SPAIN

The Spanish Final was held on February 11th in Leganés, Madrid, hosted by Jaime Cantizano. Before the final there was a ‘wildcard round’ broadcast only on the internet where the act with the most votes gained the 6^th place in the final. The winner was chosen by a 50-50 televoting and jury split.  Once all the votes were distributed, there was a two-way tie for first place. The three jurors then voted for the act they wanted to win. Going to Eurovision will be Manel Navarro his self-penned song “Do it for your lover”.

Manel plays the guitar while he sings but is backed by a small band around him. Directly behind him is a small video screen which looks a bit like a digital polaroid frame which projects lots of archetypal instagram selfies, panoramas and pictures. There is also good use of an above camera angle which shows the video floor becoming a beach. The band don’t really do much except slightly mooch around in the shadows. Not quite sure why they are there or how they add anything to the show as they are barely focused on by the camera or by the lighting. Near the end, Manel stops playing and walks around with the microphone in his hand. Manel and the band are dressed in Hawaiian style shirts, vests and tight trousers, mirroring the summer feel of the song.

The song has a very lazy beach bum feel, something akin to Jack Johnson or Bruno Mars. Manel has a very soft voice with not much power but he sings this style of song quite well. The song has Spanish verses and then switches to English in the chorus. This is fine but there are real issues when it comes to pronunciation. He can’t say ‘lover’ and the phrase ‘just do it’ becomes ‘do suet’. It all becomes a bit uncomfortable and cringey very quickly. Moreover the instrumental after the chorus has a vocoder-esque part was being mimed by the backing band. Now they either need to omit this OR they need to get someone to attempt to sing this live. The ending is also very wet and predictable.

There was a lot of controversy regarding the show on the night. Two of the three jurors put Manel as their top song but the televoting had Mirela first. This resulted in a draw. It was only then that the host announced the jury would break the tie. There were 2 issues regarding this:

1) the jury already made their feelings clear that Manel was their fave - so why the revote?

2) for the last couple of years the televote winner has taken precedence in a tie - why the sudden change?

The gasps of horror in the audience and the general dismay at this reveal was audible all over social media but also in the hall. I genuinely felt sorry for both acts who were involved as this now became a show about the opinions of 3 people rather than the will of the televoters OR the talent of the performers.
That all said and done this is an awful choice. It’s wet, dreary, boring, monotonous, generic, weary, uninspiring, lifeless, far too static (visually and aurally) and is possibly the worst song Spain has ever sent to Eurovision.
If this isn’t last on 13^th May I will be very surprised.

ARTIST - Manel Navarro

SONG – Do it for your lover

MUSIC - Manel Navarro

LYRICS - Manel Navarro

GERMANY

The German Final was held on February 9th at the Köln-Mülheim TV studios in Cologne, hosted by Barbara Schöneberger. There were 5 finalists with 2 songs in the running.  In round one, the finalists performed cover versions with 2 contestants eliminated. In round two, the remaining 3 finalists performed one potential entry and another contestant was eliminated. In round three, the 2 finalists performed a different potential entry. The best two song/singer combinations from rounds 2 & 3 moved forward to a fourth and final round where a winning entry was chosen. In the end with winning act was Levina and her chosen song was "Perfect life".

During the show, the music was performed live by the old Stefan Raab house band The Heavytones. Although a nice touch, this is odd as the performance does not quite replicate the backing track. Levina spends most of the song walking up and down in her tight black trousers and sparkly flesh coloured top which was not every flattering at all. She slightly overdoes it when it comes to her arm movements but this couldbe worked on. The background shows strips, almost like vertical blinds that turn off and on and change colour and tone depending on the part of the song she sings. It is very generic and maybe this is to focus eyes on her but I think they could come up with something a bit more memorable and relevant.

The song starts off with a very strong bassline, reminiscent of “Titanium”. One might say the whole thing is slightly too similar to the David Guetta/Sia song. Her voice is pleasant although at times it feels like it’s slightly over accented. The chorus follows on quite nicely but the first rendition of it has an odd drum beat behind it and the song loses its early momentum. The repetition of the final line also makes you remember the title of the song even more. The song builds well although the ending is a little wet – that said at least it is an actual proper ending.

It must be said that ARD and its subsidiaries had been burned by the national final controversies over the past few years (internal selection then de-selection of Xavier Naidoo, and of course Kummert-gate) having a different kind of process was needed – just not THIS one. The show went on far too long, had too many voting rounds and was kind of unfair on the contestants not even allowed to sing an ESC song. Probably just having 4 of them to start with and getting them to sing both songs would have been enough and lasted 2 hours instead of 3.

This is not a bad song sung by quite a nice girl and I think this is very much an act in progress. Much will change between now and May. First of all we need to get used to listening to the recorded version of the song rather than the live band version. Secondly, she needs a better look – both in terms of styling but also in terms of stage craft, camera angles and engaging with the audience. She needs to stay personally and likeable but also make her movements more fluid and less amateur. Germany are not going to win with this one, however they also won’t come last like in 2015 and 2016… and that might just be enough to keep them happy.

ARTIST - Levina

SONG - Perfect Life

MUSIC - Lindsey Ray, Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett

LYRICS - Lindsey Ray, Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett

FRANCE

The French entry was revealed on February 9^th via Eurovision.tv. As with the previous 2 entries the singer and song was internally selected by the French broadcaster France Télévisions. The selected act is Alma and she will be singing the all French language entry “Requiem”

The entry was initially posted as a music video but later that day a video surfaced of her performing the song live at the melty Future Awards which is where I will be taking most of my cues from, Alma is dressed quite plainly in a short blue dress and strappy shoes. Although she stays still on the spot she is quite active and gets involved in the song. The background is quite generic with strips of coloured light which was probably more geared towards suiting the whole show and not her performance. During the main bridge, she is joined on stage a by two dancers who mainly dance together in loose tango fashion. There are backing singers on the track and these will need to be factored in at some point.

The song starts off and is quite moody but slightly lacking in tune. The bridge is the part that starts to grab your attention as the constant change of tone is very engaging and you can also start to figure out what she is saying. However, this part would sound very bad if sung out of tune. The chorus is not bad but not exactly singable.  In fact, the chorus most stands out when at the very end of the song she just sings the first part of each line. The whole thing has quite a memorable feel about it which may make it stand out.

On one side this feel like this is a work in progress. I give her respect for performing this live but she needs work vocally. I also suspect that ‘the show’ will be much more polished and eye catching than this. The song, especially coming after the success of Amir in 2016, feels quite filmic and possibly sounds more in tone to Patricia Kaas’ ballad from 2009.

My initial reaction to this was that if felt similar - too similar -  to Stromae’s “Tous les memes”. Now, what his song lacks in tune, it more than makes up for it in attitude, energy and pure storytelling. The more I hear “Requiem” the more I notice that these things are lacking. Part of me thinks that on a first listen – and many viewers first listen will be in the grand final – many might think this is contemporary, original and striking and might get quite a few votes. But many, like myself, may find it a little to derivative and lacking in ooomph. I think this will be a bit of a fan fave, and possibly a song juries might enjoy, but a result like last year looks quite unlikely. Unless there is quite a radical staging upgrade, I can’t see this leaving the right hand side of the scoreboard.

ARTIST - Alma

SONG -Requiem

MUSIC - Nazim Khaled

LYRICS - Nazim Khaled

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss Final was held on February 5th at the SRF TV Studios in Zürich and hosted by Sven Epiney. The winner, solely chosen by televoting, was Timebelle with the song “Apollo”.

Most of the camera work is focused on Miruna, the singer, although there is also a drummer, a pianist and three backing singers, all very badly lit. She stands in the centre of the stage in a strappy and high-slitted red dress and barely moves. She does however have a large range of arms and hand movements at her disposal. Behind her, the main motif is that of different shades of roses. This is then exacerbated at the 2:20 mark when red confetti streams over her like red rose petals.

The song starts off quite gentle then powers up into the first chorus. The verses are pretty tuneless but also fairly predictable in terms of progression. There is quite a jump melodically into the chorus and the pitch starts higher than you would expect. What jars is that she then goes even higher and the very small use of her falsetto voice feels a little uncomfortable. There is a sizable bridge section around the 1.50 mark which a) feels very early and b) the lyrics are totally indecipherable. The song is saved by the fact that Miruna can belt this out almost effortlessly.

Unfortunately, this national final continued the standard of the last 2 editions of the Entscheidungsshow - that of being really poor. The songs were passable and the artists seemed ok but the whole presentation felt very lack lustre.  It seemed quite obvious even before the live show that Timebelle would win. Partly because they had the best package but also a slight sympathy vote as they were placed second in the Swiss final in 2015, as possibly should have won then.

