Category Archives: 2011
New Videos from Ukraine, Turkey, Moldova and Macedonia
As is customary after the Semifinal Draws, many ESC nations are rolling out their entries’ videos. Over the past few days, we’ve seen the official debuts of the Ukranian, Turkish, Moldovan, and Macedonian videos…let’s check them out!
The Ukrainians, as per usual, have revamped their entry and officially submitted their song “Angel”. Who knows if it will continue to evolve by the time it hits the stage in Germany? I’m half expecting an unfortunate flat tire to hit Mika’s car on the way to the venue, with Zlata Ognevich or Jamala just serendipitously hanging out in the arena…
Regardless, I do prefer this edit a bit to the original, as it has a somewhat stronger beat and isn’t quite as sleep-inducing as the ballad that we originally heard in Kiev. That being said, it’s still not one of my absolute favorites; Mika’s English is often tough to parse. I am, however, looking forward to the onstage presentation of “Angel”…with all of the circus themes in the video and the National Final performance, and considering Ukraine’s history of over-the-top staging (Svetlana Loboda, anybody?), things could definitely get interesting.
Next up, the Turks have presented their video for Yüksek Sadakat’s “Live it Up”:
Not really sure what to say about this one…the song’s fun, with a bit of an 80’s Hair Band throwback feel (despite the lead singer’s baldness) and a touch of an ethnic sound from the string section. It’s Turkey, so chances are pretty good that it will qualify for the Finals, but there are other pretty good rock songs in this competition that might give Yüksek Sadakat a run for its money if more than one makes it to the show on the 14th. Turkey has made the Top Ten every year since 2007, and has never failed to qualify for the Finals…it’s a lot for “Live it Up” to live up to!
Speaking of rock, Moldovan ethno-punk rockers Zdob si Zdub have unveiled the video for their second ESC entry, “So Lucky”:
I kind of miss the oversized gnome hats and the unicycle from their National Final performance, but with six members in the band already, they face a quandary: cut a member for the sake of presentation (like they did for “Boonika Bate Doba”), or have the whole band up on stage? We’ll have to see what happens when they start their official rehearsals. Anyway, I realize that I’m likely in the minority with this, but I happen to really like this song! Roman Iagupov reminds me so much of Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and, despite my prep-school exterior, I’m a rocker at heart. I’ve been known to crank the volume up on this whenever it comes on my iPod, and it’s become one of my go-to songs on the playlist I listen to whenever I go and work out. I highly doubt we’ll be going to Chisinau in 2012, but at the very least, I’ll be dancing my arse off when they’re playing in the Esprit Arena this May, even if I’m the only one.
Moving on, we’ve got the new video from (FYR) Macedonia.
The clip from Vlatko Ilievski’s “Rusinka” has a pretty cool concept, but it’s a bit repetitive and even a little headache-inducing. It sounds a lot better than the live version we all saw at Skopjefest, but Vlatko comes off as a bit of a creeper at times, and he might have been better off not miming the guitar playing at all. Oh, well…can’t win them all, I suppose…
Running Order for Semifinals and the Big Five
In a press conference held today, the running order for both of the Semifinals was held, as well as the singing positions for the Big Five nations automatically qualified for the Final (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom).
- Poland (given a wildcard and the opportunity to pick their placement, the Polish delegation decided to open the show, just as Magdalena Tul had done in her National Final.)
- Norway
- Albania
- Armenia
- Turkey (Followed by a commercial break)
- Serbia
- Russia
- Switzerland
- Georgia
- Finland
- Malta
- San Marino
- Croatia
- Iceland (To be followed by another commercial break)
- Hungary
- Portugal
- Lithuania
- Azerbaijan
- Greece (Another wildcard, the Greeks decided to close the show.)
Semifinal 2:
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Austria
- The Netherlands
- Belgium
- Slovakia (Given a wildcard, the Slovak delegation chose a lucky number with a personal meaning. This song will be followed by a commercial break.)
- Ukraine
- Moldova
- Sweden
- Cyprus
- Bulgaria
- FYR Macedonia
- Israel
- Slovenia
- Romania (To be followed by a commercial.)
- Estonia
- Belarus
- Latvia (This was another wildcard draw.)
- Denmark
- Ireland
The Finals:
11. France
12. Italy (Followed by a commercial.)
14. United Kingdom
16. Germany
22. Spain (The Spanish delegation chose this position for their wildcard draw, as it was Lena’s winning position for Germany last year.)
