My review: semi-final one
Apr. 20th, 2011 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbc The following is my view of the songs in this year's first ESC semi-final. it's my take on the songs, rather than my take on their prospects. So there. This is the order in which they will be performed.
Poland - Jestem - Magdalena Tul
While many fanboys love this and her, to me it's pedestrian schlager. Totally indifferent.
Norway - Haba Haba - Stella Mwangi
This, on the other hand, has its charms: kiswahili lyrics, africish rhythms and the stage performance is wonderfully uplifiting and charming. Except for Stella's vocals: very, very flat. And I don't get why a Norwegian woman would sing with a faux 'Merkan black accent "When I's a little girl ma granma tole me...everything I wish fo'"? WTF? If she can nail a strong vocal this will do really really well.
Albania - Aurela Gaçe - Feel the Passion
With perhaps a couple of exceptions, Albania's annual song festival always picks an interesting, quality song and engaging (if not always polished) singer. Aurela is probably the biggest contemporary singer in Albania not to have yet represented the country at the Eurovision. And I think the song, though it's fine, lets her down. She's a star kids, and a powerful singer and presence. Paradoxically, had she left it in Albanian the song would have a bit more of a magic quality to it.
Armenia - Emmy - Boom Boom
OK singer, kind of an embarassing knock off Gwen Stefani-esque pop song. Not a fan.
Turkey - Yükset Sadakat - Live it Up
From a country that used limp along the bottom of the scoreboard year after year, Turkey's now one of the most consistently successful countries in the Contest. Why? Um, they send an experienced act, they pick good songs, they put a lot of effort into prepping them for a high impact 3 minutes on live TV. This is a nice song, by a seasoned act, and could do very, very well. Maybe even win. Probably not win...but maybe. Or not. I don't mind it at all!
Serbia - Nina - Çaroban (sharovan)
Props to Serbia for trying yet another way to select a song and artist this year. A trio of family musicians each writes a song and finds and artist. This was the best of 3 very good songs. The whole retro vibe works really well and Nina's vocals are about 90% os-some. There's a great English version out too, but I think leaving Nina in her own language (and comfort zone) is the way to go. In fact, Serbia always sings in Serbian--and won doing so in 2007. Will qualify, but things are tougher in the final these days. Me likey likey.
Russia - Alex Sparrow - Get You
Get her: another Russian entry where a US songwriter/producer is hired. But Alex isn't Dima and this isn't Believe. Totally inoffensive.
Switzerland - Anna Rossinelli - In Love for a While
When this was selected back in December--the first song selected this year, in fact--I thought "very sweet; will get lost for sure." Now I'm not so sure. She's got one of those smoooooth voices, the boys who play with her are sweetly sexy, and the whole vibe is very "dudes, we're gonna sing and play a bit 'cause we're chill and we hope you groove along with us." Having now heard all the songs this year, this might make it into the finals. I'd be happy if it did.
Georgia - Eldrine - One More Day
This is an Evanescence rip-off/homage, except the vocalists (they're on vocalist #2 already!) aren't nearly as compelling as Aimee. Not a bad song, but so totally derivative. But then again Georgia also always puts in a huge effort.
Finland - Paradise Oscar - Da Da Dum
OK I hate it. LOATHE it. People keep comparing this to Belgium last year--but Tom Dice sang a real song and sang it really well. This is like a grade 9 English essay to a 2/4 strum along beat. The lyric (about a kid who wants to save the world from global warming) doesn't really make sense, verse to verse. Sorry Oscar I hope this sinks like a stone.
Malta - Glen Vella - One Life
I should dislike this...but I can't. 1. It's Malta, lovely lil Malta. 2. Glen Vella is this years Most Enthusiastic Act™ 3. It's a toe tapper. But it's gonna struggle I fear. And I do tend to advance through it on my iPhone...not a good sign.
San Marino - Senit - Stand By
San Marino, the wee italian principality, is back for another kick at the can. instead of tapping into its own music community (perhaps slightly larger than Andorra's?), they've hired an up-and-coming Italian. Senit is sultry, sells a song well, and had she been given something to showcase her ability to kick it, might well sail into the finals. But this is such a low-key song, the only thing that could save it is if the SMTV folks have found a way to bring it to life on camera. Would be great if they could: I love me some teeny ESC countries getting a bit of encouragement. It's actually a good song...just not of the sort to (probably not) inspire televotes to text and dial.
