Austria: Victor Bueno | Amen

Austria

Artist: Victor Bueno

Song: Amen

Semi Final 2: First Half

It's been a bumpy few years for Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest since Conchita Wurst's victory in 2014. This year, Victor Bueno has been given a second opportunity to improve the country's fortunes with the song Amen which is a completely different proposition to his 2020 cancelled effort, Alive. 

Where the latter took on a funky Bruno Mars/Justin Timberlake vibe, Amen gives Victor the chance to show off his accomplished vocals on a respectable breakup ballad. The lyrics are fairly repetitive, bog standard, heartbreak clichés but there is a nice progression as the song develops.

As Amen begins, Bueno is in reflective, almost claustrophobic, mood. However, around the halfway mark there is an explosive change of tone and the mood switches as if the singer has finally been been released from the shackles of a doomed relationship.

Victor delivers all of this with the angst one would expect of the material and he has sufficient charisma to attract quite a few votes. He is up against some pretty tough competition in his semi-final though, and the song probably doesn't have enough of a wow factor to push him too far up the scoreboard. 

However, I'm willing it to make the Grand Final as I believe it's good enough to earn a spot. Very much a borderline hope, though.

What are your thoughts?

 

Australia: Montaigne | Technicolour

Australia

Artist: Montaigne

Song: Technicolour

Semi Final 1: First Half

Australia doesn't mess around with its approach to Eurovision - having ranked near the top of the scoreboard more often than not since they first took part in 2015. Aria Award-winner Montaigne returns this year as the country's representative with her song, Technicolour - an ear-splitting tale of courage, vulnerability and solidarity. 

While the singer's stage presence may be striking - she now sports colourfully cropped hair, heavy makeup and chains -  her song is pretty much the opposite. Well, in truth the song is not too bad, it's just Montaigne's performance of it that doesn't cut the mustard.

Dami Im, Isaiah Firebrace and Kate Miller-Heidke all brought accomplished vocals to Eurovision and, in Kate's case, the bonkers factor. Unfortunately, Montaigne brings neither if her recent live performance of Technicolour is anything to go by (see above). She was whiny and off-key throughout, something which will not convince viewers to rush to vote for her.

Personally, the song does nothing for me and 2021 could well be the first year that Australia misses the Grand Final.

What are your thoughts? 

 

Albania: Anxhela Peristeri | Karma

Albania

Artist: Anxhela Peristeri

Song: Karma

Semi Final 2: Second Half

Eurovision wouldn't be Eurovision without a dramatic ballad or ten, preferably sung at top volume by a woman accompanied by a dance troupe of worryingly clad beefcake. On that front, the highly attractive Anxhela Peristeri and her Festivali i Këngës staging more than delivered back in December. Albania's song is called Karma and our buxom Anxhela manages to belt out the high notes with all the subtlety of a police siren on a council estate.

 

However, the song is cleverly constructed around some big moments - both instrumentally and visually. Before ramping up to the final agonising chorus, the song begins serenely with hints of Eastern promise. It builds slowly to an instrumental mid section where Anxhela is thrown around on stage like a rag doll by said beefcake who are dressed in what must have been an end of season job lot of gold lamé.

Whether that FiK staging (see here) will make the journey to Rotterdam remains a mystery, but the original mix of Karma certainly won't. There have been some slight changes to the song, mostly to the instrumentation, since it was first performed. Nevertheless, Anxhela has the vocals to fill the Eurovision stage in May, easily good enough to suck up a few fortuitous votes. 

Great vocals and big lungs, though, will probably not help her in what has become a relatively strong semi-final, competing with the likes of  pre-competition favourites such as Switzerland, San Marino, Iceland and Greece. It's always possible that Karma may score enough points to scrape into the Top 10 but I fear that this typically melodramatic power ballad from Albania will miss the cut.

What do you think?

  

 

Non mi avete fatto niente / Meta & Moro / Italy | Review

Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro 

And so, arguably, we come to one of the major players of the Eurovision Song Contest: Italy.

Despite having been rated as one of the odds-on favourites last year, their 2017 song ultimately stumbled at the final hurdle. However, Italy seem as if they’re just lying in wait for their first victory since their return in 2011. By attracting candidates from the San Remo festival, the country has provided Eurovision with a significant level of accomplished artistes and exceptional compositions.

So, 2018 brings us Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro, cobbled together for the Italian competition and winning it with Non mi avete fatto niente (You Didn't Do Anything to Me). Confirming their participation in Lisbon, the pair arrive in the Eurovision world with some notable commercial achievements – two Italian Number 1 albums for Ermal; five albums featured in the Italian Top 20 for Fabrizio, as well as five Top 10 singles.

Joining forces for San Remo was obviously a great idea. Significant sales in Italy and very much in the public eye, the pair also needed a strong song too. Non mi avete fatto niente unites classic Italian rock/pop with an emotionally charged lyric which may have some problems making the required impact on stage. Singing in your native language may be admirable, but when you're trying to relay a meaningful message, it's probably not the wisest decision. Particularly a message as wordy as this one.

So this begs the question: can an Italian message song about suffering, yet thwarting, terrorism win Eurovision? Many others have come to the contest with similarly impressive and emotive material, only to crash in flames when the votes were announced.

Ultimately, it’s a question for which I don’t have a response. As it stands, the song really doesn't have much of a hook and this could be too alienating for those seeking something they can readily hum along to later.

Time (and an obligatory tweak or two) will tell, but right now I’ll make a risky prediction and say that (as it's) Italy this could end up within the Top 10. Whether it has the clout to climb any higher will obviously hinge upon what the rest of the competition produces over the coming days…

What do you think?

Italy

Artists: Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro

Song: Non mi avete fatto niente

Big 5 Finalist

Storm / SuRie / United Kingdom | Review

Will SuRie kick up a Storm in Lisbon?

It's a little over ten days since the British public and a somewhat anonymous panel of  judges chose - from among six other hopefuls - its song for this years's Eurovision. The outcome: SuRie has unexpectedly earned the UK ticket to travel to Portugal with the exuberantly positive track, Storm.

The result was something of a surprise among those who had already heard the previously-released half dozen tracks. A clear favourite had emerged (Asanda's Legends) but studio-based and live performances can sometimes turn out to be streets apart. Unfortunately for Asanda she did not live up to all the pre-show buzz, ultimately running out of gas before the end of her song.

So, it was classically-trained SuRie (Susanna Cork) who stepped up to the plate and effortlessly stole the whole show, raising the roof at the Brighton Dome by engaging the entire audience with her assured performance of this dynamic mixture of ballad-cum-pop thumper.

Her decidedly rich vocals have been cultivated at local venues in Bishop's Stortford - albeit at the top of her register they sounded stretched towards the end of the song. Hopefully, this is just an isolated episode and her live vocal should not prove a concern in Lisbon. 

While her voice should hold up, what about the song? It's an entry far removed from Lucie Jones's 2017 plaintive effort. Storm is a highly listenable pop composition which seems perfect for Eurovision. It builds from a piano ballad beginning and develops into an example of a full-on toe-tapping, hand clapping party piece. Along with its uplifting lyrics, it has the potential to repeat the kind of atmosphere it created in Brighton when it hits the stage in May.  

Over the coming weeks though, the song will be the subject of a revamp, so any review is somewhat tempered until Storm's full impact is revealed.  

However, marrying the entry with the right visuals and production design, the UK may  surprise a few people this year. It may not win the Contest, but its memorable refrain gives it the potential to climb further up the scoreboard than the doubters would have you believe.

United Kingdom

Artist: SuRie

Song: Storm

Big 5 Finalist

Revamped version of Storm:

Lie to Me / Mikolas Josef / Czech Republic | Review

Mikolas Josef chosen to represent the Czech Republic

Česká televize has announced that 22-year-old Mikolas Josef has won the ticket to represent the Czech Republic in Lisbon with the self-penned song, Lie to Me.

It's probably no fabrication to suggest that the nation is the worst performing Eurovision country ever, evidenced by the Czech Republic’s wretched series of results since they began competing in 2007. Whatever the magic prescription is for Eurovision success, the Czechs have continued to miss the target in spectacular fashion.

It’s little surprise, then, that stylistically Lie to Me is a country mile from the likes of Malá Dáma and Aven Romale - as well as My Turn, the song Josef rejected in 2017.

