Eurovision 2016: Review: Hungary: Freddie: Pioneer

Freddie: Heading for the Eurovision final?

In a year when former finalist the Kállay Saunders Band was considered a shoo-in to represent Hungary at the Eurovision Song Contest, the honour to wave the Hungarian flag in Stockholm instead fell to relative unknown Freddie with the song Pioneer.

He is yet another product of a reality TV singing competition, this time Hungary's version of the international television franchise, Rising Star.  Finishing fourth, he subsequently released the 2015 domestic hit single called Mary Joe which led to his participation at A Dal,  Hungary's platform for its Eurovision selection.

Pioneer managed to top the scoreboard in Heat 1 of the competition, as well as becoming the clear winner of his semi-final. Following an assured performance in the final, Freddie took the crown with points to spare.

It's perhaps not surprising as Freddie and his song are something of the 'full package' when it comes to Eurovision these days. There's as much - if not more - attention to the visuals as there is to the song, and Team Hungary can expect points galore on both fronts.

While Pioneer is hardly ground breaking, it does hold your attention throughout its entire duration. From the subliminal whistling technique at the beginning to the driving, anthemic chorus, it possesses a belting melody which quickly grabs your subconscious. You soon find yourself tapping your foot and humming along as if you've known the song for a long time.

In Eurovision terms, that's a winning formula. If you add into the mix a particularly photogenic singer along with an unusually athletic drummer, then there should be nothing holding back viewers from voting in their droves.

What might cause a few problems, particularly with the juries, is Freddie's tendency to get carried away with his vocals. His voice is gritty and strong, but at times he's inclined to shout and veer off key - a likely rationale for downgrading his points total.

What influence, if any, this has on his chances of a reasonable placing on the scoreboard is yet to be determined, but given that Pioneer and its singer have a lot in their favour, it wouldn't be a surprise to see it finish with a very respectable score.

What do you think?


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget to follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts!