So this afternoon 4 more entries took to the stage. Belarus, Portugal, Ukraine and Bulgaria. There has been a lot of discussion around these so once again here we go:
Belarus - Rehearsal Video
I never got a chance to review Belarus's entry to Eurovision (It would have graded as a B-) but I was uncertain about which version of the song that they would sing. They've gone with the disco version which unlike many people online I think that this is a very good interpretation of the song. The yellow and black background really helps this song and this looks set to have some very dramatic staging. I still believe that the song is lacking something and I'm on the fence about this qualifying.
Portugal - Rehearsal Video
Say what you like about the Portuguese entry this year I think that they have hit the nail on the head with this one. This is working as well as it could at the moment on the stage. Vocally this was good. The background is really fantastic and the whole performance makes for a lovely break between Belarus and Ukraine. This may not qualify but I will look forward to this.
Ukraine - Rehearsal Video
Vocally this was a joy to watch and to listen to. The song might not be the best we've had from Ukraine and the performance might have looked better if you never heard of Shady Lady but overall it looks and sounds really good and should qualify with ease.
Bulgaria - Rehearsal Video
This rehearsal was fine bar her often missing her cue. Some people have mentioned that as a result of having nothing else on stage with her the visual on the screens is really dull as a result of a lack of variety on stage. Vocally it was good. I cannot see this as a qualifier though.
More tomorrow.
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Reaction To Rehearsals: Day 3: Part 1
Today seems to be a bit dull and given that the songs that have been on stage in the first half this does not surprise me. However there is much to discuss.
Serbia - Rehearsal Video
Without a doubt Zeljko is more than able to perform on stage. The performance is awfully similar to the 2004 performance and based on the number of steady cams on stage there will be a lot of close ups of instruments. The background is very blue. Zeljko is going to walk out onto stage as the instrumental starts [reminds you of anything].
Macedonia - Rehearsal Video
Once again I was not sure what to expect here. I don't like the song particularly. Vocally this is spot on and people are very impressed with the vocals but that is not surprising. The background is blueish and fairly unremarkable. All in all this is getting positive feedback but really am unconvinced about this song in a very vocally strong.
Netherlands - Rehearsal Video
This is the highlight of the start of this semi-final for me. As I have previously mentioned I never really liked what she wears but I think overall this is working really well on stage. It hasn't really lifted itself immensely but it is a song that is really dividing people. While I cannot look at this without thinking that Lesley Gore is going to jump out and launch into a verse of Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows. The background is not to different from the national final. I can't call this at the moment.
Malta - Rehearsal Video
I'm not a massive fan to this song but at the same time the remix has done a lot for it. Vocally it is risky particularly that note at the end which might have to be dropped after a couple of nights at the Euroclub. The shadows of people dancing in the background is something that I'm surprised that they have not been used before. Vocally though risky the rehearsal was good. The backdrop is fairly unremarkable, being very similar to the one from the entry before.
Serbia - Rehearsal Video
Without a doubt Zeljko is more than able to perform on stage. The performance is awfully similar to the 2004 performance and based on the number of steady cams on stage there will be a lot of close ups of instruments. The background is very blue. Zeljko is going to walk out onto stage as the instrumental starts [reminds you of anything].
Macedonia - Rehearsal Video
Once again I was not sure what to expect here. I don't like the song particularly. Vocally this is spot on and people are very impressed with the vocals but that is not surprising. The background is blueish and fairly unremarkable. All in all this is getting positive feedback but really am unconvinced about this song in a very vocally strong.
Netherlands - Rehearsal Video
This is the highlight of the start of this semi-final for me. As I have previously mentioned I never really liked what she wears but I think overall this is working really well on stage. It hasn't really lifted itself immensely but it is a song that is really dividing people. While I cannot look at this without thinking that Lesley Gore is going to jump out and launch into a verse of Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows. The background is not to different from the national final. I can't call this at the moment.
Malta - Rehearsal Video
I'm not a massive fan to this song but at the same time the remix has done a lot for it. Vocally it is risky particularly that note at the end which might have to be dropped after a couple of nights at the Euroclub. The shadows of people dancing in the background is something that I'm surprised that they have not been used before. Vocally though risky the rehearsal was good. The backdrop is fairly unremarkable, being very similar to the one from the entry before.
Monday, May 14, 2012
My Thoughts On Our Own Entry
We have just a small number of entries left to review for Eurovision 2012. This means though that we have come my own country, home to green hills and leprechauns and Jedward. I might say though that despite all I say here I am not a real Jedward fan, I'm the bog standard hetrosexual Irish male (think farming type). But I do love it when Jedward come to Eurovision.....
Once again Ireland has decided to send the dynamic duo/the Haribo boys to Eurovision. Having been one of the most successful acts that Ireland has sent to the contest in the past ten yearsas well as the extra revenue that it brought in for RTÉ it was decided that Jedward should return to the contest. Surprisingly Ireland held a national final which in retrospect seemed completely unnecessary, as many serious Irish acts declared from the outset that they were not going to go up against Jedward.
Jedward's song Waterline, is a very interesting one. More because it is not exactly the style that we have come to expect from Jedward. This is a far cry from Lipstick. Equally though I have argued for them since well before January and I have no interest in stopping now. The song Waterline may not have played as well with Eurovision fans as may be expected. I think this song is far more what we would expect from something like One Direction or those other Boybands that I know absolutely nothing about. (I really mean that). I think though that Jedwards song last year did require a little listening and may have been a bit to hard to get into on the first go. Waterline is much better at catering for this. It probably will attract votes from non-Jedward fans too.
I really cannot tell how this will play with the juries. Last year Jedward bet off stiff competition to come 6th with the juries. It is difficult to fully understand what it is about Jedward that got them such a score and though it is impressive, I'm not entirely sure as to how they will repeat that. The other problem is that I'm slightly unnerved by the fact both of my parents saw it on the Late Late Show last Friday and they both thought that it was a good song. While this may sound like a good thing my parents are both getting on in their lives and really the music that they are into is not Jedwards music.
