RUSSIA

The Russian entry was unveiled on March 8th with the video being premiered on youtube. A month earlier it was revealed that 2015 runner up Sergey Lazarev would once again be representing the country. His song is called “Scream”.

The video is reminiscent of fairy and folk takes. The very start looks like a cross between the BBC2 show “Arena” titles and “In the night garden”. Although there are different actors in the scenes there is also the use of shadow puppetry, animations and slow motion camera work. In between these shots we see Sergey singing the song passionately. Thereare lots of fighting dragons, running from danger, swords and shield and saving maidens in distress. The whole thing is quite dark and mysterious which fits with the tone of the song.

The song is heavily orchestrated and it is very clear that the use of a proper orchestra in the recording gives this a highly emotional and dramatic feeling. The start is very small and quiet, the first verse being very understated, low in tone and almost talkative. This goes into the pre-chorus which is basically a staircase of notes, with the tune doing a set of scales up and down. Then starts the chorus which is basically the word ‘scream’ elongated over the whole sequence then repeated again, which is a little disappointing considering the amount of effort it has taken to get to this point. There is then another verse, pre-chorus and chorus followed by what almost feels like false finish. There is then a mini coda section where Sergey sings in unison with what sounds like himself and this part really sounds more interesting than everything that has gone before. He does a lat chorus by the harmonised singing keeps going. This idea should have been picked up earlier in the song instead of leaving it right at the end.

Overall I feel every so lightly disappointed at this entry. Although the music is beautiful and extremely well structured the lyrics are terribly underwhelming. In particular I find the fire/liar/drier rhyme rather strange and I think the phrasing is a little odd. It’s almost like they have picked key words, put them together in a way that makes a bit of sense but most of all has the most emphasis. But most of all, the one word chorus is a let down.

That all said, we know from his previous attempt at winning Eurovision, Sergey can sing and we also know he can cope very well indeed with intricate and complex staging so the whole package will provide a lot of unforgettable drama which might overshadow some of its lyrical misgivings.

This will qualify with no problem whatsoever but he needs to be warned that in a semi with plenty of male ballads he might have to up his game to make sure his entry is not diluted by everything around him. This is good but I am also equally disappointed at the same time.

ARTIST – Sergey Lazarev

SONG – Scream

MUSIC -  Philip Kirkorov, Dimitris Kontopoulos

LYRICS - Sharon Vaughn, Dimitris Kontopoulos

NORTH MACEDONIA

The North Macedonian entry was released on March 8^th. The song was to be released on 4 March, but the release date was changed to 8 March 2019 to coincide with International Women's Day. Back in January it was announced that 2008 FYROM representative Tamara Todevska would be singing for the newly renamed nation. The entry is called “Proud”.

The video is shot in colour but a lot of the clothing is black and white and the background is mostly grey, so one might get the impression it was shot in black and white. It shows a number of different women (hence the date change) looking and performing to the camera, including Tamara herself. There is not a lot of narrative to the shots but this could work as an interesting backdrop for the Eurovision shows.

The song is an emotional ballad and has very sparse instrumentation throughout. During the first verse and chorus there is only a piano present and in the second chorus a single violin joins in. After this there is a short interlude where the violin and piano and the tune of the violin starts to have a slight Balkan feel which gives this part some character. There then starts another verse but Tamara’s voice is much more powerful than the first time around and  the piano is much more staccato and has a driving beat. At this point a chorus of backing singers also joins and join in with the tune for the rest of the song. The ending of the song is slightly left in the air and the last ‘girl’ feel a little empty and lacking meaning.

Although this year has many ballads this one really stands out with its stripped-back backing track and its repetitive message gets through to you without being an annoying earworm. If Tamara can sing this with gusto and connect with the camera this could do really well. I think the ending culd do with a bit of tweaking but I hope the rest of the song stays as it it. I guess the biggest issue is staging and this country has quite the reputation of messing up and even failing on staging. I can imagine a pianist and violinist on stage – possibly only lit up when they start playing – joined by some backing singers. It might even be worth having something akin to the sea of faces behind her too. This needs no dancers, no intricate lightning it just needs to be simple to make sure the message comes across

I really like this and think that unlike some of the other ballads of show the simplicity of the music lets the words shine through, If it doesn’t mess up the staging this should easily qualify and I would really like this to do well.

