feels too soon. 'All Of The Pieces' is definitely one of those songs in the rate that I love more than average, and I'm fully aware of it! Ya love to see some 10s from my pals though.
'All Of The Pieces' was released in late 2014 as Reigan's debut single, after she finished 4th on the X Factor behind Marlisa. The song was written by Popjustice fave Becky Hill and was clearly supposed to be Reigan's winner's track if she took the crown (WHICH SHE SHOULD HAVE). It has that atmospheric, triumphant quality that would have been absolutely perfect for a live finale performance. Alas, it was not to be. Maybe in an alternative timeline.
That said, All Of The Pieces' still got a release - and a pretty high-quality music video to match - and gave Reigan the chance to begin her pop career anew. Instead, the flop Australian public let it stall at #33. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.
What I love about the song (besides it's melodies, the slow build-up and Reigan's voice), is how well it toed the line between the pop MOMENTS she gave us on the X Factor, and the more subdued, singer-songwriter route Reigan clearly felt more comfortable going down. It sounded like a song you'd hear on the radio without feeling like Reigan was being shoe-horned into giving us dance-pop bops against her will. She did that already with Scarlett Belle.
TBCH, I'm a bit surprised to see this one out before 'Feels Like Heaven' - but like I said, I'm biased.
@berserkboi (10) has all of the love for the song -
Something bewitching about Reigan’s delivery makes this a standout! What a talent!
@daninternational (9.5) is here for the TALENT -
Another great voice, and a good song for it too
@klow (5) is more preoccupied with all of the synonyms than all of the pieces -
"Broken", "shattered" and "damaged"; "pieces", "parts" and "fragments" - this is dull, but at least she knows her way around a Thesaurus.