Having said all that all I am saying is I don't think that this is my absolute favourite in the contest this year and I also do not think that it is a perfect entry. Like entries it has faults. However these faults should be somewhat offset by the great running position that Ireland got in this years contest. Last is a great place to be singing from.
Verdict: I could go on and on but I am sure that I will have a lot more to say about Jedward this evening after they have their rehearsals and I see how they are going on stage. Personally speaking Jedward at Eurovision are a guilty pleasure for me. They are almost disestablishmentratrian in the way they roll through Eurovision and I think they are excellent ambassadors for Ireland. The very best of luck to them.
Grade: As it is my own country I will not given them a grade.
Once again Ireland has decided to send the dynamic duo/the Haribo boys to Eurovision. Having been one of the most successful acts that Ireland has sent to the contest in the past ten years
Jedward's song Waterline, is a very interesting one. More because it is not exactly the style that we have come to expect from Jedward. This is a far cry from Lipstick. Equally though I have argued for them since well before January and I have no interest in stopping now. The song Waterline may not have played as well with Eurovision fans as may be expected. I think this song is far more what we would expect from something like One Direction or those other Boybands that I know absolutely nothing about. (I really mean that). I think though that Jedwards song last year did require a little listening and may have been a bit to hard to get into on the first go. Waterline is much better at catering for this. It probably will attract votes from non-Jedward fans too.
I really cannot tell how this will play with the juries. Last year Jedward bet off stiff competition to come 6th with the juries. It is difficult to fully understand what it is about Jedward that got them such a score and though it is impressive, I'm not entirely sure as to how they will repeat that. The other problem is that I'm slightly unnerved by the fact both of my parents saw it on the Late Late Show last Friday and they both thought that it was a good song. While this may sound like a good thing my parents are both getting on in their lives and really the music that they are into is not Jedwards music.
Having said all that all I am saying is I don't think that this is my absolute favourite in the contest this year and I also do not think that it is a perfect entry. Like entries it has faults. However these faults should be somewhat offset by the great running position that Ireland got in this years contest. Last is a great place to be singing from.
Verdict: I could go on and on but I am sure that I will have a lot more to say about Jedward this evening after they have their rehearsals and I see how they are going on stage. Personally speaking Jedward at Eurovision are a guilty pleasure for me. They are almost disestablishmentratrian in the way they roll through Eurovision and I think they are excellent ambassadors for Ireland. The very best of luck to them.
Grade: As it is my own country I will not given them a grade.
Reaction To Rehearsals: Day 2: Part 1 Israel-Denmark
A very good morning to everyone! (Or Afternoon if your in Baku). It is time to start viewing the tapes again and go back to the rehearsals in Baku and see what is coming out of the Crystal Hall. This post will be updated as the day goes on.
Israel - Rehearsal Video
There has been a definite lift in support over the last month for Izabo, who have gone from being a marginal qualifier to a likely qualifier on some peoples lists. While the song might be good I think that the performance might just be lacking the killer blow to push this into the final. It remains a very strong song but there is something more that the performance needs. That said the staging is still good with lots of strange clocks in the background and the backing singers are very strangely positioned which might aid the entry.
San Marino - Rehearsal Video
No one is expecting San Marino to really improve their odds of qualifying drastically. The song is still pretty poor, but the general reaction to her first rehearsal is that it was rather strong, it still was not quite to the standard that we've seen from Iceland and Romania yesterday but overall I think that this vocally good. This song is 7/1 to qualify to the final - surely those odds will shorten just a little today. The problem I felt that was there today was I wondered would people really "get" the song if they are not told explicitly that it's about Facebook?
Cyprus - Rehearsal Video
Vocally I think that this has certainly proved us wrong. Vocals are still a bit lat but it is certainly not the car crash that was expected. The backdrop does have echos of their 2007 entry. I don't fully understand why people are so into this entry and I think that it is one of the weaker entries in this semi-final however there does seem to be a broad expectation that this will qualify. I'm unconvinced though. I haven't seen the camera angles and when there is so much choreography involved you really need to see how it looks on camera. I'm going to sit on the fence for a bit on this entry.
Denmark - Rehearsal Video
There is a very interesting choice of background here and it is a good improvement on the national final. Vocally I think that this is great. The whole package has come together really, really well and I suspect Denmark are most likely going to win this semi-final at this point in the rehearsals. Some have complained that there is too much going on onstage but I think that this is a spectacular performance. Anna Bergendahl comparisons might be on the rise but I think that they are totally out of place here.
Israel - Rehearsal Video
There has been a definite lift in support over the last month for Izabo, who have gone from being a marginal qualifier to a likely qualifier on some peoples lists. While the song might be good I think that the performance might just be lacking the killer blow to push this into the final. It remains a very strong song but there is something more that the performance needs. That said the staging is still good with lots of strange clocks in the background and the backing singers are very strangely positioned which might aid the entry.
San Marino - Rehearsal Video
No one is expecting San Marino to really improve their odds of qualifying drastically. The song is still pretty poor, but the general reaction to her first rehearsal is that it was rather strong, it still was not quite to the standard that we've seen from Iceland and Romania yesterday but overall I think that this vocally good. This song is 7/1 to qualify to the final - surely those odds will shorten just a little today. The problem I felt that was there today was I wondered would people really "get" the song if they are not told explicitly that it's about Facebook?
Cyprus - Rehearsal Video
Vocally I think that this has certainly proved us wrong. Vocals are still a bit lat but it is certainly not the car crash that was expected. The backdrop does have echos of their 2007 entry. I don't fully understand why people are so into this entry and I think that it is one of the weaker entries in this semi-final however there does seem to be a broad expectation that this will qualify. I'm unconvinced though. I haven't seen the camera angles and when there is so much choreography involved you really need to see how it looks on camera. I'm going to sit on the fence for a bit on this entry.
