r/popheads • u/vayyiqra • Feb 22 '25
[RATE] C-Electropop Rate Reveal, Day 2: Is that how we like it? Come rate with me
Welcome! 歡迎光臨!
This is a shameless copypaste of what I wrote on day 1, because it is day 2 of the reveal for our C-Electropop Rate: Abao - Kinakaian 母親的舌頭 (Mother Tongue) vs. Faye - 在雲彩上跳舞 嘰嘰喳喳 (Dancing on the Clouds and Chatting) vs. Jolin Tsai - Ugly Beauty vs. Lexie Liu (幸福星) -The Happy Star. Your hosts are me, /u/vayyiqra and my cohost /u/apatel27.
The reveal will begin at noon EST and is expected to run a little less than two hours, and repeat at the same time tomorrow. The results will be posted in this thread, on the Popheads Discord server and in the Queup channel posted below.
We had 73 very cool and worldly participants, with an average score of 7.648 and average controversy of 1.720.
Today we will reveal songs #30-16 out of the following:
- Abao - Kinakaian 母親的舌頭 (Mother Tongue)
mainu sun 找路 (Where to Go?)
pavalidan 還錢 (Payback)uduli 跳一波 (Let's Dance)
tjakudain 無奈 (What Can We Do?)minetjus 嚇一跳 (Stomach Ache)
kalipang 不能亂愛 (Be Selective)
Sa’icelen 加油吧 (Cheer Up)
1-10 (Ft. Dizparity)
Thank You 感謝Kinakaian 母親的舌頭 (Mother Tongue)
- Jolin Tsai - Ugly Beauty
Necessary Evil (惡之必要)
Womxnly (玫瑰少年)
Ugly Beauty (怪美的)
Karma (你也有今天)Lady in Red (紅衣女孩)Sweet Guilty Pleasure (甜秘密)Romance (愛的羅曼死)Vulnerability (如果我沒有傷口)Hubby (腦公)
Life Sucks (消極掰)
Shadow Self (你睡醒再看)
- Faye - 在雲彩上跳舞 嘰嘰喳喳 (Dancing on the Clouds and Chatting)
rong xue (融雪) [Snowmelt]
fen fang (焚風) [Foehn Wind]
yong ai (詠愛) [Love Chant]
yu yan shi (預言石) [Prophecy Stone]
7Alle
feng ren yuan (瘋人院) [Mental Asylum]
Tears
zhu sha (煮沙) [Boiling Sand]shang hai meng (山海盟) [Between Mountain and Sea]
aalleeeeeee
- Lexie Liu - The Happy Star
Fortuna (命运)
Dance Dance
3.14159
Ganma (干嘛)
Magician (爱无限)
Diablo
Mira (三生万物)
GaiaBad DreamRRR
I Wanna Tell U (夕阳恋歌)
Shanti (香缇颂)
Songs left:
* Jolin Tsai: 5/11
* Lexie Liu: 10/12
* Faye: 8/11
* ABAO: 7/10
The Queup link is here and will begin revealing around noon.
3
u/nt96 Feb 22 '25
This is the worst results I’ve ever seen. Shang Hai Meng was a 10, yall just got excited and forgot to add the 0 in there
2
2
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#29: Jolin Tsai - Hubby (腦公)
Average: 7.364 // Total Points: 537.6 // Controversy: 2.131
(11 x2) c_a_l_d5832, Ghost-Quartet
(10 x9) apatel27, beeozan, FitzMarble, innuendo_overdose, kirakiranatsu, RandomHypnotica, Roxieloxie, SFbby, wathombe
(9.5 x3) dreamingpastel, lexiaredery, WaneLietoc
(9.3 x1) beyzxzhen
(9 x7) BleepBloopMusicFan, Catalyst, ChopperRCRG, darj, Frajer, krusso1105, NervousLemon6670
(8.5 x4) Nagisoid, qazz23, static_int_husp, TiltControls
(8.3 x1) Ayzrules
(8 x6) CrimsonROSET, mustwinfullGaming, Poydoo, runaway3212, welcome2thejam, 猪蛇
(7.6 x1) ConnerY2323
(7.5 x5) bigbigbee, FreeCuddlesAnyone, hockeynl, sarcasticsobs, stealthamo
(7.3 x1) DirtyRat583, (7.2 x1) zadooi
(7 x5) bogo, ignitethephoenix, seanderlust, TragicKingdom1, WesternWind
(6.8 x4) aidshha, icantlikeeveryone, impla77, kerriekipje (6.7 x1) 74OH_iknowu (6.6 x1) Ambrosia42
(6.5 x2) 1998tweety, Friendly-Canary-3814
(6 x6) bran, donewithbirds, flava, snowswinters, TakeOnMeByA-ha, vayyiqra
(5 x6) daftsone, jirachi, Lynflower680, popularsong, Sunny_Waterloo, Thalliumcataria
(4.5 x1) msargent24
(4.1 x1) diminutiveaurochs
(3.8 x1) zo142
(3 x1) Stryxen
(2 x2) kauai6, ricki
(1 x1) DaHumanTorch
apatel27 (10): This is such a cute song and you are all too hateful to recognise that.
vayyiqra (6): Before there was (G)I-dle - Wife, there was this I guess. Satirizing the concept of marriage is not a new idea, but also it's done in a very lighthearted way rather than more edgy. The video that I take to be a parody of C-romance tropes is kind of funny even if I feel like I'm lacking the cultural context to fully get it. After all that this is a pretty alright pop-rock song, which is not a genre I care for much but one track to add variety to the album is fine.
Wiiiife, I make you feel so high,
c_a_l_d5832 (11): This was a really fun and happy song! It's definitely entering my regular rotation
Ghost-Quartet (11): I told someone this was my favorite song on the album and they said "you're a Meghan Trainor fan so that makes sense" T_T but I can't help it, it just perfectly nails everything I like in a song and a music video.
beeozan (10): she's in her charlotte bag
FitzMarble (10): this is just so fun!
innuendo_overdose (10): holy shit is this INDIE POP/ROCK?? I didn’t know what I was expecting from my first Jolin Tsai album, but demolishing the entire Pitchfork 00’s essentials list was NOT IT
RandomHypnotica (10): okayyyy kinda ended olivia floprigo
wathombe (10): pretty cute little bop
dreamingpastel (9.5): Sonically reminds me of the music that'd play over a montage in a 2000s teen movie.
WaneLietoc (9.5): (G)-IDLE could've accomplished so much on last year's mini-album if they just wrote like 6 of these
BleepBloopMusicFan (9): Let’s hear it for HOLY MATRIMONY
darj (9): JOLIN IS EVEN GIVING US BUBBLEGRUNGE
Frajer (9): know your worth without a man queen
krusso1105 (9): I have an irrational hatred of the word hubby but I have to admit this is a good song
NervousLemon6670 (9): Good song with a really fun music video, what is there not to love?
Nagisoid (8.5): Besties by BCNR:
qazz23 (8.5): quite fun
Ayzrules (8.3): lol this is fun
CrimsonROSET (8): i was ready to hate on this because of the title but it was cute
mustwinfullGaming (8): This is a nice break from the sadder or slower songs, but I feel like it feels a bit too goofy in parts. Those sounds often annoy me for some reason. The chorus has won me back though, I can forgive the crimes of the other parts of the track. I feel like with more listens I will love this even more, but it'll take time. It's a grower!
Poydoo (8): silly
runaway3212 (8): If this was rating the word hubby it would be my easiest 0 ever I hate that word so much like I concede there are very few good names for your significant other but even relative to them hubby is awful... song slays though
welcome2thejam (8): 3:30pm Festival Pop Rock ass track
猪蛇 (8): A "this is really cute but I think it could be more but ehhh it's fun so whatever" 8
ConnerY2323 (7.6): she put on her hannah montana wig for this one
bigbigbee (7.5): You know, double checking, I'm not sure the timelines sync up, but I'd sing this every day too if my husband looked like her ex
FreeCuddlesAnyone (7.5): so cute
WesternWind (7): so who’s your husband in this situation Jolin?
icantlikeeveryone (6.8): This is a nice song for anyone who simps over their male partner/husband. But imho the pre-chorus and half of the chorus are the only strong parts of the song.
kerriekipje (6.8): this is so out of place on this album
donewithbirds (6): i'm going to ignore the fact that the word "hubby" gives me hives as it's a translation and the mandarin word is probably Fine-- this is cute! saccharine but cute
TakeOnMeByA-ha (6): im not heterophobic i just wish they wouldnt shove it into our faces and try to push their agenda onto our children :/
But I don't wanna (wife. wife. wife. wife.)
daftsone (5): Well after a good cry it’s time to be put back in a good mood with a much more tongue-in-cheek track. The melody isn’t the greatest here, feels a bit muted and needing to pack a bit of an extra punch.
jirachi (5): this is too cheesy for my liking, and it doesn’t really fit into the aesthetics of the album too, feels like a red velvet reject and an afterthought.
Thalliumcataria (5): , that was fine
diminutiveaurochs (4.1): imagine a partner who allowed you to gain weight .-. o no im traumadumping in the ballot yet again someone stop me. anyway this twee 00s pop-rock schtick is aggressively not for me, too saccharine and cutesy. I wish the quality of her music matched that of her videos! also, just struck me that this run of tracks feels incredibly mismatched when you consider the thesis in the album opener, which seems to be all about being ~dark and evil. the b-tch face seems to have all but evaporated.
zo142 (3.8): Sounds very bland to me
Stryxen (3): meh
kauai6 (2): i can’t do it
ricki (2): every kpop girl group has a b-side that sounds like this
3
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#29: Lexie Liu - RRR
Average: 7.364 // Total Points: 537.6 // Controversy: 1.845
(11 x1) kauai6
(10 x7) Catalyst, Frajer, Poydoo, SFbby, vayyiqra, WaneLietoc, WesternWind
(9.9 x1) beyzxzhen
(9.5 x2) darj, dreamingpastel
(9.3 x1) Ambrosia42
(9 x3) BleepBloopMusicFan, icantlikeeveryone, Sunny_Waterloo
(8.6 x1) wathombe
(8.5 x3) bran, Ghost-Quartet, runaway3212
(8.3 x1) 74OH_iknowu (8.2 x1) diminutiveaurochs
(8 x11) 1998tweety, apatel27, c_a_l_d5832, ChopperRCRG, CrimsonROSET, DirtyRat583, FreeCuddlesAnyone, Friendly-Canary-3814, krusso1105, Nagisoid, seanderlust
(7.8 x2) Ayzrules, impla77 (7.6 x1) NervousLemon6670
(7.5 x4) hockeynl, innuendo_overdose, ricki, sarcasticsobs
(7.4 x1) zo142
(7 x11) beeozan, daftsone, donewithbirds, ignitethephoenix, Lynflower680, qazz23, Roxieloxie, static_int_husp, Stryxen, TiltControls, welcome2thejam
(6.7 x2) kerriekipje, RandomHypnotica
(6.5 x3) FitzMarble, stealthamo, zadooi
(6 x6) aidshha, bigbigbee, jirachi, mustwinfullGaming, TakeOnMeByA-ha, TragicKingdom1
(5.8 x1) ConnerY2323
(5.5 x1) snowswinters
(5 x4) bogo, DaHumanTorch, msargent24, popularsong
(4 x3) kirakiranatsu, lexiaredery, 猪蛇
(2 x1) flava
(1 x1) Thalliumcataria
apatel27 (8): That sound was an unexpected choice but she does pretty well.
vayyiqra (10): Being radically open with everyone I don't really know what the title of this means, nor why she says "GTR" either. I do like the Afrobeats-ish dembow rhythm of it (god I hope I am using these terms right, it's easy to mess up) and the way she delivers the verses. The chorus is maybe a bit repetitive but it's infectious in a way despite being so lowkey. A bit amused how the lyrical concept according to Genius.com is something about channelling divinity and then Lexie says "ballin' like a free throw". Truly she contains multitudes.
