Future Captain
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hi, i'm the visual representation of untreated mental illnesses
Joined: September 2014
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Post by Future Captain on Jul 19, 2023 1:25:27 GMT -5
This is the first contest that I followed as it happened. Oof at the low placement of Toy in your ranking. It's one of my favorite winners from last decade but I fully understand why someone might not like it. Fuego is forever iconic.
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Soundcl🕤ck
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Post by Soundcl🕤ck on Jul 19, 2023 5:19:46 GMT -5
Really glad you're back with this!
I don't haaate Toy, only the fact that Fuego didn't win. Eleni did everything right and Fuego will always be one of my favorite ESC performances/songs.
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Leo ✔
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Julia Michaels Stan
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Post by Leo ✔ on Jul 19, 2023 7:39:32 GMT -5
Im still salty my #1 (Lost & Found) was obliterated on stage. Wtf was that. Im still hurt at Stones not qualifying it was robbed. Together is such a bland song it qualified because the LGBT bait. Oniro Mou was solid but the stage was nothing
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Sept 30, 2023 7:29:41 GMT -5
Lisbon 2018 – Semi-Final 2 Host: Portugal Slogan: “All Aboard!” Participants: 43 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host General Overview:The opening sequence of SF2 is exactly the same as SF1. And once again, the show segues immediately into the host introductions without any opening performances. The hosting team continues to provide comedic dialogue, with tonight's best joke being the “Ola” one. The interval starts with part 2 of the ESC Encyclopedia. Then the 4 hosts dance to a medley of iconic Eurovision songs, including a “Making Your Mind Up” role reversal, and Filomena reluctantly reenacting the “Euphoria” choreo (that one was funny). Next, there's a blooper reel from filming the postcards, which is cute. Then it's part 2 of the “David Attenburger” skit (ugh). And finally, there's a short documentary explaining how Portugal's 1974 entry sparked political change in their country. I liked that they shared this piece of their history with the world. As for the results... they're pretty chaotic here. There was very little consensus between the juries and the public. The overall winner of SF2 is Norway, despite placing 2nd with the juries and 3rd in the televote. Instead, the jury winner is Sweden and the televote champion is Denmark, which the juries didn't even rank in their top 10 (WTF?!) Besides Denmark, the public also saved Serbia and Hungary. Which means THREE of the “jury qualifiers” didn't make it. Those would be Romania, Latvia, and Malta. Not only that, Malta was DEAD LAST in the televote. Below Georgia. On the flip side, the juries saved the Netherlands at the expense of Poland. Additionally; Azerbaijan, Romania and Russia all NQ for the first time. Which means only Ukraine and Australia (for now) remain with perfect qualification records. This is a good thing for the integrity of the contest. No country should be able to get away with sending literally anything and still qualify. The Entries: ✓ Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song “Fairytale” gave me goosebumps... “That's How...” is just annoying and cringe. It's basically a sequel to “Love Love Peace Peace” (since Rybak made a cameo in that), but with sincere writing instructions this time. Here, he suggests jotting your ideas down to get started. I mean, that is the hardest part. But the lyrics are too cliché to be useful: Find your rhythm! Enjoy the small things! Find your mission! Work your magic! Not to mention his 2-step guide of “Believe in it” and “Just roll with it”, which aren't really steps. It's a thin concept. So thin that the song throws in a scatting break, an obligatory violin solo, and 6 choruses to fill time. The instrumental is beyond irritating too, ESPECIALLY the recurring 'da-da-da; da-da-da; da-da-da-da-DAH!' riffs and guitar scrambles. The song begins with a brief violin. Then the guitar and drums take over, creating a funky strutting rhythm. The “get big” line also has a lunging effect. Next, the “step 1” part switches to a stop/start motor. The scatting part reduces to just claps, leading to kicking drums. The violin solo adds motor bursts for dramatic effect. The beat pauses again after the violin. And the beat intensifies towards the end. Moreover, Rybak comes off smarmy on stage. He's trying TOO hard to be a charismatic goofball. The air violin / drums / etc (with the chalky animations) are cringe too. The animated objects on screen are unnecessary in general. This is the kind of song I don't want stuck in my head. It's too jaunty and kinda disjointed? × Romania: The Humans - Goodbye Romania's first NQ, and they've been struggling ever since, aside from WRS. Maybe “Goodbye” was too serious. In the verses, the narrator is ready to take their own life. They tried to overcome it. They kept their battles a secret. While the chorus is the voice of someone trying to stop them. Singer Cristina sounds sincere, and the song has good intentions. But this friend lacks understanding or empathy. The wording of “Why can't you...” and “...by the way is all for free” sounds frustrated, and assumes it's an easy choice to be happy, when it's not. The melody isn't that catchy either – the chorus is too wordy and the verses are too stationary. The latter uses depressive short phrases and long pauses. The staging is confusingly abstract too. There's several mannequins in white masks to represent identity loss. The performance begins with the cellist removing her mask and walking away. Then the two guitarists (with their masks on backwards) switch potions around Cristina. They touch her, they push her backwards, they put her in the middle of a guitar jam. Then she wanders around the mannequins. Then they all reach out to the cellist. The instrumental channels '90s soft rock, but it isn't anything special. The verses are a generic piano ballad, with a cello appearing midway. The chorus is very different. It kicks off with a big vocal note and a pent-up, Coldplay-like release of rock guitars (I like this part). And it waits a moment before the chorus lyrics start. ✓ Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca RIP Sanja. “Nova deca” is missing something though. The intro lasts nearly a minute! It begins with a traditional flute and a thump, followed by mystical, otherworldly folk chanting that carries across the land. I love the windy, stuck-in-the-moment, mountaintop atmosphere of it. But the syllables are so stretched out. Eventually, the “tribal” drums arrive to power the rest of the song. The chorus, which swoops in during this transition, switches to a male vocalist, making the contrast apparent. The drums patter in the first chorus, with a bit of flute. Then the drums speed up in the second verse, which also inserts some unexpected 2011 blunt dance synths. This allows the second chorus to glide. Later, the bridge goes into a “na na ney” bit with rubbery drums, leading to a brief beat pause. However, I find the chorus melody underwhelming. And I get sick of the persistent chanting by the end. Lyrically, “Nova deca” is about how “new children create a better world with us”. The verses ask for rest, mention regret, and wish to create a better world for the kids. While the chorus describes the effect this person has on the narrator. The stage direction is professional too, with the arm movements in the intro, the bald guy hiding behind the women, the lead singers reaching in opposite directions, the arms across the chest gesture, and the group separating upon the second chorus. There's just something about their positioning on stage. × San Marino: Jessika feat. Jenifer Brening - Who We Are This just sounds like a first draft. Jessika's message seems sincere, but the production is dated, the lyrics are generic, the mini robots are confusing, and the rap verse is corny. “UH, LISTEN UP, LISTEN UP, IT'S ME JENNY B!”; “If they dissin' you on Twitter / Don't get sad, don't be bitter!” 💀 That rap verse comes out of nowhere too. “Who We Are” is a defiant, loving yourself empowerment anthem to stand up to the bullies. Jessika mentions a bullied, lonely childhood. No one told her to be proud of her differences. So she put on a show. But now she stands tall. She uses the “we” pronoun to relate to the listener. But that “We... are who we are.... and who we are... is who we wanna be!” lyric is so empty. And the chorus is mostly cliches. The “AND WE'LL BE RISING WHEN WE FALL” hook is effective though. Musically, the song opens with downpouring dull taps. Then the first verse tries to be quirky, with air slices and glitchy echoing pops, plus broken metal ticks midway. While the pre-chorus switches to heavy strings. But the chorus feels underdeveloped. It goes for a suspended effect and a fist-raising vibe, but it's just generic pop-rock. Next, the bridge quiets to a piano. And Jenny B ad libs in the back half. On stage, there's 4 dancing robots. One of them holds a card saying “sometimes”, which later flips to “size doesn't matter”, while giving two middle fingers. Jessika is also confronted by two muscly dancers at the start (to represent the bullies?) Jessika's vocals aren't the best either. ✓ Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground I can see how this stood out. “Higher Ground” is inspired by Denmark's Viking history. The stage involves 5 bearded men standing next to two large ship sails, with a blowing snow effect during the key change. And a fun marching sequence during the Icelandic chant. All that's missing is the helmets. The lyrics initially romanticize this era of leaving home to conquer distant shores. But the “Yet victory won't prevail” line shatters the fantasy. Vikings were violent. The message is that violence is not the answer (ie. take the “higher ground”). The group even waves a white flag of surrender at the end. But the song isn't taken too seriously either. The only issue I have is the low vocals. The pop chorus is catchy though. The harmonies really elevate it. They even throw in some “OH OH OH”s for good measure. Musically, the song opens with a sawing, buzzing, distortion warning. Then the verse uses this ominous ghostly background, paired with a slithering synth, then some strings. Next, the forceful stomping drums (+ “HA HA”) announce the crew's arrival during the chorus. That chorus has an adventurous sailing against the waves vibe. The stomps are weaker in the second verse then disappear. Then the beat stops before key change. And the final chorus adds victory horns. I also like the synth in the Icelandic chant. Otherwise, the way the group stands together is effective. Same with their arm gestures, the marching, and Rasmussen entering in a hazy filter. × Russia: Julia Samoylova - I Won't Break #StandWithUkraine Russia gives Julia a second chance after being DQ'ed in 2017... with a song destined to NQ. Was this a ploy to play the victim? My low ranking has nothing to do with the politics though... “I Won't Break” is just a bland generic ballad and Julia's vocals aren't that good. The poor thing sounds like she started learning English a week ago. She even forgets to sing at one point. And why are her eyes closed so much? The instrumental is so anonymous and indistinct as well. It kinda reminds me of Sia's “Chandelier”. The song starts with some sparse, “at peace” piano notes. Then the bucket ticking comes in. The verses have slight ice synths too. The chorus, meanwhile, sees the percussion explode, as the backing shouts “I WON'T BREA-A-A-A-AK”. But when I hear the chorus all I think is “...that's it?”. The hook and explosive percussion are so basic and “blah”. The “even in the darkness...” bit is okay though. The final chorus then adds a siren-y transition. The lyrics are a cliche word salad (“when it comes to emotions/from the deepest of oceans”!) The song is about how Julia will be emotionally strong from now on. Her sandcastle turned to stone. Her broken wings are soaring with kings and queens... sure. The staging is similar to Estonia, with some swirling colours on this volcano structure Julia sits on. The two dancers are engaging though. I like their moves on the walkway. “Flame Is Burning” was better but not by much. ✓ Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day Such inventive and brilliant staging! It's like a comedic skit. The trio each has a lookalike – in matching blue, yellow or red – standing behind a wall of split doors that are continuously opened and closed. There's cartoon-like door chases; an illusion of yellow girl being split in 3; the rear feet and front feet dancing together; the 3 heads poking above the wall; and legs walking vertically. Then at the end, the lookalikes join the others out front. The coordination is impressive. “My Lucky Day” is a love triangle involving secrets, temptation, and relationship uncertainty. But with a lighthearted tone. It's also ambiguous who's “number 1” or “number 2”. And I assume “make some music” = sex. Blue guy sings verse 1, while yellow girl and red guy cheat behind him. Then the men switch roles for verse 2. Yellow girl also jumps in for the pre-chorus, boosting the “something tells me...” hook. The “NUMBER ONE” bit sticks out too. The song itself seems less popular, but it's catchy, and the folksy horns add a Moldovan party flair. The chorus is kinda monotonous though. The song kicks off with a “heyyyy-YA!” Then a flurry of horns (with metal drums) appears before each verse/outro. The verses have a bouncy, horn hopping rhythm that never touches the ground (+ a brief fiddle). There's a launching sound before the chorus. Then the chorus adds a rattling drum. I dislike the “la da di dum da da” ending though. It's a kitschy song, but their physical acting is so funny. I prefer this to “Hey Mamma”. ✓ Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em Waylon of the Common Linnets returns as a solo artist. He brings another country song, but a wild one compared to the cathartic “Calm After the Storm”. The chorus is quite annoying though. I also hate the “OW!” ending. The backing dancers/musicians are overly energetic too. It looks like they're Kung-Fu Fighting at one point? They also bang their heads together with one foot on Waylon's platform. They toss their guitars. And they run and do flips at the end. The song's message is that we all have it in us to fight back. The chorus uses specific Wild West imagery - chrome pieces, blacked out denim, scarred up knuckles, bloody boots, rattlesnake venom. Plus Stone Cold and Mick Jagger references later on. It makes me think of a saloon brawl (the “lock and load” line implies pistols). The lyrics also call whisky a miracle drink. Musically, the song is driven by a country electric guitar and a foot-stomping drum beat. There's also a zigzagging guitar riff before each verse. And the guitar “locks and loads” after that lyric. The chorus is more guitar-heavy compared to the verses. The first chorus also stops the music on the last line. And the last chorus “drops down” at first. The song sounds like it's ready to get up and fight. There's an eagerness to it. But “Outlaw in 'Em” doesn't excite me much. It's not my preferred genre. I'm not that into Waylon's voice. And the song feels like a parody? Idk. ✓ Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love Australia's first time missing the top 10. Jessica brings passion and vocals to this, but the song is basic and the stage is empty. There's some pyro in the finale, but that's it. She mostly twirls her arm, shakes her hips, and points. It's lazy staging. And it's awkward when she gets the audience to sing along. This is the third Aussie entry in a row produced by DNA Songs. Their productions are kinda generic, BUT I'm a sucker for dramatic percussion. I also like the lingering “why...”s and “I know...”s. The song starts with a humming bass-line. Then, suddenly, a thunder-striking drum awakens the arena. Now the verses follow a piano note –> rattle shake pattern (with taps). There's another thunder strike. Then the percussion-heavy chorus arrives – with euphoric keyboard, surface-echoing strikes, and tambourine shakes - and heightens midway. Verse 2 adds a clappy beat midway. There's a “tribal” drum breakdown for the bridge. And the beat pauses before the last chorus. The verse lyrics are hesitant incomplete thoughts (until the 2nd half of verse 2). Jessica asks why we keep falling into destructive mindsets: the need to be somebody else, the “won't make a difference” attitude, the fighting over material trivial things. She pleads to not give up despite feeling powerless. Why? “Cuz we got love”! That's an unoriginal message for Eurovision. Still, the percussion and vocals give a determined / persistent vibe. Also of note: Jessica was an interval act in 2014 and the runner-up of Australian Idol 2006. × Georgia: Ethno-Jazz Band Iriao - For You The last placed entry of SF2. Unsurprising, since “For You” is EXCRUIATINGLY boring. Yeah, this classical, old fashioned music/vocal style doesn't appeal to me anyways. But the melody is so slow and forgettable. The song has no energy. And the vocals are like listening to a dishwasher or something. It's white noise. The song makes me feel nothing. That fire rain finale is so undeserved. There's no chorus either. Instead, the song intensifies and releases tension a couple times, but in a tedious way? It takes so long to get there too. “For You” starts as a serene piano ballad. Then it adds in sparse metal pan ticks, followed by a rattling sound. These instrumental quirks are too subtle though. The strings come next. Then the vocals grow until the tension snaps off. After that, the song quiets to a heartbeat thump. Then it builds again into this “tribal” drum + vocal chanting bit (which is the only listenable part). Meanwhile, the 3 singers use harmonizing tricks. The lyrical message is about putting others ahead of yourself (“you only own what you share”). The band wishes for the snow to melt to warm up a cold person. They mention finding joy in other people's happiness. And advise understanding, sharing, selflessness, kindness. I assume this is their definition of love. × Poland: Gromee feat. Lukas Meijer - Light Me Up This begins an NQ streak for Poland lasting until “River”. I blame Gromee's snake/wavy hands during the “drop”. It looks silly. And was that motion blur necessary? The song is basically a generic 2012 David Guetta track. But it has an uplifting vibe and I like the squawky distortion “drop”. I just wish the “LIGHT ME UP, LIGHT ME UP, MY BABY” refrain and the “OH OH OH OH” build-up weren't so generic-sounding. The chorus lyrics don't say a whole lot. But it's catchy! Lukas's voice conveys innocent anticipation as well. The first verse describes his reactions after asking someone out – he feels weak, he can't breathe, the decision haunts him. While the second verse says “they” told him to leave (security? parents? friends?) He then urges this person to “light me up” (ie. ignite his full feelings). The song captures Lukas's “in the moment” thoughts. He put himself out there, now he's waiting for a response. I don't think he's pushy, just hopeful. Musically, the first verse is easygoing, with light guitar and keyboards. The chorus is a noticeable contrast to this – it increases the tempo via excited piano EDM, followed by a beat acceleration towards the “drop”. The second verse then adds bass-y dance synths. And the second chorus starts with an acoustic guitar instead. Both verses end with feedback too. There's also pyro during the “drops”. And Lukas runs to the audience at the end to hype them with “JUMP!” and “1, 2, 3, 4”. × Malta: Christabelle - Taboo 5th with the juries... last with the public. Maybe “Taboo” had too much going on? The song sounds mechanical. Plus, the dubstep breakdown is dated, the lyrics use weird phrasing, and the chorus hook feels incomplete. Still, the dubstep adds a darker unhinged moment. And the chorus is catchy, with the “LET OUR GUARDS DOWN” shout and the “animals animals” stutter. In the song, Christabelle declares “it's time to break the taboo” on talking about mental health. If we keep it bottled up, we'll become destructive animals or criminals. She mentions enjoying the silence, feeling cold at home, insomnia, crippling demons, finding comfort in misery, and how our struggles seem foreign to others. The production is dark and complex. It opens with a metal screech. Then a throbbing bass-line drives the verse, with vocal squeals, and a clacking heartbeat drum midway. The first chorus retreats to radiating bass, followed by snaps and a clappy build-up. But the song doesn't take off just yet. The second verse adds firm drums and cold sounds, followed by metal tick shivers. Then the clappy build-up resumes, there's a beat acceleration, a glitchy rip, and finally a skating synth peak. The deranged dubstep breakdown follows this. Then the song rests, there's a glitchy vomit, and the skating synth returns. The stage is futuristic. It involves 4 LED pillars, where Christabelle stands in the middle at first. Then during the dubstep, there's a Sia video dancer. There's also strobe lights, pyro, anatomical heart and globe animations, and a screen shatter effect. ✓ Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár RIP Örs. “Viszlát nyár” is the kind of song you'll either love or hate. It's not often we a see SUCH a hard rock song in Eurovision. I can appreciate that on some level. AWS comes across as a genuine rock band and Örs has good stage presence. He throws raw emotion in this performance. But I just find screamo unpleasant. I can't even get through the last minute of this. The song jumps into the heavy metal electric guitars and machine-gun drums immediately. That intro makes a bold first impression. While the verses/bridge offer a respite from the song's high-adrenaline energy. Those verses/bridge sound like an empty tunnel or cave. The first one also includes echoing snowy footsteps, as more neutral drums come in midway. The heavy metal instruments then return for the chorus, where Örs switches to screaming and the stage flames go crazy. He also tears his throat apart from the end of the 2nd chorus onward. And the bridge exits the tunnel/cave via an extremely aggressive guitar, followed by a guitar respite moment and a key change. The lyrics are about Örs's dead father. I believe the verses are from the father's perspective – he's being brutally honest, he has to leave, and he says he'll live on in his son's memory if the son wishes. While the chorus is an angry FU. The dad wasn't there, it's too late now, and Örs wants back what the dad stole. The song addresses the ugly feelings of mourning a family member you had a bad relationship with. × Latvia: Laura Rizzotto - Funny Girl Belgium/Croatia/Latvia are the lounge music NQ trio of 2018. I can see how “Funny Girl” didn't grab the public's attention. The song's pacing is a little slow. But it captures the feeling of embarrassment well. Laura made her crush laugh. She caught feelings. She felt comfortable being vulnerable. But then she saw them with another girl. Now Laura is the butt of the joke. She was “just” the funny girl and meant nothing more. The first verse keeps asking “ain't it funny”, while the second wonders if they even notice her reaction, since she's kept her feelings secret; implying this song is her confession. The bridge is pure desperation, where Laura promises she's the perfect mate. I like how the chorus has this heart-sinking feeling. This is when reality hits Laura (“you're looking at her... she's looking at you...”) Most of the song is driven by these spread-out, splashing percussion clacks. The first verse has a screech midway, followed by slicing bass thumps. The pre-chorus further adds string plucks. Meanwhile, the chorus adds cello roars between the clacks, along with muffled bits. The second verse adds metal tick rolls to the clacks and bass thumps. The bridge doesn't deviate much, but adds a light cymbal. On stage, Laura performs alone in a red dress set against red lighting, with jerky camera zooms and a neck snap. Those red lights intensify a lot. Laura has great stage presence too. She feels the song through her body movements. ✓ Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off The public rejected this jury fave! I have no issues with the song– it's catchy and breezy. My issue is Benjamin's smarmy performance. He is way too eager to please. His attempts at being charming and flirtatious do not work. The head nods, the smiles, the “HUH”s... just UGH! I like the stage design though. It involves flashing red and white (and later blue) horizontal bars of light behind Benjamin, set against a pitch black background. It creates the illusion of not being in the arena (until the contraption is shown). It's as if headlights and taillights are speeding past the city street, as Benjamin dances outside the club. His choreo seems over-rehearsed though: he gyrates his hips, motions with his arm, opens his legs, twirls and walks across. He also sounds like a dick in the lyrics. The song is simply about dancing to get over someone. Benjamin doesn't care if she disapproves or still wants him (“don't you dare wait up”!) While the second verse claims she was the problem. Still, the “dan-dan-dance you off” stutter is memorable. The “pressure” and “treasure” echoes are effective, as is the “And I” continuation. And the production is professional. It has a chill nighttime vibe. The song opens with relaxed boops, then snaps. While the chorus brings in the funky bass-line, with some clasps, and it heightens midway. The second verse then waits a little to bring back the bass and clasps. And the bridge is very Daft Punk. The beat also stops before each chorus (on the “forget ya” echo). The Melfest 2018 runner-up, Felix Sandman's “Every Single Day”, would've been a better winner. My other faves that year were “For You”, “Shuffla” and “Last Breath”. Also of note: John Lundvik makes the final one year before his eventual win, just like Benjamin and Robin B just did. × Montenegro: Vanja Radovanović - Inje Montenegro tries a Balkan Ballad again, since that's all they ever qualified with. But unlike “Moj svijet” and “Adio”, this one is just boring and forgettable. I tried to recall the melody and “Adio” played in my head instead 💀. The instrumental is way too serious on “Inje”. It intensifies as it progresses. But it's missing the smooth ambience and epic payoff of the Željko Joksimović entries. It needs more traditional instruments too. The song opens with a piano tickle and an ominous thud. Then the first stanza sticks to the piano. The hand drums enter next. Then the strings grow, the cymbals crash and there's a back-and-forth pounding intense harmony thing on “DO-OO-SHOO-OO-BEEEE-YAAAA”. The tension breaks, the song quiets down. Then it builds back up with strings and a snare drum, leading to sawing strings and a sneering “HA-AH-AH-AH” from the backing. Then the drums push the final chorus, the church bells ring, and the song ends with a bang. It's tiring. The title translates to “Frost”, where Vanja's relationship has frozen over. His lover's heart is a “dying ember”. It's frozen in summer when it should be warm. He trembles. The quilt can't warm him up. The days drag by. He secretly wants them back. He calls the heart a “treasured pet” (sure?) On stage, Vanja and the 4 backing singers look serious, but the staging isn't that memorable either. ✓ Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! I love this quirky trap beat! The fake power failure was a really bad idea though. Especially when it happens again in the final, so you know it's fake. It's just so awkward and stops the song's momentum. But it only lasts a few seconds. “Hvala, ne!” is full of badass attitude regardless. The intro is like an accelerating ping pong ball striking a table that comes into focus; along with this strange machine noise. Then the trap beat skips along in the verses, with bass vibrations. The beat stops in the chorus, which uses a humming synth instead. Then the “Hvala, ne!” + “OH OH OH OH” “drop” returns the trap beat. While the second verse brings back the strange machine noises. The second chorus and bridge then add a beat acceleration. The power cut happens where the second “drop” is supposed to be. And the bridge is synth-ier and has a nice build-up. I believe the song is about the beauty product industry? Lea doesn't want any part of it. Her “new look” is smiles and freedom. The lyrics mention “virtual tricks”, and advise against believing offers and selling one's soul. Lea also refuses to sell-out (“true art cannot have a price tag”). But not in a pretentious way, she has fun with the song. The title translates to “No Thanks!” and Lea delivers it in a defiant way. She also asserts her name in first line. The choreo is fierce too. I like when they all lean together. And the arm thing during the intro. There's lots of flashing lights too. And Lea has good stage presence. ✓ Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder It's good, but the “OH OH OH OH OH... YEAH” hook doesn't quite do it for me. And this song relies heavily on those “OH OH OH”s. The staging is memorable though. It involves Mélovin dressed as a vampire (including eye contacts). During the opening verse, the camera shows him laying down inside a partially boarded-up coffin in red light. Then a lever slowly, creepily pushes him upright. That coffin also happens to be a grand piano, which he plays later on. At the end, the staircase goes up in flames, with more flames in the background. That image + the closing piano notes makes this the perfect semi-final closer. The lyrics are vague (“Curtains down, I'm laughing at the trial”), but “Under the Ladder” is about risking failure and facing fears to reach success. The title alludes to the famous superstition. It's all about willpower. It won't get any better! It's now or never! The decision has got to be made! The chorus captures this feeling of urgency, pressure and anxiety – it's so frantic with the slapping, running drum beat. I also like the eerie chorus transition. The song opens with a faint siren and a thump. Then the first verse uses minimal ominous sounds. The energetic chorus creates a noticeable contrast to this. While the second verse, after waiting a second, adds a smaller running beat (via a buzzy transition). The second chorus finishes on a piano riff. Then the song rests. The final chorus jumps back into it. And the piano finale is like Mélovin jumping out of his seat. My Ranking:01. Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! ✓02. Latvia: Laura Rizzotto - Funny Girl 03. Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day ✓04. Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground ✓05. Malta: Christabelle - Taboo 06. Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder ✓07. Poland: Gromee feat. Lukas Meijer - Light Me Up 08. Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love ✓09. Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off ✓10. Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca ✓11. San Marino: Jessika feat. Jenifer Brening - Who We Are 12. Montenegro: Vanja Radovanović - Inje 13. Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em ✓ 14. Romania: The Humans - Goodbye 15. Russia: Julia Samoylova - I Won't Break 16. Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár ✓17. Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song ✓18. Georgia: Ethno-Jazz Band Iriao - For You I'm not sure if my #8/#9/#10 would make my top 10 in SF1 lol Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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Leo ✔
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Julia Michaels Stan
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Post by Leo ✔ on Sept 30, 2023 14:48:47 GMT -5
Oh yeah this year was strong and we get in the finals the mid garbage by Rybak and Ingrosso. Serbia is so fucking good, and is probably in my top 5 of this year. Super underrated track The Humans didn't deserve to NQ, such a great song, I guess the stage didn't transmit what they wanted, the awful RO didn't help either. "Who We Are" is a silly little song I always laugh when I hear it. "Funny Girl" is kinda underrated.
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Oct 14, 2023 22:33:55 GMT -5
Lisbon 2018 – Grand Final Host: Portugal Slogan: “All Aboard!” Participants: 43 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host Winner: Netta - Toy ![](https://cdn.countryflags.com/thumbs/israel/flag-400.png) Country: Israel Points: 529 (52.5% of highest score possible) Language: English YouTube | Spotify | LyricsGeneral Overview:I kept putting off reviewing 2018 because I remembered it being a “meh” year. I was dissatisfied in the winner. Many of my faves didn't qualify. And most of the songs seemed forgettable. But after doing all this writing, it's a stronger and more competitive year than I remembered. It's still not my favourite contest of the decade though. For reference, my fave contest of each decade would be: 1956, 1969, 1977, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2012 and 2021. The opening sequence is exactly same as the two semi-finals (ie. the montage of local people and culture). But since it's the Grand Final, there is an opening act this time! It begins with someone playing a Portuguese guitar, then Ana Moura and Mariza sing some fado music. Mariza's song includes a soft-sounding marching band across the stage. The flag parade happens next, with two DJ's playing contemporary beats to soundtrack it. There's also sailors holding the flags. Then it's the host introductions. Like I said in SF1, I enjoyed their comedy this year. The Green Room was cringe at times, but I loved Filomena in there. And lol at the hosts insinuating that the shirtless stagehand was naked underneath the graphic. There was also a dedication to Lys Assia, who passed earlier in 2018, which was nice. The interval isn't as bloated as other recent contests. It starts with Branko playing some tranquil dance music, featuring 4 different soloists, one at a time. First it's Sara Tavares (from the 1994 contest) holding a long note, then Plutónio raps, followed by Dino D'Santiago singing inside this silhouette visual effect, and finally Mayra Andrade is joined by dancers on the walkway. They have soothing voices. Next, there's a video on why it took Portugal 53 years to win. Then Suzy from 2014 makes a surprise appearance. And lastly, Salvador Sobral performs two songs: a piano ballad called “Mano a mano” (meh to this one), where he pounds the piano casing at one point, and a reprise of his winning song, as a duet with Caetano Veloso. The postcards involve the artists exiting a door in places where a door shouldn't be. Like on top of a cliff or something. They aren't attached to a building. Which makes them look like portals. It's as if the artists teleported to Portugal from their home country. Upon entering Portugal, they explore the area and do an activity. Then they take a selfie, as “#AllAboard” appears on screen. Then the flag colours are displayed on a sea anemone graphic. And lastly, there's an adjustment sound to start each performance. The portal doors are what I associate with 2018, like the hallway in 2017. The stage is designed like a gyroscope. The performance platform is the center circle, with 3 gigantic rings overhead, kind of like archways. Each ring is on a different inclination/angle. There's also a circular walkway ramp cutting through the audience that acts as the 4th ring (on a 0° angle). On either side of the stage, there is a bridge that connect to the ramp. And just like 2010, there is no LED screen. Instead, the back of the stage is constructed of wavy vertical bars. 2018 was a battle between Israel and Cyprus... but not according to the juries. They put Austria and Sweden top 2, which the public weren't as fond of. Early on, the jury vote was a tight race between those 4 countries and Germany. Then it became a battle between Israel and Austria. Then Sweden caught up with Austria. In the end, Israel won the televote, putting them way ahead of both. As for the correspondents: Sweden's Felix Sandman wore Benjamin's merch and Latvia's Dagmāra Legante made a Kanye West joke. The Entries: Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder 3rd year in a row where the SF2 closer opens the Grand Final. I did not expect the juries to rank this last. Spain: Amaia & Alfred - Tu canción This is like the sweetest love song ever. Yeah, the couple broke up a few months later, but most relationships don't last anyways. Feelings change over time. You live in the moment, and this was how they felt in May 2018. On stage, they look smitten with their cute smiles and eye contact. The opening shot shows them standing far apart in dark lighting, while the audience's phone lights shine behind them. Then the camera spins around Alfred and zooms in on Amaia, as they trade lead vocals. Afterwards, the pair slowly walks towards each other. They hold hands, they embrace. And the camera continues spin around them at certain points. The song itself is a classy, old-fashioned, stuffy ballad. But it also has a tender, romantic texture and a very nice melody. Plus Amaia & Alfred's voices are sweet. “Tu canción” starts with slow, sparse piano notes. Said piano increases in the first chorus, where the strings sneak in. Then the second verse/chorus adds in low-key percussion and makes the strings more noticeable. While the bridge sees the instrumental quiet, then intensify, then stop upon the final chorus. Then the song finally “bursts open”. That “OHHH OHHH” build-up is very effective. I also like the “Siento que bailo...” hook. The lyrics involve Amaia & Alfred expressing their love to each other. Alfred says flying to the moon now feels real; Amaia says his voice shelters her. It's very lovey dovey. Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! “STOP THE MUSIC!” Lithuania: Ieva Zasimauskaitė - When We're Old Austria: Cesár Sampson - Nobody but You Estonia: Elina Nechayeva - La forza Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song A semi-final winner placing 15th in the grand final is unexpected. Portugal: Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim Better than the song they won with. This did not deserve last place, although 39 points is pretty high for that. I can see how “O jardim” was overlooked though – not much happens in the song. There's no big melody, no epic climax. Instead, the song's purpose is to maintain a specific mood. That mood is peaceful grieving. Isaura wrote “O jardim” about her late grandmother. The lyrics repeat the phrase “Now that you're not here, I'll water your garden”, as if this thought keeps circling in her mind. She literally takes care of her grandmother's garden to keep her memory alive. The verses don't translate to English very well, however. The music starts with slow, sad piano notes. Then this subtle anxious sound is added underneath, followed by tiny acoustic tings. Then, from 1:36-2:07, the beat switches to a series of metal spring sounds and inconsistent jittery taps. It's a cool sound and it's my favourite part. It doesn't change the mood either. This is also when Isaura comes on stage and turns “O jardim” into a duet. The ending is minimalist and like a light howl. “O jardim” is all about simplicity. Doing anything extra wouldn't work. Cláudia gives a sensitive vocal too. She seems tearful at the end. On stage, she starts in a dark silhouette. She closes her eyes. She sways a bit. There's spotlights behind her. The stage doesn't feel like it's missing anything though. I also like how Cláudia's voice jumps out at certain points. United Kingdom: SuRie - Storm The UK is back to flopping. “Storm” is infamous for the stage invader, but the Grand Final video on YouTube replaced her performance with a rehearsal. SuRie sings this with genuine compassion for her family, but the song is bland. The chorus is 'whatever' to me, both melodically and lyrically. The “Toge-e-ether” and “sto-o-orm” hooks are weak. And the lyrics are basic. The “spread your love...” bridge is climactic though. In the verses, SuRie addresses her brother, sister, mother and father one at a time. She reminds her siblings of their childhood worldview (their fearless hopes and dreams), and says she still believes in this stuff. Then she asks her mom if she did good enough. The chorus is her reassuring they'll overcome the storm together. It's an uplifting song with a straightforward message. But it lacks depth I guess? The instrumental only grabs my attention in a few spots too. The song starts with the piano, but quickly adds foot taps, squeals, submerged quivers and finger snaps. The chorus then diminishes back to the piano, before it accelerates via heavy claps; leading the second half bulldozing through with drums and whirls. The second chorus also starts dramatically, with stomps and sawing strings instead. The bridge uses dramatic boom-claps as well. Later, the song returns to the piano before the last chorus. And the outro repeats the bridge lyric. On stage, SuRie stands at the front of a tunnel made of lit-up squares. There's also pyro upon the last chorus. Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca Actually her voice is kind of annoying. Germany: Michael Schulte - You Let Me Walk Alone The only time Germany wasn't bottom 2 during 2015-2023. All it took was a personal, sincere, down-to-Earth ballad to reach top 5. That's how Ireland kept winning! But it sounds like an Ed Sheeran ballad, and I don't like Ed Sheeran (I also hear Adele's “Someone Like You”). The “1-2-3” hook (“1 love / 2 hearts / 3 kids”) is kinda annoying too. And the lyrics are messy. In the song, Michael reflects on growing up without his father, who passed away when Michael was young. However, the wording of “one love”, “loving mum” and “You let me walk this road alone” makes it sound like his father chose to abandon him. There's no mention of a “loving dad”. Still, if this were written in another language, would I even notice? Lines like “I was told that you were too” and “My childhood hero will always be you” still get to me. He sees his father in himself. He misses his father when he needs guidance. His dad provided protection and wisdom. Musically, the verses follow a quick back-and-forth piano. Then the piano is more pronounced in the chorus. The strings come in later. There's an “oh oh oh” bridge. Plus some crashes towards the end. And the drums enter to carry the final chorus. I'm not crazy about this arrangement, but I don't mind the “every now and then” hook. The stage starts darkly lit. Then, a semi-circle LED screen acts as a lyric video behind Michael. It also shows family photos, which really pulls at the heartstrings. And there's hypnotic images during the bridge. Albania: Eugent Bushpepa - Mall France: Madame Monsieur - Mercy France is my #2 again! “Mercy” tells the harrowing, but fortunate, story of Nigerian refugee Taiwo Yussif giving birth on a rescue ship. She named the baby “Mercy”. The title is play on words, since “merci” means “thank you” in French. The lyrics are from the POV of the baby. She recounts how her mother fled the war at home. They had nothing to lose. The sea (or “blue immensity”) became the enemy. She was lucky to even be born (“They offered me a hand / And I'm alive”). The song addresses how not every refugee has a happy ending like this. Many of them don't make it. The title implies they deserve mercy. The instrumental and Émilie's voice capture the mood of this situation well. It's a bleak and distressed vibe, but with a message of perseverance. The song starts with minuscule guitar plucks and finger snaps, followed by some cowbell(?). Then a snap-shut transition starts the chorus, which has a fuller sound, and includes distorted cry responses and some “pippity pips” appearing midway. The chorus has a great melody too. The song later quiets for the bridge. And the outro repeats a chant of “merci, merci”, as the duo pushes their hands forward, and the audience joins in. Maybe they could've done something more with the stage though. They're dressed in funeral black. They walk forward in unison. The camera follows her across the stage bridge. And they're on the audience ramp for the “merci, merci” chant. But it needed something more. Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef - Lie to Me HE DID THE FLIP!! Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground It's just missing something to make my top 10. Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love This could've been an anthem. Finland: Saara Aalto - Monsters A borderline qualifier that flopped in the final. Bulgaria: Equinox - Bones Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off “With 21 points... Sweden” Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár I think he screams even more in the final. Israel: Netta - Toy (winner review below) Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em Ireland: Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together Cyprus: Eleni Foureira - Fuego Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente I was puzzled by the 249 televote points... until I realized “Non mi” references several, then-recent, terrorist attacks (Cairo churches, La Rambla Street, 2015 Paris attacks, London Bridge, the truck in Nice). Plus 9/11 “skyscrapers” and 7/7 “subways”. Most of these happened in Eurovision countries. It must've struck a chord. The lyrics are also displayed in various languages so viewers can understand them, along with faces in the fonts. The chorus is an emphatic “You did nothing to me”, saying the terrorists didn't win. Life continues. It's just “pointless wars”. The song doesn't hide the horrific reality either: “blood in the sewer”; “arms without hands”; “mothers without children”. It also finds commonality in religions, dismisses racism, and says mass murder isn't a valid belief. And that “the smile of a child” shows resilience. This is a wordy, lyrically dense song. The duo sings SO quickly to cram everything in that it makes the melody ineffective, despite the up-and-down pattern. I also dislike Fabrizio's hoarse screams at the end, even if it expresses fury. Ermal wails after the bridge too. The instrumental is restless though. It starts with a twinkly guitar and light stomps, then light jingles. There's some slam-downs in the first chorus. Then the second verse increases the tempo into a folksy scared running drum beat. There's some guitar wails later. And the bridge quiets down when they walk to separate bridges. “Non mi” has a strong message and it isn't a cheesy peace song; but it's just not something I seek out much. The Winner:Israel achieves their 4th win, exactly 20 years after their 3rd... which was exactly 20 years after their 1st. I guess they'll win again in 2038? Between “Diva” and “Toy”, Israel's results were all over the place: 4 top 10s, 6 NQs, and several times in the bottom half of the scoreboard. The juries ranked “Toy” 3rd, but Netta's 317 televote points were more than enough. Weirdly, the semi-final was the opposite, where the juries were more favourable than the public. This is an annoying song, but the chicken noises make it worse. “Toy” starts a cappella, with Netta making a bunch of strange mouth sounds (“*bird trill*, ouch, hey!, hm, la!”). Then the backing comes in and she starts clucking like a chicken. This irritating intro lasts for 20+ seconds. It's such a “WTF” moment. It makes for a memorable first impression, but it turns “Toy” into a borderline joke entry. Once the instrumental starts, there's some “Ethnic pop” elements. Verse 1 contains casual hand drums, bass stomps that stop every few seconds, and a couple short jerks. Then the pre-chorus diminishes to a soft synth, before building up with beeps and a squeaky sound, as Netta clucks again. Then the chorus roars and bulldozes through (with more beeps), followed by a string-y post-chorus that rolls around, where the backing shouts “CULULUU”. Those “CULULUU”s are almost as irritating as the chicken noises. This is a weird criticism, but the chorus sounds too much like a Eurovision song. I get bored of it. The second verse starts with video game pew-pews. Then the bridge interrupts the second chorus, leading to a big vocal note on “BOYYYYY”, which transitions to the next string-y bit. The song pulls back again partway through the last chorus. And Netta finishes on another big note (“TOYYYYY”). The song is vengeful and in-your-face and Netta brings attitude and personality. The backing responses of “not your toy/stupid boy” are catchy too. But the message is hard to take seriously when it's communicated in such a silly way. The lyrics were inspired by the #MeToo movement (“I'll take you down now!”), where Netta rejects being a man's toy, calling him a “stupid boy”. Her vocal has a bratty, ridiculing, and immature tone. She says the boys are too loud and forgot how to play the game. She doesn't care about their money or the “modern-time preachers”. And she makes chicken noises to insinuate he's a coward (like when someone goes “bawk bawk bawk”). The lyrics also mention childhood interests – teddy bear, Barbie, Simon Says, Pikachu, dolls, Wonder Woman – which adds a darker layer to this. The narrator sounds like a little girl. “You're stupid just like your smart.. PHONE!” is a funny line though. There's even a smartphone ding during it. “My Simon Says 'leave me alone'” is clever too, with respecting consent. And “Barbie got something to say” challenges the Barbie stereotypes. There's also a couple Hebrew phrases (“ani lo buba” and “stefa”) and the Japanese word “Baka” (stupid person). But I also think “On the MadaBaka beat” is a censored version of “MF-ing beat”. Apparently “Trump-pam-pau” is a Trump reference too. The lyrics say a lot... in the verses anyways. “Stupid boy” is a childish insult. On stage, Netta is dressed in a kimono, with two bookcases full of golden cat figurines wagging their tails behind her. She also uses this touch pad thing, which spells the word “H-E-Y”. Meanwhile, the camera will cut to the 3 backing dancers making funny poses and dance moves. They start on the stage bridge, but join Netta later on. And everyone is on the audience ramp at the end. They also flap their arms like a chicken during the clucking. And there's some pyro for the first chorus. The dancers are funny at least. Ultimately, this, “I Wanna” and “Hard Rock Hallelujah” are the closest to a novelty song winning. I don't think this is what Salvador had in mind during his winning speech... it must've been awkward to hand Netta the trophy. Also, Jack White was later added as a songwriter for similarities to “Seven Nation Army”... I don't hear it. Verdict: “D” Tier. Catchy but everything about this is annoying. My Ranking:Grand Final: 01. Cyprus: Eleni Foureira - Fuego 02. France: Madame Monsieur - Mercy 03. Estonia: Elina Nechayeva - La forza 04. Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! 05. Austria: Cesár Sampson - Nobody but You 06. Portugal: Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim 07. Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day 08. Lithuania: Ieva Zasimauskaitė - When We're Old 09. Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground 10. Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef - Lie to Me 11. Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder 12. Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love 13. Finland: Saara Aalto - Monsters 14. Germany: Michael Schulte - You Let Me Walk Alone 15. Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off 16. Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca 17. Spain: Amaia & Alfred - Tu canción 18. Bulgaria: Equinox - Bones 19. Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente 20. Israel: Netta - Toy 21. United Kingdom: SuRie - Storm 22. Ireland: Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together 23. Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em 24. Albania: Eugent Bushpepa - Mall 25. Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár 26. Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song Full Ranking: 01. Cyprus: Eleni Foureira - Fuego 02. France: Madame Monsieur - Mercy 03. Estonia: Elina Nechayeva - La forza 04. Switzerland: Zibbz - Stones 05. Slovenia: Lea Sirk - Hvala, ne! 06. Austria: Cesár Sampson - Nobody but You 07. Belgium: Sennek - A Matter of Time 08. Armenia: Sevak Khanagyan - Qami 09. Latvia: Laura Rizzotto - Funny Girl 10. Portugal: Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim 11. Moldova: DoReDoS - My Lucky Day 12. Lithuania: Ieva Zasimauskaitė - When We're Old 13. Denmark: Rasmussen - Higher Ground 14. Malta: Christabelle - Taboo 15. Czech Republic: Mikolas Josef - Lie to Me 16. Ukraine: Mélovin - Under the Ladder 17. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Eye Cue - Lost and Found 18. Greece: Yianna Terzi - Oniro mou 19. Poland: Gromee feat. Lukas Meijer - Light Me Up 20. Australia: Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love 21. Finland: Saara Aalto - Monsters 22. Germany: Michael Schulte - You Let Me Walk Alone 23. Croatia: Franka - Crazy 24. Sweden: Benjamin Ingrosso - Dance You Off 25. Serbia: Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca 26. Spain: Amaia & Alfred - Tu canción 27. Bulgaria: Equinox - Bones 28. Belarus: Alekseev - Forever 29. Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente 30. Israel: Netta - Toy 31. San Marino: Jessika feat. Jenifer Brening - Who We Are 32. Azerbaijan: Aisel - X My Heart 33. United Kingdom: SuRie - Storm 34. Ireland: Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together 35. Montenegro: Vanja Radovanović - Inje 36. Netherlands: Waylon - Outlaw in 'Em 37. Romania: The Humans - Goodbye 38. Albania: Eugent Bushpepa - Mall 39. Russia: Julia Samoylova - I Won't Break 40. Hungary: AWS - Viszlát nyár 41. Norway: Alexander Rybak - That's How You Write a Song 42. Iceland: Ari Ólafsson - Our Choice 43. Georgia: Ethno-Jazz Band Iriao - For Younew winners ranking: “S” Tier: “Dansevise”, “Waterloo”, “Euphoria”, “Fairytale”, “My Number One”, “Nocturne”, “Non ho l'età”, “Fångad av en stormvind”, “Every Way That I Can”, “Only Teardrops” “A” Tier: “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”, “Love Shine a Light”, “Après toi”, “Wild Dances”, “De troubadour”, “Rise Like a Phoenix”, “Refrain”, “La det swinge”, “1944”, “Diva”, “A-Ba-Ni-Bi”, “Ne partez pas sans moi”, “Hallelujah”, “Un premier amour”, “Ein bißchen Frieden”, “Vivo cantando”, “Hold Me Now”, “L'oiseau et l'enfant”, “Satellite”, “Molitva” “B” Tier: “In Your Eyes”, “Rock Me”, “La, la, la”, “Puppet on a String”, “Hard Rock Hallelujah”, “Tu te reconnaîtras”, “J'aime la vie”, “Take Me to Your Heaven”, “Nous les amoureux”, “Ding-a-dong”, “Een beetje”, “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley”, “Making Your Mind Up”, “Heroes”, “Merci, Chérie”, “Un jour, un enfant” “C” Tier: “I Wanna”, “The Voice”, “Tom Pillibi”, “What's Another Year”, “Fly On The Wings Of Love”, “Everybody”, “Believe”, “Boom Bang-a-Bang” “D” Tier: “ Insieme: 1992”, “Toy”, “Si la vie est cadeau”, “Un banc, un arbre, une rue”, “Running Scared”, “Net als toen”, “Why Me?” “F” Tier: “Amar pelos dois”, “All Kinds of Everything”, “Dors, mon amour”, “Rock 'n' Roll Kids”, “Save Your Kisses for Me” (subject to change) Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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kimberly
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Post by kimberly on Oct 14, 2023 22:47:50 GMT -5
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Oct 16, 2023 12:06:33 GMT -5
"Toy" has aged kinda bad but still slaps, real winner idc what y'all say. Germany's worst song gets their best placement in a while smh Italy is a song I don't listen a lot but when it hits, IT HITS. O Jardim was lowkey robbed
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Nov 1, 2023 9:14:57 GMT -5
