VGMC11 day 55 - J-E-N-O-V-A vs Sunshine Coastline, Big Blue vs Blue Radiance

Sunshine Coastline
Blue Radiance
Zoo

Based on series alone, I'd expect to vote for Sunshine Coastline, but it's actually pretty weak as far as Ys songs go whereas J-E-N-O-V-A is a top-tier Final Fantasy song--I suspect that it being from one of the older games (yes, 7 is "one of the older games" now) helps, because the more advanced that games get, the more their soundtracks become reliant on context. A moving, emotional song can really capture you if played at the right moment, but in a vacuum, it won't hold up. Of course, I tend to let songs run as I type, so I very nearly switched back since Sunshine Coastline is the longer one and that's what I was typing this up to! I would not be disappointed either way.

The second match is also one where I love both songs--in fact, I'd vote for either one over either song in the first match. I just instinctively typed in Big Blue when I got into the topic because I've loved that tune ever since I first heard it in Melee, but listening to Blue Radiance again gave me pause, because that is a seriously good song and it's a shame that one of these two will have to go home in Round 3 while either goldenslaughterer or Scrap I/O gets to retire (no, I will not stop harping on how badly the first quarter of Bracket A got messed up; there were so many good songs and this crap ended up getting through. I might have to invoke the "Seymour rule" and vote for the one I like less just to get it out of future contests). Knowing my weakness for brass/woodwinds, though, I figured that this particular version of Big Blue would get my vote anyway. But, nope, it just doesn't stand up to Blue Radiance. Is my gut instinct going to match my vote at all this topic?

...Yes, yes it is. I was going to ask if Zoo was a song that got a lucky draw in its only time in the contest and reached round 4, but then I remembered that The True Mirror was a one-time entrant...but then I remembered that it is Round 2, so it's possible that two such songs are already meeting up. But, nope, Zoo has actually been in the contest 4 times and made at least R2 every time with an average of 2 wins per appearance. And...okay, actually, it is pretty good. Just not as good as The True Mirror (Guitar Version). I think...

...nope. No it's not. My gut instinct was wrong all three times.

Blue Radiance > Big Blue > Sunshine Coastline > Zoo > The True Mirror (Guitar Version) > J-E-N-O-V-A

Yes, I ended up switching back again on the first match when I went to write this up, because upon listening again, J-E-N-O-V-A actually isn't very good at all.