A very quick wrap up podcast before Eurovision in Concert and my own impending delivery!
I go over my top 40 and look at who I would say my 10 qualifiers for semis one and two would be. As you will see, I think there are some shoo-ins but a few borderline cases. The big question is, will any country lose their 100% qualification record?
Finally I have a little moan-ette about pregnancy and list some of the things that have annoyed me and got me down during the last 9 months.
Don't know when the next podcast will be but there will probably be an extra body in the room when I do it!!!
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Friday, April 17, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
MY TOP 40 OF ESC 2015
01) Slovenia
Everything but the kitchen sink... and works!
This individual ditty is jam-packed full of visual
and aural ticks. The headphone motif is odd yet totally memorable, the miming violinist is genius and Marjetka's unusual tone engages you from the start. An utterly compelling song with a upbeat and positive feeling. I love the message of the song... it's ok... I'm not crying, I just have something in my eye...
02) Belarus
And about time too that Belarius sent a decent song!
A proper little pop song with a great structure. The recent
revamp of the song did it massive favours as it helped build the song up better
from the start and get rid of some dead air. He's not a bad singer, although I'm not sure about the
Matrix-eque look is quite him. We can only hope the hourglass/sand timer/cog
wheel meme is kept on for the stage.
03) Belgium
Lordi, Lorde, Loic....
Loic wrote this number with help from his Voice Belgique
mentor and should be the hit of the contest. He is a great performer, has an
intriguing vocal pitch and timbre, a slightly Frenchy accent as well as being a great mover
and some eye candy for the boys and girls to ogle at. However the draw did not fall in his favour but surely class will out...?
04) FYR
If One
Republic
Another radio friendly, contemporary number. Although the
mother tongue version was good, the English version connects more and the slightly slower backing track has a melancholic quality that makes you listen. His voice sounds
so good live and I just hope he can connect to the camera - and doesn't do any
"drunk dad at a wedding" dancing.
05) Sweden
Was it all about the artwork...? Possibly.
The song is a very Swedish aural production. Måns is a confident
performer with an casual and approachable look. Has a great build to the first up-tempo chorus
but as we now know the M-fest visuals are out - what will we see in Vienna
Film Noir meets post-communist '60s retro pop.
Another duet, another melancholic song but this has an
interesting quality which could make it a huge radio hit. Many criticise their
black and white live performances of lacking in charisma, interaction and
appeal but that's exactly what the song is about. It's not a typical Eurovision
song but they reek of class and style and will be loved by juries.
07) Norway
After the success of last year's internalistic, brooding
ballad this time they've got a duet to sing act 2. An emotional and well
harmonised ballad and wide in terms of vocal range. The camera work and production of this in
the National Final was genius and can hopefully be replicated in Vienna
Mumford and girlfriend.
This feel good song interacts well with the audience but
also makes the singers connect with each other. Probably the only happy duet of
the whole bunch. The song is a little predictable in structure but has a couple
of great hooks. However what we will really wonder about is how they will be
doing *that kiss* in the middle of the song...
09) Australia
One-off appearance = One-off win?
Rumours of a ballad from his last album being the entry
didn't seem to go down well with the Euro-fans and may have influenced this last-minute songwriting
session. This has a great beat and will no doubt have support from the crowd.
Will have an amount of novelty value but is cool enough to be heard on
many radio stations around the continent.
10) Latvia
Too classy? Too modern?
This girl has such an amazing voice. The self-penned song
shows off the different facets of her range and tone, so much so that one might
think this was a duet or a trio rather than one girl singing the whole thing.
She is also visually striking (i.e. damn beautiful) and the way she presents
herself with the armography is very individual.
Male version of "Stronger every minute".
Another melancholy ballad but with a gentle backing track
and poignant lyrics. A favourable draw could also beef up its chances in the
semi-final. John is a geeky looking singer which may appeal to hipsters, radio
2 listeners AND the singer-songwriter lovers. The a cappella part in the middle
needs to be spot on to make full impact. Less may well be more.
