ESC 2019 General Discussion Thread

[tuorem]

Now that it's been three weeks to the day since Eurovision 2019 kicked off, I thought it would be nice to re-watch the entire shows as if it happened now. I haven't binge-watched any video, so it'll be pretty interesting for me to write down my "second first impressions", if that makes sense. And I missed all the postcards, so there is a lot to catch up on! I'm ready to get in the Eurovision mood again

My schedule is set:
Semi 1 (4th July)
Semi 2 (6th July)
Grand final (8th July)

I feel like I haven't commented on the performances enough this year, so I'll probably post more of my thoughts about each acts (and maybe interval acts and overall shows as well) once each show comes to an end.

 

[tuorem]

Ok, it's me again I'm back after watching the first semi again. That was a lot of fun!

Well, first of all KAN did that for the opening of the semi: I found Netta's performance truly outstanding, from the visuals (the big lucky cat, the dancers, the holograms) to Netta's energy (duh) to the great "Toy" remix. Honestly, this remix gives me life, it's miles better and catchier than the original version to me. And the crowd was so here for it that it's in my opinion one of the best Eurovision openings I've ever seen. Am amazed.

1. Cyprus: I admit I didn't care for this song on first listen, but now it's growing on me. I do like it, however the live performance paled in comparison with the studio cut imo: Tamta isn't the best vocalist (to put it diplomatically), also she was very stiff and seemed borderline stoned at times. As a result, she gave a low-energy performance that didn't do justice to the song. On the visual level, Jean Baptiste did an okay job, it's neither terrible nor particularly great. I like that it wasn't colourful, the "hands choreo" reminded me of Artsvik of course, and thankfully there were dancers to bring some energy on stage. The replay effect (both vocally and visually) was quite underwhelming, I'm not sure if it was meant to look that way, but the effect seen during the stand-in rehearsal was much more effective and cool imo. Finally, I found Tamta's outfit literally horrendous, it wasn't sexy or flattering, but totally sexual in a tasteless way. Don't mean to be rude, but she looked like she was working the streets before getting on stage, whose idea was it? She was so fresh in her postcard! No wonder she was the runner-up for the Barbara Dex Award. Although, it could have been better performed, the overall package was okay.

2. Montenegro: Where to start?... Nothing worked here from the first seconds to the last ones: the outfits made of pieces of curtains (?) were off-topic and needed to go, their whole "choreography" was just a succession of cringe-worthy moments and, although all of them could vocally hit their notes, their voices weren't blending well and I found their singing styles quite old-fashioned tbh. I don't know if D-Mol are an actual group or if they gathered especially for Eurovision, but it seems to be the latter to me since everyone was doing their own thing regardless of the overall look and sound of the group. Needless to say there was no staging, and the song wasn't right up my alley at all either: it sounded bland, amateurish and old-fashioned in a bad way at the same time (sorry DaFlo! don't shoot me!). Montenegro were robbed several times in the past to me, but not this year.

3. Finland: Great postcard! I didn't know who Darude was (and still don't) and I'm not sure I'd like to know after this performance. The song itself would have been hot in Eurovision 2007, it's hella repetitive and nothing more than background music imo. Sebastian can't sing or perform to save his life: his vocal, his "lookooway" pronunciation and his face are more distracting than anything else. I mean no one cares in the comfort of a studio where voices are corrected and distorted ad nauseam with radio airplay as the only goal, but DJs who consider taking part in the contest really should work with capable vocalists, I'm just saying. On a positive note, I found the staging visually expensive and striking, the shots of the female dancer dancing in her green dress in front of blue icebergs was a delight to watch. Too bad the music wasn't quite up there too. Overall a very weak effort from Finland, it wasn't the worst song of the competition to me, but I'm glad it came last as I wanted Yle to have a wake-up call (which happened since the NF will come back next year).

4. Poland: I love that postcard too! On first listen, I didn't know what to think about the Polish entry, which sounds like a unique blend of traditional folk voices and pop-rock elements. It definitely IS an acquired taste, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. I like that it was sung in Polish (for the most part) and that the music was rather moody and sassy. It was refreshingly different from all the other songs this year. The live performance was great imo, Tulia performed really well and their outfits were attention-grabbing. Visually it was more than decent considering Poles aren't exactly known for being the masters of staging. The clapping part with the audience was also a moment. Honestly, I'm sad this didn't advance: it was interesting, different and challenging. Good job nonetheless Polska!

5. Slovenia: Zala & Gasper dancing in fields is a whole mood! Seriously, I don't know what I can add to what I said about them already in their thread. Firstly, I love the song: it was atmospheric, melodious, contemporary and musically new for Eurovision. While the composition is devoid of troughs and valleys, it's all about the vibe, so I totally get why it could be either considered mesmerising or boring. I'm proud that they managed to up their game based on what they did in EMA: the space-like backdrops and light show were on point. Zala was vocally there and their chemistry did the job. Very effective camera angles too. To me, it is their canonical performance. They took me into their bubble, it was a moment. Strong effort from Slovenia, they're getting better at staging their entries. Deserved qualification!

6. Czech Republic: OMG The postcards look so good I can't! Okay, you may (or may not) know that when Lake Malawi was selected, I wasn't about that life. When assessing where it started back then and looking at the final product, I think the Czechs did a good job at doing everything they could to succeed. The first smart move was to lower the pitch of the song, therefore Albert managed to sing it perfectly. The song isn't me, it's too repetitive, musically annoying and douchebaggy for me, the most eye-rolling element being the lyrics... I mean who would ever think of writing such things, this is so cringe-worthy! Oddly enough, the lowered pitch made it a tad more listenable to me, even though the annoyance rate remains too damn high in my book. Visually, I like the colour scheme but I feel like they tried to make a Mikolas 2.0 happen: the thing is the presentation was simpler and emptier, and Albert had no stage presence imo, apart from his real-pain face. Not gonna lie, some parts of the performance were borderline boring to me and ultimately I think it's a song that works better in a spotify playlist than as piece of music that comes alive live. Overall decent. But the song is a no to me.

