28 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Poland: My Słowianie (Slavic Girls)

Cleo
Polish television has decided that the song My Słowianie (Slavic Girls), performed by Donatan and Cleo, will represent Poland at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen.

The choice was made based on the verdict of a specially appointed committee, which included both journalists and music experts. An important part of the selection process were also fans of the competition in Poland, who corresponded with Polish Television by sending in their proposals and suggestions. 

The result was My Słowianie (Slavic Girls), a track which has been one of the most popular in Poland since it debuted in early November 2013, enjoying more than 15 million views on YouTube in its first three days of release.

The video's popularity may be due more to the appearance of several buxom Slavic Girls than the music content, though. It has the appearance of a modern day Carry On film or something that Benny Hill may be producing now. Lots of low slung cleavage, sadly minus the humour.

Apparently it's meant to be a parody, but without knowledge of the language, it just falls flat - unlike the heaving chests. There is now an English version, but to be honest, that doesn't help to throw any light on the subject matter.

What we can tell is that the song is an attempt to fuse hip-hop with Polish folk music and culture, hence the traditional costumes of the girls. Cleo is a little "screechy" with her vocals and, to me, the entire feel of the track is reminiscent of I Don't Care by Icona Pop.


That musical styling was a big hit and I have a feeling that Donatan and Cleo can be assured of enough votes in their semi-final on May 8 to take them through to the following Saturday's big event.

It's one of the Contest's better entries so far, but I don't see it as the winner. How about you?



26 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Macedonia: To the Sky

Tijana Dapčević By Petkowsky [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
In addition to the various national finals and semi-finals last weekend, Macedonia's 2014 Eurovision effort was also unveiled for public scrutiny. For months we've known that Tijana Dapčević will be the vocalist, but it was on Saturday that the English title was confirmed as To the Sky (Macedonian: Таму кај што припаѓам).



Tijana Dapčević is no stranger to Eurovision, having tried to represent Macedonia on three former occasions, as well as taking part in Serbia and Montenegro's 2006 national final. She has finally succeeded through an internal selection, singing a club song composed by last year's Macedonian writers.

To the Sky is very different from Pred da se razdeni, though. It's much more accessible than that song and wouldn't be out of place on the playlists in Ibiza. And while the sound is David Guetta, the look is P!nk - just without the attitude.

The problem is, can Tijana deliver a good live performance in Copenhagen? So far, we've only seen her mime to playback. And will she opt for the English or Macedonian lyric? Many have commented that she should stay with the latter but, more often than not, a song sung in English performs better with the voters.

Whichever she chooses, To the Sky has the potential to be Macedonia's best performing entry yet. At the moment, it's witnessing a lot of positive feedback and is one the best of the bunch amongst those already announced. I like it and I hope it returns the country to the Final.

Here's the Macedonian version. Which do you prefer?

25 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Hungary, Latvia and Spain Decide

Three Eurovision national finals were completed this past weekend and now we have the 2014 songs that will represent Hungary, Latvia and Spain. Another entry was also revealed, as the internal selection from (FYR) Macedonia was presented on local television.

With so many shows to choose from, you really have to be an expert at dipping in and out of all of the video feeds provided. As I'm not one, I decided to stay with Spain's show for the evening. Only five songs in the presentation and one of them was a personal favourite, so TVE's show was a must-see.

The quality of songs from Spain this year was above average, but the winning ticket eventually came down to just two of them. My preferred choice (and that of the Spanish jury) was Brequette's Más, but the telephone vote favoured Ruth Lorenzo's Dancing in the Rain. Consequently, there was a tie. In this situation, the public's wishes prevailed and the latter became Spain's entry for Copenhagen.





Among the already announced songs, it's one of the better entries, but I don't feel it's strong enough to win. The presentation of the ballad on Saturday evening was very "shouty", although Ms. Lorenzo does usually have a fabulous voice. Her vocal ability will, no doubt, impress the juries in Denmark when the time comes, but this Disneyesque type song tends to get ignored by the public. Having said that, it should get high marks from the UK, where the singer is most recognisable from her stint on The X-Factor.

Over to Hungary 


Meanwhile, in Hungary, eight songs were featured in the A Dal final, of which four were pushed through to the Super Final by an expert jury. It was up to the Hungarian public to pick the winner and it ultimately chose Running sung by András Kállay-Saunders.