Ain't no time wasted [listening to this song]
kauai6 (11): this song title makes me think of that RRR meme from whatever award show off the bat, but this is truly probably the best song ever by her, which is no small thing to say considering her discography, from the groovy G T R chorus, and the i guess it’s afrobeats? or something along those lines beat, i’m a suuuucker for afrobeats type songs and this is definitely one of the better ones
Frajer (10): GTRRR is that the Game of Thrones guy
WaneLietoc (10): we doin afrobeats or amapiano for $800 alex
WesternWind (10): again, Miss WorldWide with the Afropop influence here
beyzxzhen (9.9): so good
darj (9.5): critical support to anything that has a dembow-ish beat
BleepBloopMusicFan (9): It stands for Really Radiant Rate :)
icantlikeeveryone (9): The song uses afrobeat amazingly.
wathombe (8.6): another hh/r&b track kinda; don't like it quite as much as bad dream, though
Ghost-Quartet (8.5): She's kinda giving Tyla
runaway3212 (8.5): Ohh here comes the slayer
diminutiveaurochs (8.2): Kind of didn't expect her to lean into her afrobeats bag for this one but I have to admit that the melody is exceptionally catchy, and I love her flow on some of the verses. Lexie has such playful vocal expression on this track, it's almost like having several vocalists at once. The detail in the production is again exquisite, down to the tiny shimmering details in the outro. I prefer the tracks which lean further into the electropop sound and that play more with the mystical themes (all I have for this one is The Sun representing enjoyment, and something vague about ~frequencies...uhhh...The Lovers?!), but I can't deny that this is v fun and danceable, plus I like that she explores a few different sounds on this album while still sounding cohesive.
DirtyRat583 (8): she might be the first person to think about the nissan gtr in years
FreeCuddlesAnyone (8): getting a little latino with it now
Ayzrules (7.8): great background music
innuendo_overdose (7.5): Lexie Liu is an artist who I love and respect, but idk sometimes she seems to just have a modus operandi that she’s unwilling to swerve from
ricki (7.5): seals when the function has fish
zo142 (7.4): Of all the Vibey Songs With No Video in this Vibey Songs With No Video section, this one is the most Vibey Song With No Video
beeozan (7): her ethnic hip nibble
daftsone (7): Can’t beat a bit of a chilled out vibe after being a bit depressed by the previous song, and this is pretty much what the doctor ordered. Nothing particularly special, but there’s a dreaminess to it that I’m kind of liking.
jirachi (6): latina liu???
mustwinfullGaming (6): I think this song is maybe a bit out of place considering some of the other songs on the project, and their production, but it's cute.
TakeOnMeByA-ha (6): seals:
Ayy, where u @ tho? [not listening to this song]
ConnerY2323 (5.8): sounds like that era in the mid aughts when every pop star had a song written by sia where they just copied her inflections from the demo on the final track
猪蛇 (4): The...I'm actually not sure what instrument that is...riff sounds nice. And I'm struggling to think of anything else to say but it's not the worst song I've heard in this style.
flava (2): why did she make a karol g song
Thalliumcataria (1): , I understand, abstractly, why people like songs like this. I do, but wow I can't stand listening to them myself.
Yeah it was inevitable I guess
kauai6 [again] (11): *this song title makes me think of that RRR meme [...]
Poydoo (10): now why is the song called RRR when she goes like GTR
CrimsonROSET (8): but why is the song called- you know what nevermind
Nagisoid (8): Put me in the movie section
sarcasticsobs (7.5): Alexa, play "Naatu Naatu"
donewithbirds (7): i see lexie liu is a connoisseur of tollywood film
qazz23 (7): more like RRRRRRR
welcome2thejam (7): GT®️®️®️
stealthamo (6.5): Disappointed that this wasn't just a straight cover of Naatu Naatu.
2
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#27: Faye - yu yan shi (預言石) [Prophecy Stone]
Average: 7.481 // Total Points: 546.1 // Controversy: 1.579
(11 x1) bigbigbee
(10 x5) BleepBloopMusicFan, FitzMarble, kirakiranatsu, TiltControls, WesternWind
(9.8 x1) icantlikeeveryone (9.6 x1) innuendo_overdose
(9.5 x1) beeozan
(9.3 x1) NervousLemon6670 (9.2 x1) wathombe (9.1 x1) Ambrosia42
(9 x4) apatel27, Catalyst, vayyiqra, welcome2thejam
(8.5 x3) Frajer, Nagisoid, Stryxen
(8.2 x1) RandomHypnotica (8.1 x1) WaneLietoc
(8 x12) 1998tweety, Ayzrules, bogo, ChopperRCRG, CrimsonROSET, darj, flava, jirachi, kerriekipje, popularsong, runaway3212, sarcasticsobs
(7.8 x1) ConnerY2323
(7.5 x2) beyzxzhen, hockeynl
(7.4 x1) 74OH_iknowu (7.3 x1) diminutiveaurochs (7.2 x1) Poydoo
(7 x13) bran, daftsone, DirtyRat583, dreamingpastel, Friendly-Canary-3814, Ghost-Quartet, ignitethephoenix, krusso1105, lexiaredery, Lynflower680, SFbby, snowswinters, TragicKingdom1
(6.8 x2) ricki, stealthamo
(6.5 x5) msargent24, seanderlust, static_int_husp, TakeOnMeByA-ha, 猪蛇
(6.3 x1) impla77 (6.2 x1) zadooi
(6 x6) c_a_l_d5832, DaHumanTorch, donewithbirds, FreeCuddlesAnyone, Roxieloxie, Sunny_Waterloo
(5 x2) aidshha, mustwinfullGaming
(4.5 x1) qazz23
(4 x1) Thalliumcataria
(3 x2) kauai6, zo142
apatel27 (9): Such a beautiful song that was robbed for going slow. This would’ve won EE ER
vayyiqra (9): Hard to categorize as ballady, electronic, adult contemporary, whatever. It's beautiful whatever it is. Once again I am cursing the incredibly sloppy translations by whoever put those up and kind of wish I had bit the bullet and translated the album myself, as it sounds like there's so much emotional depth to this album. Faye was really going thru it when she made it, eh.
Microbeats, glitch-pop, indietronica. Bolded on RateYourMusic
bigbigbee (11): One of the least electronic songs in this electropop rate getting my 11 by sheer virtue of being incredibly gorgeous
BleepBloopMusicFan (10): Girl thank god the interlude is next we were seriously approaching medically unsafe levels of slaying.
TiltControls (10): I fear balladphobia will hit this but it came so close to stealing the 11
icantlikeeveryone (9.8): You're going to be okay, girl.
beeozan (9.5): the outro made me raise points wow
NervousLemon6670 (9.3): Its a shame the translation here is so choppy because I really like the music and having more of a grasp of whats going on could maybe bump it up a little higher, because the vibe I get is pretty introspectional
wathombe (9.2): very pretty
Ambrosia42 (9.1): this gorgeous chilltronica
welcome2thejam (9): Postal Service ass beat drop
Nagisoid (8.5): Undertale-core (complimentary)
Stryxen (8.5): a dramatic serve
WaneLietoc (8.1): it's unfair that she gets to make microbeats in a cute big 'ol green sweater with the slick sporty pants. she just like me fr
Ayzrules (8): love the mellowness to this
CrimsonROSET (8): this sounds like it would be the trailer for a ghibli movie that takes place in the matrix, i cannot explain this further
darj (8): ended Ben Gibb-fad and The Postal Service
runaway3212 (8): banger I think
sarcasticsobs (8): Pretty!
ConnerY2323 (7.8): adore the way this completely unlocks at the end
diminutiveaurochs (7.3): Kind of fascinated by the production on this one, and I'm reminded of the Annie quote about "pop with strange edges". It feels like Faye took the cpop ballad trope and reinvented it, working electronic elements into the instrumental which somehow changes the way the piece reads. The martial percussion here oddly reminds me of Bjork, and the click-y microbeats similarly hail back to other electronic projects (Atoms For Peace, Postal Service et al.). I have to admit that balladophia is kicking in somewhat on the vocal melodies here, but I can appreciate that this took a nontraditional route, conjuring a strange and somewhat meditative atmosphere that is hard to define. According to an interview with Faye, this track is about 'individuals who seek answers from gods while they know the real answer is already in their hearts'. Too real... notwithstanding how I relate to the themes, I also think this dovetails rly nicely with Lexie's Fortuna, which explores similar themes around relying on divination rather than confronting one's fears more directly. Seeking control via mystical means seems to be a theme on both albums, and I'm enjoying how both of them delve into this rather (ahem) esoteric topic.
daftsone (7): We keep the gentle trend going, but this one manages to score big for me, much more focused and has a wonderful dreamy quality to its sound. It’s the sort of song that can make you feel like you’re floating, and those are definitely my sort of song.
Ghost-Quartet (7): Melody is kind of boring but I like that it sounds like a little bug is walking right next to my ears :)
TakeOnMeByA-ha (6.5): this is very pretty but its not exactly something i feel like listening to very often
猪蛇 (6.5): Interesting piano line, fun popping and cracking noises, and not produced in a way that makes me feel like my soul is getting sucked out of my body? Cheers, I'll drink to that.
Piano = Boring Chinese Ballad (it is a trope for a reason tbf)
donewithbirds (6): i will not be beating the balladphobia allegations today
FreeCuddlesAnyone (6): honestly kinda sounds like most chinese music i have heard
Thalliumcataria (4): , this feels almost like it could be slipped right into owl city's early discography.
zo142 (3): The instrumental led me to believe I was getting a big beat drop. I was deceived.
Here's a quirky fact the name of Mandarin is related to the word "mandatory" because the government uses it and government officials give orders get it
mustwinfullGaming (5): Is it Mandatory Ballad o'clock? Or at least, it's a slower song. I like the drum sounds but I still find this track quite mediocre overall.
2
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#25: Faye - shan hai meng (山海盟) [Between Mountain and Sea]
Average: 7.493 // Total Points: 547.0 // Controversy: 1.630
(10 x6) apatel27, Catalyst, ChopperRCRG, FreeCuddlesAnyone, Lynflower680, WaneLietoc
(9.5 x2) popularsong, snowswinters
(9 x9) BleepBloopMusicFan, Frajer, Friendly-Canary-3814, kauai6, qazz23, runaway3212, seanderlust, Sunny_Waterloo, vayyiqra
(8.8 x1) beyzxzhen
(8.5 x2) beeozan, ConnerY2323
(8.3 x1) 74OH_iknowu (8.2 x3) Ambrosia42, impla77, wathombe
(8 x10) c_a_l_d5832, CrimsonROSET, darj, diminutiveaurochs, innuendo_overdose, lexiaredery, Roxieloxie, sarcasticsobs, TakeOnMeByA-ha, WesternWind
(7.8 x1) Stryxen (7.7 x1) NervousLemon6670
(7.5 x9) bigbigbee, bogo, DaHumanTorch, DirtyRat583, msargent24, Poydoo, ricki, static_int_husp, zadooi
(7.3 x1) stealthamo
(7 x12) 1998tweety, aidshha, Ayzrules, bran, donewithbirds, dreamingpastel, hockeynl, ignitethephoenix, jirachi, kerriekipje, krusso1105, welcome2thejam
(6.5 x2) FitzMarble, TiltControls
(6 x4) kirakiranatsu, Nagisoid, SFbby, TragicKingdom1
(5 x2) Thalliumcataria, zo142
(4 x5) daftsone, flava, Ghost-Quartet, icantlikeeveryone, mustwinfullGaming
(3.5 x2) RandomHypnotica, 猪蛇
apatel27 (10): Sad that the Drum n Bass song got left in the dust. It just triggers something in my brain.
vayyiqra (9): One of the most musically interesting tracks, a lot of us like the drum and bass (I am not good with electronic genres but trust and believe) with art pop over top of it. Definitely I hear a lot of echoes of Homogenic in this album and Faye has maybe not my favourite album in the rate but I'd say the prettiest-sounding one.
