Review: Ireland: Eurovision 2015 | Molly Sterling

Molly Sterling will be 'Playing With Numbers' for Ireland in Vienna

Another national final was screened last night and this time it was the turn of Ireland to select its representative in Austria. It was a something of a surprise to see that Molly Sterling's self-penned Playing With Numbers will be the song going to Vienna in May.

As has become customary, RTE's Late, Late Show was the venue for this year's five candidates to present their songs and rumour had it that either Swedish singer Erika Selin or Ireland's own Nikki Kavanagh were the favourites to win. Performing in third and fourth positions, neither displayed their vocal talents at their best, evidently leaving it a two-horse race between Molly and the Irish country flavours of Kat Mahon. Once the result had been announced, the gentle ballad Playing With Numbers had narrowly secured the victory by a margin of four points.

Of the five, Molly's song was by far the best of a bland bunch. Had Nikki Kavanagh produced a better vocal, her song would probably have fit in with the pop requirements of Eurovision in 2015, but Molly's more measured and mature performance surpassed it and all the others.

That's pretty ironic considering that Molly is only 16-years-old. Not bad for a young girl who not only performs the entry, but who has also displayed that she is an equally talented songwriter and musician.

Unfortunately, in the realm of piano ballads this song is just not strong enough. Like its singer it's rather pretty but, in my opinion, it feels as if it evolves very little throughout its three minutes. There's nothing that truly captivates the listener, nor fascinates sufficiently to want to hear it again for a second or third time.

Sad, really. Following last year's failure for Ireland, and as a former Eurovision powerhouse, I was hoping that the country would be able to up its game in 2015. Unfortunately, it hasn't. 'Pretty' and 'nice' are not good enough reasons to vote for Playing With Numbers and I foresee it stalling in the semi-finals.

What are your thoughts about the Irish entry?

Review: Latvia: Eurovision 2015 | Aminata

Aminata will fly the flag for Latvia

On February 22, it was the turn of Latvia to choose its Eurovision entry for 2015 and, after a final consisting of four songs, Aminata with Love Injected was announced as the winner.

Over the past few years, this Baltic state has not had much luck in its search for another Eurovision winner. Their participation began so well back in 2000 when Brainstorm ranked third, followed by the victory of Marie N in 2002. Since then, Latvia's fortunes have declined dramatically, leading to a failure to qualify for the Final for the past six Contests.

Surprisingly, Latvian interest in Eurovision continues to be strong, but a change of direction in choosing the country's entry was needed. Step forward Supernova, a national final marking a major overhaul in Latvia's selection process. With a remit to unearth a credible domestic song with global muscle, this new technique appears to have proved successful with the victory of Aminata.

Her sound is certainly "out there". Some might say that it does not fit in well with the Eurovision template but, in my opinion, it should always be wholly appropriate to push the boundaries of the competition. Love Injected certainly does that.  Full of electronic and alternative R'n'B references, Animata's soaring vocals enliven the song's seemingly unusual construction.

Yes, there are verses and yes, there's a chorus - but across its three minutes, Aminata sounds as if she has created a haphazard mix of the two. The song demands that one listens a couple of times in order to identify the delicacy of the verses in comparison to the energy of the chorus. The wailing of the last half-minute of the song is not going to be to everyone's taste, but Aminata's powerful execution commands your attention nonetheless. That in itself should be enough to see Latvia back in the final after seven years.

However, it's very likely not the winner, but it could easily turn into the dark horse of the competition. If her team provide impressive staging and the pretty Aminata can deliver a focused performance of Love Injected, we could see the country achieve its highest placing on the scoreboard for a very long time.

What are your thoughts?

Review: Estonia: Eurovision 2015 | Elina Born & Stig Rästa

Stig Rästa and Elina Born win the national final in Estonia

There was only ever going to be one winner of the seventh edition of Estonia's Eesti Laul, the country's Eurovision national final, and so it came to pass: Goodbye to Yesterday sung by Elina Born and Stig Rästa goes forward to the first half of the first semi-final in Vienna in May.

