Battle of Songs

Battle of Songs is a custom-made music game show distributed by C.W.H Entertainment. Serving as the third generation of the Ex-Music trilogy, the show mainly features massive random songs from wide range of genres and languages battle together for accumulated money. The first season of the show was originally the twelfth season of the show's predecessor, Music Station, however it has reported that the series have abruptly cancelled following several copyright issues that have been plagued since its debut. The first season of the show was premiered on May 19, 2021 and will end on August 25, 2021. It was renewed for the second season, which was premiered on September 20, 2021.

Background
After Music Station's official debut in February 2020, it was known that the name of the show have already adapted from a Japanese weekly show of the same name. This statement was disregarded by the producers of the show as the format of the show was completely different from its original version. In the show's sixth season, where the currency was introduced and the show had transformed into a game show, the show had received mixed reviews regarding to its concept as well as its format.

The format was shifted again in Season 10, in order to be more relevant as a game show. However, that season marked an un-avoided downhill to the whole series. This is due to some of the format were known copyrighted from other existing game shows. The producers were again disregarded the statement, and continue to develop the show for its eleventh season, as copyright issues spreading around the producers during the broadcast, the host had decided to end the season early. While being renewed for its twelfth season, controversies have been lifted among producers due to copyright issues, this led to the sudden cancellation of the show.

Shortly after the show's cancellation, it was announced that the producers have been working on a new show with similar main purposes to its predecessors, Ex-Music and Music Station. This is possibly due to being reported that the playlist queue regarding to both two shows were still large, with more than thousands of songs are waiting. On May 18, 2021, it was revealed that the title of the new show is to be "Battle of Songs" and was expected to premiere in late May 2021.

Season 1
The first season of the show was premiered on May 19, 2021. It saw many changes compared to previous works, mainly the format and concept of the show. The currency used for the show is still remained the same as when the last few seasons of Music Station used. On the day after the first episode aired, the show was switched into two episodes per day except for some occasions, where each day only air one episode rather than normal two. On June 21, 2021, the day that the 55th episode aired, the show was swap again into one episode per day.

There were various special events planned, but abruptly almost none of them would be conducted throughout the season. One of the notable events planned was the "Season of Champions" week which consists of unknown number of songs that have won the most money during their respective regular runs, however this was indirectly cancelled. During July 19 to July 23, the first special event was announced. It was titled "Walk-in and Win" week, this saw minor changes to the gameplay in overall. In each episode, the host will randomly choose at least 3 songs, sometimes 4 depending on the gameplay time, that were still assigned to the old playlist, called "Judging Songs" which consisted of more than 1,000 songs.

Right after the 100th episode aired on August 5, 2021, the season had broke the record for the longest airing season throughout the trilogy. As a response to that, the host have announced that the season would air its final episode in September 2021, as well as renewing the series for the second season, which was scheduled for premiere in late September 2021. 5 days later, this was later confirmed by the host that the first season would end on August 25, 2021 at 120 episodes. By the time that this was announced, the show had given away nearly 300,000 CWH to more than 110 songs out of the total 725 songs judged throughout the season.

On August 12, 2021, with just few episodes left before the season ends, the host have announced to revive "Season of Champions". However, it was now titled "Tournament of Champions". Its tournament format also revealed, where the top 25 songs that have won the most money during their respective regular runs will return once again. This time, with the top prize at stake, 10,000 CWH. All 25 songs were divided into 5 heats, in each heat only the best song chosen by the host will qualify for finals. The finals worked the same as during the heats, the best song chosen would won 10,000 CWH, while the other 4 finalists would walk away with 1,000 CWH each.

Season 2
The second season was reported to be started its tapings on September 18, 2021, and was scheduled to premiere on September 20, 2021, just almost a month after the closure of its first season. The season saw more success of individual songs than in the previous season, as the record for the highest regular winnings set in the previous season doesn't last long and has been broken numerous times. During the Christmas Tournament, it was announced that the season would end sometime before the Lunar New Year which was expected in around February 2022. On January 2, 2022, the show was reported that the second season will end on January 30, 2022 due to upcoming Lunar New Year, with the Tournament of Champions fill in the last 3 days of the broadcast dates.