This is an OK ballad performed by a singer who could possibly do a lot better than this - that is about it. Apart for the singer’s ethnicity (she is Romanian, although the rest of the band is from Bern) I cannot see why anyone in the jury or televote would vote for this. Unless they redesign ‘the show’ to be more memorable or the rest of the songs chosen in the coming months are VERY dull or every other performer sings out of tune, this will be staying firmly in the semi-final.

ARTIST - Timebelle

SONG - Apollo

MUSIC - Elias Näslin, Nicolas Günthardt, Alessandra Günthardt

LYRICS - Elias Näslin, Nicolas Günthardt, Alessandra Günthardt

FINLAND

The Finnish Final was held on January 28th at the Espoo Metro Areena in Espoo, hosted by Krista Siegfrids. The winner was chosen by 10 international juries (50%) and televoting & internet voting (50%) - the internet voting was held from December 31st-January 26th as well as during the broadcast of the final. Once all the votes were cast the winner was the duo Norma John with “Blackbird”.

This was a very stark looking presentation with Lasse sat at the side playing the piano and Leena in a very Victorian-style mourning dress. The lighting is very dark and the projection behind is that of choppy seas. As the song progresses, red lights strobe on and off like a blood-lit lighthouse. You are not quite sure if the song is going to progress to be happier or be sadder. The camera work is also very stark they alternate between tight head shots of the singer and sweeping long shots of the whole stage.

The song starts off with no introduction and puts a very immediate stamp on the stage. You start to also get a kind of Adele-esque feeling about the song although Leena’s voice is very different to Adele, even though she has been styled otherwise. There is not much ‘show’ as the story of the song IS the show. Between each verse and chorus there are very slight changes to the orchestration as the song goes on. However, the instrumental from Lasse at the piano at the 2-minute mark is truly magnificent and butterfly inducing and I only wish that this was a catalyst for the show, the instrumentation or background so that something could mirror this shift in the song.

Unlike Finnish finals of the past this one a one-night final with no heats or qualification rounds. The song quality was extremely variable and it was no surprise that this song won quite convincingly. In a contest which looks like it’s turning into a sea of ballads, this could be too dour. Although this was my favourite beforehand I was a little disappointed in the visual show. Personally, during the amazing piano solo it needs to change background or colour because it then starts to feel like it’s going on and on. I also feel a slight change of orchestration during the end chorus would make the ending more definite and more final.
This ws easily the best song in the show and I was very pleased that it won. I think that the song is very relatable to the general public but also shows enough singwriting and musical ability to be a hit with juries, To my eyes and ears this is a total Marmite song – you either love it or hate it. This will either flop spectacularly in the semi-final and not qualify or this will be top 3. Which one that will be is anyone’s guess.

ARTIST - Norma John

SONG - Blackbird

MUSIC - Lasse Piirainen, Leena Tirronen

LYRICS - Lasse Piirainen, Leena Tirronen

UNITED KINGDOM

The UK Final was held on January 27th at the Eventim Apollo in London, hosted by Mel Giedroyc. The winner was chosen by an "expert" jury (50%), televoting & internet voting (50%). After the scores were added up, only with winner was revealed at that was Lucie Jones singing “Never give up on you”

This was the most plainly set of all the song on the night. Lucie is on stage alone with a very dark background and with the spotlight focused on her. The camera is very much focused in on her upper half to try and keep the TV audience connected with the story of the song. Lucie also doesn’t do a lot on stage, which might not be a good show for the people in the hall, but the close-ups will sell the song better on TV.

The song starts off with just a piano backing and Lucie singing. It certainly captures your attention in a slightly curious way. The timing of the piano almost seems a bit off and makes you wonder what is going to happen next. The song seamlessly transitions from verse to chorus and the come down back into the verse is very plain and simple.  The bridge part going into the final chorus gets is a little shaky and the story of the song gets a little lost. Lucie also needs to mind her hands as they can look a bit claw-like and spindly. She also needs to turn down the smirk she sometimes has as it can come across as bit at odds to the words she’s singing or (even worse) look cocky and aggressive. Some better camera angles and more focused choreography might help this.

On first listen to the song I assumed that after a verse or two the song would ramp up into something more orchestral or even into a “Euphoria” type trance song. But this didn’t happen. At first this left me feeling disappointed and empty however after a while this ‘trick’ of not going where I thought it would factually felt quite clever. It kept me hanging on waiting or the change… but it didn’t.