With a beat aimed directly at the dance floor, this year's effort is a definite toe-tapper. Containing an incessant dose of brass, hand clapping and suggestive lyrics Lie to Me is likely to be one of the more memorable entries of the class of 2018.

This change of direction feels like the right approach for the Czechs to follow and it’s hard to find any obvious weaknesses with the end product (bar the necessary change to the profane lyrics). And yet, there’s something about the song that doesn't seem to quite connect. It sounds too American, too "we've heard this all before somewhere" and consequently, when all is said and done, it doesn’t deliver any definable Czech identity.

Nevertheless, there is a competent entry here, and Mikolas Josef's delivery is more than confident (if not - overly - cocky) enough to give the song a distinct chance of advancing to the final. As with every entry, an eye-catching performance and sufficient audience generosity should help it progress -  although it's not distinctive enough to be 2018's winner.

What do you think?

CZECH REPUBLIC 

Artist: Mikolas Josef 

Song: Lie to Me 

Semi-Final 1 | First Half

France: Madame Monsieur Win French NF: Review

Madame Monsieur: French representatives in Lisbon

After a taut, close fought French national final, the duo Madame Monsieur secured a popular victory with their entry, Mercy.

The song was not well-received by everyone though. Destination Eurovision - an effective French mini version of the Contest - threw up a highly visible disparity between what the international judges preferred and the choice of the public.

In fact, the whole affair essentially became a two horse race between pre-show favourites Madame Monsieur and 18-year-old Lisandro Cuxi and his track, Eva. The accumulation of judges' scores pointed to a victory for Lisandro's Michael Jackson/Bobby Brown Eighties-inspired track, but over 28% of the televote went to Mercy - enough to take the husband and wife pairing to Lisbon.

Without doubt then, viewers were particularly empathetic to Mercy: a catchy pop song that tells the true story of a Nigerian baby born on a boat called Aquarius, owned by the charitable organisation SOS Mediterranean and helping in the rescue of refugees.

Such a subject is naturally emotive; lyrically Madame Monsieur have cleverly intertwined the name of baby Mercy with the notion of thanks and the humanitarian effort. Nevertheless, this topic has provoked criticism from some quarters, claiming it is too politically charged, but in essence it is simply the story of a birth in the midst of turbulent circumstances.

Musically, Madame Monsieur are equally straightforward. They have adoped an electro-pop vibe; a strangely dispassionate sound considering the need for a sympathetic warmth the subject matter demands. However, this is offset by Émilie Satt's sensitive vocal styling and heartfelt rendition of the story.

The subtlety of the lyrics may fly over the heads of non-French speakers but as a pop song the entry works well. With the right staging it should draw a substantial amount of votes and keep France on its improving trajectory up the left-hand side of the scoreboard.

Overall, think The Common Linnets mashed up with Norma John with a soupçon of the Pet Shop Boys...

FRANCE

Artist: Madame Monsieur

Song: Mercy

Big 5 Finalist

Eurovision 2018: Albania: Eugent Bushpepa: Mall

Eugent Bushpepa will represent Albania at Eurovision 2018

The first steps on the long road to Lisbon 2018 have officially been taken as Albania traditionally  becomes the first country to determine its song for Eurovision. Of course, their method of selection held no surprises: the long established domestic music gala, Festivali i Këngës. This year the winner is Eugent Bushpepa with his own composition, Mall.

His victory followed two nights of eliminations and an interminably long final which felt as if it was made up as it went along. Although, obviously, there was an undeniable language barrier, the event seemed to contain more pratfalls than the present American administration. Cue unnecessary Harvey Weinstein remarks and stumbling fashion models who read autocues as if they were taking part in a poorly rehearsed school production.

Thankfully, though, much of the music that was scattered amongst all of that fun was nevertheless pleasing to the ear. Fourteen entries were represented and Bushpepa had already become one of the favourites among Eurovision fans, even garnering the most views on YouTube before he performed on the Congress Palace stage.

The track is a shift from the poorly performing female angst-driven ballads of recent years. Albania will now be hoping that Bushpepa's angst-driven power pop composition will at least see them out of the semi-final.

At the moment, however, the track runs over the required three minute limit by around ninety seconds, so a major revamp is required - not only to the song but also to the presentation which appears much too static.

