This year nobody cares for choruses, obviously. Out of the selected entries, far too many lack hooks or anything you could hum along to.
Remember, only two years ago, Finland could afford not letting a super chorus like this one even reach the super final. Those were the days. I wish we could fish it back and let somebody use it this year. I want choruses. Now.
Johanna Pakonen - Kerta viimeinen - Finland NF 2006 9/12
One of the many shows YLE made in connection to last year's ESC final in Helsinki was "Täydellinen Euroviisu" - The perfect Eurosong - in which a group of Finnish songwriters got the task to make an outstanding Eurovision winner following criteria laid down by other countries' heads of delegation.
The song should be happy, in English, slightly gay, include a key change, preferrably talk about elements people could relate to (like love, nature, party etc) and be performed by a star.
Jari Sillanpää was hired to perform the finalised masterpiece, and well, see the result for yourselves. Complete with a preview clip and all.
Hilarious, if you ask me. I just keep my fingers crossed that the Finnish final of 2008 will be anywhere near as fun as this...
Tonight, Norway will complete the line-up for their national final, held in Oslo Spektrum this upcoming Saturday. Of course, Mr Becks has to have his say on the lucky candidates.
1. Anne Hvidsten - A Little More 3/5 This is not a bad opening to a show - a pop/rock song with a very clear melody line and chorus (a welcome break in these troubled times where you have to send out search parties to find anything close to a refrain), smitten with a tiny touch of country music. Maybe that is what is wrong - the country pop sound was very in a few years back and may not feel too relevant any more. Not a bad song in any way, though, and Anne's delivery is spot on and rather charmful.
2. Zuma - Always, Always 3/5 Does anyone remember Photogenique from the 1997 Swedish final? A surprisingly modern and convincing entry, ruined by a synthezier duo that just wanted too much and overdid the entire performance. I can't help thinking of Photogenique when I hear and see Zuma in action. I like this, I really do, but I can also see a lot of people that will feel totally rejected by the attitude on display. The singer is slightly too theatrical and distant to break through to the large audience. Which is a shame.
3. Tinkerbells - Hold On 1/5 What I wrote about country pop in conncetion to song #1 applies here as well. But this is so obvious and bang-on that it leaves me a bit tired, wanting not more but something else. It feels like the song is not finished or polished or anything, and then it won't help however cheerful the performing trio may be. And, a note for the future: this is 2008. The word "cool" is not very cool to use in lyrics anymore. Just so you know.
4. Podium - Lystgass 1/5 Not the worst rock song we were ever treated to in the history of national finals, but let's face it: life is just too short to be spent listening to songs like these. Loud in an annoying way, and a very bad choice for Belgrade, but surely a hit at the local rock club.
5. Lene Alexandra - Sillycone Valley 3/5 Many fans rocket out in orbit when they hear this song and hail it as this year's masterpiece. Maybe it is, but despite liking it, I fail to see that final touch of brilliance that everyone gets worked up about. I would like the chorus to be more powerful, and there is something about the verses that are even close to annoying. However, this song has already entered the singles chart in Norway and it would be foolish to leave it out then. Entertaining enough, but not my favourite.
6. Ole Ivars - Som i himmelen 2/5 Call me mad (and I know miss Posh will) but I defend the presence of dansband in the Nordic national finals. It is a big musical movement that means a lot for many people, and last year I would have preferred Jenny Jensen to Guri Schanke as Norweigan representative. There is something mighty genuine about this whole thing, and I find the classical detail in the arrangement to be very charming (even though it annoys me that I can't make out what symphony it is taken from). But on the total, the song in itself is a bit too light-weight to have any chance anywhere except, possibly, in the Norweigan final.
My prediction: Lene Alexandra and Ole Ivars will pass on to Saturday's final - something new and something old. Possibly the dansband-audience won't be supportive enough, and then Anne or Zuma could be in with a chance, and maybe I would like either of the two more. But I would prefer dansband over trolls any given day.
The first semi final in Romania is on this Saturday. Remember my tip from before? "C'est la vie" by Yanna. Finally the preview of the song is available on youtube. The performance leaves a lot to be desired but I still like the beat and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Nothing beats the superb "C'est la vie" from Melodifestivalen 2004 though... I've always had a soft spot for Siw Malmkvist and for once G:son wrote a real stomper for the old hags as they called themselves. And I believe my dad and I are the only ones in the whole universe who have this song as a ringtone on our mobiles. It puts a smile on my face every single time I get a phonecall!
