01 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Estonia: Amazing

Estonia: Tanja looking Amazing

A month on and some are still surprised that Amazing sung by Tanja will represent Estonia in Copenhagen. A few believe the winner of the national final should have been either the Super Hot Cosmos Blues Band or Sandra Nurmsalu, depending on where their allegiances lie. It proved to be neither, as the public favoured Tanja, together with her dance partner, in a tightly fought tele-vote.

However, Tanja is no stranger to the world of Eurovision having competed in both 2002 and 2003 as one half of the pair, Nightlight Duo. Described as a techno band, it's a style not far removed from the sound of Amazing.

And therein lies the song's problem. While Tanja delivers a wonderful live vocal - seemingly during a wild display of gymnastics - there is too much of a similarity to Loreen's Euphoria. While it is not a direct copy, the overall package may be too close to Sweden's winner of 2012. This was the accusation levelled at Cascada last year and we all know what happened to Germany's entry. Admittedly, Natalie Horler's vocal let her down, which I can't see being a problem for Tanja. So, in a year where sleepy ballads rule, a well-sung, uptempo track at least stands out from the crowd.

This is not unusual for Estonia. It has produced a couple of entries I've really enjoyed over the years: Ott Lepland and Urban Symphony to name just two. While I wouldn't go as far as to make comparisons to the success of those songs, I will stick my neck out and predict Amazing as a qualifier for the Final, at best.

The odds makers currently place Estonia in the middle of the pack. While the bookies are only a barometer, I have to agree with them at this point. My feeling is that it won't be an 'amazing' finish for Tanja.

[If Estonia is your favourite entry, don't forget to vote for it in the poll at top left].




Image by Indrek Galetin (http://nagi.ee/photos/sAgApO/120877/in-set/2971) [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons

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