30 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Russia: Shine

Russia: The Tolmachevy Sisters
For one reason or another, Russia has managed to reach the Grand Final of The Eurovision Song Contest since 2000, but with all of its current political decisions uppermost in people's minds, will it manage to repeat the feat in 2014? If The Tolmachevy Sisters have any influence over the result, then it's quite possible it will.

The two girls are once again involved with the Contest following their Junior win in 2006 and an appearance in one of the semis in 2009. This time the pair are singing Shine, a multi-national composition that will make its appearance midway through Semi-Final 1.

It's a mid-tempo tune, which I must admit I have totally ignored since it was first unleashed on the world. I've now heard it several times and it has become something of an earworm. If it is having that effect on me, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

However, it's presentation (in the video, at least) is very Disney-esque, seemingly allowing Russia to put on a front for the rest of the world which, in the current climate, is altogether less than honest. The song's lyrics (Sending out a message out above, Telling all the world to show some love) enhance this uneasiness and moves the composition into a dangerously ironic place.

Politics aside, Shine does drive along nicely and the twin's voices give the song some extra power. I've heard it said that it's overly bland and safe, but Russia may have struck common ground for many viewers. Pretty young female singers who sing well often do well in the competition. Will this be enough, though?

More than any other year, a different kind of political voting may decide the fate of The Tolmachevy Sisters. While I'd like to think they are dependent on the quality of the song, Russia's Grand Final ambitions will likely rest with the response of voters to the country's political stance.

28 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Romania: Miracle

Romania: Paula Seling and Ovi
Has it really been almost two months since Paula Seling and Ovi won the 2014 crown at the Romanian national final with their song, Miracle? Apparently so.

I mention the time element because back on March 1st when the pair won, there was so much initial excitement about them returning to Eurovision. Now, there's virtually no mention of their song at all.

In some respects, it's not surprising. Over the last couple of months many more songs have been announced, and you have to say, that a lot of them are so much better than Miracle.

Capturing third place in 2010 with Playing With Fire, I think we were all expecting something on a par with that fan favourite - or possibly something even better. Unfortunately, for the most part, Paula and Ovi have not delivered.

This year, Romania walks the well-trodden path into Euro disco with a generic dance track that holds very little in the way of surprises. It starts off well enough with Ovi's solo vocal, but then descends into a sub par Avicii-style track with all the highly recognisable pre-recorded instrumentation one would expect.

As it progresses, Paula's vocal skills are predominant. One cannot deny that she has a fine set of lungs on her, but what she has to sing is banal and, quite frankly, makes little sense.

There is a little nod in this year's presentation to their past glory, though. If you saw their 2010 appearance, you'll remember the transparent double grand piano. The pair's performance in the national final used this gimmick once again to good effect. Although they were not seated at it, it was center stage and a neat reminder for those who have seen them perform together before.

The important question is whether viewers will vote for it? As it's the last song on stage in the second semi-final, it does appear to have something of a shoe-in to the Grand Final. It also has the benefit of some audience familiarity with the singers, and of course, it will have the advantage of a large Romanian diaspora in Europe.

Because of this, I see it qualifying. However, I predict an ultimate placing somewhere between 10th and 15th.




26 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Portugal: Quero Ser Tua

Portugal: Suzy
Amid accusations of cheating, fraud, an online petition and even death threats, Portugal has decided to send Suzy to Copenhagen to perform Quero Ser Tua in the first semi-final of Eurovision.

The controversy was sparked by Suzy's competitors at the 50th anniversary of Festival da Canção, the Portuguese national contest to find the country's Eurovision song. Catarina Pereira (2nd) and Rui Andrade (3rd) accused the winning composer of allegedly distorting the public telephone vote.

Further, Carlos Coelho, the lyricist of the second placed entry, thought it strange that a song that ranked fifth in the semi-final (when voters could only use one vote) should suddenly come first when voting was unlimited.

Even an online petition was created requesting the disqualification of Quero Ser Tua due to 'irregularities' in the voting.

None of this has made any difference to the outcome of the national final, as Suzy will still make her way to Denmark in May.

What she will perform there is an upbeat Latin number reminiscent of the Lambada. While it is fun, catchy and puts you in a party mood, it is nevertheless wholly unremarkable.

In general, I enjoy native language entries, but this one is so repetitive it becomes an annoyance during its first minute - much like a wasp that suddenly appears at a picnic as soon as you sit down. You just want to swat it away.