12) Romania
The best of the non-English entries.
The song has a lilting melancholic quality, so much so you
don't need a full translation to understand what the song is about. Can imagine many
Romanians and eastern Europeans voting for the sentiment of the song in their
adoptive countries. Visually they need to make use of the backdrops, like in the music video, as otherwise it will lack a sense of show.
13) Poland
A ballad... with a tune...
AND a chorus!
This gentle ballad conveys
great meaning and you can tell that it comes from a genuine place. The chorus
has a great repetitive basis, especially for a ballad but never quite gets
boring. Should also be easy to sing live. Will be interesting to see how (or IF)
they use the singer's disability to sell the song. Got a great draw in the semi
which should see it through easily.
A bit like the clap - annoying but catchy.
First of all the video is hideous and I hope none of the
dancing or styling tips will be seen on stage in Vienna . Secondly the lyrics are totally
abysmal and the rhymes are excruciating. This all said and done it is a thumping
summer song with a Mediterranean/Eastern flavour which stands out amongst the
grey ballads and female empowerment songs.
15) The Netherlands
12 points from the Geordie jury goes to...
This Anouk-penned number has a great but very repetitive
chorus. A strong and safe radio friendly song which has a predictable structure
and not many words. I feel the tempo could be just a tiny bit quicker and maybe
the beat could get stronger or more pronounced by the time the song gets to the
end. I just hope she doesn't come across too mutton dressed as lamb...
16) Hungary
Less is most definitely more.
This gentle peace ballad at the very least seems genuine.
Although billed as a solo piece this song is more a choral number and wouldn't
work without the blending of all the other voices and it's. The song has been
slightly shafted by its position in the semi and may have come out better next
to two ballads rather than between 2 up-tempo numbers.
Queen Elsa meets Pocahantas meets Emmelie de Forest.
Maria does a very good job of playing the cute but feisty
pixie with a big voice. A great- almost Junior eurovision - song that builds
well from the very beginning. However the recent rewrite was a bit odd as it makes it feel like the
song should be called "one step at a time" No fist punching required
though. A little bit sad about the loss of the dancers.
18) Germany
It's not the winning but the taking part that counts.
Although Ann Sophie did not win the national final I think
this was probably the best outcome. A contemporary number with a shouty - very
shouty - chorus. I hope she changes out of that old, lounge/cruise ship/cabaret outfit and wears
something more modern instead. Won't stir up too much emotion but won't offend
anybody either.
19) Moldova
It's like Aaron Carter never went out of fashion.
I am surprised that this song is so high up my list but the real lack of
really poppy up-tempo numbers have caused this to happen. Although he seems like
a total egotist with an attitude to match - the song, especially the chorus, is
very catchy. Let's just hope the Conchita joke is left behind or he might get a
slap... actually keep it in, Eduard...
A case of hosts playing safe.
This is a pretty inoffensive song which sounds like about 3
other songs rolled into one. The piano on fire is a nice touch at the end
although I hope the singer doesn't use flammable hairspray OR has a decent
haircut before May. Has a nice radio friendly, bluesy, 60s feel which will appeal or
possibly provide a much needed break to go and put the kettle on.
21) Russia
Do what I say don't do what I do.
As a song this is a good old fashioned, lighters up,
anthemic ballad with a great hook in the chorus. If it was all about the song, and not about where it's from this would be up there as a possible winner. However, as someone with a
conscience, I listen to this song and feel like this is so totally wrong. Like
last year, the song will be accompanied by its own booing chorus.
22) Serbia
I will survive - Eurovision style.
One would think I like this song, but there is so much about
this that puts me off. She is a great singer and the backing track is amazing.
The kick in the middle of the song really makes it stand out. The song sounded much
better in Serbian plus the English lyrics are just cringe worthy. It feels
really patronising, far too touchy-feely and too in your face.
Winner of the Warrior battle.
A feisty little number with a distinctive sound and look. That said
the lyrics are odd, if not totally made up, and slightly indecipherable. It's had a bit of a revamp
which has beefed up the backing track but it totally swamps Nina's vocal. She
looks like the type of girl who may kill if she doesn't qualify so you may well
want to vote for her just in case...