Tel Aviv 2019 – Semi-Final 1 Host: Israel Slogan: “Dare to Dream” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host General Overview:I just finished a year with super imbalanced semi-finals, and now I get to do... another year with super imbalanced semi-finals! Except it's the reverse of 2018. This time, SF1 is the “mid-off” and SF2 is the “bloodbath”. In fact, none of this year's top EIGHT comes from SF1. 2019 sees Israel host the last contest of the decade for a third time (after 1979 and 1999). While the number of participants drops to 41. Bulgaria left for financial reasons. And Ukraine were forced to withdraw after Maruv refused to sign a contract that restricted her from performing in Russia. The 2nd and 3rd placers in Vidbir also declined to replace her. A real shame, since “Siren Song” would be a contender for my #1 this year. The presenters are Erez Tal, Bar Refaeli, Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub. Their humour isn't as strong as Petra and Måns or the Portuguese team. But I still find them amusing. Erez is my favourite; I laughed when he mocked the waving audience members. The other memorable jokes tonight were: Assi sneaking into Bar's shot, Assi pulling up a shirtless pic of Miki, and the empty CD/DVD reveal. The show opens with a 5-year-old Netta and her family watching Dana International win in 1998. She takes this inspiration to sing “Toy” at a kids talent show. This cuts to a recap of her 2018 winning moment. Next, we go inside the arena, where a bunch of robotic “look at me”'s and flashing bars of light set up Netta's grand entrance – where she comes out of a giant cat figurine. Then she sings a remix of “Toy” that changes production several times, including a chicken clucking beat at first. She also unleashes a crazy note at one point. It's a hype opener, I'll admit that. The interval stars Dana International singing a cover of Bruno Mars's “Just the Way You Are”. Her performance starts in her dressing room, then she walks down a hallway that leads to the stage. Once on stage, there's a kiss cam showing straight and gay couples kissing. Dana is there to spread love! Next, we see a montage of the 2019 artists dancing in the postcards... this is pure filler. And later, there's a DJ Earworm-style mash-up of famous Eurovision songs from the past. I liked that one. Australia wins this semi-final, despite placing 2nd in the televote and 3rd with the juries. The televote winners is... Iceland. Didn't see that coming. While the jury winner is Czechia, because of course it is. The public saved San Marino at the expense of Hungary. While the juries saved Belarus at the expense of Poland. Poland was 2 points away from qualifying, actually. The Entries: ✓ Cyprus: Tamta - Replay 2019 kicks off with “Fuego” 2.0! Both songs have Major Lazer-esque production and female singers acting playfully dominant (“You've got a problem”... “I'm the one to blame... “I know you miss the taste”). The subject twists and turns at 2AM craving Tamta, so they call her “early in the morning” for an undercover booty call. But she's not a tease, she's “all in tonight”. The title “Replay” implies this is a recurring thing. The song is also catchy AF, particularly the “THAT'S WHEN YOU CALL ME” / “EARLY IN THE MORNING” repetition shouts and the “replay-replay-replay” stutters (it replays the word replay!) The stutters have a jittery visual effect too. On stage, Tamta wears shiny leather and turns to the side a lot. There's also 4 dancing cowboys. They move their hands into the frame and remove her jacket later on. She then gets sensual during the bridge. The performance starts with the spotlight turning on/off on Tamta as well. And the black clothing theme is contrasted by 6 pillars of white light. Musically, “Replay” opens with laggy guitar plucks. Then the first verse suppresses the plucks, while inserting a few purring motor bursts (like the song is glitching), and adds taps midway to get things moving. The chorus stops the beat via a slam, like it's had enough. Then the beat returns and builds up, pausing on the main lyric. Then broken stutter ticks lead to the brass-y “womp-womp” drop. That drop makes you sink on the dancefloor. The bridge is a cool down. And there's pyro bangs to start the last chorus, which keeps the beat this time. × Montenegro: D mol - Heaven This just sound like Christian music on a beach. No thanks. The group harmonies, the wholesome smiles, and the white outfits give that vibe. The vocals, staging, and instrumental are messy as well. The chorus uses the word “falling” too many times. The odd camera angles don't really work – I don't like how they keep turning towards the camera. Their different placements on stage at the start look random. And I cringe when they all look up to heaven. Moreover, the lyrics aren't profound. The narrator was left lonely, heartbroken and empty before they found love. They felt naked, blind and ready to give up. That's the entire story. The first verse repeats a few words, but not in a noticeable way. The “I'll catch you while you're falling” line feels shoehorned in too. The group even tries to catch one of them from falling at the end... which is also cringe. And the instrumental has WAY too much going on. It doesn't mix traditional and modern very well. The intro feels “off”, with squeals, snaps, and a warped siren. The first verse is mainly piano, with a bit of traditional strings and echoing steps. There's a splash transition. Then the chorus has a snappy beat, pan flutes, and more squeals; followed by a string break. The song's tempo increases from this point on. There's quacks in the 2nd half. Verse 2 reduces to computer “blips” midway, followed by a hip-hop-ish drum, a quick pause and a thunderclap. And the song ends with more strings. Nothing about this entry works. × Finland: Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look Away Finland selects the DJ behind the “Sandstorm” meme, while UMK chooses the song. It was the same with Saara Aalto last year. But “Look Away” finished dead last in SF1. The melody is limp, the “drop” is nothing, and the “look away”s in the chorus are never-ending. The “is it in my heaaaaad” hook is fine though. The song's message is about how we “look away” from the serious issues affecting our world. Sebastian is done with singing about love; this is more important. He can't ignore what's happening. He wonders how we sleep at night and questions if he's the only one mentally affected by this. Musically, the song starts with two drum kicks, then the dance club piano and buzzing comes in. Those kicks are reused for transitions. While the pre-chorus piano is more isolated. Then there's a beat acceleration at the beginning, middle, and end of the “drop”. But the “drop” plays it too safe and doesn't change things up enough – it's just a faster tempo. Things briefly cool off before verse 2, which adds splashy drums. The next pre-chorus uses antsy guitar and a slower boom-boom-splash beat. The latter is repeated at the end of the song. The staging is the best aspect though. It involves a random dancer, all alone on the main stage, moving against a wind machine with seawater on the LED behind her. Midway through, she “disappears” into darkness, and is shown drowning on the LED. Then she “magically” returns to the stage. I guess magic works when you look away. × Poland: Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali się) “White Voice” singing is polarizing. The first few seconds of “Fire of Love” involves ear-splitting shrieks... it's not a good first impression. But the verses salvage this somewhat. There's an electric guitar that runs through them that slices through everything and gives a bad-ass attitude. It's just the sneering, high-pitched chorus vocals that are grating. Although they do serve a purpose. “Pali się” is the Polish way of shouting “FIRE! FIRE!” to alarm someone. So Tulia are literally shouting “FIRE! FIRE!” in that chorus. Lyrically, the song is about how love will melt the frozen, doubting heart. How it'll free the abandoned, indifferent heart that's hard as stone and feels nothing. All it takes is one small spark. And then the fire brigade is useless! On stage, the 4 women stand on a spinning platform, while dressed in traditional attire. They're draped in long red veils that they remove in unison early on. And the LED shows their faces one at a time. After that a cappella shrieking intro is over with, the electric guitar and claps jump in right away, alongside an “ah huh ah huh” chant. The guitar groove drives the verses, with light stomps and hi-hat. While the chorus is a clappy schoolyard chant with tambourine jingles. There's a pause after each chorus before the guitar returns. And the 3rd verse delays the guitar even longer for an audience clap-a-long moment. The song also begins and ends in English. ✓ Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi “Sebi” expresses intimacy so well, with Zala's minimalist vocal, the chill instrumental, and how the couple stands very close to each other. She looks directly at Gašper while he takes in what she says. He alternates between smiles and serious faces. And he breaks eye contact a few times to look at his instruments as a distraction. The camera also spins around them, and the LED shows a starry night sky. There's a nighttime ambience here. “Sebi” is a late night conversation, where Zala offers her support when Gašper feels overwhelmed. She says progress keeps her going. That she goes with the flow and resists it. That it's okay to cry. That they accept each other despite different desires. That he doesn't need to prove himself. Not everything has a meaning; nothing is forever; and common tears and fears create a bond. The chorus, meanwhile, repeats the words “Stay true to yourself / Don't tell me to forgive you”. The message is that you don't have to be a perfect person in a relationship. Zala is taking that pressure off. The production is very atmospheric and quirky as well. The intro has dark dreamy keyboards, hollow knocks, broken metal tick rattles, and computerized claps. While the verses reduce to just knocks and taps, with some purring motor bits. Verse 2 has more rattles though. And the chorus is the same as the intro. They both soar. There's some distant voices in there too. None of these quirks clash either. It's smooth. Zala's vocal might seem boring, but the chorus melody makes up for it. ✓ Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend The “Don't Come Easy”/“Dance You Off” of 2019. There's so much awkward energy here - the nervous smiles, the spoken word pre-chorus, the lead singer hopping backwards, his dance moves, him sliding/falling to the floor, him gesturing the camera to follow him. And it's like they're acting awkward on purpose, which comes across pretentious. I do like the editing though. Each band member is inside a rectangular frame, and during the chorus, their frames multiply and shift around, while the LED alternates bold colours. They wear bold sweaters too (black, yellow, or red). But those are Belgium flag colours, not Malawi. Also, the lyrics are asinine. The singer overhears his crush making love next door, and later upstairs. This must be an apartment. They were neighbours at 13 but now she's just a “friend of a friend of a...” etc. I don't really like that hook. He still dreams about meeting up, saying “I'm your man”, even though he forgot her name. This is one-sided. I think it's meant to be silly though. The production shifts between dreary and chipper. The song starts with gradual drips, then the drums and cowbell come in. There's a sad desert guitar. Then the pre-chorus reduces to a bluesy keyboard, creating awkward silence for the spoken word part. The drums return for the chorus, alongside a wiggly guitar groove and dull synth gargles. An 80s synth break follows this, with the same wiggly groove. There's also annoying “I'm only a friend” responses. And two long notes at the end. × Hungary: Joci Pápai - Az én apám Joci returns after just 2 years... only to give Hungary their first NQ in 10 years... and they haven't participated since. “Origo” was captivating, but I can see how “Az én apám” got lost. The only catchy part is the “n-na na na na na; ya ya ya” part. Joci's performance shows the song is meaningful to him though. He's cherishing the memory of his father, who was gentle and told stories through song, which drove away Joci's sadness. Every road lead to him. It was the “old beautiful days”. Joci remarks how life is too short. He notices the facial resemblance as he ages. And he's proud to tell his son about his grandfather. Musically, “Az én apám” is a folk song, starting with just an acoustic guitar. The foot stomps appear next. Then the first chorus rests, with a couple string? dives. Then the post-chorus uses snaps, thunderous stomps, and folk strings. The snaps remain in verse 2. And chorus 2 adds a marching snare and more heavy stomps. The percussion is strongest by the end. The outro goes on a while though. The song is over before it reaches a climax. But it's a touching dedication. The “na na na” part is like humming or whistling while lost in thought. It is a pensive song. The stage is simple. It starts with Joci sitting on a box in dark lighting, which works for a folk song. Then the LED shows fatherly faces. And a golden tree with roots on the floor later on. There's also fire rain at the end. ✓ Belarus: Zena - Like It #StandWithUkraine Also Belarus's last performance. Zena's vocals aren't great, some of the lyrics have bad English, and the chorus is bratty and repetitive (“YES YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT” x8). The “tam-tara-ram” hook doesn't do much either. But the two dancers constantly doing flips are engaging. And the ad libs break the repetitiveness (I like the “BABY REPEAT MY MOVES” ending). The song opens with a short distant cry. Then an acoustic guitar brings '00s pop nostalgia, with piano and clacks added midway. Next, there's a halting strike, a low piano chorus, a beat acceleration, a hanging synth, and a blaring synth “drop”. I like those last 2. Verse 2 adds a bass synth and broken metal tick stutters. While the bridge extends chorus 2 before cooling down; leading to a “yoUu goOo wIth mE bAAAABY” climax. The song advocates putting yourself out there. Zena is attached to her phone, outside her comfort zone, and tired of being alone. She asks karma what to do. But she's done with being all talk no action - she'll take the risk and won't give up. The chorus is her convincing either herself, her crush, or other introverts “yes, you're gonna like [going for] it”. Then, verse 2 is an invitation to dance. “Add hashtag to find ya” is certainly a lyric. On stage, there's a bunch of equipment boxes. Zena sits on one and the dancers wheel her around. She later leans ontop of the dancers. And the backing singers come out at the end. The LED shows a severed face with animals running through it (weird). There's also pyro during the chorus. ✓ Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna The only 2019 qualifier I didn't remember. “Kruna” is an ordinary Balkan Ballad with a shout-y chorus. And I thought that chorus was her crying in desperation at first, but it's actually a rooftop declaration: “Let the world hear me now / I'm guarding you with my life!” Nevena wants everyone know about her devotion to her fiance. She also says his “dear eyes” calm her down, the night is long and sad without him, she'd die to protect him, and “the crown is yours”. The lyrics aren't super deep. But Nevena's voice is powerful and she owns that stage despite being completely alone. She also wears an assortment of silver accessories and a black dress that exposes one leg. And she conjures a hologram of swirling blue water at one point. The LED, meanwhile, displays cracked ice and a splashy whirlpool. Musically, the first half of “Kruna” is driven by an acoustic guitar. There's also a fiddle and backing whispers that appear at certain points. The chorus switches to raging acoustic guitar and piano, finishing on a stop that removes the tension. The song's ending does this twice. At the midpoint, there's an electric guitar ignition that ushers in the drums and orchestral strings for the second half. Then a few piano notes lead to verse 2. And those drums pause for the next pre-chorus, leading to another ignition. The pre-chorus also switches to English. The electric guitar parts are too short though. × Belgium: Eliot - Wake Up Just like last year, Belgium NQ's with a song similar to “City Lights”. This one even shares a songwriter. Maybe it was Eliot's timid vocal. He gives the song sensitive vulnerability though. The lyrics are open to interpretation. Eliot feels rejected and craves a connection. It keeps him up at night. He fights to have someone and won't passively wait for it. He runs into liars, so lies back out of fear. Then, in the bridge, he's ready to face them, saying he won't abuse them. As for the metaphorical “light”, it signifies change, motivation (“feeding our fire”), and hope (“saving our lives”). “Wake Up” is an atmospheric synthpop song. The verses follow a wandering, dry-air synth, with clicks and drums added midway the first time. Then the chorus changes the vibe and tempo entirely (it “wakes up”). There's a drum pound for each syllable on the catchy “I came to fight...” repetitions, followed by 4 separated keyboard notes. It's quite effective. This stumbling chorus resists the smooth windy verses. The second verse then sprints, with constant clicks this time. And the bridge escalates, then stops upon the last chorus. On stage, there's two drummers striking large upright drums. Their drumstick movements are engaging (when they raise and cross them). They also wear blue T-shirts with orange peace signs; the same colours as Eliot's jacket. And during the chorus, everyone raises their fists (drumsticks included). The overhead triangle thing moves around too. And there's a smoke puff climax. × Georgia: Oto Nemsadze - Keep On Going “Keep On Going” certainly takes you on a journey. It feels like I'm staring the Grim Reaper in the face. It's a haunting funeral song. But it's so overly intense, serious and... creepy. The song opens with a church bell slam and weary bagpipes. Then the piano and little guitar fidgets take over, with more slams. Plus background throat chanting and orchestral strings. The pre-chorus uses twitchy snare, ground-shaking drums, and strings; escalating midway with firm clasping drums. This build-up cut offs, reducing to a heartbeat thump. Then the instruments return one by one. The beat stops again for a creepy choir chant with church bells. And the drums return for the ending. These drums are so intense. Oto's voice also becomes raspier and growlier as the song progresses; especially during that agonizing “Vaarada varada varada rada hee” bit. But ultimately, this song is one long build-up to nothing. The lyrics reference the barbed wire fence that separates South Ossetia from Georgia. Oto repeatedly says “go”; as in: Go walk. Go find the missing songs. Go follow your heart. Go cross that fence. There's a wounded singer behind the fence still singing. Singing heals each other's wounds. On stage, the LED starts with an ECG, then a line of walking silhouettes. It's mostly mountains after that. Oto walks across a dock image on the floor at one point. The camera spins around him for a bit. The choir marches forward when it's their turn, as Oto faces them. And there's hellfire flames at the end. ✓ Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity I knew Kate from “The Last Day on Earth”, a #3 hit in Australia in 2009. It's a beautiful song, but “Zero Gravity” takes a more unusual direction. The most memorable aspect is the inventive staging, where Kate and the two backing singers swing around on tall poles, as they “orbit” an Earth hologram. And the LED adds an outer space backdrop. They literally escaped gravity! Kate's tiara and sparkly white dress give snow queen vibes too. The song is equally unusual. Verse 1 follows sparse piano notes, with a subdued, anxious, rapid, bubbling beat underneath, and lingering “hey you...”'s. While verse 2 uses a jogging synth beat instead (I like when it kicks in). And the “I've been...” pre-chorus adds an angelic harp. The chorus completely halts the momentum. Twice. Kate gives an operatic “ze-E-e-E-E-Ero... gra-HA-HA-HA-vity”, guided by string jerks. It's polarizing, but it works. Then some piano slams and tense strings escalate things. Which is a tease the first time; the eventual climax is SO epic and worth the wait. The 2nd post-chorus builds up with some “and it feels like”'s and Kate's operatic flexing, culminating in a big note. Then the backing repeatedly shouts “NOTHING HOLD ME DOWN” as the drums slam down with snaps. That climax has such a freeing feeling and the wild swinging on stage really complements it. The song then speeds up at the end. The lyrics are about Kate needing to let go of someone holding her down. The pain and sadness gotta go. She couldn't open them up. And she feels cold staying there. This year, Australia did a national final for the first time. Sheppard and Courtney Act took part, while the runner-up, Electric Fields's “2000 and Whatever”, is a massive fan favourite. ✓ Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra Iceland breaks a 4-year NQ streak by sending one of the most “WTF” entries in Eurovision history. That's 3 strange entries in a row tonight. “Hatrið” is the epitome of “love it or hate it”. And... this is just not for me. The microphone-eating screaming vocals in the verses are downright un-listenable. The deranged baby voice in the chorus is fine though. And I kinda like the hardcore, industrial techo beat. It persists for almost the entire song, save for a couple pauses, and when the bridge offers a breather. The song opens with a body-vibrating heavy bass. Then a “HUH!” ushers in the main beat, which includes construction site metal clanging. And the chorus adds lighter euphoric synths to it. I assume the lyrics are a commentary on the rise of far right politicians (ie. “Europe will crumble”). The title translates to “Hate Will Prevail”. The song mentions unrestrained debauchery, an endless hangover, meaningless life, all-consuming emptiness, illusionary happiness, and “Multilateral delusions / Unilateral punishments”. It's very dystopian and pessimistic. And the chorus expresses vague sadness. The staging is the most “WTF” aspect though. The band wears BDSM gear. There's a giant cage with a punisher swinging a hammer back and forth ontop. There's laggy and blurry visual effects. There's welding sparks and flames. A dancer escapes the cage, looks submissive, and crawls around. The chorus singer lays upside down on the stairs at first. And he gets pulled around later. The screaming singer scares me lol. ✓ Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm I guess we need a palate cleanser after Iceland. But this sounds like a generic Melodifestivalen entry. In fact, Victor will have his own generic MF entry in 2020! “Storm” just lacks personality, and the melody and production are bland. Sure, the verses are introspective, where he keeps questioning if his approach to life is wrong. But his story isn't personal enough: he keeps fighting tides, he worries about losing it all, he misses the meaning of what remains. The chorus (and post-chorus) then promote a message of resilience with uninspired lyrics. At the end of the song, Victor questions if he's wrong about this too. Otherwise, this fusion of folk and dance music is like Avicii's “Wake Me Up”. “Storm” starts with a “content with life” acoustic guitar. Then the finger snaps and backing “woo-oo”s come in, followed by an actual thunderclap. The chorus aims to be an anthem, where it punches on each syllable of Victor shouting “STORM. LIKE. THIS.”/“MAN.LIKE.THIS.” etc. The first chorus holds back, whereas the second one builds with sawing strings. The latter is when the “drop” finally hits, which is big, energized house music with more snaps. The post-chorus continues this climax until the bridge quiets down. The song also returns to acoustic at the end. On stage, Victor plays a guitar, as the LED shows blocky clouds. He turns around a couple times so the camera can show the audience behind him. And later, he's surrounded by holograms of clouds and lightning. Cool effects. × Portugal: Conan Osíris - Telemóveis Back to the strange entries. The staging involves unique green outfits, fake sideburns, a shirtless dancer, and squirmy dance moves. Plus dark red lighting. There's camera cuts at the start. The dancer sits on a staircase. Conan meets him up there. They walk down in unison. The dancer collapses, tiptoes, sticks his tongue out, leans back, and shoots a pretend arrow. Then Conan is dragged backwards like a marionette. The instrumental is dark and mixes elements from all over the world. It begins and ends with patient, ominous East Asian strings. As if your boat is approaching danger. There's bass booms, then the trap-y “BA BA BA” beat overtakes with relentless striking/skipping ticks and human gasps. The second verse reduces to nudges, before heightening back to the fuller sound. Then a Portuguese guitar emerges. All the above elements come and go throughout the song. They're used in various combinations. There's “HEY” pauses too. The lyrics warn against cellphone addiction. “I broke the cellphone trying to call heaven” sounds silly, but it's saying we shouldn't waste time trying to contact the dead. The “who kills who?” repetition relates to how phones give constant dopamine hits that consume us. Conan also repeats “I'll break the cellphone” if you won't respond to real life's demands. Then at the end, he reveals he's the one “who killed who”. Last year's host country can afford risks. “Telemóveis” is kinda pretentious and overhyped but the beat and dancing are interesting. I like whenever the full beat returns. ✓ Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love Greece was also overhyped. I wasn't keen on Katerine's voice in 2019 (those “ooh ooh hoo”s in particular), but “Better Love” has grown on me since. She sounds earnest in her quest to go beyond society's made up expectations of what love is. She can't hide or fight this urge to find “better love”, which she defines as enjoying the messiness, feeling ageless, and learning carelessness. She's lost enough already. The bridge then invites the subject in, not caring what others think. And the outro repeats “What you waiting for?” many times. The song opens with tunnel voices; followed by a little bubbling sound, then finger snaps, then taps. The chorus is quite loud by contrast, with thunderous drums and claps. It also includes quivers, individual clicks, and backing “ahhhhhh”. The second verse adds splashy drums and backing “hey!”s. While the bridge switches to deep rolling drums with the claps. Katerine also gives a long note afterwards. The stage is like an 18th century royal ball. It involves pastel colours and fancy clothing. It starts with everyone frozen in place in front of this pink backdrop. Then two ballet dancers sword dance. Someone carries a giant balloon and tosses it into the audience. And the dancers twirl ribbons at the end. The backdrop also fills up with flowers and the LED shows petals. The chorus hook is kinda “blah”, but I like the song's atmosphere of supreme elegance. It fits a royal ball. It has an opening up to the world vibe too. ✓ San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na San Marino's best result is surprisingly NOT “Adrenalina”, it's Serhat. The televote loved “Say Na Na Na”. It's a very upbeat song with a fun, catchy chorus. It isn't creepy like his 2016 entry. And he has fun on stage. But he can't sing... at all. The disco production is cheap. And this isn't the most essential bop. The song opens with a thin drum machine. Then the lively disco energy is pretty consistent. The verses have more modern synths. The pre-chorus submerges. The bridge has flappy drums and a call-and-response routine. And the Turkish counting includes 3 bangs. In the lyrics, Serhat notices someone who's “sad and lonely”. He asks what's wrong and why they want to run away. He also gives a bunch of advice: “who cares... it happens everyday”; “love all colours of this life”; “be a hero, be the rainbow”. He's very pushy about it, saying “look at me”, “hear me”, “call me anytime”. And the chorus repeats “say na na na” too many times. I guess singing “na na na” is meant to lift your spirits. The performance is better than the song though. It starts on the overhead camera in red lighting, as the 5 backing members look up and wiggle around, and the floor light flashes. They have very positive energy. Then we see Serhat on a platform, where the LED is used very well. It shows lyrics, flashing colours inside a box, pixelated noise, hypnotic moving lines, and white boxes rippling outward. There's a pyro blast upon the final chorus. And the two dancers next to Serhat are enjoyable. My Ranking:01. Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi ✓02. Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity ✓03. Cyprus: Tamta - Replay ✓04. Belgium: Eliot - Wake Up 05. Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna ✓06. Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love ✓07. Hungary: Joci Pápai - Az én apám 08. Portugal: Conan Osíris - Telemóveis 09. San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na ✓10. Belarus: Zena - Like It ✓11. Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm ✓12. Poland: Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali się) 13. Finland: Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look Away 14. Georgia: Oto Nemsadze - Keep On Going 15. Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra ✓16. Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend ✓17. Montenegro: D mol - Heaven Slim pickings here... Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Nov 1, 2023 16:47:35 GMT -5
DADDY SERHAT SUPREMACY and fearlessarrow can seethe!! Say Na Na Na slaps idc it deserved to qualify. Surprised you don't remember Kruna, for me is super memorable. Czechia trash entry winning jury is a nonsense, glad the televoting put them where they deserved. D-Mol was such a mess. I love Katerine Duska and "Better Love" but that stage butchered it. "Zero Gravity" is so iconic, what a stage. "I Like It" is utter garbage and robbed Tulia.