ARTIST –  Tamara Todevska

SONG – Proud

MUSIC -  Darko Dimitrov, Robert Bibliov, Lazar Cvetkoski

LYRICS - Kosta Petrov, Sanja Popovska

POLAND

The Polish song was unveiled on March 8^th as the video and song were released online. Back in February it was announced vocal group Tulia was going to represent the country. Their song is called "Fire of Love (Pali się)".

The video for the song in black and white and follows the four members of the group getting ready for a performance in a rural hall. They are dressed in traditional costume, although a little bit more demure what the outfits seen in 2015! The people watching are all generally quite old and are dressed in large hats, coats with shawls and scarves. There is also a fire engine crew in attendance When the girls are on stage they are quite static, almost emotionless. Although the audience looks slightly disinterested and bored by the show they end up getting a standing ovation and everybody looks happier. The girls then leave and the fire engine crew also leaves.

The sound is rather unusual to the ears as it is slightly genre bending. The group unites rock and pop production values with traditional folk singing. At first it can seem quite shouty and full on but in some ways it does have a certain charm Most of the song is in Polish apart from the start and the end. The piece starts with the ‘Fire of love’ hook line, in English followed by the first verse, half English half Polish and a rendition of the chorus. We then have another verse and chorus in quick succession and yet we have only just passed half way on the clock. We have another verse/chorus cycle followed closely by another chorus, this time in English which takes us to the finish.

The full Polish version of ‘Pali się’ had actually been around for quite a while but when this was released again as the entry the English bits had been added in. I personally think this is a little bit nonsensical. Firstly, because I don’t think the style of singing particularly fits in well with the language and secondly, their style of singing is so booming and bawling you can barely tell which bits are in which language. I am also concerned that their performance style might be a little bit lacking. From the research I have done they just kind of stand and sing and that might come across as lifeless, cold or just boring. No amount of lighting or video cues would rectify that.

I appreciate the effort and unusualness of the entry but think that this might be a little bit too full on and different for the Eurovision audience to fully digest. But as we all know, if this pulls together the wide diaspora and gets them voting, anything is possible.

ARTIST –  Tulia

SONG –  Fire of Love (Pali się)

MUSIC -  Nadia Dalin

LYRICS - Sonia Krasny, Allan Rich, Jud Friedmann

AZERBAIJAN

The Azeri act and song was revealed on March 8^th with the release of the fully entry online. Although the broadcaster had announced they were talking with a number of singers, nothing was released about the act or song until the published date. Singing for Azerbaijan is Chingiz with the song “Truth”.

The video starts with a shot of Chingiz plunging underwater. This is then intersperses with shots of different people in a range of quite outlandish costumes. The underwater theme is kept throughout at Chingiz sings a lot of the song in front of a water-effect light. Through the piece there are some very clear and strong lighting effects used and would work very well as a staging idea. There is no real narrative to the video so it will be interesting if they keep the stage concept more fluid or go with something that mirrors the song.

The song is an mid-tempo pop song whose beat is constant throughout the song but is stronger and more visible in the choruses. We start with a verse which leads into a pre-chorus. This part of the song feels like it goes on too long and it might be an idea to chop this down a little so we get to the chorus as soon as possible. The chorus has a chanting feel about it and feels a little bit angry but not enough to feel awkward. There is then a short instrumental where the ‘shut up’ part of the chorus is repeated. We go into another verse but this time leads straight into a chorus which feels much tighter than before. After the chorus instrumental there is a short interlude with distorted voices on it which could be interesting to recreate live! This then goes into the final chorus and instrumental before stopping.

As this is a video premiere there is little to see how well he can perform this live. It must be noted that there is a lot of ‘double singing’ going on i.e. two voices singing at the same time, which makes me wonder if there will be some very well trained and hidden backing singers helping along but this is just conjecture. The other odd concern is that the video from first note to last is 22 seconds too long. Maybe they will just truncate the intro or maybe omit one of the lines of the pre-chorus but this certainly seems a strange notion from an internal selection. Otherwise the song is very instant, very current and also very memorable. This would also not sound out of place on most mainstream radio stations.

Even though this has tough opposition in semi 2 I think this will easily qualify and is most definitely in the running for the win. Whether it wins or not will most certainly be down to presentation on the stage and how well Chingiz can do this live and I really hope he can.