Twenty songs started out on the journey to become Estonia's representative, but after the elimination of half of them over two semi-finals, the remaining ten took to the stage in Tallinn to battle to become the ultimate victor. The eventual result was decided upon in a super-final in which the public voted for their favourite among the three songs that remained: Superlove, Burning Lights and Goodbye to Yesterday.

As it turned out, it was truly a no-contest. Once the votes had been counted, Stig and Elina's superior song had captured 79% of the poll. A landslide decision.

That same night Lithuania had also gone with a duo, but while Monika and Vaidas veered away from The Common Linnets comparison, the package offered by Stig and Elina has inevitably suffered from charges of (unintentional ?) replication. That's a shame, really.

As a stand alone track, it's an excellent pop song. For some reason, George Ezra's recent successes initially jumped into my head when I first heard it. Perhaps it's his guitar sound and the intonation which make the song sound so familiar.

There is definitely a styling similarity. The instrumentation evokes an earlier era in popular music, contrasting the modernity of the duo's voices while giving the song a contemporary country flavour. Lyrically, it has all the elements of an answer song, even if that theme is housed within Goodbye to Yesterday's single frame.

Where it may fall down is in that near-replication of the Dutch presentation. Vocally, it differs from Calm After the Storm's moodiness, but stylistically and visually there is an obvious resemblance. I'm sure I'm not the first to notice the staging: a noticeable physical separation of the two singers, giving the perception of an emotional distance filled with hurt and regret. All of this enhanced by stark, monochrome imagery.

Because of The Netherlands' accomplishment in Copenhagen, it's highly likely The Common Linnets' performance and visuals will be well remembered. In Vienna, Stig and Elina should endeavour to avoid the comparison.

If that's possible, I foresee this song doing very well. At the moment, it quite easily has Top Five potential. I may even stick my neck out and predict the possibility of another win for Estonia.

How about you?

Review: Lithuania: Eurovision 2015 | Monika Linkytė & Vaidas Baumila

Monika Linkytė and Vaidas Baumila to sing This Time for Lithuania

Three Baltic states chose their Eurovision songs over the past weekend and Lithuania was one of the first to announce its representative: This Time performed by Monika Linkytė and Vaidas Baumila.

Lithuania's selection process began nearly two months ago when twelve singers were picked to perform twelve songs in a competition to choose the two independently of each other. It sounds complicated, but essentially it was two contests: one to select the singer, the other to select the song. On Saturday, This Time was already known to be the song going to Vienna (decided the previous weekend) when Mia, Vaidas and Monika took to the stage to wrestle it out to become the performer.

The three were meant to compete against each other, but positive feedback from the public indicated that Vaidas and Monika should perform the song as a duet. As it turned out, the public televote was relatively close between Mia and the couple, but the expert jury solidly ranked the duo in first place.

The selection means that there is now a sudden proliferation of duets heading for Austria. Lithuania's near-neighbours, Estonia, also selected a duo. Could this be the 2014 Dutch effect? Quite possibly, but the influence of The Common Linnets is less evident with Monika and Vaidas.

This Time tends to be an affiliation of the sound of Firelight's 2014 effort for Malta - an upbeat acoustic-driven guitar melody which underpins the singers' more-than-adequate harmonies. In fact, the song demands the involvement of two voices. In the hands of just one singer it feels flat, but the addition of another gives the track more depth - another dimension.

That element is defined and augmented by the interplay between Monika and Vaidas, who appear to share a genuine chemistry, even if it is somewhat ruined by a clumsy kiss halfway through the song. Still, fate has thrown this attractive pair together and they have transformed what could have been a semi-final casualty into something much more ambitious.

That ambition could likely see the song score enough points to place it high on the scoreboard on Final's night - especially if Monika repeats her impromptu "wardrobe malfunction".

What do you think?

Review: Italy: Eurovision 2015: Il Volo

Il Volo to sing for Italy

Once again, Italy's Sanremo Music Festival provided the springboard for the selection of the country's Eurovision Song Contest entry. This year, the classical-crossover trio Il Volo won the competition singing Grande Amore (Great Love).

