In order to determine what the four finalists are, we must examine the results of the previous round. There were 8 participants, so let's not waste any time seeing what they voted for!
January, February, and March: Garnering the slimmest of victories, "The Kraken" snatched 4 of the votes. 3 people would have preferred to visit "Dragon Roost Island," and only 1 person was bopping their head to "Main Theme."
April, May, and June: "History Maker" took half of the votes, proving that anime music really is appreciated. 2 people were too busy falling asleep to "Grape Garden," and the other 2 were desperately trying to go "Beyond the Mirror."
July, August, and September: This was hardly even a contest. NF took us by surprise and gained 6 of the votes. 2 participants weren't "Brave Enough" to acknowledge his talent. Sadly, everyone forgot "Fireworks" and left it in the dust.
October, November, and December: So this was an interesting round. "Majora's Mask" and "Oliver Queen Suite" both landed 3 votes each. That means I've got to pull up a random decision maker and do best two out of three. Which means . . . "Oliver Queen Suite" will be moving forward! In the meantime, 2 people are out partying to "Just Friends."
Which of these songs will be the ultimate victor? You choose!
The Final Round
"The Kraken" from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
versus "History Maker" by Dean Fujioka
versus "The Search" by NF
versus "Oliver Queen Suite" from Arrow: Season 1
I leave this in your capable hands. Only you can decide which of these four songs will forever be known as the best one of 2019. I have but one request: when you vote for which song should be the legendary winner, please leave a little reason explaining why you think so. If the song you voted for is crowned, your comments will be used in the victory post.
Welcome to the end.
Oh wow, none of the ones I voted for last time won. Guess I'm the odd girl out. XD I also don't know if that means this is gonna be easier or harder. I mean, I don't have a Zelda song to vote for (I was really rooting for Dragon Roost Island)! What am I going to do???
ReplyDelete*takes deep breath*
*re-listens to all the song*
*has a couple of mini crises*
ALL RIGHT. I've decided...
Oliver Queen Suite!
My reasoning:
It's ones of those types of songs that makes your heart swell, makes you want to charge bravely in battle. The emotion is palpable. It's definitely the type of music I love to write to, because it makes you FEEL things. Like you ARE the character and are experiencing their hardships, their struggles, their courage. Songs like this put me in the writing mood. And those are the best kinds. I love how this particular track has both strong, epic vibes and then softens into a more sentimental piece. It feels like a character's emotional journey, all in a single song. Even though I've yet to watch Arrow, its soundtrack is absolutely stunning.
THERE. I DID IT. I made decisions! Goodness me, this was hard, but soooooo much fun! Thank you for hosting this once again. It's always a blast. I can't wait to see the final result! (I have a sneaking suspicion The Search is gonna win, which I wouldn't be sad about. It would be my secondary vote!)
Haha, I'm pretty sure there were other people who voted for some of the same songs as you. XD And yeah, it would've been great if a Zelda song had made it to the finals!
DeleteThanks for voting and giving your reason as to why you picked the song you did. I definitely agree with your train of thought. The song has a lot of different emotions in it, but it blends them together so well. And yes, the score for the Arrow show is amazing.
Good for you! And you did it on the first day this post was up, so congrats. You're welcome! I'd have to agree, on both accounts. (Well, we'll just have to see how it all goes down.)
Yes, I was being very sarcastic in the last round when I said I was debating between "The Search" and the other songs in that category... Because... I knew that if "The Search" did make it to the final round, I would vote for it without a second thought. xD
ReplyDeleteAnd, to make it official, I vote for "The Search" by NF.
NF has been one of my favourite artists to listen to these past three or so years. Most of his songs display great lyrical talent, epic beats, and 'replayability', and "The Search" is definitely no exception. I love how pretty much every line in the song is different, how he doesn't use a beat to rap with in the beginning of the song, and the funny quotable lines and great messages in the song. It's just an epic rap song overall.
Much respect to the other songs as well.
Don't you know that sarcasm is ungodly?! ;P But yeah, I figured you were being sarcastic. Thanks for making it official for all of us!
DeleteWonderful reasoning you've got there! I have to agree, he's definitely one of my favorite artists as well. "The Search" is an epic song and a good representation of his ingenuity and creativity. Also, the jokes we've made thanks to this song are fantastic. XD
Indeed!
Just realised how I said the word "song" 5 times in last paragraph there... smh. xD
ReplyDeleteHaha, it's okay, Preston. We all make mistakes, even the best of us. XD
DeleteFor me, this is another one of those cases where the round is super difficult, and yet I know right away what I plan on voting for. My vote for the ultimate song of 2019 goes to . . .
ReplyDelete"Oliver Queen Suite" from Arrow: Season 1.
There's a lot of things this song does right. First off, it's a great demonstration of Arrow's theme in the show. That electronic whirring of sorts that increases in pitch is especially distinctive. This was, after all, Blake's very first piece of music for the Arrow show. He managed to hit all the right notes straight away.