7. Hungary: Joci didn't dance in the postcard, he cheated! My opinion about the Hungarian effort this year differs from the predominant one. As a fan of "Origo", I wasn't here for Joci's return for fear of being disappointed, yet the contrary happened: I like "Az én apám" as much as his 2017 entry. Vocally, Joci always delivered - I prefer the live performance to the studio cut - and his tone is so gripping, it's got so much character. Visually, he served eye candy to the max; I liked his outfit, simple but effective and classy, I would wear that myself even if my body doesn't look like his at all. The staging - aka the backdrops - were magnificent imo, I loved the golden/black colour scheme and the whole presentation through symbols. The face of his father might have looked a bit out of place in this magical extravaganza, but personally it didn't bother me. However, I could have lived without the sparkling shower, which is the most useless and anti-climactic stage element ever to me. I don't know why people didn't support this effort, this was really strong in my book. Too bad. Personally, it might even become my favourite Hungarian entry over time. Hungary, you slayed me again!

8. Belarus: or how to cancel Tamta in three minutes with energy, attitude and suppleness! First of all, the song is a banger, I don't understand why it was predicted not to qualify. It's by far one of my favourite upbeat songs this year. When the time has come to put on a show and give everything on stage, Zena is that chick. It's all about her and her attitude and sassiness, which made the performance so fun. Vocally, let's be honest, she's not a vocalist: she did well during the verses but the choruses and high notes were not her forte, thank the Lord the backing vocalists were strong. Visually, I liked everything: from her urban outfit to the color scheme to the props. The dancers and the choreography were fun, and the psychedelic Salvador Dali-esque backdrops completed the look. Apparently, Zena's qualification was due to mistakes from several jurors, but that's sad, because I was glad to have this act in the grand final. Are you gonna like? Yes girl!

9. Serbia: For the second time in a row, I didn't think much of the Serbian entry on first listen, until it ended up growing on me and entered my personal top ten. What I like about "Kruna" is that it's not the full-blown Balkan ballad with traditional elements and whatnot (that we've seen a lot from Serbia before), actually it sounds more driven by pop-rock elements, which is refreshing. The melody is a bit understated at first, but it's beautiful, and Nevena can sing. I feel like they avoided all the clichés associated with Balkan ballads because from the fashion choices (the dress and pieces of jewellery) to the backdrops (with the swirls and shattered glass), it looked a lot more cold, edgy and "aggressive" compared with how this type of songs are usually staged. I liked it a lot. Deserved qualification in my book.

'Tis all for the first half, I'll post my comments on the second half tomorrow.

If I had to rank these acts, this is how I'd do it:

1. Slovenia
2. Serbia
3. Hungary
4. Belarus
5. Poland
6. Cyprus
7. Czech Republic
8. Finland :?
9. Montenegro :?

 

[Preuss]

*sighs*
Yeah Zena probably overshadowed Tamta. No seriously, «Replay» gives you fire and heat and summer but the staging was so cold and calculated which ruined her chances. «Replay» is such a summer bop
Wasted opportunity by Cyprus although 13th place in the final is okay nothing more

 

[Loindici]

Anyone feels like Tel Aviv 19 is the year of dark stagings? Only Czech Republic, Malta, Spain, San Marino, Ireland, Denmark, Italy and Croatia that gives stagings bright enough to be called 'bright'.

 

[tuorem]

Hi again second part of my comments coming up!

10. Belgium: After last year's failure, I was looking forward to RTBF's new contribution, but my expections weren't met. "Wake Up" is an okay composition to me, it's a nostalgic electro-pop song that, as many people said before, suffers from its linearity and a lack of transition from verses to choruses, which makes the latter sound jarring. Although it seems to moderately grow on me, I feel like something was missing to make it complete. Eliot is a cutie and his live performance wasn't as bad as I remembered, yet I didn't find him convincing: I don't know if it's because he wasn't seasoned enough as a singer or if the song wasn't the most suitable choice for him... Something was off imo. Visually, this was rather bad to me: the blue/red colour scheme was always tricky to work with, the two "drummers" were useless af and low-key reminded me of Roberto Bellarosa's weird dancers for some reason... Their outfits were neither flattering nor pleasing to look at nor strong enough to really make an artistic statement imo: seriously, who thought for a second dark blue and neon orange could look great? Even the triangle platform they were the only ones to use didn't add anything special to the package. Although Belgium's non-qualification didn't surprise me (because there were so many more memorable options in this semi), I kind of expected them to narrowly make it thanks to juries. Well, I was wrong. Belgians can do better tbh.

11. Georgia: Hahaha, that postcard was funny! I like that for the second time in a row now, Georgians have sent interesting songs in their native language. "Keep On Going" isn't an easily digestible composition: the song is very dramatic and people in general are easily off-put by efforts that come across as "aggressive" it seems. Not gonna lie, I'm still trying to tame the song because there are parts I like and others I don't know what to make of yet. With that being said, it's an effort I respect a lot for its musical merit (as often with Georgia). Oto's voice is certainly one of the most beautiful ones of this edition, he has a very rich tone and he can use it to great effect: perfect live performance. Visually, they surpassed themselves with the magnificent storytelling backdrops, the climax to me was when the backing vocalists came closer to Oto (aka Kai's crush) amid flames and smoke. That was chill-inducing. The audience's reaction was louder than I remembered. Despite the non-qualification, this is an effort Georgia should be proud of.