I feel all tired and empty after being so negative after the last weekend. But I can't help it. I don't see any of the chosen songs as particularly outstanding or brilliant or anything. Sigh. I hope I will see the light and change my mind further down the line.
The good side, though, is that Andorra's entry, that I honestly didn't think much of at first, is beginning to stand out as a contender. And as I have a soft spot for Andorra and always wish them well, that is a good thing in my book.
The Andorran delegation is usually one of the best and most likeable bunches around during Eurovision week. Last week we had the commentary booth next to them and we enjoyed their presence a lot. Fingers crossed for them!
Mr Becks you are far too fast for me. I was just about to write about Slovenia when your post came up. Anyhow, let me just say that of all the entries that have been chosen so far the only ones I care even remotely about are Switzerland and Slovenia. The scandi-wannabee-country in the Balkans is SO schlager it's almost scary. But I like it.
Poland has gone all schlager on us too. It comes as no surprise that there are Swedes involved in one of their entries. Sandra Oxenryd tries her luck abroad once again with the überschlager "Superhero". I would have been absolutely crazy about the song 10 years ago. Now I do hum along to it but can't help feeling that it would have been better suited for Melodifestivalen. Poland isn't known to send songs in this genre. But I must say that Sandra's voice is very Carola before Carola lost it. The girl deserves a career.
It get's you going, huh?! Just admit it. But I can't see the Polish voting it through to Belgrade. They are usually too sophisticated for a simple schlager ditty. And my question remains... Why this Swedefication of European national finals?
Isn't it time for Edyta Gorniak to make a return to the contest that launched her career? Here she is with a cover of "I surrender" originally by Celine Dion.
Slovenia has an old trick up their sleeve that they pull out every once in a while. The trick is: when you realise too late that you voted the wrong song into first place one year, then you can compensate the runner-up by winning the next year. Or the following year.
That was the case with Karmen Stavec, Darja Švajger, Andrej Babic (composer) and a few more. The sad aspect of it all is that it hardly ever works out. Just because you are good does not necessarily mean you deliver the next time around.
But here we go again - Rebeka Dremelj finally won because she had tried it so many times in the past and everyone felt sorry for her. Well, she is a sweet girl, maybe she deserves a break.
Her song, however, may grow on you if you listen several times to it. Most people who vote in the semis will just hear it once, though. And that is where the entire problem lies. On the first listening, there is nothing to hold on to. No handles. No hook. No nothing. Just a sweet girl and a somewhat old-fashioned pantomime.
Azerbaijan had their first ever national final this weekend, and everybody keeps praising the production, the show, well, just about everything. Everything but the winning package, that is.
Mainly this could be because Azeri TV won't formally decide until February 15th whether this is the song to send to Belgrade or not. If I could put in my humble opinion, I would advise the masterminds in Baku to think again.
Maybe it would be possible to polish this up in the studio. Maybe a tiny re-write could clarify the far from disastrous melody line that is far too subtle to be picked up as it is? Maybe the singers could fine-tune their balance a bit to make it come off more harmonic?
Nah, that's not it. What really bothers me is the grotesque amount of screaming that goes on. For the love of God, what is it all about? A panic attack set to music? The first single from "Armageddon - the musical"? I don't understand a thing.
I really looked forward to Azerbaijan in this contest, as I hoped for something modern, exciting and slightly exotic. Unless there is a complete change of direction, all my hopes have been in vain.
Elnur Huseynov feat Samir Javadzade - Day After Day - Azerbaijan 2008 (?)
Also the Lithuanians have selected and what is one to say? Of course Lithuania does not have much of a reputation to live up to. Croatia used to send in pop classics, stopped doing so and made me angry. Whatever Lithuania contributes, I watch with mild amusement. And sometimes it is really good.
Sometimes it is also really bad.
As for this year's offering, I can't make my mind up. Maybe it is brilliant. There is at least an attempt at doing a chorus, and I applaud that in this year of unsingable songs. The guy does obviously have a voice, but to me it seems he and the backing track are sometimes doing different songs.
In short - this could grow on me, or I could start detesting it. At least it awakes some kind of emotion in me, and I am not averse to that. Keep going, Lithuania!
Jeronimas Milius - Nomads In The Night - Lithuania 2008
Again Denmark has selected a song for Eurovision and yet again I stand here with my mouth hanging open. The Danes present at the event seem to be madly in love with this singalong, and I don't understand a bit what makes them all worked up like this.
