Many of you may know that I had my almost annual catch up with Steve Yabsley the day of the Eurovision Grand Final. The chat was great as the buzz of being at a home contest gave an extra dimension to the talk.
As you will hear there were some ideas we got spot on (Loreen v Käärijä) and some we were wildly wrong about (who *was* the special guest??!?!)
It was also a little sad as this was likely to be our last chat in the current format due to the BBC local radio cuts...
Rehearsals start this weekend, so it's time to get my ranking list out!
Many thanks to Mr Gerbear's ranking tool - https://esc.gerbear.com/sorter2023.htm - I've been able to judge all of the songs to put all the songs in order from best to worst (or in my case the other way round!) This is MY list and my reasons for liking/disliking songs is very personal. It is also not a prediction of what will do well - I gave up predicting LOOOOOONNNNGGGG AGO !!!!
37 SWITZERLAND Remo Forrer - Watergun
An interesting intro and a voice you don't expect from a lad like this BUT the lyrics are just cringe. Entering an anti-war song is a good idea (I agree) but one that repeats the words blood, guns, soldier and army is insensitive - especially to Ukrainians who may be watching ESC to get away from the horrors on their doorstep.. Plus the fact this song has been around for 3 years feels like a trite move. Yuk.
36 POLAND Blanka - Solo
The less we say about the validity of the national final that this won, the better. This song is not for the likes of me and I am sure all the top people online are busy tik tok-ing to this as I speak. Yeah... nothing says 'Poland' more than a a pretty white girl singing faux reggae. It also wouldn't be anywhere near so bad if she could actually sing live. The diaspora though may well be out in force to support this.
35 ARMENIA Brunette - Future lover
Another song that isn't designed for me. The lyrics are literally (and yes, I do actually mean literally) from tumblr and pintrest quotes and the rap in the middle seems rather out of place. The ending in Armenian is honestly the best bit. The video was thought up in a panic, hence the half-made clothes and I hope she can produce more than the one facial expression that she does in the video.
34 CYPRUS Christopher Lambrou - Break a broken heart
He is a nice enough singer, if you like your hunky leather-clad Australian men whingy and moody with hobbies such as singing in derelict buildings, swimming and having arguments with girlfriends. The falsetto bit goes on quite a bit and it does start to sound very moany very quickly. The song is OK but in the run of everything totally unforgettable. Greek/Aussie diaspora will be out in support.
33 GREECE Victor Vernicos - What they say
Victor is a young lad who seems to be very talented in his singer-songwriter/Ed Sheeran genre role but the video to this instils me with no confidence whatsoever that his personality will shine through. I think the song is actually quite pleasant, as is his voice, but this performance is too small and insular (unless they make this its selling point on stage) Nice, maybe too nice, for Eurovision this year.
32 ALBANIA Albina & familija Kelmendi - Duje
A nice ethnic ditty that unfortunately disappoints me every time I hear it because it always seems to be at a much slower tempo than I feel it should be. I love the idea of the song but needs a lot of work on the stage craft. Apart from the Albanian/Kosovan diaspora I have no idea who will like or get this. Am thinking this is what Albanian call centres play down the phone at you while you are waiting.
31 ISRAEL Noa Kirel - Unicorn
Another song that is not for me but can imagine the young things doing the rather unfortunate hand to head gesture on tiktok. Still don't know what 'powers' unicorns actually possess. A collection of bits - some that go together, some that don't - and a video where Noa looks like a millennial version of Imelda the Grange Hill bully if the show was remade today. Shoehorned Chanel rip-off dance break.
30 IRELAND Wild Youth - We are one
Many have been waiting for this band to do Eurovision but they have done so with one of the most nondescript songs of the whole contest. They have plenty of experience on stage and have a good idea of self image and could get the crowd on their side which will lift the song. Although I say nondescript, it is the kind of thing people expect from the contest so may get many middle-of-the-road votes.
29 CROATIA Let 3 - Mama ŠČ!
I feel sad this is so far down because I like this song! The outfits are outrageous and learning about their standing in the Ex-Yu music scene has been a hoot. They pull no punches (it is an anti-R*ssia song wrapped in an allegory) and will be a show to behold. The song is catchy, memorable and has an accompanying dance routine! My fear is it's too odd and too bizarre that people may misunderstand the concept.
28 AZERBAIJAN TuralTuranX - Tell me more
When I first heard this I was well unimpressed but over time its slightly naïve and quiet charm has come through. The tinges of Beatles/Britpop in the music makes it rather familiar even if the lyrics are not always 100% legible. The sounds they make are very nice, especially in those harmony parts. I am a little afraid this might go off-piste vocally and be a little timid performatively. Not expecting much from this.
27 ROMANIA Theodor Andrei - D.G.T (off and on)
I was a supporter of this song when revealed as a contender in its National Final. Theodor has a great voice and shows great showmanship in all of this performances - as well as having a identifiable style with the glasses and long hair. I did however have many issues with his NF performance which was over-sexualised and had lots of random props and dancers. I wish he could just sing and not faff about.
26 NETHERLANDS Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight
Really not sure where to start on this. When the song was released it got an ok reception but when it was discovered neither singer could sing this live, it went south. Then literally days before the contest, the song was changed into another key and given new instrumentation. The delegation and team behind this debacle should hang their heads in shame. Absolute shambles. Arcade has a lot to answer for.
25 DENMARK Reiley - Breaking my heart
The first minute of this song is not that bad, although I am not so fond of the falsetto stuff. The stop-start nature of the chorus, on first listen, really pricks your ears up but when the same presentation repeats on *every* chorus with no deviation it starts to feel very boring very quickly. I am also not that confident as to how this will be staged or how good, or how loud, his vocals will be compared to the backing track
24 SAN MARINO Piqued Jacks - Like an animal
This song and band has garnered a lot of unnecessary flack over the last few months and I am not so sure why. The start is quite bombastic, the chorus is memorable and the leads singers voice is really strong and can hit some quite epic notes. The lyrics go down the simile rabbit hole a little too deeply and do come across a bit cringe. Won't trouble the scoreboard but I hope they feel proud of their work.
23 LITHUANIA Monika Linkyte - Stay
I will never forgive them for not choosing Rūta MUR because it had ESC WINNER written all over it. Anyways, this song is a vocal masterclass, if not a little on the shouty side. Monika has a great tone and this songs shows off its many facets. The ending part is just a little too much and seems at odds with the very heartfelt "čiūto tūto" refrain with repeats throughout. Less is sometimes more.
22 SWEDEN Loreen - Tattoo
Yes. Very controversial. Almost definitely a top 5, if not winner of the whole thing. There is no doubt in Loreen's vocal ability and engagement with the song and the audience. The staging during Melfest was ground-breaking but for me the singer and staging were covering up the cracks in the songwriting. This is no "Euphoria", it's not even half of "Statements" and that is not good enough not this year or any year.