Now, this one I like - very much. It has a solid, contemporary soul/R'n'B vibe going on and is a song that you could easily see climbing the music charts around the world. Although there is a story and a message within its lyrics, it's extremely radio-friendly and is likely to appeal to both a young and more mature audience alike.

Depending on its presentation and execution on the night, we could very well be listening to the winner right here. Budapest 2015?

Heading North to Latvia


Dropping in at the Dziesma in Ventspils, Latvia was like moving from the sublime to the ridiculous. I must admit that I didn't hear all twelve of the songs in contention at this national final, but having heard the winner it was perhaps for the best. This time, twelve were whittled down to three for a Super Final. The 50/50 combination of jury and televoting gave the win to the group Aarzemnieki with the song Cake to Bake.



Much like Switzerland and Malta, Latvia have chosen a group and song that will try and charm votes out of viewers. Unlike those fellow entrants, Cake to Bake's jaunty, campfire feel is more likely to extinguish any hope that Eurovision 2015 will take place in Riga.

In fact, the instrumentation is probably the only thing that this effort has going for it. The vocals are pretty bad and the lyrics worse. Not even Mary Berry could help this entry rise to the occasion!

Is your favourite Eurovision song amongst these?

16 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Iceland: Enga fordóma

Pollapönk
Iceland's Söngvakeppnin 2014 came to a close last night when the group Pollapönk triumphed over Sigríður Eyrún in a public televote and will now represent the island nation in Copenhagen with the song, Enga fordóma (No Prejudice).



Pollapönk is labelled as a punk group which is a little difficult to accept when you consider the age and look of its members.

I guess the Icelandic public are more accepting of them. There is no doubt that the message of the song is an important one and it may have been this that contributed to their win. The subject of prejudice is a wide one, but Pollapönk's chanting appears to concentrate on the stigma suffered by those who stutter, if the translation of the lyrics is correct. There are throwaway lines about racism, but the thrust of the song appears to be about those who are troubled by this speech disorder.

It's intention is noble; no-one likes to see anyone bullied. But, these type of protest songs never work well at Eurovision, especially when they're presented by Iceland's answer to the Power Rangers. Fluorescent track suits in various bright colours were always a fashion faux pas back in the day and they look even more ridiculous now. Yes, Pollapönk is primarily a kid's band (the members are teachers), but I feel the voters across Europe will not get them. Sorry.

With so few qualifying for the final, I can't see this one getting there.

What do you think?

14 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Which Song Should Represent Spain? - Poll



Spanish broadcaster TVE has announced the five songs that will be in a battle to win the ticket to represent Spain at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest [click on the titles to listen to each one].

They are:


Spain will make its choice on February 22 by way of a 50/50 jury and tele-vote.

Before that, however, why not have your say in the poll below and pick your favourite now:

Which is your favourite Spanish song?


Image by US CIA (The World Factbook) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

11 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Italy: La mia città

Emma Marrone By Spartacus91 [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


In a departure from Italy's usual way of picking its Eurovision entry (the San Remo Song Festival), Italian broadcaster RAI has instead decided to make its selection internally and will send Emma Marrone and the song La mia città (My City) to Copenhagen. 


Emma Marrone (or simply, Emma) has become one of Italy's most successful singers of recent times within her own country. Four Italian chart-topping singles, a number replicated on the album charts, has pushed her into superstar status. Schiena, which was her last platinum album release, cemented her place as the best-selling Italian female artist of 2013. It is from that album that La mia città is taken. 

The track is characterized by power drumming, rock guitars and an orchestration driven by Emma's voice. In many ways, it harks back to the power-pop days of the 1980s: Pat Benatar vocals mixing with guitars that sound as if they could have been lifted from a Duran Duran track. Those first few chords do sound very familiar...

Nonetheless, the entire production is a demonstration in how to separate yourself from the crowd. La mia città is obviously not a song written with Eurovision in mind and, to this end, is quite possibly too good for the competition. The same was said of The Netherland's entry last year. While Birds did well - Anouk's track did not characterize the typical Eurovision song - it ultimately failed to bring home the win.

Similarly, Emma's power-pop does not have an immediate hook and will require several listens to really appreciate it. Unfortunately, as one of the Big 5 countries, it will not benefit from repeat plays so a memorable staging is a necessity.

As I write, it's my favourite and I'm hoping that it does well. The energy and drive of some pop-rock will at least shake up the Contest, but the fear remains that it may not appeal to Eurovision's core audience. 