The Festival was broadcast over five nights during which time twenty acts performed their songs in the hope of winning the 'Big Artists' section. By the time of the climax of the last night (February 14), the field had been whittled down to a Top 3 consisting of Malika Ayane, Nek and Il Volo.

The final result was determined by a combination of public televotes, an expert jury and a popular jury. However, none of them could agree, it seems. While Il Volo were announced as the overall winners, the split vote showed a disparity of opinions. The three boys won convincingly with the public, but the expert jury placed them firmly in third place while the popular jury voted them into the runners-up position.

Are we likely to witness a similar outcome at the Eurovision Song Contest?

I have a feeling that it's unlikely. Much depends on their jury and Final performances, of course. However, if they sing like we know they can, they should find it easy to wow both the public and the juries alike.

Naturally, with a song like Grande Amore, pre-Eurovision sentiment is going to be divided. Pop-opera tends to factionalize hardcore fans and this tune already appears to have become the 'Marmite' entry of the Contest. You either love it or hate it.

On balance, the feedback has been hugely positive. So it should be, in my opinion. Italy has chosen a younger, more vital, version of the Three Tenors (albeit they're two tenors and a baritone!) who tick all the right boxes. They can sing (always an essential), they're handsome and they have a first class song to perform in Vienna. Really, there's nothing not to like.

Young as they are, it helps that Il Volo have already been 'around the block' a time or two, as well. They are immensely popular in the US and parts of South America and have also become well-known faces across parts of Europe. So, singing in front of a vast television audience should not rattle them too much.

Many of the bookies look as if they agree, too. They have installed Grand Amore as one of the current favourites to win, while Italians have downloaded the track in their droves, sending it to Number 1 in their national chart.

All bodes well then for this dramatic love song. However, any excitement must be tempered by the experience of, say, Amaury Vassili in 2011, when his similarly-performed operatic pop song Sognu failed to live up to expectations. Therefore, performance, staging and Il Volo's draw in the final are going to be important factors. Let's also not forget that the song will have to be edited to the obligatory three minutes. Let's hope the cuts don't ruin a perfectly good composition.

Is it a winner, though? Very possibly. There's no reason why Italy should not return to the upper section of the left-hand side of the scoreboard with this entry.

What do you think?

Although the songwriters had some problems in reducing Grande Amore to its required three minutes, it seems they have accomplished the task very well. Here's the Eurovision version:

 

Review: Serbia: Eurovision 2015: Bojana Stamenov

Bojana Stamenov is the Serbian representative

After an absence of a year from the competition, Serbia returns to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 with the entry Ceo svet je moj (The Whole World is Mine) performed by Bojana Stamenov.

Serbia's selection process was launched last November and overseen by the co-writer of the country's winner in 2007, Vladimir Graić. He was joined by singer/songwriter Leontina Vukomanović in composing all three of the songs that went forward to the national final on Sunday evening.

Odbrojavanje za Beč (Countdown for Vienna) was a relatively short elimination process which pitted three singers and their songs against each other. Aleksa Jelić performed the disco-influenced Vodi me (Take Me), Danica Krstić sang the heartfelt ballad Suze za kraj (Tears For the End) and winner Bojana Stamenov brought us the Eurodance flavour of Ceo svet je moj (The Whole World is Mine).

Stamenov is a previous participant in the Serbian version of the television Got Talent franchise in which she finished fourth in 2012. Since then, her big vocals have established her as a recognised artist in her home country.

There is no doubting that she has the voice. She has been widely compared with American R'n'B artist Aretha Franklin. However, if any comparison is to be made, I'd prefer it to be with Martha Wash. Remember The Weather Girls, Black Box and C & C Music Factory? She was the voice behind them all. Bojana has that look, sound, stature and vocal similarity. And, no doubt, she will attract the same audience demographic as Ms. Wash.

However, while her vocals may be first class (if a little overstretched in places), in my opinion, the song she has been given is merely mediocre. It starts off well enough as Bojana's voice soars over a mid-tempo, electro back beat, but it soon descends into a soulless, tedious dance relic from the 1990s.