12. Australia: Let's address the elephant in the room. Not only Aussies held their very first NF for the contest, but they picked a song that contrasted big time with their past efforts. "Zero Gravity" brought to the Eurovision posterity its own take on pop-opera, a musical genre I'm always here for. What I like about the composition is that it's gripping from start to finish, it's ever-evolving (there are roughly three different stages in the song) and it's CREATIVE (that chorus was super effective). Kate seems to be a nice person, she's cute. Vocally, she was nowhere near as impressive as some former lyrical contestants imo, but she still did the job to make the song come alive live. Of course, I couldn't remain silent about the staging, which was undoubtedly the most impressive and splending presentation I've ever seen in Eurovision, Aussies elevated their act to such heights that it HAD to do well: the siren-of-outer-space and Statue-of-Liberty-meets-fairy outfits were wonderful, the camera angles and special effects created a perfect illusion, and the space backdrops were so poetically magnificent I'm still astounded. Good thing that they showed the poles the girls were standing on so that people could clearly see it wasn't a music video (hey Ingrosso! ) The whole package rightfully screamed qualification and winner of the semi imo. Kate got me shook.

13. Iceland: Nice to see Iceland get back on track after years of hopeless efforts. Hatari were obviously one of the craziest and most memorable acts of the year. I have mixed feelings about the song: on one hand, I liked that we finally got to hear Icelandic in the contest and I found the instrumental really catchy; and on the other hand, the verses lack a proper melody for me to be on board. Visually, this was a well thought-out feast around their BDSM universe (the outfits, the colour scheme, the flames, and the props were on point): it's not really my thing, but it proved to be accessible and palatable. Still this band freaks me out and their political undertones don't help as far as I'm concerned. However, while trying to be as "objective" as possible, they deserved their success. I hope it won't just be a one-off and we'll have another inspiring entry from Iceland next year.

14. Estonia: I followed Eesti Laul and wasn't here for "Storm" at all: an Avicii 2014 track that doesn't bring anything to the table. Actually, I don't have much to say about the song: clichéd lyrics, trite arrangements and melody... Basicness at its best, at least it kinda catchy, but my expectations in music are bit higher, especially regarding Estonia. I'm not positive about Victor either: his voice is annoying and doesn't suit the chorus, no charisma and a real-pain face that - as far as I'm concerned - definitely put me off. The staging was as "ambitious" as in the NF, the best shot was when Crone turned his back on the crowd. The recorded part looked quite cheap imo, I preferred the former one, but I guess a storm needs to be lil' messy, right? Crone's qualification was a genuine surprise to me, I thought juries had pushed him to the final but it turned out to be the other way round. I didn't expect that, I guess people need their mainstream dance track, even if it's super basic and poorly sung. In the meantime, more interesting entries were left behind. Pity.

15. Portugal: KING OF THE WORLD. Period. I already expressed my opinion about Conan and "Telemoveis": everything looked and sounded high-art (what a change after Estonia!). The song isn't just a song, it's an intimate spiritual experience that puts me into a mystic trance whenever I listen to it. Conan's voice is strangely enthralling and his stage presence is everything. That performance was visually perfect for me: from the daring colour scheme to the avant-garde outfits (that jaw mask though ) to the camera work and arabising backdrops. Also, the choreography gave me life, there aren't enough superlatives for me to describe this effort! Well done Portugal! The results were a disgrace, this package should have been in the final at the very least. It's unbelievable juries ranked Portugal last.

16. Greece: These postcards are amazing, the way they played with colours and space is so great! Was Greece as great? Well, it depends on who you ask! Katerine's voice is for sure quite peculiar, and I usually love me some voice with character, but hers isn't really for my taste. Still, she hit the notes like the professional she is and gave an enjoyable performance. My issue here is the same as with Finland: the visuals are great, but the song is a let down. I found the staging interesting, that kind of pastel-colours-and-artsy-props-and-embellishments is quite common in indie-ish music videos, but almost never replicated on stage, so I found it refreshing to go that route for Eurovision. Sadly, the most important element -aka the song - didn't deserve all that visual work. To me, "Better Love" is nothing more than a glorified x-factor winner's debut song, I've heard it a million times before. I knew it couldn't fail because this is precisely this type of song that many people like to highlight. And that's okay: just let me sit this one out. xshifty

17. San Marino: first of all, I like the song and I liked Dad in 2016, so we were off to a good start. "Say Na Na Na" is an infectious and delicious feel-good disco party anthem that was perfect to end the first semi imo. Dad was off during one third of the song, but it didn't prevent him from serving fun during three minutes. He was also serving looks business as usual. At first, I was disappointed by the staging because I had watched the MV beforehand and expected something as colourful and dynamic in Tel Aviv. In hindsight though, Serhat made the right choice by limiting the colour scheme (pink, black, white, orange), so that it made the performance look classier and less tacky, and it made every element of the presentation (dancers, props, words on screen) pop as it should. It was so much fun, the backing vocalists were literally me on fire whenever I listen to the song, except that they were in tune. Overall, although unexpected, it was a strong, pleasant and tasteful show closer imo. Dad made it in the end! As anaraqueen would say: talent won!

And to end my post, here is my ranking of the second half:

1. Portugal
2. San Marino
3. Australia
4. Belgium
5. Georgia
6. Iceland
7. Greece
8. Estonia xhand

Regarding the qualifiers, I would have replaced Czech Republic, Estonia and Greece with Poland, Hungary and Portugal.