Denmark - Rehearsal Video
There is a very interesting choice of background here and it is a good improvement on the national final. Vocally I think that this is great. The whole package has come together really, really well and I suspect Denmark are most likely going to win this semi-final at this point in the rehearsals. Some have complained that there is too much going on onstage but I think that this is a spectacular performance. Anna Bergendahl comparisons might be on the rise but I think that they are totally out of place here.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Most Artistic Song This Year!
Portugal this year decided to send Filipa Sousa to Eurovision to represent them, which was interestingly one of the few times in Festival Da Cancao that the public agreed with the juries, known for their conservative nature. Filipa will sing the song Vida Minha in Baku.
Without a doubt I love this song despite it breezing over me completely during the national final season. However soon enough I came back to it and found that the relaxed style is really interesting to listen and I like the almost Balkan influences in a piece of music that is undeniably Portuguese. The backing singers and arrangement of the song really help to make it a memorable song and it builds from a simple Portuguese ballad to a rather complex one while remaining relatively easy to pull off on stage. Overall though this has to be the most artistic song in Eurovision 2012.
This will need to be well staged in Baku for this song to stand out and in moving to the Eurovision stage it means that Portugal will have to lose two backing singers or else the two dancers. I suspect that they will cut the latter two. While this might not jump out at you on TV with some clever staging work it cut. But this is not something that we have seen from Portugal before so I suspect that we may not see it again.
I can't really see this as a qualifer as it is running early in a semi-final full of ballads. Portugal is also lacking neighbours to get them through to the final.
Verdict: This is probably going to be the best Eurovision entry to get left behind in the semis but I really hope that it doesn't.
Grade: A
Without a doubt I love this song despite it breezing over me completely during the national final season. However soon enough I came back to it and found that the relaxed style is really interesting to listen and I like the almost Balkan influences in a piece of music that is undeniably Portuguese. The backing singers and arrangement of the song really help to make it a memorable song and it builds from a simple Portuguese ballad to a rather complex one while remaining relatively easy to pull off on stage. Overall though this has to be the most artistic song in Eurovision 2012.
This will need to be well staged in Baku for this song to stand out and in moving to the Eurovision stage it means that Portugal will have to lose two backing singers or else the two dancers. I suspect that they will cut the latter two. While this might not jump out at you on TV with some clever staging work it cut. But this is not something that we have seen from Portugal before so I suspect that we may not see it again.
I can't really see this as a qualifer as it is running early in a semi-final full of ballads. Portugal is also lacking neighbours to get them through to the final.
Verdict: This is probably going to be the best Eurovision entry to get left behind in the semis but I really hope that it doesn't.
Grade: A
Rehearsals: Day 1: Part 3 Switzerland - Finland
Rehearsals continued today in earnest and videos have now appeared for them all. But now onto the last three.
Switzerland - Rehearsal Video
Switzerland have come on in leaps and bounds since the national finals in December [then again they've had since December]. The staging is really well done, the vocals and more importantly diction have stepped up to the mark and the whole thing is looking rather polished. The general consensus is that this has indeed improved but no matter what I read today I still think that this just screams non-qualifier. I don't fully know why that is though.
Belgium - Rehearsal Video
Despite some peoples arguments this is a song I have a soft spot for. I think that this has really come up in the rehearsals. The staging of the whole song is wonderfully understated and I think that Iris has the voice to carry this song off. Interestingly there is a very little we learned today. The rehearsal has been very similar to the national final performance. Possibly the closest so far today.
Finland - Rehearsal Video
Finland were the last to take to the stage for rehearsals today. The song is vocally good but coming after Belgium this is a lot less dramatic. To be honest this song was one that I have really loved but today I felt that it stopped short of actually coming up to the mark. Many acts have impressed me today but Finland really has not. This might come up a bit in second rehearsals but at the moment I'm not feeling it.
Switzerland - Rehearsal Video
Switzerland have come on in leaps and bounds since the national finals in December [then again they've had since December]. The staging is really well done, the vocals and more importantly diction have stepped up to the mark and the whole thing is looking rather polished. The general consensus is that this has indeed improved but no matter what I read today I still think that this just screams non-qualifier. I don't fully know why that is though.
Belgium - Rehearsal Video
Despite some peoples arguments this is a song I have a soft spot for. I think that this has really come up in the rehearsals. The staging of the whole song is wonderfully understated and I think that Iris has the voice to carry this song off. Interestingly there is a very little we learned today. The rehearsal has been very similar to the national final performance. Possibly the closest so far today.
Finland - Rehearsal Video
Finland were the last to take to the stage for rehearsals today. The song is vocally good but coming after Belgium this is a lot less dramatic. To be honest this song was one that I have really loved but today I felt that it stopped short of actually coming up to the mark. Many acts have impressed me today but Finland really has not. This might come up a bit in second rehearsals but at the moment I'm not feeling it.
Rehearsals: Day 1: Part 2 Latvia - Romania
Unfortunately due to my usual Sunday routine I was not in a position to stay in live mode for the afternoon. Anyhow here's how the rehearsals look to be going for the first half of the the first semi-final.
Latvia - Rehearsal Video
Those who have followed the blog will know that this is far from one of my favourite entries. Anmary's vocal performance today is really, really good but I don't like the display behind her. I think it lacks a strong colour. This is as close to my lovely horse as you can get and I suspect that it will stay this way. Anmary still is a very strange performer onstage too. This needed something really special to stand out onstage and it has not delivered on this. I cannot see this qualifying.
Albania - Rehearsal Video
Without a doubt I am really delighted by how well this is working onstage. Vocally this is just outstanding. The only issue that could be a problem is that Rona needs to make far more contact with the camera for this song to really score well on the public televote, but otherwise it has been a great performance. The extra drum towards the end should lift it and make it a little more anthemic. This does mean though that sound mixing will need to be very, very good for this all to work. Media reaction to this song has been equally positive but no one seems to be predicting this as either a qualifier or not.