09 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Malta: Coming Home


Firelight
Last night, Malta was the latest nation to decide upon its 2014 Eurovision entry and, after what seemed like the Maltese version of the main event, the band Firelight with the song Coming Home was announced as the winner.


While I enjoy watching the various national finals of The Eurovision Song Contest, even the most diehard fans would have trouble maintaining consciousness during PBS's Maltese presentation.

The small island nation was offered a choice of fourteen songs amid an array of performers from past and present Eurovisions, who seemed to be there just to confuse and distract. Add to that five judges whose opinions were out of alignment with the general public and you have some very disgruntled tele-voters.

The group Firelight was the eventual winner, but their folk/rock Coming Home did not resonate with the majority of viewers. In fact, the song came fourth in the tele-vote. The winner there was the familiar-sounding Hypnotica (think Euphoria, minus the staging), sung by the red-headed Jessika. However, the weighting of the vote was such that the jury members' decisions made the tele-vote irrelevant. Coming Home received top marks from four of five of those members and thus Malta follows Switzerland down the folk route for this year's competition.

Unlike Switzerland, there doesn't appear to be any discernible hook, although Gary Barlow may be a little miffed with its similarity to his Let Me Go. But like Switzerland, it's refreshing to hear live instruments instead of a backing track. However, even that fact is not going to make it stand out from the crowd, I feel.

This will be emphasised because of Malta's draw in the first half of the second semi-final, opposite SEBAlter in the second half.

What are your thoughts?


08 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Switzerland: Hunter of Stars

Download: SebAlter: Hunter of Stars
On Feb 1, the Bondensee Arena in Kreuzlingen played host to the Swiss Eurovision National Final where six acts were competing for the ticket to Copnhagen. After the combined votes of the jury and the public were counted, SEBalter performing Hunter of Stars was announced as the winner.



I must admit that I didn't hear the other five songs from the Swiss Final, so I can make no comparisons. However, the whistling, violin, folk styling of SEBAlter might make some compare the presentation to last year's winner (as well as a certain Mr. Alexander Rybak).

Sebastiano Paulessi is a handsome young man, but for some reason his overall aura also reminds me of Lithuania's Andrius Pojavis from last year's Eurovision. It's all very melodic and pleasant, but his eyes and facial contortions during the whistling refrains can be slightly disturbing.

Sebastiano's diction is a problem, too. It's difficult to tell that the song is sung in English. As a native Italian speaker, it may well have been a better idea for him to perform it in that language. At the moment, there seems to be no advantage to him singing something that no-one else is going to understand.

That aside, Hunter of Stars - as awkward as the title is - is typical of what Switzerland has been sending to the Contest over recent years. Unfortunately, it does not fully catch fire, save towards its conclusion when the audience can join in with some hand clapping. It's great to see the various musicians at work, though. They're obviously enthusiastic for the song and that feeling should transfer well to the audience. Will that translate to votes from television viewers? With the right staging, it should.

With only seven songs determined so far, it's difficult to forecast Switzerland's ultimate fate. I've a feeling that its path may also be similar to 2013 Lithuania: a qualifier that lands in a lowly position on the Final scoreboard.

05 February 2014

Eurovision 2014: Finland: Something Better

Finland: Softengine
Eight acts lined up for the Finnish Eurovision national final in Espoo last Saturday evening and once the jury and public votes were combined, the five-member rock band Softengine triumphed with the song, Something Better.


Most years, you can depend on Finland to bring something a little different to Eurovision. Lordi instantly comes to mind, as well as last year's representative Krista Siegfrids and that kiss.

The 2014 entry looks set to continue this tradition, when some teenage Britpop will take to the stage during the second semi-final. Eurovision traditionalists will, no doubt, detest Softengine's thrashing rock song and dismiss it as nothing more than a gimmick. But, the competition has survived into the 21st century and Scandinavia now appear to be leading the way.

Something Better is just that. It brings some much needed credibility to Eurovision, even if it is offered up by a bunch of kids. It's catchy in the sense that it's memorable, but there is no sugar coating here. It's as far removed from your 'normal' Eurosong as you can get, though still commercial enough to capture the ear of a discerning Eurovision audience.

This one just may be this year's sleeper. It's fresh, energetic and enthusiastic. More importantly, it's performed in the second half of the second semi-final, which should give it a distinct advantage in qualifying for the Grand Final.

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