21 ITALY Marco Mengoni - Due Vite
Finally, a song that wins Sanremo that gets cut down to 3 minutes and actually works! Marco is a great singer and conveys this song with such emotion that juries and televoters will lap this up. My concern might be lack of engagement down the camera and going vocally OTT. For me it is a little bit too shouty near the end and I much prefer the bits with light and shade. PS: Madame was blatantly robbed .
20 SPAIN Blanca Paloma - EAEA
I am on a run of controversy. I am one of the biggest advocates for Spain's 1983 song of which this is its more appreciated cousin. This is unequivocally Spanish and Blanca's voice and stage presence is mesmerising and enchanting. However it is almost so artistic, so creative and so accomplished it is almost feels impenetrable and you almost start to feel indifferent and frrosy about the actual song.
19 PORTUGAL Mimicat - Ai coração
This is a lively, personality driven ditty with possibly the tightest group of dancers you'll see on the Eurovision stage this year. The whole thing has a relentless galloping rhythm which makes me want to clap along. Her voice, and the quickness of the lyrics, is a little off putting at times, keeping you on the back foot and I can also understand why many people think this is a chaotic, hot mess.
18 LATVIA Sudden Lights - Aijā
I am a sucker for 5/4... This is one of many songs this year that has a lot of chops and changes. The verses are in 5/4 time and have a lowkey trip hop vibe while the chorus has a waltz feel and and has a slower pace. To top it all off they start singing in Latvian. Unlike other arty entries, this feels accessible. As much as this really appeals to me, I am not expecting this to be troubling the scoreboard.
17 GERMANY Lord of the Lost - Blood & glitter
For once, Germany are sending something synonymous with their music scene, or at least the scene Germany are known for worldwide. In addition this style of music is welcomed and has a history at Eurovision. The song has peaks and troughs, light and shade and the singer's voice is versatile. This has life, personality and will stand out a mile. Nice to listen to but singing along might be a health risk.
16 NORWAY Alessandra - Queen of Kings
There was a time that this was in my top 5 but over time it has slowly slid down. This song has a real power and strength and Alessandra's vocal moves from the shouty bits to the whistle tone effortlessly. The staging and costuming in the national final was very well put together, but the dancers need to throw out the light up sticks asap. Maybe I've heard and seen this so much I'm getting to used to its force.
15 ICELAND Diljá - Power
This is a great little song that has a fun p-p-p-party vibe to it. Diljá seems like a very fun person and her voice has a very unusual tone to it - I don't think many people could sing this song the way she does. She also follows the 'less is more' staging etiquette and the way she moves around the stage is really unique and feels really authentic to herself and the song. I just hope she can fill a really big stage in May.
14 FRANCE La Zarra - Évidemment
To my ears this feels French in a nostalgic way. Although Dua Lipa-esque, this song takes notes from the French dance scene of the 90s & 00s with the low key background and string-filled orchestration but also nods towards the original European 70s disco bangers. La Zarra has a slightly aloof stage presence which suits the song but could come across as a bit snooty by people who do not get her schtick.
13 GEORGIA Iru - Echo
As fans, this song has been dissected beyond belief and yes the lyrics are absolute nonsense and poppycock. However, the once a year crowd won't care and will just see that this girl can dominate the stage, sing with power and has the confidence of a strutting peacock. Moreover, being in the category of "Weird Georgia" I am expecting a staging masterclass in "over the top-ness". I have my popcorn ready.
12 UKRAINE Tvorchi - Heart of steel
Ukraine could have re-entered the fray with a copycat of last year's winner or some kind of war/peace ballad, but they didn't. Instead they are defending their title with an R&B banger with a thumping baseline and lyrics extolling the power of people, whoever and wherever they may be. Jeffrey's voice is so cool and emotional while the staging at the NF was innovative albeit inside a metro station.
11 UNITED KINGDOM Mae Muller - I wrote a song
This song has been a bit of a grower - a bit like Mae's confidence through the pre-parties! The chorus is extremely earwormy and catchy and automatically makes you sing along. I have been pleasantly surprised by how much energy she has on stage and this song really makes her personality shine through. I just hope the nerves and adrenaline are kept in check when she comes on last in the final!
10 ESTONIA Alika - Bridges
There are not many out-and-out simple ballads this year and for this reason this just stands out for me. Not normally the style of song I would go for but Alika has an engaging stage presence, clear diction and a strong vocal. I am also glad she is bringing the self playing piano with her! Unfortunately, I fear that the personality of this song may get forgotten in the semifinal and may not proceed.
09 CZECHIA Vesna - My sister's crown
Wasn't my fave in the NF but its message was clear to see and hear. The fact this is a girl group automatically makes it stands out and the use of multiple languages will engage a wide audience. Their performances in the pre-parties improved over time and I hope they've been working on their stage show. It is nerve wracking as Czechia has a terrible televote history. This is too good not to qualify.
08 AUSTRALIA Voyager - Promise
This has probably been the biggest grower for me this year. When I first heard it I was overwhelmed/confused by the genre(s), sections and characters in the band. However what you cannot deny is that this group have such confidence and sense of self as well as great technical playing the writing ability that it is just uplifting, catchy song. Honestly, the 40-somethings are coming for the crown!
07 MOLDOVA Pasha Parfeni - Soarele și luna
Following on from the success of GO_A in 2020/2021, this lovely ditty takes folk and ethnic sensibilities, adds a pulsating dance beat and a catchy as hell flute break.. The addition of 100% Romanian lyrics adds to its power and mysticism and I am hoping the staging from the NF can be added upon but not changed too much. Less of a crazy entry but very much idiosyncratic. This needs votes!
06 SLOVENIA Joker Out - Carpe Diem
These boys spotted a trick by releasing their Slovenian pop-rock song so early on in the Eurovision calendar. The group garnered a lot of support (and free publicity) when there was very little else around. It is a catchy number with guitar earworms, a memorable tune a tight band and a singer who always sings this song well. Again, I have concerns as to who will vote for this to get into Saturday's final.
05 SERBIA Luke Black - Samo mi se spava
After last year's distinctive effort, this number follows on and reeks of style and identity as well as being almost nostalgic of that closed-off, isolating, lockdown sentiment. The odd industrial sounds in the backing track are eerie and disturbing which totally chimes with the zombie computer characters sharing the stage with Luke. I hope the staging stays the same and he can bust his moves with precision.
04 BELGIUM Gustaph - Because of you
For those of us who experienced the 90's dance scene, this feels uber nostagic and comes from a place of experience, comfort and positivity. Gustaph's win in the NF was a shock for some (it really should not have been) and even if this song isn't a favourite you cannot help but want to move to this track. Gustaph knows what he is doing and will be a master of the stage with his friends on stage backing him.
03 AUSTRIA Teya & Salena - Who the hell is Edgar?
Oh, the confusion when parts of this song were leaked to the fandom. But this song proves you should not judge a book by its cover. This reaction also reinforced the song's message about the inequalities of being a musician, especially a female one. This expertly balances biting statements about the music industry with the status of a bona fide bop. If you get it, it works - if you don't, it still works. Bravo ladies!