 

[Loindici]

Denmark 2019 already proved this wrong so it's still quite a big deal.

 

[tuorem]

Hey hey hey Moving on to the second semi today. Here are my comments on the first half:

1. Armenia: On first listen, I thought this was a very honest and decent effort from Armenia which deserved to get through. I still think it deserved a better fate, but when reviewing it now and breaking everything down, I can see why this was considered borderline by the bookies and ultimately didn't make it. Musically, "Walking Out" is a bit uneven to me, some bits are interesting, some less so; I like it but it faded on me since I discovered it. It's a perfectly acceptable entry, but it's not really that gripping or memorable, and we've seen much stronger Armenian acts in the past. Srbuk herself seems to be a confident and capable singer, but I guess the song let her down, as I wasn't wowed by her performance. Visually-speaking, it was actually rather disappointing in hindsight: nothing wrong with the red/black colour scheme and Srbuk alone on stage (which I liked), it lacked striking visual elements and a proper theme, because the broken glass floor was imo much more effective for Serbia, and the rest was all about fire and lights that didn't do anything spectacular. Overall, it was too dark imo and the alleged "controversial" recorded part of the empty arena (which I hadn't noticed at all at first) was a wrong good idea: yes, there was a meaning behind it but it lacked the necessary storytelling around it to not make it confusing. The camera work wasn't that great either. The song was what it was - certainly not the strongest composition on offer - but I feel like its chances weren't maximised either visually. Shame Armenia did fail again, but I can totally see why it didn't appeal enough to qualify.

2. Ireland: I think have an unpopular opinion about the Irish act this year. "22" is a cute little song I wouldn't mind listening to on the radio, but it's just way too understated to make an impression in a contest like Eurovision. With that being said, the Irish have sent so many abysmal songs this decade to me that this one is probably among their efforts I like the most. Sarah's voice is very pleasant to me, I like her vibes and she seems nice, but she lacked charisma to take her song to a higher level. Even though she sang perfectly, I feel like she lacked the freshness and energy to make people go aboard her ship. Visually, this is my favourite Irish presentation of the decade by far: it was really clever to go for a theme mixing vintage American diner and Pop Art with such a vibrant colour scheme. I liked the idea of the milkshake bar as well, but I would have added more props to make it look like a proper diner. The outfits and dancers were so cute, sadly their choreography and movements on stage were too uninspired and underrehearsed, same with the camera work that wasn't doing much. It's a shame because they had a good base, yet they didn't make the most of the huge potential they had in their hands: with more dynamic camera angles, a more lively choreography and more props to reinforce the diner theme, that would have been really fun. This low-key made me want to have an act along the lines of Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" someday, a sort of super vintage, sassy and fun American jam with well-matched visuals and looks. If RTÉ don't have a concept in mind for next year, there they have it!

3. Moldova: From a casual viewer's perspective, this might have been a not-so-good ballad with good vocals and a cute sand art presentation; but in my eurofan's eyes, it was a budget copy of Ukraine 2011. "Stay" is the kind of ballad we have every year in Belarusian, Romanian and Moldovan NFs, and it's also a nice summary of all the standard Eurovision ballads of the 00's. Needless to say that even though I don't mind it when it plays, it doesn't spark my interest at all. Anna is a decent vocalist, her tone is quite nice, it's too bad she didn't have a better song to truly shine. Fashion-wise, I don't approve of the dress, which fit the old-fashioned clichéd Eastern-European ESC ballad. Visually, it was exactly the same concept behind the staging of "Angel", except the storytelling was nowhere to be seen and it looked cheaper because it was obvious the sand artist wasn't performing live. Don't get me wrong, Mika Newton didn't invent sand art, and I truly believe it could be used again to great effect if presented in other creative ways, but here this was just too gimmicky and off for its own good. Not surprised it didn't qualify, even though juries wanted this in the final while they've been marking Poles down for entries of that kind in recent years. :? Weird.

4. Switzerland: The Swiss went for the "crowd pleaser" title this year, and it worked! "She Got Me" is very mainstream pop, very now and meant to tick all the boxes of a Eurovision success. I have mixed feelings about the song which I find very catchy, but the lyrics are so offensively bad that it prevents me from liking it more. I don't expect meditative poems from this type of song, but there should be limits to broken English and embarassing word choices ("she got me dirty dancing", really? :?), at least they could have replaced "she" with "he", that would have given an interesting twist. Luca is as much a vocalist as Nadav Guedj and Imri, but then again most people don't care about vocals when the beat is that catchy, right? At least, he got into the character, danced, smiled and had attitude to sell the performance. Visually, Jean Baptiste did come through: with the same colour scheme Armenia used, she managed to make it look expensive and attention-grabbing (the play with the movie-like black stripes were effective). Despite the lyrical content, I did enjoy this package a lot.

5. Latvia: Latvians did surprise me by sending an entry I didn't expect from them. I would love to hear more jazz music (and jazz-inspired entries) in Eurovision, it is a genre that hasn't been showcased often even though we've had several jazz singers this decade (Raphael Gualazzi, Valentina Monetta, Rona Nishliu, Jamala, Salvador Sobral, Aisel...). So I was happy to find a jazzy influence in "That Night", it is pretty understated but the vibe is as comforting as a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy Sunday. The singer's voice is soothing and fits that mood perfectly. I just wish there was more development melody-wise, maybe with a bridge or vocal variations or ad-libs because the chorus gets repetitive past two minutes. This is the reason why I didn't go crazy about this song, because it was an interesting choice otherwise imo. Vocally, I don't have anything to say, as it sounded as good as the studio version. Visually, I think they managed to stage the band perfectly while enhancing the atmosphere of the song: I liked the subtly structured backdrop, the black/white/grey colour scheme that made the singer's green hat pop (she's most likely a Serhat fan ), the outfits were tasteful and the camera angles were nice. Honestly, I wouldn't have changed anything. Not surprised it didn't advance as it wasn't as accessible as "Sebi" for instance, but Latvians should be proud of their effort, they contributed to the diversity of the lineup in a classy way.