For something sent as the UK Eurovision entry, this is a proper song which is taking things seriously. Although certainly not the favourite in the hall, I would say that it definitely stood out from the crowd vocally and visually. Many have said it has a similar vibe to Mollie’s song in 2014 but I think that the providence of this song will help it more in the voting – in case you missed it the song was co-written by Denmark’s winner in 2013 - Emmelie de Forest. Only a day after winning the contest, it was already mooted that changes might be made to the song. Many commented on social media that a bigger build up or more orchestral score might improve the song more, and these pretty much mirror my feelings.

It is very early days to be making a prediction but we do know that the UK need not qualify for the final. Also we seem to be heading towards a ballad heavy year. Depending on the way you look at it a) if lots of ballads qualify, this will blend in too much OR b) if lots of ballads DNQ this *would* stand out. At best I think it’ll be at the top of the right hand side of the board. If it can score more than 150 points, it should be deemed a great success.

ARTIST - Lucie Jones

SONG - Never give up on you

MUSIC - Emmelie de Forest, Lawrie Martin, The Treatment

LYRICS - Emmelie de Forest, Lawrie Martin, The Treatment

EUROVISION YOU DECIDE

Whatta looooooooooong weekend!!!

To go through every detail of my journey would probably be a bit TMI but I will try and keep it brief-ish and keep to the main points. I left work, as I normally do, at 12.15 but that is where the normality of my Friday ended. Instead of collecting baby from the childminder, I waited by the car for my husband – he was picking Marcus up instead and needed the car seat from me. I then went to the bus stop and caught a bus into Bath. After a small walk around town and a bit of food I got the quite-packed train to Paddington. The very British way of people shuffling about in seats because people were sitting in other’s reservations is always a bit of a laugh. Right on time I arrived in the big smoke and made my way towards the tube. Now I made a bit of a mess of this as I started following the signage for ONE tube line then decided to follow the signs for a different one. This then meant that I ended up doing a full loop of the place without seeing a train… Once I worked out what I had done I found the Hammersmith and City line tube and made my way.

Then I had a short walk to the hotel. The hotel was just fine, I am sure I could have found many a fault with it but I am just not a fussy person! I always get a bit nervous when it comes to checking into places like this as I always fear I will have got something wrong or be turned away (although such a thing has NEVER happened!) The room was small but practical enough for a person by themselves staying for a night. Got in the door and started stuffing the pockets of my rucksack full of all the free stuff XD After a brief rest and a costume change I ventured out into Hammersmith.

Then I met up with some of my friends, almost all I had actually never met in person before but only contacted them through online platforms. As the evening progressed I met lets of different people whose pictures and profiles I’ve seen online. Although I might not have been introduced explicitly to loads of people it was really nice seeing faces I recognised (the probability of people recognising me was probably very low!!) Although I was meeting people for the same time I felt like I knew so many of them so well. I had been told that ESC events were really great things ad that the fans are really nice people – and now I can actually say this is true.

On a slight tangent I’d really like to talk about the Hammersmith Apollo itself. First of all is a beautiful grand building inside and out although there is one slight problem about the outside  - THE GREAT BIG FLYOVER STUCK RIGH IN FRONT OF IT!!!!! I loved all the Art Deco features and although the inside looked lime green from the inside it was more of a mint/apple green which was much more tasteful. There were some lovely light features in the auditorium which were also highlighted during the show.

So let’s get on with the actual night.

When we got there Scott Mills was doing a Q&A session with Jon Ola Sand (the man in charge of the European Broadcasting Union), Alexander Rybak (winner for Norway in 2009) and Nikki (half of the Azeri winning act in 2011) Now I could have stayed and watched but I needed the loo… However I did take a few piccies.

(PLEASE NOTE – this was the camera on my new phone that I have only had for a couple of weeks and so they are not *brilliant* quality)

We then got into the auditorium and found a spot near the back which although far from the stage had a pretty decent view. The warm up guy was doing well trying to whip up a frenzy, however making everyone sing “One step out of time” *punch punch* is not exactly the best… That said, the introduction of Mel and the judges got the audience well fizzed up. Eurovision classics filled the air such as ”Save all your kisses for me” “Making your mind up” “Puppet on a String” and “Diva” (although disappointingly the English version – I can only sing it in the original Hebrew!) The show started promptly at 7.30pm although the intro had been pre-recorded a few minutes earlier. I felt that the show (at least in the hall) was well run and we thought through. It was nice seeing at the bits that you |don’t see when the camera if focused somewhere else.

