Slovenia SLOVENIA 2021 - Ana Soklič - Amen

[escYOUnited]

Hey child
Why ya hiding from the light?
Why ya cowering in fright?

Don’t tell yourself
The heavens cast you out
And you’ve fallen from grace

You’ll get beaten and bruised
You’ll be scarred unto your core
But it’s gonna make you who you are

When ya learn to heal
When ya learn to rise again
You can tell the sun, “Amen”

Hallelujah
We’re gloriousl
Hallelujah,
The day is dawning!
The storm’s relentless
But everybody knows
Everybody knows
We’re born to the fight

Hey child
The fear’ll never go away
Might as well accept it now

Learn to persevere.
Learn to count your blessings down
Greet the future with Amen

Hallelujah
We’re gloriousl
Hallelujah
The day is dawning!
The storm’s relentless
But everybody knows
Everybody knows
We’re born to the fight

Not until the rain has stopped,
Not until the thunder’s hushed
Are we at rest, are we at peace…
Just imagine it
Not until the storm has passed,
Not until it’s quiet
Can the heart that’s broken cry.

Hallelujah
We’re gloriousl
Hallelujah
The day is dawning!
The storm’s relentless
But everybody knows
Everybody knows
We’re born to the fight

Hey child
Why ya hiding from the light?​

 

[Lindon]

@rasmuslights @Carian

I am totally baffled. I didn't know that at all. Und ich bin nicht mehr der jüngste Hüpfer. You made me almost speechless.

BTW. For days now I think of what Andi Knoll said in his commentary during Europe shine a light. He mentioned, I'm paraphrasing, that Ana and Vincent have very much in common spiritually.

Paradeiser ist tatsächlich ein urösterreichisches Wort, kommt von Paradiesapfel den man im 18. Jahrhundert in bestimmten Gegenden Österreichs als Paradeisapfel ausgesprochen hat, also i und e vertauscht hat.

Edit: found the clip of Europe shine a light. Ab 0:25

 

[Frenchbaguette]

I am really happy with Slovenia's contribution this year ! I think it is very qualitative and well composed. I guess it will benefit from some geographical voting ofc but also from the sympathy of juries since her vocals are amazing.
Slovenia might be a little dark horse so, I'm not underestimating them this year !

Satisfied, happy, 8/10 !

 

[JChan]

The final two minutes of this song are nothing short of magical. They way it modulates and changes key as the choir kicks in for that final chorus is genuinely one of my favourite musical moments to come from Eurovision. I just adore this song. Points Slovenia!

 

[Loindici]

Interesting statement! I am not very reminded of Proud. I think my issue with Amen is, funnily I was thinking about that song during my walk outside before, is her deep voice. It doesn't suit this song, the English language nor the gospel choir very well. Maybe I would like the song better, if she had a lighter voice.

"Amen" has larger melodic range than "Voda" by default, but I understand where you're going from. If some of the deeper/lower notes in the verses were put as low as G#3 and not as low as E3, I do think it would've made the song feel a bit lighter to perform. Furthermore, I feel parts of the song might be written separately (i.e. Mason could've provided the chorus and the rest works around it to make the verses and the bridge), hence the larger range that is caused by mashing two different melodic ranges together.

 

[njdevils94]

Time for Danijela's opinion on the entry in 2021. Will it be on of her favoritas?

 

[HayashiM]

I appreciate your effort and if you can read the text in this way - good for you. Still there is the question why the title and the chorus features „amen“ and „hallelujah“ and why there is this undeniable religious pair of heaven and grace in it, if it‘s just a self struggle.

My perspective is based on the fact that I have spent a couple of years in my teenage years in an evangelical parish (one of the extreme ones) and I know this narrative and the mindset how people should be from the inside because I spoke it myself, I believed it myself. I used these metaphores, I am familiar with these images. The clever thing is: you mask all of this rhetoric in a way that you can always find a „gentle“ so to speak interpretation if you face criticism.
It took me a while and a lot of strength to get out of it and embrace myself (something I have fought against to get the heavenly grace, to rise again against the devil, to overcome those bruises... this song could have been one of the teachings I then got to deny my homosexuality).

Try this with the text: replace „hallelujah“ and „amen“ with „Insh‘allah“ and „allah u akbhar“. would your interpretation still be possible?