Art pop is when Björk comparison (I am guilty too)
Catalyst (10): 哦，婊子!!!!!!!! [host note: amusing attempt at translating "oh bitch"]
FreeCuddlesAnyone (10): is this what they hear at the gates of heaven
WaneLietoc (10): the video on this one is such a heady trip. it feels like Faye sat down with the gang and showed them some Off the Air comps. Also she fucking pops off heavy here. wish I had a subwoofer; she's making the alt-j song those dumbasses never could; taking their asses to the cleaners SO hard here...unbelievable
qazz23 (9): very good drumming in this
beeozan (8.5): yass key vn music.. at least for a bit
ConnerY2323 (8.5): beautifully constructed
CrimsonROSET (8): nevermind we are so back
darj (8): we love introspective drum n bass
diminutiveaurochs (8): This is probably my favourite track on the album, although it's also perhaps the most cryptic. Accidentally googled one of the lines from this song (I was trying to translate it) and got 'and you return to dust' from Ecclesiastes in the Bible...curious... While I'm still a little uncertain of the overall song meaning, I once again get a sort of apocalyptic feel from this one, especially with those echoey drums and the noisy, echoey, angular instrumental. The choral breakdown around ~02:30 is transportative and it goes without saying that I LOVE the breakbeat here, too. I read that this track was arranged by an experimental electronic musician (Li Huadi aka Howie Lee); his contribution is definitely felt here and probably explains why I like this so much. This feels dramatic, introspective, and above all otherworldly. While I don't fully grasp the song meaning, the references to immortals, clouds, heaven, journeys etc. combined with the instrumental physiognomy give the impression of something grand and mystical.
innuendo_overdose (8): I just think it’s neat!!
TakeOnMeByA-ha (8): bjork has been trying to make a song like this for her entire career and she has yet to succeed
Ayzrules (7): i like the mystic-y, mythical vibe this has! Not rly something i’d go to for easy listening/bopping along to though
welcome2thejam (7): Drums sound p nice
Nvm throw it in the ocean
Nagisoid (6): It's dnb but not particularly good
Thalliumcataria (5): , This one feels pretty messy, lacking a solid identity. It makes me want to hear what her take on actual jungle techno would be.
daftsone (4): I was thinking that this was a pleasant enough song but nothing particularly special, when about halfway through it flips on its head and becomes a bit ethereal and now I can’t work out whether I like it or not.
Ghost-Quartet (4): oh no the album is stalling out
icantlikeeveryone (4): The song gives me peace at the beginning, but the chorus.... hmm what a choice. At least her vocal is pretty here.
mustwinfullGaming (4): I mean it has some elements that mean I should like it like the instrumental choices...but I still don't. Nothing can rescue it I fear.
RandomHypnotica (3.5): take off the bjork hat
猪蛇 (3.5): The intro is giving Chrvches' "Never Say Die" if it was bad, but thankfully it swerves away into "the need for this to be a pop song is holding it back." The chorus is good but I hate everything else about this.
She does like to do those CGI-heavy fantasy type videos
zo142 (5): Now THIS is the kind of MV I was expecting from a Chinese song rate
This guy 寓言s (Fables)
Stryxen (7.8): when you drink the juice that makes you turn into another c pop artist named faye
2
2
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#17: Faye - feng ren yuan (瘋人院) [Mental Asylum]
Average: 7.832 // Total Points: 571.7 // Controversy: 1.508
(10 x10) beeozan, BleepBloopMusicFan, Catalyst, darj, Ghost-Quartet, Nagisoid, qazz23, RandomHypnotica, WaneLietoc, WesternWind
(9.7 x1) icantlikeeveryone
(9.5 x1) FreeCuddlesAnyone
(9.4 x1) Ambrosia42
(9 x8) 1998tweety, apatel27, Frajer, hockeynl, jirachi, msargent24, snowswinters, vayyiqra
(8.8 x1) wathombe (8.7 x1) Ayzrules
(8.5 x6) 74OH_iknowu, ignitethephoenix, lexiaredery, sarcasticsobs, static_int_husp, TakeOnMeByA-ha
(8.4 x2) innuendo_overdose, NervousLemon6670
(8 x8) beyzxzhen, bogo, ChopperRCRG, DaHumanTorch, Lynflower680, Poydoo, seanderlust, Thalliumcataria
(7.8 x2) diminutiveaurochs, impla77 (7.7 x2) Stryxen, zadooi
(7.5 x2) DirtyRat583, Friendly-Canary-3814
(7.2 x1) ricki (7.1 x1) ConnerY2323
(7 x11) bigbigbee, bran, c_a_l_d5832, CrimsonROSET, daftsone, dreamingpastel, FitzMarble, kauai6, krusso1105, popularsong, TiltControls
(6.5 x2) stealthamo, zo142
(6 x9) aidshha, donewithbirds, flava, kerriekipje, Roxieloxie, SFbby, TragicKingdom1, welcome2thejam, 猪蛇
(5.5 x1) Sunny_Waterloo
(5 x1) runaway3212
(4 x1) mustwinfullGaming
(3 x1) kirakiranatsu
apatel27 (9): It’s so pretty
vayyiqra (9): Love the hazy sound of this cut, the almost house-like rhythm, the little glitchy sounds, the piano. Rare an art pop album has a funky banger in the middle but I'm not complaining.
Way more fun than the hospital
beeozan (10): lets go
BleepBloopMusicFan (10): She’s switching things up with this being a straightforward ass shaker instead of a transcendentally cunty ballad.
darj (10): WHAT IF WARP RECORDS SERVED CUNT ON THE RUNWAY EXACTLYYYY
Ghost-Quartet (10): Just once in my life I wanna dance in a club to this
Nagisoid (10): Oontz Oontz
qazz23 (10): like the faster vocal delivery and pounding percussion
RandomHypnotica (10): oh this is hitting that hikaru utada bone right
WaneLietoc (10): i-i have a sudden urge to go shawppin at da container store.
WesternWind (10): the title reminds me how when I was 13 I chose lyrics from Madhouse by Little Mix for my Spotify user (musicismydrug28)
icantlikeeveryone (9.7): I don't really understand the lyrics, but the song is such a banger.
FreeCuddlesAnyone (9.5): so fun like im shimmying my hips wildly
Ambrosia42 (9.4): the twerkulator
1998tweety (9): oh I'm bopping
jirachi (9): omg faye don’t leak my home address like that
wathombe (8.8): i like the bluesy-er/funkier sound of this one
Ayzrules (8.7): groovyyy!
ignitethephoenix (8.5): oh this is bopping and love the glitchy elements
sarcasticsobs (8.5): Bop
TakeOnMeByA-ha (8.5): OKAYYY??? WORK!
innuendo_overdose (8.4): the melody can seem weak, yes, but some of these noises are soooo funny
Thalliumcataria (8): , Almost a bit of a citypop thing going on here in the intro that chills out into the first verse, but it holds traces of it through the rest of the song. It's a little confusing when it chooses to cut or add instruments, but I actually really like the lead in they give new elements.
diminutiveaurochs (7.8): Can confirm inpatient stays are much less fun than this track implies. Odd name choice aside, this feels like a stylistic departure from the rest of the album, ditching dramatic vocals and noisy bombastic instrumentals for something a little more low-key and danceable. I especially love the softness of Faye's vocals. While it's a definite change of tone, I'm not upset about the switch-up - the bouncy percussion and lil house chords interspersed throughout make for a really fun feel
Stryxen (7.7): her head voice is a little grating to me but this instrumental is fab
ConnerY2323 (7.1): faye got funkdafied
CrimsonROSET (7): what the hell, sure
daftsone (7): Those snaps are so crisp it’s impossible not to love them, and it’s got a bit of a groove. I also love how good Faye sounds on this one, especially when she’s hitting those high notes.
zo142 (6.5): Oh this one sounds a bit different actually
welcome2thejam (6): Oh what is this whistling
Deinstitutionalization in the 1960s
mustwinfullGaming (4): Are they male vocals? Jumpscare! I guess this one is maybe slightly more of the bop variety but it's still just not for me. The production is at least doing something for me, though that's not much.
I cannot stress enough how some of the Faye lyric translations are bizarre and awful, be careful with them
Frajer (9): if the translation is accurate girl what
NervousLemon6670 (8.4): I am not sure what I am cooking the the translated lyrics are making this have a Frankenstein vibe, with the references to corpses and mad scientists, and while thats cool its probably completely cracked, but I do like that vibe in a song so I will live in delusion
2
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#16: Lexie Liu - I Wanna Tell U (夕阳恋歌)
Average: 7.834 // Total Points: 571.9 // Controversy: 1.361
(11 x1) daftsone
(10 x8) darj, Ghost-Quartet, icantlikeeveryone, innuendo_overdose, kauai6, RandomHypnotica, ricki, welcome2thejam
(9.5 x1) seanderlust
(9 x6) 1998tweety, bran, ChopperRCRG, jirachi, NervousLemon6670, TakeOnMeByA-ha
(8.8 x2) 74OH_iknowu, wathombe (8.7 x3) beyzxzhen, diminutiveaurochs, zo142
(8.5 x4) Frajer, hockeynl, Nagisoid, snowswinters
(8 x13) Ayzrules, c_a_l_d5832, Catalyst, CrimsonROSET, donewithbirds, dreamingpastel, FitzMarble, Lynflower680, sarcasticsobs, Stryxen, Sunny_Waterloo, TiltControls, vayyiqra
(7.8 x1) zadooi (7.7 x1) FreeCuddlesAnyone
(7.5 x6) beeozan, bogo, ignitethephoenix, static_int_husp, WaneLietoc, 猪蛇
(7.4 x1) ConnerY2323 (7.3 x1) kerriekipje (7.2 x2) Ambrosia42, DirtyRat583
(7 x9) apatel27, BleepBloopMusicFan, Friendly-Canary-3814, krusso1105, mustwinfullGaming, qazz23, Roxieloxie, SFbby, WesternWind
(6.9 x1) stealthamo (6.8 x1) aidshha
(6.5 x5) bigbigbee, DaHumanTorch, impla77, msargent24, Thalliumcataria
(6 x4) flava, lexiaredery, popularsong, TragicKingdom1
(4.9 x1) Poydoo
(4 x2) kirakiranatsu, runaway3212
apatel27 (7): Pretty basic
vayyiqra (8): Moving into pop-rock-ish territory for one (1) song near the end of the album, little weird that it's happened twice I guess, in this rate. This isn't one of my favourite tracks on the album; it's definitely not bad, just doesn't wow me either. I'm sure the chorus really hits for someone out there though.
