Number 42 is at the bottom of this blogpost and number 1 will eventually find itself at the top !
This is my personal ranking and it has literally changed day by day ths year's Eurovision has been that open! I will revisit my ranking after the first week of rehearsals and alter them accordningly - many of my waivering feelings, fears and doubts may have gone, re-appeared or been swayed one way or the other by then! Based on this new positioning, I will then publish a top 10 qualifiers list based on this final ranking - not a prediction per se, just a list of the 10 best (in my humble opinion) from each semi based on that list. I will publish this on Monday 10th.
I know you are going to all disagree but that is all part of the fun!
If any of the songs make you curious, you can find videos of all the entries at the BBC eurovision website http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/1XhGk0MJKs6g8sR1vngbdzt/songs-2017
01 ITALY Francesco
Gabbani - Occidentali's Karma
A song with a story, several earworms, a copyable dance
routine and a meaningful gimmick. Francesco has attitude and charisma by the
bucket load as well as a huge internet following. Will win… in one way or
another…
02 PORTUGAL Salvador Sobral - Amar pelos dois
This song just gives me shivers. The overture into the song
is so fresh yet classic. Salvador’s performance style is so affectionate and
vulnerable you just want to cuddle him. The best Portuguese song EVER.
03 HUNGARY Joci
Pápai - Origo
This just reeks of authenticity. The interaction between the
dancer and the singer accurately portrays the song that the fact it is in Hungarian
doesn’t matter. The fiddle break is another welcome addition of folk
04 MOLDOVA SunStroke Project - Hey, Mamma!
If you want fun – you’ve come to the right place. The
threesome (including Epic Sax Guy) are back and with a stomper of a song. The
great dance routine, and addition of backing dancers will get the party
started!
05 NETHERLANDS OG3NE - Lights
and Shadows
The band contains 2 twins and a sister and the song was
written by their father! A really heartfelt song with a great chorus. The girls’ harmonies are as tight as a badgers arse and are a pure joy to
behold.
06 BELARUS Naviband
- Historyja
majho žyccia
A fun 3 minutes of folky pop wth more earworms than you
could shake a big stick at. Although the song is totally in Belarussian you
know what the song is about and shows true emotion and feeling.
07 FINLAND Norma
John - Blackbird
A mystical, emo ballad filled with emotion. Her singing is spot on and the piano
instrumental near the end is just beautiful. Although styled audibly and
visually like Adele, I think it'd work just as well without the cues.
08 NORWAY JOWST ft.
Aleksander Walmann - Grab the Moment
This is a grower. An odd song which is not typical
Eurovision fayre. Alexsander is a great performer and the use of black cloaks
and LED masks gives is a sense of aloofness and mystique. Not a winner but
could be a hit.
09 AUSTRALIA Isaiah Firebrace - Don't Come Easy
A steady if not predictable ballad from down under.
He has a soulful voice and the song suits him reasonably well. The downside is
that his face can be a bit emotionless so I hope there is plenty distraction on
the stage.
10 UKRAINE O.Torvald - Time
A solitary piece of rock in this year’s contest. The song is
not bad, the guitar break at 2 mins. is EPIC but the singing gets forgotten. If
this fails at Eurovision I am sure the guys will be signed to play at next
year’s Wrestlemania.
11 SAN MARINO Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson - Spirit of the Night
A slice of 100% cheddar cheese in what is a vegan
Eurovision. Some soulful up-tempo disco and done better than Serhat. Yes it’s
cheap, tacky and dated and very very Ralph Siegel but it’s Valentina … duh…!
12 ESTONIA Koit
Toome & Laura - Verona
This is a typical love/lost love duet. Dramatic musical
breakdowns and lingering looks to camera mean it is memorable from all angles.
Koit’s vocals are fine but Laura can look stilted and sound very nasal.
13 AZERBAIJAN Dihaj
- Skeletons
Too-cool-for-school artpop. The lyrics of the song don’t
really make much sense but it adds to its appeal. The chorus is a little messy
but might benefit from eye-catching staging. Might be too odd to vote for.
14 BELGIUM Blanche -
City Lights
Another contemporary entry from the Walloons. Has
a great beginning and ending for Eurovision and just the right amount of
repetition. I am concerned she will sound and look too scared on
camera and not engage.
15 FYR MACEDONIA Jana
Burčeska - Dance Alone
The best FYROM entry ever by a mile. The perky chorus and
use of hand claps is infectious. But the over-use (nay, reliance) of vocal
effects, and the fact she has mimed most of her appearances, suggests shaky
vocals.
16 IRELAND Brendan
Murray - Dying to Try
This is not a great song but a very different type of ballad
to all the others this year. Love the 3/4 time signature and the simplistic title
repetition but I am genuinely scared
that Brendan’s balls will drop before the semi-final.
17 FRANCE Alma - Requiem
This seems to be going down a storm with the fans. But I own
“Toutes Les Memes” by Stromae and believe me “Requiem” is nowhere near new or
original. Plus the addition of English is totally unnecessary.
18 AUSTRIA Nathan Trent - Running on Air
This is a nice enough middle of the road type of song you’d
hear at any point on Radio 2. Maybe this is just right for Eurovision… However
it could also be so vanilla, no-one votes for it and ends up last.
19 SWEDEN Robin Bengtsson
- I Can't Go On
Very Swedish… Robin and his chums waltz in, x factor style
from behind the scenes to sing this Justin Timberlake b-side on 5 treadmills left
over by Ok Go. It’s full of very
familiar things. Original yet not original.
20 ICELAND Svala - Paper
The song is very contemporary but has an 80’s electro feel.