Suzy's live vocals are equally mediocre, becoming ever more erratic as the number progresses. If she and the song want to survive in the competition, there needs to be a drastic improvement in that department.

Even if that were to happen, this is one of the songs this year which I cannot see progressing to the final. While it is among only a handful of uptempo numbers, for me, it does not stand out from the crowd.

Not the best of comebacks for Portugal, but welcome back nevertheless and a Happy 50th Anniversary!

Eurovision 2014: Netherlands: Calm After the Storm

The Netherlands: The Common Linnets
This year The Netherlands follows up Anouk's stunning Birds with the country flavour of Calm After the Storm by Dutch "super group", The Common Linnets.

Once again, there was no national final in Holland, so the combination of singers Ilse DeLange and Waylon was selected as its representatives by the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS. The two have joined forces as The Common Linnets, both for The Eurovision Song Contest and as a side project to their very successful solo careers, in an attempt to bring home the trophy for the first time in 39 years.

Calm After the Storm is no Ding-A-Dong, though. It is very much rooted in the modern country music currently created in studios such as those based in Nashville, Tennessee. If you are aware of, or listen to groups such as Lady Antebellum, then you will have an idea of the styling of the song.

In interviews, the pair have stated that the track deals with the possible breakdown of a relationship. The restrained, even haunting, simplicity of just their voices and guitars gives the track an emotional depth needed for such subject matter. It makes it a beautiful stand out from most of the songs in the competition this year.

However, if there is any problem with Calm After the Storm, it's that it may just be too sleepy and laid back for some. It's not the type of song that one would readily associate with Eurovision. Of course, many songs have been written about break-ups, but is the overall tone and presentation just too serious for the competition? Only time will tell.

More importantly, will it get votes? The difficulty with country music on this side of the Atlantic is that it's not overly popular. It's a huge industry in the US, but in Europe we tend to ignore it. This puts the song in a very grey area. Yes, it's well produced and presented, but voters may be drawn to songs which are more accessible and instantly memorable.

I'm not a great lover of country music myself, but I do hope this makes the Grand Final just to counterbalance some of the power ballads and more uptempo songs that are bound to be featured on May 10.

What are your thoughts?




25 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Montenegro: Moj svijet (Мој свијет)

Montenegro: Sergej Ćetković
As an independent nation, Montenegro has been sending songs to Eurovision since 2007, but has yet to progress to the final stages. So, will Sergej Ćetković singing Moj svijet bring the country any more luck?

I hope so. Although there is an English version (My Love), the track is one of very few this year that will be sung in a native language at the competition. In my opinion, Sergej deserves massive props for making this decision.

It's a very different affair to last year's contemporary rap-influenced dance track from Montenegro. Sergej has been around the block a few times in his career and knows how to deliver this kind of a ballad. It's a plea from the heart, a love song of loss and the need for reconciliation.

It fits nicely into a style that Sergej has made his own since his solo career began in 1998. Over the intervening sixteen years, he has become very popular across the Balkans, releasing five successful CDs since the turn of the century.

Obviously, Eurovision presents him with an opportunity to widen his appeal and this song should accomplish that. With great production values, reminders of Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up and ethnic orchestration,  the song soars which, if there is any justice, it should do in the competition.

But will people vote for it? Native language songs tend to fare less well, unless they have a strong melodic hook. Along with its Celtic flavourings, Moj svijet has that in abundance, so I am very confident that we will see Montenegro in the final on May 10.

What do you think?


Image by Al3k5aNd4R (Promotion of new CD) [CC-BY-3.0, GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Eurovision 2014: Moldova: Wild Soul

Moldova: Cristina Scarlat
Ever since Moldova chose its Eurovision song last month, it has been one of those countries that has been largely ignored. No compelling arguments about its chances either way have been put forth and consequently it has fallen under, or virtually off, the radar.

Cristina Scarlat was chosen to sing Wild Soul, a song with text by her niece Lidia Scarlat. Cristina is an accomplished singer and it shows during this fraught power ballad.

It very much has the feel of a James Bond theme: dramatic, dark and with lyrics to match.

Unfortunately, despite the excellent singing skills, Cristina does not quite pull it all together. There are some dreadful diction problems with her English, which begs the question: Why not perform it in her native language?

Perhaps an English version was thought to have more of a chance with voters, but to be honest, her pronunciation is doing the song no favours at all.

And then there is the question of the staging. A song like this really needs no added distraction. Please dispose of the male dancers - one of which looks very precarious as he comes on stage. The tin foil needs to go as well when it's performed in Copenhagen. It just looks way too cheesy and adds nothing to the performance of the song. Change the dress too, Cristina.