6. Romania: OMG Ester dancing in the snow was so cool! There's been a lot of controversy surrounding the selection of "On A Sunday", but I did like that choice personally. Again here, I think it's more about the vibe than anything else because as much as I like the sick AF hard-hitting beats and arrangements of the song, the melody is subtle in a sophisticated way, it's difficult to distinguish a memorable line or hook, which might have been its undoing imo. With that being said, it is a real grower. Ester was singing (loved her ad-libs towards the end!) and acting perfectly as the crazy ex-girlfriend she should be, imo this was a major upgrade compared with her NF live. Great job! And last but not least, Romanians came to remind us they don't play with staging. Now that's what I called an effective and gripping vampire-themed presentation! I liked every second of it, the camera angles and its quick shots, the dark manor interior/woods/sculptures in the background, Ester's armchair, the sexy dancers' outfits... And the climax when the stage turned red with flames was amazing (burn down that place girl!), even the discreet sparkle shower didn't disturb me here. As for Ester's looks, I love her hairstyle and kind of dig the concept behind the look even though I'd have been in favor of a classier and edgier outfit (that skirt bothered me I guess ). Definitely deserved to qualify imo, but I'm not surprised (again) it didn't in the end, as we all know anaraqueen sabotaged her when she went for the vampire look: "Gurl tryna steal ma man Florin Cezar Ouatu? Gurl needs to go!"

7. Denmark: This is another piece of Danish cheese, but this time I couldn't force myself to hate it. "Love Is Forever" mixes melodically nostalgic verses with feel-good/borderline childish choruses, and oddly enough, it works imo! To be honest, this kind of song is not my staple, but I did enjoy that effort quite a lot for some reason. Merci for singing a part of the lyrics in French!! Even though the translation of "love is forever" wouldn't be "l'amour est pour toujours" but "l'amour est éternel", if we sought a more natural way of saying it (translation nerd mode off ). Leonora's got the voice and the looks to pull off such a song, however I found her way creepier than Ester's acting her stare disturbed me and I wonder why she didn't smile throughout the performance, it's almost as if she looked depressed among her dancers... Is it just me? Visually, this was actually really good, the drawing-like backdrops fit the childish mood of the song, the colours used were striking, and so were their oufits. The big chair was weird, but it was a memorable prop. People cursed in shock when Denmark qualified, which confused me since I thought it would be a clear qualifier after that performance, not because I enjoyed it (remember it's not my staple) but because it stood out big time musically and visually, especially in this even first half.

8. Sweden: Gospel/soul music has never been done the way I want to in Eurovision, but "Too Late For Love" is actually a fairly decent track: it's catchy and kind of grows on me, and even if it's not a revolutionary piece by any means, I find it miles miles miles better than "Nobody But You" in the same genre. John performed it well and didn't need more staging to sell the song (unlike Cesar, thank the Lord he wasn't dead inside ), and for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel attacked by the cockiness of the Swedish representative, which is nice. Staging-wise, it was rather minimalistic coming from Swedes, but as I said, the song didn't need useless tricks to work: the lights, colour scheme and camera angles were highly reminiscent of what they did with Frans imo. Nice to see the mamas joined the stage at the end because without them, the vibe of the song would be gone. Overall, nice effort from Sweden: I'm not crazy about it, but I like it.

9. Austria: Okay, this is the second time I watched the Austrian performance and I still don't get it. Firstly, the song "Limits" is supposed to be a minimalistic slow-paced electro ballad, which it is, but when you opt for something really low-key, you still have to deliver in the melodic department, which to me isn't the case here. Of course, being on the "indie" side of the spectrum will always make you lose a certain part of the audience, however I personally fail to find a melody or even a highlight in this song. I don't mean to claim it's a bad song, but it doesn't have much appeal for a song contest. Secondly, Paenda's high-pitched voice isn't my thing, but even when putting my taste aside, I sadly can't say she gave a good performance: she sometimes was off-key, her vibes weren't pleasant and overall she sounded flat imo. And you can't mess up your vocal when there is little to no instrumental for you to rely on. Visually, I'm confused too, sparkles everywhere and sparkling tubes were not enough to elevate this I fear. Her outfit wasn't flattering, and the fact it was black made her disappear in the already very dark staging. White would have been a good option. I don't enjoy being this negative, but to me Austrians missed the mark on every level this year, which is a shame because Paenda sparked my interest when her name was revealed. I can't hate her because she has blue hair and dying my hair dark blue is on my bucket list, so I can at least praise her capillary aesthetics.

That's all for today, I may or may not post the remaining comments on semi final 2 on Saturday rather than on Friday, since I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to check the forum tomorrow.

My ranking of this half would be the following:

1. Romania
2. Switzerland
3. Sweden
4. Denmark
5. Latvia
6. Armenia
7. Ireland
8. Moldova xhand
9. Austria

 

[Preuss]

Funny thing, I signed a petition to forbid furfarms in Norway and then I stumbled up across on a petition where someone wanted the juryvote to be removed after KEIINO’s televote win

 

[Realest]

Im wondering who the Hell they think they are that they are in the Position to accuse the serbian Jury (or any Jury basically) of corrupt Voting and throw with Terms like "insult for the Competition"...