Romania - Rehearsal Video
Romania has impressed me today. I found this a bit boring up until now but the extra bass in the song is excellent. If it doesn't come across on TV this will flop. Up until now I have felt that it is just a bit soft. But no, instead it is more like something from a club which I would listen to. This is well listened to and liked by the press and people seem to have a soft spot for this. Vocal concerns were also knocked today with a strong showing from the lead singer. After the first five songs this really should stand out to the televoters.
Latvia - Rehearsal Video
Those who have followed the blog will know that this is far from one of my favourite entries. Anmary's vocal performance today is really, really good but I don't like the display behind her. I think it lacks a strong colour. This is as close to my lovely horse as you can get and I suspect that it will stay this way. Anmary still is a very strange performer onstage too. This needed something really special to stand out onstage and it has not delivered on this. I cannot see this qualifying.
Albania - Rehearsal Video
Without a doubt I am really delighted by how well this is working onstage. Vocally this is just outstanding. The only issue that could be a problem is that Rona needs to make far more contact with the camera for this song to really score well on the public televote, but otherwise it has been a great performance. The extra drum towards the end should lift it and make it a little more anthemic. This does mean though that sound mixing will need to be very, very good for this all to work. Media reaction to this song has been equally positive but no one seems to be predicting this as either a qualifier or not.
Romania - Rehearsal Video
Romania has impressed me today. I found this a bit boring up until now but the extra bass in the song is excellent. If it doesn't come across on TV this will flop. Up until now I have felt that it is just a bit soft. But no, instead it is more like something from a club which I would listen to. This is well listened to and liked by the press and people seem to have a soft spot for this. Vocal concerns were also knocked today with a strong showing from the lead singer. After the first five songs this really should stand out to the televoters.
Rehearsals: Day 1: Part 1 Montenegro-Greece
Rehearsals today are running about an hour and a half late, and based on previous ESC's this is unlikely to change. As I am not actually in Baku I will be blogging here as videos and opinions come through. I will be updating this page as the day goes on. I don't embed videos onto the blog as I find it slows it down but if you click on the link you should get a video of the rehearsal. I'll try to use eurovision.tv videos but they take a while to appear so you may notice some videos from escXtra who look to be shaping up to have the best coverage so far this year.
Montenegro - Video of rehearsal
No one really knew what to expect from Montenegro as it was never on live TV. This is one of the few songs where vocals really don't matter. I would say though that the overall staging of the song looks very messy and this seems to be the general view.No expects this to qualify and that is my view also but there is a little voice in my head asking me if I'm right in saying that.
Iceland - Video of rehearsal
I had forgotten just how amazing the Icelandic entry was. The rehearsal was really strong and seems to have cleared up any doubts about the song. It is just a pleasure to listen to it live. The back drop is Icelandic mountains which really impressive and keeps in tune with the Icelandicness of it all. The backing singers really lift this and it all looks like the usually excellently produced Icelandic entry. Most people seem to be identifying this as a definite qualifier.
Greece - Video of rehearsal
Well at least it's not in a shopping center. When I first saw the video of the rehearsal I have to say that I though it now fits so much into the standard Greek entry. Yes this does remind me a lot of other Greek entries. But it still lacks anything tangible that will push it on. In my opinion My Number One would not do very well in this day and age. Lead vocals are fairly poor. This was a problem which I had flagged earlier but the general consensus is that Greece needs more backing singers. But then again remember the shock we all got when we saw Greece won last years semi-final?
Latvia's rehearsal is running a bit later than expected and I have to pop out for a while. More reaction later this afternoon.
Montenegro - Video of rehearsal
No one really knew what to expect from Montenegro as it was never on live TV. This is one of the few songs where vocals really don't matter. I would say though that the overall staging of the song looks very messy and this seems to be the general view.No expects this to qualify and that is my view also but there is a little voice in my head asking me if I'm right in saying that.
Iceland - Video of rehearsal
I had forgotten just how amazing the Icelandic entry was. The rehearsal was really strong and seems to have cleared up any doubts about the song. It is just a pleasure to listen to it live. The back drop is Icelandic mountains which really impressive and keeps in tune with the Icelandicness of it all. The backing singers really lift this and it all looks like the usually excellently produced Icelandic entry. Most people seem to be identifying this as a definite qualifier.
Greece - Video of rehearsal
Well at least it's not in a shopping center. When I first saw the video of the rehearsal I have to say that I though it now fits so much into the standard Greek entry. Yes this does remind me a lot of other Greek entries. But it still lacks anything tangible that will push it on. In my opinion My Number One would not do very well in this day and age. Lead vocals are fairly poor. This was a problem which I had flagged earlier but the general consensus is that Greece needs more backing singers. But then again remember the shock we all got when we saw Greece won last years semi-final?
Latvia's rehearsal is running a bit later than expected and I have to pop out for a while. More reaction later this afternoon.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Is This A Sea Shanty?
Somehow I shall endure to write as many reviews, though preferably all of them today even if they are a bit spread in the publishing dates. If I should seem to go of the rails in doing this I apologise.
Turkey are always a strange basket case when it comes to Eurovision. This was complicated even further last year when they failed to really come up with anything amazing, instead going with the predictable rock song "Live It Up" by a band I cannot even begin to spell. After the usual discussions about who Turkey would send to the contest, it was announced that Can Bonomo would be going to Eurovision.
Can then presented his song to Turkey during the main evening news as is the case in Turkey, many people seemed to be really impressed by this song. I for one was not, I found the off rhythms hard to get and I don't really see what everyone was getting so hyped up about. We've heard all this kind of music before. This might be very good for the genre but it's not the whirlwind that it should have been. There has also been a relative cooling period around this song. It has gone from being well up on everyone's lists to being only mid table with everyone.
As regards qualifying the situation is no different. People seem to have breezed over this as a definite qualifier. I think that it does fall into this category but then again we said that before (and look at how right we were). Equally Turkey surely has a better chance because of its running order position. The performance will be everything with this song. The song does appear to be a sort of sea shanty in the videos and promotion so far but it still leaves more questions than answers and must find an identity very, very quickly.