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Nov 18, 2023 7:47:16 GMT -5
Tel Aviv 2019 – Semi-Final 2 Host: Israel Slogan: “Dare to Dream” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host General Overview:In my SF1 write-up, I mentioned that SF2 is the stronger semi this year. However, it's really just the second half of SF2 that's stronger. Indeed, there's only 3 qualifiers in the first 10 songs (and 1 within the first 6). Meanwhile, the last 6 songs are ALL qualifiers; 5 of which make up the top 8 on finale night. Not only that, Lithuania was 1 point away from making it eight qualifiers in a row. Which would've beaten the record of 7 in a row from 2009 SF2. That run from Malta to Azerbaijan is kinda insane. The show starts with a recap of SF1, then the hosts come on stage immediately, since there are no opening performances. Tonight's memorable moments include: Assi guessing Meryl Streep and Mariah Carey for the “M” artist, Erez accusing Assi of breaking voting rules, Erez's “no you wish” response to Assi, Lucy's awkward “a cappella shoes” joke, and Assi pulling up a picture of Mahmood this time. The hosts also interview Conchita and Måns, since they'll be performing in the final. The interval stars Shalva Band, a group of disabled musicians who withdrew from Israel's 2019 national final. They perform a cover of “A Million Dreams” from the Greatest Showman soundtrack. The two female singers hold hands in wedding dresses and they have nice voices. The one on the left also reads braille. And there's a wedding-style archway on stage. Next, mentalist Lior Suchard grabs 4 random artists in the Green Room and asks them to write down a number between 1-1000. He then unravels a banner that contains their numbers; and flips it around to spell out “Eurovision”. This had to be staged... right? There's also part 2 of the DJ Earworm-style mash-up of past Eurovision entries. And a montage of “12 points” moments... enough filler. The Netherlands wins this semi-final, despite placing 3rd with the juries and 2nd in the televote (same as Australia in SF1). The jury winner is North Macedonia, while Norway tops the televote... all of this will happen again in the grand final. Additionally, the juries ranked Norway 11th, which is ridiculous. They also didn't have Albania in their top 10. The “jury qualifiers” that missed out were Moldova and Romania. On the flip side, the juries saved Denmark at the expense of Lithuania. The Entries: × Armenia: Srbuk - Walking Out This is a spiteful and confrontational song about leaving an abusive ex. I love that! The empty staging explains the NQ, but Srbuk's performance is fierce anyways. The chorus is also stiff and shout-y (“WALKING OUT, WOOHOO” is a meh hook), but anger is meant to sound unstable. Her impassioned voice shows strength to stand up and fight back. She repeats “I'M WALKING OUT!” as a firm stance. She'll burn down what she built! In the song, Srbuk asks “Who are you? / What you really do?” because her partner seems like a different person. They get mad at her being upset. They're dependent and defensive. They repress emotions. They aren't there for her. And she claps back with: “can you function on your own?”; “wait for... oh no I'm done!”; and “At last I feel proud!” The camera cuts and tilts fit this attitude. Especially the sharp cuts and zooms in verse 2. The stage also uses red lighting at first. The song opens with a distant, cold piano, as we see Srbuk make a fist from behind. Then reality sinks in via a winding down sound, and the irate percussion aggressively claps and splash-slams. It pauses in the pre-chorus for traditional strings. Then a glitch sound cuts to a spinning overhead shot, and the chorus uses shuddering slices. The pre-chorus is skipped the second time. The LED floor cracks upon chorus #2. And then Srbuk's kneeling is very effective – where the bridge quiets, the key change hits, the flames erupt, and she shrieks like crazy. She also “walks out” at the end. × Ireland: Sarah McTernan - 22 Dead last in SF2. Ireland has hit rock bottom. “22” has a daydreamy, 'light as a cloud' atmosphere, but the melody is lacking and Sarah's vocal is lifeless, making it kinda boring. The 1950s diner staging doesn't work either, where Sarah sits at a table with two milkshakes on it. There's two dancers that come out to grab them. They interact with Sarah, but their facial expressions are so extra. Then, during the bridge, she lays on the table against a starry floor LED, as shown on the overhead camera. The dancers then spin the table around with her on it. The main LED, meanwhile, shows a vintage car “driving back” during that lyric; as well as checker patterns and classic comic book drawings of Sarah. Furthermore, calling your song “22” just invites Taylor Swift comparisons. It's her ex's house number, it could be anything. Anyways, Sarah keeps driving back there because she's constantly thinking about him. That sounds... stalkerish. New faces and old places are reminders. She's afraid to admit her feelings and admits to messing it up. The song is mainly driven by a bass guitar groove (the LED shows the soundwave of it at first). The pre-chorus adds a slight keyboard. Then the drums enter in the chorus, alongside guitar shimmers, while the post-chorus uses guitar beeps and “oh whoa” backing (I like that part). The drums continue in verse 2 after a second. And the bridge quiets down. This entry is more 'whatever' and basic than bad though. × Moldova: Anna Odobescu - Stay Possibly the most forgettable entry of 2019. Moldova isn't known for serious entries, but 2007 and 2013 did well. The staging blatantly copies Ukraine 2011 – it involves someone making sand art on a table, which is projected on the LED. It's an impressive talent, but an unoriginal idea. And why is there a birdcage, a wine glass, and some candles on the table? Moreover, “Stay” is a generic ballad. The lyrics are filled with meaningless cliches that lack substance: “Even with the wind we'll make it”! “Keep the fire burning inside”! “No matter what they say/ It's now or never”! “If I fall/ I'm nothing at all”! And Anna uses a lot of imperative verbs to empower this person. She tells them to stay until she figures out how they can reconcile forever. The composition is so close to being an epic power ballad, and it almost wins me over. It starts with a pensive piano. The strings sneak in next, followed by a thundery transition. Then the chorus moves in a pattern that I like – ie. the “STAY until I find a WAY” emphases + the stop/start seesawing strings + the echoes. A string post-chorus follows this. Then verse 2 elevates with a crisp drum, a fizzy synth, and continued strings. The later choruses become heavier. And the bridge reduces to a quiet piano and a heartbeat, as she interacts with the artist, leading to a boom-clap drum breakdown. Anna then disappears in a swirly hologram - she didn't stay after all. She also wears a white dress on stage, and has good vocals. ✓ Switzerland: Luca Hänni - She Got Me This is one insanely catchy song: “Gettin' rowdy, rowdy”; “She let her body... TALK”; “WHEN SHE GO LOW...” x2; “She got me dirty dancin'... DIRTY DANCIN'!” And that drop is blazing hot and made for grinding. The audience goes wild when Luca dances during it. He's charming in a likeable way. He has sexy confidence. He smiles and never stops moving. In the intro, he walks slowly in camera cuts. Then he sways to the side during the pauses. And later, he jumps into a pyro blast. The choreo is hot too. While the red lighting, the wide and changing aspect ratios, and the glitchy LED establish a scene. The lyrics are typical horny dude thoughts: this seductive girl compels Luca to dirty dance in the club. She's the “kinda lady that mama like/But mama ain't here tonight” (lol). She makes all the boys and girls stop what they're doing. And now they're sweaty and animalistic. The production is a bop. There's a guitar intro, followed by a screechy whistle, a knocking beat, a quick metal drum, and then the beat strengthens. The pre-chorus slides across with bass taps and conclusions (+ lyric pauses). The chorus pulls back with claps and a bird call, then escalates with bass blares and a loud alarm on “DIRTY DANCIN'”. Then the fiery “eeeer” drop runs wild afterwards. The next pre-chorus and the bridge uses taut bass strums instead. The bridge is the weakest part though. The song then rests before a clappy fire dance and a “WOOP”. Side notes: This hit #1 on my personal chart. Luca won Germany's DSDS in 2012. And this broke a 4-year NQ streak for Switzerland. × Latvia: Carousel - That Night I like the cozy atmosphere and the vintage stage lighting/colours, but “That Night” is very easy to forget about. The song is a bit sleepy and the composition is too monotonous. I'm not shocked by the NQ. The chorus is dominated by that “LAH-AH-AH-AH-AHVE” hook. But since there's barely a bridge, the chorus is played on an endless loop towards the end. It goes on too long... like she's zoned out... and I zone out too. In the lyrics, singer Sabīne recalls a lonely, starless, dark night, where “one troubled thought broke through”. She spends the chorus wishing for love, in this daydream-y state. But she feels wrong for letting her imagination take over. Then a dark, cold river (reality?) takes her away from paradise, and she begs to return. This is how human brains work. Negative thoughts will intrude unexpectedly. The song is retro indie folk. It opens with an acoustic guitar, then the verse adds this subtle shuffling sound. There's some cymbal crashes and background howls as well. While the chorus has more of a foot-tapping rhythm. The vocals in the super brief are like a distant howl. And there's little bells later on. The instrumental is very subdued, calm and soothing. It sticks to one particular mood, which is introverted ruminating. On stage, Sabīne wears a brimmed hat, while the other band members play a guitar, double bass, and drums. × Romania: Ester Peony - On a Sunday Artistic entries can be alienating, but the overused “EH-EH-EH-EH-EH” hook is obtrusive too. I like how it claws at you though. Plus the dark, demented, tortured atmosphere is intriguing. The song opens with a warped guitar, where the audio and video purposely skip. The guitar removes its restraints right after, but it's still pained. The finger snaps come next, which sharpen on the first “eh eh eh”, leading to a whoosh. Then the very heavy/dense bass takes over, with deep “WHOA”s and clicks. This is my favourite part. The bass persists for rest of the song, except for two breaks to temporarily relieve the pressure: the first one returns to snaps and acoustic guitar, while the second is a piano break. The bass also appropriately enters on the “smoke” and “nightmare” lyrics, which are the images it conjures up. There's tons of fire eruptions too. On stage, Ester sits on a red armchair, while the guitarist looks solemn on the ramp. She's dressed in black and claws her silver-lined hand. The LED shows ancient pillars, bats flying forward, a splashing raindrops effect, and it turns hellish at the end (with fire rain), until roses appear. There's also jumpy camera cuts and two male dancers in kinky attire. In the song, Ester's break-up was so bad that she'll never forget that day. Now she pays the price for loving them. The smoke represents the painful aftermath. She can't feel at home. The world moves on, but she doesn't. She wants out of this nightmare. She asks if it really happened. She didn't see it coming. ✓ Denmark: Leonora - Love Is Forever This is just obnoxiously happy and sweet. The message that love will solve the world's problems is so overdone in Eurovision. Leonora suggests we “travel the world to see the ruins”, because we don't process history. She tells us “don't get too political”, don't judge, and don't give up because we've only experienced a taste of what's possible. And towards the end, she sings in 4 different languages for universality. The lyrics hit you over the head. The persistent, jerky string jabs are annoying too. They forcibly lift you up. The song is just jabs until the first chorus adds snaps to it. The jabs then pause for a second, and the second verse adds an acoustic guitar to get things moving. The later choruses have a fuller sound, where the backing “oooh” comes in. And the bridge reduces to jabs, snaps and a violin. I don't care for the staging either. It begins with Leonora standing in front of this backdrop of various drawings (a chair, window, ladder and clouds); which opens up to show the audience behind her. Then she climbs an actual ladder towards the top of this gigantic blue chair. Once there, she sways back and forth with 2 backing members, while clouds drift on the LED. The backing is WAY too happy here. Next, the other 2 backing members carry ladders on their shoulders, and climb them backwards. Once everyone is up top, they all sway and kick their feet. The song's atmosphere floats like a cloud, but it does nothing for me. Her voice is so cutesy at the end of the chorus too. ✓ Sweden: John Lundvik - Too Late for Love The fake jury winner, and another top 5 for Sweden. The composition sounds too perfected, like most Swedish entries, but John's sensitive vocal expresses longing, humility, and caring; right from that “Hey, how you've been?” opening greeting. The camera close-up personalizes that opener too. He takes a risk by contacting his ex. It's probably been a while. He never got over them. He wonders if this is mutual and if it's wrong to still picture them together. Then he repeatedly asks if it's too late. While in the chorus, he desperately yells “HEAR ME!” for attention. The music has a hopeful vibe though. It starts with the piano, then a small running beat slides in. Suddenly the song stops and slams, and the chorus is split in two. First, there's hums and snaps; then the “HEAR ME!” shout launches the latter half effectively, which is a release of percussion and backing vocals, with a couple satisfying clack lashes. Verse 2 starts quiet, before the ticking and bass bring the energy back, followed by snaps. The second chorus adds thunderous drums to build even more – this is when the Mamas come out, which is my fave part. They all raise their mics together at the end of the chorus. And the bridge is a sensitive moment, leading to a “NOOO” climax, a clap breakdown, and more thunder drums. The “I could be..” hooks are good too. The stage is dark orange, with this smokey beaming light structure behind John. He also runs on the spot a lot, which matches the energy. And he turns to the side during verse 2. This had a perfect jury score in Melfest lol. But I think it was the right winner. My other faves from the 2019 final were “Torn”, “Chasing Rivers”, “Ashes to Ashes” and “Hold You”. I wasn't fond of the runner-up, Bishara's “On My Own”. × Austria: Pænda - Limits 0 televote points for this. Austria had momentum after Conchita during 2016/17/18, but that stops here. Pænda sings with tearful vulnerability and passion, and her soft high voice stands out, but the song is so sloooow. Those “yoUoUoU”s are annoying too. The lyrics have a realistic and insightful take on self-love at least. The verses are personal, where Pænda knows she has to move past her insecurities, but she's trapped in them. She pushed herself too hard before, but now realizes it's okay to not be okay, hoping time will re-calibrate her. She finds clarity looking in the mirror. She wants to believe it'll be better in the future. She feels numb to the pain and forces a smile. She feels chest anxiety. And she addresses the chorus to anyone that can relate. The song opens with twinkling chimes, a plane zooming past, and a dissolved voice. Then the verses move in slow, delicate steps, with those chimes. While the chorus follows a cello that shivers in small movements, with drum patters and string “da-DA”s midway. Her voice gets worked up in the second verse. Then the second chorus intensifies the drums and “da-DA”s, with some crackles. The bridge extends the intensity and shifts the melody, where Pænda lets it crash down. The song then finishes anticlimactically by returning to the delicate. As if this change isn't permanent. On stage, Pænda performs all alone, sitting down for the first half. There's dark lighting and poles of light resembling stars. × Croatia: Roko - The Dream So, my least favourite Croatian entry is “My Friend”, and guess what? Jacques Houdek wrote their 2019 song as well. Lucky me! “The Dream” just takes itself too seriously. The staging is cringe. It begins with Roko laying on the floor LED, as it shows hellfire and angel wings beneath him. After he sits up, the camera shakes and the floor appears to rise. Then, two “angels” with golden wings descend from the ceiling. They attach wings onto Roko, and then re-ascend. The LED also changes from Hell to Heaven at some point. The religious imagery is too on the nose here. Also, I cannot stand the chorus. Roko's big vocals on “I DREAM OF LOVE... ANGELS OF GOD” are annoying AF. The lyrics are 'whatever' too. He won't give up on this beautiful, extreme dream, and assures it's possible. He mentions uniting a divided world, turning war into art, how we've endured, and how the time is now. For what exactly? Love, I guess. Then he switches to Croatian lyrics. Musically, the song starts with a couple dark synths and a distorted cry. Then the first verse uses repressed icy synth drips and echoing woodblock? ticks. It has a frosty atmosphere. The pre-chorus halts the movement with a boom, followed by lower ticks. The chorus then brings in the tediously-paced heavy drums and sawing strings. An instrumental break follows this, with more drums and rising keyboards. Then verse 2 eases off, before inserting a scattering sound and symphonic strings. The song ends by buzzing down. ✓ Malta: Michela - Chameleon This staging is camp but it works. It showcases modern technology and resembles a music video. It starts with Michela twirling her hair inside a brick house window. Then the camera zooms into her decorated room, it turns yellow, the door “opens”, water floods the room, it becomes an aquarium, the dancers crawl from the under the walls, the water drains, and a chameleon walks across. The lights then rotate bold colours during the drop, while the dancers “multiply”. Next, the stage becomes a jungle to match that lyric. City skyscrapers grow and shake to the beat, as Michela stands on a roof. And at the end, the screen contraption is revealed. The “Chameleon” metaphor is about being adaptable to life's troubles (“we are technicolour!”) The lyrics use colour comparisons and plant metaphors, as Michela refuses to be held in a box or to walk away from her problems. And the bridge is a bunch of “throw this at me, I'll overcome it”. The song starts with a reggae guitar (+ an off-key horn in the intro) until the “MMHMM” + metal drum interrupt. Then the broken metal ticks and bass blobs come in, leading to a roaring horn. The chorus is very hype and loud (“WHEN LIFE BRINGS ME TROUBLE...”) with claps and forceful slams (and metal ticks midway), leading to a quirky “drop” – this submerged bubbling thing, with “CHAME-CHAMELEON” repetitions, more off-key horns, and it peaks with “YALALA”s and roaring horn shakes. The bridge goes into light piano and snaps, and a horn blast-off. And I love how the final chorus lets everything go. It's a super catchy song and the drop is fun. × Lithuania: Jurij Veklenko - Run with the Lions 1 point away from qualifying. The juries often underrate Lithuania in the semi-finals though. Jurij's performance is a little too sentimental and cloying, but he shows compassion. He really wants to inspire us. He repeats the phrases “c'mon c'mon”, “let me show you”, and “just try it” as encouragement. The song's message is about facing fears to experience life: “If you wanna see, just open your eyes”. Specifically the fear of leaving one's house. It's also about freeing yourself to express your feelings. The “We got love that can't be caged!” line is used as a rallying cry. This could be interpreted in an LGBT context. The lyrics use wildlife metaphors though, which is pretty corny. Musically, the verses follow a buoyant little synth, claps, slices, and kicks. The pre-chorus softens into a space age vibe. And the chorus brings in the percussion and bassline, with backing grunts, “ooh whoa oh” hooks, and a series of dramatic, rapid splitting bangs surrounding the title phrase. The chorus has a big melody as well. Later, the bridge shifts a bit, with an “OOOOOOOOOH-OOH-OOH-OOH” descent, peaking in a backing chant. And there's a brief sawing string outro. The staging isn't particularly memorable. Jurij just stands there with extremely super sympathetic energy. And there's a bunch of jumpy camera cuts during the chorus bangs. The chorus is a bop at least. ✓ Russia: Sergey Lazarev - Scream #StandWithUkraine Sergey equals his 2016 placement, but I find this one overrated. “Scream” is a spectacle – it's a grand and elegant ballad, and he sings with passion. But it's so slow and exhausting. The chorus stretches out “THEY SCREAAAAAAAAAM” for too long. That chorus is literally two words. The big budget staging tells a story at least, with the wall of mirrors behind Sergey. First, he sings to his reflection. Then there's a line of his back reflections, as shooting stars hurtle forward on the LED. Then his reflection moves independently. But the key moment is when Sergey emotes behind a window of falling raindrops. There's just something about the way he touches the window. Next, we see a line of Sergeys in different positions, with a rainstorm effect. And they all stand in unison during the bridge, making it even more ominous. The lyrics are about him refusing to cry in front of his ex because of his pride. So he leaves them hanging. But he realizes tears aren't silent, so he'll break down eventually. The bridge is a word salad though. The music starts as a solemn piano ballad. Then the pre-chorus awakens with dramatic pounds, where each line rises with icy piano bits, and the “TEARS WILL FALL” part intensifies. While the chorus brings in the orchestral strings and more slow pounds. Verse #2 adds echoing strikes. And the bridge is an ominous, isolating, guilty moment by reducing to louder echoing strikes with silence between them. That's my fave part. But this song overdoes it on the emotion. ✓ Albania: Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës My favourite Albanian entry! I'm glad they didn't translate it to English, it would've ruined it. I love this “boom... ka-boom-KA... boom” “tribal” drum march. There's a sense of impending doom to it. It moves at a very steady pace. And it creates the image of mindlessly walking forward to the rhythm of a drum circle, one heavy footstep at a time. The song also inserts enraged buzzers that blast in your face. Plus breathy “hee”s, an eerie screechy flute, and metal pot ticking all in the first verse; followed by group vocal chants and distortions. Then the chorus soars in a hauntingly distressed way, as Jonida cries in pain through the post-chorus. A flute-lead instrumental break follows this. While verse #2 halts the drums for modern broken metal ticks and distortions. The drums soon return, then submerge, then resurface with a “YO YO”. The song is addressed directly to migrants who left Albania. The title means “Return to Your Land”. The lyrics keep it minimal, saying: they cry into their hands; they yearn without hope; they're separated from their loves ones; they lost their identity. The “One day you live/ The next you die” line is very bleak too. But the sorrowful chorus pleads them to return to the “heart”. The song's atmosphere is incredible and Jonida's voice is very captivating. The flame bursts complement the vibe as well. On stage, Jonida wears a black dress with a gold design. And the floor LED shows a fiery circle, and people trying to escape a nest. ✓ Norway: Keiino - Spirit in the Sky The 2019 televote winner. The song is super catchy and uplifting, the yoik is unique, the lead vocal exchanges are SO satisfying (especially in the chorus), and the progression is incredible. Tom's sweet voice pulls you in during the “can't you stay...” intro, while he turns forward. There's subtle nighttime bass and sparkles, leading to a crackle. Then, once Alexandra takes over, the droopy bass synths get things moving. The taps and audience claps elevate it; as does the windy gust that follows. Then the chorus holds off for a moment until there's a jingle, then the bouncing, jogging, buzzing synth bulldozes through, ending in another gust. That chorus energizes the arena to an insane degree – it was MADE for Eurovision. Verse #2 builds similarly, while the camera tilt-zooms and motion blurs. Chorus #2 doesn't wait this time, and ends with a slam. Then the yoiking bridge quiets to wolf-like whistles; before it escalates with thunder drums, hype clacks, and flames on stage, as Fred's voice strengthens. Then the final “I HEAR YOU CALLING ME AT NIGHT” is epic. In the lyrics, Tom begs someone to stay for the night. He says they can leave in the morning to lessen the commitment. While Alexandra's parts show a transformation. At first, her spirit is lost. She's called worthless. She begs someone to find her. She needs a hero. Her fears are exposed. But the verses switch from “My name is nothing” and “running with the demons” to “Our name is freedom” and “dancing with the fairies”. While the spirits and northern lights symbolize freedom. The trio also has fun on stage. They start in different places, and meet up later (to match the story). The camera cuts to whoever's turn it is. The LED shows hurtling mountains and galaxies; and blocky forest animals at the end. The song has a night forest vibe too. ✓ Netherlands: Duncan Laurence - Arcade (winner review in Grand Final post) ✓ North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska - Proud The real jury winner, North Macedonia's first ever top 10, and their first qualifier since 2012. What a way to debut a new country name! The song is addressed to Tamara's daughter, but it also works as Tamara talking to her younger self. It's about how girls are treated unfairly. She warns that “they” (men) will try to dictate her behaviour and physical appearance. And that society's rules were set up for her to lose. But she promises to be by her daughter's side, and empowers her to speak up and show her pride – to “go and break the rules”. Tamara also gives a strong performance. Her vocal has a pleading, determined tone, showing the importance of the message. She gasps a lot. She repeats the words “I'm proud” like she's clinging on. And the song's mood is very tearful. But the pacing is tedious. The piano repeatedly dings at first, then it sounds withdrawn. The song pauses during one gasp, then the dings return. The chorus piano tickles a bit. The piano emphasizes the “GO ON NOW” part. The sad string break also sounds withdrawn, where the LED shows photos of little girls and mothers. Then verse #2 intensifies with sawing strings, peaking with the “SHINE YOUR LIGHT” backing shout. The next “GO ON NOW” has the strings echo the piano part. And the final chorus is intense. It also pauses on the last “Tell them...” On stage, Tamara wears a green and black dress, with 6 reflections of her backside on the LED. And at the end, a photo of Tamara and her daughter is shown. ✓ Azerbaijan: Chingiz - Truth Their first top 10 since the vote-buying scandal. It's a professional composition, and Chingiz has great stage presence, but the chorus is too choppy. It's like his voice keeps cutting in and out. Still, the production is really cool. The verses have submerged whirring synths, relentless taps, warped “AHUH” howls, and hard “HEH” claps. It has a good rhythm. The pre-chorus adds a hint of traditional guitar. There's a quick pause, then the pulsating/snapping chorus rises above water, with an “ooh oh” post-chorus. The howls are motorized in verse 2. And Chingiz chants in the bridge, before unleashing a long note. The high budget staging involves two robot arms shining lasers on Chingiz's chest, drawing an anatomical heart outline, as he stands in front an upside down triangle. He also looks to the side at first. Later, the LED shows a yellow beating heart and a broken image of a woman's face. There's a swirly water hologram. And during the bridge, a white light hologram of Chingiz beams upwards, then quickly descends. It's like his soul left his body... it's too much. The central hook is Chingiz repeatedly telling his ex to “SHUT UP ABOUT IT!” He doesn't want to hear her “truth” (her explanation). It's too soon. The song has a 'I don't her' attitude, although the falsetto chorus shows agony. He tells himself to get through this and to keep it together. He won't let her break him. He drinks to forget that she moved on. But she randomly shows up, so he reminds himself to not give in. My Ranking:01. Norway: Keiino - Spirit in the Sky ✓02. Switzerland: Luca Hänni - She Got Me ✓03. Albania: Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës ✓04. Netherlands: Duncan Laurence - Arcade ✓05. Malta: Michela - Chameleon ✓06. Sweden: John Lundvik - Too Late for Love ✓07. Romania: Ester Peony - On a Sunday 08. Armenia: Srbuk - Walking Out 09. Azerbaijan: Chingiz - Truth ✓10. Lithuania: Jurij Veklenko - Run with the Lions 11. North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska - Proud ✓12. Moldova: Anna Odobescu - Stay 13. Austria: Pænda - Limits 14. Russia: Sergey Lazarev - Scream ✓15. Latvia: Carousel - That Night 16. Ireland: Sarah McTernan - 22 17. Denmark: Leonora - Love Is Forever ✓18. Croatia: Roko - The Dream Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Dec 2, 2023 4:54:40 GMT -5
