You Let Me Walk Alone / Michael Schulte / Germany | Review

Michael Schulte: Walking to victory in Lisbon?

Following severe criticism from both the German press and public over the country's recent run of poor Eurovision results, the national broadcaster decided that it was now time for a new selection format. The outcome was Unser Lied für Lissabon (Our Song for Lisbon), a national final featuring six songs - the winner selected by a combination of public voting, a Eurovision panel consisting of one hundred members, and an international expert jury.

The clear stand-out of the six was Michael Schulte's You Let Me Walk Alone, a beautifully poignant composition which caught the imagination of all three sections of voters - each awarding the song the maximum twelve points. Co-written in memory of his late father, Michael demonstrates a true love for him through his very emotive lyrics; words which should easily connect to everyone throughout Europe.

Having placed third in The Voice of Germany in 2011, Shulte has proven that his vocals are sound and that singing live should not pose a problem. In fact, his voice has sufficient emotion to turn what could easily be an ordinary song into something much more compelling. Never do his vocals feel as if they are overpowered, even when the swelling orchestration kicks in during the final chorus.

That said, the song's prospects really depend on the staging it is given. In light of the subject matter, the Germans should really try to recreate the intimacy and sincerity of the official video. This type of visual production boosted the odds of acts like The Common Linnets from lowly also-rans to surprise favourites and the same could happen for Michael Schulte.

Get that right and the whole package will benefit, especially as the song also profits from a very contemporary tone. There's shades of both Adele and Ed Sheeran in its construction, but without it feeling like a pale imitation. It is certainly effective and, as a result, could easily see Germany score its best result in several years.

What are your thoughts?

Germany

Artists: Michael Schulte

Song: You Let Me Walk Alone

Big 5 Finalist

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