Starting on December 25, 2021, the remaining episodes of the season were filmed few days in advance as a prevention of unexpected delays throughout the season. On January 26, 2022, it was reported that the season has officially wrapped filming, with the season finale scheduled to be aired on January 30, 2022.

Season 3
After the Lunar New Year break, it was revealed that Battle of Songs has been renewed for the third season. It was scheduled to be premiered in late-February 2022, with filming of the season would took place in mid-February. The season has begun filming on February 17, 2022, where it was revealed that the producers have now more strict than before in terms of casting newly added songs. It was intended to premiered in late-February 2022, but was delayed to March 2022 for unknown reasons. Nonetheless, the season was premiered on March 9, 2022 with new episodes in varied time slots.

On July 6, 2022, C.W.H Entertainment announced that the season will end on July 30, 2022 with the modified Tournament of Champions spanning the last 8 episodes of the season. The season has officially wrapped filming on July 10, 2022.

Season 4
In around mid August 2022, several footage from what would have been a new season of the show has been leaked. With no confirmations yet as of late August, it maybe rumoured that the new season has started filming. On October 20, 2022, C.W.H Entertainment officially renewed the show for the fourth season, being announced as part of the label's winter lineup. The season was premiered on October 22, 2022 with double episodes being aired daily.

It has been revealed that the season has started filming on August 15, 2022 in an occasional style, meaning the show would be taped every undetermined intervals. The taping sessions would later back to normal schedules since October 16, 2022. The season was premiered on October 22, 2022 and ended on January 21, 2023.

Season 5
On March 8, 2023, C.W.H Entertainment announced that Battle of Songs has been renewed for fifth season, which was scheduled for premiere in the summer of 2023. Tapings of the season took place on January 26, 2023, but was reportedly on halt after April 19, 2023 due to busy schedules. By the time the producers resume the taping of the season, they decide to immediately end the season by splitting into Season 5A and Season 5B, as well as the reformatted Tournament of Champions. The tapings of Season 5A have ended on May 14, 2023, while Season 5B have started taping the day after.

Season 1
The first season of the show saw few changes compared to the eleventh and final season of Music Station. Several copyrighted elements have been removed, including the Clock Format, Money Tree and the "One Song One Thousandaire" minigame. Major modifications have also made into the core rules, instead of competing for one top prize, contestants competed for accumulated money through infinite amount of matches. Some basic elements such as castings and decisions were remained the same.

During the game, when the song wins a match, the contestant(s) could earn random amount of money between 100 CWH to 1,000 CWH. Unlike the previous format, the money are cumulative. The contestant(s) can leave the game with money already won rather than playing on. If the song loses the match, half of the cumulated money will be lost, so the contestant(s) can only leave with half of the money already won.

Season 2
The second season saw some minor changes to its structure, expanding all seats to a maximum of 300 songs, instead of 150 in the previous season. The old "Judging Songs" playlist from the show's predecessor Music Station, carried over to the season. The season also allow multiple appearances of one artist in one episode. In terms of format, the season never saw any changes. This is possibly due to the mistake made in the previous era, where a format change may lead to a fall in ratings.

Season 3
Starting on the third season, all newly added songs are required to pass a qualification test, this also includes all songs that were yet to be assigned as of the season's first taping day. Those songs would be secretly reviewed by producers and to be rated out of 5 stars individually. If the song is rated 2 stars or above, it would be qualified and would be assigned to the official queue.

Since early May 2022, it was reported that the producers are on their effort to clean the first four seats, with the remaining songs were moved to the fifth seat. On May 29, 2022, the first four seats have been officially defuncted completely.

Season 4
The fourth season has no changes to the overall game structure. However, there is a minor mechanism where a "walk" from the current winning song would give a walkover to their opponent. This means the opponent would straight made it to the seat without having to compete against the winning song despite the latter walked away.