Tel Aviv 2019 – Grand Final Host: Israel Slogan: “Dare to Dream” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + host Winner: Duncan Laurence - Arcade ![](https://cdn.webshopapp.com/shops/94414/files/52408582/flag-of-the-netherlands.jpg) Country: Netherlands Points: 498 (51.9% of highest score possible) Language: English YouTube | Spotify | LyricsGeneral Overview:I regret taking long breaks because now I have to review Tel Aviv 2019 during late 2023... but I'll just focus on the music and the show, same as when I dealt with Moscow and Baku. Anyways, I'm nostalgic for 2019. It was the first year I felt like a real adult. It was those last moments before we entered into a parallel universe. And years ending in -9 just hit different. Pop music feels fresher; while in Eurovision context: 2009 reinstated the juries and expanded the stage, 1999 removed the orchestra and language rules, 1979 was the first contest held outside western Europe, and 1969 had 4 winners. As for 2019? It's the technology. It's a great year for staging. It's also a very competitive top 10. Sure, “Arcade” is an obvious winner in hindsight, but Italy came close. I absolutely LOVE my top 10 as well. But the bottom half of my ranking... meh. 2019 is somehow a strong year and a weak year at the same time. The Grand Final is EXTREMELY bloated. The opening sequence involves Netta piloting a plane that supposedly carries the 26 finalists, while Jon Ola Sand acts as the air traffic controller. Then, different groups of people set-up jeeps, vans, buoys, bicycles, drones, glow sticks, and paper lanterns to act as runway guiding lights. The plane appears to land in the arena, with a split-up LED illusion. Then Netta appears on stage with dancing flight attendants, as the “Toy” instrumental plays. This starts the Flag Parade, where one flight attendant twirls the flags, creating holograms of swirly sparks that shoot upwards; while Dana International, Ilanit, and Nadav Guedj perform. I mean, “Golden Boy” does mention Tel Aviv. This is another hype opener. There's also a montage of past hosts introducing the voting. I found the hosts funny this year. In the final, there's Erez and Bar bantering about junk food and Madonna, Assi's romantic dinner joke, Netta flirting with Bar, “Lucy used all 20 of my votes”, and Bar surprising Erez at the voting table. The interval is LONG. First, Conchita, Måns, Eleni, and Verka play song switcharoo. Eleni's version of “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” is a moment, but Måns made “Fuego” boring somehow. At the end, they all join Gali Atari in singing “Hallelujah”. Also lol at Assi startling Verka. Then Assi awkwardly interviews Madonna, but her telling the artists they're all winners was nice. Next, Idan Raichel Project performs “Boee”. I liked this one – it's a smooth atmosphere of cultural elements that turns into great energy. Erez interviews Quavo next. Then it's the mentalist again (UGH!) This time, he gets 3 random finalists to pick a year/song/artist. They just happen to choose 1974/“Waterloo”/ABBA. After that, Netta performs “Nana Banana”, where she's dressed in banana yellow. She sits at the head of the table, then walks across it, showing she's the star. Meanwhile, there's dancers in formal attire, who later reveal more yellow outfits. This song is pretty annoying too (“OWW!”). FINALLY, we get to the infamous Madonna performance. The intro is cool, with the cloaked chanting monks and church bells, but Madonna's vocals are iffy during “Like a Prayer” (trap remix) and I've never seen someone take so long to walk down a staircase. Then the dancers are in gas masks during the spoken word “Dark Ballet”. Then it's the excessively auto-tuned “Future” featuring Quavo. Madonna and Quavo's dancing is cringe-y here. We aren't done though! There's still a video of Gal Gadot showcasing Tel Aviv. I swear, Israel flaunted every celebrity possible. Jean Paul Gaultier made an appearance too. The postcards begin with a graphic of the flags in rotating triangles. Then the artists explore Israel, as the same piano notes play every time. After a moment, they press a triangle play button hologram that says “PLAY”, and they dance with a group of people, with a different instrumental for every country. At the end, they throw a triangle forward. And the arena's ceiling structure shows the flag colours in triangular lights, with a piano sequence + “WAH” sound. Did I mention the 2019 design involves triangles??? The logo itself is a star made of 3 triangles. And the stage is a triangular platform pointing forwards, with a triangular archway overhead, and a V-shaped audience ramp. That archway disappears for many of the performances though, which is a wise decision. Tel Aviv also steals the bridges from Lisbon. And the LED screen returns, which can split into vertical turning sections. The jury voting was very close. Italy and Russia lead early on, but eventually North Macedonia wouldn't budge from #1, until Sweden overtook on the very last country. 2nd place kept flipping too. And the Netherlands was close to winning the jury. However, it was revealed post-contest that Belarus's top 10 jury points were actually their bottom 10. Meaning North Macedonia should've won the jury. What a random jury winner. Otherwise, the map uses glitter-light country shapes. Izhar Cohen was the Israeli spokesperson, meaning all 4 Israeli winners appeared tonight. And the EBU switched to revealing the televote points in jury vote order. Oh, and Hatari upset the audience with Palestinian flags. The Entries: Malta: Michela - Chameleon Albania: Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës Of course Albania is second in the running order. I also just realized this song gives me “1944” vibes. Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend Germany: S!sters - Sister “I'm sorry, 0 points”. I guess 2018 was an anomaly, as Germany returns to the bottom 2. “Sister” is just a bland entry. It wants to be an epic inspirational ballad, but the composition is as inoffensive as possible and refuses to be distinct. The song starts with a music box, followed by piano dings. Then the drums march until the music box returns to pause the build-up, with cymbal shimmer transitions; then foot-taps and strikes ensue. Verse 2 adds foot-taps and light guitar after a second. Then the song peaks with heavier drums and that “SISTER... OOH WAH OOH” bit... which is a very flat climax. The bridge resumes the music box again. The drums are boring, the melody is basic, and the music box is whatever. The lyrics promote non-familial sisterhood. Indeed, S!sters aren't even real sisters. The duo urges women to support each other instead of trying to knock the competition down. The narrator sighs “I'm tired” of it. She tried to inhibit her sister but couldn't. She wouldn't share her success, saw her as an enemy, and feared her power. But she empowers her sister in the chorus, and apologizes in verse 2. The staging is basic as well. It starts dark, with the pair on opposite sides of the ramp, as they change leads. And the LED shows their sad faces singing (*eye roll*) They then meet in the middle, and yell “SISTER” at each other while amateurishly bouncing. There's also an unearned fire rain finale and they excitedly embrace at the end. Their vocal sounds emotional, but in a saccharine way. Russia: Sergey Lazarev - Scream The bad running order slot didn't hurt this. Denmark: Leonora - Love Is Forever San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na I can't hate on people having the time of their lives. North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska - Proud Sweden: John Lundvik - Too Late for Love John's charisma (and the Mamas) really elevate this. Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi Cyprus: Tamta - Replay Netherlands: Duncan Laurence - Arcade (winner review below) Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love Israel: Kobi Marimi - Home This just screams “we don't want to host again”. It's a dated song with a formal performance, and Kobi's voice is excruciating (“I AM SOMEOoOoOoONE”). I just want him to STOP. He gargles the word “bruise” too. The orchestral string intro is from the 1950s. Then a gentle piano follows, as he sounds choked up. A small, anxious running beat appears next, with a bit of guitar and snowy echoes. Then the first chorus rests after a cymbal shimmer. Meanwhile, there's 3-way split-screens of Kobi and jagged screens showing the music video. The backing choir comes out during verse 2 and they stand close to him. It's an intense visual. The instrumental stays gently anxious until the bridge, where the strings grow and the melody shifts, as Kobi walks across the bridge. The slow drums enter at the climax, with fire rain and him walking across the ramp. Plus a rising bit and a pause. The song ends gently again, and with another big gargling vocal. Kobi is an over-singing, over-emoting showman. The lyrics are about personal growth. Kobi is focused on the current moment for the rest of his life. He runs “barefoot to the mountain tops” and hugs cold water (ie. facing extreme and uncomfortable challenges). And now that he found his identity, he's coming home. He used to listen to others and waited for time to pass. It was a long, suffering journey and he's done with letting that hurt affect him. It's a nice message, but the song is too theatrical and formal to make me feel anything. Norway: Keiino - Spirit in the Sky United Kingdom: Michael Rice - Bigger than Us A bland and forgettable entry puts the UK in last place. John Lundvik clearly kept the better song for himself. “Bigger than Us” wants to be an epic inspirational ballad, like Germany. It's more stimulating than “Sister” at least, and it has an innocent, uplifting vibe. But it's still formulaic and predictable. The song starts with a warm, hopeful piano, as the audio skips on “me and you”. The kicks and snaps come next. Then the song suddenly slam-stops, and the “anthemic” chorus brings the percussion and distorted “oh oh oh” responses. The backing lifts the last “it's bigger!” The second chorus extends into a back-and-forth “bigger (bigger)” with the backing. The bridge quiets to a pretty piano, leading to a drum breakdown, where the choir comes on stage giving “hah-oh”s. The last chorus is elevated by strings and stage sparks. And they stand around a fiery circle. The stage starts grayscale, as Michael walks forward with smoke behind him. Then the LED lights up with outer space imagery. He also shows his vocals on “ONLY HOPE”, “WE SEEEE YEAH”, and “UUUUS”. The lyrics lack depth though. The word “bigger” is said 47 times. Michael wants the subject to hear him. He says that love is attainable between them. He offers his hand and promises he won't give up. While the chorus proclaims that their love is bigger than everything. It's a bit trite. His performance is fine, the backing choir improves things, and the chorus shift kinda works. But yeah, this is bland. Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm Uhh was that a camera fuck up? Belarus: Zena - Like It Zena cannot sing. The chorus is kinda annoying too. Azerbaijan: Chingiz - Truth The verses are better than the chorus. France: Bilal Hassani - Roi I view France's 2017/18/19 entries as a trilogy. Madame Monsieur even helped write this one. “Requiem” and “Mercy” told unique stories, but “Roi”'s message of self-love has 0 subtly. Especially the staging. It starts with a flashlight on Bilal's face, with colourful tears and words. Then, teen ballerina Lizzy Howell walks out, twirls, and shakily pushes wrists with Bilal. Then he comforts deaf dancer Lin Ching-lan. Meanwhile, the LED shows quotes, news headlines and videos of the dancers; as well as an empty throne room. Bilal also kneels during the bridge. While at the end, they all stand together making hand-crowns, as the LED shows a child video of Bilal + “We are all Kings/Queens”. The lyrics alternate English and French frequently. Bilal asserts “I will always be [me]”. She decides her own path. He lives life despite judgement. It bothers people and they tell her how to be, but she defies it; retorting “you cannot change me boo”. The term “king” is used to empower. Verse 2 questions why they hurt for nothing. We choose many things, but not who we are, it's no one's business. Bilal projects self-love, security and confidence. And the “I'M NOT RICH...” and “know-oh-oh-oh” hooks are fine, but the chorus suffers from the plain modern drum beat. The verses follow an active piano, with fist-pounding ticks partway. The post-chorus adds some strings and fluttery metal bits. Verse 2 has some drumstick echos midway. And the bridge reduces to low vibrations. * Bilal uses both he/him and she/her pronouns, so I alternated Italy: Mahmood - Soldi This is so addictive. The “come va, come va, come va” and “Soldi, Soldi” repetitions are catchy AF. The handclaps get the audience involved. It sounds fresh and modern. And it changes gears so cleverly. There's an Arabic guitar that keeps reappearing, mixed with assertive foot stomps. The verses follow “dun... dun-dun” piano notes, with more stomps. There's a pause on “AH UH”. The pre-chorus piano races with smooth strings, and the vocal jumps out midway with taps. Then the sludgy bass drops with double handclaps. And the Arabic guitar cuts this off effectively. The bridge has a more cluttered sound, ending in more strings. Mahmood crams a lot of words into this, but it doesn't harm the melody. The lyrics tell a personal story with a justifiably bitter tone. It's about his deceitful father, who walked out on his family, and only cares about money. Mahmood reassures his mom he's on his way home to see him. She thought it was love. The father is breaking Ramadan and smoking a hookah, and there's a Jackie Chan reference. Upon seeing him, Mahmood sings quickly since his mind is racing. He doesn't trust him. He doesn't care to explain. He decries “you only cared about the money, as if I have any”. The father won't say the right words. Mahmood rejects his offer. And the bridge inserts an Arabic phrase that his dad used to say. The staging involves Mahmood and the dancers leaning backwards during the chorus, as the LED shows a clapping silhouette. It also shows flaming banknotes, a sad boy, translated lyrics, and his face breaking. Plus beggars' hands on the floor. The dancers have some interesting choreo as well. But yeah, I just love how the different parts work together here. Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna This is pretty epic by the end of it. It's grown on me! I love the part when the strings stop. Switzerland: Luca Hänni - She Got Me Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity Spain: Miki - La venda This is an insanely energetic, joyous, and fun song. It sounds like a World Cup theme. It does burn out after repeated listens (I need to catch my breath!), and it is repetitive, but those “LA VENDA YA CAYÓOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” shouts are really catchy. The celebratory trumpet intro stands out too. And there's many quick “woo” pauses for breathers. Most of the song has fast, summery guitar and drums. The verses add backing “ohhhhh” to it, while the chorus adds horns and “HEY”s. The bridge retreats into rapid claps and Spanish guitar, then escalates with drum slams and horns, leading to a hollow drum breakdown. And it repeats “Lo que ere” 12 times. The song energizes the arena, but the choreo is kinda messy. They jump and raise their arms to hype up the crowd. And they run to the bridge and ramp at the end. The stage includes a 3x2 structure of 6 rooms with hand-drawn decor, and a frozen person in each. Miki turns around and visits them. The LED shows bold colours, including paint splatters and fingerprints. There's also a moving, lit-up, mummy thing. They brace against gravity during the camera tilts. Miki holds a camera at one point. The lyrics are trying too hard to be deep though. It's about removing the “blindfold” to live happy and free. Every verse line starts with “Te”. Miki remarks “They buy you because you're for sale”. You have excess to sell. You're lost because there's a way to be. He says there's other options – love and choose yourself. You're enough without forcing it. The Winner:The Netherlands achieves their 5th victory, and their first in 44 years. Austria still holds the record at 48 years between 1966 & 2014. However, Spain or France could break that in the near future. The Netherlands were one of my favourite countries during the '70s, '80s, and '90s, but they dropped off in the new millennium. They didn't even qualify for 8 years in a row. But then “Birds” changed everything; and “Calm After the Storm” did even better. Since then, the Netherlands winning again felt inevitable. Duncan's win is the culmination of their revival. Switching to internal selections has worked out pretty well. “Arcade” is probably the least controversial winner of 2014-2023. There's nothing divisive about it. Although, at the time, I wasn't feeling the studio version. I was sick of hearing songs with big loud percussion. I didn't want a OneRepublic clone winning Eurovision. But after seeing Duncan's sensitive performance, I changed my mind. I can FEEL the emotion in this song clearly. Those “AHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHH”s and “ALL I KNOW”s wouldn't leave my brain either. It's catchy! There's a very noticeable verse/chorus contrast too. The song opens with a piano sequence and vocal howls, creating a cold night forest atmosphere. Then the introverted verse expresses Duncan's sadness and vulnerability, with the soft melancholic piano and lower vocal. The howls return with boops and Duncan's voice rises. Then the guitar and snaps get the pre-chorus moving. While the heavy drums slam down in the chorus, with some clicks. The second verse adds low drum booms and skips the pre-chorus. The later choruses are doubled. The bridge is a delicate moment. There's a dense drum breakdown. The last chorus adds moody strings. And the song ends where it started. The chorus is like pounding your fists against the wall in agony because you can't take it anymore. It represents Duncan's frustration. His broken heart has unfixed cracks. He lost some pieces while returning home. He's afraid of himself. His mind feels different. He begs to be carried home. While the chorus surmises that loving this person is a losing game. The relationship was destined to fail, and he knew it (“I saw the end before it begun”), but he carried on. He was addicted. The “How many pennies in the slot?” line questions how invested his ex was, since they gave up easily. The “Small-town boy in a big arcade” line implies Duncan was out of his depth. But then he calls it quits in the bridge (“Get me off this rollercoaster”). It was a turbulent relationship. The lyrics contain several game metaphors: “lost a couple of pieces”, “pennies in the slot”, “Game Over”; but not in a corny way. The staging keeps it simple, but still visually satisfying. Emotional ballads don't need anything extra. Duncan spends the entire performance playing a piano that's positioned sideways, while the dark blue lighting establishes the mood. It begins pitch black until the first line. Then the camera slowly zooms in as he looks down at the piano. He only really looks up during the close-ups. A blue spotlight shines on him next. Then a moon orb descends in front of him and he stares at it during the bridge. Then he throws his arms behind him as a blinding white light beams in the background. The stage has a nighttime aesthetic. It fits the song perfectly and I wouldn't change anything about it. This became a viral TikTok hit, and the first Eurovision song to chart in America since Gina G. It's currently the most streamed Eurovision song ever on Spotify at over 1 billion plays. Verdict: “A” Tier. My Ranking:Grand Final: 01. Italy: Mahmood - Soldi 02. Norway: Keiino - Spirit in the Sky 03. Switzerland: Luca Hänni - She Got Me 04. Albania: Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës 05. Netherlands: Duncan Laurence - Arcade 06. Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi 07. Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity 08. Malta: Michela - Chameleon 09. Spain: Miki - La venda 10. Sweden: John Lundvik - Too Late for Love 11. Cyprus: Tamta - Replay 12. Azerbaijan: Chingiz - Truth 13. Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna 14. Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love 15. North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska - Proud 16. France: Bilal Hassani - Roi 17. San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na 18. Russia: Sergey Lazarev - Scream 19. Belarus: Zena - Like It 20. Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm 21. United Kingdom: Michael Rice - Bigger than Us 22. Germany: S!sters - Sister 23. Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra 24. Denmark: Leonora - Love Is Forever 25. Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend 26. Israel: Kobi Marimi - Home Full Ranking: 01. Italy: Mahmood - Soldi 02. Norway: Keiino - Spirit in the Sky 03. Switzerland: Luca Hänni - She Got Me 04. Albania: Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju tokës 05. Netherlands: Duncan Laurence - Arcade 06. Slovenia: Zalagasper - Sebi 07. Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity 08. Malta: Michela - Chameleon 09. Spain: Miki - La venda 10. Sweden: John Lundvik - Too Late for Love 11. Cyprus: Tamta - Replay 12. Romania: Ester Peony - On a Sunday 13. Belgium: Eliot - Wake Up 14. Armenia: Srbuk - Walking Out 15. Azerbaijan: Chingiz - Truth 16. Serbia: Nevena Božović - Kruna 17. Greece: Katerine Duska - Better Love 18. Hungary: Joci Pápai - Az én apám 19. Lithuania: Jurij Veklenko - Run with the Lions 20. North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska - Proud 21. France: Bilal Hassani - Roi 22. Moldova: Anna Odobescu - Stay 23. Portugal: Conan Osíris - Telemóveis 24. Austria: Pænda - Limits 25. San Marino: Serhat - Say Na Na Na 26. Russia: Sergey Lazarev - Scream 27. Belarus: Zena - Like It 28. Estonia: Victor Crone - Storm 29. Latvia: Carousel - That Night 30. United Kingdom: Michael Rice - Bigger than Us 31. Poland: Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali się) 32. Finland: Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look Away 33. Ireland: Sarah McTernan - 22 34. Georgia: Oto Nemsadze - Keep On Going 35. Germany: S!sters - Sister 36. Iceland: Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra 37. Denmark: Leonora - Love Is Forever 38. Czech Republic: Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend 39. Israel: Kobi Marimi - Home 40. Croatia: Roko - The Dream 41. Montenegro: D mol - Heavennew winners ranking: “S” Tier: “Dansevise”, “Waterloo”, “Euphoria”, “Fairytale”, “My Number One”, “Nocturne”, “Non ho l'età”, “Fångad av en stormvind”, “Every Way That I Can”, “Only Teardrops” “A” Tier: “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”, “Love Shine a Light”, “Après toi”, “Wild Dances”, “De troubadour”, “Rise Like a Phoenix”, “Refrain”, “La det swinge”, “1944”, “Diva”, “A-Ba-Ni-Bi”, “Ne partez pas sans moi”, “Hallelujah”, “Un premier amour”, “L'oiseau et l'enfant”, “Arcade”, “Ein bißchen Frieden”, “Vivo cantando”, “Hold Me Now”, “Satellite”, “Molitva” “B” Tier: “In Your Eyes”, “Rock Me”, “La, la, la”, “Puppet on a String”, “Tu te reconnaîtras”, “J'aime la vie”, “Hard Rock Hallelujah”, “Take Me to Your Heaven”, “Nous les amoureux”, “Ding-a-dong”, “Heroes”, “Een beetje”, “Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley”, “Making Your Mind Up”, “Merci, Chérie”, “Un jour, un enfant” “C” Tier: “I Wanna”, “The Voice”, “Tom Pillibi”, “What's Another Year”, “Believe”, “Fly On The Wings Of Love”, “Everybody”, “Boom Bang-a-Bang” “D” Tier: “ Insieme: 1992”, “Toy”, “Si la vie est cadeau”, “Un banc, un arbre, une rue”, “Running Scared”, “Net als toen”, “Why Me?” “F” Tier: “Amar pelos dois”, “All Kinds of Everything”, “Dors, mon amour”, “Rock 'n' Roll Kids”, “Save Your Kisses for Me” (subject to change) Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Dec 18, 2023 8:54:55 GMT -5
