Poland POLAND 2022 - Ochman - River

[escYOUnited]

Gonna take my body down
Right down, down, down to the river
Gonna take my body down

Let the water carry me away
Just float away
Oh oh…

Bury all of my things
Bury me in my skin
All that I've done
Oh Lord, I'm done
Who'd wanna be a king
Pulling too many strings
All that I've done
Oh Lord, I'm done

Carry me away
I float away
In the river

Gonna lay my head right down
Right now, now, now and forever
Gonna lay my head right down

Let the water carry me away
Just float away

Bury all of my things
Bury me in my skin
All that I've done
Oh Lord, I'm done
Who'd wanna be a king
Pulling too many strings
All that I've done
Oh Lord, I'm done

Carry me away
I float away

In the river, oh oh
In the river, oh oh
In the river, oh yеah

Bury all of my things
Bury me in my skin
All that I've done
Oh Lord, I'm donе
Who'd wanna be a king
Pulling too many strings
All that I've done
Oh Lord, I'm done

Gonna take my body down
Right down, down, down to the river​

 

[blue00eyes]

I get it. I still fail to hear homemade production but we've had worse tbh. 2011 comes to my mind.

Didn't "Legenda" enter the NF because of OGAE? I don't quite remember.

 

[Yoozek]

(...) but we've had worse tbh. 2011 comes to my mind.

#neverForget

 

[A-lister]

I get it. I still fail to hear homemade production but we've had worse tbh. 2011 comes to my mind.

Oh, River is for sure a step up for Poland in general, but it struggles with the same dilemma that there is a big room for production improvement which probably won't happen because it's already considered "ready" by the team.

2011 was actually one of the stronger entries, but my oh my did the live performance turn into one big mess, but I think part of it was not even her fault you could tell that something was off with the sound etc. in ESC

Didn't "Legenda" enter the NF because of OGAE? I don't quite remember.

I don't recall exactly, just that there was a big fan hype, some even claimed (just like now) that Poland had a winner candidate and I think the entry (just like now) actually had alot of potential, but again the unwillingness to invest in a proper revamp and re-production failed it. Although, I think that was even more amateurily produced than River but yeah I sense some similar tendencies.

 

[kamc]

The chorus of River is by far the weakest part of the song. It somehow sounds cheap and underwhelming compared to the lovely, melodic bridge section where his voice just soars.

 

[burrito]

source: https://eurovision.tv/about/rules

I know it used to be "vocals" and we can still find such wording on Wikipedia but eurovision.tv doesn't mention it anymore.

It does tho:

• The lead singer(s) of the selected song (the “Lead Vocal(s)”) shall perform live on stage only.
• Eventual vocal support(s) for the Lead Vocal(s) (the “Lead Dub(s)”) shall perform live, on or off stage, only.
• All other backing vocal(s) performing vocal harmonies (the “Backing Vocals”) may perform either live on or off stage and/or on Backing track compliant to the requirements under par (iii) hereafter.

Pretty unclear as it stands, it doesn't allow nor disallow instrumental entries, but the wording used pretty much equates "singers" as "vocals" (?)

 

[Iker]

This one lands somewhere between those two entries tbh, hard to explain, I don't refer to the folk elements (River doesn't have those), it's rather the slight operatic male voice and some similar mood in tempo and production, the potential and ambition that is there but falls short of the homemade production. I remember there was a hype about Legenda too back then, but the final product and the staging didn't help.

I don't see Legenda as in any way trying to be a Fairytale, if anything it was just Poland trying to jump on the ethno-vibe train but missing out on how to properly package it both sonically and visually. It felt more like a Polish take on a male Balkan-mid-tempo-ballad, but in English and with Polish elements instead.

My biggest issue with Legenda (that was a nice song on its own albeit nothing that I would love) was the eventual stage performance. It was just so nauseating and cringeworthy, I recall literally cringing at that sight of females biting apple and kneeling around Marcin as if they were his slaves. And that sight of woman getting stripped to her bra hanging over Mrroziński and then lying on the ground around him, ugh. Even though we've had both worse songs or actually badly off-key vocals I've never felt do much second-hand embarrassment as then for my country at the Eurovision.

 

[Yoozek]

I've never felt do much second-hand embarrassment as then for my country at the Eurovision.

What about last year?

 

[Iker]

What about last year?

It was less embarrassing actually for me. The only really bad moment (save for the lacklustre, flat song itself) was when Rafał tried adlibbing. The vocals were lacking but the backing vocals helped at least.

