Eurovision Song Contest 2011 Semifinal 1
GUESS WHAT? IT'S ALMOST EUROVISION WEEK!
I'm not a great believer in capslock, but if anything deserves it, it's the Eurovision Song Contest! And it's almost here! The first semi is on Tuesday, so it's about time I got my thoughts on it together. I know you've all been dying to hear them! :)
Poland: Magdalena Tul - Jestem
It's Catherine Zeta-Jones! It's not bad, but it's not particularly memorable either. The verse is dull, but the refrain is perfectly decent. The video looks good. I think this is one of those numbers that depend entirely on the staging. If they do something cool, then yay! It definitely needs a good staging, and a great performance. I like her voice, so I hope she pulls it off. It's a very average song, but it's a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that will come later.
Norway: Stella Mwangi - Haba Haba
African rhythms in Eurovision! Yay! It feels like the African rhythms are hiding under a big Norwegian duvet, but still! It's fun. A little bit stale, but fun. Stella is very charming, even if I'm not personally a fan of her singing, she sounds so out of breath. They need to do something about the choir boys who look very much like they're being forced to dance at gunpoint, though. I think, and hope, that it will qualify, but I won't cry if it doesn't.
Albania: Aurela Gaçe - Feel The Passion
I'm honestly too busy staring at the video to listen to the song. Aww, I've missed these blatant tourism promotion videos! This one is special though, because Aurela is an eagle, flying over Albania, and she's scaring the shit out of me! She just looks so fantastically evil, and I'm surprised she's not toppling over from the sheer weight of her eyelashes. This can only be better live, without the video. She can sing, and there's something suggestive about the song, so I think it'll work.
Armenia: Emmy - Boom Boom
I'm prepared to hate it just because of the title. And it does nothing to prove me wrong! The refrain is sooo horrible! It makes me twitch. The verse is decent, but then it turns into this infantile rubbish! And she sings well, and she is so wasted on this piece of crap! The audience clearly thinks so too, waving their balloons half-heartedly and slow clapping during the song. And the performance is dull, it's just her, and eh. Eurovision is about more than that!
Turkey: Yüksek Sadakat - Live It Up
Turkey is doing the same thing as last year and sending a competent rock band. They're good, and I can see myself listening to the song in the future. I've heard it so many times before though, the underlying feeling is very 80s. Which I like. Kind of a lot.
Serbia: Nina - Caroban
The clothes, the hair, the make-up, the stage, it's all so gloriously 60s! I love it! Sadly, the song doesn't live up to the setting. It just doesn't sound 60s at all, it very 80s. I did like the 80s feeling in Turkey's song, but this is the bad kind of 80s sound. It just feels dated and tired. It looks so happy, but it just doesn't sound it!
Russia: Alex Sparrow - Get You
Aww, it's a boyband boy without his band! Luckily he does have another boyband dancing behind him. Sadly that boyband seem like they're straight out of their 6th grade talent show. Get rid of them, Alex! Alex is not a great singer. Not even a good one. But the refrain is dangerously catchy! My brain is screaming at me not to like this, but my heart is too busy bouncing around on the dance floor to listen.
Switzerland: Anna Rossinelli - In Love For A While
Oh, I am completely in love, and not just for a while. This is so my thing! I love Anna! She's cute and charming and has a wonderful voice! Reminds me of Germany's Lena, actually. And the song is lovely and pretty and mellow. It's the kind of song that might show up in a happy commercial for a sensible car. I love everything about this!
Georgia: Eldrine - One More Day
Excellent use of the wind machine! But what is up with all the horrible rappers this year! This is just the first one. He's so pathetic. I rather like the rest of the song, though. It's very angry in an appealing sort of way. She's very good!
Finland: Paradise Oskar - Da Da Dam
Again, the title does not make me want to like this. Love his name, though, since it's from an Astrid Lindgren book. There is something about this song that provokes me. It's about a little boy trying to save the world, and it makes me want to gag. I don't know if that says more about me or the song, but there it is. And the lyrics... "And everyone is welcome to join me and sing da da dam da da dam da da dam..." No! You don't get away with nonsense lyrics if you imply that singing them will save the world! Just, go away!
Malta: Glen Vella - One Life
It's not Chiara! Or even Chiara light like last year! So that's making me feel benevolent. This is crap. But it's camp, glittery crap about loving yourself, and what is more Eurovision than that?! Go Glen! Just make the live performance as glittery and camp as the video, and we'll get along just fine!
San Marino: Senit - Stand By
Oh look! Another blatant tourism video! San Marino looks very pretty. The song is fine, but dull and utterly forgettable. I like the tv antenna she's wearing on her head, though. Very royal wedding!
