#o2 sweep

Nine Treasures - Sonsii 2013

Nine Treasures is a Inner Mongolian folk metal group with members mostly from the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in China. Founded in 2010, the group creates a fusion between heavy metal and traditional Mongolian music by introducing specific sounds related to the use of traditional instruments such as the morin khuur, the Russian balalaika, or the Jaw harp, and also uses techniques of Tuvan throat singing. The lyrics of the songs evoke Mongolian nature, history, tales, legends and mythologies (especially those of Tengri, the chief Mongolian deity). The name of the group refers to the nine materials evoked in ancient Mongolian poems as favoring luck (gold, silver, bronze, iron, agate, amber, jade, pearl and coral).

"Sonsii" received a total of 74,7% yes votes!

Chaoseum - Smile Again 2020

"Smile Again" is the breakout single by the Swiss Nu-metal/Metalcore band Chaoseum, released on their second studio album, Second Life, on September 25, 2020. The song became a significant viral hit for the band, accumulating over 13 million views on Youtube.

"Smile Again" is heavily influenced by the band Korn, often described as a mix of nu-metal and theatrical gothic, featuring heavy, rhythmic riffs. It brought the band, formed in 2018 in Lausanne, Switzerland, into the spotlight. While noted for its strong resemblance to the Korn sound, the song received positive feedback from fans of that style.

"Smile Again" received a total of 67,6% yes votes!

Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava - Naatu Naatu 2021

RRR is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic period action drama film starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan as fictionalised versions of Indian revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju, respectively, set in the Indian pre-independence era. Made on a budget of ₹550 crore, RRR was the most expensive Indian film at the time of its release. It was released theatrically on 25 March 2022 and became the first Indian film to be released in Dolby Cinema format. It received universal critical acclaim for its direction, screenwriting, cast performances, cinematography, soundtrack, action sequences and VFX. With ₹223 crore worldwide on its first day, RRR recorded the highest opening-day earned by an Indian film at the time. It emerged as the highest-grossing film in its home market of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, grossing over ₹406 crore. The film grossed ₹1,300–1,387 crore worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, becoming the fifth highest-grossing Indian film, the third highest-grossing Telugu film and the highest grossing Indian film of 2022 worldwide. RRR was considered one of the ten best films of the year by the National Board of Review, making it only the second non-English language film ever to make it to the list.

"Naatu Naatu" is composed by M. M. Keeravani, with lyrics by Chandrabose and recorded by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava. It was released on 10 November 2021 as the second single from the soundtrack. The song was also released in Hindi as "Naacho Naacho", in Tamil as "Naattu Koothu", in Kannada as "Halli Naatu" and in Malayalam as "Karinthol". The Telugu word naatu variously translates to 'native', 'local', 'countryside', 'raw and rustic', 'ethnic'. Chandrabose wrote the lyrics based on his childhood memories. The composer Keeravani likened the sound to the traditional beats of folk songs in Indian villages. Keeravani used duffs, an Indian skin drum for the instrumentation and added in mandolins for the melody. Within 24 hours of its release on Youtube, the song crossed over 17 million views in Telugu (becoming the most-viewed Telugu song), and 35 million views in all five languages on Youtube. It also became the fastest Telugu song to cross 1 million likes. In February 2022, the song crossed over 200 million views in all languages.

"Naatu Naatu" won Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. RRR also won the awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Song at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards. At the 69th National Film Awards, the film won six awards, including Best Popular Feature Film, Best Music Direction (Keeravani) and Best Male Playback Singer (Kaala Bhairava for "Komuram Bheemudo"). RRR also fetched the state Telangana Gaddar Film Award for Best Feature Film.

"Naatu Naatu" received a total of 74,5% yes votes!

Eluveitie - LVGVS 2017

Eluveitie is a Swiss folk metal band from Winterthur, Zürich, founded in 2002 by Chrigel Glanzmann. The project's first demo, Vên, was released in 2003, as a studio project of Glanzmann's, but its success led to the recruitment of a full band, and the re-release of Vên as an EP in 2004. The band then released a full-length album, Spirit, in June 2006. The group rose to fame following the release of their first major-label album, Slania, in February 2008. The album peaked at number 35 in the Swiss charts and number 72 in the German charts.