Just to be clear: I don’t think this song shouldn‘t be on stage in Rotterdam, and whoever can enjoy it - perfect. But I can’t support a song that uses a rhetoric that I clearly recognize as being hostile against who I am. And even if there is a pretty melody, that I can somehow enjoy, even if Ana is a great singer and her vocals impressive - it‘s my first fat this year. I don‘t drink poison, even if it tastes like sugar.

But don‘t worry I will not rant here from Malaga down to Toledo on a cruisade against the song, the singer or its/her fans

Wow. This sounds quite close to home (even though I am not homosexual), and that part in bold is in my eyes the very essence of many religious behaviours. Thank you for opening up about that. I am also very happy to read that you succeeded to get out of that and embrace your true self, and I hope you are in a much better situation now.

If this rhetoric of embracing one's sorrows and fighting on is something that had contributed to your torture, and now it goes directly against your identity, I think I understand a lot better. I would have given a as well.

A few thoughts on recent posts here:

- Disliking the religious message of a song is NOT the same as disliking "all" religious people. Conflating those two things is completely ridiculous.

- People have extremely valid reasons to dislike religiosity in general. I'm not talking only about the Gay community, but also about survivors of child abuse, disowned family members, victims of genital mutilation etc. The list is almost endless. Where religion has brought some hope and comfort, it has also caused pain and suffering to others. To deny this is ignorant. To ask people to "move on" is dismissive of their experiences.

That would be me. My mother refuses to speak a word to me for what is soon to be 5 years, I have no news from her, I am as good as dead to her ever since I left the cult she and my adoptive father had mostly raised me in. It hurts. Every day.

I don't have anything against individual people for being religious in any non-oppresive way they choose, but yes, I do generally dislike organized religion (and religion influenced politics) for this very reason, which also makes me beware of religious themed songs.

I can't thank you enough for your post.

 

[RainyWoods]

Time for Danijela's opinion on the entry in 2021. Will it be on of her favoritas?

I never comment on youtube videos but I had to make an exception to wish the lovely Daniela the best of luck. I'm so pleased she's a fan of Amen this year, especially as she wasn't into Voda.

We're going to be getting a lot of Daniela videos over the next couple of weeks. Gosh, she's going to have to record so many in such a short space of time

 

[Leydan]

I never comment on youtube videos but I had to make an exception to wish the lovely Daniela the best of luck. I'm so pleased she's a fan of Amen this year, especially as she wasn't into Voda.

We're going to be getting a lot of Daniela videos over the next couple of weeks. Gosh, she's going to have to record so many in such a short space of time

She replied.

 

[Frenchbaguette]

Time for Danijela's opinion on the entry in 2021. Will it be on of her favoritas?

I remember that one video about the albanian song in 2019 when the cameraman farted and they both started to laugh XD

 

[Pål Nordahl]

That would be me. My mother refuses to speak a word to me for what is soon to be 5 years, I have no news from her, I am as good as dead to her ever since I left the cult she and my adoptive father had mostly raised me in. I don't have anything against individual people for being religious in any non-oppresive way they choose, but yes, I do generally dislike organized religion (and religion influenced politics) for this very reason, which also makes me beware of religious themed songs.
I can't thank you enough for your post.

I'm so sorry you're going through that! It must be heartbreaking. I have some friends in a similar situation - no longer accepted by their parents because they no longer believe - and songs like this one are very painful for them to listen to. Some people here don't seem to understand why, but perhaps it's not their fault if they've never had experiences like yours. Your opinions matter.

 

[RainyWoods]

She replied.

I've been blessed truly, first by Ana Soklic's new song and now getting a response from Daniela. It's such a big moment. I've watched her videos for years.

 

[Leydan]

I've been blessed truly, first by Ana Soklic's new song and now getting a response from Daniela. It's such a big moment. I've watched her videos for years.

Getting recognised by a superstar. It's almost as exciting as the time she wrote on my facebook wall wishing me Happy Birthday.

 

[RainyWoods]

Getting recognised by a superstar. It's almost as exciting as the time she wrote on my facebook wall wishing me Happy Birthday.

And that time you got birthday wishes as well from Swiss legend Maria Christina. Gosh, I'm so jealous of all your celebrity encounters. I wish I wasn't so cripplingly shy. I need to reach out to some of my favourite artists to tell them how much I love their work.

 

[Leydan]

And that time you got birthday wishes as well from Swiss legend Maria Christina. Gosh, I'm so jealous of all your celebrity encounters. I wish I wasn't so cripplingly shy. I need to reach out to some of my favourite artists to tell them how much I love their work.