That's not the only problem. While Bushpepa (great name, by the way) seems totally relatable and his vocals are reliable, Mall feels as if it has been snatched from the 1980s. It's punchy and different to what Albania has sent to the Contest over the past few years, but sounds like a guitar-driven ballad from around thirty years ago. Think John Farnham's You're the Voice and you won't be far from imagining how Mall is put together.

How will it do in the Contest? At the moment, it is way too early to say. There's nothing to compare it to and Albanian contestants have a habit of totally revamping their entry - which this one needs anyway - so it could sound wholly different by the spring. Hopefully, no English re-imagining.

However, it doesn't have an instant hook in its present form and this rock ballad genre generally doesn't compete well against the more obvious dance-pop entries. I'll await the update, but right now it doesn't feel like a qualifier.

Eurovision 2017: Review: United Kingdom: Never Give Up On You

United Kingdom: Lucie Jones: Never Give Up on You

It's nearly two months since the British public and a panel of "expert" judges chose - from a field of six - its song for Europe. The result: Lucie Jones has been given the daunting task of flying the flag for the UK with the Emmelie de Forest penned Never Give Up on You.

Although there were a couple of other songs among the "You Decide" selection which sounded as if they were more suited to Eurovision, it was former X-Factor contestant Lucie who stole the show with her emotionally charged performance of this rather maudlin ballad.

Her impassioned vocals have been honed from her recent experience of appearing on the London stage in Rent, so a live vocal should not prove a problem. That's something that should bode well with the Eurovision jurors.

While her vocals are proven, what about the song? It's a composition as far away from Emmelie de Forest's 2013 winner as one could probably get - barring punk or heavy metal. Never Give Up on You is something of a stagey, stripped-back composition which begs for the level of passion that Lucie  happily delivers.

Over recent weeks though, the song has been the subject of a subtle revamp: the addition of synthesizers during the chorus, along with a subdued beat, giving the overall package a more contemporary flavour.  The visuals have changed too.

If the evidence from the video is a guide then Lucie's presentation will be in keeping with her age. Instead of the drab, outmoded appearance of the national final, there has been a much-needed transformation to more modern outfits and styling.

At last, the UK may have married composer, song, singer and production into a winning package - or at least one which might appear a lot higher on the scoreboard than recent examples.

8/10.

Eurovision 2017: Review: Switzerland: Timebelle: Apollo

Switzerland: Timebelle: Apollo

Switzerland, once a powerhouse at the Eurovision Song Contest, has picked by public vote the Swiss-Romanian band Timebelle to represent them at this year's competition with their offering Apollo.

It has been nearly three decades since Switzerland has enjoyed that winning feeling at Eurovision and, in 2017, this lively pop band from the nation's capital is aiming to follow in the footsteps of (now) superstar Celine Dion's 1988 victory. But can they do it?

The Swiss public certainly think it's a possibility having given Timebelle nearly half of the votes, thereby blowing their competition out of the water. However, from what was seen of the presentation at the national final, it's going to take more than this package for a pan-European audience to pick up their phones en masse.

There's no denying that lead singer Miruna Mănescu is easy on the eye and that her voice is more than capable of hitting the high notes. The problem here, though, is the song. Unfortunately, Apollo is neither as heavenly as one might hope, nor likely to rocket up the left-hand side of the scoreboard.

This mid-tempo ballad is a fine example of what now appears to be a continuing problem for the Swiss: their songs aren't awful but, more often than not, they are forgettable. While the chorus here has something of a hook, it really is not memorable enough to maintain the listener's attention over three minutes. Somehow, it feels as if this entry is going to sink among what are likely to be bolder and edgier songs.

For that reason, Switzerland seem destined to miss qualification for a third year in a row.

What do you think?

6/10.

Eurovision 2017: Review: Belarus: Historyja majho žyccia

Belarus: NAVI (Band): Historyja majho žyccia

Belarus return for a fourteenth attempt at Eurovision glory following two consecutive years of failing to reach the grand final. This year NaviBand will fly the flag with the song Historyja majho žyccia which translates as Story of My Life.

NaviBand, best described as exponents of folk rock, was established in 2013 by the duo Arciom Lukjanienka and Ksienija Žuk. The following year, the pair released a couple of albums - notably recorded in Belorussian, as is this 2017 entry.

