In keeping with the tradition of Peter's Poll of Points (I just love alliteration ) I will post the results of polls from yesteryear
It all started in 2006... there weren't many of us, but we knew what we liked
DS Eurovision Poll 2006 (actual placings in brackets)
1. (4) Romania - Tornero - 130 pts
2. (5) Sweden - Invincible - 128 pts
3. (19) UK - Teenage life - 112 pts
4. (DNQ) Belgium - Je t'adore - 108 pts
5. (DNQ) Slovenia - Mr Nobody - 101 pts
6. (14) Germany - No no never - 99 pts
7. (9) Greece - Everything - 84 pts
8. (1) Finland - Hard rock hallelujah - 68 pts
9. (DNQ) Iceland - Congratulations - 64 pts
10. (14) Norway - Alvedansen - 57 pts
11. (2) Russia - Never let you go - 56 pts
12. (DNQ) Poland - Follow my heart - 50 pts
13. (18) Denmark - Twist of love - 44 pts
14. (DNQ) Estonia - Through my window - 38 pts
15. (22) France - Il était temps - 38 pts
16. (DNQ) Andorra - Sense tu - 37 pts
17. (8) Armenia - Without your love - 37 pts
18. (24) Malta - I do - 35 pts
19. (12) Croatia - Moja stikla - 33 pts
20. (3) Bosnia-Herzegovina - Lejla - 26 pts
21. (7) Ukraine - Show me your love - 25 pts
22. (DNQ) Netherlands - Amambanda - 22 pts
23. (11) Turkey - Superstar - 21 pts
24. (16) Switzerland - If we all give a little - 20 pts
25. (12) Macedonia - Ninanajna - 20 pts
26. (DNQ) Cyprus - Why angels cry - 18 pts
27. (DNQ) Albania - Zjarr e fhohte - 18 pts
28. (10) Ireland - Every song is a cry for love - 17 pts
29. (DNQ) Monaco - La coco dance - 17 pts
30. (21) Spain - Bloody Mary - 16 pts
31. (DNQ) Bulgaria - Let me cry - 10 pts
32. (23) Israel - Together we are one - 7 pts
33. (6) Lithuania - We are the winners - 5 pts
-- (DNQ) Belarus - Mama - Nul points
-- (16) Latvia - I hear your heart - Nul points
-- (20) Moldova - Loca - Nul points
-- (DNQ) Portugal - Coisas de nada - Nul points
So after two years as representatives, Jedward have stepped aside and passed the baton onto somebody else, and after the first genuinely open national final for many years in Ireland, that somebody is Ryan Dolan. Ryan is from Strabane, County Omagh, and for those who need a hand with the geography there, that's in Northern Ireland, which is great for me. I always love it when there's a Northern Irish entrant at Eurovision, and clearly Europe does too: 12 Northern Irish singers have been to the contest in the past, 10 of whom have finished top ten, and out of the 5 additional songs to have been written by someone from Northern Ireland, four have finished top ten. So we've got quite the excellent Eurovision record in this little part of the world - no pressure for Ryan then. As for the song, it's co-written by Ryan himself, and it's a very chart-friendly dance pop song in the vein of Ne-Yo or David Guetta...although when I say "chart-friendly" I'm not of course specifying a time frame...
Sadly, I can't help but feel that Ryan has slightly missed the boat with this song, as the kind of music it represents reached saturation point about a year ago and is now sounding rather tired. Personally I think Only Love Survives is a rather good example of the genre, and there's a chance that it will still sound "hip and trendy" to older viewers (although whether the older demographic would vote for it anyway is debatable), but more than any other song this year, it has a resounding sense of "heard it all before." Of course the purpose of Eurovision, despite what some fans will try to claim, is not to be at the cutting edge of chart music and provide massive hits, although it's a nice fringe benefit when it happens. Personally I think it sounds better when a song is completely removed from what is on-trend than when it tries to be on trend and misses by a couple of years, but regardless, the fact that this type of music is "over" shouldn't really matter. If Ryan doesn't balls up the vocal performance, which I do have faith in even though it's not a given, and they can do as good as job with the staging as they did with Jedward's entries, then this should have no problem qualifying from the ballad-heavy first semi. Although I can't help but feel that come the final, the song won't quite have the legs to strengthen the Northern Irish hold on the top ten.
What they say:
Most people in Ireland are at least aware of who is representing them this year, due to the selection taking place on the popular Late Late Show. However, that's not to say that everybody's talking about it; Ryan Dolan disappeared from the public consciousness soon after he was chosen, and other than some informative pieces the following day, the press haven't really mentioned Eurovision, which is the norm in Ireland until the week of the contest. That being said, Jedward being a ratings success and some winners being genuine hits have helped improve the overall perception of the contest, in spite of the usual "bloc-voting" banter, and it is not at all unusual to hear Euphoria (and to a lesser extent, Satellite) on Irish radio.
What you say:
Only Love Survives is an average song at best and he can't sing live. Every performance we've seen has had him sounding a bit funny. (Katsuya)
I just don't like how dancey it is.. I think it's a good contender though, and I would say Ireland's strongest entry in years. (Mikay)
I like the Irish entry. It's just so good to not have any Jedward (and their lunatic fans) being involved with Ireland this year. (EuroChris)
Current betting odds: 30/1 DS poll position: 18th out of 39 Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; mid-table
Cast your minds back to before Christmas. In fact, before the clocks even went back. Remember Lys Assia's transformation into Rita Ora and her hissy fit at that not being considered good enough for Eurovision? Well that was the start of a long journey which has brought us finally to the group Takasa. In December, Heilarmee, a group of various ages from the Swiss branch of the Salvation Army, steamrollered the competition in the national final with their feelgood punchy rock song You and Me. Controversy ensued and upon being told that they would have to change their name and uniform to avoid promoting their organisation at the contest, and after an iffy few weeks during which their participation was unsure, they finally emerged a few weeks ago as Takasa, which is Swahili for "purify." Listening to their entry now, it seems rather old (I suppose it is relatively speaking) and fades into the background of this year's batch of songs.