24) Montenegro
Željko Joksimović and his new puppet play thing.
Last year Montenegro
finally qualified with a song Željko could only write in his dreams. This year
they have him on board and have sent the same old Željko Eurovision ballad. The
last minute is actually not bad but it's a shame you fall asleep before you get
there. Knez looks and sounds like a decent bloke but he won't be who we're
talking about.
25) Italy
Three Tenors Juniors.
A great stylistic choice and really stands out against
everything being sent this year. At least you can recognise that this is so
typically and culturally Italian. However if this is not your style of music or
impressed by this kind of thing then you are going to find it annoying. It
feels like it should be more spectacular than it is and could be visually
boring.26)
Soft... Rock... Hallelujah.
It's nice to see them back and have returned with something
very typical. As time goes on this is slowly moving up my chart as it is at
least different to the run of the mill ballads this year. His voice is very
Eastern European and therefore distinctive. The chorus has shades of Metallica
about it. Could be a real surprise qualifier with a good show.
27) Albania
It feels like no song is good enough for her voice.
The replacement for "Diell" is much more punchier
than the original chosen song but the new song's 'chorus' is terribly
repetitive to the point where it starts getting on your nerves. Not sure it
stands out enough in its semi-final. There is no doubt that she can sing but
her voice can sound a bit screechy and a bit like a kazoo or sea lion when she
pushes it.
28) United
Kingdom
Doop meets Birds Eye Potato Waffles.
At least it's not a ballad and at least it's trying to be
lighted hearted and fun. Could be quite the visual show if any of the ideas
from the video are taken into account. The main issue is that the song is over
produced and might not be anywhere near as impressive live. Don't even think
about who in their right mind would actually vote for it though...
29)
Eurovision's first (and possibly last) Punk number.
This has had a lot of publicity and much has been made of
the lack of song and its shortness. As a punk song, it does exactly what it
says on the tin. It is anti-eurovision and anti-establishment and from that
point of view they win if they qualify and win if they don't. I just hope
people don't get too 'sympathetic' because if they do, they've missed the
point.
30) Ireland
This song as a modern singer-songwriter ballad which
probably would be easily heard on any mainstream Irish radio station. It may
well be simple but in ESC terms it is so relaxed it is horizontal. The verses
and choruses don't really have much differentiation and she is another singer
who sounds like she needs to give her nose an good old blow.
31) Portugal
32)
Nothing like Destiny's Child, nothing to see here.
The recent revamp really put me off this once powerful and
voice led ballad. She's one of the better singers of this year but the song now
sounds far too aggressive and feisty in the backing track and seems incongruous
to message in the lyrics. If she turns up looking like a 'moody Pocahontas' as
she does in the video she will have absolutely no chance.
33) Malta
Next up - the indecipherable lyrics round.
Another song that seems to be a hit with the fans but not
me. An example where they've only bothered to write a chorus and even that
sounds like nails on a chalk board or the whining sound you get on a
microphone. The singer has a really over-active mouth and it feels like she's
over-doing it. Someone needs to tell her that less is sometimes more.
34) San
Marino
Less Frozen, more like a damp squib.
When this duo was announced I was all set for a nice bit of up-tempo Junior Eurovision fun and frolics to spice up an otherwise serious sounding adult
Eurovision. A song that shows initial promise before going Disney or should that be parody of Disney. Instead we got an over indulgent ballad that could have been
performed (better) by Tor and Bettan.
35)
Not the comeback I was expecting.
Was hoping to hear something edgy and more rock influenced
but this odd and fragmented number has me confused. The verses are instantly
forgettable and only the first line of the chorus stays in my head. The changes
in backing track tempo frazzle my brain and make it stop start. Plus I'm still
not sure what the hell it has to do with hours... or wolves...
36) France
Sentimental, but someone forgot to write a song.