Her voice is a little shrill and uses a bit too much vibrato for me. Moreover,
Svala’s performing style is totally at odds with the words of the song.
21 UNITED KINGDOM
Lucie Jones - Never Give Up on You
Although a revamp of this song is ok I ever so slightly
preferred the original version. Lucie can sing and perform with gusto and
emotion and the song has memorable bits. I fear this might get lost at sea.
22 LATVIA Triana
Park - Line
Nice to see a bit of neon-steampunk-rave culture at
Eurovision. Another song that will look great in the hall but the longs lyrics are
a little repetitive and the lead singer’s vocals can sound very ropey.
23 GREECE Demy
- This
Is Love
A Eurodance floor filler which will get the guys in the hall
in the right mood at Eurovision. But the lyrics are so predictable - and the
worst ending of a Eurovision song ever. It won’t be troubling the top.
24 POLAND Kasia Moś
– Flashlight
A dark, moody and atmospheric song sung by a singer with a
great set of lungs on her. However the song is slightly too complicated for a 3
minute song contest. More likely to phone Samaritans than call to vote for
this.
25 DENMARK Anja
Nissen - Where I Am
This has a very instant start which gets your ears pricked
with great interest but it goes downhill quickly from there. The verses are
boring and the choruses are shouty. Sounds more like an x factor winner’s song.
26 CZECHIA Martina Bárta - My Turn
This is a slow, jazzy cabaret number like something you
would’ve seen on 3-2-1. In fairness she has an interesting voice and the song
doesn’t quite go where you expect it too. Nice - but nice doesn’t cut it.
27 GERMANY Levina - Perfect Life
Yes, the opening bars do sound a bit too much like
“Titanium” but that doesn’t matter if the song is a decent one. But this really
isn’t. Levina seems like a singer who is much better and bigger than this song.
28 CYPRUS Hovig - Gravity
Rag and Bone Boy. He’s a great singer and this is not a bad
song – but not the two together. He looks more like a slightly drunk dad doing
karaoke at his daughter’s wedding. Quite meh.
29 BULGARIA Kristian
Kostov - Beautiful Mess
This may well be a betting fave and seen by many as contemporary, all I hear is a lot of hipster-ish moaning (probably about
hummus). This is too quiet, too cold and nowhere near engaging enough to win.
30 ARMENIA Artsvik -
Fly With Me
Good singer, good visuals and a beautiful backing track.
Totally spoilt by some very inane lyrics and (another) very unnecessary
introduction. Full of bits – she never sings the same bit the same and has no hook.
31 ISRAEL Imri Ziv -
I Feel Alive
This party song will go down well in the hall but the
structure of the song is all wrong. It takes too long to get to the chorus and
when you get there it's as damp as a wet wipe. Barely alive and needing
CPR.
32 SWITZERLAND Timebelle
- Apollo
The symbolism and meaning of this song is so lost we’ve all
gone past caring. This is just a very dull, over-produced song, continuing the form of previous Swiss entries. Full
of holes just like their cheese.
33 SLOVENIA Omar
Naber - On My Way
On one hand, Omar is a very good singer with clear tone and diction. However most of the
time he comes across as a stuck up git who loves himself. The song is not bad
but boring compared to the rest of the cast list.
34 MONTENEGRO Slavko
Kalezić – Space
Oh dear me. The lyrics are cringe worthy and his hairpiece
laughable. I find this so overtly camp it’s almost aggressively so. Many
members of the ESC community will love this but many viewers will see this as a
joke.
35 SERBIA Tijana
Bogićević - In Too Deep
A case of verse and chorus colliding hopelessly in the dark.
The verses are far too prim and proper to sit next to the booming chorus and
neither part is up to the standard of the little instrumental near the end. An
early faller.
36 LITHUANIA Fusedmarc
- Rain of Revolution
At least they are trying something a little bit different.
Unfortunately the verses don’t fit with the chorus and the constant
‘yeah-yeah’-ing afterwards reminds you of the lack of oooomph in this
song. Yawn.
37 GEORGIA Tamara
Gachechiladze - Keep the Faith
I don’t have faith in this song at all. Her voice is too
wobbly and full of unessessary vocal trickery and I’d rather she just stopped and just sung the song and the notes properly. She’s trying very hard to be the next Conchita.
38 CROATIA Jacques
Houdek - My Friend
Oh god I have no words. Pavarotti meets Freddie Mercury but
both voices come out the same schizophrenic body. Yes, he can probably belt it
out but I fear the staging will end up being more BGT than classy Eurovision.
39 ALBANIA Lindita -
World
Such a shame. The English lyrics are just a washout on what is
a great backing track. The lyrics are so bad and the last minute is just screaming. I don’t know if she’s ever given birth but that is what it sounds like.
40 MALTA Claudia
Faniello - Breathlessly
The first verse takes so long to get through you only get
to hear the chorus twice in the whole thing. This song is so plodding it is the Eurovision
equivalent of quicksand. And it’ll stay firmly stuck in the semi too.
41 SPAIN Manel
Navarro - Do It for Your Lover
This isn’t sugary-sweet. This is like a spoonful of NutraSweet
– powdery, thin and most of all totally fake. This is going to look DEAD in the hall. All hair and no charisma (and no decent English pronunciation either)
42 ROMANIA Ilinca feat. Alex Florea - Yodel It!
This is literally the worst thing I have heard or seen - possibly EVER. She needs to get a decent
stylist, then leave him and the airport and finally stop shouting in the second
half like Aunt Flo has come to visit. AWFUL.
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