It looks like the First Semifinal is pretty well-balanced, with uptempo and slower songs more or less alternating until the end of the performances. The second semi, however, is a bit less balanced, with a number of slower songs in the beginning of the night, and ending with uptempo numbers from Romania, Estonia, Belarus, Latvia, Denmark, and ending with the undeniably energetic Jedward.
What do you think? Does this favor any songs, or give any entries a disadvantage? As voting is now open throughout the entire show, does the running order even matter anymore? In the final, will having consecutive nontraditional ESC entries from France and Italy help or harm Amaury and Raphael? Will Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, and Estonia be hurt by performing right after commercial breaks (die-hard ESC fans often plan their bathroom breaks very judiciously, but a line for the loo could mean lost viewers!)? I’d love to hear what you all think!
More new versions and videos released!
As expected, Albania has revamped their entry for Düsseldorf. What was once Aurela Gaçe’s “Kënga Ime” is now “Feel the Passion”:
I feel like I’m in the minority here, but I loved Aurela’s song the first time I heard it, and this revamp only solidifies my position. Aurela is this year’s diva, and whether she wins or not, she is making this her show. (It’s funny, though; I was talking with my friend Slavi yesterday before we saw the new video or heard the translation, and I told him how I imagined that the clip would somehow involve Aurela standing on top of a mountain or other high point, a wind machine fluttering around some epic dress, and an eagle soaring. I should have placed money on it!)
On the other end of the Eurovision world (geographically speaking), the Icelandic representatives have released the English-language version of “Aftur Heim“, “Coming Home”.
It seems that “Aftur Heim” was, in fact, originally written with English lyrics, with the text eventually refined by the wife of the late Sigurjón Brink. The song was performed in Icelandic for the National Final, as per the network’s rules, but the door was always open to have it performed in English. We all know the story of Sigurjón and his tragic passing by now, but hearing this song in a language that I can understand just makes the whole thing even more powerful. “Coming Home” is performed admirably, and is truly a celebration of Sjónni’s life and work.
Also releasing an official video clip is San Marino’s Senit, with her ballad “Stand By”:
(Sharp-eyed ESC fans might recognize some of the same landscapes and landmarks as seen in MiOdio’s video for “Complice“. Then again, considering that San Marino is only about 24 square miles (61 sq km), that’s not too difficult.)
Only slightly bigger, at 121 square miles (316 sq km), is Malta, which coincidentally also released their official preview video today for Glen Vella’s “One Life”:
(It appears that half of Malta’s population took part in this year’s National Selection, and the other half appears in Glen’s video!)
Finally, Croatia’s new preview video has been released: Daria Kinzer’s “Lahor” “Break a Leg” “Celebrate”!
I’m sure more videos are coming down the pipeline within the next few days, as the official “Heads of Delegation” meeting is happening now in Düsseldorf. We’ll also have the official draw for the running order tomorrow afternoon (or, for me, morning!). Even though Preselection Season is officially over, there’s still lots to do before the First Semifinal on May 10th!
Anastasia Vinnikova: "I Love Belarus"
Getting their entry into the EBU right before the deadline, Belarus has just released their official replacement for the disqualified “Born in Bielorussia” and “I am Belarussian”. Imaginatively, it’s called “I Love Belarus”.
Now, I love a dulcimer just as much as the next girl, but even that can’t save this one. I don’t mind a song with a touch of national pride (as we see with the revamped Albanian entry), but when it’s coming from the last dictatorship in Europe, it comes off as forced. This is a bit of an improvement over the songs that it replaced, but I can’t shake the indelible aura of “Stockholm Syndrome” that surrounds it. Anastasia’s voice isn’t bad, and if given the right song, she could have done something really special, but I would personally be shocked if this qualified for the finals.
Hopefully, this means that the Belarussian soap opera will be over…at least, until ESC 2012!
Ell & Nikki – "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has been competing in Eurovision since 2008, when the over-the-top “Day After Day” came in a respectable 8th place. The next year, the fiery, uptempo “Always” snagged the bronze in Moscow, with Safura’s diva-licious “Drip Drop” coming in 5th place the year after that. Ever since entering the contest, Azerbaijan has made a considerable effort to make a splash, using everything in the traditional ESC arsenal: pretty girls, costume changes, explosions, gowns with LED lights, ear-splitting high notes, million-dollar promotional campaigns, Beyoncé’s choreographer, even going so far as to have the police question people voting for rival Armenia (I’m not kidding!). After such a series of entries, I was bracing myself for an equally epic spectacle from Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, who had won Ictimai TV’s preselection a few months ago. And boy, was I wrong…
Never in a million years would I have expected to write “Azerbaijan” and “subtle” in the same sentence, but Baku has completely proven me wrong. Eldar and Nigar (who will be going by “Ell and Nikki” for the purposes of this competition) really pull off this sweet R&B-kissed duet. It’s got a nice hook, and they don’t seem to have the same issues with English pronunciation that some of their predecessors struggled with at times (I still can’t understand half of the lyrics in “Day After Day, even three years after the fact…). This is also the only romantic duet in the competition, and it offers a nice bit of eye candy for everybody. All in all, this should be a pretty solid lock for the finals, especially considering that constant allies Turkey are in their semi.
