The Polish act and song was announced on 8th March. The national final "Finał krajowych kwalifikacji" was held on the 7th March with the result revealed the next morning. A winner was solely selected by app voting. Finally going to Vienna is Alicja with "Pray".
Alicja starts on a dimly lit stage with four male backing dancers behind. The backdrop scans across a black and white urban landscape and when the video glitches, so do the dancers. After the video ends the backdrop has a 3D moving corridor feel as well as flashes and strobes. The aesthetic of the show is black and white and works very well with the gospel/urban feel of the song. The dancers are all in black while Alicja wears very wide black trousers and a low v-necked silver bodice. Alicja moves and interacts with her dancers in a relaxed and confident manner. The song, which has a very modern R&B chart feel interpolates sections of rap, gospel, trap and soul in an effortless way. The English lyrics lean into prayer being a synonym for self-belief and not letting others lead you off your path. The song puts me in mind of Destiny's 2020 entry "All of my love"
The song shows off the control Alicja has in the riffs and long notes but also highlights the huskiness in her lower register. I like how the backdrop and dancers create an optical illusion at the start. I hope they can upscale the visuals and not change too much. It is hard to judge how this will do with the televote and if this harnesses the power of the Polish diaspora vote. The 'blue-eyed soul' style may be too niche for some but may stand out for technicians in the juries. It's good to get her on stage 6 years late!
ARTIST - Alicja
SONG – Pray
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Weronika Gabryelczyk, Sinclair Alan Malcolm, Alicja Szemplińska
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