Croatia - Daria Kinzer - Celebrate
Uptempo dance pop with a killer hook? Check! Instant? Check! Chorus folks with middlin' English will understand? Check! Someone who can sell it? Half-check! So this will qualify and could do reasonably well. I like ESC 'party songs'. I may be the only eurovisionkween who LOVES Estonia's 2001 winning "Everybody."
Iceland - Sjonni's Friends - Coming Home
This is nice song performed well by some nice blokes. The backstory is even nicer: a guy dies the week before he's supposed to sing in the national final so a group of his mates step in and end up winning. Is nice combined with the backstory enough? Might be enough to get into the final (along with the Scandi bloc which is now the most consistent performer after the ex-Soviet bloc)...just.
Hungary - Kati Wolf - What About My Dreams
And how with song 15 we get our first contender! A great song, a great track, a force of nature performer, instant. Seemless switch between English and Hungarian too. In 1994 Hungary made its ESC début and scored 12 points from the first 4 voting nations...only to finish 4th overall. I could totally see this wining and totally live with it. Besides, Budapest is awesome. And affordable. And full of Hungarian men.
Portugal economic crisis protest parody
Skipping it. That's about how much effort they put into it anyway. Will sink like a stone.
Lithuania - Eveline Sasenko - C'est ma vie
What a great vocalist; what a great show tune. Show tunes don't really do well at the Eurovision though.
Azerbaijain - Eldar & Nigar - Running Scared
The Azeris have a pot o' (oil and natural gas) gold and want to win the Eurovision badly. But it's a corrupt régime and the corruption leaked into their national selection. He's a great vocalist, even if he doesn't look old enough to drive. She didn't manage to get through any of the 12,000 performances she gave in this year's 18 month long Azeri selection process. She's kinda pretty though. But they picked a song that she should be able to get through and he carries her very well. Expect this to do very well if she doesn't butcher it. If.
Greece - Loukas Giorkas featuring Stereo Mike
Trad Greek meets hip hop? Doesn't work at all--even if Loukas is a powerful singer. I expect this will be Greece's first ESC failure since my all-time favourite (for all the wrong reasons) SAGAPO from 2002.
My top 10 (should make the final, if it were up to me)
Hungary, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Croatia, Serbia, Malta, Norway, Turkey, Albania, San Marino (in no particular order)
Poland - Jestem - Magdalena Tul
While many fanboys love this and her, to me it's pedestrian schlager. Totally indifferent.
Norway - Haba Haba - Stella Mwangi
This, on the other hand, has its charms: kiswahili lyrics, africish rhythms and the stage performance is wonderfully uplifiting and charming. Except for Stella's vocals: very, very flat. And I don't get why a Norwegian woman would sing with a faux 'Merkan black accent "When I's a little girl ma granma tole me...everything I wish fo'"? WTF? If she can nail a strong vocal this will do really really well.
Albania - Aurela Gaçe - Feel the Passion
With perhaps a couple of exceptions, Albania's annual song festival always picks an interesting, quality song and engaging (if not always polished) singer. Aurela is probably the biggest contemporary singer in Albania not to have yet represented the country at the Eurovision. And I think the song, though it's fine, lets her down. She's a star kids, and a powerful singer and presence. Paradoxically, had she left it in Albanian the song would have a bit more of a magic quality to it.
Armenia - Emmy - Boom Boom
OK singer, kind of an embarassing knock off Gwen Stefani-esque pop song. Not a fan.
Turkey - Yükset Sadakat - Live it Up
From a country that used limp along the bottom of the scoreboard year after year, Turkey's now one of the most consistently successful countries in the Contest. Why? Um, they send an experienced act, they pick good songs, they put a lot of effort into prepping them for a high impact 3 minutes on live TV. This is a nice song, by a seasoned act, and could do very, very well. Maybe even win. Probably not win...but maybe. Or not. I don't mind it at all!
Serbia - Nina - Çaroban (sharovan)
Props to Serbia for trying yet another way to select a song and artist this year. A trio of family musicians each writes a song and finds and artist. This was the best of 3 very good songs. The whole retro vibe works really well and Nina's vocals are about 90% os-some. There's a great English version out too, but I think leaving Nina in her own language (and comfort zone) is the way to go. In fact, Serbia always sings in Serbian--and won doing so in 2007. Will qualify, but things are tougher in the final these days. Me likey likey.
Russia - Alex Sparrow - Get You
Get her: another Russian entry where a US songwriter/producer is hired. But Alex isn't Dima and this isn't Believe. Totally inoffensive.