The show then started with a bang with this guy....

Oh my word he was good! Part of me was really honoured to see him perform in the flesh and you can really tell thathe is a quality performer. It would be a real shame if we never saw him again either as a singer and/or songwriter in Eurovision again.That will be a performance I will hold i my hert for a verylong time. After all the introductions were done and dusted it was finally time to get on with the show!

Another slight tangent here – after I had heard the songs on Radio 2 I has the overall feeling that 1) these were not bad songs but 2) they sounded very over-produced and flat. This lead me to hoping that seeing them in the flesh would sway me one way or the other.

As it turned out – this was the case… but not always in the ways I had expected

1)      I wish I loved you more – this visually looked stunning in the hall wth the black and gold background. I also liked the choreography of the backing singers. However Holly absolutely smashed it vocally in the hall.

2)      Light up the world – He sounded very weak at the start and didnlt get better. Danyl did the Basim poopy step dance which is never a good look. A good group effort in the flesh but a bit cheesy for me and ESC.

3)      I will never give up on you – this looked very odd on a big stage with her being alone on stage and little movement but was atmospheric and you could hear a pin drop. She also filled the place with her voice.

4)      Freedom Hearts – the place literally buzzed as the bass thundered through you. She looked a bit awkward choreographcally and was dressed like a slutty Selma. The flag waving at the end started far too late.

5)      What are we made of – felt like a bit of a come down after the previous songs. Looked and felt very empty and although his voice was strong. Although I liked the song beforehand the 1st verse went on far too long.

6)      I don’t wanna fight – this was very much the crowd fave and got cheers throughout. She looked a bit messy and the Frank Spencer backing didn’t help. I couldn't tell you how good she was at the time due to all the shouting!

In fact, the show flowed really well until the interval acts started. The Vamps were pretty good although I am guessing I was not the only one in the audience wondering what the hell they were doing there. I really enjoyed the reprise of “Love, Love Peace, Peace” which they showed on the big screen although this was possibly down to the fact the crowd in the hall went absolutely bonkers. How I wished they had shown the replay from the theatre’s point of view. It felt so alive! Possibly the nearest I will ever get to seeing Mans and/or Petra on a Eurovision stage.

The actual result was so very stressful – the pause before the announcement seemed to go on forever! For me the right person and right song won. It was my fave beforehand so was really pleased to see it get through. Needless to say I was a little bit shocked. Firstly because the crowd reaction made me thing that Salena was going to win but secondly (and I don’t know if you could pick up this from home) but once the result was announced people started booing. Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m one who like a good boo, and I would even encourage ’political booing’. Hhowever there was nothing that this girl had done or said to give cause for others to boo. BOO TO YOU :P

After the show was done, we went to the Hop Poles pub where the room upstairs had been reserved as an ESC after party venue. Ohhhhhhhh it was sooooooo good. It was like a dream. I was singing and dancing along with my faves (and even some of my non-faves) and it was really great being in the presence of people who felt the same way as me. I often think about doing things like karaoke but most of the songs I would want tossing would be ‘obscure Eurovision songs’ and they’d never be on the list. In that moment I was belting my heart out to so many choooons…. It was a bit like a primal scream but in friendlier song form…. But it had been a long day having been up since just before 6am and I got pretty knackered fairly quickly and finally got back to my hotel around 11pm.

After a quick shower, a bit of fried food, a few nice drinks and Channel 4 +1 I finally got to bed…. Not that I slept well. Not so much because the bed was awful, more that fcat that my head was buzzing and I was very aware that I was in a different room PLUS my feet were throbbing XD I ended up getting up about 6.30am and watching Cbeebies. Baby or no baby, old habits die hard! I then got changed and went to breakfast around 8am. Although the food was nothing special I was kept entertained by the TV showing news on BBC One. The ‘tough talking’ of Trump and his cronies, especially regarding the travel bans seemed s at odds with the environment I was in. Most of the staff were Eastern European or of sub-continental background, a few of the guests had Australian accents and the shops up and down the street reflected a wide range of countries and cultures. If there was ever a moment when one could fully understand that that man was talking complete bollocks – this was it.

After breakfast, I decided to leave my stuff at the hotel and have a walk up and down the main street. Everything was still closed, apart from a few food/eatery places, the traffic was very light and not many people about. I took my camera with me and took some pics of the local place names, sights and signs. It was nice to get out in London whilst not so busy, it can be quite a stifling place when it is in full gear.

My plan from here on in was a little sketchy – all I knew was that I had to be in Paddington by just before 2pm. I checked out of the hotel at 10am and walked down towards the Apollo by this time most of the shops were now opened. I went to the German ‘Bäkehaus” and go the husband a back of pretzels then popped into a number of charity shops where I found a small Miffy lunchbox that I could give to Marcus. After that I  then did small pilgrimage to site I has googled the previous evening. For those of you confused by the reference this the site of the bench used tin the opening credits of “Bottom”. The original bench was moved many years ago but after Rik Mayall’s death a replacement was produced and installed in his memory.

I then went to have a look around the small shopping centre next to the tram station. It was here I would see something that literally knocked me for six.

HEMA…IN THE UK...I WAS STANDING NEXT TO A...HEMA

To the general public going about their daily business, I probably looked like I was having some kid of mental break down or just been told some awful news, I stood outside the shop and literally cried in a mildly panicked fashion. I even phoned my husband in an effort to calm myself down – and discuss a shopping list XD I walked out with a huge bag of stuff. I could have spent 3,4,5 times as much but heaving it all around London AND get on the train AND the bus was never going to be a good move. After that I then got a bus northwards for another pilgrimage site… You either get it or you don’t…

I then got the bus to Paddington and got myself some take away fayre (as well as using their toilets!). As it was far too early to wait around in the station itself I walked up the road to Merchant Square and the Paddington Basin. I would imagine that on a weekday this place is filed with business types but at the weekend it seemed a world away from the inner city. It was also nice to see so many canal boats here. In fact although I knew this place existed I never knew the canal was here. I would imagine long walks up and down it are lovely in the summer.

And so the time came to board the train. Although all the seats had reservation tickets on it, barely any of them in our carriage were actually used. Once at Bath, I walked the few metres to the bus station, got the bus back to Peasedown where I had left the car and drove straight home.

And then I because plain old mummy again. Oh don't get me wong I missed my husband and my little boy greatly but I guess until you push yourself and test the boundaries one never knows how far you can go. I missed them, but I was so busy and in an odd kind of way it was nice to be Ann "The Eurovision Fan" rather than Ann - the woman what works at school or Ann - the mummy and wife. It just feltso free to be doing things that I genuinely love and for someone who feel like I have very few close friends I felt like I was surrounded by allies and fellow followers of the cause. I did make me feel a bit silly that I was nervous and apprehensive before hand.

I just want t say a BIG thank you to everybody I saw and met last weekend - you made that day so special to me. I am going to try to make sure that this is NOT my last Eurovision event although may be my only event of this year. If the BBC decide to have another UK national final I will try my hardest to be there and if Eurovision even winds its way to these shores I will try to make the leap.
It is a distant memory now.... but a very treasured one x

BELARUS

The Belarussian Final was held on January 20th at BTRC Studio 600 Metrov in Minsk, hosted by Olga Ryzhikova & Teo. The winner was chosen by televoting (50%) & an "expert" jury (50%).  Once the votes were added together, the winning act was the duo NAVI singing “Historyja majho žyccia” (The story of my life).

The setting of the song is very simple. Arciom and Ksienija perform the song is a very free way. Arciom plays his guitar whist Ksienija does her best in inviting the audience to join in or copy her twisty choreography. They are also dressed quite simply which helps them give their all. In some ways it is slightly reminiscent of Lithuania’s duet in 2015. Although they don’t interact a lot with each other they feel like a definite unit. The background is made up of flashing lights and kaleidoscopic symbols and colours which gives it a great spirit and identity. This is also the first Eurovision entry selected by Belarus in Belarussian.

The song gets into its rhythm quickly – and doesn’t stop. They start away from the microphones moving and turning before going into one of the song's many earworms. The song is structured very cleverly. The verses and choruses are short and lend themselves to lots of repetition. The chorus itself is also well structured. Although there are lots of words, there are not many notes and the tune of each line are very similar. My main critsim is that that I would prefer another rendition of the chorus near the end raher than a whole 30 seconds of  'hey-hey, aj-ja-ja-ja"

Considering that not much actually happens, in terms of stage craft and choreography, it is a very intriguing entry. And although not in English, the use of “Historyja” as the first word in the chorus is very clever and hooks non-speakers in as it is a word that can be translated or sounds very similar in different European languages.. The duo are also masters are conveying the meaning of the song through their facial expression and body language.