(UPDATE: Due to EBU restrictions, Eldar and Nigar will be using their real names for this year’s ESC. It’s possible that the same restriction will apply for Russia’s Alexey Vorobyov/Alex Sparrow, but as “Sparrow” is the actual translation for “Vorobyov”, the final decision is still unclear.)
Russia’s Alexey Vorobyov ("Alex Sparrow") – "Get You" released
After weeks of speculation, Russia’s 2011 Eurovision contribution has been officially presented to the public. Written by international hitmaker RedOne and performed by Alexey Vorobyov (who will go by the stage name “Alex Sparrow”), “Get You” was premiered on the opening night of a Russian reality show:
On a first listen, I kind of enjoyed “Get You”. It’s the kind of sexy, catchy pop entry that Russia has had some pretty major success with in the past (like what we saw with Alsou, tATu, and Serebro). It will, undoubtedly, be a big hit in the Euroclub! However, when I listened to it the second time around (when I generally try to pay more attention to the lyrical content, as opposed to my first impressions of the music), I got almost immediately creeped out. I know, as a woman, that I generally like a guy with some measure of confidence, but the song sounds as if the Big Bad Wolf were being interrogated on an episode of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”. “I’m coming to get you…I know you want me to…If you really want to have fun tonight, just scream!” I know that’s not Alex and RedOne’s intent, but for me, the fun of the song has now been overshadowed by some sketchy lyrics. I admit that I’m probably being just overly sensitive here, and reading too deeply into the words of a pop song, but I’m a bit too skeeved out to really enjoy this song for what it is.
Eric Saade’s "Popular" for Sweden
Melodifestivalen (a.k.a. the Mother of All Preselections) just wrapped up from the Globen Arena in Stockholm, after four Semifinals, a Second Chance round, and a Grand Final. Tonight, we saw classic schlager (in both English and Swedish!), rockabilly, and even a song that may have, in fact, been a lost track from the Magical Mystery Tour. But after votes were tabulated from eleven international juries and the Swedish public, the winner was 20-year-old Eric Saade with “Popular”:
Eric, despite his age, is already a pretty well-established performer. He actually placed third in last year’s Melodifestivalen with “Manboy“, which then proceeded to reach #1 on the Swedish Singles chart. Fredrik Kempe, the songwriter behind “Popular”, has contributed two songs to Eurovision in the past: 2008’s “Hero” and 2009’s “La Voix“. However, Sweden has seemingly underperformed over the past few years. They haven’t made the Top Ten since 2006, and failed to reach the Final last year for the first time in their history of Eurovision participation. Eric is undoubtedly adorable, and might take away a small handful of the “screaming pre-teen fangirl” vote from Blue, but I wouldn’t personally count this as a major player in this year’s event. At the very least, though, it’s an entertaining three minutes, and knowing Sweden’s recent penchant for barely changing the Melodifestvalen staging for Eurovision, I’m looking forward to seeing if the Swedes are able to bring their show to Germany, shattered windows and all. (I’d hate to be the singer that goes after “Popular”…or the cleanup crew, for that matter!)
Blue’s "I Can" finally revealed
After months of waiting, the United Kingdom’s entry “I Can”, performed by veteran boy band Blue, was revealed tonight after a performance on the BBC’s “Graham Norton Show”. Graham is not only an avid Eurovision fan, but he’s also been the network’s commentator on the ESC finals since Terry Wogan’s departure after the 2008 event. The song’s studio version was leaked yesterday, but it wasn’t until tonight that we saw Blue perform their entry live:
I normally am not a huge fan of boy bands…I grew up surrounded by screaming hordes of Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC fans, and I generally just rolled my eyes and put on my Dave Matthews Band or La Ley CDs. Plus, while Blue was huge in the UK, Ireland, and parts of continental Europe, they never really made much of an impact on the charts here in the US. So, when people started flipping out over Blue’s reunion and the fact that they’d been chosen to represent the UK in the ESC, I was interested, but skeptical. Frankly, I had been unimpressed by many similar acts in Eurovision over the years. When I saw Lena Meyer-Landrut’s adorable reaction to Blue’s participation (which has unfortunately been removed from Youtube…bummer!), I was intrigued. But after seeing “I Can” performed live, I’m completely convinced. This might be the UK’s best hope for a Eurovision win since Katrina and the Waves. It’s instantly memorable and performed well by a group with a decade of experience under their belts (displaying strong harmonies, and Lee Ryan’s high notes are golden). Also, the fact that they already have an established fan base all over the continent gives them a major leg up, even over nations in a larger voting bloc. I have a very difficult time imagining this not hitting the Top Five, and may very well bring the UK their first victory since 1997.