It's a bright and upbeat song which is heavily flavoured with recognisable traditional folk accents. A single acoustic guitar leads the frenetic beat, all of which is wrapped in a highly addictive - yet repetitive - 'hey hey' mantra. No doubt, this energetic hook will be familiar to anybody in any language, even if it does become increasingly annoying in the latter stages of the track.

Nevertheless, it's going to need that hook because, for the most part, foreign language entries have struggled to accumulate sufficient points to worry the left-hand side of the scoreboard - particularly among Western European voters. Therefore, the staging will play an important role in selling this entry.

NaviBand are good enough singers to turn the trick, already performing the song with pure enthusiasm and energy. But, the determining factor may be how the Belorussian team decide to stage the entry in Kiev. Lively, offbeat graphics tend to work best with this type of happy-clappy, joyful song.

It already feels like a borderline qualifier, though. But a bright and breezy performance, coupled with a positive staging package, could guarantee a berth in the final. Once there, the feeling is that it's likely to struggle for points - even as part of what is becoming an increasingly ballad-laden Contest.

7/10.

National Final Performance

Updated version of Historyja majho žyccia

Image: By Navi [Copyrighted free use], via Wikimedia Commons

Eurovision 2017: Review: Finland: Blackbird

Finland: Norma John - Blackbird

Ever since their famous win in 2006 - courtesy of Lordi - Finland's fortunes at the Eurovision Song Contest have proven to be problematic. The last ten years have witnessed four non-qualifications and a last place showing - so, can Norma John and their Blackbird improve the Nordic country's circumstances?

Quite possibly. Finland appear to have identified the potential of entering somewhat atypical songs into the Contest - even if the strategy has not always paid off.

This year could be different. Although Blackbird is as far away musically from Hard Rock Hallelujah as one can imagine, this wistful ballad has nevertheless installed itself as one of the early favourites.

It's not surprising. It's sung with impeccable vocals by Leena Tirronen who transports the listener on an emotive journey describing how the most mundane of things can be a painful reminder of lost love. Although emotional, her voice successfully supplants the usual melodramatic mood with a much darker yet delicate quality.

This extends to the song's clever piano arrangement which, on a musical level, manages to carry the emotion to just the right intensity, avoiding the pitfalls of some similarly selected ballads which have proven to be much too soporific.

Of course, the past shows that ballads have managed to keep us awake enough to secure a victory, but they are usually of the "power" variety. Blackbird is much more pensive, quiet and understated. It's unlikely to appeal to the party crowd, but then Calm After the Storm and Silent Storm probably didn't either, but it did those songs little harm.

Suffice to say then, you can bet on seeing Norma John somewhere in the mix. It's a quality entry after all and, with a good tail wind, should comfortably qualify from its semi-final. What happens to it after that is down to the draw, of course. With too many ballads around it, the song could struggle. What it really needs is a position among the overtly power-pop offerings where it is allowed to show how it stands out from the crowd.

Even then, it's unlikely to be this year's winner, but expect to see it gobble up some major points.

8.5/10.

Eurovision 2017: Review: Georgia: Keep the Faith

Tako Gachechiladze will Keep the Faith for Georgia in 2017

After an exceptionally drawn out selection process where 25 candidates competed for the right to represent Georgia in Kiev, it was eventually decided that Tako Gachechiladze will sing Keep the Faith for the nation at Eurovision 2017.

Over recent years, one could rely on Georgia to offer up something a little left field to the competition: indie rock, jazz fusion and some electropop spring to mind. Many hated it and, admittedly, most of those choices failed to race up the scoreboard.

However, it's somewhat disappointing to report that Georgia has ditched the alt-Eurovision attitude for something more Contest friendly - but sadly - bland, safe and familiar.

Keep the Faith is the kind of power ballad that has become a regular feature of the Eurovision Song Contest. It's nice and it means well but, among a multitude of similar productions, there's nothing to distinguish it from the crowd.

Vocally, it smacks of 1990s Mariah Carey or Celine Dion and visually - at least at the National Final - Tako appears to be channeling Conchita Wurst in the fashion stakes. Like the lyrics, it's all rather clichéd and stale.