That being said, it's very easy to forget that when this was first selected, I thought it could actually do some damage. Yes, better songs have come along since this one, but none that fill the exact niche filled by You and Me, which does leave an impression. It may be a rather un-rocky rock song, but it's still anthemic and something you can sing along to while having a good old fist pump. Their image, whilst almost sickeningly wholesome and clean-cut, is effective visually, so hopefully they can make the most of the stage performance to give the song that bit more bite. This is in the weaker semi-final, it's being performed towards the end, and who knows, it could even close, so I'd say that even though it's Switzerland, they should be fairly easily going through to the final. Once they get there, well it won't exactly take much to beat the finishing position of their last qualifier, which is probably just as well, as once it takes its place in that starting field, it could admittedly be slightly overshadowed.
What they say:
In the beginning, the news that the Salvation Army were trying for Eurovision was not taken at all seriously, but people were won around by the song, and there seems to be a confidence that they could qualify this year, which in itself would be considered a result by the Swiss people. Whilst the more serious news publications have been neutral and informative about the group's participation, the gutter press, much like in the UK, have jumped on any opportunity to mock. The difficulties with the name and uniform haven't helped in this respect, but the general population doesn't seem to have much issue with the group's background.
What you say:
It's no "Onward Christian Soldiers" but maybe it will get a makeover. I hope the old boy makes it to Malmo, maybe Lys could be his understudy. (Drew Peacock)
I still like Switzerland but it's been blown out the water by the competition but I still think we will see it in the final. (phill363)
It's quite fun and perky, but could suffer from that Six4One problem. So many different people from disparate backgrounds forced to make a group together. Could be disasterous. (9ct mould)
Current betting odds: 100/1 DS poll position: 23rd out of 39 Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; upper mid-table
Many wondered last year why on earth Montenegro bothered rolling back up to the contest after a 3 year absence if they weren't even going to bother. Euro Neuro had a weird appeal, but it was definitely more weird than appealing, and the fact that it provided the most offputting opening to a contest in all time surely must be a big motivator behind the producer-set running order this year. It failed to qualify by a long shot, but hey, after all, Rambo had no ambition for high position in competition with the air condition. So Montenegro are right back again this year for their 5th try at reaching the final. Upon first listening of Igranka, you could be forgiven for thinking that Montenegro are just perpetually taking the proverbial in this contest, with hip hop duo Who See providing rapped verses not worlds apart from Euro Neuro's close competitor in the absurdity stakes from last year, Woki Mit Deim Popo from Austria.
But take a second listen, and then a third. It doesn't matter if you don't want to, because you will. Firstly as a curiosity, but eventually because it will worm its way under your skin. The chorus, provided by Nina Zizic, isn't particularly original (let's hope DJ Fresh isn't listening) or particularly sing-a-long in nature but after the initial confusion at the whole thing I've been able to appreciate how well produced it is and how in its way, it is rather catchy. It is something completely different, but unlike last year Montenegro do seem to be really going for this; just not in a "let's see what works at Eurovision and do exactly that" kind of way. There is the hurdle of the slightly bewildering first impression this leaves, and as we know, at Eurovision this matters, but hopefully Who See have got something particularly eye-catching up their sleeves for their performance to bring out the best in the song. That being said, it could just completely fail to connect; yes it is more accessible than Woki Mit Deim Popo, but there is a long way between the result that that got and the qualification cut-off.
What they say:
There seems to be a lot of support in Montenegro for Igranka, much moreso than previous entries, and Who See have a large fanbase, particularly in the southern part of Montenegro, who are very happy to have them representing the country. The press, despite some ironic comments about the world class video and how they will storm to victory, are behind the song, and general consensus seems to be that they stand a very good chance of qualifying this year.
What you say:
I've grown to absolutely love Montenegro! Even though I hate rap in Eurovision and I hate dubstep full stop. It's just THAT good. (spindiddly)
I hated it at first, now I'm weirdly intrigued by it, it's really catchy. Sadly in SF1 it doesn't have a shot at anything other than last place, unless the juries get MOR female ballad fatigue or just want to troll. (gav016)
Oh Montenegro, after last year I expected nothing of you, and this is completely not what I'd usually like but it's a pretty decent entry. (sbrum1984)
Current betting odds: 100/1 DS poll position: 21st out of 39 Online poll opinion: Borderline qualifier; lower mid-table
Well, three years and Italy haven’t gone off in a strop again yet, but given how they’ve been welcomed with open arms by Europe it’s hardly a surprise: two top ten results in two years including very nearly causing the biggest upset in Eurovision history with a 2nd place in 2011. Continuing the tradition of choosing their Eurovision entrant from the Sanremo line-up, Italian broadcast RAI selected Marco Mengoni, who only went on to go and win the thing. Marco is a big star in Italy, so this is quite a coup for them, and conveniently he has a new album out, so he had a dozen or so brand new songs to choose from. However, despite that, he’s decided to go with his rather mellow Sanremo song L’Essenziale. I suppose it’s no surprise, and one suspects that RAI insisted on this particular song what with the opportunity it presents to promote the Italian Eurovision entry as the Sanremo winner, which has been a bit hit already. Still though, from a competitive point of view I find it rather odd.
First off, L’Essenziale, as lovely and melodic as it is, is extremely middle of the road and for me it plods along a tad. Secondly, clocking in a good 40 seconds over the time limit, cutting it will be difficult as it has a definite (rather slow) build. Also given how they waited until the deadline to decide on the entry, I’m astonished that they went with a ballad given how heavy on the ground they are this year. Surely, despite the promotional opportunities, Marco had a more Eurovision-friendly song on his album. Because whilst this song has its fans (and who knows, in time I may become one) and has a certain appeal, it doesn’t really seem to be an instant voter-friendly one. As much of a champion of the Italian language I am, even I wouldn’t be aversed to throwing in an English verse somewhere just to make the lyrics a bit more accessible. I think this will be saved from complete humiliation by some juries but I can’t see Marco continuing Italy’s run of top tens. And people will be astonished.