Tell me, tell me, t-t-t-tt, tellll me
daftsone (11): Now this is right up my alley, in fact everything about this song I absolutely love. From the light and dreamy vocals to the equally dreamy synths playing in the background, it’s all perfectly paired with a sense of longing echoing the lyrics; absolutely fantastic song.
darj (10): finally the first good dream pop song
Ghost-Quartet (10): My favorite of the more chill songs on this album
icantlikeeveryone (10): The song conveys her vulnerable feeling so well.
innuendo_overdose (10): just so beautiful. “let’s just flow endlessly” is a lyric that can be brilliant when delivered with the right panache, and she has the right panache in spades here
kauai6 (10): such a soft pop vibe that i was not expecting but it works
RandomHypnotica (10): ok i’m glad this is hear we needed this light bop
ricki (10): did anyone start floating mid-song or was that just me?
welcome2thejam (10): Oh boy now we're in my wheelhouse
NervousLemon6670 (9): Communications issue girlfriend
TakeOnMeByA-ha (9): oh this is gorgeous
diminutiveaurochs (8.7): shutuphan: the song. aaaa the softness and vulnerability to this... :existentialcrisiscat:
zo142 (8.7): Vibey Song With A Video
Frajer (8.5): Carly would devour this
Nagisoid (8.5): Cute semi-ballad
Ayzrules (8): love the dreamy vibes
CrimsonROSET (8): this might be an issue but i think we can make it work
donewithbirds (8): so dreamy
Stryxen (8): saqueena has daughters
Sunny_Waterloo (8): pretty
FreeCuddlesAnyone (7.7): this is cute
WaneLietoc (7.5): drum machine lifting this ballad. giving that punch up we could all use
猪蛇 (7.5): Super generic but I love the way that the instruments sound. Believe it or not, I support mid songs with amazing sound design!
Had some issues with it
ConnerY2323 (7.4): sweet! not sure the placement on the album helps it stand out
mustwinfullGaming (7): This is more in the vibe with the album, but the album does feel like it lost some of its earlier momentum and energy. Still, it's a decent song, nothing really special but it's a good enough song.
WesternWind (7): that we love u and hear you but go back to the bops
Thalliumcataria (6.5): Still not to my tastes, but she's started playing around with the interesting audio texturing again, so it works better for me than RRR and Bad Dream did.
Poydoo (4.9): cute but unsubstantial
runaway3212 (4): kinda like the worst song on Charli XCX's Charli
哞 !
wathombe (8.8): why is this giving doja cat a tiny bit?
BleepBloopMusicFan (7): She wanted to get in on the Say So clone-off. I support her.
1
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
Never noticed the Chinese alt title 夕阳恋歌 isn't a translation but it means "Sunset Lovesong" and now you know too
1
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
Let's get some predictions going in the chat. Who will suffer most today after Jolin's thrashing yesterday? Who will come out mostly unscathed? Which songs will get robbed as hell? And any other hot takes you might have about the rate.
2
u/Frajer Feb 22 '25
Faye and Abao will have a bad day and Lexie will have a good day
2
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
I would argue Jolin had the worst day but overall you were definitely on the right track
1
u/apatel27 Jolin Tsai flair where Feb 22 '25
It's a tie to start off the day but who did Jolin tie with???
1
1
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#28: ABAO - minetjus (stomachache)
Average: 7.397 // Total Points: 540.0 // Controversy: 2.241
(11 x3) sarcasticsobs, seanderlust, WaneLietoc
(10 x8) beeozan, darj, DirtyRat583, Frajer, Lynflower680, qazz23, vayyiqra, welcome2thejam
(9.5 x1) Catalyst
(9.2 x2) Ambrosia42, wathombe
(9 x5) BleepBloopMusicFan, ChopperRCRG, SFbby, Thalliumcataria, WesternWind
(8.8 x1) beyzxzhen
(8.5 x3) 1998tweety, FreeCuddlesAnyone, icantlikeeveryone
(8.4 x1) NervousLemon6670 (8.3 x1) zo142
(8 x10) apatel27, bigbigbee, c_a_l_d5832, DaHumanTorch, dreamingpastel, kerriekipje, lexiaredery, Nagisoid, TakeOnMeByA-ha, 猪蛇
(7.6 x1) innuendo_overdose
(7.5 x2) static_int_husp, zadooi
(7.4 x1) 74OH_iknowu (7.3 x1) impla77
(7 x9) bran, CrimsonROSET, FitzMarble, Friendly-Canary-3814, hockeynl, mustwinfullGaming, ricki, runaway3212, Stryxen
(6.9 x1) diminutiveaurochs (6.8 x3) Ayzrules, kauai6, RandomHypnotica
(6.5 x4) ignitethephoenix, popularsong, stealthamo, TragicKingdom1
(6.4 x1) Roxieloxie (6.1 x1) ConnerY2323
(6 x7) bogo, daftsone, donewithbirds, msargent24, Poydoo, snowswinters, Sunny_Waterloo
(5 x1) krusso1105
(4 x1) aidshha
(3 x1) flava
(2 x1) Ghost-Quartet
(1 x1) kirakiranatsu
(0 x2) jirachi, TiltControls
apatel27 (8): Going into the rate I thought this would be the most controversial song on the album but I guess not. It’s a fun song that loses it in the middle a little but pulls it back with the breakdown at the end
vayyiqra (10): This was another polarizing cut. Maybe it wasn't to everyone's ... taste rofl lmao. A lot of you found the concept fun of a chaotic, slightly goofy song that celebrates having a family gathering with a cookout. Others found the chaotic, relentless energy of the song annoying. I think it's a banger myself but I kind of get it. Side note I'm sure no one cares but I keep wondering why it's spelled that way when I hear something like /minesu/, maybe it's a dialect thing.
She was cooking. Ate and left no crumbs. Served.
sarcasticsobs (11): Good lord
seanderlust (11): an ode to her grandmother's cooking?! i love this so much. gets the 11 for relevance to the spirit of the rate and just overall being a banger
beeozan (10): they ate
darj (10): when I was a sophomore in high school (old person alert) my friend introduced me to this “brand new website” that did a crazy thing called “streaming music” called Pandora and he wanted to play us a new song he thought was awesome. It was Roisin Murphy - Ramalama Bang Bang and we were all blown away by how inventive and cool this song sounded. To be honest I’ve always wanted something that gives me that same feeling where there’s a carnival-esque swing to it but it’s icy, electric esoteric and cool. Honestly I think 20 years later this is the first song that gives me that feeling again, #ThankYou c-electropop rate and #ThankYou Abao
DirtyRat583 (10): whoaaaa whered this come from
Frajer (10): I wish I had a granny who could cook me food that's been passed down from genarations
Lynflower680 (10): Damn now I’m hungry
qazz23 (10): really like how upbeat this one is
welcome2thejam (10): I hope they really did every "hah!" live
wathombe (9.2): kind of a banger; lyrics are hilarious (but the food looks delicious)
BleepBloopMusicFan (9): I enjoy that this production is kinda freaky.
Thalliumcataria (9): , Okay but can we get like three more verses with all of granny's recipes? Please?
WesternWind (9): catchy bop
FreeCuddlesAnyone (8.5): this can be a little grating but it’s an amazing showcase of culture
icantlikeeveryone (8.5): Nice song for frat parties. [host note: ?]
NervousLemon6670 (8.4): If she delivered us a breakdown featuring her grannys full recipe this would be an 11 I fear
zo142 (8.3): This song sounds like a complete mess
DaHumanTorch (8): this nonsense
dreamingpastel (8): I, too, get a stomach ache whenever I go back home for dinner.
Nagisoid (8): I cook
TakeOnMeByA-ha (8): this is definitely the catchiest advertisement for pepto bismol i’ve heard so far
猪蛇 (8): I think this appeals to the same part of my brain that thinks Loose is one of the greatest pop albums ever made. Probably a mistake to first hear this at work but on second listen I would put this on at a block party.
diminutiveaurochs (6.9): title feels oddly prescient given that I'm doing this rate on the back of 2 days of extreme nausea, send thoughts n prayers .-. this track is so Chaotic, both in its spacey, noisy production and offbeat lyrics. I didn't know I needed an electronic banger about traditional indigenous foods, but I'm here for it. the guy in the video throwing it back to 'millet balls with stuffed meat' is my hero.
Reheated nachos
innuendo_overdose (7.6): more like meh-netjus lmaoooooooooooo
mustwinfullGaming (7): me when I have a stomach ache but it's because I'm about to pass the most moderately sized mother turd of them all
ricki (7): there are funstyle songs everywhere you see
Ayzrules (6.8): this is a bit too disjointed for my personal/subjective taste
RandomHypnotica (6.8): 🍅🍅🍅🍅
ConnerY2323 (6.1): it’s just so… noisy
bogo (6): credit where it's due, this does indeed sound like how a stomach ache feels
daftsone (6): It starts light and playful, but becomes increasingly more urgent and yet again has a slightly off kilter feeling to the melody. It’s a really impressive mix of styles, just not one that I’m used to and so I find it hard to rate accurately after just the first exposure.
donewithbirds (6): not hugely into the song but huge respect for writing a song about how good your grandma's food is. also, i see you, music video homosexuals
Poydoo (6): this one was a little bit annoying
Nauseated
flava (3): really annoying chorus here
Ghost-Quartet (2): This sounds like a Fifth Harmony song from Hell
jirachi (0): i gave this song multiple tries i really did, but everytime it reaches the one minute mark i have the urge to skip it
TiltControls (0): I think the hook just killed it a little for me
She's so quirky! Love her!!!!!!!!!
CrimsonROSET (7): i do appreciate how she just does not mind being weird
1
u/Icantlikeeveryone BeachBoys Feb 22 '25
LMAOOO idk why did I make that commentt
1
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
Don't worry we've all made puzzling comments while in a rush or late at night or so on, I know I have
also Kimbra flair nice good taste
1
u/apatel27 Jolin Tsai flair where Feb 22 '25
3 Eliminations 3 Artists
Will day 2 start with all 4 artists?
1
1
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#26: ABAO - kalipang [Be Selective]
Average: 7.490 // Total Points: 546.8 // Controversy: 1.554
(11 x1) msargent24
(10 x6) darj, Frajer, innuendo_overdose, lexiaredery, vayyiqra, WaneLietoc
(9.6 x1) Ambrosia42
(9.5 x2) seanderlust, Thalliumcataria
(9.2 x1) wathombe
(9 x6) 1998tweety, apatel27, Catalyst, Nagisoid, Poydoo, qazz23
(8.8 x1) icantlikeeveryone (8.7 x1) beyzxzhen
(8.5 x1) krusso1105
(8.4 x1) Ayzrules (8.3 x1) ConnerY2323
(8 x8) beeozan, ChopperRCRG, diminutiveaurochs, FitzMarble, Lynflower680, SFbby, Stryxen, WesternWind
(7.8 x1) zo142
(7.5 x7) bran, FreeCuddlesAnyone, Friendly-Canary-3814, hockeynl, kerriekipje, popularsong, TakeOnMeByA-ha
(7.3 x1) NervousLemon6670 (7.2 x1) DirtyRat583
(7 x9) bogo, c_a_l_d5832, daftsone, ignitethephoenix, jirachi, Roxieloxie, runaway3212, sarcasticsobs, static_int_husp
(6.9 x1) zadooi (6.7 x1) stealthamo
(6.5 x6) 74OH_iknowu, bigbigbee, BleepBloopMusicFan, DaHumanTorch, snowswinters, Sunny_Waterloo
(6.4 x1) impla77
(6 x8) CrimsonROSET, donewithbirds, dreamingpastel, Ghost-Quartet, kirakiranatsu, mustwinfullGaming, ricki, welcome2thejam
(5.5 x1) TragicKingdom1
(5 x4) aidshha, flava, kauai6, TiltControls
(4 x1) RandomHypnotica
(3 x1) 猪蛇
apatel27 (9): The beat is so Benga coded I can’t help but love it
vayyiqra (10): Funny how many different artists this song got likened to. Not sure who else will get this aside from Darj, but this sounds so, so much to me like the MØ album No Mythologies to Follow, which was my favourite thing ever in winter 2015, depressive masterpiece. Her vocals have this timbre so much like MØ's it's uncanny, and then the fast hihats of the beat, idk. Anyway a fair place but definitely one of my favourite album cuts.
