Month: May 2021

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Norway and Spain

Norway – Fallen Angel by TIX

Love this song. The story is heart-touching. I love the way TIX has cinematized the reality of his life in this song. It makes me sad for him and happy at the same time. The lyrics, sounds, rhythms, and his voice are superb! I am not a critic but it encourages me to write up some words for Norway. The story represents his life. It is inspiring. The disorder is not a burden for him, it is his CROWN. This song is the appropriate answer to the people who bullied him. The song tells how diverse Eurovision is! It absolutely fits in this Eurovision and deserves to win. It is not only lovely but also powerful.

Review by Shatabdi Paul

Spain – Voy A Quedarmeby Blas Canto

The appeal or prayer that Blas showed in this song is brilliant. His voice and gesture dazzled me though I did not understand his native language. It reminds me of my grandma and makes me emotional for her. I think diversity is definitely something that reaches everyone’s heart in their very own way. The song is really very touching. I love the line “I am going to stay and I promise to love you more than yesterday” which is heart-stopping.

Review by Shatabdi Paul

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Portugal and Serbia

Portugal – Love Is On My Side by The Black Mamba

Abandoning the usual Portuguese, lead singer Tatanka, delivers a this soulful love ballad in English and in earnest. The overall style is a bit of a hodgepodge…. the band name evokes heavy metal (cum Kill Bill), while the band appears in tuxedos…and then there is that hat. The whole thing is just too confusing for me…not in my top 10.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Serbia – Loco Loco by Hurricane

With possibly the best hairpower of the competition, Hurricane does deliver a classic Eurovision feast – trashy beats, saccharine lyrics and an ill conceived key change with only a hint of the macarena. I sure hope the windmachines will be on full blast!

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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Malta, Moldova, Poland

Malta – Je Me Casse by Destiny

Destiny has no patience for stereotypes, being pushed around and similar shenanigans – she is out of here! Teaming up a huge voice with some attitude and a roaring 20s beat works a treat, top 10 for me! I do fear for that half naked man trapped with Destiny on stage., though.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Moldova – SUGAR by Natalia Gordienko

Oh sure, I’d dance to this at 3am after plenty of G&Ts….but probably regret it the next morning.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Poland – The Ride by RAFAŁ

This song is mostly about the sunglasses…. borrowing heavily from 80 pop synths the song is benign and perhaps a bit catchy…apparently everyone in Poland hates it. Maybe Eurovision will love it…maybe not.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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Georgia, Ireland and Latvia

Georgia – You by Tornike Kipiani

This is the perfect sleep music including low frequency delta waves. People on the tubes like it, not sure Eurovision will, though! ‘Nice’ might just not be enough when the stakes are high and glitter.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Ireland – MAPS by Lesley Roy

Evoking an orienteering theme, Lesley’s soul is a map and her heart is a compass and boy can she run! She is literally running the length of Ireland (dressed in green – very en pointe). The violine to electropop transition is very well done, and even when the dense soundcloud swallows up Lesley’s voice she keeps going. Hope she gets there.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Latvia – The Moon Is Rising by Samanta Tīna

Get ready for high drama – Samanta and her army of blond and brunette ponytails are reclaiming power! While the melody is rather annoying, the song is indeed empowering encouraging everyone to crown themselves. No longer content with being a song writer, Samanta wants to be a Queen! Not sure Eurovision is ready for that, though.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Czech Republic

Azerbaijan – Mata Hari by Efendi

Reminiscent of a dentist’s drill, Efendi’s Mata Hari is testing my patience and love for Eurovision. And when the singing finaly stops the heavy drums and wailing pipes start. Apparently, Efendi competed five times to represent Azerbaijan and missed out ….if only she’d made it a sixth time unsuccessfully.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Bulgaria – Growing Up Is Getting Old by VICTORIA

Wait…. this is actually a sensitive, beautifully arranged and heartfelt song with lucid yet confronting lyrics. I love it a lot….not sure Eurovision is a safe place for Victoria.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Czech Republic – omaga by Benny Cristo

I can’t quite put my finger on it…is it the autotuning, the lazy lyrics (‘oh my god’ is repeated 10 times) or the casual sexist disrespect? Probably all of the above – nil points from me .

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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United Kingdom, Denmark, The Netherlands

United Kingdom – Embers by James Newman

Oh dear, the UK is heading for the bottom of the pile again. The whole thing just does not make any sense…clearly, this is meant to be a slow love ballad that some music exec turned into a thumping dance mix. Poor James can’t conjure up a decent dance step and is out of breath just keeping up the tempo. Let’s hope the brass section can carry this through…

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Denmark – Øve Os På Hinanden by Fyr Og Flamme

Oh, hello…the 80s are back!!! Fyr & Flamme  are Denmark’s answer to Wham, just not as good. The two lads have found the left-over wardrobe from Miami Vice and deliver a bit of 3-minute fun with an astonishing lack of irony. I like it!

