Jury vs. Televote…the Saga Continues
There’s been a lot of chatter from fans (both casual and obsessed) about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of a 50% Jury, 50% Televote split at Eurovision. Call me crazy, but I actually kind of prefer having the two sides. A jury might be less inclined to vote for a song based on geographical or cultural distribution, while a public vote might be a better divining rod of what’s actually popular. Juries also have the benefit of having a few hours to digest their thoughts and register their votes, while televoters have a smaller window to decide where to spend their hard-earned cell-phone minutes. (Granted, until the full votes from each nation are released by the EBU or by the broadcasters themselves, this is a lot of speculation.)
Follow Up Single Time!
As is customary in the days following Eurovision, many of the artists that we have come to know and love from their participation on the ESC stage realize that there is, in fact, life after the world’s largest musical competition. (Granted, the same can’t necessarily be said about the bloggers you have come to know and love, who still cling to every fiber of their time in the Press Center!). Whether an artist is a newcomer on the scene or a professional with an established career, it’s only natural that new singles follow on the heels of the Grand Final.
Italy’s representative Raphael Gualazzi released his album “Reality and Fantasy”, and since its release in February it has reached #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts all over Europe. (It’s also available on iTunes in the US, and I give it my personal ESCInsider seal of approval!) Raphael’s keeping the momentum up releasing the follow-up single to “Follia d’Amore/Madness of Love”, “A Three Second Breath”.
We also have a pair of releases from Greece’s artists. Rapper Stereo Mike is currently working on a radio edit for his song “Μπορώ/Mporo (I)”. Taken from his new album “Ανέλιξη (Evolution)”, Mike actually decided to release “Μπορώ” after asking his Facebook and Twitter followers what his next single should be. He’s currently in the studio remixing the track, but here’s the full album edit:
Not to be outdone, Loukas Yiorkas also has a new single out. Teaming up again with composer Giannis Christodoulopoulos and lyricist Eleana Vrachali (the pair behind “Watch My Dance”), Loukas has unveiled his next track, “Για Πρώτη Φορά/Gia Proti Fora (For the First Time)”.
Sweden’s bronze-medalist Eric Saade has released the follow up to “Popular”, the highest-scoring Swedish Eurovision song since their 1999 victory. Eric will be releasing his new album, “Saade Vol. 1” at the end of June, but “Hearts in the Air” will actually be the album’s third single, after “Still Loving It” and, of course, “Popular”.
Romania’s Hotel FM (led by British-born David Bryan) has released their next track, following “Change”. I had the chance to hear a brief acapella version of “The Gathering” while I interviewed the guys back in Düsseldorf, so hearing the full arrangement was pretty cool. Judge for yourself:
Finally, Estonia’s Getter Jaani has released a new duet with Koit Toome (a fellow ESC-alum, from 1998). “Valged Ööd (White Nights)” is a poppy summer song that seems to be a seamless continuation from “Rockefeller Street”. Getter’s only eighteen years old, and when she was appearing on Eesti otsib superstaari, she performed a pair of songs by Miley Cyrus, so this sort of upbeat pop seems to be just her thing.
::Drumroll please?::
And the winner is…Azerbaijan?!?!?
It’s not a bad song by any stretch, but in my opinion, it benefited from a pretty good draw and the fact that Turkey wasn’t competing in the Final that night. It’s too early to tell if I’m going to Baku next year or not; I might need a few days to decompress! (Lucky for me, I fly to Israel tomorrow to board a cruise with my parents! If you don’t hear much from me over the next few days, that’s why!)
On the happier side of the coin, I’m absolutely THRILLED that Italy’s Raphael Gualazzi came in an incredibly respectable runner-up position. It wasn’t because of the fact that Eurovision fans missed Italy, and it wasn’t because of some hyped-up production…I like to think that it was because the music was real, heartfelt, and well-performed. I’ve met with Raphael a few times over these past two weeks, and, bar none, nobody else that I had met with here in Germany feels the music running through his veins as much as he does. If someone asks him to sing acapella, he closes his eyes and moves his fingers as if a piano were in front of him. He’s fantastic, and he has an amazing career ahead of him.
Sweden came in 3rd, which is a pretty remarkable contrast from the train-wreck that his first few rehearsals displayed. Early fan favorites Hungary and Estonia came in 22nd and 24th, respectively, and Jedward beat Blue in the scoreboard.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted, and I’ve got an early flight to catch. My voice is gone, and my feet hurt from the three-inch stilettos I’m rocking tonight. But I’ve never been happier.
I’ll catch you guys soon!
