GERMANY 2025

The German song and act were selected on March 1st through the show "Chefsache 2025". There were two heats (where 7 of 12 qualified in each show) and a semi final (where 9 from 14 went through) all chosen by an in-house jury. The overall winner was chosen in two rounds; the jury selected a top 5 which would then be open to 100% televoting, including online, worldwide voting. Going to Basel is the duo Abor & Tynna with the song "Baller" (Shoot)

Abor & Tynna's full names are Attila and Tünde Bornemisza and they are siblings with Abor two years the elder. They both are from Vienna, Austria but their family hails from both Hungary and Romania. They were born into an artistic family with their father being a cellist in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Abor's main instrument is also the cello while Tynna plays the flute. The siblings recorded their first song in 2016 and last year they were Nina Chuba's support act on tour. Their Eurovision entry is their 10th single release to date and also comes from their debut album "Bittersüß".

The background colour is dark with turquoise lighting. The ends of the stage are lit up which is reminiscent of neon lighting. Abor is sat to the side on a chair playing the cello in a grey bomber jacket and similarly coloured trousers, Tynna is centre stage wearing a silvery, slightly translucent cress. They are joined on stage by the house band at the back of the stage and two male dancers wearing grey outfits with big white boots. The song starts with a full version of the chorus before going into the first verse. We then hear the pre-chorus for the first time before entering into the chorus again. There is then a final verse - pre chorus - chorus before a final outro with the repetition  the name of the song in the chorus' first line. Just before the outro Tynna takes the cello off her brother, holds it above her head and hits it on the central speaker creating sparks, before finishing back to back.

This is the first time since 2008 the German entry actually contains German. The 'lalala' chorus is catchy and starting the three minutes with this gets it stuck in your head straight away. It is a clever earworm for those who do, or do not, speak German. Tynna has an engaging performance style and has enough natural movement for it to feel genuine and not too stayed. I enjoy the parts Tynna does directly to camera. In the semi she had a hand held device with what a clever gimmick but the definition was not good enough. At times it feels like Abor is pushed to the side. The destruction of the cello near the end is an interesting schtick and makes me wonder if some choreography between the siblings and the cello could be added into the show. I also feel the dancers are not needed, and weren't there during the semi-final, although the set up of the stage may have hampered how much space they had to perform in or even how many dancers they could have, It is also interesting how muted the colour scheme is, especially the outfits on stage, which almost makes you focus on the song first. This is a fun dance-pop song, just in time for summer festivals and parties, and might be a grower outside of the contest if it doesn't do too well in it.

ARTIST - Abor & Tynna

SONG - Baller

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Attila Bornemisza, Tünde Bornemisza, Alexander Hauer

GERMANY 2023

The German final "Unser Lied für Liverpool" was held on March 3rd at the MMC Studios in Cologne, as ever, presented by Barbara Schöneberger. Before the final there was a tik tok based wildcard to select an extra finalist. There were due to be nine acts in the final but Frida Gold withdrew because of illness. The winner was chosen by a 50/50 split of 8 international juries and online voting/televoting which was open for a week before the final. The winner was Lord of the Lost with the song "Blood and glitter".

Lord of the Lost was founded in 2007 by Chris Harms as a solo project, but set out to recruit a band from the Hamburg music scene so his songs could be played live rather than just recorded and uploaded online. Their first proper single was released in 2009 and the first of their 8 studio albums was released in 2010. They have a good live track record as they have opened for multiple rock acts such as Mono Inc, Letze Instanz, KMFDM and Iron Maiden. In 2013 they were part of the Gothic Meets Klassik event at the Leipzig Gewandhaus and in 2014 they toured the US mainly thanks to crowdfunding. Their songs range from heavy metal, industrial music to glam rock. Harms voice is extremely distinctive, low but operatic, while their outfits are very over the top and dramatic.

The group is dressed in similar red outfits and the musicians are dotted around the stage - the singer and two guitarists on stage and the drummer and keyboarder play on two scaffolding platforms on either side. The lighting is quite dark - mainly red -  and there is a lot of smoke/dry ice. The song starts with the first two lines of the chorus sung quietly and with little backing then the drums and guitars come in along with a screamy shout of the song title. These changes of feeling and delivery right at the start sets you up for the chop and change nature of the song.. The verse in quite slow lyrically but this leads into a very staccato pre chorus. The chorus is very repetitive but in this first instance the music stops and slowly builds up  to s stereotypical shouty end.. There is then another verse and pre-chorus but the chorus this time has the music turned up to 11 the whole way through. This chorus has an extended shouty part and some extra synthesised noises in the background. This crescendo then drops into a quieter last version of the chorus which builds up once more to the repetitive shouting of the title.