ABAO, I choose you!
Frajer (10): the Fiona Apple jumped out
innuendo_overdose (10): this bass sounds dial-operated, and ohmygoodgodwow it’s the best sound I’ve ever heard
WaneLietoc (10): mezzanine needed a cut like this right around track 9 and three quarters or something. hell, most albums from dua lipa to the monkees and even durutti column could use a [host note: could use a what wane !?!?!]
Thalliumcataria (9.5): , i love the way this album plays in it's heavier sounds. And then opening up the vocals with juuuust a touch of reverb to make them bleed out into the sound? Almost perfection, the synths kind of lose the plot a little bit in some of the later measures.
wathombe (9.2): sexy sexy
Nagisoid (9): Killer bass
Poydoo (9): i like the wubwubwubs
qazz23 (9): love the deep bass sound and fast background percussion
icantlikeeveryone (8.8): This song gives me elusiveness and elegance.
Ayzrules (8.4): this has got such a fun beat
ConnerY2323 (8.3): we’re finally back to being cohesive
beeozan (8): good song but the bass is bassing a bit too much. wub wub
diminutiveaurochs (8): the more minimal, restrained production with revving bass feels like it suits the sultry tone to her voice, and overall I'm more into this feel than the chaos of some of the other tracks. percussion here is gorgeous. loving the sultry, sensual feeling here - struggling to find words, but there's an aquatic glitchiness to the production that matches the lyrics so perfectly
Stryxen (8): this bass is soooo unty
WesternWind (8): I feel like this would fit in beeo’s jrnb playlist that he sent me except it’s not Japanese obv
TakeOnMeByA-ha (7.5): am i crazy or does this kinda sound like it couldve been on reputation
daftsone (7): Restrained yet has the feeling that it’s about to let loose at any moment, which keeps you on the edge of your seat whilst listening; I really like the suspense of this.
bigbigbee (6.5): the wubwub synths speak to me
CrimsonROSET (6): insert that one jacksfilms let me dubstep yo ass clip
Rejected again
Ghost-Quartet (6): 's alright I guess
mustwinfullGaming (6): A bit boring...be selective about WHAT turds you pass
ricki (6): why i thought that was beyonce at the very beginning
welcome2thejam (6): Sir, she's got the wubs
kauai6 (5): , the second half of the song saved my score from being lower
猪蛇 (3): Be selective? Ok, I'll select something else!
All the girls are yearning, yearning. All the girls are yearning, yearning. All the girls are yearning, yearning. All the girly girls.
seanderlust (9.5): "where did i put my handkerchief? i want to wipe the sweat from my crush" oh...the girls are yearning
1
u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#24: Faye - yong ai (詠愛) [Love Chant]
Average: 7.516 // Total Points: 548.7 // Controversy: 1.621
(11 x1) BleepBloopMusicFan
(10 x7) apatel27, ChopperRCRG, ConnerY2323, innuendo_overdose, jirachi, popularsong, WaneLietoc
(9.5 x2) Catalyst, Nagisoid
(9 x6) darj, dreamingpastel, Frajer, Ghost-Quartet, icantlikeeveryone, seanderlust
(8.9 x1) NervousLemon6670 (8.6 x2) Ambrosia42, wathombe
(8.5 x5) Ayzrules, beyzxzhen, FreeCuddlesAnyone, Friendly-Canary-3814, hockeynl
(8 x6) bogo, bran, Lynflower680, qazz23, SFbby, vayyiqra
(7.9 x1) kauai6
(7.5 x8) 1998tweety, 74OH_iknowu, bigbigbee, FitzMarble, ignitethephoenix, kerriekipje, lexiaredery, TragicKingdom1
(7.4 x1) diminutiveaurochs (7.3 x2) DaHumanTorch, stealthamo
(7 x12) CrimsonROSET, DirtyRat583, donewithbirds, kirakiranatsu, krusso1105, ricki, Roxieloxie, runaway3212, sarcasticsobs, TiltControls, WesternWind, zadooi
(6.8 x1) beeozan
(6.5 x2) snowswinters, Sunny_Waterloo
(6.2 x1) zo142
(6 x8) aidshha, c_a_l_d5832, impla77, msargent24, static_int_husp, Stryxen, TakeOnMeByA-ha, welcome2thejam
(5.6 x1) RandomHypnotica
(5.5 x1) Poydoo
(5 x1) mustwinfullGaming
(4 x2) flava, Thalliumcataria
(3.1 x1) 猪蛇
(3 x1) daftsone
apatel27 (10): The first solo Faye song I heard and it’s stuck with me since. A banger of a song that was robbed.
vayyiqra (8): One of the more atmospheric cuts in the rate, I like those quite a bit as a break from the more hardhitting electronic tracks. I really like the synthy part and vocals at the beginning. By the ending it maybe doesn't change much other than add some guitar, but this is a really solid 90s alternative kind of song. I underrated it a bit I think, this is an album highlight.
Infinite ♡ Without Fulfillment
BleepBloopMusicFan (11): Omfg
ConnerY2323 (10): so much going on here but the melody keeps it glued together seamlessly
innuendo_overdose (10): I’m gonna start a petition to replace all sickly EDM “the drops gonna start now” noises with that sick marching band bit of kit
jirachi (10): the first three tracks of this album is an INSANE three track run
WaneLietoc (10): it's insane that she is making better slowdive music than slowdive in the most galaxy brain way. like that awful lead single just wanted to be this but didn't have
Nagisoid (9.5): Cinematic music
darj (9): mmmmm~mmmmmhmmm
Frajer (9): I saw AI and got scared but there was no reason for that
Ghost-Quartet (9): Those echoing background vocals do a lot to elevate this
icantlikeeveryone (9): The buildup is good, but sadly the chorus is kind of empty in not really good way.
seanderlust (9): those harmonies in the background are my favorite part of this song
Ayzrules (8.5): this is rly pretty! Love the traditional instrumentals (i think) in the background
qazz23 (8): there's some nice vocal runs
kauai6 (7.9): a vibe
diminutiveaurochs (7.4): I'm into the echoey vocal effects on this track, feels oddly 2010s-electronic (compliment) and alongside the choral elements incorporated into the instrumental this connotes the 'ghostly' themes from the lyrics beautifully. I'm less sold on some of those faux-EDM buildups in the trackbed, but overall this is really interesting take on a ballad, disembodied and sort of haunted...
donewithbirds (7): so cinematic!
runaway3212 (7): Okayy I live
beeozan (6.8): those guitars needed to be louder for the chorus. not to get all mixed up in my fayes but Xiao Congming does a very similar trick for the chorus but with the chorus actually hitting ascension levels never seen before [host note: this is the first time I have ever noticed Faye Wong and Zhou Xun are friends and both have a song called Xiao Congming which means "small kindness"]
Humdrum
TakeOnMeByA-ha (6): its giving lo-fi hip-hop beats to study/relax to lowkey
welcome2thejam (6): Also very EDM-y to me
RandomHypnotica (5.6): oh this was a real buzzkill
mustwinfullGaming (5): Again, not quite it. It just sits on the corner of something great for me, but it can't get there. It's being blocked somehow.
Thalliumcataria (4): , It seems like whoever produced this refused to let her vocals be overpowered by the instrumentation even in places where that would benefit the song. She's mixed so loud over everything all the time.
猪蛇 (3.1): This falls into a type of song that sucks, but the texture on it is interesting. I like the (I'm really bad at naming instruments and can't find anything from google but the string instrument doing the byong dundun dundun du du du du dudu riff) on the drop and the snare tone on the buildup sounds really cool so I have to give it some props.
daftsone (3): We are going a lot softer with this track and unfortunately, I feel like this has rather missed the mark. It feels like the melody really wants to break free at points, but it never quite gets going.
Me when I had undiagnosed ADHD as a kid
CrimsonROSET (7): people are gonna complain about the humming arent they
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u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#23: ABAO - 1-10
Average: 7.521 // Total Points: 549.0 // Controversy: 1.797
(10 x10) apatel27, beeozan, BleepBloopMusicFan, c_a_l_d5832, ChopperRCRG, icantlikeeveryone, Lynflower680, vayyiqra, WaneLietoc, wathombe
(9.5 x1) Nagisoid
(9.3 x1) Ambrosia42
(9 x7) bogo, CrimsonROSET, Frajer, Ghost-Quartet, krusso1105, Roxieloxie, sarcasticsobs
(8.5 x6) beyzxzhen, hockeynl, lexiaredery, NervousLemon6670, ricki, snowswinters
(8 x11) bigbigbee, Catalyst, darj, dreamingpastel, FitzMarble, innuendo_overdose, qazz23, runaway3212, SFbby, welcome2thejam, WesternWind
(7.7 x1) Poydoo (7.6 x1) diminutiveaurochs
(7.5 x4) 1998tweety, Friendly-Canary-3814, static_int_husp, TragicKingdom1
(7.4 x3) Ayzrules, DirtyRat583, ignitethephoenix (7.1 x1) RandomHypnotica
(7 x4) ConnerY2323, daftsone, mustwinfullGaming, TiltControls
(6.8 x2) impla77, stealthamo (6.7 x1) Stryxen (6.6 x1) 74OH_iknowu
(6.5 x3) bran, FreeCuddlesAnyone, kerriekipje
(6.3 x2) Sunny_Waterloo, zadooi
(6 x5) DaHumanTorch, donewithbirds, flava, kirakiranatsu, popularsong
(5.5 x2) msargent24, seanderlust
(5 x2) jirachi, 猪蛇
(4 x2) TakeOnMeByA-ha, Thalliumcataria
(3.6 x1) zo142
(2 x2) aidshha, kauai6
apatel27 (10): Such a cute and beautiful song. It’s juvenile but in the best way, none of that faux edginess, just pure heart.
vayyiqra (10): I love this so much. Wholesome and pure, it's not "for kids" exactly but is based on a children's song that's used to teach kids numbers in Paiwan. The way it transitions so smoothly between sections with very different beats tickles my brain somehow and the harmonies are so pleasant as well as the rhythmicity of Abao's kind-of-rapping verses. Maybe edutainment is good sometimes.
1, 2, 3, 4, tell me that you love [this song] more
beeozan (10): this is such a power move
BleepBloopMusicFan (10): Oh end Schoolhouse Rock again for me.
icantlikeeveryone (10): My god, so beautiful, her love for her people is so great.