Verdict: Personally, it has grown on me but I do need to see more about it before I make up my mind. The performance and identity of the song are the two key factors here.
Grade: C
Turkey are always a strange basket case when it comes to Eurovision. This was complicated even further last year when they failed to really come up with anything amazing, instead going with the predictable rock song "Live It Up" by a band I cannot even begin to spell. After the usual discussions about who Turkey would send to the contest, it was announced that Can Bonomo would be going to Eurovision.
Can then presented his song to Turkey during the main evening news as is the case in Turkey, many people seemed to be really impressed by this song. I for one was not, I found the off rhythms hard to get and I don't really see what everyone was getting so hyped up about. We've heard all this kind of music before. This might be very good for the genre but it's not the whirlwind that it should have been. There has also been a relative cooling period around this song. It has gone from being well up on everyone's lists to being only mid table with everyone.
As regards qualifying the situation is no different. People seem to have breezed over this as a definite qualifier. I think that it does fall into this category but then again we said that before (and look at how right we were). Equally Turkey surely has a better chance because of its running order position. The performance will be everything with this song. The song does appear to be a sort of sea shanty in the videos and promotion so far but it still leaves more questions than answers and must find an identity very, very quickly.
Verdict: Personally, it has grown on me but I do need to see more about it before I make up my mind. The performance and identity of the song are the two key factors here.
Grade: C
The Unconventional Eurovision Song
Fans feathers were very much ruffled when it was announced that Izabo would be going to Baku in May to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Izabo are a very orginal indie group and this starkly contrasts from the normal entry that we would expect from Israel [well maybe we won't discuss Dana International] but normally this is a seriously conservative country.
Izabo are an indie pop band. This automatically highlighted a change in stance from the previous years. Without a doubt though when we heard their song "Time" we were all pleasantly surprised.
This is a good song. It has very few of the normal hallmarks of a Eurovision entry. This could go either way as we have no real precedent to this song before. But it does bounce along very well and could get a lot of votes. It's in a very interesting semi-final, one of the stranger ones that we have seen in living memory. This might just stand out enough. This will depend on how good the stage show is, but given how randomly wonderful Izabo have done so far I'm expecting something big.
Israel is performing 10th in this semi-final which is a fairly strong position. Really though there are far to many variables still with this song to actually call on how well it will do.
Personally, it's not my favourite in semi-final 1 but it is still a strong song. I'm looking forward to seeing it.#
Verdict: It could do very well but it is to difficult to say at this stage. But I would guess that it should do well.
Grade: B
Izabo are an indie pop band. This automatically highlighted a change in stance from the previous years. Without a doubt though when we heard their song "Time" we were all pleasantly surprised.
This is a good song. It has very few of the normal hallmarks of a Eurovision entry. This could go either way as we have no real precedent to this song before. But it does bounce along very well and could get a lot of votes. It's in a very interesting semi-final, one of the stranger ones that we have seen in living memory. This might just stand out enough. This will depend on how good the stage show is, but given how randomly wonderful Izabo have done so far I'm expecting something big.
Israel is performing 10th in this semi-final which is a fairly strong position. Really though there are far to many variables still with this song to actually call on how well it will do.
Personally, it's not my favourite in semi-final 1 but it is still a strong song. I'm looking forward to seeing it.#
Verdict: It could do very well but it is to difficult to say at this stage. But I would guess that it should do well.
Grade: B
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tractors, Noodle Soup and Woki Mit Deim Popo!
Without a doubt one of the most interesting national finals this year was Austria. The big battle between Conchita Wurst and Trackshittaz was well flagged and also well watched. Ultimately the Trackshittaz were victorious. Personally I would have accepted either, and I think they both would have been great songs.
Before I launch into praising this song I'd like to say that I completely understand those of you who do not like this. More for this song than any other. But despite my general disliking of rap I really like Trackshittaz. Perhaps it may be because of the tractors or maybe it is the fact unlike most rappers they don't aim to "keep it real". The song is really good. It is aggressive enough that rap fans should like it and it should also appeal to the wider Eurovision audience, maybe not the fan network but certainly the people who watch Eurovision but are not one of the diehard fans. Trackshittaz have a great likability factor and this, combined with a strong stage show will really stand out in Baku.
Moving away from the song and Austria are still really well positioned this year. Third last in their semi-final they stand to do really well, particularly as they appear after Hungary. In a ballad heavy year it is likely that this will stand out in the final. I think could do really well. Maybe not so much with the juries though.
Verdict: This is a favorite of mine but I love a good number of semi-final 1 songs but overall this is great ad could do better than expected in Baku on the Saturday.
Grade: A-
Before I launch into praising this song I'd like to say that I completely understand those of you who do not like this. More for this song than any other. But despite my general disliking of rap I really like Trackshittaz. Perhaps it may be because of the tractors or maybe it is the fact unlike most rappers they don't aim to "keep it real". The song is really good. It is aggressive enough that rap fans should like it and it should also appeal to the wider Eurovision audience, maybe not the fan network but certainly the people who watch Eurovision but are not one of the diehard fans. Trackshittaz have a great likability factor and this, combined with a strong stage show will really stand out in Baku.
Moving away from the song and Austria are still really well positioned this year. Third last in their semi-final they stand to do really well, particularly as they appear after Hungary. In a ballad heavy year it is likely that this will stand out in the final. I think could do really well. Maybe not so much with the juries though.
Verdict: This is a favorite of mine but I love a good number of semi-final 1 songs but overall this is great ad could do better than expected in Baku on the Saturday.
Grade: A-
Macedonia: The Review
Macedonia this year have no doubt sent one of the most under-discussed song in this years song contest. No doubt that Crno I Belo is a reasonable song, but I just think that this is a very underwhelming entry from Macedonia. Kaliopi is a good singer too and Macedonia should be delighted to have her as a singer.
