Your biggest growers in 2021

[theditz83]

I'm curious to know which entries are your biggest growers of this year - the ones that you either didn't enjoy and now have found yourself liking them more and more or perhaps even the ones that you completely slept on and dismissed and are just properly discovering their charms now?

For me, the biggest growers are:


I'll be honest - the hastily arranged NF just seemed very odd and I didn't really pay much attention to the songs since I was probably a little bitter that Little Big weren't returning. However, Manizha definitely appears to have been the best option, and after looping this in the Semi 1 playlist over the past few days, the instrumental elements and the anthemic chorus have really dug their way into my brain to the point where I now think this will qualify fairly easily now. A great traditional entry from Russia


I was never Think About Things' biggest fan last year - it seemed too try-hard, like it was desperate to be considered cool but it came off to me as being a little over-hyped. However, while 10 Years is in very much the same vein, the production (in particular the bass and awesome synth solo) just engages me so much more now. So in terms of the studio cuts, I'm fully in - live, the performance does still annoy me, but not to the same degree as last year.

 

[Ana Raquel]

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[Looren]

was a 4/10 at first and is now close to my top 5

 

[ZoboCamel]

was a big one for me; I didn't think much of it when it released, but it surged up my rankings after a week or two. It's fallen again more recently, but it's still flitting in and out of my top 10.

has also grown from being my #20-something to now sitting pretty firmly in my top 5 (and it continues to be the 2021 song I listen to the most, so perhaps it'll rise higher). I still would've preferred Keiino, as they would've been my #1 for the year, but a strong #5 isn't a bad consolation prize.

Honourable mentions go to , and the revamp of !

 

[EscGeek]

for me.

very first listen: "meh, i expected something cooler from someone wearing fur and sunglasses"
a few weeks later: "this is actually very good... i'll add him to my shortlist of faves"
on the night of the final: "him or keiino? i'm good either way"
now: "norway made the right choice in the superfinal" (of course, i'd still prefer Raylee, but i'm only talking about the superfinal)

 

[hijirio]

Greece by faaar!
Followed by Russia and Australia.
But I liked them all at first listen anyway, they moved up only 5-6 places after growing.

Will come to this thread after the final, some songs immensely grow after seeing them performed live on stage.

 

[Realest]

I havent listened to any ESC-Entry in the last 3 Weeks except Finland, so nothing could grow on me.

 

[mauve]

- I admit that I was very upset, when Keiino didn't win. So I gave TIX 4 pts (I think it was) in the beginning. Upgraded it to a 12 today.

- Yes, hardly anyone likes the song, just as me in the beginning. Now I have it on constant repeat and like it more than other bops. (2 pts in the beginning, now 10)

- I didn't like Albina at all and hardly listened to the song in the beginning (2 pts). After a few weeks, it just clicked. Now upgraded to 7.

 

[94ayd]

and

 

[apasionata]

This skinny legend

 

[theditz83]

This skinny legend

She's my biggest grower in recent weeks since I made no secret that the revamp was not good when I was one of the minority that really liked the original. But now, I'm shimmying like the legend in that gif everytime that beat in the chorus kicks in. And the new ending compared with the old key change - take me to Tel Aviv NAO

 

[Gitte]

and tbh (earlier this season someone might have seen me hate on it in the Ukraine thread)

Russia basically needed some 'getting used to', it's quite different and looked a bit messy at first, but actually isn't bad at all and Manizha has a lot of charisma. For Ukraine, the revamp did a lot, I guess my fashion-conscious mind was just allergic to the euhm suits in the first video. And also getting used to, as it isn't something my ears hear daily. I also needed time getting used to Solovey last year.

 

[theditz83]

Great to see that I'm not the only one that was late in coming round to - listened to the Semi 1 playlist on a walk again today and it really massively stands out where it sits at #3 in the running order

 

[Iker]

at first I was 'this is nice - and maybe little bland' and now I am listening to it very often and having a lot of fun with it singing along.

 

[Iker]

Greece by faaar!
Followed by Russia and Australia.
But I liked them all at first listen anyway, they moved up only 5-6 places after growing.

Will come to this thread after the final, some songs immensely grow after seeing them performed live on stage.

The biggest positive surprises for me were 'Suus', 'Love Injected' and 'What's the Pressure' - I did not think much about them before the ESC but the live performances really connected to me or blew my mind. Certain songs are just meant to be sung live.

 

[theditz83]

What's The Pressure

@VasilijeM and I were just discussing last night how amazingly joyous that live performance was - loved it

And one more track that still isn't challenging for the top half of my ranking but I've oddly found myself singing along recently is.... shock....

I still think it's a tired and cliché pop throwback but maybe my KEiiNO mourning is finally starting to abate just a tiny bit after two months or so. Monument still slaps hard and brings me all the feels though!

 

[heke1988]

Georgia and Russia are my biggest growers. Also the Netherlands is a little bit grower on me.

 

[burrito]

and once more . Was at the bottom of my top 39 in March, now I love it.
surprisingly, because I was convinced I would never not hate it with a passion, now it's tolerable.
seemed like a mess at first, but now I'm used to the song it's become enjoyable.

 

[Jopi]

I don't really have growers... Maybe Romania.. (and maaaybe Denmark lol)

 

[Skrzeczk]

Definitely Russia and Romania.
Russia is my recent grower. This song was kinda strange in an iritating way to me at first listenes, though I never thought this song is bad. Now I find it very interesting and I appreciate the message in this song. Especially this parts with "guitar-plonking" are catchy.

Romania sent song that musical is not my style and quickly I called this song generic, then not bad song because lyrics are great but still very generic, I kinda couldn't accept that I like this song for some time, now I seriously love it. Speaks to my heart. Lyrics touched me.

Some other growers: Ireland (I prefered Irish song from 2020 at first, now I think both are equally good), Czechia.