02 MALTA The Busker - Dance (our own party)
Moldova meets Iceland meets Georgia in the most unlikely of places. When you see or hear a song that talk to you, you cannot help but feel part of the song. I really do feel better in my sweater... Not only is the chorus catchy, it has a dance routine and the staging is frenetic which reflects that panicky sense one might have in an uncomfortable social setting (i.e. most of life). Nice 8-bit animation and on screen title cards!
01 FINLAND Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha
This fuses so much that should not go together: industrial wooden pallets, an Incredible Hulk bolero jacket, monotonous verse, shouty chorus, the change to a schalger song half way though, pink ballroom dancers and what I call the 'northern crab' dance. Granted, this song relies A LOT on backing vocals (this is a performance NOT a vocal masterclass) and audience participation and reaction but when it ends you just want MOAR!
Now you know how I feel do you want to hear them all for yourself?
Here is the official complication clip video - let me know what your faves are!
Welcome one and all to this year's batch of "Shite or Alright" podcast reviews with Andy and Ann!!!
Scroll down to the bottom of this post to find our podcasts - we are hoping to add a podcast to the list every 3 days-ish so come back soon if the next episode has not yet 'dropped'.
In preparation for this year's contest I thought I would write a longer foreword regarding the set up and make up of this year's contest. See this a 'laying of the land' when it comes to the technical bits of the show as well as planting some seeds for you casual watchers out there - especially in the UK - to take notice of this year's show and maybe have someone to support!
This year, Eurovision is rocking up in Ann's home town of Liverpool after the UK were asked to host the contest on behalf of last year's winners Ukraine. Unlike many of the bidding cities, Liverpool has a twin city in Ukraine - Odessa to be precise. Liverpool is an underdog city, a city with an independent attitude, a city that has had to rise from the ashes several times, plus we know how to party! Liverpool is quite literally a city of culture (having held the European title in 2008) but is also the unofficial home of pop music. Many fans will be touring the city to find some of the famous sights and sounds of its musical heritage such as the Cavern, Eric's, The Jacaranda, LIPA and the numerous statues around the city heralding its musical alumni.
Although Scousers and Merseysiders were welcoming about their city hosting many Eurofans had reservations about the choice of venue. The Liverpool Arena was one of the smaller stadia on the provisional list and, when you factor in the stage size and the situation of the green room in the arena, many were not happy at the reduced capacity the hall could hold - resulting reduced ticket numbers available for the live shows. That, twinned with the extravagant price of the tickets and the equally extravagant price of accommodation and/or transport, meant many seasoned Eurovision visitors were left empty handed; facing the fact that going to a contest in their own country was just not a viable option. In a positive move, reminding all that this is Ukraine's party being held in our house, a portion of the tickets for all 9 live shows, were set aside especially for displaced Ukrainians.
There is a slightly reduced number of entries in this year's contest - 37 to be precise - partly down to the ejection of R*ssia and B*larus from the EBU over the war in Ukraine, and funding deficits for the delegations of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Maybe they will come back again soon...? In other background news, there has been a concerted effort to get Andorra back into the fold although RTVA still cite 'financial difficulties' as a barrier for coming back. Monaco has also had a renewed interest due to the start up of a new TV channel in the principality "Monte-Carlo Riviera TV" which may (or may not) lend itself to broadcasting the contest. There are always stories and rumours about Luxembourg, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Turkey returning, although the recent rule change concerning voting in the semi-finals may well be a 'virtue signal' to the latter as voting concerns led to them exiting after the 2012 contest. News of a number of voting changes to come later!!!
As for the make up of this year's contest, it is really quite an interesting mix, with an increased proportion of groups taking to the contest. This could reflect the wins of Måneskin and Kalush Orchestra over the past 2 years but could also be an interesting side glance at the rules regarding backing vocals on tape. Although extra dancers have been "the norm" for many years to bump up stage numbers, many viewers see value in band members singing or dancing - or neither - but are interacting authentically on stage. It will also be interesting to see how certain delegations use the stage. Will they stay on the full stage further back from the audience taking advantage of the LED screen OR will they use the large island right next to the fans OR will delegations make use of both, using the catwalk between the two?
We have a number of returnees to this year's show: the most famous and most anticipated contestant we have is 2012 winner Loreen who will be once again representing Sweden. Also from that year, Pasha Parfeni is once again singing for Moldova. Italy's Marco Mengoni was their singer in 2013 and Monika Linkytė was half of Lithuania's act in 2015. Gustaph, the Belgian singer, was twice a 'hidden' backing singer in 2018 and 2021 and Georgia's Iru was a member of the group Candy who won jESC in 2011. Although he will not be visible on stage, Duncan Laurence, who won ESC in 2019, was partially responsible for putting together the 2023 Dutch act and co-wrote their entry.
When it comes to languages at this year's contest, English is still the primary focus. 9 songs this year are wholly performed in a language other than English and an additional 5 with a mixture of English and other(s). I find this a little odd considering that 3 of the last 6 Eurovision winning songs have not been in English and one other winner had a chorus not in English. When it comes to genres, there is a glut of rock inspired songs - many of which come from the groups category. There is is also plenty of ethnic & folksy sounds, radio-friendly tunes, fun numbers, and a handful of songs that look fairly innocuous from the outside but on further inspection pack a hefty political punch.
Finally there are some small, yet significant, changes to the voting procedures. Now that we have got used to the full jury and full televote scores being announced separately in the final there are some changes to the voting in the two semi-finals. For the last few years the voting the the SF has been worked out the same as the final but this year the semi finals will be televote scores ONLY! Although I suspect this has been done to ensure that more viewer-friendly songs/acts get through to the final, I can also see a situation where an act landslides the semi but is then held back almost by a more tepid jury vote (or even vice versa).
The other change to the scoring is, for many watchers of Eurovision, a nod to the fact that the show is truly a worldwide event. Over the last few years during Junior Eurovision, technology has been available to enable people from anywhere in the world to cast votes online. For the first time EVER those viewers watching the final from a non-participating country can now have a say. There will be a 38th televote score added into the mix - a 'rest of the world' vote - which will be amalgamated with the other 37 participating countries televote scores and distributed at the end of the show. You never know, these extra 58 points may well be the difference between a delegation winning or losing!
Well, that's my introduction done and dusted - now all that's left to do is review some of the actual songs and acts !!!!
EPISODE ONE: Jon Ola Sand's SQUID GAME
Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Sweden and Ukraine!
EPISODE TWO: A life bowl Austria, Cyprus, Iceland,
Romania, Serbia and Spain! Does she keep the same phone number for every
show? They were going to eat him alive Part of a longer musical I never want to see Bluey characters appearing at Eurovision Look at me – I can swim!!! Feels like a sketch by Ellie & Natasia I'd like it a little more Loïc
The Georgian song was revealed on March 16th via the premiere of the official music video on youtube. Their representative, however, was selected through the fifth season of The Voice Georgia, which concluded with a final on 2nd February. Winning the ticket to Liverpool is Iru and her song is called "Echo".