Rotterdam 2020 – Semi-Final 1 Host: Netherlands Slogan: “Open Up” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + hostGeneral Overview:As we all know, the 2020 contest was canceled because of the pandemic. The timing was very unfortunate - the world turned upside down in mid-March, which is right when the national final season wraps up. The WHO declared the pandemic on March 11, the last song (Russia) was released on March 12, and the cancellation was announced on March 18. It wasn't the news I wanted to hear – I get so excited for Eurovision every year – but obviously everyone's health and safety is more important. I was hoping for a postponement, but it would've been a logistical nightmare, and no one knew how long the restrictions would last. Or even a virtual event, but it would've been unfair to compare performances on different stages with different production values. I doubt the EBU wanted to disappoint the artists, fans, delegations, and everyone else involved; or lose money over this. So canceling was a last resort. Thankfully, they did everything they could to bring the contest back in 2021! However, this means I have to review the 2020 entries differently. There is no staging to factor in, although the national final performances will inevitably sway me (and I will comment on those). I know it's unfair to compare them because the production values and stages vary by country, and then the internal selections are a mystery (especially if the artist didn't return for 2021). But I'll try to prioritize the studio versions (post-revamp). My 2020 ranking will essentially be a pre-contest ranking; except there's no live shows to shift everything around later on. I will also give my qualification predictions. Semi-Final 1 is pretty easy to predict though – I'd say there's 8 locked qualifiers, and Romania is also pretty likely. And the last spot either goes to Belgium or Australia. Semi-Final 2 will be much more open. The number of participants stays at 41, with Bulgaria and Ukraine returning after their one-year absences, while Hungary and Montenegro are out. The Entries: Sweden: The Mamas - Move John Lundvik's backing singers are now the headliners! But, just like with “Too Late for Love”, all the personality and emotion comes from the performers, and not the robotic, sterile Swedish composition. The Mamas' harmonies are stellar (“oh-OH-oh-OH LIFE”; “DAMN RIGHT!”; “WE'RE MOVING MOUNTAINS!”) And their uplifting, supportive voices express unconditional love. They turn “Move” into a giant group hug. There's 0 negativity here. The song opens with distorted “uh-ah-ooh”s, a calm piano, and a slam. The piano continues with some squeals; then the bass and snaps come in. The pre-chorus skips around (“evEN whEN the RAIN is FALLing”). Then the chorus slam-stops, pulling back into a hum for a moment, before escalating with claps/pounds. There's another pause, then the bangs run wild, with a bunch of “uh ah ooh”s on repeat. The 2nd chorus claps start earlier. The bridge is almost a cappella – with just claps until the organ appears, leading to a “whoa-oh-ah-oh” vocal climax. And the song ends on a closing slam. The hooks and the shout-out loud chorus are effective. The lyrics promise support and assurance when things turn bad. Why? Because their partner does the same. It's alright if we try and fail; we wipe the tears and become stronger. The chorus uses hyperbolic cliches to show devotion (like moving mountains!) The Melfest staging was simple. It mostly used spotlights. I liked when they leaned during “Damn right!” though. And they brought positive energy and great chemistry. My fave Melfest 2020 entry was, of course, Dotter's “Bulletproof”, which lost by 1 point! I also loved “Kingdom Come”, “Brave”, and “Ballerina” (robbed). “Boys with Emotions” had a nice message too. The rest of the final was kinda underwhelming though. I also completely forgot about “Carpool Karaoke”. 💀 My prediction: 99% (#12 odds/ #12 scoreboard app). Possibly the SF1 jury winner as well. And considering Sweden's track record from 2011+, this is LOCKED. Belarus: VAL - Da vidna #StandWithUkraine Belarus's last non-rejected entry sounded weak at first – the production is too toned-down, especially the “drop”. But it creates a peaceful mood that's kinda mournful and kinda hopeful. The production is very late-2010s electronic. The distorted squeals in the intro are like painful harsh cries. The song also starts with a peaceful piano. The first verse adds soft taps and more distortions, then the snaps and bubbly synths come in. The latter are more apparent at the end of the verse. I also like the rising 'daaaa d-DA-DA' verse melody. The chorus submerges at first with stiff blunt synths and rattling ticks, then the vocals amplify midway, as the beat accelerates into the “drop”, which is this squealing siren. The build-up works for me. Verse 2 keeps the rattling ticks, and the vocals become more intense. And the bridge submerges similarly. In the lyrics, Valeria questions why her mother forced her into a relationship she didn't choose. There's season metaphors – braiding and un-braiding autumn; paths obscured by winter snow. The night is full of secrets and passion. But the song focuses on the dawn, when she'll be free. Hence the peaceful vibe. She also reflects on growing up too fast (a white rose blooming early). The NF performance is fine, but could be more polished. There's twirling hands, hip thrusts, 'okay' hand signs on the eyes, a chain armour thing on Valeria's head, and she gets physically close to the other two members. My prediction: 25% (#40 odds/ #31 scoreboard app). In such a strong semi-final, this would've been forgotten about. Especially being 2nd in the running order. UNLIKELY. Australia: Montaigne - Don't Break Me Not even a NF can stop DNA Songs! “Don't Break Me” is an annoying and overproduced song, but at least the lyrics describe a toxic relationship accurately and insightfully. Montaigne's fading romantic feelings are replaced with fear. They feel taken for granted. They've given so much and stretched themselves thin. But, upon the beat switch, they can't take it anymore! They plead “don't break me down”!; because they're made of glass, not elastic! (kind of a silly metaphor). But it seems to fall on deaf ears. Montaigne's partner brings up their own trauma instead hearing them out. Montaigne also says love should be a compromise and equal effort. Only one of them is employed. But Montaigne loves them too much to give up. This song is venting out despair. The first verse moves in anxious cloudy patters and constant guitar pokes, with a few tunnel voices. Then the pre-chorus slams down in this angry, growling, grumbling way that catches me off-guard. But the chorus itself is a let down – it's a boring modern trap-y heavy drum beat, which pauses and sinks back down a couple times. The chorus vocal/melody is really annoying too, and they sing the verses weirdly. Verse #2 starts with a synth warning, before turning trap-y as well. While the bridge is an extended pre-chorus. I don't care for the NF performance either. The camera work and the choreo make me dizzy and Montaigne is dressed like a clown, with a ruffled collar, blue wig, and blush. I guess they're the clown in the relationship. They walk like a marionette at one point. And swing their limbs while being lifted up. My prediction: 45% (#16 odds/ #14 scoreboard app). They would need to improve the staging and the vocals. It's between Australia and Belgium for the last qualifier spot, and my gut says it's Belgium. BORDERLINE OUT. North Macedonia: Vasil - You NM's delegation must've been like: “Yay we finally made top 10! Now we don't gotta try anymore!” Because this is the most obvious NQ. “You” is a bland song that doesn't have much going for it. The melody and the instrumental don't grab me enough. There's a long tunnel voice intro (like a distant indecipherable echo), then the bubbling synth boops take over, with a tingly instrument at one point. The pre-chorus brings in the accordion, claps, and a guitar flick sequence. Then the song stops, and the forgettable “drop” hits – which is this grinding motorized bass, with a glossy beat. It also pauses and heightens midway. The “DANCE... WITH YOU” hesitations are a meh hook though. Verse #2 adds a beat to the boops. Chorus #2 starts with a double clap. The bridge returns to the tunnel voice, mixed with helicopter flutters, leading to a long “TOOOOOOOOOOONIGHT” and thundery drums. But the sped-up outro is the only part that gets interesting. The song is too innocuous overall. Its energy is very mild. The lyrics don't have anything interesting to say either. Vasil holds trembling hands with this person. Their eyes are magnetic. He invites them to dance in the moment, because they may never see each other again. They kiss. He wants more. Maybe the staging would involve Vasil dancing with someone. I doubt it would be enough to save it though. My prediction: 10% (#29 odds/ #37 scoreboard app). Too bland and forgettable. It's also my prediction for last place. NO CHANCE. Slovenia: Ana Soklič - Voda “Voda” has an epic Balkan Ballad chorus, but I'm left wanting more from the song. The water drip sounds are tacky too, and they detract from the wintry atmosphere. The intro is cinematic, with an icy sharp piano and tense strings that swell up. The verse starts bare, with a slow piano and low frosty pings. Then the strings reemerge and grow. The chorus, by contrast, is explosive and extensive: Ana screams “VOOOOOOOOODAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” alongside trap-y broken metal ticks, more strings, and a drum bang bit. Verse #2 adds subtle taps and wooden echoes. And I love when she loses restrain in the bridge. The chorus melody works for me; the big vocals and strings elevate it. But this is a slow-moving song and the climax (the bridge) happens too late. The lyrics, meanwhile, revolve around a water metaphor. Ana pushes the subject to move on to new times and places; to not stop on the long journey; to go beyond light and belief. She remarks that the longest path is turning words into action. And that there's a broken chair waiting for a child (huh?) In the chorus, she affirms that the gushing water won't affect them – she'll stick with them through the storm. The water is the root of her endless unease. I don't really understand the verses though. There isn't much to say about the EMA performance, but there must've been a revamp. The first verse is longer, the production is slightly different, and the song just... ends before the bridge. I like the studio version better. My prediction: 15% (#41 odds/ #39 scoreboard app). Very poor fan reception. Maybe the juries praise her vocals, but I doubt the televote would compensate enough. NO CHANCE. Lithuania: The Roop - On Fire I don't think this would've won, but it could've been Lithuania's first top 5. It's a very catchy song and the production has a cool vibe. The music starts with spread-out piano slams, followed by finger snaps, leading to a shimmer-stop on “ooh-ooh-ooh”. Then the Milky Chance “Stolen Dance”-like beat takes over – with wobbly bass burps, guitar pokes, and scissor slices. The song's rhythm chugs and bobs up-and-down from here-on-out. The music reduces to just bass burps before the “drop”, then the “drop” adds this addictive squealing siren to the mix (like a firetruck?) Verse #2 pulls back to just guitar and ticks; before the beat returns for the “la la la la”s, heightening midway. And the bridge cuts back to the bass again. It's a very murky atmosphere; like a room filled with smoke, but not in a dangerous way. I love the song's smooth vibe and propulsive rhythm. The “la la la la”s and “THE HEAT IS GETTING HIGHER” hooks are great too. That chorus sounds like rising heat. In the lyrics, Vaidotas defies being told he's too old for personal growth. He's not a stone, he's free to change and move. He knows he's strong enough to achieve this. It took him a while to take action but no one can stop him now. The fire represents his desire and passion. The PiN staging is definitely memorable, with the magnifying glasses, mirrored split-screens, wild arm swings, and fingers behind his head. The choreo is very wacky and he has quirky stage presence. But it isn't cringe. He's just having fun with it. My prediction: 99% (#2 odds/ #1 scoreboard app). Possibly the SF1 televote winner too. Also one of the 6 winner contenders of 2020, so it's LOCKED. Ireland: Lesley Roy - Story of My Life This song kinda sounds like Kelly Clarkson's “Stronger”. The dance-pop production takes me back to 2011. Does that make it dated or nostalgic? Either way, the highly energetic, shout-out-loud chorus is a bop. I dislike the “NA NA NA NA NA HEY HEY HEY” schoolyard taunt though. Lesley is taunting the people who thought she wouldn't make it. No one believed in her, but she pulled it off by herself. The “I'm not a puppet on a string” line refutes the 1967 winner. She was known for breaking rules. She was expected to live a normal life. She took their advice to be blunt, then was criticized for it. But she doesn't care what they say because they don't matter. The chorus asserts that it's her life. And the song ends with “I don't care what you say”. The message is about being yourself to reach your dreams. The music starts with incessant, rapid, impatient nudges that keep powering down. The persistent kicks are added in next. Then the buzzy synths and the clappy beat heighten the pre-chorus. While the chorus bulldozes through as the bass-line roars and radiates. That chorus flows like a dam bursting open. It's a giant release of energy. I love when that bass-line hits too. Verse #2 is also buzzy. The second chorus is doubled, and the energy continues through the bridge, letting things run freely. Then the bridge submerges, leading to a clapping breakdown with background voices, before resuming the energy. The song's vibe is like celebrating her life. My prediction: 35% (#21 odds/ #28 scoreboard app). Ireland's 2014+ track record isn't great, and I just don't see the public prioritizing their votes for this. The staging would need to match the song's energy, and not be as complicated as the “Maps” staging. UNLIKELY. Russia: Little Big - Uno #StandWithUkraine I first knew about Little Big when my friend showed me the “Skibidi” video. “Uno” isn't as weird as that, but their style of humour fits Eurovision perfectly for a joke entry. There's some nonsense lyrics, like the “dummy dummy” / “yummy yummy” rhymes and the Spanish counting that skips 3 for some reason. And Ilya seduces Sonya in this creepy voice. He's waiting for her to be ready for “some action” (sex). She needs another drink first (“margarita” and “señorita” adds even more Spanish!) But she's down for it after midnight, calling him charming and funny. He also says “come to daddy”... So, the intro is a watery soap opera organ. Then the piano start/stops in a 'DUN... da-DA da-DA-da... DUN' pattern (with bass added to the middle part), alongside raindrop hand drums and twisting sounds. The pauses steer the verses, then the pre-chorus beat gets things moving. There's a desk bell, and the chorus squeaks along, with a squealing rave synth break afterwards. And a tongue pop in the middle. Verse #2 throws in some “Hah!” pauses. And the bridge vocal sounds like a radio speaker. This is a catchy song – with the “uno-uno-uno” repetitions, and the way Sonya comes in for the pre-chorus and last chorus line. But the production is kinda ugly, the chorus is basic, and the vocals aren't meant to be pleasant. The music video is exactly what I imagined the staging to look like: a memorable dance sequence (the leg crossings), weirdly intimidating facial expressions, and a random dude dancing in workout gear. My prediction: 99% (#5 odds/ #6 scoreboard app). Possibly the SF1 televote winner too. It's the most viewed video on the Eurovision YouTube channel. It's one of the 6 winner contenders of 2020. And Russia is always a televote magnet. LOCKED. Belgium: Hooverphonic - Release Me Belgium selects a band that's been charting there for 20+ years. And that experience shows in the professionally crafted instrumental. It starts with a repeating, pounding, agonized piano note, like a migraine. Then the drums and psychedelic guitar splashes get things moving, with some metal clicks. Then the orchestral strings raise the chorus in a expansive, cinematic way. The strings later continue through the bridge. And the song ends once the string tension snaps off. It's a nice song, but a slow-moving one, and Luka's vocal is too sleep-inducing. She lacks enough emotional punch for me. She almost sounds bored? And it becomes a dreary ballad. In the lyrics, Luka keeps asking her lover over and over again to release her, because they won't do it. The song even opens with the words “Release Me”. She doesn't want to talk it out. She already knows what they'll say (probably that they still love her), and it won't fix things. The lying, the pain. The relationship is already over in her mind. It's not right to make her stay. But they hold the power to end it, because she's stuck in this dangerous need of them. She also calls it a “losing game” (an “Arcade” reference?) And the chorus concludes with the old saying “If you love me, let me go”. The second verse and the bridge just repeat the first verse. Her voice makes the situation sound bleak. I mostly just like the strings in this one. My prediction: 50% (#17 odds/ #22 scoreboard app). I think the juries would've pushed this through, but it could've been another Sennek situation. Especially if the staging is empty. “The Wrong Place” was also borderline, although with a different vocalist. BORDERLINE IN. Malta: Destiny - All of My Love “Like a river... runnin'... WILD!” The 2015 JESC winner graduates to adult Eurovision! Destiny's vocals are impressive here, especially during the bridge, which is a spiritual awakening. The lyrics could be interpreted as religious, but they don't have to be. She thought praying was useless because she'd never find her path. She felt “no good” and misunderstood. But now everything's changed. This person's love has healed and freed Destiny, so she gives her love back in return. The song is basically a big 'thank you'. She keeps hoping they won't let her down though, showing doubt still exists. But she now realizes their positive validation was right. The song's intro is divine, with a church organ and low-pitched “ah-uh-oh”s. Then the first verse is bare with spread-out piano slams, while Destiny's voice overpowers the isolated, big open space. The finger snaps come next. Then the chorus unleashes an effective clapping rhythm that reminds of me Lumidee / Wayne Wonder / “Pon de Replay”. It's like a bird flapping its wings. The chorus bass-line has a very consuming atmosphere too; it's like the power of universe embracing you. It heightens in the post-chorus. The second verse production gets excited. The song reduces back to piano/snaps before the second chorus. And the bridge is nearly a cappella, save for the claps, with the backing choir leading to Destiny's big note climax. The atmosphere is powerful here. I really love the music video too. My prediction: 99% (#8 odds/ #8 scoreboard app). Possibly the SF1 jury winner as well. I can't see it being a televote NQ either. LOCKED. Croatia: Damir Kedžo - Divlji vjetre Well, this is a generic Balkan Ballad. I really dislike the key change as well (those backing vocals...) And I don't like how the instrumental keeps cutting off and switching up. It doesn't flow right. The song opens with a piano buzzer and a slice. Then the frosty piano stays low, with a windy sound and an orchestral jerk in the middle. The smooth strings arrive next. Then it's the dramatic thunder drums, as the pre-chorus escalates. There's a pause, a piano hold, and another pause. Then the smooth strings create a beautiful chorus, with more thunder drums poking through. There's a few isolated kicks halfway, then the percussion pridefully marches ahead. The backing choir sings a line after the chorus. Verse #2 continues the prideful steps and thunder drums. Chorus #2 skips all the build-up. And the song ends on a dramatic slam. The tugging, valiant motion is alright, but nothing special. In the lyrics, Damir still loves his ex, even after they've completely moved on. He wants to move on too, but he can't. It seemed like they were bound forever. So he asks the “Wild Wind” to leave him alone, before he's not himself anymore. He also asks it to bring “withered leaves” and to rain tears on the autumn colours. The lyrics use lots of nature metaphors. “Rip the branches uncontrollably” suggests a messy break-up. There's not much say about the Dora performance. He sings well and the LED lights flash during the thunder drums. My prediction: 30% (#39 odds/ #36 scoreboard app). I don't think it stands out enough to qualify. UNLIKELY. Azerbaijan: Efendi - Cleopatra This song is a wild ride. First, Efendi screams “AHHHHHH” across the land. Then the hazy eastern guitar gives a cultural feel. The forceful kicks come next. Then the distressed pre-chorus moves smoother, as the backing cushions it. But the next sequence is SO random: the song stops upon “sounds... like... this”, there's a humming Buddhist mantra on loop, another “AHHHH”, a “LIKE CLEOPATRA!” army command, and a bunch of “LA LA LA”s with room-shaking kicks. She also rolls her R's on “like CleopatRRRa”. Next, verse #2 adds continuous “hey!” slices. An electric guitar starts the next pre-chorus. The bridge goes into machine beeps, more kicks, and stutters; before reducing to a clappy breakdown, a “shhh!”, and then the outro goes into hyper speed. The lyrics are funny too, even with the empowerment message. Efendi boldly compares herself to Cleopatra. They're both queens betrayed by lovers. Both “part goddess, part temptress”. And both “straight or gay or in between” apparently. Efendi's ex left is like Mark Antony, and she clarifies which Marc Anthony lol. You know, “Cleo's gigolo”! No one intervened and she wasn't herself anymore. But now she's back with a vengeance after rediscovering her inner voice – which is that mantra. Cleopatra is her idol I guess. This song is ridiculous, but somehow it works. It's insanely catchy and addictive. Efendi has fun with it while still being a fierce, confident bad-ass. She's in total control of the song; and her life now! And the production goes hard during the “LA LA LA” parts. I love the outro too. My prediction: 85% (#9 odds/ #9 scoreboard app). Probably a big televote fave but lower with the juries. I'm curious on how they would've staged this. LOCKED. Cyprus: Sandro - Running Yeah, this is a Meduza copycat, but “Running” is a solid EDM track on its own. The dark, droopy, bass-heavy production traps Sandro in. His vocals aren't the best, but he sounds tormented and tortured; like he's suffering. The song starts with some bass nudges putting pressure on him, alongside a subtle, tense, stationary whistle. Meanwhile, there's deep “BAWP” interruptions throughout the song. The finger snaps come next. Then the song starts moving, and the verse shakes and stops at the end. That quiet part represents how he can't see anymore. The synth drips steadily emerge afterwards, and the shakes and cymbal crashes escalate into the “drop”, which is a bunch of “mmhmm aha”s and dark EDM bass. The drop also starts with a triple clap. Chorus #2 adds snaps to the mix. But the bridge is my fave part, where Sandro's voice jumps out as a desperate cry for help. The beat then stops for a moody string moment, symbolizing when he falls down. The song picks itself back up and ends with strings again. He says “I don't wanna fall again” many times (like collapsing from running), but the final line changes to “I'm NOT gonna fall again”, showing a will to change. Basically, Sandro is tired of running from his mental health, but it's a habit he can't break. He chooses to be alone instead of talking to someone. And he ignores phone calls and door knocks. I like the “BAWP”s and the atmosphere, even if it's a bit monotone. The faster parts represent his running. My prediction: 40% (#32 odds/ #29 scoreboard app). With the right staging, I could see this being a shock qualifier, but it also depends on his live vocals. BORDERLINE OUT. Norway: Ulrikke - Attention This is an incredible power ballad. The intro is majestic, with the tense and rising strings (+ piano). After the string tension breaks, there's a series of vibrations, snaps, and drum pats, which move at a patient and careful pace. I also like how she says “attennnTION”. Her voice rises on “I-uh-I-uh-I”, as the piano returns. Then the chorus halts everything, as she screams “SO WHY...” alongside gradual piano and drum booms. There's a rising “DO-oo-OO” hook too. The first chorus is just a tease though. Verse #2 is less minimal and adds background voices. There's some impatient steps, then chorus #2 is MASSIVE and EXPLOSIVE. Ulrikke's huge vocals and the low backing chants really power it. That chorus demands attention. The bridge is a fragile moment. Then more impatient steps + an “OHHHH” build into the finale. So, Ulrikke is desperate for this person's attention, but I get the sense she doesn't like this side of herself. The lyrics show self-awareness. She does crazy, foolish things to make them notice her. She wouldn't normally exhibit these behaviours. She doesn't have time for her friend anymore. But this person is oblivious to her signals. The explosive chorus is when Ulrikke lets her frustration out; she also questions why she changes herself to please someone else. Then, in the bridge, she tries to call it quits, feeling humiliated on the dance floor. On the MGP stage, she wears a sparkly dress next to a violinist and a cellist, and there's a fire rain climax. That final chorus transition is so good. My prediction: 99% (#11 odds/ #5 scoreboard app). It's the type of ballad that appeals to both juries and televoters. Probably top 10 in the Grand Final too. LOCKED. Israel: Eden Alene - Feker Libi This >>> “Toy” and “Home”. “Feker Libi” is a celebration of loving someone from another culture without shame. The music showcases this multicultural union by constantly switching the language and instrumental to different parts of the world! In a cohesive way too. Interestingly, 2019 interval act Idan Raichel helped write this. It starts in tropical Ethiopia, with a lamellophone, a couple reedy sounds, and Amharic lyrics expressing Eden's love. Then the song suddenly erupts into “YALLA-LA” shouts, xylophone boops, and commanding drum bangs, as the synth powers up. There's a water drip, then the verses follow horse-galloping ticks and drum wobbles. The pre-chorus adds emphatic claps, leading to a slapping motion on the made-up language part (“maka lakuma”), which I like. Then the European house beat relieves the tension. There's a series of knocks, then the instrumental turns Middle Eastern (I love how this part approaches you), as she says love terms in Amharic, Arabic and Hebrew. The percussion also turns chaotic towards the end, although the song finishes on a quieter note. The lyrics don't say a lot - Eden asks Incan goddess Pachamama to show the way. She says close your eyes and feel the “melodía” (so there's Spanish as well). And that tonight is a “colour party”! But I love the positive energy here. The NF stage includes a lamellophone player, dancers dressed in yellow, foreign scripts on the LED, and camera jerks on the drum bangs. The smiles and Eden's charisma are great. My prediction: 90% (#18 odds/ #16 scoreboard app). Probably somewhere between 9th-13th in the Grand Final. LOCKED. Romania: Roxen - Alcohol You I can understand the hype - Roxen's distinct vocal contains raw emotion. They sound like a trembling, broken, sobbing mess. They scream in agony during the last chorus. And they can't finish the “from the bottom of my...” line. But the “Alcohol You”/“I'll call you” pun and the “fake news” lyric are cringe. And the song is kinda pretentious? I like the “I need you but it hurts/To feel like I deserve/Your weapons” line though. I also like the pre-chorus build-up, and the verses sound like a big, dark, empty space. But the chorus pause annoys me. The song is about drunk calling an ex, and how that's probably a bad idea. The colourful morning sunrise makes Roxen squint. They shame their “stupid words”. They drank bittersweet alcohol to relive the memories. They ignore their friends' warnings. They're too weak to acknowledge their ex's bad qualities. And they read between the lines of their ex's lies(?) The last line also switches to “I will call you when I'm strong”, showing a will to change. The first verse follows a 'dun-DUN-DUN-DUN' 4-note piano pattern, with a howling intro and some vocal echoes. There's a thunder roll, then the pre-chorus loudly echo-clacks, as the strings are there until the tension breaks. The chorus is a vulnerable moment - it pauses for the song title; then a heartbeat, a distorted whimper, a metal tick rattle follows. Then some escalating drums. Verse #2 brings the cello, drum patters, and forceful splashes. Chorus #2 starts very shaky. And the song ends with more thunder booms and strings. In the NF, Roxen stares at themselves on the LED. Edit: this is starting to click now.My prediction: 65% (#7 odds/ #11 scoreboard app). If they aren't running around like “Amnesia”, this will probably qualify, but I can see it being the “Bones” of 2020, where the results don't quite match the hype. It's also too similar to the most recent Eurovision winner. LIKELY. Ukraine: Go_A - Solovey “Shum” >>> this. Kateryna's “White Voice” singing is irritating in “Solovey”; especially the chorus. The melody and the flute are rather annoying too, but I like some aspects of the electronic production. After the intro twists into view, Ihor's bouncy flute acts as a birdsong/the sound of nature (since the title means “Nightingale”), while the thunder-slam drums are spread out to be dramatic. Next, the verse hums, the snaps arrive, the slams return, and the electronic beat gets things moving partway. The song halts upon the chorus, which also hums before the rubbery drums hit. There's a flute break afterwards, where the beat moves like waves; and heightens midway with claps and broken metal ticks. Verse #2 starts growl-y and the claps come back midway. There's a steam leak, where the vocals muffle. The metal ticks set up chorus #2, which doesn't halt. And the outro slows down into roaring electric guitars, which I find clashing. The lyrics tell a story about Katrusya and Vanyusha, and repeat a lot of phrases. She goes to the valley to pick flowers, while he professes his love to her. But they can only be together until mother finds out. If Kat knew about this, she wouldn't have gotten involved. The chorus pleads the nightingale to not sing so early, since she can't handle happiness right now. The Vidbir version (before the revamp) sounds more pleasant. The stage includes a flutist and a DJ, who also play the drums, while Kateryna wears that black and red thing. There's also guitar sparks at the end. But I just cannot get past the abrasive sound of this song. My prediction: 85% (#25 odds/ #13 scoreboard app). It's more polarizing than “Shum”, but Ukraine aren't breaking their qualification streak with this lol. Probably more of a televote fave though. LOCKED. Predictions recap...Locked: Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, Norway, Malta, Israel, Azerbaijan, Ukraine Likely: Romania Borderline in: Belgium Borderline out: Australia, Cyprus Unlikely: Ireland, Croatia, Belarus No chance: Slovenia, North Macedonia SF1 Winner: Sweden or Lithuania Jury winner: Sweden or Malta Televote winner: Lithuania or Russia Last place: North Macedonia My Ranking:01. Norway: Ulrikke - Attention 02. Israel: Eden Alene - Feker Libi 03. Lithuania: The Roop - On Fire 04. Azerbaijan: Efendi - Cleopatra 05. Malta: Destiny - All of My Love 06. Sweden: The Mamas - Move 07. Cyprus: Sandro - Running 08. Romania: Roxen - Alcohol You 09. Ireland: Lesley Roy - Story of My Life 10. Russia: Little Big - Uno 11. Belarus: VAL - Da vidna 12. Belgium: Hooverphonic - Release Me 13. Slovenia: Ana Soklič - Voda 14. Croatia: Damir Kedžo - Divlji vjetre 15. Australia: Montaigne - Don't Break Me 16. North Macedonia: Vasil - You 17. Ukraine: Go_A - Solovey Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Dec 18, 2023 15:19:13 GMT -5
I have missed to comment before but from 2019 Semifinal 2, Jonida Maliqi, the QUEEN that you are. I think "That Night" was such a beautiful song and I thought the juries would give it a little more love.