Only Paula Deen, Kay & Natalie from Cascada to go.

I might have said this before but that picture of Maria Christina gives me major Pat from Eastenders vibes. Maybe she's in the Swiss version.

 

[mauve]

Wow. This sounds quite close to home (even though I am not homosexual), and that part in bold is in my eyes the very essence of many religious behaviours. Thank you for opening up about that. I am also very happy to read that you succeeded to get out of that and embrace your true self, and I hope you are in a much better situation now.

If this rhetoric of embracing one's sorrows and fighting on is something that had contributed to your torture, and now it goes directly against your identity, I think I understand a lot better. I would have given a as well.



That would be me. My mother refuses to speak a word to me for what is soon to be 5 years, I have no news from her, I am as good as dead to her ever since I left the cult she and my adoptive father had mostly raised me in. It hurts. Every day.

I don't have anything against individual people for being religious in any non-oppresive way they choose, but yes, I do generally dislike organized religion (and religion influenced politics) for this very reason, which also makes me beware of religious themed songs.

I can't thank you enough for your post.

I am truly sorry having to read what you are going thru. Being out of contact from your closest family members is something I can't ever imagine. But I have a dear friend who haven't talked to his parents for 10 years. Not out of religious reasons, but simply because he decided to become a nursery teacher instead of an academic teacher like his parents. It broke his heart in two when his parents turned down any further contact. I hope that one day you and your mom find together again.
But after @Sammy wrote his post I also read closer the lyrics of Amen and found them also confusing. I understood why Sammy wrote it. No matter if Ana meant this, just the fact that it might be confusing/misunderstanding to readers, is something she should have thought of.

 

[HayashiM]

@Pål Nordahl, @mauve, thank you for your kind words of comfort. World and people's behaviour towards their own family can be so crazy at times. I am sure many others here have gone through even worse experiences, be it for their sexual orientation or other elements in play, experiences I cannot even begin to understand, as I haven't walked in those shoes.

I am happy for people who do enjoy Amen, I am glad Rainy finally has found his 2021 jam. For me, the uplifting part of the song as I perceive it outweighs the religious one and I do enjoy it to some extent. But I also understand if Sammy or other people discard it purely for its religious rhetoric alone, from my perspective, that is 100% comprehensible.

 

[Mrm]

Guess who reacted on your yt comment too, @RainyWoods?!

 

[blue00eyes]

Unfortunately I enjoyed Voda much more. I was hoping for something even better from Ana and I got this religious something. Really the last thing I would ever want at Eurovision. Religions and politics.
At least her vocals remain fantastic.

 

[Mrm]

@RainyWoods

I reacted on your reaction on Daniela's video with "Wonderful reaction, Rainy", and Daniela reacted then on my reaction to your reaction with "Thank you!"...
This situation is wonderful..Life is really good sometimes..

 

[A-lister]

I find the discussions and life stories shared here pretty interesting and I must say that I feel genuinely sorry for the experiences some of you have had. I have also faced issues in life due to my sexuality, so I know where you guys are coming from.

I must be an "oddity" myself though, growing up in a predominantly atheist society where being Christian in particular is being looked down upon (of course if you belong to a more "exotic" religion it's suddenly "cool" or "interesting"... but that's another topic), I also grew up in an oddly conservative (for Swedish standards, maybe due to my non-Swedish roots) yet atheist family, so religion was never really a thing. However, when I as a teenager was coming to terms with my homosexuality, I also started to believe in God and with other issues I faced in life such as life-threatening illness, bullying and loneliness at times, for me having faith meant comfort, hope and calm when things been stormy (but also in good times). For me words like "Amen" or "Hallelujah" are connected to that feeling of comfort and if someone isn't coming from a bad place expressing those in music or other artforms (and I really don't think Ana is coming from a bad place here), then I think we should rationally separate our own bad experiences and not project those onto someone else's story.

I am fully aware that religion has been and is still used by some as a way to suppress and divide people, but for many out there (myself included) it simply means comfort and hope, and if someone doesn't mean harm then why should we judge them expressing their feelings while in the meantime wanting to be accepted and respected for who we are? I mean, I know that being gay isn't a choice and being religious to some extent is, but I also think that we as humans are complex and reason why some believe and want to find comfort in for instance religion isn't just a social or cultural construct, but comes from within. Some might find comfort in music, some might find it in God, some might find it in both (like myself).