Eurovision 2019: Abbreviated Song Reviews

Armenia  

Srbuk: Walking Out 

Strong chorus, weaker middle section. Srbuk gives a dynamic performance. Likely to be one of the casualties from semi-final 2, though.

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Austria

Pænda: Limits

Kate Bush meets Ellie Goulding. In any other environment, this would do well - but the Eurovision Song Contest doesn't feel like its natural home. Perhaps too delicate for the competition and another entry that could fail to qualify.

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Azerbaijan

Chingiz: Truth

Contemporary, catchy and radio-friendly. Combines ethnic flavours with modern Western sounds. Likely to qualify easily and, if there's any justice, climb high on the left-hand side of the scoreboard.

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Belarus

Zena: Like It

Typical Euro dance-pop delivered by a pretty young singer and which should bring the stadium to life in Tel Aviv. Whether that will translate to enough votes to allow it to qualify is debatable. Generic Eurovision fodder, though. Borderline qualifier.

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Belgium

Eliot: Wake Up

Another credible entry from Belgium although Eliot's vocal sounds rather laboured. It feels as if the song is about to take off but then suddenly stalls, the chorus somehow not rescuing it. It's good, just not spectacular. Likely to qualify, but could struggle at the Final.

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Croatia

Roko: The Dream

Roko sings The Dream well and the song possesses a stirring chorus. Nevertheless, it sounds like a failed national final entry from the 1980s. Got to hand it to Roko though, he has the balls to wear a pair of ridiculous wings. Sadly, they only add to the overall out-of-date whiff of stale cheese. Non-qualifier.

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Cyprus

Tamta: Replay

Cyprus continue the club theme already offered up by last year's Fuego. In some respects, it is a better example of the genre with its brass riffs and mesmerisingly catchy chorus. This should perform very, very well but it could hinge on the staging and Tamta's live vocal abilities. Easy qualifier and could finish in the Top 5.

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Denmark

Leonora: Love is Forever

One of the early front runners, Denmark has dipped back in the betting. Not surprising, really. The song is way too twee, formulaic and safe. Leonora is a little difficult to watch as well. Sitting on a oversized chair/platform high above the stage, I'm not sure if her fixed stare is from the fear of falling or the fear of failing. Very borderline.

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Finland

Darude ft Sebastian Rejman: Look Away

House music come to Eurovision courtesy of the highly successful DJ/record producer. If you've heard his Sandstorm then you kinda know what to expect. Unfortunately, this is way too repetitive but could still qualify from a weaker semi-final 1 (or from his credentials, alone). Can't see it doing too well in the Final, though.

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Georgia

Oto Nemsadze: Keep On Going

Already touted as the entry that will be stuck to the bottom of the scoreboard when all is sung and done. It goes without saying that Oto may have an uphill struggle to garner many votes - particularly from the public. The song is a dark, dramatic ballad sung at full tilt - there's no denying Oto has a set of lungs on him - but the song may suffer from being TOO ethnic as well as TOO difficult to love (and comprehend)! An easy non-qualifier, I feel.

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Greece

Katerine Duska: Better Love

Compelling voice, compelling vocal and compelling production. Co-written by Fame Academy winner David Sneddon, Better Love feels as if it has a Top 10 finish about it. As long as the ideas behind the video translate well to the Tel Aviv stage then Greece can expect a ton of votes. Compelling (of course!)

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Hungary

Joci Pápai: Az én apám (My Father)

Joci returns to Eurovision with a mid-tempo ballad that captures elements of Hungarian folk music. Enhanced by his plaintive vocal, the song relates the joy and sadness of his boyhood memories. It's one of the few entries to be sung in a native language, thus could accomplish a reasonable result. Joci achieved ninth in 2017 and this latest effort could do as well or better.