From the 2019 Final, the last 6 songs had me so hyped that year, what a strong close. Arcade is a deserving winner but my love for him has been dimished since I got to knew all the shady stuff towards this song and his involvement in the dutch process. Spain was so robbed, Miki deserved better.
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Dec 18, 2023 15:37:06 GMT -5
As for 2020 what a stacked year that never happened :( To this date, I still love Solovey but I don't think it does as well as Shum did.
This is how I predicted this semi:
01. Sweden: The Mamas - Move 02. Norway: Ulrikke - Attention 03. Ukraine: Go_A - Solovey 04. Malta: Destiny - All of My Love 05. Russia: Little Big - Uno 06. Lithuania: The Roop - On Fire 07. Azerbaijan: Efendi - Cleopatra 08. Romania: Roxen - Alcohol You 09. Israel: Eden Alene - Feker Libi 10. Belgium: Hooverphonic - Release Me
11. Croatia: Damir Kedžo - Divlji vjetre 12. Belarus: VAL - Da vidna 13. Australia: Montaigne - Don't Break Me 14. Slovenia: Ana Soklič - Voda 15. Ireland: Lesley Roy - Story of My Life 16. Cyprus: Sandro - Running 17. North Macedonia: Vasil - You
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Apr 9, 2024 5:56:33 GMT -5
Rotterdam 2020 – Semi-Final 2 Host: Netherlands Slogan: “Open Up” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + hostGeneral Overview:Well, there's not much to comment on here! As I said, SF2 is the more open semi this year. There's only 6 countries that I perceive as “safe” qualifiers in this one, which leaves 4 spots that are up in the air. The first half of this semi is kinda weak too. Having said that, I think the 2020 winner is actually in this group - Iceland, Switzerland, or Bulgaria. Or it's Italy in the Big 5. I just don't see the juries giving Lithuania and Russia enough support to take the crown. Maybe Norway would've been a dark horse though. The Entries: Greece: Stefania - Superg!rl W!th an exclamat!on po!nt! The Dream Team's instrumentals usually dominate their songs - those quivering, unstable “B-B-B-BR-BRR” bursts are LOUD and overbearing. But those bursts go hard and sound Greek. They're like a supernatural force overtaking you and your surroundings. After the approaching thunder-drum intro, the first one occurs right away (with castanets?) Then the verse minimizes to bass nudges and dull kicks; heightening midway. There's a slam, and the pre-chorus hums alongside light bucket drips, as Stefania's voice now jumps out. Another slam, and the little metal balls dropping accelerate; then a diversion of skipping broken ticks before the “drop” goes OFF with bass throbs. The drop also fills up with lyrics in the second half. Verse 2 quiets to traditional strings. And the bridge escalates via slicing strikes and an intense hum; leading to a big note, a haunting choir chant, horn roars, and one final drop. That bridge is my fave part. The song builds into the drops nicely, and I like the hazy atmosphere. But the comic book character metaphor is kinda cheesy. The “girl/world”; “power/tower” rhymes are filler. And “There's no wonder it takes a woman” is certainly a pun. The lyrics mention Clark Kent's phone booth, a “super car” and X-ray vision. Stefania says girls don't need that stuff to feel powerful and be themselves. The song is about female empowerment, finding your passion and identity in the darkness, and standing against the detractors. But the lyrics also sound like they're about a relationship, so the message is unfocused. Stefania acts as “ your supergirl” to help humanity (as seen in the video). My prediction: 80% (#19 odds/ #19 scoreboard app). This seems like a pretty safe qualifier. It stands out in a good way, but it's the kinda song that gets 17th-22nd place in the grand final. LIKELY. Estonia: Uku Suviste - What Love Is “INEVERIMAGINEDTHEPOWER”... this rapid wordy chorus, where Uku crams too many syllables together, just does not work. I like when the “I neeeever kneeeew” slowdown cuts it off, but it's not enough. The song is too bland and dull. It begins with Uku taking a breath, then the first verse is a piano ballad, with this alien spaceship sound upon “beautiful surprises”. The intro has a night sky vibe. There's a heavy thud and an eerie wind, then the chorus initially holds back, with tickles and patters. Then, after a heartbeat thump, Uku's voice rises and the percussion forcefully stomp-splashes, creating a quiet/loud contrast. The post-chorus then adds strings. Verse 2 is less tense with sharper drums, until the pre-chorus. The second chorus jumps right into it. And the bridge copies the chorus lyrics, while the vocals and production reduce to a steam leak. But nothing about this production is that special. The lyrics are sappy too. Uku remarks on how mysterious and surprising life is. That he never understood his old self. And that his aspirations in life weren't about finding a partner. Then he lists a bunch of examples of how you don't know something until you experience it. He was unaware of the power and necessity of love until now. It's a bit cringe how Uku takes his epiphany SO seriously; like this awakening was SO important. The dramatic production doesn't help either. This is the kind of song where I'm just waiting for it to be over. The Eesti Laul staging was boring too. My prediction: 10% (#38 odds/ #38 scoreboard app). The least likely qualifier of SF2 imo. The song is a forgettable nothing-burger, and it was given the worst running order spot. NO CHANCE. Austria: Vincent Bueno - Alive Austria are in their jury bait era. “Alive” is just too calculated and soulless for me. It's like the songwriters are showing off their polished technical craft, but in doing so, I cannot connect to the song. Vincent channelling Justin Timberlake leaves me feeling cold too. And the song's intro is pretentious. It spreads a message of freeing yourself from shackled thrones, and how we're all heroes behind our egos. While the piano is like elevator music, with brief subtle strings and echoes of “screaming”, which puts focus on Vincent's vocal flexing. The way he yells “SHACKLE BOLTS” annoys me. Weirdly, the rest of the lyrics are basic. He repeatedly says this person makes him feel alive again... and that's about it. He doesn't need much to ignite his mood, so prepare for “fire shots”. After that intro shuts down, the murky bass emerges, the computerized claps accelerate, there's a windy whoosh, and the funky bass-line takes over, briefly pulling the brakes on “hey!” The post-chorus adds showering synths as the melody fills out, ending on a crackle. Verse 2 maintains the momentum (and adds door knocks) until a synth blare; then the pre-chorus drops down and builds back up. The bridge emphasizes the bass-line, where Vincent whispers. And the song abruptly returns to the intro at the end, where the monarch is overthrown. The production is filled with quirky sounds. I like the funky bass and the “you make me feel like... oh oh oh” build-ups, but the “alive again x2” hook is annoying. The song has a self-confident vibe though. My prediction: 50% (#31 odds/ #26 scoreboard app). I could see the juries pushing Austria through... and then they would receive <10 televote points in the grand final. “Amen” was only 11th with the juries, but “Alive” is more dynamic. The upbeat songs have an advantage in SF2 as well. It's very borderline though. BORDERLINE IN. Moldova: Natalia Gordienko - Prison I prefer the studio version. With Dream Team productions being so dominant, Natalia needs a more powerful live vocal. She also awkwardly walks around some LED chairs and copies “Bulletproof”'s staging. The song opens with a dramatic slam, while a whistling flute alternates sides. Then the verse piano tickles, with a couple snowy echoes. Another slam and the bass hums, ending on a windy gasp. Another slam and the pre-chorus jumps out; intensifying midway after a rattle. Then the dark bubbling synth takes over, with plenty of chain clangs and electrical scatters. This chorus sounds like a large, dark, echoing prison. The whole “I don't want to be with/without you” repetition feels empty though. The chorus heightens upon the “PRISON!” yelp, where the flute returns. There's a breather afterwards. The synths arrive earlier the second time. The bridge is a bunch of screams appearing one at a time. And the production goes crazy at the end. It's a very entrapping atmosphere. The louder parts represent Natalia losing her mind, and the lyrics showcase her indecisiveness in wanting this person. There's a lot of “I don't want to...”s, and repeating lines with extra words. That “IdontwannaFEEL... you” melody also channels “Hijo de la luna”. She doesn't want to fight “inside”. She's trapped by the memories. She wishes for solitary confinement. The relationship feels like a prison. She doesn't want to be needy or desperate. These lyrics lack depth and Natalia's emotion seems unconvincing. The production is epic, but this sound only exists in K*rkorov's head; much like Russia 2014 & 2016. My prediction: 25% (#33 odds/ #40 scoreboard app). Very poor fan reception, but Moldova are known for staging glow-ups, and Kontopoulos & K*rkorov have only NQ'ed once (Azerbaijan 2018). Still, I just don't see it happening with that NF performance. “Sugar”'s placing surprised me, but that had meme potential. UNLIKELY. San Marino: Senhit - Freaky! Yeah... Senhit had the biggest upgrade in 2021. “Freaky!” cranks the camp factor up to an 11. I mean, she sells it, and it's a high energy upbeat song. But the chorus is annoying, particularly the “FREAKY! FREAKY! FREAKY!” group chants, with the percussion slaps. The song sounds tacky and cheap. And it's another dated disco instrumental from San Marino. The humming intro is like a pretty sunrise. The tiny guitar pings, “body” echoes, and finger snaps continue this peaceful vibe. I like how the opening verse melody hangs on – it's different from the rest of the song. Then, a helicopter flutters by, and the drums and funky bass take over, with some brake screeches. The chorus adds disco strings and synth vomits. Then the intro verse returns. Then it's the chorus again. And the bridge is a disco instrumental break, leading to a group chant moment, and a power down effect. The backing singers sound like they're at a party. But the second half of the song keeps repeating the same 3 stanzas, as if they ran out of ideas. And Senhit sings the “freaky”s and “And life goes by...” with a mocking tone. In the lyrics, she's smitten. Her whole body feels a sensation from this person's touch. The couple are into PDA's, and people call them “freaky”, and think she's pretending to like it (does “freaky” imply public sex?) But they don't care. They like being freaky! They'll break the rules! Life is too short! The song has a 'free yourself and party' kinda vibe. But the more I listen to it, the more annoying and empty it is. My prediction: 10% (#37 odds/ #41 scoreboard app). Very poor fan reception. The song is too kitschy and dated, and San Marino struggles to qualify most years anyways. This is a contender for last place in the semi. The staging would have to be incredible to save it. NO CHANCE. Czech Republic: Benny Cristo - Kemama I love that Czechia chose an Afro-beats song. It's not a genre you often hear in Eurovision. But “Kemama” isn't very catchy, is it? The “I wasn't always like that / I wasn't born like that...” build-up is great (with the sliced-up bangs afterwards), but it builds to nothing. The chorus is flat. It's a 'chill vibes only' kinda song though. It opens with a summery guitar and dull synth drips, as Benny lists the producer tags. Then (a subdued version of) the chorus starts things off, with restless taps, little guitar twiddles, and bead shaker swipes. Things intensify with Benny's raised voice and the claps. Then the pre-chorus synths stop/start to build hype. And the new chorus percussion skips along. The second verse/chorus are elevated by horns. The bridge is a foot-dance drum breakdown, then he shouts the last chorus transition. And a wild outdoor drum commotion finishes things off. There's a lot going on in this instrumental, but it's never too much. The lyrics involve Benny and his mother reversing roles - he's now giving her advice. He reassures her he'll be okay. She needn't worry what others say about him. He's become independent with a big heart. He refutes the idea he's “lost his way” - no, he's sure of himself. He'll prove them wrong. He asserts he worked 24/7 to get here. He was bullied as a child, but was resilient thanks to his mother's advice. And now he just wants to dance and enjoy life – there's no need for fighting and prejudice. I like the message at least. I just wish it stood out more. My prediction: 35% (#26 odds/ #34 scoreboard app). This sounds like nothing else in the contest, so it could be a shock Q. His Vidbir 2020 performance of “Kemama” was much better than whatever that trainwreck was in Eurovision 2021. But I don't think it's catchy enough to Q. UNLIKELY. Serbia: Hurricane - Hasta la vista This is fun and catchy but it's kinda monotonous. I love the fierce attitude though. The narrator leaves her cheating partner by throwing that Arnold quote in his face! She takes control and decides when it's over: “1, 2, 3 and it's the end! Your time is up!”; “Take it or leave it!”. She blames him for her insomnia. They don't even talk to each other. He can't handle her 'craziness'. And she says he made the wrong choice. “Oh, well, sorry you didn't like me”! Hurricane expresses 0 regrets or doubts here. He blew his chances and they refuse to compromise - it's not “vanity”, it's self-respect. The song has a 'I'm so much better off now' vibe. The instrumental paints the image of the trio fleeing on motorbikes. Maybe he was cheating with all 3 lol. The intro sounds like a vibrating tailpipe that cuts off. Then the Blackpink horns and claps hype things up, as the song swirls up and down. Then, after some glitchy beeps, the trap-y verses kick, buzz, roar and glitch. The pre-chorus switches to a clappy build-up, ending on a deep vocal distortion. Then the chorus speeds/bounces forward with drum rattles; pulling back for catchy stutter responses. The verses also have responses. The post-chorus is like the pre-verse. Verse #2 completely stops twice for submerged vocal bits. And the bridge is a bigger clappy build-up, but it doesn't build to anything new. In Beovizija, Hurricane have great stage presence. That version adds army boot stomps, while the LED keeps displaying “HURRICANE”, and shows an army of women at the end. My prediction: 75% (#23 odds/ #20 scoreboard app). This is basically the same song as “Loco Loco” so I expect the same result. It's catchy and they had a solid live performance in 2021. Plus, Serbia sounds like a step-up after the last few songs in the running order. LIKELY. Poland: Alicja - Empires This sounds like a James Bond theme, and I mean that as a positive. The violin intro paints the image of Alicja standing in the ruins after her city burned down. It sets a mournful mood with the somber piano. There's a light thump, then the orchestral strings flicker on/off and tip-toe. The pre-chorus quickly increases the volume. Then the drums take over the chorus, with idle strings, changing the mood into feeling powerless watching this tragedy unfold; until it falls into a thud on “rise and fall”. Verse 2 adds waddling footsteps. The next chorus has a dramatic jittery start. The bridge quiets to piano and cello. The piano slows to a stop before the final chorus. And Alicja ends on a huge scream. The song is about climate change (as seen in the video), and how the world's empires are close to crumbling down. Every empire in history fell at some point. We're not immune. Alicja remarks that it happens so easily and asks if it's our fault. She feels guilty for staying in an escapist reality. She says we hope for change but we don't do it. And she cries “We just want it all”! There's also several idioms: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” (we'll be a part of Earth again someday), “Fool's gold” (our possessions have fake value), “Moths to a flame” (we're addicted to harmful stuff). Maybe it's preachy in saying our lifestyles will lead to destruction, but Alicja sings with genuine concern. I also like her distinct vocal and the song's dire atmosphere. The NF performance looks like karaoke night with the scrolling lyrics. My prediction: 50% (#20 odds/ #23 scoreboard app). Poland is usually a televote-friendly country, and this is a jury-friendly song, so... win/win? SF2 is more ballad-heavy, but I think her voice makes this one stand out. Although this would probably flop in the grand final. That NF staging needs improvement too. BORDERLINE IN. Iceland: Daði og Gagnamagnið - Think About Things “Baybay... I. Can't. Wait. To. Know.” No, he's talking to an actual baby (his newborn daughter.) Dadi is curious to know what she's thinking about, since he can't understand her yet. He promises to always be there, so she can tell him anytime! He wonders if she loves him back. And he says they're bonded forever, despite her essentially being a stranger. Dadi acts like babies can comprehend parental relationships. But I read these lyrics as sweet and not weird. Babies are an unknown, so it's natural to wonder who they'll grow up to be. The song itself has a nostalgic sound and a relaxing family time mood. It remains low-key the entire time, but still reaches a climax. Dadi's unusual vocal style and the harmonies are hypnotic too. There's a drowsy intro, with the mircowave-y vapor puffs and minimalist vocals, while this antsy wiggly thing grows. Then the synth 'pow's, the moving bass taps, the stationary foot taps, the backing “ah uh ah uh...”, and a quick drum 'ta-t-ta' get things moving (in that order). The verses move to a funky guitar and snaps. Then, after a double slap, the droopy chorus follows a bass guitar groove, as the snaps return midway. An excited horn break follows this, ending on a rolling drum. The next pre-chorus drops down. Chorus #2 is fuller. And the bridge horns anticipate the climactic final “BAAAABBY”. Those “BABY!” hooks are great. The Söngvakeppnin staging definitely stands out - the green pajamas, the pixelated faces, the strange instruments, the sideways struts, the face turns. This is a quirky entry, but a charming and polished one. And the song's groove/rhythm is very interesting and unique. My prediction: 99% (#4 odds/ #3 scoreboard app). Probably the SF2/grand final televote winner as well. The juries had Iceland pretty high in 2021, so yeah, I think this would've been the Eurovision 2020 winner. LOCKED. Switzerland: Gjon's Tears - Répondez-moi I initially found this boring. But it captures a feeling of existential dread really well. It's a relatable message in today's world. In the lyrics, Gjon asks life's unanswerable questions. He starts small with why does rain exist? But soon turns serious with why does death exist? He also mentions being separated from his family, and feeling like a stranger in his new and old homes (his parents are from Albania and Kosovo). He later asks why do we keep running? Why do we pray differently? And why future generations are screwed. In the chorus, Gjon is tired of guessing and begs for answers – and no BS ones. But there's no resolution; we're all stuck guessing forever. The verses repeat every question, showing how unrelenting they are. He doesn't beat around the bush either. The song moves very slowly and it has a very serious tone. But Gjon's vulnerability makes it work. He projects sadness really well. And it's a very personal song. The intro is this vibrating hum that lingers for a bit, like white noise. The first verse continues this uneasy silence, only adding tiny guitar pings, and a piano midway. While the chorus inserts strings, “ah uh AHHH...” hooks, and ends on a falsetto scream. The percussion waits until verse 2 to arrive, where the echoing snaps and stomps convey painful frustration. Chorus #2 adds a bleak soldier-marching snare and echoing strikes. And the bridge falls into silence before Gjon screams over the last chorus – I love this climax. His vocals are great too. I can really feel the emotion in this. My prediction: 99% (#3 odds/ #2 scoreboard app). And this is probably the SF2/grand final jury winner. I mean, Gjon did just that in 2021. Plus, if he can communicate the message through the staging, this will have televote appeal. But will we get two sadboy ballad Eurovision winners in a row? LOCKED. Denmark: Ben and Tan - Yes This is so aggressively catchy. Depending on my mood, “Yes” is either a banger or it's annoying AF. The chorus is a super potent singalong that's impossible to ignore - every single word of it pops out. It's also excessively upbeat. So, Denmark takes us back to the mid-2010s folk-pop trend. The song starts with acoustic guitar slaps and a stomp-along beat, while Ben & Tan trade leads. The verse winds down upon “give life one more chance”. Then, after a “HEY!” shout, the chorus heightens and occupies the entire surroundings. This part conveys how overwhelmingly strong their feelings are. There's fluttering claps, more stomps, emphatic “SAY YES! SAY YES! SAY YES!” releasing shouts that echo across the arena, and an “ooooh” post-chorus that sounds like bagpipes. Verse 2 introduces the violent strikes (that hit the ground full force from excitement), which reappear later on. The bridge reduces to minimal guitar, before one last “ooooh” creates an epic build into the final chorus - I like that pause when it hits. And the song ends on a softer moment. The lyrics are straightforward. It's about them giving love (or life?) another chance despite what they're dealing with. Tan felt bitter, sad, and lonely because she would've died for her ex. While Ben was controlled by fear and didn't think he could be happy while sober. But everything's changed now they've found each other! The archery lyric goes with the folk song imagery too. In the audience-less DMGP final, the LED flashes “YES”, while Ben & Tan have strategic stage positioning. My prediction: 85% (#15 odds/ #17 scoreboard app). This is WAAAY too catchy and polished to not make it, and their DMGP performance was pretty solid. Juries love catchy radio pop as well. I predict top 15 in the final. LOCKED. Albania: Arilena Ara - Fall from the Sky I don't mind if Albania keeps sending female ballads. Arilena's powerful voice really elevates this one, even if the cliché wings metaphor weakens the chorus a bit. She makes that chorus impactful regardless, with the “SKY-Y-Y-Y-UH-Y” cries and “HOLD BACK... MY WINGS...” pauses. She sings with SO much conviction, like she's fighting for her life. I can hear her suffering. And she sounds like Katy Perry lol. Her voice also dominates over the instrumental. Which makes sense, since Arilena is regaining her autonomy from an abusive partner. She hides all the pain they caused, in order to deny them the satisfaction that the absue “worked”. They made her doubt her faith. They lied. They controlled her. But she's resilient! I love when Arilena switches to anger in the bridge - it shows she's no longer afraid. The Albanian version is much darker, where murder seems like the only escape. But the revamped instrumental is more dramatic and... harsh I guess? There's a sharp, ice cold piano intro that slows down. Then, after a rumble, the piano dejectedly softens, before picking itself up. There's a cymbal crash, the chorus strings weep, and the drums and metallic echoes summon strength within. Verse 2 adds a woodblock, and skip-splashes at the end. The bridge breaks free. Then the tension builds with strings and drum bangs, until it breaks upon “FLYYYYY”. The icy piano returns, there's a loud strike, the drums/strings resume, and she literally “screams inside” in a big note. That last chorus transition is so good. Finally, the song crashes down and the outro goes a cappella. My prediction: 60% (#28 odds/ #18 scoreboard app). This probably would've placed... 