Another case of great idea, awful execution. The story behind the song projects a great idea, especially taking into account current politics, but the lack of pace and
ooomph leaves me lacking. Live versions have, though, seen some changes in key
and melody that could see it be redeemed. She doesn't seem like a bad singer but she has been made to look drab and uninspired.
37) Greece
Rise like a soufflé.
The song is a real snooze-fest and totally uninspiring. It
doesn't sound very Greek which could be a plus point for me but actually makes
it sound run of the mill in this year's contest. Maria is not a bad singer but
her pronunciation is awful and her voice is really over-breathy. Only gets
going in the final minute when it basically a rip off of last year's winner.
A significant idea that has now lost all meaning.
I thought the whole point of this song and act was to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide? But apparently it's not about that at all,
so much so they changed the title of the song to "Face the Shadow"
which has no meaning in relation to what they are singing. A rip-off of
'Volterai' and sung by 6 singers whose voices blend like oil and water.
39) Spain
Most over-rated song this year.
It doesn't go anywhere and she sounds like she's trying to
be Shakira on "Stars in their Eyes". The only memorable thing about
the chorus is the yelling at the start and even that sounds like the mating
call of a very lonely goat. The video, which was pushed and pushed for what
seemed like months was totally over-hyped and was style over substance and that
substance is mush.
40) Denmark
...and no expense was spent...
There are absolutely no redeemable qualities about the song, the
production, the performance - anything. It's made worse by the fact that
the only passable aspect of the song is the input of the two female backing singers
and even then they look like they've been plonked there, told not to talk to the
band, made to look like sore thumbs and even then - they're miming!
Monday, March 23, 2015
SEMI FINAL DRAWS!!!!
Hopefully the next big piece of Eurovision news will be the running order of the two semi-finals.
I've had a go at setting my 'perfect'
semi final draws. It's a much harder job than you think it is going to be ! I tried to take certain things into account and tried not to
think about other factors...
1) ACT TYPES Have tried to keep similar acts types away from
each other with at least 1 different act between e.g. not have two duets,
groups, solo male or solo females in a row.
2) SONG TYPES Have also tried to keep the show fresh by not
having 2 similar tempo or genre songs next to each other, especially if the act
types are similar.
3) GEOGRAPHY Have tried not to think too much about
geography when placing songs unless those countries has a song of similar
genre, style or culture e.g. balkan ballad.
4) FAVOURITES Have also tried not to put my own favourite
songs in positions that might favour them or on purposely treat songs I don't like unfairly.
5) OPENERS & CLOSERS Have attempted to choose the song
in the first half that might be the most fitting opener and the song in the
second half that would be a memorable closer. Although this might be seen as
'favouriting' I feel it is important to have songs that set a tone and create a
bit of a full stop.
Semi 2 was much harder to place than semi 1 mainly because
there were so many similar acts and genres, especially in the second half, that
spacing them out in a fair and equal manner was quite tricky.
|
SEMI FINAL 1
|
SEMI FINAL 2
|
||
|
1st half
|
2nd half
|
1st half
|
2nd half
|
|
01)
02)
03)
04)
05)
06)
07) FYR
08)
|
09)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
|
01)
02)
03)
04)
05)
06) Montenegro
07)
08)
|
09)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
|
It's not an exact science and there are so many ways of
looking and interpreting the raw list before sorting them. It's also difficult
not knowing what the ORF producers have in mind. They may well have their own
agenda, priorities or judgements on what genres songs are in when it comes to
the ordering.
Hopefully we should know the real running order very soon !
In the next blog post I will be starting counting up from 40
to my number 1 - so keep tuned on a daily basis so you can find ANOTHER reasons
to disagree with me XD
Sunday, March 22, 2015
MONTENEGRO
The Montenegrin entry was revealed
in two parts. The singer was revealed way back in October but it was not until
18th March that the official video and release of the song was made public. In Vienna , Knez will be
singing the Montenegrin-language song "Adio" (Goodbye).