Season 5
The fifth season saw a major overhaul to the game structure by introducing the show's first ever twist called Shot of Blessing. However, due to the criticism by viewers as the season goes, the twist was immediately dropped despite a buff was made in order to make the results more reliable.

Walk-in and Win
The "Walk-in and Win" event firstly introduced in Season 1, being held from July 19 to July 23, 2021, spanning a total of five episodes. The gameplay added an element called "lucky draw", in which all the songs from the old "Judging Songs" playlist are involved. In each 1 to 2 songs, the host will draw a number, which represent the song number from the old playlist. Once a number is drawn, the song that associated with the number would able to compete.

The event is scheduled to return in Season 4, with a few changes due to its minor system modifications. The "lucky draw" played an important role once again in this event, where all the songs that are under producer's review are involved. In every 2 songs, the host will draw a number, in which the song that associated with the number would able to straight away compete regardless of whether it has been qualified.

Tournament of Champions
Originally named "Season of Champions", the Tournament of Champions usually held at the end of each season. Top 25 songs of the season with the highest regular winnings would eligible for Tournament of Champions. All songs were divided into 5 heats of 5 songs each, in each heat only the best song chosen by the host will advance to the final. The final worked the same as during the heats, but with prizes at stake. The first place wins 25,000 CWH, second place takes home 10,000 CWH, third place with 10,000 CWH, fourth place 5,000 CWH and the fifth place would walk away with 2,500 CWH. The rest of the songs whose eliminated in the group stage would receive 1,000 CWH as the consolation prize.

Season 3 saw a modified structure for the tournament as the number of qualifiers have increased from 25 to 30 songs. The 30 songs now divided into 5 heats of 6 songs each, with top two songs advance to the semi-finals. During the semi-finals, the remaining songs were drawn randomly and will compete in a knockout format, the winning song each match advances to the final, while the loser gets eliminated. Due to its structure tweak that season, prize money was also changed. The champion of the season takes home 25,000 CWH as usual, the second place takes home 20,000 CWH, the third place takes home 15,000 CWH, while fourth and fifth place overall takes home 10,000 CWH each. The semi-finalists would take home 5,000 CWH each, while the rest of the songs whose eliminated in the group stage would receive 1,000 CWH as the consolation prize.

Christmas Tournament
The Christmas Tournament usually held few days before Christmas Day at December 25 of each year. The tournament pits varied number of songs that are Christmas-themed, or in rare occasions, unavailable songs in which might cannot be played during regular episodes. The brackets varied on each season depending on number of songs participating.

In its first ever tournament held starting on December 22, 2021, the quarter-finals divides all songs into 7 heats of 5. Only one song in each quarter-final episode would straight advance to the semi-finals, while the producers have secretly picked one song each quarter-final episode which would be revealed in the repechage. In the repechage, the seven secretly-picked songs would fight for three spots to the semi-finals. During the semi-finals, the format worked the same as in quarter-finals, the remaining 10 songs would be divided into two heats of 5. In each heat, two songs would advance to the final. In addition to that, one more song which would be picked secretly by producers would also advance to the final as wildcard, it would be revealed at the end of 2nd semi-final episode. All songs that were eliminated in the semi-finals would receive 1,000 CWH consolation prize.

Rockymetal n Roll Week
Introduced in Season 3 as a response of increasing demand to rock and metal songs surrounding the show lately, the Rockymetal n Roll Week occurred on May 9 to May 13, 2022. Each episodes pits 5 songs, with 6 at the first episode of the event, which the gameplay worked the same as with regular episodes. The current winning song at the end of the event would be carried over to the next regular game, with it being the enemy against the carry over song from that regular game.

During the event however, it was a chaos, as only one of six winning songs have reached 5,000 CWH. The last winning song ended up lost to the carry over song in the May 16, 2022, treating as a walk and leaves with 2,330 CWH, being the second highest money ever won during the event.