So I guess I'll just start then...
I couldn't be active on this forum for a while, but it doesn't mean I didn't see the semis
So to sum up my thoughts on this year's contest thus far...
Well, firstly, and I stick to my initial opinion that it's a very weak year, but it has some gems of course like all years, but I really hope for a stronger and more diverse year next year. Sure with the help of nice stage etc. some songs come alive, but it doesn't really make them better.
The overall production of the contest is good, generally with stage and all it's a bit like a mixture of Vienna 2015 (stage form) and Stockholm 2016 (technique, stage backdrops, effects, production etc), I would have wished for some more originality as far as stage looks goes, but it's fine enough I think. The stage has a good size and works fine and looks nice enough, can't complain about it.
The postcards are slightly meh, but I think so far the middle acts, guest artists and Verka spots have been generally good incorporating local with modern, I really wish for a surprise Verka performance in the final though, I need more Verka.
Now to the down part (other than the general lack of good songs, but there's just so much the production and show can do here other than helping them look good visually which has been pretty good), the hosts are dreadful!!! It's a good proof that looks is not all, in the
semi 2 they were decent so I hope they learned from the criticism of
semi 1 and hopefully it'll be atleast ok in the final, but omg how were they cringe in semi 1!? Juvenile forced jokes, Timur much worse in English than I remembered, well atleast they toned it down a bit so we'll see... but generally hosting have been an issue, and completely objectively saying pretty much only Sweden managed good hosting for the past years atleast. I'd rather have Verka hosting in silence than these three hosting.
Back to the
results:
Semi 1
I would have changed jury sweetheart
and meh copycat
to
and
, other than that I guess I can agree with the qualifiers. It will be really interesting to see the jury points for
, I still stick to my opinion that this country is pushed by the juries and I don't feel a big public love for them this year at all, also he was very badly off-key at some point in the performance and his song relies heavily on vocals, the song itself is a bit meh, amongst the overflood of ballads this year it's somewhere in the midst of the pack I guess.
Another thing that surprised me is how nervous and vocally off some acts were,
was just one of them but it was clear to see also with
and
, now I really hope Blanche gets her nerves together because she's got one of the best songs this year, and she has nice interesting vocals (not this boring wailing standard American Idol meh), but she looked very stressed in the semi and it harmed her live delivery aswell. I cross my fingers she gets her act together for the final.
You can clearly see that this year lacks in uptempo, entertainment and party, because in a stronger more entertaining and less funeralistic year, a mediocre Pop-Dance song as
probably wouldn't qualify,
however stole the show I must admit! As for
there was something slightly off, I thought we would be a contender for victory, but I'm afraid we won't be anymore, and that's totally fine by me, since I don't think we have the best entry but it's still one of the better songs this year.
I'm still not so sold on the
entry, I am happy that
is back and finally qualified, and while I acknowledge the authenticy in the entry, it's not for me, it sounds like it could enter ESC in the 1950's and the singer gives a stoned impression on stage (this is a matter of taste of course, I am not a fan of that kind of "hipter-ish" performance).
Just speaking vocal delivery,
was the best of the evening, and also their ballad is one of the more authentic ones out of the bunch of ballads this year, so was a bit let down to not see them qualify atleast.
was just cringe (as expected), it's a clear case when someone lacks self-awareness because he oozed self-confidence (in contrary to for example
), while having a weak voice, silly song and even sillier performance. Budget Alcazar with "In the Disco" vocals...
is the grower for me, the performance was efficient and different, on the other hand
(which had one of the better entries this year) had the opposite effect as the performance (and styling!?!?) was pretty trainwreck.
Semi 2
As written the hosts were not as cringe this time around, so there's still hope that the hosting won't be a total disaster.
As for the qualifiers I would have exchanged
,
and
(or
) with
,
and
, unfortunately
and
had weak performances,
felt too cringe, the song has a cheese-value, but the performance just added too much cheese and it didn't look and sound good unfortunately which is a shame because it's still one of the best songs of this year's contest, as for
it honestly looked as she was lip-syncing the whole time and the hidden background singers did all the work, the performance itself wasn't so bad but it just felt a bit odd seeing it.
Now
is a big mess, I expected this über cringe cheese-fest to make it to the finals because of the gimmicks, but it really is one of those songs that gives ESC a bad name, I was watching the show with some friends that aren't really ESC fans and they were all laughing so hard at this trainwreck, it can be in the final for comedy value, but unfortunately it stole the spot from some more worthy entries. I can take some comedy if it's tongue-in-cheek and has some self-awareness like Verka, but not something like this which is just cringe.
As for
is so bland, dated Americanized middle-of-the-road midtempo Pop, and the type of entries that makes Eurovision just boring and kills the character of the contest. The song itself is not very bad just to listen to, the singer is good enough live aswell, but the overall package is just meh, I smell a jury favorite here because it fits their bland taste.
is a another one I got issues with, is this American Idol 2002 or Eurovision Song Contest? Surely they can sing, the song is a grower, but it sounds like a Mariah Carey demo from the 90's, again can someone tell me what that has to do with 2017 and Europe or Netherlands? Because I fail to see it? Just as with
is not awful, it's just bland and out of touch and I smell another jury push here, because clearly vocals over originality and song seems to be what they are into. Yes the girls can wail and blend the wailing well, but then what? And did they wear some fake breast thing?
The biggest surprise qualifier for me was
, it feels like one of the more up-to-date and radio-ready entries, but it's kind of boring and the singer has this nonchalant attitude which I don't like and simply comes across as unlikable, however in this weak bunch this year I guess it could do as a qualifier, but borderline.
is still the best for me, I think the juries will kill in the final but I still have hopes for a decent placing (if there's any fairness at all), the performance was good and the song is uplifting and has elements of what Eurovision should be all about (native language, originality, ethnic elements, good show, optimistic).
was very efficient aswell (still the rapping drags it down a bit) and
, while being a quite standard ballad, was probably one of the strongest performers of the semi and the ballad is one of the better ones this year.
is dropping a bit for me, the guy from
struggle vocally and clearly is going on his looks but just like with
in semi 1, the lack of good uptempo stuff makes the so-so uptempo look even better than they would in a stronger year.