Knez was internally selected by RTCG but very little was known about the song for quite a long time. It was
then announced in February that the song was going to be co written by Balkan
stalwart of Eurovision, Željko Joksimović. Rumours were also abound that the
song was more 'up tempo' that some of his other Eurovision works which have all
been quite traditional instrumented ballads.
The song a very typically composed
Željko Joksimović entry. It has a distinctive long intro, odd timing and
phrasing, classical orchestration, echoing drumming which culminates in a
dramatic finish. It is very much in the Balkan ballad genre although it's tempo
does deviate in the final minute. For those who listen to a lot of Eurovision,
this song will feel very familiar and find it quite easy to listen to but for
those just watching on the night many might find this tricky to get into until
the final minute when the pace picks up a little bit
Knez has been an active part of
the Balkan music scene since the 1990's and has extensive experience. Even at
the age of 6 he was entering competitions and festivals in his native Podgirica (known as Titograd at that time). Although known as a
pop artist, he has had hits with songs with ballad, dance and turbofolk
elements.
The video clip gives us idea as
to what we might expect in Vienna .
We could see him with 5 other backing singers although I think this unlikely as
the instrumentation has been a key visual in many Željko Joksimović songs. I
guess we will see 2-3 standing backing singers with 2-3 musicians, who may also
provide some backing, on stage. I don't think we will have any dancers. Knez
seems to emote and move quite well during the song and hopefully he can
transmit that feeling and passion into the cameras on stage, especially with the song not being in a well-spoken or recognised tongue.
I have been a huge fan of Montenegro and was really looking forward to the unveiling of this song. To be honest I was really
disappointed. I was hoping for something much more ooomphy and
something possibly more 'out of the box' which is what I associate Montenegro to
be. Personally, I am not a fan of Željko
Joksimović's work as I find it all too samey - which is the issue I have here.
After a number of listens it still felt quite stale and static although after
about a week of listening it is starting show more of it's light and shade. It
is only really the last minute of the song that saves it from being a real
Balkan dirge. Should it qualify? No. Will it? Possibly - and that will be down
to people fawning over Željko rather than anything Knez and his team
will be doing on the stage.
ARTIST - Knez
SONG - Adio (Goodbye)
MUSIC - Željko Joksimović
LYRICS - Željko Joksimović,
Marina Tucaković, Dejan Ivanović
AUSTRALIA
The Australian entry was revealed
in two parts. The singer was revealed on 4th March during a SBS press conference
held at Sydney Opera House hosted by Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang. The song
was released on 16th March via a video clip on youtube. Singing Australia 's
entry will be Guy Sebastian and his song is called "Tonight again".
The surprise inclusion of Australia as a
'guest' participant was announced on 10th February. During the press conference
Guy suggested that the song would be a reworking of one of his current album
tracks and more than likely one of his ballads. However when the song announcement
came it seems that in the weeks after his Eurovision selection he worked with
his team and band to come up with something especially for Eurovision.
The song is an up tempo number
with hints of "Uptown Funk" and "A little less
conversation" about it. It starts of quite reserved and slow then moves
into the 'do what you want' bridge which cranks the whole thing up a gear. The
chorus is very simple and straightforward and the title is repeated several
times at the end of it. The end also allows Guy to show off his vocal range and
ability. The backing track is very contemporary and in a style which is very in
at the moment. It's a bit of a shame he can't have a full band behind him as
this is the kind of song that would benefit from that look.
Malaysian-born Guy Sebastian
has been a star in Australia
for over 10 years. In 2003 he won the very first series of Australian Idol and
in 2004 he took part in World Idol where he came 7th. He is a very versatile
singer and songwriter having had hits in the pop, r'n'b, soul and gospel
genres. As you can tell he had lots of experience and have played to large
crowds so one should think he won't be too fazed by the thought of singing to a
Eurovision audience.
I think this is going to be
quite a simplistic set up with Guy and some backing singers to provide mush
needed oomph in the chorus. I get the feeling the song is well within his range
and I can imagine him not dancing but moving around the stage a lot and interacting
and reacting with the crowd who I think will find this one very infectious.