ARTIST –  Chingiz

SONG –  Truth

MUSIC -  Borislav Milanov, Chingiz Mustafayev, Trey Campbell, Pablo Dinero, Hostess, Bo J

LYRICS - Borislav Milanov, Trey Campbell, Pablo Dinero, Hostess, Bo J

IRELAND

The Irish entry was unveiled on March 8th with the video being premiered on youtube as well as its first play on RTE Radio 1. Although the Irish delegation said they were making an internal selection, very little was known about the entry or entrant until just before the official reveal. Going to Tel Aviv is Sarah McTernan with the song “22”

The video shows Sarah on a windy beach whist singing the song. The camera also has an odd flickering filter on it which is fine at first but gets quite annoying by the end. It does however give that old film type quality which goes with the vintage feel of the song. Her performance is rather simple and gives us very few clues to staging possibilities - unlike last year’s Irish entry. She copes really well in the video keeping her hair and scarf tamed and keeps good enough eye contact with the camera. I think with fewer distractions she could be really sassy and fun on stage.

The song has a 1960’s mowtown/soul feel with a nod to modern singers like Amy Winehouse. The song is about a former love and how certain things - in this case the number 22 - remind her of them. Her voice is very much the centre of the song and the backing is very bassy and is drum heavy. There is also the presence of backing singers who, although not really very loud or prominent, give quite a lot of depth and extra rhythm to the song. The structure of the song is basically verse-chorus x3 although some of the verses are longer than others and the last chorus is a bit more free form. The guitar riff after the chorus is also a nice light touch that gives the whole thing a nostalgic and whimsical feel.

It feels like her voice is heavily synthesised to be as clear and as strong as it is and I wonder if she will sound this clear live. I could imagine this styled and performed in a slightly more old school way with Sarah at the front a couple of backing singers at the side who also do a few moves with the numbers made up with musicians. Unfortunately semi 2 is already female heavy although the fact that this song has a unique genre and styling might make is stand out a little bit more. The UK gets to vote in the semi and will definitely give this points as well the Scandinavian countries drawn in the semi so it has got a glimmer of a chance to progress. 

I like the fact that they are trying something a little bit different and I just hope they don’t go too safe with the staging. I’d love this to qualify, just to keep the diversity rate as high as possible, but something tells me this won’t quite make it. It's certainly not a winner.

ARTIST –  Sarah McTernan

SONG – 22

MUSIC -  Janieck Devy, Marcia "Misha" Sondeijker, Roel Rats

LYRICS - Janieck Devy, Marcia "Misha" Sondeijker, Roel Rats

AUSTRIA

The Austrian song was released on March 8th with its premier play on Hitradio Ö3 and the video being available to listen and watch on youtube. Back in February it was announced that female singer Paenda would be singing the song. Her song is called “Limits”

The video is rather sparse, a bit like the song, and gives us very little clues about how the song might be performed. Panda is in front of a green screen over which various images and videos are superimposed behind her. Paenda herself is wearing a simple black strapless top and sports here trademark short turquoise hair.

The song is a sparsely instrumented ballad sung mostly in Paendas upper register. This makes the whole thing sounds quite intimate as well as showing great vulnerability. The verse and pre-chorus has barely any instrumentation apart from some piano chords and some ethereal noises. When the chorus starts the music gathers momentum and really helps to power the emotion of the song, It then goes back to a quieter verse before reverting back to the choruses with some added parts in between.

The whole song lasts a bit more than the three minute cut off point but I suggest that if they start the song just before she starts to sing and truncate the ending notes it should come within time. On the negative side this song is really not instant. Many people listening might be waiting for a bigger kick to come in sooner or to build into something much bigger but it doesn’t and this could prove a little confusing. However this girl has so much emotion in her voice and reminds me a bit of a Kate Bush meets Robyn kind of vibe. Although the video is as cheap as chips her connection through the camera is staggering and I could almost imagine a version of this video being her staging and it actually working. As for personnel she will need some extra backing singers to emphasise the chorus.

Even though this is not a stereotypical Eurovision ballad I think treated well this song has legs. Even though it could be lumped into the ‘arty’ pile of songs this one transmits so much pure emotion I would hope this is enough to get it saved. I think the song writing quality is enough to more than please the juries and if the televoters get this it could be a real dark horse.

ARTIST –  Paenda

SONG – Limits

MUSIC -  Gabriela Horn

LYRICS - Gabriela Horn

SAN MARINO

The San Marinese song was unveiled in a press conference on March 7^th before the video and song were released online. Back in January it was announced that former representative Serhat was going to try again for the principality and his song is called “Say na na na”

The video for the song is very busy and has a huge cast of dancers. There is a large video backgrounds which creates the atmosphere for the road scene that the video is set which reminds me slightly of Blade Runner but his song is much happier than that! At times the screen also shows shots of Serhat singing. The video has a lot of energy and action but I am rather puzzled as to how they could recreate the atmosphere which a smaller number of people. Serhat is wearing a number of suits all in the same style but in different colours but no sign of his signature hat!