That element prompts her four dancers to animate proceedings, but Ms.Stamenov appears determined to remain glued to the spot. After a while, I began to wonder whether someone had nailed her feet to the floor, but perhaps her performances are always this static.

While it's good to see Serbia back in the fold, I can't help but think that Bojana's points total won't move much either when she takes to the stage in the second half of the first semi-final. Depending on the quality of the rest of the field competing on May 19, it looks as if Serbia are going to struggle to make much impact.

What are your thoughts?

An English version, Beauty Never Lies, has been released:

Review: Iceland: Eurovision 2015: María Ólafsdóttir

María Ólafsdóttir to sing for Iceland

After a couple of semi-finals, twelve competing songs and a super-final, it was announced on Valentine's night that 21-year-old María Ólafsdóttir will take the song Unbroken (Lítil skref) to Vienna in an attempt to secure Iceland's first win at the Eurovision Song Contest.

The two semis had discarded five songs, so it was all to play for when the remaining seven artists gathered in Reykjavík before a typically enthusiastic crowd of supporters.

Pollapönk and the first three of the acts had already warmed up the audience by the time María (who also performs by the name of María Ólafs) took to the stage. She was joined by three backing singers, as well as two dancers who really added no great appeal to the overall performance. They seemed to be there just to make up the numbers. Unlike the song, thankfully.

With so few of the forty national songs already chosen, this effort has become one of the more memorable so far. There is obviously a strong Disney influence going on with more than a nod to the company's Frozen franchise (ideal for Iceland, I guess). Moreover, María is also being marketed as a pop princess, dressed as if she has just stepped out of the movie, while the song is the type of power ballad that one might expect to hear on the soundtrack.

It's all very 'musical theatre' to me, though. Not really surprising as that appears to be María's background. Stints in shows such as The Sound of Music, Annie and The Lion King have honed her superior vocals. Consequently, she evokes more Idina Menzel than she does say, Meghan Trainor or Kylie Minogue.

That's not to say that she or the song are bad. They're not. This entry has all the required elements of a catchy pop song: melodic and memorable enough that you could easily catch yourself humming it after a few plays. It's only real problem is its repetitiveness, both lyrically and musically.

However, Iceland has produced some high quality songs over the years and this is another it can add to its roster. It's not as strong as, say, Yohanna's entry in 2009 or even Greta Salóme and Jónsi's from 2012, but at the moment its competition is relatively weak.

Nevertheless, it has a very good chance of qualifying from the second semi-final, where it can be likely assured of some high value votes from both Norway and Sweden.

What do you think?

Review: Denmark: Eurovision 2015: Anti Social Media

Denmark's choice: Anti Social Media

Denmark may have won the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, but after a busy weekend of Eurovision action, a part of which was the Danish national final, it looks unlikely that the Danes will be lifting the winner's trophy again in May this year.

Anti Social Media were among ten acts which participated in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in Aalborg, Denmark and, after nearly two hours, a combination of both jury and public votes determined that these Britpop wannabes were the victors with the song, The Way You Are. Of the ten participants, the four-piece band had been the favourite to win with the bookies, but the Danish public's preference seemed to lie with Anne Gadegaard's Suitcase which ultimately finished as the runner-up.

The total vote was pretty close in the end, with just six points separating first and second. The result came in a tense last few minutes of a show which had been predictably loud and lively but, as is customary with the Danes, presented with professionalism and panache.

Anti Social Media performed seventh in the line-up, demonstrating a fresh-faced enthusiasm in their attempt to channel a 1960s vibe - especially the beat groups of the decade. Their song is a distant pastiche of the bands of the era, but it would be an insult to those classic combos to make too much of a comparison.

Admittedly, The Way You Are is a catchy ditty and the four boys are an energetic bunch, if at times embarrassing in their efforts to appear zany and spontaneous. Their appeal is with teenage girls of course, but not enough of them (or the rest of the Danish public) picked up their phones. It was left to the juries to help push them into first place.