Will Wild Soul make it to the final, though? The simple answer is: unlikely. It's included in the much more competitive semi-final one and is up against some of the powerhouse entries this year. Despite Moldova's great showing at Eurovisions past, this year the country could easily fall at the first hurdle.

What do you think?


Image by Viorica Atanasov [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

23 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Lithuania: Attention

Lithuania: Vilija Matačiūnaitė
I'd like to believe after a twelve-week elimination process that Lithuania would have found the ideal song to represent the country at Eurovision 2014. Unfortunately, it hasn't.

Attention is the song's name and Vilija Matačiūnaitė is both the singer and composer. Unlike the pretty Vilija, her offering gets my attention for all the wrong reasons.

It's very much a shout fest of the title and, in fact, would probably make the ideal ringtone or alarm call for anybody who likes to be shocked into action.

Amongst all the shouting, there is just a little competent singing. Why she chose to scream her way through most of the song is anyone's guess though, because Vilija has ranked highly in vocal (and dance) competitions around Eastern Europe, either as runner-up or winner. In fact, this is not the first time she has tried her hand at Eurovision, ranking seventh in the Lithuanian national final nine years ago.

Unfortunately, unlike Lithuania's 2013 entry, the song is just not quirky enough and comes across as a bad attempt at some Eighties power pop. But will viewers vote for it?

I have a feeling that they won't. There is not enough of a hook to draw them in and the shouting, repetitive nature of the track will surely put a lot of people off. And what on Earth is the tutu and the guy dancing around her all about?

While semi-final two looks to be less competitive than the first, my head is telling me that Attention will almost certainly lack the attention it needs to qualify and is likely doomed to be heard only the once.

Image by Fotodiena [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 



Eurovision 2014: Israel: Same Heart

Israel: Mei Feingold
There are several songs in this year's Eurovision that could be hits without the benefit of the competition and Same Heart by Israel's Mei Feingold is one of them. 
Up until now, Miss Feingold's claim to fame has been her third place finish in Kokhav Nolad, Israel's version of Pop Idol. She has also successfully ventured into musical theatre, gathering a couple of respectable awards along the way.

However, Mei's voice lends itself to the soft rock genre and this is probably why she has found fame in her homeland as lead singer with the rock band, Limozina Express. But is there any hope that the good people watching and listening to the Eurovision Song Contest this year will vote for this rock chick? If there is any justice, they should. 

It's been a long time coming, but Israel look to have produced a song in Same Heart that is deserving of the win.
It manages to combine all that is good in rock, pop and dance music, stretching the singer's stunning voice better than almost all among the contestants this year.
The lyrics move swiftly between English and Hebrew (language changes have been something of a problem previously in determining Eurovision winners) but Ms Feingold's vocals seem to give just as much meaning whichever language she chooses to sing in. 

But will she match the power of the studio version live in Copenhagen? Having seen a couple of her Pop Idol performances on video, I can't imagine she will have a problem at all.
My belief is that there will be no surprises with Israel this year and that Mei's rocker sensibilities will see her through to the final.  

Same Heart is my dark horse of 2014 and the song and Mei Feingold's performance should wow audiences in the grand final.


Image by: רותם ברנר [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


19 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Ireland: Heartbeat

Ireland: Can-Linn ft. Kasey Smith
If the general public was able to register its votes for the most entertaining Eurovision national final, it's highly probable the one broadcast from Ireland this year would be a strong contender for the win.

Of course, it had nothing to do with the performance of the songs, but rather the egos of a panellist and one of the mentors. An epic argument ensued between Eurovision veteran Linda Martin and Aslan's Billy McGuinness, but in the end it was Can-Linn featuring Kasey Smith that won the ticket to Copenhagen.

Heartbeat is the song which won a relatively close battle over the runner-up, The Movie Song. Probably the strongest of the five contenders, it is one that has the potential to do well in Denmark.

It has many of the elements that have helped Ireland to its seven previous wins: the Celtic instrumentation and flavouring that is a feature throughout the song. The obligatory fiddler is evident and near the beginning of the track, the traditional Irish bhodran can be heard drumming out the beat. It also benefits from a catchy chorus, which will do it no harm in collecting votes from across Europe. That's all good, but this upbeat offering is very much a reminder of last year's winner. That just may be its downfall.