The song is a disco euro-dance song with a very repetitive chorus and a predictable structure. The song starts with the backing singers going ‘na na na’ before Serhat joins in his signature deep talkative tone which actually suite this style of song. He does 2 verses before going straight to the chorus. This repeats the ‘na na na’ line several times and really does gets your head. The structure of the chorus is also interesting as the first part of the chorus as a slightly different tune to the second and almost feels like it has a key change. After another verse and chorus there is an interesting all and response part with the backing singers that I think the audience in the hall would totally get behind before a final last chorus.

Let’s be honest, Serhat is not the best singer and this isn’t the best song however it does know what it is and that is a feel good dance number. If anything, this is something more stereotypical for Eurovision and there is something quite wholesome and feel-good and enjoyable about this. It’s doing what it says on the tin and is doing a really good job and doing what it needs to well. I do have some concerns about what the act might look like on stage. I feel like he will need at least 2, maybe 3, good female backing singers which would then leave 2 or 3 space for backing dancers, which possibly should be male, unless he can find 5 mixed sex backing singers who can do a full on dance routine or vice versa. We must also be reminded that Serhat is Turkish and will get and extra fan boost from the diaspora in the voting countries.

This as a fun entry in a sea of ballads and high-concept entries. Maybe voters will find this too old fashioned and not vote or maybe this is something light-hearted and accessible that the people at home will vote for. My heart would love this to qualify but like his last attempt “I didn’t know” this might just miss out.

ARTIST –  Serhat

SONG –  Say na na na

MUSIC -  Mary Susan Applegate, Serhat Hacıpaşalıoğlu

LYRICS - Mary Susan Applegate, Serhat Hacıpaşalıoğlu

BELARUS

The Belarussian Final was held on March 7th at BTRC Studio 600 Metrov in Minsk, hosted by Olga Ryzhikova & Teo. A month earlier there had been a broadcast audition process where 73 different songs and acts performed and 10 were chosen to advance to the televised final. The winner, solely chosen by a 6-person jury, was ZENA with “Like it”.

The staging of this is quite simple with ZENA in a white crop top and trousers whilst her four female backing singers are wearing black tops and black trousers with white detailing. On the background behind them which changes between pinks, purples and blue shades also flashes up some of the words of the song albeit in a rather thin font. The girls on stage are really tight visually although the choreography is rather simplistic.

The song is an mid-tempo pop song reminiscent of the early Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera era. The verses are quite fast and wordy and because this is in the lower part of her register it is not always clear what she is saying. During the bridge the pace of singing slows down but also moves up her register which piques your interest. The chorus is very repetitive with the ‘yes you’re going to like it’ line repeated over however the first two times are in her lower register followed by two lines in her clearer higher register. This is then followed by a short instrumental and then a more free form ending before finishing on a short version of the chorus,

ZENA copes well with singing and dancing at the same time and her voice sounds as good at the start as it does at the end. The staging is a little bit dated, especially the dancing, and I think this could be made more exciting and dynamic without affecting her vocals too much. The stage in Tel-Aviv will also be much bigger so they will need to think more about moving around more, engaging the arena audience, connecting with the camera and filling the stage. It must also be said that ZENA is only 16 and I certainly would not want her to change anything about the performance that would over sexualise her or look too old. I like the black and white styling but think the backdrop needs to be much more dramatic and possibly changing in time with the beat of the song. If this was an audio contest I feel this would be a nice radio-friendly number that would sound safe and familiar.

Unluckily for Belarus most of its ex-Soviet pals are in semi 2 so friendly votes will be few and far between. I also feel that in a semi with such diverse songs this might be a little too formulaic to be remembered. I feel this is more of a song that the juries might find safer to vote for than the public but I don't this will be quite good enough to progress.