This is a happy, fun and catchy song performed with such gusto. I can imagine this getting a rapturous reception at Eurovision. It’s not exactly a dancey song but I could imagine the hall waving their flags clapping in time and joining in with the hey-heys and the fist pumping. Now it must be noted that this song did not do that well with the televoting public and won dthanks to full marks from the juries. Usually this would be a negative but a) Belarussian televoting results have never been failsafe and b) this song probably has a better following outside of Belarus. I think it safe to say that this is already becoming a bit of a fan favourite. The fact that the song is not in English is a huge positive. The song reflects a culture and changing it to English would change the whole act (This said I might not be averse to a final chorus being placed into English as long as the words really fit)
I think that many of Belarus’s cultural neighbours will lap this up but will also be very memorable because is feels rooted in an ethnic folk culture. I really hope that this song qualifies. Jamala’s win last year proved that culturally ethnic songs can do well but this song is the antithesis of 1944 in subject and emotion. Maybe this is exactly what Eurovision needs.

ARTIST - NAVI

SONG -Historyja majho žyccia (The story of my life).

MUSIC - Arciom Lukjanienka

LYRICS - Arciom Lukjanienka

GEORGIA

The Georgian Final was held on January 20th at the Philharmonic Concert Hall in Tbilisi. The final consisted of 25 acts. Once all the songs were performed the top 5 were announced. The winner was decided by a combination of international jury (70%) & televoting (30%).The winning act was Tako Gachechiladze with her self-penned number “Keep the faith”

The setting of the song is reminiscent of Conchita Wurst, and she also wears a similar dress – although even that has its surprises. The background is blank for the first part of the song but then springs into life projecting photos and videos of war zones and past and future newspaper headlines. This has the effect of making it more memorable but also pulling the heartstrings of the Georgian public. (NOTE – Tako was a member of Stephane and 3G which was ‘banned' from ESC 2009 for its political play on words “We don’t wanna put in”)

The song starts off quite timidly and shows Tako off as having a Mariah Carey-esque vocal range and ability. It has echoes of a more traditional, almost old-school type Eurovision entry but has a lot more power and sass that would've been expetced. The song is powerful and dynamic for a ballad but relies very heavily on backing vocalists in the chorus. The last minute is rather epic with multiple key changes, a ‘we will rock you’ hand-clap style chorus AND the spectacle of her dress suddenly lighting up like neon veins. Although this ends on a great high it then makes you feel like the first two minutes is very badly structured and therefore wasted. I would suggest that more is made of the clapping parts –  simple and effective audience participation would look and sound amazing – and that the crescendo to the ending was more powerful.

This was possibly the best of a thin, if not diverse, national final. Tako is a very good singer and has an interesting look and voice. She wrote the song herself so you can tell she has a personal relationship with it and utilises her range perfectly. The whole thing really requires an up-vamp and is in serious need of some production values to make it a truly professional package. One may be tempted to say that as G:son has had a hand in a couple of the last Georgian entries his magic wand would work wonders on this dramatic, almost schlager-esque, ballad.

As it is, I think it would probably scrape through a semi-final but with a decent revamp this should be a sure-fire qualifier (Georgia have only failed to qualify once in their Eurovision history). Not much needs to be done to the lyrics but may need a cut down in some areas and elongating in others. Hopefuly they will leave Tako alone, provide her with a properly orchestrated backing track, some top notch backing singers and backdrop that provides drama and meaning without being too provocative. 

ARTIST - Tako Gachechiladze

SONG – Keep the Faith

MUSIC - Tako Gachechiladze

LYRICS - Tako Gachechiladze

170120

Happy New Year to you all.

This first podcast of the new year looks forward to the national final dates to come as well as looking back over the news, gossip and SKANDAAAAAAAL that has rocked the Eurovision world over the past few weeks. There is a a lot to catch up on, so I apologise if it goes on a bit!

In particular I look towards to my very first Eurovision event, "Eurovision You Decide" and a little shoutout to anybody going !

Music this week comes from Monaco and Estonia.

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