 

[Preuss]

I mean, yes bloc-voting does exist to a certain degree but it's never a reason why a country can do well. Even if a country consistently rewards their friend 12 points, there's still a lot of points to fight for. Anyway this hasn't much with the Serbia/Montenegro thing but Montenegro the best performance in semi1? spare me

And with me not having looked into any data or something, I'm confidently able to say that Scandiavians countries just don't give 12 points or high score no matter what the other Scandinavians. Yes I'm pretty sure we've received the most points from Sweden over the time but I'm still excited whenever Sweden's voting to see if we'll get a high score because it's not guaranteed
I don't think Ireland and United Kingdom exchange big points no matter what either

So this Serbia/Montenegro thing is in many ways an "insult for the competition" in my opinion because it happens every year, doesn't it?

 

[John1]

I mean, yes bloc-voting does exist to a certain degree but it's never a reason why a country can do well. Even if a country consistently rewards their friend 12 points, there's still a lot of points to fight for. Anyway this hasn't much with the Serbia/Montenegro thing but Montenegro the best performance in semi1? spare me

You got a point. In fact, is known as one of the few countries (along with ) in ESC, which managed to gather a huge and firm amount of points from a specific group of countries almost every year since 2000's, yet Julia Samoylova did fail* to make it through.

The quality of an entry does matter much more than votes ensured thanks to neighbors or diaspora across Europe.

NB*: even with this weak entry, she almost ended up in the top 10 of the televoting. witness the power of Russia's influence.

 

[Preuss]

You got a point. In fact, is known as one of the few countries (along with ) in ESC, which managed to gather a huge and firm amount of points from a specific group of countries almost every year since 2000's, yet Julia Samoylova did fail* to make it through.

The quality of an entry does matter much more than votes ensured thanks to neighbors or diaspora across Europe.

NB*: even with this weak entry, she almost ended up in the top 10 of the televoting. witness the power of Russia's influence.

And this is exactly the entry I talked about when I earlier said that a country can never do well based on the country itself, but still get a decent amount of points from its allies. With respect to the lovely Julia
A strong entry trumps everything period, but having some allies and friends out there can help you with some points and avoid last place in jury or televote etc... Tamta this year got points from Greece and Georgia in televote + San Marion with its shady televotes and a single point from the UK which means she could’ve ended up 2nd to last with a single point
now that would be embarassing for a well-established act like the gorgeous Tamta, I’m so glad it didn’t happen

 

[John1]

And this is exactly the entry I talked about when I earlier said that a country can never do well based on the country itself, but still get a decent amount of points from its allies. With respect to the lovely Julia
A strong entry trumps everything period, but having some allies and friends out there can help you with some points and avoid last place in jury or televote etc... Tamta this year got points from Greece and Georgia in televote + San Marion with its shady televotes and a single point from the UK which means she could’ve ended up 2nd to last with a single point
now that would be embarassing for a well-established act like the gorgeous Tamta, I’m so glad it didn’t happen

You're right, Julia is so talented though with her own music style (her last released EP Без одежд is flawless in contrast to a boring generic song that she was allegedly forced to sing, sadly).

However, and are the only countries that are pretty ensured to get a lot of points no matter what, even when their entries are dull as hell, given that the singer's vocals are good enough. doesn't receive any fixed and guaranteed amount of points in the same way as these two above stated nations do apart from (and when Cyprus decides to send a foreign singer ).

To be honest, it mainly depends on how strong your bonds with other countries are. Many ex-USSR countries take part nowadays at the ESC and are thus close to and consider giving many points to every year as being compulsory. (same goes for , though they didn't do as well as today in late 2000's and early 2010's).

 

[Preuss]

Well I kinda want to believe that bloc-voting is getting less and less common and I think it’s not as frequent today as few years ago
I’m in the belief that these days there’s not much bloc-voting in the Scandinavian and Nordic countries considering the past years
I mean it’s not like we give Sweden 12 points no matter what, last time was in 2015 and we did not reward them a single point in 2016

 

[tuorem]

Hey! Here is the remaining part of my comments on semi 2:

10. Croatia: oh Croatia! The last time I rooted for you was in 2016 when you had a song I liked with no staging, while this year was the opposite. Knowing Jacques Houdek was behind "The Dream", I kept my expectations low and I'm glad I did because this isn't an entry I care about. Melodically and arrangements-wise, it brought the drama of the mid-00's OTT Eastern European ballads and I personally am over anything that reminds me of that era. Also, the production doesn't sound expensive or particularly rich: overall it's a listenable song but there's nothing interesting about it imo, especially for a song contest. Roko seems to be a decent vocalist, he gave his all on the night but there was only so much he could do to elevate a song that was bound to be overshadowed by other acts one way or another. Visually, I liked that they had a vision and it was rather well-executed: the gold/white/blue colour scheme was nice, the backdrop displaying the sky with angels who would later on materialize on stage was cool. However, it remained quite tacky with the giant angel wings, and I thought Roko's outfit was too "modern" to match the presentation. All in all, I think Croatians did deliver as far as staging is concerned, but everything had that "ESC throwback" vibe I wasn't here for. Their non-qualification was expected since Russians were competing for the same votes. Guys, please stay away from Houdek next year, you can do better than dusty material like this.