ARTIST –  ZENA

SONG –  Love it

MUSIC -  Yulia Kireeva, Viktor Drobysh

LYRICS - Yulia Kireeva, Viktor Drobysh

NETHERLANDS

The Dutch entry was unveiled on March 7th with the video being premiered on youtube and had its first performance, albeit a more acoustic version, on popular Dutch show “De Wereld Draait Door” not long after. Back in January it was announced that former “Voice of Holland” contestant Duncan Laurence was going to be the representative. His song was unveiled as “Arcade”

The video is very simplistic and very ethereal. It mostly shows Duncan in a variety of poses and movements underwater where the whole thing looks and feels quite foetal. Although this fits the soud of the music it is slightly incongruous with the lyrics of the song. During his tv performance he was backed by a string quartet and a couple more backing singers and is very static. Unusally Duncan barely had any time down the camera as most of the shots were side-on or moving from side to side or zooming in from below.

The song has a slightly choral theme to it with songwriting hints to people like Sia and Florence and the Machine although this seems much less commercial. It starts with a delicate choir sound before the piano joins in. Duncan starts off quiet and slow before jumping into his higher register for the rest of the song. The chorus is in two parts, the first part much more lyrical and melodic the second part having emphasis on the beat and atmosphere. This cycle is repeated and this leads to a very gentle coda part before two more repetitions of the second part of the chorus, once only accompanied by drums and another but with a slightly different chord sequence in the background music.

Luckily we have a live version to judge this by which has helped me somewhat with this review. His voice at the very start seemed a little lacking but this could have been nerves. However his voice absolutely soars in his upper register which this shows off really well. The staging is a little static but I can imagine the water there from the video would go down really well. I would also like to have seen a dancer or too but I suspect that this might do into backing singers instead – unless they can prove the choir-like noise is a synthesised one. I am also a little scared that a live choir might not sound as good as it does in the production. Personally, I am not a fan of male singers doing falsetto, however well done and this is simply not my cup of tea.

Unfortunately semi 2 is already full of male singers AND ballads and this could be a little too gentle and flat to grab peoples attention, that said if anybody is going to vote sore something as technical and intricate as this it will be the jury. I am just not sure if this is a 'pick up phone and vote for it' kind of song which is half of the total vote and although you don't have to win both sides of the vote, you have to do well enough in both to get a consensus.

ARTIST –  Duncan Laurence

SONG – Arcade

MUSIC -  Duncan de Moor, Joel Sjöö, Wouter Hardy

LYRICS - Duncan de Moor, Joel Sjöö, Wouter Hardy

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss entry was unveiled on March 7th with the video being premiered on youtube. Although the Swiss delegation had made public some of the acts and songs in the running, no actual news was given out about the selected act or song until the day of the announcement. Representing Switzerland is “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” winner Luca Hänni with the song “She got me”

The concept of the video fits very well with the threads of the song. He is in a bar and is interacting with the different people in there and they all end up dancing with each other. Many of the females are dressed in latin dance dresses that one might expect on Strictly Come Dancing whilst the men are dressed in shirts and loose bow ties in a kind of tango-esque fashion. The dancers certainly emphasise the rhythms of the song and also encourage you to feel the song itself. The whole thing is also shot quite dimly with a very slight browny-sepia tinge that gives the piece a vintage feel or a sense that the place is rough and slightly sordid.

The song is a mid tempo latino number with a slight nod to the East in its orchestration. It starts off quite sparse but in the pre-chorus the pace is built up by the call and response between Luca and his backing singers. The click track goes into double time during the main chorus which then leads into the beefy instrumental. This order is gone though again and is concluded with more call and response with his backing singers. The mood drops with a softer rendition of the chorus, leading into another instrumental and a final chorus. Considering the beginning of the song was quite formulaic, it goes a little bit too free form at the end and loses its flow.

I can imagine a modified version of the video would be a great staging but this would probably require more than the 6 people on stage to create. He definitely needs a good batch of male singers to create the call and response parts. However I would also say that this sounds very highly processed and with all the singing and dancing it might be too easy for him to get too carried away. The song itself lends more than a whiff of Fuego and Despacito and this familiarity could work either way.

In a semi jam-packed with ballads this number will definitely be a much needed injection of fun, rhythm and fun to the proceedings. Also its neighbours Austria, Germany and Italy can vote in this semi so its route out into the final is pretty much guaranteed barring a vocal disaster. It’s a good song, not one of my faves but stands out really well.

ARTIST –  Luca Hänni

SONG – She got me

MUSIC -  Laurell Barker, Mac Frazer, Luca Hänni, Jon Hällgren, Lukas Hällgren

LYRICS - Laurell Barker, Mac Frazer, Luca Hänni, Jon Hällgren, Lukas Hällgren