What they say:
The 14 year absence from the contest did its popularity in Italy no favours, with a whole generation not having a clue what Eurovision is or that Italy competes in it. Whilst the media praise the competition, it is not often mentioned and viewership has been low. However, Marco Mengoni has been huge since winning X Factor in 2009, and his large fanbase are aware and supportive of his participation, even if it's just seen as a small step in his career. This potential extra viewer base is vital to RAI, as what matters to them is not where Marco finishes, but how many viewers he brings to the contest and how many stick with it. It is ratings, not results, that will dictate just how long Italy stick at it this time around.
What you say:
Dull. Just dull. His voice annoys me slightly and the song doesn't really take off. (Fudd)
Really liking Italy, although I can see this going the same way as Bosnia 2012. (ESC Ross)
I like him more than Raphael, but he's no Nina. At least Italy have stayed classy, although this is possibly on the tepid side of classy. (21stCenturyBoy)
Current betting odds: 18/1 DS poll position: 25th out of 39 Online poll opinion: Low top ten
So after two years as representatives, Jedward have stepped aside and passed the baton onto somebody else, and after the first genuinely open national final for many years in Ireland, that somebody is Ryan Dolan. Ryan is from Strabane, County Omagh, and for those who need a hand with the geography there, that's in Northern Ireland, which is great for me. I always love it when there's a Northern Irish entrant at Eurovision, and clearly Europe does too: 12 Northern Irish singers have been to the contest in the past, 10 of whom have finished top ten, and out of the 5 additional songs to have been written by someone from Northern Ireland, four have finished top ten. So we've got quite the excellent Eurovision record in this little part of the world - no pressure for Ryan then. As for the song, it's co-written by Ryan himself, and it's a very chart-friendly dance pop song in the vein of Ne-Yo or David Guetta...although when I say "chart-friendly" I'm not of course specifying a time frame...
Sadly, I can't help but feel that Ryan has slightly missed the boat with this song, as the kind of music it represents reached saturation point about a year ago and is now sounding rather tired. Personally I think Only Love Survives is a rather good example of the genre, and there's a chance that it will still sound "hip and trendy" to older viewers (although whether the older demographic would vote for it anyway is debatable), but more than any other song this year, it has a resounding sense of "heard it all before." Of course the purpose of Eurovision, despite what some fans will try to claim, is not to be at the cutting edge of chart music and provide massive hits, although it's a nice fringe benefit when it happens. Personally I think it sounds better when a song is completely removed from what is on-trend than when it tries to be on trend and misses by a couple of years, but regardless, the fact that this type of music is "over" shouldn't really matter. If Ryan doesn't balls up the vocal performance, which I do have faith in even though it's not a given, and they can do as good as job with the staging as they did with Jedward's entries, then this should have no problem qualifying from the ballad-heavy first semi. Although I can't help but feel that come the final, the song won't quite have the legs to strengthen the Northern Irish hold on the top ten.
What they say:
Most people in Ireland are at least aware of who is representing them this year, due to the selection taking place on the popular Late Late Show. However, that's not to say that everybody's talking about it; Ryan Dolan disappeared from the public consciousness soon after he was chosen, and other than some informative pieces the following day, the press haven't really mentioned Eurovision, which is the norm in Ireland until the week of the contest. That being said, Jedward being a ratings success and some winners being genuine hits have helped improve the overall perception of the contest, in spite of the usual "bloc-voting" banter, and it is not at all unusual to hear Euphoria (and to a lesser extent, Satellite) on Irish radio.
What you say:
Only Love Survives is an average song at best and he can't sing live. Every performance we've seen has had him sounding a bit funny. (Katsuya)
I just don't like how dancey it is.. I think it's a good contender though, and I would say Ireland's strongest entry in years. (Mikay)
I like the Irish entry. It's just so good to not have any Jedward (and their lunatic fans) being involved with Ireland this year. (EuroChris)
Current betting odds: 30/1 DS poll position: 18th out of 39 Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; mid-table
My rating: 8 out of 10
The same was said about, Loreen , 90's trance wont win, well how wrong was everyone, the mixes that followed made it one of the most popular dance tracks of the past few years and charted well also even in the UK. Irelands isnt dated at all, this type of dance music is massive in central europe especially in sunny gay clubs and bars...David, guetta, Avicii, to name a few are still charting massively with this genre....
The same was said about, Loreen , 90's trance wont win, well how wrong was everyone, the mixes that followed made it one of the most popular dance tracks of the past few years and charted well also even in the UK. Irelands isnt dated at all, this type of dance music is massive in central europe especially in sunny gay clubs and bars...David, guetta, Avicii, to name a few are still charting massively with this genre....
There's a big difference though, even in the space of 12 months.
Yes, Euphoria has a lot of 90s influences, but so does a lot of current dance music, and I wasn't at all surprised at it winning and going on to become a big hit.
In a way I'd say Only Love Survives is even more contemporary for the reasons you've mentioned, BUT crucially, the charts have become saturated with this kind of music since 2010 or so and in the last few months it has started to die out a little and sound a bit tired.
He can probably just about get away with it, and I still think the only thing that will stop it qualifying is if he does a really bad vocal, but it's already very "heard it all a million times before." I can see a song like this being entered next year bombing.
The same was said about, Loreen , 90's trance wont win, well how wrong was everyone, the mixes that followed made it one of the most popular dance tracks of the past few years and charted well also even in the UK. Irelands isnt dated at all, this type of dance music is massive in central europe especially in sunny gay clubs and bars...David, guetta, Avicii, to name a few are still charting massively with this genre....
I don't think it was Loreen was the overwhelming favourite to win from before she was even selected. Besides, Only Love Survives is no Euphoria.