Although there is currently no other act like them, the results of that home vote do not bode well for the four youngsters. If your home audience is not that impressed, why would a wider pan-European one be? Quite frankly, all ten selections were mediocre at best. My personal favourite was the fourth placed Hotel A, which would probably have not been strong enough to win in Vienna anyway. After last year's expense in Copenhagen, I think that was Denmark's plan all along.

What do you think?

Eurovision: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2015 Result

View more lists from Richard H

Review: Cyprus: Eurovision 2015: Giannis Karagiannis

Giannis Karagiannis will sing for Cyprus (Facebook)

Channelling a look that combines both Elvis Costello and ByeAlex and sounding similar to Belgium's Tom Dice, 20-year-old singer Giannis Karagiannis (aka John Karayiannis) won the ticket to represent Cyprus at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.

He will perform a guitar-based ballad written by English composer Mike Connaris called One Thing I Should Have Done.

The song was chosen at the national final on Sunday from among six competing candidates, following a lengthy elimination process that started late last year. Connaris previously wrote Stronger Every Minute, performed by Lisa Andreas, the Cypriot entry at the 2004 edition which gave the country one of its best ever results in the contest: a fifth place.

One Thing I Should Have Done is constructed in a similar vein to that 2004 entry. It's a quiet, plaintive ballad, but this time it recounts the regret of a missed opportunity following the break-up of a relationship. Karagiannis handles the somewhat complex phrasing tenderly, with a voice that is both strong and clear, yet he caresses the lyrics when the vocal requires it.

Like similar tunes at the Contest before it, this composition will have to rely upon regular playback to be fully appreciated. It has already divided opinion among the "Eurovision community" - some calling it mediocre and forgettable while others - who dislike the Eurodance songs the Contest always seems to churn out - call it brave and refreshing.

I tend to side with the latter opinion, although One Thing I Should Have Done did not have overwhelming support from either the Cypriot public or its jury. It ranked as the runner-up in both votes, with different songs from the final six preferred by one and the other.

So, while it's great to see Cyprus back in the Contest, their comeback song may struggle to qualify - particularly as seven songs are eliminated from the second semi-final. However, should it make it to the Saturday night final, it may just surprise us all and fly into the Top 10 like the country's 2004 effort.

What do you think?

Eurovision 2015: Switzerland: Mélanie René: Time to Shine

Mélanie René: the 2015 Swiss representative

Following a selection process that began last July, it was announced this past Saturday evening that Time to Shine, written and performed by Mélanie René, would represent Switzerland at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.

She was one of six performers who took part in Die Entscheidungsshow (The Decision), Switzerland's live national final broadcast from the city of Kreuzlingen, which lies in the north-eastern part of the country.

The contestants were not only asked to present their respective Eurovision prospect, but also a cover of a well-known hit. Mélanie chose Sia's recent chart success, Chandelier.

When you hear Time to Shine, Chandelier was not really a surprising choice by the 24-year-old, who was born in Geneva of Mauritian heritage. It follows that song's indie pop / synth pop feel, while throwing in elements of Eighties electro and a short guitar solo for good measure.

Even so, of all the entries so far announced, Time to Shine sounds the most current and, in doing so, at least tries to appeal to a younger demographic. As well as Sia, comparisons could also be made with other modern female singers: the stripped back sound of Lorde comes to mind, as does the urban beat of Katy B. It's certainly a song which one could imagine hearing on contemporary radio shows.

Does this mean the composition could do well at Eurovision? Compared to the few entries which have already been announced, it rates very favourably. For me, it's the type of song that should do well - but quite often what is good and what works well at the Contest are two entirely different entities.

There is a hook - which is crucial. However, if you're like me, it may take several listens to fully appreciate it. Immediacy is not its friend, then. Nor is the slightly older core audience of the extravaganza.

That said, I'm hoping younger viewers of the second semi-final - Switzerland has the advantage of a second half performance place - will push it up the scoreboard far enough to allow it to qualify. Mélanie is obviously a talented young lady, who benefits from a great voice and is blessed with good looks. She deserves to be in the Final.

What do you think?

Intro image: Mélanie René - Facebook