The song is a bit disjointed as a song. It starts as a normal ballad sort of song and this continues for about half of the song. This in my opinion is far to long, particularly after the ballad from Serbia. The song then bursts into a rock song. This in my opinion is far to different from the first part of the song. Therefore the song lacks any fluidity and consequently may be a total wash out on the night. In a tough year this just is not coming up to the mark.
Personally speaking I really dislike this entry. I think that it could not even be considered a "nice" entry. It is just one that is not at the standard that was required.
Verdict: Despite what some fans think (and I do respect your opinions), I feel that this just is not at the required standard and should have been left at home.
Grade: E-
The song is a bit disjointed as a song. It starts as a normal ballad sort of song and this continues for about half of the song. This in my opinion is far to long, particularly after the ballad from Serbia. The song then bursts into a rock song. This in my opinion is far to different from the first part of the song. Therefore the song lacks any fluidity and consequently may be a total wash out on the night. In a tough year this just is not coming up to the mark.
Personally speaking I really dislike this entry. I think that it could not even be considered a "nice" entry. It is just one that is not at the standard that was required.
Verdict: Despite what some fans think (and I do respect your opinions), I feel that this just is not at the required standard and should have been left at home.
Grade: E-
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Serbia: The Review
Before we begin today I know that the migration of Eurovision fans to the contest has begun, while this sadly I shall not be moving to as far (it's about 40 steps from my desk to the TV in the living room), I will be reporting from behind the lines from the home front. But for those who are travelling I wish all very safe journey's however you get to Baku.
Anyway in less pressing news, a couple of months back Serbia decided to send Zeljko Joksimovic to the Eurovison Song Contest on the basis that he is a very well known singer in the Balkans he also represented Serbia and Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 coming a very respectable second, an impressive start for a debuting country. There was much discussion about the sort of songthe Zeljko would bring to the contest. Would it be one which was a mirror image of the 2004 entry [which was really good back then].
There can be little doubt that Nije Ljubav Stvar is a great Balkan ballad. It builds slowly but rather well and finishes with a fairly large cresendo. The song no doubt is definitely going to get some extra coverage because it is Zeljko. The trouble is that this song is far to formulaic in comparison to the 2004 Lane Moje. There is a management concept that sometimes crops up that strikes me as I write this. Never do the same thing again. In 2004 Balkan ballads were a new pure and fresh addition to the contest. Zeljko's really stood out too. This year the same cannot quite be said again. Balkan ballads are now fairly normal in the contest, we would normally expect 2 or 3 of them per year. Zeljko has even brought the Luke Ming Flanagan look a like to the contest (as he did in 2004).
This year Zeljko is in with about 4 other songs from the Balkans in a ballad heavy year. Given the Serbian starting position (first in semi 2), this is far from ideal. I'm not convinced that Serbia are going to do well enough in semi 2 in order to gain the momentum to do well enough in the final. While I don't think that getting to the semi-final will be a problem for Zeljko (he'll most likely do it on the back of massive Balkan support). But really this is not going make a Top 3 appearances.
Verdict: I think this is a reasonable Balkan ballad. However I do think that Serbia is not the best Balkan ballad is that amazing this year. That honour would fall to Slovenia.
Grade: B-
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
It's Tina Turner - Or Is It?
Every year a couple of Eurovision acts come along that remind us of stars we know from outside of Eurovision. Sometimes these general resemblances start to err on the side of "that's a bit to close for comfort" and this year the award for doing this goes to Gaitana from Ukraine.
#NationalFinalMemes: I cannot go on further without mentioning that Ukraine held their national final at 10:30 in the morning (Irish Time; 13:30 Ukrainian Time). 10:30! - I wasn't even out of bed (actually I wasn't awake that day until 12:00).
So anyway Ukraine decided to send Gaitana with her song "Be My Guest". It's a strong song, it works really well but I'd say that it might be hard for the average Eurovision audience to take in. Without a doubt the song has some similarities with Tina Turner. These I think could actually go against Gaitana. I suspect that the voting public may over look her on the those grounds, but these are really concerns which should remain hidden until the final, really this song is strong enough to come about 6th-8th place in the semi final.
It's success in a very tough semi-final is dependent on the songs ability to attract votes from the pool of non-ballads votes in semi-final 2. The question of how the song will do is the songs ability to get votes from better countries songs running later in the draw. So I'm not convinced.
Verdict: This is a strange song. Anyhow it is what it is but it doesn't do it for me. I can't see this doing well but it is Ukraine after all so we shall never know.
Grade: C
P.S. For some strange reason I cannot get thinking fully linearly tonight.
#NationalFinalMemes: I cannot go on further without mentioning that Ukraine held their national final at 10:30 in the morning (Irish Time; 13:30 Ukrainian Time). 10:30! - I wasn't even out of bed (actually I wasn't awake that day until 12:00).
So anyway Ukraine decided to send Gaitana with her song "Be My Guest". It's a strong song, it works really well but I'd say that it might be hard for the average Eurovision audience to take in. Without a doubt the song has some similarities with Tina Turner. These I think could actually go against Gaitana. I suspect that the voting public may over look her on the those grounds, but these are really concerns which should remain hidden until the final, really this song is strong enough to come about 6th-8th place in the semi final.
It's success in a very tough semi-final is dependent on the songs ability to attract votes from the pool of non-ballads votes in semi-final 2. The question of how the song will do is the songs ability to get votes from better countries songs running later in the draw. So I'm not convinced.
Verdict: This is a strange song. Anyhow it is what it is but it doesn't do it for me. I can't see this doing well but it is Ukraine after all so we shall never know.
Grade: C
P.S. For some strange reason I cannot get thinking fully linearly tonight.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
In Praise Of Country Music
While I try to plot out how to cover Eurovision fortnight 2012 next week and the week after, despite not knowing how many hours I have in the day, I shall continue to try to get all the reviews done as quick as I can. Anyhow while I originally set out to have all this stuff done before rehearsals started that seems increasingly likely that I won't have. Anyhow might be time to down a small medium large bottle of something and bang these out but anyhow here goes the Netherlands.
You might be forgiven in not remembering that the Netherlands in fact launched a new open style national final contrasting from their previous internal artist selection and public song mix. Anyone remember the giant suitcase. No? This is the problem, like Portugal despite changing the selection procedure they still have produced a fairly formulaic Dutch song.
And this is a great thing.
I am in the minority of fans who have liked most of Netherlands entries over the past five years. This year si no different. Joan Franka may have come from the most dull and deary national final you could think of this is a really nice and sweet country music song. It bounces along and really does draw you in. I'm not the biggest fan of Joan's outfit choice though and think that she should go with something more natural for Eurovision.
This has a couple of weaknesses: namely the song is too early in the running order to really make an impact on the voting public. I also think that despite the fan popularity of this song it is failing to make an impact in fan circles outside of the UK and Ireland. On the positive side I think this might make an impact outside the usual Eurovision fan voting public in the semi finals.
Verdict: This really is a great song. It's not one that makes me pick up the phone but really this is one I really am going to look forward to. Sadly though I cannot imagine this making it though to the final. Which is a real shame and will mean that thanks to Norway's unfortunate decision not to send Bobby Bare to the contest, there will once again be a final lacking in country music.
Grade: B+
You might be forgiven in not remembering that the Netherlands in fact launched a new open style national final contrasting from their previous internal artist selection and public song mix. Anyone remember the giant suitcase. No? This is the problem, like Portugal despite changing the selection procedure they still have produced a fairly formulaic Dutch song.
And this is a great thing.
I am in the minority of fans who have liked most of Netherlands entries over the past five years. This year si no different. Joan Franka may have come from the most dull and deary national final you could think of this is a really nice and sweet country music song. It bounces along and really does draw you in. I'm not the biggest fan of Joan's outfit choice though and think that she should go with something more natural for Eurovision.
This has a couple of weaknesses: namely the song is too early in the running order to really make an impact on the voting public. I also think that despite the fan popularity of this song it is failing to make an impact in fan circles outside of the UK and Ireland. On the positive side I think this might make an impact outside the usual Eurovision fan voting public in the semi finals.
Verdict: This really is a great song. It's not one that makes me pick up the phone but really this is one I really am going to look forward to. Sadly though I cannot imagine this making it though to the final. Which is a real shame and will mean that thanks to Norway's unfortunate decision not to send Bobby Bare to the contest, there will once again be a final lacking in country music.
Grade: B+
Monday, April 30, 2012
Another Look At The Betting Odds
In the last two weeks we have looked at the odds for Eurovision 2012 in the semi-finals but today we will now look at the odds overall. I'm using PaddyPower for this because they are fairly large (and accurate) and oddschecker is not always accurate.
Unsurprisingly Sweden is up front by a long chalk. 2.25/1 is the odds, I'm holding out til rehersals until I put a bet on Sweden as I suspect the odds will start to widen at that point. In second are Russia and Italy on 7/1, which is more like the kind of odds I'd expect at this point of the year. I think both of these entries are risky and could conceivably drop much lower than this on the night. They'll still be on the left of the scoreboard though. Serbia is a far safer bet, and aside from Sweden the only country that I am pretty sure will be in the top 10. PaddyPower allows you to bet each way on four places. I'm not sure that Serbia will be one of these.
Then we move out a little to 14/1 in here we have: Denmark, UK and Ireland. There can be little surprise that Ireland is doing well with an Irish bookmaker. Denmark is about right at 14/1, I think they might not break last years 5th place but top 10 is well within the reach of Soluna Samay. The UK might be a little overhyped given the risk could be associated with Engelbert's performance but also [far more importantly], the UK has a fairly poor running order position.
Next we come to Spain on 18/1 which is no surprise given that Pastora Soler is an excellent performer with a pretty strong song. I actually think that the odds are a poor reflection of this song, I don't expect that it will rip forward into the top 3, but given the songs strength and good running order, I'd say that top 10 should be with in reach. At 20/1 is Germany, which I cannot see making the Top 10 let alone winning and Turkey. Turkey is interesting because reports from Netherlands Eurovision party were not good, but I will await further reports from Baku before I decide what to make of it.
Iceland is at 22/1, which some might argue is a good bet, then Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Norway are at 25/1. Norway might also be a good bet, Romania is pretty accurate but Greece and Cyprus look a bit a ahead of themselves, particularly Cyprus. Then there is a substantial gap to Azerbaijan at 40/1. To be honest it's a poor song but Azerbaijan are Azerbaijan and they will leave a mark on the scoreboard no matter what. Being the hosts will also help. Then at 50/1 are Slovenia, Estonia and Netherlands. Netherlands are the odd men out here. I think this might be caused by a couple of fans putting on money but we shall see.
I shall refrain from going beyond here as to do so would be pointless, suffice to say I don't think that the others have much of a fighting chance.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Dull, Medicore and Plain
Croatia perhaps has not had an outstanding Eurovision record over the last 3 or 4 years, and let's be honest they haven't ever seemed to try very hard. But the varied selection processes that they have engaged in suggests that they might actually want to do well.
Croatia surprisingly decided to run with internal selection process and selected Nina Badric and her song Nebo. This was a straight-forward choice for Croatia. It is a balkan ballad. However my problem with this is that it is as plain as plain could be. This is far from what you want in order to attract votes from outside of the Balkan region. This song really does not go anywhere.
I think that in a semi-final full of balkan ballads this is going to struggle to stand out and be heard the only advantage it has is the fact that it is on immediately after Slovenia. This means that people interested in the Slovenian entry might be awake enough to hear this.
Verdict: There is very little to said about this entry, and I think that it is one of the lesser entries in this years contest. The standard for Balkan entries this year is very high and I cannot see this as a standout song. There will be those who disagree but this is regularly skipped when it comes up on my MP3 player [No I don't have an IPod - deal with it].
Grade: D+
I could not help but wonder whether or not Nina is continuing her sex ban. Either way I doubt her husband is unduly happy.