I think that this is a really
great song and is something possibly more contemporary than what Eurovision
usually trots out. That said if this is a 'guest spot' they have taken the bull
by the horns and really gone all out for a spectacular show and to make a real
mark on its possible only appearance. If anything, this is a great advert for Guy
Sebastian and a chance for him to break out into the European market. Obviously
with its connections to UK
and Ireland
one might expect votes for this song to come from there but I get the feeling
that the Germanic countries will love this style, as will the Nordics. I think
this is a really summery happy song and may stand out in a final full of
possible ballads. Judging a placing is difficult without any prior results to
got from but I predict a left hand side placing and would be deserving of a top
8 finish.
ARTIST - Guy Sebastian
SONG - Tonight again
MUSIC - Guy Sebastian, David
Ryan Harris, Louis Schoorl
LYRICS - Guy Sebastian, David
Ryan Harris, Louis Schoorl
Saturday, March 21, 2015
RUSSIA
The Russian entry was eventually
released in full on 15th March in the form of its official video clip. Earlier
that week it was revealed that Polina Gagarina would be representing the
country but due to leaks of part of the song online, the official release was
brought forward. Polina will be singing " A million voices" at
Eurovision.
The song is written by part of the
team behind Dina Garipova’s 2013 entry "What If" and shares a peace
theme that Russian entries have had over the past few years. The start is very
atmospheric and has a vibe of Ellie Goulding about it. The song builds up quite
nicely and almost seem to have a more soft rock feeling by the end which can
make it feel a little dated. The stompy part at around 2:15 is a little out of
place as is the repetition of 'singg it out' they would be better just singing
the chorus properly.
I like Polina's styling in the
video and I think this simplistic look would go down well at Eurovision. The
video however is a little bit on the worthy side and can't really offer up many
clues about what we should expect, although I wouldn't mind the paint throwing
effect on the back screens. She will need a decent sized choir for the second
half of the song and so I would think having dancers or some kind of 'act'
going on would not be required. Being a video it is also hard to judge if she
can pull off a performance like that live.
This is one of the higher
quality ballads this year. The fact that the backing music is ever changes
keeps you engaged with the track. He voice seems very good but does seem very
highly produced. This all said I find myself very conflicted. I know that Eurovision
is not a platform for political statements and this is almost the opposite. I
just cannot hear this song and thing 'this is 2 faced bollocks'. If this had
won a fair and square selection show I might not feel so bad but the fact that
this has been internally selected and obviously done so almost makes it worse.
I can't like this song and won't. This will qualify easily and will probably go
top 10 if not top 5. If it wins, there may well be a riot OR a massive boycott
next year.
ARTIST - Polina Gagarina
SONG - A million voices
MUSIC - G Alares, J Björnberg,
K Noorbergen, L Gutkin, V Matetsky
LYRICS - G Alares, J Björnberg,
K Noorbergen, L Gutkin, V Matetsky
Friday, March 20, 2015
SAN MARINO
The San Marino entry was part was revealed
on March 15th via a clip on SMTV's Telegiornale, followed by the official video
premiere the next day. There was then a special edition of "Serenissima"
dedicated to the Eurovision entry on the 20th of March. Going to Vienna is the duet of Michele Perniola &
Anita Simoncini with ‘Chain of lights".
Back in November it was
announced that San Marino
would be sending Michele Perniola and Anita Simoncini to Eurovision - both of
these singers having performed and represented the principality at Junior Eurovision. The song is once again
composed by Ralph Siegel.
This is a mid tempo orchestral
song with a Disney-esque feel but slightly changes tact after 2 minutes. The
start of the song is particularly ear catching with the strings playing behind
Michele's quiet vocal and to which Anita joins in. There sounds like a lot of
production on their vocals, almost a bit too much and I think they could have
been mixed much better. Their accents are not too bad, although chain of hearts
sounds more like chain of farts! At times it sounds like she is the
'star' of the song and that you probably wouldn't miss it if Michele wasn't
there at all. The structure of the song is great up until 2 minutes when it
seems to suddenly change and go into a more major key ad then there is the talk
part which sounds really tacky.