Irina Khechanovi is 22 years old and is from Tblisi. She first came to prominence as a member of the girl group Candy who won the 2011 edition of Junior Eurovision. In 2019, Khechanovi was a participant in Georgian Idol which would choose their Eurovision representative but she was eliminated early on. Iru returned to the jESC stage in 2022 as part of a previous winners' medley but also co-wrote the song "I Believe" by Mariam Bigvava, the Georgian entry for that year's contest.
The video is full of slow-motion dancing and movement twinned with lots of floaty twisting fabric shots with each style or type in a different colour.. We begin with a shortened the chorus which is definitely the most memorable part of the song. At the first verse starts the backing track is rather sparse and any instrumentation is rather high and tinny almost. As the chorus comes back, in the backing changes into something more expansive and lower in the range. Verse two is rather disjointed and is more a repetition on certain lines interspaced with scatting and is followed by another chorus. Just before the last rendition of the chorus there is a short bridge which almost feels like the only 'normal' part of the song. This is followed by some vocalising before the last chorus which ends again the with scatting refrain.
This song is underpinned with ethnic drum beats and percussion and has a very Georgian jazzy-ethereal-eastern feel. I feel like this song is more about the soundscape rather than the song having a big meaning. I say this as Iru's voice has a very distinctive timbre and sometimes I feel you listen to the voice and tune rather than the words. Her voice is well embedded into the mix and I sense the song will have a very different dynamic when performed live. The second verse in particular might be quite tricky to fully perform live so it will be interesting to see how the singing and scatting is divided up between Iru, the backing track and/or backing vocalists on stage. Also, on looking at the lyrics, they have meaning but not necessarily in a grammatical sense. Oddly the name of the song does not appear in the text.
The video nods to what the show might look like and can imagine some of this being used on the back drops. Maybe there will be some clever fabric wafting by the dancers or for those who remember the song "Izin kórem" from Turkvision, I can imagine some clever windography! The instrumental of this song is really pretty and I hope that this is appreciated by those voting. This style of song will definitely appeal to the Caucasus regions but I am not 100% who else will especially as some of the words seem a little non-sensical. This is another song which I feel will be recognised more by juries than televoters and so could find itself in a dangerous position trying to get into the final. Georgia does not have the diaspora of other countries so could find itself at a disadvantage. This definitely has a place at Eurovision but I don't think this will be up there at the end.
The Armenian song was revealed on March 15th via the premiere of the official music video on youtube. At the beginning of February, the Armenian broadcaster AMPTV announced that Brunette had been internally selected as their representative. The song she will be singing is "Future lover".
Elen Yeremyan (aka Brunette) has been singing since the age of four and has written music since her teens. She released her debut single September 2019 and has since released songs in English and Armenian. As well as her solo work, she is also a member of Project 12 and part of the girl group En Aghjiknery. Brunette was part of the Armenian jury judging the songs of the Junior Eurovision held in December 2022. She is mostly described as a soul and R&B singer.
The song starts immediately with a very harmonised first verse. Her voice is very quiet, seems slightly high in her register and almost feels spoken. Underneath the singing is just a gentle piano tune. There is then another part which is probably a verse but has nothing in common with the previous one. This contains the name of the song. By the end of this you can feel the texture of the music start to increase. We then have the main refrain where you can definitely hear the orchestra more clearly. We then enter the long rap phase where her voice is much sparkier and, in the video, she looks much more animated. There is a short pause before returning to the orchestrated refrain then followed by another refrain this time in Armenian. The song ends with a the crescendo of the orchestra followed by a few small low piano notes.
This is an odd song. Unlike some of this year's entries which mix up genres, this is a mis-match of odds and ends. I concede that his might have some contemporary appeal and does feel like one of those chop and change TikTok videos where one thing suddenly looks or sounds different - but through the lens of a three minute Eurovision song. I feel like this song is designed more towards a younger audience and one has to wonder if a) they will be watching and b) they will be compelled to vote. The video is lacklustre and feels cheap . Her main video outfit is odd and doesn't really go with the song and her looks to camera give me 'go girl give us nothing' vibes. Ironically she seems most animated at the word 'panic attack' which is not the best of looks. I also don't get the imagery of the bells on the stage as they are not on the track nor in the lyrics and feel like they they are there for decoration and to give Brunette something else to do.
I worry about which part the delegation will put in the recap clip because the chorus is lifeless, the rap is rather standard and the start has cringeworthy lyrics. The text in general is a little awkward and I personally find them a little embarrassing. In particular, the refrain of "I decide to be good, do good, look good" makes me reel off a big list of questions about why she feels the need to do this or what 'good' looks and feels like. On a positive note, the instrumental underneath the refrain sounds really nice but is wasted on such trite lyrics. In fact the Armenian refrain at the very end is probably the most beautiful part of this song. Shame it also coincides with the end. The song and video leave me with more questions than answers and I can only hope something more imaginative comes to the stage.
The Azeri song was revealed on March 13th via the premiere of the official music video on youtube. A few days earlier, the Azerbaijan state broadcaster İctimai Television announced that the act TuralTuranX had been internally selected as their representative. Their song is called "Tell me more"
TuralTuranX is a duo consisting of twin brothers Tural and Turan Bağmanov from Zaqatala in northwest Azerbaijan. After being introduced to the piano at school, their father bought them a second hand synthesizer. This then progressed to both brothers learning to play the guitar. Tural later moved to the capital Baku and founded the band TheRedJungle however Turan would also sometimes perform with them.
The song begins with a answerphone conversation which sets up an interesting point of view to the song. Unusually the song then begins with the chorus which has a very simplistic guitar riff and drum beat under a melancholic vocal. This then runs into the first verse which feels more like a spoken word chant than singing. Although a little staccato it contrasts nicely to the choruses that sandwich this part of the song. After the second chorus there is an instrumental break which builds up nicely to the second verse which is much more melody driven than the first - but is still as wordy. This then elongates into a melodious bridge which brings the mood down a little to a quieter rendition of the chorus to a nostalgic end.
The song has a clear identity - albeit not the identity you might first associate with Azerbaijan! It's interesting that after using Swedish songwriters for most of their entries, the one year they use home grown songwriters they enter something very very British! The film clip is also rather well made, especially at the end where it feel like the boys are performing in a small club... maybe even the Cavern Club. The retro styling of this part would also go down a treat too. It would be nice to have this intimate feel to their stage show too, although Azerbaijan doing understated is not what they are known for!
This song is a wistful ditty with a knowing nod the the city the contest is taking place in. In fact I am rather surprised that this is the only obvious entry that seems to have actively taken inspiration from the Beatles and/or Britpop (depending on your age and genre of preference). On first listen it really feels like it should/could have been Circus Mircus under a(nother) pseudonym. Although I like this as a song, I fear that a live version may well be challenging to perform. It would be nice to know how the brothers divide up the singing on the song. Being twins, singing together will sound rather melodious, fitting in with the style of song, but as some of the lines are so very fast it may well be better to take parts in turn. With that all out the way, it needs to be said that this is is really not a competitive entry. There is no real immediate hook and may well get drowned out by all the other more character driven entries around it. A lovely song, a sentimental song but maybe not a Eurovision song.