I might not go running out and tattooing Duncan James’s face on my right bicep, but if “I Can” wins the whole thing this May, I won’t feel the need to hide under my bed in a fetal position with my Ben Folds Five albums and Foo Fighters t-shirt, rocking back and forth and whimpering. And for a staunch former hater of boy bands, that says a lot. Very well done, UK!
Kati Wolf’s "What About My Dreams?" (Hungary) released!
As anticipated, Kati will be singing primarily in English, with part in the original Hungarian. I had been worried that cutting the song from over four minutes to three would damage its integrity, but it actually flows really well, and I’m happy that they kept the final section with the choral contribution. This could really make a major impact on the scoreboard, especially if the presentation matches the high energy of the song. At the very least, we’ve got a hand-waver at the Euroclub, and Poland’s “Jestem” has some heavy competition.
The ESC Insider 
Eurovision 2011: A Trail Guide
Mar 21
Posted by Samantha Ross
For those readers who are either completely new to Eurovision or just picking up the 2011 trail now, it can be a bit overwhelming to pick through 43 countries’ songs without a bit of guidance. To help with the journey, I’m taking the liberty of breaking up the songs into loose categories and themes. Some songs might fall into more than one category (and others seem to defy all logic and reason!), and some of these definitions are a bit loose and floppy, so take them with a grain of salt. But if you’re just getting into the contest, and aren’t sure what to listen to first, here’s a quick primer on this year’s offerings (and if I’ve overlooked anything, please let me know!):
All of the songs can be heard through the Eurovision Song Contest – Düsseldorf 2011 Preview Player
Rock and Pop-Rock:
Bulgaria – Poli Genova “Na Inat”
Denmark – A Friend in London “New Tomorrow”
Georgia – Eldrine “One More Day”
Macedonia – Vlatko Ilievski “Rusinka”
Moldova – Zdob şi Zdub “So Lucky”
The Netherlands – 3Js “Never Alone”
Romania – Hotel FM “Change”
Turkey – Yüksek Sadakat “Live it Up”
Uptempo Pop/Dance:
Armenia – Emmy “Boom Boom”
Belarus – Anastasia Vinnikova “I Love Belarus”
Croatia – Daria Kinzer “Celebrate”
Estonia – Getter Jaani “Rockefeller Street”
Germany – Lena “Taken by a Stranger”
Hungary – Kati Wolf “What About My Dreams?”
Ireland – Jedward “Lipstick”
Israel – Dana International “Ding Dong”
Latvia – Musiqq “Angel in Disguise”
Malta – Glen Vella “One Life”
Norway – Stella Mwangi “Haba Haba”
Poland – Magdalena Tul “Jestem”
Russia – Alex Sparrow “Get You”
Serbia – Nina “Čaroban”
Spain – Lucía Pérez “Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao”
Sweden – Eric Saade “Popular”
United Kingdom – Blue “I Can”
Ballads/Slow Pop:
Austria – Nadine Beiler “The Secret is Love”
Azerbaijan – Ell and Nikki “Running Scared”
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Dino Merlin “Love in Rewind”
Cyprus – Christos Mylordou “San aggelos s’agapisa”
Finland – Paradise Oskar “Da Da Dam”
Iceland – Sigurjón’s Friends – “Coming Home”
Lithuania – Evelina Sašenko “C’est Ma Vie”
San Marino – Senit “Stand By”
Slovakia – TWiiNS “Still Alive”
Slovenia – Maja Keuc “Vanilija”
Switzerland – Anna Rossinelli “In Love for a While”
Ukraine – Mika Newton “Angels”
Other Genres:
Albania – Aurela Gaçe “Feel the Passion” (ethno-pop)
Belgium – Witloof Bay “With Love Baby” (acapella)
France – Amaury Vassili “Sognu” (operatic bolero)
Greece – Loukas Giourkas featuring Stereo Mike “Watch my Dance” (rap/folk fusion)
Italy – Raphael Gualazzi “Madness of Love” (jazz)
Portugal – Homens da Luta “A Luta É Alegria”(1970’s-style popular protest)
Solo Female Singers:
Albania
Armenia
Austria
Belarus
Bulgaria
Croatia
Estonia
Germany
Hungary
Israel
Lithuania
Norway
Poland
San Marino
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Ukraine
Solo Male Singers:
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Cyprus