Croatia: Daria - Celebrate
Oh, Croatia, why have you forsaken me? Croatia has provided some of my absolute favourite Eurovision songs, but lately, things have not been the same between us. And this year we've hit rock bottom. Nothing about this makes me want to celebrate. And Daria doesn't seem like she wants to celebrate either. She's so unconvincing! I have a feeling this will be utterly horrible on stage.
Iceland: Sjonni's Friends - Coming Home
Sjonni, who was supposed to sing this, died tragically two weeks before the competition. So his friends got together and sung it instead, and won. It's a lovely story! I don't know who Sjonni is, or how well he sung, and I haven't heard the other songs in the competition, but I doubt this would have won originally. But how could it not win with a background like that? And if all the national commentators tell the story, which they will, because it's a great story, I have a feeling it'll get a lot of sympathy votes. Which is nice. And it's a nice song. Not much more than that though. Mostly harmless.
Hungary: Kati Wolf - What About My Dreams?
Hell yeah! Now we're talking! Kati is amazing, and the song is great! A very good verse explodes into a fantastic disco refrain, and I love love love it! Wooo!
Portugal: Homens Da Luta - Luta É Alegria
So, apparently this is some kind of protest song inspired by the culture climate of the 70s? It's certainly inspired by the whole 70s "everyone is allowed to sing, even people who can't sing" feeling. Aww, Eurovision wouldn't be Eurovision without at least one of this kind of entries. The singing is absolutely horrid and off-key, but they're fun to look at!
Lithuania: Evelina Sasenko - C'est Ma Vie
You know those net things that you put over cakes in the summer, so that the wasps won't get to them? Evelina is wearing one as a skirt! Very inventive! Hideous, but inventive! This has been called a Disney ballad by many people, but that is an insult to Disney ballads! This is absolutely horrible! She's a good singer, but ugh!
Azerbaijan: Ell/Nikki - Running Scared
Azerbaijan has a song written by Swedes for the third year in a row, I think. This sounds very Swedish. This one is sung by Nicole Richie and a 13-year-old boy! It's a bit like Denmark last year, in that the two singers have absolutely zero chemistry together. The song is catchy as all hell, though. I love the refrain. I really need her to stop touching her face all the freaking time, though!
Greece: Loucas Yiorkas feat Stereo Mike - Watch My Dance
And another song is ruined by a horrible rapper! I mean, even the name! Stereo Mike! Jesus. Loucas is very good at belting out something incredibly Greek sounding, but Stereo Mike just destroys it all completely.
I'm not a great believer in capslock, but if anything deserves it, it's the Eurovision Song Contest! And it's almost here! The first semi is on Tuesday, so it's about time I got my thoughts on it together. I know you've all been dying to hear them! :)
Poland: Magdalena Tul - Jestem
It's Catherine Zeta-Jones! It's not bad, but it's not particularly memorable either. The verse is dull, but the refrain is perfectly decent. The video looks good. I think this is one of those numbers that depend entirely on the staging. If they do something cool, then yay! It definitely needs a good staging, and a great performance. I like her voice, so I hope she pulls it off. It's a very average song, but it's a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that will come later.
Norway: Stella Mwangi - Haba Haba
African rhythms in Eurovision! Yay! It feels like the African rhythms are hiding under a big Norwegian duvet, but still! It's fun. A little bit stale, but fun. Stella is very charming, even if I'm not personally a fan of her singing, she sounds so out of breath. They need to do something about the choir boys who look very much like they're being forced to dance at gunpoint, though. I think, and hope, that it will qualify, but I won't cry if it doesn't.
Albania: Aurela Gaçe - Feel The Passion
I'm honestly too busy staring at the video to listen to the song. Aww, I've missed these blatant tourism promotion videos! This one is special though, because Aurela is an eagle, flying over Albania, and she's scaring the shit out of me! She just looks so fantastically evil, and I'm surprised she's not toppling over from the sheer weight of her eyelashes. This can only be better live, without the video. She can sing, and there's something suggestive about the song, so I think it'll work.
Armenia: Emmy - Boom Boom
I'm prepared to hate it just because of the title. And it does nothing to prove me wrong! The refrain is sooo horrible! It makes me twitch. The verse is decent, but then it turns into this infantile rubbish! And she sings well, and she is so wasted on this piece of crap! The audience clearly thinks so too, waving their balloons half-heartedly and slow clapping during the song. And the performance is dull, it's just her, and eh. Eurovision is about more than that!
Turkey: Yüksek Sadakat - Live It Up
Turkey is doing the same thing as last year and sending a competent rock band. They're good, and I can see myself listening to the song in the future. I've heard it so many times before though, the underlying feeling is very 80s. Which I like. Kind of a lot.