11. Malta: Interesting to see the Maltese changing their ways of selecting their entry this year. "Chameleon" is a loud piece of upbeat pop music that is probably meant to show people they also can send more current efforts to the contest. I have mixed feelings about this song since I find the melody pedestrian and the overall structure isn't as anthemic or climactic as I would like it to be, however the lively arrangements do bring an original touch that garners my interest a bit while preventing the whole thing from sounding dull. My favourite part is the bridge and its "salsa-tastic vibe". Although not really my cup of tea, this is still my favourite Maltese entry ever to date, as I never really liked any of their efforts, I appreciate the improvement, but I'm confident they could show up with something more to my liking in the future. Michela is cute, but like Eliot, I do wonder if she was suitable for this song (or vice versa) since she looked a bit too stiff and shy for such a loud and fun track imo. I would have expected more attitude and confidence. Visually, the title of the song foreshadowed already it would be colourful and I think they did a really good job in this regard for the most part, to such an extent that they might have got carried away with backdrops imo: there was a lot going on. And somehow, I can't help draw comparisons between "Chameleon" and "Taboo": while listening to and watching both performances, I felt the same "let's-put-anything-we-can-think-of-into-this" vibe, like they're trying too hard to impress and be successful. I'm not saying that's the truth, but it's the impression they left on me in the last couple of years.

12. Lithuania: Okay this is going to be a short comment because "Run With The Lions" ties "Bigger Than Us" for the most uninteresting proposition of this edition in my book. The only vanilla I like involves ice cream, not music, so I sit this one out. The only remotely pleasant part for me is the pre-chorus when Jurijus uses his falsetto tone. Jurijus himself is cute, he performed well, I wish the song was different. Visually, it fit the music since there wasn't much to look at. I sometimes am dubious about the choices Lithuanians make after their marathon NF tbh. Of course, they have a history of overperformance with basic songs, it seems that one was no exception. I am against any voting error, so if Lithuania was denied a place in the final, that is unacceptable and shouldn't happen again, even though in my heart the Danish entry deserved to qualify more than this.

13. Russia: Sergey's comeback didn't fill me with joy when he was announced since I'm the only person on earth who didn't like "You're The Only One"... "Scream" is actually more palatable for me, even though it has Kirkorov's signature written all over it, which means it's very dramatic, outmoded for Western European standards and not quite subtle. To be fair, I do enjoy that song (oddly enough, the live performance helps) and I like the musical-like drama going on, however it suffers from the same flaws as "The Dream": I find it too shallow melodically and arrangements-wise, there aren't enough variations and development throughout the track to keep me interested and I wish there were more layers underneath to increase the depth of the emotion they put in it. The choir-ish effect towards the end was a good idea, but it came too late, especially because the melody per se isn't that intricate to begin with. Anyway, Sergey kind of impressed me live because he sounded exactly like the studio cut, still he's in no way shape or form a power ballad singer to me, and I'm sure the song would have been more suited to an actual powerful voice. Visually, they really toned their show down compared with 2016, and that's okay. To be frank, I liked this presentation with the mirrors, the rain and the thunderstorm, for this kind of songs is tricky to stage. I'm glad they didn't opt for interpretive dance and whatnot. Sometimes less cheese is more. Yeah, so I liked this side of Sergey (for that matter, the lyrics were unintentionally funny ) but it could have been so much more on a musical level with a richer production.

14. Albania: Slay! I mean "Ktheju Tokës" is hands-down the second most beautiful and powerful Albanian entry of the decade (after "Suus") imo. The song serves national language, intricate melodies and harmonies, deep lyrics, expensive and original arrangements: everything the other ballads of this semi lacked. I have already expressed my love for this effort in the appropriate thread, so I won't go into detail: I don't know exactly how spread out my ancestry is, but I'm fairly confident there ain't no drop of Albanian blood in my veins yet I 100% connect with the song, which deeply moves me whenever it plays. Jonida is a precious diva, a Queen Mother who owned the stage, unlike 99% of the contestants this year. Her voice is very special and soulful, which makes the live performance all the more enjoyable to experience. Yes, she wasn't entirely pitch-perfect, but we know she can kill it vocally (like she did in the grand final) and her presence is something that can't be faked. Looks-wise, she served some Cleopatra realness, her dress gave me life, I'm glad she kept the vibe of the outfit she had in FIK. Visually, it was empty and understated to say the least, even though I've just realised there was a backdrop with an eagle flying among flames. They could have used more ideas to enhance the performance visually, but I admit it was a tricky song to stage. I'm so glad they made the final because I found their song amazing.

15. Norway: If you're a fan of "Spirit In The Sky" (like 99% of the world's population), then don't bother reading this. I guess I posted two times in the Norwegian thread to say that I didn't understand the humongous support for this song, aka a typical Eurovision schlager with no particular spark to it that would make it stand out. I get it was a crowd pleaser - and the most upbeat song of the season - but that's about it: the melody is schlagery and partly reminiscent of Aalto's "Monsters", this disco beat was a thing already in 2011, and the joik section sounded tacky to me. When I think that "Verona" and "Icebreaker" didn't qualify, while this did, that leaves me a bit perplexed. But it might not be that deep: it's a feel-good song with an unpretentious performance, and that came across as refreshing among viewers. Vocally, while being average singers imo, the members of Keiino did the job. Visually, they didn't overdo it with the northern lights, which is nice because I low-key get sick of that imagery, and the golden backdrop during the bridge was my favourite part. Overall: fun Eurovisiony package from Norway, whose huge appeal I fail to understand. Just my opinion of course.

16. The Netherlands: the unpopular opinion series continues. xshifty Contrary to what had been said here and there about "Arcade" being "emotionally heartrending", "very special" and "gripping", it turned out to be a standard radio-friendly ballad to me. Neither lyrically nor melodically do I think it's moving or particularly interesting, I mean it's okay when it's on, but it's nothing to write home about. Same thoughts in the vocal department: Duncan sang well, I just didn't feel anything and his voice isn't that special either to me. On top of that, it was also a damp squib visually: I expected something very well thought-out to recreate the aquatic theme of the MV with a sophisticated play on lights and screen filters to set an otherworldly atmosphere... Instead, there was a cheap blue background, a cheap synth and a cheap round disco ball coming from the ceiling... :? The only highlight to me was when Duncan raised his arms in the blinding light of the huge spotlight behind him during the last chorus. As far as I'm concerned, we're far from the gloriousness of the "Calm After The Storm" package. Quite strange to see this win imo.