Finland
France
Italy
(FYR) Macedonia
Malta
Russia
Sweden
Bands:
Belgium
Denmark
Georgia
Iceland
Moldova
Netherlands
Portugal
Romania
Turkey
United Kingdom
Duets:
Azerbaijan (male/female)
Greece (male/male)
Ireland (male/male)
Latvia (male/male)
Slovakia (female/female)
Eurovision Returnees:
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Dino Merlin (Composer, 1993, 16th place/Performer, 1999, 7th place)
Germany – Lena (2010 Winner)
Iceland – Gunnar Ólasson (2001, 22nd place)
Israel – Dana International (Performer, 1998, Winner/ Composer, 2008, 9th place)
Moldova – Zdob şi Zdub (2005, 6th place)
Slovakia – TWiiNS (backup singers for the 2008 Czech entry, 18th place in the Semifinal)
Multilingual or Not in English:
Albania (mostly English, some Albanian)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (mostly English, some Bosnian)
Bulgaria (completely Bulgarian)
Cyprus (completely Greek)
France (completely Corsican)
Greece (English verses, Greek chorus)
Hungary (mostly English, some Hungarian)
Israel (Hebrew and English)
Italy (Italian and English)
Lithuania (mostly English, a tiny bit of French)
(FYR) Macedonia (completely Macedonian, with a corrupted Russian phrase in the chorus)
Norway (mostly English, some Swahili)
Poland (completely Polish)
Portugal (completely Portuguese)
Serbia (completely Serbian)
Spain (completely Spanish)
Originally in Another Language, but will be performed (at least mostly) in English:
Albania (“Kënga Ime” to “Feel the Passion”)
Croatia (“Lahor” to “Celebrate”)
Hungary (“Szerelem, miért múlsz?” to “What About My Dreams?”)
Iceland (“Aftur Heim” to “Coming Home”)
Netherlands (“Je vecht nooit alleen” to “Never Alone”)
Slovenia (“Vanilija” to “No One”)
Ukraine (“Angely” to “Angels”)
Participants in local “Idol”, “Operation: Triumph”, “X-Factor”, or other talent shows (not counting National Finals):
Austria – Nadine Beiler (winner of “Starmania” in 2007.)
Cyprus – Christos Mylordos (winner of “Performance” in 2010.)
Estonia – Getter Jaani (4th place in “Eesti otsib superstaari”, the local version of the “Idol” franchise.)
Greece – Loukas Giorkas (winner of the first season of Greece’s “X-Factor” in 2009.)
Hungary – Kati Wolf (6th place in “X-Faktor” 2010.)
Ireland – Jedward (6th place in the UK’s “X-Factor”, much to Simon Cowell’s chagrin.)
Italy – Raphael Gualazzi (winner of the youth division of 2011’s Sanremo Festival.)
Lithuania – Evelina Sašenko (participant in “Triumfo arka”, a Lithuanian show focused on operatic talent.)
Slovenia – Maja Keuc (runner-up from 2010’s “Slovenija ima talent [Slovenia’s Got Talent]”.)
Spain – Lucía Pérez (winner of the Galician “Canteira de Cantareiros” in 2002.)
Sweden – Eric Saade (winner of local talent show “Joker”, now called “Popkorn”.)
Performers with Theatrical Experience:
Estonia – Getter Jaani played the role of Sharpay Evans in the Estonian stage version of “High School Musical”.
Malta – Glen Vella is an alum of local productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Godspell”, and others.
Poland – Magdalena Tul has appeared in local productions of “Grease” and “Cats”, among others.
San Marino – Senit was in international touring productions of “Hair”, “Fame”, and “The Lion King”.
Performers over the age of 35 (according to Wikipedia):
Albania – Aurela Gaçe (36)
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Dino Merlin (48)
Hungary – Kati Wolf (36)
Israel – Dana International (39)
Netherlands – Two of the 3Js (lead singer Jan Dulles is 36 and guitarist Jaap de Witte is 56. The third “J”, Jaap Kwakman, is only 33.)
Performers under the age of 20 (again, according to Wikipedia):
Belarus – Anastasia Vinnikova (19…turns 20 the day after the Final)
Cyprus – Christos Mylordos (19)
Estonia – Getter Jaani (18)
Germany – Lena (19)
Ireland – Jedward (19)
Slovenia – Maja Keuc (19)
Posted in 2011, Special Comment
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