Meanwhile - and this is probably just a personal thing - there's also a nagging similarity in the latter part of the entry to Michael Jackson's Earth Song. Although both compositions have a connected theme, it's the musical progression of Keep the Faith which bears the greatest resemblance.

That said, there's also the small matter of the somewhat politically charged and rather inappropriate backdrop seen in the video below. Surely, that has to go between now and May. Clearly, Tako will not want to find herself in the same predicament as her former group Stephane and 3G in 2009 - namely, disqualified. Assuming this isn't the case, some tweaks to the presentation and the song are inevitable.

Nevertheless, steel yourselves for some dramatic - some might say melodramatic - vocals. In that quarter the song can't be faulted, but the entire package is unlikely to be a major highlight in Kiev.

So, not Georgia's strongest effort and perhaps a borderline qualifier. Should it break through though, I can't see it worrying the upper area of the scoreboard.

6/10

Eurovision 2017: Albania: Lindita Halimi: Botë

Lindita Halimi to sing for Albania

The 2017 season of the Eurovision Song Contest has kicked off with Albania once again becoming the first country to choose its entry. Although it missed the final last year, the country has chosen yet another solo female artist as its representative.

27-year-old Lindita is a veteran of music and vocal competitions, having participated in Albania's version of Idol, in addition to the internal TV contest Top Fest  which she won in 2009. A brief spell of popularity in the US appears on her CV as well, thanks to her appearance in the later stages of the last series of American Idol.

Botë  marks Lindita's second attempt at winning Festivali i Këngës - the Albanian route to Eurovision glory - with the song following the (almost) exclusive tradition of Albania sending an overblown melodramatic ballad to the Eurovision stage. Lindita doesn't disappoint with the delivery: the song requires a powerful vocal and a showstopping stage performance and that is exactly what she provides. It impressed enough of the jurors, topping the scoreboard by a spectacular margin at the 55th staging of the show.

But what of its chances in Kiev in May? As it stands, Eurovision voters have generally been unimpressed by the vocal gymnastics of the Albanian entries. Granted, they have all been very good singers, but most of the songs have not been memorable for the right reasons.

At the moment, Botë  has very little of a hook to draw in the listener on its first play. However, there promises to be some significant changes to the song by the time it is performed in the first semi-final on May 9. Amongst them is a revision of the lyrics to English. This change usually offers little middle ground of opinion: it's either a definite help or a miserable hindrance. At the moment, we can only wait with bated breath for the end result.

The same could be said of its musical backing. Festivali i Këngës  provides a full live orchestra, but there will be no such lavish production in Kiev. Hopefully, the Albanian team's overhaul will give us something much more edgy and modern.

Could it qualify? Right now, it's all speculation in its present form. Lindita looks good and is obviously used to the big stage, so no problem there. The song's future really depends on the quality of the other national final winners and its own update.

Nevertheless, the song seems to have very marginal appeal to progress any further.

6/10

Live Version

Studio Version

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

Eurovision 2015: France: Lisa Angell: N'oubliez pas

Lisa Angell is the French Representative

Sometimes, the Eurovision Song Contest can take you by surprise. Case in point, the somewhat covert announcement of the French entry for 2015.

After last year's dire result for France, the new Eurovision broadcaster for the country, France 2, has announced in almost hushed tones, that their choice for Vienna is an emotive ballad called N'oubliez pas, sung by the relatively unknown chanteuse, Lisa Angell.

"Participation is a dream come true," states the singer, whose style and presentation hark back to France's more successful, classic era at the Contest. No surprise then that several voices have already condemned the selection as old-fashioned, cheesy and destined to perform badly on the scoreboard come May 23. Quite probably it is not the winner, but this is the type of song that works best for France, in my opinion. Remember Sandrine François' fifth place in 2002 with the stunning, Il faut du temps?

N'oubliez pas, however, was written last November amidst the commemoration services for the centenary of the outbreak of World War 1. Its lyrics are a message of peace and remembrance. Lisa Angell, a songstress of more than twenty years experience, has the power in her voice to deliver the theme of the composition with conviction and compassion. Unfortunately, it's now a message with heightened resonance since the recent events in Paris.

