SWITZERLAND

The Swiss Final was held on February 13th at the Bodensee Arena in Kreuzlingen, hosted by Sven Epiney. There were regional selections as well as an online platform to select the songs. Before the final there was an ‘expert check’ where the songs were whittled down to a final 6. The winner, chosen by televoting (50%) and an "expert" jury (50%) was Rykka with the song “The last of our kind"

The song is a contemporary ballad with an electronically infused backing track. It is quite atmospheric and the set up of the stage tries to mirror that. She is on a Perspex plinth which allows smoke to surround her, which mirrors not only her write floaty dress bit also the clouds in the backdrop. The chorus is repetitive but its tune is not pleasant to the ear. The song doesn’t really go very far until she goes into the key change which really works in her favour. She sings the song very well although I feel that the staging of the song is restricting her emotion and interaction with the camera.

Rykka is Canadian with Swiss ancestry and the Swiss have had some success with sending Canadian singers to Eurovision. From her teens she appeared in local festivals and competitions mostly appearing under her real name, Christina Maria Rieder. She has released 3 albums up to now, which have had releases in Canada, Germany and Switzerland, and there is now a fourth in the offing.

The song is not a bad one, she looks good and she sings it well. There are however there are many intertwined issues that need examining. Although the idea of the plinth and the smoke is a good one, it detaches her from the audience and restricts what she can do. Either they need to get rid of it – which would be a shame – or they need to introduce some dancers and/or backing singers who can create movement and interaction and maybe help her get off the plinth at the end. This may also help the whole performance create more oomph at the end if she can be more at one with the hall.. The ways she sings to the side and the fact it takes her so long to get up keeps the track at too slow a pace.

The fact is that this sounds like Rhythm Inside’s slightly dull sister and compared to this modern classic it really shows the lack of energy and direction that the Swiss entry has. Being drawn in the first half of semi 2, which has 19 participants, will also not work in its favour and I think this is on the DNQ side of the board.

ARTIST – Rykka

SONG – The last of our kind

MUSIC - Christina Maria Rieder, Mike James, Jeff Dawson, Warne Livesey

LYRICS - Christina Maria Rieder, Mike James, Jeff Dawson, Warne Livesey