What it also needs is better presentation than what was seen at the national final. Firstly, do away with the extraneous Irish dancers - they're cringeworthy and we have all the evidence we need in order to know that it's a song representing Ireland. Secondly, make sure the staging places more emphasis on the instrumentation. After all, those elements are an important part of the song. Lastly, and this could be the most challenging, make sure Kasey Smith's live vocals are more powerful than what was heard at the end of February when performing it on The Late, Late Show.

That said, all in all, it's a very good effort which should see Ireland qualify from its semi-final on May 8. It's not the 2014 winner, but it has the potential to score well enough to register on the left-hand side of the scoreboard.


18 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Greece: Rise Up

Greece: Freaky Fortune
For a while, it seemed as if Greece would not be able to celebrate its fortieth year in Eurovision. Financial crises and failing broadcasters were working against the country returning to the competition, but there was a reprieve in November in the shape of NEPIT (the newly-formed Greek public station).

Consequently, Rise Up appears to be a wholly appropriate title as the Greek entry for 2014. Winner of a four act national final in mid-March, Freaky Fortune ft. Riskykidd offer one of the year's more contemporary songs.

It's essentially a dance club effort, combining elements in its mix from a few genres. Beginning with some rap (never a good thing in Eurovision), it progresses to a pure pop number with both Latin and Balkan flavours, such as that incessant trumpet riff.

It will, no doubt, appeal to young "Urban" voters as it could easily be a reminder of long, hot club nights in Ibiza or Ayia Napa. It's certainly very catchy, if overly repetitive of the title. On the other hand, is it likely to appeal to Eurovision's core audience, which tends to be older and more traditional? Probably not. But that hasn't stopped some unlikely winners before.

That's not to say that Greece are likely to be victorious this year. I'm not convinced by its live rendition and there are other better constructed songs in the competition. But it is infectious, features three handsome young guys and, at the time of writing, leads the second semi-final poll by quite some margin.

This should make it an easy qualifier and, because of the plethora of ballads this year and the ever faithful Greek diaspora, this memorably catchy entry is likely to see a Top 10 finish.



Image by Freaky.fortune (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


Rise Up [feat. RiskyKidd] - Freaky Fortune


09 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Germany: Is It Right?

Elaiza: Germany
Something of a surprise in mid-March at Unser Song für Dänemark, the German Eurovision national final, when a group of three relatively unknown young women won the right to represent their country in Copenhagen.

Elaiza was previously the victor of a wildcard round that was introduced to find new talent interested in competing in Eurovision. Demolition of the opposing competitors came very easily, as the group gathered almost a quarter of the tele-vote and trounced the second placed contender by over 6%.

As the knock-out rounds continued, the competition was whittled down to a straight choice between two: Elaiza and the more recognisable rock of Unheilig. In the end, the German public chose Is It Right?, a bouncy little number that seems to have disappeared under many people's radars over recent weeks.

Is this because the song is not very good or because it's easily forgettable. Neither really. It tries to blend traditional instrumentation (accordion, double bass) with a modern arrangement and the mixture succeeds. And once the chorus kicks in, it's very hummable and soon gets your foot tapping.

My only disappointment with it is that Germany seems to be relying on the Lena factor at the moment. Lead singer Elżbieta "Ela" Steinmetz's stylized vocals are very reminiscent of those by the 2010 winner. Is It Right? could quite easily be a track included on a forthcoming album from Lena.

As a consequence, my feeling is that Eurovision viewers are likely to demonstrate voter malaise with this one. Although the song really doesn't deserve it, a "we've heard it all before" reaction may well greet it.

That would be a shame. With a glut of ballads this year, a mid to uptempo track merits a reasonable total on the scoreboard. But will it be this one?


Image by Krd (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

06 April 2014

New Release Celebrates ABBA Eurovision Win in 1974

ABBA: 1974
Forty years ago today, ABBA performed Waterloo at the Eurovision Song Contest and it has since entered the competition's archives as the best song (so far).

To celebrate this landmark anniversary, the group's second studio album of the same name has been expanded with eight bonus tracks. To make this a truly deluxe release, fans will also receive a DVD of previously unreleased television material, including appearances from the BBC's Top of the Pops.

You'll also get to see the group performing Waterloo at Melodifestivalen and the Contest, as well as rare performances of Honey, Honey. To top it all off, there's also an interview with Frida and Stig after the Eurovision victory. 