The Greek song was revealed on March 12th via the premiere of the official music video on youtube. At the end of January the Greek broadcaster ERT, announced that Victor Vernicos had been internally selected as their representative. However due to a legal challenge over the transparency of the internal selection and the Greek rail tragedy the premiere was put off longer than expected. The song he will be singing is "What they say".
Victor Vernicos Jørgensen was born in Athens to a Danish father and a Greek mother. He started piano lessons at the age of four, singing lessons at eight, guitar lessons at ten and began writing his own songs at the age of eleven. He has also been overseeing the production of his own music, attending Music Technology courses. Most of this releases have been in English. In 2021 he released his first song in which he wrote music, lyrics but also produced it himself and has been taking voice and performance lessons with Nina Lotsari. He is set to be Greece's youngest Eurovision representative ever.
The song starts with Victor singing the first verse over the top of an atmospheric strumming guitar. As it runs into the pre-chorus a similarly atmospheric piano comes in too. The chorus is much more motivating and the drum beat comes in at almost double time, Victor's voice also goes from croaky and low to something a bit more open and tuneful. The driving beat continues through verse two but comes out again during the pre-chorus. There then begins two back-to-back choruses. The first starts with the atmospheric guitars then the slightly low down beat. The second has a stompy 'we will rock you' clap-along vibe to the finish.
This song has some contemporary appeal. His voice, especially the lower parts, is reminiscent of George Ezra while the music of the chorus takes a lot of influence from "Castle on the hill" by Ed Sheeran. I almost feel like this song would normally stand out as a Eurovision entry as well as be something that could easily be slipped in on any contemporary radio station. It is a little unclear from the video how much personality is going to come through to the tv screens - especially in the 100% televote semi final. Most of the video is spent sitting down, bending over, looking away from the camera and being a little too over-expressive in the arms. Finally, his main video outfit with the boots and shorts seems a rather odd choice.
There are, unfortunately for Victor, already a glut of male guitar-led ballads at this year's contest and with this one being one of the last to reveal, I am feeling some fatigue. To stand out betwixt all the other ballads and rock entries will require a lot of thought; to their credit Greece does have a decent record of providing interesting staging. I feel like this needs to go fully introvert until the final minute where it can kind of explode. I also hope he can actually emote clearly down the camera to the point where he doesn't effect his vocals. On the track they seem very produced and I will be very interested to see how this song sounds and feels with live vocals. If he is very good, I would love even more to see a pared down approach in order to show this off.
ARTIST - Victor Vernicos
SONG - What they say
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Vaggelis Gialamas, Kostas Kalimeris, Steve Sovolos, Victor Vernicos Jørgensen
The Portuguese final "Festival da Canção 2023" was held on March 11th at the RTP TV Studios in Lisbon, hosted by long standing presenters Filomena Cautela and Vasco Palmeirim. Before the final there were two semi-finals where 6 songs qualified from each. However due to a technical problem in semi 1 an extra wildcard place was awarded. The winner was chosen by a 50-50 mix of jury and televoting. Going to Eurovision is Mimicat singing "Ai Coração" (Oh, heart)
Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena - aka Mimicat - has been singing and writing since very young. Aged just 15, under the stage name Izamena, she participated in Festival da Canção 2001 but did not make it to the final. In 2009 she graduated in Sound and Image from the Escola Superior de Artes e Design das Caldas da Rainha. Her debut album "For you" came out in 2014 and this also produced her first single. She has 2 studio albums and 6 singles under her belt, mostly in the English language. She has performed at many Portuguese and Brazilian festivals and has been affectionately named “The Amy Winehouse of the Tagus". Her style is described as pop, R&B and soul.
Mimicat is joined on stage by four dancers and a leather sofa. She is wearing a black dress with a red detailing on the back and front while the dancers are wearing Latin American inspired outfits with a slight nod to flamenco. The backdrop chops and changes between black, blue red and pink but most noticeably there is a heart shape with moving cogs on the inside. The song starts with a slow dramatics first verse sung on the sofa and uses some nice 'from above' camera angles. The backing starts off intermittently and more as punctuation but then comes in full throttle at almost breakneck syncopated speed. This continues into the chorus and out the other end with an elongated instrumental. Then follows another verse and chorus followed by a less frenetic instrumental break. The final chorus starts off just with a flamenco style guitar but soon builds up to the big finish and the lights going out.
This song really oozes personality. Mimicat, and her band of dancers, do a great job of bringing attitude, sass and the Sally Bowles energy. The song has a pounding beat which is also very waveable and clapable. There is certainly nothing like this this year. It feels Portuguese but not overly so. Without the words one might think this Spanish and with the instrumental it seems a little bit French. Mimicat's voice has a distinct timbre and although one may not understand what she is saying she is extremely emotive and has a great chemistry down the camera. It is a simple yet effective show that people may find an affinity with.
There is, however, a lot going on - one may even say too much. Between the different camera angles, the constant movement and the ever-changing lighting, it feels rather in your face. I feel that changing the background colours so they are not the same as the colours of the costume would help. As much as I love the dancers' outfits, I like Mimicat's less. I feel like the shape of the outfit either needs to be smaller and more fitted or be totally over the top. I also wonder if the larger space in the arena will help differentiate everything on stage more, even though I quite like the small, tight nature of the setting. Also, I wish they would make more use of the overhead camera angles as it really does give the act a distinct look and feel. My instinct tells me this will stand out, especially in the voting recap, but as to if the song compels people to vote - I am unsure. For those who get to the end and feel the need to bravo, they will vote for it. I feel that is this did get to the final, the jury will bump up its places.
ARTIST - Mimicat
SONG - Ai Coração
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Marisa Mena, Luis Pereira
The Swedish final "Melodifestivalen" was held at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on March 11th, hosted by Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi. Before the final there were 5 semi-finals held at different location around the country. The winner was chosen by an equal weighting of international juries and public vote. Going to Liverpool is Eurovision 2012 winner Loreen with "Tattoo".
Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui was born in Stockholm, Sweden, but spent most of her early life in Västerås. Loreen became known after taking part in the Swedish Idol 2004 eventually coming 4th. As well as singing opportunities, she also worked in front and behind the camera on numerous TV shows. Loreen then took part in Melodifestivalen 2011 with "My Heart Is Refusing Me", getting to Andra Chansen. The next year she returned with "Euphoria" which won Eurovision 2012 in Baku. She then reappeared at Melodifestivalen in 2017 with "Statements" but once again did not progress past the Andra Chansen round. Outside of ESC she has embarked on several tours, headlined the Vienna Life Ball, has released 2 albums and many more non-album one-off singles Loreen has also been an ambassador of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, a patron of the World's Children's Prize and recently performed at a live fundraising gala in support of Ukraine.