Ireland has a vague modern production but it is far from contemporary in any other definition of song craft. The lyrics in particular put it far and away from any chart music, it's just typical British Isles ESC fodder disguised poorly. That's all one can say about it really.
Ireland has a vague modern production but it is far from contemporary in any other definition of song craft. The lyrics in particular put it far and away from any chart music, it's just typical British Isles ESC fodder disguised poorly. That's all one can say about it really.
Though the two composers - Devine and Dolan - have no connection to ESC whatsoever and their background is genuinely in dance and trance music (check out their Zenemy DJz videos on Youtube). Only Love Survives was written as a bona fide dance track a year ago, and the song ended up in Eurosong only because mentor Stuart O'Connor knew Dolan and asked him if he might be interested in entering.
Interestingly, the Slovenian song is written by genuine dance music people too.
Though the two composers - Devine and Dolan - have no connection to ESC whatsoever and their background is genuinely in dance and trance music (check out their Zenemy DJz videos on Youtube). Only Love Survives was written as a bona fide dance track a year ago, and the song ended up in Eurosong only because mentor Stuart O'Connor knew Dolan and asked him if he might be interested in entering.
Interestingly, the Slovenian song is written by genuine dance music people too.
So do most composers when they come to ESC, who are capable of doing much better. That's the point nobody apart from maybe the nordics are going to put their best composed songs into ESC, as for most it remains an irrelevance if we like it or not. And it is a cheesy pop song with dance elements regardless of what they say.
I'm just glad we aren't sending a MOR ballad this year:)
The "be love" chorus is the only part that sounds really dated and cheesy. I do wish it was replaced with a dance break or something. It does sound like it was shoehorned in at the last minute to make the song more "euro-friendly":mad:
So do most composers when they come to ESC, who are capable of doing much better. That's the point nobody apart from maybe the nordics are going to put their best composed songs into ESC, as for most it remains an irrelevance if we like it or not. And it is a cheesy pop song with dance elements regardless of what they say.
Clearly they're not top dance music composers writing for big record labels, but they're still the real deal in that they compose only dance and trance music (much of it a lot more hardcore than OLS). I've heard a few of their songs and OLS is the most mainstream and that's probably why they submitted it to Stuart O'Connor.
I'm just glad we aren't sending a MOR ballad this year:)
The "be love" chorus is the only part that sounds really dated and cheesy. I do wish it was replaced with a dance break or something. It does sound like it was shoehorned in at the last minute to make the song more "euro-friendly":mad:
That's almost certainly what happened. The verses sound like a typical Devine-Dolan collaboration, but the chorus is very 'poppy' for them, suggesting they must have rewritten part of the song for Eurosong.
Oh to be in Ukraine's shoes. Can you believe their 15th position with 65 points last year was their worst result for seven years?! It's hard to say whether Gaitana underperformed or overperformed as opinion on her song was so split, but given Ukraine usually find themselves on the left-hand side of the scoreboard it must have been a massive disappointment for them, especially since they threw so much at their entry last year. As I said in my review last year, whilst I liked Be My Guest in theory as a package, structurally the song was all over the place, and at times it was hard to know whether you were coming or going when listening to it. Let's hope given their poor showing, they've rectified that with this year's entry...let's see...oh. Gravity is BIG, there's no doubt about that, and Zlata (who narrowly missed out in Ukraine's mess of a national selection two years ago) has a powerful voice, but in amongst all the grandeur and drama there's something missing. A song.
This is another one of those entries that I really like in theory, and moreso than Be My Guest I really think this could be a challenger, but my goodness, what a mess. The intention seems to have been first and foremost to create a "showstopping moment" and the aim of the composers has been to make this as big as possible. However they've gone so far with it that it's a bit uncomfortable to listen to, especially since it's at the expense of a composition that flows. What is more frustrating is that unlike Be My Guest, all the elements are here and the melody is strong, but the way it is all put together is messy. You think it's going somewhere, then it goes somewhere completely different via three key changes. The process is repeated a few times and then it just stops. They have tried to tighten this up since it got selected and fair play to them for adding the "my gravity, my gravity" hook in to try and clarify where the chorus actually is, but it's still incredibly disjointed. Of course I won't be surprised if Zlata completely knocks this out of the park and pulls the wool over the eyes of the televoters and juries - this is a big contender.
What they say:
In Ukraine, not many people other than Eurovision fans and fans of the artists tune in for the national final, especially given its graveyard afternoon timeslot on a smaller channel. However, Zlata herself was already well known and has proved a popular choice with the public, which is somewhat unusual as apparently the Ukrainian entrant tends to be rather unpopular at home. Also promising is the fact that the press have taken a great interest in Zlata and the song, often reporting on developments in her preparations for Malmö, and as more people become aware of the song, national support is steadily growing.
What you say:
Zlata's song and her "batterfly" is really getting on my nerves now. It sounds like a 3 minute clip compilation. (Chickens hit)
As they said on Not the Nine O'Clock News, "nice video...shame about the song." Appalling ending too. (vauxhall1964)
Very beautiful girl and this song is quite good on first listen but I'm sure it will grow on me even more with more listens. Very dramatic isn't it. (allthatyouwant)
Current betting odds: 12/1 DS poll position: 5th out of 39 Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; mid top ten
The Finnish selection wasn't too inspiring last year, with a decidedly "real music" feel to proceedings, so upon learning that the same format was being brought back this year, I wasn't too keen on following it. Admittedly, the selection did seem quite diverse this year, with a few more Eurovision-friendly songs in the mix, but for me nothing stood out like Krista. I hoped against hope that Marry Me would make it to Eurovision, but was resigned to it being something fun and off the wall that brightened up the national final but never got any further. However, the Swedish-Finns pulled through yet again, and here we are! Musically it's in the vein of Katy Perry, and the lyrics are an impassioned, desperate and slightly stalkerish plea to Krista's boyfriend to pop the question. It's fun, it's catchy, and an entertaining stage performance to go with it has been promised. It's that kind of kind-of-novelty-but-not-really entry that appeals to me; a legitimately good pop song, but completely tongue in cheek, a bit like Beautiful Song was last year.