The duo, although young,
already have a fair bit of experience. San Marino native, Anita, was part
of The Peppermints in 2014, while Italian-born Michele represented the
principality with their first jESC entry in 2013 but also won the popular
Italian TV series "Ti lascio una canzone" in 2012. Many would put
this pairing down to the popularity and press attention that two Junior artists
would get graduation to the adult contest, as well as being very different in
style to the previous competitor Valentina Monetta.
One should be able to say that
the candle theme will play a part somewhere! I don't think this gives us much
of a clue as what to expect at Eurovision but one thing I hope they do between
now and then is to work on the chemistry between each other. They seem quite
good at connecting with the camera but I want to feel like they are a duet
singing together not 2 separate people on stage. Hopefully they can work on
making their lines come out in a pronounceable way and don't sound too quick
and slurred.
In some ways I a disappointed
with they style of this song. I was hoping for something a bit more vibrant, a
bit more fun, something young and befitting of their age - or even befitting of
Junior Eurovision. This is a little stilted and serious and almost feels a
little old for them. This said I think they will get a younger vote and may
even get a few votes for being possibly the cutest competitors this year. This
song is in the first half of semi one which is not only ballad heavy but duet
heavy as well. The only chance I feel this has of qualifying is if this is
drawn as the opening number as I think it will stand out more than being
somewhere stuck in the middle. I don't rate their chances of a second final
this year.
ARTIST - Michele Perniola &
Anita Simoncini
SONG - Chain of lights
MUSIC - Ralph Siegel
LYRICS - John O'Flynn
2015 show 11
Now that all the national finals are over and the internal selections have all been revealed, there is only on question that remains...
... WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS?!?!?
In my case I will be waiting patiently for His Babyness to grace me with his presence as well as getting the rest of my reviews on line and then getting down to ranking my top 40.
On today's podcast, I discuss what my baby did when I had a pedicure, I describe how I felt during today's solar eclipse and mouth off about Switzerland (again). I also look at the odds and ends from the last week of finals and reveals with the panic that now we need to work out what's going to win!!!!
Music comes from UK, Denmark and France
Follow us on twitter at https://www.twitter.com/DVVHolland
or like our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DVVHolland to find get the latest information about blogposts and podcasts or even have a look back at our old ones :o)
You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/2015_show11
Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)
... WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS?!?!?
In my case I will be waiting patiently for His Babyness to grace me with his presence as well as getting the rest of my reviews on line and then getting down to ranking my top 40.
On today's podcast, I discuss what my baby did when I had a pedicure, I describe how I felt during today's solar eclipse and mouth off about Switzerland (again). I also look at the odds and ends from the last week of finals and reveals with the panic that now we need to work out what's going to win!!!!
Music comes from UK, Denmark and France
Follow us on twitter at https://www.twitter.com/DVVHolland
or like our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DVVHolland to find get the latest information about blogposts and podcasts or even have a look back at our old ones :o)
You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/2015_show11
Click here to listen to this podcast in your usual music player (M3U Playlist)
Thursday, March 19, 2015
ALBANIA [UPD]
The Albanian song was initially chosen on December 28th However, on the 24th February it was
announced that the winning song of the Albanian preselection would not be the
song sent to Vienna as the composer of the song had withdrawn permission for
the song to be used. On 15th March, the video for Elhaida Dani's new song
"I'm Alive" was revealed.
Needless to say, this news came to all out of the blue as
Elhaida had been working on an English version of "Diell" in America . This
said, it seemed a little suspect that the team already had a stand in song
ready to go. This almost suggests that the song had been 'withdrawn' much
earlier and that maybe the Albanian team had sat on the announcement until they had a
cast in stone alternative.