The Danes are our brothers, we love them and cherish them. But lately, I have no idea what they are up to. To my ears, "All Night Long" sounds more like a jingle telling the kids that their tv-shows are coming up than a pop song. It is a very anemic little thing with very little going for it. A pleasant rhythm, I will give it that much. But there is no chorus, just an endless repeat of the words "All Night Long". It feels like it goes on all night long.
If everyone is just bonkers about Simon Mathew singing, then I can clearly understand them. He is an asset - he has the looks, the voice, the presence... Everything but the song, in fact. This is the kind of waste of talent that Austria normally does: good singer, hopeless song (Manuel Ortega, anyone? Eric Papilaya?) and not a chance in the entire Universe to score into the final.
Sorry Denmark. This won't do. Find something that will shake us up a bit next year. Safe and boring doesn't become you.
It is the next day, and the re-run of Eurolaul is running as I am writing this. To call this year's Estonian final a disappointment would be the understatement of the year, but I am not going to waffle about the obvious lack of any kind of quality in the winning song. Anyone with wit and a touch of taste will see that this piece of "comedy" will go nowhere in a place where nobody heard of Kreisiraadio in the past.
Just a shame it will forever taint the names of some people who had something of a reputation in Eurovision: Priit Pajusaar wrote three good Estonian entries in the past and Tarmo Leinatamm was a very appreciated conductor back in the mid 90's.
But the real shame and scandal of the whole event is that the producers behind the final decided that one of the contestants, Rolf Junior, could not wave his rainbow flag the way he did in the previews. "Eurovision is not the place for political statements" was the given reason. Political statements? I smell phobias here. What is the danger in a tiny flag? What do all the gay fans of Eurovision have to say on the matter?
As for the show, it looked the same as for the last three years: the same team came up with the same things again. My best advice for 2009 would be to replace the entire team, to pump in some new blood while there is still something to save. Or select an entry internally next year.
I want to love Estonian entries, but I doubt even a mother could love something like this year's offering. What a shame.
There has been some decision-making going on in Europe tonight. And what is Europe up to? What went wrong on this grand continent?
I will write a more clear analysis on the Estonian final once I have seen the recording, but let's just state the obvious: the Estonians have selected a nauseating piece of nonsense that won't do anyone happy anywhere.
I just came back from the ETV studios only to find that Denmark has chosen yet another magnifically dull ditty and that Lithuania opted for an operatic ballad.
My jaw is hanging down somewhere between my knees, but thankfully I am too tired to really bother with it. I just close my eyes, count to ten and hope the slovenians will stay in their right minds tomorrow.
If you come to Helsinki in the near future, do not miss La Cage Aux Folles at Svenska Teatern. It is a good show, and it sees 1983 Finnish entrant Ami Aspelund in a small but important role.
Posh & Becks love Ami Aspelund. Just so you know. And so should you.
1986 is probably the best year out of all the 80's - I have such a soft spot for that collection of songs. All the songs are good, even the bad ones. If you see what I mean.
I will bring it with me to work and have it going in the background for inspiration and sing along. Especially with the suffering, misunderstood French girl-band (ehm, well, ehm) Cocktail Chic, that embarrassed their country by placing 17th a year where all the other entries in French ended first, second and third.
Silly but hummable, dressed up in raincoats from hell, I find this cheesy in a most irresistible way. Go for it, France!
Tonight, my ship is sailing towards Estonia and Eurolaul (unless the storm gets worse, that is), so from my horizon it seems the other events of this weekend (of which I must say that the first ever national final of Azerbaijan feels most thrilling) will have to be put a bit on the shelf. I will comment once I come back, though.
Given my not too enthusiastic review about the entries in Eurolaul, one may wonder how I dare set foot in the studios of ETV, but the answer is simple: I love Estonia. I always did. Ever since they first entered, they had a special place in my heart.
At my first ever Eurovision that I attended in person, back in Oslo 1996, I was frenetically waving a homemade Estonian flag that my friend Saale from Tartu made for me.
In 2001, when Estonia won with a song that in no way lives up to the country's normal output, I stood up and cheered in front of my telly. Who cares about the song, I was so happy for Estonia. And I loved the ESC at Saku Suurhall.
So, whenever Estonia is not up to scratch, my heart bleeds. So maybe I hope, somewhere, that Kreisiraadio WILL win. And that they will score nul in the semi final. To shake the foundations a bit and make the Estonian contributions a bit better again. Fingers crossed.
Ivo Linna & Maarja-Liis Ilus - Kaelakee hääl - Estonia 1996 5/23