That being said, I think there's a much bigger chance for this to make an impact than Anmary did. For a start, even if the humour doesn't smack you in the face, one thing that Krista cannot be accused of being is subtle, and I think there'll be instant appreciation for this. Big, brash, fun entries are in short supply this year in general, but particularly in the second semi-final, when the song will certainly liven up the evening. Not everybody will like it, get it, or appreciate it, but enough people will be glad to see it to ensure qualification, and Krista is a solid enough performer and the song not outwardly ridiculous enough to put the juries off. I remember when this first got chosen I wasn't sure whether people would go for this kind of thing, but actually now that we know the full line-up, I'm seeing this as one of the safest qualifiers in the second semi. The major challenge for this will be not to crash and burn in the final, which could depend on the draw and its competition.
What they say:
Eurovision is popular in Finland, although the new national selection show is taking time to find its feet, with slightly improved but not magnificent ratings this year. Despite initial dismay at Mikael Saari not being chosen, the general feeling seems to be that Marry Me is...here it comes..."more Eurovision" so people are satisfied with the choice. Radio stations have been playing the song a moderate amount, and Krista featured heavily in the press following her victory, but Finns are still somewhat pessimistic about the contest, seeing Lordi as an extreme exception and would be happy just to qualify for the final.
What you say:
It's one of the top entries this year for me and it had better qualify - I think Krista will knock it out of the ballpark to be honest and casual voters will LOVE IT! (contejas)
I am seriously missing something here. Finland is just trashy, not even fun trashy. I can't see anyway they will get out of the semi with it. (BigBmad)
Finland is one country which I cannot wait to see on the Eurovision stage. I predict that it will be even more awesome then! (ahyeah)
Current betting odds: 50/1 DS poll position: 7th out of 39 Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; lower mid-table
Big, brash, fun entries are in short supply this year in general, but particularly in the second semi-final, when the song will certainly liven up the evening.
Well, they're even more in short supply in semi 1, there being none (and if any semi desperately needs livening up, it's that one)
But a great review of our entry, and the "what they say" quite sums up my feelings about it, too.
Comments
I don't think that quote is going to be topped, to be honest.
It all started in 2006... there weren't many of us, but we knew what we liked
DS Eurovision Poll 2006 (actual placings in brackets)
1. (4) Romania - Tornero - 130 pts
2. (5) Sweden - Invincible - 128 pts
3. (19) UK - Teenage life - 112 pts
4. (DNQ) Belgium - Je t'adore - 108 pts
5. (DNQ) Slovenia - Mr Nobody - 101 pts
6. (14) Germany - No no never - 99 pts
7. (9) Greece - Everything - 84 pts
8. (1) Finland - Hard rock hallelujah - 68 pts
9. (DNQ) Iceland - Congratulations - 64 pts
10. (14) Norway - Alvedansen - 57 pts
11. (2) Russia - Never let you go - 56 pts
12. (DNQ) Poland - Follow my heart - 50 pts
13. (18) Denmark - Twist of love - 44 pts
14. (DNQ) Estonia - Through my window - 38 pts
15. (22) France - Il était temps - 38 pts
16. (DNQ) Andorra - Sense tu - 37 pts
17. (8) Armenia - Without your love - 37 pts
18. (24) Malta - I do - 35 pts
19. (12) Croatia - Moja stikla - 33 pts
20. (3) Bosnia-Herzegovina - Lejla - 26 pts
21. (7) Ukraine - Show me your love - 25 pts
22. (DNQ) Netherlands - Amambanda - 22 pts
23. (11) Turkey - Superstar - 21 pts
24. (16) Switzerland - If we all give a little - 20 pts
25. (12) Macedonia - Ninanajna - 20 pts
26. (DNQ) Cyprus - Why angels cry - 18 pts
27. (DNQ) Albania - Zjarr e fhohte - 18 pts
28. (10) Ireland - Every song is a cry for love - 17 pts
29. (DNQ) Monaco - La coco dance - 17 pts
30. (21) Spain - Bloody Mary - 16 pts
31. (DNQ) Bulgaria - Let me cry - 10 pts
32. (23) Israel - Together we are one - 7 pts
33. (6) Lithuania - We are the winners - 5 pts
-- (DNQ) Belarus - Mama - Nul points
-- (16) Latvia - I hear your heart - Nul points
-- (20) Moldova - Loca - Nul points
-- (DNQ) Portugal - Coisas de nada - Nul points
And you win the prize for spotting the deliberate mistake
I'll put it in the right place now!
Ryan Dolan - Only Love Survives
So after two years as representatives, Jedward have stepped aside and passed the baton onto somebody else, and after the first genuinely open national final for many years in Ireland, that somebody is Ryan Dolan. Ryan is from Strabane, County Omagh, and for those who need a hand with the geography there, that's in Northern Ireland, which is great for me. I always love it when there's a Northern Irish entrant at Eurovision, and clearly Europe does too: 12 Northern Irish singers have been to the contest in the past, 10 of whom have finished top ten, and out of the 5 additional songs to have been written by someone from Northern Ireland, four have finished top ten. So we've got quite the excellent Eurovision record in this little part of the world - no pressure for Ryan then. As for the song, it's co-written by Ryan himself, and it's a very chart-friendly dance pop song in the vein of Ne-Yo or David Guetta...although when I say "chart-friendly" I'm not of course specifying a time frame...