The staging is rather simplistic but is a rather large technical feat. Loreen starts lying on the floor with a large led screen suspended from the roof and millimetres from her body. As the song goes on Loreen dances around on the floor slowly 'pushing' the screen upwards. The colour palette is a kind of sandy beige colour which is mirrored in her outfit and the smoke colour. The first verse is very softly spoken but sung with intent. During he pre-chorus the song starts to get stronger vocally and in terms of instrumentation. The tune also starts increasing in tone up the scale. The chorus has a very repetitive and earwormy melody. This procedure is repeated again but in the second chorus the beat is really pounding. The song then regroups for a small bridge before exploding again for the final rendition of the chorus ending in the title of the song.
The name "Loreen" itself is enough to get the votes in. People will be expecting a 'Euphoria 2.0' and although this is different enough to not be called a copycat, there are definite similarities. In typical Loreen style this is a performance and singing masterclass. Loreen has the ability to sing and perform the simplest things and make it into an art form - however this does not mean I don't take issue with parts of it.
This is an entry of three parts. Firstly - Loreen herself. She is a known name, and a famous - nay game changing - winner of the contest. People will marvel at her theatricality as well as her vocal prowess. That all said, I wish Loreen would pronounce her words a little more during the chorus and pre-chorus as sometimes it can feel like just a wall of noise. Also I would like Loreen to put a little more finesse to her dance moves e.g. pointing her toes, curving her back. Secondly - the song. It is nothing particularly special - it is more to do which who is singing it. There have already been comparisons between the tune of this and ABBA's "The winner takes it all" which I feel is rather noticeable. Finally - the staging. There are big questions as to whether the "led ceiling" would be allowed or even viable in the Liverpool arena. I feel like the idea would work without the prop with some other lighting cues or even some interesting camera angles e.g. upside down or viewed from above. One would have to be very cynical not to think this stands a big chance of winning.
ARTIST - Loreen
SONG - Tattoo
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Peter Boström, Thomas G:son, Jimmy Jansson, Jimmy Joker, Cazzi Opeia, Loreen Talhaoui
The Italian final "73º Festival della Canzone Italiana di Sanremo" was held over 5 nights with the final on February 11th. The main hosts of the event were Amadeus, who also served as the artistic director for the competition, multiple Sanremo participant Gianni Morandi as well as multiple special guests hosts over the festival. Over the 5 nights different votes were held including a press vote, a demoscopic jury vote and public televoting. When all the votes had been combined, the top 5 songs then participated in a superfinal where just the televote would decide the winner. The morning after the festival the winner announced they would be participating in Eurovision. However the song he would sing was not confirmed as the entry until 13th March. Going to Liverpool is Italy's 2013 participant Marco Mengoni with his Sanremo song "Due Vite" (Two lives).
Marco Mengoni started taking singing lessons at 14 and sang in a five-piece vocal group. He enrolled in a degree in Languages in Rome but also performed in piano bars and weddings whilst also gaining experience as a sound mixer and as a music programmer. in 2009, Marco won Italian X Factor receiving a recording contract and a place in the Sanremo Music Festival 2010 where he eventually came 3rd. He returned to Sanremo in 2013 winning the festival with "L'essenziale" then coming a credible 7th at Eurovision in Malmö. Over the past 13 years he has released 7 studio albums and won multiple MTV music awards.
On stage at Sanremo, Marco is alone although the orchestra is on either side. The staging is very still and the prominent colours are blue and white. The song starts with piano backing and Marco's vocals are staccato, almost spoken. In the pre chorus his vocal becomes stronger and as each line raises up a tone it creates some anticipation for the chorus. Here, the chorus returns to being more ethereal and strings based and is extremely complex in structure but ends noticeably with the title of the song. On the start of verse two there is a audible beat which runs into the pre chorus. The chorus once again loses the beat and returns to its string filled backing. This chorus runs a little short and runs into an oddly phrased bridge before returning one last time to a shortened chorus then title of the song is repeated at the very end.
As with many Italian language ballads the song is dynamic and dramatic. The music ebbs and flows and the lyrics can be drawn out or packed in quickly. This makes for an interesting sound journey. Marco's voice really shines with this style of song although he will need to think about playing not just to the audience in front of him but down the camera as well - unless they have some other visual technique for the audience to focus on. They may need something to hang the narrative on such as a dancer or dancers portraying the story or some kind of video loop playing it out.
The main thing the Italian delegation have to struggle with is that this song is almost a minute too long. The introduction isn't even that long, nor the outro, so finding cuts to this song may well be monumental. Unfortunately we have experienced so many songs from Sanremo, and its Albanian counterpart, that have been been cut so badly that the heart of the song has been ripped out. resulting in some acts' hopes of qualifying/winning going down the drain. I honestly do not know which parts of this song they can take away or shorten without harming its chances. I am guessing that as the Italian delegation did not replace the song - which they did say was a possibility -that some way of concentrating the song, rather than diluting it, has been found. I don't think this will be a winner but will be an all round class act on stage.
ARTIST - Marco Mengoni
SONG - Due Vite
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Edd, Marco Mengoni, Davide Petrella, Davide Simonetta
The British song and act were both revealed on March 9th via an announcement on the Zoe Ball Breakfast show on Radio 2. Here, the BBC announced that Mae Muller had internally selected as the UK's representative. The song she will sing in Liverpool is called "I wrote a song".
Muller grew up listening to an eclectic mix of music from The Dixie Chicks, Gwen Stefani and Simon & Garfunkel. Mae started writing her own music at the age of eight and later attended Fine Arts College in Belsize Park. Her first claim to fame was being cast in the video for "Grace Kelly" by Mika. After college, she uploaded songs SoundCloud and Instagram where she was then discovered by her manager. Her debut extended play "After Hours" was released in February 2018, and her debut album "Chapter 1" came out in 2019. She has supported Little Mix on tour and, of late, has collaborated on songs with Marshmello, Sigala and Neiked - the latter of these became part of a TikTok challenge.
The first verse in quite softly sang and this is mirrored in the backing track, this continues through the pre-chorus which ends with an echo and sets up the chorus really well. The chorus is repetitive in its lyric, Mae has a quiet fierceness in her delivery and the backing track in maintained. This then ends with the 'da-da-da' refrain which creates a buffer to the next verse but also maintains the playful take on the subject matter. This the procedure is repeated again, albeit with some slight Spanish embellishments in the backing track and then the song almost shuts down. Mae then starts a short spoken word part before the song builds up for the final chorus which end with the name of the song.
This is a great example of a modern British pop song. It has a good beat, a simple structure and plenty of personality. The meaning of the song is pretty universal, although I will admit I was a little concerned that the song lyrics might be a little too negative but actually their delivery is smoother and less angsty than I envisaged. The chorus is a very well crafted piece of work; you end up getting the name of the title three times in one chorus without being too in your face. This is strengthened by the use of simple but useful rhymes. I hope Mae's live show will emphasise the the power and catchiness of the song. It is in essence a simple song and should not be too taxing to sing. I would like the delivery to stay simple and not be an excuse for Mae to include vocal gymnastics to the mix. I also hope there is a slightly better dance routine than that in the video.