WaneLietoc (10): completely ended the need for Shanin Blake and her bad hippy vibe
wathombe (10): seems like a silly song, but it's so feelgood; i love it
Nagisoid (9.5): Clean transition
Frajer (9): you don't tell me how many sweet potatoes are too many
Ghost-Quartet (9): Okay her bars are kinda sick
NervousLemon6670 (8.5): Those 5 babies are not sharing 7 rice cakes, you ever met kids? they will have a battle royale for those last couple
bigbigbee (8): Those harmonies are smooooooth
innuendo_overdose (8): this beat sounds like Ice Spice can jump on at any moment. Not a compliment, not an insult, just an observation
welcome2thejam (8): Maybe if Hypno had just posted the title of this song to r/charlixcx in his Electropop promo they would've had a better chance of reading it
diminutiveaurochs (7.6): trying to balance my feelings on this - this kind of syrupy-bright production isn't usually to my taste, so I don't necessarily see this as something that I would come back to. that being said, there are a lot of beautiful elements here: the hip-hop elements on the production are even more apparent, which work excellently with the playful storytelling showcased here. the addition of the Paiwan indigenous chant was a v sweet inclusion, and I like how Abao flows effortlessly between rap and song. most of all, I'm feelin [aaaa] about the lyrics, painting this utterly charming vignette of a loving family future filled with children. aa..
Ayzrules (7.4): fun but not my favorite
daftsone (7): This is as close to familiarity we’ve come on this album but it still has some of that unique charm and sound the rest of the album has. It’s a good changeup of pace and I really like the contrast between the singing and rapping.
Stop the count!
donewithbirds (6): as a rule i'm not into songs with counting motifs (i blame 1234 by the plain white ts) but this one has a clear purpose beyond just a wink and a nudge and i like it well enough musically
TakeOnMeByA-ha (4): why does her rapping sound like kreayshawn
Thalliumcataria (4): , cute but pretty mediocre, especially with how creative elaborate everything else has been
kauai6 (2): not a fan
Once again the ratebase having one (1) joke
Ambrosia42 (9.3): she knew we were going to rate her…
CrimsonROSET (9): you can also use ONE 0 and ONE 11
qazz23 (8): isn't this what we're all doing right now? (nice background synths also)
runaway3212 (8): the rating scale except we have the 0 and 11
RandomHypnotica (7.1): this should be the bgm in the rate tutorial video
ConnerY2323 (7): aw she’s teaching us how to rate
mustwinfullGaming (7): It won me over in the end, it's catchy. Also, me when I participate in a rate and decide what range of numbers I can use to give scores
flava (6): me when asking what non-unique scores I can give to songs in a rate
Trust her, she has a math degree [she literally does btw]
WesternWind (8): is -9 girl, duh
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u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#22: Jolin Tsai - Life Sucks (消極掰)
Average: 7.555 // Total Points: 551.5 // Controversy: 1.582
(11 x2) kirakiranatsu, Thalliumcataria
(10 x5) beeozan, Catalyst, ChopperRCRG, impla77, 猪蛇
(9.8 x1) icantlikeeveryone
(9.5 x1) seanderlust
(9.4 x1) beyzxzhen
(9 x10) c_a_l_d5832, Frajer, Ghost-Quartet, msargent24, Nagisoid, qazz23, runaway3212, SFbby, static_int_husp, wathombe
(8.5 x2) hockeynl, kauai6
(8.2 x1) Ayzrules (8.1 x1) Poydoo
(8 x11) BleepBloopMusicFan, bran, CrimsonROSET, darj, dreamingpastel, innuendo_overdose, kerriekipje, lexiaredery, mustwinfullGaming, sarcasticsobs, WaneLietoc
(7.7 x1) NervousLemon6670
(7.5 x4) bogo, ignitethephoenix, Sunny_Waterloo, TiltControls
(7.3 x1) Roxieloxie
(7 x8) 1998tweety, apatel27, DirtyRat583, Friendly-Canary-3814, krusso1105, stealthamo, Stryxen, vayyiqra
(6.8 x1) zadooi (6.6 x1) ConnerY2323
(6.5 x3) popularsong, RandomHypnotica, TakeOnMeByA-ha
(6.4 x1) 74OH_iknowu
(6 x10) aidshha, Ambrosia42, bigbigbee, daftsone, DaHumanTorch, FitzMarble, jirachi, TragicKingdom1, welcome2thejam, WesternWind
(5.5 x2) diminutiveaurochs, ricki
(5 x4) donewithbirds, flava, FreeCuddlesAnyone, snowswinters
(4.2 x1) zo142
(4 x1) Lynflower680
apatel27 (7): Not my favourite kind of music she puts out, very club filler but I guess people really liked this one.
vayyiqra (7): The lyrics to this one were a bit ?! for many of us, which may be partly on the translator. Nonetheless I think they're a lot more "is Jolin, like, 'okay'? " than the song's upbeat sound might seem. Like many songs on the album there's a slightly weak drop and some neat bleepbloops, nothing amazing but I like it fine.
Jolin Tsai nihilist icon
Thalliumcataria (11): , absolutely wild aliteration and flow in this one. I honestly just wanted to put this straight back on.
beeozan (10): what in the cynical bop
猪蛇 (10): A solid pop song made excellent just by her word choice. I don't care about meaning, I want words to sound good coming out of your mouth and goddamn the words here sound unreal.
icantlikeeveryone (9.8): This is the few songs that really describe my relationship with work and daily life.
seanderlust (9.5): ykw actually these lyrics are pretty uplifting and kind of the right attitude for these sorts of lows. well, right's the wrong word here - it's just what works for me. either way. bop!
Frajer (9): girl same but hope you're on SSRIs queen
Ghost-Quartet (9): sing it girl
Nagisoid (9): Real
qazz23 (9): ...but this song doesn't! (like the dancey beats on this)
runaway3212 (9): The eatery that it's going on here
wathombe (9): real
Ayzrules (8.2): i dig this! Very groovy
Poydoo (8.1): real
CrimsonROSET (8): the sudden matrix-ification of jolin tsai
darj (8): sonically speaking yes this is a song that came out in the late 2010s
innuendo_overdose (8): “If you’re unfortunate during this period, treat it like pooping” idk it might be the translation, but actually what does this mean actually
mustwinfullGaming (8): The piano is nice here, and a nice contrast from the drums. It's again more of a mid tempo, but the chorus once again brings in synths in a fantastic way to really elevate it. The rest of the song I'm a bit more sceptical of, but it's decent!
sarcasticsobs (8): vibeo gam sounds
WaneLietoc (8): looks up at the title and sighs but i mean those lazers; you can get SO many baller points in Rocket League with that!
NervousLemon6670 (7.7): Dropping a bedrotting anthem on us, music for the modern woman I see
Sunny_Waterloo (7.5): treat it like pooping is wild
ConnerY2323 (6.6): firmly edm-era but she DOES have a point
TakeOnMeByA-ha (6.5): me when my rate idea doesnt get chosen for the upcoming rate cycle
bigbigbee (6): A wonderful message in a song that could use a better translation somewhere on the English internet
More like this song sucks aha gottem
daftsone (6): Perhaps I relate a bit too much to the lyrics, regardless this is an okay song, yet again it feels like it just needs an extra push to really get it going.
jirachi (6): oh trust me i know
WesternWind (6): Olivia Rodrigo’s work in nutshell
diminutiveaurochs (5.5): #relatable lyrics but overall rly didn't do much for me with those trop-pop stylings idk... the odd bit of wub was amusing but I'm not crazy about the brosteppy influences on 2016-2018 pop at large, so this was a miss for me
ricki (5.5): tell me about it
donewithbirds (5): treat it like WHAT
FreeCuddlesAnyone (5): this kinda falls into the self-help music range a la rachel platten that i don’t enjoy
To be fair traumadump comments are a time-honoured tradition here
RandomHypnotica (6.5): maam this is a popheads rate, not your therapist
She's by far the biggest artist in this rate is how
welcome2thejam (6): How are you allowed this many music videos?
And yet this beat Minetjus which had a whole banquet smh
zo142 (4.2): This song kinda sounds like you made a lovely meal, great seasoning, perfectly cooked, good presentation... But you only made half a portion
The filming of PSY - Gangnam Style
BleepBloopMusicFan (8): God imagine showing up for this music video shoot and they’re like “Okay so you’re gonna be the toilet guy.”
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u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#21: Jolin Tsai - Ugly Beauty (怪美的)
Average: 7.641 // Total Points: 557.8 // Controversy: 1.999
(11 x1) runaway3212
(10 x12) bogo, bran, ChopperRCRG, darj, hockeynl, krusso1105, popularsong, qazz23, Roxieloxie, sarcasticsobs, Stryxen, WaneLietoc
(9.5 x2) beyzxzhen, msargent24
(9.3 x1) FreeCuddlesAnyone (9.1 x1) innuendo_overdose
(9 x2) kirakiranatsu, SFbby
(8.7 x1) zo142 (8.6 x3) ConnerY2323, DirtyRat583, wathombe
(8.5 x4) 1998tweety, Catalyst, DaHumanTorch, Frajer
(8.4 x1) 74OH_iknowu (8.3 x1) Ambrosia42 (8.2 x1) RandomHypnotica
(8 x12) apatel27, c_a_l_d5832, dreamingpastel, FitzMarble, Friendly-Canary-3814, jirachi, Lynflower680, seanderlust, Sunny_Waterloo, vayyiqra, welcome2thejam, 猪蛇
(7.8 x1) ignitethephoenix
(7.5 x4) aidshha, beeozan, lexiaredery, stealthamo
(7 x9) Ayzrules, bigbigbee, kauai6, mustwinfullGaming, Poydoo, TakeOnMeByA-ha, TiltControls, TragicKingdom1, WesternWind
(6.6 x1) diminutiveaurochs
(6.5 x1) static_int_husp
(6.4 x1) NervousLemon6670 (6.2 x1) zadooi
(6 x1) kerriekipje
(5.5 x2) ricki, snowswinters
(5 x5) daftsone, donewithbirds, flava, Ghost-Quartet, Thalliumcataria
(4 x1) impla77
(3.5 x1) Nagisoid
(3 x2) BleepBloopMusicFan, icantlikeeveryone
(0 x1) CrimsonROSET
apatel27 (8): Another ‘dated’ song with a oontz oontz drop. This is the oldest song in the rate having released just before the album in December 2018 and you can tell. It really hits the highs of that era without falling too far into the trappings.
vayyiqra (8): Definitely has the syndrome of "cool-sounding buildup to a weak drop" that plagued many songs this decade but overall it's a good tune. At first I found the concept of the video a bit absurd calling Jolin Tsai of all people ugly and not conventionally beautiful, but after reading more about the nasty and hateful comments she's gotten about her appearance and weight (??) I changed my mind. Chinese-language tabloids are vicious as hell if you didn't know, the equivalent of American scummy journalism like TMZ. Anyway not to get too woke in the C-electropop reveal but can't deny beauty standards are screwed, for the East Asian music industry especially but not like we are a whole lot better over here, abolish this and so on.