The national final was a rather odd affair as the international juries really did not vote the same as in the domestic televote at home - this scored 42 points with the jury but 146 with the German public. That said, this was probably one of the more competent and stand out acts of the night - in a good way!  When it comes to the Eurovision televote, this should do ok, especially with central and eastern countries and the Scandinavian/Baltic countries. I can imagine their section in the vote recap will stand out a mile. As the international jury may foreshadow, this song may not do as well in the jury portion of the voting.

Visually this has a great identity, as it does sonically, but it needs defining and some paring down. I am not sure having the red outfits with red lighting works but as the stage in Liverpool will be bigger, being more spread out stage may help. Although the music is obviously loud it is very important that the singer can be heard clearly, which isn't always the case. This is more apparent when he is using that low register. The repetition of the title as the first word of the chorus is very effective and makes it very easy to repeat. If some of these points can be ironed out I can't see this being a last place, even more so if many of the rockier entries are eliminated before hand in the semi-finals. It is also good to see Germany sending something that isn't radio-friendly or generic and is something that feels more artistically Germanic.

ARTIST - Lord of the Lost

SONG - Blood and glitter

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS -  Corvin Bahn, Anthony J. Brown, Chris Harms, Rupert Keplinger, Pi Stoffers

GERMANY 2021

The German song was revealed on February 25h, via is premier play on the main channel Das Erste. Earlier this month it was revealed that Jendrik Sigwart had been internally selected to be their representative. The song he will be singing is called "I don't feel hate"

The video centres around Jendrik and his friends in different situations and the reactions to the different predicaments. The clip is very colourful and full of jumpily edited clips, slo-mo or sped up sequences and zooming in & out. Jendrik and his pals are in a launderette and the clip recreates their friends' past situations. Even though they may be in a caravan or night club or café, the washing machines are a clear reminder that they are all really still in the laundrette.

The song begins with the chorus aided only by the ukulele and a slight beat. After such a quiet starts in comes the big brassy postchorus instrumental which is very brash and in your face. We then have another chorus, this time with slightly more instruments in the backing track and smashes right into the brassy instrumental. This is followed by verse 2 which is slightly longer than the first but keeps the same happy carefree vibe. Then follows a rather lengthy instrumental break including a lull in the backing track so you can hear his tap dancing (but will that be in the actual performance though...?) This leads up to a longer version of the chorus with a little bit of Jendrik free styling and being a bit more free with the tune and lyrics. This then leads into one last brassy instrumental to a truncated brassy part to finish.

Although Jendrik has studied and performed music since he was young, this song is his first major foray in the music business. He studied musicals at university and performed in many musicals during this time. However it was his foray into youtube that got him a following and the opportunity to write and publish his own work there. This experience has also help him gain a following and hone his craft.

This song is VERY divisive - but this is no bad thing. It is hellishly memorable and gets in your ear whether you love it or hate it. The whole production is rather non-stop. You can tell he has had experience in making internet clips as the constantly changing sound and visuals keep you on your toes and is definitely geared to a younger demographic. I find this song VERY hard to call and my opinion of it changes on a daily basis. Just as I get used to one part of the song I find that the shift to the next part too jarring. I also worry that his stage show is going to be so active and OTT that his vocals - which are already very fast - will suffer. This all said and done his interaction and video content throughout this process has been really enjoyable and his participation in this year's contest will inject some much needed light relief.

ARTIST - Jendrik Sigwart
SONG - I don't feel hate
WRITING CREDITS - Christoph Oswald, Jendrik Sigwart

16/02/12 GERMANY

The German Final was held on February 16th at the Brainpool Studios in Cologne, hosted by Sandra Rieß & Steven Steven Gätjen. Before the final there were 7 shows whittling down the initial 20 candidates to a final 2.

Roman Lob was vote the winner of “Unser Star fuer Baku”with the song “Standing Still” The song sounds very contemporary with the guitar/piano rock feel to it. It certainly sounds like the type of song that western Europe would really like as well be something that would appeal to the juries. The song does sound very familiar and sound like anything that could ahe been published by The Fray, Script or OneRebublic. It was revealed early on I the process that the song had been written by Jamie Cullum hose style of music is very popular as well as being a bit name to publisise then touring the song.

Roman is a good singer and has a strong voice which the song really complements. He has a good level of performance and can cope really well on the stage himself. I just hope they don’t spoil his charisma by adding dancers or funny backing singers. I also hope they do not try and stifle his personality by dressing him up in a suit. Leave him with the baseball cap and lumberjack shirts!

The Germans have once again come up with a song that is strong and will appeal. Will do well but possibly not good enough to make another trip to Germany in 2013.