17. North Macedonia: it took a name change for Macedonians to pull themselves together and send a package that wouldn't be ruined by either vocals or visuals (or both). I totally respect the message behind "Proud" and think it's a rather lovely ballad, the highlight being the delightful cello solo in the middle of the track. I'd give it some minuses for being sung in English (because I think it would have had more character with the musicality of the Macedonian language) and for some parts that do fit a bit too much the "Eurovision ballad" mould imo. "Brod Shto Tone" will always be my preferred chick, but I do fairly enjoy "Proud", as it's currently going up and down in my ranking. Tamara is a fantastic vocalist, I love her tone and she knows how to emote when performing, which in my book is as important as hitting them notes right. Great performance, I just noticed she teared up at the beginning of the song. Visually, this was simple but classy: I loved her teal dress that popped in front of the black and white photographies displayed on the backdrop, and the mirrors were a clever way to structure the stage with almost nothing. Again, the highlight was that cello solo, it was tastefully done. I was super happy for Macedonians this year because they finally qualified with a deserving effort and got their best placing ever. Well done guys! Please build on this achievement next year!

18. Azerbaijan: After their first failure last year, the Azerbaijani had to come hard in Tel Aviv, and they kind of did, I mean at least the package is closer to the overall quality I expect from them. I'm not entirely sold on "Truth" one day I find it great, the next one I find it generic... There are some interesting elements in it and the production is enjoyable, is it giving me life though? Not really, but that's an okay track. Vocally, I'm not sure what it safe to say about Chingiz because there seemed to be some kind of trickery with the backing vocalists, sure thing is it did sound good live. Looks-wise, my lips will remain sealed because I don't want to receive death threats from fellow ESC United members xshifty (and I'm already a married man after all! ). Staging-wise, this was a lot more compelling and fitting than last year: they went for a hip and almost bionic atmosphere, the beginning with the robots was super striking, the rest less so but there were enough visuals to make it work. Solid effort from Azerbaijan, although the song prevents me from being 100% into it, I'm not sure why, maybe it'll grow on me later, so I'll shut up about it...

There you go, second half is complete:

1. Albania
2. North Macedonia
3. Russia
4. Azerbaijan
5. Malta
6. Netherlands
7. Norway
8. Croatia :?
9. Lithuania xhand

I'll review the big 6 on Sunday I guess.

 

[Pawhlen]

You're right, Julia is so talented though with her own music style (her last released EP Без одежд is flawless in contrast to a boring generic song that she was allegedly forced to sing, sadly).

However, and are the only countries that are pretty ensured to get a lot of points no matter what, even when their entries are dull as hell, given that the singer's vocals are good enough. doesn't receive any fixed and guaranteed amount of points in the same way as these two above stated nations do apart from (and when Cyprus decides to send a foreign singer ).

To be honest, it mainly depends on how strong your bonds with other countries are. Many ex-USSR countries take part nowadays at the ESC and are thus close to and consider giving many points to every year as being compulsory. (same goes for , though they didn't do as well as today in late 2000's and early 2010's).

So that´s why we got top 10 in the televote in 2005, 2007 and 2008?
[MENTION=14659]Preuss[/MENTION] - this was probably only the 2nd or 3rd time we got 12p from you in the televote (unsure about how it went 2012 for Loreen in the televote)

 

[John1]

So that´s why we got top 10 in the televote in 2005, 2007 and 2008?

The same goes for prior to the 2000's. By the way, you were utterly underrated in those aforementioned years.

 

[Pawhlen]

The same goes for prior to the 2000's. By the way, you were utterly underrated in those aforementioned years.

The real fact is that we send mediocre songs 2005 and 2007, Hero was the only good song of those 3 but was ruined by terrible staging

 

[John1]

The real fact is that we send mediocre songs 2005 and 2007, Hero was the only good song of those 3 but was ruined by terrible staging

They weren't as bad as many of you say. However, Russia did send awful songs in 2005, 2010 and 2011 and they still did better than Sweden when you compare those 3 mentioned entries above. Such a shame tho.

The only reason why Russia completely lost it last year is that the Russian delegation wanted to fulfill their duty towards Julia by sending her to ESC for good as it was due to happen in 2017, but we all know why it didn't. They gave her a bland entry that didn't fit her music style or personality whatsoever and she couldn't perform it. AND STILL, SHE ENDED UP 11TH IN THE TELEVOTING.

 

[Pawhlen]

They weren't as bad as many of you say. However, Russia did send awful songs in 2005, 2010 and 2011 and they still did better than Sweden when you compare those 3 mentioned entries above. Such a shame tho.

The only reason why Russia completely lost it last year is that the Russian delegation wanted to fulfill their duty towards Julia by sending her to ESC for good as it was due to happen in 2017, but we all know why it didn't. They gave her a bland entry that didn't fit her music style or personality whatsoever and she couldn't perform it. AND STILL, SHE ENDED UP 11TH IN THE TELEVOTING.

I agree with you on 2005 and 2010 when it comes to , but didn´t do that well in 2005, 15th if I remember correctly.

But totally agree when it comes to Peter Nailitch and "Lost and Forgotten"

To Yulias defense though, semi 2 last year was very very weak