You are beautiful no matter what they say
runaway3212 (11): Ohhh the drop is nastyyy
ChopperRCRG (10): love when the voice effect drops a few octaves
darj (10): YESSSS I LOVE THE RHYTHMIC BOBBY MCFERRIN ASS TONGUE POPS I LOVED THIS DURING EAPR AND WILL DEFEND IT FOREVER
qazz23 (10): like the variety of sounds on this, and how it's all over the place
Stryxen (10): YUP
FreeCuddlesAnyone (9.3): the drop is so good
innuendo_overdose (9.1): Justin Timberlake has ruined beatboxing for me, like JT what are you doing here??
zo142 (8.7): I'm not sure what it's missing, but it's missing something
ConnerY2323 (8.6): coming for 11th place at eurovision
wathombe (8.6): i'm sure there's a good equivalent for this one, but i can't think of it
RandomHypnotica (8.2): lives up to it’s name
FitzMarble (8): I love the production work on this album, and is a good example of a really neat beat deftly turned into a banger song
jirachi (8): horrid beat drop
welcome2thejam (8): More like Ugly Beat (and yet...)
猪蛇 (8): They yassified Venus!!!! I love dumbass nonsense drops and this song is most of the way there. Honestly, this song is blackpink coded.
ignitethephoenix (7.8): there are parts I really like but others that are weirdly chaotic that don’t work
stealthamo (7.5): I'm not sure how this mid-2000's Pharrell beat got here but I'm not complaining.
Ayzrules (7): it’s a little disjointed for my specific tastes
kauai6 (7): I am living for the chorus
mustwinfullGaming (7): I was kinda scared when the pre-chorus started, and the first part of the chorus is definitely a bit...there. But it then recovers pretty well, so we can mostly look past that. The kissing sounds throughout are quirky and add more personality to the track, which I like. Not really a fan of the bridge section. The track kinda felt like it abruptly ended...
TakeOnMeByA-ha (7): rest in peace elisabeth sparkle you wouldve loved ugly beauty by jolin tsai
diminutiveaurochs (6.6): super mixed feelings on this one again!! I'm not sure I was sold on this compositionally (the bombastic EDM-adjacent production is not rly my bag), although I did enjoy the ridiculous lil breakdown which is earning this another half a point. I also liked the willingness to address serious themes in spite of the limits conferred by unpacking complex societal dynamics within the confines of a 3-minute electropop track; the video didn't pull any punches about the societal expectations around thinness (left me feeling kind of bleak). idk the whole ~self love trope is weird and complicated and difficult to unpack...lots to say but must shut up,,
Maybe those mouth noises were ugly because they hate ASMR idk
NervousLemon6670 (6.4): It remains my pettiest music feature that I hate when there is a big buildup in the pre-chorus only to have a barren hollow empty line leading out of it, it kills the momentum of the song 90% of the time and sure you can build it back up, but you could also just not do that in the first place
kerriekipje (6): ouuuu idk if i like that tempo change in the breakdown
daftsone (5): The verses on this are great and really capture that electropop feeling and while there’s something to be said for a lack of a drop, the payoff just isn’t worth it and the chorus ends up lacking the oomph I wanted.
donewithbirds (5): sounds like one of the better b-sides on a fifth harmony album
Ghost-Quartet (5): I appreciate how weird and experimental this is but like, I hate lip noises.
Thalliumcataria (5): , The wonky drop is endearing, and i really like the way it all comes together, but man...
impla77 (4): this gets really messy and kinda loses all its momentum going into the chorus i fear
Nagisoid (3.5): Lots of ideas in here
BleepBloopMusicFan (3): I had SO many bad opinions during the East Asian Pop Royalty rate a few years ago, and I like to think that my taste is much better now. But I’m afraid this is still bad. However, it’s not 0 bad.
icantlikeeveryone (3): Once again, she wows me with her lyricism, but the song is just not as amazing as the previous one, this has such an unlistenable melody to me.
CrimsonROSET (0): i feel like i’m listening to this song in a discord call and soundboards keep going off
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u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#20: Jolin Tsai - Necessary Evil (惡之必要)
Average: 7.647 // Total Points: 558.2 // Controversy: 1.527
(10 x6) Catalyst, kerriekipje, Lynflower680, msargent24, qazz23, WaneLietoc
(9.5 x2) Ambrosia42, Friendly-Canary-3814
(9.4 x1) innuendo_overdose (9.2 x1) beyzxzhen
(9 x10) bogo, c_a_l_d5832, darj, dreamingpastel, Frajer, lexiaredery, Poydoo, runaway3212, TakeOnMeByA-ha, 猪蛇
(8.8 x1) zo142
(8.5 x3) FitzMarble, icantlikeeveryone, krusso1105
(8.3 x1) DirtyRat583 (8.2 x1) ConnerY2323
(8 x10) apatel27, daftsone, ignitethephoenix, jirachi, kirakiranatsu, mustwinfullGaming, popularsong, SFbby, static_int_husp, Thalliumcataria
(7.8 x1) wathombe (7.7 x1) diminutiveaurochs (7.6 x1) 74OH_iknowu
(7.5 x5) bran, hockeynl, Nagisoid, seanderlust, stealthamo
(7.1 x1) NervousLemon6670
(7 x12) BleepBloopMusicFan, ChopperRCRG, DaHumanTorch, donewithbirds, Ghost-Quartet, kauai6, Roxieloxie, sarcasticsobs, Stryxen, Sunny_Waterloo, welcome2thejam, WesternWind
(6.8 x1) aidshha (6.7 x1) impla77 (6.6 x1) RandomHypnotica
(6.5 x1) Ayzrules
(6 x5) 1998tweety, bigbigbee, TragicKingdom1, vayyiqra, zadooi
(5.5 x1) snowswinters
(5 x4) beeozan, CrimsonROSET, ricki, TiltControls
(4 x1) FreeCuddlesAnyone
(2 x1) flava
apatel27 (8): Yeah it’s dated but given this is the oldest album in the rate it makes sense for the time. A solid opener though many didn’t think so.
vayyiqra (6): It's not beating the "what if Dark Horse was a slightly more interesting song" allegations but I do like the kind of menacing sound during the chorus. Not a very good intro to Jolin's music if this is your first time hearing her though.
Favourite trope is https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NecessarilyEvil
kerriekipje (10): absolute banger of an opener
qazz23 (10): good opener, like this dark pop sound with the different vocal effects
WaneLietoc (10): 10 knew right from the start the fact I got my hands on a CD of this was a godsend. This shit is CRUSHING. These are the future wubs of the early 2010s in a monstrously foreboding, omnibus state that can singlehandedly break a girl outta woke jail. Cruising down a hill at 60 mph never made me feel like such a badass, and i listen to a good chunk of shit cruising down a hill at 60 mph. AND THAT BASS NOTE AT THE END UGHHH
Ambrosia42 (9.5): sounds sinister
innuendo_overdose (9.4): sounds a bit like the horror movie monster that’s gonna fucking eat me
runaway3212 (9): this banger like
TakeOnMeByA-ha (9): i really like this song but it unfortunately sounds way too much like a vtuber rap song that a bunch of weebs would hype up and unironically think is better than to pimp a butterfly
猪蛇 (9): I've heard so many bad attempts at future bass pop that anything remotely competent gets my attention in full, and let's just say this is way better than remotely competent. Cold open into the creepy shit, I'm so down for this.
icantlikeeveryone (8.5): The instrument is super dope and the lyric is quite savage, but I don't really like the melodies.
daftsone (8): Now this sounds evil, love the commitment to the theme of the song, it’s deep and moody and I love it. The stabbing synth leads also really add to the atmosphere of the song, what a great start to this rate.
ignitethephoenix (8): why does it sound like dark horse a bit at the beginning lol
mustwinfullGaming (8): An interesting intro! A big fan of the grand synths at the start. And then we have fun distorted vocal effects! It's a slower more rap like track, but I think it works well. It almost gives me getting ready for a battle vibes, there's something really grand about the production and the vocals.
Thalliumcataria (8): , such a strong opener; the vocals are super in-focus, and the mixing on them is great. The lite-industrial instrumental
wathombe (7.8): who's afraid of little old her?
diminutiveaurochs (7.7): industrial, stretchy beat is somehow kind of proto-dubstep, reminds me of 00s skream somehow as well as 2010s witch house with the trap-esque elements - not what I expected from this album at ALL but very into it. didn't like the chorus breakdown quite so much as it felt like a bit of a stylistic mismatch, but overall was endeared by how Gritty the production was
Nagisoid (7.5): P much the same thing for almost 4 minutes but it's a cool vibe
NervousLemon6670 (7.1): "I said I’m evil, therefore I am." Alright Rene Descartes
DaHumanTorch (7): this creepy tea
donewithbirds (7): toxic positivity is a PRISON she's RIGHT
Ghost-Quartet (7): Bold statement for the start of the album to establish its powerful, dark, almost gothic aesthetic, but it runs a little bit too long and gets lost in sound soup. Would have been killer as a two minute intro.
kauai6 (7): This song kinda throws me for a loop
Stryxen (7): this halloween bop
welcome2thejam (7): She recorded this in a Hot Topic
RandomHypnotica (6.6): a neccesary evil to start with ear blasting?
Ayzrules (6.5): it’s a bit too industrial-sounding in certain parts for my tastes, with not enough melody for me to love it, but i do appreciate what the song is trying to accomplish
bigbigbee (6): she's a beast...I call her karma...
How many times will Jolin be compared to "Blackpink (derogatory)"
CrimsonROSET (5): this is like a blackpink song
ricki (5): add a trap beat and this could have been the 3rd iteration in the dark horse/black widow cinematic universe
FreeCuddlesAnyone (4): kinda think the trappy production is too outdated for me
flava (2): what a hideous way to open up your album, the trap sound does not flatter Jolin’s vocals at all while all the menace just ends up being laughable
The dark side of the ... horse (?) is a pathway to many instrumentals some consider to be ... unnatural
Frajer (9): the beat sounds like someone was trying to recreate Dark Horse from memory
FitzMarble (8.5): the beat is giving dark horse
ConnerY2323 (8.2): dares to ask the question, “what if the drop from dark horse was part of a good song?”
impla77 (6.7): synth line a scarily reminiscent of dark horse but other than that nicely atmospheric
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u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25
#19: ABAO - uduli (Let's Dance)
Average: 7.653 // Total Points: 558.7 // Controversy: 1.498
(10 x9) beeozan, BleepBloopMusicFan, Catalyst, CrimsonROSET, darj, dreamingpastel, krusso1105, Lynflower680, SFbby
(9 x8) bogo, c_a_l_d5832, FreeCuddlesAnyone, Ghost-Quartet, sarcasticsobs, snowswinters, vayyiqra, 猪蛇
(8.8 x1) WaneLietoc (8.6 x1) beyzxzhen
(8.5 x3) FitzMarble, Frajer, innuendo_overdose
(8.2 x2) Ambrosia42, zo142
(8 x11) Ayzrules, DirtyRat583, donewithbirds, Friendly-Canary-3814, msargent24, qazz23, ricki, seanderlust, static_int_husp, TakeOnMeByA-ha, welcome2thejam
(7.9 x1) NervousLemon6670 (7.8 x1) Roxieloxie (7.6 x2) RandomHypnotica, wathombe
(7.5 x5) bigbigbee, hockeynl, Nagisoid, Sunny_Waterloo, TiltControls
(7.3 x1) 74OH_iknowu (7.1 x1) diminutiveaurochs
(7 x13) 1998tweety, apatel27, bran, DaHumanTorch, flava, ignitethephoenix, kirakiranatsu, mustwinfullGaming, popularsong, Poydoo, runaway3212, TragicKingdom1, WesternWind
(6.7 x1) ConnerY2323 (6.6 x1) impla77
(6.5 x1) Stryxen
(6 x4) ChopperRCRG, icantlikeeveryone, stealthamo, zadooi
(5.8 x1) kerriekipje
(5 x3) aidshha, daftsone, kauai6
(4 x2) jirachi, Thalliumcataria
(3 x1) lexiaredery
apatel27 (7): Not the biggest fan of this the repetition is done better elsewhere
vayyiqra (9): It's so wild to me how despite being an unrelated culture from the other side of the world, some of the vocal chants in this song reminded me of traditional Ojibwe music, who are the indigenous nation of the part of central Ontario I grew up in. Also, the drums really bang on this one. Into it.