By May, the fallout from those attacks may have faded somewhat and that will leave N'oubliez pas to stand on its own merits. In an ideal world, it would have no problem doing so. Eurovision is not an ideal world, though. These days, it seems it is more to do with the presentation and the 'look' of the singer than it is the song. It's therefore a brave step by France 2 to pick someone who is in her mid-Forties and equally one who does not conform to today's image of the 'ideal pop star'.

That said, the performance will demand good staging and lighting. It will need to be as equally as powerful as the song in order to deliver its message and keep it fresh in the mind of the voters. Above all, Lisa Angell will have to provide a vocal of equivalently outstanding quality as the studio version of the song.

I hope that she can and, in doing so, help France nearer to the top of the scoreboard where this song belongs.

What do you think?

Eurovision 2015: Georgia: Nina Sublatti: Warrior

Nina Sublatti to sing Warrior

In what was probably one of the shortest Eurovision national finals I have seen, Georgia announced today that the song Warrior will represent the nation in Vienna in May. It is written and composed by its 19-year-old singer, Nina Sublatti.

Unlike last year's internal selection, the Georgian broadcaster opted for this national final of five songs, the result of which was decided by a 50/50 public/jury split vote. Warrior narrowly won the international judges' choice by a margin of two points, while the song also triumphed in the two week's worth of text voting by the public.

The announcement came during what looked like Georgia's answer to the BBC's The One Show - only with surlier presenters. The competitors were brought together, interviewed for a few seconds while a clip of their songs was played. The international jury then delivered their votes and, after around twenty-five minutes of the show, Nina was heralded as the winner in the most understated way.

A few minutes later, we saw her looking extremely bored as she sat on a couch having to listen to what seemed to be one of the most irritating women in the history of broadcasting. Barely a few sentences were uttered by Nina, but sadly, her compatriot was unable to shut-up for very long. Not that I understood a word!

Warrior, however, is in English, although at times it is difficult to tell. I haven't heard Nina speak in English, but assuming she does talk the language, I'm guessing there would be a heavy accent. There is certainly evidence of one in her singing voice.

Her vocal abilities aren't too bad, though. She is the product and winner of another one of those national television talent shows along the lines of Pop Idol and The X-Factor and has already released a collection of songs for her home market. She obviously enjoys the power pop/indie pop styling, seemingly embracing the image of an Eighties influenced pop/rocker.

Warrior sounds like a product of that era. If you were around back then, imagine Pat Benatar singing something like this. A kind of cross between We Belong and Love is a Battlefield, only without the memorable hook. It may be helped in that regard by the necessary changes it requires to satisfy the three-minute rule. It overruns the timing quite considerably at the moment.

Nevertheless, this was probably the best of a bad bunch. Somewhat better than Georgia's 2014 entry, but not strong enough to be a contender in Austria. My gut tells me that a second Warrior (see Malta) in Vienna is probably two warriors too many.

What do you think?

Eurovision 2015: Albania: Elhaida Dani: Diell

Elhaida Dani

Diell (Sun) sung by Elhaida Dani has won the ticket to represent Albania at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The song was among eighteen compositions vying for the win at the annual Festivali i Këngës (Song Festival) held in Tirana.

The three-hour show was the culmination of two epic semi-finals, during which twenty-six songs were performed.

In the final, Elhaida Dani was the last to take the stage and, after a very dramatic performance, her victory was revealed to be a near landslide. Of the seven jury members, including Albania's 2012 represenative Rona Nishliu, six of them gave Diell their top score.

A resounding victory is nothing new for Ms Dani, of course. In 2013, she participated in Italy's version of The Voice, winning the show with more than two thirds of the public vote.

Can she repeat the feat in Austria in May, 2015? My hunch is that she won't be able to do it again, particularly with this song.

I've listened to it a couple of times and I'm still not really sure why it won the national final. Elhaida Dani's vocals are great, so no complaint there. They're powerful, dramatic and they soar. The problem is with what she is singing.

As is usual with the entries from Albania, they start off their lives in their native language. That's fine, but it's already a barrier for a non-native speaker. So, one is reliant on the melody and the overall performance.

It's always a positive to have the music provided by a live orchestra and at no time did Elhaida Dani appear as if she was battling with it. She's obviously a more than competent stage performer, who is also easy on the eye.

Unfortunately, Diell is a very pedestrian power ballad with no obvious hook to it. Despite the singer's emotional input which endeavours to involve the audience, the melody goes nowhere and the whole package ends up sounding like a second-rate Disney tune.