Sadly, I can't help but feel that Ryan has slightly missed the boat with this song, as the kind of music it represents reached saturation point about a year ago and is now sounding rather tired. Personally I think Only Love Survives is a rather good example of the genre, and there's a chance that it will still sound "hip and trendy" to older viewers (although whether the older demographic would vote for it anyway is debatable), but more than any other song this year, it has a resounding sense of "heard it all before." Of course the purpose of Eurovision, despite what some fans will try to claim, is not to be at the cutting edge of chart music and provide massive hits, although it's a nice fringe benefit when it happens. Personally I think it sounds better when a song is completely removed from what is on-trend than when it tries to be on trend and misses by a couple of years, but regardless, the fact that this type of music is "over" shouldn't really matter. If Ryan doesn't balls up the vocal performance, which I do have faith in even though it's not a given, and they can do as good as job with the staging as they did with Jedward's entries, then this should have no problem qualifying from the ballad-heavy first semi. Although I can't help but feel that come the final, the song won't quite have the legs to strengthen the Northern Irish hold on the top ten.
National final performance
Music video
What they say:
Most people in Ireland are at least aware of who is representing them this year, due to the selection taking place on the popular Late Late Show. However, that's not to say that everybody's talking about it; Ryan Dolan disappeared from the public consciousness soon after he was chosen, and other than some informative pieces the following day, the press haven't really mentioned Eurovision, which is the norm in Ireland until the week of the contest. That being said, Jedward being a ratings success and some winners being genuine hits have helped improve the overall perception of the contest, in spite of the usual "bloc-voting" banter, and it is not at all unusual to hear Euphoria (and to a lesser extent, Satellite) on Irish radio.
What you say:
Only Love Survives is an average song at best and he can't sing live. Every performance we've seen has had him sounding a bit funny. (Katsuya)
I just don't like how dancey it is.. I think it's a good contender though, and I would say Ireland's strongest entry in years. (Mikay)
I like the Irish entry. It's just so good to not have any Jedward (and their lunatic fans) being involved with Ireland this year. (EuroChris)
Current betting odds: 30/1
DS poll position: 18th out of 39
Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; mid-table
My rating: 8 out of 10
Takasa - You And Me
Cast your minds back to before Christmas. In fact, before the clocks even went back. Remember Lys Assia's transformation into Rita Ora and her hissy fit at that not being considered good enough for Eurovision? Well that was the start of a long journey which has brought us finally to the group Takasa. In December, Heilarmee, a group of various ages from the Swiss branch of the Salvation Army, steamrollered the competition in the national final with their feelgood punchy rock song You and Me. Controversy ensued and upon being told that they would have to change their name and uniform to avoid promoting their organisation at the contest, and after an iffy few weeks during which their participation was unsure, they finally emerged a few weeks ago as Takasa, which is Swahili for "purify." Listening to their entry now, it seems rather old (I suppose it is relatively speaking) and fades into the background of this year's batch of songs.
That being said, it's very easy to forget that when this was first selected, I thought it could actually do some damage. Yes, better songs have come along since this one, but none that fill the exact niche filled by You and Me, which does leave an impression. It may be a rather un-rocky rock song, but it's still anthemic and something you can sing along to while having a good old fist pump. Their image, whilst almost sickeningly wholesome and clean-cut, is effective visually, so hopefully they can make the most of the stage performance to give the song that bit more bite. This is in the weaker semi-final, it's being performed towards the end, and who knows, it could even close, so I'd say that even though it's Switzerland, they should be fairly easily going through to the final. Once they get there, well it won't exactly take much to beat the finishing position of their last qualifier, which is probably just as well, as once it takes its place in that starting field, it could admittedly be slightly overshadowed.
National final performance
Official video
What they say:
In the beginning, the news that the Salvation Army were trying for Eurovision was not taken at all seriously, but people were won around by the song, and there seems to be a confidence that they could qualify this year, which in itself would be considered a result by the Swiss people. Whilst the more serious news publications have been neutral and informative about the group's participation, the gutter press, much like in the UK, have jumped on any opportunity to mock. The difficulties with the name and uniform haven't helped in this respect, but the general population doesn't seem to have much issue with the group's background.
What you say:
It's no "Onward Christian Soldiers" but maybe it will get a makeover. I hope the old boy makes it to Malmo, maybe Lys could be his understudy. (Drew Peacock)
I still like Switzerland but it's been blown out the water by the competition but I still think we will see it in the final. (phill363)
It's quite fun and perky, but could suffer from that Six4One problem. So many different people from disparate backgrounds forced to make a group together. Could be disasterous. (9ct mould)
Current betting odds: 100/1
DS poll position: 23rd out of 39
Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; upper mid-table
My rating: 7 out of 10
One of the better songs in semifinal 2 anyway.
Who See - Igranka
Many wondered last year why on earth Montenegro bothered rolling back up to the contest after a 3 year absence if they weren't even going to bother. Euro Neuro had a weird appeal, but it was definitely more weird than appealing, and the fact that it provided the most offputting opening to a contest in all time surely must be a big motivator behind the producer-set running order this year. It failed to qualify by a long shot, but hey, after all, Rambo had no ambition for high position in competition with the air condition. So Montenegro are right back again this year for their 5th try at reaching the final. Upon first listening of Igranka, you could be forgiven for thinking that Montenegro are just perpetually taking the proverbial in this contest, with hip hop duo Who See providing rapped verses not worlds apart from Euro Neuro's close competitor in the absurdity stakes from last year, Woki Mit Deim Popo from Austria.
But take a second listen, and then a third. It doesn't matter if you don't want to, because you will. Firstly as a curiosity, but eventually because it will worm its way under your skin. The chorus, provided by Nina Zizic, isn't particularly original (let's hope DJ Fresh isn't listening) or particularly sing-a-long in nature but after the initial confusion at the whole thing I've been able to appreciate how well produced it is and how in its way, it is rather catchy. It is something completely different, but unlike last year Montenegro do seem to be really going for this; just not in a "let's see what works at Eurovision and do exactly that" kind of way. There is the hurdle of the slightly bewildering first impression this leaves, and as we know, at Eurovision this matters, but hopefully Who See have got something particularly eye-catching up their sleeves for their performance to bring out the best in the song. That being said, it could just completely fail to connect; yes it is more accessible than Woki Mit Deim Popo, but there is a long way between the result that that got and the qualification cut-off.