SONG  - Standing Still

ARTIST – Roman Lob

COMPOSERS – Jamie Cullum, Steve Robson, Wayne Hector

LANGUAGE – English

GERMANY

The German final took place on the 18th February and filmed at the Brainpool TV Studios in Cologne and once again presented by Sabine Heinrich & Matthias Opdenhövel.

The show starts with a recap of Lena’s journey in Eurovision 2010. The panel is introduced which, this episode, is Barbra Schöneberger and Ich+Ich singer Adel Tawil. An the band “The Heavytones” is also introduced to the audience. They will be providing live backing to all the songs.

Song 1 is Maybe.
This song appeals to the cheekier and nonchalant side of Lena’s character. She is able to put a lot of her attitude and character into the lyrics and choreography of the song. She is wearing a similar dress she sung this in the semi but her hair is in a pony tail. Her vocals are much stronger in the SF, and sounds like her mic has been upped in volume. The tune to this song is very catchy but the words in the chorus are still a bit garbled. The finish is a bit weak. Good applause from the audience

Song 2 is What Happened To Me Today
This is a very typical Raab sounding song and you can hear Lena’s influences in the words. I guess one could say this is one of the safer choices on offer today. Again she is a wearing a similar dress to her semi performance and her mic seems much louder. The intro to the song is very interesting and engages the listener and slowly grows. She is bopping around quite happily to the song but she would enjoy it – it is her own XD Not sure about the bridge part though. Nice applause from the audience.

Song 3 is Push Forward
This ballad is not normally the kind of song you would associate with Lena. It is nice to see her doing something much more simple and focusing on her voice. She is wearing the same outfit as in the semi. The song starts of very quiet and grows as the song progresses. It is a simple song with some lovely chords progressions. Her voice still doesn’t seem strong enough, especially the very final chorus) for this song but she does give over a lot of meaning. Very enthusiastic clapping and stomping from the audience.

Song 4 is Mama Told Me
Another typical Raab number with lots of brass backing. As Lena had input into this song too I guess she will enjoy singing it again. Lena is wearing a mid length black dress and the dancers are back. Lena is even joining in some of the dancing. She seems very comfortable singing the song and obviously likes singing this style of music and can interpret the lyrics and meaning of the song well.. The ending of the song is strange too. Warm applause from the audience.

Song 5 is A Million And One
This song is a strange mix of styles. Parts of it are quiet and slow others are more up-tempo and fast. It does show off the higher part of her range. Lena is again in black and the dancers are barefoot in red and black. The backing music is very minimal which helps project her voice through the song. The verses are too low although they fit Lena’s personality perfectly, the choruses are better but not catchy enough for Eurovision. An enthusiastic reception from the audience.

Song 6 is Taken By A Stranger
This song is the most unusual of the whole bunch and shows Lena in a brand new light. She is able to show a different genre of music and a more sinister tone in her voice. She is wearing the same outfit as the semis but the dancers are wearing sliver cat suits. The song is very atmospheric and captures the moment well. It has a slight ’80s electronica- industrial-goth feel about it The style also suits her tone and voice volume . Very enthusiastic whooping, clapping and stomping from the audience.

The panel then discusses who they ant in the ‘super final’
Barbra – Taken By A Stranger and Push Forward
Adel – Taken By A Stranger and Mama Told Me
Stefan – cannot choose but his favourite is Taken By A Stranger

The presenters then go through the voting numbers.
Songs 3 and 6 get the biggest cheers by far from the audience


So the Super Final will be between… Push Forward and Taken By A Stranger.

They then do a feature about some of the songs already chosen for the contest


Lena then takes the stage again to sing Push Forward. The lighting for this song also works effectively. I could imagine the audience in May being laced with glow sticks to recreate the look in the whole auditorium. Another good performance Another round of appreciative and enthusiastic applause.

Lena re-appears for Taken By A Stranger. The backing singers and dancers for this song really add to the atmosphere. The instrumental of this song seems just as interesting The whole audience seems to be clapping along to the beginning of the song. Wild cheers from the audience.

Whilst the voting is taking place Adel Tawil sings a song from Ich+Ich’s new album

The winner with 79% of the super final vote is … Taken By A Stranger !!!

SINGER – Lena Meyer-Landrut
SONG – Taken By A Stranger
MUSIC – Gus Seyffert, Nicole Morier and Monica Birkenes
WORDS - Gus Seyffert, Nicole Morier and Monica Birkenes

Here is a video of the winning song taken from the semi-final

Lena - Taken by a stranger from Hanazawa Rui on Vimeo.

semi-final 2 - Germany

1 A Million and One - written by Errol Rennalls and Stavros Ioannou
This is a very archetypal Lena song with that kind of talky feel to it. The backing music has more then a whiff of Kate Nash/Lily Allen about it. It seems to be quite a girly song. The verses are too long and chorus seems a little on the weak side but it does show off her upper range. The backing dancers are actually quite off-putting with their ballet-influenced dance.

