This is awesome

Fantastic! Such a great chorus.

Aha, a fellow 10%er (apparently for all the submissions only 10% were rock or of the sort) from the competition, now that the dust has settled and I'm out I can sit down and listen to some of the other things. For starters, this mix is e x q u i s i t e, everything comes through very loud and very clearly, hell I can tell what kind of instruments are used. I dig the organ parts, very Deep Purple, and the whole vibe really, really captures that mid 90's grunge feel. I'm actually surprised by that cause it sounds very genuine. Tasteful lead around 2:58 too, and the drums changing to snare on the beat to lead into the chorus is also real nice. One thing I felt however, is how I felt like the chorus at 1:07 could've entered in louder, kind of a dynamics nitpick, but I was expecting a wall of sound to come and punch my eardrums you feel me? I think that's a hallmark of 90's grunge and I'm kinda sad I find it missing.

Either way, congratulations on being the top scorer, and good luck on the next round man.

I like the smooth, bluesy vibe at the beginning and the transition into :16. The texture by then has an unstable, anxious feel that fits the lyrics well. I think your vocals have gotten a lot cleaner since I last heard you sing - especially in terms of the recording/production quality. The vocals also have a nice conversational tone. The call-and-response pattern starting at 1:07 came across as a bit cliche and overdone, and occasionally the articulation is a little bizarre, like at “but” at 1:29. I like the addition of the organ to the texture by then, and the content of the lyrics themselves is also pretty enjoyable and really tells a story. Sometimes, the syllables don’t fit inside the beat perfectly, like at the “you will control me until I’m out” line. The breakdown at 2:32 was a nice break from the intensity of the sections around it, and the lead at 2:58 has a strangely blissful vibe that I really like. I like how you reach only the conclusion of the lyrics in its entirety (“I deserve to be well”) at the very end, and the cough was a nice thematic touch. :) Overall, despite my complaints with the compositional details, I think this is a very strong piece overall. The mix is crystal clear, the texture is energetic and catchy, and you have me thoroughly convinced that the narrator should break up with his SO. Keep it up, dude2312! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

Really like this! Now I'm starting to feel nervous that I can't get in lmao