The band's style incorporates characteristics of melodic death metal combined with the melodies of traditional Celtic music. They use traditional European instruments, including the hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes, amidst guitars and both clean and harsh vocals. Their lyrics include references to Celtic mythology, particularly of Celtic Gaul. The lyrics are often in a reconstructed form of the extinct ancient language Gaulish. The name of the band comes from graffiti on a vessel from Mantua (c. 300 BC). The inscription in Etruscan letters reads eluveitie, which has been interpreted as the Etruscan form of the Celtic *(h)elvetios (“the Helvetian”), presumably referring to a man of Helvetian descent living in Mantua.

"Lvgvs" was released in 2017 as part of their acoustic-focused seventh studio album album Evocation II: Pantheon. The track is titled after Lugus, a prominent deity in the Celtic pantheon. As part of the Evocation series, the song focuses on acoustic instrumentation rather than heavy electric guitars, though it retains a folk-metal atmosphere. "Lvgvs" use the traditional Breton tune "Son ar chistr" (song of cider). The song is still used by folk groups around the world and has been translated into many languages. Though many groups keep the popular motif, the lyrics sometimes differ completely from the original. Glanzmann says; "I think we really managed to take this sort of drunken party thing out of it. Our song has this rather melancholic, mystical atmosphere to it; it’s nothing like a drunken party song."

"LVGVS" received a total of 86% yes votes!

Nini Music - LongMa 2022

Nini, a distinguished musician hailing from Taiwan, has dedicated over two decades to mastering and performing traditional Chinese folk instruments. Her extensive experience has taken her on tours across Europe, USA, Canada, China, Japan, and throughout her homeland. Nini's innovative approach to music involves playing genres such as heavy metal, rock, and EDM on traditional instruments like the Ruan, Liuqin, and San Xian. She also performs on a unique electric lute known as the DaoYu, which she uses to create a distinctive and modern sound that bridges cultural and musical boundaries. Legends (2022) is an album of Chinese folk stories. LongMa (龍馬) means "Dragon Horse", it is a fabled winged horse with dragon scales in Chinese mythology.

"LongMa" received a total of 83,8% yes votes!

Arooj Aftab - Mohabbat 2021

Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani singer, composer, and producer. She has worked in various musical styles and idioms, including jazz and minimalism. On the 75th independence day of Pakistan, President Arif Alvi awarded Aftab the Pride of Performance Award, Pakistan's most prestigious award for excellence in the field of art and music.

"Mohabbat" (Love) is an Urdu ghazal written in the 1920s by Hafeez Hoshiarpuri, a poet born in 1912 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India and died in 1973 in Karachi, Pakistan. The ghazal is based on the Hindustani classical Music raga Khamaj. Arooj Aftab released a version of it on March 16, 2021 as the lead single to her album, Vulture Prince. Aftab sings three couplets of the ghazal using vocal jazz techniques. Her rendition won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

"Mohabbat" received a total of 79% yes votes!

In-Grid - Tu es Foutu 2001

Ingrid Alberini, known by her stage name In-Grid, is an Italian dancer and singer-songwriter. "Tu es Foutu" ("You're Screwed") was released in December 2001 as the lead single from her debut album, Rendez-vous (2003). An English version of the song titled "You Promised Me" (French: "Tu m'as promis") was also released in Australia, the UK, the US, and other countries. It remains In-Grid's most successful song worldwide, topping the charts of Greece, Hungary, and Sweden and reaching the top 10 in nine other European countries plus Australia. In the US, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.

"Tu es Foutu" received a total of 73,4% yes votes!

Titiyo - Come Along 2001

Titiyo Yambalu Felicia Jah is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She is the half-sister of singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry (poll #212). "Come Along" was written by Joakim Berg (of the band Kent, poll #563) and Peter Svensson (the Cardigans, polls #135 + #704) for her fourth studio album Come Along (2001). The album and its title song made it to the top of in the Swedish charts, while the single was a success in several European countries including France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. "Come Along" was awarded a Swedish Grammis Award in the category Song of the Year and a Rockbjörnen Award for Swedish Song of the Year. It was included in the soundtrack for the 2004 film Iron Jawed Angels and was covered by Vicci Martinez.

"Come Along" received a total of 77% yes votes!