2 Teenage Girls - written by Viktoria Hansen, Lili Tarkow-Reinisch and Yacine Azeggagh
This song starts off quite slow and quiet. However, the lyrics of this are far too playful and naughty and gets a little predictable (if not also offensive and rude). As the song goes I am waiting for the song to progress and get bigger but it doesn’t quite come. The chorus is a little weak with the do-do-do repetition. A very “Lena” song but would bomb at Eurovision.

3 Push Forward - written by Daniel Schaub and Pär Lammers
Another slow song for Lena that starts with a very simple ballad piano beat. This is a very simple, if not effective song. As the song goes on the backing grows the song gets more meaning. I feel that this song would favour a far more stronger vocalist. The chorus does not seem to suite Lena’s mockney accent. However there is a false ending which fools a few people!

4 At All - written by Aloe Blacc
Unfortunately this is no “I need a dollar –part 2” :o( This is another slowish jazzy track. The song does allow Lena to put a lot of performance into the look and sound of the song which makes it sound quite strong. She seems to be enjoying this song a lot. Once again this is a perfect Lena song but would get totally lost amid the hubbub of Eurovision.

5 A Good Day - written by Audra Mae, Todd Edgar Wright and Scott Simons
This is a slightly more up-tempos guitar based summery song. The song starts off quite Lena-ish but something feels a bit wrong. The tune of this song is all over the place. The chorus seems to yodel around from high to low notes and Lena hits a few bum notes during this part, which doesn’t help. This also makes the words to the song very hard to hear.

6 Mama Told Me - written by Stefan Raab and Lena Meyer-Landrut
A typical Raab arrangement with lots of brass in the backing music. The starts sound a little bit Motown/early disco and Lena’s dancing also put you in this frame of mind. Lena seems to be pushing her voice much more in this song (no favouritism I hope!!!)The chorus of this song is much catchier than anything we have heard this semi-final but is still no Eurovision song…

And the 3 songs through to the final on ARD next Friday are (in no particular order)… Push Forward, Mama Told Me and A Million And One.

semi-final 1 - Germany

Normally I would not do semi reviews but as this situation is quite unique I feel it is important.
Last year’s winner Lena is once again singing the German entry, however each semi she will be singing the selected songs which will be narrowed down for the final. I feel it is important I listen and review all the songs and see if I feel the same about the entries.

1 Good news - written by Audra Mae and Ferras Alqaisi
The song starts of quietly and builds slowly. The song has a kind of old fashioned 20/30s feel to it. It almost feels like it could do with being a little faster. Lena seems to be struggling with some of the lower notes. The tune is not really catchy enough for Eurovision.

2 Maybe – written by Daniel Schaub and Pär Lammers
This song is a little more like Lena’s style but the verses seem quite quick and garbled. The bridge section is far too low. The chorus is actually quite catchy and with some additional hand claps could be a catchy one! Lena looks a little lost and confused on stage and the dress really doesn’t suit her.

3 I like you – written by Rosi Golan and Johnny McDaid
Lena starts singing along with just an acoustic guitar. The song is much clearer to listen to and the harmony with the backing singers is very nice. I am not so sure about the simplicity of the chorus, it feels weak compared to the verses. However the set up of the song looks good. Not memorable enough for ESC.

4 That again – written by Stefan Raab
Another mid-tempo jazzy number. Lots of trumpets, drums and bass. Lena is strutting about on stage and seems to be enjoying this number. Once again the backing seems to loud and Lena’s vocals don’t sound too good. The verses build up but this isn’t followed through into the chorus. A bit strange.

5 Taken by a Stanger - Gus Seyffert, Nicole Morier and Monica Birkenes
This is more of a mysterious minimalist electropop-jazz style. It certainly sounds very interesting and engaging. She is also joined by 4 dancers who actually help sell the song. Lena seems to be getting into this. There is quite a long instrumental part which is a bit too long. Certainly not a archetypal Eurovision song but very interesting.

6 What happened to me - written by Lena Meyer-Landrut and Stefan Raab
Back to the mid-tempo jazz. Sounds like the opening sequence from a brand new comedy series. Lena is enjoying herself and is getting into the ‘acting’ of the song. Although it’s a perfectly good song that would be heard on many a radio station it is just a little bit predictable and that is not good.

The 3 songs through (in no particular order) are… Maybe, Taken By A Stranger and What Happened To Me