Official video
What they say:
There seems to be a lot of support in Montenegro for Igranka, much moreso than previous entries, and Who See have a large fanbase, particularly in the southern part of Montenegro, who are very happy to have them representing the country. The press, despite some ironic comments about the world class video and how they will storm to victory, are behind the song, and general consensus seems to be that they stand a very good chance of qualifying this year.
What you say:
I've grown to absolutely love Montenegro! Even though I hate rap in Eurovision and I hate dubstep full stop. It's just THAT good. (spindiddly)
I hated it at first, now I'm weirdly intrigued by it, it's really catchy. Sadly in SF1 it doesn't have a shot at anything other than last place, unless the juries get MOR female ballad fatigue or just want to troll. (gav016)
Oh Montenegro, after last year I expected nothing of you, and this is completely not what I'd usually like but it's a pretty decent entry. (sbrum1984)
Current betting odds: 100/1
DS poll position: 21st out of 39
Online poll opinion: Borderline qualifier; lower mid-table
My rating: 6 out of 10
Marco Mengoni - L'Essenziale
Well, three years and Italy haven’t gone off in a strop again yet, but given how they’ve been welcomed with open arms by Europe it’s hardly a surprise: two top ten results in two years including very nearly causing the biggest upset in Eurovision history with a 2nd place in 2011. Continuing the tradition of choosing their Eurovision entrant from the Sanremo line-up, Italian broadcast RAI selected Marco Mengoni, who only went on to go and win the thing. Marco is a big star in Italy, so this is quite a coup for them, and conveniently he has a new album out, so he had a dozen or so brand new songs to choose from. However, despite that, he’s decided to go with his rather mellow Sanremo song L’Essenziale. I suppose it’s no surprise, and one suspects that RAI insisted on this particular song what with the opportunity it presents to promote the Italian Eurovision entry as the Sanremo winner, which has been a bit hit already. Still though, from a competitive point of view I find it rather odd.
First off, L’Essenziale, as lovely and melodic as it is, is extremely middle of the road and for me it plods along a tad. Secondly, clocking in a good 40 seconds over the time limit, cutting it will be difficult as it has a definite (rather slow) build. Also given how they waited until the deadline to decide on the entry, I’m astonished that they went with a ballad given how heavy on the ground they are this year. Surely, despite the promotional opportunities, Marco had a more Eurovision-friendly song on his album. Because whilst this song has its fans (and who knows, in time I may become one) and has a certain appeal, it doesn’t really seem to be an instant voter-friendly one. As much of a champion of the Italian language I am, even I wouldn’t be aversed to throwing in an English verse somewhere just to make the lyrics a bit more accessible. I think this will be saved from complete humiliation by some juries but I can’t see Marco continuing Italy’s run of top tens. And people will be astonished.
Official video
What they say:
The 14 year absence from the contest did its popularity in Italy no favours, with a whole generation not having a clue what Eurovision is or that Italy competes in it. Whilst the media praise the competition, it is not often mentioned and viewership has been low. However, Marco Mengoni has been huge since winning X Factor in 2009, and his large fanbase are aware and supportive of his participation, even if it's just seen as a small step in his career. This potential extra viewer base is vital to RAI, as what matters to them is not where Marco finishes, but how many viewers he brings to the contest and how many stick with it. It is ratings, not results, that will dictate just how long Italy stick at it this time around.
What you say:
Dull. Just dull. His voice annoys me slightly and the song doesn't really take off. (Fudd)
Really liking Italy, although I can see this going the same way as Bosnia 2012. (ESC Ross)
I like him more than Raphael, but he's no Nina. At least Italy have stayed classy, although this is possibly on the tepid side of classy. (21stCenturyBoy)
Current betting odds: 18/1
DS poll position: 25th out of 39
Online poll opinion: Low top ten
My rating: 6 out of 10
The same was said about, Loreen , 90's trance wont win, well how wrong was everyone, the mixes that followed made it one of the most popular dance tracks of the past few years and charted well also even in the UK. Irelands isnt dated at all, this type of dance music is massive in central europe especially in sunny gay clubs and bars...David, guetta, Avicii, to name a few are still charting massively with this genre....
There's a big difference though, even in the space of 12 months.
Yes, Euphoria has a lot of 90s influences, but so does a lot of current dance music, and I wasn't at all surprised at it winning and going on to become a big hit.
In a way I'd say Only Love Survives is even more contemporary for the reasons you've mentioned, BUT crucially, the charts have become saturated with this kind of music since 2010 or so and in the last few months it has started to die out a little and sound a bit tired.
He can probably just about get away with it, and I still think the only thing that will stop it qualifying is if he does a really bad vocal, but it's already very "heard it all a million times before." I can see a song like this being entered next year bombing.
I don't think it was
Though the two composers - Devine and Dolan - have no connection to ESC whatsoever and their background is genuinely in dance and trance music (check out their Zenemy DJz videos on Youtube). Only Love Survives was written as a bona fide dance track a year ago, and the song ended up in Eurosong only because mentor Stuart O'Connor knew Dolan and asked him if he might be interested in entering.
Interestingly, the Slovenian song is written by genuine dance music people too.
So do most composers when they come to ESC, who are capable of doing much better. That's the point nobody apart from maybe the nordics are going to put their best composed songs into ESC, as for most it remains an irrelevance if we like it or not. And it is a cheesy pop song with dance elements regardless of what they say.
The song actually predates Euphoria so at least no-one can accuse them of copying
The "be love" chorus is the only part that sounds really dated and cheesy. I do wish it was replaced with a dance break or something. It does sound like it was shoehorned in at the last minute to make the song more "euro-friendly":mad:
Clearly they're not top dance music composers writing for big record labels, but they're still the real deal in that they compose only dance and trance music (much of it a lot more hardcore than OLS). I've heard a few of their songs and OLS is the most mainstream and that's probably why they submitted it to Stuart O'Connor.
