sannerz
Active member
Oh, and Germany had a pop-idol contest or whatever last year, but the song that Lena represented Germany with last year was far from the typical idol ballad you see.
Is Eurovision turning into just another "Idol"-concept contest?
A-lister
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I agree with the last part, but American dated ballads has nothing to do with European music nor contemporary music so where do they fit really?
As for the rest, you know very well by now I'm probably one of the strongest voices pro- local styles and ethnic music taking part, but that's because they are representative of EUROPEAN culture.. but again American ballads from the 90's how are they representative of anything European really?
Anyways that wasn't the topic so we got a little off-topic here.
nikolay_BG
Banned
Yeah! That`s the reason why I don`t like the romanian and the austrian songs this year. I can`t find anything european in them. In matter of fact they sound 100% american to me. And we are speaking about Eurovision here after all. Not americavision.
sannerz
Active member
There is nothing Bulgarian or "European" about Bulgaria's song. Just the language itself, the music and the vocals sound extremely "American" to me, whatever that means.
nikolay_BG
Banned
There is nothing Bulgarian or "European" about Bulgaria's song. Just the language itself, the music and the vocals sound extremely "American" to me, whatever that means.
I don`t agree. The language is big part of our song and I think this is the bulgarian part of the song. Pop rock isn`t only produced in USA, but in many european countries too.
I think the bulgarian song is a classical ESC song - european sound in national language.
Now does that aply to the romanian or the austrian song?
Both of the songs sound like an "idol" songs to me TBH xafro
sannerz
Active member
Just like with pop rock, soulful ballads are also NOT only produced in the USA, just because they are not song in their own country's language doesn't mean that the Romanian or Austrian songs are more American than Bulgaria's song. The argument you used to make valid BUlgaria's "European" sound can easily be switched for Romania's or Austria's. Either way, Bulgaria's song may sound "European" but it by no means sounds Bulgarian in terms of musical composition.
nikolay_BG
Banned
Estonia 2009 doesn`t sound so estonian to me in musical composition, but the language makes a very big difference. Can you imagine Randajad performed in english from Estonia in 2009 and having the same success? I don`t know about you, but I can`t.
FallenAngelII
Active member
What about dated "American pop songs"? We hear tons of them every year, yet very few people get up in arms about hem.
And since when are "American" ballad different from Western European ballads, anyway? You do realize that the UK, Ireland, U.S., Germany and (partially) the Nordic states all share the same style in ballads, right?
It's not an "American" style, it's a "Western" style.
But why should the contest be only about that? Then it becomes a contest of whose musical cultural heritage resonates the most with other countries (hint: It's probably the ones with the most "Western"-sounding sound with just a few touches of "Eastern". Get ready for decades of Greece and Turkey dominating the Eurovision scoreboards as long as they don't mess up).
See above.
Name some of the recent "American ballads from the 90's" that have been in the ESC and I'll drag up a bajillion examples of similar-sounding ballads from Europe.
That's like saying disco has no place in Eurovision because it originated in the U.S. Or... soul. Or... rap. Or... really, pretty much anything because Europe has originated very few genres of music besides local etno-based genres.
Is that what you want, the Eurovision Etno Contest?
That's because it was etno pop. Also, yes, I can see it. If Greec and Turkey can pull it off, why can't Estonia? And you know what? I think Randajäd would've done better had they sung in English. The televoters didn't favour them anywhere near as much as the juries, probably at least partially due to the language barrier.
Among the average viewer, very few viewers actually vote according to whether or not someone is singing in their native language. They vote if they like the song and/or performance. Estonian is not a widely spoken language. It also isn't similar to that many languages. Thus, singing in Estonia doesn't give you the same reach as singing in, say, Russian.
Depending on how well the group could sing in English and the English translation, they could've done better had they sung in English.
Let's use your argument in reverse. You think Elena Paparizou's "My Number One" and Sertab's "Any Way That I Can" would've won had they been performed in their native languages?
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94ayd
Well-known member
Ethnic songs don't benefit from boring English lyrics that destroy everything special and/or mystical about it, especially about Estonia 2009's case. 
And I have to say that both of our last entries sounded very Bulgarian. I can't say what it is but there's something about them that I'd guess it was a song made here, even if sung by an Englishman, for example.
And I have to say that both of our last entries sounded very Bulgarian. I can't say what it is but there's something about them that I'd guess it was a song made here, even if sung by an Englishman, for example.
nikolay_BG
Banned
I`ll try with one.
I said that "Tyolki Ella" was a masterpiece and you continuously posted that I said that "Alvedansen" is a masterpiece when I never said that.
A-lister
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After Semifinal 1 I think my theory is true: this is no longer a song contest, it's purely and Idol contest.
The song quality doesn't matter as long as you sing it good. Next year change the name to "European Idol" and let the contestants sing covers instead, because the songs clearly have no meaning in all of this.
The song quality doesn't matter as long as you sing it good. Next year change the name to "European Idol" and let the contestants sing covers instead, because the songs clearly have no meaning in all of this.
FallenAngelII
Active member
Uh... what?
The only entry with a sucky song that arguably made it due to good vocals was Lithuania. Switzerland had a sweet, harmless song that's a grower, but it's not very bad. Every other entry featured at least partially wonky vocals. So how 2 out of 10 qualifiers being at largely thanks to a good singing voice proves you right is beyond me.
A-lister
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It's my opinion, you are free to disagre though.
I think this goes for Lithuania, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland.
But offcourse that's just my personal opinion.
But mostly people agree on Lithuania though.. that was just a bad joke to me.
lucian-crusher
Well-known member
qualification proves you where right A-lister!I don't agree on
! I think it was voted by the people because of the sad story! (FallenAngelII
Active member
Yes, everyone agrees on Lithuania being a bad song carried by a good songstress. The other 3, however, had ther things working for them:
* Finland - Like Tom Dice last year, Paradise Oscar was an audience favourite in the arena. His youth, easy-going charm and plain likeability probaby endeared him to televoters, enough so that even without juey points, he would've gone through. The song itself is a melodious singer-songwriter ditty that is atually quite competent, if you ignore the lyrics.
* Switzerland - This is a grower. It is described as a "real song". Feel-good music that can do well on the radio. It's not somethin that captures most people's interest after only on listening but the juries are instruted to listen to all songs multiple times.
* Iceland - I doubt this one got more jury points than televoting points. The sad story strikes again.
FallenAngelII
Active member
Obviously, if you don't like a song, it's obviously a bad song. Meanwhile, you're also rootin for "Popular". Does not compute.