Review by Mariella Herberstein

The Netherlands – Birth Of A New Age by Jeangu Macrooy

Elegant, powerful, joyful and relevant – Jeangu sings in English and Sranan Tongo about the colonial history of the Netherlands with resilience and could easily carry away a back-to-back win for the Netherlands. Not really a fate I wish upon the country – Ireland won back to back in the 90s after which it fell into a deep misery from which it is only now slowly emerging.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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Albania, Greece and Germany

Albania – Karma by Anxhela Peristeri

Anxehla belts out a classic Eurovision power ballad with everything you hoped for: wailing pipes, a plunging décolletage, a key change and a truck load of regrets. The deceptive soft start quickly gives way to a heavy drum beat, a rogue clarinet and Anxehia’s imposing yodel – oh boy!

Review by Mariella Herberstein

Greece – Last Dance by Stefania

Stefania travels by Pegasus (a winged horse of sorts), heavily sampling the 80s (think Kim Wild and Never Ending Story) encouraging us to dance. The song is inoffensive and imminently forgettable. With her Durch background, here is hoping for some sympathy points from the host country.

Reviewed by Mariella Herberstein

Germany – I Don’t Feel Hate- Jendrik

I have never thought of myself a hateful person but Jendrik’s random collection of melodized emojis underpinned by an insidious ukulele sure turned me!

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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Italy and Belgium

Italy – Shut Up And Good by Måneskin

Wow Italy, this was a shock but mainly because of my lack of experience with the Italian rock(ish) sound. The guitars sound great and combined with the voice and melody there definitively was some light head banging.

Although, it feels like the look is a bit forced maybe towards darker sounds, but not really getting it… did anyone else think of Marilyn Manson around the middle of the video? Drums and guitars have more of a 2010’s rock vibe with all the “The something” bands and the bass had a really cool Smashing Pumpkins flavour to it. A nice unexpected finding but also not really getting anything new or truly exciting here.

Review by Poncho Aceves Aparicio

Belgium – The Wrong Place by Hooverphonic

Well done Hooverphonic! Nice, short and catchy. But the real gold was hidden in the lyrics, the aftermath of a regretful one night stand, already intriguing isn’t it? Then, some fine notes of ironic humour and Johnny Cash references!!

With a really nice voice and melody, the band makes a clear point: if your one-night stand wakes up for the need of a cup of organic tea, then they are unworthy of wearing your Johnny Cash t-shirt, amen! Got lost somewhere in the middle of the video but the singing head on the floor totally pull me back to sing along! Dude, you’re in the wrong place!

Review by Poncho Aceves Aparicio

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Sweden, France and Slovenia

Sweden – Voices by Tusse

I sure like the magenta velvet smoking jacket Tusse is wearing in the video, but, boy, does he drag out every note of this song…’can you heeeeeeaaaaaaaar a million voices’. I guess he needed to make it to the 3 minute mark. Not even the customary key change cheered me up.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

France – Voilà by Barbara Pravi

OMD (oh mon dieu) – France is going old school on us with a classic chanson, Piaff style. By 1’07” I developed cravings for Gauloise and cheap Beaujolais, contemplating the existential crisis of my life. Send help ….. or Denmark’s Fyr Og Flamme.

Review Mariella Herberstein

Slovenia – Amen by Ana Soklič

Featuring the mother of all key changes, Ana scales an impressive vocal range into a massive crescendo ably supported by a gospel choir. But without any of the usual trashy gimmicks, I doubt it will it be enough.

Review by Mariella Herberstein

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Switzerland and North Macedonia

Switzerland – Tout l’Univers by Gjon’s Tears

Gjon isn’t the only one crying after this thoroughly mediocre and appropriately car-crash-themed ballad. I am too, but they’re tears of boredom. That’s a thing now, all thanks to this song. 2/10 for the pretty landscape I’d like to visit when he gets up off the road and stops crying.

Review by Willow Norton

North Macedonia – Here I Stand by Vasil

Between the intensely uncomfortable eye contact and the Bond Villain aesthetic, I’m wondering whether Vasil wants to eat me or have me join his cult. Possibly both. Either way, his vibe was so distracting I barely noticed the song, which was boring and thoroughly forgettable. 0/10 Please never look at me like that again.

Review by Willow Norton