Username: Ghost-Quartet

Guilty Conscience: 6 This isn’t bad but I’ve never been a fan of this kind of heavily produced sound with highly processed vocals and an overall “artificial” aesthetic.

Youngblood: 6

Sum Bout U (feat. FKA Twigs): 5 this was made for people who aren’t me, I’ve heard this kind of sound done well but this doesn’t strike me as anything very special

Nothing Can Compare: 6.5 Nothing against this song in particular but I’m getting tired of people going like “omg you’ll probably love this!” and then when I click the link it’s a white woman doing synthpop that sounds exactly like this.

In My Mind: 8

Keep On Running: 7.5

A Little Piece of Heaven: 9 This is fun actually, at first I was like “wtf is this” but as it went on I got more into it. Reminds me a lot of those bands made by video game fans or like, Voltaire or something, but a bit less cheesy. Not something I could see myself listening to regularly but definitely enjoyable

Electrical: 8 I’m not super into hyperpop but I like the MySpace aesthetic of this, it feels like there’s a bit more meat here than usual

2ON: 7 not bad but not my favorite Bree Runway song, I feel like “Little Nokia” kinda did what this song wanted to but better

Cut To The Feeling: 10

Put Your Records On: 10 I have a special connection to this one because I heard it all the time as a kid and my dad would always reference it whenever we were leaving the house because I had two sisters so he’d say “girls put your sweatshirts on” to the tune of the song. I want Corinne to release new music!

New Breed: 8 Vote for my “She Deserved Better” rate (which includes Dawn Richard) next rate cycle, thank you

Starter Adult: 8.5 As one of the, like, two DEQN SUE fans on the sub I would recommend checking out either of her albums, she does exactly the kind of quirky ‘80s influenced alt-pop that many other smaller acts have found success doing and it’s kinda disappointing that she’s never managed to find a niche with fans of this crowd–mostly because her music is good but also because this scene is painfully white. She’s got a really quirky lyrical style that’s kinda twisted at times

Allen Moss, Victor: 5 yet another song that aligns with my aesthetic preferences and overall vibes but is musically intolerable to me… sigh, it’s hard being quirky but also having basic taste

Wish That You Were Here: 4 I like Florence but I listened to this like four times and wow this is so long and kinda pointless

Chanel: 5.5 Wait is this about the girl from *Scream Queens*? Anyways don’t like his voice here, usually as I listen to a song more my score goes up but the opposite was true for this. It just falls apart as it goes on and loses whatever what point it had initially

Your Girl: 7

Kimagure Mercy (feat. Hatsune Miku): 7.5 I have a weird relationship to Vocaloid/“anime-core” music in general because it’s a lot of fun every now and then but then you listen to a bunch of it and it just starts to blend together. Maybe if I spoke Japanese I’d be able to tell the song apart better but as it stands it’s hard for me to get a grasp on them… in a vacuum this is cute though.

Oh, Maker: 11 Obsessed with this song, I think it’s so beautiful and one of the best tracks of the Cyndi Mayweather era of Janelle’s music. There’s something almost medieval sounding about it, almost like an old folk song, which is fitting for the almost madrigal themes of the lyrics. This could just be me overanalyzing but I think that her android character allows her to express the emotions of the song in a very unique way, like how she blurs the line between the “creator” in a religious and technological sense and how she uses colors as reference points for sensations that are unrelated to sight (because if she were really a robot that’s probably how she would interpret the world). Also that outro…

No Dream: 0 This gives me war flashbacks to being a child and my father playing stuff like this in the car… it always made me super uncomfortable and legitimately scared me. Like I’m sorry but the last thing on Earth I want to listen to is a white man screaming at me.