17th in the grand final. Albania's female ballads are usually borderline qualifiers, but Arilena's vocals and the big dramatic chorus should be enough. BORDERLINE IN. Finland: Aksel - Looking Back Last year, Finland said “Look Away”, this year they're “Looking Back”! This one is a personal, heartfelt ballad, where Aksel provides a comforting, sentimental vocal. The lyrics are relatable too. It's about the uneasiness of growing up, and how we don't appreciate our youth until it's over... and then we're nostalgic for it. We're too fixated on achieving a dream job (the “high life”) or on current woes (the “low lights”). Aksel also reminisces over his youth – sharing dreams with friends; the impatience to turn 18; being naive, clueless and confused about stuff; going to parties; acting carelessly. These memories give him comfort. Indeed, the song has a 'don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened' kinda vibe. There's a chilly wind intro, then the first verse is a calm piano ballad, as the autumn winds reappear. A shimmer starts the chorus, where the “HIIIIGH LIFE”/ “LOOOW LIGHTS” shouts hang off a cliff, and the following line relaxes. It isn't the catchiest chorus ever, but it's fine. Verse 2 introduces the dense, stuttering kicks (like a dribbling basketball); which turn splashy in the next pre-chorus. Chorus 2 is fuller and maintains the kicks. But there's no bridge, and that chorus is repeated for a full minute, where nothing changes. I wish there was more *to* this song. The outro reduces to little guitar echoes. Aksel's UMK performance seems heartfelt. The LED shows moving dashes, red lights (to match that lyric), and chalk drawings of kids hanging out and dating. My prediction: 45% (#27 odds/ #33 scoreboard app). This could be a shock qualifier because of the the juries, but I'm not convinced the televote would go for this. There's so many ballads in the second half, and I don't see this surpassing Poland or Albania. BORDERLINE OUT. Armenia: Athena Manoukian - Chains on You Eurovision mostly avoids trap music, so this is refreshing. Athena's confident attitude, her flow (“I start it, I make it...”), her “yuh yuh yuh”s, the slurred auto-tuned “diamonds on you”, the “chains on chains on you” mumbles, and the background “woo”s and breathing are what trap needs. She can't sound stiff. Plus the production constantly adds or removes layers at the right moments. It's never overdone or messy. The most prominent layer is the steel drum loop. It starts in the intro and moves ominously in single steps. There's a creepy finger-fidget descent, then the scraping trap beat arrives, with broken metal rattles added in next. The pre-chorus bass bubbles, with a gunshot midway, then the rattles return. The next part switches to claps, bass pulls, and alarm roars. The music stops on the unclear words, then the chorus resumes the first beat. The 2nd verse adds a rapid 'eh-eh-eh' thing. Then the beat minimizes to introduce the frosty warnings. The next clappy part removes the bass midway. The bridge is a bunch of dramatic bangs and muffled “hurt me”s. And the outro electrifies. It's a dark and dangerous, bass-heavy instrumental. It paints the image of meeting up in a sketchy place at night. In the song, Athena knows her admirer has naughty intentions. But she's in control and sets the terms – he must accept she's independent and ambitious. She doesn't care if he leaves. The diamonds are a metaphor for self-worth, since they only shine on her. He assumes she's not interested, but Athena turns seductive in the clappy parts, using “boy” lures and “hurt me!”s. She'll put him in chains too! How kinky. She shows 0 nerves sitting next to him either. The national final had poor sound quality, but there's male dancers and a throne. My prediction: 60% (#22 odds/ #15 scoreboard app). I think this would've been the “Hvala, ne!” of 2020. It would benefit from the second half having so many ballads, and it sounds modern. It's a polarizing genre, but that might actually help it stand out. It probably wouldn't do much in the grand final though. BORDERLINE IN. Portugal: Elisa - Medo de sentir This might be the most forgettable entry of 2020. The rising “eeeEEEE” hooks stand out, but the melody is weak and it's a generic FDC ballad. The song is just boring to me. Elisa's delivery seems heartfelt though. She's afraid to love again because of previous failed relationships. She rejects anyone who invites her in. Their gestures make her nervous. Their “I love you”s sound fake, and she doesn't believe they'll stay. Her loneliness won't stop. But she wasn't always putting her guard up. In the bridge, she ultimately asks if they'll wait for her, meaning she hasn't given up. I get the sense she wants to change. The song opens with a “da-DA-da-DA-dun” piano sequence, and it remains a depressed piano ballad for the first verse, while Elisa gives a gentle and vulnerable vocal. The verse ends with a “tah-ha ha-ha” and an “mm-hmm”. Then the chorus introduces the foot thuds, as the piano becomes louder. The instrumental stops midway, then a subtle woodblock appears. Verse #2 adds the strings. Chorus #2 adds the triple drum bangs. Then the pace finally picks up in the bridge, where the drums roam free. This leads to a big note climax, as the piano/drum bangs escalate - it's the moment when Elisa has had enough. The song goes silent afterwards, until the slices appear. And the last chorus has thunderous drums. But this instrumental isn't the most interesting. And the song isn't noticeable enough. Elisa gives an emotional performance in FDC. She sings to the pianist at one point. My prediction: 20% (#36 odds/ #32 scoreboard app). I think this is too forgettable to qualify, and the other ballads in SF2 have more going for them. UNLIKELY. Georgia: Tornike Kipiani - Take Me as I Am This just isn't my thing. Tornike's screaming is grating (especially the long notes and the “ME” and “GERMAN” growls). The song is excruciatingly slow. The instrumental feels like I'm drowning in quicksand. And the lyrics call out anti-Georgian xenophobia by... listing stereotypes of other countries. So basically, Tornike is whining about Europe not loving Georgia's Eurovision entries. He's discouraged from being himself, and expected to assimilate to western culture. But he'd rather be authentic, and loved for that. The lyrics only mention the Big 5 countries, so I guess he's mad they get a free pass, while Georgia NQs. In the chorus, the female backing says “I love you” in those 5 languages to give him validation. I get Tornike's point, but it comes across like he's guilt-tripping us into sympathizing with him. As for the production, the intro guitar is like static electricity scattering. Then the verse starts restrained, with deep guitar, deep vocals, and buzzing bass; like we're deep underground. But once the song shifts, his voice changes, and the intense background is overwhelming AF - it's like standing next to a vacuum cleaner. It's just a stationary wall of noise. The percussion kicks, echoes and bone-cracks also move slowly. The chorus doesn't offer any variation, and the long “youuuu”s and “aaaaam”s drag on. Verse 2 thankfully pauses the vacuum, if only briefly, for some subtler sounds. Chorus 2 adds the orchestra. And the song ends with a horn and a cymbal. My prediction: 45% (#14 odds/ #27 scoreboard app). This is the hardest one to predict. People will either love it or hate it. But Georgia's other left-field entries didn't qualify (like 2012, 2014, 2019, and 2022) and I think the juries would tank this too. BORDERLINE OUT. Bulgaria: Victoria - Tears Getting Sober Billie Eilish's influence didn't take long to reach Eurovision. Victoria uses a similar minimalist vocal style, and the backing “mHmHm”s mimic Billie's vocal layering. But this combination creates a cool texture regardless. “TGS” opens with those ghostly hums alternating sides; followed by an icy 'ding... ding... ↓wind down↓'. Then Victoria's voice and the bare piano are very intimate and personal. The humming returns for the chorus, with some “i-uh-i-uh-i” hooks, but it's still pretty bare. Verse 2 adds a tiny harp(?) that ticks like a clock. The new pre-chorus has a backing wail. The next chorus adds the strings, pausing for an “mHmHm” midway. And the bridge recoils into this quivering thing. But then... the strings grow (thru the “GROOOW” climax) and fall down, the horns rise back up, and that final chorus gives me the chills. Victoria's voice and the orchestra breathtakingly soar, with a midway rise-up. The song quiets upon “scar”; ending with a clarinet(?) and one last hum. “TGS” is a modernized version of the grand, sophisticated ballads of the past. It does a good job of holding back patiently until the climax. In the lyrics, Victoria sarcastically says “great!” - her mental health is affecting her 10 times a day. She knows she has to let go of the pain and the burden. She'll move on in time, but the scar leaves a mark. There's a couple of unusual phrases, like “sugar in my wounds” instead of salt, implying they're sweet lies. Plus the song title – I guess “sober” means “dry”. And the dirt metaphor comparing her to a plant. Later in the song, Victoria is amazed by her growth. It's her first time trying too! And the grandiose finale symbolizes her transformation. My prediction: 99% (#1 odds/ #4 scoreboard app). It's one of the 6 winner contenders of 2020, and this would do really well with juries. The Billie Eilish vibes might appeal to the televoters too, since that makes it modern. She could just sit on a bench like the music video, and I think it would work. LOCKED. Latvia: Samanta Tīna - Still Breathing WTF is this drop? It sounds like an elephant struggling to sneeze; with glass shatters thrown in. It's so rigid and it keeps getting blocked off in an unsatisfying way. Which is a shame, because I like the rest of the song. It has a good message - as long as you're still alive, it's not too late to grow or change. The recurring, circling, distant chants of “I will keep on going / I will keep on running...” are a mantra to motive yourself, believe in yourself, and control your destiny. The chants sound resolute and ominous; like they're coming from a poorly lit, abandoned gym. The song opens and closes with them. The intro also leaks steam midway, followed by irregular clock ticks. Then the kick-clap trap beat takes over, while ejecting several blares. The verses swing in midair, and the trap beat remains in the later chants. There's another leak, then the popping squeaks and the backing responses anticipate the drop. Verse 2 reduces to those squeaks before the beat returns. Samanta raps over the second drop. There's a breather before building to the third. And the song ends on a 'DO-DO-DO-DO'. So, Samanta felt like giving up and staying in bed. Her life was going nowhere. But she's not looking back anymore. Now she pushes herself to improve everyday. The build-up into the drop signals her growing strength. And the rap section mentions her ambition and self-love. There's also that “Life is music/I am a composer” lyric lol. In Supernova, the 3 backing singers wore face shields and used spray bottles... it was 2020 after all. The flashing lights are overwhelming though. My prediction: 40% (#35 odds/ #21 scoreboard app). I think this is just too experimental for Eurovision. That “drop” might instantly turn some people off, particularly the juries. Also, “The Moon Is Rising” was last place in the semi, and Latvia has one of the worst qualification records. And I can't see BOTH Armenia and Latvia qualifying. But... it does stand out, so BORDERLINE OUT. Predictions recap...Locked: Iceland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Denmark Likely: Greece, Serbia Borderline in: Armenia, Albania, Austria, Poland Borderline out: Georgia, Finland, Latvia Unlikely: Czechia, Moldova, Portugal No chance: Estonia, San Marino SF2 Winner: Iceland Jury winner: Switzerland or Bulgaria Televote winner: Iceland Last place: San Marino My Ranking:01. Iceland: Daði og Gagnamagnið - Think About Things 02. Bulgaria: Victoria - Tears Getting Sober 03. Armenia: Athena Manoukian - Chains on You 04. Switzerland: Gjon's Tears - Répondez-moi 05. Poland: Alicja - Empires 06. Albania: Arilena Ara - Fall from the Sky 07. Serbia: Hurricane - Hasta la vista 08. Latvia: Samanta Tīna - Still Breathing 09. Finland: Aksel - Looking Back 10. Denmark: Ben and Tan - Yes 11. Czech Republic: Benny Cristo - Kemama 12. Moldova: Natalia Gordienko - Prison 13. Greece: Stefania - Superg!rl 14. Portugal: Elisa - Medo de sentir 15. San Marino: Senhit - Freaky! 16. Austria: Vincent Bueno - Alive 17. Estonia: Uku Suviste - What Love Is 18. Georgia: Tornike Kipiani - Take Me as I Am Leo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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ry4n
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Post by ry4n on Jul 25, 2024 7:38:19 GMT -5
Rotterdam 2020 – Auto-Qualifiers Host: Netherlands Slogan: “Open Up” Participants: 41 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - separated) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 5 + hostGeneral Overview:I have finally caught up to the year when I started doing this project! My original plan was to write a short review of every Eurovision winner. But around 1985, I decided to write about EVERY competing entry as well. And eventually, my reviews became longer, and I've slowed down considerably. I've taken multiple breaks. I took an entire year to do 2018. It's taken me 7 months to complete 2020 (oops). But I like covering every aspect of each song. Especially the instrumentals - they just fascinate me for some reason. They tell a story in abstract ways compared to the lyrics. The staging has also become more complicated over time, which requires more words to describe it. And I've been stressing myself too much to make sure my sentences flow in a coherent way. My brain tends to jump all over the place. So, I first heard about Eurovision right after “Euphoria” won, but I didn't know much about the contest. The following year, my co-worker introduced me to a few 2013 entries. But 2014 was the first contest I watched live. And 2016 was a turning point, where I watched the semi-finals for the first time, I started listening to the songs before the live shows, and I binge watched all the old contests in reverse order. I still have a list of my faves from back then... it's changed quite a lot. But 2020 was different. My favourite event of the year had been cancelled and the lockdown affected my mental health. So I needed a project to fill the void. This review series is taking much longer than I expected, but I'm glad I'm still doing it. It's interesting to see how my music taste has changed since my early 20s. Actually, it's changed since 2020, so I've been quietly editing my previous rankings oops. I also finally familiarized myself with all the non-qualifiers. 2021 will begin my 'obsessive Eurofan phase'. That's when I started paying attention to the national finals (I only previously kept up with Melodifestivalen). And I'm very familiar with every 2020s Eurovision entry, so I'm hoping the writing process will get easier from here. But yeah, I apologize for the slowness lately. I got distracted by the 2024 season, and I was exhausted after May 10th. The only way I could get back into Eurovision mode again was by addressing something that's been bugging me for a while: my reviews before 1998-ish were too short and empty, and I barely said anything pre-1985. So I've spent the past 2 months writing more substantial reviews for those older contests. I've been working in reverse order and I've completed up to 1980 so far. I plan to continue working backward and forward from where I'm currently at. Anyways here's my final notes on 2020. There were 6 main contenders for the crown – Bulgaria, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Russia, and Switzerland. But I would also add Norway as a dark horse. Iceland seems like the obvious winner though. I doubt Lithuania would have enough jury points, after looking at their 2021 result. Likewise, the juries have been hesitant with Russia in the past. Meanwhile, Bulgaria and Switzerland might not have had enough televote points. Italy usually does well in both though, so who knows. Rounding out the top 10 would've probably been Sweden, Malta, and either Azerbaijan (as a televote fave), Israel (for being an Ethnic bop), or Germany (if it was executed well). My full 2020 predictions:docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K8hgiApLyOdLjCEzj1UM3eSSrSReR8EYRTdm2D2xCm8/edit?usp=sharingThe Entries: France: Tom Leeb - Mon alliée (The Best in Me)France has been putting in effort since 2016... excluding this year. And it's debatable whether the 2020 entries should count anyways. I expected the team of Thomas G:son, Amir, John Lundvik and Peter Boström to create something more interesting. Instead, this sounds like a Westlife ballad or an X Factor winner's song. The melody is so common and boring and the lyrics are cliché. It's a heartbreak ballad where Tom declares (in present tense) “you are the best in me!” Forever and eternally. He regrets what they never said to each other. He'll go to extremes to make their promises come true. And he calls them his ally, which is an odd term. The lyrics aren't that insightful though. Musically, the song starts delicate and gradually intensifies. The intro subtly vibrates, while the first verse only uses an acoustic guitar. Then the first chorus introduces the strings. The second verse adds stomps, a piano, and wooden echoes. The backing vocals amplify the next chorus, alongside some bucket drips. The strings turn dramatic in the bridge; then the song quiets into a cello solo, the final chorus brings out the choir (ugh), and there's a soft ending. Tom sounds emotionally vulnerable here, but the song is too formulaic, and the climax is too overproduced for the emotion to grab me. The acoustic guitar holds the chorus back too. I really dislike the English switches. And the “you are, you are, you are” hook is meh. #30 odds/ #35 scoreboard app. A contender for last place in the final. Germany: Ben Dolic - Violent ThingBorislav Milanov (or B-OK) ran Bulgaria's 2016-2020 peak, and he revived Azerbaijan and Malta in 2019. Germany definitely needed reviving after “Sister”. His compositions sound cool, slick, modern and catchy. And “Violet Thing” is exactly that. The intro contrasts chill steel drums with metal clangs and piano slams. Then the first verse cools off, alongside some high heel clacks. The pre-chorus turns nervous, with a jumping piano and lyric stutters. There's an addictive transition, where the production powers down and the drums tumble over. Then the funky guitar and claps drive the chorus, with a knocking drum hurdle midway, and the melody leaping out afterwards. It's an immersive chorus that flows freely; as if Ben is taking the plunge. The second verse submerges into a busy guitar and clock ticks. But the bridge is an afterthought - it quiets down, leading to a big falsetto note. I love the rubbing horns in the later choruses though, as well as the dramatic bangs in the outro. The song creates the image of a secret underground club. It's a flirtatious song that's both excited and chill. Ben is charming in a likeable, youthful, and harmless way. And the chorus is insanely catchy: “Oh. Don't. Tell. Your. MA-ma”... “cause if I got YOU with ME TONIIIIGHT”... “Ooh! You're such! A Violent! Thing!” In the lyrics, Ben's crush has a violent affect on him. They're so violent their mama can't know! His feelings are undeniable. Their eyes make him weak. He's knocked down like a domino. They seem to notice him. He's confident they'll show up again. He wants love, but they won't talk. #10 odds/ #10 scoreboard app. I predict 9th-13th-ish. This would've made Germany's recent track record not look so bad. Italy: Diodato - Fai rumore“Fai rumore” became a lockdown anthem in Italy, since the chorus shouts “MAKE NOISE!”, as Diodato desperately begs his estranged partner to end the uncomfortable silence. The meaning was adapted for the quiet loneliness of lockdown. In the lyrics, he remarks that he shouldn't be thinking, because thinking leads to agony and longing. And that he needs better coping methods. He keeps running away and going back to this person. He's unsure if they're right for him. He wanders silently and aimlessly. And he subconsciously returns to places he should avoid. The lyrics are introspective and honest about his flaws. Moreover, Diodato's vocals are very powerful and emotional, and the huge chorus melody really stands out. The song starts as a tearful piano ballad. Then the melody changes slightly in the pre-chorus. Then Diodato shouts the chorus to release the pain, as the strings hold still, the piano dings relentlessly, and there's a couple thunder crashes and Space Age-y sounds. That chorus gives me the chills – he sounds like he's on his knees. The “fai rumore... qui” hesitations are effective too. After that, the pre-chorus drowns in the strings until it shuts off. The second verse introduces the drums. The instrumental becomes very intense from the second chorus onward. There's an “ooh”-ing bridge. And the outro softens into howls and piano. This is the only AQ with a NF performance, but Sanremo staging is always nothing. #6 odds/ #7 scoreboard app. Top 5 seems very likely, but I'm not 100% convinced it would've won. The song is 3:36 long, so it would've needed a shortened revamp. Netherlands: Jeangu Macrooy - GrowThe lyrics have a good message, but the composition is boring. I like that Jeangu is completely honest about his flaws and he doesn't hide them. He admits to having mood swings and immature, emotional responses – such as acting unreasonable when sad and defenseless when alone. He says don't take it the wrong way, he's trying his hardest. Adulthood isn't what he expected. Time flies by too quickly. And he feels lost. But he changes his perspective in the bridge, saying he'll find peace of mind eventually. Then the final stanza is about growth, where he realizes how little he actually knows. The instrumental undergoes a similar journey. It starts minimal and it takes a while to get going. The first line is a cappella, while the first verse only has a faint vibration. Eventually, a subtle organ grows. Then the second verse adds these reverse audio cut-offs (like a bug zipping past your ear), while the backing hums lead to that cheesy “Satellites” part, with a rocket-launching whoosh afterwards. The rolling ticks appear next, with more backing vocals. Then, after a peaceful rest, the bridge changes the vibe. The song's final section has a very consuming sound. The foot stomps, the echoing hand claps, a different ticking beat, and the “Grow!” chants appear one at a time; as the Gospel voices and the instrumental grow louder. The song ends abruptly, however. I just find the song's texture really dull though and the quirky instrumental bits in the middle don't really work for me. #13 odds/ #24 scoreboard app. I think this would've been a flop host entry. It's in a similar category to “Home”, “I Am Yours”, and “My Heart Is Yours”. Spain: Blas Cantó - UniversoBlas's falsetto switch in the chorus is annoying, and the song is basic and forgettable. It gives 2016 EDM-pop vibes. The chorus has a decent escalation, but the subsequent “oh whoa-AH-oh” drop is underwhelming. Anyways, the intro whistle has an outer space wonderment vibe. This is followed by a light slam, some vocal squeals, a drum rattle, a “hey!”, and then the beat enters. The verses are driven by upward-pushing strings and kicks, with more rattles and some calmer “oh whoa oh” backing responses. Then the chorus jolts into a completely different vibe – Blas's voice turns desperate, the piano urgently pounds, and the kicks accelerate into the “drop”. Said “drop” contains showering synths, cracking claps, and more vocal squeals. The second verse adds extra percussion. The second drop stumbles at first. The bridge quiets into heartbeat thumps, glittery sounds, and calmer “oh whoa oh”s. Blas unleashes a falsetto scream upon the final chorus. And the instrumental drops out in the outro. In the lyrics, Blas keeps begging the “universe” (or a higher power) to forgive him. He confesses his flaws, just like Diodato and Jeangu. He stays silent in order to avoid taking responsibility for himself. He hides things out of fear, but the silence exposes the truth. He ties to disappear. He needs to listen to himself. He's unsure how he wound up this way. And his mind is too preoccupied for dreams. #34 odds/ #25 scoreboard app. Probably the same result as “Voy a quedarme”. United Kingdom: James Newman - My Last BreathBefore Sam Ryder, the UK was sending very “mid”, bland, and safe songs. But being bland does not attract many votes. “My Least Breath” is definitely in that category. The song isn't bad; it's just very average and okay. Both verses start with a fired-up acoustic guitar, then an aggressive door-banging beat heightens things midway. The verses also contain windy whistle responses. The piano eases the pre-chorus. Then the chorus has a big melody and an overpowering instrumental, with the guitars and drums. And the bridge is a quieter break. The chorus is catchy, and I like how it crashes down during “DEEP. SEA. DIVERS.” and “Nuhhhh-thing Leeeeeft”. The “my last... breath!” pauses symbolize James running out of breath, but they interrupt the song's flow in an annoying way. And the “oh-wah-oh.. oh.. oh” post-chorus is lazy. The song has an 'overcoming the obstacles together' vibe, with a snowy wilderness image (thanks to the video). In the lyrics, James isn't giving up on the relationship, even if no one else would keep faith in the same situation. He's sure they'll overcome their issues. But the chorus is cliché and hyperbolic – he says, if they were both drowning with no rescue in sight, he'd sacrifice his own life to save them. He will be their lifeline. And he promises to be there during the rough times. The song lacks substance though. #24 odds/ #30 scoreboard app. I would not be shocked if this got double “nul” points as well. Full Ranking: 01. Iceland: Daði og Gagnamagnið - Think About Things 02. Norway: Ulrikke - Attention 03. Bulgaria: Victoria - Tears Getting Sober 04. Israel: Eden Alene - Feker Libi 05. Lithuania: The Roop - On Fire 06. Azerbaijan: Efendi - Cleopatra 07. Armenia: Athena Manoukian - Chains on You 08. Switzerland: Gjon's Tears - Répondez-moi 09. Italy: Diodato - Fai rumore 10. Malta: Destiny - All of My Love 11. Germany: Ben Dolic - Violent Thing 12. Poland: Alicja - Empires 13. Sweden: The Mamas - Move 14. Albania: Arilena Ara - Fall from the Sky 15. Cyprus: Sandro - Running 16. Romania: Roxen - Alcohol You 17. Ireland: Lesley Roy - Story of My Life 18. Serbia: Hurricane - Hasta la vista 19. Russia: Little Big - Uno 20. Belarus: VAL - Da vidna 21. Latvia: Samanta Tīna - Still Breathing 22. Finland: Aksel - Looking Back 23. Denmark: Ben and Tan - Yes 24. Czech Republic: Benny Cristo - Kemama 25. Belgium: Hooverphonic - Release Me 26. Slovenia: Ana Soklič - Voda 27. Moldova: Natalia Gordienko - Prison 28. Greece: Stefania - Superg!rl 29. United Kingdom: James Newman - My Last Breath 30. Croatia: Damir Kedžo - Divlji vjetre 31. Netherlands: Jeangu Macrooy - Grow 32. Portugal: Elisa - Medo de sentir 33. Australia: Montaigne - Don't Break Me 34. San Marino: Senhit - Freaky! 35. Austria: Vincent Bueno - Alive 36. Spain: Blas Cantó - Universo 37. North Macedonia: Vasil - You 38. Ukraine: Go_A - Solovey 39. Estonia: Uku Suviste - What Love Is 40. France: Tom Leeb - Mon alliée (The Best in Me) 41. Georgia: Tornike Kipiani - Take Me as I AmLeo ✔ Soundcl🕤ck born fearlessarrow kimberly Mylo13 💜 Future Captain mrmike855 yuh yuh
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