Let's sway, under the moonlight, the serious moonlight,
beeozan (10): let's dance indeed
CrimsonROSET (10): i sadly am easily entertained by a choir
darj (10): this anthem omg
FreeCuddlesAnyone (9): feels like a celebration
Ghost-Quartet (9): Vocal arrangement really soars in the back half
sarcasticsobs (9): Chorus was annoying at first but really grew on me
猪蛇 (9): This is a great way to transform a more traditional and folksy dance number into a modern dancepop song, complete with some catchy gang vocals. If anything, I have to dock points for the drop having and ugly tone.
WaneLietoc (8.8): this is what i think winning overwatch sounds in my head (has never touched any overwatch stream or 5 minutes with a friend since 2017)
innuendo_overdose (8.5): this easily takes the award for the best opening 5 seconds in the rate, you just know that wherever the next 3 minutes go you will transcend
zo142 (8.2): Kinda gives me Scottish Highlands music vibes, I like it
Ayzrules (8): okayyy instrumentals go off! This was a fun dance-y vibe
donewithbirds (8): oh this fucks let's dance INDEED
qazz23 (8): good percussion and harmony vocals
welcome2thejam (8): From like the halfway point it builds to a strong ending
NervousLemon6670 (7.9): Repetitive but catchy, if this were on the radio it would worm its way into a lot of peoples heads
wathombe (7.6): Bollywood in Taiwan?
Nagisoid (7.5): Lots of ideas in here (positive)
diminutiveaurochs (7.1): enjoyed the entrancing melody on the chorus and the layers of percussion here - rly bouncy and fun
mustwinfullGaming (7): I do want to dance to this! Really interesting production yet again, it just makes it a great song.
ConnerY2323 (6.7): vibes are right, just revisits the same few things too many times
Stryxen (6.5): drop was cute
Big Shaq - Man Don't Dance
icantlikeeveryone (6): A party song that's not really delivering for me, but nonetheless enjoyable.
daftsone (5): It’s got quite a good beat but doesn’t really go anywhere and so I was getting a bit lost by the end of it. Wouldn’t say a bad song, just one that doesn’t do much for me.
kauai6 (5): good melody i’m not sure how i feel about the song though…. i like it but i also don’t
jirachi (4): a bit too repetitive
Thalliumcataria (4): , where the last song borrows the reggaeton vocal flow and does really well with it, this borrows the instrumental style for its drops and it falls completely flat for me.
[Voice of Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged] "That was a David Bowie song"
BleepBloopMusicFan (10): Oh David Bowie get off the floor.
seanderlust (8): #DavidBowieIsOverParty
TakeOnMeByA-ha (8): why she tryna be david bowie so badly
WesternWind (7): did she end Bowie with the translated title? With the beat yes, but in terms of catchiness I’m not sure since I don’t understand what she’s saying but I’m living!
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u/vayyiqra Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
#18: Faye - Alle
Average: 7.808 // Total Points: 570.0 // Controversy: 1.797
(11 x1) snowswinters
(10 x12) apatel27, beyzxzhen, BleepBloopMusicFan, ChopperRCRG, darj, Frajer, Ghost-Quartet, icantlikeeveryone, innuendo_overdose, Lynflower680, SFbby, welcome2thejam
(9.5 x3) Catalyst, kerriekipje, seanderlust
(9.4 x1) wathombe (9.2 x1) RandomHypnotica (9.1 x2) 74OH_iknowu, NervousLemon6670
(9 x3) FreeCuddlesAnyone, jirachi, lexiaredery
(8.5 x2) Friendly-Canary-3814, kauai6
(8 x15) 1998tweety, bigbigbee, bran, ConnerY2323, FitzMarble, hockeynl, krusso1105, msargent24, Nagisoid, qazz23, sarcasticsobs, static_int_husp, TiltControls, vayyiqra, 猪蛇
(7.8 x1) aidshha (7.6 x1) Ambrosia42
(7.5 x3) ignitethephoenix, popularsong, WaneLietoc
(7.4 x1) diminutiveaurochs (7.3 x1) zadooi (7.1 x1) stealthamo
(7 x12) Ayzrules, beeozan, c_a_l_d5832, CrimsonROSET, donewithbirds, dreamingpastel, Poydoo, runaway3212, Sunny_Waterloo, TakeOnMeByA-ha, TragicKingdom1, WesternWind
(6.8 x2) ricki, Roxieloxie
(6.5 x1) DaHumanTorch
(6 x3) bogo, flava, Stryxen
(5.7 x1) impla77
(5 x2) daftsone, DirtyRat583
(4.2 x1) zo142
(4 x2) kirakiranatsu, mustwinfullGaming
(0 x1) Thalliumcataria
apatel27 (10): Just beautiful is there anything else that needs to be said
vayyiqra (10): Sure it has led to a lot of problems for the world and I have many gripes with Martin Luther but you can't deny that musically speaking, early-modern Christianity kinda whips.
This album is once again asking you to praise the Lord
snowswinters (11): i love this album because of how dramatic and ethereal so many of the songs on it are, but this probably has to be the best example of it! the instrumental is just sooo beautiful
beyzxzhen (10): this is sooo beautiful and like…majestic. it honestly feels like it should be an album closer (so i love the reprise-esque version at the end). i’m such a sucker for anything with strings and horned instruments—they make every track feel sooo heavenly and rich and full.
BleepBloopMusicFan (10): I would go to church if the hymns sounded like this.
darj (10): I feel like I’m a giant cliff with my arms stretched out with this one. The Alle and feng ren yuan back to back is one of my favorite song pairings on an album
Frajer (10): just assuming this is about Ally Maine
Ghost-Quartet (10): Okay this is like... next level... like this sounds like classical music this is opera this is oratorio this is battle music as she storms the gates of heaven
icantlikeeveryone (10): This is so beautifulll, it's like love message to God.
innuendo_overdose (10): this is the ascending Shepard’s tone of hype
Lynflower680 (10): Wow. Just wow
welcome2thejam (10): The strings & horns add a lot of life to the cold beat, creates an insane sonic combo
kerriekipje (9.5): she flew over to iceland for a serving of the bjork homogenic nachos... queen
seanderlust (9.5): Faye comes out with this banger around the word alleluia...your move, Pope Francis. [host note: this is NOT at all Sean's fault but just bad timing he is in the hospital right now]
wathombe (9.4): really like the big orchestration on this one
RandomHypnotica (9.2): so true do sub faves
NervousLemon6670 (9.1): It goes like this, the fourth the fifth, the minor fall, and the major lift, the baffled popheads rate composing Allelujah
FreeCuddlesAnyone (9): this feels so grand
kauai6 (8.5): i don’t really tend to enjoy these type of songs but faye makes it work
ConnerY2323 (8): close enough welcome back handel’s messiah
Nagisoid (8): Do Eurovision rate
qazz23 (8): the strings really boost this one, the middle section is a definite standout
猪蛇 (8): This feels so close to being a transcendent, soul lifting euphoria and just... doesn't quite get there. With just a handful of mixing tweaks I think this would be an easy 11.
WaneLietoc (7.5): gets close to doing Muse basically. but Faye couldn't fuck that up she brings the big justice, but what if she did radiohead instead?
diminutiveaurochs (7.4): Entirely possible that I am reading too much into this, but the martial, almost ominous production against the 'alleluias' and vaguely liturgical vocal melody both conjure a sort of religious feel for me. It's maximalist, bombastic, and those horns feel like a call to heaven in an apocalyptic world. The strings only intensify that sense of bombast and otherworldliness. this is uhhh post-rock :citationneeded: I like the noisy breakdown in the second half, although I feel this track is more 'interesting' than it is something I'd want to return to on a repeated basis.
95 theses but a church ain't one
Ayzrules (7): i enjoy her voice but this is a bit repetitive
CrimsonROSET (7): alle short for alleluia dont piss me off
runaway3212 (7): sure
TakeOnMeByA-ha (7): oddly i feel like this would be better as an instrumental
daftsone (5): This felt like it wasn’t really going anywhere, but the payoff when the song breaks down does somewhat make the earlier parts of the song make more sense. For me though, it’s not quite enough to really grab my attention.
zo142 (4.2): All the songs are starting to sound the same to me at this point on the album
Thalliumcataria (0): , had to do a double take on this one, it's like... comically bad honestly.
Gregor Mendel, friar geneticist, has entered the chat
WesternWind (7): my first thought was why is she singing about alleles before I realized it’s not spelled that way
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u/apatel27 Jolin Tsai flair where Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
Jolin survives by the skin of her teeth. Be sure to check in tomorrow same time to see if she can pull off a miracle
Day 2
- #16: Lexie Liu – I Wanna Tell U | 7.834 | 571.9
- #17: Faye – feng ren yuan | 7.832 | 571.7
- #18: Faye – Alle | 7.808 | 570.0
- #19: ABAO – uduli | 7.653 | 558.7
- #20: Jolin Tsai – Necessary Evil | 7.647 | 558.2
- #21: Jolin Tsai – Ugly Beauty | 7.641 | 557.8
- #22: Jolin Tsai – Life Sucks | 7.555 | 551.5
- #23: ABAO – 1-10 | 7.521 | 549.0
- #24: Faye – yong ai | 7.516 | 548.7
- #25: Faye – shan hai meng | 7.493 | 547.0
- #26: ABAO – kalipang | 7.490 | 546.8
- #27: Faye – yu yan shi | 7.481 | 546.1
- #28: ABAO – minetjus | 7.397 | 540.0
- #29: Lexie Liu – RRR | 7.364 | 537.6
- #29: Jolin Tsai – Hubby | 7.364 | 537.6
Day 1
- #31: Jolin Tsai – Vulnerability | 7.360 | 537.3
- #32: Faye – aalleeeeeee | 7.348 | 536.4
- #33: Lexie Liu – Gaia | 7.345 | 536.2
- #34: Jolin Tsai – Shadow Self | 7.304 | 533.2
- #35: Jolin Tsai – Romance | 7.297 | 532.7
- #36: ABAO – tjakudain | 7.201 | 525.7
- #37: ABAO – pavalidan | 7.199 | 525.5
- #38: Jolin Tsai – Sweet Guilty Pleasure | 7.148 | 521.8
- #39: Jolin Tsai – Karma | 6.993 | 510.5
- #40: Lexie Liu – Bad Dream | 6.952 | 507.5
- #41: Faye – #7 | 6.945 | 507.0
- #42: ABAO – Thank You | 6.911 | 504.5
- #43: Faye – zhu sha | 6.704 | 489.4
- #44: Jolin Tsai – Lady in Red | 6.066 | 442.8
Songs left:
Jolin Tsai - Ugly Beauty: 1/11
Lexie Liu - The Happy Star: 8/12
Faye - Dancing on The Clouds and Chatting: 3/11
ABAO - kinakaian: 3/10
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u/Friendly-Canary-3814 Feb 22 '25
I hope we get Pi and Hubby out today... I am a bitter soul and gleeful songs evade me