Serbia: Nina - Caroban
The clothes, the hair, the make-up, the stage, it's all so gloriously 60s! I love it! Sadly, the song doesn't live up to the setting. It just doesn't sound 60s at all, it very 80s. I did like the 80s feeling in Turkey's song, but this is the bad kind of 80s sound. It just feels dated and tired. It looks so happy, but it just doesn't sound it!
Russia: Alex Sparrow - Get You
Aww, it's a boyband boy without his band! Luckily he does have another boyband dancing behind him. Sadly that boyband seem like they're straight out of their 6th grade talent show. Get rid of them, Alex! Alex is not a great singer. Not even a good one. But the refrain is dangerously catchy! My brain is screaming at me not to like this, but my heart is too busy bouncing around on the dance floor to listen.
Switzerland: Anna Rossinelli - In Love For A While
Oh, I am completely in love, and not just for a while. This is so my thing! I love Anna! She's cute and charming and has a wonderful voice! Reminds me of Germany's Lena, actually. And the song is lovely and pretty and mellow. It's the kind of song that might show up in a happy commercial for a sensible car. I love everything about this!
Georgia: Eldrine - One More Day
Excellent use of the wind machine! But what is up with all the horrible rappers this year! This is just the first one. He's so pathetic. I rather like the rest of the song, though. It's very angry in an appealing sort of way. She's very good!
Finland: Paradise Oskar - Da Da Dam
Again, the title does not make me want to like this. Love his name, though, since it's from an Astrid Lindgren book. There is something about this song that provokes me. It's about a little boy trying to save the world, and it makes me want to gag. I don't know if that says more about me or the song, but there it is. And the lyrics... "And everyone is welcome to join me and sing da da dam da da dam da da dam..." No! You don't get away with nonsense lyrics if you imply that singing them will save the world! Just, go away!
Malta: Glen Vella - One Life
It's not Chiara! Or even Chiara light like last year! So that's making me feel benevolent. This is crap. But it's camp, glittery crap about loving yourself, and what is more Eurovision than that?! Go Glen! Just make the live performance as glittery and camp as the video, and we'll get along just fine!
San Marino: Senit - Stand By
Oh look! Another blatant tourism video! San Marino looks very pretty. The song is fine, but dull and utterly forgettable. I like the tv antenna she's wearing on her head, though. Very royal wedding!
Croatia: Daria - Celebrate
Oh, Croatia, why have you forsaken me? Croatia has provided some of my absolute favourite Eurovision songs, but lately, things have not been the same between us. And this year we've hit rock bottom. Nothing about this makes me want to celebrate. And Daria doesn't seem like she wants to celebrate either. She's so unconvincing! I have a feeling this will be utterly horrible on stage.
Iceland: Sjonni's Friends - Coming Home
Sjonni, who was supposed to sing this, died tragically two weeks before the competition. So his friends got together and sung it instead, and won. It's a lovely story! I don't know who Sjonni is, or how well he sung, and I haven't heard the other songs in the competition, but I doubt this would have won originally. But how could it not win with a background like that? And if all the national commentators tell the story, which they will, because it's a great story, I have a feeling it'll get a lot of sympathy votes. Which is nice. And it's a nice song. Not much more than that though. Mostly harmless.
Hungary: Kati Wolf - What About My Dreams?
Hell yeah! Now we're talking! Kati is amazing, and the song is great! A very good verse explodes into a fantastic disco refrain, and I love love love it! Wooo!
Portugal: Homens Da Luta - Luta É Alegria
So, apparently this is some kind of protest song inspired by the culture climate of the 70s? It's certainly inspired by the whole 70s "everyone is allowed to sing, even people who can't sing" feeling. Aww, Eurovision wouldn't be Eurovision without at least one of this kind of entries. The singing is absolutely horrid and off-key, but they're fun to look at!
Lithuania: Evelina Sasenko - C'est Ma Vie
You know those net things that you put over cakes in the summer, so that the wasps won't get to them? Evelina is wearing one as a skirt! Very inventive! Hideous, but inventive! This has been called a Disney ballad by many people, but that is an insult to Disney ballads! This is absolutely horrible! She's a good singer, but ugh!
Azerbaijan: Ell/Nikki - Running Scared
Azerbaijan has a song written by Swedes for the third year in a row, I think. This sounds very Swedish. This one is sung by Nicole Richie and a 13-year-old boy! It's a bit like Denmark last year, in that the two singers have absolutely zero chemistry together. The song is catchy as all hell, though. I love the refrain. I really need her to stop touching her face all the freaking time, though!
Greece: Loucas Yiorkas feat Stereo Mike - Watch My Dance
And another song is ruined by a horrible rapper! I mean, even the name! Stereo Mike! Jesus. Loucas is very good at belting out something incredibly Greek sounding, but Stereo Mike just destroys it all completely.