Without some much needed changes, Albania could easily become a casualty of the semi-finals once again.

What do you think?

[Update: Diell has been withdrawn and replaced with I'm Alive as the Albanian entry. A review will appear once the the new song is made public.]

Meet the singer

Eurovision 2015: Belarus: Uzari & Maimuna: Time

Uzari and Maimuna: (Image Facebook)

The process of choosing the song to represent Belarus at the Eurovision Song Contest is not usually one which runs too smoothly - or, so it seems, without some kind of fallout.

This time, after a lineup of fifteen competitors fought for the right to represent the country in Vienna next year,  Uzari and Maimuna were ultimately crowned the winners with the song, Time.

For many, this was not the song that was predicted to win before the staging of the national final. That honour was bestowed upon the girl-group Milki and the song Accent, both a product of past Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak. As it turned out, neither the public vote nor the combined jury points placed Milki at the top of the pile, which prompted an angry outburst from the 2009 victor.

Rybak's consternation aside, the weighted votes of the jury put Time in first place, a full ten points ahead of the runner-up, Anastasia Malashkevich with Don't Save My Name. Having endured terrible audio on the internet feed from Minsk, practically all of the contenders sounded dreadful to me - including the much-lauded newcomers, Milki.

Uzari, however, has competed in the previous two Belorussian national finals without much luck, but combining talents with the beautiful violinist Maimuna has changed his fortunes - even if this wasn't a landslide victory.

Neither the public nor all of the members of the jury were behind Time. It's not surprising as the standard of all the songs was less than ideal.

Time tries to be a pop/rock song with classic overtones, courtesy of the violin. It starts off with promising drama, but that promise soon turns to disappointment as Uzari begins his vocals. The chorus sounds worse than the verses; a cat on heat is more in tune.

It's not only the vocals that let this song down. The lyrics leave something to be desired, as well. What exactly does "Time is like thunder" mean? Having read the text of the song, it looks mostly to be a collection of random words thrown together in the hope that they make sense. It's a shame really, as the melody and the hook are quite memorable.

How it fares in the Contest will be dependent on the staging and the set-up of the semi-finals, though. By any standards, the vocals will need improvement by May.

As it is now, I foresee Belarus failing to make the Grand Final. What are your thoughts?

Eurovision 2015: Netherlands: Trijntje Oosterhuis: Walk Along

Trijntje Oosterhuis: This Is The Season

If you know anything about Dutch popular music, you'll know that Trijntje Oosterhuis has been one of The Netherlands' biggest recording stars, having enjoyed commercial success at home since the mid-1990s. She will now display her considerable talent in Vienna on the 2015 Eurovision stage performing the song Walk Along.

Before embarking on her productive solo career however, she was part of the band Total Touch with her brother, Tjeerd. The pair secured two multi-platinum selling albums in the Dutch charts before breaking up. Since then, Trijntje has registered five Top 5 albums of her own.

Her last one was released in 2012 and entitled Wrecks We Adore. It was a Dutch Number 1 and produced by Holland's 2013 representative, Anouk, who registered a Top 10 Eurovision placing with the song Birds. Anouk has now composed Walk Along as the country's 2015 entry, seemingly providing backing vocals to the track as well.

Unlike Birds (and Calm After the Storm) however, the song's release has come particularly early for the Dutch entry. Both The Common Linnets' and Anouk's efforts were not announced until April/May of their respective years.

Timing aside, Walk Along is revealed as a jaunty, singalong acoustic guitar-driven composition which not only highlights Trijntje's superior voice, but also the obvious talent and influence of Anouk.

Her impact belies Trijntje's preference for the jazz genre, instead giving this track a more modern pop/rock feel. Initially, it sounds more accessible than the Dutch songs of the past two years, but they both did well without the cheery banality that infects a lot of Eurovision's output.

That's not to say that Walk Along is unimaginative and uninspired. It has a good hook with a memorable chorus, although some might find irritating the obvious repetitiveness in the second half of the song.

Hopefully, that won't harm its chances in qualifying for the Final next year. I'd like to see The Netherlands there again.

How about you?

Above image by Henk Bezemer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-4.0], via Wikimedia Commons