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Iceland

Hatari: Hatrið mun sigra (Hatred Will Prevail)

One of possibly two entries with its own USP (possibly Portugal as well). BDSM techno/punk comes to Eurovision and it has really divided listeners/viewers. Very much a Marmite song, Hatari try to deliver shock visuals - writhing women in chicken wire together with sex shop rubber gear - alongside snarling shouty vocals over an, admittedly, irresistible backing rhythm. Entries with bizarre USPs tend to do well these days, although how the more conservative voters in Eastern Europe will react is anyone's guess. Could do very, very well or fall flat on its face!

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Thanks for reading!

Eurovision 2016: Spotlight on Croatia; Greece; Australia

Croatia: Nina Kraljić with Lighthouse

Former The Voice of Croatia  contestant Nina Kraljić is off to Stockholm with this brooding, yet slowly developing, ballad called Lighthouse.

There's no doubting that Nina possesses a great voice but, in what seems to be a sea of female vocalists this year, there are superior examples of this kind of entry set to score more favourably. It incorporates the requisite key change, but even this may not help its chances of qualifying from its highly competitive semi-final.

While it's all rather alluring, the song is really not memorable enough to progress and smacks of 'heard it all before' syndrome. A borderline qualifier.

Appearance: Semi-Final 1, performing 5th

Image by Albin Olsson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Greece: Argo with Utopian Land

Formerly called Europond, Greece's participants this year are Argo, a band which tends to promote long-established folk music from the Balkan region.

Their entry, Utopian Land, has a very definite ethnic feel about it, starting off with some traditional Balkan instrumentation before a transition into some messy Greek rapping. It's great to hear some partial native language lyrics and indigenous orchestration, but this offering really feels as if it is heading for failure.

Greece is normally one of those countries where anticipation of its entry is high - particularly as it has an enviable record of qualifying from its semi-final. While the song's heart is in the right place - its lyrics touch on the migrant crisis and the faltering Greek economy - one feels that Utopian Land's only route to the Final is through Greece's ever reliable diaspora vote. Even that might fail them and see Greece miss qualification for the first time in years.

Appearance: Semi-Final 1, performing 2nd.

Image by Albin Olsson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Australia: Dami Im with Sound of Silence

Like many, you might be wondering why Australia has returned to the Eurovision stage having appeared last year as (one-off) guests at the 60th edition. Ours is not to reason why...but let's just say that the Aussies love Eurovision.

That said, Guy Sebastian did pretty well in 2015 when he managed to secure fifth place with his upbeat offering Tonight Again. There's no doubt that Australia have pulled out all the stops this year to better that placing with Sound of Silence, a full-on power ballad sung by former X-Factor Australia  winner, Dami Im.

The Korean-born chanteuse has rightly earned the reputation for being one of the best singers in the competition and interprets this dance-beat laden entry with consummate ease. Much will depend on its staging of course, but Team Australia is bound to bring some surprises to the Ericsson Globe to add to the song's dramatic atmosphere and content.

If there's any niggle with Sound of Silence, it's that the song sounds a little too repetitive for its own good. That's not going to stop it from qualifying, though. In fact, it could quite easily be the song to beat in the second semi-final.

Appearance: Semi-Final 2, performing 10th.

Image by Albin Olsson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

What are your thoughts about these songs?

Review: Greece: Eurovision 2015 | Maria-Elena Kyriakou

The attractive Maria-Elena Kyriakou should breathe easy in Vienna

Five acts gathered in Athens to compete for the ticket to appear in Vienna in May and, following a 50/50 split vote between an expert jury and the public, Maria-Elena Kyriakou won the Greek national final with the song, One Last Breath.

Maria-Elena is the product of the Greek version of The Voice, winning the first series of the show in 2014. Born on Cyprus, she will be the fourth Cypriot to sing for Greece, following Eleftheria Eleftheriou's appearance at the 2012 Contest. I can already hear the obligatory "twelve points" from Cyprus!

Having said that, the island may not be too far from a just score, if that is the way it votes again. One Last Breath is a lush, sweeping ballad and in a year when female balladeers prevail, this entry is among the best.

Over the past few editions of the Contest, Greece has shied away from this type of song. Perhaps, 2014's unusually low placing of 20th with Freaky Fortune's more contemporary Rise Up swayed both the public and the jury in Maria-Elena's direction.