Bubblegum K.K.: 9 my ass is quaking

Pursuit of Happiness: 8 I understand lean now I guess

Sherbet Sunset: 9 love me some Little Simz, she’s so talented

Always Be My Baby: 9 good but never been one of my favorite Mariah singles

Fantasy (feat. Ol Dirty Bastard): 10 I have a really good memory associated with this one: I was driving to see a production of *Sister Act: The Musical* with my (now ex-)boyfriend and we were listening to *#1 To Infinity* and I was providing running commentary and when we got to this track I remarked on how silly the “whatchu gonna do when you get out of jail?” part was and he said “that explains the next track
‘Conjugal Visit’” and that really caught me off-guard, I laughed so hard. Miss that guy

Foolish: 10 I originally submitted a completely different song but I switched it to this one because Meghan is essentially impossible to rate (she would never get a fair shot and she’s past the point of relevance so she’s not going to be seriously considered for any lineups any time soon) so I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t take the chance to throw her in here. I knew it had to be this song because this song slaps like nobody’s business, this is bubblegum pop perfection; I’m still floored by how this song just builds and builds and builds up until the very end, she really is a master of crafting a great pop song. Not gonna give my 11 to my own submission because imo that’s a little bit tacky but I’ll be perched to see how people receive this one.

Tailwhip: 8 some nice sounds going on here

Lose Control (feat. Ciara & Fatman Scoop): 7 I love Ciara! just not this song, I respect the hell out of Missy but this is not my vibe

Tongue: 9 I actually used to really dislike MNEK back when this album came out but I think that was internalized homophobia or something because I’ve come around on him in recent years. I still think his voice is kinda sandy and not great for pop music but on songs like this he really makes it work, the hot-and-heavy vibes here are sexy as hell

Tu Falta De Querer: 9 I like this one! This kind of theatrical, big band music tends to get washed out into being just a “sound” rather than a genre people take seriously (looking at you Postmodern Jukebox) but a song from it is nice every now and then.

Winter Wrap Up: 6.5 *Steven Universe* vs. *Adventure Time* vs. *MLP:FiM* rate when?

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love): 10 this might win actually

Sana Sana: 5

Buffalo Stance: 9 I had never heard this one before and I assumed it was by some random indie pop girl (like a lot of the songs in this rate) until that chorus hit and I was like “wait is this from the ‘80s?” This sounds very fresh, and it’s a total bop too

Itty Bitty Piggy: 3 was… I genuinely can’t tell, was this a joke submission? Did I listen to the wrong video or something? Wtf is this?

Fireproof: 8

They Say: 7 This sounds like a song that would play at the end of a movie musical made by Wolfe Productions… not bad though, just generic. Appreciate the spirit I guess

Shelter: 8.5 Weaboos deserve SOME rights

iPhone: 8 I know we’re supposed to rate the song and not the person but I just have to say that I’m still side eyeing Rico for her [incredibly tone deaf response for being called out for using a certain anti-Asian slur](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEVfgdbjcXH/?hl=en) and that is my right… y’all will hold anti-black behavior over artist’s heads for years (not saying this is a bad thing, just pointing it out) but racism against Asians is always met with crickets. I had to get that off my chest because it was bugging me. Anyways the song itself is nice enough, I think she’s finally finding a balance between her hyperpop aspirations and the hyper-aggressive vibe that garnered her attention to begin with.

SOS: 6.5 I know a lot of people have nostalgia for early Rihanna but I think it’s just that, nostalgia. A lot of this stuff annoyed me when it came out and even as I’ve come to embrace pop music it still sounds really cheap and dated.

Sir Duke: 10 would be iconic if this won

The Less I Know The Better: 7.5 this is nice but what’s up with all the reverb?

System: 8 I *loved* this album and I love that someone submitted a Tayla song but… why this one? “Fixer Upper,” “Nevermind,” “Dance Alone…” they were right there.

Girl (feat. Kaytranada): 8.5 not to be like “this is too long” but this is a bit too long, otherwise I love it though it’s a total vibe

Under Cover of Darkness: 7.5

Wanderlust: 7 nice but takes way too long to get to the point

Death By Glamour: 8 memories…

Boasty (feat. Idris Elba): 7 this is fine but I don’t like it

Poison Arrow: 10 omg I forgot how much I liked yeule’s music, she’s got that high adventure anime/Vocaloid thing going on but she grounds it with a more indie music sensibility and the two sounds bring out the best in each other. Plus the video… game over.

Ride Out In The Country: 9 oh no my latent Texan genes are activating

Dopesmoker: 1 I listened to this all the way through and it’s bad, I think even for this genre this is bad. Just listen to *Pelagial* by The Ocean instead.

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