Croatia surprisingly decided to run with internal selection process and selected Nina Badric and her song Nebo. This was a straight-forward choice for Croatia. It is a balkan ballad. However my problem with this is that it is as plain as plain could be. This is far from what you want in order to attract votes from outside of the Balkan region. This song really does not go anywhere.
I think that in a semi-final full of balkan ballads this is going to struggle to stand out and be heard the only advantage it has is the fact that it is on immediately after Slovenia. This means that people interested in the Slovenian entry might be awake enough to hear this.
Verdict: There is very little to said about this entry, and I think that it is one of the lesser entries in this years contest. The standard for Balkan entries this year is very high and I cannot see this as a standout song. There will be those who disagree but this is regularly skipped when it comes up on my MP3 player [No I don't have an IPod - deal with it].
Grade: D+
I could not help but wonder whether or not Nina is continuing her sex ban. Either way I doubt her husband is unduly happy.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Do You Wanna Have CyberSex Again? Did I Ask For It In The First Place?
So San Marino have made what we call a booboo. What is that? Well its where you decide not to worry about Eurovision until two weeks before the deadline, bring in Raphal Sigel, then hammer something that looks like an entry but with a few fatal mistakes. College students will be familiar with this approach.
The worst mistake you can make at Eurovision is believe that you need to be contemporary, and this exactly what San Marino have done.
Facebook The Social Network Song, is a total load of rubbish, sung by the wonderful Valentina Montetta who actually a great singer and this song sadly completely undermines her talent. It really is that Eurovision song that goes nowhere. Lyrically it is just dire.
And yet I have a certain affection for this song. It bounces along, it is a real guilty pleasure. But only at times, at times I really haven't the heart to listen to it.
In semi-final 1 there will be considerable competition for places in the final I really cannot see this going anywhere other than home.
Verdict: Far from my favourite but because it can be a guilty pleasure I'll give it a fair grade. Hasn't a hope.
Grade: C+
The worst mistake you can make at Eurovision is believe that you need to be contemporary, and this exactly what San Marino have done.
And yet I have a certain affection for this song. It bounces along, it is a real guilty pleasure. But only at times, at times I really haven't the heart to listen to it.
In semi-final 1 there will be considerable competition for places in the final I really cannot see this going anywhere other than home.
Verdict: Far from my favourite but because it can be a guilty pleasure I'll give it a fair grade. Hasn't a hope.
Grade: C+
Thursday, April 26, 2012
From The Frozen North
Without a doubt Iceland's national final generated a lot of interest and to be honest it has proven that you don't have to be Melodifestivalen to generate fan interest. The result of the final was a foregone conclusion but there was some surprise and shock when Greta Salome and Jonsi didn't win the public vote.
Without a doubt Iceland has entered a big ballad in this years contest. It has a great "raw" Icelandic feel to it, and really reminds me of the sort of Frozen North. Unusually, for a duet, both Jonsi and Greta work extremely good and not only work well together but neither are weaker than the other, a problem that often occurs in duets. The song is exceptionally strong however it does lack a final punch that makes me want to stand up with fists in the air (which I do at the end of a surprising number of anthemic songs).
The problem that I have with the entry is that despite how well it is scoring with fans, it came second with the Icelandic public in the televote, that doesn't fill me with confidence. The other problem is the early running order.
Verdict: These are pretty much the only two problems facing the entry. But two problems with an entry is far less than a good number of songs I've reviewed so far. If this takes off with the public there's no telling how far it will go. I do love it as an entry too. But sometimes in order not to be biased for something we have to be cruel.
Grade: A
Without a doubt Iceland has entered a big ballad in this years contest. It has a great "raw" Icelandic feel to it, and really reminds me of the sort of Frozen North. Unusually, for a duet, both Jonsi and Greta work extremely good and not only work well together but neither are weaker than the other, a problem that often occurs in duets. The song is exceptionally strong however it does lack a final punch that makes me want to stand up with fists in the air (which I do at the end of a surprising number of anthemic songs).
The problem that I have with the entry is that despite how well it is scoring with fans, it came second with the Icelandic public in the televote, that doesn't fill me with confidence. The other problem is the early running order.
Verdict: These are pretty much the only two problems facing the entry. But two problems with an entry is far less than a good number of songs I've reviewed so far. If this takes off with the public there's no telling how far it will go. I do love it as an entry too. But sometimes in order not to be biased for something we have to be cruel.
Grade: A
Monday, April 23, 2012
"The Most Mature and Classy Entry This Year"
After making one of the most successful returns to Eurovision last year and the Gualazzi effect*, there was a huge unprecendented interest in San Remo this year. There has been a wild spread acceptance that San Remo is a vehicle which is able to produce very high quality entries. Especially ones that will be of good enough quality that they will be able to score very well with the juries. Like last year Italy surprised everyone by deciding to send little known singer Nina Zilli and her song Out of Love.
After all the pushing and shoving that was involved in selecting the Italian enter this year (remember Per Sempre?) I think that Italy have actually come up with a song that they should be both happy and proud of. This might not be my favourite in the contest but it is very close. The song has some of the jazzy and blues overtones from last year’s entry. Noteablely Italy have also decided to send a song that use Italian and English interchangeably. Overall the song reminds of one that you might expect from an artist like Imelda May. I think that juries will lap this up.
Staging is going to be a key issue for this entry. Nina is going to need a lot of Charisma to pull off an entry like this. I’m not convinced that she will actually have this when it is required. The running order does not exactly help Italy but the song is strong enough to do very well if the performance is right.
Verdict: Not sure if they picked the right singer for this entry but all the same I think this another strong entry from Italy. The standard this year is a lot higher than last year and ultimately this will impact on how Italy do. However a top 5 finish is likely. Overall it could be the most mature and classy entry of the year.
Grade: A
*The Gualazzi effect is the way I explain how entries, such as Italy’s last year, which are not overly liked by fans when first picked but after a high score at Eurovision everyone thinks that they are amazingly good.
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