I love the 'pack mentality' show in the film clip. My favourite part is when everyone is outside the house holding hands and running away. I can absolutely imagine Mae and her dancers having a quiet kiki about her ex and then exploding into a fun dance routine. It would be a nice way of making it a very solo singing performance but also making it a very cohesive group stage show. I am expecting this to be quite dynamic and considering there is a real lack of girl groups in this years show a show of 'girl power' would also be a strong motif. I feel like the song will go down very well in the hall but the on-stage team will need to ensure she comes across well down the camera and compels people to vote.
ARTIST - Mae Muller
SONG - I wrote a song
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Mae Muller, Alfred Parx, Karen Poole, Lewis Thompson
The Israeli song was revealed on March 8th via the premiere of the official music video on youtube. Way ack in July KAN, the Israeli broadcaster, announced that Noa Kirel had been internally selected as their representative. Her song is called "Unicorn".
Noa Kirel is from Ra'anana, Israel, and has two older brothers. In 2015 she performed her first song on YouTube named "Medabrim?". Her second release on line called "Killer" caused a stir due to the provocative video clip (she would have been 13). In 2016, she won the award "Singer of the Year" at the Israeli Kids' Choice Awards. In 2017, Kirel began hosting the "Lipstar" musical program on kidZ, and featured in the movie "Nearly Famous". In 2018 she became cone of the judges on Israel's Got Talent albeit still being a teenager. All in all she has scored four number 1 songs in Israel and numerous film, tv and presenting roles.
The song begins with a classical intro before petering out to a very low key backing track and Noa's voice takes centre stage. The song then progresses to the chorus and becomes quite stark and serious and dramatic which is a bit weird because the words coming out of her mouth really aren't! Verse two comes in and goes back to a more poppier bassline and before going into the chorus we have the repetitive 'phenomenal' refrain. The chorus here is shorter but the full force of beat and the strings fits in better than the first time round. There is another refrain before the song disintegrates once more, this time into shouts about dancing, a long instrumental and a final few chants of the name of the song.
This song, and its video, seems to be a collection of bits. These bits don't 100% flow into each other but sometimes this creates unusual balances and makes you more intrigued. On the whole the song stops and starts and fails to get going. These stops and starts will be interesting to see live as many of these will sound different and have a different energy. If she can do all of this live it is going to sound amazing. In addition the last half a minute being an effective dance break will be interesting live. Also she is rather chameleon-like in her appearance and I think there are a couple of looks she could use live. I would love to see her wearing something athletic, like the dance gear she wears at the end. I suspect there may be some kind of costuming reveal from one thing to another, possibly for the dance break at the end. Choosing a part for the vote recap will also be an interesting decision because different people will like/remember different parts of the song and not all of it can fit in a 20 second recap.
If I had any critque for the potential show it would be that Noa needs to be a little more positive facially. During the video she seems a little emotionless and almost little bit standoffish. Maybe being in front off a live audience may make her personality shine a bit more I would imagine Noa being right on target for getting the younger generation vote but girls in particular would want something more engaging, fun, personal and relatable. I also think that for older viewers this attitude also might come across negatively. For such a modern song to appeal outside its bracket she will need to butter the public at home up. She may also need to rethink the 'hand to the head' gesture as it might lead to something a little more... vulgar... If she can sing and dance at the same time she will be showing off some epic skills, it would be a shame for a perceived aloofness to cost her votes
The Austrian song was revealed on March 8th via the premiere of the official music video on youtube and it's first play on Radio Ö3. On 31 January, ORF announced during the radio show Ö3-Wecker, that they had internally selected Teya & Salena to represent Austria in Liverpool. Their song is called "Who the hell is Edgar?"
Teya and Salena - Teodora Špirić and Selina-Maria Edbauer - met in 2021 when they were both contestants on the long running Austrian talent show Starmania. Salena had previously been on The Voice of Germany and was part of Samu Haber's team. Co-incidentally both of them had applied to represent Austria at ESC before their meeting. Teya made a submission under the name Thea Devy in 2020 with "Judgement Day". When this bid failed she then submitted this same song to the Serbian selection and came 10th in their national final with "Sudnji dan". Salena applied in 2019 with the song "Behind the Waterfall".
The song starts with a spoken intro before the beat clicks in. The bassline is quite funky but still straightforward. The verse is very staccato almost spoken then a rather spiritual, almost choral, section comes in before the repetitive 'Poe Poe Poe' chorus. This runs straight into the next verse where the girls' voices seem to be stronger, maybe even slightly angry, and the delivery certainly is more punchy. Once more the chorus comes in followed by the choral part again but this time still with the backing track behind it. This then makes way for a slightly sinister bridge with the repetition of the numbers. Finally the chorus and choral part are sang together before a final choral refrain and a farewell remark of the title of the song.
This song is just plain madness. The lyrics are fun, if not slightly barmy, the video is bordering on absurd but the refrains are so very catchy. The song is quirky and rather unexpected which could throw a lot of people off but will also keep some people's attention from start to finish, for good or for bad! The hooks are so easy to catch and the use of a person's name - who most people will have at least heard of - is a clever trick. Whether on not people pick up on the digs about the music industry, the mechanics of song writing and the inability for artists to survive on the paltry remuneration from streaming services, it is a song that works on numerous levels.
On the other side there are concerns about the way this could be performed live. Will they bring in any of the themes in the video or will it be something brand new? How are they going to sing his live? Will they actually be able to sing the chorus? Will they have live backing singers? I would hope, after the floods of positivity after the video reveal, that some aspects of this are involved e.g. the typewriter (I can imagine the words being types on the backdrop), the 70s outfits at the start or even some of the additional cast members. The dance routine is a must to stay! This song has been eagerly awaited and I feel like this song is going to big, in particular this song is made for tiktok. No matter how successful this song may by in Liverpool, this will happily be revisited every year henceforth.
The Swiss song was revealed on March 7th via the premiere of the official music video on you tube. Two weeks earlier, the Swiss broadcaster SRG announced that Remo Ferrer had been internally selected as their entrant. His song is called "Watergun".
Remo Forrer is from Hemberg St Gallen, a mostly German speaking area of north Switzerland. As a child he played the flute, accordion, piano and took singing lessons. He then began playing the piano and singing. In 2020 he won The Voice of Switzerland and in April of the same year, he released his winning single Home , which was written by his team coach on the show Noah Veraguth. In July 2022 he appeared on the RTL television show "I can see your voice" and was introduced as an estate agent.