That may have been a contributing factor, but the singer's superior vocal ability was possibly the major contributor in the selection of the song. While there may have been more 'Eurovision-friendly' examples among the remaining four finalists, none of them could truly hold a candle to Ms. Kyriakou's performance.

She has the ability to evoke sound bites of a previous Eurovision winner: Céline Dion. One Last Breath could quite easily be a recording included on one of the French-Canadian's earlier albums, but perhaps not a hit single. Nonetheless, it's certainly a more dramatic and noteworthy illustration of a classic ballad, shining a whole lot brighter than many of those which have already been announced this year.

Maria-Elena's vocals should easily carry it into the Final, but the song's success will also rely on memorable staging. If all the elements of her presentation combine well, I can foresee Greece easily returning to the Top 10.

How about you?

Eurovision 2014: Greece: Rise Up

Greece: Freaky Fortune

For a while, it seemed as if Greece would not be able to celebrate its fortieth year in Eurovision. Financial crises and failing broadcasters were working against the country returning to the competition, but there was a reprieve in November in the shape of NEPIT (the newly-formed Greek public station).

Consequently, Rise Up appears to be a wholly appropriate title as the Greek entry for 2014. Winner of a four act national final in mid-March, Freaky Fortune ft. Riskykidd offer one of the year's more contemporary songs.

It's essentially a dance club effort, combining elements in its mix from a few genres. Beginning with some rap (never a good thing in Eurovision), it progresses to a pure pop number with both Latin and Balkan flavours, such as that incessant trumpet riff.

It will, no doubt, appeal to young "Urban" voters as it could easily be a reminder of long, hot club nights in Ibiza or Ayia Napa. It's certainly very catchy, if overly repetitive of the title. On the other hand, is it likely to appeal to Eurovision's core audience, which tends to be older and more traditional? Probably not. But that hasn't stopped some unlikely winners before.

That's not to say that Greece are likely to be victorious this year. I'm not convinced by its live rendition and there are other better constructed songs in the competition. But it is infectious, features three handsome young guys and, at the time of writing, leads the second semi-final poll by quite some margin.

This should make it an easy qualifier and, because of the plethora of ballads this year and the ever faithful Greek diaspora, this memorably catchy entry is likely to see a Top 10 finish.



Image by Freaky.fortune (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons


Rise Up [feat. RiskyKidd] - Freaky Fortune

Eurovision 2013: Greece: Alcohol is Free

In mid-February, four acts battled it out to represent Greece at Eurovision this year and Alcohol is Free performed by Koza Mostra featuring Agathonas Iakovidis eventually won the right to travel to Sweden.

I want to like the Greek song. I probably would if I were a drunk guest at a Greek wedding or in a Corfu bar with the lads during the summer. I can only describe it as the Come On Eileen of this year's Contest. Imagine a group of inebriated tourists, arm in arm, trying to complete a traditional Greek dance while attempting to stay on their feet. This song would be their soundtrack.

Full of the ethnic vibes of Greece, Alcohol is Free is bound to liven up proceedings in Malmö - especially as it is sandwiched between two ballads in its semi-final. It's fun, fast and frantic (and full of kilts). With a little luck, it should make the Final. Expect some mid-table voting. 7/10.

Greece perform in ninth place in the second semi-final on May 16.

Is this song one of your favourites?

Image: Promotional photo

Four More For Eurovision 2010

March 12th saw four more countries throwing their songs into the Eurovision 2010 ring.

Here are the entries that will represent Estonia, Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom in Oslo in May.

Both Germany and the United Kingdom will automatically feature in the Final, while Estonia and Greece will have to fight for a spot there in the semi-final stages.

Estonia picked Malcolm Lincoln and Manpower 4 singing Siren.

Germany chose Lena Meyer-Landrut with Satellite.

Greece picked Giorgos Alkaios singing OPA.

The United Kingdom chose Josh Dubovie with That Sounds Good to Me.

So what do you think of these latest songs? And remember, you can see every currently announced entry at The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 page.