That's almost certainly what happened. The verses sound like a typical Devine-Dolan collaboration, but the chorus is very 'poppy' for them, suggesting they must have rewritten part of the song for Eurosong.
Zlata - Gravity
Oh to be in Ukraine's shoes. Can you believe their 15th position with 65 points last year was their worst result for seven years?! It's hard to say whether Gaitana underperformed or overperformed as opinion on her song was so split, but given Ukraine usually find themselves on the left-hand side of the scoreboard it must have been a massive disappointment for them, especially since they threw so much at their entry last year. As I said in my review last year, whilst I liked Be My Guest in theory as a package, structurally the song was all over the place, and at times it was hard to know whether you were coming or going when listening to it. Let's hope given their poor showing, they've rectified that with this year's entry...let's see...oh. Gravity is BIG, there's no doubt about that, and Zlata (who narrowly missed out in Ukraine's mess of a national selection two years ago) has a powerful voice, but in amongst all the grandeur and drama there's something missing. A song.
This is another one of those entries that I really like in theory, and moreso than Be My Guest I really think this could be a challenger, but my goodness, what a mess. The intention seems to have been first and foremost to create a "showstopping moment" and the aim of the composers has been to make this as big as possible. However they've gone so far with it that it's a bit uncomfortable to listen to, especially since it's at the expense of a composition that flows. What is more frustrating is that unlike Be My Guest, all the elements are here and the melody is strong, but the way it is all put together is messy. You think it's going somewhere, then it goes somewhere completely different via three key changes. The process is repeated a few times and then it just stops. They have tried to tighten this up since it got selected and fair play to them for adding the "my gravity, my gravity" hook in to try and clarify where the chorus actually is, but it's still incredibly disjointed. Of course I won't be surprised if Zlata completely knocks this out of the park and pulls the wool over the eyes of the televoters and juries - this is a big contender.
National final performance
Official video
What they say:
In Ukraine, not many people other than Eurovision fans and fans of the artists tune in for the national final, especially given its graveyard afternoon timeslot on a smaller channel. However, Zlata herself was already well known and has proved a popular choice with the public, which is somewhat unusual as apparently the Ukrainian entrant tends to be rather unpopular at home. Also promising is the fact that the press have taken a great interest in Zlata and the song, often reporting on developments in her preparations for Malmö, and as more people become aware of the song, national support is steadily growing.
What you say:
Zlata's song and her "batterfly" is really getting on my nerves now. It sounds like a 3 minute clip compilation. (Chickens hit)
As they said on Not the Nine O'Clock News, "nice video...shame about the song." Appalling ending too. (vauxhall1964)
Very beautiful girl and this song is quite good on first listen but I'm sure it will grow on me even more with more listens. Very dramatic isn't it. (allthatyouwant)
Current betting odds: 12/1
DS poll position: 5th out of 39
Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; mid top ten
My rating: 7 out of 10
Krista Siegfrids - Marry Me
The Finnish selection wasn't too inspiring last year, with a decidedly "real music" feel to proceedings, so upon learning that the same format was being brought back this year, I wasn't too keen on following it. Admittedly, the selection did seem quite diverse this year, with a few more Eurovision-friendly songs in the mix, but for me nothing stood out like Krista. I hoped against hope that Marry Me would make it to Eurovision, but was resigned to it being something fun and off the wall that brightened up the national final but never got any further. However, the Swedish-Finns pulled through yet again, and here we are! Musically it's in the vein of Katy Perry, and the lyrics are an impassioned, desperate and slightly stalkerish plea to Krista's boyfriend to pop the question. It's fun, it's catchy, and an entertaining stage performance to go with it has been promised. It's that kind of kind-of-novelty-but-not-really entry that appeals to me; a legitimately good pop song, but completely tongue in cheek, a bit like Beautiful Song was last year.
That being said, I think there's a much bigger chance for this to make an impact than Anmary did. For a start, even if the humour doesn't smack you in the face, one thing that Krista cannot be accused of being is subtle, and I think there'll be instant appreciation for this. Big, brash, fun entries are in short supply this year in general, but particularly in the second semi-final, when the song will certainly liven up the evening. Not everybody will like it, get it, or appreciate it, but enough people will be glad to see it to ensure qualification, and Krista is a solid enough performer and the song not outwardly ridiculous enough to put the juries off. I remember when this first got chosen I wasn't sure whether people would go for this kind of thing, but actually now that we know the full line-up, I'm seeing this as one of the safest qualifiers in the second semi. The major challenge for this will be not to crash and burn in the final, which could depend on the draw and its competition.
National final performance
Official video
What they say:
Eurovision is popular in Finland, although the new national selection show is taking time to find its feet, with slightly improved but not magnificent ratings this year. Despite initial dismay at Mikael Saari not being chosen, the general feeling seems to be that Marry Me is...here it comes..."more Eurovision" so people are satisfied with the choice. Radio stations have been playing the song a moderate amount, and Krista featured heavily in the press following her victory, but Finns are still somewhat pessimistic about the contest, seeing Lordi as an extreme exception and would be happy just to qualify for the final.
What you say:
It's one of the top entries this year for me and it had better qualify - I think Krista will knock it out of the ballpark to be honest and casual voters will LOVE IT! (contejas)
I am seriously missing something here. Finland is just trashy, not even fun trashy. I can't see anyway they will get out of the semi with it. (BigBmad)
Finland is one country which I cannot wait to see on the Eurovision stage. I predict that it will be even more awesome then! (ahyeah)
Current betting odds: 50/1
DS poll position: 7th out of 39
Online poll opinion: Safe qualifier; lower mid-table
My rating: 8 out of 10
But a great review of our entry, and the "what they say" quite sums up my feelings about it, too.