The song starts off as quite a low paced ballad but soon the
drums kick in which gives the song a much needed boost and a bit of oomph until
the end when it slows down again. It really feels like the song has been
written with Elhaida in mind as it really shows off her voice and range however
I suspect that it might get a little bit too shouty if she doesn't keep the
reins on. I personally feel that there is a bit of 'filler' in this song with a
bit too much shouting, wailing and yeah-yeah-yeah-ing that does very little in
progressing the momentum of the song. I also think that there is too little
distinction between the verses and the chorus. in fact the chorus is very weak
and you realise after the event that you have missed it
The video has an interesting message but I'm not sure if
this will have any bearing on what the team intend to bring to the Eurovision
stage. Firstly the song requires quite a few backing singers to help with
creating the depth the song needs. But I also feel the song needs something
more visual and immediate to go with it. Part of me wonders if they could do
with a couple of dancers or drummers to emphasise the beat of the song.
Although I think that that she is a good enough performer the song needs much
more.
In some ways this is a more immediate song compared to
"Diell" however I don't think that the structure of the song is good
enough. She is a great singer and maybe she can pull out a performance good
enough to qualify on the night. Semi-final 1 is already looking very tight and with
Georgia 's
"Warrior" in the same half they could find themselves fighting for
the attention of the same pool of potential televoters. also Italy is not
voting in this semi so that is another chunk of votes they have lost out on. I
have a feeling this might not qualify but if it does it will do no better than
about 16th in the final.
ARTIST - Elhaida Dani
SONG - I'm alive
MUSIC - Zzap, Chriss
LYRICS - Zzap, Chriss
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
AZERBAIJAN
The Azeri song was revealed on
March 15th via a sound cloud clip on eurovision.tv followed by the official
video première the next day. Going to Vienna
is Elnur Huseynov to with ‘Hour Of The
Wolf’.
This year's selection process
was a bit of a shambles. Almost until February no news was to be heard from Ictimai
about anything to do with their song or artist selection. Then it was announced
there would be open auditions for its traditional national selection- Milli
Seçim Turu. However three weeks later the broadcaster announced that they would
be using an internal selection process to select both song and singer.
This is a very odd song.
Firstly the title does not appear in the
song and certainly doesn't seem to be reflected in the video or lyrics.
Secondly it sounds nothing like "Day after Day" and shows a very
different aspect of his voice from what we heard before. Thirdly the song
starts off like another ballad but suddenly goes a bit upbeat and Mumford &
Sons in the chorus for half of it then suddenly goes back to being a ballad
again. The ending is a little bit weak.
Elnur Huseynov is no stranger
to Eurovision having participated in the contest once before. He was part of
the duet that provided Azerbaijan 's
first every entry "Day after day" - Elnur being the angel! Since then
he had been relatively quiet on the music scene until his come back at the end
of last year when he auditioned for the Turkish version of The Voice. Singing a
mixture of contemporary, traditional, English, Turkish and even opera songs, he
eventually won the series in February. This win possibly was one reason why
Ictimai changed their tact of choosing their entry so quickly.
To be honest we get very few
clues as what to expect on stage in Vienna .
In some ways this is a very cheap and detached video and doesn't seem to suit
the song at all. Azeri entries in the past have almost been famed for their use
of tricky and gimmicks but I struggle to see what they could do with this. Part
of me hopes that he resists this trend and the song is left to speak for
itself. He will need some backing singers for the start of the song and during
the choruses and I hope he incorporates these into the show rather than being
shoved off to the side.
Part of me is quite
disappointed with this entry. I enjoyed "Day after Day" greatly and
was hoping and almost expecting something with a bit more or an edge to it but
this, compared to a lot of sings in this year's Eurovision, just doesn't stand
out. This all said, he has a proven pedigree of being a good singer and
performer and I am sure he will give a professional and confident performance. Azerbaijan have
a 100% qualification record and I think this will continue the trend but I don't
see this troubling the top of the leader board but should give a decent score.
ARTIST - Elnur Huseynov
SONG - Hour Of The Wolf
MUSIC - Sandra Bjurman, Nicolas
Rebscher, Nicklas Lif, Lina Hansson
LYRICS - Nicolas Rebscher,
Nicklas Lif, Lina Hansson
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