Personal Highlights from these past 2 weeks
Well, like I’ve mentioned before, tonight’s the Grand Final of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. For the past two weeks or so, I’ve had the honor and the pleasure of writing not only for ESCInsider, but also for ESCKaz.com, the official website of the OGAE Rest of the World fan club. My work with ESCKaz (and the press accreditation that comes with it) has afforded me the incredible opportunity to meet equally incredible people, from the fraternity of journalists here to the hardworking volunteers to the EBU staffers to the delegations and artists themselves. I cannot express my gratitude deeply enough to the ESCKaz team for not only giving me the chance to work with them, but also taking me under their wing and helping me learn on the fly as I was tossed into the Deep End of the Eurovision world.
I had the chance to interview 20 of this year’s artists, and I got to meet nearly all of the performers either at the Euroclub or one of the myriad other events here over the past few weeks. I got particularly close to the Icelandic delegation, the Greeks, Raphael Gualazzi from Italy, Finland’s Paradise Oskar, and the Sanmarinese staff. Even the biggest divas here were sweet and welcoming; Albania’s Aurela Gaçe always greeted me as we passed each other in the hall (especially after I told her that I was from New Jersey).
As I’ve previously said, this entire experience has made me reevaluate the entire notion of “fame” and “celebrity”. I’ve witnessed quiet moments of coffee-sipping, flirtation, personal breakdowns, musical jam sessions, and the panic of realizing that one is about to perform in front of 150 million people, not to mention YouTube clips ad infinitum. Celebrities are people, too, my friends. Treat them with respect (especially the newcomers on the scene).
I’m also still amused by the obsession with collecting the delegations’ promotional CDs. I will happily accept the swag and goodies from countries that I either have a relationship with or enjoy the song of, but I’m not going to step over my own mother in order to get the promo material from Kreplachistan if I think the song is abysmal. (That being said, the prize for the BEST promotional swag has to go, hands down, to the Georgian delegation, who provided selected members of the press corps with magnets, notebooks, pens, locally-produced teas, silk scarves, and even bottles of Georgian wine!)
Other things I have learned:
1) You catch more flies (and interviews) with honey than with vinegar. By going out and simply being polite to the volunteers, heads of press, and other staffers here, one can make significantly more headway towards where you want to go than by going in charging like a bull in a china shop and making demands from the higher-ups. The delegations don’t owe you anything.
2) Be more in charge of your own accommodation arrangements. I left my housing to my colleagues in the OGAE Rest of the World. While the housing was inexpensive and in a very safe location, I didn’t know until I arrived how distant my apartment would be from where the rest of the action was. It took me nearly an hour every day to get to the Arena via public transportation, and the buses stopped running too early, meaning that I had to pay for a taxi home nearly every night, upping my daily incidentals by about 25 Euros per night. Also, while my housemates were lovely people, I was the youngest of the four of us, and the only one who wanted to go out often and enjoy what the city had to offer. Because of that dynamic, I feel like I’ve missed out a bit.
3) Never say “No”, and break down your own barriers. I’ve been overwhelmed, stressed, and crazed at times, but I’ve never turned down an opportunity to shake a hand, do an interview, or smile for a random camera. I’m also pretty shy by my nature, but I’ve overcome my own fears and put myself out there. I don’t really like the way I look on camera or in audio recordings, but I recorded a handful of podcasts for ESC Insight and have been interviewed for Belarussian television. I’ve felt my knees shaking as I got up to ask questions to Jedward, but I ended up creating a great moment (but, then again, with Jedward, aren’t they all?). I often hate sitting alone, but I went on my own to Raphael Gualazzi’s showcase and it might have been the highlight of my time here. I’ve made some great friends by keeping myself open-minded, and who knows where those connections will lead?
4) Enjoy every second. There are about 2,500 accredited journalists here at the Press Center, and the vast majority of them are screaming Eurovision fanboys and fangirls. We stress out, we freak out, we explode, but we love every moment. The arguments, the punditry, the debates…we live for this. We’re all hopelessly addicted, and we do this out of love. Eurovision is our Summer Camp, our Prom, and our Bar Mitzvahs all rolled into one yearly event. Veterans see old friends and make new ones year after year…often times, the question asked isn’t “who do you want to win?”, but rather “where would you like to meet up next year?”. (That’s one of many reasons I’m hoping Iceland takes it…direct flights from Minneapolis to Keflavik!)
What else can I say? I’m sure I’ll have quite a bit more to discuss in a few hours, once we figure out the results…but until then, you’ve got a bit more time to mull over the possibilities.
Catch you on the other side of Eurovision History, people!