Full CD bonus material:
  • Ring, Ring (U.S. remix 1974)  
  • Waterloo (Swedish Version) 
  • Honey, Honey (Swedish version) 
  • Waterloo (German version) 
  • Hasta Mañana (Spanish version) 
  • Waterloo (French version) 
  • Ring Ring (1974 remix, Single version) 
  • Waterloo (Alternate mix)
Bonus DVD material:
  • Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest Performance I, BBC)
  • Waterloo (Melodifestivalen Performance I, SVT)
  • Waterloo (Melodifestivalen Performance II, SVT)
  • Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest Preview Performance, SVT)
  • Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest Performance II, BBC) Interview with Frida and Stig After the Eurovision Victory (Rapport, SVT)
  • Waterloo (Top Of The Pops Performance I, BBC)
  • Honey, Honey (Disco, ZDF)
  • Waterloo (Top Of The Pops Performance II, BBC)
  • Honey, Honey (Spotlight, ORF)
  • Waterloo (German version) (Musik aus Studio B, NDR)
  • Honey, Honey (Ein Kessel Buntes, Fernsehen der DDR)
  • Waterloo (Top Of The Pops Performance III, BBC)
  • International Sleeve Gallery

The collection also includes a 20-page booklet which throws more light on the making of the Waterloo album, together with some very fine images from the period.

It's all available on April 7 from Amazon. The purchase of the CD will include a free MP3 version of the album.







Image by AVRO (FTA001019454_012 from Beeld & Geluid wiki) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

05 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: Georgia: Three Minutes to Earth

For the most part, Georgia has had a reasonably successful run in its short time at the Eurovision Song Contest. In six outings, the country has participated in five finals and finished in the Top 15 each time.

I've a very strong feeling that The Shin and Mariko's Three Minutes to Earth is not going to emulate its predecessors. It has received a very bad press among Eurovision fans and figures towards the bottom of many of their rankings of this year's songs.

In many ways, this reaction is not totally fair. After all, one of Eurovision's tenets has always been that every song presented should reflect a particular nation's cultural music. Over the years each Contest has strayed further from that principle, so when a track such as this comes along it's often universally derided.

The Shin is essentially a jazz band which fuses other musical genres into its output. Three Minutes to Earth is rich with this fusion, introducing elements of traditional Georgian styles and instrumentation. Unfortunately, because so much is crammed into its three minutes, on a first listening it comes across as totally inaccessible.

Some might say it's an unholy mess, but that would be taking criticism to an extreme. Mariko's vocals are spot on, even if a lot of what she is singing sounds like nonsense - "sky diver's space jump"?

With this sound and lyrics such as those, the whole package has an air of late Sixties psychedelic folk about it. But those experimental sounds tended to last a lot longer than three minutes. Maybe this song needs a couple more to explain itself.

Voters will not give it that chance, though. This will be one of the entries dumped from semi-final two and sent into oblivion.





02 April 2014

Eurovision 2014: France: Moustache

As someone who has been a lover of all things francophone for a long time (I don't have a French degree for nothing, I guess), I always look forward to hearing what France will be gifting to Eurovision each year.

For the most part, I'm not usually disappointed. The last five entries have all been highly enjoyable and, in my opinion, vastly underrated on the scoreboard. Missing out on a Top 20 placing in 2012 and 2013 appeared to be extremely unlucky.

It may just be that the songs performed by Anggun and Amandine Bourgeois were just too good for the competition and that's why France's choice in 2014 appears cheap and amateurish by comparison.

Twin Twin and their Moustache are the product of a French national final (of sorts), the first the country has organised in seven years. The band's rivals were a cookie-cutter boy band and, perhaps, a more meaningful entry from a solo female act (in which France normally specializes). Instead we have three guys - Twin Twin is not a clue here - frenetically yearning after more facial hair.

To be honest, they all look as if they are hirsute enough, but apparently what sounds like a trivial and disposable tune has a deeper meaning. A quick look at the lyrics, and with some help from the group's members, the mustache here represents yet another accessory in our consumerist society. They have everything else they could ever need etc...Yes, there is some humour involved here somewhere.

 

Accusations of plagiarism have surrounded Moustache, with apparent similarities to Stromae's Papaoutai. The intro does indeed sound as if it has been lifted but, according to the group, the song was written a year ahead of the Belgian's composition.

Either way, I can't see France raising the winner's trophy with this. The melody is certainly catchy and its light hip-hop styling will certainly have the audience in Copenhagen on its feet. That may garner it a few extra votes - enough to see France placed higher up the scoreboard than in recent years, perhaps. Just not far enough, though.

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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