Switzerland - Anna Rossinelli - In Love for a While
When this was selected back in December--the first song selected this year, in fact--I thought "very sweet; will get lost for sure." Now I'm not so sure. She's got one of those smoooooth voices, the boys who play with her are sweetly sexy, and the whole vibe is very "dudes, we're gonna sing and play a bit 'cause we're chill and we hope you groove along with us." Having now heard all the songs this year, this might make it into the finals. I'd be happy if it did.
Georgia - Eldrine - One More Day
This is an Evanescence rip-off/homage, except the vocalists (they're on vocalist #2 already!) aren't nearly as compelling as Aimee. Not a bad song, but so totally derivative. But then again Georgia also always puts in a huge effort.
Finland - Paradise Oscar - Da Da Dum
OK I hate it. LOATHE it. People keep comparing this to Belgium last year--but Tom Dice sang a real song and sang it really well. This is like a grade 9 English essay to a 2/4 strum along beat. The lyric (about a kid who wants to save the world from global warming) doesn't really make sense, verse to verse. Sorry Oscar I hope this sinks like a stone.
Malta - Glen Vella - One Life
I should dislike this...but I can't. 1. It's Malta, lovely lil Malta. 2. Glen Vella is this years Most Enthusiastic Act™ 3. It's a toe tapper. But it's gonna struggle I fear. And I do tend to advance through it on my iPhone...not a good sign.
San Marino - Senit - Stand By
San Marino, the wee italian principality, is back for another kick at the can. instead of tapping into its own music community (perhaps slightly larger than Andorra's?), they've hired an up-and-coming Italian. Senit is sultry, sells a song well, and had she been given something to showcase her ability to kick it, might well sail into the finals. But this is such a low-key song, the only thing that could save it is if the SMTV folks have found a way to bring it to life on camera. Would be great if they could: I love me some teeny ESC countries getting a bit of encouragement. It's actually a good song...just not of the sort to (probably not) inspire televotes to text and dial.
Croatia - Daria Kinzer - Celebrate
Uptempo dance pop with a killer hook? Check! Instant? Check! Chorus folks with middlin' English will understand? Check! Someone who can sell it? Half-check! So this will qualify and could do reasonably well. I like ESC 'party songs'. I may be the only eurovisionkween who LOVES Estonia's 2001 winning "Everybody."
Iceland - Sjonni's Friends - Coming Home
This is nice song performed well by some nice blokes. The backstory is even nicer: a guy dies the week before he's supposed to sing in the national final so a group of his mates step in and end up winning. Is nice combined with the backstory enough? Might be enough to get into the final (along with the Scandi bloc which is now the most consistent performer after the ex-Soviet bloc)...just.
Hungary - Kati Wolf - What About My Dreams
And how with song 15 we get our first contender! A great song, a great track, a force of nature performer, instant. Seemless switch between English and Hungarian too. In 1994 Hungary made its ESC début and scored 12 points from the first 4 voting nations...only to finish 4th overall. I could totally see this wining and totally live with it. Besides, Budapest is awesome. And affordable. And full of Hungarian men.
Portugal economic crisis protest parody
Skipping it. That's about how much effort they put into it anyway. Will sink like a stone.
Lithuania - Eveline Sasenko - C'est ma vie
What a great vocalist; what a great show tune. Show tunes don't really do well at the Eurovision though.
Azerbaijain - Eldar & Nigar - Running Scared
The Azeris have a pot o' (oil and natural gas) gold and want to win the Eurovision badly. But it's a corrupt régime and the corruption leaked into their national selection. He's a great vocalist, even if he doesn't look old enough to drive. She didn't manage to get through any of the 12,000 performances she gave in this year's 18 month long Azeri selection process. She's kinda pretty though. But they picked a song that she should be able to get through and he carries her very well. Expect this to do very well if she doesn't butcher it. If.
Greece - Loukas Giorkas featuring Stereo Mike
Trad Greek meets hip hop? Doesn't work at all--even if Loukas is a powerful singer. I expect this will be Greece's first ESC failure since my all-time favourite (for all the wrong reasons) SAGAPO from 2002.
My top 10 (should make the final, if it were up to me)
Hungary, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Croatia, Serbia, Malta, Norway, Turkey, Albania, San Marino (in no particular order)
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Date: 2011-04-23 04:27 pm (UTC)I don't agree with Malta, I still can't find it appealing, sorry. And as for San Marino...I really like the song, but I think the same about it than Hungary: being the country they are, they're gonna miss a lot of votes. So it would be Iceland and maybe Poland instead, though I like the idea of San Marino in the final...