Raphael Gualazzi’s Epic Showcase
https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
I’ve mentioned before how much I love Italy’s entry this year. Raphael Gualazzi, who’ll be performing “Madness of Love” on Saturday, is a brilliant jazz musician who takes his cues from both the old school beginnings of the genre as well as newer styles and techniques. (His album “Reality and Fantasy” is already out, so definitely give it a listen!) I had the chance to attend an exclusive press conference and showcase with Raphael and his band, with a special cameo from the boys in Blue (and France’s Amaury Vassili was seen in the audience). The venue was a tiny, intimate little space, and I was sitting close enough to the action to see the sweat dripping from Raphael’s brow as he pounded away at the piano. At times, his hands were absolute blurs (you should have seen his rendition of “Caravan”!), and there were a few instances where the sheet music sitting on the piano flew off of the rack and onto the keyboard, but he kept on playing with gusto. Blue stopped by and performed “I Can” and “Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word” while Raphael tickled the ivories behind them…unbelievably cool.
Who knows?
Wow, Blogspot couldn’t have crapped out on me at a more inconvenient time…
Anyway, as some of you figured out, I went 9 for 10 on the Second Semi’s results, but I promise you that that is where my lucky streak will end. I honestly have no idea who will take tonight’s Eurovision crown, and I’m not the only one here in the press room who’s up in the air! People are guessing Azerbaijan, Ireland, the UK, France, Iceland, Denmark…I think Serbia might surprise us a bit and come up to the Top 5, but this year’s draw really put a damper on the pundits’ predictions. Some of this year’s strongest songs are being performed in the start of the running order, with former underdogs now in the sweet spots in the lineup. Then again, there are many who say that with the re-inclusion of the Jury’s vote and televoting now allowed throughout the entire show, running order matters less, but Dino Merlin still grimaced when he drew #2. Only time will tell, my friends…
Semi 2 Predictions and Favorites…
My Personal Favorites:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Netherlands, Moldova, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Denmark, Ireland. (Austria as honorable mention!)
My Predictions:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Romania, Denmark, Ireland, Ukraine, Estonia, Austria, Sweden, Israel.
…let’s see what happens in a few hours!
Just a thought…
Supposedly, there have been numerous problems with the audio and commentary feeds from many nations’ broadcasts last night. Spain couldn’t hear Norway, the UK heard an unbalanced Polish performance, and many commentators were forced to use their telephones to get their point across.
I’m pretty disappointed in this, considering the reputation that Germany has for their technical prowess. This being my first ESC, I can’t personally compare the issues here with things that have happened in the past, but this seems somewhat unprecedented. The EBU and German Broadcaster NRD will have a joint press conference here in about 10 minutes to discuss what happened, and we’ll go from there.
But, if this is all true, I’m happy to say that it might have disproven my theory that the Icelandic entry’s success hinged on the commentary from the broadcasters currying a sympathy vote. Hopefully, this means that “Coming Home” passed into the final through their own merit, which makes me a very, very happy Samantha. 🙂
Wow…just…wow…
1) They have no OGAE Club of their own, so they fall under the auspices of the Rest of the World division.
2) Iceland is geographically closest to my home country, the United States.
3) They have a great song, simply put!
I was sitting close enough to the action that I could make eye contact with some of the artists and feel the heat of the exploding pyrotechnics. The venue felt vast and intimate at the same time, and I doubt I’ll ever have another concert experience quite like it!
Ok, now on to the results:
Some of these winners are not a surprise. We all expected Finland, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Greece to make it through. Opinions were divided on Serbia, Iceland, Georgia, and Hungary. But Lithuania and Switzerland were complete blindsides, with most people expecting Norway and Turkey to possibly pass through to the Final. All bets seem to be off for the Second Semi…expect the unexpected, my friends!
The ESC Insider 
Follow Up Single Time, Part 2
Jun 20
Posted by Samantha Ross
As the weeks progress, more of Eurovision’s Class of 2011 are continuing on with their careers and releasing their next singles.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dino Merlin has followed up his 6th-place finish in Germany with his new single, “Undo”. Despite the title, the song is in Bosnian, unlike his ESC-entry “Love in Rewind”. Dino is actively touring this summer, and will likely release his next album in early 2012.
Albania’s preeminent diva, Aurela Gaçe, has collaborated with local rapper MC Kresha to bring the world their new single, “Cash”. It might not harness Aurela’s epic vocal prowess in the same way that “Kënga Ime/Feel the Passion” did in Düsseldorf, but it’s still a fun listen, and any video that has echoes of “Tron” gets a thumbs-up in my book:
Norway’s Stella Mwangi, who shockingly missed out on this year’s Final with the peppy, Afro-inspired “Haba Haba”, has picked herself up, dusted herself off, and is continuing on with her career. She released her new album, “Kinanda”, on June 10th, and has already released the video of “Haba Haba”‘s follow-up, “Lookie Lookie”:
Finally (for now, at least), 2011’s Dutch representatives 3Js have also released a new single in the past few days (although sharp-eared Eurofans will recognize “De Stroom” as the runner-up in this year’s National Selection).
Posted in 2011, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Netherlands, Norway, Special Comment
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