Review: Montenegro: Eurovision 2015 | Knez: Adio

Knez will travel to Vienna to represent Montenegro

If ever a singer was in need of an effective songwriter of a Eurovision entry, then Serbian Željko Joksimović would be among his or her top choices. Known as the master of The Balkan Ballads, he has now furnished one for his Montenegrin neighbours: Adio, sung by veteran performer Knez.

The singer should be pleased. Out of the four previous songs he has written for the Contest, Joksimović has yet to miss the Top 10, his lowest ranked song finishing in sixth place in 2008. Impressive as that may appear, does Adio also have the legs to race to the left-hand side of the scoreboard?

In reality, the song has very little to offer over and above what Joksimović has provided the Eurovision Song Contest with before. It's full of ethnic orchestration and contemplative lyricism, boasting a cinematic arrangement which builds to what sounds like, on this occasion, an abrupt climax. It also reveals one of the very few foreign vocals this year, presented in fine form by one of the Balkans' most experienced performers.

Knez will really need to sell this song, though. There's no denying it's a worthy attempt at another Top 10 placing, but the much superior Moj svijet, 2014's Montenegrin entry by Sergej Ćetković, could only manage a less-than-fair nineteenth place. The juries and the public may be generous in allowing it to qualify, but it's likely to run out of steam in the Final.

What do you think?