The music video has Remo walking around an abandoned building. The colour palette is muted, foggy with flashes of red. At the end he walks into a wall of sparks and comes out the other end into a green field The song begins with a piano intro which is almost classical in its playing. Remo starts with the first verse which is unexpectedly low in its tone and gets even lower during the pre-chorus. The chorus is a little higher in his register and is repetitive in the lyrics and is accompanied by some strings. The piano introduction concludes the chorus and on the start of verse two there is a slow but prominent beat which vamps up in the pre-chorus. During the chorus it increases more and has almost a military snare drum feel. The song them momentary drops the beat for for the build up tot he final lines which include the title of the song and repeats the piano played at the very start.
This song isn't breaking any new ground. The most interesting thing about this entry is the distinctive quality of Remo's voice in the verses - his face and his voice don't quite go together! The video is rather basic really especially as the words are rather visceral and the video is rather generic. He could literally be singing about anything if you had it on mute. The song is not particularly spectacular and the video does nothing to inspire one's imagination about a possible stage show. The more I listen, the more I am reminded of Hungary's entry in 2016 "Pioneer" which is similar in tune but not theme. I also don't like the way he over-exaggerates the 'er' sound on the end of the words 'soldier' and 'water' but maybe these may sound different when live.
When I first heard this song I was kind of speechless - and not in a good way. Maybe the writers thought this was allegorical enough, metaphorical enough - seeing war through the lens of a boy play fighting. However, when you have repeated trigger words such as war, real blood, tanks, guns, bullets and body bags the negative connotations these words have instantly taint the song also in a negative light. There have been plenty of Eurovision songs that have contained warlike imagery or been about conflict but all of these have had some tact and empathy, Yes, I understand that this is full of anti-war rhetoric but many people will be watching this show to get away from the woes in the world for a few hours and this 3 minutes basically sucks the life out of that escapism. This may chime strongly with some people, but not me.
The Serbian final "Pesma za Evroviziju '23" was held on March 4th at the RTS TV Studios in Belgrade presented by Dragana Kosjerina and Milan Maric. On the two nights before the final there were two semis, 8 songs qualifying from each. The final result equally combined SMS voting and a jury score. Going to Liverpool is Luke Black with song "Samo mi se spava" (I'm just sleepy).
Luka Ivanović started his interest in music at the age of 12 when he started writing his own lyrics and later began creating and producing music. He then moved to Belgrade to study but also to learn more about the music business. In 2014, Black released his first single "Nebula Lullaby" and an EP followed this up the next year. One of his next songs "Demons" was also nominated to the internal selection process to represent Serbia in 2016. He has also embarked on a solo tour of China and performed as part of Berlin Alternative Fashion week.
The stage show for this is very different. At the start Luke is reclining on what looks like a decayed white leaf podium and in front to him are four dancers that by thick tubing to the back of the stage. The choreography is very jerky and robotic. The backdrop has lines from the song as well as a rather strange crustacean-cum-swiss army knife computerised character. Luke himself is wearing a floaty white shirt with black trousers. He starts singing verse one from on the white plinth., which has a prominent piano backing. On sitting up the song moves into a short instrumental which has a very tinny over synthesised feel, almost to point where it feels distorted and dizzy. From here the chorus kicks in which has a great beat emphasised by the dancers. The next verse is in Serbian and leads once more into the distorted instrumental, which this time almost feels off key, and back into the chorus. From here there is a small refrain where Luke unhooks the cords from the dancers and they dance freely during the final chorus. We finish with the title of the song and the words ENEMY DEFEATED on the backdrop.
On the plus side this has a visual and aural identity like nothing else we've seen this year. The subject matter of the song is menacing and dark and the setting is stark and interesting. One might say the lighting in particular is too dark and I personally would like to see more of his face because he is very expressive. His vocal is quite whispery, which is a nice juxtaposition with the harsh synthesised sounds on the backing track, but I would like to hear more of his tone. I think the mixture of Serbian and English works well but again, it is sometimes unclear what he is saying because of the mix. The dancers are great and add a lot of the mix. Luke is a little bit less precise in his moves but is extremely enthusiastic.
However, I wonder if this is a little bit too odd and weird. For example the chorus part is extremely catchy and has a great beat but it doesn't last anywhere near long enough and I almost feel a little let down once it's over. The aural distortion is also a little disconcerting and would imagine some people finding this very uncomfortable to listen to, especially if you don't know it is coming. The staging is eye-catching but you don't quite get sucked into the story as much as I feel one probably should. This could be a "Rhythm Inside" artistic moment but needs more fine tuning in terms of stage direction, camera angles and vocal precision.
ARTIST - Luke Black
SONG - Samo mi se spava
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Luke Black, Milovan Bošković, COMANAVAGO, Majed Kfoury
The Icelandic final "Söngvakeppnin 2023" was held on March 4th at the RVK Studios in Gufunes, Reykjavík, presented by Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson, Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir and Sigurður Þorri Gunnarsson. Before the final, two songs qualified from each of the 2 semi-finals plus a wildcard pass to the final. The winner was chosen in two rounds - a top 2 was chosen by a 50/50 split of televoting/app voting and an international jury/ These votes were carried forward to the second round where the winner was chosen by televoting and app voting alone. The winner was Diljá with the song "Power".
Diljá made her name by participating in the talent show "Ísland Got Talent" in 2015 aged just 12 years old. She had actually auditioned the year before but did not progress past the first stage. In 2020, she moved to Copenhagen, where she alternated her studies in physiotherapy with singing lessons. Currently she is is balancing her singing career with studying physiotherapy at the University of Iceland. In the semi-final of Söngvakeppnin she sang her entry in Icelandic but changed to English in the final as this was the way the song was originally sung.
Diljá is wearing a grey spangly trouser suit with a sliver top. Her hair is in two buns ether side of her head. As the song begins we realise she is lying on the floor as the starts to sing and begins to stand up after the first verse. The songs structure is very simplistic and it's repetitive structure, especially in the/ short but effective chorus, really gets into your head. The song starts verse - pre chorus - chorus. This then repeats again and finally a shortened pre chorus and a final chorus. During the verses the backing track is quite basic but in the verse the track has a really quick beat and drives the song onwards. Diljá is very effective at finding the camera but she also uses a lot of gesture and jerky choreography to emphasise the beat and meaning of the song. The backdrop is quite plain in the verses but explodes to colour as is shows different pictures and short clips of flowers
This is a very active entry but this does not affect the clarity and technique of the vocals. She has a slightly raspy-Bjork-esque growl to her vocal which gives it a lot of character. Diljá is an engaging performer and is not afraid to not play to the camera. I appreciate that the staging is not as bombastic as others because this show makes her the star. I could imagine a lot of young girls liking the song and her and getting a lot of votes through this. I feel like the staging needs a slight overhaul, mainly in the backdrop although I hope they keep Diljá running amok on stage.
My main concern with this entry is that this show is a little more rough and ready and lacking polish. Whilst many might see this as a bit of a charm, many could see this as being slightly amateurish. If this got to the final I would hope that jury members would reward her vocal dexterity rather than sanction her stage craft. I just wonder if this song has the personality to stand out against the groups and rock numbers. I also feel the the start of the song is the least engaging part and people might take this as an excuse to have a toilet or tea beak.