I've just watched 2010 & 2021 being a masochist that I am and I cringed less at 2021

 

[ayzelto]

I'm just waiting for Ochman to win tomorrow's national final and get (even) higher in the betting odds. And of course, I will have a new favourite by then

 

[HayashiM]

Got to listen to all songs yesterday, the NF train is slipping from me now, aaargh My ranking of entries I enjoy from the get go:


6. Emilia Dębska - All I Need - I find it quite pleasant to listen to, maybe this is not as bad as everyone says? Or I just have a fetish for attractive ladies in glittery robes behind grand pianos? Or both?

5. Krystian Ochman - River - very subjectively, this is in the middle of the road from Arcade to Tout l'Univers for me in the sense that many people go ga ga over it, it is something I should absolutely love on paper, yet I don't connect 100%, I don't feel the soul where soul should be the selling point. I still do enjoy it though. From the more objective point of view, it is a great entry given Ochman is apparently very good live. Who wouldn't want a top 10 contender (and very possibly a contender for the top 5, though probably not for the ESC victory)? It's the obvious choice to go for...

4. ... unless somehow opts for Daria - Paranoia. Of course I'd heard it already 10 times on our radios. Of course I only learnt yesterday that it's in the running Daria has the potential of being higher with me if she can sell it tomorrow. Sadly I can't imagine that happening, as much as I don't find her live outright bad as others do.


3. Karolina Stanisławczyk & Chika Toro - "Move" - I don't think it would've been that competitive for ESC, but I really enjoy the language mix. Perhaps Alvaro Estrella could take some lessons here?

2. Ania Byrcyn – Dokąd? - Ania delivers me the desired vibes that Ochman nor Alicija could. The Polish is gorgeous. So are the buildup and instrumentation. Yummy.

1. I am firmly #teamCzystaVoda, the song has it all and like a truly good meal, tastes better with every replay. A contender for my top 3 of the year.

Eventually, Tu bije serce Europy is one of my favourites this season, well done ! Feel free to spice it up with a surprise dark horse win while the two frontrunners battle each other (or not, I understand you need a safe superb result just as anyone else ).

 

[Steph777]

I will be very happy with "River" or "Paranoia", 2 very good songs

 

[crashworld]

Poland, please do the right thing. I really need Ochman to win this. If not, I really don't have anything to root for. Currently my top is Spain/Czech Republic interchangeably.

 

[Steph777]

You think Ochman can not win ?
Because (for me) it's the most obvious winner of all NF

 

[Mainshow]

You think Ochman can not win ?
Because (for me) it's the most obvious winner of all NF

I just want to remind everyone that "Cool Me Down" used to be the runaway winner back in 2016.

 

[crashworld]

I just want to remind everyone that "Cool Me Down" used to be the runaway winner back in 2016.

As the saying goes, "Expect the Unexpected". Nothing is 100%. Just look at Ukraine's mess.

 

[Iker]

I just want to remind everyone that "Cool Me Down" used to be the runaway winner back in 2016.

Yeah, but Ochman is a stronger live performer than Margaret. And Daria isn't Michał Szpak. She has a tinny voice and can't dance/move either (would definitely complement this banger).

 

[ESC94]

Yeah nothing is certain but compared to Margaret Krystian has an important advantage: He can sing live!!

 

[Mainshow]

Daria would have been an excellent entrant last year but honestly, I don´t accept anything else than Ochman´s "River" this year - It´s the entry Poland has to submit to Eurovision to get the best result possible.

I also absolutely adore Dokad and Czysta woda but "River" really got so much potential... I´m already really anxious about TVP´s national final tomorrow - especially when it comes to the juries...

Do we already have a running order for tomorrow?

 

[CatTully]

Do we already have a running order for tomorrow?

1. Lovesick - Kuba
2. Dokąd? - Ania Byrcyn
3. Drogowskazy - Siostry Szlachta
4. Why Does It Hurt - Lidia Kopania
5. Move - Karolina Stanisławczyk & Chika Toro
6. Czysta woda - Karolina Lizer
7. Głośniej niż decybele - Unmute
8. All I Need - Mila
9. River - Ochman
10. Paranoia - Daria

 

[Mainshow]

Dziekuje bardzo!

I´m quite shocked to see Daria following Ochman. I really thought that TVP would not place the huge favourites so close to each other!

Also, it´s such a strange pattern to see non-English entries / or usually the most complex entries being drawn to #2 - we can see that in Melodifestivalen or Eurovision as well. It´s like the showrunners want to sabotage quality entries on purpose!