Another reason, like Christine said, is that this is great writing music. You can pull so many scenes from music like this. I could definitely see myself using in this in a playlist sometime. It's just so epic and heroic, yet vulnerable and emotional.
That leads me to my third--and most important--reason. There's something very . . . relatable about the song. Just like "Undertale" had significance to me in the last Awards, the same goes for the "Oliver Queen Suite" this time. Yet I can't put my finger quite on why it makes me feel that way. Maybe because it's that middle section with the quiet piano that hits me right in the heart. It speaks of my personal struggles and the fears I'm wrestling with. Maybe it's a reminder that things are rough right now, that it hurts to deal with this stuff, but it's going to get better one day. I don't know when that day will come, but the song is like an assurance that life will get brighter. I just need to give it some time.
That's my vote, and I'm sticking with it!
Love your thoughts on it! <3
DeleteThank you! ^_^
DeleteUgh, this is harrrrrd. BRO, WHY DO YOU TORTURE US WITH THESE DECISIONS EVERY YEAR?!
ReplyDeleteSigh... Fine. Here goes.
While The Kraken contains some iconic and much-loved POTC themes, History Maker is effervescently upbeat, and Oliver Queen Suite travels a whole spectrum of tones and emotion...
I'm going to go with The Search by NF. From the very first line--a self-addressed question bearing layers of meaning beneath its casual appearance--this song is brilliant in its technical execution, lyrical depth, and (as Preston pointed out) replayability.
Some sections still hit me no matter how many times I've heard them.
"Grabbin' my keepsakes, leavin' my burdens; well, I brought a few with me, I'm not perfect."
"The point I'm makin' is the mind is a powerful place, and what you feed it can affect you in a powerful way..."
Etc.
Tough decision to make, though, because all of these are worthy contestants. May the best song win! :D
Because it's all in good fun! And who doesn't love watching other people make painful decisions about which song is better? XD
DeleteOoh, we've got another vote for "The Search!" I appreciate your line of reasoning. I'd have to agree about those lines too. He knows how to write stuff that hits you hard.
We shall find out today!
I vote for... THE SEARCH!!! (Basically Intro 4)
ReplyDelete1. Because I just saw Nate perform it live last month and IT SOUNDED AMAZING
2. Wearing coats in cold weather and hanging with friends is great advice. Balloons as well.
3. The music video is creepy and amazing at the same time!!
Nice, another searcher! (Can we call the people who vote for "The Search" that? XD)
DeleteAll very solid reasons! Thanks for voting, Megs. ^_^
Oh my gosh, I’m so lateeeee but.
ReplyDeleteI AM FINALLY HERE. I always seem to be late and not even fashionably late. Just... late. >_<
Anyway! This is a hard last round because I really want to pick two of these songs but...
I vote for History Maker!
Oh man, *why* am I picking this one? Truthfully, I don’t have a big huge reason why. I guess I could say it’s because I like pop music and have loved the pop genre for as long as I can remember. I could also say it’s because I’m a weeb and heck, any anime music rocks. I could even say it’s because History Maker has the most memories for me because I first heard it when Chloe and I were watching you play that trucking PC game and we laughed like crazy as we jammed to anime music.
But my real reason is because... well, because of everything I just said, I guess! It’s a great song with good memories and heck, it’s anime music.
Welp, my reasons are lame compared to the others. >w<
Thanks for hosting this again, Josiah! It was really fun. <3 (even if I was always stupid late...)
Hey, better late than never, as I always say. Or at least, I often say it.
DeleteAh, it finally gets a vote! I'm definitely a weeb who loves anime music too, so I get that. Oh yeah, I almost forgot that's where we first heard it. That's hilarious. XD
Nooo, your reasons are not lame; I like 'em a lot!
You're welcome! I always enjoy doing this. :D
Alrighttttttttt. I'm so late. DX WHY DID I WAIT SO DANG LONG. I KNEW WHAT I WAS PICKING, GOSH. XDDD Sorry, Joe. >.<
ReplyDeleteI pick History Maker because... *thinks hard* because Asian music speaks to my soul. ~(⊕⌢⊕)~
Haha, okay, that's not really the reason. *reads lyrics real quick* Ooo, these are super pretty, too.
Welp, I wanna make a mark in this life, too. So I guess I want to be a history maker, too? XD I don't knowwwwww. I'm not good at these things.
It's just a really good song. ಥ_ಥ
OH, I FORGOT TO THANK YOU FOR HOSTING DIS.
DeleteSO THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!! IT'S BEEN GREAT FUN. ﾍ(￣▽￣*)ﾉ
Haha, it's all good in the hood. Like I told Kaitlyn, better late than never. ;)
DeleteVery wonderful reasons! And it's okay, you did good. It is indeed a fantastic song! :D
You're welcome! I'm glad everyone has been able to have fun. ^_^